Chapter 79: 078 Bathroom Banter: A Commanding Gaze

"Aaahhhhhhhh, that feels better. Warm water really soothes the welts eh?" Wall was the last of them to enter the bath on account of having to take off his armor.

"I wouldn't know."

"Never been hit before have ya Sanna?" Wall took Rei's snark in stride. "I bet taking the occasional beating would straighten out that awful attitude of yours. Bruises to wonder for the ego."

"And I bet that a few courses in etiquette and manners would break your awful habit of being an importunate cur."

"Bah, manners. Let's see how much good those formalities do for you when a spear is headed for your gut."

"I'd pay good money to see you swing your way out of a gala."

"I just wanted to relax..." Len bubbled his complaints out from just below the surface of the tub. He didn't mean for it to be heard, but given the otherwise quiet room it was the third loudest sound.

"My bad Len."

"My apologies, mister Kerr."

With that the bickering duo fell silent, instead taking the time to soak in silence like Len had. Wall in particular took the time to massage his wounds, wounds neither of them could really see.

"I thought your armor was meant to protect you from getting wounds like that." Sanna tried to make conversation, the silence was driving him crazy. "Did she really hit you that hard?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, kinda? My body armor isn't really supposed to take the blow for me, only prevent me from getting cut by a blade that doesn't land perfectly. Its really more akin to a thick piece of leather than a sheet of metal. Now my shield on the other hand..."

"Can block anything, I assume?"

"As much as I'd like to say that, I know it isn't true. You remember how Sergeant Strauss told Tanya off mere moments after our match began? Yeah, chances are she could have blown right through it."

"Really now? With that tiny body? I know she's can put out a lot of split, but I didn't think she could do that much."

"Don't underestimate her." Len was uncharacteristically stern in his warning. "She fought all of us without breaking a sweat, she was just pacing us."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I was the last to fight her and there wasn't a drop on her brow." Len brought his knees to his chest. "It felt like she was toying with me."

"It certainly did." "Yeah, same."

Sanna and Wall paused, before sharing a terse laugh.

"Guess we're all at the level of fodder eh?"

"As much as I don't like to admit it, you are probably right."

The three shared a sigh. They had come into this barrack bright eyed and bushy tailed, trying to make themselves look desirable as soldiers. They were naïve, so to speak, completely underestimating the challenge that would be presented to them. All that effort wasted, their pride shattered, and their futures uncertain. 

"The Sergeant's scarier."

Len dropped his thoughts without thinking. Part of it was due to the uncomfortable silence, but for the most part he just wanted to get it out there.

"Definitely."

"Without question."

"Really? I thought you two would be more afraid of Lady Tanya."

"I don't so much fear her as I understand I can't beat her. I don't get that feeling with the Sergeant." Sanna wasn't ashamed to admit his inferiority, especially when he was clearly outclassed. "I'm pretty sure I can best the Sergeant in a fight, just based on what he said, but I can't shake this feeling that somehow, in some way, he'll still come out on top. Its weird."

"I know what you mean. Ruthless, callous, indifferent, I can't quite pin down what type of man he is, and it makes it hard to determine how to act around him. He comes off friendly enough, but I felt like there was something else there."

"I meant I was more scared of his eyes."

"His eyes? I suppose his gaze was a bit intense, though other than that I wouldn't worry about it. He himself said that he was going to be watching us intently." Sanna was dismissive.

"Maybe. They still scare me though." Len started to blow bubbles in the water, marking a momentary end to the conversation.

Wall took some time to stretch his muscles. Of the three, he was probably pushed the hardest by Titanyana.

"What about his eyes do you find so scary?"

"Hm?"

"Sergeant Strauss'. I might be able to alleviate some of your fears if you're scared of their appearance. Not to brag, but I've met my fair share of people. I've already spent a year at the academy."

"Where to start?" Len thought about it. What about Donovan's eyes did scare him? On the surface they didn't seem particularly different than anybody else's. There were the pupils, black like pretty much everyone else. His irises, dark gray, were a rarer color, but not all too unusual. His sclera were white as well. Altogether, they looked like normal eyes, and yet he was scared of them.

Why was he scared of Donovan's eyes?

"Could it be those black lines under his eyes?" Wall provided a suggestion to the foundering boy. "I don't exactly remember which clan, but one of my people's warrior clans paint their faces to terrify their enemies. It doesn't exactly work the way they intend, but maybe it's something like that?"

"Maybe. They definitely don't make me comfortable."

"Mm, I get that. Personally, I think he just has a level of intensity you aren't familiar with."

