Every accomplishment ...
Category: Pink Sheep RPG
Rose’s brow was furrowed in concentration. Sweat beaded her skin and she felt it drip down her spine, but it was ignored as she watched her opponent feint left, then right. Instinct had her blocking Auror Sutton’s first jab, and then the next, but for the millionth time that afternoon Rose still found herself on her back with a thud, air rushing from her lungs even as her bigger, stronger opponent bore down on her.
“Checkmate, Zeller,” the older man said smugly. “Again.”
Rose scowled and pushed at his shoulder to get him off of her. “Whatever, Sutton. Let me up.”
She hated losing. She definitely hated losing to Auror Sutton, the superior bastard. He was one of the best at hand to hand combat though, and practicing with him would only make her better. If she had to put up with him and his leers, then that’s what she had to do. There were several men in the MLE who wouldn’t spar with her at all - pompous, sexist pigs - and she had to take what she could get. Practicing with Ryan only got her so far, after all. He was twice her size, to be sure, but they knew each other inside and out. She could read her brother like no one else, and he could read her the same way. Prescience was not a skill they would have against a real enemy in the field.
Ignoring Sutton’s hand up, Rose grudgingly thanked him for sparring with her before padding to the edge of the mat to snag her towel and wipe the sweat from her brow.
Adrian had been watching the two from the sidelines for several minutes, eyes narrowed as the young woman made the same mistake, over and over. It was no wonder that Sutton kept taking her down, her stance was all wrong. He didn’t know if Auror Sutton knew that and just enjoyed knocking around a little girl, or if he was just as ignorant as his sparring partner appeared to be.
“Your stance is all wrong,” he told her as soon as she was within earshot.
Rose’s gaze shot to the side and her muscles tensed defensively. Habit. Not that it wasn’t a good thing to be wary of senior Hit Wizard Pucey. He worked alone, was always sent after the most dangerous criminals, and he always came back with a kill. He didn’t really talk to anyone that often either, which was why it was a surprise to hear from him now.
“Sutton kept getting inside my guard,” she agreed, voice even as she watched him warily. He seemed like he could spring into motion at any time.
“That much was obvious.” He moved out onto the mat and turned to face her. “You’re putting too much weight on your left foot when you dodge. Keep yourself centered and it won’t be nearly as easy. Get into position.”
Rose dropped the towel and moved across from him, light on her toes and waiting. Green eyes darted from his center, to the twitch of muscle in his shoulders as he moved, and then up to meet his dark eyes. Centered. Not too much weight on the left. She could do this.
She sprung into action at his nod and tried to use her speed against his obvious height and weight advantages.
One hand circled her wrist and he gave it a sharp tug, pivoting out of the way as her momentum took her past him and down to the mat. “Keep your own movement to a minimum, if you can. You want them to expend all the effort.”
Frustration prickled her skin, but Rose ignored the heated emotion. She needed to concentrate, dammit. “Fine then, Pucey, let’s have it then,” she said a little more flippantly than she really meant to. It wasn’t good to bait people who could hand your arse to you. She’d seen him spar many times, and he was deadly. While Rose aspired to that, she knew she wasn’t there quite yet.
All the same, she was light on the balls of her feet, ready to move at a moments notice.
Adrian took two quick steps forward and hooked his foot behind her ankle. His hands went to her shoulders and he pushed, knocking her off balance. “Keep yourself centered, Zeller!”
“I am,” she hissed as she righted herself and faced off with him again. His reach was twice as long as hers and she adjusted to that. They circled, though Rose was paying such close attention to keeping her core above her knees above her feet that he snuck inside her guard again anyway.
“Bloody shite, buggering fuck,” she said as she pushed off the wall he’d tossed her into and went after him. Instinct had her blocking two jabs, she sidestepped his kick, and before he was balanced on two feet again, Rose darted in and got a punch into his kidney. He only faltered slightly, but it was enough for Rose to put him off balance and take him down. She had a knee to his chest and if she’d had her wand, it would have been at his throat.
“Good. Will you be getting off of me anytime soon?” As soon as she’d moved, he rose to his feet and dusted himself off. “Not bad, a few things you need to work on, but not bad.” She had potential. He could see her going far, provided she didn’t get herself killed in the first few years.
“There’s always something I need to work on,” Rose agreed, though she was immeasurably pleased with his assessment overall. ‘Not bad’ from Pucey was a compliment.
