Start at the Beginning (AJ)

[Vincent Meian]

It occurred to Vincent that the reason why he wasn't getting through to his newest student was because he'd made a faulty assumption.

Amanda Joy Lane (or 'AJ', as she preferred to be called) had been transferred to Vincent following her other trainer taking a leave of absence. It was originally temporary, so the taller man had accepted and tried his best to continue where he thought the training may have left off. Unfortunately, given their slow progress, it seemed almost like the girl didn't understand any of what he was trying to say.

So, a different approach was necessary.

Waiting out in the courtyard, the Japanese man was dressed at least moderately well for the weather in an old olive green jacket and black jeans, a white scarf wrapped about his neck and chin for additional warmth. Dark sunglasses also sat on the bridge of his nose despite the relatively thick cloud cover; it was more to block the glare from the snow, which always bothered his eyes, than any fashion statement. Leaning against the wall near the doors, he didn't really seem all that imposing. He didn't really look like a teacher either, but that was a different problem.

He'd arranged to meet AJ outside today, to go on a walk with her rather than sit in his office. It was a cramped and enclosed space, and while well suited for privacy it was also a place that tended to make students nervous. So, he opted for a walk - the two of them could talk, at length, without worrying that they would be overheard. (At least, not without seeing the person right away.) Much as he should have done in the first place, this session would be starting from the very beginning.

How did AJ use and perceive her powers?

Looking up as the girl came over, Vincent pushed himself off the wall and nodded to her. "Good morning, AJ," he greeted. "Are you ready for training?"

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ couldn't explain how grateful she was to have a new trainer willing to take her and her ability on, only things had started out sort of weird when Vincent seemed to just jump into things and AJ wasn't following him at all. She hadn't gotten very far with Jay and so they ended up having to back track, but she was already very pleased with Vincent, as he'd opted to have their training outside of a stuffy office or anywhere else inside. While it was rather chilly outside with the nip of the January air, she was grateful not to be cooped up as it didn't seem to help anything.

She walked through the courtyard dressed in layers, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck. She lifted a hand to Vincent when she was close enough. "Morning," she replied. "And I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

[Vincent Meian]

Picking up transferred students was almost standard procedure for the tall trainer at this point. He would have preferred more new students, ones that came to him directly rather than passing through another training course first, but all the students in the school needed to learn control regardless of who taught them at what point. So, here he was.

Nodding, Vincent pushed himself off the wall and gestured briefly with his hand before sticking it back into the safe warmth of the jacket's pockets. "Then let us walk," he stated, choosing a path and keeping to it at a reasonable pace - like most people, AJ was quite a bit smaller than him and he adjusted his strides accordingly.

"Have you had any difficulties concerning your abilities recently?" The question was a simple inquiry, even if the answer would tell him more about the brunette's level of control and particular issues than her file ever could. "You have had some unfortunate encounters in the past, if I am not mistaken. Have those problems resurfaced?"

[Amanda Joy "AJ" Lane]

AJ walked alongside Vincent, falling into step with him. The cold air nipped at her cheeks and she pulled her hat down further over her ears. "Yeah, I mean...I'm still not in control of it like I'd like to be. I feel like I'm just more aware of when I'm doing it now or how to identify pheromones," she explained. "So things aren't as bad as they used to be regarding my power. My old trainer taught me how to relax to help gain control, but honestly I still just want to be rid of the power rather than learn to control it." She let out a sigh.

She'd actually been in fairly good control without an incident since November and then after everything with Travis, her stress was no help in the situation. "Recently, things have resurfaced...I mean, my anxiety levels are high again."

[Vincent Meian]

"Fine control will come in time," the trainer replied, keeping his pace slower and his strides shorter to accommodate for the difference in their heights. "Awareness is progress in this stage of training, and identification is a useful skill. More active control is a future goal." Knowing what AJ had already begun to learn for herself was very useful, and such knowledge was not a small thing. That the brunette even knew her limitations was a good start.

As for getting rid of the power, he said nothing. Many new metas wished for their powers to just 'go away' and make them normal again. So did some who had grown into adulthood before making such wishes. Sadly, it didn't work like that, for better or for worse.

"Would you like to speak of it?" He wouldn't tell his student to tell him everything - she was allowed to have secrets and personal relationships. His only interest in asking the question was to allow her to let things out into the air, to sort them out verbally so she could feel less anxious about such things. "I can also teach you stress-relieving activities to practice. Regardless of how... cliche it may sound, yoga is quite adept at providing such relaxation."

Not to mention it was good exercise.