The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently

Subject: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:48 am

I step onto the gym floor and glance around. Most of the stations are important for survival, but I feel like I need to train in weapons first. I remember how the sword felt in my hand during the tournament, and how it was completely different than anything I'd held before. I needed more practice with the Capital's weapons if I was going to have a chance. My decision made, I stride over to the empty Melee Station.
The instructor looks at me with surprise, probably catching sight of the 12 on my uniform. Another reminder that most twelves are completely different from me. Last year's kids were Seam, 100%. The thought repulses me. Pushing that thought from my mind, I look at the vast array of weapons laid out for our use. I pick a few of them up, trying to find one I'm more comfortable with, so I can gradually get used to wielding them. Finally, I decide on a medium-length blade with a single-handed grip. The instructor approves of my choice, then gives me a few tips on it, then turns me loose. Then I start hacking away.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:45 pm

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Derald walked into the training room alone. The rest of the train ride was pretty much silent and nothing really happened. But it got him thinking a lot - what's he gonna do, what should he use, who should he avoid. And most of his answers were just 'I don't know'. As patethic as it sounds, that's probably his game plan. Derald swallowed a laugh to himself, imagining himself tripping over a stick on the ground, dying from that. When the group of tributes were dispersed to wherever they wanted to go, Derald stood in the corner for a moment. He had no idea what to do. He shrugged and grinned, closing his eyes as they blindly scanned the room, opening up to the melee section straight ahead. There was one person there, chopping up a few of those poor souls of plastic and rubber. The tag on him was labelled '12' and he guessed it wouldn't hurt to make friends. Better late than never right? Though he wished he started a few years back in 10.

Derald nodded to the instructors standing by the side of the station focus pulling away from the D12 boy when another came walking in. "Nice to see ya," he muttered with a smile as he walked past them, hand mimicking as if he was tilting his imaginary hat down. He looked over to the array of pointy things - mostly swords, knives and spears. He remembered those days where he and Tess used to throw knives into hay stacks for fun - first one to get the hardest stack wins. It made him chuckle but he looked away from the knives, slightly different and bigger than the ones back home that were fruit knives. He stared at the sword and picked one up. It didn't look too broad or too thin, and guess he could handle its weight. Derald took a few steps back as he tried swinging it around. He switched over to his left hand to give it a try. He was always fond of making use of both his hands. Gotta give them equal love right? He looked up to the guy beside him, so focused on getting those dummies as if they owed him a million bucks or somethin'. "Howdy," Derald greeted casually, making sure he wasn't stepping on that guy's toes, literally or metaphorically. "Ya come here often?" he grinned as he made a horrible joke but the mood was too gloomy for Derald's liking.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Sun Jan 12, 2014 12:58 pm

I hear someone else approach the station, but it doesn't concern me. I'm busy with what I'm doing. As long as they leave me al-"Howdy". Shit. I take one last swing and turn my attention to the tribute who's greeting me. Male, a few inches shorter than myself. Probably the same age. And from 10. I wonder for a moment what his life used to be. "That is the worst pick-up line known to man," I say. I can't help myself. Who the hell greets someone with "Howdy, you come here often?"

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Sun Jan 12, 2014 1:53 pm

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Derald laughs, continuing to practice swinging, "Aren't ya a gloomy one? I'm hurt." He looked back at the guy, face all gloom and doom. He placed the tip down on the ground and he leaned onto it, facing his new 'friend'. "Well it's only a pick up line if ya think it is," Derald tilted his head down a little, pointing out the fact. The instructors almost shouted at him for damaging the sword like that and he immediately pulled it away from the floor, giving an apologetic smile to the instructor. "Name's Derald," he decided to introduce as he stepped back, taking a swing at a dummy this time. It felt weird to try and stab the thing that's just standing there, minding it's on plasticky business. But the vibe between them was weirder.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:07 pm

