Crush these Killing Hands (Pain)

[Stitch]

25th Day, Fall of 510 A.V. Deep within the Bronze Wood, running along the Kabrin Road. Stronger. Stitch's breath came hard as he jogged, his hurried footsteps kicking up great clouds of crackling leaves along the Kabrin Road. His lungs were burning, yet the cold and crisp air also made it feel as if there was ice in his throat. It was an uncomfortable sensation, and one he was not familiar with. He hadn't ever really jogged that much. It was a surprising thing, since he did claim to be a martial artist... But body building and jogging had never really been part of his daily routine. Meditation and the practice of various forms came to him quite easily, but actual hard physical labor? No, that was something he had never participated in. He understood why, now. It was hard to jog like this, at a steady, brisk pace. The dirt road felt like stone to his running feet, causing great aches to explode upwards through the soles. His pumping legs were filled with just as much fire as his lungs, and the muscle aches and cramps continued up into his stomach. He felt as if he was going to petching lose his lunch. You have to be stronger. The voice in his head rang clear, and Stitch focused, trying hard to keep his breathing even. Just keep breathing in, and out. That is what a few of the joggers in Syliras had told him. Don't gulp in great breathes of air, just breath like you normally would. Start out small, maybe run a lap or two around Syliras walls. Stitch gritted his teeth, keeping his head low, keeping his throbbing legs moving. He hadn't followed that last piece of advice. He was running as close to the Suvan Sea as he could get, and then he was going to run right back. He was nearly there, but his body was about to give out on him. He wasn't sure he could make it back, not for a couple of hours. He kept running though. He kept on following the Road, following it as far as it would lead. He had gotten directions from the Castle. He knew where to stop following the Road, in order to make it a straight line to the Sea. That time soon came, and as the Road curved off, Stitch continued on. The bright green Auras of emerald blushing oaks soon filled his vision, and he slowed his pace to allow him to weave through them. This was almost Auristics training, too. The beds of leaves were much higher within the thick of the forest, taking some of the stress off of his legs, but the journey was still just as hard. He had to focus his Djed to his eyes a bit more, just to make sure all the Auras of the landscape were revealed to him. The bright green of the trees, the lighter green of the small saplings. The mixed green and brown of the dying trunks and limbs, and every now and then, the throbbing life of a random wildlife creature. The Bronze Wood was a marvelous sight to Stitch's magical eyes, but he didn't have time to stop and smell the bark. As beautiful as the smoking, throbbing, bright Auras were to his tired, aching orbs... Stronger. You have to get stronger. You killed them. You snapped their bones, in cold blood. You weren't defending against them. You were murdering them. Stitch's heart skipped a beat, and he stumbled. A fallen limb caught his foot, and he rasped out a weakened cry, staggering forward even more. A few hops and awkward skips managed to help him catch his pace back again, but not before the effects of his near-spill travelled to his leg muscles. He was about to collapse, he knew it. The jogging was wearing him down, turning him into a moving mass of apple jelly. His legs were still frantically pumping, but it wasn't him. His body knew his will, and was simply going along with it. That too would soon die, though. He was so close. He could smell it, the salt of the ocean. Combined with the crisp smell of Fall, the sweet sap and elegant wood... It was an amazing smell. It almost revitalized him, if he would have had anything to revitalize. You killed them, Stitch. His foot caught another fallen limb, and he stumbled. There was no recovering this time. He fell, windmilling for only a few seconds before collapsing to the ground. His forward momentum carried him, even in mid-fall, and he faceplanted, his limp body skidding forward. Over himself he rolled, smashing into little bushes and trees, his body far too numb to feel any of the damage he knew he was taking. He didn't care. This was a sort of rest, in the fact that his muscles were no longer having to work. With an odd inner sigh of relief, he allowed his body to tumble forward, right into a clearing that opened out into small cliffs, and the Suvan Sea.

[Elhaym]

