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It is time for self-defense lessons. Not for Ninette's own good, but for the next poor sot who tries something on her. She could have really hurt that man who mugged her and, maybe time has tempered her, but she doesn't actually want to cripple and maim if she doesn't have to. And so she shows up wearing white shorts and a matching polo shirt, her hair braided back and her makeup minimal. She's here to learn, damn it.
*
Sofia may have cultivated a fairly athletic physique but she doesn't look like she should be dangerous in a brawl. Even dressed down to a simple t-shirt and shorts she manages to combine being slender with a frame that is only moderately suited to exhaustive exercise. She has pulled that long brunette hair back into a bun and worn no makeup whatsoever, though mostly that brings out her natural tan. Right now she is standing on one of the mats having taken up a martial arts stance of… Some sort. It certainly isn't anything from a Kung Fu movie. "Ninette? Oh, wonderful. I'm glad you could make it. I never did get to ask… Have you ever actually been in a fight before?" Sofia is wearing gloves again. She always wears gloves.
*
Ninette comes over to Sofia, taking a look around in what looks like idle curiosity, but to the trained eye, she's casing the place. When she gets to the mat, her attention turns to Sofia, and she admits, "Just a few days ago. I was mugged by a metal-armed man." She shivers delicately. "It was terrible. I've still got a bruise from where he knocked me down."
*
It's not an unusual gym. The walls are a little bare, a lot of the wood showing rather than being covered with drywall or hangings. There are class advertisements and billboards. The floor is very clean. On the far end of the room is a water pitcher and a desk where a teacher would presumably sit. There are restrooms down a small hall located in a corner. Completely unassuming.
"By a metal-armed man?" A well-trained eye would notice Sofia tensing slightly at those words but she nods slowly. "I've met him. Ninette, if you are attacked b y someone like that you shouldn't fight. That's the first lesson of self-defense. If they have a weapon of any kind- or powers- you run. Escaping is always the first goal. But how do you escape if you're cornered? That's the question we're going to answer. Okay?"
Sofia moves toward Ninette, tilting her head slightly as she does so, gently pursing her lips. "We've got a mat. I want you to try attacking me first. Like you were a mugger or some sort?" Ninette is about Sofia's size. It's plausible enough really. The Filipino woman is taking a deep breath now. "Does that sound acceptable? Don't be afraid to try to hurt me. I'll manage."
*
Ninette purses her lips. "Attack you?" she asks. "I don't know if I should, I…" She glances at her perfect manicure. The freezing is so integral to her attacks. It's the basis of them. But she doesn't have to use it. So she steps forward and lashes out a hand, placing it alongside Sofia's neck. Unsurprisingly, nothing happens. "Like this." There's no oomph in it, no power. Just the touch.
*
"You shouldn't? Why not?" Sofia asks in a faintly challenging tone. She doesn't even move when that hand is brought to her neck. It has no momentum so she ignore sit… At least until she reaches for Ninette's arm. It's a split second, the difference between having a hand outstretched and being flat on your back on a mat. Sofia is a trained martial artist and Ninette… Didn't really attack. At least there's a mat so it shouldn't hurt too much. "You can't learn to defend yourself without getting a bit roughed up. Not… Really."
*
At the touch, a memory flashes: a dark street, the man with the metal arm stepping out of the shadows. He demands her purse. She clutches it tighter, tells him no. He charges into her with his shoulder, knocks her over. A torn stocking, a rip in the dress. She shrieks and plants a hand on that metal arm. Frost begins to form, getting into all the articulated joints, freezing it. She touches him again, bare skin. He yells and backs off.
Ninette finds herself on her back, and out of instinct she latches her hand onto Sofia's throat. This time she remembers to at least push at her. Her skin is cool to touch, too cool for the room but not so much it couldn't just be poor circulation.
*
Sofia grasps Ninette's hand by the wrist as it takes her throat but doeesn't pull it away. Ninette can feel the warmth of her skin, the rush of her heartbeat spiking to abnormally high levels. A hitn of sweat from earlier exertion. Brown eyes study the woman's face as she keeps that gentle grip. Soft but somehow exerting complete control through pressure. "Your encounter with the metal armed man. What happened?" Sofia asks slowly. She is pulling Ninette to her feet.
