Description: For months, Kentou has been trained by Hotaru. His apprenticeship has been filled with many dangers. He has met wonderful friends and terrible foes. The boy has come a long way from the little ruffian Hotaru first met. Now, Miss Futaba decides to test her pupil to gauge his skill and see just how far he's come. Once again, Kentou's future is in Hotaru's hands and his own fists. Does he earn the right to stay at her side?...
How long has it been now, since the first day the path of their lives crossed in the basement gym of the Youth Center? Months have passed by and so much has changed. A couple seasons have come and gone, an enigmatic tournament rose and ended, another term of school is behind the girl, another season of the Neo League under her belt, and she's finally gone back to the home she walked away from to begin her studies at the Kyokugen Dojo so long ago.
But some things remain the same. Kentou is the student and she is the teacher. Week after week she's tried to teach him what it means to be a martial artist the way she sees it. Not just the fighting skills but the way he carries himself, the way he deals with others, the disciplines and self restraints necessary... for if one is to master a skill, one must also master themselves. Hopefully some of the things she's tried to get across have stuck.
Among the things that have definitely changed is how far along the dedicated, determined, enthusiastic youth has come. Taking to her lessons like a fish to water, she's been able to observe the improvement over time. Reflecting on their first 'match', as it were, brings a faint smile to the Kenpo artist's lips. He's not like that anymore, she ponders.
The time is early morning, the air still crisp and moist after a gentle rain from the night before. Two of the dojo's walls have been opened up to air it out, allowing the breeze to pass through from one side to the other. Through the open wall on the left is visible the large home the girl grew up in the last few years after her family moved back from a long period of time in China. An interesting mixture of European and Japanese styles, unlike the dojo it was built not too many years ago, replacing an older structure on the propery.
Through the open wall on the right is visible a very traditional Japanese garden. The trees are mostly bare but the plants arranged in small clumps around a tranquil pond still maintain some of their leaves. A trickle of water pours into a hollowed bamboo shoot, filling it up to the point of tipping then falling back into place with a wooden *knock* once some of the water spills out.
The dojo's floor is empty but for the few columns along the center holding up its high arched roof. With the amount of light coming in from onside the artificial illumination, installed in the aged but meticulously maintained building, is left turned off.
"Come ready to spar," she had told him the night before. A progress check. Learning from Hotaru may never earn him a 'belt' in anything, for there are no traditional tiers for him to rise through while training in the Futaba family style of Kenpo. But there are benchmarks to obtain all the same and the best way to guage his progress is to see it in action for herself. "I'm eager to see how far you've come." Her tone had conveyed that eagerness. And now she's at the dojo proper, having arrived early to air it out with the opened walls. That chore done, the girl has passed the rest of the time iterating through a quiet Tai Chi kata. A warm up routine.
Kentou is not the same brash, wild thing that Hotaru had to schoo from the Youth Center that fateful afternoon.
Until he met Hotaru, the boy had never fought a real martial artist before. Untrained, unrefined. Only raw talent, and half-remembered memories of a Father whom he barely knew, had got him that far.
But only just so.
He was stubborn, impudent and prideful to a fault. Perhaps in a few years, on that path, he would have gotten a little better. But he would have only realized a fraction of the potential that others could plainly see he had.
Now? Kentou has blossomed. Grown in these few months through the many, many trials and travails that Southtown has to offer. Soul-crushing defeats, a week of terror worrying about his Master on a far away ship, endless hours of brutal training and confusing instruction that pushed him to the edges of his endurance and wits.
Kentou has much to show for this. Both physically and mentally, he has grown much. No longer the untamed little animal he once was, the boy has become unfailingly kind to all he meets. No longer mired in self-doubt and angst over his strength, his training under Hotaru-sensei has given him a serenity and confidence he had never before known. He has not only learned how to fight, but more importantly when to fight. When to talk, when to wait and when to just listen.
Kentou has far to go still. He has come a long way, but he's hardly perfect. His judgement, while occasionally insightful, is still needlessly foolhardy. His technique, compared to most, is yet sloppy and still less controlled.
But the proof of concept is there. That he can learn to use more and more of that great potential. For that, the boy cannot be thankful enough to his Master.
And usually... most times.. he manages to not be late to show a fraction of his tremendous appreciation.
Unfortunately, life conspires from time to time.
As Kentou was laid up pretty good for a day or two after his confrontation with yet another marauder upon the Youth Center, this time a French speaking debutante with designs upon the recently appointed leather-clad guardian of the center, the boy's work was backed up when he got back home. He had to make several extra deliveries, carrying heavier orders as an 'apology' for their tardy delivery at the bait shop. And no small amount of yelling from Ol' Sak for being so slow, stupid and irresponsible. >.<
As such, while Kentou is not tremendously late, the boy is running up the manor's street at his best speed in a bid to staunch the hemorrhaging of minutes from the clock. Huffing and puffing with wide eyes as his braids flail in the breeze behind him. As indescribably beautiful he often finds these luscious grounds, there is no time for appreciation as he races down the stone path and bounds to deck of the dojo in a single step. His feet slip from his comfortable Chinese slippers Yurika-san had given him weeks ago as he launches himself into the dojo proper.
"Hota*huff*Hotaru-s*puff*Sensei!!" Kentou's voice rasps as he all but skids to a halt upon the smooth floor, doubling over both in a semblance of a deep bow as his hands brace upon his knees, aaaand... because he's extremely out of breath. "I*huff*'m ready for*puff*training!" Long braids flopping over his shoulders in the abrupt motion.
While her eyes are closed when he finally makes his way into the wooden floored expanse that is the Futaba Dojo, Hotaru's eyes open to take notice of him seconds later as she slowly lowers the toes of her right foot to the floor and brings her arms to her side, exhaling slowly as she completes her kata.
"Really?" comes the amused reply, her mouth a quiet smile as she stands up straight, clasping her hands behind her back as she inspects the youth that claims to be ready for the day ahead when he looks like he's already worked hard enough for three shifts. "Better catch your breath first," comes the advice with a grin.
She had heard acounts of him fending off an unwanted visitor from the YFCC all by himself. The description that reached her by word of mouth matched someone she had fallen before some time before. That he took her own and got her to leave, albeit it at a great cost to himself, tells her he's definitely improved. There is the always the possibility that someday he'll even pass her by.
Hotaru certainly gets told a lot that she has limits that will keep her from ever growing further. 'Not vicious enough' said Kirishima. 'Weak, a disgrace' uttered her own brother as he regarded her with antipathy. 'Too gentle to amount to anything' spoke the masked Martyr. The extent she believes all of their predictions is varibale depending on day and mood, but for Kentou she has nothing but unlimited expectations. Her only regret would be that were he to exceed her there would be nothing else she could offer him.
But that time is a long ways off if ever, she consoles herself. For the forseeable future he needs her. And while it isn't as obvious to her, she needs him. "There's no hurry," she remarks with ironic patience for how hard he drove himself to avoid allowing any precious time the girl is offering to spend on his education go to waste. "I want to see how you do - being exhausted up front isn't part of that." she states.
Turning around she gazes out over the porch facing the garden, watching the breeze blow ripples across the pond. "It's a nice day today and I'm not going anywhere. We have time."
