The Training Room

[Kennedy]

The iPod had been a gift the previous Christmas from Dimitri; he had noticed she often liked to listen to music while she trained but always had it down low so she didn’t inadvertently disrupt any of the others in the pack. He had given her the iPod as a way around that, and had even taken the time to upload her music library to it. How the crafty sniper wolf had managed to get into her room and onto her computer without her even realising he’d been in there, she couldn’t say. There were no excuses, if only because the thought that had gone into the gift had overwhelmed any flickers of confusion or irritation that might have come as a result of having her private space invaded in any way. There was no way Kennedy could be mad at someone who had become her best friend over the years they had known one another, especially not when he put so much effort into her Christmas present.

One of the buds was already nestled snugly in her ear as she travelled the distance from her bedroom to the training room, a route she knew off by heart and one that she could traverse without even needing to watch where she was going. Her hazel eyes were down on the illuminated screen of the mp3 player as she walked, her stride smooth and steady, the senior fighter effortlessly concealing any insecurities surrounding the recent hurricane of activity that had engulfed the Hyperion and all her occupants. Two new wolves, one announced departure -- from a leader no less -- and a shocking, unexpected suicide attempt. It was a little too much even for someone of her age and experience to accept all in the space of one day. She was essentially one of the leaders herself, the dominant fighter in the pack and as such fifth in that proverbial chain of command. Or fourth, technically; Cole and Dia were equals, though the male was the oldest and was undoubtedly the more forward of the pair in most situations. Kennedy meant no offence, not even mentally, when she put them in the order that she did, placing Steven above Heidi and not alongside. The Beta female meant a lot to the pack, yes, and she was a valued wolf among such a large family, but Steven was the tactical, combat-ready one, the Beta who could actually fully rise to assume command should -- god forbid -- something happen to Cole or Dia, or -- again, god forbid -- both of them.

Kennedy’s lengthy train of thought screeched to a halt when she stepped into the doorway of the training room and realised it was occupied. That was hardly out of the ordinary with so many wolves under one roof with so many who were fond of exercise and routine and keeping themselves at their best. It wasn’t anyone she had expected though, not Amber or Dylan or Bianca, but instead Mara. The old she-wolf reached up and removed the bud from her ear, holding down the pause control on the wheel until the device powered down before she wound the cable around the iPod and then stepped into the room fully, announcing herself calmly and politely, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

[Mara]

The voice of the senior fighter washed through her breathing exercises. The wolf made Mara's eyes flickered, but she forced herself to stay as still as she could, finishing the last breath, and then trying to draw in the shields. She felt Kennedy's presence flow against her, and hissed out her breath as she tried to make it vanish. Sweat beaded on her upper lip as she sucked in another breath, and got it. For just a moment, Kennedy's emotions were not there. Mara had no sense of the wolf behind her.

She slowly turned and looked at Kennedy, a wry smile cracking her lips as she struggled to maintain the feeling and her wolf. Her wolf wanted to acknowledge Kennedy, and its strength tore the shield down. She gave a shudder and the emotion came through again, though not strongly. That at least, she had gotten better about. Soon it would fade away entirely, as was its fickle nature while the moon wasn't full.

"Ah damn. Thanks Kennedy - for just a moment, I had it." The senior fighter knew about her battle - the Alphas had her permission to tell those they thought should know, and Kennedy of course was on the list. She lightly tossed her bo from hand to hand and nodded at the iPod. "Something for training with? Am I in your way?"

She wanted to talk about Cole, about Owen.. and especially about Flynn, but she was more concerned about being courteous.

[Kennedy]

Naturally Kennedy was one of the ones the Alphas had seen fit to inform of Mara’s ability and honestly she hadn’t been at all alarmed or surprised when she’d learned of it. Given that Kennedy had been with the pack since her birth and Nerys Llanfair had been a member for several centuries, the concept of werewolves with extra supernatural gifts -- not that they were always considered gifts; often they seemed more like a curse than anything so beneficial as a gift -- didn’t even faze her anymore. Had she met Mara in her youth, the notion of empathy might have unsettled her. As it was, now, it just seemed like another part of the younger she-wolf’s persona.

Giving the other female a smile, Kennedy shook her head in response to the latter question, saying in response to the former, “Apparently I was so anal when it came to the stereo that Dimitri saw fit to ‘fix the problem’. So.” She lifted the iPod. “Yeah.” Her laughter was light, slightly lacking in humour. It wasn’t easy to laugh genuinely when so much had happened in such a short space of time. Honestly Kennedy felt a little tired; she hadn’t slept much, not when there was so much for her to keep aware of. As senior fighter, she was responsible for all those warrior wolves beneath her and she saw each and every one of them as a brother or a sister, without exception. She liked to know how they were, if they were well, and if not, whether there was anything she could do to help them. Her mother would have chastised her, told her she was stretching herself too thin, but Kennedy couldn’t help herself. After losing her sister the way she had, she just felt like she had so much to make up for.

