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[ That's good, because he's watching her very carefully. He doesn't want to be taken by surprise (not that he really thinks she would do that, but, still) and he still doesn't quite know what to be expecting, so. Complete observer mode, because observation - if it's done well enough - means you don't actually have to think about what you're looking at.
He nods in response to her first statements, feels the familiar and comforting presence of her mind just afterwards. His own is in relative tumult, just behind the shields he still has up (actually, his shields are quite strong at the moment, where he's instinctively or actively holding them up. It's not a strength issue at the moment in as much as it is simply having them in the right places) - having her own mind so close is moderately calming, although really, right now, there's not a whole lot that can be done one way or the other.
It takes a second to swallow down the tightness in his throat though. ] Color. It'll - we can use color. I'll send it if I can't - [ Well, if he can't say it. Somehow he thinks that might be a problem, but he should be able to send her something as simple as a color. It doesn't need to be complicated. ]
He nods in response to her first statements, feels the familiar and comforting presence of her mind just afterwards. His own is in relative tumult, just behind the shields he still has up (actually, his shields are quite strong at the moment, where he's instinctively or actively holding them up. It's not a strength issue at the moment in as much as it is simply having them in the right places) - having her own mind so close is moderately calming, although really, right now, there's not a whole lot that can be done one way or the other.
It takes a second to swallow down the tightness in his throat though. ] Color. It'll - we can use color. I'll send it if I can't - [ Well, if he can't say it. Somehow he thinks that might be a problem, but he should be able to send her something as simple as a color. It doesn't need to be complicated. ]
[ She grins in approval at the block, eyebrows going up as he keeps moving because now she's interested. Trying something new is always a good thing in her books. The kick she moves back from just late enough for it to contact a little, the combination enough to unsteady her a little. She's watching his face more than anything now, eyes bright and interested. ] Oh?
[ She reaches her hands slowly to his, covers them with her own and smooths her fingers across his skin slowly, back and forth. A soothing gesture, and also one calculated to keep it in his mind that her hands are nothing to be afraid of, that they are used only with the aim to help him. Reminders, first, before she does anything. ]
Okay, a color. I'm going to drop my shields. [ Not entirely, not really, because there are memories brought up by this best kept behind heavy walls and under lock and key, but overall she's leaving her mind fairly open to him, not trying to hide. ] What color?
Okay, a color. I'm going to drop my shields. [ Not entirely, not really, because there are memories brought up by this best kept behind heavy walls and under lock and key, but overall she's leaving her mind fairly open to him, not trying to hide. ] What color?
Black. [ Screw red. Fuck red, he likes red, red's a great color. Black was what everything faded to when he finally passed out. Black was all the shadows everywhere because it was a cave, and even allegorically caves are full of shadows. Black seems appropriate.
And at first her dropping her shields just makes him feel anxious, because he knows his own aren't awesome right now and he doesn't want to overwhelm her or anything by accident. But it's not so bad, after a few moments. She seems to be okay still, he's not knocked her on her ass or anything, so that's good. He nods, but it's small and quick, tentative but definitive regardless, somehow. ] Okay.
And at first her dropping her shields just makes him feel anxious, because he knows his own aren't awesome right now and he doesn't want to overwhelm her or anything by accident. But it's not so bad, after a few moments. She seems to be okay still, he's not knocked her on her ass or anything, so that's good. He nods, but it's small and quick, tentative but definitive regardless, somehow. ] Okay.
[ The little amount of contact is still enough to be encouraging. ] You think it's possible to make it to the top of any industry without being a lot competitive? [ Never mind that technically he started at the top, that it was his father who put them there initially and only him who cemented their position. It still takes a lot to stay put, particularly when you rapidly and completely change your industry.
He's still moving though, watching. He doesn't mind playing the long game, tactically, and he starts in on a series of relatively blockable punches. ]
He's still moving though, watching. He doesn't mind playing the long game, tactically, and he starts in on a series of relatively blockable punches. ]
Okay. Black it is. [ Confirmation, firm enough that it's certain she knows exactly what he said and isn't going to forget it at all. She's moving slowly for a reason, painstaking as possible to ensure that at no point she forgets something or does something wrong and makes him worried.
And it's more than a little bit of input to handle from him, dizzying somewhere in the back of her head, but she can handle it. She has to right now, for him, so she'll be able to. She won't accept anything else. ] Are you ready?
