Description:
The YFCC. A shining beacon in the mean streets of downtown Southtown. Down in the town that is south. Because it is called Southtown, but yet this is downtown. Downtown Southtown. Can you not see the humor in putting these words together?
It's rather early in the morning. Most of the kids that are likely to be here are probably due to hurry over to class by now. Some parents may treat this as a daycare or something and some of the children might be more permanent morning residents. Who knows? Ryuhaku Todoh doesn't.
But it sure as hell hasn't stopped him from entering through... uh, when did he get here? How did he get in here so deep into the lobby without anybody noticing? Does anything ever need to be said other than 'Todoh is suddenly here?' Well... no, not really. Sure, he's got a megaphone, a smug attitude, and absolutely no sense of politeness in mysteriously appearing within an established youth center for nefarious purposes and personal gain. He's wearing a sandwich board in crudely written English that he no doubt completed within five minutes with the help of several sharpie markers.
"HEY KIDS!!" That's without the megaphone, despite the use of all capital letters there. "While you're here bumming around in the morning, why not partake in the future of martial arts?! Any takers? Hm? Anywhere! Any time! Yeh hah hah hah! The first lesson is free! You'll be hooked in no time! Getting that chi flowing right into your fingertips and INTO THE FACE OF ALL WHO OPPOSE YOU, THAT'S RIGHT!"
With a voice that loud, brash, and annoying, he had no reason to bring in a megaphone to begin with. Maybe it malfunctioned simply in shame of the man's own natural volume. Mysteries continue to abound for all!
There's no school for Ingrid today- her classes are once a day couple few days, so she doesn't have much to worry about in that area. She decided to head over to the YFCC today to see if Alma was in, thinking it might be fun to meet him in a social setting. Sure he probably has a lot of work to do, but there's nothing saying they can't agree to meet up after he finishes up. She walks right on over to information desk in the middle of the main room, only to be given the unfortunate news that Mr. Towazu isn't here right now and could she please try again some other time?
But all hope is not lost, and she may as well check the fighting center out a little more now that she's here. Intending to check out the library she suddenly stops, a powerful presence seeming to just appear out of nowhere to her. A small smile crosses her lips as the first booming words echo throughout the building she listens to all that she has to say, and then turns around.
"Oh, a free lesson?" Her naturally high-pitched voice helps to make her sound ever so eager. She walks on over towards Todoh with a spring in her step, "I'd love to learn all about the future of martial arts!" She tilts her head a little and presses a finger to her cheek, "But... do you think it'd be okay for me to learn? I'm not really all that good with that chi..." She alters her voice to sound rather disappointed. Technically she isn't lying- she can't use chi at all! She folds her hands in front of herself and twists from side to side on her toes, "But I'd love it so much if you could teach me Mr.!" Her head tilts again, "What's your name again?"
Few other people seem interested. Some might even politely ask not to speak so loudly. Virtually every of these requests just roll off the thick skull that belongs to one Ryuhaku Todoh. This is normal and nobody should be alarmed. Yes. Nobody at all.
And then someone just skips over to him. This should be alarming to Todoh himself because this is probably the first time anybody has ever taken up his boasts and offers in earnest, but in his mind, they always do. They just don't know how to express their gratitude properly, or so he thinks! Sure, the dojo got exploded but the lessons must go on somehow until he bothers to hire someone else to fix it or puts in much more effort into it himself. (So why isn't he?)
"Who's this?" Look at how his face lights up! That widening grin of an utter madman. The glee in his eyes! "You heard me! Free lesson! You say you're not good with chi? Yeh hah hah! Well maybe I, Ryuhaku Todoh, the greatest there is," he totally is not if Ingrid has ever watched him on SNF a few times given his... colorful record, "can fix that! Yes. Hm, hm, hm... well, now," he brings a hand up to his chin to survey her from head to toe. A petite stature. Striking eyes. Enthusiasm! Perfect. Well, any student is perfect, really, he can't be a beggar when so desperate for pupils. (And he accuses Takuma regularly of just picking up any ol' regular joe off the street for Kyokugen!)
For her part, Ingrid simply pouts at the people who seem to be telling Todoh to hush up and go away. Can't they see she's trying to get a lesson from this obviously wise and experienced older gentleman? How very rude of them! "Ryuhaku Todoh? Are you the -real- Ryuhaku Todoh? I know all about you!" She doesn't even know who he is. "You're really willing to teach me?" Her eye seem to shine with joy at the possibility.
"Oh!" She suddenly exclaims, "I think I've forgotten to introduce myself." She slides her right leg behind her left and gingerly grips the hem of her skirt, lifting it gently as she bends at the knees in an elegant European curtsy. "I'm Ingrid Holmann, and I'm very pleased to meet you Mr.Ryuhaku." She looks up at him as if he's some kind of living idol standing before her, "What's the first thing I need to know about the future of martial arts?"
