hadriel | Video 2 (Backdated to the 12th)

[yeah, she's definitely nervous. she's bad at people, especially ones she doesn't know very well. she enters the room, though]

I--figured I was, but. Yeah. And you're a knight? Like with the armor and sword fighting and chivalry and all of that stuff?

Precisely.

[Henry pulls his dagger free of its sheath, which hangs from his sword belt on his right side. At the left side is his actual arming sword, which remains sheathed. He looks at its blade, then to George.]

Repetition of the correct form builds the instincts and speed that shall save your life, however tedious you find it. If you are lazy now, you will fight poorly in battle. If you hesitate, if you are uncertain, then your foe has won. If their technique and understanding of these arts is better, you have lost. Practice exists to rid you of those weaknesses. Do you understand?

[He will know if she does not practice in her own time, and he is strict on commitment; this is making that clear from the outset.]

Waste not my time, for I shall not waste yours.

[He won't stand for the former. His lifetime of experience, honed in battle since he was fourteen, is valuable.

With that said, he eases the harsh edge of his words.]

We shall begin with the most important skill of all: how to strike, at its most basic.

Edited 2018-01-23 02:21 (UTC)

Cool.

[she watches him curiously.

uncertainty, hesitation, and laziness are how George has spent all of her life and most of her afterlife. but she's not going to back down. stubbornness and the desire to prove herself as not being worthless may end up being her saving graces.

she nods]

Okay. I understand.

[all she has to occupy her time are her shifts at the temporary clinic. she'll have plenty of time to practice]

I get that. No one likes to waste their time.

[she's getting that impression, yes. being harsh with her may actually be the best tactic, if only because it's going to make her try harder, even if it's just to prove a point]

All right. How d'you do that?

[If he is harsh, it's not personal; it's simply his natural disposition.]

It begins with a balanced stance. Your feet should be shoulder width apart. Step forward with your right foot. Bend your legs. Your knee should not overlap your foot, else you risk injuring it. Keep your back straight, but remain loose. Make sure that you are comfortable. If not, adjust the position of your hips and foot.

[It's easy as breathing for him to slip into the correct stance, but he allows more time for her to.]

For this, grip your dagger with the blade held downwards.

[He changes his grip on his dagger to demonstrate; the blade is down at his little finger end and the pommel is up at the thumb end while his hand and wrist are in a neutral position.]

[still, it will be a good motivator.

she listens carefully and tries to move herself into position as he lists off how it should be. tension makes her at first, but she mutters under her breath about being loose, damnit and she improves slowly, finally getting into a stance that feels comfortable and (she thinks) is what he means]

Okay. I can do that.

[and she does, if very slowly and painstakingly]

You shall need to be faster if you hope to stand a chance.

[It's fine, but it does concern him that it takes her so long to do something so basic — it suggests a lack of bodily awareness. That is a poor quality in a fighter.]

Keep your hands at the height of your chest. You shall use your left arm to defend and grapple when we move into actual plays. In your resting position keep your elbows comfortably bent.

[With their posture correct, they are ready to actually work on striking.]

Power must come from your whole body, not merely a small part. If your strike is weak it is easily defended against or set aside. Even should it hit, 'twill do but minor harm. Watch closely.

[He goes slow, so she can see the principle clearly. The tortion of his hip drives the thrust, and his shoulders and arms follow through smoothly, and he steps with the strike. His arm does not overextend; nor does the strike. The full power is thus transferred.]

A strike begins in your hips. Let your shoulder and arm and hand follow through naturally; you do not swing your arm but push you elbow to full extension. Flail and you you shall waste most of your strength. Step when the turn of your hips demands it.

[He repeats the action of striking, adding a little speed with each repetition, until he is doing it as fast as it should be, with deadly force.]

It is but one smooth push from your hips through to your hand.

Hey, I'm just beginning here.

[a large part of that can be blamed on the fact that George is so uncomfortable in her own skin and doesn't like herself very much.

but she tries. she listens intently and watches closely when she's told to watch, making mental notes about what she is and is not to do.

the part about the strike beginning in her hips makes her furrow her brows slightly, before relaxing her face and nodding.

she can't help but be impressed by his skill. she wants to do this. she wants to not fuck this up. she wants it very, very badly]

So, like this?

[she takes what she's been told and what she's observed and copies it as best she can. much, much better than the first try]

[Henry nods, satisfied that she's not making any critical errors.]

Excellent.

[That's much more encouraging.]

Now repeat it, until I tell you to stop.

[He wants to ensure that George gets a real feel for it, and to be certain that she can do it again and again before they move onto the second part of striking well. It's important that she feels comfortable powering them correctly first. The next part is harder, mentally.]

[she can't help grinning a little at his assessment, though she doesn't stop practicing]

Thanks!

[when she really sets her mind to doing something, she does well]

I can do that.

[and she does, improving by increments each time. and there are times when Reaper metabolism comes in handy]

[Eventually, he says:]

That is enough.

[The lack of corrections suggest that he's satisfied with her form.]

Now you shall strike me. [He raises a hand and taps the left side of his neck — or more precisely, the solid metal of his gorget protecting it.] Right here. A dagger cannot pierce my armour; I shall block any wayward attempts. What is important is that you learn this truth: you must stab through a person. Not merely at them. Though you dagger hits here [he taps his gorget again for emphasis] you must aim for my right shoulder, through my neck.

