'Huh?'
Carol looked down at her outfit and checked for snags or stray strings.
'What's wrong with it?'
She twisted around, trying to see her backside.
'I look fat, don't I.'
Simon had crossed his arms and was giving her a strange look, silently he pointed at her clothes. She had chosen a heavier camo texture cargo style pants and a tight black turtleneck. On her feet she wore what looked like army issued combat boots. Turning, Simon left her office but returned in a few minutes. In one arm he held a small black stack of leather clothing, in the other arm he held lightweight but durable racing plates. He handed her the folded stack.
With a huff Carol stripped off her clothes and replaced them with the leather items Simon had brought. Heavy leather padded the elbows and sweet spots, covering all the way from her neck down to her heels. He helped her strap on the arm plates and then handed her a slimmed and scaled down kevlar chest armor. Taking a step back when finished, he nodded.
'Picky,' Carol said.
Hitting him on the arm, she left her office and made her way down to the training area to meet up with Alec. As she approached the entryway, the door opened for her and she caught the last half of Alec's speech.
Training Day ((PM for inclusion, attn: Carol))
Alec stood motionlessly in the center of the training warehouse. He'd set up high spotlights, both ranged and mêlée targets, and moved the crates into a pattern that would allow for both excellent cover and adequate seating. This first group was a split - several merc hopefuls, a likely pair of scouts, a tech and a scientist. Twelve bodies in all for this newbie class. Three of the hitters were human, which still bothered him some. He let them all know the chances of survival in certain situations, advised them on the use of blunt objects versus cutting edges, and told them to wear at least leather to help reduce the chance of bleeding. Well, it was on their heads if they bought it.
As the timer turned down, several of the spots shut off, leaving him illuminated in the dark room. Gleaming in his white leather training attire, he shone like a marble statue through the darkness. It also made him look a little taller. No...Alec wasn't above using theatrics, and he knew it'd look impressive and creepy. Perfect.
As the doors swung open, he watched them file in. Most managed to keep anything from crossing their faces, but there were a few choice reactions. One looked for the prime cover areas and any exits before looking to Alec. Another was fully taken in by the scene and walked in with his mouth gaping...Alec had to make sure he didn't laugh, and managed. The tech looked straight to the wiring and lighting on the roof. There were certainly a couple that would do well. Offhandedly, he wondered if Carol would decide to watch. He noticed the burliest of the three humes wasn't wearing the protective gear. Bad move. He'd be getting an object lesson in "following directions" right off, then a trip to the infirmary and re-enrollment with the next batch of applicants. Stern faced, Alec began. Setting the subvocal mic to the surround speakers was a stroke of genius - everyone reacted well to his voice whispering from behind their shoulders, seated on their crates. Some even turned to look.
"Welcome, new blood, to Tacharan. I am Alec, the Trainer. I'll be doing your initial schooling. All of you were given some instructions beforehand. Does anyone have any questions?"
There was a lot of clearing of throats, some shifting, and no questions. Frowning, Alec continued.
"The only stupid questions are the ones that aren't asked. Now, that said, does anyone have anything they need to ask before we begin in earnest?"
A repeat of the same. Scowling, Alec said
"Very well. Cunningham, front and center. Step into the light."
As people looked around, Alec stepped from the spotlights and vanished. Slowly, the human he'd called on stepped forward into the light as requested. A burly man, a bit over six feet tall, well muscled and clearly no stranger to physical training, he stood confidently in the light, his bravado evident.
"Mr. Cunningham has volunteered to assist with our first lesson. Mr. Cunningham did not follow directions, and is not wearing the required protective gear. Mr. Cunningham has chosen to be careless with his life, and disobedient to the Trainer, and Tacharan."
Stepping silently around the light so that no one saw the move, Alec made a slow, deliberate motion toward the man in the light, who began spasming uncontrollably. Twitching, jerking, eventually he fell to the floor, drooling slightly. Stepping into the light, standing over the downed human, Alec stated
"In Tacharan, we are not careless with our lives. In Tacharan, we are not disobedient. We thank you for this first lesson, Mr. Cunningham, and look forward to seeing you in our next training session. I trust no one has any questions about these two guidelines."
At the murmuring of consent, Alec smiled.
"Good. You now have three rules spelled out before you. Ludmer, state them."
Standing in the dark a large form spoke out.
"Trainer - the rules stated are, first - there are no stupid questions if they are spoken. Second - do not be careless with your life. Third - obey the clan."
Nodding, Alec smiled.
"Thank you, Ludmer. That was well stated. We are Tacharan. We're the newcomers to the vampiric table. We do not have the numbers to be careless with our lives. We follow the guidelines set forth by the other members of our clan because they WORK. Young Tacharan do not grow old by accident. They grow old by cunning, superior skill, mutual support and the will to do what is required. All of you are here because you show promise. At this point, that means you show either skill, cunning or will. My job is to make sure that you rub off on each other and learn support as well. Mr. Williams, your file said that you have some medical training. See to Mr. Cunningham and when he is prepped Mr. Ludmer will assist you with bringing him to the infirmary."
The lights switched on at this point, revealing the training area in its totality. Shading their eyes, the trainees looked around (except Williams, who was hovering over Cunningham).
"Today we'll be focusing on what you already know, and a bit about Tacharan."
Carol
18 years ago
Dayle
18 years ago
She'd thought she looked good, when inspecting herself in the mirror. Carol's hints about the measurements and requirements of the leather outfit had been spot-on. Thankfully, she didn't look half as slutty as she'd imagined when the requirements for the training class had been posted. Ensconced in a full-body matte-black leather catsuit with small assorted pockets at her belly, thighs, and calves, as well as a heavy duty wide belt, she felt a bit claustrophobic as she entered the training hall. "Bloody well should have dressed in this yesterday to get used to it," she admonished herself as she focused on the area, stretching out her senses.
Alec Devereaux stood before them, strikingly bleached in his white leather training outfit. He looked bigger than the few times she'd seen him in the halls or when she researched his file... But then, the man obviously knew a little bit about intimidation by influencing his surroundings. She wondered if he was nervous, needing to teach both humans as well as a vampire a hundred fifty times his age. If he was, he didn't show it; more credit to him. He strode out of the light and disappeared, she briefly thought, a bare heart's beat before realizing she could still see him. She'd never needed to use her perceptive qualities like this, but was glad she'd taken the time over the years to hone them. A further thought popped up as the burly wretch writhed on the floor before the group - did he even remember what it was like to be human? His amnesia notwithstanding, he probably didn't deal very much with humans outside of as a food source. Or soldiers.
Shaking off the thought with a minute twist of her neck, she felt the tickle of her haphazardly braided hair against her neck. She'd had some marksman training at Carol's behest, but nothing in the way of the almost-formal training she was about to receive.
Dayle wasn't nervous when the lights in the entire warehouse flashed on, and she certainly wasn't about to display any boredom about hearing the little bits of trivia Alec had planned. She stood in the line with the other trainees, feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped behind her back. Almost feeling like she was flashing everyone in the room, she stretched her arms just a little as she listened, desperately trying to keep up with the swampy thickness of his Orleans accent.
Alec Devereaux stood before them, strikingly bleached in his white leather training outfit. He looked bigger than the few times she'd seen him in the halls or when she researched his file... But then, the man obviously knew a little bit about intimidation by influencing his surroundings. She wondered if he was nervous, needing to teach both humans as well as a vampire a hundred fifty times his age. If he was, he didn't show it; more credit to him. He strode out of the light and disappeared, she briefly thought, a bare heart's beat before realizing she could still see him. She'd never needed to use her perceptive qualities like this, but was glad she'd taken the time over the years to hone them. A further thought popped up as the burly wretch writhed on the floor before the group - did he even remember what it was like to be human? His amnesia notwithstanding, he probably didn't deal very much with humans outside of as a food source. Or soldiers.
Shaking off the thought with a minute twist of her neck, she felt the tickle of her haphazardly braided hair against her neck. She'd had some marksman training at Carol's behest, but nothing in the way of the almost-formal training she was about to receive.
Dayle wasn't nervous when the lights in the entire warehouse flashed on, and she certainly wasn't about to display any boredom about hearing the little bits of trivia Alec had planned. She stood in the line with the other trainees, feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped behind her back. Almost feeling like she was flashing everyone in the room, she stretched her arms just a little as she listened, desperately trying to keep up with the swampy thickness of his Orleans accent.
