Welcome to Gaia! ::

(Alright. Thanks. ; D Haha I've never had a berserker before.
not entirely sure what to post for this, but eh!)

"I really don't have a single clue what to do, to be honest, hehe, but I'll learn. Probably." Entering the Taiji stance -- he held one arm before and one arm behind him. His legs were placed -- however imperfectly -- and with this, he began to move forward and backwards while making menial strikes, sometimes attempting to strafe from side-to-side, though usually tumbling over almost to the point of falling. ''Yeaaaah, I don't need to embarrass myself just yet..." Taking each step carefully, although he looked unsure, shaky and almost desperate, he carried on, slowly memorizing small shifts of movement that would not hurt. (1/4)

And any further movements were met with a small sense of assurance, for, despite the fact that he was new -- this was his life's specialization, and he wasn't all hopeless. Slowly holding more balance -- with higher concentration per moment, he eventually met a midway point he was sure could be completed. It wasn't exactly rapid progress -- and perhaps, to the man instructing him he looked like a fool, but that was alright. He wasn't here to impress. He was here to learn. And learn he would. (2/4)

Each movement seemed to be incremented from the last, and each showed a certain solidity while also appearing to come... naturally. Although he fumbled at moments, he was proud of his progress and couldn't help but look over at Sky and smile. Power -- it wasn't something that could be granted so easily, but along the way the satisfaction never diminished. He may have only been stepping along the road, far from where he would meet his end, but he was glad, at this moment, to finally -- begin. (3/4)

And as time went, eventually, it became obvious that this step was finished. It was only the first stage of many, but he felt satisfaction with what he had accomplished. Now, he'd be a just a little bit better than all the days before. And that, to him, was enough. "Well, I guess that part's over with. Time for... what were they called? Phantom Feint and Hip Throw? Yeah, think that was it. Haha, sorry, my mind's been a little... well... I'll just... shut up now. Yeah. I can do them, don't worry." (4/4)

These two seemed rather easy in comparison to the prior -- so it was no surprise when he completed Phantom Feint within what could almost appear as a moment. He continued to move forward -- but as he did this, he brought himself back to the earlier days of his training. Steps -- movements that would shift the enemies understanding. Easy. And they just got easier. Within his first few movements, he waited for a blink -- a moment of blackness as he would appear at his teacher's side. "Hope I didn't scare you, oh benevolent short guy. You can get back at me later." (1/1)

The next seemed more interesting, at least. He set his sight on a nearby dummy, and as he walked closer to it, he took deep breaths before grabbing along the sides of what would be a human's "shoulders". Lifting the dummy from its hinges connected to the ground -- he set his legs in the proper position as his hips pressed against the synthetic object. With a short brace, he forcefully threw the dummy against the floor with as much force as he could. It wasn't too difficult -- but as he was only a beginner -- it set him a little unbalanced, perhaps even off of his guard. (1/1)

"Alright. Got those done with. What's next?"

(Hahaha, I had to google Tai Chi
I was like "what the FUUUU-")

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Noticing that a man had entered before them -- seeming to be cold, dull and unsociable, he disregarded him as someone that would not grant neither Sky or Hawk benefit. However, as he looked awkward and alone, the boy decided to at least greet him, despite the fact that he was new and confused as well. ''...Hello." Despite it being out-of-character for him to speak to someone such as him, he felt that part of moving on was waking himself for a change. Perhaps there was such thing as a friend -- and perhaps any one of these people, from short-guy to weird-guy could become such a thing. But then, such hope seemed almost futile, so he dared not persist in any word past the first. If "hello" would not be enough for the man, then the man would not be enough for him.

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A hand extended before him... it was odd to see such a response. Was this some gesture of neutral acknowledgement? Was he looking for a handshake -- something to show that they had a mutual sense of manners? He wasn't sure how to respond to this, but he did, nonetheless, and it was with a small laugh as the boy stared back and forth from the man's hand to his own. "Haha, sorry, my hands are a bit sweaty. You can have my name, though. It's Hawk. The little dunce over there is Sky -- he's my... well, twin. But our brains are not -- and never have been -- symmetrical. So if you're looking to find some kind of pleasant response from him, abandon all hope. Haha, but seriously, what's your name? And are you new, like us?" The fact that Vincent didn't seem all that talkative made all of this bearable. Some people -- with their petty and uninteresting conversation made Hawk feel as if they were strangling him. Suffocating him with their brash idiocy... yes, he hated people like that. Hopefully, Vincent prepared his words before he spewed them. If not, then the boy would wait for no response, desire no response, and indulge no response. Perhaps the man wasn't judging Hawk -- but he was always judging, and perhaps, if he faltered, Hawk would soon be judging him.

