xavier_institute_logs | Somehow I'll Make a Man Out of You [OPEN]

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peacemaker kurogane: toshizou hijikata

Somehow I'll Make a Man Out of You [OPEN]

WHO: Hijikata, members of the Kendo Club, prospective Kendo Club members
WHAT: Kendo training!
WHERE: In the gymnasium, since it's too chilly to train outside
WHEN: Backdated to Saturday evening (the 25th), 7-9 PM, and possibly later.
WARNING(S): Potential for mild violence, but probably not anything too bad.

They were unprepared.

His stomach turned, every time he thought of the small army Sublime had brought into a school of sleeping children. Were they brave? Many of them. Clever? A few.

But brave and clever didn't mean too damn much against automatic weapons. He taught history, he knew that. They meant something, but usually not enough. They were lucky this time, as they'd sometimes been before, but not always. They couldn't rely on luck, not with the sort of enemies they had just by daring to be alive in this world.

What could he give his students, then, in the wake of such a reminder? Some would give comfort, but he'd never quite known how to do that, himself, and it rarely seemed quite right to him. They needed to understand the danger they were in. How were they to protect themselves, without that?

No, what he could give them was what he'd always given. He could help them learn self-control, help them learn courage and steady-heartedness and quick thinking... And for his own part, he could show them how to move on when these things happened, unbent and unwavering, even in a world with little comfort.

It was difficult to see the difference in him since the attack with eyes alone -- he was the same as ever, straight-backed and cold-eyed, tall and proud as he walked into the training area with his long hair pulled back and his sword in hand. Those who had known him for a long time might have been able to pick up on a little shift in the atmosphere around him, but it was slight, difficult to pin down.

"We'll be starting with the usual footwork drills and katas. After 20 minutes, you're to split into pairs -- you'll find your partner on the list over there by the door. Any newcomers or anyone who got left off the list, tell me now."

Once that was settled, he continued: "We'll be drilling a disarming technique which most of you will be unfamiliar with. Those of you who've studied it before, help your partners, and keep a close eye on your own form. We'll continue from there with supervised 3-on-one practice -- again, you'll find your groups posted by the door -- and then one-on-one sparring."

"If there are no questions, begin."

[OOC: Feel free to use this as a mingle thread, to have your character request extra 1-on-1 training after the group meeting, or to hit Hijikata up for mentoring without the swordfighting!]

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This was Miko's first visit to the Kendo club, she hadn't really considered it since she had been focused on a lot of other things when she first arrived, however after the attack she had to think about some sort of combat discipline. She was already familiar with kendo, she had studied sword techniques for years, both traditional kendo and European fencing. Keeping on top of those skills would prove important to her future, she could feel it.

"Good evening Sensei," she said warmly, bowing her head in respect. "I was hoping I could attend from here on forward," though in her heart she wondered if she would gain anything new. At the very least though she could see the methods use and judge further involvement from that.

Hijikata gave her the customary once-over. Seemed in good enough physical shape, confident. Having girls in the club was hardly new ground -- Giselle had turned out to be one of his most promising new students in recent years, after all, in spite of his initial concerns about her... bubbliness.

Whether or not she actually had the temperament to be decent at this would reveal itself in time. For now, it was hardly surprising that some new students would find their way here after an attack. He nodded, basically respectful, but without any deference.

"You're welcome to, if you put in the work to keep up. Do you have previous experience?"

"I do, though it has been a little while since I've been involved in a club. I just made it to two dan before running out of available time," there wasn't any particular pride in the statement, it was simply a fact to help him gauge where she may belong. "But of course I will follow your careful instruction to the fullest. I no doubt should go over some basics as it's been about a year."

About a year. More than enough time to get a little rusty, even for the best. Hijikata didn't put too much stock in official ranks -- there were plenty of technically-accomplished martial artists of various schools who, put to a real test, would falter. His interest was less in teaching champions, and more in teaching survivors, even if sport rules and techniques were taught as well.

"I see. Where did you study before?"

