Elissa had seen a lot of Junkies. Hell she'd been high more than a couple of times herself. She had no idea what was going on. It didn't look like any drug she was familiar with. Maybe the woman was just crazy. That was even scarier. At least she was mostly coherent now

And did the woman think she was making a pass at her? "Jesus Girl, if I was making moves on you, you'd know about it. I'm not subtle."

Then she stiffened as the woman mentioned her sensei, and re-evaluated the marks on Inoue's skin "Fucking misogynistic bastard" she said "You did good, girl... you show'd him. Next time put your shitkickers on. I'll lend you a pair. And kick him in the balls. Hard. And then kick him again" she didn't seemed particularly bothered about the outright admission of theft although perhaps she felt it might be wise to be slightly more circumspect about it

The strange woman had mentioned a drink... "Right. Sure. Perc do you any green tea and a kettle? I'll make the Tea." As Percival seemed to be entertaining the other woman, Elissa didn't interrupt and moved to see if this place had a kitchenette

Elissa and Percival could I have perception rolls please?

Notice roll: 14
If against a threat / being surprised 16

12:46, Today: The Hon. Elissa St. Clair rolled 14 using 1d20+8.  Notice roll.

"Miss Casey... or Alice, if you prefer.  And there's no need to apologize, the place looks in good order.  May I ask about your role within the club?"

After extending a hand in greeting, she allowed Percival to guide her about the place.  Alice had yet to look at the weapons on display.  Naturally she had questions, but Alice didn't want to bombard the young man.  There was no hurry in her mind.  Neither did she mind if he paused or turned his attention to other matters.

OOC Mechanics
08:44, Today: Percival Galois rolled 16 using 1d10+7.  Notice.

Elyssa and Percy:
It doesn't hit you immediately but after you see Miss Casey enter the room you both notice that the Japanese girl did not enter through the door but clearly she was walking.

Inoue
Slowly you realise that yes, you really are in Cambridge, which is where you were planning to go but you were not expecting to arrive for months.

PM.

To be fair to the drugs theory, Inoue was still moving and speaking in a strangely spacey manner and her eyes kept flicking to survey things that did not seem to actually be there. Unless she was noticing all the stains on the wall... that only she can see...

Inoue flushes a little and decides not to acknowledge her romantic faux pas. She was a little disappointed. Elissa was very pretty. Very... very... she shakes her head vigorously.

"I... will take your offer under advisement!" Inoue replies, unwilling to brave the force of feminist fury by suggesting that perhaps she misunderstood. She isn't entirely certain what a shitkicker is, but she can make some educated inferences.

Inoue finds a quiet part of the clubroom and sits herself seiza-style on the floor, daintily adjusting her skirt so that it rests just so, then folding her hands demurely into her lap. While Elissa prepares the tea Inoue spends some time watching Alice and Percy tour the room.

An idea seems to abruptly occur to Inoue which makes her open up her duffel bag and begin digging through its contents -- a couple of glass vials, a few bamboo boxes, a wooden stake, a couple of books -- until she finds what she is looking for. A folded piece of paper in an envelope. She hesitantly fidgets with it. "Eeeee-to... you have already been so kind to me, I hesitate to ask another favor. I am looking for someone..."

If Elissa seems receptive to the idea, Inoue shows her the paper.

---

Spoiler for the paper: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

Inoue unfolds the paper to show a fairly skillful charcoal rendition of someone Elissa might know; Ann Winters. Or at least someone that very strongly resembles her. Background elements suggest a grocery store. In the sketch, Ann is looking back in the midst of stacking boxes, as if turning in surprise to look at the viewer.

---

The Junky or crazy person was getting crazier, Elissa decided. She replayed the scene in her head. She must have been here asleep under a table or something. Just bonkers... And she spoke wierd. And the contents of her bag...eeesh... If you opened her own bag it wouldn't look like that.

