Fitness Training

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Mikhael of Echigo: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - D

[Deleted]

“You! Get your ass up and start running, don’t stop until I say so!”

Those were the last words Juubei had heard before he’d begun running around a length track of hard packed dirt. Hard packed dirt, well that’s what it’d been the day before, before the storm had rolled through the area bringing with it a torrential downpour. Now the track was nothing but mud. He hadn’t gone at a particularly fast pace the first couple of laps and was doing so to gauge the amount of effort his commander had expected of him. He didn’t particularly want to be doing this, so Juubei figured he’d try and get by with the minimal amount of effort possible.

“Pick up the damn pace, soldier!”

“Shit,” Juubei said as he passed by the commander who glared at him as if he’d relieved himself on the graves of his ancestors. Juubei picked up his pace and actually began to put forth some effort on the run. It wasn’t terribly difficult for Juubei to run as he’d done a lot of it when undergoing his firearms training. Guns were slow to reload, so sometimes it was best to turn and run away to a safe distance before attempting to reload and shoot again. It paid off and Juubei was only slightly winded at the end of the ordeal.

“Now I want you to do one hundred and fifty pushups. Now!”

“Yes, sir,” Juubei retorted as he dropped down into position. He hated pushups. Juubei started knocking them out, one by one, but something was wrong. Juubei hadn’t heard anything from his watchful commander and that made him uneasy. It was only after he’d done about sixty of them that the wrathful little man opened his mouth.

“I wonder when you’re going to start doing those pushups, it’s not like I have all day.”

“But sir, I’ve already started.” That was Juubei’s reply as he stopped doing pushups. He didn’t really understand what was going on, but it couldn’t be good. Beads of sweat rolled down Juubei’s face as he awaited a response.

“Bullshit, you haven’t done a single pushup yet. You aren’t counting them out aloud, so how am I supposed to know that you’ve done a single one?”

He had a shit-eating grin on his face as Juubei started off again, this time beginning at one and calling out the pushup he was on as he did it. It was made even worse by the fact that while doing these pushups; he was made to push his face into the mud every time he went down. The pushups sucks, but when completed Juubei was instructed to begin two hundred and fifty sit-ups. The sit-ups sucked about as much as the pushups, but got worse as he went on. Juubei had decided to say something stupid while doing them and the slave driver commander had seen fit to give him a heavy rock to hold as he did the remaining one hundred sit-ups. When it was all said and done, Juubei felt like he was going to die and just laid there in the mud, his chest heaving from exertion.

“Get your pansy-ass up, you ain’t done yet. You think the enemy is going to give you a rest when your tired? No! The only thing he’s going to do is stick a knife in your chest and go home and get intimate with your girl.”

Juubei grumbled as he was led off to do god knows what else. As Juubei rushed off for whatever else he had in store for him, the short statures tyrant screamed at him.

"You had best get your ass moving or else I'm going to take you out into the countryside and I am literally going to kill you. That's not a figure of speech, I will decapitate you in the middle of nowhere and leave your body to rot!"

"This guy is a psychopath," Juubei said under his breath as he broke off into a run."

[Saitō Reina]

Reina scoffed as she heard the task that her uncle had laid out before her. Just the day before, he had given her the Saitō Family heirloom, a katana that was meant for nothing short of killing. Today, he had woken her up at the crack of dawn, much to her protest, and was forcing her to do some kind of training.

"You must get stronger, Reina-chan. If you do not, you will soon find yourself without life." Reina felt like sticking her tongue out at him. Some greasy old man shouldn't be telling her what to do with her life, especially if he meant to set her free into the world soon.

Truthfully, Reina decided to do the exercise because she knew her uncle was right. She wouldn't be able to survive if she did not get stronger.

"Hideki," she used her uncle's first name to remind him that she was not a force to be toyed with. "I will begin now, but do NOT wake me this early again. I do not need twelve hours for a task as...unnecessary as this."

At this, she walked outside. First, her uncle wanted her to run. Apparently, she was to bring back markers of how far she had journeyed during each lap. There was a peach tree about 1/2 of a mile from here and she was to run to the tree ten times and collect one peach each time. She was to place the peach in his hand and then run back to get another. This wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't the rainy season. Big droplets of water fell from the sky, filling any and all footprints with muddy water. 