A small smile was offered when she held out her hand. “Thanks for taking the time to help. I really appreciate it.” Especially since he rarely worked with the rookies. She’d been officially on the job for several years now, but the trainee classes were small to begin and not everyone graduated. There were only two others in her own class, and one that had come through with Ryan. Despite her few years in, she was still one of the rookies. Some of the grizzled Hit Wizards had been in for decades.
His lips curved in response and he gave her hand a quick shake. It surprised Adrian to realize that he had actually enjoyed the little match. “My pleasure. One word of advice, everyone has a tell. Sutton shrugs his left shoulder when he’s about rush you.”
Intensity lit her features again and she nodded. “I’ll remember that.” It would definitely change the odds of their next match, though Rose knew she needed to get better at spotting such things on her own - and as quickly as possible. There wasn’t time in the field to spend weeks learning someone.
A thought occurred to her, and before he could turn and walk away, she asked, “what about me? What’s my tell?” Knowing her weakness would help her to work it out and make it harder for her opponents to spot.
“You tense up before you move, like you’re gearing yourself up for it. Keep it smooth.” Her reaction time was still a bit slow, but speed would come with time and practice.
Ryan had said something similar, but it was nice to have it confirmed by someone who wasn’t her little brother.
Rose nodded. “I will. I’ll work on it,” she promised, feeling much like she was a trainee again promising her instructor she’d be better tomorrow, that she could do this job and that her size and stature wouldn’t hold her back. The truth was that Adrian Pucey really wasn’t all that much older than her, but he’d been in the field years longer and he was good at the job. He had the respect she hoped to someday.
Rose ducked her head then, small smile hovering at her lips. “Thanks,” was offered once more before she slipped away, gathered her towel, and headed for the showers.
Adrian watched her walk away dispassionately. Falling ten minutes or so behind in his schedule wouldn’t matter in the long run, but he didn’t like it all the same. The cause had been good, the rookie had needed help, and he didn’t like Sutton, he just didn’t want to have to rush later to make up for it.
There was a pressing appointment this evening, and he had a delightful weekend planned, just as soon as he’d incapacitated his target. It would be just he, Adrian, and a box of ten gauge syringes full of deeply unpleasant substances he’d recently purchased.
SUMMARY: Adrian gives Rose some pointers.
Rose’s brow was furrowed in concentration. Sweat beaded her skin and she felt it drip down her spine, but it was ignored as she watched her opponent feint left, then right. Instinct had her blocking Auror Sutton’s first jab, and then the next, but for the millionth time that afternoon Rose still found herself on her back with a thud, air rushing from her lungs even as her bigger, stronger opponent bore down on her.
“Checkmate, Zeller,” the older man said smugly. “Again.”
Rose scowled and pushed at his shoulder to get him off of her. “Whatever, Sutton. Let me up.”
She hated losing. She definitely hated losing to Auror Sutton, the superior bastard. He was one of the best at hand to hand combat though, and practicing with him would only make her better. If she had to put up with him and his leers, then that’s what she had to do. There were several men in the MLE who wouldn’t spar with her at all - pompous, sexist pigs - and she had to take what she could get. Practicing with Ryan only got her so far, after all. He was twice her size, to be sure, but they knew each other inside and out. She could read her brother like no one else, and he could read her the same way. Prescience was not a skill they would have against a real enemy in the field.
Ignoring Sutton’s hand up, Rose grudgingly thanked him for sparring with her before padding to the edge of the mat to snag her towel and wipe the sweat from her brow.
Adrian had been watching the two from the sidelines for several minutes, eyes narrowed as the young woman made the same mistake, over and over. It was no wonder that Sutton kept taking her down, her stance was all wrong. He didn’t know if Auror Sutton knew that and just enjoyed knocking around a little girl, or if he was just as ignorant as his sparring partner appeared to be.
“Your stance is all wrong,” he told her as soon as she was within earshot.
Rose’s gaze shot to the side and her muscles tensed defensively. Habit. Not that it wasn’t a good thing to be wary of senior Hit Wizard Pucey. He worked alone, was always sent after the most dangerous criminals, and he always came back with a kill. He didn’t really talk to anyone that often either, which was why it was a surprise to hear from him now.
“Sutton kept getting inside my guard,” she agreed, voice even as she watched him warily. He seemed like he could spring into motion at any time.
“That much was obvious.” He moved out onto the mat and turned to face her. “You’re putting too much weight on your left foot when you dodge. Keep yourself centered and it won’t be nearly as easy. Get into position.”
