AWD #059: Weathering the Storm
Weathering the Storm
Summary: Ceres and Holtz meet up in the fitness center for some (possibly ill-advised) sparring, cheap shots and all. Afterwards, life and relationships are discussed.
Date: 06/03/2013
Related Logs: None
Holtz Ceres 
Fitness Center
Smelling of sweat and grease, the Fitness Center is a place where individuals can come to work out or just work off stress. The area closest to the entrance is taken up by two very large sparring pads with a pathway down the center, each pad removable to reveal a Pyramid court beneath. The walls beside the pads hold lockers for everything from pugilist sticks to boxing gloves to rubber guns, though deadly weapons are strictly prohibited in here except by authorized personnel such as on-duty Military Police. Standing goalposts for Pyramid are also kept against the wall. Past the pads are a vast number of nautilus machines as well as free weights to lift. At the back of the room are workout bikes, rowing machines, treadmills, and stairclimbers. There is an entrance to the pool at the rear as well as a locker room to the side.
March 6, 2005

With CAP done and his shift over for the day, Holtz finds himself in one of his usual haunts, the fitness center. Although the room has its usual activity this time of day, the captain is usually given a wide berth when he's doing his solo workouts — which, as usual, consists of him doing his level best to pulverize one of the punching bags in the room. A light sheen of sweat covers his bare torso as he throws a flurry of punches and kicks at the hanging bag.

Ceres tugs at the towel around her neck, stretching her left hand that is wound with an ace bandage. She grits her teeth, wincing a bit as she crosses the distance to the focused Captain. Watching the bag swing back and forth, she tilts her head, eyes hooding slightly before her chin lifts and a faint smile tugs at her lips. "Always looking like you want cream something," the thick accent lacing her words. "No more willing opponents?" Moving for the gloves, she drops her towel to the side and starts to tug them on.

Holtz lets out a wordless shout as he finishes his combo with a particularly violent looking spin kick. His foot connects with a loud THWAP! and the bag itself continues to jerk and quiver for a moment or two even after he subsides. Hearing Ceres, though, he doesn't launch into another combination right away. Instead, he just looks over at her. "Hey, 'Dux," he greets her as he grabs for his water bottle. "Less and less these days. Think the word's gettin' out," he responds deadpan as he sucks down a mouthful of water.

"Well that is unacceptable," the rich accent sounds amused and helps to cover up the cringe that crosses her features as the glove is tugged onto her left hand. She exhales and tightens the straps, rolling her shoulders and sending the dark braid into movement against her back. Turning to watch that bag shuddering still, she tilts her head and then eyes him. "I am not that bag, yes? I will give this a go with you as long as you promise that I will stay in one piece." One side of her smile ticks up and she walks out onto the adjacent mat.

Holtz' eyebrow twitches, but his mouth spreads in a toothy grin as she pulls on the gloves. He either doesn't seem to notice the wince, or chooses to ignore it. "Well, I can't guarantee nothin'," he drawls, his own earthy Tauron accent warring with her posh Virgon. "But I'll try not to break ya." He pounds his own gloved fists together as he steps onto the empty mat with Ceres, then points one of them in her direction. "Just don't go and try distractin' me like you did with Garrido, yeah?" Smirk.

There comes a clipped laugh at his last and she shakes her head, "I did not distract him at all, just got in a few good hits. Don't you like your women tough, Storm?" There is definitely amusement in her voice as Redux adjusts the strap of her tanks and pushes the coin, ring, and dogtags over her shoulder so they dangle against her back. "I trust you not to make the same mistakes he did, if you do. You will end up with a black eye." Its a light hearted retort before she is stepping in to throw a jab at his chest, testing him.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ceres=melee Vs Holtz=melee
< Ceres: Good Success Holtz: Good Success
< Net Result: Ceres wins - Marginal Victory

Holtz chuckles at Ceres' crack about tough women. "Now, did I say I didn't?" he responds in kind. Her sudden attack takes him a bit by surprise, though; his reflexes are good, but not quite good enough to avoid the blow entirely; he takes a step back as her fist thuds against his chest. "Ohoho," he grunts. "You really do fight dirty, dontcha?" There's another toothy grin as he sets his feet before suddenly charging at her, fists leading the way as he throws a quick one-two at her chin.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Holtz=melee Vs Ceres=melee
< Holtz: Good Success Ceres: Good Success
< Net Result: DRAW

