Eselberg Station had truly come a long way from it's humble beginnings, thought Klaus Therwood as he gazed at the training area. A large training mat was the center of this area, surrounded by weights (secured for zero-g), pull bars and dummy weapon racks. It wasn't the most advanced equipment but it would suit him, well, suit them.
Turning towards his sister-in-law, Klaus shifted slightly to correct for Sparrow's new height, something he knew she was still... disagreeing with. But she needed to get used to her new body so a sparring session was proposed. "You ready, Sparrow?"
While it was still odd not to look down to people and with the exception of her sister and Sachiko; To be the same general height. It was not overly foreign to Sparrow Therewood any more.
Mostly...
She was no stranger to the training room and its various faculties considering the hours she spent there most any day before her procedure at the hands of doctor, and a niggling sensation in her mind did question the prefix and his credentials after stealing her years, Tarkus. She lacked the overwhelming strength years of body enhancement had brought about, lost the familiarity and certainty of her body.
But that was why her sisters partner had generously offered her a hand to help her familiarize herself with her new frame, and to readjust her understanding in a way that only trial and error; Enhanced in its efficacy through the assistance of another.
"Mm." Sparrow grunted her acknolwedgement, ever the stoic despite the color to her cheeks and the new, subtle facial ticks betraying excitement. She was trying to be more expressive these days, but that too was a learning experience.
Having already done her pre-workout and propper stretching Sparrow paced aimlessly around the room before stopping before the massive mirror that claimed an entire wall and reflected the room back. Gone was the titan of indomitable strength and will. Replacing it was... A girl... Still clearly made from the same mold but more lithe with less overt bulk of muscle that had instead been remarked by whipcord tight muscle hidden under the more natural looking and normal appearence of just a young woman in her early twenties.
Though when she actually chose to flex or exert those muscles there was a reminder of just what she still was; An apex example of her race.
For todays sparring and training she had dawned her usual bodysuit; A skintight black suit without sleeves and that ended just above the knee. And most importantly the new cheongsam dress. The dress itself was no hindrance to her, with its long, loose, straight-cut gown with slits along the side to allow for exceptional leg movement; And a lack of sleeves made it rather useful and aesthetically pleasing she had been told.
Not disliking, though still not overly familiar with what looked back at her in the mirror she followed the reflection back to Klaus and adressed it.
"What do you have in mind for today, Klaus Therwood?" She inquired with her usual blunt and straightforwards mannerism with only the slightest crack of her voice.
"You can just call me Klaus, Sparrow." he replied, chuckling at her antics. Today he had foregone the security uniform and wore a "I went to Eselberg Station and all I got was this stupid shirt" t-shirt with sweatpants. He had stretched just as she had, ready for what was coming.
"As for today, sparring. Simple as that. You still have all your combat knowledge, your body still remembers it too, the problem is it remembers the old body you had. So we need to re teach it again for you new height, weight and center of gravity. Therefore..."
Walking to the center of the training mat, the young elf held a relaxed stance, arms held akimbo and legs slightly bent. He gazed at Sparrow and a challenging grin appeared on his face.
"Show me what ya got!"
Dissapointingly for Klaus, nothing happened. Standing there with no inclination of acknowledging his ready the nekomata simply stared blankly at him for a much too long moment.
"You would wish to fight me, unarmed?" The curiosity finally getting the better of her, Sparrow spoke as her mind finally registered his intent. The briefest flash of incredulity flashed on her face as she took sight of more than a few weapon racks holding wooden or even blunted training instruments.
To Sparrow it seemed all the world a reinforcement that Sachiko had gotten her brains from her mother and not from this man.
But... Sparring was sparring. And before Klaus took up even a wooden sword and gave her enough of a challenge to actually break a sweat, she could at least humor the simple man a bit. She expected little of him like this and clearly he was drasticly underestimating her even as she was now.
