Description: Yurika continues her journey to strengthen herself not just emotionally but physically as well. Despite her 'epiphany' there are still worries of becoming something she doesn't want to be in the end.. But her baby brother, as`always, has the right things to say.
It's been quite a bit of time.. And of course Yurika Kirishima hasn't spent much of her time dilly-dallying, continuously working to complete her task within Seijyun the best way she could manage. While she figured her work at this point was complete, but perhaps not entirely presentable just yet, she has ended up facing a troubling problem..
And that being that her most 'trusted' warriors, she simply has not found herself able to defeat yet. It'd been a long time since she had contacted Kurow, which itself should be extremely suprising, but eventually she has, requesting that she be tested in combat again.
She isn't sure what kind of questions to expect from her younger brother, she knows he'd been keeping busy with his own affairs, and hadn't heard any particular opinion of Jincuu from him either.. But what was important now was her evening match, within the windy, leaf tossing, bare branched tree'd atomosphere within the forest. As usual she's dressed for the occassion, again in what could best be described as Femme-Kurow attire, with her hair drawn back into a giant braid. She's been waiting patiently for a while, just simply wondering what the future holds in store for her.
The forest has always made an excellent training ground for the Kirishima family -- this certainly isn't the first or even the second time that it's been put to good use by the Kirishima children. The younger Kirishima is a little late to arrive to train his older sister in the arts of combat, no doubt coming off of some epic situation or another -- Kurow's always getting himself in trouble, that's for sure.
Nonetheless, when he arrives, he seems relatively calm, relatively pleased to see Yurika for once in his life. "Hello, Yurika," he says, taking a look over the girl in the surprisingly Kurow-esque clothes. It's very different from her usual fare, though imitation has always been called the sincerest form of flattery. It's a good look for her, he thinks to himself -- good to see her becoming more like him.
"It's been some time since we really talked for any appreciable period. How've you been?" he asks, at least doing her the courtesy of making a little small talk.
The musician turns her head to looks to Kurow after hearing the sound of his voice.. She is honestly suprised to hear him ask a question in seemingly good spirits.. Usually it seems a bit forced, and the difference really is heart lifting. She gives a shining smile, followed by a short bow to the sibling she adores so much. "It has, it's been quite different than Summer, hasn't it Kurow.. I've been keeping quite busy with my tasks, and with a bit of personal training myself; it really has been a very good year for me so far. I feel for once that I'm really accomplishing something, it's.." a slight pauses as she glances upward. "It's a very good feeling. And I shall strive to improve even further, Kurow. But.. I realize I need to be stronger not just in mind, but in body as well.."
"And yourself?"
Perhaps Kurow's just getting better at faking it -- in either case, if it keeps Yurika that well under his thumb, he's more than likely to keep doing it. "It's good to see you take an interest in studying the arts of combat again," Kurow says, with a matching smile on his face. Only spending the briefest moment on himself, he says, "I have been... working to some extent on a cohesive plan, though nothing concrete has come of it yet." He quickly moves away from that, shifting the topic back to Yurika. "Though I must ask -- what motivates you in doing it? What is it that drives you to move toward the next level?" He walks toward Yurika, studying her closely, almost uncomfortably.
Yurika is getting used to the looks she gets from Kurow, it's not that she's desensitized to it, just.. Used to it. She doesn't look worried, but her body becomes briefly tense- It's difficult to tell what is a 'trick' question and what is not from her brother, but she doesn't seem to believe there's any point in masking the truth in any way this time. "Hmn, well.. I believe you've already met Ninon Beart, Kurow." Yurika frowns slightly. She was never fond of Kurow taking interest in her companions.
But then it straightens again. "There's something about her.. I felt she is something like the woman that I could learn from, a glimpse of my own future. Her confidence, her power, her ability to make decisions without hesitation, and all the while seeming so... Normal. I was always afraid that I would become something I don't want to be but.." Yurika smiles a little again. Not to be confused for the smile she gives when talking about 'you know who' mind you. "I'm not afraid of that anymore. She is amazing, Kurow."
