Aberrant: Dead Rising - Evening Distractions [Complete]

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine had spent the last couple days wandering around the base. She was trying to get to know people here, learn a little about how the place operated. She had given people a hand with tasks, and joined in the work on making improvements. She had a sense that there was some animosity between the regular people here, and people of greater.. abilities. Perhaps putting some of those abilities to use would help.. besides, it's not as if she had anything else to do with her time.

As welcome as Violet had made her feel when she first arrived, she was understandably sidetracked. James seemed to be improving, but the two of them, along with the other two women that lived at the club, seemed to be involved in a complex emotional situation. From what she could tell, they were all engrossed in a multi-partner relationship, and while that was their business, it was still a bit awkward to be around. She didn't go out of her way to avoid the club.. but neither had she spent too much time there the last couple of days.

That wasn't the only reason, of course.. this whole situation made her feel a bit odd. Uncomfortable, even.. and it had taken her a little while to figure out why. But after having spent so much time hiding.. running.. and even fighting.. all this waiting was too much. It was too different. She didn't feel right anymore, just sitting in one place with nothing to do. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that this was the first time in a long time that she hadn't had some sort of driving force. There were no parents to impress, no disease to overcome, and no zombies to fight. There was.. nothing, really. So she had busied herself with tasks around the refuge, for there seemed to be plenty here that needed to be done, even if most of it was dull as death.

Maybe I've turned into some sort of adrenaline junkie..

She laughed wryly to herself, if only because the comment held a little grain of truth. It was ironic - the person to whom bloody noses or overexertion used to mean life or death. She headed into the club and waived briefly at Violet and company, before heading upstairs. She was dirty, covered with sweat and sawdust from helping the men outside who were framing the walls. A quick shower and a hairbrush restored her to something appropriate for civilized company, however, and she perused the armoire full of Violet's old - or maybe they were Jennifer's, or - oh, well. Full of the clothes she had been given. The jeans were a bit on the snug side, but they still looked decent. The size eights that Jim had given her were puddled on the floor in her bedroom, she had been using them as work clothes. They were a little more comfortable, and she had decided to acquire more clothes sometime soon that were an appropriate fit. In the meantime, she pulled out a simple cream-colored tank top, and tugged it on. It too was snug, and hugged her figure a little more than she cared for, but there was nothing to be done about it. She dressed, pulled on her boots, and headed outside. The cool night air would dry her curly hair soon enough, so she left it down as she headed outside, and further into the refuge.

The only place that seemed to attract much attention at night, at least that she had discovered, was the cafeteria hall. She had a feeling that might change when Violet's place opened, which she figured would be soon, but for now it was the place to be. People would hang out, have some dinner, play cards, or just shoot the bull. And that all sounded kind of nice right about now. Company sounded kind of nice right now. She stepped up to the door, which was propped open to let some of the cool night air in. She walked inside, and glanced around curiously, to see if there was anyone inside she had come to know a bit over the last couple days.

[Fox]

"Sorry, folks. Spade flush, ace high." Bond grinned as he laid down the offending cards to the assorted laughs, groans and good natured cursing of the other men at the table. With an easy smile he swept the assortment of odds and ends in the pot towards him and stacked them to one side. Batteries, small electrical devices, razor blades still in their packaging and other small valuables of the new barter economy lay is a small pile next to him.

"You're one lucky son of a bitch, Jim." one of the men grunted, a look of mock-suspicion on his face that was belied by his smile.

"Luck has little to do with poker, gentlemen." Bond replied merrily as he shuffled the cards in his left hand, fingers flickering as they made the deck dance. "It's all about reading the man you're playing. For instance, Bob here always, and I mean always, adjusts his crotch when he has a good hand." The table exploded in laughter as Bob blinked, then looked down at himself, then at his fellow players, one of whom slapped him on the back.

Bond was having fun.

