The political atmosphere is something I definitely have to deal with, but here's hoping I won't notice much other than the mild traffic interruptions or MTR shutdowns.
Anyway, the following is an impromptu roleplay between yours truly and C.FLORES.
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| ALPINE |
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| TUNDRA |
War. That was all Alpine knew. From his perch atop the sturdy branch of an old oak tree, his sharp eyes surveyed the scenery around him. In his left hand, he gripped his favourite bow, and a quiver of silver arrows was strapped securely across his hips.
The beautiful city had fallen to ruin, not that he had ever seen it beautiful. Growing up, students like him were taught that Noire Island was once a prosperous place, teeming with economic growth and technological advancement. The city prized itself on the numerous brilliant scholars that graduated from its renowned universities; far and wide, there wasn’t a single soul that did not know of Noire Island’s shining brilliance.
However, that was decades ago. Only textbooks spoke of such brilliance now.
Alpine dropped from his lookout point and landed with a soft ‘thud’ on the ground, scattering a small pile of leaves in his wake. The arrival of fall irritated him. He hated the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of the leaves the most.
Such beauty didn’t belong in a desecrated place like this.
--
Taiga worked as a field medic for Noire Island, assisting those with ailments and injuries.
But it wasn't always this way.
She grew to love the country that flourished in Noire island; rife with opportunities and technology and like minded citizens. Then the war came.
It's been many years. Only a handful could even remember exactly the specifics of how it went down. Foreign land conquerors, internal conflicts, civil war.... none of it matters anymore to her. To her it's just reality. Its every day. Its existence.
Each day she'd provide salves to those injured in the front lines; fighting for the cause against external instigators, interned propagandists and sympathizers of both sides. The worst were the young and innocent, caught in the crossfire. Unnecessary.
She dreamt of a life beyond strife and chaos. But dreams can feel ever so distant...
--
It was around six o'clock in the morning when Alpine arrived back to the broken-down flat were he lived with another student: Taiga, the local medic. The two had become close ever since she had aided him after he was decked in the face by one of the army officers from the mainland.
He'd deserved that, sure -- after all, he was the one who instigated the fight -- but that wouldn't stop him from doing it again. Not even close.
Alpine stood outside her room and rapped his knuckles on the door.
"Taiga, wake up. We're going to be late for class."
He leaned in closer, straining to hear any sounds of movement to indicate she was awake. He had some grim news to break to her, and he wasn't sure how well she was going to take it.
--
Taiga awoke to the sound of... uneasy silence. The shifting silks of her bed belly her body straining for some reprieve. The stress of conflict has worn her flexibility down. She's fully dressed underneath, medic bag at the ready. Energy bar, water and multivitamins on her nightstand. Three second prep time.
She opens the door suddenly to find Alpine's... ear on her door.
"You seem ready", she says with a sneer.
Her unkempt short hair worked with her look; it was easy to manage and didnt get in the way, though this didn't hide well the indents of the surgical mask on her flush cheeks.
Jumpsuit and utility belt at the ready, she does a once over on all her items, ensuring no pocket is empty from bandages, EpiPens, or adrenaline syringes.
And most importantly. Her umbrella. A symbol of protection, unity and safeguard.
--
Alpine quickly stepped back as the door opened, but not before Taiga was able to see him leaning into the door like a creep. Nonetheless, he wasn't one to be bothered easily; hardly anything embarassed him.
"Of course I'm ready, what sort of scout would I be if I wasn't?" he retorted. "Anyway, you remember Chau? Our classmate that disappeared four days ago?"
Chau, who was set to graduate the same year as Alpine and Taiga, had stopped showing up to class one day after a late night 'incident'. He was bullied for his stereotypically nerdy looks, sporting a bowl-cut and round-rimmed glasses.
He shoved a ripped piece of paper into her hands. "Well, look what I found."
It was clearly a page taken from a crumpled newspaper. There was a barely legible caption beneath the photo of a man's body, lifeless in a pool of his own blood. His head had been crushed in, dented by some form of blunt weapon.
The only tell-tale sign that this person could ever have been Chau at one point was the pair of broken glasses next to the corpse. Unmistakably Chau's glasses.
