weakerlink (weakerlink) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2011-09-22 23:11:00

Entry tags:

Moonlight duels? What could be more exciting!
Kayura should have been more careful. She should have watched from further off. Or done more research on her computer at home. Things would have gone better. She realized that she was very lucky to be limping into the area reserved for training the next morning.

She didn't feel it. Normally she would dress in demure calf-length skirts with big shapeless tops not wanting to look too pretty or too eye catching. Besides, it was comfortable to dress that way. Today was a pants day though.

And the first time she was going to ask someone for assistance dealing with the supernatural since she had taken over her father's duty. She feels a touch of shame she has to ask for help.

"Hajime-sempai?" He has been here longer than her, he deserves that respect. "May I speak with you?"

She was glad it appeared that they were the only ones here this early in the day. She hadn't slept much after her defeat last night.

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get_medieval
2011-09-23 01:47 am UTC (link)

He is kneeling in wait when she arrives. He's beaded with sweat, muscles tense. A sign that he's already been through his own sadistic workout routine before their scheduled training.

"You are late." he says first. His teachers were brutal about such things. He's more lenient, but he still has to point it out.

"And you are hurt." he adds, somewhat excusing the first - for anyone but himself.

"What has happened?"

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weakerlink
2011-09-23 01:54 am UTC (link)

Normally she is on time or earlier so she can do her own warm ups. She was a good student like that.

Her being late is unusual.

She winces though when he points it.

"Gomen. Sorry," she repeats.

"Last night I went to investigate rumors of a spirit. The spirit of a swordsman has been seen. I thought I had stayed out of range of where he had been hunting."

She purses her lips looking annoyed.

"I was wrong. Or... Or my armor called him to me."

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	get_medieval 2011-09-23 01:59 am UTC (link)
	"Your apology is accepted." First things first. He nods. "Spirits often have senses we do not, whether for life, emotion, magic... the kenku were similar, perceiving things my senses would not. What did he wish?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	weakerlink 2011-09-23 02:04 am UTC (link)
	"Perhaps it is my armor. I already know that it draws evil towards it. Perhaps the same is for spirits," she hypothesized. "To fight. He forced my hand. Whoever he had been in life.... he was better than me. I think he would have killed me had my armor not given me protection. Last night was full dark. My armor is strongest then." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	get_medieval 2011-09-23 02:07 am UTC (link)
	Hajime nods. "You are very powerful. Your sill will improve to match it. Dueling is a difficult art. I am glad you survived." Not very emotional, but he rarely is. He does sound sincere, anyway. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	weakerlink 2011-09-23 02:21 am UTC (link)
	She thinks it was the armor. "I am unused to dueling," she confessed. "It was not something that I ever expected to have to do. I could barely defend myself." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	get_medieval 2011-09-23 02:27 am UTC (link)
	He nods quietly. "Then you must take me to this spirit. To challenge a student is to challenge their master's training, and I will not have it. And then, tomorrow... you will be on time, and we will begin to teach you iaijutsu." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	weakerlink 2011-09-23 02:38 am UTC (link)
	She had blinked a little when he said that. Then nodded slowly. "Hai. I need to know why he is attacking people anyways. I can not let him continue this." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	get_medieval 2011-09-23 02:47 am UTC (link)
	"Sometimes, we cannot know. Spirits are what they are because of some great loss or emotion they could not resolve. If he will talk while we engage in the first and most important stage of the duel, I will ask him for you." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

weakerlink
2011-09-23 02:58 am UTC (link)

"That is true," she agrees. "But the fact that this is his first recorded appearance despite the fact he looks like he came from before you did.... I wonder what woke him now. I am certain we will discover this when you face him. He might speak to you. He recognized I am a woman and would not answer me."

She looks thoughtful again. Then shakes her head. "Enough of this. Shall we train? I am somewhat able. I have a few more hours until I must attend school. I have exams today."

She always passes, tests do not worry her.

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get_medieval
2011-09-23 03:07 am UTC (link)

He shakes his head. "As my teachers told me - they do not somewhat train. Either you are able, or you are not. Your training for today is to sharpen your mind to prepare for tonight. Search old stories, study books on spirits. See if you might find insight. If you find it, it may aid us. If not, you know more than you do now.

Then eat, then bathe. Do the things that will help you recover to be fully able again. When you are, return to these classes. Until then, prepare for tonight."

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weakerlink
2011-09-23 03:14 am UTC (link)

She nods in understanding.

"I am fortunate my family has an extensive archive. My father and my grandfather before him dedicated themselves to making it easier to navigate." Which means she will have to go go home to study.

Maybe force herself to rest a little because she can feel how weary her body is right now. The armor's damage was still ringing in her ears.

She stepped back then bowed.

"Thank you Sempai."

