Tenhanshi Academy (RP) - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Draconis · 06-05-2007, 07:37 AM

Looking back at the guard's body lying on the ground, Onigami felt a twinge of compassion for the fallen. Walking over to the limp and quivering body, he picked up a few trap-jaw ants in his hand and whispered into the fallen guard's ear, "This is going to hurt. Try not to swallow your tongue." Flattening his hand at the top of the curled muscle, Onigami slid his hand down the calf, straightening the muscle until the two severed ends of the tendon met. Grabbing them between his thumb and forefinger, he placed the ants' mandibles on the tendon until it bit down, securing the tendon, then removed the head from the rest of the body. After securing both tendons in place, Onigami retrieved a collection of herbs from his pouch, chewed them and placed the paste on the wound, then placing some more of the herbs in the guard's mouth, whispered, "You will sleep for three days and feel no pain. But when you awake, your legs will be healed enough to walk for a while. You must still go to a hospital but this will at least give you a fighting chance." "Couldn't you have given me this before you fixed my legs." "Of course, but you needed to learn a lesson in not being so hasty to threaten another's life."

Walking back over to the rest, he could see that they were perplexed by this sudden change in demeanor. Not so much in their eyes or that any of them said anything about it, but more the near horizontal slant their heads had come to rest at. Preempting any troublesome questions, Onigami simply quoted MacBeth, "I dare do all that becomes a man; who dares do more is none." This had very little effect on the angle of their heads but hopefully at least put their minds at ease concerning his suspected bloodlust.

"Öl!", he exclaimed upon sight of the amber ambrosia, "och flickor...." at sight of the girls. Both were enticing prospects, but the order had to be right. Sauntering over to the table, he took three beers in each hand and approached the girls. "Something to quench your thirst, ladies?", but his approach was met only with hateful glares, "So, the lot of you are teetotalers, huh? Well, that settles that." Onigami used his teeth to open the bottles in his right hand and proceeded to drink all three at once as he walked back to the group. "What happened?" Kin said inquisitively. Onigami simply sat down in the dirt cross-legged, finished the three in his right hand and opened one from his left hand. "A woman who does not drink is a woman not worth having. I want nothing to do with their evil sort."

Wolfwood · 06-05-2007, 01:47 PM

Leaning up against the wall and looking down at Onigami, Kin spoke in a louder tone than he normally would if he wasn't trying to grab the other student's attentions. "Come now Oni, I can call you Oni right?" Kin cracked a smile at what he had just said. If he had called anyone else 'Oni' they'd probably take it as an insult, considering it meant 'demon', but watching Onigami chug the last of his beers Kin didn't think he'd mind; rather, he might enjoy it. Kin then continued his train of thought, "Any woman is worth having...if only for a night. Am I right?"

With that, Kin looked back at the sophomores adorning the furniture of the room. They were glaring over at Kin and Onigami, but Kin's gaze only wandered to three of the five students. He then began ranking the three as he gave each a quick once over, Hmm...let's see, first one...6, second one...5, third one...ooohhh 8! Bingo! Without a second thought and ignoring the ever deepening stares of hate, Kin began walking over to the female student closest to the table of food. Kin recognized her as the girl who sat two seats behind him in homeroom the prior year. What was her name again? Kin could always remember a pretty face, but he was awful with names. Rinny? Rhino? Ricksy? Damn, what was her name? Oh yeah!

Taking a seat on the small couch next to the girl, Kin looked at her with a grin on his face that contrasted greatly with the look of unease she wore on her. "Your name is Rinoa, right?" Kin asked the girl. In an instant, the uneasy look on the girl's face turned into a warm smile. "That's right. And...you're Kinnikun, yes?"

Kin nodded in agreeance, which was more a way for him to get a closer look at Rinoa than an actual response. Rinoa had shoulder length blonde hair, that was obviously dyed, considering her Asian heritage, a small but curvy build, and blue eyes that had to ve contacts considering their unnatural sparkle.The girl wore the standard academy uniform of a pleated skirt, with a white blouse and sleeveless sweater, but she had a few alterations. The alterations were small in nature, but transformed the outfit from a typical school uniform to every guy's dream, well at least Kin's. She had hemmed the waist of the skirt to make it a miniskirt and had lowered the V of her sweater to make it more revealing. That, coupled with the removed buttons from the top of the blouse and the girls figure, was all it took to capture Kin's attention.

It was then that Kin realized that he was staring and not in the "oh my god you're so beautiful you take my breath away" way, but in the bad "let's go into the bathroom and #@$^&#" way. Shaking his head to snap himself back to reality, Kin turned his gaze back to Rinoa's face. She laughed in response and took a drink from her soda that sat on the floor at her feet.

"So why are you down here?" Kin asked without thinking. He then kicked himself for uttering such a dumb question as the girl responded. "Well, I am a sophomore. I think the better question is why are you, a freshmen, down here?" Rinoa laughed at herself softly.

The girl's question, as well as her laugh, threw Kin off and he had to pause before responding. After stuttering a few incoherent words, he was saved by a shout from Kuro. "Hey Kin! Uh...what should we be doing? You said you had a plan right?"

Tearing his gaze away from the beauty beside him, Kin looked over at Kuro and Aki who were still standing in the door. "Uh...well, we're trying to get through the next door and all. So why don't you, Aki, and Oni-" Kin paused as he spoke and turned his gaze to where Onigami had been seated. He wasn't there. Looking around the room, Kin saw a pair of feet on the far side of the food table and a hand reaching up for another beer, then a very loud belch. "Uh, well...how about you and Aki take care of this mess. I'm...busy."

Kin then turned his attentions back to Rinoa who sat quietly next to him, staring over with an intrigued look. Even though Kin was no longer looking over at Kuro, he could feel his friend's gaze and picture the look of annoyance on his face. Oh well, Kin thought as he finally regained his composure and answered Rinoa's question. "We're here because..."

nevin · 06-06-2007, 03:06 AM

Aki looked over at Kuro to see if he would join in the pursuits of Kin and Onigami (who she still had her doubts about but was considerably less frightened of), but he looked right back at her and smiled. Aki blushed and looked away to the other door. "Ano...I guess we should..." she trailed off. Standing next to Kuro, she tired to take on some of his energy and enthuiasm. She brought her eyes back to his, smiled impishly, and threw her tessen open. It was time to prove herself. "I'm ready for a good fight!" she announced, deepening her grin.

Yukimura · 06-06-2007, 10:35 AM

"Well what baby wants..."

Kuro reached out his hand to Aki, who took it gently in hers. He pulled her along with him out the door. As he ran, pulling her considerabley less gracefully than he thought he was, he spoke.

"Baby gets!"

They whizzed by the sophomore area, and quickly arrived at the other end of the pit. There were once again two guards at the door, both of them women, both far less casual than either of the previous guards. They stood with keen eyes, watching for potential intruders. It was apparent to Kuro that they were easily twice as strong as their last opponent.

"Aww man! Just my luck, I get stuck fighting a girl."

