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 Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:10 pm
He He!!!... You're over thinking it!!!MockaDash replied. The correct answer would be Spirit Particles!!! You're standing on them!!!
Everything around us, everything that comprises Soul Society, is made of spirit particles!!! The ground, you, me, our clothes, even the air around us!!! That why you can stand on air... You're actually standing on Spirit Particles!!!
By using our reiatsu we can interact with Spirit Particles as if solid objects.
You talked about molecules, so here's an example for you: On Earth, every entity interacts with its surroundings... Humans can swim through water thanks to its density, and that's also the reason why they can't move through air - like birds do. Attrition, inertia, kinetic and potential forces, they all apply to their movements! As well as mass, density, area, etc. Not to mention interactions at an atomic level, such as repulsive and attractive forces!!!
As I stated earlier, a human can propel himself through water by interacting with it, as he can hold a sword in his hands, also by interacting with the molecules of which the sword is made!
Our Zanpakutous are also made of Spirit Particles, and that's why we can hold them and be cut by them . and only them!!!
By using our reiatsu, we can "mold" spirit particles to our desire - in a certain degree in relation to our skills - So I can sit on thin air as if I was sitting on a chair, because I'm actually molding the Spirit Particles on the air to sustain my weight like a chair would!!!
Do you understand me so far??? As he said that, Mock undressed his haori while remaining sit, revealing a naked torso. The haori fell to the ground... However, since my clothes have no reiatsu of their own, they fall to the ground... Only actively using reiatsu can Spirit Particles be manipulated, so an object or living entity without strong enough reiatsu, cannot manipulate spirit particles like we're doing!!!
Mock stood up once more, and walked towards Suri, stopping an inch from her face. So, you see??? If we trust and believe that we are walking on something solid, we can actually pull it off!!! He gave her a wide grin while taking a couple of steps back.
You have enough reiatsu control to mold the particles, as you have proven. You just need to believe in yourself now!!!!!
Ready for step two???
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Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:18 pm
:Understanding the concept that MockaDash was explaining, Suri blushed slightly. Although she had read many books about the modern science of Earth, in case she ever had an important mission there, she had neglected researching the Soul Society in which she had been living for thousands of years. However, as Mock's comments made the idea clear to her, Suri started sending out her reiatsu more, probing and imagining her spirit energy meshing itself with the surrounding spirit particles. As that concept became easier, Suri found that she could create a good enough base of spiritual energy and particles for her to sit on, as Mock had demonstrated early.
Realizing that the lesson was not yet over, Suri stood up hastily and bowed in apology, commenting lowly, "I apologize. Please, continue with the lesson Lieutenant Mock.":
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 6:17 pm
You act funny when you're nervous!!! Mock said with with a smile, referring to how she sometimes used politeness as a way to mask her embarrassment. Mock actually wished he could be like her in that aspect, instead of acting awkwardly and clumsy every time he felt uncomfortable with something or someone.
As he smiled, Mock's kasa hat began to float on top of his head, and spiraled around itself. His reiatsu was being focused around the hat.
Remember what I just told you, and do something like this... He said to Suri, while stretching forward his right arm and making a "V" sign with his index and middle fingers. This is step two!!!
((I apologize in advance if my posts from now on aren't as good as they should be. Today hasn't been a good day to me. Actually, it was the culminating of a whole bad week... ))
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Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:41 pm
:Unsure of what to levitate, Suri glanced around her, hoping to be able to find something that would not be too hard to manipulate at first try. She had no loose articles of clothing on her, and unlike Mock she rarely ever wore hats. Her eyes finally settled on the small water bottle she had left on the bench.
Concentrating fiercely, Suri started to emit reiatsu from her body, her eyes burning a bright shade of amber. Slowly, the water bottle rose shakily from the bench. However, about an inch off of the bench's surface, it began to wobble unevenly. It demonstrated to Suri the horrible choice it had been. Because of the water that was in the bottle, once it started to move up, she could not control the sloshing inside. Since the reiatsu energy only affected the outside bottle, the water inside was still free to move about as it please.
Concentrating harder, Suri focused more reiatsu towards that. She lowered herself down in the process, not wanting to concentrate on floating too many things at once. Also, she was unsure of how much energy the shunpo training would take, so she did not want to expend too much to start with.
As more reiatsu gathered around the bottle, swirling rapidly, the bottle gained height, tipping to each side in a swaying motion. However, remembering that Mock had spiraled his hat, Suri started using her reiatsu to turn the bottle as it levitated. Since the constant centripetal force kept the water to the edges and fairly even displaced, making the bottle float became an easier task. Suri turned to Mock for a hint of correction or confirmation when the bottle was about a meter off of the bench.:
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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:28 pm
Nice work, Suri-san!!! Mock said with a smile. Let's move on to the third and final step, where you will actually need to flash-step!!!... You will now have to put into practice both previous concepts I've explained to you!!!
