The next chapter is up! Enjoy :)
The weeks seem to breeze by as time went on. Eve and Frieza seemed to be getting a little closer each day spent with one another. Especially, since she was spending more time at home due to slow work for the winter.
She did show Frieza some of her work in the meantime. Since a lot of it was stored on her laptop and camera. He was pretty impressed with a lot of the footage she had of wild marine life. And called her crazy when he saw some of her up close and personal shots of large predatory ones. One example is the close up shot she got of one huge great white shark. What made it exhilarating was that she was not in a cage for safety when she got the shot and the live footage.
None of their team were in a cage for the that excursion. That's just how it was, sometimes they'd utilize a diving cage and sometimes they didn't. The cage was mostly necessary if they were in a hot spot with a lot of shark activity. But this one occasion with a great white just happened by chance and it was solitary. It also gave them insight on where pregnant whites may be migrating to during their later months of gestation. Since the one they've encounter was a huge mature pregnant female at the time.
Frieza started poking fun at her and calling her everything from overly daring to one huge risk taker. While Eve just shrugs it off and deems it just another day at the office for her. Though unlike people who actually work in a cramped cubicle don't have nearly as much fun as her and her team does whenever they put on dive gear and get in the water.
She even showed him some of the wildlife documentaries her footage was featured in. The tyrant could tell she was quite proud of her work and achievements. Eve tells him what's most rewarding though is that her and her team with the help of the institute they work for are helping to spread awareness to the world about the importance of our oceans and the significance of the marine life that inhabit them.
At first, he wondered what could be so important about beasts that inhabit this planet's waters. But then, Frieza remembered some of his earlier lessons about the importance of environments and ecosystems to a native world. How it's important to sustain the balance of these environments to keep the world thriving and habitable for its inhabitants.
"So, are there any beasts in particular you like to work with more than others?" He teased her one afternoon.
Eve rolls her eyes but smiles and pulls up another video of footage from her collection on her laptop and played it. He watched as the small screen filled up with live video of these large black and white creatures. Like the smaller creatures she called dolphins, these animals too were making an array of clicks, whistles, and grunts.
"These animals are called killer whales, also known as Orcas. Their scientific name is called 'Orca Orcinus' and despite having the word whale in their name they are actually the largest species of dolphin. They are part of the order called 'Odontocetes' or toothed whales. To date, there are ten distinct ecotypes worldwide. All of which are categorized into four groups: Type A, Type B, Type C, and Type D. And they are all unique to their locations, inhabit every sea, and are split between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
The ones you are seeing in this video are what we call North Atlantic Type 1. They are smaller whales that inhabit regions of Norway, Iceland, Scotland. We were in the Norwegian Fjords when we captured this footage. We actually had good timing because we filmed them in the act of hunting mackerel. We watched as they corralled the fish into large bait balls. Then used their large flukes to stun the fish before they go in and eat them.
These whales are fun to get in the water with because they are quite curious of divers and sometimes like to come in close to us for a look. I remember at some point while I was filming this piece one curious juvenile came in very close to me and lightly 'booped' my camera lenses with the tip of their rostrum.
Orcas are my favorite for so many different reasons. They are highly intelligent and sentient beings with a brain weighing in between 13lbs-15lbs they have the second largest brain in the animal kingdom. And because of their size and intellect they are top apex predators with no known predators that threaten them. They all have their own unique cultures, traditions, and languages. They have very strong familial bonds and in some ecotypes the calves stick with their mothers their entire lives. And they are such big, beautiful animals." Eve stated.
"Sounds rather fascinating. And I'm not all that surprised you would eagerly get in the water with one. You seem to like to get close to the more dangerous animals. An animal packing in both size and intellect makes it twice as dangerous." He replies.
Eve shrugs, "Perhaps, but there are no known records of wild orcas killing or consuming people. Captive orcas are a much different story. In captivity there are endless amounts of incidents involving them. Including a few human deaths by those animals. It's sadly not all that surprising though. A large and highly intelligent animal like that is not meant to be kept in captivity."
"Makes sense. Something that has a highly evolved brain with a higher thought process and bigger range of emotions are never suited for such conditions. They probably end up going mad after being kept captive for a long period of time and in turn become violent and unpredictable. Really no different than prisoners who go insane after being stuck in a jail cell or solitary confinement for a long time." He surmised.
