[center][h3]Ban Kingo[/h3][/center]

A trio of guardsmen circles a man on the mats in the gym. The guards hold bamboo Shinai in various positions. One of them with a overhead stance, another with a low side stance, and the third holding it like one would a bat. Quite interesting to see some competency. The fourth member of the group though is one of the operatives Ban Kingo is blindfolded. And has a wooden Boken tucked at his side. This group has done this exercise before. The guards get to try and hit Ban, operative word here being try. Sometimes they can, sometimes they can't. Sometimes it's over in seconds. Sometimes it takes upwards of 5 minutes. It's practice for them all. Ban gets to really work for it, while the guards yeah...

After abit Ban shifts, perking his head to the side his right hand coming up to grip the handle of the Boken. One of the guards shifts stepping a little heavier then he intended too. Ban shifts as well. And it's swift. Ban side steps, and draws, crack...plack! The guard grunts as he falls backwards, two hits with the wooden sword one across the wrists the other just up the head, sending him dazed to the floor. The one who was hold his shinai above his head acts. Leaping forward the practice weapon arching down. Ban huffs, turns and dodges. The shinai barely missing him. His answer is the handle of his boken to the guards stomach. And Ban lets the guard collapse the ground with a cough and wretch.

The last guard swallows thickly stepping carefully. Ban standing...listening...waiting... where the...

Ban shifts abit, trying to hear. The guard slowly inches along, trying to make as little noise as he can. Ban turns again trying to hear. And at the last second as the final guard makes his move Ban hears him.

THWACK!

Ban staggers forward. Right to the back of the head! Then spins and...

CRACK!

Right across the chest. The guards and Ban then bursting out laughing. The final guard, "Holy! I got him! Guys I got him!" Ban rubs the bac of his head with one hand while undoing the blindfold with the other, "Ow...well done John-san. I lost you for a moment or two." John laughs, "I never get the hit in!" Ban hums and grins, "Yes yes, next time Gadget." He heads for the washrooms, "Enough for today. I imagine the boss lady will want to see me." He heads to get cleaned up. Putting his practice gear away.

After a shower, and some aspirin, he's headed up to the Rec room, "Hmmm fiddle music?" He muses. Ban entering and heading to a chair to observe and listen.

[center][h3]Howard Davis[/h3][/center]

A flutter of movement at the other door into the Rec room. And a moment later five guards rush in. The one in the lead coming to a sliding stop, "No way...the old man was right in front of us! There is no way in hell that guy juked us!" He calls over to Skye, "Boss Lady, did Ghost Howard come through? I swear he was right in front of us." The guard says this while trying to hide the many many blue, red and black chalk marks all over his armor. Signs that Howard at just put this group of five through another of his Stalk training sessions. Impromptu training sessions it might be added. Howard performed them without warning, without letting anyone know and often when least expected. One of the guards is holding his pants up for instance.

The five start to search the Rec room, and then rush back out when there's a skittering sound out the door they came from. one of the guards shouting, "That's gotta be him!"

It's only after they leave that Howard just seems to appear...

...at the kitchen counter.

As if he was always there.

Howard hums, "I'm not that invisible am I?" He says in his gravelly voice. Weather-aged face darkly tanned like dark leather. He sniffs, "I'm doing this for their own good I swear." He lifts the bottle of apple juice to his lips casually. Managing to hide the grin.