Fights and Friends (open to trainees only)

Ryoga's friends left the training grounds so he decided to train today."All my friends left.Well I saw it coming,they were really timid.Oh well,I'll make new friends while I train."Ryoga said while heading for the training field.He sliced through two dummies perfectly then the following cuts weren't as deep." I have to train more.Those first cuts were good but I need to make more of them."After saying this,Ryoga returned to training for now.

Connor was having a particularly lonesome day. Ever since Cora left the military, he's had little to distract him from his restlessness, his insatiable will to improve. Granted there was nothing wrong with such a thing, except that it often involves Connor pushing himself beyond his limits until he either injures or exhausts himself.

Today was one of those days, cutting down dummies one by one, using his natural weight to adjust his angle mid swing if the dummy was rotated. He definitely had the stamina and endurance to back up his strength and agility.

And for him, that wasn't enough.

He stopped on a branch to catch his breath, putting a knee down to keep balance. He was drenched in sweat and breathing in rasps, staring ahead at another dummy that had been given a few shallow cuts.

Ryoga had seen the dummies being cut down one by one,wishing he had been that strong,he decided to ask him for advice."Wow!You're really strong,cutting them perfectly,one after another it's AMAZING!Can you help me train?I can't be that strong alone."Ryoga said with a new hope in his eyes."WHoops!I forgot to mention my name is Ryoga it's my second year here!."He was so excited he couldn't even contain it.He believes that with his help he can reach a new level of strength to defeat titans.He was excited until he saw his eyes."I can tell you have seen true fear and regret...I was there too.I may seem jolly but it's just a front...I feel so much regret.I couldn't save my family.I lost my home.I lost my friends.I was helpless against the titans.I want...NO!I NEED to be stronger!"He bursted into tears with sadness and anger.He felt so relieved to stop hiding how he really feels.After this he sat next to him on the branch.

He could hear another trainee coming towards him. Oh what would the mockery be today? 'Hey Connor, you know these are just dummies right? What did those dummies ever do to you?' 'Hey Graham, what did you injure this time?' 'Hey Jarhead, getting a headache from hauling that huge head around already?'

He expected it to be anything but a genuine admission of admiration, especially from a trainee he's never met before. He stared at him, somewhat confused, yet was already intrigued by his attitude about titan slaying though hearing the boy's life story kind of put him off a bit since they just met. "Don't expect much pity from me, Ryoga..." He began after wiping his brow. "...if we're going to be soldiers, we need to learn how to put our grief aside, not coddle it."

He looked at him and nodded. "But if it's the strength to kill Titans you seek, I don't mind sharing what I know. Under one condition...." He looked intensely into Ryoga's eyes, as though his glare would pierce into his very soul. "That you will actually use these skills to fight the Titans. Not to protect the fat cats with the Military Police, not to waste away as a drunk among the Garrison, but to fight for Humanity as a Scout. It's your final choice to make, ultimately, but I need your promise." He rose a hand out to shake Ryoga's, to see if he will confirm the deal.

Hearing this Ryoga wiped his tears and said."That was my plan from the start.I will do anything to save mankind!You have my word.I will kill the titans!" He shook his hand firmly."Let's start." Ryoga said with an intense stare of ferocity as he prepared himself to train.Now he awaits his training to begin.

Connor returned the handshake firmly and nodded, keeping his expression neutral. "Good...you have spirit."

He stood up and looked around, thinking of where to begin. He never really saw himself as a teacher, and never imagined trainees clamoring to him for advice. "Let me see you in action...start practicing on the dummies as you usually would. I will be watching closely." He probably would have seen what Ryoga was like when the training exercise first began but Connor never really picked him out among the blur of trainees around him. "And catch your breath before you begin, if you wish."

Ryoga readied himself.One deep breath then a quick adjustment of his gear."Ready."He started quickly.With an intense focus,he thought out a strategy.He found a way to slash deeper without wasting to much strength.He had a good balance between his speed,strength and intellect but he was still weak.His cuts were deep and almost perfect until the sixth dummy.After the fifth his cuts started getting weaker and he became slower.His stamina isn't that great so he loses energy quickly.He had tried to catch his breath in between dummies but to no avail.By the time he finished,he was sweating and out of breath.He was exhausted after pushing his body to its limit."I'm (sigh) finished."He said as he sat on the branch once again.After a minute or two,he regained his breath and felt better."What's next?"He asks.Now he awaits his response.

Connor watched the boy do his work, and was honestly surprised he hadn't noticed him before. A boy barely old enough to grow his first chin hairs and he was landing deep blows to the dummies with textbook efficiency . As he watched, he honestly saw little to no weakness in which he could help strengthen, finding Ryoga to be a well rounded fighter. Finally, he saw a flaw to iron out, the boy exhausting himself quickly and his strikes thinning.

He landed beside Ryoga and sat in a crouch. "You definitely fight with function. This is good, function should always come first. However, no matter how strong or fast you become, it will mean nothing if you don't have the energy to apply it. So for today, I suggest we focus on Endurance Training." He waited for Ryoga's response, watching him to make sure he was digesting everything Connor was trying to tell him, and not going through one ear and out the other.

Ryoga had listened carefully and nodded.He had learned about his weakness and decided to train hard until he remembered something."I forgot to ask.What is your name?"He asked innocently.He wiped his sweat then awaited his reply.

"Graham." Connor answered promptly. "Connor Graham." He sat for a moment, letting Ryoga rest if he needed to...and he would definitely need to. Endurance training in all forms requires one to push limits. "Some trainees call me 'Jarhead' when they think they're being cute. They're not...and they end up regretting it when they meet me in unarmed training."

