Springs in Training

Jan 1st, 2019 03:31 PM

After their meeting at the market, Abraham felt that he's but scratched the surface of what the monkey-girl is all about. And so, he's left Sonnie Wu a note in Funderland, conveying a simple invitation to training. Date, time and place - the Sacramento Kendo Club, located in Florin. Room 2, rented for them exclusively, near closing hours. That way, with minimal traffic, they will not have to speak in codes and cyphers. The knight-errant thinks himself quite clever for this move.

The Flowering arrives early to claim the rented space and do a little warm-up. When Sonnie finds him, he will be in a gray t-shirt, sweatpants of the same color and a white headband, which the instructor insisted is to be called hachimaki. Two shinai sticks lie, waiting, in the corner.

Push-ups. Stretching. Waiting. If the simian shows up, that's two pleasures for the price of one. If she doesn't... it's still a fair deal, isn't it?

**Sonnie Wu** · Jan 1st, 2019 04:24 PM

Intrigued by the invitation, the young Beast did indeed show up at the kendo club. She had brought her quarterstaff with her, carried casually in one hand like a walking stick. After one of the club staff directed her to the rented practice room, she entered and looked about. Seeing the floral Fairest already here, Sonnie smiled and closed the door behind her.

"Well, you sure went to some trouble to set this up, Sir Abraham. I was surprised by the invite. Thanks, though! This should be fun. You do kendo?" she nodded towards the bamboo swords in the corner as she pulled her messenger bag off her shoulder and set it aside along with her staff, after which she began her own regimen of stretching and warm-up.

For this evening of combat practice, Sonnie came dressed in sweatpants, grey with a pattern of pink hearts on them, and a matching sweatshirt, though she pulled that off in favor of a simple white tank top. The shirt left a couple inches of midriff exposed but also made room for her furry tail to have it's freedom. Those hedgespun shoes she removed, leaving her long-toed monkey feet bare. Her hair, the same auburn shade as her tail, she had pulled back into a loose ponytail.

Jan 1st, 2019 04:48 PM

The moment Sonnie enters the room, a bright smile appears on the Flowering's face. He waves towards the simian with a mirthful "Hey! Glad you made it!"

He chuckled a bit at what she says, mostly at the "sir" part. It would be agood question if she's serious or jesting, assuming of course that the Beast is even capable of seriousness "No trouble at all, fair lady Wu" For now, he dicides to play along with the honorific game "Hidden meanings are fun in stories and jokes, but clubspeak can get tiresome very quickly, don't you think? Which is why I took some precautions" For the entire duration of his speech, the Fairest barely slows down his warm-up routine "Or it might be that I just like you" He says, off-handedly and shoots a sly grin.

"But to answer your question" More excercise follows "I do swords. And sticks are the next best thing that is both legal and safe for training" He thinks silently for a moment "What about you? Staff fighting is not the skill most couriers possess, right?"

"Let's do one more round of warm-up before we proceed to the 'beating one another with a stick' part, okay?" That's for two reasons: first, without a healer on-site unnecesary injuries are... well, unnecesary. And second, once the showdown begins, their conversation wil have to be much more condensed.

**Sonnie Wu** · Jan 1st, 2019 06:20 PM

As they spoke, Sonnie was going through a series of kung fu taolu with practiced familiarity, as her way of warming up. It quickly became apparent the young woman had solid training in the martial arts. However, she was smiling and joking as she did so. The monkey didn't take much of anything too seriously.

"Lady? Well, there are some who might disagree with you there. I'm not exactly prim and proper, you know. I've been thrown out of a male strip club before. Not my fault, though! They never said my tail couldn't touch anything!" She giggled and feigned blushing at Abraham's line. "Oh, good knight, stahp!"

When she was done with her forms, Sonnie scooped up her staff with one of her feet and passed it up to her waiting hand. "True, it's not pepper spray or a stun gun, but a staff has got way more style!" With that, she began twirling the rattan wood staff in some practice moves.

As if by coincidence with Abraham's thoughts, she offered, "I know a little healing magic to take care of bumps and bruises, by the way. I've always found the Contract handy for training."

Jan 2nd, 2019 12:49 PM

Not that the Flowering was an expert, but the monkey-girls movements seem practiced, as if she's experienced in whatever style of martial arts this is. All the better - if he's to beat a woman, it helps his conscience that the woman in question can strike back.

Sonnie's demeanor doesn't exactly say "strip club regular", so Abraham arches an eyebrow at her story "So, is that your thing? You touch people in inappropriate places?" A smile "I'm not even going to ask what you were doing there in the first place" Are male strip clubs even a thing? Or is she jesting at his expense?

