Kane & Gaia | Character Building
Feb. 24th, 2025 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsGaia gets a slight perspective change
While she understood why it was necessary, understanding something and enjoying it were two different stories. Gaia, for the most part, disliked being brushed against, let alone learning to “take a punch” or “break a hold”. Never in recent memory had she felt more frustrated than in her sessions with Garrison Kane.
She near glowered from her newly acquired spot on the floor, having tumbled over mid maneuver yet again. Sweaty, sore, and entirely out of her element, Gaia got back to her feet without a word. A puff of air let her agitation be known. It wasn’t necessarily directed at Kane, but the fact that he didn’t seem to be exerted at all didn’t help things.
"OK, take a deep breath. This kind of training is frustrating to start with. Especially when you don't have any fundamentals to build on." Kane said, standing in the middle of the DR generated dojo. It was dominated by blonde wood and white paper walls; an environment he was hoping she'd be more comfortable in. "What is making you angry?"
Her hand made an irritated gesture. “Why must this be so difficult?” The fact that she had to rely on her body for defense in itself was demeaning, but sucking at it added salt to the proverbial wound.
"Anything worth doing is." Kane said with a shrug. "This is all new to you. I get that. But there's no way to make it easier without making it useless. And you're in the unfortunate position that I take this kind of training very seriously when someone asks for my help. If I don't prepare you properly and something happens, that's on me."
Gaia attempted to school her features at that, taking the aforementioned breath. "Okay. We shall 'go again' then?" It was not said with enthusiasm, but she was nothing if not persistent. The constraints of this world had to bend to her will eventually.
"Let's try something different. Hit me." Kane said. "Hit me. Any way any how. Just go. Let's see what we can connect to."
There was little hesitation as she corrected her stance and kicked out at his kneecap, sole searching for perceived weak spots. It was a move she tended to favor. Shoes could do the heavy lifting for her.
Kane tensed as the kick landed, not moving at all. His powers allowed him to shrug off the effects of the blow and he nodded. "That feel better? Because it is the first time today you seemed like you wanted to be here doing this."
Gaia made a noncommittal noise, but was somewhat pleased. A free hit felt as good as any to her.
"Do you want to do better?" Kane said, challenging her.
"Yes."
"Well, this is the only way it happens." He said. "There's no shortcuts. No magic wand that makes you better all at once. So..."
He dusted off his hands and motioned towards the mats. "Back into the stance I taught you. You got your free hit. Now put the same effort in landing the ones I'm making you work for."
If one squinted, Gaia would seem slightly less dreadfilled as she trooped back over to the center of the room. The sarcasm that followed hinted at it. "Perhaps one of your minds should create it, this magic wand. Surely it would be no task for the mighty X-Men." She settled into the aforementioned stance, watching Kane for the next instructions.
"Nah, it ruins all the character it builds. Like shoveling snow and mowing the lawn. Or maybe that was just my mother's excuse." Kane gave her a quick grin. "Seriously though, this training is eventually going to make you better than most people in doing this. That's power. If you just got it without work or effort, you wouldn't respect it. Power that isn't respected is typically power that gets abused."
"Hmpf." It seems she had misjudged him, if only slightly. There was wisdom in his words. “Perhaps. You have had much “character building” then?”
"Since I was sixteen years old. A guy about two feet shorter and occasionally one two inches shorter than you beat the crap out of me every day for three years solid." Kane said, suddenly serious. "And because of their training, I've survived fights with magic infused psychopaths, people who could fold cars as easily as you do a piece of paper, Gods, and even an extraordinarily pissed off Hulk."
It harkened back to their first conversation, about how the mansion was not necessarily a place of safety. But she had learned since then. How many of these dangers were faced in the defense of those who would use or kill him the first chance they got? Gaia could not see herself being so selfless. It was only her own person and a select few that she cared for. Perhaps, in the end, she would not be righteous enough for their world.
But some part of her could relate to his upbringing. Her usually unflinching eye contact dashed to the left for a moment. "It seems I have much to learn, then. I highly doubt my formidability against this 'Hulk'."
"He's unbeaten both in battle and all you can eat Chinese buffets." Kane said with a nod. "But stick with me, and I'll show you how to narrow that gap as much as possible."
