[PMD BTS] RP: Errands at Thunderstruck
Gene stops by Team Thunderstuck base to ask Jasper for some sparring lessons.
Gene made his way to the Team Thunderstruck base with a short, shiny Mimikyu woman in tow. After... after he had shown up in the square completely defenseless from using up his powers he realized he needed to learn to not rely on them so much. While he had put ample work into using his moves and ghostly abilities more effectively, he had neglected any other sort of training. And since in this form his moves were rather limited it would be irresponsible of him to let himself get caught in such a weakened state again.
He made his way up to the riverboat, knocking on the door. He visited Team Thunderstruck so rarely, he wondered if they were overflowing with recruits the same way Team Blackstar was whenever he visited.
To the average Ethovalonian, almost nobody would recognize the white haired dark skinned stranger, but Thunderstruck had recently picked up a bit of a locally famous figure from Allurian looking for some information of their own. The door opened to reveal the strangers face, though to Gene, it was highly likely he would recognize the face.
The minior from space had been photographed like a celebrity from his arrival and was a hot topic of Allurian newspapers. The black and white of the publications made his image stand out, and in person, it was no different. They had a visible scar running down their cheek and under their clothes from their eye, freckles galore, eyes that swirled with two tones: deep indigo and light blue, and swirly white locks.
Upon opening the door, they wiggled their glasses into place and looked up at Gene with a generous smile. "Why hello there and good morning to you." Their Allurian accent was prominent. "What brings you to Thunderstruck base this fine morning?"
Gene's eyes widened in surprise as none other than Percy Willamette stood on the other side of the door, a local legend of sorts from his hometown and definitely one of the last people he expected to greet him. He had frequented his shop occasionally in the past, mostly interested in the gossip surrounding the man that fell from the sky. For a moment he wondered if he might be recognized, but since evolving he looked very different from when he was alive so his concern faded quickly.
"A pleasure, to be sure. I do not believe we've met," Gene said back, a bit of his own accent coming through. Part of him wanted to ask what Percy was doing here, what events led to their paths crossing under such unexpected circumstances, but he knew not how to ask outright without outing himself so he tried to keep it casual. "You wouldn't happen to be a new recruit, would you?"
"Oh dear, am I so noticeably green?" At this moment, Percy still had a hold of the door handle to which his grip fastened a little too tightly. The rock pokemon had a bad judgement over his own strength quite frequently. The knob was slowly being crushed and deformed in his grip.
They tugged at their scarf to loosen it a bit, "I must admit that I am. Percy's the name. Care to come in for a fresh brew?" Clearly this individual had some kind of business here, and it would be terribly rude to have them just wait outside. Percy knew well that for Jasper's sake it would not give their team a good image.
"That... would be lovely, actually," Gene said, finding that he quite enjoyed the thought. He'd been running himself ragged with work as a means of distraction and even just sitting down sounded nice.
"You may call me Gene... Shadewood," he paused, as he had not introduced himself as such before. It was odd to give a full name again, let alone a surname he thought well out of reach.
"And this is Alice," he said, gesturing to the Mimikyu that stuck close to him. She looked around the base, getting her whereabouts. But she did not pay them much mind otherwise.
"Shadewood." Percy repeated, looking at the other's dark complexion. That would be easy enough for him to remember. His head cocked in wonderment as to what pokemon he was exactly. He thought for a moment maybe a dark or ghost type, but the roses and petals in his hair made him think grass type. It would be rude to ask, and variants were fairly common in Ethovalon it seemed. Alice's own ghostly appearance made him think maybe the first.
"Make yourselves at home." He gestured to the tables in their foyer. "I'll be right in with a cup for each of you." He let go of his hold on the door handle, not really taking note of its newly crumpled shape, and left just through the door to the side of the entrance into the kitchen. The warm, fresh aroma of espresso filled the foyer, and likely the entire rest of the base. At the far table, Nasuicaa, Nergui, and Avner were all waiting for Percy to bring back their coffees also. Avner was deeply entrenched in a large textbook, Nergui was hidden behind a paper from the post which he had just finished delivering for, and Nausicaa was polishing her rapier.
"Gladly, thank you," he said with a smile, making his way over to the table. Alice made herself comfy closer to the door, staring at it intently. Meanwhile Gene made his way over to the far table where he recognized at least one familiar face.