Then she was shown a picture. Her eyes didn't flicker, or show a moment of interest.  It was hardly the first time someone had shown her a picture and said 'do you know this person'. Maybe the Junky was a Junky copper... no that didn't make sense either. Her reaction was well practiced, well rehearsed "Nah never seen her. Looks pretty." an uninterested casual question followed "why do you want her? There's a couple of stores like that..." she gave directions to the main square ... a long way indeed from the Arjuna store.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:03, Mon 03 Jan 2022.

If Inoue recognized any trace of deception in Elissa's words she did not show it. She instead turns the drawing back to herself, humming and smiling softly.

Looks pretty. "She does!" Why do you want her? "I am not certain... I saw her in a dream, and I knew it was important that I find her. I do not even know who she is."

Inoue takes down the directions in a pocket notebook with a pencil. The pencil looks like it was sharpened with a knife, and the other side has a cartoon butterfly decoration¹ on a spring that bounces and wobbles as she writes. She closes the note with a snap of her wrist. "Thank you soooo much!" She gives off a two-tone giggle scientifically designed by a team of trained cuteness engineers from weapons-grade adorablium.

¹- The decoration is actually a Venomoth, eighteen years before Pokemon was created.

"Go ask a pig. They are good at finding people" Elissa suggested. She'd no idea what the hell was going on, and finally decided that Inuoe was probably an incompetant undercover cop, because no other explanation seemed likely "'scuse me, Class is up"

Time, Distance and Shielding. That's what her Dad recommended in situations like this. Minimize the time, maximize the distance and use shielding. She didn't want to leave just yet: she'd not found a good place to train, and here was already looking better than she'd expected. She moved over to where Alice and Percival were talking, being careful to keep those two between herself and the crazy woman.

"Well met, Miss Casey. I appreciate your understanding. As for my role, I am but a humble student and club member. Perhaps a bit more enthusiastic than some of my peers, but simply a club member nonetheless. Many mistakenly, but understandably so, think that I am Club President simply because I have used my family wealth to acquire many sets of extra equipment as well as taken the initiative to print out relevant historical information. Alas, my schedule does not allow me to engage with the governmental side of things, hence my enthusiast status. As a third year however, I do regularly instruct some of our younger students, if you will forgive some minor pride in my ability," Percival replied to Alice's question.

As he spoke, the fencing enthusiast's eyebrow cocked as he considered Inoue's arrival and state of mind. As he considered some of the subtler evidence, he was less and less convinced that she was experiencing some sort of adverse psychedelic effect. However, he kept his...guesses to himself at the moment. More information was needed before he made up his mind.

"Then your father has clearly never heard of the Onna-musha or Besshikime. Tsk tsk. Justifying his denial of your wish to learn through ignorance of history is most...regrettable. Rest assured Miss Inoue, if you wish to learn here, everyone is the same when met at the end of a blade," he sniffed, somewhat indignant at what little information he had inferred of her father.

"While there is a small electric kettle in the cupboard beneath the cooler, alas, I am a man who has committed the worst sin an Englishman can: I despise tea. In all forms. So I do not have any on hand. If you were guests in my home, I would have a large collection for company. But when on the go, I have enough to set up without carrying bags of dirty leaf water. If you wish a drink, all we have on hand at the moment is simple water I am afraid," the young man replied to Elissa with an apologetic shrug of his shoulders.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:17, Mon 03 Jan 2022.

Nevertheless, you did notice a drinks vending machine on the way in.

She nodded along to Percival’s thorough answers.

“I’m a novice, but had hoped to find like minded people… and see some entertaining swordplay.  Is there a membership fee?  I have no problems with taking instructions from more experienced students.  It would be just like having a university tutor.”

She stepped back and out of the way when Percy went to assist the oddly acting Asian girl.  It gave her some more insight into the young man.  Alice liked the politeness and his application of book knowledge and life experience.  Percy’s definition of tea as dirty leaf water won a quiet chuckle from Alice.

"There are pigs in Cambridge?" Inoue asks with what is hopefully not genuine surprise. She is about to ask where she might find a pig with whom to speak when she is abruptly left alone. Inoue frowns a little; did she say something to offend the other woman.