With a series of remarkable cracks and pops from her shoulders and neck, Sparrow took up oposite of Klaus. Unlike him she didnt strike or bare any pose of style. She simply shifted one foot at a nintey degree angle from the other and with only a moment between her laise posture to that very moment delivered a roundhouse without hesitation right for Klaus' head.
It was an impressive kick, even adjusted for Sparrow's new height. But still... It wasn't fast enough. The elf leaned back just slightly, letting the kick pass in front of him and before the nekomata could finish her spin and recover her leg, Klaus' hand lunged forward and grabbed her ankle.
"Almost close enough, sis."
A clear look of suprise dawned on Sparrows face from Klaus' counter grab as she stood in a clearly awkward position with one leg at a nearly nintety degree angle and the other placed firmly on the ground.
The control over her center of movement left her very little actual room to move. If it were Jo who had caught her sweep back in the war the old veteran nekomata would have followed throuh and outright thrown Sparrow on her back or followed through and pulled her in for a grapple.
The pause from suprise over, Sparrow jumped into Klaus. While her knee hitting him did no actual damage it managed to give her leverage to press out of his grip with her leg and back a few feet to where she had started.
She waited only a moment before she closed the distance with a single long step and spun again; This time throwing a closed-fist backhand at the man.
Still keeping a small grin on his face, Klaus sidestepped the blow entirely, moving to the opposite arm's side and using the momentum to deliver a sweeping kick at Sparrow's legs.
She managed almost a full three hundred and sixty degree spin as she fell and hit that floor hard on her side. The rooms gratefuly padded floors breaking the fall into a non-issue.
Rolling onto her back and letting her arms fall out to the sides, Sparrow simply stared blankly at the ceiling before bringing her knees up in a tuck and then kicking out and down; The momentum bringing her back to her feet in a crouching position before she stood back up straight. Her cheeks puffed out and flushed, ears flat against her head, and the fact that her tail was puffed up to twice its normal size as it swished in irritation it was clear that she was less than pleased.
She reserved herself back to a calmer state of mind and aligned herself once more across from Klaus.
"Very well." Was her only response, delivered in a clipped monotone. It would have been a misnomer in any other context if Klaus had not known her long enough to put together from context that she was likely and begrudgingly acknowledging him in higher esteem than she had been.
For Sparrow, who held very few people she was not blood related to; Even the signifigant others of such relatives such as Klaus or Vivi, in high regard, was an achievement all its own.
She let out a long breath through her teeth and, lowering her center of gravity and raising up both fists in a boxers stance it was clear she now took him much more seriously.
Without waiting for Klaus to reciprocate, Sparrow, remarkably, threw a much-too-slow left jab that was impossible not to have seen choreographed from a mile away and aimed it directly at her sparring partners chest.
When it became obvious that despite the strange nature of the jab, it was still going to connect Klaus was forced to put up a hand to block it. As soon as the fist connected with his open palm, however, Sparrow surged into motion and struck out lightning quick with a right elbow that caught him square in the chest and staggered him a few steps back.
The attack was delivered awkwardly, and more of her forearm hit him than the actual elbow so it did little more than push him. But...
Closing the distance, Sparrow threw the very same choreographed left hook right at Klaus again.
Grinning at both her acknowledgement and her elbow strike, Klaus intercepted the left hook by throwing his forearm against hers. When the fast elbow strike came, Klaus simply pulled back and counter attacked.
First came a slow left side kick aimed at her waist height, followed by a fast right cross.
The game was on.
Sparrows arm went rigid at her side and broke the strike before it hit her side. As she countered the cross by pushing Klaus' fist up with her palm she use the arm still at her side to strike forwards at his gut.
As it too was countered and he returned an attack of his own a rythmn began to form. Motions where met with motions as one strike was intercepted and the receiver would then counter back and forth.
After a few moments the room sounded with the slow striking of fist against palms. Within a minute it had sped up to the sound of rapid clapping and slapping sound as the tempo increased faster and faster to the point where the two of them were simply acting on pure reflex.
