fandomhighdorms | Behind the Dorms, Tuesday After Workshops

When the reserves group gathered for today’s meeting, they’d be met with... Well, they’d be met with Zack, stepping forward and grinning brightly at the lot of them, maybe bouncing on his toes for good measure. Hey, just because there was the possibility of new people didn’t mean he was going to try to be all serious about it. Zack didn’t do serious all that well.

“Hey, guys! Welcome to the first reserves meeting of the new term!” He nodded toward the table that was set up nearby. “Help yourself to the cookies if you haven’t already? We’re going to take it easy today before we get into the serious stuff again next week. Introductions and things like that, in case there are any newbies around, you know? Starting with us, of course. I’m Zack Fair, SOLDIER 1st Class. I specialize in working with swords,” like the absolutely massive one on his back, “and take on some of the most heavy missions that my job back home can hand a guy. Usually on my own.”

“Kennedy,” the girl who was about half his size and cradling a crossbow in the crook of one arm spoke up. “Potential Slayer, trained to fight demons and your standard supernatural baddies. Long story, ask me later if you want to know. I know swords, not as much as Zack does, and knives and a few other things, but my real favorite is this baby here. I’ve been working with crossbows for nine years.”

“Jak,” said the blond who looked like he both desperately needed a haircut, and didn’t care much about haircuts to begin with. He also had ears that stuck out... at least several inches and tapered off to a pointy end, and a chunk of metal strapped to his thigh. “Freedom fighter. I’m good with hand-to-hand, but my thing is shooting things. Or blowing them up.” He took said chunk of metal from his thigh, pulled another chunk of metal off his back and pressed the two of them together. The whole affair stretched out suddenly, assuming the shape of a gun with a large blue cartridge shoved in the back. “Any questions?”

[Open reserves are open to all! Co-written with the usual suspects.]

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"Yeah, sure." Kennedy was pretty sure she'd worn the look on Katniss's face more than a few times herself (like every time she'd had to be peeled away from weapons exhibits in museums growing up), and that was reassuring enough that she was willing to hand Joni over to her. "So, like, you use a standard bow? That's pretty hardcore."

She nodded, blushing a little in spite of herself as she took the crossbow. "My father taught me when I was little. It's all I've ever really used. But this looks like it's so much easier -- probably much more accurate, too, I'd guess?"

"It is. Especially with the modern refitting." Kennedy reached out and ran a fingertip over the handle of the drawstring crank affectionately. "Theoretically you should be able to shoot one of these pretty well in about a week, but the reloading part's a bitch. You don't have that problem with a bow, but man, it took me forever to halfway get the hang of using one. I'm still not that good with them."

She watched Katniss, getting a sense of the way she handled the crossbow. It didn't strike her as idle curiosity; Katniss definitely seemed like someone who knew what she was doing. "Said you've been shooting since you were eleven. You, uh, actually did that a lot before you came here?"

Katniss nodded again, turning the crossbow carefully so she could get a better look at how it would be reloaded. "Yeah. I'm more comfortable with my bow than without it, if we're being honest," she said, with a tiny ghost of a smile. "Do you hunt at all? Or is Joni just for sport?"

"I don't know if you could call it hunting," Kennedy mused, chewing on her lower lip. "But it's not sport, either."

She pulled a wooden bolt from her crossbow quiver and held it up. "Like I said, I fight demons." No, you don't, Kennedy, not regularly. Stop acting like you do. "Vampires? Wood through the heart, poof, dust."

"I didn't know demons were real," she admitted, shrugging in disbelief, "and I have no idea what a vampire is. Something bad, I would imagine. And so you're hunting, but not for food. For survival?"

God, that made it sound dire; Kennedy shook her head slowly. "Sort of? Not my survival, but... okay, it's more like because most people-- in my world-- don't believe they're real. And someone has to look out for them."

"Why don't they?" Katniss wondered, but she really knew the answer. "Do they just choose not to?"

That was how she suspected most people were.

"Pretty much." Kennedy rolled her eyes; she didn't have much patience for people's denial. "I guess it's too much for them to handle, that things are crazier than they want to deal with?"

"I don't think most people understand things unless they're faced with the reality on a personal level," she replied with a little smile, holding the crossbow out to give it back. "People are happy with their ignorance."

"And score for someone who's more eloquent than me," Kennedy told her, laughing as she took Joni back and... didn't hug the crossbow, shut up. "I think you just got it in one."

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