As Hotaru offers to give the boy a few moments to collect himself, his immediate urge is to refuse such kindness. One could almost consider that sort of talk to be sarcasm. A true fighter must always be ready to fight at any moment and at any time! Kentou has certainly learned that lesson himself. Having fought lunatics in mid-run while nearly breathless, while at the Youth Center in theoretical safety or after a full day of exercising and sparring. One never knows when one must defend himself, and mercy isn't something often shown in real combat.
But... Well, Kentou sortve can't muster up enough air in his lungs at the moment to refuse. Straightening from his bent position, the boy begins to speak repeatedly.. always halting after the first syllable to gasp for air. Only then does he sheepishly half-smile and double-forwards again, sagging in self-defeat.
To the boy, all of those supposedly superior warriors are dead wrong. Their foolishness couldn't be further from the truth. Viciousness, brutality and callousness have nothing to do with real strength. Hotaru is greater than all of them combined, and the worst tragedy of it all... Is that she so easily believes their lies.
As Kentou finally straightens himself after getting a good breather in this crisp, fresh air, the look in Kentou's eyes holds no ambition or pity. Complete admiration, utter devotion. No thought of one day surpassing Hotaru crosses his mind because he knows that's impossible. Nobody is better than Hotaru. The girl has no limits, save for those she imposes upon herself. He only feels such gratitude that he's been able to bask in her great skill and keen insight to improve himself in her wake.
"Okay." Kentou states evenly, his voice only a touch labored as he begins to shake out his arms. Shuffling his feet in place a moment while prancing back and forth energetically to get his blood circulation back up and stretch out his muscles and keep them from cramping with the abrupt change in tension, "..Hai, Hotaru-sensei! I'm ready!"
No questions on his lips. He never questions Hotaru's judgement or her orders. This is not to say he isn't a bit nervous..
Kentou is confident but still human. He worries a moment, knowing that this spar means a lot more than all of the other simple training exercises and limited spars he's had with her over the months. She wouldn't have made such a production of the request to come 'ready' unless she truly wanted to gauge his progress here and now. He can be perceptive that way, even if he usually is quite gullible.
For his anxiety, the boy doesn't feel much fear. He has come a long way, he can feel it. He knows it. He did well in his last few fights against superior opponents. He's two fold what he was when she first met him. His only worry.. Is if he can manage to prove it or risk making her feel like she's wasted her time.
The girl turns away from the tranquil garden as Kentou finally reclaims the ability to speak. That's better. Launching into a spar before that wouldn't have showed her what she wanted to see in this special evaluation. "All right," she states. "You look ready to me." He probably has no need to warm up, considering what his morning has been spent doing, she ponders. At least it means he's recovered from his encounter with the French woman if he's able to work so hard like that.
"I hope to see everything you can show me today." the girl states, her voice encouraging. Teachers all have their different styles and Hotaru is no different. She has almost never raised her voice to Kentou, never derided him, never expressed doubt in his abilities. Her approach seems merely to command respect by word and deed and hope that's enough to inspire him to follow her instructions. It's so unlike how she was trained as a child it's almost a wonder how she ever came to take this approach in giving instruction where a frown of disapproval carries the same weight as the worst tongue lashings some sensei's are known for giving.
The techniques, the timing, the self control, the focusing, the concentration. Sometimes the only way to demonstrate those principles is under the heat of intense, unexpected battle. But perhaps this stage has enough weight behind it to bring out his best without the life-threatening trauma he's been coping with in some of his recent fights.
"As this spar progresses, I want you to remember the things Frei has asked you to do. Concentrate on how you feel inside. There is a power in you that I know is there, just as Frei does. It's just a matter of bringing it out. Feelings, emotions... they're part of it, but there's more to it. An almost instinctual awakening of that ability when the time is right. Today may not be that time, but I still want you to feel inward all the same."
Her hands come forward from behind her back as Hotaru shifts into her own combat stance. Relaxed, light on her toes, one shoulder facing toward him, her arm extended out, palm forward. Her other arm hangs back, bent at the elbow, ready for striking or driving forward with the kind of strength it takes to deflect when necessary.
"Okay. Do your best." comes the simple encouragement. It's a statement she says to almost no one else and her tone suggests the phrase carries a certain weight with her. When she fights others, whether they do their best is their business, not hers. If they lose to her doing their best, then so bet it, and if they match her without doing their best, it only means she has more to learn. But for Kentou she really does want to see his best. Her smile fades as she becomes more serious. While her expressive blue eyes don't lose their glimmer, there's a marked solemnity to them now. This is an important occasion. The instruction comes as the girl exhales softly. No putting it off. The test must commence.
"Begin."
Hard work is the only kind Kentou knows.
With a morning job that has always been physically demanding and his rigorous regimen of training, Kentou has built up an amazing reserve of endurance, vim and vigor. The boy rarely gets tired, always energetic if not excited. Really, all he needs is a few minutes to catch his breath and he truly is ready to go.
At Hotaru's encouraging words, the boy smiles widely as his heart threatens to explode with anticipation. "Hai, Hotaru-Sensei!" She asked him to jump and she told him how high. Kentou has never done anything except precisely what was asked of him to the best of his ability. Not a shred of concern crosses his mind about going all out on Hotaru. She can more than handle anything he can dish out, he would never insult her by worrying about her safety from his own fists.
To Kentou, he is already his own harshest critic. Utterly unforgiving of himself and so completely devoted to Hotaru's teachings he never disobeys her. She has indeed proven the wisdom behind everything she has ever asked of him. She's asked nothing of him that she did not do so herself. There is no one Kentou's fought that Hotaru hasn't fought. No training exercise that she did not do right along with him. She never led by presumed superiority, but side by side.
As Hotaru echoes Frei's instructions, only then does the boy's resolve falter a fraction. His smile dampening a fraction as a more pensive expression overtakes it.
While he has grown beneath Hotaru's instruction by leaps and bounds, his studies with Frei have been slower. Through no fault of Frei's of course! If anything, only someone with Frei's intense wisdom and understanding of the subject matter could have brought Kentou to even this currently paltry level of comprehension. Kinetically, the boy is very adaptive and quick to learn. Metaphysically? .... He still needs work.
Still, Kentou nods emphatically with Hotaru's instruction. He should pass up no opportunity to apply those lessons. Perhaps here and now, in this fight, something will make itself clear. Or at the very least, give him some additional insight he can use for a possible breakthrough later.
"Hai!" The boy's simple response chimes at the final encouragement. Exhaling a cleansing breath once more as he lets his feelings flow through him. Dismissing his anxieties and tension while finding his center. A process Hotaru herself taught him.
"HUT!"
With that kiai, the boy's arms whirl in a complex motion. An image evocative of a spring-winding clock, the youth spins his arms until they slow with tension and lock into place. Since he started training with her, the boy's stance has begun to change as well. Similar to her own now, less rigid and solid than before. Fluid, light on his feet. While his fists are still closed, his arms are further spaced apart. Fists held at shoulder level, but elbows wider with his leading fist out further. More open, better capable of adapting and maneuvering.
Mousy brown eyes flash with determination, his expression a stoic mask of concentration.
A deep breath of the crisp morning air is taken in, the breeze bearing just enough power to ruffle her hair and red ribbons, and the girl closes her eyes for a moment. Finding her own center, her own focus, feeling those ties with the world around her. Martial arts. It's not just a sport. Not just a hobby. It's a way of life she has been trying to instruct Kentou in, lesson by lesson, over the last half a year.
