//double edged blade// [Kaplan]

[sbeeg]

Bianca Tarbuck

To let me dangle at a cruel angle
Oh my feet don't touch the floor
Sometimes you're half in and then you're half out
But you never close the door

Sweat dripped from her straw colored hair, down her rounded forehead and dripped off the end of her crooked nose. The air in the gym was heavy and unbearably warm despite the snowflakes settling on the window sills. What Bianca would give just to run out into the snow in her work out clothes and cool off for just a moment. But Victors are not made with breaks and time outs. They're made with blood and sweat and long hours pounding their fists into dummies. She had only a little time to be reaped before she came of age, and she couldn't let it fly by without going to the games and returning with the glory.

The girl always had to remind herself of her goal, mainly because most days it's the only escape she has. The gym is one of the few places where people gawk in admiration instead of disgust at her six foot frame and freckled face. If she didn't make it to the games she'd have two options left: the mines, or the Peacekeeper Academy. Both seemed to be full of potential enemies and next to zero glory.

With that thought in mind, Bianca headed to the weapon arsenal to pick her next training section. She was phenomenal with a sword but who knows what she'd get in the games. If I ever get in the Games she thought. Looking past the swords, her eyes lingered on the other weapons. Spears she had practiced with earlier this morning, flails as well. She frowned at the bows and the knives. The lighter girls used those weapons to throw from afar or sneak up on a bigger target with. Bianca knew all too well about her own size and the thought of her holding a bow seemed ridiculous. Why shoot a little arrow when you can tackle your target just as easily. Then again, a knife would be useful in close combat and as much as she'd like to think otherwise, she wasn't used to it's feel in her hands. She liked the power and show of the broadsword, but the knife was sneakier. Sharp and quick, it was like every insult ever hurled at her.

Then again maybe it was time to put all that in the past.

Grabbing a knife, she headed to the mats. Maybe, she could ask a trainer to spar with her for a few minutes- if they could spare the time. Or another student. Bianca had a hard time asking others, especially in the gym where she'd hunch over to reach their height and try to make herself look less awkward. Blue eyes scanned the people training and her stomach did a back flip.

Take a breath, Bianca. What's the worst that could happen?

[kap]

Rachel Violette

Training wasn't something that Rachel did for fun, like many career tribute-wannabees did. There were many people in the district who chose to train, simply because they wanted to be in the games. The only reason that Rachel trained as in case she was forced into the games, and was actually in a position where she had to fight for her life. Whenever she went to the training center, the other people around seemed to be people that hoped to be tributes one day. That was far from Rachel's hopes. She simply hoped to live the rest of her life to the fullest, preferably without dying at an early age.

One thing about Rachel, however reluctant she may have been about training, was that she had quite the ability with weapons. She generally chose a knife, as it could be used in multiple different ways, however, she mostly used it for closer combat. She had never actually been in a fight, and had only used the weapon when sparring or when against dummies. She hoped to keep it that way, as she didn't like the thought of digging a knife into the flesh of another human being. Heck, she was someone who didn't even like the idea of killing animals, so she certainly didn't want to kill humans.

There were multiple other people training in the gym that day, many of which she didn't recognize. One girl seemed a bit unsure of what type of weapon to use, until she eventually picked up a knife, and ventured over to the mats. That made Rachel wonder what she was doing. Did she want to fight someone? Rachel wasn't someone who enjoyed fights of any sort, even if they were just sparring, so she tried to keep out of the girl's gaze, and simply continued with her throwing knives and the dummies that were set up.

Taking another knife, Rachel readied it, aiming it at the heart area of one of the dummies. She threw it. THUNK! It landed right outside of her target area, just about an inch out of range. She was frustrated. Thinking to herself that she would never be able to survive the games at this rate, Rachel tried to not show her frustration with her mess up. Throwing another knife, she hit her target straight on this time.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. She wasn't too loud, but was sure that other people in the gym had heard her. Having finally hit her target after a lot of training was something that made her proud of herself, however, and therefore, she didn't mind if other people heard that she was proud of her success.

sbeeg ● 441 Words

MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0

[sbeeg]

Bianca Tarbuck

You're a holy fool all colored blue
Red feet upon the floor
You do such damage, how do you manage
Trying back for more?

Maybe I could practice rolling with a knife. They seem to do that in the Games a lot without cutting themselves open the girl thought to herself, her eyes scanning the edges of the practice knife. Then again, people my size aren't made for ducking and rolling.

Bianca, painfully aware of her own build, let her hand holding the knife drop to her side. She was a powerhouse. She had the strength and to wield a two handed great sword, and the power to slam a morning star into someone's chest and she was worried about this little old knife?

The thud of a knife sliding into canvas broke caught her focus. A brunette girl hissed a "yes" under her breath at her victory. Throwing knives... that didn't sound so bad. Bianca could toss a spear with ease, throwing a knife couldn't be much different.

Leaving the mats behind her, she took her place next to the brunette girl. Slicking her straw colored hair back, she planted her feet and took aim at the dummy. The target painted on its chest was tempting but if Bianca wanted to wear a Victor's crown, she'd have to kill the most with the least amount of energy. Blue eyes slid up to the dummy's head, lolling on its shoulder due to its lack of any kind of spine. The beige canvas stared, faceless, back at her.

The hilt of the knife felt fragile in her large hands, but she gripped it tighter. After a slow breath in, she lunged forward, sending the knife flying through the air. The blade hurled towards the dummy, then past the dummy, and then smacked into the concrete wall before clinking against the tile floor.

Knives flew differently than spears, they were much lighter and a thrower didn't need to adjust for its weight in the throw. Bianca was so used to the arching path of a spear, and knives... well they just flew straight forward.

Unwilling to walk behind the line of dummies to retrieve the knife, Bianca stood frozen for a moment. Everyone in the gym nearby must have seen her fumble, and surely that brunette girl had a first row seat.

Blue eyes longingly gazed towards the spears and other heavy weaponry.

Stick with that you know, Bianca.

[kap]

Rachel Violette

Despite having wanted to avoid attracting the particular blonde girl's attention, that seemed to be just the opposite of what Rachel had done. With her exclamation after hitting her target with the knife, as well as the fact that the girl had seemed to be watching her, she gained the attention she didn't want. The blonde girl had then decided to approach the area where Rachel was, and try throwing a knife herself. She seemed to be quite focused, but the knife she threw didn't hit on target. It had missed the dummy, hitting the wall behind it. Perhaps the girl wasn't used to knives, Rachel supposed, when the girl had seemed to be heading over to other weapons.

Spears? Rachel wondered to herself when the girl was near the throwing spears. Supposing that the girl probably was more used to the heavier weapons because of her build, Rachel didn't question it. Instead, she went back to the knives. She readied another one at the dummy in front of her, aiming this time for the stomach area. Hitting on target once again, she grinned. She was actually doing rather well and was proud of it. She looked back at the other girl, and decided to speak up.

"I can help you with the knives if you'd like. Or, you could show me something with those, perhaps?" Rachel asked, motioning towards the weapons that the blonde was standing near. It was likely, Rachel supposed, that there was some sort of weapon that the girl knew how to use better than Rachel did, especially because Rachel wasn't good with much more than knives, and this other girl seemed more experienced somehow, even if she wasn't good with the knives.

She's got a bigger build... I'm guessing that she's got some sort of weapon she's much better with than I am. were the thoughts in Rachel's head. Surely this girl would either want to learn how to use the knives, or would be willing to show Rachel something, right? Unless, of course, she was one of those people who preferred to completely keep to themselves when it came to training.

sbeeg ●354 Words

MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0