Description: NESTs is invading the YFCC. Brave defenders have had to split into different groups to defend different parts of the building and more importantly, protect the youth within. During the battle indoors, Hotaru was drawn away from the side of Drake and Frei by an unexpected request to talk...
There is an ever so slight change in expression for Eiji when Hotaru seems to be more prepared than he had thought. The girl has perhaps been training harder than he would like to give her credit for because that hit is actually enough to do some damage to the ninja. That last hit connects and soon there is the feel of chest giving away all too easily when it slams into him and he dissipates into smoke. There is a bit of a chuckle though, one that seems a fair distance behind the girl and towards the room the children were being ushered towards to get away from the battle that is happening.
"Changed? Why would I have changed at all, dear Hotaru." he says quietly as he slowly makes his presence known again as he emerges from the corner of the room, his mask creased slightly from the smile as a few of the children move away quickly with a look of panic in their eyes. "Truth be told you are a great amount of fun because you are interesting." he admits and then he tilts his head as he crouches low as if ready to strike if need be, but he is also holding back. "Tell me. How is your brother doing these days?" he asks. It can't be seen too much, but that smile is growing by leaps and bounds.
"Oh that is right. Not much luck with him these days." he finally says after taking a moment to see how the girl may react. "You practice Kyokugen-ryu to become stronger. I know that much. Would it be good enough for him to notice you at all, though?" he asks and he slowly straightens back up and then holds his hands out. "You know I could strike down a child if I wanted and yet I haven't. I believe you should give me a moment to speak with you."
She slides to a stop as her final, punishing palm strike doesn't quite meet with the resistance she would expect. Drawing her hands back, tightening up her stance as if expecting retaliation, but her sharp attention comes to rest on a small cloud of smoke where the ninja once was. Remembering his vanishing tricks when he ambushed her well over a year ago, she tries to drown out the sound of commotion throughout the lobby in hope of not being caught by surprise. With Frei and Drake busy keeping the formidable Bison and clever Mary at bay, the sounds of destruction being created outside the lobby's smashed in doors, and the cries of panic from children all around, just trying to anticipate where an attack might come from is a challenge all of its own.
It's the chuckle that clues her in, however, and the pig-tailed fighter whips around to face the direction, eyes narrowing as her attention comes to focus on Eiji once more. She can make out the impression of a grin from behind that concealing mask. He has always seemed to be amused by her reactions, reacting from a position of superiority time and time again. With the distance between them, she relaxes her own stance, not needing to contend with an immediate ambush.
The attacks exchanged by her cohorts fade out of Hotaru's attention as she slowly draws nearer to Eiji, careful to not advance too quickly lest he decide to give her a reason to stop drawing near. With vulnerable children nearby, she can't be too cautious. When he brings up Gato Futaba, however, the girl stops short, expression tensing, mouth drawn into a slight frown. He seems to know of the lack of progress she's had in garnering her brother's acknowledgement. A matter she had spoken of to no one in a long... long time.
She doesn't even need to say anything. He already knows that for however much stronger she has become through her training and study at the Kyokugen dojo, it's not enough. Her brother still thinks nothing of her. As he stands up straight and points out that while he is helping the NESTs Cartel, he hasn't harmed anyone in the process, the girl takes a few more steps forward, still tense, as if suspecting... or rather /expecting/ a trick. Ninjas. She has almost no trust for any of 'em!
"The children here are innocent. You understand why we have to fight on their behalf." the pig-tailed martial artist states. But if he is offering to speak rather than hurt anyone, she can't turn down that offer. It's one less thing for Frei and Drake to worry about. "But I would rather hear what you have to say than fight about it." the girl allows, her voice still tense.
As malicious as he may be the ninja does not seem ready to murder just for the sake of doing so. None of these kids are worth money so why should he waste the energy in disposing of one. No, his focus is fully on the pig-tailed fighter that he has drawn away from the combat. It is a battle he could care less for in the long run and only participated in by Eiji due to the large sum Igniz had paid him. "I am glad to hear that." he finally says and he folds his arms over his chest while casually leaning back against the wall. He knew he struck a nerve at the mention of her brother and being able to peek into a fighter's background is one of the many advantages that Eiji enjoys when working for Krauser.
"Make no mistake. I was paid to assist in this attack, but it wasn't the only reason why I am here." he says and a hand reaches into his gi and lets it rest there at least for the time being. "Strolheim is always keeping their eyes out for talent and both you and your brother have had Lord Krauser's attention. There is a reason why he had people look into gathering information about your history. You intrigue him." The ninja then slowly produces an envelope that bares the seal of Strolheim on it and he tilts his head a bit to the side while holding it out.
"I was to deliver this so I figured I may as well make some extra money in the process. I don't care about what this fight is about, but I am interested in you. More importantly I am interested in how far you are willing to go to prove you can be as strong as your brother." More mindgames from the ninja? it is possible, but he does seem to at least remain laxed while that arm outstretches to offer the envelope.