Well. No fear -- that's a surprising, and pleasant thing to hear from Yurika. It's been a while since he's heard some real, full-on good news; the smile on his face gets a little wider, and /perhaps/ just a little more genuine. "I have indeed met Ms. Beart -- she does seem like an excellent role model for you," he affirms, walking around Yurika and continuing to study her -- she does seem like she's changed lately, if only subtly. Or perhaps it's just the outfit.
"So that's it -- you want to be able to act without hesitation." Kurow abruptly stops once he walks around in front of her a second time, and then asks a question that cuts right to the heart of the issue. "What do you feel is stopping you? What is it you feared becoming?" The younger Kirishima has always had such a focus on the psychology of others; it's no surprise that it comes into play in situations like this too.
Yurika's stature remains calm and straight, though her dark eyes follow best that she can. Kurow's praise is never a bad thing, the musician relishes it each time, and like a faithful pup always seems to be yearning for more. It's sad, in a way, yet she never really realizes it. Perhaps she thinks it's an exception to the rule with herself.
"That would be part of it, yes.. I suppose.." Yurika murmurs in a slightly uncertain tone. As for what she was exactly afraid of, she answers that one easily enough. "A monster. I've seen what people who simply don't care about anything become, Kurow. It bothered me that everything I had taught myself, almost twenty years of my life.. Would just disappear. I don't know if becoming something you know you are not has ever been a thought that frightened you but.. I am Yurika Kirishima."
Kurow's eyes meet Yurika's own dark ones, and he keeps them locked dead-on -- Kurow's always had those intense eyes. Perhaps they're a calculated move to get the truth out of people -- or perhaps he just can't look at a person like a normal human being does. "I don't understand what you're getting at," he says, stepping closer in now.
He stops mere inches from Yurika, saying, "You're afraid of becoming a monster? There's nothing about power or decisiveness that makes a monster, in and of itself." He hesitates for a moment, sounding as though he's about to say something but abruptly stopping himself, an exceptionally rare occurrence for Kurow. "For some, the sort of... gentleness you have is actually part of what gives them the strength and decisiveness that you seek." A pause, before he says, more hesitantly, "... I admit this may contradict things I have said in the past."
Yurika has more or less come to realize on her own that what Kurow says is true; but where the doubt resided.. "I confess my own worries were indeed someone misguided. I had always looked at male examples, while overlooking you Kurow. I feel a little silly about it, but it wasn't something you could truly show me proof of that would banish my hesitance."
And then after that she's quiet for a very long time.. Perhaps the last of Kurow's words had sunk in at that very moment, but there's a good two or three minutes of Yurika just staring up at her brother, one of her gloved hands raised to her chest and her expression simply astonished. Honestly, she doesn't know what to say but she isn't shocked at all that Kurow admitted he made a mistake. She always believed he was correct, and yet humble (???) in his own way. Perhaps, she thinks, she's more shocked that he's being more supportive than usual- This actually even tops his 'comforting' during her breakdown in Thailand.
Yurika feels her eyes start to water and she closes them quickly, trying to mask it as taking in a deep and calm breath. "I.. I.. Um.. I.. S- Suppose we should get started."
Nodding, Kirishima says, "Yes. Let's begin." Best to shift away from that brief admission of being wrong -- since, frankly, the /reason/ for that admission is something that Kurow doesn't want to spend too much time thinking about. There are some things that are just too macabre for even his tastes, and that particular revelation is definitely one of them. Fascinating, and thought-provoking -- but also, yes, more than a little macabre.
"This may be something a little on the -- confusing side at first, but what I want you to do is focus less on precise forms and more on emphasizing what you want to build your talents in." Kurow takes on a defensive posture, taking no action against Yurika as he continues to speak. "A lot of styles seem to produce carbon copies of the same fighter ad nauseum -- start experimenting. Embellishing. I want to see what happens when you try to make a technique one hundred percent your own."
