Description: What business does a stoic one-eyed ninja have with national pop star Ina Gatta deVita? It certainly can't be anything good. Find out inside what mess Noboru gets himself into on this exciting episode of A Shinobi's Tale!
Night has settled on Southtown, but as is the case with many large cities, it has not yet gone to sleep. Lights still dot the skyscrapers that make up the city's skyline. Some of these lit windows belong to the penthouse suite of one of the classiest hotels in the city. The woman staying there would have settled for no less than that, she has her reputation to maintain. Still winding down after a day of shows and appearances, she has yet to go to bed herself, enjoying that little bit of me time that is so rare when you live in the spotlight.
She sits wearing little more than a plush hotel bathrobe, reclining in a chair that faces out towards the penthouse's sweeping balcony, overlooking the glittering city. She rolls a glass of red wine between her fingers, sloshing around but never spilling out of the delicate glassware. A poppy, electric beat thrums from the stereo system located a few feet away from her, softly hummed notes passing between her lips as she takes in the song.
To the most casual viewer, she's relaxing. However, as it goes with Ina, outside appearances hide the reality. The beat is her latest project, and her mind is busily at work composing lyrics to the song. She makes even being hard at work look like a moment of indulgence. Even with no one watching, her persona is being carefully cultivated and maintained, just in case.
The Goose Tower sweets. One of the nicest buildings in South Town, the hotel is a 50 story monstrosity based loosely on the floor plan of the legendary Geese Tower. It's famous for having entire floors devoted to parodies of fight memorabilia. Despite the slightly silly nature of the place, it is regularly featured in magazines as the number 1 place to stay when visiting Japan.
There is perhaps little doubt why the Miyama clan was hired for this particular mission. After one of their number was so recently shown scaling a glass-sided sky scraper bare handed, they have become the obvious people to contact when a long climb is required. So it is no surprise to Noboru when he finds himself hanging from the bottom of a 50th story balcony, a large grey canvas sack secured to his back. His black gloved fingers grip tiny cracks in the poured cement above him. There are no actual hand holds on the building, but the bulky shinobi doesn't really need any.
Slowly the blond-haired ninja releases the balcony with his right hand and hangs there, all his body weight supported by the grip his left fingertips have on the cement. Slowly, soundlessly, he reaches out and grabs the edge of the balcony with his right hand. From there it is an easy thing for him to release his left handed grip and do a right-handed pull up on the edge of the cement platform. Stretching up, the shinobi grabs the balcony's railing and vaults nimbly atop it.
Exhaling a soft breath through his silk mask, Noboru Glances toward the glass doors leading into the apartment and. Noticing that he has pulled himself right into Ina's line of sight, The bulky ninja perches atop the railing for a moment and studies the pop star with his remaining blue eye. He looks not unlike some sort of giant hunting bird. Soon enough, however, the big man steps down from his perch and starts to walk calmly toward the balcony doors.
If there is one thing Ina is good at, it's remaining completely in control of herself even when shocked. It's the barest fluttering of her eyes as a large man suddenly bounds over the edge of the balcony. Grey eyes lock on the man, her gaze broken only temporarily by a slow blink. Oh yes, she's trying to figure something out, and indeed she shifts subtly on the chair, anyone with a lick of combat training could tell she's readying herself to move. But she's yet to go immediately on the defensive.
She swirls the wine slowly and takes a small sip, here eyes still never leaving the shinobi on her balcony. Thoughts are rolling over in her mind much quicker than one might think, it would almost be possible to believe she doesn't even care about his presence. She leans over slightly to grab the wine bottle off the side table and refills her glass, then of all things, fills a second and sets it on the table. To do otherwise would be rude.
Noboru reaches down to test the balcony's door handle and finds it to be unlocked. This isn't' all that surprising. Few people are paranoid enough to assume an assassin will come in through the balcony. It's honestly a lot easier to just take the stares and pretend to be room service. However, the Miyama have a reputation to keep.
"Please pour six more." is all the Ninja says once he has stepped inside. His voice is deep and articulate, but his English has no accent of any kind.
Pushing the door shut gently behind him, Noboru sweeps the comfortably appointed room with his icy blue eye. Eventually his cyclopean gaze returns to Ina herself. Quietly he takes in the fact that she is in a robe, but being a professional he does not leer. Instead he steps away from the door and walks up to the table with the offered wine glass. As the shinobi walks he shrugs the bulging grey canvas sack from his shoulders and dangles it from his right hand, eventually dropping it beside a leg of the table with the soft clink of glass on glass.
