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Who: You, you, and you!
What: For those interested in Miyagi-do, or there to just hang out and support friends! Or whatever reasons might bring your character here.
When: Some time during the first half of the month.
Where: At the Miyagi-do Dojo in Crenshaw!

November welcomes a colder month with the every now-and-then sprinkle of snow in the early mornings, but it also brings the opening of Miyagi-do dojo, another one of those weird dramatic California dojos that Trench somehow keeps washing up the senseis of. A network post is made announcing its opening, and with it, the wonderful express permission for anyone and everyone to come over to Daniel LaRusso's home in Crenshaw to hang out -- for karate, of course.

The FRONT OF THE HOUSE looks like any other house in Trench, except for sign outside that lets you know you've arrived at the right place. There's also a special little boy who watches from the roof for visitors, a shisa, for those knowledgable of Okinawan guardians. In case Daniel can't answer your knock at the door, this little friend will help get you through the front door or side-gate (as long as, you know, you open the doors--Daniel's omen doesn't have the hands for it).

Perhaps you've shown up by appointment, or you've shown up at random. Depending on the time of day or how chilly it is, an INDOOR OR OUTDOOR DOJO will be available for training. The indoor dojo has been set up in a Japanese style, soft matting underfoot and sliding doors fitted for aesthetics. Outside is a larger space, with a bridge and pond (though not as green as the shared image). There's access to a punching bag, focus pads (not as fancy, bute useable), weaponry (if you're training with one of those offered); there's refreshments that will be offered from the kitchen, as well as first aid if it's necessary.

All students new to Miyagi-do will be TRAINED to learn the basic moves of Miyagi-do karate, which show how to move one's limbs: wax on, wax off (circular hand and arm movements), and paint the fence/house (up and down, side to side motions). These can be shown in the fashion of their traditional method (there's a nice car for waxing, and paint); or, for those who can't be fooled into chores, there's a more simplified method of learning (shoddy recording filter included), showing the eventual end result of repeating the motions.

There's also time for MEDITATION, learning to empty the mind and to find your own inner peace. People are welcomed into group sessions, one-on-one, or even to find their own spot in their dojos to take some time to relax. Maybe that's all you need -- a place where you can unwind for a while.

Perhaps you're not sure or not interested in joining the dojo, but are HERE FOR OTHER REASONS. For Daniel? For a friend? OR you're just watching for now, which is fine. You may be accompanied by Daniel's ferocious shisa omen which definitely does NOT look like a chow chow puppy, who is always happy for pets and laps to pancake on.

Actually, if you decide you're just here for the omen and the omen exclusively, that is very valid.

(ooc: feel free to make your own toplevels, tag around, and mingle! this is for people who have signed up for the dojo already, but also just for people who are still apprehensive and want to come watch and check things out! or if you just want to hang out. that's also valid. karate brings everyone together.

if you would like to formally sign up and be added to the info page, that's right over here! have fun!)

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[ don't mind if i do, mantinova says rather indulgently as she hops from a plant leaf to the edge of the tea cup, dips her head down and nibbles at the steaming surface with care. omens don't have to drink, nor do they require food, but mantinova represents the indulgence 2B has isolated herself from for too long. she does not need to eat and drink either, and unlike her orchid mantis counterpart, she hasn't allowed herself the luxury to try. oh, this is exquisite, the mantis hums.

after a few silent moments of not doing anything at all with the offered and waiting tea, 2B relents wordlessly and picks up the cup. cradling it in her hands, she's never actually held a tea cup, and she's never actually drank something before, simply because she didn't need to. 9S was the one always trying new things out for the sheer sensation of it.

she'll wait out her first-time jitters and still just hold it. ]

. . . It's calm, here. [ and with a soft touch to her features that may almost seem yearning: ] peaceful.

[ It's no surprise at this point that the girl's Omen is the one that hops down first to drink. Mantinova is.. a little odd, sure, but not necessarily in a bad way. If anything, the other's attitude in this case just makes Daniel smile with some amusement, glad that at least someone seems to be enjoying the tea here right away - even if 2B herself needs a few moments more.

