Sylvester
It had only been a few hours since Lady Amaterasu had graced the world with light on Hotaru's second morning in Ryoko Owari Toshi. 

Hotaru drilled kata most early mornings, only every really skipping if hungover from a night of drinking into the wee hours. Such events were rare though, and certainly had not occurred the night before. So Hotaru, now comfortable with her surrounds in the embassy, had made her way to the gardens this morning, to find a space to practice. And she had been successful.

The broad, Lion samurai rolled her shoulders as she came to a stop in the middle of the Lion Embassy's garden. The space around her was clear and provided plenty of room for the kata she planned to drill. It had disheartened Hotaru to find that her role as a yojimbo would force her to keep her kenjutsu training away from the curious gaze of the other clans withing the city. Hotaru was a proud Lion bushi, and she relished testing and maintain her skill, but also, in showing it off. Her enemy not knowing her skills, however, would be an asset for her, should she have to stand in as some ones champion whilst in the city. Despite having to keep her training in secret, Hotaru could still practice, it just had to be behind the tall walls of the Lion embassy. 

*To know the enemy is to defeat the enemy. If I am unknown, I will be harder for my enemy to defeat.* Hotaru concluded, forming into a wide stance that would provide a solid foundation for her footing. 

Before she began, Hotaru took a moment to close her eyes, intake a breath through her nose, hold it, and exhale it in a controlled manner through her mouth. In doing do, she cleared her mind of such musing, focusing on her body and she brought her hands to rest ready at her katana. With a swift and precise movement, her eyes shot open and she quick-drawed her blade into a precise upwards slash, taking a single step forward. She paused but a moment, before sheathing her katana, and repeating the action once more.
Lorena
There was a door, in the Lion's embassy, that had remained closed since the Lions went to the city. With the exception of the rare servant, nobody ever came in, and even the noise that filtered through the door was minimal. Thus, it is understandable that the young servant let his broom fall in shock, as the door suddenly slid open.

Miho looked as impeccable aa usual, but that took lots, lots of effort. One of the baggage trains that supplied her company had just derailed spectacularly, and she took several days just to record what had been lost and what had to be replaced. She was not pleased with her efforts, however. To perform efficiently this job she had neglected all her other duties, including her daily exercise. It was a bad habit of hers, this tunnel focus on the task at hand. Her sensei at the Akodo dojo had told her many times that a commander must be able to see the forest, rather than the single tree. But then, how was she supposed to do so when every tree was always about to fall?

She strode forward impetously, ignoring the flustered servant or any heimin in her path. Her limbs were craving for some stretch, and her aching conscience pushed her to work as hard as she could to make up for all the skipped trainings. Perhaps, if she was lucky, the gardens would be empty, and she d be able to spare herself from being seen in such a poor shape. But Lady Sun mustn't have felt very merciful today, because as she entered the garden, she spotted Hotaru.

*Great.*
Hotaru, Katsuhiro s yojimbo, and possibly the best warrior of the Lion embassy. The idea of going through embarrassingly elementary kata as she whipped herself back in shape stung her pride. However, she forced herself to take a step forward, exhaling. *A samurai has only one judge, themselves. It matters not what others think.*

"Matsu-dono." She greeted her. Her voice resembles in some ways a clean scroll, smooth and pristine. "Would it bother you if I were to practice next to you? The gardens should have ample space for us both."

||
Sheryl
Miu, who had rose before Lady Amaterasu could to do her prayers had been settled in the garden in silence. Only until she heard the sheathing of the katana followed up by a less familiar voice. Even though the lion was almost too big and too vibrant to hide, she rose from the garden part of the garden to peek around the corner when she heard the speech of the two. Practice. The two were going to practice. 

Not before had the Kitsu had any form of practice near others. If you don't count the endless hours of practice with her fellow bishamons chosen. The golden eyes sparked as she stepped forwards. Simply bowed down to the two without speaking. The reason for this being that she was only beyond excited. She found herself a straw training dummy. Far enough for them to not get hit, close enough to give her the feeling she was training with them. 

