7953/Atomic Karate

Atomic Karate
Date of Scene:	23 September 2021
Location:	Breakstone Lake
Synopsis:	Practicing combat arts by the lake, Michael is happened upon by Laxmi - and a discussion as to whether or not students should be taught lethal hand-to-hand techniques ensues.
Cast of Characters:	Michael Erickson, Laxmi Mallick

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Michael Erickson has posed:
    It's a tableau that repeats itself across the world: a fighter by the shore of a placid lake, fists raised, feet scything as they practice the most elementary and intimate of martial arts. Hand to hand, battling phantom foe after phantom foe. A tale as old as warfare.

    But of course, the fighter in question is teh alien visitor from another galaxy. Which isn't exactly uncommon on this planet, but perhaps a bare-chested man from space in loose athletic pants carrying out unusual battle forms. A combination of styles on Earth might equate to what Michael performs by the glittering water, Eagle Claw and Tiger Kung Fu - though with more flourishes, arms and feet constantly on the move in gracefully brutal motion. Every punch, every claw, whistles with the strength behind them; certainly far more force involved than any everyday human can muster. Flat out like this, he seems more likee a deliberate hurricane than anything else.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Laxmi strolls the grounds of the school, accompanied by one of the young teens who call Xavier's home. The girl beside her is talking animatedly, while Laxmi listens, nodding calmly now and again, and offering small, non-commital remarks. The teen concludes her rant with an anxious, "So what do you think?"
    "I think," Laxmi says in a calm, encouaraging voice, as she stops her idle stroll to turn and face the girl, "that you already know what you ought to do. Don't you?" She offers a sympathetic smile before she adds, "I know it's hard to stand up to your friends when they're making a mistake. Just make sure 'Sally,'" the girl had been talking in the most cliched pseudonyms, as if that actually protected anyone's identity, "knows that you're still her friend, and you're trying to help." She reaches out to touch the girl briefly on the shoulder before adding, "Think on it some - practice it into the mirror perhaps. But this won't be the end of the world, you'll find your way through it."
    After the girl trots off, Laxmi follows her with her gaze, which eventually brings her attention towards Michael as he practices on the shore.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He doesn't /have/ claws, so it might seem odd that he would fight as though he did; wide rakes, meant to eviscerate, slashes and upward thrusts. Hordes of rapid punches akin to that of a concrete pulveriser. Knees and elbows employed in bone-crunching ways similar to, perhaps, Muy Thai. It's a strange distillation of things that can be seen on Earth but from a very different place -- yet no less lethal, and certainly far more brutal than one might otherwise expect practiced.

    And he never seems to tire.

    Eventually, however, he comes to a stop, executing a slow salute to absent parties with one fist clasped to his breast. Then he goes to snag a towel from the grass nearby.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Laxmi moves closer, her hands clasped loosely in front of her body, paying polite curiosity to the way the man moves. She isn't terribly familiar with combat - only with dance, though there can at times be a strange crossover between the two practices. "This is what you're teaching the students?" she asks when she's close enough to speak. There doesn't appear to be any judgement in her tone or her expression to accompany the question.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    Dabbing at his brow, Michael lifts his brows as he looks up at the lady approaching from up the grounds. "Oh, hello," he says, flashing Laxmi a faint smile. "Something like that. I haven't started yet, but I'll be teaching them this, and more. Though perhaps it's a little harsh for some. And they might not have suitable physical strength for it."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I suppose it would depend on their gifts. Judging by some of the dents in the pole holding up the basketball hoop, at least some of them have enhanced strength." With a curious expression Laxmi asks, "What's the purpose of this form of martial arts? It's my understanding that different forms have different philosophies and goals? Though admittedly, I don't know much about fighting."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Killing people." He gives her a smile that's slightly pained. "I'm a soldier, this is a soldier's art." Michael flips the towel around his shoulders, now, and drops into the grass. "Can't defend yourself against it if you don't know that it's coming, right?"

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I suppose that's true," Laxmi agrees - though a faint frown pulls at her lips. "But is it really the best idea to teach such things to a group of teens? I- well. I suppose I just don't know. I know that many of them will face a great deal of hatred, persecution, and perhaps even violence out there. As much as I'd like them to be able to defend themselves, I worry that they may escalate things more." She lets out a sigh.
    "It's complicated, isn't it?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He looks up at her. "I was fifteen when I learned it," Michael replies, lying back in the grass and leaning up on his elbows. "I don't intend to give them the sort of training I got in the Imperial War Cadres, but I've seen these 'teens' in action, remember?. They're more than able to handle it if they want." Michael shrugs. "It's a voluntary class."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I don't know. I suppose I just think - it's one thing to offer such knowledge to the likes of Dr. McCoy, Mister Wagner," both quite blatantly members of the X-Men, "but the students?" Laxmi gives a helpless shrug of her shoulders. "It concerns me a little, which I thnk is fair. But I don't pretend to have all the right answers."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Feel free to raise your concerns with the staff, then." Another shrug; he looks across the water, apparently untroubled. "I'm the last person who's going to complain about different points of view. Where I'm from, every one of these kids would have been able to go toe to toe with an Imperial infantry platoon to some degree, if not necessarily winning. Self-defense is a vital duty for Imperial citizens."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I don't know that your people have the same problems as we do - with underdeveloped brains that're unable to think out consequences rationally... We give them these 'weapons' - but they aren't able to truly comprehend the affects their actions will have. Not in the heat of the moment," Laxmi points out. "Is it the same for your people?" she asks in a curious tone. "Or is that just a human condition?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Your people don't finish neural maturity until twenty-five," Michael points out with a smirk. "I can't remember what age we do, but there's a great deal more order required of us when we're young. At least, those of us in my situation - anyway." He shakes his head, looking back across the water. "You're probably right. I'll speak with the headmistress, see about separating the classes between recognition and defensive action and then teh full combat classes."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Laxmi nods her head in agreement. "That may be wise. I mean - even I haven't reached 25 yet so... who knows what decisions I'll look back on with chagrin?" she remarks in amusement, before settling down onto the grass finally. "You know - it's actually bothered me for quite a while that we have this arbitrary number 'the age of 18' where we're supposedly 'adults.' And in our criminal justice system, anyone 18 or over is tried as 'an adult' - and we routinely charge even younger teens as adults as well - when we know their brains were finished developing yet."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    "Whereas I'm seventy years old," he points out with a chuckle. "So there's no help for me, is that right?" Michael shrugs. "Well, I tend to let people make their own judgements. I didn't get that as a kid, so I really don't want to take it from anyone else."

    With that said, Michael gets to his feet. "I gotta go on a run," he says, smiling at Laxmi. "Don't worry, I'm not going to turn anyone into a super-soldier or anything. But thanks for the advice, Miss Mallick." And with this does he give her a nod before charging off into said run, taking off across the grounds away from the lake into...certain doom, probably.