He turned to Aki, smiling, excited to see her finally apply some of her recent experience. He could tell that there was great technique and passion to her fighting, she had just yet to have the experience to bring it out in her. He couldn't wait.

Wolfwood · 06-06-2007, 12:20 PM

As Kin stopped speaking, he spotted Kuro and Aki running towards the door to the Third Year section on the far side of the room. Turning back to the lovely lady who sat on the couch beside him, Kin saw Rinoa processing everything he had just said. He then waited a few patient seconds for her to respond.

"So...you're here because of him.." Rinoa said matter-of-factly. Kin nodded. "And you left last year because of him..."

"That's right." Kin said as he turned his gaze back to the far side of the room where Kuro and Aki were now confronting the two female guards. "Although, you might say I didn't really leave by choice."

Following those words, Kin grasped his right knee and felt the bulge of bandages that surrounded it. He then began to think of all that had transpired in the last nine months or so. The hospital, the ignorant doctors telling him he'd never fight again, the rehab sessions, the training, convincing Kuro to come to school in Japan, and a new year with a fresh start.

"Um..." Rinoa began to speak, then paused.

"Go ahead." Kin urged her on, having a good idea of what she was about to say.

"You seem..." she paused again. This time, Kin urged her with a tender punch in the arm and a reassuring smile. Finding her resolve, she finally got the words out. "You seem different Kinnikun."

"Oh yeah?" Kin said with a slight smile. "How's that?"

"Well, for starters you seem to have acquired a few new features." She said hesitating a little.

"Like what?" Kin mused. "This?" Kin said as he lifted his right hand and brandishing his boken. "Or this?" He then patted his right leg.

"Well both of those, but mostly it's you personality. Compared to last year, you're alot less-"

"Mobile?" Kin interrupted with a laugh.

"Kinnikun!" Rinoa shouted as she lightly hit in the chest for interrupting. "I was gonna say arrogant. You seem alot more mature. Last year you were really cocky and hot-headed and frankly, something of a jerk."

"And you can tell all of that from our brief conversation thus far?" Kin was now looking deeply into Rinoa's eyes. She blushed a faint red. "And by the way, can you call me Kin? My mom's the only one who calls me Kinnikun."

"But I like Kinnikun!" Rinoa protested as she sat up from her lounged position on the couch. "If I called you Kin I'd feel like I was talking to my brother or something and-" Rinoa blushed again as she covered her mouth to keep herself from saying the words that were about to come out. Regaining her composure and retreating back to her lounged position, she finished. "and...I don't want to think of you in that way."

Kin laughed a little bit then placed his left hand gently on Rinoa's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "How about this. I guess you can call me Kin-kun." Kin said placing emphasis on 'Kin-kun' to differentiate between that and his real name.

Rinoa giggled a little and grasped Kin's left hand firmly. She then let go of his hand and stopped giggling all at once, as she realized she was wearing her emotions on her sleeve. In a calm and deliberate tone, she then said "That sounds agreeable to me, Kin-kun."

Hearing this, Kin smiled and eased himself off the couch and into a standing position. Leaning on his cane for a little bit of support, Kin looked down at Rinoa and spoke softly. "Well, I think you've distracted me for long enough now. And I should be getting back to the task at hand."

Rinoa laughed at Kin's words considering it was he was the one who walked over to her. "Okay then. And don't worry I won't tell anyone why you're down here. Not that it's that hard to figure out. And one last thing." Kin watched as she stood up to meet him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She then whispered in his ear, "Good luck."

Feeling his cheek where he had been kissed with his free hand, Kin began walking towards the far side of the room where Kuro and Aki were, but he paused after a few steps and turned around to face Rinoa once again. "You know, you've changed since last year too."

Placing her hands on her hips, Rinoa replied. "Oh yeah, how's that?"

Without missing a beat, Kin smiled and answered. "Let's just say, you've grown."

Following that, Kin began to walk hurriedly to the far side of the room. After a few seconds, he dared a glance over his shoulder back at Rinoa, whose face had contorted into a look of both loving anger and a held-back laugh. You know the one. Turning his attention back to what lay in front of him, Kin began to think about how Kuro and Aki were doing, but these thoughts were short-lived as Kin found himself falling face first onto the floor of the Second Year area. Glancing around to figure out what he had tripped on, Kin saw the outstretched leg of Onigami.

Kin laughed a little, while trying to hide his winces of pain, and pulled himself up against the wall into a seated position next to Onigami. Looking over at Onigami, Kin saw that his arms were limp by his sides and his head was hunched over facing the floor. Kin couldn't tell whether he was resting or if he was passed out. Kin then noticed that the two of them were sitting next to the refreshments table. Prodding Onigami in the side with his elbow in an effort to get his attention, Kin said. "Oy, Oni! Could you pass me a beer so I can have something to drink while we watch Kuro and Aki's show?"

Draconis · 06-07-2007, 07:34 AM

"Beer for ayvuurybaudy!", Oni shouted as he flung two bottles into the air, catching one in his mouth, the other landing solidly on the crown of Kin's head. Leaning over to Kin, he half-shouted in a feigned whisper, "She's lying about the way she looks. I am...uf...HIC can tell 'cause my hair is that color but normal and not fucking color somethinged. But the good thing about stuff, especially that, is that if your drink enough of this wonderful stuff, it makes you more not angry of less, you see?" Kin was visibly confused by this, but this did not prevent him from imbibing along side the already buzzing Onigami.

"Hey, you four over there," screamed Onigami, turning his atttention towards his comrades and the guards, "I've got a great idea. Alright, are you ready for it? This idea maybe blow your mind right out of your goddamn ears and back into your eyes. Ready? Let's just stand around some more. You like that? Fucking right, 'cause that's what you're doing. YOU! speaking now only to the nearest guard, whipping a beer directly at her head You should really drink that. God knows you need some prettying up. You look like a baboon in heat's ass that a dog threw up on. Fuck, you're ugly. You might make me throw up. Oh god, oh god, I think I'm gonna...."

Onigami staggered to his feet and stumbled along the wall in the general direction of the guard. Oni continued berating her, "Oh, you're so ugly I'm gonna... Oh god.... Wait, wait....", then pulled three more beers from behind his back, quickly chugged them all at once, and, lifting his mask slightly, proceeded to spew the most heinous projectile technicolor yawn directly at the guard, covering her in a foul viscous solution of cheap Japanese lager, bile and what looked like Cheetos but smelled like rotting fish. "I thought dogs ate vomit. Go ahead, dogface, eat it up. What? Are you gonna do something about it? Didn't think so, dogface." The guard was still in a state of shock at what had just happened. Knowing full well that she was incapable of reacting now, Onigami simply turned around, grabbed another beer and sat back down next to Kin, laughing all the while.

Yukimura · 06-07-2007, 06:01 PM

As Aki began to speak with one guard, Kuro turned to look at the other. He looked her up and down, as though checking her out. He was really guessing her fighting capacity, but he didn't mind making her feel like she's on display a moment, feel his confidence and readiness to fight. Chi style, but it's strange somehow. Finally he spoke.

