Fandom High School

Basic Weaponry; Friday [12/22].

2023-12-22T12:03:36Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

Rosa had made a suggestion to Amaya that they try and see, if their last class, if they could use those reindeer floating around for targets, but Amaya vetoed the idea. Not because of any particular love for little tiny reindeer, but mostly because the logistics of getting them into the danger shop was faulty and not worth trying to herd them. And Rosa immediately lost interest when Amaya suggested she just program her own floating reindeer for their sim.

So there were no reindeer, just the usual practice dummies and targets on the field in the Totally Not A Ren Faire training grounds, as well as racks and tables bristling with weapons of all kinds.

"Well," said Amaya, greeting them with a nod and a pull of her gloves, "welcome to the last class. As your final, you'll have the opportunity to just spend more time with more weapons at your leisure. Want more sword practice in? Grab a blade and get hacking. Want Detective Diaz to go over proper axe-throwing technique? That's what she's here for. Want to know more about the difference between a halberd and a glaive? Believe you me, I will be happy to help you out there! You may also find some more unfamiliar weapons among the ones we've covered, so it's a good opportunity to learn something we didn't have time for, or if you have any questions about anything we didn't go over, now's the time. Basically, just a nice catch-all wrap up for whatever you'd like to do or work on to bring us out. So let's just get right to it!"

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [12/15].

2023-12-15T13:01:37Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

"Morning, everyone!" Amaya greeted the class with her usual eager grin. "So far in this class, we've talked about some of the more sophisticated of the basic weapons that have proven worthy through the test of time and improved on various technology through the ages, but today, we're going to step back a little and explore a more basic weapon that you don't really see as much of today, but really goes to show how diverse weapons can be, and that you don't even need a whole lot of fancy metal and steel to have a good effective weapon! Don't get me wrong! Sometimes, nothing's going to beat a solid sword or axe, and I'm not just saying that because my career depends on it! But that's the beauty of weapons, really. You have choices. And today, with that in mind, we're going to be be talking about the atlatl!"

And this was when Rosa stepped aside to gesture at the table that was behind her, with several atlatl's waiting to be used, with the world's most unenthusiastic "Ta-dah."

Look, wasn't it enough that she'd even continued to let Blackstone convince her to do a 'ta-dah' in the first place for this particular lecture?

( Yeet them Spears! )

How exactly did a early modern 21st century former Brooklyn cop learn to be so good with a primitive hunting tool that was actually illegal to use in several countries? That was a good question. No, she would not be answering it.

"And that," Amaya concluded, "is that. Now it's your turn. If you have any technical questions, feel free to ask them, otherwise, head on over to the training ground, grab your weapons, and give it a try!"

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [12/08].

2023-12-08T12:46:56Z

Posted by: died8yearsago

Since this was decidedly the one day in December when Amaya absolutely refused to leave her apartment, class was running with a solo teacher that day, because Rosa was of the mindset that if that mistletoe wanted to actually try any of that stuff with her, good luck to it, and it better be with someone hot, dammit.

(Which, you know, you've seen the people on this island, so.)

But, either way, while Rosa was in charge, the usual Ren Faire-inspired training grounds was replaced with some sort of abandoned warehouse set-up, and the weapons waiting to be learned about were thoroughly modern and, really, a favorite solution to any mistletoe problem.

"Hey, guys," she greeted with a lift of her chin, "Blackstone couldn't make it in because she's still afraid of cooties even at her age, which means I get to pick the weapon, and today's weapon is going to be flamethrowers. Because they're awesome. And I'm not a huge nerd like Blackstone is, so if you want to know about the history and the making of a good flamethrower, you can just google it, today, we're just focusing on using them. So let's stop wasting time and get right into it."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [12/01].

2023-12-01T12:26:29Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

One nice thing about a class like this one is that it could be a little...cathartic. Therapeutic. Beneficial to one's mental well-being. Which was why, even though they were set up as usual in their little medieval Ren Faire-esque training grounds, while Amaya got class started, Rosa was busying herself with piling various radios, speakers, and other devices that were, naturally, continuing to play an endless stream of various versions of Carol of the Bells.

