ishisstrength | IC CONTACT

[Her smile widens as his lips brush affectionately against her own. She feels her heart flutter and a little bit of warm place perfectly in her chest. It all fits and Justine is tired of pretending it doesn't.]

They're beautiful.

[Thin pale fingers wrap around the wild flowers as Justine brings them to her nose to delicately sniff. Sweet aromas fill her head as she steps to the side and lets Majima come in.] You're perfectly on time. I had just started the fire. It should be ready in a little bit. [She has a very small fire place but it'll work for their plans.]

I hope you don't mind teaching me while I'm wearing a dress.

[Since Justine is usually wearing a dress, she figured she should practice in one too. Plus she likes looking nice when Majima is around.]

Not at all.

[ He stepped inside -- something that was becoming second nature to him. It had been some time since he'd made a habit of regularly visiting someone else's home, or inviting anyone into his... and yet Justine's apartment always managed to feel welcoming, never claustrophobic.

Strange, indeed. ]

Actually, I was gonna suggest that since you've been practicin' your knifework, we oughta put it to a practical test.

Oh?

[Her head tilts curiously to the side, her dark intelligent eyes inquisitive.]

How would we do that?

[Justine closes the door behind him before slipping into the kitchen to find a vase for the lovely collection of flowers. As she passes behind Majima, her fingers brush against his lower back before pulling away.] You can take a seat in the living room. I was hoping to ask for your help to move the coffee table. [It's in the middle of the room and it's in the way.

She finds a dark obsidian vase and fills it with water. When Justine has the flowers arranged she sets them on the long counter that spans the kitchen so that they could see them from where they'll be sitting.]

There.

No problem.

[ Justine had such a strangely welcoming way about her, in every touch and smile. Maybe that was what transferred itself into her home, as well. Rather than take a seat, however, he walked up to the counter, watching her work with interest. Nor did he bother to disguise his interest in the deft way her fingers handled the flowers. ]

Most times, real fighting with a knife ain't particularly clean or fair. Unless you're lucky enough to get called out to a duel, ya have to use everything you got -- kicking, improvised weapons, things in the environment that ya wouldn't think twice about otherwise.

[ He hesitated, looking at her coffee table. ]

...But maybe that'd be a little hard on your place.

[ Majima tended to break a lot of things. ]

[Her yes meet his and lips curve into a charming smile as she leans over the short counter top.]

I have no problem fighting dirty. [It's how she's survived being weaker and slower than everyone around her.] But I would appreciate if my apartment wasn't destroyed during practice. [Justine draws the line at destroying her place during sex. They can fight and train anywhere and destroy any other place.] How about we focus on grappling? I've been focusing on offense lately but I don't think I would be able to free myself if I am caught.

[Justine steps around the counter and slides up next to Majima's side.]

What do you think?

[ He smiled warmly at her, though his answer was in all seriousness. ]

Makes sense. Ain't only about freein' yourself, either. You can just as easily go on the offense, even if ya weigh less than whoever you're fightin'.

[ Once they moved the coffee table aside, he'd start with a simple grab to her wrist, demonstrating how to use the natural rotation of her wrist to exploit the weakness of the hold. ]

It's good that ya don't have a lot of qualms -- a lot of guys, they're not expectin' someone to be able to fight back when they make a grab. That overconfidence is something anyone can take advantage of. But I think the most important thing is the followthrough.

My last student, she didn't wanna hurt anyone, really. Didn't wanna kick anyone while they were down, or break anything while she had the chance.

[ But in a survival situation, when escape was not an option, viciousness was paramount. It was something that many people simply weren't comfortable with.

If Justine performed the motions properly, she'd be able to free herself from the grab fairly easily -- twist free when Majima's joints would no longer easily accommodate the ranger of her own motion. ]

[The coffee table is lifted and placed on the opposite side of the couch, opening a small area of the room. Justine's apartment isn't very large. The kitchen and family room is one room with a counter splitting the area. To their right is Justine's bedroom and beyond that is a rather large bathroom for such a small apartment. It's perfect for one person or a couple but not great for combat training.]

I have absolutely no qualms about fighting dirty. [She's lived in a rough world and Justine will do anything if it means surviving. That also means lying, blackmailing, manipulating and putting others in precarious situations. She will do anything to protect the people she cares about.]

