A Crow In The Hawk's Nest [Eiji/Victoria]

Water gently fell from the sky, soaking Victoria's dress and pressing it into her skin, and matting her long black locks onto her cheeks and neck. Her silvery blue eyes gazed out across the dampened training grounds observing the most recent crop of new cadets she had taken under her wing. Standing shoulder to shoulder, every one of their motions, every single action they took, was taken in and analyzed by Victoria who stripped it all apart to find anything and everything needing to be fixed. Victoria opened her mouth to speak and then...

Huh?

Having been so focused on her cadets, the Sternritter didn't even notice the arrival and slow creeping of some strange young man. As he questioned their seriousness, the group of Quincies suddenly stopped what they were doing and stood at attention, all while giving the interloper a dirty look. Victoria's eyes washed over the white haired man. She noticed he wasn't dressed like a Vandenreich member, though even if he had been she'd still be suspicious given his choice to walk up and interrupt training. Still, she couldn't be sure of his identity or presence here and chose to err on the side of caution.

Victoria walked toward Eiji and questioned him with a raised brow "Hi, I'm Victoria, Sternritter of the Vandenreich. Can I ask why you're here? Is there something I can help you with?" Though she met his eyes with a look of suspicion, Victoria's words and tone lacked any kind of aggression.

What a strange guy. As Victoria's steel eyes scanned the young boy, who couldn't have been older than a teenager, she was both confused and amused by his presence. Not many people would have the guts to intrude upon a military training grounds and act like everyone else was strange for being annoyed by the interruption. Then again, she thought, maybe it was less guts and just...a lack of self awareness.

That name! At the mention of Natasha, Victoria perked up and immediately responded to the boy "Natasha Miller? Southern belle sweetheart? If you're okay in her book, you're okay in mine." A couple seconds passed, then she spoke again, this time in a more commanding tone "However, you're an unaccompanied stranger in the Vandenreich's training grounds. This is a military base, and without proper paperwork I can't allow you to wander about as you please. Do you understand?" Her cold eyes bore into Eiji with an authority irrespective of her Vandenreich position, born from her previous work and her time as a mother.

Then, as if a switch had flipped, Victoria was as gentle and sweet as ever once again. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself to me and these soldiers. I also think they would appreciate an apology. After all, they're training every day to put their lives on the line to protect people and you interrupted them." Her smile, thought soft, accompanied an air of forcefulness any mother talking to a child could replicate.