Description: Ingrid is enjoying the park when Mad Gear rolls in. She meets and questions Katana, their leader, putting him through personal turmoil in the process.
A large city such as Southtown can give the impression of a stark separation from nature. Tall buildings of concrete and glass rising up into the sky, roads that stretch to the horizon... While the outskirts of the city do have some forests, the interior is mostly devoid of plant life. This can become somewhat stressful for some of its inhabitants, even without their realizing it. Thus, most major cities have parks. Southtown does as well, but seems to go a step further, giving a truly huge amount of space for greenery and recreation.
The park draws an incredibly large number of inhabitants, and because of this it's a nice spot for Ingrid to be. If more condensed there would surely be a crowd, perhaps even a mob, here, but due to the spaciousness there's plenty of room for everyone. The young blonde is herself walking out of the flower garden and into one of the spacious fields where a multitude of ball related games are being played. A Frisbee lands near her feet and she picks it up and tosses it gently back to the kids that were playing with it. An enjoyable afternoon, so far.
Such is true! As the park draws many, including people such as Ingrid, a flower garden nearby as well as kids playing, that would change. With Ingrid rather carefree, as well as the world around her, it would not be as it for so long. Because this time, there is no truck. It parks on the edge of .. the Park, and the thugs after Katana begin to spread out and relax. Even the Mad Gear Gang needs some times off, and this is no different!
The fat men, skimpy women, and just in general thugs begin to take up all of the space.. and this includes flower gardens, as well a stealing frisbees and using them for their own enjoyment.. without even slightly thanking the kids!
The Park has just become Mad Gear Gang - Rest and Relaxation spa, and no one, NO ONE, will fight it!
Katana, himself, fans himself with the fan. "It is such a hot day.. Maybe I should take off the armor .. NO! Such thoughts are weak, and I am anything but! I am Japanese! A strong mind and body! Heat cannot but temper my will and strength!"
Or can it!?
Everyone is entitled to use of the park. There's really nothing wrong with Mad Gear busting out and filling the park with their members. It might make it a bit harder on everyone else who's trying to relax, but it shouldn't be too big of a deal. That is until they start intentionally encroaching on the space of others and taking toys away from kids for their own use.
Ingrid personally prefers larger groups of people, so at first the presence is welcome. But then they begin bringing the mood of the entire park down, everyone else simply leaving due to the sudden change in atmosphere. A park is fun, but not when there's gang members rowdying up the place. The Norwegian girl hmms a bit, and decides to simply make due with what she's got. Besides, this could provide an opportunity for fun.
She takes a quick look around at the gang members as they swarm, and tries to find whoever's the leader. Her eyes find Katana, and at first she begins to dismiss him, but then stops and focuses a bit more. He'd probably be the one- he feels stronger than the others, and groups of people like this one usually rank themselves based on power. She moves towards him and looks him over a bit. Her eyes are drawn to his chest where some word is written... She's been learning Japanese, but can't make heads or tails of it... huh. "That's an interesting symbol, might I ask what it means?" Thus asks a girl who in this light appears to have white hair and red eyes, is over a foot and a half shorter and weighs over 150 pounds less than he is. And is completely unafraid of him at the same time, it seems.
Mad Gear >>>>>> Everyone else. It is a fact of life! And just because others don't peronally agree, doesn't make it any less true. Which is why they are entitled to the entire area. All of it. Every. Single. Minute. Space.
As Ingrid, however, begins to move around, she finds Katana. Undoubtably the leader, being different in shape, color, body size and perhaps strength! But as she comes in close, looking at her.. Katana is curious as to why this odd little girl, with the mark of a Japanese Royal family, (yes he read books, but he forgot the important things) is in her hair! And as she looks at that Kanji, Katana is hard pressed to not answer! "It is death, for I am a valiant Samurai and Shogun, and he who angers me meet their fate to my blades, strength and skill!" He boasts, even if it might not be trued. The smaller, weaker looking, frail bodied child seems to be not very strong, as well as not much of a challenge. He does not seem to take her for much more than a civilian just there!
Looking around, noticing all running before the might of the Mad Gear Gang, or at least generally angry, Katana finds the park to be in perfect position. A perfect position .. FOR BATTLE! .. Or at least takeover! Take over by the Mad Gear Gang. Raising a Wakizashi, "Mad Gear Gang, The park is ours! AHahhaha!"
Ingrid blinks a few times and studies the supposed kanji a bit more carefully. "Death? Hmm... I guess there must be another kanji for death that I haven't learned yet." She nods her head at his words, and then looks around as he claims the park for Mad Gear. "Oh, so then it is a gang? I thought it might be." Ingrid isn't the type to go saving everyone every time she sees one little bad act. She's certainly not the knight in shining armor kind, but rather the inquisitive kind instead.
