C'mon, Barbie. Let's go party.
Summer 2021, Week 3
Tuesday evening
Kings, Cross Quarter
DeAndre Walker (Victory)
He touched down in a back alley with his gym bag slung over his shoulder. A quick glance around confirmed no one was present in the area. Not that it really mattered. Andre was either known by people who cared, or he wasn’t. Granted he was still one of the few Evos that flew so for that alone he tried to make his arrivals as unnoticed as possible. Respectful is a word that comes to mind. He walked out of the alleyway and into the front door of the immediate building. A wave and a, “Hey Marcus, I’m good to use the back yeah?” Was answered by a ‘Of course, V, just be gentle with my girls.’ Marcus’ gym in Kings had been where Andre went to release some stress whenever he had the chance. It was a heavy boxer and lifting gym, so the weights went up to enough of a challenge that Andre could actually break a sweat. The bags were reinforced for heavy punches, even if he mainly used them for form practice; testing out the moves he learned from class. Today he needed it. What he learned from his fight with Roslyen is that he needed to know how to fight more than just how hard to hit. A quick change in the lockers had him ready to go. He warmed up with three 45s each on the bench, four for squats, curls and crushers of 100s, sit ups with a 100, all meant to get his muscles a bit activated and ready to go. All right. Let’s get it started. Which was funny given that was the song playing in his headphones right then. Standing up, he went towards the heavy bags in the back.[Ind. x1M, -1 (24/25)]
[(Enh. x5M, -5 (20/25)]
Satsuka Nishiyama
The woman had been on her second to last set of RDLs when he arrived at the gym and was so focused on maintaining a proper form throughout her exercise that she hadn’t even noticed him at first. Though that wouldn’t last very long. At some point during his warm-ups Satsuka had no choice but to look his way, simultaneously impressed and annoyed by how hard he started. She paused at the top of one of her lifts to watch him a bit, unconsciously resting the barbell against the top of her thighs while doing so. Whoa now, we have a bad ass over here. Why does he look familiar? What’s his max? Not like she could compete with him; Satsuka was not a heavy lifter by any means. Hell, she didn’t even have 80 lbs. loaded onto the barbell that she was using, the one whose weight was digging into her thighs and slowly straining the muscles in her arms, shoulders, and back. Her hands hurt. “Fuck.” With a soft grunt the barbell was crudely deposited on the floor, and she flexed her fingers to regain circulation. Grey eyes narrowed angrily upon the man, already placing the blame on him for her discomfort. So when he moved to the back of the gym, Satsuka was following behind him, albeit trying to be somewhat inconspicuous. Well, as much as one could manage in a nearly empty gym. I'm (not) a creep. I'm (not) a weirdo.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Til I Collapse was blaring in his ears as Andre approached the empty section for the heavy bags in the back of the gym. This time of day was always the best to visit Marcus’ place. It was after the day training sessions and the night rush, so the bags were usually empty. In fact it looks like only 6 people are here right now, including the old heavyweight. Picking out the bag in the corner, Andre couldn’t help but smile. It was a 5-footer, wider diameter weighing in at 150lbs. A special-order Marcus had placed for his ‘heavy hitters.’ Andre knew that meant him, and he tried to pay the old timer. But all he got was, ‘Boy, you hush up now. This city needs you fit and fierce. And old Marcus is gonna make sure you get that way. So, keep your money, and keep coming by. It brings me good business after all.’ Forgoing the need for wrist wraps, Andre planted his feet and gave a few jabs at the bag. Even at his lowest fighting strength, the bag still shook like a boxer had swung a hook at it. He started simple. Jab. Jab. One two. Double one two. Trying to refine the form he learned with the cops in their class. If I knew I was going to be fighting I would have taken up MMA instead of football. He mused, lost in his own world until he started on his foot work, shuffling side to side as he launched a series of jabs and an occasional hammer fist or elbow block when the bag swung back, until he had moved more than a quarter of the way around and noticed her, one of the few people in the gym, standing nearby and made momentary eye contact. She’s ne— His fist slipped along the bag as he missed the follow up punch, and he had to take the moment to recenter himself. Sighing, he pulled out his headphones and grabbed his water. Not even breathing heavy, Andre still followed the rules of normal exercise. Hydrate, take breaks, start again.Satsuka Nishiyama
