Kendo Club Room.

This medium sized room serves as the school's meeting place for the Kendo Club. The walls carry equipment, from Shinai to Protective Gear, and a small side-room extending from the back serves as a changing room for the students.

~ Note: This is a solo chain thread, but if you want to show up, just give me a head's up first and I'll work an arrival in. Thanks! ~


"Geez... Sorry I'm late, guys. I forgot we had practice today, I keep getting my dates mixed up lately."

Makoto stepped into the club room where the other members of the team were already preparing. She immediately blushed at the disapproving stare from the girls' team Captain, Fujiwara Ayame. Not surprisingly, she had taken over the preliminary instructions: Their Sensei was nowhere to be seen.

Then again, Sensei was always late... What had surprised the team was that the ever prompt Yukitosumi wasn't.

"It's every even day, Yukitosumi! Geez, get your act in gear..."

One of the other members chided her, waving a Shinai in her direction - Dangerously close, Makoto decided, as she backpedalled away, outside of the weapon's reach. The two glared - Makoto had never gotten along with with the team's third strongest member, Rie.

Of course she would, Rie herself thought herself the strongest. Because of this, she had pushed around what she thought of as the weaker members to 'prove' her point. Makoto had never simply toed the line of what they wanted, and something of a rivalry had formed.

"It's okay... Just get ready quick, don't wanna be keeping the girls waiting."

Makoto didn't need a second telling. Quick as a wink - Or at least, pretty quick as far as humans went - she ducked around the others and collected her gear, changing hurriedly so that she could join the others.

Despite the fact that they were just humans, and her own experience was... well... something above their own, she really did enjoy the workout. The opportunity to simply enjoy herself in 'battle' without worry of a mistake equaling instant death helped too.

"Ready, guys."

"Alright, let's get going. Rie, Masami. You two have to practice your swings today. The last tournament was absolutely horrible, and I know you can do better than this. Suzume, you'll be sparring with Yukitosumi. I want to see you working on your footwork. The rest of you are working on your muscles today. That means stretches and laps until you toughen up, girls. Well? Get to it!"

The group scattered around the room to their assigned tasks, Makoto and her sparring partner taking the center, pulling on their helmets and assuming a ready stance.

It was slow, for a few moments, both of the girls focusing on their breathing, and then... Whoa! Much to Makoto's surprise, Suzume made the first move, stepping foreward to strike for Makoto's Shinai-wielding hand.

"Kote!"

Makoto smiled from behind her helmet... Suzume was clearly getting better, and she was paying good attention to her footwork... Still, it was too slow. Quick as a whip, Makoto stepped in with her right foot, allowing her left to slide behind it. Then, a brief pivot later, her Shinai smacked down smack in the middle of Suzume's helmet with a shouted "Men!", the force of the blow knocking the girl down.

A moment later, Makoto was crouching beside the downed girl, offering her a hand up, as well as a quiet word of advice. After all, there was no purpose to this practice if no-one improved or corrected their mistakes. As she spoke, her tone was sweet and reassuring.

"Your step... Your foot lifts too far off the ground, Suzume-chan. Like you're marching, see? I know, I know you're in the school's marching band as well as this, that's why I'm telling you this. You have to keep your right foot lower, like a swan floating over the water. Like you're sliding your foot along a sheet of rice paper. Your left foot should be dragged loosely behind it."

"Like Fujiwara-Taicho?"

Makoto smiled faintly as Suzume said that name... How that term would've brought on night terrors not so long ago. Taicho... And also at how, those same years ago, she never would have been able to have told that Fujiwara had been this girl's hero. Fujiwara Ayame, guardian of justice and Kendo poster child.

Snapping out of her reverie, Makoto nodded insistently in response as she hauled the taller girl to her feet... And, of course, Makoto knew just the words to bring a beaming smile to Suzume's face.

"Exactly. Just like Fujiwara. Come on, let's practice a little more. This is her best move, if you can get this, you'll be just like her."

Once their 'conversation' had been completed, the two girls squared off again in the center of the floor. Despite having just lost, Suzume's spirits and concentration seemed to have... improved.

The second match began, and Makoto started it off. Gliding in like a snake, she deflected Suzume's attack just broad of a proper strike-point as she moved in her for own.

"Kiaaii.. Dou!"
"Men!"

For just a moment, the pair's movements both reached a pinnacle of speed, the dizzyingly quick exchange taking just a brief moment... Their Shinai clacked not once, but three times and Makoto slid past Suzume's left.

Makoto, surprisingly, was the one who had lost. Suzume looked back over her shoulder, her free hand coming to her shoulder as she saw the other girl toppling as if she had been struck far harder than she could remember swinging. Had she really hit her that hard?... No, but Makoto wasn't about to be telling the girl that her own sensei had kicked her ass so badly that she could hardly move.

