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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 19:13:36 GMT -6
Magic was not an easy thing to recover from, it seemed.
Thankfully there were some healers on standby near the arena, though given the venue itself they didn't seem as though they'd been hired. Likely people of the cloth who had stopped out of goodwill or a sense of duty – like Phi. Either way Siegmund didn't turn down their offer to get a once over from a Heal staff. It took care of most of Siegmund's afflicted area, his chest where the lightning spell had struck, and even cleared up the area's charred complexion in favor of his usual fair with a slight tan.
At least he literally didn't feel as though his chest was on fire anymore, which meant he could go and watch the next match without a sense of discomfort!
Unfortunately his stop by the staff users caused him to miss out on the match that had followed his victory, and instead he wound up witnessing the showdown between a woman, dressed in what had to be some sort of Sacaen garb, and the much more familiar sight of an armored rider atop a wyvern. The Sacaen only had a sword and no mount.
At first Siegmund had thought the match would be over. Just a wyvern ALONE had dealt with him as if he were nothing. However, for one reason or another, the Bernese rider didn't seem all that...impressive. That wild wyvern that nearly killed him had more ferocity than her beast possessed, and their co-ordination was lacking. In fact, to Siegmund's IMMENSE surprise and intrigue, the Sacaen seemed to possess offensive pressure and control for the majority of the match, despite her disadvantageous match-up.
Truly her swordsmanship and fighting spirit shined where Siegmund's own was...mediocre. It was a tough thought to accept but truth nonetheless – he was nothing special. Not yet. But this girl, Kisaragi as she'd been introduced, proved far more athletic, skilled, and determined than he would have ever suspected. Siegmund began to suspect SHE would win rather than the rider, after all it was up to the audience to decide on the best performance.
...
Siegmund uh, found himself a bit at a loss when the crowd began to chant Bern. The announcer gave the victory over to Aria. Were...the two synonymous? Was the crowd intoxicated? “Bern” had nothing to do with the match – it was simply the country that the tournament was being held in, and it wasn't even a grand tournament at that. Yes, the rebellion was successful and all was good and so on so forth but...seriously?
The young man stood from his seat and began to walk out of the arena. There was such a thing as being patriotic, yes, but that was a wholly dissatisfying conclusion. Was it not a philosophy of Bern that their soldiers were the STRONGEST. The most IMPRESSIVE. Was it not great feats and excellence that were admired within Bern, especially now that the entire system of government was under reform thanks to men and women who were STRONGER than the opposition, their feats IMPRESSIVE?
So, yes, Siegmund needed a moment to cool his head. He hadn't come to the arena for the masses to drunkenly praise their nation, he came to watch fighters more skilled than him shine and learn from their examples. Granted he could still do that and definitely planned to – he'd won after all, but at least nobody knew that he was from Bern. Or immediately associated him with Bern and let that misguided patriotism carry him to the next round.
...However, his philosophical and intellectual frustration were not what carried him from the seats of the makeshift arena with such haste. No! He had to catch up to the Sacaen woman. He'd of course heard the stories of Sacaen swordmanship but always took them with a grain of salt. Frankly it was a stereotype. To just hear the stories of Sacaens being the best swordsman in all Elibe and outright believe would be the same as outright believing all of the strongest mages were Etrurian, or the absolute strongest of Bern's military rode wyverns.
There was some truth to it, but it wasn't entirely so.
Regardless, whether Kisaragi was Sacaen or not, her skills had impressed him. He wanted to learn about how she'd come to hone them. What her training regimen was. Anything to serve as a starting point to something greater – to a method of making HIMSELF greater.
“Ah, excuse me, Kisaragi?!” He called out to her. He doubted she would have appreciated “miss” as an honorific – she looked about his age at most.
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Kisaragi
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 4, 2017 19:36:01 GMT -6
She had known at the time that the armored Aria would definitely win that clash of bodies, and it wasn't like she was exactly new to taking a hit - daddy dearest took that 'spare the rod spoil the child' thing a bit too seriously in sparring so she had certainly taken her share of bruises - but getting hit with an armored wall had left her a bit out of it initially. In a real fight it would have been over regardless - Aria's atrocious connection with her wyvern and halfassed lance wielding had given her the chance to get in close twice, either of which could have been a kill if she'd been aiming for it, and the second one was a guaranteed win if she'd been allowed to actually fight. Just bring the sword around - clean beheading - she could take a hit in return for victory.