A deep inhale came from the lion as she muttered a few words before striking the dummy. Making it tremble. As a result a grand smile. Miu was clearly lion-like as she tilted her head sideways and stared at the dummy for a second. Then out of the blue she struck again, this time in a flurry. 

||
Sylvester
Hotaru paused mid kata when the voice accompanying the footsteps she had noticed addressed her. Sheathing her katana, Hotaru turned her attention towards the voicing, noting the prescence of one Katsuhiro-sama's Chui. Hotaru bowed to the put-together woman from her waist, though it was not so deep as a bow she might reserve for the Taisa or the Ambassador, it was no less a sign of respect that honored the Ikoma woman's position.

"Chui Ikoma-sama" Hotaru intoned in her bow. Hotaru's voice naturally sat at a lower octave than most women. In this instance, the Matsu woman's tone was voiced in her usual severe respect. "Your presence would not be a bother. I shall ensure there is adequate space for your practice." Hotaru informed, already moving from her position in the center of the garden yard. 

Hotaru moved off to one side and bowed once again to the chui before pulling herself back into a stance. She looked about just ready to begin her focused practice again, when the sound of another broke her focus. Opening her eyes, Hotaru noted Kitsu Miu had entered the space. Hotaru bowed to the formidable woman, acknowledging her with an intoned "Kitsu-san" As the woman did not engage in conversation Hotaru returned once more to her practice.

Hotaru had decided that she would use Ikoma-sama's interruption to move on from the practice of her quick draw. Instead, Hotaru took up the starting stance for one of the many kata the Akodo Bushi School had drilled into her very being. Once more, she took a moment to close her eye, intake a breath, and focus on her intent; practiced perfection. 

Hotaru's movements were swift and controlled. Her face an impassive mask of concentration and focus. The swing of her arm clearly held power behind it as Hotaru moved with a practiced, fluid ease. Hotaru was committed to her duty as a solider. A discerning eye would note however, that after she finished the kata, her breath drew deeper. Hotaru's endurance had waned over the weeks on pony back. 

Hotaru rose each day, ready to meet her death, but that did not mean she would welcome it with open arms. No, Hotaru would not leave this world willingly and her waned endurance would pose a weakness her enemies could exploit. Hotaru did not intend it to exist for a prolonged window. Returning to regimented practice would be the key to that.
Lorena
She tilted her head in thanks as the Matsu made room for her, but the appearance of Miu gave her pause. She hadn't seen her- what if it had been an enemy ambush? Without stopping to think if it was paranoid of her to think like that, she bowed to the giant woman, and also began her practice.

She had some difficulty in grasping her blade. Her hand had grown more annoying after days of wielding a brush, and when she ordered it to take the Katana s hilt it simply refused to collaborate. She remained composed, though; she knew what to do in these cases. First, she stretched her arm as much as she could, to force her forearm muscles to activate, and then she focused on closing each finger, one by one. She wasn't too fond of showing this weakness in front of others but these were her fellow Lions. Her kin, her brother in arms. If she could not trust them with this, then she might as well shut herself in a room without windows and shoot anyone who opens the door.

Finally, her hand did as it was asked, and she could wield her Katana with two hands, starting her kata. She also followed the patterns taught by the Akodo School, efficient movements made for deadly precision, and though she was leagues behind the Hotaru s skill, she performed the kata as well as you could ask any bushi to. But it did not come without costs; like Hotaru, the journey and then days spent sitting had dented her endurance considerably, and her left hand felt no different than a wooden prosthesis. Only Miu, somehow, seemed as formidable as ever. As she brought back the blade into the first position, tip raised high, she felt unsatisfied. 

*Not good enough.* Not only her endurance, but her senses felt dulled by all that bureaucracy. Her mother had always told her that a fight and a dance may seem similar, but you should never make the mistake to confound one with the other.

She had just performed the kata as a pretty dance, without imagining how it could her against an assailing enemy, an hidden slash. 

She needed someone that could help her go back in the right mindset, show her what happened if she made a mistake. She knew what to do. 