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Watching as Ludmer and Williams escorted poor Mr. Cunningham from the room, Alec managed not to sigh. He simply didn't understand some human's need to pretend to be able to compete at vampiric levels. He was pleased to see that Miss Larson was well outfitted - of the humans, she was the most formidable, but also the most clear on the food chain. She'd likely make it through to the end. Realizing that he'd not spoken in almost fifteen seconds and that it was his job, Alec smiled as Carol entered and called out
"Larson and Hedley. Please step forward to the handguns and kill those targets."
Watching, the pair left nice, tight groupings in each of the vital areas.
"Very good. Now, I don't expect all of you to fire like that. I started with those two because they are noted for their accuracy. I mention this to underline the next point. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. We need to expand upon those strengths, and polish up those weaknesses. Whether you're going to work at Duibne doing data entry or performing eliminations on protected targets, you'll need to be able to fire a handgun, perform reasonably well in close combat, have a general idea about explosives, be skilled drivers, adequate mechanics and have a basic background in security. Additionally, you will exhibit progressive skill with your natural...I should say supernatural talents. Perhaps Miss Yolgrave and I will give an example of that shortly. For the time being, let's all smile at Miss Hedley, and see if she'll tell us a little story about Tacharan's history."
Passing a mic to Carol, Alec stepped back. It seemed strange that two of the best pistoleers were humans. Interesting coincidences.
"Larson and Hedley. Please step forward to the handguns and kill those targets."
Watching, the pair left nice, tight groupings in each of the vital areas.
"Very good. Now, I don't expect all of you to fire like that. I started with those two because they are noted for their accuracy. I mention this to underline the next point. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. We need to expand upon those strengths, and polish up those weaknesses. Whether you're going to work at Duibne doing data entry or performing eliminations on protected targets, you'll need to be able to fire a handgun, perform reasonably well in close combat, have a general idea about explosives, be skilled drivers, adequate mechanics and have a basic background in security. Additionally, you will exhibit progressive skill with your natural...I should say supernatural talents. Perhaps Miss Yolgrave and I will give an example of that shortly. For the time being, let's all smile at Miss Hedley, and see if she'll tell us a little story about Tacharan's history."
Passing a mic to Carol, Alec stepped back. It seemed strange that two of the best pistoleers were humans. Interesting coincidences.
Carol
18 years ago
Carol took a step forward when asked and then did a double take at Alec when he tried to hand her the microphone. She leaned in close to Alec and said, 'What the fuck am I suppose to say? I just came to kill shit.'
Turning she looked at the microphone and then at her audience. An eclectic group but fierce looking nonetheless. It pleased her to see Dayle present but didn't see Lotus; she promptly made a mental note to thump her retarded.
'What can I tell you about the clan that you don't already know? Treachery is punishable by death but we have real swell pot lucks in the Abby.' She tapped the top of the mic and then continued. 'Tacharan has recently had its leadership turned over to Simon Huntington and Duibne is its human front. All I can really say at this point is our lives will be way way different under Simon's reign, but the need to survive and maintain our secrecy is still number one priority. So really all I can say is - don't fuck up and failure is your death.'
Carol cleared her throat. 'And on that happy note...I'm here on Thursdays, don't forget to tip your waitress.' She handed the mic back to Alec and approached the handguns as ordered. Nice varity of guns, Carol thought as she looked over them. Lifting her hand she hovered it over the selection and then chose the 9MM. Popping the clip she checked it, slammed it back in, pulled back on the slider and then peeled off shots until it emptied.
Taking a step back, she looked over at Alec. 'I was kinda hoping they'd move around but...' and gave him a delicate shrug.
Turning she looked at the microphone and then at her audience. An eclectic group but fierce looking nonetheless. It pleased her to see Dayle present but didn't see Lotus; she promptly made a mental note to thump her retarded.
'What can I tell you about the clan that you don't already know? Treachery is punishable by death but we have real swell pot lucks in the Abby.' She tapped the top of the mic and then continued. 'Tacharan has recently had its leadership turned over to Simon Huntington and Duibne is its human front. All I can really say at this point is our lives will be way way different under Simon's reign, but the need to survive and maintain our secrecy is still number one priority. So really all I can say is - don't fuck up and failure is your death.'
Carol cleared her throat. 'And on that happy note...I'm here on Thursdays, don't forget to tip your waitress.' She handed the mic back to Alec and approached the handguns as ordered. Nice varity of guns, Carol thought as she looked over them. Lifting her hand she hovered it over the selection and then chose the 9MM. Popping the clip she checked it, slammed it back in, pulled back on the slider and then peeled off shots until it emptied.
Taking a step back, she looked over at Alec. 'I was kinda hoping they'd move around but...' and gave him a delicate shrug.
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Nodding as Carol passed the mic back, Alec chimed in.
"Y'all are probably noticing a theme here. Messing up is A Bad Thing. That's why we train up - so you won't mess up when it matters. In here, a few mistakes won't end you. Out there, they might. We're higher up on the food chain than most of what the world has to offer, but beyond our natural advantages and our family, we're still not THAT far from humes. For the humans among us, you won't have the natural advantages, but you still will have the backing of the clan, and that is no small thing."
Switching off his mic, Alec leaned in to Carol's ear.
"Shit, girl, that's better than I could have done, but keep it on the down low. My grouping isn't that tight."
Switching back on, Alec said
"Ok, Abdelhalek, Mendoza, your turn. Keep those groupings as tight as possible while emptying as fast as possible. We're just looking for where everyone is at."
Continuing through the rest of the crowd, Alec watched everything from a three inch grouping to a multiple miss shooter. Making a couple of notes, he nodded.
"Like I said, different people, different skills. Miss Yolgrave, if you could step forward. Miss Yolgrave here is one of our kind who is exceptionally perceptive. Her acquisition of the vampiric state expanded and heightened her senses. This is the natural counter to the vampiric blending ability...which acts like camouflage in the right circumstances."
Walking behind a stack of high crates, Alec allowed himself to mesh with his surroundings. Before moving into everyone's direct line of sight, he made a request.
"Miss Yolgrave - please point me out to the crowd, and everyone raise their hand when they can see where I am with her assistance. While doing so, try to explain the difference between the way your senses function and how they used to function for our clanmates."
Keeping low, Alec crept low along the ground, skirting first around and then toward the group. He wondered how different her senses would be from his own - the world is different through everyone's eyes, but how much more true would that be between ultra-perceptive vampires?
"Y'all are probably noticing a theme here. Messing up is A Bad Thing. That's why we train up - so you won't mess up when it matters. In here, a few mistakes won't end you. Out there, they might. We're higher up on the food chain than most of what the world has to offer, but beyond our natural advantages and our family, we're still not THAT far from humes. For the humans among us, you won't have the natural advantages, but you still will have the backing of the clan, and that is no small thing."
Switching off his mic, Alec leaned in to Carol's ear.
"Shit, girl, that's better than I could have done, but keep it on the down low. My grouping isn't that tight."
Switching back on, Alec said
"Ok, Abdelhalek, Mendoza, your turn. Keep those groupings as tight as possible while emptying as fast as possible. We're just looking for where everyone is at."
Continuing through the rest of the crowd, Alec watched everything from a three inch grouping to a multiple miss shooter. Making a couple of notes, he nodded.
"Like I said, different people, different skills. Miss Yolgrave, if you could step forward. Miss Yolgrave here is one of our kind who is exceptionally perceptive. Her acquisition of the vampiric state expanded and heightened her senses. This is the natural counter to the vampiric blending ability...which acts like camouflage in the right circumstances."
Walking behind a stack of high crates, Alec allowed himself to mesh with his surroundings. Before moving into everyone's direct line of sight, he made a request.
"Miss Yolgrave - please point me out to the crowd, and everyone raise their hand when they can see where I am with her assistance. While doing so, try to explain the difference between the way your senses function and how they used to function for our clanmates."
Keeping low, Alec crept low along the ground, skirting first around and then toward the group. He wondered how different her senses would be from his own - the world is different through everyone's eyes, but how much more true would that be between ultra-perceptive vampires?
Dayle
18 years ago
Dayle took a measured step forward and listened to Alec's presentation. He certainly seemed to know his stuff, and wondered if he'd read her file the way she'd read his own.
