[open mingle] it's fine if i'm weak, it's fine if my fist is ordinary

[declamando]

Who: Maria and anyone who wants to show up!
When: October 8th
Where: Sparkle Motion Studio, in downtown Tokyo
What: A mingle log for the combative dance class Maria proposed a while ago. Feel free to toplevel and thread amongst yourselves as well as with her!

[It's been a few weeks since Maria asked for expressions of interest, but she's finally found the time to put the finishing touches on her class. There are some flyers around Tokyo in hopes she'll draw the attention of some Near Shore participants as well, but this first one is mainly for Far Shore people, and the flyers pinned up in noticeable places around the Heavens and posted in plain text on the BBS that morning are a sign of that.]

Combat Dance Class
October 9th, 6PM, Sparkle Motion Studio

Inspirations from capoeira, mixed martial arts, ballet, and many more!
All skill levels welcome, beginners encouraged
Group and one-on-one training
Personalised training regimens available on request

[The address of Sparkle Motion is posted at the bottom of the flyer, with a helpful map indicating nearby landmarks and streets. Maria will also have personally contacted anyone who previously expressed interest - she did promise to keep them up to date on it, after all.]


[Group Training]

[After everyone has arrived and is spaced out within the roomy, bright studio, Maria starts the class. The first moves are very simple ones to repeat - some stretches to promote flexibility when repeated regularly, some basic and graceful kicks and evasive rolls, and even a flip or two, though she warns that those might need working up to for anyone at the beginner stages. The moves all flow together cleanly, creating a consistent run of motion like a dance itself, and Maria singles them out one by one to make sure everyone understands. It's clear that she's intimately familiar with the movements, and experienced in both the sides of dance and melee combat.

But that's not always how it goes. Doing it wrong? Need a correction? Or doing it well enough that you could be an example to the people around you? Maria's not going to stop anyone helping out amongst themselves - it's part of why having a large group is so useful here.]

--

[One-on-one]

[Later in the class, Maria divides people into pairs, shuffling them every so often. You could end up with a friend, or someone you don't even know, or both in the space of about ten minutes. Pairs are instructed to practice strikes and evades in turn - one member strikes, one evades, then switch every minute or two. However, more creative uses for the one-on-one matchups are encouraged, such as developing the new techniques further or stringing them together in different ways to create new attack sequences and motions.

Just try not to argue over who's doing a better job, or Maria might need to step in.]

--

[Cool-down]

[The last few minutes of the class are dedicated to lower-impact stretches, more graceful and dance-adjacent than much of the rest of the movements, so everyone can get the tension out of their system. There's a table set up at the back of the room with water, sports drinks and fresh fruit for anyone who wants to hang around for a little while afterwards, either to discuss the class, rejuvenate before heading home, or just catch up with everyone else.

Maria will also be available to talk to during this time, for anyone interested in setting up a training regimen for themselves or requesting her training outside of the set classes. There's a timetable of the currently planned schedule - twice a week, with one morning and one afternoon class each of those days - on the wall behind the refreshments table.]

Comments

[mithrarin]

Group

[Dust's problem is not execution or performance; Maria has set this all up to be very much within his grasp, after all. By nature his fighting style is fluid, quick and agile, and chock-full of evasive rolls, so doing more of the same? No problem.]

[Dust's problem is, to the shock and surprise of no one, intensity. His maneuvers all put combat before dance, a fact he's perfectly well aware of and doing his best to counter... but those efforts invariably slip about four or five moves into a practice routine, and his flips carry him across the room in an instant while his kicks spell pain for anyone caught by them. He DOESN'T catch anyone, mind, but it's obvious he isn't holding back.]

[And as soon as he realizes, he stops, a scowl on his face as he tries to get it together. This is an unexpected snag.]

Individual

[Okay. He's settled down slightly. No one need fear him. Which means his individual practices are smooth and adroit. No need to fear him, which means working together becomes that much easier...]

So, any idea for a routine we can knock out in the next five minutes?

group

[declamando]

[And that's certainly a noticeable enough problem for Maria to step in with after a point, while she's gotten people to repeat a short sequence for a little while to see if they remember it without her prompting. Dust might not have hit anyone yet, but it's not exactly going to be encouraging to any newcomers to have that kind of intensity being thrown around casually.]

Dust, maybe you should move to the back for a while if you can't control the power of your moves. Someone's going to get hurt at this rate.

[mithrarin]

[Maria couldn't have hurt him more effectively if she'd slammed a sword into his chest, then twisted it. Actually, that would have bothered him a lot less -- physical pain he can handle. But the suggestion that he'd actually hurt someone...]

[He wouldn't. And the idea that Maria thinks it's possible is a sharper, deeper cut than he'd imagined. He doesn't even have an answer for a moment, all silence and a faint, uncharacteristic tremble in his limbs as he tries to process her words. If anyone ever wonders why he wears his hat low and avoids eye contact, this pause alone would provide plenty of answers. His eyes show too much about him.]

Sorry.

[For wasting everyone's time. For thinking he could do this. For thinking he had a place anywhere except on the battlefield, as a weapon.]