But it hadn't been a fight, not really, and what Kisaragi had misunderstood was that it hadn't even been a match at all - just an excuse for the bumfucks of Bern to give a free win to one of their own regardless of the actual fight. And so as she had shrugged off healing and the crowd alike and stalked out of the arena, mad as a hatter and twice as frustrated, but with no idea how to vent or who to even blame. The crowd, for wanting to see one of their own win? The announcer for what a loser saw as a bad call? Aria? No, she couldn't blame her opponent for that at all, honestly. Aria had just tried to fight as best she could. She hadn't appealed to anyone. Granted, 'her best' hadn't been very good, overall Kisaragi was incredibly unimpressed with the so-called elite wyvern riders of Bern, but it wasn't like she herself was the best Sacae had to offer by any stretch of the imagination.
The real problem though, honestly, what REALLY had her panties in a twist, was that Kisaragi honestly couldn't see how she could have done much better. At least a loss she could learn from was useful. If she had been outmaneuvered, outthought, outgunned, she wouldn't be HAPPY about it but she'd at least be able to take the loss with a bit of grace and focus that ire on fixing her mistakes. But she... really didn't understand what else she could have done. Been a few feet taller and a lot stronger maybe, or a better weapon, but given the circumstances she felt she had applied her training and experience reasonably well. The most she could really see in terms of improvements were relatively minor - moving faster, thinking out her attacks to minimize damage to herself - and even then without the risky move at the end she probably would have ACTUALLY lost, the wyvern far larger and more likely to win a clash than her. There was no point in second guessing her actions by this point, all she could do was move on and improve. It just left a real fuckin sour taste in her mouth that she didn't understand how to learn from it.
She made it through the pre-fight preparation rooms and nearly back to the public areas before someone jerked her out of her mental swirl of confusion and anger, jerking the smol Sacaen's head up as she glanced around with characteristic quickness for the source of the sound, from the vague understanding she'd had initially to zeroing in on its source. A young man who looked... oddly familiar for some reason. She didn't know him though, which led to a moment of confusion as she tried to place the recognized face. He didn't LOOK Sacaen... and her Lycian adventures didn't ring a bell... oh, he had been in one of the arena matches, hadn't he? She'd watched that one, he was the guy who had fought the mage with all the fancy attack names right? Slightly ironically she best remembered the mage because the idea of shouting out your attack names was the dumbest idea she could possibly think of in a fight and it had bothered her for the entire match, but she also remembered rooting for the guy he was fighting on his own merits, too. Fighting a clearly unfair match and doing his best nonetheless.
That was the kind of drive she could respect. "...Siegmund, right?" Her words came out a little scratchy, not angry but slightly forced as she continued to try to keep a lid on her temper. It wasn't Sieg she was mad at. If he started making fun of her she was going to start cutting though, and f**k going to jail. All this bloody emotion was driving her crazy, it was about the best she could do not to cry right now. Not from sadness but just... having no idea how to vent her feelings at all.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 19:54:17 GMT -6
Siegmund liked to think he was relatively skilled in his understanding of people. Then again the whole “Bern” thing had caught him off guard, he should have expected that. However that had been a crowd as opposed to a room or an individual. And Siegmund could clearly see that the individual before him was not in the greatest of spirits. He couldn't exactly blame her – he didn't take loss well either and that was...not a great way to lose.
Hm, as she responded to him Siegmund took the moment to take in the woman before him. She was...shorter than she'd looked out in the arena. A testament to her fighting spirit? Or perhaps just that most men looked small when stacked against a wyvern, so she didn't appear exceptionally so. Her eyes didn't hold the same ferocity they held on the battle field, but they were...
No no no, definitely not the time for this. It was Phi all over again. Vita too, for that matter. Her personality was borderline atrocious, but his damned hormones still managed to find it charming because of her appearance. Ugh, was he a late bloomer or something? Composure, Siegmund. Calm. Stay on task.
“Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Best thing he could do was likely get straight to the point, but probably not in too blunt a manner. Both for himself, lest he fall prey to his hormones, and to be fair to the individual before him. Even if his intentions lacked malice people didn't like the thought of being “used” in any way, usually. At least not by strangers on an already below-average day. “I've heard the stories of Sacaen swordsmanship but I've admittedly never seen a Sacaen fight before. Your style is far different than any I've ever witnessed, and certainly more refined than my own.”
Yes, perfect! Best to avoid talk of the match all together. Focus present and forward, not backwards, hm? Siegmund smiled, confident in how he had engaged this conversation, as he continued. “I just wanted to talk to you about that, ask you a few questions, if you have the time for it.”
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
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OoC Alias: Nayru
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 4, 2017 20:13:09 GMT -6
A pleasure...? Well, she wasn't exactly psychic but that sounded like the kinda fancy nice talk that people gave when they wanted something, and right now she didn't see much of what he'd actually want out of her. Maybe if she'd bloody well won. Honestly, Kisaragi wasn't sure what to make of this guy, for good or ill, and again for good or ill it served to rouse her from her downwards spiral into trying to take in the situation more completely. Seemed as though he was interested in meeting a Sacaen, and wouldn't you know, had one of those filthy savages right in front of him to interview now!
