Private Aris

[Kahlil Noble]

Aris let out a breath after a while of trying. He opened his eyes, but rather than look disappointed, he looked calm as ever. More than that, he was smiling. Not because he was happy or okay with the realization that he couldn't do it, but because Valery seemed to still support him regardless. No, it was because she seemed to have another idea that he seemed content. That, and the ability she mentioned seemed really really cool!

"Okay. How do I do that? I assume I can't just start breaking rocks myself, right?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery felt relieved when he didn't seem to be disappointed. She had been worried that he'd be upset about not being able to us Telekinesis, but he still seemed eager about today's lesson. Maybe it was a good idea that she had offered something else. She just really hoped that he would be able to pull this one off

She wanted him to feel confident about his future as a Jedi.

"No not yet, but you'll get there. What I'm showing you is the basis of an entire martial arts we call Bakuuni Hand. It revolves around strengthening our limbs to strike and defend ourselves," Valery explained before she suddenly held up her hand, the palm facing her son.

"This time, focus not on what's around you, but on what you feel deep inside. Control it, guide it, and direct it into your fist, right before punching my hand. The more energy you channel and the more explosive you are, the stronger the punch." She smirked and looked him in the eyes.

"Don't worry about hurting me."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Bakuuni Hand. Alright."

He met her gaze before lifting up her hands. He curled them into fists before taking a bit of a stance. Epicanthix were trained to fight from a young age, and it seemed even the vessel was taught how to at least fight. Likely because Kahlil wanted to not loose such a huge part of himself as his heritage incase he did forget anything. But there was a difference between knowing the form and using it, to being able to channel the Force into it.

He closed his eyes, focusing inwardly. Aris knew what the Force was. Just an instinctive ability to just.. Know. He'd felt it before, with Vera, with her visions and his own danger sense. So.. He just needed those feelings, right?

Aris pulled on that sensation. Pulled it to his fist, and threw out the punch. And it was a powerful punch indeed. Despite being so young and small, at that.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Good stance."

Valery probably shouldn't have been surprised about that, but she was a little bit. It had taken a lot more time to teach Vera proper stances, but then again, she wasn't nearly as patient and he had learned certain things in a very unique way. It made her smile, and especially seeing him focus so much to get this right was heart warming.

It really was important to him, huh?

With her hand up, she reached out with her senses, and felt the way the Force flowed through him. Where she hadn't felt anything when be tried Telekinesis, Valery now sensed a surge within her son, right before he threw the punch. Valery did the same by sending a pulse into her hand, but she kept it intentionally weak, so he'd be able to really feel how strong this strike was.

Her hand recoiled back with a thunderous clap, and she was left blinking twice. Then, she smiled warmly at him and rubbed her hand, "You did it! That was... amazing! For a first punch, I don't think I've felt one that strong before!" She was not exaggerating either, and it showed as she looked at him with a big, proud mom smile.

"How did that feel, sweetie?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

The small smile and bright eyes weren't enough for the sheer joy that Aris felt. He was smiling wide and goofy like any kid would as he stared at his hands. He was strong. He couldn't do the other cool things, but he could do this! This was cool! Really cool!

"I'm.. Cool. Like mom." His gaze lifted up to her with that same goofy grin as he retightened his fists. "I'm cool like you!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

These were the best feelings a mother could have, and Kahlil would feel it too as he continued his training session with Vera. She had already seen him smile before, but that wide goofy grin was so much more special. It was exactly like Kahlil's goofy grin too, and it just made her feel incredibly warm inside.

Their son was happy.

"You're very cool," Valery said with a big nod. "Now let's try to break something, huh? That's always fun." Valery flashed a grin and summoned a small wooden plank over. Someone decently strong and with the right technique could naturally punch through this one still, but he'd need to use the Force.

"If you break this one, I can do a little sparring with you and after that... hot cocoa?" Or whatever drink or snack he wanted, really. She just wanted him to earn it, and then reward him.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Break something?

