Pack it up, pack it in,

[saltwaterlungs]

CHARACTERS: Darcy, and YOU?!
DATE: First half of September prior to the event
LOCATION: Sports deck
SITUATION: A pirate-sponsored fight club for the sake of beating the shit out of each other bettering each other
WARNINGS: It’s a fight club. Violence is to be expected.

I came to win

Fliers go up around the ship, as they so often do. This time put up with a reasonable amount of tape and written in a much less flowery hand than people would expect, the announcement ‘FIGHT CLUB TUESDAY EVENINGS SPORTS DECK: MAKE FRIENDS AND THEN HIT THEM’.
Anyone going to the sport’s deck after 7pm for the Tuesdays before the excursion will find tennis court set up for an impromptu fight club. There’s a notebook with a pen off to one side as a sign-in sheet, and a small list of rules written in the same handwriting as the fliers.
-No killing or dying
-Respect tapping out
-If you’re learning, respect your teacher/s
-If you’re teaching, respect your student/s
-Cause problems, get kicked out

Off to the sidelines, Darcy can be found supervising, keeping an eye out for any issues.

Battle me that's a sin

In one corner is supplies for fencing and swordplay. Three protective jackets, mesh masks, and blunt training sabers in a loose pile, plus whatever weaponry people themselves supply. There’s a circular arena drawn out on the ground, with a narrower fencing piste drawn through the middle of it.

I won't ever slack up

For those more inclined to hand-to-hand combat, a couple of the punching bags from the gym have been dragged out onto the court, along with focus-pads and a couple of long strips of bandages bandages to wrap one’s hands with. An arena has been drawn out, about the right dimensions for a boxing ring.

Punk you better back up

Over on the furthest side- deliberately angled to face off the ship- there’s a makeshift shooting range consisting of a bunch of water bottles and some mannequins from the Tommy Bahama laid out as targets to shoot at. A line has been drawn on the ground, presumably to stand behind when shooting.

Try and play the role and yo the whole crew'll act up

Right in the middle of everything is an arena marked out for no clear purpose, with no equipment nearby. It can probably be presumed that this is somewhere for people to spar, or more likely, show off in front of everyone.

Comments

[touchofcashmere]

"Well that shows a lack of skill, don't you think?" He folds his own arms. "After all, if someone can't choose what he wants to cut or doesn't what does that make him? Pretty insufficient in my book." Though he has no doubt the man is leagues better than him, he also has no doubt that Ed could undo him.

"And I don't... don't have another weapon especially..." And he's not a good commander. He's a pirate commander. He raises his chin. "And a good captain respects and learns from the skills of his crew, lets them do their own thing, and focuses on what's important." So there.

"But if you want me to come at you armed only with a fan, so be it." He draws his sword and gives it a swish only to inadvertently send it flying from his hand and clattering across the deck. "Woops. Hang on a second." He hurries to go fetch it, flushing slightly before turning to face the man again.

"Now. Are you prepared?"

1/2

[konpeito_aji]

"Are you really a pirate?"

Nobunaga just puts the knife away. And huffs.

Seriously though, how peaceful was the future that this man survived more than a DAY?

"I shall grace you with a great honor." Literally no one will see it that way, but Nobunaga is beyond insulted. He refuses to kill him over it, but to prove he has total and complete control...

2/2

[konpeito_aji]

Oda withdraws the katana. At least he's not going to do this blindfolded. A samurai kenbu with the katana in one hand, and the fan in his left. Also while dueling the idiot and having to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. At least he can say it's never been done before to his knowledge.

Nobunaga will be the wind. He moves among the wind, between the wind and the sword parries shall never touch his katana to dishonor them. He will dance among them like wind.

He needs some flower petals to enhance this ridiculousness, by the way. Just saying. He is truly one with his blade, like he worships it. Showing it off, and holding it prisoner so it has no capacity to touch anything he does not wish it to.

[touchofcashmere]

It's annoying every time someone says that. It stings every time someone says that. He can't imagine what Ed sees in him-- but maybe, Ed sees in him what no one else does, not even Stede himself. So he'll just have to find it. Bring it out.

The annoying man is very elegant and very showy but in a controlled sort of way. His weapon is gorgeous and the gleaming edge tells him it's a slashing sort of thing, but can pierce. That's fine. He'll give it his best shot.

"En garde!" And he lunges at him, a straight shot right toward the center of the man's chest.

[konpeito_aji]

This was a bad idea.

Such a bad idea.

Nobunaga only brings out any katana to kill. It's rule one. Don't unsheathe until you intend to do harm. To kill. To survive. It's not a game. Once you kill, you can never take it back.

Right away his instincts scream at him four different ways to end it as quickly as possible. A hamstring slice low. Simply one smooth strike up would cut off the other man's hands, or it'd be too easy to use the other man's momentum to bring him in close, over the shoulder and cut his chest open.

In war, in war... on the battlefield...

He's done it thousands of times. Thousands. So much blood on his hands. And his muscle memory is fighting a war with him no one can see or possibly know. What is pride when it comes to survival? No one knows his reputation, or who he is, and why is he torturing himself like this? Over words? Meaningless barking of a tiny dog who barely understood how outmatched it was.

The Demon King of 6th Heaven wonders if he truly is possessed. He dances all the same however. A fluid grace, not allowing the katana to touch the European sword, because that was too much, even then, Nobunaga would have felt the need to break it, to truly cut in half anything near him. He simply moves the sword under his arm, like stepping up to a European dance partner, and then back away, a gentle sway, the fan acting as a strange counterbalance to the katana.

