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

[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."

[roc_on]

Beila nods, and she does another set of five.

[fiery_delights]

Even though correcting her form is not going to be as useful as he'd hoped, it's still worth doing. So he lets her know where she needs a touch-up, and he demonstrates everything again to show her what it looks like done perfectly.

[roc_on]

Beila does her level best.

When she's taking a break to chug some water, she pauses between gulps and says, "So the nuns found out I'm taking lessons from you instead of having asked them for a teacher recommendation. They don't approve. They don't have actual authority over me, but they might pester you a little."