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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 0:54:34 GMT -5
Espio seemed to take on the posture of a scolded child -- one that had gotten caught red-handed misbehaving, unlike earlier in the morning when he'd felt wrongfully prosecuted. The chameleon cringed, almost cowered, beneath Rob's chilling eye. " L-Look, Rob, I really have been trying as hard as I can to get better. I know it doesn't look like it... I-- I--..." Unable to think of an end to his sentence, Espio simply eyed the ground and waited for his punishment, though he couldn't imagine what else Rob could possibly hand down this day.
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 1:02:49 GMT -5
Rubbing at his eyes, and then slowly working it up to massaging around the tender bruised skin of his forehead, Rob could only scrunch his face with a look of guilt. Knowing Espio this had probably gone on for quite some time, which, he now realized, explained much of his behavior and attitude toward the skill... it seemed he had been taking his own stubbornness and eagerness to please out of his own hide. Literally. "I believe you," he finally sighed. "Draw an arrow - but don't shoot."
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 1:12:54 GMT -5
The chameleon seemed to... slump. Why can't I just go home? the teen silently lamented as he reclaimed his dirty bow from the grass. We already established that I suck at this...Espio sighed and eyed the darkening clouds. Why couldn't I have just been completely grounded? With a look of extreme reluctance, the would-be archer drew another arrow as instructed.
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 1:17:00 GMT -5
Pulling his own bow from his quiver, the senior archer moved over toward Espio's left side. Drawing an arrow of his own back, Rob looked over toward his student. "Tell me what differences you see."
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 15:48:52 GMT -5
Espio blinked in surprise. This was certainly an unexpected move. The chameleon really wasn't sure what to think of the situation. Did this mean he was doing something wrong? ...Yeah, probably, given his track record as of late. But was this going to fix things, or make them worse? Lowering his bow partially to turn for a better look, Espio examined his instructor carefully. Looks pretty much the same as I ever do, he thought with a vaguely puzzled expression. Same as when he first taught me--"Oh..." The teen's eyes fell on Rob's boots, and he scrunched his mouth. "....Oops." Resuming his stance, Espio widened the distance between his feet, bringing them in line with his shoulders.
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 16:38:04 GMT -5
"Mmhmm," Rob nodded approvingly. "What else? There's about three other things."
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 16:42:36 GMT -5
" Three??" the chameleon squawked, nearly slipping his hold on the arrow. "I barely even saw the one!!" Espio lowered the bow a second time for another hard look. What else could there be?? Everything else looked the same... Suddenly, a seemingly insignificant detail caught his eye, and the teen's head canted in thought. Well, it's different, but does it really matter? He glanced down at his own bow in comparison. Eh, different is different, and I can't find anything else. The chameleon unhooked the back of his arrow from the bowstring long enough to shift it to the other side. "Does this really make a difference?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 17:00:17 GMT -5
"Aye, it helps your control. Your arm and the arrow should be kept a straight line." Rob responded, walking closer to Espio. "Hold your bow and arrow back up."
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 17:11:32 GMT -5
Espio frowned, but did as he was told. A strange feeling of foreboding hung heavily in his stomach like a rock.
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 18:33:05 GMT -5
"Now to your posture... you've got your feet right, now straighten your arms and shoulders a bit." as he instructed, he took the boy's shoulders gently and positioned them as they should be. Once having him positioned to his liking he took a step back. "Alright, now try shooting."
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 20:48:00 GMT -5
" H-HOLY CRAP..." the teen grunted through gritted teeth. His arms had already begun to shudder with strain from the new positioning. As soon as he was given the clear to release, Espio let his arrow fly, if only because he didn't have the strength to hold it back any longer. (BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOOOOOW) [dice=5] The chameleon let out a hard breath and rotated his shoulders. "That position is HARD!! ... ..." All of a sudden Espio peered down at his heavily bruised arm in amazement. " ... It didn't hurt this time."[rand=54535749214402450310316583548965241382707613254494334810058975028]
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 21:13:48 GMT -5
"Aye, at first, but it's the right w--Good HEAVENS!" Rob's eyes went wide, spotting Espio's now non-camouflaged arm. Not even waiting for a reaction he snatched the teen's wrist, stretching his arm out to get a good look at the collection of deep dark spots. "What in Aurora's name is this?!"
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 21:23:25 GMT -5
Espio gasped in panic, and quickly concealed the markings. "Nothing!!" he insisted, jerking his arm backwards. (BATTLE OF WILLS) [dice=6][rand=3531156614497286747691128587997442884284839896065496392222760272]
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 21:25:38 GMT -5
[dice=7] Denied. Rob held onto the boy firmly. "Take the camouflage down Espio."[rand=70225472865411850693397547635994488678414781614628461716576519065]
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 21:29:40 GMT -5
That didn't stop him from continuing to attempt to pull away, though. "I'm fine, Rob!" Clenching his eyes and gritting his teeth, the chameleon added quietly, " I'm not a little kid anymore!! I can take it like a man!!"
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 21:31:12 GMT -5
Rob only frowned. "You never had to take it at all! Why didn't you ask me for help?!"
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 21:36:16 GMT -5
The teen frowned and eyed the ground in shame, momentarily ceasing his struggle. " Because I don't want to disappoint you."
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 21:49:23 GMT -5
With a look of exasperation, Rob released him. "Espio, there's no shame in getting help when you need it. I'm not going to be disappointed in you for that. Lord knows how many times my dad had to correct me."
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 22:00:20 GMT -5
However, the chameleon still looked troubled. "I guess... My dad never really did anything like this with me. Of the stuff we did do, he was always happy with whatever I did. He didn't care if I accomplished anything." Glancing back at Rob, Espio's posture slumped. "I know you want me to be good at this. I didn't know how to tell you I'm not. It's not very impressive to tell someone you're getting worse."
