Scene #6155: The Secrets of Swordsmanship

Owner	Pose
Nie Li	Nie Li said he'd be in the Shrine of Adversity. The instance registered to him ends up being a familiar sight to Seifer, but not so much for Haguro. The portal deposits visitors before an open air pavilion (something not unlike a gazebo, for those unfamiliar) set smack in the middle of a grassy plain surrounded by woods... with those surrounded by mist-shrouded mountains on the horizon. The weather is fair and the air warm, with plenty of sunlight. All faked by the Shrine's wizardry, of course, but pleasant enough. Nie Li's just inside the structure, facing the portal. He's seated in quarter lotus position, hands held in his lap in a meditative mudra, and surrounded by a thin film of glowing blue-white energies. Nearby him, a table's been set up. Currently there's nothing on it. BEHIND the Pavilion, however, a number of practice targets for sword strikes have been setup. A variety of different things ranging from scarecrows to tameshigiri poles to colorful balloons tied to stone statues and wooden dummies for martial arts practice.
Seifer Almasy	Seifer Almasy looks every bit like he's been working out for hours. He has. He's topless, exposing years' worth of training and scars and muscle-building. His torso is as caked in sweat as his black shorts, and his hair clings to his head. A blindfold is wrapped around his face, and unlike last time it doesn't seem like he's just wearing it to show off, but that it's part of his daily routine. In his right is Hyperion, his long, slender gunblade with its awkward, nonsense grip. On the back of his right hand are unfamiliar Command Spells that wind from the point on the back of his hand up to his arm like a spear-tip. On the back of his left hand are Caster's Command Spells, wrapped around his ring finger like a wedding ring, curled around his index finger and the back of his hands like fingerless gloves. He's breathing a little bit heavy, and it is easy to tell that he actually ran all the way here rather than stop and walk or take a shortcut, because that's the kind of guy Seifer is. He holds up his left hand as he enters. "Hey." "Man this thing is useful, huh?" He says once he's caught his breath, slinging Hyperion behind his neck as he walks. "I'd make this place my usual workout spot but the Moon Cell's way more convenient."
Haguro	Haguro arrives at the Shrine of Adversity not too long after Seifer does, donning her usual purple uniform that vaguely resembles an office worker's or nun's outfit. It's clean and doesn't show too many signs of wear and tear, likely indicating that she's got multiples of this same exact outfit somewhere. She's brought her usual turrets and armor along as well, but they're in a duffel bag for once instead of being worn on her. Today is a close combat day, after all, and just practicing her shots won't mean much. "Hello, Seifer! Hello, Nie Li! Th-erm. THank you for the invitation. I don't think I've been in this area of the Shrine yet." She comments while glancing around the pavilion curiously, pausing to peer into the distance at the mountains. "I wonder how far this goes..." It's probably better that she's focusing on scenery in the distance rather than eye candy up close. "The Moon Cell sounds like a place worth visiting sometime, too. For now, though... What's the plan for those targets? I have to admit, I've never seen balloons used outside of shooting practice before."
Nie Li	"It's only about four hundred square meters internally. Unless people spread out further, making it adjust." Nie Li says, the aura around him vanishing as he rises to his feet and answers Haguro. "Or so the people maintaining it tell me. The Shrine's ability to mimic environments and provide objects is top-notch. Never seen anything like it before!" And he migh, MIGHT be like a child playing with it when nobody's looking... He has a fiercely pleased grin for Seifer as the swordsman approaches. but when his gaze travels over Haguro he blinks a few times. It softens considerably. No doubt he's wondering... this girl's really in the Concord? Will she be OK? "It's nothing. We're allies!" Indeed, inviting people here's no big deal, so he just waves it off. "Well. Since Hand Seifer is so dedicated to swordplay, I have some things for him related to that." He suddenly floats the question to Seifer. "Have you heard of using sword intent?" Yes, that weird phrasing is accurate. The Multiverse translates the meaning of words after all, butwhen they're combined in ways you normally don't hear... the meaning may still be vague.