Oh, and she had finally figured out why he looked so familiar. She remembered his face popping up in her news feed from time to time and had watched as certain parts of the internet (mostly girls) went gaga over him being part of AERI. This girl, however, was less than impressed with him. Some of it had to do with her still being upset that he had distracted her from her workout. The rest of her disappointment stemmed from his lack of prowess in --Mm, can we call it punching? -- love-tapping the punching bag into submission. Some people say hi and introduce themselves, like that weirdo at her university who ate like absolute garbage. Satsuka wasn’t like that; she liked to get to the heart of the matter, preferably by using as little words as fucking possible. Life was short and she wasn’t going to spend it chatting. “Interesting. So you’re the one that’s supposed to be saving the city from all the rampant crime and you ...can’t even hit a punching bag.” Bold words from a girl that was just a bit taller than the punching bag and weighing even less. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and let her eyes roam over his form, deliberately. Checking him out as though trying to figure out what all the fuss was about.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Andre was prepared for any number of things when she walked a bit closer. Asking a question about AERI, saying hello, hell even chatting about his workout routine. What he was not prepared for by any stretch of the imagination was for the totally random woman to walker over and introduce herself with a criticism about his punching. Huh, well that's a first. Eyes widening as she spoke while he was taking a swig of water, it took him a moment to be able to respond. His first thought was, Excuse me? But that wasn't Andre. It hadn't been since he first had to hide his powers under a persona, one that had become him sometime during the years. With a genuine smile, a small one however that didn't convey joy at the comment but a sad sort of happy recognition, he said, "That sort of explains why I'm here practicing doesn't it? I have a lot of work to do if I'm going to be saving anyone, let along the city." Setting the bottle down, he glanced at the bag. "I can only practice form on these things though, not punching power. Unless I want to buy Marcus more of them. That's not a bad thing, considering, as you just embarrassingly saw, I missed a hit on an unmoving bag. I need a lot more time on this before I have to worry about punching power." Resting a palm on the bag, like it was an old friend for a second, Andre let a frown break through his mask for a second. A city to save and can't even hit a bag. God, he had so much to learn. The mountain he had to climb was never ending, and he couldn't even see the top. Letting his hand fall, he looked over at the woman again. Smaller than him--that didn’t really say much--but athletic looking. Apparently also direct as a bullet even though she apparently knew who he was. "I'll keep up the work until I get there though, and beyond. Just because I'm at this level now doesn't mean I intend to stay here."Satsuka Nishiyama
Satsuka suffered from the syndrome that made her neutral expression look like she was contemplating murder, or at the best of times, mildly annoyed with everyone and everything around her. With resting bitch face on full display, the woman had stayed quiet during his little commentary and simply watched him. Dark eyes tracked his movements and there was no indication that she had even been listening to his words, no sign that she had seen the fracture in his mask when he thought about the insurmountable task in front of him. It was all a ruse; she had noticed. She noticed a lot of things about him. There was nothing from her after the last syllable fell from his mouth and just before it got too awkward with the silence, the woman gave a resigned sigh. “Cool story, bro. So you’re left-handed, correct.” It sounded as though it should have been a question, but it really wasn’t. His right jab to the bag was a dead giveaway. Jab with the non-dominant hand, cross with the other. Him picking up his bottle with his left only cemented her belief. She strode towards him confidently, hands lifting to the nape of her neck to tighten her ponytail. “Let’s work on your stance and punches. Worry about saving the city later. Conquer the bag first.” She gestured to the heavy bag, fully expecting him to just accept her taking over this-- whatever this was supposed to be. An impromptu training session?DeAndre Walker (Victory)
“Yeah. Sorry about that. Not your problem.” Well isn’t she just a sweetheart. Her response didn’t surprise him with the newness. It wasn’t the first time his slight opening up resulted in a similar response. Any time Andre opened up that was the reaction. Tough it out. Just get over it. Do better. He knew deep in his soul even if he didn’t have powers, he’d still have a mask. It made life easier after all. Made him able to do his job. Frown falling away with his plain welcoming expression, he took a step back to let the woman come closer to the bag, expecting by her short preparation routine for her to demonstrate. “Yes.” Andre gave as a reply to her question. “For writing. Growing up, everything was right-handed focused, so I just learned to use it for everything except that.” He stood, sunset eyes resting on the woman with an expression conveying a desire to learn. Andre had come terms that she most likely knew what she was doing. If this was an attempt to spend time with me like back in college that was one hell of an approach he had decided. “I’m ready, Coach.”Satsuka Nishiyama
