fandomhighdorms | Camp Gym, Wednesday Afternoon

Ami walked in, practice sword in hand. "Good Afternoon" she nodded to Henry.

Henry smiled. "Good afternoon! How have you been?"

"Other then becoming a cat? Fine. And you?" Ami took her shoes off and got walked onto a clear space on the mat. "Here to do a little practice work or Setsuna-chan will be mad at me" she added with a grin.

Henry nodded. "As am I."
"Err, the practicing for Setsuna's lessons. Not at all the changing into a cat."

"Lucky you. The whole cat thing was not very much fun. Oh are you working with Setsuna-chan as well? What are you working on?" Ami was curious so came closer as they talked.

Henry showed her the book. "I've been practicing more forms. I've decided to focus on defensive fighting." He thought of Edward's plans to misuse what he'd been learning. "I believe that it would suit my own interests well, to learn as little attack theory as possible."

"And Setsuna is letting you get away with that? She is insisting i learn to attack. Which... has not been easy." Ami sighed. "I have... misgivings about attacking people you see."

Henry gave a bit of a nervous chuckle. "I will, of course, learn whatever Setsuna sees fit to teach me. After all, attacks are part of swordplay. On my own, however, I do wish that my instinct becomes to use the defensive moves. If I practice them more, they will hopefully become more comfortable than my lesser-used attacks." He felt slightly embarrassed. She'd called him on his plan.

"Why? I mean why do you do this? Me... I am worried that if i break myself, force myself to learn to attack.. i will learn to enjoy it. And become a monster, a killer rather then a warrior..." Ami thought back to all the discussions she and Setsuna had on this very subject.

"Well, when I started, it seemed like a decent extracurricular activity. Good exercise, a chance to make friends. Setsuna had seemed very excited about it, so I suppose I was a little caught up in her excitement." Henry frowned a little. Ami's words had struck a chord. "Now...now I don't believe I know, any more. I'm fighting something of my own, and I need the resilience. A sword would never help me, but I think that the way it develops my mind could prove invaluable." He was being a bit reckless, talking like this, but it felt good to say something. And even if he couldn't trust anyone with his own secret, he did feel that as long as he didn't come forward with all of it, he could trust Ami with that little bit.

Ami nodded, understanding. "It is a mental exercise as well as a physical one isn't it?" She bit her lip thinking. "You don't have to tell me what you are fighting, but... if i can do anything to help, you will tell me right?"

Henry smiled. It was one of his fake ones, ever ineffective. He couldn't see any way bringing anyone else into this mess would help. "Of course."

Yeah and Ami could tell too. But she was also almost certain Henry did not want to talk about it. So she smiled and said "When you actually mean that of course". Just to let him know she could tell, but that the offer always stood.

Henry gave a nod, and went back to practicing a block. He'd been working on this one for a while, as it was a prerequisite to another move, a disarming blow. "So...about the Chemistry club? Do you remember where the shack was in the woods?"

Ami noted the subject change but went with it. "Oh, i should learn that block...i do not think i know it. And yes, i remember. Do you want to see it?"

"Yes, I would like that very much. We ought to start planning." Henry finished a set of blocks, then opened his book to the appropriate page. "Here, there is an illustration and a written explanation of the block."

"Alright. I have Cheerleading this afternoon, but perhaps we can go after, or tomorrow?" Ami glanced at the book, and tried to do the block as it was shows. She only marginally succeeded.

"I don't have any plans this evening. I'll meet you later at the cabin?"
Henry watched Ami's block, but didn't feel comfortable correcting it. It would be better for him to make sure he had asked Setsuna if he had it correct, first.

"Alright~~you post?~~, that would work." Ami tried again. "Hm, i do not think i am doing it right."

Henry was very reluctant, but it would be rude for him to just let her go on without help. "Here," he demonstrated, holding the practice sword a foot away from his shoulder, "it's more effective if you keep the sword higher."

[[OOC: Right over here! (http://henryoredward.livejournal.com/7680.html?mode=reply) Sorry about the repost, I used the wrong journal. ]]

"Oh" Ami tried it Henry's way. That did feel more effective. "I see. I think."

