Poise and Grace (sometime after SCaRE)
An older post. It's been sitting around needing to be out there for a while
Natty lays on her side using her hands beneath her head to prop her head up. She looks as if she has succumbed to the day slept though it is well into the night,
Joe slips into the room quietly. He crouches slightly next to the bed so that he is facing Natalie, gazing into her glazed, open eyes. He closes his own and concentrates for several long moments. Finally, he opens his eyes and looks to her. He reaches over and runs his hand through her short thick red hair. "such beauty..."
Natty, becoming aware of his touch returns to her body in a loud gasping motion, before her body relaxes
Joe watches quietly, unflinching as his childe is brought back to her flesh. "Natalie..."
"What is wrong?" Natty sits up quickly as if she was already preparing for action of some sort.
Joe stands, He is naked except his Gi bottoms. He offers Natalie his hand. "Many things, maybe we can face a few of 'em tonight." He says with a deadpan expression.
Natty takes his hand and looks about as she stands. It is clear that confusion is starting to enter into her mind "Has another threat raised up against us?"
Joe smiles wryly. "The tests do not slow their tempo with our age, love, they only shift rhythm and rhyme." He says as he leads Natalie to the center of the meditation mat. "I danced so poorly with you back in Tulsa. Teach me your grace."
Joe tries to take a stance similar to one he's seen Natalie assume before. He's graceful, but ignorant of forms obviously.
Natty looks at his hands and then back up into his eyes where he sees the confusion has settled. Taking up a stance opposite of his, she corrects the positions of his hands. "Joe why do you wish to know this now? I still have so much of the city lift to search."
Is it a bad thing, to seek Grace and Poise in our existences?" He asks simply as he tries to comply with her commands.
Next she pushes his arm up a bit at the elbow "No it isn't a bad thing. It just the timing, he might be on the move and I have to spend most my time searching if I have any hopes of finding him."
Natty mutters "That bastard is going to pay one way or another."
"Yes. He will." Joe says simply, again shifting himself per Natalie's instruction "Now can we concentrate on this? Or is it pointless?"
Natty's face shows her disdain in all this, but she takes his hand and places her own at his hip. Somehow, despite her anger and hate, he has totally diffused her. "We have no music." She simply states the obvious in almost a challenging manner.
Joe nods and moves away to go to the stereo player. "Anythin' in particular?"
Well for this kind of dancing you will want ballroom music. she lets her arms hang back down at her side
smirks a bit as his back is turned, knowing it might be difficult to find that kind of music on the standard radio
"What sort o' dancin' would ya prefer then? Mebbe we have a record o' somethin'." Joe says as he turns slowly to look to Natalie.
Her face becomes deadpan as he turns, but as she thinks about his question the smirk becomes quite visible again. Walking over to their collection she pulls out an album and slips it down on to the old turn table. "This will do nicely."
Joe goes back to the center of the room and waits patiently, watching his childe with dark, unblinking eyes.
As the music starts up, it has a definite twangy sound to it as the words and song of the Bellamy Brothers "Get Into Reggae Cowboy" begins to fill the air.
Joe laughs out loud as the music begins. "You do know how ta test mah Grace an' Poise..."
Joe offers his hand and waits for instruction.
Natty is all smiles and smirks, but as he offers her his hand it is as if he lets some of her air out of her. Natty takes his hand and turns to stand side by side with him. "Alright this dance has us start off by taking a step forward on the right." Natty demonstrates and with her hand, encourages him to follow in kind
Joe follows Natty's Lead for a while, but begins to improvise more than a little. It is ... very... reminiscent of the days back when they were both younger, back in the dirty roadhouses and vicious little bars where they would feed and walk among the mortals.
Natty chuckles as they proceed along, more than once "bumping" into each other in a less than graceful manner -- usually when Joe would improvise in an unexpected manner.
"Enjoyin' yoreself?" Joe asks quietly as they bump into each other again.
Natty stops and turns to him, a true smile graces her face replacing the "challenging" tone it held earlier. "Yes." raising her hand to caress the side of his face softly "Now will you tell me what this is really about?"
Joe places a hand over Natalie's heart. "This."
"you 'member how I was when I made ya? Consumed wi' the thought o' vengeance? I hated wha'd been done ta me, an' eventually, what I'd done ta others. An' I took that hate out on the ones that needed me."