The woman knew it had been the wrong thing to say and almost winced when his veil came slamming back down. Not my problem, not my problem she reminded herself, letting those words take over her mind like a mantra to drown out her guilty conscience. She cleared her throat and stepped in front of the bag, falling into the stance favored by southpaw boxers. Right hand and foot were to the front of her, left counterparts to the rear. Fists were brought by her face. “Yeah, well I suggest you learn to fight as a southpaw. Not many people fight left-handed, which means they aren’t defending from them often. Do both, if you want. Switch it up and keep them on their toes. Chin down, shoulders up, keep your eyes on your target. Don’t lean forward. Now we jab.” And she sent a quick punch to the bag, rear foot raised slightly and rotating through her hips while she did so. She did it a few times for him and then stepped aside, motioning for him to take her place.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Moving his eyes up and down her form as she talked, Andre took in her words as she spoke them and applied them to her form and positioning. “Southpaw. Okay.” As she threw the jab, his mental notes expanded even further. Flair the door and rotate the hips. Okay. Each jab she threw helped complete the picture, so when she stepped back, he moved forward and started from bottom up with his stance. Place the feet, level the hips, don’t forget the shoulders. His attention had moved away from the woman and was now solely on the bag and his form. With a flair of his foot and twist of his hips, Andre threw a jab that sent the bag swinging back with force and speed. “Shit.” Before it could wiggle like crazy—or worse snap the chains—he stopped the motion by grabbing the side of the bag. Once it settled, he looked over. “That felt better. Let me try it a few more times.” Applying the principles, Andre worked through jabs, crosses, and a small series of combinations with his stance adjusted. It was clear he was uncomfortable at first, but that allowed him to hold back his strength more and focus more on rebuilding his form.Satsuka Nishiyama
Oh. Hello. It happened when he landed his first jab on the bag and sent it rocking backwards, the resurfacing of that feeling from before. The one that had her watching him earlier when he was doing his warm-ups; nagging tendrils of admiration and excitement that tried to affix him deeply in her mind. And that really irked her. Scowling, she decided to take it all out on him via disparaging comments about his form whenever he happened to be slightly off. “C’mon, Barbie. I know it’s just a bag, but you still need to protect that pretty face of yours.” And if his feet were just millimetres from where they should have been? “We are what we do and you’re shi-- fix your feet. Center your weight. You need to be ready to step back or to the side. ” All that grumbling would eventually die down as he improved and she had nothing else to do but watch him intimidate the punching bag, a glint of appreciation in her gaze.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
The constant barrage of comments made Andre feel like he was back on the field with his coaches. Constantly demanding perfection, demanding more. Then perfection you'll fucking get. His thoughts flashed, replacing the woman with all those shadows of the past. Protecting his face, adjusting his feet, he continued to launch combos on the bag. More and more the bag wobbled as he unconsciously gave it a bit more force as he hit. He started to bob and weave, again taking the directions from his impromptu coach on how to move, how to adjust his stance. When to throw a punch and where he'd likely be blocking a hit. Finally, even after she went quiet, the voices from everyone built up in his head. The mayor, the issues with the team, the weight on his shoulders. The words from Titan. We are the shield that can take the hit and dish out the punishment. If we're not able to do that, all the time and every time, we ain't shit, kid. So, get strong, strong enough that nothing can touch you. Otherwise, give up now. His breath came hot, more from the thoughts than exertion. And finally, he gave the bag a heavy jab, followed up by a powerful cross that started the bag moving backwards against its chains, before he slammed it with another jab that snapped the chains and sent the bag back into the wall with a building wide thud. It took a breath before Andre saw what he did. "Oh...fuck." Moving quickly, he grabbed the bag before it toppled over and looked behind it. The wall was fine it seemed. He just put too much pressure on the chains. "Damnit all. Sorry Marcus, I'll fix and pay for this!" He shouted out, barely hearing the old man shout back it was fine. As he brought the bag back, lifting it easily, he started to relink the chains and bent them into place, hoping they temporarily held. As he examined his handiwork, he asked, "Besides that end bit, how was that Coach?"[Enh. x5 Minor, -5EP (20/25)]
Satsuka Nishiyama
