Description: Frei's on a mission to see if hotdogs taste good with naan. Riko's on a mission to find a fighter and beat 'im up. Because her sensei told her to. And he also told her the assignment would count towards her final exam. Riko meets Frei. Riko fights Frei. And steals his lunch. Because y'know, there was no way that could end well.
Just this afternoon, Frei Tsukitomi-Renard had the most fasincating conversation with one Sakura Kasugno, a girl he fought not too long ago in this very spot, in the shadow of Southtown's vast financial machine. That conversation was accompanied by naan bread, a particularly tasty Indian concoction. And from that conversation, a very important question arose. Frei knew if he didn't find the answer to that conundrum, then he very well might turn in his smock and retire to the country to... do something even less directed than being a full-time philosopher.
He needed to know if Mr. Frank's incomparable hot dogs would taste good wrapped in naan.
Thus here he is again, having just purchases a good number of the delicious not-quite-meat franks from Frank, and sitting on a nearby park bench, paper bag and foil wrapper full of big sheets of tasty naan bread at the ready. Now is the time. "Don't shirk from the future!" the monk says aloud, because he's out of his mind. "Face the brightness of a new day!"
He gently wraps a hot dog in a piece of flat bread, like a burrito.
He takes a bite.
Time... stands still.
For about .5 seconds, after which the monk is all smiles, shoving the rest of the thing in his mouth and chewing with reckless abandon. "Thif miffon if a conpreet sucsef!" he announces, swallowing and putting a piece of naan in his hand so that it forms a little hand puppet-like mouth. "It's all because I was here!"
"What mission, mister?"
It's a cheerful voice, perhaps overly so. That level of cheerfulness does not come without malign intent. Not that Frei's likely to notice, given his complete absorbtion in issues of hot-dog-eating. Of course, there's the small fact that the voice is an inch away from his ear, enough that he doesn't just hear the -sound-...but can feel the breath.
A rush of movement, then...and a girl is perched on the park bench along with Frei. Not sitting on it, though, like he is...but squatting on the back of the bench, sneaker soles balanced on the thin upper rail. A girl, can't be older than her early teens, in a t-shirt and shorts, with a panda backpack resting over her shoulderblades. She blinks at him, inquisitively, while snaking an arm down in an attempt to steal some bread.
"You on some kinda evil terrorist mission to bomb Southtown with biological food weapons, huh? Is that it?"
Now, Frei's a fighter. He shouldn't be so easy to sneak up on. But right now, with the heavenly food in his mouth...well. 'course, there's also the fact that the girl's shirt has the slogan: "DAMN NINJA".
Figures.
Voice! The girl in question may be pleased to note that she does in fact catch Frei off guard; his naan bread hand puppet plummets to the ground, wasted, as he whirls his torso about to face! Well, sort of. Rather atypically, however, it lasts an almost imperceptibly short period of time. After all, she's got the shirt on. The explanation's right there. "A mission to determine if the world's best hot dogs and a particularly tasty Indian bread go well together," he says matter of factly.
The monk glances at his hand, noting the absence of his naan puppet, and reaches down into the foil wrapping to snag another piece -- probably the one Riko was about to take for herself WITHOUT ASKING, damn ninja -- and fill it with a hot dog, which he offers to Riko anyway, because he's a fool that way. "Try it yourself, tell me what you think."
And, given the fact she has absolutely no shame, Riko accepts the tastily wrapped treat, daintily holding it in her hands, and taking a bite. While still balanced on the back of the bench. She chews, chews, looks thoughtful, and swallows.
"Needs ketchup," she concludes, then waggles an admonishing finger. "Pah, silly man. You'll never get the American President without pretzels. Your plan is -flawed-."
She nods, firmly, while taking another bite. Because, free food, you know?
"Don't like pretzels," Frei says simply, as if responding to that nonsequitur were the simplest thing in the world. He reaches down and looks to fix another for himself. Shameless or not, he thought they were good; if he can get enough people to give it a shot, perhaps Frank will start carrying naan and Frei won't have to walk halfway across the city to bring these two tastes together!
Er, right. Pretzels. "Too salty," Frei continues absently, chewing on his naan dog thoughtfully. "If he can't be kidnapped with something a little more savory, a little less overbearing -- I'm gonna say beef jerky? That's American-sounding -- then I just don't want to do it." He stuffs the rest of his impromptu sandwich into his mouth, chews vigorously, and swallows. "Why do ninja always want to kidnap the American president, anyway?"
