2021-03-03 - Punch It Out

When one's (real) line of work involved beating the crap out of people on behalf of other people, one needs to make sure to stay in shape, and perfect one's technique of punching people. Thus, Vic and Seth are at their boss' gym to practice, or maybe just hit each other for fun.

Vic makes her way out of the changing room, wearing black shorts and a pair of layered blue sports bras, with her hair in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She has a towel draped over her shoulders as she walks towards the ring, taping up her hands.

Seth is already in the ring because stripping off his shirt in the middle of the gym isn't frowned upon so his routine of getting ready is much less time-consuming.

Nobody would probably complain if Vic would do it either, but it might be more distracting for the guys at the place, and Joey likely doesn't want that kind of distraction.

At the moment he is in just a pair of gym shorts and sneakers in the process of doing some shadow boxing as he waits for Vic to emerge from the ladies' locker room, casting her a glance as she emerges, "So, what are the rules here, Vic? We playing for keeps, or just giving each other a few love taps?"

Vic finishes taping and puts her MMA-style gloves, which have articulated fingers, instead of the rounded mitt of boxing gloves. She climbs nimbly into the ring and begins to stretch out a little, cracking her neck with a series of pop pop pop sounds as she grins at Seth.

"I think Kelly would be pissed if we smacked each other around so hard we were useless. So, let's not let it get too out of hand, but a few bruises just make you hotter to me." She winks and begins to move with the predatory grace of a stalking beast.

"Saw him last night," Seth says as he starts to stretch out himself, raising his hands high overhead to align his back and stretch his shoulders. "He showed up over at the Pourhouse. I was there with Ravn, and in walks Joey. Fucker started giving me shit about the time Ravn managed to tag my nose," Seth says with mock anger. "Also asked if I was married yet," he utters with a roll of his eyes. "Sometimes that guy is just an asshole."

Seth turns his head towards Joey's office, "You hear that?! You're an asshole!" You know, just in case he is in there and listening.

Vic chuckles and brushes a loose strand of hair from her eyes with her gloved hand. "He only gives you shit because he cares, Seth." The M-word has her almost stumbling in her otherwise cat-like graceful steps. "Oh he was trying to needle you with that. He is getting married you know. He and Nicole are going to tie the knot."

She begins circling the ring, watching him like a hawk, looking for an opening to begin the conflict.

"Oh, I know," agrees Seth as he starts to circle himself, "We grew up together. I've known him since we were kids. It's how I can get away with calling him a motherfucker to his face without getting punched. I knew about the marriage, last I heard he was going to have Alexander perform it. He wanted it done like that same night when he asked Alexander, but someone convinced him otherwise. I have no idea if he has actually set a date or not yet. I think things with Reyes overtook anything else."

And it is right after the uttering of the word 'Reyes' that he strikes, lashing out with a quick right-handed jab.

Vic is indeed taken by surprise when Seth's jab strikes out, but she's fast enough to turn and make it a glancing blow on her shoulder. "Nice," she quips at him, grinning ferally as the dance has truly begun now. "And yeah, I think someone convinced him waiting for our little problems to be dealt with was a better idea for his wedding. I'm guessing we'll be invited, if only to make sure nothing bad happens during it."

She sends out a jab of her own, testing his speed. She doesn't even come close to hitting him. Give her a gun and she'll school her boyfriend. But in the ring? He has a size and weight advantage. She's built for speed, he's built for power.

"Well at least this way he might get people to show up that aren't all drunk off their asses from the Thanksgiving party. We may still be drunk, but we won't be high and bloated on magic weed or waffletacos," says Seth as he circles Vic, ducking and weaving under her jab as he launches his own left into an uppercut to her side which connects with a solid thud.

Vic grunts as the blow lands, but she stands her ground. That one will definitely bruise, and it seems to ignite something in her. There is always that beast lurking beneath the surface. It is very similar to the one people often sense in Ruiz. It is a creature that was born and twisted in the constant state of paranoia, seething rage, and hatred of working undercover inside one of the most horrifying and bloody cartels in the world, Sinaloa.