"That was not dirty, Storm. You were just too busy being cheeky." Ceres darts back, just barely and managing to keep her feet from tangling. Without thinking, she turns inward with her left shoulder to drive a strike towards his chest again, testing him from the opposite direction to see his response. "Come now, I am an easy enough target. I expect you to trounce me." Laughing again, she lets that wry grin steal across her lips.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ceres=melee Vs Holtz=melee
< Ceres: Good Success Holtz: Good Success
< Net Result: Holtz wins - Marginal Victory

It's a good strike, straight and true, but this time Holtz is ready for it. She's quick, though, and he barely manages to move quickly enough to avoid taking the full force of the blow. "Hey, I… well, alright, I'll give you that one," he retorts dryly. He circles for a moment, examining her defenses, trying to get a feel for her movements. "See if I can't make that a self-fulfilling prophecy, yah?" Almost even before he gets the last word out, he's rushing at her again, leading with a left jab before throwing an uppercut with his right.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Holtz=melee Vs Ceres=melee
< Holtz: Good Success Ceres: Success
< Net Result: Holtz wins - Marginal Victory

A massive Storm rushing at her, Ceres tries to deflect rather than get out of range and she lifts her right arm, glancing against his blow but it still makes contact as her head dips back. Her teeth clack slightly together and she can feel the metallic taste as her teeth just grace the edge of her tongue. She hisses, and ceases chatting, instead coming back in with her dominant right hand to try to catch him on his cheek as her eyes water just a little.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ceres=melee Vs Holtz=melee
< Ceres: Success Holtz: Success
< Net Result: DRAW

One cannot deflect the Storm; you can only bend with it and hope it doesn't break you. Ceres' fist makes contact with his jaw, but Holtz seems to just shrug off the blow like so much air as he presses his own attack. Like her, he seems to be done chatting, as he throws a low hook at her stomach.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Holtz=melee Vs Ceres=melee
< Holtz: Success Ceres: Failure
< Net Result: Holtz wins - Marginal Victory

The first solid hit and Ceres lets out a slightly pained grunt. She grits her teeth and sucks in a breath over them as she turns and throws a punch at him in turn. The left hook is for his face again, stepping up into the aggressive blow that is unlike the usually collected Captain. Her braid swings with her movement as she steps into the motion of her arm.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ceres=melee Vs Holtz=melee
< Ceres: Great Success Holtz: Good Success
< Net Result: Ceres wins - Solid Victory

"Uff." Holtz grunts with a sharp exhale, his head jerking back as her fist makes solid contact with his jaw. His style is purely offensive, and while it usually serves him well, sometimes it comes with a price. He's accustomed to taking his licks, though, and he shrugs it off with a quick shake of the head, raising his guard a little as he comes back in. He doesn't throw a punch this time, though; this time his leg snaps out in a high kick, much like the one he delivered to the bag when Ceres came in.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Holtz=melee Vs Ceres=melee
< Holtz: Success Ceres: Good Success
< Net Result: Ceres wins - Marginal Victory

Ceres lets out a soft sound as her left hand suddenly seizes up, causing her to grimace. She stumbles back, which helps with the incoming kick, her right arm coming down quickly to push the strike aside. It brings her back in, but slower than before as she throws a strike with her unaligned right arm for his stomach. She does well, keeping her face trained to be unreadable despite how her left hand is lowered.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ceres=melee-1 Vs Holtz=melee
< Ceres: Success Holtz: Success
< Net Result: DRAW

Holtz looks a little surprised when Ceres is able to evade the kick, but he presses on nonetheless. He wades into the blow, and her fist lands before she's able to put her full weight into the strike; the blow is again shrugged off, and there's a slightly maniacal glint in his eye as he continues to advance on her, feinting with his left before throwing another heavy hook with his right.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Holtz=melee Vs Ceres=melee-1
< Holtz: Great Success Ceres: Good Success
< Net Result: Holtz wins - Solid Victory

Ceres' hand is giving her hell and this time, already off on her footing, she takes the brunt of that strike hard and straight into her gut. She lets out a rush of air and gasps, folding forward as her stomach starts to tighten and curdle. Trying to gasp at air, nothing makes it in and she staggers to the side a moment, wheezing as her braid swings forward and against her cheek while she makes eyes at the floor. SHe's not throwing a punch this time.

