On The Mat [Kenshi]

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

Gosh, this place brings back memories, doesn't it~? A slow smile seeming to spread across the face of Yui Yamanaka as she slid off her sandals and stepped into the large hall in which she had learned the wonderous art of hand to hand combat, even one who was so focused on the discovery of the moment couldn't help but feel a note of sentimentality about the scene which she saw before her, and let loose a sigh of sweetness as she did so.
So many exciting bouts…! The mind of the minx seeming to fill with memories of the times she had traded blows with her peers in so many thrilling contests those years ago when she had been a more cadet at the academy, while she was certainly relishing the chance to indulge her intellect at the Shinigami research institute at the same time she couldn't help but long for a little of those simpler days from back when she was a student, and was glad for the opportunity to polish her skills back up after so long for that. I mean, she might even get a chance to spar a little with the new crop, right?

Seems my juniors have become a little lax though… Certainly feeling a sense of excitement from that prospect even if she was less thrilled to see the sight of a few scuffed marks on the boards beneath her feet, in a way even that was something which seemed to bring a smile to her face as she thought of how it was evidence of how her teacher had seemed to soften in his strictness since the time she was here, and with it too was a chance to perhaps indulge even some small chore she had almost forgotten.
Time to show them how a senpai does it, no~? For that reason the lass seeming to take up a bucket and rag with a sense of relish which would be shared by few others as well, she merrily moved away from the hall to fill the former with suds and something to soak them in before returning and setting to the task with gusto, and in doing so seemed to almost cherish every bead of sweat which built upon her brow because of the activity…

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[Ken Shirogane]

Ken was visiting this place for perhaps... The third time? He'd never spent that much time here until recently. Though he had yet to actually attempt having a match with anyone yet, in part because he did not feel prepared. Currently his hand to hand skills were his greatest flaw. So bad in fact that a little girl, though skilled in her martial art, had been able to handily own him in a little bout.

He was swift, and strong, and he had some vague notions of styles he might enjoy, but he'd yet to select one who truly wished to learn. But Judo and Aikido were styles he was interested at least. One of the more modern souls with memory of their past even knew Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was a fascinating and effective looking art, but perhaps a more complicated style than he wanted to learn. Judo and Aikido could probably still be used with a sword.

He supposed that when it came to styles he could still learn both, but which one first? He still had to find someone capable enough to instruct him in either of the arts he wished to learn.

Sighing he had a seat, but noticed a woman nearby scrubbing the floor. She even looked happy to be doing it, like it was her calling or something. Interesting, but strange. He supposed some people had to enjoy such simple labors, though he was not one of them.

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

Yes, that looks much better. Much more befitting the setting~? Perhaps the manner in which Yui set to her task a little overenergised and bordering on obsessive but the results seeming to speak for themselves, a few laps around the timbers had seemed to restore a glossy glow to the surfaces which she felt rather proud of, even if it had left her skin a little flushed and clammy. Though, even that was perhaps a reward for some, no?

“Oh goodness, hello! I got caught up and didn't see you come in?” Seeming to have buried her head so deeply in the task before her that she hadn't even noticed that someone else had stepped into the room in the meanwhile, after drawing her hand back across her brow the black beauty turned about to find a second party lingering nearby, and seemed to offer a warm welcome as was her custom when meeting new people.
“Wait, I feel we've met before, have we not~?” For a second the woman in white seeming to frown however when she noticed a certain familiarity about the fellow however, she could have sworn there was something about him that jogged her memory of an encounter of none too long ago, but even her rather potent intellect seemed to struggle with the specifics of the matter. After all, she saw so many subjects it was hard to tell them apart with their clothes on…!

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[Ken Shirogane]

"Oh, it's fine. It's not like you need to greet every person who walks in, do you? I don't assume you run this place." He mused with a chuckle as he made his way deeper inside, pausing and he approached the dark-haired woman and hummed.

"You're part of Squad 12 right? Your face is also familiar to me." She was pretty. And if he remembered right she had asked him some questions and written them down in an excited manner. He could not remember her name, but he might not have asked, and she might have been too excited to offer it anyway.

