It's Go Time [Joint Training: Shizuka & Leon]

[Leon Strife]

Note: Will be going for TP


Spending time out on the beach isn't something that Leon would really divulge to anyone. It isn't due to wanting to keep it a secret or anything mind you, it is merely out of the necessity of wanting to spend time alone. When working with the guys back at Uzaki's garages, there is a lot of commotion that goes on there. Who hooked up with who. Did someone get lucky the previous weekend? The flow of information that goes on in the work place is violent, if not rushed. Like there are no brakes as to word getting around, and becomes the main topic. A stress reliever for the many of them, narrowing down to what sorts of movies that someone would like, why or why not, even leaning in towards politics. Anything to help make the work place a bit more interesting than having to mull over what else that was needed to be done. A few of the guys that Leon knew went to school and were stressing over paperwork needing to be done. Reports, projects, they almost appear to be like the ghosts that he sees on a daily basis. So, when someone talks about spending time somewhere to relax, everyone is able wants to join in right away.

Immediately that saying becomes the main subject for everyone to talk about. He can't remember how many times he has heard of the idea of him hitting on women, or how he needed to work on his tan. He was brown enough as it was already, and didn't want to think about getting a tan at all. It didn't take much time for others to hop on the bandwagon, wanting a taste of that comfort too. Honestly, didn't they have something better to do than to tag along on his days off. He sighed, like a heavy one. That is how he ended up lugging himself with an ice-chest for the guys, when it should have been a backpack. He just wanted some time to ease down and take a cold dip, and maybe work out a bit. Something to help relieve himself of the knots that were building up in his shoulders as of recently.

"Whhhhhhoooaaa-whooooooooooo, damn that is nice." One of the guys said. "Mmmm, that is sweet." Another added. Three guys wanted to go along with Leon to spend some time at the beach. Their eyes leering at the bikinis, thighs, you name it, they eyed it. They were rubber-necking left to right with all that was going on. This is what Leon dealt with a lot of the time when at work. Though, he wasn't innocent of doing something similar either when we got into the conversations. But, he had some level of decency going about it. He just wanted some time to himself without having to hang out with the people he worked with. It just made it feel like he was working again. Suffocating honestly.

The beach was somewhat busy as Leon it would be. Crowds of people gathering up with their fellows, whilst the families went on ahead to thrill their little ones with the oncoming waves. Kids discovering the delight of the cold waters that washed up to shore, running towards then quickly fleeing away from them like it was a game of tag. Seeing the families together having fun brought up thoughts of Maria. Would they have been doing the same thing if she was still alive? Leon felt a smack at the back of the head by one of the guys, snapping his attention back to reality with a throbbing annoyance. "Come on man, let's go, the chicas aren't gonna wait." Leon sighed again, why him? Towels were laid out. The small heavy blue chest dug into the burning sand beneath a towering umbrella, with a bit of sunscreen on the skin to make sure they didn't burn. The garage crew were ready to do what they wanted.

Leon wanted to split from the group and so he did. He started to wander off on his own only to be yanked back into the fold by one of the fellas. "Dude, where you going?" A white ball was tossed into the air, rolling along the forearms of the third member of the party. "Yeah, come on. Let's play a few matches." he suggested. The group agreed with Leon only wanting to peel himself away. He only took a few inches from the party as another spoke up, "No no no, we can't play with just us. It'll be too boring if it's just us guys. Sausage fest man." he complained pointing out the arrangement that he obviously found himself in, and one that he agreed to. The American already knew of the reasons why his co-worker was saying that out loud. It didn't need much thought considering that he knew that all the guys in the group were single, Leon included. "Ugh, why me?" another sigh was let out.

They just got there and Leon already wanted to leave. He didn't want to be part of a hunting party like this, mainly due to the thought that he was going to be lumped in with the rest of them. He was embarrassed. Rubbing his temples helped to ease his nerves somewhat while two members of their group went out to look for women who wanted to play a game of volley ball with them. Leon didn't believe that they would be able to catch anyone as he helped to set up the sand based court for them. The scent of the sea water was starting to cling to his sleeveless black T-shirt. The legging sleeves to his ocean blue trunks rubbed a bit of sand against his thighs as he hurried from side to side of the two poles setting up the net. Not for much longer, he heard the pair coming back chuckling to his co-worker who was marking the edges of the court.

They all started to laugh before looking onwards to Leon. "What is it?" he said in a disgruntled tone. "We managed to find someone, and dude, she is fine." Leon kept a neutral look about him. "No, like we are serious about this. She is a looker." Another sigh came out. "Please tell me that you two didn't force her to do this, if she does exist." The Caucasian male smiled, letting out another snicker, "Hell no. And that isn't cool either. But no, we didn't force her or anything. I promise." he vowed. Their other garage mate came into the talk, as if he was queued in to clear it up, "Actually, you were the one who got her invovled." the Japanese man said. Leon's eyes blinked once. Twice. "Wait, what? How I did...You guys didn't.. "We just told her that you pointed her out, and said you could kick her ass in Volleyball...and that she wouldn't be able to keep up with an Olympic player like you."

Leon couldn't find the strength to keep his face from drooping down. Shocked, followed with a facepalm. "Wh--y..why..?" he muttered from under his palm. In complete disbelief that they involved him in something that he didn't want a part of. "I don't....Hell...Kill me now. Just take me...Ugh........I don't even know who she is let alone what she looks like?" The pair snickered again after looking at each other, "Don't worry about it.. "..because we do." they said turning around to peer behind them. She was here. The sun was in his eye so he couldn't honestly get a good look at her. "I'll pair up with her. Jason, can you be referee?" he said out right before Leon could get another word in. "Fine, but I got next round." he added walking off to the side, leaving Leon to be left on the opposite side of the net with Ned on his side, and Jesse with the woman. "Leon, make us look good okay." he winked at the Bount. Ugh.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Finally. It was finally time for the beach! It had been so long since any warmth existed, and as great as winter was, there was something about being able to lay out on the sand, enjoying the sun, and working up a good tan that made heat worth it. That's exactly what Shizuka was doing, too. The Fullbringer was wearing a simple black bikini, but the bottoms were cheeky, meaning they showed way more of her booty than they ever needed to. The top was basically just two triangles over her breasts with thin straps wrapped around her neck and back, as was traditional for such wear. This provided the optimal tan.

The blonde was sprawled out on a towel, enjoying the feeling of the sand underneath. The ocean waves were crashing in such a soothing way that was putting Shizuka to sleep, but her nap was interrupted when she overheard a group of guys. Her immediate thought was to mentally roll her eyes because she knew what they were all going on about. Men were typically all alike and ignoring them didn't do too much good because they approached her anyway. Shizuka sighed and put on her friendliest attitude.

A smile was fixed on the Fullbringer's face as she stood up, grabbing her towel and shaking it to knock some sand off. The boys were talking about a volleyball game, which was fairly intriguing on its down since she loved the sport, but they mentioned that one of the guys they were with had pointed her out and said he would beat her easily. Shizuka's ears twitched a bit when she heard that detail. She had only been half-listening in the beginning, but that caught her attention.

