Description: A potentially romantic interlude between the leader of the Glory Hounds, the famous model Alma Towazu, and his teammate and sometime savior, Kamigawa Mizuki, is interrupted by a specter from Mizuki's past given form and life... (Opposing Forces pt. 1)
Autumn has come, its kiss of death upon the bowers that shade this swept path from the setting sun. The flare of pink and purple on the distant horizon enhances the vibrant color of the russet leaves, the faintest of breezes sending the most fragile to the crowd; the fallen curl in on themselves and roll quietly across the broken slabs of stone that serve to mark the way. The chill of the evening has yet to fully set in, and the sounds of the city have abated; this is the secret hour between afternoon and the coming darkness, and for a moment, a person can be alone without rejecting the world. The world has faded away-- leaving only the splendor of autumn and the tragic beauty implicit in the fading of the green.
Autumn has come, and Alma almost missed it.
Somehow, this strikes him as a greater cause for concern than the lack of time he's had to spend with his friends or his decision to not leave immediately for Metro City to seek out the reports of his sworn brother's re-emergence. Even with the sense that the people in his life are just as much a part of his essence as his commitments or passions, he finds himself feeling that the arrival of autumn pierces deeply into his heart-- through the present and into the past. To forget that, to not notice or disregard the sensation, would be to lose that past, or at least his awareness of it. He trusts his friends to be able to take care of themselves, and to trust him enough to know that he is taking care of himself when he needs be absent; but he cannot afford to be so caught up in the menial manifestions of his passion and sense of duty -- his commitments to the YFCC, to modeling, to his studies -- that he loses his very foundation.
He needed to come back here again. He was certain of that.
What he's not so certain of is...
"Thanks for joining me."
...why he invited her...
"I hope you don't find this boring."
The tall blond smiles good-naturedly down at the red-haired girl, a hint of graceful self-consciousness in his warm eyes and mild expression. Hazel eyes, shrouded by artfully stray bangs, glimmer with the light of the setting sun, a striking resemblence to the colors of the Psycho Power that is ever ready to rise up from within him.
"I haven't been able to see you much recently," he says gently, his hands slipped into the front of his thick Parasuco zip-up top, the gold of the zipper contrasting nicely with its plush white fabric and the dark nigh-black blue of his Lucky jeans. Dark brown courderoy and suede skate shoes tread silently through the dry leaves; his gaze moves back toward the horizon. "I apologize for neglecting the team. With luck, once our new plans for the YFCC come to fruition, we should be able to..."
He trails off. For a moment, his smooth brow furrows slightly.
Then he exhales through his nose in the subtlest of sighs.
"How have you been, Mizuki?"
He looks back to her, meeting her eyes again.
His behavior is a little unusual.
Yes, autumn has come. Though it was spring when they met, the summer certainly found Alma busy--as a male model usually is--and certainly, a man like Alma, a man of extraordinary talent and ambition, would be even busier. Since she saw him on that fateful train ride--and the subsequent visit to her clan village that inevitably led to Mizuki's joining of Glory Hounds...
Well, a lot's happened and yet a lot hasn't. Mizuki's been caught up in schoolwork, and hasn't been fighting as much as she'd like--at least, not until recently. So, in a very real sense, her growth has been stunted, despite her regular visits to the YFCC as an instructor and a general hanger-out there.
And, yes, it's true, she hasn't seen Alma in a while. A long while--not since she came upon him just after Duke had visited him a severe beating. But she's renewed her resolve and her desire to get better, and has made a concered effort to find more matches to test herself, no matter how much she loses. The redhead glances over at Alma, curiously, as he apologizes for not seeing her more. Why would he apologize for that? She doesn't, as far as she knows, have any special claim on him--none she'd voice, at least--and she knows he's busy.
In fact, she'll say as much. "You've been busy," she replies, her voice pitched low. Her head turns back to regard the setting sun, and the riot of colors it incites amongst the trees. "And so have I, with life at least. It hasn't been as exciting as all that... and I've questioned myself... but I finally know what I want to do," she continues.
"I wasn't sure I wanted to be a fighter. The incident with Drake... it shook me. And I kept running into fighters who were better than I am... I felt like all my training was for nothing."
The redhead's lips quirk upwards in a wry smile. "But I know it isn't... and I know how far I have to go before I'm truly skilled... and I want to get better." Mizuki, for her part, is wearing her Justice High uniform, with the addition of a black jacket over it, ward against the coolin temperatures.
"Yeah..."
Hands still slipped into his pockets, the young man's elegant posture constrasts with the steadily growing melancholy on his features. The emotions expressed in his gaze are, too, a bit unusual for him. Normally when he is confused by something, Alma appears merely bewildered, innocent and still serene; right now, though, he looks almost frustrated, a sentiment rather out of place in this environment. Especially for him.
"It sounds like you've cultivated a good attitude," he says, and despite the look in his eyes his voice remains gentle; he does not sound as detached from the situation as he may actually be right now. "But I don't expect anything else from you, Mizuki. That's your true strength, I think. You're a very well-grounded person, and you're willing to question your own motivations. Even if you decide not to pursue martial arts as a particular path... the mindset you've acquired from these experiences will, I think, serve you in any walk of life. At least... I like to think so... it's always seemed that way to me..."
Alma slows to stop.
Something else appears to command his attention, finally stealing whatever eloquence the ex-stutterer possessed completely. It's only once he ceases to continue forward down the path that his gaze refocuses; he pauses only for a moment before turning to face her directly.
Sincerity is of such prime importance to him that he sometimes forgets it doesn't always come easily. But at times like these--
"Mizuki, I... I have a confession to make."
--he needs to reach for the most basic aspects of himself.
"It's why I wanted to invite you here."
Even without fully understanding himself, he can still be honest...
"Please forgive my abruptness."The older youth appears to have calmed down a little. His eyes are serious.