[Dust turns, stalking towards the back of the room.]

[declamando]

[Maria follows him, regardless of the reception - it's not the sort of thing she's just going to bring up and then leave alone, especially considering that shake in his limbs. It seems like he's taking it worse than she would have figured, though in this case it can't really be helped. Intentional or not, behaviour like that in a reasonably-sized group can always lead to unforeseen circumstances.

Wherever he ends up stopping, she'll stop too, coming around to where he can see her.] Let's go through it move by move and see if we can't stop that kind of reaction, alright?

[It seems like the best way to go about it, since even if he's experienced in combat enough to make the moves flow easily, chances are that's a substantial chunk of the problem here.]

[mithrarin]

[Really, it wouldn't be such an issue were he not already struggling with concepts of his own identity -- trying to understand if he is someone other than just a weapon. Putting his troubles in terms of hurting others had just hit that home particularly hard.]

...Right.

[He doesn't start right away, though, because with adrenaline and frustration coursing through his veins, he's absolutely certain to overdo it. Fight or flight, though Dust doesn't have any concept of the latter...]

I'm used to it all in combat. Using it out is... unusual.

[declamando]

I know. [There's a familiarity with the sentiment to Maria's voice, considering some of the things she's dealt with back home. People like Tsubasa, who had such trouble thinking of themselves as anything but a weapon...

But one can't be taught entirely with softness. As much as she wants to help him, withholding honesty of how it is right now won't change anything.]

It's not impossible to go from one to the other, but it does take work, like breaking any instinct or habit. You'll come out the better for it in the end.

[Living as a sword doesn't do anyone any good.]

[mithrarin]

[Telling Dust that is in many ways like telling a human not to live just as a human. He was literally created for it, after all, no matter how he's trying to overcome that.]

...Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe I shouldn't be trying not to fight.

[But he doesn't mean that quite the way it sounds, to judge from the tone -- thoughtful revelation, not bitter despair. Dust curls his fingers tight, then shifts one foot forward and throws his first dance-punch. Its intensity is vastly diminished from his usual assaults, because he's not trying to think of it as 'a punch that shouldn't be a punch'. This is a punch, pure and clear... just one he'd use in training someone. Not killing them.]

[declamando]

[Maria raises a brow at that remark, even if it doesn't sound like he's agonising over it like he was earlier. However, the punch he throws is a lot more reasonable than the ones he'd been doing earlier, and Maria nods approvingly.]

If you can lessen the intensity without having to stop thinking about it that way, then that's fine too. Finding something that works for you is a good place to start before you try to take further steps.

[Even if he still treats it fully as some kind of fighting now, perhaps he can go on later to other things if he starts with something like this.]

[mithrarin]

It's... not perfect. But I guess I have a long way to go before I can come close to that.

[Maybe less a ways than he thinks, considering he's been managing to do some stuff people would consider downright normal lately... but somehow those things always seem to take a distant second place in his thoughts.]

[sweetdeath]

Group

[Things Tsuzuki's discovering he's actually pretty good at: flips. He seems to have the dodging part down, in fact, and he can throw a punch if he has to. Kicks are harder.

After four of them, he's on the floor, pulling a face as he tries to stretch out his aching legs. Gojyo makes this look easy! How does Gojyo make this look easy? He's pretty sure he's sprained his everything.]

Uh, so... am I doing that wrong?

[Or is he just going to have to stretch a whole lot more?]

Cool-down

[Tsuzuki's draping himself over a chair and chugging a C.C. Lemon while he tries to look cool and suave, and also like he probably won't fall over when he tries getting up. It's tough, considering he's convinced he will.

He'll chat if anyone comes by, but he immediately sits up straighter and waves in Maria's direction the moment she looks like she's not busy.]

Hey, sensei! I think I can only make the morning classes -- is that going to be okay?

group!

[leapingchuu]

"Ahhh, you just need to stretch a little more beforehand!"

If there was one thing he remembered, it was the pain from lack of stretching...the same pain poor Tsuzuki was currently experiencing.

"Might be a good idea to take a break, if you're not used to it you could pull something! Want to come get some water with me?"

Viktor wasn't tired himself, but keeping this poor guy company was much higher priority than continuing the group session, no matter how fun it was!

[sweetdeath]

"Yeah, sure." Tsuzuki winced his way up from the floor, step by step, and collapsed dramatically on the wall, blowing out his breath. Amazing, really, how soreness lingered when actual injuries healed in a flash. He could've done with a little fast healing for his hip.

"You're pretty good at this," he added, drew in a determined breath, and pushed himself away from the wall to stand upright.

Sure. He could do this. The water table wasn't that far away.

[leapingchuu]

Viktor just laughed. "I'm not sure about good, really, but thank you! I do try my best."

He had to look at Tsuzuki in concern, though.

"You sure you want to walk over there? I can get you something and bring it back, no sense in pushing yourself. If stretching doesn't help we might need to ask for someone to come help you."

But he had to admire the guy's determination either way!

