We could be Heroes

[Liam Quez]

Bandages littered the floor of the training room, they were stained red mostly because I was terrible at resting. Ripping off the bandages that were covered in the fresh blood I dropped them and moved to wrap them with new bandages. My knuckles were bruised and abused, the punching bag in the training room had become subject to endless nights and days of torment. All I could picture is that man’s face, I wanted to hit it over and over again. Once my hands were wrapped again I flexed my fists and the bandages tightened against flesh. Moving towards the bag I adjusted the tank top I wore which seemed to also have my blood dried against its now wet fabric.

If someone asked me what the day was, I wouldn’t be able to answer them, after the incident I couldn’t focus on anything else. I recovered quickly and then I was picked up by Ashin, her Papa. The woman dragged me to her personal training room which I quickly dubbed hell. There I was beat over and over again till I could focus enough to fight back. Even then, I couldn’t over come the woman - she was too good. It frustrated me because I knew if I wanted to be able to save Ibaris, I had to win. The woman beat the living kark out of me, day in and day out. When she wasn’t searching for her daughter she had me by collar throwing me around like a rag doll. Finally I started to fight back, finally I started to be able to take the hits she was throwing at me, and then I was able to tag along. I wasn’t with them when they finally got her, I was in a different area looking at a different lead, but when I got the news I had never been happier. It felt like the nightmare was over, but I still failed.

My fists started to make contact with the bag, the pain surged through my hands and into my arm. I didn’t cringe, I couldn’t the training that I had received helped me deal with it. Showing the pain only gave my opponent the knowledge that what they were doing was hurting me. I hit the bag in a quick spurt of punches, the bag swung hard and then came back with more weight as it moved, I continued and then I heard my name. The voice that it belonged to sounded like a dream. When she was gone, I could hear her yelling at me, but I knew it was all just my imagination and my own form of missing her. I walked towards the ramp of the ship, I didn’t remove the bandages and I didn’t bother washing up. Sweat clung to my hair and the remnants of the beating I received from her Papa and the man that took her remained especially on my face. Blinking, I rounded the corner and stared at her with probably the stupidest face I had in my arsenal.


“Princess?” I had a lot more to say, but I was still shocked to see her, I wanted to do more - like hug her or something, but my body held me where I was.


[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

Her eyes, they couldn't leave his form; it wasn't because he was only half-dressed, but because she felt that if she looked away, it might not come out right, or it might not come out at all - it was pride, some of it, and pride she knew was a problem. She'd talked to enough Jedi to know that as some lightsided fact. Though she was certain she would never be a Jedi through and through for very obvious reasons, she still held some concern over her soul, and how others perceived her, given they were nearly all of the Light, anyway... but all that mattered in the here and now was how [member="Liam Quez"] saw her. She shuffled a foot, scratching with the toe of her boot at the dirt.

"Liam, I..." and the words just caught in her throat; yes, this was hard. Not as hard as it could have been if they hadn't just been through what they'd been through, but as said: pride. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. "...I'm sorry."

She swallowed, biting her lower lip, and rubbing her left upper arm. No, she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't.

"I'm sorry for everything. For not seeing. For being so foolish. I'm..."

Well, so much for not crying. Tears were starting to prick at the inner corners of her eyes, but she did not move to wipe them once they started. Just let them happen, was what she told herself finally, when she felt their approach, just let it happen, who cares what anyone thinks? She breathed out a shuddering sigh, and looked away, to the ground, where the moist droplets were making small, dark spots in the dirt.

"...I have been so wrong, Liam. So wrong. But most of all, I'm sorry for what I've done to you. It wasn't right, and I should have better control."

Another shuddering breath, and the tears were flowing freely now. She lifted her head, and looked on him again. The next words were on the tip of her tongue, but they were the hardest ones. She clenched her teeth, holding in a breath, and squeezed her eyes shut. She could do this. If she could face down beasts, and survive the man that took her without being destroyed, she could do this one thing.

"What happened..."

Her eyes creaked open.

"...what happened, Liam, was my fault, and don't you dare tell me otherwise!"

Only then did her hands go to her eyes, palms pressing into them, getting wet.

