01 Bite ~ Ways to Cope ~ OPEN

[defenderofmen]

Who; Elena Micheal & OPEN
What; Adjusting...
Where; Around HQ
When; August 6th - 12th
Warnings; Fighting. Will change if there is anything else.

This place was something new, something strange and it kept Elena on edge. She had been assured that things were fine and that her other nature was something that was known if not accepted by those in HQ. That didn't mean she wanted to talk about it. She'd been bred to keep her secrets close and losing them shook her deeply.

In short, she hated this place.

Sparring | Afternoons(8th,10th,12th) | Forest

She hadn't sparred since she left Stoneheaven but now that she's somewhere new she wanted to be ready. She borrowed a loose fitting pair of sweats and a top to use for the hours she spent training. Then she found a place in the forest with enough space to move around. She shifted from stance to stance hearing the grass rustle with the touch of the wind.

Elena specialized in grappling which would be easier to practice with a partner. For now she'll do what she can but she'll welcome anyone who would be willing to fight with her.

Running | Any Day Before Sunrise | Forest

Tension was something she was used to. She always tried to stop the changes, to keep herself human and that put stress on her body. Running was one of the few ways that she dealt with that stress. Each morning, prior to sunrise, she can be found running laps around the edge of the forest. The warehouse was large enough to give her to illusion of distance and yet her body yearned to run on four legs.

Elena was wearing the borrowed sweats and shirt with her golden hair tied back in a tight ponytail. She paused only to grab a drink of water and then began to run again. When the sun started to flicker in the odd sky she'd head back to her dorm to grab a quick shower.

It would be obvious to anyone passing by that she was tense.

Eating | Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner | Cafeteria

With every meal Elena had a cup of hot tea or coffee. The tea in her cup varied but it was always warm and steaming and a silent comfort. She liked ice tea but the AC in HQ always made a warm drink a welcome sight.

Elena was used to eating a lot of food, she'd subsidize her meals with protein bars or other high fiber supplements but that was harder now that the cafeteria was only open during certain hours. After a bit of pressure from Gus she'd begun to try and eat the appropreate amount without feeling self-conscious. She would get several plates of food of the course of the hour and sit alone, with a book, at a corner table.

Even when she was done eating she'd simply sit, drink tea and read before being kicked out of the cafeteria.

Swimming | Midnight(10th) | Pool

Elena had done what she set out to do but the after meeting she was feeling stressed and she wanted to cool off. Having no access to a bathing suit she used the next best thing; her underwear.

Her clothes were neatly stacked on a chair, her necklace resting on top of the pile. Her underwear was simple, black and a little lacy but it covered enough to count as a bathing suit. She swam laps pausing at the edge of the pool to catch her breath. The air felt thick and cool as she inhaled and the water felt inviting and strong as it held her.

She wasn't a big swimmer but the change was nice.

Pacing | All hours of the day | Moon Dorms (Wild Card Option)

Elena was having a hard time remaining still. She paced around her room and when that wasn't enough she'd pace within the moon dorm common area. If it was late at night she'd wander into the hallway and then through the available areas of HQ. Her hands were shoved into her pockets while a thoughtful expression masked her features.

She didn't know what to think but she knew what Logan would say and in a weak or two she'd have a problem. She would want to hunt but she couldn't do that down here. She'd gotten her physical and cleared with the request not to bite anyone but it felt far more complicated than that.

Comments

Running

[stealinghonor]

Pulse exercised, a lot. He did parkour and regular running both, and here in the forest, he excelled at it. His body was built for gymnastics and acrobatics and he used that agility as he leaped across trees, dashed through clearings, swung around branches and moved with a grace usually reserved for animals.

He loved this!

But when he spotted Elena running and the way her shoulders were being held, he decided he needed a break, and went from parkour to running instantly, coming down out of the trees and beginning to run toward and to a pace near her, grin in place as he let himself get lost in the run.

Running

[defenderofmen]

It was easy to lose herself when running, to feel the rush of the wind as it passed over feverish exposed skin, the ground flying away beneath her feet, the freedom and excursion that pushed the body to it's limits and then further.