"It's in the charter," Riko replies promptly, as she pops the last of the naan-hotdog Frei handed her into her mouth. Round a mouthful of chewing food, she reaches into a pocket, pulls out a small notebook, and waves it in the air. The cover of said book does indeed appear to be labeled 'NINJA CHARTER', although the name is handwritten...and in magic marker, besides.
Vanshing the book back into her pocket, she begins daintily cleaning grease off her fingers with a napkin produced from...somewhere. Another pocket, perhaps, although it's almost as if it appeared in her hand same time as the book.
"And I'm telling you, it's -totally- about the pretzels," she continues, glibly, "but you're an evil food terrorist and obviously don't understand. -Evil-."
Who is Frei to deny the ninja charter? For all he knows there might be a ninja charter. To... chart ninjas. Something. Unperturbed, he continues to build the last naan dog from available materials and starts to chew on it. "See, but what would you do with him? I know the American system a little bit. They've got all these failsafes in case something happens to their presidents 'cause they're usually disgusting human beings," he says in a sprightly tone, as if simply discussing the weather. Mmm... naan dog. *munch*
Having finished what he came to do, the monk gets up and stretches, lacing his fingers together and pushing them up over his head, glancing at Riko out of the corner of his eye. "Move silently. Trust nobody. Never betray a contract. Use... pretzels. It just doesn't mesh, you know?" A pause, then he peers at the girl with a suddenly critical eye. "You don't happen to be related to Mimiru Kasagi, do you?"
Riko returns Frei's gaze, unblinkingly. Owlishly. Looking like some sort of perverse teenage female gargoyle, seeing as how she's -still- balanced on the bench like that. "Dunno," she replies, tilting her head to the side, "is she a pretzel-wielding President of the United States?"
Her hands move as she talks, wadding up the paper napkin. Without looking, she tosses it to the side - the ball bounces off a tree trunk, and drops into an open trash-can.
"Wait, I thought the pretzels were for subduing," Frei responds, glancing at Riko out of the corner of one eye as he tugs his handguards back on; doesn't do to get crumbs in those things, it chafes. "Now, if the president himself has pretzels, I say arm yourselves with beer and have a day." Blinking, he puts a finger to his cheek in thought. "Although that would probably only work on a Sunday, I guess..."
Snapping out of that reverie, Frei goes back to grinning at Riko. She's got something. Moxie. Or, perhaps, selective amnesia or some sort of attention disorder, possibly autism. Whatever it is, Frei likes it. "In any event, she's not a pretzel-wielding American president. She thinks she's a magical girl. And since you think you're a ninja, I figured there might be some link." He pauses, suddenly looking confused. "Of course, I think I'm a monk, so maybe I should be asking myself the same question..."
"I -am- a ninja," Riko asserts, firmly, emphasing this statement by jabbing one slender digit at her shirt. It also happens to be her middle finger, which is what she points at Frei when she says the next bit, "-okay-?"
She gives him an eyeball of mock-hostility, before subsiding. Letting herself topple backwards...she backflips off the bench. There's a muffled -whumph-, intentionally loud, as her sneakers skid against the trunk of a tree behind. She ends up half-hanging, half-resting from a branch, peering down at Frei.
"And you," she carries on, "are a fighter. Aren'tcha?"
Don't know what to say the monkey won't do. Frei looks at Riko in confusion, the type of look reserved for people who clearly are not seeing their hand in front of their face, as it were. He extends an arm, crooking it back toward himself and pointing. "I just said I'm a monk," he answers patiently, smiling. "I'm not a fighter. I can't afford to dual class, is the problem," he rambles on, crossing his arms behind his head. If Riko was looking to intimidate, she may need to try a little harder, though it would likely take something apocalyptic in scope to snap Frei's sang-froid. "If I do I lose all sorts of benefits, you know? So I'm sticking with monk."
"But monks are so, so..." Riko trails off, as if searching for the right word. She removes one hand from the branch - meaning that she slides off, leaving herself dangling by one arm. That doesn't seem to bother her, though. She just makes a vague circular waving motion with her newly free hand...then snaps her fingers. "...CELIBATE! Yeah. Or, wait, no..."