Once she had accepted the offer and followed the small group back to their area, Shizuka noticed a somewhat quiet man who was separated from the rest. So this was him? He didn't seem like the type to actually call anyone out on anything, but she couldn't judge him based on that. In her experience, Shizuka knew that judging a book by its cover was bad news. But in this case, even with her less than adequate energy sensory, she could still tell that he wasn't too much of a threat yet. Still, she felt something off about him. Was he like her?

"Leon, make us look good okay."

So your name is Leon. Noted. Shizuka glanced over at the man whose name she also found out was Jesse. So she was going to be on a team with this guy? That was fine. She wouldn't really need him but she decided it would be best to not completely obliterate anyone this day. Like, literally. The blonde smiled at her own mental joke like a nerd but stayed focused on the group of boys. She didn't expect to get pulled into something like this and wasn't sure why she agreed, but it could be fun to be like a normal person for once.

The Fullbringer positioned herself rather close to Jesse to start and slowly traced her index finger below his chin. "Don't let us lose, okay?"

With a swift movement, she retreated back to her own corner and stood there, smiling. This group was likely no different from other males, but one was particularly interesting. Shizuka glanced over to Leon who, from what she could tell, looked relatively not excited at all to be there. After assessing the rest of them, she realized that they were all probably having a lot more fun than he was, but she was only guessing that based on their facial expressions. She didn't spend too much time thinking about it.

Curiosity was controlling her at the moment though, given the circumstances. She wanted to know about Leon, but she also wanted to simply have some fun. She loved sports like this and couldn't remember the last time she was randomly invited to play, so she figured she would enjoy it while it lasted before the next big disaster. That, and she was going to totally school these guys. She was already working on an entertaining way to make them think she sucked.

[Leon Strife]

The stitching of the ball's surface ran across the lengths of his fingertips. How the Hell did he get dragged into this sort of mess? Considering how everything went, much to his own surprise that the pack was able to lure in someone. And that was the gist of it of all considering who they managed to tangle up in this ordeal was someone who he knew would be out of their league altogether. A petite girl. Slender in frame with a bit of tone in terms of physique. She has been working out he came to note on the side while taking the few steps needed to set himself behind the court line. The ball spun between his hands to catch with his fingertips, testing the surface, bounce. Normal ball in terms for the game that was going to be played, nevertheless, his eyes were still glued to that of the girl. He lacked the sensory that she possessed, unable to truly tell aside from her outer appearance to what she must have done to keep herself fit. Perhaps a fitness trainer? It didn't matter. She was here now, so may as well get it over with.

The ball came to rest within the palm of his left hand, lifting up to the glaring sun overhead as for the briefest of moments it came to float. His body bouncing off from the heated sand beneath his feet, heels bringing him up over the ground to jettison the butt of his palm out into the ball's rear. A thrust movement as much as it was a strike to up lift the ball through the air before arching over the net towards the opposite end. Leon didn't see a need to utilize his full strength considering where he was at. A supposed good time at the beach with co-workers with an unreal blonde beauty. Nothing supernatural involved. Nothing of the crazed backside of his workplace following him to a place that was peaceful, tranquil. Here he was a regular guy trying to enjoy himself to the fullest on a day off.

Just a regular guy. Nothing weird here. Despite believing in that thought, the other men in the group were more concerned with other thoughts. Even while on his serve he could only see how much Jesse and the other fellas were fawning over the girl. And why not. An unreal blonde beauty was the best way to summarize altogether. Her partner practically melted when she went on to stroking the underside of his chin, making Leon's own partner a bit frivolous when it came to situation, only expressing what he thought to be jealously even. He sighed in his own head. When the ball came to leave the control of his side of the court, the Bount stepped in to cover the rear. Ned enthusiastically took to the center of their side. While his gaze was to that on the opposite end, Leon couldn't help but to notice the man's facial direction lured to the back corner of that side. Leon knew better.

His feet shuffled side to side in the sand causally. He didn't believe that the girl would do much to be honest despite appearing as such. In all intended purposes she seemed to be ready to go. A black bikini set up with a little more emphasis..well.. on the rear. No way that Leon couldn't make for certain, but something that Jesse, her partner, would most certainly take advantage of one way or the other. Her partner was raring to go in wanting to impress. Everyone was into the case that they found themselves in. Everyone but Leon that was. He just wanted to relax was all, and not dragged along to be a scapegoat for the guys to try to get some ass. In any case, it would be interesting to see how the others would take this seriously while he waited to see them get burned by her.

That was the thought at the very least.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka watched the man across the court with interest. She felt something familiar about him, something extraordinary that these other guys didn't have. He was definitely like her, though she didn't know the extent. He seemed quiet, so she didn't want to make a scene, but she was curious. If he had any lapse, any moment where he let something slip through the cracks, she would make sure to focus in on it and figure him out to the best of her abilities.

The woman watched as Leon served the ball and eyed it the moment it went over the net onto their own side. With a small shout in Jesse's direction, she urged him to receive the ball and send it her way rather than immediately over the net. With his small bump, the ball didn't travel too far, and that was exactly what she needed. You can't spike a serve, but you can spike the ball once your partner is able to get it to you. Shizuka took a few quick steps closer to the net and jumped, then slammed her hand down against the top of the ball and shot it downwards on the opposing team's side.

A difficult first move, but she was no stranger to this sport and found herself feeling a bit competitive. With a smile, she stepped back and prepared herself to either return the ball again or accept that they earned a point depending on what Leon and his partner chose to do. It had been a short while since she played, but with enhanced spiritual abilities, she found that this was so much easier than when she played in high school. Obviously she didn't use her full strength since she knew she was definitely stronger than the average human, and coming off as supernatural instead of simply athletic was dangerous in front of anyone not spiritually aware. She didn't want to risk it.

What she wanted to try to do, though, was get Leon to react in such a way that would expose him to her a little bit. She was hoping some of his energy would leak out if he wasn't in as much control as he thought he might be, but she wasn't sure. She didn't know anything else about this guy and hadn't heard of him before, so unfortunately she was at a loss. Shizuka also tried her best to not stare as much as she had been. She didn't realize she was doing so until she caught herself once or twice, and that certainly did not need to become a problem.

[Leon Strife]

The game was set off as soon as the ball left his care. The spiral that it had done, twisting in the air in its rotation came down naturally with little wind resistance to it. Its course took it towards rear of the court, Jesse coming to intercept it easily. His position coming beneath its trajectory was spot on to receive it. Leon was merely going with the flow of things as he expected much of this game to be casual, nothing note worthy considering that the woman that the group invited was dragged into the matter. No, what he expected from her was to get this rouse over with so she may be on her way. That was what Leon thought anyways. For someone like to give in easily must have meant that she knew they would continue to bother her if she did not. Give a little to put it to rest altogether, very much a smart tactic. This way the guys would get their way and the lady would only have to put up with a bit so they wouldn't bother her away after witnessing their fail. That sort of embarrassment from a guy can be deadly in more ways than one. At least, that was what the Bount suspected when the blonde woman decided to take them up on their little invitation.