[sweetdeath]

"I'll manage, seriously!" It wasn't like waiting would help. Tsuzuki grinned, only a little pale, and began hobbling in the direction of the water table. "But you are good. Have you done a lot of fighting here?"

A fellow shinki couldn't answer any questions about what he'd done before -- but at least he'd know whether he had recent experience, right?

[leapingchuu]

"Not really! Some basic Shinki training, but I try to focus mostly on borderlines and other spells. I'm not really a fan of hitting, but I do seem to have a knack for dancing. Probably helps with this!"

He followed a couple steps behind until they got to the table, a hand extended in concern the whole way.

"How about you? Anything you like doing at the training sessions?"

Because this was undoubtedly fun (for some more than others!) but Viktor's ultimate goal was to be better for his tiny god.

[sweetdeath]

"Magic," Tsuzuki said with a shrug. He was hobbling less by the time they got to the table, but he tossed Viktor an appreciative grin for the offer of support anyway. He really was a nice guy.

(Unfairly good-looking, too. That hair! That smile.)

It was no wonder Katsuki'd been so worried about making sure he wound up with a god who'd be good for him.

"I'm not too bad at dodging, either, but -- well, I kind of wanted to be able to do more in a fight than just throw around spells. There's too much I don't know about them to rely on that."

[leapingchuu]

(Pffft, Tsuzuki was pretty handsome himself! And Viktor would be sure to tell him, too. He liked telling people they were attractive, it made him feel good and the people usually reacted extremely cutely!)

"True! I should really focus on sparring more. I've tried it before and didn't die, so I'm evidently doing something right, but it's still pretty new to me. I think this group should help, though!"

Because what could be better for one's body and spirit than group exercise? It probably also helped with flexibility.

"If you'd ever like to try sparring a little, I can always use the practice! Some of the Shinki who are more skilled have told me a few handy tricks, so I think we should be all rught if we practice."

[sweetdeath]

"Oh yeah?" Tsuzuki blinked, intrigued. "What kind of tricks?"

He'd heard of the spells shinki were supposed to be able to learn, but he hadn't really spent much time learning them so far. Borderlines were good enough, and besides, figuring out his own magic was taking up most of his free time.

He'd still like to learn to throw a punch or a kick without hurting himself worse than his target, though. Someday, he suspected, he might need to know.

cool-down

[declamando]

[Maria's been sweeping up the floor for the last little while, but when Tsuzuki waves to her, she heads over to him to see what his question is.

Once she hears it, she just smiles and gives a short nod.] That's the point of having both - so people who can't get to one can get to the other. So you'll be fine if you can just get to one. I thought people would have engagements or might not be morning people, so I planned around it.

[sweetdeath]

I do like sleeping in, but I've got to help out at the bar in the afternoons. [And there should be just enough time to dash back to Sakura's place and get a shower before he goes to work, this way.

His schedule's getting kind of packed. Still... it'll be good, to feel like if something does go wrong, he can defend Sakura. Or anybody else who needs it.]

[declamando]

Which bar? I know a few people around here work at or run things like that. [Or restaurants, if she's remembering right from that recent post. It's nice that she's not the only one running a business, though she has to wonder why it's things like that which are so popular among them.]

But that's fine, it shouldn't be too hard for you even if you're a bit tired for the morning classes. At least, not yet.

[sweetdeath]

Kinyobi -- Sha Gojyo's place? Well, he doesn't own it, but he basically runs it. I just tend bar and mop the toilets.

[Tsuzuki laughs easily, shrugging.] I know he's advertised for Far Shore types to come by before. It's nice to be somewhere where nobody forgets your order!

And I'll try and get plenty of sleep. Uh-- how early is "morning"....

[Maybe he should check again. He squints at the sheet on the wall.]

[declamando]

[Maria thinks on that for a few moments - the name rings a bell, but she never paid all that much attention to the posts about it.] I think I've heard of it, at least, though I'd say I'm a little more of a club person than a bar one.

[Clubs aren't a great deal better, generally, but the right ones are a bit classier.

Seeing Tsuzuki turn to squint at the timetable, Maria waves a hand.] It's 10am, so not too early. I didn't want to force anyone who couldn't make evenings to wake up earlier than normal.

[sweetdeath]

Yeah, it's just a quiet little place. We've spiffed it up some since we started, though!

[It's probably even in compliance with the health code now! And there are some mixed drinks on the menu. And edamame on the bar, sometimes.

He nods.]

And we don't stay open too late, so I should make 10 am just fine.

[Okay, sometimes they do, but Tsuzuki tries not to stay out too late these days. Sakura's got enough to worry about.]

[declamando]

Well, it's always nice to brighten things up a little. And if it's only small, then your regulars should notice the attention to detail. [Admittedly, Maria's picturing more of an average pub than an outright hole in the wall. It's not like Goyjo ever put pictures in his posts about it.]

I'll hope to see you at those classes, then. I'm planning to put word out on the Near Shore as well to get more numbers, but I wanted to have this first class be a bit smaller and more familiar.

[It's definitely not a big class as it is right now, but it's enough for her that people arrived and seemed to enjoy it.]