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[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[The days have not been particularly kind to Gray Fox. From that Godforsaken room twisting his mind and causing him to attack Snake to merely spending time with Gustava, he felt as if he was losing himself. He needed to find a way to clear his mind.]

[Iaijutsu was something Fox had always found fascinating. The art of drawing one's sword from varying positions, constantly keeping themselves in a state of mental alertness... That was just what he needed.]

[The roof is currently deserted; a perfect opportunity for Fox to practice. Although he'd never had any formal training in the art of Iaijutsu or Iaidō, nor is a machete the traditional weapon of choice for this style... But that isn't about to stop him.]

(Fox is doing shit like this. If you're headed to the roof, you'll probably catch sight of him.)

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[elisula.livejournal.com]

[Elisa isn't normally one to enjoy 'alone time'. She's had plenty of that in the past. And it's when she's alone that some of the darker, more troubling thoughts resurface in her mind. It's time spent in the company of others- Even ones as quiet as Null- That pull her out of that darkness. Out of her own psychosis. Away from Ursula.]

[But it so happens that tonight, the girl felt it could be nice to enjoy a peaceful night on the roof. Perhaps looking to the stars- Fake as they may be. Earlier, she ate the second piece of "ACUA" candy obtained from Alice. It helped to calm her nerves somewhat and she's still feeling it's positive effects. Some time alone might not be so bad tonight.]

[But as the psychic slowly opened the door to the roof and stepped outside, her eyes immediately focused on the figure of someone at the other end. Curious, Elisa slowly closed the door behind her and took a single quiet step further.]

[...It was Frank...]

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[He takes no real notice of the girl as she steps onto the roof. His mind is focused on his task at hand; drawing his machete from a crouching position, whirling and slashing with the blade before bringing it back to his side.]

[His jacket and wife beater have been tossed aside, resting on the ground a short distance away from where he's practicing.]

[elisula.livejournal.com]

[She's never really seen him... like this, before. "In action". It was rare enough for her to actually witness Null in the midst of training back in her time period. Elisa has never even seen Null or Gene in actual combat. Getting detailed reports of Null's physical state and watching the way Frank moves now are... two completely different things.]

[Elisa silently watches the man's movements; Completely transfixed by the sight. She knows nothing about aikido, and even less about Iaidō or any martial art for that matter. But watching him now... it doesn't take a genius to see that Fox is quite skilled at what he does. Hardly even breathing at this point, Elisa takes a few more quiet steps forward- Wanting a closer look but not wanting to disturb him.]

[She watches intently as his taut muscle glistens with only a light trace of perspiration. The contours of perfectly-formed muscle flexing beneath scarred skin. His silver hair catches beams of artificial moonlight as it sways with him, partially clinging to the skin of his face. She's close enough now, to even notice the small bead of sweat trickling down the side of his temple. The fierce look of complete concentration on his features being a clear indication of just how absorbed the man is in his practice. All of that raw power and fluid grace... entices the girl to take yet another small step forward.]

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[There are few people in this world foolish enough to approach a Fox while he is training. He continues to move as he has been, slashing at the air, thrusting the blade; slowly running his fingers along the edge as if wiping off the blood of some invisible opponent before returning his machete to his side. His breathing is steady and focused, the only thing that seems to matter is the task at hand.]

[However, as she moves closer the her shoes lightly clicking against the surface of the roof is what alerts him of her presence. The light sound is all it takes for all his senses suddenly return to him -- he lunges forward and swiftly draws his blade, holding the steel just shy of the girl's neck.]

[...And he stares at her; perhaps its the artificial moonlight at play but his pale eyes almost seem sharper than usual as they bore into her, as if searching for something. His chest rises and falls slowly, his mind registering her face as he finally allows himself to blink. He lowers his blade and relaxes his stance, returning his machete to its rightful place on his side.]

...Elisa.

[elisula.livejournal.com]

[It may only be because of the mysterious ACUA in her system that's calming her nerves somewhat, but Elisa doesn't make any noise in surprise as Fox's blade comes to her throat. The girl merely swallows, a chill running down her spine at the intensity of his gaze. When the machete is holstered once more, Elisa allows herself to take a few steady breaths.]

...Frank... [Despite being awake for a few days now, Elisa made no effort to contact him just yet. Mostly due to the fact that her cheek was still slightly swollen from getting backhanded by Gene. It's scary to think that- despite the resulting bruise- He didn't even put as much force into the hit as he could have. Thankfully, there's no longer any sign of what happened as she approaches Fox tonight.] ...Null actually fell asleep before I did for once. Figured I'd come to the roof just to waste some time...

[Looking around at the empty space] Do you come here often...?

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

Occasionally... [Fox turns his body a bit to look up to the simulated sky above them] It's nice up here, isn't it? Quiet, secluded... Almost as if you're away from the Nexus entirely, despite being at the very summit of it.

I enjoy the peace this place brings... Much of the Nexus is empty in itself, allowing for one to spend quite a bit of time reflecting on oneself... Yet it feels so different in this area. Perhaps it's the way the sky is visible, or how each tiny simulated star provides a sort of guiding light for one's soul... It simply feels more invigorating up here.

[elisula.livejournal.com]

I get what you mean....

[But when Fox's gaze turned to the sky, Elisa's turned to the man's body once more. A sudden breeze of cold Autumn wind whips through her own blonde hair, snapping the girl out of that small trance] ...You should... be careful not to catch a chill...

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[Fox nods, moving to go pick up his tank top and jacket. He uses his tank top to dab the sweat off his chest for a moment before tossing it down to the ground once more, stepping over to Elisa and draping the jacket over her shoulders.]

