50scenes Prompt #049 -- Grace
And we're off and running, with my first completed fic for 50scenes
Title: The Natural
Author: flowingmists
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Unohana
Prompt: #049 -- Grace
Word Count: 908
Rating: PG
Summary: Retsu takes up arms for the first time.
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: All characters and settings of Bleach are the property of Kubo Tite.
The Natural
She knelt at the sidelines, hands folded in her lap, the very picture of a proper young lady. Well, not quite; there was a most unladylike fascination in her eyes. Yet perhaps the fascination could have been overlooked if not for the fact that it was directed at the swordplay in front of her. Most improper, indeed.
Two bokutou sang through the air, clattered together with such force that the wood surely creaked. They moved in swift thrusts and wide, lingering arcs while their wielders lunged and pivoted in control and response. Retsu was glad, now - however awful the thought was - that her ikebana instructor had taken ill today. Never before had she been privileged enough to see one of her father and brother's sparring matches.
All too soon, it was over; her father struck a sharp blow to her brother's wrist, causing him too drop the weapon. And in the next second, her brother had a bokutou pressed against his unguarded throat.
Retsu could not hide her admiration, a smile curling up her usually firmly set lips. That had been simply magnificent. Her brother was lucky to be training in such a beautiful and thrilling skill. It would have been a joy to watch every lesson.
"Ah, Retsu-chan, I take it you've been enjoying your observation?" The amusement in her father's voice was clear, but without censure.
Retsu nodded, and toned down her smile. "Yes, Otousama. It was very lovely."
"You can say that because you weren't involved," her brother cut in, still rubbing at his wrist. "It's hardly as 'lovely' as it looks."
"Tch. You need to toughen up, Takahiro," her father all but spat. "Then perhaps you'll appreciate it again, the same as your sister." And then her father blinked as though something had just occurred to him, and turned back to her. "Retsu-chan. Would you like to try your hand at this?"
Retsu blinked in astonishment, only dimly registering Takahiro's protests. Her smile widened again as she hopped to her feet. In some clans, teaching a girl how to handle a weapon was commonplace; the Unohana clan was not one of them. How could she possibly pass up such an opportunity? It might never happen again.
She reached for the fallen bokutou without hesitation, and adjusted it in her hands. Was that how it was supposed to be held? Something didn't seem quite right. She frowned at the weapon, brow furrowed.
Behind her, Takahiro sighed. "If you're going to do something like this, you could at least hold the stick properly." He took hold of her hands, and adjusted them into a more suitable position. "Like this, silly. Now don't go blaming me if you get hurt."
Well, yes, that certainly did feel better in her hands. She smiled at Takahiro as he stepped back. "Thank you, onii-san." She then turned back to her father, a frown of concentration taking over her face.
"I've no intention of hurting your sister," her father replied. Even so, his eyes remained upon her, full of mirth as he took up a guard position. "Begin!"
She wasted no time, swinging the bokutou in a wide arc only to have it neatly deflected. Undeterred, she spun on one foot as she had learned in her dancing lessons and tried a strike at the other side. This too met with wood.
Retsu bit her lip in thought for a mere second before she decided on her next move. She snapped her weapon upward, scoring a hit on the soft flesh on the underside of her father's arm. He hissed in pain and stepped back. And though the smile was still present on his lips, something about it had changed.
Gone was the amusement; in its place was pride.
The match was a flurry of motion after that, Retsu more often than not on the defensive. She blocked, ducked, weaved with perfect smoothness, twirled around blows while bringing the bokutou to bear for her own. For her part, she did score a few more hits, though she never managed to gain an advantage. And she would not have expected to; her father was a practiced swordsman, and she'd had no education in this area.
Their bokutou clashed in front of them, and in short order Retsu found herself outmatched by her father's sheer strength. Her weapon flew from her hands, clattering to the floor a few feet away.
Despite the loss, Retsu smiled as she pushed a few errant strands of hair out of her face, panting from the effort of the match. That had been absolutely wonderful. So invigorating.
"My, my, Retsu-chan." Her father laughed lightly, walking over to her and placing an affectionate hand on her head. "One would never have expected you hadn't done this before, seeing that. You went and made your brother look bad."
Retsu giggled and turned her attention back to Takahiro. He knelt at the sidelines, eyes wide and mouth even wider. Apparently, he was too stunned to even speak up in his own defense. Had she really been that good?
"I think I may have to speak to your mother about adding kenjutsu lessons to your schedule." Her father's voice regained her attention. "It would be a shame to waste such potential."
Had she been less enthusiastic about the prospect, Retsu might have noticed the terrified expression that claimed Takahiro's face. But she was too excited for even a glance in his direction.