Description: A new face appears in Metro City! The talented Chinese martial artist, cook and bounty hunter; Kuradoberi Jam. Her successful exploits in defending her food cart against the gang members that plague the city attracts the attention of a certain Demon Hunter that has been prowling the streets. Nightwolf follows Jam to a nearby dojo where they decide after a spar to test each other skills that they can both benefit from each other's brand of training.
Today has been an exhausting day for a certain Kuradoberi Jam. Her food cart ended up being a huge hit with the denizens of Metro City! The unfortunate thing was that her food was also a huge success with the prevalent criminal element of the city. Dealing with those jerks -all day- was draining and her food cart now had a few more thug-sized dents in it as a result. All of these shenanigans has left Jam tired, but in the mood to practice her martial arts a bit. Tomorrow would be a new day and Jam wanted to be at her best the next time those thugs tried to cause trouble at her food stand.
And so, Jam has located a dojo in a not-so-nice part of town. Thankfully they had floor space available for the young martial artist/bounty hunter/master chef to practice a few moves. Dressed in a long, red cheongsam, Kuradoberi Jam walks out onto the mat and stretches her arms above her head idly. It was time to get to work! In one fluid movement, Jam grabs the collar of her long red dress and tosses it off nonchalantly to reveal a much less martial-arts restictive outfit underneath. The young brunette wastes no time in raising her left leg up and warming up with a few kicking drills. Thos Metro City punks were in for a big surprise tomorrow!
The exploits of the martial artist chef have not been unheard of, for as any newcomer of Metro City finds out quickly enough, even the shadows have eyes in this forsaken city. A certain demon hunter had been lurking in the shadows when Jam had been ambushed by the Metro thugs, and though he humans are not the usual prey of said hunter, he found that the young martial artist woman needed not of the help of a shaman. She had impressive moves, more suited for physical combat than to wage war against monstrous demons. Such an impressive display it was that it reminded Nightwolf of this particular problem he's been dealing with lately. The Sin Eater had focused so much in fighting evil spirits that he had let his abilities to face off against other humans decay. There was a storm coming, and the spirits told him that he will soon be in need to fight both demon and human, for the enforcers of Outworld were many, and it was not uncommon for them to employ dark hearted mortals.
The irony was not lost in the wolf. This woman did not need his help, he needed /hers/. It was imperative that Nightwolf brushed up on his ability to face off against other humans and he had to do it fast.
How convenient it was then that this woman had decided to set up a dojo in town, the perfect excuse to see help. It is not a man that entered Kuradoberi Jam's dojo, but a wolf. Still wary of what people may think of him with his dead eyes and facial markings, Nightwolf walked in shapeshifted into his wolfen animal totem. Silent as his entrance might have been, the wolf was greeted nonetheless by a luxurious long red dress that was suddenly flung in his direction. There's a yipe! sound of a dog being struck and the wolf begins to shake itself underneath the dress trying to pry it off.
Jam does have some awesome martial moves as over 5000 years of Chinese tradition have proved to be an ample resource for the young woman to learn from. But she does possess a unique ability that even a seasoned demon hunter might notice in the fight from earlier. This young Chinese woman can use chi easily and readily in a fight which does put in a slightly different category than tradtional martial artists. But Nightworld would also have easily seen that Jam is pretty undisciplined in her use of her chi. She expends as quickly and as recklessly as customers do with their yen during a lunch rush hour!
Totally focused in her martial arts routine, the brown-haired martial artist doesn't notice the entrance of a very sneaky wolf into the dojo. What she does notice is the resulting surprised cry of the wolf when her cheongsam lands on it! "Poor doggy, I'll rescue you!" Jam pauses in her routine to jog on over to the shape-shifted Nightwolf. "Just don't rip my....." The young girl trails off when she realizes that this wasn't a dog she was dealing with, but a large -wolf-. "Aiya! A wolf?!" She hesitates slightly now before finally dashing forward to pull her dress off the trapped creature. Wolf or not, she wasn't going to completely abandon her dress or the notion of helping the creature out. She was just going to be a little extra mindful around those sharp fangs and claws that the wolf must surely have.
