When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear - OTA

[movetheearth]

The repetitive thud thud thud of fists connecting with the punching bag are a big giveaway of where Ric is currently seeking solitude. He's got one earphone in his ear, music screeching out loud and angry from where the other dangling down, bouncing against his chest as he takes out his anger on the inanimate object.

There's no way to easily

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[greenhaired]

Lorna seldom bothered with working out in the gym. She didn't see the point. She kept herself in shape the usual way; her room suited for her routine, she did yoga on the main courtyard and she swam when no one was around to make those stupid 'too much chlorine' jokes about her hair. Occasionally, she considered dying it again.

In her work out gear, she decided, following the illness that rendered her bed bound for however many days, she really needed to burn off the energy.

She hadn't expected the place to be occupied. "Oh, sorry." She wasn't sure if Rictor even noticed her, too busy beating whatever it was he was imagining the punching bag to be.

[movetheearth]

So focused on the punching bag Ric falters when he hears someone speak and the bag nearly takes him out in the process as it swings back, he only stops it last minute, catching the bag and leaning heavily against it.

"No, it's cool. Don't apologise." He waves a boxing bandaged hand at Lorna before turning to grab his bottle of water and a towel from the bench, draining a large mouthful and pouring some over his head which he dries off. "You don't mind having company do you? Just have the urge to punch something. Hard. Lots."

And yes, Ric is well aware that it might make him sound slightly crazy saying that but he's being honest. For once. Lorna is just lucky she didn't come in earlier when Ric was kicking the crap out of the cardboard cut outs that they used for target practice.

[greenhaired]

"No, don't mind. Just didn't think I'd be competing for space in the first place." She really doesn't mind, not when it's Rictor. He was pleasant -most of the time, seemed like a fun guy. So really, a little company. Emma was trying to encourage her to socialise some more.

With her bottle of water on the floor, Lorna took up her stance at the other end of the training room, watching Rictor carefully. "You feeling okay, hot stuff?" Because the urge to just beat the crap out of something isn't what she'd pegged Rictor for.

Stretching out, Lorna went for her gloves rather than tape, the padded knuckles and cut off fingers working better for her.

[movetheearth]

"I'm not normally here I'd normally be..." He trails off, screwing the towel up and chucking it at the wall before he starts to stretch, body bent forward as he reaches for his toes. There's no easy way to answer the question so Ric just carries on with his stretches until he feels ready to go to the mat. "Not really, I mean just... you mind if I ask you something a little personal?"

Starting with some slower shadow boxing moves he repeats the pattern of punch, punch, duck, kick, punch, duck, kick, kick, punch a few times before he eases off. Bouncing on the spot he watches Lorna. "You ever been cheated on? Walked in on someone cheating? Or caught someone kissing another person that they shouldn't have?"

He's not exactly mister subtle.

[greenhaired]

There weren't a lot of people that lingered in the area, so she just lets it go. With her muscles loose, Lorna starts jabbing at her own bag, nothing too strenuous, she wasn't that type of girl. But she needed to maintain strength in her arms.

Ric's question confuses her a little. "Um, oh. Once, in college." Which was what Emma called her time at the Academy, Lorna figured it sort of was college. "Guy I was sort of seeing," because Lorna wasn't one to tie herself down too much, "walked in on him with his tongue down this snotty little princess' throat. I mean, seriously? She was some actress wannabe. At least she was working on her technique." Lorna was mostly pissed of that he'd gone for some cheap tart.

She stops for a moment, staring over at him while the bag sort of sways. "Why?"

[movetheearth]

Ric really doesn't care who sees him like this, he's just so focused on venting his anger, frustration and pain that he'd happily run himself into the ground if it stood any chance of making him feel better.

Listening he flexes his fists and nods. "Sounds like the guy was a dick." Before he resumes with the pattern only stopping when Lorna asks why and his pattern falters. Chewing on his lower lip Ric casts a glance towards Lorna, fists still brought up as if ready to resume fighting, before his shoulders drop and his fists fall.

"I walked in on Rogue and Martini kissing." The tone of the words reflect just Ric is feeling, dejected, hurt and angry.

[greenhaired]

The bag sways back and hits her in the hip. "Well shit." Lorna doesn't know Rogue, but she does know Martini, and this isn't exactly what she'd categorise as 'normal'. But then, Martini isn't exactly normal.

"Are you okay?" She knows it's a dumb question, but really it wasn't like she could ask anything else. When it was her, she dumbed the piece of crap quicker than she could snap a tin can across the back of his head. But that was her and she wasn't exactly that into the guy anyway. It didn't seem like Rictor knew what he was doing.

"You uh, you wanna talk?" Lorna was shit at the sharing feelings thing, but she could listen. Probably give horrible advice and then find some alcohol for Rictor to drown his sorrows before she took him back to his bed to sleep it off. "Or spar? I can hold my own, we could wear each other out."

[movetheearth]

There's a moment where Ric looks likes he's about to but on the bullshit bravado act and laugh it all off with his trademark charming smile. But the smiles wavers and Ric shakes his head. "No, I'm not. Not really."