While she understood why it was necessary, understanding something and enjoying it were two different stories. Gaia, for the most part, disliked being brushed against, let alone learning to “take a punch” or “break a hold”. Never in recent memory had she felt more frustrated than in her sessions with Garrison Kane.
She near glowered from her newly acquired spot on the floor, having tumbled over mid maneuver yet again. Sweaty, sore, and entirely out of her element, Gaia got back to her feet without a word. A puff of air let her agitation be known. It wasn’t necessarily directed at Kane, but the fact that he didn’t seem to be exerted at all didn’t help things.
"OK, take a deep breath. This kind of training is frustrating to start with. Especially when you don't have any fundamentals to build on." Kane said, standing in the middle of the DR generated dojo. It was dominated by blonde wood and white paper walls; an environment he was hoping she'd be more comfortable in. "What is making you angry?"
Her hand made an irritated gesture. “Why must this be so difficult?” The fact that she had to rely on her body for defense in itself was demeaning, but sucking at it added salt to the proverbial wound.
"Anything worth doing is." Kane said with a shrug. "This is all new to you. I get that. But there's no way to make it easier without making it useless. And you're in the unfortunate position that I take this kind of training very seriously when someone asks for my help. If I don't prepare you properly and something happens, that's on me."
Gaia attempted to school her features at that, taking the aforementioned breath. "Okay. We shall 'go again' then?" It was not said with enthusiasm, but she was nothing if not persistent. The constraints of this world had to bend to her will eventually.
"Let's try something different. Hit me." Kane said. "Hit me. Any way any how. Just go. Let's see what we can connect to."
There was little hesitation as she corrected her stance and kicked out at his kneecap, sole searching for perceived weak spots. It was a move she tended to favor. Shoes could do the heavy lifting for her.
Kane tensed as the kick landed, not moving at all. His powers allowed him to shrug off the effects of the blow and he nodded. "That feel better? Because it is the first time today you seemed like you wanted to be here doing this."
Gaia made a noncommittal noise, but was somewhat pleased. A free hit felt as good as any to her.
"Do you want to do better?" Kane said, challenging her.
"Yes."
"Well, this is the only way it happens." He said. "There's no shortcuts. No magic wand that makes you better all at once. So..."
He dusted off his hands and motioned towards the mats. "Back into the stance I taught you. You got your free hit. Now put the same effort in landing the ones I'm making you work for."
If one squinted, Gaia would seem slightly less dreadfilled as she trooped back over to the center of the room. The sarcasm that followed hinted at it. "Perhaps one of your minds should create it, this magic wand. Surely it would be no task for the mighty X-Men." She settled into the aforementioned stance, watching Kane for the next instructions.
"Nah, it ruins all the character it builds. Like shoveling snow and mowing the lawn. Or maybe that was just my mother's excuse." Kane gave her a quick grin. "Seriously though, this training is eventually going to make you better than most people in doing this. That's power. If you just got it without work or effort, you wouldn't respect it. Power that isn't respected is typically power that gets abused."
"Hmpf." It seems she had misjudged him, if only slightly. There was wisdom in his words. “Perhaps. You have had much “character building” then?”
"Since I was sixteen years old. A guy about two feet shorter and occasionally one two inches shorter than you beat the crap out of me every day for three years solid." Kane said, suddenly serious. "And because of their training, I've survived fights with magic infused psychopaths, people who could fold cars as easily as you do a piece of paper, Gods, and even an extraordinarily pissed off Hulk."
It harkened back to their first conversation, about how the mansion was not necessarily a place of safety. But she had learned since then. How many of these dangers were faced in the defense of those who would use or kill him the first chance they got? Gaia could not see herself being so selfless. It was only her own person and a select few that she cared for. Perhaps, in the end, she would not be righteous enough for their world.
But some part of her could relate to his upbringing. Her usually unflinching eye contact dashed to the left for a moment. "It seems I have much to learn, then. I highly doubt my formidability against this 'Hulk'."
"He's unbeaten both in battle and all you can eat Chinese buffets." Kane said with a nod. "But stick with me, and I'll show you how to narrow that gap as much as possible."
