Taking a moment to relax [Saera, Rio]

"Oh dear. I can only imagine how frightening a sight that must have been to a child, seeing a woman with her arms soaked in deer blood, but it gave rise to a pleasant tradition so I guess it worked out for them in the end, hm?"

Rio chuckled softly during the humorously morbid tale. Between this memory and the way she spoke of the children, Saera struck her as the woman who enjoyed interacting and watching over them to keep them in line, like a bigger sister or a mentor. It was a respectable trait, all things considered, and Rio certainly felt that aspect of her personality would be helpful if younger members joined their division. When Hamato brought them their drinks, Rio took a moment to survey the glass. Taking a soft sip after her appraisal, Rio tapped her chin, exploring the various memories she could recall that she deemed entertaining. She had so many stories about her time in the Shihoin estate and even her past exploits in the academy. Shrugging softly, Rio decided to choose the first that came to mind.

"A rather simple one. There was this one time when I and some of my peers were having an arm-wrestling competition to see who had improved the most in the academy. Naturally, I was fairly confident that I'd win. So, we hosted a kind of tournament, and others were compelled to join in, making it a far bigger affair than I expected. We had several matches, and I emerged victorious in all of them, but you want to know what the kicker was? A lot of them came out with sore arms, and that meant classes were canceled for a few days. That landed me in a bit of trouble with my teachers, but the students were happy since it meant they could take the day off. From that day forward, they ended up calling me "Steel Arm Rio" and the name stuck well after I graduated. Some of my friends from those days still call me that to this day."

Rio chortled softly after finishing her tale, savoring the flavor of her chilled beverage as she indulged another sip. The flavor was sweet with a hint of something else she couldn't quite pinpoint... tangy? a little sour? Whatever it was tasted quite nice, all told.

"Pissed off was certainly one way of describing it, yes. To this day, it's still a funny moment among a list of many I look back on with fond emotions."

Rio shared in the woman's laughter, albeit to a lesser extent, as she consumed her drink. She rarely spoke about her past, so it was rather nice to take a trip down memory lane. While she took measured sips, she cast her golden eyes back to Saera as she transitioned into her answer regarding her time here. Rio found her answers acceptable. There was hardly any fault in her philosophy. She possessed the typical combat division pride, but there was a nuance to it that she found respectable. Although she couldn't help but offer her thoughts on her words at the end.

"For some, that is the crowning achievement of their life. Granted, this division isn't specifically tailored toward giving others a kind welcome. It truly is a division that demands a strong will and a firm spirit. From my time here, I've learned at least that much. I can't say I interact with Kanae too much, but I also welcome the opportunity to speak with my captain. Moving forward, I'd like to interact with her more than I do now. I don't know if I said it at the outset, but we're honored to have you in this division."

Finishing that statement, Rio consumed the rest of her alcohol as well, pleasantly savoring each melonball that fell met her tastebuds, chewing them softly as she set the cup down. Rising to full height, Rio turned back to the woman with a flex of her arm, clearly loosened up now in both expression and aura.

"Drink's finished. We can head on over now. I'm looking forward to enjoying the hot springs as well."

"With that attitude, I'm sure you'll waste no time in showing our newer members the ropes, then. I think they could benefit from your guidance based on what I've seen so far."

Following the woman into the large room, Rio carefully peeled away her own layers. In comparison, her body was deceptive in that it lacked muscle definition, one would be hard pressed to deny the detail and well-kept nature of her frame. Cocking her head in response to Saera's request, Rio nodded politely and grabbed the nearest ladle and lofah in her vicinity, heading over to occupy a position behind the woman as she cleaned her back, taking care to make sure it was properly cleaned. Since they had already talked about quite a bit in the room, this was a relatively silent affair. Of course, Saera was more than allowed to speak during this short cleaning period.

Rio marveled at her surroundings as traveled the winding path of natural stone, impressed by the overall scenery that encompassed the onsen. At once, she softly entered the heated waters, exhaling with a relaxed air to her tone. Turning back to Saera, Rio nodded her approval, a warm smile crossing her lips.

"Quite. Between the service, the drinks, and the company, I've thoroughly enjoyed myself so far."

"Hm..."

Rio idly waded her legs through the water, leaning back to enjoy a view of the sky through clouds of steam. She supposed since she asked Saera about it, she would inevitably return a similar line of questioning. In all honesty, Kanae was an enigma to her. She was at once, a woman who displayed a somewhat admirable image, yet the way she interacted with anyone was nothing short of... odd. The squad itself was a mixed bag if she looked at things with a scrutinizing eye. Paperwork was certainly one aspect of why she considered it a "mixed bag."

"Since there has been little interaction between me and Captain Nagoshi, I can't offer a firm opinion on her. At first glance, she has what can only be described as a charisma befitting a captain of our division. She's... interesting. As far as this division goes, if I were offering my honest evaluation as a the second in command? It's something of a mixed bag. There are those who work hard and embody the competitive spirit of this division, and one in specific who makes things especially difficult when it comes to managing paperwork..."

Was it glowing praise? Not necessarily, but then this division truly had been interesting, for better and for worse. There were those who competed and handled themselves well, and others who were nothing short of difficult to interact with, her captain especially.