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[witness_this]

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[Furiosa spends most mornings in the gym. Honestly, she'd prefer the Enclosure, but she needs to be moving long and often enough that she can't justify using more than her share of the precious time in the false environment. She works out quickly how to run on the treadmill, but most of the other machines remain a mystery to her. If the right person is using them, they may see her watching, or so may decide to approach.

Some mornings her prosthesis is on, and others it is off, tucked protectively and nearly underfoot, out of habit, though this doesn't seem like the kind of place where anyone is likely to get any ideas.

When she is done, she usually ends by slipping upstairs, showering quickly, and permitting herself what feels like the decadent luxury of putting her feet into the pool. It takes her until about the fifth time to get up the nerve to walk in to the water, to lower herself down in it until she feels it lap up around her neck, then to hold her breath and gingerly, cover her mouth and nose, and cautiously, gingerly slip under the surface and just let herself float, suspended.

She can be found in any of those places.

Still, a workout isn't the same thing as practice, really, and the conversation that has been going on here has weighed heavily on her, though she hasn't participated. So, finally, she takes a break one morning in the gym and turns on the feed.]

Video

[She has to clear her throat to start, and wipe the sweat off her face. She's sitting in the frame, bare feet apart, elbows rested on her knees, metal arm down at her side. Furiosa isn't comfortable, exactly, talking to a little plastic box that will take her words all over the ship, but this is important to her.]

My name is Imperator Furiosa. I'm human. No powers. I'm in the gym.

If you need, I've been teaching people a little about how to fight. If you don't need, but you're--

I could use the practice.

[Short, unceremonious, she disconnects.]

Comments

[chillestrogue]

[Cold can fight, but he's never actually fought girls on a regular basis, and the mindset's a little different. He needs to treat this seriously, but there's still that hesitation about making the first strike.

Some sentimentality he needs to get over.

He lets his limbs go loose, narrowing his eyes at Furiosa and copying her circling motion, keeping an eye on the corners of the room just in case]

Done this here before?

[witness_this]

You're the first one to take me up on it.

[She says, with something close to a smile.

When she decides he's ready, she comes in swinging.]

[chillestrogue]

[He smirks back, but there's not much time to do anything else as Furiosa charges him. He dodges quick to the side, watching her movement with the preternatural senses of someone used to being hit.

Then, he tries to get in on the offensive.]

[witness_this]

[She twists, and meets him, and then they have a fight on their hands.

They're both good enough that it might be anyone's game, really, and before long Furiosa really finds her enjoying herself, growling her approval when she hits the ground hard and has to roll.]

[chillestrogue]

[It's been ages since he got into a rough-and-tumble fight with someone who didn't have superspeed. Sure, he'll fight and wrestle around with Mick who was bigger and stronger, but Mick was also clumsier and slower. Furiosa was coordinated, and knew what she was doing. He could almost appreciate it.

He's grinning, even minutes later when he's bleeding out one side of his mouth from a particularly well-aimed punch]

You're good.

[witness_this]

You too.

[Taking a break for a second; her eyes are watering from a pretty good clock to the nose.]

People here know what they're doing.

[chillestrogue]

Thanks.

[He takes a second to exhale, rotating his shoulders to check his joints]

Some of them. And I include both wardens and inmates in that statement.

[witness_this]

Competence doesn't have much to do with the delineation, I guess.

[Agreeing, quietly.]

[chillestrogue]

Not in certain circles.

[He cracks his neck a little, having gained his breath back]

Where'd you learn moves like those?

[witness_this]

My world is like this. You learn moves like this, or you don't last long.

[Is the best way to explain.]

[chillestrogue]

Tough world.

[He sets his hands back up again, cold eyes glinting]

Ready?

[witness_this]

Ready.

[Squaring up to meet him again, eager for a second round. She's getting tired; this isn't her first bout this morning, but she's used to fighting tired.]

[chillestrogue]

[Cold is better-rested than Furiosa, but the problem is he's out of practice. He's never really had much chance to go toe-to-toe like this in a while. He might have the better swing, but he's off-balanced by taking too many punches.

Still. He's painfully stubborn and watchful, and searches for an opening with more patience than perhaps is wise]

[witness_this]

[Sensing herself flagging, she comes in before he does with an out and out offensive, three strong jabs in a row, trying to rattle him, knock im back.]

[chillestrogue]

[Thrown for a loop at this sudden attack, Cold's methods of staking out Furiosa's abilities through careful observation fail him here, as the second punch makes him stagger and the third one drops him to his knee]

[witness_this]

[Good. She presses the advantage, tries to get him down onto his front and into a hold he'll have to yield from, when he's still dealing with the onslaught.]

[chillestrogue]

[He's lost the edge, and it makes it all the easier for Furiosa to pin him down. He grunts in surprise at her, annoyance at himself, head still reeling from the hits]

..didn't expect that one.

[witness_this]

Sometimes an out and out rush when you're at the end of your rope is the way to play it.

[Sitting back, letting him up.]

Water?

[chillestrogue]

Risky. If that hadn't worked, you would've been caught up.

[He pants, but sits up opposite Furiosa, rubbing his jaw]

Please.

[witness_this]

Well, I'm alive because it tends to work.

[Leaning over to go grab the water bottle she'd brought.]

[chillestrogue]

You'll have to teach me sometime.

[He's not wounded by being beaten by a girl - having a tough-as-nails little sister will do that to you. Instead, he takes the water bottle with a nod]

Thanks.

[witness_this]

Meet me back here and I'd be happy to.

[And, because it's occurred to her what he meant, she admits;]

But you should know I'm a warden.

[chillestrogue]

[He blinks, tilting his head in surprise]

A warden who looks and fights like that?

My intuition must be off.

[witness_this]

Six months ago, I might have easily come in as an inmate. There were- things that I've had a chance to come to terms with.

[She says, short and serious.]

But nothing's worse than being preached at. So.

[chillestrogue]

Seems unfair. Who's to say I wouldn't have turned hero in a year?

[legends of tomorrow anyone]

I'd appreciate it. I'll take preaching from my own warden, but if we're not assigned, I'd rather not get an earful.