Face, meet fist. This is Akyu Quest!

[Hello Purvis]

>"I know, I know,"
>Sigh.
>"Unfortunately, I got roped into the stupid thing, and I've already had two people try to beat me up since yesterday. I've only gotten through it by the skin of my teeth and a well-placed chair. That's why I've got these silly things."
>Display the gauntlets.
>"I was hoping you could show me a few things so I could defend myself until the whole thing blows over. As well, honestly, I am told it's great exercise as well. You see to prove that point. Would you be so kind? I'm terribly unskilled, but I should have no problem remembering anything you show me."

[Fightest]

> Meiling drapes her arm around your shoulders.
> "You want me to pass on my legacy to you, kid? My immortal knowledge, my greatest achievements, so they live on in posterity? I do happen to have some free time now, but my question is, kid - and it should be something you ask yourself every moment - what's in it for me?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"You'll be far less bored than you were a few moments ago, just standing here and waiting for bad things to happen. Besides, how many people ask you to display your talents in a given day?"

[Fightest]

> "Asking per se? None, though there's usually no shortage of thieves or troublemakers who are too shy to ask, if you know what I mean, so they get a product demonstration first-hand."
> Meiling releases you, then turns to look you square in the eye.
> "Seriously, kid, quid pro quo, for me to scratch your back, you gotta scratch mine. What've you got?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Would money of interest to you? Or perhaps you would care to visit my home when you have some free time and take a weapon or two from my collection?"

[Fightest]

> "They say that money and material possessions don't bring a man happiness. A woman. Whatever. It's bullshit, I know, I'm happy as a direct result of having both. Do you understand what I'm saying? I've got everything I could possibly want."
> "Still, I see you're willing to go the whole nine yards, so tell you what. The head maid here - you find out her moves and provide me with the information, and I'll teach you the ropes. How's that do you, kid?"

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "What moves in particular do you want me to find out about? Tell me that and I'll see what I can do."

[Fightest]

> "Did I make myself unclear, or something, kid? I want all...of...the-"
> A glazed look comes over Meiling and she trails off her last sentence.
> She blinks several times, then rubs her face.
> "Uh... where am I? What was I doing?" she says slowly. She yawns.
> "Must have... fallen asleep."
> She looks at you.
> "Um, the mistress isn't receiving any visitors today. She extends her apologies and requests you come back tomorrow."
> She looks around.
> "What time is it?"

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Waiiiit... were you just sleep-talking?"
> "I'll give you a quick recap of what just happened, I was asking you to help me learn how to use these, then you, well... woke up." show our gauntlets to the (hopefullly) now awake Meiling.

[Fightest]

> "Sleep-talking? Dunno, I guess I do that sometimes. Was a nice dream too..." She yawns again.
> "Help you use them? Did I say anything when you asked? Also, it'd really help if you could tell me what time it is."

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Give Meiling the time if we know it, even roughly.
> "You mentioned that you were more then willing to help since you had a "great legacy" that should "go on in prosperity" and such."

[Fightest]

> "Oh, phew, only dozed off for a bit then. Thanks." She absent-mindedly ruffles your hair.
> "I said that? Well, I suppose if I said that then I probably had a good reason. Sure, I'll teach you. Have you been in a fight before?"

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "That I can remember, two fights. The first was against a pair of fairies, the other was with a "Great Fairy." So I have experience, but not a whole lot."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I have witnessed a couple techniques already, but I've never really had the chance to perfect them. Could you tell me if I'm doing this right? I'm certain you know this well."
>Try to take the Sheathed Claws stance.
>"Obviously, it's not of that much use to me, I'm not built for endurance, but every little bit helps in this sort of situation."

