Old Warehouse
Several fluorescent lights are held suspended from a high ceiling. They give little illumination to this dank, musty warehouse, leaving many portions hidden in shadow. The floor is covered in freshly laid wooden planks, far too new and shiny looking to be in a rundown warehouse. Various exercising mats have been placed strategically upon the floor. The walls have been decorated with many different types of weapons, most mounted and on proper display.
A few large windows, placed high on the walls, have been recently replaced so they can serve as the primary source of light. A set of iron stairs at the far end of the warehouse leads up to a rickety looking catwalk which surrounds the second floor. Three doors are visible on this level. Also at the far east corner of the room is a ladder leading down to the basement.
A large space within the main warehouse area has been turned into a separate room. This room remains locked at all times.
It's about mid-afternoon when Skylar pulls his car up in front of a large, old warehouse. At first, he double checked the address he had gotten from his Super Secret Source, and the map and directions he had gotten online using said address. But then, he had remembered something Quinn had told him - rather, several things Quinn had told him, and so he just smiles. Getting out of the car, and pulling out a duffle bag after him, he locks the car with a beep from his keychain, and heads to the door, knocking on it. And then he waits.
—
It may take some time for the door to be answered. Several knocks may be required. It isn't that he's being ignored, or that the occupant of the building is ignoring him. From outside he may be able to hear the sheer volume of the music coming from within the abandoned looking warehouse. It's loud and carries a good beat; excellent to move to. The genre may or may not be familiar to the smith but currently a certain someone is using the Resident Evil soundtrack to motivate herself.
A few grunts and groans go by before the door is even noticed. The music level remains exactly where it is when Quinn walks to the door. She's wearing a pair of black spandex shorts just under a pair of blue track shorts. The black shorts to help with compression. Her wounded thigh is bandaged up. A black sports bra is all that covers her torso and her hair is pulled back.
The door flings open as she's rather upset about her practice being interrupted. It better not be another wrong delivery address. If Skylar's patient enough to stick around for that long, she'll just stare at him. /Glare/.
—
Patience is definately something that Skylar typically has in droves, so he is still there for Quinn to glare at. Speaking up just a bit, enough to be heard over the music anyways, Sky says with a smile, "A deals a deal," he says, holding out the duffle bag to her - which at a quick peak inside, should she do so, appears to be full of clothing. "Normally I would have called, but it would have ruined my entrance. I'm sorry if I interupted something, but… I can always help, if you're in the middle of practice." As Sky says this, he gestures down - and, indeed, he's wearing clothes not unlike what he wore the time they sparred together. "Or come back later," he adds. He's not about to intrude if he's absolutely not wanted. As for the glaring? Doesn't seem to put him off. At all. Probably used to it from her.
—
It is likely a good thing that he's not so easily put off by the glaring because it continues for quite some time. "What the hell?" Finally she speaks, and not in an overly nice way. The duffle bag is nearly allowed to drop to the ground but the recent streak of 'nice' she's been experiencing causes her to take it in hand. It isn't opened at first; she has a good idea of what it is, even if she can hope for something else. The next response may be difficult to read, depending on how well he actually knows her. Without a word she turns immediately and walks inside, leaving the door open.
The first stop is the music, but only for his benefit. Quinn prefers to have it drown out useless conversation. Despite all of the irritation she's showing to him, the bag is placed down gently. "Hand to hand this time, or with weapons? I warn that most of mine are not of the sparring variety." This is, assuming, that he follows her inside.
Sadly enough she has yet to actually look inside the bag, even though she keeps looking down at it. Oh, yes; she's still glaring.
—
"Don't blame me, this was your idea. You cold have set some other term for the 'bet', and I would have been more then happy to wait until you chose to invite me here," Sky points out with a small smile. And he does indeed walk in - if she had wanted him to leave her alone, she would have closed the door. She may not have the best social skills, but as far as Sky can see, she isn't lazy.
"I actually thought that might be the case. I have some sparring weapons in the trunk of my car if you want me to break those out. I'm likely not to be much of a challenge at all when it comes down to the hand to hand," Sky says in response to the sparring options. "Besides, I'd prefer some more oppurtunities to study your weapon styles, for my designs."
Sky pauses, approaching Quinn, looking her over briefly, consideringly. "How's the leg?" he asks, before pausing and then speaking again. "Actually, why don't you show me. Because I want to know where I shouldn't strike, and you're the type to shrug a lost limb off as a flesh wound."
