Training Grounds

Katsu looks behind him and he blinks, not seeing Shin very clearly and he glances to Shizuko who wasn't really pushing herself but she wasn't trying either. He thinks to himself then goes faster and catches up with Mitsukai easily and watches her. He knew that he could leave Shizuko by herself and Chie is bound to find either her or Shin, probably Shin though.

Chie appears barking running behind Shin with the stick in her mouth.

Mitsukai took no notice of her sensei nearby, but instead began doing more than just running. She suddenly slipped down the moment she landed on the next branch, caught another branch with her hands, swung forward and continued jumping from branch to branch normally. A few minutes later, he jumped to the side, and jumped off the base of a tree to reach a higher branch. Eventually, she continued this process until she was practically soaring above the trees. Almost, anyways, she was definitely close.

Shin glanced over his shoulder and smiled, taking a gasp of breath before calling to the dog, "Hey!... Chie!" He grinned, but then suddenly tripped over a branch, and hit the branch below hard in the gut. He groaned, scrambling up before he could fall again.

Chie landed on the branch Shin on was, without the stick in her mouth and she licks Shin's cheek trying to make him feel better. Her ears were flat against her head so it was obvious she was worried.

Shizuko was ahead, just jumping from time to time now with her mind racing with thoughts.

Katsu continues to watch Mitsukai until his face goes blank and he calls to her.

Mitsukai came to a dead stop, landing on the next branch hard, and creating lot of vibrations in the tree from the impact. She glanced back with a frown, "What is it sensei?"

As Chie licked his face worriedly, Shin rubbed his sore stomach, and after staring at Chie for a moment, he laughed and scratched the dog behind the ears. He then hesitantly said, "I'm fine."

"Try going higher!" Katsu said while jumping past Mitsukai, him already just soring through the trees with ease though he was also doing it backwards.

Shizuko was in her own little world just jumping from tree to tree.

Chie barks at Shin and nuzzles her head against his head in response.

Mitsukai laughed and started climbing up the smaller branches up towards the very top of the tree. She had lost her momentum so now she was going to get herself up higher before going again.

Shin chuckled and stood up, "Alright, let's go catch up Chie." He then started running from tree to tree again.

Chie barks and quickly follows behind Shin.

Shizuko was going at her own pace as always with that calm expression.

Katsu watches Mitsukai and watches out for the others.

Shin started to see one of his teammates come into view after jumping from branch to branch for awhile. "Shizuko-san!" He called.

Mitsukai finally felt high enough, and she kicked off the branch and got going again, aiming to catch up with Katsu-sensei.

(lol even if the others caught up, they wouldn't be able to see them up so high xD rofl)

(lol. That's true. xD)

Shizuko gets knocked out of her thoughts and she glances over her shoulder and sees Shin. "Eh, Shin-san. You've finally caught up." She states while still keeping her pace.

Chie jumps and lands on Shizuko's head.

Katsu kept going at the same pace but whenever he saw Mitsukai drawing closer, he sped up just a bit.

Shin chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he kept a steady pace, "Sorry 'bout that."

No matter how many times Katsu sped up, Mitsukai did not tire, did not waver. She only pushed harder on her limits. But she didn't seem to realize Katsu kept changing his pace though, only that she wasn't getting any closer. And right now, that was her only goal. She kept pushing herself, without awareness of how strange it was that she had not reached her goal yet.

"It's fine though Mitsukai and sensei are probably really far ahead if you want to caught up with them." Shizuko states bluntly while keeping her pace with Chie riding on her head wagging her tail happily.

Katsu chuckles softly to himself amused by his own students. They were so different from each other and they never seem to have a dull moment when he was with them plus it was fun to mess with each one of them.

"I doubt I could, even if I wanted to." Shin joked, smiling as he kept pace with her.

Between gasps of breath, Mitsukai called out to her sensei, "I'm... catching up to you.... sensei!" She quickened her pace even further, now breathing unevenly, and breaking a sweat. But she loved every minute of it. The wind was even more intense now that she was faster.

"I can see that, Mitsukai! You're doing quite well!" Katsu called back to her while quickening his pace slightly.

Shizuko nods agreeing. Chie barks happily.

"So how long do you think this will go on? I had hoped I could get home at least before sunset this time." He smirked.

Mitsukai was growing more and more quiet, her breathing being the only thing that showed her presence, as well as the thudding of her feet against the branch. Her feet were starting to ache, as well as her thighs, and lungs.

"Once Mitsukai looses all that energy of hers is when we'll be able to stop but I don't know she'll loose that energy..." Shizuko sighs calmly while looking forward.

Chie barks once again.

Katsu watches Mitsukai then calls out to her, "You alright, Mitsukai?!"

"...Hai!"

"Heh. Sometimes I wonder if she ever will." Shin started slowing pace, "Have you ever seen Mitsukai-chan actually-... you know, tire out?" He chuckled again, "If she has, it's never happened where I could see it."

"Alright then!" Katsu shouts back, still watching Mitsukai though.

Shizuko sighs calmly once again, "... She pushes herself too far at times... I really wish she would stop that..." Shizuko mumbles while looking downwards, clearly worried.

"What do you mean?" Shin asked.

(Can focus back in on the other two after a few more posts, gives more sense of passing time.)

(Okay.)

"Nothing. Forget it." Shizuko says softly. Chie stares down at Shizuko, sadly.

Shin lowered his gaze, slowing down a tad more. He hadn't meant to inflict offense, if that's what he had done. Was it a sensitive subject? Had Shizuko seen something he hadn't? Or was he just overeacting and overly sensitive again? He quickened his pace again to catch up, but kept silent.

Mitsukai was trying to keep up with Katsu, but she was started to slow down, little by little. Her muscles ached, but she wanted to go on. As she started slowing down, she looked skyward. The sun was just so bright.

Shizuko continues at her regular pace with Chie on her head.

Katsu continues his pace while glancing over his shoulder once in a while to make sure he doesn't run into a tree.

Mitsukai's legs suddenly gave way beneath her, and she fell forward, down a few feet before she latched onto a lower branch, the momentum causing her to swing up onto another branch. She sat in a dog-sitting position, trying to catch her breath.

Shin just happened to look up and he stopped, "Shizuko-san. Looks like she tired herself out."

Shizuko nods seeing it herself. Chie barks.

Katsu lands on a branch and looks at his students then his gaze lands on Mitsukai, "Tired yet?"

Kiara walked into view from behind a nearby tree and gave a curt nod and a smile, "Hey Mitsukai."

(I just thought I'd pop in, if that's ok?)

(We redid our characters so they aren't academy students anymore ^_^ You wanna keep Kiara as a student and pretend she and Mitsukai knew each other before Mitsukai graduated a couple years back?)