Who is Queen? [Shishiyuki, Kasha]

While Shishiyuki had much to do, as it turned out, not all of it took terribly much of her time. She was busy only in the sense that she had a great deal of tasks that needed addressing, but seeing as her only individual pupil was away, she did not have much that actually demanded her time.

Well, better to find one of the few people she actually enjoyed speaking with then. She knew the homes and dojos of each school and each branch of the Koizumi, and as such she naturally knew where to go to find Kasha. Of course, even as the head of the family, she would not deign to simply enter the place without a proper formal greeting. She instead informed the attendants of her arrival and sat seiza, patient and polite as always.

Hopefully Kasha did not keep her waiting.

Kasha had been lounging around the sauna when attendents informed her of the head being here she had not actually anticipated this but it did draw a look of pure smug energy at the knowledge. In taking her time, Kasha dried off from the relaxing session which helped get all the tension out of her limbs and slid on the black hakama. A brief moment to consider how much she cared about wrapping her chest and it turned out not a lot.

This was her little realm, Head or not she didn't give a shit if she didn't like it. The worst that would happen was that it might provoke a fight and Kasha loved a fight. So when she walked out with hair that was still wet the tall woman greeted Shishiyuki with a smirk.

"What a surprise. Looking for my student I take it? I would not have imagined him as your type, a little bit on the softer girly side but he is quite big isn't he?"

Her hand came up and flicked her hair to send some droplets flying away. Absolute confidence as she made the comments about the two of them - even if said statements were based entirely off trying to be inflammatory. Gods, she loved to antagonise people for no reason other than her own amusement. Her little runt of a student hated it which only drove her to keep on doing it.

This was certainly not the Kasha that Shishiyuki had come to see, nor had she come to see the woman in such a state. Even so, her position demanded cordiality, though that was tempered a touch at the way Kasha chose to greet her. It was then tempered further as she remembered the words of the younger Kasha, and she stood from her seiza with an obvious expression of disapproval.

"My interest in your student is hardly born of such base matters, though I suppose I ought expect no other assumption but that from you."

It was certainly true that Shishiyuki did not know the elder Kasha as well as she knew other members of her family, but that was not strictly a matter of not having any time. She was quite aware that the woman was generally unpleasant, and she had simply avoided speaking with her whenever necessary. Unfortunately, she had now found herself in that position.

"If he is not here, then I will refrain from wasting any more of my time by no doubt contributing to what passes as entertainment for you."

"Ooo, more lovey huh? I guess a snob like you would get a bit hooked after a cock shock or something like that."

The way that Shishiyuki immediate jumped to retreating just made her grin with a little bit more glee. People that ran away from her demeanour really were the biggest kinds of cowards to her.

"Didn't take you for the cowardly type either, you clearly had the time set aside to spend with him makes that all the more pathetic to use an excuse like that to leave. Not even gonna wait around for him to get back? Kind of rude to your boyfriend ohohoho~."

Despite her appearance of a ruffian, this was still a lady of nobility and the oujo laugh that followed her verbal abuse would've more appropriately been replaced with some kind of cackle or hearty laugh.

"I should think waiting for him in any other location in all Soul Society would be preferable to spending another moment listening to your childish idea of humor."

Despite her words, however, Shishiyuki did not yet turn to leave. She instead simply met Kasha's confident gaze with eyes that conveyed profound disappointment, more than anything else. She typically had higher expectations of her family than this.

"I am many things, Kasha, but a coward is certainly not one of them. Remember to whom you are speaking and show the proper respect. I would not wish to embarrass you in your own estate."

For being stated so calmly, it was a quite bold declaration that Shishiyuki had made, an overwhelming statement of confidence in her ability to overshadow Kasha's abilities. Of course, she was genuinely that confident, but in most cases she would not think to speak about herself so highly. It was only in this instance, when she felt the need to put someone into their place.

Hook, line and sinker. Kasha felt triumphant at the way Shishiyuki responded and tried to hold the higher ground. She hated that obnoxious attitude, she was born a noble but she loathed everything about the lifestyle all her life. Even the way that Shishiyuki felt obliged to try and remind her of some title that she didn't care about.

"Listen here, bitch. I'll tell you the same thing I beat into Kasha. Respect is earned by merit, not something you get with your prissy little title. Some snotnose like you wants it then you'll earn it but I guess the Head who earned her position by everyone wussing out would like me to back down as well, right?"

The words were venomous but Kasha didn't have any malice behind them. It was fairly obvious that she didn't have a bone in her body that cared about offending her or praising her. She was just speaking her mind because she knew being honest and talking to everyone as she naturally did was enough to provoke them.

