Description: Four of the five members of Ibuki's mismatched team meet in preparation for the upcoming tournament. Bizarre changes are observed, distinctly unfashionable uniforms are worn, inanimate objects are destroyed... and absolutely nobody gets hurt. This may or may not be foreshadowing.
It's a nice sunny day, not too warm or too cold, and the wind is just blowing right to keep one pleasantly cool if one is doing a lot of physical activity outside. This clearing is used for various things in Southtown, parties, concerts, rallies, or fights basically anything this sort of open area would be used for in any part of the world really. The trees sway in the wind and also do a great job of dampening the sound of the nearby highway but don't totally block it out. When it's not in use for any official purpose sometimes a few homeless people set up a small shanty town here as well which just so happens to be the case today.
Thus with shanty town on one side of the clearing, Ibuki has claimed the other side as her domain...building what looks to be a traditional style training ground, there are a number of uneven bamboo stakes driven into the ground in a tight square pattern, a couple walls built up from some logs Ibuki dragged from the woods, some tatami mats placed on top of some wooden planks to form a small ring where she got this who knows, various number of stones that've been labled with a weight...apparently for weight training, and a number of the trees on this side have been set up with ropes connecting them and ropes to the ground...perhaps aerial training?
"Phew!!!" Ibuki lets out gently as she flops onto the tatami mat ring. Looking up at the cloudless sunny sky she grins beneath her mask, It was going to be great she'd got everything prepared! Training stuff, check, team invite, check, and she'd even got the team snacks and drinks for later once they finished up the hard stuff!! "I'm such an awesome Team Leader!" She enthuses and pumps one fist into the air before sitting up and grinning, "They should be getting here any moment!" She excitedly rocks back and forth while sitting waiting for others to show up since she's done setting up now.
There have been a lot of rumors floating around after that exhibition match with Carrol and Brihan. Rumors like "Has Ken Masters finally decided to move down the forsaken path of Martial Arts?!" *(See Weekly Fighting Issue #599)* However, he's been trying to do his best to shrug it all off, which isn't very easy to do. He's gotten the message from Ibuki about the team training, and for once, he's having second thoughts about it, worrying about losing control like that once again.
Yet, here he is, wearing that world famous outfit of his, ready to start this training that Ibuki herself has prepared. It's been a long while for Ken since he's last had any true training, especially while visiting Japan, so there is a slight grin resting upon his face, masking the feeling of fear that he holds for his own self.
That Ibuki would go to such effort speaks greatly of her commitment, and the actions of the past already proclaim her skill for the world to see. Amy's unexpected invite was welcome to begin with; the more she has learned about the schoolgirl ninja, the more excited and indeed committed she has become. She approaches now through the woods, wearing her customary attire, boots crisply crunching on fallen twigs as she passes the ramshackle collective and moves toward her teammate, nay team leader.
Recent times have been troublesome for the raven-haired Templar, but gone are the injuries she has borne of late - indeed, she seems fitter than ever. The appearance of a golden glow suffuses her pale skin, a bright and vigourous aura that bleeds into the surrounding area. As she draws closer, it may become apparent that it's more than simply a seeming; she really IS glowing. It's faint, subtle, and deceptive, but it is most obvious around her eyes. Those stormy, stunning blue depths are rimmed with a halo-like sheen.
"I'm impressed!" Her voice rings out crystal clear across the cool glade, as she draws to a halt a scant few feet from the perky kunoichi just moments behind the legendary master of Ansatsuken, a smile drawing across her lips. A hand lifts to remove her beret, tossing it lightly to one side as she busies herself tying back waves of dark hair with a tight cord. All business, though it would seem this business is a pleasure. "You've outdone yourself, Ibuki." Dropping her hands from her neck, she springs lightly off her heels, glancing toward Ken before stilling and dipping her head in a brief bow, "Mr. Masters. Must admit, I'm a little surprised we didn't fly out to Seattle for this... it must feel like returning to your roots, hm?"
As two of her team mates make their appreance very shortly after one another, Ibuki hops to her feet and waves to them both, "Heya!!! Over here!" She calls out excitedly obviously in a very good mood. Sadly for the talented ninja girl, Ibuki doesn't know Ken well enough to be able to see through deception of being his usual self so she just pulls down her mask and smiles, "Glad you could make it Ken, hope the flight wasn't too long...if you had to fly and weren't in town already?" She chuckles to herself lightly before Amy gets a bit closer.
