Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
AHS Announcements
Staff Announcement

A Mysterious Message!
Read Yours!

Now Up to the Plate!
Read More!


A new skin has been added in honor of the season! Also, Brackenridge Manor has opened it's doors! The butler has some words of warning for you.

Cordially, Icarus
Main Storyline Information

Current Storyline Thread
Party at Brackenridge


Welcome, you are currently not logged in. Without being logged in you are limited to posting in Contact the Staff and the Advertising forum. You are welcome to read as much as you like, but when you are ready to join, go ahead and read the rules and create an account!

Create an Account!


If you're already a member please log in:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
...And then, our hands can learn to use weapons.; Closed, Neo.
Topic Started: Dec 30 2005, 01:03 PM (387 Views)
Isabella Williams
Unregistered

It was not unknown to little Isa's family that she had a tendency not to concentrate. Free to pursue flights of fancy and play all day now freed from her parental guardianship, her parental figures had worried that perhaps she would forget why she was here; to learn, to grow, and so, before she left they tried to press upon her the importance of what she was, and of learning their craft.

They were not necromancers of the common kind, her grandmother would begin, but rather working for some higher purpose, a cause greater than themselves. Their duty was to ensure that the dead stayed dead, and were not free to wander about. The bells were crafted with this in mind, and soon her grandmother would leave her - and go where, Isa wondered - and it would be left to her to be sure that she had the skills and knowledge to be able to bind and send back what should not be left wandering in Life.

It was an important job, Isa decided as they explained, and she swore grandly to return after her education was complete as a fully-fledged necromancer and binder, adept in traversing death and having complete mastery of the seven bells, in the name of the Seven Bright Shiners.

There are in fact, a total of Nine Bright Shiners, but Isabella was told that two of them do not count, as they were disobedient and opposed the Charter, and so they were sealed, and the remaining Seven poured themselves into the Seven Bells; their names were Ranna, Mosrael, Dyrim, Belgaer, Kibeth, Saraneth, and Astarael.

And so in conclusion, her Grandmother had summed up, it was her solemn duty to learn how to protect herself and fend off the dark creatures of Death, bind them and send them back to whence they came. She was given two of the most harmless bells to protect her; Ranna and Dyrim, and was promised the rest when she had grown and mastered the ones she had.

Bells are not the only weapons a necromancer has, however, and with envious green eyes Isabella spied the sword her Grandmother had owned, once, and now could no longer wield. Nehima; a long, elegant blade spelled with Charter magic, so the symbols flowed freely beneath the surface of the blade, occasionally shifting their patterns to spell out words that Isabella could read.

Nehima boldly announced its name, its infusion with the Charter and claimed to have been forged by the Eight Bright Shiner himself. Upon questioning the purpose of the sword, as well as the ethics involved in having a dangerous weapon lying about the house, Isabella was told the following by her Father, who was around so rarely, she tended to listen to him when he was:

"First, Isabella, we learn to use our hands. Then, our hands can learn to use weapons."

And so that, really, was why she was here. Because against all the belief to the opposite amongst her family, Isabella had taken this seriously. She held this quest aloft with all the magnificence and importance it should have, and took it upon herself to fulfil it; like the knights of old in the days when dragons and quests were real, and, smiling, she threw herself into preparations for it.

Amidst studying passages from the Grimoire that taught of Death and all things related; of Dead Hands and the many lower Denizens of Death, or Mordicants and worse things, of legendary necromancers, of Free Magic and of the Charter, of the Nine Bright Shiners, it was also necessary for her to learn to use what she had.

Not just Ranna and Dyrim, but her body; her hands and feet, arms, legs, every joint and muscle, her tail for balance and senses to become aware of everything, and in doing so she could learn to establish an advantage over any enemy.

This was not as easy as it seemed. During the three days of every month when her instincts rose to fill her body and she became more cat than human, then she could fight. Fight like a frenzied thing of claws and fur and fury and hissing and spitting, and quick, agile movements to duck and swerve and dodge and dive with teeth and claws and fist at any vulnerable part of the body.

