Learn to Live [Blue]

[Flakeblood]

It was one thing to train in order to stay in shape or to get in shape, to be told or required to train. It was entirely a different matter to simply do it. To move your muscles simply because you wanted to feel them move, or push your body to try something simply because you were able to do so. The point wasn't to gain muscle, or flexibility, or skill. In actuality, there was no point. Nothing beyond the reason of "because I can."

Rambert was in a training room meant for stage four Candidates. It was a medium sized room, mostly bare in the middle, with a few sections that held equipment of various sorts.

He had felt the need to move, and so had come here with his khopesh - a sword with a sickle shape. It was one skill he had cultured entirely on his own. The sword he currently held—a gold alloy with intricate symbols along the side and a leather-wrapped hilt—was one he had bought and cared for for several decades. It looked practically new, thanks to Rambert's care. He spend an inordinate amount of time keeping his khopesh in top shape simply because he enjoyed using it. He didn't get to use it in battle anymore, but that didn't lessen his joy when practicing with it, as he did now.

It was something that he got so involved in, that he generally forgot about monitoring the area around him. He became completely engrossed in his movements, and if someone walked in on him, he would never hear. He wasn't certain how many times that occurred, but he was sure at least half of them resulted in an interruption.

Not now though. Given that there were not many who actually made stage four, he was able to predict when certain rooms would be in use simply by keeping an eye on those few schedules. This room was empty now, most Candidates probably using the rooms designed more for practicing psionic control.

As sweat beaded across his body, Rambert could say he was truly happy.

[Blue]

…Well that was a bit of scary right there. Kind of a funny thought, given all the terrible things people here could do just with their mind but hey, wasn’t every day you saw some dude swinging a wicked-looking sword around. That looked like a friggin decapitation tool, holy shit. It wasn’t any less frightening despite the fact it was a somewhat older guy wielding it - the dude had some serious skill with that thing, even he could tell.
Uh…you know, on second thought, maybe he didn’t need to work out in here after all? Sure this was one of the Stage 4 training rooms but, man, stranger-with-the-sword seemed to be owning it!

He was probably one of the few candidates who still frequented this room, even more than the psionic ones. To be quite honest, his powers were strong but awkward to try and control. He found it best to work off his frustration here rather than let electricity run rampant on all nearby electronics and sad little light bulbs. That had been the plan today as well, but, uh…he was having some serious second thoughts right about now.

[Flakeblood]

And there was the interruption.

Just as Rambert was completing a complex disarming movement followed by a 180 degree twist to block another enemy from behind, he noticed the boy in the room. He quickly halted the spin he was executing, coming to a complete stop with the sword just past the kid's face.

He could only be a Stage Four Candidate, though Rambert was unsure what the kid was doing in here. He was glad he noticed the kid when he did, though. That turn had the potential for a reach of a few more inches depending on his speed and body positioning. That could have been messy right there.

Allowing his muscles to slowly relax, he moved himself out of his current stance, letting his wings fold to his back and his arm drop to his side. Good, it looked like there had still been some room between the kid and his weapon. Five good inches, at least. Nothing to worry about.

Rambert took a good look at the kid's face, finally placing it. Wasn't he one of those Candidates that was an electrokinetic? Yeah, he'd seen him in his class in the previous stage he was sure... Ram– Ran... something. ...Raniero! Yes, he was certain that was it. Hadn't he just been speaking with another Pilot about how the kid needed a mentor? Not many with his psionic ability though.

"You lookin' to practice kid?" He asked in his usual gruff tone. "Can't get enough of that."

Especially considering how wild that ability usually was. But then... why wasn't he in the room meant for that kind of training?

[Blue]

…Change of pants anyone?
Holy fuck he’d nearly lost his nose!! He rather liked his nose!
Standing stock still, Ran blinked wide blue-green eyes slowly as his heart tried to slide out of his throat and back into his chest.
Shit man. Near-death experience quota has been met for the day, kay thanks.

