View source for Logs:Be ready for anything

{{Log
|who=Alida, Farideh
|involves=High Reaches Weyr
|what=What's likely the last of Farideh's and Alida's self-defense lessons is a time for a different kind of learning.
|where=HRW: Workout Room
|day=16
|month=7
|turn=37
|IP=Interval
|IP2=10
|gamedate=2015.04.15
|quote="...Do what you can. Worry about it later."
|weather=Pleasant, warm.
|mentions=Edyis, H'vier, Keysi
|type=Log
|icons-new=Icon alida warrior.png, Icon farideh listens.png
|log=It might be only a sevenday or so before the Dragonhealers predict Niahvth's and Reisoth's eggs pop their shells, but Alida is chugging ahead as if it's a typical day. Today, this includes a firelizard summons via golden Pyrite sent off to Farideh - after the candidate is done with her chores, of course - which calls her to the workout cavern in 15 minutes. While Pyrite zooms back to her mistress, Alida awaits her occasional student in the 'gym,' where a few other Weyrfolk are doing their own various workouts.

The eggs might be on ''the verge'', but Farideh doesn't look too nervous, or even concerned, beyond her ''lesson''. She wears loose black pants and a simple blue short-sleeved shirt, and sturdy shoes, in anticipation of the eventual workout and ass kicking she's about to receive. Her expression is wane as she crosses the threshold, her hands filled by a rolled up towel and a waterskin, both of which she sets down on one of the benches off to the side before approaching the bluerider. "Alida," she says quietly, rubbing her sweaty hands against her pants.

"Farideh..." the shorts and tank-top-clad bluerider greets the candidate, her braided head bobbing once as she finishes her stretching, stands erect to stride slowly over to a mat that's already been laid out on the rock floor near the center of the cavern. Only when the teen's close enough to speak to in a lower voice does the level-featured rider continue, "It's gettin' close t' Hatchin' time. If ya don't Impress, you c'n go back ta doin' whatcha' want...includin' self-defense lessons." Beat. "If y' *do* Impress, yer outta' my jurisdiction." Smirk. "I'm thinkin' you should be passable, by now, at dealin' with most uv' the typical crap ya' might encounter in various situations. But..." Isn't there always a 'but.' "I want ta ask you how *you're* feelin' about what you've learned."

Farideh is ''listening'', and quiet, the whole time that the bluerider speaks, only nodding her head once or twice in answer to anything she finds the need to. It's at the end, when she's asked for feedback, that she pauses, opening her mouth to say something, and then closing it. She tries again, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I still don't feel-- strong. I don't know that I could-- take down someone like H'vier, even with training. It's-- it's a good ''start''," and she finishes lamely, staring down at her feet. "Would Quinlys follow through? Or is self-defense not part of the weyrling program?"

Alida listens as well, the blonde moving while doing so - though those forthright green eyes of hers always return to Farideh - the woman nodding at critical junctures to show the teen she's comprehending. As the bluie finishes hauling the mat to just exactly where she wants it, dropping the corner in her mitts with a soft 'whump' to the floor, her neutral expression alters to something just a hint darkly-humored. In her typical, mile-a-minute, clipped alto, "Strong's different things at different times. Brute strength is just one." This might possibly surprise Farideh, but, "Even *I'm* not strong enough ta compete on a perfect level with *that*..." Ahem. "...bronzerider." Moving back towards the teen, there's more on the bluerider's mind as she halts about three feet away from Farideh, and suddenly makes a grab for what could be one breast. If the blonde's done her 'job' decently, and the candidate has learned well, the teen ought to be able to pivot or lunge herself out of the way as soon as she sees that grab coming. If she's hesitant or daft...then one of her breasts is going to receive a stinging little slap. Even as she's testing her student's reflexes and such, the 'former' guard continues talking. "Speed an' accuracy 're better friends ta' enough people. If some big, pervy clod can't get ta you in the first place, or can't touch ya, then you've defused the whole situation."