Now Amy, however, causes Ibuki to blink because well she's glowing...not a lot but enough to be obvious this isn't a trick of the light so at first the ninja teen is unusually subdued and quiet as she is actually openly staring at the Templar before finally she blinks, "Ummm...yeah thanks! I do my very best for my team!" She enthuses before shaking her head and butting in slightly, "I figured it'd be wrong of me to make Ken pay for our flights to use his facilities to train, he's a team member like everyone else." Then there's a brief pause before she goes quiet trying to decide how to ask Amy if the glowing was normal for her.
"..Roots?" This causes Ken to chuckle nervously slightly, as if he's remembering some long repressed memory, one that only a person who has survived some of the harshest training one is unable to ever even fathom has endured. His right hand rises up to run through his hair, as he shakes his head, trying to clear the memory from his mind. "Yeah. You can say that."
Of course, as Ibuki starts to rant about using the facilities and flights and all that nonsense, it causes Ken to start laughing, only to grin at her once again. "Well, I already pay for one vagabond's travels. I really don't mind any of this. Even if it comes down to it, I'll be picking up the tab on things. It's my way of contributing as well." He moves closer to one of the poles, dropping his traveling bag down on the ground behind him. "You did a good job Ibuki."
If the Templar is disturbed by her own unusual state of being, she certainly shows no sign of it; straightening up from her small show of respect to the American warrior, calmly pulling off her heavy jacket - which is tossed to one side where it lands upon the ground with a gentle *thwump* - and starting to move through a few gentle stretches. Her efforts only make that golden light more apparent, as it seems to linger at every hem of her clothing, creeping through wherever there is a sign of flesh.
"I understand," she replies to Ibuki, voice faintly strained as she pulls her torso up from a sidewards stretch. "Honestly, I've had enough of travelling for a while. It's time I took a break, focused upon this tournament. Which..." she tails off with a laugh, shaking her head as she pulls an arm back behind her, "I suppose is ample globetrotting by itself. Any word on where the fight's taking place?"
Looking toward Ken, the raven-haired woman can only smile with the utmost gratitude; in fact, the expression is almost angelic. Or perhaps that's simply a side effect of the glow around commonly unreadable eyes. "Thank you, too, Ken. I'm looking forward to travelling in style, and it's going to be a pleasure to fight alongside you - I just hope we can progress far enough to make it worth your while." After all, he more than any of them is used to victory and fame.
Ibuki is still giving Amy the odd eye as come on she's glowing that's a bit unusual right, well not in a fight but just walking to go train...glowing was off. "So Amy...you seem to enthused about this, practically glowing some might say." Ibuki's head tilts slightly as she says glowing, "Just that excited?" The topic shifts to travel and Ibuki frowns, Ken's words are comfort though as the ninja had no idea how she was going to afford flights for her team but still she didn't like owing people things, it was one thing with the Neo League...Ken got money back for those flights but this time he'd get nothing.
As she frets, however, it dawns on her...except the ability to compete and she smiles and nods to herself having figured out how she was paying Ken back, she was going to win by giving it her all and making sure this was a great competition for him!
"Not yet Amy! I'm sure they'll be getting in touch with us soon and give us the details!" She smiles and looks thoughtful, "I'm looking forward to it already aren't you?" She practically singsongs before Ken's compliment reaches her ears and she spins around to face him, "Thanks, it's not much but I hope it shall serve our purpose well." She admits humbly.
"Well. Should we begin?" Ken slowly slides into a basic stance, drawing his right arm back, staring directly at the wooden pole infront of him. More memories start to resurface, reassuring the blonde champion that things will be okay, and whatever happens, well. That'll be dealt with later. For now however, a lone punch is launched towards the pole, "HAH!" before striking the solid surface, causing little splinters to break away from the impact. "Oak?"
"Glowing?" Amy turns back toward the kunoichi as that declaration is made. It's not exactly a subtle hint, and it actually draws a faint flush of the Templar's cheeks. Her expression is rather more curious than that, however; she is not embarassed, it does not seem to be treated as an ailment. Rather, the drifting downcast of her gaze speaks of a story she is hesitant to tell, though the smile she bears as she looks back up is not wary. A finger traces the neckline of her leotard, the so-faint golden suffusion burning brighter as she brings it into contact with itself.
