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Raullaur	It's a somewhat blah day, humid and with the threat of rain. Still, there are some who have a reason to be out--aside from those who are forced to work the fields and the like. And so it is that Raullaur makes his way towards Misa's dojo, moving smoothly, if not stealthily, golden beads clinking in his mane. "Hello?" The bass voice rumbles, almost growling. "I have a question, if I may ask, and any can answer!"
Misa	Misa is out in the training yard, pulling water-proofed cloth over the racks of training swords at a leisurely pace. She's as quiet as ever, sipping occasionally from a lightly steaming cup sitting on the edge of the raised stone platform section of the yard. "I can answer a number of things, Raullaur, but I am not all-knowing, so I make no promises," she calls over her shoulder- though barely enough to be heard. She turns, then, picking up the cup as she turns away from the now-covered racks, tilting her head at the unexpected approach.
Raullaur	Raullaur gives a bit of a fanged grin, and nods, "Thank you, Misa! I hope things are going well for you and your students today." The grin gets a bit wider, "If you wish, I will be glad to spar your students to let them practice their forms on me as well--and promise not to injure them." And then he takes in a deep breath, before continuing. "I've been trying to train in moving fast, without armor, to learn some of the arts beyond simple melee, but..." He shakes his head. "I am not catching the gist of it. I wonder...how do you start to create a new art? One that would work with broad slashes and the heaviest of armor?"
Misa	A slow quirk of the brow from Misa, as she considers Raullaur's word. Then again, it's hard to make much notice of her eyebrows moving, her bangs hang fairly low, if layered somewhat to not be too heavy. She exhales slowly, head shaking a little. "I am perhaps not the first person to speak to about... heavy weapons, or heavy armour. I deal little with the former and not at all with the latter. For the purposes of -creating- styles... I have not done that much myself either. But at the most basic, it is... as simple as taking the equipment, and devising methods, testing them to eliminate or refine, and continuing until you have a formalized methodology. Of course, for those with more... superlative abilities, we shall say, there is an element of inward focus, using the motions to align one's inner flows."
Raullaur	"That is....reasonable," he says. "And I just have not had the time to refine a lot." He chuckles, "Worrying instead about the basics of attack and parry, and then more how to lead others. So...I suppose it is all...practice. Discipline. From the self, or a teacher, just like I teach the soldiers of my command." He nods, and pauses a long moment, "Do you think that practicing one art would help lay the foundations for another form? Or hinder, if they are too different?" "What what is the...thought, the principle behind what you practice?"
Misa	"I practice no less than three formal styles and a variety of more agnostic techniques, so that is difficult to answer. Learning one may assist one in familiarizing with the structure and unfamiliar internal flows that tend to come with these styles... but it may also colour what you eventually make. Ultimately, compared to swordmasters who would not so readily ascribe themselves to a specific style, I believe I philosophically view them as something of a dichotomy between the internal approach one takes- embracing one's self in the process, or focusing themselves through a particular lens." She pauses at that, sipping at the tea in her hand in thought. "But in a broader sense, I tend to be of the mind that the broader one's learning, the more prepared they will be for various situations."
Raullaur	"Just as learning how to use a club is different than a sword, and training in one does not...transfer from one weapon to the other. Until you learn more, and see how both come from something deeper that adapts to them both. As a novice, I'd get sooner growth learning what I want with the weapon and armor I wish to use, but a master would be able to adapt things...that makes sense." He smiiles then and settles down into a chair. "I will have to try this some time, and I am sure it will be long, and slow. But, eventually, worthwhile." A bit more as he relaxes, "Well...that answers things mostly, at least to give me a direction to start in. So...thank you! How have you been, and is there anything interesting happening?"
