Moonlight Nocturne

Elena leans in and kisses Miriam's cheek, flashing a sharp-edged smile of her own. "That sounds awesome."

She can't help but start laughing when Gabriel starts noogieing Nick, knocked out of her malaise again. She almost wishes she didn't have to go home later. These people... they understand, in a way her family never has. She can be useful here, not a burden. Not a worry.

"... like what?" she asks, cocking her head. "I'm ... short. So it's hard to get leverage."

It's hard not to get overpowered and totally humiliated. She resents that. A lot.

 

Gabriel shakes his head "Don't need leverage, you need precision. Just ask Bruce Lee. Cut their tendons, and they can't stand, if you can't stand you can't fight. " Gabriel pantomimes by going down on one knee and swinging his arms around in wide clumsy circles.

"Can't stay in control if you can't balance. Trip them, and you're short enough that some folks won't be able to hit you without bending over, too awkward to grasp so you can get under their guard and hit their vitals." He clutches at his stomach and liver.

"If you're fighting a human, or human enough anyway you can hit their groin or solar plexus, that'll usually get them to leave you a lone for a couple of minutes." He smiles "and tasers work no matter where you hit with em."

 

"...plus, the smaller you are, the lower your center of gravity. You're more stable. Work on your muscles, and you'll actually have an easier time suplexing people than me or Gabe!"

 

Gabriel deadpans at Nicholas "Nick. In what sort of situation do you see any of us suplexing a monster in real life?"

 

"...it's good to know in case there are any guys you want off of your back, and it's an example of what you can do with a short stature. I mean, Nakai Rin is only 5'1", and she's a total badass."

 

"... can I have a taser?" she asks, wide-eyed. "Who's Nakai Rin?"

She hesitates, going to stand in front of Nick and wrap his arms around her in a bear hug. "What if they pick me up like this?"

 

Gabriel chuckles " That's the plan, well a stun gun but most people call it the same thing anyways. Yeah who is she?"

"And if someone grabs you like that you want to hit them hard and fast in the belly, groin, plexus, vitals, maybe even knees. If you've got a knife and think you can use it well enough, stab them through the elbow. The longer they can squeeze you the harder it will be to fight them, so you want to hurt them bad enough to drop you quickly."

 

"...she's an MMA fighter..." Nick frowns. "...and go ahead and give it a shot, I can take it."

 

"... are you sure?" She frowns, and then lashes out, trying to kick him hard in the shin, elbow him in the belly, in one explosion of energy. If she catches him by surprise, then maybe she can break his hold before he can pick her up or squeeze her too tight to escape. She's pretty sure that in real life, she'd only get one chance.

((Dex + Brawl: 4D10. Results: 8 8 9 8. 4 successes. SORRY NICK.))

 

Nick grits his teeth as the blow to his gut knocks the air out of his lungs, then shakes his head, breathes in, then out. "whoof. Okay. Not bad. Really good, actually."

He rolls his shoulders. "Now what do you do when they have your arms?"

Spoiler: roll to grapple and lift

( grapple and lift off the ground...

Roll(1d10)+0:
1,+0
Total:1

Roll(2d10)+0:
10,1,+0
Total:11

Roll(8d10)+0:
8,9,6,1,9,10,5,10,+0
Total:58

Crit! Elena: /is hold ))

 

Elena freezes in panic for a split-second, her breath catching in her throat, before lashing out. There's no pause to think, to figure out how to hit, which is both good and bad. Good, in that these are probably good reflexes for a combat situation. Bad, in that... well. She's aiming for his junk, and if she were thinking, she would avoid that with a friend no matter how much he assures him that he can take her worst.

She's been lifted and held like this before. It scares her, feeling this helpless.

(Brawl + Dex:
Your rolls are 4 3 5 9
You had 1 successes)

 

That, he should have expected.

Still, his eyes go big and wide, wolfish yellow, and he bares a mouthful of sharp teeth out of her line of sight. "Ngggh... oh.. okay... got it. Ow. Fuck."

 

Gabriel smiles at him sardonicly " Why don't you take a seat there 'champ', catch your breath. " he says heading towards the fridge.

 

Miri starts laughing, covering her mouth with her hand.

 

Elena flushes, looking down. '... sorry.'

He startled her, she didn't mean to... She'll go sit in a kitchen chair in the corner, if he puts her down, beet red.

 

Nick lets her go.

 

Elena hasn't noticed anything; she's at the wrong angle, and too distracted by her own embarrassment.

'... are you okay?' she asks quietly, practically huddled into a ball in her chair. This was not how she wanted things to go!

 

"...wh... oh. HAH. Yeah, yeah. Just wasn't expecting that. Nah, I've done dumber things. 's alright."

 

She swallows, still not looking up at him. "Um. Does that mean we're done practicing?"

 

"For now" Gabe says, pulling an ice pack out of the freezer and wrapping it in a towel before carefully placing it on Nick's lap. "For now, why don't you two watch some T.V.?" he tells the girls.