The sound of small waves crashing against her legs. The smell of sea salt, almost stinging in it's persistance to envelope her sense of smell. Frothy water splashing against her legs, churned and pushed away as she highstepped her way through the water. Running was hard. It burned her lungs and transformed her legs from the muscular base of her body into a a twin pair of jelly filled sacks, barely able to keep her upright... but this was something Pain would never give up. Her body was her temple, worshiped and maintained as though it were a deity. Pain ran the coast of the Suvan Sea most mornings, choosing to muscle her way through the knee high water rather than the easier path along the shore. Uncommon enough, but today she was not alone. A smaller splashing sound drew Pain's head to her left, and she formed a lopsided grin that could not hide her glee. Tanny was with her today, in fine form for such an old dog. He ran with Pain, though closer to the shore as not to be submerged, but enjoying the outing none the less. "Tanny! Rindi!" Pain yelled, flinging a small arm length stick she had been carrying out towards the shore. She spoke using commands only Tanny would know, or any dog she trained, for it was a series of words and commands that belonged to no true language. Right now, she intended for him to fetch the stick, and he veered from his trajectory sharply, homing in on his prize. Pain veered as well, her breath coming fast and in need of a break. The water begged her to sea, it's waves like a bully pushing her to and fro. She resisted it's power, instead following Tanny's path to the rocky shore. Her feet ached upon impacting the hard coastal soil, having left the soggy dirt and sand of the water's territory. Pain bent to rest, leaning her hands on her knees and near wheezing as Tanny approached her, the prize firmly clamped in his jaw. Pain laughed, wishing she had brought Tanny with her more often. He was old, no doubt, but when Pain had adopted him he seemed to de-age. He was becoming more spry and puppy like every day. "Good Tanny... good!" Pain said, laughing as she sputtered out the words in between breaths. She took the stick from his mouth, noting how gently he offered it to her. She was by no means an animal trainer, but watching Lirelle and the way she worked had allowed her a glimpse of how to treat and train a dog. She coiled her arm back, preparing to launch the stick again. "Rindi!" Pain yelled, hurling the stick in an arcing trajectory further ashore. As the stick sailed, she heard a bit of a crashing noise that differed from the sounds of the sea. Definitely human in nature, and as she had guessed, a human form tumbled out of a small opened twenty-five or so yards in front of her. The stick landed and skidded to a stop but a few feet away from him. Tanny was already in motion, but halted his momentum as he became aware of a stranger. Pain moved forward, gawking at the stranger until she saw a few familiar traits. Ah, what the hell was this guy doin' out here? "Tanny, dashish!" Pain yelled, recalling her pet to her side. As he began to trot back to her, she yelled yet again. "Hey! Hey, freak! Yeah, you! What're you doin out here Freak!?" Pain called, using her assumed name for the man she had once fought tooth and nail in a caged fight. She didn't know his name for certain, but she had heard he was called Stitch. That seemed unlikely to be his name, but then again, she went by the name Pain. Still, she used her pet name for the blind man who could see, who spoke in such an odd way. He was a freak, alright. She was out of breath and her legs were rubber, but at least it wasn't someone of poor character she had run into out here.

[Stitch]

Stitch groaned, spitting out a putrid combo of sand, leaves, and dirt. His body was no longer on fire, and was instead blossoming into little packages of sharp pain. His lungs were still numbling cold, but the rest of him was being stabbed through with little daggers of sharp agony. He had ran much too fast for much too far, he had tripped and fallen horribly, and now his body was paying for it. He was face-down, and he wasn't so sure he could move into any other position. It hurt to even think about moving. He simply laid there for a bit, as motionless as the chilled air around him, letting his nose take in the scents of the sandy dirt he was currently eating. Disarm with wrist grab and twist, then bury extended fingers into the throat. Use his oncoming momentum, and grip on wrist to pull him forward, to further bring his throat upon your fingers. Crush. Puncture. Kill. Perhaps not an instant death. Perhaps you just crushed his throat. Let him lay on the floor, gasping for breath that will not come. Do not hesitate. Do not wait to see if he is dead. Move to the next. Stitch could hear his heartbeat, quickening in sudden fear. The smell of burning wood was suddenly wafting from the ground, just like it had seeped through the floorboards that night. He knew it was just a trick of the mind, just a figment of his imagination. It didn't stop the fear though. The fact that he was replaying that night in his head just heightened his horror. He couldn't get it off his mind. Would he ever be able to? Use disarmed sword of earlier, if possible. Sweep it up, and spin to attack! Block oncoming sword strike, either with wrist grab, or chop. Use his momentum. Bury sword in neck. It shouldn't be that hard, should it? It is only a bar of sharp steel. If sword was not attained earlier, than simply use hand to chop at neck. Remember to tug him toward you. You must not simply agitate the neck. You must break it. A sharp voice suddenly broke his thoughts, and he slowly, painfully glanced up. Had the voice just called him a freak? He was fairly certain he fit the definition of the word quite perfectly, and he was also fairly certain that several people thought that of him. But this was the first one to actually word the insult. Trying to focus his oddly hazy vision, a familiar Aura burst into sight. A weary smile crept onto the corner of his lips, for this particular visitor was a pleasant surprise. He could easily recall this Aura, this gorgeous plethora of swirling purples, reds, and bright blues. They all twirled and entwined together, standing out against the background in a blazing show of flashy movement. They were just like the girl. Bottled up in the form of a Aura, but still managing to stay on fire within. He was sure she herself burned bright, deep within her skin. "Milady! The angry one with the horrifyingly agile kicks! So nice to meet you again!" Stitch wheezed out the words, his breath coming short, his body lighting up in little pinpricks of pain just from the simple act of talking. Moving would most likely not be the best option, but he tried anyway. Shifting his hands underneath him only caused his arm muscles to cramp in painful defiance, and actually trying to use them to hoist himself up was out of the question. His body screamed out in anger, and he fell back to the ground, a groan echoing from his lips. Looking up at her, face dripping with sand and dirt, voice cracking and weary, he spoke. "Apologies, milady. This one cannot get up to greet you properly. This one's body is currently rebelling against him. This one jogged from Syliras, you see. This one doesn't jog much." Stitch paused, gulping in a few more breaths of air, the sound painfully raspy. "What brings you out to the beautiful sea, Milady Angry?" Ah. She had a nickname too.