—
"Clearly, Smallville, I didn't expect /you/ to cheat." He has to have cheated to have gotten to know where she lives without even that much of a clue. "Maybe I was wrong about you." This prompts her to look at him even though it's not for long. "But I doubt it." Cocky, perhaps, but it isn't as if he doesn't know a thing or two about her as well.
Skipping past the conversation about weapons for a moment, she rolls her eyes. "A lost limb /is/ only a flesh wound. Or, at least, I could make it seem like it." There are advantages to being an illusionist. All the same, Quinn points down to her thigh which is currently wrapped. If he wants a closer look at the actual wound he'll have to actually make that move.
"Oh, sure, take me on again after I've been working hard. You must be scared or something." This is said with a grin as she tries to pull the topic away from her injury. "Did you /honestly/ pick out a dress for me? You realize it likely won't fit." Men aren't good at that sort of thing, right?
—
"You never said I couldn't have help," Skylar point out, still smiling at Quinn - even as he -does- crouch down to get a better look at the injury. "If you had, then it would have been cheating, in which case I would just have tried harder. But with the event fast approaching, I wanted to have you try on the dresses now." Yes, dresses. As in multiple.
"Terrified," Sky confirms, grinning up at Quinn. "And yes, I did. I told you - I have alot of them laying around. And my… the girl who made them was about your size. So I have some of hers, and some other ones she made, just to be sure. Hopefully one of them fits - if not, I may be able to get someone to help resize one."
—
"Cheap." Her head shakes at him disapprovingly, yet she hasn't yelled at him. This must be a good thing. "That's going to cost you, I think." When he gets closer to her leg, Quinn finds herself backing away slightly. People don't get close to her. It's really difficult to tell anything about it through the dressing other than the fact that it hasn't completely sealed properly. That happens when someone has their own stake used against them and then refuses to seek proper treatment - or to actually stop using her leg so much.
The plural doesn't go unnoticed, causing her to glare down at the bag. /Glare/. "I'm not other women." All the same, the bag is finally unzipped so she can pull out the first dress. "You should have kept these for your girlfriend. They'll look better on her." Quinn's nose wrinkles as she looks at the item that is now held out before her as she pictures herself wearing it. "And they likely won't get damaged that way."
—
When she pulls away, Skylar stands up. He didn't reach out to touch her, but he clearly doesn't want to make Quinn too uncomfortable. "Bring it," is all he says, with a small smile, at the mention of 'cost'. At her other words, he smiles a bit more, shaking his head briefly. "No, you're certainly not other women, Quinn, that is for sure." Then, however, the smile drops away for a moment, at the mention of girlfriend. He glances down away from Quinn, down at the bag, and lets out a sigh. Forcing a small smile on his face, Sky replies, "No girlfriend. And I trust you to treat the outfit you pick out with as much care as possible."
After that, he turns away, heading to the door. "I'll be back with the sparring weapons. Feel free to try some of those on now if you like. Give you a chance to rest up - I wouldn't want you to feel taken advantage of after just having been working out." And with that… challenge? Sky heads out the door, back to his car.
—
He may not be able to see it, but she's smirking. "Oh, I plan to" The wind dies from her sails when she notices his reaction to her response. "Relax, Smallville. I didn't mean it. And there's far more to life than relationships." His past is completely unknown and she honestly can't read him like she can read Ivan. "And, fine. I won't intentionally let it catch on fire, or something." If she gets much nicer she's going to hate herself in the morning. If he catches her expression, though, he might actually see concern. For a moment.
Upsetting people is what Quinn does best so she doesn't linger in his reaction, or the way that he walks away. "You can /try/ to take advantage of me all you'd like." He should know that she won't go down so easily. At the mention of trying on a dress or two, the witch turns her back to the door and begins to undress. He's not looking, and she honestly isn't all that bashful. If he returns, he'll do so just as she pulls the dress to cover the last bit of exposed skin.
—
Skylar didn't respond to anything further about relationships or girlfriends before he headed out, and he seems to have put it from his mind when he re-enters - or that just could be the sexy bare shoulders he gets a good peak at as enters with a second duffle bag. "Ah, no, I wouldn't… ah. You look good," he says, briefly, clearing his throat and averting his eyes as he sets down the duffle bag carefully. This one obviously doesn't have clothes in it.
