A Ring of Lies [Flame/Odango]

[Flame]

Knock, knock. He rapped his knuckles against the wooden door twice. "Come in." The voice from the other side of the door said loud and clear. From his side of the door he pulled some stray strands of hair out of his face fidgeting uncomfortably in the marine uniform he was wearing to do this last errand before his departure. Grasping the door handle he turned and pushed the door handle open. Taking two steps in he turned and immediately faced the desk of one Captain Dorian saluting the man as much as the rank. "Ah Lieutenant Commander Ryouto, I assume you're here to make your final departure." He said looking up from his desk and putting down the pen in his hand.

Ryouto nodded remaining standing upright and with the salute as well. "At ease commander." The captain said with a hearty smile. Ryouto immediately dropped the facade. His body slumped slightly, his shoulders lost their tensions and he smiled a little. "That's right Captain. If you don't mind" Ryouto fished out a few papers from the case he was wearing and laid them before the Captain. "This'll be proof that you've successfully deposited myself and Ensign Kokomatsu at the Athens Island Base. As you see I've already signed it." He pointed out as he placed the papers onto the Captain's desk. The Captain glanced down at the papers.

"Commander you've signed for me as well. You do realize forgery is a crime." Ryouto gave a slick smile, "Just trying to quicken the process and lighten the workload for you sir." He winked at the Captain who looked back at him stern-faced. The two matched eyes for a few moments, the Captain's light blue eyes meeting with Ryouto's nearly black ones. They simply looked at each other for a few moments until Dorian's shoulders relaxed and he gave an easy smile. "You know I'll miss you commander. I don't get many people who get jobs done as quickly as you. Even for all your laziness." Captain Dorian said with a laugh.

"Thanks Captain. I'll miss you too." He said dryly, before turning about. He would miss the Captain, this was perhaps only the second commanding officer he'd had that he'd ever gotten along with. The man was genial and nice and didn't take his own laziness as insubordination or something but as a skill all its own. "Good Luck with your new assignment Commander. I'm sure you an Ensign Kokomatsu will have loads of fun." Those last words were filled with amusement. And Ryouto blanched, the fact that the ensign had been given the same assignment as him was troubling for him. He'd never quite been able to get away from her.

Stepping out of the room he headed to his own quarters to gather the rest of his stuff and change into something a little more comfortable.

~ A Few Minutes Later ~

Ryouto stood on the deck of the ship where it was berthed in the harbor of the Marine Base on the edge of the city of Chryse. The base was a bore, in the end it was designed in the same way as all the other bases he'd been to around the world. "Aah I'm late, I'm late!" The voice that made him cringe so spurted out behind him. "Commander! Wait up!" Ryouto turned about glancing at the ensign barreling towards him. She charged down the line before realizing she might've been moving too fast then tried to skid. Putting both hands out she stopped herself against Ryouto's abdomen. He watched her for a few moments, the bane of his existence. "So did you like my gift?" She said smiling and laughing her eyes drifting from Ryouto to his suitcase.

Ryouto paused for a moment and then grimaced. "You're not referring to that red dress you put in my dresser are you?" Kokomatsu nodded a happy yes to his question. Ryouto glanced about him at the marines who were sneaking glances at the pair. There was some stifled giggling and finger pointing. "No, I burned it." Kokomatsu's mouth dropped, "But you would've looked so good in it!" She exclaimed.

Ryouto gave an exasperated sigh, "Let's just head to the base Ensign. Commodore Whelan is waiting for us. I even heard he's already gathered some marines that he's specifically offering for our unit." Ryouto paused, "They're bound to be a bunch of weirdos." He sighed again before walking down the gangplank and heading towards the main building with the ensign right at his tail.

[odango]

”Attention!”

A low baritone rang across assembly room B and a row of officers and Ensign simultaneously straightened their postures and lifted their arms to salute. All of them were of different faces and different shapes. Most of the faces seemed quite expressionless. Some were rigid, some were trying too hard, but one of them was more thoughtful than anything else. It was a young woman, a couple steps away from her twenties. The marine was dressed what you would call a standard uniform and a justice cloak, yet her shirt seemed at least two or three sizes too big for her. There was a katana at her hip, a couple pouches strapped to her thighs but no other notable accessories. The girl stood at a height of 5’7” and was probably wearing the tent of a shirt to hide her quite busty figure. Women in the military got enough attention as it was. She wasn’t wearing a cap, so her face was clearly visible but most of her chestnut brown, waist long hair was hidden beneath the cape. Dreamy hazel eyes, a fair-skinned heart-shaped face and slight frown in her brow. On the inside of her head, she was pouting a little.

*I think I picked the wrong day to go shopping…* The young noble would sigh if she could. Alas, it was not appropriate or possible without getting scolded. She and the other soldiers had been gathered for the purpose of showing them off – like dogs in a show, she figured. Well, it was nice to get praised and advertised. Tsubaki would not lie and say that she didn’t like her ego fed. Junior grade Lieutenant Taighana also was quite certain that there was really not a person alive who truly disliked praise.

The day had started out quite differently for the young woman. She had gotten up, scheduled a few further assignments, agreed to help out with monitoring new recruits, trained with her katana, done fifty laps in the pool and then used some free time to walk around in search for new tealeaves. It was always such a treat to go shopping in the city. The girl found a couple of small herb shops where she could get high quality oolong cheaply. Ginger was expensive almost everywhere, except at this one, almost run-down store which was run by a very pleasant old gentleman. Sometimes she thought he was just giving a bigger discount, because she enjoyed chatting with the fellow.

Regardless, this time she had found a fresh batch of jasmine tea and the small parcel of herbs was now tucked away in the left front pocket of her trousers. They got summoned short notice, so she couldn’t bring it back to her room just yet. In haste, she had just stuffed it in there as they had to enter the spacious hall. It was a long room with a high ceiling and, much like most rooms, was painted white and had a hardwood floor. There were desks lining up on each side and chairs behind them. They were facing each other and left a path between them free that five people could easily walk through. There were no paintings on the walls besides a few marine symbolics carved into the furniture. All the officers were standing at the north wall of the room and facing the south, where a big double door awaited whoever the superior officer they were about to greet was. Only the west side had windows but there was one every ten feet or so, so maybe the architect had wanted to compensate for the east wall.

