Match of the Millennium

Description: Sent on 'extended leave' by her superiors, Daisy has decided to make the best of this vacation by going back to spend some time with her adoptive family! Perhaps going back to her roots will help her clear the dark cloud that still lingers over her head.

[RYO]
Afternoon classes have just let out at the Kyokugen Dojo, and only the most steadfast of the new pupils are lingering about, running drills or just working out to improve their physical stamina. Something that Takuma requires, since his idea of a "light warmup" includes 500+ sit ups. Ryo Sakazaki, Kyokugen's Invincible Dragon, had been doing the instructing today, thankfully, and while he's rough, he's nowhere near the zealot that his father is. So, people were, you know, at least able to walk after the session.

Ryo now is working with a young student, barely starting into his teens. A scrawny young kid, but he has a fire in his eyes. Ryo is giving a little after class coaching, it seems, with the kid's sidekick. Ryo, clad in his traditional orange gi, with the dark, dark brown sleeveless shirt beneath it, stands behind a heavy bag, his trunklike arms wrapped around it to brace is. "Alright! Now, remember to chamber your kick first. Bring that knee all the way up to your chest."

The kid does as instructed, balancing on one foot, like he's in a TKD flamingo stance. Ryo's rugged features light up with a wolfish grin, and he nods. "Good. Just like that. It's like a shotgun, you know? You have to pump the shotgun to load the shell. Right now, you've just loaded the shell. Now we fire. So, when we do that, you need to pivot on your foot at the same time, so that your hip twists. This makes your kicks really, really strong because it uses your whole body, and not just the leg. Try it again!"

The boy pivots, but he does so before he thrusts out the sidekick, wasting the momentum. Still, Ryo acts like the bag was kicked hard enough that he hops off of his feet just a bit, and gives out a quiet "oomph!" to lend the act a bit of credit. "That was good! You're really strong! You'll probably be stronger than my dad someday! But I think you can do a little better! Keep working on that pivot! Don't turn and then kick. Do it at the same time. Practice!"

[DAISY]
A figure appears at the entrance to vast facility that serves as the training grounds for future Kyokugen practitioners, their slender form slipping through the half opened wooden gate that leads into the paved area outside the dojo itself. The woman, a tall foreigner with short blonde hair cut into a prim bob, struggles noticably with several pieces of luggage as she clears the archway. Despite her burden, she pauses upon setting foot into the area, and sweeps her wide-eyed gaze around at the scenery as if taking in some interesting tourist attraction.

"Woooow! It's just like I remember it!"

Caught up in her excitement, the woman sheds her collection of suitcases, bags, and other cargo into a loose heap on the ground, and takes off running towards the small gaggles of students still present. She beams a wide smile at each person as she approaches, giving them a cheerful wave as the locals no doubt find the presence of this gaijin rather abrupt and strange. While it's not entirely unusual for foreingers to take up the practice of martial arts in its native land, she looks more like some kind of pop singer than someone who knows how to throw a punch, much less take one.

She stops at each group of students and greets them vigorously, showering the fighters with compliments, encouragement, and various bits of small talk before moving on to the next. As such it takes her a minute or two to make her way over towards Ryo and his personal trainee for the day. However, when she does finally spot him, her hands fly to her mouth as she gasps in surprise. This brief moment of shock is immediately replaced with a girlish squeal of delight and she rushes towards the Kyokugen scion at a dead run, throwing her arms out as if to engulf him in a great bear hug!

"Big brother Ryoooo! It's been so long!"

[RYO]
As the kid starts working on the coordination, pivot and kick, not pivot, then kick, Ryo remains there, encouraging and supporting, even if just in holding the bag and acting like it hurts. He hadn't even noticed the young blonde haired girl when she came in. He was focused. That is one of his flaws, truth be told. He remains hyperfocused on the things in front of him, often missing anything outside of his tunnel vision.

And so, he's nearly blindsided when Daisy comes rushing up on him. His name being called... no... practically squealed out, causes him to blink, and straighten his posture. As he turns his head to the rushing figure, his cobalt blue eyes widen into saucers. The open arms and rushing figure is noticed first. In response, his own arms fly open to catch the bear hug and return it, sort of more on instinct than any recognition. The clothes are what his brain is trying to process. They're far, far too gaudy. Did Athena take Yuri out on a shopping spree?