She drops back to the ground, then stalks round the bench so she's standing in front of Frei. Then she leans forward, peering at him suspiciously. "...you don't like little boys, do you?"
"Those are Catholics," Frei explains, having clearly been asked this question before. "I am not a Catholic. Little too structured for me. I play fast and loose with the rules when I need to." Yes, sweeping generalization, please destroy an possibility of international play of this log! Remember, the true cash return in TV comes from syndication. Undaunted, Frei grins and points at his hair. "Most Asian monks are also bald..." he adds, then points at the hot dog cart, then his tummy. "...and vegetarians. I'm what you call non-traditional."
"Well, okay," Riko says, sounding rather dubious, "because my sensei told me to find a strong fighter and challenge him, her, or it..."
The girl keeps peering at Frei, leaning toward him in a way that pretty much constitutes a violation of personal space, a look of -intense- scrutiny on her face. Her brow scrunches in thought.
"...but he didn't say anything about non-Catholic non-Asian non-bald non-vegetarian non-multiclassing non-traditional monks."
It's amazing how she manages to say all that in a single breath.
Rugal heads northwest into the forest.
Riko's plight really gets you right here, don't it? Clearly the girl needs help. Of what kind, the jury's still out. Biting his thumbnail in thought, Frei knits his brow. Mind, depending on how good a judge of character Riko is, she might tell that the monk is basically playing along with the kid. Doesn't hurt nothing. Plus, she liked the naan dog. Can't be all bad.
Grinning, Frei flexes his fingers a little, then falls into a tai chi stance, loose and relaxed, similar to Chun-li's. "Tell you what," he says, smiling all friendly-like. "I don't know your sensei's definition of 'strong fighter', but speaking as a non-Catholic non-Asian non-bald non-vegetarian non-multiclassing non-traditional chi-using unconventially-trained hot dog-loving pretzel-disliking individual who just HAPPENS to know some of the 'martial arts', I'll cut you some slack and fight you anyway." Take that! After a pause, Frei adds: "You're a young girl, so clearly you break bricks with your forehead and shoot eye lasers or something like all the other teen girls in this city, so let's see your super sexy bonus power."
COMBATSYS: Frei has started a fight here.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|
Riko fistpumps, hitting the air in a victorious gesture, as Frei agrees to fight her in a battle of great truth and justice. Or something like that, anyway. Or at least great academia, because Seishirou-sama told her this assignment would count towards her final exam.
"Oh, well," Riko chirps, as she straightens, hopping back a few steps. She rocks on the balls of her feet, sticking her hands into her pockets, "I actually have the power to make men lose control of their bowels."
She nods, seriously, before settling down. Her hands are still out of sight, but her feet are grounded, and her stance shifts, fractionally. "Ready when you are, mister non-too-many-things-for-me-to-remember-right-now!"
COMBATSYS: Riko has joined the fight here.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Riko
COMBATSYS: Riko focuses on her next action.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Riko
Hm. And here he gave the girl the proverbial green light to start smacking him in the face already. Shrugging, Frei considers his options. She's got the shirt so it's obvious she's either 1.) an accursedly dodgy ninja or 2.) a girl who has worked hard to make herself accursedly dodgy because she thinks she's a ninja or 3.) something entirely different, like a cyborg. Hoping for option 3, the monk grins, and cuts a swift arc through the air with his right hand, a crescent of violet energy surrounded by silver sparks whipping through the air toward Riko at a fast clip. "Moon Tiara Action!"
COMBATSYS: Riko overcomes Tsukikage from Frei with One Hit Wonder EX.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Riko
As the energy bursts from Frei's hand, Riko's expression goes suddenly still. Her eyes gain, for a moment, a very different quality from their earlier airheaded levity.
Chi energy. Projectile. The ease of which he generated and released the power suggests he is adept at chi control. Logical, if he was indeed speaking the truth about being a monk. A voice in the back of Riko's head calculates speed, calculates range...
...but the voice she actually -speaks- with? It's her usual cheerful soprano, as Riko unfreezes. "Moon? But your pants are still on! Besides, I thought you weren't THAT kind of Catholic!"
One of her hands whips from her pocket - the other remains in place. With a flick of the wrist, she sends something tumbling end-over-end, into the path of Frei's attack.
An electric toothbrush.
