Continued from Pins & Needles

Kealey was still in the middle of the clothing shop when Shin pulled the plug on the simulation. For some reason, watching it all disappear hacked her off even more. The anger wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, and somehow that made it worse. Kealey wasn’t used to dealing with frustration on this scale and it made her antsy to the point that every little thing was irritating.

Shin was there now, and Kealey watched him as he talked to Cafas, trying desperately to make all that frustration, irritation, and violent anger go away. The empath was stumped, nobody else was feeling any of those things…why was she? Had the zombies broken something in her mind with their waves of hostility? Stupid zombies…stupid try-out…stupid costume….

Kealey took a deep breath and stopped herself, reigning in the feelings again and clenching her hands into fists until her fingers hurt. None of those things deserved her ire, she just needed to be patient. Patience was difficult though…really, really difficult.

Kealey heard her name and her head jerked up and over to Shin, the tight scowl still firmly in place, if not aimed at him. She gave a curt nod when he asked if they could talk, then softened slightly at the feelings behind the question. She went back to counting.

Cafas left, and Shin turned his attention back to her.

”Are you alright? You look a little... mad. Like you need to punch something.” Shin asked, and blue eyes came up from where they’d been studying the ground.

Needed? To punch something? Kealey shrugged her shoulders, a little worried that if she let go of the anger and frustration she wouldn’t be able to pull herself back together. ”Those zombies were really angry. I‘m not good at that.”

He offered the Danger Room up for figurative slaughter and Kealey took a moment to think…then nodded.

”No more zombies?”

OOC: Shin words written and approved by Shin.

"No more zombies," Shin agreed. "Just a target to blow off steam on. Hold on a moment."

Turning, Shin walked over to a panel on the wall. He pressed a few buttons, and selected something from some sort of menu. He tapped his foot impatiently as the computer worked. A minute later, he came back to her. Shin looked to the ceiling and addressed it.

"Danger Room: Boxing Ring."

A ring appeared, with blue mats and red ropes. Shin ducked through ropes, and entered the ring. He turned to wait for Kealey with tight-lipped seriousness, hands clasped behind his back.

Shin promised that there would be no more zombies, and Kealey felt some of the tensed muscles in her shoulders relax marginally. She hadn’t really thought he’d put her through that again simply for kicks, but Kealey’s mind was too frazzled to simply let it go. Shin walked away and Kealey found herself curious and impatient on top of everything else as Shin explained they’d be working with a target. He walked away and messed with a console, then worked his way back in her direction.

The Danger Room, Kealey decided a few moments later…really was pretty cool…even if the thought was dragged kicking and screaming from the cell where all her emotions that didn’t involve “rage”, “irritation”, and “frustration” were being held captive. Shin simply spoke to the ceiling….and blam…boxing ring.

Was she going to watch him box? Or maybe he was going to show her how to do some cool jump roping things. Shin had told her once that he’d fought in rings like this…surely he knew how to jump rope. It was already starting to work, if mildly, random thoughts were working their way through the brick wall of violent intent. They were few and far between…but it was a start.

Kealey really did want to hit something.

Shin entered the ring, and she followed close behind, ”At least I’m dressed for this…” she said, climbing between the ropes and looking back at Shin, every bit as serious as he was.

”Very nice…but where is this target?”

Shin pointed to his chest, as if that was all the answer she'd ever need. "Me, Kealey." He said. "I'm going to teach you to throw a good punch. And maybe, to box."

He was still serious. No joking here, folks. She needed to let off steam. He'd stand in the way of her fist. He could take it. "So, bring it on." He waggled his fingers at her, assuming a taunting stance.

At the last second, he tilted his head and winked.

Shin wanted to be the target? He actually wanted her to swing at him? Kealey frowned, mood dropping even more. He was serious. ”This isn’t a good idea.” the blond said, folding her arms across her stomach and studying Shin as he explained that she was going to learn how to throw a punch.

It would be useful knowledge, it really would be. Kealey just wasn’t sure if this was the right time…when she was feeling so violent, just below the surface. It wasn’t that she thought she could actually hurt Shin, he was the one teaching her after all, it was just…

Worry joined the other, more angry, emotions and Kealey wrapped her arms more tightly around her middle. It was starting to be a little too much and her hands fisted in the sides of her shirt as they started to shake slightly. She’d needed a way to blow off steam, Shin was giving her one.

Slowly, her fists unclenched from the sides of her shirt, and Kealey frowned at her instructor’s slight taunting and winking. As hard as he was trying, she just wasn’t feeling better yet.

”Okay…” she said, letting her arms drop for a second, then staring at Shin.

