Jan 20 02:44:19 106 PA

From Chronicles

Desmond asks Anita to meet him in this place for their first lesson, at about 6 AM. An oddity, perhaps, given the nature of the skill he's to teach. But he will be here, sitting quietly near to the fountain. He sits with his legs crossed, hands on his knees and his eyes fixed on the water that dances about. Casually dressed, he is in a state of deep calm in the quiet, near vacant gardens.

Anita may well be glared at in the library. She may be a lot of things, but quiet isn't among the traits she's known for. She may apologize several times, which just makes more noise. Eventually she'll reach the garden. And then she perks up when she sees Desmond, and a raises a hand towards him! "Desmond! Hello! I am here! Anita!"

Desmond's eyes flick open when he hears the voice, though his forward flicked ears caught her approach a bit sooner than that. A soft grunt sounds, the big male considering Anita before he lifts a hand and motions for her to approach. "Quiet your voice, please. This is a place of calm. Such a thing should be respected," he tells her. While his rumbling voice won't come out as upset, there is a firmness in it.

Anita blinks a few times, then takes a look around. In fact, she walks in a little circle, looking all around her. "It's just the garden." Having dinally reached that conclusion, she trots back towards Desmond.

Desmond observes Anita as she makes her observation. In this, he doesn't correct her.. rather, he considers her response as she approaches before responding, "It is a garden, yes. But consider what it is a part of. The purpose of it in that. The library is a place of quiet and focus. This place they come to in order to find quiet as well." Another brief pause before he tells Anita, "To begin your instruction, I feel we must speak. Before I can decide where to begin with you, I must know you better. I will ask questions, you will answer. If a topic is.. private, you may tell me so, I will respect it."

"Maybe they come here when they're tired of being quiet," Anita points out in a conversational tone. "To get away from the library. Gardens are meant to be fun." Nonetheless she walks right on over to Desmond where she stops. "Yes, sir. I will answer."

Desmond lets the topic of the library's uses pass as he notes, "You call me Sir again.. you need not, but it makes me wonder.. what is your current training? At times you show an almost military air but.." He pauses, considering his words. "..you do not otherwise have the bearing one might expect out of the those of such martial training. Would you speak to me of how you came to know what you know?"

Anita blushes daintily and shifts her weight to one leg. Then the other. Then the third. First one again. Fourth. "Yes. Uhm, I was a soldier." She looks down here, avoiding looking at the catboy.

"This is not a comfortable subject for you?" Desmond's question afterward. There is a sense of understanding in his deep voice, the timbre softened just a bit. "Such things I can understand. My training was military and I have been in some battles before I came to be here. I would like to know more, if you would tell me, but I will not force such a thing from you. I can promise that what you say, if you so wish it, will not be spoken of again." That assurance given with a simple surety.

Anita suddenly perks, looking right on up again. At Desmond. So actually a little downwards still. "Oh yes! I know! You are Coalition, are you not? I have seen many cats like you. At least... many cats. I think they were like you." She shifts her weight from one side to the other. "I... found many such people. Like bats. And rats. I did not like the rats so much. They were mean. The dogboys are sad. I mean...." She frowns faintly. "It is sad. Because they are very loyal and nice. It is sad that they have such a bad master."

Desmond arches a brow slightly as Anita speaks, his thoughts grinding steadily as she speaks. He has a response by the time she's done, rumbling, "I was trained by them, but I do not adhere to their way of thinking." A pause. "There are many things which are.. sad about the state of things, but it is a topic, perhaps, for another time. This is for your training and for that I must know you better."

"Oh, oh. Yes. Sorry, sir." Anita reaches up and rubs the back of her head. "I have basic training and some combat experience and I spent some time up N... I mean...." She pauses and looks a little frustration. "I spent some time liberating people from the Coalition. People like you." She finally nods. "But we did not seek combat, so there wasn't that much of that. Most of the time."

Desmond considers Anita thoughtfully as she speaks. A subtle uptick of his scrutiny might be detectable as she goes on. "We? It is good that you took a path of more discretion when it was afforded you, though I did not take you for one to fight when there is no need of it. You do not need to call me 'sir' either. Desmond is fine, as I am not your commander."

Anita hesitates again. "Well, the people that were with me. That I was with. They were the one helping people. I was just with them." She bites her lower lip lightly and nods. "Then I left and came here. It is cold here." She wraps her left hand around her right wrist and falls silent again.

"But it would have been cold there as well, yes?" Desmond questions her gently, his tone relaxed once more. "You were saying.. up north, yes? A term I have heard occasionally." Inviting more without expressly asking for it. "I don't imagine your missions were focused on stealth.. there are times when I find such things difficult due to my stature. For you.. it would be a greater challenge."

Anita nods rapidly. "Went North. But you are right. I am very big and heavy." She flushes faintly there. "I try to eat less sweets." That admittance aside: "I did not do stealth. I just had to guard things."

Desmond shakes his head slightly. "You are who you are. Just as I am who I am. Some are not attuned to stealth, some to strength and so forth. So long as you are fit, that is what counts the most." He considers for a few moments, then rumbles, "You spoke before of your weapons skills.. reprise them for me? The spear was one.. As well, what level of hand fighting have you been taught? There are many degrees of it."

"Uhm... my mom and dad taught me to fight," Anita replies uncertainly. "I have not been in many real battles. I... know how to use shotguns. And spears, yes. I am not so good with other weapons. I like shotguns, because they are easy to hit with."

"This is true, though they lack precision when it is needed," Desmond rumbles thoughtfully. He rises up slowly from his sit, uncurling from the meditative posture in a slow, deliberate manner. Once he has risen fully, he considers Anita. "A basic knowledge of hand combat. Perhaps better for this training, as you will have fewer preconceived notions to overcome. My own training is more in depth, but.. so too it leaves me with many ingrained notions to overcome when exploring a new combat style. It took some time for me to embrace Boxing."

Anita nods reluctantly, not entirely sure what else to do. She stands there, looking a mite uncertain. "Yes... s... Desmond? That is very good."

Desmond considers Anita and asks, "Have you any questions for me? Any concerns? You often seem.. uncertain. I wish to have your trust in this, as to learn you must trust that the path I show to you is the right one. If you do not believe that, my efforts will be for naught."

Anita shakes her head energetically. "No, sir. I am very serious. I will work very hard." She sounds earnest, if nothing else. Just earnest to a fault there. "I will be a very good student."

"Desmond, call me Desmond," said feline rumbles again, though his tone remains without upset in reminding her of this again. "I will call upon you again when I am ready to continue this training. Though until then, I wish you to recall your own skills. I suspect, since coming here, you may not have fought in a true battle. Skills that go without being honed will fade with time. You should make a point to train yourself often, that you will not forget what you know."

Anita nods slowly. "Yes, Desmond. I will do that." It's obviously a promise. At the very least, she sounds completely sincere. "I will be ready when you call on me." Desmond nods his head once. "Focus on your movement, for this I think will be the greatest hurdle for us to overcome. But overcome it we shall." He will dip his head once to Anita. "I must go for now. Be well until when next we meet."

Anita nods rapidly. "Yes, Desmond!" She raises a hand and waves happily at him. Then she practices. Steps to the left, steps to the right. Oh, this will be so awesome.