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After that last little party, and now with Sharon’s dojo up and ready, I guess it’s time to troll for trainees. I’m looking for anyone interested in learning any level self-defense, but especially those of you with zero experience.

And if you just need to work out some frustration without breaking your hands, I can work with that too.

Walk-ins welcome. I’ll be in rooms 17 and 19 every morning and evening. Stop by, check it out and we’ll see what we can do.

( action | open through apr/may - please date your top level! )

These next two months are all about hand-to-hand, finding balance and feeling comfortable in your body. Faith’s existing trainees are tasked with regular tai chi routines along with very simplistic self-defense. How to break holds, how to apply non-lethal hits-- anything that focuses on breaking away and then getting out of an ugly situation.

Workouts and training, though simple, are not always a cakewalk. In order to build muscle memory, it’s repetitive-- but after a tough session, people can still feel raw and exposed. Faith is kind to her students, but not easy. If she’s felt her companion was not giving the effort they should, she’ll call them out. If she feels there’s something mental that needs to be addressed, she’ll call them out.

If they need to grab a coffee to bounce back, that's great too.

All in all, after a few sessions, Faith's trainee may begin to see that this is not all about physical fitness, but about learning to survive this hell in general.

Comments

that thing we said

[intelligently]

( It's been a long session, or at least from how exhausted Lydia is starting to feel it feels like it's been a long session. She's pushed herself a little harder - hit harder, though not as accurately or good as she normally would. Though Lydia is focused it's easy to tell that she's frustrated.

Faith had already picked up on that, at least in their last text conversation. After the last event that feeling has only gotten worse. Her emotions had been gone, or at least she'd been more closed off than normal - uncaring, and more of a bitch than she'd purposely been when she'd faked her life. Even though Lydia may sometimes wish that she didn't care it's different when you actually don't. When you don't have control over what you feel - or if you feel )

Five minutes.

( She's stepping away already, regardless of whether Faith stops - and if she doesn't any hit would definitely catch Lydia off balance )

date?

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[ it's easy to feel the shift in lydia, even before she asks. but faith doesn't back off until the words are out-- red's usually adamant about pushing through and getting the most out of their time. her decision to break at all is still surprising and concerning.

faith keeps moving, jumping back and forth between her feet. not so much to keep warm as to let the energy she's built up work itself out some more. ]

A little slow today-- you doing cardio like we talked about?

early april

[intelligently]

Yeah, I'm doing it.

( Though it's not the cardio being the reason that she's slow that day, nor any sleep or diet. Just her mind - frustrations, thoughts. Distractions )

I'm fine. I just need five minutes.

o7

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[ faith nods and holds her hands up, more blatantly giving lydia her space. she turns away to throw a few punches at the bag in the corner. ]

Think it's gonna take more than five minutes, though.

[Text]

[vampdetective]

Look at you, being a mentor.

[HE'S SO PROUD.]

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hey if you can't get away from em, teach em to beat on their captors, right?

[vampdetective]

Seems reasonable. It's important. Everyone should know how to defend themselves.

April 11th

[goodwoofjames]

[Sirius isn't so great at mornings, so he shows up one evening. He's gotten a few pointers from Washington, but he figures actual lessons can't hurt. And, well. He hasn't been sleeping well, so many some exercise will tire him out?

When he arrives, he's wearing sweatpants, and it feels weird. But he's fairly certain that's what he's seen the muggles wearing when they do this sort of thing. He's not sure how they help, but hey, he's trying.

He gives a quick wave to get the woman's attention, smiling politely.]

Hello! Faith, right?

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Yo--

[ she nods her head in response, a friendly but business-like smile to accompany it. she does at least close some of the distance between them, stopping a few feet away to cross her arms over her chest. the whole interview thing's always awkward. best to get through it band-aid-ripping fast. no use wasting anybody's time, right? ]

Newbie. Good-- you looking for training or a spar session?

[goodwoofjames]

Er, training. I guess. But I was wondering if you could help me with something specific I had in mind.

[He pulls out his wand and holds it up, tip aimed safely at the ceiling.]

I've been learning a bit about throwing punches, but I was wondering if there might be some way to, well. Combine my two--[Wand wiggle.]--skills. You know anything about magic?

(1/2)

[abelmedic]

I wouldn't say zero experience, but

(2/2)

[abelmedic]

actually no strike that, the population around here slides me down the fighting skills bell curve to somewhere in the neighbourhood of "grouchy kitten"

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i can definitely work with grouchy kitten, doc. i'm guessing that means you need some muscle tone too?