"Only two glasses." Her English is faintly accented with the sound of England, though it seems she has done some speech training to keep the accent just minimal enough to be noticed without being obtrusive. Ina crosses her legs as the shinobi averts his eyes, seemingly in an almost effort to bring them back to her. "I prefer to keep meetings in my room as small, intimate affairs." She stressed the words 'my room', but almost purrs intimate. Even lacking her usual over the top makeup, she knows how she looks, and she keeps trying to pull attention back to her. But at the moment, it's a weapon like any other.
Her eyes momentarily flick towards the canvas sack, pursing her lips as it hits the floor, looking for all the world like a wife who just saw her husband walking onto her clean carpets with muddy shoes. "So, to what do I owe this little visit?" She stretches out in the chair, brushing her hair out of her face with a flick of her hand. "Certainly not some secret fan in need of a debauched midnight tryst?" As she lowers her hand, it dips behind the arm rest of the chair.
COMBATSYS: Noboru has started a fight here.
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Noboru 0/-------/-======|
The art of seduction. Many Miyama are skilled at it, and thus Noboru has spent hours watching his sister kunoichi cross their legs, pout their lips, and flutter their eyelashes. Though he stares down and the pretty girl across the table, there is no sense from him that he is even remotely interested in jumping her bones.
Obviously he's gay. I mean, why else wouldn't he melt when that purring voice is turned on him? Definitely gay.
Homosexual or not, the muscular shinobi is suddenly moving. Ina reaching behind her chair does not go unnoticed. Even as her hand drops out of sight Noboru starts to lean across the table, gloved right hand darting out in an attempt to grab her by the throat...
COMBATSYS: Ina has joined the fight here.
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Ina 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Noboru
COMBATSYS: Ina interrupts Strangulation from Noboru with Small Thrown Object.
- CRAZY Hit! -
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Ina 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Noboru
Ina's eyes widen slightly as the shinobi makes a sudden lunge at her. At least she wasn't completely off her guard. As he makes the lunge at her, she flings the glass of wine right at his face, not caing about the likely resulting glass shards or the red wine that is likely to stain the plush carpet of the room. Not her problem. All she cares about right now is putting a little distance between her and her assailant.
As the glass leaves her hand she whips to the side, knocking the chair over onto its back, allowing her to roll herself free of the chair that might otherwise hinder her, and leave the overturned furniture between her and the ninja.
As she rolls to her feet, bathrobe in slight disarray, she holds her rapier out directly in front of her in a loose and fluid grip. Obviously what she had leaning up against her chair, figures a fighter would never be too far away from the weapon of her choice. "Now, was that necessary, darling?"
Red wine and glass shards drip from the ninja's masked face and patter softly onto the tabletop. The clenched fingers of his right hand slowly relax, having just missed catching the pop star's throat. You might think that getting a glass of whine smashed on your face is a frustrating experience, but apparently it isn't. Calmly the big man reaches up to flick a shard of glass from his right eyebrow. Slowly, he nods his head. It is necessary.
Stepping around the table, Noboru reaches down and grabs Ina's discarded chair by one of it's front legs. The piece of furniture looks sturdy and well made, but the shinobi braces his right foot on the side of the seat and effortlessly tears the leg free. Straightening, he glances idly down at the 2 and a half foot club he has created.
thus armed, Noboru's attention flicks back up to Ina and he approaches at a steady walk. he has no fighting stance, just a loose, lazy sort of posture that seems to hint at boredom. He is deceptively fast though, the club in his right hand whipping up in a quick, hard swing from his hip aimed for the side of the girls' head. But, after the club has traveled about 3/4ths of the distance toward Ina's head it stops, and he steps forward with his left foot. Almost casually he lifts his left hand and snaps out a quick, hard half-fisted blow toward the center of her chest, aimed right between her breasts.
Weird how he can aim like that while staring her in the face.
COMBATSYS: Ina full-parries Noboru's Precordial Thump!
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Ina 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Noboru
Ina tsks as the chair is ripped apart. "You do know I have to pay for damaged furniture?" Yeah, that's her worry, paying for a broken chair. The tip of her sword follows the shinobi as he steps around the discarded furniture bits, the tip is steady as it slowly traces his movements. She's no casual combatant, that much is for sure, seems even a pop idol can have interesting side hobbies, though this one isn't a hidden secret. Perhaps the extent of her skill still remains unknown however.
Someone trained in the rapier is supposed to be able to spot a feint when they see one. The subtle difference in the tension of arm muscles, the slight difference in the placement of a foot. However she spotted it, she did. And so when the hand comes flying towards her chest instead, she's ready to respond to the correct attack. She spins gracefully to the side, slapping the hand away from her with the flat of the blade, not enough to hurt, but enough to keep the offending appendage away from her chest.