"Really?" Farideh sounds surprised, but the bluerider's sudden movement earns a stricken expression, just before she tries taking a hurried half-step back and tries to slap the hand away; she's definitely on the ''daft'' side. "Don't do that!" is followed by a sucked-in breath and a frown. "I don't know if it works like that. What if he tries to grab me and I move out of the way, but then he turns right around and grabs me again? Or has a friend waiting on the side? I'm only ''one person''."

And so, Farideh's breast winds up being swatted by fingertips only, though it should still sting just a bit, the 'student's' pivot and slap not quick or forceful enough. Alida manages to look both darkly humored and disappointed at the same moment, the bluerider snapping like a verbal whip to her student, "Deal with it!" Stare. "Because any moron lookin' fer an easy grab's not gonna bother listening ta you during the attempt, or after it's done." Beat. "Yer attitude is still the weak link, like I always thought." She being cool and hard, now, in order to impart a more important lesson - at this point - than mere body work. "You might *think* yer privileged... Igen girl. That yer old status affords ya protection. But it *doesn't*." Point-blank. "Words only work ta a certain point, and sometimes *they don't.*" Glare. "You gotta make up yer fucking mind ta wanna *protect* yerself. Cause there ain't always gonna' be someone else around ta do it for ya." The blonde's finger point might seem to stab at the candidate, accuse her. "If they get a hold uv you for whatever reason, I taught ya what ta do." Over and over, as a matter of fact. Alida's big on drilling. "He grabs one arm, you use yer free hand, grasp yer own arm above 'r below his hand, and yank down with the strength in both uv yer arms. *No* brute uv any mass has the power ta keep a grip on ya, that way." As for the two (or more) on one, the guard has also taught her about *that*. "You have two somehow grab ya... you still have yer feet, head, body." Listen! "You headbutt the nearer one in the nose, face, ya stamp like a runner on their toes, arches. Ya kick like one at shins, knees." Stare. "Self-defense *ain't* pretty. It's about gettin' you outta' a bad situation in one piece. You *gotta* be determined."

Gracefully, but glumly, Farideh takes the chiding. She simply quietens, again, and listens, until the bluerider says something that makes her take another half-step back. "I'm not ''privileged'' and I don't have-- what do you ''mean''? I'm a ''laundress''," with fidgety hands, that she quickly crosses behind her back, at the same time her chin lifts stubbornly. "I ''do''. I ''will''. I've been listening but I can't imagine that it's always ''enough'', that sometimes the odds aren't in your ''favor, that things just--" She makes a disgruntled sound and goes silent, glancing up at Alida from underneath her dark lashes.

Those fidgity hands are a dead giveaway to someone like Alida, and she murmurs quite softly over to Farideh, "Sure you are..." the blonde's slender hint of a smirk-smile quite frankly knowing, though she doesn't say anything more about this. Instead, the bluerider nods once to her student's next words, and finally continues in a low alto, "When the odds 're against ya, you do what I taught ya, Farideh: get the fuck *out* uv there. You yell 'Fire!' over an' over again at the top uv yer lungs, you use yer adrenaline plus every straight *and* dirty trick I taught ya to *escape*. Winning any fight means bein' alive ta deal with shit the next day." The woman doesn't comment about her own way of handling bad odds, because, frankly, it'd likely freak out enough people.

There's a curt nod to confirm she understands, and a sigh to note that she's still frustrated by the ''unknowns''. "I ''know'', I ''know''. Just get out ''alive'', but that's not the--" Farideh makes a face and stops talking, atypically teenage sullen of a sudden. "I don't know that anyone is going to try and ''kill'' me, but--" A frown. "I understand. Do what you can. Worry about it later."

She was a teen once, too, and perhaps that's why Alida doesn't apply the verbal lash, anymore, instead replying to her student more in the vein of one female to another. "There's some things worse than death." Really? The blonde sounds *utterly* serious. "Many might not try ta kill. Some will." Shrug. "Rape's always the highest beast on the list, unfortunately. Kidnapping, beatings... I've seen 'em all." How lurid the woman's green gaze is as it fixes unwaveringly upon the candidate. "Whatever situation it *might* be, you Don't. Want. To. Be. *In.* It."

