trans_9 | [closed to Hiccup]

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[closed to Hiccup]

According to the standards of the 24-hour time period that the omnicoms operate on, it's very early in the morning. Too early for most people to be up, though Zuko always is at this time. Even without a sun to rise with, old habits die hard.

Today he rose feeling a little slower than usual. From this, one could assume it would be a bad idea for Zuko to push himself - but Zuko is not good at listening to his body when it says no.

So he's fighting his sister. And as usual, she's winning.

Her blue fire fills his vision, and Zuko counters it, the concussive power of the blast knocking him off his footwork so that he has no stance to counter with. He has scratches on his face from her nails. There are bruises on his back where he's fallen, and with every step his heart jitters, anticipating lightning.

Azula is, of course, cool and composed and her smile never wavers. "You know, Zuko," her cool, delighted voice is a mocking parody of sisterly concern. "If you're feeling under the weather, you ought to have challenged a lesser opponent. Or did you think an honorable death in battle would make everyone remember you more fondly than if you were to curl up and die like a weakling in your sickbed?"

"Shut up! Stacy, don't make her talk!"

Azula the Simulation smiles, and Zuko wonders how, even without words, she can still make him feel all at once so furious, and so powerless, and in his moment of hesitation, the simulation dives in to take advantage of this.

This was a bad idea. The simulations are very accurate, and Zuko, who should have forseen this, only realized it just recently. The real Azula, the one he will have to face one of these days, would try to kill him. This one is trying, too, and even on his good days, Azula could take him. He will have to call the fight off, or a memory of his sister will kill him, smiling.

But if he stops the simulation now, then he will have to live with KNOWING he is still not good enough until he's rested enough to try this again, and there is nothing Zuko hates more than feeling like this - weak, defeated, and a failure, so a fight that should have been called off long ago goes on.

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Last night, he'd been released from the Medbay, with a relatively clean bill of health. It had been close to a month that he'd been forced to recuperate.

He wasn't ready to train, but after waking up this morning, he'd found himself agitated and unable to stay in bed. So he'd, well, snuck out (to avoid Astrid's wrath, yes, there were sneaking involved). He was supposed to have bed-rest for some time longer, but screw that when there was work to be done. He had a forge to work at, and training to cause himself agony with. The forge might be out of the question until he could hammer things without tearing something internally, but he figured there had to be something Zuko could have him do, and he knew where to find him on most days this early in the morning.

The sounds of roaring flames and fighting signaled to him that this was the right Sensorium, and he stepped inside.

Now, how to get his attention without disrupting his concentration?

The girl, who is very beautiful - or would be more beautiful, if there weren't something about her smile that was so oddly reminiscent of a Monstrous Nightmare - locks her eyes instantly on Hiccup. "Who's your friend, Zuzu?"

Zuko, winded and gasping, looks over his shoulder. "Get ou-"

He doesn't have time to finish his command before the zzzt of electricity behind him spins his thoughts into a panic. He doesn't have time to think of what to say to call the simulation off. He barely has time to shout no - and he has even less time to pivot into the line of Azula's lightning. For an instant, the Sensoriums are brilliant with way too much light. Zuko is a dark shape in a crackling aura, flowing through motion, and the hiss of constant energy erupts into a shattering crack of thunder as the lightning exits his opposite finger and crashes into the simulated sky.

"-OFF TURN IT OFF!"

The simulation vanishes. Zuko slumps to the ground, smoking, his hair standing on end. His fingers twitch erratically and his heartbeat is unsettled, but the worst of it is the anger he has to take out on SOMEONE.

He wobbles to his feet, seething, red-faced and unsteady. "What is wrong with you?! Get out!"

Hiccup was too wobbly to run. And it wasn't just from the lightning that almost hit him. The most he could settle for was falling backwards on his butt and crawling away.

"I was just--I thought--"

Wait, if Zuko was upset and had to deflect that, if he had to shut down the program...

Now it was Hiccup's turn to get mad.

"You turned the safety thingy off? Are you crazy?!"

"Shut up! You don't understand, just get out!"

He's not crazy. But life has never sugarcoated anything for him before - why should he let the sensoriums do it now?

"You're not even supposed to be walking. If you're here, you might as well just shut up and get in your horse stance. I'm not in a talking mood."

"Wait, do I get out or get in a horse stance?"

Now he was confused.

"Whatever! Just - pick something."

Something that isn't talking about what you walked in on. Because Zuko needs to sit down. Like . . . now.

Horse stance it is.

Ow. Oooow owowowowowow.

So Zuko sits. And coughs.

A few minutes later, he coughs again, but otherwise, he doesn't say anything.

Once he twitches.

"Are you--are you okay?"

Oh gods this was hard.

He snaps, "I'm fine."

There was a slight wince there. Hiccup was used to being yelled at, but not really like this.

"Are you--are you sick?"

Could Sifu get sick?

Hiccup could get sick and injured, which was obvious given that his healing injuries meant sweat was starting to bead all over his face just from this little effort, but Zuko was made of iron and could spew fire. Could he even get sick?