The hall had a very big acoustic, given the lack of bulky furniture and padding. This also meant that even the smallest sounds were to be amplified when there was no constant noise. Tsubaki could hear the others breathe. There was a point when all of them tried to inhale and exhale as quietly as possible… it was quite pathetic and made everything a little awkward. In Tsubaki’s case, she hoped that the noticeable scent of jasmine was not too strong for anyone. Maybe she should have switched it to a back pocket? There was probably no way she’d make it. It looked like the double doors were being opened and their guest would get a very well organized welcome with all the products laid out in front.

*I just wish they would’ve told us a little bit more about the people who are coming here. I just got told that I must be here because people need “people like me”… whatever that means.*

[Flame]

It was a short while later having climbed from the harbor up to the top of the marine base that he found himself waiting patiently alongside the ensign in a sitting room outside the Commodore's office. He glanced patiently at the warrant officer acting as secretary to the Commodore. Then slouching in his chair he sighed, pulling out his orders again he glanced over the papers. He was being given a unit, a small one, supposedly to try and deal with Revolutionary agents and deal with such issues before they got out of hand. It had been his specialty back when he worked for Cipher Pol.

"Lieutenant Commander, Ensign, the Commodore will see you now." Ryouto's thoughtful musings were interrupted by the warrant officer who was now looking up from his table. He glanced up taking a moment to register what had been said before standing up. "Kokomatsu, come on." The usually energetic ensign's air changed slightly, it didn't happen around him but she was he begrudgingly admitted a fine marine. Save for her exploits when it came to him, she got great reviews from all of her superiors and on rare occasion Ryouto go to see why. In front of others of higher rank she was often cordial and respectful of rank.

He walked over to the door respectfully knocking on it twice as he had done before with the Captain's. "Come in." Came the booming voice from the other side. Ryouto stepped through the door with the ensign in tow. Waiting for them standing before his desk was undoubtedly Commodore Whelan. A large bulky man of rippling muscle he had a grizzled black beard and a wood pick in his teeth. "You must be Lieutenant Commander Ryouto and Ensign Kokomatsu." He flipped through papers on small board in front of him playing with the pick in his teeth his eyes flitting between the two marines at attention and the papers below him.

"Used to be with Cipher Pol huh. You must have some friends in high places, being allowed to lead a unit at Lieutenant Commander." He commented likely to himself. "I don't know about friends in high places, but I'm a bit more knowledgeable about Revolutionary Army intrigue tactics than your average marine." He said with a fair bit of confidence. Himself and the ensign were still holding salutes as the Commodore paced back and forth. "That so, from these reviews, seems like you've been a bit of trouble to your commanding officers. Are you going to be troubling me?" He looked at Ryouto his cold blue eyes burning holes into Ryouto's face.

Ryouto spoke at once "I'll do my best not to." Whelan watched him carefully as if analyzing his response. "Well that's good. We've got some marines gathered, they're some of our best and brightest young officers and non coms. You can have your pick of them." He walked past the pair pulling open the door once again and stepping outside. "If you'll follow me." He said exchanging a glance with the warrant officer as he did. Ryouto and Kokomatsu turned about and marched on after him. It wasn't a long walk, down a few flights of stairs it took them until he led them through a side door and around until they stood before a gathered group of marines. Ryouto eyed each and every one of them, it was it seemed to him a standard lot of them. Nothing particularly special about any one of them so far as he could see.

"Lieutenant Commander, you have the stage." Whelan said as he walked off mumbling something to himself. Ryouto paused looking over the group again.

"Hello, I am Lieutenant Commander Ryouto, for some of you I will be your new commanding officer for the foreseeable future. For the rest you'll be returning to your stations here." He said his body sulking slightly as he became more relaxed before them. "Ahh, at ease men, women" he added on that last part remembering he'd seen at least two females within the crowd. Stepping around for a few seconds in thought he decided. "If the officer's in the bunch will step forward first I'd like to talk to each of them one on one." The majority of the marines there stepped back instead leaving a group of maybe five marines standing about before him. His eyes swung among them.

"Alright then, you come forward. Give me your name, rank, and anything of interest about you that you can think of." He said pointing to the only female of the group. Pulling over two chairs he placed them opposite each other and sat in one of them. "Kokomatsu, keep an eye on the rest of them for me will ya." He said the ensign happily saluted him and walked over to talk with the others.

[odango]

*Ah, so finally…* the young noble thought after Lt. Commander Ryouto and Ensign Kokomatsu appeared before them. The Commodore lingered just shortly and was gone within the minute. *That man must be really busy. Usually the top dogs stay to watch, no?* she thought while watching Commodore Whelan disappear from sight. That man reminded her of something she had read about as a kid. He looked like a character from one of her story books but she could not remember anything else specific – not at that point in time.

Lt. Commander addressed them and introduced himself and freed them from the salute, which seemed to have dragged on for weeks. While not a weakling anymore, the young woman disliked to be stuck saluting. About this she was also sure – no one liked to be stuck saluting. It would take a great deal of masochism to enjoy it. In a way she was thankful that he didn’t just leave them with their arms propped up for longer. The nineteen year old marine placed her hands behind her back and waited for further instructions, the same as all the other soldiers who were gathered. Ryouto’s words did leave her with a couple of questions. *Lieutenant Commander Ryouto what? Does he not have a first name? Then again, Ryouto is probably his first name… or he’s one of those people who have a surname that sounds like a first name. Oh confusing… wait, maybe he is like Pluto and has just that name? In that case, this man would be the second one in a couple of weeks who I have met and has one word for his whole name… I’m starting to think that these people were born in places where they only have a maximum of twenty people and no one has a need for last names.* She was calmly observing the dark haired man pace around for a bit. He seemed to be trying to solve some problem. Did he perhaps forget a speech? *I wonder how long is “the foreseeable future”. Is that months, years or days? Maybe it is time we settled for a system for vague time periods. If it’s bound to be years, we could just call it the hazy looking future because no one really knows what’s going to happen within a few years.* Tsubaki made a mental note to write down her idea somewhere.

Soon, the Lt. Commander singled out all officers. It was her, three ensign and another Junior Grade Lieutenant. All of them were dressed in justice coats. The hazel eyed brunette was standing at the far west end of their five man row. Next to her was a very tall man with a stone-clad facial expression. He looked like a statue. Tsubaki had worked with this man before – it was Ensign Lincoln Steele. The man had a brown almond skin tone and stood at a height of 6’5”. He had a well-defined, triangle-shaped figure. His shoulders were particularly wide. The man had a strong square jawline and a bulky neck. There was a five o’clock shadow on his face and he wore a cap that threw a shade over his cold grey eyes. Tsubaki had spent quite some time with him but had only heard him speak once. Even then, she couldn’t really call it speaking, because he just gave an “Ah” sound to confirm that he understood everything that was going on, when asked. The female marine figured that he must be all the rage at social gatherings.

