[ I mean realistically he could find her place because he is a human bloodhound but he's gotta establish some deniability here. And he can't read emojis, but he won't ruin her fun.
some time later, she'll get another text ]
think i made it but can you meet me outside just in case?
[ does this mean Matt will miss out on important texts like eggplant smile with sunglasses thumbs up? life really is a bitch.
instead of answering his text, she opens the front door to find Matt. ]
Hey. Glad I gave you good directions. [ she grins. ] Come in. Uh - there's two steps right before the door. [ that's helpful, right? she's never know anyone who was blind before and she's not 100% sure what sort of help he needs. ] We're going to go through the front room and to the right.
[ she's changed into Hadriel's closest approximation of workout gear and tied her hair up - both expected given that she's invited him over for a little gym time. however, he'll pick up on the fact that she also put on floral perfume. as one does before getting sweaty, obviously. ]
[ That's exactly what emojis sound like to Matt, yep. Just ask Connor. ]
Thanks. [ Matt smiles, making his way up the steps and through the door. Having his cane to tap ahead of him helps, and verbal instructions are a lot kinder than most people, who just try to lead him around.
He follows her instructions and steps into the room to right. He's just wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, but it's the kind of shirt that he knows will show off his sick abs once he works up a sweat. (Dress to impress, right?) ]
So I'm trained in boxing, mostly. But maybe you'll show me a thing or two.
[ if you're hot, you're hot. even in sweats and a t-shirt. it's the laws of the universe, which she has double checked and found to be true in this moment. ]
Well I don't have much of a background in boxing, so I think we'll both be learning something.
[ she gives him a few minutes to figure out the room so he's not surprised by anything, continuing with her own background. ] I've done a little bit of everything. At home we train for anything that might come our way so it's all important: speed, strength, endurance. A lot of running, a lot of hand-to-hand, and specializing in whatever weapon best suits you. Of course most of that assumes a human opponent which isn't always the case here, but you do what you can.
So I thought we'd do a little warming up and then try some self-defense and see what sticks. Honestly if you've boxed you've already got the basics down. [ she pauses. ] How do you feel about weapons? [ giving a sword or some shit to guy who can't see is probably ??? interesting?? ]
[ Ah, right. Hunger Games. Connor filled him in on that-- it's funny, Matt doesn't normally fight people who are better trained than him, so this might be the first time in a long, long time. Street thugs and ninjas don't move the same way trained fighters do. It should be interesting. ]
Sounds good to me. [ Matt shrugs off his duffle bag and kicks it out of the way. He brought his own towel and stuff of course, he's not a barbarian. ]
I'm a lot better with my fists, or... escrima sticks. Since I can't see, it helps to hold something that lets me feel the impact better. Short-range, you know?
[ Plus, it's nice that she hasn't doubted his skills, to be honest. The fact that he's actually explaining helps give him some deniability. ]
Makes sense. [ and she should probably start to be suspicious now, that Matt isn't as unprepared and as untrained as he might lead her to believe. she is a little suspicious - but not as nearly as much as she should be. it is very possible she is going to get her ass kicked based on surprise alone.
she's always relied a lot on her sight, especially for training and the Games. it's hard for her to imagine relying only on instinct.
Cashmere stretches, leaning on one leg and then the other as she talks. ] How's living with Connor? [ she adores Connor, which Matt knows, but she worries about him too. she's had years to deal with her own trauma, Connor still seems like he's figuring it all out. ]
[ A blind boxer is totally plausible, what are you talking about, Cashmere? Matt starts to stretch as well, keeping his gaze fixed ahead as he rolls his shoulders. ]
Good. He's a good guy.
[ How much does Cashmere know about Connor? More than Matt, he has a feeling. Connor's come back crying after talking to her a few times, but it's usually on the nights when Connor's actually feeling better, apparently. Actually... Matt takes off his glasses, placing them carefully out of the way. If Connor trusts Cashmere, Matt can trust her at least enough to let her see his eyes. (They're not weird or anything, he's just a little shy.) ]
[ when he takes his glasses off, she realizes she hasn't seen Matt without them before. she studies him a moment but decides against calling attention to it out of fear of embarassing him. he's handsome, and she didn't know what to expect but he just looks... like anybody else? she'd wondered if the glasses were more practical or just an accessory, and now she guesses that they might just make him feel more at ease. that's a sentiment she can fully support.
she's not shocked to hear Connor has nightmares, but it is sad, a soft ache in her chest. he doesn't deserve to suffer like that. ]
He was part of something really bad at home. I've had a lot of fucked experiences and it would be a lot, even for me. [ she sighs. ] I wish there was some way to make everything better. Or at least tolerable for him.