Getting shakily to her feet... Holy! Speak of the devil... Makoto's eyes widened she pulled off her helmet, cradling it in her left arm as she saluted Suzume with a cheerful tone, though she couldn't quite hide how sore she was.

"Are you...?"
"You win this one, Suzume-chan. Good job. Yo, Lisa."


Makoto waved, unfortunately drawing the attention of the other girls to the window-perching 'senior' as she walked over. Of course, the fact that Makoto was familiar with this strange, well-balanced individual made sense. Most of the people Makoto associated with seemed a little... odd to the other students anyways.

"What's up, Yadomaru-san? Are you still upset with me, or is the next one impersonal?"

Ooh, she wanted to say so much more... But not here. A look back to Suzume showed that the girl was already getting tired... She just didn't have the strength or stamina to last for long, but Makoto had to admit that she was pretty good when she managed to focus. Which, of course, was rarely.

"Sorry... Didn't mean to sound snappish, I'm just pretty sore. I can understand you being angry, but I really do hope you can forgive me."

"... UMm.. Ow? That hurts, you know."

Makoto's tone was mock-reprimanding as she rubbed her head, preparing to put her helmet back on. It may have slipped Lisa's mind - Or she may have been ultimately confident. That was more likely, she supposed... but even a Shinai could be lethal on an unprotected person.

Frowning, she waved away the few concerned looks she got from nearby students, but that problem was cleared up quickly enough anyways. The Captain had her cell phone flipped open, and appeared to be reading a text. Most of the club usually knew what that meant - Already, some of them were moving to put their equipment away as she began speaking.

"Aww, man. Sorry everyone, we're going to have to cut today's practice short. Something important's come up, and I have to go take care of it right away. Finish up what you're all doing, and then... Rie, Masami, help make sure everyone puts their equipment away properly. Really hope you understand."

As Fujiwara hadn't been practicing with the others, she hadn't needed protective gear... And thus didn't need to take it off like everyone else would. Without another word, or much more hesitation, she ran off to go attend... whatever it was she was doing.

A murmur through the club clarified it shortly enough: Fujiwara's parents - Her mother in particular - were particularily fragile in health, prone to violent fits of illness... And as such, she was always rushing off to the hospital to take care of them. Ordinarily, Sensei would've been there to continue their lessons, but it seemed the lazy ass hadn't arrived yet that day.

So, the various members did as they were told - Finishing up their tasks, changing back into their everyday clothes and leaving. Some to go home, some to have fun elsewhere. Who knew?

Once they were gone, Makoto leaned back against the wall and focused the entirety of her attention on her teacher and... guest?

"Geez... Poor girl. It's a surprise that she's got such good focus, really. Most people's nerves would be torn to shred with the pressure she's under. Well, what's up?"

"Well, normally people call and make arrangements to meet someone after, you know, trying to gut them like a fish with a freakin' sword. Though I guess the creepy stalker routine works too."

Makoto tried to force a smile, but it didn't quite work. She had never been very good at acting anyways, and screwing up her facial muscles to fit some emotion she wasn't feeling seemed like one of the herculean tasks. Instead, she just managed to get something bordering a smirk and a frown.

Then, the annoying and unexpected happened. Did this crazy woman know how much it hurt to be slammed into the wall in full armor when you're already recovering from injuries? Apparently not.

"Damnit Sensei, you're still trying to kill me, aren't you?"

She scowled, and Lisa's behavior was hardly a catalyst to change that. What was this crazy woman doing here!? She couldn't have just come to visit, that simply wasn't her style - Hell, it wasn't the style of any of the Vizard she knew of. This was a trick... Either a trap, another blasted test, or the Vizard had sent her to get Makoto to do something... But what?

Wait... Think, think you stupid girl. What would the Vizard back at the warehouse want more than anything...?

"If Mashiro and Rose set you up to this, then no, I'm still demanding my share of the riceballs, and they can go get their own."

"No, not really..."

Seeing as Lisa was busy with her own 'business', Makoto quietly began fidgeting with the buckles and ties of her armor, piling it carefully on the floor beside her. When she was done, she sighed softly and chanced a look in Lisa's direction. Nope... She was still preoccupied.

Ah well, at least she wasn't trying to kill her anymore. Well, Makoto could hope. Scooting over, she leaned into her old teacher, putting an arm delicately around her shoulders. Once upon a time, this might've felt natural... Once upon a time, she would've been beaten senseless for trying.

"Oi... Sumimasen. I didn't mean to offend you or anything, Sensei."