As her spin sompletes, it's not with the sword that she attacks, but her off hand, which glows with the soft silvery light of her chi. It's almost like a dance as she moves across the carpet on her bare feet, the light leaving a faint trail behind her. She extends her hand and the silvery glow about her fingers explodes into a glittery, dazzling explosion of untamed but still potent chi force.
COMBATSYS: Ina successfully hits Noboru with Firework EX.
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Ina 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Noboru
Noboru takes a single step back after his hand is so easily swatted aside, icy blue eye tracking Ina as she twirls into her next attack. Rather than backing off, the big man steps forward towards the incoming blast of chi, drifting a bit to the right as if he might plan to dodge around the sparkling force at the last minute.
Whatever his plan was, it seems to have failed. The shimmery blast smacks into the ninja's left shoulder and explodes against the dark blue silk of his coat, the impact of it shuttering through the ninja's solid frame.
"hrrm." Noboru rumbles thoughtfully. His steady advance isn't slowed, but the lazy boredom is fading from his posture, replaced by a relaxed sort of wariness. She has his attention now.
Stepping quickly forward, the ninja turns abruptly so that his right shoulder is to Ina. The club in his hand flicks idly out behind him, then is abruptly stabbed low forward as he attempts to drive the tip of the blunt weapon into the inside of her right thigh.
COMBATSYS: Noboru successfully hits Ina with Random Weapon.
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Ina 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Noboru
Well, the luck can't hold on forever. Ina may be a good hand with a sword, a very good hand, but as professional fighters go, she's not the cream of the crop. So as she swings her sword in an attempt to deflect the blow away from her again, her strength isn't wuite up to snuff of that of the beefy ninja. Her attempted block of the attack does little more than bat ineffectually against the wooden plank as he jabs it into her leg.
She stumbles back a bit, but quickly catches her footing, shifting her stance ever so slightly into a more defensive posture. There's still something odd about her movements, a bit of an 'offness' when her particular stance is compared to traditional fencing. Still, it's obviously a defensive posture.
Instead of launching another all out attack, she decides to prod at the shinobi's defenses. The laziness has to be an act. She lashes out with two quick stabs of her rapier, the first directed at Noboru's left shoulder, followed by another quicksilver poke at his right foot.
COMBATSYS: Noboru blocks Ina's Blah Blah Blah.
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Ina 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Noboru
One sign of a person capable of fighting in the big leagues is a lack of respect toward weapons. It is that lack of respect that Noboru shows when he lifts his left arm and deflects Ina's first stab with a seemingly casual backfist. The edge of her blade splits the knuckles of his black leather glove, but when she draws the rapier back there is no sign of blood on the sharp metal.
The big ninja deflects the second blow aimed at him with a flick of his wrist, swinging the heavy club down and out to catch the pop star's blade edge to wood before it can reach his foot. Stepping forward into the momentary gap this makes, the shinobi aims a hard left straight directly toward Ina's right breast.
First the inner thigh, now the breast? Noboru's good eye continues to study Ina's face, but could he be perving on her anyway? Maybe he isn't gay.
COMBATSYS: Ina counters Medium Punch from Noboru with Radioactive.
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Ina 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1 Noboru
Ina may not have gotten exactly what she wanted from the testing of the ninja's defenses, but she got enough. It still gave her a clearer picture of where the next attack would be coming from, and she could be ready for it. She reacts with the same quick grace she displayed before, a light dancing step carrying her slightly to the side as she drives the basket hilt of her rapier into the wrist of Noboru's attacking hand to push it away.
The motion is continued, her arm rotating, bringing the sword around for a lashing strike. The sword blurs through the air as she takes advantage of the opening to lash out with half a dozen small lashes of the rapier tip. She allows the last strike's momentum to carry her around into another one of those embellished, glitzy spins that dominate her overly elaborate style. She pirouettes on one foot through the spin, her other foot coming around to strike the shinobi square in the middle of his gut. She isn't going to go down easy, that much is for sure.
Noboru retracts his fist quickly after the hilt strikes his wrist, though the rebuff doesn't seem to have dun him any real harm. He seems to know what is coming, and for the first time during this fight he takes a step back rather than forward, bracing himself as the slashes tear into his coat and shirt, gloved left hand curling into a fist as he lifts it boxer-style to guard his eyes from the dancing blade. His wooden club remains held down and to his side, ignored for the time being.
