Not all gifts are "sweet" (Cassiel/open) - The White Tower

At some point a rectangular white gift box, set with red ribbon and a single red rose could be found sitting on the edge kitchen counter.
It had no card or other tags on it, but given that only two people had been in the apartment that evening, it was a fair guess that it had been left by Charlie who was currently up on the top floor, beating the the Hell out of an unfortunate boxing bag that had been hung up so that he could do his work out while in a place with a view.
Besides, there was something nice about having the city landscape in the background, the touch of wind across his skin as it swept past the rooftop. It was soothing somehow.

Cass (just in the shirt and pants pictured) had managed to keep herself pretty hidden away. She was around the apartment-- not really avoiding Charlie, no. Just... hiding. But was it really hiding if you were simply working?

She had spent most of the evening clacking away on the keys of her laptop, uploading images from her camera. She had fiddled with some of the effects on the pictures, lighting... but really, she had just deleted a lot of images. Most just... didn't come out right. Lacked a spark or lacked something that made them special. She wasn't discouraged, though. It was all a process.

Even for a kindred, the glare and strain of a computer screen in a dark room can make you want to poke your eyes out after a while. And she needed a smoke. But, of course, the smokes were downstairs.

She closed the lid of the laptop, stretched and meandered downstairs to retrieve the cloves from her bag. But... what was this? The red rose caught her attention before the box did. She pocketed the clove cigarettes and walked to the counter with her head tilted to the side. She picked up the rose and inhaled it's sent before looking at the box.

Cass put the rose down on the counter, picked up the box and examined it... and wondered if she should peek.

Of course she should peek!!! Carefully she opened the box...

Resting on a pillow of red silk lay a blade, the crossguard of the white gemstone handle inlaid with what appeared to be silver details and delicate engravings. The blade had a certain beauty to it if one appreciated such a thing in a weapon, but beauty had taken second place to actual use as there was no doubt judging from construction and the choice of steel that it was still a weapon meant very much for actual use.
On the blade itself the words "Memento Vivere" had been engraved and a small card could be seen cradled in under the knife.

The card, if picked up, read: "Strength is inherent in all things, some simply need help to unlock their own"

Holy...

Cass narrowed her eyes just a tad, looking at the blade. It was beautiful, truly beautiful. She let her pointer finger run along the edge lightly, feeling the coldness of the blade and the smoothness of the handle.

She even picked it up, weighing it in her hand and testing the grip on it. She pulled it closer, reading the engraved words.

French? Or was it Italian. God bless Google. She entered in the words on the search engine on her phone.. ah... Latin. She wasn't even really close. Away went the phone. And out came the card, which she read to herself a half a dozen times. She couldn't help but smile.

She looked up the stairs and gave a slight shake of her head. He really, really was spoiling her...

Back in the box the knife went, lid on top. She grabbed the rose and headed up the stairs to the top floor. She held the rose in front of her, and moved to appear as she her hand was in her back pocket-- though she was holding the gift in it's box.

She simply leaned with a shoulder against the wall, holding the petals of the rose to her cheek with a smile.

"Ever the gentleman, aren't you?"

The youth, currently dressed in training clothes consisting of a black tank top and kick boxing pants, his hands bandaged in white, landed another blow to the punching bag before turning around to face her. An eyebrow arched in question until noticing the rose in her hand, at which point his lips parted in a smile as he brushed the back of his hand against his chin.

"I try" Charlie said with a slight bow of his head as he held his arms out to the sides and chuckled. "You like it then?" he asked as he straightened back up, lifting a hand to brush a few persistent bangs from his face. "It's difficult finding the right blade for someone when I don't even know if they've ever held one"

"I love it," she corrected him with a smile. "It really is quite beautiful." She pulled the box in front of her with her other hands, resting it there flat. She looked at the box and then to Charlie.

"And it looks like it's much nicer to hold in my hand than say a butcher knife," she chuckled, giving him a wink.

"Is it for protection... or...?"

Really, she wasn't sure. It's not like she ever walked around with weapons... It's what she relied on Presence for.

"I was hoping perhaps you'd let me teach you" the youth said softly, leaning his shoulders back against the bag which didn't even move due to his weight, suggesting it probably weighed a lot more than looks suggested.
"For when I can't be there. For when all else fails" Charlie said with that same soft tone of voice. "I want you to live... And I'd feel better knowing I'd at least done what i can to help you..."

"I did say I needed to learn, didn't I?" She said thoughtfully with the hint of a smile as she looked down at the box and removed the lid, tossing it aside. She removed the blade, holding it carefully in her hand by the blade, rose in the same hand.

"I am willing to learn. If you have the patience to teach, Charlie. But if I ever have to use it..." She looked up at him, watching him carefully.

"I'd like to think..." he tilted his head to the side, leaning away from the bag and slowly walking over to her to touch a bandaged hand to her cheek as his eyes sought hers. "That if it came down to it... you'd choose your life over that of your attacker.." Charlie said without a change to his tone of voice.

She leaned into his touch, keeping her eyes in his gaze and nodded to him.

"I would," she smiled to him softly. "And I'm sure your lessons will help make sure I do it effectively."

She touched her hand to his, fingers giving the bandaged flesh a slight squeeze.