The smile that was on her face is instantly gone and immediately hard lines appeared with a set jaw. In anger she whirls around and walks to the turn table where she flings the needle off the record and rips it from the player. "You have no right..." Natty lets the statement trail off as she busies herself with putting the record back into the vinyl cover and back into its storage space.
"Don't I?" Joe strides up to her, so close their skin could touch, but for the space of a breath. "Ain'tch mine? Don' I got tha right ta fight for Mine? Do I gotta sit an' watch ya just eat yoreself with this?"
"Ain' I Yours?" Joe's eyes flit between hers, holding her gaze in his.
The fire of passion and hatred intertwine in her eyes as her beast flares to just with in the bounds of her control. She knows that he is using the powers of those words to manipulate her, but she also hears the truth that is laid with in them. "He..." her words are slow and laborous, her body trembles in rage "It is my right... my justice."
Joe nearly steps back at her display, the flaring of her beast. But he leans back in as he nods, getting dangerously close. He hisses between clenched teeth. "It IS. An’ I'll help ya. I want..." Natalie feels Joe's own beast roll within him, so long held back the wrath practically burns beneath his skin. "I want him, dead, broken, beaten and laid in the filth beneath me so I c'n groun' mah heel in 'is face an' spit amongst his ashes."
"But... we are reminded by the seer.. the card reader..." Joe speaks as he slowly calms himself. "The one that saw our Unity... 'member her?"
Natty's beast is quieted some in the reminder of who exactly is the bigger of the two. "Yes I do."
"You remember wat she said was the best outcome we could hope for in this? The absolute best?"
Natty shakes her head no and looks down.
"Nothin' I wanted ta hear. Not 'Security', not 'Justice', not 'Vengance... not 'Peace'. 'A small thing, a superficial victory' She said."
Natty is still angry, but her beast has now quieted down completely. "That is what this is... his removal from office... it is a superficial victory... and a victory not even made by our hands!"
"No?" Joe quirks a brow. "An' who's been allowin' Michael an' his fools ta constantly be at Makai? Who's watched as your attacker, an' the blood of yore kidnapper have snarled at each other. Who's let them destroy each other?" Joe asks as he steps back, a cold creeping in to his voice that is unmistakable.
"Makai is replaced by the Kindred that I dragged back inta the City. The same kindred that staked Michael."
Natty's shoulders sag complete as this is apparently news to her
Natty looks with hurt-filled eyes upon into Joe's
Joe nods. "The fire will pass some. It will cool until the sword is tempered. Until he will barely feel it's heat before we allow it ta engulf him. We will know it is time, when we can move again' him without fear o' reprisal."
Natty slowly looks down and becomes very quiet and meek
"Don' shy 'way from me, Natalie. Tell me what lay inside your mind, you know ya can."
"What you will, will be done." she says it simply and quietly
"Horseshit. The MacGregor bitch said it right. You complete me as much as I do you. You got an argument with this, you say it."
Natty shakes her head "It wouldn't do any good. You do what you want to do."
Joe narrows his eyes. "Out with it."
Her mannerism is unchanging as she looks him square in the eye. "I am. In your own admission you have declared that you have brought us to this time and place with no thought given to me or us. Simply your own desire for justice and a belief that you know what is best."
Joe looks down slightly, and nods. "Yah. That'd be partly right." He looks back to Natalie and holds her gaze. "But I gave quite a bit o' thought ta you, an' us. How ta separate us from the appearance o' holdin' vengeance on our own. How ta make certain our need f'r Justice an' Vengeance didn't end the thing I'd just been given back. But I didn't bring this to ya, allow ya ta help or even know 'bout my plans. In that, I was selfish, placin' my own desires over yores. An' if ya want ta pass Judgment on me for it, I will take my punishment."
"And so you shall." Natty turns and walks away from him
After a few hours of meditation. Natty stands up and turns around to Joe. "Arise, my beloved."
Joe opens his eyes and does so quietly. His emotions have been his own for the time of their meditation.
Natty approaches him and comes to a stop an arm length apart. "What say ye? Shall our separation continue or are we to be one again?"
Joe blinks and nods. "Forgive me, daughter. I... was foolish." He says, and even without their link she can hear the sincerity in his voice as he reaches for her slowly.
Natty closes the distance between them "It is forgiven, now forgive your daughter for her foolishness as well."
"It is forgiven. And the lesson learned." He states as he again reaches up to run his hand through Natalie's hair. He Lingers there only a moment though, letting his hand fall to the place on her hip she'd placed it at earlier.
