(D10EM) Getting Handsy

[Axel Ward]

Axel was always up for an early morning work-out. And training did degrade if you didn't keep going with it. Even on the party planet of the galaxy.

He'd considered wearing a breath mask. Working out with Phoebe had been almost too exciting, and she was, well, Phoebe. Cute, sure, but not really a match for him. Of course, neither was Daerah. Well. That decided it. And even distracted, he knew he could do some training.

"Come on! Left-right-left-right!" Axel held up the two hand pads. They'd been training for a while, and he wanted Daerah to finish strong.

[Nekoinu]

Daerah was able to keep up a good effort, though her punches were not of particularly good form. Sometimes she didn't pivot her hips quite right, sometimes her fists went down after a blow instead of going back to guard, and every attack was quite telegraphed.

Still, again, she did put in a good effort.

[Axel Ward]

Axel wasn't the best instructor, but he knew fighting at least. He kept his corrections terse. "Keep your guard up. Don't wanna get hit back." After she finished a combination, he took a slow swipe at her head with one pad. "Roll your hips more." Her hips. Yowza. Axel shook his head.

"Okay." He stepped back. "Let's take five. Good work." He nodded. Working on the telegraphing would be a gradual thing. One step at a time.

[Nekoinu]

Daerah kept her hand up and let the blow hit her on the side. She practiced on the other side and then bit her lip. "How does anyone ever duck out of the way? Seems kind of hard."

[Axel Ward]

Axel shook his head. "It's not hard, once you're used to it. You learn to see the other guy coming. Then you do it without even thinking."

He frowned. "And remember, you don't have to get way out of the way. Just enough that it misses."

[Nekoinu]

"There's a lot more to it than I thought," Daerah grumbled. She wiped a bit of sweat off her brow and looked around. "How do you keep up with this and shooting and all that?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel shrugged, looking at Daerah. "It's a lot." He said. "Training is like a job. You work at it all the time."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I've been fighting since... since I was a kid, I guess, one way or another. Not saying that's the way you have to do it, or even that it's a good way. But it is what it is."

[Nekoinu]

The Zeltron looked down, as if she could see her home planet through the cold metal of the ship. "Isn't it fascinating," she mused, "How you, me, everyone exists in the same galaxy and yet we can have such different experiences?"

Her expression turned solemn, even if she kept a smile on her lips. "Makes me wish I could try a different path."

[Riza]

Within the fitness room Riza was listening to music and pushing herself harder than usual today. Running on the treadmill she appeared as if she had a target set out dead ahead of her and she was trying to catch it, only it kept getting further away. Such was the intensity of her run that she barely noticed how she'd actually built up quite an bit of sweat already.

[Axel Ward]

Axel nodded, smiling just a little. "Yeah, I've thought that sort of thing myself. But you know, it's a big galaxy."

The smile faded as she went on, matching the rest of her face. After a moment, Axel's brow creased. "I've changed my path more than once. I think I have, anyway." The frown deepened a moment. "You're no older than me. Younger, I'd say. Pretty sure you can try something else if you want."

Smirking, he gave Riza a little wave. He didn't expect a response; they'd met disagreeing over just this, after all.

[Nekoinu]

"No, no, not that i'm worried about the future," Daerah said. She kept her eyes on the ground. "I just figure that things before could have changed."

[Axel Ward]

Axel frowned. "You mean, you wish things would have happened differently? Like you'd made different choices, or other things?"

[Nekoinu]

"More like circumstances were different. But it doesn't really matter." Daerah looked back up. "At this point, it's less regret and more curiosity."

[Axel Ward]

"Curiosity, huh?" Axel. "What'd'you think might've been different?"

Chuckling, he shook his head. "I'm no good at that kind of thing. Don't know what would be different if I'd grown up with a father, or hadn't joined a gang, or anything like that."

[Nekoinu]

"Even the smallest choices can have a profound effect. And sometimes, nothing would have changed at all." Daerah shrugged. "It doesn't help to get consumed by these thoughts, though reflection can help prepare for the future."

[Axel Ward]

Axel snorted. "You got that right. I don't know about those other sorts of things, but I can think of a few times a little thing had a big change."

He stretched while they waited, one arm across his chest. "You got something you're reflecting on, Dae?"

[Nekoinu]

"Mainly how i got into this mess," Daerah admitted, "You have to admit, nice as being on here has been, that this is a bit of a mess."

[Axel Ward]

Axel flashed her a quick, slightly pained smile. "I dunno maybe. It's a little weird, I guess. Are you not fitting in well? Is this 'cause I haven't shown you jumpkicks yet? I keep saying, we'll get there."

[Nekoinu]

"No, no, I mean the whole 'child soldier program' and all that. More the circumstances your group is going through than who they are." Daerah did give a wry smile afterwards. "Maybe the jumpkicks would help solve these problems, though."

[Axel Ward]

"Oh. Yeah. That" Axel rubbed his head. "That's pretty messed up, yeah." He shrugged. "But that's why we're gonna fix it."

He snorted. "Yeah, sure. Jumpkicks solve lots of problems." He clapped the pads together. "Wanna try a few kicks? We can add the jumps in later. Or I could show you a few throws. Whatever you like."