Courtly Dancing and Defence: Week 5, Period 4

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Everyone in the class had received notice asking them to come to class in formal dress.  If they didn't have formal dress, some would be provided.

And it was.   The group met in the Danger Shop where there were several racks of formal ball gowns, tuxedos, and accessories in all sizes for those who didn't come dressed up.

Aly was waiting in a ball gown by a table of...weapons.  Throwing knives, very small guns, hair pins that were also stilettos, every type of moddable concealable weapon you could think of as well as the holsters and purses and accoutrements to carry them with a formal outfit.

She grinned up at the class.  "Today we're looking more at the defence end of the spectrum.  When you're wearing clothes suitable for a ball, you have to think a bit harder about how you might conceal weapons on your person.  Sometimes it's easy, a small pistol in your purse or stiletto hair pins in your hair, throwing knives under the sleeves of your dress shirt.  Sometimes it's a bit harder - I have all my dresses specially made so I can carry knives under them if necessary as well as providing enough freedom of movement to fight."

"So what I want you to do is to figure out how you can carry three weapons while wearing your formal wear.  Subtly.  Once you do that, try dancing a bit with a partner, see if you can tell where the other person's weapons are, and figure out how you'd draw yours if necessary.  Those of you without a lot of weapons experience?  Don't worry.  It's the Danger Shop, nothing's going to hurt you here.  But in reality, you may not want to slip an unsheathed knife down your bodice or something like that."

Comments

Sign In Dancily!

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

La

Re: Sign In Dancily!

[stucklikadope.livejournal.com]

Giselle

Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Or just wonder what in the world...

Re: Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[stucklikadope.livejournal.com]

Giselle, who'd flounced happily into the room wearing a big blue gown, tilted her head, listening to the lecture then raised her hand worriedly. "But why would you have weapons at a ball?"

Re: Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

Any crankiness about having to dress up for class was pushed aside as Aly lectured about concealing weapons. This was so awesome.

Re: Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[wannabehunter]

Jo was fidgeting, she wasn't much for dresses.

Re: Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[makescherries.livejournal.com]

Cimorene wondered why you would need to conceal the weapons. She usually just wore the sword over her dress.

Re: Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

As if the formal wear wasn't enough, Chad lamented as he tugged at the collar of his tux, there were weapons. Great. Just great. If anyone mentioned to Chad that he looked doubly uncomfortable, he wouldn't be in the least bit surprised.

Re: Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

Hinata was rather comfortable with this class really. Concealing weapons in a kimono wasn't hard after all.

Re: Listen to the Lecture...or dance

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara had worn one of her own dresses, so she was already comfortable with how to move in it. This lecture was definitely enlightening, and she couldn't wait to try it out.

Play with Weapons!

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Figure out how to hide three on your person.

Go ahead and mod weapons and holsters, anything you need.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John was intrigued by the knives and attached one in a holster to his calf. His hair would potentially hold many, but he really wasn't one for clips and things, being a boy.

Finally selecting two more weapons, he headed to see if they were noticeable.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[wannabehunter]

Jo pounced happily on the knives, hiding them anywhere they'd fit.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir decided that he'd be best served by simple blades and a pistol, as those were weapons he was familiar enough with.

A swordcane would make the most sense, but would not be viable while dancing. He did, however, find a sword that was short enough that it might be able to go down his back or even along his thigh... hmm.

One of the smaller pistols (he was amazed at how small, really, seemed to fit in a holster on his shoulder against his chest and a knife settled rather easily in another against his calf.

This should do.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[therhimineecat.livejournal.com]

Hiding weapons in formal wear? Not much of a challenge for Seregil. He slid one dagger into his boot, a poinard up his sleeve to rest in the secret pocket sewn inside it and stuck a garrote into his belt pouch.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[makescherries.livejournal.com]

Cimorene worked on getting the hair pins into her braids in a way that they would be easy to remove. She also made sure that she had two daggers hidden on her person as well.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Having plenty of room to work with and having done something like this before in other classes, Chad had no problem at all finding places to hide a knife or two or three.

Besides, he already had a pretty good bludgeoning weapon hidden in his actual arm; that'd be even easier to sneak in, considering it only showed up when he told it to or when there was danger present.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

She didn't use weapons as much as some of the other shinobi, but that didn't mean that she couldn't. In short order she had weapons neatly tucked away.

Re: Play with Weapons!

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara arranged her hair off her neck, using two stiletto pins to hold it in place, then coiled a garotte around her upper arm until it looked like a decorative arm-band, selected a small pistol and placed it into her purse, and finally (hoping for extra credit), she strapped a sheathed dagger to the outside of her right thigh.

And Dance!

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Try dancing a bit with a partner, see if you can tell where the other person's weapons are, and figure out how you'd draw yours if necessary.

There's music and everything!

Re: And Dance!

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir waited for a partner.

Talk to your TA!

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Who's hopefully here and dressed up!

Re: Talk to your TA!

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

Hinata was very much here, very much dressed up...

...and slightly, quietly, smug that it wasn't hard at all to hide weapons in her kimono.

Talk to Aly

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Who is ready to dance.

OOC

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Someone said something about wanting more fighting. :D

Re: OOC

[mistressofblack.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I almost did formalwear for Lulu's class on clothing/accessories as weaponry? Clearly, great minds think alike. ;)