The Grandmaster's Call[Cyrus, Natasha]

Naturally, Natasha had always maintained a professional stance with anything regarding the Grandmaster of the Vandenreich. It wasn't as if she viewed him as some untouchable deity like so many of her other peers, but she always assumedly thought the man was far too busy to engage in anything that could be considered mundane, hardly worth a speck of his time compared to everything else. Like any other leader, Natasha typically figured there was no general use in bothering the man. He was a busy guy, after all. Of course, recent times had shifted that view entirely, altering the way she felt she ought to approach things.

The possibility of losing your home was one hell of a motivator, all things considered. Indulging in that motivation on a day filled with shimmering sunlight and beautiful weather, she approaches the main room of the Vandenreich headquarters where Cyrus resides. They all had to grow stronger now. There was no sugarcoating it, and though she vowed she would protect this man with her life it came to it, what was the harm in letting him get accustomed to the feel of battle again? Men of power who could fight on a battlefield every bit as well as command others with their words were a rare breed, after all. Besides, she'd been meanin' to see what he was all about as a warrior. Firmly rapping her fist against the door, Natasha would call out to the grandmaster in a stern, but still relatively playful, voice.

"You busy, Grandmaster~? I got a proposition for ya'. How does trainin' with a Sternritter Coordinator by the name of Natasha Miller sound?"

Worth a shot, right? Of course it was.

Cyrus was, in fact, not in his office at present. He rarely was, unless he had some meeting or another that he needed to attend to. The Grandmaster couldn't simply sit around and do paperwork, least of all when there was so much to be done around the City of Lights. Still, it wasn't terribly surprising that he would return and find someone expecting him to be there. He'd been known to stay reclusive for long stretches of time, after all. With a faint bit of amusement in his voice, he spoke up from behind the woman as he arrived.

"It sounds perfectly pleasant, Ms. Miller."

His smile was warm, generally pleasant, and of course confident in the manner that Cyrus always seemed to be. He avoided outright arrogance, especially seeing how greatly such a thing had failed him before.

"My schedule is open at present, unless you had been planning to schedule something at a later date?"

Since she reasonably expected to find the Grandmaster in his office, Natasha found herself a little caught off guard by the deep-timbred voice responding to her from behind. Maintaining a semblance of composure to hide her slightly dumbfounded expression, she turned to face Cyrus with a smile. Huh.. that was easier than she thought, but she certainly wasn't making any complaints, and she wasn't looking to hold this off for a later date, either.

Time was a commodity, after all, and he was a busy man. Better to strike the iron while it's hot, no? Waving her hand softly, she stepped away from the door, to walk beside him, contemplating their location of choice. Since he was an archer and she was a gunman, it stood to reason that they should fight in open terrain.

"Not at all, Grandmaster. I know your a busy man, and I've been meanin' to drag ya' out at some point for some fresh air. Might as well take full advantage of the free time in your schedule, ya know~? Anyway, I think an open terrain training ground in the city sounds good since we're both ranged fighters in our own unique way. What about you? Got any specific place in mind, Grandmaster?"

"Have you now? You ought to have asked sooner, then. I would certainly have made time for you, Ms. Miller."

He would have done so for anyone in the Vandenreich, of course. That was simply who Cyrus was, as a man and as a leader. Still, there seemed to be a faintly more personal touch to his voice, but perhaps that was simply the natural charisma of a man who had built an organization such as his.

"I would imagine that your suggestion is perfectly suitable. Unless you wish to commandeer the seaside arena for our purposes, given there are no fights for the moment? Perhaps the Vandenreich would appreciate seeing the Grandmaster apply himself again as spectators."

Cyrus' tone was lighthearted, a joking sort of self-deprecation to his tone, but it didn't lose any of its confidence, and it was clear that he quite genuinely meant that suggestion.

"Is that so~? Well, you know how the old sayin' goes. Better late than never. Besides, I can always make up for lost time, Grandmaster. Dependin' on how much time your willin' to make, of course."

There was a naturally playful touch to her voice, yet it still maintained a firm degree of genuine intent on her part. Perhaps it was bold of her to speak so casually to him like this, but she simply didn't enjoy the thought of holding anyone on a pedestal to the point they no longer felt like a human. He was the Grandmaster of the Vandenreich, yes, but he was still likely a man with emotions and ambitions like anyone else from her perspective. His were simply way more important than others.

"Huh, you know that might be a way better idea than my open terrain suggestion..."

Cyrus secondary suggestion actually elicited a curious smile from the coordinator. Now, that was a thought. She had assumed a open terrain would be the ideal play here, but the thought of commandeering the Seaside Arena for their training felt far too enticing to pass up. What better way to display your talents than for everyone else to see you? It achieved a twofold purpose of showing the people what he still offered as a warrior, and his potential moving forward.

"Alright, let's run with your suggestion, Grandmaster. I like the idea of us showin' the people what we're made of. Where do we go to get things started, though? I'm still new to Seaside. Would we need to set up and notify the officials beforehand, or do we just put in formal requests?"

"How dedicated of you, Ms. Miller. Then by all means, simply give the word when you wish to see me and I will find the time in my schedule for you."

His voice matched hers, upbeat and lighthearted, yet unilaterally earnest in his words. Cyrus did not mind that confidence in others; if anything, he considered it an appealing trait to see. It was what had drawn his eye to Mr. Eisfluch as a potential successor, after all, and it certainly raised Ms. Miller a few notches in his eyes as well.

