Fencing practice (RP for Holden, River, Paul, anyone else who comes by)

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Thank Shai-Hulud for the Febreezio spell, Paul Muad'Dib reflected as he lugged a pile of decrepit fencing gear into the Great Hall. Deodorizing and cleaning charms had gone a long way to make the unfamiliar gear more usable. He was looking forward to using a foil rather than a deadly crysknife, and to fighting a human instead of a practice robot.

He sat beside the heap of gear, lotus-style on the floor, and waited for Holden and River to show up.

Comments

[5000yearold.livejournal.com]

Methos wandered past the Great Hall, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a foil. "Fencing, hm?" Walking in, he spots someone medidating by the pile. "Is this a private practice, or can anyone join in?"

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

"Not private at all," Paul grinned, tossing the foil to Methos. "Decided to organize a little something because a guy who just got Sorted used to be the captain of his old school's fencing team, and a friend of mine was already interested in something like this. Neither of them is here yet, though. You're welcome to join us."

[5000yearold.livejournal.com]

Methos tested the weight of the foil. It had been a few centuries since he'd last used one of these. "I maybe a bit rusty, but it should still be fun."

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

"Well, if you're rusty, I'm clueless," admitted Paul, cheerily. "Fighting I can do, but this gear is foreign to me. Holden used to use gear like this when he was the captain of his school's fencing team. Do you know how to use it? It looks more uncomfortable than a stillsuit."

[gilded_lady]

"To be honest, I'm used to fighting with bladed swords. These may have been popular during the renaissance, but for my purposes they were utterly useless.

As for the gear, it's supposed to detect touches, but I don't know how it'll work without electricity."

Methos looks around. "I wonder if there are any epees around here."

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

"You're not Holden." River cocked her head to one side. It wasn't hostile, merely an observation.

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River came in and waved. "Hello, Paul!" She flitted over and sat down by him. "I hope you haven't been waiting long."

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Paul waved back. "Not really! I needed the time to clean this stuff up anyway. And we've been joined by another student -- " He turned to Methos. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. This is my friend River, from Ravenclaw. I'm Paul Atreides and I'm in Slytherin."

[5000yearold.livejournal.com]

"I'm Methos, also of Ravenclaw. Nice to meet you."

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden is rather apprehensive about the approaching fencing meet...he's late, and nervous about a display of his 'fencing skills.' He had always felt mediocre in everything, unless of course, it was a drinking game..."hell" he thought to himself, "I can do this, if I can do the goddamn jitterbug in public, I can do this."

Holden enters, bringing with him a battered and torn copy of "The Heart of Darkness" for Paul. He looks around, takes off his hat, and begins running his hand through his hair. He has not yet noticed Paul or River or Methos, and decides to light a cigarette and wait...

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River noticed the newcomer and turned. "You're Holden." She looked at him curiously.

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Paul turned, hearing River greet Holden. "Hey!" He waved the new student over. "This is River! And that's another guy who hasn't said his name yet. Glad you could make it!"

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden turns around wildly, being startled and drops the book and the cigarette. Holden proceeds to comically retrieve the dropped book only to painfully realize his cigarette is stuck in his shirt, "goddamn it!!!" Holden starts hoping around in an attempt to free himself

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Paul diplomatically pretends that Holden is not hopping around.

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River giggled, trying to hide it behind her hand so as not to embarrass him.

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

After some mild muttered curses, Holden manages to pick out the cigarette, pick up the book and walk towards Paul, River, and the other guy...he coughs awkwardly and pretends nothing happened...

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

"River, this is Holden Caulfield. Sorry you couldn't make it to his Sorting -- you'd have liked it really -- though he did have a run-in with one of the Detention guys." To Holden he explained, casually, "River was busy doing a blood ritual at the time, I think."

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River giggled at the description. "It wasn't really a ritual. Just... something Stephen and I wanted to do." She debated explaining in detail, but Stephen seemed to have interesting ideas about discretion, and she didn't know Holden that well. She held out her hand instead. "It's nice to meet you."

Then the rest of Paul's words penetrated, and she looked at him. "One of the Detention guys? It wasn't Nny, was it? He can be a little... touchy." She beamed. "But he's a good flyer. And a good friend. At least to me. For me."