Shaking her head at the stupidity of the "requirements" to prove her passing, she began to run. Today she did not have on a kimono, but a white hakama and happi. It wasn't difficult to retrieve the first peach, but she realized what a strain this would be for her, knowing that she not only had to make the journey to the tree, but back also in the rain.

She grabbed the first peach, then the second and third before she began to run out of breath. She was glad she had picked lighter clothing in order to complete these tasks. It wasn't sunny, but it sure was hot. She picked the fourth peach, and the fifth. By this time, she began to run slower. She had spent a lot of energy in the first two runs and was now beginning to dwindle. 

"Don't expect this to happen again, Old Man." Slightly frustrated, she told this to her uncle when she brought back the 7th peach. Once she got to the tree for the 8th time, she was truly angry. Her breathing was quick and her blood felt like it was boiling. This time, she picked a rotted one. "Enjoy some smelly fruit, Hideki." The old man kept a straight face as she disrespected him. He was calm, knowing that she was not happy with her task. Soon enough, though, she had finished the task all together. 

"There, ten peaches. Happy now?" She pulled her hair into a very high pony tail, wiping the sweat from her brows and chin. She started to walk inside when he grabbed her arm. "One shorter task and then you are done for the day. You must get stronger here" -he smacked the front of his hand against her stomach. "One hundred fifty push-ups, two hundred sit-ups. I will be counting." She scowled at him and tried to push her way past him. "Crazy geezer." But the man pushed her back and she fell ass-first into the mud. "One hundred fifty push-ups, two hundred sit-ups." He repeated. 

She was growling at him as she turned onto her stomach and began pumping out push-ups. At around 50, her arms gave out beneath her. Calmly, he said "One hundred push-ups, two hundred sit-ups."

She started them again and was able to get through another 55 before they gave way again. He repeated what she had left in the same tone. Her anger with the old man pushed her on, to finish. Once she was done with the push-ups, she said to him while almost out of breath "Once I am done with the sit-ups, leave me alone." She didn't want to fight him, but if she was angry enough, she probably would.

And so, the sit-ups began. Her back sloshed in the mud each time she went to touch the ground. A sucking sound could be heard sometimes when she fell back particularly hard, exhausted from the workout and tired of the rain. She finished those easily and got up. She was covered in mud.

To prove a point, she took off her clothes and walked into his home in the nude. "I will see you when I feel like it, tomorrow." And with that, she closed the door to her room, leaving her muddy clothing to be rained on.

[Azai Mana]

Mana recognized that her physical fitness was somewhat lacking. She only had to maintain so much strength as an enforcer, since her agility, stamina, and usage of weapons covered that shortcoming, but if she were to pursue a different life, it was high time that her power was tempered. Thus, when Mana heard that the local garrison in her Omi border town was running training drills for both soldiers and townspeople, she signed right up.

On the day of the fitness drills, a day that the sky had apparently decided to break open and dump copious amounts of rain to muddy the ground, Mana arrived wearing naught but a sarashi to bind her chest, a ponytail to contain her blinding hair, and a European-styled short pant (think bike shorts, but cloth); talk about aerodynamic clothing. The sergeant in charge met the assembled, meshed group of soldiers and civilians, ignoring the rains as he rattled off the regimen they were to complete. In short, they were to run ten laps around the camp that Azai soldiers had arrayed a couple days before, then return to camp to perform one-hundred fifty push-ups, immediately followed by two-hundred sit-ups. The bad weather, he cited, would not be an excuse, but at the same time, those who struggled purely because of the rain and accumulating mud would not be persecuted. With the instructions in mind, the group was sent off to run the laps.

Mana knew that it would be best to pace herself, saving her energy for the impressive count of push-ups and sit-ups that were in her near future. To that end, she hung back with the slower crowd, most of which were run-of-the-mill townspeople, and ran her ten laps at a pace that was comfortable, yet still trying enough that she was using and working her muscles out. The muddy ground beneath Mana's feet was an obstacle, certainly, but she had the foresight to manuever around the heavier areas and cut her pace in the more thin spots, minimizing its effect. All in all, she finished out her laps in close to four hours, with a third of the gathered individuals still running as she jogged into the camp.

Next were the push-ups. Finding a spot slightly away from the main group, and in one of the decidedly less mud-ridden areas of the drenched encampment, Mana settled down to the ground and assumed the position. Her sarashi was almost soaked through by this point, and her skin slick and cool with the rain, but she didn't let it get to her. Mana set her mind to work as she began her push-up regimen. The goal was to pound out ten at a time, rest for a few moments, and move to the next set. This worked rather well, continuing to preserve her energy and stave off a fair amount of fatigue, despite her feet beginning to protest.

