thecapitol | We are all strangers in a strange land [Open]

WHO| Nasir and others
WHAT| Nasir decides the best way to cope with being brought to Panem is to ~~try and hit people a lot~~ spar.
WHEN| The same day as Nasir's arrival, lasting for most of the day.
WHERE| Training Center
WARNINGS| Violence, probably some cursing

Nasir knew he should get his bearings and explore the new city he found himself in but it was overwhelming. There was simply too much to process. Everything was unfamiliar from the clothes to the people to his own room. While it was more comfortable than the tent he’d lived in for months, he missed the tent all the same. As he missed many things, not the least of which his friends and lover. Even if he returned he didn’t know if he would find them: if Laeta and Sibyl had convinced Agron to move on beyond the grasp of Rome without Nasir or if he stubbornly remained waiting for him, at risk of his life.

Nasir's anger at being torn away-- enslaved again-- brought him to the training center. The journey there had been interesting to say the least and he did not care for that elevator room. But as soon as his hand grasped a spear he felt more at ease. Now if only he had something other than a target, someone who could give him a proper challenge.

Looking around, he spotted a figure and quickly approached them.

“I would spar with you, if you are of desire.” Nasir himself did not appear to be impressive. Short and lithe, he went shirtless and wore a necklace of what, on closer inspection, were three phalluses. But he had a determination in his eyes and he handled his spear with surety.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"That's very honorable of you," Lyle said. "But the last time I held a spear, I was thirteen and I used it to pole-vault out of a museum window before a couple of very angry men in government-issue suits could get their hands on me."

Stolen, ill-fitting government-issue suits, but: details that would have spoiled the 'supervillain' persona.

"I promise, I'm good enough unarmed against armed opponents that it'll be worth your time."

Nasir doubted that. He thought about discarding his spear but in the end his patience was wearing. Let it be considered a lesson then.

Without warning, Nasir charged and thrust his spear directly beneath Lyle's chin.

Maybe now he'd think twice about not using a weapon.

Lyle ducked down and to the side, throwing up his nearer forearm both to protect his head from a redirected blow and to push the spear further away from him. He hadn't made a habit of fighting people with spears, but it was still a long-handled weapon meant to keep opponents out of range of the user; so that meant he needed to get inside that range and stay there.

"Oh good, I was worried I'd have to argue with you more," Lyle said, testing Nasir's guard by aiming a kick at his knee. "Some people just don't take me seriously for some reason."

Nasir darted back, dodging the kick and, since Lyle was close enough to get to him, moved to get out of the man's range.

"I see why." Nasir said. He did not usually speak during combat but this man was getting under his nerves, which were already frayed to begin with.

He started to bring his spear down hard on Lyle's shoulder.

Lyle wasn't particularly used to talking during combat himself, since invisibility wasn't worth much if you gave your location away by talking, but the rest of the Legion's tendency toward back-chatter left him reasonably well-equipped for it.

"Do you ever have that problem?" he asked, dodging forward and to the side again, smacking at the haft of the spear. "People making fun of your height, and being all impressed by taller people?"

He drops down again, both to try and sweep Nasir's legs and to establish a pattern. If he keeps going low, Nasir's going to start expecting him to go low. Won't he be surprised?

Nasir remained silent in response. His height was a sensitive subject but he was used to being goaded like this. The better retort would be the send the other man sprawling.

He had to keep light on his feet and darted back before Lyle could get close. But while he was down, Nasir spun his spear so that the blunt end was facing Lyle and once again tried to jab him this time, right in the chest to knock him flat on his back.

"It's like people forget that being short is actually beneficial in a--"

Whoa! Too close! Lyle had to fall back to dodge that blow, ruining all the work he'd done so far. Too much talking. How the sprock did the others talk and fight at the same time?

"--fight. Lower center of gravity, harder to knock off balance, etc."

Lyle feinted toward the right and then went left instead, trying to get back toward the inside of the spear's range.

Nasir wanted to snap at Lyle to stop breaking words but that might only encourage him. But it would serve him better if he would shut his mouth.

Nasir started to move to the right along with Lyle then quickly moved back before he could be circled around. He swung his spear again, first the point and then spinning it around in his hands so that he would follow up with a strike with the end of it, both aimed at Lyle's chest again. He didn't want to accidentally split his stomach open.

"You're good."

Spears in the hands of short-ish men were much more different than they were similar to long-handled axes in the hands of large-ish men, Lyle was learning. Sure, the ultimate goal was bringing the fight in close, but there's a lot less downward motion of the weapon than Lyle's used to from his fights with the Persuader.

He dodged backward again away from the first strike, then took advantage of the lack of a point on the second to lunge in and try to grab a hold of the weapon. Not to pull it out of his hands -- like sprock was Lyle getting in a tug-of-war with someone of Nasir's build -- but to swing under it, putting him in a new position for an attack.

"Am I everything I promised?"

Once Lyle had his hand on Nasir's weapon, Nasir attempted to jerk him off balance but he was already moving under it. Still, Nasir didn't make it easy and he jerked the spear away from him, making it that much harder to grasp and for Lyle to roll under it.

Nasir turned to Lyle again and brought his spear down low to crash it against his legs and knock him off his feet.

"Ask when we are finished," he said as he moved.

Lyle had to pull his feet up high to jump over the spear. He thought about landing on it and breaking it, but he didn't trust that Nasir wasn't good enough with it to make him regret it. Instead, he took advantage of the lowered spear to dart in close again, aiming a slap for Nasir's head that might, if it connected, stun him enough that Lyle could disarm him.

We are all strangers in a strange land [Open]

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