No one is great their first time. She walks Lilian through a few more repetitions, then switches to showing a short jab.

She follows along gamely.

Some repetitions there, and then it's on to parries. These are little flourishes that redirect incoming strikes, and most of it is in the wrist and forearm but there's some nuance everywhere.

These seem to bring out Violet for some reason? They don't really get it but they do?

"Okay. You're off to a good start. Now put that together. I'm going to attack in slow motion, and I want you to parry and then strike back, while paying attention to how natural it feels."

She slips into a ready stance. "Ready?"

She settles back into the unfamiliar stance.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

And there's the attack. It's slower than even a civilian would consider combat speed, and coming straight for her chest.

She parries, following the motion as best she can.

Then turns, and strikes back.

She parries the strike, then steps back with a nod. "How'd that feel?"

"Alright, I guess? Nothing leaps out to me about it. It seems fine."

She nods and puts her rapier away, pulling out two arming swords — what Earth popular culture considers a "longsword" — and swaps one for Lilian's rapier, which she puts away. The other she hands to Pyrrha.

December accepts the sword with a smile.

Pyrrha demonstrates a ready guard stance, with a two-handed grip.

And Sable comes behind with gentle nudges to help December take the position more properly.

"Now we'll test slashing-style motions."

This feels pretty decent at a first test. It is the most common weapon. 

"Arming swords," Pyrrha explains as she demonstrates a series of slashes and swings, "are designed to give a solid balance of both slashing," finishing on a thrust, "and thrusting."

She returns to the ready stance. "Are you ready to try it?"

"Yeah, sure. I used to playfight with sticks as a kid."

She readies herself.

Pyrrha walks December through the strikes, one at a time: several repetitions each of first overhead down, then both downward diagonals, then both upward diagonals, then high horizontal strikes in both directions, then mid-height ones, and then an upward slash, finishing on thrusts.

This feels a lot more natural than the odd stiff pose of the rapier.

"I'm liking this so far."

Several people are noticing the increased comfort.

"Good. Now for blocks."

She demonstrates several repetitions of high, low, and side blocks at various angles.

This feels a little clunkier, but she can manage.

"And now we put it together. I will make several slow strikes at you while you block, and then we reverse it. Ready?"

She settles the sword in her grip. "Ready."