At the end of her one-hundred fiftieth push-up, Mana lowered herself gently onto the ground and rested on her front, looking over to the rest of the assembled individuals. Most of the soldiers were halfway or two-thirds of the way through their push-ups, a few eager ones were close to finishing, and the majority of the townspeople weren't quite at halfway. Mana decided to rest until some of the Azai troops had finished their push-ups, taking full advantage to spread and stretch her body out. It was only a matter of time before her appointed moment was met, and when she saw some good portion of the troops rolling over for their sit-ups, she did the same, settling into position.

With her energy not only conserved, but recovered somewhat, her aching feet and hands also in a better condition, Mana had no qualms about powering through the two-hundred sit-ups. Her stamina exceeded her physical power, but she relied on both in order to tear through the last portion of the regimen. In due time, she was one of the early finishers, having not come closer to first only due to her lacking might and steady pacing. Sitting up, Mana felt content with what she'd accomplished today. It was a personal record, and she would strive to continue doing well.

[Tokugawa Ieyasu]

Saitō Reina: +3 Str

Profiency: Fitness (D)

And

Azai Mana: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness (D)

[Mōri Motonari]

{Since bitches be gettin' too strong...~ }

"You have all grown weak," said Motonari coolly.

The large group of men winced and stared at their lord, clearly nervous. Lord Mori stood with his sons and some of his generals at his side. This particular camp of men had been left under the watch of one of Motonari's generals. When he fell ill, someone else took charge over the months and very little was getting done. Training pretty much stopped and no work was being accomplished. The men in the camp had become lethargic, and when Lord Mori saw the state of his men in this particular camp, he was more than a little displeased.

"There is absolutely no excuse. Whether we battle ten years from now or tomorrow, you must always be ready. You may be pawns, but you are still fighting for Chugoku, for the Mori Clan. There is no time to grow lazy and fat. Understood?"

His men stood up tall and exclaimed "Yes sir!" Good. Now that the little talk was over, it was for the real training. The instructions were given out, and this seemed to dishearten his men, who looked at one another. It was early, most were bleary-eyed, and it was pouring out. But... well, a scary Lord Mori and his abuse boots were the perfect trick to get their asses in gear, a few asses being kicked, in fact.

With some yelps, they moved forward, and, despite Motonari's vastly superior speed, he stayed behind them, mostly threatening anyone who lagged too far back. The kicks didn't begin to happen until a few men fell too far back and began to beg to stop. That shit wasn't tolerated.

Hours went by, the mud slowing people down. But, with Motonari's proper motivation and his generals doing pretty much the same (although they struck far less fear than their Lord did, and their boots didn't hurt as much), they made record time. They slowed down by the seventh lap, and this was allowed. Motonari was brutal often times, but it wasn't as though he wasn't getting tired either.

After finishing the last lap around the camp, there was an allotted break. Lord Mori leaned against a tree and dried himself off. This rain was perfect for training his men, but he missed the sun, and his lips pressed into a firm line. After some time passed, the man sighed and moved away from the tree, commanding his men to continue onward. Maybe other Lords would have them all go at their own pace and wouldn't be so domineering, but this was Motonari. There was good reason he was practically undefeated.

As the men did their push ups, the lord walked by them. This seemed to give them the incentive to keep going, afraid of those scary boots of his. The sun may have not been out, but they were still afraid of being punted to the sun. When men would rest for too long, Motonari would demand them to continue, calling them useless pawns and talking about them keeping their honour and the such, and he would do so while standing over them until they went back to a good pace.

There was one man though who irritated Motonari in a different way. At least the others were trying, but this man quite was quite verbose, refusing to finish up his push-ups and continue on to the sit-ups. Lord Mori's brows arched upwards.

"Oh? Is that so? When did I tell you that you could stop?"

Hajime and the other generals shook their heads, and the men who were nearby winced. This wasn't going to go over well, and the imbecile didn't seem to recognize it until after Motonari walked over to him and quite literally walked on top of him. His expression was impassive and Lord Mori's arms crossed over his chest. The guy couldn't support the weight at first and fell face-first on the muddy ground.

"Continue. And add twenty more to your count, pawn."