"It's.. a long story." Her raised digit stops, touching the cool metal of her crucifix. "Perhaps I should tell you what I am, Ibuki. As much as I'm looking forward to the tournament; even training alongside fighters such as yourself, there is something more that I must do." Suddenly she spins, echoing Ken's own movement on the other side of that pole as she moves forward, sinking her weight into one athletic limb as the opposite leg lifts to bear a swift, crisp roundhouse into the hardened oak. Unlike Ken, she winces faintly. "Syah!"
Lowering her leg with a snap, she sinks into a deep, low posture. Her gaze drifts between her two teammates even as she focuses, and when she speaks her voice comes from afar. "I'm a knight in the service of the Lord. A Templar. Chosen because..." Through the rays of warming sunlight, faint gray-white trails begin to touch the air around the Englishwoman. The Dragon's Breath. "Because of what I am." It quickly thickens, gaining consistency and quickening the pulse of her aura. "Ken, you've seen my gift, as it normally is... but I have found something more. Something I don't understand yet."
Her hands slip into a guard before she strikes out with a fist, catching the point on the oak she has already marked with her kick. A tendril of mist lashes out as though obeying her body's simple instruction, latching around the pole as a faint ripple of golden light marks the point of impact. This time, she does not cringe; and the wood gains a spiderwebbed indent. Stormy eyes regarding her work, Amy smiles as she exhales, "I hope, perhaps, you can both help me understand."
Ibuki is still staring a little bit at the fact that Amy's glowing hoping for explanation of some sort before the red-clad fighter catches her attention. "Sure!" Ibuki nods to Ken as he asks about starting. The ninja girl watching as he takes up a fighting stance and punches the pole sending splinters flying with the blow. As he asks her if it's oak she nods, "Yep!" She totally doesn't mention where or how she got these poles at all.
Her head turns back to Amy after Ken's punch and the other girl starts an explanation, "Well we've got time while we practice right?!" She enthuses before nodding her head, "Oh?!" Ibuki raises her eyebrows as she pulls up her mask concealing the lower half of her face again, "A knight?" She blinks thoughtfully, "Well I suppose if ninja are still around I shouldn't be surprised by knights still existing." Suddenly she launches her own attack on the pole her fist whipping out to solidly strike it followed by her fist whirling away to bring her elbow slamming into it and unlike the other two fighters she's completely and utterly silent as she performs the strike, "What you are?"
She looks to Ken as Amy brings him into this conversation and Amy attacks the pole again her aura joining her fist to hammer the pole as well, "Hmm, I see." Ibuki again looks thoughtful, "How is it different than normal if you don't mind my asking...and when did it change?" Suddenly there's a Kunai in her hand that she's stabbing into the pole while she's peering at Amy apparently the ninja girl has a lot of muscle memory due to her training.
"Actually.. I have a better idea." Ken moves to stand upright, turning to face both Amy and Ibuki. "Since we're a team.. We should focus on working as a team. So, you two should focus on attacking the same thing, without getting into eachothers way." To further demonstrate his point, he's suddenly rushing towards Ibuki's pole, dropping down low and sliding into it with his elbow, striking the side of it at the moment her kunai hits.
"It's not that hard once you get into the flow of it. But, you can just take this as the rambling of an old man." Ken grins slightly as he rolls backwards, only to manuver himself to a standing position with relative ease. "You two should work on it together, and if the others show up, I'll work on it with them. Then we should switch it up after a bit."
Eventually a limousine rolls into the clearing, and out of the back seat climbs out the ringlet haired Karin Kanzuki, who yawns a little as she climbs out of it, and says, "Looks like everyone but Pullum is here." She shuts the door and approaches, calling out to the others, "Sorry I'm late, everyone, but there was some business I had to take care of."
She stretches a bit as she glances to the others, "Who'll be my first partner then?"
"I don't know yet," is Amy's immediate reply to Ibuki, as she twists her striking hand to consider the subtle irridescent haze consuming it. Whilst the effect is subtle, 'consume' is the most fitting word she can find, as though it were drawing upon her natural energies only to somehow provide her with more. A continual exchange breeding a positive reaction that fills her both physically and emotionally with a sense of wellbeing.