Nightwolf can't see much of anything currently trapped underneath Jam's dress. As soon as the clothes are pulled away from him, the wolf darts away from the woman and into the dojo itself, away from the entrance, as if making sure that Jam wouldn't try to kick it out of the building. More concerned about being let inside than tearing through Jam's dress for sure. The wolf shakes again to dust off its pelt and stares up at the woman for a moment, as if to study her movements. This is a little test that Nightwolf likes to try on people he talks to, he can always tells volumes on their true nature when he sees them react to an animal, when their true nature is revealed. However, this time, Nightwolf doesn't keep appearances for long. He already knows enough of this woman to know she is trustworthy. He also noticed indeed noticed how quickly she burns through her chi, but that is a matter for another time, since it seems that the shaman does have a way to help Jam back should she decided to assist him.
After a brief moment of staring each other down, the room swells with strange energy that gathers in the air. The wolf slowly goes to stand into its hind legs as if it were floating and it is then enveloped in green energy. A second later, Nightwolf appears in the wolf's place, a large dark skinned man garbed in Apache brave's clothing, a very uncommon sight in the northern Metro City.
Nightwolf cracks his neck as he stands to limber up and gazes up to the Chinese martial artist with his dead blank eyes.
Jam successfully retrieves her dress and pulls a leg up into her guard as the wolf darts past her. Was that a friendly wolf? Were there friendly wolves? Jam wasn't so sure, but she is soon distracted by the dress in her hands. She peers intently at it for a moment as....yes those seemed to be wolf hairs alright. The young martial artist lets out a small sigh as she drops her leg back down and drapes her dress over her right arm. Hopefully she'll be able to get those out before tomorrow! She only owned so many red cheongsams afterall!
The young brunette looks for somewhere safe to place her now folded cheongsam down when the wolf suddenly makes its reappearance. Her dress is tossed off to the side and she drops into slightly crouched martial arts stance with her arms windmilling out to her sides. But when the wolf doesn't prove to be outright hostile, Jam does end up dropping her guard slightly. Maybe this was the dojo owner's pet? He seemed rather well-behaved for what normally is a predatory wild animal. But there seems to be more to his wolf than what it first seems!
Big brown eyes go wide and Jam's gasps loudly as she watches the wolf standup and turn into a big muscle-bound guy wearing clothes that she entirely unfamiliar with. "Wh-what are you?" Jam had reeled back slightly, but soon adopts a stance to the one she had first assumed with her left leg being drawn up defensively. "Are you some kind of monster?! I'm a bounty hunter you know! So, back off!" The young martial artist is attempting to sound fierce, but her voice definitely would sound a little small despite her aggresive stance.
Now this is more of a reaction that Nightwolf is used to. Fear, uncertainty, hostility. The role of a Sin Eater is a complex one, for they soon learn that the humans that they protect are often times more evil than the Darkstalkers they fight, even more evil than the beasts of Outworld. Humanity fears many things, and what humanity fears... it tramples. Had Nightwolf not studied Jam extensively before, he might deem this meeting fool-hardy as she looked far too impulsive to teach him anything. The tests of wolf told him many things about a person, and if her immediate reaction was to think of him a monster then it would be folly to seek out her assistance. But he knows such a judgment would be too harsh on the young brunette, he knows that she is not as worldly as he is and wouldn't recognize an Apache. It is natural to try to defend herself, particularly after what she's been through, she is in her right to feel fear and to be defensive. Through Jam's reactions, Nightwolf knows all he needs to know before speaking.
"My name is Nightwolf." He introduces himself quickly, in an attempt to dispel any assumption his intentions are evil. "I have been watching you for quite some time, Jam Kuradoberi." He says her full name on purpose, to let her know that he is truly Occidental by putting the given name first and the family name last. "I am in need of your skill in the arts of Jeet Kune Do." Now, Nightwolf knows that Jam's style of fighting is uniquely to her own, but the Shaman is very well versed in martial arts from all over the world, and he recognizes where Jam's basics are coming from. Perhaps in an attempt to get Jam's attention, surely she would trust the word of a fellow martial art enthusiast.
Jam was not really the most worldly individual. And she had absolutely no experience when it comes to Darkstalkers, Outworld, Sin Eaters, or even shapeshifters. She was using every ounce of strength in her to fight her fight or flight reflexes in watching a powerful wolf turn into into an imposing muscle-man dressed in clothes that were as foreign as her own. But this guy does seem to be doing his best in defusing Jam's gut instincts. His proper and formal introduction causes Jam to slowly exit out of her defensive martial arts stance. It was a little worrying that he knew her -name- and had been watching her evidentally. But then again, Jam was pleased as punch to know that she had atleast some sort of reputation outside of the culinary world. This was huge!
