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Who Alex Reagan and You.
What: Alex needing company while she's being bored out of her mind and supposed to be taking it easy for a week.
When: Whenever you want it set for this week period!
Where: ~~Howard's~~ her and Strand's house
Warnings: None.

[Alex Reagan was not a still person by any means. She was someone who normally was a ball of energy, even when she was entirely sleep deprived and exhibiting all sort of bad judgment. Even the nights where she couldn't sleep, Alex got up, did work, did something so she wasn't just... laying there and not doing anything. This was something that she was seriously having a problem with after she'd spent the first day following the rescue basically sleeping and not being aware of the world. But now that at least some of that sleep debt had been paid off, Alex was bored, and restless and had proclaimed to Richard that she was losing her mind more than once.

Because she'd tried to work, he'd taken away her devices, which reminded her of being home when she was supposed to not use her electronics after ten pm. It was frustrating, because she was a god damn adult, but she'd also agreed to take it easy if he didn't push for her to go to the hospital. It wasn't Alex's fault that she couldn't manage to simply be stubborn and wear him down until he let her go back to normal. Nope, it was all Richard's.

Still, she'd managed to compromise for the big and comfy sofa and company so it wasn't a total loss. After all, she'd declared, that she didn't want random people in their bedroom, and she knew that he'd agreed, because well, Strand was private, save for when Alex put him under a microscope and she was making a good faith effort not to do that anymore. At least not here.

So, when people showed up to the stupidly ornate Victorian house that was still in the process of being put together inside, they were greeted by a annoyed Strand who informed them that "The insufferable one is over there on the couch. You deal with her. You may need wine, or scotch." Before he retreated to a nearby room. And when they came into the living room, Alex was propped up on pillows, and her bruises were in various shades of fading, and she just chirped out as if they were her best friend in the world even though they may not be:]

Hey!

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"So we heard." Now that the threat was over, Elizabeth could afford herself a small smile. "Your recording device was strong enough to pick what sounded like men in pain."

Being captured was nothing to be ashamed about, especially when the odds aren't even. If she had simply gone without putting up a fight, that might warrant feeling guilty over.

Much as she could appreciate a joke, that one about ghosts was a little 'too soon'.

"Well, I have one called 'The five venoms'. It is completely ridiculous, and even with what I have seen in the Temple, I do not believe half of what is shown here, but that is what makes it so enjoyable-and the blood. You know this is not meant to be serious for how bright red and garish the blood is."

Alex had made a point of not asking Richard what had shown up on the recorder, mostly because she didn't want him to have to relive that. He had to relive so much, and she was trying (even if she was being a complete brat, which she would admit to) not to remind him of the whole being kidnapped thing. Not that he needed reminding, probably, not when his brain worked the way that it did.

But she was glad to hear that it had picked up the sound of men in pain though. Because if there's one thing that Alex felt that it was important for them to know, it's that she'd never go down without a fight. Not with creepy cultists who weren't her cultists, and not with creepy cultists who were.

"Yeah, a lot of movies are like that, going back to the classic horror ones. They had to make the blood too real-looking to get past the censors I think!"

"I would think so. Such events are horrible in real life." And of course, they were talking of such things while over dinner and tea. She could only imagine how some of the peerage would respond to this. "There would have to be something added just to remind people that this is not real."

She put her soup down, collecting one of the DVDs to set it into the machine. "This is one called 'The Five Vemons. It is about a martial arts Gang who take their name from five venomous creatures, each with their own fighting style." She looked at her over her shoulder. "Funny enough, there are such martial arts styles, but they are less about actual defense and practiced more for spiritual and physical exercise."

Well, Alex and meals hadn't been genteel affairs in a long time. Even when they'd had Sunday evening dinners at her parents house, it hadn't been easy conversation. Her father was a cop after, and cops can have tough lives. Back home, Alex normally ate out of togo containers at her desk or had really late dinners in the sort of places that were open that late. Now, Richard cooked and they actually ate at the dinner table which was still a little bit weird to her, in the best ways. It was one of those things that actually made her feel like an adult.