Casting a glance at the equipment and then at his bandaged fists Ric shakes his head for a no. "Sparring right now isn't a good idea. I don't think I'll keep my mutation in check and we really don't need another Japan on our hands."

Right now, he looks more like a broken hearted school boy than the suave casanova that he likes to pretend that he is. Crossing over to the stack of padded mats Ric drops down, sprawling on his back and glare at the ceiling. "You don't mind listening? I mean, I could really do with an outsiders perspective."

This is rational Ric, a fleeting glance at the man who does, occasionally see sense.

[greenhaired]

Japan, Lorna hadn't actually connected that to a mutant, but then it made sense. She could do without the building collapsing on them. "Of course I don't."

If it was someone else, she'd probably leave them be. Just tell them to suck it up and move on. But it's not someone else and Ric's been pretty good to her all things considered. Besides, when Martini isn't being a confusing, all over the place, nut job, he's kinda decent.

"So, what's the story morning glory?" She takes a seat beside him, rather than making him talk across the room. She doesn't sprawl like he is, but sitting on the mats and leaning back slightly does for just now. "I sense there is more than catty girl stealing a boyfriend here."

[movetheearth]

So Ric elaborates about the group trip to Spokane, enjoying themselves and just relaxing. Then he explains about the jerks at the mini golf, the ones who had started on Phe and Martini before it got out of hand and then the accident, the skin to skin contact where Ric finally got to experience Rogue's power first hand, literally

[greenhaired]

Being an only child, Lorna has never really dealt with anything like sibling rivalry -even if it's fake siblings, but whatever. She is fairly good at keeping up with other people and their family drama though

[movetheearth]

"No! I... well yes but..." Ric really has no idea how to answer the first question, jaw working up and down leaving him looking a little bit like a fish. He sighs softly, scrubbing a hand over his face, as he mulls over what really made him angry. Lorna has a point, a really big, very genuinely honest and obvious point. Rogue's actions, as hurtful as they were, came as a result of her being, as Lorna put it so eloquently, just a little bit lost under all these crazy, scary emotions. Rogue had ended up with Ric in her head and all his feelings, memories, emotions and for someone that has had to live with it everyday even Ric knows it can be a bit overwhelming. "She wasn't trying to steal Martini and I understand that she just reacted to my feelings for him in her head...I don't even know what I was really angry about. It's the trust side of things, I guess. I have... issuesSitting up Ric picks at the hem of his tank vest and possibly pouts a little. "I'll forgive her for kissing Martini before she forgives me, that much I can predict.

[greenhaired]

"Don't we all." The 'issues' that they all had could amount up to a nuclear bomb, Lorna would bet. Her own were fairly trivial, probably the exact same as any other adopted child. But she had a good upbringing in a safe stable home. And then she had Emma when her powers started to freak her out. Lorna hadn't really had it bad until she'd been arrested for murders that she wasn't to blame for. And even then, Emma bailed her out

[movetheearth]

There's a soft chuckle from Ric at the comment, he's thankful she doesn't try to pry into his life and his issues. He knows that there are others in camp who would dig and dig until Ric couldn't take anymore and really lost it. Where as Lorna? Well she's just taking the facts and straightening them out a little more for him. He nods, acknowledging her statement, he too dislikes this moping version of himself because Ric is all too well aware of where it can lead.

Jostled just a little from where Lorna settles beside him, Ric's recognizes the gesture for what it is, physical comfort and a nudge in the right direction. He's got to hope too that Rogue doesn't decide to take a swing at him because that girl packs a punch and a half. Reaching out to take Lorna's hand, Ric brings it to his lips and presses a lingering kiss to the back of it. "So what you are saying is that trying to charm my way into other people's beds is not the answer? DamnRic's only teasing though and he nudges Lorna with his shoulder, there's a slight tugging at the

[greenhaired]

If Lorna wanted to listen to everyone and their sob story, she would've studied Psychology instead of Geology and gotten herself a nice little office with one of those stupid couches. She didn't, though, because she wasn't interested.

"It is such a bad idea, that if you try it, I will zap you with so much magnetism, you won't be able to get it up until your forty." There's just something about Martini that, while she really likes Rictor too, she'd probably punch Rictor in the face if he hurt Martini like that. Especially if it was over something as stupid as one kiss from a friend.

Still, she leans over, wraps her arms around his shoulders and places a friendly kiss against his cheek. "It's because I'm a natural lime-head, none of those chemicals to kill my brain cells. That and I'm female, we always make sense, you just don't listen right."

[movetheearth]

"Alright! Alright! I get the hint, no playing the field. Wasn't like I was going to anyway. I may be an idiot at times but I'm not that stupid." As much as Ric is angry he'd never hurt Martini like that, not just because he knows that his boyfriend would kick his ass but because there's no urge to do so.

Leaning into the hug he laughs, ruffling Lorna's hair as she presses a kiss to his cheek. "Yeah, yeah I get it. You're amazing because you've got boobs. No need to preen your own ego."

It's going to take time but at least now Ric can start to at least work on forgiving Rogue and putting aside the anger he's feeling. The kiss happened, it can't be taken back and nor can the slap but like Lorna said, given time trust and what they have can be rebuilt. He turns his head to press his forehead against Lorna's and smirks. "I'd better let you train in peace."