Suffice to say, the man did it, because Motonari stayed on his back until he finished, staring coolly down at him. Upon finishing, Lord Mori stepped off adn the man fell back on the ground.

Men rested again and moved on to the sit-ups. Lord Mori continued to walk by his men, and despite all of the burning, the kept going with no more verbal complaints or refusals. And there was a vigor in some of them, as if their spirits came back, being forced to remember what being a soldier was all about. Others were just tired and trying to get through, but they were, and that was what mattered. About an hour passed and finally everyone was done.

As they laid on the ground, groaning and moaning, Lord Mori closed his eyes and called out, "You will feel this for the next few days and let that be a lesson. Remember this pain well. You will be grateful when we will be able to adequately protect our borders and those of the Mori Clan. Never forget your purpose."

Good job, pawns soldiers!

[shinakawolf]

the day had finally come the day for fitness training. shin could not understand why Date would ant us to do this on a day like this  especially in rain and mud. Shin was prepared for this day but still was dreading it all because shin will have to waist all day on these activities unless he tried to speed through them but that would not be beneficial.

first trial the laps around base camp, this base camp was pretty big,  everyone was lined up and running everyone keeping a good pace with each other but we could still see many people falling down and tripping which made it harder for us because we would have to dodge them as they fell ahead of us. at the end of shins first lap he started to feel the drag on his boots because of the mud build up. Shin looked around and stopped letting everyone get ahead while he took off his shoes placing them over his shoulders and freed his feet from the weighed down boots. Now shin was running to catch up with them and he past them because his feet were lighter. the last turn was just up ahead, shin smirked as he bolted with all his might and right as he passed the starting point to finish it for him he tripped over a huge pile of mud built up. Shin had to quickly get up and wipe the mud off and head towards the next trial since that first one took 3 hours

shin was looking for a strong support area to do his push up because the mud would just sick him down into the ground. Shin looked and found a small wood plank to put his hands onto but it was one so his feet would have to deal with even more mud. he started off slow with his push up not wanting to get tired out. once shin hit his 50th push up he started to feel the stress in his legs while they tried to stay firm in a slick and slippery muddy ground. The board was also getting worse mud started to form over it making his smart plan to become an even worse hassle. he was able to get to 100 push ups before the mud got a bit harder which came easier for him to finish up his push up at 150 which thankfully only took about an 1 and 40 minutes

the next challenge was to do 200 sit ups this was going to be one of the easiest tasks out of the other two. he turned on his back quickly pulling his body up squeezing his stomach doing the sit ups, he got to 100 in about 50 minutes doing 1 every 30 seconds. but his last 100 took him longer because he was starting to feel stress of all the other trials. the last one hundred were finished in about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

so for all the time elapsed it was 6 hours and 50 minutes. now that this was all done it was time to just lay back and let him rest even though he was laying it in mud he didn't care he was tired

[Takeda Shingen]

Mōri Motonari: +3 Str

And

Westin Shin: +2 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - D

[Brandt Solveig]

(OOC: Since Brandt is a merc, this is written as him by himself.)

Today would not be a day of rest for the northerner. Brandt had a training regiment in mind and his day was cleared of all tasks so that he could get this work out in. After all, he needed to be in the best shape possible to keep up with Takehiro.

The weather did not favor him this day, but he would not allow it to be a deterrent. The man had a goal and he wasn't going to quit this day until he had accomplished it. Shirtless, the man begun by stretching. A man him size really needed to limber up in preparation for this type of thing.

Brandt would begin this day with a run. The medium sized village he currently held up in would be a good marker for him. Pacing himself the giant would begin his trek around the village. Once, twice and so on he went around and around the village. By the time he had finished his run, the Nord's body was glistening with sweat.

Having paced himself though, he wouldn't be too tired from the run. His lungs were good and had adjusted during the run to pace he set for himself. But Brandt was far from finished. It was time to begin the core of his work out now that the cardio was finished.

Dropping down on his knees before he lowered himself down into position, Brandt would place his hands down into the muddy earth and begin his grueling physical challenge. 150 push ups was no easy feat when you were pushing up nearly 300 pounds.

However he would soldier through it, stopping every 50 to simply keep himself straight on his hands. The mud was making it difficult to prevent sliding as he neared the end, but he would manage to finish as his arms started to feel the burn.

