fandomtownies | Atlas Gym, Fandom Fight Club [Sunday Evening]

Current Mood: cheerful

Entry tags:

Atlas Gym, Fandom Fight Club [Sunday Evening]

There was a poster tacked up on the door to the main gym, with the following text written in alternating handwriting, as if the marker had been shared between two people:

Rules of Fandom Fight Club
1. What happens here, stays here. We can't keep the squirrels out, but if somebody tells you something on the mat, you don't repeat it off the mat.
2. No weapons or powers unless everyone knows in advance and is fighting within their weight class.
3. No shoes.
4. If someone says "stop" or goes limp, the fight is over.
5. Two people to a fight.
6. Fights go on as long as they have to.
7. No tourists. If you need to take a week to see what this is like, cool, but no coming back just to watch. You wanna watch, get a TV; here, everybody fights.
8. No fighting if you're sick or injured. You wanna screw up your body, you do it on your own time.
9. The organizers reserve the right to remove you from the club at any time for violation of these rules.

Underneath the sign was a table with a sign-in sheet, where people could print their name and if they'd fought before ~~which is handwavey since y'all already did it~~, which would be collected once the meeting started.

Inside, Tyler was pacing, barefoot and holding himself so erect he looked about three inches taller than he normally did. He clapped his hands in a way designed to silence anyone still talking.

"Welcome to Fight Club," he began. "In this room, you are not a teacher or a student or the guy who works behind the bar at Caritas. You are not what you own or what you wear. You are not a special, unique snowflake. You are a body. You hit, you bleed, you feel pain, you cause pain, you come back for more. You get better. You might even find redemption."

He glanced at the group as if daring anyone to argue with him on these points.

"The purpose of this group is catharsis and self-improvement through unarmed combat," Ghanima said briskly. For once, she was not wearing her usual ornate gowns, but a simple woven tunic and slacks and was barefoot like Tyler. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with therapeutic violence - no matter what the armchair shrink of the week says - and this place is here to provide you with that option."

"That said, should you wish to have a friendly spar with someone using practice weapons, you should feel free so long as both parties agree. Please refrain from using actual weapons until you've worked with someone more than once."

"And while we're being the buzzkill jerks with all the rules," Tyler said, "here's a quick gym tour. Padding's over here -- beginners, wear gloves, everyone else, it's at your discretion -- practice weapons are there, and these soft blue things? These are mats. We fight on the mats."

"Speak for yourself," Ghanima murmured, bemused. "I may occasionally be evil, but I am not a jerk or a buzzkill."

"Now, my favorite part. We're going to randomly pick some fights." It was possible Ghanima looked a bit too gleeful about this. "You and you. You two. You two too. You and you, and hrm, you, and ... you." There was practically a halo over her head as she pointed at Tyler. "There. Get to know your new friends, then get to know the mat. Anyone I didn't just pair up, find your own partner."

[Up early for massive SP! ~~Wait for the~~Massive OCD is massive and up.]

ETA:You people are breaking my browser! Mingle | RNG Fights | Open Sparring | Ghanima and Tyler | OOC | Next Week's RNG

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I believe you should tease him, in any regard," Alice said lightly, nuzzling her head against his. "The Once and Future King shouldn't be allowed to get such a swelled head. It's practically a sacred duty."

"I promise do do my best," Leto replied with a laugh, then added "The Once and Future King?" He wasn't sure what she meant my that.

"Arthur," she said easily. "You might have said that you were rooming with a legend. It's quite horrible, you know. I loathe authority, but Arthur, the Once and Future King -- it seems sacrilege not to kneel."

"I'm... afraid I don't know those legends," Leto replied, not quite sure what to make of this. "And please don't kneel. I would advice against it." He spoke jokingly.

"No, I haven't," she reassured him. "Nor would I. It would inflate his ego terribly, and thus, I'm doing a far greater duty as a Briton than my disrespect."