"So, you're my opponent right? I'd prefer to be somewhere other than a battlefield with you, but as long as we can be close, I suppose it's okay."

"You're making a big mistake little boy. We're not like those wimps you faced at the first gate. We're Juniors here. Do you have any idea the amount your fighting ability grows in that time?"

"Well that's a whole 'nother matter. If you're really that much stronger, then I have a lot to be excited about."

Kuro's hands pulsed with the force of his chi energy. It was almost visible floating in the air.

"So let's go then. Whenever you're ready. Kentou."

"Kentou."

Kuro noticed chi immediately begin to flow from his opponent. She raised her chi this much in such a short time? Suddenly, the room seemed to grow very dark. Everything around Kuro seemed to fade to blackness. He felt the chi stop flowing from his hands as though it were very distant. The girl, however, seemed to stay perfectly visible, and her eyes especially seemed impossible to look away from. An illusion, damn. I let it get so far. Okay, raise a chi field... come on... what's wrong? My body feels so distant from me now... and those eyes... No! I...

"It's okay, we don't need to fight just yet. Let's relax together. I'd really like to relax."

I'm so weak. I should be strong enough to break through this easily. I need to get stronger... The girl began to walk towards Kuro very slowly, rhythmically. He could see every part of her moving in slow motion, especially her eyes, gazing into his soul. She began to reach out for him with one hand.

"I want to touch you, to feel you. Let me touch you. Let me be with you. Let's be closer."

Her hand touched him and Kuro felt his mind melt away. She wrapped an arm around him and whispered words he couldn't quite hear. He felt her moving against him, but all he could see now were her eyes. Aki looked over to see her pulling a small knife from its sheath.

"Kuro!"

"It's too late to reach him," she laughed. "All he knows now is me. He's completely unaware of anything that's happening."

Aki attempted to get to him, but she couldn't.

He'd be mad if I interrupted his battle... I can't.

The girl reached back with her knife, preparing to plunge it into Kuro's chest, when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. Aki's face lit up. Kuro looked at the girl with a smirk, the glazed look leaving his eyes.

"What? How?! A freshman?"

"You were arrogant, but you'll remember this. It's Kuro who charms the ladies, never the other way around. Nasake Kobushi!"

Kuro plunged a chi covered fist deep in her stomach. She felt his chi pulse through him the moment of impact, then her insides crushing under the blow. It felt to her as though it were happening in slow motion. She tried to breathe, but she couldn't. The world seemed to fade away from her as she fell to the ground unconscious.

Kuro smiled as he rubbed the spot on his own body where he'd hit the girl. It didn't feel like that tough of a punch. I suppose her chi abilities were all she had going for her. It was a one punch knockout. He looked around to find Aki. If not for her yelling my name, I'd probably be in considerabley worse shape.

nevin · 06-07-2007, 08:15 PM

"Hey Freshman where do you think you're going?" the girl on the left sneered, her eyes fixed coldly on Aki's.

"I think I'd like to go through that door," she replied simply.

The older girl blew air heavily out in a soft snort. "You've got to be kidding. Don't waste my time."

Aki shook her head and threw her tessen open. "Try me."

"Save yourself some embarrassment and back down. Now." But as she said this, she reached to her side and drew a long, thin blade.

Aki spoke with more confidence than she felt, but she closed her tessen back up, pointed it at the girl, and let her lips curl into the increasingly familiar word, "Kentou". The other guard's attention was entirely devoted to Kuro, and Kin and Onigami were still sitting in the doorway. This guard held Aki with her dark, unkind eyes. Aki felt like they were in a tunnel, isolated from everything else- this she knew, and though her muscles tingled like they had frozen mid-shiver, this tunnel made her feel brave.

"Blade of the Rising Sun!" The guard shouted, calling Aki out from the tunnel and back into the sandy courtyard. She held her blade up to the sun, reflecting it and redirecting it into Aki's line of vision. It was more than a cheap trick, though- the steel seemed to be pulling the sun's light into itself and then forcing the bright energy to gush back out. Aki blinked, only to find that it made her vision worse. 'How stupid of me!' she thought angrily, her tessen still closed in her hand. There was a moment where the light seemed to lessen, and then she felt the girl's arms around her from behind, and the sword's edge pressed lightly against her throat.

The guard puffed hot air out of her nose in an airy snort again. She began to speak, breathing on Aki and making the hairs on her neck prickle, "Like I said, save yourself the..." but she didn't have time to finish. Letting her have time to jump behind her was a rookie mistake on Aki's part, but now she was in a position she knew. She knew how to get out of this, and she knew how to fight a sword. In an instant, Aki felt her body align itself with the tessen. All her movements were focused on moving the fan.

"I think," Aki said, pulling her tessen out from her side, "that you," here she opened the blades and swung her arm back, "made a huge mistake," and now she whipped her wrist, bringing the sharp edge of the tessen in a dripping red slice along the girl's right arm.

The guard was startled enough to loosen her grip on Aki and she took the escape, falling to her ankles and kicking out to knock the guard off her balance. She was in close now and she wasn't going to loose any distance. The guard would have to plunge her sword down into Aki to even have a chance, but she was ready to dodge. The guard tried to slash Aki's shoulder but she brought up the open tessen to block, using momentum as she sprung back up to deflect the sword a little to the side. Aki's face was right up against the girl's. They were falling, but everything seemed to be moving very slowly for Aki. She looked her in the eye and smiled darkly, simultaneously folding the tessen back up and jabbing the small rounded hinged end into the girl's ribs. Aki heard the air puff through her nose, this time as an echo to Aki's own snort and not the girl's. While the girl was trying to take in another breath, Aki stopped her fall and pushed herself backwards. The guard slid back and little but caught herself and slid just a little in the sand. She looked up at Aki, hatefully, but Aki was running by her, hitting another key pressure point on her shoulder. She missed a little, so it didn't have the instant drooping effect she had hoped for, but it still kept the guard from bringing her sword back up.

In a second hit, Aki reached back and jabbed the rounded end of the tessen into the pressure point directly between the girl's shoulder blades. This blow landed full force, and the girl began to collapse forward. Aki heard her cough and spit out a little blood as she prepared her final blow-the soft spot on the back on the skull. Blood dribbled into the sand and Aki looked away towards Kuro for a moment. She could tell that something was wrong. All of the excited energy he usually fought with seemed drained and the guard was closing in on him.

"KURO!" she called--nothing. The other guard laughed at her, bolstering Aki's anger higher. She was almost finished with her own fight and she knew she couldn't interfere with his. 'But...' in a torn moment she tried to move towards him, but the guard's chi repelled her. "Kuro!" she called again, her emotions jolting out of control on her adreneline. Then, just as she saw him reach out and stop the guard, she was called back to her own fight. The girl was beginning to struggle up as Aki readied her final blow. Still feeling angry, she raised the end of the tessen, but then caught herself--too much adrenaline. She had let herself feel hate-- a completely worthless emotion in a fight. She breathed in, pressing her thumb into the butterfly on the tessen. She turned the fan to the large blunt side, stood behind the girl, and pushed her into a painful slumber.