"I'm Ken Shirogane. I think I met you either before or after I talked with the captain of Squad 12. Is that right?" He asked not sure she would remember either since she didn't seem to recognize him easily beyond the vague feeling they had met and talked before.

"What are you doing here though, came to train? If you are from Squad 12, it's a little surprising. Not that some of the Squad are not skilled in combat." Shiro certainly was. He had the nack for Savant Kido as the captain of Squad 12 had called it. And he was hoping to improve his own skills with his own Savant Kido skills eventually. But that technique was a work in progress and would not be ready for some time yet. But once he boosted all his skills he intended to get a rematch with Shiro.

Post Count: 2

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

“Ohhhhh, now I remember~” The mind of Miss Yamanaka like a steel trap when it came to information, while her memory seemed spotty it was far from lacking for aptness which she was happy to show as that little bit of nudging to aid her recollection it seemed that she connected the dots, and all too quickly did she show a smile for that fact.
“You were the young man who had taken a lover among the mortal folk? A quincy if I recall~? How did that turn out? Have you seen her again~?!” Suddenly feeling a sense of excitement when she remembered just what kind of circumstance had seemed to bring them together beforehand, unlike many of her ilk who might have shunned or rejected the notion of a little bit of interbreed romance this raven was instead fascinated by the possibility, and thrilled at the chance to find out more about how things had developed as well.

“Oh yes, I've been at the lab so much I fear my skills have dulled a little, so I aimed to polish them up a bit~? You never know when we might be needed in the field, after all… I mean, not as often as you boys from the eleventh, but I'd hate to let the side down, you know?” The ebony haired enchantress also explaining that she was here to shake off her rust as much as she presumed him to be as well, going off the fact that she now remembered him being part of their primary fighting division Yui guessed that the young man before her was quite the expert when it came to the arts of battle, and only found her curiosity growing because of that. I mean, as chatty as she was, she also wouldn't mind testing herself against a figure of this presumed experience…

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[Ken Shirogane]

"Her name is Daphne," Ken pointed out simply, referring to his Quincy lover. "And no, I have not seen her again... Yet." He grimaced.

"I'd love to, but my own captain seemed to think there is a high chance that I've been mind-controlled or something just because I came in contact with a Quincy, let alone the physical and intimate stuff we did." He shrugged. "I probably won't get to see her again for a while. I'm kinda on lockdown at the moment. Not being given any missions in the living world for a while, and even if they do it might not be in Japan so I don't fraternize with the enemy or something along those lines." He sighed clearly against those ideas.

"You're pretty good with martial arts then?" He asked since he imagined you had to have a sharp blade before you could develop any rust.

"I'm good with a sword, but my martial skills are severely lacking I am afraid." He said shaking his head. "A freakishly strong human child even managed to beat me in a spar the other day. So I came here hoping to develop some skills and hopefully not shame myself so deeply next time I get into a fistfight with someone." He explained, not really feeling ashamed enough of the fact he'd been beaten to not share it with the woman in front of him. She didn't seem like she would gossip though she might file away all the information she got out of him for her personal inspection he supposed.

"What kind of skills do you have? If you got what I am looking for maybe you could help teach me a thing or two. The basics at least." He suggested, figuring if she was that good then he would not mind getting tossed around on the mat by her for a while. She certainly wasn't bad-looking. Daphne was literally a French model, but Yui certainly wasn't lacking in looks. And she seemed kinda bubbly too. That was pretty cute to him. Beautiful, brainy, energetic lady.

Post Count: 3

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

“Whaaaaat? Mind control? How foolish… Absolute nonsense, in fact! There have been no documented cases of Quincy possessing such hypnotic effect!” The brainy belle seeming to crease her brow as she heard that the young man she had welcomed none too long ago was now being forced onto desk duty because of his indiscretion, knowledge of the subjects and the tests she had taken in the aftermath told her that there seemed little harm in letting things continue, at least from where she was standing.
“It would certainly be a shame if you never met again? Imagine if you had children? I've never heard of a Shinigami-Quincy hybrid~? Sounds exciting!” Certainly having something of a stake in the matter on a personal level or perhaps just not wishing to waste a research opportunity, she contemplated the notion of filing an official complaint against such pig headed decision making, though perhaps betrayed a little too much of the focus in her objection in the way in which she attempted her sympathy.

