Clive left while Vince continued to practice for another hour or so before he decided to head back home. It was a short walk but it gave him just enough time to reflect on his day. He felt that he made great progress in controlling his skill [flame] and he even got some practice in with [Flaming Fist]. His biggest accomplishment was bringing his stamina up to 38 by the end of the day. He knew there was some sort of correlation to stamina and the ability to effectively use a skill but his POWER watch didn't quite have the full breakdown yet. It is a new artificial intelligence that is constantly improving so maybe with more users it would eventually give a more broken down process. From what it seems, the higher the stamina, the easier and longer you can control a skill while more complex skills require higher stamina to use in general.
One of the biggest things he was interested in was how easily he was able to make a skill. He wondered why more people didn't just create multiple skills of their own. Even the members of the Alpha force would have 2, maybe 3 skills. Perhaps it was an easy process for everyone but they choose to focus on their main skill and keep making it better. it makes sense for those that have an awesome power right off the bat but Vince felt that he could take his base skill of a flame and create stronger skills from that.
When he got home he was completely exhausted so he made a sandwich, drank what felt like a gallon of water, and went straight to bed. He slept through the night without his normal tossing and turning. Struggling to sleep had become his new normal so this night was a positive change. He forgot to set an alarm but his internal clock managed to wake him up at 7 in the morning for a brand new day of training.
He felt like he had much more energy than normal when he got out of bed. It was like the stamina that he was building for his skill was helping to improve his own health. He felt extra hungry so he decided to cook a breakfast for himself with eggs, bacon, and pancakes. It was another change from his normal ways where he was accustomed to skipping breakfast altogether with the occasional granola bar if he was feeling like he was ignoring his basic needs a little too much lately. It was a delicious and very filling meal so now it is time to shower then head to his training spot.
Before walking out the door, he looked at himself in his basic gym shorts and shirt. It was a plain look and if he wanted to look the part on Saturday he should invest in a suit better suited to his power. The only problem was his lack of money at this point in time. He knew he would have to call his parents and ask them for a favor. He hated being in debt to them but he was confident that it was an investment in his future and he was sure they would see it the same way. His dad was a business man so any chance to make a profit was all he needed to hear. he made the call and plead his case. It didn't take much for them to cave and transfer him $500. His dads only requirement was, "make sure you get a good quality one! If it's cheap it's a waste of money." His dad has always had money so he hasn't been force to get the cheapest out of necessity. 'The cheapest' was a regular occurrence for Vince.
Instead of training like he planned, he went to the closest power gear store to find an outfit that would be safer to work with fire in and of course... look awesome! One of the perks of living in a city was that everything was within a 20 minute walk. The power store was just a few blocks from the Andromeda center so he arrived in no time.
"Welcome!" A few people greeted as he walked in the door.
"Vince? Vince! Is that you Vince?" a woman yelled from across the large store.
Vince didn't think he knew anyone here so he decided to ignore this person and dart to the left where he could see a fire section.
"Are you ignoring me? Vincent! Vince! It's Jenn!" She continued to yell so he felt obligated to acknowledge her before they were both thrown out.
As she walked up he noticed that honey colored hair and how well that contrasted against her bright blue eyes. It reminded him of the beach so maybe a water power was perfect for her. She was smiling like Vince was an old of friend of hers who she hasn't seen in years. It was hard to grasp just how outgoing and carefree she is because of how completely opposite Vince is. She was wearing a collared shirt that had the name of the store on it so she must work there.
"Finally upgrading from your gym shorts?" Jenn teased as Vince stood there awkwardly. He hated getting any attention in public and after Jenn's yelling, he felt as though everyone was watching them.
"Yes, I think it's time I look a little more presentable but nothing flashy. Do you think you can help me?" Vince Asked
"Of course! Jenn said cheerily.
She looked him up and down for a good minute then she ran through the entire fire section while mumbling things to herself. If one hadn't met Jenn before, she would look like a psychopath rummaging through these suits.
"I found it!" She said still quite loud for being indoors.
She was smiling as she held up a dark maroon suit that had the smallest amount of shimmer to it.
"It's perfect." Vince said with a small grin.