One minute turned to two, then to three. And both sides where taking sharp, steady breaths as mental and even physical fatigue set in. It was not an even contest, however...
Still inexperienced in her newer body Sparrow was only just keeping pace awkwardly as the apex was reached and more and more her strikes became weaker and she only just barely managed to block the latest backhand from Klaus.
Despite all of this she was smiling a terrible smile as unfamiliar muscles on her face pulled into a rictus of a grin to expose a mouth full of pearly-white incisors and her race's sharpened canines. Clearly waivering and failing to breathe enough as blackness twinged at the peripheral of her vision, Sparrow slapped Klaus hand aside from the backhand and with his other occupied for the precious moment deflecting her elbow she cocked her head back and threw it forewards with her forehead in the lead in her trademark headbutt.
The grin was not returned, as Klaus' face bore an intense look of focus. She truly was extraordinary, he thought. It was only her younger body that allowed him to have an advantage of her, and with every blow he could feel that advantage getting smaller. Klaus couldn't remember the last time he had a spar like this. His blood sang, his muscles burned. He was content.
Despite her fatigued slowness, Sparrow surprised him with the headbutt. It took all his speed to return that attack with his own forehead.
'Guess we're both thick headed.' he thought, just before the impact.
When she opened her eyes again, Sparrow was on the floor. Righting herself with what sounded like the unholy communion between a grunt, a groan, and a growl of irritation she got into a seated position and shook her head clear.
'That' was clearly something she could no longer look forward to doing so often in a fight, as was made clear when her lesser constitution took her down a peg as such.
Rubbing one side of her head with her palm while still seated she started and looked around for Klaus.
Klaus hissed, crouched as he held his throbbing head between his hands. "Let's... not do that again." he joked. Lifting himself up, he approached her and offered his hand. "So, did you have fun?"
A grunt of acknoledgement answered Klaus, but made no affirmation to which proclimation it was aimed at was given as Sparrow clasped his wrist and was helped back to her feet.
Not immedietly answering him, she looked over his shoulder and past him for some time; Her usual routine when flustered by avoiding eye contact while her posture betrayed uneasiness as her ears constantly twitched back and her tail swished about in frustration.
But she broke any misconception about being upset at the bouts' result after nodding more to herself as she came to some descision than at Klaus.
"Very well." She once again spouted the very same misnomer as before, but with a different followup.
Inclining her head ever so slightly, she acknowledged Klaus in, for her, what was about as much a gesture of respect any had ever gotten from the taciturn cat.
And then, above all else, she continued her unintentional trend of misnomers and confusion by stating with too much certainty after taking a step closer and looking at him intently; "You will do."
"Huh?" was Klaus' flabbergasted response. He had grown somewhat proficient in Sparrow's unique language but she could still surprise him.
And with how close she was, the elf could see things he'd never noticed before. Such as how cute Sparrow was. The new svelte body only highlighted the fact. Then what Sparrow said registered. Or perhaps registered in the wrong places.
"Wait what?!" he asked, blushing at the possible implications. 'She can't be serious.'
"Yes." A blunt and straight forward answer from Sparrow did anything but reasure his confusion.
"As a mate." She dropped yet another bomb and closed the distance to just a step between them and didnt show any signs of stopping, causing Klaus to stagger back, reeling for words.
At the last moment, however, Sparrow simply continued on past and behind the elf until she reached a folded pile of towels on a nearby bench and a set of laid out water-bottles to which she scooped up both.
Throwing one towel over the back of her neck, she offered one of the bottles to Klaus who still seemed anything but aware of the gesture.
"You have aleviated some concerns of mine, and are adequate to continue staying by my Sets' side" She finally clarified, and shook the bottle at him when he didnt take it the first time.
"What was it you thought I meant, Klaus Therwood?"