Eiji may relax, resting his back against the wall, but the shorter fighter doesn't let down her guard, watching him with a wariness that suggests she's been tricked by others often before and doesn't want to get taken for a sucker once again. Experience has taken her a long ways from the naive young thing she once was. He speaks of having other motives for being present at the NESTs organized invasion and her eyes narrow just a little.
Eyes follow the path of the envelope suspiciously and at first she makes no move to take it from him, merely listening. At the mention of the noble leader of Strolheim, she blinks, looking rather caught off guard that such a poweful name in the world of fighting would even know of her well enough to take interest. No. To /intrigue/ him. She looks like she doesn't quite accept that claim. It seems so hard to believe. Even with her career spikes as of late, including Neo League standings and being a belt holder in the SNF circuit... Krauser? Perhaps, she muses, if he was looking for up and coming talent... that IS what she has worked so hard to be after all...
There's only one way to find out. And that's to take a chance, accept the risk, take the first step. All the commotion of the room slowly slips from her mind as she stares at that envelope for a long, quiet moment before slowly reaching out, fingers closing over it with the intent to draw it back at last. "What do you mean about how far I will go? Are you suggesting I be a mercenary - sink to your level and employ my skills for hurting others for money, serving the likes of Igniz?" she challenges as she takes hold of the envelope.
The hand releases the envelope once Hotaru grabs onto it and Eiji waves that hand a bit dismissively. "You wound me by calling me something so lowly as a mercenary. I am far higher up then that. I am an assassin, my dear." he responds and he goes back to his laxed stance of leaving his arms folded over his chest while looking over the girl. "Obviously you know I care very little about what you think of me, but you know of Lord Krauser to be an honorable man."
Once checked the letter inside will be a invitation to join Strolheim as a trainee to help continue to further the improvement of fighting skills. "Consider the offer that is made and what it may lead to. Even your brother hasn't been offered something like you have." the ninja says while straightening up fully and taking another look around before that cold gaze of his falls upon the pig-tailed girl once again.
"You have a few weeks to think this offer over. Lord Krauser has plans that are going to soon go into motion. You will know when the time is right to respond to his request." With that being said the Ninja slowly starts to blur as if he is fading away and he bows low. "He isn't the only one interested in seeing your response." he admints and once again that sly smile forms under his mask as he looks up. "Let us see what sort of warrior you are, Ms. Futaba." He then fades away, his movements becoming rather quick as he starts to depart rather quickly, though a more trained eye does notice him quickly escaping out through the doorway to get away.
She takes a step backward from Eiji the moment she has the envelope, as if feeling that she should have some space between her and enigmatic man before taking her eyes off him to open the sealed package. He speaks, stating that her low impression of his intents and nature wound him, but the girl doesn't seem too broken up by that thought. Fingers slip beneath the envelope's flap, breaking the seal and flipping it over to slide out the paper inside.
He would easily read the moment she realizes what the message contains, as her eyes widen slightly. The invitation is no small matter - to train at House Strolheim? Sapphire blue eyes glance back up to look at him, a lot of her wariness having melted under such a claim. Maybe it's just a trick. But it seems too elaborate. If he wanted to simply harm her, there's far more simple ways of going about doing that. Targeting her friends, finding her at her home - her life isn't too complex and not very secret. For some reason it seems hard to believe it to be a mind game just yet...
A few weeks have been offered to ponder the significant invitation. "His request," she states, her voice low, the magnitude of such a statement sinking in. To have a request to appear by none other than the Lord of Strolheim... As he admits, not quite directly, in being interested in what she is going to decide to do, the girl's eyes narrow again just a little suspiciously. "You seem too amused by this," she states. And perhaps he should be. The situation is quite a reversal from what she had expected of him given their past history.
He fades, putting his remarkable speed to use in slipping from the lobby as a shadow into the night. The girl watches him at first but her eyes drop to the paper in her hands a moment later, folding it closed and slipping it into a pocket thoughtfully. Gradually the din of combat, chaos, and commotion starts to sink back into her conscious awareness. That's right. Frei. Drake. They might need her help!
Glancing back to the fight between the two defenders and the two NESTs rented muscle, she takes a step forward to join their side just as a hand reaches out to grab hold of her wrist. "Miss Futaba. Please," a child's voice pleads, "Come check Shibata. He got hurt bad by flying glass. We have him in the back...!" Wavering for a moment, the girl glances toward Frei and Drake. The wrestler is on the ropes, but the two of them are hanging in there as best they can. "...okay," she states, allowing herself to be led out of the lobby to the library in back. Hopefully the two can hold their own until she can get back to them. To say nothing of the brave defenders outside...
Log created on 21:09:12 09/18/2008 by Hotaru, and last modified on 12:51:52 09/19/2008.