route_1065 | Let's get down to business

Entry tags:

Let's get down to business

Who: Lightning and Rise
Where: Goldenrod Hotel, Lightning's room
When: Saturday, April 2
Summary: An idol seeks out a soldier because bullies suck and she can't Galactic Punt them like Chie.
Rating: PG at most...?
Log:

[ There is a girl standing in the hallway, looking both determined and reluctant. And finally, heaving a sigh and murmuring something to herself, she rolls her shoulders back and gives the door in front of her a firm knock. ]

Hey, Light? Are you there?

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[A headshake.] We'd spend more time slipping the mud than actually sparring in this weather. [And now stepping away from the door.]

Come on in. Better if you ask in here.

[ Rise can't hold back a giggle at the thought of two of the most serious people she knows doing a Slip-N-Slide. Luckily, she keeps that to herself as she obediently steps in. She hasn't left the hotel today, so at least she's warm and dry. ]

[Light'll just give Rise a confused look at the giggle but shake her head, shutting the door behind the idol. Just as it clicks shut, Sen the Lucario is going to jump up from where he'd been sprawled on one of the seats and--

--jump onto Rise's back like he's some kind of koala bear with a happy yip. He's moving too fast for Lightning to stop, too.]

Sen!

-- Nngh!

[ Rise would normally just let out an 'oof' of surprise, since she's gotten used to Sen's antics, but this time, she actually flinches in pain and sucks in a sharp breath. Ow ow ow Sen she loves you, but that was her bruise you just landed on. ]

[And off of Rise's back goes Sen, looking between his trainer and Rise with a panicked look in his eyes. What did he do?! So Lightning comes over, giving the girl a concerned look.]

You're hurt. How bad is it?

[ careful plan derailed in under a minute, dammit. Rise takes a minute to take a deep breath and shakes her head in response to Lightning's expression. ]

N-not that bad. It's just a little bruised. Doesn't hurt at all if I don't put pressure on it.

[Rise's plan may have derailed due to the still panicked looking overgrown puppy in the corner, but Lightning's plan is forming even now. Not the expression getting more and more stern, Rise.]

What happened?

[ it feels almost like she's back in elementary, knees scraped and bleeding, a bruise blossoming on her cheek from where she'd been pushed on the playground, and her parents don't exactly want an explanation, they want her aware of just how much she's troubling them. Good kids don't get into fights, and she'd been too ashamed to say that she hadn't fought back.

It's that feeling now, that stern look, that has Rise dropping her head. ]

Look, Light, it wasn't really...

[As soon as Rise drops her head, Lightning leans down enough to look her in the eye. That stern look in still there, but underneath it is enough concern that it almost seems as if Rise is trying to tell her that she has some terminal illness and not just the meaning behind a bruise.]

Rise, look at me. I'm not angry with you, I just want to know what happened. [And, on light paws, Sen'll just be coming over to stick his head under Rise's arm. Don't be sad, pigtail girl. Trainer's not mad.]

[ it's okay, Light, this won't turn into Dittos of Our Lives. Rise stays silent for a few seconds, though she at least maintains eye contact and moves one hand to rub Sen's head. Don't you feel bad either, buddy. She's known you since you were an egg. ]

Like I said... it wasn't really much of anything. Vanitas just shoved me.

[Sen leans into that rubbing, ignoring when Light suddenly seems to be as mad as a soaked Meowth even though she holds her temper. Vanitas will get his eventually; getting angry is only going to make the teen in front of her even more withdrawn.]

...And you want to learn to fight back.

[ she knew she'd get angry, and it's definitely disheartening, but Rise also keeps her own feelings in check and just continues patting the Lucario. ]

... Yeah. I was fine just supporting, but...

[ she pauses, frowning down at her shoes. That was when she could actually do something to make the fights easier. That was before she'd lost the ability, but not the wish to protect the people she cared about. ]

I know you're teaching us hand-to-hand stuff, so coming to you to ask for more help might be a little selfish. But I don't want to just let him shove me around whenever he feels like it.

[After taking a deep breath, Lightning shakes her head. She does want there not to be a need to teach them, but...]

You're completely sure this is what you want? I'm not going to go easy on you and it's a lot harder to learn how to fight back then it is how to defend yourself.

[ sigh, what happened to the days of being a normal idol-- ]

I get told I'm pretty stubborn a lot. [ have a tiny smile. ] I won't give up. And who knows-- [ ... as this is Rise, she can't help adding ] Maybe this means I won't need bodyguards when I go back home.

[What happened to the days of being a normal anything--have a nod, Rise.]

Maybe. We'll see once we're done with this. [Moving to move the furniture a bit; no way is this happening outside.] Start stretching. You're going to need the flexibility.

[ yeah, because asking Rise to fight in the mud would end beautifully. She simply nods, going into the stretching routine she'd typically do before a choreography session. Thank god for flexibility. ]

[With the furniture out of the way and the nearby tenents probably wondering what all the racket is, Lightning does her own stretches quickly, then stands ready.]

Hit me as hard as you can. Let's see what you can do.

W-whoa, wait-- you want me to hit you?

[Nod.]

That's what fighting is. Hitting someone with the intent to harm, even if it's in self-defense. We can't start training until I know how well you can do this.

[ she's not like Chie, who has no problem laying the smackdown at any given time, or Kanji-- who'll go after biker gangs to keep them from waking up his mother. But this is necessary. If Rise gets hurt, she knows exactly who Ven will blame, and she can't stand that. ]

... Where'm I supposed to hit you?

[She's just standing with her arms at her sides now, offering Rise an unmoving target right in front of her.]

Anywhere you think you can.

[ Rise considers this. And this feels far too weird, so her first punch is definitely going to be a tentative one at her arm. ]

[That tentativeness has Lightning grabbing Rise's arm, then pulling her forward and stepping around until Lightning has a hand on the back of Rise's neck before she lets the girl go and shakes her head. It'll be the whole thing, then.]

The first rule of combat is to always consider whoever you're attacking as an enemy. Even if it's just your teacher, for the duration of the lesson they are your enemy. Hesitation is only going to get you hurt or worse. [Eyes narrowed a bit; how can she explain this in a way that works...]

[ oh god what-- that was too quick for her to follow before she could even regain her balance. Once Lightning releases her, she rocks back on her heels and rubs the back of her neck. ]

I-I know, but I mean... I know it's you...

I know that. And you know I'm not going to actually hurt you if you can't get this right. But Vanitas or Team Rocket, or anyone else who attacks you won't be the same way. They won't leave you with only bruises. They're not going to stop if you say something hurts. They're not going to let you go if you ask them.

[Sigh, and a slightly concerned but still very determined look.]

So I want you to think that it isn't me. Think of someone you can't stand. Someone who you wouldn't mind knocking out, and hit as hard as you can. Don't hold back.

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