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]

"You've got quite the ego on you, haven't you. I've taken down guys bigger than you are."

And now she was bluffing. Later she might wonder what had gotten into her, why keeping things a secret had seemed so important. For now, she just knew that she didn't want Pip to say "I told you so".

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"I'm afraid, Nadia, that even if that is true, it doesn't particularly impress me. Size isn't everything. What happened?"

[nadiathesaint]

"I. Can't. Tell you."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip popped his neck. "And why not?"

[nadiathesaint]

"I went down to train for an intelligence agency. Why do you think?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Not a good enough answer," Pip responded. "And that's just an excuse. I live in the shadow world too, Nadia. I know that's an just an excuse."

[nadiathesaint]

"Well, how about it's none of your goddamned business?" Nadia shot to her feet, retrieving her staff. "I'm here to spar, not to fight."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"It's my goddamn business," Pip said, dangerously quiet. "Because you aren't who you were before. And in the space of five days, there's not a lot that could happen to make you such a completely different person. So it becomes my business when I inquire to know who it is I'm dealing with." He tilted his head to the side slightly. "Am I actually dealing with my friend? Or am I dealing with a completely different person?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia's energy for fighting suddenly left her and she planted one end of the staff and leaned against it.

"Have I really changed that much?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Yeah Nadia. You kinda have. It's not just the way you fight, either. It's... the way you carry yourself."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia slumped a bit and didn't meet Pip's eye. "yeah, well, a lot can happen in a year."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"A year?" Pip asked.

[nadiathesaint]

"That's how long I was in Argentina. I have no idea how only five days went by, here."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

"Well now, that's an intersting development," Pip said. The menace had fallen out of his voice. "I take it the new abillities are a result of this year spent abroad?"

[nadiathesaint]

"In rather intense training."

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip nodded. "Hence the heigthened combat abillities and the way you carry yourself."

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Anything else happen other than training?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia slid down the staff and sat crosslegged on the floor. "Yeah. It did. Could I bum one of those?"

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip sat down next to her and offered her the pack once he had pulled one of his own out. "Always," he said.

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia took the cigarette and pulled a lighter out of her pocket, delaying the rest of the conversation as she lit the cigarette and took a drag.

"You were right," she said at length.

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

Pip light his own cigarette and let a plume of smoke drift up to the ceiling before finally taking a drag. "About what?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia took another drag and closed her eyes. "Killing someone.'

[cyclopeanmerc.livejournal.com]

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