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!club: self-defense

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Multi-Disciplinary Self Defense, 7th Period

Duncan stands at the front of the classroom. He looks much more serious than has been usual for gym class. He seems already stretched out and limber. Large mats have been lain out on the floor. Several punching bags have been added. A trunk in one corner holds padded safety gear, including helmets.

“Okay, first things first. I’ll read off the class roster, and you raise your hand when I say your name. Angel. Vala Mal Doran. James Ford. Susan Ivanova. Jack Harkness. Cameron Mitchell. Han Solo. Susan Sto Helit. Buffy Summers. Kara Thrace .”

After that is done, he stands at the front of the group. “I want you to take a look through the safety gear. Pick helmets and padding, both for close fighting and fencing. Also, a glove for you to trade off taking punches. Make sure these things fit. If they don’t, I’ll see about ordering new ones once we have you measured. Everybody needs these. I don’t care how good you are, make sure you have fitting ones.” He waits for everyone to choose their gear.

“These go in a locker. Within reasonable limits, I want you to care for your gear. If you need repairs, though, talk to me.”

"Attendance is required. You can't learn if you aren't here *regularly*. If you aren't going to be here, don't waste my time and yours. Detention will be assessed for every unexcused absence."

“For this class, we go a unit at a time, starting with hand to hand. We’ll do a bit of fencing later in the semester, and knife fighting, provided people are interested, with practice weapons.”

“First part of the class goes over technique. Second part is open sparring. If you like, you can stay on late for the second part to go longer. The TA position is still open. If you are interested, talk to me after class. I’ll select one or two TAs depending on the skill levels of those applying.”

“Start off with stretching and warming up. If you have your own routine for that, I want to see it. If you don’t, raise a hand.”

OOC: Please note that I have a stiff schedule, and I understand that you might also. I leave posts open for at least two days for attendance.

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Angel hung back after class was over. "Hi. Uh - glad to meet you, finally."

"Glad to meet you too." He raises an eyebrow. It's not an unfriendly look. "You have some time available? I'd like to talk with you."

"Yeah, this is my last class of the day," Angel said. "Wanted to talk to you too. Wasn't sure how you wanted to handle the vampire thing."

"You want to talk here, in my office, or at the Perk?"

"I'm good with here or your office," Angel said. He gave a half-grin. "No time like the present, right? 'sides, I kept you waiting long enough."

"Office then. Consider yourself invited if you need it." He gestures for Angel to follow him to the office. He has a wooden desk, well polished, not too imposing, and several overstuffed comfy chairs. A prominent first aid kit has a place on one bookshelf, with several rolls of tape and Ace bandages. He has a fire extinguisher behind the door, oddly enough. "Have a seat." For his part, he chooses a chair not behind the desk.

"Not unless you live here, but thank you," Angel said, with geniune appreciation. "Not many would invite me in without getting to know me better first. Or without knowing me that well at all, I guess."

"We're on campus. I'm less worried about violence here. Given that Bristow let you back in, and what I've heard about the soul, I'm less worried than I might be in general anyway. Which is a large part of what I want to talk to you about. How are you doing with all this?" His eyes are dark, assessing, and oddly kind. Not accusing.

(OOC, I'm assuming MacLeod would, as faculty, be able to get at least some info on the situation.)

Angel blinked with surprise. Normally people asked him questions that were variations on a theme of "Where the hell do you get off asking for another chance?" This was a new one for him.

"Um. Okay. I guess. Trying to take it one day at a time. Trying to do what I can to not be what I was."

Some of it was sincere, some of it was a bit rehearsed from having to say the words so often. But it was all true and Angel figured it was a place to start to see where Duncan was going.

[ooc: Yep. As a teacher feel free to have Duncan know as much as you want. I figure it's in his perm. record. BTW, would Angel be able to tell from scent/heartbeat that Duncan's not a normal human?]

(Not sure. I think heartbeat would be the same, not sure about scent.) Duncan nods. "That's the hard part, and a day at a time is the best you can do." That sounds decidedly like experience rather than platitude.

There was something about going down this path that made it easy to suspect when somebody else had too.

Hoping Duncan might take it as an invitation to share, Angel said, "Mind if I ask why you're worried about me? At least, worried about me in that way? Most folks tend not to care about my rehab once they get to the part about me killing innocents for fun."

[ooc: We'll fuzzy tiger then, since I don't know how Methos and Amanda want to play that. Also feel free to conscript him for TA if you want. If others volunteer by all means go with them as he's got a TA job with Josh already. But IC he knows his stuff. He just might not think to volunteer.]

(Ohhh, he's gonna get conscripted all right! :eg: Mac's just waiting for an opportune moment. He's not going to out Methos or Amanda though.)

"I've been there in a different way." He eyes Angel, deciding how much to say. "I want your sworn word that what I say goes no farther though. And I mean to anyone."

Angel marveled how many times he was being charged with secrets in the past 24 hours. "Yeah. Sure. I'm good with that."

Duncan nods. He might have noticed that the accent thickened when discussing oaths. He pulls out a small pocketknife, cuts his palm, and holds it so that Angel can see it heal. "Mostly human, for all intents and purposes. But when someone like me dies, the energy goes to the closest person like us. The energy that was part of that person all their life. Not always good. If you get too much bad energy, it affects you. The effect is cumulative. I've been there, and it took a lot of effort and a lot of friends to bring me back. I know what it is to do things, evil things, and it's you but it's not you. And no matter what, you get to live with the results." His gaze is a bit faraway and sad. "I've dealt with it. I live with it. And I have at least some idea what you're going through."

Angel nodded, respectful and touched by what he'd been told. "Vampires from my world are evil. Pure evil. I'm the only one of them with a soul. All that darkness, all of Angelus's urges - that's still in me. The soul gives me a chance to fight it. To try to make amends for what I've done."

Angel gave a wry grimace. "The friend thing is new. I'm still getting used to that."

"Try to get used to it. I understand still having those urges. What makes you an honorable man is not giving in to them. Every day you don't do that, you are one day farther away from what you were." He pauses. "Including when you've hurt people who are your friends now."

(Amend to "And farther from a time when you hurt people who are your friends now." )

"This girl I know once told me if I gave up all I'd ever be was the monster," Angel said. "Some days that's the only thing that gives me the strength to keep trying."

"She's got a point. But the fact that you're here, doing your best, tells me that you *are* more than the monster already."

"Trying to," Angel said. "And hey, got a puppy out of the deal. That's gotta be good for something."

Wry look. "We're supposed to get puppies? I've been cheated. Speakign of doing your best. You know what you're doing in self defense. I want you to get things out of being a student, too, and I'll work with you myself. You seem to have a talent there. But also, I need a TA. Looks like something you'd be good at. Interested?"

Addendum: As he asks, Duncan has that great wide "help me out here, pal" grin designed to make it hard to say no.

"What? Yeah, sure, if you want." Angel was surprised to be asked, but didn't mind. "What's it entail?"

"You, lucky student, get to help me out during class. In exchange, tutoring after class. You'll be effectively my second, but you won't have to follow up on out of class things."

"That I'd like," Angel said. "I've had training but it's been too long since I've practiced." Half to himself but still loud enough for Duncan to hear, Angel muttered, "Guy can torture and try to take over the world but can he hit the gym once in a while? Ohhh no."

Louder, Angel said, "So whatever you can help me with would be great. Once I graduate I want to go right back into the slaying and demon-fighting. I'll need to be in top form.

"Actually, that brings me to what I wanted to ask you. As a vampire I'm stronger and faster than most people in this class. You can tell I still need the lessons, but are you still okay with me being here and practicing with normal students?"

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