"Walk me through what he did. Did he run at you?" Sofia is going to guide Ninette to an appropriate stance through light touches and body language. "I'll show you a few tricks to defend yourself if it happens again…" Skin-to-skin contact continues but other than being tenser than before Sofia doesn't really move any differently. The vision, at least, is over.
*
Ninette responds to instruction well. There's an energy about her, though, something held in. Maybe being put down in the blink of an eye has rattled her. "He ran at me, yes," she says. "Knocked me over. I tore my dress." She seethes a bit at that. As if her ruined clothing is the real issue here, not the seeming threat on her well-being. "He didn't get my purse, though. I hit him and he ran off."
*
"You hit him and he ran off? That's a bit strange. Given he was willing ot charge you like that I'd have expected him to be… More aggressive." Sofia is a gentle but thorough teacher. She gets Ninette approximately where she wants her and walks her through the first scenario, pressed gently behind her to guide her movements. Which is when things become a little different.
Ninette gets an image. It might have been something she figured out on her own. It's an example of how to perform the throw Sofia is setting up for. Step by step. That's probably when it begins to feel a bit odd. It's a memory of having been shown how to do this before. One that is quite obviously not real.
Sofia murmurs, in French, "You're like me… You have- an ability. You didn't 'hit' him, did you? You'll learn a lot faster if we do it this way." Mind to mind, apparently. "And it's much less likely we'll be overheard."
*
Ninette responds in the same, "No, I didn't." She regards Sofia with stiff, cool caution. Things haven't always gone well when she's around people who find out what she is. When the voice comes from inside her mind, she plants her center of gravity low on bended leg and whips around, almost like a scared but vicious animal exposed to something new and unsettling. Then she looks back at Sofia, and she thinks, "You're a mutant."
*
"So are you," Sofia responds simply. "I would imagine." She doesn't resist any sort of movement from Ninette for the moment, remaining open and relatively calm as the rough introduction is happening. Now all of the conversation is in thought. "Act natural, at least." She shifts her weight slightly and takes a deep breath ."I thought it was only fair that I share with you… Since I caught a glimpse of what you are myself."
*
Ninette rises slowly to her former position, and she cases the place again out of habit. "He had it coming," she says. "They paint me as the villain, but they all have it coming." Despite her outwardly poised demeanor, inside, she's a wild-minded woman, an animal trapped in an elegant gilded cage. "If you prey on a defenseless woman, your heart is already cold, why not your flesh to match?"
*
"Mmm…" Sofia nods slowly and takes a deep breath at that statement. "I felt that way too. The metal-armed man was after me as well at one point. I immobilized him using my own powers… He didn't have the chance to attack. Forewarning is helpful." She moves relatively cautiously, still physically oriented on Ninette even without words. Sofia glances around as well, though 'casing' is not quite the right term. "I didn't see anything past the mugging. I stopped. So you don't need to tell me everything if you don't want to… But I'll listen. And I'm still happy to teach you if you'd like to learn…"
*
"He's a menace," Ninette says. "But tamable." She rolls her shoulders, shrugging off all that loose energy as calm settles in again. "I chased him into an alley," she says. "Then I made him step into the light so I could see him." She sighs. "He could be handsome, pity. I…" Here, she falters, and she drops her gaze. "I remember a story about a metal-armed man from my childhood, but he's too young."
*
"Mmm. He's an interesting fellow. And handsome, yes. When he cleans himself up." Sofia nods then and takes a slow breath before leaning her head back. "I don't think he's a bad person. Not- intentionally. But I'd be very careful just the same. I'm glad you're okay." Then she announces in a cheerful outdoor voice, "Well! This seems to be going fabulously. Would you like to continue? If you are interested I thought we could stop for dinner and chat for a bit after we're done. To be honest, I'd love to hear you sing. Something that isn't club music. If you'e interested…"
*
"I wonder what his story is," Ninette says. "It was satisfying, when he feared me." There's a cold streak that passes through her mind, in some ways colder than any wintry power. Then she smiles at Sofia, dispelling some of the chill. "Yes, teach me how to put people down without hurting them." That she says aloud, and then in her thoughts, "I haven't killed anyone, but there are too many close calls." Then, once more aloud, "After, we can get dinner, certainly. It's refreshing to have a friend to talk to."
