Stabbing with the sharp end [Private]

"You can, honey; you just have to believe in yourself and use the dagger to guard like this" She says, coming over to him, picking up her dagger and putting it in the guard position and placed her free hand on the spine of the dagger with the edge facing outsides.

"If you use your back hand to support the dagger, it will hold against the attack. It's like us when we work together; when we work together, we are stronger for it and its the same with how you guard" She explained softly to him.

Fauna showed him how he could use the dagger to block incoming attacks. It was nice of her but that wasn't the issue here.
"I don't think that's the problem. I just... am not used to standing my ground. I never was one for fights and when I got to some I usually just bolted or dodged. Standing and facing an opponent head-on... I am not sure I can do it." even in training his reflexes were to dodge it rather than to parry.
"I guess training will make it all easier, given enough time, won't it?" he asked

She nods softly.

"Indeed; in time, like I told you earlier; I'm not expecting you to become a expert in a single afternoon and also that blocking when you have to is important. Although don't be disheartened; dodging attacks is very good and like everything I've said about the dagger for you; it's only for emergencies when there's nowhere to dodge or move. So, just for me, try the guard position. Don't worry, I'm not going to punch hard enough to break the guard, I just want you to see how it works. So, are you ready?" She said softly, doing her best to reassure Timothy.

Tim smiled nervously. "Yeah... I believe you. And I mean it. I think you are the only person in this camp I trust." he said completely honestly. He actually knew a very small amount of campers so far. And from the few he did, she was the only one ho he believed. She was the first one who helped him and she also saved his life.
"Ok, let's try it again." he bit his lower lip in anticipation while holding his dagger in defensive posture

"Oh thank you, sweetheart; it means a lot to hear you say that" She smiled sweetly back before nodding as he took up his defensive stance and position with the dagger.

"Ok, honey, here it comes" She said, bringing up her mountain rock covered fist and brought the gauntlet down against the dagger; he'd fell the force, not of the punch, but of the weight behind it due to the mountain rock. However, as she said, the guard didn't break and her fist was against the edge of the dagger. She then pulled back, a scratch against the part his dagger had interacted with, although the scratch was more pronounced then the ones on the thicker part around the lower arms.

"See? that wasn't so bad now, was it? You see what I mean now?" She smiled sweetly as she came over to him, "You can do this, sweetheart, just have faith in yourself, ok?" She said, placing her armoured hand on his shoulder.

It wasn't so terrible blocking training punches, especially since Fauna was very careful. Tim knew very well that blocking a real attack would be completely different. And also that he wouldn't really want to even try it. Hopefully, this would be one of the things he will learn to never use it.
"This wasn't, but if you used your full power my hand would be broken or worse," perhaps he overestimated her strength or underestimated his own but the small dagger just didn't look like it could withstand it and frankly not could his hand.
"Sorry I am complaining all the times, but this is very new. I seriously appreciate all your help." he said and once more assumed the defensive posture.
"Put some more strength into it please." he needed to know how it felt

"It's not problem, sweetheart; I want to bring you into it slowly and if that's what you want, then I'll won't pull my punch" She said softly, bringing her fist back, raised up.

"Ok, remember; brace and stand your ground" She tells him before throwing a punch with her gauntlet against him, letting the weight carry it forward.

Tim nodded and prepared as well as he could. He hoped he will absorb the impact like some sort of big spring. But he just wanted to know if he could even do it. Once the impact came he did everything he felt like he should. It felt like a semi-truck hit him. The impact just shook him to the core. But he did withstand it!
"Darn! My hands are... do prdele sakra au!" he tried not to sound too wimpy.
"Sorry, but I needed to know how that felt... and I bet that wasn't your full power, not even close, was it?" he asked.

She smiles and pats him on the head.

"Actually, it was; you see, these gauntlets don't give me super strength or anything, they are designed as heavy protection. However, when I do punch someone with it, its not my strength that enhances the punch, but the weight behind it" She explained and gently rubbed his head.

"You did really well; you managed to take a full on punch from my gauntlet and kept your stance, you should be proud" She said, smiling warmly.

"Do you want to keep going, honey?"

"I think I had enough for today, my arms are still... tingling." he said opening and closing his left palm.
"You still have pretty awesome powers... I can shoot light arrows and stun people with my... voice? Whatever it was during the harpy fight. But it feels a bit weak. But with some training that might improve too, right?" he asked.
So far it seemed that as far as demi-god powers went he got the short end of the stick. The sun arrow was pretty neat but he couldn't control it at all right now...

