[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

[ryuji]

[He's supposed to be getting a second chance at not making himself look like a totally socially inept outcast- he kind of talked to Dave and Akira a little bit about why he wanted to go to Academy to begin with, and it was to finish what he started back home. To make his mom proud, yeah, but... also to just be proud of himself, for once.

Flies out the window when Kaede more or less lets on that she's a little scared to know what other people think of her performance. He can see a few people looking in their direction, and his focus will shift from her- to them. He flashes a menacing gaze, and shakes his head- a warning to them not to fuck around and go find something else to do in the meantime. Ryuji, when he wants to, can look pretty threatening, and it's only ever made worse when there's someone he feels like he needs to protect. It's pretty effective.

Snapping back to reality, he shakes his head at her.]

Nah, no one's lookin' at you at all. Probably just tryin' to figure out how bad they're gonna be when they have to try or somethin'.

[This whole situation is kind of a mess.]

Why do you wanna use a staff, anyway?

[gotyourbach]

[Ryuji, NO she does not deserve him ruining his second chance at not having a punk reputation.]

Oh... that's good...

[She's honestly not used to people not looking at her. She usually stands out! And while it's a relief in some ways, knowing that they're not looking at her judgingly, it also means she's not worth their notice, either, right? No, that can't be right...

Kaede exhales a sigh, runs a hand through her hair to push sweaty bangs away from her eyes. She's glad she opted for leggings under her uniform skirt, with as much as she's tripped over the staff already, but now she's sweaty and gross.]

Because... I want to be able to defend myself. If we're really supposed to be doing, like, missions and stuff... I don't want to let anybody down or force anybody else to protect me.

[She definitely doesn't feel like she deserves that.]

[ryuji]

[It's okay. He honestly didn't care that much for it to begin with. It was only a matter of time before his true nature came out anyway; Ryuji can't actually hide who he is or where he came from.]

Huh.

[She still looks a little dismayed, and it crosses his mind if she masochistically wanted people to be looking at her? He doesn't really understand the inner workings going on here, but again, Ryuji doesn't care about other people.

He tilts his head, looking at her, investigating. He remembers the way she held that knife and how the form was all off- shit, he knows what holding a knife looks like... he's watched Akira do it for what felt like hundreds of hours.]

Lemme see your hands.

[He holds his out to take hers, if she'll let him.]

[gotyourbach]

[Her arms are shaking slightly with fatigue already from the unfamiliar motion of using a staff. It's her forearms more than anything that are taking the brunt of it; her back, her shoulders, her hands are decently toned from hours upon hours of sitting upright at a piano bench, but these are all new movements. And she was truly putting every ounce of her energy into every strike, because she doesn't know how to do anything halfway.]

Huh? Okay...

[She blinks at him, eyes flicking over his face, trying to figure out what he's getting at. But she leans down to set her staff by her feet so she can start tugging her gloves off. They were Akechi's recommendation, flexible enough not to hinder her movement much, but strong enough to offer some protection. She tucks them under her arm and holds out her hands. There's nothing too notable about them, really; her fingers are long and slim, the skin smooth and uncalloused. It's clear she's never done anything to risk damaging them in any way, not even a scar from an inadvertent scrape.

And they're shaking slightly, too. Again, her forearms.]

But... why?

[ryuji]

[Ryuji will go about taking them, palm to palm. He raises them up, and down, and notices that she's got a certain tremble to her from overexertion. As a person who stayed up into the late hours of the night palace diving, he knows that feeling.]

You're pushin' yourself way too hard. You gotta ease into it, or else you're gonna hurt yourself.

[Maybe, if he had continued down the path he was originally meant for, he could've scrambled himself up some funds, gone to college, got a physical therapy certificate. He's not great at healing arts, but he knows about the ways bodies move and the way that they're not supposed to move, and Kaede pushing too hard is a sign of someone who doesn't know what they're doing with their body.

He flexes her wrist down. Qrow told him that she played the piano, and he spreads out her fingers, looking at how soft and nimble they are. If it's flustering for Kaede, it's definitely not for Ryuji, since being physical and forward is pretty much his day-to-day, and he's really just trying to put together what he wants to say.]

I don't think you've got the wrists for this shit.

[Blunt, just like his weapon of choice.]

You're s'posed to strike with your strength, y'know?

[Looking up at her, his eyes search around, and he's sadly, in a way, reminded of Ann. He'd do the same if it were her.]

Why don't you use something like a whip? It's got range to it, so you don't have to be all up in your opponent's grill, and it's more about wrist movement than actually strikin' something.

[He'll let go at this point.]

Looks like you've got a ton of flexibility in your hands. Akira's kinda the same way. He uses daggers 'cause of it.

[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...

[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?

[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.

[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.