Description: Kirigana-ryu Aikido Dojo is one of countless fighting schools scattered across the city of Southtown. Despite it's small size and laidback nature, the Dojo soon attracts the attention of the infamous detective and student of Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu, Daniel Jack. Seeking to test the Dojo's strength, he encounters the free-spirited Kazuki, heir to the dojo, and the two have a battle of not only their schools..... but of their minds.
The Kirigana Dojo does not have much more than its grounds. It does not enjoy a storied reputation like the Ansatsuken, nor does it have the grounds of the Kyokugen, or even the seemingly large, if transitory, roll of students of the Todoh-ryuu Kobojutsu. In fact, there are only three regular students and two instructors, with three of those people share the same family name.
But for all of that, the grounds are well-kept, and the floors polished to an appropriate level of shine. There is even a session going on, judging from the sounds coming from inside the building.
This would either be a good time for a prospective student to swing by, or a horrible time for someone with nefarious designs to come to crash the place.
Either way, this place is the tableau for tonight's scene.
Daniel Jack had a duty.
As a Student of Todoh, there was a great, innate duty for the students to go out and spread the dignity and glory that was Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu. With the Kyokugen raid long ago a moral victory (if not a clear technical one), the fact of the matter was that the detective had to seek out the other dojos across Southtown, and truly test them of their might.
And here was the Kirigana Dojo.
Daniel Jack was not dressed in his dapper zoot suit this time. Instead, the detective was donned up in the uniform of Todoh-Ryuu. Very close to the traditional Aikido uniform, Daniel Jack has selected a pair of the classic Aikido pants for his cover for the lower torso. The pants themselves are a deep forest green, and are almost MC Hammer-esque in terms of poofiness. The baggy pants taper out at the ankles, revealing some very soft, sturdy black slippers.
The pants are kept up by a black, silk ribbon bound around his waist. Tucked into it is a simple white shirt, cut away at the shoulders. An apron hangs over his torso, cut to his belt line. The apron is made of a sturdy padded material, and is done up in the color of a dark green. Truly, despite his American heritage, the student looked like the teacher he was beginning to become at the dojo. But despite his official status as a representative of Todoh, he vowed one thing, and one thing alone.
He was NOT going to run in busting heads.
Well, not yet.
Walking across the grounds, Daniel Jack approaches the small Dojo. He inspected the lawn idly. The Todoh-Ryuu Grounds were almost always in disarray, despite the detective's best efforts. Perhaps it was the aggressive strain of crabgrass that was unlike anything Daniel had seen before. Or perhaps there was a foul curse upon the Todoh household, punishing them for some long forgotten deed. In any case, Daniel reaches the entrance of the Dojo, listening to the sounds from within. Taking a deep breath, he calls out with a formal, if serious tone.
"Kirigana-ryu Aikido Dojo! I am Daniel Jack! Student of the Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu Dojo! I have come to challenge the honor of the Kirigana name! Who will come out to defend it!"
And Daniel waits, arms crossed.
Unmoving.
Inside the dojo, a young man is practicing taking falls while being thrown by a young lady. In the corner of the room is a young man wearning a gi and hakama pants in Gedo High School colors. It even has the demon skull insignia of that school. The perhaps unusual thing about him is the large set of headphones he is wearing. His head nodding to an unheard beat, the young man simply seems to be watching.
That changes almost the moment Daniel steps onto the grounds. The young man, an unassuming youth despite the Gedo martial arts uniform, looks towards the door with a slight frown. He shoves one headphone back. "Kagami-shidoin," the young man says quietly. "We have a visitor." The young lady stops mid-throw, peering at the sitting youth for a moment.
Before she can say anything, however, Daniel makes his announcement. The young lady frowns at the sitting man, who pulls himself to his feet with a frown clear on his face. He didn't like the sound of this from the outset, and it's simply starting to sound worse and worse.
