Logan and Crystal - A Head Start on the Self-Defense Class

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Logan and Crystal meet to talk about Logan's self-defense class. The point fails to be taken any number of times.



Logan waited for Crystal in the Mansion's spacious Gym to give her her first lesson in self-defense. He was of the opinion that she meant well but he was going to have a lot of work to do breaking her of her pre-conceived notions of what would work and what would not. Sure, she could use her little gust-of-wind trick, but there was a great many situations where that would not be the best way to go about things.

Crystal entered the gym on foot, wearing one of her work-out outfits. If she were here to work out, she probably would have floated in, but that was not the reason she was at the gym today. "Greetings, Mr. Logan!" she said to the man waiting for her. She wanted to make a good impression but was sure the best way to do that was to listen and do what she was told, not to float into the gym. Crystal was here to learn, not to show off.

"It's just Logan." he said with a touch of irritability. "You want to get a head start on self-defense classes, is that right?" he asked formally, just to get any unclear notions out and dealt with.

Just Logan? What was it with the teachers around here? Crystal nodded. "Yes, that is why I am here," she replied.

"Thought so." he said. "Question for you. You're walking down the street one fine evening, during rush hour. You pass an alleyway, and a hand reaches out and pulls you in. What do you do?" he asked, leaning casually against the parallel bars as he studied his student and her reactions.

Crystal had to bite back the replies involving such questions as: "Why am I walking down the road by myself in the evening?" "I suppose 'I would send him flying across the alleyway' is not the right answer?" she queried.

"I asked you." he said, declining to give her the easy out.

Crystal paused for a moment, thinking. "To be honest," she explained, "I would probably send the arm's owner down the alleyway because that seems to be my automatic reaction in similar situations. Of course, I know that this is not necessarily the best way. It is just that if I am surprised in an unpleasant way... someone or something takes a one-way trip to somewhere away from me."

"Might work, but then again you don't know how many of his buddies are waiting for you in that alley to beat your pretty little head in with bats - if they're feeling generous." he pointed out. "Powers are nice, but blatant use of them can be more hazardous to your health than anything else."

"A large enough gust of wind should take care of anyone else close enough to attempt to hit me with a bat," Crystal replied, "and unless their bats were attached to their bodies, they would probably drop them. Without obvious use of power, I could punch or kick an attacker. However, in the scenario that you are describing, a physical attack on the first man in question would not do anything to prevent his associates from continuing the attack. They would need to be attacked as well."

"See, the thing is about a guy who would snatch-and-grab a pretty girl is that they're usually cowards. They can be psyched, finessed. Doesn't always have to come down to violence. Sometimes it will, though - guy's high, wired, thinks he deserves a little fresh pussy now and then. And you just got elected." he said with an amused snort. "Most of the times, a show of strength is all you need."

Crystal blinked, not quite sure what Logan was talking about. "How do I show strength without using my powers or using physical violence?" she asked.

"Lots of ways." he laughed. "Body-language and attitude are the two big ones. The kind of scum we're talking about prey on the weak. Don't want to be prey? Don't be weak." he said simply, like it was an axiom of the universe.

"I am not weak!," Crystal retorted, a bit more sharply than she had intended. How dare he insinuate something like that? She was Crystal Amaquelin of the royal family of Attilan. Noble blood flowed through her veins and she had had a proper, royal upbringing. She. Was. Not. Weak.

Logan laughed. "Sure, kid." he said. "We'll see. Your family are bigshots on Attillan, right?" he asked rhetorically. "Think your average street-monster cares about that?"

Crystal stared at Logan, fighting back the winds that threatened to loose themselves upon the gym...and Logan. "That is not the reason that I am not weak!" she retorted. Was that a drop of water she felt on her head? Quickly, she put a stop to that before it could be noticed. She would not let it rain right now. That was why Crystal did not believe that she was weak. Forcing herself to speak in a calm voice, Crystal continued, "I am not weak because I have worked hard to have control over my powers. I am not weak because through such practice, working out, and learning how to dance my body is in excellent condition. I am not weak because while everyone else was playing silly games and learning how to cook, I was making sure that Iwould not be weak!"

Logan studied the girl before him carefully. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that." he said."That's important. Everything else can be taught." he added, wrinkling his nose. Did things just get damp in here? Nah.

"I am here to learn," Crystal said simply.

Logan shot the kid a _look_. "We'll see kid. So far, so good, but the pain hasn't come yet." he warned. "Self-defense means you will get hurt. In here, under controlled conditions, with medical care available. So when you get hurt out there, in the real world where nobody gives a shit, you won't collapse or give it up quite as easily." he said easily.

Crystal nodded. "I understand." He wouldn't actually try to hurt her on purpose, would he? He was just trying to make sure she understood that getting hurt was a possibility, right?

Logan doubted that, but he let her statement slide. "Homework assignment, kid. You got a week to find the six most vulnerable spots on a typical human body, why they're vulnerable, and how to protect them." he said. Give her something academic to chew on.

The six most vulnerable spots? There were more than six vulnerable spots on a human body, weren't there? And vulnerable as in "this is a pressure point and one touch can disable or kill you" vulnerable or just plain vulnerable? "I will do that, Mr. Logan," Crystal replied.
Logan smiled toothily. "Good." he told her. "Now scram."

Suppressing a frown, Crystal nodded, then left the gym. Well. Hadn't that been a worthwhile way to pass the time? Everyone here was so nice and polite, especially the teachers. Crystal headed towards her room. She had a phone call to make.