"Today," Amaya announced, "we're talking war hammers, a weapon that, as you can guess by its name, was used by a lot of foot soldiers and cavalry during battles. Now, we'll likely keep this short," and not even just because it was annoying trying to talk over the music, "but you'll notice a lot of similarity between the war hammer and some of the other weapons we've covered. Like an axe, you've got a handle and a head, and the length of the handle can vary, anywhere between short like a mace or long like a halberd. The big difference is the shape the head, which is usually going to have a blunt side and a pointed side, and its designed to best crush through armor and cause concussions to your enemy. The spike on the end also makes for a good way to target armor, reins, shield, the legs of a horse...I'm sure you can think of plenty of things, today our targets are going to be a little less....organic, but we'll get to that in due time."

Because, of course, even with the music, Amaya had plenty more to say about the war hammer, its history, points about making it, so on and so forth, you knew how the class went, to the point where she barely even noticed the music any more, she was that much into it. But Rosa, on the other hand, could not be so easily distracted, and was clearly getting impatient about getting to her part of the class.

But they'll get there. Eventually. Look, prolonging it would only make it feel that much more satisfying, right?

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [11/17].

2023-11-17T12:55:48Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

The racks that usually stood bristling with weapons behind Amaya in their training field were definitely being put to good use that morning, lined up with a broad assortment that should leave no guesses as to what the subject of today's class would be.

And, even if there were guesses, Amaya was obviously about to answer that question straight away. "Polearms!" she declared happily. "Close range combat weapons that usually involve something sharp and pointy at the the end of a stick! And, well, consider it the spear's fancier, more elaborate cousin who maybe went to some kind of posh military school, or the like. Though not quite as varied as the sword, there are a multitude of different styles of pole arms, from your halberds to your glaives. Tridents count, so do harpoons, bardiches, war scythes, and lances! Even the humble spear itself! So since there's plenty to talk about today, and plenty of techniques to go over, let's not waste another moment and get right into it!"

And get right into it she did, in the hopefully-by-now expected exhaustive fashion, covering everything from how the concept came about to a more detailed breakdown on how the various different heads of polearms evolved over time, complete with a flowchart and several actual examples of this evolution, with an emphasis on how their versatility and effectiveness, as well as the low cost and ease of production, which lead to a lot of experimentation with styles, which is why so many pole arms'll look so different, even among the same kinds, and why they became so popular as a weapon on the battlefield, especially when you start getting into how effective they were against enemies on horseback.

"Now, generally speaking," ha!, "as you may have noticed by the development of the weapons, pole arms can be divided into three broad categories: those designed for extended reach and thrusting tactics used in pike square or phalanx combat, those designed to increase leverage, thanks to hands being able to move freely towards several different leverage points all along the pole, which could maximize centrifugal force against cavalry, and those designed for throwing tactics used in skirmish line combat. Since we've talked a little bit about throwing spears in our last class, we'll be mostly focusing on thrusting and leverage today. Your focus should really be on what makes the pole arm different from other weapons we've studied in this class so far: the range, the length, and, really, how you use it changes based on the positioning of your hands on the shaft."

"Heh," Rosa contributed helpfully, because it never, ever got old, "shaft."

Aaaaand Amaya was just going to ignore that, thank you, and instead, she was just going to take a few more moments to get into even more specific details about some of the more well known pole arms and what classified them, although... "As I mentioned, there's been a lot of playing around with different forms of pole arms over the centuries, so this is not even remotely exhaustive, but it' a good look at some of the differences. Hopefully, you'll be able to see if those differences make much...well, difference...once you get out there and get a feel for them yourselves.

"And, with that, we'll turn it over to the Detective, unless there's any other lingering questions about pole arms before we start getting into the more hands-on stuff."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [11/10].

2023-11-10T12:25:44Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

"Good morning, everyone!" Amaya greeted the class with her usual cheery excitement for getting to talk a bunch of ears off about weaponry. "Last week, we did a little bit of shooting, and now we're going to get back to smashing in some of the best ways possible. That's right! Today, we're talking about maces!"

( The smashy kind, not the squirty kind! )

"And you know what else we love to see? Maces in action! So with that, I'll open it up to any questions you might have before handing you over to Detective Diaz to show you how it's done."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [11/03].

2023-11-03T10:39:41Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

"Welcome back, everyone," Amaya greeted the class with her usual nod, and that little eager smirk on her face that meant she was ready to talk your ear off about some weapon or another before letting you loose on some poor practice dummies. "Last week, we did a little bit of long, long, long distance destruction with catapults and trebuchets, so today, we're going to take it down a notch--ha HA! ARCHER HUMOR!-- "with something a little more...handheld. That's right, today, we're going to be talking about bows!"