A loud slap echoed across the room, as Klaus facepalmed. Hard. Of course that's what she meant. Freaking dumbass Klaus.
"Yes. That is what I was thinking! I was just so... surprised with your approval Sparrow." he eventually replied, taking the water bottle in his hands.
A suspicious grunt was Sparrows response. While she was hardly keen on reading people, even she could tell there was something beneath the surface beyond Klaus' answer.
Or it could just be gas, that was equally likely.
Nodding more to herself than as affirmation to him, Sparrow took her own water bottle and instead of actually drinking from it simply continued to stare intently at the man across from her.
The old sparrow would very well have kept the next subject to herself, bastion she was very little was ever expressed or explained. But this newer, more expressive version of herself she now inhabited could less keep a lid on the urge to consolodate everything to the only reliable person she could depend on; Herself.
After a lengthy pause that seemed appropriat for a transition (it wasnt) she continued.
"You will be adaquate to protect my family in my stead when i leave here." She stated almost too casually, the implication of those words much heavier than she made them sound.
"You're leaving?" Klaus asked, surprised. "Why?"
"Perhaps in the coming days, but not today." She answered, actually looking apprehensive about the topic before finding her resolve.
"Our family" She started, force once including Klaus instead of refering to it as 'her family' like usual, "Is hunted, hated, and desired by an entire barony. This is no small issue to avoid at the fringe of our known space playing... House"
The final statement was made with a clear edge in her voice that made it clear she was anything but happy. And for someone like her, clearly an outsider even to their new and accepting home, it was obvious that she felt there was little place for her even if literally any of her family would claim otherwise.
"He will find this place someday. And when he does he will reclaim my sisters, Seize my niece and mother, enslave the coven, and put all else to fates worse than death."
While she said no paticular names it was obvious who 'he' was. The dread baron their family escaped from and his devices for her sisters.
"My kind are long-lived, much like your own. But unlike yours mine are oft enslaved and sold off as commodoties for our beauty and fertility. Myself the clear outlier"
"So I will take the fight to him. I will amass allies and forces, and cleanse the blight from my family's nightmares."
She nodded, rather proud of herself and her blight analogy.
Sighing, Klaus would look to the wall, before speaking in a tight voice. "I wish I could join you. I really do. Today I had more fun than this past month. It's maddening. I can feel my skills, my training begin to atrophy from all this quiet. I miss it... I miss being on the battlefield."
He let out a short scorned laugh. "But Setsuya, Alex, Sachi, everyone's happy here. I can't leave them and I can't abandon them either. So here I must stay as the guard dog for this station."
Lifting his gaze towards Sparrow, the white haired elf smiled. "Sparrow, I promise this, as long as you are out there fighting him you can rest assured. Our clan is protected. No matter the cost." Klaus then offered his hand to seal this pact.
A genuine, warm smile and a clasped wrist accepted Klaus' declaration. It was touching that he would consider joining her in some capacity but was for the best that he chose not to.
After all, such things as her perceived quest required certain skills like diplomacy, people skills, and the building of personal connections; Clearly things Sparrow knew she excelled at and he lacked.
"The day of my departure is not for some time yet to come." She assured him, "In the coming days you'll not be rid of me so easily, so do your best not to ruin your standing and make me change my mind, Klaus Therwood."
To top it off she held his wrist without breaking contact for a moment too long, though there was no apparent ulterior motive beyond her usual awkwardness as she finally broke contact and in her usual way made it apparent that both he, and the entire conversation was already off her mind as she began miling about in uncertainty due to the fact that for once the training room wasnt in a mess and need of post-sparring cleaning, and a lack of general planned activities would likely have her wandering about the station as per usual until she came about something or it came to her.
Somehow, Klaus could feel that Sparrow was thinking of him in not the most flattering way. It was part of the experience of dating Setsuya. Sighing to himsel, he muttered. "Never change, Sparrow. Never change. Now come on. The cafeteria got restocked, so let's got make some sandwiches."
