No Room To Be Scared (JackLex)

The last person Gala was expecting to see comes into view from a distance; her trainer Matthew. She didn't think he'd want to train her anymore after the last encounter, but... "You got a problem with your watch." He asks rhetorically because the true meaning was that she was late for training. Maybe his words after the fight seemed encouraging; but still she figured after storming into the guy's locker he realized even more how annoying young Gala was. He hated girls already, and this one pulled him into a fight.

A shake of the head indicated her watch was not broken. She even brings up both of her wrists to show she didn't even own one. It was easy to balance on the bars without her hands, and it was nice to be taller then Matthew for the first time. "Gala, what's going on? You scared to come to the center now or what?" Matthew asks.

A little. But that wasn't why Gala didn't show up to her trainer for practice. Matthew's voice actually becomes somewhat kind as he adds; "You shouldn't let these assholes get to you. It's all part of being a career."He offers a helping hand for Gala to jump off the bars. Even at ten feet that was hardly a jump for her, there's been greater falls. Still she takes his hand just because she has a feeling it's his was of being nice. It is nice.

"That's not why I didn't show up to practice." Gala admits after landing on her feet. "I didn't think you wanted to train me anymore..." It was the truth, and she found no reason to lie to Matthew. Not after he jumped into the fight. She should of snuck her way into the training center, wait to see if Matthew was there before assuming. A thanks was needed after all.

"I've still been training here...as much as I can." Gala feels the need to share. Something to proof she wasn't a complete wimp and was still trying. "Thanks for stepping in the other day..." She had to say before Matthew decides to leave. "And I'm sorry if I disappointed you." A sigh follows, but even if Matthew left and decided training should of been over, she still got to say that. Maybe one day she'll be tough and strong just like Matthew & Kyanite.

“Well, you’re wrong. In fact you need the training now more than ever and I finally have an idea what you’re good at and what not, so get your head out of your ass and come with me.” Matthew claims, and for the first time Gala's happy to be wrong. Though the 'head in her ass' part she didn't quite understand. Her head tilting to the side slightly with confusion. Either way she was wrong, and Matthew did still want to train her. She needed a trainer, and he was strong and tough like the little girl wanted to be. Especially now that he knew what she was good at and what not.

Things had to be said before hand though. The thanks & the apology. It was necessary. "No problem." Matthew actually responds with, a smile appearing that Gala swore would never come out when was around. She couldn't help but also smile. Even if her trainer did pause for a moment before stepping into the fight, he did eventually and it still resulted in injuries for him...which meant less injuries for both Kyanite and Gala certainly.

“The only thing you need to apologize for is becoming that scared little thing you were. You didn’t even put up a decent fight at first. Only when things went totally south and the worst was almost over.” Matthew explains, which drops Gala's smile. “You need to find that attitude you got when you talk to me while you deal with other careers.” That the young girl could kind of understand. She was certainly scared of her trainer, but knew he'd never actually harm her.

"I can't even fight you. Let alone four careers your size." Gala explains though she was originally was going to keep her mouth shut. She didn't even get a proper count of how many careers there were. "But I should of tried to put up more of a fight." She still agrees because she truly did feel that way. She was a wimp at the beginning, and that's why she was training. How would she ever last if Gwen or her were ever reaped? Hiding in a tree? That wouldn't last long.

“Are you good? Any bigger injuries?” Matthew asks, and by this point of knowing her trainer decently, Gala knew what his words actually meant. His attempt to be nice, and maybe even a form of an apology. It was exactly what he said when they ran into each other after he left Gala & Gwen with a wounded shoulder. He asked how she was doing.

Besides her fear to go anywhere alone? She pulls her bandaged hand up, a result for that harsh boot. "Just this." Gala sighs as she always did when thinking about it. Because of this stupid hand she couldn't perform. "You?" She asked, because she did feel as though Matthew & Kyanite's injuries were her fault. Plus it was also just kind to ask.

The grin returns and even a slight nudge from Matthew occurs. Kindness? After what happened? “Your call. You can have me kick your ass from now on until you’re tough enough to face Joel and his gang or you can go head and do your own thing here whatever that is..." His hand goes to the tall monkey bars. "Swing, swing little, monkey." To bad that nickname wasn't an insult for Gala, or she'd of mocked him right back.

"I was going across one handed!" Gala protests, her training strategies weren't that bad...Sure Matthew was better, but he's older. "Even with blisters." She says a little proudly. Climbing and such was her thing since she was little. Her hands were already rough, and blisters hardly phased her anymore.

"But yes." Gala brings a smile back to her face as well. "Till I can kick your ass please." The smile grows a little bigger as a giggle escapes because she changed the deal. She couldn't help but be a little a bit of a smart ass.