"Acquisition of the vampiric state?" She almost snickered out loud. He made it sound like finding a quid on the sidewalk. It certainly wasn't anywhere near as happy or joygasm-inducing.
She realized when he disappeared around the boxes that she was suddenly the focus of attention, as well as the active demonstration. Arching a brow at his request, she took another couple steps forward.
Taking a deep breath, she readied her perception. Tuning out all extraneous sounds, and yet paying attention to them at the same time, she spread her palms and held them at an angle to the floor. Blinking her eyes once, she first saw the details on the shipping label of the crates Alec had hid behind. Ysabel had once asked her to describe what happened when her visual perception kicked in. Dayle had been flummoxed to answer until one day watching a movie on the telly. A moment of suspense was shown, and the camera zoomed into the character's face, while the background seemed to get further away. Equating her visual acuity to that sudden 'rush of zooming' - albeit without the disorienting feeling - Ysabel had seemed satisfied in her answer. When she heard the heartbeats of her teammates behind her, she began to describe as Alec had asked.
"I can only be perceptive when I concentrate on it. I've not often been in such a controlled environment to do so, but as The Trainer asks, so I shall acquiesce. From where I stand, some ten meters from the crates The Trainer just walked behind, I can read the shipping labels on each of the crates. I can also hear," she said with a smirk, "the beating of everyone's hearts."
Her nose twitched. "It takes practice to get used to maximizing each sense. I can feel the vibration of the cooling system in the floor; I can also smell the horrible citrus body wash someone used this morning as well as the ozone of Miss Hedley's bullets striking metal, and the whispy tang of gunpowder. There's a taste of chemicals and sawdust in the air; I'm assuming it was used to clean the floors prior to our arrival."
Dayle's ears twitched minutely as she tried to pinpoint Alec. She could hear the shuffling of his feet, so very quiet behind the murmur of a dozen heartbeats... Slowly turning in place, she faced the group and gazed over each of their shoulders. "I can hear the Trainer moving around. He moved in a counter-clockwise direction, around us, and is now approaching the line from behind. I think if..." She quickly tried to remember the names of her co-trainees. "If Mendoza and Wallace were to turn around and look directly at the combat dummies on the far wall..."
"Acquisition of the vampiric state?" She almost snickered out loud. He made it sound like finding a quid on the sidewalk. It certainly wasn't anywhere near as happy or joygasm-inducing.
She realized when he disappeared around the boxes that she was suddenly the focus of attention, as well as the active demonstration. Arching a brow at his request, she took another couple steps forward.
Taking a deep breath, she readied her perception. Tuning out all extraneous sounds, and yet paying attention to them at the same time, she spread her palms and held them at an angle to the floor. Blinking her eyes once, she first saw the details on the shipping label of the crates Alec had hid behind. Ysabel had once asked her to describe what happened when her visual perception kicked in. Dayle had been flummoxed to answer until one day watching a movie on the telly. A moment of suspense was shown, and the camera zoomed into the character's face, while the background seemed to get further away. Equating her visual acuity to that sudden 'rush of zooming' - albeit without the disorienting feeling - Ysabel had seemed satisfied in her answer. When she heard the heartbeats of her teammates behind her, she began to describe as Alec had asked.
"I can only be perceptive when I concentrate on it. I've not often been in such a controlled environment to do so, but as The Trainer asks, so I shall acquiesce. From where I stand, some ten meters from the crates The Trainer just walked behind, I can read the shipping labels on each of the crates. I can also hear," she said with a smirk, "the beating of everyone's hearts."
Her nose twitched. "It takes practice to get used to maximizing each sense. I can feel the vibration of the cooling system in the floor; I can also smell the horrible citrus body wash someone used this morning as well as the ozone of Miss Hedley's bullets striking metal, and the whispy tang of gunpowder. There's a taste of chemicals and sawdust in the air; I'm assuming it was used to clean the floors prior to our arrival."
Dayle's ears twitched minutely as she tried to pinpoint Alec. She could hear the shuffling of his feet, so very quiet behind the murmur of a dozen heartbeats... Slowly turning in place, she faced the group and gazed over each of their shoulders. "I can hear the Trainer moving around. He moved in a counter-clockwise direction, around us, and is now approaching the line from behind. I think if..." She quickly tried to remember the names of her co-trainees. "If Mendoza and Wallace were to turn around and look directly at the combat dummies on the far wall..."
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Alec was pleased with her description. He himself hadn't quite gotten used to the visual alterations - the others had come much more naturally to him. He should probably describe some of his own experiences to the crowd...in a moment. For now, he nodded slightly as Miss Yolgrave pointed him out...and Mendoza's hand shot straight up. Poor Mr. Wallace seemed a bit flummoxed, though. Moving closer, Alec put his finger to his lips as Mendoza cocked her head as he approached Wallace. As he moved closer to the group, Mr. Heyn's hand went up as well.
Standing right next to Wallace, Alec flicked his ear, which made him quite obvious and startled the hell out of the trainee. Many hands shot up.
"Excellent description, Miss Yolgrave. Personally, I find both the visual and aural alterations to be very distracting and potentially dangerous - a flash of light, a gunshot and you'll find yourself hurting. I enjoy expanding my sense of touch to feel the vibrations around me...it mimics the sensation of hearing, but it takes awhile to get used to. Almost like...hearing with your skin. Of course, the less clothed you are, the more effective it becomes, so full leathers limit its usefulness. Expanding the sense of smell can be a dangerous prospect, as you pointed out...you sometimes learn more about your surroundings than you'd really care to. But there's nothing like opening your taste buds to a fine wine. Not too many combat applications, but the fringe benefits are lovely. Like any other skill, learning when and how to best utilize it will be a focus of our smaller group trainings."
Walking back to the middle of the group, Alec continued.
"Blending also has a variety of uses, but isn't nearly as impressive as a lot of folk give it credit for. It is a form of mental camouflage...not invisibility or intangibility. You fool the mind of the witness, but not necessarily any recording devices, and you can still get hit. So don't go blending across a buddy's line of fire, ruining both his shot and your shirt, and if you're someplace you shouldn't be, make sure you've a mask on. Basically any serious interaction with your environment will make you apparent to folks. I guess the best way to sum it up is that they see what they expect to see - nothing. We'll touch on some of the other skills when we're in our smaller groups, but that was a good, quick demo of vampiric evolution - some people get sneakier, so some people get better at spotting. Similarly, some of us get more durable, while many Tacharan become more able to dish out the pain. Which segues nicely into our next section...hand to hand combat."
Popping his knuckles through his gloves, he smiled menacingly.
"We'll not be learning any...specific forms here. No kata, no dance routines, no super secret video game moves. I'll be teaching you some anatomy, some basic strikes and mostly ingraining it into your head that this isn't a boxing or wrestling or sparring match. We're fighting to live or to kill. Fight as dirty as necessary - anything that will give you an edge against your opponent is all to the good. But save the especially dirty tricks for desperate situations - that way they aren't expected. Line up."
Walking down the line, Alec began pairing people up based on size and skill.
"It is easiest to learn with a partner about your own size, since you'll have a better idea of how and where to hit. Some of you are a bit more skilled than others. Oh, but don't worry - everyone'll get a chance to get beaten up by Mr. Bianchi here. Look at this monster...6'5", 245 pounds of pure beefcake, light on his feet...yeah, you KNOW you're not taking him in a fair fight. He'd be rough as a human, but he's also been enriched with our clan's bloodlust. Not a happy prospect. Definitely worth trying a nut shot so you can at least run away. Ok, Bianchi with Ludmer, Williams with Abdelhalek, Mendoza with Heyn, Lau with Wallace, Larson with Hedley. Yolgrave, you're with me today. And before anyone starts throwing punches, spend a minute chatting with your partner. They're going to be your sparring partners, teachers, students, psychoanalysts, life lines, support team, shields...these people in this room right now are your FAMILY. Treat them with respect, but don't hold back. Everyone's got to learn, and it is best to learn in a controlled environment than at the hands of a clanless looking for a child to bite on."
Pleased with how natural it had sounded, Alec took a quick look around. Nope - no one was giving him the who-let-the-damn-hippie-in-to-our-training-class look. Smiling, he turned from the sight of several strangers shaking hands and getting to know each other and looked at Yol...Dayle. Really looked for the first time. Ocean eyes, healthy blonde hair, quite pale, a little on the light side. Her eyebrows gave the impression of someone who was proper, somehow...or maybe that was just Alec projecting the memory of her voice on them. She was in good shape, but without the toning of a fighter or a gym junkie. A nearly clean slate...unusual for a Tacharan of her age. Maybe one day he'd know the whole story, not just the file synopsis. Walking over, he smirked and extended his hand.