Such was life. And despite all the hurdles, Klaus Therwood wouldn't have it any other way.
Turning towards his sister-in-law, Klaus shifted slightly to correct for Sparrow's new height, something he knew she was still... disagreeing with. But she needed to get used to her new body so a sparring session was proposed. "You ready, Sparrow?"
While it was still odd not to look down to people and with the exception of her sister and Sachiko; To be the same general height. It was not overly foreign to Sparrow Therewood any more.
Mostly...
She was no stranger to the training room and its various faculties considering the hours she spent there most any day before her procedure at the hands of doctor, and a niggling sensation in her mind did question the prefix and his credentials after stealing her years, Tarkus. She lacked the overwhelming strength years of body enhancement had brought about, lost the familiarity and certainty of her body.
But that was why her sisters partner had generously offered her a hand to help her familiarize herself with her new frame, and to readjust her understanding in a way that only trial and error; Enhanced in its efficacy through the assistance of another.
"Mm." Sparrow grunted her acknolwedgement, ever the stoic despite the color to her cheeks and the new, subtle facial ticks betraying excitement. She was trying to be more expressive these days, but that too was a learning experience.
Having already done her pre-workout and propper stretching Sparrow paced aimlessly around the room before stopping before the massive mirror that claimed an entire wall and reflected the room back. Gone was the titan of indomitable strength and will. Replacing it was... A girl... Still clearly made from the same mold but more lithe with less overt bulk of muscle that had instead been remarked by whipcord tight muscle hidden under the more natural looking and normal appearence of just a young woman in her early twenties.
Though when she actually chose to flex or exert those muscles there was a reminder of just what she still was; An apex example of her race.
For todays sparring and training she had dawned her usual bodysuit; A skintight black suit without sleeves and that ended just above the knee. And most importantly the new cheongsam dress. The dress itself was no hindrance to her, with its long, loose, straight-cut gown with slits along the side to allow for exceptional leg movement; And a lack of sleeves made it rather useful and aesthetically pleasing she had been told.
Not disliking, though still not overly familiar with what looked back at her in the mirror she followed the reflection back to Klaus and adressed it.
"What do you have in mind for today, Klaus Therwood?" She inquired with her usual blunt and straightforwards mannerism with only the slightest crack of her voice.
"You can just call me Klaus, Sparrow." he replied, chuckling at her antics. Today he had foregone the security uniform and wore a "I went to Eselberg Station and all I got was this stupid shirt" t-shirt with sweatpants. He had stretched just as she had, ready for what was coming.
"As for today, sparring. Simple as that. You still have all your combat knowledge, your body still remembers it too, the problem is it remembers the old body you had. So we need to re teach it again for you new height, weight and center of gravity. Therefore..."
Walking to the center of the training mat, the young elf held a relaxed stance, arms held akimbo and legs slightly bent. He gazed at Sparrow and a challenging grin appeared on his face.
"Show me what ya got!"
Dissapointingly for Klaus, nothing happened. Standing there with no inclination of acknowledging his ready the nekomata simply stared blankly at him for a much too long moment.
"You would wish to fight me, unarmed?" The curiosity finally getting the better of her, Sparrow spoke as her mind finally registered his intent. The briefest flash of incredulity flashed on her face as she took sight of more than a few weapon racks holding wooden or even blunted training instruments.
To Sparrow it seemed all the world a reinforcement that Sachiko had gotten her brains from her mother and not from this man.
But... Sparring was sparring. And before Klaus took up even a wooden sword and gave her enough of a challenge to actually break a sweat, she could at least humor the simple man a bit. She expected little of him like this and clearly he was drasticly underestimating her even as she was now.
With a series of remarkable cracks and pops from her shoulders and neck, Sparrow took up oposite of Klaus. Unlike him she didnt strike or bare any pose of style. She simply shifted one foot at a nintey degree angle from the other and with only a moment between her laise posture to that very moment delivered a roundhouse without hesitation right for Klaus' head.