The young man makes his way to the front door, sliding it open carefully, peering at Daniel for a moment. He then speaks in a formal mode of speech. "Good afternoon, Daniel Jack of the Todoh-Ryuu Kobjutsu Dojo. I am Kazuki Kirigana, of the Kirigana Aikido Dojo. Unfortunately, our masters are not in at this time." Kazuki slides the headphones off of his head, and hands them to Kagami. "If you would like, perhaps we could have a humble spar."
Daniel Jack looks at Kazuki, his gaze attempting to be as great of an imitation of his own master, Ryuhaku Todoh. He waits, letting the people within sort themselves. Bracing himself, he prepared for a Kyokugen-like greeting. Soon, the master of the Dojo will erupt, bearing a mask of some sort. But to the detective's surprise... a headphoned man not much younger than himself approaches him. The detective looks over the man, noting the pants as well as the headphones, awaiting the response from the young man. But when he receives it, the grim gaze breaks with a smile.
Such respect and manners!
Daniel Jack uncrosses his arms, bowing slightly. Rising up, he answers. "I accept your request. The strength of a Dojo starts from it's students... Son of Kirigana." The detective raises a questioning eyebrow. "Shall we conduct our business within the dojo, or do you wish to battle outside?"
Briefly, his eyes drift to the interior.
Kazuki smiles faintly as he listens not just to Daniel, but to the song the slightly older man carries with him. The man in front of him is clearly a fighter, but not cut from the usual mold. Daniel's 'music' is not even that implacable march he hears when he passes by the Kyokugen Dojo.
'This ought to be interesting,' he thinks to himself before speaking. "You are our guest today, Mister Jack. Which would you prefer?"
Daniel Jack cracks his neck, grinning at the young man. "And an exemplar of Gedo High. I come from Gedo Street myself; I expect nothing less from the students.I am already impressed; you have shown an outsider of your dojo a great deal of respect. I had half expected to be jumped by now!"
Daniel points into the dojo. "I want to fight within the walls of your Dojo. I want to feel the power of your dojo, the inner spirit. I wish to test not just the physical strength of those who train under it, but the very soul of the art. You are the master's son, are you not?"
The detective waits, letting his host lead him in to the ring where they shall spar.
"Yes," Kazuki says in a tone that might suggest that the detail is a minor one at best. The young lady pulls a slight face; she knows Kazuki too well. The pair stand aside, guiding Daniel inside the dojo proper. The room is well kept, but the section of the wall dedicated to the membership roll is sparsely populated. If Daniel Jack can read Japanese, he will be surprised.
Kazuki's name is not in any of the places where instructors are mentioned. In fact, Kazuki's name is nowhere on the wall.
"Please excuse us," Kazuki explains. "We were in the middle of a practice session."
Daniel Jack, on top of being a star pupil of Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu, is a somewhat half-decent detective. As he follows in the Dojo, his eyes sweep the grounds, 'casing' it for the story that is held. When he looks over the roster, he can make out the names. He had learned some Japanese before coming to Southshore, and thanks to his training with Todoh, he has become well versed in the language. The size of the roster was not looked down upon by the detective: The Art Of Todoh did well at making a man humble.
Well, not too humble!
"I apologize for disrupting then." Daniel Jack replies, his tone keeping fairly warm. "I would given a better warning, but this is how it must be done. It is important to test the rival schools! After all, Competition breeds excellence!" The detective positions himself in the middle of the room, crossing his arms. "When you are ready, just tell me. After all..."
"... I do not want to be hard on a neophyte."
Kazuki simply smiles a bit more, the rest of his face a mask as he studies Daniel. He settles into a stance that almost isn't a stance at all; it is a posture of readiness. "Please," Kazuki says earnestly as he turns his head to listen to Daniel a little better.
"Do not hold back on my account.