"But I know how it makes me feel, Ibuki; and I'm more confident than I've ever been. The man who endowed me with this gift, he taught me just how far my potential can take me. This tournament," she hesitates, smiling as she glances at the ninja, "We can win it." If only because she believes there may be something more at the end of it. She sounds so certain, that clear voice ringing with what might - in a lesser form - be called hope. But it's so much deeper, so much greater. Absolute belief. Absolute faith.
Turning away, she listens to Ken as she throws a few more limbering punches and palmstrikes into the air, breathing calm and deep with each one, retracting her limbs in a windmilling motion that brings them ultimately to their most familiar points. Ken's speech is taken in throughout, and he is graced with a nod and a faint grin from the Templar. "I'm willing to take your advice; potential is /not/ ability. It was you that taught me just how far I have to go." A final glance goes to Ibuki, and she seems about to begin...
When Karin's dulcet tones ring out. "Ah..." Amy did not yet know the identity of their fifth teammate, and the appearance of the zaibatsu heiress momentarily unsettles her, even in her apparent graceful platitude. "Miss Kanzuki," she manages a beat later, turning to actually offer a formal bow this time - remembering well enough the events of their last battle. "I wasn't aware you were joining us." Every one of her allies has proven themselves a great deal more powerful than she, but she certainly doesn't sound displeased.
Karin's performance in that last fight wasn't THAT BAD, Amy. In fact, she was the last one standing! (Before she fell over for the triple KO, but that doesn't matter.) Karin narrows her eyes as she glares at Amy, before hmphing a bit and says, "Ibuki said Ken Masters was leading the team, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to be under his leadership." And nobody has told her otherwise yet.
She then smirks a bit, "However, if you're a little sore about the result of our last fight, I'm more than willing to go one on one against you this time."
Ibuki's focus is locked on Amy for the moment, "Hmm that makes it a bit harder to help you out then." Her eyes go wide in a bit of surprise as Ken's fist slams against her pole at the same time as her kunai. Her reaction is pretty immediate as well, as she's standing on top of the pole with more kunai drawn and ready to throw at whatever snuck up on her then she blinks at Ken and realizes what happened and what he'd said, "Umm....hmm....that's probably a good idea. Don't want any embarrassing mistakes like accidently stabbing team mates out of reflex during a match." For once sounding sheepish instead of cheerful.
Hopping down from the pole she goes over to Amy's, "I agree, we'll definitely win...no one's got our team's heart!" She cheers no less confident or unsure than Amy herself. As the Templar finishes off her warming up Ibuki nods and takes up a fighting stance to look at the pole, "Ready?!" She calls launching an attack on the wooden pole, her foot spring upward to drive her knee hard into the center of it...which is the point at which Karin pulls up and the ninja girl steps away from training for a moment, "Heya Karin! Found the training spot huh?" At Karin's question she blinks a few times then points to Ken, "Well Amy and I are working on our teamwork so I think Ken's your team work partner for now...unless Pullum shows up soon."
The words suddenly hit Ken's ears, and he turns to face Karin. There is a grin that's resting upon his face that would scare nearly anyone that manages to have it directed upon them. "Ibuki, Amy.. Go ahead and start. Miss Karin... Please go and get changed." He reaches down and picks up his bag, reaching in to pull out a mustard yellow outfit that seems to be just the right size for one of the young ladies. The outfit is immediatly tossed towards Karin, only for Ken to stand upright once more, cracking his knuckles.
It doesn't seem like he's going to take a 'No' as a response on this one, moving towards one of the poles further away, only to drop down and strike it, using every bit of his strength and speed. A loud and resounding *CRACK!* is heard, as the top half of the pole splinters off of it. "I'll be training with you, Ojou-sama~" As he turns to face Karin once more, even the Devil himself would feel a tinge of fear from the grin..
Ibuki makes a good point; Amy's words are of scant assistance, on the whole, though as open and willing as she is to share it seems there is little more she feels confident divulging. Her hesitation in replying is covered adroitly by Ken's demonstration and the subsequent prickle from Ibuki. The wary ninja is a curious counterpart to the fiery American brawler, for sure; perhaps that's a strength that they possess. Diversity can be an incredible asset, and glancing between her teammates, the Templar is sure that - more than anything - they have that. Karin's greeting is yet further proof.
