Now this was a new one for Vivi. She'd found herself in a number of unusual situations lately, such was the life she had come to live, but this was an extraordinarily unusual situation. She got the sense of that rather quickly being face to face with a man she instantly did not like. Everything about him made her skin crawl, and not in a fun way either. Looking at him was like looking into the eyes of a serpent that was always waiting for a chance to strike. But she played it off in her usual manner; with a neutral expression and no hint of emotion in her voice. Stoic and composed.

"That's all I need from you," Sirius explained. "The guards have grown too lax in their duties owing to a lack of engagement. As such, they are in need of a firm reminder of their duties and of the level at which we expect them to operate. I trust you are up to the task?"

Vivi gave him a nod. "Thrashing your guards should hardly prove to be too difficult if they've started to dip in quality. I'll whip them back into shape."

"Good, then follow me." Her host stood from his seat rather abruptly and beckoned her to follow. Vivi moved swiftly to keep up with her employer, taking his express nature as something of a sign that he wasn't prone to waiting for anyone. She didn't mind that, it just meant she could get this drone work over and done with before anyone made much of a fuss about it. After all, it was just sparring with a few guards. She'd done that plenty of times in her life without even meaning to provoke their ire before, so this should prove to be pretty much the same as what she had become used to in the past. Lead out to the courtyard situated near the fore of the castle, Vivi blinked a few times as her eyesight adjusted to the sunlight. It could be so dark inside the castle, which was surprising given how many windows it had. The midday sun would prove beneficial though; she was meant to work until sundown.

Already assembled in the courtyard below, the bulk of the castle's lower guard waited for them. Their formation was solid, but even Vivi could see that some of them were slouched over or barely keeping awake even as the sun beat down on them. They really were in need of a bit of a reminder about the importance of their station, not that she particularly gave a damn about whether they were good at protecting the castle or not. All she needed was to make it look like she did. The end result didn't matter, she was being paid just to kick them around a bit. Dull, but not something she was going to complain out loud about.

"I will be watching," Sirius stated simply. He walked around the edge of the upper courtyard, taking a seat in a chair that had been placed preemptively for him. This made Vivi snort derisively, but she decided it was better to get started than to ruminate on the nonsense of the rich. She descended into the courtyard proper and clapped her hands together hard.

"One volunteer step forward," She snapped. "Everyone else back up to the edges of the yard." It took a moment for the guards to recognize her orders, and at first everyone seemed content to step back. Unfortunately, one guard was left behind, too slow to make it before anyone else. He turned around to face Vivi, clutching a sword in hand. Vivi beckoned him back to the center of the courtyard as she stepped forward. When he approached, she spoke again, "Cut me down."

Again, the guard hesitated for a moment. That was all Vivi needed. She dashed forward and slammed her fist into his armor, denting it significantly. All the breath was knocked out of his lungs before Vivi grabbed him by the helmet and the scruff of his collar and threw him hard onto the stone floor. She dusted off her hands as she watched the winded guard get up.

"Don't ever hesitate again," She spat. "No enemy waits for you to prepare. When I say begin you had better get into action. Now cut me down!"

That seemed to galvanize him, as the guard proceeded to clutch his blade and charge at her with a battle cry. But his form was sloppy, it was so obvious it hurt to watch. Vivi sidestepped the guard and brought her fist crashing down onto the back of his neck as he passed. He dropped like a sack of bricks. She didn't even wait, instead turning to the crowd assembled and pointing at another guard. "You. Get over here and try the same. Strike!"

The guard, a bearded fellow holding an axe, swallowed hard before charging in with a vicious shout. He hefted his weapon, going in for an overhead chop aimed at Vivi's head. She leaned into his charge just as he drew near and threw her weight against his chest. Throwing her arm up, she struck his wrist with a palm strike to disarm him before spinning about to plant a kick right against his face. The guard was sent hurtling away, dazed and confused as he skidded to a halt. In short order, Vivi was pointing at the next guard.

By the time the sun was beginning to go down, Vivi had been through every guard once. Taking a break, she jogged over to the edge of the courtyard and looked up at Sirius. "They're improving, but they've got a long way to go." He gave her a nod of acknowledgement before she went back to the center of the courtyard. It was time for round two. She called upon the first guard yet again to start the process all over. Swiftly she handed him another defeat, but his technique was much improved. No longer was he wildly thrashing about like a hog, but instead trying to aim his strikes for more vital areas. This line of improvement continued across the board, but though Vivi was winded she wasn't injured during the many brawls.

By the time the sun set, training had seemed to have gone well. She looked over the bruised guards, ready to fight again, before she heard Sirius' voice. He announced the training was over, and without a further word of thanks he took his leave. The guards too, groaning and grumbling, left the courtyard slowly. A servant dressed in fine attire eventually approached Vivi, handing off to her a bag of jewels; her agreed upon payment. With a nod, she took the bag before taking her leave, glad that this nonsense was over and done with. Though the fighting had been worth it in the end. She did always love a good brawl.

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