jikan_rpg | [closed] 🌸still like the morning dew❄️

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[closed] 🌸still like the morning dew❄️

⌛ Who: Cloud Strife & Kamisato Ayaka
⌛ What: Sparring & learning the ways of Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu
⌛ When: After their Itabashi Springs vacation
⌛ Where: Kamisato Estate • Kyoto
⌛ Warnings: None!

[ It's a conversation they've had before, wishing to keep their wits sharp and blades even moreso despite these peaceful times. But with the space between them as he grows ever so closer towards finding a place in Kyoto, there hasn't really been enough time to actively pursue this contest. Not when both of them were contented with spending time together in other ways. But it's when the two of them returned back to his apartment, his newfound Kizuna Katana drawing their eye, that he finally voiced something he'd been harboring for a while. At first, it was the wish to spar with her; he told her as much the night they left the palace. But now? It's something deeper than just wishing to test his strength against hers- deeper than just learning how to fight somebody lighter and faster than him.

"I wanna learn." a beat and a nod, affirmation to himself before he seeks her gaze to ask, "The Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu." ]

— — —
Kamisato Estate • Kyoto
— — —

[ It was a foregone conclusion. Even without their intent to spar and train, neither one were prepared to say goodbye just yet, even after their getaway to the Itabashi Springs. It also didn't hurt that he could use this time to house hunt during his stay in Kyoto. It was just for a couple days; then he'd return to Tokyo to work again. This would be the first time that Cloud was going to stay on the estate, no need for crashing someone's place or renting a hotel this time. This time, he's packed appropriately, still opting to bring the Buster Sword just in case. But he has zero intention of using it on this trip. Not when he's packed two different weapons.

The longer-bladed Kizuna Katana gifted to him by the researchers, and a matching bokken. Luckily for him, both are secured around his waist so he has less to carry in his arms. To anybody else who sees the man loaded out with light luggage and three different swords? He's making a damning case as an intimidating bodyguard for the young Miss Kamisato. The walk back to the estate from the station is a tried and practiced path for him, having done this many times before as they round the street corner leading towards home.

First order of business? Get unpacked and settled in. Second order of business? Well...he's not in a hurry to start fighting. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Huh?

[ Bothered by something? Nothing that pertains to their training... He doesn't think any impending bumps on the road back home were going to impede his time here. That? And he couldn't have been happier to return to Kyoto with her. He's financially sound, yet the only thing he has to keep working towards is getting a place in this city. So then...

"Please don't let your guard down." ]

Copy.

[ Perhaps he'll find his answer, spending his time on the defensive by his teacher to deliberate what could be holding him back. It's clear that he's trying to use his new weapon as if he were still possessing the Buster Sword, or Hardedge... Ayaka will find that in the next minute or so of exchanging blows, Cloud is indeed put on the backfoot. To fight alongside her is one thing, but to actually be facing down a legitimate master was a completely different situation. She's not fierce, or imposing. Every bit as graceful as she would be whilst dancing with cryo petals scattering into the ether around her.

Something so light and beautiful, be it fans or a blade...and she makes it all look so seamless, as if she hardly has to think and is simply feeling. Like it mattered not what she held as it was all just Kamisato Ayaka. It's impressive, yet upon first glance, seems too soft of heart to really be considered dangerous. ]

Tch—

[ So then why was he being pushed back? Why was he losing ground, rapid taps of her bokken against his guard that his eyes can barely perceive? ~~You're getting Vergil'd, Cloud.~~ The situation may be different if he were actually wielding weapons he was used to...or perhaps the outcome would have been just the same- for daring to come to that conclusion, before the duel even began.

Yet Cloud manages to hold his own...up to a vital point in their sparring session where he overcommits upon swiftly flashing to her side, intent on attacking her blindspot. Their eyes meet for that miniscule second, in a moment that could stretch into eternity. Tranquil and still, a stark contrast to the well of emotion in her student's gaze, shock that, should she successfully evade or parry him, gives way to being left wide open as he holds his breath. ]

[ If Cloud's still adjusting to a smaller sword like this, then despite his power and experience in combat, it's nothing compared to someone who's more used to this, regardless of how much strength she has.

Ayaka doesn't intend to take advantage of the gap between them, because this isn't serious combat. When her eyes do meet Cloud's, what would have been the exact moment she's taken off guard and her defenses lowered, is a moment when her eyes narrow and she looks for an opening. If she didn't sense his uncertainty with what he's doing, she'd likely be on her butt right now on the floor. Instead, their swords clash, with Ayaka putting everything she can to parry and swing his sword away.

