Description: Isamu's family comes for a nice visit in Strolheim castle, consistent of wife and daughter. Vince happens along, and though the family members don't linger, Isamu and Vince have a nice chat about motivation, shops, and the frivolities of life in general, ending in the likelihood of a re-encounter down the line.
As the day go by, the afternoon is just along the horizon. It is where many of the students under the prestigous fighting school are training themselves in spite of the tournament going on. The area has quite a bit of aristocratsy going on. Yet, the elegant demeanor hides the brutal ongoings of the interior.
There are many things in Strolheim that is a privilege to see. One of them in particular is the great hall. The central room is a massive place with various picture windows providing a view of the lake and the town.
One person that is leaning against the edge of one of those pictured windows is the young Isamu. Dressed in a simple black attire with the collar up to reveal the shirt, the simply dressed young man looks out, letting the amazement of seeing a town so far fill him with awe. But he isn't alone. Two people are actually with him today. One is a young woman who is about his age with long brown hair and is wearing a red blouse to accent the curves. The other individual is a young girl in her low-teens, dressed in the Seijyun school outfit.
"And this is Strolheim. My stay here has been interesting." He laughs sheepishly. "I am sorry that it took me so long to at least bring you two here for a visit."
And what a place for a visit! Bloodshed, violence.. all of it!
Of course, these elements are heavily overshadowed in comparison to the sheer majesty of the castle itself. Vince is, well, in love with it. Of course, one would have to be a little slow to not expect that of the rather oddly-dressed youth. But that said, he isn't a total loss - the french noble is still pristine in his appearances, which is nothing short of a testimony to Strolheim's medical crew, considering the beating he took in the last match.
Nevertheless, Vince is drifting from window to window, cape trailing behind him and icy blues widened like saucers to take in the landscapes they offer. This eventually winds him up beside Isamu and his crew...
"You should have tried to get a hold of us sooner. I was worried about you. I still don't like the idea of you entering this tournament." The voice of the woman is quite stern, yet she smiles at the man, "But you know that I will still support you, dear."
"Heh, thanks Rini." The young man grins once more, "I promise, after this, we won't have to worry much about any other tournaments like this. I just... want to settle something with Krauser. Even if I lose, I want to be able to leave knowing that I gave it my all and I fought at my best."
What was the youngest doing of the group? She was actually enjoying the paddle-ball. It is a simple, yet mesmorizing toy. She shouldn't he toying with something like that, due that she is a high schooler, but she can't help it. She watches the ball bounce over and over. At least, until the ball suddenly breaks off. She gasps in surprise and the ball soars high into the sky...
...And lands right towards Vince's head.
Pok-pok-pok-pok.
It's the sound of a paddleball. That's what entrances people! It's so rythmic, so simple that most people don't even notice it. Vince, for example, doesn't notice it.
Pok-pok-snap!
Ball sails. The metronome stopped, so Vince turns curiously towards the source. And the ball? It bonks right against his forehead, managing to miss the brim of his hat. It's surprise more than force that causes Vince to stagger a step back, eyes crossing cartoonishly.
The impact of the ball dropping on the man's head forces both the man and his wife to turn to the direction. Then, Isamu shifts an eye towards the young girl, who gives a sheepish grin while rubbing the back of his head.
Exhaling a sigh in exhaustion, Isamu shakes his head and turns towards the younger man. "...I apologize for that. And so does Hitomi. ...Right?" Isamu glances the young girl's way.
Hitomi, as if on cue, bows several times, "Sorrysorrysorry, it accidentally slipped!" After a moment, Isamu places a hand over the girl's back for 'that's enough'. After a moment, Isamu blinks, "You're one of the other fighters in the tournament, aren't you?" He asks curiously.
The seventeen-year-old shakes his head quickly, casting his feather into a rapid bobble. "Wh-.." Icy blues affix first to the adult, then to Hitomi, and it gets an awkward laugh from him. "It's fine, it's fine," he offers, silky smooth voice laced with just a hint of a french accent. He turns his attention back to Isamu, momentarily stunned by the question. But why is anyone's guessing - it should be expected, sort've.
"Oui, I am. I'm with the team very, very aptly named 'Malpractice," Vince replies. If one judges by his voice and tone, one might figure out that Vince isn't wild about this.
Blinking, Isamu cannot help but nearly chuckle at the name of the team. He frowns as he realizes the chuckle, "Sorry about that.." He considers, "I will have to admit." The young man glances at the older man. "I am with Team Ethereal myself." He considers once more, looking out the window. With a smile, the young man states, "This is my wife, Rini..." He gestures towards the brown-haired woman in red, who offers a nod and a demure smile. Then, Isamu gestures his hand towards the little girl. "This is my daughter, Hitomi."
Hitomi, nevertheless, offers a wave at the frenchman. He's dreamy!