Rose dropped the towel and moved across from him, light on her toes and waiting. Green eyes darted from his center, to the twitch of muscle in his shoulders as he moved, and then up to meet his dark eyes. Centered. Not too much weight on the left. She could do this.
She sprung into action at his nod and tried to use her speed against his obvious height and weight advantages.
One hand circled her wrist and he gave it a sharp tug, pivoting out of the way as her momentum took her past him and down to the mat. “Keep your own movement to a minimum, if you can. You want them to expend all the effort.”
Frustration prickled her skin, but Rose ignored the heated emotion. She needed to concentrate, dammit. “Fine then, Pucey, let’s have it then,” she said a little more flippantly than she really meant to. It wasn’t good to bait people who could hand your arse to you. She’d seen him spar many times, and he was deadly. While Rose aspired to that, she knew she wasn’t there quite yet.
All the same, she was light on the balls of her feet, ready to move at a moments notice.
Adrian took two quick steps forward and hooked his foot behind her ankle. His hands went to her shoulders and he pushed, knocking her off balance. “Keep yourself centered, Zeller!”
“I am,” she hissed as she righted herself and faced off with him again. His reach was twice as long as hers and she adjusted to that. They circled, though Rose was paying such close attention to keeping her core above her knees above her feet that he snuck inside her guard again anyway.
“Bloody shite, buggering fuck,” she said as she pushed off the wall he’d tossed her into and went after him. Instinct had her blocking two jabs, she sidestepped his kick, and before he was balanced on two feet again, Rose darted in and got a punch into his kidney. He only faltered slightly, but it was enough for Rose to put him off balance and take him down. She had a knee to his chest and if she’d had her wand, it would have been at his throat.
“Good. Will you be getting off of me anytime soon?” As soon as she’d moved, he rose to his feet and dusted himself off. “Not bad, a few things you need to work on, but not bad.” She had potential. He could see her going far, provided she didn’t get herself killed in the first few years.
“There’s always something I need to work on,” Rose agreed, though she was immeasurably pleased with his assessment overall. ‘Not bad’ from Pucey was a compliment.
A small smile was offered when she held out her hand. “Thanks for taking the time to help. I really appreciate it.” Especially since he rarely worked with the rookies. She’d been officially on the job for several years now, but the trainee classes were small to begin and not everyone graduated. There were only two others in her own class, and one that had come through with Ryan. Despite her few years in, she was still one of the rookies. Some of the grizzled Hit Wizards had been in for decades.
His lips curved in response and he gave her hand a quick shake. It surprised Adrian to realize that he had actually enjoyed the little match. “My pleasure. One word of advice, everyone has a tell. Sutton shrugs his left shoulder when he’s about rush you.”
Intensity lit her features again and she nodded. “I’ll remember that.” It would definitely change the odds of their next match, though Rose knew she needed to get better at spotting such things on her own - and as quickly as possible. There wasn’t time in the field to spend weeks learning someone.
A thought occurred to her, and before he could turn and walk away, she asked, “what about me? What’s my tell?” Knowing her weakness would help her to work it out and make it harder for her opponents to spot.
“You tense up before you move, like you’re gearing yourself up for it. Keep it smooth.” Her reaction time was still a bit slow, but speed would come with time and practice.
Ryan had said something similar, but it was nice to have it confirmed by someone who wasn’t her little brother.
Rose nodded. “I will. I’ll work on it,” she promised, feeling much like she was a trainee again promising her instructor she’d be better tomorrow, that she could do this job and that her size and stature wouldn’t hold her back. The truth was that Adrian Pucey really wasn’t all that much older than her, but he’d been in the field years longer and he was good at the job. He had the respect she hoped to someday.
Rose ducked her head then, small smile hovering at her lips. “Thanks,” was offered once more before she slipped away, gathered her towel, and headed for the showers.
Adrian watched her walk away dispassionately. Falling ten minutes or so behind in his schedule wouldn’t matter in the long run, but he didn’t like it all the same. The cause had been good, the rookie had needed help, and he didn’t like Sutton, he just didn’t want to have to rush later to make up for it.
There was a pressing appointment this evening, and he had a delightful weekend planned, just as soon as he’d incapacitated his target. It would be just he, Adrian, and a box of ten gauge syringes full of deeply unpleasant substances he’d recently purchased.
SUMMARY: Adrian gives Rose some pointers.