How did one go about throwing a punch when they’d had no instruction? Kealey realized her hands were already curled into fists, nails biting slightly into her palms as she tried again to get a handle on the hostile raging emotions that were building up inside of her.

She didn’t want to hit Shin…but then again…she really wanted to hit something. This was her chance. Kelaey sighed and shut her eyes for a moment.

She cut the emotions loose…and out they flooded like water from a broken dam.

Before she knew what she was doing, Kealey had closed the gap between herself and Shin and was swinging what probably could have been considered the most ill-formed punch in the history of punches.

A for effort though.

A good idea? No. This was a great idea.

Kealey really tried to hit him. What a way to blow off that head of steam. Too bad the punch was no-good. Shin brought up his arms to guard the side of his head, and used them to brush it off-course. A hand darted to grab her arm. Shin took her to the mat in one fluid motion, pinning her. He held her punching arm in place behind her back. He applied a hint of pressure.

"Good try, but... it was a bit wild. Do that sort of punching, and you'll get yourself hurt." He took the pressure off, and stood up, allowing her to get back to her feet. The serious emotions were still there. He wasn't kidding around here. He didn't want to see her losing fights.

The punch was wild, and Kealey had known it. Part of her was utterly shocked she’d even managed to take a swing at Shin. None of this was his fault. The anger and frustration were flowing freely now, though, and in the back of her mind Kealey was a little afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop them now that she’d let loose.

The punch was blocked easily, and before Kealey knew what happened she was on the ground and pinned with her arm behind her back. Shin wasn’t hurting her, but Kealey growled all the same, immediately pushing to her feet and swinging around to face him as soon as he released her.

Shin wasn’t mocking her, and the serious tone of his emotions helped Kealey center herself a little bit, even with all the emotions from the try-out trying to burn their way out of her at once. She wanted to fly at him in an absolute rage, and at the same time she wanted to flop down in the middle of the floor and cry. She didn’t do either. Kealey had worked on her powers too long and too hard to let something like this completely undo her. Shin was offering to help, and she’d accept.

Kealey was focused, fully and completely on Shin as she faced him, giving a curt nod at the critique he gave at her initial attack. ”Show me the right way.” she demanded, her usual meekness dashed to bits by everything else. ”And that other thing you did too. Taking me down like that.”

"With punching, it isn't just about arm movement, Kealey. That's where you went wrong with your punch just now." Or at least, one place. "It's the whole body. It's how you stand, how you hold yourself, and how you use your technique. I need to show those things to you first. That other thing? That's more for jujitsu practice. I can show you grappling moves later."

Shin took a step back, and brought up arm up to demonstrate a proper face-guard. The other, he held ahead of himself, ready for a punching demonstration of its own. "You'll want to start a punch with your feet stuck to the ground, and your body balanced. Punches gain power from the legs, the hips, and the shoulders. You want to drive it like so." He demonstrated. "Watch me as I punch. Take note of the way I move, using my body to full effect to gain power." Another punch, then another. Shin shifted his eyes back to Kealey after the third. "Now, we'll get there in a little bit, and you can practice. But first, I want to point out another problem I saw in your form."

Shin dropped the stance, and held up a fist. "You had your thumb this way." He showed her the way she'd held it, thumb inside her fist. As he spoke, he demonstrated things. "You want to have it on the outside, this way. And you want to hold your fist this way, like holding a pitcher of water. Check this." He glanced Kealey's way, to make sure she was mimicking him.

((OOC: Stuff: www.wikihow.com/Throw-a-Punch , www.ehow.com/how_16454_throw-punch-boxing.html ))

Kealey listened, albeit impatiently, as Shin explained the proper way to throw a punch. The information was important, but she didn’t want to listen right now…she wanted to act. As frustrated as she was, taking that swing and the brief grapple had felt good. It had been somewhere to direct the emotions. The blond bounced slightly on the balls of her feet as she listened and watched.

Feet, body, legs, hips, shoulders. Kealey mentally checked off each one as she took a practice swing at the air in front of her. Again, the motion felt good, almost like she was letting the air out of a shaken 2 liter of soda bit by bit to keep it from exploding.

She watched as Shin demonstrated the things he was telling her, and Kealey could see what he was talking about when he mentioned the power coming from places other than a swinging arm. The balance in this was as important as it was in everything else. Shin was good at this. Kealey took it as a sign of progress that she noticed.

There was something else wrong with her form though.

Shin pointed out the proper way to make a fist, and Kealey looked down at her clenched hands. Sure enough, her thumb was inside her fingers. She imagined what it would feel like if she punched someone like that and winced slightly. It probably wouldn’t feel good.

