two faces (Hecatus, O)

[Neko]

 Breath. She held both her daggers in front of her in a protective stance. In front of her a tree marred with cuts across its trunk. Her lungs filled quickly with air and she would exhale, sweat lining her forehead as she had been intensely practicing. Fighting. Any type of fighting, whether it was actual combat or just training. It calmed her mind; made her able to think straight, to know how she was feeling. Fighting made her feel alive. Her chest rose and fell with each hardened breath.

I bet this tree has feelings... A voice would say to her in her mind; normally, she would have just heard annoying meowing. But, she understood the lazy housecat who was lounging in the tree above her. His tail swaying and dangling off the branch he sat on. He would yawn, showing his small fangs. Laying his head upon his paws, as he softly closed his eyes. Wake me when you're finished, he'd meow.

Taking another deep breath Shiori would lunge forward at the tree, swinging her dagger in her right hand towards the tree and then the left one. Leaving even more marks upon the tree. She would continue these movements for a few more before jumping back away from the tree, doing a backflip before landing on her feet crouched down a bit. "You know Shinji," she would begin to say, "You might benefit from some training as well.." she would look up into the branches of the tree with her two-colored eyes. Narrowing them at the mostly black cat, whom continued to snooze in the tree.

A smirk would appear at the corner of her lips, as she would then throw one of her daggers into the tree...straight for the feline.

HEY! Shinji would hiss at her as he sprung out of the way, hopping onto another branch before jumping to the ground. The black cat would stretch before looking up at the female ninja in front of him. She had hair that was two different colors; black and white. Shiori was her name. She would look back at the cat, staring down at him. Both standing their ground. The cat would proceed to sit on the ground, both keeping their eyes on one another. Neither blinking.

I'll get you back for that, so you better watch your back Shiori, the cat would meow, before walking towards a post and jumping to sit ontop of it. We done here? he'd ask, beginning to lick himself.

[Hecatus]

A skeptical voice called out from the distance while the two individuals maintained a deadlocked stare. “That’s how you train your cat?...” If one were to look, a dark haired man had approached from the nearby scenery upon hearing the commotion. His appearance wasn’t too unusual, consisting of relatively dark clothing with only a longbow and quiver at his back standing out slightly. This figure approached while maintaining a relaxed expression, showing interest in the events that had played out before him.

With each nonchalant step taken, he’d eye the situation curiously before shooting a darting glance at the nearby battered tree. Originally the man had come here for archery practice. That tree resting between them had traditionally served as a pin cushion. Were one to check the other side, they’d notice a well carved target along with an innumerable number of small holes digging deep into the bark. Though the place itself was a bit secluded and out of the way, the archer had chosen this location primarily for that reason. With fewer individuals lurking around, chances of a misfire were significantly lower, especially when practicing long distance shooting (in which a number of things could happen during the arrow’s travel time after release).

Considering how the shinobi wasn’t one to prolong an awkward situation, he’d take the initial step. Pointing at the cat, then himself, then the woman whom had gone unintroduced, he’d wave amicably at the strange duo while starting a round of introductions. “So he’s Shinji, I’m Jack, and you are…?”

[Mamushi]

        The day was young, and shinobi from all throughout the village were making their way to the training grounds beyond the village sprawl. Mamushi was no different. Black sleeves billowing behind her, she sprinted across a road of branches to the outskirts of the village, the dense canopy above like a great green sky. Every meadow she passed was occupied. She thought she might try the clearing with the beat-up old tree, but there were people there too. A man, a young woman, and a cat.

        Cats weren't so cute and delicious as kittens, and she wasn't hungry, but she stopped all the same. The man was tall - a couple inches taller than Mamushi herself, she reckoned - and dark, slim and slender as a blade. Most likely an archer, she reckoned, unless he went around with a bow for fun. The girl was short and pale, her hair a shock of black and white, split straight down the middle. Her eyes were different too, one black, one purple. She had added a few more scars to the tree with those daggers of hers. Poor tree, Mamushi thought. This slow torture was cruel. Better to burn it dead and be done with it.

        Mamushi had never been one for group activities, so she surprised herself when she dropped down into the clearing and slinked over to the duo. Her hood was down, shaggy blonde hair framing a face dominated by two slitted yellow eyes. Her formless cloak dragged against the ground, collecting dirt as it trailed behind her.