"The only thing sore," she replies with a faint cringe, her nose wrinkling at least partly in play, "Was my body the day after our fight. You do your family credit, Karin. If we fight again..." She hesitates, corrects herself. "When we fight again, I'll be doing my utmost to ensure you don't land a blow." Because anything else would be utter foolishness. She can't roll with punches like those of the heiress, and even blocking them is a risk.
Leaving Ken to his partner, Amy turns away with a briefly flashed grin to Kanzuki, singling out her own training buddy - their leader, no less, with a nod. "I believe I'd be best helped by simply training, and seeing what happens. By the way," Lifting her arms and turning to face the pole, she rolls her shoulders before darting forward, a trail of gold-touched mist following in her wake as she spins around the pole, lashing out with a snapping backhand that touches the wood at the moment she is nearest her hooded teammate. "Weren't /you/ leading this team?"
'Touch' is all the blow really does. It's a setup for the kunoichi.
COMBATSYS: Amy assists Ibuki.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hardwood Post
Karin blinks a little at Ken's response, and flinches a little at the sight of the yellow outfit, and cringes a bit, "That... That training uniform... Are you sure..?" She Ends up catching the thing, and blinks. "I don't think anyone in the world wears something this color..." However, Ken's scary grin keeps her from arguing, as she sighs, and mutters, "I'll be right back..." And walks back to the limo where she can change in private...
About five minutes later, Karin climbs out of the Limo again, wearing the eye sore of a uniform, and mutters, "You can't be serious..."
Ibuki starts to correct Karin about the whole thing of who is in charge when Ken steps up to handle that for the moment, not wanting to disillusion Karin just yet, Ibuki smirks underneath her mask as Ken handles the heiress. She turns to look at Amy and winks at her, "Well this is team time, so no settling grudges right now okay?!" She enthuses before putting her full focus on her partner, "Let's do this!" She roars turning to face the pole again!
Ibuki nods once to Amy and is ready to strike the spot Amy had softened up with her touch a second ago, "Tora!!!" She roars as she throws a powerful fist elbow combo again before springing away. As Amy asks her if she's in charge she winks at the Templar again, "I'll wait till Ken is done with her to mention that." She chuckles mischievously.
"So, tell me Karin. Do you know how to really fight alongside someone else?" The question is geniune, as Ken moves towards another post, resting his hand upon it for a moment. "It's one thing to attack the same opponent, however, look at Amy and Ibuki. That's something we need for a tournament like this. Team work."
Ken motions for Karin to come closer, only to take a step away from the post. "Something tells me that you really don't have that sort of experience." With that said, he moves to stand alongside her. "I'm going to move in low, and aim for where the legs would be for a sweep. What I want you to do is find a way to make sure that not only is it effective, but would hurt a lot more." He stares directly into Karin's eyes, all traces of joking around have flown off with the ever changing wind, only to glance towards Ibuki, making sure he catches her eyes, nodding slightly towards her.
"I know you know how to fight, however, I want you to try and assist me fully."
COMBATSYS: Ibuki successfully hits Oak Post with Medium Punch.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hardwood Post
"If there's anything left," the Templar remarks, laughter lacing her tone when she catches Ibuki's wink. She does so in mid-spin, her cord-tied ponytail whipping about as she deftly shifts her footing to come around facing the pole once more. It shifts in the earth with a satisfying thunk, and then a resounding crack to reward the elbow strike - the fire-hardened oak developing a hairline crack along the grain. "Have you fought Ken yourself? It was all I could do to remain standing after one blow... he must train ferociously."
As she says the last, her gaze drifts across to the other pair momentarily, and she is forced to suppress a smirk at the sight of Karin in her rather foul attire. Shaking her head rapidly to clear the image, the Templar instead turns back to the pole, taking several rapid steps back as she shouts out her intent to the kunoichi. "Projectiles! We strike as /one/!" Leaping directly upward, she lashes out with a scything high kick, the culmination of the arc sending out a swathe of that gathered mist, gray-white fronds soaring together to unleash a broad, feathery riptide of chi.
It would be indistinct in the sunlight, but for the distracting bright gold flecks running through it. More vibrant than the sun, glistening like a cascade of minute jewels.