“Oh, I've gotten rather rusty compared to my academy days? All that time in the lab doesn’t leave me with a lot of opportunity to practice?” Ultimately Miss Yamanaka never one who tended to brag too hard and showing that as well as she spoke of her skill when it came to matters of the flesh, or opposition of it in this case, she did not tip her hand toward the accolades she had won in years gone by and instead focused on the dullness of her abilities, or at least her perception of it.
“How about we go a round, so we can size each other up properly? The sensei here always says the best way to get to know your opponent is to fight them~?” Ultimately happy to have a partner however and if she had to guess seeming to reckon that he too was being modest, the black beauty had to guess that anyone from the eleventh squad would be no slouch in any art of combat, and as such felt keen on testing herself against him. It would be a good chance to see just how far she had fallen, right?

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[Ken Shirogane]

"Really? That seems strange. Even if they have never been documented though they must at least have the potential for such powers." He mused with a shrug. "After all, Shikai and Bankai certainly do have the kind of abilities that could be used to manipulate a mind. Kind of scary to consider really. I'd be pretty disturbed just to be put under an illusion let alone mind controlled to a deeper extent." He mused with a chuckle.

"Hah, well I'd not be displeased at the idea of children the mademoiselle. But considering we've only had one date, and a little fun the one time, I imagine she took steps to prevent such things from happening. I'd be quite surprised if I came back to find that our little trist bore fruit from the first night we spent together. Not displeased though, I suppose." He chuckled. "I feel like such a child existing would be quite controversial though. Quincy and Shinigami have been enemies for quite a while. Some might even think that our powers are diametrically opposed... But even though I am not a scientist I imagine that people in your squad would rip each other apart for a chance to study such an anomaly." He suggested with an amused laugh.

"Sure, I don't mind trying to go a round or two, just don't have much expectation from me. I'm not skilled in martial arts, just the sword. I'm not sure I'll be able to shake much rust off you." He really could not caution her enough about just how unskilled in hand-to-hand he was right now. He was sure he could pick up skills easily enough, he was great at anything combat-related when it came to learning, but this was an area he had been lacking in for a long time. He should have known better but did not until recently.

"Alright, I guess we'll pick a mat and get started then?" He asked moving to set his sword aside since he would not be needing it here, and it would only get in the way otherwise. Taking a "stance" though it was clearly unpracticed. To someone who was familiar with hand-to-hand struggles, it was clear he was only vaguely imitating a stance.

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PC: 4

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

“I mean, it's a factor I would never conclusively rule out~? Research on Quincy is stunted by the ongoing animosity between us, and their attunement to the wavelength of hell? Most studies have come from field reports, which is a shame, I'd love to study a subject or two myself…” The vixen only seeming happier to continue verbalizing her thoughts with a rather hefty degree of vehemence, while it seemed rather obvious that their focus on these subjects seemed to lay in other areas Yui was happy to overlook the fact that she was looking toward entirely the wrong area of interest, and merrily seemed to gush as she explained the situation like some kind of tutor.
“We'd be keen for sure, and certainly loathe any possible taboo on the subject? It's innovation! Growth! Diversity is what prompts development! Such closed minded attitudes will only leave us risking a failure to adapt?” Appearing to be rather blind to the more emotional ramifications of hybridization and instead taking a largely academic viewpoint on the matter, oh how she did seem to ramble in a manner which was aimed at being supportive, though was as much naïve and inconsiderate of the well of bad blood which lingered between the breeds she hoped to hybridize.

