Dorm Roof - Monday Evening

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Cassandra had promised to teach Meg some basic fighting skills and it was only now that both had the time to actually do it. Meg got to the roof first, dressed in the shorts and shirt she usually wore to cheerleading practice in Neptune.

"Should I stretch first or something?" Meg asked Cassandra when she got onto the roof.

[For Cassandra but it's a roof so open]

Comments

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra nodded, "Usually a good plan." She started a series of stretches of her own. "We won't do anything too hard today, but stretch just to be safe."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Right. Wouldn't want any accidents." she said. She sat down on the ground and began to stretch her legs. "I'm glad we're doing this. I haven't really gotten any proper exercise in since I quit cheerleading."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Why'd you quit?" Cassandra asked as she continued her stretching routine.

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"I guess you could say I lost my pep." she said. "I had a bad break-up at the end of last year."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Um... sorry to bring it up then."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"It's fine." Meg said. She got up and began to stretch her arms. "I'm getting over it, slowly but surely."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Good." Cassandra settled out of her stretching to look at Meg, "You ready?"

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"As I'll ever be." Meg said. "What do you want to do first?"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Well... what exactly do you want to learn? I can teach you just some techniques and stuff, or I can teach you to fight." She frowned, "The first is probably better. The second... changes you."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Techniques are fine." she said. "I mean, if something invades the techniques will help right?"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Definitely," Cassandra nodded. And it wouldn't involve teaching Meg, who she liked, to have the instincts of a real fighter, which weren't all that great.

After a moment to consider, Cassandra got started. "Okay, first thing to know is that any time you want to hit someone, the power doesn't come from your arm or leg." She stands near Meg and holds out a hand, "Punch my hand."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Really?" Meg asked. "It's not going to hurt you?"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"You won't," Cassandra smiled. "Promise." Getting punched by Meg was certainly going to be less painful than being shot.

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Okay then." she still felt a little nervous. She stepped back a little and used her right arm to punch Cassandra's hand.

Even Meg could tell that punch was horrible.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Don't punch with your arm," Cassandra corrected. "You punch with your entire body, the fist is just the part that hits things." She steps back to demonstrate quickly, "You push with your whole body. You use your legs to move forward."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg nodded. She stepped back a little further and tried to copy Cassandra's punch. "How was that?"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Better," she nodded. "Try it a few more times. Remember that you punch with your whole body, not just your arm. Otherwise you can't hit very hard."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg punched a few more times, each time putting more force into it with her body. By the time she stopped she was slightly out of breath.

"Better?"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Definitely." Cassandra grinned, pleased, "The next thing to know is that you never try to punch something directly. Always try to punch through it." She clenched and uncenched her hand a few times to take out some of the sting. Then she held up her other hand in front of it.

"Try punching the hand in the back. Push the front hand to it, if you can."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Okay." she said. She was glad Cassandra was putting things in such simple terms. She was afraid she was going to be lost during this whole thing.

She stepped back and punched Cassandra's hand, doing her best to picture punching through her hand.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

As the punch came in, Cassandra braced herself and kept her hand from moving very far. "That's it," she nodded again. "Did you feel how that was different?"

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. It felt more powerful." Meg said. She stretched out her fingers a bit. Punching kind of hurt.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Noting the finger-stretching, Cassandra held out her hand to show Meg her scarred knuckles. "You get used to it if you do this long enough."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Oh my gosh." Meg said. She wondered how much punching Cassandra had done in her life.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra waved a hand in dismissal, "Don't worry about it. But that's one reason not to punch someone: it hurts. Only do it when you have to, and do it as few times as you can." She looked at her roommate and grinned, "Hit something just enough to get a head start on running away if you can."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"I'm all for the running away." Meg said with a grin.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Good. Running away is usually the best choice, anyway." Cassandra nodded, "Now try punching with the other hand. It'll help you get a feel for the technique if you get used to both hands."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg nodded and shifted a little so she felt a little more stable using her left hand. She threw a somewhat weaker punch.

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"Good. Do it again. And pay attention to the way you push with your body. That's the part you need to learn first: how it feels when you're doing it right."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

Meg tried again and this time it felt a little more natural. "Was that better?"

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra nodded, "Yeah. You move pretty well," she commented, "You just need some practice."

[goodgirlmeg.livejournal.com]

"Thanks." she said. "I'll definitely have to put in more time to practice."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

"You know where to find me," her roommate grinned.