"Given there are no matches being held for now, we hardly need to inform anyone. After all, I am the Grandmaster. There is little chance I will be turned away if I say I am using a perfectly suitable ground for the sake of a battle, hm?"

Of course, without the assistance of the shinigami who had been helping with the exhibitions, it wasn't as if the full defenses of the arena would be in place, and in general it would surely be a much quieter locale. But that was perfectly fine. This was, ultimately, something only for Ms. Miller and the Vandenreich's eyes. Cyrus hardly cared much what the Gotei might think if they watched.

"That's the spirit, Grandmaster. I might be givin' the word sooner than ya think, then! Sure, we're sparrin' today, but I reckon' a nice day out on the town'll do your spirit wonders, too. Since I know my way around, I'd be more than happy to accompany you. Actually, how does tomorrow sound?"

Though it was somewhat unexpected given the perception she had built of him from afar, hearing that upbeat and lighthearted tone in his voice had only encouraged the woman further to display her own cheerful spirit, and the playful charm that often accompanied it. Natasha wasn't simply trying to push her luck here, either. She truly believed even a moment of relaxation could do the spirit wonders. A day out on the town. A moment where he could be someone else other than Grandmaster. He could be himself for once. If this was how he was outside of the professional setting? She was definitely curious to explore that side even further. For now, she was content with the match at hand.

According to him, there was no need to go through any complicated channels, and they could get right to meat of things. That suited her just fine, too. She couldn't deny that she wasn't the slightest bit eager to see him in action, to witness a display of his respective talent against her own. What'd make it even better is that other civilians of the city and those of the Vandenreich would be able to get a glimpse of those capabilities, too. In other words, a battle like this would do wonders for their overall morale. Placing a hand at her hip, Natasha would direct her hazel-colored gaze toward the distance. Fortunately, the arena wasn't too far, and the trip wouldn't take too long even if they chose to travel by foot.

"Alrighty then, Grandmaster. I can't argue with that. If anything, somethin' spontaneous like this suits me just fine, too. Hell, I'm gettin' excited already. Alrighty, then! Let's go there and put on a show for the Vandenreich, shall we~?"

With that, Natasha would walk side by side with Cyrus. There was ample enough time to fill any silence with conversation if he so desired, but if not, Natasha had simply contented herself quietly with the success of having pulled him out this far. If she succeeded even further? Even better.

"Oh? I certainly have no qualms about that. A day on the town with you sounds lovely, Ms. Miller, so I would certainly be willing to have your company."

Compared to the demeanor of the Grandmaster, Cyrus' everyday composure was more relaxed, more casual, even if there was still an obvious formality and gravity to everything he said. He was, after all, still rather old, from an exceptionally traditional family, and he knew his role demanded no small degree of respectability. Even when relaxed, he carried himself with undeniable sharpness.

"I do hope I do not disappoint, but my style is not one for much showmanship. My family's style is straightforward, and much of what might have been so awe-inspiring to see has left my repertoire."

He didn't feel much need to elaborate further on that, but despite the rather bleak circumstances of what had happened, Cyrus' tone and attitude didn't change. After all, few would ever know the extent of what had happened, and that was not a weight he would put upon them. Besides, that was then, and this was now. Looking to the past had done him rather little good to this point.

"No kiddin'? It's a date, then, Grandmaster. Today and tomorrow are gonna be a blast. Soldier's promise."

Two in a row? Fortune really did favor the bold, after all, huh? From her point of view, Natasha had presumably thought a spar would be the ceiling of their interaction. His acceptance of the idea was proof that her initial conjecture was wrong, and that filled her with a genuine sense of victory. It was incredibly bold to ask one's superior out on a day on the town, but it never had been her style to turn down a challenge.

After offering a playful salute at the end of her statement, Natasha continued traveling beside Cyrus as they headed through the entryway leading to the arena. His words did not fall on deaf ears, of course, prompting a pause in her movement as she turned around to gaze at him with a confident expression across her face. He was going to be her opponent soon, but she wanted him to walk into the match with high spirits, even if his tone didn't indicate any particular sign of dejection.

"C'mon, sweetheart. Don't go downplayin' yerself like that. I think the Vandenreich will be plenty excited to see their Grandmaster displayin' his skills in action, regardless of how flashy they are. At the end of the day, s'long as ya give it everything ya got, that's all that any of us can really ask for, Grandmaster."

Patting him softly on one of his shoulders, offering a playful wink to drive her point across in its entirety, Natasha would point towards the light through the tunnel they were currently traveling through, a clearing leading to the arena. This pleasant conversation would take a pause soon, but that was quite alright with her. It was time for the Vandenreich to see their Grandmaster take center stage.

"Looks like we're just about here. I hope yer' ready cuz' I'm goin' to give it everything I got!"

"My, a date, hm? Shall I bring flowers?"

Stepping into the arena with a smile, Cyrus simply watched Natasha's hand with some amusement. He wasn't especially certain if she was being serious, or if she was simply earnestly this friendly, but he was willing to indulge the woman in either respect. His steps were confident as he walked onto the stage, his spirit weapon manifesting in his hand. It was a straightforward bow, simple by comparison to countless others in the City of Lights. Yet it pulsed and thrummed with power, and he drew back the string as Natasha prepared for combat.

"Very well, Ms. Miller. I will do my utmost not to hold back."

Releasing the string, a heilig pfeil far stronger than typical shot forward from the bow, a perfectly straight line that cut through the air like a knife. It had been a long while since Cyrus used his spirit weapon, and he could feel the rust that needed shaking off. This would be quite pleasant, even if he came out battered and bruised.