The New Generation [Hyosuke/Hana. CLOSED]

It had been a long time since Hyosuke had seen fit to personally teach an extended class in one of the dojo owned by his family. Indeed it was quite accurate to say he had fallen into something of a melancholy as of late. Much had changed about the Soul Society as of late, a fact that left no small amount of bitterness in the Ex-Captain's mouth, like raw coffee grounds or lemon tarts, but even so he held enough of a sense of pride in his once role and loyalty to the Soul Society that he had pulled himself from his duties of nobility and politics to once again make a spectacle of himself with an umbrella at his hip.

That last thought brought a chuckle to his lips and as he finished sweeping out the dojo he pondered on what some of his house would say on seeing him like this, or indeed what another noble would think. He had purposely orchestrated today so that he would be the one responsible for cleaning and prepping the dojo, sweeping it by hand, placing the mats, and even indicating it was open for the day. Some would call it scandalous, others tedious, but Hyosuke didn't quite do all of this out of a sudden spark of humility. No. He wanted to see what the new generation of this Gotei United were made of his with his own... well... eye.

In the end he had taken to leaving a few flyers around the Academy and upper Rukongai districts, hoping that maybe some students would have the drive to seek further practice, but also leaving enough that even currently active Shinigami were more than welcome to stop by. He doubted one of the active Captains would make an appearance, and almost chuckled again at the notion, but even so as Hyosuke set the broom aside in the back of the dojo and went out from to open it up for anyone who wished to stop by, he would then return himself inside and reward himself with a cup of Jasmine tea, seated traditionally at the front of the room, and would simply wait.

Hana was never the most ambitious person. She didn't have enough to care about to want to do anything more than read, enjoy some juice, and relax. However, after her first patrol, she realized that her skills weren't up to standards that she could approve of. She started imagining her new friends getting hurt because she couldn't help, or letting someone down because she panicked or froze in combat. She did enough to pass her classes at the Academy, but that wasn't enough. She had to do more, to become more, so when she began seeing these flyers in places around the Rukon, and even at the academy, she thought maybe this was how she could get some help. She couldn't rely on Lerna; they both had jobs to do.

As she approached the dojo, she hesitated before she could be seen. She had to talk herself up again. Going back to her house just to read when she could be making something of herself was not only selfish, but stupid. She took a deep breath, walked up to the doors and stepped inside..

"Hello?" Hana called out until her eyes fell on a man with long black hair. "Um, good afternoon. I found this flyer and thought... Well, truthfully, I don't know what I thought, but I am here to give the dojo a try, if you approve, of course."

Hyosuke peered up over the rim of his tea cup as a small voice called out to him. His singular eye catching sight of a young woman he actually knew. With a gentle, appreciative sigh would Hyosuke set the cup and small plate accompanying it down and stand with excellent swiftness. A single, fluid motion moving Benicho Kogo around his body and unfurled the wagasa into a crimson circle above his head. Giving Hana a small smile Hyosuke would nod and chuckle to himself, motioning with his free hand for Hana to enter.

"Approve? Of the daughter of the Aoyama family joining me, of course. I believe it's.... Hana yes?"

Hyosuke took a brief moment to look Hana over, towering all but a foot over the small Shinigami, and nodded again. His demeanor lax and friendly, if still maintaining a proper posture and air of formality.

"Yes, of course. No mistaking the hair, or the conviction in your eyes. From what I understand you gave your parents quite the headache by becoming a student. With a spirit so fierce I'm not surprised to see you here Hana. As the first student I have taught personally in many years, welcome."

Hyosuke's voice, toward the end, became warmer, almost kind, and he would nod for Hana to remove her shoes before stepping aside to reveal the teapot. Chuckling a bit more earnestly now as he let the air of propriety melt away a bit.

"Care for some tea? I find it helps one relax before the rigors of swordplay, whether in relaxing the mind to learn or muscles to exert in battle."