"Good morning, mind if I join you?" he asked, placing a hand on the seat next to Avner.
Avner took a moment to blink himself out of his thoughts. He hadn't heard a word of Percy and Gene's exchange, and when the shadowy hand entered his peripheral it gave him quite the spook. His wings fluffed up and he jumped a little out of his seat, his hand coming up to his heart. "Great Stout, I nearly molted my wings completely off." He pushed his little specs back up his long, pointy nose. Gene's evolution was met with fresh eyes as Avner gave him a squint. "May it be Gene of Team New Beginnings? A fresh, sharp look you've adopted, my boy. Please, take a seat, it's been a moment."
Nausicaa looked over at Alice and her eyes widened with curiosity. "Beg my pardon but what is she doing?" She whispered to Gene. For the most part her expression was blank, save for her tail swaying behind her. Nergui kept his paper up, almost seeming to pull it closer to himself and hide his face away from Gene's. If Gene had caught a glimpse, he would have noticed Nergui's brow creased with concern.
Gene gave a hearty laugh. "Pardon me for the surprise, but yes I have gone through a few changes since we last met," he said as he pulled the seat out to join them and turned to look at the other two recruits seated at the table. "I do not believe I've had the pleasure of meeting the two of you prior. Then again I visit so rarely."
Gene felt a strong pulse of anxious energy coming from behind the newspaper. Which... was probably a blessing in disguise. With how warn down he was these feelings were awfully tempting. He took extra care not to look in this stranger's direction, but he did slowly draw in some of this anxiety for himself.
"Hmm?" he turned as the Furfrou spoke and then looked over his shoulder at Alice. "Ah, yes. She... does not like confined spaces," he lied. "Probably the boat makes her uncomfortable."
"Well, it is a good thing this boat has floor to ceiling windows then, isn't it?" Nausicaa looked back over and took further notice of the busted door knob. "For the love of- not again." She mumbled. "Avner that has to be what- the third knob this week?" She re-sheathed her rapier into her belt and leaned forward onto the table.
"Hm. So it seems." He nodded with a press of his lips.
Nergui rustled his paper, edging one of the pages to flip without being fully closed. Something about this stranger's presence felt off to him. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Maybe he just didn't get enough sleep, but the way Gene spoke really put him at ease.
"Pardon. My name is Nausicaa, and this ray of sunshine is Nergui." Her words were retorted with a grumpy sigh.
"What brings you here, my boy?" Avner asked, curious about Gene's unexpected visit.
"The doorknob?" Gene asked curiously, turning back to where Alice sat to see that the handle was in fact distorted and misshapen. "How odd, I had not realized your turnover rate in doorknobs was so high."
He turned back to the table then. "Nausicaa and Nergui," he repeated, committing the names to memory. "Well I am happy to meet you both. Perhaps we will be seeing more of each other."
"I was hoping I might run into Jasper actually," Gene said to Avner. "I understand he trains at the dojo regularly, no? I was interested in getting some sparring tips from him." Some tips on how to fight off cultists when his powers were all used up, but they did not need that much detail.
"Is that so?" Avner said inquisitively. "It just so happens that Jasper loves a good cup of black coffee, so he shouldn't be too much longer in joining us. Though, I think it might do you some good to train with our lad Howell. It seems that the scamp of a dragon has started training with Jasper to work on his skills. Is there a reason you've chosen Jasper over someone else?" He added.
"Right? I'm experienced with the sword and the bow." Nausicaa offered, seeming somewhat insulted by Gene's lack of consideration for others. "Yasha and Erani are also very well adept combatants."
Nergui silently brewed on everyone's prowess. They were laughable at best, though Howell was probably the best. However, his youth in comparison did show inexperience, and his knack for showing mercy held him back from reaching his full potential. At this point, Nergui had stopped reading the paper and was casually listening to the conversation.
"We have only just met, how could I have known to ask you?" Gene laughed at Nausicaa's offer. "Though I am more interested in hand to hand combat, unfortunately. I planned to ask Jasper merely because I've seen him at the dojo before," he explained, once again keeping the details to himself. No need to share that he had no memories of leaving the dojo.
"But if you say Howell is the one to speak with I would be hard pressed to argue. I am open to any recommendations."
Percy came back in with a tray of small white cups frothing over and billowing with steam. There were some black and some with milk, those with simple cream leaflet designs. "One for sir Shadewood," they placed one of the black coffees in front of him, "and one for misses Shadewood." The other placed in the open seat had some of the cream.