( Shot through the heart. )

"That just about covers the basics," Amaya grinned faintly. "If there's any questions, though, let's have 'em, and then we're going to get to work. First, before we get to the fun part, I'm going to teach you all how to actually string a bow, though, because a bow's not much good if you've gone and snapped a string or worn it down and can't replace it with a new one. Then it's off to Detective Diaz, where she'll go over nocking, aiming, and shooting at the targets we've got set up over there, and I'm sure, by the end of the class, if you're not an expert already, you will be!

"Or," she added, chuckling faintly, "at the very least, since we're in the Danger Shop, if you're not an expert by the end of class, at least you'll not have lost an eye."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [10/27].

2023-10-27T14:14:11Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

Class that day would be meeting not in the danger shop training field, but, instead, in the park, actually, for two very good reasons:

1) It was the class before Halloween, and there was a tradition to be upheld here

and

2) Today's class was very topical to what was going to be going on later on that day.

"Today," Amaya started once the students or any passersby who wanted in on this action, because, well, when there were a few catapults and trebuchets and a bunch of pumpkins sitting there in a park, you had to check it out, right? "We're talking siege weapons, and when we do this class in the spring semester, we usually cover a wide range," heh, "of them, but, since we're doing this class in the fall this time, that means we're narrowing in on catapults and trebuchets and the fine autumnal tradition of a good old punkin chuckin."

And if all those siege weapons just so happened to be trained toward that big old Walmart in the woods, well...

Surely that was just coincidence, right?

"Let's get into it."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [10/13].

2023-10-13T12:44:54Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

Missed class last week? What missed class last week? Surely, neither teacher knew what you were talking about.

But anyway, onto class for this week! Back out in the usual training field under the watchful shadow of that model castle on a hill, the table beside Amaya was set up with a smaller variety of weapons, and most of them were actually wooden rather than metal, and she greeted the students with a grin.

"Welcome back, everyone," she said, "and, since the school trip is up next week, that means this week, we're actually going to take a little time to get to know the weapons culture of our destination before we head out, which means we'll be doing over some of the traditional weapons of the Māori people of New Zealand! Now, the Māori tended to favor hand-to-hand combat, and so the weapons they used are reflective of that, and they usually crafted their weapons out of wood, whalebone, greenstone, and regular stone, which is, admittedly, a bit further out of my expertise, although I've had a hand at a few of those materials over the years as well.

"So, today, we're going to talk a little bit about the patu, the mere, the wahaika, the taiaha, and the kotiate, what makes them different, what they were used for, and how to use them. So let's jump right in with the patu..."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [09/22].

2023-09-22T09:41:03Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

"Morning, everyone!" Amaya greeted the class with that little bit extra eagerness shining through today, that came with the prospect of not only getting to blather on about weapons to a captive audience for a certain amount of time, easily one of her favorite things ever, but also to blather on about one of her and Rosa's favorite weapons. Buckle in folks, this one was usually a long one.

"And welcome back! I hope you're feeling limber and ready to work those arms today, because we're moving onto a personal favorite of Detective Diaz over here, and, really, that's no surprise. Today, we're talking all about axes!"

( What kind of woman doesn't have an axe? )

With that, Amaya concluded her ~~ramble~~ lecture and turned a faint grin to the students. "Are there any questions? If not, I'll turn it on over to Detective Diaz."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [09/15].

2023-09-15T14:30:11Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

This week, the class would not be outside in Ren Faire tournament grounds, because this week was the week where Rosa got to pick the location, which meant they were basically in some kind of abandoned warehouse. All the practice dummies were wearing black ninja masks like B-movie criminals because Rosa really did need to lay off the late-night shitty action movie marathons, and there were a few tables with a wide variety of small bladed weapons waiting to be used and explored

"Welcome back, everyone," Amaya greeted the class with a nod. "Last week, we learned about swords, and this week, we're going to be working with something similiar, but smaller. In a way, we're doing this a bit backwards, since swords very likely developed from these weapons, but I do like to start with the classics. So, I hope you're ready, because today, we're going to learn about..."

Amaya had barely trailed off before Rosa yanked one of the weapons out of the wood of the table, threw it past her co-teacher, until it struck firmly in the center of the chest of one of the dummies with a slight wobble at it stuck.

