2-9-10 - Taye, Darklett, Audri, and Fiona.

Salamandastron: Training Room

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

This is the training room for the hares of the long patrol. The walls

seem to have taken a severe beating, more than likely not from stray

arrows missing the archery targets. There are several of said archery

targets lining the west wall, each with small oak stands a good distance

off to hold arrows, hang a bracer, and rest a bow on. The targets are of

simple design: a large, tightly wrapped bale of hay with a coarse paper

target on the front. A wooden mannequin, in no better shape than the

walls, is in the northeastern corner of the room. Besides that, several

wooden practice swords sit in a small pile. On the eastern side of the

room is a small, makeshift wrestling arena consisting of two mattresses

tied together. Then on the southern side of the room is a fitness area,

assembled from several pull-up bars, and a nice padded area to do push up.

Narrow, cylindrical weights (both wooden and metal) are pushed up against

the wall, along with a few straight metal bars for them to be mounted on.

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

                 Visible Exits:

[Arm]ory [Out]

Taye has been in just a dazzling good mood lately! Which, really, is kind of shocking for Taye. He can be kind of a wet blanket, eh eh. But now he is participating - happily - in a boxing match! It's at the tail end, though, and appears to be lighthearted. They're playing by points, so when the winner is announced they both back away to their corners to recuperate. Taye tags out with someone else and ducks under the rope, swiping a paw across his brow.

"Taye!" Darklett smirks, crossing his arms. Apparently he'd been watching for a while? "Good work in there." He tosses up a quick salute. "How've you been, Lieut?" The major himself is out of uniform, having come here to do some training, apparently.

Taye is isn't out of uniform, but he is down to trousers and an undershirt. He grins when he spies Dark, heading over to him with a quick salute tossed in return. "'Ey, Majah. Thanks. Yeah, y'know. Can't just go 'round shootin' arrows in the range all the time." He grabs a towel from the shoulder of a passing recruit and smirks to himself, using it to wipe his face. "I'm doin' pretty good. How're you?"

Ew, recruit cooties! Recruities? Darklett watches Taye swipe away the towel and snorts out a laugh. "Oh, besides just having tugged my footpaw out of my mouth and needing to go apologize to somebeast in a little bit, I'm fine!" Subject-change...! "Just came in to do a little training, but I... Don't know what."

Taye quirks a brow at Darklett. Huh, reeeally? But he doesn't pry. "Well, y'know. There's, um... whatever, eh? You could shove in line for boxin'." Shruuuug. And then, he grins. "Oh, hey, didja heah? Me 'n' Fiona are a couple, now." Biiiig grin. Because, hey, gotta share that with his maj.

"...Yeah?" Darklett's brows are raised, and quite the approving smirk-and-nod is offered to the lieutenant. "Quick work, my friend, quick, quick work." The major just chuckles, apparently thinking of something, but not voicing it. "Congrats!"

"Yeah, ya know, maybe there's still hope for little Taye's runnin' around, ya nevah know." Taye grins a bit and then shrugs, looking 'round the training room then. "So whatcha think yer gonna do?" Training-wise.

"...Scary," Darklett jokes about little Tayes. Hahaha. "...Uh, well. I was probably gonna beat up on a dummy for a while. I don't want to be the major jumping in on a bunch of training over there in the boxing ring so... I don't know. Maybe do some laps. You'd think I'd have decided by the time I got here, but..."

"Well, I c'n spot ya on one of the punchin' bags if ya want," Taye offers with a mild shrug.

Darklett shrugs, too. "That could work, if you really want." The major nods, walking off to find some gloves, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms out over his chest, loosening up.

Taye parts from Darklett to wander over to the bags, giving it an experimental punch himself while he waits for Dark. "... This'll do." Shruuuug. Lots of shrugging. He turns, waiting for Dark while he hugs his arms against the far side of the bag, stabilizing it.

Soon enough, Darklett returns. "So has she joined up yet, then?" The major hits his gloves against each other real quick, getting on his toes and delivering ... One heck of a warmup punch. It's like he puts all the frustration from what had just happened into one shot and lets loose... Shortly after, he looks like he feels significantly better. :P

Audri peeks her head in from the hallway, having heard the familiar voices she's been looking for since her visit back to the mountain. "Has who joined up yet?" She queries, sidestepping an exiting recruit before wandering over to pair.

