damned_institute | Night 43: F21-30 Hall

Shaking her head, Falis replied, "Nah. Haven't had the chance to talk to her yet. She passed out when they brought us back for dinner."

What kind of sword could Senna have gotten if it was dull. "Find a whetstone and either us us can sharpen it. What kind of sword is it?"

She might be the one person in all of Landel's who was least equipped to answer that question, thought Mercedes Colomar, rescuer of puppies and reader of stories to dying children, who couldn't remember if she'd ever even seen a weapon in person until after she died.

"A...it was a pretty large one," she explained, feeling smaller all of a sudden. "She picked it up in the antique shop. It was behind the counter, so it was probably too expensive to be a prop--just old is all. I'm sure she'll show you when she wakes up."

When she wakes up... Falis looked down at the girl, the hand out of Meche's vision tightening its grip on the bed sheets. It'd be easier to resist if Senna stayed asleep. Maybe. But she was such easy prey right then. The kill would be simple, no resisting, and Senna wouldn't feel any pain...

Fuck. Get yourself together. No eating Senna tonight. At least not like this.

The hunter's eyes moved back to Meche. "Sounds like a hand and a half broadsword. Was it double edged?"

How in the world did she get that just from "it was big and old"? Boy, the people here never failed to impress.

"Sorry, I don't know," Meche said. "If I had to guess, I'd say I think it was, but it was so worn down that she was just using it to bash things." It was probably sitting right inside the closet, but Meche didn't want to go through Senna's room while she was sleeping. They could wait until later or even tomorrow night to find out.

It was probably off-balance, too.

"So, it had about a forty inch length and about a three inch width," Falis described, holding her hands apart enough to give Meche a visual reference to what she was describing. "Straight, non-tapered blade with a cross guard, yes? The hilt would be about the length of a man's forearm."

The hunter's hand returned to the back of the shinigami's neck, the warmth of Senna's skin making Falis clench her jaw for a moment. "A knight's blade."

Meche nodded. "A knight's blade" was the kind of reference she understood; she'd certainly read enough picture books to be able to picture one of those pretty clearly. "Yes, that sounds about right." She smiled. "I guess you could say Senna was sort of my knight last night, so it suits her."

If Senna gave it to her, and she gave it to Manny when he came back, a knight's blade would probably suit him even better. Then again, Phoenix had been something of a knight back there too, and Meche was pretty sure he'd been using a coat rack. Landel's didn't leave too much room for fairy tales.

A low chuckle came from the hunter. "I've certainly dealt with more than my fair share of them," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "True knights are rare things. She would be one of those. I would certainly feel safer with her in my service."

The chuckle was the noise that she finally heard, brain lagged and wore down. The girl murmured something incoherent, rubbing her face against the sheet below her. So soft.... Well, no, not really. But comfy all the same. It was a nice bed if she had to--

Oh, hey. People talking. Hmm. Still half-curled on her stomach, Senna's eyes opened, mouth eating part of the sheet beneath her. Classy. Man. Falis coulda woke her up before people got here. Nothing like a bit of drool to give an impression. Respect? What's that? Nothing here, that was certain. Senna grimaced good-naturedly, rolling back to lean against Falis like it was natural. "Hey," she greeted, voice still thick with sleep. "How're you guys doing this fine night?"

The thoughts plaguing her earlier were all but forgotten; Senna's mood far closer to what it should be than what it had been. She felt comfortable and relaxed, and she knew she hadn't slept that long. She blinked bleary eyes at the two, wondering about Falis. When had she came in her bed? Ehh.... It didn't matter. It was nice enough. Comfy and soft lying against her. ~~Her living mass of hair and boobs probably helped with that....~~ So Senna'd stay there while she got up to speed. At least the whole party hadn't started without her.

Alita was right about that, and Meche was about to agree with her when the sleepyhead knight in question woke up. "Good morning," Meche replied with a small chuckle of her own. "Did you have a nice nap? I only got here a few minutes ago, so you haven't missed too much."

Senna definitely looked like her nap had been a pleasant one. It was good to see her so content. Everything about the way she was still snuggled up said that she felt safe, at least for now, and that she must really trust Alita. There weren't enough moments like that here--especially for the children. Even if everything they went through here sometimes made her wonder if you could really call them "children" at all.