[[ooc: 'sok, i figured.]]

Henry continued to work on his blocks. "You mentioned that you wanted to be a warrior? Is that why you're learning swordplay?"

"I... don't think i have a choice. There is something... inside me. and I can either control it or it will control me."

Very, very scary coincidence. Henry gave a little jerk of shock, and the katana shook. He tried to pretend he hadn't reacted.
"Then that would be a most excellent reason to develop control of your own."

"You alright?" Ami was very perceptive. "And yes. We, Setsuna-chan and i, think it is some sort of warrior. In theory it is good, but i don't know, and i am worried."

"Shaky hands," Henry explained. It was partially true. He had very steady hands when it came to chemistry and anatomy, but he shook a lot when Edward was involved.
When transforming.
Henry thought through it again, and decided that he was still lying.
He lowered the sword, for the time being. "Is it a separate consciousness? Have you been able to communicate with it?"

"I think it is a past life? Or maybe a possession i am not sure. " She lowered her sword as well. "With meditation and some wacky Fandom highjinx, i have determined that it is part of my future and my past. But i do not know what it is. What it wants. Or how to control it. When i fight and am attacked, it takes over. it does not attack, but i am afraid it will."

Henry looked worried. that was very different from his situation, but still similarly frightening. There was still the chance that whatever was in Ami was malignant. "Does it only take over when you fight? Do other events trigger it?"

"It has only happened in a fight so far. Setsuna-chan and i are researching it... From when we turned into the Princess and the cat" AMi said frowning slightly "It is that the Scout, which i think is what is inside, is the protector of the Princess. But the princess destroyed her world, so i do not know..."

How strange other worlds were. Past lives, dark fears and royalty. Everything felt so vast, and Henry constantly felt as if he were on the verge of seeing his own perceptions expand by great amounts.
It wasn't always something to press, though. As he'd learned, greater perception usually came with a cost. He'd learned to be careful with the unknown.
"Know that I, too, would be willing to help you, if there were ever a chance that I could be of service."

"Thank you" Ami said, her smile genuine. "Once i figure it all out, i may well need the help. But for now... I train. And Setsuna-chan insists i learn to attack" Ami added with a sigh. "She says i can't escape it, i must take control."

A thought popped into Henry's head. "Should it turn out to be of use, what then? Given the chance that it isn't wicked?" He went back to practicing, moving onto a different form, a parry.

"I do not know. I have to control it. No matter how benign it is i do not wish it to take over. the best outcome, i suppose, is to blend the two, it and me, into one cohesive person..."

Henry didn't like that answer at all. "I do wish, then, quite fervently that you should succeed. There are few things in life more fearful than relinquishing control to a hidden force."
Oh no. Talking to Ami was all well and good, but that was just a little bit too far.
He hurried to put the practice sword away.

"I know. I hate the thought of not being myself. Not being in control... i do not want it to really ever happen fully." s he tried the block again, this time much more like the images in the book. Satisfied she put the sword away.

Henry picked up his book. There were so many differences between their situations, but the problem at the core of both seemed the same: something threatened to usurp them both, and thus compromised the safety of all those around them.
Henry gave Ami an earnest look. "I meant what I said, you understand. If at all possible, I would do anything in my power to aid you." Their situations were too similar for him not to worry.
And he was doing a lot of worrying, now.

"I know. Thank you Henry. You are a good friend. And... i meant what i said. Whatever you are fighting... i will help."

"Thank you." He didn't know if anyone could really help. But as Henry thought about it, he supposed that he might possibly be able to talk to Ami about it.
If, you know, he had to pick someone. Henry was still very reluctant to discuss Edward. Still, there was the possibility.
He tried to look like he'd brightened up. "I will see you tonight, then? When we go see the shack in the woods?"

Ami nodded. "Of course. Lets meet at Sphinx and go from there?"

Adam decided to try and get a workout in, this time indoors. He spotted the practice staffs and grabbed one of the rack, intent on going through some routines with it.

Camp Gym, Wednesday Afternoon

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject