Chance meeting (Stella/Isamu)

"Guilty as charged. Not only are you lovely on the eyes, but you're pretty perceptive, too."

An inward stride carried him forward within the space of a single movement, allowing him to meet her head-as the refined wooden blade and spirit weapon clashed. He could feel the strength behind her attack, but several years of martial prowess allowed him to respond without missing a beat. Turning his inward step into a momentum shift, he thrusted his backfoot against the ground in an attempt to force the woman backward with his weapon. Were it to prove successful, he'd immediately shift in at her left side to swing the wooden stick against her midsection. A negligible blow, really, but firm enough to cause minor discomfort and imbalance.

"And strong, too. A fine woman on all fronts."

"Oho? It looks like we're evenly matched..."

Voicing that thought as the woman held her balance and pressed her axe against the refined blade of wood in hand, Isamu mused softly at her martial technique. From a quick observation, he could tell this wasn't her first rodeo or even her second. She knew what battle felt like. He pulled back to allow her a followup as that spirit axe roared through the air against the branch in his hand.

The pressure would've been enough to break it if Isamu didn't transition into continously refining its consitution. Thus, the mere stick that should break in half remains stalwart, resisting the axe. And in addition to that, he stepped forward, using his own strength push her back as he grew a touch more serious than before.

"Impressive, right?" He mused playfully, enjoying this light clash.

"For years, honestly. Most will claim that, but I was born and raised in a dojo for most of my life. It's where I learned my manipulation techniques and swordsmanship. I'm no expert on Quincy stuff, but I could probably teach you a thing or two about martial arts if you'd like."

Reinforcement against reinforcement, eh? It was a wise move and the most suitable option at hand. He wouldn't proclaim he was vastly familiar with Quincy, and he had never been hired to take out any that crossed his path, but he knew enough to understand the basic 101. As such, he responded accordingly, reinforcing his weapon with energy to match her own as that axe crashed down on the wooden blade once again.

This time, her reinforcement worked in her favor as a subtle crack began to appear within the weapon. A small smirk played across his features as he held his defensive stance. With enough training, she could be quite the fighter. She had the basics down, and from his point of view, she struck him as the type who was willing to learn and study others to improve her repertoire. Ideal traits for a student. Even so, admiring her could wait for a few minutes more. He wasn't willing to yield just yet, and he offered another expenditure of refinement in one final stand, testing to see if the woman would break through.

"Show me more. Strike with all your might, Stella. When the opportunity's in front of ya, take it. That's basic swordsmanship 101. Though... I guess that doesn't apply much since we don't have blades. Haha."

"That's the spirit. Just like that."

Ah, the ferocity behind her strike was livelier than he expected. In bringing her all to bear, she applied a greater deal of pressure, outclassing her efforts from before. Even with his reinforcement, genuine cracks were beginning to show on the wooden stick amplified by mediumship.

There was a reasonable limit that this weapon could go, and Isamu hadn't been aiming to turn this into a duel in the climatic sense.

This was merely a test and visual. Thus, that final stroke of her axe proved the piece of wood's bane as it cut through. To avoid a cut himself, he simply focused enough reiryoku around his palm to catch the axe as he smiled.

"Victory is yours, Stella. Good job. That was a pretty entertaining bout, all things considered."

"I plan on frequenting this place a few more times, so I'm sure we'll be keepin' in touch one way or another. Of course, if ya want to exchange contacts, I wouldn't mind that, either."

Isamu offered a pleasant smile as the spirit weapon pressed against his palm vanished. The offer sounded relatively fine to him. His schedule was relatively ideal for stuff like this, and he didn't mind sparring with her, showing her techniques she could apply in a real battle - if the situation called for it, that is. He took a moment to observe her appearance with the earrings, content that she chose a nice accessory to compliment her charming face. Grabbing his bag from the bench, he turned back to her, offering parting words.

"Pleasure talkin' to ya, Stella. If everyone else in the City of Lights is like you, I've no doubt I'll be enjoyin' my time here for a while. Stay safe, and remember, if you need to reach me, you can probably find me somewhere downtown amid all the hustle and bustle of the city."