"And now we meet. I'm Alec."
Standing right next to Wallace, Alec flicked his ear, which made him quite obvious and startled the hell out of the trainee. Many hands shot up.
"Excellent description, Miss Yolgrave. Personally, I find both the visual and aural alterations to be very distracting and potentially dangerous - a flash of light, a gunshot and you'll find yourself hurting. I enjoy expanding my sense of touch to feel the vibrations around me...it mimics the sensation of hearing, but it takes awhile to get used to. Almost like...hearing with your skin. Of course, the less clothed you are, the more effective it becomes, so full leathers limit its usefulness. Expanding the sense of smell can be a dangerous prospect, as you pointed out...you sometimes learn more about your surroundings than you'd really care to. But there's nothing like opening your taste buds to a fine wine. Not too many combat applications, but the fringe benefits are lovely. Like any other skill, learning when and how to best utilize it will be a focus of our smaller group trainings."
Walking back to the middle of the group, Alec continued.
"Blending also has a variety of uses, but isn't nearly as impressive as a lot of folk give it credit for. It is a form of mental camouflage...not invisibility or intangibility. You fool the mind of the witness, but not necessarily any recording devices, and you can still get hit. So don't go blending across a buddy's line of fire, ruining both his shot and your shirt, and if you're someplace you shouldn't be, make sure you've a mask on. Basically any serious interaction with your environment will make you apparent to folks. I guess the best way to sum it up is that they see what they expect to see - nothing. We'll touch on some of the other skills when we're in our smaller groups, but that was a good, quick demo of vampiric evolution - some people get sneakier, so some people get better at spotting. Similarly, some of us get more durable, while many Tacharan become more able to dish out the pain. Which segues nicely into our next section...hand to hand combat."
Popping his knuckles through his gloves, he smiled menacingly.
"We'll not be learning any...specific forms here. No kata, no dance routines, no super secret video game moves. I'll be teaching you some anatomy, some basic strikes and mostly ingraining it into your head that this isn't a boxing or wrestling or sparring match. We're fighting to live or to kill. Fight as dirty as necessary - anything that will give you an edge against your opponent is all to the good. But save the especially dirty tricks for desperate situations - that way they aren't expected. Line up."
Walking down the line, Alec began pairing people up based on size and skill.
"It is easiest to learn with a partner about your own size, since you'll have a better idea of how and where to hit. Some of you are a bit more skilled than others. Oh, but don't worry - everyone'll get a chance to get beaten up by Mr. Bianchi here. Look at this monster...6'5", 245 pounds of pure beefcake, light on his feet...yeah, you KNOW you're not taking him in a fair fight. He'd be rough as a human, but he's also been enriched with our clan's bloodlust. Not a happy prospect. Definitely worth trying a nut shot so you can at least run away. Ok, Bianchi with Ludmer, Williams with Abdelhalek, Mendoza with Heyn, Lau with Wallace, Larson with Hedley. Yolgrave, you're with me today. And before anyone starts throwing punches, spend a minute chatting with your partner. They're going to be your sparring partners, teachers, students, psychoanalysts, life lines, support team, shields...these people in this room right now are your FAMILY. Treat them with respect, but don't hold back. Everyone's got to learn, and it is best to learn in a controlled environment than at the hands of a clanless looking for a child to bite on."
Pleased with how natural it had sounded, Alec took a quick look around. Nope - no one was giving him the who-let-the-damn-hippie-in-to-our-training-class look. Smiling, he turned from the sight of several strangers shaking hands and getting to know each other and looked at Yol...Dayle. Really looked for the first time. Ocean eyes, healthy blonde hair, quite pale, a little on the light side. Her eyebrows gave the impression of someone who was proper, somehow...or maybe that was just Alec projecting the memory of her voice on them. She was in good shape, but without the toning of a fighter or a gym junkie. A nearly clean slate...unusual for a Tacharan of her age. Maybe one day he'd know the whole story, not just the file synopsis. Walking over, he smirked and extended his hand.
"And now we meet. I'm Alec."
Ginnie
18 years ago
Ginnie stood outside the training room, and took several deep breaths. She was a little nervous about talking in front of people and she hoped Alec wouldn't be too distracted by her clothes. She didn't own black training leathers, so she'd gone with the most muted color she had a deep cobalt blue. It was these a bright green or red, she didn't think red was very appropriate and the top of the green ones was tape-her-boobs-to-the-lapels-to-keep-them-from-falling-out-low cut.
This set had form fitting pants, and an inverted v-cut hemline shirt. It showed her navel, and about half an inch of skin all the way around. It gave her a weak spot, but she planned on using that as an object lesson. The long sleeves of the top were padded at elbows and shoulders for extra protection. She wore two of her modified Browning Hi-Powers in a shoulder holster, a long bowie knife down her back, small daggers at each ankle, a small modified pistol in a inner pants holster at the small of her back, and a utility belt with three small incendiary devices, mace, and a small tool kit, resting on the back of her hips, leaving the front of her body free and clear of weaponry hindrance.
One more deep breath and she opened the door, just enough for her body to slip through, to see the newbies shaking hands in pairs. She guided the door closed silently, quite certain that only five people, including Alec, had marked her entrance. That could bode deadly to those who remained unawares.
She did not have the gift of blending, however she did know how to move soundlessly, even in knee high leather boots. Moving silently around the perimeter of the room, she stayed in the little shadow that remained until she could crouch behind a crate, just outside the circle of vampires. She had a clear line of vision of seventy-five percent of the room and a direct line of vision to Alec. He had acknowledged her with a slight nod.
Taking a deep breath, she rolled her neck, relaxing her muscles for what could be a long stint in the shadows. She would wait until Alec called their attention to her or gave her some sort of signal to pounce on one of the unsuspecting.
This set had form fitting pants, and an inverted v-cut hemline shirt. It showed her navel, and about half an inch of skin all the way around. It gave her a weak spot, but she planned on using that as an object lesson. The long sleeves of the top were padded at elbows and shoulders for extra protection. She wore two of her modified Browning Hi-Powers in a shoulder holster, a long bowie knife down her back, small daggers at each ankle, a small modified pistol in a inner pants holster at the small of her back, and a utility belt with three small incendiary devices, mace, and a small tool kit, resting on the back of her hips, leaving the front of her body free and clear of weaponry hindrance.
One more deep breath and she opened the door, just enough for her body to slip through, to see the newbies shaking hands in pairs. She guided the door closed silently, quite certain that only five people, including Alec, had marked her entrance. That could bode deadly to those who remained unawares.
She did not have the gift of blending, however she did know how to move soundlessly, even in knee high leather boots. Moving silently around the perimeter of the room, she stayed in the little shadow that remained until she could crouch behind a crate, just outside the circle of vampires. She had a clear line of vision of seventy-five percent of the room and a direct line of vision to Alec. He had acknowledged her with a slight nod.
Taking a deep breath, she rolled her neck, relaxing her muscles for what could be a long stint in the shadows. She would wait until Alec called their attention to her or gave her some sort of signal to pounce on one of the unsuspecting.
Dayle
18 years ago
Out of habit, just for fun, or maybe completely unaware of a reason, Dayle kept her touch and hearing extended while Alec explained blending and paired off the team.
A little surprised to end up paired with Alec, she nearly dropped her concentration but kept herself focused on everything around her as the younger vampire came up to her and offered her his hand. Reaching out to shake it, Dayle shook it gently but firmly. Her mind registered (touch) as her mouth replied, "A pleasure, Alec. You can call me Dayle. Please excuse me calling you 'The Trainer'. I made it sound like you're The Pianoman or something. But I wanted to keep giving you the respect you deserve as our tutor."
As she and Alec exchanged pleasantries, her acute hearing detected minor snippets of conversation amongst the other trainees. Light flirting, some comments about tight grouping and excellent shots, even accusatory notes could be discerned, arguing quietly about the proscribed outfits they'd been required to wear. And in the background, Dayle heard the soft woosh of the entrance opening, then closing, the ventilation in the hall running a bit stronger than in the warehouse. The change in pressure pushed on her skin like an ocean wave, and she nearly shivered with the angst of that realization. She heard footsteps, soft, muted, trained, but still - to her ears - almost as loud as regular footfalls. The 'intruder' may as well have been wearing chains or metal boots. Another citrusy smell washed over her nostrils - much more feminine, a lot more tasteful than the horrible key-lime-ish scent she'd smelled earlier. This was more melony. Visually focused on Alec, her other senses keen on identifying the new person, she commented with a twinkle in her eye, "But of course, such respect will be extended to all of The Trainer's assistants, as well."
(( perception detecting Ginnie w/ permission ))
A little surprised to end up paired with Alec, she nearly dropped her concentration but kept herself focused on everything around her as the younger vampire came up to her and offered her his hand. Reaching out to shake it, Dayle shook it gently but firmly. Her mind registered (touch) as her mouth replied, "A pleasure, Alec. You can call me Dayle. Please excuse me calling you 'The Trainer'. I made it sound like you're The Pianoman or something. But I wanted to keep giving you the respect you deserve as our tutor."
As she and Alec exchanged pleasantries, her acute hearing detected minor snippets of conversation amongst the other trainees. Light flirting, some comments about tight grouping and excellent shots, even accusatory notes could be discerned, arguing quietly about the proscribed outfits they'd been required to wear. And in the background, Dayle heard the soft woosh of the entrance opening, then closing, the ventilation in the hall running a bit stronger than in the warehouse. The change in pressure pushed on her skin like an ocean wave, and she nearly shivered with the angst of that realization. She heard footsteps, soft, muted, trained, but still - to her ears - almost as loud as regular footfalls. The 'intruder' may as well have been wearing chains or metal boots. Another citrusy smell washed over her nostrils - much more feminine, a lot more tasteful than the horrible key-lime-ish scent she'd smelled earlier. This was more melony. Visually focused on Alec, her other senses keen on identifying the new person, she commented with a twinkle in her eye, "But of course, such respect will be extended to all of The Trainer's assistants, as well."
(( perception detecting Ginnie w/ permission ))
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Smiling, Alec nodded.
"That is appreciated. During the training I'm bound a bit by formality, but outside I don't want it to carry over. I'm hoping to keep my work hats as separate as possible, though I imagine in time they might start rubbing off on each other."
Cocking his head to the side, Alec decided to speak his mind.
"I am curious though...how'd you avoid training for so long? Ellis was pretty dedicated to everyone getting their initiation, and didn't she select you? And...to be honest, I...also didn't know what else to do with you, since you're close in size with Heyn, Mendoza or Wallace but had far more time to mature into your natural strengths. It'd be kind of like putting a scrappy young teenager in the ring with a peaceful thirtysomething athlete. The kid might have more practical experience, but still isn't comfortable in their bodies or movements. Or so I read. Besides, they'll all get a shot at you later."
Smirking, he wiggled his eyebrows.
"Now we get to put another interesting object lesson into place. One moment."
Nodding briefly to his lover, Alec indicated with a small gesture toward Lau and Wallace, who were chatting away both amiably and obliviously. Ginnie'd have no problem putting them down quickly, which wasn't the point - the real test would be Ludmer, Mendoza and Heyn's responses, as they were the likely parties to have noticed her entrance. Lau and Wallace were both wearing good armor, but he hoped Ginnie'd remembered to bring a gun with rubber bullets just the same. He'd rather have them here in the training for the rest of the session than in the infirmary.
"That is appreciated. During the training I'm bound a bit by formality, but outside I don't want it to carry over. I'm hoping to keep my work hats as separate as possible, though I imagine in time they might start rubbing off on each other."
Cocking his head to the side, Alec decided to speak his mind.
"I am curious though...how'd you avoid training for so long? Ellis was pretty dedicated to everyone getting their initiation, and didn't she select you? And...to be honest, I...also didn't know what else to do with you, since you're close in size with Heyn, Mendoza or Wallace but had far more time to mature into your natural strengths. It'd be kind of like putting a scrappy young teenager in the ring with a peaceful thirtysomething athlete. The kid might have more practical experience, but still isn't comfortable in their bodies or movements. Or so I read. Besides, they'll all get a shot at you later."
Smirking, he wiggled his eyebrows.
"Now we get to put another interesting object lesson into place. One moment."
Nodding briefly to his lover, Alec indicated with a small gesture toward Lau and Wallace, who were chatting away both amiably and obliviously. Ginnie'd have no problem putting them down quickly, which wasn't the point - the real test would be Ludmer, Mendoza and Heyn's responses, as they were the likely parties to have noticed her entrance. Lau and Wallace were both wearing good armor, but he hoped Ginnie'd remembered to bring a gun with rubber bullets just the same. He'd rather have them here in the training for the rest of the session than in the infirmary.
Ginnie
18 years ago
Ginnie gave an almost imperceptible nod to Alec and turned her attention, with nothing but her eyes moving, to the intended targets. The pair were chatting about their common interests in the martial arts and it seemed they had both trained under a certain master and were poking fun at him. Ginnie was a street fighter and had had no formal training, but their talk offended even her. Respect for the art meant respect for the instructor, regardless of eccentricity.
With slow movements she pulled a silencer from the tool pouch, and unholstered the left Browning. The metal pieces whispered together and keeping the gun low and in a double handed grip, she aimed at the furthest of the two. She pulled in a long silent breath, held it, hoping Alec didn't mind rubber bullets, and gently squeezed the trigger. The unmistakable swoosh-thump of a silenced weapon filled the air around her as a single black projectile hurtled through the air, over the slightly lower shoulder of his partner, to land in Mr. Wallace's chest.
As soon as the bullet left the gun, Ginnie had holstered it, with the silencer, and sprang from her hiding place. With her back knife drawn she tackled Lau from behind and had her on the ground, and a knife to her throat as Wallace hit the floor with a cry of surprised pain.
All around her she heard the movement of the other trainees, and a pair of black boots entered her field of vision.
"No body move." Her voice demanded obeisance, and she raised her face to the man just outside her comfortable reach, he was hispanic and tall, her brain brought up his dossier photo and compared them, this was Mendoza. She quickly cast her eyes around her and saw Ludmer nearly opposite Mendoza, he must have circled around while she'd taken down Lau, and directly in front of her were four stunned into non-action trainees, with Heyn in a defensive stance in front of them.
Alec, Carol, and Dayle were the only three that had not taken action. She figured is she looked up at Carol there would be a grin on her cute little face. Now she had the entire room at her mercy, with just a blade to the neck of a comrade. It was up to Alec now, how this would play out.
((ooc Carol's actions are conjectured and I truly do not know her reaction. I simply assume from her long tenure in the vampire community she would not react to such a demonstration.))
With slow movements she pulled a silencer from the tool pouch, and unholstered the left Browning. The metal pieces whispered together and keeping the gun low and in a double handed grip, she aimed at the furthest of the two. She pulled in a long silent breath, held it, hoping Alec didn't mind rubber bullets, and gently squeezed the trigger. The unmistakable swoosh-thump of a silenced weapon filled the air around her as a single black projectile hurtled through the air, over the slightly lower shoulder of his partner, to land in Mr. Wallace's chest.
As soon as the bullet left the gun, Ginnie had holstered it, with the silencer, and sprang from her hiding place. With her back knife drawn she tackled Lau from behind and had her on the ground, and a knife to her throat as Wallace hit the floor with a cry of surprised pain.
All around her she heard the movement of the other trainees, and a pair of black boots entered her field of vision.
"No body move." Her voice demanded obeisance, and she raised her face to the man just outside her comfortable reach, he was hispanic and tall, her brain brought up his dossier photo and compared them, this was Mendoza. She quickly cast her eyes around her and saw Ludmer nearly opposite Mendoza, he must have circled around while she'd taken down Lau, and directly in front of her were four stunned into non-action trainees, with Heyn in a defensive stance in front of them.
Alec, Carol, and Dayle were the only three that had not taken action. She figured is she looked up at Carol there would be a grin on her cute little face. Now she had the entire room at her mercy, with just a blade to the neck of a comrade. It was up to Alec now, how this would play out.
((ooc Carol's actions are conjectured and I truly do not know her reaction. I simply assume from her long tenure in the vampire community she would not react to such a demonstration.))
