PM to join [Kendoka Sasaran] How I long to stab thee.

[Favchean Hronis]

Timestamp : 9th Fall 513, 10th bell The Kendoka Sasaran was in full swing this morning, the sounds of the students within echoing so that they reverberate even outside the training building. Outside there is few people, only those who are coming to the Kendoka Sasaran for personal training would be arriving this late, for Masters demand punctuality and discipline. As a result there is few that are moving about out of the building, mostly those who are passing by perhaps heading toward Semele Park or just out for a random stroll. The sun was not quite at its highest peak, but was bright, warming the fall air considerably. From within the building a large Akalak exits his dark green skin shines with the sweat of a work out. His black hair, almost blending well with the darkness of his flesh, is shaved on the sides, left shoulder length in the middle though this was braided tightly to his skull so that it was a braided Mohawk of some thickness. His pale blue eyes a startling contrast of bright color against the darkness that was everything else, down to the dark leathers of his clothing. Favchean Hronis exits the Kendoka Sasaran like most warriors that enter, bruised but satisfied with the results of his time within. His dagger held lightly in his hand, properly sheathed but instead of secured at his belt, the sheath is carried lightly. His purpose today was simple training and practice, not for prolonged movements that would have required his dagger be out of the way but ready at the moments notice. His body moved with the efficiency of someone who was well aware of his limbs and placement, with the ease of someone who worked diligently on the physical aspect. Honed muscle bunches and relaxes with every step toward the road, ready to enjoy the rare day away from the smithy not yet deciding upon what to do with his free time.

[Rosela]

Rosela took a deep breath as she stepped out into the afternoon air, stretching and brushing her hair back with one hand. She was taking one of her days off from the shop to head down once again to the Kendoka Sasaran - her third trip there. While the first had ended wonderfully, bloody and victorious, the second had ended somewhat...less satisfactorily, without having quashed the spirits of the dirty little Benshiran girl. They'd meet again, in due time. For the present though, she was eager to try again, maybe this time pair off with someone she didn't want to immediately cut to pieces.

She'd also upgraded her wardrobe, realizing that her regular skirts were simply not doing the trick. After some experimentation, she'd found a style of tunic she considered fashionable enough to actually go out in, though she'd built in shorts underneath in case the worst should happen while sparring. Straying from her normal color palette had allowed her to experiment with a pale tan for the majority of the tunic, with a wide red band of fabric keeping it tight around her midsection and hips. As far as 'working out' outfits went, it was pretty cute, and sent her mind spinning on other such ideas to add to the shop.

As she walked, she imagined the Sasaran would still be as sweaty and full as it had always been. Delicious looking men paired off throughout, grappling and sparring, and the couple of women batting about somewhere. Hopefully not too crowded though; with that ridiculous rule, she'd be forced to fight like some animal for so much as bumping into someone. Maybe Mizra would be there though, and even better, maybe he would remember her. Maybe he'd-

Walking around the final corner, she stopped short, making a small noise of surprise as she nearly ran into an expense of muscled green chest. Jumping back, she gave a nervous laugh and pressed a hand to her chest. "I'm so sorry! Silly me - not looking where I'm going." She craned her neck up to him and realized the training facility was was right behind him. "Oh did you just come from the Kendoka Sasaran? Is it crowded today?"

[Favchean Hronis]

Fortunately for perhaps both of them Favchean manages to stop short when they rounded the same corner so that the large man did not bowl the woman over. When she jumped back he instinctively lifted his hands as if to steady her but she seemed to right herself on her own. Favchean tilts his head slightly to the left, one brow quirked over his pale blue eyes, and a small fleeting smile is given at the small woman. Having a deep sense of respect for all womankind, save perhaps the symenestra, the Akalak inclines his head toward the other slowly before answering, his gravelly bass fairly growling from his throat. "Do not be sorry," He says in common, "I can think of much more dreadful things then to be ran into by a lovely woman." Though his words might seem flirtatious his mien remains neutral and passive, almost somber, as if he does not often allow words of levity pass over his lips. His hand that carries the sheathed dagger lifts to show her the weapon, gesturing inside with it. "It is pretty crowded yes, this time of day. Many young Akalak preparing. I would suggest that unless you have an appointment with a Master for a lesson, that you might come back another time..or perhaps find a quiet spot to practice drills." Again his lips part in a smile, the brilliant white of his teeth set off by the darkness of his skin. "Or find a friend to spar with." He only assumed she wanted some sort of instruction in an area of combat. Why else would a lady find herself at Kendoka Sasaran?

[Rosela]

Despite his serious tone, Rosela accepted the compliment with a wide smile. "Oh, thank you! That's very sweet of you." Still smiling, she blinked up at him, discreetly examining the breadth of his shoulders in her peripheral. He was tall and broad, her favorite type of man, though she felt unsure of how to proceed given his apparently serious demeanor.