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden raises his eyebrow at the mentioning of 'run in' and again at 'blood ritual.' Holden is still nervous and begins to talk, perhaps a bit to quickly,"Say, real nice to meet you River, Paul told me a lot of goddamn impressive stuff, I mean, you fence for chrissake, that's pretty impressive. I've never meet a girl who liked anything like that, not even football or anything,I mean, I don't like football either, it's a pretty phony sport, for jocks exclusively..."

Holden suddenly recalls the book and hands it to Paul, "Hey, here's that depressing book you wanted, it's beat up like hell, but you can still read it mostly. Oh, somewhere in the middle, a page is torn off because by old roommate ripped it out to wipe his nose or something gross like that."

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden takes on a look of defensive scorn as he recalls the 'run in.' Maybe it was that skinny razor blade guy. "Does this Nny have some kind of goddamn sick obsession with razors or something?" Holden had been shaken by that strange encounter, and like many things, was not over it.

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

"Obsession?" River frowns slightly. "Well, I wouldn't call it that. But he has lots of points." She giggles a little: she and Nny have had fun with this wordplay before.

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Paul frowned. "Points? That doesn't sound good." He was aware by now that River had something of a fey approach to weaponry. "I heard him and that other Detention guy, they're lovers and they get their kicks out of torturing people for detention." This reminded him of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, and he spat on the ground.

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River blinked at the spitting. "Er... I don't think so. I mean, I think... well, I don't think...." She wasn't sure how much to say about Nny and Devi. "I don't think he and Teatime are involved--- I mean, like that. At least, he hasn't said anything to me." She didn't go into the torture part.


((OOC: River oh so clearly has not picked up on what has happened with Nny and Teatime!))

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

(( OOC: Paul hasn't picked up on it either, of course, as no one has -- he's going on word-of-mouth off the pairings book! ))

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

((OOC: Oh, natch--- figured as much; River didn't buy into that when she read it, though--- she went all Nny/Devi, IIRC. And herself/Stephen. ;) ))

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River smiles, not unkindly, at his nervousness: she's used to it. "Thanks. I'm... kind of unusual." She giggled. "The captain says I'm not quite right. It's a popular theory." Returning to the subject at hand: "But, yes, I... fence. Or I... do things with swords, anyway. I'm not sure if it's proper fencing. But I used to do ballet, and they're related, did you know that?" Her face lights up. "Just two different kinds of dancing, really."

She gives the book an interested look. "Heart of Darkness?"

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden's mood and demeanor suddenly brighten up, "You took ballet AND you like to dance!!!?!?!?! Say, that's terrific because I like to dance to, I mean not ballet, but more modern stuff, like the bop and the stroll. But I'm also ok at more traditional stuff like ballroom." Holden is very enthusiastic about the dancing and even illustrates some of these 'modern dances' (really from the 1950's) "Say, Paul...can YOU dance??"

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River beams at him. "Oh, I love to dance." She watches him demonstrate. "I don't think I've ever seen any of those dances before, though--- well, some of the ballroom dancing, if it hasn't changed too much. But I could learn." She turns to Paul, beaming. "Ooh! Can you?"

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Paul twitched. "Ballet I know about. Never danced it myself. Bop? Stroll? Not familiar." He had the grace of a Bene Gesserit adept and the poise of a swordmaster, but dancing was not a particular hobby of his.

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

"Maybe we could learn those, too? As well as fencing?" River looked around at the men. Most boys she knew weren't too fond of dancing--- this was exciting!

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden is now in a genuinely good...and impulsive mood...and actually smiling. He notices Paul twitch at the mentioning of dancing, and Holden sees the opportune moment for some real horsing around... "Jesus Paul, you don't know how to dance? Well, goddamnit, I'm gonna show you!!!!"

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River grins at him--- a little wary: as a doctor's sister she knows from pranks. "Maybe we could demonstrate." She cocked her head. "Unless you'd rather dance with Paul."

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Paul hastily shook his head. "Oh, I think I'll learn better if I just watch!"