Finally things relaxed a bit, and it was then Ran realized he was holding a pretty substantial charge, the air having that odd hum to him that told him it was just brimming with electrical potential. Great, how was he supposed to discreetly get rid of that…?
What he didn’t realize was just how close they had both come to something unpleasant. Rambert’s sword held the slightest of charges now, probably not enough to even be noticed - but a few inches deeper and the old Pilot could have gotten a jolt of the rather lethal kind. Ran hadn’t even realized his body raising a defensive electrical pocket - it was just a knee-jerk reaction to almost having his face cut in half, no big deal right?
Sheesh.

“Uh, yeah, practice…something like that I guess. More like stress relief. Er…excuse me a sec.” Better to just get it over with than risk the man trying to touch him and getting knocked on his ass. Turning to the side a bit, he held his fingers a few inches apart - abruptly there was a sharp crack, like muted lightning, as an arc of blue-white electricity traveled between his fingers for a full second.
Ouch.
Well, crisis averted anyway, though now Raniero smelled faintly of ozone.
“Ehehe, sorry ‘bout that…sort of a unpleasant side-effect. Ah…you look kind of familiar sir, but I can’t recall your name, sorry. I’m Raniero Orsini, stage four candidate. I apologize for interrupting you.”
This was a Pilot he was talking to, retired or whatever had no real impact on that fact. Better step up and show some proper respect, eheh he didn’t want that sword anywhere near him again after all.

[Flakeblood]

That was a complete accident. He hadn't meant to make the kid look so... distressed. Or maybe perturbed was a better word. He had to wait for a moment for the kid to get his wits back together. It was during this time that he noticed the waves of psionic energy the kid was emitting. Shit. Hadn't meant to scare him to that extent. Not that he'd meant to do it at all, but even so, it was disgruntling. Rambert wasn't the best when it came to telepathy, or sensing energies, but even he could feel the stuff pouring off the kid in front of him.

He watched Raniero get rid of his charge and realized he should probably do something about the hunk of metal in his hand, never mind that it had a leather grip. He plunged the khopesh into the ground so that it stood of it's own accord. He was now grateful for the rubber mats he stood on, given that they were several inches thick. If anyone noticed the cut, well, he was used to paying for his unwelcome damages in the training room.

He nodded his head in recognition of Raniero's show of respect.

"Don't worry about it kid. Rambert Schuttmann, Retired Pilot Noble. Good to see ya again."

He didn't really care that Raniero had forgotten him, or that Raniero's powers had odd effects, or that he had been interrupted. That was life. Though he supposed he ought to satisfy the kid's curiosity. Young people were notorious for that trait.

"I teach the Aedolian politics class for Stage 3. I like to watch the hand-to-hand classes as well."

The kid wasn't a Stage 3 Candidate anymore, he wouldn't have been concentrating on anything not pertaining to his Stage 4 training. Though Rambert didn't know for sure how much training could actually help with the little effects. Elelctrokinesis was tricky like that. Actually...

"If you're trying to practice, or even just burn off some energy, why not in the training rooms meant for just that? No one in here to help you, and I'm not sure it can take much as far as psionic powers go."

Rambert didn't really count himself as an option for instruction. What could he know about electrokinesis that someone else didn't? Not much really.

[Blue]

‘Again’…so he definitely had seen this guy before. It was illuminated in Rambert’s next statement, and the understanding flickered easily across Raniero’s face. Ooooh that’s where…Politics hadn’t really been the most scintillating of subjects, but he did remember the man now that he’d said that. As far as watching the combat classes, well…Ran was likely too busy during those to even notice at the time, considering he not only had to best his sparring partner but he had to do it without accidentally giving the poor guy a shock.
Sort of a double whammy, concentration wise.