It seems they never run out of things to talk about. Which was surprising for them. Mainly because in the beginning one would think they are two very different people. They both come from different backgrounds, he was cruel, and considered evil by many. Whereas she was the complete opposite of that. Two people who under normal circumstances would never meet or mix, at least not very well.
Yet somehow, they were making it work. Though it probably also has a lot to do with the fact that they were kind of stuck with each other. Frieza especially, seeing as he was still currently trapped in her reality and in a weaker state. It's ironic how someone who's so powerful in his own reality now has to be kept safe and protected while under the care of a human.
Still, if there is one thing that Frieza is learning the longer he stays here: it's that Eve is stronger than most would give her credit for. With the type of past she had, one would have to be strong and resilient. Not anyone can make and survive in such harsh conditions on living in the streets even more so as a child. And she not only endured but was able to turn her life around. Eve ended up growing up with a nice family in the end. And grew into the successful young woman she was today.
As much as the tyrant hated to admit it, it made him admire her more. Maybe even go as far as developing a soft spot for her. Whatever the reason, Frieza was grateful for her company and hospitality.
Pretty soon, January ended. And at this time, it was nearing the middle of February. They woke up this morning to overcast skies and the news predicting snow a little later this morning that wasn't supposed to stop until tonight. At least Eve was glad she made the move to go grocery shopping yesterday before the next storm would hit. Even more so she was glad she bought more salt. No doubt she will need it when she shovels out the pathway that leads up to her house as well as a small path to the driveway.
Frieza was currently sitting on the couch reading his book he still has yet to finish. He was probably twenty minutes into reading when he started hearing faint thumping sounds. He furrowed his eye ridge and tilted his head a little, it sounded like it was coming from the kitchen area or rather beyond it because it sounded muffled.
His curiosity peaked as it continued and didn't stop. Frieza eventually set his book down on one of the end tables and grabbed one of his crutches. His leg was still getting better each week. Eve even mentioned something about him needing a walking boot soon. She did have one lying around from when she injured herself a long time ago. But the problem was, she wasn't sure he'd be able to fit his odd three toed foot into the walking boot. And even if he did manage a way to squeeze his foot in, it may feel awkward for him and make it harder for him to walk.
She then told him the day before yesterday that they may have to compromise and just have him start taking light steps with the wraps and small lightweight splint he has on. Not on his own though, she still wanted him to use at least one crutch so that not all of his weight is distributed onto that leg when he takes steps.
It may still be a bit too soon, but he is doing just that. He very carefully put his left foot down while keeping one crutch under his left arm pit and took one light step forward while applying as little weight and pressure as possible. It wasn't too bad. There was still an achy feeling and some pressure, but it wasn't unbearable or agonizing. It was tolerable.
He took his time making his way to the kitchen. It's a good thing this house was fairly small with each room in pretty close quarters. And the kitchen was right there off of the living room so it's not like he had far to go anyway. It only took him a couple minutes to slowly make his way in there.
No surprise it was empty. He heard more thumping coming from a door at the other end of the kitchen. He learned from Eve that it was the door to the basement. Frieza also knew she sometimes went down there to do things. He recalls her once stating it's a finished off basement. In which she explained it was more like an extra room only with the necessities added you would find in a basement like the washing machine, dryer, boiler, etc..
When he asked her what it was, she did down there sometimes, Eve explained to him that she likes to go down there and exercise. He would often hear music playing down there, kind of like he was hearing now besides the continual thumping noise.
Frieza opened the door and the music along with thumping became louder. This might be a problem for him because there were about eight to nine steps that led down into the basement area. He had one idea though it sounded ridiculous. But it may be better with the other more embarrassing option. He figures he could hang onto the railing and may be hop down the steps on his good leg. It was either that or sit down and take the steps down on his butt one at a time like kids sometimes tend to do.
He cringed at the thought of him doing that and decided he may as well go with the first option. Frieza lightly tossed his crutch down the stairs onto the carpet below. It landed with a soft thud. Then he proceeded to grab the railing and carefully took the first hop down onto the first step. He then took a couple more hops down after that.
So far, it wasn't so bad. He had good balance and his good leg was strong. Frieza eventually managed to make it all the way down the stairs. He used his tail to pick the crutch up off of the carpet and then he placed it back under his left arm. He looked around and saw Eve with her back to him and...
