[ At the word greatsword, Yuuri's eyes are sparkling and by the time the word training has left Ardyn's mouth, Yuuri's already on her feet and hastily dusting off her hands with a grin on her face. ]
Well, I've got to start somewhere, haven't I? Even if it's with substandard equipment.
[ She doesn't sound at all like she's complaining though. ]
Is there enough room out here in the garden or should we move a little further away from the house?
[ She's smiling when she takes the sword -- or rather, she's making herself smile to try and hide the trepidation she suddenly feels. She'd talked a lot of game about wanting to learn to fight but now she's suddenly a little nervous of just how much she trusts herself with a weapon in her hand.
But it's smooth, worn wood under her fingers, weighted all differently from a knife. It's just different enough that even though it's a blade, using it like a weapon doesn't make her feel queasy.
Smiling even more brightly to cover up the moment of trepidation (but knowing Ardyn had probably caught it anyway because well, it's Ardyn) she takes the sword and gives it a slow, experimental swipe through the air. ]
I'll follow your lead, then. I don't want to put someone on the wrong end of this if they come out of the house and take me by surprise.
Oh, heaven forbid. Wouldn't want to hit someone unless they deserved it. Or unless they happen to be Xander.
[this is how he expresses friendship]
[Regardless, Ardyn pulled a second sword from the Armiger and threw it a few feet away, following swiftly in the usual brief magenta afterimage and trail of light.]
[ And Yuuri, like a boring old regular human instead of an old Lucian king has to catch up with him on foot. How tedious. ]
I hope you know I have absolutely no idea where to start, though. The only thing I've... um, well, I've never had to use anything like a full sword before. So we'll be starting from scratch.
That's fine--I haven't exactly taught anyone in quite a long time, so we'll merely have to figure it out together. The most basic thing to start with is your stance; ideally you want to be rooted firmly enough not to be knocked down, but not so rigid as to be inflexible.
[ She pauses for a second, trying to think of what might work. Without really being conscious of what she's doing, Yuuri finds herself imitating Kurumi, the same wide, low stance she'd use when she was waving her shovel around. It's passable for a first try but she's still handling the weight of the blade all wrong and she'd probably get knocked flying if she got hit too hard. ]
[ Oh. Well, that's better than she was expecting to hear and she gives a fierce nod. She's holding herself maybe a little too stiff, but her stance is a bit better at least. ]
It's a little different from what I was expecting it to weigh... but I guess it is just a practice sword.
[ She needs to start somewhere after all. ]
If I was using a real one... the weight would all be the um-- the hilt, wouldn't it?
[ It's a vivid enough image that she loosens up a little. There. It's not perfect by any means -- she's hardly going to get there on a first try -- but it's definitely an improvement. ]
I know this'll end up being second nature but getting it into your head to begin with... it's harder than I was expecting.
[ Her face brightens visibly at the praise, even if it looks like she's trying not to let it show quite as much. She'd forgotten the rush of satisfaction that came with learning something new, learning to do it right when learning wasn't a matter of life or death. The novelty of doing things while her life isn't on the line still hasn't quite worn off. ]
As long as I make sure to practice, of course. Are there any... sets or anything like that I should be going through? Any sort of routine I need to stick to?
[Ardyn shrugged, bringing his own practice sword up to rest against his shoulder.]
I was never one for strict forms and routines. Drove my combat instructor a bit crazy, but it's always served me well. Generally speaking, the rule to follow is to remain adaptable; become accustomed to the weight of a weapon in your hand, and you'll be able to utilize it just as easily as part of your arm.
[ Ah, that sounds familiar. Suddenly, even more than she was before, she's reminded of Kurumi, red-faced and spluttering in protest over one too many prods and pokes over the shovel, insisting that it was just natural, once you used a weapon that much it just became part of you.
She thinks; He'd like Kurumi. When this is all over, I need him to meet Kurumi.
Letting out a breath she hadn't been really aware she was holding, Yuuri gives the sword a slow, experimental swipe through the air. It's not exactly proper form but it looks like she's just getting a feel for the weight of the sword. ]
Let's see...you should try to remember that your sword is a defense as much as it is a weapon. It's better for an oncoming attack to strike your blade than to strike you, obviously.
[He lightly took Yuuri's wrist to adjust her stance again, raising the sword a little higher to leave her guard a little less open.]
So when you bring it back after swinging it, be sure you've not left yourself open to a counter.
[ She nods slowly, gives the blade another slow swipe through the air and then brings it back up a little quicker, raising it to what she's sure is the same height he'd adjusted it to. ]
So... hm. I should be making sure my arms are flexible, even if my grip isn't? If I'm too stiff when I take a blow with the sword, it might end up doing me more harm, than good...
Exactly. I'd broken a few bones in practice like that before I learned that particular lesson, and I do not exactly recommend it. But that already looks much better.
I don't think Nari would be happy with me if she ended up having to put my arm in a sling because I couldn't handle a sword properly, do you? I don't even want to imagine the kind of lecture she'd give me.
[ And also, she can't garden one handed. She'd drop dead of boredom after about a week. ]
Do I need to be doing-- [ another quick swipe of the sword. ] -- this in any particular way? I'm honestly not really sure what I'm doing with it.
Things like striking angle and force exerted depend entirely on your target. Some aspects of that can't be taught and need to be mastered through experience. Or at least, they'd need to be taught by someone with a less careless fighting style than mine.