[Fightest]

> "Just two?"
> Meiling mutters to herself, then turns back to you.
> "I can't promise to make you a master overnight, but I suppose I could show you the basics. Okay, you stretch for a bit, and I'll bring myself back up to speed. It's been a while since I taught anyone."
> Leaving you to your business, Meiling slowly goes through a series of stances and strikes, adding more and more complications each cycle until she is a whirlwind of motion. Despite remembering the movements perfectly, you cannot really make out their purpose without someone to practice on.
> Encountered Stance: Tiger Rends Prey. Complexity: ?. The user leans his upper body forward, wrists crossed in front of them, waist-level.
> Encountered Stance: Meiling's Tower. Complexity: ?. The user stands fully straight and stock-still, left arm, bent at the elbow, held close to their torso, right arm's elbow at the breastbone, the tip of the right hand's middle finger touching the user's forehead.
> Encountered Move: Sledgehammer Fist. Complexity: ?. The user winds up before striking downwards with one fist, then the other, sinking to the ground with the second strike.
> Encountered Move: ?. Complexity: ?. Meiling does not call this one out, but winks at you, then quickly strikes in sequence her own forehead, throat, breastbone, left breast, abdomen, lower back and, finally, her right forearm. With a gentle, slow motion, she pushes her right hand, palm open, towards an imaginary attacker. Nothing happens.
> "I haven't used that one in a while, but it looks like I've still got it." Meiling smiles, happy with her performance.

>"I have witnessed a couple techniques already, but I've never really had the chance to perfect them. Could you tell me if I'm doing this right? I'm certain you know this well."
>Try to take the Sheathed Claws stance.
>"Obviously, it's not of that much use to me, I'm not built for endurance, but every little bit helps in this sort of situation."

> You enter the stance. You feel confident about your defense whilst in this stance, and your right arm is free to counterattack.
> "Oh, hey, that's quite good. You've got the body positions just right. Although I would wager you've never even used this in a fight, you're tensing all the wrong muscles. That's easy though, all you have to do is make yourself comfortable whilst in the stance, and that should do the trick."
> She throws a few mock punches to test your defense. You can feel your muscles readjusting for the attack as you hold the stance, and you grow more and more comfortable by the second.

> "Well, are you ready? I think we should go over basic kicks and punches first, to make sure you won't do the more advanced stuff wrong fundamentally."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Please."
>Try to subtly move so that while she's watching us, her back will be turned to the section of wall that the faeries will be going over. Not all in one go, unless it's very doable without drawing any attention, but bit by bit. And don't let her get us the other direction, if possible.

[Fightest]

> You have Meiling's full attention, and she looks enthusiastic about teaching you, so you have no trouble maintaining her back to the mansion. You think you notice a shape darting over the wall way over to the right, but, from where you're standing, the bulk of the fairy team would go over a section that's not even visible from here, due to the walls' height.
> "You're not very strong, but your muscles will quickly grow to accommodate for the effort. While that happens, you've got to be careful how you use them. To maintain stamina in combat, only use your muscles when you have to."
> Meiling walks you through punching and kicking. The gauntlets weigh you down, but, bit by bit, their encumbrance seems to gradually lessen. On the other hand, you're getting tired.
> "All right, let's do something different. When you're guarding, you should make sure to use as little effort to turn away an attack as possible. Deflect punches, slide away kicks. Like so and like so..."
> She leads you through a series of basic blocks to defend the most important parts of your body.
> "You catch on quick! Let's take a break, hold on, I've got something to drink back at the guard station."
> She starts to move back to her post.

[Hello Purvis]

>Walk along with her, and try to keep her gaze on us via conversation.
>"What I am particularly worried about is how to recover from when my opponent out thinks me, or simply out performs me. Things are easy as long as they go according to plan. But when the opponent has taken my feet out from under me, it is a little different."
>"As well, I feel I owe you much for all of this. I think, once this is all over, that I shall make the effort to bring you lunch every so often, when time permits."

[Demonbman]

>Ask if we can hear Meiling's battle cry!

[Fightest]

>Ask if we can hear Meiling's battle cry!

> "You're absolutely right, a good kiai is as important to combat as a good stance."
> She enters a basic stance, gathers air into her lungs, and roars.
> The force of the kiai flattens the grass around her, buffets your clothes, and sends the birds in the trees around you flying.
> "Like that." She winks.

>Walk along with her, and try to keep her gaze on us via conversation.
>"What I am particularly worried about is how to recover from when my opponent out thinks me, or simply out performs me. Things are easy as long as they go according to plan. But when the opponent has taken my feet out from under me, it is a little different."
>"As well, I feel I owe you much for all of this. I think, once this is all over, that I shall make the effort to bring you lunch every so often, when time permits."