It had been a fairly slow week since they had gotten to Fox's Refuge, and Bond had been making himself at home like a stray tomcat that had adopted, rather than been adopted by a family. The people here were alright sorts, quick enough with a smile, and Bond had cemented the good first impressions by trading fairly with them, buying drinks, and, of course, not winning TOO much at the poker games which were fast becoming a nightly event in the cafeteria. His easy charm, friendly manner, and air of laid-back competence set people at ease around him. Added to which was his apparent lack of interest in tail-chasing, beyond polite flirting, and his exotic accent and mannerisms. He'd quite unselfconsciously explained that yes, he really WAS called James Bond and yes, he HAD looked different before the virus had changed him made people see him as a humorous and interesting quirk of nature rather than as a super-person like most of the others.

The fact that his abilities were not the external or obvious sort helped, of course. About the only thing that really showed was his preternatural coordination, but that only came out when he did tricks with coins and cards to amuse others. Bond was nothing if not a people person.

Right now he lounged back in his seat as everyone studied their hands. He had left his jacket off: it hung draped over the back of his chair, and was dressed in white t-shirt and blue jeans, finished off with his riot boots. About the only discordant note was the low-slung crossdraw holsters under each arm, from which peeked the hilts of his golden pistols. But there was no way he was ever going unarmed again while he had breath in his body, and Fox had readily aquiesced to that logic.

As the door opened, his blue eyes flicked from his cards to the entrance and Bond smiled slightly as he saw Jasmine enter. Without speaking, he winked at her and gave the girl a "come hither" jerk of the head before tossing a pack of AA batteries into the pot.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Her eyes rested on the attractive Brit, and she flushed slightly at the wink. For a guy she'd just met, she was surprisingly distracted by him.. and that was confusing too, because she hadn't exactly found herself "distracted" by anyone like this before. It was a far cry from the crush she'd had on that nurse at the hospital, which now seemed a bit childish. She ran a hand through her hair, and found herself wishing she had done something more to it, surely Violet had some kind of hair mousse or something laying around..

Oh, stop it. He's just a guy who happened to stop the building you were in from blowing up. Good reason to play nice.. not a good reason to turn into a blithering idiot every time you see him.

She made her way over to the table, and smiled politely.

"Jim.. good to see you made it okay. When did you get here?"

[Fox]

"Five or six days ago." Bond smiled up at her as he reached over and dragged a chair up next to his. "Here you go." he patted it with a sly grin. "Second best seat in the house." The other men at the table just shook their heads with a smile and contemplated their cards and the 'pot', though a few who'd worked alongside Jasmine offered her a smile and a nod.

"I've been staying out from underfoot and getting to know people." Bond explained as he neatly stacked a Rolex watch on top of the pile in the center. The other players shifted and grumbled. One of them eyed the Brit sourly.

"Yeah, and takin' all our small valuables." he muttered, but couldn't help but half-smile at the end.

"Well, that too." Bond agreed affably. "I'll call, gentlemen. Three kings." He laid his cards out, and the two remaining players looked at each other before one set down a full-house with a small whoop of joy.

"Gotcha, Jim! Gotcha good!" He crowed, raking in his winnings.

"That you did." Bond grinned. "But I'll get that watch back, or my name's not Bond." This elicited some good-natured laughter from the other players as they stood and moved away, chatting as they headed to the counter to spend their winnings. "I meant it about that watch, Rick!" Bond called after them, to which he received in reply an obscene gesture that made him chuckle. He turned to Jasmine.

"So, how have you been keeping? I heard you're living with Violet and James?" It wasn't quite a question, more a polite probe as the merc shuffled the deck of cards idly in his right hand.

[Jasmine Gentian]

She had sat down, and watched as the poker hand was wrapped up. She smiled back at the guys, and laughed a bit with everyone else. Then she glanced back at Jim, and smiled a bit.

"I've been good.. five or six days.. I hadn't even noticed you'd gotten here! I've been keeping busy, though.. there's a lot to be done around here. Violet gave me a room when I first got here.. she's been very kind to me, and I appreciate it. It's a little weird though sometimes.. I've never stayed with four people who were all in a relationship with each other."

She reached over to the table, and picked up a couple of slightly stale crackers the guys had been munching on. Fox's place didn't believe in waste, so anything that had been salvaged that was close to expiration was free for anyone to have, and were often used as snacks at these social gatherings. She nibbled on one, then popped one into her mouth after deciding it was still edible.