—
It doesn't even dawn on her that he's seen something that he shouldn't. All that matters to Quinn at the moment is that she figures out the lacing on the blasted dress. This holds her attention for quite some time before she looks up at him. There's just a moment where she looks normal, not angry, but it passes just as quickly. "This has to be the most complicated, senseless article of clothing that anyone's ever dreamed up." Just wait until she sees the others. "I don't understand the logic behind wearing something such as this." The frustration within her is evident but at least she hasn't started cursing like a sailor yet.
—
"Don't ask me. I guess there's something freeing about it? Mind you, I've worn a kilt a couple of times. It's not so bad, but then again, they're not as complicated." Sky is still not looking at Quinn, possibly because he half expects her to strip off the dress in anger right in front of him. So, instead, he reaches into the duffle bag for a large package looking bundle, wrapped in cloth. "Here - it's not a one piece, but I remember Jill saying that this was the only dress she was willing to fight in, if she had to fight in a dress." Sky seems distracted, and apparently unaware that he actually put a name to someone from his past. Instead, he hands the bundle over to Quinn, then moves to the weapons duffle bag, doing his best to keep his back to Quinn as he riffles through it.
—
Pffft. That's exactly the sound that comes from the angry woman. "I want to see you in a dress, then. I'll take this off and see how it looks on you." Despite her threats, the dress very much stays on. There seems to be something a little off about full frontal nudity, plus he's already distracted by something. There's more to it, there really is, but Quinn's continued protests fade when she's handed something. Not only is she now holding a different, much heavier dress, she also has a name that seems to be important to him.
Just because Quinn goes out of her way to avoid any type of relationship, friendship included, doesn't mean that she can't read people. There's something very off about this. "Are you sure about this?" Yes, she's actually asking him. Politely. With a little bit of concern. It really isn't something for anyone to get used to. "I'm not going to put it on if you don't want me to." If she gets compared to Jill, she's liable to punch him.
—
"That wasn't part of the deal," Skylar points out, in regards to him wearing a dress. Still, he smiles, as he pulls out the the practice daggers that Quinn used the last time they sparred. Setting those to the side, he pulls out a weighted wooden practice sword. And two water bottles, as usual.
Standing up, he glances out of the corner of his eye to make sure Quinn didn't start stripping. When he's able to confirm that there's not any full frontal going on, he turns to face her - the smile on his face is small, but genuine. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it," he points out. "Now, are you gonna spend the whole day stalling so you won't have to face me, or are you going to go try it on?" Perhaps he enjoys pushing Quinn's buttons. Or perhaps he knows the best way to get her focused on something other then the tension of the moment is to challenge her. Or hoping that's the case, at least.
—
As if this is going to stop her. "Neither was enlisting help to find me. You changed the rules so now it's my turn." The way that she says this may make it seem like she's serious. She could actually be serious. It's almost humorous to her how he seems to be avoiding her. This causes Quinn to look down over her form before shaking her head. "Men. Smallville, I thought you might be different." Apparently reactions can be had just by showing a bit of cleavage. It would be fascinating of the dress wasn't so annoying.
The way he calls her out, though, does push the intended buttons. Her eyes narrow as she considers him before huffing. "Whatever. Jerk." With this said, she actually pushes past Skylar, making a point to bump into him rather harshly in the process. At least she didn't flat out hit him. Instead of stripping down in front of him, however, she disappears to the second floor and into what can only be presumed to be her bedroom. Ironically, she doesn't close the door but at the very least she doesn't stand in the doorway to change.
If he pays attention at all to what follows, there will be a lot of cursing, huffing and puffing. And something about where she should stick such a complicated thing.
—
"Tell you what. If you win the spar, I'll wear a kilt. If I win… well, I'll figure out my prize later," Sky says, calling after Quinn. Once he's gotten over being shoved around by the tempest that is Quinn. When she's gone, Skylar briefly watches her dissapear, then pointedly stops looking at the doorway when he notices she left it open. Instead, he glances about the room, trying to check out the area in which they'll be sparring, and perhaps learn a bit more about this woman in the process. All the while, he listens to that same woman, and smiles slightly to himself.
—
She should have turned the music up, but life's too short to focus on what she could do. If Skylar's trying to learn anything about this woman based on what he finds, he can learn a lot and not a lot at the same time. She's incredibly neat and organized, and actually can incorporate her passion into her design scheme. He'll find nothing about her personal life, at all. She has no pets. Quinn also prefers the color purple.