...Well, that wasn't entirely being fair to him, and Kisaragi bit back the immediate lashing out that came to mind before it bloomed. Yes, she wanted to let all this pressure out, but it... was't right to do that on anyone convenient. Not out of Sacaen honor, or to avoid shaming her homeland. But simply because it wasn't the right thing to do. So she swallowed the thoughts, both figuratively and uh, literally as she tried to give herself a second to think of something to say. Whatever this guy wanted, it didn't... seem like he was here solely to gloat, but she definitely didn't know him well enough to be sure, so she was a bit defensive nonetheless. "I'm not sure if body slamming an armored rider counts as refined," she began with a momentary glimpse of dark humor before going downhill from there, "but if you want to waste your time on a Sacaen savage rather than Bern's finest, I guess I can clear my busy tournament schedule."
Her? Salty? That was just a ridiculous and meritless accusation. She tried to offer a small smile that came out kind of crooked and not exactly full of girlish joy and feminine beauty, but it was better than scowling and frowning which was about all she had been doing since the match to the point that she had been starting to wonder if her face was going to freeze like that. But there was still... admittedly one question in particular that she just couldn't think of an answer to, and with her characteristic bluntness it came out long before Kisaragi had the thought to try to wrap it in social niceties. "Why me, though?"
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 20:27:41 GMT -6
...Okay, perhaps Siegmund had over-exaggerated a bit when it came to praising her swordsmanship. The overall combat skill she possessed was what he was interested in, with her fighting style second to that, but he'd been rightfully called out all the same. Furthermore given how she uh, referred to herself at the end there, it was clear she was certainly not in the best of moods indeed, as he'd already gathered. Or perhaps that was just the type of person she was.
...Yet she agreed. That was what mattered most. Well, ALMOST. The young man had to address one thing in particular first.
“I'm not sure which is the greater insult.” Siegmund began, a wry smirk stretched across his face. “You referring to yourself as a savage, or you referring to your opponent as one of Bern's finest.” A risky bit of humor – in fact too risky. It could cost him this very conversation. But come on, Bern's finest were those far too busy attempting to re-stabilize a broken nation to attend such a small scale tourney. As for Kisaragi being a savage, well...if she ran him through for that jest, misinterpreting it or something, then he could see the argument for it. Either way she didn't seem a savage. They tended to prefer axes anyways.
“Mhm, all that aside.” Siegmund gestured ahead of them before he walked to Kisaragi's side, hoping to chat as they walked towards the nearby town. “I ask you because your style is unique compared to any I've witnessed. I also ask because...well...” He didn't really know how else to word it beyond what he'd already said, yet it felt insufficient. Perhaps a bit of truth would ensure the conversation was not lost. Siegmund raised a hand to rub the back of his head and chuckled a bit. “I've had an encounter with a wild wyvern once, not long ago, and I didn't fare half as well against it as you did against a wyvern AND a rider. And that's putting it mildly."
Hopefully he wouldn't need to talk about that again. Surely there has yet to be a darker period in Siegmund's life than the entirety of his brain-numb scheme to catch a wyvern. He turned to face Kisaragi, having taken a few steps past her, and nodded at the young Sacaen. "I want to know how you trained your body to MOVE like that. To fight like that.”
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Kisaragi
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 4, 2017 21:13:28 GMT -6
"Heh." Kisaragi struggled to control her reaction, a single snicker about all that made it out alongside her smile growing somewhat more wry than self deprecating. She wasn't sure exactly what Sieg's angle with that joke was, but it had taken balls to go through with and she couldn't help but like that much at least. Not that the idea of him agreeing with her hurt either.
He seemed to want to walk towards her and without much reason NOT to - what was she going to do, fight in the next round? - the Sacaen went along with it as they got moving again. A... unique... style. That was one way to put it she supposed. 'Rage fueled suicide machine' was another, probably more accurate, but less, ah, flattering to say the least. She liked his version better. The wyvern story was a bit interesting though and she perked up a bit on hearing it, revealing a bit more attention to the young man as he shared it. That did explain his interest to some degree. And while she wasn't gonna say as much to him, it also served to make her feel a lot more comfortable about sharing with him. After all, it was pretty typical for her to try to learn from people who were stronger than her - that was why she had challenged Veigue and sparred with others, and in turn she didn't mind the idea that he was trying to learn from her. It just hadn't made sense initially.