"We were just talking about your new toy from last night," she explained to get Senna caught up. She just hoped bringing up last night right off the bat wouldn't be the wrong thing to do.

A bit of a grin found its way onto Falis' face when Senna stirred. "Hey... Comfy?" She shifted just enough to drape her arm across the girl.

"We were just talking about knights." Her lips tugged up a bit more, a bit of affection slipping into her eyes. "You have a knight's blade and you certainly have the right virtues. Wanna be one?"

Whether Falis was joking or not, even she didn't know.

Well, both certainly seemed in a good mood. Good, that was... good. Senna yawned, raising a hand to cover her mouth. Okay. Wakefulness. That was a good thing. Sleep was good, fun-times better, and so... "Yeah, it was okay, I guess," she answered Meche, smiling. "And the sword for you, huh? I still think you should start off with something a little smaller, though you were swinging that duck pretty well," she teased, smile shifting into a grin.

Which she swung back at Falis. "Yep," she said. "I am." The question seemed out of place but she went with it anyway. "Sure. Why not? Am I protecting you ladies?"

Senna opened her mouth to continue the joke, when she just stopped suddenly, some kind of horror on her face. And after she worked so hard to fill today with so much, too. She turned her face to Falis, a melted expression hanging there. "Did I... miss dinner?" Oh, man. That would suck.

"I was thinking about going a little bigger, actually. Remember I said Alita and I had some business together? She's going to teach me how to use a spear." Meche grinned back and drew herself up to her full height in the chair. "The duck just isn't a scary enough weapon for an intimidating woman like me, you know?"

She was about to crack another joke in answer to Senna's question when a look of horror suddenly flashed across the girl's face. Flashbacks? Was she in pain? Meche started, ready to rush over to try to help her--and then settled back down with a relieved sigh when Senna started talking about dinner.

"Boy, you really had me worried for a second! Didn't they leave your tray for you?" she asked when her heart rate had slowed down a few beats. If this really were a normal slumber party, Meche thought now would be about the time when everybody raided the kitchen. Too bad whatever was in there right now was probably a lot more likely to eat them than to be eaten.

Senna had to mention food. And Falis had been doing so well at ignoring her hunger. The hand down by her side clutched into a fist so tight her own nails cut into her palm and she swallowed, her head tilting down to draw in the scent of the shinigami. It only lasted a second before she stuffed the urge back down inside her. She needed to get her mind off of food quickly.

Soft amusement returned to Falis' eyes and she smiled at the girl using her as a pillow. Bringing her left hand to the girl's cheek, she stroked it gently. "Your tray is on the desk, dear knight, though you will find its contents cold by now. I don't think beef cut and crispy potato strips will be very good like that, but I guess a knight needs to keep her strength up," she said, her tone shifting into something more elegant as Falis unconsciously slipped into princess mode. "I suppose I could let you get up," she added on, a tinge of reluctance briefly in her voice.

The whole princess moment disappeared when Meche's words finally registered. Looking at the older woman, Falis blinked her eyes. "You were fighting with a fucking duck?"

"No, no, I guess you're right," Senna replied to Meche, laughing. "Gotta find something a little bit better than that."

The almost tenderness from Falis, Senna was unaccustomed to, and she froze on instinct. The words did well to make her relax, and Senna smiled. "I don't mind the temperature, milady," she said, going with the theme. "I would rather keep my strength up so I'm able to protect you." Senna disentangled herself from the other girl, keeping a hand on Falis' for a moment. "You know I'll be close."

That done, Senna's attention returned to her true love. She stuck her tongue out at Meche, then all but pounced on the cold dinner, settling in at the desk it was situated at. Sucked, she'd whine about it on a normal day, but right now she was just happy that it hadn't been thrown out.

Meche couldn't help chuckling to herself again at Alita's sudden change in tone--quite the shift for a girl who seemed to use swear words almost as often as nouns. It was nice to see the girls playing around and looking so happy with each other, especially after that strange tense moment they'd had yesterday. Meche couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much. Certainly before she got here, at any rate.

