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[flaredo]

"Heeey, you've reached Yang! Well, actually, you didn't reach far enough, 'cause I'm not here right now! But don't yang up! Just leave a message on this baby, and I'll get back to you soon enough, okay?"

[ Please specify VOICEMAIL, TEXT or CALL. ]

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[masakados]

[Naoki's not going to let her find the time to get her balance back, he's twisting, moving at her as fast as he can move. He lashes out with quick punches less about actually landing blows than forcing her to react quickly.

When people have to get faster, there's more of a chance for them to slip up--]

[flaredo]

[ Look at him, being all strategic... but Yang's been trained in far too many combat settings, and first and foremost-- keep your guard up.

She's forced to move at his pace, though, and her footing isn't going to be as solid, but she's deflecting all of his (admittedly not all that vicious) punches before she swings out a right hook to try and drive him back. ]

[masakados]

[One of Naoki's hands breaks away from the punching he's been doing--he catches the hook with the back of his wrist... but he moves to twist his hand quickly, to catch at her wrist. Before she has a chance to pull her hand back, he's going to try to yank her in, closer.

His foot slides forward, not to sweep, but to throw off where one of her feet might land.]

[flaredo]

[ There's clear resistance as he yanks, and she'd dig her heels in, drive her fist into his cheek-- if his foot didn't just throw off one of hers, so she steps wrong and suddenly Yang's falling against him. ]

[masakados]

[And the unbalance, Yang's weight against his body is just what he was waiting for--

He tips forward, of course he's going to tilt them right over, still holding at one of her wrists. And he might just press that to the ground as he moves to straddle her, other hand landing hard to one side of her head, catching himself.]

[flaredo]

[ He sure loves knocking the breath out of her, and Yang's too winded to respond for at least two seconds.

But then her eyes narrow and she struggles to free herself, tugging at the hold on her wrist and trying to get her legs free as she gasps for air. ]

[masakados]

[Naoki's pretty stubbornly keeping his hold, remaining where he is so she can't break free right away. Oof, she sure is struggling though, and he tightens his hand at her wrist slightly (no he's pretty solid he's not going to move yet), thumb rubbing against glove material.

He leans over her.]

Hey, Yang--?

[flaredo]

... [ She doesn't have the breath to speak and try to force him off at the same time, not when her chest is still heaving, but there's a fierce light in her eyes when she stares up at him. If he thinks just because he's got her pinned that she's giving up-- ]

[masakados]

[That fierce light is something else, he's thought not for the first time--]

Ah, yeah, I know in a second you're gonna try to get me off. But. Now we're even. [In pinning and he's also claiming this as a victory!! And then... He's going to release her wrist, flick a piece of her hair out of her face, and stand quickly, hopping back a step or two.]

[flaredo]

[ Yang's up quickly, dusting herself off as she takes a longer, deeper breath.

... And then she's moving towards him, hands loose at her sides. ]

[masakados]

... [Naoki, meanwhile, is tensed up like he's anticipating that she's going to try to flip him to the ground or something...]

[flaredo]

[ Understandable, but Yang only reaches up, letting her fingers graze his forehead, the mark over one eye as she nudges some of his hair away.

And then, smiling at him, she lowers her hand. ]

Now we're even.

[masakados]

[...

His heart lurched, and he doesn't know if it's because her fingers grazed one of his marks or not. The light of that mark flared a little in the wake of her touch and Naoki represses an urge to rub at it.]

And, like I thought, you didn't make it easy for me.

[flaredo]

[ Weird, did it just get brighter-- but she laughs now, taking a step back. ]

You like me because I give you a challenge, right?

[masakados]

Mmm-- Among other reasons.

[There're just a lot of things to like about Yang, all right?]

[flaredo]

Well, yeah, there's my charm, my energy, my sass, the fact that I give great shoulder massages--

[masakados]

Well, it looks like I don't even need to compliment you.

--though I can't say anything on the shoulder massages.

[flaredo]

Oh, you will. [ lightly cracking her knuckles. ]

Have a seat, Naoki.

[masakados]

[Just like that...] You know, cracking your knuckles like that doesn't really put me at ease.

[But he will actually sit.]

[flaredo]

Relaaaax, your body can take it. [ But she'll move behind him to settle on her knees, resting her hands on his shoulders and starting to apply firm pressure with circular motions of her thumbs. ]

[masakados]

[Enjoy probably the most tense muscles you've ever gotten to press your thumbs against, Yang-- Naoki makes a small nngh sound, going all quiet.

Well, he's never gotten a shoulder massage before.]

[flaredo]

[ HOLY CRAP-- ]

Since when did you have boulders instead of muscles?? Geez, you're all knotted up! You're worse than Dad!

[ This is serious, and she's going to have to give each muscle some proper attention, poking and pressing and kneading and massaging the tension out. ]

[masakados]

Ooh-- ow-- haha... am I really that bad?

[He's really not used to this, though, and her hands aren't exactly far from the broad tattoos on his back, nor the ones that frame his horn. He tries to forget about it, his hands occasionally pressing on his knees and curling into fists when she presses in her fingers.

...actually, it feels nice once the initial tension's been worked out, and he occasionally exhales a quiet sigh.]

[flaredo]

You're terrible. [ She says this emphatically, focusing on a knot as she moves over to his shoulder blades. She's quiet after that, concentrating on each point of tension, until she chooses to speak up a few minutes later. ]

Feel any better? Ready to sing my praises?

[masakados]

Mmmm.

[...Was that an answer? Affirmation to both? Maybe. Naoki's head has inclined forward, his eyes closed, though the light of his marks keeps flaring especially if she happens to brush one. He can ignore it, though, staunchly focusing on his shoulders feeling looser, less tight.]

Feels nice... I doubt you'd wanna hear me sing anything, though.

[Teasing, but there's not much behind it because he's distracted...]