“Cole and Kyle mentioned your preference for the staff,” she went on, breezing past her weariness and any other signs of anything remotely resembling weakness with the ease of a practised fighter. “Can I see?” She was curious to watch Mara train, if the other female would allow it, that was.

[Mara]

Mara was surprised, expecting that Kennedy would be well versed in most weapons, but then again, with a pang she remembered that her..sire... had not known the staff when she arrived at the dojang. The artist in her had loved the whistling sounds when the bo was whirled over the head, and it lent itself to beauty and brutal power so easily. She shook herself and nodded at the senior fighter with an easy smile. "Of course."

She took the center of the mat, deciding to do the kata for the staff - a brief form that encompassed some of her favorite moves. It also had the bonus of aiding her focus, something she needed to work on. Holding the staff easily to the side, she took a deep breath and began.

The staff's movements were jerky when held close, but the implication of its clubbing ability was clear - and when she grabbed the end and swept the heavy wood in the air, making the air hum - it was apparent that anyone in the way would be knocked over, breaking bones. Mara was close to 6', and her staff was exactly 6', but she made it an extension of herself effortlessly, finishing with her signature blend, whirling the staff over her head, then bringing it down infront of her lengthwise, the end making a dull thwap as it cracked against the mat.

She pulled it back to her, stood, bowed slightly to finish the kata and then grinned at Kennedy. "It makes fun noises."

[Kennedy]

Kennedy was well versed in all manner of weaponry, but the important thing to remember was that everyone had a different technique. Kennedy knew how to use a staff, naturally so given her age and the fact that it had been a very commonplace weapon in the days of her youth, but it was not one of her personal preferences. In recent decades she had become a fan of firearms, not unlike some of the other fighters; in fact, she realised, the three eldest fighters in the pack favoured firearms of one sort or another. It would have been amusing if they weren’t so deadly with their weapons of choice. But the point of the matter was that she wanted to see how Mara wielded the staff despite knowing how to wield one herself. It was like Cole had taught her; just because your opinion might wield the same weapon as you, that does not mean their technique is the same. The Alpha himself knew how to use a ridiculously wide range of weaponry but he had made them all his own, found techniques that suited him and his fighting style. Kennedy, for example, might have been fond of firearms but they were distance weapons. The staff was a close-quarters combat weapon. In close quarters, Kennedy preferred to go unarmed and rely on her hand-to-hand skills and her capoeira, easily her favourite fighting form.

There was a quiet kind of smile on the senior fighter’s face when Mara finished her demonstration and the older she-wolf nodded her head, a simple motion that she managed to keep from looking condescending; she did so effortlessly, much easier than most would be able. To some it would have been patronising, but coming from Kennedy it was an acknowledgement, and an admiring one at that. She could appreciate skill in whatever form, and Mara clearly knew how to wield the weapon. When the time came, when she was of age and had the control required, Kennedy could easily see Mara joining the other fighters-in-training, on their way towards defending the pack with the likes of the other warrior wolves in their midst.

“How long have you been using the staff?”

[Mara]

Mara's empathy crawled along her skin, and the confidence coming from the senior fighter made her flush red. She felt sheepish for a moment, and moved to her towel to wipe her face to try to hide it. After two or three deep breaths, she turned back around and spoke.

"Since I was 12. Not long to you, but more than half my life." She shrugged. "It just...fit. You know?" Running her fingers along the faint engravings on the weapon she murmured quietly - "And an instructor was needed. I fit in where I was needed." She met the other fighter's gaze and asked - "Do you have a preference?"

[Kennedy]

That calm confidence of Kennedy’s was the result of centuries of experience and rigorous training, both solitary and with others. Even in her early youth Kennedy had known what she wanted to achieve, to become a fighter like her parents, to do them proud. The loss of her sister had been a serious hurdle to overcome, rocking that balance of hers and throwing her so far off course both physically and emotionally that it had almost torn the ground out from under her in terms of achieving her goals. Eventually she had realised, even though Laurie had been lost to her, that her sister would not have wanted her to give up, and in turn she had only gone on to train longer and harder once she had finished mourning. Over the centuries she had been one of the defenders of the pack she had seen and done much, all of which worked towards helping her move forward; she had learned from each triumph and every mistake, carrying them all with her and doing her best to hold her head up high and keep her shoulders squared.

