For a split second Suzaku didn't notice, so absorbed in the exercises as he was. It was easy to lose himself in the feel of his body, not having to worry about anything but the proper weight distribution, the perfection of his stance -- but he was still a trained soldier, quick to observe anyone approaching him. He raised his eyebrows, watching the girl out of his peripheral vision even as he continued training. At first he'd thought she was just familiar with the same style, but no, he was pretty sure she was copying. Which was perfectly fine, because how else do you learn, but to start doing it without even a greeting, let alone asking for permission -- it was a little amusing. She looked pretty young, after all.
He let himself finish the kata, trying to shut out her presence so he could focus properly, before stopping and turning to her. "That was pretty good." For what he'd seen of it. He decided not to mention that it was a little impolite to copy his movements without asking, because there wasn't much of a point and honestly, he didn't mind. "You do martial arts as well?"
She nodded. She liked watching martial arts movies, copying the moves and using the said copied moves on unsuspecting people. When her family was still intact, she copied from her father and her brother when they were training. I guess you could say that she did martial arts, to some extent.
"It makes people strong." She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her coat sleeve. "I have to get strong so I could--" Protect people? Take care of her room mate and her friends? Not get mobbed by monsters and pedophiles in the dark of the night? "-- slap people around." That was what she ended up saying, a general but easily misinterpreted version of what she planned to do with her martial arts.
"Slap people around?" He raised an eyebrow again. That wasn't the most noble reason to learn to defend yourself and others. He couldn't really believe she meant it, it just sounded ridiculous. Then again, she was young, and if she had been allowed to live a normal life she shouldn't have a reason to use it for anything else at that age.
Whatever, it was still a good skill to learn. And what she did wasn't any of his business, anyway. He wasn't going to try to stop her from learning from him. "Yeah, I am -- I'm pretty strong." There was no point in being modest. He didn't think he was the best in the world, but he was good, good enough to feel confident in most situations. "I have to be so I can --" protect people, protect the ones left alive, protect Lelouch "-- fix the problems in the world.
"You can keep following along, if you want." He smiled, before launching into a more complicated series of movements, curious to see whether she could keep up.
"That's stupid. You can't fix the problems in the world." She thought he was strong, but not that strong. And now in her mind he was tagged as both strong (for a human) and stupid, possibly suicidal. Not that she minded, so long as she doesn't see him die.
"Round 2?" She followed his every move. It was nothing compared to copying her father.
Suzaku bit the inside of his cheek even as he concentrated on the movements of the kata. There was no sense in getting angry at her, not when that was a reasonable opinion. Anyone with sense might think that, that there wasn't a chance, and they might be right. Not that it mattered. "Maybe I can't, but I will," he said shortly, not caring if it didn't make any sense to her. It didn't have to, because it made sense to him, and probably to Lelouch too.
It was easier to put it out of his mind when he could focus on the rhythm of his breath, easy to let it go and just feel the flow of his body. He watched her again out of the corner of his eye, able to tell just from the way she moved that she definitely knew what she was doing, no mistake. "You're good," he repeated, in between kicks. "Can you do this?" And he changed up the set pattern of movements, replacing the next one with the spinning kick that had always worked so well for him. He landed lightly, keeping the stance perfectly, and yet something still felt off. Like the other night, it didn't seem as if he could get enough lift, enough torque -- he was probably just a little rusty from not spending any time training since he got here.
That made no sense. She was young and possibly stupid, but she bet it still made no sense if she were some old man nuclear physicist. And she would have said it to, had she not have to concentrate on her breathing. He certainly knew his martial arts. He might even better than Jackie Chan and his big nose.
No. Nobody's better than Jackie. But he was good.
But wait there's more! That kick! Not even Jackie Chan could do that! (But Jackie Chan still wins for having a bigger nose.) Mindless Jackie Chan related jokes that only make some semblance of sense if you watched Gintama aside, Kagura was impressed by this kick. Of course she was going to try and do it too.
A running start... a spin... nausea... more spins... more nausea... and an almost crash landing on a park bench had she not been able to stop herself. She took a few seconds to regain her breath and to make sure that all her guts were still in the right place before facing him again.
"That wasn't so hard," she said haughtily. "I just don't want to do it because of... uhm... copyright infringement."
He let himself finish the kata, trying to shut out her presence so he could focus properly, before stopping and turning to her. "That was pretty good." For what he'd seen of it. He decided not to mention that it was a little impolite to copy his movements without asking, because there wasn't much of a point and honestly, he didn't mind. "You do martial arts as well?"
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"It makes people strong." She wiped the sweat off her forehead with her coat sleeve. "I have to get strong so I could--" Protect people? Take care of her room mate and her friends? Not get mobbed by monsters and pedophiles in the dark of the night? "-- slap people around." That was what she ended up saying, a general but easily misinterpreted version of what she planned to do with her martial arts.
"You're strong, aren't you, bro?"
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Whatever, it was still a good skill to learn. And what she did wasn't any of his business, anyway. He wasn't going to try to stop her from learning from him. "Yeah, I am -- I'm pretty strong." There was no point in being modest. He didn't think he was the best in the world, but he was good, good enough to feel confident in most situations. "I have to be so I can --" protect people, protect the ones left alive, protect Lelouch "-- fix the problems in the world.
"You can keep following along, if you want." He smiled, before launching into a more complicated series of movements, curious to see whether she could keep up.
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"Round 2?" She followed his every move. It was nothing compared to copying her father.
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It was easier to put it out of his mind when he could focus on the rhythm of his breath, easy to let it go and just feel the flow of his body. He watched her again out of the corner of his eye, able to tell just from the way she moved that she definitely knew what she was doing, no mistake. "You're good," he repeated, in between kicks. "Can you do this?" And he changed up the set pattern of movements, replacing the next one with the spinning kick that had always worked so well for him. He landed lightly, keeping the stance perfectly, and yet something still felt off. Like the other night, it didn't seem as if he could get enough lift, enough torque -- he was probably just a little rusty from not spending any time training since he got here.
Reply
No. Nobody's better than Jackie. But he was good.
But wait there's more! That kick! Not even Jackie Chan could do that! (But Jackie Chan still wins for having a bigger nose.) Mindless Jackie Chan related jokes that only make some semblance of sense if you watched Gintama aside, Kagura was impressed by this kick. Of course she was going to try and do it too.
A running start... a spin... nausea... more spins... more nausea... and an almost crash landing on a park bench had she not been able to stop herself. She took a few seconds to regain her breath and to make sure that all her guts were still in the right place before facing him again.
"That wasn't so hard," she said haughtily. "I just don't want to do it because of... uhm... copyright infringement."
Reply
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