"I... haven't forgotten how much I owe you, Mizuki. When I first met you, I... I didn't want to let you on the team because you... struck me as such a... normal person. Er, that is..." He looks a little embarrassed, but for someone for whom self-expression is so important, he seems unperturbed by his own inability to articulate what he means to say. "...a person for whom the world of fighting would contribute nothing positive, and... for whom... my presence would not help, either..."
Alma averts his eyes, and looks up toward the leaves.
"...I'm a pretty odd guy, you know..."
The sight of them seems to bring him closer to serenity.
"...I guess maybe you worried me, in a way. You... you appear to live such a normal life, and have such a good head on your shoulders... you remind me of what I can't be, what I never was when I was younger. So I thought my... unique way of living... might corrupt you somehow. Make you unable to be what-- what you are. Obviously, I misjudged you."
He smiles softly at that.
"When autumn comes, I always think of my parents."
He pauses for a long moment.
"But this time..."
And looks again toward her.
"...I thought of you."
Alma moves closer.
"What I've been trying to say is... this time is very special to me and... I want to spend it with you. Because... our friendship... surprises me so much. I don't know how I seem to you, but... I never thought... a guy like me could be friends with a girl like you. And I've realized I've never really shared that with you, even though it seems so important... and I've never explained why I feel the way I do, either."
Seconds pass before Alma realizes how close he's gotten to her, seems to remember himself, and takes a step back. He looks a little embarrassed again, but manages to grin a little.
"So, uh... if you have time to spend the evening with me... let's talk for a while. I've got something I want to show you. And..."
His grin softens.
"...if there's, er, anything /you/ want to say..."
It's an odd time to hope for a little information about that all-too-ideal village of hers, but the sentiment is sincere. It's a shot in the dark, as he finds this things always tend to be. He might confuse or frighten her with his sudden and bizarrely expressed honesty; it's always possible. She might merely entertain his desire to talk. Or their friendship might grow stronger. But he can't just leave things the way they are. She saved his life. And life is so short... there's no time for silence when something must be said, even when the words can only be insufficient.
Autumn reminds him of that.
A good attitude. Yes, Mizuki's always had one of those; sure, her attitude has taken dents and dings, particularly in fights... but it's like that weird memory foam that beds get made out of--it always springs back. But Alma's frustration is a different matter; her brow furrows, her expression growing concerned as she looks at the young man that entered her life so abruptly and yet has become such a large factor in it, despite his recent absence. She's been around him long enough to know that the expression is unusual--as passionate as he is, he hardly ever lets the negative emotions show in such a manner.
And what he's saying... he's rambling, a little, but he is wont to do that, as well. It's not what he's saying or how he's saying it, but the combination of both that start an odd little flutter in her stomach. Okay, so in some ways she -is- a normal girl...
... but those words make her laugh, a little. Not unkindly--just amusedly. "Me? A normal girl? You shouldn't be thinking that anymore... you've met my family, at least some of them... how I was raised... what I've been taught. None of it is really 'normal', though I never thought of it as..." She trails off, as if some of what Alma said just recently 'hit'.
She turns towards the model, her eyes wider than normal. "You--thought of me?" She pauses. She saved his life--twice. But... is it that, or something more? Well, there's really only one way to find out. And that is to ask.
"Why?"
The question is asked but, well before Alma can answer, Mizuki replies hurriedly to the rest of his speech, lest he take it the wrong way. "Of course--I'd love to spend the evening with you." She hardly seems to notice that he's so close, until of course, he makes an issue of it. And her cheeks flush pink. Good thing it's dark, or at least, darkening.
"... anything I want to... say?" She... blinks again, thinking. "I--" Can she say it? _Will_ she say it...?
Oh, the joys of youth and foolish emotions that come with it. Never mind that Kimi is near smack dab in the middle of the two ages, but if one were to ask, it really isn't the point!
The discussion between the duo of Alma and Mizuki is interrupted by the tiniest thing at the very moment that Mizuki tries to speak her final sentance: A stick of lipstick falls from above and clatters to the floor, spinning a few times before it finally settles.
Were the two then to look up, they'd catch sight of the young woman it belongs too, somewhat short, quite japanese, but with inexplainable ice blue hair, red eyes, and a mildly suprised expression. She sits cross-legged on a tree branch, an open compact in one hand, and following a couple of blinks, ".. Oopsie!" <3
Just exactly how long was she there, anyway? She doesn't seem the type by first glance that would answer that. Kimi glances to Mizuki with a mildly ditzy smile, as she becons to the girl, "I should probably explain myself, I think.. I was just sitting up here, minding my own business- I didn't hear anything about un-sexy girls concerned about wasting their time and not having any skill (which is true, who are you kidding girlfriend), or handsome young lolicon men wanting to go on a dates or anything like that (By the way, it is pretty boring) no no, I was just putting on my lipstick.. And... Then it fell from my hand!"
Smile and pause.
Smile and pause.
Smile and pause.
And then the schoolgirl looks guilty, so waves her hand dismissive-like. "I think I unintentionally killed the moment. So you know what, just pretend it didn't even happen I'm not even here."
Alma, as per his usual, totally misses whatever clues Mizuki might be evincing in the sense of relief that floods him. Of course, he should have had more faith in her. He always finds himself feeling that; she always exceeds his expectations. But no-- this is more than he could have asked. He's really just not very good at this sort of thing.
Well, wait... what sort of thing is this, anyway?
The young fighter-model, paradoxically so attuned and so oblivious, seems to miss the flare of color on the girl's cheeks. But something -- maybe his aura sense, since nothing else seems to help -- causes him to notice the odd look in Mizuki's eyes. Self-concern fades, along with his uncharacteristic anxiety and that faint tangential hope that he'll learn more about this 'normal' girl that he owes so much. Another man -- not that another man could possibly find himself in a situation like this, but still -- would perhaps have that hope grow, suspecting that her hesitancy means she is about to admit something of interest to him. But there is a disarming sincerity in her expression all of a sudden. It is, of course, a testament to Alma's /own/ sincerity that in spite of his current state of confusion he is still able to let all that go for the sake of his friend. But more than that...
