Post by Aegle Verdant on Jun 25, 2019 21:42:16 GMT -5
It was her fourth visit in just as many days, and Aegle felt like she might actually be learning her way around Haven's training facilities. She still focused her efforts on the heavy bag, as she had her first night at the Academy, but she'd even tried her hand at the free weights and some of the complicated machines scattered throughout the many rooms that made up the facility's gym. It was her wont to arrive early and leave late, as had been her habit when she was still in therapy, but it was good to mix up the routine a little bit, to give her body a well rounded workout. That night, she found her way into one of the smaller rooms that abutted the large chamber with free weights and the heavy bag that Braun had lowered for her. Having already worked up a bit of a lather, beating the bag, she decided to work through some forms while she was still fresh. Forms were both the trickiest and the easiest part of her training. Though less physically taxing than her usual regime, they required much more precision and focus. They were also far from Aegle's favorite; She didn't like them, necessarily, but had found her mind and attention easily wandered while doing them. That was why she picked the most empty room she could find, and they didn't come much emptier than this one.
One wall was mirrored, and a bunch of mats were piled up in one corner, and that was it. Nothing else but Aegle and the door. She lugged in her duffle, the bag hanging heavy from one crooked shoulder, tossing it down near the center of the room. The sound of the thick canvas hitting the floor resounded back at her from the three unadorned walls; A strangely satisfying sound, she thought, as she faced her reflection. She might have made do with a less empty room, even a room with other students using it, though there was few enough of those this late at night, unless they were stretching after a work out. She might have made do, just so long as she had the mirror. The mirror was the most important part. Aegle stared at her reflected twin, standing a room away. A bald girl in a ratty orange hoodie, a size and a half too large, stared back at her, looking at her with wide emerald eyes, sunk deep into dark sockets in a ghostly pale face. Her head hung to one side, tilted just the same as her crooked shoulders, one of which was higher than the other, while her hands twitched restlessly at her sides. She looked half a corpse, staring out from beneath her hoodie's ragged hood.
"Pretty thing, innit ya?" she asked. The girl in the mirror grinned, and Aegle grinned back, showing off a mouthful of white teeth.
Whirring quietly, Aegle stepped into mixed guard and watched as her reflection did the same. She held her lead hand up, knowing how her hunch always tried to bring lower than it ought be, and examined her pose. The girl in the mirror trembled slightly, her fingers fluttering in half clenched fists, and Aegle nodded approvingly. She tried a punch and a parry, swinging at ghosts, then stepped quickly back into guard.
"Too low." Aegle said, growling the words the way Aaron would have, and her reflection hastily twitched her lead hand up. Next she swayed, stepped, jabbed, hooked.
"Faster."
The girl in the mirror copied her, and Aegle watched the combo a second time.
"Faster."
A third time...
"Too low!" She twitched up her lead hand, and the girl in the mirror did the same, "Faster!"
A fourth time, and then a fifth, and a sixth, faster and faster, until the whirring beneath her clothes had risen to a dull, ear piercing whine.
"Dodge!"
Aegle dodged, weaving back and low as she could.
"Punch!"
Then she swung forward, beneath an unseen blow, and watched her reflection spear the air with a straight armed jab. Then, together, they stepped back into guard and rolled their shoulders.
"Not bad," Aegle said in her big brother's voice, "For a beginner."
Next, came high guard. Aegle raised both hands, and the girl in the mirror did the same. This had been her routine for three days and four nights. The gym never closed, so she had visited it as often as her classes and other needs would permit. She'd woken up early and come to the gym first thing; Since the gym had lockers and showers both, that was where she'd done her bathing and her changing. Each time, she'd stayed until her first class, and had returned after supper, when most of the other students were leaving. Then she would go for as long as her body could manage. It had been an exhausting few days, and her face showed it, but Aegle was determined to make the most of her time at Haven.