COMBATSYS: Kazuki has started a fight here.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Daniel has joined the fight here.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Kazuki focuses on his next action.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel Jack observes Kazuki, analyzing him with gentle diligence. A son of Kirigana, but not a member. And yet, here he was in the dojo. A mystery within a mystery, one that the detective would get to the bottom of, one way or another. The detective takes a deep breath in... and bows deeply towards Kazuki. Rising up, he falls back, dropping into the defensive stance of Aikido. His eyes were locked on Kazuki's face... and his ears.
"... There is a secret about you."
The student of Todoh advances, moving with bursts of strength as takes careful, cautious steps towards the martial artist. Thrusting with a palm strike, he leads with his left hand. Whether or not that is blocked or evades does not matter to Daniel, as he immediately follows with a short hand chop with his right. Advancing steadily, he unleashes another palm strike with his left, finishing with a palm strike with his right. A steady approach, and a cautious one.
Daniel was testing these waters.
COMBATSYS: Kazuki fails to counter Zoot Suit Riot from Daniel with Counter Toss.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Daniel
"Not really," Kazuki replies as Daniel takes his first step in. The younger man's arm snakes out to try and catch the first palm thrust, and fails. The next step, grab for the chop. Another miss. The same results for the next two strikes as well. All four strikes hit true, and Kazuki opts to simply step through the strikes, passing by Daniel completely.
The young man looks a bit puzzled at this; that clearly did not go as planned. Kazuki waits for Daniel's next move, not offering any praise or smack talk. He seems to be paying attention, however.
Daniel Jack doesn't stop the series of palm strikes, the detective moving a steady focus. But as he watches his sparring partner attempt to grapple, he can't help but spit out correction, with the air of an instructor. "No, no. Timing! Have you practiced your timing? You know the motions, I can see you preparing them! But where is your timing? Where is your sense of reflexes! Keep apace!" Daniel Jack accent seems to shift slightly, taking on a faint tone akin to a young Japanese women just beginning to learn English, from a handbook no doubt.
Perhaps Daniel was channeling one of his teachers.
Turning with Kazuki, his gaze keeps looked on, the detective reading him. "You are not using your heart! Why are you not a member at this dojo!" The detective continues to thrust his hands forward; another palm strike from the left, followed by another palm strike with the right. Unlike his last combo, however, he finally snaps with his right hand as his strikes, attempting to grab his opponent by his gi. Sweeping in, he attempts to grab his sparring partner, and with a clean, whirling motion, throw him across the detective's body right down to the mat.
"Answer me!"
COMBATSYS: Kazuki fails to counter Tequila Sunrise from Daniel with Counter Toss.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Daniel
Kazuki frowns slightly, partly at Daniel's shifting accent, but more at the line of questioning. Kazuki steps in, almost as if he /knows/ what is coming. He takes the palm strikes, as if accepting that as the price of doing business, as he reaches for the front of Daniel's gi. "That," Kazuki says, still polite, "Is a matter that does not concern you."
In this, the young man makes an error: he is being too aggressive. The young woman's eyes narrow; she sees it as well. Instead of Kazuki manuevering to simply force Daniel back on the mat, Kirigana gives Daniel more than enough leverage to hurl the Japanese youth across the room. Kazuki falls, and slowly gets back to his feet, his eyes narrowed as he considers his next gambit.
With a sweeping gesture, Daniel rips Kazuki free from his own gi, and with a deft motion, slams his opponent to the mat. Recentering himself, the detective focuses down upon the student of Gedo, the child of the dojo. His eyes were as Kasumi looked upon him as he suffered one of her throws, or Master Todoh had loomed over him on his countless broken boards. Daniel Jack KNEW counter throws of Aikido. And he saw for a fact that this student was falling short.
But he had to teach him.
The detective points a finger at his downed opponent as he rises. "If you are their son, then you must live here. And yet, you are not a member of the dojo! And yet, you show some talent, but little practice! I think it is clear you do not take your family arts seriously! You need discipline! You need motivation! And since you cannot find it within..."
"I will teach you what you must know!"