"Mizuki?"
...there's something... strange...
Alma's lips part as he blinks right back at her.
Wait, is she... blushi--
*clatter*
"!"
Alma twists away and toward the source of the noise, eyes widening. The girl's sudden appearance startles him a bit more than is becoming of a fighter of his caliber. But given the circumstances, perhaps he has the right.
~ I didn't sense her presence at all! ~
That can mean only one thing, really, but Alma isn't exactly in the right state of mind to realize it. His eyebrows raised, he listens bemusedly to the blue-haired girl's explanation slash ridicule, and he takes his time reacting. But Alma always has his priorities straight-- so when he does react, he focuses on what's important.
"L, lolicon!?"
It's Alma's turn to blush.
"What on earth..."
He seems a bit defensive about that, for some reason.
"We'll save our words for a later time," Alma says firmly, promptly composing himself, managing to get his blush to fade; mostly, anyway. "However, I must ask you not to insult the young lady's skill. She has a great deal of potential, and it is not your place to judge her. Furthermore..." His eyes narrow, giving his handsome face an unusually dangerous cast. "Who are you? To be sitting there undetected... you're no ordinary girl."
Unlike Mizuki, eh, Alma...?
"If there's something you want, you should be forthcoming."
And he didn't debate 'unsexy', either.
In the flash, and the clatter of a lipstick... the moment is gone. Perhaps forever. Mizuki is too surprised, at first, to really react to Kimi's explanations/insults. Her blue eyes sweep up--and she has a momentary shock. The girl's coloration is odd... not odd in and of itself, but odd because... it mirrors her? How is that possible? Of course, all things are possible in time... despite the fading light, Mizuki has pretty good eyes, and...
...she stiffens. It can't be. Those blue eyes focus in on Kimi's headband... and what she sees there is unmistakable. "No," comes the whisper from the redheaded girl, her eyes wide again, but for a different reason--her expression turning shocked. "No, you can't be," she says, a little louder, though still to herself. "It's--it isn't possible..." Apparently, even if she doesn't know Kimi herself... she recognizes something about the girl.
She's so shocked she doesn't even respond to that 'unsexy' comment... though she does, being a girl, notice that Alma doesn't either. She'll have to ask him about that later. But not right now, obviously. "What are you -doing- here..." says, not quite a demand, of course, but certainly a demanding question.
"H--how did you find me?!?"
Mixed reactions. Yet both are pretty much expected by Kimi, if only because she's been a nosey son-of-a-gun the past couple of <spoiler time amount>. She's pretty quick to get over her guilt though, and the moment Alma opens his mouth, the schoolgirl snaps her compact open to admire her reflection. The leg atop the other kicks lightly for a moment and when he finally shuts up, she interjects pretty quickly, "You know, I'm actually a little suprised myself, usually you're pretty on your toes, Ally, so I'm a bit disappointed myself that you hadn't spotted me sooner. I guess you must be getting rusty, mmn? That being the case you'd probably be better off trying to hook up with a woman such as..."
She snaps the compact shut, winking down to the model, "Myself. You know, someone that can help you keep up."
It looks like about then poor Mizuki is overcome with shock. Of course Kimi knows why, but addresses it in her own style, starting by leaning backward and backflipping off the branch, soon after landing lightly on her feet without even her skirt snapping up too high. Hands behind her back, and radiating a care-free cheer, she repeats, "... 'No'? 'It isn't possible'? Mizuzu, why in heavens are you so suprised, do you react like that every time the sun sets too?"
And -finally- she gives a wink in Mizuki's direction, adding all too cheerfully, "You know why I'm here, so draw your weapon and let's go at it. Your boyfried would love it." <3
"Nngh..."
Alma's expression softens at her words. He is reminded of the pointlessness of his indignation. She's pointed out what's really important; there remain people he is simply unable to detect. Thusly made aware of what truly matters to him, her suggestive comments fail to faze him in the slightest; though who knows how Mizuki feels about it all.
He takes a step back.
~ I don't know what's going on, but... ~
"Mizuki..."
~ I don't think that matters right now. ~
"Whoever she is," he says softly, "you don't have to fight her here."
~ This time, I think, I'm the one on the sidelines... ~
"If she attacks, I can take care of it."
~ ...but I won't be any less in the fight... ~
He doesn't look away from the blue-haired girl, but neither does his gaze harden again. He is soft, calm, quietly concerned. The situation is odd and the girl is clearly bad news, but somehow, he just knows, the fact that he is here, right now, with them--
"We can just walk away..."
--with Mizuki--
"...if you want."
--is Right.
He didn't dispute her unsexiness; but he didn't deny being her boyfriend.
Mizuki's expression changes. Her eyes, usually kind, gentle, laughing... they become stronger. Her mouth firms into a line... and her entire stance seems to stiffen. She may have been surprised by this initially, but she's also been -trained- for this... in fact, almost specifically for this... and now that the element of surprise is gone... she'll be ready.
"No," she says, firmly, to Alma, her voice likewise taking on some steel. "This... I can't run away from," she tells him. Her eyes try to send a message--she'll try to explain, later--but she doesn't have the time to see if he gets it. Then she turns to Kimi, her voice gentling some, though it isn't the same as the Mizuki Alma had just been talking to.
"But he's right. We don't have to fight here. Why should we fight at all?" The question is asked--the underlying suggestion being that of a truce, of course--but Mizuki knows well enough to expect the kind of answer she wants.
Still, she doesn't draw her weapon... if Kimi truly wants a fight, here and now, she'll have to make the first move. But just in case that should happen, she says to Alma, though her eyes no longer stray from her opposite number, "Alma. You asked me not to get involved with your fight against Dante... I am asking you, please, do not get involved in this..."
Kimi draws her lips inward just slightly, the urge to hum a little tune resisted for the time being. She's clearly quite entertained by the two, even if Mizuki had suddenly become more steely, and Alma seems to be.. Encouraging Mizuki to retreat? Once all words are stopped, and eyes are on her she simply stands there and smiles.
