"Heeey, you've reached Yang! Well, actually, you didn't reach far enough, 'cause I'm not here right now! But don't yang up! Just leave a message on this baby, and I'll get back to you soon enough, okay?"
[ And his head is unprotected, so guess who's getting himself a good hair ruffling? Yep, it's Hiro. ] I scared a few people away from our practice room, so we're still good to go.
[ Yes, who would have expected this leggy blonde girl to terrify people, really. ]
[When her hand lands in his hair there's a light laugh and a swat of protest as he ducks his head, but he's not fighting her too much. He's definitely better than he was the last time they saw each other. ] Amazing what sleeping for a few days can do, huh? [Said by the kid who usually doesn't sleep. There are very slight bags under his eyes but he's energetic enough that he tilts his head to indicate they should head inside.
There are still issues he's dealing with, but training with Yang is the best way to ignore them and make things better. ] What do you mean you scared them away? That's a little hard to believe. [A beat ] ...well. Not that hard. They left in one piece right?
Yep, they're fine-- [ idle hand flap. Don't question it, Hiro, and ignore the mildly traumatized people they might pass inside on their way to the room. ]
Besides, I've got to save my concentration for you today. We're gonna have a lot of ground to cover, and today's just the basics.
[He's good at ignoring trauma to a point, it's fine. So they pass by people and he follows, glancing back to make sure Baymax is following him as well as they walk through the gym toward their room.]
It's not really gonna be that hard to teach me, is it? [He seems a little uncertain about it, but not enough that he's going to back out or anything.] Like I said, I don't want you to go easy on me. That's why I asked you specifically.
No, from what you told me, I'm pretty sure you'll pick it up fast enough. But your aura's not unlocked, so we'll have to keep that in mind. You're going to feel things a lot harder than us Beacon students would.
[ ... Maybe that's a thought, unlocking his aura. But for now, she won't pursue it until she sees how he handles this session. ]
But no worries, that doesn't mean I'm gonna coddle you. If you want to learn how to keep yourself safe, you came to the right person.
I didn't think I could unlock it. [He knows what aura is and he knows it's attached to his soul, but at the same time he hadn't thought it was something just anyone can unlock. But it seems fair to focus on real hits and real pain without a buffer in between. They arrive to their practice room soon after and he shuts the door, letting Baymax park himself in a corner to be on stand-by and leaving his hoodie with the robot.]
I have some concerns. [The robot has a lot of concerns, actually, but that happens when you're babysitting a Disney protag. Hiro grins though.] It'll be fine, buddy. Don't worry.
[He works on stretching out his arms while he turns to look at Yang again.] So...what do you want to work on first?
[ ... Yeah, she'll mention parts of this to Ruby later. Unlocking his aura could really help this tiny string bean of a kid in the long run, physically speaking.
For now, she just offers Baymax a salute and lightly bounces on the balls of her feet, shooting Hiro a grin. ]
What do you want to work on first? Stance is important, but we can work on your defensive stance or your fighting stance first. Once you've got 'em both down, combining them comes next.
[Considering that Ruby's part of the reason he's even here at all? That's probably wise, even if he has no idea what Yang is thinking. He faces her with his arms up over his head, blinking quietly as he watches her and ponders that.]
What good is my fighting stance if monsters can hit me right back? [He shrugs.] Defense is probably the most important thing to buff up on before we get into anything else, just so I have a way to back out in a fight if I need to.
Good, you're thinking smart. Most people want to start out with the flashy stuff. [ Which she doesn't blame them for, but-- well, she'd learned the importance of thinking in a fight, of defense. So she points down at his legs. ]
First of all, if you're using hand-to-hand combat, always keep your hands up and close to your body. Chest-level, usually. And never keep your legs close together. Slide your right leg back a bit.
I've been in enough fights before to know better. [The comment's casual but there's a bit of weight to it anyway. Outrunning and outsmarting other botfighters and bullies really helps boost your understanding of how to dodge and how important defense is. He glances down at his own legs, sneaker-clad foot sliding back to brace himself and keep most of his weight on the right leg while drawing his fists up to his chest. He's still several inches shorter than Yang and having her tower over him is a little intimidating but he keeps his face schooled into a look of indifference. He's even readjusting the way his fingers are curled to prepare himself for a block.]
