maskormenacelogs | "Keep your shield up"

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"Keep your shield up"

WHO: Jon Snow and Kara Danvers
WHERE: Training Facility
WHEN: 5/28
WHAT: Sparring
WARNINGS: None

Jon twirled his tourney sword, stumbling backwards from Kara's hit. She was stronger than he was used to, something that had caught him off guard when they first began sparring together. It started as a bit of fun, but in training with Kara, he found that he had started to relax his guard and move through the motions. He needed practice and continued training. No matter what Ramsay Bolton had said, he knew there was no such thing as a great swordsman. Someone better would always come along, but he didn't want to bring anything less than his best when that came.

After their first few sessions seemed to end with a pile of broken tourney swords, he shifted his tactics, choosing instead to practice his defense and countering. While he still ended up with a broken sword on occasion, it wasn't something that was going to take all of his money. Her abilities were extreme, but enough that it required him to think, not just attack.

With her latest hit, he didn't doubt he'd be going home with bruises. It didn't worry him. If he was injured badly, Lucy could heal him and he'd just return here again the next day. "Again?" He asked, brushing a curl from his eyes. The strands of his hair were sticking to his brow, damp with sweat. "You are going easier on me than usual."

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It might seem unnerving, but Kara doesn't sweat, even when she's seriously exerting herself. Right now, she most decidedly isn't. She's being cautious to a fault, because hurting him is the last thing she'd ever want to do. Not when she has so small a circle of people she trusts in both this world and hers combined. These sessions so far have been a lot of fun for her, and the company for a trip to the ice cream shop afterward just as much.

Blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes, she takes a moment to use the elastic band on her wrist to tie it back into a ponytail so that it won't keep happening. Looking back at him now, she grins.

"You bet! And trust me, you don't want to see me coming toward you at full power." Because there wouldn't be anything left of him were she to. Taking a breath, she speeds forward again, bending an arm at the elbow to strike at the wooden sword he's holding. If he wants her to hit a little harder, though? Game. On.

That's precisely what she does, and that might just be another broken sword for the pile. Might, because where she relies on brute strength, he might shift tactics to make use of his wits. Something she's definitely not used to in a fight.

She was easing him into sweeter foods, vanilla ice cream so far being his favorite among sugared treats. Despite the bruises and exertion, he enjoyed their training and what came afterwards. There were few he could be at ease with, not since Sam or Edd, and even fewer in this world. Kara seemed unwilling to let him slip back into brooding or standing alone in the corner. Oddly, it didn't unsettle him. She was so friendly, it almost felt natural.

His hair was tied back in the bun he preferred. Why he didn't think about doing that at the Wall before, he couldn't say. He could see her more easily without his long hair and react accordingly.

"You never go at me at full power, but I think you're holding back even more than our last session." He fell into his stance as she comes charging at him, holding his sword up, prepared to strike.

Knowing that it might end up backfiring on him, he ducked down, attempting to use himself to trip her. The speed could be uncontrollable, enough that she might knock into the equipment behind him. She had managed to hit his elbow hard enough that the sword flew from his hand. He'd have to retrieve it if she actually did fall.

He's been so receptive to these sessions that she's wondering if it might be high time to organize a game night. For whoever would want to come, obviously, but him, too. Less opportunity to frown, and more to be stumped by questions in trivial pursuit. Over the past few weeks, she's become as fond of him as she is of Barry. Since she'd first put on the suit, there have been so few chances for her to just be with friends and hang out. Kara treasures each one she gets now.

While she's not taking this as seriously as she ought, he's all business. As overly confident as she is, she's amused rather than worried. Which she would be, if she'd actually learned the lesson Mon-El had tried to teach her about running in blind, no plan, no strategy.

"You've got to be kidding!" His goading has done its work, and she increases her speed. The last thing she thinks before making contact is that he's going to end up with something broken. Or several somethings.

Instead, his dodging at the last minute successfully throws her off balance, sailing off-side and into the equipment behind him in a loud clatter. Kara ends up in a heap on the floor, blinking up at him in somewhat of a daze.

