Under Recover [Ajora/Mirai]

The sparks of electrical spirit energy were an interesting, and in some ways, beautiful effect. They felt a bit too much for a spar, but if Ajora wanted to go that seriously, that was okay. Mirai wouldn’t exactly match such aggressiveness, so she chose to stay on the defensive. Anything she would do is counter to allow Ajora to push her offensive skills. However, even though Mirai’s skill with reikaku wasn’t special, it was decently accurate. Her job required the skill. This is why she was able to tell about where Ajora would actually pull off an attack: the front.

Taking advantage of her speed and flexibility, Mirai suddenly ducked down beneath the first incoming kick. Trying to block or parry would have been foolish. She already realized Ajora's strength was beyond her own, and dodging was always safer. And when the second kick came, all Mirai had to do was continue the motion. As Ajora's second kick whirled over her head, Mirai pushed one leg upwards, aiming for the underside of Ajora's jaw. At the same time, the bent leg that kept her grounded straightened and pushed her back up to a standing position.

"You seem to have a love for battle," Mirai said before she shunpo'd back. She chose not to attack again and ended up about ten feet away. "That look in your eyes is quite fierce." Mirai, on the other hand, was not the biggest fan of fighting. She knew how to do it well, but violence was something she only accepted because of her job. She found little pleasure in it, something Ajora might be able to sense in her tone. "And thank you... For the compliment, I mean." Mirai kept her stance up, continuing to wait for Ajora to make another attack. The more Mirai watched the woman, the better she would be able to advise her. She need more data.

Ajora was not entirely wrong about sparring, but Mirai saw that as a very negative view. She used sparring to keep up fundamentals, to make sure she didn't get rusty. Sparring to go all out could get someone killed, especially if the terms of the spar weren't agreed upon beforehand. Their current spar was a good example. They talked about Hakuda and helping Ajora get better at that, yet Ajora was throwing up high level restraining kido? She wasn't coming off as a very trustworthy sparring partner, so Mirai could understand where others may want to avoid her all together.

There was that snapping sound again, like a crack of electricity whenever Ajora utilized shunpo. Or was it something else? It did not seem to carry the exactly same characteristics as the technique she was used to. The first yellow line of reiryoku formed, then the second started. Mirai moved. It was a quick and simple use of shunpo to rush her through the open end of the triangle before Ajora could close it.

Ajora adjusted well, reacting quickly to Mirai's movement. An open palm aimed straight for her chest. Mirai knew she couldn't fully block it, but she rapidly wrapped an open hand in reiryoku and placed it between Ajora's palm and her chest. Instead of the full force, she used her reiryoku as a way of cushioning the blow. There was a low, pained grunt and she slid back a few feet before taking in a sharp breath.

In a moment, Mirai slid the already formed reiryoku to the tip of her index finger and aimed a powerful flick at Ajora's chest, mimicking the woman's target zone. The technique was Oni Dekopin. She did not put much power behind it, but there would likely be enough to send Ajora back if she struck her. "That was a hakuda technique, not kido." Mirai said, her tone trying to push a certain point as she retook her fighting stance. "Do you have a habit of falling back to what you're comfortable with in combat? Is that what that was? I'm adept at it, but I don't teach kido."

"Mm... I supposed you have a point." Mirai said, letting it go. She wasn't the type to debate the explanations people gave her; she learned to relent to all that years ago. She knew she had a strange outlook on the world and the people in it. Well, maybe not strange, but different enough that it often caused friction between herself and people she met. over the years, she had just gotten used to misunderstandings.

"No need to apologize," Mirai said, dropping her arms, but still mostly in her combat stance and expecting another sudden attack. "Ajora, if you choose to dedicate yourself to this Division, you may find yourself paranoid, mistrusting of anyone you meet, assuming the worst... because that will be a lot of what you see. Not everyone is ready for this life. For your sake, make sure that's what you want."

Mirai went silent. Thought had to be put into whatever response she came up with. She tried to dissect how serious Ajora was about not trusting anyone. Was that one of those casual, angst filled statements that couldn’t be taken at face value, or was that a serious, blanket fact, which would make Ajora look like a paranoid psychotic. Either way, both of those weren’t anything Mirai had interest in dealing with.

"How disappointing," Mirai said, dropping her stance fully. There was no point in continuing the spar. "You must live a very lonely life if you truly trust no one."

The smile Ajora offered only increased Mirai's suspicion of the woman. While their conversation had been as pleasant as could be, there was something off putting about Ajora's attitude, like she was over analyzing Mirai's behavior and words. Mirai was not one who liked being put under the microscope, even though that was often a part of her own job. She ignored it, like she ignored many other things.

"Sure, I don't mind." She was hungry enough, and her training session had gone on long enough, even before Ajora arrived. She took the time to clean up her targets and put away her weapons before tagging along with her strange new acquaintance. Maybe talking over food would help build a trust between them.