Should Hana wish it she would be serve warm, only slightly milky, Jasmine tea, while Hyosuke busied himself clearing the dojo more officially before he turned to her and snapped Benichi Kogo shut above his head, turned the wagasa in his hands, and placed it point-down into the floor with his hands resting on the butt of the handle.

"I find, when teaching, it is proper to ask the student wherein they feel their weaknesses lie and, from there, what they would like to focus on in improving. So, tell me, Hana Aoyama the Rebel....."

There was a hint of mirth and teasing in the older Shinigami's voice.

".... what do your instincts tell you would be most productive for YOU to learn, hmm?"

When he motioned for her to come inside, she made sure to remove her shoes first, not wanting to track in the outside world. She set a bag off to the side, hurried over to him, and bowed. "Yes, I am Hana Aoyama," she said. "My apologies, but I don't recognize you. If we met through my father, that is probably why." Hana was surprised about how much he seemed to know about her situation. That's okay. If mother and father were talking about it, she won, at least for now.

"Thank you," Hana said, smiling. "And no, I don't actually like tea. Father says I do that to spite him as well." As she talked, her voice seemed distant. She kept looking around the room, taking in the appearance of the first real dojo she had ever been in. She saw where students practiced, but she didn't think that would be considered an actual dojo. Then he got serious and took on a stance Hana assumed a teacher would, and then asked a question she didn't know how to answer.

"Unfortunately, I cannot say I'm sure," Hana said and looked down at herself. "I am not even suited to become a seated officer at my current level. The only thing I know of my combat skill is that I'm decently quick on my feet and am not utterly horrid at shunpo. I will need guidance in technique for both swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat. I have little to no upper body strength, and I'm sure I can't dodge an incoming feather, so I am only sure that I need a lot of work."

Hyosuke noted Hana's distant tone and how she seemed to be at odds with her father, not even from what Hyosuke had heard but also from just how she spoke of him, a relationship that he could not help but feel very sorry for her over. Hyosuke, even now, loved his father dearly and so he felt a bit of sympathy for the young Shinigami. Drawing in a slow inhale through his nose Hyosuke would pensively hum, listening to Hana describe her capabilities, and would give a soft 'tsk' from his tongue sucking his teeth before nodding.

"Humility serves you well, even if it is rooted mostly in honesty. The swiftest deliverer of death for a warrior is over-confidence and over-estimation of one's abilities. You will often find the greatest boon in battle is to be underestimated by your opponent, whatever your actual level of skill might be."

Hyosuke raised a hand to rub his chin in thought, studying Hana for a moment, before his eyes fell to the blade she carried and he sighed.

"Assuming, from what I can see, you carry a simple Asauchi you have not bonded with yet, then I feel that blade-work may be the correct first step. I have found it useful for young Shinigami to, on the path to that connection, first become comfortable enough with their blades that the grip feels, and how it feels to combat another blade....."

Hyosuke trailed off, glancing down at Benicho Kogo, before chuckling and shaking his head.

"..... Which means I doubt facing an umbrella will do you much good."

Hyosuke would nod at Hana as he walked off to where he had set before and set his Zanpakuto to where it could rest, and called to her.

"Draw your blade Miss Aoyama, I'll be a moment."

Hyosuke would walk into a back room for a brief moment before returning with a practice blade in pristine condition. He gave it's weight a test briefly before attaching the scabbard to his hip and sheathing it, before he would then circle around behind Hana and hum.

"Assume a stance as you would in combat, please. Starting from the ground up, the stance one takes is like their first move in the battle that is combat. Do not worry about whether you think the move is right or wrong, simply do what the grip of your blade guides you to."

Someone was astute, or at least stronger than she could tell. Hana wasn't very good at sensing spiritual pressures, another thing to work on. Now, she wanted to know whether this man was also a shinigami. She really could not remember seeing him before, though it was clear they had met. Hana looked down to her asuachi and tapped it lightly. "I haven't delved into speaking to her, or him, as of now. Even if a voice has yet to come to me, it is my asuachi and I'm proud of it."