Seifer Almasy	"Well, you're invited whenever," Seifer says to Haguro, "It's where I do my mornin' workout, so if you're gonna join me, you'll be gettin' really used to it. It's pretty great. Although I'm still convinced it moves the fridge just to fuck with me." There's a cheerful grin on his face as he says it, and the sense that he's winking at her, before he turns his attention to Nie Li. "Actually I'm shit with a sword." "For real. If you give me somethin' with sword hilt an' a sword balance, I'm garbage at it. I can kinda use a gunblade with a sword hilt but even then I'm not very good at it. Pretty much..." He taps Hyperion on his shoulder. "Just Hyperion." "But, no, never heard of it. How about you, Haguro, you heard of it?"
Haguro	"I haven't tested it myself, but perhaps..." Haguro starts as she listens to Nie Li's explanation, shaking her head after amoment to refocus herself. She's here to train, not sightsee in a simulated space! Sure, she might look like an office worker going to the gym for a workout more than someone training to fight, but... Actually, that's exactly what she looks like. Even her revolver has been left in the office! She laughs pleasantly at Seifer's comment on the fridge, nodding after a moment while she sets her duffel bag down. "I'll have to, yes. Maybe we could put a tracker in there to check." Hearing that Seifer's bad with swords actually draws a curious look from the ship spirit, and she shrugs lightly at the question of 'sword intent'. "I haven't. I can make a few guesses, but.." Another shrug, and then she turns to Nie Li. "Is it something related to what a tool was made to do?"
Nie Li	"That's minor details." Nie Li assures Seifer, some dismissive amusement filtering into his otherwise casually confident tone. "Sword grip style, sword balance.... the Gunblade's a unique and undoubtedly tricky and dangerous weapon . But to me, it still falls under the art of the sword." Grinning, he gestures towards the targets and walks towards one of them. "It's easier to demonstrate than just explain. I'm not that great at it though." Indeed, Nie Li walks over towards the straw mat pole and faces it... utterly weaponless. Inhaling and raising a hand, the youth's hand takes on a shimmering white aura. After an aching ten seconds of the aura growing brighter! "Huuuah!" The white energy pulses, thickens, and crackles, shooting outwards in the half-second of his hand's descent and forming into a vaguely blade-shaped extension. With a shrill whistling, the extension cuts through the straw mat in a haphazard fashion, leaving plenty of rough edges. What's more, the strike was done with the same instinctive FEEL of watching a swordsman at work. That wasn't just a random energy technique. That was SWORDSMANSHIP at work. Somehow. But then the gathered aura flickers and dies. Nie Li quickly proceeds to wring his hand out as if that hurt! "Haven't done that in a while... what an embarassing result!" But there's no mistaking it. Without a weapon, the straw's been cut by a sword.
Seifer Almasy	Seifer watches the demonstration for a bit - well, his head's turned to it. And he says he can see just fine, so...he probably can. As Nie Li gathers power, Seifer says, reasonably, "Yeah, but it's not the same. The discipline doesn't work the same way. There's a buncha extra steps that aren't in basic swordsmanship, an' I've never handled a blade without bullets in it in my life, 'cept once in a play. An' I was real bad there. I can almost use a rapier," he adds, leaning towards Haguro and grinning at her, "'cause I got told it's what dashing heroes are s'posed to use once, an' I decided I'd try it. Wound up trippin' over..." He stops, and an odd look comes over his face. Then he shakes his head. "I wound up trippin' over somethin' an' the point found its way into the wood. I was so off-balance without all the extra weight." "Oh, I'm pretty okay with sticks, I guess. Did a lot of that as a kid. Just holdin' a stick like this." he holds out Hyperion in his normal, ridiculous-looking, stance. "Every day, hours on end." Then he shoulders the blade again. "So I take an explosion an' I put it in a blade instead of usin' the explosion in the blade? Sounds..." "Uh, tricky?" "You got anything more practical for the super-cute boat here while I figure out how I wanna approach this?"
