[ closed ]

[aetos]

Who: Roy Sellers (aetos), Vaughn Inglebard (unimpressive), and Akito Tanabe (dyingtohealyou).
Where: Roy's house
When: February 1st, early afternoon. Roy showed mercy on their sleep schedule this time.
What: In the name of trying to improve the spirits of a distressed teenager, Roy caves and offers to try and teach his friends fencing. Things go horribly downhill.

Warnings: Probably violence? Shouldn't get too bad, though.

[So, Akito is (understandably) down in the dumps. What better way to encourage stress relief than learning how to beat something up the proper way?

...Actually, this wasn't really Roy's initial idea at all, but the two had been hounding him over it for a while. While he had been reluctant in thinking himself anything close to a proper teacher for the subject, seeing Akito so wound up and distressed over his recent pulses made him reconsider attempting to show them some sort of healthy outlet.

And hopefully wouldn't result in more echoes.

So Roy calls Vaughn over later that Saturday, after his parents had left the house for a while, and tells him to head over into his backyard. He calls Akito out several minutes later, and when his two friends finally congregate in the back of his house, Roy slides in behind them, hands on his hips and a look of acquiescence on his face.]

I still don't know why you want me to teach you instead of going to the fencing club or something.

[Of course, his complaint lacks any bite to it when Roy had already gone out of the way to buy several wooden training swords and lay them neatly side-by-side on the ground.]

Comments

[dyingtohealyou]

[After studying it a moment, Akito will go ahead and try to mimic it with a slight stumble as he remembers he can't just mirror the movement.]

Like this?

[His own stance has nowhere near the confidence of Roy's, but well. He's not even sure if he's got the angles right here.]

[unimpressive]

[That stance...

Vaugh doesn't recognize it, of course he doesn't. He doesn't know the first thing about fencing. But he can't quite seem to take his eyes off the way Roy's standing, can't really shake off the feeling of... wrongness that falls over him.

Weird.

After a pause, he shakes himself out of it and follows Akito's example... and immediately falls right out of the stance again.]

...Hey. Roy. Are you sure this is it? Cause... [He shakes his head.] This just feels weird.

[aetos]

I'm sure.

[It's said without a hint of hesitation.]

Like I said, it doesn't really have a real world equivalent. Maybe that's why it seems off.

[There's a twinge of uncertainty, because of course Vaughn knows nothing about fencing, how would he know differentiate it in the first place?

But Roy brushes it off for the moment. This is right. He knows it is.]

Just...keep practicing. You'll get used to it.

[In the meantime, Roy moves to inspect Akito, frowning at the position of his feet before taking his sword and using it to nudge them into more appropriate angles.]

Almost. The position of your heels weren't quite right, but it's good for a first try.

[...He thinks. It came naturally to him so Roy honestly doesn't know what qualifies as a good first try.]

[dyingtohealyou]

Not like you know any fencing... Right?

[It's hard to be sure of, what with echoes being a thing. But with Roy's instruction, he shifts into the more correct stance. It does feel strange, but only in that it's completely unfamiliar to him.]

[unimpressive]

Heh, no... I guess not.

[He still can't shake off the feeling, still really doesn't want to follow these particular instructions, but he shrugs, flashing them a smile.

It's fine, right? It's gotta be.]

Like this, huh?

[He falls into the stance again, albeit stiffly.

--This is so not working for him.]

[aetos]

[Roy can tell. Moreover, it definitely feels odd to him, to see Vaughn standing in that position.

Wrong.

...He must just be imagining things.

Roy leans over and taps at Vaughn's heels with his sword, albeit a little more aggressively than he did with Akito.]

Your heels need to be in line. [And then Roy moves to correct the arm holding the sword.] You're a little stiff here, too.

[He assumes all this is for bracing measures, but Roy can't really tell him why. He may know how to do this, but it didn't come with any previous knowledge as to why.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[Akito, for his part, doesn't even notice Roy acting strangely. He's much too focused on maintaining the stance himself.

Fencing is weird... Maybe it will make more sense once they get to the actual fighting part? Hm.]

[unimpressive]

[Wow, gosh, rude.

As gracefully as he can (which isn't much at all, really), he moves to follow those instructions, pausing only to aim a mock glare at Roy. All right, maybe if he just mimics Akito...

Figures Roy would have the freaky weird fighting style.]

Okay, okay, sorry! I'm doing it, you don't have to hit me! [SIGH.] I guess I do have to get used to how weird it is...

[Weirdo wrong fighting style. He's beginning to think he really isn't gonna like however the other Roy fought.]

[aetos]

[Rude.]

I barely tapped you.

[Gosh you're so sensitive.