--
"Chau..."
Her eyes, morose already as they were, grow darker, the glimmer fading.
"He shouldn't have been caught up in this. None of us should've."
Tears would well in her eyes should she the emotion to spare. Only the pitting feeling within her gut is the sensation she felt. And the clenching on her fist. This oppression hardens the softest of us all.
"Let's go." She walks forward to an uncertain day.
"Are you feeling well? Did you get enough rest last night?" She says as she hands him an energy bar nonchalantly.
Scouts like Alpine always concerned her, but more so Alpine than most. He's headstrong and willful but that can only carry you for so long. Sleep deprivation, nutrition deficiency and all manner of distractions can impair his senses, and that can be fatal. She wouldn't. Couldn't think of that.
She pops the multivitamins in her mouth, and then an energy cube chewable. They're convenient but she will need a proper meal at some point...
They reach the outside.
What usually would be a smorgasbord of noise is an eerie quiet. Building debris, garbage and... human blood decorated the street. Smoke and smog is slowly lifting but still shaded and impaired further visibility. The streets, far and wide as they may be, straight and empty, leading further into he downtown sector.
--
"I'm fine."
He accepted the energy bar gratefully but, instead of eating it, tucked it away into the satchel at his waist. Taiga was right to worry about him; he was hardly ever hungry. Hardly ever tired. The most he slept was an hour or two, and even then he could never bring himself to lie down like a normal person. He propped himself upright with a pillow and leaned against the wall facing the door, gripping a knife in his hand with his bow within arm's reach.
There was no time to rest. The last time he slept well, or even dreamt, was before the government took his parents. That was the punishment for rebellion.
"From what I understand, Chau's death was brushed off as a tragic accident," Alpine continued. "He wasn't exactly popular in school, so the article said that any one of his bullies could have tried to play a trick on him that backfired."
Now that they were outside, Alpine's voice was barely above a whisper. Though the streets were empty during this early hour, there were always ears listening, always eyes watching.
Alpine turned to look at Taiga.
"They silenced him, you know. She silenced him."
The pair reached the subway station where automated trains still ran for workers and students. There were lockers here, where Alpine stashed their school uniforms. They couldn't exactly attend class dressed in their current gear.
"Come on, we have to get changed. I don't want our professor yelling at us again."
The school they attended was one of the last standing universities - the rest had been destroyed by the mainland government long ago. The sole reason for this was because the school maintained a strong stance of support for the sovereign queen. The uniforms were red and gold and bore the crest of the mainland on the left breast.
--
"I'm fine. Hard to say otherwise..." she smiles wistfully at her uniform; chagrin and enmity boiling within her. This brand of humiliation and conditioning shes forced to wear. But it's the smarter path. She heads to the WC and picks a stall.
She unzips the jumpsuit off and unclasps her many belts and toolkits, showing a perfunctory top and bottom fitting bodysuit therein. She Dons her pleated skirt, blouse and carefully doffs the suit. Quickly brushes her hair and clips it to a side. A "normal" student.
Shes outfitted her sling bag to consist of many hidden pockets and sleeves, to allow for extra bandages, heat packs, rations and splints in case their nightly raids go awry. Or if it becomes a day trip. Today could just be that day.
"Shrubland is up first." She says, rejoining Alpine. "At least we have something a bit more useful to pick up and learn." She says, thinking back on the many lessons shes attended on edible plants, prep time and method on various fungi and vegetation theory. Intriguing to think a university like this would allow for lessons such as his to be accessible to begin with. As if he wants his students to-
"Fancy meeting you two here!"
Veld approaches us, outfitted in full regalia of the university gym uniform, carrying a volleyball. Slightly taller than I this black haired woman with deep purple undertones suit her personality. Her amber eyes glow almost a tinge golden when the light hits it just right.
Her fingers are taped and bandaged, presumably from her night time PRACTICE 《raid》 at the REC CENTRE 《legislative building》 to GET BETTER AT THE SPORT AND JOIN THE OLYMPICS 《finding out our dear queen mothers spy intranet for her schedule, hunt her down, split her skull and end this charade siege on our city》 .Her demeanor is one of an interesting positive note.
