Day 60: Intercom, Evening

[damned_intercom]

The intercom jingled at its standard time, with the Head Doctor still in his over-the-top, jovial mood. It seemed not even the evening light could keep down the love he held for his job.

"Good evening, everyone! I hope your soul is filled with music from last shift; I know mine is

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F16

[avengingfists]

Despite her waking up in a good mood Ilia found herself pensive about the night to come. She would meet with Rose and Gamzee, but did they dare move further into the basement? Did she dare test Claude and Anise's warnings? In normal circumstances that would be cause for her to have trouble eating, but this was real food and Ilia couldn't afford to waste it. Or time. She had promised Lana she would teach her a thing or two about self-defense before the night came and she would need her strength.

At least I can think of it as a warm-up, Ilia consoled herself then stuffed a bite of turkey and potatoes into her mouth. Politeness would call for her to wait for her roommate to arrive but tonight she could sacrifice a few etiquette points.

Still chewing, Ilia moved to her closet, intent on preparing herself for the rest of the night as quickly as possible. Her bottles of juice were obscured by the shadows in the far corner, and next to them were another few bottles Ilia didn't recognize as well as a package of some sort. Bending down, Ilia found there were two bottles of alcohol, a carton of fruit concentrate and a package of Nutter Butters. That... wasn't anything she had picked up herself.

A chilling thought struck her and she stood up quickly, shutting the closet door. She would finish her preparations later. For now, she just needed a moment to sit and think. Getting out her journal, she attempted to work on the mission list she had promised Tsubaki, Rapunzel and Rose she would work on. Hopefully thinking of some cold, hard facts would clear her head.

[fourstonewalls]

Ilia didn't have long to wait.  Lana appeared in the doorway, the nurse behind her peppering her with idle question, each of which Lana answered with one word.  Finally, the door was shut, and her expression softened.  It wasn't a smile -- another death wasn't anything to smile about -- but it was nice to be around someone who would both understand and only press if she needed to know.  Lana had made the mistake of asking the woman -- the nurse, not Ilia -- about Gant's whereabouts, and while she'd gotten the expected lie, it had also prompted the woman into attempting conversation.

She hadn't been very good at picking up a hint, or professionally oblivious, and Lana couldn't decide which was more annoying.  Let it go, Skye, she told herself.  Ilia was going to be showing her a few things, and both focusing and relaxing were key in this sort of lesson.

She ate a bit of dinner, quietly.  The asparagus, and a bit of the potatoes.  Then she launched into the conversation without preamble.  "All of the self-defense training I've had predicated, first, a human opponent, and, second, that the ideal outcome was to escape."

Well, aside from only a fool is his own lawyer, but that was rather a different kind of fight.  "Generally the uniform was enough."  She looked down at her sweats with mild, intentionally telegraphed, distaste.  They wouldn't restrict motion, true, but she couldn't say much else good about them.

[avengingfists]

Ilia looked up at Lana and smiled despite her dark thoughts. Her roommate was still here and was definitely dependable. She couldn't think about "what ifs" now, especially since the situation she would be walking into required her full attention. Now she just needed to stay focused and help Lana as much as she could before even more trouble was caused by her screw-ups. Still, she hoped to whatever deity could be reigning over the multiverses that Tifa was all right.

Lana seemed to have a good grasp on what she was facing. Good thing she understood the basics of human versus human encounters. It took off one more thing to explain. "Then you're already well on your way to gaining the necessary skills for dealing with monsters. I've fought demon beasts before coming here so I was prepared for this, sort of." Ilia's smile became grim. "But even as a veteran, I encourage you to run away whenever you can. Only when that isn't a viable option should you try and test your abilities."

Ilia stood up but not to show any fighting stances. She began to pace. Teaching Lana the basics was all well and good but it would take days (or nights, as was likely the case here) for her to teach the woman any one type of martial art. Unless Lana wanted that training Ilia wouldn't suggest it.

"Basically, your best bet for dealing with monsters is your own logic. They don't often think like humans, though that can be the case..." She was rambling. Ilia moved to lean against the bed, her hands supporting her as she faced Lana. "When you can't run, your first thought should be on potential weak spots. If your opponent has eyes, then go for those. Also consider the neck and belly as options for attack."

Ilia pushed up from the bed and paced again, attempting again to not think of last night's battle with the ogres and what could potentially come in the next several hours. "If you don't have a weapon, get one. Make one from a nearby chair or even a potted plant if that's all you have at your disposal. As long as you have a weapon, you're less likely to be attacked immediately and will also have more of a chance to think about possible escape routes or vulnerabilities your opponent has." Ilia clenched her arms around her chest a little tighter, though she might have just been standing with her arms crossed if one wasn't looking closely enough. "You aren't a trained hand-to-hand combatant like me, Lana. If you can escape, do whatever it is necessary to accomplish that."