"How...?" She's not used to this, still. But instead of being angry, she's delighted, a little grin forming on her face. "I mean, good move."

But not 'you win.' Not yet. Not by a long shot.

Her eagerness and impulsiveness is enough of an advantage for Jon to at least partially compensate for her superior strength. It was a losing battle, but he could at least make the winning a bit difficult. Even if he lost, he at least had honed some of his defensive skills.

He manages to roll away, his hip hurting from the impact but ignored. He quickly grabbed the sword and got back to his feet. He twirled the sword again, feeling bits of the handle breaking under his hand. It would be destroyed by the end of this.

"Did you break any of the equipment?" He asked, nodding at the place where she had fallen. It was unlikely that the training facility would be understanding, but that wasn't on his mind. "How many things are you going to break today?"

He tried to shift his weight, but the sting at his hip made him wince. Holding up his hand to indicate they pause, he limped over to the chair, grabbing his water and the ice pack he had brought with him. "You're like a battering ram."

Glancing over her shoulder at the busted up treadmill and exercise bike she'd been launched into, she outwardly cringes. Not to mention, she can feel that her impact with the floor had been with enough force to create a small crater in the concrete. had there been a mat underneath her, it'd have been torn to shreds. Kara laughs nervously, and shifts to regain her footing.

"I'll pay for it. Sorry ab—oh shut up." Laughing, she tosses a clean towel at him in playful spite. "Everything but your pride, which means I can pay for the damages and live with it."

Now she's teasing him, too. Her eyes are glimmering with amusement as she catches her breath, moving to join him in enjoying a bottle of water. hers was stowed safely underneath the chair she'd claimed when she'd come in, so she retrieves it now and laughs again. "Well, I mean if you ever have to lay siege to anyone, just give me a call!" He wouldn't need an army, in that case. She's an entire host unto herself.

Sitting down now, she raises an eyebrow and gives him a little smirk. "Watch this." Sometimes she can control her strength. Squeezing just a little bit against the bottom of her bottle, the cap pops clean off, flying across the room.

"It's more impressive when I do this with a bottle of champagne, but oh well."

She was as strong as a giant. He remembered how easily Wun Wun was able to break down the doors of Winterfell, charging in at full speed. But as soon as the image entered his head, it was quickly replaced by that final shot, the arrow that killed the last of the giants. He took another drink of his water, pushing away the regret and guilt.

He catches the towel with one hand. "Pride is easily repaired, but I don't know if that equipment can be?" It was already attracting attention, some of the other trainers stopped what they were doing to gather around and stare in amazement.

"Is it difficult to manage that strength?" He could picture it interfering with a number of things. "It took me time to learn to use my powers. Was it the same for you?" If there was anything she was confident in, it seemed to be her powers. He almost envied that.

He blinked in amazement. "Impressive. Did you show this to Sansa?" He hadn't forgotten that they had left him behind the last time they were at the training center.

Kara winces as she glances briefly over at the exercise bike she's just smashed, and heaves a deep sigh. Training would be better done at the DEO where everything is more Kara-proof. But she's not getting the sense that she'll be going home anytime soon, and this is the best she's got. It's embarrassing, and she looks somewhere between sheepish and contrite as she turns her attention back to her friend.

"Don't worry about it. I'll save and pay for what I broke." It's her responsibility, and she's got no problem shouldering that by herself. Rubbing the back of her neck self-consciously, she moves toward him, braiding her hair over a shoulder while she walks. Something to keep her hands busy. Otherwise her hair will end up in knots.

"Um." Nobody's asked her that before. If she'd settle down, have kids, work a day job, sure. But how her strength works? Never. "Yeah. It's less learning how to use it and more to control it. I can lift a trillion tonnes. And then I go and shake somebody's hand, and I almost break their fingers. I've accidentally hurt people more times than I can count."

Exactly four boys who'd tried kissing her in highschool and college. It hadn't seemed like such a great idea to them after them. Broken noses don't leave a great impression.

