Owner	Pose
Shredder	The Immortal Dragon Dojo in Brooklyn has gained a slight reputation. The fighters from the dojo are very good. Some of them are even openly and obviously mutants. On it's quiet little spot on the street, A handful of students file out, heading down the street as their class had just let out. The master, Oroku Saki, can be seen inside, speaking with the school's head, Tatsu. The Japanese master is tall for a Japanese man, wearing a black and silver kimono.
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	Alexis has recently got into a fight, and he has bloodied knuckles and bruised face to show for it. He is currently dressed in a baggy grey hoodie and similarly oversized jeans, cinched tightly with a nylon webbing belt. His sneakers look a bit worn out, and probably used to be white at some point. He doesn't quite step into the dojo, so much as stand right outside the glass door, peeking inside, hesitating as he obviously ponders taking that final step in.
Shredder	Something strikes the mind of Saki. He perks, sensitive to the fact that he's being watched. He turns in full at once, looking toward the door to see Alexis at the gate. He looks at the youth through the door, and just gazes without emotion at him for a moment, and then arches an expectant eyebrow.
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	Alexis looks a bit alarmed for a moment, as Saki looks his way, and for moment it looks like he might just turn tail and flee. But looking down at his bloodied knuckles, he takes a deep breath, and steps inside. The baggy clothes are doing a good enough job of hiding his rather effeminate figure. The bruises and bloody knuckles also serve as a distraction, but a keen eye might be on the skillful applicaiton of makeup to try and roughen up his visage, and hide was likely a natural feminine visage were it left untouched. The hoodie pulled over the face makes it all the easier to not truly notice, as at a glance, Alexis passes rathter well for a man. "Konichiha," Alexis tries to makeup for his gawking by an attempt at a Japanese greeting. His voice is a little higher than one might expect, but he tries to sound gruff, possibly embarrassed by it.
Shredder	"Good afternoon," Saki answers in English. "Can I help you?" he asks. His stances is firm and unmoving. There isn't an aggressive tone to it. Rather the tone is one that is immutable, and he has all the warmness of a stone. His hands are folded in front of him, and he bluntly waits to see what Alexis wants.
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	Lifting one hand to show his bloodied knuckles, Alexis answers quietly, "I tried my hand in fighting, and it looks like I could use to learn to throw an actual punch...asked around, was told this is the place to go to." He already takes a step back, half expecting to be turned away.
Shredder	"I see," Saki answers, his fingers releasing their lock and steepling against each other. "You heard this was the place." He remains mostly unmoving, his feet still planted. "Why should you want to throw a punch?" he asks. "Are you bullied? Fancy yourself a protector? Or just angry?"
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	"I see things..." Alexis starts, before quieting down, as if debating with himself how much to share. "Creepy guys, taking too many liberties with women who can't protect themselves," he slows, "sometimes children...I just...I have to do something. I can't just look away." He then lowers his head in shame, "sometimes, I'm just not good enough to help."
Shredder	"And why you? Why not someone else. In a world of superheroes, why should you be the one to protect them?" Saki presses. "If you are not good enough, why become the one good enough? Surely you could report it to the police. You could report it to any of a number of self-proclaimed heroes that wander the streets of New York. The way of the sword has no mercy to one who cannot know why and who they are."
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	"Because Superman or Captain America aren't hanging out in the places I do, and I just happen to be there, so if it's not me...they just get away with it, at least that time." Alexis explains, there's a certain conviction in his voice, certainly a need to act. Alexis scoffs, "police always look after those guys, there's never a price, they're predators and they hunt weak prey..."
Shredder	"So you want the police to pay as well?" he asks. "So you wish to protect the weak. You wish to punish the guilty. To do these you would have to first master yourself. You would need the wisdom to determine who your enemy was before you see them acting out. You'd need the discretion to understand when to engage them. You'd need the courage to face them, and you'd need the power to stop them." He looks at the bloodied knuckles. "You seem to have the courage," he comments. "But you would need more than that to get where you desire, and it would not happen quickly."