"Daggers," Rosa concluded helpfully.

( Daggers! )

"Well," Amaya sighed a little, shaking her head, "I do think having a switchblade makes you cool. But that's enough about the history aspects of it. Pretty basic, pretty broad, because a dagger's just one of those weapons that's so logical that it makes its way into just about everything, but if you have any specific questions, I'll be more than happy to go into a little more detail. And if not, I'll be handing you over to Detective Diaz, who will go over with you some of the different ways to use a dagger in combat, and then you'll have the chance to give it a try with the practice dummies yourself."

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Basic Weaponry; Friday, Third Period [09/08].

2023-09-08T12:27:13Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

The weather forecast for outside of the school may be a bit cloudy and rainy, but inside the Danger Shop late that Friday morning, it was a beautiful, clear day, filled with bright blue skies and nice, comfortable temperatures. The class would find themselves out on a broad, open field, surrounded by forests, with a castle on a hill (it was only a model) looming in the distance. A training area was set up, with a variety of different posts and target dummies in a space marked with colorful banners, and, where your two teacher stood waiting, there were also racks and tables of weapons waiting to be discussed and explored.

And anyone who knew those two teachers would not at all be surprised that it was Amaya who started talking first. Or who would be doing most of the talking in general.

"Morning, everyone," she said, nodding with her standard greeting, especially for this class "and welcome to Basic Weaponry. I'm Amaya Blackstone, local blacksmith, and this here's Rosa Diaz, local private eye. Together, we've been doing a course on weapons on and off for years here at the school, so you're in good hands if you're hoping to learn a thing or two about all weapons sharp and pointy, blunt and heavy, quick and speedy, or slow and crushing. Typically our lessons are going to be pretty straight forward: we spend the first part of the class learning about the weapon itself--that's my part of the deal--and then the second part of the class is spent learning how to effectively use that weapon--that's where Diaz comes in. By the time we're through, you should hopefully have a good, comprehensive overview of what you like, what you don't, and what you might want to use more of.

"Since there's just the two of you this semester," she added, with a nod to each of them ~~presuming they were both even THERE~~, "we'll be maybe doing things a little bit differently. First one, we're skipping the usual introduction class, because with just two of you, it'd barely take any time and we could use that time more effectively to talk about more weapons. So we'll do just that. And since there's just the two of you, Diaz and I were thinking, especially since we're in the danger shop, if you're comfortable with it, a little sparring action might not be the worst idea, either. But we'll get to that. First, we're going to just dive right in with our first lesson, and that's with one of my personal favorite places to start, one of the most ubiquitous of weapons throughout the ages: the mighty sword!"

( Much Mightier than a Pen! )

"Any questions before we begin?" Amaya nodded to the class again, lifted one fist to pound decisively into the palm of her other hand. "If not, then let's get started!"

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [04/18].

2023-04-18T10:45:05Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

The training field was just a little bit different this week, most notably in the fact that the tables and weapons rack held a wide variety of familiar weapons that had been covered throughout the semester, and there was a long table with a few chairs at it in front of them, and Amaya held a small stack of papers in her hands.

"Well, everyone," she said with a nod, "we've made it to the end of the semester, which means today's class is going to be a good overview to test what you've learned. Literally, as we've compiled up a little exam for you covering all the weapons we've talked about to see what you remembered about them all."

Was the test the result of Amaya's love for imparting weapons knowledge? Was it the result of Rosa's desire to torture students? Was it both?

Both. It was definitely both.

"But," Amaya added, "it isn't very long, and we tried to keep the spirit of the Basic part of the class title in mind when we put it together, so I don't suspect it will take too long. Which means, after you've dealt with the technical aspect, you've got the rest of the class period to do what you can with the practical aspects. All the weapons we've covered are here again today, as well as a few we didn't get to, so if you want to squeeze in some extra practice or ask any lingering questions, today's the day to do it. But first!" She waved the papers and then started to hand them out. "Let's get these exams out of the way!"

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [04/11].

2023-04-11T10:26:31Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

"So far," said Amaya, as she got class started with her usual nod in front of a bunch of weapons rack that gave up the game for the day well before she could get around to it, "we've talked a little bit about a few range weapons, namely things like siege weapons, the classic bow and arrow, and some spear-throwing, but there's still a lot to cover, as far as distance attacks go. So today we're going to turn our focus onto the crossbow, which is sort of like...bridging the gap, a bit, between the more rudimentary bow and the more modern gun, though it's also quite a bit of a thing all on its own. Let's get into it."