 

[Liam Quez]

I had never seen her like this before. At first it honestly scared me, the last time she was upset to this point she threw me back with the Force and locked herself in her room. I half expected to be flung back into the training room, but that didn’t happen. She remained where she was with her face in her hands crying. Every fiber in my being hurt, not from the physical pain I had endured, but the emotional pain from her crying in front of me. Feeling like the cause, I took a few steps forward and stood in front of her. Nothing seemed right to comfort her. What I wanted to do was hug her hold her close to me – but I probably smelled terrible and needed a shower. While her face was covered, I casually lifted my arm and sniffed quickly. Nope, I smelled like the mixture of hard work and the forest.

Feeling a bit more confident, I stood closer and wrapped my arms around her for a moment tightly. I was taller than her more so now that we had gotten older. I rested my face against the top of her head the best I could. I didn’t hold her too long knowing that she’d find a way to push me away one way or another. Releasing her after a few moments I let my hands run along her arms until I was able to grab her wrists softly and pull them from her face. I smiled and shrugged. “A lot. I got into a fight with that man. He surprised you and Adas – you couldn’t do anything to change that. It seemed he knew more about you than you would have known. Your habits, everything.” I released her hands and ran a hand through my damp hair. “I didn’t fully think out the right attack plan. I kind of went in a bit foolishly – I couldn’t think straight, well beyond the fact that I needed to get you out of there.” Looking down at my hand, I ran a finger against the healing stab wound. It was almost gone and would leave a long scar in my palm.

An invitation of sorts, a challenge from the man to find him. I knew what he looked like and I would find him and make him pay for everything he had done. My eyes looked up from the scar and back towards Ibaris. “I failed you. I’m sorry for that. It won’t happen again. Your Papa taught me how to fight and I’m going to find that man – especially now that you’re safe.” Frowning, I noticed the bandages were starting to stain again. Stepping away from her, I began to unwrap them to change the dressing. I would go back to beating up the bag in a moment, but for now I just wanted to be near her for as long as she’d let me of course. “I couldn’t sleep. I searched everywhere for you.” Pausing, I folded the bloody bandages and took a deep breath, held it for a moment then exhaled. My eyes fell on her and stared into the hazel orbs. “I can’t lose you…” I stopped myself, I couldn’t get too honest with my feelings. I didn’t know how she was going to respond or if she would turn and throw me against the wall if I made her uncomfortable. I reserved myself and turned my eyes away from her.


[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

There was a silence of several moments, when she stood there with her hands pressed into her eyes, not a shuffle, no words, until footsteps brought him closer, and his arms were around her, his face against her crown. She didn't have it in herself to stiffen, and were she truthful with herself, being held wasn't unwanted... though it didn't last, as he soon released her, to pull her hands away from her face, her eyes. Her head hung where it was when he pulled them away and began to speak, and she still had to fight herself, her burden of shame and doubt, to lift her eyes to look on him. When he released her fully, she found the will to do so, and wiped her eyes with her sleeves, only able to see the way he fingered the wound in his hand through a blurred lens.

When he spoke of his own failure, she wanted to object, but held her tongue instead. This was his belief, this was his need to protect, and she simply couldn't continue to brush it off or reject it. He was who he was and it wasn't something she could change, and again, if she were truthful with herself... her hazel eyes tracked him, vision clearing when he went to change the bandages, and the stain was seen. A stain for which she felt at fault. It all could have been avoided. None of this would have happened if she... he voiced an inability to sleep, because of what happened, efforts almost in vain to find her. The vessel of her self-blame had the wind dashed from its sails, another ship passing and stalling much the same. His next words strangled her breath, and his looking her straight in the eyes was almost more than she could take, and her gaze dropped away; she willed herself to breathe.

"I..."

She sucked in a long breath. Released it in a faint sigh, after many seconds of holding.

"...I need you."

And that was the hardest, scariest thing to admit.

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

She caught me off guard. I stood there and stared back at her for a few moments. It wasn’t out of mere confusion, I was mostly trying to memorize this moment and make sure that I heard her right. The last thing I needed to do was assume she said something she didn’t. The girl in front of me needed me, I knew this, but to hear her admit it put validation into what I had been doing – what I’ve done to get to this point. The sleepless nights didn’t seem so terrible now that I knew how to fight properly and not so irrational.

I needed to say something, silence had fallen between us and the air was growing thicker by the moment. I had to say something before she took back what she said to me and then I’d be left with nothing. Part of me wanted to pull her back into my embrace, another part of me for some reason wanted to kiss her, I did neither and just stood there in disbelief. Ibaris wasn’t the type of girl to admit things like this – if she did there was usually a catch or some sort of sarcastic tone or comment following it. Guess she enjoyed keeping me humble and not full of myself. This time was different. I finished with the bandages and did my best to hide a smile. I flexed my hands feeling the strain of the daily training I had been doing.

