[Open] Qombat Qlass with Uncle Qrow

[blodsvorr]

Who: [OPEN] Qrow Branwen (blodsvorr) and anyone who wants to come to class
Where: Moon Base: the Academy, Dojo, & Arena
When: Throughout the month
What: Mingle post for combat class with Qrow! Tag teacher or form teams and pairs for lessons. Have fun!
Content Warning: References to someone trying to control their alcohol use/dependency to only partial success.

NETWORK POST

[On Saturday, a post is made to the network from username eight.span, Qrow Branwen. It reads as follows:]

So Schimmrigk isn’t coming back. Apparently, the guy enjoyed his sabbatical. That means I’m taking over combat classes. Show up or don’t, but for the love of whatever you buy into, make sure you’re ready for the next field mission. We’ve got shopkeepers and blacksmiths for weapons, and we’ve got the Academy and other Reclaimers for training. No one needs to go into the field unarmed this time.

If you're coming to my class, you should know I don’t do rubrics or homework. Don’t show up expecting any of that crud.

COURSE MATERIAL (i.e., mingle prompts)

So you want to get an education! Or maybe you just want to see how the hell Qrow got this job. Qrow’s educational practices can be described as "direct," at best. He follows the methods he knows from back home and is sticking to the philosophy of education that turned him into a Huntsman. That means all students are basically being trained the way he was trained at Beacon. Fun!

Some basic lessons:

WEAPON DESIGN: Design your weapon with Uncle Qrow! Weapons are, in the Remnant school of thought, a way of channeling your Aura, which is itself your soul. In other words, a weapon is an extension of who you are as a person. Thus, weapon design. Students are encouraged to come up with their own weapon, whether it be an axe that is also a blunderbuss, a scythe that is also a sniper rifle, or a revolver that is also a pistol. (Remnant likes guns.) You can also design a boring and normal weapon like a war hammer or a chainsaw. Whatever works! Qrow has experience with designing weapons, so he can help people figure their outs, but students are also free to discuss options with their peers.

Obviously, all weapons should be personalized. Paint it to match your colour scheme! Engrave some swirly lines on it! Come up with a symbol to represent your entire personality and slap that bad boy on your weapon! That’s what individuality means.

(Note that most normal weapons take 1 week for a blacksmith to craft, while weird combo weapons probably take longer, with a revolver-rapier set at 3 weeks. You may want to check with the mods to be sure of the time.)

WEAPON MAINTENANCE: The follow-up to weapon design. If you know how your weapon is structured, you can better maintain and even sometimes fix it. Whatever you made should, in theory, be able to last you your whole life if you take care of it properly. A person must always treat their weapon with respect. Qrow will not be letting any of his students fail to learn how to do everything they possibly can do to maintain a weapon in the field.

FIELD MEDICINE: How not to die when you're stabbed. These are all the basics of how to stop bleeding from a major artery or set a broken bone well enough that you can get back to base. Students get to practice on dummies, but more importantly, they get to practice on each other and themselves. Have fun pairing up and cutting off a friend's blood flow! (Not with actual broken bones or nicked arteries though, because Qrow doesn't believe in teaching methods as extreme as some people here.)

However, the majority of class time will be made up of the following two components:

COMBAT PRACTICE: The thing this course is supposed to be about. Sparring matches are mostly between students, although Qrow will also spar individually with every student to test their skills and abilities, so he can better help them going forward. There are also just drills and routines against dummies, targets, holographs, etc. There will be a lot of this. It's the point of being here. Well, sort of, because then there's the other thing Qrow wants to drill them on.

TEAM TRAINING: Making liberal use of simulators in the arena, this is a combination of terrain education (helping students learn how to handle different terrain, including how to use it to your advantage, avoid its dangers, and track a target through it), monster education, training in improvisational thinking, a crash course on field medicine, and, most importantly, general education in how to work things out and fight in teams. Groups are usually two or four people in size.

(Teams of four should follow the Remnant Team Naming Rule, which means an acronym from one initial of every team member that forms a word evocative of colour, with the team leader getting the first letter. Please make up stupid team names. I beg of you.)

Some training missions

• Escape rooms
• Obstacle Courses
• Huntsman Missions: Missions modelled after the kind of missions that Huntsmen and Huntresses are assigned on Remnant, adapted to tasks they may encounter as Reclaimers.
  
