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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( He arrives early, not much sooner than Jason and Soldat, to make certain that everything is in order before the others arrive. He brings with him his sword, a knife on his hip, and walks without crutches or a cane for the first time in two months. His gait is still a bit slow, awkward and uneasy at times, but it's much improved over the past several weeks.

He meets with his students, instructing them in their footwork as well as their technique before sending them off to practice. He wields a knife and a sword, but he can also fight unarmed, and he'll spar with anyone that wishes to. Much of the time, he keeps to the sidelines, making certain that the fighting isn't getting out of hand.

Afterward, he tends to the injured, shoving bandages into their hands and instructing them on how to stitch a wound. He's a bit gruff and distant, but he wouldn't be here if he didn't possess a desire to help. He doesn't linger overly long, knowing that Rosalind is waiting for him, but you may catch him before he leaves. )

i. Directions

[ Freshly off the boat, Todoroki hasn't had a chance to explore the whole of this place but when he reads about a weekly combat training course he's too curious not to check it out except, he doesn't quite know how to get there. So, maybe he spotted you in the lobby of the Landmark Inn or walking around Downtown, either way, he's not shy and comes up from behind to ask for directions. ]

Do you know where they hold the combat training?

ii. Exploration

[ Todoroki has made it to the gymnasium and finds himself lost in the shuffle. He's taken enough hero courses to know the drill, but he's not exactly here to train but to watch. You'll find him sitting outside the mats watching your training session with interest or perusing through the medical supplies. Generally, he'll be exploring the area while people go about their training. He'll be careful to stay out of everyone's ways but accidents happen and sometimes a fight spills over leaving him to dodge you or your attack. ]

iii. Training

[ He's finally moved on from people watching to participation. He already knows how to fight so he won't be joining the beginner's group. He'll go through several mock fights on the mats with whoever wants to train with him. Next, you'll find him sitting in on one of the medical lessons and he'll partner up with anyone for the demonstrations like CPR, how to treat a wound, etc. ]

Edited 2020-04-05 03:51 (UTC)

[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?

These days, classes aren't as stressful for Soldat as they were in the beginning. Yes, they're subdued compared to their demeanor around friends, and yes, they aren't super comfortable with being looked at or giving actual orders, but they know pretty much everyone who comes to these and they know what they do here, and that helps a lot. It's part of the routine. It's practice being seen. It helps people not get hurt or killed.

The new faces since the kidnapping are a little surprising, and the sight drops them below the regular level of comfort, but it's still not enough to make them need to walk fast around the gym after lessons are over just to calm down. A little thinking of origami folding now and then while watching someone practice a move they showed them is enough. And on another level, it's good to see new faces, even if those faces aren't all here to learn, exactly. The more they know about each other's skills, the more effectively they can fight together.

Soldat is available to show people the very basics of battle: how to fall and not hurt yourself, how to break common holds, how to stick a knee or an elbow or a foot in the right place to make a normal human attacker to let go long enough to bolt, simple tumbling for dodging and avoidance. Soldat also has at least one knife student, Sora, and if you can prove you won't cut yourself or stab them on accident, is willing and able to teach more. And Soldat is available any day there's no one for them to teach, and before, for practice spars. They also are a primary teacher for field medicine afterwards, because while they can't stand watching other people do medical treatements, they know a lot themselves, and teaching isn't as bad.

The first week or two, of course, they're moving slow and avoid the actual sparring sessions, because they still hurt from the experiments and the kidnapping. After that, it's back to business as usual, fight him as hard as you'd like.

Edited 2020-04-05 18:24 (UTC)

( The man that turns toward him is tall, dressed in a long, dark overcoat and a cudgel tucked firmly under his arm. He's not traversing through downtown for any sort of amusement, that much seems clear. When Todoroki approaches him, however, he doesn't seem the least bit perturbed, regarding him with piercing blue eyes and an inquisitive look before saying, )

It is in the village, past the bonfire and across the river. Why is it of interest to you?