"Well..." Kisaragi tried to put her thoughts in a row as she mentally re-assessed the fight as honestly as she could, trying not to be TOO salty about or focused on the loss, only what had transpired within the fight proper. "-Their teamwork was terrible. The clash at the start, when wyvern and rider were both trying to do very different things, is the best example; in a real fight I would have beheaded her without her even seeing what was happening." Simple, brutal, blunt. That was what she did after all. "If it had just been the wyvern I would have had a lot more trouble, it was smarter than her, just had a bad rider, and it was stronger than me, faster than me, and almost as agile." It was... helpful to say all this out loud. To admit it to herself as well as Siegmund. Not to try to set herself up as strong, or the opponent as superior, simply her take on the dynamics of the fight as a whole and the interplay of the specifics.
"I'd never seen a wyvern before, but I fought something similar in Lycia a few weeks back. A Mauthe Doog... I only survived it because I had a slight advantage in agility and unpredictability, using its actions and reactions against it. Same with the wyvern. If you can't beat it physically, you win mentally. If you can't outrun it, you have to be more agile... or able to take a hit to deal a bigger one back." Kisaragi grimaced at that last one, rubbing her left shoulder, still sore from the clash. Maybe she should have just accepted the healing, pride be damned. But it wasn't broken or anything, just sore, and it was a reminder of what had been a very reckless move for better or worse. "Not sure I recommend that last one, but after you get hit with the bokken enough times you get used to it."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 21:36:22 GMT -6
Already Siegmund had quite a bit to work with – and his joke hadn't fallen flat either! Kisaragi seemed to surmise that their dynamic was weak and the rider lacked skill, but that her wyvern itself was strong. As he reviewed the battle in his mind Siegmund could see how she'd come to that conclusion. The fault would ultimately lie with the rider regardless though, as THEY were to be the superior in the dynamic. Regardless of how much one spewed “equals”, when it came to rider and mount it was paramount that the beast of burden was NOT the one taking the lead, or fighting the rider for the lead.
...And while Kisaragi's admission of how she would have handled the fight outside of an arena was ah, unexpected, it certainly didn't leave Siegmund stunned or horrified. It was simply honest. “Understandable. I'd like to believe the rider had her reasons, but she ultimately failed to utilize her penultimate advantage of aerial superiority. If she failed to do so in a real battle then she exposed herself to unnecessary dangers.”
Hm, reminded him of a philosophical question he'd once read in a book. “Why do birds fly?” Some surmised “because they could”. They were wrong. Birds flew because it was efficient. Though most birds are still preyed upon in the sky they have far fewer predators above tree level. Flight is a superior method of transportation as well. Failure to fly when one had such a gift at their disposal was insufficient.
Moving right along.
“Still, your method for overwhelming a beast...or monster, in the cause of a Mauthe Doog, is sensible enough. You utilize the advantages that you have, and if you are not in an advantageous position and there are none in sight then you create one.” That was a style that better suited Siegmund in the first place. He'd just...utterly failed to do so when it had come to the wyvern. He'd been too hasty – too desperate. It had worked out in the end but he could repeat the incident a thousand times and wind up dead a different way for every single instance.
Siegmund raised a hand to his chin. No, that certainly wasn't happy thought, so instead he focused a bit on where to take the conversation from there.
“I'd like to think I already knew of such methods and yet, when the pressure was on, I had failed miserably." Siegmund chuckled a bit. Not that he took that failure in stride, even if the end result had been nothing but net positives - failure was failure, and failure was not good. Still there was a certain point where one simply had to laugh at themselves. It helped keep the tone of the conversation positive as well. "Synergy of the mind and body isn't as easy as one would think, it seems. So I'd have to ask how you learned to apply that knowledge and strategy through your body and actions.”
Siegmund looked over to the short Sacaen and cocked his head to the side.
“Does it have to do with that...bow-kin thing you mentioned?”
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Kisaragi
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 4, 2017 22:04:34 GMT -6
"Mmh. If she had played it smart I wouldn't have been able to do anything. The lance outranging the blade, the speed and mobility of her mount, the potential for flight..." All things considered, Kisaragi had been lucky that her opponent was actually so incredibly incompetent and uncreative that she didn't even understand the fundamentals of their advantage. It certainly made a good point for just how terrifying an actually competent wyvern rider could be, though. Where was was now Kisaragi couldn't honestly think how she could have handled a competent pair. The Sacaen shook her head, not despairing but pushing the thoughts from her mind nonetheless. It was incentive to train for the future... and figure out some way to increase her own mobility, as well. Maybe that technique the Sacaen swordsman had shown her, the first one. Not Mizu. The jerkass one.