Aki gasped as though she had been holding her breath in for the whole fight. She looked down at her hand holding the tessen, now quivering from the adrenaline release. She crouched beside the guard, and said in a soft voice that almost sounded like her own again (or at least the one she knew), "You know, you were stronger than me, but you lost the moment you thought you'd won."

She stood back up and looked around, wondering if anyone had seen her change.

Yukimura · 06-12-2007, 09:42 AM

Kuro looked back at Kin and Onigami and waved for them to come over, though they were already on their way. They probably saw the whole fight. He and Kin knocked their fists against each other's in triumph. Looking at Oni, Kuro saw that he was staring off as though his mind were wandering. Kuro looked in the direction Oni was staring... and saw nothing. Did something just move? He and Oni shrugged and Kin reached for the door to the next section. Reaching out to stop him, Kuro spoke.

"Why don't you let me take care of it this time?"

Opening the door, the next year's area was clearly geared towards people who take their fighting much more seriously. The whole area was laid out organized and functional. One main sidewalk that went in a circle through the middle, and several branch sidewalks reaching off of it to the buildings and fields. Green trees and soft green grass made the area feel just a little more pleasant, and the buildings were all entirely made of brick. There were countless training grounds, incredibley efficient-looking with many types of exercises. He saw weights, weapons (lethal and non-lethal), weapon shops (mostly lethal), great eateries, and only a single bar. The bar looked empty save for a few stragglers. Third years must start to get a lot more serious. No wonder those last guards were so strong. I can't wait to fight a senior. Looking back at his comerades, he smiled a big smile.

"So what do you think?"

He saw me. I need to be more careful.

Behind them, a shadow moved across the door, then another. The first one had been watching them earlier. The second one picked up speed and caught up with him.

"Now what were you doing spying on those innocent looking people? You're not going to stir up any trouble are you?"

"Innocent, psh."

With that, the black figure vanished into a puff of smoke. The one in red shrugged his shoulders and made his way towards the far gate.

Wolfwood · 07-11-2007, 01:08 PM

A clink rang out through the Second Year area as Kin dropped the beer bottle he had been holding and it found its way to its two other brethren on the ground between Kin and Oni. Kuro and Aki had just finished dispatching the two female guards and were about to enter the Third Year area when Kin decided to join the duo.

Not bothering to use his boken for support, Kin heaved himself to his feet where he stood on shakey legs for a moment before darting over meet Kuro and Aki. As he approached his friends, Kin took a diving leap and positioned himself between the two of them. Kin threw his arms around Kuro and Aki's neck to break his fall, expecting them to easily be able to bear the burden of his additional weight, but apparently your body weight doubles when you're slightly inebriated. Kin felt Aki's knees buckle under his weight and he began fall to the side she had been propping up, but before he crashed to the ground with her Kuro swiftly maneuvered himself under Kin and lifted him up in a firemans carry.

Kin felt as if he were flying as he was lifted off the ground but the feeling soon faded into one of pain as Kuro set him down roughly to the ground and turned his attentions to Aki who was making her way back up to her feet.

"Hey!" Kin yelled to Kuro's back with a bit of a slur. "What was that for?"

The only reply Kin got a quick glare back from Kuro as he gave Aki his hand and helped her to her feet. Kin stood clumsily to his feet and could feel a bite of anger welling up in his chest.

"Hey!" Kin yelled again to Kuro, this time poking him in the side with his boken' perhaps a bit harder than he meant to. "I asked you what was that for? The least you could do is answer me."

Kuro spun around and the glare still remained on his face. "Because..." he started, but soon stopped himself and his glared faded into a slight forced smile. "Aren't you the one who was saying we need to stay focused Kin?"

With that, Kuro took Aki's hand in his own and clapped Kin on the shoulder with his other while motioning with his head and saying. "Let's go."

Kuro then took a few quick strides forward and kicked the door to the Third Year area open. Kin, unsatisfied with his friend's answer, was about to say something, but was quickly stopped by an unlikely source. Oni had sauntered over to the group and had been watching for a minute or so before walking over to Kin and giving him a quick bonk on the back of the head as he was about to say something. He then leaned in to Kin and said in a low voice, "You know, the truely wise follow their own direction. You already know the answer to your own question, so why ask it? Besides, you shouldn't let something like that get your panties in a bind."

Kin, who had been looking at the ground and thinking over Oni's words as he spoke, looked up to reply, but quickly found that he had already moved on to the Third Year area with the others. Whatever Kin thought as he trudged through the areas. He was unhappy, with a lot of things. The events that had just transpired, the fact that he was obviously a little inebriated, and...

Kins whole mind seemed to freeze as he stepped through the doors, looked around, and the gravity of the situation he was presently facing hit him at full force. The furnishments for the Third Year area were humble at best, which indicated the fact that the Third Year at Tenhanshi Academy was far and away the toughest. But, the furnishments and people of the Third Year area were the last things on Kin's mind. His mind was transfixed on one single thought- this was where he had been eight months before when he had gotten hurt. He had suceeded in accomplishing something that took him an entire semester alone in one single day with his friends. At that moment, he looked around at Kuro and Aki and he was grateful they were there, even Oni who he barely knew he was grateful for.

Mentally sober now, Kin began to regain his focus and take in the entire scene of the Third Year area. A few students training, a few conversing, one drinking, and two guards...a boy and a girl...seniors...I'll take out the boy. Without giving any warning, Kin lowered his stance and brandished his boken in his right hand and began to streak towards the Fourth Year door, taking a little extra time to follow the walls for a little bit of concealment.

About ten yards away from the door, Kin quickened his pace and began darting towards the left side of the boy guard's view. A few feet away, Kin leaped foward and brought his boken towards a spot between the guard right collarbone and neck in a heavy, downward slash. For a faint moment, Kin thought he might succeed in ambushing the guards, that was until his eyes met with the guards a fraction of a second before his attack made contact. In that fraction of time, the guard was able to raise his right arm and shield Kin's intended point of contact with his forearms.

The sound that erupted from the contact between the boken and the guard's forearm was not what Kin expected. A metal clang had rung out and while Kin had put enough force into his attack to break most any body part it came in contact with, the guard stood unphased and uninjured in front of Kin, glaring at him with an almost sadistic look in his eyes.

Kin jumped back and tried to analyze what had just transpired and figure out what was going on. The only thing Kin drew was a blank, and it wasn't until he took another glance over at the guard that he realized how he had with stood the attack. The right cuff of the guard's shirt had been ripped by Kin's attack and now revealed the gaurds bear arms, but rather than skin, the only thing present on his forearm was a dull grey texture, steel. He's wearing steel bracers, so he must be a hand to hand guy Kin thought to himself, and here I was thinking he was Superman or some shit. Alright then, time for round two.

This time Kin approached the guard, who still hadn't moved, more slowly and waited for the guard to strike so he could counter. Kin waited in vain though, since the guard didn't do so much as blink.

"Are you just a motorized statue or something?" Kin barked at the guard growing impatient.

The guards simply continued to gaze at Kin, the only hint of life being the fire burning in his eyes.

