The salle- Wednesday afternoon

[thatwaslucky]

This was still happening.

By today, Rey had just gotten frustrated enough to go down to the gym with her staff, to pound things until she felt better. There were dummies set up, and moving helped, so those poor things were just going to take a whacking today.

Yeeeep. She wasn’t trying to think about how that would sound out loud.

[Hey, remember the gym and salle? Open!]

Comments

[not_of_the_nora]

Aloy had her new makeshift spear, fancy electronic parts and all, all finished. She knew the electronics worked - she'd tested those endlessly.

But did it work okay as a weapon?

...

She came to an abrupt stop in the doorway. To watch the girl fight. Because she was... curious.

Sure, let's go with that.

[thatwaslucky]

It was also probably not helpful that Rey was kind of a grinder when she was hitting things.

And then after a bit she kind of felt like she might not be alone, and stopped to look. “Hi.”

She was used to being the one doing the watching, maybe.

[not_of_the_nora]

Aloy'd been distracted by all those... robes.

It was a nice outfit?

So she startled at the greeting, managing an, "Uhhh... hi," in return. And an awkward wave with her spear, a moment too late.

[thatwaslucky]

“Are you looking to smash things, too?”

Rey, the other day should have taught you not to use that phrasing.

[not_of_the_nora]

"Right now?" Aloy said, shaking... whatever that was. Nonsense, that was it. "I can think of a thousand things I'd like to smash."

[thatwaslucky]

“It’s the week for it,” Rey said, and nodded at the weapon. “What’s that?”

[not_of_the_nora]

"A new spear I'm trying out," Aloy said, "Except I don't know if it's going to make much of a spear yet."

She let the far end - the wood, right before where all the electronics started - drop into her hand.

[thatwaslucky]

“It looks interesting,” Rey said, looking it over. “There are plenty of things to take a stab at.”

[not_of_the_nora]

"The trick is in the balance," Aloy said, "Among other things."

She looked Rey over. "You seem to know how to handle that."

[thatwaslucky]

“Years of practice,” Rey said, giving the dummy another whack for no reason. “Not as much practice here as I would have thought, but then weeks like this happen.”

[not_of_the_nora]

"How about we make this a spar, then?" Aloy offered. "I promise I won't use the pointy bits."

[thatwaslucky]

“Wait, what was the concern about whether it makes much of a spear?” Rey might have a fuzzy head this week but she still felt like she should get clarification on that first.

[not_of_the_nora]

"I can test that later," Aloy said. "I haven't had any practice in a while."

[thatwaslucky]

“All right,” Rey nodded, stepping clear of the dummies, and added apologetically, “This May not be my best work.”

[not_of_the_nora]

"Don't worry. Your life doesn't depend on it," Aloy said, raising her spear into a staff-stance.

[thatwaslucky]

“That’s the first thing to go right this week,” Rey quipped, skipping starting in any real Stance- she didn’t usually spar with people- and going in with a high blow.

[not_of_the_nora]

Aloy caught it easily, but then it was a starting shot, wasn't it? She countered with one of her own, tapping her would-be staff down low, towards Rey's knee. "Bad week?"

[thatwaslucky]

Rey caught that, too, turning her hands to try a slightly faster shot to Aloy's shoulder.

"Hasn't it been bad for everyone?"