Inoue cocks her head at Percival as he speaks of Japan's female warriors. "Ah, true, but many such women favored the naginata and yumi to compensate for their physical slightness relative to their male counterparts. It is not as though I was treated poorly. And; sensei, not father."

"I have my own supply of tea!" Inoue adds, pulling out a bamboo box and opening it to reveal some half-dozen different varieties in small paper bags. Some look very homemade.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:10, Tue 04 Jan 2022.

Curses she'd not gone after Ann. At least not yet, Elissa thought to herself. And what kind of undercover cop or Junky had homemade tea bags with them? Well ... Time Distance and Shielding. Time to put some distance between them.

Percival seemed deep in conversation so much as she wanted to have a chat, and perhaps cross blades, that didn't look like it was happening any time soon. Picking up the sword she'd been using earlier, she started to go through the same form she'd been doing earlier.

"There is no membership fee. However, this can be an expensive club over time. While I have extra protective gear and weapons, you are expected to eventually acquire your own, so that other prospective club members might make use of the extras in the future. And if we go to a tournament, there might be an entrance fee, and depending on how far we travel, we might need to pay for overnight accommodations. And you may sign up for instruction on the sheet next to the door, and someone will be assigned to you. If you just wish a preliminary look today, I would be more than happy to instruct you personally," Percival replied to Alice, and smiling warmly to the blond woman.

"Mm. You'll find that most battlefield weapons across all cultures were either ranged weaponry or polearms. That was not a unique phenomena among ancient female Japanese warriors. And they most certainly were not forbidden from taking up a Katana. And my deepest apologies. Your Sensei. Oh...goodie...tea," the young man said, trying and failing to maintain a diplomatic mask when she brought out the bamboo box.

Seeing the woman with the colorful hair run through another kata again, Percival studied her in silence for a moment. He saw potential for a very formidable fencer in her confidence and speed.

"After tea, perhaps I could run you all through some basic drills? Or perhaps I could test each of your natural talents to see which proficiency level group you belong with? I would be loathe to place a natural prodigy in the beginners group, after all..." he offered, looking to all three in turn.

"Ah well that's me out then. I don't have the cash. I'm a have not, not a have" Elissa said very matter of factly, perhaps hiding some stronger emotion. "Been nice talking to you Perc."

The message was there again in her head Time, Distance and Shielding. And a second one... Money. She'd no great desire to join a club where there were the haves and the have nots and the haves rubbed the fact into the noses of the have nots. But there wasn't any point getting upset over it. It wasn't the first time, it wouldn't be the last

"Nice books. Nice gear. See you around" she put the sword back and moved over to the peg where she had left her coat and bag and prepared to leave
This message was last edited by the player at 07:33, Thu 06 Jan 2022.

“Oh I’m only looking for lessons… not to be hoisting club trophies.  Does the club conduct any social events?”

Alice let Percy show her around and if he was going to give her some beginners training, she wouldn’t refuse that.  Her own skill was more intermediate, but Alice was prepared to down play that to ‘has potential’.  Elissa received a farewell nod (as Alice had not properly met her, yet).

Upon Elissa's declaration that she did not have the funds to join the club, and that she intended to leave, Percival looked absolutely crestfallen, and if not a little embarrassed, as if he was the cause of this unfortunate parting.

"W-wait!" he sputtered, hurry to the door to catch her.

"I assure you young miss, the communal equipment can be used for some time, if you need to save up for such things. And if you are in such dire financial straights that it would not be reasonable to expect you acquire the funds at any time, I will make you the same offer I have made to other students in the past: I come from wealth. I would be more than happy to purchase the items in question for you, provided you showed a commitment to the sport, and you perform some services or deeds for me in recompense. Nothing untoward I assure you. And that offer is extended to anyone here who might be interested. If such an arrangement does not interest you, at least take a few of the books on the table on your way out. They are free. And you might find the knowledge and techniques contained within them to be quite fascinating!" Percival said rapidly, trying to get all the information out at once.