And he's responded well. Growing fast, learning techniques remarkably quickly, and holding his own in defending the honor and property of others who may have done little for him. Though her expression is serious, there is a quiet flicker of a smile at the corner of her mouth that fades a moment later as the young sensei opens her eyes and exhales slowly, sapphire blue irises focusing back on the brown eyed youth.
"All right," comes the two words of quiet acknowledgement. Her fingers curl into small fists before stretching open, leaving her hands open palmed. The wooden knock of the bamboo tube against rock echoes through the large, mostly empty hall. The sound brings back memories of times bygone - so many years since the old dojo had played host to a spar. In the past a father and son dueled day after day, with a daughter given her chance to participate from time to time instead of lurking in the corners out of the way. But those matches radiated with tension, often unspoken ire communicated only through glares one would never associate with family.
But all of those trials, all of those harsh lessons provided by her father... they all pale in importance when compared to this little test of student verses teacher in Hotaru's mind. Her father would fight her ruthlessly to prove his point; to show that she was too weak to be taken seriously. She will fight Kentou seriously to prove her point; to show that he has come far since the distant fight in the YFCC that marked their initial meeting.
"Come at me," comes the instruction as the girl, not much taller and clearly lighter in stature than the boy, readies herself. There is so much more than the simple eye can see when it comes to these two.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has started a fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kentou has joined the fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
Clock.
The solemn sound of the bamboo striking rock echos within the dojo. Hotaru's words, matched in rhythm with the shishi odoshi, ignite a flash within Kentou's eyes. Like a stroke of lightning, the boy engages at once. Crossing the distance between them while his feet barely touch the floor. His months and months of constant sprinting have paid off in full, as his speed has reached new heights.
Not only his the youth physically faster, but his command over that speed as well. Possessing enough strength to have control over what used to be a purely mad dash towards his opponent. Eyes alert, senses keen, leaping into the fray with greater care.. while possessing high velocity.
Kentou launches himself through the air, rotating and maintaining the momentum of this spin with his leading leg outstretched, its opposite scissoring down mere moments after the first in a display of acrobatic agility. Hoping the pair of thunderous flying kicks will force her to move and break the root of her stance, perhaps leaving her open for follow ups once he touches down..
"HAAA-HUP!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Kentou's Heavy Kick.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kentou
The youth comes in fast and hard hitting and Hotaru responds quickly. While Kentou's sweeping kicks aim high, Hotaru slips into a low crouch, leaning down and sliding one foot to the side in the process. Her footing allows her to slip completely out of the way by the time Kentou comes down, one foot trailing behind just a little.
The evasive reaction gives him a split second time to get his footing when he comes down as Hotaru has to shift her own momentum from one direction in the other to make up for getting out of the way. "Ha!" comes the exclaimation as she finally rises out of the crouch with a forward lunging retaliation.
Stomping one foot forward to brace herself, the girl stretches her torso and subsequently her right arm as she slams her palm forward for a swift strike, potentially catching Kentou in the back if he hasn't turned in time. The attack leaves her a little over-extended but the girl isn't quite THAT off balance, pushing back on her forward most foot to try and straighten herself back up. He may have sought to throw her stance into question, but maybe she's going to do the same thing before he can recover from that leap?
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kentou with Quick Punch.
- Power hit! -
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Kentou
For a fraction of a moment, the boy's gambit seems to work. His feet touch the ground after making a full, swiveling arc through the space where Hotaru was standing moments ago. Landing solidly the boy continues the motion, just beginning to spin into what would have been his follow through while Hotaru's back was still turned...
..Only Kentou learns that the girl is still the faster! Or, equally likely, the girl saw through his strategy and was ready for it. That quick palm strikes the boy -hard- in the side, nailing his form while he was awkwardly twisted in mid-turn. A short yelp of surprise escapes him as he stumbles over his own feet from the blow. Staggering away a few steps but managing not to collapse to the ground.
His past decision would have been to press the attack anyway. Just recommit to the offense in a bid to keep the opponent from gaining momentum in the duel. However, the boy has learned that without solid footing and balance, all he's doing is simply exacerbating what would become a rolling disaster.
Instead, forcing himself to observe hard-learned patience, Kentou disengages from Hotaru. Quickly moving back and away a few steps to regain his balance, but a controlled withdrawal. Fists returning to their positions in a whirl of motion as he carefully shuffles backwards with measured footwork, regaining control of his breathing. Ignoring the pain while considering its effects on his performance, compensating while monitoring her own stance and movements. Anticipating her next move and inevitable counter attack. Watching.. Waiting..
COMBATSYS: Kentou focuses on his next action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Kentou
She's experienced enough with Kentou's tendencies and the habits of fighters in training to sense that internal struggle to decide between trying to catch her off guard before she can recover from her extended strike or taking 'control' in a different way, by not leaving himself open to any possible follow up the swift girl might have in mind to dish out next.
Hotaru's arm returns to her side and her body straightens out for a moment as Kentou backs up and reassumes his stance. He might notice it with his intense scrutiny - the ever so slight nod of approval, perhaps a sub-conscious gesture she's not even aware she's given, as she spends every second of the fight evaluating his technique, timing, speed, power, control over both his body and his mind... So far so good.
That she landed a strike and he hadn't is just part and parcel to the exercise. But there's no letting up yet as Hotaru gives Kentou a chance to deal with the trickier techniques she's been teaching him. It's one thing demonstrating against a wall or a kicking bag. It's another thing all together to experience it being directed at you...
The girl steps forward to close the distance between them with a short sprint. Cupping her hands together at her side, she turns her body as if lining up to deliver a powerful double palm strike -
But the feint is deliberate as she shifts immediately to reaching out for the young student's arms in an attempt to grasp a tight hold of his defending limbs before pulling his guard apart just long enough to deliver three quick kicks, one to his thigh, one to his stomach, and one final one to his shoulder as she continues right /over/ him. Unlike the backflip she's normally finished the technique with, Hotaru intends to simply come down behind him and land, keeping her back toward him without turning back around, her torso twisted just enough that her left arm can rest against her right knee, her head turned to look over her shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Kentou fails to interrupt Shin-Jou Tai from Hotaru with Tekkoudan.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Kentou
Kentou waits for it. At first, his caution seems to bear fruit as Hotaru indeed follows through with her attack. His back-peddling buying him a few extra moments to react as he watches her approach almost as if in slow motion. His arms tense and eyes widen, spying what seems like an opening.. Yes! Her double palm strike seems a bit slow, hesitating just a fraction. This could be his chance!
The boy's heart leaps as he commits, launching himself forward with a powerful vault. Charging into her attack as he attempts to close the distance and overwhelm her direct assault with a counter-attack of his own. His fists fly forth as he twists into the strike, arms parallel to the ground as his double-fisted strike barrels forth like a battering ram,
"TEKKOUD-"
For a fraction of a moment, time itself freezes as Hotaru's hands part around his projected limbs.. And at once Kentou realizes he just walked into a trap. A trap he certainly should have recognized as he trained with that very move! However, it is far too late now.. As he just about shoves himself into Hotaru's stamping feet. Easily racing up his form and -shoved- into the Dojo floor with the finishing step. She need not even look over her shoulder as the boy -slams- face first into the mat.. sliiiiiding a good ten feet away while buckled backwards in an arch. Only when sliding to a halt does the rest of him finally flop back down to the wooden floor.