COMBATSYS: Yurika has joined the fight here.
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Yurika 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gabriel
COMBATSYS: Kurow has joined the fight here.
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Yurika 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gabriel
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
The elder Kirishima most certainly isn't going to question it.. Perhaps somewhere there is a bit of curiosity but it's not a subject she's not sure she's comfortable continuing on as well.. Maybe because she has a feeling it makes Kurow uncomfortable to do so. But that is forced aside for the moment, in favor of listening to her new instructions. It sounds more difficult than confusing, Yurika has never written her own pieces of music, which is what he's more or less asking her.
Yurika's eyes fall downcast a moment, her brows furrowed. In truth she hasn't a clue what her greatest strength is other than her control of chi, so perhaps she should start there. "All right. I understand."
For starters she doesn't have her violin in hand, so this should aid in her training. She takes a slightly awkward stance with her hands raised, and then rushes toward and takes a rather text-book approach with her kick; a standing back-kick to be precise right to Kurow's stomach. She figures it may be a good was to test how quick she is.
COMBATSYS: Kurow full-parries Yurika's Light Kick!
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Kurow 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Yurika
Watching that kick come in, Kurow studies it. Fast, but awkward -- not her style, not her song. That much becomes /extremely/ apparent when Kirishima catches her foot mere inches from his own body, saying, "That's not decisive. Your stance and your attacks are saying different things," sounding disappointed as he gives Yurika's foot a shove, sending her spinning relatively harmlessly... though she /is/ going to end up fairly unbalanced thanks to that impromptu pirouette.
And an unbalanced opponent is something that Kurow is going to capitalize on. There is no instruction without pain, as far as he's concerned -- even if the burden of training is on Yurika right now, the only way she'll improve is with punishment for failure. Stepping in toward Yurika, Kurow launches himself toward her neck, trying to snag it with the claws of both hands; if he catches it, she knows what's coming. Spinning around her twice and leaving deep gashes, Kurow abruptly twists his arm in a vicious bulldog-style throw well-loved by the Imawano and drags her down to the ground in a hard, slamming finish.
COMBATSYS: Yurika blocks Kurow's Circle Slash EX.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Yurika
Yurika has at least that much, an inkling of how to deal with a variety of attacks thanks to her brothers abilities. She may not be -great- at it, but she's somewhat learned how to prepart for the unexpected.. In certain situations.
It's true the kicks execution isn't exactly her style, but she -did- know how to keep her body 'free' and not locked in position. But it doesn't make Kurow's scolding any less embarassing, her cheeks heating up a bit. But by the time he's reaching for her, she's already withdrawn a pair of her elongated tuning forks which provide some sort of resistance to the otherwise damaging grip when she crosses her arms and brings them to her neck; and there's just a little force against the otherwise involuntary drop to the ground with a heavy thump onto the earth below.
Yes, she definatly feels more comfortable carrying a weapon of some sort, she pushes herself off the ground as if she were doing a push-up, gauges Kurow's position and this time with a more confident push forward slashes her right weapon diagonally at Kurow's chest, and follows with her left to potentialy create an 'X' attack.
It'd seem those forks have sharp tips, though it seems there's more emphesis in blunt force in the strike.
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Yurika's Medium Strike.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Yurika
Kurow does not find out about any of this force -- as usual, he deals with the strikes by weaving back and away, staying out of the line of 'fire' and keeping himself safe. In some ways, Kurow is excruciatingly predictable... but he's good enough at what he's predictable about that it seems like it doesn't /matter/. "Good form," he comments, absently. "Surprisingly aggressive. Is that what you want to emphasize? It'd make sense... I'd certainly support taking that sort of track with your training."