Elena wasn't human and running was something she excelled at. Feeling the presence of someone else in the forest made her pick up her pace, her muscles straining, her heart pounding, her breath quickening as he raced at her side. Watery blue eyes flicked towards him while a small smile pulled at her lips.

She couldn't help but feel a little competitive.

Running

[stealinghonor]

Pulse was nowhere near as fast as the nonhuman, and he didn't pretend to know how she was so fast, not knowing her secret. But he did try, and he enjoyed running near her, watching her, one eyebrow raised.

"Nice day for a run, yes?"

Running

[defenderofmen]

Elena's smile grew and her pace began to slow. Her head turned towards him feeling the rush of the run tingle through her limbs. She inhaled the air of the forest and for a moment her other half was fooled in thinking that she was outside.

"It is. Do you run a lot?" She'd seen him from the corner of her gaze as he approached and she noticed the way that he moved over the obstacles littering the forest floor.

Re: Running

[stealinghonor]

He matched her, with her slower, it being easier, now, to run alongside her. And made it more challenging as he dodged undergrowth to keep pace. He liked that. "I do, every day if I can. Either down here, or up in the trees."

He pointed upward at the plentiful treetops and branches he suspected might be thick enough to lay on in some places. Hmmm, he might do that, later.

Pulse was a consummate athlete, moving eyes and feet and body as one instrument. He enjoyed watching her grace and power as she moved, as well, and smiled more warmly and naturally than normal. "You?"

Running

[defenderofmen]

Elena looked up when he pointed and felt a alluring draw to the idea of moving to through the trees. Her 'condition' made her faster and stronger than an average human but for others of her kind she'd still been considered frail. That was why she trained. It took years but she worked her way up and now stood as one of the stronger members of the pack.

Wolves, however, do better on the ground.

"I run every morning." A smirk tease the corner of her lips. "I haven't been able to stop and the forest here is a great place for a run." Her breathing started to get heavier as they spoke. Running and holding a conversation was harder than just running.

Running

[stealinghonor]

"Yeah? Well, maybe we can run together again sometime." His own smirk grew as he worked to keep up with her, pushing himself, showing it with sweat on his brow and a slower speech. Yeah, conversing while running was harder for sure.

"I like the feeling of nature, but also of obstacles. It's nice to not just see the same surface everywhere."

Eating; Lunch

[mynameisallen]

Allen was never really ashamed when it came to his food and the sheer amount of had always found he had to eat to get the energy. But since getting here he had felt a little conscious about it due to the fact that this world wouldn't or didn't understand why he needs to. Everyone seemed to eat one plate like everyone he knew back home and that was it.

Even when he got the food he still felt like people were watching him, but as he managed to carry the plates he couldn't help but notice something in the corner. Tilting his head, he wanted to get a better look.

"Ah! Hi again."

Eating; Lunch

[defenderofmen]

Elena looked up from her book, regarding Allen with an even expression. She remembered him from the forest and then seeing him again at the meeting. She placed a piece of paper in the book and set it to the side, a silent invitation that she was willing to have a conversation. She then picked up her warm cup of tea, stealing a quick sip before speaking.

"Hello Allen."

Her voice was even and calm. She noticed that he had a lot of plates of food. It stood out, which was why she choose to have one plate that she refilled as needed. It was very different for boys and girls when it came to eating and considering that Elena was so thin, she'd always have to come up with excuses.

Just another way to play at being normal.

Eating; Lunch

[mynameisallen]

Allen had placed the plates firmly down before going to sit down, once he got his knife and fork ready, he smiled he was already ready to eat everything within the next few minutes. But for now he was thinking about what to say next.

"How have you been settling?" He finally asked having already taken a couple of bites of his first meal of at least five plates he managed to carry so far.

Eating; Lunch

[defenderofmen]

Elena continued to sip her drink, looking as if she wasn't in any rush. The truth of the matter was that Elena wasn't doing well but she wasn't the sort of person who talked about her problems. She was determine to remain strong.

