HENRY
I was waiting for something extraordinary
but as the years wasted on...
but as the years wasted on...
Henry's gaze is calm against her fitful rage as his advice soothes her impulsive, bristling reaction to being caught. Even if just for a moment, he can see it on her features - the registration of his words. And for a moment, he stills, if only to let her figure out what she can do. After all, she is trying to get better, to learn, and he is keeping that in mind.
A lot of learning how to fight is teaching your body how to move in ways it's never had to before. The mind can be ever-present, ever-vigilant, but if you don't understand the ins and outs of maneuvers and escapes, you can become ensnared by none other than your own ambitions. Henry is no expert, like he's told her but, he knows a few things. Enough to keep himself out of life-threatening trouble in encounters with people of the bad, rough sort.
Her attempt is decent but, not exactly what he meant. So he's surprised by nails that dig and scratch and pinch into his wrist, brows raising. Before he gives in to the pain or before she can catch him with her blade, he spins her around - like one might spin a dancing partner - so that she faces the opposite direction. Using both arms, he pins her back against his chest and presses his own blade in against the clothes that cover her stomach.
Inadvertently, if she is still struggling against him (which she likely is), he'll more than likely feel the draw of her own knife against his arm. Someone with far less restraint might've plunged their knife into her guts, all for the name of drawing blood. Mabel might've done it to him, if given the chance. He doesn't doubt it but, he'd decided early on that he wouldn't try to actually hurt her.
He hesitates for a moment before releasing her, regardless of if she puts up a fight or not. It's over now.
So he turns his blade in towards his hand and extends the handle out toward her; a peace offering.
"Giving me both of your hands and trying to fight me off that way, it gave me more of an advantage," he explains, trying to formulate the sentence in a way that would make sense. "Sometimes the best offense is a good defense, right? So.. sometimes, you'll find yourself in a situation where the best course of action isn't to fight tooth and nail but... to use leverage, weight, balance," he pauses, catching winded breath, "You can use a lot more than an attack to turn a fight in your favor."
A lot of learning how to fight is teaching your body how to move in ways it's never had to before. The mind can be ever-present, ever-vigilant, but if you don't understand the ins and outs of maneuvers and escapes, you can become ensnared by none other than your own ambitions. Henry is no expert, like he's told her but, he knows a few things. Enough to keep himself out of life-threatening trouble in encounters with people of the bad, rough sort.
Her attempt is decent but, not exactly what he meant. So he's surprised by nails that dig and scratch and pinch into his wrist, brows raising. Before he gives in to the pain or before she can catch him with her blade, he spins her around - like one might spin a dancing partner - so that she faces the opposite direction. Using both arms, he pins her back against his chest and presses his own blade in against the clothes that cover her stomach.
Inadvertently, if she is still struggling against him (which she likely is), he'll more than likely feel the draw of her own knife against his arm. Someone with far less restraint might've plunged their knife into her guts, all for the name of drawing blood. Mabel might've done it to him, if given the chance. He doesn't doubt it but, he'd decided early on that he wouldn't try to actually hurt her.
He hesitates for a moment before releasing her, regardless of if she puts up a fight or not. It's over now.
So he turns his blade in towards his hand and extends the handle out toward her; a peace offering.
"Giving me both of your hands and trying to fight me off that way, it gave me more of an advantage," he explains, trying to formulate the sentence in a way that would make sense. "Sometimes the best offense is a good defense, right? So.. sometimes, you'll find yourself in a situation where the best course of action isn't to fight tooth and nail but... to use leverage, weight, balance," he pauses, catching winded breath, "You can use a lot more than an attack to turn a fight in your favor."
nothing ever did
unless I caused it
unless I caused it
