[October... 8! Sure, why not. Let's move a couple days forward. The inexorable march of time. Dunno what time, though. Luana's schedule's pretty tight.] (Haven't gotten a new schedule, so whenever is good and we'll pretend it's okay. ^^) [Sometime in the afternoon. Anyway! Gottleib and Heinrick have graciously allowed Keiko and Luana to get together in the heretofore unseen (as far as I remember) sparring room!] (Yeah, especially when his player is in the middle of studying. :P) (I said graciously!) [So Luana and KEiko are waiting, or just showing up, or something! Let's do that. Mini start!] * Luana is showing up! She is wearing grey slacks and a deep blue T-shirt. Her hair is kept out of her face by a black headband rather than by being pulled back into a ponytail as she usually does. She also looks mildly nervous, but smiles at Keiko when she sees her. * Keiko is looking a bit out of sorts, and is not in a dress? She's wearing very utilitarian jeans and a white t-shirt. She's still got the plush and the collar, though. Some things don't change! She's toying with a silver looking barette in one hand. When Luana comes in she smiles a little back. ~You know why you're here?~ ~You... want to learn how to fight hand-to-hand, right?~ * Keiko bites her lip and nods a little while thinking back, ~Sorta... yeah.~ She looks away a moment. ~This is hard to 'explain'... but...~ she sighs noisily. ~The short of it is that to grab things, when they're moving... it takes knowing how to grab things for real. I could explain it better if you knew Japanese, but. Yeah.~ * Keiko looks back to her. ~Since you know how to do stuff with your hands best.~ ~Okay... how do you want to go about doing this, then? When I started learning, it was just whatever I could get anyone to teach me or what I learned from sparring with someone, so... most of my knowledge is kind of a mishmash.~ * Keiko very carefully puts down her plush duck on the floor. It takes her a few long moments. Then she walks over closer to Luana and says, ~Just... show me how to grab people. Technique.~ A small chuckle. ~Whatever technique you've got.~ * Luana thinks carefully, ~Okay... I think I need to talk out loud to do this. Feel free to keep talking to me mentally, though.~ Her smile widens slightly. ~I don't really mind if someone assumes I'm talking to myself.~ * Keiko nods slightly. ~Sure, no problem. I'm not deaf or anything.~ She rubs her hands together nervously. They're empty! So empty. I'm going to grab you first, to show you what it feels like, and then you can try it on me, okay? * Keiko forces her arms to her sides and nods slightly. ~Right.~ * Luana moves towards her and grapples her, carefully but firmly. "Okay, first of all, this is always easier to do to someone who's doing something with their hands already. Once you've grabbed someone, there are other things you can try to do. You're focusing more on how to grab people rather than getting out of grabs, right?" * Keiko shifts in her grip a moment before replying, with a note of nervousness, ~Y-yeah. More grabbing... escaping with my mind is something else.~ * Luana nods. "Okay. Once you've got someone like this, you can hurt the other person from this position," she moves an arm to Keiko's throat and presses lightly, "or pin them," she moves carefully to hold Keiko in a way that it would be more difficult to eascape from, "which is much easier if the opponent is on the ground, since you've just pressing down on them, mostly." Um, you can also toss a person from this position... it's been done to me, but I'm really not any good at that. * Keiko tenses at the throat move, and even moreso at the pin, but takes a deep breath and manages to calm herself. ~So it's mostly about a good grip?~ ~I mean, on the arms. Of course it's about a good grip.~ Mostly, yeah, but you have to be careful not to let them stomp on your foot or anything... which I guess isn't a problem if you're not actually that close to your opponent, I guess. * Luana releases Keiko, takes a step back, and breathes deeply. "Okay... now, you try it on me, and when you think you're ready, I'll try to escape, okay?" * Keiko chuckles a little and says, out loud, "Okay. Just gimme a second." A pause, then, ~You're not the only one that bothered a bit.~ * Luana laughs nervously. * Keiko raises her hands a moment and frowns uncertainly as she puts both her hands out, grabbing Luana just above the elbows. She doesn't really have a strong grip. ~This about right?