"As well as I could hope." He looked like he was struggling for a topic so she presented one that they could both talk about. "I was thinking about getting a job here or maybe seeing if I can continue my photography."

They were in New York, it'd be awesome if she could have an art show here.

Eating; Lunch

[mynameisallen]

Well that was at least good, well as one could hope was better than poorly, he smiled as he had already finished the first plate he had. Moving it to the side, he moved to the second one, it seemed like he was eating fast but he was still appreciating the taste and texture as he did.

"Well... you should do what you want. If you want to do photography, I couldn't think of what would stop you." He had taken another bite. "I am thinking of working in the cafeteria myself."

Eating; Lunch

[defenderofmen]

Elena took another sip of her drink, regarding the boy curiously. He looked young, he probably didn't really understand the cost that came into being a photographer. Most kids didn't have to start worrying about bills until after college.

"I'm not the sort of person to stop trying but my camera alone cost over 2,000 dollars. Plus I need to repurchase lends, a laptop and the program I used to edit the photos and enlarge them." She could develop her own film as well however that would involve a lot of chemicals, equipment and a dark room.

"Do you cook a lot?"

Sparring; 10th - Afternoon

[playsforkeeps]

Gambit wasn't a day person. He usually stayed up late and slept late, so it was to be expected that he was up and about in the afternoon. He'd taken, since he'd arrived here, to wandering, and he still hadn't worked up the nerve to attend a physical to allow him to leave. He wasn't sure exactly how much he wanted this place knowing about him.

This particular afternoon, he wandered into the forest. It wasn't like any he'd ever seen before and that fact alone he found fascinating. The sounds coming from a clearing distracted him from taking it all in, though, and he followed them to find Elena. He watched her motions for a while, but waited for a lull in her practice to actually speak up.

"You ain' lookin' for a partner, are ya?"

Sparring; 10th - Afternoon

[defenderofmen]

Elena could feel the eyes on her the moment Remy paused to watch. She was used to being watch and while the forest masked a lot of the scents in HQ the gentle breeze through the trees gave her the smallest sense of the metal and ceramic outside the large warehouse. Remy's scent mixed with that, though it wasn't a scent she'd yet to identify with anything. It simply smelled like him.

She turned when he finally spoke, picking up a bottle of water and taking a healthy swing of the cool liquid. It felt good to move and it helped some of the tension and panic receded. A small smile tugged at her lips when she places the water bottle back on it's rock.

"I could use one. Have you practiced hand to hand fighting?" It's what she knew and it was the style she was looking to improve.

Sparring; 10th - Afternoon

[playsforkeeps]

Even just the simple act of drinking from a bottle was somehow alluring when Elena did it. There was something smooth, animalistic, graceful about her movements that no normal human were capable of achieving. He didn't think anything of it. He'd never been "normal", and he'd spent the better part of his life around others who didn't fit the description either.

"Oui, you could say dat, chere. Done a good bit 'a fightin' in my day."

Sparring; 10th - Afternoon

[defenderofmen]

"Good." She placed the bottle down and moved to give Remy room to join her. There was a small smile teasing her lips, her eyes dancing with the challenge set before her. Her arms drop to her sides and she shifts her weight feeling the ground beneath her feet.

"Promise not to go easy on me?"

Elena was a little excited to see what sort of fight Remy could put out. She didn't think that all those muscles were just for show and she wanted to see them in action.

Sparring; 10th - Afternoon

[playsforkeeps]

He takes off his overcoat, draping across a nearby rock, leaving him in a lightly armored body suit, dark gray with dark magenta accents. Only a man like him could pull it off and still make it look manly, but he did it.

"Come on, now, chere. It ain't practice if it goes nice, non? De bad guys ain' gotta give ya de courtesy."

Sparring; 10th - Afternoon

[defenderofmen]

Once Remy was in position Elena would run at him. Her fists moved quickly and she didn't hold back as she punched with both fists and then ducked to swipe her leg along his feet.

