After the Second Fall Pt. 02.2

Since there would be quite a lot of time to pass before Mars' return, Pip had decided days in advance that he would go through the same pre-fight routine he used for his own matches. Moving into the center of the Courtyard, Pip removed and folded his clothing neatly, setting it aside, then sat down to meditate.

Pip had told Emily and the girls about his intentions, but they hadn't realized he meant to follow his routine exactly. Consequently, Emily was quite surprised to see him pull off his clothing, looking away, then back again. Rosie and Maggie both laughed, with the latter clapping and hollering, cheering him on. Rachel barely hesitated before walking across the lawn, unbuttoning her dress shirt as she went.

Rachel's actions did stun his First and Second, but it was only a few moments before they looked at each other and smiled, then followed.

Left standing alone, her mouth actually hanging open, Emily wasn't sure what to do. Rosie and Maggie were just taking their places next to each other, their clothing also neatly stacked to the side. Feeling more alone than at any point since starting as Pip's assistant, she knew she wasn't ready to strip down, even after her brazen display of affection in front of the entire Council earlier.

Emily stopped about ten paces from the group, trying to figure out where to sit, when Rachel opened her eyes. Beautiful, confident, smart (and very naked) Rachel gestured for Emily to join her before resuming her meditation. The young woman hurried to the indicated spot and sat down as gracefully as she could manage given the tight skirt she was wearing.

Within five hundred beats, it was obvious to Emily that she didn't know how to meditate. Rachel and Pip seemed entirely at peace, but it did give her some relief to see that Rosie and Maggie were misbehaving. The pair were sitting so close that their legs and arms were touching, allowing them to whisper constantly while occasionally poking or tickling each other. Emily watched them happily for some time, enjoying their playfulness, until Maggie caught her eye. The curvy brunette smiled lasciviously and patted the grass next to her, so Emily responded by shutting her eyes tightly and refusing to open them.

With the tolling of a bell, Pip pulled himself out of his trance and rose to his feet. Before beginning, however, he looked around, then smiled at seeing that Rosie and Maggie had fallen asleep together, one partially on top of the other as if they had tilted over slowly. On his other side, Rachel and Emily were standing next to each other, looking relaxed.

"Hi, Rach."

"Hi, Pip."

"Hi, Emily. I didn't know you did meditation."

"Neither did I," the young woman replied, "but I think I do now. I've never quite experienced anything like that. I was having trouble focusing at first, but then it all kind of melted away. I feel like I had a whole night's sleep. What's next?"

"The match will start in two bells, so it's time to warm up. I used to do a long, slow plyometrics routine, but I prefer to perform our kata now."

"I don't know what either of those things mean, but I'd be happy to learn. Unless you want to be left alone, I mean," Emily finished in a rush, realizing that she was probably intruding.

"No, I don't need to be alone. There's nothing sacred about what I'm doing here; it's just a way to keep myself focused on what's going on in the Arena. Rach?"

"Sure, it sounds like fun."

Rachel, who had practiced yoga as a younger woman, found the movements quite easy, especially with Pip moving slowly. Emily, now down to her loose fitting chemise and underwear, had a little more trouble, but her natural athleticism and eagerness to experience new things made the exercise enjoyable. Shortly into the second bell, the two sleeping girls woke and decided to join in.

Rosie's lean physique should have been well suited to the activity, but she lacked the coordination to properly complete many of the movements. Maggie's primary issue was a lack of balance, largely caused by her unencumbered bosom, which seemed to throw her one way and then the other. Put together, it wasn't a quarter bell before the pair were once again acting badly, entertaining themselves and the steadily increasing group of spectators, even making Pip smile several times, although he never broke form.

As the bell finally rang, Emily and Rachel were both lagging, not accustomed to the extended exertion, slow as it was. "And now?" Emily asked.

Pip took a deep breath. "Now I go through my progressions and combinations. If you're interested, Mars or I can show you another time, but for now, I think I'd like to go through them on my own."

Emily nodded, relieved to have an excuse to take a break, and Pip thanked her with a smile, then moved off a little way so he would have space to move.

Maggie and Rosie moved over to join the other two, standing close together while Pip assumed a fighting stance. He was stationary for a moment that seemed to stretch, then exploded with a fury of activity, his arm striking out again and again. After perhaps a hundred beats, he paused, switched legs, then repeated the sequence with the other arm.

