text: [Themes: Slice of life, female protagonist]
  
  Each week, you spend four hours round-trip in a car to take a beginner's fencing class at the Virginia Academy of Fencing in Springfield. It's fun, you tell yourself, and it never hurts to be more active. David, on the other hand, wants to compete. Your husband wants to join the U.S. Fencing Association and begin competing in regional tournaments after only eight weeks of classes, when they tell people to take lessons for a whole year before competing. However, David will want what David will want, and you love your husband dearly, so...
  
  There's a tournament in Glen Falls this weekend, and you're going. On your last trip to VAF you spent over $900 on electric fencing equipment. The real problem is going to figure out how to use all of it: what plugs into where, which piece you need to put on first, and how to fence with a floor cord holding you back. That's why you and David are going to use tonight, while you have the room at the local library reserved, to practice gearing up for electric.
  
  David gets a good parking spot downtown, and the two of you haul the bags of equipment out of the trunk and into the library. The librarians wave at you as you pass, already used to seeing you, and the two of you make your way to one of the larger meeting rooms upstairs to set up the electric strip.
  
  David drops his equipment bag near the door and smiles at you. "I'll put the strip up," he says. "Why don't you go ahead and get your stuff on?" You look at your bag uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know where everything goes," you say. He grins. "Me neither," he says. "If you have trouble, let me know, and I'll try to help." He takes the bag with the scoring box and floor reels and goes to set up a table. You survey the room.
  
  Players may wish to type ABOUT.
  
  McIntire Meeting Room, Downtown Library
  A large, open room, with plenty of room for a few fencers to practice. Of course, tonight it's just you and David. A row of tall windows line the western wall, and stacks of chairs are at either end of the long north-south room. The door to the hallway is east. An industrial-type carpet in garish red covers the floor.
  
  The open windows let in a welcome breeze.
  
  > look at what you're carrying with you
  You are carrying:
  a fencing bag (which is closed)
  
  David pushes the table against the eastern wall.
  
  > open the bag
  The bag is bulky enough to get in your way when you try.
  
  David notices your conflict, and says, "You could just put the bag down, love. It'll be fine right there."
  
  He sets the bag of scoring equipment on the table and opens it.
  
  > About you
  You look just as you always have.
  
  You are carrying:
  a fencing bag (which is closed)
  
  David is rummaging in the bag.
  
  > put the bag on the table
  You put the fencing bag on the table.
  
  David takes a floor reel and floor cord from the bag.
  
  > open the bag
  You open the fencing bag, revealing a mask, a jacket, a body cord, an electric foil, a lam?, a glove, a plastron and a chest protector.
  
  He walks to the north end of the room and sets down the floor reel.
  
  > examine david
  Your husband is a tall man in his mid-thirties, with clear gray eyes and a wonderfully misshapen nose. His smile lights up your day, and he doesn't smile much except at you: but he smiles a lot at you.
  
  David plugs the floor cord into the floor reel.
  
  > examine david
  Your husband is a tall man in his mid-thirties, with clear gray eyes and a wonderfully misshapen nose. His smile lights up your day, and he doesn't smile much except at you: but he smiles a lot at you.
  
  David walks back to the center of the room and looks in the bag on the table.
  
  > hit David
  Violence isn't the answer to this one.
  
  David pulls the scoring box out of the bag and sets it on the table.
  
  > About yourself
  You look just as you always have.
  
  You are carrying nothing.
  
  David takes the other floor cord out of the bag and plugs one end into the box.
  
  > examine the d-the ring
  The D-ring is sewn onto the back of your lam?. Its purpose is solely to give the hook from the floor reel something to latch onto, to give the three-prong connection a bit of slack and make your life easier.
  
  David takes the other reel from the bag.
  
  > look at the box
  A handy little device: this is the thing that makes it all work. The scoring box lights up whenever a fencer (properly plugged in, of course) scores a touch, and lets you know whether it was on-target (on the lam?) or off-target (anywhere else) by lighting up either the fencer's colored light (on) or white light (off). You're fencing on the right side, so the green light is yours, and the red light is David's.
  
  He walks down to the south end of the room, and winks at you.
  
  > get the box
  There's no reason to do anything besides look at the lights.
  
  Setting the floor reel on the carpet, David plugs the free end of the floor cord into it.
  
  > look at the lights
  A handy little device: this is the thing that makes it all work. The scoring box lights up whenever a fencer (properly plugged in, of course) scores a touch, and lets you know whether it was on-target (on the lam?) or off-target (anywhere else) by lighting up either the fencer's colored light (on) or white light (off). You're fencing on the right side, so the green light is yours, and the red light is David's.
  
  David turns to survey his work.
  
  > Examine reel
  The floor reel is made to connect you to the floor cord. It's supposed to sit at the end of the strip, and the floor cord plugs into it. The hook that comes out the front attaches to the fencer's body cord, and when released it retracts like a self-retracting tape measure. Your floor reels are Uhlmann made, with dark blue plastic casing and rubber feet to keep them in place.
  