"Man, practice went so great last night! I learned some new moves and I think tonight I can do the proper spike I've been reading about!" Her flared black hair dances with delight. I cant help but smile a bit. This is something new.
"You're gonna have to show Alpine and I what this spike looks like after classes today!"
I glance at our peripheries. Numerous cameras tilt and whir silently. The subway station becomes increasingly populous from the number of students and faculty employees. Faces friendly and familiar. Some not so. We got in at the right time.
I fold my umbrella into its smallest setting, stow it away, and brave the day thats ahead.
--
In the men's washroom, Alpine buttoned up his dress shirt and begrudgingly pulled on the red blazer. He shoved his civilian clothes and satchels of supplies into his shoulder bag and slicked back his wavy hair in the mirror.
Dressing to show solidarity with the mainland was shameful to say the least, but that was the only way to get an education. The university taught a few survival and combat courses, but the majority of lessons consisted of fragrant propaganda praising the queen's government and portraying the queen herself as a god.
Alpine frowned at the thought of leaving his bow in the public locker, but that couldn't be helped. He patted the front pocket of his bag to ensure that the dagger he always carried was safely tucked away before exiting the washroom to rejoin his friends.
"Veld, good morning. What was that about a spike?"
That, and, Veld was always up for a challenge, and she was much less uptight than his roommate Taiga was. Injuries this, and injuries that... it was hard for Alpine to sympathize with Taiga's cautious nature.
The trio boarded the train. Alpine wanted more than anything to tell Veld the news about Chau, but that would have to wait until they were in a more private setting.
"...why are they even fighting? It's useless against the capital..."
Stray fragments of a conversation drifted towards them as a girl wearing the red uniform boarded the train with her companion. Her hair was drawn up in an elegant updo, allowing full display of her fancy earrings, and a string of diamonds hung from the necklace at her throat.
They recognized her as Tundra, one of the students at the university. Her family was wealthy, and her parents were known supporters of the mainland. Gossip floated around the school that Tundra's father himself had direct business dealings with the queen sovereign.
--
Painfully aware of her dichotomous nature, Tundra can't help but feel sympathetic to her homeland and its peoples cause, but understands the gravity of what they face against.
Her father is a well connected business tycoon, owning numerous retail businesses and hotels, enabling him access to many facets of the aggressive nature of the Capitol and its troops, including information. And in times of war, information is a very lucrative thing. To the highest bidder, or to the right buyer, he may well be a key factor to how the next couple of months will turn out.
Tundra's been aware of this for some time, and can make her father a very scary figure, especially when the Queen sovereign makes a personal visit in her house. She needs to be keenly aware of what she says but she didn't like it any more than her younger siblings.
The ennui of helplessness turned her bitter - living in a city with curfews, mandatory uniforms, soldiers and "peacekeepers" in each corner, it was anything but.
"... why are they even fighting? It's useless against the Capitol." Tundra voices in hushed words to her friend and confidante Prairie.
"I know right?! Why cant they just give it a rest so we can get back to peaceful lives?" Daughter of a Business partner to Tundra' father, they've been around each other since they were little. Her allegiance to the Capitol might run a bit deeper than hers, Tundra feels. But its comforting at least to have someone to talk to.
"Anyway I dont wanna talk about this; has anyone asked you out to the Winter Ball yet?" Her eyes are intrigued, her smile thinner and wider than the sharpest shard of glass.
"Its Capitol funded, so its gonna be the biggest party in god knows how long. They say they're making headway with taking down the dissidents and their bases so it's only a matter of time. 'Sides, they gotta celebrate the future of Noire - with us..." her hands gesture to her visage in a flaunt of rarified air. She knows shes on a different level.
"There's a couple... I haven't decided who gets to go with me. Better to leave them sweating until the last moment." She smiles in kind; she's gotten good at mimicry over the years.
Prairie claps her palms quietly but excitedly. "Love it! You know just how to live don't you? Gosh I wish I could be like you sometimes." Stars in her eyes. Glimmer of adoration. Envy.
