A Step into Balance and Agility Training

The 30 foot held beam which Tatsui was crossing made her nervous. The poles upon it didn't seem sturdy. A few thoughts of "Maybe I'm too fat.." crossed her mind, but then she remembered seeing heavier set characters on the same beam, crossing it elegantly. Expertly. Perfect and absolute balance. Then again, they were much higher in experience than she was. And she just wanted to take the high road for a challenge...perhaps not the best idea..? Walking was alright for her...however what she strove to do was hardly simple.

"Okay...one...two.."

"Careful now...don't fall, bian."

Kaza broke in her countdown, a lazy, teasing tone. He knew the affect on her. Immediately it crumbled her resolve. He laughed and she blushed in both fury and embarrassment that it fell apart so easily. He was both very calm and fond of teasing her today.

"You don't be able to do it in the battlefield if you can't do it here, bian."

She knew that was true enough. Sighing, the girl breathed in deep, drinking in air before she tried it. Kaza grinned.

"That's better, bian. Ready....go!"

At that, Tatsui sprinted, bending down with her arms to lift herself off the beam. Unfortunately, her wrist slipped, making her body fall over, hitting hard the beam. Her whole body then flayed off to the left side of the beam to dangle. Her arms scrambled to catch herself and she found the beam's ledge. The edges of her fingers were holding her up.

"What are you DOING, bian?! Tatsui!

Her Zan's voice echoed in her ears, worried and panicked. He was sitting before in a chair and now he was standing upright, looking horrified and angry. Tatsui winced, her right side hurt after hitting the steel beam so hard. Her fingers let go in order to clutch the beam tighter, but the pain was preventing her from getting up completely. She had to chuckle..

"Haha...I have to be in a situation like this in order for you to use my name...?"

"You stupid fucking GIRL! Now's not the time for that! If you FALL you'll be sure to break a FEW bones, bian!"

Kaza snapped instantly, his care obvious in his distressed voice.

"But I can't...the beam is too slippery..Kaza..."

"Then adapt."

A voice could be heard from the far side of the field. Lucius had to get out of that office he once was fond of. At least for a while. He figured looking into the training fields would be a good idea, since no one else used it for the most part, but he was proven wrong when he saw Tatsui.

"The bars are slippery, yes. What are you gonna do about that?

"The FUCK is that asshole..."

Kaza growled, clearly irritated by the high and mighty attitude Lucius expelled. Tatsui listened to him nonetheless, laughing at her own Zan nervously. She didn't need this now.

"Adapt...well...the bars are slippery..and I don't like heights..at all."

Breathing in she latched onto the bar with her hands once more.

"Take the momentum, bian!!"

"What?"

"Drop and take the momentum, bian!!!"

"That's right..."

With his suggestion, Tatsui Immediately gave a soft huff, then let her hands go from the bar. She dropped down in a slight crouching position, and the instant she felt the ground, she took momentum and went into a light tumble. Taking the force of her fall and reducing it as she tumbled left her unscathed...but her side still ached, especially after that dumb move.

"Phew..."

"That wasn't too hard."

"Easy for you to say...you're not scared of heights."

Brushing off her hands, Tatsui stood up and gave a sigh. She could hear her own heart beat..ah..

"Well done."

He gave her a smile, hands still in his pockets. From her he felt two energies.. One was definitely Reiatsu - so the negative vibes must have been from her Zan. The other was.. whatever energy the Shrews all seemed to use. Though, here she was training Agility and the like.

"How's your speed and reflexes?"

He turned his head towards the course opposite the one she was on, an array of swinging hammers, padded of course, along what looked like a straight racecourse.

"Oi, listen I don't think we should be taking tips from strangers--

"That'll be easy, let's go!"

Tatsui said, sutting her Zan completely off mid-sentence. She rushed over to the swinging hammers, excited to go for the next trial. Looking down the track Tatsui watched the hammers go to and fro horitontally. Within a few seconds of watching them, Tatsui jumped in, dodging the first and second hammer. She had reached a slight mid-point where no more of the horizontal hammers were swinging and she grinned with pride.

"This is pretty easy--"

"In FRONT of you, you STUPID girl! Look in FRONT!"

Kaza shouted in her ear. Sure enough, though no horizontal hammers swung, three vertical ones were heading directly for her. Tatsui watched it in horror and allowed her instincts to take over...like a cat she jumped onto the middle hammer, climbing herself up on top of it.