Hana said nothing as he examined her, though why the hell would she have been fighting his umbrella? The man went to the back and returned with a practice blade. She was told to unsheathe her blade and take a stance, so she did. It was a simple kendo stance, both hands on the blade. Her posture was perfect and steady. The fact was, she knew the fundamentals. She could do the basics of what came out of a textbook. What was hard was technique, footwork, and using it all in battle.

Hyosuke would continue to come around Hana until he stood in front of her, appraising her calmly, before he took a position a couple feet beyond her blade's end and nodded.

"Good, very good. You've certainly studied the proper form to take, your balance is even, all-in-all an excellent first piece of the puzzle that will come to be your own technique Miss Aoyama."

Hyosuke, seemingly genuinely pleased, had mirth all but dancing in his singular eye as he smiled and pressed his hand not wielding the blade to his chest, indicating himself

"Were I your father I would be immeasurably proud. Not all students of the academy land on their feet when it comes to the first leap into combat."

Hyosuke did not give Hana time to dwell on the praise but instead he took a more unique stance. One hand on his blade, the other off to his side, palm facing out to preserve balance, knees slightly bent and weight purposely not evenly distributed. The practice blade he bore just barely, gingerly, touching flats against Hana's Asauchi as he nodded to her.

"First, we will work on building the first set of responses. If one is to build a technique of their own, everyone needs fundamentals before making them their own. I am going to attempt to take your arm, react how your blade and body tell you, and we will see about refining it."

Moving at a speed he was sure Hana could handle Hyosuke nonetheless made sure to keep his student on her toes. He did not do a telegraphed swipe like some shoddy movie scene, his movements were still conservative, still emanated years of practice purposely dulled down and made slower for her benefit. His blade bobbed, seemingly in time with his own movements and adjusting of his weight, to where his blade barely intersected with almost the very end of Hana's blade before, with a flick of the wrist, he deflected her blade off to an angle, did a small step inward, and sluggishly drew a small slash at the elbow on the opposite side of the direction he had pushed her blade and on the same side his own blade had been. Under normal circumstances this movement would be as quick as physically possible in an effort to make one of an opponent's sword arms useless, but Hyosuke kept the motions tight, showing her the skill required to use it herself, but made it slow so she could see the details of how he moved into the attack.

Hana was not sure what to make of the comment about her father. He was obviously observant, so she knew he could tell they were definitely not getting along. Or wait, did he mean him in the sense of replacing her father? If that was the case, Hana probably wouldn't have minded that. This guy didn't seem like a jerk.

"Coming here today, I was worried you wouldn't accept me due to some century old belief about women and dojos," Hana said. "The fact that you haven't done that makes me think you'd be better suited as a father than the one who aided in my conception. And that is meant to be, at least somewhat, of a compliment."

As they began, Hana was not sure what he meant by taking her arm. Her eyes widened, and she froze. He wasn't coming at her full force, but she still froze up. When her blade was struck, she tensed and closed her eyes, waiting to be struck. Her weak grip let the sword to break free of her hand and clatter to the ground.

Hana looked at it on the ground, blinked, and then looked back to him. Her face was red, blushing from embarrassment. "Shouldn't I learn some swings first, or maybe some footwork!" Hana raised her voice. "You can't just say you're gonna cut off my arm and expect me to react correctly. I'm not good at this! And explain your stance! I remember nothing about such a style in any of the textbooks, and I read a lot!"

Hyosuke did not, in fact, actually cut Hana's arm off... or even cut it at all. Instead the blade stopped a mere inch from her clothing, and Hyosuke silently stared at her as her blade clattered to the ground. His features tightened in a small grimace and, now moving to stand properly before Hana, accepted the small girl's yelling and blushing outrage calmly. With flood dexterity Hyosuke sheathed the blade and crossed his arms, letting her vent. Only once Hana was done did Hyosuke slowly, but purposely, raise an eyebrow at her. It was a motion done with all the weight of, indeed, a parent waiting for the child to realize just how immature they had been in the moment. Whether Hana caught herself or not, Hyosuke would slowly pick up her Asauchi and offer it back to her, the edge facing him as the traditional display of him as a non-threat was obvious. It was a peace gesture.

