<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">First Day, After Dinner</span></div><div class="floatleft">(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQboLyRhv87q2dV7lyxqjrb-QHbjw7vXPA9NxY2GnblMpQE3nv3rQ)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Willum Wildfang<br/><strong>Team:</strong>Clay Dewclaw<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Hallway to Armina's Office<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Armina<br/><br/>It was night time, about an hour after dinner, when Willum found himself walking alone through the darkened hallways of the academy.  Dinner had been a pretty satisfying affair.  Either the first day was meant to be particularly spectacular and lavish, or Avalanche Academy believed that budding hunters and huntresses learned best with full and happy stomachs.  Willum wasn't going to disagree if the latter was the case, but dinner had reminded him of home.  Normally, he would be sitting on the floor around a low table with his fathers, all enjoying whoever's turn was to cook that nights food while discussing his day and progress, with the occasion anecdote from their colourful and adventurous path before he was taken in.  Now his normal for the next few years would be eating with his team mates, amidst the noise of the other teams and students.  Willum couldn't tell if he was beginning to feel his first pang of homesickness, or if it was the first hint of anxiety at the notion that he was now in charge of blossoming all on his own, without the guidance of his fathers.  It was certainly going to see how he was going to grow from now on.<br/><br/>As he walked down the hallway, he found it remarkable how quiet it was right now.  He could hear his footsteps echoing around him and his own steady breathing, and it was probably his own imagination on this one, the subtle sounds of an active building that made it seem alive and breathing.  It was a huge contrast to during the day time, when he had classes and was transitioning between them.<br/><br/>Thinking of the classes made Willum smile to himself.  All of the teachers so far had been particularly unique personalities, and their methods had all been distinctly different.  Of course, the same could have been said for his fathers, each had their own approach to handing down their hard won knowledge down to their only son and disciple.  But he had always learned the bulk of his knowledge on his own.  Now he had classmates, and lessons were designed to inform them as a whole rather than be individually personalized.  It was weird, and unusual, though he was probably one of the unusual ones for feeling this way.  Well, Willum was adaptable, a key quality in order to be able to learn five combat styles at the same time, and he didn't think it would take long before this sort of environment became routine.<br/><br/>Speaking of routine, Willum stopped when he reached his intended destination and began to knock on the door of Armina Horowitz's door.<br/>"Excuse me, Professor?  I wanted to speak with you.  It's Willum, Willum Wildfang."<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m543/jakendy/MerwinEllusae_zpsfdc88019.jpg)</div><strong>Name: Armina Horowitz </strong><br/><strong>Location: Her own office</strong><br/><strong>Tagging: Willum Wildfang </strong><br/><br/>After dinner she’d usually spend time in the office to take and equally make notes. It may have looked like combat wasn’t the kind of subject for which the teacher needed to make an actual curriculum, but in reality Armina constantly planned her teaching strategy based on the different aspects of her students’ abilities.<br/><br/>There was so much to take into account in the first place, not just physical prowess. Unlike other teachers, Armina needed to gain knowledge in other fields too: aura control, anatomy, weaponry, semblance, history – especially on war tactics -  and physics. ‘All brawn and no brain’ didn’t really apply to her, nor she’d ever request it from her students.<br/><br/>She had the screen turned on showing the other day’s practical tests. Each year she asked the administration to give her the videos from the entrance exams. Armina used them to study her student’s fighting styles from different angles. It helped her show them how and where to improve and one of her favorite events of the year was when she’d show the graduating students two recordings: one from their entrance exam and another from their graduation test. The difference depicted in the two videos usually made the students gawk in awe and Armina feel proud as a mother.<br/><br/>It was in such a moment that Willum chose to knock on her door. Armina touched the command screen and the door slid open allowing him to enter. She was wearing the same clothes she had on during dinner, but her hair was loose this time.<br/><br/>“Clay Dewclaw, dust-chambered metal gauntlets, multiple figh….how many styles do you actually know?” she asked as a greeting.<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQboLyRhv87q2dV7lyxqjrb-QHbjw7vXPA9NxY2GnblMpQE3nv3rQ)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Willum Wildfang<br/><strong>Team:</strong>Clay Dewclaw<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Armina's Office<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Armina<br/><br/>Willum blinked in momentary surprise as the door slid open without anyone on the other side to open it.  He didn't expect the teachers' offices to have automatic doors, apparently the Academy was better equipped than he originally thought.  Stepping through, there was another blink of surprise, but this time directed at Armina: apparently there was a time when she'd let her hair down a little.  There was a fleeting moment where Willum thought it looked rather fashionable when Armina's 'greeting' interrupted his thoughts and called attention to the fact that he was here to talk with her.<br/><br/>"Well, that's a bit tricky to answer, Professor," Willum replied, shrugging nonchalantly.  "My fathers instructed me that one of my primary advantages in combat was the breadth of my abilities, and keeping it a secret would be in my benefit."<br/>He held silent for a moment before breaking out into a grin, "But then you're the combat Professor and I don't think I'm going to be fighting to the death with you any time soon, so I think that makes it okay.  Currently, I can be said to know five.  I primarily relied on three for the duel during the entrance exams, using one or two techniques from a fourth.  The fifth style I held back for practical reasons.  However, while I know them, I can't say the same for mastering them.  I still handily lose against my masters."<br/>Willum tilted his head in Armina's direction.<br/>"And apparently you as well."<br/><br/>"Why do you ask?" Willum asked, suddenly perked up.  "Are you watching the fight right now?"<br/>He moved closer to Armina, curious to see what she had displayed on her screen.<br/>"I've never really seen myself from an outside perspective before."<br/>That was something of particular interest to him.  While he could remember the fight while in the moment, trying to achieve a clear and objective memory of it was difficult.  It was too easy to tunnel vision in combat, and to have your awareness shrink down.  A video would allow Willum to see how he really fought in comparison to how he thought he fought, and broaden his perspective on his own skill level.  Like Professor T and his fathers had said, "Know thyself", and while he thought he had a good idea of where his skills lay, he could always use another viewpoint.<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m543/jakendy/MerwinEllusae_zpsfdc88019.jpg)</div><strong>Name: Armina Horowitz </strong><br/><strong>Location: Her own office</strong><br/><strong>Tagging: Willum Wildfang </strong><br/><br/>“Your…fathers taught you well.” She must have skipped that part from his file, but she wasn’t that interested in his personal life. However, one of the styles he used on the practical test did ring a bell, just that she didn’t really know why. It wasn’t a technique she fought against before, but one she either saw or heard of.<br/><br/>“I am.” She simply replied at his question if she was watching the fight. He must have recognized one of the students and of course the setting.<br/><br/>“But not ours.” Armina pushed on fast forward until their match was shown. In the video she was wearing tights, high boots and a short, but very puffy jacket. Just enough to keep her warm even when she didn’t fight and to also allow some freedom of movement.<br/><br/>She was asking him to attack first while she stood her ground. There was a sudden close-up of her ass when the camera switched angle. She’ll have to beat up the guy in charge of the cameras apparently.<br/><br/>“Watch closely and tell me how do you see your charge."<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQboLyRhv87q2dV7lyxqjrb-QHbjw7vXPA9NxY2GnblMpQE3nv3rQ)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Willum Wildfang<br/><strong>Team:</strong>Clay Dewclaw<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Hallway to Armina's Office<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Armina<br/><br/>Willum nodded at the compliment directed at his fathers, "I'd like to think so.  They certainly did their best with what they had."<br/>Willum's ambition to become one of the best hunters in the academy was partly driven by a desire to push his limits, and see just how far he could grow in the years spent at the Academy.  The other part was a sort of filial piety and the duty he felt as their disciple, to prove how good they were through their ability to teach him.  He respected them, and he wanted others to respect them as well.<br/><br/>He was about to ask if she was willing to display their fight, but already she was fast forwarding, and he waited patiently in silence until he recognized the beginning of their fight.  He remembered being asked to attack first, and he found himself smiling at his startled reaction.  Rarely did Willum start the attack, preferring to play defensively first.  Did he really look like that when he was surprised.  Just a blank face and a blink?  Willum found himself covering his mouth and trying not to laugh when a different camera angle focused on the professor's ass, turning into a quiet snort and a very innocent poker face.<br/><br/>Hearing Armina's question, Willum nodded and focused on his approach.  He remembered trying to move cautiously, distributing his weight as evenly as possible in order to not give a hint as to when he was going to strike.  What he had learned from Wing Chun was to never make moves that would fully commit him into the attack, and he watched himself try to put those lessons in place.  Good... good... good... wait...<br/>"Pause that.  Go back three seconds please?" Willum asked.  Watching the section again, Willum frowned.  It was subtle, and maybe he hadn't realized it at the time, but he knew what his thoughts were at the time and it was easy to see it now.<br/>"I gave it away," Willum said, lifting his hand to point at various spots on the video.  "There, there and there.  It's subtle to anyone who doesn't know where to look, but I remember thinking that I was going to make my attack soon.  And you can see how I'm getting ready to put my feet where I want them to be for a low snap kick.  I've gotten ready to shift my body's balance.  I gave it away I'd say two steps ahead."<br/><br/>It was always one thing to have his fathers point out the mistakes he made, and then repeating the steps until his fathers were satisfied.  Seeing it now on the screen gave a clearer understanding of what he had done and what he needed to do to correct it.  If only they had a camera set-up like they did at the Academy: he would have progressed much further than he had now.<br/>"Technology is a wonderful thing," he stated.  "What was your assessment Professor?"