Oh...fuck. The thought was an echo of his words, but with a different meaning attached to it. Whereas his was incidental guilt for damaging someone else’s property, hers was--it was something she couldn’t put into words. Something primal. An inherent need to know if her body could handle a hit like that or if she would break like that punching bag. She’d only ever been broken once, but even then, she came back tougher, stronger. I’m not weak. Of course she wasn’t. She spent too much time conditioning her body to even entertain the notion that she could be ...weak. But-- What if I can’t? What do I do if-- His inquiry jolted her out of her trance, and she stared at him for a moment, unblinking and with a fierce frown on her lips. Only one way to find out. Immediately she shifted the blame on him for her insecurities and self-doubt. “Yeah, good job. You hit a bag.” Words dripping with sarcasm, she rolled her eyes and nodded over to an empty mat. “C’mon. Let’s see you do that with me.” And then without even waiting for him to answer, she started moving to the designated place. There was a spring in her step and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards in a faint smile, the first one for the day, and upon arriving at the spot, she gave a few stretches to loosen her muscles. That faint smile was just a bit more noticeable and stormy gaze glimmered with anticipation. She looked to be excited at the prospect of squaring up against him.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
The slight hit his armor and slid off this time around, part of him prepared for it. “That’s what you told me to do, right?” A thin smile graced his shot back at her , and his tone shifted back to the slightly upbeat attitude. She really is just like the coaches. That upbeat ness took a downturn as he registered what she asked. Even his mask couldn’t fully hide the seriousness that took over his outward expression. “That’s not a good idea, Coach. You saw what I did to a bag with a second slip of concentration. Breaking a rib, or worse, during a training session is something I try to avoid like the plague.” Her request was confusing. The woman struck him as knowing something about things. So why would she put herself at risk after literally just seeing what he could do? He had unconsciously followed her to the edge of the mat but didn’t get on it, using the line marking the area as a gate of safety for the young woman.Satsuka Nishiyama
God, why is he such a goody-goody? Stupid question. He wants to save the city, so of course he’s concerned with unnecessarily hurting people. That ...and she was certain that he was unaware of her being an Evo, which amused the hell out of her. Only one other person knew that about her and hell, they weren’t even currently speaking to each other, but that was mostly her fault. The tiniest flicker of regret and then a smirk slowly stole over delicate features as she looked long and hard at the man, that smug smile a precursor to her smartassery. “Oh, is that right? I guess you better protect your ribs then, Barbie. Unless you’re scared of lil ol’ me...” She knew that’s not what he meant, but it was more amusing this way. Eyebrows shot up in mock disbelief while she spoke, curious to see if he’d take the bait, though not too concerned if he didn’t. It was starting to dawn on her that she’d spent way too much time interacting with him and it felt wrong.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
His lips turned down into a deeper frown. "I'm scared for you." His words held no trace of shot taking or disbelief in his words. They were spoken like gospel truth, at least from his mind. But something was up. Something in the way his faux-Coach was acting. She--again--wasn't stupid. Wasn't inexperienced. So, the belief, coupled with the teasing idea, that she could do anything to him triggered a curiosity. At the same time, another thought swept that away, one he spoke out loud. "But I need to be able to face off with normal people without breaking them. So fine, a short session. One I'll call off the second I feel you're in danger." He adopted a bit of her attitude in not waiting for a response and stepped onto the mat, moving closer to her until they were at starting distance. Taking the fighting stance, she had drilled into his head just earlier, he mentally dulled his powers and then his natural--normal I guess you'd call it--strength to as low as he thought was necessary. For how long though? That was the fear. That the second he lost concentration he'd end up hurting her. We need to get past it, we have to get past it damnit or we are no use to anyone. "Let's get this started."Satsuka Nishiyama
Oh, he thinks he’s going to break me? The smirk disappeared, and she fell into an easy, combative stance the moment he stepped onto the mat. It was very similar to the one she had shown him earlier, except she was right-handed, and her hands weren’t formed into fists. They were loose and open, and they hovered by her chin, looking to be purely defensive in nature. Her eyes told a different story as they scoured over his body quickly, taking in all the weak points on the (his) human body and calculating which ones she’d be able to reach first. Not his head, nor his throat. Fuck. He’s tall. Solar plexus, ribs, groin, knees, shins, toes. I've got to counter and then strike. With him being about a foot higher than her and having an incredible reach, she needed him to come to her if she wanted to survive this. Normally she'd be the first one to attack, but she'd seen what he did to the punching bag. He was right, she wasn't stupid. Right hand beckoned him with the ‘come hither’ motion. “Ladies, first. I’m the punching bag in this scenario, remember?" C'mon, Barbie. Let's go party.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Launching a light jab as a response, he felt it connect with her waiting hand. Not an expert at this, he suspected that until he committed to a combination she’d hold off. Maybe letting him adjust his strength….yeah probably not. She doesn’t strike me as a caring person. He tried to communicate with his stance, and targeting her hands, he was adjusting. After a few more jabs he found a decent level that he thought would be good enough to take on a normal person. Stepping back, Andre took a breath, and struck out with a forward step and jab aimed at her guard, readying his cross to come at her side after he brought his left back to guard.Satsuka Nishiyama