*
"I agree. And I can tell you about the times I haven't killed a few people," Sofia responds very quietly. "I don't leave mareks when I take people down… Not visible ones." With a deep breath Sofia nods firmly and then she shifts her stance once more. "Alright, one more time. The way I showed you before." With that statement comes more projected images of how to perform maneuvers and scenarios. They can then act them out. It makes classes smoother, certainly. Though how many of the times Ninette is thrown- and vice versa- are real might become blurry. "Friends you can actually trust are hard to come by."
*
Ninette again takes instruction well, and she goes through the moves she's been taught. She's still weak in the body, but she adopts form rapidly. She thinks, "What do we do? With our lives? Except disconnect. You know they'll never accept you for who you are." The frustration of that gets worked out in learning how to throw and how land when thrown. She's much better at the latter.
*
Practice makes perfect. "The more we practice the stronger and faster you'll be," Sofia notes as they go through the rotations again. Sometimes she allows herself to be thrown. Others she resists. There are other things- useful strikes, how to find an opening to escape through. Knowledge. "What can we do with our lives?" Sofia finally asks simply. "I've never felt accepted. Even before I knew I had powers. All I can do is try to do the best I can. But- this is different. You can understand what it's like. I'll accept you. It's a start."
*
"I met others like us," Ninette says. When she's allowed to throw Sofia, there's a genuine smile in response. Everyone needs the occasional win. "It felt nice, in its way, but most of the time I wish I could just get rid of it and be normal again. It cost me the thing I loved the most." She gets to her feet after a throw, relentless. "My father, the life I had before. We'll accept each other, yes."
*
"Alright… Let's break for dinner. We can practice more with thought exercises and go through ideas and scenarios, if you like." Sofia reaches up to wipe the sweat from her brow, skin gleaming in the light. She takes a deep breath, slowly. "When we touch," Sofia notes, mind to mind, "I can sometimes see your memories. If I focus I can block it out but if I find things I shouldn't I apologize." This is stated rather earnestly. "For now, however, let's eat. I feel like we've been at this for hours."
*
Ninette has worked up a sweat in the workout, but around her, the air seems a little cooler. Nice for staying refreshed. "I understand," she says. "I can't always control it, either." She smiles sadly. "It took a long time, and still I slip sometimes." She falls into step with Sofia, after gesturing her acquiescence to eat. "In Paris, they called me Lady Winter, the few who'd seen the things I'd done."
*
"No one even remembers I did anything if I do't let them," Sofia responds gently. Then she smiles and nods, turning toward the door. "Do you enjoy sandwiches? I realize they aren't fine French cuisine but it's that or we go back ot one of our apartments and I cook for you. That might take the rest o the evening…" Sofia laughs softly as she speaks, defaulting back to verbalized French now that the topic has shifted. "You're doing very well with your training. Most of what you need now is conditioning. Going for regular runs,exercise… Repetition. You'll be very sore tomorrow and will probably hate me. That is normal."
*
"I'll gladly sample your cooking," Ninette says. "It can't be worse than what they serve on the street, though there is this one place with good hot dogs? Coney Island?" Like Sofia might not have heard of Coney Island and Nathan's hot dogs. "But sandwiches are fine." She considers the regimen Sofia mentions. "I think running might be nice. I get so pent up with all this energy I just want to release it in a storm." She glances at Sofia again. "We'd better have the sandwiches now, then. I might hold a grudge."