Except, you know, most toothbrushes don't glow blue like that. Even electric ones.
It meets the incoming blast, gets torn apart...
In a MASSIVE explosion.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Riko's One Hit Wonder EX.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Riko
Well, that's handy. However, Riko's Gambit act is not enough to put a crimp in Frei's style just yet. She's right in that he is at ease using chi in a whole bunch of different ways, such as the faint sheen of blue-white ice crystals that flickers through the air around his forearm as he holds it up in the path of the blast, diverting most of the resulting effect away to both sides. He grins. "Neat trick!" Of course, now the ninja's managed to keep him at a distance. So, instead of pressing the attack, Frei balls his hands into fists and throws his arms to the side, wind whipping about his form outta nowhere. "Let's see what else ya got!"
COMBATSYS: Frei gathers his will.
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Frei 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Riko
"Mmkay," Riko replies, with a nod of the head. As her arm drops to her side...she spins, her -other- hand leaving her pocket. She snaps it out, the limb going to full extension as she hurls another toothbrush at Frei.
Another toothbrush?
Yes. Another toothbrush. This one, though, isn't electric. It's a regular plastic toothbrush, bristles at one end, plastic handle at the other. It does, though, seem to have been in close contact with something electric - namely, a pencil sharpener. Since the non-bristly end has been sharpened to a wicked point. Making it actually a -serious- projectile as it speeds towards Frei, propelled by Riko's throw.
"I -am- being graded for this!"
COMBATSYS: Riko successfully hits Frei with Sleight of Hand.
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Frei 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Riko
"Huh." That's all he says. 'Cause there's a toothbrush sticking out of his hand. All Frei can really say is: "huh." At least he's versed in basic first aid, and thus knows to yank it out pretty much immediately. He'd planned to sort of, you know. Catch it. Instead it drove right through his palm, as you can tell from the fact that blood's running down his hand now. However, if it has any major effect on him, the monk doesn't show it. Instead, Frei gives Riko a thumbs up, shortly before flipping forward and looking to plant a flaming downward axe kick right into her shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Frei successfully hits Riko with Kouen no Tsurugi.
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Frei 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Riko
Riko's eyes widen, going the size of proverbial dinner-plates...well, okay, maybe just doll-set tea-saucers. But big enough, anyway. She begins to move, throwing her previously toothbrush-wielding arms up, attempting to intercept the blow...but doesn't make it. The flaming kick hits her hard on the shoulder. And Riko goes down, crumpling as her legs give way. She bounces off the concrete, but manages to turn it into a roll, a little wisp of smoke trailing her as she does. Still on the ground, she lashes out at Frei's legs - with her own foot, aiming at his shin. "Ow! Hey, no charbroiled ninja! I'm -rare-! I'm -special-! A UNIQUE AND SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE!"
COMBATSYS: Riko successfully hits Frei with Light Kick.
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Frei 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Riko
Wham. Right in the shin! Though he winces with pain, however, Frei doesn't actually move much. Instead, he just glances down at Riko, blinking a couple times. She's certainly chatty. His biological niche is being coopted. Time to start fighting back, as it were. "Tell me, Cosmo bedside astrologer," he says cheerily, reaching down to hopefully snag the girl's shirt at the shoulder and then just... chuck her backwards over his own shoulder. "...will I be able to get that special guy to notice me if I start wandering the city dressed in cling wrap?"
COMBATSYS: Riko dodges Frei's Medium Throw.
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Frei 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Riko
Snagged. Thrown. Frei manages to get hold of Riko by the sleeve, sending her into the air. But instead of hitting the ground, Riko manages to somehow twist in his grip, such that when she's flung...well, she doesn't end up in a nasty-looking crater, if that's what you're asking. No, she keeps going, her flight only stopped by a nearby tree-trunk. A -controlled- halt, a few feet above the ground. She's crouched, feet against the tree...maintaining that gravity-defying position with two handgrips. In each of her hands is a kunai, a ninja dagger, blades driven into the wood.
"See, if you're -naked- under that cling wrap...maaaaaybe..."
Grin. "...but you can't squeeze cling-wrapped produce to test their freshness!"
COMBATSYS: Riko gathers her will.
