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.

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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?

[That has bothered him as well - the idea that these creatures, or the one on this world, whichever it is, could take so long to find them. But he doesn't know how big this world is, and doesn't know which senses a World Eater uses or how it uses them, how it thinks, how it even moves. Maybe they're blind outside a certain small radius and aimlessly stumble across light, then eat it where it's encountered. It's as plausible as people from parallel worlds and multiple universes converging in one place after death. Maybe more plausible.]

The fact is that we just don't know enough about these creatures to assume they want things the way that we do. Maybe they're more like machines than creatures, following a simple path with simple rules. There's nothing we can go off of and I don't even know how to begin to learn about them.

Hm, true. All I have at the moment is speculation, but I would like to keep all possibilities open, just in case. I fear things may not be so black and white as they appear.

[he cools it on the pacing and leans against the least-rickety-looking wall]

Whether or not either group knows more about them than we do, it seems to me that even if no one in Beacon wants to work with them or advocate for genocide, the Wild Hunt will still be an issue going forward. If they cannot use us, they may turn on us. I am most concerned about the security of our limited resources, and of Dr. Solis.

Right. We'll need to post guards we can trust at key locations. Food and supplies stockpiles, the church, the pier every time the ferry comes in. And we'll need to make sure patrol schedules regularly rotate through housing areas. Might need to request more people join patrol routes.

[It doesn't seem like it would be too hard to find people they can regard as trustworthy. Most truly don't seem interested in the Wild Hunt, especially if they do become a threat. It's likely the group will just drive a wedge between themselves and everyone here the moment they try anything like that - which they will, by the sound of things. Even the spirits had tried to warn them all.]

We still don't know where Dr. Solis is. That's probably a good thing. Probably how she's kept herself safe from them all this time.

Yes. It seems it may be time to actually put someone in charge. A few someones. Shame that council idea never panned out...

[he's a little exhausted of trying to organize, which is why he isn't thrusting out his chest and jumping into the throne himself. It's surprisingly easier when most of the population is inclined to believe in your leadership from birth.]

It is, but at the same time, I may approach her with my concerns. That if the Hunt finds her before she can call for help, she may be dead before we can reach her. She should be prepared to trust at least one person with that information - one she vets herself. The rest...yes, all of it needs to be done. Still, for the time being, I also don't want to see anyone antagonize the Hunt. Even if they aren't monitoring our communications, I don't trust that to last long.

[he thinks for a moment, and then feels like he has to make an observation] ...is it your military training that has prepared you so well? You are extremely well-versed in tactics, commander, above and beyond that of a plain soldier.

[He nods along, agreeing with basically everything Cao Pi says. The lack of organization here is really getting to him and this is absolutely a time when it's sorely needed, and the absence of it is glaring as a result.

And then he smirks a little at Cao Pi's observation, and lets it hang there while he has a draw from his cigarette.]

"Commander" isn't just a plain soldier, you know. I do have tactical training.

[And he enjoys it, broadly, as a field. Strategy is a fascinating puzzle. It's a surprisingly satisfying compliment, when most attempted compliments paid to him barely register as anything he should be appreciated for.]

Who would you consider the people you trust the most in town right now?

[he smirks back in appreciation] Fair, but who knows how our relative hierarchies compare? It is appreciated nonetheless. I sorely miss my tactician at times like this.

[that's a good question. HMM.] You, naturally, or I would not be quick to answer. Inspector Javert. Master Quentin, for good or bad. Doctor Ingram, General Hughes, Master Ignis. Grandmaster Kuai Liang. Counselor Matt. [a small pause] There are some I have not spoken to recently but still consider capable and worthy of trust, in that they've done nothing to betray it, such as Riku and Jason of the Legion. [and then a longer pause] Still others, like Master Daylight...I have no qualms with them but I am concerned that they are too trusting in turn, and may accidentally throw a plan awry by confiding in the wrong person. But, it isn't a fatal flaw, as of yet.

Then your thoughts mostly mirror mine, though some of those people might be more trustworthy under particular circumstances. I can add a few - Stone, probably Soldat, Sora if reminded to stay on task though he's also very trusting. And I can vouch for Jason. Xayah, also, if only because her dislike of humans means the Wild Hunt is at a disadvantage compared to those like myself who she has come around to trusting. I think we should have enough among them to fill guard and patrol slots, and many already do.