This is probably the first time someone has ever gone and said that to him, 'truthiness' be damned! "Oh ho! Yeh hah hah!!" Yes, inappropriate laughter is rather appropriate here. But then it's not... inappropriate. (Semiappropriate?)
Then he draws a fan and puts another hand on his hip - hey, where'd that megaphone he have but moments earlier go? - fanning himself an early congratulations. "You bet, miss... ah, Ingrid, hm, yes." He's sure he might have seen the first name in passing somewhere but never attached any importance to it, which is the same as any other name to him at all. The smile fades. Next, the stern, hard, cold stare of a master(?). "Your first lesson. Hm... the very, very first thing..."
What first thing should he impart upon her? This could be a critical step to her development as a fighter and maybe she should heed what he has to say (pffthahahaha). "The very first thing... no wasted movements! Everything must be for a purpose!" And then his foot starts to tap for no readily apparent reason. "And then... ah... hm, where else do I start with you..."
Ingrid almost claps with excitement when this proves to be the one and only real Todoh. Somehow managing to contain herself she holds herself to an incredibly large and happy smile. She holds her hands behind her back and rocks back and forth on her feet, seemingly full of energy and so very eager to learn
And then the first lesson comes. 'No wasted movements'. Her eyes widen and her mouth goes from a smile to a slowly widening 'o', the great and deep wisdom of his words shocking her. Her head then nods up and down, "I... I think I understand! Everything for a purpose... It just makes so much-" Suddenly she cuts herself off with a gasp, both hands slapping over her mouth as she realizes she's wasting so very much movement!
Her arms slap down to her sides and she stands in a ridiculously rigid manner. Her eyes blink as she looks up to Todoh while he taps his foot, eagerly awaiting the next revelation he has to give her.
The tapping foot. There must be a purpose for this, arcane and full of the wisdom of the ages... or at least the decades, because that's as long as any human life tends to last. The wisdom of the decades! The decades!
"Hm! I have... shall we say, a good feeling about you, young lady! Yes," he folds the fan in one hand and pockets it, er, somewhere. Likely the same plot hole that ate the megaphone. Pay this no further mind than necessary. "You seem to know... plenty. Maybe most of it is wrong, if not all, depending on where you heard it!"
The now empty hand that once had a fan now balls into a fist, save for the index finger, which remains outstretched to the bold, young Ingrid. It bobs up and down. Mockingly? Decisively? Serious business.
"Let us see what you already know!"
No more wisdom comes forth from the man, but instead a statement of confidence in her. It almost seems too much for the small young woman, who beams upward at him as he makes the statement. The fan goes away but that's not what her attention is focused on. She blinks a little when he says he thinks she knows things, and then looks at him curiously when the finger is pointed her way.
And then all of a sudden she looks crushed, like her entire world has been destroyed and she alone is left to mourn the loss. "B-but..." She looks down and one of her feet lift, toe against the ground as her leg twists from side to side. "But I don't know very much at all. I only know that you're one of the greatest martial artists ever and not to waste movements..."
And then she's suddenly hopeful again, hands clasped together with brightly sparkling eyes as she looks up to Todoh, "That's why I wanted to learn from you! I know there's so much you can teach me with your one free lesson!"
Anybody who knows Todoh is the greatest in the world must know something, because they at least know he is the greatest in the world and this may also imply she has a towel with her. Er... never mind.
He stays frozen in the pointing posture for a short while, as though something just whooshed past and didn't register. Or maybe the universe decided to lock up and was just recently rebooted. "Hmm," so Todoh thinks out loud as to remind people that he did not randomly become frozen in time and space to point at Ingrid's position until otherwise brought back into the time-space continuum proper.
"Very well. I will show you a demonstration of the foundation of the most important technique you should know should you wish to go far! And you will go far indeed, yeeeeeeeees," you can see those hands rubbing together in his eyes. And then in his actual hands, which do the same. "MOVING ON, the very thing I will instruct you first... ah, hm, how can I put this... so... delicately..."
Tact? From Ryuhaku Todoh? You wish. "You see all these kids glowing with all their colorful chi and auras and crap! And let me tell you! It is wrong! Wrong! WRONG! Too much wasted effort!" He throws up his hands in a gesture of frustration but it means so much more. "When they could've simply just focused at a point - or two, if they aren't confident," and then all of a sudden something awesome happens. Something awesome like three horribly ugly, blocky, chunky segments of that yellowish-orangeish energy he so cherishes like a part of himself, swinging his arms downward as if to guide their very descent by gravity onto the empty ground a ways away from Ingrid with a sharp cry. What masterful technique could this be?!