[He wrinkles his nose a bit, effectively breaking the too-cool-for-school attitude before he sizes her up and nods slowly.]
Come at me, bro. [There's a tiny smirk then. His brain's already moving faster than his body can, anticipating whatever she's going to throw at him and grinding his heel into the ground to brace himself.]
[ Sure, she'll come at him. Without further warning, there's a series of three punches flying at him. Left jab, right hook, and one more swing from the left, the first aimed for his stomach, the other two aimed for his jaw. She's not putting all of her power into it, obviously, but shit will still hurt. ]
[His arm moves up to block the first punch and he uses the other hand to block the first punch to his jaw while using his weight to try and push her back, but it's not enough. The second punch is unavoidable and her fist collides with his jaw as he's knocked back and trying not to stagger and fall flat on his ass.]
Lucky shot. [That's definitely going to bruise but he's shaking it off. Trying to, anyway, and even with his face throbbing a bit from the hit he's resuming his stance.] Again?
Wait to talk big until you can actually follow that up.
[ Wryly, but once again, she'll attack with another set of punches. This time, much faster. If she notices his stance shift or waver at all, she'll also aim a quick kick at his ankles. ]
[He doesn't respond, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes to focus on Yang's movements. She picks up pace and he immediately, instinctually, flips out of the way and rolls into a somersault before popping back up. It's not enough considering she's still going and he's focusing mostly on dodging, not entirely sure where he can hit her and catching a few punches himself. He blocks another hit to the face but his feet slip just enough that she can catch him around the ankles and knock him on his back with a loud thud.
Baymax is alert and paying attention, waiting to see if his partner is actually injured. And Hiro…just sort of stays on the floor for a minute.]
Just remember-- [ As she reaches down a hand to help him up (or haul him up, if he's not ready) ]
Whenever you go down, the last thing you want to do is stay down. Always be ready to roll to your feet. That little acrobatic stunt you did-- that'll come in handy.
[He stares at her hand for a minute before grabbing it and hauling himself up, a little wobbly on his feet but immediately fixing his stance to get back up. Okay. Good to go.]
It's easy to dodge. I've had a lot of practice there, too. [A wry grin and he's shaking out his hands a bit.] Tadashi and I used to do martial arts back home. ["Used to." Strangely, he doesn't feel as awkward mentioning these things to Yang as a past-tense.] He taught me how to fight when I was little because things were getting kind of rough. Everything else I've sorta picked up myself.
[He shrugs, examining their training space once more to calculate how much room he has.] Anyway it's kinda basic physics. You can judge the momentum of where you're directing your body and use the energy to launch yourself forward and out of the way. Most people I've fought aren't as fast as you though.
That's because most people don't have combat schools, so I hear.
[ Which is a shame, but maybe it means they didn't need them as much as Remnant did. A world without monsters sounds pretty nice, even if she happens to enjoy a little risk in her life. ]
... Speaking of your brother, though... did things work out?
[ How to say HE'S NOT STILL DEAD RIGHT as subtly as possible-- ]
Unless you count military schools. [Which he has zero experience with because haha no. No thanks. Ever since he met Ruby and Yang he's tried to picture a world full of monsters and people who need saving. It's different.
The question about Tadashi throws him for a loop though and his gaze jerks back sharply to meet her face, eyebrows knitting together questioningly. He knows exactly what she's implying though and...well, he doesn't really have a reason to lie to her.]
He was in the apartment sleeping on the couch when I woke up yesterday. [A sheepish grin follows.] I, uh, kinda didn't let him leave for most of yesterday either. But he seems okay. Baymax keeps scanning him and watching him and he hasn't glitched out or anything. Once we're back up to speed though he's going to help me start designing some new weapons and gear to use. And we're going to start looking for a new apartment later, too.
[Why he's telling her all of this it's hard to say. He seems to realize he's babbling and effectively shuts his mouth, awkwardly clearing his throat before nodding again.] But yeah. Things worked out fine.