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	Alexis does look a bit uncertain at the thought of punishing the police, there's certinly some thinking, but once the terms are simplified, Alexis nods firmly. "Yes, they deserve to be punished..." he nods at the challenge presented, and the time investment required. The nod to his courage, gets Alexis to share, as he raises his bloodied knuckles, "a guy named Michael, doing modelling auditions...he was taking advantage of desparate girls in need of income...I had to intervene."
Shredder	"I think you have come to the right place," he says. He tilts his head to one side, as if considering something. "What is your name?" He asks after a look for a moment that seems to betray a deeper inner question.
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	Alexis seems a bit cheered up to hear that, and offers a slight bow to Shredder which seems appropriate, "I'm Alexis," he offers quietly. "How much does it cost? I should be good for it. I would be grateful for an opportunity to learn."
Shredder	Saki smiles slightly. "It will cost you quite a bit," he says. "Though not financially. I'm not concerned with the financial burden if you truly desire this path. But it will cost you in your identity. You are asking to become something that you are not presently. You will have to submit to ideas that you may not welcome. To take matters of violence into your own hand requires a certain mettle which you admittedly do not yet possess. It is one thing to have a dream of stopping infractions in episodic fashion. It is a very different thing to take those actions and let them define your life, your habits, your hobbies, your acquaintences. Your family."     He walks to the wall, pulling a spear from the rack. It's a practice weapon. "This spear is of wood. The tip is blunt for training. It is designed for a softer form of combat. Most who enter this dojo are spears of wood. You, though, you want to have a sharpened tip. Once you are a spear of iron, you are used in practice. You are used in war."
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	Alexis looks a little hesitant as Saki mentions it would cost quite a bit, before the follow up noting it's not a financial cost. "I'm not sure I understand..." he starts, but then realization dawns, "ah! I get it, hard work...I understand, wouldn't expect it to be easy."     Alexis' head sinks a bit as Saki notes the obvious, he is not a fighter, and does not possess the necessary mettle as Saki put it. Alexis knows that. After all, it's why he came here in the first place. "I...sadly, don't have the burden of family on my head," Alexis shares quietly.     Holding up his bruised knuckle, he asks softly, "...can we start with how I punch without hurting myself first?" It's a timid request, the spear clearly intimidating Alexis who currently doesn't feel worthy of even holding the training weapon.
Shredder	"You will bear the burden of family," Saki answers without explanation. "And no, we will not start with punching. We will start with breathing. You will train five days of the week," he instructs. "Do you have any employment?"
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	Alexis looks incredibly confused at the suggestion he'll get to bear the burden of family, particularly after just having noted he doesn't really have one, but at this point he doesn't speak out of turn. "Breathing...?" Alexis looks quite disappointed, "how does breathing help?" He asks exasperated, before nodding at the question of employment, "I do have some income."
Shredder	"I asked if you had employment," Saki answers. "You are asking to undertake something that will require large amounts of time. You will begin with breathing because learning to throw a punch will do you little good if you do not have the control in the moment to throw it properly. You must learn to control your mind and spirit if you are going to fight. Otherwise you may as well be a wild animal. If you know yourself and know your enemy, you will be victorious in every battle. If you know your enemy but do not know yourself, you will suffer a defeat for every victory. But if you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will be defeated in every encounter."
Jeanne-Marie Beaubier	"Oh..." Alexis murmurs, sounding quite uncertain, "well...I do have time," he says while not sounding entirely sure of himself. He nods at the explanation. "I guess there's more to fighting than I imagined." The words of Saki seems to only partly reach Alexis as he squints a bit, but all in all, looks quite impressed with the wisdom offered. "I'm glad I was able to find you, I think you will really help me. If you don't mind me asking, how come you're here and not in Japan? You almost seem like those sensei from the movies."
Shredder	"We shall see. I can give you the tools to succeed, but only you can determine if I will help you." Saki arches his brow at the comment regarding his similarity to movie senseis, though if the compliment amuses him he doesn't show it. "I came to New York due to the developments in this city. It is a center of power in the world. If those with discernment do not place themselves close to power, fools will."