Fighting Aggression (Kendall's Training)

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

If there was any clothing left on him, it would soon be cast away; disallowed in any way under the tropical humidity of Kendall's personal atmosphere. As he made his way to his quarters, all but stripping down to his tattoos as the door slid shut, he'd been rolling his neck in aching bliss.

Now that was a workout, he thought to himself. Taking a shower and knocking out, he'd wake that much more energized. To expect a day even more wearing on his limitations. Lightsaber training was going to be Kendall's bestial advantage... Maybe not against one such as Huang, today, but eventually. . . maybe. He'd definitely shown his startling ability against those who'd almost discard him outright. But time after time held no meaning for the next time, as every moment was a new moment to prove different then the last. A unique way of looking at things, and even unique-er in Kendall's wordings.

This time he'd stick to his warm-up. The one he'd diligently worked through the most basic attempts at Alchaka, between the fluid motions of his acrobatic workout. In continuous motion, yet slowing to purposefully strengthen himself through control of a certain motion. As seen, if any other students were to witness in passing, Kendall sprang over a horizontal torso of one leg whipping over the other; to swoop round upon a landing, bending the other leg through in slowed motion. As he took minutes to move inches upon one leg, his arms struck through repetitive motions in form. Then, from tightened gathering, his core would explode into motion again; flipping back onto hands then feet. He'd spin out of a layout, catching himself upon one leg again. Lowering into a deep bend, his twisting shoulders would cause a crossing of limbs in strength. Though he was a tightly lean figure, few carried the physical stamina and balance to flexibly do as he could.

Looking like some type of bird in his elegant lowered position, a line from his one extended leg through to his outreaching arm, Kendall would seem experienced in the art of physical combat.

 

[Will]

''Adequate work, for a beginner.''

Huang leapt from a column, landing before the padawan gracefully.

''Have you constructed a lightsabre, padawan?''

If the padawan had, Huang would not let him use it until he had finished training. Some masters made their padawans make sabres then train. Huang found that an incompetent way to train. Once they showed skill, they would be allowed a personal blade.

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

"Nope!" Kendall popped up to a bent squat, shirking his feet underneath his seat and spinning the training saber hilt (given to him by his first Master) out along his fingers to be caught stiff in his palm. "Just this!" He snapped cheerfully, yet with a loss of breath, in his morning vigor; stiffly highlighting the beginner's tool of training in one hand.

Standing fully, Kendall began flipping the hilt to toss from one end to the other in his right. Lifting the back of his left, he wiped away the slick layer of perspiration.

 

[Will]

The sabre left Kendall's playful grip, floating across the void to hover above Huang's palm. He examined it, spinning it with his mental prowess.

''You have read the form treatises, I trust? Have you found a philosophy that chimes with your own views? A style that suits your abilities?'' Huang asked, still examining the blade.

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

"Treat-a-sis?" Kendall froze a half second, then popped up to a bounce in his step pacing as he watched his Master closely delve into the hilt's structure.

"Ah, well I can't decide between two; but some of the instructors already got an opinion bout that."

The ecstatic Padawan dropped into a whimsical martial stance as an exaggeration in fooling around, as he back flipped onto a single hand to step out into yet another ridiculous stance. "There's ...Ataru!"

Then the mix breed stepped forward into a butterfly kick whirling around a 720 degree spin to land into a final position of jesting stiffness. "Or... there's Juyo!"

Holding the last stance, he thought to kid around with a quirky look upon his face. It was in his nature to do so, without thought in joyful acceptance of how the moment's aura shown to him.

 

[Will]

''Your...exuberance... seems to lean towards ataru. However, your unpredictable nature certainly seems to support mastery of Juyo.''

Huang closed his eyes, coming to his decision.

''An Idea.''

His eyes opened.

''Attack me.''

Huang stood motionless, awaiting the attack of the padawan.

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

Assuming his Master wished for lightsaber combat to find the answer for Kendall's dilemma, Kendall sprang forward into a leap; kicking a right knee up and into Huang's midsection, Kendall's right elbow swept across the Master's face as both hands reached so that one may grab his training hilt in his Master's possession. ...All the while, his smile showing through. This was what he loved.

 

[Will]

''Take this seriously, padawan.''