"Then again, I don't suppose I've ever known anyone in a relationship with three other people.."

[Fox]

"Me either." Bond shrugged. "Actually, that's not true. Back before the world went mad, there was this rich stockbroker I knew who had a wife and two mistresses. He'd bring them to the bar I worked at on different nights." He grinned crookedly. "But that's a long step away from having an open four-way relationship where everyone's happy." He shrugged. "To each their own, I suppose. I wonder how long it'll last."

He smiled at her. "Glad to hear you're not part of that arrangement. I was worried based on the gossip that's going around. I didn't think you were that way inclined, but I'm not completely infallible." His smile broadened. "Just mostly."

[Jasmine Gentian]

She shrugged, looking a bit annoyed. She had gotten some of those comments, as word spread that she was staying at Violet's. She had tried to get the point across that she wasn't involved in that.. situation. But apparently she wasn't doing a very good job.

"No.. people seem to want to think the worst, but I guess even a global disaster can't stop gossip. The truth is, Violet has been there for me when I needed a friend. And it means a lot to me."

She tilted her head, and grinned a little playfully at him.

"...but not THAT much. So.. what about you? You going to be around a little bit, or you leaving soon? I'm still surprised I missed you this long.. if nothing else, I expected to notice your friend Primal roaring about for some reason or another."

[Fox]

Bond shrugged, his smile fading a tiny bit. "He decided to go his own way. To put it politely, which by the way he didn't, he didn't feel like being within fifty miles of some of these people, especially when he found out the Refuge was built around an old nuke silo." His smile restored itself somewhat. "We parted amiably enough, though."

"As for me..." he leaned back on the chair, balancing easily on the rear two legs as his feet left the floor and he stretched, then shot her a devious look. "I might stick around. This place is interesting to me at the moment. It's nice to be the relatively normal person when compared to super-strong girls and flying Marines."

[Jasmine Gentian]

She flushed slightly at that, and he could tell that he had struck a chord there. Between that, and the guilt she had shown back at the religious enclave, it was obvious the girl wasn't all that comfortable with her abilities. She fidgeted with the last cracker instead of eating it, turning it between her fingertips.

"Well, it's nice enough, I guess. Certainly better than most of the alternatives. And you seem to be making friends easily. Though that doesn't seem too much of a challenge for you, Mr. Bond."

She grinned at him playfully, and it was an attractive grin, full of innocent mischief. She seemed like she could be a good flirt, if she'd just stop thinking about it so much. It was only when she wasn't trying at all that it seemed to come naturally.

[Fox]

"It's a gift." he said insouciantly as he reached out and stole the cracker from her hands, flipping it into his mouth. His eyes sparkled at her as he crunched it. "I like people, in broadly general terms. And I'm a fantastic fellow, or hadn't you noticed?" His grin wasn't quite as innocently mischievous as hers - the knowing look in his eye pretty much precluded that - but it was definitely attractive, in a roguish 'trust-me-with-everything-except-your-wallet-or-heart' kind of way. His pale eyes studied her while he smiled, and he came forward in his chair slightly.

"Still thinking about that boy at the hospital?" he asked, slight sympathy in his voice.

[Jasmine Gentian]

She bit her lip, and glanced down a little before looking back up at him with a sigh.

"I suppose so, yeah. I just.. I mean, I keep telling myself it was an accident. And.. I do think Gabrielle did something to him. Made his pain go away. Healed him. Something.. he certainly seemed better. It's just that.."

She trailed off for a moment, glancing off as if she's lost in thought. Then her eyes flickered back to him, and studied him.

"What if I can't ever figure out how to restrict it? I'm going to have to always be in control of myself.. never be able to relax.. and who can do that? Maybe I should just stay out there, and keep killing zombies. One day I might even run out of them.."

She waved a hand idly towards the door, but the implication was clear. Away from hear, away from the refuge, away from people. Certainly she didn't belong here.. not really. Not with all these gods and goddesses who could fly, and inspire, and be devastatingly beautiful.. All she could do was kill.