Sifu just got beat up by a girl.

Not just a girl, a simulation of a girl.

"I just redirected lightning. You're not focusing."

"I am focusing. My body just wants me to focus on something else."

But he would ignore that, yep, for the sake of making himself more badass.

Even if his lips were now pale, and his body was shaking all over.

"That lightning thing was really, really impressive, by the way, and thank you, um, for doing it."

Edited 2010-09-26 04:17 (UTC)

Zuko may not be good about quitting when he ought to, but he can tell other people when they should.

He presses his lips together at the lightning comment, noting Hiccup's discomfort. "Just . . . take it easy. Don't hurt yourself."

This is, for the record, the only time Hiccup has EVER heard Zuko say anything to that effect.

Redirecting lighting? Ha. Well, his Sifu can't save him from everything. Case in point: the unbridled force that is a deeply concerned and clearly annoyed girlfriend.

And she found him. Zuko should notice her presence, but chances are Hiccup doesn't see it coming. ...You know, the axe that is hurled straight towards him. Violently spinning through the air before it stabs into the ground, stopping mere inches from his spread legs and, well, his manhood. (The horse stance leaves oh so many openings)

My, that would have hit something important. Good thing she's had plenty of practice at this. Doesn't she know how to make a flashy entrance or what?

With arms crossed and a foot tapping impatiently, Astrid just stood at a distance, giving Hiccup that look.

He knows that look.

His eyes have never gone wider. He looked at the axe. He looked up at her, just standing there, waiting.

"I am going to die."

Hiccup fell backwards onto his butt, fortunately far enough not to get speared by the axe embedded in the ground. Then he scrambled to his feet, pale and horrified.

"'Scuse, me, Sifu, gotta run for my life now."

Look, there he goes, off into the underbrush. Yes, he was valiantly running away, even though he was practically busting his gut to do it.

Edited 2010-09-26 05:41 (UTC)

Okay, Hiccup, Zuko understands. Really. His girlfriend is intimidating too.

But his morning so far has been a lesson in humiliation and now his student is running away before Zuko could really get to tormenting him through teaching into regretting walking in on his embarrassing simulation, and now there is ANOTHER warrior girl intruding on his day and he is not a happy camper.

"Go get your own sensorium."

(http://photobucket.com)

Zuko just gets a glance.

Surprisingly, Astrid didn't bother to chase him. There was a reason for this, of course.

Taking in a short breath, she simply called out. "...Hiccup Horrendous Haddock The. THIRD."

Oh shit. Full names. Not only is she his potentially homicidal girlfriend, but his mother now?

Hand to her hip, Astrid jabs a finger at the nearest spot on the ground in front of where she's standing. "If you don't get back here and get in this very spot I'm pointing at right now... I am going to do something both of us will regret. You hear me, Hiccup?"

"How come it always seems to work out that I lose either way?" came his winded voice from the woods. "I'm staying here! If you're gonna come after me, I'm at least going to make it difficult!"

Edited 2010-09-26 07:34 (UTC)

(http://photobucket.com)

Astrid shook her head regretfully. So it has come to this. She won't hurt him, though he is definitely not going to like the consequences.

"...Kiss ban."

You heard her.

"I, Astrid Hofferson, am issuing this ban until I deem you have perfectly atoned for your defiance. ...Whenever that will be."

Kiss ban. She's revoking his kissing privileges right here and now if he continues to defy her.

She learned a new tactic. Yay for Hiccup.

There was a hilariously high-pitched indignant noise, and then silence.

After a long moment, he trudged out, head hanging. His face would've been red with embarrassment, but he was too pale for that right now.

Reluctantly, he trudged over in front of her, then looked over at Zuko and sighed at how pathetic he must look to be completely whipped by his girlfriend, and edged over a step to be exactly where she was pointing.

"Can we just--not do this here? I already stumbled in on Zuko's, uh, practice, and he just sort of decided to have me practice, too, so this is like double-intruding now..."

"Exactly."

So get out already, Zuko has brooding to do.

She propped her hand on his head, rewarding him for his obedience. Holding something like that over his head was perhaps cruel, however, it was better than the alternative, risking him more physical strain.

Astrid sighs sympathetically, thinning her eyes on Zuko a moment. "Hey. You're condoning this? I understand you have an obligation to help him, but he won't be any use to you dead."

Now back to the boy. Her eyes bore into him harshly. "What are you thinking! Really. How do you expect to get better like this? Keep pushing yourself to your limit and you'll really die!"

"It's not--Zuko's fault. He was just telling me to take it easy, and he never does that. I just--I was feeling antsy after being stuck in bed for so long and I wanted to get back to practice--"

And now he was short of breath and his lips were nearly blue. Good going, Hiccup. Though all the running from Astrid hadn't helped.

"I was doing okay! You're being overprotective." A pause. "Speaking of overprotective, please don't tell dad. He kind of told me...not to do this..."

"Whatever it is you're going to fight about, do it somewhere else. I was training here first!"

