milliways_bar | (no subject)

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William loves the Milliways' stables as they're big, most of the horses are friendly and he can always finds some space to himself. Their barn at home does what it needs to and he has a spot for hiding stuff in it, but his responsibilities are more there.

Today he's taken care of a few chores around the barn and has been introducing himself to a beautiful mare that recently arrived. Horus is exploring and William's not too concerned about him as the forge cats keeps an eye on him when they're here.

Once he's done checking on all the horses, he plans on sitting on the back porch of the Bar with a book and enjoying it feeling like Spring.

(OOC: Catch him in the stables or on the porch.)

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"Well. I imagine even horses have to get accustomed to Milliways."

Mary regards her fist. It feels awkward. Her thumb isn't where she would place it.

"And you just do like....so?"

She extends her arm and lightly taps him on the shoulder with her fist.

"You have to get more behind it, one moment," There's a cot in the stable room and he grabs the pillow of of it then hangs it on a hook.

Once its set up, he gives it a good punch, "Like that, with your body behind it."

Mary eyes up the pillow and tries not to feel foolish about the fact that she's about to do battle with a bag full of feathers.

But she gamely balls up her fist again and strikes out.

She overbalances a bit, because there's nothing really to stop her momentum. The pillow spins wildly.

Mary staggers back to something resembling balance.

"Like that?"

He reaches out to catch her so she doesn't fall,

"Careful, there, sort of. Here, I'll hold it instead, it works better when you can feel that you're hittin' somethin'."

Once she's set, he takes the pillow, braces himself and holds it towards her.

"Very well."

Mary squares up to the pillow again, balls up her fist, and punches.

It's actually a fairly powerful punch, at least coming from her. Unfortunately the pillow is braced a bit too well, or possibly she catches one of William's hands, because rather than appreciating her own handiwork, Mary is left jumping around in a circle saying,

"Ow! Ow, ow, OW!"

She shakes out her jarred hand.

"How is this possibly effective?"

She does hit his fingers and he winces before shaking out his hand, which is now a little numb,

"Cause it hurts them worse. If you're wearin' boots, kickin' will do a lot of good too."

"I don't wear boots."

Mary rubs her hand, wincing.

"Well, I suppose if it hurts them worse, that's some comfort. Although that means that I've now hurt you."

"Not that bad, no scrapes or anythin'. The hope is that screamin' works and gives you a chance to get away and find someone better at fightin'. Here if you yell, yell Security and they'll come help. If I hear you, I'll help. Come on, let's go inside and get some ice for your hand, it hurts the first few times you do it."

"Does that mean it stops hurting with practice, or one becomes accustomed to pain?"

Mary follows him.

"Perhaps it would be better to hit them with something...."

Her mind is already thinking of options.

"That works too. I think its a bit of both at least it is for me,"

The thought that he's used to pain is new as fighting's one of those things he just does.

Ordinarily, Mary will try to practice a new skill until she's worn out the patience of everyone around her. She's not so sure she'll be able to do so with this.

"Well. Say that you have to hit someone. Is there a proper place to hit? In the face?"

He sets the pillow down before he forgets it and grabs his jacket as he considers,

"Chest is usually best as hitting on the face can work but also gets bloody sooner."

Mary considers.

"Your blood, or the other person's blood?"

Beware, William. She's started thinking in terms of practical details.

"And how does hitting someone in the chest affect them? Does it do damage to the heart?"

"Sometimes both, depends where you hit. Noses bleed fast as do mouths if you get someone's lip goin'. No, but it hurts, so does punchin' round here cause that's where organs and stuff are,"

He gestures to the side of his body, he doesn't know the names of what's under there only it hurts a lot.

Mary makes a face.

"That's disgusting."

Mutual bloodletting?

She looks at where he's pointing.

"The soft parts?" she nods. "I suppose that's what they refer to as the underbelly on an animal."

"It's fightin', it ain't nice. Yeah, cause it hurts more there and if you're ever in bad trouble and a man hurts you, kick him or knee him well there. It'll work,"

He honestly feels like there should be some phrasing he can use and he refuses to gesture as that will only be embarrassing for both of them. Hopefully she knows what he means.

Mary frowns.

"In the stomach?"

"Um, no, lower,"

There's a pleading look in his eyes, she's clever, she should figure this out. He doesn't have a single good way to say what he means in anything close to respectable language.

Mary looks impatient.

"What's low........ooooooh!"

She feigns spotting something very interesting over by the woods, deliberately not looking at William. Whether it's out of embarrassment, or because if she looks at him she might laugh....even she can't properly say.

"Yes. Quite. No doubt that's very effective."

Not REMOTELY ladylike. But effective.

At her ooh, he turns red and releases a breath he was holding, "Yeah, quite."

"I shall....certainly remember that in the event that I'm attacked, Mr. Evans."

"Well. I think this has been a most instructive first lesson."

"Oh good, I'm glad it has,"

Its certainly be unexpected but if its useful that's for the best.

"Indeed."

Well, she has learned many things that she didn't know before.

"Would you care to join me for tea?"

Restore a bit of civilization to the proceedings.

"Yes, that'd be very nice. Have you been readin' anythin' interesting lately?"

There, that's a nice proper course for the conversation to go.

"I've been reading some of my father's volumes on natural history. Or attempting to."

It's rather dry reading.

"We have a temporary neighbor who studies it. He pokes about looking for interesting animals and plants."