SW: Jade Trio

[Vincent Meian]

Today was a special sort of training day. It wasn't often that joint training sessions were held, and certainly not by a man known for specifically training one-on-one with his students. Vincent Meian simply didn't have group classes with his own students; if ever they were coordinated with other trainers and their students to get the best match of abilities and skill levels.

But this was special. He had asked a former student of his to help with his training of Joelle this afternoon, and both former and current student agreed to the arrangement. Koty had seemed delighted; Joelle less so but still willing. Both seemed interested in what the lesson would show, and the trainer himself had a hint of excitement - he rarely was able to experience such subtle things on his own, after all.

Since it was still Spirit Week, the Japanese man had dressed up, but in a more subtle way than previous days. He wore a three-piece suit, a rarity for him, with a soft jade green paisley dress shirt that had been a gift some time ago. His tie was a deeper green to match his vest, but the slacks and jacket were jet black and his dark shoes had a high shine. Not what he normally wore, no, but it was fitting for Green Day. As further consideration to the day's theme, he'd pulled his long hair into a high ponytail and tied it back with a green ribbon, the pale color of which stood out starkly against the black strands.

Definitely in the "spirit" of things.

Everything was set up so far. The trio were to train in his office rather than a training room (as it was closer to the dorms and had a reliable surface on which to put Blip's temporary housing), and the room was as clean as ever, with the furniture pushed back against the walls for more space.

Now, he just needed his students to arrive to go over the lesson with them together. It wouldn't be too difficult, though it was unorthodox - Koty, as a tactile telepath, would make a link between Joelle and Vincent as she communicated with Blip. It would give her trainer insight into what she needed to work on, from which she could benefit greatly, and the Japanese teen would get more practice in specific applications of his abilities.

At least it sounded like a good idea at the time.

[Koty Hura]

It was exceedingly rare that Koty was running late, but today was one of those days..

Or, more realistically, he would have been late had he not been literally running. Sprinting, actually. He had been wearing an all-green track suit and a pair of green running shoes.. and a green visor.. and green-tinted sunglasses... Because why not.... Only he'd decided that he should be more presentable for a training session. Not quite so presentable as his Sensei that he found was still alone when he arrived, though. Instead he wore a dark grey turtleneck, black jeans, grey/black running shoes, and his iconic fine grey cotton gloves. That way he could shake hands with whoever this person was to be before he touched their mind.. Ensure they were actually okay with it.

Why had he been nearly late? Because, of course, he'd misplaced his gloves. Not a normal thing for Koty to do - or more accurately completely out of character for him - but Koty was distracted. Not only because it was still a thing of joy that his Sensei - the man who had been like a father to him for nearly 10 years at this point - was back, but also because Joelle had asked him out on a date.. and had followed through with said date.. and he had learned so much about her.. and felt so comfortable and confident around her... He'd actually forgotten to wear his gloves for several days and had gone digging through his closet to find them. They'd been in the pocket of these very jeans.. The same ones he's worn to his date some days prior. His shoes and shirt had been nicer then, though. If these pants had made a good impression on Joelle, they were certainly good enough for a first impression on anyone else.

He had hardly caught his breath, given Vincent a bow, and mumbled an apology before there came another knock on the door. This must be Vincent's student.. Hopefully he or she would not need his assistance for long, but it was more than confidence inspiring that he has such an opportunity beside his teacher. Koty couldn't help but wonder if Joelle would be proud that he had left such an impression. She has surely seemed impressed with his ability when they'd gone shopping for Blip and on their first date.

[Joelle McIntosh]

Koty wasn't the only one running late for training, though it wasn't for lack of trying on Joelle's part. Though the idea of this particular training session had made her a little nervous ever since Mr. Meian had mentioned it, she was determined to go ahead with it. He'd promised her that he knew the telepath he had in mind well, and that they would not go digging around in her thoughts. They would be there to assist with her communication with her fish, and that was it. While still not a thrilling idea, having a stranger hear her talk with Blip, she refused to let her trainer down. If he thought it would help, then she was going to do it.