"This is worth so much more than a kilt!" The words are shouted down from her room right before there's a *thud* from where the woman falls over. Eventually she steps free of her room, though, the outfit surprisingly having been put on correctly. Even if it did take a bit of effort. When Quinn finally returns to the ground level she looks as if she's just lost a horrific battle. During the process she even somehow pulled the tie from her hair. "So much more than a kilt, Smallville."
—
In his own defense, Sky wasn't snooping. He wasn't trying to learn of Quinn's past, or other things she isn't ready to share. Rather, it's the weapons on the wall, and the placement of things that helps tell him something about the woman and her personality - important things that will help him forge good weapons for her.
Meanwhile, the first time she shouts at Skylar, he just smiles, not responding. He does look up when he hears the thump - opening his mouth briefly, then shutting it. If she needed help, she would have… well, no she wouldn't. But he's fairly certain she's alright. However, the mouth opens again when Quinn walks out - and this time, it's Quinn who gets stared at for a long time. Sky is silent for a moment, he eyes never leaving Quinn as she makes her way down. Finally, he finds his tongue, and simply says, "Yes. It is."
—
It isn't nearly as much fun if he doesn't play back. She can be mean all day long but he's one of the few willing to put her in her place. If it stops she might just kick him out, depending on how she feels. So his silence, mixed with the little words he speaks just causes Quinn to look at him. "That's all you've got?" The Niveus shakes her head as she once more brushes past him, this time only slightly lighter than the last. It's intended to tease, nothing more.
Her weapons are mostly blades but he'll notice a lot of silver weapons and possibly her stakes, if he looks closely. "So do you still want to do this?" The smug expression of the witch shows that she feels that she has an upper hand this time. "Or is the fear of wearing a dress too much for you?"
—
"I prefer to let my actions speak for me. Something you could learn," Skylar says - once he has his words back anyways. He grins, though. With him, if he does give something back to Quinn, it's never in earnest - and usually just to push her buttons. Or deflect her from something else.
Moving back to where the practice weapons are, he tosses the two sparring knives at her, confident she'll catch them, and then picks up the sword. "Like I said earlier - I'm terrified," he tells her, complete with smile, holding the sword at the ready and sliding easily into a base position. "Just let me know when you stop being afraid."
—
Buttons are so easily pressed at times. The immediate response is to point a finger at him, as if to give him what for. "You have /no/ idea what I can teach you, Smallville." It may seem a bit forward, but she intends it as only the truth. The witch honestly could teach him a thing or two. The insults fall short when she looks at her hand, and then the sleeves of the dress that she's wearing. It just feels odd to see what she's seeing. If anyone sees her like this she'll likely smite them on the spot.
Eventually her hand drops back to her side and she gets past the unusual feeling of the new garment. "You will be. I have a bone or two to pick with you about this." The weapons are indeed caught. If she wanted to be a real wench she'd just throw them at him to see if he can dodge them. "If I lose, you know I'm going to blame the dress." With this said, Quinn moves into position and readies herself for the mock fight.
—
Skylar doesn't respond verbally anymore at this point. He just smiles - and, the second that Quinn moves into position? He attacks. This version of Skylar is almost the opposite of the one Quinn fought in his basement. Then, he was using the staff's strengths of defense and long reach. With the longsword, he still has reach, but and defense, but it is best used in fast offensive strikes - and that is how he uses it, giving her little oppurtunity to sneak in under his guard. Either something has him riled, or he is just that good with a sword. Perhaps a bit of both. Either way, however, Skylar is careful to pull any strikes that actually land, since the weighted wood will still hurt, and he goes nowhere near Quinn's wounded leg.
—
The problem with Skylar is that he's weak. He's allowed his softness to keep him from exploiting a weakness, and that's not something that she's willing to do. Unlike the first time they met, Quinn is quite content to use her smaller blades to a more defensive beat. Also unlike the last time that they faced off, she's not just using the blades. The witch is also mixing in more of her martial training. Here and there she uses a leg to try and throw him off, specifically the one that he's so keen on not touching. If he's lucky, she'll trip him up. If she's lucky, she might actually kick him once or twice. Perhaps it was all the teasing that led up to this moment, or maybe she's just frustrated with how nice she's been. Either way, Quinn's slightly more serious.
—
Well, they'll have to debate weakness at some other point. For now, Quinn does get in a kick, once, because of Sky trying to go easy on that leg. The second time, it's met with a swift parry - he's obviously a fighter who learns very quickly from mistakes, and changes things up just as quickly. He adapts to her manuevers fairly quickly, though it is equally clear that he's less used to fighting a more unarmed fighter. But with the fact that he is also using the weapon he is most familiar and versitile with - it leaves them at something of an inpass, and the fighting continues, with noone maintaining the upper hand for very long.