> "If you're losing with what you've got, all I can suggest is you try something else. Throw out something they've never seen, that should shock them enough for you to get your footing back. Even make something up, if you've got nothing proper hidden away."
> She raises her eyebrows at your suggestion.
> "Then I would graciously accept. It gets a little lonely out here sometimes."
> You reach the gatehouse, where Meiling starts to pour a fragrant tea.
> "It's funny, really, I-"
> She is cut off as a loud inhuman wailing comes from the mansion.
> "What? The library alarm? But there wasn't-"
> She is cut off again as a vast pillar of light shoots through the side of the mansion and lances into the sky. A black shape on a broomstick shoots out through the hole, bright, colourful stars appearing in her wake.
> "It's that thieving witch again! Just when the mistress is out too!"
> Fairies begin to pour out through the hole in the mansion wall. As the first ones start to zoom overhead - you notice the fairy maids amongst them - vast orbs of fire shoot out from the hole and explode around the fairies' flight path. Many dodge the mid-air explosions, but some get caught and are flung into the lake around the mansion.
> The flak begins to intensify just as Cirno zooms overhead.
> "Cheese it! We been had!" she shouts at you.
> "What's going on?" Meiling shouts, ducking from the blasts. "Fairies? What? Get out of here, you pests!"
> She doesn't seem to have noticed the fact that the fleeing fairies are the mansion's maids.

(Signing off for the night)

[Hello Purvis]

>Well then. Time to cheese it.
>"That's one of the ones that broke into my house! I need to catch her! I'll try to come back by later!"
>Follow, unless Meiling tries to stop us.

[theshirn]

> Take advantage of the situation to Flying Hieda Tackle Cirno (can later be explained as necessary to deflect Meiling's suspicion)

[Fightest]

> Meiling seems too confused by the current events to get in your way.
> "What? House? Fairies? What?"
> She looks around helplessly as a slightly toasty fairy drops straight on her head.
> You take advantage of the confusion and lunge wildly at Cirno. You feel your head hit hers, and the force of your tackle knocks her back. You notice that you are dragged with her, as she's grabbed you tightly. You are seeing stars.
> You feel a lifting sensation as Cirno drags you along and away from the mansion. Her path is erratic, to say the least.
> "Oooowww," she moans as she tries to blink the stars from her eyes.

[Hello Purvis]

>In a forceful whisper: "Sorry about this, keeping cover!"
>Once out of view of Meiling and it's safe to do so, let go.

[Fightest]

> There's never a safe moment to let go until the both of you crash into the ground. Fortunately, you land in a soft, grassy patch, so the worst that happens is you get the wind knocked out of you.
> Fairies are buzzing around, you can see the mansion maids making new friends already.

[Mr_Bob]

>If we are out of sight, it may be prudent to hold a mock sparring competition with the maids to assess their strength and to practice some of what we learned. Also, it forges friendship bonds through fists, or something.

[Hello Purvis]

>"What happened? I saw Marisa in there..."

[Fightest]

> "We was sneaking past the library place, to get at the maids' quarters there, when the whole place lights up like a miko gone mad! So I'm-a-thinking we got busted, so I run to the maid quarters fast as I can before someone comes, but nobody did. I got the maids on side, couldn'ta been more than a few ticks. Next thing I know, there's a whopping huge hole inna wall, so I figure, "now's the time to make me exit!" yanno?"
> Cirno gingerly shakes her head and winces.
> "Then the magician opens fire, straight from her library - that's where the hole came from, if you get me - and the rest you saw. You looked like you were doing good with the gate guard."

>If we are out of sight, it may be prudent to hold a mock sparring competition with the maids to assess their strength and to practice some of what we learned. Also, it forges friendship bonds through fists, or something.

> Cirno nods.
> "Let the maids take a load off, that escape was quite a thing. If you wanna practice, I'll take ya. Learn anything new?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"A few things. I suppose a friendly match wouldn't hurt to adapt to them. Please go easy on me, though."

[Fightest]

> "Gotcha. C'mon then, put up them dukes!"
> Cirno puts up a simple combat stance, fists at face level.