[Fox]

"It's like anyone else." Bond's gaze was serious (well, as serious as he seemed to get: Jasmine was trying to remember ever having seen him frown even at the worst points of the hospital assault.) "You just need to learn what your limits are, and how to rein yourself in, and then compensate for how strong you are."

He picked up the deck of cards and shuffled it in a fancy display of one-handed dexterity. "It's all about practice and control." he smiled at her. "It's about learning what you can do, then learning how not to use it until it's needed. It's easy for me to say that: I'm a 'super', but my gifts are low-key and mostly happening behind the scenes up here." He smiled warmly at her and tapped his head. "But I think the principle is sound. You're very strong: your changes made you better suited to survive, as did mine. Primal's very strong as well, but he has an instinctive acceptance of his strength and is capable of holding it back until it's needed. That's what you need to find."

[Jasmine Gentian]

She smiled a little at him, and nodded. She wasn't entirely convinced, but at least it was a change from the constant mental beating she had been giving herself. And what he said made sense. Perhaps, like her long battle with cancer, it was really about willpower, and faith, and determination.

"I hope you're right. I guess I'm not used to thinking of myself as strong - I've been the opposite, most of my life." Then she smiled at him, and her chocolate-colored eyes sparkled playfully. "So.. what is your super-power then? The ability to come up with witty comebacks, shuffle cards with one hand, and make girls blush without batting an eyelash?"

[Fox]

"Hmm. Apart from the one-handed card thing, not much has changed really." He deadpanned, his gaze glinting as he looked her in the eye. "Of course, before I had to exert the occasional eyelash." That was good for a slight laugh and another faint blush as Bond grinned slyly.

"Mostly, my abilities revolve around exceptional speed of thought and reflex, perfect coordination, enhanced people skills, better mental focus and intelligence." He shrugged, still smiling. "You know, the usual. All the stuff I used to do for fun before I've become very good at: shooting, freerunning, martial arts. I'm much better at them now. Plus all the little things I've picked up through life are useful skills now, as though I have an enhanced understanding of the way things work." He folded his hands behind his head, still balancing easily on the two chair legs as he considered her.

"That's pretty much it."

[Jasmine Gentian]

"That's.. pretty awesome, actually. To just be suddenly better at all the things you did before. I'm sure it took adjustment.. but at least it wasn't all completely new to you." She hesitated, then grinned a little. "Of course, I didn't have to learn to recognize myself in a mirror again, so I guess you had your own share of adjusting to do, didn't you?"

She grinned softly, then picked up another chip, and nibbled at it.

"So.. you know martial arts, huh? That's really controlled, right? You know what you're doing when you do it, you're not just.. going on instinct. Do you.. think that might help?" Her she bit her lip, self-conscious and a bit shy again. "Do you think you could teach me, maybe?"

[Fox]

"Well, I'm not currently doing anything else more entertaining..." Bond replied with a faint smile, then grinned. "Actually yes, it will help. Instinct is useful stuff, but it always overcompensates and overreacts. Training helps you to think your way through a situation before the first blow is even struck, and helps you recover faster when things go wrong."

"As to whether I can teach you..." he studied her intently for a moment, his lips quirking in that irrepressible near-smile that seemed to be the closest he came to a serious look. "...Certainly. We can work out payment for the lessons later." he added as an overly-casual afterthought, grinning at her once more.

[Jasmine Gentian]

She blushed again faintly - not for the first time since meeting this man was she glad of her darker-colored skin. At least she didn't turn beet red, like a white girl. She tried to picture what Violet would look like blushing, but her mind wouldn't picture it, and she realized that it was because she couldn't think of anything that would get the gorgeous woman to blush. She laughed a little at that, and waved a hand slightly, dismissing it at the same time.

"Sorry, just.. made me think of something. So.. how about now? We've got an hour of daylight left to kill.." She smiled playfully at him, and motioned towards the door. "You up for it, Jim?"

[Fox]

"Always." He came to his feet in a single smooth motion. "Though be gentle with me, it's my first time." With a chuckle, he motioned for her to precede him from the cafeteria.

