Persona in the Playground~The War-Queen Returns

[Xhosant]

Soga was walking towards the meeting point, his eyes wide and his imagination out of control. He was to visit Tsubaki's old club with her and Callum, and that was spectacular on its own, but from what he'd heard and figured, she wasn't just a member, nor captain for administrative skill or popularity (not that she'd come short of that).

Indeed, it seemed she was the finest fighter to have stepped inside the facilities.

And now, she of all people was to show him around. How awesome was that?

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki was at the meeting point. She was sparring with a couple students who were less skilled, constantly correcting their mistakes as she turns away their strikes with her empty hand. Every once in a while she makes a jab with the practice naginata when they have too wide of an opening. She kept a neutral posture the whole time, not having much trouble keeping up with two novice opponents. She kept a smile as she taught them through experience, careful not to be belittling as she did.

[Xhosant]

Seeing her from a small distance, Soga paused, admiring the spectacle and seeing no reason to interrupt it. The two students were doing their best to touch her, yet Tsubaki simply waved their assault off, oftentimes literally. He was instinctively skilled with his velvet-blade, but it was more a baton to coordinate Cel's blows in his hands, rather than a true weapon, let alone a means of defense. But the rare move that Tsubaki did use the naginata in, was as fluent as he'd expect it to be if her hands were empty.

[CGDG]

Callum walks into the facilities, giving a small bow out of respect habit as he enters. He walks casually but quietly towards Soga, watching the Tsubaki skillfully dominate her two opponents with ease, balancing instructions with combat.

Over Soga shoulder Callum whispers, jabbing a finger in the air towards the current contest.

"It's quite something isn't it?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki lets out a sigh as she continues to deflect attacks. "A few years training might shape you two up for competitions, but right now, I'm bored." She shifts into an actual combative stance and giggles. "Don't worry, I'll give you one last lesson. You two practice a sport form, kendo. I practice a combat form, Naginatajutsu. Now, I'll teach you the difference." She makes a powerful roundhouse kick to the larger of the two's chest and drops low, sweeping the legs out from under the one still standing. She calmly stood up, her full height of 146cm seeming rather intimidating over the two much larger boys she'd just taken down. "In combat, there isn't such a thing as an 'illegal move'. Your training involves solely using your sword against an opponent, without adding in the rest of your body, because that would get you disqualified." Tsubaki turns around to see both Callum and Soga watching her and waves with a gentle smile on her face.

[Xhosant]

Soga flinched at Tsubaki's surprise, twice. Regardless, he waves back at her, approaching with an amused smile.

"Cut the kids some slack, they don't get your sort of training. One hell of a show, though."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki kneels down and pokes where her kick impacted the first one. "I'm pretty sure I did. Hey, scream if this hurts a lot, don't try and be manly about it." The guy winces a bit, but not more than expected. "Okay, it looks like I didn't break anything, just knocked the wind out of you." She moves to the one she tripped and touches the back of his head. "It looks like you haven't learned to fall." She slowly helps him up into a sitting position and pulls out her phone to call one of the numbers she has on speed-dial. "Hey, President, send someone to grab one of the guys out front and get him some attention. I made him hit his head on the ground harder than expected. Yeah, there's a little blood. Thanks, he's the one sitting up." There was a joking tone in her voice when she called the person on the other end 'President.' She turns to her two guests and smiles. "So, let's go in, shall we?"

[CGDG]

Motioning for the others to go ahead, he says,

"It's your 'home', not ours; please, you first."

With a side glance at the two boys on the floor he winces a little and rubs the back of his neck. Whsipering to himself, he mumbles,

"I really hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew."

[Xhosant]

So so sorry, everyone! I lost track of the thread! Thank a certain newcomer for reminding me! (Kasada)

Realising the full extend of the girl's assault was sobering for Soga, who felt deeply intimidated even if he had no reason to fear her.

He patted the hesitant Callum on the back, more to take heart himself, then followed her. He was, after all, quite curious to meet this "President"...

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki leads the two in. On the other side of the door was a large room with many people of differing arts training and even sparring with one another. "It's a shared building for several of the clubs that were too small to warrant their own larger areas. We get something the Judo guys don't though. We get the opportunity to often fight against people with other styles." A couple men run by out the door, presumably to attend to Tsubaki's 'students.' A candy bar soars through the air straight for the little girl's head, only to be intercepted. In a quick motion, she opens it and takes a bite. "Wow, you still remember which ones I like." "Well, I was your vice president before you stepped down, Tiger-chan." The voice, and presumably the candy bar, came from a young woman with piercing blue eyes and black hair that reached the middle of her back. "So, Fumiko, what's the pool for defeating me up to?" "About, ¥100,000. That ¥500 challenge builds up." Fumiko turns her attention to the two behind Tsubaki. "Oh, you brought guests. I'm Masuda Fumiko, current president of the Naginatajutsu club."

[CGDG]

A little bewildered by the spectical before, with such an array of disciples training in different arts all together, Callum takes a moment to breath it all in.

"Wow. uhh...A pleasure to meet you, Fumiko."

