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 Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:19 am
  This is a private role play between Shin-mu [Beejoux] and Van [Kurama no Koishi].
Setting:Under a tree on the grounds of the academy. Shin-Mu is attempting to teach Van a little something about battle etiquette
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:41 am
A sigh escaped past frowning lips as she lowered herself down to sit against the tree that'd been decided on. The pair of books she'd brought with her resting on her folded legs. She wasn't looking forward to the hours to come. A teacher had approached her about tutoring another student, and at the time, Shin had a little more enthused about the idea. After dwelling on it, she could see it as the inevitable disaster it was surely going to be.
The other student was a legionaire whom Shin had not yet met. A girl by the name of Van. Apparently she needed a little assistance on the subject of battle etiquette and ethics, a subject that Shin had gotten high marks in(though she'd gotten high marks in all her classes.). She was confident in her ability to teach, that wasn't what had her worried. What worried her was the conflicting allegiances, and to a lesser extent, A member of the legion with a poor sense of fair play in a battle.
Drumming her nails against the books on her lap she pushed the worries and unease aside. Instead focusing on the lesson plan she'd put together in preparation of the tutoring. She was no stranger to teaching her peers, having been called in before to assist classmates in other subjects, and she was perfectly confident in her ability to present information in a way that could be understood. Of course, her approach to teaching was only effective when the lunarian she tutoring was willing to learn.
Another sigh threatened contour softly glossed lips into a frown before she fought it off and settled on bored neutrality. She didn't wanna come off as unfriendly or hostile, specially to someone that might potentially be looking for a fight. She was learning through hard lessons that a battle could spring from the most harmless of situations.
(Crappy post is crappy. x.x Forgive me!)
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:05 pm
A decidedly purple Lunarian stalked briskly across campus toward her destination. Van was going to a tutoring session this particular afternoon. The reason for the rush wasn’t because she was so excited to learn and be taught, no, it was because she wanted to get done with the lesson in Battle Ethics as quickly as possible. The class was the only one that Van couldn’t seem to excel in. She wasn’t necessarily a cerebral Lunarian; still, she at least held her own in her other classes, probably because they seemed to be more relevant to the fighting career than this particular class did.
That, and the Legionnaire was simply hardheaded. She simply didn’t see the point in fretting over the ethics of battle, because, in times of war, wasn’t the point to survive? Wasn’t one supposed to utilize every means possible to ensure the survival of one’s alliance? The girl couldn’t comprehend the presence of fair play in times of war. Sure, this could also be the result of a certain stinky distraction sitting in front of her in her class period—but this was a whole ‘nother can of worms.
Van wasn’t even worried about the tutor. Some high and mighty Noble, named Shin-Mu. She’d never met the girl before, but there likely wasn’t going to be a problem unless the other girl was too rock-solid and arrogant in her beliefs. Van respected intelligent people, Legionnaire or no, but she would not tolerate even the slightest bit of condescension—the reason for this being that no one was much better than Van at all, in her thoughts.
As she finally approached the girl by the tree, she couldn’t help but give Shin-mu a bit of a once-over. Certainly the bookish type, no doubt. Van didn’t foresee a friendship right away, but if this girl could help her get a better grade without her having to sacrifice too much of her personal beliefs, well, there was something. Textbooks loose in her hands, the Legionnaire seated herself next to her tutor.
“You must be Shin-mu,” she said dispassionately, stating the obvious. However, she was really just thinking, “Let’s just get this over with.”
[[ Psh, not even. Though, if you forgive me mine, I will forgive you yours. :> ]]
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Posted: Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:02 pm
Movement caught the darkling noble's eyes, drawing her attention to the purple lunarian striding across the field. It had to be Van, who else could it be? She didn't recognize the legionaire right away, but the closer she got the more familiarity surrounded her. No, they'd never met before, but Shin had begun to take notice of those she shared lessons with. Fed up with running into classmates unawares. It was just another form of ignorance, and Shin would simply not tolerate it any longer.
Setting the books down beside the tree, Shin got to her feet. Hands brushing habitually along her thighs to clear away any unwelcome debris. Cool eyes watched Van approach, looking the other girl over from toes to pony tail. She was obviously more fit then Shin, and the darker girl had to assume she was on her way to being a fighter rather then a soul conduit like herself.
The flesh along the bridge of her nose twitched, pinching gently. She had mixed feelings on Legionaires, specifically those that settled their problems with their fists. While she herself had never attacked the other faction for the simple crime of disagreeing with her alliance, they had. While she would have loved to keep a neutral stand on the matter, the wrongful treatment she'd so recently fallen victim to left her bitter and angry.
This girl had never wronged her though, so it was a small smile and calm eyes that met her as she neared. She could be polite, civil, at least until promoted otherwise. "I am, and you're Van." The sweep of her hand gestured down towards the books and the bass of the tree she'd previously been seated under. "Shall we begin?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:44 pm
Van watched the other girl a bit warily as she waited for the reaction. Shin-Mu was pleasant enough in her greeting, although she was sure that this was all it was—a pleasantry. Characteristically, Van didn’t smile back, but instead issued a curt nod in acknowledgement. The Legionnaire was not especially keen on befriending any of the opposing faction, but seeing as Van had not yet been provoked, she would continue to behave herself.
