[center][h2][color=ed1c24][i][b]Drake “D” Edwards & Sally Hendricks[/b][/i][/color][/h2] [img] https://image.ibb.co/mbnbKq/drake3post.jpg [/img][img]https://hochyvseznat.ru/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/883a74d48bd236138bf56b4cbc57e695.jpg[/img][/center] [hr][center][color=ed1c24][b]Location:[/b][/color] Ashford Institute for the Gifted > Danger Room[color=ed1c24] [b]Interactions/Mentions:[/b][/color] [@BoyMom69035] [/center][hr][hr] Drake looked at his phone. 4:36pm. Classes were over and his fifth wind was starting to die out. There's no doubt that sleep would be coming soon. [color=f7976a][i]Just gotta make sure I crash hard[/i][/color], he told himself. He posted up on the side of the courtyard and put a cigarette in his mouth. Without even a gesture, a cherry formed on the end of it as smoke bellowed out Drake's nostrils. With his cig in his lips, he reached both hands into separate pockets. One pulled out a white baggy, the other pulled out his keys. Discreetly, he self medicated before putting both back where they were. He was running on fumes, but wanted to make sure he truly hit empty. He could think of a couple of ways. Exercise, training, adult recreation... [color=f7976a][i]Hmmm[/i][/color]. His right eyebrow raised as a thought came to mind. Maybe he could hit a few birds with one stone. He picked up his phone again and scrolled through his list of contacts, landing on one Sally Hendricks. After selecting her, he began typing. [color=f7976a]Hey. What are you up to?[/color] The metalcore music blared in her ears as she mercilessly let loose on the dummy in the Danger Room. Since they had begun learning self defense, Sally had taken quite a liking to being able to beat the shit out the dummies. It also felt better knowing that, in situations where she would need to defend herself or others, she would be able to. Though her hits still weren't near as strong and effective as she would have liked, she knew where to place them for maximum efficiency. With one final grunt of effort, Sally whipped her leg and, kicked the dummy, nearly knocking it over. Apparently her legs were stronger than her arms. Standing still now, exposed skin glistening with sweat, Sally felt a vibration on her side, followed by a tone, indicating she had a message. Looking down at the her phone, she pulled it free from her waistband and swiped the screen with her thumb. An inquisitive eyebrow raised. Drake. Quickly typing back, she replied, [color=hotpink]Just beating up a dummy in the DR. Too bad it's not Isaac. What about you?[/color] [color=f7976a]Nada. Care if I join?[/color] [color=f7976a][i]Exercise it is[/i][/color], he thought to himself. He continued to smoke while waiting for the response. Sally had been a godsend. When things were getting too tense or stress became overwhelming, she was there willing to help relieve it. He felt that they had become a lot closer as of late, leaning on eachother more and more. He hadn't totally opened up about what he was going through, but his lack of sleep these days was fairly obvious. When asked about it, his go-to was to blame insomnia. Seemed simpler. Only Aya had a deeper understanding and that's just because she saw the beast for herself. Whether it was embarrassment, fear, or something else, Drake was just cautious about opening up. With her phone in her hand, Sally watched, waited for Drake to reply. As soon as it came through, she grinned and shrugged as she typed out, [color=hotpink]Sure, if you don't mind getting beat by girl.[/color] A devious little chuckle errupted from within her and she went into her music to find something smoother. Once she did, she began to stretch, cooling off for a moment while she waited. So, she and Drake had, had several more... fun filled nights, and at first, that's all they were. Here lately, they had been spending more and more time together, and dare she say, she was starting to like him. That would be kept her little secret, though. As far as he knew, it was all just fun and stress relief... which, it was. He had seen better days, that was sure. Several times he had come to her, just needing someone to talk to, even about the most stupidest shit. And she was more than happy to offer her attention for a while. He wasn't sleeping. He was drinking more. She even suspected there was something else, but never said anything. His pupils gave him away everytime, though. Drake read the text with a crooked grin before putting his phone away. He took the last drag of his cigarette before discarding it. Drake quickly wiped his nose off with his fingers before making steps toward the direction of the Danger