Training Day (Open to One)

“Huh?” Meninas replied, blinking in surprise at what the blonde Quincy said. Where had that come from all of a sudden? The tall Sternritter could feel her cheeks turn slightly red and she spent a few moments umming and erring again in her head, trying to figure out what on Earth to say to that. No one had ever said anything like that to her before and the awkward six footer was taken aback more than just a little. Her fellow Quincy was pretty and the pink haired woman couldn’t help but notice that but…wait? Why was she thinking that?

Shaking her head as she tried to pull herself together, the Sternritter would summon her gauntlets in order to show that a bow wasn’t the be all and end all. They were rather pink and fluffy in appearance but they sure packed a punch. “These are my main spirit weapons and I find them so much easier to summon than my bow. Maybe if you focus on how you’d like to fight rather than how you think you should, you may just summon something easier for you to use.”

There was a part of the Sternritter that hoped that she’d misheard what the blonde Quincy had said previously. Not because it upset her but because she honestly didn’t know what to say in reply. Meninas had thought that maybe her new friend was just so excited about her seemingly new way of thinking about her powers that she just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Yet, that didn’t seem to be the case and the pinkness that had tinged Meninas’s cheeks returned, almost matching her hair. There was no way that she could hide her surprise and she was rather slow in replying, as she tried to figure out her own thoughts.

Meninas had never been a girl who’d ever thought too much about such things, never having felt any affection for anyone who her father had tried to put her with. More than once had he encouraged her to at least mingle with suitors but she’d just continued with her own routine. Her brothers had taunted her about it, throwing slurs at her on a regular basis, accusing her of being either homosexual or simply too stupid to understand how romance worked. Yet, she shrugged it off, as she always did but as she tried to reply to the blonde Quincy, she couldn’t help but think that maybe they had a point.

There was another part of her though that actually appreciated what the woman was saying and Meninas couldn’t help but look at the cheerful Quincy. She’d already noted the woman’s beauty but there was something about the way she carried herself that the tall Sternritter admired. In some ways, Meninas could be just as direct although that was mainly because she handled most of her issues with her fists. Such was the life of a big farm girl.

“No one has ever said that to me before.” She asked nervously, the confidence that she’d spoken with when they’d been talking about training seemed to seep away. “Do you…mean that?”

Once she was able to get past all of her flustered musings and actually think straight, Meninas came to appreciate what the blonde woman said. She honestly had no idea about whether her fellow Quincy was serious, even now, given how she seemed to sometimes jump between topics but whether it was the case or not, the Sternritter wouldn’t forget what was said. It was nice to hear and for a few moments, she couldn’t help but admire the form of the woman although it naturally turned her cheeks pink again. For a long time, she’d been debating with herself about her own orientation and if her early experiences in the Vandenreich had taught her anything in that regard, it was that she spent an awful lot more time thinking about other women than men, when she thought of non-training things at all. She had to be honest and open with herself. Meninas was interested in women and only them.

By the time she focused back on what Anis was doing, the blonde woman was already channelling her reishi, resulting in a pair of mighty cannons to form over her arms. They looked threatening for sure and Meninas didn’t have to think twice about what they were probably capable of. Anis had spoken already about how her gloves somewhat reined in her powers, which was enough to convince Meninas that without them, she’d no doubt be capable of dealing a lot of damage. Yet, it seemed that even with them, Anis could do the same, as with a thunderous blast, the ground would shake as the blonde woman released a mighty blast of energy, causing a large hole to form in the opposite wall.

Effective indeed.

However, it came with a cost and Meninas quickly moved over to the broken piece of wall that Anis had been blasted into, a look of concern crossing her face as she tossed a few bits of debris out of the way with her gauntlets. She worked quickly and without any thought about how it might look or appear, scooped the blonde Quincy into her arms when she came across her and then walked back out of the hole.

Looking at the damage that Anis had caused for a moment, the tall Sternritter would then glance down at her fellow Quincy. “Phew. That was a close one. Are you feeling alright?”

There was a noticeable blush appearing on Meninas’s face again as she noticed the effect that Anis’s powers were having, having to look away for a moment to hide her embarrassment. She assumed that the blonde woman was using a form of Blut, one that seemed to be rather strong, even more so than her own, which was fairly powerful itself. The Sternritter had never seen such a type before and wondered how on Earth Anis had managed to conjure such an art, given the gloves that she wore to restrict her powers. Just showed how much spirit energy Anis had, Meninas supposed.

As Anis thanked her and walked away, Meninas thought for a second about whether to let her go or not, a little concerned about what she’d just seen. In the end, she managed to push aside her anxiety and went after her, placing a large hand gently on her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re OK? That was a nasty crash just now and that Blut of yours is like nothing I’ve felt before. Maybe I should stay with you for a bit, just to make sure.” It was rather bold for her but she was genuinely worried about her new friend.

The power radiating from the Blut was enough that Meninas felt a tingle running through her body as her hand rested on Anis’s shoulder. It was a rather clear sign that the pink haired Sternritter still had work to do on mastering her own, as she certainly didn’t have such a stylish name for hers. No, it was a level above hers for sure although as she thought about it more, the anxious warrior mused that maybe she didn’t want to have a Blut that made her appear see through. Still, it was a motivation of sorts, knowing that there was another stage for her to reach.

Clenching and unclenching her hands a few times as she let go, she replied, uttering her thoughts aloud. “You can say that again. I felt a jolt through my body just from touching you then.”

Her expression turned blank at first when Anis offered a suggestion about what they could do next and it was only after it registered that her eyes grew rather wide with embarrassment again. She wanted to what? The thought caused her cheeks to blush once more but she couldn’t help but briefly look at her new friend, her mind drifting somewhere that it had never had before. Ever since she’d joined the Vandenreich, her mind had been opened to so much, not just strength wise but facts about herself as well.

“You…want me to shower with you?” For a woman so broad physically, it was amazing just how quiet Meninas could speak when she was embarrassed.