The Gym, Wednesday Afternoon

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante'd promised Alluka to teach her how to throw a punch. By the time the day itself rolled around, he actually regretted it; there were other things he wanted to be doing, like hang around his dorm room taking advantage of his new fridge, or maybe text Isabela and move up their date to go kicking around trouble on the other side of the Causeway.

But he was stuck with his plans now. And he wasn't even hungover today, so technically speaking, he was in the perfect position to do this.

He'd just have to keep his strength in check.

He showed up to the gym after classes had ended, armed with a Combichrist tank top and black bondage pants - which was the widest pair he owned. He wandered around stretching and poking at some of the weights. They were laughingly light for him, so it wasn't like messing around with them would do him any good. But it passed the time.

[[ expecting one, but open before and after her! ]]

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[that_oldsaying]

The thing that had taken Alluka the longest to decide was, well. What to wear. She knew enough to know that her frilly dresses were not the best idea, but she hadn't wanted to dress boringly either.

She'd settled on a ruffly, short-sleeved top, with a mini-skirt that matched it, with a pair of capri leggings underneath that. Adding sneakers and braiding her hair back, she felt rather proud of herself.

Alluka poked her head into the gym, somewhat nervously, and looked around to make sure she wasn't the first there.

(She hadn't wanted to be the first there.)

[rebelseekspizza]

"Hey, Alluka." Dante put down the weight he'd been holding.

Most of the greeting was in the motion of his chin.

[that_oldsaying]

Wasn't it amazing how such a simple greeting made her light up so happily?

She hopped into the room, for once looking like she wasn't carrying a stuffed toy. (She still had one--her baby flower was tucked into a pocket of her skirt.)

"Hi, hi!" she chirped, and... hopefully Dante didn't mind a hug, because Alluka was going to greet him with one, if possible.

[rebelseekspizza]

... Was she coming at him with a hug?

"Uh," Dante said. He let her, but he looked fairly awkward and uncomfortable about it.

"Guess someone got up on the right side of the bed today?"

No, that was just Alluka.

[that_oldsaying]

She let go and grinned up at him.

"Mabel says that as long as you get out of bed with a smile you've gotten out of the right side of the bed."

So, generally, yes. Alluka did get out of bed on the right side.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Mabel's kinda Cloud Cuckoolander, though," Dante said. At least the look he was giving Alluka was amused now that the awkward part was over.

"Anyway, you ready for this? Remember, no crying."

[that_oldsaying]

"Mabel's the best," Alluka said loyally, since Mabel was both her roommate and her best friend and she didn't understand what Dante meant anyway.

She hopped on her toes though. "I remember! I promised not to cry! I'm ready!"

[rebelseekspizza]

"Okay."

Dante moved his head from side to side a few times to loosen up the muscles. "We'll start with how you punch now," he said. "Hit me."

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka looked at him.

"Just... any way I want?"

Not that she wanted to hit Dante, but...

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shrugged.

"I can take it."

That was not overconfidence talking.

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka giggled and scoffed, "I know that much. You're more like Daddy."

She had eyes, after all. Just not experience.

Looking at him, she bit her lip. She could name all the bones in a human's body but she didn't know if she'd ever learned where to hit. So, she supposed, it didn't really matter.

So, before she could over think it further, she punched him.

It… it was a terrible punch. Terrible form, terrible strength, terrible everything.

[rebelseekspizza]

And because of it, Dante didn't even budge. He wasn't going to humor her, because that'd be no use.

"So I guess we're breaking out the training wheels," he said. "To start with?" He reached for her wrist, intending to grab it. Gently.

[that_oldsaying]

"Okay," she said, not sounding depressed about it, but also not sounding excited either. More like she was paying attention.

Alluka let him grab her wrist.

[rebelseekspizza]

"You're wanna focus your hits here..." Dante guided her fist to his solar plexus, then brought it up. "And here."

He let it rest at his throat.

"There are other good places to hit, but when you're getting started, that's where you'll give the most pain."

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka looked at him, a bit doubtfully, as he guided her fist through the motions.

"It won't kill them though, if you hit them there, will it?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"No," Dante said. Well, at least she noticed. "Most people aren't going to kill someone with one punch. You need to floor them and go to town on their heads if that's what you're hoping to do."

[that_oldsaying]

"Daddy could," Alluka said, a bit mutinously. "Is it always the head you should aim for if it's more than punching?"

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante shrugged. "If you can break a rib, that's useful," he said. "Or you go for the squishy bits down below." Beat. "But I think learning how to kill shit with your hands is a while past your skill level, Alluka."

Man, she was more homicidal than he thought. He wasn't appalled by that or anything, just huh.

[that_oldsaying]

She laughed happily.

"It's just, I don't think I've ever heard of hurting someone otherwise," she said, all big eyes and earnestness. "But, I'm sorry. What do I do next?"

[rebelseekspizza]

"You know a lot of people who kill people?" Dante asked, curiously. "Anyway, put your thumb on the outside of your fist. And when you punch again, make sure it's with the first two knuckles of your hand, not your pinky or anything."