Post by KIKU HONDA on Jul 12, 2014 22:34:57 GMT -5
Stepping into the dojo felt like revisiting an old friend. Kiku had gotten to know the room well in the past few years, using it both to teach and to sharpen his own skills. His class was scheduled to inhabit it for most of the second semester, and the first would soon be drawing to a close. While it was nice to be back in a familiar space, the reason for his return was not as positive.
His curriculum was separate for classes 4 through 7 - as the numbers grew, so did the difficulty of the work. But because his class specialized in regular combat as much as utilizing powers, and because some students did not take the class for a full four years, Kiku had a growing number of students who came into his class unprepared. It was a problem that he should have foreseen, and he scolded himself for it. In order to not make the mistake severe, the abnormal students were required to spend extra time with him in order to catch up.
There were a few difficult pupils, of course - one headstrong student who joined the academy in the middle of year six and wanted to take year seven’s class, a few Fours who had absolutely no idea how to self-defend, and so on.
Alfred F. Jones, on the other hand, was a peculiar case.
In some ways, this would (hopefully) be easy. The boy hadn’t taken Kiku’s classes in years 4 or 5, but his attention to the textbook material helped him catch up easily. Actual combat, however, could be another matter entirely. Alfred had admitted that he had no real-time experience in that field, and so there was no choice but to teach him separately from his peers. How well he would react to one-on-one teaching was left to speculation. It didn't really worry Kiku, however.
Anyone even remotely close to Alfred would know that he was an enthusiastic young man. Other than his frequent doodling in class, he was a generally attentive student who always worked towards doing his best; a quality Kiku very much admired. What drew the teacher to this student the most, though, was his aura.
Funnily enough, it usually matched the hue of the American’s eyes - bright and shining blue. It was often vibrant, pulsing around his figure as he listened to the lessons. But as the days passed, bit by bit, Alfred’s aura began to turn a light lavender. Pink was slowly staining the air around him, small flecks of it gleaming against a blue backdrop. It was amusing at first sight, and Kiku felt almost complacent when he noticed it. ‘Ah, so he’s got a crush.’ The teacher briefly wondered which lucky student held the blond’s affections, but didn’t dwell on it for long. He didn’t want to get too involved in his students’ lives, after all.
As the days went by, each time the young man entered the class, his aura seemed to be growing more and more pink. When the teacher called on Alfred to answer a question, the color spread so far that it nearly overlapped that of the students sitting next to him. From time to time, the color flashed a very bright, very strong fuchsia.
Kiku stretched while he waited for his student, the dim ceiling lights casting shadows across the empty floor. When thinking on the subject further, he really couldn't tell why it interested him so much. Maybe it was because Alfred reminded him of a puppy - energetic, curious, and affectionate - and he drew toward cute things like that without thought. ‘But that is not professional,’ he sternly reminded himself. In order to stifle his guilt, Kiku looked at the fascination in a different light. Feelings of affection could cloud Alfred’s judgement. What if he was paired against the student he liked? Would he be able to clear his mind and continue to fight on level ground? These were important factors - ones he planned on touching upon in their upcoming lesson. After all, his goal was to improve the skills of young heroes and sidekicks, regardless of his own personal curiosity.
His curriculum was separate for classes 4 through 7 - as the numbers grew, so did the difficulty of the work. But because his class specialized in regular combat as much as utilizing powers, and because some students did not take the class for a full four years, Kiku had a growing number of students who came into his class unprepared. It was a problem that he should have foreseen, and he scolded himself for it. In order to not make the mistake severe, the abnormal students were required to spend extra time with him in order to catch up.
There were a few difficult pupils, of course - one headstrong student who joined the academy in the middle of year six and wanted to take year seven’s class, a few Fours who had absolutely no idea how to self-defend, and so on.
Alfred F. Jones, on the other hand, was a peculiar case.
In some ways, this would (hopefully) be easy. The boy hadn’t taken Kiku’s classes in years 4 or 5, but his attention to the textbook material helped him catch up easily. Actual combat, however, could be another matter entirely. Alfred had admitted that he had no real-time experience in that field, and so there was no choice but to teach him separately from his peers. How well he would react to one-on-one teaching was left to speculation. It didn't really worry Kiku, however.
Anyone even remotely close to Alfred would know that he was an enthusiastic young man. Other than his frequent doodling in class, he was a generally attentive student who always worked towards doing his best; a quality Kiku very much admired. What drew the teacher to this student the most, though, was his aura.
Funnily enough, it usually matched the hue of the American’s eyes - bright and shining blue. It was often vibrant, pulsing around his figure as he listened to the lessons. But as the days passed, bit by bit, Alfred’s aura began to turn a light lavender. Pink was slowly staining the air around him, small flecks of it gleaming against a blue backdrop. It was amusing at first sight, and Kiku felt almost complacent when he noticed it. ‘Ah, so he’s got a crush.’ The teacher briefly wondered which lucky student held the blond’s affections, but didn’t dwell on it for long. He didn’t want to get too involved in his students’ lives, after all.
As the days went by, each time the young man entered the class, his aura seemed to be growing more and more pink. When the teacher called on Alfred to answer a question, the color spread so far that it nearly overlapped that of the students sitting next to him. From time to time, the color flashed a very bright, very strong fuchsia.
Kiku stretched while he waited for his student, the dim ceiling lights casting shadows across the empty floor. When thinking on the subject further, he really couldn't tell why it interested him so much. Maybe it was because Alfred reminded him of a puppy - energetic, curious, and affectionate - and he drew toward cute things like that without thought. ‘But that is not professional,’ he sternly reminded himself. In order to stifle his guilt, Kiku looked at the fascination in a different light. Feelings of affection could cloud Alfred’s judgement. What if he was paired against the student he liked? Would he be able to clear his mind and continue to fight on level ground? These were important factors - ones he planned on touching upon in their upcoming lesson. After all, his goal was to improve the skills of young heroes and sidekicks, regardless of his own personal curiosity.