Taye is a bit startled by it, honestly. His eyes widen a little and he purses his lips in a silent whistle. Okay then! He widens his stance a little, figuring he might want a bit more.. uh. Stability, after all. "Nn-nn, guess she's still thinkin' abou'-" He glances to Audri when she speaks up and flashes her a big grin. "Ah, hey Aud. Fiona."

"Ahhuh," Darklett responds, wailing on the bag with a few more of those punches, equally as forceful, stopping when he hears Audri's voice. He turns around with a grin. "Audri!" Dark seems surprised to see her, anyway.

Audri's lips part in a smile, finding a spot against the wall to watch the punching. "...Fiona?" That name sounds familiar. "Seven's sistah? She's here?" She asks, a hint of curiosity sneaking up. Dark gets an even wider grin. "Hey da."

Taye bobs his head in a nod. "Yeah, she's /great/, Aud. She's... well." He glances briefly to Darklett. Uh. "My, um. We're mates, now." He grins, though it's a little awkward-looking. He nods to Dark, then. "C'mon, keep goin'." Distraction!

"Hey, Aud, how's it goin'? I feel like I never see you!" At Taye's urging, though, Darklett gladly continues beating the stuffing out of the punching bag. Whap, whap, whap, whapwhapwhap, not much for technique this afternoon.

Audri's ears lower just a smidgeon. He must have a thing for that family. XD "Oh..well..Good for ya. 'm sure ya'll make her happy." Or something. Her gaze shifts back to Dark and the whap whapping. "That's probably cause ya never do." Grin. "'m doin' alright. Been doin' some odd jobs 'n stuff down in Halyard."

"Yeah, well. Ya should stick around more, Aud. We miss ya," Taye offers with a quick grin. Subject change FTW. "What kinda odd jobs?"

"Yeah, like what? I hardly ever see you and I'm there all the time..." WHAP! WHAP! Dark's gonna break his knuckles at this rate.

"I might but ya seem always busy." Audri gnaws her lip, head turning up to the ceiling. "Um..helpin' Keita in her kitchen a few days a week. Doin' dishes 'n stuff. Then there's a couple o' fishermen that I help out. Cleanin' fish 'n mending nets. Just the usual stuff." She sends a glance at Dark again, hehing. "Somethin' botherin' ya?"

Taye's muzzle twists with amusement and he gives Audri a look and a very small shake of her head. Warning, warning. XD

"Nope!" WHAPWHAPWHAP, pant, pant, pant. Darklett rolls his shoulders and heaves a big sigh. "Got everything taken care of... Just a little stress today. Nothing out of the ordinary!" Thud, thud, thud, thud, more punching, ha ha ha.

Audri notes the look, arching an eyebrow questionably. Oookay then. "Ah, right. Well, 'm sure its nothin' ya can't handle." Cause he's super major. XD "Anythin' else interestin' happenin' around here?"

Taye grins. "Aud, nothin' interestin' happens around here... unless it's /really/ interestin'. And then we don't want it." He grunts with a couple of the more powerful whaps from Darklett, his cheek pressed to the back of the punching bag. Uhf.

"Doin' alright back there, Taye?" A little hyper. Darklett thuds his fists into the punching bag a few more times. This was less training and more stress relief, but whatever! He dances to the side and slams his gloves a few times into the bag from a different direction, then strafes again to do the same thing in yet another. "Taye about has it right, Aud..."

"Yea well there coulda been some interestin' gossip or somethin'?" Audri asks, pushing off the wall to walk over to stand behind Taye, watching from his point of view. Hm.

Taye grunts again, his eyes squinting most of the way closed. "... Yeah great," he mutters. His ears flicker as Audri moves back behind. Probably a safer spot, really. Good thinking. "Nah. Nothin'.. 'specially interestin'."

