[Day 5, Early Afternoon] A Slight Change of Pace (Open)

[Suzume Senseki]

The shifting movement has put the other pair in her line of sight, and she a small smile offers evidence of her distraction. Spotting Senseki's counter a bit too late, she catches it against her calf with a grunt that's half pain, half amusement at her foolishness. Hopping aside, she resets her guard with a laugh. "Well Kuni-sensei'd be smacking about the shoulders for getting distracted like that, for one."

"Otherwise...everyone's got their own way of teaching. Kuni Mari-sensei studies manifestations of the Ta...ah..corruption in plants. So we do a lot of work learning care and containment of such things, the danger of spores, demonic runners, and exploding seed pods. Some people greatly underestimate plants when there's obvious things like ogres to pay attention to." She's very matter of fact as she speaks, pausing just long enough to lunge toward the Sparrow's shoulder.

The hit is almost surprising to the Sparrow, but when he notices - greatly helped by the Kuni's comment, of course - he gives her a soft grin, perhaps tinted with some understanding, and takes a step back to reset his own guard.

... apparently not well enough, though, and while he does step aside to avoid the brunt of her next strike, it clearly brushes against his shoulder. "Whoa!", he exclaims - and it's not entirely clear how much of it comes from the hit, and how much from her words. He then steps back again, setting himself in a more focused guarding gedan stance, and studies her next movements as he speaks again. "Ah... I see, of course! I was wondering more about your... physical and other aspects of your training, but... that makes sense, of course." He seems thoughtful and keeps silent as he circles her slowly for some time before speaking again. "Un... that would be something often underestimated, I suppose. That's... an interesting thought, really."

Troubling, too, he thought, but shrugged it aside.

"I wonder... are there plants that... help against that... erm... corruption, too?" A smile as he waits for another strike, apparently hoping to counterattack instead of opening up with another swing. "I'm not sure I mentioned, but... I often work with plants in my duties as well, and take great interest in them. Although... well, of course in a different fashion, eh?", he adds with a smile.

[Kuni Yasu]

The hit is almost surprising to the Sparrow, but when he notices - greatly helped by the Kuni's comment, of course - he gives her a soft grin, perhaps tinted with some understanding, and takes a step back to reset his own guard.

... apparently not well enough, though, and while he does step aside to avoid the brunt of her next strike, it clearly brushes against his shoulder. "Whoa!", he exclaims - and it's not entirely clear how much of it comes from the hit, and how much from her words. He then steps back again, setting himself in a more focused guarding gedan stance, and studies her next movements as he speaks again. "Ah... I see, of course! I was wondering more about your... physical and other aspects of your training, but... that makes sense, of course." He seems thoughtful and keeps silent as he circles her slowly for some time before speaking again. "Un... that would be something often underestimated, I suppose. That's... an interesting thought, really."

Troubling, too, he thought, but shrugged it aside.

"I wonder... are there plants that... help against that... erm... corruption, too?" A smile as he waits for another strike, apparently hoping to counterattack instead of opening up with another swing. "I'm not sure I mentioned, but... I often work with plants in my duties as well, and take great interest in them. Although... well, of course in a different fashion, eh?", he adds with a smile.

Yasu nods, flipping her blade over her shoulder in a more aggressive stance. "In a fashion. It is more that there's one that is able to take up the properties of jade and combine them with its own healing nature to hold the effects of corruption at bay. Monks tend them, and the effect is somehow tied to latant power in the pools they grow in." Slipping to the side, she circles a bit as they talk, her breath heavier, but not nearly labored with the pace they've kept so far. "Hasn't led to finding any new ones with that power, and they still require jade to work properly. We are very thankful for Lady Sun's compassionate tears, or we would have no way at all to protect our souls."

With that the blade swings down from her shoulder with a shout. If carried all the way through, she'd end quite low with momentum driven to the ground. It's quickly evident that's not the intent though. The long swinging blade aiming to push an opponent back doesn't have quite that much force behind it, pausing midway down to follow with a sharp thrust to the chest. "I think you mentioned farming?" She adds with a chuckle, regardless of the success of the strike.