And then, once again, the attack comes in -- though since Kurow perceives much less sloppiness, he dials back the 'pain train' a far bit from what he tried last time. Stepping in toward Yurika, he tries to snag her arm with one of his own, abruptly flipping around behind her; the youth gives it a quick wrench and seems for a moment like he's about to try for an armbar takedown, but breaks the hold well before he actually gets around to it. Definitely a lot /gentler/ this time, that's for sure.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Yurika with Quick Throw.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Yurika
Hmn, as usual Kurow is as quick on his feet as he usually is. Yurika is aware she did not make a good start, somehow someway she needs to close the gap in speed, by either increasing her own or forcing Kurow to slow down. .. At her skill level, the second most certainly is not an option. "I'm uncertain, but I fail to see a downside to it myself.." Just so long as she's graceful about it.
She does her best to keep her eyes on him, but while he may be going for less pain, he seems to only be faster as a result making it difficult for her to weave about. Her arm is snagged, and there's a yelp of pain with the forceful twist that follows; almost enough to make her drop her weapon but manages not to do. The feeling quite intense in her shoulder even as she backs away isn't shaken off very easily.
She needs to buy herself a little time, and does so taking a couple of sprints back and focuses, forcefully directing her chi where she needs it. It's not an ability she can hide well though, as usual her fingertips are raises to her lips as she murmurs silently.
COMBATSYS: Yurika focuses on her next action.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Yurika
"It's an excellent style -- an effective use of Imawano-ryu, and very adjustable... right now, I'd say you're the least aggressive Imawano-ryu student," Kurow notes, as he watches Yurika step back. "It'd be a good fit -- a good use of your abilities, certainly." He glances at her as she manipulates her chi, watching her murmuring. "... Interesting method of focusing yourself, though..."
That's all the commentary he offers on that -- 'interesting,' not 'good' or 'bad.' Perhaps he wants to see what conclusions Yurika draws on her own. Perhaps eager to see just how well she maintains her focus under duress, Kirishima reaches down to the forest floor, searching for something. Fortunately for Kirishima, it's not hard at all to find a rock anywhere that has even the /remotest/ amount of natural beauty.
Tossing it up and down in his hand once, he takes a step back and tosses it right at Yurika's head. It's lobbed pretty awfully slowly, though -- she shouldn't have much of a problem dealing with it. From the looks of things, Kirishima doesn't even seem to be /trying/ to put much speed on it.
COMBATSYS: Yurika dodges Kurow's Thrown Object.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Yurika
It's probably a good question to ask exactly how good a test it actually is. Yurika would have to be a heck of a klutz to be struck by the weapon, especially with the level of skill that it's thrown. However that's not really what Yurika is worried about, she thinks it's some sort of diversion, an attempt to shift her attention elsewhere to deliver a nasty follow-up strike. Perhaps the best thing is to strike first.. And as fast as she possibly can. The rock is in the air and the usician is already in motion.
She almost floats off to the side, yet slides on her feet in such a way that she ends up making a much greater pirouette than before, and yet does so with a suprising amount of speed. The forks are lightly tapped togeather, and then the closer arm attempts to slam the weapon into Kurows side, particularly toward the ribs. This may stun Kurow long enough for her to follow up with an overhead strike, striking at her brothers shoulder. "Huh! Hnn!"
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Yurika's Tragic Hesitation.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Yurika
Once again, Kurow deals with his opponent's strikes by doing the simplest, most time-honored thing to handle Yurika's attack: get out of the way. When he sees those forks tapped together, he instantly goes on the defensive -- and is rewarded, rolling out of the way of the first stunning strike and completely avoiding the overhead slam. "... I like it," he says, with an affirming nod. "Very direct. You've certainly picked a methodology, if nothing else."
This time, he doesn't even attack -- perhaps in spite of the fact that Yurika didn't /hit/ him per se, he's pleased enough that he's going to give the girl a brief reprieve from the oh-so-enjoyable spurts of getting the crap beaten out of her. Hanging back, he narrows his eyes at her and gives her that same piercing gaze again -- though this time it's to study her movements rather than apply any social leverage.