Brandt would give himself a few moments to recover. He felt incredibly warm, even though the rain was cold. And he could feel his blood flowing within his whole body. The rest felt nice, but he knew there would be time for leisure afterwards. Rolling over, the mucky Nord would get into his next position.

200 sit-ups was the name of the game. Luckily for Brandt, he felt the sit-ups would be a little easier. The giant had a strong core, probably from all the years of walking and maneuvering with a giant sword on his back.

While it would still take time, the giant would count his reps as he stared up toward the dark clouds still letting loose their tears. With each drop of his body Brandt took a breath, and with each push up into sitting position he would let it go. A solid breathing technique was quite efficient.

Soon enough the Northerner realized that he was approaching the end of his reps. Using the last of his energy he would power through the rest of his sit-ups before he groaned and brought himself to his feet. Brandt was sore, but in the end it would only help. His stomach would growl like a starving beast and the viking took that as his que to head home. He was in desperate need of food and a wash.

It had been a long day. The giant estimated he had been at it for a solid five hours. That was surely long enough. Heading back toward his rented room, Brandt couldn't help but feel this had served to help him grow in strength, even if it felt like a tree fell on him..

[Mōri Motonari]

Brandt Solveig: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - D

[Takeda Shingen]

Kurosawa Juubei: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - D

(OOC: Juubei, you now have three more SPQ's you are allotted to complete IN MAY, because the ninth SPQ you did in March will carry over to May.)

[Ichimura Ryunosuke]

Ryunosuke yawned as he was called for a general fitness training for all members of the military of the Amakusa. It had seemed that the Daimyo was concerned about the fighting prowess of his men, and so he organized this sort of training. But what bothered him was the prize for those who would finish the training. Those who overcame the training will have a free drink with their captain, but who will give him a treat when he was already a leader of a large body in the Amakusa military? If he should make his direct superior notice him, he should perform really well. Gearing up for the training with that thought, he proceeded heartily to the starting point of the run.

As he looked at the sky above him when he was at the starting point, he saw a dark cloud nearing the camp, and it might rain sooner or later. Knowing that he might be slowed by the rain, he sprinted once the taskmaster gave the signal. The first three laps showed Ryunosuke's speed; being able to cover the whole circumference of the camp multiplied by three within fifteen minutes. But at that point Ryunosuke became tired due to the rain bearing down on his clothes, and just barely reached the fourth lap when the ground became too muddy for him to sprint with his sandals on. He slowed himself to a march, to recuperate himself from the sprinting that he done, and to move steadily on the muddy ground. The weight of the mud made his muscles ache as if he was carrying a ball and chain on both of his legs, and the rain kept on pouring on him. But still he persevered as he continued to march on for another four laps within three hours, until the muscles in his legs got better. He then proceeded to jog in the remainder of the laps, being used to the mud stuck on his sandals, until he covered the remaining laps in 1 hour. When he arrived at the next station, his legs are aching, but it does not matter, as he would not need the power of his legs much in the next exercise: push-ups.

He then started the 150 push-ups; breaking the activity up into 5 sessions of 30 push-ups each, and took his time in each push-up, taking 5 minutes for each session, and resting for another 5 minutes. That way, he would not use much of his arm power while doing the exercises, since the shortness of his arms might mean that his muscles would be flexed twice faster than the other men of his age. After 45 minutes of arm-flexing, he finished the needed quota for push-ups, and then he proceeded into the next training session.

The sit-ups were not great for those who had made a very long run and a large number of push-ups, but the exercise was even worse for a person who had the same stature as Ryunosuke. And so, maintaining the same pace that he did before in the push-ups, he broke the 200 sit-ups into 8 sessions of 25 sit-ups each, and took 5 minutes for each session, and 5 minutes of rest in between. After 75 minutes, he finished the needed amount of sit-ups, but as he exclaimed the last number, he fell backwards, just looking at the sky above him. It took him 7 hours total, but it was all right, noticing every other people in the Amakusa army still struggling with their running. He hoped that this feat would be enough for his direct superior to notice him.

"Hey, did you see that, my Lord?" Ryunosuke said, panting, but evidently happy at his result. "Am I worth your wine? I hope you have prepared something special for me!"

