Just another Rookie *Open*

In her own quiet rebellion, Kaiyo had donned her red and blue robe; it wasn't that she severely disliked her academy one, but she'd grown attached to her own. Wearing the robe open to reveal a plain white shirt was somewhat a style choice as well, the mild wind of the day fluttered it gently against her torso and the constant reminder that even after death she could feel, well it was something she needed right now.

The outdoor training grounds were nearly always busy, but on a Sunday afternoon, just after everyone had eaten, they dropped silent. Feeling a little claustrophobic around so many other people, the girl had devoted such time to quiet reflection. The open aggression of this new world was not one she was quite ready for yet. The overt willingness of her classmates to leap into battle and attack their peers, it mirrored only the girl's own doubt. She'd been so quickly thrown into the Soul Reaper academy that it had seemed only logical for her to exist her. For the time being, it was just a means to an end. Something to occupy her with beyond the fearful mortality she faced with every breath she took.

Kaiyo ruffled her bright blue hair, dragging her hands along her face as she stared. Blankly, at the training dummy ahead of her. Perhaps if she could muster up just the smallest of fighting spirit, she might not feel so lost. So alone. The awkward silence of the clinically cut grass field made the girl laugh slightly, 'One day, you'll tell me your secret' she pointed at the dummy, her hands warm beneath the white wraps.

Shisaku saw her classmate Kaiyo staring at a practice dummy, doing nothing just staring at the thing. "Kaiyo what are you doing? You do know you are supposed to cut the dummy right, not stare at it, right?" Shisaku drew her zanpakto and jumped at the dummy right next to the one Kaiyo was in front of. Shisaku's blade cut right through the dummy. Straight down the middle, leaving the dummy to fall apart.

"Why is it that you do not have the courage to even draw your own blade to a lifeless dummy, you need to learn that if you do not draw your blade you will die."

Kaiyo jumped at the mention of her own name, her muscles tensed in fear, taking a moment to calm herself she shuffled around to find the source of the noise. Her classmate. The fear that had ebbed along her shredded nerves melted away slightly. As politely as she could, the girl's hand stuttered up in the air, for a light 'casual' wave that seemed as forced as a smile with a gun to her back. Somewhat embarrassed to be caught within the depths of her recoiling resolve, the girl's cheeks tinted a light shade of pink. Hopefully Shisaku wouldn't notice.

Her mouth lingered open with excuses better left unsaid as the girl in front of her darted towards another dummy and sliced it down with apparent expertise. Kaiyo was a little jealous of her. The broken figure looked so forlorn on the ground, so beaten and dead...Could she strike a living creature so easily?

Avoiding glancing down to the cold metal blade at her hip, Kaiyo looked instead to her companions eyes. Finding not even a whisper of doubt. She had only light humour to turn to; what a sorry excuse for a soul reaper she was. 'Heh, sometimes i feel like i might die with the amount of work they give us' It was a stab in the dark kind of joke, and as soon as she said it she realised how stupid she sounded.

'I guess, when we're just training, i know i'm safe, so i don't need to like, worry about death?' The thought had barely formed in her mind before she stuffed the words out of her mouth.

"What are you talking about, not worrying about death, Just because this is practice does not mean you have to think it is. When I practice, I picture the man who killed me." The face of Yaiba Zetsumei, the assassin that killed her and her family, appeared in her mind

Shisaku studied Kaiyo, she knew that Kaiyo was not much of a fighter, Shisaku knew that had to change. Also Shisaku knew Kaiyo was good at running, in fact that was all she was good at. "Kaiyo, why is it that you always run from fights, why dont you stay and take down your opponent, so you do not have to deal with them any more?"

Kaiyo was taken a-back by the brutal honesty of this girl, her willingness to openly imagine the man who killed her. Perhaps she was fortunate to have such a drive to power and strength. In image of her own death involuntarily shot into the girl's vision, her eyes widened in panic as the explosive noise filled her ears, the bright white light flashing and burning her vision as she flickered back to reality. Feeling a slight sweat at her forehead. 'I don't really have anyone to think of like that...' she muttered, ashamed of her cowardly death, the girl shuffled slightly. Feeling a slight tingle of energy as her elbow knocked the hilt of her black blade. So cold and dark, she was yet to even accept such a weapon as her own.

