driftfleet | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: Natasha Romanoff
Broadcast: Text
Action: Iskaulit
When: Now-ish or tomorrow morning

W4MW4Friendly Fight

Woman seeking sparring partner for morning workout. Call it cabin fever, but looking for new challenges. Normal human to moderately enhanced welcome. High skill level preferred, but beginners welcome if they're interested in a lesson.

Reply here if interested, or see Natasha Romanoff in the gym, tomorrow morning 8am.

[True to her word, Natasha can be found at the gym on the Iskaulit in the morning. She's already dressed and warmed up. She looks like she means business, but less angry or troubled—not like some of her other recent turns at the gym—but she's serious enough to give someone second thoughts if they weren't entirely sure in the first place.

Who's up for a few rounds?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Only one way to find out for sure.

[ she squares up and shakes it out a bit ]

Ready?

Whenever you are.

[Natasha settles into a ready stance, raising one hand and motioning for Kara to come at her.]

[ she actually doesn't have a bad time holding back— she has to do it so often to blend in. She telegraphs her moves though, and there's an obvious measure of her holding back. She's afraid of hurting Natasha ]

[Natasha, on the other hand, has no such worries about Kara. With good reason, at least, but still there's not the least hesitation in her. She takes full advantage of Kara's caution, reading her moves and using both her strength and her lack of commitment against her.]

[ She might try to reset a few times, especially when she starts to get frustrated. She's way outclassed by Nat's skill and holding back is wearing on her, but she maintains it. she can be good!!! ]

[Natasha might not help much considering that, despite her merciless assault, she's not trying to win. She's trying to push Kara, goading her, doing her best to shake her and frustrate her further.

Probably not the safest strategy, but Natasha wants her to learn, and she's not going to learn from taking it easy on her.]

[ it's effective. kara's trying to stay positive/upbeat. it's not a quick descent ~~but writing fight scenes is hard~~ but Nat will definitely be able to see the annoyance rising ]

[When Kara is seeming most unbalanced, Natasha strikes with an aggressive throw, giving the younger woman the choice between holding her strength back and letting herself be taken to the mat, or slipping and using her strength and speed to stay upright and keep her advantage.]

[ she thinks about it but her instinct to protect you squishy humans overrides her inclination to stay upright, so Natasha takes her to the mat. It doesn't hurt or even jar her that much but there's an amount of resignation in the whole situation ]

I can see how you hang with a super soldier.

[Natasha breaks away, rolling to her feet. Her breathing is a little elevated, but still steady. In your way, Kara, you are a solid workout.]

I have a tough crowd to keep up with.

[She says, but something in her tone of voice says she's not struggling behind them, super soldiers, weaponized suits and telekinesis or no.]

I wouldn't expect any less.

[ Kara gets up and dusts herself off ]

So, notes?

You hold back too much. I appreciate the thought, but if you don't moderate that better, you're going to miss a lot of opportunities.

I'd rather miss opportunities than kill you, Natasha.

We have a little room to play between killing me and that performance.

It's easier just to pull all the way back.

You're right. It is.

Doing what's easiest isn't the best way to win a fight, though.

I wasn't really trying to win.

I could tell. That's the problem. You'll do what you practice. You practice holding back, that's what you'll do in a fight.

[A brief flash of wry humor in her smile.]

Not that I want you to let loose, but that would be easy too. You have to practice walking the edge.