Instead he focuses on the other's words, his gaze shifting over towards 2B as he does. ]

Yeah?

[ Judging by that look on her face - 2B's expressions are always so subtle, but Daniel is learning how to read them a little at this point - she seems to consider it a good thing. ]

Well, I'd hope so. It's the point of this place to me. Just having a place that's.. safe and calm. Where people can be and can practice without having to worry about this place's usual woes.

[ It's not easy, protecting people from Trench. If anything, it feels almost impossible to Daniel.

But that doesn't mean he isn't going to try, even when it's just in little ways like this. ]

I want you and everyone else to be able to feel at ease when you're here. Like a little haven.

[ her tea has not been touched yet, but mantinova is still going at her's and pretty much drank half her cup already. for a mantis? yes. with a deep, satisfied sigh, the omen crawls onto a plant and says she'll be coming back for more— she wants to catch a crunchy little snack to go with it. flies go great with tea. ]

It's working, so far. [ 2B says with a small dip of her head, looking into the reflection of her tea that gazes back up at her. ] . . . I'm thinking of moving.

[ There's a hum at 2B's remark - kind and interested, because Daniel is. It sounds like quite a decision for 2B of all people to make. Sure, most people would be a little more fickle, perhaps more prone to making such a decision.. But 2B hasn't seemed like the type of person to make a decision like that without much thought being put into it.

Daniel momentarily glances at the plant the Omen crawled into, seeming to think, but then glances over at 2B. ]

Why are you thinking of it?

[ He'll gladly hear her out. If not just so she has a place to put her thoughts into words. ]

[ if she thinks about it, she thinks twice about it. otherwise, she's more likely to follow orders. but there are no orders to follow other than her own.

daniel and his bonsai have taught her that her own choices were a good thing to make when she could finally make them. ]

Sleeping in a calming place, rather than a work environment, [ she glances over to pod, who is hovering and gathering the garden debris that she's plucked. wordlessly, gives her a bit of encouragement to continue. ] will help my psychological levels of function.

I agree.

[ It's an easy thing to agree on, after all. And maybe he's hoping for a little bit too much here, but if he ignores the wording here a little, it does feel like 2B making a decision to put her wellbeing first - and that's exactly what Daniel wants her to do.

It puts an edge of pride into his smile as he looks at her, nodding. ]

So were you thinking about moving here to Crenshaw? [ It is about as safe of a place as one can find in this town, after all. It's why Daniel started the dojo here - so everyone could be safe while being at the dojo. ] .. or maybe moving in with a friend?

[ Please tell ~~dad~~ him that you've been making friends, 2B. ]

[ a friend. come on, daniel (he's not all that wrong). 2B ends up dipping her head to shroud part of her face. not that it helps when she's lighting up like christmas. ]

Cellar Door. [ it's not exactly "peaceful" if you count the high population, but there's a better reason— it was more civilian than military. that was already peaceful. ] I want to live closer to someone important to me.

[ Wow, 2B. How is Daniel supposed to contain all these dad feelings when he sees you doing this? Talking about 'someone important to me', dipping her head shyly, seeming so happy by 2B standards..

There's no way he can't smile at this. It feels like his heart is about to burst - but in the best way possible. ]

I'm so glad for you.

[ It even seeps through into his voice, so warm. A hand reaches out, gently landing on her shoulder and resting there for a moment. ]

You really are starting to live the kind of life you want to live here, hm?

[ the subtle shift 2B's head gives to regard the hand on her shoulder is but a dip to its direction. her lips look a touch more curved, but it gets smoothed out. ]

I'm still figuring it out. [ because she still may . . . want to fight. it still feels like a purpose for her, but perhaps not the only one. ] Thank you.

Hey, each step is still a step. And an important one.