It was an impressive kick, even adjusted for Sparrow's new height. But still... It wasn't fast enough. The elf leaned back just slightly, letting the kick pass in front of him and before the nekomata could finish her spin and recover her leg, Klaus' hand lunged forward and grabbed her ankle.
"Almost close enough, sis."
A clear look of suprise dawned on Sparrows face from Klaus' counter grab as she stood in a clearly awkward position with one leg at a nearly nintety degree angle and the other placed firmly on the ground.
The control over her center of movement left her very little actual room to move. If it were Jo who had caught her sweep back in the war the old veteran nekomata would have followed throuh and outright thrown Sparrow on her back or followed through and pulled her in for a grapple.
The pause from suprise over, Sparrow jumped into Klaus. While her knee hitting him did no actual damage it managed to give her leverage to press out of his grip with her leg and back a few feet to where she had started.
She waited only a moment before she closed the distance with a single long step and spun again; This time throwing a closed-fist backhand at the man.
Still keeping a small grin on his face, Klaus sidestepped the blow entirely, moving to the opposite arm's side and using the momentum to deliver a sweeping kick at Sparrow's legs.
She managed almost a full three hundred and sixty degree spin as she fell and hit that floor hard on her side. The rooms gratefuly padded floors breaking the fall into a non-issue.
Rolling onto her back and letting her arms fall out to the sides, Sparrow simply stared blankly at the ceiling before bringing her knees up in a tuck and then kicking out and down; The momentum bringing her back to her feet in a crouching position before she stood back up straight. Her cheeks puffed out and flushed, ears flat against her head, and the fact that her tail was puffed up to twice its normal size as it swished in irritation it was clear that she was less than pleased.
She reserved herself back to a calmer state of mind and aligned herself once more across from Klaus.
"Very well." Was her only response, delivered in a clipped monotone. It would have been a misnomer in any other context if Klaus had not known her long enough to put together from context that she was likely and begrudgingly acknowledging him in higher esteem than she had been.
For Sparrow, who held very few people she was not blood related to; Even the signifigant others of such relatives such as Klaus or Vivi, in high regard, was an achievement all its own.
She let out a long breath through her teeth and, lowering her center of gravity and raising up both fists in a boxers stance it was clear she now took him much more seriously.
Without waiting for Klaus to reciprocate, Sparrow, remarkably, threw a much-too-slow left jab that was impossible not to have seen choreographed from a mile away and aimed it directly at her sparring partners chest.
When it became obvious that despite the strange nature of the jab, it was still going to connect Klaus was forced to put up a hand to block it. As soon as the fist connected with his open palm, however, Sparrow surged into motion and struck out lightning quick with a right elbow that caught him square in the chest and staggered him a few steps back.
The attack was delivered awkwardly, and more of her forearm hit him than the actual elbow so it did little more than push him. But...
Closing the distance, Sparrow threw the very same choreographed left hook right at Klaus again.
Grinning at both her acknowledgement and her elbow strike, Klaus intercepted the left hook by throwing his forearm against hers. When the fast elbow strike came, Klaus simply pulled back and counter attacked.
First came a slow left side kick aimed at her waist height, followed by a fast right cross.
The game was on.
Sparrows arm went rigid at her side and broke the strike before it hit her side. As she countered the cross by pushing Klaus' fist up with her palm she use the arm still at her side to strike forwards at his gut.
As it too was countered and he returned an attack of his own a rythmn began to form. Motions where met with motions as one strike was intercepted and the receiver would then counter back and forth.
After a few moments the room sounded with the slow striking of fist against palms. Within a minute it had sped up to the sound of rapid clapping and slapping sound as the tempo increased faster and faster to the point where the two of them were simply acting on pure reflex.
