Open Post: La savate et le chausson

[futaille]

Much to his satisfaction, Grantaire has been able to keep up with many of his hobbies unabated during his time at the mansion. Not all of them, though, mostly because they were ones he'd go to specific spots for, and with those spots not being here in addition to an abundance of his other hobbies, they more or less fell by the wayside.

However, a recent chat with Dionysus has reminded him that he has very much neglected his 'hitting things' level. Although he didn't find a crash test dummy, the thought being on his mind ended up in him stumbling upon a small gym tucked away, complete with some equipment including a standing punching bag.

So he's discarded his waistcoat and cravat over a bench and is practicing his savate¹.

¹French kickboxing! During R's time it was basically for streetfighting, and just beginning to get formalized, but there are some cool vintage videos on youtube (Here and here) to give the... vibe.

Comments

[sagramore]

"Thou surely knowst that's maddeningly attractive," Sagramore remarks from the door. He hasn't seen Grantaire since he was swapped out with his less existentially sad counterpart, and he's very happy to lay eyes on his version.

[futaille]

He laughs and bestows one more kick to the bag before stepping back and turning. "Maddeningly?"

[sagramore]

"Chaotically. Infuriatingly. Apoplectically."

[futaille]

"Not only is that the first time I've ever been called apoplectically attractive, I suspect it may be the first time anyone has."

[sagramore]

"Sometimes it's just about grabbing for adjectives."

[vineleaves]

“That’s probably much better than if we had found you a crash test dummy,” Dionysus says from where he has decided to sit and “supervise”.

[futaille]

"Given that this was made for the purpose, that seems quite likely."

[vineleaves]

“Wild how that works out, huh.”

[futaille]

He smirks as he delivers another kick to the bag. "If I ever need to crash a vehicle, though..."

[vineleaves]

“First we would need to find a vehicle to crash. Anyway, totally unrelated to anything going on right now whatsoever, but have I told you recently that you are incredibly, incredibly hot?”

[kadewest]

Here's Kade, following the sounds of thumping! He watches from the doorway for a moment.

"Good form," he says, eventually.

[futaille]

He steps back, looks over, and grins. "Thank you!"

[kadewest]

Kade takes a few steps into the room. "What's the occasion?"

[futaille]

"Oh, not much of an occasion, really. I just didn't want to get too out of practice."

[kadewest]

Kade is still sore from his beloathed morning run. "I know what that's like."

[papadopoulos]

Apollo, attracted by the sounds of punching, is leaning against the doorway watching appreciatively. "Been a long time since I've seen savate," he says, in French despite the mansion translation system. "Then again, it's also been a long time since I've spent time in France."

[futaille]

He laughs and steps away from the bag. "The one would follow from the other, yes."

[papadopoulos]

"You're good," he says, with a small smile. "It had just started becoming a legitimate sport in your time, right?"

[futaille]

"I think some people were starting to formalize it, yes."

[papadopoulos]

"Mm. It hasn't quite made its way internationally yet, but they're working on it in my time."

[lightbearinglord]

Like many before him, Lan Wangji has been drawn by the rhythmic sound of Grantaire's hands and feet making contact with the bag. It doesn't have the sound of combat -- that is a messier thing, scrambled and uneven. But it is unusual enough to interest him.

Characteristically, he doesn't say anything. He only stands in the doorway and watches, sharp-eyed in his observation of Grantaire's technique.

[futaille]

It takes a while before he notices Lan Wangji at all. He eventually steps away from the bag to grab a drink of water and happens to see him at the door. "Oh! Hello!"

[lightbearinglord]

Now that he has been noticed, Lan Wangji does bow, brief but respectful with it. "Young master Grantaire." He glances toward the punching bag, then back to Grantaire. "I was unaware you practiced hand-to-hand combat."

[futaille]

"Oh. Yes." He grabs his water bottle and takes a drink. "It makes sense that you wouldn't know, though, because this is the first I've practiced here, anyway."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji politely doesn't make any comment on that. He practices his own pursuits daily, but Grantaire can decide for himself whether he wants to keep his skills honed or not. "What is this technique?"