He set another black down in front of Avner and a cream for Nausicaa. Nergui reluctantly folded his paper away, keeping his glance away from Gene. He stood and took a black from Percy's tray and quickly walked off and up the stairs to the dorm floor.
Well timed, Jasper was also coming down. "Do I hear Gene?" He said, stopping along the railing before making it to the bottom. He's evolved? Jasper felt a tinge of jealousy, or was it competitiveness? He had knocked Gene's lights out, and he was surprised to see the other show his face in his base after those events. His steps started hesitantly, but by the time he reached the empty spot where Nergui had been seated, they were much more confident and showy. "Back for another beat down I hear?" Jasper joked, taking a black from Percy and throwing his feet on the table.
"Thank you Percy," Gene said, eagerly accepting the cup. He rarely drank coffee, but he could really use the pick-me-up.
"Hmm?" his eyebrows rose in confusion before laughing at his assumption. "No, no, though you are correct on one account. Alice is a Miss Shadewood. She is a..." he paused, twirling his hand. "Well I suppose you could say she is a cousin of mine," he explained.
Gene looked up as Nergui made his exit. "Nice meeting you," he said earnestly before looking to Avner in confusion. "Did I say something wrong perhaps?"
But then the newest addition to their table caught his attention, and coincidentally the person he had come to see. "The very same in fact," he laughed, noting Jasper's pause when he saw him. The small bitter coil of emotions coming from him was still relatively unfamiliar to Gene, but he assumed it was somehow related to his evolution. Perhaps the change surprised him.
"In a manner of speaking, though I've no intent of ending up in the Blissey House again," he said good-naturedly. "However I did gain a new recruit from the whole ordeal, so perhaps I owe you a 'thank you'," he said as he took a sip of his coffee.
Percy made a quick judgement, but did not wish to press further into the matter. Family affairs were strange, and he didn't understand their dynamics very well. It did cross his mind that Gene might be involved in something taboo. He pulled up a chair from one of the other tables and sat beside Nausicaa. "You're very welcome, Gene."
Jasper wondered if this new recruit Gene spoke of was one of the two stranger kids they had met that very same day. His coffee swirled around in his hand, and foggy ribbons steamed up and into his face. "Nergui is skittish." He said in response to his former question. "The street urchins of Pierce have more moxie than he does, but I couldn't turn him away." A full team was something he felt he needed in order to impress the guild masters.
"I can't promise I'll go easy on you, Gene." He took a sip of his coffee. "I didn't think that taking aim on such a scar would put your light out. But I certainly wouldn't refrain from doing it again, even after it put you in the Blissy House." Jasper wasn't saying that to be intimidating or a bully, he meant it with full intention. If Gene wanted to fight him, that was something he'd need to be prepared for.
"Oh, you've got a scar too?" Percy asked with interest.
Gene took a sip of his coffee, mulling over Jasper's words. He was not at all interested in having an accurate reenactment of their first match, but at least Jasper was up front about it.
"I see, perhaps I have come to the wrong place then," he said. "I am rather... inexperienced with hand to hand combat, as I am sure you are aware by now. I had hoped that--as you seem quite experienced yourself--you might be able to teach me a thing or two. But if you intend to simply knock me on my face I am far too busy to spend time in a hospital bed."
Gene turned to Percy when he asked of his scar. It was not exactly something he wished to draw attention to in case anyone recognized it for what it was. Though it was not as if he could show them or anything, as it was covered by several layers of clothing and he was not going to strip at their table over coffee.
"I do, an electrical burn on my back," he said simply. "It is... rather sensitive still."
An electrical burn would explain the tingling sensations he felt around Gene and while smacking him right in his mark. At least that is what Jasper thought.
"Sensitive?" Percy repeated, not quite sure what he meant. Percy's own scar was not painful to the touch if that is what he meant. Though is he meant it was difficult to talk about, he understood that much.
Jasper cracked a smile, genuinely feeling flattered by Gene's words. "I would love to take credit for my achievements, but they would never have come to light without my brother or the Fear Dungeon to motivate me. According to my recruit Howell, I have a lot to learn yet as well. So tell me Gene, what motivates you?"
The other recruits at the table were quiet listening to their leader and the interesting exchange.