"Nice to meet you Connor."Ryoga said,happy to make a new friend."I have to rest awhile if that's ok." After about 20 minutes of chatting and resting Ryoga stood up."Well I'm rested and ready to go!What's next Connor?"He said happily as he prepares for another round of training.

//OOC: Remember to stick to the five sentence minimum. Also instead of completely skipping a 20 minute time gap, let them spend the resting time to get to know one another, develop our character's relationship as friends rather than just mentor/student. :) //OOC

"Why do they call you jarhead anyway?"Ryoga asked,trying to be as polite as possible."And I have to ask,were you in the shiganshina district?"Ryoga was curious about the life of his new friend.Ryoga stared at Connor with his innocent curiosity as he awaits Connor's response.

Connor rose a brow at the first question. "You mean, you haven't noticed?" He knocked on his head lightly to emphasize his most outstanding feature. "I have a big head."

The second question Connor started rubbing his rough hands together a bit, as though if he wondered whether or not to answer it. "Not in Shaganshina, no...but I was outside Wall Maria when the Titans came...since we were far from the cities, we didn't get the warnings in time. We were ambushed, and lost our leader." He didn't seem to mention the name of the group he is talking about being with when he was attacked.

"Wow,I had no idea I'm sorry.Being attacked out of nowhere.But at least you survived."Ryoga said trying to be optimistic."Anyway,why would they tease you?You're a strong fighter and a good person."Ryoga said innocently.He feels like he's ready for training now but he awaits Connor's reply.

He nodded. "It was my captain's last wish...to survive long enough to fight back."

He smirked a bit at the second question. "Because they are afraid of me...which is good, that's the vibe I was going for. I'd rather be the outcast with a few honest friends than be the socialite that chooses to surround themselves with potential backstabbers."

He looked at Ryoga and nodded. "In fact, you are one of two trainees to actually say anything optimistic about me, and the first one left the military."

"Well I promised to join the scouts and I will.Oh and you've found a friend in me."Ryoga said with a smile."Well let's get started!"Ryoga said happily.He fixed his gear and was ready to go.

Connor looked at Ryoga, somewhat envious of his youthful optimism. He had to clench his jaw to keep himself from smiling. He cleared his throat and stood at attention "Alright...normally, endurance exercises consist of running or jogging, and become more effective as the sprinting grounds become more inclined. So for today, we're doing wall walking. These trees will be our walls for now. Watch what I do and listen carefully." He got to the ground and aimed both of his 3DMG hooks as high up the tree as he could before beginning to walk up the tree, keeping his feet firmly pressed against the bark.
"Keep your reeling mechanism on neutral, so that it will carry you but not pick you up." he walked up the tree at a steady pace, starting to breathe heavily about halfway up but keeping the pace consistent until he reached the top and grabbed the branch. "Whew...alright...now the trick with this is that the slower you go, the harder it becomes. This is because the lack of momentum causes your weight to pull you down harder. So for now, do what I just did but do it as fast as you can and see how high up you can get without stopping or slipping."

Ryoga stopped for awhile to catch his breath.He adjusted his gear to the needed adjustment and started.He dashed up quickly until a third of the tree.He had slowed down severely but still kept going."AARGH!"Ryoga said forcing himself up.By 2/3 he was exhausted but was determined to finish.By the time he finished he was relieved."Done!"He said happily as he lied down on the tree top.He was about to sleep until something caught his eye,a stationary guard zooming towards him."What's a stationary guard doing here?Is she heading towards me?"Ryoga said curiously thinking about what he would do.He decided to stand and salute so he did.Now he's just standing and waiting for her to arrive.

//OOC: I didn't even think about it, would this count as Connor and Koralee's first meeting or in Skulls and Fists? OOC://

//OOC:Think I'll have Connor kind of vanish in the background for now. OOC://

Connor stayed at Ryoga's side and kept coaching him. He honestly expected the young cadet to collapse before he even made it halfway up but the boy's spirit was astounding. "Nicely done, Ryoga...nicely done. I think you will be just fine in the scouts. Just don't get sleepy eyed on me yet." He blinked and turned to look where he was looking but was interrupted by a very firm voice calling his name. "GRAHAM, KIRIGAYA, FRONT AND CENTER!!!"

Connor looked down the other way to see the ever terrifying face of the instructor glaring daggers at him. Connor swooped down like a praying bat and stood at attention in salute. "Sir!" The Instructor got into his face. "What do you think you are doing right now, Cadet Graham??" Connor answered promptly, his composure not wavering in the slightest bit. "Sir! I was helping Ryoga with Endurance training, Sir!"

The Instructor's barking didn't relent. "You are here under my Regime, cadet, and until you have the free time for extra credit you will stick with the program, you got that? I wanted you both cutting the dummies napes like your life depends on it!" He then turned to Ryoga. "And Cadet Kirigaya, if your intent is to focus on your endurance, maybe you can join your friend for fifty laps around the course after class!" Before Ryoga could answer, the instructor turned. "Dismissed!"

Connor went at ease with a sigh, looking at Ryoga from the corner of his eyes. "We'll continue this later..." He flew off in frustration, vanishing into the forest's canopy, not even thinking about the complete stranger from the garrison that had appeared.

"Did he really have to do that?I mean we're here for training anyway.He trains while I train so I don't see the problem."Ryoga was mad and disappointed."One more go I guess."Ryoga said as he continued training.After an hour he finished again and saw that girl again."Hey,what's a member of the garrison doing here?"Ryoga shouted,having nothing else to do and he was curious as well.