driftfleet | [ action ]

Who: Keith and everyone who comes across him
Broadcast: No
Action: Huntress, Iskaulit
When: From today until the end of the drift period (Sept 25)

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Sept 19 - 22

[SURPRISE... Keith was small again. Except... this time? He didn't remember the Fleet. He's not as young as last time, either. There was some panic and angry lashing out at a few people to start, but, once he settled down, he started to explore.

He stuck mostly to the Huntress and the Iskaulit. He'd look familiar to anyone who knew Keith, really, and especially to those who had seen him de-aged last time (though he was a bit older than before). However, be prepared for grumpy stares and lack of trust. Keith was not trusting by nature thanks to how things went for him after his dad died. Adults were especially the bane of his existence.

Care to meet a young emo teen? He might have just pick-pocketed you.]

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Sept 23 - 25

[Keith stalked along the corridor, his paws padding softly on the metal floor. He'd woken up as a panther, but he wasn't going to just stay put in his room until it wore off. It was annoying, because he didn't have hands and he couldn't speak to anyone. It also meant he couldn't do his assigned job, either.

So, he was trying to pass the time by strolling around the Iskaulit. He was relying on others to get him back and forth between ships, and had gotten Lance to help him over there that morning so he could jog around the ship with Shiro for their normal routine. Granted, a panther jogging with a man that had dog ears and a tail wasn't exactly normal, but here they were.

It was hard to resist the catlike traits and something at the edge of his peripheral vision shifted, getting his attention. He froze, his tail twitching sharply, before suddenly dashing off down the hall.

Look out, passerby! That panther is about to run you over!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Keith considered it, and then nodded.]

Okay. Yeah. I do.

[He's stick to that.]

Then if you do, we can. I would like to remind you though, they aren't toys. It's not something to play around with.

[He's at least putting that forward before doing anything to show a small one any sort of weapon]

I know that.

[Keith sounded defensive as he said that. Like, really... he knew this was serious. He wasn't looking to play.]

I had a feeling you did. But I know others will comment on it and I have reminded you.

[It didn't take long for them to reach the gym and he leans the way over to where they had the practice weapons. He glances over at Keith before looking at the weapons and picking one]

I think this one is a good option to start with.

So, like... you're covering your back against people maybe saying something about you teaching a kid how to work with a weapon.

[Keith sized up the weapon Ulaz held out to him with a quick glance before taking it in hand. He turned, swinging it around a bit. He visibly had good instincts. It wasn't just haphazard swinging about, but he was getting a feel for it.]

Okay.

Of course. If it should be said, you were told they weren't toys.

[Ulaz watched as Keith swung the sword. If he had never used one before, he seemed to have a natural knack for it. Which made sense given his weapon as a paladin was a sword and he had his mother's blade]

Good.

[Ulaz picked up one as well]

Hold your hands like this. It will be more comfortable and efficient.

[And he shows him]

[Keith glanced over as Ulaz demonstrated, and he imitated the hold well enough. Keith was good at watching and learning by imitating others.]

Got it.

[No questioning it. He just felt confident he was doing what Ulaz showed him.]

[Yes, he was good at following directions. Ulaz was pleased to see that. It might not be perfect, but it was enough to start. Besides, he was only temporarily younger; soon he would be back to his normal age so there was no real point in getting too into detail on how to hold a sword]

Now, a proper stance for using a sword is like this. It will give you a good center of balance so you are less likely to be thrown off.

[And he would demonstrate the stance as well]

[Keith nodded, easing in the stance. The idea that any of this would just be something he knew later on didn't occur to him at all, so he was taking it pretty seriously.]

Good. Now we'll go through some of the moves that are most used with sword fighting and are good to practice.

[And he would start showing them to Keith, doing it slowly enough that he could follow... especially since there is a height difference]

[Learning by watching and doing was where Keith excelled, so following Ulaz's movements, even with the exaggerated size difference, was something he did well. He was also extremely determined, and, after a while, he started checking Ulaz's reactions, like he was looking for approval.]

[Ulaz kept his gaze on Keith, watching to make sure he was picking them up and was doing them correctly before he moved on to something else. He kept them simple enough that Keith could easily see what he was doing. So he started seeing that Keith was watching him more and more.

Was he looking to be told how he was doing?]

You're doing very well.

[Keith paused for a second, not having expected a comment. He looked surprised, and then nodded.]

Uh, thanks.

[Yes... seeking, but not expecting approval. But, that one comment seemed to relax him. The gruff and angry pre-teen with trust issues slowly started to melt.]

[Whether he needed it or not, Ulaz was willing to provide. Yes, the Blade’s training was harsh and larger aimed at reminding where shortcomings lay in order to encourage improvement, there is an age and skill level where different encouragement was needed. To point out shortcomings for someone so insecure about it would make them put the weapon down and walk away.

They ran few a through more, soon going back to previous ones, a little faster now, letting Keith get the hang of the sword in some motion]

[Keith kept up easily, seeming to almost enjoy it after a while.]

[After sometime, Ulaz paused their practicing session]

What are you thinking of it so far?

[Keith was almost a little concerned with Ulaz stopped them, but then... what did he think? He considered it for a moment, giving a small shrug.]

It's good.

Good. And you are picking it up well.

[So he was going to start again]

[This time, Ulaz's acknowledgement of his learning drew out a tiny smile. He settled back into a fight stance, ready to keep going.]

[ action ]

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Fade to black?