She has enough to work on that she thinks she knows where they should begin from what she's seen today. Cloud will be the one to decide if he wants to continue or not. ]

[ While both the Kizuna Katana and this bokken were considerately longer than an ordinary blade, the weight and feel were still different enough that Cloud had intentionally placed himself at a disadvantage. But it was not a serious bout, either. Less of a duel, and more of a lesson in discovery. The only thing that bothers him? Is that he's struggling to understand and grasp how Ayaka moves. How he can take what he knows and adapt it to the Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu... So naïve. For all his SOLDIER might and battle instinct, and he was making it by on the account of simply being better than anyone he went up against.

"Not yet." he can hear Sephiroth's voice coolly state the facts before he effortlessly disarmed him. And whilst Ayaka doesn't do the same, her parrying his strike and swinging his sword away as he barely manages to hang onto the handle brings that same feeling back. Except while he felt conflicted and beaten down in the former, with her...all he sees is how far he needs to keep going until he's caught up to her. That he has a long way to go. And something about that...

Excites him?

Digging a sandal into the earth beneath his feet after skipping back to gain ground from the Shirasagi Himegimi, he reaffirms his hold on his sword. Sure enough, like her, he yields and lowers his weapon to his side as he heaves a sigh. Far from tired, he has to loosen some of that tension that's built up inside of him from staving off a more aggressive Kamisato up to now.

And...to finally answer her question: ]

I don't think I'm bothered. I'm just... [ His eyes follow down the length of his sword. ] ...trying to understand. The way you move... I don't know how to describe it, but it's...

[ Beautiful. ]

[ Cloud! You're supposed to be studying??? 😡 ]

While it is important to stay alert with one's surroundings, I feel as if I am a distraction to you.

[ ... which is no good? Get your head in the game, Cloud! :T

Ayaka doesn't see a need to continue at this time, lowering her weapon as she heads back to the shade to sit down. Cloud is more than welcome to join her, or he can stay where he is as Ayaka speaks. ]

We will need to work on your form. There's much to be done, starting with how you use your weapon. It feels... so detached from you.

[ Just a "weapon". But these weapons, swords in particular, have heart and soul. They may just be practising with wooden ones, but Cloud needs to understand that they aren't just tools. And whatever is on his mind gets carried by his blade with each strike. ]

The Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu is not an art where you just swing and hit where you see an opening. It makes use of the elements, and one cannot control an element if their mind and body are not at ease.

Edited 2022-07-27 05:40 (UTC)

Maybe... But, [ It wasn't a distraction in the conventional sense. But if Ayaka was going to understand? He was going to need to do that thing where you use your words and be honest. ] I kept thinking about being like you.

[ Which...wasn't good either, but his heart wasn't skipping a beat at the sight of her. It was frozen in place when he realized he'd lost in the face of her experience. As Ayaka moves to sit in the shade, Cloud follows her a few steps of the way, opting to stay standing as he focuses intently on her. While he's more relaxed now that they were taking a break, he's taken to being a student seriously as she parts her words of critique on him. ]

Detached...? [ That's when his brow furrows, in a bid to understand. While he breaks his gaze of her, it's only so he can look down to his hand on his sword. As she speaks of the Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu, his mako-infused eyes roam the length once more as he raises it up in front of him.

"It makes use of the elements, and one cannot control an element if their mind and body are not at ease." ] ...

[ Like with Materia? If he channeled Lightning magic in the same way Elemental Materia supported it in the respective slot? A pause as he deliberates her words, and ultimately...he discards that notion, back to square one as all he has is this trial— ]

!

[ He swings his sword, a clean vertical swing down as the word 'trial' sparks another thought. Another memory as familiar words ring through his mind.

"Losing a part of you..." A piece of her soul, detached from her.

He repeats that very same swing.

"Perhaps, if it has lived long enough and has experienced many things, it may have its own soul." ]

Losing a part of you...

[ Suddenly, he holds his head high, maneuvering the odachi-sized bokken as he closes his eyes, this time to cleanly swing horizontally until he's holding it out to his side. It...still feels like he's holding something foreign. But this time? It feels lighter than before. Thinking and saying something didn't mean that he could just do it. But he has to know if he's on the right track. ~~No JRPG vagueness horseshit.~~ ]

Remember the Trials in Kyushu? [ Rhetorical, as he turns to face Ayaka fully with his weapon at rest. ] When we had to call on our Soul Artifacts...