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 13, 2008 22:13:10 GMT -5
Rob shook his head, putting a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're not doing worse, you just need guidance. You've got the right attitude, but you're expecting way too much of yourself too soon."
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Post by Leda on Aug 13, 2008 22:44:02 GMT -5
At last, a smile crossed Espio's face. "I get another chance to get it right, then? I swear I'll work twice as hard if I get to try again!" The chameleon swelled, attempting to look bigger and tougher than he really was. "I'll get so awesome, I'll be able to kick YOUR ass!!"
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 14, 2008 0:29:31 GMT -5
"Now let's not get hasty," Rob smirked. "In any case, how about I see one more shot before I move on?"
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Post by Leda on Aug 14, 2008 0:59:46 GMT -5
"Sure," his student replied, looking far more confident than before. Espio snatched the final arrow from his quiver, and this time took special care to notch it correctly and adjust his stance. The chameleon's jaw tightened; keeping his shoulders back was surprisingly difficult. It made the bow feel ten times heavier, and his arm and shoulder muscles had already started aching just from drawing the string. Espio quickly found trouble in stabilizing his form before he could even begin to aim. In an instant the projectile flew forward, though again, mostly because its archer ran out of strength to keep it restrained. (1=fixed form, 2=still flawed) [dice=2] (BECAUSE I CAN'T STOP ROLLING FOR ACCURACY) [dice=5] "That stance is so much harder to hold," the chameleon commented with a slight pant, giving his wrist a shake. "How do you do it so easily?? I can barely draw the arrow."[rand=942699098966891231010216976873206990185424160525214329909469953406]
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 15, 2008 2:00:43 GMT -5
"Years of practice and plenty of sore muscle," Rob answered with a sheepish grin. Noticing Espio was shaking his arm he took his bow and an arrow again and took aim. "Remember to keep your shoulders and arms straight - you'll also have an easier time aiming if you remember to anchor your hand on your cheek. I should probably get you a guard till your used to the posture..." And then, just for kicks, he let the arrow go. [dice=10][rand=96660219649824357130321560693172934784223784356014379569924443]
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Post by Leda on Aug 15, 2008 2:23:02 GMT -5
The chameleon's eyes widened at the bullseye. "Whoa!! That was AWESOME!!" Apparently eager to copy his teacher, Espio grabbed at his quiver for another arrow, but his hand bicycled comically in the air before he realized he'd only retreived four of them. After a brief pause, he simply stole one of Rob's instead. Drawing the string back, Espio could already feel his old habits trying to surface, and with gritty determination he forced them into retreat. My arms already feel like putty, he thought as his features hardened. No wonder Rob's grip is so hard! He could probably rip a Swatbot in half with the strength this takes!!
... Rob ripping a Swattie in half would be kinda cool.(Same roll for form success.) [dice=2] Such a slight digression in concentration probably wouldn't have affected someone more experienced, but for an archer still in his infancy, it was all that was needed. The idle drift of focus served as the perfect excuse for his weary muscles to give up the fight, and his grip slipped from both the bow and the arrow. "KYAUUURGH!!" Espio shrieked and leapt backwards as the weapon seemed to snap to life with a mind of its own, whipping backward and spinning wildly while the arrow rocketed off to parts unknown. (1=Espio gets smacked, 2=Rob does, 3=neither) [dice=3] An adrenaline-filled second or two later, the bow came to a rest between their feet. Espio panted softly for breath, then began to tap the weapon with his shoe. "...Is it dead?"[rand=7967102834739892858530444251435415103943956572674479540805993]
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 15, 2008 19:08:57 GMT -5
Rob snerked. "Alright, I really need to be off now," he said, placing his bow back into his quiver and heading toward his bag. "Go get some ice for that arm. I'll see about getting an armguard for you later."
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Post by Leda on Aug 15, 2008 21:30:31 GMT -5
Well, that was music to his ears, since that'd been his intention when he'd gotten caught cheating in the first place. Espio nodded with relief and retrieved his wayward bow. "Okay, thanks!... ... ..." The chameleon paused just before stepping onto the dirt path back to the treeborne city. A wave of guilt abruptly washed over him as he compared how he'd behaved that morning to how nicely Rob had just treated him. If the teen's ears had been external, they would've folded backwards. Even after all that nasty stuff I did and said, he still took the time to help me..."Rob??" Espio suddenly called, scampering to the hedgehog's side. "I.... I... I'm sorry for saying all of those horrible things. I don't hate you..." He peered up at his guardian, his eyes radiating remorse and sincerity. " You believe me.... right?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 15, 2008 21:51:19 GMT -5
A somber mood seemed to fall over Rob as he heaved the bag back over his shoulder. For a moment he just seemed to pause and look off somewhere into the forest. Pressing his lips together he nodded and glanced back toward Espio. "Aye, I believe you. I'm glad to see you're man enough admit it," he smiled half-heartedly. "Thank you."
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Post by Leda on Aug 17, 2008 0:10:35 GMT -5
As the coveted words reached his ears, Espio's unbridled glee and pride clearly showed on his face. Without warning the boy sprang forward and wrapped the hedgehog in a snug hug, then was already disappearing down the footpath a few seconds later.
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Post by Jamie Lee on Aug 20, 2008 18:34:41 GMT -5
Watching the boy leave Rob could only smile to himself and shake his head. What a handful, Rob thought in regard to the boy - wanting to be grown up so badly but still just a kid. At least it seemed that particular drama could now be put to rest. Giving his bag another heave to secure his grip, he began to head down the same trail as Espio.
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