"I do not want to be in it," Farideh repeats, slower, and bobs her head up-and-down. "Any situation with-- like ''that''." She shifts uncomfortably, obviously not at ease with the idea of some of the things on that ''list'', but her gaze is quick to come back to the bluerider. "I ''guess'' I'm prepared. Do you have any advice for keeping out of the way of the hatchlings? I heard they're fast, and hungry."

"Avoid the situation *if* ya can, and get'cherself *out* of it as quickly as possible...damn the after-effects," Alida nods sagely. "Do whatever ya gotta'." As for that 'guess' of Farideh's... "Only time an' circumstance'll tell." Beat. "*Don't* make the mistake uv' forgetting what I've taught ya. Find another person - maybe Keysi, 'r Edyis - an' *practice* once a sevenday. The more ya do that, the more ingrained those moves'll become." Pause, peer. "Could save yer dignity, yer *life*, someday." Blink. Ahh, more candidate stuff. They've been hitting her up for that rather often, these days...and the dark humor at this internal thought brings a secretive little smile to the bluie's mouth for a moment. "Be ready fer anything." Nod. "Those eggs hatch fast, and the dragonets 're quicker than you know. Be ready ta step outta' the way, dodge. Don't stand so close ta other candidates that 'cha cut off any means uv' escape if one goes marauding while lookin' for its partner." How...reassuring.

"Keysi or Edyis," the brunette mumbles to herself, but seems to ''understand'' what the bluerider is trying to instill. "You think they ''will''? How often does that ''happen''? Should I-- should I ''run'', or will that make them angrier?" Farideh is frowning, her forehead creased with worry lines.

"Kid..." Alida rather lightly interrupts Farideh at some point, the blonde appearing faintly humored. "Yer tryin' ta prepare fer things you've got little 'r no control over. *Nobody* - includin' the parents - know what those crazy babies'll do once they're outta' prison." Their shells. "All ya' c'n do is prepare fer what few things ya can, and keep alert...keep yer wits abou'cha." Running? Chuckle. "I've seen some hatchlings pursue the runner, while others look all hurt an' confused. I *think* most'll just accept that yer getting the shell outta' their way, an' leave ya alone."

"I don't know-- it's-- it's--" Farideh stops and presses her lips together; her silence is indicative of her ''thinking'' process. "I should say thank you for being willing to show me what you have. I know I'm-- not an easy person to work with, and you didn't ''have' to. So, thank you," she says genuinely, still twisting her fingers around each other. "Maybe I'll Impress and we'll end up in the same wing. Isn't Glacier largely women?" And has a reputation, but her bright smile doesn't say ''that''.

"You've said it, then..." Alida clips off in her usual, almost glib fashion, though there's a bob of her pale, braided head and a faint half-smile to show her pleasure. Of course, "Someday, I'm sure y'll do a favor fer me, in return." Payback. "*Neither* uv us 're easy ta work with." Fact. Smirk. Glacier? A hint of confusion touches the bluie's features and eyes for a moment, and then something both knowing and darkly humored once more creeps its way onto her face. "Seems ta be that way. Glacier's a good Wing fer people that know how ta take care uv themselves...sometimes others." *Definitely* a Wing with a reputation...as harder, rougher...the Wing of rowdies, guards, tough people, or those who tend to keep quiet or to themselves. And, since they're apparently done with their important chat, "Alright, one more lesson, at least, before those eggs take up all yer concentration." Already the former guard's taking up a firm stance, and telling Farideh to, "Come at me like an attacker. Whatever tricks you wanna try 'r game. I'll counter, then we'll go over what we both did...and do it again."

All of the candidate's former brightness is quickly dimmed by Alida's - well-meant? - words, and Farideh can't help but to look glum again, with her mouth pouty and her expression nearly crestfallen. It's a short-lived emotion, as she moves to do as the bluerider says in a less-exact stance, and easily replaced by that of concentration. From here, she's only business, until the end.
|Categories=Clutch 115 Logs
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