/puts on the Twisted Sister Christmas Album [OPEN/CLOSED]

[astonishing_xmods]

WHO: Everyone on campus!
WHAT: Holiday goingons
WHERE: The Institute
WHEN: Threads can be set at any time this week.
WARNING(S): if a thread goes into warning label territory, either throw it in the subject line or take it to a separate log.

The entire campus is decorated for the holidays in red greens and silvers. It seems just about every major winter holiday is represented in some way. In the main lobby, there's an absolutely gigantic tree done up in a brilliant light display, with Emma Frost's touch added to the star. She's probably off somewhere enjoying a spot of cocoa with her old comrades, even. But really this wasn't so much for the Institute itself, but for all of its students. The ones that had no other home to return to....

Comments

[koukai_kirai]

He stopped what he was doing at the sound of the door swinging shut behind her, rising up out of the position he'd been in and letting his arms fall to his sides. He hated being watched, and wasn't about to train with a complete stranger in the room.

"Afternoon." Only an hour or two off from the evening, really.

[aquawayfinder]

"Fair enough," she said. "Getting some training in while you have the gym more or less to yourself?" she asked, nodding approvingly.

[koukai_kirai]

"More or less," he muttered, holding in a sigh. It wasn't as if he could reasonably expect the gym to be private, but... well, it had been nice while it lasted.

[aquawayfinder]

"Are...you alright?" she asked, concerned.

[koukai_kirai]

He found her obvious concern slightly irritating, since there was nothing in particular to be concerned about -- and also that losing his privacy had him in a bit of a foul mood to start with. Other teachers could be such busybodies -- how did he tolerate them, when he was a student?

(Oh, right. Infrequently, and only barely when he did.)

"Perfectly fine."

[aquawayfinder]

"Alright." He reminded her of Terra, some of those days when Terra would be hurting, but would need time before he was ready to talk to anyone about it, even them.

She walked to the other side of the gym, and turned so he could see her profile. Not turning her back on him, but also giving him time to work up to whatever he might eventually want to say. She was offering silent support, and an unspoken willingness to listen and help when he was ready to ask for it.

In the meantime... Her keyblade appeared in her hand and she lifted it, eyes locking on the wayfinder a moment before she started practicing forms. She chose a set that emphasized silence and precision, making herself present but as unobtrusive a presence as possible in the gym. She missed Ven. When Terra got like this, she would be there for when he needed to talk, and if he took too long to come out of his funk, Ven.... Ven was the one that could firce a small smile out of him, and that first crack in the armor sometimes... sometimes that was all it took when Terra had stewed too long.

"Terra. Ven." not a sound escaped her as her lips shaped those words as she brought her Keyblade down in a strong, precise, motion. And she did not cry, though her heart did.

[koukai_kirai]

Well, it was still quieter here than it would be if he went back to the school. Hijikata closed his eyes for a moment, resigning himself.

It wasn't so bad to practice in front of people, was it?

He just wouldn't work on his forms. There was something intensely personal about the meditativeness of them, for him, and... perhaps it would be better if he did something else.

He put away his shinai, and moved to the weight equipment instead.

[aquawayfinder]

She heard him move, but gave no outward sign. She just focused on her work out, lightly aware of the world around her as the comfort of the familiar routine soothed her, the slow burn in her limbs assuring her that even if she cannot help him, there is still a point to this day's work.

I'm sorry he's so antisocial

[koukai_kirai]

Hijikata, in the meantime, did his best to tune her out entirely. It wasn't as easy to lose himself in this as it would have been if he practiced his forms instead, but it was simple, repetitive work, and there was a certain satisfaction in it. It was a satisfaction in the knowledge that his actions were building him into something better -- though the calming nature of repetition definitely didn't hurt anything.

It is fine, she is used to Terra.

[aquawayfinder]

After about an hour she stopped the practice she was doing and vanished the Keyblade, stretching out her muscles. She allowed herself a glance in his direction while she did, to see if he might be any more interested in conversation than he had been before.

If he did not seem to be, she rolled her shoulders and headed fur the furthest part of the gym. She stretched a bit more, put her back to the wall, then....

She sprang forward after a moment of stillness, giving no warning or indication that she was about to move. A two step sprint, then she was launching herself forward, her hands catching the ground as her feet lifted, delving swift kicks to either side as she rotated. When her feet hit the ground again she kept her momentum, curling low to the ground in a forward tumblesault that was faster than you would think such a move should be, and from that she got hands on the ground again, launching herself once more into a spin an ice skater would be proud of, feet up off the ground over her head, legs tight together, arms in, spinning towards the ground.

This was the terrifying part, the part that she always hated, which was why she made herself practice it. As she fell back towards the ground, she summoned her keyblade into it's glider form. Just before she hit the ground, it grabbed her feet and pulled her up several inches. With the strength of her legs alone, she righted herself. She was less than a foot off the ground, hovering, but it still took all her mastery to remain outwardly calm, and to not call in her armor.

She set the glider down gently and it reformed into her keyblade. She stood, feet on the ground, planted firmly and closed her eyes, trying to fight down the fear and the reaction. This was what nearly cost her her mastery, and she had to work regularly to keep ahead of the fear, to control it so that it would not control her.

[koukai_kirai]

It was certainly an interesting power. He watched as she performed the move, with an air of far-off appraisal. It might be an important thing to know about, one day.

But it was difficult to continue ignoring her presence, with such obvious bursts of motion. It took the calming effects out of his workout routine, to know he wasn't alone, and he didn't really have much interest in engaging in conversation.

He stood, and began tidying up the weight machine he'd been using. He'd just have to hit the showers and hole up in his room. Hopefully Souji would be out getting distracted by the festivities, and not trying to bring them into his space.

[aquawayfinder]

She saw him preparing to leave and hesitated. Better to leave him alone, or to speak. Finally she spoke. "If you ever wish a sparing partner," or to talk "feel free to let me know," she offered with a warm smile, sweating a bit, breathing harder than she was pleased with in the after affect, even from so small a height.

[koukai_kirai]

He glanced back at her, picking up his water bottle. She was small, but there was no denying she had skills.

"I'll keep it in mind."

For the time being, though, he headed for the door.

[aquawayfinder]

She nodded and watched him go. When he was gone, she let herself fall like a puppet with her strings cut. She called in her keyblade and set it in her lap. She detached the Wayfinder and lay back, holding the homemade charm over her head, letting the light drift through it from above.

"So we can always find our way back to,each other," she said softly. "So we are never truly apart," she whispered. Two small tears rolled down her face. "Terra. Ven."

She allowed herself to lay like that for ten minutes before she reattached the wayfinder, vanished the keyblade, and returned to her room.