Marinette In Wonderland

Jealousy

(Chat's POV)

I bring Marinette over to a mat after she finishes resting up, and gets on some gear. "Are you sure you're ready? Not to tired."

She laughs adorably. "I'm fine, I promise. No need to worry."

"Okay, my lady. Let's start with the sword. It seems stupid now, but is vital information," I say walking over to a rack with swords hanging on it. I pick up one of the smaller ones. "This is called a foil. Just like the bigger swords it has a hilt, but these ones are generally smaller. A foil is thinner and lighter, but it's also easier to break."

I set down the sword and grab a full sized one. "This is a full sized sword. It's called a rapier. Most rapiers and foils will have a guard on it. I like to use a cup guard. It basically cups your hand with a dome like shape."

"We'll have safety tips on the tips of our swords to keep from injuries worse than small bruises. To keep on the rubber tips use some electrical tape.

"Now, take your pick. I honestly think we should start with the foils so you can gradually get to a rapier," I say.

She stops me. "What are these? Are they like shields?" She asks walking over to a rapier with a buckler on it.

"Oh, yeah. They're similar to shields. Those are called buckler's. While your dominant hand holds the sword, your non-dominant hand holds the buckler of course. Buckler's are used to block an opponents hit, and then you can go in for a stab and side cut. We'll get to that later though. Right now, we need the stance."

She looks at me intently. "Okay, how does it look?"

"What you do is put you dominant foot in front, pointing forward. Then your non-dominant foot is put back facing sideways. Bend your knees a little. You lean your body back a little. Your dominant hand with the sword is out in front of you pointing also forward. Then your other hand is up and open palmed. If duel-wielding, or you have a buckler, you tend to stay in the same position," I say giving a demonstration.

She blinks trying to copy my stance. Marinette soon falls over. "I'm okay! Sorry!"

I laugh holding a hand out to her. "A fallen bug. Normally if they fall on their back, they need quite a bit of help to turn back over," I say. "But I forgot to mention. Keep your sides aligned. It'll help with balance a little. Or not at all. Depends on the person."

Marinette starts to form the stance again, moving her feet and hands into said positions. Then moving her sides so they align.

"Don't forget to lean back a little. Do not lean your head forward either. That'll make it easy for an opponent to stab you in the face," I say pulling her by the hips back a bit. "There.

"Now, with movement you generally keep your feet the same, just have them forward and back. Side to side is the same, but you cannot cross your legs. If you do that you are likely to fall, or with one lunge sent back. Possibly even to the ground. Might cause some injuries."

"Okay," she says trying to move forwards and backward first. Then, trying to go to the side, she falls forward.

She huffs. "This is not working out."

"At first it is tricky to keep your balance. No matter who it is. So don't worry," I say, my smile turning into a smirk. "But, falling twice so soon. Guess luck isn't in your favor right now."