estoria | (CLOSED) C'est Pas Possible

Entry tags:

(CLOSED) C'est Pas Possible

Who: Mitsuru Kirijo (

cestmagnifique) & Tadashi Hamada (

bropane)
When: IC (6/6?)
Where: CERES Gymnasium
What: Mitsuru learns how to friend and teaches Tadashi the basics of fencing
Rating/Warning: None, just nerds

[ Mitsuru isn't entirely sure if she's a capable instructor, to be honest. Though she'd taken the job when it was offered upon her arrival, since she was bewildered and her skill set limited, as time progressed she began to wonder if being a Fencing Instructor is really the right fit. Certainly she has no problems taking command, nor does she lack the experience necessary, but Mitsuru has always found it easier to lead from a distance of sorts. As the Student Council President, she had a team to support her as she delegated what she could and took on the rest herself. Even in SEES, though she still yield to the Chairman and to the Kirijo Group at large, she'd acted as navigator for a while and then conceded field command to Minato even when she returned to the battlefield.

What it really comes down to is that Mitsuru isn't that good at relating to people. She tries and she's learned a lot, she's aware of many of her shortcomings, but it's still difficult. Her interactions with others are always a little removed even without her intent. Given recent events and one of the people she really, truly trusts with her life disappearing, it had only been too easy to withdraw and try to sort out her thoughts in private. That might not make her much of a capable friend, either.

But, for whatever reason, some people continue to try despite herself. She is grateful for that. Though she'd had a glimpse of some of the trauma that he went through, Tadashi still managed to surprise her with his own positive attitude. She wouldn't go as far as to say it's infectious, but it was enough to lighten her mood. And now she's taking some free time--of which she feels she has too much, in the first place--to try and impart some of her knowledge to him. To be honest, she's not certain if he has a vested interest in understanding fencing or if he's humoring her for the sake of being friendly, but...either way, she's grateful. She does need to get out.

Mitsuru is appropriately geared up, waiting in one of the training arenas at the allotted time. Her mask sits at her feet as she brings her hair up into a ponytail. She'd arrived early, as one should expect of an instructor--

--er...she has to remind herself that this isn't a job thing. It's a fun thing. And fun is something she needs to have. ]

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[ fortunately for tadashi, the ceres gym provides people with equipment rentals. there's a lot of sweat in what he's wearing now and it's hella uncomfortable, but he's doing this to get to know mitsuru better and to have fun at the same time.

and lord knows that they need the fun.

he's never late, either. he has his headgear tucked under his arm as he enters the training room, sword swaying in his belt. ]

Hey, [ he calls out to her, his free hand waving at the redhead. ] Did you wait long?

[ Sorry, Tadashi. Mitsuru assumes, of course, that the staff is doing proper cleaning for all rental suits, so it doesn't even occur to her to check. Also, she takes hers to a proper cleaners regularly. Do you think these hands know how to do laundry? Not at all.

At the sound of the door opening, Mitsuru turns, releasing her hair now that it's gathered properly behind her. ]

Good afternoon. [ She shakes her head as she places a hand at her hip. ] Not at all. You are punctual, as I expected.

[ tadashi likely looks like he's wearing the more uncomfortable clothes ever with the way he saunters further into the room. but worry (???) not, mitsuru. he'll get used to this soon enough. ]

Can't be late, ever. [ he laughs. it's a nerd thing. he really likes being punctual and following the rules. though that thing about following the rules is slowly being bended because of ceres and their experiences here. ]

You look so much better than I do in this, [ a joke, but a compliment at the same time. ] So, how do we do this?

[ They are practical, correct? Or, rather, he'll soon find out that the padding definitely helps when you've been (ahem) prodded a few times. Granted, it doesn't lend to be as wary as one should on the battlefield, but Mitsuru has learned to separate combat experience from something most people are picking up as a hobby.

That's a good quality to have. Tardiness is something that she doesn't understand, extenuating circumstances aside.