Stands and smiles.
Stands and smiles.
"My my, isn't he a sweetheart!" Kimi criess, her gloved hand then raised to her cheek. "Ally, you tease, you didn't even try to answer my offer either, don't you at least know how to reject a girl? Shame on you!" <3
And then Mizuki gets her full attention once more, seeming completely unphased by the girls change in expression it would seem. Though she is pleased that Mizuki understands the situation. "Mizuzu, now why are you getting all bent out of shape, is it just because you saw my cute little headband? I just wanted a slap you around a little, like a not-very-cute rag dollie. I'm not here to kill you or anything like that."
"Now let's see what else did you menti- Oh, right! We have to fight because I challenged you. Of course, you could always decline, thus solidifying the fact that the Kamigawa branch are cowardly mutts... And about as good looking as one."
Pause. And then whispered,
"You know, I should probably note that Ally there didn't deny you were unsexy." <3
~ Man, don't call me that... ~
To his credit, Alma's expression now does not flicker in the slightest in response to Kimi's various provocations. Well, admittedly, his lips seem to purse rather tightly from time to time, in a subtle but prudish -- perhaps entertainingly so for one of us -- gesture. But as he noted before, what matters now is how Mizuki feels, and what she wants.
Besides, he is /definitely/ not getting involved in an argument about Mizuki's attractiveness. You don't need psychic powers to know that's the killing grounds.
"I understand."
He would, after all.
Having already stepped back, Alma crosses his arms quietly and regards the two girls, now deeply contemplative.
"I'm still with you," he murmurs. "Even when you fight alone."
She may not hear. It doesn't really matter.
"Be strong, Mizuki..."
It just, he thought, ought to be said.
He looks quite striking there, arms crossed, dressed so nicely, blond hair ruffling slightly in the breeze, that it's rather a shame that the effect is foiled when Kimi's last 'Ally' causes his eyebrows to twitch repeatedly.
"...Good grief."
Mizuki's jaw sets further. Kimi is annoying, so far, yes... but annoyances are minor, in the larger scheme of things. No, Mizuki is certainly not amused... intimating that she is a coward... that she's unsexy... the personal slights she can take. But insulting her -family-... The redhead's voice comes low, but not inaudible, at least not for the two people she is currently near.
"We are -not- cowards," she says, naturally. "We simply choose to not waste our time studying practices that will devour our souls and turn us into nothing more than puppets of evil..." My, strong words from the miko, aren't they?
%At long last, Mizuki reaches across her with her right hand, gripping her baton and drawing it free, the loop settled around her wrist. But she doesn't attack--again, she is refusing to let Kimi rile her up... at least not yet...
But the baton is pointed at Kimi. "If you think I'm a coward and you think you want to beat me up... then you're welcome to try. But don't be surprised if you don't get your way."
COMBATSYS: Kimi has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Kimi 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Mizuki has joined the fight here.
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Mizuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kimi
For the time being, Alma is forgotten by the young Kamigawa. Her 'pleasent' attention focused on the girl who in just moments will become her opponent in battle. She's inwardly impressed by Mizuki before the match has even started though. While there was a certain 'lack' of spirit before she started mouthing off, it is most certainly there now and burning bright enough to be respectable in her eyes. She nods to Mizuki a few times in agreement, and then raises her ungloved hand to open her compact and glance into it once more, "Oh Mizuzu, sweetie, you're mistaken! You are the only brave one, I think, making you really the only girl worth fighting." <3
".. Well, at least I hope that is the case. It's more likely that when I'm done with you, you'll realize your bravery is better off spent on sweeping floors and handing out charms during the New Year." <3
The girl snaps the compact shut.
And then whips it like a discus at Mizuki's face, particularly right at the bridge of her nose. "Oopsie!"
COMBATSYS: Kimi successfully hits Mizuki with Thrown Object.
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Mizuki 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kimi
Alma will be ignored by Mizuki, as well--not ignored persay, but all her attention is on Kimi. This, however, does not make seeing a small compact in near-darkness any easier. She catches the glint of light too late, and the compact smashes itself into her nose, staggering the girl back a couple of steps.
"Nnnh!" she cries, a stifled shout of pain... and yet, and yet seh still doesn't return the favor of an attack. If anything, Mizuki -does- have a game plan she likes to follow, when she can... of course, she doesn't know anything about Kimi at all--not even her name--which puts her at a disadvantage against her opposite...
Coming to a halt after two steps back, Mizuki resists the urge to rub her nose... instead setting herself and then... bringing her hands up, clasping them together, elbows bent as she puts her hands just under her chin, her baton dangling from its loop around her right wrist.
She stands a little straighter... then starts concentrating. Suddenly, the darkness is lit by a spiraling double-helix of blue-white chi, rising like a licking tide in a circle around Mizuki's feet, fading out quickly after it gets past her waist...
COMBATSYS: Mizuki gathers her will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Mizuki 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Kimi
"Oh dear, I'm sure that one hurt, poor thing.." Kimi chirps, and isn't making any effort to get her compact once it clatters to the ground and joins her lipstick. She dusts her hands off, not visably disappointed that Mizuki didn't rub the struck spot.
While Mizuki isn't familiar with her style at all, the opposite isn't true for the other schoolgirl- Which in the back of her mind nags at her that it isn't an entirely fair fight in that sense. Perhaps she'll just toy with her opponent a bit then.
Well, more than she already has.
Mizuki proceeds to build up energy, it would seem, and so Kimi decides to strike again. She whisks forward, light on her feet, and reaches to grab the miko's shoulders. Should she be successful, Kimi would then lurch backward, twist around and fling the girl back first toward the very tree she dropped from. "Come now, you'd better start getting serious, little girl!"