She waited patiently for one of them to stop, cleaning what sweat had appeared on her brow. Once either of them seemed to be done, she bows her head politely, her voice unaltered despite the physical activity. "Would you mind sparring with me, honored samurai? You can pick the type of combat. All i need is a real opponent." She knew both of them would probably best her pretty easily at their respective things, but she didn't care for that. Despite her arrogance, she wasn't blind to others' skills or her own shortfalls; if anything, she was glad to measure herself against more skilled opponents, to learn from what they did right.

||
Sylvester
Hotaru's rythmic movements followed the steps of the same kata for half an hour before the repetitive action finally took its toll. As Hotaru brough her katana down in strike, the ache that had built in her shoulder finally demanded she break to re-streatch.

Pausing to wipe sweat off her brow at least once, Hotaru considereded her shoulder as she streatched. 
Her shoulder had proved problematic for Hotaru ever since she had taken the arrow for Katsuhiro-sama some years previous. That had been a shit battle. Hotaru had been unable to remove the arrowhead that had wedged past her armor and into her shoulder, during the fighting. The best she had achieved was snapping the wooden end off, so that it, at least, would not have impinged her vision. The legion's medics had managed to help the wound heal over, but the damage had been done and Hotaru was left all the more frustrated for it.

*Perhaps one day, Kami-willing, this damn thing will finally stop creating problems for me* Hotaru grumbled to herself, letting out a short, frustrated hiss at the situation.

The Matsu warrior was soon pulled from her reverie, however, as she was streatching her arm, by the Chui's query. Hotaru looked to the shorter woman and nodded with a short bow. "Of course! I would be honored to Chui-sama." She intoned. 

The query had surprised Hotaru. It was rare for her to be asked to spar by those outside her own company, but Hotaru held no compunctions practicing with the severe woman. A real opponent would prove to make her morning work-out more enjoyable no doubt. 

"Do you wish a spar with our blades?" She queried the woman, turning her body to give her full attention to the woman. Hotaru knew that she had been prompted to choose the format but, until this moment, they had both been drawing blades. Hotaru surmised that perhaps the Chui was simply being polite in asking for a partner.

||
Lorena
~~waiting to see if miu wants to put in a post, btw! Take your time, know you re busy right now~~

"If that is your choice of weapon." Miho was dead serious in her offer; some samurai praised the superiority of this or that weapon over the others, but she was a firm believer that each weapon was a tool for a certain situation, and all should be practiced equally. Katana was as good of a choice as anything else.

"Regardless, let us move to the centre. I wouldn't want to ruin this beautiful garden." She did as she said, opening and closing her left hand to make sure it wouldn't be an issue. Just because the odds weren't in her favour, that didn't mean she wouldn't try her hardest to win. *Besides, it s about time I see if she s as good as they say.*

||
Sylvester
"I shall retrieve a pair of bokken for our use then Chui-sama" Hotaru nods, taking her leave and striding across the grass to enter the embassy. A few minutes passed, and Hotaru returned, a pair of bokken in hand. She paused infront of Miho, who had indeed taken up a place more central to the garden clearing now. "Chui-sama" Hotaru acknowledge as she handed the practice substitute to the other woman.

Hotaru moved a few paces back, facing Miho. "Was there a particular maneuver you would like to drill Chui-sama?" She asked. 

Hotaru was well-aware her superior's combat skills were predominantly held in other areas of combat. She did not view the Ikoma as a poor practitioner of kenjutsu, Katsuhiro-sama would not have appointed a lacking samurai to a role as distinguished as the Chui's. Hotaru was, however, aware that her focus on the blade left her with an upper hand in this scenario. Thinking perhaps, that the Chui sought, like any good samurai should, to practice and improve her skills, Hotaru was happy to allow Ikoma Miho to set their pace. Hotaru was also not aware, that while *Good* At kenjutsu, she was not an instructor and, as she did not hold such a distinguished honor, Hotaru did not want to presume that this was what her fellow Lion was seeking. She would let the Chui set the pace.
Lorena
She took the bokken in her good hand, feeling its weight leisurely. As she did so, she took a good look at the Matsu, taking in a staggering amount of details in but a moment. Not only she was a better duelist, she was also significantly taller, and by her build, strong as an ox. If she fought head to head, she would make quick work of her, but she also noticed that her shoulder seemed to give her some trouble: she could use that weakness. She wasn't all too happy about fighting in this cunning way, but the Akodo taught her there was no shame in fighting with your head.