She raises her brows slightly--is that a compliment? Well, she supposes it's just...a statement of fact, right? ]

I'm more accustomed to them. [ Yes, that makes sense. ]

There are several things to keep in mind...first and foremost, that your choice of sword will vary with your own style. For example, I generally prefer the epée, which is the heaviest sword available, though the blades are all flexible. A sword will be an extension of your arm and it should move as such. I often see hesitation and rigidity in my beginner's course--

[ Oh, wait.

He's not her student. ]

--...my apologies. This isn't a class and I'm already lecturing you...

[ he lets out a chuckle and holds up a hand up to his chest level, telling her it's fine. ]

You can continue, if you like. I'm learning; that's what's important.

[ There's definitely a sense of "if you say do" to her gaze. ]

As always, you are very accommodating...

[ Well, she'll continue and be a little less detailed. He is an intellectual, she's aware, but he likely wants to get down to the action portion. Or so she assumes. ]

The rules of scoring depend on the type of weapon that you have. The commonality between the three swords is that you only may strike your opponent with the tip. Of course, in an actual battle this may not be the case, but classical fencing as a sport dictates certain rules and etiquette. I see that they've given you a foil, so we will use those standards as a baseline.

[ She pulls her own sword free of its sling and steps forward, giving Tadashi a gentle poke at his chest. ]

From the top of the torso-- [ And then again to just about where his navel would be. ] --to the waist is considered permissible. Understood?

[ alright, that's easy enough to understand. now, committing to the rules and actually doing the whole fencing thing is a whole different idea.

may the odds ever be in his favour and may he not humiliate himself too much in front of mitsuru. ]

Got it.

[ he takes his sword out and runs a hand through its blade, or whatever it may be called in fencing. ]

Just the tip.

[ and he pokes at it. ]

[ His reaction garners a small smile from her. Mitsuru lowers her own blade. ]

As I'm sure you've noticed, it's difficult to lethally harm someone with these swords. However, with the right amount of thrust, they can still be dangerous.

[ And now she kneels to pick up her mask, speaking as she stands. ]

The game is simple: strike your opponent whilst avoiding being hit yourself. If this is for "fun", perhaps we should just see how you perform.

[ hmmm... he strokes his chin before putting on his mask. ]

What should my stance be like, first of all? I don't want to look like I'm weilding a broadsword.

I'll lead by example.

[ Mitsuru places her mask on as well. Although she's faced weapons without such protection, it's best to practice what she expects of her students.

She adopts the proper stance naturally, but goes on to explain what she's doing. ]

The balance of a broadsword and it's swing and strike doesn't suit fencing, you're correct. As you can see, my rapier is parallel with my forearm. Rather than using the strength of your arm and wrist to dictate your attacks, you manipulate your weapon with your thumb and forefinger.

[ She gives her rapier a small wiggle to demonstrate, before motioning downwards towards her feet. ]

Your heels should be at right angles to one another. The knees are also slightly bent. With my weapon down... [ She lowers it. ] This is considered the initial position. You'll notice that this stance requires you to be light on your feet, as you can shift your weight forward and backwards rather easily, in an effort to thrust--

[ And she does, a mock thrust of her sword outwards, though it just misses Tadashi. She pulls back in to hold her rapier upright. ]

Or to guard.

[ he listens carefully, nodding every now and then at almost every point she makes. he even mimics her stance, making sure he's got it right. he looks at mitsuru every now and then, awaiting affirmation that what he's doing is right.

thankfully, he's athletic enough to know how stances work. he manages to get it well, as well as how to hold his sword properly.

he does back away though, when mitsuru thrusts at him. not that he doesn't trust her, but-- ]

Heh, you caught me by surprise there.

[ She might have done it on purpose, but mostly for demonstration. Mostly. It's hard to tell behind the mask, anyway, but there's a slight smile audible in her voice either way. ]

You have good reflexes.

[ She taps the end of her rapier on the floor. ]

As you've noticed, the lower center of gravity allows you to move with greater ease. It does take some time getting used to, so it's not uncommon for ones calves to feel strained after staying like this for prolonged periods of them. However, I think you can handle it.

[ She raises her sword to the starting position. ]

Would you like to give it a try?

