After The Whomp

**Cabochard** · Feb 13th, 2015 09:23 PM

Ary's fist hit the punching bag, over, and over. She didn't pay attention to technique. She didn't pay attention to her wounds, bandaged under her workout shirt, still hurting far more than they had any right to. She didn't pay attention to anything but her fist and the punching bag, slamming one into the other with reckless abandon. She'd payed for a private room so she could take her anger out on it alone, without having to deal with the Herd lingering around and watching. That wouldn't go well.

She'd lost. That didn't mean anything alone. But how she lost...she couldn't accept it. It had been terrible. She hadn't landed a single blow. The feeling of her stomach dropping when she had managed to actually get a bite in and nothing happened rushed her through her again, inciting a new barrage of uncontrolled blows against the bag. And the look on Allison's face - concern. She'd lost so bad she'd made her opponent concerned for her.

She couldn't let it happen again. She had to get stronger. So that next time, she could win.

Feb 13th, 2015 10:13 PM

The thumping staccato of fist on bag was left muffled by the well-insulated walls of the gym, but the same thudding rhythm ran through Jacqueline's chest as she watches a small brigade of gym hunks on treadmills, lifting barbells heavier than she was, and typically serving as glorious eyecandy to whomever had the nerve to aim their voyeuristic eye. Jackie got so distracted by the veritable barrage of beefcake that she didn't notice the brief clearing of the throat behind her before the second, more insistent time. Spinning around with a wave of apology and charm, Jacqueline responded, "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't have a membership card. I wanted to put in my job application... Thank you so very much!"

There was no denying, she had to find work. Even if she wasn't particularly good at any job, being able to convince people to join a gym just made sense. As the receptionist was busy, she slipped her way into the training room, a bounce in her step as she casually ogled anyone worth considering. She didn't look entirely out of the ordinary either, clad in a light stretchy pants and shirt that were always advertised as 'athletics wear' but really turned out to be a new wave of sex appeal for a new kink. Eventually, the muffled thuds of the punching bag attracted her attention and in the room was, lo and behold, Aryana! What a tweest!

The Rahu looked to be in the middle of a brutal routine of punches, the blows barely visible. However, the pain was. The look on her face showed a flurry of emotions that fell through her blows and Jacqueline felt horrible to watch it. She had no idea what might have happened, but it certainly seemed painful. Putting a hand up to the window, she stood watching for thirty seconds or so, breathing on the door and writing a backwards message before rattling the door. The condensation-script read: You Okay?

**Cabochard** · Feb 13th, 2015 10:45 PM

Ary was pulled from her reverie by the sound of the door rattling. Who was coming to bother her in the middle of her routine? Hadn't she payed for a private room? Didn't private entail that No One Would Bother Her? Maybe someone had forgotten. Well, she'd just have to go remind them what it meant. Maybe she'd invite them to train with her, and then kick them out when she was done.

The Iminir spun on her heel, intent on stalking to the door to do just what she'd decided on, when she saw her packmate in the window, and the fading message in the mist. That partially drove the anger out of her mind, although the words really didn't. She stalked over to the door, unlocking it and opening it to poke her head through. She tried to keep her face neutral, but the pain did a number on it. "I'm fine. What is it?"

Feb 13th, 2015 10:59 PM

You had to admit, Ary made being pissed off look good. Jackie had never developed the motions to make proper indignance look like an art, the stalk, the glower. It was all essentially lost on her and her frustrations always seemed to look a great deal like tantrums. If she could develop a proper haughty walk, she could probably die happy... As the door slung open, any attempt at anger in her direction was met with a flood of cheer and optimism followed by an enthusiastic, "I knew it was you! How have you been? I was just coming in to check the place out, maybe find some work, but now I find you fighting away. I was a little intimidated to rattle, what with all the punching. I haven't seen anyone fight so well since I was back in Eureka!"

Taking the advantage of this stream of conversation, she tried to open the door a little more with her foot. From what she could see, Ary was a stubborn woman and trying to get in would require actually getting in the room. Barriers would only bring more trouble, "Hey, since we're here, can I see some of your moves? Nothing that'll shred the bag or anything, but I only picked up a bit of boxing. Gimme a hug, girl!" Before she could allow her to respond, Jacqui threw herself into a full hug with all the impact of a plush tiger.

**Cabochard** · Feb 13th, 2015 11:38 PM

Aryana was going to be angry. She could be angry right now. That was easy. She literally just had to think about what had happened and bam. Angry. But in the face of Jacqueline's overwhelming cheer, the anger partly fizzled out. It was hard to be angry at someone who was so damn happy, unless you were angry at them for being happy, and Ary couldn't be angry at Jacqui for being happy. Not yet, anyway. Maybe, eventually, when she was just too happy, in situations that really didn't merit it. Like someone dying.

At least, she couldn't, until Jacqui hugged her, pushing at her unhealed wounds. She let out a loud "AHH!" and pushed back, backing away and grabbing at her side in pain. "Ah! Dammit!" She paused, huffing as it receded slowly. "I'll show you just...gimme a moment..."

Feb 14th, 2015 12:06 AM

And with a gesture of compassion, the door does open, Amen

As Aryana shouted in anguish, Jackie couldn't help but leap off, a flight instinct in response to someone who could literally kick her ass to the moon, but in a heartbeat turned to a mix of concern and worry. She almost approached the woman and tried to lend some help, but a mantra echoed in her mind: Allow no one to witness or to tend your weakness. Of course as soon as she decided to note Ary's pains, she would be instantly rebutted. Stubbornness would build on itself like a hardened callus and would be impenetrable. No, this would have to be done carefully and without noticing her weakness.

