Stehl & Chadley: April 25

Orgo points at you.
Orgo starts to charge.

Stehl points at you.
Stehl says: You.

Orgo says: Tonight?

You blink at Stehl.
Chadley says: Me.

Stehl says: How'd swimming go.

Chadley says: How do you think.

Stehl says: You're still not in the water, so. I don't know.

Orgo sighs.
Orgo says: Ya seen that MacGlynn, fella?

Chadley says: As willing as I was to throw flagstones into the ocean with no end in sight, swimming while armored through water that is mostly feces struck me as a little-
You raise your eyebrow inquisitively at Orgo.

Orgo says: I'm gonna start sendin' 'im recruitment papers in th' mail every day.

Stehl says: His address is... I think 3 Log Lane Eastvale Logging Camp.

Orgo snorts.
Orgo says: Ya just write their name on it, stick it in th' box.
Orgo says: Ain't rocket science.

Chadley also snorts, continuing, "Anyway, I took a day of stares from the public before I crawled out of there. I am not doing that again."

Stehl says: You'll do it again if I tell you to do it.

Chadley's cheek twitches. He doesn't argue.

Stehl says: Fortunately, I think you've had your fill of swimming. Can you do pushups?

Chadley says: Of course I can do pushups.

Stehl says: Can you do a handstand.

Chadley says: I've never really tried.

Stehl says: Try it! Then do pushups while doing a handstand.
Stehl says: Get going.

Chadley squints at Stehl in disbelief. "You're - no, I know you're not joking, but that's impossible. I can't learn to do that in a day."
Chadley says: Much less minutes.

Stehl says: Doesn't stop you from trying.

Chadley slides down from the ledge, mumbling something under his breath as he does. He tears his gloves off and drops them to the ground. He faces away from Stehl, his shoulders rising as he takes a preparatory breath.

Stehl says: You know, you'll wind up facing me like that.

Chadley says: I trust I'll make an ass of myself no matter which direction I'm facing.

Stehl says: No worries, I'll make it worth your while. Lesson time!

Chadley turns his head. He does not look like he has no worries.

Stehl says: Get going. Just do the handstand for now.

Chadley rolls his head back forward and looks at the ground. He pivots forward, letting his hands contact the ground and his arm strength to support him. It goes about as well as anyone's first try at a handstand, and he does a complete flip onto his back.

Stehl says: So. When you try that again, two things. One, try without your boots. They're going to cause you to go off balance more than anything else you have on right now. Two, what happens when you force Light into the ground through your hands?

Chadley says: I've never done so before. Through my feet, yes, but...

Stehl says: Try it.

Arenvald glances down from Tobi's back at the sound of a nominally familiar voice.

Chadley stands, dusting himself off. He bends to undo the buckles on his boots and kicks them off, tossing them in a pile to the side with his gloves. "Alright."

Arenvald says: Why're ye proddin' that man 'ta run 'roun' barefoot. Don't ye know wot goes on in this square?

Stehl says: Do handstands, not run around.

Arenvald says: ...That ain' any better.

Chadley turns around.

Stehl says: S'his training, not yours. So, I see no reason for you to complain and distract him.

Arenvald peers down at him. "They teachin' paladins 'te do circus tricks now?"

Chadley says: I question his methods too, Sir, but I'll trust it has some point to it.

Arenvald eyes Stehl for a minute, then rumbles a gruff laugh.

Stehl says: It'd be more useful than the drivel I hear others spout, to be honest. But, no. One needs a good sense of balance to avoid getting floored in a fight on potentially unbalanced ground.

Arenvald says: Only mebbe in teachin' ye 'umility an' mebbe not te be takin' orders from a man who may 'it ye wit' a fish...

Stehl says: If I hit him with a fish, it'll be for a good reason.

Chadley looks at Stehl. "Please don't hit me with a fish."

Stehl says: I make no promises.

Arenvald snickers.

Stehl says: Besides, I don't have any fish on hand.

Arenvald says: Don' say I dinna warn ye, lad.

Chadley says: I'm warned daily, it seems.

Stehl says: By me, half the time.

Arenvald says: Wot're ye up ta wot makes people tell ye not t'be doin' thin's all the time?

Stehl says: Teaching by example.

Chadley says: Sparring is apparently cruel.

Arenvald hrr hrr hrrs. "That it is, son. Course, it's worse on th' field."

