"Pffft….hahaha," staring at his bewildered expression, Zuri tried to stifle her laughter but was unable to do so. Her hearty laughter filled the training room for a short while before she was able to reign in her laughter, and wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye.
Her aura faded away as she walked towards John, chest still trembling from stifled laughter.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, you're far too rigid and serious all the time. Teasing you was meant to relax you, which it seems to have done."
John breathed a sigh of relief that Zuri was joking. His life was already complicated enough as is, and her trying to throw herself into his life was only going to make it more complicated.
"But your reaction is no good," she said, face becoming slightly more serious while shaking her head in a stern manner.
"…What?" John asked, unsure what the hell Zuri was talking about.
"Your reaction!" Zuri exclaimed. "I, a stunningly beautiful woman, just showed interest in you, and all you did was stare at me with mouth agape, looking stupid. Your lack of charm and confidence is staggering. You're a handsome, well-built, heaven-defying genius, and yet you carry yourself as if you're a nobody. You need to have pride in your status and talent, and carry yourself with a level of confident pride which you utterly lack right now. You'll never be able to court your companion with this lack of self-pride, let alone charm."
"Court my companion? You mean Lilian?" John asked, tilting his head to the side with bewilderment.
"Who else would I be talking about?" Zuri harrumphed while nodding. "I would snap you up for myself if it was possible, but with what I know of you, you're going to leave this world eventually, and our paths will become separate at that point."
John raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear Zuri outright admit such a thing.
"Anyways," Zuri continued. "You'll never be able to win her love with your current lack of confidence and charm. You need to be more confident, more assertive, more heroic. When you battled in the underground chamber, you displayed all those qualities to a level that I've never seen before, but those qualities are nowhere to be seen when you're not battling. Only being able to bring out those attractive features when you're locked in battle is no good."
John stared silently at Zuri, almost unable to believe this was the topic she had decided to bring up.
"I'm looking for her because Lilian is my master," John exclaimed. "She's not my lover, nor is she someone I'm trying to court!"
"Oh?" Zuri chimed, a surprised look appearing on her face for a moment. She remained silent for a short while, expression changing several times, then sighed lightly. "Still, I don't believe you."
"You don't believe me? What did I say that's not believable?" John asked, frowning.
"She might be your master, but she's also a young woman with both heaven-defying beauty and talent," Zuri said, sighing lightly. "I consider myself to be a beauty, but when I saw her, I couldn't help but feel inferior. The Heaven's truly aren't fair sometimes," she said, pouting lightly.
John remained silent, staring at her with his bewildered expression. Why was this the topic of conversation, and why was Zuri so eccentric all of a sudden. Was she always this way, and John just didn't spend enough time with her to find out this side of her.
"Anyways," Zuri said, shaking the pouting expression from her face. "Let me ask you this then. Your companio…your master, is an incredible beauty, and will no doubt have suitors lining up to court her. Even the Sword-Saint has gone to such lengths to obtain her for his son, an even if you win the tournament and stop that forced marriage, there will be no lack of suitors lining up to win her heart afterwards…and in the end, she will pick someone."
"What's your point?" John asked, still frowning.
"She might be your master, but would be you fine with watching someone else win her love, and obtain her hand in marriage? Surely you would be jealous, no?" Zuri asked, a sly smile on her face.
"Why would I be jealous?" John grumbled. "Her love interests have nothing to do with me."
"No?" Zuri said musingly, then leaned forward, whispering softly in his ear. "So, when another man wins her love, you're fine with the thought of someone else taking her, a beauty that would make the Heavens tremble with envy, to bed and…."
John's calm thoughts started to swirl with Zuri so close to him, as well as the picture she was painting of Lilian. He had never once thought of her in that way, but with Zuri forcing his thoughts to go there, he couldn't help but feel his mind swirl with new, chaotic thoughts.
Zuri pursed her lips and breathed over his ears, adding to the sensation of the picture she was painting in his mind.
"That's enough," John said, taking a step back while pushing Zuri lightly away from his ear. Zuri obliged and took a step back, a smile reappearing on her face as she stared at his expression.
"Your face is quite red," she said in a teasing manner. "Clearly your thoughts on the matter aren't as cut and dry as you initially considered them to be."
"Shut up," John grumbled, "I came here to train, not talk, especially not about this subject."
"Fine, fine," Zuri waved her hand dismissively. "I'll bury this subject for now. So, let's get to the training then. What do you need? A sparring partner?"
John sighed a breath of relief, shaking the chaotic thoughts from his mind and regaining his former calm.
"I'm trying to create my own Battle Arts and Movement Arts," John explained.
"You want to create your own Arts?" Zuri asked, slightly surprised. She nodded her head in understanding a moment later. "With your unique talents, I'm sure finding suitable Battle Arts is quite difficult. Making your own Arts is the sensible thing to do."
"Have you created your own Arts?" John asked curiously.
"I've dabbled in Art creation before, but haven't made anything special. The Battle Arts available for me to learn are more than enough for me, and my situation is not unique enough to warrant creating my own Arts," Zuri said, shaking her head. "But I'm sure I can still be of help to you if that's what you want to do. I happen to be quite knowledgeable in runes and formations, so I can help with that aspect at least.
John nodded his head, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. He was finally getting to do what he had come to the training grounds for.
"So do you have anything in mind?" Zuri asked curiously.
"Not the exacts, but I have an idea of where I want to start," John said. "The first Arts I'd like to create is a Movement Art, as well as a few essence Battle Arts."
"Well then. Let's get to work, and create some Arts that make even the Heavens envious," Zuri smiled.
"Let's," John nodded.