Gene clenched his teeth, feeling very on the spot. He could not very well tell him it was because he watched a man die in the streets or that Ari was off fighting an undead army. So what could he say?
"Since forming my rescue team I have faced challenges I could never have imagined. But now that I..." he paused, looking down to play with the dusk stone ring Ari had given him. "...have made a life for myself here, and now that my team is growing, I can no longer afford such surprises. I need to be prepared to protect them, if ever there is a need."
Jasper was silent as Gene plead his case, and the others at the table sang silently in unison with him. A long drawn drink of the black coffee, and the bottom of the cup met the table finally emptied. Gene's words resonated with Jasper, as he too had faced challenges he was not prepared for and built a life around the GCSF for himself as well. He felt a great need to protect that. He respected Gene in this moment, although he did wonder strongly about his pause and what made him hesitate. Hopefully these challenges would not come to haunt him too, but getting to understand and train Gene himself would make fighting him easier in the future if the need were to arise.
"Alright." He said with a sobering nod. "I'll go wake the kid, and we'll go do some training. Now is good right?" He cracked his knuckles and then stood, shoving his hands into his pockets and tail swaying calmly from side to side.
"You're not planning to go to that fight ring are you?" Nausicaa asked with judgement.
"Of course not. It's morning, the place is closed. We'll just use the yard. We won't be a distraction for you, will we?" He smiled coyly at Nausicaa, who returned his words with an eye roll.
"Oh! Would you look at the time." Percy exclaimed, staring down at his pocket watch. "It is time for studies." Avner perked up and snapped his book closed and gathered his papers. He and Percy would be going over the Common language with Nergui and Timoti, but Howell would be missing this lesson it seemed.
"Now?" Gene repeated in surprise. "That depends, will you be knocking me out cold? Because the day is young and I have previous engagements that will require my attention. But if I needn't worry about loosing a few hours of consciousness then yes, now would be excellent," he said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"I don't think danger cares about your previous engagements now does it, Gene?" Jasper quirked his brow. "If we need to awaken you, I'm sure Catrin has something in her collection of herbs and salts. Either that, or I can have Lachlan give you a little jolt." He laughed playfully, flicking his tail as he walked back up the stairs and away.
He returned after a moment with Howell practically racing behind him. As soon as they made it to the bottom, he skirted past and grabbed Gene's hand. "Jasper tells me you're here to train. I'm excited to show you what I've got! Let's go!" His little red claws gripped at Gene and pulled him along. The Fraxure still had bed head, no shirt, and a pair of loose pants, as though he'd practically rolled right out of bed. He even lacked shoes, his red toe nails clicking against the floor boards.
It was gearing up to be a sweltering summer day, but that didn't bother Howell one bit. Jasper also couldn't complain. He'd take the nasty heat over the bitter cold any day. With the lawn cleared of most of the repair debris, it was ripe for some action.
Gene held his smile tightly, uneasy at how Jasper's words mirrored Charlotte's from just a few short days ago. What it even accurate to call it 'days'? It felt like a lifetime ago but really it could be measured in hours. He threw back the rest of his coffee and stood from the table as Alice came to join him.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked rhetorically in a way that made it clear she did not.
He had the impulse to respond sarcastically in turn but for some reason the truth came out instead. "Not at all, but let us see where this goes shall we?" he said with an oddly unsettling air. He was not about to back down now, nor did he have any intention of letting Jasper knock his lights out again. If it came down to it he would sooner use his moves and go all out, which would be a test all it's own to shield his weak spot.
He was too busy in his own little world contemplating that he was startled when what looked like a hobo grabbed his hand. "Yes that's... correct. You must be Howell. Gene, leader of Team New Beginnings. A pleasure, I am sure," he said as he was pulled along, trying not to cringe as his lengthy red toenails clacked against the floor.
"It's nice to meet you Gene! Your talent show performance on the Mist Continent was nice. More of a lover than a fighter, are yah?" Howell teased innocently. He pulled an axe out of a wood cutting block and drew a line in the dirt nearby. "Most of my skills are defense based, but I also know where to hit people where it hurts."
Jasper nodded, pulling his shirt off and kicking his boots to the side. "You can throw a thousand fists, but if they aren't calculated correctly, then you're liable to exhaust yourself before your opponent falls, leaving you just as vulnerable. It takes time to build up stamina and resistance." He looked Gene up and down. "Something tells me you don't have that kind of time." He said casually, wondering if he'd spill any secrets. The words he chose were careful, as a good amount of people tend to procrastinate anyways.