"Oh Prairie, while we're together, you'll live lavishly" Tundra smiles wide, leaning forward closely. Proud. Intimate. Liar.
The din of the train continued on. Various topics come up wre she to listen closely enough... different subjects she doesnt take, cram school last night being interrupted by tear gas and raids, Calculus and Biochem exam next week, some glasses kid found dead in the dark, more winter ball talk...
The sun gleamed its golden rays into the cart, making the students clothing and color more vibrant and alive, in contrast to the clinical white that the interior of this train afforded. No ads, no newsletters or publication, just chairs, handles and bars all in pristine white.
Beyond the tracks, makeshift barracks to house paramilitary from the Capitol line the empty parking lots on the way to Uni. Men in full riot gear marching, military trucks drive to and fro, soldiers in one, some generals in the other, three tanks buzz by in the opposite way, towards the downtown sector. This is her everyday. This is normal.
--
From the corner of her eye Tundra spots a familiar brooding face, a familiar mop of hair. As Prairie prattled on and on about her latest shopping trip in the capital, Tundra's attention slipped away from the conversation.
"Excuse me one moment," Tundra found herself saying to a surprised Prairie.
She straightened her skirt and made her way over to where Alpine was standing with his companions at the back.
"Good morning, Alpine. And hello to you as well, Veld and Taiga."
Veld gritted her teeth and plastered a smile, almost a sneer, to her face. "Well, if it isn't the student council president herself. Come to greet us lowly students?"
"I merely came to say hello to my dear brother and his friends."
Alpine kept his face as emotionless as possible. Not many people knew his relationship with Tundra, and for his own sake he preferred keeping things that way.
"I heard you talking with your little friend over there about Chau," he said nonchalantly.
"Out of all the possible topics, this is what you chose to discuss?" Tundra sniffed her disapproval, earrings flashing as she turned her head in disgust. "That boy was bound to meet an end like that, speaking against the mainland so openly."
"Tuuunniieee! What gives? You left me to converse with this band of commoners?" Prairie came bounding towards them, the clacking of her high heels ringing in the air. She flicked her eyes over the group dismissively. "I wouldn't even bother asking them about the Winter Ball. Who would ask the likes of them?"
--
"Winter ball? Really?" Her face contorted with derision and spite. She was not fond of snobs and socialites. Shallow puddles. She still needs in on that ball. The schedule required it. Ideas.
Her demeanor changes. Her hand slips through to Alpine's side and arm, interlacing her fingers with his. A blatant show. A crook on Tundra's brow. A pink tinge on Taiga's cheeks. Interesting...
"Of course I'm going! Aren't we, Al?" She gives him a look. Her eyes smiling. A devious sneer. Plots brewing. Ideas.
"O-of course!" Unfamiliar familiarity. Facade breaking with unexpected advances. This can be useful later on.
"What about you two?" Veld continues, her eyes sharply pointed towards the two socialites. En garde.
"W-we have many suitors! Hard to decide you see, quite a number of options. We may as well hold a tourney!" Her cheeks flushed. Eyes darting from me to Alpine to our hands to Tundra, then to me, body lowering to meet me at eye level, then straight up. Recovered. Air of pride.
Prairie wasn't prepared; unused to PDAs? Hmm not quite. Perhaps she doesn't like to be lowered, or questioned in sensitive spots. Tundra hardly seemed fazed beyond a raised eyebrow.
Seconds of silence. The din of the train continued until the PA came on, announcing the next stop at University centre. A visible wave washed over everyone in the cart; bodies straightening, clothes properly pressed. Upright. Proper. Normal.
The train stops. Everyone files out orderly, out of the train, down the stairs, across the street.
The University.
Veld realises she hasn't quite let go of Alpine's hand. He watched her pace but didn't say anything. Neither did Taiga. She promptly lets go, not turning her head. The walk towards the doors feels like a mile. The march today begins.
--
Tundra raised an eyebrow at the sight of Veld cushioning up to her brother, who didn't do much in protest. Her hazel eyes were uncharacteristically soft in the light of the morning sun.
"I didn't know that was your type," Tundra commented, more in a teasing way than with malice. Alpine folded his free arm over his chest and sighed.
