melodiesoflife | #20 | The Life of a Soldier [December

[Between his various duties lined up within December, Sephiroth becomes less frequent a resident within Aqures Ixen. However, on the few-and-far between days that he is either working or taking well-deserved days on leave, the fitness routine he’s kept up with as a matter of principle doesn’t change much at all even on account of the colder weather.

But even he has to wear at least a thicker sweatshirt and warm joggers to go on his early morning, daily jog route to the 10th District, even with the hood to the jacket up over his head against the sometimes-biting breeze. Similarly, the more interval-like training that would usually be efficiently done in the various open public spaces within the city, has to be taken indoors into either the Hero Training Hall or one of the many unoccupied training spaces inside that left behind in stadiums where there isn’t much sport going on in the wake of not only winter, but the impending doom that’s hanging over the World. Rapid squat thrusts or inclined push-ups are made to be tough enough of a work-out without the frostbite to the fingers or toes that would be left behind. Not to mention that cooled sweat is a certain way to make yourself sick.

Resistance-training follows soon after, whether it be with the equipment at the Hero Training Hall, should he find a space which isn’t been used for other purposes, or at a more dedicated weights gym somewhere in the 10th District. Thanks to the influx of the population now, it’s not as solitude an experience as it used to be but needs must. It’s certainly not like in the facilities of the military base where there would be a degree of privacy to Sephiroth’s own personal work-out, not that he’s ever going to let the occasional oggling from a bystander get the better of him.

Everyone could do with someone to spot them, sometimes, right? Who knows, you might be lucky enough to catch him running through something more weapons-oriented, or at least, those smooth movements to a stretching-and-reflex martial routine seem not to be so far off his actual combat style.]

[Having a Moogle companion is awfully useful...especially when Akane wants to keep an eye out for certain people while working diligently at the lab. She's been hoping to run into Sephiroth again after their meeting at the training hall, but he's gone so often that fate just isn't working in her favor. So Akane does what she's always done to reach her goals.]

[She makes her own fate happen.]

[When her Moogle, Keys Kupo, spots Sephiroth entering the training hall, she zips to the lab to tell Akane. At last! Akane flings off her labcoat, picking up her gunblade from the locker before shouting to her teammates that she's going out to lunch.]

[...Without her lunch, apparently, but she's always been an odd one. No one blinks twice at her as she dashes off, her face lit up with excitement. If anyone can help her with her training, it's Sephiroth, and if he's working through his routines alone, then she can conveniently offer to spar with him, and they'll both get something out of it! The plan is perfect!]

[Except it's not. The room she finds him in is the weight room, and the way she burst right in and caused a few heads to turn in her direction doesn't mean she can subtly back out. She stands there with an awkward smile on her face, holding her gunblade in its bundled sheath, and the red on her face is no longer strictly due to the cold.]

Um...fancy meeting you here?

[Drat.]

[Maybe it's a small saving grace that Sephiroth wasn't exactly facing the door as Akane had come bursting in. As the other handful of citizens in the room turned their heads as she entered so confidently, and then sunk into being embarrassed that she hadn't quite gotten the low-down on the particular training hall her potential-tutor had chosen today.

However, there is a certain silence that falls and that seems to disturb him. Sephiroth is sat on one of the many benches, and just glances briefly at Akane before returning his full attention to safely uncurling a bicep from the hand-weight he'd just performed a steady set with. Carefully, though not extending his arm out fully as it'd lock his elbow, the weight is set to the padded floor. There is an identically sized one resting on the floor to his opposite side; it's an arm day, apparently.

The tail of long silver hair which is pulled over one shoulder shifts back behind him as he sits up again and finally answers Akane.]

Hello Akane.

[At least he's not looking so surprised to see her here; call it damage control of some sort. It seems to work a little in that a few of the eyes who had been looking at her, particularly that she'd come in with her gunblade, seem to lose interest.]

...it's a small world.

It does seem to be smaller in size than Earth!

[She's embarrassed, but not so much that she can't make a few dumb jokes. He doesn't seem annoyed to see her tailing after him in any case, so she'll take that as a sign of approachability. She'll just leave her gunblade propped up against the Smith machine that no one ever uses.]

Sorry to come rushing over like this. I heard you were in the training hall, so I thought you were working through your routines and wanted to join you. I know how busy you are, so...

[So it was better to change her schedule to match his rather than demand he make time for her, is what she's trying to say. But instead she goofed, not realizing the training hall wasn't always about weapons practice.]