"No, there is not. My problem is exactly that I am only thinking in terms of rigid maneuvers, schematic kata; I have forgotten how fluid and formless a battle can be. It has been long since my last real fight, I m afraid. I was hoping you could help me remember." She set herself in a light footed stance, bokken in front of her. On her face, perhaps, there was something vaguely similar to a smile. "When you re ready, Matsu-dono. To sudden death."

||
Sylvester
Hearing the Ikoma's words split a ferocious grin across Hotaru's face. *Sudden death huh? Well... I can hardly back down from such a challenge!* She thought with fervor. It had been too long since she had sparred with her brethren and Hotaru relished the chance to fight in such a risk-free setting.

The larger woman barely took a breath from the end of Miho's sentence before she was moving, rolling up onto the balls of her feet and descending like a lion upon it's prey. Hotaru's bokken swung down hard, aimed clearly towards the Ikoma's chest.
Lorena
Miho s bokken raised to block the hit, but surprisingly, it gave little to no resistance, letting Hotaru s strike the air as she moved back. It was much less effortless than it looked, however; the Matsu s speed had surprised her, and she could feel her bokken shake from the strength of the swing. If she wasn't careful, this would finish quickly. 

She brought back her bokken, this time in a low position. As Hotaru covered the distance again, still frighteningly fast, she responded with a swing of her own, to the side of her wounded shoulder. Even if she would not hit, the parry would strain her injury, hopefully.

||
Sylvester
Hotaru had expected her swing to be blocked, but maybe should have anticipated the Ikoma would parry and evade instead of taking the full force of the blow. Nevertheless, she took advantage of the momentum and continued to advance with another swift step forward, drawing the bokken back to a neutral position she could strike again from. 

Having initially stepped off her advance with her right foot, however, had Hotaru's left following up on the advance. The eager grin that had plastered Hotaru's face a second ago twisted into a grimace as she was forced to bring her bokken up in defence. Hotaru's earlier repetitive movements had worn on her shoulder's tolerance and its aching was certainly prominent, the scarred muscles protesting as she maneuvered her bokken around to block. 

Hotaru had to bring herself to a full stop to block the blow. The position was less than advantageous and Hotaru found herself having to twist back and around to her right to safely exit the block. Hotaru used the movement to come about-face a few paces away from Miho to her left, where she was forming herself into a more defensive stance. Hotaru's gaze was focused wholly on the Chui now, watchfull for the woman's next move.

||
Lorena
Miho had to repress a grin as she saw the Matsu retreat. This was just a small victory, she reminded herself; now Hotaru would be aware of her plan, and would be more careful. *Not the typical Matsu, she s patient.* She mused, as she thought of a new plan. And then she sprang.

This time she took the initiative, rushing at Hotaru with all the speed she was capable of; closing in on a taller opponent was dangerous, she d have to do it quickly. Once more, she charged a slash towards her injured shoulder, but right as she seemed about to let it fly she changed trajectory and struck with the tip, aiming at Hotaru s chest. Hit and run, this was the way, hit and run till she could not lift her blade anymore. 

||
Sylvester
Hotaru was sure the Ikoma Chui had noted her shoulder as a weakness. Through her retreat, she had hoped to confirm this judgement, and to get a sense for how her opponent acted on the offensive. 

Hotaru watched the smaller woman's body. *A blade will move last afterall* And Hotaru had felt vindicated when she saw the woman's movements start in another swing to her left. Hotaru, with no intention to force a block, moved to pivot back on her right foot in an evasion that mirrored her earlier prioette away. When the slash transitioned into a forwards strike however, Hotaru found herself having to maneuver her bokken so that it prevented the fortuitously dodged strike from becoming a slash back towards her.