Haguro	Nie Li's movements are confusing to follow at first. It doesn't look like he's close enough to actually hit the target with his hand. Haguro's seen people fight with energy weapons and magic before, but even that has something she can see coming out of them at the very least, so what he's doing just doesn't make a lot of sense to her. At first, anyway. Once his hand starts to glow with that aura, everything starts to click into place for her. It's that soul attack thing Seifer mentioned earlier! The next step is figuring out just how he did that. "Emba... Really? If I didn't know any better, I'd have assumed that was the intended result." She steps closer to the straw pole to take a closer look at where the aura struck the material, reaching out to give it a light poke here and there to see if it had been melted or just cut by the aura. "What a strange technique... Is this something that would run into those same issues Seifer mentioned?" She chuckles softly as he recounts his experience with the rapier, tapping a finger to her chin moments later. "If it's the shape of the weapon that's the problem, perhaps a similarly strange weapon could be just as much of an unlikely match? Like..." Who else uses strange weapons, anyway? She's seen Priscilla with her scythe, several people using chairs and sledgehammers in the least practical way, and plenty of improvised combat, but for a specific style? "... We'll have to brainstomr that." Once the topic shifts to a weapon for herself to use, Haguro flushes slightly while peering at the targets again. "I'm afraid I don't really have much.. Er. Any experience with close range weapons myself. I usually have shells to fire at long range, but I've only used my arms and legs otherwise." She even flexes for a moment for emphasis, but stops moments later as the blushing intensifies. It's awkward posing like that without THE BIGGEST GUNS.
Nie Li	"A proper cut would be so clean that you wouldn't see a single jagged edge. It would've passed clean through before you see any indication that it was sliced at all." He answers Haguro quite modestly. Seifer, meanwhile, gets a skeptical peering. "That's focusing to hard on the specifics. A blade is a blade!" To demonstrate, mist swirls out from a ring on Nie LI's finger and swiftly materializes into a simple jian. A one-handed straight sword. "This is where it may help you more..." Focusing now on the balloons, Nie Li furrows his brow and again focuses. The filmy white energy gathers in his palm and extends down the blade, barely visible at all when one isn't looking hard for its telltales. A simple, swift swing and Nie Li cuts the air! He hits absolutely nothing with that blade! .... but all the balloons POP regardless, despite being a full body length away. "... boat?" Finally he looks towards Haguro, trying to make sense of what Seifer just called her. He probably intends to do more than just show off for Seifer, but for now, he focuses on Haguro. "I don't believe we've met hbefore, miss! IIt sounds like you're looking to improve in personal combat and agility...?"
Seifer Almasy	"A blade ain't a blade. That's somethin' somebody who ain't really studied this kinda thing says." Seifer taps his gunblade on his shoulder. "The differences make everything. A cutting tool isn't a cutting tool isn't a cutting tool. A rapier is different from a knife is different from a kukri is different from a longsword is different from a katana is different from a jian. You don't hold 'em the same way, you don't wield 'em the same way, you don't treat 'em the same way." Seifer swings the gunblade off his shoulder, letting it hang at his side as his hand goes to his hip. "You sayin' that a blade is a blade is misunderstandin' a lot. You're lookin' at it like somebody with a big, wide study, somebody lookin' at a ton of stuff from up top an' seein' the similarities an' decidin' that makes 'em the same thing. But the properties make all the difference." Seifer waves Hyperion in front of him. "You try an' do that with this, an' then you can tell me a blade is just a blade." He tosses the gunblade at Nie Li and unties his blindfold, letting it hang down around his neck. Then he stretches. "Anyway, I get the basics. Put soul in, swing, cut from far away. It ain't complex. Just the fine points I gotta work on." "Explosion into gunblade insteada gunblade into explosion." He looks over at Haguro and grins. "Yeah, she's a super-cute boat. And a ghost, I think. I guess magic ghosts are just my type, apparently." He flashes Nie Li a grin. "My wife's a ghost, I think Haguro is super-cute - I dunno, man, maybe I'm just inta magic ghost girls." Haguro flexes. Seifer reaches out and tests the muscle. "Huh. So you been practicin' brawlin', 'cause you always got your fists on hand, huh? That's not a bad idea, I guess. Not really for me, but makes sense for you." Seifer looks her in the eyes. "Maybe try, uh...shit, I dunno. I can help you workin' out but I can't help you with fists." Seifer puts up his dukes in an incredible simple CQC stance. "This? About all I ever had the patience to learn. Servicable in a fight but against anybody who knows what they're doin' my goose is cooked." He relaxes his hands behind his head and stretches. "Never had the patience to learn anything more than the basics."