When you said this was detached from me... Do you see your sword as a piece of you?

Each blade has its own unique characteristics, much like a person does.

[ No two swords are exactly the same. But that's not what she's getting at here. ]

I see my sword as a trusted ally. [ Not a piece of her. In any case, she still has a relationship with her own sword. ] One whom I can rely on during hardships.

For others, it may be different. I cannot dictate how it is you should see your blade, as it is something you should discover for yourself.

[ Ayaka will commit to helping in her own way, though. They are here already, after all, and she is excited to impart what she has learned of a form of art founded by her ancestors on him. Yet again, she is sharing more of her world with him. ]

Hm... I may have an idea. Do you trust me?

[ It's a crazy idea, though. She's going to blindfold him. ]

I see...

[ Cloud might have been off a little bit. But he doesn't seem disheartened either. When she asks if he trusts her? The reaction is only natural as he takes another couple steps towards her. ]

Of course I do.

[ He'll follow her every lead. ~~And get another idea for the bedroom— UHH ACTUALLY~~ ]

Please don't feel frustrated if this will take some time, but...

[ Hm, she doesn't have anything nearby that she can use as a blindfold. She'll have to get one from her room again. Before she excuses herself, though— ]

I thought of covering your eyes and have you try and find me.

[ He'd only have his sword. Ayaka won't attack him while he is defenseless! But he'll need to rely on his senses and his sword if he wants to find her. ]

Are you amenable to the idea, Cloud?

Blindfolding me?

[ Amenable to the idea? He has to be. He said he would trust her. But just now...when he closed his eyes and thought he felt something different in the weight of his sword after swinging it, Cloud was fine then, right? His raised eyebrow doesn't last very long before he's serious and true to his word. ]

Okay. Let's do it.

Great. I'll be back quickly.

[ To get another piece of cloth! Ayaka bows to excuse herself before leaving the area, heading to her room to fetch a nice handkerchief which can double as a blindfold. Once that's done and she's back outside, she gestures for Cloud to come near. He'll need to sit down so she can cover his eyes, and when he does? ]

I won't put you in a big disadvantage, but I will move around from time to time. We can keep doing this exercise until there is more fluidity in your movements.

[ And he has her full support! She'll cheer him on, even if she's the one giving him this exercise. ]

Is it tight enough? I hope it doesn't hurt.

[ And while Ayaka busies herself with fetching a suitable blindfold, Cloud continues to ponder Ayaka's words as he goes through the motions of swinging his sword. Practiced, competent swordplay that in due time, will begin to take on a different path from the heavy-hitting nature of his SOLDIER background. His form on the surface is impressive enough, yet beneath it all...is everything that Ayaka has already foreseen and witnessed. A sense of detachment, so it was up to Cloud to learn how to understand his weapons. Who was he to judge what was the right or wrong way to train? She would never lead him astray.

Even as he was moments away from being literally left in the dark. When she returns, he nods and returns the bokken to its invisible sheath at his waist (weeb) as he holds it at his side. Obeying her, the blond takes a seat close to the same spot Ayaka was in, looking over his shoulder and back, he nods before closing his eyes. ]

More fluidity...

[ His head only slightly jostles when she works to tighten the handkerchief around the back of his head. Even with his heightened and focused sight? He can't see through the layers, only a vague sense of light from the natural daylight they train in. It's snug...and as he lifts a blinded hand up the back of his head, if he finds her hand still there, he'll take hold of it for a second before he lets go. Otherwise, it's to test how well she bound him. Sure enough, as snug a fit as it is... ]

Not at all.

[ It doesn't hurt at all! A cool sigh looses from his lips, pushing himself to his feet before he starts to walk ahead into the opening all by himself. He walks with confidence, whilst in his head he counts up to seven steps. An approximation of where he is, and sure enough, Ayaka wasn't teaching a complete novice. He's near the center of their battleground. He doesn't return to his former stance yet, instead keeping an assertive hold upon his bokken as he calls out to Ayaka. ]

Ready to begin.

Edited 2022-07-28 09:41 (UTC)

[ Ayaka wasn't just going to let Cloud be after that! She's taken away his sense of sight for now, and she was going to lead him back to where they were earlier, but he'd gone ahead. Still, she catches up to him, and he'd hear her sandals on the ground and her voice right next to him. ]

Let what you can't see be what your sword sees, [ she tells him. Slowly, she takes a few steps backwards and then taps the edge of her sword with his. This is what it sounds like when their swords would cross, and it is something worth remembering since that is what he would be looking for again in this exercise. ]

Come find me.