Pushing her bokken forward predominantly with her right arm to push Miho's bokken to the side to hopefully give her time, Hotaru allowed her momentum from the pivot to bring her back grazing past Miho's left shoulder. She dropped her left arm from the bokken, leaving her righ arm holding it extended alongside Moho's left. Hotaru had to halt the instinctual descent of her left hand to her wakazashi to bring round into Miho's un-defended back. Instead of blade though, it was palm that met between the Ikoma's shoulders. As Hotaru's twist came full circle, she shoved the woman forward, hoping to push her off balance as she brough herself and her bokken back around to bear in defense.

Hotaru's breath drew heavy from the action, and the grin was back on her face. "That was a close one!"

||
Lorena
Again, Miho was surprised by the Matsu's agility. As the yojimbo took control of her thrust and forced her to overextend, she lost sight of Hotaru, and she instinctively covered the back of her neck with her free hand, as it protect it from a knife or impair an incoming chokehold: but this was a spar, and Hotaru didn't plan to kill her, so all she got was a hand on her back and a push. Miho considered herself to be quite built, but Hotaru pushed her away as if she was a child, forcing her to stumble for several steps before she could regain her balance, snapping back towards her adversary.

"Liar. If this was a real fight, I would dead now." Miho was not smiling, not exactly, but her expression definitely looked brighter than usual. Alcohol and battle were the only things that could get her to loosen a bit, as both activated the most primal part of one s brain. And when the risk of death was not on the table, a fight was definitely the most enjoyable option of the two.

She moved her tip in a circular pattern, staring straight at the Matsu; she would not be toyed with like a student readying for gempuku, she would either win this bout or be defeated swiftly. So, she devised a new strategy; instead of rushing the Matsu, she started inching closer to her bit by bit, bokken close to her body to parry any sudden slashes; this put her at risk of sudden lunges, but it was a risk she had to take. She kept moving closer, and closer, until the yojimbo finally reacted, and once she did, she suddenly met her halfway through her strike, forcing her in a bind; it was her first hard block in the entire duel, she hoped it would take the Matsu by surprise.

Already her arms protested from blocking such a blow and she could feel that the Matsu would soon win the bind, but she had no intention of staying there; instead, she quickly freed her blade from the bind she had initiated herself, and pounced straight to her opponent, her blade sliding off hers. It was less of a thrust and more of a tackle, aiming to "Impale" Her adversary on the sword in front of her; it was an all or nothing attack, and whether she would win or lose, it would depend in its success.

|| feel free to knock her ass out if you want to
Sylvester
"I thought it rude to draw steel." Hotaru chuckled in response, her grin widening as Miho began her careful approach. Hotaru held her bokken in a loose grip before her, ready to react at a moments notice. "Besides... It would be unfortunate to bear Taisa-sama's wrath were I to kill you in practise Chui-sama" 

Hotaru mostly held her ground as Miho circled her, only ever shuffling her feet slightly to keep her front facing her opponent. Had Hotaru been younger brother, her patience would not have held and she would have lunged first. Hotaru was no beserker though, no... Her training was of the Akodo, and there was more forethought to her actions than overwhealming offense. Hotaru found it wise to not underestimate an enemy. Certainly, she could be the lion's fury in battle, but she much preferred luring her combatants in. In striking, lesser opponenents often left openings Hotaru held no qualms in exploiting. Some might call her craven for such deception, but Hotaru knew, that in war 'there were only two alternatives: to win, or die". Hotaru much preferred living, to fight for her lord on another day. 

Hotaru's grin shifted to impassive focus as Miho crept nearer, knowing the time would be soon. It was a careful thing, timing a lunge when an enemy approached. Too soon and the opponent could run, too late... Too late and your enemy had already hit you. The moment came though, as Miho just stepped within a comfortable lunging range. As the woman was halfway through her next that was the moment Hotaru chose.

Hotaru took a short step forward, pushing off her right, and used it to gain momentum to cover the distance between the pair through a lunge. From the right foot she landed on, Hotaru carried the momentum forward, bringing her bokken to bear with the full force of her behind it.

