Meeting in Secret
"I'm here to see the new girl."
The tall, burly Mightyena looked somewhat dumbfounded. "I dunno if I can do that, Ilkay. The boss didn't say to let anyone see her."
The slim Absol stood there, arms crossed, looking rather defiant. "Perhaps you should remember who ranks higher than you. I can order you just as easily as Rex can. Now let me through, I won't ask twice."
The Mightyena sighed, and shook his head. He turned around, opening the gate into the cell area, taking one key off his belt and handing it to Ilkay. "Alright, but I'm lockin' this door behind you. Just yell if yah need me."
"That won't be necessary, so you might as well take a break. I can handle it," was Ilkay's response. The Absol stepped in, and just as the guard said, the door was locked. Ilkay walked down the corridor, looking into each one until coming upon Gabby's cell.
Gabby heard the footsteps coming, and slowly looked up. What she saw startled her at first. Just outside her cell stood the Absol that had been standing at Rex's side. This time, she could clearly see that this Absol was a woman. Ilkay was wearing a black leather jacket, rather tight fitting, zipped down half way to leave room for a rather good sized chest. Ilkay's pants were rather the opposite. They were windbreaker pants, quite loose, but drawn tight enough at the top to curve over her hips. Gabby caught herself staring, not even aware that seeing her close up as such a gorgeous woman was exciting her.
The trance didn't last long, for as soon as Ilkay unlocked the door, Gabby shot to her own feet, rushing at Iklay. She lifted her right arm, and with all her might, she swung a tightly closed fist towards her face.
Ilkay's head canted to the left, her body shifting that direction as well. Her right hand came up, reaching behind Gabby, pushing into her back to keep her momentum going, and then brought up her left knee in a quick thrust, knocking right into Gaby's gut.
Gabby coughed once, the wind shooting from her for a moment. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her stomach. She rolled back and forth a moment, trying to get over the wrenching pain in her gut.
Ilkay stood over her, crossing her arms over her chest, shaking her head. "Don't even try that. I'm way above your level. Besides, I'm not here to be your enemy."
Gabby looked up slowly, glancing at Ilkay confused. "Then why the hell are you here? I doubt you can break me out of here."
Ilkay laughed heartily, her chest bouncing just a bit. "Lord, no. However, I can help you survive. You do realize that what happened yesterday is going to happen again. Rex plans to either break your spirit, or break your body. If he breaks your spirit, then you will become one of his many 'thugs' that do his dirty work. If he breaks your body, then the only contact you'll have with anything outside this cell will be equivalent to prostitution."
Gabby closed her eyes, shaking her head, trying to block out the words. She didn't want to believe that she could be turned into a sex slave. "No... no no no!"
"I'm not lying. I went through the same thing. Now the last thing I want to see is a pretty girl like you turned into a slut, but it would still be a shame if you turned to the life Rex wants you to." Ilkay walked up to the side wall, leaning her back to it. "I'm Ilkay, by the way. What's your name?"
Gabby lay there silently. This was the same person who she saw flanking Rex, so she had no reason to trust her. At the same time, she couldn't think of any reason Ilkay would want to trick her. "Why don't you just ask Rex?"
Ilkay shook her head a couple times, and then set her red-eyed gaze back on Gabby. "If I asked him your name, he'd want to know why I wanted to know. If I keep everything just between you and me, he won't know a thing that goes on between us unless I tell him. But the point is I'm not GOING to tell him, so he won't know." Ilkay smiled a little, and as far as Gabby could tell, it was a genuine smile.
Gabby sat there watching Ilkay for a moment, and finally she pushed herself back up to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't even realize she was being modest, even if it was another woman. "I'm Gabrielle, but everyone's always called me Gabby."
Ilkay nodded again, still smiling a bit. "It's a nice name. Now, let's see what I can do with you." With those words Ilkay walked up to Gabby, circling around behind her, placing her hands along her back, tracing one finger along the contour of her shoulder across her spine to the other shoulder. She walked around in front of her again, rubbing her chin. "I don't know much about your class of Eon... but I did look a little bit into them. As you can tell, I'm rather lithe, flexible, made to be fast. I'm not exactly built tough. I'm the kind that must strike fast, before my opponent can react. You on the other hand..."