Holtz is about to follow up his strike with another, but he sees Ceres fold up and gasp for breath, and instead he holds himself at bay with a guarded look at the other pilot. "Hey, 'dux. You good?" He doesn't completely drop his guard, but he's not going to kick Ceres when she's (figuratively) down, either. That maniacal glint fades, replaced with a look of mild concern.

Finally managing to fill her lungs, Ceres mutely nods and waves a glove at him. She swallows and sucks in another deep breath and that curdling of her stomach lessons a little but the acid is bubbling now. "Gods, Storm." She eyes him through her lashes and those dark eyes focus as she slowly straightens, lifting her gloves, still favoring her left hand. She moves in and throws a punch, not as much oomph as before.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ceres=melee-2 Vs Holtz=melee
< Ceres: Success Holtz: Great Success
< Net Result: Holtz wins - Crushing Victory

Hey, if she says she's good… Holtz isn't entirely surprised when she rushes at him after she's collected her breath. This time, though, he doesn't just stand there and take it; he waits for her to get close and suddenly sidesteps out of the way at the last moment, her attack only barely grazing its intended target. As she passes him, he smacks her on the back with a gloved hand… and then his leg snakes out again as he attempts to trip her.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Holtz=melee Vs Ceres=melee-2
< Holtz: Success Ceres: Good Success
< Net Result: Ceres wins - Marginal Victory

As her target completely leaves her viewpoint, Ceres is preparing. She may be in pain but her legs still work so that when that tap comes to her back, she is lifting her feet in preparation for what she oddly expects. Her foot hits the mat on the other side of the sweep and with a twist, she goes right for his stomach. She shoulders into him and tries to drive him to the mat, braid swinging violently as she growls.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ceres=melee-2 Vs Holtz=melee
< Ceres: Failure Holtz: Success
< Net Result: Holtz wins - Marginal Victory

His earlier concern forgotten, Holtz seems resolved to fight on until Ceres loses the fight in her or he beats it out of her, one of the two. He manages to disentangle himself from the trip attempt, but then she's right back on him, and he grunts again as she throws a punch to his gut and tries to steamroller him. It doesn't work all that well, though; he's forced to adjust his footing, but he's more than able to stay on his feet, shrugging off the strike like it was made of so much air. There's a furrow in his brow as he throws a heavy overhanded strike at her jaw, trying to force her back so he can take advantage of his greater reach.

<FS3> Opposed Roll — Holtz=melee Vs Ceres=melee-2
< Holtz: Good Success Ceres: Success
< Net Result: Holtz wins - Solid Victory

If she had enough sense to curse, she would, but Redux gets that hit to her jaw and it spills her backwards. Reach or not, she's on the mat and staring upwards when her eyes are not fluttering closed. The echo of that strike leaves a ringing in her ears and disorients her so badly that as she tries to roll to her side to get up, it takes her a moment, sucking in a heavy breath as the charms on their chains shift, rolling to her shoulder and then to her collarbone. SHe rolls to her knees and hands, wincing and lifting her left one before she struggles upwards. "That all you got?" She says, putting on a sardonic smile as she turns to face him.

"Redux, you couldn't handle all I've got," he responds in kind, his expression hooded but wry as Ceres slowly rises to her feet. "You keep this up, you'll end up like that poor dumb bastard of an ECO," Holtz continues, referring to Sebastian and their post-attack 'sparring'. It's said matter-of-factly, but it's clear Storm takes pride in his martial prowess. "And I don't have enough pilots to keep puttin' 'em in the infirmary like that." He gives a short, humorless chuckle.

"Well then you don't have to worry, I am still not cleared for flight duty with my lame left hand, Storm." Dark eyes narrow again and she watches him, tilting her head as she smirks. "I bet I could handle all you got, but if you feel bad about hitting a woman." She shrugs and steps in again, but comes up short of pummeling him. "I just need to know when to call it and you did well." She hooks her right hand under her arms to extract it from the glove and offer it to him. The left stays down at her side for the moment.

