(no subject)

[arkadia]

[OOM: "These things take time."]

Go to Milliways, people say. You can eat ice cream and nobody will be hassling you to train.

Chirithy had other ideas, however, and was quick to insist that a place frozen in time would be perfect to get in some more training time.

Thus, Eden is out back, with his jacket resting on a rock, his copy of the Text open atop it, and his keyblade in hand.

It's a repetitive process: Breathe in, breathe out, focus, make several rapid slashing motions, look vexed at the failure to produce any magic whatsoever, repeat. He's been at it for about an hour.

Comments

[makesthings]

Sameth wasn't expecting Milliways where the courtyard was meant to be but he can head outside to have his sword practice.

When he sees Eden he stops and watches for a while, "That's a beautiful blade."

[arkadia]

"It's a useless blade, is what it is."

This is clearly the keyblade's fault. The problem absolutely couldn't be with Eden.

"Here," he holds his keyblade out, handle first, "you try it. I can't get any of this techniques to work."

[makesthings]

"What's it supposed to do?"

At his side, Sameth has a spelled sword and he has a leather jerkin on as he was going to spar. He picks up the keyblade, trying to feel what magic is in it and what its made of.

[arkadia]

"Slice things. The book has details."

This might be a vast oversimplification.

Whatever magic is in the keyblade (or, possibly more accurately, that it's made up of, because for all it looks and feels like metal and glass, a cursory magical examination shows it's neither of those things) is ancient, and powerful in the way an exploding star is powerful.

"It's just not working out for me."

[makesthings]

It reminds Sameth of some of the older Charter pieces that he's been around, "Is it meant to work for only you?"

[arkadia]

"Who knows."

If the way the keyblade is resisting even being moved by Sameth, dragging as if air resistance has suddenly been quadrupled, it's definitely meant to work only for Eden.

"It's not, though. I've got the footwork right and everything, but I'm not having any luck channeling magic through it."

[makesthings]

"Do you need to tell its you? I know with the magic where I'm from, you need to show that you're of the right bloodline."

[arkadia]

"I don't know what a bloodline is," Eden says, mildly, and wiggles his fingers, summoning the keyblade back to his hand in a flash of light. "It knows it's me, it's just being stubborn. And these notes aren't helping."

[makesthings]

"That's useful. In my world, it controls who can do what kinds of magic. Then maybe the notes aren't the right ones for you. Does it feel like it wants something from you?"

[messwiththebest]

"Do you know," Sombra drawls, from somewhere off to the side, "I can't actually tell if you're practicing or not."

Maybe it's some kind of interpretive dance.

[arkadia]

"I never practice."

Six days ago, this would not have been a lie! Eden hopes to achieve those halcyon days of never practicing again in the future.

He glances at the Text, squinting. "These notes are so vague. 'Control your breathing and channel energy up the edge of the keyblade.' What does that even mean?"

That's it: The problem must be with the instructions.

[messwiththebest]

"I'm very excited in this moment," Sombra says, moving forward. She is very brightly attired, from her coat to her leggings to her gloves to her hair, "to know that none of that is really my problem!"

She grins.

"But I'm curious, so maybe I'll borrow it for a little while. Come, sit. Let's talk about this 'energy' of yours. The one your book wants you to channel."

[arkadia]

"Of course it's your problem. My problems are everyone's problems," Eden says, very reasonably. "Helping me should be everybody's main priority."

That's just how things are, obviously.

He does sit, though, dismissing his keyblade (which vanishes in a flicker of light) and sits down on the grass, folding one leg under himself.

"So, energy is the property of matter and radiation which is manifest in its capacity to perform work ..."

It's best, Eden feels, to start at the very, very beginning of this whole energy thing.

[messwiththebest]

Sombra waves her hand impatiently, shaking her head as she does so.

"Yes, yes. I went to school long enough to learn that, and more besides. But what I am asking is what is your energy, and why are you supposed to be able to use it at will? I needed cybernetic implants for mine, and I don't see that you have any of those."

Sombra's cybernetic implants are very visible on the shaved side of her scalp, brilliant purple and gold lines of circuitry running across her skin, imbedded in her skull.

