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[sub][i]Interacting with: [@Lady Lascivious][@dwyer austin][/i][/sub]
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[color=Silver]	Of course, the arrival of Noriko had been less of a shock and more of an extension of disappointing sights. She'd made a mess of herself, blood and all, and though she say it wasn't serious, a knife wound was still a knife wound to Ujiteru. He peered over her shoulder to get a gaze of the wound, though as she stood somewhat firmly in place, he quickly retracted his eyeballing and went back to standing around, with a low and tired posture. She came clean right there and then, in front of one of the new-bloods as well, of her little faith. Barely a leader? At any other point, if time had been on their side and there was wiggle room for being less professional, Ujiteru would've said something that could've soothed or distracted from the situation. But he chose the opposite. Why? Well, he couldn't answer that himself, really. Maybe it was simply the presence of another company member that compelled him to act as such. Image was everything, even to your own family.[/color]

[color=A7CF00][b]"Noriko,"[/b][/color] [color=Silver]he began with a short exhale,[/color] [color=A7CF00][b]"you're not [i]barely[/i] a leader, you [i]are[/i] the leader. There's no dancing around that, anymore. It's best that you see how it'll work out, with the company at first in your mind."[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	Truth be told, he felt a small ounce of regret in speaking so freely on the day off. Things like those brought the mood down for everyone, even if sometimes he felt like he had to say something. She'd been put in a difficult spot, and Ujiteru figured that it was because of how long she remained a Sergeant-At-Arms that there was a chance she'd grown comfortable staying as such. Then again, she was a Kitsune. The years could've felt like months or days for all he knew. And maybe he was terrible at reading people.

	Alas, he was [i]the Company's[/i] Sergeant-At-Arms, not so much hers, much as she was the Company's Captain, and that it wasn't [i]her[/i] Company. That sort of sentiment kept his mind in check, for it was all so simple to just take everyone off to do ones own goals, but those who came before them had shown them that so long as the Company was all together, there was plenty to gain. Ujiteru looked around for a while as he saw the bustle of the street move past. He didn't feel like lecturing her at all. She was twice his elder, and still in a position of leadership ahead of him. Even if he equated the role to the greater formation of the mercenary group, he still had his place to stand and shelves he wasn't supposed to reach up to. Any other mercenary might've done it more often, but that sewn shut mouth that came with Retaining political figures' ideals tended to keep the sly tongue sheathed.[/color]

[color=A7CF00][b]"Yet - I cannot tell you how to relax. So long as you aren't out of action, then you know what you want to do."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Finally, he took a breath and turned to Bhaskara, who'd patiently waited for the whole ordeal to be talked about. He nodded at him, lowering his head to both apologise and urge him that he had paid attention to what he'd said.[/color] [color=A7CF00][b]"My apologies. And I wholeheartedly agree on the vastness of this place, though it does make the heart yearn for the cities of my homeland. Now [i]that[/i] sort of vastness is something to behold as-"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	Just as he was about to say it, his shoulder was barged past as a small flurry of additional bodies pushed past him in the market. He felt instantly vindicated in what he was trying to convey, so much so that he couldn't help but smile a titch. He fixed his clothing's folds created by the friction and cleared his throat again.[/color]

[color=A7CF00][b]"-as back home I could at least get the space to breathe in the marketplace."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]And then, he moved to answer the red-headed mercenary's last question.[/color] [color=A7CF00][b]"I haven't made any plans beyond what I'd already done the night before."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]He looked back to the inn, further down the street. Ujiteru could still hear the voices of the other occupants as clear as day. At any other place it'd be fine, mercenary's weren't exactly the type to abstain, but by the grace of pleading for a night's rest, he couldn't help but feel nothing but fear from those walls.[/color] [color=A7CF00][b]"So, I might head back to wherever the encampment might be. Rest up there, keep things watched over. Might even wrestle a price or two from Beatrice, if she'll take interest in some wares I found."[/b][/color]