What came next was the first glimpse of the woman's outgoing nature. In his eyes he saw someone taking command of a stranger as she went ahead to charge towards the front. He only saw it for a moment, unclear at first but..."Spike." he called out coming from edge of their side of the court. Leon rushed to cover the center of the upper half as Ned saw what the Bount meant. His head shifting from Leon back to the other side. The man's motions kicked away from the from left side of the net to brace himself as the woman climbed. He drew closer towards the center. The set ball was struck. Ned received, but a bit clumsily. As the ball came down onto him with the base of both hands kissing the bounce of the ball, swaying its direction off to the side to Leon.

The ball literally skidded across the man's hands over to the Bount as he was adjusting himself. Its skid caused the ball to shoot out in an awkward approach as if to shoot into his chest. Leon tensed his chest and abdomen. The spinning ball came and arced over into stomach, putting it in a rather weary position as Leon jerked himself back to set it. However, shamefully it did not go accordingly as his movements to respond allowed the ball to roll out of his control. It fell to the sandy ground with a soft pat forcing the man to poke his sights up to see the group. He himself in a bit of a shock to see himself handling the situation unremarkably horrible. He wondered how it was that they screwed up such a case. A small gasp flowed out through his nostrils as he thought to himself on what occurred.

"Leonnn I thought you had it." Ned came out to say rather bluntly. Leon looked to the man then back towards the other side. He saw how Jesse was reacting to their opponents loss. He danced, teasing a bit, and perhaps a bit of flirting. Leon couldn't tell considering he had to fetch the ball. But, losing the point wasn't what got on his mind. Not quite so, but the approach that the woman made. It was... nostalgic in a way. The man felt as though he saw those sort of movements before. What everyone saw was the normal motion of a woman playing the game, and it wasn't that she moved herself like some sort of monster or unnatural means. That wasn't it. He felt something... off. She kicked your butt because you weren't paying attention. That wasn't it. No. Something about how she moved.

His fingers found the ball despite being lost in thought. The bottom of his feet felt uneven marching through the small waves that the sand had made for themselves. He felt perplexed. Wondering and wondering as to why he felt a little foolish. The ball rolled in his palms, switching between the two as he carried the sports ball over towards the next, then he extended a single hand. "Good one." he said plainly. "Your ball." Leon offered it whilst looking to Shizuka. His brown irises peering into her eyes, a bit more keen than before. The man had slowly removed the fatigue that he dressed himself with something more usual for him. Collected, calm, he peered at the blonde as the ball resided in the palm of his hand. Her own approached he watched. I thought you favored brunettes more than blondes. The child spirit in the back of his mind roused itself from the slumber once more, heeding to what was ongoing at the moment. She was watching through his eyes.

Stop poking into my thoughts, and secondly, no. That is not what I am looking at. I just have this...feeling. What Leon's gaze lead to, after Shizuka had taken the ball from his grasp, was that of her figure and how she moved. Isn't that what all males say when they are infatuated? He shook his head. In fact, Leon didn't bother responding to the Doll until after Shizuka went back to her own side. That is not case. Now he wondered if this was something that all Bounts went through on a day to day basis. Someone looking into his mind, reading his thoughts, everything left exposed with no decency or privacy. But no, what he was looking at was how the woman was moving. His gaze fell down to her feet. This he noticed when he started comparing the annoyance of the sand to himself, and to that of their guest.

How she carried herself. Ambitious? No that wasn't the word he was looking to describe her. This was the first time that he witnessed someone of the opposite sex act in the manner in which this woman did. The only other woman that could be compared to her was Eris. The Bount woman who was both strict and apathetic. That was what it seemed on the surface anyhow. But how they carried themselves, how they moved, was something beyond average. He found it hard to put it into words. Otherwordly? No, not quite. What was it really? Leon thought about it, even further when his eyes caught the glimpse of the light in Shizuka's eyes. Something about the woman that made it unsettling with the lingering thought being left unanswered. "Hey Leon. Get your mind in the game man." Ned called out taking his place back in the front. But, Leon paused. "Hey Ned, let me take the front this time around." the Bount replied bringing himself around to the man's side.

Ned blinked, then smiled. Leon was serious about what was going on now. He didn't like to leave questions like this open. It bothered him, like trying to remember the name of a song that is on the tip of the tongue. His friend nodded as he went ahead to occupy the back half of their side. Are you going all out this time? Sarah inquired. Leon thought for another moment, then responded, In a manner of speaking. Hot sand piled over the shuffling base of the Bount's feet as they were sliding into the ground. The man's postured lowered, bending the knees, and resting the palms of his hands over the caps. He was ready this time around. Leon smirked.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

So it worked and he couldn't return it. That's interesting, Shizuka thought to herself. Leon was certainly a fun individual, and Shizuka was having a really good time analyzing him. Not only that, but being able to get out and have some fun was such a relaxing thing to do these days. She had been so busy and nose-deep in work lately that she had grown tired. The whole reason why she came to the beach in the first place was because she was trying to get away for a vacation for once. Now, playing this game and watching Leon force the ball outside of the court because of a bad return was pretty entertaining in and of itself.

"Aww, can we call it beginner's luck?"

As Leon made his way back over to the court with the ball, his direction was heading straight for the Fullbringer. She knew it was her point, which means it's her team's turn to serve. Jesse was already in the right position, so she figured it would be good to relinquish power over to him when it came to handling the serve his time. Leon made a positive comment to Shizuka's move and offered her the ball, which she gladly accepted. As she took it, her fingers brushed against his lightly. She was trying to gently check for calluses or any kind of hints towards what he could be. If he used a weapon frequently, maybe that meant he would have fairly callused hands.

Unfortunately, she didn't notice anything in particular. His hands felt pretty normal, so she held the ball and walked back towards Jesse. After lightly tossing it over in his direction, she went back to her position on her side of the court. She had ignored the fact that he was staring directly into her eyes when she took the ball, but to see his brown eyes matched up with her heterochromatic blue and green eyes made her stomach feel lighter. Actually, she felt a little excited. It had been so long since she'd done anything like this and it was entertaining! Shizuka's focus was very obviously on Leon, but she did her best to hide it frequently.

"Ready when you are, Jesse!" The Fullbringer turned her head and called out to her partner before returning her gaze to Leon, copying his stance.

The woman blinked slowly and smiled, eyeing Leon as she did so. She felt a bit cocky about herself. He was looking at her, no doubt trying to figure out why he felt like she was also very different from average humans. Given how detached he was from his friends and how focused he was on Shizuka, she could only assume there were a few options there. Either he was interested, which she tried not to immediately think, or he knew she was a spiritual being. Alternatively, he was just wondering how the hell his friends were able to pick her up as randomly as they did.

Jesse served the ball and Shizuka allowed her instincts and senses to kick in. With them, she could do well enough to feel where the ball was in relation to herself and react a bit quicker. Luckily the ball went over the net, but Shizuka took a second to step back so she was more centered on her half of the court. She would be able to move more efficiently this way and watch for any action from the other side. Her eyes were glued to Leon, though. She was studying him a bit. As he smirked, she felt a jolt of energy throughout her body. Admittedly, Leon was a handsome man. When men smirked, Shizuka just grew weak. She loved it. But she was also trying to push that out of her mind. She wasn't interested like that, but she wasn't going to ignore his looks.

