the media will / in the absence of real facts / settle for fake ones

[roc_on]

Beila shows up for her next lesson the following afternoon, having gotten some ocean-wading practice in that morning, and wearing one of her new firebending outfits (white sleeveless shirt, snug blue leggings, hair braided back; she looks more water than fire like this, but that's just cosmetic.)

Comments

[fiery_delights]

Jun greets her with, "Much better. C'mon."

And down to the practice room they go.

[roc_on]

"I practiced some. I can keep it narrower, but not all the way," Beila reports. And she turns so she isn't facing him and shows the improved fire punch.

[fiery_delights]

"Good going," he says. "Time to expand your repertoire a little."

He shows her several more different strikes, coaching her patiently on each one, and has her demonstrate each of them repeatedly in various sequences.

"The point here is to get comfortable with the element," he reminds her. "Pay attention to what it's telling you. Get used to how it feels, and figure out how that relates to how it behaves. Doesn't have to be all at once, but that's what we're aiming for here. And speaking of aim, you keep drifting left with that kick. Try it again."

[roc_on]

Beila tightens her grip on her air to force herself centered, and retries her kick.

[fiery_delights]

Jun watches thoughtfully. "Better," he says. "Something's off, though."

[roc_on]

"What is it?"

[fiery_delights]

"Not sure yet. Show me the whole sequence again?"

[roc_on]

Beila starts over.

[fiery_delights]

He watches it, making thoughtful noises along the way.

"One more time?"

[roc_on]

As requested.

[fiery_delights]

"Okay," he says, "now that I'm looking closely - it seems like there are problems with your form that I can't see, but the element can still feel. Now there's a riddle."

[roc_on]

"...Maybe because I'm supporting the movement with airbending?"

[fiery_delights]

"That... is probably it," says Jun. "Well, that's going to be interesting to deal with."

[roc_on]

"In the spirit world I can't airbend at all and if I want to go anywhere under my own power there it involves crawling, or sitting and scooting, I'm afraid it's not really optional."

[fiery_delights]

He shrugs. "After you almost set yourself on fire with it, I pretty much assumed that if stopping was an option you'd have tried it already. We'll handle it."

[roc_on]

"I guess fire reacts more to formal precision than the other three do? I didn't have this come up at all with Shifu Hayaka or Shifu Riko. Let alone when I was learning serious airbending in the first place."

[fiery_delights]

"Or it could be that there's not much of a difference in the element, but I'm way more of a hardass about it than your previous teachers," he offers as a competing theory.

[roc_on]

"Also possible. Okay. Do you know how we'll handle it?"

[fiery_delights]

"Not yet. It might just be that you'll need a lot more practice than I was expecting."

[roc_on]

"Okay. I can practice."

[fiery_delights]

"Practice away."

[roc_on]

Beila repeats the sequence, five times in a row, before stopping to glance at Jun for note.

[fiery_delights]

"Can you feel at all how - wobbly you are?" he inquires.

[roc_on]

"I can feel how much wind I need - if I pay more attention than usual, which means less attention left for the fire. I'm pretty subconscious with the motion-assisting airbending by now."

[fiery_delights]

"Hmm. Then for now, I think, focus on the fire as much as you can."