"Primarily with school, most recently Toudai's kendo club," Tokyo University. "Before that only with the regular school club at Kaisei Academy," a prestigious private school, though curious she attended there since it's an all boys school. Also possibly a bit odd for a current high school student to talk of being formerly at a university.

"When I was younger my father had an instructor, but that's not really important considering how long ago that was."

That does get a slight raised eyebrow -- less because of the boys' school, less because of having gone to college, more because name-dropping Toudai is like the Japanese academic equivalent of the internet tough guy's 'I'm a Navy SEAL sniper with 400 confirmed kills.' His first thought is that she's probably bullshitting.

His second is that, if she's not, she's rich as Hell. Which says nothing in the end about her actual skill level, but it does mean he'll put even less stock in ranks until he sees it with his own eyes. Rich kids often have the damnedest tendency to think they're actually good at things, just because they've had their asses kissed all their lives.

"Hm. I trust you have your own equipment, then?"

It only seemed natural name the university one attended, it was also true she was rich as hell, and from a rather influential well known family. That however she didn't go out of her way of stating, though simply stating her name for introduction reasons did that on it's own.

"I have some, I didn't actually bring training equipment with me though, so I'll have to order it. I only brought a sword, and that's hardly appropriate."

He gave her another glance-over, then shrugged, nodding towards a closet in the corner.

"There are loaners in there, until you get your own." Not all students had the means to, financially, though he very much doubted that was a problem for her.

"Thank you very much Sensei," finance was never an issue for her, though she didn't exactly broadcast it. The issue was that she took it for granted and used it as a tool for other things. Personal ability was more important to her. "I will place orders tonight."

"That should be fine."

He glanced around the room. Best to pair her with an advanced student for the drills -- one who would be able to assess her while he was dividing his attention between the students...

"When you're suited up, go over there. We'll start the footwork without you if you drag your feet."

Hijikata had a lot of strength as an X-man and teacher, but he wasn't the best at creating a welcoming atmosphere, even after years of being socialized here.

Yu showed up himself, similar thoughts on his mind to the ones Hijikata was having. He planned to check out a few different clubs, but having the one that involved learning to use a weapon as the first choice made a lot of sense to him right now.

Plus, he got to see one of the teachers here carrying himself like a real samurai. He almost wanted to salute.

Hijikata had seen the boy around -- it was a small school, after all -- but was certain they hadn't met properly before. He stopped in front of the new boy, looking him over.

"Have you trained before?"

It was always good to get an idea of what he was working with.

Yu did, at least, stand at something like attention out of instinct.

"With a sword? Ah, no, not really."

In most cases, he was more for the field sports, after all, and kendo clubs in Japan tended to be the more exclusive sports teams less likely to pick up new kids.

He gave a slight nod, and didn't seem concerned with it. They were young, after all. It was the time to try things, to learn more about what they could do.

"Any other martial arts experience?" He paused, then added, "There's loaner equipment over in the corner. If you need help finding the appropriate size for anything, one of the current members or I can help."

"I once punched a man. I think he only went down because I had electricity powers at the time, though," he reported dutifully.

Then he nodded. "So I can just start trying it out?"

He figured that would be more informative than watching anyway.

He was certainly planning to let the new recruits try their hand before the night was out, but there was something there requiring a little more invesigation.

"'At the time'?"

"Yeah...I accidentally copied someone else's powers during that fight. It's how I found out I was a mutant," he explained.

He looked a few inches to the right, since describing this was still pretty awkward. "Then when I couldn't do it again later, I eventually figured out I copied powers instead of having them."

"I see."

Well, he'd heard crazier stories over the years. And it was certainly a useful power... It wasn't the time to put too much thought into powers, though. A conversation for later, perhaps.

"In either case, it sounds like we'll be starting from the beginning today."

[A - Open]

Toushirou was prompt, as always -- even if it was difficult on Thursdays, considering his medical biology class; Saturdays were much easier, though -- and took in the instructions without question. The kata were easy enough; his footwork was smoother than it had been earlier in the year, the sword techniques solid as anything.

At the moment, he was checking his his training assignments on the list, face stern and serious as always. Who he got partnered with didn't matter to him. Practice was practice.