She was impressed when the Chui's block held, but as she felt the Ikoma's arms giving way to her strength and height, she knew the quick-witted woman was unlikely to keep holding her position. Hotaru knew the moment had come when she felt the sudden give. 

Hotaru's feet shuffled to prevent her from falling forward but her arms and bokken would still fall down and forward from the sudden give. Hotaru knew Miho's bokken would be coming for her though and she would not be able to bring her own up in time for a defence. It was instinct again then, that had Hotaru's falling left hand leave the bokken's hilt to draw her wazakashi as she took a step back. The blade lay flat along Hotaru's forearm as she gripped it in reverse to block the incoming bokken, pushing it up.

Hotaru ducked down and forward under the rising bokken, her shoulder straining as she leveraged the practice weapon up, revealing the Chui's now defenceless torso. Hotaru's own bokken, rose up from where it had fallen low, to impact solidly in a slash along Miho's lower abdomen in a move that would have disemboweled the woman had Hotaru's weapon been cold steel instead of wood.

Hotaru's movement halted then, her breath heavy and sweat on her brow. Hotaru's long hair hung down, but the shorter crop of the top of her head meant no strands fell over her vision. "I think that's match" The Matsu grunted out. Hotaru adjusted her shoulder. It brought Miho's bokken closer down towards Hotaru's body, but the painful pitch was not one she wanted to hold long. Hotaru did not move to break from the awkward stance that had won her the fight though, her bokken resting now against Miho's torso. The Matsu woman would not lay down her weapons until her enemies no longer threatened her. It was instinct, even if this was only practice. 

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Lorena
She felt a rush of adrenaline as she saw her bokken fall low, the path to her torso like a paved road. However, it was cut short as she noticed Hotaru's hand reach for the wakizashi. She tried to cancel her move, digging her heels on the ground, but it was too little, too late; Hotaru s blade dented her practice sword as she lifted with one hand her two handed weapon(!), locking her in a defenseless position. Even if she had been fast enough to react, the wakizashi digging in her bokken made it impossible to dislodge it in time, so all she could do was watch as Hotaru prepared the blow that would be her undoing; she even had the chance to appreciate her seamless strike as it raised. She appreciated it a little less after it connected.

Her abs gave in like a paper screen as the weapon drove hard into her belly, knocking the wind out of her. She curved, bent in half by the crushing pain, but still held her bokken tightly, an habit drilled relentlessly by her sensei; don't drop your weapon,no matter what.

Overall, her composure is admirable; except for the simply biological reaction, she does not make any sound to express her pain nor does her face deforms, though it looks like a leathery mask being pulled way too hard. After a long moment which just involved her filling her lungs and trying to convince her midsection to collaborate, she finally disdolged her practice sword from the wakizashi and took a step back, letting it on the ground. Her voice is altered by her heavy breath and her crying nerves, but its undertone remains essentially unaltered, pure ink falling on clean paper. ||~~advantage: impeccable~~||

"You are as fearsome as you look, Matsu-dono. It is, indeed, match." She bowed to her, a bit deeper than a moment ago. Not that she didn't respect her before, but there was a kind of acknowledgement a bushi could only get by proving their mettle in a battle, warrior against warrior. She was already thinking about what she could learn from what she had shown her today. *I should work on my draw, it s not just something for duelists... Maybe put on more muscle mass? No, my frame isn't built for that, It d just slow me down. Perhaps just improve my endurance...?*

||
Sylvester
Hotaru returned the bow, meeting the Chui's depth, after sheathing her wakizashi. As she straightened, Hotaru rolled out her left shoulder. "Thank you, Chui-sama. Yours was a good showing."
*Indeed, Ikoma-sama thinks well on her feet.* She mused to herself. 

It had been a good match, though the increased depth of her breath only emphasized to Hotaru that she had some work on her endurance to do. *As much as I enjoyed Kenshin-san's company, ponyback does not suit me* Hotaru concluded. 

