Summary:Florence and Junko meet at a training night. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It takes a special sort of nerd to even know about the joint, a -sword nerd-. Rally fitness was a pretty generic gym by day, but by night? Well the rooms got divided up amongst a few crowds of sword folk. From the classical HEMA folks, to the Japanese schools, Kung Fu and of course the fencers. It's quite lovely usually, except tonight things are a touch crowded.
See they had to fix the sprinklers in two of the gyms, and so that means the HEMA folks are sharing space with the Kung Fu people. Likewise it's foils and Katanas, which still isn't all bad right? A few of them even wear the all black of an instructor, and well they're quiet and don't take up all that much space.
Florence does indeed rightfully wear the all black, though she hasn't been a formal instructor for some time now. Mask held under one arm, and sabre held opposite ever so casually. The only woman in attendance, and easily the youngest from appearances. Her manner is relaxed, speaking softly with her fellow fencers. She paces through the bouts, watching with a critical eye and casually dispensing advice that seems decidedly welcome. Just another night, playing with sword like objects it seems.
When Junko appears, she wears blue. All the Kendoka wear blue, no matter the rank. You judge their dan ranking by the small signs. Worn kote and lacquer chips of missing on the do, frizzled fabric at the front of the men and a discoloration of the tsuki just as well as wear on the general gi. But her gear was deceptively new safe for the helmet, which showed his age in the bands. She lines up with the small crowd, having herself secured a position on the front right - among the elder pupils and, even though she could equally well sit in front. She just chose not to train the group.
With the others she runs through the formalities, joins the basic training regine for a couple minutes, seemingly just one of the other students, until, on a little whistle from the side, she bows to her partner of the moment and goes to grab her men. A minute later she stands next to the trainer, him only notable from the rest because he actively chose to put on a red cord over the shoulder so people would find the instructor more easily. "Ok kendoka. Let's see if you can do your strikes properly. We got a volunteer here, so make sure to do your striking properly. I want to see SEME! I want to see clean strikes. You have 2 tries each, but who gets hit is out. GO!"
As the elder man with the red ribbon steps aside, his pupils lining up and doing their best to get a chance on Junko. But one after another they get the whistle and sign to line with those that were hit as Junko goes for their Kote and Do with sharp, short strikes, fighting the middle and using the students' attempts to lift for a strike to pierce through their defense and smack her shinai in. CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!
Flo does indeed hazard a look, unafraid to watch openly for a few minutes before a call from one of the other gentlemen in black summons her attention. Theres a little muttering, before she lifts a gloved hand to slip that helmet on and down.
It doesn't look like much from a distance, just a length of pine with something glittery at the end. A ring they picked up at a costume jewelry shop, hot glued in place at the end of that pole. The fencers split, forming a neat lane to watch as Florence comes to a rest. That sabre giving an audible swish as she gives it a flourish, before coming up to the resting position. "En garde, Herman…"
That pole is held out in the center of the "runway", and Florence is off. Half turning as she nears her prey, left arm swinging out as she opens up her stance and gets after it. A single lightning thrust, delivered high and right to the mark. Theres a pause as the ring is moved, even rotated to shrink it's target area.
With sword in hand, Florence all but pours herself from position to position. Each thrust delivered with a rush of speed, before coming to an abrupt halt and held with almost uncanny steadiness. Essential accuracy proven, the pole is pulled back and well it's not exactly a kata.
It's indeed simply a demonstration, but it's a hell of a show. It isn't flamboyant, but it doesn't need to be. She runs through the full catalog with uncanny precision, pausing as her form is pointed out by her black clad comrades. Each thrust, parry and swing delivered indeed with enviable velocity. Theres no hesitation as she swings from one step to the next, as graceful as any dancer. Only she's armed, with sporting equipment mind.
Her little demonstration complete, she wheels free of the avenue to slip away from the crowd. Fencing mask coming free with just a little sigh, not even the least bit winded it would seem.
One by one, Junko sorts out the students, only some few managing at least one and fewer the second strike on her. After the few minutes of sorting, Junko bows again to the crowd before taking off the men. The Sensei adresses the people while the girl with the red hair goes to take a sip of water from the sideline, watching what Florence does with her foil. Not a fair combat, shinai versus foil. But something to watch.
"Always nice to see another woman at one of these, nice blade work back there."Theres a smile offered, as Florence circles round towards Junko. Having traded sabre and mask, for a nalgene and an easy smile at some point. She tugs a glove free, before offering over her hand. "I'm Florence by the way, don't think I've had the pleasure of seeing you around at one of these before. You new in town, or have we just been missing each other?"
Junko Saito shakes the head a little as she takes another sip from her bottle before smiling back, her own gloves resting under the men, as they are pretty much mittens. "Junko. I don't think we met before, I havn't been in town for like three years even, but I havn't let my training slip it seems. And you?"
"Recent immigrant, bout a year I suppose now."Half turning to rest her shoulders against the wall, before popping the collar of her jacket and tugging it open a button or two. "Oh training's rather hard to find, better for you I should think. The HEMA clubs are a bit much, and most of the sport fencing seems to be fairly college-oriented which is not much help when it comes to finding a decent sparring partner."And a pull of that Nalgene as she crosses her free hand behind the small of her back, force of habit probably right? "Plenty of flirting of course, but I tend to do that with a drink in my hand not a sabre."Says the fencer, with a Nalgene in her hand.
Not entirely unlike her sword work, it would seem Florence is indeed rather fixated on getting directly to the point.
A little chuckle comes from Junko on the admittance that good training is hard to come by. "Depends on where you are. I had trouble finding any Kendoka in south america, in Europe the universities provided ample newbies but also a few good ones, but the best of the best seem to be always in Japan." She lifts her bottle a bit, almost in a gesture of raising the glass on that, then takes another sip, her cheeks flushing a little as she cuts to a different point. "Depends on who you flirt with and how serious, doesn't it?"
She leans in, just a touch mind. "Who, well I have just terrible weakness for redheads believe it or not."And a grin, those blue eyes sweeping the gym floor to make sure the pair were…well not alone but nobody within ear shot. "As for how serious, goodness. Quite serious, you see I'm a fencer at heart. I'm all about moving for directly what I want, presuming of course my target is within the bounds of play."Theres a little smirk there, chin lifting just a touch. "Are you then, in bounds that is?"
"Eh…" The blush on Junko's cheeks becomes somewhat more prominent and she tries her best to hide it with her water bottle. "I… I am flattered" She inhales, trying to calm herself before shrugging a little. "What counts as… in bounds?"
"Well, we could stand around talking about it or…"Theres another conspiratorial glance offered, before those lips twist into quite the fiendish little grin. "We could slip away, and I could show you. It all depends on what you want, unless you want me to -tell- you what you want hmm?"A dare, a challenge, well perhaps it's just one fox knowing how to read another right? One hand lifts, all but daring Junko to take it.
Junko eyes Florence carefully, her cheeks a little more red than normal after the exertion from the bout. "Eh, you are quite… straightforward…" she mutters, lifting the bottle to her forehead to hide her embaressment a moment. "How do you know anyway?"
"How, well I don't do I? You miss every thrust you don't take though, and besides this is way more fun don't you think?"Theres a lick of the lips there, at least partly for punctuation of course. "poor thing, you're burning up it seems. My, you really ought to hit the showers. Think getting all wet might do you good, I can help of course."
The flush is hard on Junko's face as she gets up, shaking her head. "I… I'll go take a shower, but I don't need help." she answers with a low voice, reaching to grab her men, stuffing the kote into it and then picking up her Shinai. Leaving to the door, she bows to the center of the hall before leaving to the showers.