COMBATSYS: Mizuki blocks Kimi's Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Mizuki 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Kimi
Mizuki pays little attention to Kimi's nattering; she's busy. Of course, just because she's concentrating on gathering her energy doesn't mean she's not paying attention... she doesn't seem to resist, really, as Kimi rushes forward, grappling with the girl, though the lightshow cuts off as she's grabbed, twisted, and -flung-... but the impact with the tree is not nearly as bad as Kimi might've hoped.
In fact, most of the impact was taken on Mizuki's right leg, lifted and extended to absorb the momentum...
...and then used to turn right around and bring the baton into play, her forward lunge closing the distance and her right arm whipping around in a forehand horizontal slash.
"I'm always serious when I'm in a fight," she replies, and that's certainly true enough... it's just that serious, for her, doesn't mean grim-and-gritty...
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Kimi with Medium Strike.
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Mizuki 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Kimi
Now that he's been mostly forgotten in the thick of things, Alma is able to relax. He feels a little sheepish, really. He shouldn't have let her get to him. But it's unnerving enough that he can't detect her aura. And though he probably would have been able to ignore her if she were just teasing him on her own, the fact that Mizuki's there-- well, how is /he/ supposed to know what to say?
Deadly combat and blasts of power are all well and good, but girls are scary.
Still, the handsome young man seems much more himself again, though nought but the rustling autumn leaves are here to notice. The feeling of rightness that suffused him earlier is still present, and moreover he has already fulfilled his duty so far. Now he must only wait-- and watch.
Yes, this is where he ought to be.
Alma finds himself smiling softly even as the two exchange blows.
~ Once again... I'm glad I've made it this far. ~
He couldn't feel more alive even if he were fighting himself. But then, in his own way, he feels as though he is; he does not feel passive, but rather active at his friend's side. Furthermore, though one may be inspired through seeing the face of death in battle...
~ Who could have predicted... I'd be here. ~
...it can be seen just as easily in the falling of the leaves.
"Hmn!"
Alma's smile firms in approval at Mizuki's successful strike.
And Mizuki proves she's a resiliant fighter, the way she handles the three. And in that moment of action, Kimi raises her glove hand to her cheek again, seeming enlightened.. Almost inspired? "Oh my! I had no idea, my mistake!"
Perhaps she should have spent a little more time slipping back, and less time pretending to care because while Mizuki's strike was fairly easy to read, it lands true and causes her to double over as she takes a couple of steps back.
One moment she stays hunched over, then stands up and pipes, "I'm sorry, Mizuzu, but could you be a little more serious?" As she dashes forward again, she zips from left to right, and once close, her fingers curl in like claws and snap at Mizuki's face. The attempt here is to dig her fingers right above the girls eyes, hold the position briefly and then rake down sharply. "That was rather...." She'd then grab the back of the miko's head and forcefully shove her onto the ground, a dark shadow forming under her bangs. "Sad."
COMBATSYS: Kimi successfully hits Mizuki with Cold Cruel World.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Mizuki 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Kimi
Maybe Kimi is right. Maybe she -does- need to get more serious. Because as it stands right now... Mizuki's face is raked and that's painful enough--but then she's forced into the ground face-first. She bounces once, then rolls away, her face bloodied. But if anything, the pain she's feeling only makes her want to fight more... because, as much as she is a nice and 'normal' girl... she's still pretty mad when her face gets raked and her head slammed into the ground.
"...hh... fine...you want to 'get serious'..." And then Mizuki is rushing Kimi's position, her baton dropped low to the ground, the tip bouncing off the concrete. As she closes in, she lifts the baton and cocks her right arm back, and the baton glows with a blue-green aura of power as she lashes out, jabbing for Kimi's torso repeatedly, loosing a kiai with each thrust--ending, should she get that far--with a step-forward, two-handed lunging attack.
COMBATSYS: Kimi blocks Mizuki's Kouryuu no Renda.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Mizuki 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Kimi
Kimi brushes her bangs just slightly from her face. It doesn't do much good since they fall right back, but it's clear that since that strike, Kimi is no longer amused. It would almost seem she's decided to get serious as well?
Her hands move quickly, she appears to match each jab of Mizuki's weapon, her eyes locked on her opponents, yet manageing to deflect each attack with perfection, taking the damage more from the chi than the weapon itself. And then the final two handed attack she steps to the side from.
"It's getting there. Did you have a light lunch today?" Kimi asks, because her black shoe is snapping toward Mizuki's gut, a well executed side kick.
COMBATSYS: Kimi successfully hits Mizuki with Quick Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Mizuki 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Kimi
Maybe she -should- call Alma in... no! No, this is -her- fight, win or lose. Alma understands. He -has- to understand. Mizuki is struggling, clearly--but she also hasn't used her ace yet. Fully intent on changing the course of the fight, Mizuki chooses not to attempt to defend Kimi's attack--and she pays for it, as that black shoe finds a home in Mizuki's gut.
The girl cries out, stumbling backwards yet again...
And yet there's still a fire in her eyes. She snaps the baton into a reverse grip, then lunges to the attack yet again--ignoring the pain in her belly and in her face, for now. Those pains can be taken care of... but for now... Mizuki lunges and sweeps the baton around in a neck-level slash, almost like she were wielding a shortsword or a dagger--but she doesn't stop there, as she continues forward slightly and twists her body around to rip an uppercut slash in nearly the same motion.
COMBATSYS: Kimi interrupts Fierce Strike from Mizuki with Ice Dragon Preening.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Mizuki 1/=======/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kimi
What is this feeling?
Alma is well aware of the significance of this fight. More than most, he respects what it means to those involved; at least, what it means for Mizuki. He would never intervene; he could not, for to do so would be a kind of self-contradiction-- it would destroy what he sought to protect. Having decided for himself that one's integrity is far more important than one's physical safety, to besmirch Mizuki's honor by rescuing her would be foolish indeed. He knows that; more than knowing it, he understands it intuitively.
Why, then, does the sight of her blood fill him with such rage?