And into it they got, as Amaya started out with the most basic of the designs available on the tables, and moves through the history of the weapon's development through the ages until she got to the contemporary equivalent with all its shininess and bells and whistles. Of course, the history, while extensive, still had nothing on the lecture once Amaya got into explaining how the crossbow actually worked and the exploration of its various parts.

She was, as usual, not about to leave any bolt unbolted! "Simple enough, right?" she concluded proudly, about literally one of the most complicated weapon in their arsenal, but shh. "Let me know if you have any questions," because who knows, maybe she did leave something out?, "and if not, then we'll turn it on over to Detective Diaz with the practical lesson."

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [03/28].

2023-03-28T10:27:20Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

The danger shop training grounds was set up just like it usually was every week, but there was one key difference in the class that morning, and that was the fact that one of the teachers was definitely a very large black panther at the moment.

And the other teacher was just going to do have to do the best she could with that information.

"Well," Amaya said, giving the students an apologetic smile as panther!Rosa lay beside her with a look that seemed to shift between complete disinterest in everything and considering the students as potential tasty snacks (well, maybe not Graham; not a lot of meat on that one), "as you can see, Detective Diaz is currently a large cat, which sort of makes our plans for this weeks' class a little trickier to pull off, especially when it comes to the training sessions, but that just means we've got to be a little....creative....and talk about bagh nakh today!

"Bagh nakh," Amaya continued, plucking up one such weapon, "sometimes called tiger claws are said to have their origins around India in this world, and are basically an ancient version of your modern day brass knuckles, just a lot pointier, which, as I'm sure you all know by now, is right up my alley. Designed to fit over the knuckles." here, she took a moment to show off the one way, before fitting them on the other way, "or be concealed under and against the palm, it consists of four or five curved blades affixed to a crossbar or glove, as you can see, and is designed to slash through skin and muscle, as Detective Diaz will show you in a moment.

"Much of the history suggests that it was a preferred weapon for assassins, back in the day, and it was said that many kept their hidden in their turbans, and, quite often, it would be a secondary weapon when dual-wielding...a sword or other such weapon in one hand, with a surprise bagh nakh in the other, and, just like the brass knuckles of today or other such easily concealed blades, it's a popular self-defense weapon in dangerous areas. There's also been sport involved around the bagh nakh, appropriately called 'claw wrestling,' which, you know, is like regular wrestling...but with claws.

"We are not going to be claw wrestling today. Well, I suppose we could be, if you wanted, but we'll get to that shortly..."

Well, shortly being a relative term, because now Amaya was going into her usual bits about the structure, design, and variations on the design part of the lecture, with several examples and occasionally getting very deep into the details of the differences.

"Now, obviously, Detective Diaz has real claws today instead of the bagh nakh, but we'll see how well the weapons compare to the technique of the real thing. Any questions before I unleash the beast on you all?"

Rosa seemed to perk up a bit.

"Er, on the practice dummies," she clarified. "Unless her on the practice dummies."

Rosa's shoulders sank back down.

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [03/21].

2023-03-21T09:11:37Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

The racks that usually stood bristling with weapons behind Amaya in their training field were definitely being put to good use that morning, lined up with an assortment that should leave no guesses as to what the subject of today's class would be.

And, even if there were guesses, Amaya was obviously about to answer that question straight away. "Polearms!" she declared happily. "Close range combat weapons that usually involve something sharp and pointy at the the end of a stick! And, well, consider it the spear's fancier, more elaborate cousin who maybe went to some kind of posh military school, or the like. Though not quite as varied as the sword, there are a multitude of different styles of pole arms, from your halberds to your glaives, tridents count, so do harpoons, bardiches, war scythes, and lances! Even the humble spear itself, when used this way instead of the throwing way from last week! So since there's plenty to talk about today, and plenty of techniques to go over, let's not waste another moment and get right into it!"

And get right into it she did, in the hopefully-by-now expected exhaustive fashion, covering everything from how the concept came about to a more detailed breakdown on how the various different heads of polearms evolved over time, complete with a flowchart and several actual examples of this evolution, with an emphasis on how their versatility and effectiveness, as well as the low cost and ease of production, which lead to a lot of experimentation with styles, which is why so many pole arms'll look so different, even among the same kinds, and why they became so popular as a weapon on the battlefield, especially when you start getting into how effective they were against enemies on horseback.

