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

[vineleaves]

Dionysus pulls himself up off the floor, this time his knees are what pops though. "I sound like bubble wrap," he comments, mostly to himself for obvious reasons.

[futaille]

He stands, with notably fewer pops. "I get the idea of what you're saying, but I have no idea what bubble wrap is."

[vineleaves]

"Sheet of thin plastic, with a grid of tiny air-filled bubbles on it. Meant to be used for packing fragile things so they don't break, but it's also just fun to pop the bubbles. Want to go try and find some?"

[futaille]

"Absolutely. It sounds quite entertaining."

[vineleaves]

"With any luck we'll find a whole roll of it," he says, already heading for the door.

[futaille]

He follows in Dionysus's wake. "It comes in rolls?"

[vineleaves]

"Yeah, so that places that ship a lot of things can get it in bulk. I think it's usually perforated so they can rip of a sheet at a time. At least whenever I've seen it that's how it's been." He opens a closet hoping to see a big roll, but the only thing in that closet is one half-empty pack of AAA batteries.

[futaille]

"I am enthralled by the concept, I must say."

[vineleaves]

"If we find a whole roll I'll lay some out and tap dance on it for you," he says as he opens another door. This one is just an empty half-bath, but not the usual half.

[futaille]

"Finding a roll seems imperative, now."

[vineleaves]

The next door is a storage room full of metal folding chairs.

[futaille]

"Why would those even be necessary?"

[vineleaves]

"Sitting, obviously," he laughs. "Let's open the next door together, maybe that'll work. Pool our collective luck."

[futaille]

"There are much better places to sit." He stops at the next door and puts his hand on the knob. "Ready when you are."

[vineleaves]

"Alright," he puts his hand over Grantaire's and opens the door to find -- "Aha! Knew that would work." Because Grantaire is the favorite, of course. He reaches in the closet and pulls out a giant three-foot-diameter roll of bubble wrap.

[futaille]

"That is... certainly large."

[vineleaves]

"We won't run out any time soon."

[futaille]

"That has the sound of a challenge."

[vineleaves]

He tears off two squares, hands one to Grantaire, then sets the roll down so he can start popping his own square.

[futaille]

He starts on his own, fascinated.

[vineleaves]

"This is fun too," he says before rolling the sheet up and twisting it, like wringing water out of a washcloth. It crackles in a very satisfying sort of way. "That's what my bones sound like."

[futaille]

Grantaire laughs and then gets an idea. He spreads his sheet out carefully on the ground before leaping onto it quite heavily with both feet.

[vineleaves]

"Exactly!" he laughs. Never one, as we know, to go back on a promise, he unrolls a long line of the bubble wrap from the spool, and starts dancing on it, naturally proving his own background music as he does so. It's clearly not the ideal situation for tap dance, especially considering he's wearing sandals and not tap shoes, but the constant popping sound of the bubble wrap is a funny enough substitution that it's worth it, he thinks.

[futaille]

"Oh, that's remarkably clever. Well done."

[vineleaves]

He laughs, bending down to tear off the now very deflated sheets and set them to the side. "It's better when it's not on bubble wrap, and I've got the appropriate shoes on, but it was alright, I suppose. I could teach you tap sometime if you'd like. Noisy dancing."