Room. [center][img]https://media1.tenor.com/images/e61960a297d5a8ae85716d81c44a9902/tenor.gif[/img][/center] He wasn't really dressed for the occasion, but he really didn't want to keep Sally waiting, either. He walked into the Danger room in his white button-up and black jeans, hanging back for a moment to watch Sally at work. Seeing a woman take out her wrath with violence was... enticing. Before too long, though, he felt obligated to make his presence known. he came from behind her, knowing she had her ear buds in, and tapped on her shoulder. Sally, not having heard Drake enter, continued her stretching. Her eyes were closed, and she took slow, deep breathes. In her nose. Out her mouth. She felt as if someone were in the room with her, but ignored the feeling, and kept on with her motions. Something she'd regret in three... two... one... [Color=hotpink]"Jesus Christ!"[/color] Sally whipped around, her eyes wide as she saw who had startled her. It was none other than Drake. Ripping her ear buds out, she rolled her eyes and exhaled heavily, laughing. [Color=hotpink]"Was that necessary? Really?"[/color] Pulling her phone free from her waistband, she wrapped her ear buds around it and gently dropped it to the floor. She then took the time to examine him. He looked good. Well, as good as he could with someone that wasn't sleeping well. Sally tilted her head a bit and took a step closer to him, looking into his eyes. Raising an eyebrow, she huffed and stepped back again. [Color=hotpink]"You really should stop using that stuff,"[/color] she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. [Color=hotpink]"There are better ways."[/color] With that being said, she walked to the middle of the room, then turned to face him. [Color=hotpink]"Come on,"[/color] she urged as a grin parted her lips. She gave him an upward nod and looked him over. [Color=hotpink]"Not scared, are ya?"[/color] "[color=f7976a]Maybe a little,[/color]" he smirked. He brought his thumb to his nose, giving it a flick before getting in fighting stance. An homage to Keanu Reeves from [i]The Matrix[/i]. Sally was tough and not afraid of a little roughness. "[color=f7976a]We doing powers?[/color]" he asked before taking the first sweeping kick toward her leg. Sally raised an eyebrow and got into the defensive stance. She bent her knees a bit and lowered her body, bringing her arms up, fists near her face. It was your standard defensive pose, the one Pierce had taught them. At least, the ones that had never been in an actual fight before. Sally quickly hopped back, moving away from Drake's first attack. She shook her head in response to his question. [Color=hotpink]"Nah, that wouldn't be fair, because then I could just do... this,"[/color] she stepped back and lashed her arm out in a gentle 'get away' motion. It knocked the man off his feet and sent him back just a bit. Sally grinned. [Color=hotpink]"How about good ole hand to hand,"[/color] she asked as she resumed the defensive pose, giving him a playful wink. Drake laid on the ground for a second with a smirk. [color=f7976a][i]Great suggestion[/i][/color], he thought to himself sarcastically. He reached his arms back by his head and rolled his wrists backward, palms down against the floor, while his knees tucked into his torso. In one fluid move, he sprang up and was back on his feet. "[color=f7976a]Deal.[/color]" He wasn't sure if it was this or what he did earlier, but his blood was pumping again. He was excited. Whatever it was, it was working. He knew that Sally suspected and he refused to lie about it outright. He also wasn't much for talking about it in general. Not unless he had to. Right now, all he had to do was try and land a blow. "[color=f7976a]How's your jiu jitsu?[/color]" A mischievous grin formed on his face as he began to advance. Impressive. Drake could do the little flippy thing and jump back to his feet . She would [i]never [/i] be able to do something like that. But the fact that he could, was incredibly impressive. Sally was so ditzy, tripping over her own feet, it would never happen. She raised an eyebrow at Drake's question. Jiu Jitsu? Was Pierce teaching them that? She had no idea, so in response, she simply shrugged. [Color=hotpink]"Guess you'll just have to find out, hmm?"[/color] Her blue eyes watched as he approached her, and her body tensed, ready and waiting. Drake leered at her before making his move. Springing forth, he moved his shoulder in on her, like a linebacker, aiming for her midsection, before grabbing her behind the knees with both arms, raising her into the air. In a typical combat scenario, this would be the part where you spear your opponent to the ground and go for the lock. Instead, Drake spun one hundred eighty degrees with Sally in his arms. Rather than her falling to her back, he fell to his with her on top, taking the fall damage upon himself and leaving himself pinned. With a hard thud, he started laughing. "[color=f7976a]So it starts with the takedown,[/color]" he said finally, "[color=f7976a]And then you've got to restrain them, make them beg for mercy.