Salle, Late Tuesday Afternoon

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip opened the door and picked out two bo staffs, tossing one to Nadia. "You know, I don't think I've actually been in here."

_{[[Pip and Nadia sparring is alright for broadcast. Their conversation following it is not.]]}

Comments

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia caught the staff easily and spun it a few times to warm up a bit. "Neither have I. Always wanted to check it out, though."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip spun his once and popped his neck. "Peter was saying something about teaching me swordplay here in return for all the hand-to-hand stuff I showed him."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia made a face. "I'm not a fan of swords, actually."

She spun the staff a few more times, then stepped to the middle of the room, automatically assuming a defensive position.

One that she hadn't been aware of "five days" ago, though it didn't occur to her that her fighting style might have changed that much.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip spun the staff around a few times, seemingly warming up, then suddenly struck out with a lightning fast strike toward's Nadia.

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia stepped back immediately and twisted her staff to deflect the blow away from her body.

She grinned.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip followed through, using his momentum to spin around and jab at Nadia's head.

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia ducked the jab and swung low at Pip's knees.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip jumped back, clearing the swing. Upon landing, he spun the stick into a defensive pose and waited for Nadia to make the next move.

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia didn't pause, but spun quickly with the momentum of her swing and feinted to Pip's left while aiming a kick to his right.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip dodged to the side and brought his staff up to catch Nadia's leg and throw her off her balance.

[nadiathesaint]

As Nadia's leg was forced up, she dropped her body backwards, turning the momentum into a controlled flip and roll, then bounced back up and jabbed to Pip's midsection.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip raised an eyebrow quizzically as he blocked the jab, sliding it away from his body, and went in for a quick strike to Nadia's shoulder.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip rubbed his temple with his thumb and shook his head. "Oh Jesus, Nadia. What happened?"

[nadiathesaint]

"The program wasn't what they said it would be. I graduated, did my first field assignment, and found out that the man who'd trained me was a fraud. It . . . got a very good friend of mine killed. I confronted him and I was just so angry. . . ."

Her hand, holding the cigarette, started shaking.

"I shot him. Five times in the chest."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip put an arm around Nadia's shoulders and squeezed gently. "How long ago was this?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia swallowed. "Just a couple days. I waited long enough to hear from someone else that he'd been killed, then left. No one knows it was me."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip shook his head and squeezed Nadia tighter. "I wish I could remember what it was Granpere said to me when I first killed someone, but I was being treated for a gunshot wound and didn't really hear him. I'm not sure it would have helped anyway."

[nadiathesaint]

"How do you deal with it? I feel like I should be upset, but I'm not. Not about that. Just . . . cold."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip grinned a little, mirthlessly. "Why do think I laugh so much, Nadia? Or why I'm so... what did someone call me, "anti-emo"? I deal with it by enjoying life as much as I can. Because it's the only way to keep warm.

"If you don't, it just gets colder and colder and colder. Until one day, you aren't even a person any longer." He shook his head. "I've seen it happen to a man. My grandfather kicked him out of the mercenary company once he realized what he'd become."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia shuddered and leaned against Pip. "But there's so many other things I'm trying to deal with. And they're not funny."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"No, but you know what is?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"I spent the entire morning in a French Maid's outfit. And apparently I was so stunning in it, that it took Seras' breath away. And by that, I mean she choked on a croissant and had to be heimliched."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia did, in fact, giggle. "Please tell me someone had a camera?"

After Dr. Cox's Workshop

[grand-fallguy.livejournal.com]

Tim came in, and picked out a practice sword. And what does one do with practice swords? Why practice swording of course!