A spot of fencing (tag Kian/attn Jessica)

[felipe]

School had been... Well, bizarre could be the only word to describe it. The fight in the restaurant area had been weird and the non-stop flyers he'd been handed had thrown Felipe for a complete loop. One lot had been beleaguering dogs... werewolves?... of all things... whilst the other set had been something about vampires. Vampires? In California? That was the stuff of fairy tales and the big screen... Right?

No, today had to rank as the oddest to date and that was even taking into account the siege of a short time ago.

Felipe rammed his books into the lower part of the locker he shared with Victor before heading outside. Today he wouldn't be heading straight home. No, today he had a certain different school to attend. One of the fencing type.

Felipe had found out about a hopeful place that was located near the sea front and not all that far away from where he lived. It wasn't cheap but then again, nothing seemed to be in the USA. Still, he wanted to restart his tuition and the closeness of this particular school made up for its slightly higher charges.

He set off, hoping the place would be able to offer what he needed. He sent Jessica a swift text as he walked away from the school gates, asking her if she was free to meet up later. With luck she'd see his message... and before she made any other plans.

* * *

Felipe stood before the main entrance, uncertainty etched across his face. Others milled around and chatted togather as they entered inside. It seemed to him that everyone else knew other people. Everyone, except himself. With a sharp intake of breath he forged onwards. There was only one way to alter that situation... and that was to leap in and introduce himself...

[Jessica Pruitte]

The phone warbled a Nick Cave song distorted through the tiny speaker, but recognizable just the same. Pulling it out of her pocket, Jessica smiled as she leaned against her bedroom wall. Fel wanted to hang out. Before the weekend.

Sure, whenever, anything to get me out of here. Let him take from that what he would, but it was true enough. Her home was a prison now, and both of her parents were too busy with their own forms of vanity to care if she snuck out. They'd have her followed anyway.

Thumbing another message, Jess waited. Where? When?

[Kian O'Connor]

Kian was dressed for fencing, Thursdays were fencing, Monday and Wednesday were dancing and Tuesday and Saturday were singing. His life was defined by lessons. He even had horseback riding on Sunday. Friday was the only day he had no lessons planned. So despite the desire to spend time with Connor, Kian was now dressed in thigh high boots, skin tight pants and a loose blousy shirt made so he could be used to fighting in period clothing. Though he was serious about studying, he was not one of the serious students who were competition minded. He wanted to be good, but it was for his acting career, not for competing.

Kian stopped behind a tall brunette. He had to pay his monthly dues, so he had to wait before heading into the room the lesson would be held in. "Do you go to Gould?" he asked quietly. He could sing arias in front of the entire school, but talking to a stranger, that was hard.

"I'm Kian O’Connor. Are you signing up here? You'll like it, this is the best place for fencing in Los Angeles. The coaches are all very good," he said almost babbling as he introduced himself.

[felipe]

Felipe was about to enter inside the building when his phone chirped. A message.

He glanced at its display and smiled.

Jessica... and she was free this evening.

'Fantástico!' he quickly keyed in. 'I am checking out a fencing school right now but we could meet for a meal perhaps? A film... or just a walk afterwards. You choose! See you on the beach by the big ice cream place at about 6? Sound ok? Fel'

He pushed the phone back into his pocket and walked inside...

Felipe turned when he heard the voice behind him, a ready smile slipping onto his face. "Olá! I'm Felipe," he replied. "And yes, I am hoping to join this school. I Used to fence a lot back home in São Paulo but haven;'t had time to restart my lessons here in California. "I attend Silver though but am studying at Gould for the time being because of rats, I believe." Rats or some other vermin. He couldn't honestly remember what the reason for his temporary move was but was glad to be able to meet more people with the two schools combined. Even if it was only for a short while.

"What is your preferred weapon? For myself I favour the épée but am also learning to use the foil. I have never worked with a sabre, though. Have you?" The boy seemed to be of a similar age to Felipe and their chance meeting was sure to prove both fortunate as well as timely.

[Kian O'Connor]

Kian grinned, "Well it's nice to meet you, I shall have to thank the rats," he said thinking with that accent Felipe must be devastating the female population of the two schools. Kian was much too devoted to Connor to do more than take note of the Hispanic young man's attractiveness however.

"Actually saber is my main weapon... because I am studying for acting purposes and then my secondary is épée because I keep hoping for a Three Musketeer's remake. I have this desperate need to play D'Artagnan," his smile turned rueful. "It is probably just a dream I will have to give up on. So are you planning on turning actor too or do you do this seriously?" He thought that Felipe would have no problem finding a job if he wanted to act. He was gorgeous.

[felipe]

Felipe listened in interest as Kian replied. "Then we might well meet across épées," he responded with a friendly smile. "D'Artangnan is an impressive role. I wish you well," Felipe added. "As for myself..." A slight lift of his shoulders followed, both rueful as well as tinged with a smattering of hope. "I would like to enter into the acting arena but am not sure if I am good enough. Perhaps you can help me join an after-school drama club or group... If one exists." Most schools seemed to have them, though. "My true love is football. Soccer," Felipe revealed. "To be accepted into my national team would be more than I can possibly dream about." His hand rested over his heart as he spoke, fingers gently splayed apart. His dream was hardly a reality. "Then again, what true red-blooded Brazilian would have any other such desire?" he finished with a short laugh.