But here, and now watching a movie and eating dumplings? Well, this felt achingly familiar. She bunched up on the couch to make it easier to see and of course to balance her food, and because she was Alex she has to ask: "So drunken monkey fighting isn't really a thing huh? That's... disappointing" The humor in her voice says it all, because she wasn't being serious in the slightest.

"One the contary, drunken monkey style is indeed a 'thing'," She knew well enough that Alex was joking, but all the same she couldn't help calling her on it. "But the styles you will see in this movie-a thing, but not as they are portrayed."

The move started playing. She had seen it of course, that was why she knew it was 'safe' to show her in the first place, but even having already seen it, it was still enjoyable. "You must understand that much of the kung-fu 'magic' and mysticism, even in my era were considered as legends-inspiring yes, but not entirely factual. They lent to the mystery behind the teachings."

Alex wasn't going to mention how many white boys happened to love things like this and ran dojos and everything that went along with it. Instead, she just agreed with her: "a lot of these things still really are cloaked in mystery, even if it's because of movies like this back home. I mean, so many people are into things like this."

Alex is sitting up a bit, and she takes another bite of the dumpling, her eyes focused on the movie. This isn't how she'd prefer to watch it of course, but if she put her foot on the floor it would set off some kind of Strand alarm and she didn't want to do that in the slightest. "But it's still cool to see some other kind of mythology, you know?"

A pause and a beat, and Alex poked the bruises on her face before she said softly: "Actually, I was thinking..."

"So I gather," She wasn't so sure what to think about that. For sure, she was glad that no one looked down on her for her travels, but she also did not appreciate some only trained for the sake of appearance, rather than doing so for the discipline and skill required-those were the same sort who preferred to train in Japan back home. "But sometimes I think I prefer the mystery behind things. Atleast, some peoples deserve an amount of respect, as opposed to everyone poking their nose into their business-provided no one gets hurt of course."

Elizabeth was aware of Alex's occupation as a reporter of sorts, so she couldn't fault her that. She could only fault those who had no business or reason to pry.

She turned her attention from the movie, when the old instructor was explaining the techniques of the five students. "yes?"

Alex poked her nose into everything and always had and always will. It's just a part of who she was, so she just shrugged a bit at that. "Some people just can't help themselves. It's just a part of who they are. They ask questions and need to find the answers, whatever the cost." Even if it means doing something incredibly stupid like Alex herself is prone to do.

Which leads her to her question, and she drops her chin into her hand to ask, her eyes meeting Elizabeth's head on. "Do you think you could train me? I mean I've had basic self defense stuff at home, but against two guys who are way bigger than me it couldn't do all that much. I'd rather not be in that position again." A beat, and a deep frown, probably the closest she's come to actually talking about how she feels about what happened when she was taken into the tunnels and how she felt. "Ever." After all, back home there was still Warren and his kidnapping ass.

Elizabeth didn't begrudge Alex her need to uncover what happened, that had helped in the long run. She did worry about how she went into things without consideration.

"Of course," She didn't have to explain. She was still recovering after all; for her to ask for lessons, Elizabeth would have felt less for her if she didn't. "I know you have already had some lessons, as you have mentioned, but once you are ready, we will start less on moves and more for reflexes and strength building."

A defense move was nothing if the reflexes were slow.

Alex just lets out a relieved sound and gives her friend a broad smile. She's glad of this even if she doesn't remember it when she goes home. After all muscle memory was a thing and maybe that would work when nothing else did. As for Alex, she was still hoping that she remembered otherwise a lot of things would be lost.

She didn't want to think about that loss in the slightest.

So instead Alex focused on the future and she just nodded. "Richard would probably appreciate it if I waited the full six weeks the healers told me before I go out and did something like that. But as soon as I get medically cleared I'm in."