"A shogun? That must make you the Shogun of this gang then. How interesting." Despite the fact that he answered her question she doesn't seem to be moving away from him, or even leaving even though the park is now property of Mad Gear. Would that mean she's trespassing? "I can't help but wonder why a mighty Samurai and Shogun like yourself would keep petty thugs and criminals as your underlings. Wouldn't a samurai leader want samurai subordinates as well, rather than the peasant rabble?"
As Ingrid mention she never learned it, Katana looks to her oddly. "I am sure this is the only one! There is but a single expression for it, and this one, Death, is the Katana for it. And we are t famous Mad Gear Gang of Metro City! But we have spread far and wide." Katana straightens himself up with pride! How powerful a might Shogun such as him was! And then Ingrid .. shoots him down. She doesn't move away either, and as she mentions a mighty Samurai and Shogun, his spirits soar!
And then CRASH. "The Mad Gear Gang .. .. does what it needs to to survive in such a harsh environment! We must do what the spirits tell us and allow us, or the Mad Gear Gang would cease to exist..such a thing cannot be allowed to happen. And I will not allow such! With all of my might, I refuse to allow Metro City t exist without a Mad Gear Gang.. no matter what happens! And these ruffians.. they are what makes the Gang! The biggest family of Metro City!" Katana is certainly into it, at least, and he refuses to believe what Ingrid suggests!
Ingrid tilts her head a little as the explanation for the members of the gang are given. "Mad Gear? I remember hearing about you in the news a few years ago." The headlines probably went something like: Mad Gear terrorizes Metro City! Mike Haggar promises to clean up Metro after being elected Mayor! Mad Gear unceremoniously thrown out of Metro City! She doesn't say as much, though, as that would likely bring the powerful Japanese warrior anger, possibly enough to come to blows!
"Oh, now I understand. You must be seeking to train these poor unfortunate souls and give them the spirit of a Samurai. That's very noble of you." She then gives another look at the symbol on his chest and looks up at him with a quizzical expression. "But... that looks like a Kanji, and the Kanji for death is Shi. Katakana is used when translating foreign languages..." She trails off, seemingly confused.
As Ingrid tilts her head, Katana nods. "Ahahahah! Yes, you have heard of us then! Then you know of out might! I do not seek to make them what they are not, but those who follow me will be lead into a new age for it! I Katana will lead Mad Gear into a Crinimal controlled Metro City, and it will be far better than any criminal controlled city before it! The Gang will be known more than World Wide!" He certainly doesn't seem to be noble or honorable. "For I am not just a Samurai, I am a Shogun, and necessary things will be done, no matter how cruel or bloody, for the Japanese expansion!"
And then Ingrid asks about the Kanji.. "You must be seeing things. The Death Kanji, on my shirt, is correct! To think that I, Katana, Japanese through and through would have messed up with such a simple thing is ABSURD! For there would be no way my Japanese background would allow for it, and I would not dishonor the ancestors so!" He takes out a paper fan, and fans a butterfly...
Before taking out the Jitte, spinning them.. as they fly off.. He scrambles for them. "Hahahah... See? I was playing! I am indeed amazing!"
Known more than world wide? Either Katana knows some aliens or isn't thinking before he talks! "Hmm, from what I heard Metro City-." Pause, "Well, I suppose it's less safe now that there's that new drug around that keeps coming up on the news. I'm not so sure that it's criminally controlled though, their Mayor seems to have done a pretty good job of that." And then, well, to Ingrid Katana seems to have gone off the deep end. "Japanese expansion? I'm not so sure about that. After all, America is a fairly large trading partner of Japan, aren't they? They're probably much better off attempting an economic overthrow rather than cruel and bloody wars."
And as for the Kanji..."No, that's... actually completely different." At the tricks he begins performing she watches and smiles to him. She then ponders for a moment and asks, "What do you plan on doing with the park now that you've, uh, 'captured' it? Make it a base of operations?"
As Ingrid continues, speaking up, Katana nods. "Ah, yes, that drug is .. " New drug? Katana stops, looking towards Ingrid. "Right.. the .. new drug. It draws alot of money, and that is used to keep the truck in perfect condition, as well as the many members of Mad Gear!" Right. Lie. No, he doesn't lie! It's true! And with Ingrid mentioning about the Mayor.. "Haggar. I have fought him before! And it was glorious, how barely he finally bested me! It was close enough that he needed the help of both of the others!" LIE. Blatant but this time, more on skill.
"But they .. well.. uh .. It is for honor, and not for land! The Mad Gear Gang wishes to take back what is rightfully theirs, Metro City, and then we shall move onwards! It is just the first stepping stone!" Katana gets back his pride, standing straight only for Ingrid to BREAK IT DOWN ONCE MORE.