They emerged into the late afternoon sunlight and wandered around the compound a little, trying to find an out of the way spot. Finding one tucked behind the silo architecture, Bond wandered around and kicked any large stones out of the way. "Wouldn't do to land on one of those." he said with an easy smile as he turned to her.

"First lesson is all about leverage. Now the super strong people I've seen don't seem to worry much about making efficient use of what they have. It's like a lottery winner millionaire being frivolous with their money. For zombies, that's fine. They're not smart and it's not like you'll ever want to merely subdue one." Bond stepped close to Jasmine and took her hand in his, his other hand running up her forearm. "There's only so many ways this limb can move." He gently moved it around, showing her. "With balance and knowledge of how and when to apply pressure or force, you don't need brute strength. Everything is done for you: you're just the finger on the scales." He grinned impishly. "And that lesson applies to all paths in life, not just fighting."

[Jasmine Gentian]

She nodded slightly, focused on what he was saying, though she felt a small shiver under her skin as his hand moved across her arm.

Down, girl.

"That makes sense. Besides, even if you are super-strong, it doesn't make you inexhaustible. It seems like a better idea to use as little energy as possible so that you can do more with the same amount.. right?"

[Fox]

"Exactly." he smiled. "So let's start with some locks and takedowns. Strength plays a part, though. Especially between us: I might be able to get an armlock on you, but you're strong enough to pull out of it if I leave any way for your strength to be a factor. If I got it right, though, you could struggle all you like and the best that could happen is you'd strain your own shoulder."

He started slow, showing Jasmine hand-, wrist- and arm-locks, demonstrating where the pain centers were on the arm which, while not as painful for the two supers, were still operational enough to incapacitate. He incorporated motion into the exercises, having Jasmine lunge or swing a punch, then demonstrating a lock or blocking counter, stopping short of actual strikes.

"The way I was taught is that every move should advance you in the fight. So don't just trip a man to the ground: send him into his friends. Don't just armlock a man and stand there, use him as a moving shield against any other assailants. Every action you take should be for a gain: if you're unintentionally on the defensive you're doing something wrong." Bond explained as he twisted Jasmine's wrist outwards as she tried to grab him, using her own momentum but stopping short of sending her to the ground or causing her pain. "And if you need to disable, do it without hesitating. Break an arm, or strike to the kneecaps. Put them out of the fight cleanly... And so they'll remember you when the weather changes." He grinned mischievously.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine was an attentive student. When she didn't understand something, she would ask him to explain it again. Even the simple locks he showed her, she would repeat two or three times, until she was satisfied she had it right. She seemed to have an almost steel resolve when it came to doing things well.

She laughed softly at the end of his last speech, but nodded too. It struck him that she was a bit like a math genius who was being taught algebra for the first time. He usually had to explain it only once, and she seemed to understand, as if she were somehow programmed to be a fighter, and only needed the instruction to understand how. Then she tilted her head slightly, and looked at him.

"So.. you said I needed to try and learn my limits. To figure out how much force is needed. Maybe you can help.. here, let me try that armlock."

He felt her hands wrap around his wrists, and she tried the move very slowly, twisting them behind him. It was almost an instructional version of the move, with no real force behind it.

"That was the right way.. right? So.. I'll try it again. I know you can take a little more pain, but.. if you're not as strong as I am, then I want to see how much force I actually need to use.."

[Fox]

"Go ahead." Bond nodded, then Jasmine's hand grasped his wrist a little faster, pulled and twisted it up behind him once more. The girl was restraining her full strength, but despite this, and despite Bond's higher than normal durability, he still winced as she locked his hand up behind his back. "Owh-kay! That should do it!" He told her firmly. She instantly released him, and he worked his shoulder a little, flexing away the residual soreness as he turned towards her smiling, shaking his head as she started to reflexively apologise.