"Against the dog, I ended up using nearby buildings. Versus the rider, I used the wyvern itself against her. Against a rapier wielder, I used his balance against him. There's almost always something to use against them if only you can find it." Hadn't really worked out in the end, but again. There was only so much she could do in a sham of a tournament like this where an incompetent cretin could win just because they were obviously Bernese. Whatever. Given what they had done to Ilia, Lycia, and Sacae in the past, Kisaragi wasn't sure she particularly cared to be a hero of Bern anyways; she didn't think they were ALL idiots, but their track record in recent Elibean politics spoke for itself. And they had kinda sorta taken her dad away from her for most of her childhood, so there was that too.
She was admittedly not as sure how to respond to his commentary about his own failure, or what he wanted out of her in response if indeed anything. She had applied her 'methods' just fine and it still hadn't done any good in the end. And at least she could answer the last two questions a bit more effectively, allowing her palm to rest on the hilt of her sheathed blade as she did in a moment of warm familiarity. Not to draw it, obviously. But simply because it felt comfortable. Familiar. She'd spent so much time doing it that it was second nature now. "My father was a swordsman. He beat it into me. A bokken is a wooden training sword. It won't kill you, not even a teenage girl, but the pain is incentive not to repeat the mistake. Apply the treatment often enough, and even an idiot can learn." She snorted at thought, wondering for a moment what normal father-daughter bonding was like. She decided she liked the sword thing better anyways. "In the last few months, I've had no shortage of Lycian bandits and assorted scum to aid in my... training as well, and the occasional swordsman to learn from. Better than me, on the same level, doesn't matter, there's always something to learn, something to improve on."
Not looking quite as happy as a moment before, she continued. "I thought there was always something to learn from each defeat you survived, as well, but I'm not sure what to take from... that."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 22:33:10 GMT -6
Hm, so a bokken was a training sword. Well, with pain came power. Or skill and knowledge in this case. Siegmund wasn't about to criticize the methods of someone else's parents. Kisaragi herself didn't seem to resent being trained harshly. Indeed, he didn't have enough to truly comment on that fact so instead he focused on all that she'd said before.
“So you even take it a step further. Even an opponent's strengths can be turned into their weaknesses.” Now that had been something Siegmund genuinely hadn't thought about before. It made sense, though. It was so ruthless a tactic and yet so brilliant it had him smiling for a moment. Essentially you were removing the strength of your opponent entirely. Impaling them with their own blade. That was not easy to accomplish – it would truly be the mark of a great warrior to be able to defeat an opponent in such a way. “That's truly fascinating. I will certainly be keeping that in mind.”
Already the conversation had borne fruit. It was definitely worth missing the next match for, at least provided that the next arena fight didn't include genuine master swordsmen going toe-to-toe or something.
“It sounds as though you've a wealth of experience that I do not have. I've only fought a few foes before today, and I'm entirely self-taught when it comes to swinging a blade...” Siegmund paused a bit. The town was just ahead of them now, the arena still within sight in the distance behind them. Nothing had caught his eye, it was just that Kisaragi had made a rather difficult statement. One that Siegmund agreed with, but the difficulty came in following it up.
“I...do agree that there is always something to learn from any encounter. From victory or defeat alike. The lesson isn't always a good one, though.” Siegmund took another moment to gather his thoughts before he continued, gaze set on the Sacaen. “As for your fight...the lesson there is...some things are out of your power. Some fights are only part of a war, and winning your battle may not even impact it.”
Even Siegmund held a bit of bitterness in his speech. He...wasn't sure why. All he knew was the the idea that his own efforts, skills, merits, and even superiority can be completely rendered moot in certain circumstances was one that filled him with disgust. “...I'm sure there are more positive lessons, as well, but that's the pragmatic one. I'm not thrilled with what I learned from that result either.”
Hmm, not good. This wasn't a road that served either of them to travel down. So Siegmund pushed his disgust aside in favor of his objective, and forced a small smile. "Though I would have come to talk to you all the same. I've already learned a few interesting facts from our conversation, too, so I must thank you for that."
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Kisaragi
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 5, 2017 0:40:38 GMT -6
She wasn't sure it was entirely wise to be taking anything she said at quite face value given the whole, well, losing thing, but at the same time Kisaragi would be lying to herself and anyone in earshot (thoughtshot?) if she said that it wasn't nice to have someone listen to her at all nonetheless. It had been a long and lonely journey since leaving Sacae, almost entirely adversarial in nature which was at times self-wrought but mostly due to the sheer number of outright assholes she ran into. Seriously, having grown up around Sacaens, Kisaragi was no stranger to self-righteous shitbags and stubborn idiots, but the rest of Elibe was as bad if not worse. So having a friend who looked to be around her age, and from a completely neutral and unbiased perspective was, uh, pretty easy on the eyes, was nice.