"Now, generally speaking," ha!, "as you may have noticed by the development of the weapons, pole arms can be divided into three broad categories: those designed for extended reach and thrusting tactics used in pike square or phalanx combat, those designed to increase leverage, thanks to hands being able to move freely towards several different leverage points all along the pole, which could maximize centrifugal force against cavalry, and those designed for throwing tactics used in skirmish line combat. Since we've talked a little bit about throwing spears in our last class, we'll be mostly focusing on thrusting and leverage today. Your focus should really be on what makes the pole arm different from other weapons we've studied in this class so far: the range, the length, and, really, how you use it changes based on the positioning of your hands on the shaft."

"Heh," Rosa contributed helpfully, "shaft."

Aaaaand Amaya was just going to ignore that, thank you, and instead, she was just going to take a few more moments to get into even more specific details about some of the more well known pole arms and what classified them, although... "As I mentioned, there's been a lot of playing around with different forms of pole arms over the centuries, so this is not even remotely exhaustive, but it' a good look at some of the differences. Hopefully, you'll be able to see if those differences make much...well, difference...once you get out there and get a feel for them yourselves.

"And, with that, we'll turn it over to the Detective, unless there's any other lingering questions about pole arms before we start getting into the more hands-on stuff."

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [03/14].

2023-03-14T09:29:26Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

"Morning, everyone!" Amaya greeted the class with her usual eager grin. "So far in this class, we've talked about some of the more sophisticated of the basic weapons that have proven worthy through the test of time and improved on various technology through the ages, but today, we're going to step back a little and explore a more basic weapons....as the title of the class might suggest we would!...that you don't really see as much of today, but really, that just goes to show how diverse weapons can be, and that you don't even need a whole lot of fancy metal and steel to have a good effective weapon! Don't get me wrong! Sometimes, nothing's going to beat a solid sword or axe, and I'm not just saying that because my career depends on it! But that's the beauty of weapons, really. You have choices. And today, with that in mind, we're going to be be talking about the atlatl!"

And this was when Rosa stepped aside to gesture at the table that was behind her, with several atlatl's waiting to be used, with the world's most unenthusiastic "Ta-dah."

Look, wasn't it enough that she'd even let Blackstone convince her to keep up with the 'ta-dah' in the presentation in the first place for this lesson?

( Yeet them Spears! )

How exactly did a early modern 21st century former Brooklyn cop learn to be so good with an ancient hunting tool that was actually illegal to use in several countries? That was a good question. No, she would not be answering it.

"And that," Amaya concluded, "is that. Now it's your turn. If you have any technical questions, feel free to ask them, otherwise, head on over to the training ground, grab your weapons, and give it a try!"

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [03/07].

2023-03-07T09:36:43Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

Anyone who'd talked to Amaya in the past week would probably not at all be surprised about this week's weapon of choice, and that a good deal of the practice dummies out in the training field had been replaced with classic bulls-eye targets. Because Amaya was definitely still on her bow buillshit.

"Welcome back, everyone," she greeted the class with her usual nod. "Today, we're going to be going over a weapon that's not really as much my wheelhouse as some of the others we've covered, but I'm a fair enough hand at it, and I've steadily been improving over the years, and I assure you, my coteacher here's expertise in this area more than makes up for it. What is this weapon, you may ask? Why, it just so happens, it's none other than bows!"

( Shot through the heart. )

"That just about covers the basics," Amaya grinned faintly. "If there's any questions, though, let's have 'em, and then we're going to get to work. First, before we get to the fun part, I'm going to teach you all how to actually string a bow, because a bow's not much good if you've gone and snapped a string or worn it down and can't replace it with a new one. Then it's off to Detective Diaz, where she'll go over nocking, aiming, and shooting at the targets we've got set up over there, and I'm sure, by the end of the class, if you're not an expert already, you will be!

"Or," she added, chuckling faintly, "at the very least, since we're in the Danger Shop, if you're not an expert by the end of class, at least you'll not have lost an eye."

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [02/28].