Aagh. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Has he learned nothing? He can't even lay a hand on her, even still. It even seems like he's actually doing worse than when he first truly fought her! What's wrong with him? He must be missing something.. something extremely important.
Whatever it is, he'll have to try and figure it out quickly. He knows he can't take another hit like that. As is.. The boy shuffles to his feet awkwardly. Stumbling about a moment as he faces the completely wrong direction.. Only finally shaking his head sharply to force his vision to stop spinning before quickly turning to face his Master yet again. He won't give up, he won't!
As she looks over her shoulder the girl chides herself a little. That was one of her most advanced techniques she gave him to deal with just now. Too much, she tells herself. He's learning, but he's not ready to cope with something even some of the most elite fighters in the world have struggled to respond to correctly. She narrows her eyes, worried that he might not be able to get back up. She hit him hard there and she knows it. Too hard, she tells herself. That isn't what he needs.
Slipping out of her back-turned stance to face the boy directly, her mouth is tight lipped, her mind struggling for the proper words. Words of encouragement might come across patronizing after that assault. He did what he could to catch her mid-strike but it just wasn't the right move at the right time to counter it. Dealing with painful disappointments like that is nothing new for anyone who's been around the block once or twice in the world of fighting, but it stings differently when it's happening to her own student.
Instead she choses silence, her expression maintaining its seriousness as she watches him struggle back up to his feet. The time for talking with be later. At least he's standing, she tells herself, before dismissing the self incriminating thoughts. Going easy on him isn't what he needs either right now.
There's that faintest little nod of approval just before he turns to face her, requiring a moment to get his bearings. He's not through with this yet. By the time he faces her, Hotaru has slipped back into the stance she had adopted at the start of the match, blue eyes watching him intently. Laying a hand on her may not be in the cards but that isn't exactly what she's evaluating here anyway...
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Kentou
The fact that Hotaru had to wait for him to get up was embarrassment enough. Seeing that she's just patiently waiting for him forces a sharp exhale, but he forces himself to keep from despair. No, he needs to think now and think hard. Remember what she told him to do, remember her words.
Be in touch with how he's feeling. Connect with himself and the emotions within his thoughts and actions.
Right now? Frustration.. The harder he tries the worse it gets. But that's negativity talking. He cannot defeat himself before he even throws a punch. Maybe, that in itself is part of the problem.
Kentou has already convinced himself that Hotaru will beat him. That may certainly be true, but if there's not a shred of thought for success in his mind, he is well and truly doomed. Just thinking she's better than him is an easy way out. Absolving him of trying. Saying someone is just better is another way of simply giving up, because that's easier than -really- trying.
Only true cowards defeat themselves while an ounce of strength is left in their bodies.
With this revelation, a flash of insight burns in Kentou's eyes. His fists close tighter as his jaw sets. Hotaru's dancing images slowly bur into one true outline as raw determination sweeps away all other thought.
Strategic thoughts begin to come to mind now. Options swirling as he considers them carefully, beginning to move in his stance more freely as he observes for a few moments longer. He could try to overwhelm her speed, but that would leave him open to her superior technique and skill. He could try to cautiously approach her, but then she could evade him with hardly any effort at all.
Oooor.. He could try what she wouldn't expect..
Decision made, the boy begins his approach. Once more taking a few quick steps before leaping into the air! Spinning about in what seems to be a mimicry of his first opening assault. His legs sweeping up and over in what would be a tremendous kick.. If they were genuinely aimed for her.
No, this is merely an attempt to get her to once again evade.. hopefully using the same pattern as she did before, as the boy's mid-air twist is designed to have him land -facing- precisely where she dodged to last time.
Banking everything on this fake-out, the boy closes his trap before he can even see which way Hotaru went. Leaping into the air and potentially racing up her form with a series of short, hopping kicks and finishing the ascent with a flipping backward leap away.
"SHINJOUTAI!!" The words blurted seconds after his hidden strategy is unveiled..
COMBATSYS: Kentou successfully hits Hotaru with Shin-Jou Tai.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Kentou
For all her experience in trying to read the choices opponents make in combating her, for all her practice, for all her speed... she's definitely not untouchable, nor is she psychic. Kentou takes a leap for her just like at the opening of the fight and she decides to show him that repeating the same technique over and over is rarely the path to success. Surprise an opponent once? Sure. Twice with the same move? Not likely... Unless of course the surprise is that it ISN'T the same technique again.
Sliding into a crouching lean to the side just like the first time. She notices his twist from behind her parted bangs but doesn't realize what it implies in time. Attempting to react, she pulls her hands in, trying to get a palm in-between his feet and herself, but his speed is just barely enough to slip through her last second guard and Hotaru finds herself being struck by her own famous technique, Kentou pushing off from her shoulders into a backflip away, leaving the girl reeling a little in surprise, blue eyes widened more from how skillfully he pulled off the entraping move than the feeling of his light strikes. Impressive.
But her recovery is swift, the Kenpo artist darting forward a veritable blue and white blur even as the boy is attempting to make the same sort of escape she always tries after the daring move. And... like so many opponents have tried to do with her, she attempts to intersect his landing point - The downside of the Shin-jou Tai, getting away cleanly is almost as important as delivering it properly.
Retaliation comes in the form of a swift sweep with her right, the girl turning her whole body around to deliver the attack, before spinning back up into standing and following up with a side kick straight for his chest with the same foot to complete the momentum. "KYA!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou dodges Hotaru's Light Kick.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Kentou
He did it... He actually did it!
As the boy sails upside-down through the air, the revelation of actually managing to penetrate Hotaru's hitherto invincible defenses strikes him. His eyes wide as he cannot help but feel a sense of elation as his previous theory was proven correct after all.
That's what he was missing! That was the vital component! He can't think of defeat.. He has to think about his opponent, no matter who it is. Never give in to despair, no matter what. Use his brain to be one step ahead and..
..Oh yeah, the ground..
It is not skill that saves Kentou from Hotaru's exploitation of her own technique's weakness. Just dumb luck.
The boy lands awkwardly after his flip, distracted by his own revelatory moment as his thoughts dare to be somewhere else a little too long. Landing with one foot crossed behind the other, the boy immediately collapses backwards. Flopping gracelessly on his backside in a clumsy tumble..
..Which was the only thing that spares him Hotaru's very canny strike as her side-kick lances through the air where Kentou was a mere fraction of a second ago. Her leg breezing past his head, which tilts just a fraction to the side while his bangs whip about from the breeze..
"..Ohgeez.." Is all the wide-eyed, dumbfounded boy can say about that as he hastily collects himself. Rolling away at a perpendicular angle before spin-kipping up to his feet in a rush of motion.
The disciple berates himself mentally for letting himself get so distracted in mid-combat, no matter how excited he feels! He just managed to dredge up a reason for her to be proud of him, he shouldn't give her another reason to feel totally embarrassed by being sloppy now!