Like a pitcher…it was a good analogy and Kealey mimed Shin again as he demonstrated. Her feet were apart now, just a bit wider than shoulder-width, and she pivoted slightly each time she swung. Kealey knew she probably didn’t look as good as Shin did when he did it…but it had to be an improvement.

”I get it.” she said. ”Now, can we practice some more?”

There was progress... definite progress. As Shin watched her practice her form, he noted this. Of course, it wouldn't be perfect right off the bat. These things took practice and time.

Kealey wanted more practice. He had the time. Shin nodded.

He glanced up, and ordered some arm guards for himself. They appeared on his forearms, padded and red.

"Practice hitting my arms for a while. Don't worry about how hard you're hitting. Let off that steam." He said.

Little did Shin know at the time that he'd just asked for a nasty bruise...

Kealey had to admit, even in her agitated state, that Shin was doing absolutely everything he could to help. The boxing ring, the lessons on hitting, the opportunity to actually physically exert herself… If she’d been in any other kind of mood she would have been touched. For now, she filed the information away for later and concentrated on the task at hand.

The Danger Room, it seemed, was an absolutely never ending source of marvels. The red punching-pads appeared on Shin’s arms and Kealey studied him, and them, for a moment before she assumed the stance that Shin had showed her.

The first punch was timid, and Kealey wondered if she wasn’t afraid that the Danger Room would fail in its end of the bargain. The soft cushion of the pad belied her fears though, and the second was harder, followed by the third. Concentration and form were important, and Kealey did her best to throw her punches exactly how Shin had shown her. It was more difficult, the harder she hit, but the hard hitting felt so good…

It felt so good that when she swing a little wild and her fist glanced off the inside of the left pad, its trajectory only altered slightly, still moving in a straight line. Just at another target.

Aaaaaandd... biff.

Her fist connected with his nose. Shin took a step back, doubling over to cover his face with padded arms. Things had been going so well up until that point. Now, it looked like he was a red-pawed dog hanging his head in shame.

"Nice hit." Shin said between red drips. "I fink you acshuly got meh."

Contact. Kealey felt the contact when her fist collided with Shin’s nose. She felt it…a lot. As Shin doubled over, Kealey’s fist exploded in a starburst of pain that ricocheted through her knuckles, into her wrist, and tingled into her forearm.

Kealey didn’t notice. Not right away, she was watching what was happening to Shin.

She’d hurt him.

She’d hit him in the face.

Kealey Quinn, who had never hurt anyone intentionally. Had punched her boyfriend in the face while he was trying to help her sort out her head.

He was bleeding, and complimenting her while she stood and stared.

”Oh my god!” she exclaimed, his words knocking her out of her stupor as her hands found the sides of his head around the padding that was on his arms.

”I’m so sorry Shin…let me see, tilt your head back, not forwards…” she said, regretful tears springing to her eyes as she tried to see what exactly had happened, oblivious of the blood or the throbbing in her hand, all of which were secondary to the feelings she was so intensely focused on in Shin.

Shin obliged, doing as she told him. He let her handle all the important stuff. For the moment, Shin didn't know what else to do, or what else to think.

Kealey had hit him. She'd gotten him good. If it had been anyone else, Shin might have felt sour about it. He might have reprimanded. But for her, there was no malice, and there was no consternation. There was no condemnation. Perhaps, bemused was the proper word to describe what Shin was feeling. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out how it had happened. The fact it had sucked him in. She'd hit him, and done a fantastic job of it. She was getting this 'how to throw a punch' thing. She'd be okay.

For the moment, Shin was all three definitions of bemused. Puzzled, distracted, and tolerantly amused.

"You got me," Shin repeated, staring at the high white ceiling. There was a slight laugh in his voice. "Keep throwing punches like that, and I think you'll do fine."

Amused…puzzled…tolerant…all things that Shin was feeling. Kealey knew because she was more focused on his reaction than she could remember being in a long time. She’d hit him…actually punched him in the face and he was amused and tolerant?

It made her feel even worse. More guilty tears gathered in blue eyes, threatening to spill over. Kealey took a deep breath and focused on getting the bleeding from Shin’s nose to stop. It was a bit of a mess…apparently she’d done a good job swinging.

”I didn’t mean to hit you…I was swinging for the pad and I missed. It was an accident….” she trailed off and Shin made a comment about how if she kept swinging that way she’d be fine. Kealey shook her head.

”I don’t want to be that kind of fine… she said, sniffling as her nose threatened to run if something didn‘t happen to those tears, ”I was just so angry, and the swinging felt so good. I’m sorry, I’m a mess right now…you’re not mad at me?”