I wouldn't want you to catch a chill either.

[elisula.livejournal.com]

I'm not the one who's shirtless... [Elisa raises a hand, using her thumb to wipe away the single bead of sweat running down his temple.]

[...She can feel his escalated body heat once he gets within a close enough proximity. Fearing that she might have just blushed at such a small gesture, the girl clears her throat and opts for some distracting dialogue.] H-hey, guess what?

I walked into one of those freaky rooms...

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[The moment she speaks, Fox's tone changes to one of concern.]

What sort of room?

[elisula.livejournal.com]

[Elisa shakes her head- offering a small, reassuring smile.]

...Nothing to worry about. I just... reverted back to my 13 year old self for a few days. In both mind and body. Of course some things weren't so great to relive- But all in all, it was... an interesting experience.

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

Hmn.

I personally cannot find the idea of reverting to my child self to be anything but an inconvenience.

[elisula.livejournal.com]

...Yeah. It was a pretty big inconvenience.

[If that didn't happen, maybe she wouldn't have had to start working for Gene again. ...Or maybe it only served to rein in an inevitable outcome a bit more quickly. If he wanted her, there's no real way for her to avoid it. The thought alone causes a slight furrowing of her brow. What in the world could he possibly want from her? Chances are he will rarely ever need medical attention. At least not anything he couldn't handle himself. Maybe he's trying to rebuild his army... For which she will once again serve as the Chief medic. Or it could be that he simply enjoys knowing that he has complete control over her at all times.]

[Waking up in his room the other day only served to remind her of why she has been avoiding him so much. It's not the risk of physical harm, but the way he gets to her mentally and emotionally. It's not like that was the first time he's ever felt the need to slap her around a little. But sometimes, his words can frighten Elisa even more than anything he could ever physically do to her... Especially when he's speaking a harsh truth.]

[snakehermit.livejournal.com]

[Snake had been residing in the quieter end of the Nexus, of which his new home was. Returning to the cabin was not the best of ideas right now. Living in solitude, he knew, would only turn him into an even bigger recluse. He needed to maintain human conversation or else he might end up becoming more like his old self.]

[Even so, he wasn't feeling in a talkative mood right now. The next best place within this building was the rooftop. It was quiet, and with the change in atmosphere, the air should be a little cooler.]

[He made his way up amidst Fox's training. He opened the door and glanced out, meeting the other soldier's form move so gracefully concentrated against the floor. His heart stopped in his chest, a strange fear emerging in his chest. He wanted to turn and leave, but it felt as though his feet were stuck firmly to the ground.]

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[Fox continues to train, taking no notice of Snake watching him from the roof entrance way.]

[He remains in a crouching position for a moment, eyes closed. His breathing remains steady and calm, as if unperturbed by the world around him while locked in this sort of meditation. That all changes in an instant, his eyes snapping open and lunging forward as he grips the handle of his machete. He thrusts the blade out and twists it, pulling back and then bringing it down again in a slashing motion as he allows his body to rapidly turn on his heel.]

[And just like that, he relaxes once more. He returns the machete to its place on his side with a flourish, his body falling into that calm trance again.]

[snakehermit.livejournal.com]

[Snake could feel a cold shiver run down his spine. He breathed in slowly, gritting his teeth as he watched that blade being worked, wondering if Fox was imagining anyone in particular. He hoped that wasn't the case, because there was a good chance it might be himself.]

[He slowly allows his presence to be known. Whether or not that was a good move or not, he couldn't decide on it quite yet.]

[He bit the inside of his cheek, quietly making his way forward.]

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[With his senses heightened from the training, Fox turns his head quickly to see Snake approaching. His hand clutches the handle of his machete tightly, watching the soldier's movements with alert eyes. He remains silent and calm but makes no attempt to regard Snake further.]

[snakehermit.livejournal.com]

Don't let me stop you.

[Spoken quickly, as though afraid that Fox might pay a little too much attention to him. He himself was unarmed, which would leave him at a disadvantage. Not a good place when your opponent was wielding a machete.]

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[Fox's stance relaxes as he exhales, his eyes losing their edge. He looks a bit more like the Frank Snake remembers -- the one he knew from before that room got to him.]

...It's alright. My body could stand a short break.

[snakehermit.livejournal.com]

[Snake falls silent once Fox speaks up. He remained recoiled and on-edge, preparing himself to stop the older man should he come at him. He straightened out his back, flaring his nostrils.]

[He felt awkwardly tense.]

I didn't think anyone would be up here.

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

Is that a cue for me to take my leave?

[Fox can sense how tense Snake is; he doesn't blame the man in the least for it. That won't stop him from trying to ease Snake's mind a little as he moves to retrieve his jacket and shirt.]

...But if you'd prefer some company, I can all but promise I won't be taking a swing at you.

[snakehermit.livejournal.com]

You don't have to leave. You were here first. I didn't want to interupt you.

[He still looks tense despite the fact that he is starting to see some more of Fox's natural cool and collected presence shining through.]

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[Fox pulls his wife beater on, over his head, taking his eyes off of Snake's form. He's in a more relaxed state now; more relaxed than Snake is particularly.]

...Perhaps it's time we manned up and had a chat about what happened back there, David.

[snakehermit.livejournal.com]

...

[Snake averted his own eyes momentarily. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it, but it wasn't a matter of wanting to do anything. They had to overcome the barrier that was currently placed between them.]

Alright. [Agreeing quietly, he cautiously stepped closer to Fox.] Was it true?

[zanzibarasshole.livejournal.com]

[He sighs, pulling his jacket on and looking up at the simulated stars above them.]

... Which part?