“Oh, I'm sure you're just being modest?” Such blitheness also seeming to remain as the young man tried to reinforce his inexperience in the battle arts and almost literally batting away his concerns in favour of getting physical with him, simple logic dictated that a man of the experienced fighting squad would have quite the wealth of battle skills to boast of, and frankly she felt a note of excitement in testing her own dulled abilities against them.
“Are you ready~?” For that reason the fox seeming to loosen herself and take a somewhat lowered stance with her knees bent and hands raised with shoulders loose, those ebony eyes of hers seemed flush with excitement as she felt her pulse quickening and vision sharpening, and began to eye her temporary adversary for weakness in a manner which even with her so-called rust was practically reflexive…

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[Ken Shirogane]

It was clear the woman would have been more than happy to support him when it came to being more inclusive. It was also clear that she mostly wanted it for her benefit since it would quench her desire to study a new field of interest, not that he blamed her. And her attitude didn't upset him either, mostly because he would have just been happy to have Daphne around. Creating positive ties with Quincy could be a good thing, and he doubted Daphne would mind being a source of study so long as it wasn't too intrusive. Ken would gladly subject himself to Quincy's investigation if he were allowed the same opportunity. But that was unlikely to happen anytime soon. Especially seeing as his captain was particularly keen on maintaining her distance from any Quincy interactions outside perhaps slaying them. Sad really.
"It's a shame we lack any ability to make those decisions for ourselves. I am no captain and doubt I will become one anytime soon, otherwise, I would likely agree to help push for more peaceful ties with at least some of the Quincy." He assumed only a handful would agree to work with Shinigami anyway.

Getting into position it was obvious that he had many flaws in his stance. It was off in several subtle ways that she was likely to detect if she was as skilled as she claimed to be. Rusty or not he imagined she could see a novice like him for what he was though for whatever reason she brushed aside his comments.

"Ready as I am going to be I guess." He noted simply before stepping forward to deliver a simple jab aimed at catching her in the chest. It was straight, and it was quick, a basic karate punch. A classic move delivered by someone who who only knew the basics on paper with only a handful of hours doing any sort of hand-to-hand practice. It perhaps was not the worst punch ever, delivered decently, but clearly unpracticed.

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

It begins~! There seeming to be a certain something about the deep and dark doe eyed gaze about Miss Yamanaka which changed as the two of them began this little bout, all of a sudden that curious look of hers seemed to sharpen with both excitement and something which looked like aggression as the girl slipped into battle mode with an ease which revealed that any of her supposed rust would have been only at the most minor degree in truth, and she was able to predict the path of such a simple jab no matter how fast it was pushed because of this. It almost seeming like the supercomputer which was her brain had switched into a different mode, all of a sudden the calculating power seemed to be analysing trajectories in nary an instant and allowing her to step most subtly and take advantage of the situation for her own gain.

“Hyrraaaa!!!!” The kindly manner which she carried appearing to diminish in favour of something which carried an almost ruthless sense of efficiency as she stepped in a loop and reached to grasp that shooting arm with not one but both of her hands, in practised flash the femme had spun herself around with the aim of flinging the body which was behind her over her shoulder and across the matt, and perhaps the only part of her 'game' which seemed neglected in this moment was her restraint. After all, she was throwing everything she could into this move, wasn't she…?

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	Something about her bearing changing, the docile science pupper seems to transition into a hungry wolf once their match starts, and shows her true ability because of that. Twisting out of the way of such a simple attack, she aims to snatch his arm, and toss him across the mat in one of the simplest but most effective Judo Throws.

[Ken Shirogane]

The reaction was more or less what he expected. The shift in expression from casual to serious less expected, but notable all the same, though he only had a moment to notice the shift.

The speed with which he was grabbed and tossed was also immensely impressive to him. The fluid speed with which she moved showed every bit as much dedication to her art as he felt he would demonstrate while holding a katana. It was only a shame that his skills were so much more lacking than her own. He wasn't sure she could obtain any sort of entertainment from him, he was half defenseless to her opening move already.

In the end, the most he could do in reaction was for his feet to hit the mat first, legs bending and straining to lessen the impact before his back came smacking down against the mat as he was tossed around with relative ease. He imagined he weighed more than Yui, and certainly was taller, but that didn't matter at all here. Heck, his height and weight might even give the woman an advantage in this scenario.

Regardless, he grunted as he hit the ground, just managing to dampen the impact enough that the breath was not knocked from his lungs though it felt pretty close, and was still quite painful. Were they to repeat what just happened perhaps he could handle himself a bit better, he was quick to learn, but he was certain that even if he could somehow pull off some small counter she could work around it, slip from one move to the next to maintain a level of effectiveness. Hell in a real fight, he'd be in a dire situation already.