The youth strikes out with a fast close-fisted strike. Swinging his arm around in a hooking punch while dancing away from her. Not much power behind the blow, just trying to regain some distance and put her on the defensive once again.. or at least slow her mounting offensive enough to give him a moment to plan..
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Kentou's Quick Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Kentou
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has saved the state of this fight.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Kentou
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has left the fight here.
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Kentou 1/-------/=======|
Her foot spins through the air only to snap back to her side as Kentou manages, even if not entirely by intent, to avoid the two swift strikes aimed to take him off his feet again. Of course, he kinda took himself off his feet for her! She steps forward, appearing to have no intent of letting up just because he slipped after connecting with a highly acrobatic attack, but his clenched fist causes the girl to stop short, leaning back in time for his hand to swing past.
"Good," the girl murmurs beneath her breath, the expression coming almost unbidden. She hadn't meant to comment on his performance until the exam was over, but she can't deny that she's proud of how he's done. Something changed in the middle of the fight - she could tell it, even before he landed the Shin-jou Tai. An epiphany perhaps, a moment of discovery in the midst of challenge. Someday that epiphany may be the discovery of how to use chi. Of that she is certain.
His quick strike bought him time though, even if he didn't manage to connect against the girl, and Hotaru is forced to hesitate for a moment. When she moves though it is with remarkable speed, leaping up into the air, taking advantage of the high ceiling the dojo proffers. Her jump goes long, literally taking her over the top of Kentou before the girl pivots around, facing him even though she's behind him.
Her descent will bring her down, right knee first against his shoulder. And if she should connect she'll follow by swiftly kicking with her left foot to backflip off of him, landing a few yards off after coming out of the move. If she misses? Well, she'll be able to get her footing in time to keep from cracking her knee against the floor at least!
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kentou with Rengeki Shuu.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Kentou
Good.. Good!
Kentou can't help but let a smile crack his rigid determination. His eyes softening while his fists remain upraised, never leaving his stance but clearly taking stock of the moment. Already reveling in his momentary victory in brief earlier, the boy knows he can't let his mind wander that far away again. He can't let himself let go of his determination that easily..
...But he can't help the wave of happiness rushing up from his heart.
However, the boy tries to swallow it back down again as Hotaru is on the move once more. Quickly closing the distance he managed to buy for himself, the boy considers this new tact. Before she was often content to simply allow him to attack and expound upon his numerous mistakes. Her taking the fight to him presents a whole new manner of challenges. His first reaction? To get the heck out of the way!
As Hotaru leaps over him cleanly, he immediately swivels on his back foot until he faces behind him. Reversed stance now leading with the opposite foot.. Figuring the girl will land behind him and use his shifted position against him..
..Unfortunately, his assessment is completely wrong as she virtually lands -ontop- of him. Her knee SLAMMING into his shoulder and instantly buckling him down to one knee with the impact. Jarring his torso to the side as he lets out a squack.. Only to be instantly silenced as the flipping kick cleanly strikes his jaw. Sending the youth flipping over one full rotation before slamming down face-first in a heap.. Not terribly far from where he crashed moments ago from an earlier crash.
This time, Kentou isn't quite so quick to get back up.
A moment passes before the boy grouses quietly. Favoring the arm opposite of the knee-strike to slowly push himself back up. Blood drips along the corner of his lip, but he pays that no mind.
Heh! Kentou underestimated himself even, he actually could take another hit like that previous one! See.. He's tougher than he even thought!
Though, as the youth wobbles in his stance, tries to reassess his options. All of which seem mighty grim. True, he actually managed to connect on her.. But it nearly exhausted him and he's taken a tremendous amount of punishment to do so. To say nothing of the fact that his connected attack barely even ruffled her.
One thing is for sure.. If he stands there thinking about it she certainly will finish him off!
"HaaHAAT!" With a shout, Kentou charges. No longer mindful of careful strategy. He simply doesn't have the resources to execute another of that scope now. All he can hope is that Hotaru over-analyzes his actions expecting a deeper strategy at play.. when his method is deceptively simple and direct. With a burst of speed, the boy vaults across the remaining distance in a single step. His fists flying rapidly in a hailstorm of lightning-fast blows, "FUUHAKEN!"
Regain the offensive, don't let her mount another attack like that? Pray he can see through her counter strategy? The only hope the boy has left!
COMBATSYS: Kentou successfully hits Hotaru with Fuuhaken.
- Power hit! -
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Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Kentou
Landing in a half crouch after her backflip from off of him, Hotaru pauses long enough to give Kentou time to get back up. While she's intentionally kept the pressure on the boy for the last several seconds, she isn't about to go kicking him when he's down. That isn't training. At least, not in her mind.
But when he's up, she's moving again, sprinting forward to meet him in the center of the dojo. That is, of course, right before he comes charging back at her. Turning her forward most foot sideway, the girl slides to a stop, socking clad feet slipping a little further than she had expected due to her forward momentum.
She should have stuck to her guns, all things considered, for trying to make a course correction at that point leaves her open to his rapid series of strikes. Individually none of them impact the girl terribly hard, but she is stunned severely enough that she can't mount a defense even halfway through the move, one of her arms coming up to try and push Kentou back only to get struck aside by his own fists.
When the series of strikes ends, the girl merely stumbles back a little, hand coming up to rub her rapidly reddening cheek. She walked into that one, she realizes, her mouth forming a faint grin, but his technique had timing necessary to catch her off guard as well and that's not something easily dismissed.
The pause is brief before Hotaru charges the boy again, leaning in low before rising up into a single palm strike aimed dead center on his chest with her left hand. Her right hand follows a moment later as she twists her shoulders to transfer the rest of her forward momentum into the second strike right behind the first one, somehow managing to pour more strength into it than the first blow. "YA!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou blocks Hotaru's Strong Punch.
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Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Kentou
The boy was seriously not expecting to feel contact on his knuckles. Her own miscue coupled with him deciding at just the right time to mount an assault mixed together into a virtually improbable result. The slight widening of his eyes is proof enough the boy is all but baffled about his own success, but he does not hesitate now! Keeping the pressure on as he finishes through with his technique, ending the volley of strikes in an exhausting roar.. Only to stumble a few steps forwards himself. Arms limply hanging at his sides from the extreme effort of the technique, mousy eyes taking stock of the damage he has wrought. Oooh, if only he had just a little more energy left to him! Just a little more speed.. He could have kept on the offensive and never let her do anything but continue to stumble.
As is, Kentou's nigh-miraculous offensive buys him the few moments he needs to prepare for Hotaru's retort. His arms shaking out a moment to regain their utility, hastily thrown upwards as his watchful eyes remain ever-alert. Crossing forearms block the projecting palm, keeping her from connecting with his ribs but the force of that initial strike is enough to make him slide back a few inches..
..And the following blow strikes his blocking arms yet again with enough force to send him sliding no less than five paces! The boy gasps for air, shaking his pained arms out as he marvels at the force she can so easily project with open hands.
She's taught him how, but the months of work and only being partly successful at it makes him appreciate how easily she does it yet more.
This, however, is the end. The boy can feel it in his knees. The weakness in his limbs, the ache in his chest. Most importantly in his training, Kentou has begun to really understand his own body and its limitations.. And he's begun to truly recognize the signs when he's reached them.