But if Alita's tone took Meche by surprise, Alita's question threw her for even more of a loop--oh, rats, she should have explained what she was talking about. "Oh, no, it's not a real duck, of course," Meche hurried to clarify. She had no idea how anyone could use an actual duck as a weapon, but she was pretty sure it would have to involve some real cruelty to animals. Meche disapproved. "It's just a walking cane with a metal duck head on the top. I found it in the antique shop." She held up her hands to give an idea of its size, since that sort of thing seemed to be important to Alita.

"Don't stray too far," Falis replied to Senna. "Royalty rarely knows when a knight's strength will be needed."

She couldn't help her gaze lingering on Senna as the girl moved away, the scent of her flesh going with it. She both relaxed with her farther away and found herself on edge for the same reason. Senna was her prey and now she was--

Enough. Find something else to take your mind off of her.

Unfortunately, that turned her focus to Meche. She was the weaker of the two; the hunter could claim her kill easier than she would against the shinigami. Fucking stop. You will not do this.

"Aa. Not a bad length for you." Falis got to her feet and rolled her right shoulder, the muscle along her jaw twitching momentarily. "Up," she told Meche. "Lemme get a good look at you while Senna's... busy." She almost said eating. She didn't want to think about food.

[from here]

Soma hesitated for a moment as she stopped in front of the door, uncertainty clearly written on her face. She was in even less of a mood to talk to anyone than usual. It was pointless to go in when all she wanted to do was go back to her room and--do something. She wasn't sure what. She wasn't in the right shape to do anything tonight anyway; she was feeling hungry again, and the pain in her arm, while not as sharp as last night, had returned with a vengeance. It would be so easy to go back now.

But that would be running away. She didn't run away.

She took a deep breath, steadied her hand, and knocked.

"I won't," she threw back with a grin and a head incline. Part of her felt watchful over Falis, especially when she was like this. That part was mostly covered up by the small knowledge that she had of Falis' capabilities. Attention slid to food, and the still-edible food was being polished off in almost record time, disappearing into the black hole that was Senna's stomach. She half-listened to the girls' conversation content with the nearness of their presence, and the food at hand.

Damn, she wished it was just a little warmer.

The knock at the door shifted her out of whatever spell she had been in, and Senna bounced to her feet, grinning. "I'll get it." Like a house. Like a place to call her own. Holy crap, she was enjoying this. In a few steps she was at the door, and Senna opened it to Soma. "Hey," she greeted, smiling at her. "C'mon in."

[pulling Soma to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/700157.html?thread=57992445#t57992445)]

Meche obediently stood up, arms at her sides. The heels made her a little taller than usual for here, but she remembered noticing that she and Alita had been about the same height in flats yesterday. Actually, their builds looked pretty similar too--although Meche had a feeling the girl probably had hidden reserves of muscle that she could only dream of, even now that she had muscles again. Still, she wasn't in bad shape. Maybe she could pull this off after all.

She said hi to Soma as the girl came in, looking a little more...nervous, maybe that was the word--than Meche would have liked. Well, walking around alone at night was a pretty nerve-wracking prospect, especially after the last couple of nights. That uncertain expression seemed sort of unusual for Soma, though. She always looked so calm.

Meche was glad when the little reaper pulled her over to talk. A little apprehensive herself now, but glad. Now they could really get started. She just hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself.

Falis' crimson gaze flickered to Soma as Senna let her in and lingered on the pale-haired girl a bit longer than necessary. There was something about her...

Stop looking at your girls' friends like they're your midnight pantry raid, she told herself, forcing her mind to focus on Meche's build and not the potential succulence of her flesh and that of So--

No. Something was off. Something was wrong. Something was making the hair on the back of her neck stand up and the urge to peel her lips back in a silent snarl almost too much to suppress. What the fuck? Stop being so fucking territorial. Get over it. Focus on the training. Focus NOW.

Shaking her head a little, Falis walked slowly around Meche, getting a good look at her. She noted the woman's heels, smirking a little at the sight. They weren't the best footwear to fight in, but Falis had learned to do it, having to until she managed to convince Jodou and Milano to let her use boots instead.

"Okay, let's just start with getting you familiar with the spear. There are two on my bed, so pick them both up and choose the one that feels better in your hands," she instructed.

Meche wondered if now was the time to point out that her ankle was injured, or if it even mattered. She decided it probably didn't. She couldn't be sure when Alita would have time to teach her again, so she'd better suck it up and do this.