She was running late for one simple reason. Blip. Though her fish had long gotten used to the glass bowl she'd gotten for him for training, today he'd been feeling unusually frisky, leading her on a game of Catch Me If You Can before he'd allowed himself to be caught. Clearly he wasn't as geared towards making a good impression in training as she was. She just prayed he'd be good. Since she'd gotten back from her date with Koty, she'd spilled details to both him as well as Kit, and the little betta had been somewhat merciless in his teasing.

Once he was secure in his bowl, which she'd tried to make nice for him with some pearly white and blue gravel and a red synthetic plant like she had in his little tank, she'd wrapped her arms securely around it and trotted as fast as she dared to the training rooms, only to remember that she was supposed to go to the office today.

Distractions, even wonderful ones, were clearly affecting her ability to function like a reasonable human being. Every time her mind wandered, she thought about her date with Koty, which had the uncanny ability to make her heart flutter. Even now, as she headed to Mr Meian's office, she found herself smiling.

It was helping with the nerves, if nothing else. Because soon she'd be at the mercy of a telepath she didn't know. There had to be dozens of them in the school.

Finally, she made it to the office she was supposed to be at. With Blip giggling in the back of her mind over her flustered nature, she mentally hissed at him to behave himself before knocking. In the spirit of Spirit Week she'd found almost all the green things she owned, and though it wasn't nearly as fancy an outfit as her Valentine's Day one had been, it was still cute. Blip wasn't a big fan of the cartoon cat, but after the way he'd behaved, she didn't really care.

Once she had permission to enter, she nudged the door with her hip, careful not to drop Blip in the process, and dipped her head slightly in an apologetic manner. "I'm sorry I'm late Mr. Meian! Blip didn't want to be caught and I forgot we were meeting here and not in the training room..." She was so flustered, she didn't even see the third member of their training party. Not that she particularly wanted to. She was embarrassed about being late, and still a little anxious about the whole idea, but she'd promised she'd try.

[Vincent Meian]

Koty bursting in the door with barely enough time for the lesson was something of a shock. Very rarely was the Japanese teen late for... well, anything, but specifically for training. His mentor lifted an eyebrow at the display and nodded to acknowledge his presence (and apology), but didn't even have time to tease the boy about his sudden lack of "spirit" before the knock on the door brought his attention back. He'd mention it later, just to show he wasn't upset at the delay.

Ah, and that must be Joelle. "Enter," he called out, patting his former student on the shoulder and gesturing him to the desk. There were bottles of water in there, as the younger man knew, and given the state of his breathing, he would probably need one. Still, Vincent didn't want his younger trainee fighting with the door and her supplies at the same time, so rather than risk damaging either (or their guest of honor, Blip), he pulled open the door for her further and gestured her inside.

Her apology was waived off. "It is a change of location," he reasoned. "I expected delays from the both of you."

Speaking of which... "Please set our guest down on the desk, and we will begin introductions." With a gesture to Koty once this had been done, the trainer continued, "Joelle, our assisting telepath today is one of my former students, Koty Hura. Hura-san, Joelle is the student I have spoken of to you. Her abilities include animal communication, which we shall be observing today."

Glancing back and forth however, made one eyebrow quirk up in a cross between amusement and questioning interest. What was that look for? "I see you have already met. Is this a cause for concern?"

It really shouldn't have been; Koty was not the type of person to go out of his way to make people uncomfortable, and Joelle was possibly one of the kindest people he'd ever met (even including Juniper Birdsong). But if it was, well, they could find another way to do this. The option had simply been available, and given how well he knew his student's psychic powers, Vincent had thought that it would be a good match. Had he made an error in judgement?

[Koty Hura]

Koty had never been so close to a spit-take in his entire life as when Vincent opened the door to reveal a flustered Joelle. He'd just opened a bottle of water and taken a sip and had swallowed just in time to avoid his sudden cough sending water all over the office. He did manage to dribble some down his chin, though, before he removed the bottle from his lips. He immediately wiped it with his sleeve and stared wide-eyed at Joelle.. who returned his somewhat shocked stare.