"Damn that was fast..." He noted with a little cough before sitting up, then standing. "Alright, well want to keep going? I think you can probably see just how poor my skills are already from that though. You on the other hand... You call that rusty? If that's rust it's naught but a few flakes that can easily be brushed from shining steel. If this is rusty I fear what you could seriously do in your prime." He chuckled rubbing his back.

---

- He hits the mat hard, only managing to slightly dampen the impact and prevent the air getting knocked out of him.

- He remarks about how he doesn't believe she's rusty in the slightest, or that if she is, he'd be rather fearful of her true potential.

PC: 6

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

“Oh goodness…!” The beauty with the black mane responding to the opening with such automatic efficiency that she didn't even realise the folly in her motion until she had planted her partner firmly on the floor, after a beat Miss Yamanaka's eyes seemed to widen as she realized what she had done and suddenly felt a swell of guilt for the deed, which prompted her to offer a hand to help the young man out. Really, that wasn't the way a senpai should behave, right?

“Gosh, old habits and all that… I really thought you were being modest when you said you weren't so good with unarmed combat?” Cursing that muscle memory and the presumption that the man had been selling his ability short as Ken seemed to highlight the difference between them, the battling belle lifted a hand to the back of her head and scratched it gently, before letting loose a breath to steady herself which said she was almost as surprised by the turn as he was.

“If you feel up to it? Perhaps it might be better to put a pin in the sparring and go back to basics…?” The feeling of regret within her lingering still and for that reason the brainy beauty deciding that it was probably better to ease back a bit from the full contact sparring and such before the lad really was done a mischief however, though he seemed keen to return to the more physical aspects of this lesson she shook her head and instead decided they might do better to take a step backward, and perhaps see if they couldn't for the moment at least improve his baseline skills. After all, that guard definitely needed some work, right?

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[Ken Shirogane]

"Well I can be modest at times, but not usually when it comes to fighting. I am great with a sword. I am fast and accurate with a blade in my hands. But my hands themselves?" He asked giving his hands a weak little shake. "No skill to speak of. Perhaps I could have attempted some sword form that works hand-to-hand, but I don't know many of those. None come to mind automatically anyway." He mused with a hum.

"But sure, if you feel like you would rather step back and teach me a bit before we do any more sparring I won't argue with that either. I'll try to take whatever advice you want to offer me." He said giving her a little bow. "So for the next while, I suppose you will be my Sensei." He noted with a little smirk at the thought. "You seem like you should be a good teacher anyway. I imagine you could easily give me all the technical aspects of any technique you demonstrate for me to learn."

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PC: 7

[Jessu]

How curious~? This is incredible!

Yamanaka Yui

“I see, I see, so you're out of your element here? Not to worry, I'm sure you would best me thorough with blade in hand, that one is not my forte really, hence the research posting~?” The raven nodding as her sparring partner explained his poor performance and his alleged absence of ability when it came to modesty, Miss Yamanaka could well understand why she had gotten that mixed message when he seemed so confident in one aspect of combat yet so inexperienced in another, and affirmed her belief that if they were to take weapons in hand they would have a distinct advantage. It wasn't that her skills didn't transfer, but there was something different to her about lashing with a blade than a limb, at least from her perspective. It was a different psychology.

“Okay then, let's see… There were a few weak points in your stance, for a start, so let's begin with that…” The 'senpai' seeming to smile all the brighter however when her new student spoke of his faith in her teaching ability and showed her the respect due accordingly, though Yui had supervised the drills of her juniors before this would be her first time truly offering instruction to new folk, and as such paused for a moment as she considered what would be the best thing to begin with.
“Do you mind… Assuming the position?” Ultimately sensing that they needed to go right back to the beginning with this viewpoint and deciding that merely ensuring that the chinks in his metaphorical armour were as small as possible would be the best start they could make, she knew all too well that he was full of openings in this area, and closing off a few of them would make him that much more challenging a foe if one did get inside the reach of his sword…

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