"Wait... wait a minute! I didn't ask you to teach me how to fight! Look at me! I..." Gabby's protest was quieted by Ilkay's finger being placed to Gabby's lips.
"Would you let me finish?" Ilkay asked a little annoyed.
"Look, Ilkay," Gabby continued. "I never liked fighting. That's just not me. I don't like the idea of hitting someone or hurting someone."
Ilkay again smiled, only this time she seemed to have something clever on her mind.
"What's that look for?" Gabby asked, her voice almost demanding.
"You know, there are ways of fighting where you don't have to hurt anyone. And if I'm not mistaken, that's the sort of style you'd be best suited for." Ilkay waved her finger at her a couple times. "You can grow a lot tougher than I ever could, which means if you get yourself stronger, you can also take more abuse than normal."
Gabby gave a single nod. The idea of fighting without actually fighting seemed odd, and she wasn't sure she'd be okay with passive battling any more than aggressive battling. "So how will this work?"
"Well first, there are certain techniques you need to learn that you must learn through leveling yourself up. Once you've learned a certain three, I'll provide you with the means to learn the bread and butter of this style."
"But how am I going to get stronger?" Gabby protested again.
"Simple. You're going to spar with me." Ilkay responded with a very serious tone.
"WHAT?!" Gabby responded. The idea of her sparring with someone who just a moment ago showed her fighting superiority was absurd to her. "You'll tear me apart!"
Ilkay laughed and shook her head. "I'm not gonna go all out on you. I'm trying to train you, not beat you up." She stepped away from the wall, and took a defensive stance. "Now, I want you to come at me, attack me."
Gabby was still a little unsure. Last time she tried hitting Ilkay, she got a knee to the gut. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to learn anything by standing around. She rushed again at Ilkay, and tried the same thing, predictable as she was, bringing up her right hand and swinging her clenched fist at her face.
Again, Ilkay's head tipped to the side out of the way, but this time she simply stepped aside, letting Gabby go right past her. Gabby stopped herself and turned around. This time she brought up her foot and shot it out towards Ilkay, only to watch her sidestep it once more. Gabby continued for a while, throwing blind punches and kicks at Ilkay, none of which connected. Finally, Gabby was tired out, panting a bit.
Ilkay chuckled and nodded. "That might do something, but what I hope you were paying attention to was my motion. That's something you're going to have to learn, but something I don't know how to teach you. You have to learn how to avoid being hit with only a split second to react, and eventually you'll need to learn how to use your opponent's momentum as your weapon instead of your fists and feet.
Gabby was a little irritated, thinking she looked like a fool for attacking full out and not even landing one blow. One last time she rose up, and in a burst of fury, she rushed at Ilkay. Ilkay didn't make any attempt to move, but as she saw her get closer, she brought up her hands to catch whatever attack she threw.
However, just as Gabby was in striking range, she vanished from Ilkay's sight. The next thing she felt was a jab right into her back. It was a rather weak one, and barely caused her to stammer forward. She caught her balance, and turned around, dusting herself off.
"So, you did make some progress. That's very good." She smiled, clapping a few times. "Next time I'll have to take you a little more seriously."
Gabby stood there, looking just slightly confused. "How... how did I do that? What was that?"
"That was a feint attack. You've learned a new skill, one that will be helpful down the road, but not something you'll have to rely on too much hopefully."
Gabby looked at herself, still slightly unsure how she managed to pull it off. "I just... wanted to hit you once so badly... I don't know what happened."
Ilkay shook her head, crossing her arms again, and stepping a little closer. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. When the time comes, and you know all the moves you need, I'll teach you how to use them properly. Right now, I need to leave. If I stay much longer, Rex will wonder where I am." She lifted one hand up, and placed it on Gabby's shoulder. She leaned in, and placed a kiss on her cheek. As she leaned back, she gave one last wink before turning around and heading out of the cell.