Instantly hindsight smacked Koty upside the head.. What other student had just started training and might require an ability such as Koty's to ensure Vincent could properly train them? It was almost as though Vincent had been intentionally vague about the student or their gender or ability when he'd asked for assistance.. It hadn't occured to Koty whatsoever that Joelle was even a possibility.. Especially because.. well.. he'd experienced her ability and.. as far as he was concerned she needed no training. She'd not only spoken to Blip and Ash on her own, she'd literally played conduit for him to speak to each of them.. flawlessly.

So.. after several horribly awkward moments of staring, Koty blinked and coughed lightly to clear his throat. "We.. have, Sensei. On more than one occasion. Though,I do not believe there is any.. cause for concern." He paused.. searched Jo's face for.. what exactly she was comfortable with Vincent knowing... and finding it unreadable, gave a small shrug and a grin. With any luck she would simply blush profusely and adopt that adorable smile of hers.. "Meian-Sensei.. Vincent.. Joelle has given me the honor of calling myself her boyfriend. She was gracious enough to allow me to accompany her on our first date last week." His grin had turned into a full-blown smile..

This was a smile that.. Vincent may never have seen actually reach Koty's face, even if he'd seen it on several occasions in Koty's eyes.. This was a smile that Vincent - being an intelligent and observant man - would know Koty often reserved for him. It was a smile that indicated contentment.. one that indicated deep respect and, if either of them ever admitted it, love. It was, no doubt, a different kind of love in reference to Jo... but easily recognizable as it nonetheless.

Koty just stared at Joelle for several seconds before giving her a bow. "It is wonderful to see you again so soon, Joelle." He then turned back to Vincent and regained his usual near-perfect posture, giving him a nod. "You will find no better student than Joelle, Sensei. I have experienced her abilities first-hand and I can assure you that she has a better grasp on them than she will admit. I have the utmost confidence that with your tutelage she will soon be among the finest of sub-aquatic communicators. You would be hard-pressed to find a better intermediary than myself. I dare say these training sessions will go...." Smirk. "Swimmingly."

[Joelle McIntosh]

Oh, good. Mr Meian wasn't upset with her about being late. Joelle sighed in relief as she stepped into the office, still carefully cradling Blip in her arms. The fish seemed to have no issue with the fact they were late, almost to the point of giggling in the back of Jo's mind like the little ruffian he was turning out to be. Being out of the pet store had done wonders for his confidence, as had having someone to talk to.

Setting his bowl down with a final, silent warning to behave, she forced herself to relax. This wasn't going to be so bad. Vincent had promised that the telepath assisting with the lesson was going to be respectful. Now that Blip was settled on the desk and swimming in merry circles, she forced herself to chance looking up.

And instantly she felt a rush of color to her cheeks. Any anxiety she had been holding onto for the lesson instantly evaporated as a smile spread across her face. Concern? Hardly! If Koty was the one helping, her minor resistance to this kind of lesson had evolved into an eagerness that was difficult to hide. Really, it was hard to resist crossing the room and throwing her arms around Koty's neck, but she reminded herself to behave. She was in class, after all.

But it was hard.

It was also hard to do very much more than simply stare at Koty in a puppy-love type of way, slowly nodding along in agreement. Though when he said... that magical word, color flushed darker across her face. So he was her boyfriend now? And wow did he ever have a pretty smile...

Though far stronger now the object of her affection was in the same room, her expressions had been shadowed in her first session with Vincent when her thoughts had tripped over Koty. But that was honestly neither here nor there right now. He was here to help with her lesson, and that was it.

Her boyfriend was here to help.

It was harder to concentrate as he addressed her. Grinning, she gave him a tiny wave. "Hi, Koty. It's good to see you too." And if she had her way, once the lesson was over, she'd be content just to press her hand to his again and bask in feelings that followed.