  • search-and-retrieve (having to make your way through through monster-infested terrain, retrieve supplies or some random object, and come back)
  • escort (escorting another student through monster terrain. This student is given the choice to be helpful or to be ‘obliviously sabotaging’ with the rescue attempt. Qrow encourages the escorted student to have fun, because escort missions always suck, and so should the training for it.)
  • search-and-destroy (tracking down and destroying a monster’s nest)
  • perimeter defence/village security (holding an “inhabited” area against a monster attack or inclement weather)
  • bounty (tracking down and retrieving a wanted person alive. As with escort missions, the “wanted person” is a student, but this time, they get to actively and deliberately mess with the team sent in)

MISC. FACTS ABOUT CLASS

• NO HOMEWORK EVER because he doesn’t want to grade it
• Akechi, however, may assign some and grade it. Akechi is a weird kid. He isn't actually the TA, but he keeps acting like he is.
• Generally it’s a non-standardized approach. He does better at one-on-one teaching than anything, so he avoids lectures like the plague and sets people off to work in teams and pairs while he moves between students to teach them all personally.
• He ends up just keeping wrapped sandwiches and other foods in his desk to throw at children who have shown up without eating
• He is notably softer with children than adults. For example, adults who have not eaten do not get free food from Qrow; they get told to leave and come back when they’re ready for combat.
• He minces his curses in class even when it’s really obvious he wants to swear. There are too many children.
• He is trying to be good, so he can frequently be spotted drinking from a coffee mug. A mug which he openly spikes in front of the class. But still. He’s trying.
• He has literally never showed up for class on time, not even once. But at least he has never been more than fourteen minutes late?
• The times he has shown up hungover have shown that being hungover has had literally no effect on his teaching or combat ability; he just pinches the bridge of his nose more and complains about noise without actually stopping people from being loud.

Comments

[blodsvorr]

[Maybe it's harsh to push like this. But in Qrow's mind, this, too, is part of combat training. Fighting humans will be an eventuality. If Qrow had to guess, Shinji is stained in as much guilt as his coat is blood. That means Qrow has to tackle this head on so that Shinji will be able to face this moment in the field.]

You're not alone in that, but that means we need to figure out how we'll train you to do that. So, run through a hypothetical with me. Someone comes after you and a companion. [The "companion" is important. It blocks the option of just dying.] What's your ideal solution? You won't run, so, is it disarm or disable?

[petsthedog]

[He's made a mistake. He shouldn't have come here. Everything Qrow says pushes him closer to losing his composure; he's visibly distressed at this point, but he answers anyway, voice tight and strained. Shinjiro wasn't ready to confront any of this--he'd been ready to let Ken kill him for his revenge barely over a week ago, to his perspective.]

I can do either. Both, if I gotta. Depends on the situation.

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow registers that distress. He considers Shinji, and he decides how to leverage off the pressure. His head cants, and then—]

Then if you're ready, we can add that to your training. I didn't mention, but I'm a Huntsman. Most of the job's killing monsters, but now and then we're asked to bring in an outlaw that's gone outside the boundaries of the cities. We've got a lot of techniques for stopping human opponents without killing them.

[Qrow's tone softens. He really doesn't want to make Shinji collapse.]

I'm not going to make you do something you don't want to, kid. I just want to give you the tools to make it out of a fight intact. So let's start with the kind of thing you do to take out a monster, and we'll work our way toward methods of safely disabling a human opponent. That sound good?

[petsthedog]

[It helps. That Qrow isn't pushing him into justifying himself further or insisting that he ought to be ready to kill makes him release the clenching of his jaw, and his posture loosens from where it was frozen between fight or flight, ready for either but unsure which path to take.]

Yeah. That works.

[He's never actually...been trained before, which will be an interesting experience, probably. It occurs to him now that he's calmed down that he hasn't actually gotten himself a weapon, because he hadn't been sure what to expect. That's actually largely the reason he came in the first place, really.]

You uh, got practice weapons or anything?

[He's clearly ignoring the gun at his waist as he asks this. To pry or not to pry, Qrow? That is the question.]

[blodsvorr]

[There's no need to. Qrow sees that writing on the side: SEES. The gun looks a lot like Minato's, so Qrow can guess it's the same. He can't be absolutely sure, of course, but it doesn't feel like a stretch. So Qrow's intuition is that Shinji, like Minato, is a Persona user. After yesterday, Qrow will not be pushing for a demonstration.]

Sure, we've got a few. Are you going for armed instead of hand-to-hand?

[He said he had practice in that. Figuring out how his students fight is a very important step in this to Qrow.]

[petsthedog]

[Good job, Qrow. You've managed to dodge the bullet here, as it were. Shinjiro just shrugs at the question.]

I used to use an axe for the weaker Shadows. I dunno if that'd be useful for whatever monsters they have here.

[He knows using that word identifies him as a member of Arisato and the other Persona users' universe (...probably. it's weird.), but he's never been a particularly good at lying.]

[blodsvorr]

In my experience, there aren't a lot of monsters that don't have trouble against an axe. [It is, after all, the traditional huntsman's weapon.] Problem is, an axe doesn't give you anything for range.

[Unless, of course, Shinji's Persona covers that. However, Qrow is not going to bring it up.

He will however try to get Shinji to have a gunaxe. God, why.]

[petsthedog]

Yeah, I'm more of a close quarters sort of guy.

[His Persona covers that in the sense that he can stand many feet from a monster and have Castor attack it head-on instead, but he doesn't have any ranged attacks like some of the other Personas in their group do.]

[blodsvorr]

We could always add something to an axe. Shotgun, blunderbuss—whatever works. It'd help with flying enemies or ones that can do projectiles.