Aris's goofy grin simmered down as he looked at the plank, then back up to her. "But.. Isn't breaking things bad?" As far as he knew, breaking things was bad. There was no reason for him to break a board- Well now there was. He blinked slowly as he thought hard on it. Break the board that mom asked him to, with her permission, and get hot cocoa.

He didn't think long. His fist came back around as he threw an even faster punch to outright shatter the board.

".. For hot cocoa." He nodded once at his justification.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

"It's usually bad, but not when mom asks you to," Valery grinned, and watched the gears in his head turn. Especially after the reward of hot cocoa came up, Aris seemed very interested in breaking the wooden board. So much so, that his second strike was even more powerful than the first, and completely shattered the whole thing into tiny pieces. Valery blinked, dropped the little bits she was still holding onto, and looked at him.

"You really love your hot cocoa, huh?" She chuckled and stepped forward to just briefly lift him up for a quick hug, and loving. "I'm very proud of you, and I'm sure dad will be, too." Valery put him back down after that and smirked a little bit. He seemed eager about getting his reward now.

"So about that cocoa... whose cocoa is best?" She had to try it.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I do like hot cocoa, yes. It is flavorful and fills me with warmth."

Aris nodded in agreement. He would not deny his love for the chocolate soup that it was. But knowing she was proud gave him a warmer feeling than the cocoa ever could. He beamed just for a moment before falling back to the critical thinking face as she asked her question. Which was better? Hers or dads?

"I don't think there's much of a difference between the two?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

"That's because you haven't tried mom's yet~"

Valery joked around, but deep down, she was so happy to see him filled with warmth. He really cared about what his parents thought about his accomplishments, or at least, it seemed to be the case. It was pretty normal for a kid, after all, and Valery... was very open about sharing just how proud she was of her kids.

"Come on, let's go get you some cocoa. Not the instant type, of course." She winked, took his hand, and brought him to the living room. He'd be able to read, watch the holo or just relax, while Valery kept herself busy making the perfect hot cocoa. She wasn't playing around this time, and did her absolute best to make it perfect.

She really hoped he'd love it.

"There you go, sweetie," she said as she offered the big, adult cup. "You earned a big cup today."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Aris followed along, but he couldn't help but look confused once Valery opened the door to head inside. Before they actually went in to make the hot cocoa he spoke up. "I thought we were supposed to have a spar first? You said I had to break the board, then we spar, then we have hot cocoa. Did you forget mom?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

Oh.

In all of her own excitement, she had totally forgotten about the spar... but he hadn't. Was he really this interested in a bit of sparring? That almost surprised her, given how much he seemed to love hot chocolate. But a promise was a promise, so she nodded and closed the door again, before stepping into the room.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I almost did forget." She reached over and ruffled his hair.

"Get in your stance, and I'll let you attack me first, okay? No holding back - mom will be fine." She smiled reassuringly and raised her hands up into fists. Of course, she wasn't going to fight at full strength, but she wanted to create the illusion that she took this very seriously. Even though he might know she'd be holding back.

It had to at least feel real, and she would adjust her level of strength and speed to push him just beyond his comfort zone. That way, she'd push him to improve.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Okay."

Aris followed her back out and slowly lifted his hands to settle back into his stance. Smiled, just a little. His heart was pounding this time. He wasn't just punching at something that didn't move this time, right? He took off in a jump for her, letting the Force flow freely through him with that same smile. Like Kahlil, he seemed to have an enjoyment for the actual fight now that he'd been given the chance. And, he seemed to be picking up pretty well on how best to let the Force flow through his body and into his limbs.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

<He really reminds me of you.>

Valery signaled her proud mother moment to Kahlil, as she moved along with Aris. With every second that passed, he began to get into the flow of the fight even more. His technique improved and smoothed out, and she could tell he was really enjoying himself as well. At about his own level of strength and speed, Valery was even throwing punches back, but he was responding well to those. The augmentation of limbs was useful in strikes, but also in parries.

No physical strike would hurt anymore.