*Eh?!* The hazel eyed noble was a bit surprised to be singled out first. ”Yes, sir!” she complied and began her short road forward just as he pulled the two chairs out in front. As she crossed the distance, the bulky paper parcel filled with jasmine tea popped out of her pocket. She had tried to stuff it in there to her best capability but the thing was just too big – it was as if the bag wanted to be free from confinement and had mustered up the guts to escape. She thought about catching it as it fell, but it was too late. The young woman stared at the bag for a bit, then back at Ryouto, then at the bag again and pursed her lips. She didn’t know which task to prioritize. It was rude to leave something so wonderful on the ground. The brunette lifted her hand with an extended index finger upwards, as if to notify she was about to speak. ”Please, excuse me.” She spoke first and then retrieved the wonderfully smelling paper bag. She quickly checked for damage and dusted it off – then wiggled it back into her front pocket.

”I am Junior Grade Lieutenant Tsubaki Taighana.” she said after fixing her posture and facing Ryouto again. There was a pause after that. Tsubaki glanced towards the chairs, then blinked and was again gazing at the Lt. Commander. She was assuming that one of the chairs was meant for her to sit on but would still wait to be allowed to sit. The officer had no problem sitting down on her own but knew that there were some people who wanted to test subordination in this manner. What if he was one of them and would lecture her for tardiness of some sort as soon as she sat down? That would be troublesome. There had been many stories about such people.

Her hazel eyes narrowed a little as she was thinking of what to say. Did he want her to try and impress him now? Maybe this was asked to make the candidates gloat about themselves or try to rub Lt. Commander Ryouto the right way. She, for one, had never liked excessive gloating. Besides, how was she to know what he considered interesting? At that moment she decided that she could give an honest answer. Glancing up towards the ceiling, the young woman thought exactly how to word this. ”In all honesty, there is not much that is interesting about me…” she began and paused, only to follow up with a thoughtful hum. ”I am quite skilled at the piano, have not lost a game of chess for many years but play frequently.” She at first thought that she could mention her sword skills but, seeing that a custom blade was at her side, she assumed they would figure it out on their own. Tsubaki didn’t want to mention her noble heritage – it was mostly in name these days, anyway. The family did not have funds as huge as a few generations ago, yet it was centuries old with clans everywhere. Besides, most people didn’t care for nobility. She would just be trying to impress him, if she said something.

”I am quite knowledgeable of acupuncture and usually good at reading people” Tsubaki cleared her throat, hoping that the last statement didn’t sound too bold. Her hobby of mixing different types of tea had also led her to start studying up on many types of herbs. She could not construct anything complicated but was getting well versed as to what she could use to coat her senbon and gain more damage. However, this was something she was still learning, so she did not wish to mention it. There was also the background of being a super kid that she thought was not too important and would just sound like she was trying too hard. The busty young lady had been sent to almost every possible school there was. Her mother didn’t have a lot of time for her and wished to make her an over-achiever in every way. Most of the skills she gained were still with her. Also, if there was ever the occasion, she could easily blend into a ballroom or amongst the high layer of society, provided the attire.

*So… I wonder if I failed or something.* she thought, while patiently observing the Lieutenant Commander.

[Flame]

Ryouto watched carefully as the junior grade lieutenant rattled off her name and her skills. She deemed herself a good hand at piano and chess, though why she told him this confused Ryouto. It seemed this Tsubaki Taighana had taken his question a little too literally. Folding one leg over the other he placed an elbow upon it and leaned forward to rest his chin upon his hand. The next two skills she listed were perhaps more useful. A supposed skill in reading people, that would need to be proven more than anything else and acupuncture. It might make sense, he'd studied a little of it during his monkhood those ages ago but it never really stuck for him. It seemed a rather unnecessary skill at the time for all his tutors had seemed to believe in it. He sighed visibly into his hand scratching his chin slightly.

"Oh, you can sit down, Lieutenant Tsubaki." He said waving a hand at the chair sat across from him. She'd chosen to stand at the time, admirable for sure but a waste of energy on her part or so he figured. "No need to stand at attention before me or anything, such things aren't necessary for me at the very least." He commented as he glanced behind her at his ensign as she chatted about with the grunts. There were a lot o people to talk to, he didn't have time to talk to them all. For all he disliked the ensign she was a good enough judge of marines to pick out a good set. He had told her six to eight would be perfect, alongside him and another officer it'd make a nice small squad.

Sitting up from his position he glanced over the lieutenant again. A swordsman, it might be interesting to have them all fight Kokomatsu, she might've only been an ensign but she was quite the accomplished fighter at least in his judgement of her. It was a thought, but the ensign had other work to be done, besides, it'd be an unfair disadvantage to have her fight five officers in a row. He could, but that wasn't really something he wanted to do either. Too much energy expended. "How is your training? Apart from basic marine training anything particular I should know?" He asked glancing momentarily at the sword at her side.

Then standing up he stepped to her right. "Could you cut that poster over there from here?" He asked pointing to a marine banner with some wise calligraphy on the far end of the room. "Don't actually do it if you can." He said pointedly before she could respond to that last ask.

It was to his understanding a fairly rare skill for sword wielders. He knew the ensign could do it, he could do it to some extent though not in the same way as a swordsman might. He thought momentarily before going on. This was perhaps the first point of contention, rank meant nothing in terms of combat skill to Ryouto, but anyone with him would need to be able to hold their own. He couldn't have her do actual fighting but he'd at least like to get a grip of where she lay, where all of them lay.

[odango]

Her body relaxed at Ryouto’s words. A few second passed after the typical tension in an officer’s shoulders left her body and the female would move to take a seat. While obviously taking full use of her given freedom, the hazel eyed lieutenant still was sitting straight with her chin up and no indication that she might slouch in the near future. She might have misinterpreted his intentions earlier. The realization of her trying to act too cautiously was now bothering Tsubaki to a point that she wished to convey it to the superior officer. There was no shame in admitting her wrongdoings. While stubborn, Tsubaki could accept being wrong. At first she had stereotyped this dark haired marine into a category of commonly met higher ranking officers, who only wished to prove their superior mindset over subordinates and needed empowerment by wanting the recruits to fight for a place near them. A bit of guilt stabbed at her conscience. So much for “reading people”…

”I do apologize if I misinterpreted the task.” These were her first words after sitting down and she paused a bit before answering his question. A sigh escaped her lips and she dropped her head slightly. ”If I made a mistake then this might sound unfitting but my tactical test scores are said to be the highest this base has ever seen. Besides that, I excel in marksmanship but am more comfortable with small projectiles than guns in most cases. I also have developed a unique fighting style which cannot really been mimicked. I work well in both – close combat and ranged.” Those were the things she could think of on the spot. There might have been more but the girl could not think of it right away. This time, by the fighting style, she had meant her extraordinary one but was pretty sure that most would have a hard time doing what she did in close combat.

