it's gonna take more than a hand [closed]

[rideme]

WHO: The Iron Bull & Canada Kaneda
WHERE: Outside Nonah's Ark -- the backyard.
WHEN: Early Morning.
WHAT: Training Kaneda to actually fight and defend himself.
WARNINGS: Language probably? Maybe Kaneda's Problems.

[The sun isn't even up at the time the Iron Bull is. It's somewhere around 5:30 in the morning. It's about as late as he's willing to let the kid sleep. This is all part of the 'training' -- a strict schedule. Up before the sun, warm up, run drills, then let the day do whatever else needs doing.]

[With all the kid's gone through lately, with all that might be coming, this is really all Bull can do for the kid, short of becoming his personal bodyguard. And that would probably go over about as well as a brick wall. Being thrown. At Kaneda's head. It galls him more than he'll admit to anyone, that there isn't anything he can do right now to wrangle the one responsible for all these issues, make them both sit down and talk things out like rational people. That would take a miracle. And he's been fresh out of those since that day on the Storm Coast.]

[Since the day he'd made the call. Turned his back on everything for a handful of people who meant everything more.]

[One of the cats -- dark brown, slender, wild orange eyes, Skinner -- goes tearing down the hall and through his legs before he has a chance to dwell on that further. Heh. Good cat.]

[He doesn't have proper weapons for this. Hell, he doesn't have proper weapons in general. So two heavy sticks hacked down to the proper length will have to do. If the kid complains, he'll spray him with the hose. A great invention, that hose.]

[Looking remarkably chipper for this hour, Bull quietly makes his way to Kaneda's room -- there had been a light on in there earlier. No footsteps toward the door, no careful rustle of moving windows. Kid should still be inside. At least for now. So...]

[Whack!]

[No knocking. Just shouldering the door open, slapping the light on.]

Up and on your feet, Canada.

Comments

[rideme]

Damn right.

[He thumps Kaneda on the shoulder a time or two, before stepping back around to face him. Arms folded.]

Why don't you try a few swings? See how they feel.

[rassera]

[The impact from the hit sends him forward a few steps--despite Kaneda being able to take a hit, a 5'7'' teen is still a lightweight in comparison to someone like Bull.

Wide eyes of shock turn to determination, though, as he recovers from it and turns, flipping that hair out of his eyes.]

What, on you?

[rideme]

Hah! Nah. Any other day, sure. But I'd rather not have to sit through the healer lecture again, if I can help it.

In general, I mean. Pretend you're going after a target. Think of it like a trial run.

[rassera]

[He laughs at that, head tossed back. Oh, he knew that healer lecture. He got it quite often, so he more than understands wanting to avoid that one.]

Charlie?

[Trial run, though...he looks at the blades in his hand, and how easily his fingers wrap around the hilt. Bouncing them in his palms, letting them feel the weight of it as he rolls his shoulders. He'd never used anything like this before, just the standard knife or switchblade, and even then...not usually for long.

So this...He's got to whing it with what he knows. And what he knows is speed.

His stance shifts to a more crouched position, using his blades to leap at a 'foe', letting his momentum do most of the work while his hands do the rest.]

[rideme]

Tch, yeah.

[Yeah that's. A Thing. Anyway.]

[Anyway, it's time to pay attention to Kaneda's movements now, critically. For someone with one eye, it's pretty easy for him to keep watch. Years of practice, really.]

Good. Good start. But stay balanced -- jumping around's great for show. But someone more experienced? They'll knock you flat on your ass the second your balance shifts wrong.

[rassera]

I am experienced.

[His shoulders square up, that lip slightly jutting out.]

You ever fall off a bike? You roll to save yourself the damage, and you use it to get back up too.

[rideme]

More experienced. I didn't say you weren't, kid. But hell, there's always someone better out there.

Or just plain luckier.

[He gestures to his own face.]

Case in point.

[rassera]

[There's a moment to collect himself--even with the agreement of this training, it takes a lot for him to let go of that leader position. Especially when it's so blatantly obvious like this.

Sorry Bull. Old habits die hard.]

Balance is easy.

[This is a guy not really wanting to admit that it's easy for Bull to say--he's the size of a house.]

[rideme]

Is it? Now that you've got about ten extra pounds of metal on your hands?

[He'll keep his voice calm. Steady. No accusation or irritation in the words. Like he's genuinely curious how Kaneda will respond.]

[Because while Bull wants to make a point, pushing it down the kid's throat won't go anywhere productive. So he lets the question hang for a few silent moments, before adding:]

All I'm saying... is watch it. Maybe you don't have to worry when you're just using your hands. But now you have something else throwing you off.

[rassera]

[...That thought didn't occur to him, looking down at the katar now in his hands. True, he'd used pipes before, which weighed similar. But he was on a bike--something that could balance it. Now it was just his two feet.

His shoulders square again.


Because now he has to question.]

Alright, alright, already. So what would YOU do?

[rideme]

[HAH.]

[Okay, he doesn't say that. He doesn't even let it show on his face. He just nods, shifting his weight in order to demonstrate what he's talking about.]

Keep both feet on the ground, much as possible. Don't pick 'em up very far when you do move around -- little, fast steps.

Make sense?

[rassera]

[Kaneda watches Bull's footing as he speaks, being way more of an observational learner than being told what to do. His eyes don't leave that position, fixed on them as he listens, only flicking up once or twice to let Bull know that yes--he is paying attention.

Little fast steps. You'd think you'd trip over yourself...but hell, he'll give it a shot.]

Got it.

[rideme]

I can't do it so well -- too big, bad foot. But hell, you could, with enough practice.

[Which is true. Kaneda is young enough. Granted, Bull's not exactly old. But he's done enough of his chosen fighting style to where his muscle memory is geared to that, and that alone.]

[Harder to pick up new tricks.]

[rassera]

[His feet slowly imitate what Bull's did, taking a few tries to really get the routine down. It's different than he's used to, but at the same time, quick and light.

He'd have to improvise some for his own style, but it was sound advice.]

Can't see you taking little ANYTHING, let alone steps.

[rideme]

Right? Banned from dance floors in about twelve cities in Orlais for that, too.

[Is that a joke.]

C'mon then. Let's see you try it out.

[rassera]

[There's a little smirk at that. He didn't know what Orlais was, but he can get the gist of it via context clues.]

How many toes did you break, old man?

[But his feet start to move, testing the waters a little, but getting what Bull was going for to a point.]

[rideme]

Probably all of them. At one point or another.

[He's. Really not exaggerating. At all.]

[But he'll step back, arms folded, to watch Kaneda get the feel for these motions.]

[rassera]

[Kaneda keeps practicing, feet only messing up once or twice, each time he immediately repositions himself again.

If there's something to be said for this kid, it's that he's not giving up til he gets it.]

Dammit.

[rideme]

You're improving already! Keep it up!

[Because even the smallest improvement is a plus, in Bull's opinion.]

[rassera]

[He stops a moment, looking over at Bull like he was speaking some foreign language.

Encouragement.


That was...rare. Granted Kaneda's confidence didn't really NEED the help of someone else, but that didn't make it any less important.

He tries again, this time his feet working a little better at avoiding scuffing the ground.]

[rideme]

[There's more where that came from, Kaneda. And it's fairly steady, combined with careful criticism.]

[He's pretty quick with both -- to be honest. The kid can take it. He'll need to. If he's going to get good at this, he'll need to adapt.]

[But hey. He's really doing a good job of it.]