"Are you INSANE, GRAB something or you'll FALL. AGAIN.

Kaza complained but...it could be said he was clearly pleased by her form. Quickly, Tatsui reached the supporting pole in the middle just before the hammer began to swing backwards, similar to a carnival's flying ship ride. One of the other hammers on her left nearly clipped her.

"E-Eek!"

"Don't 'Eek!' me, get closer!"

And so she did, getting closer to the middle pole. It swung forward, and then as it was beginning to swing backwards, Kaza gave her a word of advice, a growl in his voice.

"You can't just stay here, you have to keep moving! So jump the next one!"

"Jump the next one?!"

"YES JUMP THE NEXT ONE!"

He sounded irritated and the hammer was beginning to swing forward again.

"Just DO it!"

"Okay okay!"

When the hammer reached an appropriate peak, Tatsui jumped for a horizontal moving hammer, landing perfectly in the middle. Her hand reached for the supporting beam before..

"NO TATSUI, GO! THERE'S YOUR CHANCE!"

It was true, a horizontal hammer which had enough force to fully rotate was up in the air still. It was the final one of the track. Tatsui hesitated, then jumped off the hammer, sprinting towards the finish.

Tatsui quickly collapsed at the finish line before her instincts perked....even at the finish line, a large and fast incoming hammer was directly pointed at her. Jumping out of the way and onto the stomach on the ground, she groaned...It was a final test for those who were on their guard..but at least she passed it. Rolling on her back, Tatsui took a breath...what a trial. Harder than...she had expected.

"...Better than I thought. Who would have believed there's hope for little girls like you."

Kaza gave his famous devilish grin.

Lucius had sat on a nearby boulder by the time Tatsui started the course, watching her intently. She was obviously new here, and not as.. able as most people even her rank. He wondered...

"You're in this guild to improve speed and such, aren't you."

Not many people chose to do this; most Creed initiates were already much more steady in their footwork.

"I'll admit...I'm quite clumsy sometimes.."

She said after she had picked herself up from her position with the help of Kaza as a cane. She wobbled over and then collapsed in front of him, legs still like jello. Her green eyes looked up at him shyly, embarrassed. She must look so weak..

"Well that's what the Guilds are for; to help you progress. And you have a Zanpakuto already, if I'm not mistaken."

He descended from the boulder, a hand resting on Umbra resting on his belt.

"Been a while since I've seen someone newly equipped."

He walked towards the new girl, before stopping with an awkward expression. He'd never actually introduced himself. With an effort at a smile..

"Sorry.. I'm Lucius."

"T-Tatsui."

She said weakly, still holding Kaza's handle as support. She leaned her forehead upon the sheath. Oh did all that action make her tired....looked up Tatsui nodded though, gesturing to the katana she held in her hand.

"Yes...Zan..his name, he's Kaza..."

"I don't like this guy, bian."

"Hush."

She told him mentally.

"Mm.."

He looked her over, she was obviously straining just to stand.

"Something like that knocks you out.. how well do you expect to do in a real situation? You need to develop better management of your own body."

"I'm not tired, I'm just on the edge a little!!"

She said, her cheeks red. With a push on the ground, she stood quikcly just to make the statement.

"And besides...it's hard doing that whole thing with someone shouting in my ears."

Her voice was irritated, looking down at Kaza for a second, and then back up at him with a nervous chuckle.

He smiled; at least she had plenty of drive. He did notice the vibe from her Zan though; it must be a tad uneasy.

"Doesn't like me too much, eh? Well.."

He held Umbra's hilt in his hand now, but not unsheathing her just yet. She gave an acknowledging hum.

"..let's take care of some of that edge. I'd like to see what you.. two, can do."

"Kaza hardly likes many people."

"Isn't that right?"

"Stupid girl.."

Kaza mumbled, but readied himself. He wanted to fight. And so did Tatsui. Unsheathing the katana, the edge gleamed in the sun...Kaza was excited. Tatsui almost gave a small laugh. He wasn't blood thirsty was he? She wouldn't deal with that.

"Let's go, bian."

"Mm."

Her left hand held the metal sheath and her right hand held the sword. The sheath overlapped the sword, the sheath before it as if a shield-- an effective but basic attack and defense position. Her right arm was held less tense as the left which held the sheath, almost as if it moved smooth like flowing water.

Lucius gracefully unsheathed Umbra, letting her unreleased, silver steel hum in the air. She really did enjoy being out in the open like that; the sheath was way too dark and confining. Lucius held her out at a slant towards Tatsui and Kaza, wielding her with his right hand. Making eye contact, he nodded.