—
The landed kick is enough to allow her to laugh. There are no further taunts, no name calling as the fight progresses. Just as with the last time, she's grinning from ear to ear. The way the dress is cut allows for her to move without fear of actually stepping on the hem. That would end the fight far quicker than she would appreciate, and she really wants to get him into a dress. Quinn continues to adapt as well, using more of her martial skills and less of the brute force she's learned in order to attempt to keep him guessing. Thankfully for both of them he adapts just as well, and keeps things interesting. At this point she might almost accept a loss, again, just for the intensity of the fight.
—
For his own part, Skylar is smiling as well. He honestly enjoys the release a good fight brings, the removal of all thought except for that of the moment - the movements of the opponent, the give and take. And the spar continues for a long time until it's hard to tell just how long they've been at it. They're that evenly matched. And then, just as suddenly - much like with how their first match ended, Skylar changes the tempo. This time, it's harder, for the tempo was much more complex, ever changing - but it was there nonetheless. And Quinn will find that her next big strike, which should have easily been parried, isn't. Instead, Skylar leaves himself wide open, all for one last strike of his own under Quinn's guard as she extends herself. It's a gambit move, a sacrifical play that usually only happens when the instigator is willing to sacrifice himself for the win - one that will likely end in both opponents flat on their back, at the very least.
—
Warming up prior to this fight certainly was a good thing she'll realize, once she sits back and contemplates it all. If she actually allows herself to. Despite the length of their current session it doesn't appear that she's ready to tire, not any time soon. Perhaps it's simply because she's so caught up in the moment. Changing the tempo Quinn is prepared for, as this is something that he's pulled on her before. The only thing about Quinn is that she's not like him, or at least not like the version of Skylar that she anticipates. The witch is willing to put herself out on a limb for a good chance to take down her attacker, even if said person is planning on that very thing from her. She won't back down, not that easily. So the attack presses in hopes of seeing the man in a dress.
—
And so the two strikes happen, simulataneously - there's the exhale of air, almost in unison, as both the fighters wind up on the mat, almost side by side.
Sky, for his part, is holding his side - partly winded, partly really bruised, both from the early kick as well as the latest blow. So, for a moment, he just lays there, looking up at the ceiling, before turning his head slightly to look over at Quinn. "We never decided what would happen if it was a draw," he points out, with a light groan. Still, through it all, the grin has never left his face - if anything, it has grown since he landed on his ass.
—
"Oooff!" As soon as the duel strike connects she goes down, similar to her opponent. This time when she goes down she's careful not to land on that injury of hers. The contact with the matt has her looking to the side, away from him, her eyes closed and her breathing heavy. It isn't until he speaks that she even remotely moves, and when she does so it's only to look at the ceiling. As odd of a sight as it is, Quinn's smiling. Unprompted and without concern about what anyone has to say. "I say that we both get what we want. That only sounds fair." Ever slowly the witch turns her head to view him, content to remain right where she is on the matt. "I really think you'd look good in that outfit."
—
"I never even figured out what it was I want - or you, for that matter. If you're talking about a dress, forget about it." Still, Skylar keeps smiling - more so when he notices the smile on Quinn's face. He too doesn't move, just laying on the mat, looking at her and holding his side for the moment while he catches his breath. "Actually, I just figured out what I want - so how about this. I'll wear a kilt at some point, and you dance with me at the Ren Fair." Cause he figures thats something he would HAVE to trick her into to get her to agree to it.
—
It doesn't take long for her to shoot him a look, one that almost screams evil. "Oh no. No, no. You agreed with me, even. I said I wanted to see you in a dress." That is something that she's going to push. Oh, sure, a kilt will do but she wants to see how much she can make him squirm. Eventually Quinn pulls herself off of the mat just enough to prop herself up on her elbows. "Are you really so hu…. Oh hell no." That about sums that up, it seems. "I'm not doing anything where others can see me. Furthermore, if I get that close to you I /will/ step on your feet. Hard. Frequently and with ill intent." That should show just how much she loves the thought of dancing.
—
Skylar seems about to argue… but then he doesn't. He suddenly realizes the best way he can counteract Quinn's protests. He says absolutely nothing, just stares at her with a small smile, staring her down. Giving her a nice, male version of her own medicine. Just less mouthy.
