We all have our FOILbles. -- For prodigalmess

[bossyboiler]

Are you still interested in fencing?

The message was straightforward and direct as was the one that followed it.

I'm catering a special exhibition match this Sunday. I have two spare passes. It'll be fun. If you want them.

The details were then sent. The main event was a tournament put on by the United States Fencing Association. The exhibition matches on Sunday were fencers from France who were not fighting with foils. Sabers were involved but not the kind that most people expected.

Kate had been hired to provide cupcakes for the fencers and judges. She had done her research on the subject. Kate wanted to impress them with their order and the four cupcake flavors that she had brought with them were unique to this event. The Gray Jedi cupcake was an earl gray cake with a honey glaze and lemon buttercream. The Dark Side was a chocolate cake with dark chocolate buttercream that had a dash of cayenne and spice. The Light Side was a vanilla cupcake with a vanilla custard filling that was topped with a caramel buttercream. The Sith was a standard strawberry cupcake with strawberry swiss buttercream but there was a piece of candy glass in the shape of a red lightsaber.

After delivering the cupcakes and setting up the displays, Kate ventured out to watch the exhibitions. She stood out slightly in that, despite the fact that she was catering the event, she was wearing tailored slacks and a button up blouse with small cupcakes printed on it. Most of the people attending were in athleisure or jeans. Her brunette hair was pulled up in a high pony-tail and tied with a ribbon.

There was no way she was going to miss out on watching the matches.

Comments

[prodigalmess]

She's going to be the reason that he gains some weight. His mother will be thrilled. Malcolm's glad that they reconnected though. Kate's been a good friend to him and he hopes he's been the same to her.

"Okay, wait," Malcolm says, his mouth slightly agape. "Are the lightsabers real?" He knows that technology has advanced pretty far since the original Star Wars trilogy came out, but he didn't know that there were real lightsabers out there now.

[bossyboiler]

Kate respects Malcolm deeply. She feels that he can understand her more than some others. It is a hard thing to step away from your family and pursue your own interests and craft a career out of it. She has friends in all walks of life but not many with an overactive work ethic. That makes Malcolm unique. (He's also adorable when he nerds out about weapons.)

"Define real?" Because Kate thinks that they are just using plexiglass ones lit up with LED lights.

[prodigalmess]

They're in the same boat when it comes to making a life for yourself, one that your family isn't thrilled about. Both of them could fall back on trust funds, but Malcolm feels that he has a purpose in this life. He's supposed to use what he knows about killers to help catch them and put them away so they don't hurt anyone else. He's supposed to help victims get justice. It would be remiss of him to not use his time and energy to do that.

"I mean... they can't cut someone's hand off, right?" he asks.

[bossyboiler]

"I think they're just made of plexiglass. You'd have to really want to cut off someone's hand." Kate replies. She could imagine a few scenarios but they were severely macabre to her. She has not seen the things Malcolm has. "They're selling some in the trade hall. Do you still collect weapons?"

[prodigalmess]

"So not real real," he confirms. That's disappointing, but he also probably a good thing. People didn't need to be able to carry around high powered lasers.

"I do..." Malcolm replies, considering that. "I've never added any fictional weapons, though I almost bought a bat'leth once."

[bossyboiler]

"No, not real real." It is a good thing that lightsabers are not real. There would be fights on the streets and lost limbs (mostly hands) everywhere. New York had a bad enough litter problem.

"Why didn't you?" Kate does not collect weapons. She collects depression glass jars, vintage dresses, buttons, and exes. "If it makes you happy..." She trails off clearly meaning that he should buy it. "Expand your weapon nerdiness."

[prodigalmess]

Is it wrong that now he wants to investigate a murder committed by lightsaber? He bets there's at least one real one out there, even if what these competitors are using is fake.

"The quality wasn't what I was looking for," he replies. "If I ever come across one that's better quality though..." Then all bets are off. A bat'leth could definitely be a show piece in his collection.

One of the fencers backs up to avoid the blade of his opponent's lightsaber and ends up losing his balance and falling to the mat.

[bossyboiler]

It is probably not wrong, per se. A lot of people have work-based fantasies such as physically throwing out rude customers or solving a lightsaber related murder. People have imaginations, they are going to use them.

"Why don't you have one commissioned?"

Kate winces when the competitor lands on his ass. The victor, the Sith, points his blade at the throat of Jedi and this match is over. The crowd applauds so Kate claps as well. "This kind of makes me want to look into stick fighting."

The second demonstration isn't going to be as flashy as the first. It is an actual duel with rules and a referee with their own blade. "I shouldn't be surprised that people have turned this into an actual sport and yet here I am. Pleasantly surprised, granted, which is nice."

[prodigalmess]

"I could..." He shrugs. "I think they're cool, but I'm not really a huge Star Trek fan." Not big enough of one that he feels like he must own a bat'leth. If he were... he probably would have sought one out by now. He tends to prefer real weapons, but the lightsabers are pretty damn cool.

"Stick fighting can be fun," Malcolm continues as he claps for the competitors. "I've done a bit of training in that. And I'm not surprised at all that someone has turned this into a sport. Quidditch is a sport now."

[bossyboiler]

"Is it? Anywhere in the city? I need something to inflict my anger on." She has a bakery and works customer service. Kate knew people who were entitled but she had never realized before opening it just how entitled a customer could be. It was different and she couldn't hit them or forcibly throw them out. Yoga is great for flexibility, being toned and cute outfits. However, Kate really needs to hit something.

"Yes and I'll be impressed when they can actually fly."