She could tell he was getting serious. She saw it in his posture and the way he positioned himself. Was he going to try to use his abilities against her, as well? The could be interesting. She didn't think this would turn into a battle between two spiritual beings in the game form of volleyball, but she wasn't about to complain. This was still a pretty awesome break compared to everyone else she came into contact with. More often than not, she'd have to fight someone legitimately. But if Leon wanted to try to test himself against her, bring it on. She was completely ready for him.

[Leon Strife]

"Serves up." Jesse announced after nodding to the Fullbringer. The Sun felt more distance than it had before. Its heat becoming more of an after thought as the mind was zoning into what resided before him. His perception was one of being Human. Fingers tracing the shape of his kneecaps, running an inch down past the bone. Not something that he had done often since moving to Japan, to Karakura. He never felt the urge or the need to do so ever since the departure from the States, from Los Angeles. An aspect the Bount kept to himself for a long while, and out of the public eye. Sure, the Bounts seen what the man was capable of. A hint of it at least. Leon wasn't someone to take a matter serious if he didn't have to. Some creative juices needed to be stirred around a bit to help him get into the mindset, which was the same mindset that made his body want to be a little active. Atmosphere was needed for him to get his attitude together essentially.

He was like an old man a whole lot of the time. He wanted to go at his own pace, taking his time, and not use up what he believes to be his own energy reserves. Quite frankly, he found himself being tired and fatigued when he wasn't feeling in the mood to do something. This happens often when he was relaxing, which was the whole reason why he wanted to come to the beach alone. It was exhausting. However, he didn't feel that way now. Something caught his interest. Or rather, someone helped to create the situation for the Bount to put himself out there. He didn't feel tired anymore. The sand slowly climbed the slant of the man's feet, finding the point in depth where the ground was firm enough to act as a brace. Leon didn't narrow his sights to that of the woman alone. He expanded them.

No reiatsu. No magic trick. This was someone who wasn't entering tunnel vision anymore considering that his interest was peaked. A sudden change in the woman's posture was seen toward the right of his horizon as Jesse seemed to move a bit slower in the Bount's eyes. In terms of physical status, he could match an Olympic Athlete. From the others among the two of them, Shizuka and Leon, the normal folk were moving in slow motion. Although Leon knew little next to nothing about their guest player, the man wasn't going to repeat the same mistake twice. The ball was putted. Its trajectory arced over the net with Ned moving with tracing eyes. The shadow of the ball grew larger as it grew closer to the ground. "Got it." Ned called out.

A breeze flown in from the ocean, dragging the ball away from the back of the court to that of Leon. He responded quickly, twisting his frame and pushed off from his stance to intercept. "Mine." Leon responded to communicate with his partner, bumping the ball lightly to slow down its next descent. Doing so made him cringe a bit from the sudden impact when it bounced off the base of his clasped hands. A soft bump to help insure that the control of the ball was in their possession rather than allowing Jesse control the flow with his serve. Leon darted again as he watched what his partner went ahead with his pass. Ned bounced the ball with a lowered stance, close to the sandy ground to give it a tight arch over the net. Yet, this was to give the ball momentum for the Bount to move into.

The man followed the ball, keeping pace, studying the moment that the ball would come close to the net. He watched it carefully as his body shifted again to bring himself closer to the meeting point. A foot away from the passing. Leon kicked off the sand, finding a better footing than he did the previous round to position himself with the ball. Both arm and figure snapping back, loading a single strike that mirrored Shizuka's own motion; a spike. Yet, unlike the Fullbringer the Bount didn't restrain his muscles from putting in the effort. Jesse watched and strived in, "I got it." Though it was a bit too late considering that Shizuka was the target, or rather her area. On purpose? Payback? Leon wasn't one to hold such grudges from a game that was suppose to be fun. Yet, in some sense it felt like a calling. His glance switched from the ball to Shizuka. For a single brief moment, it was though he was challenging the young woman.

The intent behind it wasn't to cause harm. Not by a long shot. He had his nagging suspicions but no basis to go on than a hunch. Her movements were too precise. A detail that he didn't see in many people, if he was using the co-workers as a base example. Needlessly to say that the challenge was something more than just a challenge, more like to test her. He wanted to see what she would do. The muscles in the man's arm tensed, tightening around the right shoulder for the moment to usher in the strength that was needed. This allowed the Bount to strike the ball with strength that rivaled a Bear. His hand met with the ball with a simple kiss, but the force behind it was another story. Now, Leon would see what the woman would do. His own glance painted with interest seeing how she mimicked his stance. She was waiting for something. They traded eye contact for but a moment. A smirk with a smirk. A game for a game. A fight between two individuals in a reality that was beyond what the others were aware of.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Jesse's serve was, unsurprisingly, able to be received by the other side. This was a good thing because it meant that every person on this court had a decent amount of skill with sports. That, and Shizuka wouldn't have to tone down her strength quite as much as she had originally intended. It wasn't as if she were playing with amateurs, after all. These guys, though definitely flirty and here to have a good time, had some talent.

Leon did well to save the ball once it moved away from Ned's side. Back in the day when Shizuka was in high school, that was something she didn't often think of when she played beach volleyball. She had barely developed any abilities to speak of, was basically still just a baby in terms of the spiritual world, and she wasn't too coordinated. All of those things combined gave her a disadvantage with sports unless she had a lot of practice. She was on a team throughout college, as well, but it was indoor volleyball with six people on the court rather than two.

Once Leon successfully intercepted the ball, the Fullbringer watched as it made its way over to Ned, who was able to bump it back to his partner and set it up once more. Not bad, not bad. They were going for a spike, it seemed. This theory was very soon after confirmed as Leon edged his way up to the net, preparing himself for a hard hit against the ball, and finally following through. She was ready to respond until Jesse interjected and called the ball, so she simply didn't move. The ball smacked itself down on the sand about three feet in front of Shizuka while Jesse was still a few steps away. He shouldn't have called it, but he did. She simply smiled.

"I guess that's your point now! You've got some skills, Leon."

Shizuka spoke as she gently and silently commanded the souls of the sand beneath the ball to shift in such a way that would get it to stop the ball in its place. It had bounced once in a random direction off to the left of her side of the court, but she didn't want to go chase it. After it rolled about six or so feet, the sand was able to stop it. To any average person, it would look like a bit of wind blew rather than an intentional action.

She followed it and picked it up, then spun around and eyed Leon again. "I think it's Ned's serve now, right? Catch!"

Her gaze switched from Leon to Ned as she threw the ball and half-jogged back to her spot on the court. If Ned serves, then Shizuka would need to return the ball first and bump it over to Jesse. That could be fine, and they might be able to actually save their own sides from these horrendous spikes. But, on the other hand, that's assuming Ned could get the ball over the net. Shizuka grinned as Ned took the ball, giving it a chance to slide down his arms, into his elbows, then bumping it back to his hands a couple of times. Lots of players would do that out of boredom because it could be fun. It was sort of like a dribble, especially since the ball would go flying anywhere else if he tried to bounce it on the sand.