The man stood up and took a couple of steps to her side. Somehow, she felt the presence to work as a positive authority figure. Had he been staring down at her, he could have put more pressure on the young noble.

After the next question she was a little bit tempted to show him on the spot. Of course, that she would not. This man was saying her not to out of precaution, probably. There were people who would do it in a heartbeat and without verbally answering the question. Tsubaki remembered one similar event and the soldier describing it as “his actions would speak louder than his words”. There was a feeling that maybe his actions spoke a little too loud that day.

*Why would I cut it, even if I could? I would have to pay for getting the wall redone. These guys here don’t joke around. They would probably want me to finance the whole room getting a new layer of coat…*

Junior grade lieutenant Taighana gave a nod. A more detailed explanation came from the busty teen shortly: ”Yes, I could cut it. I could also burn it down from here and… I could also blow a hole in the wall where it stand right now. From here. Without a gun.” She did feel the need to explain the last one, it seemed.

[Flame]

"That's good I suppose." He said yawning slightly and pinching his nose a few times. He slid a finger about his ear digging at some annoyingly itchy points in the lobe. Then stopping he pulled the hand in front of him glanced at it for a seconds before brushing the dead skin gathered on it off onto the ground beneath his feet. She'd given him a lot of words, their trustworthy-ness could be checked later by a simple look into her files. But if she was all that she said she was, then she might be useful. Though he had the distinct feeling that they weren't getting off to the best start.

He smiled laughing inwardly to himself. There were so few people who got along with him immediately he was rather used to it. "Yes, all fine I suppose." He said blankly to himself as he went back to his chair and sat down. Folding his fingers together he stifled a short yawn before resting his hands in his lap. I suppose this is why Kokomatsu and Yuudai say I should talk more. She's answering the question but ... he sighed scratching the side of his temple. Maybe these questions were too open ended, leading themselves to too much interpretation on her part. Maybe I should have Kokomatsu do this and I'll talk wit the ... no I'm even worse with them than I tend to be with officers.

His body bounced once only slightly as he gave a single laugh to himself. Looking up into the lights above for a second he closed his eyes and smiled. "Alright then, perhaps we'll have you demonstrate some of these skills that are impossible to mimic later." He said giving a serious look once more. "Can you tell me why you became a marine? What is justice to you and why do you fight for it?" Ryouto asked taking the conversation in a different direction. He'd officially decided talking about combat abilities would be useless unless they could be witnessed up front. Now was the time for other matters.

Personality-wise they didn't seem to be off to the best start, but now he was concerned about her code. Why did she do what she did, why was she here. There were so many people he'd met with so many different reasons to be a marine. So many reasons to fight for the cause of justice along with different ways to enforce it. Personally his justice was probably deemed imperfect by the upper brass not that he particularly cared. But for now he wished to know hers, he'd never gotten along particularly well with those who put themselves up holders of the Absolute Justice. Though perhaps that was just him not getting along well with his superiors. He rolled his eyes to himself. "If that's too personal a question, then you don't need to tell me why you became a marine. Though I would like to know what you're trying to get out of it, what your end goal is." He tried to make his intentions perfectly clear this time.

[odango]

*He’s not the slightest bit surprised by what I said? Interesting, this guy…* It was common for her to see surprise on people when they were informed of her explosive abilities. This guy didn’t even blink. Not even an eyelash twitched a little. Her head tilted to the side in curiosity as she observed the lieutenant commander. She couldn’t be certain if he just didn’t show any emotion most times, had met a variety of people and found such abilities common, or was just simply not paying attention to what she had said. Maybe Tsubaki could have said anything else and get the same answer? The girl did not know but decided to assume Ryouto had encountered a lot of people capable of amazing things and not a lot phased him anymore. *I wonder if he remembers all the people that he has met. They don’t just promote people with an average amount of experience so maybe he’s traveled a lot…. Hmmm, I wonder if he has fought a sea monster…* Quickly her imagination began painting a very vivid picture of Ryouto in the middle of a sea, going head to head with a sea monster, standing on nothing more than wooden scraps that were once a ship, and capable of insanely advanced fighting techniques.

Tsubaki watched him quietly and tried not to give away her thought process with any unplanned facial expressions. *I wonder how old he is. Looks to be around his late twenties. Twenty eight, maybe?* The guessing game in her thoughts was interrupted by his laugh. *Maybe he remembered something funny? Wait, am I making a weird face?!* her pupils shrank at the thought and her hand had started reaching up to her face, as if to check if it was still there, but she stopped halfway. *I bet he looks much better when he smiles. I’m starting to think this man is the type who sees through most things – such people tend to be too serious… His Ensign looks much more cheerful. Perhaps they even out each other?* The idea of Ryouto and Kokomatsu getting along sprouted yet another one of a romance blossoming between them two. The hazel eyed brunette had no personal knowledge of the two but she could think of a beautiful love story that could work between them. With a big love for books the girl was quick to make a good story in her own mind. She liked it a lot, it seemed. The product of her imagination made a blood flow to her cheeks and leave a light blush on her face.

The next question snapped her back to reality. More precisely, she pulled herself back while Ryouto was speaking. She sat back in her chair. Her golden eyes cast their gaze to the window on her right. There was no problem in the question but she wanted to find the right words and was pondering on how freely she should speak. While this man had been trying to create a lax atmosphere, and that she appreciated, it was not her way to treat authorities and people of more experience the same way she would treat a friend. The young noble was simply very polite. She could see how at times that could be misinterpreted as being intimidated and uptight.