One minute turned to two, then to three. And both sides where taking sharp, steady breaths as mental and even physical fatigue set in. It was not an even contest, however...
Still inexperienced in her newer body Sparrow was only just keeping pace awkwardly as the apex was reached and more and more her strikes became weaker and she only just barely managed to block the latest backhand from Klaus.
Despite all of this she was smiling a terrible smile as unfamiliar muscles on her face pulled into a rictus of a grin to expose a mouth full of pearly-white incisors and her race's sharpened canines. Clearly waivering and failing to breathe enough as blackness twinged at the peripheral of her vision, Sparrow slapped Klaus hand aside from the backhand and with his other occupied for the precious moment deflecting her elbow she cocked her head back and threw it forewards with her forehead in the lead in her trademark headbutt.
The grin was not returned, as Klaus' face bore an intense look of focus. She truly was extraordinary, he thought. It was only her younger body that allowed him to have an advantage of her, and with every blow he could feel that advantage getting smaller. Klaus couldn't remember the last time he had a spar like this. His blood sang, his muscles burned. He was content.
Despite her fatigued slowness, Sparrow surprised him with the headbutt. It took all his speed to return that attack with his own forehead.
'Guess we're both thick headed.' he thought, just before the impact.
When she opened her eyes again, Sparrow was on the floor. Righting herself with what sounded like the unholy communion between a grunt, a groan, and a growl of irritation she got into a seated position and shook her head clear.
'That' was clearly something she could no longer look forward to doing so often in a fight, as was made clear when her lesser constitution took her down a peg as such.
Rubbing one side of her head with her palm while still seated she started and looked around for Klaus.
Klaus hissed, crouched as he held his throbbing head between his hands. "Let's... not do that again." he joked. Lifting himself up, he approached her and offered his hand. "So, did you have fun?"
A grunt of acknoledgement answered Klaus, but made no affirmation to which proclimation it was aimed at was given as Sparrow clasped his wrist and was helped back to her feet.
Not immedietly answering him, she looked over his shoulder and past him for some time; Her usual routine when flustered by avoiding eye contact while her posture betrayed uneasiness as her ears constantly twitched back and her tail swished about in frustration.
But she broke any misconception about being upset at the bouts' result after nodding more to herself as she came to some descision than at Klaus.
"Very well." She once again spouted the very same misnomer as before, but with a different followup.
Inclining her head ever so slightly, she acknowledged Klaus in, for her, what was about as much a gesture of respect any had ever gotten from the taciturn cat.
And then, above all else, she continued her unintentional trend of misnomers and confusion by stating with too much certainty after taking a step closer and looking at him intently; "You will do."
"Huh?" was Klaus' flabbergasted response. He had grown somewhat proficient in Sparrow's unique language but she could still surprise him.
And with how close she was, the elf could see things he'd never noticed before. Such as how cute Sparrow was. The new svelte body only highlighted the fact. Then what Sparrow said registered. Or perhaps registered in the wrong places.
"Wait what?!" he asked, blushing at the possible implications. 'She can't be serious.'
"Yes." A blunt and straight forward answer from Sparrow did anything but reasure his confusion.
"As a mate." She dropped yet another bomb and closed the distance to just a step between them and didnt show any signs of stopping, causing Klaus to stagger back, reeling for words.
At the last moment, however, Sparrow simply continued on past and behind the elf until she reached a folded pile of towels on a nearby bench and a set of laid out water-bottles to which she scooped up both.
Throwing one towel over the back of her neck, she offered one of the bottles to Klaus who still seemed anything but aware of the gesture.
"You have aleviated some concerns of mine, and are adequate to continue staying by my Sets' side" She finally clarified, and shook the bottle at him when he didnt take it the first time.
"What was it you thought I meant, Klaus Therwood?"
A loud slap echoed across the room, as Klaus facepalmed. Hard. Of course that's what she meant. Freaking dumbass Klaus.