Daniel Jack begins to flex, his body beginning to flare with orange chi. The gi begins to strain more and more, the power of Todoh bursting forth. With a snap, his gi top rips apart, the detective's body bursting with cuts. Daniel's eyes had faded into orange spheres, the student of Todoh entering a new state of mind. Body bleeding, burning with Chi, the detective crosses his arms, looming over the student of Gedo with a looming presence of pure intensity.
"Let us begin your lesson!"
COMBATSYS: Daniel burns with the WAY OF TODOH!
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Kazuki 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Daniel
Kazuki's eyes narrow to slits when Daniel starts to get heated. "That," he says quietly, "Cannot be good for you." Kazuki centers himself in a simple motion, index fingers and thumbs touching as he moves his hands towards the floor.
"It really is none of your business," Kirigana says flatly as the young woman winces. Kazuki's getting surprisingly heated. The Aikidoka brings his right hand back, closed in a fist before firing a right thrust punch at Daniel. The punch falls short; Kazuki never intended to punch the detective.
Kazuki planned to shove Daniel into the wall with a sudden gust of wind!
COMBATSYS: Kazuki successfully hits Daniel with Air Burst.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel Jack was insistent on staying put. And his naturally curiousity was dominating him. Who was this boy? What was his secret? And why was he so... laidback. All were not being answered, leaving Daniel to only deduce. He is so busy observing Kazuki it is as if he doesn't react to the punch.... or the blast of air. He leans back by the burst, the orange chi licking off him as he attempts to endure the blast, but attempting to move forward, he is at least checked by the gust.
But Daniel is not sent flying.
Instead, the chi seems to only ignite his aura further, fueling the power of the detective as it redoubles the moment the wind leaves. "You are trained in chi! Impressive! But you still lack finesse! Let me show you the true Aikido weapon, the Kasane Ate! Repeat after me!" The detective states, the lights from his eyes beginning to wane. Uncrossing his arms, he lifts a limb high above his head, and charges towards Kazuki. Sweeping it down, it unleashes an arc of his very chi, lashing out a very short distance as he cries out the name of the attack.
"KASANE ATE!"
COMBATSYS: Kazuki fails to interrupt Mikansei Kasane Ate from Daniel with Powered Toss.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Daniel
Kazuki is again stepping in when Daniel makes his move. Perhaps Kazuki is moving too soon to react properly? He brings up one arm to block the sweeping arm.
"Actually," Kazuki says as he reaches in for Daniel's shirt, "It could be argued that elemental manifestation is a higher form of chi manipulation." The winds shift, attempting to pick Daniel up off his feet. "Anyone can create simple energy."
Said energy smashes into Kazuki, forcing the young man to back off and try to regain his bearings. "But there's something to be said for simplicity," he admits.
Daniel Jack understands simplicity. He lives it, embraces it. An observant opponent like Kazuki may note that Daniel was repeating similar moves over and over again. Tequila Surprise was just Zoot Suit Riot with a throw at the end. And with his other hand flaring with chi, it was obvious that Daniel was preparing another Kasane Ate.
"You think too much!" Daniel answered, judging Kazuki with greater passion. "You keep your heart, your mind, and your body as separate entities! You have the natural skill, I see it within you! What do you expect? To skirt by on natural talent alone? Prepare for the second wave!" The detective brings about his other hand, burning with even more chi than the last. Roaring, he slashes the air before him, unleashing a second, even fiercer arc. Reaching outwards. the slash has much greater range that the last, and greater firepower. With it, Daniel roars at the top of his lungs.
"KASANE ATE!"
COMBATSYS: Kazuki expertly blocks Daniel's Kasane Ate.
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Kazuki 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Daniel
"You are making a mistake," Kazuki says as he weaves together a simple barrier of air that dispells most of the incoming chi. Kazuki circles Daniel with a wary eye.
"You're assuming that Kazuki /wants/ to be a fighter," the young lady finally says. "As for what he actually wants, that's always been a mystery." Kazuki frowns as he glances at the young lady.