Alma doesn't move, doesn't even think of moving, but this strange feeling distracts him from his analysis of the fight, his eyes softening and gazes lowering as he ponders-- and subconsciously tries to avoid looking at the streaks of crimson that infuriate him so.
Of course he'd never interfere. Of course... if it were anyone else, even Jiro, he'd never even think... it's their choice, after all... they know to call for help if they want it... so...
So why can he barely contain himself...
His gaze snaps back to the fight, eyes widening as Mizuki's next strike is interrupted, startling as he tries to regain focus on what has just occured.
"M, Mizuki!"
".... How embarassing. All I've learned so far is that you can talk the talk, and you can even barely do even that. So, remember back when you were talking about your.. Uncertainty in your skills?"
Kimi's eyes narrow, her smile suddenly cold. Ice cold, as it were. Mizuki seens to have plenty of time to land her strike, and she does, the baton landing smack dab against her neck with a loud *crack*
What Mizuki likely didn't expect was Kimi slapping her hand onto the miko's gut and in an instant the girl is encased entirely within icy chi, with rather convenient, swiss-cheese like holes! She takes a step back, her pointer and middle fingers joined as prongs, and a flurry of jabs stab at Mizuki's pressure points from the shoulders down to her waist, and finally she turns away, brushing her hands through her hair as the ice shatters, and Mizuki ideally collapses to the floor. ".. I won't even say it. Show me something worth my time or I'm leaving."
No, Mizuki definitely wasn't expecting that. She cries out with pain, that icy chi so familiar yet still so painful... and yes, she collapses. Panting, heavily wounded... but still not out. Struggling, she pushes herself to her feet, and backs off a few yards...
Once again, she considers asking for help. This has been... worse than an embarassment. Once the elders hear of this... her body is weak, but her resolve is still strong--it will be until she's knocked out. And it is that resolve that she calls upon, power building through her body, then gathering above her... a visible blue-green glow building and building....
Until it breaks and literally washes over her body, a warm touch of water-like energy that fades out just as it would splash against the ground...
Meanwhile, Kimi is making a reach as if going for her compact and she realizes.. Ah, whoops, it isn't there! She plays it off as setting it on her hip instead, and turns around to face her opponent, icy stare locked in her facial features still. "You all are lazy, see.. Myself, I work hard. Working hard is rewarded with superiour techniques and strength. In fac-"
Ah there she goes running her mouth again, and Mizuki appears to be taking advantage of that. "I've heard a bit about that technique. But it won't do you any good, I've beaten you down too quickly!" The young fighter tries to close the distance as quickly as she can, looking for just the right moment to be able to grasp Mizuki's shoulder then twirl in a circle to twist it. Should she get that far, she snaps a kick right under Mizuki's armpit. "Now your shoulders!"
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Mizuki with Iki no Nagare.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Mizuki 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kimi
COMBATSYS: Mizuki blocks Kimi's Rapid Grapple.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Mizuki 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kimi
In fact it does her a lot of good; the raked scratches down her face heal, and though it's not visible, much of the bruising and contusions caused by Kimi's various attacks also heal up nicely. She's still feeling the pain--healing can't take care of that--but she's not out of it so much that when Kimi comes in, she's not ready. Finally.
Her arm is grabbed--and twisted--but before Kimi can pull it out of line, Mizuki twists, bending her body and turning with the rotation, putting herself in position to block the kick with her free hand.
"True strength," she replies, finally, "comes from within... strength of purpose... strength of resolve... strength of clarity." She sounds almost sad--this, here, this is -the- divide, what tore her clan in two so many centuries ago.
"Strength of body and strength of skill are not enough alone!" So saying, she aims a kick of her own, while Kimi's leg is up, seeking to sweep the other from underneath her.
COMBATSYS: Kimi endures Mizuki's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Mizuki 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Kimi
So it looks like Mizuki still has some spunk left- And Kimi didn't exactly thrash the miko as much as she had originally thought. No matter, so long as her pressure strikes remain, she's still on top. The girl rubs her hands togeather when Mizuki breaks free, then crosses her arms as she stands straight.
"How can you say that without laughing! I suppose you believe in the tooth fairy as well? You're starting to make me sick!"
By the time it's clear Kimi's doing nothing about the kick, it might be too late, the strike lands true, but in her position it only makes it easier for her to backflip, crouch, then snap forward with her fingers extended, a melting, blue note with kanji scribbled on it in hand. She's attempting to slap that onto Mizuki's belly.
Should that land, half a second later the tag would melts completely and explode in a flash of white light leaving Mizuki is once again encased completely in ice. And said casing explodes right after.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki fails to reflect Flash Freeze from Kimi with Koori no Kagami.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Mizuki 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0 Kimi
If Mizuki were watching this on TV... she'd be wondering whether it was episode 1 or episode 25. Because if it's the first, then it's okay. The hero -always- loses the first round to their rival. It is only dramatic and fitting. It is what makes stories like these epic and amazing.
But it sure doesn't mean it doesn't -hurt- any less. She felt the flare of chi--and began drawing the circle that heralds her anti-chi defensive ability...
... only to have Kimi plunge her hand in and slap that chi-charged ofuda/seal/etc. on her stomach... and then she's flash-frozen again. This time she drops to her knees, gasping, cheeks ablaze with shame. For Kimi is, in this moment, in the here and now...
... proving herself to be not only superior, but also correct. And yet the show goes on, as Mizuki once again pushes to her feet, pain tightening her eyes, weariness and uncertainty scribed across her expression...
~ This is... ~
Alma remains calm; he does not appear tense or, indeed, under any compulsion to interfere. He appears as studied and composed as he ought to be, given his philosophy and his character.
~ Integrity aside, this is... just bad tactics... ~
But a lack of physical tension does not prevent his eyes from flickering constantly, worry and dread clutching at his heart with the same chill as that which strikes at Mizuki from Kimi's seal.
