The Salle--Sunday Afternoon

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Deciding that it had been too long since she'd practiced, Inara wandered down to the salle, in the hopes that they had a fencing foil or something similar that she could work with. When she picked up the foil, though, she found it too light for her. She eventually settled on an épée, finding it more like what she was used to. Once she had its weight settled comfortably and familiarly in her hand, she started running through a series of lunges.

She didn't have protective equipment on, but that would change if someone showed up and wanted to spar.

Comments

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke trotted down to the salle and smiled when he saw who was occupying it. "Good afternoon, Inara."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Luke, hello," she smiled, and held her weapon down, in a non-aggressive position. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Or anyone, really.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I can leave if you'd prefer to be alone," Luke replied promptly.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no, I didn't mean that!" She said quickly. "Just that Sundays seem to be very quiet around here."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"That's very true," he replied with a smile. "I'm normally meditating or doing something else equally exciting. Today I needed to expend some energy." He glanced at her foil. "Would you mind a partner?"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I'm a bit out of practice," she warned him, "but no, I wouldn't mind at all."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I've learned in the last few months that I'm not as good as I thought I was," Luke admitted with a wry smile, picking out a foil for himself and putting on the barest amount of padding.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara made sure her hair was secured behind her head and put on padding of her own, then walked out to the sparring area. "Oh? You fence? Against whom?"

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Lightsaber duel, technically," Luke said, "but if I used the weapon I'd slice through your blade and then we'd both be unhappy. And against Qui-Gon--I did all right there--and my father." He frowned. "Who is ridiculously good."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"So what you're telling me is that you're very good and I'm going to get trounced," she grinned at him, not particularly bothered by that.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"I know which way the pointy end goes, yes," Luke said, grinning back, "but I won't make you cry or anything."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

She smirked as she got into position opposite him. "Crying wasn't on my agenda."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Not even if I stomp on your foot?" he asked, starting out with a slow advance. This was for fun, after all. No need to kill anyone.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara took a step in retreat, but prepared to raise her blade in a lunge as her next move. "Nope. My feet are immune--I've danced with Gavin."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke began to relax into the rhythm of their movements. "I've never done that," he said with a grin, "but I can imagine. His cousin was terrible."

Pause.

"But I didn't dance with Biggs, either."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"You know his cousin?" She asked, lunging forward and trying not to laugh, her arm wavering slightly, "I didn't think that you had, but now I'm curious that you're so quick to deny it."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Cassandra was still exploring the grounds, finding all the little places on campus she hadn't located yet. When she poked her head through and saw Inara, she stopped, watching silently for a bit.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"Biggs and I were best friends growing up," Luke said with a small smile, parrying Inara's move easily. "He left Tatooine a few years before I did. In my world, Gavin is about ten years old."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara lifted a brow at the ease with which Luke had parried her lunge and resolved to concentrate. Which was difficult when she was thinking about Gavin being ten, but somehow she managed. "Isn't that complicated for you?"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Her arm starting to weaken a bit, Inara switched hands, trying to work on making the movements as precise and fluid as they had been before. She was concentrating so hard that she didn't notice Cassandra.

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

"My father looks five years older than me, a niece from the future a few years younger, and there's a Jedi running around from far in my past," Luke said, beginning to move a little faster. "Comparatively, Gavin is very easy."

[iseewhatyoumean.livejournal.com]

Having escaped notice standing at the door, Cassandra takes a few silent steps into the Salle and folds herself into a seated position on the floor. She had spent so much of her life watching precisely the sort of training Inara was doing that it was oddly relaxing.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

She moved faster, countering Luke's movements with her own, at least at this level. "That's a lot of family, from many different time periods. It seems like quite an adventure."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

The movement of Cassandra sitting down on the floor, caught the corner of Inara's eye, and she turned until she was facing Cassandra. "Hello."

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke was content to stay at a level where Inara was comfortable. "It's family," he said. "Less than a year ago, I didn't know any of them existed. I'll take happiness when it's dropped into my lap."