Shifting focus from Shin-Mu to the task at hand, Van felt a sense of acute dread. She’d outright failed the previous exam on ‘The Conduct of War.’ Usually, she could scrape by on barely passing marks, but there had been no chance on this one. And now, she had to ask for help. Gritting her teeth slightly, Van thumbed to the middle of the book. “I was having trouble with this chapter,” she admitted a bit begrudgingly.
Not only did she have a misaligned sense of ethics, she always had an exceedingly hard time conceding to someone else. Frankly she was only here because she was afraid of her mother’s wrath if she failed another exam. The Legionnaire thought of the various torture devices in her family’s armory and suppressed a shudder.
Continuing, Van began to read off some of the subheadings. “’Whom it is Ethical to Fight, How Much Force it is Ethical to Use, Is the Use of Certain Weapons Always Wrong?’ Those in particular.” The girl lifted her pale violet eyes slowly, as if trying to come to terms with her subpar performance, before looking to Shin-Mu intently. If there was a way to make sense of all of this, the Noble better cough it all up now.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 8:32 pm
There was no smile in greeting from the other girl but Shin couldn't help but admire the way she dove directly into the matter at hand. If not enthusiastically, then at the very least determined, and that was something she could relate to. Perhaps the afternoon would not be quite so tedious as she had originally imagined. One could only hope.
With the flicker of a smile touching her lips she sank back down to her knees, smoothing her skirt beneath her thighs before looking obligingly towards the page van had turned to. Reading over the titles even as she said them aloud. Pale brows arching thoughtful before she looked up to the girl beside her.
The topics mentioned, although at first glance seemed different, all carried a central theme, and it was that theme that had Shin smiling softly as she met Van's lovely gaze. "Perhaps it it too bold of me to say so, but you seem a very practical sort of lunarian." She was beginning to see such ruthless practicality as virtue rather then a flaw, but she had put the time in to study the chapter along with the rest of the material assigned to them in classes. She no longer fully agreed with what they were working on now, but she knew the content quite well.
"Either way," she continued, picking up a book of her own and resting it on her lap. Not so much out of necessity as habit. "No matter if you agree with the principles of ethical battle or not, all that is required to pass this course is a knowledge in what they hope for you to embody. Whether or not you chose to follow them outside of school or in the future is completely up to you."
She had no desire to drill such questionable fundamentals into the other girl's head, and would instead happily help her commit to memory the information she would require to pass her next exam.
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:19 pm
Van was still very much thinking about the folly of the world of Battle Ethics when Shin-Mu began to speak, and it was for this reason that the purple Lunarian seemed a bit thrown off by the compliment when she heard it. This, and it was not the sort of compliment that she was used to receiving. However, with time she had learned to accept these graciously. “Well, thank you, Shin-Mu.” A brief quirk of the lips and a nod followed. She wasn’t entirely sure what had brought this on, but it was best to leave things be in these situations. The Noble girl’s voice brought Van to attention once again.
It was with some interest that the Legionnaire listened to what Shin-Mu had to say next—so different from how the professor tried to illuminate things! Indeed, Van had spent the majority of her time in Battle Ethics getting pissed off at the doctrines that their teacher had tried to instill in them. With him, it had never been an option. With Shin-Mu, at least, the choice was acknowledged. And it was upon this realization that Van began to wonder whether the other girl, too, disagreed with the notion of battle ethics. That was a question she would reserve for later. Perhaps this lesson would not be as much of a catastrophe as previously expected.
There was a brief silence as Van mulled over this. “Finally, someone who isn’t trying to brainwash me!” she said finally, with a relieved sigh. It sounded like a bit of a joke, but behind every joke is a bit of truth, and this was no exception. “I guess we can start with the first subheading?” She had clearly relaxed quite a bit since their first words were exchanged. This wasn’t to say that Van was going to be overly friendly now, but at least she had no need to be hostile.
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 11:35 am
Smiling, Shin gave a curt little nod in regards to the thanks. A single delicate hand moving up to smooth pale hair along her right temple and cheek. What make up could not hide of the bruises still healing upon her face, the careful fall of blush colored hair would. So long as she didn't forget herself that is. They were ugly things, these marks, and she would be happy when they cleared away completely. They at least would not last too long, the same could not be said for her recent emotional torture. She would not dwell though, not now.
Study was a lovely distraction for the mind, and that was the only reason she had even agreed to this tutoring session. Now that she actually met Van, she was starting to think she'd made a unexpectedly wide choice. Despite her being so openly Legion. Where once there had been no bias now resided a rather bitter outlook on the opposing faction. Still, So far so good.
If things went smoothly, and it certainly seemed as though they might, her immediate impression of the lesion on a whole might just take a slightly more positive turn. The virtues of one would not erase the sins of many though. She would not judge Van, not yet, but her hate for those that had already wronged her still lingered. Clung to and buried deep within her to boil and fester.