Misa	"The degree to which I practice the esoteric has increased considerably, but that is neither here nor there I suppose," admits Misa, head shaking a little. "Simply doing battle with those who come by to try their skills, as seems to be the norm since I took over this locale." She pauses then, considering for a moment, before offering: "To answer your earlier question... I grew up learning the Single Point style. In principle it is a matter of extreme internal focus and intent. Suffuse yourself and your weapon with this will and personal strength, clear all else from your mind, and drive yourself to move at the speed of those narrow thoughts. It is swift to a degree some might call impossible, lethal in the extreme, and possessed of such will and purpose that stylists have been known to even cleave sorceries from the sky as they came to strike them and cut through the stuff of the Wyld. It uses curved blades, often returning to the scabbard to maintain control." Another pause, and she adds; "The Steel Devil style emphasizes harmony, balance, and flow, with a similar predilection for swift bladework. It uses twin blades with careful footwork, offering a nigh-impenetrable defense while testing your opponent's same defensive abilities, before capitalizing on weaknesses therein to levy overwhelming flurries of their blades, often without leaving themselves exposed in the process as many other forms tend to." "And finally... this is a recent development, and far from mundane, but I have been working on my mastery of a form by which one may wield an appropriate blade or blades by will alone, fighting without ever putting hand to hilt or, perhaps, even drawing near the opponent whatsoever."
Raullaur	Raullaur ponders, brows furrowing as his ears go back. "Interesting. I always thought....that it would be external to extend my will out--for many attacks--while internal for being myself--for guarding, dodging, or otherwise defending against things," he says. "This is...going to be difficult. Definitely need to learn more, and practice. Figure out what I am supposed to do--what I /want/ to do. Refine my vision of this for the future." He looks into the distance, and flicks his tail. "Speed--faster than it should be, but I doubt it would be as fast as one without armor, or with a lighter weapon. I am used to broad strokes rather than precision...but which way I go...I will have to experiment." ANd then his eyes refocus and he grins. "Oh, that would be interesting, to see blades fly without being wielded. Rather disconcerting I would think!"
Misa	As she sets her tea down... a strange thing happens. As if from nowhere, a gentle arc of pale gold appears behind Misa's back- growing outward in tongues of violet and pink flame until it forms a slashing blade of all three colours, cool flames licking from its trailing edge as it hovers behind her as though in a back-mounted scabbard. And then, without any noticeable motion from Misa, it moves as if drawn from that place, fipping up over her shoulder to come to a rest point-down in the air in front of her, gently spinning in place. "I know enough about you to know that you are familiar with the sort of internal strength I speak of. Much of martial arts, at our level, is on learning to channel that inner strength in ways that do not come as naturally. And do not mind the sword, it is... a personal trick, rather than the style, which is how it is currently simply floating. While each practitioner chooses their preferred sort of weapon, the connection that allows this wielding does require a weapon that is magical on at least some level."
Raullaur	Raullaur's eyes widen a bit, and nods. "I can summon my own blade, thus, but I have to wield it--it will not dance for me, not yet." He grins a bit and looks at the blade, but more son at how it had been summoned. And suddenly he blinks, and then there's a flare of power around him, the rayed circle of dawn shining a moment on his brow and then golds, oranges, and red flow around his body instead. "I understand! You have done with a sword what I have learned to do with armor!" The golden light surrounds him, giving definition to the framework of armor, even if he can be seen through it. "I...that I at least can adapt quickly."
Misa	"Something akin- though as you well know, the expression of one's spirit into such forms is... perhaps more complex than the surface similarities may suggest," she says with something approaching a smirk. Her left hand rises, sweeping out to her left in a small motion, the blade looping behind her with the movement. "But as forms of martial arts go... I am uncertain I can offer you anything to suit your preferences, save perhaps once I am more comfortable with this more esoteric one- I suspect you could strike a similar bond with larger blades for your own purposes."
Raullaur	Raullaur shakes his head. "Perhaps not, but you have given me something valuable: a starting place. How to think about things, and, with practice, to do them. After all, if there's nothing like what I want, I should try to make it, and now I know how to start." He grins, "Definitely worth this, and I certainly owe you a favor--above and beyond being a training dummy for your students if you want them to try."
Misa	Misa chuckles at that, shaking her head. "I would need to be able to convince people of things without causing a scene, were I to actually have students by now. Perhaps I simply need another round of taking on the other centers of learning. But, well, I am glad to have helped on some level, at least. Do let me know how things go, in the end."
Raullaur	"I certainly will." He satnds up and stretches. "I should get back to town, though. Weather's about to turn bad--so perfect for getting the Pride out in to train." A definitely evil grin on his face. "If it works, or doesn't, we'll find out!" He gives a bow, and then turns to go back along the pathways towards the city.