2013.08.22 - Studies in Serenity

It's extremely rare when Pepper double books her lunch schedule, but it does happen from time to time. In this instance, she had verbally agreed with Marissa to meet for lunch, and then got distracted by Tony or heaven only knows what before she could make a note in her calendar. And then, just yesterday, she was reminded by Val of their standing 'earn your lunch' midday practice sessions. Thus, as lunchtime rolls around, Pepper is attired in yoga-esque clothing, pushing the TV area furniture in her office up against the wall to make room for the practice. The lunch reward? An assortment of wraps from a local deli that specializes in vegetarian/vegan selections as well as the typically meat-heavy fare. Oh, and evil evil potato chip cookies.

So, Marissa thinks she's meeting Pepper at her office for lunch. She's wearing slacks and a StarkTech polo shirt, although she has her bag with her...she doesn't like to leave her gear at her desk, just in case, and leaving it at home is just, in her mind, asking for a supervillain to decide to attack StarkTech. She knocks on the office door.

Val Armorr turns his head at the knocking at the door, having arrived several minutes ago, following the caterer who delivered the very healthy lunch. Whether a visual deterrent or active security, Val takes his job as Pepper's bodyguard seriously. Just as seriously as he takes his duties with the Legion. And those at Grant's gym. Yes he's a busy man. If not for his extreme level of physical fitness and near religious devotion to taking care of his body.. he'd not have the energy for these things.

"Expecting someone Ms. Potts?" He asks her, laying down the thin reed matting he brought along for training purposes.

Pepper Potts looks over at the door. "Not that I remember." She walks over to the door and opens it, and blinks in surprise. "Marissa, hello! Please, come in. What's going on?"

Sitting on Pepper's chair behind her desk is a generously-sized metallic teal Coach bag with bronze accents of a style that is either very new or very old, as it's not something commonly seen. The round medallion on the front of the bag, if one bothers to look more closely has both 'Coach' and 'Stark' embossed into it.

"Uh...we're supposed to be meeting for lunch?" The blonde girl steps into the room, bag slung over her shoulder (Actually, Pepper's office is one of the few places she would leave it). Seeing what's going on, she stops in the entrance. Uh oh. This would definitely be a something came up situation.

Val Armorr turns fully to face Marissa. "Ms. Potts I know you are a busy woman, but we have prior arrangements." He reminds her gently. But watching Marissa, his seasoned eyes are gauging her, judging her ability in a fight. All by the way she moves. In his extensive experience... only the most professional of fighters are self aware enough to hide their own prowess. Meaning that Marissa is probably telling him all about herself.. simply in the way she moves. "Hello." He says, rolling up the sleeves of his jet black Gi.

Two seconds of rapid blinking, and THEN Pepper remembers promising Marissa lunch. "Oh my gosh, I did. I'm so sorry. We do have some deli wraps you're welcome to, but I do have to get at least a half hour of practice in." She leans toward the young lady and stage-whispers conspiratorially, "He gets kind of grumpy if I slack off too much." Then, back in her normal voice, "Val, this is Marissa Sometimes, an engineering intern with R&D. Marissa, Val is a bodyguard that Tony insisted stay with me as much as possible. He's been helping me learn some simple self-defense type things."

"I can...uh...go back downstairs." She nods to Val, studying him almost as intently as he's studying her, albeit with less skill and experience. "Although I might steal a deli wrap." She considers that, looking at the buffet, but still not coming all the way into the room. A step or two further, that's all.

Val Armorr inclines is head toward Marissa. "Ms. Sometimes. You are welcome to join us if you like. But if not I ask that you remain silent for the duration." He says, but at Pepper's mention of self defense he shakes his head. "Today is not about self defense. Today is the first step on a long road that defense relies on. Today you learn about the self." He says semi-cryptically. Motioning to the rolled out mat, he steps aside so the women can access it. "Please kneel or seat yourselves as you will." He says easily.

Pepper Potts looks at Marissa with a smile. "Just save me some of the Tzatziki sauce." Then she pads across the room to settle onto the mat in a manner perhaps a bit reminiscent of proper formal etiquette in Japan. Hands on her thighs just above her knees and everything. Why does she suddenly have the odd impression that she's going to see Yoda in here at any moment?

Marissa hesitates...she wasn't expecting that invitation, but she accepts it wordlessly, setting down her bag and removing her shoes to settle to the mat in a kneeling position. If this guy's training Pepper for Tony, he has to be good, and he might well know some tricks the young mutant doesn't have.

Val Armorr watches Pepper seat herself, and she gets a smile at her use.. mostly correct.. of the formal Japanese seating arrangement. Marissa gets a small nod when she removes her shoes to kneel at Pepper's side.

"Good. Now.. please ignore the other, and imagine you and I are the only ones in the room. Each of you place your dominant hand.. that's the one you write with.. on your tummy. Flesh to flesh if you can." He instructs them. An odd instruction to be sure, but he has his reasons.

"Now please close your eyes and focus your remaining sense on my voice. Hear my words.. feel the vibrations in the air. You and I are alone in the room. Alone in the world. Just you. And I." He tells them, his words slow and soothing, his tone a pleasant tenor.

Pepper Potts follows Val's instructions, hand on her stomach and her eyes closed. Of course, turning off her brain is an entirely different matter. A stray thought flits by: Good thing JARVIS was asked to remain quiet, or he'd probably already be quipping out pithy comments. And then another stray thought: Are Clint and Arrow stopping by after work tonight?

Mend perhaps finds it easier. She's used to having to focus all of her attention on fighting...or on one thing at a time. Eyes closed, hand on her stomach, she listens to the man's voice...a slight worry that he's about to hypnotize her forced to the side. TONY trusts him and she (mostly) trusts Mr. Stark.