( He doesn't need to ask whether the other man is new. Javert already knows, because he makes it his business to know who everyone is. Perhaps not by their name, but by their looks and their habits. It's not so difficult to do with so few people here. )

[ Todoroki certainly stands out in a crowd but it's not his hero outfit that gets him noticed what with the simple royal blue combat suit, but his heterochromatic features. He's split right down the middle in every way. His hair is half white and half red with a soft grey eye on his right side and a bright teal on his left which also carries a large scar where his mother burned him with hot water when he was a child. He regards him with an open, neutral look when he speaks. ]

Soldat told me about it. It's supposed to be like hero training and I'm a hero.

[ A concise answer said in an even tone. ]

( Javert chuckles lowly, not out of amusement so much as disbelief. He can see that the boy is quite young, not much more than Jason, but young enough for him not to take his assertions quite as seriously. He answers haughtily, )

You think quite highly of yourself. Tell me, then, what is this training like?

[ ooc; due to recent development in his thread with Soldat please ignore that he mentioned his name. "Someone" told him. ]

[ The attitude is something he shrugs off. Being a hero was a revered profession in his world. The title meant something and those that made it to the top worked hard for it. Todoroki can understand his skepticism, especially with his recent arrival. ]

We have quirk training, combat training, disaster training, group training, empathy training, and media training.

Through hard work, I passed my Hero Exam and received my Provisional Hero license.

[ He goes through his utility belt in search of his recently acquired license. ]

[ When he finds the license, he holds it out for him to see the official ID. ]

Hero name, Shouto. At your service.

Moving carefully through the different training sessions, Todoroki makes his way through the gym exploring the various activities going on. Soon, he settles himself away from the mats and stands in silence watching the ongoing combat lessons. He watches a fight with particular interest and when it's over his gaze wanders through the room, narrowing when catches sight of the assassin from before.

Over the next ten minutes, Todoroki will don a strict demeanor while keeping his eyes on the villain at all times. He pays attention to his lesson, studying his movements to get a better sense of speed and tactics.

( The presentation of his ID does help to quell Javert's skepticism a little. He inspects the card with no small amount of interest, taking note of his name as well as his mentioned quirk. He's not certain what that is, exactly, but that's a matter for him to discuss later. )

So it is a title.

( He says in an undertone, mostly to himself, before straightening his posture and asking, )

What is a Provisional Hero's duties?

[Minimus refrains from sparring, considering that most people here would hurt themselves if they struck his body. He does offer advice on stances for those who are bipedal, but there is a limitation on teaching an alien species how to fight.

At least he has the ability to keep order among a large group and to carry equipment in one trip.

Like now, as he sets up the punching bags, carrying one over each shoulder like nothing.]

How many are we expecting today?

[Jason was in a similar boat when it came to the Wild Hunt's offer to "train." He'd been trained to fight monsters and in large groups his entire life. Once he'd been brought here, he'd been offered the chance to train others, but also to better improve his own ability to work with people with largely different fighting styles and backgrounds. It was the only part of the Wild Hunt he'd agreed with -- getting a chance to see how different people worked together.

That being said, he was a little surprised to see Cao Pi walk into Javert's training time -- he'd never seen him here before. Jason got to his feet -- he'd been doing some stretching and strength training -- and walked over.]

I haven't seen you here before. [He bows his head a bit, Cao Pi's an emperor or something if he recalls correctly.] Are you here to watch or for a match yourself?

[what a nice greeting, he meets it with a cool smile]

It has been a while, certainly. I need to make up for lost time. [as he turns slightly to indicate the two swords sheathed separately at his hip] Of course I mean to fight. The actual battles against enemies here are spaced far enough apart that I really shouldn't let my skills rust in between.

...that is, if other swordsmen are prepared.

[He's only been free of the flu for a week, but the time he was stuck in a small room and then confined to a bed for days afterwards has left him weak. He has to practice walking every day in order to keep his balance with his limp.

He walks into the sparring area more slowly than usual wearing his coat/shawl monstrosity cobbled together from yarn bomb material. He's not risking catching cold.]

Anyone free?

[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.

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combat training mingle log

javert | ota

todoroki shouto | ota

Cao Pi | open

chat

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Bucky/Soldat | OTA

i

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1/3

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3/3

/watching you/

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spar

yesssss hi Jason

spar

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