~ To let the enemy choose the battleground... ~
It's not their fault. Maybe Mizuki knew, but Alma didn't-- that she was an enemy and not a mere opponent, that is. For that is clear to him now. This is no mere clash of souls. It may not even be that. This is some kind of grudge match; a kind of fight Alma only partially understands, has only indirectly experienced through the attitudes of some of his own adversaries. Even if it's not his fault... even if it was Mizuki's choice...
~ I should have been more persuasive... ~
...he can't overcome his dismay completely.
~ If it were me, I know it would be worth it to fight, even to be beaten. ~
So why can't he fully allow himself to apply the same standards to Mizuki, who has fought for that right so hard, who has told him again and again, in her own way, to treat her as an equal, as more than a 'normal girl'?
~ Stop... just stop... ~
Why is this so painful?
"St..."
...no... he can't.
Kimi takes a moment to stare up at the sky, her smile for just a moment losing it's coldness. Smiling to the heavens. She's just so confident that this match is over that she's giving her thanks already, and then turns to face the collapsed maiden.
She can't imagine that Mizuki would have any will to fight at this point. The only thing keeping her from being bored is the constant curiosity of what her opponent may have left. "Hm hmm.."
Kimi darts forward without any mercy. Leaps into the air, flips and drives her heel toward the others shoulder. "As long as you stand up.. I will strike you, little girl!" The moment she lands, she twists into a reverse roundhouse kick with the same leg, aimed at the exact same shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki endures Kimi's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Mizuki 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Kimi
Mizuki accepts that statement with a little smile. Really, Kimi isn't too different from some of the other fighters she's met, that she's watched. And certainly she recognizes that tenacity, that desire to win. It's just that there's a gulf of personal and not-so-personal issues, a gulf that may never be crossed.
In another time, another place, she and Kimi might be friends--sisters by circumstance and blood. Instead, the redhead is faced with her own personal Iori Yagami... perhaps not quite as crazy, though.
That kick strikes true to the shoulder--but Mizuki charges forward -anyways-, summoning up her will, ignoring the pain... once again, her baton is produced, once again with the glowing energy.
And once again she begins a pattern of strikes at Kimi's torso, the baton thrust at the girl's abdomen almost wildly, but with a touch more speed -and-... she strikes many more times, perhaps fifteen in all...
And then she changes tactics, sweeping her baton around in another uppercut slash...
COMBATSYS: Kimi fails to counter Kouryuu no Ranbu from Mizuki with Ebon Mirror.
[ \\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Mizuki 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Kimi
And when that uppercut slash connects, it throws Kimi straight up into the air. Mizuki doesn't follow--immediately--but she crouches, and turns, winding up... and then she launches herself skyward, spinning, her baton creating arc-shaped slashes of energy as she rises up, striking Kimi several more times... and then cranking the baton around to smash the girl back down to the concrete.
Perhaps she judged too early.
Or maybe she drove Mizuki a little bit /too/ far into.. Whatever emotion Mizuki's feeling right now. The moment her kicks landed, she was certain that the fight was over and she could walk away with a good laugh.
No clearly the Justice Student had different plans. The dangerous gleam in her eye as Mizuki strikes was supposed to be a warning, because just seconds before the tonfa strike, Kimi is encased in a thin sheet of ice.
The problem is it doesn't hold up, it shatters near instantly, wiping the smirk off the girls face, "Nnggh!" The hits add up quickly, as Mizuki batters her! She fights back another grunt of pain when sent upward, only to twist in the air during the slashes- It.. It isn't done yet? "... Rrgh." No, the final blow comes afterward, sending the young fighter shooting to the ground like a meteor, the moment of imact causes the ground to spiderweb a bit under her.
For a moment she doesn't move.
But then her hands twitch with life, she finding herself with the strength to continue, but slow to get up. But when she turns to face Mizuki.... She is sweating bullets. "Hmph. Not enough to.. Finish me. Don't think I've changed my.. mind.." She growls, her upper body throbbing with pain.
Now. _Now_ is when to go for the finishing blow. But Mizuki... doesn't. She looks at Kimi and in her eyes is regret and sadness. The redhead's eyes lock to Kimi's, and she... just shakes her head.
"I wouldn't expect you to," she says, her voice creased with the pain she too is feeling--pain physical and mental, emotional and spiritual. "We might have been friends, you and I," she says, her voice soft. "Maybe we can be, anyways. We don't have to fight..." Against all that is holy, all that is smart and correct to do...
Mizuki walks forward, extending her right hand, sans baton. Offering Kimi a hand, and her own hope. "You know that when my clan finds out about this," and they _will_ find out, "that... it will mean war between us. I'll be ordered to deal with you." Despite what Kimi may think there -is- an iron core to the Kamigawa, especially where their splinter family is concerned.
"I don't want to do that..."
COMBATSYS: Mizuki takes no action.
[ \\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Mizuki 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Kimi
Kimi wipes at her brow with her gloved hand, various thoughts going through her head. She is well aware that the next blow could be the deciding, and Mizuki would have managed to pull herself out of hot water.. Or at the very least out of humiliation.
And yet Mizuki doesn't take that chance? She instead approaches and.. Extends her hand? Kimi stares at it, the dark shadow over her eyes still, and she gets to her feet- On her on accord. The girl stands before Mizuki, staring at the ground with her fists shaking at her sides. Though one is raised slowly up to her shoulder.
That fist seems to be making a decision as it shakes.
Then shakes a little more.
And finally unclenches to reside under her chin, the ninja positivly beaming, "Ho ho ho!! A war, over a friendly little try-out? Mizuzu, you simply have the wildest imagination, sweetie!"
"You really managed to squirm your way out of that predicament like.. Like a roach! Yes, that's it, the Kamigawa branch are like roaches! (And really, who befriends roaches?) Good show!" <3
COMBATSYS: Kimi takes no action.