[A few of Cao Pi's names he has a lot more doubt for than he lets on, but he'll let it go for now. Quentin? Really? Every time they've spoken it feels like Quentin is immediately on the defensive for reasons he can't fathom, as if he wants to turn everything into an argument. It's strange and uncomfortable. And Dr. Ingram, well. He trusts Will with quite a lot, but he knows the man is and will always be out for himself first. The goal is to make sure his own self-interest aligns with the group's.

It would, of course, be nice if they could have a mole. But that's a role only the most committed would be able to take, and many of the most committed wouldn't want to since it will immediately make them the most hated person in town. Even Rosinante doesn't think he's capable, if only because he's been outspoken until this point about wanting to put an end to the World Eaters, and doing a complete 180 would be too obviously suspicious.]

[even the potential mole standing in front of you is not willing to take on that role this time, either. Those who've been around since the start, like them, know him too well, and it would be harder to pull strings and get people moving from that position.

Shame, he's terribly good at playing the villain.]

Ah, you were thinking patrol. A good start. Trust is less my concern in that regard, I would prefer to recruit the capable over the trusting. I saw the Hunt during training, enough to know that they also know how to fight. Should they come to raid us for real, our guards need to be strong enough to hold out for reinforcements.

Time is of the essence now more than ever, but I will not rush to demand leadership so quickly after these two groups have made their pitch. Today? It would simply make me look like yet another upstart demanding loyalty. But this town sorely needs a firm, guiding hand, one which will not lead them either to death or to sorrow.

[He was thinking a lot of things, but patrol is the particular tangent he'd indeed given voice to. The rest will require more consideration - for again, some people, regardless of trustworthiness, are simply better at filling certain roles than others.

So the point about people knowing and performing their tasks well goes without saying, and he simply nods. Yes, obviously so - and fortunately many of those among the reasonably trusted can hold their own in a fight. Others will still be useful for relaying accurate information when they've come across something that needs to be relayed.]

Without leadership, people will ultimately choose sides or flounder. Whether they admit it or not, they want someone to organize under. They need leadership and guidance. But I see your point, and I agree it would be more divisive if it isn't done with care.

[Of course, whether the people of Beacon unite under a leader of their own doesn't ultimately matter to Rosinante as much as he would have said it did last month. Uniting Beacon and living as a community is not really his goal. If Pluto's plan is a solid one, if she actually has a way to get rid of the World Eaters for good, then it shortcuts the process of needing Cao Pi or someone else to step forward and take the reins.]

The Night Market should be visiting this month, no? I will speak with Pluto again, and if her answers continue to fill me with concern and dread, that will be a signal to act, I think.

[he's sort of musing aloud but it helps to have someone hear him to keep him accountable]

What are you most worried about? That people will in fact start backing the Hunt? Or that they won't know what to do and may jeopardize any plans on any front?

What worries me most is still the same thing that has worried me since the beginning: that we'll run out of time. People have their own tragedies to cope with, and they should. And it isn't as though we have information to work with. But I don't-

[Doesn't want to lose people. It's one thing, to insist the World Eaters should be destroyed, to save this planet and the others up in the sky as their stars burn out one by one. That could be accomplished by any group, though the sooner it happens, the better for every world out there.

But he's grown attached to some of the people here. He had accepted his own death and was all right with moving on, but he's begun to make something of this life and the people around him. If their deaths are a necessary sacrifice then so be it, but he doesn't want the end of everything he's begun to care about to be entirely in vain.]

I don't mind if not everyone is focused on that problem, but enough need to be in order to make progress. And the Wild Hunt needs to be kept a non-factor or things only get worse for everyone.

[don't worry, Rosinante, talking about sacrificing themselves in any sense can wait. No rolling over and giving up, but if they spend their afterlives gaining victory, now that's worthy. But that can come later. Much, much later.]

Yes, my thoughts exactly. Every time we are attacked or put under duress, it sets everything back. Even I have been guilty of it, taking time to clear my head. I can hardly criticize.

Tell me, commander...do you know of anyone who would be competent at, perhaps, an undercover mission?

To infiltrate the Hunt.

[Yeah, don't worry, he's been thinking this one over the whole time, but he's still drawing a blank. He gives it another few seconds anyway, pulling smoke from the cigarette like it will get the gears cranking harder.]

Someone who can be trusted completely to follow directions, and probably someone who doesn't have friends who would question their judgement. Someone who doesn't mind being hated. Someone devoted enough not to be swayed to their cause, but who can act as if they are.