Looking around a bit, Callum asks,

"So, what martial arts clubs do you share this space with?"

[Xhosant]

Does that mean she's undefeated for 200 fights?

Of course she is. He should stop being surprised by the feats this little girl was capable of.

Soga gave the president a short bow. "Nice to meet you, Fumiko."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki twirls her naginata and holds it parallel to the ground against the small of her back. "That's only going to grow before I graduate and if nobody wins by then, I get it. Thanks for handling that for me, by the way. As far as what all is here, Callum, Chinese Martial arts, a few forms of karate, archery, Bojutsu and it seems Kendo got pushed out here too. Basically any group who's too small for their own clubroom gets put out here. Technically there is a separate room where people can just hang out..." "But the tiger that brought you in claimed it while she was president of our club. Nobody even wants to contest it." Fumiko interrupted Tsubaki's exposition of the situation. "Do you still keep the fridge in it stocked with drinks for me?" The little warrior had a look of hope on her face. "You're not president anymore..." "That's not a no." "Yeah... I figured you'd want some when you came back for your position. It's been a month. Are you here to usurp the throne?" Fumiko grabs a practice naginata from a bin as she speaks her last words as a challenge.

[Xhosant]

Soga had picked up a naginata off a rack, swinging it around and measuring its balance. It was odd, but not heavy, and akin to shapes he had used along with Cel. Maybe he could train in it without too much trouble... though frankly, kendo appealed more to him.

His thoughts are disrupted by Fumiko's tone and the attention it commands, however, spurring him to consider what is to follow. This ought to be good, he catches himself thinking.

[CGDG]

Callum, drinking in th sight of so many cooperating martial clubs, lost track of the conversation. Hearing of the possibility of a duel sprung him back to reality. Watching the drama unfold intently, he feels as if he's returned to the testosterone filled lockerroms of his early middle school and high school days. Attempting to disarm the situation, he pipes in,

"I don't mean to interupt, but Soga and I have never handled one of these instruments before. They are fascinating. Would you masters mind giving us some pointers?"

[Xhosant]

Soga got a tad disappointed that the spectacle would be cancelled, but he regardless agreed; learning to wield a new weapon would be quite nice.

He picked a second naginata from the rack, approached him, and passed it to him.

"I'm all in for that. A spar with 2 masters overlooking us?"

[CGDG]

Callum catches the weapon and proceeds to tap his head against the shaft in annoyance. With a pleading look to Tsubaki he says,

"I was kind of hoping for some trainning or instruction first."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki grins at the two. "You're eager, but first..." The little warrior seems to glide across the floor as she moves to the rack, grabbing a different one and tossing it out to Soga. "This one's closer to your size." Both the girls chuckle, as if there was a joke betwixt them that the other two may not be in on. "You grip these places, the swings should feel natural from there." Fumiko demonstrates a proper gripping posture for basic strikes for the two boys to see.

[Xhosant]

Noticing that the indicated places were where Cel supported such weapons, Soga smiled. It was indeed easier.

He was a little disappointed with the downgrade, but it indeed fitted his smaller frame better.

He nodded, expecting further indications.

[CGDG]

Handling the weapon a little awkwardly, Callum sets his hands in the indicated places but hold it lightly, as if he's afraid he'll break it, or it him.

"Okay. I think I've got it, though it feels kind of clumsy in my hand. I'll need a lot of practice."

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki chuckles and stretches, obviously relaxed in this atmosphere. "Of course you'll need practice. So, what do you think the advantage of the naginata is?" Both girls smile, waiting expectantly for their answer.

[Xhosant]

Soga ponders for a moment.

"Well, a number comes to mind. Reach, obviously, but you can wield it for closer quarters too. It can thrust and slash, too. Plus, its shape, size and weight should mean you can put more force behind your strikes, but that's probably secondary."

Pausing, he adds:

"So, is it versatility?"

[CGDG]

With a nod at Soga's answer, Callum returns to thinking. He had been meaning to say the same, but was obviously not as intellectually accute. Looking over the weapon again, he feels the shaft and stretches it out. He looks at the two girls and blinks with a look as if a DVD was skipping inside his head.

"It's an equalizer." He says trance-like; "With the length and balance, a smaller and weaker wielder can easily clear out a group of larger and more impossing opponents, staying out of harms way."

With a couple of basic steps from Western swordplay, he slowly moves the weapon around. His movements lack grace, and he fumbles with the new weapons grip, but his steps have a practiced precision. He stops and looks over the weapon again.

"Alone, someone of Tsubaki's size could move throughout even or uneven terrain without any worry about being hit. The larger and stronger your oppnent the greater their disadvantage."

[Mokou-tan]

Fumiko and Tsubaki giggle and stand next to one another. "You're both not wrong. Though, the weapon can only make up for so much." "Tiger-chan here is a good demonstration of that. Unarmed she is a danger within three meters. With a sword, that distance normally doubles. With her, it increases to nine meters. Armed with a naginata, she can cover enough ground that we haven't been able to correctly measure it. With a sword, she can generally take down one of our members due to her strength and talent." "The naginata has another property, though. It turns young girls into graceful women." The joke the two had been giggling about now showed itself to the boys. The naginata was considered a woman's weapon.