—
This makes her shut up, instantly. At least at first. To think she was actually concerned that he might actually be injured. Again she shifts, pulling herself to sit on her knees and stare back at him. The glare is just like his, just like it always is. "No." It's as if her word is law, and to go against the law of Quinn means instant death. "You've got to give me something more than a kilt if you want that." It really isn't all that comfortable being on the receiving end of her behavior but she'll get used to it.
—
Finally, Skylar sits up, though he maintains the staring down while he does so - as well, he's doing his best to hide the wince sitting up causes him, and chuckles to hide the slight hiss of breath. "Something more?" he asks. "Like what? And forget the dress, that isn't happening."
—
As if he has any reason to be the one glaring at her. Even with his attempts to hide things, Quinn still has noticed that he's been injured. "Seriously though, are you hur" Again she's cut off as she just shakes her head. The witch looks away from him then, crossing her arms before her. "/Fine/. Be that way. Sometimes, Smallville, you have no sense of adventure." This doesn't keep her from thinking about what else she would like in exchange for his little request. It has to be something good.
—
"Yes, I can see your point, I'm entirely too boring," Skylar says, dryly, yet still grinning. At her question, he shakes his head. "I'm used to wearing armor, that's all," he says. He pauses, then adds, with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, "Besides, it's just a flesh wound."
—
He won't find any arguments there. "Yes, yes you are." Clearly, having no life and chasing after creatures of the night is far more exciting than what he does for a living. Any part of Quinn that might have felt bad about injuring him is suddenly gone. Also suddenly is more movements as she attempts to smack him on his bicep. It's nothing hard by any means, meant more to just be playful. "I'll show you a flesh wound if you keep it up." These words are typical of Quinn, even if her tone is lighter than it normally is.
—
Skylar just chuckles as Quinn smacks muscle. "Bring it on, Quinn. Just… not today." He grins at her, then moves to stand. Carefully, and just as careful not to make any noises or movements that will draw attention to his sore side. Then, he's moving towards the weapons bag - more specifically, he's moving towards where he left the water bottles. "So, are you going to ask something in exchange, or are you just going to chicken out?" he asks, still feeling plenty well to lightly tease her.
—
She's already convinced that she's done something to him. He can hide it all he wants for all she's concerned. The question was asked and now she's going to drop it. As for her own health, Quinn tests her stability before she actually stands and puts full pressure on her leg. It's somewhat awkward, considering her current dress, but she finds that her injury isn't as bad as to be expected. She allows Sky to go for the water while her mind ventures up to the beer in her kitchen. "Chicken out?" That snaps the witch back to the conversation. "I /tried/ to get you to wear a dress. What do you want me to ask of you?"
—
"Something that doesn't involve me wearing women's clothing, for starters," Skylar says, with a chuckle, grabbing up both water bottles. He moves back towards Quinn, offering her one of the bottles before drinking from the other. Then, he finds himself chuckling again. "I really do have some of the oddest conversations with you, you know."
—
"You know, I don't actually try to have fun often. Way to ruin it for me." She almost sounds hurt and mixed with the way she's glaring at him it may actually sound believable. "Whatever." The water is all but yanked from his hand as she turns away from him in the ancient tradition of turning one's back from another. "I don't make you talk to me, you know." Oh, yes. Frigid Quinn is back, at least to mess with him. "Fine, though. If I have to do that stuff, I'm allowed to drink first." She clearly won't be seen out in public with him without it.
—
"I wasn't complaining," he points out. But the change in their conversation certainly seems to give Skylar pause. He finally shakes his head. "No. I don't mind having drinks, but if this is your first experience at this kind of thing, I don't want it to be ruined or clouded by drink. At least at first." He pauses, considering her. "Fine," he eventually says. "I'll wear a dress. But just this once, and then you go to the Ren Fair, in that dress, and you owe me a dance."
True to his word, he turns, setting down the water, and picks up one of the dresses from the bag. "Where can I change?" he asks, as if this were a completely normal conversation. Followed up by, "And no photography of any kind."
—
The change is made because she's attempting to regain the composure that she normally has. That attitude is needed. "Being drunk isn't safe for anyone, no matter what. Especially during the night." She knows this all too well. A loud sigh escapes the witch as she turns to try and make things right, in the way that only she can. Which pretty much means that she's going to make it worse. What she finds is not exactly what she expects.
