10-12-05

Characters involved: Zoe_Lang & Darklett.

Salamandastron: Caverns - Boxing Chamber

Well, it's about time Zoe made good on her promise. This is why the colonel is sitting on the edge of the raised ring, wrapping her paws. Darklett should be along shortly, by her thinking, but in the meantime she whistles an idle tune and, upon finishing her paws, begins stretching out her legs. Her knees crack audibly, and she makes a face. "Umff..."

And right on schedule, Darklett heads into the boxing room, a little apprehension reading across his features. It's been running through his head how he'd be able to cope with hitting a superior officer, and with all due respect, a superior officer of Zoe's age. And scarier-- what happens if he's -beaten- by the geezer? "Colonel," the lieutenant greets, with a salute.

Y

Zoe_Lang stands as Darklett enters. She inclines her head in a good-humored nod, with a welcoming grin to accompany it. "Glad t' see you showed up." But did she ever really doubt it? "A good day, I assume?"

Darklett smirks at the first, and nods at the second bit that Zoe says. "Yeah, a good day. Getting colder, but that's not necessarily a bad thing." His eyes venture to the wrapped paws, and his nose twitches.

"Speak fer yerself. Wintah ought t' be outlawed, if ya ask me." Brings out all the old hurts, after all. She doesn't appear to be showing any of them, though. She gestures him over. "Ya comin' in, or ya just goin' t' stand there?"

"Er, yeah, right in." Darklett stammers a bit, then heads towards the ring, grabbing on to a rope and lifting a leg up to hoist himself in, slipping between the ropes and lifting a leg over at a time, until he's finally in. Yes, still filled with apprehension. Fidgeting, he goes to a corner. "So, any special rules, or... anything?"

"No, not really... Othan than this: if at any time ya want t' stop, or if I say it's time t' stop, that's it. Righ'? I've got a bad history of goin' too far." The Colonel smirks slightly, inwardly reminiscent. No apprehension on her part.

Darklett nods, rolling his shoulders around, and loosening himself up. His eyes travel, very very timidly, to Zoe, his paws rubbing against each other to warm them up a little. "...Okay, then, Colonel." Other than that, he doesn't even move. XD

Zoe_Lang eyes Darklett's non-movement with wry amusement, and for her own part gets to it. Balancing her weight forward onto the balls of her feet, she starts up the footwork, almost hopping in place - you know, except less... goofy looking. Her fists come up, and she gestures him forward. "Whenevah yer ready, lad."

Darklett almost slumps at Zoe's willingness. "Alright, then..." He raises his own fists, rolling his shoulders yet again, and starting to rock on his footpaws, taking a few steps towards the Colonel, and starting to circle.

Zoe_Lang can't help but laugh at Darklett's reticent behavior. "Yer sure, now?" She turns as he does, looking nothing else but totally at ease in this situation. She'll regret everything tomorrow when she's hurting.

Darklett isn't sure at all. "Yeah, I'm sure." He inches closer, throwing a few half-hearted feints to try and get into the boxing vibe, or something. "Are -you- sure?" He responds, trying to shift pressure off of him for a second, here. :P

Zoe_Lang merely smiles, and inclines her head. Yep, she's sure. The doe begins circling /him/, in order to keep active and up until the match starts.

Darklett backpedals a few steps, and starts circling with the Colonel, fists clenching and unclenching. His nose twitches, and... Yet again, he rolls his shoulders around. Finally, he starts to get in closer, within punching range, to Zoe, keeping his guard up. But, as things happen, he never throws a punch, just continues to circle, fists up.

This is always the fun part - seeing just how long the other will go before throwing that punch, once they realize that with age comes great patience. Apparently no one told Darklett that Zoe never throws the first punch, if she can help it. Circle-circle-circle. Smirk.

And thus the idleness continues. Darklett circles with Zoe, brows furrowed. They've been doing absolutely nothing for a really long time now... So, he decides to break that. Adding a little burst of speed to his circling, he feints with a right hook to her ribs, only to bring that back in to guard while his left paw curls down to try and hit her stomach. However, he seems to realize that he doesn't want to do that about halfway, because the punch is very half-hearted, and lazy.

The first feint is blocked but expected, and the sluggish punch to her stomach is likewise blocked. She steps back a back, then steps back in with a sure right-left-right combo, the first two low on his stomach and the last one coming up and across to glance across his jaw. "C'mon, lad. Pick it up, pick it up..." She sounds /way/ too cheerful.

Darklett raises both his paws back up to guard as his punch is blocked, and lowers them quickly to try and fend off the blows headed for his stomach. And he succeeds, too, but is still a little cautious of really -fighting- with the Colonel, and takes the blow to his jaw without much contest. He steps back, a paw raising to the newly-hit section of fur. "Ow..." Well, he wasn't expecting that... With a 'hmph,' he starts to circle with the Colonel, a little more bounce in his step now.

