Tall, blonde, dark and lean

[sculpted]

Who: Alex Louis Armstrong (sculpted) and Carmen Sandiego (doitrockapella)
Where: Saffron City
When: After 4th wall!
Summary: A fated meeting in Saffron City...what could this lead to?!
Rating: PG at the worst
Log:


Armstrong wasn't exactly sure how it was he'd ended up in this strange new city after that....odd weekend, but that wasn't what was causing him grief; his beautiful gauntlets had been taken once again! After such a brief time together....was their no limit to the games Johto liked to play with them?

At present, he was walking down the street, shirt on but open at the front as he cooled down from a sparring session with his Lucario, who was strolling alongside him. Sighing, Armstrong ran a hand over his brow and looked toward the sky.

"I simply don't understand it, Berli...why give them back if they were just going to be stolen again? It's simply cruel!"

Berli nodded distractedly, more concerned with taking in the sights of Saffron than the dramatic sighs of his trainer. He'd get over it eventually, but his team of Pokemon would be hearing about it for the next week or so.

"Perhaps it is time for me to take a new direction with my training." Armstrong murmured, and Berli turned to him with a sense of dread settling over him. His trainer tended to be almost impossible to keep up with as it stood; what could he possibly-

"I should find myself a human sparring partner!" Armstrong exclaimed, and Berli breathed a metaphorical sigh of relief. That, he could deal with. "But whom?" Armstrong frowned, placing a hand under his chin. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

Shrugging, Berli shook his head. Armstrong sighed again.

"This is simply not my day, Berli! Oh, how will I ever find someone who could match me, Alex Louis Armstrong, in combat?"

Comments

[sculpted]

Admittedly, he was surprised that she managed to avoid him so easily, but at the same time there was a distinct feeling of satisfaction; that of an assumption made fact. Armstrong had anticipated a return strike and had raised his arm to block it accordingly, though he again wasn't too shocked when one wasn't forthcoming. Skipping comfortably away a few steps, Armstrong placed his hands on his hips and gave Carmen another one of those amused expressions, his voice warm and carrying an undercurrent of admiration.

"Ah, Ms Sandiego; you do not disappoint! Do not worry; judging by our little opening round I would be a fool to consider this an easily obtained victory."

His next move was spontaneous, instant; Armstrong knew that his agility tended to shock his opponents, so that was his next strategy. Perhaps that would allow him to get a slight edge against the mysterious woman in red, though he had a feeling that it wouldn't, as she said, be that easy. Regardless, he darted forward and followed his first strike with a wide hay-maker at full power, completely capable of stopping the blow should it look like it was going to connect. Again, another test; the wide punch left his right side wide open for attack. Would she simply block, or try to strike?

[doitrockapella]

He was good — very good — and to be realistic about the situation, she had to concede that he had the advantage on her in terms of preparedness. In the years since leaving ACME, her training had taken on a different variety of focus, and while she had no doubt of her own ability to hold her own, that was still a different set of circumstances than a man who devoted continued and persistent time to his own training regimen. He'd give her a run for her money here, no doubt of that.

But more importantly, it would hardly be fair to either of them if she simply avoided his strikes forever. He was here for a bout, and she'd agreed to terms. It'd cheat both of them out of a good opportunity, if she were to go around doing nothing but keeping her distance for the duration.

Already beginning to feel the familiar rush of adrenaline that always came with a good chase, she ducked swiftly under the punch, taking advantage of the same momentum and turning it into a retaliatory kick to the ribs.

Again, perhaps more of a warning shot than an outright blow, but it was talent and preparation that made things happen, and this was still the beginning of the match. She was feeling him out as much as (she suspected, anyway) he was testing her, and once they both had their bearings, well. Then things would really get interesting, wouldn't they?

[sculpted]

Armstrong allowed the kick to come close to grazing him, before skipping neatly backwards, a sparkle in his everything eye. He didn't relax this time, however, instead choosing to keep his hands up at his face, elbows tight and low to protect the vulnerable area Carmen had just targeted.

This was going to be fun.

"You certainly know how to fight, Ms Sandiego; the warm-up is over now, however!"

Dashing forward again, Armstrong threw a powerful, straight punch towards Carmen; the final test. Once he watched how she treated this particular strike, he could start fighting properly.

[doitrockapella]

"Is it?" she answered, the words slightly clipped as she readied herself for the assault to continue, keeping her focus on his movements and the rhythm of the moment rather than risk dividing it too far between responding and replying. He was testing her, she decided; the first punch had been a tentative opening, and every subsequent attack had increased in confidence from there. And that said something, too, about the good Mr. Armstrong — while he may have wanted a fight, evidently he didn't want it enough to risk hurting her as a consequence of it. Quite possibly, he could stop this blow before it ever touched her, if he wanted. If so, she'd find his control and precision nothing short of admirable.

On the other hand, giving him a reason to find her admirable was starting to sound rather appealing, too.

Moving fluidly, she instinctively checked her balance, readied her stance, and then moved in forward as the punch was thrown, bring her arm up to block it even as she began to twist into a throw that, if successful, would leave him rather neatly on the ground. She didn't think; she didn't need to. She simply reacted, muscle memory and years of practice to acquire it coming to the forefront once more.

He had said the warm-up was over. It was the least she could do to oblige.

[sculpted]

She had passed the final test, Armstrong decided as he landed on his back with a thud, blinking softly in surprise. While he'd expected a retaliation, he hadn't expected her to just hurl him over her shoulder; how excellent! Taking a few moments to get his bearings, Armstrong neatly leaped back onto his feet, squatting for a moment as he looked at his opponent, smiling.