Stehl says: That doesn't look like a handstand, Chadley.

You let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

Stehl says: It looks like chatting, which you can do while you're upside-down.

Arenvald says: Yer jes' gonna make all th' blood run 'ta 'is 'ead.

Stehl says: First he has to do it.

Chadley takes a step back, casting his gaze downward. As before, he pivots himself forward. This time, however, he does as instructed. He calls the Light to him, forcing it into the ground as his hands touch down. There's a loud CRACK and one of the cobblestones shatters where his hand contacts. He still falls over.

Arenvald snickers.

Stehl says: A little much. Try to force it in at an even rate instead of all at once.

Arenvald continues to watch. It's sort of like a cart wreck, apparently, albeit with fewer bodies.

Chadley quickly sits back up and rubs the shoulder he landed on with a groan. "Do we have to do this right here?"

Arenvald eyes Stehl and rumbles, amusedly, "'At's wot she said."

Stehl says: No. But you started here, so there's no sense in moving.

Mairèad sits quietly on the wall, observing.

Chadley says: I'd really not mind. It wouldn't-
You blink at Mairèad.

Mairèad says: Don't mind me. Unless yer gunna do somethin' that you don't want me seein'.

Stehl says: Here, I can completely emasculate you if you'd like.

Arenvald drawls, "This oughta be good."

Mairèad frowns slightly but doesn't comment on Stehl's words.

Chadley gets to his feet, very much looking like he'd rather be dead. He doesn't answer any of them, instead attempting yet another handstand. His hands illuminate with holy energy on contact, softer this time. He catches himself midair, managing to "walk" himself backward for a second before falling onto his stomach.
Chadley says: Stehl, -please- can we do this elsewhere...

Stehl says: Sure.

Mairèad 's eyes go wide upon seeing Chadley's acrobatics. She glances over to Stehl. "...Stehlfire, if y'don't mind me askin', what're you tryin' to teach him?"

Stehl says: I mind you asking, because I've already had to answer it.

Mairèad says: I mean. You are th'trainer and all, but this seems...roguish.

Arenvald says: Ye'd be better served doin' real trainin' exercises too, son. But...
Arenvald eyes Stehl, still looking amused. "S'ppose that's wot ye get."

Stehl says: He's not ready for actual training from me.

Leanan peers, unabashedly. Public Paladin training. She can watch all she likes, yo.

Arenvald says: Zat so. He seems like a capable 'nuff lad 'ta me.

Mairèad says: Well, no shit. I don't know that handstands'll change that, though. I'm not th'professional here.

Chadley gets back up. He turns around. "I made a choice! Why must some asshole come around every day and try to talk me out of it?!"

Stehl says: There we go. There's some teeth. Come on, we'll find a more out of the way location.

Leanan pouts, "Caw. Was gettin' good."

Arenvald smirks. "Not so much out of. More like... jes' pointin' out silly buggers when I see it."
Arenvald says: But oi, suit yerself lad. Mebbe ye can get a job wit' the Darkmoon folks.

Stehl says: You're riding a lizard with wings and have pigs on your arms.

Chadley walks backward a moment before turning to grab his belongings. He deliberately avoids eye contact with Arenvald, and follows after Stehl.

Mairèad's frown deepens significantly, though she doesn't say anything in Chadley's defense beyond, "Jest let him pass through and go on to his trainin'."

Arenvald says: An'? Yer point bein'?

Stehl says: I don't think you can comment on silly.

Chadley walks in complete silence.
Chadley looks around as they enter the graveyard. "Here?"

Stehl says: Here, a nice, out of the way spot.
Stehl says: Only the dead will watch, and they don't care for the actions of the living.
Stehl says: Mostly because, you know, dead.

Chadley puts his gloves on the wall and sits to remove his boots again. "Typically." When he finishes, he gets back up and stares at the ground. "... Right then." The Light shines around his arms before he tries anything this time, his eyes wide open in concentration on the ground before him. He attempts his fourth handstand, Light shooting into the ground on contact. He kicks his legs up to balance himself and manages to hold for a few good seconds before letting himself collapse out of exhaustion.

Stehl says: Not bad.

Chadley says: The Light. Should I really use it as a crutch like that?

Stehl says: No. But you're not using it as a crutch here. It's not helping you stay up. If anything, you're burning more energy.

Chadley says: ... Wait. Then what's the point of shooting it into the ground like you asked? I'm sure the only reason I'm staying up as long as I am is because I'm also asking for strength.