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	get_medieval 2011-09-23 03:16 am UTC (link)
	He bows back. "I will be here. Return two hours before the time of your battle, so we may study anything you've learned. Then we will go to wait for him." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

weakerlink
2011-09-23 03:24 am UTC (link)

She nods in understanding.

"I will be here by eight."

The fact he was going to do this made things easier. She departed to go do as he had ordered her.

She got so wrapped up in her work she had nearly been late to class. It was not until after her final test she was able to eat as much as she had really needed. Which was much more than a normal person.

And by half past seven she was back there will a small pile of books and several still warm copies of things she dared not take from home.

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	get_medieval 2011-09-23 03:26 am UTC (link)
	In truth, he has spent the day preparing. Not to die - never. While always possible, he cannot let defeat enter his thoughts. It will not happen. But for his first duel since the presumptive new Silver Samurai. By appearances, he is back where he was when she left, kneeling in meditation. "You have found something?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

weakerlink
2011-09-23 03:44 am UTC (link)

She had to catch herself when she moves. She nearly tripped because well, she was a little excited by her findings. She should be moving slower since she is still hurt.

But it's hard for her to not feel energetic. "Hai! I was able to find some information on him. I think I know how he died and more importantly why he is where he is."

She carefully sits placing the books down and adjusting her glasses before spreading out first the papers.

"There was something very particular about his stance and accent. But... His presence in this city made no sense for the clothes of his period. Tokyo in his time was not the capital of Japan. He dressed as a soldier who would have been stationed in the Imperial capital, Kyoto."

She shifts again not being able to still herself perfectly while thinking.

"I am not certain exactly how his spirit came here. But there are records from that period." She picks up the still warm papers.

"What I was able to gather is that in Kyoto there had been been rumors of a swordsman challenging people at night. He was.... not seen as honorable because of the way he won the duels. A young captain decided that he would deal with this after some of the recruits under his command died, and another was left a cripple.

So he challenged the swordsman to meet him openly at night on a well known bridge by leaving a message at every tea house in the city and with anyone who would spread the word for him. What he didn't know is that it had been a group of thieves doing this. It's not exactly clear but I think he was killed facing them. The thieves were caught latter on when one of them felt remorse for killing the captain."

She's convinced it is this captain. Something about it jumps out at her. She just has no idea how he got to Tokyo.

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	get_medieval 2011-09-23 03:49 am UTC (link)
	He nods. "Unfortunate. But all too common a type of tragedy. But it always is when spirits like this are involved. Very well, he must be dealt with properly, and with honor... and then laid to rest. I will attempt to speak with him, and see if there is more. But this tale must end. You are prepared to see him again?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	weakerlink 2011-09-23 04:03 am UTC (link)
	She almost froze because really she isn't ready. He had been scary. She had been reminded that she could die and there was no one else after her who the armor would bond to. "Yes." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

get_medieval
2011-09-23 04:07 am UTC (link)

He shakes his head.

"Kneel, relax. Clear your mind. You paused too long... you thought... you are not ready.

You were ready for your test today. You did not hesitate for that, and yet the consequences of failure were there.

I will promise you, he will not harm you unless I am dead first, and I will not die tonight." he says, with absolute conviction. "I am a better fighter than he is." he adds, waiting for the obvious question.

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weakerlink
2011-09-23 04:28 am UTC (link)

"I knew I couldn't fail, I had prepared myself," she pointed out.

"You can't really be ready for any fight. It just happens and then it's over, no matter what happens," she continued on. Then paused when he said he wasn't going to let him hurt her, not unless he was dead. It was touching because she wasn't used to anyone doing this either.

"I know you're better. You would have beaten me quicker. He took too long."

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	get_medieval 2011-09-23 04:56 am UTC (link)
	"Then go into the next fight knowing you cannot fail. I did not know how long he took, or how good he was. I just know I am better, because if I was wrong, I would die. And I am not dying today. Therefore I will win. And thus, you will not be harmed. Do you believe me?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	weakerlink 2011-09-23 05:11 am UTC (link)
	"Yes." That wasn't even worth thinking about. She knew she believed him. Her Father would have liked him, she thought. Her Father had been like a force of nature in a fight. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	get_medieval 2011-09-23 05:17 am UTC (link)
	"Good. Then if you believe me... I ask again, are you ready to face him?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	weakerlink 2011-09-23 05:21 am UTC (link)
	Hajime giving her a pre-fight pep talk is rather surreal. And if he wasn't her 'teacher' right now she might blush. No hesitation now either. "Hai." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

get_medieval
2011-09-23 05:27 am UTC (link)

"Very good. A fight is no different than any other test." he taps his head with two fingertips. "The fight is as much about steel as your test is about a pencil. If you are prepared, and know you cannot lose, and your purpose is just... then you must win. If you do not go into it to win... you have already lost."

He stands. "Show me to this place, we will rest and talk there and wait for him."