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Frei 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Riko
Well, that doesn't make sense. It shows on Frei's face. "Sure you can," he offers, turning around slowly and stretching. Is he... taking a break? Who can tell anymore. He can tell the ninja is winning -- indeed, if she really is a ninja he probably won't lay a hand on her again for the rest of the fight -- and so seems content to see what other insane things are going to come out of a.) her mouth or b.) her pockets. "But come in. If you could pick between a head of lettuce that's been pawed around by everybody passing through the supermarket, or a nice, crisp head of lettuce unsullied by human hands... well, I know which I'd pick, if I was really into lettuce." Beat. "I'm not, by the way. More of an asparagus man."
COMBATSYS: Frei takes a breather.
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Frei 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Riko
On her treetrunk perch, Riko quirks an eyebrow. Vegetables, hm? The smirk on her face widens further - something that's almost a physical impossibility, but she manages it. She releases her grip on the two kunai buried in the tree. And leaps, pushing with her legs and back, jumping off the tree to arc high in the air. Travelling -over- Frei, high over his head. In a singsong voice, as she flies, Riko yells, "His mother ups and dies, and he wouldn't eat his spinach!"
She lands, behind Frei, sneakers scraping down the bark of another tree. She slams a -third- knife into the wood. "She choked on it, pop!"
Jumping off again, Riko makes another acrobatic flip - again, coming nowhere near to Frei.
"His poppa out of work, and he wouldn't eat his spinach!"
She says the last while dropping into a crouch, a considerable distance from the monk. Then she stands, bringing her hands up. Her fingers splayed in a...strange fashion. She continues to half-sing, half-quote. "The whole country in a depres-si-gan!"
Then she pulls her arms -back-. And the network of near-invisible razor wire strung between the handles of the three kunai, between both trees, the razor wires now -surrounding- Frei...go taut.
"Oooooohhhh, and he wouldn't eat 'is spinach!"
COMBATSYS: Riko successfully hits Frei with Chaos Tactics EX.
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Frei 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Riko
Again: "Huh." Not a confused 'huh', just a thinking 'huh'. Then Frei is in fact bleeding again, only this time it's all over. In fact that really looks rather painful. Probably the fact that he wasn't really paying attention is to blame. You have to wonder if that's some ninja trick of Riko's or if Frei really is just off in his own little world. However, there is the fact that he's... you know, bleeding. So, taking a deep breath, Frei doesn't press the attack again, instead... doing some tai chi pushes. Apparently, he's into aerobics.
Of course, one might wonder if Frei's reluctance to attack, and his atypically calm expression aren't some ruse of his own. That IS the monk way, after all. He just smiles at Riko absently as he continues to work through his stances, the wounds from the wire strike already starting to close... as in, closing *visibly* if you bother to look. "Look at Popeye's forearms. I mean, REALLY LOOK. That's a reason to not eat spinach if I've ever seen one."
COMBATSYS: Frei gathers his will.
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Frei 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Riko
"Oh, I dunno," Riko answers, "if ya got cartoon anatomy, you've got bigger problems than -that-, ya know? I mean, look at that Mai woman, she's probably going to be sagging by age thirty..."
The girl's mouth moves. Sound comes out. But that's almost a reflex response, almost without conscious thought. She's speaking, yeah, she's making smartass remarks...but really, that isn't what's occupying her mind. No, her eyes are fixed firmly on the injuries inflicted by her attack. And noting the fact those wounds are -already closing-. Not a fact that bodes well, not at all. As she trails off, Riko bites her lip, in thought.
"...besides, if I ate spinach in a fight, wouldn't it be doping?"
She flashes a sunny grin...as she dives backward, slipping her hands free of the wire loops. They flash to her sides, pulling shuriken from the holsters strapped to her thighs. Still in rearward flight, she slings them towards Frei, a spinning star from each hand.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Riko's Sleight of Hand.
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Frei 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\1 Riko
Moving with speed he hadn't displayed before, and which seems somehow... wrong given his demeanor, Frei snaps out a hand and catches both shuriken, one two. Sure, the points dig into his hand, but they could have been digging into his face instead. All in all, a fine arrangement as far as he's concerned. "Well, that's one way of looking at it," he says with a faint smile, still not looking as if he's going to bother doing anything, although he is waving his right index finger about, like a conductor's baton, and is humming under his breath.