[ Ayaka maintains some distance between them, and he'd hear her footsteps whenever she moves, too. He can strike when he feels like it, if he thinks he's close. Ayaka will block it every time. That's the objective, after all. ]

[ What his sword sees... And as if to answer the riddle for him, their swords cross and it sounds so much louder than it actually is. At first, he keeps silent, focusing on the sound of distant wind and the chimes they ride upon, the ambiance of Kyoto beyond this estate's walls... He focuses on it all, so he knows what to block out. With a deep breath through his nose, he gently exhales, bringing both hands to his sword, shuffling smoothly forward, trying not to make footsteps of his own as he pays attention for hers. ]

... .... .....

[ Then, ]

!

[ He swings, delivering a clean vertical slash through the air. But the very second that he does that? Steps. He hears a single step and suddenly, there's the clack of wood against wood. But there's reluctance in his slash despite the fact Ayaka blocks him. More importantly though...were his brows visible, they'd be furrowed right now as he envisions his sword in his hand despite the fact that he can't see it. He looks perplexed...but the reason why is: ]

When did I...?

[ Swing? Was it his fighting instincts? Or was his sword the one who saw everything for him? As if guiding him... He can't hear anything beyond the world around him and the Shirasagi Himegimi who continues to defend and test him. And as he continues to move and go through the motions, still overstepping and missing his strikes at first, every time he does? The second attempt seems to lead to success, by the guidance of his bokken.

There's still not complete unity, but for the first time since he ever started fighting with swords at all...it wasn't just his own raw skill and heightened senses that were guiding him. It was his sword. And with time, he starts landing more hits, paying attention as his hands move before his mind can even tell him how to move. The core of his fighting style remains, yet there's something lighter in the way he moves. Less of an aggressive stomp in closing any distance between himself and what he chases, but a glide of his feet, cool breathes in and out as he utters nary a battle cry.

Cloud may still have a lot of work ahead of him, but coupled with his own willpower and hard work? He was a prodigy of the sword. His trust in Ayaka is leading him to a connection he never would have considered before. ]

[ Cloud is picking up rather quickly, much to Ayaka's surprise. Not that she didn't trust Cloud to figure things out for himself... but she also didn't expect this exercise to end up working very well for him. The surprise is a good one, one that gets her to concentrate even further and not let her guard down when Cloud swings at her.

Later on, Cloud's movements grow faster, as if he's gotten used to what he's doing now. Ayaka doesn't go for the offensive straight away, but— ]

You're doing well, Cloud. [ She's a few steps away from him, but he'll likely be able to hear her footsteps get louder by the second. ]

The objective remains the same— come find me. But I will try to hit you from time to time, as well.

[ Just like now! A predictable strike, if anything, and she knows he'd be able to block it easily. Yet another kind of sound to watch out for while he's blindfolded like this. ]

[ Cloud remains focused, only nodding even if it's not in the direction of her voice when she commends him for his progress. And while he's doing considerately well while blindfolded, her change in stratagem is going to be the moment where the speed of his progress falters some. He hears the steps rapidly approaching, and he does indeed get his guard up in time to her predictable strike. But barely. His teeth visibly grit lightly in response, only for her to relent.

Now there's another variable in the mix. At first, it was easier when he was the one seeking her out as he trained himself solely on both sound and the feeling resonating deep inside him. And as they continue, he can feel his heartrate getting a little faster. A contrast from the more tranquil feeling he had before when exchanging blows with the Shirasagi Himegimi. Though he feels his connection with his sword, it's tenser than before as he succeeds in most cases in seeking her, but it's when he hears nothing...her footsteps barely registering that he brings his guard up and... ]

!

[ He gets tapped. Cloud's plenty strong, so getting hit by her bokken doesn't hurt. But it feels so sudden when he can't brace for it thanks to being blindfolded. Sensing his own rising anxiousness, he pauses, lowering his sword in that lull between waiting for him and coming at him. Another deep breath in through his nose, the warm summer sun casting over him as he straightens upright. And a gentle exhale through his mouth, loosing his grip on his blade before stepping forward once more. Removing his steps from hers, he hears a distant footstep. Too far away, even with his longer sword. So he moves, footsteps soft as he doesn't rush into finding her.