She paused for a moment, trying to find words. "Arthur ... lived a very long time ago, and was the king who brought peace and prosperity to our lands," she said. "Repelled the invading forces, ruled firmly but compassionately. His realm of Camelot was idyllic, or at least, the reflections of centuries have led to it being seen as such. If a man strolled into London today and declared himself to be Arthur, King of the Britons -- and could prove it, I don't mean someone who's a loony, obviously -- there would be few who would refuse to grant him his seat of power once more."

Leto frowned a little. While he did see in Arthur the potential of a good leader, he hadn't expected him to be a... legend. "And you are sure he is the same?"

Alice nodded. "His realm is Camelot, in the land of Albion," she explained. "Which is a terribly poetic name for England; Shakespeare used it once or twice. Merlin said others have recognized them, though I was hardly expecting Merlin to be Arthur's manservant. Perhaps there are subtle differences. This is Fandom, after all."

Edited 2009-03-09 03:10 (UTC)

"Merlin is part of those legends too?" Leto asked, curious. "And yes, I assume there might be differences." Which didn't mean he wouldn't look further into those legends when he had the time.

"I expected him to be older," Alice mused. "He's Arthur's most trusted advisor, an essential member of his inner circle. And perhaps the greatest sorcerer who ever lived."

"A sorcerer? Are you certain of that?" It hardly seemed compatible with the laws of Camelot as Arthur had described them.

"Quite positive," Alice said, frowning at the question. "Merlin, the ancient and powerful wizard, and Arthur, his liege. From there, the Round Table is filled with knights whose names I cannot remember, except of course for Lancelot. In a great deal of the stories, he fancies Arthur's Queen."

"Magic is forbidden in Camelot, according to Arthur." Of course, that was the law of Arthur's father. The second comment made Leto smile a little: "And the queen?"

"Indeed?" Alice said, chewing lightly on her lower lip. "Perhaps that's simply another variation, and Merlin is simply a skilled knight in some manner. Or perhaps he's to become a sorcerer one day; he's still quite young."

She returned his smile, but it was tinged with sadness. "She returns the knight's affections, betraying Arthur's trust. Her adultery shatters him."

It was intriguing information - and sad. Leto knew legends often contained only traces of the actual historical events, but he was tempted to look into his memories for more.

Not here though. He looked at Alice. "I didn't know."

Alice nodded quickly, leaning to rest her forehead against his again.

"I haven't made mention to any of this, to Arthur himself," she said, feeling strangely apologetic on the matter. "What's true should be allowed to happen naturally, and what's wrong ... there's no need to plague him with things that will never be."

Even if she dearly wished she could tell him not to marry that horrid, unfaithful woman.

He ran his hand over her hair. "It is best not to take any risks with that," Leto said quietly.

"Best not to create some bizarre sort of paradox that results in time and space inverting themselves," she said, trying to seem light. "Those it seems wise to avoid, even if that means one can't prevent unpleasantness for others."

Guinevere's affair had led to the downfall of Camelot, and in some cases, Arthur's death. It seemed cruel that she couldn't slip him a note. Beware women whose names start with G.

"Exactly." He smiled, but there was a hint of sadness. "Just like Ghanima can't tell me things and I can't tell my Ghanima at home much."

Alice's frown returned, faintly. "I imagine that's difficult," she said. "Twins being so close as they generally are. Did you and she never keep secrets before?"

"Never." He leaned closer to Alice. "And I was never alone."

Alice stilled, then slipped her arms around his waist.

"Being alone," she said, hoping her voice didn't tremble, "is the most horrible feeling one can imagine."

She nearly added that it could drive one mad, but that seemed unnecessary. After all, it had helped to do so with her.

He kissed her cheek, the pulled back a little, almost surprised at the emotions that the subject brought up. "Yes," he said. "Yes, it is."

She shook her head, quickly, as if trying to dispel her thoughts. "Does it help having her here?" Alice asked. "Even if she isn't exactly your Ghanima quite the same way."

"It does." Leto pulled her hair away from her face, smiling again.

She returned the smile, gently. "Fandom is strangely helpful in such matters, it seems."

Never mind the fact that Fandom had caused him to be away from his own Ghanima.

Atlas Gym, Fandom Fight Club [Sunday Evening]

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!

Re: Mingle!