Haguro	"I... See. I think." A pause, and then Haguro just shakes her head with a confused expression on her face. She's not a sword expert, so she'll just have to take Nie Li's word on that! The creation of the more visible and easier-to-understand sword helps make his demonstration with the balloons much more logical, at least, even if it's still swung too far to touch anything. Sword waves coming from an actual make sense to her, apparently. "Boat, yes.I.. Um. Oh! We haven't met before, have we?" Clearing her throat, Haguro bows formally towards Nie Li. "Haguro, fourth of the Myoukou-class heavy cruisers. I'm looking for combat training in general these days. Strength and agility only go so far without the proper technique to back it up, so I was hoping to work on that." Indeed, she doesn't look like a particularly heavy hitter. She's not the smallest nor the tallest, the thinnest nor the thickest. At best, she'd be pretty hard to pick out from a crowd of office workers. At worst, she'd look unsuited to any sort of combat. And yet, she's here instead of in some office. She is stil lblushing furiously as Seifer keeps complimenting her, though, and it's these moments that she wishes she had some sort of wide-brimmed hat or convenient scarf to hide her face with. "M... Magic ship ghost is one way to put it, yes. It's..." It takes her a moment to regain her composure, and then she shrugs. "It's how I was born, so I don't worry too hard about how or why that is. But.. Yes!" At least the muscle is actually there under all that uniform. And then she holds her fists up. "I might not always be able to shell a target, and even a gun only works in a straight line when I can aim. If I train my body, though, then I'll have an option against anyone and anything." As Seifer adjusts his stance, she adjusts hers as well, taking on a stance looking somewhere between being ready to punch and to grapple. "Some strikes, several holds, but self-taught, so it's... Erm. A work in progress. Lockingjoints only works so well if I can really get a hold and turn the right way."
Nie Li	The near fit that Seifer seems to be going on is met with an 'are you SERIOUS?' look from Nie Li. A look that lasts only a few moments and quickly turns amused, then even excited at Seifer's dedication. He reaches out and snatches the tossed weapon from the air as if it were nothing, and proceeds to turn it around in his hands, study the balance and test the grip. Wincing at several different points... He's realized quickly there's no point in even trying to swing it. "Perhaps I mis-spoke. Certainly, different weapons are different weapons with wielding technique." He stares out at the targets all while hefting the weapon - without actually attempting to hold it properly. Perhaps trying to visualize HOW he might swing it or use it. The boy furrows his brows more and more. Finally he decides to attempt a grip on it with balance. And it's 'holding it next to his head with the blade pointed straight up.' Balanced and comforttable, but certainly not practical. "....how do you manage with this...?!" Experimentally he then attempts the same posture as Seifer seems to favor. He grimaces. Certainly, he has the strength to hold it. He has more than enough strength to deal with the wacky balance and HOLD the posture. But it's clear on his face that he has no idea where to go from there. His grip is far too rigid. In the end, he shakes his head, then carefully rests Hyperion down on the table. "I was going to explain that sword intent is an art of using soul force to achieve amazing blade arts. It depends heavily on having an understanding of blades and carving the feeling of using a weapon into your very self. Though, it's true, I definitely can't use it with that weapon. I'm sure you can still use it. It will just be your own approach." After setting the weapon down and explaining this, he respectfulyl listens to Haguro's explanation. Unsure what to make of most of it, he still nods respectfully. And just as he's about to speak-- She and Seifer start up a little spar...?! The boy gapes. Exactly WHY them just up and sparring like this is gape-inducing is hard to say though, at a glance.