[ There are times when Hiro starts talking and Yang is instantly reminded of Ruby, how she'd been when she'd first decided to be a Huntress and how she'd talked about everything ranging from how many lives she'd save and what color cape she'd have and what sort of victory cookies there'd be after she saved the day.
Hiro's stuff isn't so idealistic, but the way he's babbling pulls a warm smile out of her, and she pulls him closer for a brief hug (well, he'll have to get used to her sisterly tendencies sooner or later, and she doesn't squeeze quite as hard as she would afford Ruby). ]
I'm not too shocked that you already have plans. Just don't tell Ruby that you're having weapon sessions without her.
... Or if you do bring her along on a weapons date, make sure she's not out too late, okay?
[The hug doesn't surprise him as much as it would have prior to this but after everything it seems like a standard Yang response. Unlike previous attempts though he finds himself leaning in slightly before pulling back and laughing under his breath]
Are you kidding? She's gonna be one of the first people I brainstorm with and show prototypes to. Have you seen Crescent Rose? She's amazing. [He means the weapon, but...] But sure, Yang. I won't keep her for too long. [The point.
Hiro Hamada.] I can build fast. And Tadashi and I are a pretty good team so...it'll be fine.
[ ... When do your hormones kick in so I can tease you, runt-- ]
I see Crescent Rose every single day, trust me. First rule of Combat School, never go anywhere without your weapon or a way to summon your locker. Although I'm pretty sure Ruby cuddles that thing at night, too...
[ Sis why. ]
Well, I'll leave the weapon stuff to you guys. Ready to get back to the punch-y stuff?
[Soon, Kairi. Soon. Judging by the fact that he's giving her a fairly blank look, it's safe to say he doesn't see exactly why it's a bad thing that Ruby's so attached to Crescent Rose. He's attached to Baymax. They're not weird.] ...summoning a locker? Seriously?
[Whatever that's not important. He nods suddenly, shifting back into his fighting stance.] So ready. You're going to teach me to avoid hits like that?
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[ And his head is unprotected, so guess who's getting himself a good hair ruffling? Yep, it's Hiro. ] I scared a few people away from our practice room, so we're still good to go.
[ Yes, who would have expected this leggy blonde girl to terrify people, really. ]
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There are still issues he's dealing with, but training with Yang is the best way to ignore them and make things better. ] What do you mean you scared them away? That's a little hard to believe. [A beat ] ...well. Not that hard. They left in one piece right?
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Besides, I've got to save my concentration for you today. We're gonna have a lot of ground to cover, and today's just the basics.
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It's not really gonna be that hard to teach me, is it? [He seems a little uncertain about it, but not enough that he's going to back out or anything.] Like I said, I don't want you to go easy on me. That's why I asked you specifically.
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[ ... Maybe that's a thought, unlocking his aura. But for now, she won't pursue it until she sees how he handles this session. ]
But no worries, that doesn't mean I'm gonna coddle you. If you want to learn how to keep yourself safe, you came to the right person.
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I have some concerns. [The robot has a lot of concerns, actually, but that happens when you're babysitting a Disney protag. Hiro grins though.] It'll be fine, buddy. Don't worry.
[He works on stretching out his arms while he turns to look at Yang again.] So...what do you want to work on first?
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For now, she just offers Baymax a salute and lightly bounces on the balls of her feet, shooting Hiro a grin. ]
What do you want to work on first? Stance is important, but we can work on your defensive stance or your fighting stance first. Once you've got 'em both down, combining them comes next.
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What good is my fighting stance if monsters can hit me right back? [He shrugs.] Defense is probably the most important thing to buff up on before we get into anything else, just so I have a way to back out in a fight if I need to.
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First of all, if you're using hand-to-hand combat, always keep your hands up and close to your body. Chest-level, usually. And never keep your legs close together. Slide your right leg back a bit.
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How's that?
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For now, she teasingly tweaks his nose and settles into her own stance. ]
Let's test it out. I'm going to try a few different swings; your job is to try and either block them or deflect them entirely. Ready?