Rrrrrrright deep philosophical conversation ongoing. "I'm not sure about a wealth of experience, but..." Kisaragi chuckled, turning into a bit of a giggle after a moment. "When Father came back from the war, he... took the training thing pretty seriously. And I've always had a - friend, well, rival. Natural born genius and all that. It took everything I had to even keep up with her and I don't think she even trained 'cept for when she beat my ass." Without realizing it her diction was slipping from stolid to conversational as her previous darker thoughts were pushed back a bit. "So it's definitely true I had some advantages, with ever-ready sparring partners, but they were all so much better than me that I've been playing catch up my whole life." Uh... wow. That actually sounded REALLY depressing when she put it like that.
Sieg said something... interesting, she thought the word was, in response to her own despondent comment. And she wasn't sure if she liked it or agreed with it, exactly. All her life she'd been holding to the idea that if she tried hard enough. That if she always got back up and pulled herself together and tried again and again, it'd eventually work out. It... hadn't worked here. There was nothing she could have done to actually win this, she thought; the outcome had been predetermined. But... if it was just a fight, and not the war, then she could try to see it more like when dad beat her down, or naginata vs sword fights went badly as they, uh, almost always did. "Part of a war, huh?" Her voice thoughtful as she tried to either disprove or internalize it, neither option going particularly well, but... it did help. "Yeah. You're right. Just gotta keep moving."
And if she fought Aria again in another tournament, she was going for the kill.
"Hey, Sieg, you wanna get something to eat?" She grinned at the slender boy, trying to be friendly - to bring back a bit of the Kisaragi that WASN'T permanently mad about anything. "And I'm not much of a teacher, but if you want to spar sometime it could be good experience for the both of us. I liked what I saw in your fight against that mage guy. Taking that hit to go for the kill was a ballsy move put it paid off for you."
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2017 1:35:39 GMT -6
Huh, laughter and a smile. That...wasn't exactly Siegmund's goal, but it was certainly a side effect he could be satisfied with. He just wanted to be polite with the girl, but if he helped bring her out of that earlier funk then...well, he felt a bit proud about that. As he'd recently discovered it DID feel good to help others. It was another reason why he'd decided to try mercenary work as the tool to accomplish his life goal. A nice little bonus...
But hm, her father fought in “the war”? If Kisaragi was about his age then...it must have been one of the Bern wars. The first one, most likely. Well. No doubt Kisaragi loved this country, given the events of both the past AND the present. Felt a bit awkward for Siegmund to note that he was actually quite fond of his homeland, but even he had to note that many outsiders had plenty of reasons to detest and distrust Bern. Still, that hadn't been what Kisaragi had focused on just then, so Siegmund kept that revelation to himself.
Instead she mentioned that she had possessed a rival. Not even an equal but a superior, one with raw natural talent. That was interesting. Not so much the partner in question, but that Kisaragi so easily talked about them. Siegmund wasn't certain how he'd feel with such a rival. Someone who could spend days, weeks, or months without training and still defeat him...
Yet there was something telling, in both Kisaragi's expression and tone. That rival truly was a friend to her. Even if she'd corrected it from friend to rival, there was no malice there. At least not on the surface.
“...I see. So you and I aren't so different, then. Except I never had any rivals...or any teachers. So maybe not.” Siegmund chuckled as he brushed a lock of hair from his eyes. “Though I suppose the closest I ever came to truly possessing a rival is a childhood friend of mine. Leif. He wants to become a soldier. In fact he would already be one had I not convinced him to aspire for more than a...base position in the army.” Siegmund's personal choice of words at the time had been “rank and file” position. Leif had reprimanded him and, given Kisaragi admitted that her father had fought, even if Sacae's “military” was a significantly different force than Bern's, she may have taken offense to it as well.
But Siegmund hadn't meant it in a derogatory fashion. There was nothing wrong with standard position being filled in an army - someone HAD to after all. He simply wanted Leif, his friend, to aspire to MORE. “He and I sparred together. We still do, when we have the time, but I never wanted to join him in the military, just as he never possessed any sort of greater ambition than simply becoming a soldier. It was...hard to view him as a rival.”
“I suppose you could say I'm in need of one. Someone to push me to my limits. I don't want to settle for simply knowing how to wield a blade. I...” ...He couldn't word it yet, could he? His focus had cleared since he joined the guild, but he still couldn't put his ambition into words. So instead he decided to connect it to Kisaragi's own words and smiled. “I want to keep moving. Even further than that.”
Then the Sacaen asked if he wanted to grab some food. Hm...well, he'd likely miss out on more than just the next match if he did so. However this venture had proven to be more fruitful than he'd initially thought – and food WOULD be valuable energy for his next match. Moreover Kisaragi had inevitably paid attention to his match as well, though he gathered that by her knowing his name prior to a personal introduction. It felt good to be complimented as such, Siegmund couldn't lie.
