Out-Boxer

“Suppose it can’t hurt.” Cole muttered as he flexed his arm a bit, opening and closing his fist,“I’m what someone would call an Out Boxer. Meaning I try to stay at arm’s length or further in a fight, using my foot work to weave in and out.” He paused to consider something before adding, “Technically, I’m also a counter puncher, as my uncle taught me the basics of how to do so as a back up. But Out Boxer is my main focus. So mid to long range to start, look for that final blow later.” He closed his fist with a hard grip.

“Interesting.” Raven noted. Cole didn’t seem to react to it but to Raven it looked like his muscles had reformed just a bit. Was that the houses doing or that stupid drink? But Cole seemed to have lost some of the bulk as it turned into sleeker more running focused muscles. He was looking far more trim now.

“Alright. Related question. Can you fight without magic?” The boxer asked with a grin. It had been in his head since he asked about the Legasus thing.

“Yes.” Raven promptly answered, “Mostly in mixed martial arts with a focus on dodging and defending. So I’m not completely in trouble if someone jumps me.” Raven made a show of unfurling her legs and shaking them a bit. “My actual offensive revolves around throws, holds and grabs. Oh and of course kicks. But you knew that.”

“I had a guess. Given that in my world your adventures tended to be told over different versions it holding the core story, wasn’t sure about the leg thing.” Cole admitted as he took a sip from his soda can. Some off brand soda but given this was a different world, was this the main or knock off brand? "It was on like.... a very kiddie wacky version of that to the point you guys felt like caricatures."

“Few know about the whole ‘Legasus’ thing. But that was the result of my new confidence and at the time, needing another name. For awhile anyway.” Raven sighed as she put her legs back to her side and fiddled with her remaining titles. She thought for a moment about her turn before asking, “What weight class were you?”

“Ah… geeeze.” Cole sucked air in through he teeth, “that’s not… almost worth a movie…,” Cole ran a palm down his face and muttered an answer while his mouth was covered.

“Hmm?” Raven mused as she out a hand to her ear, “I couldn’t make that out.”

“…. Cruiser-weight.” Came the answer. When that didn’t seem to clear up the question, Cole sighed out, “ Two hundred pound bracket.” Raven gave out a small whistle.

“Hefty boy.” She mused. That put him above Beast Boy..., in fact she was pretty sure that put him above Robin or Nightwing as he went by now. Cyborg was probably the only one on the regular team bigger but was that fair? Given all the tech in him, Cyborg was pretty huge compared to anyone.

“Yeah well… lot of ma’s cooking stuck with me. Dunno what I weigh now.” Cole admitted with a flush on his cheeks. Admitting his weight wasn't fun to do but he could only really fall into the rank below it, anything else was way too much weight control. Maybe now he could though. The house didn’t seem to have scales or at least ones he'd found, and with the changes he’d gone through, possibly twice with Cupid's retooling AND the drink, he wasn’t sure. Cole took a long sip from his soda before sitting it back down on the nearby coffee table. “Right. Payback. What’s your weight then?”

“Hundred forty, give or take.” Rave offered without missing a beat. “I’ll admit, I probably weigh more due the augments Cupid gave me. Everything seems to have gone up a size for me at least.” Raven glances down at her body. While she knew she was bigger, she didn’t feel weighed down or hampered by her new proportions. Not yet at least.

“You do seem.... off model." Cole muttered before going on to try to cover that statement, "COUGH, with my case, I can’t tell if I’m just more toned out, bigger, or the clothes themselves just got smaller.” Cole muttered as he flexed his arm a bit. “Then again, I've gone through two different body changes since waking up today so....."

“You’re just lucky your skin didn’t rip open with the second one.” Raven pointed out with a wag of her finger, “We should really read the pamphlets that came with it more.” She started to summon her magic to pull the paperwork to her when Cole just waved it off.

“Right right. Tomorrow we’ll look at it. No need to stop the fun now, I feel fine enough." Cole explained trying to down play the worry. Cupid wasn't going to kill him that easily after ripping him through time and space. Raven just said and reverted back to her sitting state. "So I think it was your turn.” Cole said.

“Hmmm. Okay…, why that style?” Raven asked. "Maybe something will slip as I poke him about it." She thought as she moved to lean forward a bit.

"What Out boxer?" When Raven conformed he weakly waved his hand, “I dunno if that’s a good enough question for this kinda game. Not like I’m keeping it from you but my Uncle on my dad’s side taught me it.” Honestly it was just a simple question, like who taught you how to ride a bike.

"Why?" Raven presses but Cole then pointed out her own rules. “If you don’t mind answering that one that is.” Raven muttered as she moved her remaining group of movies forward a bit.

"Well…" Cole started, leaning forward and taking out another horror movie to put back, “I can’t tell you.” Raven had this wider eye look to her at the response but before she could do anything, Cole held up his hands. "I’m serious here, I can’t. Why do you ask anyway?" he plainly said.