"Ain't got a problem hittin' a woman, Ceres," Holtz retorts with a wince. "Lords know my ex-wife and I laid hands on each other enough times." He, too, pulls off one of his gloves. "But when I do, I'd rather she be at her best," he adds with a nod of the head in the direction of her injured hand, another of those wolfish grins of his spreading across his lips as he reaches out to take her extended hand.

<FS3> Ceres rolls Melee-1: Good Success.

Taking his hand firmly in her own, Ceres lets out a laugh, "Well, I am at the best I likely will ever be again, so I suppose you got the right of it still." Its a light tease but though he likely could guess, she tugs at him and brings him towards her lifted knee that is going for his stomach. "Got to learn to fight dirty." She grunts, doing her best to keep her footing and drive him down to the ground.

<FS3> Holtz rolls Melee: Good Success.

Holtz is jerked forward into the waiting knee, his eyes going wide as he lets out a strangled, "Oof!" His brawler's instincts kick in almost immediately, though, and even as he stumbles, he's able to guide himself so he falls into her. One of his monstrous tattooed arms reaches out and wraps around her neck, pulling her down with him. His momentum carries the tangled-up pair into a roll, and when they come to a stop a moment later, he's the one on top, his arm pressed gently against her throat. "Learned that long before I met you, Ceres," he says with a sneering smile.

The mat rises up to greet her and Ceres lets out a soft grunt and a wheeze as his arm tightens around her throat. Staring up at him, she swallows, but the press of his arm makes it hurt just a little bit. Her right hand presses at his chest even as her face starts to grow a little red. Breathing is possible, but its not easy to get a lung's full. "Yeah…?" She states back, straining with the word.

His smile gradually loses the sneer as he gives her a quick pat on the cheek with his free hand, a move that's half gloating, half teasing. "I'm Tauran," he reminds her with a wicked laugh. "The frak d'you expect?" He gently presses down again to drive home the point before he finally rolls off her and catches his breath. Finally, he pushes himself to his feet. looking down at his opponent with his hands on his hips.

There is a grit of teeth and then a grunt as he presses down harder against her throat. Ceres' eyes briefly spark and there is something like murder lying deep within their depths. But as he pushes off of her and up, it fades to a low simmer and is gone instantly. She coughs, rubbing at her neck and slowly pushes up to her elbow, glancing up at him. "You got some nice hips there, Storm." She wiggles her's a bit and then extends her hand up to him for some aid. "Truce." She calls up to him so that he doesn't leave her hanging.

"Yeah?" Ceres' comment about his hips draws a lopsided smirk from Storm. "So I've been told." He waggles his brows suggestively. "All right, truce." But before he goes to help her up, he points a finger in her direction. "But if yer shammin' again, I'll break you and leave you for the docs to find." It's said jokingly. Mostly. He'll let her sweat a moment or two longer before finally extending one of his trunk-like arms to help her up.

Taking the offered hand, Ceres draws herself up with his help and nods to him. Turning once at her feet, she reaches down for the dropped boxing glove and takes it up, during off her back end briefly as she straightens up. "You wouldn't dare break me and leave me, Storm." her dark eyes flash again as she eyes him and then tugs at her braid, pushing it back over her shoulder before she adjusts the items hanging from around her neck back to the fore. "Did you grow those things?" She points at his arms.

Coming out of the pool area of the fitness center still wearing her one piece, Tasha takes a standard issue towel and wraps it about her hips only to tie it off like a skirt while walking through the room… With a tilt of the head, hair still damp, the viper pilot glances over towards Ceres and Holts with a slight smile touching upon her lips before lifting a hand in greeting but leaving them to their sparring match it would seem before making her way out into the main corridor…

Holtz raises an eyebrow. "Wouldn't I?" For a moment, the jocularity disappears completely from Holtz' face, and his flinty eyes run cold. In that moment, he looks capable of… well, just about anything. He breaks the spell with a wink, though. "Well. Hopefully you'll never have to find out, yeah?" Reaching out, he gives her shoulder a light, friendly squeeze. "Yeah, they're original equipment," he replies wryly with a look down at his arms. "Turned out pretty nicely, if I do say so m'self."

