estoria | [open] dojonuts

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[open] dojonuts

Who: Instructors at DOjo or DIEjo & you!
When: From today onward; training days will be held several times a week and the building is open for use outside of that, so feel free to tag in at any point!
Where: The dojo in Residential District's park
What: A dojo opens in the park! Chaos ensues, probably.
Rating/Warning: N/A, will update as necessary

A SPARRING MATCH A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
i;
[There's a new building in the park that's finally finished, sporting a bundle of balloons outside because some moron heard that's what you're supposed to do for grand openings and now they'll be there until they deflate. Maybe you're here because you've seen the flyers advertising it or heard something mentioned on the network. Maybe you've been dragged over by one of the instructors! Maybe you spent too long staring at the DOjo or DIEjo banner and now someone's trying to usher you inside?! Either way, you'll be greeted warmly upon entrance and encouraged to mingle and familiarize yourself with the building and the other people around you.

The dojo itself is pretty sizable and has plenty of space to poke around in. There's an indoor section that's styled very traditionally, with wooden floors and a rack on the wall that has a number of wooden and bamboo swords for communal use. Outside of the building is an outdoor training area with a flat dirt ground, as well as targets and training dummies for people to whack. On the porch, there's a mat off to the side for shoes and a water cooler with cups stacked on top.

Strangely, there's also a list posted to the inner wall by the entrance that simply says Do not spar with these instructors if you're just beginning. Several names are listed below it in red, including Yamatonokami Yasusada, Okita Souji, Sayo Samonji and a few others. It seems like the list is a work in progress; new names are added frequently...]

ii;
[Introductions are done, rules are explained, and now it's time to dive into the meat of the dojo - training and practice. Since all levels are welcome, there are instructors both in and out of the building teaching everything from the very basics to more advanced techniques or specific styles. Activities throughout the day include:

• Spectating. Anyone's free to come watch! The inside of the dojo isn't enormous, but there's plenty of space in the outdoor training area to roam and make passing comments to your poor friends who are stuck in sword hell.

• Form practice and repetition sets. The most tedious part of training, but an important backbone for any style. Are your arms getting tired after 50 strikes to the air? Too bad, you're only halfway through!

• Instructional sparring matches. Instructors will go toe to toe in order to showcase more advanced moves to students, students will be paired with instructors for tutoring matches and to get tips on their form, and students will face off against each other to practice with someone of their skill level.

• Competitive matches. Take on an instructor or a fellow student to test your strength and skill! A very small person that is apparently just called Small Troop oversees these matches, keeping tally on the chalkboard. The truly bold can even take on one of the instructors on the "DO NOT SPAR WITH" list with the promise of a prize at the end! It's like a spicy food challenge, but slightly more health-hazardous...! Those who make it through a match will indeed get a prize, too: the whiteboard at the front of the hall now sports a very fancy calligraphy CONGRATULATIONS and then their name in much sloppier writing.]

JUST KIDDING WE REALLY NEED A DOCTOR
iii;
[Phew! It's been a long couple of hours already. You may be sweating buckets or feeling the awful burn of Sore Arms (that's going to hurt in the morning), but don't worry, mercy is arriving on swift wings and carrying a tray of snacks. It's finally time for a break! There's water and tea, canned coffees for those who need a stronger pick-me-up, sliced watermelon brought out with salt, and riceballs. Some may be significantly more misshapen than others, and watch out for any riceballs stuffed with unusual fillings... Lump of canned tuna or straight-up wasabi, anyone?]

[Alternately, at some point during the break period, someone will pose a suggestion: this dojo needs its very own mission statement. Every good dojo has a strong motto, after all! Everyone is encouraged to throw their suggestions into the pot - really, because if it's left in the hands of the morons who named the dojo itself, it's bound to be Bad.]

iv;
[Maybe you overshot your restraints and ended up seriously wailing on your sparring partner by accident (or "by accident", you bloodthirsty freaks). Maybe you're the unfortunate person who landed a partner that can't control themselves and you're now sporting a few shiny new bruises or cuts. Either way, injuries happen! It's a training risk and it's definitely a risk when the instructors are mostly swords, oops...