Once he prepped himself and was in his proper stance to serve, Shizuka got an idea. She smirked and stood up straight for a moment, acting as if she were stretching her arms. She wasn't able to do these things purely mentally since souls needed some direction, but as she stretched her right arm over to her left side, she pulled the sand beneath Ned's feet out just a couple of inches. This motion would be enough to throw off his balance, possibly make him fall, and was done as soon as he threw the ball in the air to smack it across to the other side.

She didn't need to do that. She was having fun just playing on her own, but she wanted to make things a little interesting. Shizuka stifled a giggle and acted very concerned, asking Ned if he was okay even at the slightest hint of tripping up. She told him to be careful and eyed him up and down before offering a friendly smile, but her eyes darted back over to Leon as her smile changed to a smirk. This is your first hint, she thought to herself. She was going to have to use some of her own talents if she was going to pull more out of Leon than just enhanced strength.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Stats}

Strength - [133] = 100 Points

Speed - [200] = 300 Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300] = [600] = 900 Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] = [1000] = 1500 Points

Light Aura - 80 Points

Dark Aura - 20 Points

Instinct - [200] = [100] = 150 Points

Senses - [100] = 150 Points

Energy Sensory - [67] = 100 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1400 Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Skills}

[Weapon: Firearms] {3}

[Stealth] {3}

[Strength of Will] {3}

[Battle Analysis] {3}

[Analyzing] {3}

[Charisma/Leadership] {2}

[Martial Arts: MMA] {2}

[Honeypotting - The art of manipulation to obtain information. Basically, a girl gathers enough information about her target - male or female, doesn't matter - and dresses accordingly or changes how she acts to be able to get them to do whatever she wants or tell her what she needs to hear.] {1}

[Leon Strife]

The ball flew through the small gust of sea wind that would have normally swept the ball, changing its trajectory, but the strength that the Bount put into it came forth spearing through it right into his co-worker. It simply powered through the natural resistance that the environment would normally have had on the light weight material, forcing it to obey the whim of the Bount on this notion. Leon was no amateur at the sport, but neither was he a professional that had a desire to lose out. In a sense, he didn't want to embarrass himself for some reason. Seeing Jesse being knocked onto his ass trying to intercept made him feel reassured, and the at same time guilty. He didn't expect the man to really go for it, only for the ball to land into the sand without resistance. Ugh.

Actually, in some sense the Bount imagined that the woman would be the one to give chase, or at least do something with the ball. Something that he expected seeing this anxiety he felt from her was actually on point. Looking at her gaze him a sort chill that he hadn't felt in a long while. The sort of chill that wasn't pleasant as it tickled the nerves a bit, making them uneasy. It was there, but not entirely thus giving him some anxiety. What was he really expecting from the blonde haired woman? Maybe it was all in his head. Quite possible it was fact that he didn't spend so much time around the opposite sex in so long that he was just getting a bit of the jitters, a degree of shyness. To be honest he never did well around women. Even around his old lady before she passed away.

Shaking this these thoughts away, it was Shizuka that brought him back to reality with his hands springing up to catch the ball. "I guess that's your point now! You've got some skills, Leon." His reflects didn't allow himself to get hit by the ball as it was passed to him. They came up on reflex to avoid the ball bopping off against his chest, or what he assumed that the ball would hit his face. I think it's Ned's serve now, right? Catch!" Both arms shot up, eyes nearly flinching as they awoke from the stupor he put himself in. "Y-Yeah. Alright. Thanks." he said casually. Why did he feel like this? Come on now. Focus. He scolded himself mentally to shake away the nuisance probing into his head.

"Hey Leon, come on already let's go. Stop thinking dirty thoughts about our new friend here." Ned called out at a wary Bount. He felt a nerve pinch causing his eye to twitch. "Callate la boca, idiota." he phrased back in his second tongue. Geez, honestly. The very thought of what his fellow worker stated made the ball shot out from his grip to that of the man away from himself for the upcoming serve. They had to get themselves ready. You know something is up, so why are you ignoring it. Even I can tell that woman isn't normal. Sarah was speaking on the thought that was nagging in the back of his mind. The growing anxiety that made him a bit suspicious of the woman. From what I can tell she is a normal woman that got suckered into this mess as much as I was. The only thing that makes me weary about her is when she will laugh this all off and say how of a joke this all was. he tried to sway those thoughts with something a bit more on the normal side of reality.

Leon followed the motions that he did before, parking himself to monitor the lower half of their side. He let Ned take the ball to help start them off. All these little notions and worries were nothing. He was only spending time at the beach to relax, with completely normal people. Regardless of how many opportunities he took to sneak in a glimpse of the woman directly. Ugh, rubber necking should be a crime. Another glimpse he too in, viewing Shizuka in full portrait height, Ned was setting the players up for another round of Volleyball. What should have been a clean serve turned into something rather ridiculous. Off to the side he could hear his friend let out a startling yelp as his footing shifted off to the side. A sudden change in his stance seemingly had his foot sink off in the opposite direction, his right leg swaying off to the left before his hand could make contact with the ball for the serve.

Shizuka called out in concern for him as he quickly went from a face plant to that of a erotic modeling pose. Something that Leon knew that the man would do making face of an embarrassing tumble. Good grief. Of course he laughed it off, stating that there must have been some sort of small sink hole that gave away from him standing there. Leon didn't buy it. He stood near that spot and felt nothing of the sort when he did so. An immediately spike in his head came forward, directing his sights back to that of Shizuka. She smirked. The woman was actually smiling. What did I tell you. The Doll chimed in once more to state the unnatural occurrence of something like that happening. A moment of the bizarre that suddenly occurred right when the man was about to serve the ball. It was too weird. Coincidence?

Not in the slightest. At least what Leon thought. Tell you what. Let me be your eyes, and I'll call it out when needed. the little girl suggested. Just before he could even refuse the idea, the thought of having a Doll roaming freely out in public like this was Don't worry yourself. I'm not going to do anything stupid. Just trust me on this, okay? Sarah wasn't like the other Dolls, or at least from what he knew of comparing her to the two other Bounts he knew of. Despite her form taking on that of a little girl, she was mature enough to know when to act. She wasn't particularly wild, and definitely not stupid to cause a ruckus out in public. Aside from that, from what she explained when they first met, that the form she took on wasn't really what she appeared to be. It was a cover. A visual made to be convenient when needing to be around the Bount when things would occasionally get out of hand. So, why not?

He muttered the phrase beneath his breath, allowing his shadow to expand out and away from himself. It stretched out from the man's footing to the umbrella. Of course, his friends weren't spiritually away, unable to conceive, let alone visually see the unusual nature his shadow went about doing before them. The Doll, Sarah, emerged rolled in a small ball beneath their set umbrella. Sporting a vastly large hoodie, the pink haired little girl skipped along the hot sand, bouncing from one foot to the other to set up shop at the left upper corner of Leon's side. Her bottom nestling down on the sand with her head slightly poking out from the hood. She chuckled softly, without the man looking to her direction.

