do you feel the shaking ground? [OPEN]

[backbiter]

CHARACTERS: Luke Castellan & YOU!
LOCATION: Oxygen Garden/Else where.
WARNINGS: None at the moment.
SUMMARY: teaching people how to sword fight, just hanging around the ship.
NOTES: somethings might be backdated to jan-12.


i. Oxygen Garden: Sword Training.

[Luke has three swords leaned up against a tree. He's wearing what he would have wore back home in the days of being the teacher or swordsmanship. His orange camp tanktop and khaki cut offs. It's weird how all this had seemed to come full circle. Hopefully not everything would come back again. But who knows. Maybe he's like the gods and he'll end up repeating history.]

ii. Ship: Just hanging around.

[He maybe just hanging around Brian's bar. Luke has the tendency drift around the lounge areas. Usually he would keep to himself and not engage with people. But if someone where to approach him he wouldn't walkaway.]

Comments

i.

[typically]

[ Jeremy chose his black jacket, jeans and a t-shirt. Sometimes the ship is colder. He misses the actual outdoors. But, he figures he'll take it off once he starts into the training. He needs to be able to move around.

He recognizes Luke from the video and approaches him with a wave. ]

Did I say, approaches Luke? I meant he beelines for the swords, taking one in hand and leaning it down, checking it out. Cool. ]

[backbiter]

[The boy that waves to him and takes a sword in hand is like most of the kids that taught back home. The awe of an actual sword. Luke sizes up Jeremy. The muscles, his height. It would be easy to mistake him for older. But either this guy was in his late teens or he was a really big kid at heart.]

Pick one of the three that feels right in your hand. The weight and height and feel of the sword is important. [He waves the one he has in his hands a little. Not the perfect fit but it was better then the others.] Though you could work with whatever once you get the hang out it.

[typically]

Okay.

[ he's an older sixteen. the age of sixteen that's lost both his parents and two former girlfriends. he's died once. he's cut the head off a hybrid. he's been fed from. kidnapped. and all in the span of under two years.

he feels that first sword and picks it up before grabbing the second in his other hand. the one in his right, he swings up, the hand turning in his hand. he slashes once. it feels good. so, he sets the other one back down.

knowing his etiquette, he brings the sword down as he faces Luke ] This one.

[backbiter]

[He knows a thing or two about growing up faster than you should. Luke was a run-away at an early age, he fought monsters and lost friends. Killed innocents and almost ended the world. Though he's tried to redeem himself since then.] Good.

[Luke had watched as Jeremy picked out a sword, nodded his head as he presented it.] First you must know swords are not toys. Though the one you have there can't hurt humans, it is still dangerous. It can cut through monsters of any kind and demigods. So be careful. [Take it from someone who went through it before. Stabbing someone you don't mean to is not fun at all.]

Usually I would have you wear a breastplate, shin guards and a helmet. [He shakes his head.] But we don't have that. [He spreads his legs into a stance and motions for Jeremy to copy.] This is the basic stance. It's sturdy, balanced and simple.

[typically]

[ He just gets a raise of the eyebrow. Not the weirdest thing he's ever heard. And in a lot of ways, that's cool. No accidental stabbings. ] I'll be careful.

[ Jeremy follows, mimicking Luke's stance. And he's fine without the breastplate, shin guards, and a helmet. ]

[backbiter]

You'll find a lot of this easy but it's the basis for a lot of the world's swordsman techniques. [He grip on the sword tightens as he takes Jeremy through the first slashes. He shows him the way the Ancient Greeks did, step by step. Slash one, slash two, and stab one, jab one.]

A lot of it relies on natural instinct. If you feel like you have a shot.. take it. [Luke looks at Jeremy.] It's a game of will.

Either you're going down or your opponent is. [He's used to training demigods who had to fight for their lives. And with the monster that had just been here? It wasn't going to be much different.] Now I'm gonna take you through the steps one more time and I want you to watch closely. [Though had a feeling that Jeremy was watching closely.]

[typically]

[ Again, Jeremy mimicks. Slash one. Slash two. Stab one. Jab one. he tries again, trying to put it in muscle memory. It feels different, a sword in his hand - it's not a crossbow or a meat cleaver. But, it feels good to have something that he can wield. ]

Sort of like chicken.

[ Hopefully, his opponent. Jeremy.. doesn't realize he was supposed to be watching closer, so, now he is. ] I'm watching. [ He watches Luke's angle, his grip on the sword, where the sword ends up. ] It's kind of like the sword's an extension of you. Your body.

[backbiter]

Yes. [Jeremy caught on faster than Luke had thought he would.] The sword is a part of you. Your arm doesn't end at your hand but the tip of the blade.

[Luke lowers his sword and walks around Jeremy.] I want you to go through the motions again. [He wanted to see how well he (Jere)had been watching. How much of the moves he was getting right.]