Sweeping the figure of Daisy up in his arms in a big hug, and lifting her off the ground to his height, that's when he notices the blonde bob. And recognition starts to sink in. "D-Daisy?!"

He settles her back down on the ground, lifting his massively, meaty mits on her shoulders, and looking down at her face. Sure enough. His rugged features light up with a broad grin, casting dimples in his stubble lined cheeks. "Daisy! How long has it been?! What are you even doing here? I thought you were off galavanting across the world using Kyokugen to kick crime's butt!"

[DAISY]
The woman squeaks with delight as she's swept off her feet, squeezing her arms around the wide trunk of Ryo's muscled frame. She relents on her tight hug when her name is spoken aloud and beams a brilliant smile back at him in return, flashing her pearly white teeth, which sparkle almost as brightly as the shiny top she's wearing. Both of her hands up to make the classic V-sign next her face and she makes a pleased noise to be thusly recognized.

"That's right, it's me! Crime-fighter extraordinare!"

She takes a few steps back and gives a few mock punches at the air, delivering a classic Kyokugen technique in perform form, though with a great deal of personal flair added in. There's even a bit of bright orange ki that flares up for a few moments before dispersing into shimmering sparkles. Daisy makes a comically exaggerated face as she lets out a high-pitched kiai while performing her little display then turns and gives a wink to Ryo's student.

"It has been a really long time! Look at you, teaching classes now! I bet the Master is so proud!"

She grins again, clasping her hands behind her head and stretching her arms upwards. This does rather interesting things to her top, but if she's aware of it, she makes no indication, her smile remaining pure and bright.

"Aaaah, it's good to finally get a chance to be home again! Ah, I suppose that is the subject of your other question. My bosses have decided that I deserve a vacation for a while, so I figured that I would come stay with my wonderful second family again! Isn't that great news! Hehehe!"

[RYO]
Ryo's still distracted with the glitzy, dazzling top she's wearing, and he can't help but let his eyes keep falling to it as she's posing with those twin peace signs. His brow crinkles a bit in confusion, his eyes searching her face for evidence of some sort of piss take in this act. He doesn't remember Daisy ever being this vibrant and cheerful. She was a serious girl, if a bit hyperactive. He had imagined that she'd have become much more serious now, if anything, after being so heavily involved in the world of Interpol. Certainly not this outgoing and girlish persona that she's displaying now. Meanwhile, Ryo's student is cheerfully applauding her display beside him.

"Well, it certainly seems like you haven't let your skills get rusty!" Ryo says after her little display, which also elicits an astounded sound from the boy, wide eyed and awestruck. Ryo just smiles and continues, "You've gotten a bit unorthodox, but that's the mark of a true martial artist! Taking the fundamentals of a style and adjusting it to one's own strengths is the only way a warrior becomes a master!"

The wink makes the kid blush.

When she comments on him teaching classes now and about how she suspects Takuma must feel, Ryo grins a bit sheepishly, lifting one hand up to scratch at the back of his neck, while his eyes avert themselves off to one side. "Aaah... y-yeah. He's proud, but I think maybe he's a little worried he might be missing a step. I beat him in a spar the other day..."

Her arms raise, and what that does to her top has his eyes widening, and color instantly flooding his cheeks. Immediately, he grabs hold of the kid by the shoulder, pulling him close with one hand, while the other covers the boys eyes. He, in turn, looks away from her again, to the floor between them. "Ah! Haha... Well, we certainly have room for you here at the dojo. Robert has been with his family taking care of business... stuff, so his room is open. Yuri's a bit busy these days, so we don't see her very often. Father is around sometimes, but he does go to train a lot. So it's mostly just me around here these days. It might be a bit boring for you, but I'll be glad to have you back and see how your training has been fairing!"

[DAISY]
Daisy lowers her arms and presses one finger against her temple, looking thoughtful for a moment. She'd been hoping to catch the whole gang together again like one big family reunion but it's somewhat inevitable that the others would be all grown up and have their own matters to handle as well. That Takuma isn't present within his beloved dojo is a real surprise though. She shrugs and grins, resting her hands on her hips.

"Well, a /pretty/ girl has to put a little bit of unique /charm/ into her work! It keeps the /boys/ on their toes! Don't you think?"

Her heavy American accent colors her words as she speaks in fluent Japanese as easily as a native, though she puts emphasis on odd words and syllables, particular the word 'desu' at the end of her sentences. Random bits of english also get peppered into the mix, which is probably really weird to listen to for those that aren't very familiar with the language. She steps forward and gives him a playful punch on the arm, giggling at his embarrasment.

