Something in the Air (D9EM)

[Axel Ward]

Axel had woken up early, ready to start the day. But on the way to the kitchen, he felt that he was really ready to start the day. He felt energetic, alive... something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on. But a certain sort of tension, to be sure.

And so instead he went to the gym. Surely a bit of exercise would help sort out whatever it was that had him feeling so strange.

A light workout was just the thing to get started. Wearing his tank top, casual fatigues, and gloves, he struck the heavy bag. Slowly at first, but building in speed, grunting as he hit it with another powerful strike.

[Phoebe Wren]

Axel wasn't the only one thinking of hitting the gym first thing in the morning.

Waking up, Phoebe had felt the need to work out frustrations on a punching bag or maybe something else, but as she headed to the fitness room, she felt more... relaxed. At ease perhaps? No, that wasn't quite right. Eh, it was probably nothing - maybe it was just going to be a good day?

Wearing her usual workout clothes, she gave Axel a wave as she stepped in.

Damn, did his muscles always look that nice? "Hello there."

[Axel Ward]

Ah, there was his good friend Phoebe. Even as he took another swing at the bag, Axel gave her a casual nod...

Whoa.

"Uh..." Axel chuckled, shaking his head. "Hello yourself." He stretched casually, one muscled arm across his chest, then the other.

Clearing his throat, he gave her a sidelong glance. "That a new outfit? I don't think I've seen it before. You really..." He cleared his throat again. "Looks good, I mean."

[Phoebe Wren]

"Uh..." she stumbled awkwardly over her own words. "N... no, not as such, no... but... thanks. Thanks."

Clearing her throat, she looked away as she began to stretch, her arms stretching behind her back as the hands linked together.

"So... mm... Zeltros. You said this was like some kind of paradise-place?"

[Axel Ward]

As Phoebe stretched, Axel's eyes widened a little further. Mentally, he reminded himself that he'd always thought of her as his sister. His small, hot-tempered sister. "Maybe they just shrunk a bit in the wash or something." He muttered.

With an effort, he tore his eyes away, back to the heavy bag. Another few strikes, mixing arms and legs, displaying both power and a surprising amount of grace for such a large man. He chuckled. "Paradise, maybe. I dunno. If your idea of paradise is partying all the time. For the sort of small-time gangers I started with, that was it."

Axel paused again, brushing one gloved hand back through his hair as he glanced at Phoebe. "Still, it's probably a good place to cut loose. Maybe do something you've never done before, but always wanted to." He cleared his throat. "Or, uh, maybe just relax and have a drink or two."

[Phoebe Wren]

And as Axel looked away, she had the chance to steal a few looks at him in return. The way the fatigues fit over his lower body...

Gah. Focus!

"That... doesn't sound too bad, I guess. I mean... cutting loose." She managed to stop undressing his form with her eyes, and after a few more stretches moved closer to Axel instead. "Need a hand? ... with the bag, I mean."

[Axel Ward]

Axel nodded. "Yeah, sure, we can take turns. You do me, and then I'll do you." A beat. "Uh... I mean..." He cleared his throat, "-you know what I mean."

He took up a fighting stance while he waited for her to get into position. Behind the bag, of course. "I don't really know what to expect from Zeltros." He said, his voice a little rough. "But I guess I haven't been expecting a lot of what's been going on." He gave a casual shrug, broad shoulders shifting.

[Phoebe Wren]

Her face turned slighty red. "Yeah... I know what you meant." Awkward pause, followed by a longer awkward silence as she moved to the other side of the bag and grasped it with a steady and firm grip.

"Yeah... there's a been a lot of stuff happening I didn't expect either," she agreed in an effort to make casual conversation that would dispel the awkwardness, though she kept looking him over and not just to check his form. "Maybe some R&R is due? We've kind of been running without much pause since Tatooine. As you said; unwind, let loose... do peop ---- things we normally wouldn't do."

[Axel Ward]

Once Phoebe was ready, Axel began hitting the bag with a series of strong, rhythmic strikes. "Yeah." He grunted, even as he worked. "R and R's important. Otherwise too much tension builds up. It's bad."

After one last flurry of blows, he paused, resting his hands on his knees. "How do you like to have fun, huh?"

He straightened. "Switch." He grunted, taking his own hold on the bag. The ungloved tips of his fingers brushed hers. Axel grit his teeth against the pleasant tingle.

[Phoebe Wren]

Phoebe grunted softly as she held steady against Axel's rythmic pounding. Holding the bag steady.

