11475/Time to do a little training

Time to do a little training
Date of Scene:	05 June 2022
Location:	Avengers Mansion - Training Facility
Synopsis:	Sara heads to the Avenger mansion training room and comes across Felicia, the two sit and talk for a time, getting to know each other.
Cast of Characters:	Felicia Hardy, Sara Pezzini

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Felicia Hardy has posed:
    The sun is low in the sky on Sunday night, a calm air is in the mansion, despite the non-stop nature of crime and catastrophies. And yet, Felicia is wearing a confining and fitting pair of work out clothes. Making sure she's safe and secure while stretching and keeping her talents sharp.

    Toes grip the sides of the balance beam and she holds her hands up towards the sky, before taking a breath, and releasing it through pursed lips as she rolls forward on a pivot point in her belly and hands find the beam before feet move up over her head in a standing cartwheel motion, but her standing position moves only a few inches forwards. Balance is the study of the day it seems.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
There had been far too many balls in the air as of late for Sara, so many that she couldn't take time to have a drink and once again got yanked away. That was no longer the case, well not entirely. Tonight was /her/ night to do what she wanted.

There were gyms all over the place in New York, including one at the precinct, but nothing could beat the equipment available at the Avenger Mansion, so that's where she decided to get her work out.

Dressed in a tight fitting work out top, she wore a spaghetti strap tank over it, and on her legs a pair of matching sports capris. Tennis shoes with white ankle were the final item of her chosen attire. Her chestnut hair was pulled up into a single pony tail to keep it out of her way, and as usual the silver bracelet with its smaller twin adorned her right wrist.

Wandering into the gym with a duffle bag in hand, she paused for a moment to look around and took note of Felicia on the balance beam, and the maneuver she was practicing. By herself, Sara would likely fall right off that beam if she tried that, but with Witchblade always watching, always ready, she could likely do it.

Not wanting to disturb the woman, she makes her way over to the punching bag, setting the bag on a bench nearby, then opens it to start wrapping her hands and wrists.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Felicia ends back on her feet, and doubles over with her legs staying straight, she presses her nose against her forwards shin and then carefully lifts her back leg upwards until it's directly over her body. Hands carefully then grip the beam and she lifts her other leg up in the air and balances on her hands for a few moments. Spinning on the heels of her palms, Felicia stops half way and is facing towards Sara and blinks a couple of times, "H-hey." Felicia says, shifting her wait to lift a hand and wave at Sara before putting it back down and then shifting to drop her legs down and she rolls down her back to rest with her bottom on the balance beam, feet then curling to rest beneath her so she's sitting cross legged and looking towards the slightly familiar face. "Didn't I see you the other day?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
When greeted, Sara turns her attention back toward Felicia while continuing to wrap her hands and wrists. When she first entered she had thought she recognized the woman, but it wasn't until she spoke that she could place it.

"Evening. We saw each other at Wicks," she offers with a small smile. "I unfortunately got called back to work, but we seem to have a mutual friend at least."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Seated on the balance beam, Felicia's hands move down to grasp her ankles and keep them close to her, making sure she's balancing and not cheating while on the beam. "That- Wait. Nick? Nick if a friend of yours?" Felicia asks, eyebrows rising up high on her forehead as she smirks softly and then back towards Sara, "Small world then." The thief notes. The idea seems to give Felicia plenty to think about as she falls silent for a bit, but then looks back to Sara fully and shrugs.

    "Well, I guess since we're sorta team mates, some back and forth would be ... wise? Build a report, find out where and how we stand with each other?" Felicia says, she seems totally green to the whole team work thing, but that's because she is.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Once her hands are protected as they need to be, Sara tests a few times making fists to get things loosened and ready.

Glancing at Felicia, one brow slightly raised she nods once. "Yeah, I know... Nick," she then says. "We worked together once."

Stepping over to the bag she gives it a couple of test punches, making certain of which bag was hanging there. "Sort of team mates?" She then asks, holding the back as her blue eyes shift to the woman again. "Are you seeking to be an Avenger or actually on the team already? Either way, it's nice to meet you.

Another couple of punches are given to the bag and she seems to have it dialed in. Boxing moves, she has them. Even before Witchblade it was her preferred way of exercise, and she even competed a few times in college, so her stance is perfect, her movements near perfect.