"Yuki," he says warningly. The pause allows the young man to catch his breath, at the very least.
COMBATSYS: Kazuki gains composure.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel Jack nods his head as Kazuki dispells the chi, sending the energy apart. The detective continues to advance, moving upon his opponent with the same endless vigor. Not even glancing at Yuki, he nods fiercely, a knowing gaze coming over the entire detective. "That! That would explain it! Is that true, Kazuki? Is it true that you have no desire to be a fighter, to further your family's arts? Do not be ashamed to answer, there is wisdom in facing down the truth!"
Daniel Jack snaps out his hand, attempting to grab Kazuki by his wrist. With a vice-like grip, the detective intended to twist the limb behind the young man's back, to hold him in a wrenching standing pin. Should he get that grip, his aura would begin to hiss off, the detective seemingly an endless fountain of energy.
"React!"
COMBATSYS: Kazuki fails to counter Mad Jack Crack from Daniel with Pulse.
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Kazuki 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Daniel
Kazuki goes down in a heap under Daniel's pin. He grits his teeth as he endures the torrent of chi that washes off of Daniel. The air around the pair howls to perhaps echo Kazuki's frustration at this situation.
"It was never something I cared about," he replies as he twists, performing a simple escape to get loose of Daniel's grip. "What's it to you?"
Daniel Jack watches the man escape his grip, nodding proudly of the technique. "Good! Now for the ultimate technique of all of Todoh-Kind!" Daniel closes his eyes.... and raises his own hand up high. His hand burning with chi, he speaks with the thunderous command of a teacher of a martial art as glorious as Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu. Speaking it not just for him....
But for Kazuki.
"But you still have an obligation to your family, do you not? Look at this Dojo! And the wall! Would you allow your family's legacy to waste away, for your own selfish desires? But on the other side of the coin... Is it really worth it to make yourself into a student of an art that you will never truly embrace, an art that you will never truly love? What have you chosen, hier of Kirigana-ryu Aikido? Pursuit of yourself, at the abandonment of your duty... or abandonment of yourself, at the pursuit of your duty?"
The detective opens his eyes, the utter clarity of the room revealing itself to him. "It is time. Brace yourself, Kazuki!" Charging in like a specter, the detective aims his chop at the collar bone of the young man, unleashing the bone-shattering force of a thousand repetitions, unleashing only the most critical of blows.
"WORLD! GREATEST! HAND CHOP!"
COMBATSYS: Kazuki fails to counter World's Greatest Hand Chop from Daniel with Counter Toss.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Daniel 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Kazuki can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Daniel 0/-------/-======|
Kazuki does indeed, brace up under the strike. It slams down with thunderous force, dropping to one knee. The Gedo youth, however, still looks defiant. "I fail to see," Kazuki says flatly, "How it's any business of yours." He's making no move to stand up; the beating Daniel has handed out has taken more than its toll.
Yuki makes no move to intervene. Either Daniel will leave or he won't with this.
Daniel Jack crosses his arms as Kazuki takes the fall, standing tall against the other man. "The business of mine? I cannot stand to see youth wasted on what he does not love, and a rival school fall into ruin. You cannot abandon yourself or your family. Your obligation is only that your family's school, and name, remains strong beyond your own presence. You need to... market it."
Daniel draws out a small letter from his gi, tossing it on the ground of the dojo. "They say the Neo Development Project is a promotional tool. Imagine, if everyone knew the Kirigana name. The traffic that your dojo would receive would easily make up for your curbed enthusiasm. You would fulfill your duty to the family. And in the wake..."
"You would be free to do as you please."
Daniel Jack turns towards the exit of the Dojo. "You have failed my test. I am disappointed. Perhaps you will not disappoint me next time. Farewell. And thank you." The detective steps out of the dojo door.... and begins to drift away, fading into the front yard, to the Southtown night life.
Log created on 19:57:57 03/26/2012 by Daniel, and last modified on 00:04:33 03/27/2012.