InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I feel so pretty..."

maxine_bastet (maxine_bastet) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2017-03-06 21:09:00

Entry tags:

ares, bastet, loki, persephone

We Run This
Who: Everyone
What: First Self Defence Class
Where: Pax Letale Gym
When: March 6, 2017, 7pm
Notes: The door to the gym on the ground floor of Pax Letale is wide open, dance music flowing out of it to entice the curious and the regulars. At the front of the room a fairly large space has been cleared of exercise machines and layered with soft mats. Coming in the front door, a table has been set up with a community volunteer sitting with a signup sheet and various pamphlets for guests.

At the front of the room, clad in spandex capris and a cutoff t-shirt chatting with Daniel as people started arriving. Once 7:05 rolled around Max turned down the music to subtle background noise and stepped forward to address the assembled group.

“Thank you all for coming!” she said with a smile, loud enough to be heard but not be shouting. “My name is Max, and I’ll be teaching you all some basic self-defence moves. I try to focus on practical situations that you would be the most likely to encounter in your day-to-day lives. My task is to prepare you for what’s out there, but I hope none of you will ever need the skills you’ll learn here. However, I do have a small survey at the desk you all avoided while coming in here where you can anonymously leave questions and suggestions for future classes.

“A big part of this class is developing muscle memory. Knowing what to do won’t help much if you’re actually in a threatening situation and you freeze up with panic. I want these moved to become so second-nature to you that you’ll react appropriately without having to think about it.

“My lovely assistant Daniel and I,” she gestured to him with a smile, “will be demonstrating for you today how to escape a simple grab from behind, and then we’re going to pair off and practice it until you all get it right. I’ll walk around to check on you and correct your form. And don’t be nervous to ask questions if you need help, that’s what we’re here for.

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nishka
2017-03-09 01:37 pm UTC (link)

Nish nodded as well as she could, going through the motions of stomping on the ground next to Isobel’s foot, and then miming an elbow to the stomach before twisting out of the other woman’s grasp. She smiled at her, but felt it had been too easy. She really needed to practice this with someone bigger than her, though Isobel had done her best. “Do you think you’re okay to try again?” she asked her, a slight note of concern in her voice, “it’s good to practice somewhere safe.” She was already thinking of a few other situations she’d like to learn how to get out of, and glanced over at the suggestion sheet on the table by the door.

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$Isobel Brandt \\ Persephone: i trip to feel alive$

praxidike
2017-03-09 01:48 pm UTC (link)

She mirrored Nish's nod.

"Yeah, I think I can handle it." She almost started to apologize again, and then gently bit her tongue to keep from doing so. She really needed to work on this whole walking doormat thing. Bracing herself, she stood completely still as Nish wove an arm around her neck, slowly tightening it, and Isobel mimicked all of the moves she'd seen performed. Hands came up, pulled back the arm to give her breathing room, chin tucked into Nish's elbow, foot stomp, and then a soft elbow into the woman's solar plexus. She felt much better for at least going through all the motions, even if it was all only playacting.

"You want to do it again? You're so much better at this than me; are you taking classes somewhere else?" Or maybe the woman had been through things similar to what Bryan had done to her. The thought made Isobel sad, that people did things like this to each other to necessitate learning how to defend oneself, but she fought to keep it from her face.

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nishka
2017-03-09 02:25 pm UTC (link)

Nish smiled happily as Isobel’s confidence seemed to improve, slipping a little easier out of Nish’s chokehold this time. There was something about this woman that reminded her…well, not so much of herself, but of who she might have been, in another life maybe. She seemed nervous and hesitant about everything, and it was something Nish herself had felt, though there was something else inside her pushing her to overcome it. To become stronger.

“I’ve been going to these classes a little longer,” she admitted, “before they moved them here, so don’t feel bad.” She leant in a little closer with a conspiratorial grin, “I almost took Daniel’s eye out once with my elbow, I was so uncoordinated.”

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thouros
2017-03-09 02:42 pm UTC (link)

Daniel had been winding his way through the small class, carefully observing and offering suggestions where they seemed prudent. He heard his name and steered directly toward Nish and a quiet young woman he recalled from an earlier gathering; she seemed not uncertain, exactly, but a bit uncomfortable with the situation, though she was facing it more bravely than many he had seen. Still, he sidled closer to Nish than to Isobel, letting her have the physical space she might need to deal with whatever baggage the class had brought to the forefront of her mind.