“I…” Pausing as I moved once again close to her standing before her. She was shorter than me and for the first time in a while I realized this. Her eyes were still wet from her tears and I reached up and ran my thumb gently under her right eye to dry any of the lingering tears. “I don’t like it when you cry.” A smile spread across my face. I told her the truth, when she cried it destroyed me internally especially if I couldn’t make what made her cry go away. The only thing on my mind right now was to hold her and comfort her. What happened with her kidnapping wasn’t her fault – the important thing was that she was back and okay. “Don’t blame yourself okay?” I was serious. Remembering moments like this in the holofilms I have binged on, I looked at her straight in the eye and worked up the courage as much as possible.

“Ibaris. I…” I stepped closer, this time I invaded her personal space. My muscles tensed for several reasons, mostly to brace myself against another one of those magical force blows she enjoyed throwing at me. “Can I…uh, I want to kiss you right now.” I leaned in slightly giving her some time to make up her mind. I wanted to tell her that I needed her as well, I needed her more than anything – she was my reason for everything that I do.

[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

She said it, and she couldn't take it back. She hadn't been wrestling with that for especially long - no, before the kidnapping she hadn't believed she really needed him at all, but even then there had been something that nagged at her, and had begun to make her feel not right about how she treated him. She just couldn't see it for what it was. But now, after it all, she had a lot of time for introspection, for hindsight which was just so painfully clear. She did need him, but the rest of it was still confusing. Her eyes, a tad red, looked at his own, and a faint approximation of a smile, perhaps a tad forced, curved her lips a little.

"Liam, I..."

She raised a hand, a mostly limp hand with a significant measure of hesitance, and after a moment managed to press it against his chest, fingers curling slightly.

"...I can't."

Not 'no', not 'I don't wan't to', but 'I can't'. She wasn't incapable, no. Simply put, she wasn't...

"I'm not ready for that stuff, okay?"

And it was honest. With everything that happened, yes, she was just tempted to give in, but would it be right? She couldn't be certain, and she needed to be absolutely sure.

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

Her touch felt hot against the thin material of my tank top. There was resistance with her hand and I stopped moving forward. I half expected it, but with her confession I had assumed this was what she wanted. I was happy, don't get me wrong. I felt so at peace close to her like this, mostly because she kept me at such a distance until this moment. Takin a step back, distance was given to her once again and I felt that emptiness again. Despite my feelings I smiled and put my hands in my pockets.

"I'm sorry about that." I thought about being honest with how I felt about her, I wondered if it would help her realize how she felt - if she felt the same way. "I.." No, now wasn't the right time, she had just told me she wasn't there. Instead I decided I would return to the place where I hoped that she would one day feel the same way I do. "I need you too Ibaris. I won't let anything happen to you."

Shrugging, I looked and flashed the girl that cocky son of a gun smirk which made me feel like the coolest and hottest guy this side of the Galaxy. "Watch my back?"


[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

When he stepped back, her hand curled and hung in the air a moment, before dropping to her side. She took a deep breath in and out, watching him slip those hands - one of which had just wiped her tears - into pockets, and he was closing up again. Again, as if she hadn't noticed it before, and she hadn't. That made her want to kick herself, all while feeling awkward about it; it gave weight to a tension she was now very aware of... but she was right about herself. Not yet, she'd said. Not ready.

When he said sorry, she said nothing and just watched him, stumbling, trying to find a thing to say, a thing that ended up being the reciprocation of her own admission. She blinked at that, her brows knit tight, her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't take the tears again, she felt too vulnerable, already. A slow breath in, then out, and her expression softened again, eyes open to see that cocky grin to which she'd become so accustomed, accompanied by an errant thought on the matter of being without it.

"Well," she started, "I think that's the best question you've ever asked."

She raked her hands through her hair, pulling back the strands that had become loose.

"But how?"

Up until this point, he'd been doing all the watching. She knew how to point a blaster, but even then, it'd been a while.

