Private Tales Flicker Flame

[Blake]

"Oof!"

Blake felt the wind get knocked out of her as her back collided with the ground. A pained laugh escaped her, a combination of genuine amusement and muzzled frustration. She lay on her back, staring skyward within one of the many sparring courtyards within the Academy, watching the clouds gently drift over on this sunny winter day. Dust settled all around her, her body warm and her muscles burning despite the frigid air around them.

After a moment a familiar face peaked into view: the redheaded visage of Catrina Bletzin, her most consistent sparring partner.
"You good down there?" the other girl asked with a smirk.

Blake laughed again, though the laugh quickly became a pained cough, however briefly.
"Yeah! Yep! I'm good!" she groaned, her ribs feeling tight against her lungs. "That was a hell of a throw!"

"Well your footing was wide open, so I couldn't not take advantage," Catrina joked. "Want some help up?"

Blake shook her head, panting and, arms splayed wide across the dusty ground of the fighting ring.
"Nah...think I'll just...rest here a minute. Really helps me absorb my mistakes, ya know?"

Catrina chuckled.
"Yeah, alright, Girl. I'm gonna hit the showers for today, alright? Same time Thursday?"

Blake raised a thumb skyward.
"Sounds good. Catch ya later, Cat!"

Catrina sauntered off after that, leaving Blake to lie there as requested. A couple of other initiates eyes fell upon her curiously, wondering just how long she might remain sprawled out. Blake, for her part, remained unbothered, a dazed smile on her face as she slowly regained her breath.

 

[Lux]

The dirt crunched under boots, and suddenly someone took a seat just shy of Blake's head.

"You know, that is a compromising position to be in. Then I keep thinking, and I certainly do not want to fall prey to your foot kicking me in the crown jewels if I attempted to take that bait."

Lux leaned to the side, a hand propping him up as he now became visible to Blake if she were to look upwards behind her head. The boy was eating a large sandwich, and ate it in plain sight despite the rules of keeping food away from the training areas. "Fuck, this is a good sandwich. I leave the Academy for two weeks and look at this! Two new cooks in the kitchens and suddenly the food has flavour."

He had another one ready for Blake, stashed away into his bag, but he did not immediately bring it to her attention.

 

[Blake]

Blake craned her neck from her position on the ground, just to put a face to the ever familiar voice. She gave the boy a big, friendly grin, forgoing any kind of traditional greeting in favor of,
"You're damn right about that!"

She didn't rise just yet, instead staring long and hungrily at the sandwich Lux had brought along. The raven-haired girl stretched her taut arms out towards him, fingers splayed, and made a grabbing motion at him.
"Gimme! Gimmeeee. Give," she demanded playfully.

 

[Lux]

"Ah, ah, ah! No! I learned from last time, multiple times, you do not just take a bite!" He swatted away her hands like the fiend she was when it came to good food, and moved to reach across to his bag and pull out the paper wrapped sandwich he got for this reason. "There, have your own. How can I put on muscle when you're eating all of my food?"

But he grinned, knowing that Blake was not to blame for his build. It was the common thing for his family to begin bulking up rapidly and becoming formidable amongst the Guard. That was where Lux was headed after graduation. Blake even helped him with the work outs to keep his muscles strengthening. "Now that I have paid the toll to speak to my bestest friend, what do you think are the chances of me chatting up Catrina? Is she a sandwich girl too?" In fact, Lux was bored.

 

[Blake]

Her lip stuck out in a pout at first as Lux denied her a tasty bite, but her frown quickly turned upside down when an entire sandwich got tossed into her hands.
"Ehehe!" Blake giggled to herself smugly. She placed the wrapped treat between her teeth, rolled onto her upper back as her legs came up over her shoulders, then flipped her whole body forward to land on her feet; a perfect, well practiced kip up.

She then marched over to where Lux was sat and plopped onto her butt next to him. The sandwich was unwrapped and a bite shoved into her mouth before she bothered a reply.
"Hmmm..." she hummed as she munched. "I mean you can try. It'll be fun watching her put someone else in the dirt for once."

Blake swallowed, and her expression shifted to a more smug one.
"More of a taco girl, if memory serves."

 

[Lux]

He knew what she was doing when her legs came up. Lux scrambled away from her, giving her space not to inadvertently kick his face or his sandwich, and grinned up at Blake as she towered above him as he still sat on the ground, enjoying the tasty treat.

"Well fuck. She sounds high maintenance." He laughed. "Tacos? That's the thing we ate in Vel Lameus on that mission? You made me eat that really spicy sauce that I had to buy two pints of milk. The barkeep was fucking howlin' all night..."

Traitorous, but Lux looked up at Blake still with a cheeky smirk. "Perhaps it is best to keeps things between myself and Catrina on the mat."

 

[Blake]

"I didn't actually mean food, you dork," she snorted, lightly shoving her fist against Lux's shoulder. "But yes, I remember that. The aftercare was so not worth the prank itself. You're lucky I was willing to hold your hair back..."

"Perhaps it is best to keeps things between myself and Catrina on the mat."

Blake shot Lux a scowl at this.
"Hey, nuh uh, off limits. Try to get in her pants all you want, she's mine in the sparring ring," she huffed.

 

[Lux]

Lux gave her an equally foul scowl. "Yes, but it's hard to branch out with hand to hand combat. The fun of getting King D'Amour of all people flustered when it comes to sword play has begun to lose interest in me. He is the best swordsman in our class. Then look at the magic component." He began to rise, towering over Blake as if his latest growth spurt hadn't stopped.

"Vittoria is fun to play against, I have never seen her look annoyed before in my life, and even that exchange ain't worth it. And I don't actually want to hop into Catrina's bed. I just want to see how someone else fights when they have been sparring with you the most." Like Lux. He was curious to see how other's went about fighting against the teachings and moves that were all done under Blake's guidance. "You know me, I love a good wrestle."

But his grin gave him away, as did the waggling of his brows.

 

[Blake]

Blake's eyes followed Lux upwards as she took another bite of her sandwich. And upwards. And upwards. Fuck, he was getting tall lately. Her munching continued.

"Wait, wiff King are we ftill makin' innuendohf?" she asked, mouth stuffed full. She swallowed and laughed. The eyebrow wiggle always did her in. "Alright fiiine all talk to her, see if she might wanna go a round or two. Variety is the spice of--blah blah blah."

She wrapped the remainder of her sandwich back up and jumped back to her feet, hands on her hips and staring up at Lux.
"Just make sure to at least let me watch, huh? Or, ya know...gimme a turn."

Blake stuck her tongue out at him, then began collecting her things into her satchel.

 

[Lux]

He quirked a brow, giving her a smile that bordered on dangerous. "I'm sure you would, Farand."

It was the type of smile he gave others, mainly the girls falling for his bait. But despite his wants for company in bed, Lux wasn't the openly talkative type. Hells, he wasn't good friends with Blake until two years ago, when he realised she wasn't half bad.

"Just keep the coaching until after the sparring. If I don't convince her for Round Two."

Gods, he was in a terrible mood. "But no rush. I rather we go for a wander. They say a walk is good for the mind."

 

[Blake]

Blake knew that smile all too well, and she knew Lux's usual game. She'd never fallen for it...unintentionally, at least.

Having gotten all of her things together she stood in front of Lux, reached up, and ruffled his hair a bit.
"Fine, fine, I'll keep my big mouth shut during," she chuckled. "Got somewhere in mind? Ooo, ooo, are you gonna try freerunning with me this time?"