[prodigalmess]

"I haven't done it in a while, but I'm sure there's a place in the city," he says. "I'll check back through my contacts and see what I can find." Malcolm hasn't trained for a while and could probably use a tune up himself.

"Me too. A flying broom would be pretty amazing. If they make those, I definitely want one." He's pretty sure they don't, though.

[bossyboiler]

"I'd appreciate that," Kate replies and continues to watch the match. Her head tilts to the side slightly. There are rules, she can tell. The referee occasionally steps in to call a play. "How close to actual fencing does this look to you?"

"I suppose the closest we'll ever get to that is a hoverboard." She means the handsfree scooter, of course.

[prodigalmess]

"Somewhat..." he answers. "The moves are a bit different, but the basic premise seems to be the same." Don't get hit with the other person's sword while you try to hit them.

Malcolm turns back to Kate, a smile on his face. "Now you're talking about my greatest Back To The Future fantasies." He'd probably pay a stupid amount of money for a real, working hoverboard.

[bossyboiler]

"Which is?" If he says that the objective is not to get hit she is going to give him the side-eye.

Kate smiles back at Malcolm. She finds his little nerd smile adorable. "What would you do with it if you had one?"

[prodigalmess]

"Generally, don't get hit." He'll take that side-eye now. "You want to jab or hit your opponent while not getting jabbed or hit yourself."

"Oh man." He grins. "What wouldn't I do? Obviously I'd take it for a ride through the Upper East Side." Let all the rich people be jealous of his sweet hoverboard.

[bossyboiler]

There is the side-eye that is a very long. "You're hysterical."

Kate raises her hand to cover her mouth. She can't help but to chuckle a little bit at the mental image that formed inside her mind. "I can picture it now. Wrap-around shades, hair blowing behind you and waving at the people staring. Clearly, they would be in awe of your sick moves."

[prodigalmess]

"It's a little more complicated than that," he says. "There's a point system. But the gist of it is to not get hit."

Malcolm grins at her. "I feel like it would be very effective transportation. Better than a car or the subway, in my opinion."

[bossyboiler]

"Can you avoid the hits freestyle or are there rules you have to follow?"

She grins back, "Not to mention very ecofriendly. I'm imaging all the surprised looks as you glide by. I'm also imagining you wearing a lot of neon, you know, for maximum visibility."

[prodigalmess]

[ ooc: I don't know the rules of fencing so I'm just going to make shit up. ]

"You have to keep in a certain stance," Malcolm says. "If you watch fencing, the combatants mostly move back and forth in a line. It's not a freestyle fight." The duelists currently on the mat swinging lightsabers at each other seem to have a bit more freedom to move right and left. It's like fencing-lite.

Malcolm scrunches up his nose. "I wouldn't be caught dead in neon, but the rest of it sounds accurate. It'd be very ecofriendly if it was powered by electric."

[bossyboiler]

((ooc: Making shit up? In an RP? Revolutionary!))
"There should be more freestyle fencing." How many more sports would be more entertaining if they were freestyle? Loads, Kate is certain.

"But neon is part of the aesthetic, Malcolm. You have to go for maximum visibility in order to be seen by the maximum amount of people. You would want them to know it's you, right?"

The lightsaber fencing match goes on for a couple of minutes more before the victor is announced. The audience politely claps. Kate turns back to Malcolm. "Are you doing anything later this afternoon?"

[prodigalmess]

[ ikr? ]

"I think that's just fighting," Malcolm says. There's probably freestyle fencing out there, but there might not be any official organization that coordinates it. Malcolm's not aware of it, at least.

He cocks an eyebrow at her. "You think I want to be seen? I guess I won't be able to help it if I'm on a hoverboard."

Malcolm claps for the victor, then reaches inside his coat pocket to check his phone. "Nothing, as of right now. No texts from Gil either, so I guess I don't have a case."

[bossyboiler]

"Why wouldn't you want to be seen? In this epic fantasy of yours, what do you see yourself doing if not being seen?" It is an honest question. She wants to know and he has her undivided attention.

She assumes Gil is his boss and nods her head. "Do you want to go for a coffee after? I mean, I have to disassemble and clean up but later today?"

[prodigalmess]

He opens his mouth and closes it, thinking about that. "I guess I'd want to be seen a bit," Malcolm admits. Otherwise, why ride a hoverboard through Manhattan. "I just don't really like drawing attention to myself." All the attention he's had in the past has been because of his father, and thus has been negative.

"Sure. I can have a look at some of the weapons they have for sale here." Good thing he brought the black card.

[bossyboiler]

"Mmhmm." Is there a better feeling than that of being right? Yes, there are! However, none of theme are applicable to their current setting and venue. "So when someone finally releases real hoverboards, we'll forego the neon. I can live with that." Because she has been right that he does want to be seen if only for a short while. "You won't see me on one until I've mastered it."

Kate nods her head and stands. "Say an hour? I'll meet you at the main entrance?" She wants to get a head start on cleaning up. There is a way in which she likes to do things. She is very particular but to her credit, she knows how she is. "I know a place nearby."

[prodigalmess]

Even though he hates being wrong, Malcolm will take it on the chin and keep going. Kate wasn't trying to one-up him or anything. Despite being able to read others, Malcolm isn't always the best at reading or acknowledging his own behavior.

"That should give me enough time to look around at the lightsabers." He smiles. "See you then."

An hour later, Malcolm meets Kate at the entrance of the convention center. He's holding a box.

"I couldn't resist, even if it's not a real weapon."