"How are we supposed to do kentou if you don't move or speak." Kin barked again at the guard.

This time, the guard reacted. The guard took a step towards Kin and shouted, "The way you fight is NOT kentou."

Without missing a beat, Kin lunged forward and land a horizontal blow to the outside of the leg the guard had stepped forward with, causing a sickening pop to erupt from the guards knee.

Kin then retreated back a few yards and shouted towards the guard with a smile on his face, "Now it's kentou!"

Yukimura · 07-20-2007, 11:53 AM

Kuro laughed at Kin's antics. While he couldn't approve of his course of action, he could certainly appreciate how by Kin's own moral code, he was doing exactly what was best.

"Kin, I'm not usually the one to be picky about the rules, but I think you could seriously use a crash course in the meaning of kentou. (Not that I'm entirely sure how it works myself.)"

Kuro felt a slight breeze blow over him, and it instantly alerted something inside him. His eyes darted around the room a moment before landing on a figure in red who had already passed by the two guards and was entering the fourth year area. From behind his mask, Kuro saw him send a wink his way, and then he was gone. Kuro chuckled.

I guess fighting isn't the only strength people develop in this school. Maybe I could learn a lesson from that. It's time to put Nasaki Kobushi's true power to the test.

He stood across from the female guard and she immediately dropped into a stance. Kuro didn't even bother examining her style as he normally would, though a few things registered anyway. He raised one hand in the air and waved.

"Hello."

The guard stumbled in her stance before righting herself and standing up again.

"Oh, um, hello. Sorry. I thought you were here to pass to the fourth year area."

"I am."

"Right..."

"There's no reason we can't be civil. So, you have to guard this door all day?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, not every day. I have classes here like any student. A few of us alternate duty."

"You must be incredibley strong to guard such a coveted door. I bet this job is a great way to get even stronger."

The tension in her body eased visably as she became more comfortable engaging in this conversation. They continued talking about everything that came to mind. Though, it was Kuro in the conversation. It typically came back around to fighting. They laughed together, exchanged handshakes and high-fives, and in the course of several minutes became friends. The girl's face was now steady in a smile as they spoke, and so was Kuro's. He felt he had found a good friend in her somehow, though he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Listen, I have to go on one way or the other, but I'd really rather not fight you of all people. I hate to ask it of you if it's going to make trouble, but could you please let me pass?"

"Oh, it won't make any trouble for me Kuro. I mean, for some reason, the thought of letting you continue on doesn't bug me very much, and I don't have to answer to anyone else about it. Just don't tell anyone. I don't want a lot of people asking me for the same favor."

"Wow, that's a load off. I'll keep it between you and me."

The two hugged and Kuro passed through the door while the other guard was still busy fighting Kin. Aki and Oni started to follow him through before the girl put her hand up signaling them to stop.

"Where exactly do you two think you're going?"

06-05-2007, 07:37 AM	#41 (permalink)
Draconis Insane Location: Normandy, June of '44	Looking back at the guard's body lying on the ground, Onigami felt a twinge of compassion for the fallen. Walking over to the limp and quivering body, he picked up a few trap-jaw ants in his hand and whispered into the fallen guard's ear, "This is going to hurt. Try not to swallow your tongue." Flattening his hand at the top of the curled muscle, Onigami slid his hand down the calf, straightening the muscle until the two severed ends of the tendon met. Grabbing them between his thumb and forefinger, he placed the ants' mandibles on the tendon until it bit down, securing the tendon, then removed the head from the rest of the body. After securing both tendons in place, Onigami retrieved a collection of herbs from his pouch, chewed them and placed the paste on the wound, then placing some more of the herbs in the guard's mouth, whispered, "You will sleep for three days and feel no pain. But when you awake, your legs will be healed enough to walk for a while. You must still go to a hospital but this will at least give you a fighting chance." "Couldn't you have given me this before you fixed my legs." "Of course, but you needed to learn a lesson in not being so hasty to threaten another's life." Walking back over to the rest, he could see that they were perplexed by this sudden change in demeanor. Not so much in their eyes or that any of them said anything about it, but more the near horizontal slant their heads had come to rest at. Preempting any troublesome questions, Onigami simply quoted MacBeth, "I dare do all that becomes a man; who dares do more is none." This had very little effect on the angle of their heads but hopefully at least put their minds at ease concerning his suspected bloodlust. "Öl!", he exclaimed upon sight of the amber ambrosia, "och flickor...." at sight of the girls. Both were enticing prospects, but the order had to be right. Sauntering over to the table, he took three beers in each hand and approached the girls. "Something to quench your thirst, ladies?", but his approach was met only with hateful glares, "So, the lot of you are teetotalers, huh? Well, that settles that." Onigami used his teeth to open the bottles in his right hand and proceeded to drink all three at once as he walked back to the group. "What happened?" Kin said inquisitively. Onigami simply sat down in the dirt cross-legged, finished the three in his right hand and opened one from his left hand. "A woman who does not drink is a woman not worth having. I want nothing to do with their evil sort." __________________ STEVE MCKENNA! Last edited by Draconis; 06-05-2007 at 07:42 AM..

06-05-2007, 01:47 PM	#42 (permalink)
Wolfwood Upright Location: taps you gently on the shoulder	Leaning up against the wall and looking down at Onigami, Kin spoke in a louder tone than he normally would if he wasn't trying to grab the other student's attentions. "Come now Oni, I can call you Oni right?" Kin cracked a smile at what he had just said. If he had called anyone else 'Oni' they'd probably take it as an insult, considering it meant 'demon', but watching Onigami chug the last of his beers Kin didn't think he'd mind; rather, he might enjoy it. Kin then continued his train of thought, "Any woman is worth having...if only for a night. Am I right?" With that, Kin looked back at the sophomores adorning the furniture of the room. They were glaring over at Kin and Onigami, but Kin's gaze only wandered to three of the five students. He then began ranking the three as he gave each a quick once over, Hmm...let's see, first one...6, second one...5, third one...ooohhh 8! Bingo! Without a second thought and ignoring the ever deepening stares of hate, Kin began walking over to the female student closest to the table of food. Kin recognized her as the girl who sat two seats behind him in homeroom the prior year. What was her name again? Kin could always remember a pretty face, but he was awful with names. Rinny? Rhino? Ricksy? Damn, what was her name? Oh yeah! Taking a seat on the small couch next to the girl, Kin looked at her with a grin on his face that contrasted greatly with the look of unease she wore on her. "Your name is Rinoa, right?" Kin asked the girl. In an instant, the uneasy look on the girl's face turned into a warm smile. "That's right. And...you're Kinnikun, yes?" Kin nodded in agreeance, which was more a way for him to get a closer look at Rinoa than an actual response. Rinoa had shoulder length blonde hair, that was obviously dyed, considering her Asian heritage, a small but curvy build, and blue eyes that had to ve contacts considering their unnatural sparkle.The girl wore the standard academy uniform of a pleated skirt, with a white blouse and sleeveless sweater, but she had a few alterations. The alterations were small in nature, but transformed the outfit from a typical school uniform to every guy's dream, well at least Kin's. She had hemmed the waist of the skirt to make it a miniskirt and had lowered the V of her sweater to make it more revealing. That, coupled with the removed buttons from the top of the blouse and the girls figure, was all it took to capture Kin's attention. It was then that Kin realized that he was staring and not in the "oh my god you're so beautiful you take my breath away" way, but in the bad "let's go into the bathroom and #@$^&#" way. Shaking his head to snap himself back to reality, Kin turned his gaze back to Rinoa's face. She laughed in response and took a drink from her soda that sat on the floor at her feet. "So why are you down here?" Kin asked without thinking. He then kicked himself for uttering such a dumb question as the girl responded. *"Well, I am a sophomore. I think the better question is why are you, a freshmen, down here?"* Rinoa laughed at herself softly. The girl's question, as well as her laugh, threw Kin off and he had to pause before responding. After stuttering a few incoherent words, he was saved by a shout from Kuro. "Hey Kin! Uh...what should we be doing? You said you had a plan right?" Tearing his gaze away from the beauty beside him, Kin looked over at Kuro and Aki who were still standing in the door. "Uh...well, we're trying to get through the next door and all. So why don't you, Aki, and Oni-" Kin paused as he spoke and turned his gaze to where Onigami had been seated. He wasn't there. Looking around the room, Kin saw a pair of feet on the far side of the food table and a hand reaching up for another beer, then a very loud belch. "Uh, well...how about you and Aki take care of this mess. I'm...busy." Kin then turned his attentions back to Rinoa who sat quietly next to him, staring over with an intrigued look. Even though Kin was no longer looking over at Kuro, he could feel his friend's gaze and picture the look of annoyance on his face. Oh well, Kin thought as he finally regained his composure and answered Rinoa's question. "We're here because..." __________________ We're nothing like God. Not only do we have limited powers, but sometimes we're driven to become the devil himself. Last edited by Wolfwood; 06-05-2007 at 01:51 PM..