The last of the slashes sweeps across the ninja's chest and the front of his coat falls into a mess of hanging tatters, as does the shirt beneath. The mess is held in place by the criss-crossed leather straps of some sort of weapon harness, though what things might be attached to it are now hidden under hanging shreds of grey cotton and blue silk. The odd glimpse of lightly tanned skin or golden brown chest hair can be had through his uniform as the cloth shifts.
Noboru drops his left arm from the guard position and steps forward directly into Ina's spinning kick as it comes, the attack landing hard against his side rather than his gut. It's like kicking a bag of cement! A bag of cement that hits back, the bulky shinobi's left hand whipping over the pop star's outstretched leg to try and drive a vicious half-fisted punch into her right kidney. It's an odd angle, and he has to lean forward a bit over her to pull it off, staring flatly down at her with his good eye.
No blood leaks from beneath Noboru's tattered clothing. is it possible Ina missed? Maybe he's sword proof. Who knows.
COMBATSYS: Noboru successfully hits Ina with Blunt Force Trauma.
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Ina 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Noboru
Ina tries to pull out of the way of the attack as soon as she sees it coming. Despite the odd angle, she's still too unbalanced from her own assault to get out of the way in time. She takes the shot to her side, causing her to visibly wince at the impact. A soft grunt of pain escapes from her lips as she takes a few light steps away from Noboru, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. Glaring, or simply taking him in?
Her lips curl into a crooked smile that seems incongruous with her current condition. "You know, if you weren't attacking me, I'd offer you the chance to take me out to dinner." She uses the moment to recenter herself, pulling her back up straight and leveling the rapier before her again, point still steady. "I do love sushi."
She lowers her stance ever so slightly, her back foot giving a subtle shift through the soft carpeting. Then with a burst of speed she launches herself forward, the tip of her rapier extended before her as she comes in low, trying to get under the ninja's defenses.
COMBATSYS: Ina successfully hits Noboru with Hit Me Up.
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Ina 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Noboru
"Hnnngh." Noboru grunts, possibly in reply to Ina's random flirting, or perhaps it's a response to the first 2 inches of her blade sinking into his abdomen.
The Pop Star probably could have ran him through completely if he hadn't clenched up his abs. The tightening of his stomach muscles actually manages to lock the blade in place as the ninja hunches his shoulders and bares down on it, icy blue eye fixed on the middle distance. It must hurt quite a bit to get stabbed. If so he doesn't show it. Aside from the initial mild grunt he handles it all fairly well.
Reaching down with his left hand, Noboru grabs Ina's rapier by the blade and squeezes hard, using his hand as a vice to prevent the weapon from being forced any deeper. Relaxing his abdomen, the big ninja starts to calmly push the sword out of his body with the strength of his left arm alone. Once all 2 inches of bloodied steel are free he gives the blade a sharp twist and shoves back even harder, attempting to ram the hilt of the weapon into Ina's body before letting go.
Still the shinobi lets his club dangle uselessly at his side. Has he forgotten he is holding it?
COMBATSYS: Noboru successfully hits Ina with Light Random Weapon.
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Ina 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Noboru
Ina instead of moving out of the way, tries to wrestle the blade away from the ninja. Poorly. Instead she gets pounded right in the midsection by the hilt of her own sword, causing her to grunt heavily as she stumbles away. She's putting on a good show, but by now it's becoming obvious just how little energy she has left in her. At least she's managing to put a brave face on it, well, less brave and more flirty. Always the performer, even when backed against a wall. Nor does she even offer to pay off the ninja to back away, she has her pride, damn it.
She adjusts the grip on her rapier, her fingers curling about the blade as she slowly rotates it in her hand. She already knows her chances are slim to none. Doesn't mean she's going to let the shinobi off without spilling more of his blood on the carpet.
She suddenly dashes forward, trying to squeeze the last little burst of speed she has inside of her, sword trailing behind her. As she closes in, she spins in low, lashing out in a dizzying flurry of coupes and thrusts. If her attacks make it through the shinobi's guard she finishes by spinning away in a dancing leap and coming in again with one finally thrust, tossing all her weight behind the strike almost recklessly.
COMBATSYS: Noboru blocks Ina's Glory and Gore.
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Ina 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Noboru
'Clack!'
The sound of Ina's sword striking Noboru's club is surprisingly loud after so many seconds without it. The bulky ninja's weapon is still held casually in one hand, having been swung up from where it dangled beside his right thigh just in time to catch the pop star's first slash.
'clack, clack clack clack, clack, clack, clackclackclack.'
