riverview | video; @damen

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video; @damen

[The video clicks on to the face of a young man with dark olive skin and unruly dark curls, damp from a shower. It's strangely unfocused, and shifts around for a moment before he realizes how to hold it best to get the right angle - he clearly isn't used to technology like this.] Is this- Yes, the flashing light means 'recording'... [He mumbles to himself, eventually setting the device down on a table in front of him.

When he smiles, it's brightly, pleasantly.] Hello. I'm Damen, I'm... newly arrived, within the last couple of weeks, as many others are, and I admit I am not quite used to this city yet, nor all it has to offer. Back home, I'm a soldier, but here...

I keep remembering when I was young. I cheated once, when my tutor was to test me on my history lessons. My friend Nikandros gave me all the answers beforehand, so that we could go to the training yard sooner. My tutor was very impressed with my knowledge, but my father knew immediately. I could never trick the King.

He said to me, Damianos- [And here, he says something gravely in a language that has similarities to Greek, in the nouns and verbs, though a different grammatical structure. After, a translation,] Only a fool pretends to know what he has the opportunity to learn.

[His smile takes on a slightly sadder note, but he banishes it quickly.] So, I am searching for a combat instructor and sparring partner, one who can teach me the things that my world has not yet discovered. There are so many weapons here I do not recognize, and I'm sure techniques I have never seen before. I am no beginner, however, and so I would prefer someone experienced. You will be adequately compensated for your time. Thank you.

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[Maybe it's Clark and Ellie's influence, but Bucky is trying not to immediately see everyone as a threat on first impressions, as well as get a little more involved in things that aren't being a loner hobo out in the abandoned city.

He's still paranoid about the network, though, which is why he sticks to text and no identifying remarks.]

I might be able to teach you something, but I need to know why you want to learn first. There are a lot of other things besides weapons that you could learn.

[Thank god for voice-to-text, his thick fingers are so clumsy on the little phone screen keyboard. He has to think about answering this for a moment - there's a little bit of 'why do you care', but he realizes it's a valid question. Such training could be put to malicious use, and so he tries to be honest.]

For one, I enjoy the exercise, and the company. I don't wish to go entirely soft during my time here. I am trying to learn other things as well, such as cooking, but I feel restless, without some sort of physical pursuit.

As far as weaponry goes, I mostly want to know what I am dealing with if I encounter it. We do not have... guns, and the like, where I come from. I did not know what one was capable of until a guardsman explained it.

[It's good that the answer is honest, because he probably would have just hung up right there and then if any sort of argument or excuse had been given. It seems a legitimate enough excuse, and he's really trying not to see the worst in every situation.]

I can teach you under the following conditions:

1. If I think you're going to misuse what I teach you at any time, it gets stopped immediately.
2. We do this out of town so nobody gets accidentally hurt.

[Honestly, it's a bit refreshing. He likes the straightforward nature of it all, simple and easy terms.]

A reasonable request. I have no intention of bringing violence upon this city or anyone in it, unless it is in self-defense or the defense of others. I have no love for killing.

That sounds awfully serious, what lessons do you intend to teach that bystanders might be an issue?

[He can accept that, he supposes. Though it's entirely hit or miss if he allows more than one lesson anyway with how bad with others he can be.]

Fine. Meet me at the east perimeter gate in two hours. We'll talk more then.

How will I know if I've found you?

I'm carrying a blue backpack.

[And with that, he hangs up. But he will be at the east perimeter gate at the allotted time, though looking half as if he wants to disappear before his arranged partner gets there.

He's wearing a ratty hoodie and gloves to make sure the metal prosthesis is out of view, as well as a baseball cap and the aforementioned blue backpack.]

[This feels more like some kind of covert encounter to do with important matters of state, and less like a casual meet up to spar, but Damen finds himself intrigued anyway. Even if this is more Laurent's thing than his.

He shows up at the agreed upon meeting spot, looking less like a displaced king of a nation and more like a man who is secure enough in his masculinity to wear yoga pants in public. Because he is. Not that he has anything to be insecure about; despite his larger than average height and size, his pose is casual and unthinkingly nonthreatening.

When he spots the blue backpack, he lifts an arm to wave.] Are you who I'm meeting? You never gave me a name. Honestly this seems so secretive.

[He takes in his potential new student in a quick once over. Non-threatening posture in a way that seems natural, so either he's genuine and gentle, or he's used to pretending to be that way so much that it's just instinctive now. He doesn't know him well enough to guess which yet.]

