| Details for Unexpected Support |
| Summary: | In the wake of his tournament withdrawal, Lucian gets moral support from an unexpected corner. |
| Date: | November 25, 1937 |
| Location: | Club Room |
| Related: | Integrity, Perspectives of Honour |
| Characters |
   |
The Club Room is configured for the Athletics Club at the moment, so it is filled with various sports equipment and training gear. Lucian is in a far corner, pounding mercilessly on a punching bag that eggs him on. "Is that the best you've got?" the bag taunts. "My grandmother hits harder than you!" Lucian is dressed in a green sweatshirt and shorts, and his hands are wrapped. His golden hair is damp, and his face is beaded with sweat. He's clearly been at this for a while.
And here comes Kaiden looking to do just that. He's wrapping his hands slowly with tape as he walks into the room, whistling a tune. He's settled for a pair of black and yellow sweatpants with a plain yellow t-shirt for the day. He approaches Lucian and says, "You've got to breathe more, Lucian. When you hit, I mean."
Briar quietly, not announcing that she's here to spare Lucian the distraction. To a cupboard she goes, opening it up and pulling out a basket from domestics club. The knitting basket is carried over to a chair where she sits down and find where she was in the knitting and re-starts.
"You heard him, princess!" The enchanted bag prods Lucian on. "Breathe, so I can actually feel it!"
Lucian is breathing, all right. He's huffing out weighty breaths with each blow, fueled by more than just a desire to train. He throws Kaiden a scowl, "I know how to hit, Kaiden. Hades, is everyone at this school a bloody know-it-all?"
Kaiden holds his hands up in a 'my bad, bro' gesture and says, "Just trying to help, man. Don't want to start any fights or anything." He looks over at Briar and gives her a small wave before walking over to a speed bag right next to Lucian, which he begins to whack at with the bottom of his fists.
Briar gives Kaiden a proud smile and even a wink when he looks over at her and she then looks back down at her knitting. "Well done with stepping out of the tournament by the way Lucian." With Briar's sarcastic streak it really is hard sometimes to tell if she's being genuine or sarcastic. With her eyes on her knitting it makes it even more difficult. But it did sound genuine in tone at least.
Lucian leans up against the bag for a moment, prompting comments from it about Lucian's stamina and lack thereof. "Sorry," he sighs. He gives the bag on more solid thud, apparently finally impressing the thing as it cries for its mother, then steps back for a break, bringing blissful silence as the Taunting Charm goes inert. He arches a brow over at Briar. When did she get here? "Yeah, well…the whole thing turned out to be a complete joke."
Kaiden continues to give the speedbag a good whalloping. Reflex and control training are very very important in the world of the Beater, after all. He looks over to Lucian and says, "Aye, I think it's unfair they let that Jones guy stick around after what he pulled. Unneccessarily dangerous."
Briar nods along with what Kaiden says and she looks up from her knitting. "So I know words aren't going to do much Lucian. But I am sorry for losing it and outing stuff like I did. I don't expect forgiveness. I just want to express that I'm sorry and that I'll just be over here quietly knitting if that is alright. I can go if you'd rather. I can knit anywhere."
Lucian looks between the two Hufflepuffs with mild disbelief. His own housemates (his own girlfriend) didn't support him like this. "Damn right it was. But that Auror Bates is an honourless dog. Big surprise that he lets the Gryffindor back in. I'd bet a hundred Galleons I wouldn't have gotten the same consideration if I'd pulled that." He flops into a chair and starts to unwrap the tape from his hands. "Whatever. I don't care. It was obviously all just a game, and I don't duel to play games." Briar's apology couldn't have come at a better time. He's exhausted, and his anger is squarely aimed elsewhere right now. "Don't worry about it, Briar. Can't change it now. But…thanks."
Kaiden gives the speedbag one last smack and reaches up to stop it from swinging around and rests a hand on his hip, looking over to Lucian, "Can't say I've ever met him. I'm sure Katherine might know him. Though, from his actions, I assume that he's quite an unfair fellow." He walks over to Briar's chair and leans down to give her a kiss on the cheek. He looks back to the other boy and says, "Fancy a spar, Lucian? I'm sure I could put up a better fight than that bag. Keep it friendly, of course." He chuckles softly.
Briar tilts her head into the kiss and mouths a 'thank you' to him before she looks over toward Lucian and says, "Thank you Lucian, it was a bitch move and I'm not proud of it." Looking between them she smiles. "Oo, can I throw down too?"
Part of Lucian, the part that remembers past conflicts with Kaiden, would very much like a spar. But the other part knows just how unfriendly it would probably get. "Not a great idea right now," he says darkly, rubbing his left forearm sorely.
Kaiden nods to Lucian and says, "Fair enough, then. Hope things start looking up for ya." He looks over to Briar and says, "You wanna throw down, huh?" He smiles slyly to her, popping his knuckles.
Briar sets aside the knitting and bounces up onto her feet. "Sure! Then afterwards we can all go down to the cave and tilt some of my honey drink back?" She takes the tape and moves over to Lucian, since his hands are no longer wrapped it's easier for him to wrap up her hands.
Lucian's eyes drift up to Briar when she approaches and offers her hands. Holy sudden uncomfortable moment. He's not been this physically close to Briar since…yeah. His eyes shift to Kaiden, arching an eyebrow at him before touching Briar.
Kaiden's eyes light up at Briar and he nods to her, "I shan't be taking it easy on you, my love." He walks to the middle of the room and starts to hum as he stretches out his arms. He looks over to Lucian and gives him a nod.
Briar just gives Lucian a warm smile and squirms her fingers about and then turns them up in a 'gimme gimme' sort of way before they still. To her boyfriend she pffts at. "Yeah, I'll remind you what happened the last time a Brit thought they could come easily whallop on an American buckaroo."
Having Kaiden's permission, Lucian takes Briar's hands and starts wrapping them for her spar. He pauses for a moment when his finger runs over a familiar tiny scar on her hand — some old thorn prick from gardening. But he quickly shakes it off and covers the blemish with tape. "Punch his lights out."
Kaiden chuckles at her and says, "Well, come on then, cowgirl." He raises his brows at Lucian's pausing but doesn't comment on it. Even if he doesn't quite trust Lucian, he does trust his girlfriend. He finishes his stretches and stands up straight his thumbs hanging on the waistband on his sweatpants.
Briar grins and thanks Lucian, once she's all wrapped up she gives him a little knuckle bump and then moves over into the boxing ring and hmms, "Wait, we're going to need to get an adult in here to supervise. I'm not losing my Prefectship for sparing without proper provisions…" She pouts, "We could just go to the cave instead."
Lucian keeps his silence for the moment, unsure whether to stay or go. Hanging out with his girlfriend's brother and his former grappling partner is about seven kinds of awkward. But they're better company than said girlfriend right now. So, maybe as long as just avoids touching Briar again, this won't blow up in anyone's face.
Kaiden bites his lip as Briar once again invites Lucian along to the cave, but…once again doesn't comment on it. He rests his hands on his hips and says, "Sure. Sounds good." He looks over to Lucian warily. Hell, he's not overtly possessive, but yeah, this is awkward.
Lucian stands up, stretching a bit. "You two go ahead. I shouldn't…ah…go there. I'm just gonna go for a walk." He pauses at the door before stepping out. "Hey…thanks for giving a damn."