Tables are moved.

"Now, the advantage of this weapon is that the motion to strike with it is almost identical with throwing an ordinary punch," he says.  "So you can put all of your Slayer strength behind it, and that combined with the way that vampiric flesh flees from worked wood will make piercing the heart much easier than it would be with an ordinary stake."  He adds in an aside to the parents: "A stake through the heart will kill a vampire instantly."

Helena nods.

" - Do we know why?"

"We do not."

"I'm not a science person but that sounds like maybe a good idea to figure out." She feels weird giving them tips on killing people she's gonna try diplomacy-ing, but, well.

"There may be little more reason behind it than there is reason for them to be harmed by holy water," he says.  "And the Watcher's Council is - unfortunately - slow to take on that sort of new project.  But I will certainly mention your recommendation.  Now - at the risk of telling you something you already know, this is how best to throw a punch - "

She indeed knows how to throw a punch! It isn't form-perfect, but she seems to have already adjusted for her increased strength and agility.

He compliments, makes minor corrections, and as Nausicaa practices her form, starts catching Helena and Rob up on Vampires 101.

Exerting herself like this: super fun!

She'll go until he tells her to stop.

"Now, in fighting vampires, your number one priority is to stake them as soon as possible," he says, "so there's relatively little use for techniques that don't use the fist.  But against other sorts of creatures, they can be useful."  He takes her through a few more basic forms.

"Wouldn't say number one priority," she reminds him. "Still don't believe you I can't convince any."

"They really aren't like humans, or even most actively malicious demons," Giles says.  "Too little of their behavior can be explained as merely the actions of something that requires human blood to survive.  But in any case I suspect that any vampire you are likely to encounter anytime soon will, ah, rapidly justify the use of lethal force against it."

She frowns. There's a lot of arguments she could make about that - how self defense is narrowly defined for a reason, especially lethal self defense - but she feels too frustrated to articulate it.

She goes back to punching, shoulders tight.

Training proceeds.

As the evening wraps up, Giles retrieve two volumes.

"This," he says, gesturing with one, "is a recent history of vampiric and demonic activity in Sunnydale.  And this is a compilation of various individuals' reports of their interactions with vampires.  I think both will be instructive.  I'll let you decide who should take them home and how you schedule discreet study sessions."

"How about I let people who're good at that handle the reports."

"If we are to have a conspiracy it is probably best we take advantage of it," Giles agrees.

"I can bring the books home with me," Kaylee says, "that way no one has to hide them from their parents."

"Thanks, Kaylee!"

"No problem."

Friendly shoulder bump. "Glad I decided to tell you. This'd be a lot harder without friends."

Bump.  "I can't even imagine."

"I'd probably be killed by the books."

Giggle.  "Then who would save the world?"

"Maybe the books would feel horrible about what they did to me and take over my job."