She was faster than a regular human and her form was practiced though she didn't strike to kill and that dampened her otherwise fierce attack. Remy would be able to keep up with her speed though if any of her punches hit they would probably hurt.

Swimming | Midnight (10th)

[thedeadguy]

Acclimating to this place was proving more difficult than he'd originally expected. Sure, he'd been, well, attached to broads since the 60s, but he'd filled in the background, was more focused on the job or just trying to get his host's attention to pay much to the outside world. It was changing, moving too fast for him to keep up with anyway, and with his inability to touch anything around him, he couldn't even if he'd tried.

Here, in this place, it was easier to experience is, and that alone was terrifying. His host played the role of a buffer between him and the world around him, and now she was gone, and Joey didn't know what to do. He felt lost, anchor-less, alone, and adrift. He didn't know how to live anymore, and that was intimidating. He couldn't sleep, though he'd at least gotten used to feeling tired fairly quickly, so he wandered the halls, exploring, trying to understand this world he's fallen into.

He's not even sure how he ended up at the pool, but he found himself distracted by the scent of the place, first. The water didn't smell like water. It smelled like chemicals, but he didn't know what. And then he noticed the pile of clothes neatly folded on the chair, and registered the splashing of water as their owner made her laps.

And oh wow. Was she in her underwear?

Swimming | Midnight (10th)

[defenderofmen]

Elena's hand lightly pressed against the concrete wall of the pool before stopping. Her fingers pull through her long hair pushing the wet strands over her shoulder and out of her eyes. She didn't know that she wasn't alone anymore, the scent of chlorine and other chemicals obstructed everything else.

She pressed her palms on the edge of the pool and lifted herself from the water. She felt the beads of moisture roll down her the flat of her stomach as she placed a knee on the side of the pool. From there she stood, her fingers returning to her hair to ring out the excess water. As she turned towards her towel and things she spotted Joey.

She tried not to look surprised but she hadn't thought others would be up. "You're up late."

Elena didn't seem bothered that she'd been caught swimming in her underwear.

Swimming | Midnight (10th)

[thedeadguy]

"I'm not the only one." His response came without much thought, as he watched the water trail down her lithe form. He was staring, but he didn't catch himself immediately. Instead, he simply watched for several seconds before blinking and looking away. He wasn't wearing his suit coat tonight, but the clothes he had to choose from were limited. He wore slacks, for lack of anything else to wear, and his dress shirt, but the tie, his hat, and his coat were back in his room.

He swallowed, clearing his throat. "Didn't mean to interrupt."

Swimming | Midnight (10th)

[defenderofmen]

"I thought a swim might help me sleep." It was easy to admit as much. She doubted she was the only one having troubles sleeping here and considering that Joey had found her here it meant that her suspicions were well grounded.

Elena reached for a towel and began to dry her hair while taking a seat on the edge of the chair. "You aren't interrupting. I was going to get out soon anyway." She watched him curiously for a moment before continuing.

"Are you exploring?"

Swimming | Midnight (10th)

[thedeadguy]

Joey watched her for a moment before looking away, swallowing. "So, swimming helps you sleep, huh?" That was a new one, though Red did say that exercise was supposed to help you relax, not that he ever saw her actually do any.

He licked his lips at her question, nodding. "Yeah, I'm still getting used to this place." And you know, breathing.

Swimming | Midnight (10th)

[defenderofmen]

Elena noticed his nervousness and couldn’t help the small smile that graced her lips. She supposed she shouldn’t be walking around in her underwear but she hadn’t found another alternative and it covered her enough. She used the towel to dry her long hair before lightly patting down her legs. Her shoulders and back still dot with moisture but she put her attention back to her hair. If it isn’t dry it’ll just continue to drip uncomfortably down her back.

“Sometimes, I usually run but with only so much space I thought to try something new.” She nodded her head towards the pool before turning her gaze back to Joey. “It’s nice; you should give it a try.” She was sure he was wearing underwear beneath his pants too.