Time for some one-on-one (Bendytimed to just before sick plot first post) [closed]

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

 Nanashi had been pushing her students daily, training them rigorously in all sorts of basics, but finally she had come to the end of what she had been formally trained in. It was here that she had lost her teacher to the war. The rest she learned years later on the battlefield.

Of course, this would reflect in her teaching. Her students just didn't know quite yet. She sat cross-legged on one of the chairs in the entrance hall, waiting for Katara and Edward. She had a few training swords made from wood a while back when she had dropped off the junk furniture at that craftsman's place. She had them using their steel weapons with protective seals on the blades for that first part of training, but now they would be turning their blades on each other, and she had to keep in mind that if something was chopped off, it could not be stuck back on and held there to heal. Hence the wood swords.

With that prepared, all there was left was for her students to arrive.

Comments

[fulltinyalchemy.livejournal.com]

Learning how to use a sword was easy as riding a bike for Ed, but it didn't stop him from analyzing her every move. Women like Nanashi he knew their type by personal experience.

He walked in, hand resting on his swords while thinking of Al and what he was doing at the moment.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara had been in a better mood these last few days, and had also been mentally prepared for what was going to happen today. She had similarly kept in mind that Ed had already had a bit of history with sword fighting, and she had to be on her toes. Everything she'd learned from Sokka and Nanashi was swimming in her head, and though her serenity inspired excursion with Billy and Renne had kept her focused, skill was something she would have to rely on. She knew that Nanashi would be nothing but serious in this lesson.

Katara walked across from Ed, her hands resting on her swords.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi stood up, holding the wooden swords out to her students, "Today, we shall be training a bit differently from how you have become accustomed to training. As such, you will not be using your swords today. Please leave them out here, and take these instead."

[fulltinyalchemy.livejournal.com]

Ed did so, silently, without words. His mind was away at the moment and his body moving on instinct as he put the swords down and took up a wooden sword, spinning it once to test the heft and then holding it reverse-handed for a brief moment before stepping back.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara similarly grabbed at a sword quietly and closed her eyes a moment. In her mind's eyes she surveyed the fight: Ed had the advantage with strength, her with speed. He had the advantage of experience, but she knew enough about movement and flow to be more than a worthy opponent.

She brought the sword up a moment, then swung it down in a fluid movement., testing it a moment, then, nodded to herself and brought it on its flat against her leg.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

THWAP. Nanashi gave a nice strike to Ed's forehead, right on the pressure point so it would hurt plenty. She did not take kindly to her students day dreaming, as they both ought to know by now, which was what concerned Nanashi. Still, now was the time for training. All other matters were left at the door.

"Pay attention, Edward." Her tone was softer than it normally was when reprimanding him, which she had to do quite a lot of at the beginning of his training. She knew that there was something there besides his obstinacy, but she expected him to try his best to push past it, and she knew this was not his best.

She turned and led the way into the training room, going to the far wall. She stood there with her hands clasped behind her back, waiting for her students. "Starting today, you will be primarily learning from experience. You will continue with your basic drills, however, the majority of class will be in combat."

[fulltinyalchemy.livejournal.com]

It hurt, but Ed barely gave a wince. He was already too tired, too sore and too sleepy. "Yeah yeah," grumbled the young man.

By the way he even moved, it was clear something was wrong. And he was weary enough to drop and take a nap, and clear he had dragged himself there.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara had learned enough about studying people that she saw there was something lacking in Ed. This sort of thing definitely did not sit well with Katara, and she immediately went towards him

"Are you all right Ed?"

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi frowned. She knew that sort of look. She put her hand up to his head quickly before he could try to knock her hand away to find that she was right- he was sick with a fever. She pointed at the direction the staircase through the wall and ordered, "You are to get some rest, Edward." She gave him a look that seemed to imply, 'or I will carry you up there myself.'

She looked over to Katara. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad if Katara and her sparred alone again. It would give her an even better sense of how Katara had been improving. "We shall still hold a lesson while Ed rests," she reassured.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara still looked at Ed in a concerned manner. It wasn't that she wanted to discontinue the lesson: she'd actually been really looking forward to it. All of that seeped out of her when she saw how Ed was acting though: she knew he was gruff, but surely even he needed to be looked after when he was sick?