“And certainly, Kisaragi. To both of your offers at that. I do not think I'm in need of a full on teacher, but solid sparring partners closer to my level would be most beneficial. For both of us, I'm sure.” At first Siegmund was going to leave it at that, buuuuuut it would probably be good to react a little to the compliment...rather than just getting warm in the cheeks. Damn it.
“And ah, thank you. If I'm honest it was a desperation tactic, would likely result in my disintegration in an actual battle, but I'm glad it paid off.”
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 5, 2017 21:23:47 GMT -6
"A soldier, huh?"
Kisaragi was admittedly uncertain what to make of this whole Bernese thing. She had hated the entire country as a child, for taking her father away from her, but since then they had mostly just stayed within their own country and been harmless, and she had learned a little something about not judging EVERYONE by their nationality, so she didn't think she really held a grudge. But the talk of soldiers did remind her of her own struggles in that regard. And while she didn't intend to spill everything to Sieg, she didn't see the harm in mentioning it at least. "I thought about that, too. Finding a Khan. Joining the warhost to drive out Etruria. But I-" She what? Was a coward? Couldn't handle discipline? She didn't know how she actually wanted to word it, though Sieg's own views had something similar to what she was trying to put together and so the little Sacaen latched on to them.
"Yeah, something like that for me, too. I don't really have a particular goal. Kill this ancestral enemy, murder Kraft, whatever. But I - wanted to find my own place in the world, you know? Do something on my own merits. Find out if I was worth crap without instead of just being the next successor to the clan name." She kinda meandered verbally as she spoke, trying to put the words together in an order that made sense, with little pauses here and there, but it came out... not as bad as she'd feared. Not as good as she'd hoped either, though, but that was kind of a given. "'Sides, limits are for pussies. Go beyond the impossible and all that." Kisaragi grinned, chuckling, at Sieg. "Maybe someday I'll tackle a wyvern and not get my crap kicked in, and you'll learn how to tackle mages without getting set on fire."
She didn't think either move had actually been bad, though. Given the circumstances of the arena, with nonlethal rules, you either adapted and used those rules, or held yourself back. She had... done a bit of both. Mostly the latter. It was so hard not to stab stuff. "In the meantime, any suggestions on the fine local cuisine? This might blow your mind, but I'm not from around here, so I defer to the expert."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2017 23:22:43 GMT -6
Hm, perhaps he'd found a kindred spirit of sorts. Apparently Kisaragi had considered joining up in a military as well but it wouldn't satisfy her goal. However she didn't seem to particular know what that goal was, at least the end game of it. Siegmund just couldn't really put his into words. Either way he found himself able to relate to the Sacaen, and nodded empathetically as she continued to open up to him.
“Limits are for...'pussies'...is a sentiment I can agree with.” It felt a bit weird to be so vulgar in front of a girl. Siegmund tried to make a habit to avoid cursing outright if he could help it, but it seemed Kisaragi wouldn't care about that. Either way, despite his pause, he grew quite comfortable all the same. The young aspiring merc matched Kisaragi's little grin with his own. “Why bother settling for less when you can strive for more? That's the sort of drive I can respect.”
It was a shame none of his friends possessed it. At least he'd managed to talk them into joining the guild – to expanding their horizons at least ONCE before they all went off to pursue their mediocre lives and lack luster aspirations. Not that he wanted to run their lives or anything, he had more than enough problems managing his own, but...all the same.
They'd entered the town proper by this point. It wasn't exact bustling, most of the locals were probably seated at the arena. Kisaragi deferred to Siegmund when it came to selection of food proprietors but frankly he'd never been to this particular town either. That said he could probably take a solid guess – it couldn't be that much different from home.
“Unless we are looking to cook our own meal, which I don't believe we are, our best bet is to find an inn that serves food. There may be a tavern that handles it all, which means less than stellar company, but the food should be worth it.” No sense talking up fine bar rat cuisines to the Sacaen. So long as the food was good and they were able to eat in peace then surely his companion would be happy.
“I'll keep my eyes peeled for such a venue. Until then, I'm curious as to what you meant by 'successor to the clan name'. I'm unfamiliar with Sacaen customs and cultures – there was always a lack of literature regarding Sacae back home. Such a position doesn't make you nobility, does it? Or are you just the sole member of your family's coming generation?”