[Elhaym]

Ah, so he remembered her as well. She had a lot of questions for this guy, as weird as he was. But, she'd done a bit of homework, and a few of those questions had answered themselves. Flux. Magic. He wasn't just a freak, he was into all sorts of magic as well. There was no other explanation for the way he had attacked Pain when they had challenged each other, and from what little she had read about flux, she knew that he had indeed used it. She'd asked around about how a blind man could see, but mostly been brushed off. What she had learned was about a magic called Auristics, though if asked she probably would not have been able to recall the name. Auras, or something along those lines. How could one "see" based on that? Questions and answers long forgotten until now, but she wondered what he saw at this very moment. What did she look like in his eyes? "Hey, same as you I 'spose." Pain said, not letting formalities or good manners dissuade her from her next action. She reached underneath his arm slowly, not bothering to smile or use any other sort of comforting gesture because as far as she knew, he couldn't see it. Auras. With a firm but smooth motion, she helped Freak up to his feet, and hooked one arm around him while maneuvering his own arm around her. "Tanny, fet." Pain said, recalling her faithful dog to her side where he walked with her. She was moving Stitch towards the water, and though he wasn't utterly helpless, he seemed a bit worse for the wear. "Say, Pal. You know, theres a couple easier paths down here then runnin' through all that nasty stuff you just got stuck in, y'know. I'll show ya, if you want to get serious... and hey, wait a second... did you call me 'Milady Angry'!?" Pain said, snapping her head towards Stitch's own, her face curving into a smile. Hah, this guy was alright. "Anyway, you know... I run out here a lot, just kind of... nice to get away from all the hustle, y'know. Here." Pain said, abruptly shoving Stitch forward into the beginnings of the shore. One way or the other, he'd lay down in the water and let it wash over him whether he fell in face first, or eased in under his own power. The water would be cold on this frigid day, and most certainly invigorate his beaten body. Pain herself was starting to get cold, having been exposed to the wind for a bit after leaving the water's false warmth. Her clothes were drenched, black pants, black shirt, black sandals... the only contrast were the bandages that surrounded her fists and feet, ending halfway up her forearm and shin respectively. Pain sat down at the shore's edge, spreading her legs and bending to one side. She was stretching, touching her toes with one hand and holding the position for a moment before switching to the other leg. "I bet you didn't even stretch out before you ran, that'd explain why you're in a world ah' hurt, pal. So really, what uh... what really brings you out here? I mean, I heard you had some... rough times, recently. I uh, you know... haven't seen you around, but I wanted to see how you were. I mean, I know we just kind of beat the shyke out of each other, mostly me... you ass, but anyway... are you okay?" And how strange was this? Was she really... saying that? Pain, the weird art girl, showing concern for someone who had knocked her out with a cheap shot. Here here. Maybe things do change. There was something though... something that made her feel protective of him. Was it his gentle compassion during the fight? He had instructed her, imparted knowledge on her like a teacher... he'd gone easy on her. He'd caught her when she fell. Pain had lost a lot in her life and felt her share of agony... hell, it was her namesake. Maybe it was the idea of doing something to ease another's suffering, help them work through the tough times that gave her the courage and the eloquence to speak and ask those questions. No one had been there for her. Now, for once in her life, maybe she could be there for someone else. That is, unless he turned around and decked her for shoving him into dirty, icy cold water. Shyke, never thought of that!

[Stitch]

