Downtime (3)

"You're open."

"Gha!"

Sending his training opponent flying across the room for the nth time, Dax breathed a shallow sigh as he centred himself again, pulling in his extended arm and returning his heartbeat to none combat levels.

"... You keep lowering your guard the same way Alice, it's really a bad habit of yours."

"Again, please."

Clearly exhausted beyond the reasonable limits for sparing, Alice nevertheless got up from the mat and put up her guard, seemingly ready to fight (and lose) until she collapsed, not that Dax would let that happen. Sitting down on the mat, Dax patted the space in front of him with a slight smile on his face.

"Nope, take a seat. You're not going to improve like this."

"... Fine."

Reluctantly putting down her hands as she started pouting slightly, Alice walked over to Dax and took a seat on the mat in front of him.

"Your heart is not in this, what's going on?"

"..."