"/Hey, hey/! You finally beat the /Master/? That's great news! /Don't worry!/ I bet he's just as proud as you are! A shame there's no one else here, though, I was hoping to see /everyone/! We should all get together and have a big /party/ sometime!"

[RYO]
Thankful that she's lowered her arms, Ryo lowers his hand from the boy's eyes, who had been clutching and pulling to no avail all this time. Ryo pats him on the back and says, "Shun, go run blocking drills with Kaito and Sora." before waving him off. Shun, as the boy is now known as, looks more than a little dejected, but he does as his sensei tells him, joining to other boys at the other end of the dojo.

"Oh. Hahaha I... I guess you may have a point. Uh..." Ryo shrugs his massive shoulders, looking a bit helpless. He's still not quite sure what to make of Daisy's new (to him, at least) personality. "I wouldn't know about being a pretty girl or trying to keep boys on their toes. I just try to do my best and find what works best for me!"

Luckily, Ryo is an avid speaker of both Japanese and English, and he bounces a lot between Japan, America, and even Mexico, as part of his never ending quest to spread the style of Kyokugen and turn it into a global phenomena. If only he had more money...

"Ah! Yeah! It was just a morning spar, though! Not a real fight. I know he was proud, but I still have a long road ahead of me until I'm truly on his level," Ryo says, offering a small modest chuckle at that. He might be the second Mr. Karate, but he's still in awe of his father's skills. And he'll always be a bit humble, when it comes right down to it.

"Oh, I'm sorry that I'm the only one. I'll see if I can't get everyone together to celebrate your return. In the meantime, though, maybe you and I can go out to get dinner and some drinks later! I may not be the best company, but we should still celebrate!"

[DAISY]
Daisy grins and waves to the young boy as he's shuffled off to protect his poor innocent eyes from her inadvertently suggestive displays.

"/Go go/! Practice hard!", she calls out after him.

Turning her attention back to Ryo, she nods as he lays out the circumstances of his victory over the old master, clapping enthusiastically despite his attempt to downplay the matter.

"Haha, big brother, you are too /humble/! I bet none one else could even come close to the /Master/ yet!"

She actually fist pumps at his offer of a dinner date and then gives him another punch for all the self-depreciating talk.

"/Hey/, no more talking bad about yourself, big brother! I would /love/ to get dinner! It's been so long since I had some proper /Japanese/ cuisine!"

With her plans for the evening settled, the blonde turns to look out over the dojo again, sighing deeply. She'd been gone from this place for a long time and it was only now that she realized how much she had missed it. The constant routine, the daily training, the friendly competitions - it was a wonderful world where things made sense and nothing too crazy happened; the exact opposite of her life at Interpol.

For a few brief moments her bubbly ditzy demeanor vanishes, Daisy's expression taking on a melancholy and wistful overcast. How she wishes things could have been different. Maybe if she'd just stayed in Japan and taken up the Kyokugen legacy she wouldn't have suffered like she did. Maybe this is her chance to start over again.

When she turns back to Ryo, her bright smile is once more in place and she gives him a gentle huff, hands resting on her hips like a disappointed mother.

"Well, don't just stand there! Introduce me to my fellow students!"

[RYO]
Daisy's applause for his victory is met with a sheepish grin, and when she lays on the praise, he's again left unsure of what to say. Color and heat rise to the surface of his face, and he just looks away and shrugs it off as if it's not the big deal she's making it out to be. He's taken out of the bashful deflection, however, when she punches his arm again, this time wincing and rubbing the tanned skin that's now turning red in the shape of her fist. "Ow! Alright, alright! I'm not talking bad about myself! I'm just saying that I know that you wanted everyone to be here, and I'm sorry that it's just me! I'd be disappointed, if I were you!"

Ryo watches her as she looks out across the dojo, and he can see that sense of nostalgia settling in. He also sees the darkness there, hidden behind it. The trouble that's like a storm brewing just behind her eyes, threatening to level whatever control she's built up around herself. Before he can even think about it, he places one of his large hands curled loosely around the back of her neck, giving just a faint, reassuring squeeze of his fingertips. What did you go through? It's a silent thought. One he won't voice, for now.