'Well, this is completely unexpected. I definitely would've pictured her partaking in this kind of activity.' He thought.
By activity, Eve was currently busy hitting and kicking a punching bag near the far-left corner of the basement. In the opposite corner was a treadmill. Several feet down the wall from that was a stationary bike. And lastly, next to the bike was a small set of weights next to a small weight bench. For a basement it was quite spacious. Plenty of room to move about while the washing machine and dryer were tucked out of the way at the opposite far end of the area. The heater/boiler was not far from the machines.
Eve still didn't know Frieza was down there and watching her. She still had her back to him, and her Bluetooth speaker was sitting on a small stool a few feet from her and the bag. Amusement was ever present on his face as to how oblivious she was of his presence.
He quietly limped across the carpeted floor until he was only a couple feet behind her. On closer inspection, Frieza noticed she was quite sloppy with her moves. In fact, they were so bad it seems like no one ever gave her a proper martial arts lesson a day in her life. Even her stance and balance seemed a bit pitiful. It gave him all the ammunition he needed to tease her.
Frieza loudly cleared his throat to get her attention. Not only did it make her jump, but he did it while she took a swing at the bag. Which in turn made her miss and she almost lost her footing and fell flat on her face. In her panic, Eve grabbed onto the bag with a curse, and looked behind her.
She saw Frieza standing there with a hand over his mouth and his shoulders shaking up and down.
"What the? How in the hell did you get down here?" Eve blurted out between pants.
"I have my ways. Don't worry, I was careful." He paused and grin widened.
"Though it looks like you're the one who almost took a spill just now." Frieza added with some laughter in his voice.
"Yeah, because you startled the shit out of me. Didn't expect you to come down here." She replied.
Eve looked him up and down and noticed he only had one crutch and his bad leg was somewhat down instead of held up slightly.
"And I thought we agreed that we were going to wait a few more days until you tried taking some light steps on that leg." She stated.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. As I said, I was careful." Frieza said.
"Ok but try not to make a habit of coming down here. At least not until your good enough to move up and down those stairs properly." Eve lectured.
He snorted, "I doubt I could make any promises there. With how you were executing moves, you may as well be on the way to injuring yourself soon."
She arched a dark brow, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"What I mean is that your martial art skills are downright atrocious. Starting with your pitiful stance all the way down to your moves which you are doing wrong might I add." Frieza stated.
"Oh, and how are they wrong?" Eve inquires.
"Where would you like me to start? Your stance isn't wide enough. It wouldn't take much for an opponent's move to knock you off balance and send you sprawling to the floor. You stick your elbows out instead of keeping them in. Some of your punches you were hyperextending your arm which is very bad for the joints and a good way to injure them.
You're focusing too much on throwing all your strength into your hits and it's also throwing off your balance because you're outwardly throwing you're weight into it to compensate for extra strength. And that is why when you missed you almost went face first into the floor. You're kicks...are not too bad but still need a lot of work because again you're focusing too much on throwing nothing but strength into you're hits. Would you like me to continue?" Frieza asks.
"No by all means, show me the ways of martial arts success, Mr. Miyagi." She jokes.
Frieza rolls her eyes recognizing her pun because she had him sit through the 'Karate Kid' Movies. Which apparently were some of her other personal favs. But he figures he will humor her anyway.
"For starters, I can't tell because you have those bulgy gloves on. But are you keeping your wrists strong and steady, so they aren't flopping about when you hit the bag?" He asks.
"Yeah, wouldn't want to sprain my wrists after all. That much I do know will happen." She replied.
"Good, first square your legs and spread them out a little more and add a light bend to them." He instructed.
Eve did just that while she faced the bag.
"Now put your arms up but keep your elbows in. And tuck your chin in slightly." Frieza said next.
She did just that. He reached over under her elbows and pushed her arms up a little higher, so they were on either side of her face. He stepped back and studied her. When he was satisfied with her stance he moved on.
"Now, when you throw a punch into the bag, I want you to not throw just your arm into it. But to twist your hips and shoulders with the movement. By doing this the weight is being evenly distributed into the move so it's not just your strength but your weight putting more force behind your hit. While at the same time you're maintaining your balance by having a better stance.