Stitch watched her Aura with a bit of curiousity, noting on how it wasn't as confused as before. Little strands of her attention span reached out to touch to his own Aura, yet they were not as questioning as they had been. Sure, some of those questions probably still weren't answered... But for now, she seemed fairly assured of who he was, and what he could do. At least on the topic of his magical sight. He had no idea if she was informed on how he had won their little bout, but for now, he was content. It was satisfying to know that she could now speak to him as a normal human being, one that could see. Even if the means by which he could see were a bit unorthodox... She seemed to be taking it in stride, and treating him like she would any other. Which, to be honest, wasn't really that normal in the first place, he supposed. Same as him? She was exercising? He mentally blinked, focusing his eyes just a little more. Her Aura clenched and collapsed around her, slowly pulsing inwards. As it focused even further for him, he was finally able to make out the definition that made up her body. She was built, incredibly so. She was much more built than him, which would definitely explain why she had been just a bit faster, and quite a bit stronger. "Ah, not the same as me, milady. If you will forgive this one for saying so, your body is quite a bit more defined than this one. You are quite in shape." He offered her another one of those weary smiles, mentally switching his gaze to that of what he assumed was her dog. The little pup was a bright blue, although the reds and purples from Pain's Aura was starting to invade that of the dog. She seemed to have an influence, and Stitch was betting it was a good one. Pure and utter joy was oozing from the animal. "Hello, Milord Pup. This one is called Stitch. A pleasure, this one is sure." He next offered his weary smile to the little dog, trying to make pleasantries with them both. Ah, he had been too distracted. Why was she scooping him up into her arms? Was she trying to help him to his feet? "Ah, thank you, Milady Anger." This was directed both at her advice, and at her helping his nearly-limp form up. "This one would very much appreciate finding a few trails that are a bit less... wild than the one this one just took. And yes, this one did just assign you a nickname. You have assigned this one a name, so this one only sees it fair to title you with one. " He offered up a raspy chuckle, then realized his feet were dragging in the sand. She was moving him? Toward the water? What were they doing? Her next few words distracted him, and he was about to open his mouth in agreement when she shoved him. "Wait a-!" With a great splash, Stitch flailed into the water, his limbs suddenly quite alive at the idea of another rough spill. His sweating, aching body hit the water, and the sudden shock of the icy water was like heaven to his heated muscles. It didn't hurt at all, like his brain had assumed it would. His flailing stopped almost the minute he hit the water, and he bobbed there for a moment, letting loose an inward sigh. Goodness, this felt amazing. Her methods lacked a certain level of gentleness, but they were certainly good intentioned. He was quite thankful for her methods of healing, and he allowed the sea to have it's way with his bruised and battered body. The cold liquid took mere moments to soak through his sleeveless shirt and loose britches, and soon massaged his bare muscle from all sides. It took a few more moments for him to realize that this water wasn't just cold, it was freezing. With a yelp, Stitch shot up out of the water, making a rather awkward tripping leap through the few inches of ocean and onto the shore next to Pain. He collapsed to his knees, panting and shivering, arms wrapping around his trembling body. He had stayed in there for way too long. He slowly turned his head, offering the female brawler a soft smile. "Thanks for the carry, Milady. This one enjoyed his stay in the water, even if this one did stay for just a bit too long. This one feels much better now." He quickly rubbed his arms, bringing some warmth back to them as she asked her next question. Was he okay? The Orphanage will burn, and everyone in it. His trembling instantly stopped. "The word has gotten around town already, huh?" He set free another chuckle, but it was hollow this time. It was like the life had been suddenly drained from him. His features had gone slack, and his voice had lost all of the slight cheeriness it had contained just moments ago. "This one supposes he shouldn't be surprised. We do have those old gossips roaming around the Home, at every hour of the day." He strugged to a sitting position, taking the stance right beside Pain's stretching form. He didn't really want to talk about it, but he did feel that he owed her that, at least. She was expressing concern for him, even after she had already helped him. What harm would there be in allowing her to help him more? "There was a fire, and some attackers. They were after something that one of our guests had. Nothing to be too worried about, really. Everything is fine now. This one is... dealing with it." He was obviously lying, but not to push her away. He simply felt rude pulling her in. It wasn't her problem, and he didn't want to make it so. He curiously let his gaze wander over to her, even though he kept his head pointing to the front. Her Aura was just as wild as before, but the strands that signaled her attention span were poking at him a bit more gently than before. Was she feeling gentle with him? That was certainly an odd contrast, considering how she had been feeling about him just weeks ago.

[Elhaym]