"Hm? Oh, lessons would be just fine. The Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday evening, so I would add that to your schedule if interested. Aside from tournaments, we are sometimes asked to visit local secondary schools in order to increase student interest in the sport, or even cross blades with those young people. Also, some years if there are enough club members that stick around the Christmas break, we might hold a small club party. It can be fun. Companionship and camaraderie and all that..." the frazzled young man called back to Alice, so as not to appear to be rude.

Elissa didn't hear the same words that Percival uttered. She was starting to get a grasp on his florid speech, and her internal translator kicked in.

• If you are in such dire financial straits meant if you are so pitifully poor you can't even afford this.
• I come from wealth meant On the other hand I am dripping with more money than I know what to do with. Which was at least the second time he had mentioned his vast wealth. Which he hadn't earned, he'd just been given
• I'll buy them for you and you can perform services or deed For a moment she'd been about to knee him in the balls, but Percival recovered well from it. And to his credit she was sure that had not been his meaning

Pretty obviously he was trying. The offer for the books was nice, but she already had the one she liked and the others were about a game which she now wasn't going to be playing. Besides she didn't want to be beholden to him, in case there were requests for 'services or deeds'.

"Nah, I'm good" she said trying not to let her irritation show, but probably failing "I don't do charity or indentured servitude. I'll find a club that doesn't need the high tech crap." she gestured at the protective gear and electonics  "Miyamoto Musashi just had a couple of bamboo sticks. He had it right... just do the boring stuff and put the hours in. Practice until it becomes easy. You might want to add Book of Five Rings to your collection. Or some Sun Tzu. But you at least have the bible"

"Maybe we'll get the chance to play sometime. You do capoeria right? There will be a Roda somewhere around here, and that doesn't cost an arm and a leg."

Alice could see that Percy was trying his hardest to keep the girl with the colored hair, so she cut him some slack.  Whoever she was, Alice thought she seemed like a handful.  Percy was going to need all the luck he could get.  Alice looked forward to hearing his story... as soon as he was done with that other girl.

"Sounds fun.  Seems a shame not to have a members card, but I'm sure the lessons will be interesting."

Alice began to look over the protective gear to see if there was something in her size.  She actually had some gear elsewhere... but that was for 'work'.

Looks like there's some intense sparks flying between Elissa and Percival (mostly from Elissa) and Inoue does not want to be anywhere near that. Instead she contents herself with watching the woman who had come in after her. Inoue isn't entirely sure why but she almost immediately experiences pangs of distrust regarding her. Maybe she sees something of herself in her; something about the analytical way she seems to observe the world while being one step apart from it feels very familiar.

It's probably nothing. Inoue was once absolutely certain there was a gremlin under her bed and that had turned out to be untrue. It had been a baby monitor lizard of some kind.

After a short while of being left alone Inoue feels herself withdrawing from the slipping back into trancespace. Observers would note that she becomes very still, staring off into nothingness.

"I...very well. As you wish. I should mention that those books are for the battlefield application of European swordplay, not the sport. Master Sun's Military Methods is about strategy and tactics on an army scale, not fighting techniques for the individual. As for Musashi, not as long as I print these books..." the last sentence being muttered with more than a hint of derision.

"I do not practice Capoeira myself. I have simply spent some time in Brazil. I am however a member of the Cambridge Boxing Club. And I would consider myself a fairly competent practitioner of Savate and Lancashire Wrestling, if I do say so myself. If a bout in the ring is more to your liking, I would be more than happy to schedule something for your convenience," Percival said with a polite bow.

Despite his disappointment at driving Elissa away, he was more than pleased to see Alice looking at the communal equipment.

"Oh, it is, trust me. If you can stand the bruises, and see them as lessons. Might I suggest going a size smaller than you would normally? You want no loose fabric, and as long as your legs and shoulders aren't restricted, the tightness should work to your advantage," he said to Alice, almost beaming.

"Er...no.. not really" Elissa said caught by surprise for a moment in answer to the comment on Sun Tzu. "I thought ... you .. .er.. read things" She was about to say something else when she caught Percival's comment on the book of five rings and the laughter left her to be replaced with a scowl. "Sure. Whatever. See you around Percival"

With that she left