"Ugh, I'm bored of this! Let's go, Tunnie." Prairie flipped her black hair over her shoulder and stomped away haughtily.
Tundra turned on her heel to follow in suit, but paused to glance over her shoulder one last time.
"It's not too late. Father would forgive you."
She left Alpine with those words and followed Prairie and the rest of the students exiting the train.
The students trooped into their home room single file. The last bell rang shortly after Alpine, Veld and Taiga took their seats in the back row. The professor, a stocky man by the surname of Shrubland, stood at the front of the room and adjusted his thick rimmed glasses.
"We have a couple announcements to address, but firstly, let us all rise for the national anthem."
The students rose to sing the national anthem of the capital, an old hymn praising the glory and greatness of the mainland. From the front row, Prairie's high-pitched singing caused several students nearby to wince. As Alpine mouthed the words, he felt someone watching him from behind.
"Now then, for the first announcement," Professor Shrubland began, once the students were all seated. "As you may have read in the newspaper, our fellow classmate Chau was found to be a victim of a violent crime. The police are still investigating, but they suspect that rioters from the rebellion are to blame."
"As they always are," a classmate piped up, to murmurs of agreement.
"We ask that all students remain vigilant and on guard at all times, and to report any suspicious activity to the enforcers. The second announcement has to do with the Winter Ball, which is coming up next month. Be sure to register before the deadline. That is all, please head to your first classes."
In the hallway, Taiga pulled Alpine and Veld aside. She seemed distraught at Chau's cause of death being unclear, with no perpetrators brought to justice.
"There's no proof of what happened either way," Alpine explained. "Let's talk about this later."
Their first class of the day was hand-to-hand combat lessons, which the school affectionately called "gym class". The girls parted ways from Alpine, as male and female students split into groups for training and had separate locker rooms.
--
Alpine followed the rest of the male students towards the lockers and got dressed to their "gym" clothing - skintight gi-style shirt and shorts, alongside hand and feet wrappings.
Beyond Taiga and Veld, there's not a lot of friendly faces that Alpine could count on. But at least one is here today - Marsh. A sturdy man of average height, slick dark hair with a tinge of green, the gym clothes cling to him perfectly, as if born in it. In contrast to him, Alpine is more lean - muscular in the right places yet lithe and more agile looking. More suited for faster endeavors.
The air feels lighter when he approaches, anxiety quelled with familiar smiles.
"Buddyyyy~!" hands outstretched in a welcoming manner, his face is a ray of sunshine. "Ready to spar? I'm gonna pin you down this time!"
"You gotta work on your footing and position first!" Alpine smiles, throwing a hand up in the air, hitting Marsh's.
The din of the locker room is in a similar aura; excitement filled the air as the students get an opportunity to blow off steam in a safe and monitored environment. As the bell rings to signal the end of prep time, and the start of training, everyone files out slowly into the Gymnasium.
Usually far more open, only half the gym is available for today's class. 3 Spotlights focused on "rings" throughout the half court. Darkness beyond.
As Alpine comes into the room with Marsh, the air feels palpably different. The focus on the arena, the people standing in a circle, the silence... Like wolves in the dark. Predators waiting, teeth gleaming and sharpened. Weed out the unwilling. Eat the feeble. Exploit weakness. Just another gym class.
The instructor then calls out each pairing - 2 minute spar, all techniques allowed, and the fights begin. Chatter begin excitedly, as each pair throws their best onto another.
Alpine takes note of how others fight, should the need arise. Bog looks to employ some modified version of Baguazhang; his bulk and height impressively belies his flexible and airy motion in tight spaces, dancing around his opponent. Unapproachable.
Twins Rain and Forest are employing their own personally honed Taijiquan, deflecting each others blows and immediately recovering; a mesmerising display of fluidity and balance.
Abyssal stood out among the rest. As Captain and leader of the Securities Committee, his display of ferocious movements feel too fast for the human eye to follow, resembling Xing Yi Quan; his opponent overwhelmed by the burst in impact and immediate closing of the gap, and continually lost form.
