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

[noteasytobepink]

"As they put it 'better than a statue of the mayor or something'. I think they just wanted to celebrate." Celebrate what no one was really sure hey, it was the thought that counted?

"Not that we encourage their smutty minds at all." Innocent, delicate sensibility them!

"I've head a word or two," she shrugged, "but mainly I smile and listen very hard and watch when people move."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Well yeah, I'm better lookin' than the mayor but still, I don't need a statue." And he was grateful to her for stopping them from making one!

"Of course we don't." Pictures of innocence and virtue were they!

"I can smile, sure." He'd been told he had a good smile! So he'd smile and... hang out with people. In Vietnam.

Yep.

"Just promise you'll keep me from doin' anything stupid?" He didn't know their customs! He'd hate to start another war with his naivety!

[noteasytobepink]

"Well, hopefully the idea has been scrapped for another year," she soothed easily. "And maybe by being horrible, smutty people we'll knock the idea out of their heads permanently." They made great role models right?

RIGHT?!

"Hmmm? Your part is easy, I promise babe. You get to hang out, and sit on a deck, and be fed with the other people waiting and worrying. As long as you don't actively attack anyone no one should take offense!"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Anyone builds a statue of me before I'm dead is gettin' their ass kicked," he said firmly. "I'd kick their ass after I'm dead, too, but that'll take some doin'."

Bill had no desire to be immortalized in any fashion. And frankly having a statue of himself up to walk past all the time was just a creepy idea.

"They ain't gonna feed me any cats, are they?" he asked, leery. It's what everyone had heard, how was he to know if it was true or not?!

[noteasytobepink]

"That's a good policy I think. I'll spread the word..." And hopefully that would make people think twice about their enthusiasm!

Okay, that was weird enough that she actually stepped back to look at. He was...serious? He looked serious. "Why in the world would they do that? Mostly they eat vegetarian in the training areas, and it's usually wild boar or chickens for meat."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Good, you do that." People didn't always take threats from him so seriously, so it might be better to have her do spread the word he was serious.

Looking down at her he shrugged.

"I dunno. I ain't ever been there but the runnin' joke is people from that side of the world eat strange things, an' I just wanna make sure it ain't true." He didn't necessarily believe those people, but he had also never planned on visiting such a place so it was best to be safe!

[noteasytobepink]

She sighed and finished wringing her hair with the towel before admitting, "no. Cat is a bad investment, meat wise. Never enough for you no matter what you feed them, plus they are obligate carnivores, they're eating things you want to eat if they're healthy. In a place like Korea, a place like where I grew up, you want grain fed or roughage fed animals for meat that can fend for themselves. Anything else isn't likely to be worthwhile or healthy."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Alright. I just... it's strange, y'know?" Or maybe she didn't. He would try to limit dumb questions from here, but that one had felt important.

"I'm gonna go get changed. Be out in a few."

[noteasytobepink]

"I'm sorry Bill..countries didn't mean much where I was from," she called after him, staring at the floor for a moment before shaking herself and trying to find a t-shirt laying around. She tended to sleep in his shirts since he didn't mind, and it would feel weird following him into the bedroom right now.

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"No, s'alright. I'm just... not as well traveled," he said over his shoulder waving off her apology and disappearing into the bedroom.

When he returned he was wearing a pair of sweats; a T-shirt slung over one bare shoulder, and carrying a tube of Bengay.

"Would you put this on my back for me?" he asked, holding the tube out to her.

[noteasytobepink]

"You're very good at just about everything I never knew," she admitted softly, holding out a hand for the tube. "When did you get hurt?" Pain and injury were safer topics? They both knew about them!

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"I am?" he asked with a chuckle, turning his back to her. "Like bein' lazy an' eatin' bad?"

Those were things she certainly hadn't known before.

"S'just sore in the middle," he answered, reaching around to gesture towards the area. "S'nothin'."

He'd actually overdid it today helping out another farmer, but it wasn't anything he couldn't live with.

[noteasytobepink]

"Peace, unity outside a team, politics..." she chuckled softly, popping the cap to start applying cream. At least she was a decent hand at finding knots to knead. "Lot of other things beside." And hey, Bengay was a weird ass mixture but at least it worked?

"This a nothing I should be worried about?"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Yep, think all of those are just nice forms of lazy," he joked. But really, the compliment was nice.

He flinched at the cold, then relaxed under her touch.

"No, m'fine. Promise."

[noteasytobepink]

"Are they then?" she mused.

Ah, well then, "You know I'll find out if you're lying to me..." the moment he couldn't keep up in bed probably!

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Sure. Peace? Same thing as bein' content, which is same as bein' lazy. Gettin' along with folks? Too lazy t'hold a grudge. Politics? Laziest folks on the planet, really. Me? I'm amicable because it's the easiest way t'live."

Really it was hardly as simple as all of that, but it was amusing to say so.

"Why would I lie?" he asked, turning around and pulling on his T-shirt. "I'm old an' outta shape, that's all."

[noteasytobepink]

"No, peace is a lot harder and you know it," she chuckled. "And I KNOW you hold grudges." Not violently, perhaps, but he did.

"Because you don't like to worry folk," she pointed out, "and because it's hard to pull that area of your back without trying."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"I don't at all," he argued. "I'm totally a forgive an' forget kinda guy."

She had him on the worrying people front, but he wasn't going to admit that, either.

"I'm talented in my injuries," he said easily. "Leaned back in my desk chair wrong or somethin'."

[noteasytobepink]

"I love you but that's bullshit," she offered simply. "You just don't let a grudge matter if a situation is important." JUST SAYING!

And she was going to pinch his ass now yes, perhaps hard. "And that is too."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

"Hm. I'd dare you t'name one, but I'm smarter than that," he said after giving a soft snort.

He jumped with the goose and winced, then covered by walking away; intent on putting away the tube in his hand.

"Maybe I've been out learnin' kung fu from the guy at the Chinese restaurant."

[noteasytobepink]

"You'd have told me if you were," she pointed out softly. "You like showing off things you learn, who doesn't? When you had something cold you'd have shown me."

[wheelsy_sheriff]

When he heard those soft notes he stopped and turned around, feeling guilty.

"Clarice I'm fine, promise. I just... overdid some things a little, that's all. I'll take it easy the next couple of days, alright?"

[noteasytobepink]

"Alright, be careful, whatever you're doing." And she'd stop pushing this then. He was already feeling weird about her, pushing now would probably mean she'd be on the outs. "Early morning tomorrow, you want breakfast before we go or let you sleep as long as we're able?"

[wheelsy_sheriff]

He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't tell her right now, could he? Not like this. Not after a fight and this... whatever this shaky feeling ground they were on now.

All he could do was nod, and promise. "I will."

Feeling lost, he started back down the hallway.

"Whatever you want. I don't know what you gotta do for this thing, but if you wanna eat I'll get up with you."

[noteasytobepink]

"Thanks babe." It was all she could ask?

Yup, going to grab one of his tees out of the dryer and pull it on before settling in to brush the tangles out of her hair. "I need to not eat, if I take hits I could toss my cookies and that's embarrassing! Just didn't know if you'd want food before we left..."