Charlie smiled, reaching out to take the knife gently from her hand.
"Thank you" he said softly, turning the knife over and offering it back so that she might hold it correctly this time. "How does it res tin your hand?" the youth asked, watching her still, though waiting for her to take the knife.

She took the blade correctly this time, wrapping delicate fingers around the handle. She turned her hand, palm up, and appeared to weigh it.

"It feels right. Has a good weight, too. I won't forget I'm holding it. Is there something I should be feeling for?" She turned her hand back over, looking back to Charlie expectantly.

"A good blade should feel like a natural extension of yourself" Charlie said as his eyes drifted to her hand holding the knife. "The right weight, the right balance, the right grip. No one blade will be perfect for two different people" he looked back to the Rose and smiled again.
"We don't need to begin now, you know? But I wanted to give it to you so you'd have a chance to get familiar with it. It will make training easier if you get used to holding it and carrying it"

She gave him an impossible look. An extension of oneself? With a weapon? A foreign concept.

Cass' expression softened, trying to hold back her self-doubt and her smile returned. She reversed the grip on the blade-- twirling one for show was much different than using one in a combat situation, that's for sure.

"I'll keep it with me. Get used to the feel of it on my person and see how it works," she gave him a slight smile. "You know, it will only do so good, though... if I can't take a hit."

"We'll train... stamina lessons, remember?" Charlie smiled at her, biting his lip with a smile as he lifted his chin slightly. "I don't do things half way Cass. If you agree you'll get the whole deal"
He tilted his head to the side again an lifted his hand to brush a strand of hair from her face.
"Have to look after you..." the youth said softly.

She nodded. "I remember. And I agree, I do. It's nice to have someone willing to... you know..."

She shook her head and gestured to the bag. "The bag seems to be taking your abuse pretty well. Doesn't that hurt?" She asked.

For a brief moment his eyes followed her movement, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder before looking back to her and to his hand as he flexed his fingers a couple of times.
"Not really. I mean, you feel it, but it doesn't hurt" the youth smiled. "Want to try it?" he nodded towards the bag.

She gave a laugh. "I think I could put up with making an utter fool of myself again tonight. At least you won't judge me."

"Hey, at least punching bags don't hit back" the youth smirked. "Well, most of the time anyways"
Charlie backed up the bag and motioned for her to join him after having motioned toward the bench where a water bottle, a few extra boxing bandages and a towel had already been placed aside.
"Just put the knife away for now" he winked at her. "You can rip the bag apart once we get past the basics, I promise"

Cass moved to the bench, putting the knife back in it's gift box. The rose went down next to it with the same care. She looked at Charlie and then the bandages and then picked them up.

She'd seen him where them. And had wrapped bandages enough over her hands and body for a lifetime. So getting these in place over her hands seemed to cause no problems.

She pulled her hair back out of her face, too... because... well... wouldn't want her hair to obscure her view of the bag...heh. The Rose moved back to Charlie, flexing her fingers to get a feel for the bandages.

"Alright, sugar. What do I do to ye olde Mr. Punching Bag, here?"

"Well in general you try to beat the crap out of him. Preferably without breaking your own fingers in the process" the youth chuckled, holding his hands up. "Close your fists like this. For God's sake don't close your fingers around your thumb, that's a sure way to break something if you ever do his anyone"
He lifted his arms into a Muay Thai guard, motioning for her to do the same and correcting her if that was needed before demonstrating the correct angle at which to punch with a sweep of his right arm towards the bag.
"Hit with your knuckles, not with the fingers. Strike with your hip, not with your shoulder"
Again he seemed to move when as he spoke as if to point out what he meant.

"And, don't expect the bag to yield" Charlie slipped behind her with a smile.

If anything, she was a good mimic. There wasn't much he had to correct, actually. She seemed to mirror him, eyes watching. She shifted her weight on the balls of her feet, back and forth, trying to be comfortable in the stance.

Cass watched him showed her how to hit. It seemed... simple enough. For a moment, she raised her eyebrow, sizing up the bag... But, here went nothing.

She stepped up to it, rotated her torso just slightly and moved to punch the bag as shown. Of course, the bag didn't move at all and she seemed a little jarred by her knuckles hitting the bag, but for a first hit, not bad.

"I'm not going to hit very hard, you know that right?"

"Doesn't matter" Charlie said, standing a couple of feet behind her, watching her movements with alert eyes. "Power can be trained up along with technique" he smiled, or at least sounded like he was smiling, he was standing behind her after all.
"Besides, you seem to have decent idea of what you're doing. So we got something to build on. How are you legs?"

Cass looked down at her legs, suddenly glad she was wearing something that was constricting. " They look good to me," she looked back and winked at him.

She gave no warning however, as she bent, twisted her torso and then spun. her leg came up, her torso down and the side of her foot and leg kicked the bag. Again, there was no real strength to it and her form looked as it needed a slight bit of work.

But it only demonstrated that she at the very least had potential. A lot of potential. But no doubt about it, if there were a real situation, the strength behind it would do little to stop anyone.

Charlie nodded approvingly.
"Good, good" he moved up close to her and rested his hands on her hips. "We can work with this" the youth smiled, brushing his lips briefly against her cheek as he smiled. "A bit of knife training, some close combat work and strength exercises. I think this could be fun"