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Gemma had enjoyed her train ride and when she had gotten here the rooms were fantastic, way better than at home. She kept, Mr.Darcy in her room, well scratch that, hers and Geoffrey's room. They had shared a room ever since birth and now they wouldn't part ways with their room and they often cuddled as a brother sister would. Gemma exhaled, it was okay to be without her brother here, he was somewhere else in the training room, and she knew they were in sprinting distance. She came up to the blades and she was inspecting them and trying to find one that'd be useful. She's used a scythe before, but swords were a bit different, but nothing she couldn't handle. She looked at the two boys close by. She picked out a sword and then she walked over to the two of them and she waved at them smiling. "Heya guys!" She exclaimed and she was fairly peppy. "I'm Gemma by the way." She said to them and she loosened her grip on the sword's hilt and looked between the two. She had watched all the reaping clips and she knew that the two were from non career districts. Twelve and ten.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Sun Jan 12, 2014 8:37 pm

I shake my head at his comments. Trying to be funny. Really? Can't this guy see I'm trying to train. Whatever. I've gotten a good handle on the weapon now, so I turn to start perfecting my technique. "Name's Derald" this guy wouldn't quit! Fine, guess I'll play nice. "Alexavier," I say, glancing sideways as he takes a swing. Maybe this Derald guy could be an asset. That's when some other tribute walks up. A 6 is marked on her. "Morning," I respond as she introduces herself, then take another swing at my dummy.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Sun Jan 12, 2014 10:16 pm

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"That wasn't so hard right?" Derald walked back to the weapons, picking up another sword, holding one in each hand. "C'mon, ya'll should lighten up a little," he swung the one on the left a few times before raising them up. He stumbled backwards with the weight, almost falling flat on the ground before he crashed into the new comer. "Sorry there, miss," Derald bowed his head to the girl, whom she said her name was Gemma. He looked up to the cheery girl. "See, she gets the message!" Derald's mouth pulled to a smile as he turned back to Xavy. He gets back on his feet and try to balance the weight of the two swords again, this time being more grounded to the floor, bending his knees as he lifted them up above the shoulders.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Mon Jan 13, 2014 1:22 am

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Gemma had smiled as she had heard their names by now. Derald and Alexavier. She was going to call them something else, something for her own fun. She grinned as she watched the two use their swords and she was keeping notes in their head. "So, how did the reapings and goodbyes go for you guys? Anyone come see you all?" She asked them and smiled as she got in line and she studied the dummy in front of her not quite sure if she wanted to hit or if she didn't. She thought for some time and then she was analyzing it. Geoffrey was better at telling where vital organs were, she wasn't as skilled at it, but hey they worked as one usually, they share a soul and that's the only thing that the two will believe.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Mon Jan 13, 2014 6:38 pm

I shrug off Derald's comments like they mean nothing. I want to snap back at him, but maybe he's right. What's wrong with a little light, right? I finish my practice with this weapon as the guy stumbles into Gemma, though she doesn't seem to react. I tune out his apology and return the blade to the rack. As I'm testing the weight of a longer blade, Gemma asks about the reapings. Jeezus, these people are worse than Madelyn. But it still manages to pull me back to that time, if for just a moment. I feel my body tense at the thought of Will, then I remember Rose and loosen up. It takes all my energy not to break out into some goofy smile that would fit better on Derald's face.
"I'd rather not discuss that," I say, spinning back around to destroy another dummy with the new blade. I find that I can move a bit better this time, despite the akwardness of the blade. Maybe I should think of her more often.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Mon Jan 13, 2014 11:48 pm

Robert jogged over from the ranged station. He had been thinking about his presentation for a good while now, since the train actually. He went to the weapon rack and grabbed two spears and a dagger. He threw one into a dummy some kid was hacking at, district 12 or something, taking it in the side. He threw a dagger into another dummy and stabbed his spear into the bottom of another's chin. He took the last dagger and spun it around in his hand a bit, leaning against a dummy, slit it's throat, and stabbed it into it's chest. He smiled at all of the gathered tributes as he stood up straight crossing his arms. "Hello there. The name's Robert, Robert Lenford...hope that wasn't too flashy of an introduction." He laughed and yanked out one of the spears and twirled it around a bit. "Couldn't help myself. Everyone needs a bit of fun before the games, right?"