To the left, to the left. Foot placement was important in a fight, especially this one. She needed to be the one to lead him in this match, so the woman made certain to keep her foot on the outside of his stance. She couldn't compete with him when it came to strength; pound-for-pound she was definitely fucked. But that’s what made it exciting! It was one smooth motion. Deflect and move. His jab was met with a slap of her hand to divert his fist inward between their bodies, hoping to off-balance whatever his next strike would be, and she stepped to the left, dancing out of the way of his cross. “Again." The word was breathed out and a grin plastered to her face. Still no hints of power from her, nor was she attacking him yet.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Without using his strength to stiffen his strikes and stance, Andre felt himself be literally slapped around by the smaller woman and saw how she totally moved out of the way of his cross. Huh. He replied to the moment in his head, seeing but not fully understanding what she did. Yet. He launched three more combinations. All consisting of two to three punches, all deftly blocked or avoided by the woman as she practically danced circles around him. Each time she’d just say, ‘Again.’ Each time Andre would adjust, trying to break through her guard. And each time a tiny bit of annoyance would grow at his inability to do so.Satsuka Nishiyama
She made it seem easy, yes? Aside from having a bit of fun at his expense, the woman wasn’t going to stand there and take a beating just because she wanted to know what it was like to get punched by him. Maybe it would be better phrased as: she wanted to know what she could endure. Also, the tiny furrow in his brow that showed up every time he missed her was almost endearing and it spurned more of her flippant attitude. “Still scared for me, Barbie?” The question came right after she had weaved under one his swings, using her small stature to her advantage. Lightly panting and a flush on her face, the woman had the audacity to invite him to try for another hit with a motion of her fingers.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
The words didn't register as he was focused on her dodging him yet again. It wasn't so much that she was better than him. Andre supposed that was true for most people who spent more than a week practicing. It was the message that sent. How many people out there, how many normal people, could cause a fuss and put people's lives in danger leaving him unable to do anything all because he couldn't even land a punch!? Too many. He thought. Suddenly, he had another idea. She kept moving his strikes because he wasn't using strength. But he could focus his strength on a fake jab to prevent any blocks and throw her off guard, and then strike her normally. Couldn't he? Fuck it, nothing else is working. So he tried it, pouring on enough strength in a fake cross that, as she went to show him up again, didn't move. His extended arm was like a statue, no amount of moving energy from a normal person adjusting its current position. And right when that happened, he threw an open palm strike to her core. Except...he felt it. The strength, the power, it was coursing through the palm strike and even as it connected with the woman, he felt the panic rise. The terror of hurting someone, as his superhuman strength connected with the side of her guard arm and moving towards her core.[Enh. x1 Minor, -1EP (24/25)]
Satsuka Nishiyama
Satsuka knew something was off the moment she couldn’t bat away his jabbing hand and without even questioning why, her fighter's instinct had kicked in. The woman’s body tensed up as she braced herself for the next hit, simultaneously drawing upon her power to absorb what she could from the incoming strike, and also knowing full well that she probably wasn’t going to be able to get all of it. It started from the point of contact and then spread throughout her body, a tingling sensation as her body soaked up that open-handed strike and sent the energy reverberating through her body. It was like a hyperactive child strung out on too much sugar with how it diffused through her body, charged and impatient while waiting for its release. Which she planned on. Just. Not. Yet. She still needed to sell the hit and have him think that he had done the unthinkable, that he had injured an innocent person. The woman staggered backwards a few steps when he struck her and a sharp exhale tore from her lungs as the wind was knocked out of her. And then she crumpled over in pain and fell into a crouching position, left arm curled around her midsection and a groan emanating from her small frame. Her face was hidden from view, and so was her faint smile.[Man. x1 Normal, -3EP (22/25)]