"We could make somethin' up for ya?" Hey, good news for Taye, Darklett's temporarily relegated to jabs for now, ducking and weaving and tapping at the bag. "But I don't wanna start any nasty rumors or anything..." He laughs at this, one-twoing the bag with a left jab and a rather hard right hook.

Audri hehs, rubbing the back of her neck. "Nah, I'll find something to amuse me." She grins, glancing over to Taye again. "Need to switch places?"

Taye gives the squirrel maid a glance over and then. Shakes his head. Ha. "... No. You're tough, but." Smaller than him. He grins back at her, in a teasing way. Big brother thing. "M'fine."

Just letting Taye make that call, the Major continues working the bag. "So what brings you to the mountain, then Aud? Just wanted to see me?"

"I could manage it." Audri grumbles under her breath, crossing her arms with a huff. She hms, peeking around Taye to the major. "Somethin' like that. Its been awhile since I've been home 'n all."

"Aw, y'know she likes me bettah, Dark," Taye grins, also peering around the bag at him. Cheeky grin. "She's here t'see me." Sage nod.

"Hmhm." WHAM! Darklett suddenly plants his feet, swivels on his hips and /drills/ the bag as Taye's holding it.

"Aye, but 'm always in second place." Audri comments, side stepping when Dark lands the punch. That had to hurt.

Uhf! That... did hurt. Taye grunts the air out of his lungs and staggers back with the force of the bag, his cheek kind of jarring against it. Grimace. "... Yeah, okay. Not the smartest thing t'taunt the pissed off guy," he mutters. Hindsight is twenty-twenty!

Darklett grins. "You alright?" Darklett's paws dangle at his sides, the major peering around the bag at Taye.

Taye snorts... and nods. Staggering back from the bag a little bit, to rub at his cheek. Youch. "Yeeeeah m'fine." He grins at Dark, because hey. It wa a good punch. "Ya jerk. Fine. Tell 'im, Aud. You like him bettah."

Audri has found a spot against the wall to lean again, gaze shifting between the two. "'m not gettin' between ya too." She offers with a grin. "I probably like him bettah, yea but ya.." She leans off the wall to gently prod Taye in the chest. "Ya have one up on him sadly. But like I said, ya two can duke it out for yerselves."

"Ohoho. So that's how it's going to be." Darklett rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. He's not throwing any more punches right now. "I have like... The consolation prize. Mmm, thank you so much." Chuckle. He's /jokiiiing./

Taye's eyebrows quirk up and he sends Dark another grin. "One up on 'im, eh? I nevah have one up on anyone." Oh, and also. "Ya know, Dark, s'okay. Ya win some, ya lose some." He goes over to stand with Audri by the wall, slinging an arm around her shoulders. Cheek kiss! He chuckles, then, relenting. "Anyway, in all honesty you should come by more."

"Don't think o' it like that." Audri offers, leaning into Taye when he comes on over. "I mean, no one can replace ya whereas Taye could be." Oh, she's going to get hit for that one. XD "I might perhaps. Just to check up on ya 'n all."

"Ha!" Darklett fist-pumps! "Hear that, Taye? Irreplaceable."

Awwww, man. Taye gives her an exaggerated pout. "That's what I get, huh? That's what I get." Tsk.

Audri nudges his side to slide herself out of his hold, rolling her eyes. "Yea, that's what ya get. Mister 'm datin' Sev's sistah." Mmhm. Shaking her head, she walks over to give Dark a quick peck on his cheek. "'m gonna go find some dinner or somethin' I think."

"Alright! I might see you in the dining hall." Audri gets a peck back. "Good seeing you!" After she goes, Darklett just GRINS. at Taye.

Taye's ears wilt a little, but he holds back any sort of obvious sigh. He follows her progress and then sends Darklett a glance. And squints his eyes. "Ah, shut it." He walks back over to the punching bag and gives it a swat. "So you gonna do s'more or what?"

"Sure /you/ don't need to, yourself?" Darklett keeps grinning, though not as much. "C'mon, it doesn't /really/ bother you all that much, does it?"

Taye glances after Audri and then lowers his voice with a shrug. "S'not my fault I don't feel tha' way about 'er," he explains with a shrug. And then does in fact give the bag another punch.