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"That's an idea. What sort of people are you used to dealing with Len?" Wall was keen to open Len up, he wanted someone to banter with. As it stood, this sort of talk was not appropriate in Donovan's presence, and Titanyana wasn't very talkative. Sanna, he had determined, did not have the best chemistry with him. Len might be his only source of social entertainment.

"I'm-I, I don't really like interacting with others. Before now I only spoke with my adoptive father and his servants with any frequency."

"That'd do it to ya." "There's your reason right there."

"Judging from what you've said thus far and what I've gathered from your actions, you are what those snobs indulgent in high society would call a wallflower. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with not wanting to be social." Sanna rolled his head around, looking to get a pop out of his neck. "That being said, I don't think that sort of personality lends itself well to combat. You're young though, so now is an excellent time to work on it."

"Really?" Len didn't want to looked down upon as it would reflect poorly on his father, but he didn't how to fix his habits.

"Without a doubt. Parties and banquets are a dime a dozen around these parts. Somebody is always throwing a birthday party or celebrating a cultural holiday. You might not be invited to the parties of more popular people or be welcome in the high class gatherings, but there are many sons of less influential lords who would just be happy to have someone attend."

"Who knows? We might even be able to get you a girl." Wall took a jab at Len in jest, provoking some rosy cheeks and downturned eyes.

"That... we can work on that too." Sanna was about to admonish Wall for his crude remark, but formal engagements with the opposite sex were incredibly important in high society. "In fact we should probably work on making you presentable to women first. I don't think any of us wants to see what happens should we offend Lady Diana."

"Almost forgot about that. Gah, I'm gonna have to hold back on the enthusiasm aren't I?"

"For once."

"Shut it loser."

"...guys."

- - - - -

The argumentative duo incentivized Len to exit the bathroom, clothing himself with the silky, pajama-like night outfit he brought down from his room. Leaving the steaming clothing room, he almost stumbled into Titanyana.

"Oh-uh-eh, sorry Ma'am."

"What are they arguing about?" The way she completely disregarded his apology, so flippant and unresponsive, made him cry a little inside. To him, that was effort.

"I-uh, don't know. They just, they just sort of went off at each other." 

"Idiots. Do you need me to teach them a lesson?"

"Uh, no? I was finished soaking anyways." Titanyana was shorter than Len, but you wouldn't be able to tell from their interactions.

"Hm. Do you . . . want to head to the mess hall? It's a bit too early for bed."

"No, I think I should turn in for the night. I need to be at my best tomorrow."

"You won't be able to do that on an empty stomach."

"What?"

"You need to eat. Don't tell Sir Strauss I told you, but the first exercises tomorrow are before you get breakfast." Her rigid posture and tilted head told Len she wasn't lying. Everything about her told him she wasn't lying, from her well-maintained uniform to her polished boots, from her sharp gaze to her ears at attention.

"I-I guess I should eat then."

"Mm."

- - - - -

The tapping of Titanyana's boots made Len a bit uncomfortable as they walked. She seemed better in every way, she was better in every way, every way that mattered to him. He was wearing his bedtime slippers, something he realized to be very juvenile of him. His head was held down, hers straight.

"You're nervous." Titanyana could see through him, or at least it felt like it. "Why?"

"Ah-er, Sir Strauss is going to be in the mess hall isn't he? I'm," He debated whether or not he wanted to say it, "afraid. He scares me. His eyes scare me."

"You too?" A rare emotion, surprise.

"Yeah, I can't even- what?"

"You are also afraid of his eyes?" Titanyana's composure had vanished, now staring intently, eagerly, at Len's expression. "What is it you fear about them?"

"I, I don't know. They just don't feel right."

"Hmm. I don't know either. It was fine at first, when we met, I just thought he was a little more intense than the rest. Serious, you might say. But he isn't. He makes jokes sometimes, gets confused, hurt, or tired, and even when he takes his eyes away the feeling persists." She brought a hand up to cup one of her ear. "Its the worst when we spar. When he actually focuses on you, it feels like he can see everything you do, straight through you, even when he is completely clueless."

She seemed like she was on the verge of a breakdown, and then instantly regained her composure. 

"He's even more terrifying than his eyes." It seemed like a warning. "He isn't normal, neither of them are. I can hit him, beat him, cut him, scold him, and he just gets back up and asks for more. I fear he'll reach a point where I just won't be enough to train him, and I haven't even taught him how to use split yet!"

"He can't use split?"

"Not yet, I plan to start soon."

"Then, then he lifted my lance? How? Even Wall needed to-" 

"I told you." Titanyana's tail was flicking about wildly. "Scary."

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