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

How wasn’t something I expected from her? From my knowledge she was always in the training room meditating and centering herself. To me that was training for her, but when she asked how, I was a bit baffled on how to answer. My hands dug further into the pockets as I tried to figure out how to word my surprise so that it didn’t sound accusing or surprised. I met her parents, they were strong – like really strong…different types of strong too which is why I’m terrified of them. I looked at her, the splitting image of her mother and on a usually occasion the stare and stern brow of her Papa. Remembering the woman only made me go pale for a moment.

“Ah well, you can shoot decently enough and you have the force. I’ve seen some Jedi dudes throw rocks and stuff, others can shoot lighting from their fingertips!” Of course I couldn’t help myself and I had to mimic the way the forcers would shoot lightening. My hands raised and bent as my face contorted into something painful as I playfully shocked Ibaris with my nonexistent force lightning. If I was a force user that would definitely be my favorite force power. A hand moved to the back of my neck, I felt how shaggy my hair had gotten and made a note to hit the barber shop when we dock for refueling.

“Honestly though Princess, just keep me from doing something stupid. I can get a bit single minded and that means when I’m watching out for you I forget to watch out for myself. So I just need you to be there to watch out for me – because if you don’t do it no one else will.” I smiled, she was my best friend and I hoped that one day it could be more. Again I had to fight the urge to push it farther. My face lit up as I remembered a conversation we had a few years ago. “You wanna learn to fight Princess?”

[member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

When he mentioned how her aim was at the very least okay, that made her expression perk up a bit. There were fond memories attached to the time she'd spent with Ashin, learning of the tamest to the most dangerous projectile arms, bit by bit. She rationalized it to be that engaging at a distance was safer, in the eyes of her parents, but being at a distance wasn't always an option.

"My Papa taught me everything I know about ranged weaponry," she said with a straight, matter-of-fact tone, "the range aboard the Chimaera was the place that a lot of our conversations took place when home was less of a certain thing, when the Force was not at all to be trusted."

It was a time in her life that left a lasting impact on how she interacted with the universe around her. She missed that ship as much as, if not more than Annaj, at times.

"But I know that staying at range isn't always an option, and no matter how much you hold that desire to protect me, there are going to be times when you can't, whether because of limitation or absence beyond your control," she said, her tongue poking out to wet her lips, "and yes, there's no-one protecting you; that's been a burr in my brain for a while. A long while, I think."

Something, perhaps, that she recognized as happening as early as their first days together, when she was certain he was going to kill himself, not seeing what he was really trying to do.

"So yes, I wanna learn, and I'd learn from Papa, but there's one thing you got more of than she does - time to spare."

She didn't have any resentment. She understood her parents, what they often did, and why.

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

My arms folded against my chest as I listened to her recall memories of the times with her Papa. It was an odd relationship, especially before I had met the woman that Ibaris called “Papa”. My mind was opened to the entire thing when she would put the gender words to the usually male title. Either way it wasn’t a big deal to me, just different - but that’s what made Ibaris pretty interesting. She was very different, a lot different from any of the other girls I had met. Something always drew me to her even when we would fight, something was always so magnetic. Anyways she wanted to learn - which was a good start especially since she did point out one of the major flaws in my overprotective nature.

There was no one to cover my rear end. I grinned and nodded along with her, I was tired of frowning or having no emotion on my face. It felt like I had been that way for so long. Looking down at my wrist pretending I had a watch on it I shrugged. “Well I do have time, but with how things seem to work out for us Princess - it's never really on our side.” Not bothering to try and figure out if she was wanting to start now or later - I made it start now.

[SIZE=14.6667px]“Let’s go. I’m sure you remember where the training room is.” I went to move back down the hallway towards the room, but decided to take advantage of this moment I turned back and faced her. It only took a couple of long strides to stand before her and wrap my arms around her waist. It was a quick motion, but I had a feeling she was going to be the type to kick and try and get out. Still her light weight frame was thrown over my shoulder and we headed down towards the training room. “We start now, you seem to have passed any physical examination your parents had you go through. So I’m not worried - I’m gonna learn you up good Princess!” I did my best to sound very pirate like as I headed into the training room[/SIZE][SIZE=14.6667px]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14.6667px][member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"][/SIZE]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

Time was never on their side - that was the truth! She started to follow after him when he made his way back into the ship, heading towards the modest training room, but when he stopped, she stopped, her brow furling with question. Then he turned around abruptly, and the first stride had her stepping back one, but he moved faster; next thing she knew, she was over his shoulder, and indignant.