First aid knowledge is also pretty scant here, so anyone ushered off to the repair area might have to put up with people uselessly shoving ice packs at them and offering to bandage things that probably don't need bandages and whispering can we just use sticks for splints to each other. Some of them aren't great at judging injury levels either, so people with teeny tiny cuts could end up with five bandages and others who need a timeout may just get a "YOU'RE FINE" and a gold star sticker. GOOD LUCK.]

-

[As for anyone else in the park, the sound of screaming may both A) rudely shatter any peaceful park silence you were trying to enjoy and B) draw your attention over toward a new building by the park's edge. And boy, there sure is a lot of screaming happening... Some of it could be battle cries or power shouting, but there are definitely a few in there that sound genuinely distressed and pained?!

Moreover, there's a large sign on the outside of said building that simply reads HELP in sloppy, bold handwriting. And is that blood on the corner of the sign?? OMINOUS... Anyone who approaches to get a closer look will see that the bottom half of the sign has broken off and lies in the grass below. It says NEEDED IMMEDIATELY, SEEKING HEALERS AND ANYONE WITH FIRST AID EXPERTISE. Someone pity these fools and lend a hand...]

TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES FOR DUMMIES
v;
[Practice has finally come to an end - but don't think about leaving just yet. This is a traditional dojo, after all, and you know what that means? Everyone pitches a hand in to clean it up at the end. It helps the students to care more about their school if they have to put work into its maintenance themselves, right?

And there's a lot of maintenance to be done. Tufts of fox hair can be found here and there, or a broken door or two from some earlier wild matches, maybe streaks and splatters of blood in a few places, and-- is that a hole in the floor? When did that even get there? The outside area needs to have its ground leveled again, too, and scattered practice swords need to be returned to their proper places on the wall. Looks like everyone's got their work cut out for them... The small troop will also lend a hand if it looks like anyone is struggling, taking a tiny cloth to the floor or trying to show the best way to scrub out blood. With so many people working together, surely this won't take too long!]

vi;
[Cleaning has been Successfully Accomplished, hopefully with minimal bodily injury or property damage. Now it's time to go home and take a shower and sleep for a year, right? ...Nope! It looks like the dojo bonding hasn't quite finished yet. Escape is possible, but you may have some persistent people insisting on dragging you along despite your protests.

Anyway, it's not uncommon to share drinks after a successful day in training, but for the sake of the non-drinkers and underage among them, a cafe is what's ultimately decided on. Their field trip into the city is a blind game of follow-the-leader with no actual leader and they may take some detours (another cafe! A nice shop! A cart selling pretzels that just smells too good to pass up!) depending on who wants to go where, but they'll reach their ultimate goal eventually.

It's... it's the Macho Cafe. Enjoy?!]

(This is an open mingle for the dojo's opening and subsequent training/practice days! Feel free to toplevel, comment around and threadjack to your heart's content!)

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[One instructor happens to overhear her as he's passing by; Namazuo laughs, nodding.]

That's probably for the best. They can be rather... excitable.

[That's the nicest way he knows how to say "they're dang maniacs".]

I know about being excitable myself, unfortunately!

[ She laughs, but it's no laughing matter if you've seen her really get into a fight! It's terrifying stuff. ]

So I don't know if you'll have any grounds left if we end up really getting into it.

[ Yes she's a small Japanese woman saying she could blow up the whole place if she wanted to. ]

[He believes her! He's seen Hotarumaru in action, okay... not to mention the tantous, their tiny bumblebee army. But he smiles, since she's being a perfectly nice guest right now!]

That wouldn't be good! This is a brand new dojo, after all! [Please don't destroy their shiny new dojo on the first day guys...] So you've come to observe today?

Nyahaha! I'll refrain, then.

[ Even if all this gets her blood burning! Being able to keep herself in check is part of being an adult, after all! ]

Yup. I was a combat instructor back home, believe it or not, and my father ran a dojo when I was young. You could say this is in my blood!