[Takeda Shingen]

Ichimura Ryunosuke: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - D

[Kiyohara Amoriko]

Having recently joined the forces of Lord Date, Amoriko wasn’t surprised to hear about a training exercise for the men in his employ. What general truly wants to go to war with men he may not know can handle the task. Then again, was Amoriko truly capable of completing the task at hand. He was almost bedridden until a year ago, and while the constant infections that riddled his body gave him quite the stamina. This test involved speed, and strength as well. Stamina would be his favor though he would have to brace his mind to be the slowest and weakest.
The rain graced the earth with it blessing as the sky was bright. Lord Date spoke to the men briefing them of the full details of the task at hand. It was a training mission simple and plain, but it was something that Amoriko could not fail. He had to prove to himself that he had a place here, and that his body can be just as strong as his mind. As the words faded from the background men began to disappear from view. Many of them at full stride glided across the ground. Amoriko was amazed by the sure speed some of the men could move at, but now was not the time to be concerned. After all, he had himself to worry about.

Reading to run he realized he felt heavier, and tied down. His clothes were soaked already and heavy. In fact when he thought about it his clothes soaking wet could easily make up almost a fourth of his body weight. The thought crossed his mind but for a second, and then it really hit him. If he wore nothing but the undergarments he would be able to move more freely and be weighed down a lot less. While not a big advantage it would aid him far more than trying to fight with his already sopping wet clothes. Quickly he removed everything but his undergarment and took off full stride. His speed still not impressive but he was making good pace, and was more than likely the sight for many eyes. His pale small body was rather noticeable even from a decent distance.
The first five laps moved along slowly but easily. Amoriko stamina keeping up with him the whole time, and while he could not tell how long he had been running he at least there was a few still behind him. This told him his timing must not have been horribly off. The next five laps however would be a different story. While his body did generate heat running barefoot and with nothing but a simple cloth on was starting to take his tool on his physical body. Mud was everywhere his feet began to ache from the pain of stepping on rocks and other things, but he pressed on. Not as quickly as the last five laps, but at a slowly degrading pace until he finished.

Ending where he started Amoriko collapsed onto his wet clothes. Panting he lay there excited. The last he was breathing this hard he had a horrible infection in his lungs that made even walking hard, and yet now, now he was running free and full force. A smile graced his face as he lay there trying to control his breathing. It was exciting that he was growing. His body was becoming stronger and it was something he could continue to look forward to in the future.

The last of the stragglers had begun to wonder in from running. That was Amoriko’s queue that he needed to pick it up again. There were very few men behind him. In fact there were exactly four men who were behind him, but that was no matter to him. He was just trying his best to enjoy the new experience before him. “Time for push-ups!” he accidentally shouted in excitement. His clothes lay there on the ground as he rolled over onto his stomach and began his first push-up.

The first one wasn’t so bad, the second, third; fourth, fifth one seemed fine. Ten more down and Amoriko collapsed. His arms felt slightly numb and tingle. It was hard to even push himself up normally much less another push-up. So he lay there face turned but still in the mud. His entire front body was now covered in mud, the rain beating down on his back keeping it clean. He listened as it hit the ground around him, and as it land on the back of his head. Laying there for what seemed an eternity. He moved his arms and started again. He noticed from the others around him that he truly had not been laying there very long, but others seemed almost completed with the full task they were presented with. His willpower took over and pushed him above his limits. Forcing himself up he went at them again. Quickly he learned that if he breaks for a bit about every five he doesn’t collapse from his aching arms.

As he was finishing his last five push-ups he noticed people walking away who had already finished the entire task. He was impressed by these individuals. They must have amazing strength and speed to finish such a task at the speed they did, but then again this was a camp for samurai. He knew he had long way to go not only in the task, but also in becoming a samurai worthy of the Lord he had decided to join. One thing was for sure though he couldn’t give up his dream of a peaceful world.

Taking a short break to catch his breath and regain his stamina he readied himself for the last task at hand, the two hundred sit-ups. Two hundred was a large number to Amoriko, but it was a reasonable number. After all, many others had already finished the task. Rolling over onto his back he started. Amoriko had decided it was best to adopt the idea he was using for the push-ups. As such every five sit-ups he would take a short and go at again.

Every time he came up it was as though he could see a different part of himself. The rain slowly washed the mud from his front as it poured down on him. It felt wondrous to be trying so hard. He didn’t fully understand why he was so happy about it. To most this would be torture, but to him the trials alone were enough to make him excited and continue going. As he came up to finish his last push-up a man hollered that the time was over. The time limit had expired, and Amoriko had just barely finished his last sit-up. Jumping up he yelled “I did it.” He grabbed his clothes and started to put them back on. Them and his body both drenched in mud.

