Amaya Blackstone (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
special_rabbit) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2021-07-22 08:20 am
special_rabbit) wrote in fandomhigh2021-07-22 08:20 am
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Weapons 101; Thursday, Fourth Period [07/22].
Well, well, well! Would you look at that! Class could finally be in session because one of the teachers wasn't stuck down a hole and both of them had gotten that silly layaway business out of the way well before class had to start!
Hopefully, it was quite the same for everyone else attending the class, which was being held in the Danger Shop, of course (despite both teachers feeling a bit that the lack of danger took some of the fun out of it, but they were both old enough hats at this to know better). And, if the students didn't know any better, they'd feel a bit like they'd been transported to the battle field of some Ren Faire somewhere, a large training area with a medieval flair, with a wide space for movement and a collection of practice dummies, as well as several racks of the Weapon Du Jour! gleaming in the bright fake sunlight.
"Welcome to Weapons 101," Amaya started, giving the students a nod and a small pump of her fist, before she sorted and rolled her eyes, "finally! It's been a little rough getting properly started, which means we'll have to trim some of the fat and cut out some perfectly fine and exciting weapons, but what can you do? 'Round here, one of the first lessons you learn is to think on your feet and adapt. That said, we'd be a bit remiss if we didn't at least start with one of the most basic and ubiquitous of weapons, one that some might find a little archaic but never fails to do its job of slicing, dicing, poking and prodding, and that is the sword."
"Also," she added with another nod, because there weren't many of them in the class, no, but she had to admit, she wasn't too familiar with any of these faces this time around, "for those of you who might not know, I'm Amaya Blackstone, I'm the local blacksmith here, so I've got a lot of experience with these weapons from the craftsman's side. And, on the using them's side, we've got Detective Diaz here," Amaya hitched a thumb toward where Rosa had been pretty much standing with her arms folded and her standard resting glower the whole time, and the fact that Rosa actually knew this crop of students better that Amaya did said something about the both of them that neither would be too keen on. "She's an expert on a multitude of weapons, from glaives to gattling guns, so you're in good hands with her.
Now Amaya gestured dramatically to one of the racks behind her. "And now? Onto the swords! Truly a classic, especially where I'm from, a sword is a bladed weapon intended for slashing or thrusting, distinquished by being longer than a knife or a dagger. As a matter of fact, they rather evolved from the dagger, way back when, when someone likely looked at their dagger and thought to themselves, 'Yes, I like this...but what if it were bigger?'"
"And who hasn't?" murmured Rosa with perhaps a hint of a grin if you knew where to look, with a joke that was absolutely going to fly right over Amaya's head.
"Since then," Amaya continued with dedication, "swords have developed in a variety of different ways in a variety of different places, making them quite possibly the most varied and diversified group of weapons out there. Which is what makes them an excellent choice for a first class. You've got short swords and long swords. Swords with box hilts and even hilts, swords with pointed tips or tapered tips, straight blades, curved blades, thick blades, thin blades, double edges, single edges...it's almost impossible to squeeze in a comprehensive look at how each of these styles may have developed, how each of them are made, or even what distinguishes them in a single class period. Swords on their own could have a whole dedicated class just for themselves!
"So, this week, we're going to let you guys choose which ones you want to talk about. As you can see, I have a variety of different swords here behind me. You're going to take a few moments, look them over, and try and pick out a sword that you think suits you best. Is it one you're most familiar with? Is it one that you just like the aesthetics of? Do you feel like that sword, in particular, represents who you are? Because we're then going to talk about those swords and why you chose them, sort of as a way of introduction, and then we'll do a bit of testing them out.
"For example," she grinned a little, turning around for a second before hefting up one of the largest swords available and turning around to present it, "I'd probably go with the bastard sword, or long sword. It's big, it's bold, it takes a lot of strength to weild it effectively, and there's not a whole lot of fuss or extra fancy work with it. It is what it is, you see what you get, and I think that defines me pretty well."
"And I like a katana," said Rosa, smoothly sliding said weapon off the rack.
Amaya waited for Rosa to elaborate, but that was it. That was the whole thing.
"So!" Amaya turned toward the others. "Now it's your turn. If you have any questions or you're really not sure what direction to take, just let me know and we'll work through it together, especially if you're unfamiliar with these weapons as a whole. No time like the present to learn about them and we'll find you a good sword match. But if you've already got that figured out, then I'm definitely curious to see why that is."