2023-02-28T12:18:17Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

The danger shop setting of your weekly weapons class had changed substantially this week; instead of the big grassy field and tournament banners with a castle (only a model!) looming over from a hilltop, the class would find themselves on a long stretch of sandy beach beside a turquoise-blue ocean, with the thick tropical jungle on the other side, in what was clearly a recreation of some of the landscapes that had filled their vacation last week. And the nice thing about the danger shop recreation? Neither of your instructors had to be even remotely fussed about what the humidity might be doing to their hair.

( Bring on the Badiks! )

"Naturally, then," Amaya flashed another grin, "we're going to be learning to fight with the badik in the traditional dueling sense! There are, of course, a few other fighting techniques that Detective Diaz here is going to show you, and then we'll go around, partner up, and get to dueling! Any questions about the badik itself before we jump into the fray? If not, I'll hand it over to the detective and we'll get started."

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [02/14].

2023-02-14T09:52:21Z

Posted by: died8yearsago

There had been a little bit of a debate, as to whether or not Amaya should run class by herself or not today, with Rosa insisting that she was 'too busy' and Amaya insisting that it might do Rosa some good to actually come up for air at some point during the week. So a compromise was struck, meaning Rosa got to pick the topic for the class itself, and, over all, it was probably a pretty good plan for everyone who might be feeling like they had some pent up frustration they needed to get out.

It was simultanious the best idea and the worst idea, but it was an idea that had definitely worked well for them (and maybe even the students!) in the past.

"Explosives!" Rosa announced cheerfully (especially for her), with a gesture toward the random collection of various bombs, grenades, Molotov cocktails, and a lot of other things that might put the person writing this on a list if they attempted to go into more detail than that. "AKA blowing shit up! Not always the most tactical of weapons, but definitely some of the most fun. And very, very satisfying. Typically also very dangerous, especially when you're in a state of elevated distraction....which I'm sure none of you are dealing with right now at all, right?" Look at that, Rosa was actually grinning, because someone was enjoying this all way, way too much. This was her favorite week. "Which is to say, don't try this at home. But in case you're stupid enough to disregard that and repeat anything here outside of a controled environment where you won't blow off your own fucking head, I am going over a few safety thngs, try to pay at least a little bit of attention. I know it's hard right now, but, if you don't, I totally get to laugh at you when you eventually lose a hand."

Don't worry, she'll keep it brief. She wants to get to blowing things up just as much as you guys do.

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [02/07].

2023-02-07T11:16:41Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

Today was finally the day where that castle sitting up there on the hill overlooking their Danger Shop training field became so much more than only a model...

It was going to become the target.

And the weapons they were using today were definitely not going to fit on a table or a rack.

"Siege weapons!" Amaya announced happily, excitedly, gesturing to the small collection of various delightful mechanical wonders around her. "Specifically, petrary weapons, which are a classification of siege weapons that involve flinging heavy objects or missiles, typically large stones, though not always. And before anyone asks, no, we will not be flinging each other, even if it is the danger shop. I'll admit, it's kind of a jump from some of the more traditional melee weapons we've been covering so far, but they're fun, and a nice little break for your arms this week, so you're welcome. They're not exactly the most practical of weapons in this particular day and age...they're not really the most practical of weapons outside of war in general, for that matter, if I'm entirely honest, but I dare anyone to give one of these a try and then look me in the eye and tell me that they didn't have a good time with it."

A faint blush may have sprung up with those words this time around, but Amaya was clearly moving forward.

"Petrary weapons were developed as a way to break down fortresses and walls to gain points of entry into enemy strongholds. Some of them are gravity operated, like a trebuchet, where a large counterweight is used to propel the missile, or they're tension operated, like a catapult, where the throwing arm is pulled back and then released.

"Today, you'll have the chance to give four different petrary weapons a try: the classic catapult, the traditional trebuchet, a biting ballista, and the more manual mangonel..."

And if anyone in particular was wanting a complete and detailed dissection on exactly what made each one different in painstaking detail, you were in luck! Because that was exactly what you were getting, as Amaya launched into how each one was made, how to use one, what the benefits and downfalls of each design was, and all the thrilling science behind it all. Look. They were both weapons and machines. She was going to geek out about them. It could not be helped, especially since she was covering both sides of the class that day. Rosa was still absolutely there, she wouldn't miss siege weapon day for anything if she could help it, but Amaya definitely had more experience with them than she had, in a rare turn of events, so she was more than happy to let the blacksmith take the entire lead on the class.