Hotaru swept her eyes over the Ikoma, wanting to ensure she had avoided causing any lasting injuries. This seemed to be the case. *Good, Injury was not my intent*. The Chui's silence denoted to Hotaru though, that perhaps the woman was reflecting on the fight. Hotaru was unsure if it was her place to provide insight to her superior, but... Perhaps the woman would appreciate it. Hotaru knew Ikoma Miho to be hardworking and critical, she just hoped the other woman would not take her words the wrong way. 

"Your wits are sharp Chui-sama, moreso than mine. You had the right instincts to aim for my left. Your folley lay in over extending yourself. Committing wholly to a forward blow may overpower an inferior foe, but when there is equality or vast difference in strength, you are better to remain light on your feet and flexible. When you gave way to my blow, instead of lunging, had you pivoted around me, the force of my forward motion may have prevented me from turning to react in time." 

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Lorena
Indeed, she was surprised when the Matsu offered her advise. On her part, she would have never dared impart lessons on a superior unless specifically asked to, or at least do so in a non direct way. Yet, she didn't mind at all; her advice was sound, and as father said, there is no shame in learning.

"Your advice is very precious to me, Matsu-dono. I hope I ll be able to put it to use, next time we spar." That was not a affectation; she *Did* Mean to spar the Matsu again, perhaps a day in which her stomach wasn't going through the five stages of grief. When she found an obstacle she couldn't surpass, her approach was to try until she found a way to overcome it. Maybe she would need to start wearing a kendo mask, to not appear in front of ambassadors with bruises on her face.

She bowed once more to the Matsu and then, exhaling slowly, she picked up her bokken, offering to take Hotaru s as well. She offered a bow to the Kitsu, who hadn't said a word since she arrived here, and then made her way out of the garden, to retrieve the bokken herself. Yes, she was feeling stretched now.

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Sylvester
"I look forward to it Chui-sama" Hotaru intoned, bowing in turn, though a modicum lower, to her superior before the Ikoma had left the field.

*Good. It appears I did not offend* Hotaru mused. She was sure Chui-sama was more than capable of analyzing the fight and assessing her own shortcomings, but Hotaru was a firm believer that staying silent would help nobody. If her own insight would improve the Ikoma's skills, then the Lion clan would only be stronger for it, and this suited Hotaru. She would relish the chance to practice with the Chui again. No doubt time and experience against herself would yield more worthy fights. 

Hotaru did not retreat back into the Lion Embassy at the conclusion of the spar. Instead, hotaru travelled to the edge of the clearing, where the trees began to shade the ground. There Hotaru knelt and closed her eyes. She would take some time to reflect on the fight and alow her upset shoulder time to settle before she returned to drills.
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Sheryl
Miu had observed every little thing of it. How they had sparred, their movements and techniques. All whilst still punching the straw dummy in the same place over and over. Her knuckles were bruised by this point, but not as bruised as the dummy. So when she saw Hotaru walk off, identifying the damage on her shoulder within a moment due to Hotaru speaking about it, she followed. Silently. Miu had settled down next to Hotaru for a second. *"Hold still."* The Kitsu started to slightly hum a melody as she summoned a healing spell to take the strain of said shoulder. It only took a minute. Then she stood once more, bowed down, went back to punching the dummy over in a mindless manner. Alas that seemed. This time with the other hand. 

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Sylvester
Hotaru looked at Miu with shock for a moment when the other woman settled near her, having not noticed with her eyes closed. At the Kitsu's words she held herself tensly, her teeth grinding on each other. The soldier's eyes were wary and distrustful through the entire process, but she remained still as demanded. 

Hotaru only realised what the Kitsu was doing when the insesent aching in her shoulder started to abate, swiftly fading to nothing. Hotaru nodded a bow to Miu. "Thank you, Miu-san" She intoned, though there was still a wary countenance in Hotaru's body language. As Miu stood and moved off, it took Hotaru a full minute to relax back into a state she could adequately meditate in. 

||Flaw: Distrusts the Spiritual
Sheryl
|| End of scene! Thank you for the scene! ❤️