Now it's her turn to stare at him, as if he's hit his head or something. "I, uh, yeah." Her hand moves without much elegance, pointing up at one of the doors on the second floor. If he does actually go there he'll notice an extremely nicely decorated restroom, one of significant size. The blue and white theme actually is relaxing, something unusual coming from Quinn. Especially the Jacuzzi tub. "Seriously?"
—
"Yes. No pictures, video, anything. If I end up on Youtube, there will be a reckoning." For a moment, the roles are switched. The difference is, Sky's threats are normally delivered with a joking smile. Here, too, though underlying that is the air of someone thinking 'What the hell am I doing?'. Still, he follows the pointing finger, heads into the bathroom, and closes the door.
Much like with Quinn, there's some minor thumping, and grunting. It doesn't help that Sky's side is all sore. And then he comes out. It's a sky blue gown, with full frock, and a bodice that shows off Sky's bare muscular shoulders and arms. He's even showing a bit of bare leg, also of the muscular variety. "There, happy?" he asks, just outside the bathroom - at which point he does a twirl to show off, then moves as if to head back into the bathroom.
—
She's not nearly as nice as he is, not at all. As soon as he heads towards the bathroom to change, the CD player is turned back up. The CD has changed since the last he heard, something slightly less intense but loud all the same. With this done, Quinn sneaks upstairs as well. A closer view of this is needed, especially since it likely won't last for long.
When Skylar emerges from the restroom he'll find her leaning against the door that she last disappeared into. A single eyebrow raises into the air as Quinn gives him the up and down look, checking him out in jest more than anything. She obviously wouldn't be checking him out for any other reason, of course. "Surprisingly, I might be." This is said with a smirk. "Do you always do what people nag you to do? Smallville, you need to toughen up a bit."
—
The fact that Quinn is up there near him actually takes a minute for Skylar to process - and, between that, and her taunt, he pauses, rather then heading directly back in the bathroom. He meets her gaze, raising an eyebrow of his own. "No. But I do like to make my friends happy. And you were right - you don't usually try to have fun." His smile is genuine, and so are his words - but that doesn't mean he's sticking around out here much longer. So, after he's said this, he dissapears back into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
—
Damn that man. It's enough to actually make her mad, so he's lucky that he's gone into the restroom to change. In the meantime she glares into his direction, massively irritated by what he had the nerve to say to her. The /nerve/, indicating that they're friends. At first she begins to pace on the catwalk before she eventually takes a seat off of it, allowing her legs to dangle off the edge. Quinn isn't afraid of accidents in her own home. It could be worse; she could have a beer in her hand. Again the witch looks down at her hands, at her arms and the outfit that she's wearing. Suddenly burning it doesn't seem like such a bad idea, not that she will.
—
Skylar takes awhile changing - which, though her reaction is unknown to him, will hopefully give Quinn time to calm down. Or get more angry. Either way, Sky eventually comes out, the dress folded over one arm - still favoring his good side as he walks, but at least it doesn't seem to actively cause him alot of pain. He glances down as he notices Quinn still up here. "Coming back down, then?" he asks, after a moment, even as he moves towards the stairs himself.
—
The noise of him exiting the room doesn't cause her to move at all. Neither does the sound of him walking. What finally makes her react is what he says. Ever slowly she turns her head up to look at him, the smirks and smiles all gone from her. "I don't know," Quinn answers honestly before turning to look down at the level below them. "Did you really mean it, what you just said?" For now she doesn't really sound angry, or upset in any way. It's simply a question, nothing more, nothing less.
—
Sky pauses a few feet from the stairs, turning towards Quinn. He studies the woman for a moment, obviously aware that something is bothering her. Quietly, he moves back towards her, sitting down next to her - though carefully, with his bruised side, and not dangling his feet over the edge. He also does his best to give her space, not wanting to crowd her.
"Yes," comes the simple response, looking down at the first floor, then back at her. His expression is mildly concerned, as well as curious, questioning. "You're upset that I'd want you to want to have fun?" he asks. "Or is it something else?"
—
Crowding this woman is not a good idea. She's likely to flip him off of the catwalk and down onto the first floor, then go to sleep without checking on him.
Okay, not really, but it sounds good to her. "You called me your friend." That's what Quinn's talking about, not about the rest of it. Even though the rest of it all adds into it. Now she looks at him, completely serious. "Take it back." It sounds harsh, but she has her reasons.