You already understood that everything around you is comprised of spirit particles, and also, you've realized that by controlling the spirit particles around you - resorting to your reiatsu - you can move objects around! Providing we aren't talking about a "subject" that doesn't oppose your "manipulation" - sort of speaking - like for example another Shinigami of course...
What you do in order to flash-step, is simply combine these two "steps" into one, and apply them to yourself and your surroundings...
I'll explain with further detail... You "manipulate" the spirit particles under your feet, using your reiatsu, and force them to move you from one place to the other!!! Think of it as riding an escalator!... You see? It's different than you moving by yourself, it actually is the surrounding spirit particles that are moving and by doing that, carrying you around!...
I'll demonstrate as slow as possible... After saying that, Mock slowly gathered some reiatsu under his feet, in order for Suri to be able to perceive it. He purposely forced the air beneath him to shift, making it possible for her to actually see (rather than only feel) the spirit particles in the air beneath his feet being moved at his whim.
Suddenly, MockaDash vanished, only to reappear behind Suri. He tapped her on the shoulder and gently said to her, behind her hear... And that is how you shumpo!!! Now you try!!!
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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:58 pm
:Suri watched as the reiatsu under Mock's feet swirled with increasing energy. They gathered in a larger concentration than normal, though that would not have been truly evidently unless Suri could detect them also. Almost right after that, the particles seemed to accelerate, bringing along with them the things in proximity to them. If it had not been for Mock's analogy with the escalator, Suri would have associated the movement with being punched so hard that she ended up flying to a different location. Of course, moving by spirit particles was a more versatile concept than an escalator since people could still twist and turn almost instantaneously.
"This may be an interesting experiment...to say the least," Suri grinned weakly. "Perhaps I will stay close to the ground for now."
Maintaining her height off of the ground, roughly three inches, Suri started to gather the spirit particles under her feet, boosting herself for the solid feeling. After that, she had to pick a target towards which to attempt to move herself. The large tree nearby was appealing because of its visibility and distance, but Suri thought better of it. If she lost control, she would rather fall on soft grass instead of flinging herself into a tree. Spotting an uneven tuft of grass about ten feet away, Suri decided to focus her attention on that.
Concentrating on the movement of the spirit particles under her feet, Suri willed them to move her. It would have felt a bit ridiculous, like she was trying to establish a telepathic connection with the spirit particles, if Suri had not already been attuned to reiatsu from all the kido training. Slowly, she started to propel herself forward, but the spirit particles jumped ahead, already recognizing where she wanted to go. Suri felt herself tumble slightly, as if a platform was being whisked out from under her feet. Quickly regaining her balance, Suri looked up to see herself by the tuft of grass, turned around to face Mock again.
"Whoa," Suri whispered. "I am not quite sure I got the hang of that.":
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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:26 pm
When Suri turned around to face Mock, he already wasn't there. A small laughter was heard from behind Suri, not a mocking one but instead a pleased one. MockaDash was behind the Shinigami, not able to hide his enjoyment for her success - for a first try! Not bad!!! Not bad at all!!! Not that I expected otherwise from you, Suri-san!!! I had no doubt in my mind, that due to your extensive kidou training, you would have no problem whatsoever in grasping the mechanics of shumpo!!!
Resting his back on the tree nearby, Mock continued... It was very good for a first try!!! But of course, practice makes perfection!!!... I think you tumbled a bit only because you tried to move too fast right away... You're not accustomed to it...
And you still need much further training before gaining the proper speed to use this technique effectively in battle - I mean, to outmatch your foes' shumpo or sonido!!!
For now, I believe it's best, if you focus on stability of execution, rather than speed or distance!!! Remember that speed is not the only factor in play, since the further away you try to shumpo, the harder it also is to do it!... That's due to the fact that you have to "force" the spirit particles into carrying you for a greater length, of course...
Stretching his arms, Mock yawned before sitting close to the tree, under its shade, and leisurely say to Suri... So what now???
You still need further training like I just pointed out... You could do it by yourself at any time, or you can take advantage of me being here and do some more training right now... If you do, I can give you more advices and point out what it is you need to improve...
Ultimately, the decision is up to you, since I already did most of what I could do here...
Covering about two thirds of his face, with his hat, Mock (almost) muttered some final words... ...Or you could just keep me company by the shade...
