Sparks flying...[open]

[realmenknitplushies]

WHO: Kanji and open!
WHAT: Training times with the walking generator.
WHERE: Around the school campus
WHEN: Throughout the day
WARNING(S): Possible Kanji potty mouth? Nothing so far.

If there was one thing that the recent mission had taught Kanji - it was that he needed to get better at what he was doing. To be able to really use his abilities and strength to the fullest... he needed to work at it. Never mind anything else. Sure, his team training's helping: but he can't rely on that alone.
If he's to ever actually justify calling himself an X-Man, to justify taking up the codename - he's got to be strong to be able to help.

So, in the pursuit of his training, there's a couple of places that Kanji can be found at the moment:

In the gym, he can be found battering the hell out of punching bags, or working his way through the free weights: generally, if a bit of apparatus doesn't require external power, he's going to be found trying it out or using it. It's always been part of his routine, a way to help burn through a bit of excess charge, but now he knows how much he needs it he's working twice as hard. ... Might be working a bit too hard, even. (Whoo. He's seeing sparks and he doesn't think they're his usual sort.)

Similarly, he can be found outside, going for a run around the grounds - okay, so it's still really a bit cold for it, but a real man's not going to frown in the face of a bit of a chill, is he? Right? Right?

Comments

Posting from iPad, please excuse brevity/errors

[aquawayfinder]

"I very much presume," was that the correct way to say it in English?. "That had I had to keep the power inside myself I might have a different experiance. Storing the power in the Keyblade lends it as an extension of myself. If you wish, I could see if I could set up a keyblade advanced class," she said, considering. "On my island, we build our own keyblade as part of our training, I woild not mind teaching such here."

[realmenknitplushies]

Slowly, Kanji nods along with what she's saying. "Yeah. It's one thing when ya can ...get it outta the way 'n put it somewhere safe. But it's kinda a lot to handle otherwise."

The rest of what she's saying, though: "How'd that work, though? I ain't good with technical stuff..." Sit him down with a list of complicated stitches, he's fine. But sit him down with a list of mechanical instructions? Slightly less so.

[aquawayfinder]

"Well, I would teach you. It is..." she said a word in her own language, and frowned, finding herself unable to translate it. "Small... technology...?" she finally ventured. She meant Nano-tech. She shook her head. "I have seen very little of it here, so it would be a new skill for most if not all whom I would teach. You would be forging molds as well."

[realmenknitplushies]

Language barrier - he knows that worry, that's for sure, and it takes him a moment to get what she means too. If he's getting it right? Damn.
"That's... wow. Sounds like it's complex stuff," he says, rubbing at his head for a moment. "Ya think I could manage somethin' like that? I dunno..." Putting himself down, much? "But there's gotta be folks here who could."

[aquawayfinder]

She smiled warmly. "I think with confidence and a teacher who is willing to work with you, you would find that there is very little yo could not learn to do."

And because it was what she would do on the island with one of the students, she kissed his forehead, thinking nothing of it.

"Would you like me to look into getting this set up so you could learn?"

[realmenknitplushies]

"Gah-!"

He flinches back, reflexively trying to protect her, before he remembers the whole reason they're even talking about such things in the first place...

"M... maybe? But if ya think it could really help..."

[aquawayfinder]

She nodded. "Think about it, you do not have to decide now. And if you want, we can also work with some regular control exercises, to help you learn other ways to master your power and yourself."

[realmenknitplushies]

More nodding, a little embarrassed right now: "I've been learnin' some, but - hell. With this... y'know how it is. Anythin's gotta help."

[aquawayfinder]

She nodded a bit, smiling warmly at him. "We could start now, if you wish," she said, nodding towards the training dummy.

[realmenknitplushies]

"Y...yeah?" Well, he hadn't planned on sticking around, but... no time like the present, and all...

[aquawayfinder]

(OOC: sorry this took so long. Aqua started writing a whole lesson. I have a feeling it will be just as applicable in a few posts, so I will do a shorter post here, and keep working on it in a text editor)

She led him to a fresh training dummy. "We begin with precision," she said. "Bare handed strikes. Here," she said, tapping the dummy in the center of the face. "Here," she said, touching the throat. "And here." she touched the center of the chest. "You want to strike with the heel of your hand. In that order, head neck chest. The same exact point on each, every time. Do the three, repeat. Set your own pace, the first two rounds, then whatever pace you have in the third round you keep."

She stepped back. "Begin."

[realmenknitplushies]

Okay. Kanji nods along at her description, mimicking the motion before he gets going - it's not usually a technique he uses, after all, rough street fighter that he is. Such precise targeting? Not a thing he's used to. But... alright. He can do this.
He'd better be able to do this now she's put him on the spot, dammit.

His first round is a little slow and shaky as he steps through the motions - the second a bit better. Still not particularly elegant as he goes in for the third set, but at least he thinks he can keep this momentum going...

[aquawayfinder]

She stood back and watched. "Good. At the moment, precision and pace are more important than power and impact. Just focus on hitting your marks, keep going," she said, encouraging him with a warm smile as she watched his form, and timed and measured his hits by sound and sight.

Anytime he would miss center, she would let him know with gentle encouragement, things like "A bit higher next set, or you're drifting to the right..." whatever was needed.

[realmenknitplushies]

Yeah, this is definitely not what he's used to. His concentration can't help but slip on occasion, but he's giving it his best shot. One, two, three, one two, three... still, the improvement's slow going.

Eventually, he pants out: "Heh. Never thought-" - smack - "goin' so steady-" smack - "could be so hard."

[aquawayfinder]

She smiled and nodded. "Exactly. And that will be key to your learning mastery. Any mastery. All Mastery. It's all about control. And learning control here... it helps with control elsewhere. Everything you do is connected by one core factor. You. Just like your fists and feet both need your core transverse muscles for power when you kick and punch, all your abilities, every one of them, need YOU."

[realmenknitplushies]

Still slightly breathless, only managing to speak in between hits: "Never... thought about it like that before," he says.

[aquawayfinder]

"That is part of what I am here to teach," she said with a warm smile. "We each have our own lessons to share with others. Are you ready for a break from this exercise?"

[realmenknitplushies]

His pride's not letting him admit to the fact in a hurry. "You-" and he's clawing for breath, now - "think I look ready?"

[aquawayfinder]

She managed not to let her lips quirk up into an amused smile. She kept her face politely neutral. "I think one of the hardest lessons... is pacing." She could mean the exercise he was doing now to keep to a set pace... or about taking breaks. Or something else entirely. Her voice sometimes got a bit... mysterious.

[realmenknitplushies]

He doesn't respond for a moment, focusing on what he's doing and processing her words, before he manages to stammer out a couple of words.

"H-heh. Yeah. I getcha."

Perhaps he does need to learn that much.

"Sh-should I..."

[aquawayfinder]

"Should you?" she asked softly.

[realmenknitplushies]

"Y' said... take a break..." Something he's not doing too well at today, that's for sure. But he doesn't want to stop until he knows that it's not going to make him look weak or like he's chickening out.

[aquawayfinder]

She gave a warm smile. "It probably would be a good idea," she said with a smile. "Come, some slow stretches so you do not cramp up."

[realmenknitplushies]

Alright, alright. He's ... finally going to step away from the bag and start working through a few stretches.

[aquawayfinder]

She nodded and actually started guiding him through his stretches, leaving him mostly to the ones he already knows, but offering slight suggestions for how they could be slightly more effective. She had a good knowledge of physiology and exercise for a philosophy teacher.