"That was good. Seriously. It should hurt a little bit, particularly if the opponent is a belligerent sort: it'll take the wind out of their sails. Slightly less pressure if you don't want to cause any pain, just discomfort." Bond told the girl with a grin, then looked at the fading light. "Tomorrow, we'll work on throws and falls. On some grass, I'm thinking. For now, lets carry on with the locks and holds, make sure you learn how much pressure to apply with each one."

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

"The lock works better if you can center the thumb in the palm. Otherwise, they can, if fast enough, twist their wrist against your thumb. It's the weakest point on a grip," someone pointed out in a soft voice. Both turned to see a woman of Native American heritage leaning against the building, watching them. She looked sad in the way that many did now, but her clothes were cleaner than most, and her hair shone as if washed recently. Jasmine recognized Jules, Fox's roommate and rumored to-be lover.

"Sorry about the critique," she added. "I used to teach aikido with my husband, before the z-virus." Jules stepped forward and offered her hand to Jasmine. "We've met, but I'm having trouble placing your name." She looked at Bond and offered her hand after Jasmine had shaken it. "You, I don't know. I'm Jules WhiteElk."

[Fox]

"A pleasure to meet you at last, Ms WhiteElk, and no need to apologise for the critique. I was trained in a mixture of ju-jutsu and krav maga, so there wasn't too much emphasis on locks that would last longer than the few seconds necessary to disable. I'm always willing to improve, however." Bond's gaze was equal parts politely admiring and coolly evaluative as he took her hand in a firm shake. "The name's Bond." He grinned slightly. "James Bond."

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine shook Jules' hand as it was offered, and her handshake was firm. Jim spoke up first, however, and Jasmine's lips twitched slightly in a bit of silent amusement. He never seemed to get enough of pulling out that "Bond" thing. When he finished, she spoke up to introduce herself as well, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her voice was quiet, and respectful. She knew that this was the woman who had lost a child.. she had heard about it from some of the people on base.

"We met in passing only, Ms. WhiteElk. You were there when I introduced myself to Captain Fox last week. My name is Jasmine. Jasmine Gentian."

She motioned to the blond Brit next to her.

"And no apology is necessary. I cajoled Jim into trying to teach me a little bit of what he knows.. so that I can get some control when I'm fighting. I'm.. not used to dealing with anything other than zombies. I hurt a boy on accident in Kansas a few days ago, when we went to deal with Elijah's flock, and.. well, I'd rather not repeat the mistake. So any help is appreciated."

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

"And here I was sure you were going to say Daniel Craig," Jules said to James, quirking an eyebrow. "And it's just Jules." She crossed her arms and tilted her head at him. "So, really? James Bond? Does the name recognition help you out in Dead Land?" She smiled, just enough to make her words into a light joke instead of a mockery.

,,

To Jasmine, she said, "Right, you arrived with the doctor. Thanks for the reminder." She nodded at Jasmine's mention of control, and added, "Aikido is about control - controlling the other guy totally.

"I wouldn't mind learning some of what you know, either," Jules added to James.

[Fox]

"It doesn't make things much easier." Bond grinned back at Jules. "Most people think I'm joking or mad. In the interest of speeding up the story: yes, I really AM called James Bond. My friends usually call me Jim, or Bond. And as for the face... The virus did it to me. Changed me. It's complicated and I'm not sure I really understand it, but there you go." He shrugged, still smiling.

"I'd be happy to teach. As I told Jasmine, my prices are quite reasonable." The glint of humor in his eyes gave the lie to his deadpan delivery.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine laughed a little, and shook her head.

"Or so he claims - he hasn't told me what they'll be yet. Only that we'll work them out later. And that they'll be quite reasonable. If I weren't so desperately afraid of throwing someone through a concrete wall on accident, I might not have taken him up on it without a more solid agreement than that."

She grinned at Jim, a little playfully, then turned back to Jules.

"I should correct you, though it's not terribly important I imagine. I came in with a smaller group, before the doctor arrived. A couple brothers, an older woman with her granddaughter, and a young hispanic man who doesn't say much. It was the same day, though.. so an understandable mistake, and probably not terribly relevant."

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

Jules smiled, but it wasn't happy. "Yeah, I don't remember much of my first couple of days here," she said. "I was in a bit of shock." It was still a blur of talking and strangers and Ben's body burning on a pyre.