Now, however, it had passed, and she stood calm and passive as always, tail flicking impetuously in the air behind her. Master Jacob would train her, she knew, but at the same time she did not wish to be embarrassed in front of him. She stood for something powerful, representing ancient magic, and that should not be made a mockery of by a small cat-like girl in denim jean-shorts over smooth, tanned legs, trainer-socks and white trainers with a stripe of red, and a sunshine-yellow baby-doll shirt with the white head of Japan's infamously famous feline stitched across it.

Tail flicked again and ears twitched, and she hopped from one foot to the other, copying someone she saw far ahead, grabbing one ankle behind her with an outstretched hand and hopping on the remaining leg. She wasn't sure what the purpose of this exercise was, and felt more than a little ridiculous bouncing on one foot whilst trying to keep her balance. Presently, she saw her interest switch foot, and copied, a ponytail full of thick black hair bobbing about behind her swaying head.

Simple enough, wasn't it? There was equipment scattered about, perhaps she ought to start hitting something. Still; a little guidance would be useful.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Neo
Member Avatar
I'd beware if I were you
[ *  *  *  * ]
The morning seemed normal enough to the naked eye. To be honest, everything was quite normal this early in the day. A few gray clouds were floating by, each one looking like it could begin to drop a few flakes of snow on the spot. There was the usual breeze of wind blowing by, with just the right chill factor to make each gust feel chilly. It just felt like a typical Winter day, and yet, one Sage Minovsky could be found outside, jogging like it was late spring. He was dressed normal enough, clad in a red sweatshirt with black sweatpants to protect him from the cold, and wearing a somewhat worn pair of sneakers which served the simple job of keeping his feet comfortable as he was out running.

Today however, he had something that he usually doesn't carry with him. It was his portable CD player, playing the debut CD of his potential love interest, Shizuka Otokaze. He would be talking to her right now, but she told him that she had to go out on a promotional tour for the next couple months, but she would at least try and call him. It wasn't his place to say anything though, this was her job, all he could do was support her while she was gone. It was tough dating a pop idol, even tougher to keep it under wraps from the tabloids, and he was shocked that it still remained between them and his friends.

After a good twenty minutes since beginning the CD once again, he finally found himself back at the gym, only slightly out of breath from the roadwork. It was probably a good idea to go out this morning, the weather was good enough to keep him motivated to continue his run, and he needed a break away from the school to think. This is his last year here at AHS, and he needed to think on where he wanted to go afterwards, but there are still so many choices that he has to work out first. And as he takes a sip from his water bottle, Sage figured that he had enough of thinking of that for the time being, and stepped inside to change.

As he passed by some of the other students who were excercising, one person in particular stood out from the crowd. There was a young woman there, mimicing what another person had been doing, but what was most peculiar about her were the two cat ears and the tail that she had been sporting. Truth be told, Sage didn't know many cat girls himself, so seeing her did surprise him a bit. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he calmly walked over towards her with one simple question in mind.

"Um, 'cuse me there love, but uh... what are you doing?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Isabella Williams
Unregistered

The trouble with balancing on one leg is that you can often forget that that's what you're doing. So, for example, when someone tries to get your attention from behind, and you turn around quickly to face them, you can often lose balance or wobble slightly.

Or, in Isabella’s case, emit a small, surprised squeak and fall dizzily about, landing promptly on her backside, with a jolt. The sharp bump sent her thick black hair over her shoulders in a shower, and left a sizable amount dangling obscuringly over her face. Two bright green eyes blinked through, and she cocked her head, sending the black strands slipping back to where they belonged.

"Um, 'cuse me there love, but uh... what are you doing?"

“I uh, I was…” She turned her head desperately, searching for the girl that she had been copying. Unfortunately, that girl had since departed. “Umm. Stretching. I think, um. There was someone, a girl, I was copying her, ‘cause I…eheh…” The words flopped out of her mouth and literally floundered on the floor, pointless. It didn’t convey her point very well, or answer his question. He probably thought she was mad.

