Gym, Tuesday Evening

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip rolled his neck and hit the bag again.

Long, weird day. Too many people leaving.

_{[[Waiting for one person specifically, but I can't really stop anyone else from coming in.]]}

Comments

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova was ready to hit something. Stupid cryptic note. Stupid prom. Stupid not drinking. Stupid Blackadder. Stupid Tactics of War exam. Stupid Wonka's.

Stupid Pip hogging the punching bag.

Scowl.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip stopped mid-hit. He waved. "Hey. How ya doing?"

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

She worked up a smile. "Hey yourself. Had a bit of a rough day." Couple of days. Week. Month. "You?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Exams. People leaving. Trying to plan a pool party." SLAM. "You know how it goes."

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"You got the note, too, huh?" she asked, stretching out a bit before moving into a bit of shadow-boxing. Sounds like he had almost the same problems she did. "How's the Tactics exam coming along?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Not bad," Pip said. "I like the new prof, Harrington." He hit the bag again. "You?"

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"I like her, too," Ivanova replied, shooting off a few kicks into midair. "Reminds me a bit of how I used to be." She sighed. "Pip, I have to hit something. Mind sparring for a bit?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"'Cousre not," Pip said. He stepped away from the bag and onto the mat and raised his hands in guard.

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"Don't pull any punches," she warned and swung, stepping into the punch. She wanted to hit something and she wanted to take a few hits.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip's eye widened in suprise slightly and he darted to the side, barely missing the punch. He rushed forward and tried to go for a hit to Ivanova's stomach.

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova blocked the punch with her arm and swept her leg around with a kick aimed for his side. A grin was starting to spread across her face. That hadn't been pulled.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip launched back and blocked Ivanova's kick. "So, do you understand this prom thing?" he asked, shooting a kick out at Ivanova's standing leg.

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

The kick caught her and she tumbled and rolled, bouncing to her feet, scowling as she raised her arms and went for a flurry of punches as she replied. "Yeah. I didn't go to prom last time around. And now here I am with no girlfriend to go with. Or boyfriend, for that matter."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip managed to block most of the punches, but one of them got through and clocked him in the face. He grunted and went for a leg sweep. "I know what you mean. Though I really never had much of a girlfriend here, and I'm not looking for a boyfriend. Didn't know you swung both ways."

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova smirked as her punch landed and jumped over the legs, landing on the balls of her feet and stepping out as she tried for an uppercut. "Yeah, I'm a switch hitter," she grunted. "Seems to be a bigger deal here than it was back home."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"We're working on it," Pip said, blocking the uppercut and trying to pull it into an over the shoulder throw.

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova popped her head under his arm and twisted so that she was now standing behind him and holding one of his arms out straight. Her elbow jabbed straight out and back, aiming for his spine. "Good to hear," she panted.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Yep," Pip said, spinning around and twisting to avoid the elbow. He pulled hard to bring her towards him and brought up a quick punch to the face. "So, do you know if this date thing is as really important as they say it is?"

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova ducked sideways but not fast enough, his fist glancing off her cheek. She shook it off and went for the gut with a hook. "Going stag, total social stigma."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip tighted his stomach muscles and took the punch, grunting as she hit him. "Gotcha. I think." He hooked his leg around Ivanova's and pushed her in order to trip her up onto the ground.

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova hit the ground with an "Ooof!" but she was already scissoring his legs in an attempt to bring him down with her. She definitely wasn't giving up without a fight.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip felt himself topple over as Ivanova's legs knocked his out from under him. He grunted as he hit the floor and attempted to break his fall.

"So, I take you don't have a date, then?"

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"No," she replied shortly, flipping back onto her feet as her spine realigned itself with a few loud pops. She dropped into a defensive crouch automatically, waiting for the next attack.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip reared back and leapt up to his feet, turning so that his good eye faced her and dropping into a fighting crouch.

"Cool. Go with me, then?"

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Alright, that? She hadn't been expected. She blinked, straighting a bit. "What?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip dropped to the floor and brought his leg around in a sweep to knock Ivanova's legs out from under her. "Go with me. To the prom."

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova hit the ground for the second time, landing awkwardly on her side and rolling to her feet again, launching herself at Pip as her mind very quickly ran through the list of reasons to say 'no', not the least of them being that she still loved Dora.

"Okay," she gritted out as she swung at him.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip blocked the punch. "Cool. Social stigma avoided. Job well done on our parts."

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"Dammit, I need to buy a dress now," Ivanova realised. A bit of an odd thing to realise as one was aiming a kick at someone's solar plexis.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"What's the standard dress for guys?" Pip asked, leaping back from the kick at the solar plexus.

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"Tuxedo," Ivanova replied, dropping back into a crouch with her hands raised, circling Pip on silent feet but staying out of his blind spot. Because she was considerate like that. "A nice one, hopefully. No powder blue."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip circled Ivanova as well. "Hm. Knew it would be something difficult. Don't worry, I have the class to get a good tux. Vest and tie and everything."

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"I think there's flowers involved," she said as she stepped into him quickly, getting the inside control and trying for the shoulder throw.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip went for a quick backhand to Ivanova's face. "Oh bloody hell. Please tell me you either don't care or actually understand what the traditions are."

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"Both," Ivanova replied, almost avoiding the blow. Definitely going to be a bruise there tomorrow. "Didn't even go to prom at my first high school." She danced backwards a couple of steps and then darted back in, swinging hard for his jaw.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip blocked it a little too late and took it in the face. He stopped and stretched. "I think that's enough for tonight. Long day and all. So. Tux for me. Don't need to figure out how the flower things work. Pick you up when?"

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

Ivanova also straightened, cracking her back. "I don't know, haven't been paying attention. I think we need to get tickets, too." She sighed. "Was easier when I was just going to skip it and watch romantic comedies in my underwear."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded and scooped up his bag. "C'est la vie. Guess we'll figure it all out later, then?"

[suzotchka.livejournal.com]

"Right. I'll give you a call tomorrow, maybe," she said, covering a yawn as she padded towards the door. "Night."

She was mentally making lists as she headed in the direction of her room. Dress, which meant she probably had to get shoes. And then she'd actually have to do something to her hair . . .