[ Matt nods, turning towards her as best as he can. Connor wasn't trained by ninjas or lost his parents or grew up in an orphanage. Whatever happened to him happened recently, and it was probably the first truly awful thing to happen to him in his life. ]
It sounds like it. He's really just... He's normal, you know? [ Matt chuckles. That's probably weird to say, but here he is, trapped in a murder cave and he's going out on dates and going to the gym-- he can adjust, much as he hates not being home. Connor doesn't have any of that. ]
I guess the best we can do is make things better here. Whatever happened back home is still gonna be there when he gets back, I'm sure that's part of why he has so much trouble moving past it.
[ she laughs. normal. that's actually probably the best way to describe Connor. minus the murder cave - well, and the murder - his life sounds... like it was supposed to be. ] You don't think I'm normal? [ she's teasing. ] What's Connor been telling you about me?
[ she remembers Connor told her he was thinking of changing schools to get away from everything. it must be horrible to know everything he left behind is still there, waiting. ] if we all go back. Maybe we'll grow old and die here. [ yay? ]
I know you can't see it coming, but I were to throw something at you, you think you could catch it or avoid being hit by it?
Well, he said that you can kick my ass, for starters.
[ Matt smiles. He's not going to say the bit about the Hunger Games, not unless it comes up naturally. But Cashmere will probably figure out that Matt's not exactly normal himself soon enough. He can fake it all he wants, but he doesn't fight like a blind guy. Or like a sighted guy, either. ]
Who knows. [ Matt is too tied to Hell's Kitchen to think otherwise, his home calls to him whether he likes it or not. Being away is only temporary. It can only ever be temporary, otherwise he wouldn't stand it. ]
My hearing's pretty good. [ not a complete lie, but Matt smiles like there's something he knows that she doesn't. ] You could try.
I'm not going to deny that. [ and she will probably never tell anyone if she gets her ass kicked by a blind dude. she'd have to take that shit to her grave at home. ]
Hmm. [ that smile does make her feel like he's up to something. how could she not feel that way? he's a blind guy who has very clearly has some specific training that most sighted people don't get. ] Okay, but I'm going to feel like an asshole if you get hurt.
[ there a rack of cobbled together fitness equipment, and she saunters over to pick up what passes for a medicine ball. she stops about five feet away from Matt, close enough that she thinks he can tell where she is, and heaves the 8 pounds ball toward him, shoving it outward from about chest height. she hopes this isn't a big fuck up. ]
[ Matt waves off her concern with a smile. Without his glasses, he doesn't look quite ate her, but there's an intensity to his eyes that he'd normally opt to hide. Matt takes no pleasure in being treated like an invalid. He knows it often comes with being blind, or even pretending to be completely blind, as it were, but that doesn't mean he enjoys it. ]
I won't.
[ They're in a cave and someone's bound to find out eventually. He can hear and sense her even further than where she's standing, probably even guess the weight of the ball, judging by the effort she puts into throwing it. He reaches out 'blindly' but catches it right at his chest, his strong muscles flexing with ease at the weight. ]
Normally you're supposed to warn people when you throw things like that.
[ Make no mistake, he is definitely showing off. ]
Doesn't look like you needed a warning. [ now she's curious. Cashmere's trained dozens of teens at home, some of the fastest and stronger people she's known. and yet, she's never seen anyone do that. not without knowing exactly what is coming at them.
she folds her arms across her chest, perplexed. was it a lucky catch? doesn't seem that way. his reflexes are too good. he didn't flinch or loose his footing. there's more to Matt than he's letting on. ]
Consider this your warning. [ Cashmere rushes towards him, aiming to get her arms around him while he's still holding the ball and try and pin him to the ground. ]
I should have been more specific. My hearing is really good.
