Liam & Gaia - An Altercation
Feb. 1st, 2025 02:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsBackdated to February 1st. When some townies cause Liam trouble, Gaia comes to his aid.
Finishing a burrito nearly as big as his head, Liam burped gently and went to throw away his trash before taking his soda and heading out of the shop to go see what else was going on. He was looking to spend the last of his holiday gift cards and maybe some new pants. Because ugh, these were getting too short again. He liked that he was getting pretty tall, but he hated having to always get pants. That was just lame. Why couldn't new pants just show up on his bed when he needed them? (Answer: because his mother wasn't at Xavier's, but this would be useful!)
He didn't notice the teens nearby whispering and pointing. Why would he? That was pretty common when he was out, he was a cat, people whispered and pointed because he was different. It had long since stopped bothering him. Even with his ears squished under his beanie and his tail mostly hidden under his jacket, he knew he didn't quite blend in. He was a little too orange. If he let every group of kids get to him though, he'd never have made it this far in life.
Therefore, he also wasn't paying attention as they got closer, one guy dashing behind him to grab his beanie and run away. Immediately, Liam turned to chase, that was not only his favourite beanie, his mom had made it for him! "Give that back!" he called, long legs quickly eating the distance between them. Thank you Danger Room sessions with Kyle and general athleticism.
Tackling him hard, Liam grabbed it, the other guy not giving it up. His friends arrived just after, now four on one and the self defense (and offense) that he'd been learning started to kick in without him consciously thinking about it. Muscle memory he hadn't realized he'd developed as fits hit flesh, though careful still of claws. "Give it back," he grunted, elbow catching someone else squarely in the nose and a booted foot to another's knee. He missed the last guy, who wrapped an arm around his neck in a headlock. Well, shit.
Throwing his head back, Liam's fangs flashed and he shifted his back, teeth ripping through jacket and cloth and into flesh. "Get off! Give it back!" he insisted over the screams, tail flashing and then a yowl as it was pulled.
A figure rounded the corner behind the fight just as the boy holding on Liam yelled out in pain. Gaia frowned in displeasure, recognizing the group as some of the same ones who had been bothering her and Laura on Halloween.
“Garret. Give him back his hat.”
"We're just having fun," the guy - Garret - protested.
Liam took advantage to grab the guy on his back and throw him up and over his head with a grunt as the guy screamed. Apparently the self-defense lessons and growing more worked in his favor. Grabbing his beanie, he made sure he stepped on the guy under him as he got up, moving towards Gaia. Did he care that he'd been 'saved' by a girl? Absolutely not. He was grateful it wasn't the police trying to arrest him! Making a face and spitting, he used his sleeve to wipe his mouth.
Gaia made a small icked noise at the blood that was spat out. Seemingly from nowhere, a small pebble hit one of the boys still standing firmly between the eyes. Just hard enough to leave a mark.
All the malicious confidence they’d had a few moments ago seemed to deflate. The group scampered away from the mutants, clutching their various wounds and bruises.
Adjusting her own hat, she turned on her heels and motioned to Liam to follow with a flick of her head. “Come. They do not deserve any more of our time.”
Glaring, Liam made sure the other guys were headed away before he followed Gaia. "I hate people," he said tiredly. He didn't hate anyone. He just hated being bothered like that. Harassed. He hadn't wanted to fight.
“Indeed. They are frequently unpleasant. And loud.” Rummaging around in her pocket, Gaia handed him a lollipop. “For the taste. Do you often find yourself in physical altercations?”
Unwrapping it and popping it in his mouth, Liam paused, staring at Gaia. Huh. That actually worked. "No. You regularly carry lollipops to get rid of bad tastes in your mouth?" He'd been in exactly three physical fights before. With Sharon, with that girl when he'd been kidnapped (and he hadn't gotten all that far) and now this. "I don't like fighting."
Gaia shrugged, pulling out another one for herself. Where the sweets were manifesting from was a mystery. "That is wise. I myself have no disposition towards physical violence." To herself, at least. Telekinetic violence was another story.
"I'm a lover, not a fighter," he joked, "but the self defense I've been learning did come in handy. But....I don't think I'm ready for a 3 on 1 yet. So...thanks for the assist."
“You are welcome. It is fortuitous that they let off when they did. I would not be much assistance otherwise.”
"What you weren't going to jump into the melee and help me?" Liam asked, half joking. It would be nice if she did, but also, she was probably half his size. So maybe not so great.
That earned him a look. "My capabilities lie elsewhere." Mainly in the non-physical. "You seemed to have that front covered."
"Rude!" he laughed, "You're so mean! I bet you could have taken them down all by yourself, strong independent lady that you are," he was fully joking, because even if Gaia could, she was clearly uninterested. Stil, she helped when he needed it and that was good. And she gave him a lollipop.
"Indeed. Next time they dare cross you they will surely be met with the full force of my combative prowess," Gaia responded dryly. The corner of her mouth, however, quirked up in a telling smile.
"As they should," Liam agreed, almost primly, his tail brushing her shoulders. Friendly.
She smiled a little more, normally stiff posture easing itself slightly. “Mm. Do you require medical assistance? Or, would you rather this encounter remain between us?” Gaia asked.
"Yeah... just between us is good," Liam agreed. "I'm fine. Nothing worth medical."
