Don't Play The Blame Game (Tomomi/ Eryka)

The Martial Arts club had just had a session end. And Tomomi had now just stepped out from the nurses office, having just delivered an unconscious student there with Akuma and Eryka in tow. Still, before parting from the two of them, Tomomi had asked a single thing of Eryka, giving her a sentence before he returned to the club room. "If you've got time after you're done here, mind meeting me at the club room for a bit of a chat? I-I understand if you want to head home instead though."

There, Tomomi finished packing things away, glancing at the clock on occasion. In next to no time at all he'd finished setting the mats back away, still wearing his gii as he stepped outside of the room and locked it up, leaning against the wall for a moment as he waited for Eryka, whether she came or not.

As requested Eryka was still present. In fact, she had technically never left the club head's side following him all the way to the infirmary and back again. The amputee had a feeling her head would be rolling for this accident but that was, honestly, not something she cared the slightest about. She felt zero empathy towards him but she was still prepared to take responsibility.

Eryka's concerns lay with just how Isaac had passed out like that. The amputee knew she had employed anywhere near enough to force, nor in the right area, to cause any real damage let alone result in Isaac collapsing. She was genuinely concerned if it was something she had done or if there was some other factor and this was merely a case of wrong place wrong time. When Tomomi walked out of the dojo Eryka turned a cold expression towards him.

"You wish to chat." She stated things matter of factually, patiently awaiting whatever it was Tomomi wanted to talk about. Eryka had a pretty good guess what he subject was going to be but it was entirely possible she could be wrong.

As he finished locking up, Tomomi turned to Eryka as she spoke, having essentially worked in silence and paid nearly no attention to her being there while he packed everything away. "R-right. I want to start by apologising if today wasn't, well, the best introduction to the club. A-although, um, while I don't understand what happened, I'd like to say I don't, well, blame you for Isaac falling unconscious. T-that being said..."

Trailing off for a moment, Tomomi scratched his head in a bit of confusion, trying to figure out how to word what he wanted to say. "Well, um, if you don't mind me asking... What did you do to knock him out? B-because, I mean, I specifically chose groundwork sparring in order to avoid any injuries, so, it was a bit... Um... Surprising? L-like I said though, I'm not blaming you. Accidents happen and injuries are inevitable in the sport, it's just that as club president, I'd like to, well, get an idea of what happened so I can help make sure that it doesn't happen again?"

Eryka didn't approve of Tomomi's apology. How could somebody so seemingly spineless and open to the notion he was the problem or he had done something wrong was...irksome. If you wanted to lead a club lead. Don't apologies constantly. Again Tomomi rambled on as he spoke about how he didn't blame Eryka for what happened with Isaac which was honestly to be expected. There was no proof Isaac's loss of consciousness was in any way related to the amputee's actions so of course she couldn't be blamed.

"I did nothing. I used a minimal amount of force and simply touched his arm." Despite having known the question was coming Eryka glared at Tomomi when he addressed the elephant in the room. As far as the amputee knew there was little evidence to prove she had done anything wrong hence why she felt this questioning was uncalled for at this stage. Eryka didn't believe that her position as a Cadet rendered her immune to being punished by the law but she also believed in innocent until proven guilty.

There were many things Tomomi expected. Worry, perhaps. Confusion perhaps. Lack of empathy and impassive personality was not something he expected, Tomomi looking at Eryka with a bewildered look for a moment, before scratching at his head once again. Right. Either she really didn't know, or she just didn't care. Or both. Regardless, Tomomi didn't want to make things tense, nor did he want to put Isaac in any danger - after all, if Eryka knew what had happened, but enacted it anyways, perhaps putting pressure would put the already knocked out Isaac in danger.

So, Tomomi was put in a position where he had to try diplomacy, a skill he didn't have, nor did he know.

"Um... Okay... Well, um, that aside, I know you had some problems with the way the club was being run. Do you want to talk about that?"

"Well...not particularly. The only issue I had we have already discussed and addressed. My initial impressions of this club have ended on a more positive note than they started. However....I am not fully sold on joining the club or not. I will be sitting in on future lessons. Some of the other club members do not sit well with me." Eryka was specifically referring to the thuggish individual that had cockily approached her but that was nothing to do with Tomomi what so ever.

"However...if I were to make a feedback....I'd elaborate on the nature of this club. You have said it is a martial arts club but that means nothing. Is it judo? Boxing? Karate? MMA? I believed I raised this earlier but unless we have a pre-decided martial arts I don't see how you plan to effectively teach us; unless of course you plan to get those educated in other martial arts to teach their styles?" Eryka would refuse to teach if she was asked. Not because she hated teaching but because she knew she wasn't cut out for it and also due to her belief that one needed to teach themselves.

"I see..."

Tomomi had no comment in regards to Eryka's displeasure with some of the members of the club. If he were a more charismatic person, he'd have the courage to ask about that, and find out what the problems were to avoid risking any future conundrums. Tomomi wasn't charismatic though, so, he just focused on the latter questions, which were far more technical in nature.

"Ah right... Um, technically speaking, we're a mixed martial arts club. But not in the sense that we delve into, well, hybrid styles of techniques. The idea is to give people a w-well rounded education regarding martial arts as a whole, as well as provide outlets and resources for people if they find a style they want to refine further. So, first we do things like striking forms, then we go into grappling forms. Then we go into striking basics, like the starting strikes for things like boxing, or karate, and the same for grappling, and mixed fighting. I-if that makes sense?"

“Yes. It does make sense. I suppose a mixed martial arts club would be the best way to teach people how to fight.” Eryka believed the point of this club was to teach all its members how to find victory in hand to hand engagements. Every member of this club was a possible Cadet candidate (or so Eryka assumed) so they should all know how to fight. She was well aware that discipline was an important part of any martial arts but knowing how to defend oneself was still the end goal.

“If there is nothing else I have other matters to attend to however….if you need assistance with boxing t is my specialty. ” As far as Eryka was concerned all matters had been addressed. She responded to Tomomi’s questions, answered his accusation with currently irrefutable logic and understood the purpose of this club. There was nothing else relevant to the club left to discuss so Eryka turned to leave. She walked out of the dojo and made her way back to the Cadet dorms. She was oddly tired tonight…

-Left thread.

"Nope, um, no other matters. So, um, I hope to see you in the later sessions of the Martial Arts club, and, um, have a nice day?" He declared, waving her away, and as everything was finished off in terms of clean up, he himself walked away as well to get home.

[Exit]