The young girl steels herself and offers a brief, but polite bow to Nightwolf. "You can, " A slight pause. "Call me Jam!" Since he wasn't apparently strict on naming conventions, Jam would be a little more at ease if he abided by her simple request. But then again, he seemed rather formal, so maybe he wouldn't. "You know about Jeet Kune Do?" The martial artist in red smiles now, clearly less afraid than and overall stiff as she has been. "Oh, are you here to invite me to a secret martial arts tournament?" Jam suddenly shakes her head. "No, no. You must be here to hire me as a bounty hunter!" corrects the brown-haired girl as she flickers a gaze over Nightwolf. He seemed like the rough and tumble sort. "Either or, I'm at your service!" She once again resumes her natural martial arts ready stand of drawing one leg tucked up sideways while keeping the other flat down on the ground. But this time, Jam is smiling from ear to ear as she does so.
The skinwalker returns the bow in his own fashion, fist over his heart and a slight nod of his head in customary Apache warrior tradition. Looks like he read the girl correctly and all his little adjusts to his mannerism made the girl drop her initial guard enough to get her to talk. She could see the twitch in her eyes, she wanted to either run or fight him, and neither of those options would suit his purposes. It was imperative that he got her to calm down after his botched entrance.
"Jam, then." Indeed, Nightwolf doesn't seem to be a stickler about formalities, clearly wanting to stick to etiquette as long as it suits his purposes. Naught but a tool to be used when interacting with other mortals. He nods at her question of Chinese martial art, glad to see that they can find some immediate common ground despite the cultural differences. "I do indeed, I too am a martial artist." When she then starts to guess of his purpose here, Nightwolf tucks his thumbs in his belt, not adopting a fighting stance just yet and gently shakes his head.
"Not quite." He says softly, a ghost of a smile shown on his otherwise stoic face at the taught of him inviting people to secret martial arts tournament, for some reason the words strike some great irony in him, as if he would have done that in another life.
Rather than confuse the poor Jam with long tales of Outworld, Darkstalkers, Sin Eaters and the like, the Apache keeps it simple and truthful, without dwelling on the details. "I saw how you take care of those punks." States he. "It was very impressive. It rekindled my old passion for the martial arts. My job forces me to set my mind on more unconventional practices and I have forgotten of the basics, nor do I have the luxury of having sparring partners. I would be honored if I could practice with you for a time."
Jam may not trust Nightwolf utterly and completely, but she's definitely a lot more trusting of him than she was a moment ago. The fact that he was also a martial artist comforted Jam a little as she held her fellow martial artists to a higher standard than most. Maybe Nightwolf wasn't a bad guy afterall. She keeps on smiling as the big guy explains what he was there for. No martial arts tournaments or bounties? That was just fine because Jam did also lack exactly what Nightwolf was looking for, sparring partners.
The young girl casually returns both feet to the ground, adjusting her skirt idly as she keeps her hands down at her sides now. "You saw that?" asks Jam rhetorically with that bright grin of hers returning. "I plan on teaching them a more lasting lesson tomorrow if they show up again! It's hard to run a business when you have to stop and kick criminal butt every so often!" Egotist that she was, Nightwolf calling her martial arts impressive made the young woman look even happier. "I would be up to show you some more of my moves! And you do look pretty tough, big guy, so let's spar!"
Cultural bridging at its best. If Nightwolf weren't cursed to the life of a Sin Eater, he would be quite the decent social worker. Alas, the path of the warrior had chosen him and now he was adamant to follow it wherever it led. His path now converged with that of the young martial artist Jam and he gave a sharp nod when the deal was struck. He knew it wouldn't be too difficult to get a spar from the woman, it was simply more prudent to tread carefully in order to not step on any cultural sensibilities. Nightwolf really was worldly and knew the risks of interacting with a person of a drastically different culture without doing any research first.
Now that Jam was comfortable with the idea of sparring him knowing that no ill will was intended, Nightwolf could finally ease into a fighting stance. This one Jam with recognize being as a quite standard Tae Kwan Do stance, hands held close by the waist and feet slightly apart, nothing really too fancy, it was clear that he was maybe a little out of practice.
"I was hoping you would say that." He said taking a deep breath as he swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet, keeping himself limber. "I will follow your lead, Sifu." He even knows some Chinese terminology, that's always pretty neat.
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf has started a fight here.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-------|
Nightwolf certainly did have some leeway when it came to Jam and cultural sensibilities. Jam's been living in Japan long enought that she might be feel a little out of place back in China. That is until she sat down and ate some of the food which would probably convince her that China was still very much her home. But there really wasn't anything like a friendly sparring match between two martial artists that could bridge all sorts of cultural gaps. Jam has never fought a polite...shape-shifting wolf man before afterall!