As he was walking away a fellow soldier came up to him. “Maybe we can do better next time.” The soldier spoke in a rather disappointed and sad tone.

Amoriko turned to the man with a grin from ear to ear on his face. “There’s a next time.”

[Takeda Shingen]

Kiyohara Amoriko: +3 Str

Proficiency: Fitness - D

[Takeda Nobutoyo]

☼ A thunderous cacophony was uttered forth by the tumultuous heavens and it was evident that a storm was brewing, oh yes, and the weather outside was growing fairly inclement. Takeda Nobutoyo’s upper lip was twitching slightly as he glared with bared teeth at the scene before his eyes, like some phantasmal nightmare pulled forth from the furthest, darkest, reaches of hell. The downpour had caused an absurd amount of mud to be formed where was once solid, agreeable, dirt. Nobutoyo had been awoken from his peaceful slumber by one of Lord Shingen’s retainers and instructed that he was going to be taking part in a physical fitness exercise this morning, not something to get worked up over. ☼

☼ That changed when he’d learned that he was being forced to do this in this rain and mud. I mean Takeda Nobutoyo hated getting dirty; hell he despised even breaking a sweat, so the prospect of going out there in that shit was utterly horrifying to him. Perhaps “horrifying” isn’t the right word to use, because it wasn’t as though he feared the mud. I think the more suitable word would be nothing short of animosity. He was angry about the weather, about the fact that he was going to have to be out in it, but most of all he was livid with his uncle Shingen. He knew damn well how Nobutoyo felt about getting dirty and he could just picture that giant bastard laughing his ass off as he gave his retainer the order to rouse his nephew from his bed. ☼

☼ All the pissing & moaning wasn’t going to change a thing, so he did the only thing he could do. Channel all his rage into action and completely destroy the competition that he’d been pitted against on this abysmal morning. Nobutoyo broke off into a sprint at the moment the officer opened his mouth, showering the others in a flurry of mud that sprang forth from the furious swiftness of his feet. It wasn’t much of a contest as Nobutoyo had completed his first 5 laps before the others had even finished their 3rd. He wasn’t usually this hasty, but he had the motivation and he silently hoped his frenzied energy would last long enough to give Shingen a piece of his mind. ☼

☼ The next segment of the day’s fun & adventure would consist of 150 pushups. Takeda Nobutoyo wasn’t aware if Shingen was familiar with Nobutoyo’s morning routine, but he regular did upwards of 80 to 90 one-handed pushups on both hands before he even set a single foot outside his quarters. So the fact that he’d have to complete 150 normal pushups wasn’t any cause for concern to the warrior. He knocked those things out like he was enjoying a cup of tea and stood up before everyone else, eyeing them with a begrudging eye. He saw someone who wasn’t doing them correctly and his upper-lip twitched slightly as he regained his anger in an instant. ☼

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

☼ Takeda Nobutoyo glared down at the young man who in turn looked up at him. The face of the man still doing pushups adequately reflected what he saw and this was evident by the sudden appearance of fear on his perspiring, dirty, face. Takeda Nobutoyo’s eyes were shadowy and the already cloudless day seemed to grow a bit darker. The tenseness in the air was so palpable you could cut it with a knife and it was only broken when the officer in charge had barked an order at Nobutoyo to resume his routine, which only consisted of sit-ups.

☼ Shingen had knowingly subjected him to this filth, the weather was garbage, and now he was in the midst of cheaters. This day wasn’t going well and he pitied the next person to do something against the rules. Such a person would be in harms way as his patience for the day had almost expired, dried up, much like he wished this god-forsaken day would. The sit-ups were performed just as easily as the pushups were and it’d only taken him a couple of hours to accomplish everything that’d been assigned to him, thereby leaving plenty of time to pay his dearest uncle a visit. ☼

☼ He was in the process of heading back to the main compound when the officer who’d been overseeing their actions demanded to know where he was going. Takeda Nobutoyo explained that he was going to get cleaned up and then have a couple words with Lord Shingen, but that was not going to happen. It would seem his suffering wasn’t quite over and now he was being sent off to do one more thing. In truth, Nobutoyo had to take a moment to collect his thoughts and bring his anger under control. He wasn’t going to get to change his absolutely filthy clothing and now he apparently was going to have to fight people, in such a shabby state. Nobutoyo marched off, against his will, to the next event. ☼