That cold hits Ceres and the usually clipped woman echoes that glance. Like a knee jerk reaction that remains up until he squeezes her shoulder, the Captain finally breathes. She offers a wry smile, reaching out to give his arm a squeeze before she ohhhhhs in a sarcastic manner. "Bet your mother is proud." She teases lightly and runs a hand up against her hair after abandoning his arm. "Since you beat me fair and square, I would offer to do your CAP but I am not cleared. I refuse laundry as I do not want to touch your underwear unless it would be taking them off." She wrinkles her nose.

Holtz raises an eyebrow. "You sayin' you want in my pants?" He asks her teasingly, that lopsided, toothy smile again appearing. "'Cause your fiance might not approve." He waves a hand. "No worries, I've been washin' my own clothes long enough. I'll manage."

There is a sharp laugh and Ceres shakes her head, "I may have answered differently once upon a time, but nah, you keep them brief right on your hips, Storm. I won't be pawing at them. I will leave that to one to Shake." She smirks a bit and then laughs even more. "Well good, glad to see those trunks you call arms can lift a load." She is tugging off the left glove and stops, catching herself as she sucks in a sharp breath.

Is that embarrassment on Holtz' face? He definitely goes a little red at the mention of Ygraine, and it's not from exhaustion, either. "Hah, yeah. Not exactly the best kept secret on the ship, now, are we?" A little self-effacing chuckle escapes his lips, and he gives a rueful shake of the head as he steps over to his gym bag, pulling out a towel and a water bottle.

"Not easy being a secret on a Battlestar after a few months, Storm." Ceres manages to reply and then her face blanks and she slides the glove right off. She looks suddenly, for the world as if her left hand is not bothering her at all. It just hangs unmoving at her side as she glances back at him. "You two just..having fun or are you growing attached? You know…always tried to fight that part of it, but sometimes it's inevitable."

"Yeah. Guess I'd forgotten how fast the gossip train moves on one o' these bastards," Holtz replies with a bark of laughter. His mouth flexes open and closed for a moment, whatever reply he was considering to her latter question dying on his lips. "Ya know… I don't really frakkin' know," he finally responds after a moment's consideration. "It started out nothin' but casual, I can tell ya that. I do like her, and I think she feels the same. I ain't frakkin' anyone else, anyway. But her?" He shrugs. "Well. Ain't like I got call to tell her how she lives her life. Ball's in her court, I guess."

Ceres gives Storm a faint smile, "Maybe you should just tell her, you know. Seeing as you seem to bet he one doing the committing in an indirect way. She can't return that ball if she doesn't know its there." A shrug is offered and the woman moves over to put the gloves back in the bin, scrubbing her right hand to her face and then up over her dark locks. "Thanks for the work out, Storm. Just think on what I said, right?"

Holtz gives another shrug, a pensive look on his face. "Dunno. Whatever might be out there unsaid… I can't say I don't like whatever it is we do have. Don't want to frak that up, ya know?" Smirk. "'Sides, ain't as if an old busted up retread like me is liable to find much better, yeah?" That pensive look returns a moment later, though, as he does seem to be considering on her words. A hand is waved as he gulps down a mouthful of water. "Anytime," he calls out as she puts her equipment away. "And… yeah. I'll think on it." Storm nods jerkily.

"Good. Do what you think you need to but don't close the door on a possibility because you are afraid of losing an easy frak. From what I have see, Storm, there are plenty willing on this boat." A shake of her head and Ceres lets out a breath, hesitating. "I know what its like to be too late to find such words, yeah?" She touches the coin around her neck lightly in meaning before she grabs at her towel and lifts her hand in parting. The left one is all seized up, but she oddly doesn't seem bothered by it.

Holtz snorts. "I'm too old to just go around lookin' for an easy frak," he remarks drolly. "Been there, done that." The man's expression sobers somewhat as Ceres reaches for the coin, and he simply nods silently as she offers her parting words and heads for the door. "See ya 'round, 'dux," he calls after her a moment later, dabbing at his sweat-streaked face with his own towel.

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