”I don’t mind telling you, sir. Hmm…” she took a pause, withdrew her gaze from the scenery behind the window and looked back at the dark-haired superior. It seemed that she had decided on how to word her answer. ”I joined for my family. However, I am now pretty certain that this is a good place for me. You see,” she glanced downwards for a bit, remembering especially the struggles she had witnessed with her own eyes, ”I think the world has been bullied enough. When I was a kid I thought that I could single-handedly free the world from sadness and anger… I don’t harbor any ideas of accomplishing that now, of course. I also don’t think it’s correct for me to expect someone to give their life for me if I can’t be prepared to do the same. There will always be bloodshed. Maybe it will be caused by pirates, rebels, maybe even us.” After saying the last bit, she glanced back at the others, just to check if she hadn’t spoken too loudly. ”The point being – it’s not going to stop but if I can climb the rank ladder high enough to make a real difference-” she paused just a bit to look back at the lieutenant commander, hoping he didn’t just perceive her words as childish illusions, ”if I can climb high enough, maybe I will have a voice strong enough to make a difference.” She said the last words more calmly. Over her speech Tsubaki had gotten a little excited. The girl was naïve. Not enough to believe that the Marines were the ultimate good guys, but she liked to believe all people were originally good on the inside.

[Flame]

With careful control of his facial expressions Ryouto listened and ruminated on Tsubaki's response. A good answer ... the bit of optimistic folly at the start had been concerning but it was quickly apparent that she saw the flaws in it. Smart enough to see that the world was not so simply black and white, the marines. He thought back to his memories of Frien, the test subject of the supposed marine science division PAX. The marines were capable of just as much bad as they were good. In his head he notched the lieutenant's name down in the list. Letting free the smallest of smiles he continued to listen to her as she continued her explanation.

With her last words completed he paused keeping record of what she had said in his head. Not saying a word he placed his right pointer finger upon his temple and rubbed it slightly. She still held a little idealism, believing in the power of rank and all. That was fine, he knew himself to be rather jaded when it came to the higher ups in the marine's top staff officers. They had made choices he could never, he understood the burden on them was high, but his morals, his ethics he'd never compromise them for that. His lips parted as if to say something but not a sound came out.

"If you have any questions for me. You have permission to ask three questions of me. You can ask less but not more. I will answer them all as best as I see fit." He said calmly motioning for the lieutenant to begin asking questions if she wanted to. If she didn't have any he'd dismiss her and go onto the next candidates. There were still four more needing interviewing and this was only the first round of what would likely be a day long interview to see whom he might select for the squad he was supposed to be forming. Those who hit the marks in terms of values and self-inspection would receive orders to meet them in the training area after lunch. After that there would be a night patrol. The night patrol he was little iffy on, but they were more likely to have something to act on at night. If not, well he could always make something happen. He rubbed his chin before slouching back into the chair awaiting any question she might ask.

It was a little early to be deciding anything but, this Tsubaki was an interesting one. A little overly self-confident perhaps, but at the very least she was vaguely aware of how unseemly it was to flaunt such things. It was good, helped with some of the work that he had a feeling his little squad might end up being a part of. If not he could always recommend her to CP, they could always use more agents, being not as popular as the marines were.

[odango]

It was a little odd to receive silence after saying what she had. After a few moments she swallowed a dry ball in her throat. She was in no way ashamed of what she said but she did start thinking that maybe she worded it oddly? The real reason behind why she got a tad nervous was the silence. *He looks thoughtful. Is this a good thing? I am pretty certain it looked like he was about to smile before… was I imagining that?*

The young felt a bit of tension grab hold of her shoulders and neck. The feeling would soon spread to her jaw and down her back, making her move to a more straight form of sitting in the chair. Anticipation was hanging over her like a storm cloud in a comic book. The noble had no idea what it was that she was waiting for from the superior officer. Whatever it was, she knew that it had to do with some sort of a more readable reaction to what she said. Her curiosity wasn’t helping. He appeared like a man who was hiding something and truly was withholding information – this is why she could feel even more eager to get it out. Alas, there wasn’t really a way of making him say it. *Yeah, he’s keeping a blank face on purpose, I think. If it’s to mess with me then he has a decent sense of humor.* she thought while narrowing her eyes slightly and keeping them locked on the man in front of her.

Then, surely as a godsend, there was the lieutenant commander offering up three questions to her. Did this mean that he was satisfied with her? Was this an attempt to show they were almost equals in a way? Tsubaki did have a lot of questions. Previously there had been a lot more on her mind. She would have to think of this… The brunette pursed her lips thoughtfully and looked down at her lap. Her eyes weren’t really focusing on anything but she seemed to be switching up the points, her gaze was sat on, by small distances at a time. ”Hmmm…” Anyone near her could almost see the gears in her mind turning rapidly as she pondered about what to ask. There were so many things she wanted to know. However, some of those things were more appealing if left a mystery.

”Alright. First off, what is your motivation for staying in the navy, Lt. Commander?” She figured she’d ask a similar question to his first. These answers could tell a big deal about a person, everybody knew it. Tsubaki figured that she might as well give an attempt to deciphering the raven haired man. It could be interesting. However, there was an important question she had to ask. This was something she had to do for the sake of the whole base. Seeing as the other officers most likely wouldn’t ask it, she was left with no choice. ”If I’m allowed to ask anything… and I’m doing this because I will get interrogated later, so I apologize if it is embarrassing, but are you single?” She was a hundred shades of red when she finished the sentence. Also, her voice had gotten softer with each passing word. There was no point in explaining that she was not asking for herself – he probably wouldn’t believe her, anyway - but they had a lot of very interested colleagues at the dorm, who would hound everyone for information about newcomers. This was worse because she knew that they would definitely ask a lot. This man was not like most superiors – he wasn’t cocky, was below his late forties and did not have an over-exaggerated beard or mustache. The women would take notice of the guy. She felt a bit sorry for him since they had a very aggressive lunch lady who would often say the most hilarious yet often a little scary pick-up lines.

She sighed and tried to focus on her heartbeat, wishing to drive the tomato shade away from her face. That is also when she glanced back at Ensign Kokomatsu. *Oh right, maybe he is involved after all? Well, it would make my life in the dorm a bit easier today. Less questions would follow* She realized full well what an odd question it had been. Then again, he was living at a dorm at some point as well. The man should understand where this was coming from. There is code among dorm inhabitants. This was also common knowledge.

After somewhat successful at fighting off the blush on her face, the hazel eyed noble would ask her final question: ”If I have one more left, I guess I’ll have to ask what is it you’re afraid of, sir?” Tsubaki would treat this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask whatever it is she wanted. There was a chance he wanted her to ask about his training and what their jobs might entailed after getting recruited. If that was the case, he should have been more specific. To her it sounded like a freebee to ask anything. She figured she might learn most things in time, if needed.

