17900/Summer Fencing: Lesson One

Summer Fencing: Lesson One
Date of Scene:	03 June 2024
Location:	Gymnasium - Happy Harbor High School
Synopsis:	Morrigan is teaching some students and others the basics of fencing!
Cast of Characters:	Morrigan MacIntyre, Kid Devil, Elas, Allen-James, Caleb Dykstra, Alexander Aaron

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Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
School is out!

That means that for the most part that Happy Harbor High School is a ghost town except for those that live in the dorms for the majority of the time, but they are allowed to come and go as they please, as long as they are in by curfews and things. The College doesn't have a curfew given the obvious reasons.

There had been a flyer and email put out for students, faculty and anyone really that wanted to start learning how to Fence. Not the stolen goods type of fencing either! Morrigan is for once not in her business clothing and is dressed down in a pair of black leggings, boots and a Sleep Token shirt. There is an array of swords and things that she's laid out on the table. Ranging from foils to a few two handed types.

"Welcome in everyone!" she gives a little wave to those that come in. "Hopefully we don't bore you too much today. If you all want to get settled we can get started." the lavender eyed woman states. Thankfully she's not looking as beat up as she usually does after SHIELD missions!

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil comes strolling in alongside Elas, carrying a large, long case on a strap across his back. Having apparently just come from work he's wearing a sleeveless top and low-cut socks in addition to his usual style of trousers.
    He lowers the case to the ground gently, but it still makes a *thud* when it drops that last inch. Even he looks a bit startled by it. "I didn't, uh, know which kind of thing to bring, so... I printed up a few... I hope that's okay?" Then he unclasps the case and swings it open to get at its cargo.
    Inside the case, strapped into slots carved into the padding, is an assortment of weapons: a simple, straight longsword; a cutlass; an epee; a giant two-handed blade; a katana. The designs are all very simple, black, and utilitarian apart from the a devil-tail motif wrapping around the pommel. More notable is the materials: the various blades all have an appearance of nearly-opaque black glass.
    He leans to one side and edges up on his toes to peer at the supply of weapons Morrigan has brought, and looks relieved that for once his overpreparation was not, apparently, wasted.

Elas has posed:
Elas is chatting amiably with the teenage devil as they walk in together. He speaks in some sort of very pronounced accent that might not be immediately recognizable to anyone who has not spent time with native Atlanteans. It can often be mistaken for Greek because the two are similar.

"Edward, you must promise not to slay me with one of your swords," he says good-naturedly, a natural, easy smile on his features. His tone of voice and body language speak of someone who is easygoing and social.

He peers around the room, lifting an arm to wave to Morrigan. "Good evening, Dean MacIntyre!" he says respectfully. He was raised in a royal court and his parents would be mortified if they learned that Elas was not giving proper respect to his elders and teachers.

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ is all the way down from Westchester, having bummed a ride down. "I should really get a vehicle... I'm going to have to talk to my parents." He mutters to himself with a sigh, and a shake of his head. He slips into the auditorium, having seen a notice on the internet about a fencing class, when he was looking online to see what might be around for sword groups. There are doubtless others, but this seemed like a good way to restart his training.

    He slips in, hoodie pulled up to half hide his face, a reflexive habit. His mismatched shoes squeak slightly as he walks out into the auditorium, duct tape artfully arranged over the bright shoes to make them look cool, rather than to hold them together. He looks at the swords arrayed on the table with a hungry look, and a sigh, missing his own swords already. Loaners are great and all, but... he needs money.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb has been somewhat moody lately, with all recent events. Vampires... Warning others... And to top it all, Sheila turning thirteen! Officially a teenager! (That's right Caleb, keep your priorities straight!)

Both siblings come, Sheila being more enthused about these lessons. Caleb, by contrast, is having a more professional stance, like this could actually mean something for the near future - in case he runs into Mary Seward again.

He politely nods, and looks towards where the equipment is - and, going right down to business, he moves to go over the equipment, starting by weighing a sword in his hand.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan gives a smile to Elas and a nod of her head to him, "Please just call me Morrigan when we aren't in school hours. That's fine. Or Doc. I'm not picky." she chuckles. She does spot new faces and there is a wave to AJ and Kid Devil, "Welcome in, I'm Morrigan. I'll be your teacher for these classes. If you don't mind introducing yourselves, just so we know each other." she offers.

"And while I know everyone is eager to get their hands on a sword, but starting off there is other things to learn first." she states.

Like all things. It's not always hands on first!

"Has anyone here been a Fencer before?" the Irish woman asks of them.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil blinks, then squints at Elas, his eyes flickering like lamps on a faulty circuit. "I would never!" he objects. "Besides, they're not even sharp. This is just meant to be practice, isn't it? I printed them, you know, safe." He pulls the weird, shimmering katana from the case and whacks it against his arm a few times to demonstrate the relative harmlessness of it. "See? Though they did come out a bit on the heavy side..."
    He swaps out for the epee he brought, planting the blunt end of it against his palm and giving the blade a few test bends. Boioioing.
    While he continues testing out his equipment he looks around curiously at the other folks. That tail twirls behind him in slow, weaving loops.
    He salutes Morrigan-- with his tail-- and then waves to the others. Smiling, but evidently nervous, he says, "I'm Eddie. Hi!"
    When Morrigan adds that it isn't quite time yet for the swordplay, Kid Devil ohs softly and drops his back into the case, the weapon making a resounding *clonk* as it lands. "Sorry. But, ah, no, I've never needed to use a sword before. I solve most of my problems with math."
    Or, you know, fire. Also that.

Elas has posed:
Following Morrigan's lead, Elas steps forward to introduce himself. He is wearing black Adidas sweat pants over stark white, brand new Adidas runners. His black tank top fits his torso like a glove. His toned form is of one who, well, has literally been swimming since the moment of his birth.

"Hello, everyone, I am very pleased to meet you. My name is Elas of House Anthos in Poseidonis in the Kingdom of Atlantis. I am honored to be a student of Happy Harbor High School. I learned many fighting techniques in the Atlantean military..." Did this 15-or-16-year-old kid just say in the Atlantean military?? "...but we do not use swords so I have never learned to compete with one before."

He gestures to Kid Devil. "My friend Edward made several swords he brought along. He is a genius and can make anything!"

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"We're enrolled at the Themysciran Arts Center, on self-defense and weapon-handling", Caleb says as he looks at Morrigan. "Does that count?"

"Ah, yes... There's also that vampire lady...", Sheila says, but she's nudged by her older brother.

"And that's why you're here", he concludes. Looking back at the swords, he looks at Mo, "Can we free-style it, or if this a stance-and-form practice session?"

Allen-James has posed:
"A pleasure to meet you, doc. My name is Allen-James. Vincent. Ramses-Denholme. The Fourth." AJ introduces himself with a stop and go presentation of his name. "Please, call me AJ." he says. Of course, should anyone have a long memory, AJ was a fencer before, in junior and youth brackets, until he vanished when he was 15. He was on track to head to youth and actual olympics, before vanishing five years ago. He doesn't mention any of that.

    "I've fenced a little." he says "When I was younger. Some HEMA too. Nice longswords... I wanted to get back into it." he says simply as he nods.
    He gives a little incline of his head to Kid Devil, apparently not concerned /at all/ about the red tail or devil appearance. New Yorkers are hard to impress. "Nice to meet you, Eddie."

    He's more impressed at the introduction of the Atlantean. Now there's a thing you don't see every day. "A pleasure to meet you, Elas of House Anthos."

    Themysciran? AJ makes a mental note to look that up when he gets back to the mansion.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
"I'm Alex." said Phobos, smiling almost apologetically from behind eyes that looked like prisons; as if something or someone were behind them and staring out. He had his hands hooked into his pockets, but if anyone made a move to shake his hand he offered it.

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
"Nice to meet you, Eddie. You remind me of a friend I haven't seen in a long time." Morrigan admits to that with a smile. "And don't be disappointed, we'll get them out and swinging in no time." she tells Eddie. Then Elas is listing off his military experience and there's a smile, "Well, hopefully we'll be able to expand your horizons on martial endeavors." she states.

"The Amazons teach much much more than fencing, so I'm guessing that you guys know how to hold a sword and more, Caleb and Sheila." she grins to them. When Sheila brings up the vampire lady there is a bit of a frown, "Is that still a thing?" she asks quietly. But to Caleb, "For the most part this will be a stance and form session. Maybe free-style towards the end." she smiles to that.

AJ gets a smile, "Welcome to Happy Harbor, AJ! If you've been involved with that previously then it should be easy to get back into things." she admits.