"You put me down right now!" she demanded, pounding her fists into his back, "I have two legs and a heartbeat, you... you lug!"

But he was unmoved. It didn't stop her from continuing on, but she wasn't as displeased as she might have been if he'd tried this before now. Under the indignation was humour, and that would have remained utterly secret if her beating and slapping of his back, and vocal cursing of him hadn't started to be stuttered with laughter that carried the sound of disbelief.

"Don't make me hurt you, Liam! I swear..."

At least some things never changed.

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

Her small fists pounded into my back, she was strong even when she was play fighting…I think. Ibaris continued to shout her disapproval of my actions, but her laughter ruined any seriousness she was trying to convey. “Lug?! Is that all you can come with?” I continued down to the small training room. I was still barefooted from the previous hours of training; I could feel the wear on the mat from the use of its previous owners and myself. I plopped the princess down on the mat and then proceeded to quickly strip her of her shoes. “No shoes Princess, sorry you know the rules” Standing up from my knee, I placed my hands on my waist.

“You’re right I have all the time in the galaxy, but it’s the galaxy that doesn’t have all the time. So I’m going to teach you what your Papa taught me.” There was so much that the woman had shown me, mostly beating it through my skull because I was too stubborn and distracted to grasp it otherwise. Her fist making contact with my body, breaking ribs and other bones, then having her wife patch me up so I could go another round. I couldn’t tell you how many times I wanted to just roll over and die. The way that woman punched without the force aiding her was something impressive. Inhaling, I refocused my mind and put my hand out to Ibaris.

“Come on Princess, off your ass – time is burning away.” I grinned. “Show me what you got” [member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

Well, he finally put her down, and she was all red in the face. Flustered. She scrunched her nose and shot him a look, but in the next moment it became very clear that he wasn't yet done manhandling her. His yanking on her legs to free her of her shoes had her flat on her back in an instant, which added a point to her ire, as weak as that was right now, and made her wish she could retaliate in a manner that wasn't unfair. She propped herself up on her elbows when he opened his mouth again, and she looked up at him, her lips pursed in feebly malicious thought.

"You're the one that deposited me on the floor, Farmboy," she retorted, grasping his wrist, and allowing herself to be hauled to her feet, "so don't you get after me for wasting time."

Once on solid footing, her fingers curled tight, and she lobbed her right fist right at his face, remembering that life and the people in it were far from fair. If she didn't know it before, her kidnapper had certainly made sure she learned it by his actions, his words. What didn't occur to her was how much all of this might hurt. She'd always used the Force, before.

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

"I'll get on you until you get me off of you" Of course I didn't mean this in any other way than the literal. She was entering my school of hard knocks and despite the fact that I'd rather show her how much I cared - I needed to get her stronger. If something happened and I couldn't be there she needed to be able to handle herself. Ibaris was strong with the Force, but what if something happened to it? You never know the future and I sure as hell don't know anything...no really there's only a few things that I know. Those are of course, ships, fighting and food. Really basic kind of guy here. Anyways, as she swung towards my face, I made note of her solid footing. Sweeping her wasn't going to be the smartest move here. Instead I decided to go with something different.

My left hand opened and pushed her fist from my face. Doing so allowed me to step to the side, opening her side to me I quickly snapped a kick towards her ribs. There was no holding back and I needed to make sure she knew that. If I held back here, Princess would become accustomed to it - though maybe I'm selling her a bit short. Either way it was going to get a bit rough here. Good thing we took off our shoes...might have been a good idea to wrap her knuckles up...oh well we'll deal with that later. [member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

She'd put everything into that punch, such that when her fist didn't make a connection, the momentum carried her through and she stumbled. Though she had the benefit of an advanced warning system by way of basic precognition, she wasn't in much of a position to defend herself from what was coming to her without resorting to the Force. She was trying hard not to give into that instinct, here, otherwise she would learn nothing. His foot connected to her side, she yelped in surprised despite knowing it was coming and followed through in a sideways stumble, coming to a stop after a few awkward sidesteps and exhaling with a pained grimace as she wrapped the hand she had just tried punching him with around to the point of contact.

"I guess," she started, eyeing him, "I'm going to get a bit of practice healing with all of this."

She released her side after a couple moments and stretched in such a way that she distinctly felt where she'd been kicked, with the motion. A lesser grimace, and she rolled her shoulders, deciding what to do next; the time taken for this consideration was a pressure. She knew a real adversary wouldn't afford her the time. She'd learned more than she realized from her experience.