"A fine throw, Ms Sandiego! I was right not to underestimate you. Before we begin once more, tell me; where was it that you learned to fight like that?"

Because despite himself, she intrigued him in more ways than one. There was something about Carmen that demanded curiosity and questions....although there was also the vibe that those questions could go unanswered. Either way, it couldn't hurt to ask.

[doitrockapella]

Yeah, she still had it.

But triumphant or not, she was still glad for the respite — Armstrong had certainly kept her on her toes, literally and figuratively, and there was a notable difference between fighting out a prolonged match and simply attempting to shut down her opponent as fast as she could. The latter was more her level of expertise back in the day; no time to waste with drawn-out skirmishes when there were thieves to be apprehended.

Still, it was a good feeling — physical exertion, putting her reflexes to the test, adding in the element of surprise and danger. She'd been in something of a mood when they had first started, but she was starting to feel better already.

"Call it a job skill," she replied, which was answer enough while still not really being much of an answer at all. "And you? I won't hesitate to admit I'm impressed — your speed is remarkable."

[sculpted]

In response to that little compliment, Armstrong couldn't help but flex his biceps and...well, sparkle a little.

"Ah, are you surprised that a body of this size can move with such speed? It is merely an ability that has been passed down through my family for generations! I hope I didn't take you too off-guard, Ms Sandiego~"

He had a feeling that he hadn't, however; Carmen's reactions to his strikes were exactly what he had expected from someone talented in the martial arts. The fact that she was so talented, however, was a bit of a surprise. But such a pleasant one! He almost didn't want to fight any more, preferring to take advantage of the downtime to learn more about her.

Well, what she would divulge, anyway.

"What sort of career requires you to be so skillful with your fists, my lady?"

I am so sorry it took me so long to get back to this. <3

[doitrockapella]

"I don't surprise easily, but I'll concede it this time," she agreed, taking a moment to simply...well, be impressed at Armstrong's decidedly toned biceps and his generally sparkling person overall. There were people in the world who did battle for any number of reasons, and she could name quite a few of them, but Armstrong seemed different; there was something about him less weary than the others she'd encountered, something that let him still be jovial and engaging even in matters like this.

Yes, she definitely decided she liked the man. Sparkling muscles and all.

So as a courtesy, she decided to elaborate, likewise taking advantage of the opportunity for a breather as she did so. "It was part of my training as a detective. Some criminals have a policy of playing rough."

And she was decidedly not one of them — a fundamental principle she stood by through and through.

"Lucky for me none of them ever boasted prowess like yours," she added, absently rubbing her wrist. "Does your family have a long history with martial arts? I'm as curious about your background in it as I imagine you are about mine."

DON'T APOLOGIZE BB THESE MUSCLES WILL ALWAYS BE HERE

[sculpted]

"Ah, a detective? I had a feeling that your career of choice was an interesting one, and I was not incorrect!"

That did make a lot of sense; it would be very important for a detective to be skilled with hand-to-hand combat. The thought of an elegant woman like Carmen battling ruffians and thugs, however...it was definitely a sight he would like to see one day!

...or, well, maybe only over the video, for if he came across such villains harassing the dear lady face to face, he would simply have to intervene! His pride as a member of the noble Armstrong family wouldn't allow him to sit back and just watch, after all.

Speaking of his glorious family -

"Why yes, it is a family tradition for the Armstrong that we become intimately acquainted with the many forms of martial arts! Why, even my baby sister Catherine would send many a regular foe running! My oldest sister is the most formidable of my sisters - I have four - as she uses a combination of her fists, words and sword to get her points across."

....that made Armstrong shudder slightly; Olivier was....certainly unique.

OH MUSCLES I CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON YOU

[doitrockapella]

Little did Armstrong realize that her days of battling ruffians and thugs generally involved less zen elegance and more teenage rage, but hey, it wasn't like her skills had completely disappeared with age, and there were certainly ruffians and thugs about, if Team Rocket was any indication. Perhaps Armstrong might get his wish someday, after all.

But the mention of his family made her perk up noticeably, both because it involved longstanding traditions and because talk of family in general was having a particular habit of pinging her hard lately.

And upon listening to Armstrong's description of his family, she discovered herself downright pleased by what she heard; an equal-opportunity family of fighters, and the most formidable — enough so, apparently, to make even a man like Armstrong shudder — was a girl. Oh, now that was what she liked to hear.

"She sounds like quite the woman," Carmen agreed, not bothering to hide her smile. "They must keep you on your toes, your sisters. Do you all have different weapons of choice? She favors a sword, you mentioned having gauntlets. Either way, it sounds as though your family is one of admirable discipline."

She paused, then added amicably, "And if they're all like you, fine character."

THEY'LL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!!

[sculpted]

"You flatter me, Ms Sandiego!"

And she did, really! What a lovely thing to say.

"Olivier - my eldest sister - is certainly a unique person! She's actually in the military and far outranks me; she's a General, while I am but a Major! It's really quite impressive on her part."

There's no jealously when Armstrong speaks about his sister, only a slightly fearful reverence. He is proud of Olivier's achievements; what sort of dutiful brother wouldn't be? Although with that attitude she isn't going to have much luck finding a husband...

"My other three sisters prefer more feminine pursuits, so they don't use any weapons. Although you wouldn't want to get in Catherine's way when she's playing with her piano; I've seen her launch it across the room!"