"I don't get close to people. I don't want to, and it isn't safe." The woman got stabbed in the leg with a stake. Associating with her likely isn't the best of ideas. "The sparring sessions are nice, but I can't afford to go all soft."
—
Skylar considers Quinn's words for a moment, his eyes assessing her, before he speaks. "I'm not asking you to go soft. But I'm also not going to take it back," he tells her. Shaking his head, then moving his hand to brush the hair out of his eyes so that he can look at her, Sky says, "Look, Quinn - I'm not saying you have to consider my your friend. But that doesn't mean I don't consider you mine." He pauses again, then saying, "I'm not asking you to open your life up to me, either. I'm not inclined to give you my whole life story any time soon - but that doesn't mean we can't be friends, if we wanted. Friends aren't about making you weaker, you know. They're about… strength. Believe me, it's not easy for me to trust people these days. But for all your quirks, you're a good person - whether you believe it or not. And I like to spend time with you. That, to me, is as good a basis for friendship as any." He shrugs his shoulders, then falls silent, looking away from Quinn now and out over the warehouse below.
—
"I'm not a good person." This is something she's going to insist on, no matter what he says. "I don't really care about being weak, because I know I'm not. There's a difference between weak and soft." He's not going to like what he hears but this is why she's speaking. He has to know, up front, that he's barking up the wrong tree for friendship. "You'd be a liability. I don't know how /you/ would react to a stake to the leg but I'd rather not see that happen to someone just because of me." Quinn's shoulders roll in a half hearted shrug. "That and I honestly don't want to deal with what I know I will if I admit to having a friend. You're a good guy, Smallville. You shouldn't waste your time with me, not unless you want to be beaten up often and belittled even more." A glance is given to the dress. "I still can't believe you did that."
—
"Well, I can see I can't change your mind right now," Skylar says, turning back to Quinn. "But neither are you going to change mine." See? Two can play this stubborn person game. He moves to get up, grunting lightly, tucking the dress back under his arm. Once standing, Sky glances back down to Quinn, smiling at her. "And Quinn? Someone who couldn't deal with getting beat on and belittled wouldn't try to be your friend in the first place. I may be small town, but I'm not an idiot." The stake comment is ignored, though his eyes do travel down briefly to the wall o' weapons. Still, for now, he's heading to the stairs, and heading down to the first floor.
—
"Damnit! Why do you have to be so difficult?!" Yes, she's actually yelling at him now, frustrated. "You know what? /Fine/. Be that way. I /did/ try to tell you that you're getting yourself in deep with it all. I give up now. Die for all I care." While she began the tirade by looking at him, Quinn is looking away by the end of it. She allows Skylar to make it to the first floor before she even begins to stand, before she even considers joining him. When the witch does go down she's careful not to get too close to him. "I may as well do your stupid dance since that's probably the last time I'm going to see you." No, she's still not looking at him. The word idiot is on her tongue but she doesn't say it.
—
Skylar doesn't respond to Quinn's yelling - he honestly doesn't seem to mind it. Better to let her get some steam off. He places the dress back in the duffle bag, then moves to collect the weapons. By the time Quinn makes it to the first floor, he has both duffle bags packed up. The lighter one is slung across his back and shoulders, and the one with weapons he's carrying. Wincing a little, but not too much. He pauses by the door when Quinn comes down, turning to her. "As you say, my lady," he says, suddenly using the formal tones of the SCA - with just the hint of a smile on his face. "I'll look forward to it." Then he drops the formality, and says, quite seriously, "It's up to you, Quinn. I'd never force my presence on someone who finds it so loathesome. Either way, thanks for the spar. And keep the dress - you move good in it." Not to mention how she looks in it - but he's not looking to get something thrown at him. Especially in a room full of weapons. Instead, Sky quickly retreats out the door, heading for his car.
—
The formalities are actually offsetting just enough that she just stares at him as he speaks. That's not how people need to speak to her and he'll make sure to tell him that. "Stop that." She's trying very hard to hold onto that anger. It won't fade around him, no matter how she spends the rest of her day. If he doesn't leave soon, though, he'll find himself catching her swords with his teeth. Without warning. "I already said I'd do it." This is said with narrowed eyes, of course. "Just let me know when. It may be the last time we see each other." This isn't a threat about her ignoring him, either. The way he comments on the dress, though, makes her pause in her lecture. And that's how she remains until after he walks out the door. "Thanks," she finally says, softly, after he leaves. "I think."