Gabby stood there in shock. Was she just kissed? By another woman? The idea seemed so wrong to her, but at the same time, she was so excited at the time it happened. Her cheeks were flushed, and the glow in her yellow rings had returned somewhat. She walked back to her little cot, and lay down on it, trying to get some rest. When she did fall asleep, she could still see Ilkay's face, as if she were haunting her.
Over the course of the next week, Ilkay would come back every night. Gabby would learn how to defend herself, though learning to avoid attacks as easily as Ilkay took some time. By the end of the week, Gabby was able to avoid Ilkay most of the time, so long as she wasn't going all out. Even then, Gabby had gotten tough enough to take quite a few hits before dropping. By the end of the week, Gabby had learned Screech and Moonlight along with Feint Attack. Once she knew Moonlight, Ilkay knew she was ready for the final touch.
Eight days since Gabby had begun training, and as usual, Ilkay came at night. This time, she had snuck a technical machine in with her. She wasted no time giving it to her, and smiling.
"This will teach you the move Swagger. It's a fun move to use if you can use it. Go ahead, use it."
Gabby looked at it for a moment, and nodding, she slowly opened the little machine up. A green screen appeared in it, shining brightly on her face. It flashed a series of instructions encoded in such a way that her mind would process it automatically. Eventually it would stop, and the screen would black out. If crumbled from her hands into the sand, and she stood there a moment, processing what she just saw. "Whoa."
Ilkay nodded, and dropped into a fighting stance. "Alright, let's see how well you can use it," and with out any further warning, she made a quick attack rush right at Gabby.
Gabby did what Ilkay had taught her, moving just slightly to the side, but instead of fully sidestepping, she left her leg just slightly out. Ilkay couldn't stop herself quickly enough, and tripped over the outstretched leg. She tucked down, and instead of falling, she somersaulted, rolling back to her feet, turning around and coming at Gabby again. Gabby didn't even turn around, she simply spun out of the way, and with a smirk, she reached out and grabbed Ilkay's butt as she passed, giving it a pinch before she had again moved out of arm's reach.
Ilkay stopped short, her hand moving back and rubbing the spot where Gabby had grabbed. She slowly looked back at her, an obvious blush on her face. "You didn't... tell me you didn't."
Gabby shrugged. "I dunno. If I didn't do it, I can't tell you what I didn't do." She smiled, crossing her arms across her chest, shifting her weight onto one foot.
Ilkay grinned, giving a single nod. "Well, if that's how it's going to be..." She shot forward, faster than Gabby could even follow, and before Gabby realized, Ilkay was behind her, a hand on her rear, giving her the same pinch she gave Ilkay just moments ago.
Gabby jumped a bit, spinning around, looking at her with flushed cheeks. "Hey! Was that really necessary?"
Ilkay just laughed. "Oh come on! Don't tell me you weren't asking for it."
"Well..." Gabby looked down, her cheeks heating up even more.
Ilkay stepped forward, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. "Just calm down, okay? Yeah, I like you...a lot, and something tells me you kinda feel similarly, even if you don't want to believe it. There's no shame in that."
Gabby closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "I guess not... but... you... I..."
"You're not the first girl to be attracted to another woman. It happens more than you'd think. But let's just leave it at those words for now. There are a few... ehh... complications in going much further." Ilkay looked a little nervous as she said that last sentence, but patted Gabby's shoulder to make her less tense about it. "I don't know if I can teach you anything else. I'll come and visit you still, but we can take it easy on training."
Gabby nodded, looking up, and slowly she placed her hands on Ilkay's shoulders. "Thank you... for everything." Her eyes closed and she slowly leaned forward. The next thing she knew, her lips were grazing across Ilkay's, very tenderly kissing them, but going no further than that. When she leaned back and opened her eyes, Ilkay was smiling, though once again her cheeks had reddened.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" Ilkay said quietly.
"I will, I promise," Gabby answered.
They shared one more short kiss, before Ilkay turned and left again. They could only wait now, and hope.
