The gym, Friday morning

[can_be_more]

Aeryn's in the gym even earlier than usual today, due to the fact that it was the second night in a row she hasn't really slept, and there comes a point when trying to sleep becomes annoying. It's also the second week in a row she's down here beating the hell out of the punching bag.

[For tatooine_doofus, but open. Aeryn herself is not huge on talking, though.]

Comments

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler went down to the gym and nodded a greeting to Aeryn as he stretched out, waiting for Rory.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory bounced into the gym, gave Aeryn a careful once-over because she'd barely seen her in Ethics, and went over to join Tyler. "Morning, master!"

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

"Morning, apprentice," Tyler answered, sizing Rory up. "Take off your shoes and stretch out. I'm going to pull my punches" -- which he never did, but if he was supposed to be teaching her it would't kill him to go easy -- "but get some protective stuff too, if you want. Let me know when you're ready."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory obediently did as told, and when she was ready, she curiously asked, "Why no shoes?"

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

"Couple of reasons," Tyler said. "For one, bare feet have better balance. With shoes, your shoelace comes untied, you slip, you're out, bam. You want to be able to flex your feet if you need to kick. But you don't want some jackass coming in with steel-toed boots kicking the crap out of you. So no shoes levels the playing field."

He steeled himself, arms crossed. "Now. Fist thing, I want you to hit me as hard as you can."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory looked nervous. "Any, um, preference as to where?"

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler shook his head. "Go with your gut. The first time I did this the swing went wild and I hit the guy in the ear."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory nodded, studying him for a moment before going with what had worked for her the only other time she had intentionally hit a guy.

She aimed her fist straight at Tyler's eye.

[tyler-gone.livejournal.com]

Tyler had decided he would take the blow, whatever it was, so he let her hit him square in the eye.

Which didn't stop his hands from flying up to the socket, a curse word muttered under his breath. "I think you gave me a black eye," he said. "Um, nice. Good job."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke came into the gym a few moments later, carefully avoiding Rory's eyes as he walked over to Aeryn. "Hey," he said quietly.

Definitely not a bouncing Luke today.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

When she had finished with Tyler, Rory watched carefully until it looked like Aeryn and Luke were done, and scurried over him. "Hi," she said hesitantly.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke wiped the sweat out of his eyes and gave her a wary look. "Hi."

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Why are you mad at me?"

Being blunt couldn't hurt at this point.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I'm not mad," Luke said, concentrating on his boots. "Just confused."

And hurt. The way he was kind of curled in on himself made that part pretty obvious.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

"Why are you upset and confused, then?" she amended quietly. "I'm not stupid, Luke, and I spent the better part of last year learning to read your father. He acted the same way when he was hurting."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke was quiet for a long moment. "I thought you loved him," he said to the floor.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Ow. That had hurt more than any damage from the sparring session.

"I do," she said hoarsely. "And I'm not stopping, Luke. But he's not here anymore."

[can_be_more]

"Hey," she says, hitting the bag hard one more time before backing off to look at him. "You okay?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke shook his head. "I'm pretty sure I'm being stupid about something," he said.

[can_be_more]

"Happens to everyone," she replies. "But are you okay?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I think Rory has a new boyfriend," Luke said, stepping closer to the bag, "and I'm not okay."

[can_be_more]

Aeryn kind of admires that he can just say it. "I hadn't planned on us doing anything more than beating the bag," she admits, gesturing for him to do so if he needed it. "Do you want to talk?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke grabbed a pair of gloves and set to work. "What's there to say?" he asked, beating on the bag, eyes fierce. '"Have you forgotten my father already?' 'I think Bridge is in no way good enough for you?' 'Why, why why?'" He shrugged. "I don't want her to hate me."

[can_be_more]

"She won't hate you," Aeryn tells him, standing back a little to watch. "And, if I were you? I'd probably want to ask the same things."

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Billy needed to beat up on something inanimate before making another escape attempt. Therefore, he went to the gym and started hitting the bag like it had complimented his father.