06-06-2007, 12:20 PM	#45 (permalink)
Wolfwood Upright Location: taps you gently on the shoulder	As Kin stopped speaking, he spotted Kuro and Aki running towards the door to the Third Year section on the far side of the room. Turning back to the lovely lady who sat on the couch beside him, Kin saw Rinoa processing everything he had just said. He then waited a few patient seconds for her to respond. "So...you're here because of him.." Rinoa said matter-of-factly. Kin nodded. "And you left last year because of him..." "That's right." Kin said as he turned his gaze back to the far side of the room where Kuro and Aki were now confronting the two female guards. "Although, you might say I didn't really leave by choice." Following those words, Kin grasped his right knee and felt the bulge of bandages that surrounded it. He then began to think of all that had transpired in the last nine months or so. The hospital, the ignorant doctors telling him he'd never fight again, the rehab sessions, the training, convincing Kuro to come to school in Japan, and a new year with a fresh start. "Um..." Rinoa began to speak, then paused. "Go ahead." Kin urged her on, having a good idea of what she was about to say. "You seem..." she paused again. This time, Kin urged her with a tender punch in the arm and a reassuring smile. Finding her resolve, she finally got the words out. "You seem different Kinnikun." "Oh yeah?" Kin said with a slight smile. "How's that?" *"Well, for starters you seem to have acquired a few new features."* She said hesitating a little. "Like what?" Kin mused. "This?" Kin said as he lifted his right hand and brandishing his boken. "Or this?" He then patted his right leg. "Well both of those, but mostly it's you personality. Compared to last year, you're alot less-" "Mobile?" Kin interrupted with a laugh. "Kinnikun!" Rinoa shouted as she lightly hit in the chest for interrupting. "I was gonna say arrogant. You seem alot more mature. Last year you were really cocky and hot-headed and frankly, something of a jerk." "And you can tell all of that from our brief conversation thus far?" Kin was now looking deeply into Rinoa's eyes. She blushed a faint red. "And by the way, can you call me Kin? My mom's the only one who calls me Kinnikun." "But I like Kinnikun!" Rinoa protested as she sat up from her lounged position on the couch. "If I called you Kin I'd feel like I was talking to my brother or something and-" Rinoa blushed again as she covered her mouth to keep herself from saying the words that were about to come out. Regaining her composure and retreating back to her lounged position, she finished. "and...I don't want to think of you in that way." Kin laughed a little bit then placed his left hand gently on Rinoa's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "How about this. I guess you can call me Kin-kun." Kin said placing emphasis on 'Kin-kun' to differentiate between that and his real name. Rinoa giggled a little and grasped Kin's left hand firmly. She then let go of his hand and stopped giggling all at once, as she realized she was wearing her emotions on her sleeve. In a calm and deliberate tone, she then said "That sounds agreeable to me, Kin-kun." Hearing this, Kin smiled and eased himself off the couch and into a standing position. Leaning on his cane for a little bit of support, Kin looked down at Rinoa and spoke softly. "Well, I think you've distracted me for long enough now. And I should be getting back to the task at hand." Rinoa laughed at Kin's words considering it was he was the one who walked over to her. "Okay then. And don't worry I won't tell anyone why you're down here. Not that it's that hard to figure out. And one last thing." Kin watched as she stood up to meet him and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She then whispered in his ear, "Good luck." Feeling his cheek where he had been kissed with his free hand, Kin began walking towards the far side of the room where Kuro and Aki were, but he paused after a few steps and turned around to face Rinoa once again. "You know, you've changed since last year too." Placing her hands on her hips, Rinoa replied. "Oh yeah, how's that?" Without missing a beat, Kin smiled and answered. "Let's just say, you've grown." Following that, Kin began to walk hurriedly to the far side of the room. After a few seconds, he dared a glance over his shoulder back at Rinoa, whose face had contorted into a look of both loving anger and a held-back laugh. You know the one. Turning his attention back to what lay in front of him, Kin began to think about how Kuro and Aki were doing, but these thoughts were short-lived as Kin found himself falling face first onto the floor of the Second Year area. Glancing around to figure out what he had tripped on, Kin saw the outstretched leg of Onigami. Kin laughed a little, while trying to hide his winces of pain, and pulled himself up against the wall into a seated position next to Onigami. Looking over at Onigami, Kin saw that his arms were limp by his sides and his head was hunched over facing the floor. Kin couldn't tell whether he was resting or if he was passed out. Kin then noticed that the two of them were sitting next to the refreshments table. Prodding Onigami in the side with his elbow in an effort to get his attention, Kin said. "Oy, Oni! Could you pass me a beer so I can have something to drink while we watch Kuro and Aki's show?" __________________ We're nothing like God. Not only do we have limited powers, but sometimes we're driven to become the devil himself. Last edited by Wolfwood; 06-06-2007 at 12:24 PM..

