Training, in various ways...

[morganknight]

After a few days -- weeks -- however long he'd been here, Morgan had finally settled into what he considered to be an adequate training regimen, for those times when he wasn't needed in Medical.

As a general rule, he began his day in the Sensorium, shaping it in the image of the mountaintop dojo he favored. One lone building atop a peak in the midst of a mountain range, lacking walls so the cool, thin air could drift through as he ran through forms and katas. A path wound its way around the peaks, and the frigid springs that formed small lakes and streams that poured off the edges in grand waterfalls. Next to this path ran a series of poles on which he ran, or jumped, when his regimen called for that sort of exercise.

Training in a simulated environment like this was old hat.

After he finished there, it was off to the river, where he (with some effort) persuaded his plantsuit to retract till it resembled closer to a bathing suit than anything. For what felt, at least, like an hour or two, the Akashic stood motionless in the river, submerged up to his neck. Legs spread, arms out, and hair streaming behind him in the current, he meditated. Harmony and moving in tune with the universe were key to his philosophy, after all. The currents, the flow of water around his fingers and limbs, and the silence were magnificent for that sort of understanding.

Then, off to the W.I.T.C.H. bus! Since Kaya had so kindly allowed him use of its training facilities, he made good use of that offer. This section of his training he devoted to melee weapons -- primarily his sword, of course, but he allotted time for other swords, staffs, daggers and knives, and tonfa as well.

And last, perhaps the oddest of all training exercises if one didn't know that to the mind of an Akashic, all things are martial arts: Morgan returned to the sensorium, not to fight or exercise or run, but to play. Electric guitar in hand, voice lifted in defiance of his one-held belief that he simply sounded terrible, and whatever backing was necessary conjured by environment, he rocked out, mixing up from simple guitar covers to lead guitar and vocals in full songs.

That lasted until he was exhausted, satisfied, or -- admittedly -- hit hard enough by nostalgia that continuing became prohibitive. Then it was time to clean up, relax, and see what else he had to do.

Comments

[morganknight]

"Long story short, every aspect of reality exists only because we believe it to. Such as people not being able to walk on water." He took a few pointed steps back out onto the surface of the river. "But I believe I can, and I can believe hard enough and with enough will behind it that my reality shoves aside and takes the place of what everyone else believe."

[morphitudinous]

"That's...fascinating," Billy nodded along. "It completely violates everything I've been taught and observed about the nature of reality, but your abilities present a compelling argument."

He tapped a finger against his knee in thought. "I'm guessing there are limitations, or you'd be what most call a god?"

[morganknight]

"Reality hates it when you elbow it aside," he said wryly. "Out here, on this ship, it's easy to get away with almost anything. We're on a ship made of meat trying to save reality, the standards of belief are ridiculously low. On Earth, though, with billions of people who centuries of science have programmed to believe in specific laws and notions of possibility, it's much harder to violate what all those people believe, and it generally tends to backlash hard.

"Then again, you can only do what you know you can. I'm a martial artist; I can't turn lead into gold through chemistry like Stephen can. Conversely, he can't convert his life force into fire or lightning to attack a foe -- though he could do it with chemicals or some apparatus."

[morphitudinous]

That began to make some more sense, but only just. He smiled lightly, still bemused by the whole concept.

"Then is it easier to work your ability on someone who trusts you?"

[morganknight]

"Trust has nothing to do with it. It's easier to work weal or woe on someone who believes you can do it."

He smiled a bit impishly. "Think of it this way. Ordinarily, you wouldn't believe that I could stop your heart with a simple palm thrust to your chest. Biology doesn't work that way. That belief in the science would make it harder for me to actually perform the trick.

"Now, up here, things like life force and chi and magic all become a lot more plausible. We're not even 'space' as Earth science would understand it. You can't disbelieve up here, so it all becomes easier.

"Now, taking a third step... suppose I mention that it's entirely possible that a blow to the chest timed to the millisecond can stop a heart, if it's delivered at one specific moment in the heartbeat. Sure, you'll doubt that I can time it perfectly, but... it is possible, by incredible luck or coincidence, that I could hit you right at that moment. That possibility, however unlikely... that slight belief that it might happen, is enough to make it a lot easier for it to happen."

[morphitudinous]

Billy tried to be casual about it, but he couldn't quite help crossing his arms over his chest. He knew that, he'd heard of deaths happening that way. It was extremely unsettling.

"Right. So I imagine you know many other ways to kill me?"

[morganknight]

"It all works out the same, though," he said with a shrug. "The point of using that as an example was just to indicate how it didn't matter if someone trusted me, so long as they believed me. It'd be just as hard to help someone who didn't believe I could... But then, that's not unusual. Belief has a very powerful affect on the mundane as well as the supernatural."

[morphitudinous]

"I think I get it now---to the extent that someone without the ability can, anyway," he finished, slowly straightening himself out.

"You can get back to it now, I didn't mean to interrupt for so long. Or at all, actually. I think it's a sure bet that you didn't come here for tricks and mundane questions."

Billy was grateful for the tips, and the information was intriguing. He'd do what he could to research and verify if he ever had enough of a break to do so.

[morganknight]

"It's no bother at all. I find that explaining these things is as good for me as it is for whoever's listening." Then he grinned. "Besides, I LIKE showing off, just a little. But I don't mean to keep you from what you're doing, in turn."

[morphitudinous]

"I wasn't doing anything of importance, really. The water's clean, and the next item on my list isn't coming up for about an hour. I was thinking about starting my practices before the first lesson."

Finding somewhere quiet would be difficult, but the river had been a smart idea. Maybe he would find a nature-like environment too.

"Maybe I'll find an environment like this. If I'm going to do it, I probably shouldn't be around technology. It's too connected to my work. Hmm...maybe I'll try one of the grass patches in the park."

He stretched, glad that his mind was headed somewhere. "So would it be all right if I sent more questions later?"

[morganknight]

Morgan nodded as he settled on a location. "That sounds like a good idea. And I'm always up for answering questions! Hit me with everything you've got!" he said.

[morphitudinous]

"I will! Take care, I'm sure this won't be the last you'll see of me," he waved, leaving to let Morgan get back to his important business of incredible feats.

Meditation...well, Billy lacked the same type of supernatural power, but he could perhaps do something. He'd ask his teacher.