15142/Dragon Meets Raven

Dragon Meets Raven
Date of Scene:	26 May 2023
Location:	DeSalvo Martial Arts, Vancouver
Synopsis:	Amanda and Tommy cross paths, end up exchanging numbers
Cast of Characters:	Green Ranger, Amanda Deveraux

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Green Ranger has posed:
Thump, thump, thump echoed throughout DeSalvo's Martial Arts. Thump, thump, thump, it went again. A young man was currently working the punching bag, dressed in a mixture of forest green and black. Tank top was green, his sweatpants were black. He was barefoot, his hands weren't taped, he was just going at it. And his long hair was tied back into a ponytail with a green scrunchie.

Thump, thump, thump. He wasn't the only one around, but it was a quieter time, with fewer people in the gym and dojo. His sneakers, bag, and towel, were on the side, near a bench. He might have enjoyed sparring, but no one else seemed to be in the mood for it, with the few people present instead focusing on weight training or cardio.

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
Amanda isn't really the sort of person to spend a lot of time in a gym, much less a dojo. A spa? Oh, most certainly. Especially if the club had a competent masseuse.

But that doesn't mean she doesn't appreciate those skilled in, well, whatever combat arts are up for consideration. Besides, Amanda occasionally has need of people who can handle themselves in a fight, and her favorite Scotsman isn't always around.

The door opens and the woman steps inside. A long, black overcoat is worn partially open, hands thrust into the pockets. Black leather pants fit like a glove, with low heeled ankle boots below. Bright eyes flit around the dojo, lighting on Tommy in fairly short order.

Green Ranger has posed:
One of the patrons looked up, then another. Either they knew her, or just were admiring the beauty. Tommy though, he kept hitting the punching bag, working on his moves. Though at one point, he would sense something out of his peripheral vision, almost as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Be in enough real fights, as he had, and you can sometimes develop a sixth sense for such things.

So, he stopped after getting in one more punch, and began walking away, towards his bag, the bench, and his towel, which he would use to wipe off any sweat. It was at that point that he saw the woman in leather pants. He didn't comment, but he was wondering if she might be lost. If she continued to look in his direction, he would soon ask her if he could help.

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
Amanda Deveraux definitely notices the looks, and she meets each gaze in turn with a small smile. She knows what she's doing, alright. If there is any further recognition, at least she doesn't mention any names.

With hands still in her pockets, Amanda slowly paces around the perimeter of the room. She approaches Tommy, watching him more more to the expense of others. He asks if he can help, and she offers a warmer smile to him. "You can always tell who has been in actual combat from the way they practice." she offers, casually.

Green Ranger has posed:
He wasn't really sure how to react to that, as he was a good man. He wasn't about to admit to being a superhero in his spare time. But at least he had the tournament background. "Oh, I've entered my fair share of martial arts tournaments. I'm not sure I'd call it actual combat. Tournament fighting is more about form and technique, becoming an art form, than combat. But I think my sensei's have been from the old school with most of their training." Resting his towel, one end over each of his shoulders, he offered a now dried hand, "My name's Tommy."

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
Amanda Deveraux tilts her head a little, looking for a moment like an inquisitive bird. Her smile becomes knowing when he mentions tournaments. "I'm Amanda." she replies, taking the offered hand. Her nails are red... manicured... and yet he can feel familiar callouses on her palm. "And I wasn't referring to tournaments, Tommy. Someone who has been in combat practices like everything has an enemy's face on it. They don't just punch the bag, they punch -through- the bag. It's serious, because they've depended on their skill and their wits for survival." She pauses, then asks. "Are you a regular here?"

Green Ranger has posed:
"My sensei taught me to punch through the bag, like the guy I really want to hit was standing behind the bag." A brief pause, "I think he stole it from Cobra Kai, but good advice for training." He could feel those callouses, and knew their significance. Anyone who had fought would have scars like that. Even with a healing factor, it still happened. "Uh, no, my uncle lives nearby, and I sometimes check in when I'm in town. So I'm more of a regular irregular."

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
Amanda Deveraux grins, giving a light shrug. "I heard that line from a war movie... or was it a boxing movie?" She looks quizzical for a moment, then shrugs again and chuckles. "I tend to move around a lot, myself. But I'm in town for at least a few weeks. I've always enjoyed the combat arts." Amanda pauses for a moment, then adds. "As a spectator, mostly."

Green Ranger has posed:
Might have been before Tommy's time, but streaming meant that old stuff was new to someone. "That's cool, I watched Schindler's List, not that long ago. It was really powerful. But... not that kind of war movie." He nodded his head in understanding about the spectator aspect, "well, if you ever want to train yourself, the owner and manager are both really good, and there are a lot of members who would be happy to help too."

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
Amanda Deveraux smiles almost playfully at that. "Darling, I'm a lover, not a fighter." And she looks like she could mean it. A soft chuckle follows. "All the same, I do appreciate the offer. After all, a girl can't be too careful."

Green Ranger has posed:
"There's no reason you can't be both, Amanda." He was quite happily in a relationship, so he wasn't giving her the same kinds of looks that others might be. Yes, she was a beautiful woman, but he was only interested in helping her to defend herself in a sometimes dangerous world. "It's great for flexibility, power, strength, and physical fitness helps with that other stuff too."

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
Her smile turns coy at that, head tilting again. "That sounds like the voice of experience speaking, Tommy." she replies playfully. "I'm just not sure on which front, although you -do- seem good with your hands." She gestures to the bag, then, of course. "Flexibility is often underrated, I've found. I studied acrobatics some time ago."

Green Ranger has posed:
"Oh, my girlfriend's a gymnast," he said helpfully, not really reading between the lines of what she was suggesting. He was so matter of fact about this. "I should introduce you two, I bet she'd love to compare notes." Sometimes the mice were fun to play with, other times they were so easy, and on rare occasions, they didn't even seem to know a game was being played. Tommy was the later version.

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
Amanda Deveraux lifts a slender brow at that. "Darling, I sort of grew up in the circus." she replies. "When I said 'acrobatics', I wasn't being metaphorical." As for Amanda, flirting is second-nature to her. It would actually be difficult for her to carry a conversation without it, and it's doubtful that she even recognizes she'd doing it. Unless it were one of those situations where she was TRYING to flirt, but Tommy would definitely know. "But I would love to meet her sometime."

Green Ranger has posed:
"The circus, oh, that must have been fun." He was curious about that, but sad for Kimberly's sake, still, she might have liked to learn about that too. "She'd probably like to learn about that too. What kind of act did you do in the circus?"

Amanda Deveraux has posed:
"High wire and trapeze." Amanda replies. "Back in the day, we travelled from one backwater town to the next. There weren't any safety inspectors, and we worked without a net. I'd be happy to tell her more about it sometime, and maybe pick up a self-defense class around here." Amanda shrugs a little, once more. "You should introduce us sometime."

Green Ranger has posed:
Tommy would reach for his bag, since he could use a shower, and take out his phone, "can I send you a text message to exchange numbers? I'll pass it along to Kimberly, since I think you two might get on well, and if you want to learn martial arts, she's a pretty good teacher, sweet, kind, gentle, but she knows what she's doing, and can handle herself in a fight. I know some women like to be taught by women." Once that was done, he would excuse himself, for that shower.