Isamu offers a smile, "It's quite a feat getting this far. I've heard interesting things about this place." He looks at the town, "...Admittedly, I'm surprised that I was chosen to come."
Blinking, Isamu cannot help but nearly chuckle at the name of the team. He frowns as he realizes the chuckle, "Sorry about that.." He considers, "I will have to admit." The young man glances at the younger man. "I am with Team Ethereal myself." He considers once more, looking out the window. With a smile, the young man states, "This is my wife, Rini..." He gestures towards the brown-haired woman in red, who offers a nod and a demure smile. Then, Isamu gestures his hand towards the little girl. "This is my daughter, Hitomi."
Hitomi, nevertheless, offers a wave at the frenchman. He's dreamy!
Isamu offers a smile, "It's quite a feat getting this far. I've heard interesting things about this place." He looks at the town, "...Admittedly, I'm surprised that I was chosen to come."
"Ethereal...," Vince drawls. "..Oh, wait. That's the one with the highly renowned fighter. Ryu?" Vince lived under a rock pre-Southtown, apparently. But he seems to at least have -some- idea about the person. "Apparently they expect you to go far, Sir," he says with a polite, friendly smile.
Vince then turns to peer out the window again. "It's amazing. I wouldn't mind living somewhere like this. The castle itself isn't too different from the LaRose estate, but... it's a -castle-," he gushes. Vince then turns back to Isamu. "You're still in the tournament, aren't you? If my team, despite itself, has done well to get this far, the ipso-facto, so have you."
A blink is given. As Ryu is mentioned within the team, Isamu offers a nod, "Yes. Ryu is in the team. He is actually our 'teacher' for this tournament." Isamu places a hand over his shoulder, "I am quite amazed over his use of chi." He frowns slightly, "Though, I don't think I can dedicate myself to fighting like he does." He pauses, "...or any other fighter."
"Perhaps they do." Isamu considers. "We'll see... I do know that I want to see Krauser again." He glances towards Rini and Hitomi, "Why don't you two look around the area some more. I'll catch up with you both in a bit." Rini nods and leans over to give the man a kiss on the cheek before she takes Hitomi off to explore around Strolheim and possibly out to the town.
After the two leave, he looks back at Vince, "Yes, I'm still competing. I am surprised that we made it this far. What did you enter the tournament for, if I may ask?"
Vince regards the two ladies leaving with a gallant tip of his hat.
"Honor," Vince replies offhand to Isamu. "For the honor of Rose Dansant and my family." He turns to retrain his eyes on the older gentleman. "Well.. personal glory to some extent as well, I suppose, but mostly for the honor of my family and creed." His head inclines a bit, a single blond eyebrow quirking beneath the brim of his hat. "You only wish to see Mr. Krauser again? Is that going to be enough to carry you through?"
"Honor..." That is something that makes Isamu smile a bit. Many families put honor in their place. It almost causes a frown to form on the man's lips. However, it comes to pass as the subject moves back to him. When he is approached with his reasons about seeing Krauser, Isamu nods.
"Yes. I honestly don't like getting involved in these tournaments." He frowns slightly, "However, I made an exception because before I did settle down with a family, I fought Krauser in an exhibition match." He laughs, thinking back on it. "I lost horribly, but... I did not feel like that I fought at my peak."
"I just wish to close a chapter and I can just focus on the simple things again."
"In that case, I hope you get your chance." Vince's pleasant expression then shifts into a more impish grin. "But not in the confines of this tournament, as that would mean I'd have failed. And I cannot allow that to happen." It's not said harsh or threateningly, but rather with good-natured mirth.
"That aside... how have you found your accomodations? Isn't it just -perfect-?," Vince asks. As he re-gushes over the castle, his eyes round and enlarge, taking up the majority of his face.
"Thank you." The young man shrugs towards the challenge. Isamu politely mentions, "If we lose, we lose. If we win, we press on. As long as I am pulling my weight in the tournament with the members, I am proud that I have been able to do that." The thoughtful glance is given towards the man.
"The accomodations are nice. My wife and daughter enjoy it a lot. For them, they get to see this as a nice vacation from Southtown, especially with a winter break coming for my daughter's school." He leans towards the window once more. "Admittedly, I prefer someting more simple. However, for something like a vacation, it is good to enjoy the extravagant that you are given when presented to you." He turns with a smile, "Right?"
"The purpose of life is to live it," Vince replies with a more solemn smile. "If you're not enjoying your life, it's scarcely living it at all. So take what pleasantries come your way." It's a concurrance - only more verbose. The young swordsman ventures a few steps to away from the window to peer off in the direction the two females wandered away. "You live in Southtown, and your daughter is a student? Which school does she attend, if you don't mind my asking."