Who said that being compassionate wasn't hard work?

Ignoring the girl's huffing of exhaustion in the absentminded mindset of a gym bunny, she bounced around in front of the punching bag, surely giving a nice show to whomever was staring through the window. With swiftness and finesse, she batted the bag with her fists, but the sandy sack would barely move. She was just not impactful with her strikes. It was always a frustration with her mentors. She just wasn't built to be a fighter. Her hands were meant to create beauty, not holes. Still, a niggling thought in the back of her mind insisted that if she was not able to fight, she would die. Death didn't sound like the best idea right now.

**Cabochard** · Feb 14th, 2015 12:29 AM

Ary, still clutching her side after the grabbing incident, made her way over to the punching bag. Under normal circumstances she would have stood behind it, steadying it so that the person practicing wouldn't have to worry about it flying off and then have to catch it and steady it. But with the amount of strength Jacqui was actually demonstrating, that clearly wasn't necessary.

Aryana strode over, putting her hand on Jacqui's shoulder to stop her. "Don't do that. You're not getting anything done, and that won't help you. Stop moving so much. You need to plant your feet, and swing with your upper body. Contrary to what movies might tell you, power comes from your hips. If you turn as you punch you'll do that much more damage." She stopped talking, taking a step back and thinking a sad little thought. "Why don't you go ask Allison how to do that? She trained in that kind of fighting. I'm better at teaching you how to fight in the wolf shapes, really." Or at least she'd thought she was, before. But that wasn't something she could say out loud. Hell, just telling her that Allison was a better fighter was inching towards violating the Oath.

Feb 14th, 2015 12:59 AM

Stopping mid-punch, the words that were given to Jacqueline were nearly the same as every other fighter that had watched her lack-of-style. She understood the principles of the matter, but lacked the musculature to actually lend impact. It didn't matter whether she became the Bruce Lee of Sacramento, she would still suffer at the hands of a stronger and more ferocious opponent. However, the last comment was a more curious one, Why the sudden concession of skill to anyone, much less Allison. Something happened, and Jackie wasn't going to stop until she knew what.

Leaning against the punching bag casually, she eyed her friend skeptically, "Now that's a strange reaction. I can't imagine you would admit that anyone else was superior, not without choking on your pride." Letting forth a grin of canny realization, she tilted her eyebrow in an inquisitive gesture, "That and you were clutching some wounds. Now I might just be a country lawyer, but I suspect that Miss Aryana of the Iminir is hiding something mighty important." Still, it all seemed too silly. Letting out a sigh, she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "I know you don't want anyone to fret over you. It'd be against your tribe's code and all, but its unhealthy to stew over your frustration like that. Talk to me. We're packmates, right?"

**Cabochard** · Feb 14th, 2015 01:10 AM

Aryana's plan had been to stew. She preferred to use the word 'reflect', really. It was a much more elegant word, with a different meaning. It meant she looked at what she had failed at, and avoided doing it in the future. She had failed to be stronger than her opponent. She would avoid it in the future. But, Jacqui was right on one point. They were packmates. Her troubles were their troubles, and they'd find out sooner or later. Better Jacqui found out from her than from Allison, who would probably gloat about the victory and emphasize how brutal it had been.

"We fought. I lost." Was there really any more that needed to be said? Details weren't important, in the end. The fact was, she lost. That was what mattered. "I lost really badly. Like, if I lost that badly to someone who wasn't my packmate..." Or her Beta, now. "We wouldn't be talking right now."

Feb 14th, 2015 09:43 AM

It was as bad as she imagined. In fact, it was worse. Getting beaten was one thing, but getting wholly whomped in such a way that she might not have survived in any other instance gave most people pause, even someone with thick skulls. No wonder she was so pissed off. Jackie couldn't have known the details, but the wager was that the match was so one-sided through fate or opportunity, that there wasn't time to respond. Ary wouldn't have taken any fight sitting down, so she had to figure that Allison was strong. Part of her was thrilled that she was able to convince the boxer to join, however Ary was in bad shape. She had to do something, but what?

There were so many ways to approach things, but the Iminir Ban did a considerable amount to shape a tribe and Ary was more stubborn than some. Lending a sympathetic shoulder would merely be patronizing, while trying to be inspiring might come off at the wrong way. Perhaps a little piety would do, Furrowing her brow, she tried to explain this as definitely as possible, "Sometimes Mother Luna places these things in our path as signs. Sure, you could read it that you want to be stronger, and stronger you certainly will be. Stronger than I will ever become, but I have a feeling that your loss is a more important but more subtle message."

"Now I wasn't there, but I can piece together some things. Your direct and independent words made some other people, Allison included, rather upset, so much that she responded in a brusque manner. As a result, you believed her to be sycophantic to try and garner up good grace with other wolves. Because the two of you have a certain hardheadedness about you, a fight had to be inevitable. Now I can't imagine you would go down without leaving a mark, so I think that Mother Luna is trying to impart to you something important. I certainly can't tell you how to act, so I don't want to make any deductions, nor do I want to come off as preachy. Still, I think there is something to learn from this."

Chuckling a bit, Jacqueline shook her head, "Man, I'm getting way too serious now, aren't I?"