Dark Edge Village

Remembering something she had said to her cousin the night before, Hitako headed out to the Dojo. She was curious what options might have been made available. It was likely, as martial as the Empire was, that some event might require weapon work, and she wanted to at least be able to do something other than stand there looking silly. So, she was forthright. She walked to the dojo, bowed, took off her sandals, and entered, looking around.

A young Unicorn was there, looking over the selection of practice weapons. "They're curved all wrong," he complained.

Then he noticed Hitako's arrival. "Oh. Hi. Umm... are you lost?"

An athletic looking Lion arrives just on the heels of the shugenja and, pausing in his own path, smiles at the Unicorn's welcome.

"Good afternoon, Seppun-sama, Unicorn-san." He bows appropriately to their stations. "This one is Kitsu Takashi." He glances around the room.

"If Seppun-sama is looking for something of the traditional Rokugani style, she should look over there." He indicates the racks near the Moto.

Hitako gives bows to those now there. "I am Seppun Hitako, Jade Sahir. How are they curved wrong, Unicorn-san?" She nods and approaches at the Lion's comment. "And, no, I am not lost. I am attempting to learn a little bit for self-defense."

Kitsu Takashi wrote:"Good afternoon, Seppun-sama, Unicorn-san." He bows appropriately to their stations. "This one is Kitsu Takashi."

"Oh! Hello!" the young Unicorn replied. "Is this your dojo? I heard it used to be run by Lions."

Seppun Hitako wrote:"I am Seppun Hitako, Jade Sahir. How are they curved wrong, Unicorn-san?" She nods and approaches at the Lion's comment. "And, no, I am not lost. I am attempting to learn a little bit for self-defense."

"None of them are curved enough for a proper scimitar," the Unicorn explained. "You're a sahir, really? I didn't think there were any sahira here. Can't you summon jinn or something to protect you?"

"It is too far for the Jinn to travel, for the most part. I instead use the Seal of Hakhim to work with the local elemental kami. It is difficult, but more likely to get a result."

Moto Baatar wrote:

Kitsu Takashi wrote:"Good afternoon, Seppun-sama, Unicorn-san." He bows appropriately to their stations. "This one is Kitsu Takashi."

"Oh! Hello!" the young Unicorn replied. "Is this your dojo? I heard it used to be run by Lions."

Takashi smiles... Indulgently? He shows no offense and responds very directly: "No, Unicorn-san, it's not my dojo. I'm just a guest of your clan. But it's a nice facility, don't you think?"

Takashi's face pinches at the mention of say-heeres and jins. After a moment it returns to normal. At an appropriate time, he comments, "Seppun-sama will surely be well protected by the loyal servants of the Emperor." Is the pause before he continues awkwardly long? "But practicality is a virtue born of wisdom. This one would be a poor teacher, for I serve my clan in other ways, but I could hardly decline a request of... a, uh... servant of the Son of Heaven." The smile that disappeared at some time during his remarks now reappears.

Seppun Hitako wrote:"It is too far for the Jinn to travel, for the most part. I instead use the Seal of Hakhim to work with the local elemental kami. It is difficult, but more likely to get a result."

"So it's true that people can talk to the kami here?" the young Unicorn asked. "I've only heard about that in stories."

Kitsu Takashi wrote:"No, Unicorn-san, it's not my dojo. I'm just a guest of your clan. But it's a nice facility, don't you think?"

"It's all right, I guess," the Unicorn allowed grudgingly. "I'm more used to practicing outside."

Kitsu Takashi wrote:"Seppun-sama will surely be well protected by the loyal servants of the Emperor. But practicality is a virtue born of wisdom."

"Everyone should know how to fight," the young Unicorn agreed. "Otherwise people will push you around."

"Oh, I'm Moto Baatar, by the way," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"I am oft so protected - but I also thought that some of the tasks our hosts have may require me to know something of how to handle a weapon. Which I have no training at at present. So, I am looking to see if I can pick somesuch training up. At least a little bit."

"I'm pleased to meet you, Moto-san. And if you don't mind me taking up a little space in your clans dojo, I'll provide Seppun-sama a brief introduction to kenjutsu." He hesitates visibly, just for a moment. "With Seppun-sama's permission to give her instruction in a somewhat public space?" He looks to her uncertainly.

"Hai, of course. I do carry a wakizashi, of course. Would this training be suitable for that?"

Kitsu Takashi wrote:"if you don't mind me taking up a little space in your clans dojo, I'll provide Seppun-sama a brief introduction to kenjutsu."

Baatar raised an eyebrow at this. "I don't mind," he said. "Maybe I could even help."

Seppun Hitako wrote:"Hai, of course. I do carry a wakizashi, of course. Would this training be suitable for that?"

"A bokken would be better for practice," Baatar suggested. "So no one gets cut by accident. You only want to cut people on purpose." He grinned.

Takashi smiles, showing a bit of relief. "Hai, Seppun-sama. Many of the skills needed to wield a katana are the same as for the wakizashi. One could oversimplify to say that the blades are the same, save for their length. But the reach of a blade matters a lot..." Takashi thinks quickly to include the Unicorn in a lesson Takashi's making up as he goes along. "And yes, Moto-san--Are there two short bokken? One for Seppun-sama, and one for you to use, as an exemplar?"

"Seppun-sama, first, a valuable lesson to remember: Your blade may not overcome what your feet have already done. Think first about using your feet to get where you want to be, and even a skilled warrior may struggle to bring you in reach of his blade."

"Perhaps Moto-san can show you a simple kata," he says. "Watch his feet, how they help him control space as well as power a strike."

After the demonstration, Takashi nods approvingly and smiles widely. "Thank you, Moto-san, that is impressive."

"Now, time to try things for yourself, Seppun-sama. Start with just keeping your wakizashi in a guard position, and practice advancing and retreating. Eyes stay on the opponent; let your feet find the way."

The stance Seppun HItako takes shows she has not the slightest idea how to stand in a guard position. Anyone with any training at all could knock her over easily. Her bokken is straight up in front of her, and she seems to be trying to hide behind it. Her feet are too close together. Her weight is behind them, putting her off-balance.

"Like this?"

The Kitsu raises an eyebrow, but shows no more distress than that.

"Seppun-sama, do you dance? Or play a musical instrument? I ask because one of the quickest ways to learn a new skill is relating it to a skill that's already familiar."