"Show me."

Tatsui took a few steps forward to close the distance, then stopped to watch.

"Stop being so nervous, bian! You're makin' me all anxious.."

Her Zan said in her hands. But it was true, Tatsui was nervous, it was her first time doing this.

"Let me take over!"

"What?"

Suddenly she felt a magnetic pull towards Lucius, the sword moved on its own.

"W-W-Wait!"

Kaza started with a horizontal slash around Lucius' side, making sure to guard with the sheath if he come around with a counterattack of his own. Tatsui was then put into an awkward smash of the sheath against Lucius' stomach as a blunt weapon, now using the katana as a defensive weapon.

Tatsui pulled back quickly and Kaza stopped, letting temporary control over the sword go.

"You get it now, bian?"

Her green eyes looked focused at Lucius, trying to catch her breath. She nodded.

"Aah. I got it."

Her stance was very awkward as she came towards him, and her facial expression told him all he needed to know. He realized that it wasn't really her own swinging, and blocked it cleanly with his right hand. As the two clashed, Umbra gave another soft hum to Kaza, almost as if trying to soothe him.

"Umbra, you don't have that kind of control, do you? To attack on your own.."
"There's so much you still don't know, darling~"
"Well that puts me at ease..."

He held his ground as Tatsui went back to her own, noting the change in her expression, acknowledging it with full eye contact once more.

"I'll be honest I'm not a fighter."

Her voice traveled across to tell him,

"Permission to use energies?"

Tatsui got into position, her eyes focused and ready for whatever his answer might be.

"Mm, no one said there were any rules. Use what you can."

He started building up his own energies, readying himself to defend against those as well.

"Good."

At his feet, the grass had turned into vines, climbing up his legs. The core of them were steel from her chemistry, a combination of the Navitas Biology and Chemistry to hold him in place.

She quickly flipped Kaza to the blunt of the blade and ran towards him, sheath guard up and blade on the side, in her right hand.

Lucius somewhat smiled, not attempting to move from his position. He preferred standing still anyway, if he could. He blocked her swing again, swinging down in such a way to get the two blades in a lock. With his free hand he pointed at Tatsui's forehead.

"Hado #1; Sho."

Tatsui gave a smile as she flew backwards from his Kido, gathering her own Reiatsu in her right. As she was still flying, the sheath in her left hand was held firmly by other fingers while her index finger extended to point at Lucius. Her voice echoed slightly.

"Hado #4; Byakurai!

Now he smirked; she was clever, and even playful in battle. Witty, that was the word. He pointed again to the shot of Kido that Tasui launched, and countered it with his own Byakurai. Next he aimed his hand towards his feet. His own negation energy should save him most of the damage from this.

"Hado #31, Shakkaho."

The shot of red fire burned through the plants, allowing him to move his legs more freely, assuming a stance that locked him onto the ground.

"Try some speed with your blows."

She came at him, speaking the incantation as she attacked him.

"Ye lord. Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man."

A downward vertical slash with the katana, she jumped back to smash the sheath against his side and then flipped it to smash the end of into his stomach like a tonfa, her red hair swaying.

"Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws."

Tatsui quickly gave a defensive slash to his stomach to give herself room, then jumped back and her green eyes glowed.

Lucius sidestepped the vertical slash, maneuvering Umbra to his side to parry her scabbard and again to his front, always keeping his red eyes on her movements, slightly glowing red from such concentration. She had good posture and good rhythm to her style.. but it still needed work.

He kept Umbra in place at his stomach, turning her slightly so that her Zan would hit Umbra's side, making her sing once more as she leapt back. She was definitely about to use a Kido move, and so he braced himself.

Tatsui jumped back and concentrated, seeing how Lucius would deal with nature itself. Vines broke out from the ground, wrapping his legs to trip him. They were enforced with steel as usual, but this time, there were thorns whose tips were dipped in a poison. If he moved they would prick him and make such immobile. Ice cracked from the root to the tip, ice to keep him sealed where he was.

"Do it, bian!"

Taking a breath, Tatsui stood several yards from Lucius. She held out a hand and a blue sphere of energy blinked slowly and then quickly in the middle of her palm.

"Hadō Sanjuusan...."

It blinked rapidly now, taking form.

"Sōkatsui!"

A blue light shot out from her hand towards him, a fast moving thick and solid beam.