Heh, [ his trademark chuckle escapes him, and he moves to the starting position, as well. he may be a beginner, but it really does look like he's got the hang of this.

hopefully, his execution won't be too awful.

without saying anything, he thrusts forward, stretching his forearm along with him in attempts of tapping mitsuru. just a tap. he doesn't want to make this learning experience too rough, even if he did tell her not to hold back. ]

[ Though she has effectively seen him in action, at least in ViViD, she is a little surprised by the force behind the thrust. He has good control, for while she didn't intend to let the attack miss, his movements do end with a tap worthy of fair play.

Mitsuru is pleased. ]

C'est magnifique! Excellent form.

[ That's enough practice, right, Tadashi? ]

Now let's see how you do with a moving target. [ Her weight shifts as she takes a step backwards. ] Shall we say first to land five hits wins?

[ okay, cool, that means he's got it.

he takes a few steps back before nodding and waits for her to get ready. ]

Like I said, don't go easy on me.

[ HE'S GOING TO GET SO WHIPPED. ]

[ He definitely going to get whipped. But in a fun way.

She offers him a proper salute before assuming a neutral position, neither offensive nor defensive, taking a careful, but light advance, leading with her heel. ]

I have no intention of doing so, Tadashi. That would be disrespectful.

[ Which she follows through with as she suddenly lunges forward, extending her arm and sword. ]

[ being whipped in a fun way? does such an experience even exist...

when she lunges forward, he backs away quickly, not jumping away, but rather using a foot to stay in place while one takes a step back.

is that how they do it, anyway? whatever. but he quickly counters, doing the same thing mitsuru's done just a few seconds ago. ]

[ Is he ready to find out?

She gives a pleased hum when he pulls back, narrowly missing the tip of her blade. ]

You learn quickly.

[ She straightens and returns to a more defensive position. ]

Do you have combat experience beyond ViViD?

Comes with being a- [ he laughs, and shrugs his shoulders. ] non-genius, I guess. I study a lot. And quickly, too.

[ he mimics mitsuru's stance for a while, but sees this opportunity to strike so he thrusts forward seconds later. ]

I know self-defense, that's it.

A non-genius?

[ What a curious thing to call himself. Honestly, one's Academics must be at Genius-level to catch her attention in the first place. Of course Mitsuru is aware of these game mechanics. (No she isn't.)

Rather than completely dodge, she makes a point of sliding her rapier along his at a 90 degree angle, catching his guard with hers to block the attack. Dodging isn't the only way to win. ]

Are you self-taught or do you have formal training?

A genius, [ he says as he backs away. ] is somebody who's born with the gift of intelligence. I'm not one of those people.

[ he snorts through his mask. ]

I have formal training. Why do you ask?

That's surprising to hear. Do you believe that's accurate? Both you and your brother are intelligent. I had assumed there was a genetic component.

[ Mitsuru takes a few small steps forward, before jutting forseff to reach towards his shoulder before doubling down to go for his stomach instead. ]

There tends to be a noticeable difference in the movements of those who have been taught how to position one's body and those who move on instinct. What did you practice?

I didn't skip grades, Mitsuru. He did.

[ there's a hint of jealousy in his tone, but he's not at all jealous of hiro and his younger brother's potential. it's a bit contradictory, but he does wish things were as easy... ]

I'm just- book-smart, that's all. [ and mitsuru hits him, which results into a laugh from him. ]

Nice job.

And it was karate. Hiro and I still spar from time to time.

Your brother skipped grades?

[ She didn't know that, and she'd be lying if she wasn't proud in a strange way, despite the fact that he's certainly not her brother to be proud of. It's just satisfying when hard work and intelligence is recognized. ]

That is impressive. However, there is more than one type of intelligence.

[ She straightens from her attack, placing her free hand on her hip. ]

Perhaps you'll show me sometime.

A ton of 'em, we ended up being classmates at some point. [ he even chuckles at that. ah... good memories. ] But he was bullied for it, too.

[ and that's when he lunges forward again, sword hand stretched out. ]

You know karate?

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