[/color]" He looked into her eyes and wiggled his eyebrows while giving a goofy smile. He was clearly a glutton for punishment. Sally's eyes widened as soon as Drake charged her. His approach was so fast, she hardly had time to think or react. She prepared herself for his shoulder to slam into her stomach, but was caught off guard by his next move. Instead of hitting her, he lifted her up, hardly losing his momentum. She then prepared to be slammed to the ground. But again, it didn't happen. Drake had spun them around and fell to his back, leaving her on top of him. For a moment, she was worried that he was hurt. With a concerned gasp, she quickly sat up, looking down at him. His laughter though, quickly made her concern vanish, and she couldn't help but smile. [Color=hotpink]"That's not how it's supposed to go,"[/Color] she said in playful irritation as she punched him gently in his chest. Rolling her eyes, she met Drake's, and her smile slowly started to fade. Sally ran the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip, quickly following with a soft bite. She let her lip roll out from between her teeth before realizing what was happening. Gasping softly, Sally quickly straightened up and raised an eyebrow. [Color=hotpink]"Weren't we supposed to be sparring,"[/Color] she asked with a sly little grin. Drake's eyebrows dropped, his once toothy grin turning into a crooked hairline of a smile. His legs bent upward, his feet planting themselves flat on the ground between Sally's straddled legs. He moved his shoulders down, becoming flush with the ground as well. "[color=f7976a]If you insist[/color]", he said finally. He let loose a sudden, exaggerated pelvic thrust, sending Sally upward, her torso moving past his face. In the moment, he turned his body and held Sally stomach-down to the ground. He found himself on top of her now, sitting on her glutes. He quickly wrestled her arms around and held them together behind her back with his left hand. With his right, he pulled her hair back, leaned in toward her ear and said, "[color=f7976a]Your move.[/color]" Sally noticed the sudden change in Drake's demeanor. The disappearance of his smile, the dropping of his eyebrows. What the Hell was he thinking? And then, her question was answered. She felt his hips suddenly jerk up, tossing her up off of him. Her eyes widened in shock and she gasped, her arms shooting out in front of her to catch herself. In just mere seconds, she felt him grab a hold of her and push her down, climbing on top of her. At this point, her instincts kicked in. Before she could make a move though, Drake had her arms behind her back, pinned. She then felt him grab a fistful of her hair, and pull her head back. Sally winced, hissing softly through her teeth. Swallowing hard, she tried to keep thoughts of... other activities from her head. His voice suddenly in her ear brought her back to reality. [I]Her move. It was her move [/i] Sally squirmed a bit underneath Drake, desperately searching her mind of what she could do. And then it hit her. The only thing she could think to do. The only thing she'd be able to do. Sally focused her energy, and with a slight cry of effort, shoved him up, off of her. As soon as she felt him leave her, she quickly rolled onto her back and caught him mid air, her hand out in front of her to help control him better. She felt a little guilty for using her ability but, she wasn't about to give up. Not that easy. [Color=hotpink]"Your move, Drake,"[/Color] she said playfully as she brought him closer to her, but kept him out of arms reach. Drake hung in the air suspended, with a sideways smile. "[color=f7976a]You said no powers,[/color]" he reminded. "[color=f7976a]Liar, liar...