"How...?" she stretched out the question, clearly thinking about it, and then came the suggestion to switch. "Right." Instinctively she flinched slightly at the touch, then her fingers curled against the surface of the bag for a moment before moving away. "Right. Switch."

Clearing her throat, she positioned herself for a new round. "I don't know really... I guess I never really had fun much before. I mean," at least this time she could fill the awkward pauses with punching now, "I never head money for much of the fun stuff on Nar Shaddaa. And being a medic in the Alliance isn't like being a nurse in some holos..."

Why was she thinking about those kind of holos, damnit. Focusing back on the bag, her breath heaved in rythm with each punch.

[Axel Ward]

Now it was Axel's turn to relax, letting Phoebe set the pace. His breathing matched hers, and he pushed the bag back to meet her with each strike.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Not like that at all." He peered around the bag, unable to stop from imagining Phoebe in a decidedly non-regulation nurse outfit. At least, he was pretty sure most nurse uniforms didn't have that much lace, or a neckline that went down to...

He shook his head, trying to clear the all too intriguing images. "Well, sounds like this is your chance." He said. "We've got some money. And we've got some time. You got anything you want to do?" Whew, if he asked himself that same question...

[Phoebe Wren]

The pace was a rough ride, because she didn't hold anything back when it came to giving that bag its due. And she was feeling a mounting tension, or rather frustration, at how she was becoming so easily distracted and thinking of... well, she killed that thought with another hard punch.

"Mm..." she paused to think, trying to think at least while rubbing her neck. "Well, I have some things in mind. Like some first times..." Phoebe cleared her throat. "Heard there's some kind of amusement park here, and since we have some free time, I can probably fit that in."

[Axel Ward]

"Yeah." Axel grunted as Phoebe worked the bag. "That's good. Don't stop."

"Yeah? That'd be fun to fit in." He imaged Phoebe, her features ecstatic, riding a roller-coaster... wait, still in the nurse's outfit?

He cleared his throat. "You know, I've never actually been to an amusement park before. You got any advice for my first time?"

[Phoebe Wren]

"Uhm..." she heaved a bit for air as she stopped, leaning against the bag. Already there was some sweat on her flushed face. "I dunno, it would be my first time too... I'm not that experienced really."

The bag got a slap as she straightened herself up again. "I thought you were the more experienced type, Axel."

[Axel Ward]

"Hey." Axel raised his hands, smiling at Phoebe. His dark eyes admired the flush of her skin, unaware of a matching flush on his own. "Don't get me wrong, I've done lots of things. I just haven't, y'know, ridden things for fun."

He shrugged, one hand on the bag. "Well, if it's both of our first time, maybe we could try it together."

He cleared his throat. "You wanna hold it now?" Axel gestured at the bag, making his meaning probably clear.

[Phoebe Wren]

"Y-yeah... we could do that..." she murmured somewhat nervously. Then, pulling herself together, because damnit why was she being so weird now, Phoebe gave the bag one last fierce fist.

She took a deep breath, readying her mind as she tried to think more clearly. "I think I can handle that, yeah. Unless you wanna do something else than just punching a bag...?"

[Axel Ward]

Axel's grunt faded to a satisfied sigh as, with one last strike, they finished.

Taking a deep breath of his own, Axel nodded. "How about we mix it up a little?" He casually moved to the center of the padded floor, swinging his arms casually, limbering up.

Turning to Phoebe, he smirked. "How about you see if you can take me?" Another deep breath as he raised his hands into a guard stance.

[Phoebe Wren]

She rolled her neck, and like Axel, let her arms swing a few times to get ready. Yes, punching someone in the face would probably help her focus again and get over this weird feeling.

"Right. And knowing you, you probably like it rought?" Phoebe grinned, then realised what it sounded like. "I meant that I shouldn't be gentle. I mean, because, you're like... ugh... that sounded weird."

[Axel Ward]

Axel snorted. "Hey don't worry. I've said three or four weird things already. That's what I get for talking before I've had my kaf, I guess." And her damn appealing outfit, of course. "We can do it however you want"

"Besides," Axel smirked. "You're not wrong. Now c'mon." He gestured with one hand. "You ready for me, Phoebe?" Welp, make that four or five.

[Phoebe Wren]

She chuckled. It seemed they were both acting a bit weird. Maybe it was a need to relieve stress for more than just her, after all that had happened.

"Yeah, give it to me," she grinned, and settled into her fighting stance.

As they both moved into action, Phoebe landed a solid hit on Axel to start with.


-----

D9 EM Fluff fighting with Axel: 1eP+2eA+2eD 2 successes, 1 advantage