fandomhighdorms | The Gym, Friday dawn

Current Music: K.T. Tunstall - Miniature Disasters

Entry tags:

The Gym, Friday dawn

Parker's whole internal clock is off from sleeping through only part of the day yesterday, and then zonking out for most of the night. Therefore she is up at an hour she usually considers unreasonably early, doing her Tai Chi katas, and then attacking the bag.

Hard.

[for

moonbrain_tam, but open for anyone wanting to work out]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

River hade woken up early even by her standards and just couldn't sit still. It was usually better to put excess energy to use, so she headed down to the gym. She could always mention to Buffy that she'd been doing cheerleader moves and impress her.

She had expected the gym to be empty. Noticing Parker, she smiled, but it was a sad one, as she felt the emotions emaninating from Parker.

"Morning."

"Morning," Parker returned, then glanced back at the bag, sending a hard crescent kick at it. She tried to dampen down her emotions out of consideration for River, but didn't think she'd done a very good job. To distract herself, she said, "Do you need the bag?"

"You need it more than me," River said, doing a cartwheel up to Parker. "So he had to leave." She carefully reached out to touch her arm.

Parker admired the cartwheel, then restrained a wince at River's words, pulling her shoulders in, then taking a breath as the ache came back. "Yes. His mom." Parker was sincerely hoping she'd be okay, just from the little Weiss had told her about his mother. "Soo... early good-bye."

"Am sorry," River said quietly, tilting her head. "Need anything?"

Weiss back. Which popped into her head automatically, without an eyelash flicker of reflection. A couple straight punches at the bag, and Parker had time to give a better, more practical answer. "I'm in the wrong frame of mind to spar, I think. But maybe-- I don't know. If you could show me some new moves? It might take my mind off it, a little."

River nodded, smiling up at Parker. Then she closed her eyes for a moment, before letting her body move in a sequence involving a few punches and kicks. "Like that?"

Parker almost smiled, then nodded. "Only much, much slower." She put herself in the correct position to start, and then turned her head toward River. "Show me?"

River nodded again, and repeated the movements as slowly as she could, which was a lot more difficult.

"Side-kick," Parker imitated River, "turn, and punch, and jump-kick," and she finished that combination, concentrating hard, thoughts of Weiss and loneliness receding, "back-kick, front-kick, elbow and spin. Right?"

"Right," River said. "I never translate into words. But it describes it. Can add more details later."

She too became focused on the moment, feeling calm.

"I learn by doing first, too. But when it's a long sequence, I need the words to remember it for later." Parker relaxed, and ran through the sequence again, almost losing her balance in the middle. "God, you make this look so easy." She wanted to ask how River learned it, but realized that the other girl might not even know. Another repetition, slowing down at the point where she'd started to wobbled, and corrected her footwork. "Words step in when the eyes can't follow."

"And then you leave the words behind," River finished the sentence, smiling. "Don't remember ever using words. Too long ago." Only it wasn't, but it felt like another life, one that she didn't care to revisit.

Parker nodded, spinning out of the kick and smiling a little, coming to a stop in front of River. "Spinal reflex. It's hard to go backwards and explain it to someone else, now. I get that." Like explaining her kickboxing routine to Weiss, the first time they'd met. Loneliness stabbed at her again when she remembered, and she swallowed, brushing her hair out of her face with the back of her wrist. "Show me another one?" I can't help it. I'm sorry. It's too new to forget, just yet.

"Don't have to forget, just yet. Just let yourself get distracted." She tried another sequence, breaking it down and using words like Parker had done.

Parker almost startled at River's words, then relaxed as the import became clear. "Okay. That, I can do." And she copied River's movements (front kick, palm-strike, low block, high kick), speeding up on the second repetition, trying to stay in the now, in the pressure of the mats beneath her feet, the swing of her arm through the air, her breathing evening out.

"Good," River said. "Just try the kick a little more like this." She demonstrated.

Parker laughed, suddenly, genuine amusement getting the better of her. "River, I'm flexible, but I swear you're made of rubber bands." She took a deep breath, and gave a high kick that would do the Rockettes proud. "Like that?"

River nodded and smiled. "Like that. Could break someone's neck if you hit in the right place."

"Always a good thing to know," Parker said, then kicked up again. She spun and punched, then said, "I wish there was something I could show you, but you already know more than I do."

River glanced at her. "Can teach me other things. Things more useful, most of the time." She repeated the sequence faster, putting a lot of force into the kicks.

Parker was slightly amused, and said, "Guns and shoes and money... I suppose so." Another few punches, and she noticed she was starting to get tired, but didn't want to stop.

"More useful, most of the time." River smiled. "Teach me to walk in high heels?"

Parker stopped punching and kicking and laughed, a little breathless. "Sure. Definitely. Next time you come by my room, we'll work on that. Every girl should know how to walk in them. And run if she has to."

"Running poses problems. I can walk slowly," River replied. She did another kick. "Although potentially useful as weapons."

"Extremely. Either on your feet or off them," Parker said, doing one last kick before stopping to catch her breath, bending over to stretch her legs out with a small sigh. "Plus, the distraction factor," she added, thinking of Weiss watching her walk, and feeling a small pang.

"Distraction factor requires experience," River said, hoping this subject could move away from the subject of Weiss. "Would not work at my current level of proficiency."

"Then we definitely have to work on it," Parker said determinedly. "It's too good a weapon not to use." She grinned and spun, then rose onto her tiptoes, and stalked across the mat. "And it's fun."

River rose onto her tiptoes too. "This is easier. The heel messes with balance." She frowned, moving about on her toes.

Parker chuckled, did a plie', then a revelle, and said, "It's supposed to make a sway that's obvious, but you just have to readjust and work it." And she spun, swinging her hips as she walked on her toes, then kicked one leg out again. "They never see it coming."

Laughing, River imitated Parker. "Seemingly innocent, catching the victim unawares."

Parker smiled, a little wickedly. "Do I look like that kind of girl?" Then made a show of reconsidering. "Oh, wait. I am that girl. On you? It'll be even less expected."

River burst into a giggle. "Could rob a bank looking innocent." She spun around, still on tip-toe.

"Definitely." Parker smiled again, then relaxed, muscles sore but feeling good, tired but better. "And make off with all the loot." She stretched out her arms in front of her, and said, "Thanks. I think I'm about done, now."

"Me too." River dropped down on the floor and stretched out. She let out a happy giggle.

Parker laughed very softly, and finished her cooling-down stretches. Missing Weiss still hurt, but it was in the background, something that wouldn't ache too much if she didn't poke at it. For now, anyway. "I'm for the showers. I'll see you later, okay?" She paused, considering, then said, "That trip to Serenity. When were you thinking would be good?"

River looked up. "In a few weeks? Or shortly after you graduate? Don't need much time to arrange for them to pick us up." She smiled.

"Okay, then. Definitely." Parker sketched a wave, and said, "Let your Mal know what he's in for. And I'll see you later, River." Even more softly, "Thanks."

River smiled back at Parker. "You too."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

The Gym, Friday dawn

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject