so the SCA is a thing. I’m a nerd and a collector of hobbies, and the SCA is pretty much exactly as awesome as all my friends have been telling me for years.
and I keep saying “I’m interested in pretty much every SCA thing except fighting! maybe I’ll do combat archery, but I have no interest in actual fighting, whether heavy list or rapier. meh.”
...but then I realize that so many of my favorite book characters are fighters and mercenaries, and my go-to D&D classes are generally melee classes, and half of my hobbies are physical activity (half of which leave bruises and blisters and burns pretty regularly), and then I start to wonder.
why do I keep saying I don’t want to fight? I used to love fencing. I love strategy, I love learning new physical disciplines, I love the sort of camaraderie I see among the fencers, at least, and the honors that are doled out to the heavy fighters. I love the style of medieval fencing gear and how gorgeous both the weapons and the protective gear can be. I love that my barony’s rapier champion is a bouncy delightful pixie-haired lady that seems to have the respect of literally everyone who has ever mentioned her to me. I don’t hate physical activity or discipline, I actually really love the bruises that remind me I Did A Thing (hello, silks bruises! hello, archery bruise!); by all rights I should want to do this thing.
so...uh. Maybe I’ll see if Doroga will let me tag along to fencing practice sometime. I’m not sure where my prejudice against martial activities came from, but I should give it a fair shake, the way I eventually came around to enjoying early music.