She would, however, be testing the machines right along side the students. Bashing down fake castles never got old.

Amaya knew that the students, too, would likely be itching to go break down some fake walls on that nice stately castle (even if it was only a model), so she wasted no more time after she'd concluded her exhaustively handwavey lessons on each one.

"If anyone wants me to go over anything again once they actually get up to one of the machines and start to figure out how to put all of this into practice," she said, "just let me know. But I think you're ready to give it a try, so go ahead," she lifted her hands, pounding one fist into her palm, "and let's get our siege on."

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [01/31].

2023-01-31T10:13:05Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

Surprising no one, the class was still out on that open medieval tournament field, with racks of weapons gleaming in the simulated sunshine and a flock of practice dummies standing there ready to meet their brutal fates. And brutal it would be, for today, they would be talking about maces.

( Big Heavy Hitting Sticks. )

"And you know what else we love to see? Maces in action! So we'll keep it brief today, it's a little tricky to get into maces too much without getting really technically on you guys, but I'll be happy to open it up to any questions you might have before handing you over to Detective Diaz to show you to put these bludgeoners to work!"

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [01/24].

2023-01-24T12:21:27Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

"Morning, everyone!" Amaya greeted the class with the usual eagerness that came with the prospect of getting to blather on about weapons to a captive audience for a certain amount of time, easily one of her favorite things ever. "And welcome back! I hope you're feeling limber and ready to work those arms today, because we're moving onto a personal favorite of Detective Diaz over here, and, really, that's no surprise. Today, we're talking all about axes!"

( What kind of woman doesn't have an axe? )

With that, Amaya concluded her ~~ramble~~ lecture and turned a faint grin to the students. "Are there any questions? If not, I'll turn it on over to Detective Diaz."

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [01/03].

2023-01-17T10:49:13Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

The class was back in that spacious outdoor training grounds with a certain medieval flair from the first class, with plenty of room for movement amongst the collection of practice dummies, as well as several racks of the Weapon Du Jour! gleaming in the bright fake sunlight, and the usual air of excitement that came from at least one of the teachers with regards to getting to explore another type of weapon yet again.

It shouldn't be hard to guess which one!

"Welcome back, everyone," Amaya started, giving the students a nod, a grin, and a small pump of her fist. "Last week, we went over daggers, and we're...expanding on that notion a little bit with a weapon that may seem similar in design and concept, but, when you get right down to it, is quite a bit different in how you use it. They're some of the most basic and ubiquitous of weapons, possibly the first thing that comes to a lot of people's minds when they think of weapons, ones that some might find a little archaic but never fails to do its job of slicing, dicing, poking and prodding, and that is the mighty sword."

( MUCH mightier than a pen! )

"Any questions before we begin?" Amaya nodded to the class again, lifted one fist to pound decisively into the palm of her other hand. "If not, then let's get started!"

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Basic Weaponry; Tuesday, First Period [01/10].

2023-01-10T10:00:53Z

Posted by: special_rabbit

This week, the class would not be outside in Ren Faire tournament grounds, because this week was the week where Rosa got to pick the location, which meant they were basically in some kind of abandoned warehouse. All the practice dummies were wearing black ninja masks like B-movie criminals because Rosa really did need to lay off the late-night shitty action movie marathons, and there were a few tables with a wide variety of small bladed weapons waiting to be used and explored

"Welcome back, everyone," Amaya greeted the class with a nod. "Now that we're in week two, we can start getting into the good stuff, and start working with actual weapons. Well. Not actual weapons, since we're still in the danger shop, but you know what I mean. And the first weapon we're going to learn about is..."

Amaya had barely trailed off before Rosa yanked one of the weapons out of the wood of the table, threw it past her co-teacher, until it struck firmly in the center of the chest of one of the dummies with a slight wobble at it stuck.

"Daggers," Rosa concluded helpfully.

( Daggers! )

"Well," Amaya may have groused slightly, "I do think having a switchblade makes you cool. But that's enough about the history aspects of it. Pretty basic, pretty broad, because a dagger's just one of those weapons that's so logical that it makes its way into just about everything, but if you have any specific questions, I'll be more than happy to go into a little more detail. And if not, I'll be handing you over to Detective Diaz, who will go over with you some of the different ways to use a dagger in combat, and then you'll have the chance to give it a try with the practice dummies yourself."

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