*
"Sandwiches now it is," Sofia responds with a laugh. "And if you hold a grudge the next time you see me you may attempt to break my nose," she notes as they are exiting to the street. Sofia holds the door for Ninette before joining her in walking. "The nice thing about this sort of training is that you get to take your revenge on me." She rolls her shoulders lightly, taking a deep breath as she walks. Fairly close to Ninette, at least enough to be in that field of cool air… Not that it isn't already cold outside. "And yes, I've heard of Nathan's. I haven't been. But there's a lovely deli down the street…"
*
"I like that alternative to being cold," Ninette says. That's her out-loud voice code for it. Being cold can be interpreted so many ways. "Is it a Jewish deli? Those are nice. The food is a bit heavy, but it's usually good." She sighs wistfully. "Coney Island is fun. That's the America I read about when I decided to come here. It almost makes me wish there was someone to play the games and win me something. Almost." She lets Sofia lead the way, and though it's cold outside and she's without her coat, she doesn't seem to mind it. She perks up a bit, in fact. Lady Winter indeed.
*
Sofia, on the other hand, shivers noticeably as time passes. She doesn't withdraw, however, instead taking to flexing her fingers and then rubbing her hands together politely. The gloves produce good friction against her skin, it seems, as this does help somewhat. "Almost, hmm? I wouldn't mind taking a shot. Were you hoping for a great big teddy bear? Or a dolphin. That is the America I read about as a girl….." She nods once, leading the way with careful strides. The deli is perhaps two blocks away but Sofia is not in a particular hurry at the moment. "It's a Jewish deli yes," she notes somewhat absently. "Excellent pastrami. I never take the time to go out to Coney Island and see the fairs, really. I wouldn't mind having someone to go with if you're looking for company."
*
"I think a dolphin," Ninette says. "Or a teddy bear, or both." She smiles faintly. "Yes, both." She tilts her head as she studies Sofia. You don't want someone to win them for you? The girls I saw looked so happy." She considers. "I've only been there once, but I would like to go again. It's just so sad to go alone, don't you think? And watch everyone else be happy together? If you'd go with me, I'd go again."
*
"Well, you could try to win a couple for me if you wanted," Sofia responds quietly. She glances over at Ninette and then offers one of those soft, sweet smiles she favours. More shivering follows but Sofia just rubs her arms and takes another one of those careful breaths. "I like the idea of winning them for someone else. To be honest, when I see other people being happy together sometimes I like to reach out and touch it. So I can remember what it was like myself. Does that sound weird?" Now brown eyes are largely trained on Ninette while she walks. The deli is just ahead. Again, Sofia opens the door for Ninette and holds it politely. "But I don't like going alone. I'd love to go with you. We can throw in a jog and pretend we're training." looking around the clean, fairly plain deli and examining the handful of able strewn about Sofia heads for the counter.
*
Ninette is quiet, thoughtfully so, as they make their way to sandwiches. Finally, she says, "That does sound nice. I've never played the games, but we could win for each other." She laughs then, a light and crystalline sound. "You'll be better than I will, so I'll have all the things." She finally takes note of the shivering, and gradually, the cold starts to lift. "I'm sorry," she murmurs, "I wasn't thinking." The cold is gone when they step inside the deli. "A nice run along Coney Island sounds perfect." True to her European roots, she greets the person behind the counter with a light hello when they step in, and she follows Sofia.
*
Sofia gives her hello and then proceeds to order. In… Polish? Then she adds to Ninette, "Max always gets a kick out of people speaking in the language he prefers. I ordered a pastrami on rye with extra mustard. Everything is good, though." What would you like?" Sofia rubs her arms again gently but the worst of the goosebumps and shivering has subsided since entering the deli."
*
"A polyglot, I'm envious," Ninette says. "I only speak French and English." She gives Max a slight nod. "Pastrami sounds interesting, I think I'll try that." All this foreign food! "How did you learn all these languages? Did you go to school?" She doesn't seem to mind that she's speaking a language that, chances are, Max doesn't understand.