Dayle
18 years ago
Dayle grinned at Alec's comment about work hats. "One of my work hats, as you so quaintly put it," that last said with a bit of extra force on her accent, "is to attend this training because I never had any. I never needed it. Never been a combatant." She heard the silent whisking of metal on metal, and saw the intruder raise the gun in her hands. The pop of the gun's firing was muted, but enough to make Dayle blink.
When the intruder leapt, tackled Lau, she stayed still and simply watched, saw the inactivity of the handful of recruits. She half expected Mendoza to catch a fist or elbow to the groin, but realized the single shot and the tackle with the knife was an effective demonstration.
Dayle wondered where it would go next.
When the intruder leapt, tackled Lau, she stayed still and simply watched, saw the inactivity of the handful of recruits. She half expected Mendoza to catch a fist or elbow to the groin, but realized the single shot and the tackle with the knife was an effective demonstration.
Dayle wondered where it would go next.
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Nodding, Alec shouted
"HOLD."
He was surprised when everyone did. Almost losing his train of thought as a result of the pleasant angle he had on his lover's assets, Alec took a moment and remembered what he was about to say. Walking over, he held a hand out to Ginnie, assisting her up from her dangerous crouch. At the strange stares and one look of outrage, Alec looked down.
"Williams, please check Wallace's ribs. I'm guessing bruising, but no breaks. He turned away from it at just the right time. Good instinct. Miss Lau...you froze when your partner went down. Don't do that again, as it'll end the same way. Eliminate threat before assessing damage. Mendoza...good reaction time when threat was confirmed, but you had time to warn Williams and Lau before the event occurred. You and Heyn will notice things that others miss - never assume people see what you're seeing. Still, good reaction time. Heyn - you were a bit slow given your advantages. Ludmer - EXCELLENT response time and placement."
Reaching down again, Alec assisted Lau to her feet. She was still a bit dazed from the speed at which the scenario changed, but both she and Wallace were still aware. Good.
"This little demonstration has served multiple purposes. First, ambush can happen at any time. Rarely are we completely safe. Be aware of your entrances and exits. You'll notice I've selected a training room with only one obvious entrance. None of you should have had your back to it unless you're as paranoid about air and electrical ducts as I am. Second...spotters, ALWAYS assume that you're the first to see something. Give a signal. Hell, greet the new arrival if nothing comes to mind. Something that'll get everyone on the same page, instantly. Third...with proper timing and distancing, anyone can be taken down before they know it. This works both for and against us...so let's make sure that it is mostly FOR us and not costing us."
Smiling, Alec continued.
"Now, overall I am pleased. For a first ambush, that went quite well. Only two lost in the initial contact, and tactical arrangement placed folk to quickly eliminate the threat."
Clapping his hands once, Alec then gestured graciously.
"Well, that was exciting, wasn't it? Now for introductions. This is Miss Kavanagh. She's a weapons developer and demolitions specialist. She keeps us well outfitted with all sorts of goodies. Care to tell us a bit about what you do and about some of your toys?"
Reaching down one last time, Alec helped Wallace to his feet, mostly to gage his mindset. The man seemed shocked, but still receptive, and no residual irritation evident. Good. He winced a bit more than Alec had expected him to, and Williams looked a bit concerned. Maybe fractures, certainly deep bruising. It'd heal quick. Turning his attention away from the trainee, Alec smiled. So far so good.
"HOLD."
He was surprised when everyone did. Almost losing his train of thought as a result of the pleasant angle he had on his lover's assets, Alec took a moment and remembered what he was about to say. Walking over, he held a hand out to Ginnie, assisting her up from her dangerous crouch. At the strange stares and one look of outrage, Alec looked down.
"Williams, please check Wallace's ribs. I'm guessing bruising, but no breaks. He turned away from it at just the right time. Good instinct. Miss Lau...you froze when your partner went down. Don't do that again, as it'll end the same way. Eliminate threat before assessing damage. Mendoza...good reaction time when threat was confirmed, but you had time to warn Williams and Lau before the event occurred. You and Heyn will notice things that others miss - never assume people see what you're seeing. Still, good reaction time. Heyn - you were a bit slow given your advantages. Ludmer - EXCELLENT response time and placement."
Reaching down again, Alec assisted Lau to her feet. She was still a bit dazed from the speed at which the scenario changed, but both she and Wallace were still aware. Good.
"This little demonstration has served multiple purposes. First, ambush can happen at any time. Rarely are we completely safe. Be aware of your entrances and exits. You'll notice I've selected a training room with only one obvious entrance. None of you should have had your back to it unless you're as paranoid about air and electrical ducts as I am. Second...spotters, ALWAYS assume that you're the first to see something. Give a signal. Hell, greet the new arrival if nothing comes to mind. Something that'll get everyone on the same page, instantly. Third...with proper timing and distancing, anyone can be taken down before they know it. This works both for and against us...so let's make sure that it is mostly FOR us and not costing us."
Smiling, Alec continued.
"Now, overall I am pleased. For a first ambush, that went quite well. Only two lost in the initial contact, and tactical arrangement placed folk to quickly eliminate the threat."
Clapping his hands once, Alec then gestured graciously.
"Well, that was exciting, wasn't it? Now for introductions. This is Miss Kavanagh. She's a weapons developer and demolitions specialist. She keeps us well outfitted with all sorts of goodies. Care to tell us a bit about what you do and about some of your toys?"
Reaching down one last time, Alec helped Wallace to his feet, mostly to gage his mindset. The man seemed shocked, but still receptive, and no residual irritation evident. Good. He winced a bit more than Alec had expected him to, and Williams looked a bit concerned. Maybe fractures, certainly deep bruising. It'd heal quick. Turning his attention away from the trainee, Alec smiled. So far so good.
Ginnie
18 years ago
Ginnie gave Alec's hand a gentle squeeze as she stood. She sheathed her knife, unholstered and removed the silencer from her gun, as he spoke. When he asked her to give a little speech, her smile tightened but she nodded her head and stepped forward.
"As Mr. Devereaux said, my name is Ginnie Kavanagh. I have been with Duibne industries as the primary research and development for lethal weapons for...well let's just say a very long time." This garnered several smiles and a couple of chuckles. Ginnie moved to stand more in the middle of the room and had to force herself not to pace.
"I spend most of my time developing newer and better weapons and demolitions materials in my lab at Duibne with a small team of highly trained specialists. My favorite toys are the ones that look perfectly ordinary, but have the awesome ability to inflict a great deal of harm undetected."
She smiled and let herself take a couple of steps to the left.
"I will be your only contact for weaponry for the duration of your time with Tacharan, unless otherwise ordered by your superiors. Each of you is expected to carry two weapons on your person at all times. You are not expected to be in full battle gear unless going on a run. However on a run you will expected to carry eight standard issue items from my stores." She pulled and replaced each item from her person as she spoke.
"Two 99 mm semi-automatic firearms, tear gas, mace, two small charge explosives, a tool kit containing a silencer, a lighter, lock picks and latex gloves, and at least one concealed knife.
Your ammunition comes from my stores as well. You have two kinds of standard bullets. The first is the normal every day bullet that you can buy anywhere, the second is the newest goody to come out of my labs. At them moment you will be using an electromagnetic version that if used properly stops your intended target with out much blood loss. It's a fun little device to use.
"I will also supply you with any other weapons or explosives needed for each operation. Everything you take needs to be checked out and authorized, and we have a very specific process for that, which you will learn later when you come to visit my little corner of the world."
She smiled at the newest group and took several steps back, gesturing for Alec to take the floor. Her stomach turned over and she had to swallow several times, but at least she'd made it through with out making an ass of herself.
"As Mr. Devereaux said, my name is Ginnie Kavanagh. I have been with Duibne industries as the primary research and development for lethal weapons for...well let's just say a very long time." This garnered several smiles and a couple of chuckles. Ginnie moved to stand more in the middle of the room and had to force herself not to pace.
"I spend most of my time developing newer and better weapons and demolitions materials in my lab at Duibne with a small team of highly trained specialists. My favorite toys are the ones that look perfectly ordinary, but have the awesome ability to inflict a great deal of harm undetected."
She smiled and let herself take a couple of steps to the left.
"I will be your only contact for weaponry for the duration of your time with Tacharan, unless otherwise ordered by your superiors. Each of you is expected to carry two weapons on your person at all times. You are not expected to be in full battle gear unless going on a run. However on a run you will expected to carry eight standard issue items from my stores." She pulled and replaced each item from her person as she spoke.