The moves should come naturally and your mind should automatically know it's next step.

[typically]

[ He's heard something like that in every kung-fu movie. Pre-training montage, before they get their act together. Usually, thy sucked at it. But, Jeremy wasn't interested in playing dumb. Not that he was some kind of expert, he could just take direction. And he was determined to not be a helpless kid.

Jeremy instinctively wants to turn and face Luke, following him literally but he settles with following him with his eyes. He performs the motions again, one leading into another, remembering what he saw and how Luke performed them.

It's not perfect but he thinks he's doing a good enough job. ] Show me again.

[backbiter]

[Jeremy wasn't doing bad but good enough wasn't what they were going for. Good enough always meant that their was someone better. But it was only their first session and he (Jeremy) didn't have the natural warrior sense that Luke was used to with his students.]

Alright. [Luke runs through the moves. Step by step with not a word to explain how or what he was doing. He knew that Jeremy was watching, the kid wanted to know how to do what.] Try to do what I did without copying me.

Let your body go through the motions. The more you practice that, the more natural your movements will get.

[typically]

[ And so he does. He makes sure to go through the emotions exactly. He does exactly what he's seen. ]

[backbiter]

Very good. [Luke says as he looks over Jeremy's form and watches each move.]

Once we get all the moves out of the way I'll work on making some dummies we can practice on. After that it's when the real fun starts. Sparring. [He moves a long and gets back into his stance.]

You wanna turn back now or continue on?

[typically]

Cool.

[ You don't have to ask him twice. ]

I wanna continue on.

( ii )

[heterophobe]

[ who says you can't enjoy appropriated generic cornflakes like beer nuts at the crack of dawn (at noon) at the bar? with a glass of something Wichita swore up and down she had thrown out because from the way it sticks to his tongue and his teeth, he's going to probably wake up somewhere worse than naked with her sombrero. wonderful! it's early yet and he has time to worry about hallucinating actual Babylon.

in the mean time, he's going to play Let Me Tell You Why You're Inferior game. ] You know, I find it fascinating how committed you are to standing in that doorway. It's very touching. When's the ceremony?

[backbiter]

Hello, Brian. [Luke pressed his lips together and smiled at his ever so loving boss. Did he ever mention that Brain gave him the warm and fuzzies?]

You know standing here is my favorite pass time. [He straightened up and arched his eyebrows.] No ceremony needed. [Brian's sense of humor was very similar to the demigods back at camp. In fact his boss, in a way, reminded Luke of Mr. D. Except not as pudgy and a little taller, with pride in how he dressed. But Mr. D nonetheless.]

I wouldn't mind a little company if you want to join me in the archway. [Kill them with kindness. It was a lot more friendly and a lot less messy that way.]

i.

[nothlit]

[watching people learn to defend themselves. this is something Tobias doesn't really need to think about. he's about three pounds of curved beak, keen eye sight and flesh ripping talons. he's deadly as it is, he's an aerial death machine (if you ask the right rabbits and some Yeerks, and if he's feeling particularly smug), and if that isn't enough he has a whole arsenal of animals to choose from, not excluding the Andalite in him.

he watches Luke from the trees for a while, considering what he could do with a sword. if he can battle off Hork Bajir and Dracon Beams, a kid with a sword couldn't be that scary.

that wasn't really the best way to make friends, though. No time like the present, he drawls to himself.

when he finally shows up, he's dressed in the black outfit the ship gives them and lingers at the outskirts of the area Luke has taken up. he's lanky, because as a kid he always had been, and he squints under both the lights and his terrible human eyesight. basically? he doesn't look like much of a threat.]

[backbiter]

[One thing that Luke knew was that the ones that didn't look like much of a threat usually were. Nico D' Angelo for example. The kid was thin and pale and looked weak. No one would know that he had the power to raise the dead. And it's him (Nico) that he thinks of when he see this lanky boy.

He sets down his sword and bobs his head as a form of hello.] Hey.

[Luke looks the boy up and down but doesn't give him much thought. Why should he? He was just there like one of the outsiders. Those few demigods who didn't have friends. The ones that just didn't show up at camp one summer.] You want to learn?

[nothlit]

It's kind of medieval, isn't it?

[he says, and it isn't belligerent or aggressive, but instead just observational. he's playing the part of a kid right now, and he folds his arms over his chest, keeping his back against the tree.]

You think that'll help?

[backbiter]

Even older than that. [He says calmly as he leans on the sword in his hands. There was no reason to take offense to the statement. Sword fighting was an old-timey way of battle. Not many people practice it in these modern days.]

Anything would help. I'm just offering up what I know.

[nothlit]

[Tobias tries not to relax and not squint, but as the other boy goes on he can't help it as he focuses on him (they aren't even far away, not by human standards, but Tobias still feels like he can't see properly).]