DeAndre Walker (Victory)
The exhale of breath forced from lungs was like gasoline on the fire of his fear. Taking the two steps necessary in a blink to close the distance, both hands hovered near the shoulders of the woman as his panic spilled out of him. “Ma’am. Ma’am, are you okay? Do you need me to get you to a hospital?” Fucking idiot. You did it again. All this power and no fucking sense of control. He hated himself, he hated that he let it get to this point. How could he ever deal with normal people when he couldn’t keep his focus in a normal sparring environment. “God, please be okay.” He muttered, as he let his hands gently rest on her shoulders now, prepared to carry her if need be.Satsuka Nishiyama
Her shoulders trembled under his touch, aiding in her masquerade of suffering and drawing him in closer. If he believed she was hurt, he’d drop his guard, right? That was her assumption about the man in front of her, the one who was taking on the mantle of hero for the city, for the people. Another groan was given to distract him. Meanwhile, the muscles in her legs tensed as she leaned forward, weight shifting to the balls of her feet. The girl was redirecting all that absorbed energy into her right hand, which had now formed into a fist. A fist that desperately wanted to knock that concerned look off his face, the one she imagined he was wearing as he looked down at her. And then she vaulted out of that crouch, using the momentum of that explosive action to add another layer of power behind her attack, a charged punch that was flying towards the bottom of his chin. An uppercut? Yes. Shuriken, bitch.[Enh. x1 Minor, -1EP (14/15)]
DeAndre Walker (Victory)
The fist connected with his chin and lead to an audible clack of his teeth snapping together. The force of the blow pushed him into a standing position and knocked him back one staggered step, then another, before he settled on shaky legs. A hand unconsciously raised to touch his stinging chin as his head tried to stop the swimming lights. What. The. Fuck. He thought. The world slowly stopped swimming and settled on the woman in front of him, going from wide to a narrow slip. “What the fuck.”[Enh. (End) x1 Minor, -1EP (21/25)]
Satsuka Nishiyama
The woman had fallen back into a fighting stance after the hit connected and watched the man recover from her surprised hit, unable to stop the smug smile from spreading across her face. “C’mon, Barbie. Let’s play.” Then the smile would fall off her face as she went on the attack. Launching herself at him with flurry of blows aimed for various parts of his body. It was an assortment of punches and elbow strikes directed to his torso with a few kicks at his legs just for the hell of it. The hope was that she could perhaps overwhelm him with her speed, since she lacked in the strength department.[Enh. x1 Normal, -3EP (11/15)]
DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Come on Barbie, let’s go— Shaking the thoughts back to a clear focus on what was happening—specifically the woman launching herself at him in a fighting stance. “Fine.” He growled—growled?—Growled. Raising his arms into a guard, split on whether it was necessary or not, he blocked her first strike but felt the second make contact. The blow to his torso caused a tiny breath of air to escape. She packs quite a hit. She was faster than him, and more trained obviously. But not stronger. She strong enough to take a hit. As another elbow came, he blocked with his arm. Stopping the move in its tracks. “Grit your teeth.” Stepping forward, he sent a jab. Another jab. Hook. Palm strike. Attack after attack she had showed him, pouring his strength into it. I have to get better. I have to get stronger. I have to get smarter. She stopped a few, took the block on others. She moved fast enough to stop most of his hits, but one slipped through. One palm strike in the gut that held more than normal.[Enh. x1N, x5M, -8EP (13/25)]
Satsuka Nishiyama
There was a rhythm to how they fought, and the woman had got lost in the tempo of exchanged blows, nearly forgetting that she was going against someone unquestionably stronger than her. It was exhilarating to spar against someone who was giving it their all. He better be fucking giving it his all. And before she could even voice her concerns about his commitment to this fight, his last hit pierced through her defenses. And the only thing she could do was prepare herself as best as she could. Ohfuckohfuck. But the open-handed strike landed harder than the last one and despite her best efforts, she couldn’t fully consume the impact of the hit. She felt the air whoosh out of her lungs, for real this time, and it basically knocked her the fuck off her feet and sent her flying backwards into the loving embrace of the gym wall with a resounding thud. Her vision went black for a few seconds from the force of that collision, and she collapsed in a heap with a deep groan of pain. Ow.[Enh. x1 Normal, -3 EP (8/15)]
[Man. x1 Normal, -3EP (19/25)]
Storyteller
