Cadias

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, The Yard, Sado Sanei paused for a moment. "Agreed," she said. Without further ado, she charged at Eshai once more, sword held high.

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, The Yard, Sado Sanei had been on the defensive for too long. It was time to put some pressure on Eshai, she decided. With that in mind, Sanei gripped her sword tightly and charged at Eshai.

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, the Yard, Sado As Eshai raised her Kanabo, Sanei rolled over. She was beginning to feel the strain of having to use telekinesis so much- she'd trained to use her Mindarm abilities and sword in concert, but had so far been unable to bring her weapon into play. Time to change that. She kept rolling to avoid the club-like weapon. Once she felt she was safely out of the way, she stopped. Narrowing her eyes, she focused on Eshai's stomach. The telekinetic push she sent Eshai's way was smaller than the others, but more focused- about the equivalent of being punched. Hopefully, it would be enough to make adjusting the course of the Kanabo impossible.

IC: Geklan - Ga-Koro Theriss had received the money with icy silence, which Geklan took as a bad sign. If Theriss Durim isn't even slightly cheered by a bag of widgets, then you know you're in trouble. He watched in uncharacteristic silence as Theriss and Barthel argued about something or other, some joke he'd just missed or something. Had anyone looked his way, they would have noticed him scribbling down some notes on a tablet. What? You never know what can boost profits. Maybe necklaces or bracelets or something small that people could buy to show support for one or the other. Theriss would kill him, but the money that could be made...

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, The Yard, Sado Sanei was winded from the blast. It hadn't been focused or intended to harm Eshai, so- Suddenly, Eshai disappeared, and Sanei felt an impact on her back. No doubt to Eshai's delight, she fell almost flat on her face. "Oof!"

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, The Yard, Sado What Sanei felt next was a strange feeling. It was like a voice deep inside of her, whispering up from the depths of her soul. "Eshai is so far below you, and yet she has so far been able to match your blows," it whispered. "Why are you not defeating her easily?" With the words came an almost overpowering wave of self-doubt. Suddenly, Sanei was reminded of every time she had failed, every time she had failed to uphold the name of her clan. It was as if all the doubts she shoved as far back in her mind as she could had bubbled to the surface. Defeating Eshai, once a simple and even enjoyable task, now seemed monumental. The other Menti seemed to tower over her, an immovable, implacable, unstoppable force. Her fingers trembled on the hilt of her sword as she hesitated. Should she give up? Should she drop her weapon? What am I thinking? I... I am a Menti of the Umbraline! she thought, trying to sound courageous. It didn't work, but the point remained. She had to uphold her family's honor, even in a simple duel like this. "No," Sanei whispered, as if answering the insidious voice inside of her. Then, she looked directly at Eshai, unleashing a powerful telekinetic blast as she yelled, "No!"

IC: Geklan - Ga-Koro Geklan had spent a good hour or so that morning trying to do paperwork, but he found himself too distracted. While his bad mood had dissipated, he was still puzzled over how Theriss had managed to discover a weakness of his that he hadn't known of again. She had a talent for it- much like his talent for annoying her. Though he hated to admit it, it also went a bit deeper than that. Geklan had envisioned Theriss glaring at him, silently swearing vows of vengeance while pulling small tricks like dumping the glass of water over his head. Instead, she'd actually been upset by it, which had caught the Lesterin off-guard. Overnight, he had managed to convince himself that it was because he saw bringing the chair in as harmless and that was why her reaction surprised him- which was more-or-less true. He still firmly believed that he couldn't care less about her otherwise, though. Either way, he felt reluctant about meeting Theriss again anytime soon. Unfortunately, he didn't have much choice- the Matoran he sent out hadn't found the restaurant, apparently, so he'd have to deliver the Sarsi's cut himself. So, Geklan decided to do what he did best: Talk and pretend nothing had ever happened. "Going out to an expensive place? This'll help," he said, his usual large (and fake) grin plastered on his face as a bag of widgets sailed toward the chair beside Theriss. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere- which, considering the Mask of Concealment dangling from one of his hands, was fairly probable. "Your cut of the profits. Not a ton of money, but promising. Oh, I apologize for my sudden disappearance last night. I suddenly remembered a very important meeting, and couldn't wait around to say goodbye." With a glance at Barthel, he added, "Please don't. A repeat of interview day would be bad for sales."

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, The Yard, Sado Sanei frowned when her blade connected with nothing. Oh, well. It had been worth a try. As Eshai charged toward Sanei, Sanei turned to face her. No way to stop that with her Mindarm powers without exhausting herself- just deflecting Eshai's first blow had drained her reserves alarmingly. Eshai's strength was not to be underestimated. So, instead trying to block the charge, Sanei activated her Hau. At the same time, she again focused on using her telekinetic powers to give Eshai a quick, upward tug. It wasn't particularly powerful, but it would hopefully be enough to throw Eshai off, distract her a bit. It was a risky move, though- it took a lot of concentration to use her Discipline and Kanohi simultaneously.

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, The Yards, Sado Sanei jumped, surprised at Eshai's sudden appearance. Also, there was the matter of the Kanabo, which was rapidly closing in on her face. Luckily, though, the years she had spent training paid off. Almost automatically, her mind reached out to pull on Eshai's weapon up, hopefully enough to cause it to clear her head. At the same time, she swung her sword at Eshai's legs. With her attention focused on the Kanabo, she couldn't afford to look at her target, but it would hopefully put Eshai on the defensive.