"...Ah. I mean, you're right, it isn't at all." Darklett quickly unlaces his gloves and tosses them over to the lieutenant, stepping behind the bag and holding it. Just in case. "I can talk to her about it?"

"... Nah," Taye replies with a shake of his head. He catches the gloves easily and slips them on, lacing them up with his head lowered. "Just wish she'd stop bringin' it up."

"Well, that's what I meant. I can tell her to stop." Darklett braces himself. "...Er. Rather, tell her to keep doing it, so she stops."

Taye snorts at Dark's joke, glancing up at him finally with a slight relenting of the bad news. "Ya know how it is with does, though. Then I'd nevah heah the end of it, eh?" He brings up his fists and starts off with some mild jabs. He doesn't have nearly the self-anger issues Dark had.

Hey, this is easy. "You're probably right. You better buck up and tell her yourself then!" Oh my gosh, Darklett, it was almost like that was your point the whole time.

Taye glances around the bag to give Dark a look. A Look. "Yeah yeah," he replies. And then back behind the bag. He's hitting it a little harder now. "... Anyway. S'good t'see her again, anyway." Anyway.

Fiona enters from the passage leading to the Second Level intersection.

Fiona has arrived.

"Yeah, yeah it is good to see her again, isn't it?" Darklett kind of sways a little with the bag, grinning against it and broadening up his stance. "I'm happy she's... Maintained her self-sufficiency, though, you know? It was a pain early on, but now, well."

Taye nods a bit. "S'nice that she's grown up. She c'n take care of herself, now." Once Darklett widens his stance, he starts giving the bag a proper beating.

"Yeah, instead of just ... Thinking she can take care of herself." Darklett braces himself, grinning even wider at the extra pressure on the hits. Go ahead, Taye. Take it out on the bag.

Taye grunts his amusement. "Yeah, ha. Nice not t'worry she's gonna fall in a well or somethin'." He drives some kidney punches into the bags.

Darklett chuckles. "Yeah, or drop a weapon rack on top of her head, or get kidnapped by vermin, or sprain her ankle running around the uneven ground up on the crater, or... The list goes on, and on, and on..." He just kind of talks nonchalantly as Taye pummels the bag.

Taye actually snickers a little bit. "The one time she like... Fell on a dagger. An' it was just. /Stickin'/ out of her thigh. I thought you were gonna /kill/ me when ya see me runnin' by carryin' her." That was back when he was... barely even a recruit, maybe.

"Yeah, I actually think I was thinking about killing you." Darklett laughs. "That was way before I knew you were such an upright, honorable hare. Or at least before you got better at faking it."

"Who's so acciden' prone?" Fiona usually ends up where Taye is.. just because she actually goes seeking him out. She pauses in the doorway as she observes the two bucks going at the punching bag, seeming almost unsure if she wants to actually join them. Soon though the blonde moves closer while rolling up her sleeves, eyeing the object of that's taking their violence. When she pauses near to the officers, but out of swinging range, the doe begins to pull her hair up to tie it tight at the back.

Taye grins at that, leaning his head over again, stopping the bag with his gloved paws. "... Before you realized she was such a klutz, too." And then his attention shifts and he grins, stepping away from the bag to approach Fiona. "Hey, darlin'. Audri - Dark's daughtah. How ha doin'." He ducks forward, to press a kiss to her cheek.

Darklett laughs. "Yeah, yeah. After the fourth or sixteenth time, I knew better." He glances to the side to Fiona. "Hey, good to see you around. Also, fantastic choice on Taye, here." He laxes his grip on the bag for a moment while it appears Taye's gonna get all boyfriend on his girlfriend.

The doe tilts her cheek up to allow the kiss, grinning sideways at Taye with her brows lifting to him. "Oh? Already been blabbin'?" She coos at her lover before stroking his cheek fondly and dropping her attention away to eye Darklett instead. "Well I really hope so. Guess I could getta refund if I really wan'ed." She purrs this teasingly before stepping away from Taye fully to aim at the punching bag. Her hands go to rest on it.