Only once Hana took her blade back did Hyosuke plant his hands on his hips and sigh slowly.

"While I may not be your father, Lady Aoyama, I am at least your teacher. In so long as you choose to continue to learn, and I to teach."

Hyosuke's voice was soft, deep, but low and firm. It was not a scold, not a reprimand or a slap of the wrist for her to get back in line, to adopt the rigid posture he desired, no instead it relied entirely on Hana choosing to take the dynamic seriously. To respect it's boundaries and realize that Hyosuke's involvement was much more voluntary on his end.

"I am NOT your father, Hana Aoyama, in some ways I will be more unfair to you, unfair as it seems he has been. While in others I would praise and reward you should you act accordingly. Now.... as I suspected you have the rote, the motion, of being a soldier, just as you have the rote and motion of being a noble lady. But both falsehoods have broken at once at something as shallow as a threat from your teacher he could not possibly follow through on."

Now was time for Hyosuke's sharp features to harden, just a tad, and his arms tightened across his chest as leaned forward ever so slightly. There was not true anger in his expression, merely a small amount of seriousness in how he emphasized his words.

"I do not care you are a woman who wishes to do battle, many of the founders of the Gotei were, in fact, women. Women I can expose to war, but children that cannot control themselves, I cannot."

Rubbing his face in a bit of exasperation Hyosuke would then nod, snap his fingers, and exhale through his nose.

"But, you are correct, you are not ready for that yet and it is a good teacher that listens to a student showing their limits. We will try something else....."

Hyosuke would pause, stare at Hana for a short moment, before his expression softened and he gently, very gently, placed a hand atop her head and knelt down to look her in the eye. Something... approaching remorse in his features.

"I will go and retrieve something more to your skillset. I understand battle is stressful, dangerous and bloody and so.... if what I did and said was too great a shock if I return to find you have left because of it I will understand that as well."

Hyosuke then straightened, gently ruffled and pat Hana's head, before walking off deep into the dojo. He would be gone for a couple minutes, but should Hana remain when he returned he would now have, draped over his arms, four odd black circles and what looked to be some sort of black vest. Hyosuke would nod at Hana and, smiling softly, instruct.

"Take another pose, but this time Hana, take one that you were not taught. Something that you feel to be correct."

His words were harsh, but they rang true. She got the message. He did not have to teach her, and she was acting like a child. How inappropriate for someone in her position. Even having broken away from her parents, she still tried to be that perfect little girl... Had she read too many books? Was this a consequence of her constant daydreaming? Hana didn't know, but what Hyosuke did was break her demeanor. The pristine image of a young noble girl who rarely let anything bother her cracked enough to release her frustration. His words about taking her arm were something she took seriously. She knew the old traditions of dojos and how they treated students. It's not like she had ever been to a modern day dojo, so she only had what her books taught her. And she imagined a hundred times what a student-teacher relationship would be like, and this wasn't exactly it... until he pat her head.

He gave her a choice. She could leave as he turned his back. She could turn away and never come back, but there was this part of her that wondered if that would disappoint him. It made little sense. They just m-... No, he did know her, somehow. For while he was out of the room, Hana puffed out her cheeks and pouted. She glanced toward the exit for a brief moment, but decided to stay put, mentally yelling at herself for even thinking about leaving. She didn't know anyone else willing to help train her. She was staying! She waited for him to return, and when he did, her pouting completely vanished. She was not interested in being seen as a child.

She looked curiously at the things he brought back, unsure of what they were for. His request was strange. Take a stance she wasn't taught? Was she supposed to make it up or think of one she saw someone else doing? "What if this just feels comfortable to me?" Hana asked, retaking the normal kendo stance she had previously done. She preferred going routes she read about, or studied before. Her tone did imply that if he insisted on something new, she was willing to change, but first... "What's your name again? It's only fair I know something about you too."