Kentou must strike her with everything he has right now, because he can stand for no more than ten seconds longer. A direct assault will be expected this time, and she will never make the same mistake twice. The boy has little time to think on it, he can only set his final trap in motion and let the speed of his master technique decide!
Kentou leaps away from his master, twirling away from her as far as he can vault in a single jump. Hoping that the girl interprets this as an evasive action, and pursues him accordingly. Spinning as tight and fast as the technique necessitates keeps him from following the movements of his opponent until the very last step.. Which comes as the boy lands in a deep crouch. All of the mechanically stored energy of the spinning leap held in a singular ball of tension, before exploding outwards like a cannon. A shock-wave ring of kinetic force spreads outwards from his point of launch, spreading a fraction of a second in his wake as he strikes faster than the normal eye can see, "TENCHISHUUEN!" Words blurted at the last second, having hid them from her until.. He can only hope.. it was too late for her to do anything about it..
COMBATSYS: Kentou successfully hits Hotaru with Tenchi Shuuen.
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|==-----\-------\0 Kentou
Forcing him back with her two strikes, Hotaru straightens back into standing, herself, rather than pushing the offensive. He defended against her strikes well enough to retaliate with something and her intent is to not leave herself too extended for just that possible course of action. He's thinking fast, shifting his tactics, trying different techniques to combat her own skill and speed.
And as Kentou leaps back, pulling together all of his kinetic power in order to deliver a single, powerful strike at the speed that rivals fighters with far more experience than he, Hotaru holds her ground. She's seen his prized technique before and in a blink of an eye saw right through it with enough precision to undo it with a carefully applied tap of pressure.
But when her student launches at her this time it is with the kind of speed she's seen in fighters years ahead of him in experience. A floor made of shoddier materials would likely have been blown to splinters beneath the shockwave left in his wake as the young Kenpo artist blitzes right back at her, closing the distance between them with nearly impossible to follow speed.
She tries to find it again - the moment she can undo the attack in its entirety. But try as she might it just isn't there and even trying to step out of the way instead comes too late. His fist connects dead center on her chest with enough force to knock the light weight fighter clean off her feet. He's gotten that much better, she realizes, flying backward several yards. His form tighter, his control more accurate, and his strength improved. If she was looking for evidence of Kentou having come anywhere since the day she first laid eyes on him, that delivered strike would certainly be it.
Were she more beaten by earlier strikes that might have been the limits of what she could even take from her student. But the girl flips over while still in mid-air just in time to slam both of her feet against one of the support pillers, bringing an end to her fall and lining her up to retaliate all at the same time.
It's then that she digs deep, bringing together emotion, feelings, instinct, focus... in the shadowed hall a glimmer of blue illuminates along Hotaru's right forearm in the instant her feet are braced against the pillar. And then she leaps, pushing off from the beam and swinging her arm forward at the same time, unleashing a pulsating, shimmering sphere of sapphire hued force bearing back at Kentou. "HA!"
Her own momentum takes her into a forward roll as she catches herself with her hands after dropping back toward the dojo's floor.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kentou with Hakki Shou EX.
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Hotaru 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Kentou
It was... Everything he had. Every last scrap of endurance left in him. The Tenchi Shuuen is a demanding technique in the best of circumstances, and his reserves were already nearly tapped out already.
But to do anything less would be a grave, unforgivable insult. She only deserves his very best, and he would never give anything less. When she first saw the technique, it was flawed. Potent, but flawed. Now.. She has seen first hand the results of her careful cultivation. The yet-greater speed she's trained into him with demanding physical tasks. The vastly superior precision she had taunt him, honing his senses to a razor's edge. And yes, in the depths of the raw physicality of the technique, a greater level of Chi. His spirituality has grown as well, guiding his actions and strength.. Even if it has yet to visibly manifest.
These things have combined together to craft a stronger whole. Alloying all of these strengths and improving what he had ten fold.
The proof of her success, Hotaru can feel on her chest. All of these elements she had so ardently tried to teach him have born fruit. Her worries about her ability to teach him anything.. Are forever now proven to be unfounded.
Of course. Kentou still has a long way to go yet.
While he's learned much in the way of tempering his aggression and speed with intellect and wisdom, The boy still overextends himself far too much. In the aftermath of his mighty blow, the boy buckles over. His balance completely destroyed as his recovering fist flails about helplessly. Yes, he landed his best attack.. But his aggression has cost him the match, as he is in absolutely no position to defend himself from a Focused Strike.
The boy can only lift up his brown eyes, briefly reflecting the image of the ball of cerulean light.
..So beautiful..
A wordless squawk explodes from his lips as the force of energy collides soundly with his chest, carrying the youth completely off his feet as his limbs flail helplessly in his wake. Riding the impact in mid-air across half of the Dojo until the momentum burns itself out and the youth -crashes- onto the floor. Skidding to a halt for the final time as his head bumps against the edge of the lowered fighting area.
Only a slow tilt of his head and a soft murmuring sound reveals that the youth possesses consciousness yet. Perhaps against all odds.. By sheer willpower alone.. The boy just begins to push himself up, gritting his teeth and pushing with effort that he does not own. A second more.. and stark reality asserts itself. The boy simply collapses back to the floor audibly, limbs splaying out as his body utterly fails him.
This fight... is over.
COMBATSYS: Kentou takes no action.
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Hotaru 1/--=====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Kentou can no longer fight.
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Hotaru 1/--=====/=======|
Her roll along the ground brings Hotaru out into a low crouch, arms out at her sides, feet spreed apart some distance. Some have seen the stance before, typically right before she drives her shoulder into them with a powerful Tenshin Shou counter strike. But Kentou won't be making any more attacks this match, that much is evident as the youth comes to a rest a ways off.
Slowly the girl rises to her feet, a worried look in her eyes. Kentou's a tough kid and she should know better than to panic but there's that sinking concern she can't help but feel when she sees him no longer moving, that hidden fear that maybe she went too far. Though she has never once used any of her most powerful combinations on him, she knows that even the attacks she does deliver are powerful in their own right.
As he flops back down Hotaru's sock clad feet can already be heard spanning the distance between them, the girl sliding to a stop right at his side as she drops to her knees, her hand coming out to rest against his chest. "Kentou! Kentou! You did wonderful... you've come so far..."
There's almost a tremor to her voice as she speaks. Everything about him in that fight showed her what he had learned. His dedication to give it his all combined with her instruction has brought him this far. He couldn't have done it on her own and she couldn't have carried him the distance - the two work as a team to better each other in different ways. "Wait here," she states. He'll hear the rustle of clothing as she rises to her feet and steps out of the dojo, leaving him in silence for a little while.
When she returns it is with a silver platter, adorned with a circle of various types of cookies and two large glasses of water which she places down carefully on the edge of the raised area around the border of the dojo. Her serious expression from before has been replaced with a quiet, almost beaming expression as the girl settles down, legs hanging over the edge of the raised area, seated right next to where the boy came to a rest.
Studying him intently, she finally asks, "I hope that was everything you had wanted it to be. You sure have put your practice to use. A finer Shin-jou Tai I've never seen," she states with a quiet smile, hand reaching out to select a chocolate chip cookie from the plate. Freshly baked like all the rest, straight out of the Futaba estate's kitchen, the young heiress having left instructions with the staff first thing in the morning.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has ended the fight here.