He was elusive in conversation as he was in the cage, but Pain understood. She herself had been involved in some troubling times, and spilling her guts to the first person who asked hadn't been on her priority list. He was attempting to cope with something that bothered him, a fact made quite obvious by his decision to go running. He was not only running, something he freely admitted to not do often, but the symbolism behind it couldn't escape Pain as well. "Hey, I feel you. I got some pretty heavy shyke i'm still gettin' over too. You know, you have the right idea... doing this, out here." Pain said, motioning with both her arms to the scenery around her from her sitting position. "... this... now this, this will help you. You gotta clear your mind, give yourself time to think. I do it all the time, I think it's how I stay sane. When I exercise, I have to keep my mind off the exhaustion in my body, and so I have to think. Come up with answers. A plan." Pain brought her legs togethor, and rolled her body backwards. She did a sort of reverse somersault, pushing herself to a standing position with grace and ease. She reached down, brushing the dirt and sand off her haunches as she spoke, "... and Stitch, is it...none of this "milady" shyke anymore, okay? I'm called Pain. If thats too weird for you, Elhaym works too. Don't go sayin' that round everyone, you hear? I don't give it out freely." "Now, get yer' ass up. We're goin for a run, a proper one. You're all skin and bones, pal. You need a little meat if you ever plan on beatin' me again like you did before." Pain said, half laughing. In all honesty he was better than she was, his fighting artform and magical abilities trumping Pain's superior physique. Pain reached to her toes, stretching out her legs and doing a few lunges as Stitch rose, giving him a bit of time to imitate her stretching routine. As her stretching came to an end, Pain unwrapped the thick cloth from her fists, exposing her bruised and scarred knuckles. With practiced motions, she doubled up the wrap on her feet, padding her feet and leaving only her toes exposed. The sand was soft, but running out in the wilderness was another thing. The double layers of cloth would act as makeshift shoes, though she was sure to regret this decision later in the day. Without waiting around (she didn't want to hear any complaining or questioning), she took off, running through the path that Stitch had tumbled through. Tanny's ears perked up as she began to run, and he went after her in pursuit. In many ways, Pain was more worried about Stitch keeping up that her old mutt. He seemed to be having one of his days where his energy was boundless, though he'd probably sleep for a solid week after this day was done. It was precarious at first, and she grinned imagining a blind man try to run through here. She had no idea how the magic worked, but she came to the conclusion quickly that he must be able to see something, or he would have never made it this far. After clearing the initial slope she broke off to the right, her feet pounding hard on the soft dirt and undergrowth below. Stitch would have to keep up, but that would be motivation for him. A thin sheen of sweat coated her body quickly, cooling her as her body created it's own breeze in the air. It was a difficult path to run, but Pain liked the challenge. She had no formal training in how to run long distances, only a slightly higher aptitude towards physical hardship than most and the guts to not back down from it. She didn't even look back to see if he was there. She kept going, hurtling large bushes or rocks that popped up in her path and landing without missing a step in her running form. She had to duck occasionally as well to keep from being swatted by a stray branch. The woods were thick here, and her pace slowed. At last her fatigue became too great, and Pain slowed to a stop. She must have run two miles, and was probably farther from the castle than she had dared to go in a long while. Hell, it was just the woods. With the Knights so close, she doubted anything of serious danger would be out here. She leaned down, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath and give her partner a chance to catch up. Her breaths came deeply, as she exhaled the spent air from her lungs and greedily consumed more. Tanny circled her feet, hacking for a moment before resuming his wild panting. He collapsed at her feet, rolling to his side and letting his tongue fall to the ground. "Sheesh... (huff huff)... Tanny, you... (huff huff)... are a pretty solid little bastard... (huff huff)... you know that?" When the telltale sounds of footfalls and heavy breathing came closer, Pain spoke without turning around. "See... (huff huff)... you have no choice... (huff huff)... but to think about what ails you..." The words sputtered from her mouth in between breaths. It'd take a couple of minutes to re cooperate. Hopefully, her pal Stitch wouldn't be in too bad of shape. She wanted to show him what she did every day to train her body and mind. The exercise routines had become more and more brutal during the Fall, as Pain grappled with her morality over the death of three men. No, not death... murder. She had killed them in cold blood, though her rational told her that they sought to do the same to her. Still, Pain couldn't shake the nagging questions in her mind. Should have told the Knights. Should have subdued them, and gotten them arrested. Shouldn't have dragged someone else into the whole mess, now their hands are bloodied as well. Should have been calm, should have... These questions near drove her insane, and she turned to this as an answer. These sessions cleansed her, gave her time to think through her mistakes and successes and determine how she should have handled something or how she would handle the same situation in the future. It was therapy for her. Perhaps, if Stitch could get past the burning in his lungs and the increasing fatigue in his legs, he would find some solace in it as well...

[Stitch]