[She isn't the only one! Maybe they can take an excursion one day so the more vigorous fighters can run wild and free and throw each other around to their hearts' content. For now, though, they can't break anything for at least a... few... days.

Help them.]

Wow, that's very impressive! [Namazuo's had a lot of masters of varying fame and battle experience, but he isn't being sarcastic in the slightest. He looks genuinely interested and pleased to hear that!] You must feel right at home, then. Did you favor a certain style?

I was briefly trained by my father and brother in a twin-sword style, so in terms of kendo that's what I'd go with. But as for what I actually use in real combat, I'm a middle-to-long range mage. Beams, barriers, binds, and such.

[ So... not actually a swordswoman. She does like watching martial arts of all kinds though, and she's not really giving herself enough credit. The woman known as the Ace of Aces back home isn't just a long range fighter, she's perfectly capable of mixing it up in melee. ]

Ah! We don't have anyone who uses a style like that--[Mainly because they all use... themselves...]--so that would be excellent to train against! I look forward to watching you spar someday.

A mage? So you can use magic? [HE KNOWS THIS TERM, he saw it in a book!!] How does it work?

I guess it would be difficult to do either... [ Unless both of Miyamoto Musashi's wooden swords somehow formed a single spirit, but she doubted that would happen even if his infamously plain weapons had names.

Nothing that can be done about their lack of magical ability, though. ]

It's difficult to describe how magic works to someone who hasn't experienced it for themselves, but it's like... I have this great well of power beating next to my heart, and I draw it out of myself with training and a little bit of technology. Then [ she raises a hand, finger pointing at one of the practice dummies, ] I shape it and shoot it off! [ A pink beam launches from her finger and hits it in the side of the head with a bonk. ]

[Haru definitely knows more than Namazuo about this sort of thing--even though he's a spirit, he doesn't really understand the details. So he simply nods, humming thoughtfully.

He's far more interested in her magic, anyway! He watches her demonstration in awe and claps enthusiastically.] Wow! That's amazing! Very impressive! Can you do it again? Do you think you could come home with us and join our army?

[He's. Excited.]

Nyahaha! Unfortunately my employment is already accounted for! I'm already in a special forces unit back home.

[ Still! Go ahead and praise her more! She'll take it! ]

But I can definitely do it again. In fact... Raising Heart, if you'd please.

[ A red gem flies out from beneath her blouse, breaking free from its usual perch on a necklace Nanoha wears everywhere, and transforms into her staff in a flash of light.

She gives Raising Heart a wave, and a dozen pink spheres form behind her. ]

If I focus entirely on providing as much volume fire as possible, I could shoot everyone in this dojo at once. No promises on being able to knock them out, but I'd say they're no less effective than a rifle, even if a bit less dangerous!

[ Another wave, and the spheres fly off. This time they fizzle out before hitting anything, but it's because Nanoha doesn't want to damage the dojo. ]

Oh... well, that's alright, I'm sure you're needed there. [He's not even sure non-swords can fight their enemies, to be honest. He doesn't know that much about the scope of the war--he goes where they tell him to go and fights who they tell him to fight. Other than that, his concerns don't extend that far beyond their little secluded citadel.]

Heeeh... that's called "Raising Heart"? [He looks it over with interest, though he respectfully stays where he is. Thanks for not burning down their dojo, their instructors are doing enough damage to it as it is... HELP THEM.] Was it forged by magic too?

Yup! Say hello, Raising Heart.

Good Day. [ The staff speaks! ]

It's probably more accurate to say that it's partly made from physical materials that are compressed into the gem when not in use, and only partly out of magic. It's like...

[ She tries to think of an analogy he would understand, and settles on probably the most obvious one. ]

I guess it's like you guys with your true forms. There's a staff and computer in there made of metal by a serious expert, but a lot of what you actually see on the outside is made by my own spiritual energy. Does that make sense?

[IT SPEAKS WHAT THE HECK. Namazuo jumps a little, looking at it with wide eyes; a bit ironic, perhaps, but they can't chat with humans in their spirit forms, so a talking staff is still a little surprising.