  "Oops," David says, "I forgot to plug in the box."
  
  > plug the floor cord into the floor reel
  David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.
  
  He walks back to the table in the center of the east wall.
  
  > look in the bag
  In the fencing bag are a mask, a jacket, a body cord, an electric foil, a lam?, a glove, a plastron and a chest protector.
  
  David peers in the bag and gets out the AC adapter for the scoring box.
  
  > plug the reel into the body cord
  You're not suited up enough to plug in yet.
  
  David plugs the adapter into the box.
  
  > look at the chest protector
  The chest protector is hard plastic, molded to fit your body. Females are required to wear them at USFA competitions, and you're just as glad, since it really cuts down on the bruises. The elastic bands hook behind your back like a bra.
  
  He plugs the free end of the adapter into the electrical outlet in the wall.
  
  > look at the plastron
  The plastron is a thin, white, half-shirt, designed to protect the underarm of your weapon arm from an errant hit. It has elastic bands to secure it in place, and it is supposed to go on under everything else.
  
  "There!" David says, looking over the electric strip in satisfaction. He turns to you. "Now, let's get suited up and then we can fence!"
  
  > get the chest protector
  Taken.
  
  David looks you over. "Looks like you don't quite have all your stuff. Check in your bag--if you need help with something, show it to me."
  
  > wear it
  You start to pull the chest protector on, but the unfamiliar cold plastic stops you. Ah yes, you're supposed to have the plastron on underneath!
  
  Meanwhile, David gets his gear on amazingly fast. He says, "We'll salute as soon as we're both ready."
  
  > get the plastron
  Taken.
  
  David connects to the far floor reel. "I'm about ready," he says.
  
  > wear it
  You put on the plastron.
  
  > Wear the chest
  You put on the chest protector.
  
  > examine the jacket
  Your jacket covers your torso and arms while you fence. They are required to be white, and yours zips up the front (making it much easier to put on by yourself). Although the FIE requires 800 Newton resistance, you are merely fencing in the USFA, which has much more lax requirements than its European counterpart, so yours is only rated at 350 Newtons.
  
  > get the glove
  Taken.
  
  > examine it
  White, with leather on the palm for a better grip.
  
  > wear it
  You put on the glove.
  
  > wear the jacket
  (first taking the jacket)
  You must unzip the jacket before you can put it on.
  
  > unzip it
  You fumble with the zipper, but the glove is too thick to allow you to get a good grasp.
  
  > remove glove
  You take off the glove.
  
  > unzip the jacket
  You unzip the jacket.
  
  > wear the jacket
  You slide the clean, white jacket on and tug it into place.
  
  > Zip jacket
  You zip up the jacket, tugging the zipper up to make sure it's all the way up.
  
  > examine the bag
  Your fencing bag is a calming maroon color. It's long enough to hold a foil, and deep enough to hold your mask, clothes, and all the other cords and things you need for fencing.
  
  > Wear glove
  You put on the glove.
  
  > Search bag
  In the fencing bag are a mask, a body cord, an electric foil and a lam?.
  
  > wear the mask
  (first taking the mask)
  You put on the mask.
  
  > wear the cord
  (the floor cord)
  (first taking the floor cord)
  David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.
  
  > wear lame
  (first taking the lam?)
  The mask blocking your peripheral vision makes your task difficult. You seem to remember it's the very last piece of equipment to go on, just before you begin a bout.
  
  > wear lame
  You take off the mask.
  You must unzip the lam? before you can put it on.
  
  > wear it
  You fumble with the zipper, but the glove is too thick to allow you to get a good grasp.
  You must unzip the lam? before you can put it on.
  
  > remove glove
  You take off the glove.
  
  > wear it
  You unzip the lam?.
  You struggle to get your jacketed arms through the small openings in the lam?. Finally, you get it on.
  
  > Wear glove
  You put on the glove.
  
  > Search bag
  In the fencing bag are a body cord and an electric foil.
  
  > examine it
  Your body cord is used in electric fencing to connect several different circuits of electricity. On one end, the two-prong connector attaches to your electric foil. The other end has an alligator clip, to hook to your lam?, and a three-prong connector, to plug into the floor reel. In between is about five feet of insulated wiring, which is supposed to run up your sleeve and down your back.
  
  > attach it to the lame
  That's not supposed to attach directly to the lam?. You may wish to attach it to the D-ring, or it may not be necessary at all.
  
  > put the bag on the table
  You put the fencing bag on the table.
  
  David pushes the table against the eastern wall.
  
  > open the bag
  You open the fencing bag, revealing a mask, a jacket, a body cord, an electric foil, a lam?, a glove, a plastron and a chest protector.
  
  He sets the bag of scoring equipment on the table and opens it.
  
  > get the body cord
  Taken.
  
  David is rummaging in the bag.
  