Stitch cocked his head toward the girl, offering her a slight eyebrow raise underneath the soaked eye bandages. She had noticed him evading her questions, and she had taken it in stride. She didn't press the matter any further, merely gently offered him her support. This was very odd, but he couldn't say that he didn't like it. She was being such a warm and friendly person compared to the fiery girl of before. He supposed some people were completely different than what they were in the fighting ring. This thought gave him some pause, and caused him to reflect on his own self for a moment. How different was he inside the ring, as well as out of it? He hoped if there was a difference, it was a difference much like hers. He truly appreciated the way she was, both in and out. In all aspects of her life, she was truthful. Bold. Brash. Brave. Honest. They were all admirable qualities, and ones that Stitch wouldn't mind borrowing for awhile. He nodded as she complimented the way he had went about things, then listened closely as she began to offer him tips. This was odd too, but was also quite appreciated. Hadn't he been the one giving tips those weeks ago? At her demand to refer to her by her name, which was quite the pretty name, he merely offered a playful grin. Would he abide by her law? Only time would tell. He obeyed as she told him to get up, once again quietly going about his business. As she stretched, he followed suit, but a bit awkwardly. His motions did manage to imitate hers almost perfectly though, even if he was doing it a few seconds after her own stretches. He would often pause and tilt his head toward her, as if checking out her exact pose, and then he would focus on adjusting accordingly. They worked out each of their limbs, giving Stitch a little more time to rest his still-weary bones. The stretching didn't last near as long as Stitch would have liked, but he kept his complaints to himself, instead straightening with the lady. As she went about prepping herself for what he assumed to be a jog, he to did the same. His boots and shirt came off, revealing his thin, yet defined body. It was hard to tell if it was skin pressing against defined muscle, or just skin attaching tightly to thick bone. He tied the shirt around his waist, securing it in a knot, and awaited for her to finish. And like that, she was off, a muscled little blur of twisting and twirling lights. He followed, knowing that this was going to be hard. He checked his breathing first, making sure it was staying even at all times. Even as his arms and legs pumped, quickly bringing his body through the path that Pain marked, he kept his lungs working as normally as he could. His skin and muscle was managing to stay quite alive for the moment, the cold water that was still on his lightly tanned skin managing to provide some motivation. His boots slapped against the ground as he ran through the forest, managing to keep pace behind the athletic female. He too managed to hop the limbs and rocks that she did, although his jumps were a little less graceful. He did not manage to dodge all the little branches she did, and soon found his skin flaring a bright red, taking quite a beating from the various little whips. He took his focus from his own body for a moment, to flood a bit more Djed to his eyes. A headache had blossomed, but he was barely aware of it, for it was quite a constant effect now. The forest became even more crystal clear than before, and he was actually able to see ahead a few more trees than normal, and plan just a bit of his path. When the forest thickened, and Pain slowed, Stitch managed to catch up a bit because of this magical foresight. He was lucky that the forest had thickened, really. He had noticed that she was starting to pull away from him. Shifting his attention from his Auristics, and back to his jogging, he noticed another reason that she might have slowed down. They had ran quite awhile, and his muscles were hurting. His breath was ragged, and even though his legs and arms were pumping at their normal pace, they were all on fire. He was surprised he hadn't stumbled, or simply fallen over in his minutes of distraction. The blind man now struggled to keep up, forcing himself to simply follow his female companion, making her moving back his finish line. Reaching her was his goal, and his stubborn skull kept him chasing after that goal. It was a godsend that she eventually stopped. He pulled up beside of her, his last few steps more of an awkward stumbling trip. His hands instantly went to his knees, and he bent over, wheezing and gasping painfully. His lungs and legs hurt even more than they had in the beginning, but he had actually managed to make it this time. He barely picked up on her words, and thought back, trying to figure out if he had thought about his problems. He hadn't. He had simply been distracted from them. Murderer. It was better to be distracted from them, he thought. It was better not to think, for now. Yet, even as he thought this, he could sense her concern. She was thinking of him, and wondering if her methods helped him. They do, he tried to mentally yell at her. You are helping! You are making me stronger, and that is what I need, right? To be stronger, to protect them! Right? His muscles clenched, and he shivered, still gasping for air. He wanted to scream out in frustration and agony. Yet he never would. Not here. Not with her, this new friend that was trying so desperately to help him. Instead, he merely spoke, his voice trembling. With pain or simply exhaustion, it was hard to tell. "Thank you for your assistance, Milady Elhaym." Ah. He had ignored her command just minutes before.

[Elhaym]

