[ 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

[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?

[unimpressive]

[This cannot possibly be happening, it cannot, it cannot, it can't.

It takes a moment for it to properly hit him, but he knows what it looks like, knows what it must sound like, and oh boy. But he can't turn a sword, even a practice sword, on Roy again now, not after seeing... that, which he still hasn't really quite processed very well yet anyway.

He's not gonna be able to get out of this, is he?]

I... [He shakes his head again, waving his hands in front of him.] I'm fine!

...I think I just remembered fighting before!

[aetos]

[Vaughn is acting weird, though he supposed an echo would make more sense. BUT STILL. Roy frowns at him, tapping the tip of his wooden sword on the ground.]

And it freaked you out to the point you don't want to try anymore?

[He's obviously interpreting this as he knows how to fight now GOD VAUGHN WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM]

[dyingtohealyou]

So... like, with a sword or something?

[Akito's basically got nothing here. He'd have thought that if Vaughn remembered how to fight, it would have been a good Echo. But as it is, he looks kinda...

Disturbed?]

[unimpressive]

I-I'm not freaked out! I've just gotta take a break, that's all!

[A sword though... Oh, yeah. Definitely a sword. If only he'd actually remembered how to use it.

...Though that's not really a thought he wants to be having just now, nope.]

It was... with a sword, yeah! [He's recovered enough by now to be able to laugh, though it might not come across as convincing as he wants.] Yeah, I guess so, heh... I was fighting someone else with a sword...

[aetos]

You are freaking out. [Vaughn's always been the type to let everything roll off his shoulders (it was something Roy envied about him, to be honest.)

But now? He's white as a sheet, and looks like he's just seen a ghost.]

What, did you cut someone's head off or something?

[...Normally he is a bit more tactful than this, but something about this scenario was....grating. It made him aggravated and impatient.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[...There's something about this situation that seems to be deteriorating quickly, but Akito can't quite put his finger on it.]

That sounds pretty intense.

[It's one thing if it's a monster, but--

Well, not that Akito can really say much for himself, considering what that monster turned out to be.]

...You going to be okay?

[unimpressive]

[Of all the things-- Telling Roy to shut up would probably just look even more suspicious, wouldn't it? Even Vaughn can tell that much.]

I-I didn't cut off anyone's head! It's not like that! It's...

[He grimaces. Well, okay, it kind of is like that. Sort of.

Damn.]

...I'll be fine! I... Heh, I always am, huh?

[aetos]

[Under normal circumstances, Roy would stop pushing him. For all his shortcomings, he is essentially a gentle and patient person, and Vaughn's pained expression would be more a cause for concern than annoyance.

But something about this situation wasn't entirely normal, and Roy's grip on the hilt of his sword tightened as a funny, hot shock of anger coursed down his spine.]

Then stop stalling and hit me. [The irritation caught him by surprise, and Roy can't entirely keep the harsh tone out of his voice.]