The thud of a hardened body echoed across the almost empty gym. Immediately following it came the voice of Marcus. “Hey now, the hell was that V. You best not be tearing my gym apart. Some scratches bring in customers, but destruction brings in cleaning bills!”DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Still in a fighting stance as he watched the woman crash against the wall, breaths coming a bit heavier with the exertion having spared against someone who could handle it for longer than he was used to, Andre called back. “It’s all good, Marcus. No damage. Just letting loose a bit.” He thought for a moment and decided to appease the old man who had so far been good to him. “Make that a quote for marketing. A place Victory can let loose. That should do well.” He heard the grumbles turn into mumbles of thought and knew Marcus was satisfied. Looking over at the woman, but not making the same mistake as last time, he asked. “You okay over there? I thought you could take a hit.”Satsuka Nishiyama
Was that blood? There was a metallic taste in her mouth. “Ugh… you hit like a girl.” The comment was delivered with a strained smile, her nature demanding that she still be defiant and confident, even if she had been the apparent loser in this match. Then the smile quickly turned into a frown at the soreness in her mouth. She must have bit her tongue when she slammed into the wall. Satsuka pulled herself to her feet with a soft grunt, a bit unsteady at first, and grimaced slightly at the flickers of pain still running though her body. A few seconds were spent to check for any serious damage, and aside from her tongue and a slight headache --concussion maybe?-- she seemed to be okay. “Good job, Barbie. My ribs are still intact.” And with that, she started moving towards the entrance of the gym.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
"If I hit like a girl, that says a bit more about you then me, doesn't it?" Andre quipped back, lowering his guard to move closer to her before seeing that she was aimed for the exit. "Wait." The feeling of worry for another person came back up and in moments he was in front of her. "Look at me." He said, looking down into her eyes trying to assess the dilation. Nothing seemed out of sorts. "I thought you could take a hit. I would have held back some if I knew it'd hurt you." The tone was sincere, but it might have carried a slight undercurrent of taunting given everything she threw at him today. "Damn can you fight though. Really well. You seem okay by the way, shaken but you're not swaying anymore, and reactions seem normal. I'm surprised you're calling it quits after just that."Satsuka Nishiyama
Satsuka couldn’t do much but stare up at the man with a frown as he inspected her for a concussion, slightly annoyed with the fact that he was fretting over her at all. Of course he's concerned. He's a good guy -a hero. He’s got pretty eyes. The last thought came out of nowhere and the surprised girl gave a sound of disgust, more at herself than his teasing words, and averted her gaze from his face. “Yeah? Well, you know. I can’t spend all night teaching our city’s hero how to hit punching bags and girls.” A slight grin and then she cleared her throat, stepping back to add more space between them. “Are we done here?”DeAndre Walker (Victory)
"A shame, but I guess that makes sense. I really appreciated having someone who could teach me and handle what I could throw out. Let me actually practice for once. Thank you for that. I know you didn't have to, but I am thankful." Stepping out of her way, now conscious that he was blocking her. "I guess we are...if that's all you got." He smirked at that and held out is hand. "Andre, or apparently you prefer to call me Barbie. Can I get your name, or should I make one up for you too?"Satsuka Nishiyama
She wasn’t sure if she could handle any more of his gratitude being thrown at her, preferring his physical attacks instead of his... kindness. So, when he offered his hand to her, she stared hard at it as though contemplating on what to do next. “Hmm. I see. Okay, Barb--I mean... Andre.” A small hand slipped into his for a firm shake as she returned his smirk, her tone rather smug. “Satsuka. And fine. We can practice again sometime, since it seems you’re going to miss me so much.” She’d then remove her hand from his and start heading to the front of the gym. “I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” If there were no further interruptions, the girl would grab her bag by the front counter and exit the building.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
“Satsuka.” He tried the name as she headed away, agreeing with her that they’d likely run into each other again. Looking at the area they had practiced, he grimaced. Grabbing his bag and belongings, he stopped by Marcus on the way out. “I’ll be sending a check for all that.” Holding up a hand to stop the protest he said, “Deposit it or hang it up like a picture. That’s your call. I’m still sending it old man.” A light slap on Marcus’ shoulder and he opened the doors to the gym and stepped into the early evening air. Satsuka. Hmm. She could take a hit. Rubbing his chin he smiled, before waving to a group of gym goers just showing up and lifting off into the sky.
Type
Record, Historical
Medium
Digital Recording, Text
Authoring Date
July 6, 2021
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