More bold words, this girl clearly had no normal boundaries. The question was so on the mark that it threw the girl, and she could only swallow the doubt that welled up in her stomach at the mention. Still, that same nervous smile dropped to her face, hiding her turmoil of emotions behind the placid grin. 'I guess...Erm' Her eyes were darting around Shisaku's gaze, un-willing to lay the truth that she hadn't even worked out yet, on the line.

'I can move quick, and avoid attacks, and get away safe so, in a way i kind of win?' Her logic was so flawed. So unreasonable and ridiculous. She shuffled her feet closer together, feeling her heart starting to rattle against her rib-cage. 'Why do you think you always need to fight? Sometimes you can just talk- like this' she gestured lightly. Like a small animal caught in a trap, Kaiyo could just tell this girl wouldn't accept such poor arguments.

"Do conversations win wars Kaiyo, do they?" Shisaku felt like she was being harsh, but Kaiyo can not win a single fight by dodging. "Kaiyo, I know it is pushing it, but i think for you to train, well actually train, you need to experience a real fight. So let's spar."

Kaiyo felt a bit more pressured at this question. She knew the answer that was expected, and she knew her resistance to such an answer as well. A rogue strand of blue hair drooped down across her eyes, she sighed lightly. The girl was no fool, she knew actions spoke louder than words, and against such enemies as the shinigami's, there was little reason in talking. Still, with a blade as cold and dark as her own, she was even struggling to believe it to truly be hers.

Kaiyo raised her head slightly, her eyes tracing up and down Shisaku.Shit. This girl was serious. Her breathing felt bated already, her eyes hollowed with what felt like tunnel vision. Was this right? To practice fighting for the fight itself? Kaiyo's mouth opened to protest, but her dried out mouth didn't even dare attempt and make the sounds. Her friend seemed so certain with her resolve as well, so she doubted she could sway her mind.

Instead, the blue haired girl nodded. Noticing only now how damn tall Shisaku was, the woman's slender figure was clearly deceptive of the strength she knew her classmate possessed. Kaiyo was shorter, her figure somewhat less slender for her more obvious strength; the core muscles that had come with her own fitness regime had built upon her speed. Her fighting ability was nothing to brag about though.

'Okay' she confirmed, shuffling back slowly into a vague stance for fighting. The black metal blade at her hip caught the sunlight, shimmering with a tantalising power that the girl assumed she would never fully understand. Regardless, she slowly unsheathed her blade. Shuddering at the noise it made, slicing from it's sheath. Her sword was however, too short to require two hands, so her left arm just flopped at the side of her body; like a dead fish. She smiled weakly, already feeling the beads of sweat forming at her forehead.

'I'm ready, I-I think' Trying to sound more confident had failed...

Wow I thought she would have said something more like 'thanks but I have to go eat lunch' or at least some thing to give her an excuse to run. Shisaku moved her sword to the middle of her body, and grabbed it with her other hand, allowing her to hit with more force. Shisaku knew that Kaiyo was fast, so Shisaku would have to trick her classmate to even go for a blow.

Shisaku bent her knees and flexed her arms. She then proceed to jump to the right and roll behind Kaiyo. Shisaku Jumped up bring her sword with her. going to cut Kaiyo's back. If Kaiyo did not react in time Shisaku would stop her sword, and not cut Kaiyo.

Kaiyo tried to emulate he opponent, not even fully realising she was doing it as she bent her knees slightly. It seemed wrong, her stance felt so uncomfortable and awkward that there was simply no way it could be right. At this particular moment there, there simply wasn't the time to dwell on such matters. Her large blue eyes bore into her opponent, their flickering pigments quaking in a panic that shook her core. It was stupid really. For a future shinigami to be so afraid of even a light spar, her life was still not in danger exactly, but it wasn't what she'd call 'safe' either.

Shisaku jumped. Kaiyo froze for a moment, paralysed by fear her fight or flight response kicked in just in time. Though the latter was clearly the preference for this soul. Twisting around to meet her opponent, her blade hand stuttered upwards for a split second, as if she was going to try and block the strike. Then things went awry.

Kaiyo dropped her blade to the ground, throwing her body to the right as she rolled to safety. Blushing heavily as she stood back up to her feet, just staring, bewildered at her abandoned blade in front of her opponent. It seemed like victory was quite unlikely. Kaiyo dragged her hand through her messy hair, gritting her teeth in annoyance as she sighed. Finding her own display simply pathetic.

'I think i'll just...Maybe we should stop for today?' she whimpered, so defeated already.