When Nightwolf loosens up into a fighting stance too, Jam keeps on smiling. Her left leg rises straight up to where both her legs quite limberly form a near straight vertical line. Her brown eyes focus on her opponent as he sways back and forth. But then Nightwolf says something rather surprising, he called her a teacher! Jam's ego begins soaring to new heights. That was definitely a first for her! She giggles happily, "Teacher? I like the sound of that, -tudi-!" It was pretty neat indeed! And without further warning, Jam throws herself sideways through the air and quickly strikes out at Nightwolf with her left foot before attempting to return to her base stance.
COMBATSYS: Jam has joined the fight here.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jam
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf endures Jam's Light Kick.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jam
And it is about this time that it becomes evident what is Nightwolf's problem with martial arts. The Darkstalkers that prowl the night, the aberrations of Outworld, the great majority of them do not even understand the concept of pulling their punches. They are like animals, blood thirsty beasts that go all out the moment they smell mortal flesh. A spar is something that Nightwolf hasn't had the opportunity of enjoying for a long, long time. When it comes to role of a Sin Eater, challenges are almost always to the death.
But he's come this far! He's applied all his worldly knowledge, his study of this skilled girl, he has bid his time for this moment where he can truly learn what he's been neglecting for so long. Fighting other humans. He must fight properly! He's even got her smiling now and bringing someone happiness is something that a man of death like Nightwolf is not adept at doing.
Taking a leap of faith, Nightwolf forcefully drops his guard and takes the blow full on the stomach. Wanting to feel what is to be struck by a human again that doest not mean to kill you. He pauses for a moment as the kick hits his muscled abdomen, as if studying the pain, and then he exhales, as if gaining new insight and he 'hmms' in thought.
Nightwolf knows of Jam's usage of chi and opts to use techniques he's familiar with despite how strange they may appear to a martial artist not instructed in the super natural. The skinwalker steps into Jam's circle of defense and looks like he's going to jab her in the shoulder with he left fist. However, his hand suddenly glows and an energy dagger appears in his fist to stab at the woman. He really has seen her fight, he knows he can take a little cut. But it's also to show her how unfamiliar he's become with traditional martial arts. She's the Sifu now, it's her job to instruct him in proper fighting!
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf successfully hits Jam with Blade and Edge.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Jam
Jam's eyes bulge slightly as she watches her kick glance harmlessly off of Nightwolf's abs. She then looks upwards in disbelief that he was able to withstand one of her kicks without flinching. When she fought big muscle guys before, they would atleast grunt or something when she kicked them. This Nightwolf was something else. The young girl makes an 'eep' like noise as the big guy rush forward and enters her guard before she can return back to her ready stance. Caught completely offguard, she is no position to react to Nightwolf's chi dagger. She does get cut and ends up staggering backwards from the blow. Ouch, that really, really hurt.
She places a hand over where she was cut and looks up at Nightwolf. "Big guy, you're the real deal! You can use chi too!" Jam let's go of her wound and attempts to calm herself and focus. She had to remember her own training. Taking a deep breath, Jam moves her arms in a circle which causes a blue orb of chi to physically manifest before her. It only exists for a few seconds before it disappears. But when it does, the energetic Jam looks incredibly focused and has seemingly forgotten that she was cut at all for now.
COMBATSYS: Jam charges her next attack!
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Jam
"Mhm." Nightwolf nods. "I can, but it comes at a great cost." The shaman dashes back after his strike, keeping the banter up whilst they fight. It is such a foreign sensation to him, to talk about the technicalities of their style while trading blows. It almost feels.. like he's having fun, a sensation that was thought lost to him forever.
But just as Jam starts to focus, so does he. Dead eyes peer deeply towards what his Sifu does next and sees manipulate her inner energy to empower her body. This is something that actually Nightwolf is more familiar with and it is fitting that his teacher would blend this into the spar. Like she does, he must too learn how to pace himself and gather energy without succumbing to blood thirsty rage. As he said before, he follows her lead and prepares to channel energy himself. Nightwolf is like Jam's mirror image, moving his arms in a circle as red chi gathers around him, tapping into the plentiful sins of Metro City. Were they not exchanging strikes but a few moments ago, one might think they two were practicing a kata. Nightwolf then glows with energy as Jam does, though of a different color, and resets his Tae Kwan Do stance. "Let us continue."