"Again with the milady crap... oh well, whatever." Pain gasped, though she was finally getting some air to take residence in her lungs without much trouble. The sting of the brisk air was all but forgotten as Pair stood upright, rotating her shoulders one after another. She kicked her legs a few times, as if trying to shake them to life. Tanny was out of commission for a bit, and Pain loathed the idea of running anymore. Yet, this was the part where she truly felt herself grow stronger. "Alright, skinny. This is where I put some meat on your bones... see that tree over there, the thick one?" Pain said, pointing with her thumb at a large tree with a series of thick branches jutting from it's trunk starting at about 10 feet. "Push ups, sit ups... booooring. That shyke drives me crazy, no motivation to continue. This, now this is a little bit more fun." Pain said, offering no other explanation for what she was about to do. She turned towards the tree and hurtled her body forward, giving it one last forced march at a running pace. To Stitch, it may look like she was just about to run face first into the tree. Far from it. As Pain got within a few feet of the tree's trunk, she pushed off with her powerful right leg. Her body went airborne, and her left foot impacted the coarse bark with a thud. The contact was fleeting, as her left leg pushed her even higher, her shoulders grinding against the bark as she brought her arms up over her head. And, perhaps to Stitch's surprise, there she was. Hanging about twelve feet in the air from a thick tree branch. Pain had scaled the tree in a fluid movement, though not technically gracefully, she did have some ability when it came to controlling her body. "You get your ass up here, and do as I do. And don't lose your grip, cause' I ain't haulin' your ass back to Syliras just cause you sprained your ankle on account of having girly arms." Pain yelled, but she was laughing. Her language was coarse, and a pretty big contrast to her tenderness before. It was confusing to some, but thats just the way Pain was. When the subject was deep, her voice was soft and clear. The rest of the time, pure sailor. Pain shuffled further across the branch, moving hand over hand until she had cleared a bit of distance from the trunk. With a grunt, she hoisted her lower body up, her abdomen tightening with the strain and her fingers and forearms straining as they pressed down against the branch. In the end, she brought her legs up, and hooked them over the branch... and let go with her hands. She hung by her legs only, offering Stitch a gesture that said "Come on!". Pain folded her arms across her chest, and began doing what appeared to be crunches. Upside down. Hanging twelve feet in the air. Tanny's ears perked up a bit as Pain's grunts and half yells erupted around the woodlands around him. He was typically alert, but he was exhausted from the run and remained on his side, panting heavily. "You gotta... get your body up to speed. Strength isn't just... for hitting harder. If you can run faster... climb higher... jump farther... you have an edge. You can escape, or give chase... and also, you can control someone without really hurting them if you're stronger than they are... urgh!" Pain said as she lifted and lowered her torso, the final rep emitting a fierce grunt. Odd to think that physical strength could equate with being gentle, but it was true. If your limbs held the power to control a persons movements in close quarters, you could lock them down and force them to surrender. If you couldn't... sometimes, the only option was something a lot bloodier. Pain's eyes had been shut, and she couldn't quite hear what Stitch was doing. Her own breathing and the task of keeping a tight hold on the branch so she wouldn't fall coupled with the burning in her stomach held most of her attention. After she completed another set of the upside down crunches, Pain reached up and took hold of the branch again with her hands. Her legs loosened and swung down, and now she hung from her arms yet again. She began to lift herself up until the top of her head tapped the branch, as if doing some sort of strange pull up. Pain's mind wandered yet again, entertaining the idea of how Stitch managed to see. What did she look like to him now? What did all of this, these trees, the sky... would he trade it for regular human sight again if he had the chance? "You know... I don't fight because I like to hurt people. It's a byproduct of both what I learned when I was little... and my own need to be strong. Not in a fight, just... strong. My body is my everything... oof!" Pain groaned, having smacked her head on the branch a little too hard. She shook it off, continuing her repetitions. Her legs were now jelly, and her arms were following suit rather quickly. "I don't know what all happened Stitch, but you gotta remember... that some shyke just isn't in your power to control. Try not to beat yourself up about it too much, or it'll make you crazy." Pain said, her statement ending both her thoughts on the subject and her workout. She dropped from the tree, falling for only a second before landing on all fours like an animal. The impact shuddered up her arms and legs, and Pain rolled back onto her behind for a rest. Her eyes went skyward, and through the waving treetops she saw that they sky had clouded over. "Looks like rain, pal. Gonna be colder' n' a well diggers ass out here if it gets wet."

[Stitch]