Both Jasper and Howell geared up into different defensive stances on one side of the line. "Your goal is to stop us from crossing that line." Howell said while pointing to the ground. "If you fail, then I'll join you in stopping Jasper from crossing."
"Hey-" Jasper snapped at Howell with a furrowed brow. "Shouldn't I be the one to fight with him in that case?" But Jasper's words were ignored and met with a sharp shout from Howell. His fighting spirit announced that he was ready to go. Jasper rolled his eyes and joined in on the strange ritual, belting out a deep guttural yell of his own.
"You could say that," Gene said back with a smug smile as he worked on unbuttoning his vest and tossing it to the side. Seems he was far too overdressed for this crowd.
Gene raised an eyebrow at Jasper's comment. "As in do not have that kind of time today? No, I have a prior engagement this afternoon. Perhaps next week," he joked, finding it odd that he would make such an assumption. Though he was not wrong, Gene would prefer to be ready sooner rather than later.
Gene watched in blatant confusion as both Jasper and Howell stood opposite him and Howell explained the rules. "Hm-mm. Howell I realize we have only just met, and I am flattered you think I could take you and Jasper I really am, but I have already fought Jasper once before and I was in the hospital after a few seconds. I really do not think he needs the extra--" he flinched as Howell let out what he could only describe as a roar. "--help."
Jasper made the first move to try and get across the line, skipping forward on light feet while Howell stayed back. Both of the boy's tails were swaying back and forth with interest, like mirrors of one another. They weren't going to hold back, but they would be careful. "Don't hit his scar." Jasper warned Howell as he made for the line.
Howell made sure to distance himself from Jasper to make stopping them both harder. Since they wouldn't be using moves, this would make it a lot harder for Gene. He'd have to find a creative way to prevent both of them from crossing over.
Gene looked from one of them to the other, at a complete loss as to what to do. Either one could probably plow right through him if they wanted, let alone both of them together. He briefly wondered if just brushing the line away with his foot was an option, but that didnt really seem like the point.
He hesitantly stepped over the line towards them, taking a defensive stance in some pathetic effort to do something as Jasper approached him.
Seeing as Jasper had Gene's focus, Howell took the opportunity to try and sprint for the line. Instead of just waiting to see it play out, Jasper took the chance to lunge at Gene and send his knee up towards the other.
Gene watched from the corner of his eye as Howell ran for the line, not having it in himself to care. They said if he failed--which he really did not enjoy the thought of--Howell would join his side anyway so really there was more incentive to just throw the round anyway.
The limited knowledge Gene had of fighting unarmed without moves was through the use of hands and feet, so he wasnt expecting Jasper to knee him in the chest. He grunted, feeling the air in his chest leave him. He tried shoving Jasper back.
A chuckle erupted from Jasper. Gene managed to get a little shove into him, and he hopped back, but with his attention divided, Howell had crossed the line in no time. Now it was Jasper's turn to cross. Howell came up behind Gene, careful not to jab into his scar, but aiming for some key nerves to knock out his legs and bring him to his knees with sharp force.
Gene watched as Jasper moved back only a smidge, which surprised him not at all. Jasper was huge compared to him, how was he actually supposed to stop--
Gene hissed as someone--Howell, evidently--came up behind him and swiftly brought him to his knees. "Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly am I supposed to be learning here?" he asked in frustration as he tried to heft himself back up.
When Gene made contact with the ground, Jasper joined Howell on the other side. They had won, and easily. Howell came to Gene's side and offered him his hand in assistance. "That was more for me to learn what you are capable of, which...doesn't seem like a whole lot." He winced along with his honesty. "But! We're going to change that. And I'll start by showing you how to do what I just did."
Howell began to explain the importance of pressure points, and how some of them can be lethal and that he would not be teaching any of them to anyone. "A swift, hard hit in the right spot will do the trick to make fighting back a lot harder." He turned around to let Gene practice the same move on him.
"You could have asked, I told you myself how our last fight went did I not?" he protested, getting to his feet on his own without Howell's help. Clearly he did not enjoy this little display, and felt it was much more an opportunity to remind Gene how weak he was than anything else.