"That is true." Isamu concurs with the man, chuckling once more. Now, when the nature of his daughter's school is brought up, Isamu thinks back to it. Now, it is something that Isamu has a hard time remembering. But after a moment, the shopkeeper nods to himself.
"That's right. She attends Seijyun High School. She just started this year, actually." The young man looks towards Vince, "I assume that you still attend high school as well. Where do you go to school at?" He pauses, "Would it happen to be Pacific High?"
"Seijyun...," Vince repeats contemplatively. His brow knits for a moment, then turns back to Isamu with a start. "Oh, yes. I am, actually. Captain of the fencing team, in fact." His head turns aside slightly, giving the older man a dubious look. "How did you guess that, though? Have we met..?"
Now, the man's surprise earns a chuckle from Isamu, who shakes his head. "No, we haven't met. I do, however, recognize your accent. You are not from Japan." He rubs the back of his head, "From what I notice, there are certain schools that people from different countries attend since they are in Southtown. It was an educated guess that you would likely attend Pacific, as it has a diverse amount of students."
Isamu considers, "Then there was the process of elimination. You seemed to cultured to be tied to Gedo and Taiyo is mostly Japanese-based. Pacific was the most logical choice."
The explanation results in a satisfied look from Vince, fists setting to his hips. "Well! Your deductive reasoning is a breath of fresh air in this place, Sir!," he lauds. "That is the most logic I've heard since coming here... since a long time, actually. May I ask what you do for a living? Are you an inspector, perhaps?"
After a beat, he adds, "I attend that school for its curriculum. I'm being trained for diplomacy and politics, typical for much of my family."
At the praise, Isamu offers a laugh, then he places a hand over to the back of his neck. "Thank you. I try not to assume too much, but... there are some things that should be able to figure out with enough reasoning." As for being an inspector, the young man shakes his head, "No. Actually, I own a shop called the Moonlight Grove. We sell herbs, tea, small trinkets, books about the nature of chi and psychic energy. It's pretty much where people can learn about the mysticism of things."
He rubs the back of his neck, "I figured it was a bit hokey at first, but... I like it. I meet a lot of nice people. I hope to keep it running as long as possible."
"Vraiment?," Vince asks, eyes widening. "And to think! I've never been there!" He laughs softly at this, himself. "Where is the store located? I would very much like to visit it after all this. I love looking into these matters, particularly chi. And the trinkets could perhaps make good gifts..."
Beat.
"Right? Unless there's mystical quality attached?"
A smile is given. Someone else who is interested in learning about the shop and what it offers. "We are located along the Southtown Village mall. It'll be a little ways from the Pao Pao Cafe." Isamu considers, thinking back at the location.
Now, as for the items, a grin is given. "They make great gifts, yes. As for any attachments, as someone once said... An item can be an extension of one's will. You can use that item as a good focus for your chi. Personally, I tend to use them for focus, so it helps me concentrate more." He laughs sheepishly, "However, I learned to become attached to the belief of the store that I run."
"I see." Vince's smile softens and he turns to head back to the window. "I'm not sure this tournament will end before Christmas, though. I fear I may have to take care of a few gifts while I'm here." Given a moment, the young noble's expression drops a notch. "I should get something for my teammates. Despite it all, they've held their weight. But one or two, I have no idea what to get..."
His head turns to look inquisitively to Isamu. "Are you taking care of these things here as well? Getting something for your teammates?"
"Huh, you too?" Isamu mentions off-handedly about the season and Strolheim. He shuts his eyes once more, then he nods, "While the resting time is going on, it would be good to use the time to get gifts." He gives off a small chuckle, then he slowly walks along the hall, leaving the window in favor of the path that his wife and the daughter took.
"I should get something for the two. After all, one of the members of the team is also a child. An excitable one at that." He smiles, "Though, Ryu will be a bit more difficult to shop for. I'll see what I can come up with." He chuckles. "I think I have an idea already."
He considers, "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you." He then pauses for a moment, "...I realize that I never gave my name." He laughs a bit. "I am Isamu."
Vince leans off the window and turns to face Isamu as he begins his exodus. "I wonder if there is anything for sale here?" Nothing that the others would probably appreciate, though. Alas! Worlds apart in taste!
The observation on a lack of introduction gets another quiet, politely restrained laugh from Vince, with his right hand lifting to his lips. "True enough, neither did I. Isamu, my name is Vince LaRose. It's a pleasure, and I know we'll meet again. If even outside the tournament."
Vince LaRose.
"Pleasure to meet you, Vince." He shuts his eyes for a moment, taking in the name to memory. A new person. Re-opening his eyes, the shopkeeper grins, "Don't be a stranger when you come to the shop." Isamu turns away and begins his departure to follow after his wife and daughter.
This will be an interesting shopping trip.
Log created on 21:19:32 12/19/2008 by Vince, and last modified on 02:48:57 12/20/2008.