"Healing myself, maybe you."

She kept eyeing him, pacing. Walk it off, girl.

"Maybe."

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

I felt somewhat bad after I felt the kick make contact. Maybe I should back off a little bit until she gets used to it all. It was easy to forget that she had just returned to us especially after her ordeal, she needed some sort of time off right? No, she needed to learn, it was what I was here for. To teach her what I've learned so that she doesn't get into the same predicament as before. Giving her only a few moments to do what she needed to for thought gathering.

"Heal me? You have to hit me first Princess." My fingers gestured for her to stop thinking and start reacting and fighting back. I knew she had it in her, there was something spunky about her. If she didn't have that fire inside of her, she wouldn't have survived. Guess I had her parents to thank for that. My mind went blank as I tried to not focus on the what ifs of her not returning. Still, I needed to use this training as my own - so I could find the man and kill him for what he had done to her.

I stepped forward, with my hands raised as if I was going to start striking. Instead though, my hips shifted and my feet came together for a quick shuffle. The shuffle allowed me to cover the distance between us. The blade of my foot would strike outward in the quick kick, following it would be a left punch to the chest. A quick combo - she needed to think on her feet. If the kick was deflected the punch would still follow but most likely not be on the same target plane. If the kick landed, she would probably need a moment to heal herself and catch her breath. [member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

There was no need to heal herself yet. She was made of some tough stuff, could grin and bear a bit, shrug off a bit. She was far, far from indestructible, and she was no masochist, but she could manage. Her tongue poked out in response to his taunting and disappeared back into her mouth, her pacing becoming less 'walk it off', and more 'not being a stationary target' as she rolled her shoulders and straightened out. It'd be so easy to do this without touching him at all, but that would hardly be fair, and it wasn't the point.

What she couldn't turn off was her Force-given sense, and after everything that happened, she intended to never turn a blind eye to it again. Her meditations now focussed on heeding the twinges, the little touches of presences and prescient hints of impending events. The hunches, the cold frissons, the hairs standing up on end. The whisper, the tickle at the back of her mind when the foot was about to come at her. All she did was follow the will of this all-encompassing power that was woven through every fibre of her being, grabbing at the foot, the leg, with both hands and arms, curling them around it as firmly as she could.

Then she yanked as best she could, with a grunt.

[member="Liam Quez"]

 

[Liam Quez]

The punches meant nothing once my leg had been grabbed. Cursing in the back of my head I knew I shouldn’t have let it linger like that. She was quick, she was a force user - I needed to make sure my moves were on point. She could read minds and stuff, she probably knew about other things I thought about. Which I should probably stop thinking about them or she’ll start using the Force on me. Ibaris pulled my leg, which forced my weight to shift. This didn’t bother me too much, since there was a plan for it - but I don’t think she’d be quite fond of it.

As my weight shifted, I leaned into it giving her all of my weight. The leg that was holding me up pushed upward and moved to knee her as I practically tackled her with my knees. I kept my arms in front of me - in case she decided to try and punch me while I was in mid air aiming to tackle her with my knees to her chest.

Remember that part when I was trying to get laid? Yeah, so not happening now. [member="Ibaris Varanin"]

 

[Ibaris Varanin]

It was unavoidable, as far as she could know at the time, and next thing that was clear was her falling backwards with his knees the furthest past her waistline than they had ever been, urging her in that direction, and fast. Her eyes were wide; it was abundantly clear she was going nowhere away from this, and she only did what she could think of in those fractions of seconds to keep her head from going smack too hard. Then she went thud, with the weight of him atop her, and what wind was left in her lungs rushed out, leaving her deprived only for as long as it took for his knees to slip away from her chest...

...leaving him sitting on her stomach, with her sucking in air and coughing it back out, still possessed of some modicum of propriety to the last, turning her head in a vain effort to not blow her sore sputters right at him. Moisture had pricked at her eyes in involuntary response to the pain, and damn it all, she couldn't wipe, couldn't cover, couldn't anything with his knees pinning her arms to her sides.

"That..." she wheezed, head still turned, "...fething hurt."

She squirmed a little, but it was futile.

"And you," her head turned back, and she looked down her nose toward him, "you're karking heavy," as futile as it was, she squirmed again, "geddoff me."

[member="Liam Quez"]