A simple skirmish

[Philemonite]

Clanking of metal attracts your attention and leads you to the part of the school grounds known as the "back yard". This collection of abandoned courts is usually used by the senior students when all other courts are occupied, but there are rumors secret clubs holding special meetings.
As you get closer you notice two figures. At first, the swords in their hands look a bit comical, but you soon realize that their strokes are not really a child's play. As you get closer you recognize one of them is Benjamin, but you don't remember ever seeing the other one.
"Come on Benji, give it up. You can never defeat me."
"Don't be so arrogant. You know what they say, pride cometh before a fall."
Benjamin lunges forward, but his opponent manages to side step and avoid the attack. His counter attack is stopped by Benjamin's swift half-turn, and they both move back.
"Well, looks like someone has been practicing." The stranger comments with a smile.

[Xhosant]

Soga carefully approaches the pair, not wanting to interrupt their clash. Apparently, he and Dorian weren't the only ones who found the day a good one to spar on. Stepping into the verge of the clash' area, he leaned against a wall to see Benjamin's fighting. The respect of the morning, and his new-found awe, compelled him to.

((Taking a spar seriously has already been done, if it's gonna be hilarity let it be the other way around.))

[Philemonite]

Waving his sword through the air Benjamin's "friend" starts to chuckle.
"Next time you might want to try a less aggressive approach, it might be harder to evade."
"Only if you want to do it without weapons, I don't want to hurt you. Too much."
Dropping their weapons both combatants charged. Benjamin tried the aggressive approach again, aiming for the abdomen. The attack was relatively successful. Even though his opponent managed to block most of the pain, his attack connected, allowing him to perform another attack with his left hand. Unfortunately, his opponent anticipated his strategy. He took all of his blows, finding the opening between two attacks. Caught of guard, Benjamin soon found himself on the ground, with a leg on his back.
"Do you surrender now, or do I need to break a few bones?"

((Why do you think this is a sparring match?))

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki bursts from around a corner at a full dash, her naginata's case bouncing on her back. "Ora! I knew there was something interesting going on!" She skids to a stop next to Soga and leans over to him. "Okay, so that one's Benjamin, if I remember correctly, but I don't recognize the other one." Seeing Benjamin knocked to the ground, she giggled a little. "If you're flexible and don't mind pain that's not too bad of a position. Not great, but it could be worse."

[Xhosant]

((Because it's hard to deliver seriousness by text, and I read nothing noting it's not a very harsh sparring match. Besides, Soga's a tad naive and was sparring just like that the same day.))

"Don't recognize the guy either, care to intervene? Got a feeling they aren't sparring after all."

Soga takes a step forward, slowly accelerating to a dash. His left hand was already clutching his card, his right his evoker.

Stopping some 10 steps away from the pair, he draws the fake gun in a warning fashion, not aiming it directly at anyone but visible to all.

"Hey, tough guy? Got a moment for us?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki sets down her naginata case, taking out the weapon within. "Well, if you insist, I suppose I've got time to dance." A smile played across her face at the prospect of this going south. It'd be an opponent she was unsure about the skill of, which just made it interesting. Still, she wasn't going to senselessly fight, and Soga had what appeared to her to be a gun.
Looks like someone's a bit more prepared than you, little hero. Her persona spoke calmly to her. Oh, hush. Those things aren't exactly commonplace. Anyways, I use a polearm, you know that.

"Wow, that's a little scary. Even I'm pretty sure I couldn't take a shot from one of those." She chuckled a little at the thought of not being durable enough to stand up to an attack.

[Philemonite]

Using Soga's distraction, Benjamin managed to catch his opponent of guard. As fell on the ground, Benjamin's hand reached for his throat.
"Say uncle."
"That's not fair, you only won because your lemmings distracted me. No offense."
"All is fair in love and war. Besides, I got tired of our little dance, so I decided to wrap things up."

[Xhosant]

"None taken." Soga says with an unamused expression.

"So, you 2, what gives?" he asks as he backsteps closer to the girl.

"Fake gun by the way. Shoots personas when you eat it, not bullets when you aim it. Makes it easier out here.", he whispers.

[Philemonite]

"I was just showing my friend here what happens when you turn into one of the suits and forgot to train regularly. He has really let himself go. I suggest you put that evoker away, someone might see it."

[Mokou-tan]

"A lemming, eh? I'll let it slide this time." Tsubaki didn't actually know what a lemming was, but wasn't going to bother figuring out.

"That sounds really handy, honestly. Mine's a real pain in the rear sometimes." She was mildly amused at the knowledge of such a thing existing.

[Xhosant]

((So it WAS a sparring match, dammit! Or was it? Daaamn, you GMing confuses me!:smalltongue:

Lemmings are a kind of rodents, plus some really dumb little humanoids from a game of the same name. In case you share Tsubaki's curiosity, Mokou-tan :smalltongue:))

"Wait, so this was a sparring match after all? Damn, what does this remind me of... Anyway, care to introduce us to the guy?" Soga asks as he puts the Evoker away. He holds on to his card for a minute, just in case.

[Philemonite]

"Introductions, of course. I would like you to meet a very dear friend of mine, Jarod. He has been sent here to spy on us."

"Come on Benji, don't be so dramatic. I am only here to assist you, if you need me. Think of me as a safety net. You must be the new recruits?"

((I never said it wasn't, I just asked why do you think it is. Like Mask's priest say, never tell a lie if a truth that is perceived as lie can do. Or something like that. I really need to read Faiths and Pantheons again.

Lemming is used for a rookie persona user. It was originally used by Jarod's aunt, so Jarod and Jessica picked it up from her.))

[Xhosant]

"Indeed. I've heard a bit about you." Soga replies as he approaches again, relaxing and sliding his card back in a pocket.

[Philemonite]

"Whatever you heard I can assure you it is not true, especially if it comes from Alexandra."

"That's so cute, you really think she still cares. Anyway, what are the two of you doing here?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki twirls her naginata. "I'd finished up some training and my intuition told me there was something interesting over here. I was hoping it was a brawl though." She gives a bright smile. "Those are really fun to break up if you do it right." She was of course referring to the violent way of doing it. It was just more training after all.

[Xhosant]

"Got kinda lost, again. I've been doing that a lot today. So, I just heard noise and got intrigued."

[Philemonite]

"So, the scary, violent girl is Tsubaki, she just joined the club. She is great with a naginata. I don't really know anything besides that. The kinda cute boy is Soga. I told you about him, he is the one who wanted to challenge one of the generals."
"That was just before he mopped the floor with you, right?"
"It was a draw. Besides, I had to keep an eye on the operatives, I was districted."
"Sure, you always had an excuse."
"Jarod buddy, if you continue like that I will be forced to tell you how much weight you have gained. So, before that happens, I am going to leave you here with your new friends, while I finish some chores. I will see you at dinner, don't be late."

[Xhosant]

Watching Benjamin walk away, Soga relaxed. He just realized how tense he was in Benjamin's presence, due to his recent knowledge.

Turning towards the new face, Soga addresses him.

"So, uh... Jarod, was it? How come you're visiting these parts?"