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Post by Kisaragi on Jun 6, 2017 16:04:06 GMT -6
Sieg's minor hesitation on the word didn't go unnoticed, but without a frame of reference Kisaragi didn't have much to respond to it with. Was he trying to hold back a dirty joke? Uncomfortable with the word? Not a fan of swearing in general? Did he think she was talking about cats? THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW mostly because she didn't actually care that much and it was, like, completely irrelevant to their conversation. Which was... exactly why she had spent so much time thinking about it? Hm. At any rate, she nodded to his commentary about striving for more, not wordy or witty enough to say anything especially meaningful in response but definitely agreeing on the subject.
The explanation of fine cuisines went a little over her head but she more or less got the gist of it - admittedly they didn't have much in the wise of taverns and restaurants in her home village but she had seen a few in Bulgar so she was loosely familiar with the concept if nothing else. "I mean, I'm a pretty good cook, but not really feeling the chef robe today. Inn sounds good to me." Okay there was a LITTLE bragging in there but it was also true, she was a pretty damn good cook if she did say so herself. Plenty of practice, for better or worse. The war had taken a LOT of people, some more permanently than others, and between helping out widows and widowers, working in events, and the like, she had done quite a bit in that regard.
Though his question about clan names took her off guard, less due to the subject change as that she... actually hadn't had to explain the whole Sacaen clan thing to anyone before, on account of, well, living in Sacae her entire life, and most of her interactions with people since leaving it having been of the 'let me axe you a question' variety. "Huh? I, uh," Treading air for a second there, trying to come up with an actual explanation, she resolved to try to take it from the top (bottom?) and do her best to explain the basics. "No, nothing that fancy. But Sacaen culture tends to be divided into tribes and / or clans, depending on organization and size, and we generally take it pretty seriously. Sacaen honor and all. Depending on the clan there may be some power attached to it, but I aint ruling anything." The idea of Queen Kisaragi was... worrying at best. "The clan I'm from is pretty small, but it's all about - personal deeds, you know? I don't care about spreading its name and legacy, but I don't want to be the failure either. I just want to be... me."
She shrugged. It didn't sound half as good as it had in her head, and even that hadn't sounded very good. "Pretty much every clan and tribe has a legacy that goes back hundreds, sometimes thousands of years. The Indra, the Lorca, all of 'em. You grow up hearing about a thousand years of heroes and paragons, and it's a hell of an incentive to not be remembered as 'the one who ruined everything.'"
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2017 17:39:10 GMT -6
“Splendid.” Was Siegmund's response to Kisaragi mentioning that she was fine with an inn. Of course he uh, had already been searching for one whether she said yes or no. Had she been adamantly against it he'd of course have stopped but, well, there was nothing wrong in making a correct assumption. Especially one so harmless. So Siegmund kept to the side of the road that he may clearly see any sort of tavern or inn signs that dangle from their respective establishments. That was oft the fasted method of locating such a building. “And you cook as well? A woman of many talents then. I'm afraid my cooking skills are about as lacking as my sword skills. Passable, but passable isn't acceptable to me.”
Another thing he'd need to work on. Hm, with all of his focus on travel and training he'd forgotten the smaller pursuits that had kept him going back home. Siegmund didn't want to abandon them, per se, but they would have to be pushed aside for the larger objective. Power and influence in the mercenary...community(?) came first.
While Siegmund led the search for an inn or tavern, Kisaragi regaled him with a glimpse of Sacaen culture as well as her own personal history. Evidently she was not nobility, but rather the latter of his twin speculations. “And I see. I admit I didn't bank on nobility being the answer, but I couldn't rule it out. It would have been awkward if I needed to address you formally this whole time.” As if his manner of speech wasn't already unnaturally formal for a village boy. The humor was not lost on Siegmund, but it had been intentional thankfully. Still, a small pause followed that sly jest, both because Siegmund swore he spotted a tavern sign in the distance, and to think on the information he'd just been granted.
“Given my own background I can't imagine possessing any sort of weight due to one's lineage. I understand it, there are those here in Bern who take great pride in their storied lineages, but mine is rather plain. Our entries in the history books are either non-existent, or written in fine print.” Siegmund chuckled before he shifted his gaze down to Kisaragi. He'd spotted a tavern sign, but that could wait until he gave the girl his full response.
“But I admire that you do not allow yours to rule you, yet you clearly respect it all the same. Personally I'd never let my family's name and history dictate my future. Even if it were a far more grand name than it is in reality. My future is mine to claim, mine to shape.”
Siegmund gave a small nod, satisfied with himself and his answer, before he gestured ahead. “I'm not certain about an inn, but there looks to be a tavern ahead. 'The Gilded...Stool'...if I'm reading it right.”
He was.
That poor building.
“Will it do? It seems...” Siegmund was about to compliment the modest establishment, but as they drew near some rather violent sounds became audible. He hesitated before continuing, his smile not shrinking an inch. “...lively.”
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