driftfleet | second; text

[ Nope, right back to black again as if nothing happened at all. ]

It saves me time. More importantly, I also want to see how you perform a squat and a sit-up. I don't have any weights to laden you with for the former, but it won't matter if I'm just judging the form for now.

Sorry, saves you time for what? I'll-- I'll do those, I can do a sit-up, I haven't any idea how to do a squat, but-- they were red. They were definitely red-- I thought you hadn't any magic!

... if you don't know how to do something then you should say so before just writing down what I've said and moving on, you know.

Regardless, it depends on what you term 'magic'.

I was going to ask once we'd moved on to them.

[Not at all the point, but he feels he has to defend himself.]

How do you define it, then?

[Since clearly he can't make assumptions!!]

This is off-topic. [ And he's such a severe and serious person that that bothers him, but after a moment he actually sighs softly and gives in. ]

I told you that I utilize chakra, which is a combination of my physical and mental energy. It is the source of energy for a number of my abilities, including the one that you just witnessed.

Which was?

[He doesn't write this down, but there's definitely a sense of all this information being put away. It's fascinating, and might explain why Sasuke is so strong despite being so slender.]

It's not actually something that you could emulate; it's a genetic ability. This isn't within the realm of things that I can teach you, you know.

[ Just to make that clear. ] Why are you so interested?

I know.

[He'd suspected, anyway. At the question, though, Remus shrugs.]

I like learning new things. And I find all the differences between us all-- the magic, the physical abilities, the changes between worlds and politics and social policies and expectations-- to be utterly fascinating. Don't you? I mean, perhaps not to the same degree, but-- I mean, how can you not find it interesting?

[ There's a moment of hesitation, but... ]

I find it interesting. [ Admittedly, though perhaps for different reasons. ]

... that ability is called the sharingan, which is a doujutsu -- or eye-based technique -- utilized by the Uchiha clan. What you saw was the basic form, but there are three others which require specific conditions to be met before they can be awakened: the mangekyou, the eternal mangekyou, and the rinnegan.

What conditions? And what is the end result hoped for? Some kind of . . . scanning ability?

[ ... ]

It allows me to see someone's energy. How powerful it is, its nature, that kind of thing. That, and it greatly enhances vision and allows me to copy observed physical movements.

[Fascinating.]

Dare I ask what you saw when you scanned me?

Earn the information by doing a squat.

[The sheer indignation he feels is so clearly expressed on his face-- just for a moment, until he can shove that down and pretend he doesn't mind in the least.]

You're going to have to show me how.

[A little sulkily, but he gets to his feet, ready to obey.]

I'm not 'going to have to' do anything. Do it like you've done it before, because it's important for you to learn through error.

Try it your way and I'll correct you.

[He lets himself scowl this time, irritation and embarrassment rising. Oh yes you are is right on the tip of his tongue, but he swallows that, at least.

Sitting in the bleachers during Quidditch practices means Remus at least knows what a squat looks like. He'd never envied James and Sirius all those hours doing this and that, exerting themselves while he, Remus, sat warm and with a good book to keep him company. And now here he is, and he's just as reluctant, and this was a stupid idea.

He's going to look an idiot.

He's going to look even more an idiot if he just stands there, though, and with another little huff he starts. It's . . . a pretty terrible squat, actually, even if the basic movements are correct. But he doesn't know what he's doing, and he feels like an utter prat, and this is just the worst.]

[ Again Sasuke watches without comment, certainly having plenty to say but he keeps it to himself as he dismisses the squat itself quite quickly -- it's terrible and he knew it would be -- and focuses on Remus's expression for a moment instead. He's spoken about humiliation, he wants to learn but halts himself through hesitance, and he's surrounded himself with all these books and displays an almost voracious desire for knowledge. He's well and truly out of his comfort zone and likely has an ego attached to his mental prowess, that's Sasuke's assumption. ]

I was told once that a student who learns quickly is incredibly boring to teach. Here, you can watch this time.

[ As Sasuke himself displays the motion, going far lower and rising back out of the position with increased smoothness as well. ]

First, you need to deepen the length of your movement. Ideally your hips will go lower than your knees. Second, you need to arch your back more than you are now; it'll be especially crucial when weights are added. Take the time to practice on your own later and I'll give you feedback again the next time we meet.

[Oh, thank god. He can follow instructions, he can follow movements-- not, clearly, as well as Sasuke, but still. A demonstration is a relief after that humiliating display, and he takes note of all that.

(Was that a jab at how he's not learning quickly, by the way? Remus considers it for a moment before dismissing the matter entirely-- it's not worth getting upset over when it might not have been an insult at all).]

All right.

[A slight smile, and he's far more encouraged than a moment ago.]

Sit ups next, or--?

[ He considers it briefly. ]

No, not yet. Master these two first; it'll be less productive if you divide your attention. [ At least when he's at this stage. Sasuke will get far more ruthless once he develops a little more confidence, honestly. It's a miracle he's not being harsher already. ]

... your chakra is strong for a civilian. It's clear that there's some you aren't tapping into, but I can only imagine that can be attributed to your identity as a wizard or as a werewolf.

[He nods, agreeing, and finally gets to his feet, steady. Taking his notebook, he scribbles a few more notes-- the way Sasuke had positioned him, the corrections he'd made, for when he starts practicing.]

Werewolf.

[He notes that absently.]

You ought to hear Bigby talk; I'm the wolfish equivalent of a feral child. No social skills, the barest of emotions beyond rage.

[Which he'd known, of course-- he just hadn't known there'd been anything beyond that.]

[ And that's the kind of thing that he finds interesting, a version of Remus more powerful than he is now and with the ability to better hone that power. He's certainly not the type to dismiss it as a lost cause, anyway. ]

That's something that I'd like to see. That other form of yours, I mean. [ who is Bigby, the question he should probably be asking right now. ]

No.

[Simply said, and he glances up from the notebook.]

Sorry. I can describe it, if you'd like, but-- my control over him is so terribly tentative, and . . . the one thing he wants to do is eat people. Truly. The moment he smells you he'd go mad with trying to eat you, or bite you, or something-- and one bite is all it takes to turn a person. While I don't doubt you could defend yourself, one nick from my teeth and you'd be changing once a month as well.

I had a feeling that that would be your answer.

[ He takes note of the dissociative use of 'he' and 'him' as Remus describes that wolf form, wondering if it's some kind of coping mechanism for him. Regardless, he's decent enough not to point it out. ]

While I guarantee that it would be impossible without my consent, which I'd never give, I've also had enough personal experience with troublesome bites and marks. I won't push it. [ ... for now. How unfortunate. ]

What methods have you used to try to control yourself in that state?

[He nods once, pleased Sasuke isn't trying to argue. Questions are all right, so long as he doesn't try and worm his way into the room. Remus gestures towards the chairs, taking one for himself and setting the notebook down.]

There's a potion at home-- it's invented in my future, but it allows for me to keep control while in that state. My friend and I are attempting to replicate it. Beyond that-- socialization during that period, especially with other werewolves, seems to help. And the Atroma itself seems to have gifted me with a certain measure of control-- more than I had at home.

[ A potion? Perhaps his first thoughts shouldn't be leaning towards how it would affect a normal human being, but they are anyway. C'est la vie. ]

What a token of generosity. [ Okay, his Atroma grudge is showing, but he -- like everyone else here -- has every right. ]

What about hypnosis?

3/3

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