And then there is Alexander! "Mister Aaron is one of our Alumni and he is well versed in swords." she tells the rest of the group.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil looks to Elas again, aghast, as a faint flare of yellowish light rises in his cheeks. "I, um, well-- I don't know if they're suitable," he murmurs at Elas, "for, for *everyone*, they're really heavy..." He shrugs and anxiously runs a hand through his silvery hair. "I just thought it might make things more fair for us if we had to, you know, work just as hard as everyone else to move them. They shouldn't hit any harder than the regular ones, either... And mine have a much higher melting point."
    He trails off and turns his attention to AJ's introduction, nodding along to the beats of every. Individual. Name. And number.
    But he grins then and wiggles his fingers cheerily. "You too!" he replies to AJ. The delight of such a friendly encounter is evident in the jovial twirling of his tail.
    He smiles and nods to Morrigan, only to then look mildly confused. Who would she possibly know who's into science *and* has almost twenty followers on Instagram? He scratches at the back of his neck while he puzzles over that one.

Elas has posed:
Elas' eyebrows arch upward when Caleb mentions Themyscirans /and/ vampires. The Themyscirans and the Atlanteans are close allies, and he looks at Caleb with a respectful nod. "Hello, Caleb. I am very honored to meet you."

A small smile blooms over Elas' face as AJ starts giving all of his names. "So we should call you like the letters?" he asks. Clearly English is not his first language. "Like 'Ah'.." He forms a crude letter A with his hands, "Jay" he makes a letter J. "Ah Jay." He smiles, nodding. "It is very nice to meet you, Ah Jay."

When Alex introduces himself he seems a bit...muted by the man. He even takes a small half-step back. "Hello, Alex," he says quickly.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
When Elas shows deference to Alexander, it has a palpable effect. Alexander seems slightly more present, somehow subtly bulkier of muscle, is he taller? His posture shifts coolly from passive pocket hands to Athenian contrapposto. His eyes are slightly more uncanny now.

"Are drilling, or freeplay?", even his voice is a touch deeper, or is just your imagination?

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ gives Alexander a nod as well, not wanting leave anyone, even the odd one, out.

    AJ is more relaxed with Elas's greeting, and mmmms, "Close. Ayyy Jay." he says it with a deep brooklyn accent, like the fonz, to over accentuate the Ayyyyy. "But, really, I'll answer to anything you feel comfortable pronouncing. I'm pretty relaxed about it." he says with a smile and a wink.

    For a moment, he's feeling pretty... outmatched. After all, he's here with an atlantean, a devil, a guy with creepy eyes who can do who knows what, and people talking about Vampires. For a moment, he wonders if this is what it's like for people like Damian, who get by entirely on skill. Of course, that's one of the reasons he's here. To get back to the point where he can take the world at the point of his blade.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Likewise... Elas, was it?"

"Doc, it's the likes of which you've never seen. She let me go the first time, boasting about how her kind would rule. The second time, I came prepared, stabbed her right trough a thigh when she tried to stomp me. Then she wolfed out - more like a werewolf - and threw me across the alleway."

Sheila gasps, "You didn't tell me she was that strong!" Her ye flickers, "You really push your luck, Caleb!"

"Yep... I do, don't I?"

He shifts subject. "Anyways, I'm Caleb Dykstra, and this..."

"I'm Sheila", the girl states, defiance to her brother in her voice.

Yup... Caleb's in for the long ride of a kid sister's adolescence. He sighs, "What she said."

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
"We're just going over the basics for this session, we'll get into wielding in the next session, Alexander. Though if you want to entertain them with some sword skills please be my guest." Morrigan tells the Fear God with a smile. She gives a look between him and Elas just in case. Then she figures they will be fine.

There is a look to Eddie, "I'm a friend of Hellboys. Sorry if that was weird." she states with an apologetic look.

She turns to AJ and there is a smile, "Don't be intimidated here, we're not going to let anything happen to you." she tells him.

Her bright gaze then looks to Caleb and Sheila and she listens to Caleb, "How did you come across her?" she asks him. "And some vampires do have the ability to shapeshift into other creatures. The general things are wolves, bats and mist. But that's if you are going from Dracula's lines." she frowns. "It's not good to press luck against a master vampire." she states.

And that's coming from another vampire!

Ahem!

Morrigan claps her hands together and smiles, "So first rule of Doctor Mo's Fencing Club. Don't worry about getting hurt." she states. "Accidents do happen from time to time, but the most common fencing injuries are the same as common injuries in other sports. Think strained muscles and twisted ankles. Scratches and pokes do happen, but these are almost always minor and easy to get used to. So many safety precautions are put into place that fencing turns actually into a very safe option." she continues.

"Fencing, despite being focused on a weapon, is one of the safest sports that you can participate in. Chess is a little safer, but soccer is definitely less safe! There is much more likelihood of getting injured on the softball field or at a golf course than on the fencing strip." she points out.