Should I come back later?

[Politely, Sephiroth nods along with how Akane explains her story. Discreetly he looks past her at times to ensure that those who decided to look over have now gone back to their own respective workouts and left them alone; all sorts of rumors can be bred from eavesdropped conversations and being so swollen in population now, Aqures Ixen could become a hot bed in a matter of hours.

He stretches that recently worked-on arm out in front of him and slowly bends it in to meet fingertips with the opposite meat of his shoulder. The well-honed muscles of his arm fluidly move beneath skin as he does so, glistening a little with sweat but not constricted at all on account of the loose muscle shirt he wears often when training in this way.]

I'm often in one training hall or another so-

[A shrug later and Sephiroth's eyes up the other weight that's on the floor, the next in his rotation. By all rights he's already done more than an average human would in one set, but if there wasn't any ache the next day then it's a sign enough hasn't been done.]

-it's an easy assumption to make, really. [Shouldn't he feel a little creeped out at being apparently stalked by a young girl, though? At least in public Sephiroth doesn't appear bothered by that at all.]

You've come all the way out here, though. We can adjust.

[Before Akane really gets chance to comment further, Sephiroth stands and kicks his leg around to the other side of the bench, retrieving both of the weights he's been working with from the ground, heading back to the rack and then back towards where Akane is waiting, to take the white sweat-cloth and water from the floor where they'd been in easy reach.]

Oh, I-- Thank you! If you're sure. I won't be more than half an hour!

[That's when her lunch break ends. She'll just have to scarf down a sandwich and some coffee while she works and hope that she doesn't get embarrassed by a growling stomach during their session.]

This is really nice of you. Should I lift weights too? Or did you mean to practice with weapons?

[Akane doesn't want to assume, and she does feel bad for disrupting his muscle training. It sure has paid off, she can't help noticing... But she wisely says nothing. It's disrespectful to stare like that at her teacher!]

[And just as if she hadn't noticed the work to his arms, Sephiroth takes the white cloth and mops his brow and the back of his neck as he proceeds to lead her across the weight room towards one of the rooms sometimes set aside for fitness classes.

The long tail of his silver hair swaying down his back, but not further than between his shoulder blades. He speaks back towards her, guessing she's not going to be so far behind given her enthusiasm ~~and ticking lunch break~~.]

It's not all about weapons practice, Akane. Your physical performance is as important to hone as your skill with any blade.

[Besides, he's come to the weights gym with a sweat cloth and a bottle of water only. One doesn't weight train with a sword within arms length. There are threats in Aqures Ixen, for sure, but nothing that would justify having a live blade around.

Sephiroth holds the door open for her as he passes through into the spacious room with mats covering the floor. After setting his cloth and water down against the nearest wall, he turns to her hoping she'll also have put her sheathed gunblade to one side as well.]

Open your stance; I'll show you what I mean.

[She's a little confused, but she doesn't question him, nor does she hesitate to obey his instructions. Carefully, almost reverently, she sets the gunblade up against the wall. It tips over with a loud clang. She winces at the noise but otherwise pretends it didn't happen. This is a time for serious training, not being her usual clumsy self.]

My stance?

[Her brows rise slightly, unsure as to his meaning. But physical performance training sounds like it might be useful, especially if it can improve her self defense. She never wants to be caught in the same situation as what happened to her when she was twelve. It can't be allowed.]

[She shifts slightly, moving her feet further apart and bending slightly at the knees as if she's prepared to grapple with Sephiroth. Now that's a fight she'd lose in a heartbeat. She's a little self-conscious of her own hair now after seeing how Sephiroth tied his back. Hers is just in a sloppy ponytail meant to hang over her shoulder, but it's tied-ish?]

Like this?

[Sephiroth tells himself that anyone would have blinked at the sudden clang of the gunblade falling over, but thankfully his back was still turned to the young girl at that point. At least it wasn't loaded, that could have been messy.

He keeps his expression open, his body language relaxed as first she asks him to clarify the request made but then nods as she starts to move to put herself into what was -really- a basic fighting stance. At least she bent her knees into it a little, a good start but Sephiroth was just about to demonstrate there was a lot more to it.]

We'll see.

[He stepped casually passed Akane and then, without even a hint of a warning he instantly turned and quickly shot his hand out, palm first, to connect with an area on Akane's lower back in an attempt to both surprise and knock her to one side. Balance testing, but also to get a gauge on her core stability.]