[Lowering his hand, he holds George's gaze steadily.]

These arts are no game. Your purpose in wielding a weapon is to greatly wound or kill your foe. They work not without that intent.

[He would never fault anyone for being unwilling to hurt or kill another living person. It's admirable in its own right. But one who wields a deadly weapon is a hypocrite if they pretend they have any other use than violence. And a weapon wielded halfheartedly will always lose against one wielded with full purpose. To take up a weapon is to commit to causing someone harm.]

Okay.

[she stops to listen and pay attention again. she swallows when she's directed to strike him--what if she hurts him, despite the armor?--but she straightens up, not wanting to show weakness.

she meets his gaze seriously]

Got it. I can do that.

[and she can. she's been a witness to all kinds of deaths, from the gruesome to the mundane. and while she can't be killed, she's assuming she hasn't seen the last of the Null and she doesn't want to be stuck defenseless like she was last time.

she takes a breath, lets it out, and strikes at him as instructed. she's not backing down]

[He can tell that George's strike is on course, so he does not need to interfere; naturally he's keeping close watch over her control. There is a clang of metal hitting metal, but Henry doesn't so much as flinch. In fact, he is pleased by the force and direction in her attack. It's exactly what he asked of her.]

Good. Again, 'til I halt you.

[Like before, repetition is part of the teaching process.]

[at his reaction, she quirks a small smile and says]

Thanks.

[and then she does it again. as many times as needed, until he tells her to stop. she's going to keep on going]

[Rather than tell her, this time Henry simply uses his left forearm to knock her wrist and block the next attack as it comes towards him.]

All right. That is how one strikes well. With full strength, followed through. Now sheathe your dagger and we shall cover cover one means of blocking before I end this lesson.

[He puts his own dagger away.]

[she's surprised at the ease he uses to block the attack, but intrigued at the same time. She wants to do that, too.

she nods] All right, I can do that.

[she puts her dagger in a sheathe attached to her belt and listens attentively]

[Henry turns his right hand palm up, fingers straight, and mimics the strike he just taught George at half-speed, lightly tapping the side of her neck.]

I will do this. You need only displace my strike as it comes by pushing the back of your forearm against my wrist. Use the full strength of your body in this too.

[He demonstrates what he means with his left arm, turning his hips and using his core to give power and stability to the block.]

Prepare yourself.

[And he'll bring his right hand in a slow strike at her again.]

[she watches carefully and makes mental notes about what he's doing and saying. he makes it look and sound easy (but he's got years of experience and practical use of such tactics), but she knows that actually blocking will be harder than it looks and sounds.

she figures if worse comes to worst, that's what Reaper healing is for]

I'm ready.

[and she brings her left hand up, using not just her hand, but her entire body to block]

Excellent.

[And he'll do it nine more times, before he stops. Reaching up to his own neck, he unbuckles his gorget then removes it, baring his throat.]

This will be our last exercise. I shall strike at you. You must block my strike, then strike at me. Turn you palm up and use the side of your hand, as I did. The motion should remain the same as before. All right?

[And he'll strike at her, a little faster than before, but still ready to pull the blow.]

Thanks.

[and she blocks him with increasing confidence each time. not that she's getting cocky, but she's feeling more like she knows what she's doing]

So a back and forth thing? All right, sounds good. And, uh. Thank you. For the help.

[she blocks the strike, then turns to strike at him. she's moving well, clearly feeling more comfortable in her own skin]

[He blocks her strike, then strikes back, and says:]

You are welcome.

[He's certainly noticed that she's applying herself much better, compared to how she begun this lesson.]

Have confidence that you are capable of more than you presently give.

[He doesn't mean to suggest that she's not giving enough — he simply believes that everyone can give more if they have the ambition to be better. He's never been one for merely settling.]

[she blocks his strike with an ease and grace that would surprise her if she was watching herself from a distance.

and she's a slacker most of the time, but when there's something she really wants, she applies herself to it. and she wants to not be helpless the next time something like the Null attacks]

That's gonna be the hard part. I've always had--issues with confidence.

[when you grow up feeling like (and occasionally being treated like) a failure to your parents, it can be hard to develop confidence]

Why?

[Henry is the opposite, by nature as well as nurture; hubris is his flaw. His brow furrows at her admittance.]

You determine your own worthiness. [He tells her fiercely, meaning to encourage her.] And you hold power over your faults. Know that you can conquer aught that troubles you.

...I dunno. I never really had any friends and my parents weren't exactly supportive.

[George always saw herself as average, at best. not particularly good or bad, just. . . average.

she listens, a little wide-eyed. she's heard this before, but not from a very skilled near total stranger who she just met. she can't dismiss what he says as just trying to make her feel better] I, um. Okay? [she nods, feeling a little more confident] Okay. I can do that.

Good.

[He smiles, then steps back.]

Next time we shall move onto plays. You did well today, George.

[she's not blushing, she's not blushing, she's not--fuck it, she's blushing with pride]

That sounds great. I'm really looking forward to it.

Video 2 (Backdated to the 12th)

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