"Getting to know each other," she begins, while continuing a series of punches. "Never a bad idea, but something tells me from your words, this is all new to you. Am I far off?" Damn detective and their skills of observation.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "I've... bumped into him a few times." Felicia reports, the slightest hint of a blush across her cheeks is all that she'll say about that, unless asked, but she's not giving further information voluntarily.

    "I'm --- Yeah. I'm a trainee. Last I heard. Did a mission or three with Captain America, Ant-man and Power Girl some time ago, but ... things kind of slowed for me after that." Felicia explains, looking away from Sara for a moment. She's a better liar than this, she's practiced, but she's here where she's supposed to be safe, and be honest, so she's being as honest as she can without hurting herself. "Yeah. I'm still... learning the ropes. As it were."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara offers a bright smile, giving the bag a series of fast punches and then what would be an uppercut before turning to look at Felicia again. She's not actually meaning to analyze, it just comes naturally now in everything she does thanks to her work. NYPD detective, working with SHIELD, the angel invasion with the JLD, so many aspects required knowing your allies and enemies, being able to read the room as they says.

"Well then, I'm even more pleased I got to meet you," she offers, taking a breath back in. Working out and talking, not always the best combo.

"Shit, manners," she bites at herself. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Detective Sara Pezzini of the NYPD, wielder of the Witchblade, and member of SHIELD's WAND department." She steps away from the punching bag to walk over and extend her hand, because that's what you do.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Felicia pauses and cants her head at Sara, her own pony tail bobbing behind her head from the motion as she seems to be confused, but she finds herself pushing off the balance beam and onto her feet on the proper ground.

    Walking to meet Sara half way, Felicia reaches out with her own hand to grasp Sara's and smiles as she shakes the detectives hand and the smile she puts on is definitely the cat that ate the canary sort of look.

    "I'm just Felicia. Model. and sometimes Avenger's trainee." The woman says, biting her tongue and then pausing.

    "I'm sorry... I am working on being more honest, and forth coming with who I am. Y'know, it's scary." The blonde says with a deep breath and then looks directly at Sara, "I'm also a cat burglar. Former cat burglar unless it's from the right people now."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara doesn't attempt to be forceful with the handshake, it's just your average 'nice to meet you' grip, then she takes her hand back. The smile remains on her face as she says, "Felicia, and yes... you look like a model alright."

No blush, no hesitation, no embarrassment for a blatant statement like that, she just makes it and moves on. "You don't need to be sorry. You take your time, get to know me, get comfortable and it will come more naturally." She gestures toward the bench her bag is on, she can work out later for now she has a new teammate to meet.

"Don't be ashamed of who you were, and what you did, I'll bet you have some serious mean skills from being a cat burglar," is said as she walks to the bench and moves the bag off of it. "You've chosen now to apply those skills for other means, and if you do slip up, don't beat yourself up, get right back up and go back to trying."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Felicia walks beside Sara as the detective seems to be okay with her being a thief and is much more understanding about it than Felicia ever dared to imagine anyone could be. Much less a cop.

    "Everyone's been so... understanding here. I don't know how to take it." Felicia says, turning around and claiming a spot on the bench, and seeming to make herself smaller than her 5' 10" frame should allow her to be. "It's not that I'm beating myself up, it's that I expected SOMEONE to do that for me." Like she deserves to be beat up or something like that. "I'm going to be sorry AND take my time though, I don't know how else to do this, or I can't think of a better way. I can only fake it till I make it for so long."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Getting into the bag Sara pulls out two bottles of water, one is offered to Felicia as she says, "You may not realize it, but you are beating yourself up, or waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's all over your body language." She gestures toward her posture as she says this.

"You expect the worst reactions from people, because you think that's how it /should/ be. You brace yourself for it, prepared for when someone calls you a thieving bitch or worse, and when it doesn't happen, you're shocked." She twists the top off her bottle and takes a drink. "There's lots of people out there who would be upset by what you did, and your targets are among them I'm sure, but those targets are the only people who need to be sorry to."

Turning her head so blue eyes can look Felicia over she offers another smile. "You don't have to be sorry to me because that's all the past. We can't change what we did, we can only change what we do now and tomorrow. And yes, the cop in me says I should raise an eye brow and get all judgey on you, but I'm not just a cop. Besides, I didn't catch you doing anything, so why would it matter to me?"

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Rarely has Felicia been so confronted with herself and the cop sitting next to her is so easily doing it. Felicia's feet lower and rest flat on the ground, her shoulders lift up and then back as she sits fully upright as she feels more and more confident about herself next to this much more crusader-esque woman.