Her smile and command prompts him to straighten up and remove his hand from her. His brow furrows for a moment, and then he seems like something clicked on in his head, and he says, "Oh! Right! Sorry!"

Stepping forward, in front of her, Ryo puts his hands on his hips and clears his throat, loudly. The dojo falls silent as every eye turns to fall on the imposing figure of their sensei. When he speaks, it's with the booming voice of Mr. Karate the Second, that inspires fear in his enemies and respect in his students. "Listen up! This here is Daisy Mallone! She's a friend of our family, and a senior member of this school! Consider her your big sister! If she offers you advise, listen! If she offers to help you train, accept! If she gives you instructions, obey! You can learn a lot from her."

He turns his head, looking back at Daisy over his broad shoulder, and asks, "Anything you want to say?"

[DAISY]
Daisy is almost too lost in thought to notice the gentle touch but her eyes sparkle a little brighter when she turns around to find her 'older brother' behind her ready to cheer her up. Well, she can't look depressed now, that would just be rude! She remains patiently standing next to Ryo as he bellows his booming voice over the courtyard, looking a little impressed.

"Ooooh, so /manly/! You grew up big and strong, big brother!"

Now she's definately teasing him. Laughing playfully, the foreigner turns her gaze towards the small assembly of students and thrusts out her chest proudly upon being introduced in such a grand manner. It's been a while since she got that kind of respect! Oh, but she's expected to say something now! Time to have a little fun with this!

"Heh heh...!" Daisy gives a broad mischievous grin to the others, once more flashing her pristine white teeth like the Cheshire Cat. She points dramatically at the group with one hand, her finger extended towards no one in particular, and lowers her voice to a clearly fake deep tone.

"/Listen up/, you worms! My name is Daisy and I've come to /whip/ your sorry butts into shape! You thought your training was difficult! /WRONG/! What you have suffered thus far is /nothing/ compared to the terrible trials that await you now that I have returned! Only through /dedication/ and /tenacity/ will you survive! So prepare yourselves for only the /worthy/ will see the light of day! Muahahaha!"

Daisy throws her head back and laughs for several long seconds, her hands curled into flexing claws a flare of orange chi engulfs her like a super-villain on some cheesy Saturday morning cartoon. Then she abruptly shifts back to her cheerful airheaded self and her demonic cackle becomes a girlish titter, her hands lifting to cover her mouth.

"Ahahaha... /sorry/, /sorry/, I've always wanted to do that! Seriously though, it's /nice/ to meet you all! I hope we can all have lots of /fun/ together, okay!"

[RYO]
When she teases him about being manly, Ryo feels crushed by embarrassment. His face turns a deep, blood red, and he drops his eyes to the ground, slightly off to the side. He clears his throat, and rubs the back of his neck, looking wholly uncomfortable as he mutters out a, "Ah... well... I mean... you've been gone a long time..."

But then she's getting into her spiel at the students. With every spoken syllable, the students look more and more frightened. Were they going to have to deal with yet another demon slave driver, like Takuma? He already tries pushing them into meeting impossible standards, and here she is claiming that they haven't seen anything yet? She's so scary!

Ryo, too, looks bewildered. He stands stock still and at attention beside her, his eyes wide and watching her as she lays all of it out, and then cackles like some sort of master villain.

He breathes a sigh of relief as the cackle becomes a giggle and the giggle becomes an apology. His shoulders slump, and a similar reaction spreads across the dojo from the other students. After she's done, Ryo just affects a large, bright and totally put on smile, as he says, "Haha...ha! W-well, I guess that's everything, then! Get back to training hard!"

[DAISY]
Daisy gives little waves and smiles to the student as they disperse in relief, still chuckling to herself. Having grown up under the direct tutelage of Takuma, like Ryo and the rest of his family, she knows what it's like to be worked half to death in the name of perfection. Not that she has any resentment over the training she endured as a young girl. Quite the opposite! It was that very training that allowed her to bring so much justice and order to the world.

"Aaaah, that was funny! You shoulda seen the looks on your faces, hehehe! You've gotta learn to lighten up, big brother!"

She pats him on the back a couple times in good-natured humor, before heading off towards her forgotten luggage at a jog. A final wave is given over her shoulder and she shouts, "I'll go get settled in and see if I can't find the /Master/! See you at dinner!"

Log created on 15:44:32 12/10/2017 by Daisy, and last modified on 20:35:09 12/10/2017.