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf gathers his will.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Jam
Jam listens to this new information as she maintains her focus. It seems that most strong fighters she has run into can, but the degree in which they can use it was always different. "I can use chi too! But I've never ran into someone who can do it like I can!" She admits as she watches and waits for her opponent to press his attack. When he doesn't, the young girl tilts her head to the side in confusion. A patient fighter? Jam wasn't used to this? Normally people mindlessly attack her? What was she supposed to do? The indecision is thankfully not taken advantage of as Nightwolf even says something to snap Jam out of her own little indecisive tangent that she was trapped into.
"Right! Here I come!" She announces before dashing forward quickly at an abnormal speed. She heads in a straight line for Nightwolf and stops mere inches in front of him. Instead of throwing a kick or a punch at the big man, Jam extends an open palm towards him. Instaneously, a sizeable orb of chi reappears in her open palm and explodes outwards in an attempt to catch Nightwolf in this not so surprise attack. "Hiyaaah!" yells Jam in emphasis of her own movement.
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf blocks Jam's Empowered Hyappo Shinshou.
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Nightwolf 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Jam
And that's exactly the point! Nightwolf is not used to people that hang back and wait on him to attack, this was his problem against the Capoerista Aranha, he rushed in with all he had and tired himself out because he knew of no other way of fighting. Who better to teach him the meaning of biding his attacks than someone who specializes in fluidly weaving in and out of defense? That Jam can manipulate her own chi like he does is just an added bonus.
When Jam fires off her energy attack, Nightwolf does have to fight his instinct to not immediately put his barrier up. He knows this attack won't split him in half if he takes it head on, he needs to stop reacting and start thinking. Standard defensive tactics might work with a brute of Outworld but it won't work against a more versatile fighter like Aranha, or Jam. The shaman curls his upper body up like a boxer and takes the blast on his scarred forearms. Just like before, studying the burning sensation on his skin. It hurts, but it is not the soul scarring psycho energy of the fiends of the dark.
"Alright, my turn." Jam gave him a heads up so it's only polite he returns the favor. He brings his palms close together as if he was holding an invisible ball and then brings them over his head where energy begins to gather. "Hokaaa Hey!!!" The man yells as a lighting bolt shoots out from his palms flying directly for Jam.
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf successfully hits Jam with Thunder Storm.
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Nightwolf 1/------=/=======|=======\======-\1 Jam
Jam prided herself on being pretty fast, so she had a smile on her face when she used her ki-infused dash forward into launching an actual attack. But once again, she misjudges that this big guy actually knew how to use that extra mass of his. Her smile quickly disappears when the big man braces for impact and her chi blast doesn't send Nightwolf flying through the air. That was her sending people flying through the air move! No fair! She once again is not exactly in the best position now since Nightwolf was practically looming over her. But once more, he actually annouces his attack! At least he is polite when he beats people up!
The young martial artist sees the big guy move like hes going to form an orb in front of him. Ha, Jam recognizes that attack! It's just like hers! She immediately back handsprings to get out of the way, but it is now that Jam learns that she actually -doesn't- recognize this attack. Nightwolf wasn't making an orb attack, he was shooting -lightning- at her. With nowhere to go, Jam gets blasted by the attack and is sent sprawling across the dojo's floor. She eventually comes to a stop and sizzles a little bit before getting back up slowly. Looking down at her torn and now burned dress, Jam glares at Nightwolf with renewed vigor. Another chi orb glows briefly as Jam breathes in and out as she tries to get her head back into this fight.
COMBATSYS: Jam charges her next attack!
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Nightwolf 1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Jam
Looks like Nightwolf's calculations are paying off, an evil spirit would have been able to shrug off that attack but it would have completely fried any other mortal. Like Jam, Nightwolf needs of very specific partners to brush his skills, at least until he has regained sufficient control of his abilities that he can control the swirling violent energies inside of him and fight like a man and not a beast.
That Jam was struck by lighting does not worry Nightwolf as much as it probably should. He was not lying when he said he's been following her and studying the way she fights, she really is a tough fighter and shrug off the blow, as he shows him now by getting back up with renewed determination in her eyes. Nightwolf knows; those are the eyes of a warrior. "You fight very well." Nightwolf commends her. "I see I was not mistaken in seeking your advice, Sifu."
