Salle, Friday Morning

[icecoldfrost]

Normally Emma would head to the roof when she wanted to escape the ennui of her classmates, but she was still feeling a bit vexed from yesterday's ethics class, and wanted to work it off.

So it was the salle instead, and Emma had her own sword with her instead of one of the practice foils as she worked her footwork and positions. Prime, seconde, tierce...

[Open salle is open! Distract me from my Friday to-do list!]

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[glacial_queen]

Karla was usually at the salle, since it was the day she practiced knives with Leto and was a bit surprised to find Emma there. Still, she found herself drawn to watching Emma's footwork, seeing if there was something there she could incorporate into her own style.

"Kiss kiss," she said when she didn't think she'd interfere with Em's concentration.

[icecoldfrost]

Emma grinned and flipped her hair out of her face. "Kiss kiss," she replied, lowering her blade to throw an air-kiss to her friend. "What brings you down here?"

[glacial_queen]

"I'm usually handwavily here on Fridays. Leto's teaching me how to fight with knives," Karla explained. "He's amazing with them."

*It's part of my 'never be helpless again' campaign.*

[icecoldfrost]

"Leto? Oh, the blue-eyed-boy," she replied absently. "Likes roofs, but doesn't smoke."

She shifted the grip on her sword, offering it to Karla if she wanted to take a look. "Ever tried anything bigger than a knife?"

[glacial_queen]

She gave Emma a smile. "I also handwavily train with Max with swords." That didn't stop her from taking the proffered weapon and examining it. "It's lovely--but it doesn't seem very practical."

Of course, Karla was overlooking the fact that in Emma's world, swordfighting wasn't practical.

She hefted it a bit, finding the balance and seeing how well it sat in her hand. It was much longer than she was used to fighting with. "I see why you were doing all those thrusts and jabs."

[icecoldfrost]

"It's not really meant to be practical in a warfare-sort-of-way," Emma admitted. "It's a dueling sword, for one-on-one combat. It was a way of settling disputes, usually over honor, for a number of centuries."

[glacial_queen]

"We have Protocol to try to avoid that, actually," Karla said, carefully handing the sword back to Emma. "If two Warlord Princes went at it, the entire Court could be in jeopardy. And no one going up against a Warlor Prince who isn't one has a hope of surviving."

[icecoldfrost]

"You could duel to first blood, or to the death, but it's mostly illegal to duel like that now," she said. "Now it's mostly a display of skill and athleticism."

"So, social dueling of a different sort, I guess." Emma grinned at Karla impishly. "And I know a lot of ways to stab someone and make it count."

[glacial_queen]

"I believe you," Karla said sincerely. "I admit, though, I'm less afraid of the sword than I am of most of the other weapons in your arsenal."

[icecoldfrost]

"Well, it's not socially acceptable to carry a sword in public," she demurred sweetly. "And if I start carrying a switchblade, people are going to think I'm the wrong type of downtown girl."

Which she was, sometimes, but that was beside the point.

"Besides, a girl always ought to cultivate all of her assets."

[glacial_queen]

"Playing damsel really isn't our style, is it?" Karla said with a sly grin.