" ... It can't be." Katana answers, returning the jitte to his armor. "The Park will be a place for Mad Gear to rest while in Southtown. It will be a place, unlike in Metro City, where cement doesn't overflow.. and where they can lie in the flowers and ponder the works of the Japanese texts!" Yes, yes! He paces to look out. "Such untainted city!"
Ingrid raises an eyebrow, "You don't mean that your gang is dealing with that stuff do you? I can understand necessities but I find it rather... dishonorable that a shogun like you would wish to get involved with such nasty things as drugs." She looks away from him, off into the sky somewhere. "I suppose that not all samurai are noble, after all..."
The young woman just seems to nod along after that, not paying quite as much attention to what he was saying as before, as if something important about the world had just been shattered for her, like a child who learns Santa isn't real. "Yes, yes... I see how it is..." She lets out a little sigh and then begins to turn away from Katana and walk off out of the park. "I suppose I should stop bothering you now, Drug Dealing Shogun-san."
!!!! As Ingrid speaks of this, Katana looks on. "I am as noble and as honorable as the next Samurai, but there is something that is necessary! I will do whatever I can. Anything that I have to! No matter how cruel. No matter how violent. I, Katana, am ready to bring a new age of Mad Gear! A samurai of Japanese culture, no matter what I do I will do it to make sure that the Mad Gear Gang will be better than before!"
As she says he should be more honorable.. "I must! .. Do not just walk away! If only you knew... you cannot know how much my blood yearns to flow for Mad Gear, how much my blades ache to be used against those who will get in the way! My spirit, it is strong and it seeks challenges to overcome, to prove myself the Shogun of Mad Gear! Things cannot be black and white!" He moves, following Ingrid, seeming to almost be bothering her, .. almost STALKING her as he continues to speak, and keep pace.
"This world.. it is different than ancient times! So I, Japanese, have taken it upon myself to change as well, to take on this world and the strength of it!" The Mad Gear Shogun believes what he is doing .. is right. EVERYTHING IS RIGHT. "Yesterday, a boy was my target! He had insulted the name of Mad Gear... He paid!"
Ingrid nods slowly as she walks away. She looks over her shoulder to Katana, "Oh, don't get me wrong. I understand. You must do everything in your power to make your followers and land the best. That is the job of the Shogun, after all." She lets out a sigh and looks to where she's walking again.
"But these things that you say you're forced to do... I'm afraid there is no honor in them, and it tarnishes your nobility. A disgrace! So sad that you must be forced to do such things." She then says, "If you seek to overcome challenges, overcome the necessity for such terrible things. It would be more honorable for a Samurai to rob a bank than to deal in drugs. At least then his Powerful Fighting Spirit could be on display."
She stops walking, and turns to face Katana. "I'm afraid... I'm afraid that your Ancestors must be weeping now, for what's become of the Samurai!" She turns away again as if about to shed tears.
As Ingrid walks still away. Sighing. Katana .. he doesn't know what to say. He cannot be noble, not with what is necessary, and he cannot do what she says.. without it being near impossible! As she faces Katana, she tells him his ancestors are weeping.. And Katana falls to his knees.
He slips the Wakizasi out, before he presses it to his skin. "I ... I WILL COMMIT HARA-KIRI....." He holds the blade there. Thinking of his ancestors crying.. But he can't go through with it!
"N.. NO! I will not quit.. My Ancestors.. I WILL SHOW THEM I AM NOT A failure.. then I am not a Samurai! .. I am a Shogun .. and I am a Warlord.. and those who are on my turf.. will be shown no mercy!" Drawing both Wakizashis, Katana looks towards Ingrid. "You, child, are subject to this as well! Now.. leave or I will turn you into Sushi!" .. Wait isn't that fish? The raw part is right.
The young womans back remains turned to Katana as he falls to the ground and says he's going to kill himself, and then decides against it and seemingly goes through some sort of revelation. Her voice remains the same when he tells her she has to leave or be cut up into tiny little pieces of food, best served on rice with soy sauce. "I... I will go."
And she does, too, leaving along the path that leads out of the park. As she goes her head can be seen shaking, and words whispered, "Such a tragedy, to befall the warriors of Japan..."
As Ingrid turns away, she sounds sad. And Katana looks at her, shaking her head and whispering. Katana brings up his Wakizashi. ".. I'll show her.. I am a true warrior of Japan! I AM JAPANESE, AND I AM ONE OF THE STRONGEST!" Katana will afterwards, take a long relaxing walk.
Then find himself. Lose himself, find himself again and then look through the scriptures. Afterwards he will take a nice nap and then have a nightmare. And then FINALLY, he would realize that Ingrid was honestly perhaps just trying to toy with him.
Or, he will think of it such a way.
If Haggar suplexing him into the ground wasn't enough, this wouldn't be.
Although close, Ingrid.
Log created on 22:32:54 09/02/2007 by Ingrid, and last modified on 02:09:45 09/03/2007.