[Flame]

Twisting his legs over each other in an effort to find a more comfortable position Ryouto fidgeted slightly awaiting the questions she'd ask. She hadn't taken her leave yet so it was likely that she was taking opportunity to ask her own questions of him. Allowing them three questions of him was often something he'd done when he was working under Rear Admiral Yuudai. They were there to give those beneath him an idea of what he'd be like. For the most part non-coms were supposed to go where they were told, but the officers. It was very easy to get one transferred if need be, if they didn't like him or likewise he didn't like them. In this case at least they could always pull back on his offer if they had no wish to keep working with him. He didn't mind, less people he needed to deal with. If only Koko was so easy to get rid of ... he thought to himself before Tsubaki started putting forth her questions.

The first mirrored one of his own questions of her. It was an okay question to ask, it specifically tended to be something he cared about more than anything else. How helpful his answer would be to her was questionable. The second question however came out of left field, catching himself before he allowed his jaw to drop he did his best to compose himself. The tinge of red blossoming upon her cheeks however brought awkwardness to the situation. He looked aside giving her the time to compose herself. Interested in my love life ... that's never a good sign he thought to himself with exasperation, the ensign that kept following him around was work enough with all the rumors that sprung up about them.

Once she had found her center again and she began to speak he looked back to her. The final question was fine. A personal question, to be quite frank he had expected three questions of this nature rather than either of the other two. "Well to answer the easiest question first, I am single. And ..." he paused briefly considering his options for how to say this next part. "Uninterested in any personal relationships at this time." His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. The second statement was monotone and said to put her straight. Maybe he needed to rethink her if she was falling into such ... fancies.

Pausing for a moment he allowed his face to calm down before he went on to the other queries. "Anyways" emphasizing the word to make clear that subject was done, "As to my motivations, the simplest way to put it is that I have a firm belief in justice. Being a marine is the best way I know to enforce that justice." He said flatly while raising his eyebrows momentarily to emphasize the point. Figuring she'd need no clarification in that statement he moved on.

"As to my fears ..." he paused in thought. "Death ... perhaps?" he tapped the middle three fingers of his right hand against the side of his chair. "I suppose its a common fear for most people." He commented realizing that his answer was a little less informative than perhaps she wished. There was that other thing but, he didn't particularly wish to talk about that one. "If we meet again and I can think of a better one I'll tell you." he said calmly having taken some seconds to choose his words correctly.

"Well that's three questions. You're dismissed Junior Lieutenant Tsubaki Taighana. If you are selected to move on you'll receive a message about it before
noon." He paused, "Good Luck." He said softly before beckoning for the next officer to come forward.

SPOILER: Click to show

You can timeskip to the training room in your post if you'd like or I will,
I'm not going to write interviews for the others

[odango]

*Oh my, this truly is awkward. So very, very, very, very, very awkward… The things I do for the dorm…* When he began answering with the second question she just lifted her hands up defensively and gave out a very soft row of words: ”No, no, I’m not asking for myself…” The reason she didn’t say it super loudly was because it sounded like something a person who was asking for themselves would say. Could it be that this man had no idea what everyone wanted to know about newcomers? It was the same like school and every other place where gossip mattered. And it was not as if the other men were about to ask him that. Of course, she was just assuming that but was pretty sure that they did not.

When he said he was not looking for a relationship she let out a sigh of relief. It was not the polite thing to do, but her hand reached for her heart. Thank the stars! It would make things easier for her. After coming back from the deep sigh she did notice him looking at her suspiciously. This caused her to back up in the chair more and just hope that the look would fade. *I think he doesn’t buy that I am not asking this for myself… yep, totally not buying it. In my defense, it was an awkward thing to ask from a superior!* She would quickly regain her posture in a few moments and proceed to listen to the next answer. There was a small amount of sadness in her after all… and it was because her idea about Kokomatsu’s and Ryouto’s fictional love had been quite beautifully thought up.

She sat through the answers curiously, a light smile playing across her lips, and then would silently lift herself from the chair. ”Yes, sir. Thank you.” she confirmed that everything was clear to her and spun on her heels to leave. Her hand reached to her pocket, which was still holding the tealeaves, and would make sure that the bag would not leave her pants again on its own. The young brunette would greet the ensign chatting with others, while exiting the long room and heading towards the dorm. There were a few things she had to do before lunch.

After exiting the assembly room and closing the door behind her, the hazel eyed noble felt heat return to her face – not only her cheeks but her ears as well. Her heart started drumming and her hands cupped her face. The realization of how awkward she had just felt came flooding back to her. Never before had the jr. grade lieutenant asked something of a superior. Other people had, thou. She had seen this happen. Then again, Tsubaki had also seen Franny (the lunch lady) ask if a guy can help her place another bone in her body. It had been absurd and a little over the top… but that woman didn’t even show a hint of embarrassment. In a sense, it had been admirable.

Soon she would continue back to the dorm, where surely an interrogation of her would take place. A couple of the other women there were really aggressive in regards to going after men and, for the life of her, she couldn’t understand the need for it. All those ladies had to do was just keep existing and a big part of the marines would just throw themselves at them. *Hmmm, perhaps it is a control thing?*

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}You can say that she arrived on time with everyone. I just have to have her do stuff with her before they meet up. xD xD

[Flame]

Ryouto alongside with the ensign had arrived half an hour early to the training area. Well one could call it a training area but it was just a simple grassy plain with white marking crossing across the greenery creating a large maybe fifteen meter by fifteen meter square. There was no protection or anything, the boundaries were there but weren't really doing much. With training they likely would be ignored, but well it's not like real combat was fought in bounded areas anyways. The pair stood side by side simply looking over it for a moment. The creeping silence going uninterrupted was awkward, even for Ryouto. Alongside them were a number of training weapons, rifles that fired blanks, swords with blunted edges, the like.

Unlike earlier in the day Ryouto had also changed. Where he used to be wearing his formal marine garb he now clothed himself in a simply black kimono in a men's style. Upon his shoulders still rested the JUSTICE jacket owned by all marine officers but it simply hung there. He had not even bothered to tie it about the neck to keep it hung there. He glanced to the sky noting the position of the sun. "We came too early didn't we. Got a little while till they come." He sighed as Koko nodded towards him.