Until he tests the waters with another vertical swing. He hears steps and—

Tap! ]

Ow-

[ A kneejerk slip. It didn't actually hurt. The session continues for a short while, and while Cloud does show some improvement as the upped difficulty ensues...he spends over half of it in a mixture of missing, succeeding in 'finding' her and clashing, and getting the timing mixed up as she tries hitting him from time to time.

Suffice to say, a rockier stage of his training as he exercises balance with his blade. But perhaps more importantly? Any tension that rises within him, he dispels before he can get frustrated.

Trust her, he repeats when he's left between success and failure. And though he's not visibly shaken, his breathing is starting to come in just a little less composed than before, the summer heat working in creating a thin sheen of sweat down his exposed arms and his exposed neck. ]

[ It would not be a challenge if it came to Cloud all that easily. And yet, a part of Ayaka does feel bad that he's being tested in this way. She would much prefer to see him in a more relaxed environment, where he's calm and composed. Perhaps at some point, because he is getting the grasp of things, an exercise like this would also merit that same sort of disposition. Just not now.

It has been a good while since they had started, and even though Ayaka can continue on, it may be best to take a break to relax and refresh one's mind. This may be a frustrating task for the blond, no doubt, so she does not move from where she stands. Waiting a couple of feet away from him, her bokken at the ready to parry his attack...

When the swords clash, she's quick to swing her arm aside with a bit more strength than she would use for an exercise like this. It's to call his attention, so that he knows there is something coming up next. ]

Shall we take a break? The heat has me parched.

[ Her sword is lowered, but she can't exactly come up to Cloud to remove his blindfold for him, unless she wants to accidentally get hit by him. It might come as a surprise, is all! She'll offer to remove the cloth for him if he doesn't do it by himself if he's fine with taking a break now.

He's done good! ]

[ Feeling the strength in her strike, he only clashes back against it momentarily when, as he realizes she keeps the pressure on that blow, he relents. Immediately, he exhales, preparing for whatever step Ayaka may have next. When he thinks he's raring to go or she had something else to impart, she asks if they could take a break. It's only then that her words break through that combative mindset he'd steeped himself in, and it feels like he's coming up for air. The rest of the world, sounds and all, come back to him as he stops honing in on her footsteps. Poking his bokken into the ground with one hand, he looses a sigh before reaching behind his head for the tie of his blindfold. ...only to find that he couldn't figure out where to tug so that it could come loose. ]

Umm.

[ He didn't want to just rip the blindfold off either. So. ]

Sure. Let's take a break.

[ His once focused and stern-lined lips can't help forming a nervous smile as he gives up on the blindfold. ]

Sorry. [ Cloud, you can just drop the sword and use both hands... dsafkjh Help?? ]

Oh! Please let me— [ Take care of it...

Hurried footsteps so that she can go behind him and untie the handkerchief. It takes a bit of work, given that she has to be on the tips of her toes, but once it's loose enough, she lets it fall off Cloud's face unceremoniously. Tadah! You can see now, Cloud!

Catching the piece of cloth, then taking Cloud's hand in hers, she takes him back to where they came from, just outside the living room, so he can sit down and take a break. ]

I'll fetch the tea. [ For now, she leaves her bokken on the wooden floor to pick up later. Getting their refreshments doesn't take much time since she already prepared the tea earlier— she just has to move the tray outside! The tea hasn't gotten completely cold, still warm from being inside the pot.

Once she's out and has the tea ready, Ayaka sits back down on the floor seiza style. Serving Cloud comes first before herself, and so— ]

Here. [ A nice warm cup of tea! ] How are you feeling?

[ Poor Ayaka. If Cloud realized she was having to reach so high, he'd have knelt down for her. But he at least tilts his head back slightly when he feels her work on loosening it, until he can stop when it indeed falls off his face. The sunlight is extra bright, though he adjusts quicker than most would after a couple of scrunched blinks. He would have caught it, if it hadn't been for Ayaka being quicker to the draw, as well as taking his hand to lead him back to the spot outside the living room.

Following suit and setting his bokken down beside hers, he leans back on his hands as he watches her leave. A perfect time to quietly reflect by himself over his progress. It had only been a single session, making leaps and bounds yet not looking where he would land at times. Had she been training a novice who never picked up a sword in their life? This would no doubt have been far more arduous task. Yet, mesmerized by the way the younger Kamisato moved and flecks of a Samurai's technique when facing Kaedehara...even a Cloud Strife that hadn't taken up the sword or had a militant background would have come around eventually. If not under her guidance, in inspiration of it. ]

...detached from me-

[ It doesn't trouble him, but he continues to repeat everything she's said and instilled in him, all whilst he reminisces in her grace, be it with a sword or dance. His thoughts trail when Ayaka returns with the tray of tea in hand, the blond looking up to her with a more contented smile as he sits upright, following suit seiza style once he's accepted her tea. ]

Thank you.