Stehl says: I wanted to see you do it.

You stare Stehl down.
Chadley says: Now you're kidding.

Stehl says: Partially. I wanted to see you do it, but the reason I gave for you doing handstands is accurate.
Stehl says: Also, why waste time just training one thing when you can train two?

Chadley says: The handstanding I understand. What am I training by shooting Light into the ground?

Stehl says: Your ability to manipulate it. Also, it gives you an idea of how you'll act under pressure. The pressure of strange things.

Chadley says: Did it really require -that- to see how I react under pressure of the bizarre? This is by far not the strangest thing you've put me through.
Chadley says: Although probably the most frustrating.
Chadley gets up and rolls the shoulder he keeps landing on, frowning.

Stehl says: Good.
Stehl says: S'enough of that, then. How's practicing shields going.

Chadley frowns deeper a moment. "That's it?" A pause. "I've managed something. Small things. I practiced on apples from the tree after you left." He looks up and around for something and then lifts a hand. A flash of white, and a confused bee flies by surrounded by a bubble.

Stehl says: Good. So, what would you like to learn now.

Chadley says: I think I've barely learned the other things...

Stehl says: And you can keep practicing them if you'd like. Or learn more on them now, don't care really. You're the one learning.

Chadley says: I guess since I know how to do them it's more on me for practice, uh- hm.
Chadley says: The hammers of Light.

Stehl says: Ooh, good. I love those.

Chadley says: I've seen every paladin make them.

Stehl says: Some can't. Liotuse and Rosalinde were surprised that I can.
Stehl says: But...
Stehl holds out his hand, Light coalescing into it. Slowly, a faint shape of a hammer forms, solidifying over a few seconds, "It's not easy, but the 'easier' one is Justice. This will generally knock somebody senseless if it hits them."

Chadley watches with half-concealed awe as the Light takes a tangible form in Stehl's hand. "How do you do it."

Stehl says: Instead of focusing it in my hand or another object, I force it into the air itself. So I can grab onto it. It takes a lot of energy, so I ordinarilly just draw some from nearby sources.
Stehl says: Of course, this one doesn't take nearly as much as the other one.

Chadley says: Does the consecrated ground here make it easy?

Stehl says: If I were on it, yeah. Here, it's a strain but not nearly as much as if I took it from myself.
Stehl says: Now, when I throw it...
Stehl tosses the faintly glowing hammer at the ground, where it detonates with a thunderclap, "It doesn't inflict any real harm. It's just there to incapacitate people."

Chadley watches with rapt interest as he does this. He lifts his hands and tries it himself after, doing as he said and trying to focus his Light into the air around him. What results is a crackling noise and a blinding glow for a split second.
Chadley jumps at his own mistake.

Stehl says: Forcing it into a physical form is not simple. S'harder than a shield.

Chadley says: I noticed.

Stehl says: Now. The other one.

Chadley 's hands drop back to his sides. He's not even gonna touch this one.

Stehl holds up his hand again, Light once again swirling to his hand. After a much longer time, another hammer forms. This one is larger and is actually on fire, "Wrath. This one will explode violently when it hits something."
Stehl says: It also is pretty damn fast when you throw it. Mostly because it isn't fully a physical object. Just Light compressed into the shape of one.

Chadley looks up at the blazing hammer. "That's the one I wanted to see."

Stehl says: Now. Come up here. You need to see just what this thing does when I throw it. Don't worry, it's going out into the lake.

Chadley says: I'm going to believe you.

Stehl draws his arm back and lets fly, the hammer spiralling out across the lake. It crashes into the water roughly near the middle and explodes in a brilliant starburst of holy energies, "Anybody who tells you that the Light is not meant to harm?"
Stehl says: Clearly has no control over it.

Chadley watches the display, expression now tense. He doesn't say anything, but the lesson is apparently clear enough.

Stehl says: We choose to protect people not only because it's the right thing, but because if we chose not to? We'd inflict so much damage.

Chadley says: For all your warnings, it's only right now that I think I'm afraid.

Stehl says: Good. Because at some point? You're going to have to learn how to stop me from hitting you with one of those.
Stehl says: S'all for now. Go practice or something.

Chadley says: ...
Chadley goes back to put his shoes and gloves on. "Wise, I suppose."

Stehl says: Light protect.

Chadley nods, muttering, "Likewise."