[Voice, Action for the Straw Hats]

[seakingbait]

[Keimi stands on the deck of the ship, a small tanto in her hand. In front of her is a mannequin, reinforced with leather. She grips it tight, bringing the blade above her head and, eyes shut tight, she swings it downward.

And misses by a mile.

She falls, but catches herself on the mannequin. With the assistance of a bubble, she is back on her tail. This time, she won't miss. The same stance, the same shut eyes, and with another swing, she sticks the blade into the mannequin's shoulder.

And when her eyes open to see what she has done, she gasps, releasing the blade's hilt and falling onto her rear in terror.]

----

[Later in the day, after she's cleaned up her mess, she takes to her journal.]

What... kind of weapon do you use... if you don't really want to hurt someone?

Comments

[seakingbait]

It was doing that without gloves too.

[yourotherleft]

...ahaha. [d'awww Keimi]

Practice is all you need. Really.

[seakingbait]

Okay. I'll keep trying, Zoro-chin.

[Brave face for her sensei.]

[yourotherleft]

Good.

[now that she's found some confidence, he settles into a ready stance and raises both hands up, palms flat, to serve as targets]

Keep trying to hit me. Aim here and here. Don't worry, I can take it.

[seakingbait]

[Okay, Keimi. You can do this. She brings the staff up over her head. You have two targets. You just have to hit one. As hard as you can. No pressure.

She shuts her eyes tight, and brings the stick down as hard as she can.

...Right between both hands and towards his head.]

[yourotherleft]

[Zoro is so intent on being a good teacher that he doesn't realize what's happening until the last second. He tries to flinch out of the way but still gets cracked hard on the head.

Good thing he's used to Luffy headbutts.]

OW DAMMIT! THAT WASN'T WHAT I MEANT!

[seakingbait]

Ah!! Sorry Zoro-chin!!

[yourotherleft]

[rubs his head]

My hands. Aim for my hands.

[seakingbait]

Aiming is hard, I'm sorry!

[She swings the stick again in panic!]

[yourotherleft]

[prepared, now, and ducks, raising his arms into the path and letting the stick hit them instead.]

Calm down! You gotta....oi!

[seakingbait]

[No time to talk now, Zoro. She's got hands to hit! She'll just quickly swing the stick again!]

This time--!!

[yourotherleft]

[here, maybe if he moves his hands to intercept. That way she might feel like she's actually hitting her targets. At least now she should be getting into a rhythm, and just practicing the ability to hit is still important.]

[seakingbait]

[Smack!]

Oh?

Oh! Zoro-chin! I did it!

[yourotherleft]

[yes, yes indeed]

...good one.

Though, uh, maybe for practice you should smack your training dummy around instead of me.