His words were disappointing, and a small pout tugged at her lips. All that time she'd spent working on her new outfit and now she'd have to come back another day. "Yea... I don't actually know any drills and I don't know anyone who does..." Both of her previous visits to the Sasaran had been to spar with people she'd hardly considered people at all, let alone friends, and they hadn't used daggers in return anyway.

She glanced up and noticed his smile, her pout suddenly widening into one of her own. "I don't suppose..." She lengthened the word and took a small step towards him, one pair of hands sweeping behind her to clasp coquettishly. "You know anybody who knows their way around a dagger? Who might have the afternoon free to teach a poor little novice like me how to handle one?"

Biting her lip as she looked up, she swung her hips back and forth and hoped she was picking up his signals correctly. The last thing her day needed was to be rejected in the middle of the street for reading a little too much into his smile. If she was right though, there were far worse ways to spend an afternoon than being taught the intimate art of the dagger by a handsome, well-muscled stranger.

[Favchean Hronis]

A low grumble not much lower then the normal pitch of his voice was given, and one hand raised, the hand that held the sheathed dagger. His smile never fading, though his serious demeanor also stayed well and true, the Akalak male spoke in a tone that might have suggested he was being convinced. "I just might know of a fellow.. has a weakness for the fairer gender." His words are light, though due to the gravelly nature of his voice the tones were not quite as light as the words suggest. For the most part Favchean generally feels rather large and oafish around women who tended to be on the smaller side. He always felt as if he would break them if he even spoke too loudly, but perhaps it is the confidence that this one exudes that makes her seem a little less porcelain and a little more solid. "However if I am going to be risking life and limb, I insist on knowing your name." Again the serious meets lightness that marks Favchean's speech was present. "Mine is Favchean Hronis." Again he dips his head in greeting, before turning and extending one long arm toward the park that can be seen from the outside of the Sasaran. "Might I suggest we enjoy the outdoor scenery if we want to avoid the crowds inside?" Turning toward the park, Favchean offers the other his arm, whether or not she agrees to practice out of doors.

[Rosela]

Rosela put a hand to her mouth and giggled girlishly. "Well, do tell him I'd greatly appreciate his help." It felt like ages since she'd had the opportunity to just flirt harmlessly. The shop took up such an absurd amount of time that she so rarely got out and did things that were actually, well, fun. Dagger training hadn't even intended to be fun, just another training exercise to better herself. She could use the workout too - the weight she'd lost during her first, hard year in Riverfall was starting to come back with a vengence.

Knees dipping slightly in a curtsy, a sweet fashion she'd picked up in Riverfall, she matched his level of propriety, certain now that she wasn't misreading signals. "I'm Rosela, the Clothier. And I can think of very few things more enjoyable than an afternoon outside with a handsome man." She winked up at him as she hooked two arms around his and began to walk.

"So tell me," she began, making conversation until they got there. "How long have you been practicing with the dagger? I only picked it up..." Her eyes looked up at the sky as she tried to remember when she'd gotten her stiletto. "Well, I suppose I bought my dagger last fall. Though I didn't really do much with it until this year."

She briefly considered telling him why she'd picked it up, that for the first time in her life, she'd had to fend off the very forward advances of a man, but she didn't want her new acquaintance to pity her. Maybe she could play that card later, to get him to walk her home, but it didn't seem the right topic of conversation at the moment.

[Favchean Hronis]

Favchean fell into easy step beside the clothier, if he was a bit disconcerted by two arms being around him rather then one he did not show it. Instead he guided them toward the park that was still shady early in the season, he automatically shortened his stride to accommodate the difference in their height. Though he did note that she was not so much smaller that he had to shorten them by too much. "The dagger training was something I did to supplement my unarmed training, and I have much to learn still." He spoke easily, though there was a bit of a challenge in his voice, like a bit of steely determination. "The dagger is not like a sword, or bow, or even a staff. All three of those rely heavily on the weapon itself, and how you move the weapon." He shrugs, which caused the arm that cradled her two arms to lift gently briefly. "I prefer to rely on my body, and my discipline which a dagger, and Lakan, requires. Precision, speed, and accuracy are all something you can not get from weapons, that comes from you." He grinned as they slipped into the green park, sometimes it could be overwhelming to be in the company of an Akalak when they began to speak of their weapons and training. Once they reached a likely area, one that was well tended with little debris on the ground, Favchean stopped and extricated his arm from hers still smiling. "Tell me, do you use twin daggers or one?" Favchean inquires, as he paces off a ten by ten pace square, counting his steps carefully. In a actual scuffle, of course, one could not predict that one would be in an area clear of branches, rocks or other debris that might turn an ankle or weaken a stance, but for novices it is best to ensure practice areas free of such.

[Rosela]

He sounded like a warrior, Rosela reflected as she listened to him speak. There were so many in Riverfall, and she'd certainly spoken to more than a few of them, but none had talked about the philosophy of their weaponry. It could have been because she didn't make a point to talk to any of them on the subject, but still, surely one of them should have started a conversation about stabbing things?