"Thank you, Sifu."
Natty lays on her side using her hands beneath her head to prop her head up. She looks as if she has succumbed to the day slept though it is well into the night,
Joe slips into the room quietly. He crouches slightly next to the bed so that he is facing Natalie, gazing into her glazed, open eyes. He closes his own and concentrates for several long moments. Finally, he opens his eyes and looks to her. He reaches over and runs his hand through her short thick red hair. "such beauty..."
Natty, becoming aware of his touch returns to her body in a loud gasping motion, before her body relaxes
Joe watches quietly, unflinching as his childe is brought back to her flesh. "Natalie..."
"What is wrong?" Natty sits up quickly as if she was already preparing for action of some sort.
Joe stands, He is naked except his Gi bottoms. He offers Natalie his hand. "Many things, maybe we can face a few of 'em tonight." He says with a deadpan expression.
Natty takes his hand and looks about as she stands. It is clear that confusion is starting to enter into her mind "Has another threat raised up against us?"
Joe smiles wryly. "The tests do not slow their tempo with our age, love, they only shift rhythm and rhyme." He says as he leads Natalie to the center of the meditation mat. "I danced so poorly with you back in Tulsa. Teach me your grace."
Joe tries to take a stance similar to one he's seen Natalie assume before. He's graceful, but ignorant of forms obviously.
Natty looks at his hands and then back up into his eyes where he sees the confusion has settled. Taking up a stance opposite of his, she corrects the positions of his hands. "Joe why do you wish to know this now? I still have so much of the city lift to search."
Is it a bad thing, to seek Grace and Poise in our existences?" He asks simply as he tries to comply with her commands.
Next she pushes his arm up a bit at the elbow "No it isn't a bad thing. It just the timing, he might be on the move and I have to spend most my time searching if I have any hopes of finding him."
Natty mutters "That bastard is going to pay one way or another."
"Yes. He will." Joe says simply, again shifting himself per Natalie's instruction "Now can we concentrate on this? Or is it pointless?"
Natty's face shows her disdain in all this, but she takes his hand and places her own at his hip. Somehow, despite her anger and hate, he has totally diffused her. "We have no music." She simply states the obvious in almost a challenging manner.
Joe nods and moves away to go to the stereo player. "Anythin' in particular?"
Well for this kind of dancing you will want ballroom music. she lets her arms hang back down at her side
smirks a bit as his back is turned, knowing it might be difficult to find that kind of music on the standard radio
"What sort o' dancin' would ya prefer then? Mebbe we have a record o' somethin'." Joe says as he turns slowly to look to Natalie.
Her face becomes deadpan as he turns, but as she thinks about his question the smirk becomes quite visible again. Walking over to their collection she pulls out an album and slips it down on to the old turn table. "This will do nicely."
Joe goes back to the center of the room and waits patiently, watching his childe with dark, unblinking eyes.
As the music starts up, it has a definite twangy sound to it as the words and song of the Bellamy Brothers "Get Into Reggae Cowboy" begins to fill the air.
Joe laughs out loud as the music begins. "You do know how ta test mah Grace an' Poise..."
Joe offers his hand and waits for instruction.
Natty is all smiles and smirks, but as he offers her his hand it is as if he lets some of her air out of her. Natty takes his hand and turns to stand side by side with him. "Alright this dance has us start off by taking a step forward on the right." Natty demonstrates and with her hand, encourages him to follow in kind
Joe follows Natty's Lead for a while, but begins to improvise more than a little. It is ... very... reminiscent of the days back when they were both younger, back in the dirty roadhouses and vicious little bars where they would feed and walk among the mortals.
Natty chuckles as they proceed along, more than once "bumping" into each other in a less than graceful manner -- usually when Joe would improvise in an unexpected manner.
"Enjoyin' yoreself?" Joe asks quietly as they bump into each other again.
Natty stops and turns to him, a true smile graces her face replacing the "challenging" tone it held earlier. "Yes." raising her hand to caress the side of his face softly "Now will you tell me what this is really about?"
Joe places a hand over Natalie's heart. "This."
"you 'member how I was when I made ya? Consumed wi' the thought o' vengeance? I hated wha'd been done ta me, an' eventually, what I'd done ta others. An' I took that hate out on the ones that needed me."