In any case we're gonna timeskip now so just assume Roy taught them all manners of basic strikes and lunges with his weirdo fighting style.

Yay violence.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[And Akito will sit himself down for a break because haha wow Roy is actually kind of a scary teacher even if he was focusing on Vyse there.

Like.

Wow.]

I don't know anything about swords, but I'm pretty sure you made some of that up.

[His tone is teasing. Mostly.]

[unimpressive]

[Vaughn huffs out a laugh at that, hands on his hips. Yeah, he's definitely going to have to agree with Akito there.]

Yeah... And you just remembered all of that at the same time?!

[Talk about unfair.]

[aetos]

[He's a perfectionist, Akito, what do you expect.

But Roy smiles slightly at the two of them, though it might seem a little uncomfortable and strained.]

Yeah, I guess? It didn't really hit me all at once, I just...remember it as I need it. [Or something. It was hard to explain how the true oddity came from the fact that the sudden talent didn't feel strange at all, not really. It felt natural to hold a sword in his hand, like he was born for it.]

But I don't think I know enough to make up my own moves. This is all pretty basic, from what I can tell.

[dyingtohealyou]

Same as my healing, then.

[An unexplained sense of simply knowing what he had to do to activate it and what its limits and needs were.]

I guess that means you still don't know why you know it, huh?

[unimpressive]

Besides just the fact that the other him could fence?

[He grins, shaking his head. As totally unfair and uncool as it is that he hasn't gotten anything, Vaughn's still plenty excited for his friends here.]

If you're remembering so much... [Huff.] He probably knew a lot!

[aetos]

[He just shakes his head]

No idea. Whoever I was....I don't know much about him at all.

[And for the most part, what Roy does know he'd honestly rather forget.]

If I knew a lot, then I hope the rest comes back soon. Sure would be a lot more useful than some of the other stuff I've been getting.

[In any case, he gonna change the subject before this gets too uncomfortable for him.]

More importantly, the two of you know all the basics now. [Roy stands up and walks a fair distance from them before turning back to them]

Show me you actually know how to use it.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Akito groans.]

What, we don't even get a break?

[unimpressive]

[Figures.]

Okay, okay! Just give us a minute!

[He doesn't sound particularly tired anymore though, as he straightens and picks up his practice sword again.

All right, all right, regardless of what this fighting style is like, he can totally do this! Totally.]

How do you wanna start?

[aetos]

[HIS HOUSE, HIS RULES.]

You can rest after this. We're almost done. [He shifts his hand to get a better grip on his practice sword, though Roy notably doesn't move back into his initial stance.]

Try to hit me. One at a time, please.

[He doesn't want anyone smacking him in the head while his focus isn't on them >:C]

[dyingtohealyou]

Ughh...

[And Akito reluctantly gets to his feet, not quite getting into the stance yet.]

Vaughn can go first.

[unimpressive]

[Wow wow gosh. Teamwork is a totally valid strategy.

But, anyway. He's not complaining.]

All right! I'll go first. [He nods at Akito, shooting him a grin, before turning to Roy.

His movements are, of course, still very much clumsy, and it only gets worse when he tries to mimic what Roy's shown them so far, but he gets into position, waits a moment...]

Here I come!

[Another moment's pause and he lunges forward, aiming at Roy's torso...

...And completely forgets where exactly he's supposed to be, who exactly he's supposed to be fighting or how it's supposed to end this time or--

Shit.]

W-wait!

[aetos]

[It's not like Vaughn to hesitate or second-guess himself; his sudden outcry is odd enough that Roy relaxes from his position, looking toward him with an uncertain frown.]

What do you mean "wait"? What's wrong?

[dyingtohealyou]

...What's up?

[Akito already has one hand shoved into a pocket, having been quite content to just watch until he absolutely had to do something, but...]

[unimpressive]

[Oh no. No. No no no no no

He steps back, taking in a harsh breath, and shakes his head. There's just no way he could have seen what he thinks he did. No way.

That can't have been Roy dead. No way.]

Akito should go first! I-I'm not...

I'm gonna take a break!

[He's always barreled straight into things, always. But, for once in his life, and for what he hopes is the only time in his life, it sounds like the absolute worst idea ever.]

[aetos]

[Unfortunately, Vaughn's usually carefree attitude works against him for this, as Roy just seems to think this sudden out-of-character moment is just him being tired of practicing. Roy crosses his arms, the frown not leaving his face.]

You know, you guys are the ones that wanted to do this. [SIGH] What's the matter with you?

[dyingtohealyou]

[This is...

really, really strange. Vaughn is the type to screw up first and ask questions later, not the other way around.]

Seriously, what happened? Are you okay?