Or maybe it was the invocation of the mighty waffletaco. Either way, Vic moves with the speed of a leopard, steps into Seth's space, feints, then hits him with a shot to the face that has the full weight of her body channeled through her fist.

And that blow lands just right on the chin with a crack, knocking the jaw back and extinguishing the light from Seth's eyes. One moment, Seth is enjoying the banter and the playful sparing that the pair had going on, the next he is collapsing like a sack of potatoes to the floor of the mat with a thud, out cold.

Lights off. Nobody home. Come back later.

"Oh SHIT!" Vic exclaims, dropping to her knees on the mat and tugging off her gloves so she can make sure she didn't kill her boyfriend. She is relieved that he's breathing, and she sets her gloves under his feet to elevate his legs. Then she gently pats his cheek.

"Baby wake up. Seth, honey? Sweetie? Love of my life? BOYFRIEND!" she shouts the last, trying to wake his ass up.

It takes a minute, but signs of life start to emerge from the unconscious enforcer. First comes the groan as Seth brings his gloved hand up to rub at his jaw, and to check and see if it got broken. The next is the fluttering of his eyes as they finally open, squinting to keep the bright lights from causing any more pain in his already throbbing head. Lastly, he speaks, "Love of your life, huh?" Seth teases, "If this is how you treat the love of your life, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies...oh wait, I have. This is infinitely better."

Vic lets out a relieved breath. "You just had to go and invoke the waffletaco, didn't you? No good comes of the waffletaco!" she mutters, then leans down to kiss his jaw lightly in apology, and witnesses be damned. "Forgive me?" she pleads. "I think you're cursed in this ring. First Ravn, then me? It's like Kelly's is trying to ruin your rep as a tough guy."

Seth chuckles, obviously not holding the knockout against her. "Forgive you, for what? No need to apologize hun. I led myself open, you took advantage of it. It's what you are supposed to do, but if you need to hear that you are forgiven, of course, you are."

Seth moves to sit up, still a bit woozy as he braces himself with his arms to keep from falling back down prone, "That was beautiful by the way. At least, as far as I can tell. I don't even know what happened, so it must have been...but yeah, I think this ring hates me. People are going to start saying I have a glass jaw."

Vic barks out a short laugh and helps him sit up, making sure he does it slowly. "Not too fast. You were unconscious, you might have a concussion." She hopes he doesn't, and she likely just hit the universal OFF switch with her fist. "I think it was just a lucky shot, really. You're a lot better with the punching than I am. I'm just a better shot than you," she teases with a grin, bare hands moving over his face to make sure nothing looks broken or out of joint.

Seth looks fine and nothing looks broken, but will likely have one sore jaw for the next few days. With Vic's help, he moves into a sitting position and stays there without trying to get up any further, "First you, then Ravn, even Alexander...lucky shots all around it seems." says Seth with a chuckle, reaching up to rub at his jaw. "Either that or I am just getting really rusty and need to get in here more. Or I need to stop talking about waffletacos. They have cursed me for their invention and subsequent abandonment. I think they are holding a grudge."

"One hell of a grudge. I think I'm still working off the love handles they gave me," Vic quips with a grin. "Could be you just have an off switch. We need to work on your guard for it. Kelly can definitely coach you on that. Or maybe you need glasses and just didn't see it coming," she teases, before leaning to kiss his forehead. "Seriously though, sorry for knocking you out. I wish I could say I meant to do it, because that would have been a hell of a punch, but I was aiming for your shoulder."

Ok, now that causes Seth to laugh. "My shoulder? And you flattened me out like a tortilla? Ok, I seriously need some work then," he says with a shake of his head. "As for you love handles, I'll help you work those off. Don't worry," he teases back.

"I'll talk to Joey about my guard, see if he sees anything that I am missing. Maybe you are right and I am just leaving myself open in a spot I don't know about."