"He's using the Effect, isn't he?" Rosie asked aloud.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "He's getting stronger. It won't be long before he's ready to fight again."

"What's the Effect?" Emily asked.

Rosie closed her eyes dejectedly, knowing she'd made a mistake, but Rachel, again, didn't hesitate. "Pip can move faster than other people: it's why he's so good at fighting. He lost that ability for a while when he was attacked, but it's coming back now."

"Can they all move that fast?"

"Just Pip," Rosie answered.

The women continued to watch as his movements became more complicated, now mixing in kicks. Beside her, Emily heard Maggie make a throaty noise, only to find that her hand was gently teasing herself while she watched Pip. "Maggie!" Emily admonished without even thinking about it.

Maggie shook her head. "I'm not going to apologize, and I'm not going to stop. Emily, look at him: he's magnificent, and as soon as your Adam gets his ass back here, Pip's going to make me scream, right here on the lawn. I can't wait," she said with a shudder, leaning heavily against Rosie.

Emily looked disbelievingly to Rosie, who smiled and nodded.

"Director?" Emily asked, desperate for something to make sense.

Rachel gave her a warm, understanding smile. "When Mars arrives safely, I suspect there will be quite a celebration. Pip has been so consumed with this fight that I think it will be good for him to let himself go for the night. However," she said, raising her eyebrow and looking to Maggie, "that's later. For now, you are correct that we should be a little more restrained."

"Come on, Rach," retorted Maggie, still touching herself, "we're standing here naked, and Pip's junk is flopping around for everyone to see."

Smiling indulgently at her friend, Rachel walked across the lawn, returning a short time later with a wheeled cart. "I put these out here for later, but I suppose we can use them now," she said as she pulled out several blankets. Maggie paused her ministrations long enough to lay one down, then quickly wrapped another around herself and Rosie, who had again sat down next to her.

They were soon back to watching Pip, enraptured, both now making the occasional exclamation or exhalation.

Rachel handed Emily a blanket while pulling another around her own shoulders. "The sweat is drying and I'm getting cold. You, too?"

Emily shivered. "Yeah, thanks. I didn't realize it until you said something."

The two gave their attention back to Pip, with Emily trying diligently to ignore the noises coming from the seated girls.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Rachel stated gently.

"It's not expected?"

Rachel shook her head. "Not by the Adams. From what I can tell, people have celebrated here in this Courtyard following victories for a long time, and the consumption of alcohol combined with the release of tension led to pretty wild behavior. We took part one time -- actually, to be more accurate, we started it one time -- and I think it's likely things will escalate further with our presence here, especially if Mars comes through in good shape."

"But you don't think that's going to happen, do you?" Emily asked sadly.

"Pip certainly does, and I had a good feeling about him going into this fight -- we'll find out together."

Emily nodded and took a deep breath. "You know, I understand if you want to do what the others are doing. Maggie's right that Pip is incredible to watch."

Rachel smiled and turned to Emily, opening the blanket to show the younger woman that she was gently caressing her own nipple. With a wink, she closed it again, once again leaving the younger woman stunned.

When her voice returned, Emily stated flatly, "I just don't think I could do that in public."

"Why not?" asked Rachel considerately, giving Emily the chance to say whatever was on her mind.

"I... don't think I'm normal when it comes to physical intimacy."

Rachel frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Alfred told me it wasn't normal to want to hurt other people."

After rolling her eyes, Rachel responded. "You should keep two things in mind. The first is that while Alfred Fetching had some good qualities, I wouldn't hold him up to anybody as the male ideal. Do we agree?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's easier to see in hindsight, but I still think he was mostly a good man."

"Who almost killed you while trying to almost kill me?" The young woman was again at a loss for words, so Rachel softened her tone. "In some ways, he took advantage of you, Emily, and you don't need to feel bad about that. Learn from it and it won't happen again. Right?" Emily nodded reluctantly, which was enough for the moment.

"Good. The second thing is that I doubt you could actually hurt Mars, even if you really tried. What is it about being rough that you like?"