[/color]" Small embers began to form on the ankle of Sally's pants as Drake's eyes noticeably shifted downward and back up, attempting to make sure she took notice. All Sally could do was smile and shrug. Yeah, she said no powers, but it would have been a little difficult to have gotten Drake off of her any other way. He was much bigger and stronger. She was just about to say something in response when she noticed his eyes shift downwards, then back up to her. Her smile faded quickly and she lifted her head, looking down. Her fuckin pants were on fire! Sally gasped and quickly rolled out from under Drake, releasing her hold on him. She sat up and started slapping at her pants, trying to extinguish the embers. Once they were out, she turned sharply in his direction. [Color=hotpink]"Oh it's on,"[/Color] she said as she jumped to her feet. Without missing a beat, she stalked towards him. Her sessions with Pierce came flooding back. Sally started throwing punches and kicks left and right. Though they weren't full strength, they packed a punch. Her face was set in determination. She would hit him one way or another. Drake recomposed himself and then was taken a little aback by Sally's onslaught. He tried to dodge and block as best he could, but he was up against a furious frenzy of conviction. A couple of the kicks landed followed by a strike to the jaw. He was going to feel that tomorrow. "[color=f7976a]Jesus, alright,[/color]" he said finally, surrendering to the request to actually spar. With her next strike, Drake turned his body to the right, letting the punch go past his chest. With his left fist, he struck at Sally's unguarded stomach, wincing as he did it, scanning her face for a reaction. [color=f7976a][i]Pleasedon'tbepissedpleaseddon'tbepissed.[/i][/color] With each hit or kick that landed, Sally felt more and more powerful. A grin started to grow on her lips. Even more so when Drake finally decided to go up against her. He moved out of the way of one of her hits, and turned the tables on her. Drake had actually hit her. The blow to her stomach caught her entirely off guard. Her eyes instantly grew and an gasped, doubling over. [Color=hotpink]"Fuck,"[/Color] She wheezed as she put her arm over her stomach. It took her a moment to catch her breath, but when she did, she managed a weak chuckle. Sally forced herself to stand and met Drake's eyes, a malicious smile forming on her lips. She slowly walked over to Drake, holding her hand out, gesturing for him to shake it. [Color=hotpink]"Good job."[/Color] Drake rubbed his jawline with his thumb and index finger, moving his chin side to side as if recalibrating. "[color=f7976a]Yeah[/color]," he said with a breathy voice. It was certainly impressive. He took Sally's extended hand and gave it a singular shake. But he didn't let go. His eyes bore into hers as he let the silence permeate the room. Seconds passed before he finally uttered, "[color=f7976a]What are you doing after this?[/color]" Sally stared at Drake, her heart fluttering for just a moment. She felt her cheeks heat up, and decided the reason was because of the exertion moments ago. His sudden question caught her a bit off guard, and her eyes widened a bit. She actually had no idea what she was going to do after this. Her lips parted as if she were going to say something, but she just smiled and shrugged instead. [Color=hotpink]"I have no idea, honestly. Why?"[/Color] She had thought about going to the bar event that had been advertised for this weekend, but had never made her mind up about it. So, as of now, she didn't have any plans. [Color=hotpink]"What about you?"[/Color] "[color=f7976a]Well I've got two ideas[/color]," Drake said. "[color=f7976a]The second is for tonight. Be my date to that thing[/color]," He said, his head nodding toward the exit where the hallways were decorated with flyers for he music event downtown. Sally released Drake's hand and let her own drop back to her side. She tilted her head a bit as she listened to him, and then turned her attention in the direction he nodded. Seeing the flyers, she quickly looked back at him, a slow grin tugging at her lips. [Color=hotpink]"Drake Edwards. You're asking me on a date?"[/color] The thought actually thrilled her, and scared her at the same time. And then her thoughts went to what the first thing could possibly be. She had an idea, but pushed it aside. Her blue eyes stared into his, nearly completely, red ones. The tugging at her lips transformed into a full blown grin. [Color=hotpink]"Yeah, I'll go with you. I'll need to clean up and change first, though."[/Color] She then tilted her head again and narrowed her eyes. [Color=hotpink]"Just out of curiosity, what was the first idea?"[/Color] Drake wiggled his eyebrows and let a smirk form on his face. He then held out his hand, seeing if Sally would take the bait and let him lead her out. As soon as she saw the expression on his face, she knew. She knew without a doubt what the "first" idea was, and she couldn't help the grin that broke out across her face. Her eyes glanced down at his hand, and she took it without hesitation. [Color=hotpink]"Lead the way,"[/Color] She responds as she tightens her hand in his, much like she had during their first encounter.