Karin blinks a little at the directness of Ken's questions, and for a moment she actually focuses on his words, but very quick her pride seems to kick back in, as she smirks, "Of course, it's only a simple matter of cooperation." She glances at the board, as she focuses on the board and shifts her stance, and watches Ken, waiting to time things so that when he goes for a sweep, that she'll head in for a roundhouse kick of her own.
COMBATSYS: Karin assists Ken.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hardwood Post
Ibuki chuckles slightly at Amy's remark as her fist and elbow do decent damage to the post! "We'll see how she does!" Ibuki sing songs before she looks back to the Templar, "Nope, I've not faced off with him yet, but at some point I'll probably spar with him. Team building time though is not the time for that!" Ibuki says as she gets a load of Karin in the training outfit Ken was making her wear and she just barely stops herself from laughing at Karin's misfortune instead covering it up with loud chirp of, "Yay!!" As Amy calls for projectiles...Ibuki pulls a Kunai from on her body and hurls it at the post with Amy's own projectile!
Ken suddenly rushes towards the post, allowing Karin to remain a little behind him, nodding his head slightly. "Good. Just like that." Of course, it's a different matter as he's suddenly dropping down low, and in what seeming happens faster then one can even blink their eyes, the US Champion is already swinging his leg towards to the post. It seems that he'll have to slow down some in order for Karin to even keep up with him, so minor adjustments are made in the briefest of moments, slowing the sweeping motion down inorder to allow Karin her reprieve of attacking the post as well.
COMBATSYS: Amy successfully hits Oak Post with Raven's Wing.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hardwood Post
COMBATSYS: Ibuki successfully hits Oak Post with Small Thrown Object.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hardwood Post
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Hardwood Post with Aggressive Strike.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Hardwood Post
Ibuki's kunai cuts through the glistening mist like the proverbial knife through butter, taking on a sheen of its own as it strikes the post directly in the wake of what amounts to a rather brutal chi assault; widening the crack in the post to a vast gaping mess of splinters that is ruptured further by the iron throwing knife. Landing in a deft crouch, Amy surveys the damage as she breathes in, composing herself as a flare of golden light erupts across her flesh. It's fleeting - but vastly noticeable, as though she were bleeding off excess energy. It makes her shudder.
"Okay," she gasps, pushing herself upright with a flex of her thighs, her earlier vigour taking a hit after performing so few actions. It's enough to make her frown through her intensity, which she maintains as she glances to Ibuki and begins to circle around the youthful ninja, slipping around behind to come up upon her other flank, a few feet away. "We should work together with our physical strikes. You're more experienced; I'll follow your lead. One-two, just like last time, but stronger. /Better/."
The last is uttered with a sudden determination that is surprising. They have made incredible headway on the stricken post; but she seems to want more. Gold-ringed eyes focus upon their obstacle as she sinks into a low posture, bracing herself to charge after Ibuki's assault. Meanwhile, Ken's strike rings out true and hard, the reinforced wood flattened as though by a hammer in readiness for Karin's follow-up. The sound only seems to send the Templar a little deeper into her martial trance.
COMBATSYS: Amy assists Ibuki.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Hardwood Post
Karin in turn tries to speed herself up in order to keep up with Ken, and swings her leg out roundhouse the board when Ken sweeps. Teamwrk is good. She takes a breath and back steps, before saying, "Simple enough." As she growls and dashes, aiming to strike at the board again with an elbow.
COMBATSYS: Karin assists Ken.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Hardwood Post
Ibuki lands with a light thump as she grins at the post shattering quite nicely from the kunai combined with the golden aura of mist slamming into the post at the same exact moment sending slivers this way and that from the impact, "Good shot Amy!" Ibuki calls up to her partner as she smirks beneath her mask. She focuses and keeps her eyes locked on her opponnet aka the post, "Okay, you want to see strong let's do this big then!!" Ibuki's right hand begins to glow faintly at first as whitish blue energy swirls around it. She races forward, "Hit where I hit!!" She calls as her fist rockets towards the post!
Energy swirls around her as her fist gets deadly close to the wood, should it strike home it will swirl and twist, being pumped into the wooden heart of the post before being forcefully expelled to hopefully launch the top half of the post yards away from them after being neatly severed by the team up with Amy's attack!!!
It finally seems that Amy and Ibuki are stepping it up a notch, which causes Ken to shudder slightly with anticipation of whats to come. While he may be able to take each one of them, there is something about watching future rivals grow and take shape. Of course, this isn't a time to start growing stale himself, so he does what any sane and reputable martial arts master would do.