"Two 99 mm semi-automatic firearms, tear gas, mace, two small charge explosives, a tool kit containing a silencer, a lighter, lock picks and latex gloves, and at least one concealed knife.
Your ammunition comes from my stores as well. You have two kinds of standard bullets. The first is the normal every day bullet that you can buy anywhere, the second is the newest goody to come out of my labs. At them moment you will be using an electromagnetic version that if used properly stops your intended target with out much blood loss. It's a fun little device to use.
"I will also supply you with any other weapons or explosives needed for each operation. Everything you take needs to be checked out and authorized, and we have a very specific process for that, which you will learn later when you come to visit my little corner of the world."
She smiled at the newest group and took several steps back, gesturing for Alec to take the floor. Her stomach turned over and she had to swallow several times, but at least she'd made it through with out making an ass of herself.
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Stepping back forward, Alec allowed himself a small smile. She'd done well - her nervousness was probably unnoticeable to everyone else in the room. It was funny - Ginnie was a better speaker than Alec...both more intelligent and more articulate, but she got more nervous about it. He wrote it off as a side affect of his acceptance of his ability to say the exact wrong thing at the inopportune moment. When you assume you'll mess up, and you do, you feel a bit silly, but it is par for the course. When you don't, it is like Beethoven. She just had higher expectations for herself. Maybe he would one day, too.
"Now that you know who to go to when you need to hit the street, we'll see how you handle worst case scenarios. Time to beat each other up. Ideally, you'll never have to go hand-to-hand with someone - that means several things have gone very, very wrong. That doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare for that eventuality. Plus, if nothing else, it'll get you ready for the Abattoir. Let's start with the juggernauts - Bianchi, Ludmer. Square off, gentlemen. Go to submission, knockout or I call it."
Grinning at each other, they shook hands and then stepped back. Bianchi went straight into a wide stance that reminded Alec that the man had been a very impressive wrestler and had been a professional bouncer in college. Ludmer, though smaller, had more formal training - jujitsu, tae kwon do and wrestling as well. It'd be an interesting match.
"Now, just from their initial stances, you can tell a little about what they might throw at you. Bianchi is a big guy taking a wrestling stance. Pretty much means that you DON'T want him to grab you, but that's no surprise. Ludmer, on the other hand, is looking more relaxed and showing a profile in uneven weight. That means he's probably able to both kick and grab. First thing you'd want to do is figure out reach. For Ludmer, that means legs, too. One thing to keep in mind is most one-on-one brawls don't stay at range for long - if it goes more than 30 seconds, chances are it'll go to grappling. So if you're small, know how to make it hurt. Ooo! There we saw Bianchi testing Ludmer's range, and discovering he'd guessed wrong, but he got those hands up in time to keep most of that foot out of his face. And another, but easily blocked. Couple of quick exchanges there...nothing too interesting...nice! Hold! Did everyone see how Ludmer led with the two quick strikes up and then was only using them to set up the sweep? Now Bianchi is on his side with Ludmer coming down on top of him. Good move. GO! And there went Ludmer down and Bianchi rolled with him. Nice little wrestling bob there. Oh ow! Up to his knees then a nasty kick to the face, but turned around and pulled in. Missed the leg bar, then another rough kick to the face. Ludmer got out of that by timing his pull free with his kick out. Oh! Now Bianchi's got him - Ludmer was a little slow on that punch and Bianchi took it and pulled it in, now they're locked up! Ludmer's trying for a choke there, but he's in a bad position for it - Bianchi is just too big. And crushing...crushing...and Ludmer's tapped out. Well done!
Right around a minute, and it is over. Not too unusual. In real life we rarely have those epic rooftop battles that go for 10 minutes. Usually pretty quick. Now...everyone get with your partners and discuss what we just saw."
Leaning back toward Dayle, Alec asked
"So...what did you think?"
"Now that you know who to go to when you need to hit the street, we'll see how you handle worst case scenarios. Time to beat each other up. Ideally, you'll never have to go hand-to-hand with someone - that means several things have gone very, very wrong. That doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare for that eventuality. Plus, if nothing else, it'll get you ready for the Abattoir. Let's start with the juggernauts - Bianchi, Ludmer. Square off, gentlemen. Go to submission, knockout or I call it."
Grinning at each other, they shook hands and then stepped back. Bianchi went straight into a wide stance that reminded Alec that the man had been a very impressive wrestler and had been a professional bouncer in college. Ludmer, though smaller, had more formal training - jujitsu, tae kwon do and wrestling as well. It'd be an interesting match.
"Now, just from their initial stances, you can tell a little about what they might throw at you. Bianchi is a big guy taking a wrestling stance. Pretty much means that you DON'T want him to grab you, but that's no surprise. Ludmer, on the other hand, is looking more relaxed and showing a profile in uneven weight. That means he's probably able to both kick and grab. First thing you'd want to do is figure out reach. For Ludmer, that means legs, too. One thing to keep in mind is most one-on-one brawls don't stay at range for long - if it goes more than 30 seconds, chances are it'll go to grappling. So if you're small, know how to make it hurt. Ooo! There we saw Bianchi testing Ludmer's range, and discovering he'd guessed wrong, but he got those hands up in time to keep most of that foot out of his face. And another, but easily blocked. Couple of quick exchanges there...nothing too interesting...nice! Hold! Did everyone see how Ludmer led with the two quick strikes up and then was only using them to set up the sweep? Now Bianchi is on his side with Ludmer coming down on top of him. Good move. GO! And there went Ludmer down and Bianchi rolled with him. Nice little wrestling bob there. Oh ow! Up to his knees then a nasty kick to the face, but turned around and pulled in. Missed the leg bar, then another rough kick to the face. Ludmer got out of that by timing his pull free with his kick out. Oh! Now Bianchi's got him - Ludmer was a little slow on that punch and Bianchi took it and pulled it in, now they're locked up! Ludmer's trying for a choke there, but he's in a bad position for it - Bianchi is just too big. And crushing...crushing...and Ludmer's tapped out. Well done!
Right around a minute, and it is over. Not too unusual. In real life we rarely have those epic rooftop battles that go for 10 minutes. Usually pretty quick. Now...everyone get with your partners and discuss what we just saw."
Leaning back toward Dayle, Alec asked
"So...what did you think?"
Dayle
18 years ago
Dayle felt a little lost, watching everything going on between Ginnie and Alec and the rest of the team. Why would they need to carry so much ordinance? It hadn't occurred to her til just that moment how... battle-ready Tacharan was.
Watching the sparring between Ludmer and Bianchi, she spared one ear to Alec's play-by-play of the blow-by-blow. Suitably impressed - not unlike an untrained observer would be watching martial men - she arched a well-defined brow at Alec's questioning after the quick demonstration.
She decided to be honest. Tilting her head as she regarded Alec, she claimed, "This may - or may not, actually, but I think it will - come as a surprise to you, but I think I really have no idea what just happened outside of two men beating each other up."
Shrugging minutely, she offered, "I've never been a very physical person, and the few things I've needed to get my hands dirty with I've been lucky or resourceful. Other than that..." She made a motion, palm up, waving at the class, "the only thing I've learned so far to use in here has been the gun Carol gave me, and even with that I don't think I'm anywhere near as sharp as she is. Just about everything else is beyond me at the moment. I mean, I recognize martial arts, and wrestling - I stay up late enough to watch bad late night telly - but I rarely try to beat things up."
Watching the sparring between Ludmer and Bianchi, she spared one ear to Alec's play-by-play of the blow-by-blow. Suitably impressed - not unlike an untrained observer would be watching martial men - she arched a well-defined brow at Alec's questioning after the quick demonstration.
She decided to be honest. Tilting her head as she regarded Alec, she claimed, "This may - or may not, actually, but I think it will - come as a surprise to you, but I think I really have no idea what just happened outside of two men beating each other up."
Shrugging minutely, she offered, "I've never been a very physical person, and the few things I've needed to get my hands dirty with I've been lucky or resourceful. Other than that..." She made a motion, palm up, waving at the class, "the only thing I've learned so far to use in here has been the gun Carol gave me, and even with that I don't think I'm anywhere near as sharp as she is. Just about everything else is beyond me at the moment. I mean, I recognize martial arts, and wrestling - I stay up late enough to watch bad late night telly - but I rarely try to beat things up."