Focus!

Koty's confidence in her was flattering, and a shy smile took over as he explained his experiences with her power. The tiny joke at the end also made her giggle, because really. Koty was silly sometimes.

"I'm looking forward to the lesson, Mr Meian." Much more now than she had when she'd first arrived. Trying to break eye contact with Koty, she switched her attention to her trainer and dipped her head to him again out of respect. "And I apologize for Blip now if he says anything rude. He likes to show off." More importantly, she hoped he wouldn't say anything about her date with Koty. Just nice, normal, friendly conversation.

[Vincent Meian]

This situation had suddenly become a lot less ideal. If the ex-military man could hazard a guess, in fact, the usefulness of this training session likely had been cut by a factor of ten, simply by his former student's reaction alone. Combined with Joelle herself... it was difficult to say whether there was any point in continuing at all.

At least the girl decided that she was going to try and stay focused.

It has been said many times before that it's a good thing for pretty much all of the universe that Vincent Meian was not a telepath of any sort, but particularly those who could thought-read from a distance. In this situation, that was doubly true, and not just for reasons regarding the level of adoration that was sparking between his students at the moment. Had he been able to read the thoughts of the younger male, he would have been far more inclined to simply call the lesson off for the day and tell Koty to cool his head - and his ego.

Not that working with egotistical, hormonal students wasn't something he did on a regular basis. Had the option been presented, a private dressing-down may have been required, followed by a very firm discussion on their dynamics in the training room. The Japanese teen may have had an ability that was useful in training certain powers, but that was not everything. Experience, insight, patience, skill, and a certain amount of creativity were all needed to be a trainer; at the very least, two of those things were aspects the young man lacked simply due to age. There was a reason why he was a student, and his teacher was the trainer.

Perhaps (un)fortunately for everyone, Vincent was not a telepath.

Instead, the older man watched the two inscrutably for a few moments; saw them fidget, collect themselves, and push for the lesson. He observed, quietly, Koty's expressions and body language as he explained where they had met and their relationship. The only real sign of surprise was a slight widening of honey-colored eyes, a small tilt of one eyebrow, and that was honestly for the use of the trainer's given name in this situation rather than the revelation of the two's partnership. Anyone with eyes could notice the way they looked at each other was... more than acquaintanceship.

The smile was also something strange and unusual, given that (much like himself) Koty rarely grinned so openly. It was a private thing, reserved for one-on-one situations; situations that seemed to be (though he could not confirm with certainty) almost entirely between the two males in this room. To see it in reference to another person was... interesting.

Well, he couldn't fault his student for being happy. Either of them.

However, the statements following wiped any trace of amusement from the trainer's face, replacing it with a very neutral expression that had a hint of warning to it. The pride in Koty's tone had fallen dangerously close to arrogance and bias, and his word choice pushed it further. (And really, that pun was appalling - he could have done much better, though humor never really seemed the boy's strong suit.) Jokes aside, a notch of concern cracked deeply into Vincent's confidence about the session.

He would need to speak with his former student later on exactly their relationship in the classroom. Especially when it involved other students under his guidance.

Joelle distracted him for a moment, though, her face still flushed but her words clearly honest. Once again, she was a breath of fresh air, and this time helped calm the warning in his mind. She was still focusing on the lesson, for now. Perhaps it would still work, if he gave them time to speak and clear the air.

"I have dealt with many far more rude than he, I assure you," the tall man replied. "Arrogance is something I confront daily; it shall not hurt my pride to be faced with it in your aquatic friend." Giving the girl a slight bow and the boy a cautious look, he added, "There are some further preparations I myself need to make before the training today, if you would like to speak between the three of you for a moment."

Leave taken, the trainer picked up the file and a pen from his desk and moved to the window of the small office; the furthest point from the desk to allow for a modicum of privacy for the trio. Joelle's file, of course. There were a few more points to be made before the lesson began, and that included the biased opinion of the tactile telepath.