Early Sunday morning in the woods

[mylandmyrules]

Nell was usually up well before the sun and today, once her morning chores were done she headed for the woods to meet Marc. It would be the first time they'd trained together since she'd returned - a short time for him, but over nine years for her.

She'd practiced the tai chi form daily back home and the other exercises and things that she could do solo, but she hadn't sparred.

Nine years. Everything about this seemed different and nervous making, but at the same time it felt like such a relief and joy to be able to do this again.

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

Marc didn't know how nine years on Nell's part was going to change things - or even if it would. So he bought the usual bottles of water and some protein bars (shut up, Steven) and headed out to the old spot.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell smiled at him, hopefully only looking a little nervous, and stood up from where she'd been sitting on her old pink blanket. She was wearing a comfortable pair of grey sweatpants and a green t-shirt. Her usual long skirt was folded off to the side. Her long hair was braided back and pulled up out of the way more tightly than she usually wore it. "Morning, Marc. "

[hasaknightjob]

"Hey," Marc said. Because why use a word like "morning" when a smaller one would do? "Still feeling up for it?"

[mylandmyrules]

"I am, yes," Nell said with a smile. "You?"

[hasaknightjob]

"Still waiting to find out whatever your new trick is," Marc pointed out.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell smiled at him. "Now or while we are sparring?"

The real trick would be controlling her blood lust if either of them spilled blood on the ground. But she knew Marc was the most likely to be safe from that - both in his ability to protect himself and the fact that she wouldn't ever want to injure him.

[hasaknightjob]

"How about now?" Marc said. He didn't want to be surprised with anything in the middle of working with Nell. Especially since as far as he was concerned they were still keeping things firmly hands off. It wasn't like sparring with Lana, after all.

[mylandmyrules]

She was barefoot as usual and this area of the woods was well connected to her and Soulwood, so it only took a moment for her to send vines up from the earth to tangle his legs and begin to bind his hands to his sides. She wasn't attempting to hurt him, just to demonstrate. It was the first time she'd tried this on a person, though she been quite successful at home and here on makeshift substitutes.

How far they went depended on him. If he waited to see what happened they could bind him into immobility. If he moved or fought back she'd let them fall away. It was just a demonstration after all.

[hasaknightjob]

Yeah, Marc immediately stepped back once he noticed the movement by his feet. He assumed this was an issue with aiming on Nell's part because they'd never done anything involving contact of any kind before. Anything on her part, even a demonstration, that caused immobilization hadn't been agreed to and would definitely need to be a conversation if she wanted to try it. And the answer to that conversation was going to be no.

[mylandmyrules]

The vines immediately retreated and she smiled at him. "Figured you'd be ready for 'em," she said. "But I think they'd be handy on someone not prepared."

[hasaknightjob]

"Neat trick," Marc said. "Can you do it on multiple people?"

That wasn't a request for a demonstration.

[mylandmyrules]

"I can tangle their feet pretty well," Nell said, "But I can't do much beyond that for a group. Just enough to hopefully give me a minute to run."

[hasaknightjob]

"Makes sense," Marc said. "Running is always a good option. Easier to stay alive that way."

Or avoid the other things people had tried to do to Nell but they're was no need to mention that.

[mylandmyrules]

"That's my aim," Nell said. "If I can get away without having to kill people that would be my preference."

[hasaknightjob]

At least that hadn't changed in nine years. Not that Marc could've blamed her if it had.

"So what are you hoping out of all this?" he asked, indicating their training session. "You've got a head start on me here."

Because again, nine years.

[mylandmyrules]

"I'd like to be able to fight. Nine years of tai chi and form and punching the air has certainly increased my strength and endurance, but without some degree of hands-on... but if I spar with Lana and she bleeds..."

She shook her head. "Never mind. Maybe I should just be content with what I have. As I think about it more today, here in the moment, it doesn't seem prudent."

[hasaknightjob]

"There's these holosuites," Marc pointed out. "Lana showed me. You can fight fake people who don't bleed."

[mylandmyrules]

"Like in the Danger Room at school?" Nell asked thoughtfully. "That could work. I could fight without worrying that, well, that I would truly, perhaps irrevocably, hurt someone."

[hasaknightjob]

"Lana knows how to program them," Marc said. He'd been using one himself since she showed him but he only knew the specific settings he'd asked Lana about. He wouldn't know the first place to start for adjusting to what Nell needed.

Still, he knew Nell felt weird about working with Lana so he added, "Not that I couldn't be there if you wanted. I just can't man the keyboard or whatever it is."

[mylandmyrules]

"If I can't hurt Lana I don't mind her being there," Nell said. "Though I have to admit I do enjoy my time with just you."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc took a seat on the ground not far from her. "Well, here I am."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "Here you are."

She settled back on her blanket and smiled at him. "It's good to see you. Things have seemed like such a whirlwond since I came back. It's strange but good being here."

[hasaknightjob]

"Voices yesterday fuck you up at all?" Marc asked. Since if you talked about advantages of being in Fandom some of the disadvantages did suggest themselves as counter points.

[mylandmyrules]

She nodded. "Couldn't get away from them. Sounded way too much like churchmen for my peace of mind. You?"

[hasaknightjob]

Marc shrugged. "Already know what the voices in my head sound like. The others didn't stand a chance. Wasn't great for Steven though."