One more reason to keep on going

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Irma was gone. Matt was gone. Just about everyone from their universe seemed to have been podded, and Kaya decided, in the wake of this, that she should still make sure the classrooms were kept clean. The place she was staying, Will's room with all of the gymnastics, had been clean after Kaya ad attempted a fairly rigorous workout. She had made sure that Matt's wares were stocked, the common room swept and cleaned, so that when the other came around, they would have a nice place to sit and talk.

First there was Cornelia's room, with all of its earth nation goodness and flowers, making sure that the architecture was carefully polished and everything watered so nothing was neglected. She couldn't help passing by this room and thinking of Toph.

Then she moved onto Hay Lin's room, which never failed to remind her of Aang with all of its wind implements, very much something an airbender would have loved: she would have to make sure to tell both Aang and Nima about it if they had the chance to visit. It always seemed so big and grand and open to her, as she thought the element air should anyhow.

Tarnee's room, while once making her wary with its affiliation for fire, was gotten over once you stepped inside: it was kept in balance with all of the books and the globes that were a representation of energy everywhere. She always loved coming here to expand her mind a bit, and it was a perfect reflection of an intellectual girl Kaya never had the pleasure of meeting.

And then, of course, there was Irma's room. She knew there was an obvious bias here, stepping into the room that reflected her best, with all of its watery element and the ability to swim in and out of the water that surrounded the room. She was cleaning here a little, and then could not help herself: she discarded her clothing, wrapped only in her underclothes and jumped in, allowing the underwater environment to envelop her. Perhaps her favorite thing about this place was how she could still breathe underwater.

She was so entranced, she did not notice anyone coming in.

Comments

[morganknight]

He crossed his arms as he leaned lightly against a weapon rack, looking quite satisfied. "I'd like that. I've always had a much harder time with moving or altering physical substances than I have with energies. It's not something I've ever had the chance to study from someone with experience in the matter." Not that his own teacher couldn't have done such things quite easily, but her training focused on the art as a whole and trusted him to work out things his way.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Well, like I said, its usually something you're born with, but I definitely would not mind showing you how its done with movement and how you shift around your element. I'm glad you've some along though: I think its a good thing for these guys to have different trainers: they can all show us something different!"

[morganknight]

"Well, a really good martial artist can do just about anything required, right? I honestly know enough about most traditional styles to fake them even if I haven't trained in them. Not necessarily well, of course!"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"I'm thinking that might be how Chase knows so many different disciplines, actually. It's sort of the reason I try to learn so much though: I want to pick up on the disciplines, and strengthen my waterbending."

[morganknight]

"Sounds like I should meet," Morgan said thoughtfully. "But if I can help you with your goals, then I will!"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Thank you, I really appreciate it!" Kaya said, looking very grateful. "Is there anything that I can do for you in return?"

[morganknight]

"I'll learn at least as much from you as you learn from me, so you already signed up to do it!" He felt a little guilty about that, actually, but that wasn't gonna stop him. He added, with a wink, "Besides, seeing a cute girl doing martial arts is its own reward."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"I guess you're right," Kaya said which, let's face it, he was, right? Of course, that last part made her flush a little, but that was definitely a small smile she was trying to keep under wraps. "I don't know too may teachers that casually flirt wit their students," she said, teasing him right back.

[morganknight]

"Well, someday I'll be an old wise hermit master and it will no longer be dignified, so it would be kind of silly not to enjoy it now," he said, still grinning. "Besides, I have a nickname to uphold."

Morgan lifted his hands, then spread them grandly. "Shameless."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Good point, though even without being perverted, someone like, say, King Bumi in her world went from being a wise old man to what most referred to as VERY eccentric.

She giggled. "In that case, I'll take the compliment, and also respectfully ignore it. Though it was a little sweet of you."

[morganknight]

"That's about my luck," he said philosophically, not at all put off. "So, I think your schedule is busier than mine right now. What works for you?"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

She giggled. "Well, I'm going to be pretty busy, but I always make time for training! To me, that;s one of the top priorities besides being with my friends and all."

[morganknight]

"Then I am at your disposal," he said with a grand if somewhat self-ironic bow. "Though I suppose I really ought to see your full level of proficiency? I don't think for a second that little display was your peak!"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Are you saying you want to spar," Kaya asked, half teasing. "If so, you ought to just right out and say it you know, it would be rude not to. I've got no problems demonstrating my skill."

[morganknight]

"Now that's hardly the only way to show proficiency," he said. "I'll take whatever you're most willing to give! I just want to see the full extent of your form."

After a second, he smirked. "Martial arts form."

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"In that, I'd be more than happy to show you," Kaya said, "But you might want to be specific. My bending is also my martial arts, and I've also learned a bit more than that, from other teachers.

"What would you like to see me do?"

[morganknight]

"Well, I can tell easily you're in good shape without having to see much more of your... form," he said, slyly, "so no need to demonstrate that. How about some basic forms to start?"

The greatest key to understand someone's skill was, in his opinion, control and efficiency. How precisely one moved; how much excess movement one had.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Basic forms? She could demonstrate that easily enough. Kaya went through the motions, displaying for him what was essentially the equivalent of Tai Chi with a twist: she moved readily, and anyone watching could see the movement could change from defense to offense if needed. But she moved steadily, flowing, much like her element. Anyone who had ever watched her waterbend could describe it as something of a dance in its way: she with the water, keeping it about, coaxing it around her like a mist.

And then, a shift later, he could see the desert in her stance: this was a different form of martial art, quick, tight to the air, more taut. This was what the Bene Gesserit had instructed her in: flowing movement with direction, with purpose. One could see how Sokka would have initially objected to it when he saw his sister practicing: it was almost akin to firebending.

[morganknight]

'One' wasn't Morgan. Growing too used to an accustomed style was simply asking to be defeated by someone whose attacks and defenses were suited to overcoming it. Anyone could be good in one thing; real skill came when you became good enough at many things to synthesize.

Still, he couldn't find more fault in her demonstration than he could in one of his own, so he nodded in approval as he watched.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Kaya finally stopped after several minutes, giving him a polite bow. No matter how informal their interaction and their talks, she respected him as a teacher, and wanted to show him what she was made of.

"What did you think?"

[morganknight]

He returned the bow almost before he realized what he was doing. That had him smiling again; it was a reminder that even if his own master was lost, to destruction or to the pods, she still lived on in her teachings.

"Your physical ability is every bit as good as I expected, and your skill with those styles are clearly top-notch!"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Thank you very much," Kaya said politely. "It's not like I can just turn off the whole student teacher thing though: I intend to impress you even more, just give me time."

She smiled. "Thank you: I strive to show new teachers the things my other teachers taught me. They may not be here anymore, but I still want to make them proud."

[morganknight]

"Believe me, I understand that."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he walked a slow circle around her, looking at her. "You're at a level where your style needs to evolve. I'm guessing those two different ones have names?"

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

She smiled. "Good."

At the prompt, she nodded. "Yes. The first was my actual style of fighting, waterbending, using the push and pull, mostly a defensive style, but still strong. The other style: that was something I learned from my teacher on the ship. That demands quicker movement, is an offensive style. That style is something I learned from women of the desert."

[morganknight]

"That just means that it's time you stopped fighting with a style, and started learning your style, if you see what I mean.

"Or at least, that's my opinion," he said after a thoughtful moment. It wasn't HIS place to go around blithely overriding the opinions of other trainers, especially ones who might have spent much more time with her.