[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

the report lands on his desk. it's none-too-surprising, given what he knows of the former beast, but jayden has a duty for follow-up anyways.

[break][break] black shoes press against tile as the door to the training facility slides open, revealing the sight of dorian westcliff punching wildly and aggressively at the targets. the second jayden walks into the room, he glances sharply at the other grunts that fill the space. they scatter like ants, closing the door shut.

[break][break] idly, jayden walks up to him and pulls on a set of obsidian gloves.

[break][break] beside him, one of his porygon-z floated past to join dorian's rotom in manning the machine.

[break][break] "i heard about mauville."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] dorian westcliff[break]
bond bridge (may)

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

he blinked.

[break][break] though it was to be expected, seeing dorian westcliff rush up to him was a sight that he was not used to. after all, the man had practically been in the organization long enough to be someone to raise him. but jayden understood too — rocket's hierarchy was as important as the blood that ran through his veins. something that could not be missed.

[break][break] at the other's words, he paused.

[break][break] "if underboss quinn thought it was fitting, then i agree with him."

[break][break] after all, jayden would have never gone against Cillian Quinn's word.

[break][break] "how is grunt work treating you?"

[break][break] "not too bad, i hope?"

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] dorian westcliff[break]
bond bridge (may)

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"mm."

[break][break] the non-committal response lingered briefly, swallowed by silence as the admin chose to observe the distance separating them. violet eyes briefly flickered towards the thoroughly battered punching bag.

[break][break] "you could use a new target, it seems like," he commented.

[break][break] on his wrist, another one of his PORYGON lit up his watch, which seemed to begin to track his heart-rate and movements.

[break][break] "how about we spar, s- dorian?"

[break][break] "would that be agreeable to you?"

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] dorian westcliff[break]
bond bridge (may)

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

Despite his years in Rocket, Jayden was never under the impression that he was the strongest. Still, he liked to believe he could hold his own — especially given his former status as Beast and current as Offense Admin — but there was little that could be compared to the ruthless nature of being raised directly under SILAS BLACKWELL regime. In some ways, Dmitri had shielded him from that. In others, Dmitri had punished him for it.

[break][break] They spar.

[break][break] The younger man's blows are swift and to the punch, angling for elder's weak points rather than trying to brute force his way through it. On the opposite hand, dorian westcliff's blows were powerful and aggressive, if a bit sloppy in nature — a single punch would have Jayden sailing backward, his jaw throbbing with agony from even a glancing blow. But Jayden was a man well-prepared for suffering, and so the injuries were easy enough to handle.

[break][break] A few quick jabs at the other's pressure points had the esteemed dorian westcliff on his knees before long.

[break][break] "You haven't sparred with another in some time, have you?" Jayden observed, re-wrapping his own knuckles in bandages. They bled, but not anymore than normal. "Where was the dorian westcliff I was taught of as a child — the Mad Dog of Rocket?"

[break][break] Though his face breaks no expression, his tone teeters towards bemusement.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] dorian westcliff[break]
bond bridge (may)

☉

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

'Well done!'

[break][break] The praise sparked an inexplicable thrill — the kind of thrill that was bone-deep, manufactured only through years of torture. To know that someone like dorian westcliff, former Beast and Kantonian, a man that his father would have known and trusted with his life praised him... it didn't matter their difference in rank.

[break][break] It was a guilty feeling, knowing that he was allowed such admiration. It didn't feel deserved.

[break][break] But Jayden didn't say any of that.

[break][break] Not outloud at least.

[break][break] Instead, he nodded firmly, gesturing the other to return to a proper stance.

[break][break] "Very well, then. Let's go again. We have the time, after all. Considering your punishment."

[break][break] Once again, there was that spark of faint bemusement, before Jayden charged.

[break][break] No holds barred.

[break][break] After all, this was dorian westcliff.

[break]

[attr="class","ooc"] dorian westcliff[break]
bond bridge (may)

☉