Melba thought for a moment, possibly even long enough for the pause to be detectable before she said, "Partners is cool, but even if you refuse to lead, you still get to be Nestor Makhno, because you've met these vampires before and yet you're one of us, a teen, not somebody with centuries old agendas to keep to.  Still, if we DO have to get fit and stuff, I guess I can do it... just cut out the sweets and umm, what Garrett said, DANCE!"

The next pause was probably undetectable, less than the flicker from one frame to the next on celluloid.  "And I still want in when they dress you down, both because I can argue with authority, and because they have knowledge we teens may need, especially after we messed up the pretty faces of some of Gabrielle's girls."

Buffy nodded to Melba. She looked around, but didn't see anyone else. She guessed it was just the three of them. She looked to Garrett, then to Melba. The blonde sighed, then stood up and stretched. She nodded towards the gym with her head. "Time to go do...stuff?" Buffy blinked. "Sudden realization, I have no idea if this is a talking or training session..." Buffy shrugged. It was time to find out. She looked both ways, then crossed the street, stepping through the grimy glass doors of the gym that did not let you see inside the place anymore.

"Gym", muttered Melba.  "Oh well, what the Niflheim, let's go", and she nodded to Garrett, then followed Buffy.

Garrett stood and smirked at Melba. Behind his back, Garrett caused the dandelion he had been holding to erupt into flames. He let the ash trail behind as he followed  Mel and Buffy to the gym,

BJ was up on 'the rack' a series of pegs set between two beams leading up to the ceiling. The coach was holding a rod that was a bit longer than the gap and put it over her head and hooked it in place, then hung from the rod and crossed her legs to keep from standing and then with a series of muscular twitches moved upward two gaps at a time. The coach's muscle tone was impressive as she pulled her body up in a series of snapping movements that had her upwards of fifteen off the ground quickly before dropping to the mat on the floor below.

"Ah Ms. Summers.. so happy you could pencil us in your business social calender." Her smile broadened as Melba and Garret were spotted. "And more of my students show up..excellent. I hope you guys brought work out clothing, I think we'll need to see what you're capable of doing when you're not shirking your PE credit."

Melba grinned, "A bit more notice and I'd build me an exoskeleton like in Aliens for now, I guess I'm just here to give y'all a laugh".

Luthien leaned on a wall, smiling. He wouldn't be needed yet, the coach, being a coach, knew far better how to train body and mind then he did. He was there mostly to give Buffy an adequate sparring partner when the time came. A Slayer's power could not be taken lightly.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:36, Tue 07 Jan 2014.

"Cute Ms. Ellenberger, how about this.. what do you have in your pockets right now?" BJ asked as she walked over. She smiled at her as she walked over. "You guys got lucky the other night. Having the slayer.. a point in your favor. Another is that you went as a group. Question.. do you have a holy symbol on you?"

BJ's normal 'nice cheerful coach' manner isn't present.

Melba looked in her pockets, "6H pencil, penlight, waterpistol, cellphone, tampons, storecards, bottle of isopropanol, cigarette lighter. Assorted pens.  No Holy symbol unless a picture of Kurt and Courtney counts".
This message was last edited by the player at 05:19, Tue 07 Jan 2014.

Garrett tails behind Melba, close at her side. Coach seemed to be laying it on heavy just as they walked in the door. What was she playing at? Hadn't they proven themselves already?

And no. He hadn't brought any workout clothing. He also was suddenly very conscious of everyone in the room looking their way and expecting physical performance out of them. Mel seemed to be good humored about it all, but she was a little more forgiving when it came to swallowing physical performance, that damn beauty. Garrett wasn't about to get sweaty in front of all these people, especially since they were definitely going to judge him for not being as strong as the Slayer...

Forget that ish.

"But coach, shirking PE credit is how we earn our street cred," he said, half-halfheartedly.

"Sorry.. trying to point out that in the world you've come into that you need to be ready to think on your feet and do a minimal amount of prep. I could try and scare you off." She jerked a thumb at Clive. "That's his job. Watcher don't like me being here, I'm betting he likes 'bystanders' less. I just want to point out you have a powerful weapon if you want to use it. Your wits. Both of you are sharp and on your feet thinkers."


"Lecture done..what do you want out of what we're offering to teach?" BJ vaulted to distance to the boxing ring and the the ropes to stand in the ring. "Speaking of testing and evaluating, I believe you were ready to spar with me Mr. Whitlock?" BJ said, pointing to his waiting pads and headgear.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:27, Tue 07 Jan 2014.

"Coach Cordova is correct.  On all fronts.  I am not fond of her being here, but even less so of the idea of unprepared teens running into the fray.  However loathed as I am to say it Bonita, err Coach Cordova, is also correct in that if you are insistent on standing alongside Buffy your only assets are your wits.  Luckily I am not remiss to say that wits go a long way."

He knew that wasn't their first run in with vampires.  Hell it wasn't their first run in with those vampires.  Clive had been hopeful that their fellow classmate being kidnapped would dissuade them from pursuing into seeking out anything else about the supernatural.  Not that he was surprised when they weren't.  Still curious living teens were much better than deceased, there was no harm in at the very least following through with B.J.'s game plan to guarantee they'd survive.

If not only because a do as I say ultimatum would've struck too close of a chord to home.  Clive finished placing a set of gloves and protective headgear on his person before making his way towards Bonita.  And while he had absolutely no doubt in his mind as to the fact that the coach was physically fit, Clive admittedly thought she had been overselling the whole 'family had been fighting things that go bump in the night' angle.  So he when he brought himself into a defensive posture it was with an overt sense of confidence.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:16, Tue 07 Jan 2014.

