compnetwork | Fourth Curse

Entry tags:

Fourth Curse

[Anonymous Text]

Subject: Notes
Attached file: amd.doc

For those of you who do not wish to stand in ignorance.

During the time Visitors have arrived, certain events have been observed relating to earth's Astrology, or the constellations found in the sky as they correspond with different times. During these events, changes in personalities as well as the appearance of powerful demons are common.

In order to prepare for more of these events in the future, the above document was made listing any information known about the signs themselves as well as the effects of the events on individual signs. If you are unsure of which sign you are, the city ID you were provided with should have this information.

This document is a work in progress. Anyone who has access to this document can also edit it with any corrections or other findings they may come across.

As with the previous time, this post may also be used as a forum for discussion. Newer arrivals who have questions about these events are encouraged to ask, and Visitors who have been here for some time are encouraged to provide whatever answers they know.

[Video; 4 hours later]

[After leaving the network alone for a while, he makes an unassuming post with his name attached and everything.]

Hey! So a while back, this demon gave me this sword...

[He pauses to hold up a sheathe, pulling a rather nice looking sword out a bit for the camera.]

...Buuut, I don't know how to use it at all. And it seems like a huge waste, considering how nice it is.

[And the fact that it lights itself on fire every thirteenth hour is also pretty spiffy in its own unique way.]

So anyway, I was wondering if anyone here has time to train a guy in swordsmanship! I heard about some people who had a school or something a while back, but I don't know if any of them are around.

[And then, a grin.]

But anyway, if you think you could teach me or know someone who could, drop me a line here! I can pay at least a little, and I'm a fast learner, too!

((OOC: As noted in the post itself, there is a section for forum discussion where characters can discuss, anonymously or not! Characters are free to make their own sub threads for topics and threadjack as they please.))

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Quick reflexes are a necessity in battle. Sometimes more so than your skills.

[ They arrive at a small clearing about then. ] Ah, we're here. [ The practice sword is placed on the ground, and Lucina extends a hand. ] If it's not much trouble, may I see the sword for a moment?

Sure!

[He hands it over, sheath and all. Upon further inspection, it's a high quality katana that's probably seen its share of battles. And yet, the blade is still sharp, and it could certainly see its way through many more to come.]

Aah, right. It may not look like it right now, but it also catches on fire during the Thirteenth Hour. I think it has to do with the demon who gave it to me.

[ She's no sword expert - though she knows someone who is - but she can tell that this is... well-made. Solid. She unsheathes it completely, studying the actual blade itself, too. ] Oh?

That would be interesting to see that in the near future. Though... we should first get you acquainted with a blade. [ She sheathes the sword, handing it back to him. ] We'll train with the wooden sword for now - it's rather light, but it should serve its purpose. [ She then picks up the wooden sword from the floor, giving that to him, as well. ]

Would you like to try holding the sword? However it feels comfortable.

Right? That's why I feel like it's disrespectful to the sword to just leave it to rust.

[And he'll take it back, if only to lean it up against a tree where he can see it. Since hey, he's gotta have free hands to use that wooden sword!]

Hmm, it is a lot lighter, but...

[He gives it a couple of experimental swings using only one arm before settling on a stance, both hands on the hilt with his right hand close to the guard and his left by the end.]

...It should be like this, right?

[ Lucina's watching carefully, giving a small nod. ] Yes. It's best to get comfortable with the current stance, so that it becomes an instinct, rather than a force of habit.

Fighting with a sword ultimately is a matter of timing, watching for the enemy's opening, and strength. Swinging the sword aimlessly will only wear the both of you down. [ She pauses, as if she's trying to remember something. She ends up shaking her head, though. ]

Try swinging the sword - raise it up to your head, and swing down. Make sure to have your left hand carry most of the weight.

[Oh? That was an interesting little pause, even if he doesn't comment on it.]

So I need to be careful to conserve my strength for when it matters.

[He grips the hilt, raising it and giving an experimental slash, following her directions down to the letter.]

Exactly. It may sound obvious, but the better directed your attacks are, the more impact it would have on the enemy. It also reduces the risk of leaving yourself open.

[ She watches, slightly surprised. But her face shows composure again. ] ... If you keep this up, I don't think you'll be needing me for very long. Try coming from the side - the same method, just from a different angle.