"Yes. That is what I was thinking! I was just so... surprised with your approval Sparrow." he eventually replied, taking the water bottle in his hands.
A suspicious grunt was Sparrows response. While she was hardly keen on reading people, even she could tell there was something beneath the surface beyond Klaus' answer.
Or it could just be gas, that was equally likely.
Nodding more to herself than as affirmation to him, Sparrow took her own water bottle and instead of actually drinking from it simply continued to stare intently at the man across from her.
The old sparrow would very well have kept the next subject to herself, bastion she was very little was ever expressed or explained. But this newer, more expressive version of herself she now inhabited could less keep a lid on the urge to consolodate everything to the only reliable person she could depend on; Herself.
After a lengthy pause that seemed appropriat for a transition (it wasnt) she continued.
"You will be adaquate to protect my family in my stead when i leave here." She stated almost too casually, the implication of those words much heavier than she made them sound.
"You're leaving?" Klaus asked, surprised. "Why?"
"Perhaps in the coming days, but not today." She answered, actually looking apprehensive about the topic before finding her resolve.
"Our family" She started, force once including Klaus instead of refering to it as 'her family' like usual, "Is hunted, hated, and desired by an entire barony. This is no small issue to avoid at the fringe of our known space playing... House"
The final statement was made with a clear edge in her voice that made it clear she was anything but happy. And for someone like her, clearly an outsider even to their new and accepting home, it was obvious that she felt there was little place for her even if literally any of her family would claim otherwise.
"He will find this place someday. And when he does he will reclaim my sisters, Seize my niece and mother, enslave the coven, and put all else to fates worse than death."
While she said no paticular names it was obvious who 'he' was. The dread baron their family escaped from and his devices for her sisters.
"My kind are long-lived, much like your own. But unlike yours mine are oft enslaved and sold off as commodoties for our beauty and fertility. Myself the clear outlier"
"So I will take the fight to him. I will amass allies and forces, and cleanse the blight from my family's nightmares."
She nodded, rather proud of herself and her blight analogy.
Sighing, Klaus would look to the wall, before speaking in a tight voice. "I wish I could join you. I really do. Today I had more fun than this past month. It's maddening. I can feel my skills, my training begin to atrophy from all this quiet. I miss it... I miss being on the battlefield."
He let out a short scorned laugh. "But Setsuya, Alex, Sachi, everyone's happy here. I can't leave them and I can't abandon them either. So here I must stay as the guard dog for this station."
Lifting his gaze towards Sparrow, the white haired elf smiled. "Sparrow, I promise this, as long as you are out there fighting him you can rest assured. Our clan is protected. No matter the cost." Klaus then offered his hand to seal this pact.
A genuine, warm smile and a clasped wrist accepted Klaus' declaration. It was touching that he would consider joining her in some capacity but was for the best that he chose not to.
After all, such things as her perceived quest required certain skills like diplomacy, people skills, and the building of personal connections; Clearly things Sparrow knew she excelled at and he lacked.
"The day of my departure is not for some time yet to come." She assured him, "In the coming days you'll not be rid of me so easily, so do your best not to ruin your standing and make me change my mind, Klaus Therwood."
To top it off she held his wrist without breaking contact for a moment too long, though there was no apparent ulterior motive beyond her usual awkwardness as she finally broke contact and in her usual way made it apparent that both he, and the entire conversation was already off her mind as she began miling about in uncertainty due to the fact that for once the training room wasnt in a mess and need of post-sparring cleaning, and a lack of general planned activities would likely have her wandering about the station as per usual until she came about something or it came to her.
Somehow, Klaus could feel that Sparrow was thinking of him in not the most flattering way. It was part of the experience of dating Setsuya. Sighing to himsel, he muttered. "Never change, Sparrow. Never change. Now come on. The cafeteria got restocked, so let's got make some sandwiches."
Such was life. And despite all the hurdles, Klaus Therwood wouldn't have it any other way.