Seifer Almasy	Seifer grins as he watches Nie Li move. He watches the old man in a young man's body try and hold the blade, and while the strength is there and the dexterity is there (which is impressive on its own), the skill is not. A gunblade is a brute force weapon, amplifying its cutting power with the shaking of the blade. Hyperion is a finesse weapon, wholly unsuited to the task. It's a nonsense toy made for a nonsense man. "It's more than that. It's like what that guy's tryin' to do, that idea of a single truth. That's not true." Seifer puts his hands on his hips. "They got similar attributes, but they ain't all the same. They don't do the same job. Some people learn a lot of tools to do a lot of things. They take the best thing for the job and they use it, an' that's cool, I guess." He picks up Hyperion off the table and spins it like it's a revolver. It looks insane - an enormously long sword spinning around his finger like it weighs nothing. "But me, I learned to take the tool I wanted to use most an' make it dance how I wanted. That's how I manage." "Twenty years, man. Almost twenty-one. An' fifteen, sixteen of 'em? Spent swingin' a stick like this. Then spent with this. Till I knew it so well I could feel through it." Seifer points at the blindfold. "I wear this 'cause I'm not blind while I got my blade in my hands. I can feel how the wind cuts on the blade an' know where my target is, where their sword is. I can hear the length of a weapon when it clangs against Hyperion. I can feel the kinda thing I'm cuttin' into when the tip scratches it. Little by little, I just learned to see with my gunblade." "You can't just brush that kinda thing off as specifics. I'll figure it out. I just need to learn the basics. The simple shit." He shoulders the weapon. They're not sparring, Seifer was just demonstrating his lack of knowledge in the world of unarmed combat. He looks back over at Haguro. "You blushin' is pretty fun, but I should probably stop flirtin' with you. Caster's the jealous type, even though she ain't got nothin' to be jealous over. You're cute. She's mine." "Call it a bad habit." He winks at her again. Then he gestures at Nie Li. "He's probably gonna be way more useful to you than I am, tho. He seems like he knows more about punchin' a guy than about usin' a blade. Call it a hunch. Plus maybe you can figure out your soul, too. Start throwin' that around. Seems pretty useful. Check it out." Seifer points in the distance and shouts, "HYAH!" The target he's pointing at just explodes, as if he launched a shell, or there was a gunpowder eruption, or something. Seifer grins at her. "Pretty cool, right? I got it down pat now. HYAH!" Another explosion. "HYAH!" Another. He goes down the line, forcing his soul into the air where he wants it to go and then cutting the thread, like the hammer of a gun smashing into the barrel. It's simple, when he thinks of it like that. Stopping is really just igniting the bullet. "Maybe you'll get to do shit like that."
Haguro	Haguro chuckles lightly as she watches Nie Li work with Seifer's weapon, the odd shape and dynamics of the gunblade even more apparent in the hands of someone who, like herself, probably isn't quite sure how to hold it. Luckily for her, she doesn't have to make that attempt herself after watching Nie Li work with it! Maybe another time. "Personal preference over practicality, then... That's not too surprising from what I've seen from you, Seifer." She chuckles again and eyes that blindfold, a thoughtful look crossing the cruiser's face after a few moments. "You've learned that much just from training that way? I see..." This clearly is not giving her terrible ideas for later. Having her attention drawn back to her blushing does snap her mind back to reality and away from terrible training ideas, at least. She even giggles lightly at the comment about Caster. "I understand. Ah.. N-not that I'm saying it's appropriate workplace behavior, though!" Sighing lightly, she calms herself down enough to watch the next demonstration focusing intently as she turns to other targets that haven't been cut apart or exploded yet. It's not quite making sense to her just yet, but perhaps by getting into a stance where she can envision her hand as the turret and her spirit as the shell...! One punch towards a target and a heated shout later, and... Nothing happens beyond Haguro standing there with her arm out. Another punch, another shout, another nothing. The second one had nearly no SPIRIT to it, though. "Mm... M-maybe. One day." She does not sound very convinced.