And then, his question makes her go still, and she blinks like a deer caught in the glare of highbeam headlights. "Uhhh no. I took her flying, actually." Again, she looks sheepish, and shuffles her feet, weight shifting from one to the other. She knows leaving him high and dry hadn't been very nice. It'd just been too easy to get caught up in the moment, the excitement of being able to help someone like her. "Sorry that led to us standing you up. I didn't think we'd be that long."

Kara usually seemed in control of her strength, but in this moment, they both lost control in their effort to have fun. Whatever he might say in jest, he suspected that the training facility was used to this sort of thing. There had to be others in the city with a great deal of strength.

He laughed. She hadn't broken any of his bones yet, but at the rate they were training, he knew it was possible it could happen. But it was amusing to imagine that a simple handshake would be enough to break a hand. "I'll be care not to shake your hand then."

At least it didn't seem out of the ordinary here. Everyone had strange abilities, to the point where her strength seemed almost normal.

"You owe me a day pass." He nudged her again, finishing off the last of his water. Sansa at least came back smiling, which was all he could ask for. She had been so grim in their world, but seeing her here, it was almost like getting a glimpse into the past. She seemed free and happy. That Kara helped with that earned his respect and thanks. "Next time you both go out, I'll make sure I don't spend my coin. You will pay for everything."

With a huff that blows some of her blonde curls out of her eyes, she turns toward him just in time for him to see her roll them heavenward. "Oh for Rao's sake! You can shake my head. I just need to be careful." A daily exercise in restraint and control, to temper the raw power of which she is so capable. Mon-El had made a good point back on Maaldoria. She relies too much on that power, even when it's gone.

Without control, without a plan, she could still land herself in hot water. When she glances back at him, she grins. He's so solemn that it's always a joy to see him relax and smile like that.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fine." Colour rises high in her cheeks now in embarrassment, she thinks. To detract from that, she raises her bottle of water to her lips and takes a long sip, letting her swallow without having to clear her throat noisily. Actually, she's flushed because she'd had a good time, too. The most fun she's had in a long while. It's nice to feel happy, like she isn't alone. Jon and Sansa have helped a lot with that.

When she twists the cap back onto her bottle, she nods sheepishly. "All right. Fair's fair. It was really nice, though. Helping someone like me." Pausing, an idea comes to her. "But I like spending time with both of you, so how about we have a game night sometime? I don't know if you've had the chance to play board games here yet, so there's no time like whenever we're all free next to learn. Trust me, it's fun."

Edited 2017-06-11 07:45 (UTC)

"I haven't." He responded, trying to imagine what a 'board game' would be exactly. There were various forms of entertainment in the city, but this was the first he heard the actual term. She knew her way around and understood this world. If he was missing something, she would drag him towards it, sometimes literally. But why not? It might be funny to see what she had in mind.

"I only ask you don't make plans with me, only to disappear later." He smiled again, giving her another nudge. "Speak with Sansa and choose a day. I'll stay home that night." If anything else, he would like to spend more time with Sansa and Kara. Better that it was the three of them, but a thought then occurred to him. "Would you mind if my brother joined us as well?"

With great exaggerated melodramatic effect, Kara rolls her eyes, huffing a purposefully gusty sigh before she breaks into a grin.

"Look, I'm sorry we stood you up. Won't happen again. Especially not for game night. Which is kinda meant to be more than a two-person thing, anyway." Kara playfully sticks out her tongue at him, and then nods as she stretches first one arm behind her back, then the other. She doesn't need to cooldown routine, not really. But it feels good, and she sips the last of her water once she's done.

"Sure thing! Uh, to both of those. I'd like to meet your brother, and we'll all pick a day we're free."

Kara turns toward him, and beckons toward the doors. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. I'll pay so you can stop complaining already."

And it's back to her, sticking out her tongue again.

He packed up his things, limping a little. The leg she collided against was still a bit sore, but he knew he'd recover by the end of the day. Food was at least a good way for her to "make it up to him." He gave her a nudge as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

"That sounds fair, but I will let you choose what we will have." Mainly because she knew food and he was curious what she would have him try.

He gave her another nudge as they left the training facility, his leg already starting to feel better.

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"Keep your shield up"

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