Closed: Vitally Forming Defense

[biteybaby]

You may have, at times, heard the phrase, "Practice makes perfect". This phrase is often said by misinformed teachers, dance instructors, community recreational league baseball coaches, and overly-talkative Uber drivers. In actuality, practice rarely makes perfect, for several reasons. To start with, perfection is a highly subjective concept. One person may find the addition of a Cheez-It® 16 Times The Size Of The Original Cheez-It® to the Taco Bell menu perfect, whereas their friend may find the addition of a Cheez-It® 16 Times The Size Of The Original Cheez-It® to the Taco Bell menu unnecessary, overly-salty, and a bit of a silly gimmick, to be quite honest.

Another reason practice rarely makes perfect is that practicing something will only make you as good as the methods you are repeatedly doing. If you are practicing something incorrectly, you will never become perfect, you will only get more specific in your incorrectness. If you have an instructor who is teaching you incorrect form, you may get very good at said incorrect form, but it will never be perfect.

Fortunately for Magnus, Lancelot is actually quite proficient at swords. "Proficient" is a word which here means, "perfect".

Today, Sunny is also going to Learn Swords. "Learn Swords" is a phrase which here means, "Sit on the ground and gnaw on a wooden toy sword while the grown ups practice". Magnus said she could come along, and so she has.

Comments

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Names," says Lancelot, right away.

[biteybaby]

Sunny nods, agreeing with Lancelot. It seems polite to be able to know people's names.

[summerdude]

"Okay, so a bunch of people here have names already," Magnus says. "This is mine--" he shows them M-sunlight. "And Waetee -- um, Laertes," he clarifies for Lancelot, and shows them L-make. He shows them Hanguang-jun, which, of course, is the sign for dad-headband he's been unconsciously using all along, and Galahad, which is G-flower-choice, and Claudius's snake sign, and on and on and on, waiting for them to catch up after each one.

"Lancelot," he says then, "your name is this." He moves his his finger and his thumb into the shape of an L on his forehead.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot squints a little, thinking this through. "Just one element?"

[biteybaby]

“Smart?” Sunny offers as a possible explanation for why the L is at your forehead in his name.

She’s wrong, of course, but sometimes it’s the thought that counts.

[summerdude]

"Yeah, it's best to use succinct, identifiable signs."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot shrugs affably, "Very well."

[biteybaby]

Sunny also thinks this makes sense. She then asks, "Sunny?"

[summerdude]

"Well," says Magnus, focusing on her. "You know how when you introduce yourself to people, you do this?" He puts a hand on his chest. "This is the sign for 'sunny,' like a sunny place." He starts with his hands mid-chest, fingers tapered together, and then splays his fingers and hands out to the sides. "So I was thinking..." He does the sign for sunny again, and then presses his hands to his chest.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot duplicates Magnus' suggested sign, and smiles. "I like that."

[biteybaby]

Sunny also tries to duplicate the sign. She likes it. "Good!"

[summerdude]

"Okay," Magnus says, sitting back. "Now what?"