[He lists the requirements aloud as another method of thinking this through, as well as to make sure there isn't something he's overlooking. Really, it's a shame people know too much about him here. He should have discouraged it more. But he doesn't mind not being the mole for once - he's good at it, but it's so incredibly stressful.]

I know people who fit some of those parameters, but not all of them. If there's someone who's close, though, we could work with them to mold them into the role. If they're up for it.

[Soldat is too unstable and not much of a liar. Maes... could pull it off if he could recover from his current state of despair, but continue to publicly act as though he hadn't. An option, but a cruel request and not one he's sure Maes could actually do without truly driving himself mad.]

[yeah he's probably already thinking the same thing about the same people. It's a hard job, he's well aware.]

Sound them out, or introduce me and I will do it. If it turns out no one is willing or able, we can find other tactics. It would be a shame if we couldn't make use of this very basic one, but it isn't the best nor the only way to gain information on the Hunt and their moves.

We can't be the only ones thinking about it either. People will want to keep an eye on them and will make the attempt themselves. But they'll run, or be found out, if they don't know what they're getting into.

[He's going to be thinking hard on this one for a while. Who would believably join up with them? Gregor, perhaps? He doesn't know the man extremely well, but he gets the sense he might be able to pull it off - so long as he doesn't actually become sympathetic to them.

It's something to work on. At least he's certain that they will get leaks of information one way or another from the rogue individuals who will try and fail. It just won't be regular or reliable.]

[oh hell, they will, won't they? Cao Pi rubs the bridge of his nose in exasperation]

What a fine way to get oneself murdered. I hope no one is so impetuous. Some of the worst offenders have, ahem...disappeared, so perhaps it won't be a rampant problem.

We will be in a better position after the market, I expect. Though, if there is anything else I haven't seen fit to worry about, now is the time to tell me so I can add it to the list.

Nothing specific enough to mention.

[Too many unknowns. Too many interruptions by the spirits, who have such absurd and occasionally devastating ways of trying to help. Reconvening after the Night Market makes good sense - hopefully Pluto's ideas will give them all a direction to head in next, whether with her or not.

So that's that, then. He hesitates a moment before convincing himself to stand, with one hand on the wall for support. His current condition sucks, but he's not one to complain, either; he just tolerates injury as he always has.]

Good luck with the combat training. Glad to see people taking it seriously enough to come and learn.

[his eyes follow that motion, guessing at what's hidden underneath]

Luck has little to do with it, so long as I can find someone who can keep up with me.

...how bad was it? It seemed gauche to ask immediately after the rescue.

[Indeed, and it's even hard to talk about now. But they'll have to eventually, him and all the rest, if they want to understand the goal behind it, assuming there was one. There must have been one. He wants there to be one because that much senseless cruelty isn't something that should exist in any world, though if humans are capable of it, then surely green-eyed spirits are too.

His eyes don't meet Cao Pi's. He doesn't really even move from where he's stood himself up, looking vaguely toward the door as if he just wants to leave.]

They subjected us to the worst visions they could while cutting us open and rearranging our insides. Put things in that don't belong there. Tried to force-feed us whatever they didn't put in directly. Meat, I think.

[If he sounds casual, it's because he's trying to stay completely detached from the reality that it happened. Sleeping is harder now. Eating is, too.]

[congratulations Rosinante, it's extremely rare for anyone to get a genuine shocked expression out of him. Shock, horror...it's all there in his wide eyes. It takes him a minute to find his voice, if only because he lacks the words to appropriately respond]

...what...awful...

[nope can't accurately word right now. He shuts his mouth quickly, pursing his lips tightly. Sorry, man, sorry.]

[Cao Pi's reaction breaks through his intent to lock down on the emotions he feels. Anger, mostly; disgust and fear and horror all in their own measures. A shudder passes through him and his hand clenches white-knuckled around his lantern.

Any noble ideas of saying more, of trying to work out reasoning, vanish instantly. He hadn't truly thought he could go there right now anyway, this is just a way to try and get a toe in that godawful door of theorizing, but he immediately regrets it. It's still too soon for him to be rational about what happened to him and the others.]

I'll see you later.

[There's a choked quality to that statement, like he's fighting off gagging over his own words. He snaps his fingers to drop the silence, a further indication he's done talking, and reaches for the doorknob.]

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