Nie Li	All of Seifer's claims about how he goes about his training just drags out a long, exasperated sigh from Nie Li, the boy deciding to fold his across his chest. "Heightening your awareness that way isn't unheard of, but doing it with such an ungainly weapon..." He doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at how ridiculous Seifer is! Really doesn't. But he watches. Brow quirking and eyes widening with growing admiration. "Ohhhhhhh.... not bad. Not bad at all! How much practice did it take to attach that much control?" Finally though, he focuses on Haguro. Smiling. His manner with her is a bit softer and more polite, because, obviously, he's dealing with a girl. "So your main style is ranged combat, but you're worried about what happens when an opponent slips in too close?"
Seifer Almasy	Seifer just chuckles at Nie Li. "You asked how I managed, man." "Not much. A couple hours in the morning, after I've done my gunblade warmups. Sometimes I lace it into the routine, y'know, just throw out one or two while I'm swingin' at stuff in the Moon Cell." Seifer rolls his shoulders. "I figured out pretty quick that the key was makin' sure I didn't use too much, so I just had to learn to cut the flow off. Snapped my fingers, at first." Seifer snaps his fingers. "Sound reminded me of a hammer goin' off, so..." "Few days later an' I just mentally substituted the hammer insteada snappin'." Seifer steps back, but not before saying to Haguro, "Hey, Haguro. You're a cute girl. If you were gonna get a present, somethin' pretty to wear, what would you wanna get?"
Haguro	Maybe adjusting her stance will help? Nope. Haguro's tried a karate stance, a brawler stance, and now even a boxer stance, but to no avail. She takes a moment to recompose herself again, nodding after a moment to Nie Li. "Right. I mean... I-I'm confident enough in my strength and speed, and I can take hits better than most, but I don't have..." It's not even a lack of skill. It's a lack of application. A lack of experience. "... Like if you tried to punch me straight on. I'd know that I should move to the outside of your arm and grab it from there, but doing it all on reflex is harder. I'm not quite there yet." ONE DAY. She's seen it happen enough on TV even when it's rehearsed, and she's (somewhat) confident she can do that in real combat eventually! For once, getting called cute doesn't have her blushing and turning into a mess! She may be getting used to Seifer finally. "Something...? I haven't thought much about that. I usually just get extra uniforms or office clothes for when I need to work, but leisure clothing..." She furrows her brow in thought. "H... Hats, perhaps? I've noticed more people running around with nice hats these days, but... Are you planning something?"
Nie Li	"Oh." Having Haguro explain that seems to answer everything. Nie Li's smile is almost more of a smirk, but it's warm and friendly enough. "Of course, it's harder. Techniques and tactics are important in a fight. But when a punch is coming right at your face... not HAVING to think is what will save you. You have to practice the maneuver over and over again, hundreds, thousands of times. The only time you can afford to think is the seconds where your opponent is too pained or winded to attack. Pausing to think is disastrous."
Haguro	Perhaps a kickboxing stance? No, why would she ever think that would work? Haguro's only seen that once or twice, and she's pretty sure she's got that stance wrong, anyway. Still, worth a shot! Nope. "Right. My reflexes aren't bad, and I've had a few fights where it was good enough for the situation, but that's... That's not good enough." She's starting to run out of ideas for stances now. She tosses a quick glance towards the duffel bag where her equipment is, but reconsiders and just focuses on throwing different punches again. "I need to become better than I am now. Until I do, I'll just keep being a burden on everyone."