The tall, burly Mightyena looked somewhat dumbfounded. "I dunno if I can do that, Ilkay. The boss didn't say to let anyone see her."
The slim Absol stood there, arms crossed, looking rather defiant. "Perhaps you should remember who ranks higher than you. I can order you just as easily as Rex can. Now let me through, I won't ask twice."
The Mightyena sighed, and shook his head. He turned around, opening the gate into the cell area, taking one key off his belt and handing it to Ilkay. "Alright, but I'm lockin' this door behind you. Just yell if yah need me."
"That won't be necessary, so you might as well take a break. I can handle it," was Ilkay's response. The Absol stepped in, and just as the guard said, the door was locked. Ilkay walked down the corridor, looking into each one until coming upon Gabby's cell.
Gabby heard the footsteps coming, and slowly looked up. What she saw startled her at first. Just outside her cell stood the Absol that had been standing at Rex's side. This time, she could clearly see that this Absol was a woman. Ilkay was wearing a black leather jacket, rather tight fitting, zipped down half way to leave room for a rather good sized chest. Ilkay's pants were rather the opposite. They were windbreaker pants, quite loose, but drawn tight enough at the top to curve over her hips. Gabby caught herself staring, not even aware that seeing her close up as such a gorgeous woman was exciting her.
The trance didn't last long, for as soon as Ilkay unlocked the door, Gabby shot to her own feet, rushing at Iklay. She lifted her right arm, and with all her might, she swung a tightly closed fist towards her face.
Ilkay's head canted to the left, her body shifting that direction as well. Her right hand came up, reaching behind Gabby, pushing into her back to keep her momentum going, and then brought up her left knee in a quick thrust, knocking right into Gaby's gut.
Gabby coughed once, the wind shooting from her for a moment. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her stomach. She rolled back and forth a moment, trying to get over the wrenching pain in her gut.
Ilkay stood over her, crossing her arms over her chest, shaking her head. "Don't even try that. I'm way above your level. Besides, I'm not here to be your enemy."
Gabby looked up slowly, glancing at Ilkay confused. "Then why the hell are you here? I doubt you can break me out of here."
Ilkay laughed heartily, her chest bouncing just a bit. "Lord, no. However, I can help you survive. You do realize that what happened yesterday is going to happen again. Rex plans to either break your spirit, or break your body. If he breaks your spirit, then you will become one of his many 'thugs' that do his dirty work. If he breaks your body, then the only contact you'll have with anything outside this cell will be equivalent to prostitution."
Gabby closed her eyes, shaking her head, trying to block out the words. She didn't want to believe that she could be turned into a sex slave. "No... no no no!"
"I'm not lying. I went through the same thing. Now the last thing I want to see is a pretty girl like you turned into a slut, but it would still be a shame if you turned to the life Rex wants you to." Ilkay walked up to the side wall, leaning her back to it. "I'm Ilkay, by the way. What's your name?"
Gabby lay there silently. This was the same person who she saw flanking Rex, so she had no reason to trust her. At the same time, she couldn't think of any reason Ilkay would want to trick her. "Why don't you just ask Rex?"
Ilkay shook her head a couple times, and then set her red-eyed gaze back on Gabby. "If I asked him your name, he'd want to know why I wanted to know. If I keep everything just between you and me, he won't know a thing that goes on between us unless I tell him. But the point is I'm not GOING to tell him, so he won't know." Ilkay smiled a little, and as far as Gabby could tell, it was a genuine smile.
Gabby sat there watching Ilkay for a moment, and finally she pushed herself back up to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't even realize she was being modest, even if it was another woman. "I'm Gabrielle, but everyone's always called me Gabby."
Ilkay nodded again, still smiling a bit. "It's a nice name. Now, let's see what I can do with you." With those words Ilkay walked up to Gabby, circling around behind her, placing her hands along her back, tracing one finger along the contour of her shoulder across her spine to the other shoulder. She walked around in front of her again, rubbing her chin. "I don't know much about your class of Eon... but I did look a little bit into them. As you can tell, I'm rather lithe, flexible, made to be fast. I'm not exactly built tough. I'm the kind that must strike fast, before my opponent can react. You on the other hand..."