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Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:32 pm
:Giving a slight smile at Mock's compliment, Suri started to zip around a bit more. She maintained the same height off of the ground though since her form was still wobbly. At one point she seemed to tip forward, as if tripping on an invisible rock, and landed with her palms on the ground, but her knees in the air. She laughed nervously, embarrassed to be caught in such an awkward position, but she clambered back up, ready to try again. Slowly, she was able to make it from the tuft of grass to Mock without falling, but her speed was not exponentially faster than if she had been running. In truth, her speed was about the same as what she would have managed if she had released the ice of her shikai stage and slid along the ground.
Deciding to save true speed for when she could confidently propel herself on spirit particles without falling, Suri decided to attempt it at a higher altitude. It required more focus on her part since she had to have force acting on the spirit particles in two direction, and having them push her up a meter from the ground was a far greater distance over which to lose control than a mere three inches.
Hefting herself higher, Suri started to add on speed with the spirit particles, not aiming too high, but just enough so that she would at least move a tad faster than how she would have gone on her shikai ice. Starting off slow, rather than instantly accelerating herself like Mock did, Suri managed to get the wind blast through her hair. It was exhilarating to be traveling at such a high speed, but Suri had to keep herself from getting lost in the feeling. A slight tumble made her fall a few inches, and after regaining her composure, Suri continued on, careful to pay more attention to the spirit particle manipulation.
Gradually, she managed to get from the tuft of grass to Mock in shade, traveling quickly enough so that her image blurred, but not fast enough to completely disappear. She had also managed to gain a fair height of 1.5 meters off of the ground, but not too much higher than that.:
(( Sorry if mixing between the U.S. system and the metric system confuses you >.< ))
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Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:28 pm
...As expected... Mock said to himself, as Suri continued her training, leaving him to rest under the tree's shade. The Shinigami reached for his sake bottle and took a small sip, before finishing his sentence... ... Always the enterprising one!!!
Although apparently distracted and aloof, MockaDash was actually paying close attention to Suri's efforts in mastering the basis of Shumpo. He even grinned slightly, when she landed with her hands on the ground.
He kept drinking from the bottle, while happily humming a familiar tune and tapping with his foot, following the song's rhythm.
Suri was steadily showing progress. Nicely done, Suri-san!!! Mock complimented with a smile, after all those attempts. You seem to be getting the hang of it!!! Are you tired? Do you want to rest for a while???
...Though... You realize, there is still much room for improvement, don't you???
Think fast!!! While the words were still coming out of his mouth, Mock threw the sake bottle he was holding on his right hand, at Suri's face. He wanted to ascertain her reflexes at the time, and what her reaction would be...
Only after he had thrown it, did he thought of the worst possibility that could come out of his action! - He then hoped that she would not be struck by it on the face... That would hurt!
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Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:19 pm
:Suri glanced up when Mock asked her if she wanted to rest. Pausing in mid-air, she assessed her state-of-being briefly. It was true that she was getting weary, and the constant use of reiatsu was starting to take a toll. No doubt she was enduring a bit better than she had thought, but it was still difficult for her to maintain such a constant pressure on spirit particles in various directions.
As she was about to lower herself back to the ground, Suri saw Mock's bottle come flying towards her. It was too quick for her to react, and instinctively, Suri tried to dodge it by putting her hands up and stepping to the side. Unfortunately, she forgot that she was floating on air. With a gasp, Suri's right foot fell the one and a half meter, wrenching her left ankle before that too came tumbling down.
"Ah, that was not a pretty sound," Suri muttered to herself as she tried to prop herself back up. A sharp, definitive pain shot up her left leg, piercing every muscle from her soleus to her hamstrings and quadriceps. "Well, I guess that will not work."
Deciding to opt for an alternative, Suri used spirit particles to push herself off of the ground again. While she could, she might as well practice the basics of shunpo. Without speeding up any, Suri focused on controlling the spirit particles so that they could propel her to the shade without her moving. Coming under the leafy canopy, Suri gradually lowered herself to the ground, where she toppled down to, her hands coming out first so that her left leg could be brought down gently without a jarring impact.
"Sorry for that ditzy display," Suri said to Mock as she grabbed her wattle-bottle. "I usually am more prepared for such circumstances. It seems my reflexes to run away with shunpo is non-existent at present."
Taking a swig of water, Suri laughed lightly to herself before settling down to massaging her leg. She probed her ankle gently to be sure that nothing was broken, fractured, or twisted oddly, and finding that all was well enough, Suri gently rubbed in circles around her ankle.:
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:45 pm
Are you alright, Suri-san??? Mock asked with a worried expression on his face. Did you strain your ankle??? Does it hurt much??? Want me to massage it for you!!! He started to smile...