"See! No need for making all your arms glow like a firework! Just a little focus and a little gravity! Yep! Just like that! And you can do it too." Didn't even work up a sweat. Most people take considerable effort to work up chi in that sort of battle-usable fashion. No sweat's running down his face, no shortness of breath... well, maybe there's a lot of hot air in there, but when isn't there when it's Todoh?
The young woman continues to look up at him with sparkly, hope filled eyes as he points at her. And then when he decides that he's going to be good enough to demonstrate his power to her she literally hops up and down with excitement- only to stop herself because of the wasteful movements, of course.
She goes back to holding her arms by her side, eyes held wide open as she nods up and down along to his words. "Oh, I know that! I see it all the time on-" But it's wrong! "It is?!" She sounds scandalized by the announcement! But as he goes on to explain the truth and wisdom behind his statements makes perfect sense to her. It's that wasted effort again! So maybe that's what he was speaking of... but she'd better keep standing still just to make sure.
And then it happens, he shows off his masterful technique and control, that incredible focus as he delivers his glorious orange chi to the ground in perfect form. She stands star struck, mouth now hanging agape as she witnesses it. "You... you really think I'm capable of that? Oh, I don't know about that Mr.Ryuhaku... I don't know anything at all about even using chi." She looks somewhat distraught now...but if anyone can teach her, it's Todoh! "Please, can you teach me how? Pleeeaaaase?!"
Ingrid's excitement is the one stark contrast to the apathy and maybe even antipathy that comes from Community Center workers wishing this sort of thing would be taken outside or at least out of earshot. Guess what, naysayers? You're invalids right now! All that matters is the vague understanding that they are inside a community center talking about martial artsy fighter stuff. Little else that might be also interesting to a discerning eye hardly matters!
"Aaah... it takes effort! Time!" So the 'master' chimes in, relaxing his stance. Which is to say hands are back on his hips again to make himself stand tall and impressive despite wearing an unflattering and poorly designed sandwich board. But the man clearly believes everything /he/ himself says.
"Dedication to the art," as opposed to hatching schemes on Thursday evenings as to how to best ruin Takuma's Fridays, "rigorous scheduled training," as opposed to skipping off who knows where out in the world to ambush anybody who looks remotely interesting and accumulating loitering tickets galore, "and the old-fashioned values of persevering!" Instead of stealing another steamroller from city construction crews to see how far he can chase Ryo until he punches him off a cliff again.
"But as for /right now/," a hand comes up to his chin again, his expression going from that of boastfulness to careful thought as he trails off, "hmmm... hmm... the very basic nature of chi is... yes... well, now how do I begin... to say... that is..."
So what if everyone else doesn't care? Ingrid is the student here! Clearly it's the enthusiasm of her and the teacher that mater, and not the opinions of the simpletons who simply don't understand just how great the man in front of them is. Besides, this is the Young Fighters Community Center, not the Actually Pretty Good Fighters Community Center. Ingrid is young, and that is what counts.
Effort! Time! That first one is great, but the second one… well, that's not so good when we're talking about a single free lesson, is it? But oh, the young woman does not allow herself to be discouraged, her head nodding largely when Todoh makes his points. All these things ring with the sound of truth, the words bearing knowledge that simply cannot be a lie. For if you truly dedicate yourself, spend the time training, and put in maximum effort how can you fail?
All this builds a great excitement in Ingrid, who is now leaning forward as she clasps her hands together and stares up at Todoh. And now it seems he is ready to teach her what she can do right now to begin her journey! "Yes, what is it that I must do, Mr.Ryuhaku! Please, tell me!"
Never mind that Todoh being here and not shutting up will probably put a gray hair or two on anybody who knows better. Not that there is much wrong with that one trick he has turned into complete mastery over... that one trick. But that one trick is one he will teach and these kids will listen, consarnit!!
"Well, you see! One lesson, perhaps, will not unlock your full potential... yes... but I, the great Ryuhaku Todoh, master of the Todoh way," and can he really say that with a straight face? He sure is right now no matter how ready he is to break into a fit of giggles not befitting one of his stature as he straightens up his back a little to look like he's standing all the taller, "shall give you this one tip that I see so many youngsters," a tear forms in one of his eyes, "fail to follow themselves..."
But what is it that could bring such a grown man to tears? He wipes it away from his cheek, letting the gentle rain of sorrow pass before the terrible torrent of emotion and rage and shouting come to the surface. It is inevitable.