COMBATSYS: Kurow focuses on his next action.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Yurika
No loss of balance with her missed swing, luckily enough. However Yurika finds herself slightly stumped.. This is much more difficult than she originally thought, it seems Kurow's well prepared for whatever it is she throws! On the other hand, the analysis is clearly there as well, she'll have to be a little more crafty somehow..
Yurika gives a small nod of her head, and then continues to ride the momentum of her speed, seeing Kurow's pause as actually a moment of opportunity, if she could fake him out.. The musician closes the distance and actually looks to dash past Kurow along the way, her arm winging for a very quick strike to the back of his knee with her weapon. Perhaps she needs to try and slow him down first after all.
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Yurika's Weapon Jab.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Yurika
Of course, faking out a master of deception is a /lot/ harder than it looks. Dashing past Kirishima just puts his guard more to the back, and with a quick whirl, he brings his knee out of the way of Yurika's weapon /and/ turns to face her all in one swift movement. "If you were fighting anyone else, that would've worked," he says, approvingly. "Good show -- good tactics."
Unfortunately for Yurika, 'anyone else' is a mixed bag with Kurow. On the one hand, it's pretty glowing praise; on the other, it also is a sign of that ego, which means the next step is likely going to involve something along the lines of getting kicked in the head. In fact, that's /exactly/ what it's going to involve, as Kurow swings a quick snap kick up for Yurika's temple.
COMBATSYS: Yurika blocks Kurow's Light Kick.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Yurika
Yurika is pretty sure it would have worked as well, but how effective it would have been remains to be seen; it's a 'new' attack of sorts. But one she supposes she could keep in her arsenal. She has to keep her wits and keep calm, just wait patiently, eventually an opening will present itself and she may be able to go all out and pull back into the game.
She manages to, at the last moment, predict where the kick Kurow gives is going to land, and she raises her closer arm up so that her fork is pointing downard. The moment of impact is when she crouches and re-directs the momentum up a bit, but she doesn't save herself from too much of it as she somewhat hurts her shoulder in the process! With that out of the way, she slams her tuning forks togeather as she leaps back, and a blurry wave of humming chi is directed toward Kurow, this time she aiming high instead of low. Yes a blow to the head sounded like a good idea!
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Yurika's Tragic Serenade.
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Yurika
Knocking someone's knees out is usually fairly effective -- effective enough that Kurow was willing to say so, at least! That's something! Regardless, though, he keeps on focusing entirely on the battle... and more importantly, on weaving out of the way of Yurika's attacks. Whipping his head back and actually turning it into an awkward backward roll, the younger Kirishima narrowly avoids that wave of chi. "Close!" he declares, trying his best to be at least a /little/ encouraging.
And once again, he springs up, keeping Yurika on her toes. This time, though, it's with those claws. Sliding in, the younger brother of the pair comes in for a quick slash to Yurika's midsection with one hand, followed by a quick jab with the other. "You know," he says as he strikes, absently, "I don't understand why you don't have a larger secondary weapon. Doesn't it get difficult to switch from the tuning forks to the violin?"
COMBATSYS: Yurika parries Kurow's Medium Strike!
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Kurow 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Yurika
Yurika gives a thoughtful 'hmmn' to herself, her eyes narrowing slightly and actually is working up a bit of a sweat. She really has to push from this point if she's going to get the results -she'd- like to see. At the very least she's able to follow his movements and react to them rather than being a sitting duck, but that won't get her too far. In fact that's a point she'll have to keep in mind in the future.
A brief smile is given to Kurow, the claws come in contact with the fork that gives a much gentler ring than before, the jab that follows seems to hit Kurow, but she fades into non-existance.
Only to reveal herself as behind the more experienced fighter attempting to rest one weapon against his shoulder, and the other at his opposite hip. Her arms then cross, forcing him to flip and she would proceed to twirl Kurow like a gymnasts ribbon before slamming him down to the ground. "It's very difficult for me to direct my chi without a musical outlet." She could probably kick someones butt with a kazoo if she wanted. "So no... Not really." As if her evasion didn't already answer that.
COMBATSYS: Kurow parries Yurika's Melancholy Air EX!
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Kurow 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Yurika
Even if Kurow is not a very good offensive grappler due to his size, he is an /extremely/ good defensive grappler; when he feels Yurika's weapons starting to rest on his body, he immediately grabs one of Yurika's wrists, flipping around behind her and shoving her away in one smooth motion, neatly breaking the grpaple before it even has a chance to happen. "/Exceptional/ technique," he says, nodding firmly. "You're not doing as well as usual, but this is an experimenting session. It doesn't reflect on you as a fighter -- this is good. This is improvement."
Of course, as he's saying this he's already moving to capitalize on the opening he's created in Yurika's defenses and the fact that he's gotten himself /behind/ her. Turning so he's actually facing /away/ from her, the younger Kirishima smashes his back into Yurika's, trying to knock her over -- and then in the same motion grabbing her legs, wrapping them around one of his, and sitting down hard in an attempt to wrench her spine pretty cruelly. It may not be /Rugal's/ Scorpion Deathlock, but...
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Yurika with Strong Throw EX.
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Kurow 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Yurika
A light stumble in her steps, Yurika can't help but feel a little clumsy be Kurow's means of escape. But he does it so well, that he can't help but be a little envious, even if any sort of grappling just isn't very suitable for her style. She doesn't like touching people any longer than she has to.
There isn't much she can do before she's sudenly knocked onto the ground, but she -does- try, almost desperatly to power out of the leg lock that she's suddenly found in. The pain is damn near agonizing, if it isn't the same as Rugals technique she certainly couldn't tell the difference!
At this point it's going to take everything that she has to get out of this predicament, and in this case she digs deep. She digs down -very- deep to put some strength into her back and legs, and jerks them outward to flip Kurow off of her body and onto the floor- Somehow managing not to cry out from the pain as very intense as it is.
COMBATSYS: Kurow endures Yurika's Quick Throw.
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Kurow 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Yurika
Amazingly, Kurow doesn't send himself off into the distance by kicking off of Yurika or some nonsense when she starts to struggle -- far from it, in fact. He eases off on the hold a fair bit when it feels like she's going to kick him off, and does indeed get whipped into the ground... but unfortunately for Yurika, that's his plan! Going with it means he can direct it -- and directing it means he can keep himself in close for another nasty strike.
"You respond better than many to being grounded," Kurow notes, a little surprised. Yurika is full of surprises, and he can respect that. "However, at the same time, you don't account for /quite/ everything!" Sitting back up before the elder Kirishima can get too far away from him, Kurow lashes out with something that, if nothing else, Yurika can credit herself with inspiring: a quick claw to the knee, though his seeks to disrupt the knee's movement and send Yurika tumbling via a nasty pressure point within said knee rather than /just/ striking.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Yurika with Quick Throw.
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Kurow 0/-------/--=====|=======\=====--\1 Yurika
Yurika is going to be feeling that one for a good while that much is for sure, by the time Kurow is even on the ground and then setting up for the next attack, she just isn't ready.. Hopefully instinct alone would help her get her leg out of the way in time but alas not quite. Again Kurow displays his superiority in delivering a good throw, and one she hadn't thought of- That's actually suprisingly handy but she's more thinking about her own collapse and tumble of the unwanted ride.
Well she's thankful she's wearing black, at this point she's getting rather filthy.