[Akane isn't entirely sure what he's doing as he starts to stroll toward her. And past her. She turns her head to follow him, trying to figure out what he's going to do, but she sure doesn't see that blow coming.]

Ahh-hhh!

[She stumbles forward, but it's odd that she jerks her arm away so violently, as if she were afraid he might grab it. But she doesn't fall at least, turning herself to face him as she winces and rubs at the small of her back.]

What...?

No. Not like that.

[It's sternly uttered, yet Sephiroth carefully allows a drop of a tease to be clear in his tone. He's mindful that often his training techniques have never been the most gentle. He didn't even strike really all that hard, it's more the speed of which he's showing as to catch her off guard.]

Try again. Tighter this time.

[A small nod, which if Akane doesn't take the hint to gather her balance back together, she'll find that suddenly there is another firm push to her other side, this time to the round of her shoulder.]

Right! Um, so should I--?

[She's braced for it this time, and she might teeter slightly depending on how hard he pushes her. But she subconsciously shifts her center of gravity in anticipation. Akane meant to ask him if she should do anything else, but perhaps in this case, it might be better if she just acts.]

[Which is why she suddenly pivots and throws her hands against his chest to shove right back.]

[Better.

The only indication was a small flick of a smile as once more Sephiroth steps around to face a different side of Akane. Not quite expecting her to pivot and suddenly throw her hands against his chest like she did.

He's much too prepared for sudden 'attacks' from any side. Sephiroth quickly raises his arm, forearm sweeping hers from him while his leg comes in and under while he steps to the side, out of the way for the girl to go crashing to the mats on the floor.]

Walking before running, Akane.

[So the man just stands there and waits for her to get back to her feet.]

Oof...r-right...

[More than a little humiliated at just how easily she's put down, she rubs her bruised hip, but gets back on her feet nonetheless. While her lack of experience is frustrating, it's also motivational. Being weak just means she needs to get stronger even more, especially if she's going to protect the people she truly cares about.]

[Akane bends her knees and raises her arms once more, hands closed lightly into fists.]

Can you teach me how to do that too?

[That exact humiliation is probably one of the reasons Sephiroth doesn't ever gel with students in the same way Angeal might have done. He just doesn't compute that putting them down physically might also be putting them down mentally too; never letting them win until they were good enough to give it all they'd got.

He could have at least gone and offered her a hand up, but he doesn't. He does raise both of his eyebrows, fractionally, as Akane recovers and gets back to her feet. It's not really a smile, so much as an acknowledgment. That she hasn't immediately raged at him and stormed off is a good start, indeed.]

I can.

[Slowly, he raises a hand while stepping in a little closer towards her. Balling it gradually into a fist. Sephiroth puts that fist lightly against the center of Akane's torso, directly over the base of her breastbone as it would be on anyone.]

It's all about balance. Imagine there is a ball here, and it's your center of gravity, keeping you on your feet. Everyone has one.

Learning how to judge how it's balanced in an opponent, whilst in motion will veritably give you the upper hand in any confrontation.

[Akane is a grown woman, she's not going to throw a tantrum over not being the best fighter ever right off the bat. He has nothing to fear. ~~Unless he lets himself get ripped to pieces by a gattling gun while shielding Akane, then she'll yell at him a lot.~~]

[She watches him curiously as he steps closer to her, though it isn't until he's within a foot that she relaxes her arms and lets her fists uncurl slowly at her sides. His fist resting just below her chest feels a little strange, but what he says makes sense.]

I never thought about it that way before. Force and counterforce, applied at the right time and in the right directions...

[The inhalation of breath is very light and careful, as if she doesn't want to disturb his fist. To her credit, her blush is only barely noticeable. Mind on the task at hand. ...Ha, the task at hand! Junpei would have loved that.]

Can you give me an example of what sorts of situations would upset that balance?

[Sephiroth is completely professional in his tuition it seems, he doesn't even seem to recognize how close his closed fist might be to the underside of her breasts. He's barely touching her, after all, it's there for illustrative purposes only.

He doesn't seem to flinch at even the tiniest hint of a blush that he -really- was too physically close to her to avoid noticing. When she carefully inhales he takes that as a cue to drop his hand away, the motion gradual and controlled in every way that it could be.]

It might sound childish, but it was one of the first things I ever learned.

[Apparently small personal insights were a useful teaching tool.]

You might have a flaw in your stance; too wide or hunching forwards a little. It could be that you have a weaker off-side. Unless you would make combat a life-choice, in the heat of the moment often adrenaline helps to keep that focus so often the importance of the very basics gets disregarded.