And it's more than a little bit of input to handle from him, dizzying somewhere in the back of her head, but she can handle it. She has to right now, for him, so she'll be able to. She won't accept anything else. ] Are you ready?
I think you haven't had a lot of real competition. [ Blocking as she talks, not striking back yet because she's curious to see what he's going to do, itching to get something new. Her eyes stay fixed on his face, peripheral vision enough for now. ]
[ That is a very long pause while he double and triple checks everything he can possibly think of, and that's totally what he's doing, it's not a stalling tactic at all, okay, because they've gotten to this point so far and it's not like he's going to back out now but he's not sure how he's going to proceed either.
But eventually, he does, because it's a pause not a stop, and he swallows ineffectively, because it feels like there's a rock in his throat now, it's already tight and they haven't even started. It's still another very slight nod though, either way, and a fairly quiet answer. ] Yeah.
But eventually, he does, because it's a pause not a stop, and he swallows ineffectively, because it feels like there's a rock in his throat now, it's already tight and they haven't even started. It's still another very slight nod though, either way, and a fairly quiet answer. ] Yeah.
Aww, that's sweet. [ Well, he was sort of hoping she'd play back a little more than that, but okay, if she wants to be difficult. He keeps up with the rapid-fire punches, occasionally one to a little off from the main trunk of the body - something to her side, one to her shoulder to ostensibly knock her a little off-balance but really just mean that she's having to cover a wider range of attacks. Then suddenly he drops, trying to sweep her legs. There was enough projecting that he thinks she'll jump over the attempt, which means she'll have to land, and when she does, he'll grab her at the waist and roll her over his shoulder. If it works. ]
[ It's okay, whether it's stalling or just being absolutely certain she can wait a little bit. She could wait for anything right now, just to be positive that he's going to be okay with this. ] Okay. Take a deep breath.
[ She waits until he's followed her instructions to raise one hand to his throat, just touching it for the moment because she wants the first moment to not be dangerous to him at all. Also she needs to shift her position, tucking her knees beneath her to give her a little bit more leverage so that she has the right angle to work with. ] I'm going to try something now, all right?
[ She waits until he's followed her instructions to raise one hand to his throat, just touching it for the moment because she wants the first moment to not be dangerous to him at all. Also she needs to shift her position, tucking her knees beneath her to give her a little bit more leverage so that she has the right angle to work with. ] I'm going to try something now, all right?
[ She always wants to be difficult. It's really just her favorite thing to do, to be honest. But she is more actively engaged now as he starts to gain momentum, blocking enough to keep things from landing and trying to track his movements. She does jump over that attempt, and as she lands she laughs a little bit at the familiar feel of the first steps of a throw, braces herself against the landing so that she can roll back up. ]
[ He does as she asks, because he's sort of letting some things run on autopilot and right now that happens to be one of those things, listening to her. He definitely tenses up a little when she moves into position, but it's not that bad, and everything she just did up until now is helping - he can still remember the feel of her hands in his, and that was comforting, so this. This isn't that bad, he's telling himself. This is still okay. It doesn't mean his response comes out that steady, but it does come out, which is more important. ] Okay.