Maybe I've seen too much but-

[She steps up to Majima and places her palms on his chest.]

I know how to get people to let their guards down. [She runs her palms up his chest and curl around the back of his neck. A light teasing smile curves her lips as she lightly presses her frame against his.] Distracted?

[ An answering smile... and then the quick application of a hand at her lower back and a heel pressed to the back of her ankle, to more or less sweep her off her feet. Not a far reach, there -- she was already pressed close to him. ]

You're always charming.

[ And yet he felt like there was still something he had to tell her... maybe. ]

...I ever tell ya much about what I was doing before I ended up here?

[Justine feels her legs sweep out from beneath her and she clings to him as he controls the force and direction of the motion. A soft exhale brushes against his chest as her eyes rose to meet his.]

No but I have a guess.

[After their conversation at the masquerade and then again when they took a walk along the lake.]

Why do you ask? [Her eyes flash as if knowingly.] You don't have to worry about telling me anything Majima. You've already captured my attention. [She doubts that there is anything he could say that would hinder her growing affection for him.]

I don't, huh?

It's nothin' untoward or anything. I was just thinking about how I was always smiling back then. But fakin' a smile, it was just part of the job.

[ He bore her weight easily, just resisting the urge to dip in a little lower and steal a kiss. Justine was always at least a little distracting. ]

Guess I wanted to say that it never feels that way around you. It's... natural. Feels kinda nice.

[ Ooookay this was a little embarrassing to talk about, maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. Hopefully Justine didn't notice his face turning a little red here. ]

[Her fingers curl against the back of his neck and his shoulder as they remain posed. She isn't sure how to turn their grapple into something that benefits her but she's planning on bidding her time. Justine hasn't forgotten that they're technically wrestling right now.]

Really?

[She smiles and absolutely notices the red tint to his cheeks.]

You're very cute when you blush.

[Her fingers slowly drag along his scalp before she softly adds.] It does feel nice. [She feels the same way though she isn't admitting it directly. Justine has never been very good at simply admitting how she feels.]

You're pretty cute yourself, when ya get flustered.

[ Well, he wouldn't quite give away the farm, but he might murmur a little something related, just to get some attention off of himself. ]

....It's all about balance.

[ Someone had probably mentioned to her the importance of the placement of one's feet in maintaining balance and guarding against attack. Because of the way Majima had swept his foot, however, he was side-by-side with her rather than intertwined. He was also bearing a good deal of Justine's weight.

A push to Majima's side would force him to regain his balance, while Justine would be able to fully regain her feet. ]

[She inhales a slow breath and tries not to blush at his compliment.]

Balance.

[Justine repeats as she lets her attention focus on how they're standing.

Majima's feet aren't squared beneath his shoulder, one foot is placed closer to her, which means he'd fall if she pushes him with enough force. She might not have enough force but she doesn't want to remain trapped like this. Her teeth gently bite her lower lip before she leans her weight against him and shifts her hip to push him away and return her feet to the ground.

She doesn't have a lot of strength but she uses her body weight, only to stumble if she gets freed.]

[ He stumbled backward (good work, Justine), regaining himself with the natural grace of an experienced fighter. There was a look of approval in his expression, though it wasn't quite the time to stop for congratulations. ]

Nice job. How 'bout that follow-through?

[ She did have options, after all... ]

[She lets her thoughts calmly access the situation. Majima has stumbled which is Justine's chance at turning the grapple to her favor. Justine continues to push him and if Majima doesn't stop her then they're body tumbling to the ground, with Justine pinning him there.

She breathes heavily against his hear while the heat of the fire lights her face.]

Who's that?

Not bad.

[ With the amount of time that had elapsed, it would have been possible to shift his weight and avoid the floor -- but the ground game was much more useful here. He brought up his arms, pushing at her shoulders to manipulate her upward and take advantage of the natural instability of trying to lock down someone despite a significant size difference.

Once he was free, he'd slide an arm under her neck and press down and out, instead seeking to flip Justine on her back. ]

Whatever ya do, don't let both your shoulderblades hit the floor. Lot harder to get free when you're lyin' flat. Try to stay on your side instead.