<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m543/jakendy/MerwinEllusae_zpsfdc88019.jpg)</div><strong>Name: Armina Horowitz </strong><br/><strong>Location: Her own office</strong><br/><strong>Tagging: Willum Wildfang </strong><br/><br/>“Good” she’d say and nod, visibly satisfied with his answer. “Not only that, but look at your right hand. It moves instinctively ahead of your foot, even if just slightly, and I can tell which leg will move first as you come closer. My assessment is that whoever taught you did a good job, I haven’t seen this kind of self-control in other students before you. I can only assume that having to learn various styles got discipline into your blood. Your body inherently responds to stimulus, but having to attack first puts you into a tight position: you’re forced to think your moves. This is what we’ll be working on this school year.”<br/>She closed the video and turned to face him.<br/>“All in due time. What is it that you came for?”<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQboLyRhv87q2dV7lyxqjrb-QHbjw7vXPA9NxY2GnblMpQE3nv3rQ)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Willum Wildfang<br/><strong>Team:</strong>Clay Dewclaw<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Hallway to Armina's Office<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Armina<br/><br/>"Actually, it's related to discipline," Willum responded cheerily.  He wasn't sure how often Armina complimented anyone, but her statements certainly had the inclination of being one.  It was nice knowing he stood out a little in a positive manner.<br/>"Namely that discipline isn't something a person is born with, but something that needs to be learned and then maintained.  And right now, it's the maintenance that I'm concerned with.  I have nothing extraordinary in the way of physical prowess, and I wasn't born with any innate talent in martial arts.  I'm where I am because I started young, and I've been practicing every day since I started.  Not including the time spent working through my forms and so on, I used to spend anywhere between an hour to two hours sparring with my fathers for the last five years."<br/><br/>"One combat class a day isn't going to match what I did at home," Willum stated bluntly.  "More importantly, I can't safely practice all of my techniques when sparring against other students.  With them, I can practice on learning how to restrain myself without having to think about it.  But given my knowledge of Muay Thai, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, Judo and Systema, I need someone I can practice my eye gouges, my arm and leg breaks, all of the crippling and kill moves I know without, you know, running the risk of actually crippling or killing someone."<br/><br/>"And so I was hoping I'd be able to take supplementary lessons from you after classes are done.  Given our skill difference, I think I could go all out like I did at home without risking my sparring partner's life in the process.  Plus, I'd welcome any guidance you'd have to offer, and video recordings of our matches would help be get a third person view of myself."<br/>He hoped that she would agree.  Just that one duel with her told him a lot about her, and he knew that she was of a comparable skill level to his fathers.<br/>"And I wouldn't worry about roughing me up too much," Willum grinned.  "My fathers went easy on me just enough that I could learn something each time, but no more than that.  I'm used to get knocked around.  Short of anything that takes longer than a day or two to recover from, I'm good."<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m543/jakendy/MerwinEllusae_zpsfdc88019.jpg)</div><strong>Name: Armina Horowitz </strong><br/><strong>Location: Her own office</strong><br/><strong>Tagging: Willum Wildfang </strong><br/><br/>She listened to Willum explaining in full detail why he needed extra combat hours without averting her gaze. The young man before her was honest with both himself and her when it came to his own ability and knowledge in martial arts, something she had to give Willum credit for. Armina also had to congratulate herself for recognizing during their brief duel some of the fighting styles he mentioned just then. “Systema” in particular piqued her interest. She remembered Enya talking about the relatively unknown martial art while she was still in the army. Perhaps now was the perfect chance to delve deeper into it.<br/><br/>“Oh, I don’t worry about that.” She said with a grin when he mentioned roughing him up.  She stood on her feet then walked to one of the cabinets, opening its doors only to turn back with a business card.<br/><br/>“These are my contact details. Scroll-mail me tomorrow after dinner if you’re free and we might give it a try. I don’t usually make plans for the evening, but your team mates might want to spend time with you on the first days. Getting to know them is just as important as training. After that perhaps we’ll start your training each morning just before breakfast. It’s the best time of the day for that, after all. ”<br/><br/>She handed him the card.<br/><br/>"I believe you have a curfew."<br/><hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQboLyRhv87q2dV7lyxqjrb-QHbjw7vXPA9NxY2GnblMpQE3nv3rQ)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Willum Wildfang<br/><strong>Team:</strong>Clay Dewclaw<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Hallway to Armina's Office<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Armina<br/><br/>Willum didn't bother to hide his joy when Armina handed over her contact information.  He grinned from ear to ear and fist pumped before taking the business card with both hands, bowing in respect.<br/>"Thank you Professor, you won't regret this.  I'll try to make some time for both you and my team tomorrow, and mornings will be just fine.  I'm used to waking up early to get some morning training in."<br/>Taking the hint, Willum bowed one more time before leaving her office.  He wasn't quite skipping out of the room, but compared to the cool and in control way he fought, Willum certainly seemed to vibrate happiness as he left.