  > examine it
  Your body cord is used in electric fencing to connect several different circuits of electricity. On one end, the two-prong connector attaches to your electric foil. The other end has an alligator clip, to hook to your lam?, and a three-prong connector, to plug into the floor reel. In between is about five feet of insulated wiring, which is supposed to run up your sleeve and down your back.
  
  David takes a floor reel and floor cord from the bag.
  
  > get the plastron then wear it
  Taken.
  
  He walks to the north end of the room and sets down the floor reel.
  You put on the plastron.
  
  David plugs the floor cord into the floor reel.
  
  > get the chest protector then wear it
  Taken.
  
  David walks back to the center of the room and looks in the bag on the table.
  You put on the chest protector.
  
  David pulls the scoring box out of the bag and sets it on the table.
  
  > get lame then wear it
  Taken.
  
  He plugs the free end of the first floor cord into the scoring box.
  You could put the lam? on, but you know it would make more sense to put the jacket on first.
  
  David takes the other floor cord out of the bag and plugs one end into the box.
  
  > get the jacket
  Taken.
  
  David takes the other reel from the bag.
  
  > wear the jacket
  You must unzip the jacket before you can put it on.
  
  He walks down to the south end of the room, and winks at you.
  
  > unzip it
  You unzip the jacket.
  
  Setting the floor reel on the carpet, David plugs the free end of the floor cord into it.
  
  > wear it
  You slide the clean, white jacket on and tug it into place.
  
  David turns to survey his work.
  
  > wear lame
  You stop to think. It'd be silly to put the lam? on over your unzipped jacket.
  
  "Oops," David says, "I forgot to plug in the box."
  
  > zip the jacket then wear lame
  You zip up the jacket, tugging the zipper up to make sure it's all the way up.
  
  He walks back to the table in the center of the east wall.
  You must unzip the lam? before you can put it on.
  
  David peers in the bag and gets out the AC adapter for the scoring box.
  
  > unzip lame
  You unzip the lam?.
  
  David plugs the adapter into the box.
  
  > wear lame
  You struggle to get your jacketed arms through the small openings in the lam?. Finally, you get it on.
  
  He plugs the free end of the adapter into the electrical outlet in the wall.
  
  > Zip lame
  You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.
  
  "There!" David says, looking over the electric strip in satisfaction. He turns to you. "Now, let's get suited up and then we can fence!"
  
  > show the cord to David
  (the body cord to David)
  "Hm," David says. "You need to put the two-prong connector into your jacket sleeve. Try that."
  
  David looks you over. "Looks like you don't quite have all your stuff. Check in your bag--if you need help with something, show it to me."
  
  > put the connector in the sleeve
  Which do you mean, the two-prong connector or the three-prong connector?
  
  > put two-prong connector into jacket sleeve
  That would be far too difficult for you to try while you're wearing the jacket. You're just not that coordinated yet.
  
  Meanwhile, David gets his gear on amazingly fast. He says, "We'll salute as soon as we're both ready."
  
  > remove the jacket
  You'll have to take off the lam? first.
  
  David connects to the far floor reel. "I'm about ready," he says.
  
  > put two-prong connector into the jacket sleeve
  That would be far too difficult for you to try while you're wearing the jacket. You're just not that coordinated yet.
  
  > remove the lame
  It's almost impossible to take off a lam? while it's zipped up; you're pretty sure about that one.
  
  > remove the jacket
  You'll have to take off the lam? first.
  
  > unzip the lame then remove the lame then unzip the jacket then remove the jacket
  You unzip the lam?.
  Taking off the lam? is almost as much of a struggle as putting it on, but somehow you manage.
  
  You get the thing off, eventually.
  You unzip the jacket.
  You pull your arms out of the slightly sweaty sleeves. It takes a bit of flapping, but you manage to get out of the jacket.
  
  > remove the jacket
  That's already open.
  Taking off the lam? is almost as much of a struggle as putting it on, but somehow you manage.
  
  You're not wearing that.
  You're not wearing that.
  
  > put two-prong connector into the jacket sleeve
  You slide the two-prong end of the body cord into the jacket sleeve.
  
  > wear the jacket
  You could put the lam? on, but you know it would make more sense to put the jacket on first.
  You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.
  You pull the jacket on, trying to keep the dangling bits of the body cord out of the way. What a pain!
  
  > show the cord to David
  (the floor cord to David)
  (first taking the floor cord)
  David will plug in all of the floor cords. Just worry about your own stuff for now.
  
  > show body cord to David
  (first taking the body cord)
  "Hm," David says. "You need to put the two-prong connector into your jacket sleeve. Try that."
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  a body cord
  a jacket (being worn and open but empty)
  a lam?
  a chest protector (being worn)
  a plastron (being worn)
  
  > zip it
  You unzip the lam?.
  You stop to think. It'd be silly to put the lam? on over your unzipped jacket.
  You zip up the lam?, and adjust the Velcro at the collar to make sure you have a proper fit.