Zoe_Lang smiles - she smiles. Because he's really moving, now, and he seems to be past that whole "oh, she's old and a superior" thing that folks tend to suffer from just lately. She puts up her fists once more and without much warning, she moves in again. Despite her limp, she's rather quick on those feet. While her right paw stays up, her left moves in two sideways punches towards Darklett's side. "

Darklett actually looks like he's trying, now... His speed is a little better than before, and he's guarding himself like he means it. He falls back to avoid the punches, one of them hitting his side, and he grunts at this, but the second one missing. He returns with another feinted right to her jaw, and follows through with a left jab, aiming for the Colonel's upper chest, near her shoulder.

Her paw, already up by her cheek, stands ready for the right to her jaw - though it never comes. Instead, the jab to her shoulder hits and she winces. "Good'un," she grunts, then immediately jabs, one-two, at his upper side - which she's hoping will still be somewhat exposed from the recent jab he's just given her.

Darklett recoils his paw back from the jab, lowering it only for its arm to get in the way of the one-two to his side, one of the strikes hitting the sensitive nerves on his upper ribcage, and causing the hare to wince, the other striking his upper arm, still a solid hit, just not as painful as the last. He quickly backs off, circling around the older hare to get away from her and the ropes, to regroup. "Nice hits, Colonel." A grin crosses his muzzle, and he all but looks like he's in the training room, sparring one of his peers, now, as he moves in close to the Colonel again, ducking down, tossing a pair of punches with either paw to her stomach, and standing back up.

Strangely enough, Zoe looks even happier at seeing Darklett fall into his rhythm. As he comes forward she twists to the right, but not far enough to avoid the second jab. It nabs her in the side, and she grunts. She moves away from him and turns to face him again, putting up her paws again. "Good." For now, she waits.

Darklett nods, hopping in his stance, making as if to move forward close to the Colonel, and stomping on the ground before stepping backwards, trying to fake her out... He does this a few times, then actually steps forward on the fourth, feinting a left jab for her snout this time, and bringing his right up in a solid uppercut towards the Colonel's chin.

Zoe_Lang watches, watches, watches the circular movement, her eyes not on his form but on his feet. She remains totally still, almost seeming at rest, until he makes his move. /Then/, she moves as well. Ducking under the left jab, she turns her shoulder into his body, trying to shovel him back against the ropes.

"Oof!" The lieutenant grunts as his assault is caught off guard, and he falls backwards. It seems a bit of apprehension has turned into underestimation, instead. Darklett is shoved against the ropes, too busy trying not to fall to do much else about it.

Zoe_Lang takes advantage of his predicament, doing her best to bury her fist in a hard punch to his stomach. Definitely enough to knock the air out of someone, but not enough to do any serious damage. He is, after all, a much-valued lieutenant. XD Wouldn't do to damage him.

Darklett's eyes bulge a little, and a rather loud grunt escapes him as the punch socks him solidly in his gut. Reflexes tell the hare to double over, and he obeys, crouching down and clasping at his stomach. Remembering through the panicked attempts to breathe the directions from the beginning, he tries his best to at least -mutter- 'stop,' but since he can't catch his breath, all that manages to come out is a very hushed 't-p.' :P

Zoe_Lang doesn't have to hear the 'stop' to know that it's time to. Immediately Zoe crouches down, resting a paw on Darklett's shoulder and, well. Chuckling. "Ya did good... now jus' relax. Try 'n' breathe, 'n' relax..." Pat-pat-pat.

Darklett slowly but surely is able to get his breathing regulated again, his mouth open wide as he inhales, and in a tight 'o' shape as he exhales... He rights himself up, and raises his paws behind his head, looking up to the ceiling and breathing deeply, until he can finally speak. "Thankya, Colonel." After this, he wheezes a few more times, then lowers his arms to his sides. "Got a lot of... practice to do, heh..."

Pat-pat. Pat. "Boxin' club meets every week, lad, 'n' I don't often compete anymore, so ya might not be on the ground s'much." Zoe grins good-humoredly, then offers her paw down to him as she stands. "Ya really did do good, though. A little more practice 'n' you'll be great."

Darklett takes the paw, and pulls himself up, turning it into a pawshake. "Great? Heh." The lieutenant takes his paw back, and he shrugs. "I'm gonna need practice 'til I'm the best." He ends this with his own laugh now, matching the Colonel's grin. "I'll check in on this boxing club. Might help me work on my speed... And hey, I might be disarmed sometime."

Zoe_Lang inclines her head. "It's gotten me outta more'n one tough spot, I c'n tell ya that." Zoe grins thoughtfully, then glances towards the doorway. "Unfortunately I've got t' go 'n' find the second-best boxah in the mountain - m'mate." She winks, then gives a casual salute. "Thanks fer the match, lieutenant. I'll see ya t'morrah."

Darklett nods to Zoe. "I'll keep that in mind." When the doe is about to leave, Darklett is quick to return the salute, notably less casually. "Thanks for the lesson, Colonel."

"T'was my pleasure." And off she goes, with a final wave. Is that limp of hers a little more prominent? No doubt. Yet she still whistles cheerfully enough as she heads out of the room and down the hall.