His frustration faded overtime as curiosity over these 'pressure points' took over. But he was skeptical as his turn to try it out came around, expecting Howell to either whip around and pin him to the ground or for Jasper to come up behind him and knock him out. Hesitantly he tried jabbing where Howell had instructed and waited for a reaction.
"It is better to see for myself." Howell explained. Since he couldn't quickly translate what everyone said around him, nor accurately some times. It was just better if they spoke the language of action. There would be nothing lost in that sense.
Howell lost his footing, but he didn't fall all the way down like he'd managed with Gene. "You're going to have to give it more than twice that." He moved his tail back and forth in front of him so that it would make it harder for Gene. He looked back with determined eyes, ready for Gene to give it his all and then some.
Gene watched as Howell stumbled slightly but otherwise remained standing. Twice that? Certainly, not problem at all. It wasn't as if he was new to punching people and lived his whole first life in luxury or anything.
He watched as Howell's tail swayed back an forth, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, grunting at the effort as he made contact.
His second effort was much better than his first, earning a solid stumble from Howell. "Not bad, now try it on Jasper."
"WHAT!?" Jasper interjected, not expecting to be the dummy for Gene's pressure point practice, especially if it was lethal.
"Don't worry! It will be a good learning experience for you too." Howell said, dusting the dirt from his knee. His tail whipped around to give Gene a pat on the back and push him over towards Jasper.
Jasper grumbled and huffed. I'm not worried, I can take a hit. He geared up to face Gene. He'd go easy on him this time, but would keep up his defenses. He did not want to get jabbed today.
Howell's stumble brought a smile to Gene's face. This was the direction he was looking for, the progress he wanted. He felt a bit more hopeful than before. He was about to ask for more detail, other ways to utilize these 'pressure points' when Jasper's outburst caught his attention. Was Jasper really so concerned now that Gene had this knowledge? Perhaps he'd overestimated Jasper then. After all knocking Gene flat on his face hardly took much skill at all.
Gene stumbled slightly as Howell pushed him towards Jasper, after which he regained his footing, keeping on his toes as he was unsure what sort of move Jasper might make. "After you."
Jasper raised his brows and dropped his lids, but despite the smug look, lunged quickly. He was quiet in his approach, taking a false step towards Gene in order to plant his foot firmly for a pivot. A bursting shout emitted, followed by a swift turning. Jasper was about to smack Gene right over with his beefy tail. Similarly to how Howell had demonstrated moments ago, only there was a lot more speed and power coming right for Gene. Jasper however, left his pressure points wide open for Gene, he would just need enough force to take down the six foot four man.
Some survival instinct of some kind forced Gene to move out of the way of Jasper's attack without fully processing the situation. It was... rather exhilarating. He ducked below his tail, turning to jab at Jasper's legs as Howell had shown him, but it was much easier to put force behind his punches when that was all he had to focus on. Like this--trying to hit a moving target while dodging attacks--his attack was not all that strong.
Jasper was impressed that Gene managed to dodge his tail, though he was a shorter individual, so he wasn't entirely surprised. What surprised him more was his actual attempt to take him down. Though the hits weren't strong enough to make Jasper fall over, he did let out a guttural grunt of disgust as his pride and ego were soiled. He stumbled and bared his teeth in anger, but it morphed into a grin and he gave a huffed chuckle. "You should consider professional limbo." Jasper spat into the grass, a small singing sound burning it up with hints of acid. The Toxel got back to his feet quickly and dusted himself off.
"That was great!" Howell said, nearly bouncing out of his own pants with enthusiasm. "You can do it next time, I believe in you. Just remember to breathe, and go for it! Be sure of yourself." He gave Gene a thumbs up with his toothy grin from the side lines.
With that, Jasper lunged at him again, this time taking a more forward approach and letting his fists fly towards Gene's face, though he was only going for a good grazing to keep him presentable for his later affairs, but close enough to spook him good with contact.
Gene laughed at Jasper's comment, the adrenaline making him feel light and at ease. If nothing else the exercise was relieving some of his built up stress. "Seems I missed my calling."
He readied himself for another round, seemingly adjusting to this style of sparring, but as Jasper's fist came at him her froze like a frightened Deerling. His knuckle made contact with his cheekbone, which hurt but was more a surprise than anything else. He stumbled, taking a step back to right himself and duck back in an attempt to avoid another punch as he looked for an opening.