Finally it was Alpine and Marsh's turn on the ring. As he approached, Abyssal walks back against him and whispers "You're next..." with a toothy grin. Red eyes sharp and almost gleaming as he passed by.
Form and breathing was his focus. He remembers his training and approaches low. Marsh wasn't expecting the speed from Alpine again, but tries to compensate by lowering his body and creating a guard at his centre.
Alpine sees this and throws a right elbow to Marsh's left, immediately followed with a leg sweep, to throw him off or move into the next form. Marsh recovers instead by taking a right step back, aligning his body, and extends his fists, making contact with Alpine's shoulder.
He tries to roll it off and back again to form, but the density of Marsh's punch was unquestionable. He's been training heavily. He's back in form, but slower than he wanted.
Marsh continues the assault - arms gathered on his chest to centre, then throws a left palm towards his chest, immediately followed by a right open palm thrust to his abdomen. Neither connects as Alpine is too agile and can roll them off, but he's becoming aware he's getting pushed off the ring - until he is, with a leg swipe.
Alpine's world spins, then stops suddenly. The darkness of the ceiling was all he could see, until he sits upright. Marsh's Plum Blossom is far better than last time. The stand in respect and bow. Sweat glistening from their faces, then breaks into smiles. Some of the students who were watching started to clap and cheer, having known Marsh and Alpine's history in their spar. Marsh got this one today.
--
A meaty hand claps onto Alpine's shoulder, startling him. It was Bog, come to spectate after having won his own fight moments before.
"That wasn't bad," Bog said solemnly. He was a stoic man of few words, unreadable in a lot of ways. But for some reason, Alpine found the hand on his shoulder oddly comforting.
"Thanks," Alpine responded. "You look like you hardly broke a sweat."
Bog shrugged. "My opponent didn't put his heart into it."
There was still one fight that hadn't ended; the grunts and sounds of limbs colliding echoed through the gymnasium. Marsh appeared at Alpine's side, a troubled expression painted on his face.
"Abyssal's still going at it with Forrest," he informed them.
A crowd had formed around the center ring. Abyssal was pulling Forrest to his feet by the shirt, and Alpine heard the rasp of fabric ripping. Abyssal curled his hand into a fist and swung directly into Forrest's face. Forrest staggered back, disorientated, his blood splattering over the ground.
"Hey, let it go! The fight's over!" Rain shouted, concern for his twin stricken on his face. He ran to Forrest's side, grabbing Abyssal by the shoulder and shoving him back.
"Ha! What a weakling." Abyssal's laugh was filled with glee. "Next time, try and be more of a challenge for me."
None of the other students moved an inch to assist. Abyssal was someone they feared, someone who was known for brutality, and none wanted to become the next victim.
--
Rain gently picked up his brother and walked him towards one of the empty changing rooms.
Checking him over, Forrest is a little shook, bruised and battered. Each time Rain's hands go over a bruise, they both feel the pain, as if some link binds their pain together; in the end there doesn't seem to be anything broken - just sore in the softer areas that could make him wince for weeks
Forrest lets out a deep breath and laughs, saying "I'll be fine, nothin' I can't walk off. He's fast - faster than I expected from watching him."
He's facing Rain, but his eyes are distant, as if recalling each second of the match, dissecting and analyzing.
"He's good with single combat. I'd like to see how efficient he is-"
"With multiple opponents? Yeah I noticed." Rain cuts in. "He's hyper-"
" -vigilant on his target, so his focus is undeniable but-"
" -it can be exploitable with enough- "
" -distractions." They say at the same time.
They both stand up at the same time, dust themselves off in the same places and look at each other and nod, bracing themselves for what the rest of the day brings, eyes gleaming with intent.
Exploitable information on members of the Securities Committee will be very useful to their superiors; allegiance to the Queen Sovereign is an enemy of the Cause.
--
The coach blew his whistle and a janitor came to sanitize the floor, water sloshing in a large white bucket. Unfazed by the blood, he ran his mop over the mess, clearing all evidence of the fight. The students dispersed from the center ring and broke into respective smaller groups to stretch.
Marsh threw Alpine his towel and said, "Hey, better luck next time."