[arkadia]

Eden peers at said implants, and just about resists the urge to prod them. He's clearly interested, though.

"Magical energy," he says, a little distractedly. "I'm supposed to be able to channel it through the keyblade, but apart from one going-fast trick, I can't even get a spark."

Beat.

"How do your implants work? Are they thought controlled?"

[messwiththebest]

"A little thought, a little biofeedback, a little fingerwork and muscle contractions . . . "

She grins, bright and mischievous.

"And, sadly, practice."

Woe. Alas!

"But you -- you can do the one trick! What makes that one so different from what you are trying now?"

[arkadia]

Eden's face is the very picture of distaste. "Ugh, practice."

The last six days have given him something of a dim view of this whole 'practicing things' thing.

"I already knew how to do that. It's, you know, gauging the strength of local gravity, air resistance, how hard the ground is, and then, er ..."

He snatches up his Text and pulls a pen from his pocket, scribbling a diagram (with a smiley stick figure and a lot of arrows with notes on them) and several complicated formulae. "Like this. Easy."

[forceimbalance]

What.

What is that.

There is literally nothing about this that doesn't confuse Anakin. For one, that feeling. That isn't a sick feeling like something twisted, or rage and danger like the Dark Side--nor does it feel like a dead person, or Ysalwen's blasted talent, or that one creep he felt once who talked of blood and felt like a sink for life energy. There's just something like a dead spot, just an emptiness where a person is very obviously working. And it doesn't look like some bizarrely crafted droid that can imitate a person so exactly, either.

Also, that's a truly bizarre weapon. Or at least, he assumes it's a weapon, from the movement.

One Jedi Knight, who really just wanted to get some meditative practice for killing things in, is now lurking at the edges somewhat warily. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

[arkadia]

"Er."

Eden actually has to check his Text. He's forgotten the name of this technique. "Ars Arcanum. It's a slashy, slicy thing."

There's a diagram showing a series of slashes, and he can, at least, do those perfectly, even if the whole 'shrouding his keyblade in magic' thing is beyond him.

"Do you want to try?"

[forceimbalance]

Why in the name of all things good and holy is the boy trying to learn fighting techniques from a book.

Anakin feels strongly that someone is mishandling Eden's training. Well, he's getting some experience teaching lately. No reason not to extend a helping hand.

After a moment of examining him with consternation, Anakin asks, "Can I take a look at that?" Just so he's clear on what the pattern is supposed to be.

[arkadia]

Anakin would be correct! Foreteller Gula and teaching do not, apparently, mix.

"Sure. Knock yourself out," Eden says, waving a hand. "But not literally. I don't want to carry you inside."

[forceimbalance]

This is absolutely bizarre.

Anakin walks over to study the images for a bit, and after a few moments of that shifts a little in his stance. He's clearly working through the motions, not in full form or with a weapon, just sort of getting it in his head how it's supposed to run.

And then he pulls out his lightsaber, ignites it, and runs the pattern--slowly first, then more swiftly. There's a calculating look in his eyes as he does.

"Like that, I assume. What exactly are you having trouble with?"

[arkadia]

Oh, hey, a light sword. Eden's a little jealous. His weapon isn't nearly as glowy.

"The directions about channeling energy into the blade. I have no idea how to do that," he says, although his gaze is fixed on Anakin's lightsaber. He even sniffs the air for a moment, breathing in the scent of ozone. "Seems to come pretty naturally to everyone else, though."

[forceimbalance]

Lightsabers are basically the best, it's true. And this particular saber is extremely well-made.

Anakin nods thoughtfully. Interesting. Definitely not the same as a lightsaber--but on the other hand, one of the things a Jedi learns is the pull of the energy, how to feel it and work with it and direct the blade. After all, with the kyber crystal, it's arguably something of a dialogue.

"May I see?" he asks, extinguishing his lightsaber and hanging it on his belt again.

[arkadia]

"Sure," Eden says, and flips his keyblade about, so that he's holding it by the -- well, not the blade, but the shaft, with the handle pointed towards Anakin. "Where'd you get that light thing, anyway?"