Training: Is it really necessary?

[Casey Pryor]

Casey was not a happy girl. She'd gotten in a little fight with another student at the school. Well, fight was the wrong word, in Casey's opinion. She'd gotten the top grade on the test they'd just done and another student had the gall to say it was only cause Casey was a mutant. Casey ignored her, though she was upset about it. But after class the girl was waiting for her out side the building, came right up to her and shoved her. The other girl had gotten a few other hits in, nothing to leave any visible bruises, but Casey had essentially froze. Her first instinct was to lash out with her powers, but she held back. She hadn't used her powers on another living person since they revealed themselves. She didn't know how to fight really and, most of all, she was scared. The other student, a girl as well, was just a bit bigger then Casey but it was the first confrontation she'd had in a long time.

When word got back to Bellefonte, they insisted she check in at the medical wing, and when she was found to be just a bit sore, she told that she was to meet Richard Buckles. They were glad that she didn't use her powers, but that didn't mean she couldn't learn to defend herself properly. So with a resigned sigh she'd shot off an email to the teacher. She hoped it'd be a week or two before he was available. But it was a futile hope because it was just a few hours later he replied that'd be available the very next day in the afternoon. 

So now she trudged up to the training field, tugging on her braid in frustration. She saw Richard not to far ahead, waiting for her. With a resigned sigh she finally stopped in front of her and crossed her arms. "Mr. Buckles," she said, not sure what to address him as, with a curt nod. 

[Richard Buckles]

Richard of course was given the full run down on the situation. He could appreciate the fact that Casey didn't use her powers to defend herself. Many would have instinctually and not thought about the consequences till after. He wasn't sure what sort of student she would be when he got her but he was more than ready to help her when she got here. This was the sort of reason he thought self defense was important. So you don't have to lash out with a power that could kill someone but still feel safe.

He was surprised by the email since he was prepare to make contact first after the situation was explained to him and he got through the report. He replied eagerly looking forwards to seeing her the next day. He stood out on the field early as always he was to appointments. She was having the benefit of one on one instruction as her case was special and mandatory. He stood waiting in his blue shirt that had a softball sized Marine Corp logo over where the heart is and pair of black wind breaker pants. "Well hello there Miss Pryor. Well I don't think you should call me Mr. Buckles. Just called me Richard. Assuming that doesn't remind you of your father." he said starting with a joke though not certain she knew who Richard Pryor was.

"So I know all about the incident and that took a good deal of restraint on your part. Now part of what we are doing here is we are going to be sure you can take care of yourself if in a bad spot without using your powers still. That will mean some working out and cardio so build up a bit of muscle. Especially when that moon isn't so full hmm?" he said with a soft smile. "So first things first I want you to know that this will be rough but like anything harsh it will leave you stronger than went you started. Now how do you prefer being called?"

"Do you have any questions before we start?" he asked her.

[Casey Pryor]

Casey had started to nod in acknowledgement of calling him Richard but her stopped mid-nod and opened and closed her mouth a few times in quick succession. 'My father...what the heck is that about? Is there a Richard Pryor...' Casey's eyebrows furrowed in thought as she listened to him as he continued to talk.

Casey smiled a little, at his comment about the moon. At least he knew about her. "I used to run a lot...before college," she admitted. "I still run every once in a while but mostly I do...other things," she said, not wanting to admit she preferred dancing and partying to expend energy these days, not to a teacher anyways.  She sighed softly though as she thought about the sore aches that were sure to come with in a few days, heck, maybe even at the end of this first session. 

"You can call Casey. As for questions, not really. I get why this is a good idea," she said grudgingly. Just because she got it, didn't mean she had to like it. Though who knew, maybe she'd grow to love it?

[Richard Buckles]

Yeah that joke fell hard and flat on the ground and died with a shot to the head he knew form her rather perplexed expression. She had no idea who Richard Pryor was. Oh well he was an old comic and movie star by now he guessed. This was one of those awkward moments where she treated him like a teacher but they were practically the same age. They had given him her file to review in full to understand how to teach her better.

"Well we will have to get those muscles back to pace then like they were before. Before you got distracted by those keggers and wild nights. I am here to help you and to be your ally through all of this but sad much as I might not like to say it I am not your friend and likely you will hate me during points of our training. Trust me I been there. But by the time I am done with you, you will appreciate what hell I put you through. Part of this is also lessons on nutrition and proper eating."

"Well if no questions then how about we go for a two mile run around the school?" he asked her rhetorically. He pulled up his phone and punched a button "Alright lets go then." he said as he put the phone into his pocket. He started softly jogging in place moving up behind her "I will follow behind you." he said. He knew that keeping pace behind her would push her to keep a higher pace and rate. He was also timing her with a stop watch function on his phone. He would use it to gauge her progress in physical training before her combat training.

[Casey Pryor]

Casey shouldn't have been surprised that he knew what she basically did those full moon nights. He didn't look that much older then her at all. Hell maybe he even indulged in some parties himself. Well if that 'stick up the ass' a lot of teachers have hadn't found its way up in his. Such a sad fate really. Her face fell slightly at what he said about nutrition. 'Somehow I feel like that will involve some kind of homework.' She bit back a groan, knowing it'd make her sound like a spoiled ninny or something. She wasn't usually such a complainer, even mentally, she was just tired. 'Ah well,' she thought, 'suck it up.'