The stoic shinobi circles patiently to his right as he deflects the incoming blows away, splinters flying from his improvised club to pepper the walls and plush carpet. Each of his parries are quick and direct. He has none of the flash of his female opponent's dancing style, but despite that she is eventually forced to twirl away without having hit him once.
'cssshhhhunk.'
Noboru braces himself as the pop star comes charging in for the final stab. His club dips under the darting blade and lifts it up, metal scraping across wood. Lifting his left hand, he presses down on the sword, forcing it deeper into the wood with his palm until it finally is ground to a stop, inches from touching his chest.
Twisting his club free from the sword with a 'crack', the ninja leans slightly to his right, then snaps up his left foot to try and slam a quick kick into the inside of Ina's left thigh. one that will more or less match the hit she took to the right earlier in their fight. A couple drops of blood slip through the leather of his left glove and patter to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Ina counters Light Kick from Noboru with Toxic.
?!? Weird Hit! ?!?
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Noboru 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Ina can no longer fight.
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Noboru 1/---====/=======|
Oh no, not the legs again. Not when she has to be on stage and dancing in a couple of days. Ina swings her rapier down in one last graceful parry, more pushing herself away from the stolid ninja's leg than pushing it away from her. She reverses her grip on the rapier with a quick flourish and aims to drive the hilt of her sword right into Noboru's stomach, one last effort to knock the wind out of him.
The hilt never makes contact, she spins away right at the last moment, just as she had a chance to make a clear shot at him. And instead as she spins, she lashes out with her hand and....
Poke the ninja in the cheek with a finger, letting out a soft, "Boop."
Even that small word causes her to cough, a bit of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth onto the white of her robe. He legs go out from under her as she falls to her knees, only by driving a couple of inches of her sword into the floor does she keep herself upright. She never even opens her mouth to call for the security that's likely standing right on the outside of her suite's door. Instead she looks up at the ninja, that coy crooked smile of hers playing across ruby lips. Her own brand of defiance.
"Seems you have me where you want me." She dabs the corner of her mouth with the sleeve of her robe, a surprisingly dainty gesture. "Just get it over with."
Noboru stares down at Ina after she has 'boop'ed him, standing tall and unruffled despite the fact that there is a stab wound hidden somewhere under his shredded shirt. For just a moment the lightly tanned skin to either side of his eyes crinkles, and he seems to grin down at her. Giving a shake of his shaggy head, the hulking brute turns away and strolls back over to the table that holds his full wine glass, and the shattered remains of her own.
Stepping around to the canvas sack he carried in with him, the ninja drops his makeshift club onto the tabletop and stoops to tug the bag open. From inside he starts to pull out empty bottles of takila. These he tosses randomly around the room, not seeming to care where they fall. After he has tossed out about 5 bottles, the ninja reaches back into the sack and pulls out some torn bits of what might be under ware. Those he wipes through the wine on the table, then throws onto the floor. Next comes more bits of clothing that he tosses idly about, making the room look more and more like the scene of...
Out of the bag comes a hand full of what look like...Oh god those are used condoms.
With a stoic expression, Noboru tosses these about the room as well, then pauses to untie a couple of the used rubbers and fling them idly in Ina's general direction.
Moving mechanically, the shinobi picks up his bag, still not empty, and starts to walk off toward the other rooms of the pent house. it is very clear what he is doing now. He's setting this place up to look like there was an orgy. And a pretty damned crazy one judging by the looks of things. It is also probably becoming clear why his attacks were aimed where they were when fighting Ina.
You were attacked by a ninja? Sure!
It takes Ina a moment to even register what's going on, but when she does she simply shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Though tossing the condoms in her direction does produce a disgusted wrinkling of her nose. She uses her sword like a cane to push herself to her feet and stumble over to the bar. She pours herself a glass of something harder than wine as she just lets the ninja who so soundly handled her do what he pleases.
"Wrong type of booze, darling. It's a well known fact I only drink black label, not that cheap swill." She raises the bottle of black label rum in her hand by way of demonstration when the ninja next walks through the room.
She leans her head forward, nursing a sudden pain that splits her skull, peering through the curtain of her hair at the shinobi. "And next time buy me dinner first." She's a lunatic, no two ways about it. She stumbles over to the couch and collapses, muttering something along the lines of, "And lock up after you leave, I don't need another ninja coming in a stealing my panties." A pause. "They're in the top drawer if you want a pair."
Attacked by a ninja, nagged by a pop star. What a night.
COMBATSYS: Noboru has ended the fight here.
Log created on 20:19:29 07/14/2014 by Noboru, and last modified on 22:01:59 07/19/2014.