"So, is this the ninja charter? Throw random stuff until you run out? 'Cause hell, I could do that." He pauses, putting his conducting finger to his cheek in thought. "I mean, monk and ninja are fairly close, thematically, right? Punching, assassinating. Plus I come from a long line of assassins, you know? It's in the blood."
And then, out of nowhere, he points the lazy finger at Riko. "I got the throwing things down, though." From seemingly everywhere around her, a hail of shuriken formed from ice look to smack the ninja girl from every possible angle.
COMBATSYS: Riko dodges Frei's Hyoushou Rengeki.
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Frei 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\1 Riko
Except...Riko isn't there when the faux-shurikens hit.
There's a strange blurring in the air around the girl, as the ice-constructs dive inward, as if they're not-quite moving like they should. Slowing down for a moment...the blur's gone, though, by the time they resume normal speed and smash in.
But so's Riko. Gone, that is. No longer standing where she was. Because she's behind Frei now, a faint shimmer around her as she slides back into view. "Nah," she says, "'s more than that..."
She snaps an arm to the small of his back. With something in hand...a pair of stereo headphones, the ones she usually wears round her neck. Aiming to press them to Frei's spine, like a pair of paddles.
"CLEAR!"
And there was light. Electricity, anyway. A lot of it.
"Gotta be COOL!"
COMBATSYS: Riko successfully hits Frei with Big Bang Theory.
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Frei 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Riko
Shocking. And there certainly is an interesting light show, complete with being able to see Frei's skeleton and all that jazz once the actual lightning strike is made. Plus smoking, charring, all that good stuff. Upside: most of bleeding wounds, pretty much cauterized. However, the truly scary thing is that Frei doesn't really appear to have suffered as much as he might have from that. Though unquestionably, it hurt like hell. Did he LET her do it? Or is it a clever ruse that he let her do it? Either way, she got her big attack.
Frei smiles encouragingly. "Ah, see, that's the thread. People who can use electric chi tend to the arrogant, you know? But hey, it's a tough skill so good for you."
Then he reached out for her stomach, just below the breastbone, hand glowing with a sparkling nimbus of colors. If he can even get it near her? The result is a big bang of Frei's own, a multitude of elemental forces compressed to a single point and then released, the resulting shockwave enough to ripple the air.
COMBATSYS: Riko blocks Frei's Fukami Reikai.
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Frei 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Riko
A shockwave large enough to fling Riko back, as well. The blast of energy flinging her bodily into the air as it connects... even though the point at which Frei met her body -was- blocked, by a pair of hastily crossed arms. Riko skids into the paved path running through the park, bounces, lands on the grass...miraculously on her feet. She gasps, inhaling, then pouts. "Hey, hey," Riko protests, "I'm not -arrogant-!"
As she speaks, she unzips her backpack and pulls out an aerosol can. "I'm LOVABLE!"
She drops it, and the thing all but explodes, producing a massive cloud of vapour. Thick choking smog that drifts over the little slice of park, reaching both her and Frei. Riko completely vanishes in the foul-smelling clouds...before melting out of the makeshift mist, charging Frei from his blind side, dagger towards his ribs.
COMBATSYS: Frei endures Riko's Chaos Tactics EX.
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Frei 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Riko
Well, perhaps to her satisfaction, Riko finally gets noise out of Frei, mainly because she just narrowly missed his heart with a dagger. That's... what happens when you go for someone's chest with a knife. "Hnrgh..." the monk says through gritted teeth. The issue is that the 'narrow miss' is because Frei simply reached out and grabbed the knife blade. And he continues to hold on to it as he gives Riko a vacant smile. Apparently the blood loss is starting to get to his head. "I might say, anybody who needs to say he or she is loveable or cool, is in doubt. But that's me. If you're into the Machiavellian thing, I'm already proven wrong 'cause you've basically won this fight." If the tone of his voice is any indicator that doesn't seem to bother Frei too much.
Reflexes heavily slowed by lack of blood to the brain, Frei nevertheless has Riko where he wants her. Or at least, somewhat close to where he wants her. Without letting go of the dagger, he snaps out another hand to possibly grab her arm.
COMBATSYS: Riko interrupts Ame no Murakumo from Frei with Light Fantastic.
