hi!

so Goro’s ‘training’ slash style is… weird. he’s got this offputting mix of instinct and almost perfect form, and it’s strange enough that it’s hard to counter unless you really know what you’re doing, since it’s a coin flip whether he’ll actually use a move that’s from training or if he’ll just use his sword like a knife and stab or just. straight up claw at the eyes.

he started off by watching the soldiers drill and attempting to copy them while they did and sometimes one of them would come by and correct his stance or give a scrap of throwaway advice. when he was very little, the moment he could actually drag a sword around he was, and it kind of went from there. Every day he’d be down there until he couldn’t move anymore and then he’d kind of haul himself to the library to read more about how to Go Longer (in between featherman chapters of course).

anything he didn’t learn from the soldiers has been supplemented with an instinct-based drive for fighting. Since he tends to act as a berserker when he’s in full blown battle mode, he’s less rigid and more just. feral beast. and that does tend to win more often than not!

as for Akira:

he’s been trained to be a spy essentially from childhood. it was disguised as etiquette lessons that evolved over time as he got older. he learned more lethal tactics at 15, and that’s the age you can join the Southern Army so Akira served as a spy master for roughly two years on and off the field. he’d return to the Empress with news or confirmed movements. Akira has killed during his time as a spy, though toward the end of his stint in the army. He was pulled from frontline activity around 17, and his last year was spent as the Empress’ Shadow. Spy, Assassin, eyes and ears where no one would notice it.

His mother’s intentions were to have him build connections with suitors, like she had in her past, and choose his favorite but when he rejected all opportunities to pursue further than allies, she grew fearful he’d never settle, that she trained him too well as a tool. So she made a decision for him based on what she thought he’d like… and the rest is history.