She nodded to the class again, lifted one fist to pound decisively into the palm of her other hand. "So let's get to it."
Hopefully, it was quite the same for everyone else attending the class, which was being held in the Danger Shop, of course (despite both teachers feeling a bit that the lack of danger took some of the fun out of it, but they were both old enough hats at this to know better). And, if the students didn't know any better, they'd feel a bit like they'd been transported to the battle field of some Ren Faire somewhere, a large training area with a medieval flair, with a wide space for movement and a collection of practice dummies, as well as several racks of the Weapon Du Jour! gleaming in the bright fake sunlight.
"Welcome to Weapons 101," Amaya started, giving the students a nod and a small pump of her fist, before she sorted and rolled her eyes, "finally! It's been a little rough getting properly started, which means we'll have to trim some of the fat and cut out some perfectly fine and exciting weapons, but what can you do? 'Round here, one of the first lessons you learn is to think on your feet and adapt. That said, we'd be a bit remiss if we didn't at least start with one of the most basic and ubiquitous of weapons, one that some might find a little archaic but never fails to do its job of slicing, dicing, poking and prodding, and that is the sword."
"Also," she added with another nod, because there weren't many of them in the class, no, but she had to admit, she wasn't too familiar with any of these faces this time around, "for those of you who might not know, I'm Amaya Blackstone, I'm the local blacksmith here, so I've got a lot of experience with these weapons from the craftsman's side. And, on the using them's side, we've got Detective Diaz here," Amaya hitched a thumb toward where Rosa had been pretty much standing with her arms folded and her standard resting glower the whole time, and the fact that Rosa actually knew this crop of students better that Amaya did said something about the both of them that neither would be too keen on. "She's an expert on a multitude of weapons, from glaives to gattling guns, so you're in good hands with her.
Now Amaya gestured dramatically to one of the racks behind her. "And now? Onto the swords! Truly a classic, especially where I'm from, a sword is a bladed weapon intended for slashing or thrusting, distinquished by being longer than a knife or a dagger. As a matter of fact, they rather evolved from the dagger, way back when, when someone likely looked at their dagger and thought to themselves, 'Yes, I like this...but what if it were bigger?'"
"And who hasn't?" murmured Rosa with perhaps a hint of a grin if you knew where to look, with a joke that was absolutely going to fly right over Amaya's head.
"Since then," Amaya continued with dedication, "swords have developed in a variety of different ways in a variety of different places, making them quite possibly the most varied and diversified group of weapons out there. Which is what makes them an excellent choice for a first class. You've got short swords and long swords. Swords with box hilts and even hilts, swords with pointed tips or tapered tips, straight blades, curved blades, thick blades, thin blades, double edges, single edges...it's almost impossible to squeeze in a comprehensive look at how each of these styles may have developed, how each of them are made, or even what distinguishes them in a single class period. Swords on their own could have a whole dedicated class just for themselves!
"So, this week, we're going to let you guys choose which ones you want to talk about. As you can see, I have a variety of different swords here behind me. You're going to take a few moments, look them over, and try and pick out a sword that you think suits you best. Is it one you're most familiar with? Is it one that you just like the aesthetics of? Do you feel like that sword, in particular, represents who you are? Because we're then going to talk about those swords and why you chose them, sort of as a way of introduction, and then we'll do a bit of testing them out.
"For example," she grinned a little, turning around for a second before hefting up one of the largest swords available and turning around to present it, "I'd probably go with the bastard sword, or long sword. It's big, it's bold, it takes a lot of strength to weild it effectively, and there's not a whole lot of fuss or extra fancy work with it. It is what it is, you see what you get, and I think that defines me pretty well."
"And I like a katana," said Rosa, smoothly sliding said weapon off the rack.
Amaya waited for Rosa to elaborate, but that was it. That was the whole thing.
"So!" Amaya turned toward the others. "Now it's your turn. If you have any questions or you're really not sure what direction to take, just let me know and we'll work through it together, especially if you're unfamiliar with these weapons as a whole. No time like the present to learn about them and we'll find you a good sword match. But if you've already got that figured out, then I'm definitely curious to see why that is."
She nodded to the class again, lifted one fist to pound decisively into the palm of her other hand. "So let's get to it."
Re: Pick your Sword - Weapons, 07/22.
At least he didn't have to worry about Rosa shooting him... today anyways.
"So, the only sword I've ever had much experience with is the rapier. And I guess one I always thought looked cool was the scimitar.