Flicker Flames(Rio/Kasha)

Rio would have never imagined she'd be selected or even volunteer at the Shinoretsujin Academy - as a substitute teacher no less - and yet here she was walking through the corridors of the academy, arriving at a training hall where other students should have been and yet things played out differently. No one was present at the moment.

The Shihoin defender had decided to volunteer and place her name in for consideration in the event the academy needed a substitute and it just so happened that today, the academy was short on hakuda instructors. Funny how things work, eh? She arrives and no one is here. Fun stroke of luck, yeah?

Much to her chagrin, there were no students to be seen which caused Rio to assume one or two things - either class was canceled entirely of perhaps she had gotten her schedules mixed up and either came too early or too late? Unable to ascertain the answer immediately, Rio decided to enter the training hall of the academy and engage in some training herself, silently working through her techniques as she settled into a routine.

There was no reason to leave immediately and Rio figured within the next few moments she would find out whether she had arrived too early or missed the opportunity to teach a class altogether. She would be mildly disappointed in the latter but not entirely defeated. If at least one student arrived, Rio could even call the day a success. It'd make the volunteer work actually feel it held meaning, truth be told.

Rio possessed enough awareness to sense someone else's presence and brought her movements to a pause, turning her eyes towards the presence of what appeared to be a female returning to grab some papers? Rio frowned inwardly, an inkling forming in her mind that she had arrived later than she intended.

If she allowed Kasha to leave, closure would elude her yet. Rio called out to the woman as she approached her, sheepishly smiling as she gazed at Kasha.

"Pardon me, miss. My name is Rio Shihoin. I was supposed to be teaching a class today in place of someone else. No one's here and I can't quite tell if I'm here too early or I've arrived too late It's been bothering me ever since I've arrived."

Rio sighed somewhat defeatedly with a light pout on her face as she rubbed the back of her head. Her suspicions were confirmed and Rio had to accept that her first day as a substitute had went poorly. As a woman with her sense of honor and etiquette, arriving late was not particularly desirable but she nevertheless remained composed.

She committed to the thought of arriving on time if she was chosen to be a substitute again. She wasn't a woman who strived for perfection but discipline was well in line with ethics. In the meantime, Rio supposed engaging in an after class conversation with the

Bowing before Kasha politely, she decided to engage the woman in conversation. She seemed pleasant enough to talk to.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss. Were you a student in this class?" Rio tilted her head in curiosity.

"I can respect and even admire your formality, Kasha, but you've no need to be so formal with me. Rio is just fine. That said, I will do my best to arrive on time next time, if they even give me a next time. Subsitute teacher jobs can be weird.."

Koizumi...Rio would pause for a moment before it dawned on her that the Koizumi were one of the great noble families in the soul society. "Ah, you're from a noble family, too, huh? It's a pleasure to meet a fellow noble... especially in an unexpected fashion such as this. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, though. Your beauty and manners definitely exude a graceful and studious nature." It was true. From her formal approach and quiet nature, she found Kasha to be quite amusing to speak to.

Ohohohohoho? Rio was taken aback by the compliment but she would be an absolute liar to say she wasn't dancing victoriously within her mind. No matter how much of a middle ground they reached, Rio would always maintain some sense of competition towards her sister and would always feel as if the position she was handed was one handed to her without so much as earning it. To hear that she was every bit as fitting and a display of elegance compared to Chidori?

If there were already brownie points at the beginning, they skyrocketed within the flash of an eye. Kasha Koizumi was a five-star lady in her book. A soft smile on her face, Rio was actually somewhat surprised to know Kasha had met Chidori and although she was curious to ask, Rio had known her sister long enough to know the impression couldn't have been a good one. At all.

"That compliment is nothing short of an honor and I wholly receive it with nothing but flattery and pride in my heart. I'm sorry your first impression of us was with my sister, though.. I've never particularly seen eye to eye with her and I find her rather annoying, even if we are sisters."