Emily shifted her weight back and forth several times, working up the courage to respond. "I like that when he feels what I did, he'll think of me. Like this morning, when I bit his lip -- I hope he was rubbing it all the way to the Arena, thinking about seeing me again. And I hope people look at the marks I leave and know he's mine."

"So you're pretty possessive," stated Rachel, which Emily confirmed with a nod. "Do you think that maybe seeing you out here, with him, might send the same message to anyone watching?"

"I didn't think about that," said Emily huskily, pulling the blanket more tightly around herself.

After his combinations, Pip went through a simulated fight, his eyes closed the entire time, fighting an opponent that was bigger, stronger, and faster that he would ever be. By the end, dozens of people were watching.

"Did you win?" someone called as Pip finally opened his eyes. Rather than act embarrassed, he gave a thumbs up and headed toward the girls, then led them indoors.

More than three bells later, freshly showered and once again dressed, Pip and his entourage were waiting for Mars' return.

All at once, a din started in the city, a good indication the that the fight had gone well, but Pip was still tense. Next to him, Emily was grinning and hopping back and forth from one foot to another, relieved, unable to contain her excitement.

Half a bell later than it should have arrived, the transport finally came into view, moving very slowly, with Mars sitting on top of the cab. He had apparently decided that clothing was unnecessary, as he was still nude save for the white dressing wrapped around his left foot. In his right hand was a half empty bottle, looking very small in comparison, which he occasionally raised to his mouth. The sight caused a collective gasp from many in the gathered crowd, punctuated by the staccato slap of Lilith smacking her own forehead. The noise quickly rose again, exceeding its previous level as Mars spotted the crowd and shouted and waved to them animatedly.

"At least he seems to be okay," Geo offered.

Lilith just shook her head and sighed, not sure if she was more relieved or annoyed.

When the transport stopped, Pip stepped forward to provide assistance to the driver and his helper in getting Mars off the roof; even with the three huge men helping, getting Mars down without having him land on the injured foot was a challenge. Through the entire process, the victorious Adam was smiling and waving at the people he recognized, as well as anybody that happened to catch his eye. Once down, he turned to Pip, excitement written across all his features. "I did it!"

Pip chuckled, then leaned back and laughed. Instead of raising his fist, he held open his arms and the two Adams embraced like brothers. When they broke apart, Pip offered Mars his shoulder and helped the conquering hero toward where the directors were waiting for him. Unable to wait any longer, Emily stepped in front of the pair and launched herself at Mars, soon finding herself caught up tightly against his torso, held with his free arm. With a happy smile, Mars continued on, stopping respectfully in front of Lilith, Emily still clutched to his chest. Dr. Shepard and Stitches joined the group shortly afterward, just as Gina slowly walked up.

"Congratulations, Mars," Lilith said. "We'll go through the details tomorrow, but it looks like you're alright."

The big Adam nodded enthusiastically, then turned to Look down at the doctor. "He has a moderate syndesmotic ankle sprain, so we gave him some anti-inflammatories, and ice, of course. He'll need to keep weight off of that leg for a couple weeks, but there's no reason to suspect he won't make a full recovery."

There was silence for a dozen beats before Geo spoke. "That's it?"

The doctor nodded. "The other marks were there before the fight."

Geo rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to do his own facepalm. "Who was it?" he asked Mars.

"Emily," the Adam replied immediately.

Still clutched to his chest, the girl groaned audibly, while Lilith snorted and Geo closed his eyes. "Your opponent, Mars -- who was your opponent?"

"Oh, right. Mass-something. Masstin?" Mars answered, his brow furrowed in thought. "Big bald guy with a blue face tattoo: taller than me, but not so wide, and not as strong," he finished with a cocky grin.

"Maslin is the name. He was their number four or five," said Geo. "Pip, I want you to join Ms. Lewis at the debrief tomorrow to explain what the two of you did to make this possible. Whatever it was, good job." Gina looked quite pleased and offered up a first to Pip, who bumped it with a smirk.

"Congratulations, Mars," said Lilith. "I'll be looking forward to hearing about it."

"Thank you, ma'am.

"And Pip..." Lilith said, turning her eyes toward her Lead Adam.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Keep it reasonable tonight, understood?"