IC: Sanei - Training Grounds, The Yards, Sado Without another word, Sanei drew her sword. Its crystal blade glittered, reflecting the sun as Sanei prepared herself. Then, she lunged forward, aiming a solid telekinetic push at Eshai as she did so.

IC: Sanei - Sado Sanei stepped onto the crystal-paved street that led into the heart of the Imperial Palace. Having grown up in the city, she knew it well, and set off at her usual, rapid pace toward the Yards. She couldn't help but feel a glow of pride as the Dashi parted before her, clearing a way. She smiled just a little- she loved being a proud warrior of the Umbraline clan! Before long, the two had arrived at one of the training grounds that dotted the Yards. There were basically no spectators to witness the fight, which was good. There was a chance, after all, that she would lose the duel, which would be rather embarrassing. "Are you ready, Eshai?"

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Sanei, pretending to stop and admire the view of the Imperial Palace, halted to rest for a moment. They were nearing the end of the bridge, which was good. They were making up for lost time- though, if Sanei had been asked why she was making up for lost time, she'd find herself unable to answer. "Oh, yes, the training battle. Perhaps we could drop by one of the training grounds in the Yards and duel each other there? Nobody would think we were actually trying to kill each other if we fought there."

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge "...I see." It appeared that she wasn't going to be able to get anything out of Eshai, at least today. Suddenly, she noticed that she'd slowed down. Speeding up, she mentally admonished herself. A Menti of Clan Umbraline should always be focused. The Imperial Palace was drawing near now, its crystal structures reflecting the sun into the ocean around it. Sanei stared at it. "You know, Eshai, I made an excuse to get away from the others, but I'm really not certain as to what I- er, we should do once we arrive in the Imperial Palace. Any suggestions?"

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Sanei couldn't help but smile a bit at the dodge. Subconsciously, she slowed down more. She was genuinely curious about Eshai's past. "Not your clan, your life. What did you do?"

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Noticing that Eshai was falling behind yet again, Sanei reluctantly slowed down a bit. After all, her conversations with Sato and Ankora had already slowed her down quite a bit anyway. For a moment, she listened to the click-click-click of crystal striking crystal as she walked down the bridge, wrestling with her curiosity. Finally, she gave in. "You don't talk about your life before your clan was destroyed often. What was it like?"

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Sanei bowed to the others. "While it's been a pleasure, I'm afraid that I must be getting to Sado. Have a good day." She began walking toward the crystal-coated island at her usual fast pace. "Don't worry about it. Living without a clan is by all accounts very hard, so I imagine that most people of your status think the same thing," she replied.

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Sanei, uncertain of how to respond, smiled. "Yes, that would be very unfortunate. Have a good day." Long Kanohi?

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Sanei couldn't think of anything to say. Hmmm. At least Eshai was honest. A good guard, but evidently a terrible conversationalist.

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge ".... I see," Sanei replied, though she really didn't. Vainly, she believed that should ever an event like that happen to the Umbraline (Zuto-Nui forbid), she would still hold her head high. "So... if you don't live for money, and you don't live to return glory to your clan... then what do you live for, Eshai?"

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Now Sanei was fighting to keep a small smile off of her face. Eshai didn't seem to quite get it. "No, it's just.... you refuse money, you insist on silence, and you accept the way you're treated without so much as blinking. I suppose what I really don't get is how you put up with it. I know I'd find it very difficult to go from the status of a Menti warrior to that of an individual without a clan."

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Sanei succeeded in keeping a bemused expression off of her face, though Eshai could probably sense the curiosity in her thoughts. "You really think so? Alright, I suppose. You puzzle me, you know."

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge There was a lull in her conversation in the Datsue, and Sato and her friend fell silent as well. Sanei decided to use the opportunity. Much like Sato had done, she closed off her mind and began to Ideatalk with Eshai. "So, Eshai, I mentioned a pay raise. What do you think would be fair?"

IC: Sanei - Odaiba/Sado Bridge Sanei smiled. "You raise a good point. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call her my attendant? In any case, I rather like the effect, and I'm sure that my skills will benefit from having a sparring partner readily available."

IC: Sanei - Odaiba-Sado Bridge "I cannot speak for Sato, but I am merely returning to my duties." Sanei smiled. "My family insisted that I take a vacation, but after a few days I decided to cut it short. I found no peace in wasting time." "The trip was not wasted, however," she said, nodding to Eshai. "Eshai here entered my service recently and has proven to be quite able."

OOC: As it were, they're walking from Odaiba to Sado. IC: Sanei - Odaiba-Sado Bridge Sanei was somewhat surprised that the Datsue knew her name. She wasn't a terribly important person within her clan, after all. So, this person must be very knowledgeable. Judging by her robe, she was from clan Eiyu, so that made sense. She appeared to be of high rank... let's see, a very intelligent, high-ranking Datsue of Clan Eiyu.... With another bow, she said, "I assume I am addressing Ankora of Clan Eiyu? I'm afraid that we don't have business with your clan; you see, my bodyguard Eshai and I were returning to Sado when we had the good fortune to run into Sato, who is also returning to the Imperial Palace."