Welcome to Gaia! ::

When she'd told him to come shirtless, she hadn't really expected him to oblige. She'd done it as a way to break the ice, to remind him that she wasn't going to change, no matter what had happened between them.

And this lesson was still learned, when he trudged onto the field without a shirt, and she - perched precariously on the wooden stake of a rotten fence - started chuckling helplessly. The chuckles grew with each second, until the wood finally gave out and she jumped off when she heard it crackle. Her body stayed in motion, jaunting over to him and reaching out to squish his stomach affectionately between her hands.

"Ahh, I love it when you listen." She only barely managed not to motorboat him, but the urge was there. Instead she let go, and beamed up at him with that smile that he managed to drag out of her every time she laid eyes on him. "So. What do you think. Sexy librarian working for me? And before you get snarky like Leslie, I do too read."

She snapped her fingers, and her expression came alight with what looked like a brilliant idea. "A ruler." She breathed out. "I need to get me a ruler. That's what I was missing. I have got this look nailed down."

She patted his warm, noticeably blushing cheek, and then pulled away. "But enough about how hot I obviously am. I came here for a spar. Are you going to leave me disappointed?" She was self-conscious enough to bite her tongue and hold back the final word, despite how good of a burn it would have been. Again?

"Let's see that pretty shield of yours. I'm ready to test your limits."

She summoned Thaw, slow and deliberate, in her hands. "Oh, I know I am. I already kicked two men's a** before you with my glasses on, and I'm ready to lay down a third." She twirled the weapon until it was in the defense position, and crouched.

"I'm glad you still get shirtless for me." She admitted, her smug smile taking a turn for the regretful. "We may not be together, but at least you give me such a nice view. I'm working against taking my eyesight for granted, you know." She raked him with her eyes, and sucked in a content sigh. "So thanks. Now come at me. I need to remind you which one of us is the heavy hitter in this relationship."

She could handle details. His proud grin elicited her own, drawing it out like an infectious yawn. "Well I beat the pants off of Lex, for one." Literally, she remembered with a shudder. "And then me and Leslie tussled for a bit. He hits just as hard as I do. We were like two small animals going at it."

She ran in, ready to attack, and slowed down just before she'd gotten to him. Her trident poked him right in the middle, slicing his shield just enough to make him jiggle.

"Gotcha."

She'd asked for it, and he'd delivered. She went sprawling onto the ground as the shield knocked the wind out of her, and when she opened her eyes again, even through the lenses she was sure she could see stars.

"Well that's going to be a concussion later." She mumbled, pushing herself shakily back up to her feet. It was only when the spots stopped blinking in her eyes, that she raised her trident back up in defensive status.

"You've been training. Maybe I won't get to drop you like a stone, after all."

While inwardly, she might have been grateful that he gave her a break, her expression weakly annoyed. "Hey, now. I can take a hit. Or three. How many of you are there, again?" She made believe she was counting Dawson's, before running forward and digging her trident into his hip.

She gritted her teeth when he pushed, trying to pull her weapon out of her hands. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she kept it in her hands, digging it deeper into his shield. "I.. joke.. all I want!" She pushed back, and Thaw was freed. She jumped back a few steps, putting some distance between them.

"It's my life's blood, Dawson. Without inappropriate jokes, I die. I want to live, Dawson." She held her hands out dramatically in front of her. "I want to liiiive!"