This is how you hold a spoon. Now try the knife. [Closed] [Complete]

[causink_trouble]

Characters: Jenka, Komachi
Content: Jenka teaching Komachi self-defense with a knife. And a spoon.
Setting: Jenka's cabin on the 4423
Time: Soon after Komachi's birthday; before the lightning-harvesting trip.
Warnings: Jäger teaching methods = possibly serious violence, involving a cute little girl.

Comments

[komachibi]

Komachi stopped in her cabin long enough to make sure both her spoon and the knife she'd found in her cabin earlier - was that from Jenka, then? She'd have to remember to thank her - were safely in her pocket, before heading out into the corridor.

She looked around quickly to make sure the coast was clear (she didn't think Kambei, for one, would approve of her having fighting lessons), then hurried off in the direction of Jenka's room.

She tapped on the Jager's door. "Miss Jenka?"

[causink_trouble]

Jenka heard Komachi's footsteps before the girl rounded the corner - they were obviously a child's, and she didn't think there was another one on the ship. Without taking particular care not to be heard, she walked over to the door and listened. She didn't want to scare the girl too much, but she wanted to see her reaction as the door opened right at the first knock.

She couldn't remember the last time someone who knew what she was called her Miss, and amusing as it was, it just felt wrong. "Come in, und don't call me dot!" - she waved with an only slightly frightening smile.

[komachibi]

Komachi blinked and took a small step back at the door's instant opening. She quickly recovered, darting into Jenka's room and taking a quick look around, before turning to the Jager and cocking her head to one side, with a mildly puzzled look.
"What do I call you, then? Just Jenka?" That seemed a little bit rude to call a teacher, and nice as she was, Jenka was far too intimidating not to respect. Komachi would definitely like to keep on her good side.

[causink_trouble]

Not bad. The child was a quick one, and the first thing she did was look around the room. Jenka wondered how she got the habit.

Jenka's puzzled look matched Komachi's. "Dot's vot everyvun calls me, no? Hyu'z not under my command or anytink." The notion of children respecting their elders wasn't something Jenka was familiar with. Respecting those who are larger than you and have sharp teeth, sure, but that wasn't a fancy-title kind of thing. "Besides, I'z almost four hunnert years old - 'Miss' just sounds silly!" - she chuckled, amused by human notions of politeness.

[komachibi]

"I guess." Komachi still sounded a little doubtful, though she smiled happily. She wasn't generally excessively respectful, and the 'Miss' was considered politeness rather than instinct, but she hadn't wanted to drop it without permission around someone who was yes, larger and sharp-toothed.
And, apparently, about fifty times her age. She stared blankly at Jenka for a second, doing that calculation.
? Woooow, four hundred? That's even older than my granny! I ought to call you something special, then, oughtn't I??

[causink_trouble]

This conversation was getting too long, and Jenka wasn't even sure why. Did the girl like using titles with people? The Jager loomed over Komachi with a slight frown - more confused than annoyed, but still not a reassuring sight on a face like hers. "Vhy'z hyu arguink vit me about dis??" Jenka didn't like titles, but she did like people to do what she said.

Assuming this was the end of the conversation, she turned away to close the door - wouldn't want sharp objects flying into the hallway by mistake - and grab a few more knives from her pack in the corner, throwing an offhand explanation over her shoulder: "I'z Jagerkin - ve's all old. Ve isn't pipple."

[komachibi]

Intimidated, Komachi took a step back. "Sorry, Jenka!"

She stayed where she was, clasping her hands behind her back and trying to look like an obedient student while she waited for Jenka to tell her what to do. While she would have liked to contest the 'not people' statement - or at least ask what made Jagerkin not people, they seemed like people to her, and being old didn't make you not people - she didn't think that arguing with Jenka any more would be a particularly wise idea, so she kept her mouth shut.

[causink_trouble]

Jenka didn't actually mind arguments, as long as they were about something interesting - talking about what to call her once she clearly stated a preference was just silly. Besides, they weren't here to talk. The Jäger sat down on the floor, putting a small assortment of knives down in front of her, and motioned to Komachi to come over. "Hyu haff de knife I gave hyu? I thought mebbe iz goot for hyu, but hyu should pick vun vot fits hyu hand best

[komachibi]

Komachi nodded, pulling the knife out and displaying it. "I got it. And thanks!" She smiled gratefully at Jenka, crouching on the floor next to her and inspecting the array of knives

[causink_trouble]

Komachi seemed to understand the demonstration, and Jenka saw no fear in her reaction to the sudden strike or the blood. Very good. She curled her mouth dismissively at the cut on her hand - she had learned at an early age what pain was, and this most definitely wasn't it.

Jenka watched as the girl picked out a knife, absently licking the blood running down her fingers, but didn't comment - she would learn better by herself. She nodded curtly at the choice and stood up again. "Und vot could you do to me vit it?" The Jäger wasn't making this easy for her young student. Not in human terms, at least.

[komachibi]

Komachi looked from the knife in her hand to Jenka and back again. There were plenty of things she could do...if she thought Jenka would stand still while she stabbed her.

She looked back up at the Jager. "...Nothing you couldn't stop me doing," she said, finally.

[causink_trouble]

Now that was an interesting response! Jenka laughed, looking down at Komachi with interest. Not only was the child right, she also visibly discarded a few options in her head before coming to her conclusion. So the eight-year-old already had some idea of what she was doing.

"Schmot gurl! Ov cozz not." And she never would, in an even fight like this, but that didn't make learning pointless. "But mebbe I doesn't know hyu's dere, or I'z busy fightink somevun else. Und mebbe I'z a schtupid Ivonan soldier, not Jägerkin. Now vot could you do?"

[komachibi]

She didn't really have any idea what she was doing beyond 'stick the pointy end in people', but that was the fundamental thing, really...

"Um." She had the feeling she was going to end up saying something stupid...
"Well, if hyu -you- can't see me, I guess I'm behind you, or even if you're stupid you'll see me before I do much, and I can't reach too high...I can stab you in the back?" That didn't really seem right...

[causink_trouble]

Jenka looked at the girl expectantly. "Yez..." That made sense, sure, for instance if she was fighting someone else. But why was Komachi asking her about it? Was she that unsure of herself? She didn't seem like it. Jenka frowned in confusion. In fact, why was Komachi talking so much?... Oh.

"Hyu'z supposed to show me, not talk about it, keed!"

[komachibi]

"...oh." Komachi slapped herself in the face with the hand not holding the knife.

"I knew I was going to mess this up." she said, with an embarrassed smile, then, trying to make up for lost time, she jumped to her feet, lunging at Jenka as quickly as she could.

[causink_trouble]

Doing her best to impersonate a stupid Ivonan soldier, Jenka stood still, as if surprised, long enough to make it seem the strike had to reach its target - but the moment Komachi's knife touched her skin, she dropped the pretense and dodged out of the way with inhuman speed.

With her opponent no longer there, the girl was left to deal with the momentum of her lunge as best she could. Jenka, standing calmly off to the side, waited for her student to collect herself before commenting. She was fairly impressed with her reaction. The child did talk a bit much, but once she made up her mind, she certainly didn't hold back. "Qvickly und vitout varnink signs - goot. Vere hyu learn dat?" The Jäger tilted her head curiously. Knowing something of the girl's past influences could be useful here.

Moving on with the lesson, she pointed to where Komachi's knife went through her clothing and left a shallow wound. "Now, vot vos hyu aiming at?"