~ No, you 're trying to make sure I can't get away from you. Try again. Pretend I'm trying to get to a bomb or something, and if you don't stop me, everything explodes. * Keiko frowns and shifts her grip. She really seems to be trying, but she's... just not STRONG enough to hold Luana. She frowns and says, out loud, "Uhf... is the grip at least in the right place?" I think so... do it, um, telekinetically, and see if it feels more or less secure to you. * Keiko takes a step back and puts her arms to her sides. And then Luana feels ghostly grip on her arms in about the same place! And it's... about as weak. Does... does that feel good, to you? * Keiko frowns. ~It doesn't really feel the same as gripping.~ A small pause, then, ~It doesn't feel so weak, though.~ Okay then, I'm going to try to get out of your hold. * Luana tries to escape the ghostly grip! Which is a bit weird, actually, since it's not like she can twist and shove the person holding her, but still. * Keiko tries to keep her ghostly grip... but it's just not working. * Luana escapes without too much difficulty. "Do you think if you did it again, you'd have a better feel for it?" * Keiko nods, saying a bit assertively, ~Yeah.~ And then she puts the ghostly hands on her again, in a slightly different way. It's a little better! Ready? * Keiko nods. ~Yeah.~ She tenses. ~Go.~ * Luana manages to escape again, but she grins this time. "That was much better! Okay, try again." * Keiko smiles, but her face is still tensed. She grabs quickly, and says, ~Go for it.~ * Luana escapes once more! And sighs a bit. "I think... you've been working on your concentration and so on, right? Have you worked on the strength of your ability?" * Keiko nods a little and exhales upward, annoyed. ~Yeah, it's just... ~ she shakes her head. ~It'll get there. Except for the shield, it's just never worked well before.~ Can you shield other people as well as you can shield yourself? * Keiko shakes her head and puts her arms around herself. ~No... my powers are really good at happening as I need them. When I learned to shield myself... it was just me.~ ~Like in the training that me and Haruko were in.~ Okay... I guess... I can keep teaching you the basics, but if you want to get a good grip physically then you should ask Mr Engels to fit in some training to build up the muscles in your arm. (Hotaru?) * Luana adds quickly, "Not that I really know what I'm talking about, of course, it's just my opinion." (You find us the TP to spend on all this stuff and you got it. :P) (Yeah. Hotaru. Ten's silent holder.) * Keiko nods a little and says, ~I was just hoping to get some technique. I'm gonna need it when I expand.~ Beat, and she adds, ~You were a lot better choice than some random guard guy.~ * Luana laughs, then asks, "Expand?" * Keiko replies, ~Expand. Just... a word. I had to look it up to make sure it was right.~ Beat, then, ~It's a good word for what happens when I can do more. I feel like I'm expanding.~ She shakes her head. ~I know it's nonsense to everyone else.~ ~Forget about it.~ I can try, but... have you ever tried to forget about something specifically? It's hard. * Luana teases quietly, "Now I'll -never- forget. Not my fault." * Keiko laughs a little and replies, ~I could help you with that.~ You can... you can make people forget things? * Keiko starts, ~I..." and then suddenly she glances away, licking her lips before finishing, ~... of course I can't.~ * Luana frowns. "Keiko, you... you know you're my best friend, right? You know that I trust you?" * Keiko remains looking away. After a moment she thinks, quietly, ~I... it's been a long time. Since I had anyone besides...~ she trails herself off, then, ~I knew you were frightened. I hoped not telling you'd comfort you a little.~ * Luana smiles gently. "Sorry to tell you, but you don't seem to able to lie very well on the spur of the moment. It's... it's a scary idea? But I trust you, so it's okay." * Keiko says, ~Yeah, that's why I usually stay quiet.~ She then adds, ~I can do it, yeah. It's not... simple. I don't have the words to describe it.~ That's okay. Thank you for telling me, it means a lot. * Keiko replies, ~Sure.~ Then she chuckles and looks back to her. ~I'm better at lying to people who aren't you.~ She flexes her fingers a moment, then adds, ~More basics?~ Sure. (Can we end here? I have some chores to get to. -_-; Sorry.) (Aheh. It's a good cut point.) [And so they get back to training! They're so dutiful. Too bad Keiko couldn't lift a backpack. Mini end!]