It did amuse her though at the way that Shishiyuki viewed defeat as something to be embarrassed about though. Win or lose, Kasha only cared about the experience. If it was fun then she couldn't care less about the result of a fight. As long as she got the satisfaction that lead up to it.

Ah, and there it was. The response Shishiyuki had already expected, and perhaps on some level, the one she had been fishing for when she gave Kasha such a threat. It had been far too long since she had anyone that she knew could give her something resembling a challenge, and even longer since she had someone she felt thoroughly justified in crushing to dust.

"I see no reason why I ought to expect anything else from the head of a school which dared not even challenge me, and which still has not done so in nearly a thousand years. Bold of you to accuse me of cowardice."

Despite her restrained manner of insult, in truth, she was simply waiting for the first opportunity to strike this woman. Shishiyuki was many things, but lacking in self-control was certainly not one of them. Even as she mentally readied herself to respond to any strike, or to make her own, her body itself gave not a single indication that she had even considered violence.

Finally, the crap was cut even though she didn't try and take any kind of roundabout way for it. She wanted to fight Shishiyuki, it was as simple as that. She had nothing against this woman nor would she hold a grudge for whatever happened afterwards. It was like a little bit of sexy fun you got, fights with no strings attached were always the most enjoyable.

"Fighting you sounds fun, challenging you to take on your boring role doesn't. You think the other schools want a bunch of delinquents of the Phoenix Crown Fist to run things? Hell, you think we even care about the rest of you?"

She made no effort to elaborate on the circumstances of that because it frankly it wasn't relevant nor was her past any of Shishiyuki's damn business for that matter. The small scowl from recalling that memory was hidden by the fact that she had already turned around and sent a couple of droplets to assail Shishiyuki's pretty face while walking inside and expecting the judgy stuckup to follow along.

As far as residence it was incredibly plain and the particular preference for what would normally be a proper tatami mat set-up on the floor was instead just plain smooth rock. When you practised a style that involved fire-tinted reiatsu it made her predecessors quickly decide that maybe just having smooth rock was a better option.

"No killing. All else goes. Don't forget you manners now, Lady Shishiyuki"

Kasha said while continuing a further into the large depression that made up the training area her predecessors, would-be successor and herself used. A nice suitable distance between them before she turned, suddenly formal just to screw with Shishiyuki a little more by making another step before fighting.

"Koizumi Kasha, The Flowing Flame-like Bird of the Phoenix Crown Fist."

This was exactly what Shishiyuki had desired. But, of course, it was still all too important that she maintain the pretense otherwise. That this was nothing but a matter of pride and of principle.

"I suspect the other schools know that they need not worry about the matter, whether or not you chose to challenge me."

Kasha may have chosen not to elaborate, but that was irrelevant to Shishiyuki regardless. She hardly would have listened to whatever it might have been that the woman could say, and she stepped onto the stone floor of the dojo with confidence and poise, even knowing that she soon would no longer maintain such.

"Do you wish that I remember my manners, or that anything goes? Ah, do not bother to answer. I already know well."

Removing her outerwear for the sake of the fight and casting it to the side, Shishiyuki took up but one of the countless stances that she knew without even needing to think. It was all for show, of course. Her style did not rely on any single stance. It was simply a matter of maintaining one's form. As she took up her stance, however, she allowed the full array of her cosmetic kido to lower, the exceptional array of scars which covered her body now quite plain to see. If Kasha wished to make a boast of her marred body, then Shishiyuki would certainly take the opportunity to show her what the body of a true master looked like.

"Koizumi Shishiyuki, Sage Who Knows Ten Thousand Words of the One Second, Thousand Stanza Song."

"Sexy."

She broke the silence with a smug comment at the way she dropped the cosmetic kido and the moment that Kasha's mouth spoke those words it was the ideal time for her to drop the stillness between them. Despite her rough exterior she was not stupid, an unorthordox usage of the style would be needed if she wanted to catch Shishiyuki off-guard you know, something so new that the Sage of Ten Thousand Words couldn't have had a chance to read it.

It's a good thing her student did just that and while she constantly chided his demeanour, Kasha only tormented him with disapproval to provoke him to keep going down that path. She raised him and she knew the kind of stubborn temperment he had. Just that she never let it seem like that she was taking in anything that she was being shown.

Scarlet Reaching Fist was her opener. It was her own little specialty where she took advantage of the reiatsu vents on her wrists to expel her reiatsu as searing heat which made it seem as though she was striking from a distance. The sweeping way she moved her hand in front of her would hopefully leave outlines of burns in the shape of claw marks over Shishiyuki's stomach.

"Let's have fun with it, 'kay?"