"Very good, sweetie. You're a natural," she told him, but as loving as she was, she wouldn't go too easy. Thus far, Valery had only thrown punches at him, but all of a sudden she aimed a low, sweeping kick at his legs. Faster too, and meant to actually knock him onto his butt.

She had to know how he'd respond to it.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

He was getting into an easy grove. Throwing hands with her was just.. Fun. A lot of fun! He was a full Epicathix through and through after all. Grant it, the moment she swung a leg he wasn't prepared in the slightest. The Force gave it's warning, but he didn't expect a kick of all things to come his way. He unceremoniously just fell to the ground, blinking as he looked up at the sky. Then, rather quickly, he made his way to his feet to reset his stance.

".. So we can kick too?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

"The only rule is to not cause lasting harm in training."

At least, with this type of training. Other abilities or sessions had different rules, depending on the risk, but in a simple hand-to-hand spar, they could go pretty wild. Not that she was going to actually hurt her own son too much, but she'd definitely be pushing him as much as she could. He had to learn, and if he was anything like his father... he'd have to learn it the hard and fun way. Like a true Epicanthix warrior, and like a true Jedi.

"Come on, again."

She didn't really give him much time, and aimed a higher kick at his side. Nothing he couldn't block, but she was more interested in seeing how he'd retaliate. How much was he willing to push himself against his own mother?

If he was anything like his father...

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"No lasting harm. Understood."

His eyes narrowed in focus then as he tightened his fists and readied himself for the next bout. When it started, he met her with a renewed intensity and focus. It wasn't just for fun. He genuinely wanted to make himself stronger. Much stronger. Vera was already an initiate, so that meant he'd have to catch up, right? He wanted to be a Jedi with her. When the kick came, he was focused intently. And, well, moved to intercept it. Not directly, Valery was much bigger.

Instead he went for a solid punch right for her knee to throw it off course.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

There was something way too adorable about watching her six year old son fight this seriously. He was as eager to learn as Vera, but far less wild and chaotic about it. He was calm, collected, and everything he did or said had a purpose to it that made him feel so much more mature than other kids. It was honestly a bit refreshing in a household full of mostly really chaotic people, and it'd help him get to a point where he could be considered an Initiate.

He was already developing that control of the Force, and he definitely didn't lack any emotional self-control either.

Valery's kick was intercepted with a augmented punch, and would meet an augmented knee in return. Their powers cancelled out, leaving him to have blocked her hit, while Valery moved in to throw a series of punches at him. There was, however, a gap in her assault that she left on purpose. Not to mess around, but to gauge his ability to read the flow of combat.

She hoped he'd use it to get a hit in on her.

How exciting would that be to him? Landing a hit in his spar with mom.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Ah, right. She was still strong.

He pulled back as quick as he could, trying to make some distance as she started to unleash a flurry of fists towards him. At least this time he was more prepared incase she through a kick in there, but he moved between them, letting the Force guide him some as he tried to block them. Until he felt something. A moment was the only thought that came to mind to describe it, and in that moment he immediately launched forward to try and catch her with a quick punch.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Tag: Kahlil Noble

There it was.

Valery watched him focus on her punches, but at no point did he lose track of her legs either. Her entire body was a weapon, so if he wanted to protect himself, he'd have to be ready for anything. But even in all of this overwhelming chaos, the young Noble saw the opening and slipped inside her defenses. His punch landed straight into Valery's gut, unsurprising given his father's desire to gut punch her in spars, but it sure hit.

And even hurt a bit.

A gasp of air escaped Valery's lips, before she just grinned and wrapped her arms around him. She hadn't said 'grappling' was not allowed, right? Sure, it was more like a hug, and she made sure he couldn't escape, but she was just too proud to take it seriously after that hit.

"Very good, you saw your opening and hit hard." She pulled back and patted her stomach. "Hiting almost as hard as dad there, even" she winked, this time exaggerating but she wanted to see him happy about his performance, and he was still very much a kid.

"I'm proud of you."