It'd be bad if I took a wide swing and left myself unprotected because I missed, huh...

[More just thoughtful musing than anything else. His expression becomes only slightly more focused as he once again follows her instructions, this time executing a horizontal slash. As with before, his left hand carries the weight while his right hand guides the movement, but he's cautious enough not to put any more than the necessary force.]

--Like that?

It may sometimes leave others - who try to protect you - vulnerable as well. [ So yeah. Not good in general.

She decides there and then that he does have natural talent, whether he knows it or not. Perhaps he does pick things up quickly, like he said. ] Exactly so.

Now the other side?

Ah-- right, if I'm fighting alongside others, that could be a problem.

[Though something about his tone there makes it sound like he doesn't expect that to be much of an issue.

Now that he knows for certain what the movement should be like, it's no trouble at all to replicate it, even if it's aimed from the other side. A fast learner indeed.]

[ It's probably not a Good Idea to mention that she's always at that risk - or used to be, anyway.

She just nods. You can never go wrong with nodding. ] I had expected to spend a little more time with this - I hadn't prepared for anything else. [ She admits, almost bashful. ] But it's obvious that there's no need for you to do this for longer than necessary.

I'd suggest to repeat the motions until you're comfortable - feel free to slash in different angles, as well. Tomorrow, I'll bring some wooden logs for practice.

Nah, this is still good. I know how it works, but it'll take a while before it becomes second nature.

[...He says airily as he begins trying out slashes from different angles, linking a few of them together when the flow is just right. Hmm, swords are surprisingly simple to learn...]

[ She gives a small nod. But - hitting a target and swinging around aimlessly tend to be two different things. It's good to instill a habit now.

For now, Lucina's just watching carefully, ready to point out mistakes (if any). She finds it surprising that someone was able to pick up the basics so quickly. ]

[He spends a while going through the motions. For looking like an ordinary kid, he's got a lot of control over his movements.

But with the blood he carries, it would be stranger if he didn't. The ability of Yaiba's kin to highly excel at anything they tried was what made them so dangerous; their skill would naturally attract others to allow them to gain trust, and in the event that Yaiba's own gave in to their darker impulses, they could use those skills to make quick work of their former friends...

...Though as it is, Hizumi's quite certain he'll never even reach that point. So really, this is more just for fun than anything else.]

...Phew. It's probably a good thing to start with a wooden sword-- it's going to be killer to switch over to the metal one unless I work harder to build up my arm strength.

[ Somewhere along the line, Lucina decided to lean against a tree to watch him. She knows that she should probably start her training soon, but she did make a commitment to teach Hizumi. She shouldn't be multitasking.

She does, however, end up chuckling quietly when he speaks up again. ] If you feel tired, don't push yourself too much. We have plenty of time to build your strength.

Nah, I can go for a bit longer.

[He notices her leaning back however and pauses.]

You were going to train too, weren't you? Don't let me stop you!

Oh? No, it's not a problem. I'll most likely have some time later to catch up on anything I missed.

[ Her mother was also saying something about training in the 13th hour. She wouldn't be missing out on much, most likely. ] It would also be in bad form if I were to get myself distracted.

Ah, I just wanted to make sure. Thanks for all of this- really!

[And with that he returns to his practice, gradually getting used to the movements. If it's like this, these lessons should go quickly...]

It's no problem. I'm glad you're finding this helpful.

[ She nods, watching Hizumi again. Yeah - these lessons might take half the time Lucina expected it to take.

After some more minutes of slashing in silence, she speaks up again. ] I believe that'll be enough for this morning. You should conserve your energy for the rest of the day.

[He's worked up a bit of a sweat by now, so he's not exactly reluctant to stop.]

Aaah, that was a good workout! This will be a good arrangement, I can tell already!

[And turning to her properly-]

I suppose now would be a good time to discuss payment, since you're going out of your way for all of this-!

I'm glad to hear you say so.

[ Though-- payment? She hadn't even considered the possibility. Especially considering her world almost made sure anyone who was healthy was trained in combat. ] Er, there's no need for it. [ She smiles. ] The thought is more than enough.

Eh- Really? This is awfully kind of you!

[Not that he'll complain. More money for him to burn on MMOs, then!]

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Fourth Curse

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