Gazing at the sky, while leaning back to rest against the trunk of the tree, he said... I wanted to see if you've reached a point where shumpo is instinctive enough for you to do, as running or jumping is... But guess you haven't reached that point yet... Well no worries!!! In time I'm sure you will!!! (( say... 3 years for example, would be enough I guess! xp ))
I do apologize however for the method I choose to test that!!! You could've got hurt bad, I rushed without thinking!!!...
Mock yawned and close his eyes to rest, waiting for Suri to say something... He was, however, enjoying the (somewhat unusual) quietude of the training grounds. Only the leaves being buffeted by the wind, could be heard.
This was definitively a "comfortable silence".
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Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:08 pm
:Slowly letting go of her ankle and easing it to the ground, Suri lightly tapped the heel of her foot a couple times. It held up fairly well, and although she could feel slight shocks of pain running through her leg, there was nothing unbearable about it. Using her hands to brace herself, Suri pushed off from the ground, leaning on the tree a bit so that she would not place too much weight on her left leg.
"No, I think I shall be alright," Suri thanked Mock for his concern. "Unfortunately, I am afraid I wholly agree with you. It will take me a bit of time to reach a point where I can successfully react with shunpo. I think I shall practice quite often in the upcoming future."
Turning her head slightly, Suri noticed a small black butterfly alight on her shoulder. Studying its strange wing pattern, Suri realized that it was a Hell Butterfly, delivering a message to her. Listening closely, Suri glanced back up at Mock and bowed respectfully at a steeper angle.
"Congratulations on your new promotion Captain," she murmured. "I understand how busy you are now with a new squad, and I greatly appreciate the time you took to train me.":
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Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:15 pm
As always, Suri was in haste to leave. At least, that was the idea that came through at Mock, as she stood up (while still trying to mask the pain she was feeling in her ankle) and started talking to him. MockaDash on the contrary, liked to take things "nice and slowly"... To "enjoy the view", sort of speaking.
The Shinigami opened his right eye to gaze at Suri, as he sensed the approach of a Hell Butterfly...
What do you mean by "Captain MockaDash"??? I was - not so long ago - promoted to Vice-Captain, not Captain... You must be imagining things... He was interrupted by another winged messenger, this time meant for him.
Mock's eyes widened as he listened to the message. Not because of its contents, since the message in itself was quite vague, but precisely because of the hidden meanings behind that exact vagueness. As the Hell Butterfly departed, he leisurely stood up. Do you want me to carry you to the 4th squad, Suri-san? He asked, not using his usual jovial tone of voice. You should have someone take a look at that ankle of yours.
Cleaning the dirt and grass off his clothes, he continued... Believe in me when I say you would be doing me a favor. I don't know if you'll understand my reasons behind what I'll say next... But of all times I've been summoned to appear on my Captain's Office, this is the one where I really don't want to hurry!
He awaited for Suri's reply, before moving even an inch.
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 2:37 pm
:Suri could only smile apologetically back at Mock. She stood up straight to show that her ankle would be fine. There was no need for him to help her to fourth squad over such a minor injury that she could heal herself.
"I apologize, but it would be wrong to aid you in even a temporary evasion of duty," Suri bowed. "This is not a matter that should be avoided, even if it is so desired. I understand that there are complicated personal feelings involved in the matter, but things are moving apace in the Sereitei. We cannot afford to delay any longer, and as such, I must return to my office. There is a new-recruit who is probably there waiting for me right now. As for my ankle, I am sure I can find a plaster in my emergency first-aid box. I shall make a move first."
Bowing again respectfully, Suri turned and walked off of the training grounds, hurrying a bit to meet with the new recruit. Whatever training needed to get done would have to be done soon.:
(( Exit. BTW, I think the seating competition is ready for you to judge ^_^. You might need to wait for Kuro Yogensha to make one more post, but otherwise, I thank you for volunteering to do this ^__^ ))
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:41 pm
Mock stood speechless and motionless as Suri talked and departed. He didn't even say goodbye to her.
Without realizing it, MockaDash had been standing on that same spot for about 5 minutes. With a sigh, he turned around and started walking back to his squad. As he did, he grasped his (half-full) sake bottle and gazed at it for some time, before throwing it away.
He would take his time reaching his destination. He wasn't in a hurry, and he needed some time to recollect his thoughts.
(( OK! I'll go look into it. You don't need to thank me, rather I'm the one who needs to apologize once more for not being able to judge the last match xp ))
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