"Or, well, this is Gray Harbor. It could just be the Veil fucking with you by letting people knock you out in public forums, when it doesn't really matter. Maybe it gave the waffletacos sentience and they are ruling on high from the other dimension, making you suffer for giving up on them," Vic posits with a wink. "Think you can stand?"

She gets up to help him off the mat, watching for any concussion symptoms carefully.

Seth moves slowly, first starting off by getting to his knees, and then up to his feet. He is a bit wobbly at first but backs himself over into one of the corners to lean as his senses continue to come back to him fully. "Maybe," he agrees with a nod, "At least that is what I am going to tell myself so my ego doesn't get to bruised."

"I'm sure I can soothe your wounded ego back home," Vic quips with a wry smile. She keeps a hand out to steady him for a moment, before she goes back to retrieve her gloves. She doesn't put them back on though, clearly this spar is Over with a capital O. "We need a hot tub in your yard," she notes, because recovering in a hot tub sounds amazing.

"Oh my god yes," agrees Seth. "I wondered if I ordered one now if they could have it installed and hot by the time we got home?" he jokes with a chuckle, "I'd pay extra!"

Seth remains in the corner for a minute before he takes a deep breath and rises up fully to test his own cognizance and motor skills, walking towards the ropes to try and slip out under them. He manages without falling out of the ring, and wanders over to sit on the bench by his water bottle, picking it up to take a drink. "Clothing optional of course."

"I think clothing is always optional in Chez Monaghan," Vic retorts. She lets him get out of the ring by himself, but comes over to hand him a towel and rub his shoulders for him. "How's the noggin, champ? And your vision?" Questions they have likely asked or been asked a million times in their lives after a scuffle.

"Well, yes," agrees Seth with a nod about the clothes, "But even more so in the hot tub."

Leaning back into the shoulder rub, Seth lets out a little groan of pleasure, "That depends. If I say fine are you going to stop with the rundown? Because if so I am way fucked up." He turns his head to look behind him with a grin.

"Nah, I figure after coldcocking you that hard you deserve the rubdown. But seriously, checking for concussion symptoms. We can't screw around with that," Vic notes. "Drink some water, just sips."

Seth takes another sip of his water, and nods slowly, "Yeah I know, babe. I'm fine, really. I don't think I have a concussion. If it would make you feel better, though, I am willing to head over to the ER with you so you can have me checked out. I don't want you to worry."

"God, look at me, fussing over you. What is happening to me!?" Vic whines, before kissing his temple. "But no, I think you're ok. We'll just keep an eye on you the rest of the day, which I think we may need to spend on the couch with popcorn and Netflix."

"Netflix and chill, doctor's orders. Yes ma'am," Seth retorts with a grin. "I'll even let you pick the movie, not that our tastes in movies are all that dissimilar." The enforcer grins, leaning back a bit into Vic's hands as she rubs his shoulders. "As for what is happening to you, you said it yourself. I'm the love of your life," Seth beams, "No, I am not going to let you live that down. Knowing Kelly, he has a camera with audio in here somewhere so he has a record of it. I'm going to have to get copies made..."

"Do you want me to choke you out after knocking you out? Because you're really asking for it right now, bub," Vic warns, jokingly, before slapping him on the back. "Go get dressed, I'm gonna change then I'll drive us home, just in case I rattled that noggin of yours a little to hard."

Seth laughs softly, leaning back forward and moving to stand, "Ok, ok. I'll relent. For now. You win, Grey. I'll be back in a sec."

Seth stands and makes his way to the locker room, emerging shortly after with his shirt on and his gym bag slung over his shoulder. He tosses his keys in Vic's direction, "Home, Jeeves," he jokes as he takes another sip of water.

"You'll be properly rewarded for your compliance in this matter," Vic quips at him, when she returns with her sweats on. She catches the keys easily and loops an arm around his waist as they head out. "Come on, Glass Jaw, let me make it up to you."