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Nodding, Alec replied
"Hm...you're certainly not the average Tacharan. Let's go over the most basic of dirty fighting. I won't ask you to learn a martial art or to become a crack shot overnight, but it might be good to practice up a bit between classes. Checking out an anatomy text might be a good idea too. First, you've got your...um...critical target zones. Basically, they're areas where there are either a large number of nerve fibers, or a relatively poorly protected organ or critical body system. Now, on humans these spots are more dangerous, but hit a vampire hard enough in one and it'll still drop them. You're looking for neck, head, genitals and then the soft areas. Anything else is for a pro. Hit someone good in the neck and they won't think about much else for a moment, which'll let you hit them again. Same thing with a nose shot - clouds the eyes, and buys you time. Nuts and tits are a bit more...chancy. Sometimes the effect is delayed. Any shots to the head have a chance of doing all sorts of bad things, same with the neck. Either affecting blood flow, air flow, or interrupting the brain's regular operations...any of it is a bad thing to have happen.
Soft areas...well...those are additive effects...usually won't drop someone straight out with a punch to the kidney, but they add up and don't feel nice. Joints are good targets too, but require a bit more skill to inconvenience. For homework you might want to see about watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship or something - give you a little bit more of a look into fighting at human peak. Granted, you'll probably never need to use it beyond training, but still good to have one's hand in.
Also...don't look at it as beating people up. Look at it as...negotiating from a position of strength. I don't remember who said it, but it was a good one."
"Hm...you're certainly not the average Tacharan. Let's go over the most basic of dirty fighting. I won't ask you to learn a martial art or to become a crack shot overnight, but it might be good to practice up a bit between classes. Checking out an anatomy text might be a good idea too. First, you've got your...um...critical target zones. Basically, they're areas where there are either a large number of nerve fibers, or a relatively poorly protected organ or critical body system. Now, on humans these spots are more dangerous, but hit a vampire hard enough in one and it'll still drop them. You're looking for neck, head, genitals and then the soft areas. Anything else is for a pro. Hit someone good in the neck and they won't think about much else for a moment, which'll let you hit them again. Same thing with a nose shot - clouds the eyes, and buys you time. Nuts and tits are a bit more...chancy. Sometimes the effect is delayed. Any shots to the head have a chance of doing all sorts of bad things, same with the neck. Either affecting blood flow, air flow, or interrupting the brain's regular operations...any of it is a bad thing to have happen.
Soft areas...well...those are additive effects...usually won't drop someone straight out with a punch to the kidney, but they add up and don't feel nice. Joints are good targets too, but require a bit more skill to inconvenience. For homework you might want to see about watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship or something - give you a little bit more of a look into fighting at human peak. Granted, you'll probably never need to use it beyond training, but still good to have one's hand in.
Also...don't look at it as beating people up. Look at it as...negotiating from a position of strength. I don't remember who said it, but it was a good one."
Dayle
18 years ago
Dayle almost beamed at Alec's appraisal that she wasn't 'the average Tacharan.' But she realized that, in respect to what the Clan was 'all about' that wasn't necessarily a good thing.
She stood still, watching as Alec pointed to various parts of his own body and hers, describing places that would be effective to damage in combat. She'd known for hundreds of years how fragile the body was, but she'd never actively sought to do damage to it. And while she couldn't currently imagine herself actually striking someone in the head, face, neck, 'nuts or tits'... If she wanted to be a more-contributing member of her family she would have to learn.
"Up until recently I never needed to 'negotiate from a position of strength.' Words tended to be more than adequate. Or," she snorted embarassedly, "question them until they get so annoyed they walk away."
"But I will follow your suggestions. And do my best to take part in these trainings. I can't say that I'll be the best, or even if I'll be very good at what you need me to learn. But I will try." She let her gaze follow the groups of trainees and hoped that her best would be good enough. Even if she was the oldest in the room by three hundred years, she knew age wasn't a good measure of experience.
She stood still, watching as Alec pointed to various parts of his own body and hers, describing places that would be effective to damage in combat. She'd known for hundreds of years how fragile the body was, but she'd never actively sought to do damage to it. And while she couldn't currently imagine herself actually striking someone in the head, face, neck, 'nuts or tits'... If she wanted to be a more-contributing member of her family she would have to learn.
"Up until recently I never needed to 'negotiate from a position of strength.' Words tended to be more than adequate. Or," she snorted embarassedly, "question them until they get so annoyed they walk away."
"But I will follow your suggestions. And do my best to take part in these trainings. I can't say that I'll be the best, or even if I'll be very good at what you need me to learn. But I will try." She let her gaze follow the groups of trainees and hoped that her best would be good enough. Even if she was the oldest in the room by three hundred years, she knew age wasn't a good measure of experience.
Alec Devereaux
18 years ago
Grinning, Alec nodded.
"That's all we ask. It isn't as if we'll be bringing you on the front lines anywhere. Obviously, your skills are elsewhere. At the same time...it is always good to be prepared for what the world can throw at you. To make it as long as you have without having to fight is an impressive track record - I hope it stays unblemished. But should things go pear-shaped, I want to make sure YOU'RE the one that makes it home safe that night. Personally, I'd rather not fight at all for the most part...but sometimes it is necessary. Or hilarious."
Winking, Alec straightened up. Putting his 'talking to a crowd' mic back on, he asked
"So - observations, anyone?"
When greeted by a general agreement on how bad ass both members were, Alec smiled.
"Ok, ok. We know they're the class aces at knocking teeth out, but telling them that won't help them get even better. So we'll end for the day right here. Your assignments for the night are...hey, stop that groaning or I'll make y'all read something, too. Better. Ok. Your first assignment is to think on their fight and come up with one way for Ludmer and one way for Bianchi that they could have either tightened up their technique or changed the way they were approaching the fight for greater success. Also, have a drink with someone from the training session tonight. In the Domicile. I wouldn't recommend the Abby for y'all yet. Get to know each other...these are your siblings. Rest up - tomorrow, everyone fights."
Flipping his mic off, he reached into his mouth and removed it. It really was a neat little gadget. Walking over to Ginnie, he asked
"Any pressing engagements, ma'am?"
"That's all we ask. It isn't as if we'll be bringing you on the front lines anywhere. Obviously, your skills are elsewhere. At the same time...it is always good to be prepared for what the world can throw at you. To make it as long as you have without having to fight is an impressive track record - I hope it stays unblemished. But should things go pear-shaped, I want to make sure YOU'RE the one that makes it home safe that night. Personally, I'd rather not fight at all for the most part...but sometimes it is necessary. Or hilarious."
Winking, Alec straightened up. Putting his 'talking to a crowd' mic back on, he asked
"So - observations, anyone?"
When greeted by a general agreement on how bad ass both members were, Alec smiled.
"Ok, ok. We know they're the class aces at knocking teeth out, but telling them that won't help them get even better. So we'll end for the day right here. Your assignments for the night are...hey, stop that groaning or I'll make y'all read something, too. Better. Ok. Your first assignment is to think on their fight and come up with one way for Ludmer and one way for Bianchi that they could have either tightened up their technique or changed the way they were approaching the fight for greater success. Also, have a drink with someone from the training session tonight. In the Domicile. I wouldn't recommend the Abby for y'all yet. Get to know each other...these are your siblings. Rest up - tomorrow, everyone fights."
Flipping his mic off, he reached into his mouth and removed it. It really was a neat little gadget. Walking over to Ginnie, he asked
"Any pressing engagements, ma'am?"
Dayle
18 years ago
Dayle listened to Alec tell her, in not so many words, that she likely wouldn't ever be used for actual combat. "Then again, he did pretty much say it," she realized. She felt the need to defend herself - orally, if not physically - as she replied, "It's good that Tacharan doesn't force people into positions that they may not be good at, let alone comfortable with. And while my own 'track record' as you call it has been almost spotless, it is not completely. Spotless."
Ignoring her impulse to wink at Ginnie, who was further away than she remembered - likely due to Dayle's shifted point of view from using her perception, she mysteriously stated, "Girl's gotta keep her secrets, though. Maybe some day I'll explain."
Even as she said it, Dayle knew it might even come in handy as a real-world example for the class.
Ignoring her impulse to wink at Ginnie, who was further away than she remembered - likely due to Dayle's shifted point of view from using her perception, she mysteriously stated, "Girl's gotta keep her secrets, though. Maybe some day I'll explain."
Even as she said it, Dayle knew it might even come in handy as a real-world example for the class.