The Salle, Thursday Afternoon, After Classes

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth found the local oddities to be more intriguing than overwhelming, in general. Still, it was a relief to retreat to the salle and work through her sword exercises. It was one tiny spot of normal in a great sea of something else entirely.


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[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

...someone did not enjoy class.

She stomped in, practically trailing a storm cloud behind her as she made her way to the practice equipment and pulled out one of the shorter practice swords. She was nearly to some of the dummies before she realized anyone else was even in here.

She winced before offering a halfhearted wave at the other girl. Then she went for the dummies with the body of the yo yo and a muffled snarl.

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth paused for a moment in her own exercises to watch the other girl and her unusual weapon.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

The steel body of the yo yo did nothing out of the ordinary; it thunked against the dummy heads and arms and legs with the expected sound of a heavy object hitting wood and stuffing.

A quick pull, however, looped the string around one of the dummy heads. With a grunt, Fiona tugged and the yo yo came back to her immediately. She was almost onto the next one when the head slid off.

The clatter startled her, since she wasn't looking that way, and it ended up with Fiona looking right at Elspeth.

...ah. Awkward moment.

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"What sort of weapon is that?" Elspeth asked, never having seen a yo-yo of any kind before.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

Mine she almost said before being very glad she'd had her teeth clenched. It would give her a headache later, but for now it was helpful.

"It's also sort of a toy," she said carefully, "or most people know it as one. They're called 'yo yos'."

They can say whatever they want. There is no way to make that sound better.

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"It seems awfully dangerous for a toy," Elspeth said, eying the severed dummy's head.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She looked at the dummy head as well.

"Most people can't do that. It's just a cotton thread," and she pulled down the thread to show it.

The other girl had a sword and again, Fiona grumbled to herself alone about how unfair it was that everyone else seemed to be just fine with a sword. Of course, she knew, logically, that her weapon had greater flexibility and she even knew how to make it act as a sword.

She still felt weird and a little embarrassed, though.

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"Is it magic?" Elspeth asked, intrigued.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She shook her head.

"No magic. It's a family skill."

Which seemed relatively harmless.

"I got it from my mother."

[future_sandworm]

Choosing knives, Leto smiled at Fiona, noticing her mood. He couldn't help thinking it suited her.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

The smile caught her off guard as she lopped off the head of a dummy and had her pausing to smile back.

She remembered Ino's words, and her own, but she was determined to see what he was like for herself. Maybe she could even see what he thought about her father. She would have to see if he proved worth that kind of trust first, though.

All the same, she liked him anyway.

[future_sandworm]

Picking two knives and a sword, which should work well enough with just one blade in the air, Leto then approached Fiona. "Your weapon of choice?" he asked, brushing glitter off his shoulder.

Remembering their last conversation, he was determined not to touch the subject of prescience with her just yet.

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She pulled the yo yo back into her hand and nodded.

"My Uncle Aaron gave it to me," she said with a faint shrug.

"Said it was a weapon suited to me."

She still wanted a sword, dammit. But she was content for the moment with the short practice sword in her other hand.

"This is to block. I worked it out with Himura yesterday."

And then they'd nearly killed each other. It'd been great.

[future_sandworm]

"An innocent-looking weapon," Leto observed, studying the yo-yo. "That is always an advantage." He raised his gaze to meet her eyes, wondering if the subject of her family was best avoided today. "If your opponent is easily deceived by innocence. Did something anger you today?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

She ran a hand through her hair, the glitter puffing out between the curls. Had it been a more subtle effect, it would have looked pretty. As it was, she looked like she'd been dunked in a child's birthday party.

Fiona hated children's parties. It was what happened when you cleaned up after them week after week.

"Yes. We discussed the strength of stealth. And worked out how I can use it without, er, using excessive force."

Ie, killing people.

On the subject of today--

"It's all right," which, by now, it was since she'd sliced off a few pieces of dummy.

"The glitter is annoying and my class was... awkward. Apparently, I have to design a 'superhero' costume. I don't even know what one is."

[future_sandworm]

"The glitter reminds me a little of sand," Leto grinned, brushing some of it from her arm. "It sticks everywhere and reflects the sunlight to create a kind of haze. And I am sorry about your class. I found Practical Etiquette interesting enough." He paused. "Do you spar?"

[cutsthestrings.livejournal.com]

"With weapons or without?"

Best not to focus on the glitter; she'd only get annoyed. She could talk about fighting, though. With her body moving, blood pumping, she felt good. Cutting felt even better but she couldn't imagine harming Leto. At least, not until he gave her very good reason.

"I can do either."

She only hoped that she wouldn't have to pull away this time.

[future_sandworm]

Of course, finding the salle empty was unlikely to happen. He would have liked to release several blades, but one would have to do. Leto found a corner and walked over to pick up a few knives and a short sword, shaking glitter out of his hair.

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth watched the new arrival as she ran through a few exercises. She still needed to find a few good sparring partners to practice with.

[future_sandworm]

There was a girl there he didn't know, so Leto approached slowly. "I don't believe we have met," he said. "I am Leto Atreides."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"I am Elspeth of Valdemar," Elspeth said, pausing in her sword work. "Are you new here, too?"

[future_sandworm]

"I've been here for a few months," Leto replied. "I take it you are a new student, then?" He smiled at her.

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

She smiled back. "Oh yes. The salle is familiar but it seems like I've spent most of the week walking around with a look of stunned disbelief!"

[future_sandworm]

"That seems to be the usual reaction. Is your home from a different time and place as well?" Leto nodded towards the sword. "You have had plenty of practice with that, I notice."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"A different place, at least," Elspeth said. "How are you with the sword? I could use a sparring partner. As long as you don't have problems fighting a woman," she added with a touch of annoyance.