"Gee, thanks."
Alpine caught the towel in mid air. His eyes met Marsh's eyes, which gleamed with life and hope. The boy was a spirited soul, with determination coursing through his veins.
Where had all his own hope gone? Alpine wondered. And when did he start feeling numb in places where he used to care?
The class moved into their next set of exercises: running laps around the gymnasium. All the while, Alpine felt Abyssal's sharp gaze behind his neck, tracking him like a tiger stalking its prey.
--
Unable to parse and vocalize what she just heard about Chau, Taiga walked towards the gymnasium and change room. She just wanted this day to end.
The female uniform for CQC is fairly similar to the mens - firm but breathable fabric overlapping each other in the torso, cut short to a midriff, fitting shorts and foot wraps for freedom of movement and agility.
Most of the girls tied their hair in various ways to ensure it's out of way, or prevents their ability to fight. Taiga always kept her hair short, seeing the length as too much work for what her lifestyle afforded. Running her fingers through her own hair though does leave a slight pang of jealousy, seeing Tundra's luxurious locks. How come things are easier for others, she thought...
As her eyes wander, she glances at Veld's visage and physique. Longer, more voluminous hair, more shapely face, warmer eyes and a braver personality. It matched her body well, she thought; even basic stretching emphasized how toned her muscles were, how lean but strong she looked.
Taiga kept up the recommended regimen but shes not quite to the degree that Veld dedicated this to. Her preference leaned more towards scholarly pursuits, but learned the necessary forms for defense, if called upon.
The din of the changing room continued on for a few minutes, until the bell rang to herald the end of prep time. Practice begins.
"Women are outclassed by men in terms of overall average muscle mass, body fat distribution and internal organ size" the instructor began, "and I'm sure you all know this. However, your mental acuity, natural agility and wiles is key to success. This isn't an anti men speech however - know yourself fully to destroy your opponent with certainty, whoever it may be." Her eyes look over everyone with a silent fierceness.
The class is still. Breath bated. She continues.
"Why don't we hold... a tourney. Let's explore what you know about weaponry, traditional and improvised." Left hand outstretched, she gestures the students to a wall of melee weapons - practice swords of various sizes, staves and blunt implements and shields of different styles. Today's a day to be medieval, Taiga thought.
More spotlights turn on to reveal three rings in the half-gym. "2 minutes per pair. Knockout elimination or evict from the ring." A board above the weapons rack illuminates, showing an array of the 10 names in this class.
Taiga is paired with Prairie for round 1. Tundra and Veld are paired off with others but their names are quite close. Should they win their respective lines, they will fight each other in the finals.
Taiga turns to Veld and sees the fire stoked within her eyes. "You look excited." She whispers.
"I'd like to see how Tundra fights. What I wouldn't give to see her taste failure for once..." an insidious smile cracks on her face, silently giggling and circling her hands with each other.
"I pray you cross that line off your bucket list" Taiga says, patting her shoulder, and walks towards the weapon rack.
Already there are the various other participants, including Prairie, who's chosen a sparring Rapier. Some of the instruments are made of wood; others with dense rubber. The model she chose is of hard plastic - polypropylene - dense stuff that will hurt. She's looking to hurt, Taiga thinks... two can play it that game.
Taiga goes for what's familiar - rattan sticks - but not wood. Also polypropylene. Her preferred method. Escrima.
They both walk towards one of the empty rings. Passing by the crowd, Prairie pipes up, "You know, we're all grown up now. You dont have to play with sticks anymore." She says it a little louder than polite conversation, her face contorts in matching its tone. Taiga rolls her eyes and takes her position in the opposite side of the ring.
She takes a deep breath and remembers her training. Mid profile. Sticks chambered. Slash and snap. Rhythm.
Prairie takes her stance. Rapier in hand. Hand to her chest. Narrow, side profile. One handed weaponry style.
The instructor blows the whistle and they both approach each other slowly. Measuring their gait and guard.
Prairie goes in first with a thrust, not breaking her root. Taiga makes a right slash upward to deflect, then and follows with a snap with the same stick. Prairie anticipated this, and makes a slash of her own and they connect solidly with each other.