Since she had no questions, he suggested they start with a run. "Two miles, piece of cake," she joked half-halfheartedly. He sure knew how to start. She did a few quick stretches to warm up her muscles, made sure her hair was secure in her ponytail and started off at a slow jog. She was unnerved and a bit self-conscious that Richard was running behind her. It was definitely slowly pushing her into a faster, but still steady, speed. She didn't want to wear herself out to fast. 

After a few minutes of quiet, Casey glanced back at Richard and asked, "So how long have you been teaching? I don't really remember seeing you around when I was in high school." She faced forward again, not wanting to trip over anything, but was still listening for his answer, though she also thought to herself, 'of course I was pretty much a recluse in high school...'

[Richard Buckles]

"I know its not a big endurance run but I thought we start you out light till I see you in fighting shape." he said making a reference to the end goal but also useful as an idiom. He kept a steady pace behind her and saw his tactic was working very well and as she sped up he gave her just a bit more space so she didn't feel a tension over her the whole time. Wouldn't want to stress her out needlessly and also not tire her out by pressing more and more speed out of her. He was used to running everyday so this pace was a bit more relaxed than what he was used to.

Part of him was telling him to clamp down on that chatter and focus on the run but that was more the way he went through it during boot camp them years ago. No reason to make this a militant training program. "I didn't go to school here till three years ago." he informed her "I was in college by that point. I am actually a student teacher currently. I am finishing up college still." he informed her. He had known a number of people by face and a bit by name but for the most part he didn't branch out social with any sense of size.

He wasn't surprised she didn't really recognize him but then that was fine. Not everyone had to know everyone in the school. "So what age did you come to the school?" he asked her now.

[Casey Pryor]

"Starting light is good," she mumbled to herself, while thinking of herself in fighting shape. What would that be like? Was she going to have muscles that you could see? That'd be weird. Probably just toned. Casey didn't think she ate enough to get all muscly. Then again, he was going to be teaching her about nutrition too. 

She found herself getting into run, the endorphin's released from exercise were making her actually enjoy herself and pushing the tiredness she felt to the background. She appreciated Richard not being right up behind her, allowing her to keep her pace she'd worked up to. "Hmm," Casey thought, "I believe it was just shortly after my sixteenth  birthday. If you didn't start school here till three years ago that was the year I graduated and started college so I guess that explains that," she said with a small laugh.

"Do you enjoy student teaching?"

[Richard Buckles]

Richard was glad to see she was taking to running again so swiftly. He didn't want to have to literally poke her to get her butt in gear. She was doing very considering her powers should have left her feeling drained about this time of the month. How strange an ability being tied to the moon like that.

He nodded the. As she explained how she was in the middle of high school when things changed and she was sent here. He had to imagine more and more resentment the older you got before the powers surfaced. Though the younger you are the faster you adapt to the social change but the harder being from home would be.

"Oh well it's all apart of the training till I reach full fledged after college. Any notion what you are doing after school?" he questioned.

[Casey Pryor]

"I don't have a concrete plan yet. I'm getting a bachelors in Business and Communications though. I work at a bookstore part time and was thinking of opening up my own but I want to do something that's a bit out of the ordinary with it so its not just 'another' book store," she replied as her mind again wandered to different ideas. 'Cafe book store? Nooo, that's like Barnes and Noble kind of, what with the Starbucks in there.' Casey let out a frustrated huff. Her school adviser was starting to get on her as well to come up with some kind of ideas and plans as well. After all, she only had a year and a half left after this semester was over. 

Now that they'd been running a bit, the initial endorphin rush she'd felt was starting to wane and her pace slowed down a bit and her mind wandered to soaking in a nice hot bath to relax her muscles. She'd for sure be getting some good sleep tonight. Of course, she still had to run. She wasn't gonna try and call it quits until she'd finished the whole two miles. Then there might even be something after that. Even if she was starting to really tire, she'd try to keep the grumpiness at bay and give her best. 

Not wanting to seem rude and also wanting to keep up the conversation she asked, "So what exactly made you want to be a teacher? And do you know what grade level you want to teach?" She glanced back at him and said quite forcefully and with dismay, "I would NEVER want to teach high schoolers." And then not wanting to trip and look stupid, focused in front of her again.

[Richard Buckles]

"Well not a bad choice as we all need business and communication." he said blankly not sure what sort of jobs you get with that but sounded a bit dry. One thing about teaching especially at this school was that it was never dull for certain. To many odd and interesting people came here if not because of their abilities because they were from all over the continent but also some international ties.

"Hmmm so you want to be a small business owner huh? Sounds interesting though coming up with a business that is unique and successful certainly takes some guts." he said and that was true. Though Kalispell was a good place for it as its a slowly expanding place cause of the revelation.

"Well either way college is over in a blink of an eye. Feels like I just got here a few months ago and here it has been three years already. Less than. Year left till full teaching." he said thinking about those years. It had gone by so fast and here he was a very different person having been in the school.

"Well I can't help but notice your slowing down come on let's push it a little more than once we get past three quarters a mile we will take it down a little. It's all about having a goal. Just push a little harder a little longer and you will be better for it in the long term even if you feel on fire for now." he said from experience but also more than that with the backlash of her power hitting her.

He shrugged "Well I wanted to help people and didn't want to go anywhere else so teaching was a way to do that." he said. "Plus I have a feeling this place can use people like me in case things get a little out of sorts."