"Hey hey now, if you two guys stop kissing me and our new friend here got some ass kicking for youuus." Jesse announced to the other side. "Let's go already." Ned laughed, passing the ball over to Leon to deliver to the other side. "Since Ned fumbled the ball on the serve, we'll let you have a go." Leon called out, throwing the ball over towards Shizuka. "Yeah, you two can have that point since you'll need it anyways because you have Jesse." Ned added on looking over to the woman. While saying as such, the Bount went off toward the side with the fifth member of their party waiting as the referee. His shirt rolling off his backside to ready himself. Something was off, and that put him in a more weary state. Black ink riddled his back, curving over his shoulders to the base of his collar. "Ohhhohohhhhooo, looks like someone is getting serious here, watch out." Jesse joked.

Leon felt better in this state, unconstricted by the tank top. The sand no longer scrapping against his bare chest beyond rolling on the ground from the needed dives. "Alright, let's do this."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Leon's Physical}


Type: Weapon Master


Strength: 100*75 = [175]

Speed: 150*75% = [262.5]

Spiritual Pressure: 250/50% = [125]

Reiatsu Strength: 50/50% = [25]

Light Aura: [50]

Dark Aura: [50]

Instinct: [100]

Senses: [50]

Energy Sensory: [50]

Healing Expertise: [0]


SP Total: 750

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skill Set}

Skill Set

1. Strength of Will: [1]

2. Battle Analysis: [1]

3. Pain Tolerance: [1]

4. Damage Recovery: [1]

5. Street Fighting: [1]

6. Parkour: [1]

7. Crafting/Engineering: [1]


SKP Total: 7/15

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Aww, it was cute how Leon was losing some of his focus. He was trying his hardest to keep track of the game, and honestly doing a pretty good job, but Shizuka was a bit fast for him. However, he was stronger. Shizuka made a mental note from when he had spiked the ball. That wasn't just someone who worked out every single day, and she knew it. With a keen eye on her side, the Fullbringer made sure to watch her opponent now more than ever. If he wasn't going to expose himself just yet, she'd do whatever it took to get him to feel like he had to.

Coming up with excuses as Shizuka's sand trick seemed to work was enough to make sure think that he might be considering other possibilities. Like, there was no way she could actually be just a normal human. There had to be something underneath, something she couldn't let show immediately, that made her different. And it really was that simple. With each trick she'd perform, she would be that much closer to practically admitting to him who she was. And, actually, she didn't remember fully introducing herself to these boys. If he was a spiritual being just like she was, he might recognize her.

Something caught her eye, though. Leon's serious focus coupled with what she could read from his lips confirmed a few things for her, but the sudden appearance of the little girl laughing to herself just a short distance away cemented it. Shizuka wasn't dealing with a human. She was dealing with a Bount. And this man was aware of what he was and knew how to use his powers. Shizuka glanced over at the girl for a brief moment before hearing one of the boys speak, directing her attention back on the game. She wasn't going to hold back anymore.

Once Leon offered the ball, Shizuka took it upon herself to serve this time. She quickly grabbed it and held it within her hands, allowing the ball to roll back to the inside of her elbows before she bumped it back up to her hands. Thinking for a moment and glancing back over at the girl, Shizuka got an idea. They were playing fairly traditionally up until now and she knew how dangerous it could be to show off too much in front of regular humans, but she was an acrobat at heart. Years of gymnastics as a child and fairly thorough martial arts training prepared her for this.

"You know, I think we can make this more interesting. We don't have to play by the rules except for counting points. If the ball touches the sand, obviously the other team scores. But how about we put on a bit of a show?" Shizuka placed her left hand on her hip and cradled the ball against her right side. "I've got to warn you guys, though. It may take a lot to out-perform Shizuka Sanamizu."

The Fullbringer threw the ball up in the air. She pivoted on her toes and jumped, positioning herself so that the backflip gave her the opportunity to serve the ball with the top of her foot. After kicking it over to the other side directly aimed at Leon, she stuck her landing and quickly turned around, preparing herself for his return. If he was going to use his powers to spy on her, then she was going to show off. The only thing she could do now was keep him guessing as to what she was, but he would find out soon enough.

[Leon Strife]

"I've got to warn you guys, though. It may take a lot to out-perform Shizuka Sanamizu." Alright, the game was on. What went through the Bounts mind was not that of the actual game of Volleyball. This little performance between the two of them was nothing more than a medium, as a means of expressing themselves on the surface level. What Shizuka announced about the change in rules only made the men around the pair a bit confused. Jesse taken back seeing the twisting agility of what the blonde haired woman was capable of. A unique performance given by one easily able to commit to with a nimble frame. She moved herself with clarity, and with precision that rare few were capable of. Those that Leon immediately thought about were the weirdos back in Uzaki Enterprises. While he was far from the norm himself, what he witnessed during their training session, and among the smaller interactions that were considered to be mere socials, the fluid contraction of muscle and expansion to fulfill the movements that the Fullbringer had done were far from normal.

Shizuka pivoted herself in a manner that would make full use of her lower body strength. Striking the ball with the roof of her foot it arched under the control of what was applied into it. Ned immediately sprang into motion, locking his sights onto the ball that came falling down over them. Leon's hand shot up, extended out to keep the Human from rushing into his covered radius. Shizuka was sending the Bount a message, and as such, it should be respected. The difference between their performances was spotted immediately. Leon was not someone who was as flexible as the woman. Her level of training was apparent, making use of her talents in broad daylight that differed from Leon's own personal fighting style. Much in which he could not show without terrifying the people around them. The Bount had to be more discreet.

Thus far, Leon could only depend on his level of strength and speed. The uneven padding of the sand beneath his soles were pushed into by his sliding foot. Pressure into the ground to force the ground to work for him, acting as proper support than that of a hindrance. As the ball came closer to meet with his side the Bount acted. He had to break the arch that the ball was forced to go into following the woman's will. He timed it. The Bount's heels left the hot piles of sand that buried his feet beneath their grains, only to propel himself forward to make full use of his body's momentum. Both weight and force piled into a cranked right arm the Bount leaped into a collision with the ball, responding at the proper moment to release the tightening sensation in his shoulder.

Like a piston, the man's arm shot forward with hand closed, hammering into the ball for a straight line towards that of Shizuka. It's trajectory forced to obey, removing the wind's sway over its path as the white curvature of the sports ball entered into a stilled state of being. There was no rotation while it cut through the air, with the Fullbringer's own perspective more than possibly able to see it, and to where it was directed at. But while the two had their own little silent spat the Doll stood smiling, watching as to what was transpiring. Her own curiosity peeked as she too wanted to participate in her own little way. Sarah seemed childish on the outside, keeping her true nature away from the public eye. She knew all too well that there was not much she could do in a situation such as this. After all, the Humans were in the dark about what beings that were among them. If they only knew, then the odds of causing a panic would certainly increase.

Sarah did not wish to see such an event occur on the Bount's day off, especially when she would not hear the end of it. As such, she had to keep herself restrained to a degree. So long as she kept what she did away from direct sight of the Humans, then there would be no commotion to speak of. Just as Shizuka acted out before the Doll would like to even the playing field. Thus, when Leon pushed himself forward to meet the ball, the Doll went ahead with her own little scheme. Reiatsu pulsed into the sand, constructing, reforming her own reiatsu beneath the position in which the Fullbringer stood over. Only when the Bount was about to make contact with the ball was the moment small fleshless bones came wrestling themselves from the hot sand below. Fingers, palms, skeleton forms of hands wiggling up against the sides of the woman's feet if she was not careful.