[Xhosant]

Soga looked at the weapon in his hands. That's right, he thought. Its 'equalizer' status made it suitable, and for some reason he could picture it embodying a certain female grace.

He wasn't one to pass on such an advantageous weapon on the basis of gender stereotypes, but he wouldn't pass on the chance to learn more either.

"In that case... what can turn a small boy into a strong warrior?" he asked as he flipped the weapon in his one hand and rested its top against the dojo floor.

[CGDG]

With a chuckle, he turns to Soga and answers,

"Practice."

[Xhosant]

Soga laughs. That was unexpectedly accurate, even if not the answer he expected.

"No doubt there, true. But what would the weapon of choice be?"

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki thinks for a moment on what would be a man's weapon. "I have an idea! Fumiko, is the box still in the club room?" "Yeah, same place it always is. It's heavy, so we didn't bother moving it to storage." Tsubaki retreats into a nearby door and comes out a few moments later with a large chest on a dolly. "This should have one." Tsubaki sets the chest on the ground and places a sheet next to it before quickly emptying it's contents. Inside were a slew of weapons from Japan and China along with a scythe with a modified handle, a flail, a rapier, a broadsword and an umbrella. As she does so, Fumiko discreetly picks up a kusarigama. "I know how to use all of these, so I feel confident in saying this: In truth, no weapon will make a strong warrior. A strong warrior makes a powerful weapon." In an instant, Fumiko throws the weighted end at Tsubaki, wrapping up the small girl's arm with the chain. By instinct, the little warrior grabs on and makes a vicious pull that drags Fumiko to the ground without even casting a look at her attacker. "Good effort, but that trick relies on brute strength. Next time, go for the leg, then you can trip and leap forward to use the blade to slash your opponent's throat." Fumiko and Tsubaki share a laugh at the situation. "I just thought I'd let you show off. I wouldn't want to beat you by a sneak attack. That takes all the pride out of it."

[Xhosant]

Soga noted her saying 'one', expecting her to pull a single, unexpected weapon from the chest. Instead he blinked at the sight, amazed. He had a thing for assorted weapons, especially since he saw what Cel could do, but this sight could have intrigued a die-hard boxer.

Not a moment after Tsubaki's show, he was dashing around the collection, the hyperactive excitement of a 6-year-old on Christmas fueling his motions and commanding his actions.

He had at least heard of most of the weapons, though exceptions existed. The so-called 'fire-and-wind-wheels', a pair of hook swords and other, yet more obscure weapons were here. He enjoyed the rapier's near-absent weight (although it baffled him how he should move it), whereas the hefty broadsword would take a certain phantom's aid to use. Eventually, he turned to the 'instructors', scythe in one hand and umbrella in the other.

"Can this even be used as a weapon?"

Which one he means is uncertain. It's unlikely he knows himself, or even realizes he holds two armaments that make the question relevant.

[Mokou-tan]

Tsubaki smiles and nods. "Both of those can be used as a weapon, though the scythe normally gets the head taken off and reforged on in a manner similar to a glaive. It's by no means a great weapon, as if your opponent is in heavier armor, the trick becomes void. It's a polearm that you want the opponent to get too close. You catch them with the middle of the haft, place a boot parallel to it and pull back, rending them from behind with the blade they think they've escaped. The umbrella isn't the weapon though. It's the sheath." She pulls the bottom of the bamboo umbrella handle to reveal the straight, single edged blade hidden inside. "I personally have a fondness for it. It's best used with drawing techniques to take the opponent by surprise."

[Xhosant]

Soga looked at the scythe. He'd guess the blade's wicked point would have a thing to say to that heavy armor, but he trusted Tsubaki's experience more than his intuition. Would be a hard hit to land, but dodging it would be impossible... And what if someone used it to trip, then turned around and..., he left the thought unfinished as he flinched at the immage of such a gruesome coup de grace.

The umbrela revelation made more sense, and it was indeed a practical weapon. It looked light, and the one-sided blade matched his experience. However...

"You didn't strike me as the kind of person to favor such a light weapon, or one focused on surprise."

[CGDG]

Callum can't help but smirk a little at the sight of Soga with the umbrella in hand. Though a deadly weapon, the feminine appearance of the weapon in the hands of the knightly warrior was an entertaining sight. Callum couldn't resist jostling him a little. With a friendly slap on the shoulder, as he walks over to the pile of weapons, he jokes, pointing at the umbrella,

"It matches your eyes."

Looking over the discarded steel he poked through the mountain of metal. His focus drawn to the rapier and broadsword, he face shows the obvious struggle as he tries to choose. Finally, he places his hand around the handle of the broadsword and lifts it, checking its weight and balance.

Once again, with practiced steps, he makes a few quick strike and parry motions, before relaxing and shaking of his arms, sword in hand.

"Definitely rusty...me, not the sword. Still, its comfortable."

Taking a quick peak around, absent-mindedly, he asks,

"So, what's next?"