She couldn't express how vital that little rule of engagement with monsters. These things didn't want to just hurt you, and they couldn't be talked down like a human with at least a little sympathy could. Lana probably understood that but Ilia wasn't taking chances.

[fourstonewalls]

"I'm aware of that." It was good advice, but it also wasn't anything Lana hadn't thought about, and she resisted the urge to start pacing as well.

"I do have a backup plan in mind." She hadn't originally intended to show anyone the ring, but if no one knew about it, there also wouldn't be anyone who could make sure Ema got it if something happened to Lana. And she trusted Ilia. She pulled it out. "Supposedly, if I bleed on this, breaking it will bring me back to where I was injured." She thought about biting her nails, a stress habit she'd tried (unsuccessfully) to break for years, but then she decided to pull out something else she'd kept hidden. She pulled out one of her replacement scalpels, and made a tiny cut on one forearm. A drop of blood welled up, and she held it to the ring.

The drop crystallized and set itself into the tines immediately, and Lana blinked. She hadn't really expected it to work, even if it had teleported both of them last night.

"But I need to know how to protect myself -- and anyone else -- long enough to get away." Her voice held a trace of reproof; she knew very well that she wasn't equipped to fight these monsters, but she also knew it was likely she wouldn't have a choice. And she knew Ilia knew that, and that Lana was no fool. Ilia would know who Lana would protect at all costs, and why she would make that sacrifice gladly.

[avengingfists]

"Fascinating..." Ilia watched Lana's ring with amazement, impressed by the ingenuity. Blood memory transfer? Augmented with some sort of science that Ilia wasn't familiar with, no doubt. As much as she wanted to be a part of the experience herself, she understood that tonight was not the time for science. Unfortunately.

Retrieving a bandaid from her own supplies, Ilia handed it over to Lana to cover her new cut. "Well, that's one thing that could already throw the enemies off." Ilia gave Lana a most serious look. "In case you can't use that ring to escape and you want to protect others, cutting yourself even a little bit could draw the enemies away from them and to you, if you're willing to go that far. I wouldn't suggest it unless you have a suicide wish though."

Ilia wasn't joking. She understood the severity of this but she really wanted Lana to realize just how dangerous her idea truly was. However, she wasn't one to tell a woman to take the back seat while others jumped into a fight or played decoy. Sighing, Ilia took her usual fighting stance with her feet apart and her fists up and close to her chin. "Tell me this; has anyone ever taught you how to throw a decent punch?"

If she had a gauge for Lana's skills she could better decided on just how much information the woman needed to adequately protect herself against an opponent.

[fourstonewalls]

She hadn't thought of self-injury, but it made a certain amount of sense. These weren't humans she was worrying about, and the smell of blood could be a momentary distraction.

"I'm afraid not. How to break a hold, but not how to attack." And even those lessons were a bit fuzzy. She'd been naive, assuming she'd never need to put them into practice. Even if she'd never landed here, it had been a mistake not to review them, and not to get Ema into the same classes.

[avengingfists]

It was nature, really. Creatures understood self-sacrifice even in survival of the fittest. That's why some creatures like lizards had developed ways of leaving parts of their tail behind to trick predators. The blood-letting, however, was a bit more of an extreme tactic.

"Okay, then that's our first goal." Ilia pulled her arms to her sides, fists forward and her legs apart; a typical stance in martial arts. "The trick to a good punch, Lana, is focus. Focus above all else."

She moved slowly, going through the motions of a straight, right punch. Then she slowly pulled back into the previous stance and punched again, this time with the left. "You put your whole body into it, and get an idea in your mind that you are going to smash bones and cause injury. If you can't follow through..." The left the rest unsaid.

Ilia motioned for Lana to take up the same stance as herself. "Try it."

[fourstonewalls]

Lana watched, all of her attention on Ilia's hands until the words she was saying brought her up short. She knew what people could do with their bare hands, and it didn't take being a hulking brute to do it.

Then she thought of Ema staring down one of those patchwork creatures, and put away the image of another person at the end of her fist. She mimed the motion slowly, then more quickly, and then she couldn't stall any longer.

"Take that," she thought, as she thrust her right fist forward.

To her mortification, she said it out loud, and loudly enough to startle herself.

The punch itself was angled wrong, and she'd made one of the classic novice's mistakes, though she hadn't realized it yet -- her thumb was inside her fist. Easy way to break it, and a tell-tale sign that someone had tried to punch something, which was the only reason she might have even possibly have known better. But her hand whipped out, followed by her shoulder, throwing weight behind it without losing her balance.

[avengingfists]

Lana's shout was unexpected but showed a true spirit of determination. She apparently hadn't expected to speak out, though, but Ilia only smiled. "That's the spirit! Now, you wanna be careful here..."