"I'd be happy to teach again, though I haven't since..." She paused and then said, "Since Dan got sick. That was my husband, before." Dan's death she had grieved for, and it was easier to talk about now. "So... what's your skill level, Jasmine? Have you had any formal training?"

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine nodded slightly at Jules, and for a moment, Jim and Jules both could see a bit of a haunted look flicker across her face. Then she forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She wasn't fooling anyone, though she was certainly trying.

"No.. no formal training. Not unless you consider "evolve or die locked up in a hospital full of the walking dead" as formal. I think I'd have to call it on-the-job training, if anything."

[Fox]

"Well, it served you well enough against zombies. But lets face it, they don't take much subtlety or skill to handle: kind of like drunken college students." Bond smiled at the two ladies, his gaze turning somewhat serious. "The worst threats I've come across in the last six months have been human in origin: even with most of the population dead and/or shambling, it still seems we have a talent for screwing things up worse, doesn't it?"

His voice was quietly contemplative, and it was plain he had noted the expressions on the lovely faces of the two ladies. Nobody came through the upheaval completely unscathed, did they? Not even him.

...his breath came now in gasping, whooping sobs as he tried to steady his hand...the pistol's muzzle touched the sallow skin of her temple and he saw her disease-thinned lips part in a dreadfully peaceful smile...

No. Not even him. He blinked slowly, sending the memory back whence it had come, to the bottom of the cold sea he swam in right now. Other than a slight pause and distancing of his gaze, there was no indicator anything had been wrong. Even his faint smile hadn't slipped.

"So, Jules." Bond smiled as he said her name. "Care to work with me on this rough lump of clay?" He grinned and poked Jasmine's shoulder with his finger. "I've been showing her locks and holds, but an expert's eye would be welcome here."

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

When James mentioned human threats, Jules nodded somberly. "There's a place in New Mexico, a former women's prison," she said calmly. "Until we can clean it up, I recommend avoiding it. They're friendly to strangers until they get you through the door. Then things get unfriendly, real fast." There's a hard look in her eyes, a blistering glance of hatred as she speaks.

The moment passes quickly, and she's back to her sorrow-tinged expression, sliding back into melancholy as easily as putting on another shirt. "Yes, I'll help you teach Jasmine," she said, nodding. "I want her to be able to fight and defend herself and others. And I'll not charge a fee for that," she added softly. "Just being able to teach again is enough for me."

She stepped into the center of the area, stripping off the light jacket. Underneath, she wore a short-sleeved t-shirt. Standing straight, she put her arms over her head, clasping her hands and stretching from side to side. Straightening up, she said, "I'll ask Morgan if I can bring you guys into the missile complex so that we have an actual space for this. There are some blankets that we can use for exercise mats. It'll be better than doing this outside. Sound good?"

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine nods, and motions around to the darkening sky.

"That seems a better idea if we're going to be practicing after it gets late anyway. I don't know how busy you are during the day.. I know you help the captain around with things around the base, and I've been helping with some of the projects around here in any way I can. Do you want to speak with him about it later? I know it's getting late, but if you're up for starting tonight, we've only been doing this about forty-five minutes or so.. so I'm still good to go."

She glanced at Bond inquisitively.

"What about you, Jim? You up for more?"

[Fox]

"If you are." Bond smiled warmly at Jasmine, then nodded courteously to Jules, not missing the practiced way she stretched (or the lean athleticism it showed). "Thank you very much for the offer. I'd be happy to take you up on that. It's so much easier to face being tossed around by a girl half my size if there's blankets involved." he added lightly with a wink before squaring his shoulders and adopting a look of a man going to the gallows, albeit with an impish glint in his eye.

"Shall we, ladies? Jules, I'll be your test-dummy for demonstrations so Jasmine can be both entertained and educated." His lips quirked in a roguish half-smile.

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

Jules led them inside, into an empty room. They were in a concrete bunker, but it was powered; light came from large bulbs in the ceiling. "Hold up," she said, and disappeared deeper into the complex. She was back with some thick olive green blankets which she spread on the ground as rough practice mats.

