The problem with dangerous people...

[noteasytobepink]

Who: Clarice and other students
When: Off and on through her time in Bill's world.
What: Clarice stays sharp. Sort of. It's complicated.

She didn't do much until she was cleared, medically. Only an idiot pushed an injury when there was the option to rest. She even did physical therapy religiously, but given mutant bodies, well, she tended to heal better than expected. She didn't have a healing factor, no, but she did have the heightened metabolism and that tended to help when she had the option of decent nutrition.

She tried to take the down time as a gift, she did. She only ran at first. A lot, on the ground, along the mountains, through the trees, she just ran, keeping up her wind. But a month stretched into a handful of months and she took up climbing and woodland parkour, trying to simulate vectors and angles she encountered in combat.

Then it happened; it was simple, and stupid and it shouldn't have bothered her because she had a good thing here, but she got winded. Doing something simple, for her, was harder than it should have been. It should have been alright because it was a sign, right? That she didn't need the combat skills any more. Not here, there was nothing to keep her sharp...

...but she couldn't really believe that. Working as a florist, hah, dangerous stuff. Stepping up to deputy? A breeze, and...she couldn't let the skills go. Something small, and terrified, and grim deep inside said she couldn't, and that voice had never led her wrong.

That just meant she had to get creative because no one would approve, especially not Bil.

When trapped and unable to train? Go to the source. Go to the people Mr. Creed had lived with for a while that had given him skills to teach her.

...or go to that area of the world anyway and hope to find someone who spoke with fists and feet properly.

She went to Vietnam. Stepping away for a few hours here and there to comb dripping jungles, watching and waiting until she saw the proper style. Perisai Diri was obvious even to her who'd learned it piece meal and adapted to a young, flexible teleporter. She didn't know the language beyond afew polite phrases given as ritual to teachers; she didn't have to.

She did have to stand up to being tested, women, after all, were not known as fighters even in Vietnam. Not hand to hand fighters anyway. She was in shape enough to pass that at least, though no one would call her a master by any means.

She couldn't even dedicate a few hours every day in training over there, just enough to stay sharp. Just enough to know the people coming at her when they lined up in a class or in a brawl session could be better than her. That edge of 'I'm not enough' that was true training. She always managed to scrape through. She was a lot like those she trained with after all, a child of depredation and war. They trained to keep a tradition of holding their land, she trained against them to stay alive, and they taught each other some interesting tricks as snatched weeks bled into months which hemorrhaged into years.

Bill had his alone time to relax and do his own thing; she had hers. It was more relaxing, at times, than even sex because it was confirmation that she could survive. Even in a world such as this there were people who understood, as the man she was growing to love didn't, and so she allowed silence.

She didn't ask where he spent his free time when they didn't have plans; she didn't offer what she did with hers. It was the best she could do some days, even days like this when she slipped in the back door covered in mud along one side and eyes still glowing from power use and high emotion. There had been an honor awarded tonight; it was a good thing...she just...wasn't sure Bill would understand if she offered to share the honor as she'd been invited to.

She wasn't sure how to ask.

One thing was certain though, she'd need a shower before she decided anything, yes.

Comments

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"Yeah," she agreed with a laugh as she stepped through behind him and closed the portal, "but mosquitoes aren't native here at least?" So hey, that was an awesome point!

"Follow me babe, and don't worry, we won't have to talk much!" The path was...nonexistent. She navigated through familiarity more than anything else and it wasn't long before mist shrouded huts emerged between the trees ahead.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

Bill followed her into the brush, trying to remember if lions and tigers were a thing in Vietnam.

"I don't mind not talkin'," he confessed, since he didn't know a lick of Vietnamese. "Should I uh... bow or somethin' when we meet folk?"

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"Nodding is just fine, be polite, smile and be charming beyond language," she chuckled. "You're good at that. Everyone here will be just as worried for their people in the ring, that makes you all brothers in arms as it were. Just don't attempt to interfere love."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

He smiled when she called him charming, and nodded to her direction.

Not interfering... he'd do his best. And really he knew she was good, and he knew she could handle herself so his interference wasn't likely going to be needed anyways.

"Alright. I can whoop an' cheer for you, though, right?" he teased with a grin.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"Of course, if sound was distracting we wouldn't have made it to this level!" she laughed. "And here we are. This village has preserved this particular hand to hand combat style for generations. It's an honor," and she honestly meant that, "to be accepted as a trainee." She bowed her head, and only that, to the people at the edge of the clearing.

In the center was a small, raised platform in a circle, perhaps a little larger than a wrestling ring, and there were several couples kissing or patting shoulders and the liek in encouragement.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

Bill could hear the honesty in her voice and nodded his head in understanding. This was very obviously a big deal to her, and he tempered his amusement and humor. He wanted her to know he supported her.

He inclined his head to the people and looked towards the platform.