The two boys signed in with Felipe needing to call back at the front desk before he left to pick up his membership details and card. "You can show me around, Kian?" he asked, again with that hopeful glint in his dark eyes.

The room before them was obviously the main teaching stadium and the tutor's instructions rang out about the metallic clatter of foil and épée meeting.

"Lunge... on guard-retreat. Fleche... on-guard-retreat. Lunge... on-guard-retreat." An endless vigil of instructions that each child strove to follow impeccably.

A group of younger fencers but they were good at their task. Felipe was impressed.

"How long have you been practising?" he asked of his new friend.

[Kian O'Connor]

Kian grinned at Felipe. "I think they have done all the casting for the school plays, but if they need bit players I would join with you. I don't think I could take a large role anyway as I have a recurring extra role on a television series. And I have to be available for rehearsing whenever I am called on for that. It's a fluff role, but still its professional and will be great on my resume," he said obviously excited to have the fluff role as he called it.

Showing Felipe around was easy enough, the club was built in a way that made it easy to find the important areas. They went to the teaching areas last, because Kian was going to have to rush out after classes to meet Connor at the weight rooms. Kian didn't reallize Connor did weight training, but the thought of them both hot and sweaty was very appealing, it was in fact difficult not to rush out right there and then.

"Oh only for two years, my father was a camera man for Warner brothers and when he was killed by a drunk driver, a lot of the people he had worked for got together a fund for me. See I was going to Juilliard in New York under full scholarship. They thought I should be here for my mom and sisters, but we couldn't afford a school out here and all the scholarships had been taken. So they set up accounts at various schools that would give me what I was getting in New York. I was going to come home anyway, but it was nice not to lose everything." He had been devastated by his father's death and with the loss of all his training, he had been pretty depressed. He literally had been saved by his father's friends' generosity.

Shaking off that gloomy reflection, Kian smiled at Felipe. "How about you? Have you been training a long time?" he asked as he began to warm up by stretching.

[felipe]

"You are on television? Uau! Isso é fantástico! I am already looking forward to seeing what you are in. You have to tell me more about it and then I can watch it. Really fantastic, Kian!"

He listened attentively when Kian told him how long he'd been learning to fence - and the reason for it to begin with. "Meus pêsames," he murmured. "I am sorry that your father was killed." He couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for Kian to go through that and Felipe's heart twisted at the mental image of the hardships he'd gone on to face.

"I started to learn when I was 6 years old," Felipe replied. "It was either that or face the threat of ending up as part of some kind of gang in São Paulo. That's where I am from in Brazil. São Paulo. Gangs there are part of everyday life but it wasn't something I ever wanted to be involved with and so I started to learn to fence. Not to fight but to protect myself... and my sister.

Life was hard in the back streets of São Paulo - not that Felipe or Ana Izabel had ever had to face it. Their upbringing had been of the best but the skills and abilities learnt at the hands of his fencing instructor had helped him build in confidence... If nothing else.

He watched the tutors at work with their small groups of between 6 and 8 kids and he was glad he made the decision to join. Sure, the dues would stretch him but he hoped to soon get a part-time job - evenings and weekends - as allowing his parents to pay for his tuition was too much for his South American pride to take.

"Maybe you can teach me some moves with the sabre?" he said by means of a hopeful suggestion. While that particular weapon had always been the lowest on his list of 3 he wanted to get to know his new friend.

[Kian O'Connor]

Kian nodded and began to point out some of the differences in Sabre fencing. "It is the fastest of the three weapons because of being able to attack with the edge of the blade instead of just the tip. They have banned flèche from the form because of this. Many have substituted the forward lunge into their repertoire instead," he said as he pulled on his mask and checked all his fastenings of his armor. Leading him to an unused corner, he situated himself in en garde position and saluted Felipe gracefully. He then proceeded to show him the basic moves. It was easier to make mistakes with the Sabre, but Kian rarely used another weapon, so he managed to keep to his routine without error. Kian was not a strong fighter, but was graceful and dexterous, with enough speed to help him fight larger, slower fighters. "Ready to try?" he asked, unaware they had gathered a small audience of younger students.

[felipe]

"You bet I am!" came the enthusiastic response. This weapon was very different to the ones he was more familiar with but Felipe could tell Kian knew how to handle one well and would be a perfectly good tutor for their relaxed and informal lesson.

Felipe hadn't brought his own protective clothing with him but he knew he could easily borrow a set for their workout.

"A moment," he said before darting from the room.

He was back withing a mere minute or two, still buttoning his jacket a he re-joined Kian. A helmet nestled beneath his left arm and Felipe quickly donned a pair of gauntlets before slipping the loaned mask over his face.

Felipe had watched other people use a sabre on countless occassions and so knew the starting procedure well. He positioned his feet correctly - right foot towards Kian and his left about 12 inches behind and angled so as to be sure his balance would be maintained. Knees bent and right arm raised with his left arm also being used to counterweight his actions.

He swung the sabre experimentally before nodding at Kian. "Be gentle with me, meu amigo," he said with a hidden grin and an audible - if short - laugh. "This is my first time... remember?"