*
Sofia takes the time order in Polish and thank Max politely before she is guiding Ninette over to a nearby table. To Ninette she says, "I have a perfect memory. I've learned a lot of languages, actually. Usually by listening to people speak. And perhaps a phrase book." Sofia shrugs delicately at this and moves to pull out a chair for Ninette before looking back toward the counter. "I could teach you one or two if you want to learn," she suggests then. "I did go to school. A lot of schooling. To see how much I could learn and remember… The answer seems to be 'all of it' so far. Ah, there's our sandwiches." Off Sofia goes to retrieve the food and present it to Ninette with a luminous smile gracing her full lips. "I can't freeze people but there are still fringe benefits."
*
Ninette sits as elegantly as if she were in a five-star restaurant. "A perfect memory? Oh, thank goodness I don't have one of those," she says with a quiet laugh. When the sandwiches are brought over, her eyes widen a touch. "So much food," she fusses. One of the paper napkins is unfolded and spread over her lap. Then she eyes the sandwich for the best angle to hold it. "To have a brilliant mind is so much better than to be able to make things cold. The irony is my father owned a freon factory. He made freezers."
*
"I wish I could forget some things," Sofia admits somewhat ruefully. She's smiling, however, and takes up her sandwich gently. The angle is an impossibility- her hands are just too small to hold a sandwich that size properly. So she simply has to eat with care and precision. Having politely chewed and swallowed Sofia reaches for her napkin and gently dabs her lips. "Making things cold could be interesting," Sofia muses. "I am fond of my mind, of course. It is my mind, after all.Are you… feeling p to telling me more about your father?"
*
Ninette gives the sandwich the old college try. She's in the same boat as Sofia with those small hands, but she manages to get a nibble. At this rate it'll only take her four months to finish her sandwich. "It's complicated," she admits, and she drops her gaze. Complicated and sad. "He was a kind man who owned a lucrative freon company, and he was a complete stranger. After he died, several of his papers went missing. From what little I found…" She sighs quietly. "I thought my mother died when I was small, but I found a letter from her dated only a few years ago. So even the people I should have been able to trust weren't exactly honest."
*
"I know exactly what you mean. It isn't possible to lie to me unless I allow it. But I don't think doing things like that is right without a reason." Sofia takes another bite of her sandwich and instead speaks to Ninette through the strength of their mental connection. "When I first discovered I had a power I used it at every opportunity. I was a child and I was… Unstoppable. I'm surprised I didn't make things worse than I did." Sofia shrugs faintly at that. "Did you ever find your mother?"
*
Ninette shakes her head. "No, I've shown her picture around places I thought she might have been see, but it's been so long now, I doubt anyone remembers her. If she was ever there; if it wasn't just more lies." She takes another delicate bite of her sandwich. "This is good, but there's so much of it." Then, "I heard something about a metal-armed man who might have known her, but he doesn't remember anything."
*
"Doesn't… Remember," Sofia starts slowly. Then she takes a deep breath and nods, just once. It's almost imperceptible but the acknowledgment is there, full of meaning. "We can take back what we can't eat," Sofia offers with a soft laugh, completely shifting the focus of the conversation with a word. "If I had been thinking I would have ordered one and we could have shared." She is wrapping up what is left of her sandwich now, neatly packing int in the paper it was served on. "When would you like to go to the fair?"
*
"To eat later?" Ninette purses her lips and considers the sandwich. Leftovers? Has she ever had them? Miss Silver Spoon looks dubious, but then she admits, "It is rather good." She takes another small bite, chewing and swallowing before she even thinks, "I have a weekend free coming up. They're going to be remodeling the club, so I won't be needed. Maybe then?"
*
"Yes, to eat later. It's much too good to throw out, and some things taste better after they have sat for a short while." Sofia is back to arranging things neatly in front of her. "Weekend sounds perfect. It's a date." She nods once, firmly. "I can't wait. To be honest, I love stuffed animals."
*
Ninette smiles. A genuine smile, even, one that reaches her eyes. "I'll let you know the moment they start tearing up the place so we can plan it. This is wonderful. We can have those, what do they call them, funnel cakes? That look nothing like funnels or cakes?" When the ice melts like this, she looks so much more like, well, a person. Instead of a moving statue. "We'll have so much fun."