A small patch of sand that resided under the Fullbringer shuffled away as a small chorus of hands crawled up to hold her feet in place. It was subtle, ensuring that their slender fingers would only touch that of the feet. No more than up the ankles, Drag Down was not presented at its fullest by limiting its maximum reach to keep itself from being seen by those around the woman. A little teasing to match what the woman did earlier, and possibly making for more conversation later on.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka didn't have much time to react as Leon returned her serve. She was impressed since he was so capable of keeping up with her, though the primary thing holding her back at this point was the presence of normal humans. She couldn't risk exposing too much, especially since none of them would understand. Speaking from her own experience, normal humans can't see spiritual beings. They can only see actual, physical things. Shizuka mused at the thought that normal humans would view typical spiritual fights as somewhat comedic. People with exaggerated abilities flying through the air fighting absolutely nothing? Yeah, that would be hilarious.

The trajectory of the volleyball was intimidating since it was aimed straight for the Fullbringer. She smirked, considering her options without exposing herself to the average world. She was too busy focusing on not getting smacked by the ball to remotely notice the hands crawling up her feet, holding her into place. Shizuka went to jump, realized she was unable to do so, and squeaked as she fell back down on her hands and knees. The ball, though it missed her, still landed within her court. Another point to the Bount, huh? Fine. Shizuka glanced down at her feet, seeing the bones. That must be one of his Dolls, she thought to herself.

She laughed and glanced over at the girl. It was definitely her. Shizuka didn't have the same kind of sneaky benefit that a Bount had unless she wanted to use her Soul Command. The blonde lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled to get back up, hoping the girl would release her hold. Playing this game would be impossible without proper mobility. Shizuka was certain she'd be able to break free one way or another, but she couldn't risk showing absolutely everything in this kind of situation. It was risky, unfortunately. Fun, but risky.

"Okay," Shizuka sighed, "you got me. I think I got ahead of myself on that one."

Shizuka slowly raised herself back up to standing and brushed the sand off her body. It was mostly on her knees and the fronts of her calves, but she didn't want to scrape herself up more if she didn't have to. Playing this game, or really doing anything at the beach, with excess amounts of sand stuck to yourself could get super not awesome very quickly. Assuming the skeleton hands weren't holding on to her feet anymore, Shizuka would make her way back over to the volleyball and pick it up. She tossed the ball a few times in the air and caught it again, weighing her options.

Finally, after a few seconds of considerations, Shizuka decided to go a little old school. She tossed the ball up in the air, jumped once again to serve, and did not hit quite as hard. Anyone on the opposing side could have retrieved it, but Shizuka had a specific target. Using a small amount of energy with Soul Command, she brushed her right hand a bit to the side and sand around Leon's feet followed. It wasn't much, but a thin layer of sand would harden and hold in him place if he tried to move. he could easily break out of it if he tried, but a normal movement would cause him to trip before the sand broke away on its own. If Leon caught it, then she'd have to try something else.

[Leon Strife]

Rustling beneath the sands the small group of boney fingers that protruded from the ground returned to their point of origin. A teasing gesture in return for what the woman was suspected of pulling moments before. Leon did not expect to be using his abilities like this, yet, there was something odd about it. Before, he had pushed his unique physical capabilities when operating as a Gangster back in Los Angeles. His strength was a bit overwhelming for normal Humans to compete with, which was odd to him. It was during such a time the thought had not crossed his mind that he was naturally born with these abilities. He did not view himself as being unique, merely someone striving to survive in a hostile environment. Believing he was weaker was a mind set that would often get one killed, so the Bount did not want to put himself in that position. Caution was necessary, but to believe that he was not going to survive was another. Confidence was essential.

With that in mind, Leon did not believe that he was naturally gifted. The thought of it being mind over matter was what got him through the fights in the ghettos. However, only when having to come to Japan is when Leon discovered that thought processes was not correct. What Leon was foretold what he would be capable of, and it was not something remarkably Human. Altogether, it changed how he viewed the world as a whole. Only using his abilities to fight, to survive was the only perspective of how he would use these abilities of his. But now that was not the case. From what he was experiencing now was an entirely different feeling. He was having....fun.

Fighting, surviving, working, these were the only uses he saw where his abilities would be able to be used in. Actually, the thought never crossed his mind to make use of his abilities to tease, or in somewhat a humorous fashion. Despite how brooding he may have appeared to be, even Leon had some desire to thrill seek. Probably, much of this lack of amusement was very much due to his environment. He did not have the luxury to think of anything but what he needed to do the next day. Even as he earned money with his associates back then in America, never did use it to have fun. Everything that Leon earned through the drug trade, through killing was used to better equip himself for the worst case scenario. At least until he met her.

A sense of guilt immediately struck that he nearly missed what Shizuka stated. you got me. I think I got ahead of myself on that one." His attention snapped back to the reality that he was in, shaking his head of the thoughts that loomed over him. And that was it, they loomed over him. Did he deserve to have fun? Leon's eyes dazed at the other side of the court, only recognizing the Fullbringer's movement to serve. Ned immediately ran to intercept, calling it as he did to set it. The ball gleamed over the net whilst the man positioned himself at an angle. "Set, Leo!" the man called. Leon snapped back to, darting over to bounce the swirling ball back to the other side. Yet, his view of the world quikcly turned from bright blue of the sky to the grainy tan of the sand beneath them.

Something partially firm caught his foot, or rather he stepped into something that hooked over his ankle. It immediately dissolved upon his foot making contact, but the brief moment of hardened sand caused a sudden loss of balance. More like having the tip of the foot tipping over a portion of uneven pavement when walking. So naturally, Leon tripped and got a face full of sand. Silence immediately struck from his partner as Jesse bellowed a chuckle that he could no longer suppress. "Damn man. You just ate shit." The other two quickly, quietly shook their heads in disbelief at the supposed act of clumsiness. "You for real now, Leo. I mean, come on." The ball rolled into view in front of the embarrassed Bount, a bit flushed hidden beneath the sand that he laid on. How embarrassing.

Leon rose to his feet, scrapping off the clunks of sand that were stuck to him. Did he deserve to have fun? Did he deserve to be happy? The same thoughts continued to emerge as quickly as he felt some manner of relief, or rather when he was pushing them aside. What was it? "Yeah, I'm good. I'm actually gonna sit this round out. Can you cover for me Jason?" Off to the side, Jason nods. "Did you hurt your leg?" Ned quickly questioned. "Nah, just want to get something to drink, and probably take a piss too. All this running around is making me want to go. Don't forget I was the one putting some effort into this." the Bount joked. Scrunching his face Ned waved his hand nonchalantly at the response. "Suit yourself man. We are gonna keep going." he waved over to Shizuka.

"Let's go again. Your ball." he called out throwing the ball over the net.