[ She won't activate her gauntlets, promise. ]
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Come at me, bro. [There's a tiny smirk then. His brain's already moving faster than his body can, anticipating whatever she's going to throw at him and grinding his heel into the ground to brace himself.]
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Lucky shot. [That's definitely going to bruise but he's shaking it off. Trying to, anyway, and even with his face throbbing a bit from the hit he's resuming his stance.] Again?
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[ Wryly, but once again, she'll attack with another set of punches. This time, much faster. If she notices his stance shift or waver at all, she'll also aim a quick kick at his ankles. ]
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Baymax is alert and paying attention, waiting to see if his partner is actually injured. And Hiro…just sort of stays on the floor for a minute.]
…okay…teach me to follow that. [Ow.]
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Whenever you go down, the last thing you want to do is stay down. Always be ready to roll to your feet. That little acrobatic stunt you did-- that'll come in handy.
[ She actually sounds a little approving. ]
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It's easy to dodge. I've had a lot of practice there, too. [A wry grin and he's shaking out his hands a bit.] Tadashi and I used to do martial arts back home. ["Used to." Strangely, he doesn't feel as awkward mentioning these things to Yang as a past-tense.] He taught me how to fight when I was little because things were getting kind of rough. Everything else I've sorta picked up myself.
[He shrugs, examining their training space once more to calculate how much room he has.] Anyway it's kinda basic physics. You can judge the momentum of where you're directing your body and use the energy to launch yourself forward and out of the way. Most people I've fought aren't as fast as you though.
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[ Which is a shame, but maybe it means they didn't need them as much as Remnant did. A world without monsters sounds pretty nice, even if she happens to enjoy a little risk in her life. ]
... Speaking of your brother, though... did things work out?
[ How to say HE'S NOT STILL DEAD RIGHT as subtly as possible-- ]
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The question about Tadashi throws him for a loop though and his gaze jerks back sharply to meet her face, eyebrows knitting together questioningly. He knows exactly what she's implying though and...well, he doesn't really have a reason to lie to her.]
He was in the apartment sleeping on the couch when I woke up yesterday. [A sheepish grin follows.] I, uh, kinda didn't let him leave for most of yesterday either. But he seems okay. Baymax keeps scanning him and watching him and he hasn't glitched out or anything. Once we're back up to speed though he's going to help me start designing some new weapons and gear to use. And we're going to start looking for a new apartment later, too.
[Why he's telling her all of this it's hard to say. He seems to realize he's babbling and effectively shuts his mouth, awkwardly clearing his throat before nodding again.] But yeah. Things worked out fine.
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Hiro's stuff isn't so idealistic, but the way he's babbling pulls a warm smile out of her, and she pulls him closer for a brief hug (well, he'll have to get used to her sisterly tendencies sooner or later, and she doesn't squeeze quite as hard as she would afford Ruby). ]
I'm not too shocked that you already have plans. Just don't tell Ruby that you're having weapon sessions without her.
... Or if you do bring her along on a weapons date, make sure she's not out too late, okay?
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Are you kidding? She's gonna be one of the first people I brainstorm with and show prototypes to. Have you seen Crescent Rose? She's amazing. [He means the weapon, but...] But sure, Yang. I won't keep her for too long. [The point.
Hiro Hamada.] I can build fast. And Tadashi and I are a pretty good team so...it'll be fine.
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I see Crescent Rose every single day, trust me. First rule of Combat School, never go anywhere without your weapon or a way to summon your locker. Although I'm pretty sure Ruby cuddles that thing at night, too...
[ Sis why. ]
Well, I'll leave the weapon stuff to you guys. Ready to get back to the punch-y stuff?
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Soon, Kairi. Soon.Judging by the fact that he's giving her a fairly blank look, it's safe to say he doesn't see exactly why it's a bad thing that Ruby's so attached to Crescent Rose. He's attached to Baymax. They're not weird.] ...summoning a locker? Seriously?[Whatever that's not important. He nods suddenly, shifting back into his fighting stance.] So ready. You're going to teach me to avoid hits like that?
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... Maybe while avoiding hits like that, but sometimes you've just gotta let yourself get hit and just do your best to not let it hit anything vital.
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