[closed] "getting three gorgeous men to protect you during training is impressive..."

[gotyourbach]

Who: kaede akamatsu (gotyourbach), qrow branwen (blodsvorr), goro akechi (grakraka), gundam tanaka (gundamned), ryuji sakamoto (ryuji)

Where: the dojo!

When: pre-Candlenights log

What: Nervous about taking a weapons class for the first time, Kaede invited several of her friends to come with her. Like, half of them are there for entirely different reasons, though.

Content Warning: Ryuji is a vulgar boy, also Akechi is here? So who knows, really. Possible spoilers for DRV3 I guess.

[Welcome to the dojo! While this particular room might be soundproofed from the outside, the inside is anything but restful and contemplative. The high ceilings and slightly-springy mats reflect the sound back inside, the crack of wood against wood and metal against metal as others train inside really creating the atmosphere that this is a place to learn how to fight. Or wallflower. Or watch out for weird perverts. Hey, whatever you're here for!]

Comments

4. you're not the only disaster in this class uh... you.

[gundamned]

[Relying on a weapon in combat had never been Gundam's prerogative. He utilized a power far more becoming of a Supreme Overlord.]

Emissary of evil... In accordance with our ancient contract... The time has come to lend me your aid...!

[Look. It's not like he's never wielded a staff before. Although he was expecting some sand or dirt. It's sort of difficult to draw a summoning circle that will hold it's shape in this soft mat isn't it?]

[gotyourbach]

[What is he muttering about...?]

Aaaah, Tanaka-kun!!

[Forgetting she has her own staff, with which she could have knocked away his, she instead makes a grab for his arm with her free hand.]

You can't damage the floors like that!

[gotyourbach]

Ummmmm...

[Her cheeks are starting to flush a darker pink, not just from exertion as he keeps moving her hands like this. She's not dumb, she can tell he's trying to test-- something, but it's still really familiar, overly familiar. Her hands are the most important part of her body, after all, and this is way different from just holding someone's hand.

She tries to tug her hands away when he says she doesn't have the wrists for it, though, shaking her head as if to try to refute him already. She's going to learn how to use a weapon properly, even if she doesn't want to!

But oh. He's not trying to discourage her, just change her way of thinking.]

A whip...?

[She's imagining something like a lion-tamer would use, and she winces.]

I... think I would hit myself in the eye with something like that. And... it'd be really easy to hurt somebody pretty badly with it by accident, right? I definitely... definitely don't want that.

[Not only the face, but she's thinking about it wrapping around someone's neck, and... she swallows hard, shaking her head again.]

I don't know...

[blodsvorr]

[Oh good, he doesn't have to field another upset blond coming at him. Qrow relaxes a fraction too, even as he files away the different things Ryuji said. Past experiences, huh? It's nice to know Ryuji would have gone after him for it. It doesn't surprise him at all, just confirms who Ryuji has shown himself to be.]

Hey, if you were right, I'd agree that I had it coming. If you suspect something shady, it's worth taking the time to figure it out.

[Authority can't be trusted just for being authority. Qrow can't be trusted just because he seemed alright at their last encounters. Ryuji was not wrong to want to know.

At least Ryuji doesn't also call him old...

Qrow's eyes actually flicker away.]

Hey, I've known some decent teachers over the years. I wouldn't be where I am without them. [And that's the distant look: the teachers Qrow has known, people who are now gone. (People who would be so much better here in his place.) Qrow exhales, and like Ryuji has seen before, he brings himself back to the present.] This guy, though, doesn't seem like he's going to get himself added to that list.

[gundamned]

[These floors clearly deserve to be damaged if he can't etch a summoning circle into them! Maybe he needs to keep a piece of chalk or a marker around for these very situa--!!]

GCK--!!

[Gundam recoils his arm from her grip so forcefully, he actually smacks himself in the head with his staff.]

[gotyourbach]

Eeek!!

[She recoils when he recoils, very narrowly avoiding tripping herself with her own staff as she stumbles back.]

Aaaah, jeez!! Are you okay?!

[What a disaster these two are.]

[ryuji]

[He wouldn't ever tell someone not to try and figure out a way to defend themselves. It's going to be dangerous out there, and leaving a person without a way to attack back is like asking them to be killed. Ryuji doesn't want Kaede put in that situation at all, but he notes the hesitation in both body language (strongly) and her concerns about spoken (weakly).

An affirmative "mmn" sound comes out of his throat. Well, it was just an idea. It doesn't matter, ultimately what she ends up choosing, as long as she's good at it.]

If you're this determined to figure out how to kick ass, I don't, uh. I dunno. I think you'd get the hang of a different weapon.

[Smiling, he rolls his shoulders.]

It's just... I think you can actually damage your wrists easier if you're usin' a stick to whack a shad--- an enemy. Whatever you end up choosin', I'd say to go for somethin' a little less straining there.

[A small pause, unsure if his words of advice are even remotely helpful here.]

'Cause... I mean... I used t'be a track star. It was pretty much, like, my everything. I hurt my leg and I can't really run anymore. Qrow said you're a wiz at the piano, so, yeah.

I know what it's like to lose something you're really good at, and. Just be careful, aight?

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow continues to not feel bad about this.]

Hey, I gave the guy half an hour to show me he wasn't crap at his job. Professional courtesy. Then I intervened, colleague to colleague. Some of the best teachers I know would have done the same.

[lmao no he was mad that one of the kids he is looking after was being badly treated]

[gundamned]

[That's not the worst head wound he's suffered, he can say that for sure. He is absolutely embarrassed though. What was she even thinking?]

How many times must I implore you not to lay your impetuous hands upon me! You shall wither and you shall die if you do!

[Maybe this is an invitation he should not have accepted.]

[ryuji]

[Leave it to Qrow to tell a kid that their distrust in the system and strangers is absolutely founded, even if it's him. Especially if it's him. Qrow also knows a few things about him, which... if Ryuji couldn't actually trust him, he'd be kind of scared to deal with any of that in its own right. But they agreed on it, and the sleazy vibes he got from the exchange with Kaede are slowly melting away.]

Forreal...

[And if he's trying to pull himself back to the present, Ryuji will add a layer on top of all that to strike it home.]

Lucky. All of mine sucked ass. [Ironic usage of the word lucky, check.] You're right though... this guy's a grade F chunk of asshole meat. You gonna do something about it?

[gotyourbach]

[She huffs through her nose, still pretty annoyed, though she's running out of reasons to pretend she's upset on the teacher's behalf (which she is! a little!) and coming down to the root of the issue.]

You couldn't have waited until after he was done with me, though...? Everybody's going to think I can't do stuff on my own now.

[She's still afraid to look at any of her classmates. Her friends, sure, they're fine, but these new people? Even upbeat people like Kaede can get nervous being judged by her peers.]

[gotyourbach]

Sakamoto-kun...

[She takes hold of her right wrist in her left hand, massaging it gently in an absent gesture as he talks about damaging them. He might be right; she doesn't know enough about using any of these weapons to know for sure. A staff had seemed like the obvious answer to keep from hurting anybody, and keeping potential enemies at a distance, but...

It aches, right in the middle of her chest, to think of losing her ability to play piano. It's quite literally, on the deepest meta level here, all she has. So the thought of Ryuji losing his ability to run, if running is to him what piano is to her, then... she can't truly imagine that.]

I... [It hurts. She releases her wrist, presses a hand over her heart instead as she meets his eyes.] I can't lose my ability to play the piano, s-so... if you really think something like a whip would be better, I'll try it! I just...

[Kaede hesitates, fingers clutching slightly at the sweat-soaked top of her uniform.]

I really don't want to hurt anyone. Just stop them from hurting my friends.

[gotyourbach]

I'm wearing gloves!

[It's true, she is wearing gloves. They're cute, yet functional, just like everything else she's done with her uniform, specifically for this class.]

Anyway, what were you trying to do? You'll get in trouble if you mess stuff up for the other students...

1/2

[gundamned]

[Gundam touches wherehis hairline meets his forehead, rubbing his fingers together as if he's almost expecting them to be sticky when he pulls them away.

But it'll just leave a bruise at the most. There's nothing significant there.]

...

2/2

[gundamned]

You think mere fabric is enough to stem my poisonous nature, fool?

Perhaps if they were imbued with the sigils of the multiverse, but these? You are testing fate herself!

...

I am a warlock, I was using my staff to summon my familiar.

[The one he doesn't actually know how to summon yet. Because he never goes to class.]

b

[gundamned]

Interesting.

You are an entity that seeks conflict in all realms regardless of context.

[It is unfortunate that she had to be the one who bore the brunt of that situation though. One only needed to look at her for a brief moment to see that she was out of her natural element and struggling to adapt. Survival of the fittest reigns of course, but her effort was genuine at least.

He can't blame her for being upset with Qrow though. He'd of been infuriated himself if someone stepped in on his behalf.]

It's unbecoming to insert one's self into another's battle.

[How soft.]

[blodsvorr]

[Ah. Qrow's expression softens, and he realizes the mistake in how he handled it. The set of his shoulders turns to a slump.]

Well, they're idiots to think that. Look at how ready you were to tear me a new one. That's a sign of a kick-butt kid if I've ever seen one.

[blodsvorr]

[There's that little exhale, a small expression of his recognition of that word's unique ability to get to him. It's so casually used so often, but he can never quite ignore it. A reaction always comes out one way or another.

The teacher, though. Qrow watches him rather than looks at Ryuji. The fingers of one hand tap against his arm, the clear irritation shining through.]

I'll give him ten more minutes to prove me wrong. As a professional courtesy. Then I'll do something.

[And that something will be......

....pick a fight and then be a petty-ass ho. Hey Ryuji maybe widen the net on your search for decent adult male role models, because Qrow is not a great option.]

[ryuji]

[He nods back to her when his name is mentioned. He's not an SHSL runner, but... yeah, that was his one ticket out of the mediocre birth he was given. It took a long time to find something to fill the gap of that, and then proceeded to lose that as well. He's just... so tired of losing. And he's equally tired of seeing the people around him lose, too.]

No one really wants to hurt anyone. Unless you're a complete and utter psycho, and I sure as shit ain't gettin' those vibes from you.

[Ryuji's trying to lighten the mood a little bit here.]

You, uh. You fight to help others. You fight 'cause there's something you gotta protect. It ain't about who's right, who's wrong. None of that shit.

[Spoken like a truly morally gray thief who stole hearts, here.]

And even when you fight and you lose, you gotta keep fighting. Long as you got that sorta vibe goin', I'll do my best to back you up.

[ryuji]

[If the exhale registers as anything in particular to Ryuji, he's just assuming it's over the theatrics that are going on in front of them. This guy doesn't really seem to do well with people who don't have any experience. Shit, even as he is now, with as much training he's had in the Metaverse, Ryuji doesn't even think that he'd be performing very well either. Not that this is his open invitational or anything.

But he watches Kaede try as hard as she can, and it pisses him off to see someone treat this as a disciplinary lesson. It's almost like watching volleyball practice back at Shujin and it's starting to get to him.]

Dude, she looks spent.

[And it's when Kaede is so tired that she begins tripping over her own staff that Ryuji's body instinctively presses off the wall.

He's going to say something. And it's going to be incredibly vulgar.

Does Qrow stop him?]

[blodsvorr]

[He absolutely does not, why would he ever, Ryuji is a good boy doing the right thing. Press X to SUPPORT]

[ryuji]

[Having been filled with the power of SUPPORT, Ryuji moves forward to the demonstration that's going on in the middle of the room. He's been trying to keep a low profile ever since deciding to enroll back into school, but this is definitely going to send him straight back to the bowls of "don't talk to that weird, vulgar boy" hell all over again.]

Hey, asshole!

[He's gotten the attention, but maybe it's a little overboard.]

You think you're helpin'? This is a goddamned joke, what the hell's wrong with you? Not everyone's been swingin' around a stick since they were a baby, you get that, right? Knock this shit off.

[Schmucksmcgee over there doesn't seem all too pleased. He's about one second from having to be the next class demonstrator.]

[blodsvorr]

[Okay, so Qrow should have seen how this was going to go. And as a responsible adult, he absolutely should tell Ryuji to calm down.

No, he's fucking grinning, because Ryuji is a great kid, and Qrow absolutely supports him tearing into the teacher. Sure, it's not going to work, but he supports it. Still, Qrow to do his own delinquent-style kick off the wall, stepping in to get into an argument with Schimms before Ryuji gets himself hit by a teacher who is not any good at his job (in Qrow's opinion).

And We Know What Happens Next.]

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow has already been scolded by Kaede, so he realizes how he fucked up here. He runs a hand through his hair in quiet frustration.]

Yeah, well. That guy needed to stop being a teacher ASAP. Now it's taken care of.

[gotyourbach]

[She's still frowning up at him, seeking any trace that he's making fun of her by calling her that. It doesn't feel like she can kick any kind of butt, what with him thinking she couldn't handle what that teacher was doing! And, well... he's probably right, but it still stings.]

Do you really think that? You don't have to lie just to make me feel better, you know.