Huang swept back artfully, the hilt brushing his padawan's fingers tauntingly. With that, a roundhouse kick knocked Kendall back to the ground. He held the hilt in front of him, coaxing the padawan back to battle.

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

Slamming hard into the floor, the smack seemed to only bring more enjoyment to the Padawan. He pushed his hands into the floor, regaining his vision after a second's refocusing, and popped back up.

Still reliant on his physical feats, Kendall ran at his Master with a teethed happiness soon corrected in the face of scrutiny. Running only enough to come near his goal, Kendall spun into a felt and unpredictable swirl. As he lashed out with a horizontal simple left hand swipe of a grab after the desired hilt, Kendall knew he'd miss outright; and as he spun into a jump, he'd soar over his Master to reach with his extending right hand just as he hoped Huang's possession of the hilt would raise away in avoidance of the first attempt - to meet where he felt they'd coincide naturally.

Yet as he reached back behind his head, Kendall felt the need to possibly pull the saber hilt through the force in all this distraction if either Huang knocked him away or he simply missed. He'd look down in a moment to yank it in his direction; only if he missed, would he feel this eventual urge in the moment of course.

 

[Will]

Huang's arm came out to the side as he sidestepped, dodging Kendall perfectly, as his free hand rose, the heel of his palm striking him under the chin.

He was surprised by the use of the force. That act formed his decision.

He held the lightsabre in front of him, in an open palm.

''Take it. You will be studying Ataru. Juyo rarely uses the force, and your use of it certainly leans towards those philosophies.''

Huang pulled out his own sabre.

''You are ready to learn?''

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

Kendall stepped forth, nursing his chin with a would be smile if not for the contorting mush in his hand; his mouth and cheeks squished forward between his fingers, his eyes fixated on the hilt.

"Let's do this!" Kendall came to the saber and, assuming Huang would give it to him, he took it gratefully. Kendall's mouth hung open in a grin. This was a great relief to him. He no longer had to worry about what other teachers had told him to be wary of in such a form as Juyo. Of course he'd still have to watch himself no matter what form of lightsaber combat, but now for some reason he just felt more carefree.

"Ataru it is!" Igniting the simple blue beam, Kendall stepped back to his place across Huang. The half squint in his eye folded young wrinkles in the florescent blue tattoos beneath his one eye. Swirling the saber around, he'd bring it up to the side, almost above his head. He didn't know much about anything, except what he had seen and been informally taught. He had dueled many times, though only against opponents near his level.

 

[Will]

''Assume the opening stance of Ataru. Thus.''

Huang ignited his own training sabre, the orange blade reaching up vertically, as both hands gripped the hilt, holding the blade on the left hand side, his right shoulder pointing forward. His feet were a shoulder width apart, and legs slightly bent.

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

Lowering the hilt in a two handed grasp now, Kendall focused his stance after his Master's in likeness. His head shifted up and down sporadically, as per his natural motion in readiness to keep a perfect mirror to Huang's image.

Kendall's hands held steady by his right ear, one over the other. His left shoulder pointed forward, as his left foot did also. His right stayed back, and his head naturally tilted forward in a glare of excited battle instance.

"Hmm", he assured himself with a breath. He had it right, he was sure.

 

[Will]

''Excellent. Now. I need you to come at me, attack, and then use the force to leap back, away from my possible counter. This is a standard technique commonly employed in Ataru, as prolonged combat is counter-productive to such an intense form.''

Huang ignited his own blade, assuming the stance for Juyo, his personal favourite form.

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

Kendall nodded, dashing in soon after. As he shot forward towards his Master, his left leg reached out as his blade swept in from the right to connect before him; he'd scoop in a slash from low right to upper left, as he'd finish leaping into the momentum. Twisting left, Kendall would flutter a barrage of leg kicks on his way out should he require, as his flipping away would spiral a 360 to come back and face his Master from afar as he began.

 

[Will]

''Not quick enough.''

Kendall had too much Hubris, staying in for those leg kicks. He grabbed the boy's leg and span, throwing him across the arena.

''In this move, you cannot stay. It will be used when a foe is stronger than you, but slower. Don't push it. Again.''

Huang assumed the Juyo stance.