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Nodding his head, he walked over and picked up the dummy he had previously slammed on the ground. "Alright. But after this, I've decided I'd like to learn Dim Mak instead of capoeira. I am a Gemini, and this may mean I have no magic, but that doesn't mean I have to be weaker or... underprivileged. With Dim Mak -- I can make things just a bit more equal, don'tcha think?" To him it had always been a point of insecurity that he could not use magic -- but he now found a sense of happiness that, this didn't mean he was weak. Positioning himself -- and the dummy -- into the appropriate positions, he took a deep breath as he readied himself to smash it. (1/4)

However, as the time and opportunity came for him to do it, he did not, for fear of hurting his own self. This part of the style was... risky. If the weight were too much, or if he lost his balance, he would be the one falling. He went over the steps again, letting go of the dummy, picking it back up, and holding it by its side. His arms were pressed against what would be the dummy's "chest". His legs were positioned behind the dummy -- and, with a small spin, he attempted to slam the synthetic object's "head" against the ground. It did not work that way. Instead, he accidentally let go, the dummy falling out of his hands as he tripped and fell to the floor. He made no comment on this -- only a disapproving grunt. "Hngh..." (2/4)

The third attempt, and to him, hopefully the final, he followed the same procedure as before. The weight became less and less of a trouble to him -- as did the positioning, though he still felt he wasn't entirely ready. This time, he instead slowly worked it out, trying to get a feel -- a grasp of what he needed to do. With slow steps and a slow assault, it worked time and again, and he began to grasp what sort of movements he had to do to retain his balance and his grasp. So, it wouldn't be surprising if, when the next time would come, he would do better than any time before. (3/4)

And he did. He tilted the dummy as he spun, before slamming its supposed skull against the floor. "Ha. Suppose it worked. So... what's next?" He sat against the floor for a few moments, taking a few breaths in as he attempted -- however pointlessly -- to restore his energy. (4/4)

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"Uh... okay." Sitting down away from the crowd -- away from the bustle and the disturbances, he rested his elbows against his legs as his arms held up in meditation. It was strange to be doing this -- all of that he learned had always been about strength and wild destruction... damage, pain, destruction. It was different. And... he liked it. The stillness brought him a sense of comfort, and there was no need for him to cancel out the noise or anything of the sort. He felt... tranquility, and this was something he enjoyed. No sound from his direction, only a slight smile as he attempted to look within himself. (1/4)

He attempted to cut through his concentration as he looked for whatever was needed. Points of... energy? Chi? Blood? He wasn't really sure. It was odd, trying to find this within himself. He didn't really know how to look. And at this point, he began to see that the real method was perhaps subtle investigation. Concentration and focus -- meditation at their prime, were meant for these sorts of things, weren't they? Seeing what could not be seen -- hearing things louder than before -- yes... this was what he needed to do. And this was how he would do it. (2/4)

It wasn't long before it felt like within his own mind, he had a blurred vision. And that was when he discovered his first point. Along his chest, more, and as he went, he began to find more and more points -- though hardly enough in number to actually add up to three-hundred and sixty-one. But he didn't bother counting. He searched, and in this time, he began to see what sorts of patterns they could form, where they were likely to be, and which points may have been more important than the others. Yes, slowly but surely, he recognized them within his own human body, and through meditation, he understood. (3/4)

Perfection. It was fleeting, but a feeling of near-perfection had sustained itself through the meditations process. He felt like he had at least began to understand what sorts of powers the humanoid body held -- and where they came from. He may have only been a weak, ambitious fool, but he felt just a bit closer to the power he desired. Almost as if he could reach out and touch it -- to hold it within his arms... it was a strange sense, but it felt... perfect. "I... I am done. I found them. I don't know if that means I'll remember all of them, but something tells me I will. Let's... let's move on, okay? I don't want to speak of that any further." (4/4)