"I'm not that big." Matthew claims, and now that Gala thought about that one, Joel, did seem a lot taller. But to Gala all of them just seemed tall, and big, and strong. That's why she was training though, she didn't want to be scared forever. Especially not with the pregames arriving, she was going to have to fight kids Matthew's size.

"Great." Gala mumbles under her breath.

At least Matthew wasn't badly hurt from the fight, though he was a guy. With all sisters Gala wasn't too sure about dudes, but she was pretty sure they denied pain. Especially the careers. "That's good." Gala comments with. She was quiet enough after the fight, she didn't want to seem that weak. After all she'd always be a smart-ass little girl.

"Unfortunately that skill is pretty useless when you have to stand up for yourself against Joel and his friends. You need to be able to hammer him ion the nose with a fist of steel, you gott get him where it hurst and you need to utilize whatever is around as a weapon." Matthew gives advice like any great trainer would do, and hopefully he was willing to teach that to Gala as well.

"Have any extra steel knuckles?" Gala asks her humor finally returning. "That's what training's for right?" She actually brings up relevant question. That sounded perfect, but Gala didn't think for one second she could teach that to herself.

"You stay away from my ass..." Matthew demands, and automatically Gala laughs at the response. "Ky did enough damage to that one." Even if it's only the short version Gala knows he's talking about Kyanite. After all he already jumped into a fight for two girls, the chances of him being friends with another one? Certainly Kyanite. "But sure...try me. See what happens." He still offers, knowing right now he could easily take his trainee; so did Gala though.

"One day..." She postpones the offer on trying to fight her trainer. "What'd Kyanite do to your butt?" Gala questions while her laughter fades away. Was she still not allowed to talk about her? Now she knew her even. "You brought her up, and I didn't even mention..." A smile came to her face as she decided to shut up. No talking about beyond the fence. Just training.

Matthew begins walking away, probably to go to the actual career gym. The equipment at the school may be decent, but nothing like the real thing. Assuming training was starting now Gala immediately begins following him. "How do you know Kyanite? Are you two friends?" He asks on their journey.

How odd that Kyanite asked how Matthew ended up training Gala while she walked the younger girl home after the fight. Except the answers were going to be different. She was smart enough to not give the entire story of how she actually got Matthew to stay training her; they were simply paired together. Her trainer on the other hand she knew much longer then Kyanite, and how the girls met wasn't a big deal.

"She almost hit me with a knife while I was trying to hide." Gala informs, but knows that's not a good enough explanation. Should she tell the truth? Figuring that was the best option, for once she went with not lying. "I thought you left...so I called out for her. She's really good at throwing knifes."

Instead of pulling out his own sly remark about steel knuckles, Matthew lifts up his own beaten-up hand. "I wish. Kind of need some myself." He remarks, but at least things are kind of back to normal. "You could hit a wall....but I don't recommend it." He advices. Yeah of course she wouldn't do that. Another small laughter arrives as a result.

"Yeah..." Gala agrees again, she had a feeling she'd be agreeing with a lot more things lately.

To Gala's question on how Kyanite hurt Matthew's ass, he simply replies with a; "She kicked it." Yeah right. Like her just kicking his ass would cause enough pain for Matthew to comment that she hurt it enough.

"Mhmmm." Gala comments with a smirk that clearly shows she's smarter then that. How stupid did he think she was?



"That day? When Joel came after you? You just met her then?" Matthew questions, surprised. Was it that shocking for someone to stick up for another without really knowing each other? If Gala was able to she certainly would, even if she didn't know the person before hand. "She helped you even though she didn't know you?"

"Yeah." Gala answers, with seems to just shock her trainer even more. "Some female's aren't as bad as you think."

"You need to find some battle skill you're really good at. Like her. Maybe Kyanite can show you how to throw knifes. It would make you a much more dangerous opponent."

"Maybe she will." Gala comments. After all Kyanite walked her home, seemed to really care about her. Certainly that wasn't there first and last encounter. There was a lot more to come, at least that's what Gala was hoping for. To learn talents from two amazing careers? She's couldn't be any luckier.



Immediately as they're in the gym Matthew begins the training. "Today you'll learn a few moves that you can use when you're in trouble. Lay down." But before Gala even has a chance to follow the order her trainer yanks her to the floor. All of the pain from the fight returns as her body hits the floor. Matthew's hand is holding her down by her collar bone, but at least not her throat.

"How would you try to get out of this....usually I'd probably have my hand on your throat. Free yourself." Advice arrives, and clearly pushing up doesn't work. The weight difference is too drastic. "Think about my weak spots and think physics." Think like Gwen.