Melba nodded.  "That is understood, Coach.  My first question is, do they burn, because I could make a pretty reasonable flamethrower from what's in my pockets and if the Man didn't keep threatening to try me as an adult, I could go further. Oh by the way, please don't kill Mr Whitlock, Coach, I have a few thousand questions I'd like to ask him."

Buffy pointed at Clive. "Wits and a killer sense of fashion." Buffy watched Coach Cordova step into the ring, and Clive follow her shortly thereafter. She was both insanely curious to see just who would come out on top, and she felt her own blood quicken a touch at the thought of a fight. Instead, Buffy drifted quietly to one side of the ring, and waited to see the 'fireworks'.

"Take a number Melba. I have many questions already and Mr. Whitlock is playing the 'Need to Know' on me. I doubt he'll be any more forthcoming with you." She pulled on a pair of gloves and stepped up to tap the heavier protected Whitlock.

Her first blow was fast, and rang like a gunshot as she all but threw him across the ring with a snap kick that was was nothing but a blur of motion.

"Now.. me.. I'm not the sort who wears tweed or school ties and I can only trace my family back to around the foundation of the Virgina colony on my mother's side instead of the Norman Conquest of England." The coach's casual tone didn't hide her scorn. "We folk from LA judge by action. Show me what you got Whitlock."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:12, Tue 07 Jan 2014.

Fashion was a must, and Garrett appreciated that in a miniature juggernaut like lil' B over here. "You said it Buff."

He had the same questions as Melba, and hoped that he would find out the answers sooner rather than later. Garrett nodded to Melba, jerking his chin toward where Buffy stood near the ring with the PE coach and the librarian inside. This didn't seem like a fair fight, but it is nice to laugh every once in a while.

And hey, when you get knocked on your ass sometimes you gotta laugh it off or the pain'll stick around long after. Garrett preferred never to step into the ring, and if it does come to fighting, to find a safe corner after inevitable defeat.

Clive was winded as he stumbled back to his feet as the blow knocked him clear on his back to speak nothing of the distance covered.  To say the force behind the blow was more than any educator had reason to be packing was putting it mildly.  "Yes, fashion cannot forget all the important bases.  I believe I saw those little cartoon stars."  Taking a moment to wonder if he should second the don't kill Mr. Whitlock request, Clive made his way back B.J.  She really does not like being kept in the dark.

Complying with the B.J.'s request Clive would come back at the coach with a textbook jab.  Although the motion came off comfortably even after practically being ragdolled, the difference between the speed of his fist and and B.J.'s kick was quite obvious.

As was BJ's catching the jab with almost casual ease in her hand. It looked like something out of a martial arts movie, BJ just stopping the punch dead. The others were to her back so only Clive could see the 'oh please' look in her eye as she used her left palm to snap out, grab him one handed and lift him completely off his feet and slam him to the mat.

"While this might be a boxing gym, we no longer follow the Marquis of Queensberry here Mr. Whitlock." She said casually as she stepped back to let the Watcher recover his feet and get up. "And no.. Melba, niether you or Garrett , will be sparring like this. At least at first."  She said as she glanced back at them. "Ms. Summers will be after we evaluate her current abilities though."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Wed 08 Jan 2014.

Chan dragged herself in a little later than some of the others. Things hadn't really been much easier even now that she'd had at least a little time to recover. She wasn't really sleeping particularly great, and while she kept trying to draw or her paint way to some sort of resolution, as of yet it hadn't happened. So when she couldn't sleep she drew or painted, and none of it was particularly pleasant or happy.

It was hard not to think back to the last time she'd spent any length time with the others. Hard not to think back to the near paralyzing terror and certainty that her time was about to come to a vicious end. A teenage girl was not supposed to be directly confronted by her own mortality. The whole thing had been like being in a cage with a Tiger. "Hello, sorry I'm late. Darius will be in a bit, he had a few things to take care of."

Melba watched quietly, trying to memorise the moves and quietly consider whether there was anything of the slightest use to someone as plus-sized as herself.  She nodded when Chan came in and said "Hey", but otherwise remained uncharacteristically silent, upper teeth visible on her lower lip.

Meanwhile...

Cheerleader practice concluded for the afternoon.  Since it was Spring, the girls would cheer on the baseball team. The roster only changed moderately, based on dating arrangements and clique loyalty.

Gracie Lynn Dupree ALWAYS led the cheerleaders as Captain.
Lucy Whitfield always coveted her "best friend's" spot.

As usual, the girls met up in the girls' restroom just outside the cafeteria.  The cheerleaders usually sneaked smokes, gossiped, and plotted the course of the other kids' social destiny.  Beautiful, capricious, often cruel gods they were!  Gracie Lynn hung out with Lucy and a mutual friend, Kelsey Jameson.  Kelsey was a petite redhead with an impish smile and dry sense of humor.  Lucy gabbed about a party while Kelsey touched up her makeup.

Gracie remembered a rumor that Coach Cordova invited--nay, summoned--Buffy to a private gym on the west side. ..

Luthien, meanwhile, smiled at the Slayer. He hadn't forgotten what he was actually here for.

"When you get bored with watching them duke it out, you'll be sparring with me."

And then he waited, patient as ever.

Gracie Lynn looked at the other girls as she was glad to get back to more normal things. She might love her family but they were so not with it. She looked at Kelsey "So, you heard anything good recently?"

Kelsey stared into the mirror.  A deep frown showed as she applied lipstick.  The question interrupted Kelsey, who snapped, "No!"

What?" Kelsey sighed.  "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Don't be so jumpy, makeup can be fixed. I was hoping there might be some good parties soon" she said as she looked in the mirror also.