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[krmvgivv]

[Dipper has been in a weird place lately. Reaching his one year anniversary of showing up in Wonderland has been a little rough on him. Between that and being friends with someone who might up and murder him at any time....

Well. Self defense lessons might not be a bad thing.

But he definitely wasn't gonna ask Sharon for help. Heck, he didn't really want to ask anyone for help. But Faith is cool. She's friends with Angel and played DD&MD with him and... well...

No harm in happening to show up when she's doing her training stuff.

He pokes his head in, looking a little nervous.]

Um. Faith? Hi. Are you... are you busy?

4/14?

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[ well that's a voice faith didn't expect to hear. ]

C'mon in-- I got nothing but time.

[ she's toward the back corner, at the tail-end of pulling the white tape from around her hands. in a loose ac/dc shirt, basketball shorts, and trainers, she's less faith of days gone by and more whatever wonderland is slowly turning her into.

she grimaces, a mock up of what her response would be if his reason for coming weren't so obvious. had he come in full of know-it-all bravado, she might not suspect anything's amiss. still. she can play along for a bit. ]

Shit-- I leave a broadsword out again? You didn't trip over it, did you?

SURE

[krmvgivv]

No, I... [He looks around, shifty eyed.] Wondered if... you could... give me some fighting tips?

text;

[ateherdirt]

How likely is that working out some frustration thing to get you and your entire family cursed?

Hypothetically.

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Well, I don't break easy and I don't do magic. Anything else is up to Wonderland.

[ateherdirt]

Comforting. Wonderland's always so good about being fair.

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[mviw]

I'm not exactly a trainee. I know martial arts from several different dimensions and I've been boxing all my life, but I do have a question:

I was gravely injured after Wonderland sent me home and I would like to go over the basics as part of healing and rehabilitation. I wouldn't want to get soft while I'm recovering. Would this be a problem at all?

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Anyone I see should leave me feeling better than when they walk in.
That said, I'm not a registered trainer back home or anything -- if that's what you're looking for, maybe hit up Simon at the fitness center. I mean, I've been doing my homework for awhile here in Wonderland, but still. I'd feel better looping in a doctor to make sure I don't hurt you worse. Would that work for you?

[mviw]

That works for me. If a friend can swing it I may actually be healed with magic, but I would still love to attend. It's important to keep one's mind occupied and this should be an excellent way to do it.

early april.

[interpersonal]

She takes Faith's advice.

The first month or so are devoted entirely to strength training alongside Faith. Prior to Wonderland, Elena had no significant muscles to boast of, but she has good form. She was a cheerleader for most of her high school career, and while most people would scoff at the mere thought of considering it a sport—to Caroline Forbes' great (and justified) vexation—it means several things.

For starters, while certainly a beginner, Elena isn't unfamiliar with condition, runs, ab work, push ups, and planks. She isn't unfamiliar with two hour practice runs, and she has enough gymnastic experience prior to cheerleading that she's ridiculously flexible. She may have quit cheerleading a while ago, but it really is like riding a bike; soon enough Elena is remembering what it's like to run at full speed and flip in the air.

Perhaps most important of all, Elena has tenacity on her side where technique and expertise are lacking.

As always, she's a human surrounded by preternatural beings. If it isn't magic, it's super strength or something else. When Wonderland goes up in smoke, murder is apparently not out of the question. She needs to protect herself; the last event taught her that. It's why she's going beyond hand-to-hand. During a break, she's scoping out a crossbow, feeling the weight of it in her hand. (And she likes it.)

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"We going hunting?"

Faith's voice is amused as she returns from the mini-fridge with a couple bottles of ice cold water. The trouble with working with fast learners who are also eager is that they always wanna get to the good part. Trouble? More like fun-- but she knows better than to let them know that.

"Here, heard you finish yours off." She holds out one of the bottles, and cracks the seal on the remaining one.

[interpersonal]

The corners of Elena's mouth threaten to twitch. She can't even deny her curiosity here.

"Thanks."

She takes the bottle and twists the cap off, her free hand swiping at her sweaty forehead. The sessions are grueling, but Elena is almost grateful for it. It leaves her too tired to think. ... Mostly too tired. Glancing back at the weaponry once more, she asks, "What kind of weapon do you prefer to use?"