And don't throw everything you have into one hit either. That's what's going to throw off your balance too. And then not only will you look sloppy, but you will be leaving yourself wide open to an attack. And one last thing, always keep a slight bend at your elbow joint. Do Not Straighten It. Now, give it a try. Remember, when you're throwing a hit. Which arm or leg your using, that whole side moves with it. So, if it's your right arm or leg you shift that whole right side with it. Same goes for the left. Are we clear?" He stated.
"Yeah, I got it." Eve replies.
"Good, now give it a try." He tells her.
She follows through with his instructions. Eve carefully lines herself up and takes her first swing, making contact with the heavy bag. There was a difference. The punch felt more controlled and less clumsy.
"Congratulations, you executed your first proper right hook." Frieza teased.
Eve gives him a scrutinizing look. But not in a condescending way, it was more playful than anything. He chuckles slightly at the move.
"Shall we move on? There are still many more moves to learn." He playfully adds.
"Let's practice only a few. I was only going to go a few more minutes before you came down. But perhaps before we start, I should get you a nice rag to tie around your forehead to make it even more authentic." Eve teases back.
"Forget it. It's not going to happen. Only fools wear those ridiculous bands above their brow. Though I guess it would be humorous to tell you to go wash your car in this lovely weather." He teases back.
Eve laughs a little at that.
"Nope, that's not going to happen. And he didn't make him wash the cars. He had him wax them, genius." She says, between laughs.
He rolls his eyes, "Whatever, anyways your becoming distracted. Let's move onto the next move."
For the next ten minutes Frieza talked her through some of the basic moves like jabs, hooks, and a couple types of kicks like roundhouses and front kicks. He also wanted to tell her about back spin kicks but didn't think she had the coordination for that move yet. Or any of the spinning moves for that matter. Though he could still mention the moves and see if she will try them. And then laugh when she messes them up badly.
By the end he was leaning up against the wall not far from where she was standing, practicing her moves. Eve did try to throw in some extras she says she saw others do at the YMCA where she 'supposedly' learned some of the moves. Some of which, Frieza had never seen before. Either that or she was doing a move completely wrong.
"Ok, one last move I want to try. Then I'm done." Eve says, between pants.
When she turns around and faces away from the bag, Frieza knew this meant she was going to try an attempt at some spinning move. And he was ready, he was going to get her good too. He patiently waited at the ready. And when she twisted her body, he made his move.
Frieza's tail quickly shot out and he nudged the bag back. He pushed it back just enough so that she'd miss. It worked, and she did end up missing when she tried to do a spinning back hand into the bag. And just like he imagined, she lost her footing and was about to go over. Only he didn't anticipate which way she'd be falling.
And she ended up stumbling right over to where he was leaning against the wall not two feet away. His eyes widened when he saw her about to crash into him. Eve saw this too and quickly put her hands out.
Her front collided with his and his hands automatically went around her waist and lower back as her hands went to his shoulders. They stared wide eyed at each other in surprise red irises on blue, their faces a mere couple inches apart. He could feel her breath on his lips. It was a rather awkward and compromising position.
Both seemed to be frozen to the spot, neither of them has yet to move. Their gazes remained locked on one another. And a couple moments later their faces unconsciously started inching closer together. Her lips were barely ghosting his. He unknowingly was about to close the little gap that was left between them.
When all of a sudden, the music sharply cut off and was replaced with a blaring alarm of a ringtone. Eve quickly jumped back and even Frieza flinched. Both were quite flustered as they came out of that trance. She quickly looked away with flushed cheeks as she went to answer the phone.
It turned out to be a waste, because when she picked up her phone, it turned out to be an unknown number. So, she hit the ignore button and put it back down on the stole next to the speaker. Then she turned back to him. Only to see he moved from his spot on the wall. Frieza was now headed back towards the stairs.
He stopped briefly to look over his shoulder.
"Perhaps we should go and get ready for lunch. It is that time." He said.
Frieza didn't say anything else. He turned back around and continued on to the steps, trying to hide his own flushed face on the way. Eve took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Then she pulled her gloves off, grabbed her phone and speaker, then followed him up. She asked if he needed any help up the stairs, but he said no and to just hold onto the crutch for him while he goes up.
They're unsure what the hell just happened at that moment. Even more unsure if they liked where it was going. For now, they didn't want to bring it up and tried to distract themselves while making lunch.
Until Next Time ;)