[It's somehow harder and easier on the floor of her apartment.

Justine is slight and doesn't have the weight or size that Majima does but she's also very flexible and finds a way to wiggle her hips and slide away from his hold. She still ends up on her back for a moment or two but she doesn't stay there. Justine laces her leg around Majima's and twists her hips, using the ground to push her onto her side and tangle them further.

It's a mess and likely not comfortable for either of them.]

And what do I do from here?

[She has a lock on one of his legs, has managed to get to her side and she's stuck.

Justine feels the warmth of his breath against her cheek and wants to lean in and kiss him though that would defeat the purpose of these exorcises.]

From where ya are? You're in a good position to go for a kneebar, but you wanna bow away from me, so you can force me into overextendin'. Don't give me any space to work with.

[ Not that he was going to make it entirely easy for her, of course -- if he managed to slip an arm around her neck, it'd be simple enough to restrict enough blood flow to drain the strength from her.

The floor was hard and a little cold, but what was a little discomfort? His movements were unhurried here, deceptively gentle as his hands moved up the planes of her body. ]

[She lifts her frame and positions herself as if she's going to break his knee before pausing.] I don't actually want to break your knee but I assume that I apply force here? [Justine keeps her frame close to Majima's as she bows away from him, curving her body in a surprisingly erotic arc.]

You have longer arms than me.

[Which means that he'll probably have no trouble removing her from her position on top of him.]

That's right. Doesn't matter how strong they are; if they're human, their joints have a limit to how much they'll bend.

[ His breath caught for a moment as she moved... but now wasn't the time. Her hold wasn't quite complete, and with some quick application of his limbs, he slipped loose. ]

It ain't just about who's bigger. If ya feel them trying to slip ya out of position, you move to regain it, and work toward what you want to happen. You're gonna get better at it; you've already got a better sense of your own body than most people.

[ A... great sense of her own body, in fact. ]

[Justine looses her hold for only a second before reaching for his wrists and pinning them to his sides. She doesn't have the strength to hold him but she doesn't have to give him the leverage to break free either. He'd told her not to let her pray wiggle away and she's an apt teacher.]

Like this?

[She exhales as she keeps her body positioned above him. Her skirt rides up a bit, her heels pinning Majima's legs in a way that would cause him to get caught by the sharp stiletto should he struggle too much. Justine had given him one avenue of escape, specifically to get Majima into this position. The plan had paid off though only because they'd been speaking through their grapple.

Justine leans forward and presses a light kiss against his cheek.]

Like that.

[ What was this, though? A kiss? ]

Can I take that to mean you're callin' the match?

[ Suddenly, Majima rolled his body fluidly upward, starting from the hips. The motion both unbalanced Justine's current position and dug her stilettos into his legs, but he'd felt plenty of pain before, and he didn't shrink from it now. If Justine lost her balance, he'd support her fall. And if she merely slipped a bit forward, he'd lean up to meet her in a kiss of his own -- the pleasure of even this brief contact all the sweeter for the effort. ]

[She falls forward and meets his kiss.

It's amazing that they hadn't banged their teeth together in the process. Justine's palms are resting on his shoulders as her frame lays across his chest. Her heel had slipped and the sharp point is now around Majima's ankle with a small red mark down his leg.]

I think so.

[She exhales against his lips before kissing him again.]

Does that mean it's time for our date?

[ And so he returned the favor, wrapping his arms around her not to pull her off but to draw her closer. In fact, his left hand seemed to have strayed a bit from its original course, now resting lightly (and entirely innocently, no doubt) over the curve of her ass.

When he broke from their kiss, he was smiling. ]

I'd say so. Feel like lettin' me up?

[ Hard to make pizza on the floor, said the teasing tone of his voice. ]

[A light pleased note of laughter escapes Justine's lips as she looks down at Majima. Warmth and affection dance in her dark eyes as she places one last chaste kiss against his forehead.]

If I must.

[She slides her legs to either side of his hips before pushing herself up into a seat position. Justine stares down at him for a second more and then shifts and gracefully rises to her feet. Her dark eyes move down his frame, pausing when she caught sight of what her heel had done to his leg.]

You should wrap that. It'll get infected.

[Nothing about her tone makes it sound like a suggestion.]

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