Childish? No, not at all!

[She shakes her head quickly, now letting herself exhale shakily before she can breathe regularly once more. He smells way too good to be standing that close to her.]

If it's a basic, then it shouldn't be overlooked. I consider myself lucky to learn at this stage, so it becomes more reflexive. It's not the sort of thing you usually hear covered.

[Akane takes up a stance that she thinks is more likely to be stable, then makes some adjustments that suit her sense of balance.]

What about upsetting someone else's balance? Are there any special techniques that can catch someone off guard, especially if they're bigger than you are?

[He's always been his own harshest critic; Akane can take from that what she will. Sephiroth continues to watch her carefully, as if with the whole of his being and not just his eyes, from up close and then away again as he steps back to give her room to spread her stance again.]

I wouldn't know really what is usually covered or not. [A light tilt to his head reinforces exactly that; it's not the only thing she might find that he approaches differently.]

I could show you a hundred techniques and they'd all be useless until you've mastered your own internal balance. Given that it's a solid application of sheer will in a dedicated motion with the intention to knock someone else's balance; there is no half-measure.

Being smaller just means you can exert yourself towards a finer point, with practice. Generally you also have less mass to coordinate with, which should lend greater agility.

[Akane nods slowly, her gaze drifting toward the floor as she lays her fingers together to rest against her mouth in silent contemplation.]

More agility...that could be interesting...

[Whatever she's thinking about, it causes her brow to furrow deeply for a moment before she glances to the side and frowns. Finally her hands drop back to her sides as she looks up at Sephiroth.]

All right. How do I start to stabilize myself?

[He's not about to guess what might have been going through her mind, but who wouldn't want to be more agile and dexterous? It was one of the things that he'd hated most of all about not having that mako-edge when he'd first come to Crystallis.]

Concentrate. [There is a touch of a patronizing tone there but he can't help something that's so obvious to him even if he is aware of how new to this Akane is.]

Deep breaths. Focus. Become mindful of how that core balance you have feels and how it responds to different stances, positions and movements. Of course, training those muscles at your core will help it as well.

[Not that she's fat at all...]

It...it's not my fault! The cake at Cuppa Kupo is so delicious...!

[Red-faced, she realizes she's not concentrating at all. She can be self-conscious about her flat chest and not-so-flawless skin later, she came to train. Akane pulls her fists in, closing her eyes as she takes a few quick breaths, letting them slow gradually and become even. Her center. She focuses on the phantasmal touch of Sephiroth's knuckles against her sternum.]

I think I might have to get pushed over a lot to start growing accustomed to adding the appropriate counter-balances.

[And that won't be fun, but if it's necessary, she's game.]

[He backs up a step further as it seems she's woken up a little. Breathing in....and then out slowly, hoping that as Akane relaxes into it her breathing pattern will follow his into becoming deeper and more regulated. Short breaths only get you so far.]

If that's what it takes. [He doesn't agree completely with her, hopefully she'll pick up the counter-balance a lot quicker than that. It's something of a power within most people that's more natural than you might first think.]

But we'll see how we get on.

[Mental note: don't quite push her over so far, to begin with.]

I think we've a few minutes left, if you'd like to try.

[Once she picks up on his breathing instructions, she mimics him, aligning the rise and fall of her chest to match his. After a few moments she opens her eyes, still breathing regularly, and smiles. It does make her feel more confident about this.]

Please. I'd like that very much.

[She widens her stance to give herself more stability, more conscious about wanting to stay upright and unmoved. He's a good teacher, she thinks to herself, patient and firm. She would rather learn than be coddled, so she appreciates his style.]

[A quick smile and he's back to slowly pacing around her, taking care to make hardly any noise with his foot falls. No small feat given the acoustics of the small private training room. Akane needed to be able to focus past such mundane distractions yet at the same time still be aware of them, Sephiroth is trying to make it easier for her to learn.]

Don't worry where I am, or where I might be. Focus in on that small ball at your center, and just concentrate on keeping it there.

[A few more steps, in silence and then Sephiroth dashes at her. It's not with much force at all but he does suddenly and firmly push at the front of her shoulder, as if he might cause one half of her to roll back, before retreating back out of counter-range.

It's a few more seconds of quiet before the next movement; this time a sharp push to the opposite shoulder, forwards this time instead of back.]

#20 | The Life of a Soldier [December | Starlight catch-all]

[#2 - Aqures Ixen. Training.]

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