Prairie begins her assault, profile lowered to meet Taiga's, left hand on the small of her back, right hand and rapier pointed towards her at all times, changing from a slash to a thrust and back again. Each snap that Taiga attempts is met with her own deflect and roll to a thrust.
But she cannot break through Taiga - the two sticks prove overwhelmingly efficient at deflecting and attacking. For every deflect she performs, she follows through with a mid sweep attack, and then changes the formula to two, then three then two, then four attacks, alternating from both hands.
She increases the tempo. 6, 8, 10 snaps on the mid, then upper, then lower. Prairie is visibly disturbed, barely holding onto her root now, and, to the spectator, is getting pushed back. Taiga remains expressionless, having minced and anticipated each step of the rhythm like a metronome.
Prairie continues to step backward until she trips on her own feet, falling out of the ring. Beads of sweat on her forehead, eyes darting to and fro in a failing attempt to trace the moves and form an understanding on the pattern. She then let's go of the breath she didn't know she was holding onto, and sees Taiga's hand to help her up.
After a couple of seconds, Prairie smacks it away. "Dont touch me!", she yells, and walks to the weapon rack, angrily holstering the rapier and storms off to the changing room.
Taiga bows towards the instructors direction and walks to the weapons rack and puts the rattan sticks away. A new pair approaches the ring. Veld's smiling face greets her in the crowd along with others, markedly impressed with this hidden talent displayed by their classmate.
Taiga glances over at the other students and sees Tundra on the far ring, gracefully in repose and holding a Jian, while her opponent, heavily breathing with spear in hand, falls sideways outside of the ring.
--
If Tundra broke a sweat, she surely didn't show it; she wielded the jian like it was an extension of her own arm, as she did with every weapon she chose for mock battles. In fact, it was Tundra herself that trained Prairie to be proficient with the rapier - not that the latter was anywhere close to the skill level of the former.
"You know your way around a spear, that much is certain," Tundra said to her opponent, "but you lost because you forgot about your footwork. Next time, step away, step in and place the blow. Your footwork should keep you balanced."
"Y-yes, Miss Tundra. Thank you for the advice," the awestruck student stammered. "Since I lost, allow me to return your weapon to the rack for you!"
"Oh, how kind. Thank you."
Veld watched the exchange in disgust. Anticipation rising, she glanced at the board of names, hoping that she would have the chance to face Tundra next, but unfortunately the instructor did not pair them together. Instead, the rest of the lesson was spent sparring with other classmates that Veld held no interest in, and they held no challenge for her to defeat.
Gym class ended uneventfully, and Taiga and Veld changed back into their student attire to meet Alpine in the cafeteria for a quick lunch.
"What sort of bullshit beauty queen wannabe does she think she is?" Veld growled, slamming her tray onto the table with enough force to make Taiga wince. "Furthermore, why do other students idolize her?"
"Are you referring to Tundra?" Alpine asked, clearly confused.
"Who else, dummy?!"
"Well, I had to confirm, because if you are - do you really have to ask?" Alpine cracked open his soda and took a deep swig before continuing. "She's the daughter of a political figure after all."
"And she can fight," Taiga added, much to Veld's annoyance. "She's proven this numerous times over the course of our training."
"Not to mention, she's a total hottie!" Marsh's voice popped up, and the three friends turned to see him standing there grinning unapologetically.
"I'd appreciate if you didn't speak about my si... About her that way," Alpine muttered under his breath.
"What? It's true!" Marsh shrugged, ignoring Veld's icy glare. "I plan on asking her to the Winter Ball."
Veld nearly choked on her food. "Pfft! As if she'd choose you!"
The two started to bicker. Alpine rolled his eyes and began eating his lunch, thoughts still swirling from the day's earlier happenings. Marsh soon noticed his friend's glum expression.
"Hey Alph. I know what we could do to take the edge off. Why don't we visit the pleasure district tonight? Have some fun partying."
"P-pleasure district?!" Taiga repeated, her eyes widening. She looked from Alpine to Marsh and back to Alpine again. "Come again?!"
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Behave yourself, now. ;)