"What?s going to keep you safe is to follow the rules of the club and to always be aware." she explains to them.

Kid Devil has posed:
    Kid Devil Eddie looks to Alexander to greet him with a smile. When the other guy... changes? Maybe? Eddie quirks a brow up as if he's not quite sure. Well, that's a puzzle for later.
    For now he's too occupied giggling at the corrections AJ provides to Elas. "Do you not have acronyms in Poseidonis?" he wonders. "That would make it *really* inconvenient to explain a lot of technical things. I think. Unless whole concepts are done in some sort of encompassing, cohesive symbols...?"
    Kid Devil gets himself distracted by this lexicographic musing, and he tugs his phone from his pocket to hastily make a few notes. He mumbles while he works on that, "Or like a-- what are those Egyptian things called? A cartouche? Though that sounds French to me. Anyway."
    Eddie looks up, making a sheepish expression while he quickly puts his phone away. "Huh? Oh, no, it's fine!" he reassures Morrigan. "People don't really mix us up as often as you might think. He's, like, twice as tall. And wide. And then there's the cigars."
    He shrugs amiably and settles in to listen to the preamble, though he does not look at all concerned for his own safety.
    The discussion reminds him to pull his tail in closer and try to keep it from sweeping around quite so much, though he's taken extra care not to stand too close to anyone either.

Elas has posed:
"Ah Jay...Ah Jah...Ah Jay...Ay Jay..." Elas fumbles with it for moment. Acronyms in a foreign language are tough, even for someone as well-versed in languages as Elas is. He smiles at AJ. "Ay Jay."

Then the oddest thing happens. When Alexander starts to do his morph thing, Elas turns to face him squarely. He may only be 16, but he served for two years in the Atlantean military and has patrolled some dark depths of the sea that would curl many top-worlders' hair. He knows a monster when he sees it. He doesn't assume a hostile stance, but he gives the signal that he is no stranger to battle and is ready to defend these good people should Alexander turn out to be a threat. But, too, Elas is a pack animal. And here, in this room, the alpha of this pack is Morrigan MacIntyre. And she gives off the signal that Alexander is no threat. So as far as Elas is concerned, signaling Alexander that he is no pushover is all he needs to do. He turns back to focus intently on Morrigan and her instructions. He is here to learn, and as an official representative of his royal family and the de facto representative of Poseidonis, he is going to do just that!

Allen-James has posed:
    AJ chuckles at the 'comfort'. Now he feels a little bad for sandbagging about his experience. But he gives a smile to the instructor, and an encouraging nod to Elas as he listens to his attempts to get the acronym correct. "That's it." he says with a smile.

    He settles in to watch as Doctor Mo talks about safety, and nods along. If they're using proper protective gear, there's more chance of getting cut in your own kitchen. He keeps quiet, though, hands in his hoody pockets as he watches the instruction.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Well, I went to Gotham's Cemetery to clean my mom's grave, since the birthday of her death was coming up", he explains. And as he does so, Sheila drops her head, and sighs. "I wanted her to look presentable when we went to visit, you know?" He still beats himself over the head over it, "But it was night, and I snuck in, and the whole horde happened to be there." He shrugs, "It wasn't my first rodeo with creatures of the night, so I did have a few tricks up my sleeve, though, like holy water and UV flashbangs. Still, that wasn't enough for her, who could even control the wind, and become mist..."

The next time around, I brought in a UV sword, which I doused in holy water for the sake of it." He shrugs. "At least, those work well."

"But I didn't start this fight, Doc", he points out. "She wanted me, I could see that, because I intrigued her." Another shrug, "Well, I had other plans."

He looks at Kid Devil, "He was there the second time around. Maybe he can fill in on a few details."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
Alexander glances queerly to Elas, it slowly dawns on his face what Elas is experiencing. He nod to Elas with silent approval, as if he and Elas where both now aware of Phobos and united in some sort of fraternal empathy. With no desire to see the young man further discomforted he relented his gaze and looked to the ravishing redhead to reply, "Swords are just three blows and ten years of getting out of your own way." but he was still feeding on Elas somehow, and regretfully his voice sounded vaguely like four voices harmonizing at the same time. "Bruce Lee had it right, a punch is just a punch."

Morrigan MacIntyre has posed:
Morrigan is all too happy to start of lessons. She feels more comfortable in this setting, maybe it's still the lingering emotions that the goddesses left with her, but she seems fine.

The class goes off without a hitch and no one gets poked! And Morrigan makes sure that everyone turns in forms for proper equipment and she's footing the bill for them.