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Frei 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Riko
And Riko goes flying, but not before her body's engulfed in a stinging -FLASH- of light, one that goes off in Frei's grip and face before Riko flies airborne. She vanishes in that light...and when she reappears, it's standing some ways distant, breathing heavily, clutching her side. Leaning against a tree, sweat beading her brow. She snickers, though, despite her pain and fatigue. "Hey, Machiavelli said you don't need to -be- virtuous, just -appear- to be...but you still gotta act in the best interests of the state..."
She grins. "And I'm a matter of national security!"
Light, huh. Well, never let it be said that Frei couldn't run with a theme. He cups his hands before him, a shimmering orange-red glow coalescening there, rather like the shine of a candle flame. His eyes are closed, though whether that's because of Riko's little trick or because it helps him focus is unclear. He doesn't open them to talk to Riko, though his head IS pointed right at where she is. "Whatever you say, chica," he offers with a smile. Usually he's the crazy one spouting nonsense, but philosophically speaking, if she wants to talk, Frei's happy to let her. Be as water, that's the watchword.
Like blowing a kiss, Frei, eyes still closed, breathes out on the golden mote of light, which wobbles its way over toward Riko in an erratic fashion. It's a bit brighter than the ones he usually creates for this technique. And with good reason, too. Once it gets close enough, it stops, and Frei smiles at Riko. "Say cheese."
It's clear why his eyes are closed.
Fireworks EVERYWHERE.
COMBATSYS: Riko blocks Frei's Hizashi Ronde.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Frei 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Riko
"Cheddar," Riko grouses, sounding a bit perturbed. The first time she's shown true irritation in this fight. She's been annoyingly cheerful all this while. But then, as Frei's guessed...at least -part- of that's an act. As is all that talking, really...
Riko dives behind the tree as the explosion goes off - gouging and scorching chunks of wood from her makeshift cover, some of those splinters biting into her body. Then there's the light itself, of course, which leaves her seeing spots. She shakes her head...and keeps on the other side of said tree, back against the trunk, leaving it between her and Frei. She takes a breath, holds it...while tugging on the zip of her backpack, once again, sliding a hand inside.
COMBATSYS: Riko gathers her will.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Frei 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Riko
Taking a deep breath, Frei... doesn't leap directly to the attack. As far as he's concerned, his point is made and now he just waits for the final blow, continuing to move with his eyes closed, hands and feet moving with aching slowness through tai chi positions intended to bring the body's chi in harmony with external forces. "This has been fairly enlightening," he says simply, still smiling like a dork. "I feel like I've learned a lot about ninjas, and why people don't like them very much. Or so your shirt would lead me to believe."
COMBATSYS: Frei gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Frei 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Riko
Still on the other side of the tree, hidden from Frei's view, Riko calls back: "And I've learnt a lot about monks! Sorry about the Catholic jokes, I didn't -really- mean them..."
Riko talks a lot, yes. But it's like the stage magician's patter. Keep 'em occupied, keep 'em strung out...her mouth runs largely independant of her body. Her hand is moving, within her backpack. When it finally emerges, Riko does so with her form twisted such...that Frei can't see. Behind the shield of that tree.
Then she makes her move. One arm snaking round the trunk, tossing -another- aerosol can, duct-tape all over the nozzle. It goes off in an almighty -hiss-, filling the air with vapor. Riko comes round the -other- side of the tree, all but invisible in the haze. Something in her hands, whipping towards Frei, extending her reach...since when did she get a POLEARM?
Well. Okay. Sticks of bamboo duct-taped together with a kunai at the end.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Riko's Hidden Tactics.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Frei 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Riko
Frei doesn't need to see. It's a useful trick, having the sense to see tiny little differences in the flow of chi. In a fight it's usually not worth anything, since fights are too chaotic to pay attention. When someone's trying to play cat and mouse, however, it gives the young monk a chance to pull some really fascinating wire fu stunts. There is a loud *SNAP* sound as Frei, without looking, reaches out and grabs the handle of the polearm, stopping it dead. Of course, anyone who's been hit with a bamboo switch before knows that probably hurt a whole lot, but not as bad as taking an improvised spear to the face.
And at long last, Frei opens his eyes, fixing them on Riko as the fog hopefully starts to clear. "You've got an interesting style. Germans would call it blitzkrieg or something like that." Of course, now he's got to do something with this polearm he's holding.
