Maelstrom

Chapter 36

Mihawk's POV

You watched as Ruse got her belongings gathered, pausing to stare sadly at a leather-bound journal briefly before she tucked it carefully in her satchel.

Hm, interesting, must be some sort of story behind the sentimental gesture, not that it really mattered though.

If Ruse was to train under you, she would need to bury her sentimental platitudes and learn how to mask her emotions. Nothing was more dangerous in battle then having a weak link, an opening for your opponent to strike, and emotions were one of those weak links.

You had experienced that first hand, rubbing a small scar on your side momentarily before hopping off your raft, gesturing for Ruse to follow.

Her expression was one of disbelief mixed with a tad bit of agitation. Huh, intriguing. Had she never seen a mansion or castle before? Though with her travelling with Red-Hair and his crew, it wasn't that far off from the truth. He never really took interest in those kinds of things, so you suppose Ruse followed suit after her comrade.

You smirk wryly, eager to begin training with your new student.

"You never told me you were loaded Shishō, damn. Shoulda roomed with you sooner, living in luxury like this-ha yeah right Shishō! Come on, this isn't really your pad is it?" Ruse questions from behind you, taking in the new surroundings around her.

Her golden eyes are wide and curious, akin to a child finding a new toy. You chuckle as you study her, amused at her reaction. She pouts at you, giving you a half-hearted glare as she picks up her pace to match your own. You slowed down briefly, though it was quite amusing to see her striding forward to match you, you felt a twinge of guilt and gave her a small moment to catch up.

"Ah, well Argenti, you know what they say." You quirk a brow at her teasingly before continuing. "It's not the hands that build the home, but the heart." She scoffs at your teasing and counters you easily.

"Yeah well if that were true then you must have a pretty empty home." Oh, so she was capable of matching your humor. You grin, already looking forward to spending time with the feisty young woman.

She grumbled the whole time you were both making your way to your home. For each comment you heard you quipped back a reply, encouraging her impulsive nature, sometimes pausing to look back at her with an analyzing stare to which she casually ignored. But you saw Ruse doing the same when she thought you weren't looking, how amusing.

Spending time with Ruse D. Argenti may be difficult and at times tiring, but it was time well spent. She made you laugh, scowl, express a variety of emotions you weren't used to allowing to slip past your usual stoic demeanor.

She had piqued your interest, and you weren't quite sure if it was a positive or negative effect on you. At least, not yet, though with time you were sure you would find your answer.

"Simplicity carried to an extreme, creates elegance Argenti, you are a prime example of that." You reply, hiding a grin behind your hand as she rolls her eyes at you, attempting to what seemed to be her trying to mimic you behind your back, how childish.

Ruse would prove to be an interesting student, a rare exception for you, something wild and untamed, full of untapped potential. She already had more than enough redeeming qualities, but she would have to learn self-discipline, self-restraint. She was naturally agile, you had noticed. Her posture was proud, yet she walked with a sense of caution at the same time, fitting of a pirate. Awareness, agility, strength. She carried herself the way a mercenary would. Her back straight, feet only touching the ground where they needed to, hands tucked to her sides, but tense, ready to react if needed. Her movements were calculated, as she had been on high alert from the very start, and yet she had masked it with her constant firing of questions to you, any regular onlooker would be too wrapped up in her verbal quips to notice that she was taunt, poised, ready to strike. She was as dangerous as a live-wire, easily able to snap the moment she needed or wanted to.

You studied her again, more intently, noticing the way she placed herself, not wasting any movement for unnecessary qualms, how intriguing. You wondered where she had picked that trait up from, Red-Hair didn't seem the type to teach her those sort of things. Perhaps though, he or one of his crewmates had versed her in the practice, or there was a slight chance she had been self-taught, but that notion was rather dark, one should not have to verse themselves, especially a young woman, on the art of killing. It was chilling to think about, Ruse had yet to reveal much of her past, so you weren't fully aware of what the woman had been through, though with time she would likely open up a bit more to you.

You could already tell she was going to be different than others you had tried to teach. Her stubbornness, her impulsiveness, her quick wit, her vigor. She was something else, she had an overwhelming presence demanding to be noticed and yet, she wasn't even aware of her own charisma, her own aura in a way.

You continue to study her as you walk, filing away information as she carries on with a one-sided conversation.

Yes, Ruse would be a challenge, but you hadn't had a challenge in quite some time- and you'd be lying if you said you weren't eager to see the results.

--