That remark on time prompted a smile from Kennedy and a gentle laugh. Again she nodded her head, loose dark hair swaying with the motion. “That makes perfect sense to me.” When a weapon fit, a feeling of comfort and right just seemed to descend and settle into the bones. Kennedy knew that feeling well. “For weaponry? I’ve tried my hand at pretty much everything you can imagine over the years,” she said, again managing to make such a bold comment sound almost modest instead of arrogant, “but in the last century I’ve become fond of firearms. I carry handguns into combat myself, and two knives. Bowie knives, actually.” She set the iPod down on the small shelf nearby, raised up high so as to be out of the way of sparring and other training activities. “But personally, in close combat, I prefer to use what I was given naturally.”

[Mara]

"Never been interested in guns before." She shrugged. Then again, there was never a need for her to be. "And I agree... I much prefer using my fists. I just need to master using my claws... on purpose, rather than being controlled by it." She paused.

"When I lost control in the basement a while ago - Kyle said I fought on two legs as well as on four. Is that typical? And at the risk of sounding like a bloody idiot - would I be able to use my skill as a wolf?" She gestured at herself - her belt that she wore in training - "Maybe its a stupid question, but... can that be done? Can I really be that in control?"

[Kennedy]

Kennedy smiled at that, nodding her head. Guns weren’t to everyone’s tastes and she could certainly understand why. She, along with the others who had come to favour them, used them as a distance weapon but when it came to close-combat they were abandoned in favour of hand-to-hand or blades secreted about the person. Or, naturally, their formidable wolf forms. Each and every fighter in the pack had a deadly wolf form, naturally, but then, any wolf could be deadly regardless of size and muscle mass. It was all about skill and precision, or sheer ferocity. While it was true that a good deal of the fighters had large, imposing wolf forms, that didn’t hold true for all of them.

“For our kind? It’s not so unusual. I can do the same, as can others like Kyle, Keegan, Steven, even Cole himself is primarily a bipedal wolf, especially in combat. It gives you a height advantage; you can generally see more from that vantage point.” She had maintained her position by the wall, seeing no need to move away from that point for the time being. “As for using weapons, it’s not usually done.” She added a smile to remove any potential edge. “You have enough natural weapons to render manmade ones meaningless. They only get in the way, and not only that, the added strength you can wield in wolf form could just end up destroying the weapon itself.”

[Mara]

Mara had been taking another drink as Kennedy finished her statement, and the idea of her wolf twirling the staff struck her as hysterically funny. The bo would be ridiculous in the immense paws of her wolf, and Mara nearly spit water, as the image of her black wolf twirling the wood like a dancer went through her mind. It was a beautiful kind of redundancey and held a bit of the absurd, which made her laugh all the harder.

"Sorry, sorry." She took a breath. "The idea of a wolf our size using a bo staff or another weapon like it just struck me as a bad cartoon for Saturday morning." She steadied herself and went on. "Just how...unnecessary it seems." She paused. "I think it also is linked to what I've been trying to come to terms with.. I've been seeing myself as a monster - I'm not. I'm a concealed weapon." She smirked slightly. "I hope that doesn't come across as disrespectful, because it sure as hell isn't meant so."

She tucked her staff into its bag and back into its corner. "Do you ever train in wolf form? And were you going to train? Do you want me to leave?"

[Kennedy]

Even though she was one of the oldest wolves in the pack, Kennedy actually had a very good, broad sense of humour. Perhaps spending so much time with Dimitri, who was erratic and spontaneous to say the least, had helped her in that fashion, but it was more that she loved the pack and spent time with them, whoever it may be, whenever she could. They helped her to keep her youth and freedom, helped her to understand laughter as time went on, just how alive and peaceful it could make you feel.

“That’s all right,” Kennedy assured Mara with a smile on her face. Honestly she had imagined the very same sort of thing dozens of times, with different wolves and different weapons. Irina’s tank of a wolf attempting to use her sai was still one of her favourites with Keegan and his shotgun taking a close second. It was all right to laugh at those things, she had learned, because they were harmless and not at all harmful to her fellow fighters. “That’s a very good way to look at it,” she went on to tell the younger female with a slow, approving nod of her head. That remark was intended to tell Mara that her comment was in no way offensive.

“I do every now and then, yes, but it’s difficult. Obviously you don’t use things like karate or capoeira in wolf form, you can’t, it’s too awkward even with our grace and agility, so that means you need a partner, and sparring in wolf form has its risks. We’re not cats, after all, we can’t sheathe our claws.” Again she smiled. “You don’t have to leave. The room is big enough for the both of us.”