So? The plan is for Frei to yank it towards him, *hard*, hopefully pulling the young girl with it. "Thunder..." If he can get her in range? Frei will push back, then up, essentially balancing Riko in midair on her own petard (as it were). "Thunder..." And if he can get THAT far? The monk points both hands at the improvised javelin, blasting Riko off in in a burst of earth chi coming right from the bamboo, manifesting as a storm of green leaves. "Thundercats... HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
COMBATSYS: Riko endures Frei's Daichi Kudaki!
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Frei 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Riko
"Meow," Riko whimpers, from where she's lying. Sprawled on her back, a significant distance from Frei. Lying on the grass, having been thrown there by the painful, oh so VERY painful, please stop-that-brass-band painful. She gingerly manages to prop herself up on one elbow, peering at Frei through glassy eyes.
"Mew..."
Then she smiles. A Cheshire-cat grin.
And thumbs the switch on the little remote hidden in her hand.
"...boom."
That's when the plastic explosive in the -hollow- bamboo segments...goes off.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Riko's Chaos Tactics.
[ \\\\\ < > //////// ]
Frei 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Riko
"You know, I wonder about that," Frei says casually, throwing both palms out in front of him as the explosion happens, a gliterring sheen of ice crystals starting to form and helping to defuse most of the result. What's left doesn't hurt too badly, though in the aggregate the nickel and dime-ing is starting to wear him down. "Some people say the whole attack yelling warning thing helps the techniques to work." And if Riko's sharp, she'll notice the ice gathering didn't stop once the explosion did. "But in that instance it kinda gave me just enough forewarning, you know?"
Once that little spiel is over, a large blue-white sphere of chi is nestled in Frei's hands. He grins at the ninja girl. "Let's put that theory to the test. Hyoushou..." Hurling the sphere at Riko, Frei waits until just the right moment to snap his fingers and cause it to burst, hopefully showering her with nice painful shards of ice. "...Rengeki!"
COMBATSYS: Riko blocks Frei's Hyoushou Rengeki EX.
[ \\\\\ < > ////// ]
Frei 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Riko
"Results inconclusive," Riko replies, blandly, as she springs into motion. Kicking off the grass - apparently she wasn't as badly winded as she looked, a moment ago. Certainly she's injured - the ragged burns, torn bits of clothing, cuts and bruises...all those speak of that. But she's still got some fight in her. By the way she comes to her feet, skewing her body with an arm thrown up to shield her face against stinging fragments of chi-laced ice.
"More empirical testing required," she continues, blandly.
Riko leaps at Frei, another kunai in hand, a straight-line stab.
COMBATSYS: Riko successfully hits Frei with Weapon Jab.
[ \\\\ < > ////// ]
Frei 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Riko
All she finds is Frei's grinning face. It's not really worth getting out of the way at this point. He smiles, giving her a thumbs up as her dagger pierces his shoulder. As bad off as Riko might be, she's still standing; Frei is another story. "Yep," he says, raggedly, before coughing up some blood. "Probably." Then he falls face-first onto the concrete, driving the kunai a little farther in. Without his will to keep going, the tiny little effort he was making to keep the wounds closed, many reopen. Not looking good if he just lies there, but he's unconscious, so he doesn't care. Just desserts for bothering to fight a ninja, anyway.
COMBATSYS: Frei takes no action.
[ \\\\\\ <
Riko 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Frei can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ <
Riko 0/-------/---====|
Riko blinks. Once, twice, three times, as she stands there, over Frei's unconscious form.
"...oops," she says, finally, looking round. At the totaled section of park, at the sprawled monk's form. She tugs nervously at her collar...then flips Frei over and pulls the kunai from his body. Waste not, want not. She spends a few hurried moments gathering up her discarded weapons from the scene...moving with extreme haste, picking up fallen knives, shuriken, even respooling the wire.
Then she whips out a cell phone and dials an ambulance. Hell, she's surprised one hasn't turned up already, given this is the middle of downtown...along with the police.
She looks sheepishly at Frei. "...uh...sorry?"
Then, everything gathered, she runs off.
Note, she took his hot-dogs and naan as well...but then, she figured, he wouldn't be needing it.
Waste not, want not. As she said earlier, she's being graded for this assignment. Efficient use of resources counts to the percentage.
COMBATSYS: Riko has ended the fight here.
Log created by Riko, and last modified on 08:51:34 01/25/2006.