{002}. † :: Too bad, but it's the life you lead ::

[iwascomplete]

Well, she'd been there long enough to know the ropes and get what was going on. She'd been there long enough to get settled, long enough to meet people and make a few new friends... Long enough to relax and try to get over the shock of being ripped out of Heaven. Even with a wonderful and understanding roommate to talk to, her best friend being

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[redeemedripper]

John took most hours of his days to reflect. His time in El Dorado had begun to look more and more like fate. First, he had encountered Helen from a future point in time - a time when she was aware of his true condition, and a time when their daughter had already passed on. Then, he'd met a man claiming to be an angel, and after a few moments of conversation, John actually believed him. Both events had shaken the normally stoic man to his core. What was this place, to bring him together with such poignant figures? Was his task here to repent for his sins, to change? Did others have such quests? John didn't have the answers to his questions, and so he spent many hours wandering the hotel and the city, pondering the possibilities. Today was not any different than such a day

[iwascomplete]

Buffy heard the door, somewhere far off in her mind, but she was too immersed in what she was doing to react to it. She closed her eyes tightly and focused on her target, landing a series of punches on the same spot over, and over, until it weakened just slightly. This punching bag wasn't going to last long if she kept up training like this on a near-daily basis

[redeemedripper]

John stood very still as she walked away from her exercise and moved to sit on the mat. He shifted slightly, removing his long leather coat, and began to roll up the cuffs of his sleeves. There was so much bottled up inside of her - a rage, perhaps? It was nearly always his first assumption, based on his own experiences. If she needed an outlet, it was also possible that she needed one that would fight back - not simply take her blows in turn. He understood that need, and would oblige if it was what she required. John walked forward slowly, the sound of his footsteps seeming impossibly loud compared to the silence between the both of them. He stopped a few feet away and looked back at her with the same expectation.

"Well?" He said, his expression serious, "Shall we begin? I think you should find me a most interesting opponent." He knew his style of fighting nearly always involved utilizing his gift, so it was only fair to let her know beforehand. John was still under the impression that this young woman was normal in her aggression

[iwascomplete]

Buffy hadn't expected him to prepare himself for a spar of any kind, but she wasn't closed to the idea, and stepped forward toward him. Her eyebrows raised as she watched him disappear for a moment only to reappear in a different spot. It reminded her slightly of Dracula, but she had every reason to believe that his intentions were good in this. He hadn't given her any reason to think he was a threat.

"Alright. If you're offering, I guess I'll take it. Can't be any worse than a vampire." She spoke so nonchalantly of her charge, but time had tested her enough and this place seemed safe. She'd met one vampire, who was quite harmless, and didn't really worry about others finding out about her here - especially if they weren't large in number. A deep breath was followed by a few well-placed and quick steps forward, and she threw herself into a cartwheel that was proceeded by a flip, which then melted into a series of rapid fire punches.

[shortpantsrobin]

Dick had been working out on the uneven bars wearing shorts and not much else when the girl came in. At first he hadn't paid much attention to her. He noticed, of course, but he'd been too focused on his own gymnastics. But then she started crying.

He wouldn't be a superhero if he could stand seeing someone in pain. He swung around the uneven bars one last time and flipped to the ground. He walked towards her... but she'd stopped crying. She was doing some sort of routine. Dick didn't want to surprise her while she was doing it. So he just let her practice.

And then she started doing flips and gymnastics good enough to impress even Dick. Dick made a mental note to find an excuse to spar with her. Her style seemed close enough to his own that it would definitely be interesting.

But something was wrong. She wasn't crying anymore, but some of those punches had to hurt her. And he was pretty sure he knew exactly what she was doing. He'd done it himself, more than a few times. Facing a pain or a problem so emotional, so painful, that it

[iwascomplete]

She wasn't aware of the fact that he was even there, let alone approaching her, until she felt the hand on her arm. Buffy turned to him, her eyes fierce with anger and still glossed over with the shimmer of tears. Her other arm came up and immediately swung at him. She hadn't meant to react like that, but it was a reflex, and he'd invaded her space.

The tears began to leave her eyes again and she let out a loud grunt, ripping her arm back away from him and moving to kick his legs out from under him. She didn't want to hear from anyone that it wouldn't help. She needed it. she needed to feel.

[shortpantsrobin]

Her response wasn't entirely unexpected. Dick ducked her punch and moved back. He did a back flip to avoid her kick. He wasn't going to try and hit her back, though. It wouldn't help. Maybe another time. Now, he'd just focus on being as impossible to hit as he could.

"Look, I don't know you, I don't know what's bothering you, but I do know what you're doing. I've been there myself. Hurting yourself really won't make it better. But if you want, we can talk." He'd had plenty of practice chatting during fights. It wasn't hard to get the words out between dodges.

[iwascomplete]

Well. She wasn't expecting that. Buffy jumped forward at him, going for a low hook to the gut, poised and ready for any recoil she might get. She grunted frustratedly, throwing punch after kick after blade, flipping herself, throwing herself at him with her all.

"You can't-" she breathed, starting to give in to a series of sobs "-possibly even begin-" another pause for a punch. Buffy wasn't having this, any of it. "-to understand!" Her fighting only got better, even with the way her abdomen began to tremble as she cried. "It doesn't hurt-" she threw a kick, high, jumping and aiming for his ribs "-because I can't feel anything!"