[B - For Hijikata]

It was done for the night, and he stowed the training equipment away, neat and organized as always, but more tired than he usually was after a meeting. It was a good kind of tired, he would maintain.

Aside from the obvious practicality of the club, Toushirou genuinely just did like coming to it. Even his initial joining years ago had been more out of mere interest than anything concrete. Not that he'd worked at it any less; anything worth doing was worth doing well.

And if there'd been a slight change in Hijikata since the invasion, there'd been one in Toushirou as well. Though he always pushed himself, he was notably pushing even more, now -- hence why he was so tired tonight. He might be pushing more than what was healthy. But he needed this. After falling behind, after what had happened that night, he needed to be better.

Or maybe he needed a talking-to before he ran himself into the ground.

Toshirou had always reminded him of himself.

Quiet, serious, driven, unwilling to tolerate weakness or laziness or ignorance in others... It was easy to see the parallels, really. It might have been more difficult not to.

But for all the strengths of a personality like that, he knew perhaps better than anyone what weaknesses they were vulnerable to. And just as he saw himself in Toshirou's stubborn determination and unwavering focus, he saw himself, too, in the weight on his shoulders and the circles under his eyes.

And maybe, he thought, the boy could stand to be a little less like him.

It was no good calling him out in front of everyone. He waited until the end of practice, then approached him.

"Stay and help me put the equipment away." It wasn't really an order, lacked his usual sharpness.

He blinked up at Hijikata, but didn't object. What was a little more work? It was just putting equipment away. Not like it was strenuous. That it wasn't really an order didn't escape him, but he had no reason to refuse.

A shrug. "Alright."

Hijikata took his time gathering up the gear that hadn't been put in its proper place, waiting for the rest of the students to filter out. When it was just them, he waited a few moments longer, then spoke.

"You were tired out there today."

When he criticized, it was always the same - sharp, harsh, and to the point. There was definitely something different about it, in that moment. His voice was quiet, as direct as ever, but without accusation in it.

He set his mouth in a line at that. While he appreciated directness in general, that didn't make everything nice to hear. Certainly, it was a mild criticism, but knowing Hijikata, it was building to something. Whatever. He could handle it.

"Maybe a little."

Whether or not Toshirou liked it, he needed to hear it. That much was clear. Hijikata looked him over, then decided not to mince any words about it (though he odds were slim that he would have in the first place.)

"You're not doing yourself any favors, running yourself into the ground."

And then there it was. His hands visibly tightened on the equipment he was carrying, but he didn't miss a step. Running himself into the ground? How could he be doing that when he wasn't even doing enough in his own eyes? Compared to everything he really ought to be doing, he was behind.

"I'm not." This was either a blatant lie, or he'd lost sight of what exactly running himself into the ground even meant.

Either Toshirou was lying to him, or he was lying to himself. Either way, Hijikata was deeply unimpressed, and it showed in his expression.

"You won't exceed your limitations without a realistic understanding of them."

Dick's obviously had plenty of martial arts training... but never with any edged weapons beyond his batarangs. Bruce was always pushing him to keep learning, to making sure he didn't accidentally calcify to one specific fighting style and find himself in a situation that his acrobatics and hand-to-hand might fail him. So why not take a look at kendo, right?

At the very least it would help him keep in shape without people questioning his drive.

He approaches Hijikata with an open smile. "Hello, sensei. I didn't sign up during club week."

Another one who looked like he had some kind of fighting experience -- he was the right kind of wiry, and the right kind of confident. Hijikata gave a shrug of his shoulders.

"You're not the only one who's changed their minds about that this week. Have you practiced kendo before?"

"Nope," he answered honestly. "I've done fencing and some other stuff, but never got around to kendo and since it's on offer..."

Besides, it looked like fun to learn.

'And some other stuff'. Well, getting a well-rounded view of the strengths of different styles wasn't such a bad thing, and experience of any sort didn't hurt. Still, he had to make sure that he combined those styles in a conscientious, useful way, with an awareness of what he kept and why.

"I see." He'd pair him with someone with moderate experience, then -- someone who could explain the basic groundwork of it all, but wouldn't have to hold his hand through it all.

"Well. We have some extra equipment that you can borrow until you get your own. Did you have any questions before we get started today?"

"Does the equipment come in extra small?" he asks, smiling wryly at his own expense because... yeah. He knows he's an XS, maybe an S when he's lucky.

Ever so briefly, his eyes flickered towards Toshirou, and Giselle if she was there.

"I think we should be able to find you something."

He grinned when he saw where Hijikata was looking. "Great. Anything I should know beforehand?"

"We've got a few more beginners than I expected today, so I'll be reviewing the basics before we get into anything too complex."

Aside from that...

"I'm not concerned in particular with the rules of the sport. I'll teach you how to compete properly, if you're interested, but this club is more focused on practical self-defense."

"The only competitions I really go for are maths-related anyway, so I'm cool with self-defense," he answered easily.

"Good to know."

And, with that settled...

"The rest can largely be explained as we go."

"Good to know. Then I'll just go get the equipment, if that's okay with you?"

"Go ahead. It's right over there."

Alric is of course present. His own attitude is subtly shifted, as well. While he's always been relatively serious for his age group, there's a quietly simmering edge of anger beneath it that hadn't been present--or, at least, hadn't been so near the surface--before. It would stand out to some more than others, certainly.

His form with the sword, however, is if anything more precise than usual, his focus more razor-sharp, to those who've seen him at the club before. At the same time, there's something about how that seems to not hold back quite as much; he's mindful in training, of course, but a little less gentle, somehow.

His focus is also noticeably shifted more toward practical technique than interesting points of comparative sword styles.

He can see it.

He can see that sharp edge, in little glimpses throughout the training session. He can see the way his focus has changed, and while a few days ago, he would have been the first to guide Alric towards quick, no-nonsense practicality, it's always a bit of a shame. Here's someone who works hard and applies himself out of apparently genuine interest, out of noble goals -- it's always sad to see someone like that realizing just how little the world cares for love of technique or for good intentions. Not unexpected after what just happened, but...

He watched over the sparring matches as usual, but when he saw that hint of harshness flicker to the forefront again, he made up his mind to say something. There was no imminent danger, so he allowed the match to end, and then...

"Saitou, supervise. Caelegart, step outside with me for a moment."

Alric raises an eyebrow at that. He wasn't exactly called out often, but he had a sense of the implications, anyway. He bowed to his partner politely, then stepped away to follow Hijikata's lead. If nothing else, one rarely interrupts training to offer praise.

"Is there a problem, sensei?"

[As I wildly assume he'd expect to be addressed during training. If he prefers some other term, pretend that's there instead! >.>]

Hijikata looked him over, but didn't say anything until they were outside the training room.

"In a sense." He tried to think for a moment about how to approach it -- after all, it wasn't as if Alric had broken any rules, or gotten anyone hurt. As little as he wanted to be unkind, directness had always been

"Your form is fine. But this is training -- you need to keep a cool head now, or you won't be able to when you really need to."

Alric listens, although he tenses slightly. Criticism in various forms is nothing particularly new or intolerable to him--to the contrary, his instinct is to leap to resolve the problem, if there is one. The issue that's raised, however, is one to which he's not certain how to respond, and he looks a bit troubled, while also raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

Had he overstepped, somehow? Been too rough? He'd expected he would have heard it from his training partner, if that were the case, but--

"...I... sincerely apologize, sensei. If I was too aggressive, I wasn't aware of it."

That in itself is a troubling thought, adding on a layer of frustration. He remains carefully controlled, outwardly, showing only his pensiveness and concern, but an experienced swordsman like Hijikata can likely sense that little bit of increased edginess, as well.

It was precisely like Alric to take his words gracefully, but somehow, he was surprised. Probably because he was so much worse at taking criticism at that age -- he can practically hear a younger version of himself, hissing and cursing and telling any friend who'd listen about useless old men who couldn't tell him what to do. It was a little embarrassing to think on, honestly, so he tried not to linger on it.

"It isn't that exactly." He hadn't hurt anyone, after all, hadn't really broken form. It had only been his air, but that had been cause enough to say something, and now he was committed to saying it.

"We received a reminder, the other day. It's not unnatural to be shaken up by it."

He doesn't judge him, is what he's trying to get across. Unsure whether it was communicated properly and unable to elaborate more, he pushes on. "But one core purpose of training is to make yourself better than your natural instincts. Without a well-trained mind, a well-trained body is useless. Do you understand?"

Alric had worked hard to construct that insulating shell around the incandescent passions within him, whether anger or fondness, to protect others from his intensity, and himself from the fallout of expressing it. But there are cracks in any armor, and to continue the metaphor, that searing inner fire burns a little brighter at the talk of bettering oneself, achieving a well-trained mind.

For most of his life, Alric had trained rigorously to establish the discipline he'd achieved. He might not call it impeccable, and he couldn't deny he had even slipped a handful of times in the past, but he was able to function in a working environment most people would describe as somewhere between "hostile" and "abusive." To be lectured now on the value of discipline by-...

Alric might not express it, but that angry young man Hijikata had expected is certainly still in there, if carefully restrained. But the anger only flashes, briefly, in his eyes; he lets out a slow, calm breath, his smile just a little thinner than it might otherwise have been.

"...you are right, of course, Hijikata-sensei. I am familiar with Yagyu Munenori." He pauses, smiling a little more, although there's still a bit of an edge to his bearing; he speaks pleasantly, but there remains something angry, possibly even a bit sardonic about it, under that insulation. "If I made some error, sensei, I feel it would be best that I know precisely what it was... ..or... ...were you concerned, instead, about my mood?"

...it could be this is Hijikata's way of expressing personal, rather than professional concern. Alric had known men not so different from him--Alric's own grandfather, it seemed, wasn't so different from him--and they often had difficulty opening up without some impersonal buffer between their feelings and others. In fairness, Alric had picked up that habit, himself, even if it was--in his mind, at least--more for the protection of those he was close to than for his own.

"I'm aware that you are. We discussed his work, as I recall."

His own frustrations and weaknesses are buried deeper; it's hard for the uninitiated to guess when there's something underneath the still waters of his calm and when there isn't, at times. He hears that purposeful breath, sees the thin edge of his smile, and lets them both pass by him. He's not here for a fight, after all.

"...I told you that this wasn't about a specific error. You'd know if it was." Without more than a hint, most likely.

It was telling that he didn't address the last of what Alric had said. Emotions weren't his strong suit, weren't something he felt comfortable discussing at excessive length, but that was precisely what had been cause for concern, wasn't it?

Alric raised an eyebrow. Hijikata wasn't someone he usually experienced as beating around the bush, but besides its outward straightforwardness, that answer was practically evasive.

Interesting.

Alric paused a moment, puzzled (and, partly, for effect), and then chuckled, scratching lightly at the back of his head. He had an inkling, but he'd clearly have to tease out an answer, and perhaps provide a context in which Hijikata was willing to express it. To begin with, pretend he totally answered the question.

"..ah.. I apologize, sensei, but I'm afraid I still don't quite follow. I trust you wouldn't have called me out, without being concerned for some reason... if not an error I've made... ...one that you fear I may, in the future..? If so, your guidance would, of course, be most appreciated."

Hijikata folded his arms in front of himself, his body language closed off and defensive, though not over the top about it -- he rarely was, about anything. He watched Alric coolly, impassively, pausing to reconfigure his approach before he replied.

"Being overfocused can get as much in your way as being unfocused can," he said, shying away again from overt discussion of emotions and their state. "It's putting you off balance."

Or, to phrase it as anyone else might, he was concerned that Alric was channeling his feelings into his training enough to be detrimental to both.

Alric paused a moment to process that.

...ah.

After a few pensive seconds, he smiled a little to himself, and nodded.

"I see... I'll try to be careful of that, sensei. Balance, I suppose, does not come entirely naturally to me... I can't help but be concerned that, perhaps, to the contrary, I've been too complacent, here. That I should be pushing harder--helping others to push harder, as well--that I do my friends, here, a disservice by holding back too much in training, for example."

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Somehow I'll Make a Man Out of You [OPEN]

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[Open]

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