Hal.

[He plucks a random pseudonym off the top of his head, taking a step closer.]

I have some people I don't want to run into, it's better this way. Come on, I know somewhere we can test out your skills in private.

Damen. It's a pleasure. [He seems perfectly willing to take 'Hal' at his word, offering up a friendly enough smile with the pleasantries.

He looks a bit curious as to what sorts of people Hal doesn't want to run into, but he doesn't ask just yet, glancing around briefly from the corners of his eyes as if checking for an ambush.] I see. Alright, lead the way.

[Bucky doesn't smile back, nor does he do anything other than turn silently to lead the way out past the inhabited parts of the city and into the ruined buildings where the monsters lurk.

There's a large paved square that he found a few days back, perfect for this sort of training. He doesn't stop or speak until they get there.]

Okay.

[He drops his backpack and turns.]

Show me what you can do.

[Damen is trusting enough that he doesn't exactly feel uneasy as Hal leads him out into the abandoned city, though he does wish he had brought a sword with him now. He hadn't exactly been expecting any sort of test, at least not like this.

When the other man tells him to show him what he can do, Damen adjusts his stance on the pavement with the ease of someone who has been drilled on these things all his life.] I didn't bring a sword, though I suppose neither did you. [He definitely would feel bad attacking someone unarmed with a blade in his hand.]

Rules of engagement?

[Swords at least gives him a rough timeline to work on, or at least technology level of his world. Then again, maybe he has weird alien powers that make him invulnerable so even hand to hand fighting will be something Bucky can't help him with. He's come up against that already.]

No lethal force.

[That's pretty much the only rule that's important.]

Come at me.

[Damen nods, and rolls his shoulders, loosening himself up for a fight. Sadly, (or maybe thankfully), he has no alien powers. Just a big man who is naturally very strong, and who has spent most of his life physically training himself.

That said, when he launches himself into the fight, opening by throwing a punch, his style is brute force predictable, straight-forward. Most of his training in hand to hand has been for sport, wrestling and the like (judging from the way he goes in for grappling), or for emergencies if he is ever disarmed on the field. He's much more a swordsman.]

[He's good. He's clearly had some training, Bucky just defends for a few moments so that he can analyse technique and level, and it's not bad. Not good enough for a proper battle, it's too much strength and not enough finesse, but it's definitely better than starting from nowhere.

After the initial assessment, he aims to flip Damen onto his back with a scissor kick around the waist, and then pin him there.]

[That is certainly not a move they use in wrestling, and he isn't entirely used to close up combat without a sword in his hand. The only thing that makes it slightly difficult to get him onto his back is his weight and how he throws it around like he's used to it. Weight, though, is not enough to evade.

He ends up on his back and pinned, though he fights the pin, aiming to flip their positions with bulk and brute strength.]

[It's a good attempt, Damen obviously has a fair amount of brute strength on his side, but Bucky has decades of training and the serum to enhance his own strength. It takes effort, though, to try to keep him pinned down.]

Where's your technique?

[It's a surprisingly casually asked question in the middle of the fighting, but he wants to know if Damen is all strength or if he has something else to him.]

[It's definitely hard to keep him pinned. He fights it for a few moments, before deciding on some distance. He shoves, and twists away, feet sliding apart into a ready stance when the other inevitably comes after him.]

I haven't been disarmed in years. [Six years. Marlas. Auguste had let him pick his sword back up again, and he'd- He fights that memory down.] And wrestling has rules. [A wry smile comes onto his face despite his losing position.] I haven't been challenged like this in a while.

No, it doesn't.

[Bucky's ready stance looks much more relaxed, almost like he isn't preparing for an attack at all. No good being an assassin if you give away your intentions to the crowd, after all.]

Wrestling's for play, that's not fighting. Real fighting has no rules, forget that.

[Damen stands back for a moment, raising a brow. It feels a bit like a dismissal of what, in his culture, is an important sport, more than just 'play'. And he isn't sure he agrees with the next statement either.]

Honorable combat has rules of engagement. I'm not particularly interested in learning to fight dirty.

Then you'll die the first time that someone actually tries to kill you.

[He says it with perfect certainty. He knows that there's no such thing as honourable combat, that war and battle make people fight the dirtiest, and Damen is never going to survive if he doesn't realise that.]

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