A secret. Gaia liked those. She flashed a sliver of teeth. “My…. lips are sealed? I believe that is the phrase.”
Finishing a burrito nearly as big as his head, Liam burped gently and went to throw away his trash before taking his soda and heading out of the shop to go see what else was going on. He was looking to spend the last of his holiday gift cards and maybe some new pants. Because ugh, these were getting too short again. He liked that he was getting pretty tall, but he hated having to always get pants. That was just lame. Why couldn't new pants just show up on his bed when he needed them? (Answer: because his mother wasn't at Xavier's, but this would be useful!)
He didn't notice the teens nearby whispering and pointing. Why would he? That was pretty common when he was out, he was a cat, people whispered and pointed because he was different. It had long since stopped bothering him. Even with his ears squished under his beanie and his tail mostly hidden under his jacket, he knew he didn't quite blend in. He was a little too orange. If he let every group of kids get to him though, he'd never have made it this far in life.
Therefore, he also wasn't paying attention as they got closer, one guy dashing behind him to grab his beanie and run away. Immediately, Liam turned to chase, that was not only his favourite beanie, his mom had made it for him! "Give that back!" he called, long legs quickly eating the distance between them. Thank you Danger Room sessions with Kyle and general athleticism.
Tackling him hard, Liam grabbed it, the other guy not giving it up. His friends arrived just after, now four on one and the self defense (and offense) that he'd been learning started to kick in without him consciously thinking about it. Muscle memory he hadn't realized he'd developed as fits hit flesh, though careful still of claws. "Give it back," he grunted, elbow catching someone else squarely in the nose and a booted foot to another's knee. He missed the last guy, who wrapped an arm around his neck in a headlock. Well, shit.
Throwing his head back, Liam's fangs flashed and he shifted his back, teeth ripping through jacket and cloth and into flesh. "Get off! Give it back!" he insisted over the screams, tail flashing and then a yowl as it was pulled.
A figure rounded the corner behind the fight just as the boy holding on Liam yelled out in pain. Gaia frowned in displeasure, recognizing the group as some of the same ones who had been bothering her and Laura on Halloween.
“Garret. Give him back his hat.”
"We're just having fun," the guy - Garret - protested.
Liam took advantage to grab the guy on his back and throw him up and over his head with a grunt as the guy screamed. Apparently the self-defense lessons and growing more worked in his favor. Grabbing his beanie, he made sure he stepped on the guy under him as he got up, moving towards Gaia. Did he care that he'd been 'saved' by a girl? Absolutely not. He was grateful it wasn't the police trying to arrest him! Making a face and spitting, he used his sleeve to wipe his mouth.
Gaia made a small icked noise at the blood that was spat out. Seemingly from nowhere, a small pebble hit one of the boys still standing firmly between the eyes. Just hard enough to leave a mark.
All the malicious confidence they’d had a few moments ago seemed to deflate. The group scampered away from the mutants, clutching their various wounds and bruises.
Adjusting her own hat, she turned on her heels and motioned to Liam to follow with a flick of her head. “Come. They do not deserve any more of our time.”
Glaring, Liam made sure the other guys were headed away before he followed Gaia. "I hate people," he said tiredly. He didn't hate anyone. He just hated being bothered like that. Harassed. He hadn't wanted to fight.
“Indeed. They are frequently unpleasant. And loud.” Rummaging around in her pocket, Gaia handed him a lollipop. “For the taste. Do you often find yourself in physical altercations?”
Unwrapping it and popping it in his mouth, Liam paused, staring at Gaia. Huh. That actually worked. "No. You regularly carry lollipops to get rid of bad tastes in your mouth?" He'd been in exactly three physical fights before. With Sharon, with that girl when he'd been kidnapped (and he hadn't gotten all that far) and now this. "I don't like fighting."
Gaia shrugged, pulling out another one for herself. Where the sweets were manifesting from was a mystery. "That is wise. I myself have no disposition towards physical violence." To herself, at least. Telekinetic violence was another story.
"I'm a lover, not a fighter," he joked, "but the self defense I've been learning did come in handy. But....I don't think I'm ready for a 3 on 1 yet. So...thanks for the assist."
“You are welcome. It is fortuitous that they let off when they did. I would not be much assistance otherwise.”
"What you weren't going to jump into the melee and help me?" Liam asked, half joking. It would be nice if she did, but also, she was probably half his size. So maybe not so great.
That earned him a look. "My capabilities lie elsewhere." Mainly in the non-physical. "You seemed to have that front covered."
"Rude!" he laughed, "You're so mean! I bet you could have taken them down all by yourself, strong independent lady that you are," he was fully joking, because even if Gaia could, she was clearly uninterested. Stil, she helped when he needed it and that was good. And she gave him a lollipop.
"Indeed. Next time they dare cross you they will surely be met with the full force of my combative prowess," Gaia responded dryly. The corner of her mouth, however, quirked up in a telling smile.
"As they should," Liam agreed, almost primly, his tail brushing her shoulders. Friendly.
She smiled a little more, normally stiff posture easing itself slightly. “Mm. Do you require medical assistance? Or, would you rather this encounter remain between us?” Gaia asked.
"Yeah... just between us is good," Liam agreed. "I'm fine. Nothing worth medical."
A secret. Gaia liked those. She flashed a sliver of teeth. “My…. lips are sealed? I believe that is the phrase.”