[ Matt's a ninja, there's no two ways about it. He hears her coming towards him and throws the ball right back at her, quickly side-stepping to try and get out of her way. His aim isn't the best, but the ball is more of a distraction. He'll fight more plausibly at closed quarters, but that doesn't mean he wants to get there just yet. ]
[ well played, you wily attorney. the distraction of the returned medicine ball is enough to throw off her plan of gently (?) tackling him, and instead she comes to a stop a few feet off of him. ]
Pretty smooth. [ she laughs. ] I think this is going to be fun.
[ Matt smirks. He's a smart guy, and he's keeping it plausible. With how quick she grabbed the ball, one could plausibly say he knows how far she is. Which makes it totally plausible for him to aim a kick towards her feet. It's not enough to knock her down, obviously, but she's dreaming if she thinks she's gonna be the only one on the offensive. ]
[ Cashmere jumps out of the way, pleased with Matt's ability to keep up with her. she doesn't get the chance to to spar with anyone very often, and it feels good to be actually doing something. ]
Think you can pin me to the ground? [ she gestures for him to come at her again. can he see it? she's not sure. ] Let's go.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Anyway, come over whenever. It's more fun with a partner.
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do you happen to have any general directions to your place?
or i can just ask connor
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[ duh.
it's not far, and she sends him the best directions she can manage, estimating the time it'll take him to walk. ]
hope you're ready to get your ass kicked. :)
no subject
[ I mean realistically he could find her place because he is a human bloodhound but he's gotta establish some deniability here. And he can't read emojis, but he won't ruin her fun.
some time later, she'll get another text ]
think i made it
but can you meet me outside just in case?
no subject
instead of answering his text, she opens the front door to find Matt. ]
Hey. Glad I gave you good directions. [ she grins. ] Come in. Uh - there's two steps right before the door. [ that's helpful, right? she's never know anyone who was blind before and she's not 100% sure what sort of help he needs. ] We're going to go through the front room and to the right.
[ she's changed into Hadriel's closest approximation of workout gear and tied her hair up - both expected given that she's invited him over for a little gym time. however, he'll pick up on the fact that she also put on floral perfume. as one does before getting sweaty, obviously. ]
no subject
Thanks. [ Matt smiles, making his way up the steps and through the door. Having his cane to tap ahead of him helps, and verbal instructions are a lot kinder than most people, who just try to lead him around.
He follows her instructions and steps into the room to right. He's just wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt, but it's the kind of shirt that he knows will show off his sick abs once he works up a sweat. (Dress to impress, right?) ]
So I'm trained in boxing, mostly. But maybe you'll show me a thing or two.
no subject
Well I don't have much of a background in boxing, so I think we'll both be learning something.
[ she gives him a few minutes to figure out the room so he's not surprised by anything, continuing with her own background. ] I've done a little bit of everything. At home we train for anything that might come our way so it's all important: speed, strength, endurance. A lot of running, a lot of hand-to-hand, and specializing in whatever weapon best suits you. Of course most of that assumes a human opponent which isn't always the case here, but you do what you can.
So I thought we'd do a little warming up and then try some self-defense and see what sticks. Honestly if you've boxed you've already got the basics down. [ she pauses. ] How do you feel about weapons? [ giving a sword or some shit to guy who can't see is probably ??? interesting?? ]
no subject
Sounds good to me. [ Matt shrugs off his duffle bag and kicks it out of the way. He brought his own towel and stuff of course, he's not a barbarian. ]
I'm a lot better with my fists, or... escrima sticks. Since I can't see, it helps to hold something that lets me feel the impact better. Short-range, you know?
[ Plus, it's nice that she hasn't doubted his skills, to be honest. The fact that he's actually explaining helps give him some deniability. ]
no subject
she's always relied a lot on her sight, especially for training and the Games. it's hard for her to imagine relying only on instinct.
Cashmere stretches, leaning on one leg and then the other as she talks. ] How's living with Connor?
[ she adores Connor, which Matt knows, but she worries about him too. she's had years to deal with her own trauma, Connor still seems like he's figuring it all out. ]
no subject
Good. He's a good guy.