    "You're right, and I know you're right, but hearing it outloud..." Felicia says, taking the offered water bottle and shifting to press it to her bare neck, Felicia seethes slightly but then relaxes a bit more. "This place, these people, you especially, it's your jobs to be the good guys. Or at least be some good guys, and I'm so used to being on the other side of that playground. So used to running and being in the wrong that trying to be right feels wrong in and of itself." She says before taking a sip of her water finally. "I figured it would matter because your job is a part of who you are."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
The grin that touches Sara's lip is coy, and one brow lifts very slightly as Felicia changes positions. "If I had caught you, out there," she gestures toward the wall, apparently meaning the world out there. "It would be a whole different ball game. I didn't. In here, you aren't the cat burglar, you're a fellow teammate, which means you get the benefit of the doubt."

Taking another sip of her water, she puts the lid back on it for now and sets it beside her on the bench. "You decided it was time to stop running. You made that conscious choice, and though the past will come back and haunt you, might even bite you in the ass, you chose the path your on now. I support that path, that choice, and all it means is I will keep an eye on you, for you."

Holding up her right wrist she shows Felicia the silver bracelets, one much larger than the other with a huge red stone in it, the other smaller, sort of intertwined with the big one, the red stone smaller. "Once Witchblade choose, my view of things had to change. I couldn't stick to 'just being a cop' and I couldn't keep looking at the world with cop eyes." She lays her hand back in her lap.

"Most police officers in this world only have to deal with human crimes. Thievery, murder, abuse, etc. My world is /much/ larger then that. When you know demons are real, out there wearing human skins and committing crimes as a human, so you think a normal cop and out judicial system could handle that?" She shakes her head. "No way in hell, or heaven for that matter. That knowledge changes how you look at things."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "They're beautiful." Felicia whispers as Sara holds up her hand, and she reaches out to hold Sara's arm, but stops herself. She wanted to look closer, not because she's a thief, but she's also a fan of the finer things in life. Those bracelets aren't run of the mill. Or even custom. They're something else.

    Felicia stops herself and keeps her hands to herself and admires from afar.

    Turning her attention up towards Sara's face, Felicia asks calmly, "What's a witchblade?" The thief thinking back to the time she fought a trio of werewolves and the silver steak she keeps on hand just in case she runs across anything ... unusual like that again. "You're able to fight the angels and demons? You're one of those special magic types of people?" Felicia inquires, not sure how else to phrase it.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara nods. Felicia's choice of words summed it up well enough as there wasn't really a good way to describe it.

"There's two ways to explain what Witchblade is," she begins. "And since you aren't the magical type, and likely don't know much about magic, I'll use the longer explanation."

Holding her wrist up again, Felicia gets to watch the tendril of what looks like living metal expand out from the bracelet and wrap up Sara's arm to form the intricate gauntlet that is his natural form. The red stone ends up on the back of her hand, the fingertips of the gauntlet are clawed. "This is Witchblade. A sentient artifact created by Gaea herself to restore balance among the old ones, the old gods. When that task was complete, she made him the guardian of earth, to maintain the balance of this world for her."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "The ... Gaia." Felicia repeats in an attempt to understand, "Creates a creepy H R Gieger glove to protect the earth and keep things in check?" Felicia asks and then furrows her eyebrows. "So do you like, hang out with the other wizards and witches and ... how many are there?" Felicia asks, but then shakes her head, "Eh, nevermind. I don't wanna know. You said you trust me. So I'm going to trust you." Felicia says, rising to her feet.

    Water bottle in hand, held at her side, bouncing off her thigh, "Does it hurt though? Looks... creepy as heck Sara."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Turning her hand over so Felicia can see the palm of the gauntlet she chuckles a little over the reaction. So far, best reaction to date.

"There are things in this world that aren't supposed to be here," she explains. "Gaea's children, humans, aren't meant to face off with demons, ghosts, monsters, and aliens. His purpose is to ensure that humans have the lives they were meant to, without those kinds of things poking their noses in where they don't belong."

Turning her hand back over, she taps two of the clawed fingers together, even makes a fist, showing just how easily it moves, almost like a second skin.

"I couldn't tell you how many are out there even if I wanted to, I don't know the exact numbers." She shrugs. "I have worked with other magical types, I've worked with normal people, I'll work with anyone willing to do what's right for the world as a whole. This isn't all he can do, he can also cover my entire body in armor, form any time of hand to hand weapon I might want to use, and a number of other little trick."

