Luceti Appointments

[vor]

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[vor]

Gregor swiftly blocks the attack. It's not just Judo, or twice-a-year defense courses. It's also eightish years of military and pre-military training. With his free hand, he'll attempt a jab at her throat, intending to pull at the last second.

[herotypical]

For those who didn't know her -- or know Slayers in general -- Buffy's behaviour might come across as reckless self-endangerment. She made no attempt to stop his jab (assuming she could soak that hit even if it wasn't pulled), and chose instead to snap her elbow against his side. Just below his rib-cage.

When the jab was pulled, she glanced up to catch his eyes for the half-second. Another smile. Clever, she was telling him. Nice move.

[vor]

He absorbs the blow with an intake of breath. While she's trying to communicate telepathically, he'll try to grab her throat, twist her arm, and take her to the ground.

[herotypical]

Buffy was okay -- good, even -- up until Gregor went for her throat. Although they were well-healed now, the last week had seen dark and unhealthy bruises around her neck from when the General had met her with the same move. From when he'd pinned her there and sank his blood into her veins.

Her desire to not be caught by the throat inspired more strength in her muscles. Her head bobbed down; she ducked. She pushed much of her might first into resisting his twist and second into hauling him up, off the ground, and over her shoulder. He, she hoped, would be the one on the ground. Not her.

The throw was clumsily started but it had the benefit of being powerful.

[vor]

He is so astonished at being picked up that he indeed winds up on the ground, winded. Then, he's simply still, trying to figure out what just happened.

[herotypical]

Instinct dropped her down onto his torso, a knee planted firmly on either side of his torso. A hand flattened against his chest -- just in case. Buffy sat there, breath heaving for a moment until...

"Oh, jeez." She drew her hand back as if it had been burned. "I-I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

[vor]

"Yes. Just...surprised." He struggles a bit to sit up, as if the momentum of the fall is still carrying him downward. "Could I...?"

[herotypical]

She rocked back onto her heels -- standing up and off of him. At least she offered an open palm to help him up.

"Here."

[vor]

He looks warily at the offered hand before taking it, carefully measuring her strength as she pulls him up.

[herotypical]

She hauled him up -- and with considerable strength; however, she'd been playing this game long enough to instinctively moderate her power to use only as much as was needed to deliver him expediently to his feet. It was just that other instincts had trumped her when it game to Gregor grabbing for her throat.

Buffy remained sheepish. "Must have eaten my spinach today."

[vor]

"Genetic engineering?"

He keeps his tone neutral.

[herotypical]

"What? No."

She rubbed at the back of her neck with the same hand she just freed from his. "I'm totally anti-plastic-surgery..."

[vor]

"Plastic surgery is reconstructive and doesn't even touch the genotype."

[herotypical]

"...My genotype is just fine, thank you very much."

[vor]

He lets it go. Maybe it's something she's ashamed of. "Okay. What did I do wrong?"

[herotypical]

"You underestimated me. You're in Luceti, now. Even tiny blondes can kick your ass. Expect the unexpected."

[vor]

"It's..." He heaves a sigh. "So I need to be less...Vor."

[herotypical]

"I think that depends on what being Vor really means...?"

Which was an invitation to explain it, of course.

[vor]

"It means a lot of things. I suppose the somewhat sexist tendency toward chivalry is more inherent than it has to be, but in general, we don't hit women."

[herotypical]

"I'd argue that plenty of folks back home are pretty Vor-y too, then. But I'm..."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm hard to hit to begin with. And so are plenty of folks around here. And it's not just that you can't tell whether someone's strong or not. It's also hard to know their allegiances. Their alignments. Here's not the sorta place you want to take anything at face value -- especially not the sorta things you can count on assuming back home."

[vor]

"Believe me, I can afford to assume very little back home." He shakes his head. "It's just...deeply ingrained."

[herotypical]

"Lesson the first?" She smiled. "Ungrain it. And maybe don't go around asking people if they've had their genes fudged with."

[vor]

"...Sorry. A lot of people I've met who have, they're not really ashamed of it."

[herotypical]

"It's not that I'm ashamed, it's...

It's natural. Or as natural as supernatural strength can get."

[vor]

He hesitates, then nods.

"I think...I'll take that at face value, for now."