Clare in the Gym, take two. (Open)

[becauseimboring]

Characters: Clare, open. (M-m-m-multi thread!)
Time: (Backdated) Before the Hotel vanished.
Location: Blackstone Hotel's gym.
Content: Clare is trying to redouble her training so she's less useless. She also has some misplaced aggression to work out.
Format: I'll be using prose, you can do as you see fit.
Warnings: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Comments

[theblackstaff]

Ebenezar McCoy had a headache. He headed down to the lower floors of the hotel, knowing some small booth or kiosk existed for buying small things people forgot (like aspirin). He was passing the gym when he noticed motion through the window and paused.

He needed to talk to Clare again. Make sure the girl was alright after the run-in with the shadow Reds. He also needed something for his head. But who knew how much longer the girl was going to be doing Tai Chi. With a heavy sigh, Ebenezar knocked politely on the gym door, announcing his presence.

[becauseimboring]

[theblackstaff]

"Good to see you ain't jumping out of your skin anymore," he said, walking into the room. Despite the lack of people at the Blackstone, the gym still smelled vaguely of old sweat. Ebenezar supposed it sunk into the bones of the old building.

He took a seat on the bench press, grumbling a little under his breath as his joints protested, and looked Clare up and down. He didn't sound particularly angry or admonishing, just a little gruffer than usual on account of the headache, "How're you feeling? Still woozy from vampire spit?"

[becauseimboring]

[theblackstaff]

The blush that rose on Clare's face answered Ebenezar's next question. "Good. Then I don't need to do any more doctorin'. As long as you ain't feeling the need to go running after more vampires to get drooled on anymore." He eyed Clare. "Suppose you learned your lesson this time about going out at night, Miss Edwards?"

[becauseimboring]

[theblackstaff]

There was something comforting in the fact that children tended to stay petulant when they did something wrong, no matter how strange the world got. Comforting, but still irritating, like most of the things that stayed constant in the world. "Good. I wasn't keen on the idea of locking you up until you saw sense," Ebenezar said, deadpan. A smile seemed to touch the corner of his eyes, or maybe those were just wrinkles of old age. Hard to tell, with him.

He waved at Clare. "Ain't meaning to stop you from your practicing. 'Suppose you can talk and do Tai Chi at the same time."

[becauseimboring]

[theblackstaff]

Ebenezar shrugged at Clare's answer, easing himself onto a bench as the girl wobbled on one leg. The cold was doing a number on his joints, even more so than usual, and it showed with the slow, stiff way he moved. There were things he could do for it, things that used a touch of magic to ease the pains of old age, but Ebenezar considered the aches and pains more badges of honour than anything. Trophies for surviving as long as he had.

"Fool book was written for practitioners," he answered. He was a little surprised that the girl had found a copy, but not too terribly so. After all, she had a good head on her shoulders despite recent events. "Apprentices and the like. Didn't put much about actual defenses in there 'cause I ain't want to prejudice someone just learning towards or away from ways of thinking. Let 'em figure out their own ways of thinking about defense. They pick up enough bad habits from their teachers; I ain't looking to add to it."

[becauseimboring]

[theblackstaff]

"You hope their first run-in's bad enough to scare 'em into thinking hard about these things," Ebenezar corrected. He waited as Clare seemed to collect herself, stopping to think and then return to her exercises.

"How to keep yourself safe? That's on you to figure out, girl. I can tell you what Red spit does to your brain, or how love potions lower your inhibitions, but it's up to what you got between your ears to figure out how to use that information." It wasn't the most satisfying way of teaching, Ebenezar knew. Hoss had been particularly adamant about some of his methods. One of the old cows was still spooked.

"Seen a lot of folks, Wardens and the like, who got complacent. Who learned how to defend themselves one way and never thought about again. Gets 'em killed."

[becauseimboring]