"First, I have to assess you," Jules said to James. There had been little reaction to his jibe or his wink, maybe a bit of a smile. "First," she said, holding up her hands, "push against my hand so I know how strong you are." James did, and Jules said, "Push as hard as you can."

"I am," he said softly.

Jules blinked, looking surprised. "I... sorry. I didn't realize how strong I was." She shook her head. "Moving on."

She had him do a couple of things to show his agility and ability before she nodded. "Alright," she said. "I think I see your limits. Hopefully, no one will get hurt."

She turned to Jasmine and did the same, pleasantly surprised to Jasmine was similar to her in raw ability. That would make things easier. "I can heal rapidly," she said to the girl. "I'm not sure about James. So at some point, you're going to practice full-out on me." She smiled at Jasmine's expression. "I was once mule-kicked by a horse in my sternum. It took a couple of minutes, but I got up and walked away, good as could be. You're not going to hurt me, because if you stress my ability to heal myself, I'll stop the exercise. Believe me," and that burning glimmer of hatred crossed her face again, "I know how much damage I can take."

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine nodded at Jules, then stepped back. She found a place to crouch down, her back supported against by wall as she watched the two fighters began their demonstrations. Jules certainly seemed to know what she was doing with the locks and blocking, which she demonstrated slowly to Jasmine at first, then again, a little swifter. The first time she threw him though, Bond sailed through the air a little further than she seemed to have intended, and landed with a solid impact when he hit the floor not far from her. Jasmine winced, and hopped up immediately, starting towards him.

"Shit - Jim, are you okay?"

[Fox]

"Peachy." Came the slightly strained response as Bond rolled onto his back and stared upwards for a moment. "Just give me a moment here. The ceiling is quite exceptionally interesting..." Taking stock, the merc realised he'd had a touch of the wind knocked out of him, but possessed enough agility and toughness to have rolled with the unexpected extra momentum of the throw - enough that he wasn't gasping for breath like a landed fish, at any rate. After a three-count, the Englishman arched his back and flipped smoothly up onto his feet, agile as a cat, and took a deep breath.

"Okay, ready to go again." He announced with a wry grin as he turned around to face Jules. If he felt any embarassment or ego-bruising from literally being tossed around like a rag-doll by a woman, it didn't show in either his merry smile or those pale blue eyes.

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

"James," Jules murmured, her eyes wide with concern and shame, "I'm sorry. I haven't fought a person since I was teaching; perhaps I shouldn't..." She trailed off. This was like being left in charge of the Refuge again, and as before, she had failed.

She pulled herself in. "Jasmine, that is something you need to remember; your strength versus your opponent's, when sparring." She was stiff and stepping away from them, her entire body language distancing herself from the lesson. She stopped, then stepped forward. "Face off with James. You have started arm locks. Let's do a sweep, then we'll turn that sweep into a lock. You can tumble well, so we'll build on that next. Have to learn to fall to fight, as James just proved."

[Fox]

"Jules." Bond looked appraisingly at the Native American lady, his smile almost completely disappeared. "You're as strong as Jasmine, and better skilled. I'm a big boy, and it's not so different from when I was learning to fight the first time. I took my lumps then, I can take them now."

He gave her a charming smile, all the more so because it was genuine. "Come on, Miss WhiteElk. Don't be afraid of hurting others so much you won't let yourself have a little enjoyment out of life. Tell you what - You come back over here and I demonstrate for a turn. If I throw you around a little, we'll be even." His grin was as warm as it was impish.

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

Jules looked down, then back up. "Alright," she said softly. "Fair enough." She tucked her hair behind her ears. "It's been a while since I taught; easy to forget that it sucks on the one learning." She didn't approach him for the tossing about; instead, she said, "Let's let Jasmine get tossed about, at least while we're doing Aikido. When you're teaching us things, then you can toss me about." She smiled, still an expression more sad than not, and said, "Deal?"

She stood a little straighter and said, "Jasmine, you ready to learn how to sweep an opponent's attack aside?"