She smiles a little, "But the armor destroys my clothing, which he /loves/ to do. It doesn't hurt, at all, just feels like another layer of skin wrapping into place. And finally, yes... it does look creepy, but I've gotten used to it after three years."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Felicia stands straight, and crosses her arms beneath her chest, water bottle tapping and swishing against her waist. "Gaea, some big earth spirit I am guessing, wants to keep humans safe from ... weird shit." Felicia recounts, looking at the side of the bench as she goes over her lesson recap.

    It's a lot to take in for the model.

    "I get that, yeah, but the answer, to make a ... bracelet suit of armor for only one person..." Felicia then looks to Sara and raises an eyebrow, "A 'he' bracelet that sounds kinda pervy, to protect only ONE person from these things... seems kinda suspicious don'tcha think?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara laughs with another shake of her head. "First, Gaea isn't a spirit, she's a goddess. Second, Witchblade is her son, but can only have one wielder at a time, he is just one gauntlet after all. The bracelet, that is a resting form, to blend in with the world around him."

She turns her hand over again and the tendrils appear again, unwrapping down her arm to return to the form of the bracelet with a second one intertwined. "He is a magical manifestation of balance, creation and destruction. The armor and weapons to protect his wielder while she destroys the enemies of humanity. You'd have to know his /entire/ history to understand why it's not suspicious, but I get why you are."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "I'm just saying, if someone claims they're saving people but only pick one..." Felicia then trails off, expecting Sara to finish the thought for her. Taking another sip of water and choosing to sit back down, Felicia, seems more comfortable around Sara when the living metal armor isn't on display. "But, if I run into anything with wings and light and or fire, I'll call you first."

Sara Pezzini has posed:
"Probably a good idea," Sara comments. "There have been hundreds, if not thousands of wielders before me. He can only choose one at a time, because he is just one artifact... sort of."

Running her finger over the second bracelet that has once again joined the first, she realizes going into that can of worms is likely not a good idea. "I've never been good at explaining him, and he's telling me now that I've made him look bad and should bombard you with every piece of information I have to make him look good again. Yes... he talks to me in my head."

Adjusting the bracelet, a nervous habit that Felicia will likely see numerous times in the future, she sighs softly, "He's not wrong, I did made him look bad... he's not. He's not a perv either. There is reason for everything he does." She pauses there, canting her head and for a moment it looks like she is staring off into nothing. "No I will not tell her that," she then says aloud. "And now he will ramble for a while, which I will ignore... any other questions? I have nothing to hide."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "What's his name?" Felicia asks as she scooches a bit closer to Sara, looking down at the bracelet and then back up to Sara. Warming up to the cop as the woman seems to be making herself very vulnerable to Felicia, and the blonde is not wanting to make Sara feel bad for that. This woman might be a good friend, and Felicia could use a few more of those lately.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
"He has three names that I know of," Sara offers, watching Felicia as she scoots closer. "Witchblade, Digitabulum and The Balance, but the truth? The spark that gave him sentience, that is Atum. Not many people know that because I only just recently learned it myself."

She offers her hand with the bracelet to Felicia again, "Go a head, take a look. He can't be removed unless he wants to be, but he also wants you to trust him."

Canting her head slightly, her blue eyes continue to focus on the woman beside her. "He spent thousands of years floating alone in space, waiting for the right time to fall to earth and choose his first wielder. I couldn't begin to tell you the exact number, I just know that I am his current wielder. He choose me."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    With VERY little hesitation, Felicia twists on the bench, curling a leg under herself so she is facing Sara directly and she's lifting both hands to cradle Sara's hand and arm.

    She doesn't touch the bracelet directly, holding Sara with slightly calloused fingers, softer than they were in middle or high school, but with some permanent damage that she's long since grown used to. "Well, he has to give trust to earn it. And it's a two way street." Felicia notes, looking into the red gem, figuring it for an eye for some reason and sticking her tongue out at it. "I don't blame him, I'd choose you too." Felicia says while looking down at the jewelry, fingers nonchalantly interlaced with Sara's and her other hand touching the woman's forearm gently.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
For what appears to be no reason at all Sara suddenly busts up laughing. She doesn't take her arm back, she just laughs.

"If you... could hear what he just said," she laughs out, reaching up with her left hand to wipe away a tear. "When you stuck your tongue out at him."