        "Kon'nichiwa," she announced, looking from man to woman to cat and back, thin lips spread in a wide smile. Too wide. Her mother had always said it was proper etiquette to give your name when meeting new people, even if you intended to kill them. Mamushi was a  black-hearted rogue, but she proscribed to proper etiquette all the same. She wasn't a complete savage. "I'm Mamushi."

[Neko]

Shiori was stricken back when she heard a male voice not too far off. Her mind had been upon practicing and having a stare-off with her cat familiar that the presence of one--no two people would catch her off guard. W-who were they? What did they want? He'd asked if that was how she trained her cat. Cheeks would feel hot as she felt a rush of nervousness, as she looked over at the black clad guy whom she noticed carried a bow. Perhaps he was the one whom practiced on the other side of the tree. Shiori had observed this place and had taken note that someone else may have used it as a training place, but it was one of the only places that was more secluded than any other the training areas.

Instinctively she would grip on the handle of her daggers as the man approached, holding her arms at her side though. She was beginning to feel anxious as the man approached her. He would proceed to then point at Shinji whom continued to groom himself, then the man pointed to himself and then to Shiori. Probably having overheard the pair earlier he'd gathered the cat's name and would introduce himself before asking who she was.

The girl would look over at Jack, a phlegmatic look upon her face as she was silent to his question.

The cat continued to lick himself clean, hardly paying any mind to Jack. At least not until a female approached, clad in black as well with yellow-blonde hair. Shinji would stare at the other female as she introduced herself with a smile that was too wide. The almost completely black cat would jump from the post to Shiori's shoulder. Are you going to introduce yourself, Nēsan? he would question, brushing against the side of Shiori's face and neck.

"S-shiori..." her voice would finally break through, shyly. Though, her only outward appearance that she was shyer than the normal shinobi would be the slight flush of her cheeks. Her body seemed to be in a rigid stance, almost defensively. Now that introductions were made, she returned to being silent. She didn't do too well around others...

[Hecatus]

Hmm? His eyes turned upon hearing another voice as a blonde haired woman entered the scene. Mamushi was it? Though the name itself wasn’t ringing any bells within the man’s mind, he had frequently seen this particular individual around town on several occasions. If memory served him correctly, she was a frequently visitor of the Hokage’s Complex and quite the busy body. Aside from that, little else was recalled.

A hand rose to extend a greeting to her as well in the form of a wave as he’d nod welcomingly. Having originally come here to train, it was clear that his usual practice field had already been taken. That said, Jack continued to look a bit hesitantly at the odd pair of girls before him while contemplating on a proper course of action. His eyes in particular were quickly drawn by the rigid stance almost instinctively taken by the one who had identified herself as Shiori. From the looks of it, the girl was nervous to say the least. Perhaps nervous might even be an understatement.

“Now now, I don’t bite. I can’t vouch for her though.” He’d laugh casually and speak in a half joking manner while pointing a finger towards the snake like woman. The situation was clear. The woman hadn’t expected either of their arrivals and had become immediately uncomfortable, almost petrified. Taking several steps back, Jack would point at the nearby distance while slowly moving toward it. “I guess the early bird gets the worm... I’ll be down range working on some sharpshooting if either of you are interested in a light spar.”

Giving ample space to the meek woman, he’d begin to shuffle south unless either of them had taken him up on his offer.

[Mamushi]

        Shiori, Mamushi realized rather quickly, was painfully shy. It was in the way she stood, tense, rigid, and generally uncomfortable. Her body language said what her mouth wouldn't. Strange fare for a ninja, Mamushi thought. Most of the shinobi she knew were the surly, aggressive sort. Assholes, most of them, and none with a shy bone in their body. If only she could remove some of their other bones.

        "I don't bite," she told the man called Jack as she watched Shiori, fangs hanging over her lip. "I tend to swallow my prey whole."

        Jack proved nice enough, or acted nice enough. It was often hard to tell with shinobi. He was giving Shiori her space, at any rate.

        Mamushi wasn't so inclined, but manners were manners. "You look interesting," she said to the shy girl, smile loosing some of its unsettling width. "And I'll take you up on that offer of a spar, Jack-san. Maybe we can have a free for all?" She went to follow the bowman, attempting to entice Shiori to come, and likely failing at the attempt.

        A spar certainly wouldn't hurt. There was always something for a ninja to improve, always a goal to strive for. Alone since graduating the academy, she'd sparred with rock clones more often than actual people. This would be a good change up to her regular training routine. Jack was a chuunin, if she wasn't mistaken; she might be able to learn a trick or two that she wouldn't have chanced upon otherwise.