“Eh. There was a girl,” she launched, trying again, “over there,” accompanied with a wild hand-gesture that encompassed half the gym, “stretching, she was, so I copied, I kinda… Came here to train and fight, but Ionno how, an’ I didn’t think you hadta, I thought it was just…easy…”
She finished, blinking twice more with eyes that were unnaturally green, and nibbling along her lower lip.

It was a difficult point for someone as inarticulate as Isabella to explain, she tended to fall over her words, or sentences that made total sense to her made a mushy mess when they came out, splurged uselessly and flailed without giving any understanding or insight. Planting her feet far-apart against the floor, her knees bent against her chest, she sank forwards dismally, drawing circles in the dust with one long finger, apparently giving up on the explanation.

((Forgive me, for I am sick x_x))
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Neo
Member Avatar
I'd beware if I were you
[ *  *  *  * ]
ooc: That's ok. I'm slightly injured at the moment myself, so I can understand.

Sage was more then slightly surprised at what had happened just now. First the young woman was balanced nicely... then the next moment she was placed flat on her posterior on the hard gym floor. Even he had to flinch at how she landed, cause it looked quite painful to him. The sight he was met with her and her hair everywhere could have been quite humerous under other circumstances, and the thought that catgirls landed on their feet was thrown out as well.

Unfortunately for him, she was only giving out random bits of information as to what she had been doing at first, all the while looking for someone around her, and even he had difficulty trying to decipher it all. Then she began again with her little explination, only this time the words didn't sound forced, it was more like she was able to express herself somewhat more naturally. At the end however, she still looked a bit downtrodden, which was shown by her dimished demenor. However, Sage did have enough to piece together what she was trying to say by now.

"Well, it probably did seem easy to her, probably because she had been practicing that for years. If you weren't careful with that, 'could have popped a bone or joint in that leg of yours out of place just now. Besides, what she was doing just now wouldn't teach you how to fight. Would keep you fit 'n trim enough to stay in shape, it would."

Yeah, Sage had practice on how to make out what someone was saying with the least of detail. From beginning back in his school at home, to what he learned on his travels, to using it practally here, he's had lots of time to refine it all. Still, he could tell she really wanted to learn something about how to defend herself. Luckily for her, he didn't have much on his agenda at the moment, so he walked over and held his hand out to help her up.

"If you wanted to learn a thing or two about how to use those limbs of yours, I suppose I could at least show you some of the basics. Would help in preventing you from breaking something, right?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Isabella Williams
Unregistered

((The following is an example of what might happen if you put a catgirl on speed.))

"In shape?"

Her head snapped up, that emerald stare now intent, fixed; something a lot less fluid and inconsistent than before. Slowly, a smile flittered over her face, tugged at her cheeks and spread, wide and pretty. She grinned, and sprang back, that slim body arcing effortlessly back to her feet; tail poised behind for balance, as she landed on one foot.

"I'm already in shape, see?" Her voice was high and pretty, inflected with a giggle that was like silver bells; like water on pebbles. Speaking of bells, the ones that hung from her gloves rang slightly when she moved, stilled for the most part by the outer-layer of fabric. The one dangling from her collar rang brightly, Saraneth's commanding tone, unsuppressed.

"You'd teach me? Reallyreally?"
A shriek, a squeal of delight and the neko flung herself at him, literally leaping from the ground and hurtling headlong into him, arms wrapped firmly around his waist.

They hit the floor with a thud, and the excited child clung on, her tail swishing about in the air behind her head, excitedly.

"Eeeee! Thankyou! Thankyouthankyouthankyou so much! Isa's new best friend, yesyes!"

She detached herself from him eventually, reeling back onto her feet and spinning in a wide circle, arms flung out at either side. Her hair whipped out behind her as she spun, and she hopped from one foot to the other. Then, the pose switched. As if on cue, Isabella shifted into an outrageously exaggerated fighting stance, something once might see before a lunge in fencing, and slashed at the air with an imaginary sword.

