[training center]

[renjiabarai]

Training with Sullivan isn't as bad as Renji had expected. Sullivan shows up sober enough to give worthwhile instruction. It's not entirely useless, either, though they quickly figure out one-on-one (one on two?) instructions aren't really entirely necessary. Renji and Issui already know how to fight. THere's other things they need to work on.

Every morning, they go over what they need to with Sullivan. Survival tips. Strategy. Then it's off to deal with training downstairs for the rest of the day. Some the stuff they linger on is for show while they check out the other Tributes, but some is genuinely useful. They spend most of one afternoon at the snare making station. Issui does alright. Renji, on the other hand... actually gets his hand stuck in one of his own snares. It takes a little bit to untangle him from it and he doubts that went unnoticed. He's sure Rukia's back home either laughing or having a fit or both, and probably knows why.

It's a couple days before Renji starts to get a better picture of their competitors. The other Tributes still seem to be paying attention to 12's duo, the Careers especially. There's a couple of the Careers that don't look particularly special. Then there's the other half of the Career team, who seem big and well-trained enough to even give Renji pause. And one of them seems to be watching Renji and Issui in a very pointed way he can't quite put his finger on.

He doesn't like it.

It doesn't help that they end up at the climbing station. It's not their best showing, even after the incident with Renji and the snare. There's only so much flailing and falling off either of them can do before they have to move on. Renji's getting bruised and sore from landing on his ass constantly. And besides, they can't do any talking while climbing.

The thrown weapons station looks potentially more promising, so Renji insists on that next. Not that it's met with much disagreement. He sidles up to the weapons display and spends a few seconds eyeing the assorted sharp and pointy things.

"Wonder how many people have actually gotten hurt during training," He thinks aloud. Can't be that many, and not recently. He can't remember ever seeing any Tributes replaced, at least.

Comments

[renjiabarai]

Renji shifts a little in his seat. "Yeah," He says with a frown, and laughs a little sadly at the throwing things comment. He wishes he knew what to say to that, really. He's not terribly good at comforting, mostly just blustering through or yelling at people. He can't exactly assure her she'll see Nana again, really... He doesn't know what to do.

So instead he leans forward and hugs Issui. That's what normal people do, right?

It's not long after that he hears the apartment door open, and Sullivan's voice from near the entryway. "Well, far be it from me to interrupt this touching moment but why the hell aren't you two training still?"

[issuiyanagi]

Issui thinks she might appreciate that quiet 'yeah' more than anything more "properly comforting" Renji could have said. He doesn't need to say it. They're in the same boat here. He knows, she knows. It's fucking awful. But what can you do about it except try to win, and try to make the Capitol pay for it? She sighs again, but it's less miserable.

She definitely didn't expect a hug. Even as she startles a little (nice one, Yanagi), she reaches up to hug him back. Given the likelihood of ever getting to do this again being slim to none, Issui... might end up hugging Renji a little more tightly than intended.

And there's the door. Of course. She's already loosening her grip on Renji when Sullivan pipes up. Yeah yeah. Issui untangles herself and settles back on the couch. "Hurt my leg," she says, gesturing to it. "By the time we left I could barely walk." A half shrug. "Didn't think I could get much done like that."

[renjiabarai]

Renji doesn't get a whole lot of time in that hug before Sullivan wanders in, and Issui pulls away. He's left awkwardly scratching at the back of his neck for a moment, patiently waiting while Sullivan squints at the both of them. He can't actually read their mentor's face beyond that. Concern? Suspicion? If Sullivan tries to claim she's faking the injury so help him.

After a moment, though, Sullivan frowns and sighs. "Alright, let me take a look at it," he grumbles before wandering over to poke and prod at Issui's leg. Renji's... not sure how much this guy even knows about this sort of thing, but he's pretty sure blurting that out won't do them any good.

"So did either of you manage to do anything useful today, besides get injured and cuddle up here?" Sullivan asks.

Renji feels heat in his face, suddenly. He can't snap at their mentor, not when Sullivan's mostly cooperated, though. So he bites back the anger for the moment. He'll deal with it later. But it's hard to keep it out of his voice. "We found out we're both pretty good at throwing knives."

Sullivan cocks his head to the side to give Renji an inquisitive look. "Oh, did you?"

Renji's not really sure if he can deal with Sullivan being so... Sullivan right now.

[issuiyanagi]

Issui should have probably expected Sullivan to come poke at her leg, but she didn't. At least not quite this suddenly. Oh well. She leans back out of his way a bit as he prods at her leg. She hisses in spite of herself when he finds the worst of it.

"Well, I fell off the nets pretty well," she says flatly, eyes wide. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. Oh well. At least Renji gives a straight answer, even if Sullivan sounds very... Sullivan about it.

Speaking of Renji... she glances over. He looks mad. Issui reaches out to rest a hand on his shoulder again. Sullivan's annoying as usual, but there's not much point getting worked up about it right now. She turns back to their mentor. "Yes. We did."

[renjiabarai]

Renji's attention snaps to Issui when he feels her hand settle on his shoulder. Alright, fine. It's not like he can do anything about his anger. And anyway, all it would probably do is fuel Sullivan more. He does everything he can to not huff or slump his shoulders much.

Sullivan pauses in his prodding to give them a slightly more serious looking over. "Just how good, exactly?"

"Issui got the dummy in the dick," Renji offers, maybe a little too enthusiastically. Sullivan stares blankly at him for a couple seconds before breaking out in a very loud guffaw.

[issuiyanagi]

Issui's pleasantly surprised to see Renji relax a little. She isn't sure why that worked as well as it did, but she's glad. It's... Yanagi please.

She grins at Renji's answer and Sullivan's response. She would have expected men to be flinchy about this sort of thing, but not these two. Probably not her Stylist, either. Issui maybe should have known better. She gives a little half shrug.

"Renji hit it in the heart," she says after a moment. She gives his shoulder a squeeze. "We got a couple of good disabling hits in, too." No need to mention the other throw.

[renjiabarai]

Renji does that thing where he scratches at the back of his neck, again. He's not really much of a modest guy, but still... "Yeah, uh. Yeah, we did," He manages after a second.

Sullivan's still laughing. This time it lacks a bit of his usual mocking sharpness, at least, so it doesn't raise Renji's hackles any. "Very good, kids," Sullivan says, clapping once and rubbing his hands together. "Now, if you go back to that station? Try not to do too good. Warm up with it at the end of the day. I'll give you some lessons where your competitors won't see."

Renji blinks a few times, furrowing his brows together. "Will they let you? I mean... It's weapons."

Sullivan catches sight of Renji's dubious expression and dismisses it with a wave. "I'll figure something out, even if it's just throwing the good silverware." After a beat, their mentor hefts himself back up off the sofa and heads for the door. "Now, I gotta go see if I can find anything for her leg. Maybe attempt to stay out of trouble until I get back."