Part 2
-Griff
-Tiffany
-Mother
-Sakura
-Eric
-Steps (200% Complete)
-Heart Score (+)
-Doctor Beacon off
The pair landed feet first right in front of them. The momentum enough threaten to send them tumbling down the climb. Despite herself, Kate grabbed them both and they swarmed her, leading into a silly group hug. They were laughing.
Kate was drenched in a moment, them soaking wet in baggy black and green trunks. Richard's open chest was both broad and lean at the same time, with a thin middle of hair running down his abs to a muscular V of a pelvis. And for Riley's top, a rather complex training bra with straps like a spider's web touching her shoulders to create a double V for a plunging neckline on to cleavage and a reverse line to make sure no one missed her 8 pack. Their bodies against hers, despite how marble their images were their actual touches told a different story. After soaking Kate's sides, they broke away to look at the others.
"Elric!" Called out Richard.
Richard extended a hand. Eric, still holding Sakura, shook his hand. Shake being a very strong word. Richard was 'asserting dominance' on a man twice his size.
They stared each other down and smiled but there was nothing disarming about their eyes.
It was disturbingly hot.
"Look, it is New Gurl vith Suk-ku-rah and Elric." Said Riley.
"You come jump? And the shoes?" Richard asked.
They turned to Kate still holding her sneakers.
"I thought it was what people did." Kate said.
"No, that's the Naturalist here." Sakura said.
"Like he's into nature?" Kate ventured. They looked at each other and Kate rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. That's not what Naturalist means… in fact don't tell me what it means. Do you guys… know what alcohol even looks like? Or is everything you guys do its own adventure?"
Riley Grinned, "The second one. Come, I show you something."
Riley offered her hand and smiled. It was a better response than Kate deserved. That outburst had been an act of weakness against herself control and proof of her concentration shattering. Both Riley and Richard had good hands, so good it distracted from Richard's sudden shove.
Reeling, Kate stepped back, steadying herself when Riley, like a wrestler, speared her off the cliff.
Time slowed
The push had been the kind of thing Kate could take well, and hell, she had! Her mind had adjusted to the attack. Richard's fear of her boob area had forced him to go for the shoulder, rookie mistake. Richie boy had used a two-handed shove, quick enough to bypass the classic lean back to neutralize it.
Not great but not manageable.
Kate stomped back and angled her feet. Her mind found the situation acceptable. One step would be enough to counter, maybe two to be safe. Kate had everything under control. The plan was to use those steps as a run up to smash him. Today she would teach him how to shove, the hard way. Her mind had been doing its own math, at least until she saw the near sheet white of Riley's spine, thin enough to show bone, like a lineup of shark fins.
Kate was not fat!
Riley's spear had nuked her plan, But, it was pathetic. Riley was too polite, proof of dealing with strangers. Ice breaking and probing. There was enough… 'moreness' to Kate for her to turn a tackle into a body slam on the child of an executive that would ensure Mother lost her job and would have to visit Kate in prison.
Which was fine.
Whatever part of Kate's mind was in charge of consequences had made its escape. Apparently, the geometry and GPS team had been away too because Kate's next adjustment step landed on air. Unfortunately, that had been a load bearing step.
Kate's universe lurched!
-Heart Score (-)!!!
-Warning – You are in a fall exemption zone, but your heart condition is red lining.
Turn doctor beacon on?
All her senses flipped. Entire departments slid, slipping and rolling out a window and once again her body was stuck in a scream.
Kate barely flailed, wiggling and trembling when a hand smothered her face and squeezed, a knee on her diaphragm, poking.
Wait…
Was she in a fight?
Kate's autopilot kicked into gear. She had no settings for 'falling to her death', but wrestling?
Time had been stored up in the budget and Kate was ready for a massive withdrawal. Riley was quick but so what? Kate fought, kicking wide her legs and, somehow, that spun them, putting her over Riley. Kate slipped below her hips before there could be a leg lock and they parted.
Free falling lasted a second before Kate grabbed a fist full of Riley's hair and yanked viscously with a bonus wrist twist. Because, as the bigger rooster in the hen house, there'd be no politeness. Her entire form joined to focus completely, cutting off other senses for the ones she needed. It didn't feel like closing off departments in her mind so much as ripping out the floorboards, carpets, tables, chairs and furniture, all to be tossed into furnace of her concentration, which flared.
Time stretched further.