Nie Li	Nie Li's not familiar with half of the things that Haguro's trying punching at the air, but he does have an eye for hand to hand combat. So the boy holds up a hand. "Hold on a moment. What kind of enemies do you usually go up against?"
Haguro	As Haguro is about to throw another punch, she holds off once Nie Li speaks up. "Eh? Oh. Um. Recently..." She pauses to stroke her chin, murmuring to herself briefly before starting to count things off on her fingers. "Well, in the past year? Sea monsters, magic soldier... Constructs? Magic golems, futuristic android soldiers, magic-wielding yakuza, magic-wielding children, and magic-empowered senior... Citizens." She looks a little less enthused about those last two than the rest. There's an uncertain look on her face, and then she adds quickly. "... B-but it was justified! It's not as if I normally go around attacking children and old people!"
Nie Li	That list is a serious headscratcher. Nie Li stares dumbly at some of it until Haguro explains that last bit. Still, it leaves him in a rather taken aback mood, and he cants his head while thinking... "Without knowing what kind of magic it is, I have no idea what approach is best. But your usual attacks are all ranged? Then maybe the best idea is to focus on defense, mobility, and evasion so you can keep an opponent at a distance and trip them up long enough to regain an advantage if they do get close."
Haguro	"Several different types. I.. Think the constructs were just animated, but the rest used varying types. Fire, stone, lightning.. Elemental attacks, I guess they could be classified as?" Haguro replies with a still questioning tone, but she does sound vaguely certain about her own assessment. She listens to Nae Li's own assessment and recommendation, eventually shaking her head. "I had tried that a while ago. It worked when I was with the rest of the fleet, but-ah. Fleet Daughters. The other ship.. Erm. Ghosts, you could say. It worked while we were fighting sea-based threats that fought in the same way, but..." She gestures towards Seifer. "The flaw with that became much more apparent when we were fighting those android soldiers. They had much more advanced weaponry, but they weren't nearly as effective as close range and only had numbers to offset that disadvantage. If my focus becomes getting back to long range, then I'll be helpless if I face someone that's better at sticking close to me than I am at getting away." Haguro pauses, then hits a fist against her palm. "Mister Nie Li. Do you have any experience with grappling-based combat?"
Nie Li	"Ah. So elemental attacks! That's not so difficult to deal with." Or at least, not in his opinion they're not. He deals with that all the time. But he hears Haguro's complaints... and accepts that, with a small nod. "Ah. I see. Then plenty of experience actually sparring would be best..." Of course she goes on to suggest GRAPPLING based combat. Nie Li immediately flail-backpedals with a startled wail. And sort of stares at Haguro like she just suggested the most heretical thing ever! "G-grappling?! I have some... but... ah... you're aware of what grappling training entails, right? You're a girl and I am a man!" Or rather a boy. He seems only about thirteen... "And while I'm an honorable man, I'm not sure if that's proper..."
Haguro	"If you think about them as different forms of projectiles, then... I suppose not?" Haguro shrugs lightly, the thoughtful look remaining on her face. "They still came from straight ahead, and even the dragon golem was a large target..." The gears are turning. She doesn't even notice right away that Nae Li's backing away until he's already speaking up, giving him a confused look moments after that. "... Huh? Yes, grappling training. That.. Involves learning proper footwork and limb placement. I-is something the matter?" It seems this office lady doesn't quite get what he's so freaked out over. Yet.
Nie Li	The fact that Haguro doesn't immediately understand the nature of the problem just brings an intensely awkward look to Nie Li's face. He sheepishly grimaces, looks this way and that, and proceeds to scratch the back of his head. But then he realizes it! And smacks his right hand - curled into a fist - into his open left palm. YES! "What am I thinking? This is the Shrine of Adversity. We can just generate practice targets..." He nods to Haguro. "No, never mind. Since you aren't bothered, there's no problem."