His body arches slightly as he rises to his feet, his left leg swinging back, only to snap violently at the top of the pole the moment Karin would strike it. "Ryusen Kyaku!"
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Hardwood Post with Ryusen Kyaku.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Hardwood Post
In the wake of Karin's well-positioned elbow, the patented Masters axe kick all but demolishes the gestalt wood of the second post. Splinters fly in every which direction as what remains of the pole is driven deep into the earth; cutting it to a mere three feet in height, the last few inches a pulped mess following the devastatingly forceful blow.
On the other side of the training area, Amy harnesses her energies as she watches Ibuki fly in with an attack that could prove part of a sum rivalling Ken's own, her wreathed fist closing in for a dramatic assault upon their own beam of cracked oak. The attack is an inch from striking when the Templar makes her move, her breath hissing from her throat as she leads in with less vocal fanfare, driving forward an opened palm to impact an instant after the kunoichi. They almost strike as one, just a beat apart.
And the resulting light show is beautiful, as cerulean is joined by a whorl of gold-accented mist, spiralling up Amy's extended forearm to explode from her quivering palm with considerable force. Together, that may be all she wrote for the first training implement...
Karin can't help but smile in satisfaction, as this 'Teamwork' thing is getting off to a nice start. She keeps up with the teamwork training for the duration, trying hard to keep up with Ken, because she can't allow herself to look like some incompetent. She's going to be the best at everything, so she may as well be the best in teamwork too. Soon enough she swap partners, training with Amy next.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki and Amy successfully hit Oak Post with Gentle Fist Exploding Heart.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 1/=======/=======|=======\=====--\1 Hardwood Post
The new team attack merges together and slams hard into the post, as the energy from Ibuki's attack blows chucks of the hard wood away from the post, Amy's attack seems to cause the wood to grey, chip, and splinter before it's own weight causes it to give in leaving a twisted and gnarled sliver of the once pristine log of wood whole and undamage. Flipping away Ibuki grins slightly from how well their attack had hurt the thing, "That was pretty awesome!" Ibuki cheers before getting serious again.
Ibuki winks at Amy, races forward and tries to kick the piece of splintered wood completely over, before landing and grinning beneath her mask ridiculously, "Go Team Tanuki!!!" She cheers delightedly whether she lands the kick or not.
Once Karin runs off, Ken's left staring at his post alone. A few ideas run through his head, but none of them really would make sense at this moment. He walks a few feet away from the post, drowning the world out around him. 'Weakling. Not even worth killing.' Words once spoken long ago by a true monster echo loudly within his head. What would have been a true driving force for most, merely became a roadbump for Ken.
The blonde mans hands move slowly out infront of him, only to move down to his side. What normally was a brilliant blue ball of chi is now tainted with gold and black specks that flicker across the beautiful blue surface, intertwining with it, as if it were trying to swallow it whole. "HADOUKEN!" The ball of chi is launched forward, aimed directly at the pole.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki successfully hits Oak Post with Medium Kick.
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Ibuki 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Ken
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Oak Post 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1 Hardwood Post
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Hardwood Post with Hadouken.
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Ibuki 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Karin
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Amy 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Ken
[ \ < > //// ]
Oak Post 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Hardwood Post
Recoiling from her combined assault with Ibuki, the Templar draws a shuddering breath, clutching at the wrist of her striking hand. Her most practiced blow is also the one that seems paradoxically most unnatural and jarring to her form - leaving her limb shaking for several seconds afterwards. She is adjusted enough that she is able to shift her focus quickly, looking through the shower of falling woodchips and vestigial energies to flash a brief, radiant grin at her teammate.
"Ibuki, That was incredible! We should work more on that, later," she offers, "I--" Only to be suddenly cut off by the sheer explosion of force from nearby, as Ken unleashes the full extent of his will. The feedback against her less mundane senses is rattling indeed, and Amy hesitates for several moments before she is able to put voice to her concerns. "Ken?" It's the first time she's used his first name - it comes unbidden, and she immediately regrets the worry in her voice. She's not even sure why, as though she were about to pry into something... wrong...