[ Maybe he's being a little too supportive, but he can't help it. This sort of thing is just way too much in Daniel's nature, and the support only swells in the face of the pride he feels for her growth.

The hand rests on her for another moment, but then he pulls it back - though the smile on his face doesn't fade. ]

I'll put a lamp up here now the dojo is open. So you can easily come over whenever you want. [ Regardless of whether she'll be living closer by now or not. ] The plants will always be waiting for you here, along with everyone who's training here now.

[ More friends for 2B. It's also important. ]

.. and I'll always be waiting for you too, of course.

[ you're going to fluster her this way, daniel— and would you look at that, he was. she has yet to touch her tea, it's probably lukewarm by now. mantinova has caught an insect and seems to be chowing down as they speak. ]

I'll keep it in mind when my time is free. [ but now . . . she brings the cup just a little closer to her face, no, um. do human things to it. like smelling. she's not even used to that sort of movement, but she realizes there're things to it that she can't put too much of a finger on. sweet, perhaps, like a flower. tepid, as heat was. ] What is this?

[ A beat. ]

.. tea?

[ There's a certain tone to the way he says it, a kind of uncertainty. Because he's not quite sure if this is a case of 2B not even having experienced this much, or if it's just that she's asking about the specific kind of tea or something..

It's hard to tell, especially with how little he knows about the place she comes from.

Daniel tries to steer the instinctive surprise into something more gentle, not wanting to make 2B feel bad if she didn't know. ]

Is this your first time having some?

Yes.

[ she is to the point and immediate in responding to that. she’s looking at her reflection in the rippling cup . . . ]

Food and beverage are a luxury. Consumption is not necessary for my survival. [ and thus, she’s never eaten. never drank. she’s only seen some androids do it for pleasure, like baths. ] . . . You should be saving your resources for yourselves.

No. I want you to have this.

[ Daniel shakes his head, seemingly having made up his mind about it already. Granted, it helps that tea isn't exactly a limited resource here, but even without that.. he might have insisted all the same.

Maybe it isn't logical. Not when 2B doesn't need it the same way humans do. But this isn't just about nourishment, Daniel thinks. It's about providing 2B with more experiences, just so she knows about the world out there. Just so she knows how many options there are for her. ]

Or rather-- [ He restarts, wanting to phrase it a little more kindly than he did in his instinctive reaction. ] I would like you to have this. To try it out.

[ He exhales, then smiles. ]

I want you to see whether you like it.

[ 2B’s stare goes long and hard, before at last, when they cast sideways with a light shake of her head and an amused huff, she looks— softened.

god damn you, daniel . . . 🦾

slowly and gradually, she brings the cup to her lips, and from the start of wafting heat by her face, it’s already and experience she takes note of. the humidity that swirls up when she breathes into it, how the liquid ripples, how it feels when she tips the cup just enough to allow the tea into her mouth . . .

it’s warm, inside her cheeks. on her tongue. it tastes suave and subtly, subtly sweet. she could even feel how the drink loses its heat the longer it’s within the cavity. her swallow is a little thick and unsavory, unused to downing anything at all. after a pause and a poised descent of the cup to her lap, she—

she awkwardly coughs.

but daniel would know her thoughts better when her lips do something sweet. she smiles, even though it might be clear she’s trying to hide it, this time with the cup to her mouth again to take another sip.

i told you, adds the confidently chewing mantinova. ]

[ Is there anything better than this?

Daniel is pretty convinced there isn't. For all of Trench's faults, and for how much he hates it for taking him away from his family.. He can't deny that there are good things to it. If nothing else, he's glad that he's able to at least create moments like these in a hectic place like this town. Moments where they can just sit in a garden, knowing it's a place for them, a safe place, and when he can provide someone young with a new experience.

Daniel looks happy enough about it, anyway, a very warm smile on his face as he observes the other drinking. A gaze that slowly shifts over towards the tiny Omen when it speaks up. ]

She's right. You should listen to her a little more often. [ .. though maybe not.. always, given some of the stuff Mantinova says..