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

A little deflated, "Well, thats ok, I mean I'm not so great at dancing anyways, I'm probably a rotten teacher anyways, at least that what my little sister Phobie says all the time. But she's horrible at dancing, I mean really horrible. She might be able to come up with good middle names, but not dancing to much." Holden is suddenly reminded of home, actually just Phobie because he hates his home, but nonetheless he wishes she could come here...and dance stupidly with him.

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

"Oh. I have a little sister, too." Paul is worried about Alia; has been basically since her birth. He notices Holden seems to be dejected at the thought of his sister, too, and impulsively decides to try to cheer him up. "Hell, why not give it a whirl?" He places one hand firmly on Holden's shoulder and the other at his waist, as if at the start of a waltz.

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River smiles at the mention of little sisters; what she's reading from Holden reminds her of her and Simon. "I have a big brother," she says softly, as much to herself as to the others.

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden was lost in thought of Phobie...he felt the need to protect her, the world was a big and scary place, and she was just a nice kid who couldn't dance...

suddenly he realized Paul actually DID want to dance, seeing as he was already in proper dance mode, and once more felt like fooling around a bit...

"Well, alright!!! Let's start with something simple like, how about the rumba!!! That's no to hard" Holden begins to lead Paul in a simple Rumba:

(( see basic rumba steps...I actually had to learn this in grade school ^_6
http://www.dansuri-latino.ro/image/waltz-right-turn.jpg ))

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

Paul followed Holden's steps through the motions of the rumba, letting his teacher lead. "I wish we had some music at least," he grumbled, but he was clearly enjoying himself. "Eat your eyes out, River. Holden and I are going to be the dancing champions of Hogwarts."

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

Holden too is enjoying the dancing, it being a big improvement from dancing with either Phobie, who always steps on your toes, or annoying girls at clubs. Holden's eyebrows raise at the mentioning of 'dance champions' "Hogwarts has a goddamn dancing competition, that kills me!!! Hey Paul, you're not half bad at all this dancing stuff, I'd have to say you're picking this up pretty goddamn quickly."

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

River laughed delightedly and clapped, enjoying watching them dancing. "Do we have a dancing contest?" she asked. "That would be fun!"

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

((OOC: I've been getting about 3hrs of sleep on average lately, and I'm falling out fast (oh no) so I think I need to go to sleep; very interested in hogwarts dancing competition ^_^...ahh, need sleep...))

Holden is thoroughly enjoying himself and the fact that Paul happens to be an excellent dancing partner. "You really are pretty damn good, to tell the truth. Say, maybe we can have dancing contest, that would really be something, it really would!!! We could to the rumba, and all kinds of other goddamn dances, maybe even make up a few...I've always liked the tango though, like a tango-till-you-drop contest...Hell, THAT would be something!"

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

"Making up dances? Wait until I learn the ones that already exist!"

((No problem -- we can pick up tomorrow if you like! ))

[caramelpolice.livejournal.com]

((ahh, yes, much obliged, would love to pick up later))

Holden smiles and begins to think of new dances....

[arrakis-savior.livejournal.com]

"We don't have a dancing contest -- yet." Paul grinned, improvising some fancy footwork. "If Holden here is willing to keep tutoring me, we may as well start one, just for an opportunity to kick some ass."

((Sorry for the repost -- used the wrong character journal! ))

[r-tam.livejournal.com]

"Kicking ass is fun," River giggled. "Except I don't usually do it in this kind of dancing." It was so nice just to have fun like this with people.

[savvy-jack-s.livejournal.com]

From the Doorway, the good captain looks in with mild amusement. Finally deciding to make his presence known, he swaggers into the hall. Weaving up to Paul and Holden he stares in some confusion at the unfamiliar dance. "It occurs to me," he says to the room at large in his typical slur, "That the sign on the door reads 'fencing practice'. Of course, I could probably stand to have some instruction in this area too... but I think I'm more in the mind to be stabbing and slashing today mates, savvy? It's been a bloody long time since I've had a decent bout with a competent opponent. This place seems to have an unfortunate tendency away from violence--well, violence with a sword at any rate. Everybody seems to use these things 'round here," he pulls out his wand, "and I still can't seem to get the hang of it," Jack waves his wand drunkenly and in a burst of amber sparks, turns Paul's hair neon green. "Bugger... See what I mean?" He leans close to Paul, "It's a better color on you anyway, mate. Trust me."