[Mara]

Mara returned the senior fighter's smile... then thoughts of Owen intruded on her and it faded. She turned to put her staff back into its carrier, very carefully handling it with respect - it had become more precious to her, given that it was now one of the few links she still had with her old life. Placing it into a corner of the training room next to one of Kyle's favored training pieces, she patted the leather absentmindedly. She'd have to see if she could give the tonfa a try... the balance would suit her and give her something new to concentrate on... but for now...

She turned back to the room and watched Kennedy for a moment, observing the easy way the senior fighter stood - she could still tell the tension was there - there was a lot of tension in the hotel, and she hesitated for a moment before saying - "Kennedy.. I know that there's a lot of bad energy about... but if you'd consider taking the risk, I would really love a spar. It was stress relief for me.. before.. and I... I can't believe it wouldn't help some now. Both for my control and.. for processing what I saw today. What I felt."

She shrugged. "I mean, I understand if you'd rather train alone - its not for everyone, and I certainly don't want to intrude on what must be fairly limited time to be on your own.. but - do you think you'd consider sparring me? I'd be appreciative." And honored.

[Kennedy]

That smile and then the subsequent fade had Kennedy worried. While she might not have been one of the 'top dogs' in the pack so to speak, she was still essentially the fifth most dominant wolf in their large family, and as such, she felt a certain degree of responsibility towards them all. It was greater with the fighters, for whom she felt responsible at all times, sometimes too much, but she felt protective of each and every one of them all the same, all the time, and simply couldn't shut it down. Her mother and sister had been the same way, even her father to his own degree, in his own way. Perhaps it was just the wolf in her, and her age; she was old and experienced, strong and tough as a result, and felt as though she could -- and therefore should -- take care of those younger than her.

"Sparring with a partner is always better than training alone," Kennedy pointed out with a smile of her own, hands settling at her hips in a very matter-of-fact, ready to go manner. She lightly jerked her chin in the direction of the stereo that was set up out of the way. "You don't mind a little background noise, do you? No problem if you don't, don't feel like you have to go along with it for my sake. It's just habit for me now."

[Mara]

In truth, Mara preferred noise when she sparred – at least, she used to, back in her old life – but since coming to the pack she’d simply trained when she could, with Cole or Kyle – usually the latter. Neither had favored music when they worked with her, so it was probably to aid her focus. She thought about it for a moment, looking over at Kennedy. Perhaps it would lend itself to her aid though – and Mara did love to train to music. It might actually work to aid the focus. Who knew? She could only try.

“I wouldn’t mind at all. Go for your life.” Mara nodded over to the stereo in the corner and began to ready herself for the coming spar. She’d never had the chance to spar Kennedy, and while it was nothing new for her to spar someone unfamiliar, her wolf lended a whole other shade to the work. “Just hope I like it.” She grinned.

Satisfied that her muscles were still warm, she moved to the center of the room and stretched her arms, swinging them easily. “If my eyes change, it shouldn’t be anything to worry about.. but if I start to lose control, I drop to one knee and breathe. Please try to be as calm as you can – it’ll help. Shouldn’t be a problem, but hey – I didn’t realize I’d need to come with instructions.” She gave a wry smile.

[Kennedy]

For the longest time Kennedy had trained in silence, and then at some point over the more recent years she had picked up the habit. She hadn't even noticed it until it had been pointed out to her, how she always had music of one description or another playing in the background somewhere, sometimes with lyrics and sometimes without, and she hadn't taken offence or been shocked at all, merely a little surprised that she hadn't spotted it for herself. She'd been using a portable stereo for a long time, at least until the gift she'd been given recently by her second-in-command of sorts, her 'lieutenant' within the ranks of the pack fighters, and she'd smiled and laughed and thanked him for the thought. It contained a variety of music, intentionally so, in different playlists, and what she listened to depended on any number of factors, such as her mood or just what she intended to be training with that day.

Setting it up and connecting it to the stereo via the cable that Jeremy had tracked down and acquired for her for just this purpose, Kennedy thumbed through the playlists until she came to a suitable one, music that was neither too heavy nor too mellow but instead was more of a happy medium of sorts. It was energetic without going overboard, and could easily be ignored as nothing more than background music. Perfect for sparring with someone like Mara, she thought.

"Don't worry, I'm sure there are some people here who think I'm unnaturally calm when I train or spar." Kennedy smiled as she turned, making sure her hair was fixed and secure, getting herself organised and comfortable before she strode back towards the centre of the room, and closer to Mara again. "I can understand why training with Kyle must be beneficial though," she admitted to her fellow she-wolf. "I've never known anyone as... stoic as him." The way she spoke implied that it was by no means a bad thing, it was simply confusing or unsettling to people who didn't know the quiet male.