Who is Queen? [Shishiyuki, Kasha]

"I do not need your praise to know that."

Breathing deeply to recenter herself, Shishiyuki slowly moved her arms into a new stance, her body now relaxed as she performed one of her most fundamental Mukokyu Ougi, the Suzukaze. A simple self-rejuvenation technique, which healed one's body at the expense of much of their ability to exert significant spiritual energy. Of course, it could not remove the scars that Kasha had left, but Shishiyuki had never chosen to heal over a scar in her life.

"I see your childish sense of humor is untainted even by a beating such as that. If nothing else, I commend your tenacity."

In truth, Shishiyuki greatly respected the elder Kasha's ability to simply ignore her injury and continue to act so brazenly. It was something that very few would have had the ability to do, but considering her demeanor, Shishiyuki was not willing to concede any ground to her.

"I will accompany you. If I am to meet your student here, it would only be a waste of my time to travel home and then return."

She laughed a little bit while making her way through gritted teeth at the destroyed legs. Maybe she should invest in her student's techniques, a lot of his own philosophy was built on the rejuvination and rebirth properties of the phoenix rather than the fire itself.

"Good, attention whores are the worst. Don't expect me to be kissing your ass now though. Childish? I guess it's immature but would you prefer I talk like I have a stick up my ass?"

That's the thing that didn't make itself clear to the woman was why her student would even give Shishiyuki the time of day. Maybe she was two-faced and only acted formal for the sake of it but that was also opposed to Kasha's own life philosophy.

"Good and while we enjoy the after fight relaxation. Maybe you'd like to tell me what your intentions with my student are?"

Kasha did well the comments in her usual blasé attitude, not yielding the information to Shishiyuki that she actually did care about her student's wellbeing under her tough exterior but she was too prideful to admit that he had grown on her like some kind of cancer and maybe that's why she did want to know why the Family Head was actually interested in him under the pretense of acting like a mother.

If she thought more about the way she was lacing multiple meanings, she might've been disgusted with herself but it wasn't on her mind.

"I would prefer you speak frankly. Honesty is more refreshing than any sauna might be."

Shishiyuki found it faintly amusing that Kasha still pursued this line of thought, and she cut a sideways glance toward her at it. Even if she did find the confidence in it admirable, the question itself was less so. If anything, it bordered on the improper, not that Shishiyuki would chide her for that. There would be no point in it, even if she did care.

"My intentions for your student are rather far from what you seem so assured is the case. His counsel has proven quite valuable to me, and he provides a perspective on matters which tends to be distant from my own."

Of course, Shishiyuki had no intention of speaking even a word of the more personal side of her conversations with the younger Kasha. She was quite willing to simply make it seem as though she spoke to him only regarding official matters.

"I'm glad we're of same mind then. Though you seem a little off about that."

The glamour kido and the way she fell into a similar circumstance as Kasha did, the younger one of course. The extreme of the master's way of life made it almost impossible to fit into the puzzle that was their family but her student tried to balance both and that's what she thought of Shishiyuki. Like attracted like after all, didn't it?

"Good. I'd hate it if he was being exploited by a strong, older woman who is so dominant and more experienced than him. Though frankly, I don't really think you're his type. I'm surprised that you two even associate at all."

There was a faint stagger from the pain making her lapse in focus just a minor hiccup before she reorientated herself and make sure that she stayed upright. She wasn't looking to be on her knees before this woman unless she asked really nicely so that defiant rebellious nature of her's made her catch herself and continue into the nice and simple sauna that she spent more time than she ought to in.

Kasha seemed happy to talk about her student, though it might've only been because Shishiyuki wasn't exactly wanting to discuss the finer points that the teacher thought to herself to keep Shishiyuki engaged in coversation. What else were they going to do while relaxing in a sauna? Sit here in awkward silence staring at each other. That was stupid.

"I respect honesty, but you know as well as I that my role as the head of this family demands I not always abide by it."

There was no other way to describe how Shishiyuki felt about this situation than to simply say that she hated it. She hated to feel such a degree of connection to a woman such as this, and certainly hated that she felt little concern about opening herself up. Perhaps it was simply the knowledge that Kasha had no interest in tearing down those masks Shishiyuki wore. Or, perhaps, it was simply because she knew she could deal with Kasha if it became a problem.

"Regardless of how often you reiterate your stance that he and I have any sort of relationship in that regard, it remains untrue. Our association began over shogi, and discussion over family matters followed."

Shishiyuki wasn't the sort to simply lay out everything the two had discussed, least of all the matter of how able the younger Kasha may have been to take his master's place. As far as she was concerned, that part of the conversation had never even happened.

"I find it more curious that you seem so attached to the idea of his love life at all."

"Alright, now you're just flattering yourself. Isn't a lady allowed to be interested in her student's love life? It's nonexistent, you know."

She shrugged from beside the family head, rolling her neck and getting rid of some of the tension and pain from that fight. A lot more blissful in here.

"So what official matters is my student so helpful on assisting the Head's decisions, if you want to tell me that is?"

"Certainly. But there is hardly any reason to simply insist on it."

Shishiyuki hardly cared, in truth, whether or not she was legitimately seen as involved with the younger Kasha. If anything, it would likely create something of a discontent among the estate that she would find faintly amusing, but at the same time, that was not exactly a goal she was willing to strive toward.

"He has kept me appraised of the more radical or unorthodox views of some of the younger members of the family. Offers a quite different perspective from the typical heads of the schools and the branch families. My position has obscured those outlooks, and I welcome his input."

"Ah to be young and rebellious again."

She said like she wasn't still every bit of a handful as she was in her hay day. Granted, at least now she secluded herself and kept to her own rather than make trouble of her own accord.

"So what? Gonna bring in your sweeping reforms? Need someone to beat the others into agreeing?"

Her eyes said that she got her if she needed the support for all the wrong reasons. She just wanted to beat the others up and justify the ability to be a violent bitch to them.

How Shishiyuki longed to tell her that question was a childish and immature one, that such a thing was well outside her own intention. However, she would not do so. Chiefly because, whether or not she cared to admit it openly, this was a place she would prefer to speak honestly.

"The day may come when I ask such a thing of you. I will look forward to the opportunity to fight alongside you should that day come."

She could not deny that the course of things was certainly changing, especially if she now had such freedom as to actively share the company of someone such as the elder Kasha. Perhaps even worse, to enjoy it. But Shishiyuki would not admit that. That she still had not hidden her scars away was admission enough.

"Heh. If you fight like you did with me, then we got nothing to worry about."

She spoke proudly, unknown whether she was praising herself or Shishiyuki more with the whole statement of being able to take on every other master of the Koizumi's martial school at once but really Kasha wasn't too interested in the whole uproar that it would cause - if she got to kick those punks' asses then any excuse was enough. Noble or not in cause.

"You're alright though, if you want to fight again feel free to come along. It's good to blow of steam and I don't mind someone like you ruining my body in whatever ways you're good at."

Kasha didn't elaborate on just how much she could get away with or what kind of ruining she meant. Her eyes were pretty fixated on the scarred form of Shishiyuki for the length of the talk though.

"Anyway, tell me. What's the deal with hiding those things? Don't want to show off or ashamed? No.. you wouldn't be ashamed of them, but still seems kinda weird to just hide them under a layer of magic. I think you look better like this."

A hundred times better frankly but Kasha did have an acquired taste for people who's bodies demonstrated their experience written into their flesh. Something about a blank canvas was so boring after all, no one wanted to look at something so bland. Her student didn't get that unfortunately.