The gym [before classes]

[momslilassassin]

Well, it wasn't like Ben wasn't up ridiculously early each morning anyway, so after his usual run around the island and sunrise and a stop into the Perk for two coffees instead of the usual one, he made his way into the gym to meet up with his roommate for their first lesson in "how to defend yourself without killing the other guy."

It was a rather specific problem.

[OOC: Ben is expecting one, but open gym is open for interactions! Also, character's ridiculous morning productivity != the mun's. Ben's a freak.]

Comments

[endsthegame]

Well, Ender was a very specific person. And also a complete freak, considering that he'd been up for quite a while by the time Ben left to get coffee.

He'd thrown on one of his property-of-the-International-Fleet t-shirts and some decent exercise pants for the occasion. He was also considering following up on Shunsui's Aikido suggestion, but first he'd need to see if that would or wouldn't be overkill.

He stretched his arms behind him upon entry. "I should've known coffee was involved."

[momslilassassin]

"Well, it's pretty early," Ben admitted, "and I was running past it anyway."

He'd already tugged his shoes and socks off and was warming up on the mats in his standard black flightsuit. "Nice shirt," he added with a little smile. "Think I can pick one of those up in the gift shop on Eros?"

[endsthegame]

"Military issue only," Ender said, "Sadly. I know how eager you were to get your hands on one."

He reached down to get rid of his own shoes. "I might be heading down there in another week or two."

[momslilassassin]

"If I'm that desperate for one, I'll take it from your dresser then," Ben decided. "Want me to tag along to Eros?"

[endsthegame]

Ender tossed his shoes aside - for all that Ben joked about his socks, he didn't actually wear them very often - and stretched his arms one more time. "Sure," he said, "With the caveat that I might be pretty preoccupied for most of it."

Or, y'know, avoiding spending too much time hanging around Ben alone.

[[ YOU SAW NOTHING. ]]

[momslilassassin]

"Do I get to explore or will I be quarantined in a room?" Ben asked, glancing over at DOLF Ender.

[endsthegame]

"No one's going to quarantine you, unless you start lighting up your lightsaber in public," Ender said, walking over towards him.

[momslilassassin]

Ben snickered inappropriately. "Well, I try not to do that in public anyway," he teased.

[endsthegame]

"Three years and he finally gets the innuendo, and now he won't quit it," Ender said, with a sigh.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm a great trial to you, I know," Ben said with a smile before turning more serious. "What do you want to focus on today?"

[endsthegame]

"You're the teacher," Ender pointed out, lightly. "Let's hear your recommendations, first. I haven't had all that many self-defense classes."

He just had a knack for figuring out his opponent's weaknesses.

[momslilassassin]

Ben thought about it for a moment. "Do you want to learn offensive anything?" he asked. "Or do you prefer to just keep reacting?"

[endsthegame]

Ender slanted a look at him. "I am offensive anything, if I don't watch myself," he said. "Reacting'll be fine."

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded, then reached out suddenly out to grab for Ender's nearest arm, but projecting calm through the Force. He wanted to see how much of Ender's reaction was training and how much of it was instinct-driven panic.

[endsthegame]

But that was the rub, wasn't it? Ender didn't panic - at least not in the easy, blind sense of the word. His arm tensed a little: that was instinct. But he didn't strike. There was no point to striking now. He wasn't actually in danger. Yet, at least.

[momslilassassin]

"Good," Ben murmured. It was silly to speak up since he was so close to Ender's ear in this position anyway. "Now from here, I could break your arm in a couple places. How would you get me to let go?"

[endsthegame]

Ender could think of a couple of things to do: drive a knee up into the squishy parts of Ben's belly (but that was predictable), or headbutt him so hard there would probably be damage.

But none of those were exactly acceptable answers here, and while the possibility of them might have been briefly visible in Ender's eyes, what he wound up opting for was a hard twist outward of his arm.

[momslilassassin]

The problem with fighting a Jedi was that it was impossible for him to turn off his danger-sense, which flared just before Ender moved. Faster than thought, his training kicked in and Ben shifted with what Ender was doing, using the momentum to reduce the pain to his arm and kicking Ender hard in the upper thigh.

[endsthegame]

The advantage that Ben had on him was that he could move with his instincts. Most of Ender's nonlethal ones were based on a nullo environment, with people bouncing helplessly off of everything.

And while Ender's mind moved quick, he had to dismiss any suggestions that could lead to him smearing Ben's brains all over the walls -- while dealing with the pain spidering up his leg.

Instead he went for his earlier option number two and stomped down on Ben's foot as hard as he could, a half-second later.

[momslilassassin]

"Aim especially for the instep," Ben advised, though he voice was coming out a bit tinged with pain. Even though he was close enough to do it, he decided against the obvious knee to the groin move, instead aiming his elbow at Ender's jaw, with speed only enough to click his teeth together and not cause any lasting damage.

[endsthegame]

He didn't need danger sense or a knack for lethality to deal with that; his instincts told him to duck and so he did, plowing his shoulder forward into Ben's stomach instead.

And hoping to god he wasn't doing any damage.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm fine," Ben said, answering the emotions aloud without really realizing he was doing it. He moved his arms to hold Ender in place, then slammed his knee up into his stomach as well. "You?"

[endsthegame]

Since when do you tell the enemy when he has won? Mazer Rackham asked, years ago.

Ender could feel the pain racketing up from his stomach into the rest of his body. This was about learning - it wasn't about finding the easiest way to make it stop. (But if he did, he could just say that it had hurt too much, and Ben would stop, and he could just tell him not to do it again-- but that would defeat the point of this.)

He gritted his teeth to deal with the pain instead and jammed his head up at Ben's, forcing himself to control the force of it so he wouldn't hurt Ben like he'd hurt Bonzo.

[momslilassassin]

Ben felt the control in Ender's move, but was still worried about this turning into less of a lesson and more of a butt-kicking.

He also wasn't thrilled with tasting blood, but that was his own fault for biting his tongue.

"Okay," he said, stepping back to disengage.

[endsthegame]

So did Ender, whose eyes immediately flicked up at Ben's face with just a little bit of actual panic as he tried to reassure himself that there was still life in his eyes.

This was probably not the best way to do this, another part of his mind helpfully informed him.