Her breathing heavier she doesn't give in just yet, something inside her is keeping her going; "I've been watching you long enough.." But now her legs a bit messed up. Her kicks aren't going to be as reliable, and nor her speed meaning she's going to have to go all out. An intense concentration and she practically pounces at Kurow with a series of high and low strikes and slashes with her weapons. It's almost like watching a fan dance really, though perhaps not as well executed as she'd like. The key point is the final three strikes, a slash at the chest, a thrust at the stomach and a final sweep at the knees.
COMBATSYS: Kurow counters Fatal Requiem from Yurika with Double Slash.
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Kurow 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Yurika
Kirishima frowns at Yurika as she gets back up, coming in with those powerful slashes; he's seen this technique before, and /usually/ he's gotten torn up by it. It might be time to try something different, something other than weaving around the myriad strikes that Yurika uses to prove she's a capable combatant. "I have a few new tricks," Kurow says, at Yurika's mention that she'd been watching him -- and then his hand lashes out abruptly at Yurika's wrist.
Those claws sink deep into Yurika's wrist, one coming through the space between her wrist bones and coming out the other end -- just because Yurika's his sister, just because she's been doing a lot better lately, doesn't mean he's going to hold back on her in the least. "Your aggression is more than adequate -- now you must learn to be adaptable," he declares to her, shortly before letting loose with a wide, circular slash like that of the famous Ikari commander before swinging Yurika down to the ground, yanking his claws back out of her.
It's certainly a lesson that Yurika won't soon forget, Kurows counter-attack clearly wasn't something that the musician was expecting. Adaptability, though, is true.. Perhaps it's a smart idea to continue to fight her fellow Seijyun students in order to further improve.
She can feel Kurow's claws digging in, easily getting past her gloves and nearly torn apart by the slash that follows. For but a brief moment her vision gives while she slams onto the floor and then.. She just can't get back up. With a little gasp she certainly makes the effort, but even at this point she has to realize that she's done at this point. Her gloved fingers diging into the ground the sister gives a slow shake of her head, looking completely burnt out. "I.. I understand.. Thank you, Kurow." she gasps.
COMBATSYS: Yurika takes no action.
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Kurow 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Yurika can no longer fight.
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Kurow 0/-------/---====|
And now comes the /actual/ surprise.
Kurow actually kneels down to talk to her rather than talking from that usual smug, standing position. "This was a very good opportunity to experiment, and you definitely surprised me -- it was all I could do to keep myself out of the way," he says, nodding to her and trying to be genuinely supportive. It's rare she starts to come around to his way of thinking whole cloth -- time to make sure it sticks.
"I have to know, though. Why now? It can't just be Ninon," he says, using that empathy and perceptiveness that he was born with. "Is there something I should know -- with Kazama, perhaps? You can tell me."
Yurika's breaths are heavy, her head is spinning.. And yet again Kurow gives a suprise, this one much more pleasent than what she had been getting over the last few minutes. She raises the back of her hand to her forehead, and looks up to Kurow, her cheeks slightly pink again; particularly when Akira's name comes up. Was that a factor she had even considered? ".. Ah.."
Her blush gets a little hotter as she thinks on it, but she gives a shake of her head. "You're right it isn't just her. But it isn't Akira, no.. I think the feeling of being a leader, being important in that sort of way, it's indescribably amazing. But she is a major part of it, I've learned so much from her, and it's wonderful, I do things without feeling regret.. I almost feel 'free'."
The youth removes his sharp claws, shoving them in his pockets as usual; there's no need for them now. "... ah, you're beginning to understand, then." Kurow smiles widely, staying down close to Yurika; this seems like a crucial moment with Yurika and he needs to take good, solid control of it to shape it accordingly.
"That's a feeling of power. Social power, but power -- you feel free because that's what power does, that's what it /is/. It's the ability to impose your will as you wish." He gives Yurika a smile, saying, "The weak have no freedom -- the strong do. And I think you're starting to figure that out."
Log created on 22:40:14 12/21/2007 by Yurika, and last modified on 03:41:52 02/10/2009.