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To sense, to see someone's energy -- their chi. It seemed... astronomical, to him, that such a simple step would take him so far. Yes, he desired to learn this -- and yes, he would. It was something he wanted to see himself doing -- a goal he wanted to believe could be reached. As he focused his vision, he tried to see the energy traces of all around him. Perhaps he would find none, but it was the effort he put that signified his progress. He focused -- meditated -- even tried to see his own points first. And then an idea struck his mind, and he knew what to do. He stared along all around him -- looking at the points, as he remembered them. He couldn't see any of their chi -- but within looking further, he could see Sky's. His brother -- who had shared a single soul with him since birth. He saw his energy -- and it mirrored his own. (1/4)

He couldn't help but find it impressive, what he could do now. But it wasn't complete yet. He could not grasp the energy traces of the others around him. No matter how intently he stared, all he began to see was the futility of these attempts. But there was no room for him to falter. Power would not wait. And as he focused and continued to focus, he saw his own energy reflect upon the world around him. It dimmed -- almost as if it had gotten darker, but it had not. He had entered the so-called "infrared" vision the skill spoke of -- though it wasn't as impressive as he thought it would be. It was blurry, hard to grasp and he couldn't really see anything clearly. But he realized that it was not complete -- he was not finished, and until he was, it would remain this way, pitiful and almost blinding. (2/4)

As time moved, so did he. As he moved, so did his progress. And as his progress moved, so did his understanding. There was more to this... energy, than blue dots or some aura. It was connected to something... higher. He grasped for this -- and as he saw it, his vision became more clear. They were all connected to something... something that fed them energy, and as it gave them this, it eventually begged for rest. Was it the sun? Was it humanity itself? Was it the soul? People had always told him that he could not cast spells because his soul was broken in half. Perhaps this meant his energy was incomplete as well? But he had all 361 points...? It was hard for him to understand, but he came closer to this understanding the further he looked. And soon, he knew and accepted it as something he could not describe. (3/4)

Finally, he reached the ending of this long hurdle. The skill was learned -- and he was alright. He could see the energy around the people clearly, as well as what radiated within. It was an odd experience, but he didn't mind it so much. It felt enlightening, to him. Perhaps even revolutionary. Though, of course, he wasn't the one to discover this... he would never be that great, at least, in his own mind. (4/4)

The next stage of progression was rather the opposite -- hiding his own energy. This would help him against seers mostly -- who seemed to rule the spire. However, the fact that one did, didn't really matter to him. He had no grand scheme of usurping leadership -- and he was sure that he couldn't, anyways. So, for now, he learned the skill as instructed, and he left it at that. However, as it were now, regardless of what he did, he could still see his own chi with the strange sense of vision he had forced upon himself. His chi was not even blurred -- it was there and it was coherent. (1/4)

However, as time passed, the energy began to dim and fade -- showing some slight sense of progress as time occurred. It was difficult to do this, and ESPECIALLY straining to both try to see AND block sight at the same time, but the strain wasn't worth resignation. He would not fall back and let weakness overcome him. He gave all of the effort he could into this... hiding, though he knew he was not done nor would he soon be done. This was just as difficult as meditating to see his chi points -- it was funny that at first he was trying to find them, and now he was trying to hide them. But he did not falter. In fact, he reveled in this. Strain had been overcome. It was now a run -- straight and narrow with no obstacles -- to the end. (2/4)

And with this, he finally began to see it fade. It was no longer blurred -- it was simply disappearing, withdrawing, almost as if it was running back inside of him. But even the energy inside seemed to disappear. It was slow, and it was definitely not immediate -- but he felt and saw it as it went. He masked it -- molded and controlled it, and finally, just when he put the last bit of energy in required to HIDE his energy, it disappeared. There were small signs and streaks of energy being unable to hide -- energy escaping, but overall, he was, in the end, okay. (3/4)

And finally, as time went, his last attempt sealed it; he was done. A smile covered the ends of his lips, as he stretched out, holding his arms up before scratching along his abdomen. He was relaxed now -- there was no more strain. But the world around him -- the energy he saw -- it was beautiful. "I'm done. I'd like to learn stage two of Dim Mak, now. I... I like this style. Haha, you'll rarely find me saying I like something. But I do. It feels... out of this world, for lack of a better word." (4/4)

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