I'll ask her as soon as we're done here, then. I think it might help her out just as much as me. She's been feeling a little...
[ Another quick slash of the blade, just enough of a pause to give her a chance to come up with a word that doesn't sound quite so harsh as 'useless'. ]
I think she's feeling a little restless. And we're only able to do so much while we're here... I think it's really getting to her.
[ She eases out of that stance, her shoulders relaxing a bit and she lets the sword hang in her hands.
Does she look a little... guilty? ]
I said... a lot of things to her back on the Fantasy Sweet. The sort of things I'd say to Yuki-chan back home. Things about how she was our light and how we could keep going because we had someone like her with us. And I meant every word of it but I think now it was probably the wrong thing to be saying to her.
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Well, I've got to start somewhere, haven't I? Even if it's with substandard equipment.
[ She doesn't sound at all like she's complaining though. ]
Is there enough room out here in the garden or should we move a little further away from the house?
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[He tapped Yuuri playfully on the head with the sword in his hand before flipping it around and offering her the handle.]
We can move a little farther away, a bit more space couldn't hurt.
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But it's smooth, worn wood under her fingers, weighted all differently from a knife. It's just different enough that even though it's a blade, using it like a weapon doesn't make her feel queasy.
Smiling even more brightly to cover up the moment of trepidation (but knowing Ardyn had probably caught it anyway because well, it's Ardyn) she takes the sword and gives it a slow, experimental swipe through the air. ]
I'll follow your lead, then. I don't want to put someone on the wrong end of this if they come out of the house and take me by surprise.
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[this is how he expresses friendship]
[Regardless, Ardyn pulled a second sword from the Armiger and threw it a few feet away, following swiftly in the usual brief magenta afterimage and trail of light.]
How does this distance look to you?
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[ And Yuuri, like a boring old regular human instead of an old Lucian king has to catch up with him on foot. How tedious. ]
I hope you know I have absolutely no idea where to start, though. The only thing I've... um, well, I've never had to use anything like a full sword before. So we'll be starting from scratch.
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[ She pauses for a second, trying to think of what might work. Without really being conscious of what she's doing, Yuuri finds herself imitating Kurumi, the same wide, low stance she'd use when she was waving her shovel around. It's passable for a first try but she's still handling the weight of the blade all wrong and she'd probably get knocked flying if she got hit too hard. ]
Something like this?
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[He reached over to adjust her hold on the sword, nudging her feet into a more solid position with one of his own.]
Your balance was a bit off, and you'll need to get used to holding the sword itself.
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It's a little different from what I was expecting it to weigh... but I guess it is just a practice sword.
[ She needs to start somewhere after all. ]
If I was using a real one... the weight would all be the um-- the hilt, wouldn't it?
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Try not to stand too rigidly, either--think of your stance in terms of a willow branch rather than a wooden plank.
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[ It's a vivid enough image that she loosens up a little. There. It's not perfect by any means -- she's hardly going to get there on a first try -- but it's definitely an improvement. ]
I know this'll end up being second nature but getting it into your head to begin with... it's harder than I was expecting.
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[what an excellent student he has]
It's just like learning anything else; you'll grow accustomed to it quickly enough.
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As long as I make sure to practice, of course. Are there any... sets or anything like that I should be going through? Any sort of routine I need to stick to?
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I was never one for strict forms and routines. Drove my combat instructor a bit crazy, but it's always served me well. Generally speaking, the rule to follow is to remain adaptable; become accustomed to the weight of a weapon in your hand, and you'll be able to utilize it just as easily as part of your arm.
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[ Ah, that sounds familiar. Suddenly, even more than she was before, she's reminded of Kurumi, red-faced and spluttering in protest over one too many prods and pokes over the shovel, insisting that it was just natural, once you used a weapon that much it just became part of you.
She thinks; He'd like Kurumi. When this is all over, I need him to meet Kurumi.
Letting out a breath she hadn't been really aware she was holding, Yuuri gives the sword a slow, experimental swipe through the air. It's not exactly proper form but it looks like she's just getting a feel for the weight of the sword. ]
What else should I be keeping in mind?
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[He lightly took Yuuri's wrist to adjust her stance again, raising the sword a little higher to leave her guard a little less open.]
So when you bring it back after swinging it, be sure you've not left yourself open to a counter.
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So... hm. I should be making sure my arms are flexible, even if my grip isn't? If I'm too stiff when I take a blow with the sword, it might end up doing me more harm, than good...
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[ And also, she can't garden one handed. She'd drop dead of boredom after about a week. ]
Do I need to be doing-- [ another quick swipe of the sword. ] -- this in any particular way? I'm honestly not really sure what I'm doing with it.
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[ Not that she doesn't trust King Dad but a second pair of eyes to vet her training might not be such a bad idea. ]
She's a little closer to my height, too and we're built a lot more similarly than you and me... maybe that might help?
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[ Another quick slash of the blade, just enough of a pause to give her a chance to come up with a word that doesn't sound quite so harsh as 'useless'. ]
I think she's feeling a little restless. And we're only able to do so much while we're here... I think it's really getting to her.
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[ She eases out of that stance, her shoulders relaxing a bit and she lets the sword hang in her hands.
Does she look a little... guilty? ]
I said... a lot of things to her back on the Fantasy Sweet. The sort of things I'd say to Yuki-chan back home. Things about how she was our light and how we could keep going because we had someone like her with us. And I meant every word of it but I think now it was probably the wrong thing to be saying to her.
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