[Sorry.]

[petsthedog]

Ehh, sounds more complicated than it's worth.

[Shinji's, unfortunately, not one of the Ooh Shiny crew when it comes to complicated multi-weapons. He's also not like...super into the idea of a shotgun, especially one where he might risk pulling a trigger he doesn't intend in the heat of battle.]

Plus, we're doin' that whole teamwork thing, right? The ranged fighters can watch my back, I don't gotta be a jack-of-all-trades.

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow shakes his head, like it is a nonsensical thing to not want to attach a gun to every possible kind of weapon.]

Your call, kid. If you're happy with an axe, that's what we'll set the training for.

[He makes a mental note to make Shinji do team training lots. Because Shinji clearly needs it.]

[petsthedog]

[Having been shot to death Very Recently also doesn't help with an interest in firearms, admittedly. Too bad he hasn't been talking about it 8D]

Works for me.

[Probably for the first time since he came in, he starts looking around.]

So...how's this gonna work, exactly? The monster fighting part.

[Back in Japan, with SEES, it'd been pretty sink-or-swim. You learned how to fight Shadows by fighting Shadows, but Qrow seems like he has more of a plan in mind.]

[blodsvorr]

[Hm. There are a few options; Qrow is very much invested in a personalized approach to education. So.]

If I told you that I've got an ability that keeps me from getting hurt up to a certain amount of damage, would you be up for showing me what you can do by attacking me?

[He asks instead of suggesting because Shinji already seemed very out of sorts.]

[petsthedog]

[For a moment, he seems confused, then he frowns when he realizes what Qrow is asking.]

I don't mind sparring, but I ain't gonna swing an axe at you.

[blodsvorr]

If that's your decision, I'm gonna let it stand, but I'll say it again: it won't hurt me. Look.

[Qrow swings out Harbinger, letting it unfold in a whir of gears, and holds his right arm out as the weapon swings down on it. It makes contact—the physical impact is clear—but there is no cut, no injury. Nothing.]

Blunt force or slashing doesn't really make a difference. There's a limit for how much it can take, but I'd fall the fight off long before that. So, still not willing to use the axe?

[petsthedog]

[...Okay, that's cool. He stares for a long moment, letting out a low whistle.]

Damn.

...I guess we could give it a shot.

[He...still sounds kind of unsure about that, but it's not an outright refusal this time.]

[blodsvorr]

Alright then. [Qrow steps back, deciding that Shinji might be less eager to attack him if he puts away Harbinger. So, the sword stays out. But his attitude is relaxed and calm. He has his Aura. It's not going to break easily.]

Show me what you've got, kiddo.

video game combat is The Worst so time 2 bullshit wildly

[petsthedog]

[Shinjiro tests the weight of the practice axe in his hand, swinging it in the air a couple of times to get a feel for it before he takes several steps back and charges at Qrow, swinging the axe somewhere near his mid-abdomen. It's a well-practiced swing, clearly, refined over time but still rough in the way of someone self-taught. He doesn't seem to be hampered by the weight or unwieldiness of his chosen weapon, either, though he seems to focus more on force than speed or manueverability.

...He also held back, just a little bit. Shhh.]

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow uses Harbinger to deflect or block and his own agility to sidestep as they get into it. He can tell Shinji is comfortable with the weapon, which is a good sign, but the lack of focus on manueverability and the self-taught nature make Qrow worry about openings. It's why Qrow seeks them out, trying to see how Shinji is about keeping guard and stopping someone from getting at him.

Naturally, if Qrow does get under Shinji's guard, he'll stop before he makes contact. This is about assessing where he's at. It is not a true sparring match.]

[petsthedog]

[And Shinji does react well--he did say he was used to hand-to-hand against people, after all--but with an axe, he's not quite as used to his opponents having quite so much intelligence, and the mismatch shows in his reaction time; like he can see the moves coming but can't react as he would barehanded.

Eventually, Qrow does find one of those unguarded spots and Shinji doesn't block him in time, winding up on his back with Harbinger pointed at his throat.]

Tch...

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow switches from a weapon at Shinji's throat to a hand offered out to him.]

Shadows are pretty dumb, huh? The other kids with Personas have had the same problem.

[petsthedog]

[Shinjiro takes Qrow's hand, dusting himself off as he gets to his feet. He frowns slightly at the mention of Personas, but doesn't comment on it. Instead:]

Yeah. They're a pain in the ass, but they ain't exactly winnin' any combat tournaments.

[blodsvorr]

Then we're starting you with simulations of some smarter monsters and seeing how it goes from there. How big are shadows usually?

[petsthedog]

[He shrugs.]

Depends how strong they are. Goes from about the size of a small dog to tall as two or three people.

[blodsvorr]

Then we can stick with normal-sized beasts for now and save behemoth-class enemies for later. Make sure you pick up an axe from one of the stores around here as soon as you can.

[He needs a more permanent weapon to get comfortable with; the more time he has to break it in, the better.]