[ \\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Mizuki 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Kimi
Mizuki watches Kimi's show of bravado. Sure, she could probably take her down. But what would be the point? Her offer rebuffed, Mizuki's eyes sadden further... and her hand drops away, her head drifting an inch or so down as well, towards her chin. "I see," she says, quietly, then turns away. Let Kimi take a parting shot--she's already done so verbally, and while the impact is not entirely visible, neither is it unexpressed--it's there in the heaviness of her step, the way her shoulders seem to curl downwards.
"I hope," she says, as she begins to walk away, "that I never see you again. And... I hope that the Kurogami are... treating you well." It seems she just can't hold any rancor. Whatever Kimi may think of the Kamigawa and Mizuki in particular, the redheaded miko is definitely lacking in that 'killer instinct'.
".. Mmmn?" That's it? Kimi wonders. Perhaps she should be touched.. Maybe she should realize that maybe she's the bad guy here.
Or maybe she should just go ahead and kick Mizuki's ass since she's foolish enough to turn her back on her opponent! Her ungloved hand outstretched, she kneels to the ground so her fingertips touch it.. And grab her compact. "Oh I almost forgot my little compact.."
A thin sheet of ice races along the floor and under Mizuki's feet, ideally causing her to slip up and fall. A large ball of ice then materializes over the miko, and then shoots down toward the ground, shattering so violently that it shatters into hundreds of pieces, though dissipates after bouncing off the floor. "Oopsie!" <3
"...Mizuki..."
For the first time in minutes, Alma is able to lower his gaze.
~ Well done. ~
It's only now that he feels as though he is able to make some sense of the confusing mix of similarities and dissimilarities between himself and the girl. More than ever before, he realizes that their mindsets are nearly identical; both of them never forget what they stand for, and recognize that preserving and pursuing that is even more important than self-defense or a decisive victory. Yet their methods, the manner in which they express themselves and the routes they took to get where they are, are almost entirely different. Alma's convoluted past and lack of structure or direction forced him to take a stand on his own life. That he mingles eloquence with bizarre terminology and a tendency toward verbosity is one demonstration of how he discovered his path in a kind of social isolation; yet even his flaws only serve to show just how sincere he is, and even when his words do not seem to make sense the purity of his soul shines through as raw charimsa.
Mizuki's life, on the other hand, has been highly structured, her training rigorous and intense, her family reliable and there for her-- and still she has grown up mature and without naivety, strong enough to stand alone, making the lessons her own. Seeing her as she is now, Alma cannot help but wonder if the miko's potential is at least equivalent to his own...
But his sense of wonder is stifled as she is attacked from behind.
"Mizuki!"
COMBATSYS: Kimi successfully hits Mizuki with Frostbite.
[ \ < > /////// ]
Mizuki 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Kimi
Too deep in thought is Mizuki, too unattuned to the world around her at this moment. Kimi's appearance, the fight, all of it is pretty shocking... and so it's no more shocking to find that Kimi is the kind of girl who would attack someone from the back. The miko has no time to react at all; suddenly her feet are out from under her and she's landing hard on her back.
And then... before she can even react, a mountain of ice is falling on her. The impact is incredible, the sound of shattering ice almost completely covering up Mizuki's ragged shriek of pain... and by the time the icy energy has dissipated, Mizuki's broken, bleeding body is still, sprawled awkwardly along the path.
There'll be no final words from the miko this night...
"Oh dear, oh dear..." Kimi chirps, pocketing her lipstick and lightly tosses her compact in her hand. "All this talk about embarassment, and I go and embarass myself by making such a rookie mistake. How am I going to explain this one." <3
Luckily for her, though, Alma is still about.. And it's likely that he's going to rush to the aid of the battered miko. Hand to her cheek once more, she calls to the model, "Allyyyy, you can take care of this, can't you? When she comes to, apologize to her for me, my hand slipped! Oh, and let her know that I'll re-consider her offer of friendship!"
".. Sigh. I'm sure you're upset, I didn't leave her in a nice enough condition for you two to make out tonight. Forgive me?" <3
Still.. The feeling of revenge is sweet, enough to make her for a moment forget about the pain in her body. A hand raised in the air, Kimi twirls in a circle, and then vanishes in a thin cloud of falling snowflakes...
COMBATSYS: Kimi has left the fight here.
[ \ <
Mizuki 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Mizuki takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki can no longer fight.
"Ah--!"
Alma is already on his knees, half-sliding across the path to reach the girl as she's collapsing. Eyes wide, no longer even trying to contain his dread, the young man gathers Mizuki up into his arms, gently lifting her head with one hand to cradle it, gazing down at her bloodied face, and taking her pulse from one delicate wrist with the other. He looks up only for a moment at the departing girl, and there is no rage in his expression; he has no time for that, nor room in his heavy heart. Only dismay, as he looks back down at the wounded girl.
"Mizuki, you..."
If he were thinking straight, he wouldn't even need to take her pulse. Her aura is faded but extant; she's obviously alive for anyone with a sixth sense. But the handsome youth seems to take some odd comfort in having her hand in his own, his fingers brushing the soft inside of her arm, feeling the heartbeat continue.
"...you're so strong..."
To see her sacrifice herself for her principles like that--
"...eheh..."
--how familiar.
"It's just like before, isn't it? Only now, you're..."
A single tear drips down to her cheek, tracing a groove through the drying blood.
~ Oh... I'm... ~
Alma appears to have calmed, his expression softening; he doesn't look like one crying. If anything, now he just looks lost in reverie. Yet the tears flow unreservedly, slowly but steadily; his voice does not break, his lips do not tremble; only the light of the dying sun reveals the glistening of the dampness on his cheeks.
"...you're so brave."
Warming her against the growing chill, he pulls her closer, his arm slipping down from her head to her back to lean her against his chest. Reaching within, he lets his feelings for her emanate outward, if not healing her body than hopefully soothing her weary mind, and letting her rest easy.
"Don't forget," he says softly. "We still have a lot to talk about..."
Until then... he'll take care of her.
For however long it takes.
Log created on 22:43:55 09/29/2007 by Mizuki, and last modified on 15:15:09 09/30/2007.