The woman seemed overly trusting of Felicia, perhaps because she was weak to people in need or perhaps it was because she didn't fear the woman. The truth was, it was a little of both. There was nothing Felicia could do to her, Witchblade wouldn't permit it, and at the same time she could tell that the woman needed to be trusted, to make a friend.

Collecting herself, she wipes her eyes again. "He neither trusts nor distrusts you Felicia, he doesn't know you, he also doesn't expression or feel emotions the way we do... but he would like to know, how can he earn your trust? You aren't being stabbed repeatedly by him, so clearly that's a good sign... his words, not mine."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    "By the same token, you aren't stabbing me." Felicia replies, after watching Sara settle down from her giggling fit. The thief then looks back down to the bracelet, "And I'm not stabbing Sara or Autumn here. That's pretty basic human stuff. But it's not like you can trade in trust or truths. Though I did tell you my real name and not my code name. Despite what I think some of the older more senior members might expect." Felicia says.

    Moving her hand off Sara's arm and moving it closer to the bracelet, she does wait before actually touching it, but she's making the motion that she'd want to. She's... nonverbally asking for consent, from a bracelet. Seems the thief does have a code and an awareness, or a willingness to believe the witchblade is a being in and of itself.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara makes no attempt to stop Felicia, because Witchblade doesn't care if the cat burglar touches him or not. He can see her with his own eye, as well as through Sara's eyes, he knows his surroundings and has a keen danger sense. If Felicia had any ill intent at all, he would know the moment she decided it.

"He doesn't quite understand that part of humans," Sara chuckles. "He's trying to learn, to better himself. In his mind, not taking control of me to stab you /is/ the strongest and best form of trust he can offer."

There is another pause here and she sighs, "Fine, fine... It's pronounced Ah-toom and he is so full of himself right now.... but go a head, you can touch him."

If Felicia decides to touch the bracelet the first thing she will note is that to her, it feels far warmer than normal skin. If she touches the gem itself and holds her finger there for any length of time, she will feel a heartbeat and a teeny-tiny jolt, like a static electrical shock, but not painful. Acknowledgement from him.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    The heat of the metal is surprising, she expected it to be luke warm or slightly cooler than Sara's own arm, but it's slightly warmer, like she had her hand resting in direct sunlight for a few minutes, but Felicia knows that she's been here, this whole time. Eyebrows furrow, Felicia's rough and delicate fingers brush over the jem, careful to not smudge it, but just admire it with a caress and then...

    The cat draws her hand back and looks up to Sara, She wants to say 'it really is alive' but she instead says, "Is... is it tough... for both of you?" She asks, actually concerned.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Watching Felicia's hand on the bracelet, Sara looks back up to her face. She knows what happened when the woman drew her hand away, or rather why she did. Not many have ever wanted to actually touch the bracelet, but there have been a few and she knew what he did when they did.

"At first, it was a living hell for the both of us," she admits plainly, bluntly really. "I didn't get a say when he choose me, but at the same time, he saved my life so I couldn't really complain. It was after that, learning to live with him connected to my soul, in my head all the time. Learning how to keep him from losing control, or taking control. It wasn't any easier for him, but again he feels things differently than we do."

Glancing back down at the bracelet, a small smile appears. "He had desires, wants and needs just like anyone else, and sometimes those are overwhelming, or rather they were. I'm accustomed to it now, and after being geased by an archangel, we've both learned what it is to really respect one another, and how to work together."

Felicia Hardy has posed:
    Felicia stands up and takes her hands away from Sara almost abruptly, "Welp, with wants and needs addressed, I think it's time I go and hit the showers. I ... don't want to stick my foot in my mouth, and I'll allow a bit of mystery to linger if you don't mind." Felicia says to Sara with a wink before she looks towards the balance beam, just to double check that she didn't leave anything over there, and nope. All clear.

    Felicia starts towards the door and gives a wave over her shoulder with a glance back, "Nice to meet you Sara. Can't wait to meet and chat again!"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
As Felicia steps away, Sara stands up as well, watching her again.

"That's fine by me," she replies with a grin. "It was nice meeting you Felicia, perhaps next time we can spar a little, so I can see how good you are." Yes, she would be nice and not use Witchblade.

"Be safe out there," she then adds, before adjusting the bracelet and moving back to the bag. There were still a few thousand punches needing to be landed, then some weight training, and finally a jog.