Taye's eyes follow Fiona curiously, and then he grins. He starts to unlace the gloves, coming up beside her to hold them out. "Wanna have a go? Dark'll spot ya, righ' Dark?" He glances to the other buck.

"Heh, well, while I'm here, anyway, I might as well?" Darklett shrugs in Fiona's direction. "I'm not going anywhere, really."

"Well I've nevah used one o'these?" Fiona chuffs, grinning at Darklett and then glancing towards Taye as he offers the gloves over to her. She goes to slide them on, even if they are slightly larger than she needs, and lace them up one handed.. and then with the use of her teeth. Such a lady. The doe flicks a flirtatious look up to her mate before tugging the glove tighter into place. "So we'll see how this goes.." Her hip bumps into Taye's leg playfully.

Taye grins at the hip bump, slipping an arm around Fiona's waist to shift her into a proper distance from the bag. "Just give 'er a go." He steps back, then, and to the side, so he can see the both of them. "Oh - Dark. We got any patrols comin' up?"

"Let loose," Darklett advises Fiona, before answering Taye: "Uh... Yeah, fairly soon. Got one downshore all the way to the River Moss. Recon with some of the Guosim shrews, so it's not gonna take longer than a couple weeks."

Taye nods his understanding, though he makes a bit of a face. "Tha' mean we're goin' on their boats?" Taye has less than fond memories.

Darklett laughs. "Yes. Yes, it means we'll be going on some logboats. It'll be a growing experience for you, Lieutenant!"

Taye scruffs a paw at the back of his neck and shakes his head. "... Think I've had all tha' experience I can handle." Sigh. But he nods. "All righ'."

The girl shifts backward into Taye as he directs her to a good position away from the bag. Fiona lets the boys talk, ducking her head a little and eyeing the punching bag as if it stole something from her. Or said something about her mama. So brings a hand up, balling it into a fist before taking a heavy swing that connects roughly. Growing up with too many older brothers.. a doe learns how to punch. She wrings her hand, though, even before going to start throwing jab after jab. It doesn't move like with the officers but she doesn't seem too phased.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Darklett practically laughs out, gripping at the bag as Fiona starts going at it. "Theeeere you go. You already know how to punch -- that's a major plus." He double brow-waggles at Taye.

At which point Taye grins, watching Fiona as she gives the bag a work over. Not bad, is what his expression says. He grins and turns that grin on Darklett to meet his look, like. Hey. Look! She can hit things.

And she's having fun hitting things! Fiona may be pretty but she's certainly not a girly-girl, especially living out on farmland her whole life up to this point. "Ah, my oldah brothah's taught me how." The doe pauses as she states this, catching hold on the punching bag with a grin at Darklett. "To protect myself agains' creeps." She throws a harder punch at the bag, which makes it shudder in the major's hands.

Still holding on tight, Darklett just plain enjoys this. Taye got a feisty one! This amuses him! "More does should learn this! You'll get along really well if you join up, I think. Heck, there're some /bucks/ who can't throw a decent punch as a recruit."

"She really oughta. Ah, Dark, you oughta see her with a /bow/! You might think 'bout replacing me, ya know it?" Taye is so proud. His girl is awesome. He crosses his arms over his chest, rocking back on his heels as he watches.

The beaming continues as they basically boast about her. Fiona takes the compliments well after all. Tiny but fierce she is! The girl keeps her elbows closer to her ribs, just jabbing in a more confined sort of manner. "Ye should get me a bow then!" Is proclaimed, but she pauses from her strikes to wring her hands again.

"Oh yeah?" Darklett laughs. "How does that sound, Lieutenant Fiona?" Dark thinks this is hilarious for some reason. Aaaah. "But if I replace you, you'd have to go back to /Jarril's/ patrol, and that... I mean, why would I do that to /anyone,/ let alone a friend?"

Taye roooolls his eyes, and grins. "Ah, c'mon Dark. Jar's great. Ya owe 'im for pretty much everythin' I know runnah-wise." He shakes his head, then, and watches Fiona as she wrings her paws. "Take a break, eh?"