"Wait... wait a minute! I didn't ask you to teach me how to fight! Look at me! I..." Gabby's protest was quieted by Ilkay's finger being placed to Gabby's lips.
"Would you let me finish?" Ilkay asked a little annoyed.
"Look, Ilkay," Gabby continued. "I never liked fighting. That's just not me. I don't like the idea of hitting someone or hurting someone."
Ilkay again smiled, only this time she seemed to have something clever on her mind.
"What's that look for?" Gabby asked, her voice almost demanding.
"You know, there are ways of fighting where you don't have to hurt anyone. And if I'm not mistaken, that's the sort of style you'd be best suited for." Ilkay waved her finger at her a couple times. "You can grow a lot tougher than I ever could, which means if you get yourself stronger, you can also take more abuse than normal."
Gabby gave a single nod. The idea of fighting without actually fighting seemed odd, and she wasn't sure she'd be okay with passive battling any more than aggressive battling. "So how will this work?"
"Well first, there are certain techniques you need to learn that you must learn through leveling yourself up. Once you've learned a certain three, I'll provide you with the means to learn the bread and butter of this style."
"But how am I going to get stronger?" Gabby protested again.
"Simple. You're going to spar with me." Ilkay responded with a very serious tone.
"WHAT?!" Gabby responded. The idea of her sparring with someone who just a moment ago showed her fighting superiority was absurd to her. "You'll tear me apart!"
Ilkay laughed and shook her head. "I'm not gonna go all out on you. I'm trying to train you, not beat you up." She stepped away from the wall, and took a defensive stance. "Now, I want you to come at me, attack me."
Gabby was still a little unsure. Last time she tried hitting Ilkay, she got a knee to the gut. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to learn anything by standing around. She rushed again at Ilkay, and tried the same thing, predictable as she was, bringing up her right hand and swinging her clenched fist at her face.
Again, Ilkay's head tipped to the side out of the way, but this time she simply stepped aside, letting Gabby go right past her. Gabby stopped herself and turned around. This time she brought up her foot and shot it out towards Ilkay, only to watch her sidestep it once more. Gabby continued for a while, throwing blind punches and kicks at Ilkay, none of which connected. Finally, Gabby was tired out, panting a bit.
Ilkay chuckled and nodded. "That might do something, but what I hope you were paying attention to was my motion. That's something you're going to have to learn, but something I don't know how to teach you. You have to learn how to avoid being hit with only a split second to react, and eventually you'll need to learn how to use your opponent's momentum as your weapon instead of your fists and feet.
Gabby was a little irritated, thinking she looked like a fool for attacking full out and not even landing one blow. One last time she rose up, and in a burst of fury, she rushed at Ilkay. Ilkay didn't make any attempt to move, but as she saw her get closer, she brought up her hands to catch whatever attack she threw.
However, just as Gabby was in striking range, she vanished from Ilkay's sight. The next thing she felt was a jab right into her back. It was a rather weak one, and barely caused her to stammer forward. She caught her balance, and turned around, dusting herself off.
"So, you did make some progress. That's very good." She smiled, clapping a few times. "Next time I'll have to take you a little more seriously."
Gabby stood there, looking just slightly confused. "How... how did I do that? What was that?"
"That was a feint attack. You've learned a new skill, one that will be helpful down the road, but not something you'll have to rely on too much hopefully."
Gabby looked at herself, still slightly unsure how she managed to pull it off. "I just... wanted to hit you once so badly... I don't know what happened."
Ilkay shook her head, crossing her arms again, and stepping a little closer. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. When the time comes, and you know all the moves you need, I'll teach you how to use them properly. Right now, I need to leave. If I stay much longer, Rex will wonder where I am." She lifted one hand up, and placed it on Gabby's shoulder. She leaned in, and placed a kiss on her cheek. As she leaned back, she gave one last wink before turning around and heading out of the cell.