“I remember you sir, thank you for the refresher.”
He wasn’t sure what else to say, but he figured it a bit too rude to just stand there and stare at the man. Retired or not…you just don’t fuck with Pilots, right? He figured following that rule was a good way to not get his ass handed to him…or his legs broke all to hell, like he’d heard about. No sledge hammers please…or swords, eheheh…

His ocean colored eyes widened a bit as he realized Rambert had sort of misunderstood his intended use for this room, and he held up his hands and waved them slightly.
“Oh, no sir, I didn’t plan on using my psionics here. Uh, it tends to be a little…disastrous to let loose when you’re an electrokinetic. Things melt, catch on fire, explode…”
He rubbed the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.
“This is actually…well, I was in the psionics room and got a little…fed up with my powers. They’re kind of a bitch to use, pardon my French sir. It’s easier for me to come in here and just work off the frustration with some physical exercise - and it happens to be a lot less damaging to the equipment as well.”

[Flakeblood]

A grunt was his only response. No, he hadn't really expected Raniero to remember him. His classes weren't exactly one-on-one, and he knew that most kids—and many adults as well—thought politics were pretty dry.

Now though, Raniero told him why he was actually in the training room. To use it for what it had been intended. Well now, that changed everything. Rambert brushed off the kid's language, since he'd said far worse in his life, and let a more genuine smile through.

"Yeah. That, I can help with."

While he might have been no good at training Candidates with their psionics, he was perfectly capable—and gratified—to watch and help with physical training. It was one of his passions, and his earlier sword swinging showed that. Why would he bother with an outdated killing tool if not for the exercise? Well, and beauty. He loved that khopesh, even if it did get him into hot water when he stabbed inanimate objects.

Oh yeah. The sword.

He looked down at the giant slit he'd made in the cushioned part of the floor. If that wasn't coming out of his sizable account, he would be pleasantly surprised. He grasped the handle and, with a swift tug, pulled his sword out, hanging it from his golden chain belt by means of a special clip.

"Or watch, I suppose. I think I've done enough damage to this room today."

His eyes went to his right, where he noticed a few places he had nicked the walls. Those were the reason he had moved into the open area near the door. He'd probably get fussed at by some newbie Pilot for that—Oh, wouldn't that be fun—but he doubted any serious consequences would befall him.

What was a little more damage here and there?

"Of course, I have to admit, I'm rather curious." He looked more seriously at Raniero, though he was still smiling. "I haven't had anyone to practice with in a while either. Care to do some hand-to-hand before you go do your solo training?"

[Blue]

Oh…well he hadn’t exactly meant to ask Rambert for help…actually he was pretty sure he hadn’t asked at all, eheh. Really, he was perfectly capable of finding a different room to let off some steam so as to let the retired Pilot get back to his solitude. He really didn’t want to impose…who the heck knew how that would turn out!

….

Well shit, now he knew how it was gonna turn out.
He was about to get his ass kicked by an old guy, wasn’t he?
Ahahaha….

“S-Sure, sir…” He managed a smile in return. No way in hell was he going to refuse a request from the guy that nearly removed his nose from his face.
Hey, on the plus side, he’d forgotten all about his earlier frustration! Now he just got to look forward to a sparring match with one of the most badass people in Aedolis! Great trade off, right??

[Flakeblood]

Ignoring the slight stutter, Rambert removed his coat and belt, with khopesh still attached, and set them against the nearest wall.

He moved towards the center of the open area and rotated his shoulders a bit before settling into a relaxed stance.

"No need to be nervous kid. This is a practice, not a test."

In his personal opinion, fighting skills were going to be needed far more often in the field than psionic abilities. What were you most likely to use on someone who had no abilities of their own? A good punch to the face would take care of any average person. But what did he know? He'd worked mostly as a minister.

Even so, he figured it would be a good thing to help Raniero practice some physical skills at the same time he was releasing some stress. That's what had always helped Rambert clear his head, and it still did.

"Whenever you're ready."

[Blue]

Whenever you’re ready to get your ass handed to you basically. Ahaha…crap. Well thank god nobody else was around to see this. It wasn’t like he had a reputation for being a badass or something, but he still didn’t necessarily need people knowing about ‘The time Raniero got pwned by a Pilot’.