He gets the basic idea, though, and he nods slowly, turning this information over in his head.]

I think so. Does everyone in your world have something like this?

Hmm. They're pretty expensive, but I'd say most people who can afford it get themselves an Intelligent Device. They're basically like the CereVices here. Not everyone has one that can transform into a weapon though, that's reserved for those who are going to dedicate a lot of time into their magic!

I see... [Namazuo's been all over the timeline of his own world, but Cerealia is the first place he's ever been able to meet people from other ones. Reading about them or watching movies just isn't the same--hearing her talk about such things so casually is much more fascinating to him.] From what I've read in the history books, there are all kinds of advanced weapons in our world now. But I don't think any of them are affected by spiritual energy except us.

[Not that he really knows, since their little citadel is extremely secluded... (no one tell him about Kantai Collection.)]

That... [ Nanoha realises she has no idea what he means by advanced weapons. What year is he from? Does he mean machine gun advanced, fighter jets advanced, or giant death robots advanced? ] Well, I'm sure they are more advanced than Japanese swords, even if they are pretty great, but it depends on where and when exactly you look.

For example, I was born and raised in 21st century Japan. There was some magic, but it was rare, and hidden from the rest of the world. Then I moved to Mid-childa, which is an entire society built around magic, and much more advanced than Earth!

[ Oh, that's right. Nanoha's technically an alien. ]

Mid-Childa...?

[Have a politely blank look, Nanoha. He's never heard of it, but he's pretty sure that his Japan isn't quite to the point of interstellar space travel. Then again, he's never even been in an airplane, so what does he know.]

It was 2205 in Japan before we came here, but I don't think anyone has left Earth... I suppose it's possible, though! We travel through time, why not space? [Nama that's not how it works]

Don't worry, I'd be more surprised if you'd heard of it. Mid-Childa is the capital of the Administration Bureau, which is a government that runs many worlds across all of space. Earth counts as an Unadministrated World, so they don't interact with Earthlings unless they have to most of the time.

[ So it's more like she met space aliens one day and then ended up moving to their home. ]

They look human for some reason though. I'm still not sure why that is exactly.

[So really it was the aliens who should've been worried about invasions all along...]

Well, there are many people from places I've never heard of here who look human too... I suppose it's not as strange as it seems to us. [Says the sword spirit in a """human""" body?? Okay Namazuo] Are any of them here, or is it just you?

No, I'm the only one I've met here.

[ Her eternal smile stiffens slightly. It's tough being alone, okay? ]

[Ah... he understands. He's grateful to have so many companions around, but he can deny he misses his brothers terribly.]

I hope they come soon.

[His own smile is sympathetic, but he doesn't linger on the subject. It doesn't seem like there's much they can do about it... for now, anyway. In the meantime, he'll steer the conversation back to safer things.]

Perhaps then we'll have an area for the most enthusiastic fighters to destroy as they please!

Ahaha...! [ Nanoha manages to laugh. Having a place to cut loose would be nice, but she doesn't want to be known as the lady who explodes things! ]

I'd rather go back to them, but if we can't manage that, then having them come here would be a great consolation prize!

[Namazuo nods, but he doesn't make any extravagant promises or reassurances. There's just too much they don't know--about Ceres, about the fates of their worlds, about this world. Namazuo isn't the type to fling out false, pretty words just to make someone feel better.

But he is the type to look for the silver lining, no matter how dark the clouds. So he smiles, folding his hands together.]

Maybe we can spar together someday! Then, if I ever meet them, I can tell them all the things I learned from you.

Any time!

[ There's little Nanoha enjoys more than sparring. She'll always take anyone up on their challenge. ]

I'm Nanoha, Takamachi Nanoha. What's your name?

[Excellent! She'll be right at home here, then.]

I'm Namazuo Toushirou, a wakizashi. Nice to meet you, Takamachi-san!

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zenryokuzenkai - 2015-11-29 16:24 (UTC) - Expand

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[open] dojonuts

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