Gym: Sunday Morning [1-6-08]

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana had been up and out early to go running, a habit she'd slowly started to get back into a couple of months ago, after letting it slip when Connor left. After her run she'd decided to go into the gym and do some weights and try the heavy bag for a while. Despite being sore and a little bruised from her Friday lesson with Ino, or maybe because of it, she'd felt she could use a little extra work-out.


[Open as gyms are!]

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[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He kept his silence but nodded. He'd fallen before. He'd fallen many times. There was one particularly memorable fall where all the wind had been knocked out of him due to a trick by Manek.

He'd never liked Manek.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"The most important thing to remember is to relax," she told him. "I know that sounds impossible, but you can do it. I learned how to, so anyone can."

She demonstrated for him, showing him just how to do it. "Why don't you give it a try."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He watched her carefully before running through it in his mind slowly. Then he did it with his body, slowly again, before performing it at normal speed.

Well, actually. Very well. Another duplicate performance.

He looked up, waiting for critique.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

She looked a little startled, then grinned delightedly. "Wow. That's incredible. You're better than I am. Are you sure you really need my teaching?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

That flustered him right off the floor.

"A monkey can duplicate what's shown," he said. "That's all I did. I'm not better than anyone."

He seemed very firm on that.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

She wasn't sure why the idea bothered him so much. "All I meant was that you picked up the skill very easily. Much faster than I did."

She smiled at him. "I'll have to ask Ino if she'll teach both of us together. You'll need more than I can teach you soon. But if she will, we can practice together."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Oh," he said awkwardly.

"Okay. Is Ino your guide sibling? Or an instructor?"

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"She's another student," Lana said. "A ninja, a trained fighter. And she offered to teach me how to fight as well."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Did she ask a fee?"

He was making sure. He didn't mean to be rude.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"No," Lana said. "She just thought I should be able to fight."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

That, LIir thought, was odd.

"She's very nice then, I'd think."

It was an attempt at being nice himself. He wanted to make good relations, after all, especially with those who'd be teaching him things.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"People here are generally very nice," Lana said quietly. "We're all in it together."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He was good enough not to laugh. Or to show that he vaguely wanted to. It wouldn't have been a nice laugh anyway.

"I'm sure," he said carefully enough, "I'll get a better idea of how this place is once school starts."

It wasn't disagreeing with her, anyway. And everyone had been nice. It just wasn't what he was used to.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

She smiled at him. "It's probably much different here from anyplace you've ever been. But I think you'll like it here."

She stood up, stretching out again. "Practice the falls - onto your bed at first, as often as you think of it. That will help your body get used to the motion. Not that I think you need as much practice as I do!"

"I'm just going to do a little weight training before I head back to my room for a bath. What's your room number anyway?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"316."

He wondered why she'd need it. It was just a place to sleep, after all.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Nice," Lana said. "I'm just a couple of doors down from you. Number 322. If you ever need anything or you just want some company, feel free to stop by."

Yeah, she'd taken him pretty firmly under her wing.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

...he'd managed to get under a few wings. It was hard to say if he'd realized any of it yet, though. Mostly, it was just confusing. A little confounding, even.

"You're, um... welcome."

That wasn't lame at all. Unfortunately, he had picked up on the Witch's sarcasm.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

She smiled at him. "It can all be a little confusing here at first, but you'll get used to it."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"It's better than the Emerald City," he said with a shrug.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"Emerald City?" she asked curiously. "Is that where you are from?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

No, I'm from the Vinkus, from Kiamo Ko.

"Yes," he said. "That's where I came from."

It wasn't a lie. He'd been there before he'd come here. And he'd been there to get a fresh start as his own person, away from the memories of the Witch.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

"I'm from a place called Smallville. In Kansas," Lana explained.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

. . .

Was Kansas some massive tract of land in the United States? If he met one more person from Kansas...

"You're not related in any way to a Dorothy Gale, are you?"

Because then he'd be very very upset with life, the universe and everything.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana shook her head. "No. Never heard of her. Smallville is a pretty tiny place, though."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"All right."

Apparently, the universe wasn't yet out for his sanity. Yet.

[lovelylana.livejournal.com]

Lana went through a weight circuit, making sure she hit all the muscle groups, then sat down on the mat to stretch herself out again before she headed back to the dorms.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir scampered off to his own room. He had some considering to do.