Style? "Yeah, definitely. Even if you don't get the Hollywood choreography they're way more interesting than just zapping people from afar"

And on the topic of healing magic "Strange, I was just thinking about how we're going to deal with the bruises and sprained ankles. So now we have two healers in the Emerald, good! Somehow, I never hit it off with that, but whatever Spring has to offer in the passion and inspiration department - I'm your man" It was good that the gifts of the Season are evenly distributed among them. Would certainly make their lives easier... and longer.

"So, you ready?" He says, taking the kendo stick from the corner and getting into fighting stance. Abraham will begin the duel only after Sonnie is fully prepared.

Initiative 16

Abraham's Defense is 3. There're no kendo stick statistics on the wiki, but I think it's a 2B weapon, just like a quarterstaff

**Sonnie Wu** · Jan 2nd, 2019 01:24 PM

Sonnie merely smiled and said nothing more about the strip club story. True or not, she was content to let Abraham's imagination run wild about it. Instead, she moved on to the other topic.

"Yeah, it's nice that several of us can do the D&D cleric thing. Spring is the season of renewal, it's fitting we can clean away injuries with a little fairy dust, right?" she giggled. "And who do the other Courts turn to when they got boo-boos? I mean, besides goblin fruit farmers, I suppose. Wait, do those exist?"

The Beast paused in her warm-up to ponder that idea for a few seconds, before she shrugged and presented her staff in a defensive manner. "Hmm, okay. I guess I'm good to go. Avast, matey!"

Okay, first time rolling for init here. Kinda screwed it up. Total is 15, though. You go first. Defense 3

Jan 2nd, 2019 04:29 PM

"Of course goblin fruit farmers exist. It's a good, safe business and with much larger market than, say, Hedgespinning"

Not that he was a farming expert. But he's seen enough of the Hedge to know hobs and Lost alike making a living out of it. When they're both in position, Abraham bolts forward, his weapon pointed aggresively at the Beast. The wood makes contact, but for some reason it's not nearly as much as the Flowering hoped for.

1 success

"So" he says "How long've you lived here?" It's perhaps a lame question to ask, but a little small talk never killed no one. Except, perhaps, when there's a duel going on.

**Sonnie Wu** · Jan 2nd, 2019 04:59 PM

Sonnie was quick, but Abraham was just a hair faster, and it surprised her enough that his bamboo blade got through the Beast's defenses. Internally, she chided herself for not being more careful. Externally, she shrugged and made a series of feints as she waited for an opening. "Not long, just since November, really. Wait, so is there one of those goblin markets around here? I've heard of those! Can we buy fruits there? Do you think they take credit cards?"

In spite of her distracting chatter, her jabbing staff failed to get past the Fairest's sword, instead being knocked aside. It would seem this practice bout was not going to be short and sweet.

failure

Jan 3rd, 2019 04:19 AM

"I don't know if there's one nearby" Abraham says as he positions himself for another strike "But if not, I'm sure there will be at some point" The Beasts attack was parried, but not without effort. She's fast. And it's definitely not her first time. "Of course they take credit cards. Just convince them it's a magical Token or something" He chuckled at his own joke. He'll have to try it at some point.

"The thing about the Markets" A few steps back, one to the left "Nothing is ever mispriced there. If you do a deal, it means both of you need what the other has"

The strike punctuates the sentence. Whatever momentum it had, most of it is lost in the Steepscrambler's dodges and weaves. It started to irritate him. Perhaps a more aggresive tactic is in order?

1 success

"So, what's your story?" He tries to talk while evading blows "You originally from California?" Abraham knows there's a lot of Asian Americans in the Golden State, especially Chinese. Wu is a Chinese surname, right? Or is it Japan?

**Sonnie Wu** · Jan 3rd, 2019 09:14 AM

"My story, you ask?" Sonnie sounded upbeat, despite wincing from the sword pokes she had taken to the ribs. Those were going to bruise, she was sure. "I am one of the last of my people, from a faraway planet called Sadala! I was sent to Earth as a small child, to conquer this world for the glory of the Saiyans! But I suffered brain damage and instead I fight to protect humanity!"

Where was she getting this from? Who knows. However, it seemed her constant stream of innane jibber-jabber was having no effect on Abraham, because she still failed to get a strike in. The Beast didn't appear frustrated, though. She was too busy enjoying herself, like a good Spring should. The thrill of combat was a pleasure in itself!

failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-01-02 12:34:12		Abraham Norton rolls 1 die for initiative		10

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-01-02 13:22:26		Someone rolls 1 die for initiative		8

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-01-02 16:16:22		Abraham Norton rolls 6 to Attack! (10 Again)		6, 9, 4, 6, 5, 2		1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-01-02 16:55:51		Sonnie Wu rolls 4 to 2 Str +2 Weaponry +1 Spec (Staff) +2 weapon bonus -3 Def (10 Again)		6, 3, 3, 1		failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-01-03 03:57:02		Abraham Norton rolls 6 to Swing! (10 Again)		3, 2, 10, 1, 3, 5, 1		1 success

Springs in Training

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