Time for skill building.

[shadeblossom]

Even graduated students still need homework from time to time. The problem for Hana was finding time for it. Her life was hopping busy, but she believed that skills went sour if they weren't used. Besides, there were some she had yet to learn and the more she knew, the better she'd be for her family and for the team.

She made an appointment with Rachel for some additional training during a few hours after she'd whisked the boys off to school. Logan would pick them up along with Emily and keep an eye on them for her until the training session was done. He was pretty big on skill honing, too, so it wasn't hard to convince him to keep an eye on the kids for a while. Might have been harder if she had girls, but fortunately, Logan was pretty good with boys.

There was a definite excited spring to her step as she headed down to the Danger Room in her team uniform to meet Rachel. Every once in a while, a girl just needed to work up a good, old fashioned sweat.

"Hi, Rachel!" She greeted the redhead when she entered the room. "I appreciate your time. I know you're busy."

Comments

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel was wearing her regular teaching clothing. Though that meant to some people it still wasn't conservative enough. She had a thing for short skirts that wouldn't fit the student dress code. But when one comes from a dystopian future, one tended to dress in ways that felt more free.

"Hello, Hana." She glanced over the team uniform. "Ready to go, I see. Quick refresher, where are you at with your powers?"

[shadeblossom]

"I figured we're both pretty busy, so I'd better not waste any time." Her uniform was easier to move in than her usual jeans and t-shirt combination, anyway. She'd never put much thought into designing something unique for herself. Maybe someday, if she got better at the whole heroing gig.

"Well, I'm passable, I guess? I can hold my own in a fight, but I've kind of got the feeling that there's still a really long way I could go. If that makes sense...?"

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel could adjust what she was wearing as needed with a thought. Not that she really bothered with that in the school.

"Holding your own in a fight sounds more like hand-to-hand skills with a little augmenting." Rachel tapped her chin with one of her manicured nails. "Can you create shadows where there were none before or do you have to use ambient ones? How strong are the shadows you make? On the flip side, how flexible are the ones you control? Your teleportation via shadow would need to be handled by someone more familiar with it, but we can work on the control of shadows similar to my work with element-kinetics."

[shadeblossom]

"Pretty much." It sounded kind of worse when she put it that way, but that was why Hana was here. To improve. She tried to answer all of Rachel's questions as best she could, "I only use ones around me. If I'm surrounded by light, I'm kind of stuck. I've made shadow constructs up to steel hardness... I've used them as swords before. Flexible like how?"

[nohoundsallowed]

To Rachel it just meant she got more training from Logan than anyone else. She had a strength to fall back on. Especially useful if Hana ever got hit with a power nullifier.

"Flexible as in able to maneuver around things and into small spaces. Also flexible to not break at someone else's attack against it. Light-based powers the only weakness you know of?" Rachel found it interesting how the twins powers were a bit diametrically opposed.

[shadeblossom]

"Oh. Less flexible, I guess. They're usually more solid things. Although, I've done a chair or beanbag kind of thing to sit on now and then. It was still one mass, though. Nothing too delicate. None have ever broken that I can recall, except that Logan's adamantium can cut them and it kind of hurts." Not as bad as being cut herself when she was shadowed out. That had been an uncomfortable lesson.

"As far as I know light is it, yes."

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel nodded in understanding as was quiet a moment as she pulled her thoughts together on how to proceed.

"Well, as a lygokinetic, we'll work on some the malleability, which will mean fine control. Also, we'll work on using your power from a distance. I think you're more than capable in a hand-to-hand scenario, but as an energy manipulator, we'll get you comfortable at working from a distance."

The redhead took a couple steps back. She used her tk to manipulate the controls to the room and put up an invisible shield in front of her. Though there was a small gap for Hana to find. Half of the lighting in the massive room shut off.

"Send your shadows against me."

[shadeblossom]

Hana nodded along with Rachel's explanation, listening carefully. This was important to her, so she didn't want to miss anything crucial. Distance work and fine control were definitely things she needed to work on, so when Rachel stepped back, she took a breath and settled herself to concentrate. The lighting in the danger room provided enough shadows to work with. Usually she just had her own shadow and a few others, so she was getting better at working with smaller amounts, but with the lights half off, she had plenty.

