The Salle, Wednesday Morning

[crimson_sister]

Lucille had slept badly for the last few nights, torn between her body's needs and her emotional state. Frustrated, she went to the salle in the morning before class, because stabbing dummies, even with practice blades, was the best thing she could come up with. To be honest, she had thought of other options, but her intellect favoured this one.

Perhaps Jalian had been right to suggest that dresses wasn't the best choice of clothing for this kind of activity, as the skirts did hinder her movement, but the stabbing did offer some relief. Sadly, as Lucille would discover, it was only temporary.

[Open salle]

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[crimson_sister]

Lucille spun around when Thorin addressed her. She had not noticed that he had entered the room, and it had surprised her.

"Oh? Why is that?" She replied sarcastically, her expression not particularly friendly either.

[dwarvenswagger]

He was a surprising guy.

"You wield the knife like a drunken butcher." Oh, he was in a cheerful mood. Totally.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille was well aware that she was a beginner, and that her attacks were currently more fueled by frustration than the result of technique, but she was sure Cassandra's teachings were there still.

"I assume you're going to explain how I should do this?"

She might not be familiar with the term mansplaining, but she had definitely experienced it.

[dwarvenswagger]

Excuse you. It would be dwarfsplaining. Speciesist.

"If you wish to learn," he shot back. "Your people do seem content with leaving their women defenseless."

Outside of this land, that was.

[crimson_sister]

"Do you think I am defenseless?" Lucille snapped, taking a step away from the dummy. She had defended her brother from their parents often enough, in the end with violence.

Which didn't mean she wasn't a beginner when it came to using weapons, but at least she had found two girls willing to teach her.

Also, he was clearly prejudiced against her race.

[dwarvenswagger]

Well, Men did kinda suck. Short lives, constantly falling under the sway of The Enemy...

"I think you lack the skill to do it properly." But she had plenty of drive. Or it could have been this terrible week. Who knew?

[crimson_sister]

She had two women to teach her. She didn't need a dwarf. And the drive was her, only strengthened considerably by distracting feelings.

But look, someone had just showed up to be the target of her anger. Thank you, Thorin. She approached him, the training knife still in her hand.

"And I think you should mind your own business. Or is that a skill you lack?," she snapped.

[dwarvenswagger]

"By all means," he said with a mocking bow. "Do continue your exercise."

While he judged you.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille easily picked up on the mocking and judging, as that was something she was good at herself. Normally she would just respond with a comment along the same line, but his behaviour made her angry and holding on to that anger just made everything easier right now. So she pointed the knife (and it was probably lucky it wasn't a sharp one) against his throat and replied:

"Yes? Or are you brave enough to spar?"

No, Lucille, this is a bad idea.

[dwarvenswagger]

Thorin tilted his head, more than a little annoyed by the cavalier behavior with a blade. Dull as it may be.

"A spar implies equal skill."

[crimson_sister]

"So you're not brave enough." She let her arm fall to her side, annoyed that she didn't get much of a response from him. It would have been so much more rewarding to try and stab a person than a dummy, even if she would have lost. Also, Cassandra had suggested kicking male opponents where they were most vulnerable.

[dwarvenswagger]

THAT WOULD BE RUDE. But Thorin could not deny it's effectiveness.

"Brave to fight against someone who can hardly hold the blade?" He had his pride. His stubborn, stubborn pride.

[crimson_sister]

She smirked. "You think I haven't hurt anyone with a knife?" Perhaps she should shut up now.

[dwarvenswagger]

But they were opening up and sharing today!

"Yourself?" he scoffed.

[crimson_sister]

"What, underestimating a woman?" Forgive Lucille for assuming that, she's from a time where that would be the most plausible explanation.

If this was opening up and sharing, perhaps she should pick a fight with him more often? It would perhaps make his life more exciting. Making tiaras must get boring after a while.

[dwarvenswagger]

Rude. Soon his life would be trying to keep his people fed and being tragic. So.

"Underestimating your race," he corrected. "I hold little enmity for your gender."

[crimson_sister]

"And how is that better?" Perhaps it was, but that didn't make for as good a response. "Should I imply that your skills are inadequate because of your height, perhaps?"

That was low. Lucille was usually better at this.

[dwarvenswagger]

You could do better than that, Lucille!

Thorin snorted in amusement, perfectly content with the knowledge that he was weirdly tall for his people. "How will I bear the pain of such an insult?"

[crimson_sister]

She shrugged lightly. "Just as I bear that you underestimate me, for whatever reason you decide."

But this was so frustrating! She wanted to stab someone, or possibly do something else, but not with an annoyingly dull dwarf. Sadly, as attack him with kisses might be a lot more effective.

[dwarvenswagger]

HE WOULD HONESTLY PREFER THE STABBING.

"You could nor even land a blow should you try. " Now he was just winding her up. Like a jerk.

[crimson_sister]

Even in her current mood Lucille knew that actually stabbing someone with a real knife would be a bad idea. She also realized that he was winding her up. It was a good excuse, however, so she lashed out to stab him in the chest with the training knife with a sudden move.

[dwarvenswagger]

They really should not be allowed near each other unsupervised.

Thorin twisted to the side to let the knife pass him, circling her wrist with his hands to prevent another stabbing attempt. For now. "Your skill is truly without equal."

[crimson_sister]

Perhaps someone should act as a chaperone?

"I thought you would say that," Lucille replied. She might be a beginner, but she had expected him to block her move, so she had another one planned. Tugging at her arm meant she was pulled closer to Thorin, which enable her to kick backwards with one leg. Because this situation really called for that move Cassandra had suggested could be used against men. Or male dwarves. Let's not be speciesist.

[dwarvenswagger]

Which was why he rather abruptly dropped his grip and shied away from her. There was even that adorable hunched over motion of manly fear.

"Instincts aren't terrible." It was almost a compliment!

[crimson_sister]

The point being almost. Not that Lucille bothered about such details now. She flung herself at Thorin, attacking with a combination of knife stabbing, punching and possibly pulling of hair. It was also done with a lot of force which could make some people lose their balance. There was a lot of instinct.