"That's not really a bad thing," he said, grinning broadly at Nish's comment. "I mean I'm glad you missed, and that I'm so damn good on my feet I got out of the way in time, but if you're in this situation for real, go for whatever soft bits you can. Even if it's completely by accident."

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$Isobel Brandt \\ Persephone: HA HA$

praxidike
2017-03-09 03:27 pm UTC (link)

Isobel's eyes had gone wide, though moreso in amusement than true amazement. She nodded at the instructor as he came up beside Nish.

"I guess that's just a job hazard, though? Any kind of defense class, I'd guess, would leave people with a few bumps and bruises. Thank you, by the way, for doing this. It's a huge help. I was going to another one over by my workplace, but this makes it a lot easier to find the time," she said to him, glancing at Nish throughout the conversation. "I'm glad I got paired up with people who know what they're doing, uh, eye-gouging and bruises aside."

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nishka
2017-03-09 03:34 pm UTC (link)

Nish laughed, playfully elbowing Daniel in the ribs. “Don’t worry, this guy is built like a tank,” she said for Isobel’s benefit. “I’m sure he could take whatever I accidentally dish out, have you seen the guns on this guy?” she asked, pulling up one of Daniel’s arms to show off his bicep and winking at her. “Hey, since you’re here, would you mind pulling that on me?” she asked him, gesturing to a pair nearby practising the same move as everyone else. Daniel was much more solidly built than Isobel, so he should be harder to get away from.

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thouros
2017-03-09 04:03 pm UTC (link)

Grinning, Daniel clicked his tongue, playfully shoving Nish away from him, though he made no especially quick or thorough attempt to pull his shirt sleeve back down. At her request, he nodded and moved closer back to her. He rolled his shoulders; his neck sounded a loud crack in response.

"All right," he said, sliding neatly behind her. "Tap my arm if it gets to be too much, okay?"

He rocked back on his heels, studying the tense lines of her back, the way she held her head as she faced forward again. He waited until she seemed to relax, if only just. Then he moved close behind her, the blade of his arm sliding low and close around her throat. His elbow fitted to her windpipe, and he leaned back, pulling her up and onto her toes.

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$Isobel Brandt \\ Persephone: all this anxiety$

praxidike
2017-03-09 04:35 pm UTC (link)

Isobel unconsciously crossed her arms in front of her chest, taking another step back from the impromptu display. It was one thing to have another woman pretending to be her assaulter, another to see the instructor step in and take the role obviously intended for a male participant. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to mentally take notes for her own use, if it came to that.

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nishka
2017-03-09 05:03 pm UTC (link)

She smiled at Daniel before he moved, catching his eyes. “I trust you,” she said, and then turned her back on him. She felt his arm slowly close around her neck, her eyes closing in concentration as he squeezed, and then pulled her back and up. There was a few seconds when she froze, the feeling was a little too real, and a memory flashed behind her eyes, of a time when she thought she’d gotten away, but he’d found her anyway. Snuck up on her at her friend’s house, dragged her home.

But then it was gone, and she was back in the gym, and it was Daniel, not Stephen, holding her. She reached up with her hands like she was supposed to, pulling his arm down with a bit of a struggle, enough so she could breathe again, and forcing her chin into his elbow. Once she’d taken a few breaths, she twisted as much as she could, elbowing him in the side and maybe accidentally on purpose making contact for real.

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thouros
2017-03-09 09:13 pm UTC (link)

Daniel exhaled in a sharp gust as she caught him beneath his ribs. He released her, taking a step back as he rubbed at his side. His grin was quick, and steadied to its normal size and warmth in a moment. He gave her an encouraging nod, looking briefly to Isobel, subtly looking for signs of distress.

"Good," he said. "Really good. Now you gotta keep practicing til you're not even thinkin' about it, you know? You'll get there." He gestured to Isobel, guiding her back toward Nish. "How are you feelin' about it? You wanna try against her again?" Are you all right? he tried to ask, without asking.

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$Isobel Brandt \\ Persephone: i'm not okay$

praxidike
2017-03-10 10:07 am UTC (link)

"Um, sure." Though her words wobbled with hesitation, Isobel tried to seem a little more forthcoming and ready, but she knew the best way to get over her trepidation was to simply keep at it. She steeled herself for the feeling of someone else's arm around her throat, knowing one day she would not be prepared for such a thing. As Nish took up a position behind her, Isobel forced herself past her discomfort. If it meant her eventual safety, she could withstand and afternoon of being mock-grabbed.

[ ooc: this looks like a good place for a wrap, if you guys are good! ]

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