"We should make him some soup, or at least put him to bed ourselves," Katara said, knowing she might incur her teachers' aggravation for this and not caring. It was the part of Katara that was always more motherly than most people liked: if someone was hurt or injured, whatever she was doing could wait. She didn't like seeing her friend and sparring partner like this.

[fulltinyalchemy.livejournal.com]

"M'fine," grumbled out Ed before bringing his arm up to his mouth and coughing a couple of times. "I've trained being sicker than this."

A half-hearted lie, but Ed was feeling miserable enough to concoct stupid lies.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi folded her arms, looking like she was about to start counting. "If another teacher of yours has done so, they are a fool. Two days out of training in order to recover is better than having you gone for a month later." She pointed at the stairs again, "Three. Two."

Katara was certainly right. And she fully intended on following him up the stairs once he began walking on his own. She figured that would be less humiliating for him then to have her pick him up and carrying him up the stairs.

Ed really didn't stand a chance, not with two mothers in the room.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara agreed with Nanashi, albeit in a different way. She would never have agreed to spar with him if she knew he wasn't at his best, and for that reason, she moved over to him and put an arm around him to steady him up.

"It's no big deal," she said, giving him a wry grin, "But I'll expect you to be at your full potential when we fight next, ok? I'm not letting you off that easy!"

Which she said mostly so he wouldn't think he was being babied. Sometimes it was little things like this that made the difference.

[short-changed.livejournal.com]

Ed nodded. "Must have been a slow acting virus or something." He wobbled a bit but held his head. "Or just stress..."

And he stumbled up the stairs.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi followed Ed up the stairs, guiding him to one of the rooms with her hand gently on his back. "Whatever it is, you need rest." Looking over her shoulder she instructed, "Katara, make some soup. I have some canned foods in the cabinet. There is not much, but there should be something." She had no experience with human food, so it made sense to have Katara prepare it.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"I was going to do that anyway," Katara said, a little irritable that Nanashi would think she needed to be told that. Ed was her friend and training partnet: if he was in pain she wanted to help him.

In the back of her head, Katara wondered if this was something that was going around: they WERE all living on the same ship. The idea of this being widespread meants held have to be careful about where she went now.

She located a can of chicken soup and figured this might be something that would help. Personally, she was more familiar with the soup back home than here, buts he was sure the effect would be the same.

"Maybe some chamomile tea too," she said. "To soothe the throat."

[short-changed.livejournal.com]

If Ed had the energy, his head would have been pinballing between the pair. As it stood, he just nodded wearily as he was half-led to the nearest room to recover in.

"Tea sounds good," he muttered out, staggering towards the door.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi was surprised at Katara snapping, but disregarded it. Instead she just nodded to her and wrapped her arm around Ed to help steady him on his way into the room.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara was rarely this snippy, but she hated people thinking she needed to be told how to take care of someone: she'd had to for years. In any case, she would apologize to Nanashi later, busying herself with making tea.

Teacher and two students: their bond, in her mind, was as important as family members and she would make sure he was okay. Even now, Katara had to tolerate Nanashi's tough love toward Ed as her way of making him stronger. It sad ill with her just like when Toph was first training Aang.

She brought the tea over, making two more cups for herself and Nanashi.

[fulltinyalchemy.livejournal.com]

Sitting down, Ed kicked off his boots and groaned as he flopped on the bed. "Getting warm," he muttered as he fumbled for his jacket.

[sanguineroyal.livejournal.com]

Nanashi smiled at Katara as she re-joined them. She helped Ed with his coat, expecting to soon hear complaints about the aid with a simple task. "If you are, then it means you are working on sweating out the fever."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara gave Nanashi a polite bow, and mopped Ed's head. The sweating was a good sign, but it didn't mean that she liked seeing him sick. It reminded her too much of the time she and Sokka had gotten ill and needed to suck on those frozen frogs.

"Have some tea," Katara said. "It'll be good for you."