[PRP] The Real Journey Begins

[Suudonym]

He was a bit disappointed by the response - the desire to move or do something was sudden and unabating - but he accepted it nonetheless breathing a short sigh alongside a nod, "Okay."  

[BlackPidgeot]

While Yuri knew that Luke was anxious, it would be better to wait until there was more light.

Thus, at the crack of dawn, Yuri was up and making breakfast. While Luke was eating, the man walked off and eventually came back with a pair of thick long sticks that were about the length of a sword.

One was tossed in Luke's direction.  

[Suudonym]

Luke caught the branch reflexively, offhandedly judging its size and weight. Presented without verbal context, he studied the limb in mild confusion, searching the various roles the thing could fill before the previous night's conversation returned to his thoughts. He resisted a frown; it was a little off in weight and grip to represent a sword, but that didn't necessarily matter if he was focusing on regaining control over forms and motions. With a rough understanding of the situation, he stood.  

[BlackPidgeot]

He could see the disapproval in Luke's expression, but Yuri didn't exactly care. This was how they were going to start. When the boy seemed to understand and stood, the man wordlessly lead the way to an open area where they could practice with plenty of space.

Yuri then turned to face Luke, his own stick resting on his shoulder like he often did with his sword.

"I don't really know what your original teacher was like, but let's start with the basics. Show me what you know."  

[Suudonym]

Luke didn't really know what his original teacher was like either, he supposed, but the thought was insignificant and thus passing. The last time he had given any attention to the use of a sword was shortly after his mother's funeral, in a state of emotional exhaustion and overall poor health. His stance was sharper now, spurred by a more tangible resolve and more reliant on muscle memory than simple knowledge, but his swing was undeniably weak and slow. Dissatisfied with his performance, he moved through the fundamental motions for a few repetitions, refining his balance and posture slightly closer towards an acceptable target.  

[BlackPidgeot]

With a hand on his hip and his stick tapping against his shoulder, Yuri watched as Luke went about the motions. However, they were slow and clumsy, obviously unpracticed for some time. It was to be expected really, so he wasn't surprised.

After a few moments of watching this, the man came to stand next to Luke, and started doing the same routine. Yuri's movements were fluid and strong as he was in much better shape.

Going through the same repetitions as Luke, Yuri's intent was to have it so Luke could watch him. To remember what it was supposed to look like and try to match it. The older man giving silent encouragement to the younger.  

[Suudonym]

He remembered the feeling of the movements, but only enough to know that he was doing something wrong. Yuri's shift in position pulled his attention, and he returned to a ready stance and watched the older swordsman's motions. When Luke moved again, it was in a steady gradation between unique stances, matching each tension and relaxation to its appropriate position and timing. Another repetition, equally unhurried, making small adjustments towards refinement. There was a steadfast concentration to his demeanor as he memorized and remembered. These sensations weren't unfamiliar, but his body was slow to recall. Comfortable with his execution of the stance, he moved to repeat once more, factoring strength into the swing.

Good. Sluggish, but good in form. It was a feeling that summoned memories of the park in Camphoreon, of endless reiterations of the most fundamental techniques. He'd been quicker then, for sure. Once more he reproduced the movements, forcefully speeding the strike. No, that sacrificed accuracy. It was hard to be patient, though, in the effort to catch up to a place he had already reached once before.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Don't push yourself, it'll take some time," Yuri reminded Luke as he continued to go through the motions with him. Although he really wasn't one to talk in regards to patience. He had been perhaps the most impatient student ever, but that was probably due to the fact that he half taught himself.

"You're doing good, keep at it."

As Luke kept on, Yuri started to do his own thing. Going through some moves that Luke probably hadn't seen before. The long haired man had a unique style, and it showed. He had taken what he'd learned from the Guarde and given it his own flair.

"Is it starting to come back?" he then asked.  

[Suudonym]

Some part of Luke was conscious of the fact that it would be impossible to reach a decent height of skill after a single morning of practice or even after an entire day's worth practice - though he was certainly more than willing to use any amount of downtime they took to further his efforts. Still, he felt compelled to push himself and to be excessively strict with himself. He'd done this before, so he could do it again in half the time with enough effort.

It wasn't difficult to notice the stylistic motions Yuri added to his repetitions, and it drew Luke's thoughts to the days he spent learning swordplay from Van. His expression soured, and he misstepped. A frown, and he took a moment's respite, controlling his breath.

"Yeah," he nodded. "It's easy to feel what's right and what's wrong, but it's hard to keep form with speed…"  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

Yuri noticed the frown and paused when Luke did as well. Although not without spinning his stick around in his hand like a baton before resting it on his shoulder again.

"Yeah, speed comes with practice. The more you do it, the faster you get. So just take it slow for now. Eventually, it'll become second nature, like instinct."

He didn't know how advanced Luke really was, or what he knew, and he might already know these things. But it didn't hurt to reinforce them.  

[Suudonym]

A small nod, accompanied by a knowing "yeah." He resumed the appropriate posture, working incrementally through a repetition. "This is all I did when I was a kid," he said idly. "Don't think I ever took it seriously until coming to Kodo, though…" Granted, he'd never had a need to take it seriously before coming to Kodo. Swordplay was always just a way to kill time at home.  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

Yuri blinked once at Luke's words. "Yeah? What got you into it?" Although really he was more stuck on the notion that this was "all" he did. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Surely it hadn't been the only thing he did, right? But from what he understood, Luke had been locked up in that manor during his childhood. And he had to admit, that would be pretty damn boring. But then why swordplay? Seemed to him that his parents were pretty overprotective.  

[Suudonym]

"I think I thought it was something I was supposed to do," he replied, thoughtful. "I lost my memories when I was little, so I more or less formed my identity around what others told me about myself. So since the instructor who taught Asch still came by…" Rather than intending to teach the sword to Luke, though, Van had probably just been checking to make sure everything was suitable to his plans. It had been refreshing, with his parents often regarding him with wistful disappointment, to interact with someone who seemed to actually care. Seemed to.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Yuri was silent for a few moments as he took that in. Lost his memories when he was little? He hadn't known about that.

"Man, that's rough," he said finally. Although something Luke said at the end there confused him.

"What do you mean, still came by?"  

[Suudonym]

Abandoning the gradual routine, he moved and struck at the empty air: quick, precise, angry. He dropped form, passing the branch to his right hand to rotate his left wrist and shoulder; it was a good movement, but he wasn't conditioned for motion like that. "That instructor kidnapped my brother and raised him to be a member of Team Rocket," he said, a distinct antipathy present in his voice. "After, he still came by and trained me and pretended to be sympathetic so I would trust him and my family wouldn't suspect him."