"How is your training going with the Rokushiki?" He asked, he was vaguely curious, she in the end had been his first student. She glanced at him a smile across her face happy to be here with her role model he supposed. "If you want to find out we can always spar." She suggested, like him she was in her normal wear again. It looked similar to a marine uniform except it was all in red and black, annoyingly he was fairly certain it was a homage to him.

Ryouto paused glancing at her, a sparring session, it could be a good way for her to get warmed up, he'd have to fight both of those officers that he'd messaged before lunch. Koko could probably fight one as well but he wanted to make sure the grunts were at a reasonbale level at the very least. "That's not a bad idea ensign." With a shrug of his shoulders the jacket fell off of him and he stepped forward into the 'arena'.

"Mind if I use my own weapons?" The ensign asked one hand on the katana sheathed at her side. Placing both of his hands on his hips his eyes narrowed slightly. "Fine. You know what actually, just the blade, I'm not in the mood to get shot right now." He said scratching his head. If she was doing that perhaps he should've brought the tonfa. He wasn't sure, given that they had seastone coated atop them he didn't like to bring them to sparring matches.

As the ensign crossed to the opposite side of the square Ryouto's eyes watched her with care. If he remembered correctly she particularly enjoyed Tekkai and Soru. Tekkai might be a bit of an issue, but then they'd sparred before, it would be okay. Probably. "Whenever you're ready." He said and his ensign smiled wildly. She smiled as she unsheathed her weapon. And then she attacked, with a weapon, and his less than ideal abilities in Tekkai he actually found the fight sort of annoying. With her blade as it was he didn't have many options to protect against it, especially since he wasn't wielding the tonfa. Still they fought, he was faster and more agile but finding a balance between attacks and not breaking through her Tekkai was proving more difficult than he anticipated

They battled wildly for ten minutes, neither of them particularly worked up a sweat but both were panting when Ryouto called a halt to it. "Apart from Soru and Tekkai what are you thinking of picking up next." He asked genuinely interested. "Geppou sir, as you saw I can imitate Rankyaku with my sword, and my gun is as good as any Shigan. And well Kami-e, I just don't know about that one." He nodded along, she wasn't alone he still needed a lot of work with his Tekkai and Shigan training. "Well anyways I think I saw them coming during the fight. Take a moment to cool down a bit." He said to the ensign who nodded before going to sit beside the pile of practice weapons and glance up at the sky.

Ryouto on the other hand walked forward meeting the group of twelve grunts and two officers making their way over. Using Soru to close the distance fairly quickly he appeared before them. "Grunts you all can go find Ensign Kokomatsu she'll be evaluating your combat abilities however she sees fit." He started off after the group all came to attention. The twelve of them hurried off towards where Ryouto had pointed.

"As for you two, we'll be sparring in the ring. You can use your own weapons if you like, gun, sword, whatever. The goal in either fight will be to defeat me. You can attempt with lethal force, I don't particularly mind. Between the two of you choose who goes first." He said before walking off suddenly remembering that he was wearing his metal plated geta. That was good, yep. Using Soru once again he made a few uses and positioned himself at the center of the square glancing back in their direction.

[odango]

”Eeeeeh? What do you mean? He said he was not interested in anything?”

Tsubaki nodded, while taking yet another sip of a cup filled with jasmine tea and a slice of lemon. The young woman had returned to a two story high white building that she would call her home. It was the female dormitory. There were not a lot of women at the base so Tsubaki even got her own room by chance. It was in no way a room meant for a single person. There was another bed in it and the brunette was sure they would put someone in there as soon as they got the chance, but thus far it had remained vacant.

”Well, he just said that because he hasn’t met me yet.” the woman let out with a flick of her blonde curls. At that time Tsubaki was out in the corridor of the second floor and conversing with a colleague. The other woman had a more rosy complexion and stood an inch or so taller than Tsubaki. She had a very slender figure, which she accented by tying up her uniform shirt and exposing her waist-line. This shirt of hers also had a very loose neck tie and was opened up to show cleavage. The woman was also an Ensign with the name of Rachel Simmons and the age of twenty-six. However, one could easily think of her a little younger. She worked quite hard to keep her skin clean and moisturized, giving it a shine most of the time. The only bit of make up on her face was a dark red, cherry lip. Her hair was the shade of strawberry blonde and had thick curls going down to her shoulder-blades.

”Hmmm… maybe he just said that because you were asking it?’ the blonde’s radient emerald colored eyes glanced up and down her hazel eyed colleague. To this Tsubaki just dropped her head slightly, her nose almost hitting the cup of tea in her hand. ”Thanks, Rachel-san.” she let out of her with sarcasm leaking from the words. In a way, she did understand what she meant but there were better ways to word it. The blonde would soon continue to explain: ”Oh, come now. You look like a tent in that shirt. Just wear something more fitting and maybe you’ll actually get to grow old with someone other than a room full of different teapots and teriyaki.” she laughed and Tsubaki could feel the smallest poke of pain in her heart. This older woman had pretty much summed up what she spent most of her free time on… well that and a piano, if she could get her hands on one. ”Well, you know, I don’t ju-“

”Pardon, Lieutenant Taighana! There is a message for you!” came a voice from behind and interrupted the conversation between the two officers. After turning to look, the brunette saw a young chore girl, about the same age as her, with short black hair and rosy cheeks. Then again, the later one could have been because she looked fatigued. Had this girl ran around searching for her? This made Tsubaki quizzically raise a brow and hold out her hand to receive a folded piece of paper. These often came with new orders.

The young girl gave a salute and ran down the stairs she had just come up. *Poor thing. Looks like they are working her quite hard.* she thought to herself before opening the folded piece in her hand.

”Hmm? What is it, what is it?” Rachel asked curiously while leaning in to try and sneak a peek at the words written down on the paper in Tsubaki’s hands. The girl complied and both of them just stared at the small page for a while. They had read what it said, it was just that it made close to no sense. ”No way! Maybe he’s into women who look like floating blobs?! That means I have no shot!” Ensign Simmons was being overly dramatic of the situation. To this the hazel eyed noble would smile awkwardly and wave off her words. Masterfully avoiding the insult sent her way, Tsubaki responded. ”No, no, I think that perhaps the others just didn’t present themselves too well…” she explained in a softer manner. It was thus far the only explanation she could think of. After all, she had been a deep red mess for a moment and obviously misunderstood what he wanted from her at first. *Way to break posture, Tsubaki…* she reminded herself.