While Pain was soon up and about, once again stretching her limbs back to life, Stitch took a bit longer than that. His breath was still coming ragged, and his body was still throbbing in pain. Every single inch of him hurt, really. He knew that once again, he had jogged much too far, yet had simply become much too distracted to even notice. It was a boon and a curse, he supposed. He was able to run such a long distance because half of the time, his mind wasn't actually in the task. His body carried out the correct motions, and therefor got the correct exercise. However, he could really do some damage to his muscles if he didn't pay enough attention. Even if he was daydreaming, he would likely be snapped back into reality if he pulled a muscle, or misplaced a bone. Or better yet, if he took a spill like he had earlier. That could really cause some damage, and he was lucky that it hadn't. Stitch rose an eyebrow at her words, and slowly rose, almost able to hear the defiant creaking in his bones. He nodded as she signaled the tree that they were to use for some kind of exercise, then watched in total awe as she took off towards it. Was this supposed to build some kind of pain tolerance, or something of the sort? He had already started to wince as she neared the huge trunk, about to run smack dab into it without a second thought. His mouth soon fell open though, his Auristic eyes watching in total amazement as she actually leapt a good few feet up the tree trunk! The wonder of her strength didn't even begin to stop there, as she soon used those built legs to scale the trunk, almost walking the next few feet to a hanging tree limb. That limb was pretty high up. Her next words brought a pause to his existance, and he stared dumbly at the tree, confused. She wanted him to climb that? That limb was really high up. He almost began to shake his head no, almost began to form words of defeat. He couldn't climb that, look at how big it was! Knowing there would likely be a rain of insults and mockery though, or even worse yet, disappointed silence... He decided to at least give it one or two tries. He felt like a little boy again, trying to impress the bigger boys in the playground. Or in this case, the bigger girl. Stretching just a bit, using the forms that Pain had shown him earlier, Stitched readied himself. Taking a deep breath, he took off, building up to a run. Clenching the muscles his legs, he knelt, and then jumped, flying quickly to the thick trunk. With a loud smacking sound, Stitch connected, a painful grunt echoing from his lips. He had landed in a bear hug of sorts, about five feet off the ground, desperately clinging to the tree trunk. He paused, breathing hard, trying to deal with the pain that was exploding through his chest. He wasn't sure he had done that right. At all. Not wanting to disappoint Pain, he forced himself up by pure willpower, actually wiggling and yanking himself up the tree trunk. It was an amazing sight to watch. It was awkward, painfully slow, and incredibly difficult looking... But somehow, he pulled through. Even whenever he was about to slow to a stop, his jaw clenched, and the blind man just kept on climbing. This was a workout that was killing each and every one of his muscles, but he was grateful for it. It was an idea he hadn't thought of yet. Just don't fall. Don't fall. Several minutes later, he made it to the tree branch, not daring to look down. He hated heights, even though that was something he would never admit. She was already working out, and he couldn't help but once again lose himself in shock. She expected him to do that? Once again, he nearly opened his mouth in protest, but he was quick to swallow the defiant words. She was trying to help him out here, and it would be horrible of him to complain. This was what he wanted to do, anyway. He wanted to get stronger, didn't he? Taking a deep breath, he slowly shimmied out into the tree branch, yet not quite as far as her. Hooking one leg, than the other, he paused for a moment, then simply fell backwards. A yelp echoed from his lips as his Auristic vision spiraled in a confusing array of colors and lights, but then there he was, dangling from the limb by use of his legs. Hanging here like this, he realized it wasn't really too far to the ground. Taking this knowledge to heart, comforting his fraying nerves a bit, he began to do the work-out. He folded his arms over his chest, and slowly began to sit up, using the power of his abs to get him as high as he could. It wasn't nearly as high as Pain, but to him, it was still quite high. He went through these repititions quite quickly, his breath soon gushing out in pained gasps. It seemed like he had been in some pain for quite awhile now, but was doing a good job of just powering through it. When she eventually switched up positions to do some kind of odd pull-up, he did too, although much more awkwardly. When he did finally get into the position, his head came nowhere close to hitting the tree branch. His repititions were much slower this time around too, and it was clear he was getting quite tired. Stitch thought on her words as he worked out, nodding a bit to himself in agreement. He understood what she was trying to say, and it reflected his own thoughts. That is exactly why he was doing this. To get strong enough to control the opponent without having to outright kill them. This would tone his body, and once his body was toned, he would work on toning his martial arts. Perhaps his Flux, too. He wasn't sure if that was a skill he could follow through on now, though. It seemed to lack the control that Stitch wanted, and he already used up enough Djed just to see. She spoke again, and he listened, only responding with a few quiet words of his own. "Thank you for the advice, milady." With that, they both fell, although Stitch managed to turn his fall into a bit of a graceful roll. He simply laid there though, sprawled out onto the ground, gasping for breath and letting his screaming muscles rest. This was enough torture for the day, wasn't it? His head turned to Pain, and he tried to mentally project his words to her, too afraid to speak them aloud. This is enough, right? Oh thank Priskil, it was going to rain. He rest for a few more short minutes, completely still, focusing inwards in a few short seconds of meditation. He once again quickly glanced through his darkening Aura, noticing the subtle changes that had occured deep inside of him. Would those always be there? A few minutes of rest worked wonders, as his body wasn't nearly on fire as it had been before. It still ached and throb, but it was more of a pleasant sensation. A satisfied feeling, perhaps.

[Elhaym]

Pain folded her legs beneath her, and just sat for a moment. Her back arched forward, and she rested her elbows on her knees. Some people drank ale. Some warped their mind with drugs. Pain worked out. In the end, all three felt a euphoria that they were addicted too when they were finished... though Pain's method made her stronger, not fat and stupid. She didn't say anything, just let the silence pass... the sounds of the woods, the wind with it's slight chill. The thin sheen of sweat had grown into a thick glossy coat, and she was tired. But damn, it felt good to just relax afterwards. "Hey, Stitch... do you ever feel like we, ah... well, does it ever bother you that we can fight like we can? I mean, hell, theres a thousand people that could take us down easily i'm sure, but if you think about it... I mean, how do we... man, my mind is shyke today." Pain said, muttering the last few words. It wasn't something she'd ever verbalized, so it was awkward coming out. She bit her lower lip, and gathered her thoughts to try again. "What i'm saying is, how do we keep ourselves from hurting people when we're just normal people ourselves? We have anger, fear, jealousy... but we, you and me... we can really do something about it, y'know? I just... err, well, i've lost control before. When I just get so damn mad, all I see is red and I just want to break whatever it is that pisses me off. It's hard man, hard to deal with knowing that i'm capable of that. It's easy to learn to fight, but it's damned hard to learn how to fight. Sorry, I guess it's just something thats been on my mind for a while and I thought you might relate." Pain said nothing afterwards, simply listening to the sounds of the woods intermingled with Stitch's words in reply. They really would have start heading back to towards Syliras soon... the clouds were becoming thicker, and Pain thought she might have heard a distant thunderclap. The breeze that cooled her skin was beginning to feel frostier, and Syna's gift of light was beginning to grow dim despite being so early in the day.