"A cursed blade...?"<br/><br/>That sounded a bit close to home. Possibly a bit<em>too</em>much. Delphine eyed her new acquisition, for a long, long moment...Before she shook her head, just once.<br/><br/>"It couldn't be the same sword," she murmured. "It can't be - can it?"<br/><br/>It didn't seem to put Sophie's doubts to rest, however...Delphine could feel her eyeing the sword warily, the entire time. But then -<em>It's just a sword,</em>she thought.<em>How bad can it be?</em><br/><br/>Still...She couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation, as Cedrik proceeded with his ritual - smoke swirling thickly around her, as Delphine drew it into her lungs. For a long, long moment, her skin tingled...<br/><br/>"I don't feel-" she began, doubtfully...Only to start, a wince purring from her lips as she clutched at her temples. It was like a spasm of pain, sharp enough to make her eyes water - There, then gone. And then-<br/><br/>She stopped. Because she<em>did</em>know what a riposte was. She knew how to executed one - How to look for one. Delphine knew the tell-tale signs, now to string them together...The different sword types and grips that would facilitate each stroke, as if a library's worth of training had been dumped directly into her skull-<br/><br/>"I, I think..." she breathed, her hand falling to her sword's hilt - "Master, I think it *worked*~!"<br/><br/>The urge to draw her sword and flourish it - It was almost irresistible!