She headed over to the bed and took a closer look at the spears. Originally Meche had been picturing something as tall as she was, maybe a throwing weapon, but now that she was up close she realized they were only about three feet long--the same size as the cane. That would really put her up close and personal with whatever she was fighting. Nothing like a gun, with which you could put a lot of distance between you and the target and take cover if you needed to. You'd have to stab from almost point-blank range. If she killed a monster with this, Meche thought, she'd get blood all over her.

She picked up the first one. It was heavier than she'd expected; she'd definitely need two hands to use it easily. Meche hefted it over her right shoulder and drove it forward experimentally. It hit the air in front of her a bit below eye level. Boy, she never thought she'd actually miss that sproutella gun, but she was coming close right now. Swinging a spear(!) at nothing felt silly.

After another thrust or two, she put the first spear down and repeated the process with the second one. Truthfully, she couldn't feel much of a difference between them, but maybe the wood felt a little smoother on the original one. Looking decisive seemed like a good idea, anyway. She picked the first spear up again and held it in front of her body with both hands, waiting for Alita's next set of instructions.

Falis watched Meche with a close eyes, analyzing her movements as she tested each spear. With a nod in agreement with Meche's choice, the hunter picked up the other spear.

"Okay, let's step a bit away from the bed to give us more room." She sent another glance over where the other two girls were in conversation before rolling her right shoulder in an attempt to alleviate the burning pain. Fucking zombies.

"Watch where my hands are," she told the woman, making sure Meche could see the placement. "With the right kind of leverage and skill, these can be wielded one-handed, but we're going to focus on the two-handed method. Two hands gives you more strength in your strikes and allows you to use it defensively as needed. They key, though, is where you put your hands. Too far forward and you leave them open to attack with little ability to protect them. Too far back and any strike will put you off-balance and you'll over-extend."

Falis took up a stance, feet apart just a bit more than her shoulder-width, and she bent at the knees to relax her feet. Holding her hands about a foot apart on the spear's shaft, one was at the midpoint and the other was a few inches from the end. "It's about balance, Meche. Your body will tell you when it's comfortable. Listen to it."

Meche followed Alita over into the open space, surprised again by another side of the girl she hadn't seen yet. All of a sudden she was professional, efficient--a serious teacher. She must really be in her element like this. Meche was impressed.

Alita's explanation made sense--hearing the reasoning behind what she was doing made her feel more comfortable, like she'd be less likely to slip up and do something wrong later. Meche nodded and tried to copy her teacher's stance. Once she thought her feet were set right and she wasn't holding her legs too tensely, Meche closed her eyes and brought the spear up, trying to let her hands come up with the right position without her over-thinking things. It took her a few moments to find something that felt sort of right. When she opened her eyes again, though, she was gratified to see that her hands had landed in about the same place as Alita's. She must be doing something right, at least.

"Okay," she said. "What next?"

A grin met the older woman's eyes when she looked over at Falis. She liked how Meche was actually listening to her. She normally didn't bother with teaching adults shit like this since they were so set in the way they thought things should be - the young were much more open and receptive - but it was good to see Meche being adaptable.

Maintaining her stance, Falis continued with the lesson. "This will be your core stance for anything regarding a spear. From here, you have a stable base that can absorb the shock of an incoming strike without losing your balance. It also allows you to contain power coiled in your leg muscles for a strike. When you attack, it's never just with your arms, but your whole body, and the strength originates from your base." She tilted her head a moment in thought. "Picture the power for a single strike coming from the ground, flowing up through your legs, through your torso and into your arms like a singular wave."

She demonstrated for effect, the spear's thrust controlled, powerful and smooth.

Meche understood that too. Just like throwing a punch. You wanted to have your legs in a good, solid stance so you could really put some weight into the hit--and be ready to move if the guy got up and hit back. Or, in Domino's case, if the guy barely even flinched to begin with. She should really get someone to teach her that.

All right, legs a bit wider than her shoulders, knees bent just a little, both hands on the spear like that, she could do those things. This was the easy part. Meche watched Alita demonstrate a clean, surprisingly elegant thrust and decided that the real problem would be delivering a blow that was both powerful and steady. It couldn't be as easy as it looked. She nodded to show she was following and waited for the next step.

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