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:18 am

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Derald chuckled as Xavy closed up about the reapings and all, "Don't mind him, he's just having a grumpy day." Of course, he was just being a hypocrite, because Derald himself wasn't too comfortable sharing. But when you think about it, there isn't much to share. "Not really, no one really visited," he replied as he smiled, mind spinning in panic, cautious about what he should and shouldn't say. He left it silent between the three of them of a moment or two as they slashed and stabbed, readjusting their positions, and then trying it again. Derald attempted to alternate his attacks from the left and the right hand, trying it out to see what worked for him. "But I got my hat," Derald shrugged, hand hitting the air above his head, having left his hat back in their rooms and his grin never faltered even an inch. Inside, he ached to banter with his cousin again. He missed having someone who would actually entertain him and his stupid jokes.

He notices someone else coming up again and this place was getting really crowded, but it was kinda nice. Until that dagger went pass him and into his dummy. "Derald. And that ain't too flashy at all." Derald said without really putting much thought into it but to just entertain the conversation. He paused from slashing down at the dummy, pulling out the dagger as he weighed it in his hand. It felt comfortable, very much like the fruit knives back home. Except this was a little bigger, a little heavier, but a lot sharper. He looked to Rob as he stabbed a spear heartessly into the dummy. He notice the tag that said 4 and Derald's instant judgement was career. "Well if that's yer definition of fun, I reckon you'll have a great time. Whatever floats yer boat."

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Tue Jan 14, 2014 1:58 am

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Still gripping her sword, she looked at the dummy still. People had been talking around her, and they had gone about their business. Gemma began to play with angles a bit trying to think of the best way to go about this. The dummies were laid out in a decent manner but by the time this new guy came in, a career district for sure, he began to show off and Gemma had a smirk playing on her lips as she knew he was all show and he couldn't walk the walk. Gemma did a few temp swings not hitting anything, of course it was intentional and she was getting a feel for the lavish capitol style blades. Finally while the boys were talking, Gemma was calculating angles and velocity in her head and timing. Speed and powerful, right? That's how a lot of fine gentlemen did it. Gemma would show these guys what it was to fight like a man. She wasn't show casing much anyways all her talent was more so up in her head. She knew the boys were far enough distance away, and soon Gemma took a deep breath in. She soon loosened her grip on the sword and it began to glide through the air and with such precision and grace as it did making clean breaks and she used her momentum as she pivoted her foot in a 340 degrees, decapitating five dummies and she used her build up momentum to stop her pivot motion and with continuation she arched her sword and letting her hand loosen quite a bit to do a spiral and stab the dummy into the wall and she quickly took the dagger Robert had thrown and she threw it back at him, it flew passed his hear and embedded itself in the wall behind him.

"I hope that wasn't too flashy for you." She said to him in a monotone and she had no emotion in her voice. "Robert." She said finishing her sentence and soon her hands were folding across her stomach as she stood there and looked at them all. "I'm Gemma by the way." She said to Robert. It'd be a name he wouldn't want to forget and it was going to be the name of someone he wouldn't want to piss off.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Tue Jan 14, 2014 7:14 am

Show offs all around. That's my immediate thought when a dagger finds its way into my practice dummy. Then other weapons impale the rest. Derald takes it like a joke; he takes everything like a joke, apparently. But the Gemma girl takes it like a challenge. Soon, the whole place's trashed from the decapitations. I honestly just don't want to deal with these people, but I need the practice. With my left hand, I rip out the dagger from my own dummy and stab at it a few times, testing how well I can use the weapon. Then I start alternating between the sword and the dagger.
I only introduce myself because of social contract. "Alexavier." The name feels unfamiliar even as I say it the second time. But I don't want to be called Xav here.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:54 pm