The girl in the mirror was looking tired, so Aegle dropped out of her guard.
"Take two." She said, waving her hand at her reflection, before stooping down to grab towel and bottle from the bag at her feet. Her arms trembled as she unstopped the bottle and brought its spout to her lips, so she reached under her hoodie and twisted the dial on her hip. Some of the weight eased off of her, and the girl in the mirror stood a bit straighter, though the whirring that accompanied her movements grew louder to match.
"Alright," Aegle said, tossing her water bottle back into the bag, "Let's see peak-a-boo next!"
words - 946
One wall was mirrored, and a bunch of mats were piled up in one corner, and that was it. Nothing else but Aegle and the door. She lugged in her duffle, the bag hanging heavy from one crooked shoulder, tossing it down near the center of the room. The sound of the thick canvas hitting the floor resounded back at her from the three unadorned walls; A strangely satisfying sound, she thought, as she faced her reflection. She might have made do with a less empty room, even a room with other students using it, though there was few enough of those this late at night, unless they were stretching after a work out. She might have made do, just so long as she had the mirror. The mirror was the most important part. Aegle stared at her reflected twin, standing a room away. A bald girl in a ratty orange hoodie, a size and a half too large, stared back at her, looking at her with wide emerald eyes, sunk deep into dark sockets in a ghostly pale face. Her head hung to one side, tilted just the same as her crooked shoulders, one of which was higher than the other, while her hands twitched restlessly at her sides. She looked half a corpse, staring out from beneath her hoodie's ragged hood.
"Pretty thing, innit ya?" she asked. The girl in the mirror grinned, and Aegle grinned back, showing off a mouthful of white teeth.
Whirring quietly, Aegle stepped into mixed guard and watched as her reflection did the same. She held her lead hand up, knowing how her hunch always tried to bring lower than it ought be, and examined her pose. The girl in the mirror trembled slightly, her fingers fluttering in half clenched fists, and Aegle nodded approvingly. She tried a punch and a parry, swinging at ghosts, then stepped quickly back into guard.
"Too low." Aegle said, growling the words the way Aaron would have, and her reflection hastily twitched her lead hand up. Next she swayed, stepped, jabbed, hooked.
"Faster."
The girl in the mirror copied her, and Aegle watched the combo a second time.
"Faster."
A third time...
"Too low!" She twitched up her lead hand, and the girl in the mirror did the same, "Faster!"
A fourth time, and then a fifth, and a sixth, faster and faster, until the whirring beneath her clothes had risen to a dull, ear piercing whine.
"Dodge!"
Aegle dodged, weaving back and low as she could.
"Punch!"
Then she swung forward, beneath an unseen blow, and watched her reflection spear the air with a straight armed jab. Then, together, they stepped back into guard and rolled their shoulders.
"Not bad," Aegle said in her big brother's voice, "For a beginner."
Next, came high guard. Aegle raised both hands, and the girl in the mirror did the same. This had been her routine for three days and four nights. The gym never closed, so she had visited it as often as her classes and other needs would permit. She'd woken up early and come to the gym first thing; Since the gym had lockers and showers both, that was where she'd done her bathing and her changing. Each time, she'd stayed until her first class, and had returned after supper, when most of the other students were leaving. Then she would go for as long as her body could manage. It had been an exhausting few days, and her face showed it, but Aegle was determined to make the most of her time at Haven.
The girl in the mirror was looking tired, so Aegle dropped out of her guard.
"Take two." She said, waving her hand at her reflection, before stooping down to grab towel and bottle from the bag at her feet. Her arms trembled as she unstopped the bottle and brought its spout to her lips, so she reached under her hoodie and twisted the dial on her hip. Some of the weight eased off of her, and the girl in the mirror stood a bit straighter, though the whirring that accompanied her movements grew louder to match.
"Alright," Aegle said, tossing her water bottle back into the bag, "Let's see peak-a-boo next!"
words - 946