The Gym; Sunday Morning.

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Sakurazaki only had six days. Six days wasn't much time at all, so she knew she'd have to work hard, and she'd have to work smart. At that meant starting out simply, with a light but fierce run through her meditations and forms with the practise swords in the gym. It had been a while since she'd had to utilize some of the more complicated forms; she'd need to refresh herself with them before taking them to live steel.


[[open for all your gymly needs; interactions with my girl might be a little wonky and slow]]

Comments

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John walked into the gym, clad in baggy shorts and an old (even for him) t-shirt. He figured that he'd be there early enough to get some practice in before it was too busy.


Well, he should get used to being wrong.

[bound2blade.livejournal.com]

Sakurazaki is barely aware that anyone's entered the gym; she'd managed to get very into her forms and the complicated moves and swings are usurping all of her attention, hopping, swinging, flipping and rolling....

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

JOhn stared at the fighting style. It looked a bit familiar. Then again, most of the swordy martial arts looked the same to him, which is why he never did well with them. Hand to hand, improvised, that was his specialty.

He moved over to the heavy bag and started light, punches and kicks to warm up.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker came in late in the morning, after wandering through common rooms, and started to warm up. She also checked on the practice swords, hoping Alanna would stop by after her *handwavey* phone call.

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna did show up, snarky cat firmly on shoulder and grin firmly on face. Though the cat's tail was also on her face. "Parker!"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Alanna. Faithful." She cocked an eyebrow at Faithful, then grinned back. "You up for this? I really appreciate your trying to teach me."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam walked into the gym, prepared to use the heavy bag, then she spotted Parker and did an abrupt about face.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, no. That's not on.

"Sam-an-tha Car-ter," Parker sing-songed. "Have you been avoiding me?"

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Caught. Damn it. Sam turned and tried to look casual. "Parker. Hi. Why would I be doing that?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"I don't know. But then, I'm not the one who baked cookies last weekend, out of the goodness of my heart." Parker stalked over, but by now she was grinning. "With mixed results."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam looked sheepish. "I'm so sorry about that, Parker. I'm really not cooking anymore, ever. I swear."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Thank God. I didn't want to have to take out a restraining order on you and all kitchens on the island." Parker shook her head, hands on her hips. "I know it wasn't on purpose. But *how* did you do that?"

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"I, er, thought it was vanilla," Sam explained. "I think."

[threeweapons.livejournal.com]

Alanna took off Lightning and Faithful curled up on top of the sword, off to the side. "Oh totally."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker shook her head, looking amused. "I was only ready to kill you for about an hour. And Jack stepped in and thwarted me immediately." She smirked gently. "Then took off when he heard you planning to go to Egypt."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"I can't believe Daniel couldn't get me a flight," Sam muttered, "or that Jack wanted me to pack him into my suitcase. Boy's lost his mind, I swear."

She may have looked and sounded genuinely bewildered by Jack's behavior.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker folded her arms and snickered. "Maybe. He's very effective at getting his own way, though, isn't he? You sure didn't go anywhere once the tax on luggage was potentially raised so high." She tilted her head. "Despite the people he couldn't take with him if you left."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker grabbed one of the practice swords, and then handed another over to Alanna. "What first, then?"

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"He's so charming, he could talk anyone out of doing just about anything," Sam wasn't so sure that was a good thing, either. Not all the time. "And it wasn't the tax that made me stay."

Sam eyed Parker. "What are you trying to say?"

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker's smile stayed in place, but her eyes were a lot more serious. She shrugged one shoulder. "Just wondering if you realized that he'd face off with me for your sake. And if you needed it, he'd go to the ends of the Earth." She bit her lip. "Whatever else he might claim."

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

"He told me about facing you down, and I'm sorry he felt he had to do that," Sam said, putting her hands in her pockets. "And the feeling is mutual, Parker. I don't know what I'm doing here, but I wouldn't hurt him."

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker relaxed a bit, some of the tension leaving her. "Good. He doesn't bruise easily, but it does tend to go to the bone when he does. I'd hate to have to try to kick your ass for anything bad that might happen. Not least because he'd yell at me for it." She rolled her eyes. "And Jack in errant knight mode is responding to his own imperatives." She grinned. "So. That said... up for a spar?"

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam snickered. As if Parker could. "He'd probably be more upset that we didn't invite him to watch."

"Sure, why not?" She began stretching out her arms and shoulders.

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Don't give him ideas! Sheesh." Parker grinned, and walked over to the center of the mat, cracking her neck and assuming a ready stance. "First fall?"

[carter-i-am.livejournal.com]

Sam pulled on gloves. "Sounds good. I need to remember what I'm doing before I teach Jack and Cedric anyway."