The kenpo master may never get over her worry for the boy. But then, that's what makes her a good teacher. Stern discipline and confidence are important ingredients, but compassion is a part that should never be overlooked.
Thankfully, her worry is indeed unnecessary as she approaches his prone form. With blood on the corner of his lip, Kentou certainly looks banged up, but its nothing that rest can't fix. Considering the beatings, stabbings and other unsorted forms of bodily mutilation he's suffered since coming to Southtown, this dust-up feels downright therapeutic.
That said, Kentou isn't about to sit up for a little while.
Once the boy's surrender is total, only then do his limbs simply rest where they lay. His chest rising and falling briskly beneath her hand as his scrunched eyes flutter open to look up to his master's blurry face.
Her words echo in his ears as his lips slowly pull into a tentative grin, "..I.. I did? ... I did.." He certainly thought he did much better, but hearing -her- speak those words means much more than his hazy self-appraisal.
The boy is actually a bit grateful as Hotaru abruptly rises, bidding him to wait for her. Managing to nod his head lightly he then rolls his head to the side and closing his eyes. Taking these few moments to just breathe and recover from that most glorious beating.
But the time the Sensei returns, Kentou's eyes are much brighter when turning to her. Actually managing to sit up very slowly, left hand moving to his right shoulder which was smacked pretty hard by her previous technique. His expression is unconcerned about his injuries. Rather, his eyes brighten considerably at the gleaming platter! He can already smell the contents from across the dojo and his bare feet wiggle in approval, "Oooo!"
As she arranges herself near him, he scoots himself back a few inches. Pressing against the pillar at the corner of the lower-area, helping him remain upright for the moment. Waiting patiently for her to take a cookie for herself, only then does he reach out with his left hand to accept a baked confection with a somewhat questioning look.
Just in case she didn't give him permission to have one yet, of course!
"..A..Awww.." Kentou's cheeks fluster, tilting his gaze away for a moment. Completely unused to -that- level of compliment! "I..I'm just glad I.. didn't embarrass you, Hotaru-Sensei.."
The fact that he did not? That is precisely everything he wanted it to be.
"I.." The boy's voice trailing a moment. Putting everything that's happened since he met her in perspective, leading to this milestone.. He finds himself without the words.
The match wasn't just everything he ever wanted it to be.. Everything is everything he's ever wanted it to be. His training. His progress. His Master. Kentou's starting to feel like some kind of latter-day martial arts Cinderella. Going from being a complete nobody to a star pupil of one of the most famous fighters in the entire world.
What can he even say to her?
"...I just.. .. Ah.." Chocolate eyes drifting behind his unruly bangs. Laughing once in helpless, wordless elation.
As he hesitates with the cookie, Hotaru picks up one of the glasses of water then nudges the platter closer to the boy, making it pretty clear that he's welcome to his share as well as the iced drink. Her eyes are on him as she looks him over, doing her best to evaluate his reaction to the chance he had to demonstrate the things he had learned with her since she agreed to teach him in that humble little room of his not so terribly long ago.
"Embarrass me? Not at all," the girl replies, shaking her head with an almost chiding expression tempered by the smile on her face. Nothing could be further from the truth right now. "You were great. You have real talent for it." His short bout of laughter gets the girl to shake her head again, biting into the cookie would giving him a thoughtful look. She hesitates to ask, fearing the answer might be a bit of a downer after the pick-me-up he's had.
But she would be irresponsible to not ask, to find out. "When you executed your Tenchi Shuuen... did you... did you feel anything unusual?" There's something about that technique of his, she's come to realize. It isn't just raw physical power. The speed was beyond what his body should be able to do. "I-," she frowns a little. She wanted Frei to handle his chi instruction, after all, and the way she seems a bit awkward probably reflects why she asked the monk to help with that aspect.
"Well, what I mean is, while there was no visible sign of it... in order to perform that technique requires channeling energy of a sort..." Her cookie finished, the girl rests her hands against her stomach, struggling to come up with the clever words she's sure Frei would have at the tip of his tongue in an instant. "That is to say, ah, I think you're getting closer to learning the next step of chi manipulation."
Her hand extends to retrieve a second cookie and the girl falls quiet. "I was just wondering if you could feel it within yourself. As I said before, it is a somewhat instinctual thing... but to get to the next step you'll need to become fully cognizant of the chi flowing through you."
Kentou is more than a little thankful that Hotaru sees fit to interject with her own comment. Immediately silencing any further stammering by stuffing a delicious cookie into his maw.
Ghnn. Eye-rollingly good. Easily one of best cookies he has -ever- tasted.
Its part of a fighter's high. Having such eminent jeopardy so near. Having his senses put on edge with battle. Everything smells sweeter, sounds sharper and tastes absolutely delicious. To say nothing of a freshly baked, mouth-watering chocolate-chip cookie. Especially with such praise and heartening words.
Of course, Hotaru's continued appraisal only colors his cheeks brighter and brighter. The boy mumbles something vaguely dismissive of himself as his eyes glide downwards, sucking the crumbs from his fingertips.
Downer? Nothing on Earth could bring down his mood from this moment. Except maybe a gunshot wound. But even that he'd be okay with, he thinks. The perceptive question mercifully spares the boy from his squirming fluster beneath her words and thoughts drift then to that moment. Eyes lifting upwards contemplatively as he grips the cool glass of water.
Kentou can remember ... Barely thinking. He needed space.. He needed to lure Hotaru out of her defense. Bring her forward a few steps.. just a few. Leap back.. spin and ..
...He felt serene but there was no reason to feel that.. His body was so laced with raw adrenaline, his heart was an exploding star. Everything in his world rolled back and focused into a single point.. A single purpose. It lasted forever and was barely a moment. It just felt... Right. There was a flow to it.. Calm and pure, even in the eye of a hurricane..
Kentou's gaze continues to absently wander, searching some point outside of the Dojo and behind his eyes at once. Not responding immediately to the query.. Although as she qualifies the question his attention snaps back to her, "..Chi ... flowing.." Repeating the words.
While he has made leaps and bounds of progress under Hotaru's training.. His progress with Frei has been slow going, even still. He's tried harder and harder.. but it just seems to get further and further from his grasp. The boy just ... never quite seems to understand what Frei is saying. He can mechanically conceptualize what he describes but.. He just never seems to feel it. The sensation of Chi flow has proven completely ellusive..
...Until now?
"...M.. Maybe.." The boy softly admits after a fashion. Eyes drifting downward again, continuing to think and process this. Only now finding enough wherewithal to lift his glass and sip.
Ooop! Aah.. Cold water on a bloodied lip. His eyes flinch for a fraction of a second, but the chill proves pleasantly numbing a moment later..
"Good," the girl replies at his hesitant answer. Maybe is better than not at all. And more importantly, he gave it some serious thought. If he had simply nodded his head and rattled off a 'yes' response she would have had cause to wonder. But maybe is the right answer when it comes to things so uncertain as the gap he's trying to bridge. It will come in time. Of that she's certain.
"Hopefully we'll have a chance to talk with Frei about it some more. I'm sure he can help with more ideas." the girl states, her voice indicating not even a hint of doubt about it. Lowering her glass to place it back on the platter, she looks at Kentou for a long moment before glancing away, eyes straying over the garden just off the side of the porch.