"You speak very...eloquently about it. I don't think I've ever thought about weapons that way. They're just, you know, a means to an end. I'm actually much more experienced with the bow; it's what I took my competency test in." She paused to flash her left, bottom wrist, with her swirling Kuvan tattoo.

"I think the bow... might be somewhere between the dagger and the sword? The arrow is doing all the work for you, but the slightest angle of your arm or a slip of your fingers..." She mimed the act of firing a bow with two of her free arms. "And you miss. It's all about control." There rose the unpleasant memory of her first autumn in Riverfall, being called to defend against an army of Yukmen... Not that she could have done anything but be in the archery line, but she'd hated having been close enough to see what those arrows did.

"I try to use two daggers, when I go to the Sasaran," She laughed lightly, chasing away the bad memories as she watched him move about the open area. "But they always say to just concentrate on using them properly before worrying about using them together. I usually just use one to try and block and the other to attack. I don't even have two daggers of my own, just one." He seemed to know what he was doing in terms of picking the area, and she didn't comment.

[Favchean Hronis]

He listened to her talk about the bow, silently as he bent to pick up the occasional twig he spotted in their way. Everything was taken in and mulled over, and not for the first time since meeting Rosela he was tempted to release control to his other brother who seemed to do so well with the ladies. However he was the one that had the best technique in the dagger to help another learn, so he let the temptation. Favchean lifted his shoulders one at a time, rolling the large muscles to stretch them once more. "Within Riverfall, mostly but not always, weapons can be a means to an end. I expect that in the next year or two I must go outside the gates to find a mate who can give me sons. For that weapons will be life or death. Best to treat them with respect, know them as intimately as a lover." When he spoke he rubbed his squared hands together once, a subtle reminder that for Akalak's, weapons are sometimes flesh and bone rather then steel and leather. "But perhaps I have discounted the bow too soon. I have not had the chance to learn...well honestly I hadn't the desire until now." Favchean took the sheath in his right hand, and gripped the hilt of the dagger with his left. With an easy motion he slips the dagger from the leather bindings, and toss the unadorned sheath to the side, far outside the perimeters that he had set. "That is sound advice for someone with only two hands, " He responds to the Sasaran's tactics on teaching daggers, "but for someone like yourself that does not have that limitation, it is like..blindfolding a man. There is no need to limit oneself, particularly when one is learning the basic movements." He extended his own dagger to her, hilt first. It was very plain, the hilt almost crudely crafted but the edge sharp and the steel straight. "Did you bring one dagger? Either way you may use mine, but you don't want to practice to block and parry with either or. It might mean making a split decision to strike impossible if the only opening is in your defensive hand." Favchean moved around her, eying her gently but not leering. While he found her attractive, most men surely would, he was simply sizing up her natural stance as much as he was able. "Balance is going to be key, first we learn the feel of the dagger in our hand, then find the balance in our body. If we know the balance then we can compensate for throws, ducks, and dodges that we must perform. Your daggers go in the hands that you are predominant in..I use only one dagger myself, and I use my left hand." He waited until she complies, his icy blue stare warming with a smile, he mimicked holding holding a dagger in his left hand. "Once you feel good about the balance of the daggers, move your feet to where they are directly beneath your shoulders. Firmly planted, knees slightly bent. Lock your knees and you go down very easy, fluidity will be your friend."

[Rosela]

The announcement that he would be leaving Riverfall made Rosela stop short. She hadn't anticipated she'd be losing her newest acquaintance so soon. "A mate? Don't they have...you know, women here for that? Nakivaks?" Realizing she was prying, or at least doing it too openly, she waved off anxiously. "Sorry, not really my business. But isn't it dangerous out there?" What little she knew of the Sea of Grass came from either word of mouth or her own one-way travel through the edge of it. The place hadn’t been exactly hospitable, and she couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to leave the comfort of a real city to wander around in the wilderness.

Forgetting herself for a moment, she patted herself down as she actually forgot whether she’d brought her stiletto. ”No, sorry… I only normally bring it with me to and from work. One’s fine though? I’m not sure I even know enough of what I’m doing to use a real one…” She trailed off nervously, and accepted the offered dagger with two hands. ”Thank you. I’ll try not to hurt myself.” She laughed it off, but it came out flat and dry. Her own stiletto wasn’t even sharp on the sides, whereas this one was very clearly so. ”I suppose, it’s just a giant sewing knife, right? I can use one of those just fine.” She attempted to push her anxiety down and was partially successful. Favchean looked knowledgeable; he wouldn’t let her hurt herself.

She followed his directions, switching the knife to her middle, right hand, and bending her knees. She bounced lightly as she stood, wondering if the position was flattering for her behind. The dagger felt much heavier than either her own or the wooden replicas the Sasaran provided. She gently bobbed her armed hand up and down, trying to feel the balance he talked about.

”Ok, I think I’ve got it? Is this right?” She looked up, hoping the way he was looking at her was a good way. The man was difficult to read, something that frustrated her easily. Maybe he’d warm up after talking for a while? She didn’t want to make small talk while she had a weapon in her hands though, not when she could drop it or something awful if she wasn’t careful.