The smile that was on her face is instantly gone and immediately hard lines appeared with a set jaw. In anger she whirls around and walks to the turn table where she flings the needle off the record and rips it from the player. "You have no right..." Natty lets the statement trail off as she busies herself with putting the record back into the vinyl cover and back into its storage space.
"Don't I?" Joe strides up to her, so close their skin could touch, but for the space of a breath. "Ain'tch mine? Don' I got tha right ta fight for Mine? Do I gotta sit an' watch ya just eat yoreself with this?"
"Ain' I Yours?" Joe's eyes flit between hers, holding her gaze in his.
The fire of passion and hatred intertwine in her eyes as her beast flares to just with in the bounds of her control. She knows that he is using the powers of those words to manipulate her, but she also hears the truth that is laid with in them. "He..." her words are slow and laborous, her body trembles in rage "It is my right... my justice."
Joe nearly steps back at her display, the flaring of her beast. But he leans back in as he nods, getting dangerously close. He hisses between clenched teeth. "It IS. An’ I'll help ya. I want..." Natalie feels Joe's own beast roll within him, so long held back the wrath practically burns beneath his skin. "I want him, dead, broken, beaten and laid in the filth beneath me so I c'n groun' mah heel in 'is face an' spit amongst his ashes."
"But... we are reminded by the seer.. the card reader..." Joe speaks as he slowly calms himself. "The one that saw our Unity... 'member her?"
Natty's beast is quieted some in the reminder of who exactly is the bigger of the two. "Yes I do."
"You remember wat she said was the best outcome we could hope for in this? The absolute best?"
Natty shakes her head no and looks down.
"Nothin' I wanted ta hear. Not 'Security', not 'Justice', not 'Vengance... not 'Peace'. 'A small thing, a superficial victory' She said."
Natty is still angry, but her beast has now quieted down completely. "That is what this is... his removal from office... it is a superficial victory... and a victory not even made by our hands!"
"No?" Joe quirks a brow. "An' who's been allowin' Michael an' his fools ta constantly be at Makai? Who's watched as your attacker, an' the blood of yore kidnapper have snarled at each other. Who's let them destroy each other?" Joe asks as he steps back, a cold creeping in to his voice that is unmistakable.
"Makai is replaced by the Kindred that I dragged back inta the City. The same kindred that staked Michael."
Natty's shoulders sag complete as this is apparently news to her
Natty looks with hurt-filled eyes upon into Joe's
Joe nods. "The fire will pass some. It will cool until the sword is tempered. Until he will barely feel it's heat before we allow it ta engulf him. We will know it is time, when we can move again' him without fear o' reprisal."
Natty slowly looks down and becomes very quiet and meek
"Don' shy 'way from me, Natalie. Tell me what lay inside your mind, you know ya can."
"What you will, will be done." she says it simply and quietly
"Horseshit. The MacGregor bitch said it right. You complete me as much as I do you. You got an argument with this, you say it."
Natty shakes her head "It wouldn't do any good. You do what you want to do."
Joe narrows his eyes. "Out with it."
Her mannerism is unchanging as she looks him square in the eye. "I am. In your own admission you have declared that you have brought us to this time and place with no thought given to me or us. Simply your own desire for justice and a belief that you know what is best."
Joe looks down slightly, and nods. "Yah. That'd be partly right." He looks back to Natalie and holds her gaze. "But I gave quite a bit o' thought ta you, an' us. How ta separate us from the appearance o' holdin' vengeance on our own. How ta make certain our need f'r Justice an' Vengeance didn't end the thing I'd just been given back. But I didn't bring this to ya, allow ya ta help or even know 'bout my plans. In that, I was selfish, placin' my own desires over yores. An' if ya want ta pass Judgment on me for it, I will take my punishment."
"And so you shall." Natty turns and walks away from him
After a few hours of meditation. Natty stands up and turns around to Joe. "Arise, my beloved."
Joe opens his eyes and does so quietly. His emotions have been his own for the time of their meditation.
Natty approaches him and comes to a stop an arm length apart. "What say ye? Shall our separation continue or are we to be one again?"
Joe blinks and nods. "Forgive me, daughter. I... was foolish." He says, and even without their link she can hear the sincerity in his voice as he reaches for her slowly.
Natty closes the distance between them "It is forgiven, now forgive your daughter for her foolishness as well."
"It is forgiven. And the lesson learned." He states as he again reaches up to run his hand through Natalie's hair. He Lingers there only a moment though, letting his hand fall to the place on her hip she'd placed it at earlier.
"Thank you, Sifu."