"I know you're gonna do great."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"That or get my ass kicked," she admitted wryly, turning to kiss him. "I'm not the best here, not by far." In fact, take away her mutant ability and she was about average. Flexible, creative, and deadly, yes...but this area had just as much ability to turn out grim survivors as her world had.

"And hey, I'm holding out hope you'll find me fighting people as sexy. That would be such a bonus!"

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

That was a little scary if it was true, considering he'd seen her fight and knew a lot of what she was capable of.

Returning the kiss he gave her a reassuring smile.

"You'll do great."

Giving her a once over, he shrugged a shoulder. "Who says I don't?"

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"Eh, bar fights give you the fake smile past a certain point, and lines between your eyebrows if I talk about fights I encounter while woods running!" she listed cheerfully. "But that's okay, I'm sure I make the same faces when you and the precinct boys talk about football." It was just a thing? And fighting wasn't his thing? She'd just been hyped and babbling more than anything.

"Okay, final round in the ring, testing the people the elder picked, and those who prove out here will withdraw for a time to learn final techniques. That's the gameplan!"

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

Well he couldn't really argue or deny that, could he?

Still, he supported her and wanted her to know that. "I'm proud of you, alright? Good luck in there, I'm sure you'll do great."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"I know," she laughed easily, bending into stretches beside him, "you wouldn't lie to me." Not here, not now at least!

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Course I wouldn't," he assured.

"So who you fightin'?" he asked, looking around at the others present.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"The six that are also hanging in pairs and being reassured," she chuckled. "The only other woman who looks like a fighter," as opposed to a mother, four young men, one older. All moving like oil on water." And stretching like her.

Hell, she didn't speak the language, she didn't know names!

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Not all at once, right?" he asked looking over the six.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"Starting to worry?" she chuckled. she couldn't say no, really, given how a gong at the head of the path range and the other six started for the ring!

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"I always worry," he said with a small smile that didn't quite hide that worry.

"Good luck, darlin'," he said, watching her go.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

"I know," she chuckled, pecking his cheek once more for luck before padding into the ring to join the circle of people facing each other.

There wasn't a second gong, just between one moment and the next the people watching each other flowed into motion.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

Bill found himself a place to sit and he watched.

It was both beautiful and terrifying to see her in her element. How she moved, how she fought and handled herself. He could hardly imagine what she would be like if this was real. One of those true life and death fights she'd had so many of before coming to Wheelsy.

This right here was scary enough.

And while everyone else was just as fast and fierce, it only took a little while of watching before he wasn't afraid for her anymore.

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[noteasytobepink]

This was as much a test of endurance as it was finesse and skill. Three out of the seven flagged before too long, another slowed but didn't miss a beat. Those that faltered took hits after a while and had to bow out and the still moving fighters let them leave gracefully.

The gong shivered again after an hour, the four remaining freezing in place like perfectly poised marionettes, punches stilled, kicks raised, and like the earlier fight, it was a test of endurance. To hold. And to wait.

And wait.

And hold.

The gong shivered again after the elder man dropped his foot and bowed out.

Two women, one man, and the gong shivered again, all three dropped to the ground, foreheads touching the mats until a truly old man walked from the upper path to touch gnarled feet to the mat. The words he spoke were barely a whisper but the three students jumped to their feet as if electrified and followed as he turned to walk back up the path.

As soon as the last glimpse of the three were gone the watchers started stirring, stretching and chatting, and an older woman walked around the mats to offer him a cup. "...drink? Ah...some English."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

Bill watched, fascinated by the whole thing. It was intense, for certain, and he couldn't imagine the type of hard training it had taken for the students to get to this point.

He wanted to clap when Clarice made it through but no one else did so he held in his cheer and resisted the urge to follow after her as she left with the others.

Looking up at the woman he smiled and gave a nod, "Uh, yeah. Thank you."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[steahl_npc]

She passed him the cup with a smile and settled down beside him, "you wife and my daughter. This is good, yes, like family. Eat? With us? Be...long time now."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Oh now, we're not-- she's uh, she's my girlfriend," Bill corrected with some mild embarrassment.

He took a drink and nodded to her offer.

"Yeah, sure. Thank you."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[steahl_npc]

"Not wife? I do not the word! But bad, not wife, should marry! Strong girl, good sons!" The lady pronounced easily. What? It was a bit of free advice lest he lose the strange fighter!

"Come, eat with daughter husband, tell him okay! So worry him!" And yes she reaching down to tug him to his feet despite that fact that standing? Bill would be over a foot taller!

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Yes ma'am, she is," he said, hauling himself up with her help.

Dusting himself off he nodded, "Alright, eatin' sounds good, thank you."

Re: Hello Vietnammmmm

[steahl_npc]

She set her hands on her hips and looked him up and down properly before nodding, "you do. Worried like son!" Ah, men when their women went off to learn dangerous things! "Him there, get him yes? I get food!"