“I just assumed a big guy like yourself would be a more in your face boxer.” a fast lie of a question given Raven wasn't entirely sure about how boxers were grouped by weight and style. "I just figured large fighters would barrel in more often." she internally thought.

“Lot of people thought that on the circuit at first too. It’s how I got my first few wins.” Cole said with a scratch of his neck and big grin on his face. But slowly that faded as his brows furrowed and he brought his hand to his chin. “Though… now that you brought it up, Uncle did stress to any trainers I worked with to keep me as an Out Boxer. I just assumed it was due to him not wanting me to have to be broken down to the foundation and built up again.”Cole snapped his fingers as his face lit up. “Oh and I think he was an In Fighter. But I heard from dad he got hurt and had to stop. That might be why."

"Hmm, make sense." Raven mused as her eyes narrowed down to her titles and Cole's. This was going to be the fifteenth question, and they were still tied on movies. It was time for lightning round.

While Cole came back with a normal question of "Do you still have a Dairy?" which the answer was, yes, Raven came back with a harder question. And then another one, followed by yet another one. Some of them were a tad off putting due to their awkwardness. The sorceress for her part was channeling Beast Boy and Cyborg a bit with questions they would ask to push the movies down. Though maybe not as gross.

Cole was met with;

• When was the last time you cried? (Skipped)
• What turns you on the most? (Skipped)
• Have you ever been in a "friends with benefits" situation? (Also skipped which was surprising that he admitted to sleeping with women already)
• Have you ever dated two girls at the same time? (Also a skip)

Cole was put off by how rough she was getting with her questions and tried to get back as best he could but he only had a handful of questions left for Raven. That and he didn't pick up what was happening at first.

• What do your favorite pajamas? (Pink jumper PJs, MLP themed, gift from Starfire)
• Do you still take bubble baths? (Yes. Lavender scented if possible.)
• Have you ever had a crush on a person noticeably older than you? (Yes? BB and Cyborg toyed with feeding info into a match maker site and it paired me with Aquaman of all people. While I didn't crush on him, I did entertain the idea of being with an older guy for awhile.)

“Geeze, she’s brutal.” Cole thought as he racked his head for an embarrassing question or awkward question she wouldn't want to answer. It was his last one and he was suddenly down to three movies and Raven hadn't budged. "Yes Got it! Have you had sex with a woman?"

"Jinx. Rebound from Flash and we were both drunk. We didn't speak for a month." Raven flatly said without batting an eye. "Cute try though. Oh and it was Wally West."

"...., okay fuck that's a hot but blunt image...." Cole mentally went. God parts of the net would go nuts about this. "I didn't think you'd be.... this open about it?"

"Normally, you're right. I wouldn't. But considering I have to put up with you for awhile and when this is done we'll be so far removed from each other it won't matter..., maybe my guard is down." Raven summarized. Internally though Raven was blaming Zen for this. Maybe the collar just made her more frank..., or lowered her inhibitions or something. "It's just sex though, I don't see why talking about it is that much of a problem...," Raven thought, "Though if we ARE supposed to be together... might as well get this out now right... wait." she thought before realizing the context. Besides if they WERE to end up, she wanted to get this answered. Did he just quit or was there something more, and if more, what was it? Someone that just fell out of boxing, maybe she could picture herself. But there were stories of cheaters and worse.

“You said you quit boxing.” Raven started, sitting up straight and looking Cole dead on in his eyes. “Why?”

The question froze Cole to the core. It was a question he’d been struggling with for awhile now. Something he dreaded hearing from Ravens lips. It would come up, eventually it had to. More so if they actually got together like Cupid had wanted. But this wasn't something he really wanted to talk about. Would he tell her just because of the movie.... no forget the movie.

"She probably set this up just for the sake of asking me." Cole thought, unsure of how to take it. He was mad that she was trying to pry into his past... but she did have a right considering he had a cliff notes of hers. He scratched his head, not really sure on how to do this. "....Skip." he finally muttered.

"....really Cole." Raven said as she folded her arms and eyebrow raised, "I tell you about parts of my sexual past, but you can't share this." she drummed her fingers on the carpet as she spoke.

"....I don't wanna talk about it." Cole said, lowing his gaze, anything to get away from that look, "Just... watch whatever stupid movie you want."

"Cole. Tell me." Raven pressed as she slowly shifted forward. Cole looked back up, only to see those violet eyes burning into him. Her eyes had that intensity now... the kind he really didn't want to see right now.

"Why do you care?" Cole spat, waving an arm, "I'm just some washed up boxer that should be living in the gutter. Why are you so set on finding out?"

"I need to know if I can TRUST you." Raven flatly told him, not realizing in part that was maybe a lie to herself. She got up and slowly walked over to him, sitting down at his side. "Cole. I've dealt with my demons. Robin's, Beast Boy's, Cyborg's.... even Starfire had her own issues she needed to work through. I'm not saying I can help you with yours, but I can't even try if you don't tell me." Her face softening as she reached out a hand for him to take. "I don't think I need to be an Empath here to see you're in a lot of.... pain? Sorrow? Rage? about this? Cole, just breathe, and tell me...."