06-07-2007, 07:34 AM	#46 (permalink)
Draconis Insane Location: Normandy, June of '44	"Beer for ayvuurybaudy!", Oni shouted as he flung two bottles into the air, catching one in his mouth, the other landing solidly on the crown of Kin's head. Leaning over to Kin, he half-shouted in a feigned whisper, "She's lying about the way she looks. I am...uf...HIC can tell 'cause my hair is that color but normal and not fucking color somethinged. But the good thing about stuff, especially that, is that if your drink enough of this wonderful stuff, it makes you more not angry of less, you see?" Kin was visibly confused by this, but this did not prevent him from imbibing along side the already buzzing Onigami. "Hey, you four over there," screamed Onigami, turning his atttention towards his comrades and the guards, "I've got a great idea. Alright, are you ready for it? This idea maybe blow your mind right out of your goddamn ears and back into your eyes. Ready? Let's just stand around some more. You like that? Fucking right, 'cause that's what you're doing. YOU! speaking now only to the nearest guard, whipping a beer directly at her head You should really drink that. God knows you need some prettying up. You look like a baboon in heat's ass that a dog threw up on. Fuck, you're ugly. You might make me throw up. Oh god, oh god, I think I'm gonna...." Onigami staggered to his feet and stumbled along the wall in the general direction of the guard. Oni continued berating her, "Oh, you're so ugly I'm gonna... Oh god.... Wait, wait....", then pulled three more beers from behind his back, quickly chugged them all at once, and, lifting his mask slightly, proceeded to spew the most heinous projectile technicolor yawn directly at the guard, covering her in a foul viscous solution of cheap Japanese lager, bile and what looked like Cheetos but smelled like rotting fish. "I thought dogs ate vomit. Go ahead, dogface, eat it up. What? Are you gonna do something about it? Didn't think so, dogface." The guard was still in a state of shock at what had just happened. Knowing full well that she was incapable of reacting now, Onigami simply turned around, grabbed another beer and sat back down next to Kin, laughing all the while. __________________ STEVE MCKENNA!

06-07-2007, 08:15 PM	#48 (permalink)
nevin Upright Location: North Carolina	"Hey Freshman where do you think you're going?" the girl on the left sneered, her eyes fixed coldly on Aki's. "I think I'd like to go through that door," she replied simply. The older girl blew air heavily out in a soft snort. "You've got to be kidding. Don't waste my time." Aki shook her head and threw her tessen open. "Try me." "Save yourself some embarrassment and back down. Now." But as she said this, she reached to her side and drew a long, thin blade. Aki spoke with more confidence than she felt, but she closed her tessen back up, pointed it at the girl, and let her lips curl into the increasingly familiar word, "Kentou". The other guard's attention was entirely devoted to Kuro, and Kin and Onigami were still sitting in the doorway. This guard held Aki with her dark, unkind eyes. Aki felt like they were in a tunnel, isolated from everything else- this she knew, and though her muscles tingled like they had frozen mid-shiver, this tunnel made her feel brave. "Blade of the Rising Sun!" The guard shouted, calling Aki out from the tunnel and back into the sandy courtyard. She held her blade up to the sun, reflecting it and redirecting it into Aki's line of vision. It was more than a cheap trick, though- the steel seemed to be pulling the sun's light into itself and then forcing the bright energy to gush back out. Aki blinked, only to find that it made her vision worse. 'How stupid of me!' she thought angrily, her tessen still closed in her hand. There was a moment where the light seemed to lessen, and then she felt the girl's arms around her from behind, and the sword's edge pressed lightly against her throat. The guard puffed hot air out of her nose in an airy snort again. She began to speak, breathing on Aki and making the hairs on her neck prickle, "Like I said, save yourself the..." but she didn't have time to finish. Letting her have time to jump behind her was a rookie mistake on Aki's part, but now she was in a position she knew. She knew how to get out of this, and she knew how to fight a sword. In an instant, Aki felt her body align itself with the tessen. All her movements were focused on moving the fan. "I think," Aki said, pulling her tessen out from her side, "that you," here she opened the blades and swung her arm back, "made a huge mistake," and now she whipped her wrist, bringing the sharp edge of the tessen in a dripping red slice along the girl's right arm. The guard was startled enough to loosen her grip on Aki and she took the escape, falling to her ankles and kicking out to knock the guard off her balance. She was in close now and she wasn't going to loose any distance. The guard would have to plunge her sword down into Aki to even have a chance, but she was ready to dodge. The guard tried to slash Aki's shoulder but she brought up the open tessen to block, using momentum as she sprung back up to deflect the sword a little to the side. Aki's face was right up against the girl's. They were falling, but everything seemed to be moving very slowly for Aki. She looked her in the eye and smiled darkly, simultaneously folding the tessen back up and jabbing the small rounded hinged end into the girl's ribs. Aki heard the air puff through her nose, this time as an echo to Aki's own snort and not the girl's. While the girl was trying to take in another breath, Aki stopped her fall and pushed herself backwards. The guard slid back and little but caught herself and slid just a little in the sand. She looked up at Aki, hatefully, but Aki was running by her, hitting another key pressure point on her shoulder. She missed a little, so it didn't have the instant drooping effect she had hoped for, but it still kept the guard from bringing her sword back up. In a second hit, Aki reached back and jabbed the rounded end of the tessen into the pressure point directly between the girl's shoulder blades. This blow landed full force, and the girl began to collapse forward. Aki heard her cough and spit out a little blood as she prepared her final blow-the soft spot on the back on the skull. Blood dribbled into the sand and Aki looked away towards Kuro for a moment. She could tell that something was wrong. All of the excited energy he usually fought with seemed drained and the guard was closing in on him. "KURO!" she called--nothing. The other guard laughed at her, bolstering Aki's anger higher. She was almost finished with her own fight and she knew she couldn't interfere with his. 'But...' in a torn moment she tried to move towards him, but the guard's chi repelled her. "Kuro!" she called again, her emotions jolting out of control on her adreneline. Then, just as she saw him reach out and stop the guard, she was called back to her own fight. The girl was beginning to struggle up as Aki readied her final blow. Still feeling angry, she raised the end of the tessen, but then caught herself--too much adrenaline. She had let herself feel hate-- a completely worthless emotion in a fight. She breathed in, pressing her thumb into the butterfly on the tessen. She turned the fan to the large blunt side, stood behind the girl, and pushed her into a painful slumber. Aki gasped as though she had been holding her breath in for the whole fight. She looked down at her hand holding the tessen, now quivering from the adrenaline release. She crouched beside the guard, and said in a soft voice that almost sounded like her own again (or at least the one she knew), "You know, you were stronger than me, but you lost the moment you thought you'd won." She stood back up and looked around, wondering if anyone had seen her change. Last edited by nevin; 06-08-2007 at 12:09 PM..

06-06-2007, 03:06 AM	#43 (permalink)
nevin Upright Location: North Carolina	Aki looked over at Kuro to see if he would join in the pursuits of Kin and Onigami (who she still had her doubts about but was considerably less frightened of), but he looked right back at her and smiled. Aki blushed and looked away to the other door. "Ano...I guess we should..." she trailed off. Standing next to Kuro, she tired to take on some of his energy and enthuiasm. She brought her eyes back to his, smiled impishly, and threw her tessen open. It was time to prove herself. "I'm ready for a good fight!" she announced, deepening her grin.