Still, there is only so much Nightwolf can hold back before he starts reverting to his old habits of attack, attack, attack! As much as he would like to once again follow Jam's kata like motions, the drums of war beat hard on his chest, and he sucks in breath as his body seemingly acts on its own volition. He sees an opening and just acts, pressing the attack instead of giving Jam a moment to focus herself, the skinwalker brings an arm up in the air where a chi energy axe appears. He steps in and flings the energy weapon at Jam, timing the spins the axe takes in the air so that the blade would bite into the woman's already injured shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Jam blocks Nightwolf's New Earth.
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Nightwolf 1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Jam
This guy was unreal! But he did come in as an actual wolf before transforming into an ogre of a man. So maybe it was Jam's fault for not thinking this guy would be an actual monster in a fight. He seemed to always be one step ahead of Jam and was simply outfighting her at every turn. The young bounty hunter didn't even know people this strong even existed. She was hurting, but she also had her pride as a chinese martial artist on the line! There had to be some way she could atleast land one good blow on this guy to show that she atleast meant business! By using her chi, she had been able to calm herself enough to be overwhelmed by Nightwolf's first two attacks even though she will surely feel them at work tomorrow.
Normally, what Nightwolf has to say might come off as patronzing. She -had- been fighting a lot of jerks lately. But somehow, she doesn't think this big guy was poking fun at her. In a way, that was even more infuriating to her! Atleast if he was being rude, she could get angry at him! But instead, she merely stands her ground as Nightwolf comes in for another attack. A chi infused axe flies towards her and Jam throws her arms out in a big 'x' to block the attack. The blade part of the attacks misses her by mere inches, but the impact of the thrown chi axe is still enough to break Jam's guard. Her arms drop down to her side and for a moment, Jam ponders if she's already done for.
But no! She has to show this guy that she has atleast the fighitng spirit of a warrior! She drops her weight on her back leg and holds one arm up and one arm down. "Ten! Jou! Ten!" She then rises up on her right foot, extending her left foot out towards Nightwolf. "Ka! Yui! Ka!" The martial artist then drops onto both feet and keeps one hand high and one hand low. "Doku!" Finally, the brunette nods briefly towards Nightwolf before dashing forward in an attempt to palm stike Nightwolf up into the air. "Son!" She yells as her palm flies through the air towards Nightwolf's midsection. Should this first hit connect, Jam will lean back on her back foot and jump acrobatically through the air with a fearsome flying sidekick aimed squarely for Nightwolf's midsection. "Wochaaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf endures Jam's Empowered Gasenkotsu.
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Nightwolf 1/--=====/=======|>>>>---\-------\0 Jam
There is no need for Jam to prove herself in the eyes of Nightwolf, to the shaman she is already an indomitable warrior, even if this is just a spar. That she would decided to get angry for Nightwolf to state his admiration however, is of her own decision and it beyond the skinwalker's capabilities to change her decision. One thing Nightwolf does not miss about being part of the world mortals is the sheer irrationality they sometimes posses. Powerful as Jam might be, it's clear that she still has a lot spiritual growing to do, such as removing her pride out of the equation. Nightwolf no longer recalls the last time he made a point of fighting for his heritage as an Apache, once you start fighting the ever encroaching forces of darkness, you begin to realize that cultural barriers are simply imaginary lines made by humans for humans. At the end of the day, no matter where someone comes from, people are just that; people.
But anyway, Jam is the one supposed to be imparting wisdom to Nightwolf here, not the other way around, particularly not in the middle of a fight that just got slightly more serious.
When Jam chants her attack after deflecting the blow of the thrown axe, the skinwalker's blank eyes narrow in recognition. He doesn't know the specifics of this particular attack, but he has seen this manner of position before, it is similar to the mystics of the Orient, he does not doubt that his sister in Arms Ayame has a similar move to this one.
As Jam nods to prepare himself, Nightwolf nods back, saying that he is ready to defend himself, and a good thing too because when Jam flies towards him at lighting speed, there is only one thing and one thing only that Nightwolf can do against the palm coming at his chin.
Clench his teeth.
"HRRG!" Jam finally got her wish, to make Nightwolf grunt, because he has no choice but to do so when he is flung up in the air and suddenly struck on his stomach with a flying kick. As he's struck though, it becomes evident that the Apache brave once again managed to clench his abdominal muscles and ignore the pain. His blank eyes are wide open when he's kicked in mid air and he's ready for a counter attack.
The shaman curls his muscled arms on Jam's extended leg and pushes off the wall of the dojo with his feet to drive her down on the ground back first. "Tunka cela! O'cicie'elo!" As the two fly down to the ground, Nightwolf begins to say something in his own language as well, bringing a hand up in the air to summon another glowing energy knife to his fist. This one though, is glowing a lot brighter than the last one. "Onsimalayu! Omaki'ayo!" As they hit the ground, the shaman brings the knife down upon Jam's collar bone and lighting goes through the dojo's roof, hitting the knife's handle and channeling electrifying energy through the blade and into the martial artist's body.