"You know, I've been thinking," the girl remarks, hands coming to rest on her knees. "How do you feel about entering some competitions?" she asks, the question posed as she looks back toward him. It's kind of a big step. His last foray into such activities didn't go so hot, to say the least. But he wasn't prepared for that world back then, not to mention getting stuck with the most horrible lineup practically possible. Besides, the SNF events are pretty big league.
"Perhaps one of the local circuits. I think you're ready to give it a shot. It's something we could look into together. Find some event to get you into." Her smile is supportive then, the girl thinking back on her first excursions into fighting in front of cameras and crowds. To say she had stage fright would be putting it mildly. Of course, her father's constant disapproval at whatever she did wasn't a helpful factor. "It's time."
Kentou may have felt.. Something. But, he finds it hard to speak with any conviction on the matter.
It seems so easy for others. They just open up their hands and produce glowy things or make such obvious, clear expressions of supernatural power. He had assumed, in the rare moments when he thought he could have such abilities before meeting Hotaru, that he'd one day just snap his fingers after learning some secret technique and presto! After all, it seems like all of the powerful and skilled fighters could do it..
..Now he's beginning to realize why so few humans can do it. He would have long ago insisted that he has no talent for it, if it wasn't for Frei and Hotaru's insight into the matter.. Insisting he can.
Maybe he never truly believed it before.. Just like he never truly believed he could strike Hotaru. And he only progressed when he cleared his mind completely of such doubts.. and just acted.
Maybe Chi is much the same thing. Maybe that's what Frei has been trying to tell him..
He'll.. have to bring this up later. The boy quickly nods his head as Hotaru suggests conferring with the Monk once more.
Curiously, as Hotaru herself looks away in contemplation.. He finds it much easier to finally look back up to her. Unable to weather the sincerity of her clear blue eyes directly, Kentou can only easily beam his appreciation to her.. When she does not look upon him.
As his Sensei brings up a new topic, the boy perks up attentively. Lifting another cookie absently and urges her questioningly with a vocalized, "Hrm?"
As she looks back to her charge, Kentou's jaw claps shut with an audible 'click' as he crunches half of the cookie. Eyes frozen a moment in surprise as the crumbs roll down his chin.
Memories of his entirely inauspicious beginnings in that league come back to him. The terrible shame of fleeing from his opponent. Of the horrible things people in that Howard Enterprises company said to him before banning him from the SNF. Of being quietly turned away when he approached the NeoLeague for being 'unqualified'.
Black stains in his thoughts, all. But as terrible as those experiences were... He still wants to fight the best. His purpose has not changed, even if his methods have evolved by an whole order of magnitude. Kentou wants to show the world the strength of the Ondori fist! The best fighters in the world frequent those circuits. Aiming for the top right away was a mistake.. But other circuits? Smaller venues? Building his reputation and credentials? Yes.. It would be wise..
That.. and how could he refuse an endorsement from his Master? Assuming he'd even think for a second of refusing a second chance at what he wants most.
"..H...Hai!" The boy stammers, the other half of the cookie falling heedlessly onto his lap. Excitedly, the youth forces himself to scoot on his knees just enough to better face Hotaru and bow to her deeply. The aching protest of his chest and shoulder ignored for the sake of showing proper respect and gratitude for such a gift, "T..Thank you Hotaru-Sensei! I.. I won't let you down!" Fingers trembling as he grips his own knees. A little bit of joy.. a little bit of fear.
"Th..Thank you!"
As Kentou bows Hotaru shuffles her own legs under her, assuming a kneeling position facing him, her hands resting against the tops of her thighs as she looks the boy over. "I know you'll do your best, and in doing so, you'll never let me down, Kentou." the girl states solemnly.
She isn't used to having someone bow before her so even though she had so often repeated the traditional gesture when learning at the feet of her reluctant father so long ago. "I'm glad you're eager to give it an earnest effort. In order to really grow, you have to test yourself against other fighters of all kinds of disciplines and styles, getting used to the strenghts others bring to bear with their techniques as well."
Nudging the tray of treats to the side, she rises to her feet and brushes herself off with her hands. "Now then, if we're going to look into some exhibition matches, we should get some more practice in today." Her hand comes up to rub her side a little, where one of his strikes in the rapid flurry of blows that formed his Fuuhaken technique cracked her good. Not even the teacher gets to get out of these experiences without a little pain here and there.
"Do you have any questions about the spar?" she asks, hands resting against her sides as she approaches one of the dangling kicking bags in the nearby corner before stepping around it, placing her hands against the sides of it before peeking around from before and giving the boy a nod to come over and start kicking and punching the stuffing out of the thing, a usual routine in the training regimen she's had him go through when they've gotten together at the Futaba Dojo.
His Sensei's words are not without considerable weight. Moreso than the wisdom of understanding one's opponent ad much as one understands one's self.
The simple fact that.. Few opponents he has fought have been honorable. Some of them were not even true martial artists. Merely thugs with strange power or great strength. The boy does not fancy himself as some kind of hero conquering comic-book villains to save damsels in distress. Even if.. He's ended up doing just that on a few occasions now. Defending the Youth Center against an increasingly bizarre menagerie of misanthropes of all manner and stripe. The boy always tries to do the right thing if he happens to be in the right place at the right time.
This isn't to say, he goes out of his way to seek such trouble out. It seems the greatest fighting circuits in the world are filled with those monsters and fiends. Hardly using martial arts at all, often resorting to firearms, gadgets or misbegotten mutations they have no responsibility to wield. Before the boy dismissed such people as hoodlums better left to the cops to deal with.
Unfortunately, those very hoods are the ones standing before him in the fighting leagues. That.. Unlike training with Hotaru.. Was nothing like he imagined it would be. He imaged powerful fighters with friendly rivalries and true sportsman-like camaraderie. ...Not gangsters and thieves marauding the countryside like some pre-apocalyptic tale.
Kentou's world view has been forced to change. What he qualifies as a worthy and important opponent.. has changed. When Hotaru speaks of 'all kinds of disciplines and styles'.. She truly means 'All Kinds'. Including what to do if someone points a gun at him on live television, with Police cheering on from the sidelines.
With these thoughts swirling in his head, the boy nods with equal solemnity to her statement. Excited still, but very determined.
And as Hotaru casually gets to her feet, The boy nearly face-faults back down onto the floor. @.x
He feels like he got ran over by a truck, and Shin-Jou Tai is not that far off the mark! But.. She is right. He has a lot of practice ahead of him. Whats a few aches and pains compared to honing his skills even more?
Swiftly, the boy sweeps up another cookie and stuffs it into his mouth. Cheeks puffing out like a Squirrel's as he forces himself to his feet. Eyes squinting as he makes himself stand to his full height. Rotating his right shoulder for a moment as his left hand massages the impact area, deciding its merely bruised rather than anything that will truly slow him down.
"Fph..Fhai.." Kentou mumbles with his mouthful. Swallowing the cookie practically whole as his head tilts back dramatically. Hands clenching into fists audibly as his intense eyes stare right back at her. Meeting the challenges both here and in the future head on.
"When can we do it again, Hotaru-Sensei?" Kentou states with a grin as he quickly rushes across the dojo and back to his training.
Log created on 23:07:36 01/20/2008 by Kentou, and last modified on 02:28:57 01/25/2008.