Out of habit she tosses her head, though there is no dark wave of hair to clear from her eyes today, and looks to Karin as the zaibatsu heiress beckons her away to another corner. Perhaps she didn't feel it - or maybe she has a wisdom that the Templar, in this moment, does not. Settling for the latter, she slips away with a sideward glance to the kunoichi. Her parting words are a little ambiguous, to say the least. "I think you should talk to him.
"Yeah! We definitely need to get that one down! It seemed to hit pretty hard." Ibuki chirps happily to Amy. Having rather enjoyed the fact that they had done so well as a team with so little time together. She stretches, "That was a great job everyone!" She's happy to announce after Ken's Hadouken obliterates the post he and Karin had been working on. She raises an eyebrow though as Karin grabs Amy and runs off and starts to turn to head to Ken when suddenly she is spoken to.
Whirling around she looks at Amy and thinks about what she said before looking thoughtfully over at Ken, she'd seen him fight once or twice while visiting friends that had a TV and knew that his Hadouken was normally blue...hmm that was a tad worrisome, chi doesn't just shift colors like that unless something has changed. Thus Ibuki does one of the jobs she's trained to do...gather information.
Walking over to Ken she grins beneath her mask, "Looks like it's you and me now, though that was an impressive display!" She enthuses cheerfully, "Been changing it up or something? It seemed like it might've had more force than usual...granted I've only seen it on TV so I could be wrong about that." She rolls back and forth on the balls of her feet as she cheerfully waits for his response.
"Ryu's the one who has mastered each one of our styles primary skills. Me? I'm just barely cutting it. The only one I've managed to master is the Shoryuken, which is kind of ironic in a way, as it even has my name in it. Ken. Fist." Ken doesn't turn to face the ninja girl, his eyes still trained upon the spot where there once was a wooden post. His right hand trembles slightly, as little specks of the blue chi still flicker off of it, all tainted with black and gold.
"Through all of the years I've known him.. I've never been jealous of him. I can honestly say that I'm still not. He's chosen a path that suits him, where as I've chosen a path.. that will eventually see him reaching a plateau that I won't ever reach." The hand is slowly raised upwards, as Ken finally starts to inspect it himself. "Something.. has changed, and for the first time since I started training in martial arts.. I'm afraid of whats happening to me. Will I become like /him/? A monster that has forsaken his humanity for the sole desire of power..?"
Ibuki stops and actually focuses on Ken completely as he speaks, pulling down her mask so he can see all of her facial features as she nod. She's never been quiet what one would call the second best pupil, she's been much like Ryu to Ken for all the rest of her classmates, naturally talented and better in every category...but she does understand him somewhat she knows how some of her friends feel because of her and she slightly frowns.
The fact Ken never felt jealous causes her to smile gently and she nods her head, "It's important to have the choice to pick your own path!" She enthuses as Ken inspects his hand and then her eyebrows goe up in a degree of surprise and his next comment causes her to slowly cautiously put her hand on his shoulder, "No...you have a choice the fact you're questioning it this very moment means you can fight back against it and be yourself!!" She looks unsure but oddly there is a hint of absolute faith in her eyes as she speaks, "It might be hard but...you'll be who you want if you keep trying!" She offers a weak smile as she suddenly rubs her cheek nervously with the hand that'd been on his shoulder, "...That's what I think at least."
"Thats.. not.." Ken sighs slightly as he fails to find the proper words to convey just what he's trying to explain, only to turn and face Ibuki, a slight smile resting upon his face. "Sometimes, I wonder about that, however, that's the faith of being a martial artist." His hand rises up, only to pat Ibuki on the head slightly. "Also, don't tell Karin just yet that you're the leader. Her pride won't really handle it that well. I'll make sure she's a good team player."
Ibuki looks at him with those warm chocolate colored eyes of hers, not really understanding...but it shouldn't be surprising she's still got a lot of room to grow before she gets close to reaching the heights Ken and Ryu have so she can't comprehend how scary it is, the position that Ken is in right now. As she's patted on the head she chuckles slightly one eye looking at him while the other is scrunched close and then she frowns at Ken's next words, "....I...I had hoped to tell her this today but if you don't think it's a good idea yet, I'll take your advice." She nods, "Heh...I was trying to help you out and you helped me, that's totally not fair!" She sticks her tongue out at him playfully.
Log created on 15:25:28 02/13/2011 by Amy, and last modified on 02:38:58 02/15/2011.