"IS WHEN THEY USE STUPID ALTERNATIVE FADS THAT WILL DIE OUT IN FIVE YEARS, THAT'S WHAT!!" This is punctuated with a clenched fist, pumped so hard that there is no need for proper punctuation at the end of this sentence
Ingrid listens to the teachings. The teaching that tells her not to follow the fads of others, but instead to be true to her self! ...Wait a second, did Todoh just tell her to completely ignore his own advice and do what she feels is best for herself? ...nah! "I see! So when those boys come up to me and tell me to cover myself with pretty shiny sparkly energy I should tell them know because it's just a horrible fad that's wasted movements?"
Which is all well and good, until we get to the fact that Todoh hasn't actually shown her how to do anything at all, but has instead given her advice that's really just his personal views on fighting styles and technique. But who cares about that? Clearly she is in the presence of one of the few true masters of Martial Arts! "I promise I'll never fall into that trap, Mr.Ryuhaku! I'll do my best not to waste motions, and not to do things just because other people says they're cool. I... I think I've learned something very important about the future of martial arts today."
She looks to him, filled with gratitude that gushes out of every little movement she makes, "But oh, surely there must be something I can do to thank you! Here you are giving all your greatest secrets away to me, a humble girl who can't even use her chi- is there nothing you'll accept in return?"
Ingrid is clearly wiser than many of her peers and she will probably go far. Farther than her 'master'. Maybe she already has. It's hard to say. But this is the risk of taking advice from a very strange man who clearly has nothing better to do but troll the whole world for some reason. And make fun of Takuma and his students.
Tears continue to stream down his face after the OUTBURST OF THE AGES (or at least of the morning, people around Southtown like to yell a lot). He has to take the time to wipe tears away from his face. The state of the youth and the way they express their fighting styles is so very sad these days! Sadder than himself! You didn't hear him think that. That last part. Because he didn't. He's awesome, 'sad' and 'himself' do not go together. (lies)
He gives Ingrid ample time to let it settle in because the tears won't stop flowing until it is somehow dramatically appropriate for them to stop. he takes in a deep whiff of the air of children that have probably shuffled out to where they need to go by now. And angry eyes rolling at such an emotional outburst. They don't know better, do they?!
"Ah... rewards... you see, hm, perhaps... perhaps I can be in such a great mood that I ask nothing in return except that you take everything I say into heart, yes, yes!" The words just start to bleed together as though he has suddenly developed a natural urge to jump inside someone's chimney and sit inside one for a good three hours before heading to Indonesia in order to ride a bicycle regardless of how he could just do that right now. It's a Todoh thing, you see.
"Yes! Altruism! Treasure it! Treasure the altruism! And..." then he just falls into a fit of nervous giggling for also no readily apparent reason. "Ah! Yeh hah hah! Well... hm. Take the way of Todoh into your heart! Teach it to your children and, say, it will pay for itself! Yes, yes it will."
Anything to poison the minds of the youth before Takuma does it himself!
Ingrid can only watch and await his response to her question as the tears of... joy? Happiness? Frustration? Whatever they are, she simply basks in his presence, those manly tears rolling down his cheeks truly being a sight to behold. For he must truly be moved if such a thing were to happen, and the mere possibility that it could have been something she'd done to move him so is enough to humble her into silence.
Finally though, he speaks back up again, and her head nods to his words. "Oh, of course! How could I do anything else but do my very best to adhere to your advice? I've only known you for a day, and yet I know that what you've told me is something that I'll be making use of for my entire life." The blonde lets out a happy sigh, "And to think the price of this wonderful advice really is nothing. I'll cherish it for the rest of my life, Mr.Ryuhaku. Truly, I know that I would be lost if I hadn't met you here today."
"Indeed, yes, indeed," the master(?) nods, arms crossing as well as they can given he is wearing a sandwich board. His eyes wander, darting left and right before they fall upon a clock. His eyes widen to that of shock and fight. A grimace. He looks about nervously, bows his head, and dashes away rather abruptly without saying anything more, hiking up his hakama as to not have it get in the way of dashing out the door really really fast.
Oh, hey, there's the megaphone, right down there on the ground. Either the universe has caught up with him or he simply forgot to take it with him. Or could it be a memento of their fated meeting?! Symbolism or negligence? You decide.
This doesn't explain where that fan ended up disappearing into.
One moment Ingrid is standing there, staring starstruck at Todoh, and the next she is standing there looking starstruck at nothing at all, for he is gone. All that's left is a megaphone, which she picks up gingerly from the floor. She holds it with great reverence, and looks off in the direction the master of Martial Arts ran. "I'll remember this day forever, and I'll always keep this someplace near, Mr.Ryuhaku..."
Meanwhile, the lady she talked to at the information desk who has met her before simply looks stunned. Why the heck is that girl acting that way? Only time will tell!
Log created on 07:38:56 04/03/2008 by Ingrid, and last modified on 05:51:26 04/04/2008.