“Right…”

Oh hell, here goes nothing?? Letting out a long breath, he realized that all his nervous energy was making him a bit staticky. Hopefully Rambert didn’t mind the occasional shock now and then…his power was so annoying eheh.
Standing opposite the older man now, Ran sank into a basic stance, and finally managed to change his face from complete uncertainty to something a bit more neutral. Even a goofball like him had an on-off switch between free time and srs bsns!
….aaaaah damn he didn’t want to start this! Who goes up and tries to punch a Pilot, honestly!?
‘What did you do today Ran?’
‘Oh, you know, got into a fight with a Pilot. No big deal.’

The neutral look broke for an instant as he couldn’t help a half laugh. He then feigned a punch, going in for a sweeping kick with earnest intent.
May as well just go for it!

[Flakeblood]

Rambert raised an eyebrow at the odd laugh that came from the Candidate in front of him. Looks like he made the kid nervous. Ah well, it couldn't be helped really. He was going to have to get used to Pilots on a closer level anyways, seeing as he'd end up working with at least one soon enough. Or perhaps it was Rambert's personality specifically that made him nervous? He knew he could seem kinda rough.

The kid did finally start though. Rambert noticed the punch aimed at him, but also saw that Raniero's stance indicated a change in footwork. Sneaky.

He raised his left hand to grab the kid's fist, and braced his legs to absorb the impact of the kick. When both appendages touched him, apparently completing a small circuit, he got a shock. The small amount of electricity made his wings flutter agitatedly.

The kick was rather good, though not what Rambert had been expecting. He might get a light bruise from that, but the kid wasn't being serious enough. Hopefully, he'd calm down, given some time, and focus more. Some others might not have noticed his feint had they been fighting him, but he had left himself open.

He used his grip on the Candidate's fist to pull him closer before using his other hand to deliver an open-palm hit to his torso. He made sure not to use more force than necessary to put some space between them.

"Protect your vital areas kid."

[Blue]

Well shit. Double shit. Super shit.
Like with too much laxative haha.

The open palm strike forced an ‘oof’ out of the candidate, and the distance was achieved with a bit of stumbling on his part. There had also been a crackle of electricity, but if nothing else, Ran was doing a good job of keeping it under control.
“R-Right.”
Easier said than done. Man, now he was reminded why he normally didn’t like sparring with other people. He had so many more things to keep track of - it wasn’t just a matter of besting his opponent. He also had to make sure he didn’t roast the guy at the same time!
Thank you, psychic powers, for forcing an unnatural amount of self control to be necessary for daily functioning. Really, it’s appreciated.
Damn.

Well, there was ONE thing he’d found useful about this electricity in a fight. You know, minus the obvious electrocution of opponent option.
Keeping his guard a bit better this time, he tried for a sweeping leg kick, which generally would cause Rambert to have to shift his feet to some degree. Disrupting the foe’s sense of balance or…some such. He got the gist of it.
The real kicker was the punch he threw - quick in it’s own right, but near the end of his arm’s rotation, on that general flick that would give his punch more torque…he shocked his own contracting muscles. The last few inches of his punch amped up in speed in less than the blink of an eye thanks to electricity.
Unconventional, delicate, but useful.

[Flakeblood]

Nodding, Rambert shifted his stance back, preparing for Raniero's next move. He seemed to be focusing and planning now. That was good.

Rambert had never been good at sensing other psionic powers; telepathy wasn't his strong suit. However, his wings were more sensitive to air pressure and similar things. He felt a slight charge coming from the kid, and though it wasn't unexpected, the look in his eyes made it seem... purposeful?

Focusing on the subtleties of his opponent's body language, he tucked his legs up slightly to avoid getting knocked over and braced for the punch. He didn't count on the punch speeding up so significantly at the end. Unable to get his arms up in time he rolled with it, using the momentum to perform a sort-of one-handed flip backwards. His wings shifted to help keep his balance.

He quickly righted himself and got back into a defensive position. The hit had not only been faster than expected but was also backed up by more force, thanks to the extra speed. Rambert chuckled.

"Good use of power." He rolled his shoulders to loosen the muscles. "My turn."

With the kid putting more focus into the fight, he decided to start throwing some real hits of his own. He quickly closed the gap, throwing a kick that would swing around and buckle Raniero's left knee.