Leon continued to dust himself off as his position on the court was changed out with one of his Co-workers. The Bount treaded off to the side where the small settled space was made for the group, partaking of one of the Water Bottles residing in the Cooler Tub that was brought. The lid popped off with small clumps of sand that still clung to his hand, shaking off the weird gripping sensation prior to his foot earlier. He sighed to himself with the thoughts still poking at him. He shook them off again, looking off to the court for the moment before making his way to the restrooms.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The sudden fall caught Shizuka off-guard despite the fact that she was the one who caused it. With a quick gasp, her hands found their way to her mouth and her eyes went wide before a loud snort made its way out of her. She started laughing with her eyes squeezed shut and turned herself around, hoping to not embarrass the man more than he already was. She could see it all over his face and felt a large amount of guilt. She was teasing, but he was adorable and made it difficult for her to not feel shame at what she'd done.

Luckily he was able to stand up, but he decided to quit playing for the moment. Seeing the opportunity, the woman caught the ball that was thrown back over to her by Ned and pouted. She glanced around, looking for anyone to take her place, and finally spied another team that was playing volleyball not too far away from their group. One of their players had called it quits, as well, so Shizuka looked back in Leon's direction, then made her way over to the other game with haste. After offering her spot, the solo team member accepted, and she promised she'd return in a moment.

"Sorry guys, I think we got carried away! Let me just check on him. Don't worry, we'll both be back super fast!"

She lightly brushed her hand on Ned's back as soon as she was close enough to him but continued to follow Leon's direction. He'd already gone to the restrooms by the time Shizuka made it off the court, and she noticed she was trailing him relatively slowly. What was her problem? Did she seriously feel awkward around him? Was it because of the sand and how he stopped playing immediately after she tripped him? Ugh. She knew she went too far. She could get so carried away and felt awful. But she couldn't just mosey into the men's room to apologize, so she waited for him instead.

Within a few moments, as soon as he made his way back out, he'd find Shizuka leaning up against a nearby wall as she watched for him. Once her eyes found him again, she smiled. She didn't mean to cause any stress, and he may have had his own reasons for being overly cautious, especially because she certainly did. But what she wanted to do was more than just apologize. The blonde reached up and stretched, then held her hands up behind her head in a manner of support. Poised and ready, she figured she might as well go for it.

"So! The last Bount I came in contact with was nothing like you. He was also pretty reserved, but he wasn't exactly the same. I suppose most people aren't, so I don't really know why I'm comparing you both." With a hand stretched out in greeting, she offered her name. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Shizuka Sanamizu, Fullbringer, and a member of Xcution. Their strongest, actually. What's your story? Well... you're REAL story?"

[Leon Strife]

After a cooling face wash, and relieving the Loch-ness monster the time to return to the scorch outside had come. Strange, Leon did not appeal to the thought of having fun while living a completely new life. In all honesty, the Bount did not give it much thought to none after all that he had been through. Someone who was by all means a convicted felon, managed to escape to a new country in order to leave everything behind to start anew. Often time he would think that he had to keep an eye on his back. An old habit from his time with the Gang, watching everything and everyone around so he would not be the next to be offed. Paranoia was normal to him, and it is what kept him safe. Killing was also normal, coming to terms, believing that his turn will come soon to join those that fell on the streets. It was only a matter of time. This was the ordinary thought for those who were in Gangs as there was no logical sense of living a long life as a free man. But, here he was doing so.

Was it really alright for him to be happy, having the time of his life while those that he killed, that he involved, could not? Normally, someone in his position would not think like that. He found it normal for others to morn over those that died. For each member of their crew that died it was usually someone close; a cousin, a sister, a father, a brother.....a lover. Leon did not really understand that train of thought since he was never really close to anyone. Leon was good at what he did for the group, and they gave him what he needed to live. A mutual benefit was all that his relationship was with the gang, and nothing more. But..

"So! The last Bount I came in contact with was nothing like you." A bit of light flickered off the radiant lure of her blonde hair. Eyes being captured by the appealing outfit that was not afraid to hide what was beneath it. Leon's mind snapped back to reality than drift back into the spiral of thoughts. "He was also pretty reserved, but he wasn't exactly the same. I suppose most people aren't, so I don't really know why I'm comparing you both." The woman from before, with his co-workers was leaning against the shaded wall beside the washrooms. Bits of the overhead roofing had small gaps that allowed the light from above to shine through, with Leon adjusting his sights as he came into the sun. Bount? That was right. Leon was a Bount. A name that he was not accustomed to being referred to as he always thought of himself as being Human, or rather a special one at that. So, he was a bit surprised when he was called.

"Huh? Oh."

Leon responded casually, almost appearing to be confused before he caught the previous thought, and placed it front and center. But none of that mattered as she held her hand up to greet him more physically. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Shizuka Sanamizu, Fullbringer, and a member of Xcution. Their strongest, actually. What's your story? Well... you're REAL story?" Leon was taken aback. From what he heard from Aura and Eris, what the Bounts had to concern themselves with were that of the other races. A few that he learned about, the Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollows, Uzaki Enterprises had a larger database about those who were among the spiritual adept. Using the information from both sources the Bount came to a conclusion that he had to be wary of some of the other adepts, so keeping his identity hidden was something that he should have been more cautious about.

"Oh. Well, I am not..
"His name is Leon. And she is not someone you need to worry about for now."

The little hooded girl from before, who stood off to the side of the volleyball court interrupted. Leon peered down at the smaller figure before letting out a sigh as she went on to relieve the Bount. "If she wanted to hurt you, then she would have done it." How embarrassing that his own Doll had to spill out his own insecurity. Leon sighed once more before taking the woman's hand in the same manner. "I'm Leon Strife. Some people go with Leonardo, Leo, sometimes 'Cloud', which I don't know why. But Leon is fine." he responds to Shizuka while rubbing the back of his buzzed cut hair. "It's a pleasure to meet you, and I can see that you knew what I was despite the little runt here." he glared back down at Sarah.

Leon felt a personal sense of tension. What he felt was a bit of caution as he should concerned with meeting someone of another spiritual aptitude. Shizuka, being from an Organization referred to as Xcution, which must have been a group that is in likeness to Uzaki, must mean that she well endowed with taking care of herself. When putting two and two together from the experience from the volleyball court, and the information presented now, like how Sarah put it the woman could have ended him anytime she wanted. But, seeing how she was approaching him now like this meant there was something else. "But, if you would like to talk, then I think we should go for a walk while we do that." he offered. Obviously there were merits to the idea, but again it was being played by his paranoia once more. "Since you know what I am called, then I can assume that you, or your Xcution group, is aware of all of this trippy spirit stuff going on around here?"

Leon started off with the conversation with his own general stance on how things were, seeing that did not know much as any other adept would probably know. While Uzaki had a hand dealing with the spiritual, and the Bount Covenant pretty much raveled in the subject, Leon kept his hands relatively clean. He had been informed as to what was generally going on, but not too keen on the details, or other groups in play with the spiritual world. By every sense of the word, Leon was an amateur. "I'm asking this because I really don't know much as to what is going on here let alone what I really am. I wasn't really aware until she popped out of no where and started filling me in on some things." he poked his attention to the little hooded girl walking behind the pair. "Started off with some whispers in my head up back in the U.S up until I came here to see that she is now outside and talking to me now." the American started off.

"But, seeing that you know what I am you must have had your own encounters with um.... people like me."