"You'll never be ready if you just stop." Jasper pushed as he continued to push towards Gene as he got further and further away from him. "Come on, focus." Jasper closed his own eyes for a brief moment before giving Gene a new serious look. He thought about the way his brother fought, and switched to using his feet to slam into Gene's side.
Howell watched as his smile slowly turned to a cringe. Each blow Jasper dealt onto Gene made him worry if he was going to be a good enough teacher. He shook his head and when Jasper found determination, so did the little dragon. "If Jasper is going to push you down, what will the people you really want to fight do to you? You've got to fight back, Gene."
"You have the strength of a leader in you!" Jasper and Howell shouted at him in tandem, as if they both shared a brain cell for a brief moment.
Gene's eyes widened, stunned for just a moment as Jasper commanded him. He seemed to have this... fire, this drive to fight. It was a look had seen in himself, in another life, but it had been so long ago...
Focus, he repeated to himself as Jasper's foot slammed into his side. There had been a time when he wasn't so cautious, when he faced his challenges head on without fear. He needed that part of him back.
He closed his eyes, taking a breath to calm himself, leaving himself wide open to Jasper's attack. But where Jasper's foot would have connected with his side it instead passed through him and Gene stood before him, eyes still closed in concentration, as though nothing had happened. It had only been for a second, less even, and once the supernatural moment faded there was nothing left behind to confirm it were real. An optical illusion perhaps? A miscalculation? Or... could it be something more?
Gene's eyes flew open, seeing his opportunity, and he lunged Jasper's leg that was still firmly planted on the ground, jabbing at the pressure points there as instructed.
With the momentum of the swing, Jasper rounded through Gene. As his leg passed through the ghost, he felt a tingling static sensation in his leg as if it were falling asleep, and the same pins-and-needles feeling was present and radiating from the spark on his forehead. He could even feel the flux of energy in the roots of his horns. Before he could make a judgement, he had followed through and stumbled, only to be jabbed and weakened, falling easily to his knees and then flat on his chest. His weight and the air leaving his body made a heavy thump.
It all happened so fast that it was difficult to process. What just happened? Jasper rolled over onto his back, dazed and staring up into the sun. He covered his eyes from the harsh light. Meanwhile, Howell came running over, jumping and claiming he 'knew Gene could do it'! The little dragon didn't seem to notice how Jasper just went right through the ghost, and he came to give Gene a congratulatory pat on the back. "You did it!" Howell said with a great big grin on his face. Perhaps this teaching thing would actually work out.
Gene watched Jasper fall, silent for a moment aside from his heavy breathing. He kept his eyes on him as though he might spring up at any second but it appeared Jasper had no intention to. A small smile spread across Gene face as Howell came over and gave him a good pat on the back.
"It would seem so," he laughed as he got to his feet and clapped a hand on Howell's shoulder. "I appreciate the lesson, this has been rather... enlightening," he said for lack of a better term.
He moved to stand over Jasper, his shadow falling across his face and blocking the sun. "In need of assistance?" he asked a little too smugly, holding out a hand.
Jasper looked back up at Gene with his own smug grin, dimples chiseling his cheeks. "You should be careful who you extend your hand to." Jasper warned. "Even your closest ally could turn against you if you're not careful." He helped himself up off the ground, dusting away the dirt caking to his sweaty muscles. This philosophy he spoke was one he'd lived by all his life. It seemed that nobody was excluded from selfishness, and so just as Gene might as well find opportunity to take Jasper's hand for more punishment, so too could Jasper by pulling him down to the ground along with him.
"That's not to say you should distrust one another." Howell added, looking up at Jasper in a motherly way. Jasper just rolled his eyes. "He means well." Howell defended with a shrug. His leader wasn't great at making friends, but he knew his image meant a lot to him. "I'd hate to keep you from your errands, so you come back to train anytime you'd like." Jasper cleared his throat. "Okay, maybe not any time."
"We can sort it out in correspondence." Jasper confirmed, formally.
Gene gave a bemused smile, his eyebrows rising in surprise as he gave Jasper room to get up. Did Jasper lie beside Fiona at night with one eye open at all times? He could only wonder.
"Even from the very little we know of each other I am certain you could have me on the ground in a matter of seconds whether I offer my hand or not," he laughed, seemingly not at all perturbed by his statement. "Be that as it may, point taken."
"And though I best be going I would be most interested into taking the two of you up on that offer," he said, looking to both Jasper and Howell. "At a time that suits us both, of course."