"Wachin ksapa yo!"
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf successfully hits Jam with Banishment.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/--=====|>>>>>>>\>>>>---\1 Jam
Kuradoberi Jam is still a very young and brash fighter. Well this can serve her well in giving her confidence to fight against tall odds, this hubris can also be punishing on the young woman. Then again, you can't really expect anything less from a martial artist who just yelled, "I am Heaven and Earth, I am all that is Holy!" in Chinese during her attack. Nightwolf was very astute in picking up that her poses were similar to that of Chinese mystics, this was the 'ultimate' attack that Jam had learned before she left her homeland afterall. This was the truly the extent of her power and something that Nightwolf would probably not have seen her use against street toughs. This may be just a sparring match to Nightwolf, but Jam had her pride as a fighter on the line. That's the perils of youth, you constantly feel the need to prove yourself against your superiors!
Jam instantly knows something is amiss when Nightwolf is able to recover in the air from her attack. This...wasn't supposed to happen! Brown eyes flash alight in the perceived danger that she was now in that she was would be hard pressed to get herself out of. She attempts to wriggle her way out of Nightwolf's reach, but he's too fast. He is able to get a good hold of her leg which means that the only way left to go for Jam is down. But the big man isn't quite done with the attack, the lightning knife attack cuts into Jam's collarbone and the combined impact of this and hitting the ground causes Jam to go completely limp.
Destroyed!
COMBATSYS: Jam takes no action.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Jam can no longer fight.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/--=====|
Pride is naught but a human fallacy.
Can't eat it, can't keep you warm. It's useless.
But that is a debate for them to have when the two of them are conscious. Although Jam may not believe it, she has taught a lot to Nightwolf today about restraint and the lack there of. Just like Aranha and Daniel before her, the young Chinese martial artist has shown the Sin Eater that mortals have quite a lot of intricacies that he could learn from, versatility and adaptability that will come in handy when the darkness comes. And a certain toughness that Nightwolf often misjudges despite all his apparent enlightened nature.
A toughness that is required to take on a full on Banishment and still live.
Nightwolf's blank eyes widen in horror when he can see clearly once again through the fog of determination that clouded his vision and he finds himself pinning an unconscious Jam down. He blinks and checks her pulse. "Sifu? Jam?" Surely he couldn't have killed her. Not this warrior of a woman. She is a lot stronger than she think she is, more than capable to withstand that attack and live. He taps her lightly on her cheek and asks. "Are you alright?"
This couldn't possibly have been a Fatality.
There most definitely is a pulse when Nightwolf goes to check it. The woman in the short red cheongsam was 'merely' knocked unconcious by the attack the mighty warrior used on her. It was quite the attack afterall! But it is not until she is tapped on the cheek that Jam stirs. Brown eyes flutter open lazily and then snap open when she sees and then remembers what had just happened. Oof, her entire body felt like it was on fire and those early chi stab wounds were smarting something fierce. "I'm alive?" She asks rhetorically of Nightwolf before trying to move. It definitely hurts. "I'm alive," confirms Jam with a groan as she forces herself to sit up. Oof. She fights every instinct in her body just to lay back down and catch a quick snooze.
There definitely was an unpleasant burned smell in the hair. "Did I just get hit by lighting?" She asks of Nightwolf as she struggles up onto her feet. The young martial artist is a little shaky, but she fights through it stand up. She then collapses back down into a seated position and smiles wearily. "I'm fine! I just got a little burned like some peking duck!"
"Chi infused lighting." Confirms Nightwolf as he takes a seat next to the martial artist, crossing his legs in traditional lotus flower position, which may look slightly odd for an Apache.
The shaman crosses his arms and waits for Jam to gather her bearings when she struggles to get back up only to fall on her rear again. He's not foolish enough to attempt to offer to help her up and look like he's coddling her. Pride may not mean anything for Nightwolf but he knows that it does for Jam and she might take it the wrong way. No, he's just fine sitting next to her and waiting until Jam is ready to move again. He's patient like that.
"Your heart is pure enough." Nightwolf suddenly says when he sees that Jam is sufficiently recovered to carry a conversation. "I will tell you the truth." Uh oh, should Jam be worried now that the dark skinned man will reveal his true intentions? "That attack I used on you, it is meant to banish demons from this realm by purging the evil from their souls. I have never before used it on a human."