Gabby stood there in shock. Was she just kissed? By another woman? The idea seemed so wrong to her, but at the same time, she was so excited at the time it happened. Her cheeks were flushed, and the glow in her yellow rings had returned somewhat. She walked back to her little cot, and lay down on it, trying to get some rest. When she did fall asleep, she could still see Ilkay's face, as if she were haunting her.
Over the course of the next week, Ilkay would come back every night. Gabby would learn how to defend herself, though learning to avoid attacks as easily as Ilkay took some time. By the end of the week, Gabby was able to avoid Ilkay most of the time, so long as she wasn't going all out. Even then, Gabby had gotten tough enough to take quite a few hits before dropping. By the end of the week, Gabby had learned Screech and Moonlight along with Feint Attack. Once she knew Moonlight, Ilkay knew she was ready for the final touch.
Eight days since Gabby had begun training, and as usual, Ilkay came at night. This time, she had snuck a technical machine in with her. She wasted no time giving it to her, and smiling.
"This will teach you the move Swagger. It's a fun move to use if you can use it. Go ahead, use it."
Gabby looked at it for a moment, and nodding, she slowly opened the little machine up. A green screen appeared in it, shining brightly on her face. It flashed a series of instructions encoded in such a way that her mind would process it automatically. Eventually it would stop, and the screen would black out. If crumbled from her hands into the sand, and she stood there a moment, processing what she just saw. "Whoa."
Ilkay nodded, and dropped into a fighting stance. "Alright, let's see how well you can use it," and with out any further warning, she made a quick attack rush right at Gabby.
Gabby did what Ilkay had taught her, moving just slightly to the side, but instead of fully sidestepping, she left her leg just slightly out. Ilkay couldn't stop herself quickly enough, and tripped over the outstretched leg. She tucked down, and instead of falling, she somersaulted, rolling back to her feet, turning around and coming at Gabby again. Gabby didn't even turn around, she simply spun out of the way, and with a smirk, she reached out and grabbed Ilkay's butt as she passed, giving it a pinch before she had again moved out of arm's reach.
Ilkay stopped short, her hand moving back and rubbing the spot where Gabby had grabbed. She slowly looked back at her, an obvious blush on her face. "You didn't... tell me you didn't."
Gabby shrugged. "I dunno. If I didn't do it, I can't tell you what I didn't do." She smiled, crossing her arms across her chest, shifting her weight onto one foot.
Ilkay grinned, giving a single nod. "Well, if that's how it's going to be..." She shot forward, faster than Gabby could even follow, and before Gabby realized, Ilkay was behind her, a hand on her rear, giving her the same pinch she gave Ilkay just moments ago.
Gabby jumped a bit, spinning around, looking at her with flushed cheeks. "Hey! Was that really necessary?"
Ilkay just laughed. "Oh come on! Don't tell me you weren't asking for it."
"Well..." Gabby looked down, her cheeks heating up even more.
Ilkay stepped forward, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. "Just calm down, okay? Yeah, I like you...a lot, and something tells me you kinda feel similarly, even if you don't want to believe it. There's no shame in that."
Gabby closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "I guess not... but... you... I..."
"You're not the first girl to be attracted to another woman. It happens more than you'd think. But let's just leave it at those words for now. There are a few... ehh... complications in going much further." Ilkay looked a little nervous as she said that last sentence, but patted Gabby's shoulder to make her less tense about it. "I don't know if I can teach you anything else. I'll come and visit you still, but we can take it easy on training."
Gabby nodded, looking up, and slowly she placed her hands on Ilkay's shoulders. "Thank you... for everything." Her eyes closed and she slowly leaned forward. The next thing she knew, her lips were grazing across Ilkay's, very tenderly kissing them, but going no further than that. When she leaned back and opened her eyes, Ilkay was smiling, though once again her cheeks had reddened.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" Ilkay said quietly.
"I will, I promise," Gabby answered.
They shared one more short kiss, before Ilkay turned and left again. They could only wait now, and hope.