logsinthenight | combat training mingle log

Entry tags:

combat training mingle log

characters: everyone
location: the village gymnasium
date/time: every monday, wednesday & friday throughout april, before the floods
content: beacon's residents gather together to teach each other how to fight, spar, and learn basic field medicine
warnings: violence, injury

What began as a conversation between Javert and Soldat, about what the latter man could do to make himself feel more useful, has now led to thrice a week training. The training itself begins as it often does, seven o'clock in the evening, right on the dot, because Javert does not tolerate tardiness. It ends just as punctually at nine, with a session of first aid training following thereafter.

The gymnasium itself is still in a state of disrepair, with creaky floors and a broken ceiling, but it's serviceable enough for their purpose. There are two torches lit on either side, illuminating the room, and exercise mats scattered across the floor. Against the wall, near the door, is a trunk full of swords of various quality, fencing equipment and training handbooks, several first aid kits, medical supplies, and cpr equipment.

Those who wish to learn how to fight are paired with someone willing to teach. Those who do not are encouraged to spar among themselves, to keep their skills sharp and work to better their technique. There will be a lesson in first aid afterward, should anyone require it. The lesson itself also serves as something of a makeshift clinic, allowing those who have been hurt during training, or those who are still recovering from old wounds, to be tended to and healed. It's a cooperative effort. Anyone who wishes to help out with combat training or first aid may do so.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[when the Wild Hunt was around, Cao Pi kept his opinions to himself, but truth be told he found their training pointless. He already had swordsmanship skills ten times what they were trying to teach before the raid. So now, with hindsight being what it is, he's showing up to training at least one night a week to show off. Oh, and put others with sword training through their paces, but mostly showing off. He's not weak dammit, and no face-stealing spirit is going to steal his ability to fight...

Spar with him, one on one. He'll show you how Pure Havoc works. Or...

Chat with him. After rounds he will make a stroll through the gym, sizing up others, waiting for another challenge, or just make himself available for small talk. After all, one can learn a lot through idle chatter.]

[Perhaps once he's in better shape, Rosinante will offer to help train people finally. It would do them some good to learn tactics against an opponent nearly twice their size - if nothing else, it's a workout for the brain. But in his current state, still healing from the injuries inflicted by the green-eyes, he's not here to spar. He watches from the sidelines, simply observing.

As people begin to disperse, he nods to Cao Pi and makes his way over.]

Do you have a moment?

[it's hard to miss Rosinante, even when he's lurking. Cao Pi knows he's there but waits until approached no matter how much he itches to catch up with the guy. Given what's happened recently, finding time for a private chat may be crucial, here.]

For you, of course. How are you faring, commander?

Well enough to walk over here.

[So, better, somewhat. It's a good thing he's as durable as he is or he might not have survived. Knowing this, he's trying to be more careful than he might have otherwise, and is actually trying not to throw himself straight back into felling trees and helping organize supplies like he might normally be doing this time of the month otherwise.

He begins to pull away from the group, figuring Cao Pi will follow.]

I still haven't heard a full account of what happened between us being.. moved, and then all of you coming to break us out. What exactly happened when the Wild Hunt turned up?

[follow he does, glancing subtly around for eavesdroppers as he do. Not that this question is something that has to be kept secret from others, but maybe the other traumatized folks don't need to revisit it yet. He sighs quietly before explaining.]

It was quite confusing for a day, before they showed themselves. Search parties, messages, and so forth. They were adamant that we would not be able to rescue you without their help, and wasted another day putting us through an entirely unnecessary round of combat training. [and here he sours hardcore] What little information they had about killing the spirits could have been explained in less than an hour, but they insisted that we were not prepared, despite most of those left behind being combat veterans. Frankly, even when they explained the layout of the medical center, I immediately thought up the exact tactic they ended up using. The only use they were to us was pinpointing the location of the center we failed to find before.

Trying hard to make themselves useful, then.

[For obvious reasons. They underestimated the people of the town, thought they could swoop in as saviors and buy themselves some favor. They took a crisis and tried to use it to their benefit, and misjudged the situation despite having had all this time to watch and listen from the shadows and learn about the people here.

With several of the homes in the village recently unoccupied, there are plenty of pickings for a private conversation. Rosinante knocks on the door of one just to double-check nobody has moved in recently, then pushes it open, though he gets his toe caught on the threshold and goes sprawling to the floor. It obviously takes him more effort than usual to get up and he's pretty sure he'll have to check his stitches again, but. Later. He gives a pained grunt as he sits on a couch inside and waits for the door to close before he seals the room in silence. His voice is slightly strained as he speaks again.]

Have you come across anyone who seems sympathetic toward them?

[oof, that one looked like it hurt. But Cao Pi refrains from jumping in to help, only placing himself close enough by so that if a hand is requested, he can offer it. All the while silently cursing the Wild Hunt for wasting time, how much of that pain could have been prevented?

Ah well. Time to get to the nitty gritty and boy has he been itching for a chance to talk over a lot of things with Rosinante]

So far, no. At worst, wary ambivalence. Most of the chatter around, direct and indirect, has been outright rejecting the notion that we ought to roll over and die for this senseless idea. That said...

[he paces a little, out of tension] ...you should know that when Master Daylight and I first spoke privately with Dr. Solis, I raised the exact same question as the Hunt is trying to answer. Why should we save this world? What about it was worth saving? Her answer did not satisfy me. There is, essentially, nothing special about this world, and since it is no world of ours, we have little obligation to it. But I am starting to wonder if there isn't a different reason behind ending the World Eaters before they end us.

[When he gets back, it will be time to swallow a few more painkillers. For now, he'll make do by lighting a cigarette. They do help.

It also gives him something to do while he contemplates Cao Pi's admission. It comes down to how selfish a person is, in his opinion. They are already dead, and like the spirits supposedly say, what is death to a dead thing? Why fight? It won't restore them to life. The tiny fragment of light remaining, that bonfire, has no inherent value. Their lanterns are powered by some amount of life borrowed and harnessed by Dr. Solis, but existing here in this twilight state isn't very personally rewarding.

So yeah. He sees the arguments. He just doesn't like them.]

You think there's something she and Robin and the others want to save, something concrete, that they're concealing?

[He sure doesn't think that, but he'll entertain the idea for the sake of discussion.]

I am not as quick as some to assume subterfuge, when ignorance is equally possible.

[he only briefly discussed it with Stone but he's been mulling it over for a few days]

One thing has bothered me, since Master Rastus organized that meeting and Dr. Solis addressed the network. However slow such large, ambling creatures might be, how can it take them seventy-five years to traverse this entire world and still miss this tiny glimmer of light? Even if said glimmer is briefly extinguished from time to time in order to divert them when they get too close, it is still...an odd thing to consider. Why would they not give up and look elsewhere for their sustenance? How long can they survive without light? What are they doing on this world year in and year out? I am bothered by the unknown.

I do think some sort of misguided altruism is motivating some of our allies, even if at the outset our goal is the same. But I have begun to entertain the notion that it may not be the light of our lanterns the enemy seeks. [DRAMATIC PAUSE!!] What if they seek the portal, in order to leave this dead world?

Cao Pi | open

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