Val Armorr watches both women, noting the movement of their eyes. Even closed, the movement of their orbs can be noted. And Pepper's are running a mile a minute. "Veerry good. Now that it's just you.. and me... I want you to turn your attentions to the hand touching your stomach. Feel your fingertips against your skin. Focus on your own pulse. Feel the pulse in your fingertips. feel the thrum, the steady throb of blood. This is your center. At all times.. you must be aware of your center and how to get back to it."

"Breathe easy. In through the nose.. out through the mouth, it's the easiest thing in the world right now, focus on your center and push everything else from your mind. Nothing else exists right now." He tells them, walking silently around them to stand just out of arms reach behind and between them, so his voice is equal for them both.

Pepper Potts works to do as directed by Val, focusing her attention inward and trying to dismiss all of those trains of thought bouncing around. Kind of like trying to get Arrow to lie down and nap when... heck, any time. Then she hits on a way to center her thoughts. She mentally pictures the painting she saw while out with Phil, the serenity of the sunrise set on canvas.

Mend is having less problems than Pepper...very inward focused, as if more aware of her body than most. Val's perceptions might be enough to read more and more about this young woman. Certainly that she's a fighter - that's obvious in every movement.

Val Armorr watches Pepper, and notes when her eyes slow in their movements, her breathing gets easier. Mend he didn't really expect any issues. Breath control is the absolute basis of any martial art. One integral to them all. And she seems to have had some training. However.. what comes next.. is for Pepper alone. As Marissa was an unexpected guest.. her training ends here. at least for today.

He shifts his weight, speaking gently still. "Very good. Focus on your pulse.. feel it moving up your arm, through your body to your heart. Imagine the pathways it takes to feed your muscles. You will feel a gentle tingling.. that is your body reacting to your mind.. telling you that you are ready for anything you may ask of it. Greet the tingling, give it a mental hello and thank it for telling you. Now... extend your arm, very slowly, and stay mindful of which muscles are pushing, which are pulling. Feel each one individually."

He says this slowly and steadily. His voice does now even quaver when he puts a hand on Marissa's shoulder near her throat and applies pressure with a thumb. Like a light switch for the human body, touching that nerve cluster shuts off the lights. She will collapse and Val's steady hands catch and guide her to the floor, silently. Sleep well Ms. Sometimes.

Pepper Potts very very slowly extends her arm per Val's words, completely unaware of the fact that he just essentially took Marissa out with a Vulcan nerve pinch. And dang is she gonna want to learn that some day when she finds out. But for now, her attention is centered on the sensation of moving her arm so painstakingly gradually, end up held directly in front of her parallel to the floor at shoulder height.

Val Armorr slips to the side and hefts Marissa's unconscious body, lifting her silently from the mat with only a bit of effort. Carrying her away he deposits her gently on the sofa and arranges her so she slumbers easily. She'll never know.

Returning to Pepper, he kneels in front of her, just outside of her reach. In a low whisper, just loud enough for her to hear, but quiet enough, trying to avoid breaking her 'at this point VERY delicate' concentration, he tells her. "Very good Pepper. Now raise your arm above your head, keep it straight and focus yourself. Do not simply raise your arm. Imagine a great weight in your hand, and tell each muscle to move, how to move, just how much to move. Contract one and relax another. You have all the time in the world.. alll the time in the world." He tells her.

Pepper Potts begins to lift her hand at a snail's pace toward the ceiling, her eyebrows twitching and her hand starting to tremble slightly about halfway to completely above her head. For so simple a motion it seems to be taking an increasing amount of effort. But, she manages it.

Val Armorr nods, watching his pupil. She's managing it better than the last person he tried to teach. The last one lost patience and left. "Excellent. Now.. pull your arm down. Use the same method. Imagine gravity is pulling your arm down to the ceiling and fight it. Tell each muscle individually to put your arm down for you."

Pepper Potts starts lowering her arm slowly, but the trembling starts up again more quickly than before, so much so that before she's brought her arm halfway back to where she started, she abruptly lets her arm drop and takes a deep breath. Opening her eyes and rubbing at her arm as if pained, she looks at Val. "Sorry. Should I start again?"

Val Armorr shakes his head. "No. You should rest. And get an ice pack. You failed not because you lacked focus.. but because you were trying to take control of underdeveloped muscles. They simply were not ready to do as you asked. But they will grow, as will you. But that is enough for today." He tells her, and rises to his feet without help from his hands. One thing I want you to remember.. is your center. That feeling of serenity.. when you can feel everything your body does, even if you can't dictate what it does.. remember that. Keep it in your mind always."

Pepper Potts also manages to rise to her feet without using her hands. She nods, thinking it should be easy enough to remember that center place, especially considering it resembles a particular painting. Wait until Phil finds out. She smiles and nods. "I think I can do that. Did you want something to eat, now?" Yes, just like that the brain is back to full multitasking mode, reviewing the rest of her day's scheduled tasks, deciding on dinner, making a note to call Tony, all while she walks over to the door past the TV and goes through the drawers of the bathroom there until she finds the ice pack she knew was there.

Val Armorr shakes his head. "No, but you should. I will leave you in Jarvis's capable digital hands. You may want to wake Ms. Sometimes in the near future, the exercise was a bit strenuous for her." He says motioning to the couch.

"Good day Ms. Potts." He tells her, slipping out the door while she rummages for the ice pack.

Pepper Potts blinks and hurries back out, feeling like a heel for having forgotten Marissa's presence. "Oh. Right. Have a good day, Val. See you again soon."