Robert grinned as the girl from six decapitated a bunch of dummies. Then the dagger flew right past his ear and he grinned even wider, barely flinching, and walked forward a bit. "Touchy, touchy...sorry if I offended you...and believe me, real careers can do better than that to dummies. Unlike me...I was just a hunter and a fisherman. To be fair though, I also did some shark hunting...but they were slow and boring to fight. Maybe the Games will be more fun." He smiled and walked towards the weapon rack, taking a dagger from it and another spear. He stabbed the dagger into a dummy nonchalantly, grabbing his spears and walking to another. He began to slash at the dummy, piercing it lightly, moving at fast speeds. His spears moved in a rhythm, and his arrogant grin turned into a serious look of focus. His movements were almost like a dance as he stepped around the dummy, piercing it in many places. He finally ended it by stabbing the spear into the neck and wrenched his spear down violently, the head flying back as he twirled out of the way and put his spear to his side, like a staff with the pointed end pointing up. "That...is how you fight. Graceful movements, not hack and slash, hack and slash, hack and slash. For when you are fighting, you will almost never have an opportunity to stab at the neck. Instead act like the dummy is alive and trying to hurt you to prepare yourself." He was smiling, this time seeming more friendly and helpful, instead of arrogant.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Tue Jan 14, 2014 9:03 pm

Marty wasn't really one for chit chat, not when everyone was bound to be out to kill him sooner or later. He made his way to the Melee station, ignoring the conversation coming from the group of tributes there. Sure, the one from District Ten seemed like a nice enough guy, aside from the stupid pickup line. Marty just couldn't afford to befriend anyone, they'd end up screwing him over in the end and his protective nature would get the better of him. He grabbed one of the longer hunting knives off the racks and swung at one of the dummys experimentally. He couldn't help but overhear the conversation behind him, what with the loud and obnoxious boy, who was obviously a career by his tone. Marty didn't even have to see him to know that much. The boy was boasting about fighting skill and how to do things properly, so proud that he was an expert in the art or murder. Marty let out a sharp, harsh laugh, "Gorilla" he muttered, loud enough for the others to hear, not even sparing the group a glance.

Subject: Re: The Art of Slaughtering Efficiently Tue Jan 14, 2014 9:11 pm

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At that point, Derald began to shut up a little. Not because he felt inferior to them who seem like sharp things were second nature, but he realised that no one really cares. Not about his stupid jokes, but about him. Even that little line and expression that showed himself made him regret ever saying that. He could've just shut up like Xavy. Heh, he and his big mouth. He listened in as Rob and Gemma were almost going head to head. Derald leaned onto the wall, putting the swords back as he fiddles with the daggers. Rob goes on about his glorious fights with the sharks that were actually really boring. Derald breaks his wrists, up, down, and around, getting to feel of the weights of these big knife like things. His mind wandered off to how different these daggers are to a knives but guess he'll get his answer later. He watches Rob move here and there chucking spears and daggers into dummies, but this time always on his feet. Derald scratched his head while Rob's words went into one his ears and out the other. "I ain't catching no ball from ya. But thanks for the concern," he chuckled and shook his head, knowing that Rob wasn't really concerned.

Again, even more people started to join in the party. It was getting really crowded here and Derald was tempted to just bolt outta here. But he stayed, at least for a little while longer. And he was glad he stayed, seeing that the new comer just dissed Rob as he passed by. It was amusing to an extent and Derald looked back to Rob, waiting for something else to happen. Derald flicks the daggers up, like how he did with fruit knives. Swinging them up a few times before flicking them outwards from an underhand throw with both hands, one dagger in each. Well of course, the daggers seem to puncture the dummy before dropping to the ground. Okay, so maybe they weren't meant for throwing much. They were much heavier than what he's used to, but he could deal with them. He's starting to take a liking to these knives they call daggers.