"I would never think to force my particular beliefs on anyone," she noted, glancing up at the girl beside her. "I seek only to share information. What you do with that information is your own decision." She was smiling, a sly little upturn of painted lips. Spring lily eyes twinkling gently. Not everything the noble girl studied was a topic she believed in, but she pursed these avenues of knowledge all the same. Preferring to be well versed in all things, instead of only those she embraced.
"Of course." A quick glance at the book in Van's lap let Shin scan the text beneath the sub header, reacquainting herself with the content so it would be fresh in her mind. "I think perhaps we should begin with your take on whom you should and should not fight, and go from there."
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:49 pm
Van continued to nod in response to Shin’s statements. It all seemed fair enough. If the Noble would help her to pass the future exams without forcing her to compromise her own personal beliefs, then she could not complain—as long as allegiances were not brought to the table. However, with the subject at hand, it was almost unavoidable.
“I will fight anyone I don’t like, anyone who deserves it,” Van said honestly, with the frankness of someone who doesn’t see anything wrong with her words, “It doesn’t matter whether they’re Noble or Legion, or who their parents are—if they ask for a fight, they’ll get it.” Why should there be anything wrong with this? Van had yet to physically fight in the war alongside Legionnaires, many of whom she’d surely butt heads with. As long as she was off the battlefield, though, there was no reason to cling to the school’s pompous sense of ‘justice.’
The next part of the question was more difficult for Van to answer. “I will not fight—” she broke off suddenly, grasping for words. Who wouldn’t she fight, if it was merited? But therein lay the key to her answer. The Legionnaire recomposed herself and began again. “I will not fight the undeserved; I will not fight the innocent.” As with the group of Lunarians she would be willing to fight, allegiance mattered not.
This raised the question, of course, as to what in Van’s mind deserved physical retaliation. But Van’s sense of justice was her own, and not necessarily that of the polarizing society around her. Unlike many, she was not partial toward those of her own faction or even her own kin. Unorthodox? Perhaps, but the girl refused to change until she saw a reason to. It all boiled down to reason.
Her full lips had pursed in a rather determined manner by the end of her internal monologue, but she lifted her eyes to Shin-Mu once more, awaiting her response.
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:56 am
Straightening, Shin folded her hands in her lap a turned her eyes down to the pages of the book in Van's lap as she listened to the other girl answering the questions she'd posed. Chin bobbing gently periodically in subtle agreement to what she had to say. The noble agreed with Van's battle philosophies nearly perfectly, which seemed strange all on it's own, but Shin was not going to be poking into what didn't need poking. There were one or two things that would need adjusting for an exam though.
"Good, that seems mostly reasonable. You're "will nots" all sound good, I think the only thing the teachers will have a real problem with is the first thing you said. 'I will fight anyone I don't like', they don't tend to see that as being a good enough reason to start a brawl." Dark fingers tapped softly along her thigh as she considered things. Their professors would surely have issue with that particular bit of reasoning. "I would leave that out when testing, and focus instead on the later part of your answer, 'those that deserve it.'"
Another few soft taps fell against her thigh, features falling into a thoughtful set as she went over Van's answer one more time in her head and looked for any other points their teachers may find fault in. Whens he found none she gave a small nod of her head before pointing to the painted tip of one slender finger towards the next subheading.
"'How Much Force it is Ethical to Use,'" she read allowed, then sat back once again. "Same as before, just give me your interpretation."
When she had first covered this information in class Shin had agreed with it, it'd seemed logical and reasonable. Unfortunately her view on the world and the people within it had been extremely rose tinted. Now it was more then likely closer to jaded, and she found she was agreeing with Van's unique sense of etiquette far more.
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2011 12:25 am
Van regarded the other girl carefully, listening with her head in one hand as Shin first commended her for what she had right, before correcting her on what the professors wouldn’t like to see. Actually, the Legionnaire realized as she pursed her lips in thought, Shin-Mu hadn’t even told her she was wrong, but instead told her where to shift the focus in her answers. Any Noble—especially the Battle Ethics professor—would normally jump at the chance to berate a Legionnaire, but this one didn’t.
The young Legionnaire sat up straighter then and her eyes grew determined, almost as if she’d suddenly decided she had something very important to say. Shin-Mu had given her the go-ahead to speak her opinions freely, and Van would take any chance to assert her rightness when it came to the ethics of battle.
“As much force as possible.” There was no question that Van believed she was right. “You can’t trust anyone to go easy on you, or to spare you, or not to stab you in the back. So why go easy on them?” she asked seriously. She wasn’t actually asking the other girl her opinion, but was instead posing the question for her to consider her standpoint on the issue of ethics. Van sniffed. She would be a much better teacher of the subject than the current one, in her opinion.
There were few things that Van would admit to not being adept at, this particular nuance being one of them. She did not understand why the issue of force was covered in the class at all—if one was to fight to survive, using as much force as possible always greatly increased one’s chances. She did have one thing to add, however. “One deadly attack is better than many useless jabs. It’s best to cut the risk as quickly as possible, is it not?”
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