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

Caught off guard, in the beginnings of learning, Kendall was thrown and rolled into his tumbling landing; finally pushing up on his hands and knees, unharmed.

Kendall was pretty tough, and his young age would keep him from noticing any bruises in energetic furor. Sprinting into a front slash, his ducking head lowered beneath the level of the wide sweep; then suddenly jolting up and away into a lightning fast back flip, to land away and facing his teacher. Kendall would take no chances, seeking to execute the maneuver to perfection with his own style.

 

[Will]

Huang nodded.

''You have grasped the basic intent. Before I try and tax you further, come with me.''

Huang had had the idea as he had watched the boy fight him earlier. He was very good on the attack. However, he was lacking in the aerial acrobatics needed for Ataru. He could leap and flip, yes, but he could not twist and turn through the air like masters of the form, a potential which Huang could see in the boy.

He led him inside, finding a room with a list of names on the door, in columns. The very first name was Huang's own, with a small 'II' beside. Almost all of the other names always had 'X' followed by other odd symbols. Most commonly 'XV'.

''You need to improve aerial acrobatics. I have something designed for this purpose.''

He turned on lights, simulating the light at evening. He pulled a lever on the wall, and an apparatus descended. A one hundred metre long convoluted series of horizontal bars and hoops hung from the ceiling, twenty feet from the ground.

''This course is the most punishing acrobatic course created. I created it, and not even I have succeeded first time. None have. You can launch yourself into the air well. Your skills while in the air are flagging, however. In this course, you must propel yourself from bar to bar, without touching the hoops between them. You must move through the hoops. You'll notice changes of height and direction in this course. If you touch a hoop, you are stunned. I'll catch you with the force. To make things difficult-''

A pair of repeater blasters rotated up from the floor.

''-They're set to stun. You have to dodge them at the same time. You are very acrobatic, yes. Ataru, however, is on a whole different level to your skills. This will train you. Begin.''

((Say you attempted many times, then post your success one in full.))

 

[Lyeric Ubbal Arathilion]

Following Huang, Kendall was shocked to see such a course. He had found his new_best_friend... this course! There was only one way to become acclimated to the course, and that was to just GO! Kendall lept away and into the course flipping and reaching through hoop after hoop ...until his face slammed into the stunning buzz of a hoop after one of the guns caught him in passing a bar. Yes, his Master caught him before crashing to the ground, but he'd take some hits along the way.

Kipping up, stepping up, pushing up, rolling over and up, Kendall's excited energy became a true workout failure after failure. He loved it. But like any over excited animal, Kendall soon relaxed into a diligence devoid of over stimulation. Becoming better with each attempt, minus some foul-ups of playful randomness in ingenuity through the air, Kendall soared with grace/skill/and learning. He was truly meant for Ataru, showing the obvious signs of a quick learner. Though he never tested well at first attempt, Kendall (at his age) was a talent to behold.

Whipping through the air, twisting on all axis, and utilizing all limbs able to bend and grasp bars - Kendall moved at rates distant to most shots of the stunning blaster fire, and narrowly managing through complex situations. He even showed signs of real world application, as he used the course to his benefit to force shots that ricocheted off of the bars themselves like passing enemies; contorting his body in swinging leaps towards the course's end. Finally, with a swirling spin of flipping and morphing motion, Kendall bypassed crisscrossing shots of blaster fire and shot out his shins to a final bar with a push off into a corkscrew dive through a hoop to land into a deep bend upon the floor. He had done it at last!

 

[Will]

((For your heavyweight RP Skillage, I shall reward thee! REJOICE))

Huang nodded. It had taken six attempts. Only one other had a score better than six, bar Huang of course. This child was very gifted. Ataru had been the right choice for him. He would undoubtedly rise quickly through the ranks to master.

''A truly exemplary performance, Kendall.'' Huang said, using the boy's name, without the formal rank in front, for the first time. he flipped the lever, the apparatus fading into the lofty shadows.

''Utilise what have just learned. Attack me, then use your acrobatics to dodge. Combine what you already know with what you've learnt. Attack me without fear of harming me. At your full capacity.''

Huang ignited his lightsabre, the silver training blade throwing harsh light around the room. He stood, taking up a formless stance. Unreadable.