”Anyways, it says I have to report to the training grounds in less than twenty minutes. I should best hurry.” she explained to her green eyed acquaintance and finished her cup of tea in one gulp. Then she spun to make a quick jog to her room which was on the far west end of the corridor. The brunette had left the door ajar previously, so there was no need to waste time on rummaging her pockets for the key. She quickly sat the cup down on a davenport she had bought on her own and took the couple of pouches to strap to her leg and her Ryūran to attach to her hip. Assuming that they were going to move around a lot, the girl chose to not take her justice cloak. She was still getting used to it and found the thing to be quite a bother when running and jumping. It was a bit strange to lift her arms up above her head as well. Instead she went only in her regular uniform, which was like the standard one but the shirt looked like it was a couple sizes too big and had rolled up sleeves.

After making sure she locked the door, the girl paced down the corridor once again and aimed for the stairs. ”Remember to keep your hands to yourself, Tsubaki. I think… this one might be the one for me~!” the blonde squealed in the light while hanging in the doorframe of her own room. She began blushing and giggling for unknown reasons.

”You truly mustn’t worry!” she lifted a hand and waved with the back of it while quickly making her way down the stairs and exiting the building as soon as possible. There was no time to waste. It would look bad if she were to be late. Most of the time she was not tardy, but the grounds were a good ten minute walk away. She believed it was best to be a little earlier, anyways.

The distance passed quite quickly and soon the brunette came upon a scene of lt. commander Ryouto sparring with his Ensign Kokomatsu. It was quite thrilling to watch but ended too soon after she arrived. Thus far she could see about a dozen soldiers and one other ensign. She remembered seeing him before but didn’t know the man, not really. He was of a height of six feet and an inch or so and had an inverted triangle body shape. Other features included an ivory complexion, a rectangular jawline, slightly pointy nose, messy short crimson red hair and dark grey eyes. The man appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He wore a white dress-shirt and a marine blue tie instead of the common issue shirt. The guy also had rectangular glasses, that were very conservative and more wide than high, and a patch on the bridge of his nose - right under the bridge of the glasses.

”Nice to meet you, I’m Marcel Bell.” the man politely introduced himself and reached out his hand towards her as soon as she got close enough. After a second of noting the name in her head, the girl took his hand in hers and shook it. His fingers were longer and his hand wider in general. The handshake was rather cold but she gave it no mind. ”Tsubaki Taighana. The pleasure is mine.” she answered warmly with a smile. This was a nice normal way to meet people… not acting a like a clumsy penguin like she had in front of the lieutenant commander. Well… all days had their ups and downs.

Their raven haired superior would soon let them know that one of the two had to fight him first. Quite honestly, there was a moment of silence. It looked like none of them were too eager to jump in the ring with someone older and more experienced. The two officers glanced at each other, as if anticipating the other to convey the slightest will to go forward… they stayed like that for a good ten seconds or more… Finally, Marcel spoke up: ”Yes, yes, you are right, Tsubaki. Ladies should go first.” the red head let out a small sigh accompanied with a shrug of his shoulders and stepped back. He would just as quickly acquire a sly smile on his lips.

*EH?! Liar! I said no such thing!* she cursed the man in her head as her jaw dropped and eyes widened. It took her a shake of her head to get the facial expression off. Lieutenant Taighana slowly looked back at Ryouto. He had used Soru a couple moments ago. The just recently promoted marine had not even started her Rokushiki training yet. It had, however, been scheduled for the following week.

She let out her frustration in a very deep and long sigh before stepping forward into the “ring”. There was no helping it – she would just allow the lieutenant commander to wash the grass with her. Knowing that would probably not be the case, she did prepare herself for getting used as a flashy example for others, just in case.

After going a bit of ways in the marked area and giving a bow towards her superior, the brunette proceeded to pull her hair up in a high ponytail with a hair tie she had withdrawn from her pocket. Tsubaki would soon after draw her katana. The blade looked longer and with a sharper angle for the time. If one were very careful, they would notice that it was about three inches longer than a standard katana. The hilt was black with dark purple threads weaved in and the guard was in the shape of an orchid.

”Well then, I’ll be starting now…” She informed him before making very agile slashing motions - three of them, to be exact. The first two were diagonal slashes, opposite each other, and the third was a straight one through the middle. There would be not much interesting there but the indication she looked very comfortable with a blade, if the slashes had not continued as waves of some kind of force in the direction of her superior. She had done this with her right hand. The reason being that her left was pulling three senbon from one of the pouches strapped to her thighs.

*Mankai-Sakuretsu…* as soon as she would have finished with the slashes, she would send the senbon flying towards wherever it was Ryouto had moved to with deadly precision… These would combust on impact, visually reminding a very quickly blooming flower of flames. The negative side of the technique was that she actually needed some time before using them in such a way… *I do hope that I don’t hurt him by accident…

[Flame]

So she's first huh ... explosion girl is it. He thought vaguely recounting his conversation with her. He made note to be careful of such things in his head as he stood there both arms hanging listlessly at his side. For all his lax posture he was quite ready for what came for him when she stated that she was going to start.

Air slashes, he had been expecting them lifting a single leg into the air. Matching them his leg swung in three arcs. From each a blade of air not much different from those the junior grade lieutenant came crashing into the ones heading for them. The slashes hit crashing into each other and breaking upon each other dissolving into nothingness. All the while his eyes laid trained upon the swordswoman down range from him. From the motions she made he could only assume that she had thrown something at him. He sighed, he had been tempted to try fighting without ever letting one foot leave its position but, given what she had said before, he knew better than to chance it. Alongside that he should probably make his response, he could use that but it seemed a bit dangerous.

Biting his lip he hit the ground with his foot launching himself airborne as three flashes of metal flew past him. Striking the ground not too far away they hit creating small explosions. With both feet now he continued to kick the air holding himself mostly in place, in fact he bobbed slightly. So thats what she meant, they hit with such force that they create little explosions ... that's interesting. He frowned slightly, it was a good combat skill but for what he was going to do, a bit too loud and attention grabbing than anything else. Could be problematic, he frowned before. Swinging his leg out in three parallel kicks sending three Rankyaku air slashes spinning down towards her. Slowing his use of geppou he came back to the ground landing in an effortlessly controlled manner continuing to watch Tsubaki for how she might respond. The simplest way would be too just dodge them, if that was out of the question, three slashes the same way he had done should break them up nicely. He hadn't gone all out with the rankyaku attacks, he had no need for lethal damage here.

This was just a training fight. Taking half a second he glanced back at the miniature craters smoking behind him. Those would've hurt ... he frowned slightly. He'd definitely have to be careful.