[ How much does Cashmere know about Connor? More than Matt, he has a feeling. Connor's come back crying after talking to her a few times, but it's usually on the nights when Connor's actually feeling better, apparently. Actually... Matt takes off his glasses, placing them carefully out of the way. If Connor trusts Cashmere, Matt can trust her at least enough to let her see his eyes. (They're not weird or anything, he's just a little shy.) ]
He has nightmares... Often. I worry about him.
no subject
she's not shocked to hear Connor has nightmares, but it is sad, a soft ache in her chest. he doesn't deserve to suffer like that. ]
He was part of something really bad at home. I've had a lot of fucked experiences and it would be a lot, even for me. [ she sighs. ] I wish there was some way to make everything better. Or at least tolerable for him.
sorry this is so late orz
It sounds like it. He's really just... He's normal, you know? [ Matt chuckles. That's probably weird to say, but here he is, trapped in a murder cave and he's going out on dates and going to the gym-- he can adjust, much as he hates not being home. Connor doesn't have any of that. ]
I guess the best we can do is make things better here. Whatever happened back home is still gonna be there when he gets back, I'm sure that's part of why he has so much trouble moving past it.
backtags 4eva
[ she remembers Connor told her he was thinking of changing schools to get away from everything. it must be horrible to know everything he left behind is still there, waiting. ] if we all go back. Maybe we'll grow old and die here. [ yay? ]
I know you can't see it coming, but I were to throw something at you, you think you could catch it or avoid being hit by it?
no subject
[ Matt smiles. He's not going to say the bit about the Hunger Games, not unless it comes up naturally. But Cashmere will probably figure out that Matt's not exactly normal himself soon enough. He can fake it all he wants, but he doesn't fight like a blind guy. Or like a sighted guy, either. ]
Who knows. [ Matt is too tied to Hell's Kitchen to think otherwise, his home calls to him whether he likes it or not. Being away is only temporary. It can only ever be temporary, otherwise he wouldn't stand it. ]
My hearing's pretty good. [ not a complete lie, but Matt smiles like there's something he knows that she doesn't. ] You could try.
no subject
Hmm. [ that smile does make her feel like he's up to something. how could she not feel that way? he's a blind guy who has very clearly has some specific training that most sighted people don't get. ] Okay, but I'm going to feel like an asshole if you get hurt.
[ there a rack of cobbled together fitness equipment, and she saunters over to pick up what passes for a medicine ball. she stops about five feet away from Matt, close enough that she thinks he can tell where she is, and heaves the 8 pounds ball toward him, shoving it outward from about chest height. she hopes this isn't a big fuck up. ]
no subject
[ Matt waves off her concern with a smile. Without his glasses, he doesn't look quite ate her, but there's an intensity to his eyes that he'd normally opt to hide. Matt takes no pleasure in being treated like an invalid. He knows it often comes with being blind, or even pretending to be completely blind, as it were, but that doesn't mean he enjoys it. ]
I won't.
[ They're in a cave and someone's bound to find out eventually. He can hear and sense her even further than where she's standing, probably even guess the weight of the ball, judging by the effort she puts into throwing it. He reaches out 'blindly' but catches it right at his chest, his strong muscles flexing with ease at the weight. ]
Normally you're supposed to warn people when you throw things like that.
[ Make no mistake, he is definitely showing off. ]
no subject
she folds her arms across her chest, perplexed. was it a lucky catch? doesn't seem that way. his reflexes are too good. he didn't flinch or loose his footing. there's more to Matt than he's letting on. ]
Consider this your warning. [ Cashmere rushes towards him, aiming to get her arms around him while he's still holding the ball and try and pin him to the ground. ]
no subject
[ Matt's a ninja, there's no two ways about it. He hears her coming towards him and throws the ball right back at her, quickly side-stepping to try and get out of her way. His aim isn't the best, but the ball is more of a distraction. He'll fight more plausibly at closed quarters, but that doesn't mean he wants to get there just yet. ]
See? A warning helps.
no subject
Pretty smooth. [ she laughs. ] I think this is going to be fun.
no subject
[ Matt smirks. He's a smart guy, and he's keeping it plausible. With how quick she grabbed the ball, one could plausibly say he knows how far she is. Which makes it totally plausible for him to aim a kick towards her feet. It's not enough to knock her down, obviously, but she's dreaming if she thinks she's gonna be the only one on the offensive. ]
no subject
Think you can pin me to the ground? [ she gestures for him to come at her again. can he see it? she's not sure. ] Let's go.