[ There are blood vessels in the neck that lead to the brain. When compressed, while the rest of your body maintains it's flow of oxygen, the brain becomes convinced that you're not breathing because it's being starved of oxygen. But it's important not to do it for long at all, to try to keep it as danger free as possible. Not that it can ever be entirely danger free, but she has to be certain she's being careful. She breathes in and out, waits for his response and then presses her thumbs in against the vessels, starts counting in her head even as she keeps her mind close to his, trying to ensure that both physically and mentally he's doing all right. ]
Okay, I'll make you a deal. You bring me down again, I'll stay down. [ Which will actually be hard to make herself do, because her instinct is to get up as soon as possible, not get down at all if possible, but she figures for this one round she can manage it probably. She throws a few quick punches at him, looking for his reactions. ]
[ It doesn't take that long for him to get that singular look on his face - although it's still somewhat tempered by everything she just did in preparation. It's a mitigated, milder version of the only version of 'scared' that his face is capable of making, but it's there nonetheless, because oh god, oh god, he can't breathe, he's not breathing even though he doesn't feel the normal signs associated with that, except that he does, and it's confusing in the discrepancy that he can't quite reconcile because he sort of can't decide if he's breathing or not. The breathing he is doing rapidly becomes very shallow, very fast, and his hands tighten into fists in his lap to keep him from grabbing hers and pulling them down. There's a reason they're doing this - he wants to stop having this problem, and allowing that problem to control the method of its own extinguishment completely defies the point. That doesn't necessarily mean that his side of their connection doesn't gape and waver and threaten a response even if he doesn't actually send one to her yet. ]
[ He was totally kidding. ] Don't give me that, I don't want it. Roll that sculpted ass back up here if you would have anyway. [ Right now his reactions are pretty quick, although he's playing defense for a little while as he reconsiders his options. ]
[ She really, really despises that look on his face. That she's putting it there is driving a significant part of her brain crazy even if it's by prior arrangement and to help him. She locks that portion of her brain down as much as possible, swallows heavily and keeps counting, staying close to every flicker of his mind, every moment that she might need to respond immediately until she hits the point it's no longer even somewhat safe and lets her fingers slide free, along his shoulders and then down back to his lap, covering his very loosely as she waits. ] Okay? [ Her voice a little tight. She may know she's doing this to help him but nothing she's feeling from him right now is designed to make her comfortable with this no matter how much she might think it's the right choice. ]
[ Her grin is bright and wide at that, because good. She prefers it when they want to learn the hard way. Though she's still not genuinely giving her all - 13 years of experience versus his experience isn't really a fair match, and she's trying to teach. ] You sure you can put me down without that? [ As she keeps moving in, testing his defense, trying to point out by the direction of her punches any weak spots she notices. ]
[ Don't worry, it'll probably be less intense when he closes his eyes, which is going to be about when she takes her hands away, barely registers that her hands are settling on his own because he's light-headed for a number of reasons now, and closing his eyes helps with the processing, limiting the input. It feels like he needs to gasp but he can't quite decide whether or not he wants to right now. ] Fine. I just - [ He just needs a moment. Just a little one. But it's not as though he's going to tell her he's not fine - it's not only the need to hide any vulnerabilities, but also that he knows this can't be easy no matter which side of it you're on, and he doesn't want to make it worse for either one. ] Just one.
[ Well, he does appreciate that she's not just beating him into the ground, since he's pretty sure she could if she felt like it. He might land a few punches, but right now really all he knows is how to stall long enough for actual help to arrive, and that doesn't always cut it. The hard part about defending or noticing your own weak spots is that they are already weak and disadvantaged, so that goes more or less okay. He doesn't block all of them, but that's partially because his defense is cut with his attention on her own. ] Yeah, totally. It'll be fun.
[ That is a little better, and she closes her own eyes because his eyes closed means less attempt at communicating just through his expression and this is a little more tiring than she expected it to be. She nods and then remembers he can't see it, clears her throat and forces herself to speak. ] Don't worry. Whatever you need. [ Hopefully she's reassuring him enough. Her voice sounds weirdly tinny to her ears. But it's hopefully at least the start of progress. ]
[ Stalling for help to arrive is definitely not going to cut it here, firstly because help isn't going to arrive and secondly because she's going to keep pressing forwards until she can get another reaction out of him. Her own defense is pretty negligible at the moment, leaving herself a little open on purpose just to see what he's going to do with it. ] I bet it is. Now prove it.
How are you? [ He manages to squeeze through his still-too-tight-throat, because he doesn't want her to be hurt in the process of trying to make him a little less of the broken mess that he is. (Deep breath, in, and out. Now a little shallower, in and out. Get yourself back to normal patterns. Even if it's slow going.)
It's after he feels like he's relatively okay, like he's not that lightheaded anymore and he can look her in the face again that he opens his eyes and does just that. It's been quiet for a little while. She seems tired, he thinks, and he muffles their connection a little bit, because he can still transmit her a color without her getting the full force of things, he assumes. He's willing to try it, anyway, if it helps ensure that at least one of them remains functional. ]
It's after he feels like he's relatively okay, like he's not that lightheaded anymore and he can look her in the face again that he opens his eyes and does just that. It's been quiet for a little while. She seems tired, he thinks, and he muffles their connection a little bit, because he can still transmit her a color without her getting the full force of things, he assumes. He's willing to try it, anyway, if it helps ensure that at least one of them remains functional. ]
[ He barely waits for her to actually finish the sentence, deflecting one of her attacks but not blocking it entirely, allowing it to be a glancing blow so that her momentum continues carrying her towards him enough for him to step into her area, pull her arm towards and behind him, and let her trip over his leg in the way. ]
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