Still, this was a bad idea. All it will take is one misstep, one minuscule hair's breadth out of line and the body that has been fighting for survival for decades will be a weapon indeed beyond his power to control. Not one of his generals would condone this, or be proud of him afterwards. Well, it's not like he's doing it for them. And that's the problem. This does nothing for his ambition, right? The goal, the mission, the shining guiding light he lived his life by. The reason for conquering the whole world and taking so many lives. Is he just trying to prove to no one that he's more than a killing monster? But Nobunaga already knows he's a visionary. This isn't about that. This is about his pride, and the other man's pride. And that's foolish, even for the Fool of Owari.

Nobunaga stays focused on his breathing, and though he never stops moving, he doesn't look Stede in the eyes, afraid that once he does, he won't be able to stop himself from wanting to change whatever he finds there. Respect, fear, hatred, it wouldn't matter. Nobunaga would want to crush it and end it. So he can't look, can't take that risk.

It's such a foolish idea. Maybe he should have just done this blindfolded after all. No Demon King nonsense, just pure idiocy.

Normally Nobunaga comes alive only when he fights. It's one of the only times he smiled back in his own time in Japan. But he's not smiling now. He'd been laughing more since arriving on the ship than he had in years. It's completely gone now. But the wind has no need to smile.

There's no counterattack. It can barely even be considered defensive. Or dodging. It's dancing, but without the joy of living that should be innate to such a thing. Like calling an avalanche a dance just because at the start, there's melting icicles, all snow and shifting ground, ignoring the danger that toppled mountainsides and left thousands dead if caught in its wake. His feet don't stop moving, as if it was a dance, all of him is motion, smooth and wound, like a coiled wire or a viper waiting.

What is he trying to prove? That knowing about death was knowing how to prevent it too? He has never hated what it means to be Nobunaga Oda: the Demon King of 6th Heaven as much as he does right now in this moment. His history of war, the blood and deaths on his hands, what good can even come of this? He couldn't stop the wind from overthinking either, because if he did, someone was going to die. Better then to leave it low. Heavy wind couldn't dance after all. Let it die like ashes. Only wind.

[touchofcashmere]

At first Stede is frustrated. The man seems to be avoiding him. Is good enough to avoid him. Teasing him. Leading him on. He expects to see contempt or mockery in the man's eyes. But then he realizes the man isn't even watching him. His eyes are lowered. As if he's thinking -as if he's concerned.

But his body and movements are like-- like a dance, all flowing seamlessly into one another, with graceful effortlessness. Well, what is swordplay but a dance really? Between two people trying to kill each other yes, but maybe instead of it just being a charge forward like a rushing boar it can just-- just be this... a conversation without words. That's what dancing is, isn't it?

He aims then to mimic the man's movements, first the attack and then copying whatever is the defense, whatever shift away, his other hand drifting like the fan. His heartbeat slows, the adrenaline too and he feels oddly focused on watching, letting his feet find the rhythm and his body move with what his eyes see.

"You duel beautifully," he tells the man because it's true.

[konpeito_aji]

Shit....

He needed to hear that. It breaks his demonic hold enough he doesn't lose his soul to the sheer darkness again. The voice, the instincts screaming to kill or be killed, that he's wasting time, when time is the only thing of true value any man has, the voice is a lot easier to crush then.

Red eyes finally glance on Stede, and he can't help the small blush. Maybe if his tutors had been a little more like this, he wouldn't feel the need to murder everyone. Well, that was what they'd wanted, wasn't it?

He sheathes the sword and bows, although all the hair on the back of his neck is standing on end. Nobuanga can't help poking his tongue out to the side. "You should see me actually dance."

Standing back up, he rubs the back of his neck nervously. All of his nerves are still screaming in fury at him, but it's okay. No one's hurt. He didn't kill anyone. "Please..." He said the word again! Fine, it's a special one for Stede. Nobunaga will just literally kill anyone else who expects this special exception! "Do not duel anyone else from my lands... I'm the Demon King, yes. But being Demon King means I have the most pride. The others are not so conceited." He closes his eyes and sighs... and slowly laughs... a very very small one. "When the Portuguese first came, they told me it was a big problem with trading with us, how most samurai and ronin were quick to take offense and couldn't be reasoned with easily, but I don't think I truly understood their point of view until just now." A small head bow.

He needs some candy.

[touchofcashmere]

Well now, he is oddly adorable in his own way. Still an annoying young man, but not the most annoying Stede has come across. Far from it. He is even saying please more, which just goes to show that even the boorest can be taught manners.

"Well we shall see where the world takes me. A pirate such as myself must take whatever challenge is his fancy!" He salutes the man then slides his sword back home.

"And samurai aren't the only one who can take offense easily. Pride is one thing, but if you allow it to be so easily pricked, just about anyone can get under your skin."

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga goes rummaging through his pockets. No konpeito, but he did manage to get some lollipops from the claw machine. Chupa chups! He pops one in his own mouth, and offers the other to Stede.

"That is not a problem for them. Part of their pride is falling upon their own swords as needed. Better that, they think, than the shame that could dishonor family names." A small headshake. Such a waste. "When a samurai's pride pops, it's like a cannonball. Kaboom."

He sucks hard on the lollipop, thinking some more. "What year are you from? If I have my way, and I usually do." Except with Stede, you asshole! "Perhaps they won't be so bad." The daimyo forced to bend, the samurai no longer able to kill peasants. Nobunaga's not completely sure it'd be any easier for pirates though. Neither Hideyoshi nor Ieyasu had as much fascination with the world beyond Japan's borders like Oda, and therefore, would be much less inclined to humor pirates purely for trade purposes.