Where'd you learn to do that?

[backbiter]

I taught myself mostly. [A life of demigod who was on his own at an early age was not an easy one. He had learned how to fight the monsters that attacked him on his own. And when Thalia came into the picture they sparred.]

But I learned to perfect it from a centaur named Chiron.

[nothlit]

[he blinks, and something in his expression changes, a bemused lift to his mouth. it's subtle, barely there, but it's there.]

Did you say centaur?

[it'd be more unbelievable if Tobias' best friend didn't look something like one.]

[backbiter]

Yes centaur. [Luke could see that the kid might be familiar with the stories or even know one himself.]

Chiron. He trains heroes and has done so more than a few centuries. [He doesn't know how he feels talking about Chiron. Was it a good thing? Bad?] I kind of picked up as the sword trainer at camp.

Don't know if I can make someone a hero but I do what I can.

[nothlit]

Are you a hero?

[genuine question here, even if he sounds a little amused. after all, they have people like Legolas and Captain Kirk and Obi-wan Kenobi, why not another hero?]

[backbiter]

[Luke took in a deep breath. To some people maybe. Maybe he was a hero. Having to go through a rough patch of cloudiness. A dark time to realize that very thing he had done was wrong and only he could stop the world from ending.]

That's up for debate. [Even if the prophecy said he was. Luke didn't think he was. Heroes didn't do the things he did. Though his own story had some similarities with Hercules and people that that guys was a hero.]

[nothlit]

[he stares at him hard for a second before forcing himself to pull his gaze away, his attention going to the swords like it's idle interest.]

I don't think being a hero means you have to be perfect.

i.

[extrospector]

[ Greg isn't sure what he's expecting, really. Swords are sort of like staffs, and he's practiced with a quarterstaff before-- but only in the context of adaptive self-defense. And even then, he'd been permitted to use everything at his disposal, empathy included, which is definitely not going to go over well if he tries it here.

He turns up in the oxygen gardens in the ship's uniform, arms hanging loose and relaxed at his sides despite how he's already subconsciously tracking the exits, escape routes, and possible temporary hiding places in case this goes south. There's no reason to believe it will, but there's a lot he can't tell about people over a video feed.

He jogs up to Luke when he spots him, grinning. ] Hey. Luke, right?

[backbiter]

Spector. [Luke nodded as a hello and confirmation that he was who the boy was looking for. If he had known that Greg was already figuring out possible escapes, he would have given him a gold star. It was good to know your surroundings. You could use them to your advantage.

At first sight the boy looks like he could be one of the sons of Athena. That California boy look. He was dead ringer for one of Annabeth's half brothers.] I have three swords lined up here. [He waves a hand over the swords.]

Try all three and pick the one that feels the most comfortable in your hand.

[extrospector]

[ He moves to try each of them in turn, weighing them first in his right hand, then his left. Comfortable's very subjective, and he wants to try all of them so he can get an idea of what changes from one sword to the next. ]

Comfortable, as in... like, weight, or length, or what? I don't really know what I'm supposed to be looking for in a sword.

[ But there's one he's favoring right now, and he reaches over to pick it back up. ]

sorry this is late. :(

[backbiter]

Weight, length and feel are all important when choosing a sword. [He watches as the kid picks up a sword.]

Weight will help you with your balance. Length will make it easier to move and the feel of it in your hand should be natural. [Luke walked over to watch Greg. Trying to get a feel for how to approach him. It wouldn't be hard maybe some extra attention but he thought that Greg could be a quick learner.]

no worries!

[extrospector]

Okaaay, so. [ He turns slowly, sword in hand, avoiding any sudden movements. With a weapon in his hand, his posture improves almost immediately-- back straight, knees slightly bent, just enough tension in his body to be ready to move. Belatedly, he bounces a little on the balls of his feet to make it look like he's just settling into the stance. Then again, it's not like it's going to be practical (or possible, really) to keep up the "normal kid" act for much longer, if they're going to practice fighting. ]

I think this one's good? Natural's kind of hard to identify when you don't have any experience.

[backbiter]

Just whatever feels right. [He saw the way kid straightened up with the sword in his hand. The way his knees bent. Didn't have any experience? Though it might have been something that Greg had picked up from the movies or some t.v. show.]

It looks like you have an idea of what to do. [Luke gets into his stance and holds out his sword. His hand tightens on the grip.] Usually we would wear breastplates and arm guards but we'll have to settle with being extra careful.

[extrospector]

I learned how to fight back home-- just, uh, self-defense mostly. Dad's paranoid. [ By way of explanation. It's approximately the truth! It's just omitting... a very large portion of the truth. Greg's not sure that he trusts anyone on this ship yet.

He adjusts his own stance to mimic Luke's. ] I thought you said-- I mean, earlier, on the network-- that these swords wouldn't hurt humans?