She drew on them and sent them at Rachel in a javelin-like shaft, without moving her arm. Logan had spent quite a bit of time in their classes working with her on not telegraphing what she was going to do with body language. Most of it stuck.

[nohoundsallowed]

The shadow javelin hit Rachel's shields solidly. Though the gap she had in her shields was around her knees.

"Good. You have direct offense down well. Now, use your shadows to probe the shield. Try to find any weakness. Use your powers as an extension of your senses."

[shadeblossom]

Hana frowned and thought about how to do that. She sent her shadows at the shield again, this time wrapping around it. She was better at solid shapes, but this was about flexibility, so she concentrated hard on trying to make the shadow malleable. She tried to make it move more like a liquid than a solid, seeking out any weaknesses there might be.

[nohoundsallowed]

The redhead calmly watched Hana's shadows cover her shield. She kept the gap in her shields by her knees. Rachel was keeping an eye on how Hana and her shadows reacted. Being a telepath, she could follow the effort easily.

"Excellent. Find the flaw in my shields."

[shadeblossom]

It was good to hear she was on the right track. Hana bit her lip and concentrated harder, watching the shadows start to shift and flow over the shield. After a few moments, she felt them seep into a small crack in the shield near Rachel's knees. "I found it!"

[nohoundsallowed]

"Very good. Now use strength and flexibility to get rid of the shield." Rachel was definitely not putting full strength into her shields. Just enough to be challenging. Overpowering the student would not work well when exploring what Hana could do.

"Most people with shields put all the power on the outside. Use that against them."

[shadeblossom]

Hana thought about how to do what Rachel asked. Then she sent her shadows in through the crack in the shield and let them wrap around it from the inside. When it was fully covered, she concentrated on making them push out from within, focusing on the weakened area around the crack.

[nohoundsallowed]

Hana had the right idea. The shields weren't as strong against attacks coming from the inside. They crumbled as Hana exploited the weakness.

"Good. Now, we'll just say you've gotten inside this next shield, too. But I've covered up the gap you got in from." Rachel put a new shield with the shadows inside with her. "Can you make the shadows pulse out? Pushing the shield wider than I can control?"

Time to test some ideas how Hana's powers worked. Her twin had to be in personal contact with his hard light creations. Hana seemed to be different in that regard.

[shadeblossom]

"Uhm... I think so?" Hana took a breath and centered herself again. Then she concentrated on expanding the darkness inside the shield. She kept the shadows solid this time, pushing out more and more. Kind of like a balloon. It didn't seem like it was going to be strong enough to break the shield, but she kept trying.

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel nodded in satisfaction as the shields were pushed out. Though she did make the shields harder to push out to see what Hana's limits were. If she had a more concrete idea on how much power Hana currently had, she could have further lessons set up appropriately.

Though it was kind of dark inside the shadow bubble.

[shadeblossom]

Hana worked up a sweat pushing on the shields. It had been a while since she really pushed her limits. She was definitely going to have to start finding more time for practice and training. She might not have superhero ambitions, but he did want to stay sharp and useful.

[nohoundsallowed]

When she eventually felt Hana's shadow push weaken, Rachel let the shields fall down.

"Interesting. That gives me an idea of your power level. I assume you'll want further lessons. After these tests, where do you want to go with your extended training?"

The redhead had ideas where she could take the lessons. Possibly work on range so Hana didn't have to use hand-to-hand unless necessary. She could possibly use her powers in a more tactical sense if she wasn't in the thick of fighting.

[shadeblossom]

Hana panted slightly and nodded, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead. It didn't look like a lot of work, but it felt like it.

"Extended range, I guess? Work on flexibility?"

[nohoundsallowed]

"You definitely have range to work with, that can be worked on to utilize it more." She thought about flicking the light switches on, and the lights came back up in the Danger Room.

"Considering your semi-symbiotic relationship with shadows, we'll test that a bit more to get a better idea on any limits. Flexibility should come with more use. Sound good?"

As Hana wasn't a student she had to agree to the course of action a bit more.

[shadeblossom]

"Sure, that sounds good. Thanks, Rachel." Hana was happy to take Rachel's advice on what to do with her training right now. Maybe as she progressed she'd find something specific she wanted to focus on, but for right now, she just wanted to be 'better'.