musubi | thirty-third breath ✧ voice/action

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luceti

thirty-third breath ✧ voice/action

[Today, Isamu makes a public post from a public place. That is to say that he's sitting with his journal open in the middle of the clothing store, up on one of the tables where he's moved aside a pile of assorted coats.

He looks serious, thoughtful, though he hasn't actually picked out anything yet.]

Those of you who work with the filial spirits here... How did you get them to work with you? Because I'm trying to figure out what makes them work with some people and not with others.

[For the longest time, the only one that would respond to him was Nala, and he feels lucky to have managed that much sometimes.

What this has to do with him sitting among piles of clothes isn't all that apparent.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I didn't mean it literally, if that's what you thought.

Well, then how else did you mean it?

[Don crosses his arms and studies Isamu, baffled by the disconnect.]

I mean, most strikes are just positioning moves. The whole idea is to trick your opponent into giving you an opening for you real attack. You have to out-think him, to make him be where you want.

So you weren't trying to have me tell you where to stand so I could hit you easier?

Of course I was.

[Put it together, Isamu.]

You were... asking where I would have wanted you to stand in order to pull off a proper feint? In an instructional sense.

Yes, exactly. Where did you want me to be, and how were you going to get me there?

I, uh... [Isamu twists the staff in his hands, uncertain.]

I'm not really sure what I was going for, to be honest. If I could get you to duck, it would make it easier for me to swing at your head, I guess.

[Interesting instinct.]

How would you get me to duck?

Kicking you in the gut probably isn't an option, what with that shell and all. Now if anything is cheating, that is.

[But he's teasing now, which is clear from his smirk.]

[Don grimaces at this.]

Believe me, there are trade-offs. But normally that would be a good idea.

I could try and trip you up, maybe. Or at least make it look like I'm tripping you up.

Unbalancing someone is usually a good strategy.

And throwing them off guard? Distracting them, somehow?

Exactly. Remember that your opponent is trying to lead you, too. Getting them on the defensive is a big advantage.

Right. Right, okay.

You want to give it another go?

[Don nods, and raises his staff.]

Hajime.

Alright, let's do this.

[Isamu gives his staff a bit of a twirl. This causes it to knock into the side of his foot and he fumbles a bit, dropping it to the floor.]

Shit.

[He bends to quickly retrieve it.]

[And Don knocks Isamu over the head with his own staff, because like shell Master Splinter wouldn't have done the same to him.]

Is that how you recover your weapon?

Ow!

[He rubs at his head.]

You're right. I took my eyes off you. Completely poor form.

I always need to -- [Isamu makes a sudden upward swing at Don, trying to knock the hat off.] -- keep my guard up.

[That's such a good move, Don lets Isamu win the exchange. The hat plops gently to the ground.]

- Precisely.

[Woot.

Isamu keeps his eyes fixed on Donatello this time as he makes a quick grab for the fallen object.]

[Don won't try anything. Instead, he calmly continues the lesson.]

But seriously, if you're going to train with the bo, you need to learn to kick it up.

Kick it?

[Isamu raises a brow.]

I thought that was just some fancy thing people did to show off.

That's one use, but the ancient masters were thinking more along the lines of avoiding being decapitated.

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