"Quite sorry if I offended you, but if I owe Jarril for anything, I owe him a few crosses to the jaw for his... 'Contributions' to my growth as a patrol hare." The 'contributions' part is obviously sarcastic! Darklett grips the bag harder even as Fiona stops.

A croon of happiness escapes the girl as she leans up enough to rest her gloved hands at the back of Taye's neck, her spine rested against his chest. That's how she breaks, then. ".. I was jus'.. thinkin' 'bout the prospect of being a Lieutenan'." She grins at Darklett, raising her brows expectantly. She doesn't know Jarril, so she adds nothing to that portion of the conversation.

Taye's muzzle twists in a very small, very wry smile and he just shakes his head. "All righ', I'm droppin' it." He holds up his paws in defeat, then slips an arm around Fiona to draw her in to his side. Forehead kiss! "Ya gotta join up first, doll." Grin.

Darklett sighs deeply, and... Bare-fisted, he strikes the punching bag a few times. "...Almost ran into him today," he murmurs, grinding his teeth and punching it a couple more times. Ahem. "But yes. You have to join up first... /Then/ you get lieutenant in no time. Just don't ask me how 'cause I'm still not sure how I kept getting promoted." Wink!

"Ye think I should?" Fiona glances up coyly at her boyfriend, appearing to be almost innocent even after she's been punching her way through the stuffed bag. "Been thinkin' 'bout it." The doe's eyes narrow as she sighs with a happy smirk, basically swaying side to side with a swivel of her hips - still holding onto the back of Taye's neck. The blonde arches to pop her spine then slips her hands away from the lieutenant's nape. "I'd be a runnah o'course."

Taye glances at Darklett. "Think we could use anothah runnah in the patrol, Dark?" Hopeful griiiin. Ahem. Not asking for any special favors or anything, here. Ahaha.

"...Wow, very subtle, both of you!" Darklett deadpans, leveling a lowered gaze at both of them back and forth. "You'll be a recruit. If you were a fighter, I'd probably be able to properly test you and pass you straight through to private. And..." He sighs, knowing full well the role he's playing in this conversation is of the realist downer, "...Joining because of your boyfriend is not a good reason to join. The Long Patrol's not an exclusive club, it's an army. But if you honestly want to join?" He shrugs. "There's not a lot of paperwork, and I can shove most of it off on Taye, so it's no sweat off my back."

Only when the major decides to be so 'downer' does the smile flicker off of the doe's face. She straightens as she looks Darklett over before rolling her shoulders, looking completely serious now. "I wouldn' evah join the patrol 'cause of my boyfriend." Fiona states with her brows furrowing somewhat as she speaks. ".. I always told my brothah.. I'd follow him." The blonde goes to start plucking the laces loose on her gloves, looking down upon them. "Whenevah I was old enough." One is yanked off and then the second goes just after. "Cause I nevah wanted to be withou' him." She gives Darklett a level gaze.

Taye curbs the desire to sigh as he looks between the pair. Teeeension. "... S'okay, Dark. Yeah. I c'n handle whatevah papahwork. An' I c'n test her propah. Or I c'n get Jarril t'look at 'er with me, if ya want a Majah t'do it." Since he's a runner and all.

"The only thing Jarril would be able to do that I can't is push her straight through the recruiting process to private," Darklett explains to Taye, before turning towards Fiona again. "The only advice I have for you is... I skipped recruiting and went straight to private, and I turned out horribly." Darklett smirks at this. "But I really did need to make sure, Fiona. I didn't mean anything by it. And your determination to join... Is greater than most of the new hares I see walk into the mountain, so I can't even begin to question you as a recruit. As far as I'm concerned, you could sign on the line and I can get a uniform for you tomorrow."

The doe nods with a smile to the major as she goes to lean into Taye again, resting her head against his shoulder. ".. it's fine. I undahstand." Fiona murmurs. "But.. yeah. It's time." She nods again as she says this, then curls to rest her cheek to the lieutenant's chest, glancing up to him.

Taye smiles down at Fiona, nuzzling at her hair briefly. He looks back up to Darklett with a nod, then. "Thanks, sah." He looks happy. Awww, happy Taye.