Pip did his best to look astonished, indicating his clothes and then pointing to the naked man standing next to him. Lilith pointed to him, mouthing, 'Pain in my ass,' then turned to leave, stifling a smile as she did so.

With the formal reception over, Pip helped Mars over to the grass, where the bigger Adam collapsed onto his rear, then laid back to look up at the night sky.

"How much did you have to drink?" Emily asked, concerned.

"What? Oh, just the one bottle. Somebody threw it to me and I thought I would try it. Am I supposed to feel differently?"

"You're not even a little unsteady?"

"I don't think so, why?"

Emily blinked a couple times. "You just rode through the city on top of the transport, naked and screaming. I thought for sure you must be drunk or on some strong pain medication, but that's not what the doctor said."

Mars smiled and shrugged. "Rover talked about hearing the people celebrating, and how it was what made the fighting worth it. I wanted to see it, too."

"Naked?"

The Adam made a dismissive gesture. "I just didn't feel like putting my clothes back on after Stitches cleaned me up."

"What?" Emily snapped possessively.

"I was covered with bits of blood and stuff from the other guy, so Stitches wiped me down on the ride back. To be honest, I liked that part quite a bit, too," Mars said with a grin, closing his eyes so he couldn't see Emily's scowl.

Before Emily could lay into him, two young women approached the group, looking back and forth between the Adams. Pip's girls looked on curiously while Emily stepped in front of Mars, blocking their view. There was an awkward pause while the newcomers working up the courage to speak, so Rachel intervened. "Good evening, Michelle, Martha."

"Oh, yes, good evening, ma'am," the first exclaimed. "I'm sorry, we didn't see you there. We should go."

"It's okay," Rachel responded easily. "Is there something we can do for you -- maybe something you wanted to ask Pip or Mars?"

The young woman appeared to have forgotten how to speak again, and her friend was no better. As the awkwardness once again built, Pip spoke up. "Actually, it's fortunate you stopped by."

"It is?" the apparent spokeswoman asked, her eyes wide.

Pip nodded seriously. "Do you see my friend over there, the Adam in the chair with the bandage on his head?" Both women nodded. "Do you know who he is?"

"Rover," the second woman said, finding her voice; even the first girl seemed surprised she had responded.

Pip gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Exactly right. Do you know why he's all alone?"

"Because he's scary looking?" the first asked.

"Because he's hurt," the second corrected with a dirty look to her friend, and Pip nodded.

"But not so hurt that he wouldn't like some company. If you want to talk with an Adam, I'm sure he can tell you all kinds of stories; Mars and I are barely old enough to be in the pool."

The friends bent close together and a brief whispered argument took place, evident by the whispers actually being louder than most spoken conversations. "I'm going," the second woman stated with finality. "Thank you, Piper," she said with a shy smile. "my name is Michelle, and it was nice to meet you." With a nod to Rachel, she pivoted and began walking toward Rover.

The first woman was stunned. She turned back to the watching group, but when she met Emily's glare she let out a squeak and quickly followed after her friend.

"That was... odd," Emily said, entirely unimpressed.

"You'll need to get used to it," Rosie said gently. "Everyone knows Mars now, so he'll get looks wherever he goes."

"I don't think I'm going to like that," Emily replied, moving to sit down on Mars' thigh.

A pace away, Pip sat down on the large blanket that Rachel and Rosie had laid out, opening his arms wide in invitation to Maggie, who was practically vibrating with anxious energy, even after the unexpected interruption. The pair shared several long, sensuous kisses before Maggie tried to push Pip over backward. Shaking his head, he instead pulled her into his chest and laid down on his hip, dragging a second blanket over them both. Spooned together, they watched together as Emily poked and tickled and kissed Mars, trying to get him to do what she wanted; instead, the Adam continued to lay with his eyes closed, lightly stroking the young woman wherever he happened to touch -- her back, her thigh, her arm -- seemingly oblivious.

"What's he doing?" Rosie asked quietly, watching with her elbows propped on Pip's shoulder.

"Teasing her," Pip answered.

"Pip, have you and Mars been scheming?" Rosie asked with false indignation.

"I don't know about that, but we did discuss how he might be able to make the experience more enjoyable for her."

"By teasing her?"

"She wants to be in control, but he's not letting her. When she finally does get him to do what she wants, I think it will add something extra to her experience."