So basically, Nightwolf was using Jam as a guinea pig? "I apologize if this somehow looks as deceit, but after studying your moves for so long I deduced that you would survive the blow. I thank you for allowing me such an opportunity."
"However, you see now what I meant by not recalling the basics of martial arts. My job that I preciously spoke of consists of hunting demons and I forgot what it means to fight against other mortals like you and I."
He pauses briefly to consider her looks, wondering if she'll think he's crazy despite all she has seen so far. "If you are not against the idea, I am still inclined in training with you, for your versatility is something that my style sorely lacks."
"Should you accept, you could ask for anything in return." Nightwolf has some stored cash if he really needs to use it!
It is only a small consolation that it was chi-infused lightning instead of it being an actual lightning bolt. This meant that there were people out there whom could use chi to a much greater extent than she could. Jam could only use chi from within, calling upon external forces was far beyond her ability. She ends up deciding that her new seated position was good enough and finds a comfortable positon there with her knees together to allow her to sit on her haunches. Slowly but surely, Jam recovers enough to snap out of the daze she's been in.
Nightwolf's explanation of the nature of his attack causes her raise a hand and rub her temples. "Aiya! It still works great against normal people." As if a chi-user martial arts user counted as a normal person these days. But Jam makes the comparison irregardless. This big guys was something else. He -knew- that Jam could handle such a crazy attack? What -didn't- this guy know? Well, he sort of explains that very thing to her. "You need to work on basic martial arts? I, um, think I can help there! But you seem to have been able to counter my moves just fine." Jam begins as she quickly works to regain her self-confidence after what just happened.
"Can you show me how to focus ki like you do? You make it seem so easy! I know I can be a good student! I have potential" Jam reaches up and rubs her collar bone where the knife had cut her. She does her best to smile through the pain she currently in, but it was pretty rough. Even the ninja she fought didn't hit -this- hard!
Now that is something that Nightwolf can do. The Apache brave inclines his head at Jam's request to learn more about chi, this is actually just what he was hoping for. "Of course." He says quite cordially. "I propose an exchange then. If you teach me more of your Jeet Kune Do I will be more than happy to help you expand your spirit." He gives her a side look. "There is much energy within you, Jam. You will be able to tap into your well of chi sooner than you think."
Nightwolf has to disagree with the girl, however, when she wonders if he really needs training give he was able to deflect most of her blows. "I would really not consider 'countering' an attack standing still and taking the blow." Says the shaman as he rubs his chin where he took the palm strike. "Those were very foolish moves of mine, I would much rather prefer to remember how to deflect strikes in a proper manner." He looks at his arms full of scars both of claw marks and of blades. Had he tried to do what he did with Jam against an enforcer of Outworld or a high level Darkstalker, Nightwolf would have lost a limb or two for sure. He just can't afford to try and muscle his way through every blow! It's not efficient. Funny thing about knowing thins; the more you learn the more you realize you don't know. Ancient Apache wisdom.
After a moment thought he nods again, blank eyes staring at the girl sitting next to him. "Then let it be so. We shall become stronger as we share our ways."
The shaman blinks in thought for a moment. "Would you mind if I still continue addressing you as Sifu?" For some reason Nightwolf likes the familiarity the title offers. Like he's integrating a part of the culture into his own.
Kuradoberi Jam sits there with her hands folded into her lap as she listens to the details of this exchange. She knew she could do better than she has in fights. Maybe all she needed was the right teacher to help push her in the right direction. The brunette nods her head and raises a fist up into a air with a weak smile appearing on her face. She'll be truly strong one day!
Maybe Jam could teach Nightwolf how to move better, but she certainly didn't prove that in this fight. The young girl puts both hands on the ground and pushes herself back up onto her feet. "Yeah! Let's give it our all and get stronger!" She agrees excitedly as she considers that last question from Nightwolf. She didn't really feel like a sifu after that fight, but maybe she will eventually live up to that title. " 'Sifu' is fine! But our first lesson will have to wait, Sifu needs to get her food cart back to the other side of town." Jam offers a short bow before collecting her cheongsam and starting to head off, a slight limp to being added to her walk. Sheesh! What a fight! First a ninja, and now a lightning chi using strongman! The young girl doesn't even want to think about who will be next, but she can try to be more ready for her next fight!
Log created on 20:40:31 11/28/2014 by Nightwolf, and last modified on 11:20:47 11/29/2014.