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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[mad_asahatter]

As the illness faded, most people returned to their normal emotional state. It felt better, it was a good different from the week or so of everyone feeling down. The discomfort faded, the tiredness was gone, people started to feel relieved -mostly to be out of the medical centre she figured. But what Phe couldn't understand was the odd signature she was getting from Rictor

[movetheearth]

It would be so much easier to just let Ophelia quell the anger and mess of anxious feelings that knot and boil away in the pit of his stomach but in all honesty? Ric is kind of enjoying the heavy, angry sensation that thrums in his veins and makes him want to lash out. Wallowing in self pity and possibly punishing himself for what happened between him and Rogue.

The slap, upon reflection, might have been a step too far.

Maybe.

Watching Phe out of the corner of his eye Ric is pleased when she doesn't interrupt his workout, even bracing himself for the tendrils of emotion when Phe nudges him back on track. But they don't come and he allows the dark cloud he's beneath to fuel his workout. Finally though he needs a break and moving over to join Phe, Ric slides down the wall as he drains the water from his bottle.

He open and closes his mouth to respond but after a couple aborted attempts Ric just falls silent again. Which probably says more about his mood than anything else.

[mad_asahatter]

She was starting to learn, somehow, that everyone needed to experience their emotions sometimes. Constantly coddling Rictor, as much as she wanted to, was probably going to give him some kind of breakdown and she really didn't want to spark that. He was unstable at the best of times, it was easier if Phe just stuck close to take the edge off some things.

And he seemed to be able to mostly work through things there. The anger was slowly melting into the exhaustion, and while Phe could tell it wasn't gone, it was simply stamped down, it seemed better this way than for her to take it away.

When he joined her on the floor, she waited for him to figure out what he wanted to say, and when that didn't happen, she just wrapped an arm around his neck, pulling his head to her shoulder and started stroking her hand through his hair, soothing without adding her powers just yet.

[movetheearth]

Ric is almost sprawling across Phe, face buried against her neck as he lets her simple petting soothe his emotions. He doesn't even realize that there are tears rolling down his cheeks until he lifts a hand to his face and wipes at them, fingers damp with moisture. Sniffling Ric sits up a little more, swiping at his face with the corner of his sweaty t-shirt.

"I trusted her Phe, I trusted her." He could have started at the beginning, explained what happened but he doesn't just jumps in where it suits him. "She said all this shit about me, I mean I don't have problems Phe! I don't rely on drink or cigarettes I mean, what the fuck is she talking about?! Everyone enjoys a drink or two and smoking is my vice, sure but everyone has habits. I just..."

Ric reaches for the water bottle and drains the rest, head thudding back agains the wall. "She's like a sister to me Phe and she kissed him. How do I? How do I forgive that? How?"

[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.