Zuko stands up abruptly, glaring at Astrid. "And you're one to talk. I'm not the one throwing axes. Just . . . get out of my sensorium, both of you."

He's a little more red-faced than usual, and that's never a good sign. Is it, Hiccup?

(http://photobucket.com)

"Hmph. That was nothing," she shot back at Zuko. It really was nothing. Just a bit of scare tactics, is all!

She side glances at Hiccup. Overprotective? Bah!

"You say that, though it seems like this guy isn't fond of your company right now." Nor hers, but she won't mention that.

"Let's just...leave."

They'd pissed Zuko off enough. Hiccup went to retrieve Astrid's axe, dragging it along the ground until he could hand it to her (gods, he was whipped), and then poked her in the arm and nodded towards the Sensorium door.

Turning to Zuko, monumentally embarrassed, he bowed. "Sifu, I know there's a no 'I'm sorry' rule, but this was disrespectful. You have my apologies. This won't happen again."

Neither the interrupting Zuko's own (insane) practice, nor his girlfriend interrupting his practice.

Alex came in right on time- actually he was two minutes early. He had been up all night wondering if this was a good idea. Zuko did not seem like a gentle person- in fact, he seemed rather terrifying in his own way. But Alex also felt a kinship with him- a kinship that he wouldn't dare mention again.

Since Zuko saw Alex last Alex had gained quite a few more wounds, most still were healing as thin scabbed lines, though his throat and torso were still bandaged. He at least had his stitches out, replaced with those dissoluble stitches that were more flexible. Sam would probably blow a gasket anyway if he knew that Alex was intending on training.

Zuko narrows his good eye as Alex enters, looking over his scars. He hadn't expected to put Alex through anything that would strain him too much physically on the first day, but that the kid showed up with still-healing wounds shows either determination, or that he doesn't know what he's in for.

"Sit down." Zuko is seated, cross-legged, on holographic grass.

In Alex's case, it was a little bit of both, with a dash of stupidity. Alex walked forward and silently listened to Zuko's orders. He was wearing nothing but an off-white t-shirt, his usual sweatshirt- and his rat- no where in sight.

"If you're going to be my student, you have to follow my rules."

A couple of which he's come up with since teaching Hiccup, since Hiccup can be hella annoying when you're trying to make him do stuff that's good for him.

"First of all, don't apologize. If you plan on wasting my time by apologizing every time you get something wrong, you can leave now, because I already know it's going to be a long time before you learn how to do this right. If you get something wrong, get back up and do it until you get it right, and when you get it right, do it right a thousand more times.

"Second, you're going to have questions about the things I make you do. Save them for the end of the day. Don't waste my time with interruptions. I'll decide whether or not you need to know why you're doing something.

"Third, if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm not a nice person, and I'm a worse teacher. I don't care if you're talented at what you do. I don't care if you think you deserve a break. I'm the sifu here, and if you want to be my student, you had better be ready to suffer and tough it out.

"If you can't do any of this, I don't have time for you, so get out now."

Alex gritted his teeth. A part of him told him that he should get up and leave now, but a larger part of him told him that he needed to stay. If he could force himself through this, then he could get stronger. If he could get stronger than he could be more confidant.

"I c-can do this." The only thing Zuko would have to deal with was the stutter. There was nothing Alex could do that could fix that, but the look on his face would dispel any concerns about his determination.

"Okay."

Then so be it. But Alex, you're going to cry.

"How much experience do you have with the martial arts?"

Alex almost laughed darkly, but held face, "None." His lips were pressed tight.

Could Zuko not tell from his physique? If he had training in martial arts would he be covered with so many scars? Wouldn't he have been able to protect himself from them?

You want to talk about scars making the warrior? To Zuko?

"Good. That means I don't have to make you unlearn anything stupid before I can start teaching you. Today, you're going to learn how to breathe. If you think that sounds easy, that's just because no one ever taught you to breathe correctly before."

He explains in detail how to breathe from the bottom of the lungs up, drawing each breath to its fullest. The breath is the foundation of the body, its main source of energy, its most basic need.

And then . . . they breathe. For a full hour. Zuko inhales deeply, deep in meditation, but Alex is probably getting a bit lightheaded.

Alex wasn't exactly sure what Zuko meant by learning how to breathe, but once he actually began practising, he realized how different this way of breathing was from what he was used to. It was calming and energizing, something he never expected could happen at once

Alex was still struggling though to keep his breath even and deep, but at least he was trying his best for the whole hour.

When the hour's over, Zuko opens his eyes and breathes out deeply. For some reason, meditating hasn't calmed him as much as it usually does today. Anxiousness itches away at the back of his mind, and he struggles to combat it.

"You've done good for your first day. I want you to keep practicing what I've just taught you throughout your day, during all your other activities."

Alex nodded, "Y-Yessir." It sounded easy enough to do, even though whenever he breathed in really deep he could feel each of the stitches on his chest. Still the praise makes him almost glow. It was something he was not used to hearing from anyone.

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[closed to Hiccup]

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