Clearly, this boy had no idea what he had gotten himself into.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Neo
Member Avatar
I'd beware if I were you
[ *  *  *  * ]
He didn't quite expect to see the girl's head just raise up like that, with a gaze that looked like something came over her. It was a bit creepy at first, but luckily Sage had seen the smile appear on her face, which caused him to start relaxing a little. He's been around someone who's acted like this before, but that was a long time ago. Still, before he could respond, she snapped back to her feet like it was nothing. So apparently, he might have to take back that comment about her possibly hurting herself now. That neko agility still served to surprise him at times.

Next thing he knows, through the bells on her gloves and collar ringing, something else did as well... his head. Mainly cause he wasn't braced or prepared for when she tackled him all of a sudden, and it made him land not only on his back, but the back of his head hit the gym floor at the exact same moment. Why do some of the girls I know always have to glomp a bloke? was all he thought at that moment. Unfortunately, this was also something he was used to. But this did serve one purpose though. Throughout all this, he did hear a bit of her name at least, even though he was going to ask for it soon enough.

It took a moment after she had returned to her feet before Sage stood up again however, mainly cause he wanted to get all the cobwebs out of his head first. He did see the stance that she had taken, and as unorthodox as it was, even he had to chuckle a little before he had to stop her.

"Sorry love, weapons like that aren't my specialty, I'm more of a hand to hand person myself. But here, I'ma go get myself changed and drop off my stuff real quick. Back in a moment."

And just as soon as he said that, and let Isabella say whatever she had on her mind, he turned around and went into the guys locker room. On the way, he had only one other thought wander around in his head.

Sage ol' bean... what did you get yourself into now?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Isabella Williams
Unregistered

((Kinda can't think of... anything much to post.))

Isabella nodded sagely, eyes wide and her mouth set in a thin, straight line; all serious, important business. He was nice, offering to help her like that, and didn't seem to mind getting his shoulder blades bruised a little. She probably ought to leap at people less, they probably didn't like it.

Isabella sat back down on the floor promptly, playing with the tip of her tail, wriggling it in both hands, and occasionally pausing to scratch her head. She pursed her lips and blew out her cheeks, sending a wave of air upwards to make her fair flutter.

It was boring, being on your own. That pretty head darted from side to side, searching for something of interest. Something shiny, something dangly, something to chase or bat at.

...There!

Some foolhardy soul had let the lace of his running shoe come undone, and as he walked past Isabella unwound and pounced; furiously batting at the boy's white lace as it snaked along the ground. He shot her one very surprised, quizical look before hastily retreating, and left her alone again.

Alone and bored.

She sighed, and rolled onto her back, kicking her legs in air.

"Muuuu... Should've brought a book."
Quote Post Goto Top
 
Neo
Member Avatar
I'd beware if I were you
[ *  *  *  * ]
(Hooray, I could actually think up something finally.)

"Doubt you'd actually be needing one of those love, might not have the time to read it."

It didn't take Sage that long to clean up and come back outside, just needed a quick scrub here and there to freshen himself from the long run he did, some deodorant and a change of clothes that he had brought with him earlier and he was good to go. Isabella would probably notice the same shoes that he had on, but now he was in a plain red t-shirt and training pants, not to mention now he had on a pair of black fingerless leather gloves.

She would also see a strap connected to a duffel bag draped over his shoulder for only a moment, before he removed it and placed it down on the floor. Inside, among other things, he had pulled out a pair of padded gloves that he picked up for her on the way back out, and placed them right beside where she was laying down. Amazingly enough, they even looked to be in her size.

"Before I start you through the ropes, I gotta see where to start you from. So go ahead and put on the gloves I got you, and take a couple swings at me. Don't have to worry about me though, not gonna do anything but watch and block."

Taking the time to pop a couple knuckles before he got started, Sage shifted his stance to where his right arm was positioned out and just above his waist, and his left was in front of his chest. His legs were posed to where they could move at any moment, and in almost any direction he needed to go. But the thing is, he was standing very still, to where the only movement he made was his breathing. All he did was wait... wait for whatever Isabella was going to do first. He was serious about one thing though, he did have no intention on harming the girl. It was the first lesson, after all.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums with no limits on posts or members.
« Previous Topic · Yearbook: 2006 · Next Topic »
Add Reply