Ilia reached out and took Lana's extended fist and pried open her fingers, moving her thumb outside and just a bit under her knuckles. "You'll want to keep your thumbs outside your fist. And make sure you throw your arm out straight. You don't need to add extra injuries to yourself if you can help it."

Ilia stepped back a moment, considering. "Pretty good for a beginner. Nice balance.... Oh!" Ilia motioned to the closets. "I noticed we have our uniforms still. I suggest taking your gloves with you. The extra padding will help protect you hands a bit, too."

[fourstonewalls]

That was a good idea; and with as cold as it was, practical even if they ran into nothing at all. "You have a point."

She wasn't sure if Ilia was humoring her with the praise, but she tried another punch, this one a little surer. It still didn't feel like something she could really do when faced with something with two heads and five-inch-claws, but people could do remarkable things under stress. Some of them even good.

"Had you ever fought, in earnest, before you came here?" Was that poise Ilia maintained the voice of long experience, or something that had come together under pressure? It was idle curiosity, but Lana liked knowing what made people tick; it was an instinct she couldn't quite turn off, and didn't especially want to.

[avengingfists]

If Ilia had a good caestus lying around she would have offered it to her roommate for extra protection, but at the moment the gloves would have to suffice.

"Good, good!" Ilia stood back and allowed Lana some room to practice. She definitely was getting better at her punches. Ilia only moved close now and then to help correct Lana's stance if she ever moved off.

"Oh, yes, actually," Ilia admitted, her eyes still on Lana's form and her voice just a little distracted. "On the planet I was currently researching we ran into a wide range of creatures the locals called 'demons.' It was a bit easier back then. I had an easier time accessing my stronger techniques. For some reason... I can't always fight at my best here." It troubled her, but it seemed like there was some sort of block on the whole place that happened to have shifted at some point the night before. She wasn't sure how it had been accomplished, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it before her stay in Landel's had completed. Ilia wasn't the type to leave any stone unturned.

[fourstonewalls]

So Ilia was one of the people with otherworldly powers. "Were you less encumbered last night? It seems quite a few were." Lana tried a punch with her left hand; that felt distinctly odd, and it showed in her technique. So she repeated it, her brow furrowed as she concentrated.

"I wish I knew why they even wanted people like me here. Those of us who fight with words, rather than weapons," she said, clarifying, even when it was pretty obvious what she meant. Like, oh, a lawyer. Hah. "They haven't given us much opportunity to use our skills. They haven't even bothered limiting those."

[avengingfists]

"For a bit," Ilia admitted, her eyes still on Lana's form. "My team found ourselves in a bit of a... special place last night that didn't have the same freedoms, though, so we lost that boost."

The left punch had been awkward but that was natural for a beginner. If Lana could harness the power of her left fist, she could become a real power fighter in a tough spot. Most people didn't expect left-handed shots to pack much punch, so it could be an effective strike if she ever found herself fighting a human opponent. She was fighting mostly monsters, rabid animals and fantastical creatures, so she needed more off-the-wall advice for fighting.

"Something to keep in mind, if it comes down to it," Ilia said, stepping back to allow Lana more room to practice. "If you know a monster is going to attack and you know you can't dodge out of the way or run without being hit anyway, use your non-dominant arm as your shield. If you let your legs get hit you won't be able to run away, and you need your dominant arm for attacking and everyday convenience."

She held up her left arm in front of her and across her chest. "If you can, work to make the attack hit the back of your arm. If you can avoid hits, that's for the best, but if you have no choice then sometimes sacrifices are necessary."

Lana made a good point about those who fight with words. If they couldn't survive against the monsters then they had to rely on the care of others, and who knew if that was a safe route to follow. What if they put their trust in the wrong person? "I worry about the kids here, too. Even the ones with powers have to deal with the all the dangers here." Ilia sighed. "That's one of the first things I'll demand to know when we finally get to Landel. Why did he choose us, and what is the purpose of bring non-fighters here?"

[fourstonewalls]

"I'll leave that to you, then." A smile tugged at the corner of Lana's mouth. Confidence was key; while it didn't guarantee victory, its lack was a road to certain defeat.

The thought that she could sacrifice her left arm, if necessary, increased hers tremendously. She felt easier when she had a plan laid out in front of her. It wasn't a very good plan, and it would only work once; she only had one left arm, after all, but it was a tiny morsel of one, and it was more than she'd had before.

...Morsel was perhaps not the best way she could have put that. Ah, well.

"Motive, method, and opportunity." She pretended to contemplate these, looking at her fists like they held invisible case briefs. "I'm afraid I'm ill-equipped to divine the latter two as well. I'll just have to delegate." The smile twitched into a laugh, nervous energy bubbling up -- it would be almost nostalgic, if it weren't so dire.

The intercom crackled to life, as if in response; if Lana had been a superstitious woman, she might have found the coincidence alarming. As it was, she just found it more amusing, though she got it under control before nerves burst into outright giggles. "Take care, Ilia, and thank you."