(Untitled)

[batghoul]

WHO: Open!
WHERE: School of Thunder Dojo
WHEN: Any time from now until next Saturday (you can specify in the comments or play it loose)
WARNINGS: Punches! Kicks!
SUMMARY: Anything you want to do at the dojo, whether you're a teacher, current student, or totally new person.
FORMAT: paragraph to start, but then whatever. Feel free to tag around

Comments

Sometime on the 3rd

[a_relative_hero]

Joel had mostly been laying low since his less than stellar encounter with Bellatrix. The whole thing had thrown him off massively so he took some time to just sit and recover.

He couldn't sit around forever though, boredom and knowing people might be looking for him eventually drew him back out. With bandages around his arm where he'd been cut and several bruises, Joel's staying a bit after class for some extra workout time. He's picked a punching bag and decided to work on hitting it several times both for practice and to work out some frustration.

[batghoul]

Cass hadn't really given the bandages and bruises a second thought. Injuries were to be expected in their field of work, after all. But as he pummeled the punching bag, she recognized something else in his body language. She wasn't as good at helping people with their problems as Steph, but she was his teacher, and she could listen pretty well.

Waiting for a lull in his punching, she appeared next to him. "Something's... bothering you."

[a_relative_hero]

When that lull comes and there's suddenly a Cassandra next to him, Joel just about jumped out of his skin. He blurred, whipping around and thankfully stopping himself from throwing any reflexive punches. He had no desire to be flipped or thrown or anything like that. Calming, he sighed.

"Yeah. There is," he replied, maybe just a little too worn out to bother trying to hide it today.

[batghoul]

She didn't move a muscle as he whirled around to face her. Most people seemed to have that reaction for some reason.

"Want to talk?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

[a_relative_hero]

Joel frowned a moment, thinking the question over. Eventually he let out a sigh and shrugged.

"Just...I messed up pretty bad the other night. Tried to stop this insane woman who was saying over the Network she was going to kill people. So I went and tried to stop her. But I was too nice or something. Just ended up getting hurt and having to hide."

[batghoul]

She nodded sympathetically. "We've all... messed up before. But you survived. And that's good."

[a_relative_hero]

"What about the people she got away to go kill?" Joel looked down at the floor. "And what kinda hero am I supposed to be if every time I run into something more than a simple street thug, they get away?"

[batghoul]

"Have to keep, um, training. Getting better. That's why you're here, right?" She placed a hand lightly on his shoulder and tried to give him a slightly reassuring smile.

[a_relative_hero]

Joel forced a little smile. "It is," he replied. "Still, I wish I could have caught that stupid robot or stopped that woman. No telling what they might be doing now..."

[batghoul]

"I wish... a lot of things," she said with a small sigh. "Just have to keep fighting."

[a_relative_hero]

"Just keep fighting," Joel took a breath. "Yeah. Got to keep going out there and trying again," he added. "Next time I run into that witch, I'm not going to be so nice."

[batghoul]

"Know how you feel," she muttered, mostly to herself. She'd let Deathstroke get away once, and now he was in the City. She wouldn't be so nice next time, either. "If you ever need help... can call me."

[a_relative_hero]

"Thanks," Joel took a breath. "I would have called for help the other night but I thought I could deal with her and not have to bother anyone else with it," he explained. "I'll come help you if you ever need it too."