"Of course, honey; you have to understand, I've been here since I was fourteen; I've had five years to practice and master my powers and I'm sure, in time, you'll master the powers you have and hell, even unlock new ones as you further master your powers" She said, letting her gauntlets crumble away.

"In any case, as a treat, how about I make you some dessert?" She said, smiling warmly.

"I suppose you're right. I just have so much to catch up on. It's hard to see moving from here to there. But perhaps one day I will become good at using the dagger... who knows," he smiled. It would be quite a task but if he tried...
"I don't think I should eat so many sweets," he said.
"But after a long day like this one, I think I could make an exception, right?" he suggested

She smiles and rubs his cheek.

"You will in time, but try not to think too far away, focus on what's in front of you and you'll find the future will come to you" She explained softly before nodding.

"Glad to hear it; what sort of pudding do you like, sweetheart?"

"I guess we will see given enough time. I certainly hope that one day it might be safe for me to be... out there again." he certainly wasn't planning on staying in this camp forever. Hopefully sooner rather than later, he will learn how to defend himself well enough to face the monsters head-on.
"I eat pretty much anything..." was the only reply he's given

"You see... we have completely different sweets and cakes in the Czech Republic and to be honest I am not really a picky eater." he said. He didn't even know how to explain the desserts he ate back at home so he wasn't going to try.
"Can I keep the dagger? Or should I give it back?" he asked.

"That's a shame; I would like to make you something special for you, maybe sometime you can tell me the food you ate back home and I can try cooking it sometime; How do you feel about chocolate brownie pudding with a nice chocolate sauce?"" She asked, trying to see if he would like that.

"Well, it's not really mine to give; it's from the camp armoury, but considering this is standard issue, I don't see anything really wrong about keeping it"

"I really appreciated it but it isn't necessary." he said.
"I have absolutely no idea how that looks or tastes like but anything with the word "chocolate" sounds great... I think." at least when it came to food.
Since Fauna wasn't sure he just took the dagger. There were dozens of these things lying around so how could they possibly miss one? If someone did he would gave it back

"I understand, honey; I was just trying to help you feel more at home" She said as she lead him to her cabin and into the kitchen and started preparing the chocolate brownie mix and started preparing the sauce for it as well. It wasn't long before the scent of chocolate wafted out the kitchen.

"Your welcome to talk to me if you want to, honey"

"You are the only one who makes this feel a bit like home and I am really grateful for that." he wasn't even lying. This place was awful. Too many things were strange. If Fauna wasn't here he would downright hate it. With her, there were some bright moments to look forward to.
"Thanks, I would if I really needed to but I am sure you have a lot more things to do than to babysit me." he smiled.

"aww your welcome, sweetheart and not at all; this is pretty much what I do anyway, so think nothing of it; it's what I enjoy doing" She explained simply to him, smiling as she baked the pudding and after a while, brought it out and got out two bowls and a big spoon. She carved out a big portion of the chocolate brownie cake into a bowl and used the spoon to cover the whole thing in a rich chocolate sauce. She did one for herself and got two normal spoons. She grabbed some whipped cream and some pouring cream and came out to Timothy and placed the pudding in front of him, the whipping and pouring cream in the middle and the other bowl across from him as she sat down.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I brought some creams in case you wanted some" She explained before taking the whipping cream, shaking it a few times before taking the top off, spraying her pudding in the squirty cream before placing it back.

"Please, dig in and tell me how it tastes"

Tim just smiled as he was trying the unknown desert. It was unusual but tasted great. He wasn't lying that he could eat pretty much everything.
"It's great but I really shouldn't eat that much sweet. Unless you want me to become fat and lazy." being fat wouldn't exactly stop him from shooting arrows but even so, it would be fairly weird.
"Or spoiled... I could very easily become extremely spoiled,"
he warned her. Not that it would stop him from eating the desert.

"Oh don't be silly, honey; I'm sure only one dessert isn't going to make much difference in the long term, besides, with the amount of physical training we tend to do, it won't be a problem" She smiled as she dug in.

"So, what do you think? is it good?"

"I know that one won't do it... " he said, gesticulating with a spoon "...but I could get used to this." he smiled.
"It's great, there is nothing like chocolate after a difficult day." though last two weeks or so every day was difficult. Or at least very strange. Yet it was strangely appealing, training with swords and daggers. The thought that his dad might see how much he was trying would make him proud?

"I'm happy to hear that, honey and indeed, I love a nice pudding after a long day too, although that's usually because I cook so much, haha" She smiled and laughed a little as she ate.

"Your welcome to take some to your cabin if you want to have some for later; maybe even share it with the rest of your cabin members and you can tell me what they thought of it" She suggested, smiling lovingly.