[ It's warm! Enough that were he to take a sip now, he'd be tempted by a drink next. The aroma fills him, his shoulders visibly relaxing further. ]

Really good. [ A beat. ] And you called me a good teacher.

[ Mr. Swim Into My Abs Coach. ]

And you still are.

[ Just because Ayaka's teaching methods were effective on you doesn't make you any less of a good teacher, Cloud. :) She wouldn't have been able to learn the basics of swimming if not for you!

Serving herself a cup of tea next, she notices that it's gotten windy. While it shouldn't interfere with their training, she'll have to even out the ground some before they resume. ]

It truly is quiet in this neighbourhood, isn't it? At night, it's as if the cicadas are holding a concert in the gardens.

Didn't do half bad, did I?

[ Cloud wasn't knocking himself, only admiring Ayaka's diligence. They knew they would be sparring together and sharpening their skillsets. But it came as a surprise when he told her he wanted to learn her arts. Her philosophy in which she carries her blade. To find what drives her and learn from it himself. Ever since he first got his hands on a bokken, while the Buster Sword was a familiar and reliable weight, the feeling he got when he took his Kizuna Katana for the first time...

It lit the spark. And now Ayaka was seeing it through that he burn as bright as he can. He won't let her down. ]

Yeah...

[ As if cicadas were orchestrating a concert in the still of night... ] Never heard cicadas before coming here. But...now I'm having a hard time picturing this place without all the noise.

[ It's become a background ambiance to him. A comfort in knowing exactly where he is. ]

They pretty common in Inazuma, too?

Yes, but they are only ever out for a specific month.

[ It's still peaceful with the sounds they make! Ayaka just wanted to tell him that where she lives is a bit detached from the city proper. Such a big home, with only two people living in it... Having people around even during the day makes it less lonely here. ]

When you're back in Tokyo... [ There it is again— a weight in her chest when she says that. It's never goodbye, but it just means she won't see him again for a while. ] You'll still continue your training, won't you?

[ He'd be back in Tokyo in a couple days... Every time he went back, besides his friends on the other side of the tracks, his steps felt heavier every single time he had to go. But it doesn't hurt as bad this time. Not after their journey to Kyushu. Cloud was still working hard and accruing money as he went, but even when they texted or called one another every day, they would still make the effort to visit one another more frequently. ]

...

[ If it weren't for the two sitting seiza and the tea in their hands, he'd have scooted onto his butt and closer to her so set his hand in hers. But for now? She has his full attention as he watches her, fresh determination in his eyes. ]

No doubt. Gotta have something to show when you test me again.

[ His hold on his teacup firms, letting its warmth radiate through his hands. ]

Truth is...we talked about sparring, but... I've...thought of how you fight since the day we met.

Good.

[ That feels like a relief to hear, and she nods her approval before going back to her tea.

But she's cut momentarily from her drink when Cloud speaks. The first time they met, they were on the same side in a fight. Admittedly, as skilled as Ayaka may be, her experience on the battlefield is not something to brag about just yet. After all, why would anyone send the Yashiro Commission out to fight? Her job doesn't give her much chance to use her sword, really only using it in times of trouble, when Thoma isn't around.

Had Cloud been thinking of her inexperience since then? She should hope not! But he's also been curious of the Kamisato Art Tachi Jutsu... so... ]

How I fight? Is it really that different from what you've seen before?

[ Her inexperience? Far from it! But she won't be left wondering long as he raises his cup to sip, only to continue. ]

Mm. [ A nod. ] I'm not even talking about how you use your Vision with it. It just... [ Ah, now he's starting to feel a little nervous admitting this much. It's compliments! But...he wants it to make sense? Hahah... ] doesn't feel right just saying your fast and that's that.

It's... [ There really was only one word, wasn't there. ] Beautiful.

I won't stop training with what I know, but I can't take it everywhere here. Back home, somebody in SOLDIER walks in and no one bats an eye.

[ Meaning he's either been turned away or told to leave his Buster Sword outside on many an occasion. Even at their usual teahouse spot near Gion, he had to keep it at the front entrance. But that wasn't the main reason why he'd wanted an odachi or longer training bokken for so long. ]

If I'm gonna adapt, I wanna learn from you.

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