#fenixtj

UP and downn, Luis goes, shirtless, testinng his new troll strength, "this is a salmon ladder?"

"Yup" Symond says sippinng her diet coke "Had it in storage"

Other women are also choosing this locale to 'talk' to each other and enjoy their drinks

Jess crosses in the near distance, dressed and armed for combat practice.

Nancy turns "hey, Jessica. Come for the show?"

In a low enough voice that it won't disturb

"Show?" she glances over.

Up and down the ladder goes Luis

Bevera admits with a sip "he's a handsome man.. for a troll"

Jess sighs. "No, I did not come for the 'show.' We don't have better things to do?" a bit pointedly.

Sheepish looks, and most of them scatter.

Except Nancy who says "What? I have an off day"

Luis speaks up "Did you need the space, Jessica? Pardon, Countess? "

He does not seem to realize he's the target of oggling or was

Jessica gives Nancy an eyebrow, but shakes her head to Luis. "No, thank you. I have melee practice."

"I've been tryinng to learn msyelf. May I watch you?" He washes off a bit with a basin nearby, then reaches for his shirt

She nods and leads the way.

Once there, she sets her things up, adjusts her clothes as needed to work out, and goes through some stretches.

"I'm trying to learn" he admits as she works "how to fight, but .. how did you pick your weapon? Knnow it was right for you? Seems there are a lot of choices so I don' know where to start"

"When I arrived here there were three weapons, prizes, to choose from. I held each. This was the best one for me."

A nod "A prize? Some contest? I apologize, but you didn' seem like the game show type" He is not teasing her

"I'm not." she confirms "This Freehold and Barony was taken in combat from a Balor baroness who'd neglected her people and was a danger to them."

"What's a Balor?" Curious "Assuming you can practice with me pestering you with questions?"

"Not well, but I don't mind while I"m stretching. The Sidhe are divided into Great Houses of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Balor is one of the Unseelie Courts. My family are all sworn to Seelie Houses, except for me. I'm not sworn to any House."

A nod "I remembeer learninngg about House Gwydion from Bevera"

"I heard of some others too but not Balor. They sound.. unpleasant"

"I am Seelie; it is easier for me to work with those who are the same, but some of my closest family and friends are Unseelie."

"As for Houses...."

"Again, I have an easier time working with Seelie Houses but within the County there are Unseelie Houses and Fae. They are still my charges."

"Of course, you gave me a chance and.. well, I was worse than unseelie. I chose evil because I was too defeattest not to"

"The troubles for the mortals of Tijuana are not easily solved. Poverty, lack of education and opportuity, lack of jobs.... I cannot judge anyone for being held in these chains."

"You are kinder than many. Even to myself"

"You were neither Seelie nor Unseelie; you were sleeping. And...." this is an admition "We hold Seelie and Unseelie in all of us. I have seen the most hardened Unseelie weave flowers and court thier lovers in the spring. And I have spent time Unseelie myself."

"If there are those in this Freehold who fault you for your mortal, sleeping choices, I would like to know who."

At that Luis shakes his head "I do not think I could do that. It doesn't seem right to punish someone for a opinion. I can ntell you no one here has treated me badly because of those actions whatever they thought of it"

"Good." stretching is over. Jess goes to the practice weapons rack and looks things over, and selects a sword; not the weapon she carried when she met Luis.

He tilts his head at that . Curiosity in his eyes

She starts with some simple, slow warm ups, working on form and precision; power, she knows, she can do.

He observes, not leearing, mostly he watches how she handles the weapon

When she said practice, she meant WORK. This is a weapon she is drilling with, not polishing nuance on.

Indeed, he watches quietly still, noting the raw power and exertion she puts innto it

She focuses all of her will on this, doing short and precice drills to improve her skills with the sword. Then, a water break; Mexico is HOT.

It looks like Rosa already set up some ice water for her breaks

She drinks, and splashes her face, then dries it with a towel.

"You work very hard at practice" Luis observes "Thenn again, for us, it's life and death, this weapon work. I thought I left violence behind. But I see I'm going to have to learn these skills"

"Not necessarily. Trolls do tend to be warriors, but there are more than that way to fight. I have troll relations who are poets, musicians... my father can fight, but he also builds and both my parents plant. Fighting does not have to be for you, if you do not want it to be."

"I would neverr forgive myself if someone else was wounded while I stood helpless"

"Helpless, or unable to help?" an eyebrow.

"I would see them as much the same thing but the lattter is worse" A nod

"You're Unsained yet; there are limits to what you can do safely. You are learning, and there are limits to what you can do safely in your ignorance. It's not your fault, there's no blame attached. But being helpless is different from not having what is needed to help."