Gala's hands were free, she had that. But she wasn't powerful enough to simply push off Matthew's hands. At the same time that her hand goes into motion, she leans with it; so not only does she attempt with strength to push him off, but allows gravity to help out.

If the grip was around her throat certainly Gala wouldn't be able to move from the trap. But her collarbone gives an easy slip for Gala to free herself. Just as she wished she was able to during the fight, she gets up to her feet in a few seconds. With no motivation to harm her trainer she takes quite a few steps back, at least out arms reach. Sure her speed was good, but strength compared to older careers wasn't even close.

"That's not the same!" Gala shouts, remembering all of the careers that were after her. It wasn't Matthew. He was scary, but by now she knew he'd never actually harm her. "I couldn't fight them all! I needed you!" Her fears return.

"Of course you couldn't. Neither could I! 5 against 1, do the math..." Matthew's voice grows louder along with Gala's, but at least it was his way of saying he understand. "But you could take on one at at a time, so...." That didn't seem very possible, with all of them there? How would she be able to distract enough to fight them each individually? Maybe Kyanite will teach her that part, she did talk about distractions. Her trainer gestures for her to come over. "Try....punch me."

Punch him? That wasn't going to be Gala's strength certainly, she had decent muscles but nothing compared to a seventeen year old male. At least that's how she felt.

"Use your full power. I'll block. Make sure to always use combinations because one alone won't do anything unless the guy's asleep. Try to fake the odd attack and come from the other side....and don't be afraid to kick his nuts or any other part that hurts." More advice, and finally what Gala was looking for; strategy. Just as a typical younger career she couldn't help but giggle at the mention of kicking nuts.

"Now...don't try the nut part right now. I kind of still need them." Matthew brings out a joke, and it actually makes Gala laugh; more then the giggles from the simple mention. What was he talking about though? Gala was smart enough to know about the whole birds and bees thing, but that was between two people. He made it clear he wasn't into guys. So.....

"For what?" Gala questions, titling her head to the side. If she was going to get in her best attack he couldn't know when she was going to strike. "Kyanite?" Gala teases and a second later throws a punch; certainly not as strong as she would if actually threatened, but more then a wimp for sure. Distraction just as Kyanite mentioned.

"I told you how I met her. It's only fair for you to tell me." Gala mentions, very curious about what was going on between them. There was something, that was obvious.

"So I don't sound like a girl when I sing." Matthew claims for the first question, and once again Gala can't help but giggle a little. She was smart enough to know that wasn't true, but still it was funny. After everything that happened, hearing a joke from her trainer was actually relieving. He didn't hate her after the fight, the was truly enough for bring a little happiness into the young girl. Still the answer wasn't enough, but at least this time he isn't threatening her to stop with the questions. Maybe the fight actually brought them all a little closer in a way.

"Haven't you put the puzzle together for yourself?" Certainly Gala wasn't trying, but not fully. She wasn't sure if they were friends, or more then that....

"Almost." She claims with a proud smirk. The hit actually works, or maybe Matthew was being kind to her after the whole attack. Either way it made her feel a little bit better.

"Fair enough. I met her during a training session in the gym. We sparred, I punched her a little and she didn't like it. So we had a rematch where she showed me what she can do with knifes." Matthew actually admits; it completely surprises Gala. Last time she questioned this sort of stuff, right before the fight, he wasn't willing to give up a detail. Now, it was like he finally trusted her.

Not only does her trainer give up a bit of information, but also pulls up his sleeve to reveal a bandage. "I was moving. She's pretty darn good." That's has to be what they were doing beyond the fence. Fighting like that in the gym couldn't be allowed, not with that sort of damage. Only in the pregames. "Got me in the back, too..." Matthew admits a defeat to a girl, a grin spreading across Gala's face at the information. "There you go. You know it all now. Now shut up and give me another punch."

No more information was going to be given; but already it was nice to know that. Never before was he this generous with an actual conversation, all about training and his hate towards girls. Maybe there was a chance that Gala could grow a soft spot in his heart, it seems as if Kyanite was working her way there.

"Yeah she is really good at throwing knifes." Gala tells with a laugh, it only felt right to also give her side. "She even said if she was aiming she would of gotten my head." More laughter, it felt nice. Since the fight there was no reason to laugh, all feeling were covered in pain and disappointment. "Don't doubt that." She adds.

"She taught me about distractions...that's why I tried that." Gala gives up, but she was proud that she was worthy enough for a tip. With one swift movement she goes in for the punch like Matthew ordered, but also brings up her foot to kick him in the shin. "But you taught me everything else." She states proudly.