But if the Omen guides 2B into some new experiences, then that's enough for Daniel, his gaze turning back to 2B now. ]

This place is often already rotten enough, so let's live it up while we can.

[ .. even if Daniel "nerdy middle-aged dad" LaRusso's idea of 'living it up' is drinking tea inside of a dojo.

It counts. ]

[ mantinova gleams with pride, and listening to mantinova would mean listening to a part of her that was being quite loud. 2B huffs in a way that may sound like ironic laughter if she allowed it to reach the point of laughter. when the simmer from daniel's warmth cools down, 2B responds, now with a quiet stretch of silence that flatlines her lips more seriously. ]

It seems, [ there had been plenty of things that held 2B back from indulgence and living, and perhaps the greatest one at the moment hadn't been duty: ] unfair.

[ it's guilt. ]

[ He shakes his head, as if he doesn't agree. (Because he doesn't. Everyone out there - or rather, everyone good, but that isn't a concern Daniel even slightly has when it comes to 2B - deserves this. They deserve peace. They deserve happiness.)

It's a faint shake though, maybe even overshadowed by him instead speaking on. ]

Towards whom?

[ If it's unfair from her point of view, then there has to be something or someone here that's being slighted due to 2B opting to indulge, right?

But he can't see it. ]

[ she's been looking more and more into her reflection, and more does guilt seem to take what it wants from her. ]

My partner. 9S. [ he would ask if she remained silent. shortly after, with her throat going dry, she continues and elaborates: ] He's always asked and I've always . . . [ her grip against her teacup tightens, ] declined.

I can't speak for him. [ Daniel first admits - because it only feels fair to say that, even though the words he's saying are basically obvious.

But he does want to be fair towards 2B's partner. Clearly someone important to her, or she wouldn't be bringing him up now. ]

But.. do you really think it would make him happy if you were to just never try anything at all? [ Not that he doesn't get her point. Sure, he might be a little sad if she declined all that time, only to give in now, when she's no longer by his side. ] If anything, I could imagine him being glad to see you thriving if he ever showed up here in this place as well. Maybe he'd smile and join right in with you.

[ That's what happens when you care about someone, after all.

And if this 9S asked 2B to indulge in that stuff alongside him - then he must have cared. ]

[ perhaps he would, the way he was. they way he always started . . . perhaps, depending on how far he's gone, he'd hate her. for completely different reasons, but she understands them all the same. he might even be happy without her if he knew the truth. after dreading silence, 2B brings the tea back to her lips to busy herself, to stare elsewhere and taste the liquid between her lips once again, across her tongue and down her throat. she even questions, for a split second, why she shared to begin with. she didn't need to share, much because it didn't help with the hole still empty in her. it was shaped like a blade, but felt like 9S.

and still, she shared. she doesn't know if she regrets it, but it's quite uncomfortable. 2B nods, but does what most do in an uncomfortable situation: ]

Thank you for the tea.

[ she steps back and avoids what's beginning to hurt more. ]

Edited 2022-12-14 18:33 (UTC)

[ There are two things working in the favour of this moment, no matter how awkward it is. First of all there's Daniel's patience, not really minding the way there's a brief moment of silence, especially when he knows that 2B is most likely trying to gather her thoughts in the lull in the conversation.

And then there's also the fact that he realises she is most likely a little awkward about the line of conversation with what she says next. Daniel has enough experience with talking to people about things that might make them awkward, and he recognizes her retreating a little for what it is.

He won't push her about it - not now, when she's already shared some - but he definitely makes sure to commit this information to memory for another time.

So when she thanks him, Daniel just smiles, accepting the thanks, and returning it with: ]

Thank you for sharing that with me.

[ Perhaps acknowledging that out loud contributes slightly to the awkwardness, but he feels like it's important to acknowledge out loud.

Especially when it's 2B, and so many things - including actually sharing things - still seems new and foreign to her. ]

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