06-06-2007, 10:35 AM	#44 (permalink)
Yukimura Tilted Location: At a computer, obviously.	"Well what baby wants..." Kuro reached out his hand to Aki, who took it gently in hers. He pulled her along with him out the door. As he ran, pulling her considerabley less gracefully than he thought he was, he spoke. "Baby gets!" They whizzed by the sophomore area, and quickly arrived at the other end of the pit. There were once again two guards at the door, both of them women, both far less casual than either of the previous guards. They stood with keen eyes, watching for potential intruders. It was apparent to Kuro that they were easily twice as strong as their last opponent. "Aww man! Just my luck, I get stuck fighting a girl." He turned to Aki, smiling, excited to see her finally apply some of her recent experience. He could tell that there was great technique and passion to her fighting, she had just yet to have the experience to bring it out in her. He couldn't wait.

06-07-2007, 06:01 PM	#47 (permalink)
Yukimura Tilted Location: At a computer, obviously.	As Aki began to speak with one guard, Kuro turned to look at the other. He looked her up and down, as though checking her out. He was really guessing her fighting capacity, but he didn't mind making her feel like she's on display a moment, feel his confidence and readiness to fight. Chi style, but it's strange somehow. Finally he spoke. "So, you're my opponent right? I'd prefer to be somewhere other than a battlefield with you, but as long as we can be close, I suppose it's okay." "You're making a big mistake little boy. We're not like those wimps you faced at the first gate. We're Juniors here. Do you have any idea the amount your fighting ability grows in that time?" "Well that's a whole 'nother matter. If you're really that much stronger, then I have a lot to be excited about." Kuro's hands pulsed with the force of his chi energy. It was almost visible floating in the air. "So let's go then. Whenever you're ready. Kentou." "Kentou." Kuro noticed chi immediately begin to flow from his opponent. She raised her chi this much in such a short time? Suddenly, the room seemed to grow very dark. Everything around Kuro seemed to fade to blackness. He felt the chi stop flowing from his hands as though it were very distant. The girl, however, seemed to stay perfectly visible, and her eyes especially seemed impossible to look away from. An illusion, damn. I let it get so far. Okay, raise a chi field... come on... what's wrong? My body feels so distant from me now... and those eyes... No! I... "It's okay, we don't need to fight just yet. Let's relax together. I'd really like to relax." I'm so weak. I should be strong enough to break through this easily. I need to get stronger... The girl began to walk towards Kuro very slowly, rhythmically. He could see every part of her moving in slow motion, especially her eyes, gazing into his soul. She began to reach out for him with one hand. "I want to touch you, to feel you. Let me touch you. Let me be with you. Let's be closer." Her hand touched him and Kuro felt his mind melt away. She wrapped an arm around him and whispered words he couldn't quite hear. He felt her moving against him, but all he could see now were her eyes. Aki looked over to see her pulling a small knife from its sheath. "Kuro!" "It's too late to reach him," she laughed. "All he knows now is me. He's completely unaware of anything that's happening." Aki attempted to get to him, but she couldn't. He'd be mad if I interrupted his battle... I can't. The girl reached back with her knife, preparing to plunge it into Kuro's chest, when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. Aki's face lit up. Kuro looked at the girl with a smirk, the glazed look leaving his eyes. "What? How?! A freshman?" "You were arrogant, but you'll remember this. It's Kuro who charms the ladies, never the other way around. Nasake Kobushi!" Kuro plunged a chi covered fist deep in her stomach. She felt his chi pulse through him the moment of impact, then her insides crushing under the blow. It felt to her as though it were happening in slow motion. She tried to breathe, but she couldn't. The world seemed to fade away from her as she fell to the ground unconscious. Kuro smiled as he rubbed the spot on his own body where he'd hit the girl. It didn't feel like that tough of a punch. I suppose her chi abilities were all she had going for her. It was a one punch knockout. He looked around to find Aki. If not for her yelling my name, I'd probably be in considerabley worse shape.

06-12-2007, 09:42 AM	#49 (permalink)
Yukimura Tilted Location: At a computer, obviously.	Kuro looked back at Kin and Onigami and waved for them to come over, though they were already on their way. They probably saw the whole fight. He and Kin knocked their fists against each other's in triumph. Looking at Oni, Kuro saw that he was staring off as though his mind were wandering. Kuro looked in the direction Oni was staring... and saw nothing. Did something just move? He and Oni shrugged and Kin reached for the door to the next section. Reaching out to stop him, Kuro spoke. "Why don't you let me take care of it this time?" Opening the door, the next year's area was clearly geared towards people who take their fighting much more seriously. The whole area was laid out organized and functional. One main sidewalk that went in a circle through the middle, and several branch sidewalks reaching off of it to the buildings and fields. Green trees and soft green grass made the area feel just a little more pleasant, and the buildings were all entirely made of brick. There were countless training grounds, incredibley efficient-looking with many types of exercises. He saw weights, weapons (lethal and non-lethal), weapon shops (mostly lethal), great eateries, and only a single bar. The bar looked empty save for a few stragglers. Third years must start to get a lot more serious. No wonder those last guards were so strong. I can't wait to fight a senior. Looking back at his comerades, he smiled a big smile. "So what do you think?" He saw me. I need to be more careful. Behind them, a shadow moved across the door, then another. The first one had been watching them earlier. The second one picked up speed and caught up with him. "Now what were you doing spying on those innocent looking people? You're not going to stir up any trouble are you?" "Innocent, psh." With that, the black figure vanished into a puff of smoke. The one in red shrugged his shoulders and made his way towards the far gate. Last edited by Yukimura; 06-12-2007 at 09:45 AM..

07-11-2007, 01:08 PM	#50 (permalink)
Wolfwood Upright Location: taps you gently on the shoulder	A clink rang out through the Second Year area as Kin dropped the beer bottle he had been holding and it found its way to its two other brethren on the ground between Kin and Oni. Kuro and Aki had just finished dispatching the two female guards and were about to enter the Third Year area when Kin decided to join the duo. Not bothering to use his boken for support, Kin heaved himself to his feet where he stood on shakey legs for a moment before darting over meet Kuro and Aki. As he approached his friends, Kin took a diving leap and positioned himself between the two of them. Kin threw his arms around Kuro and Aki's neck to break his fall, expecting them to easily be able to bear the burden of his additional weight, but apparently your body weight doubles when you're slightly inebriated. Kin felt Aki's knees buckle under his weight and he began fall to the side she had been propping up, but before he crashed to the ground with her Kuro swiftly maneuvered himself under Kin and lifted him up in a firemans carry. Kin felt as if he were flying as he was lifted off the ground but the feeling soon faded into one of pain as Kuro set him down roughly to the ground and turned his attentions to Aki who was making her way back up to her feet. "Hey!" Kin yelled to Kuro's back with a bit of a slur. "What was that for?" The only reply Kin got a quick glare back from Kuro as he gave Aki his hand and helped her to her feet. Kin stood clumsily to his feet and could feel a bite of anger welling up in his chest. "Hey!" Kin yelled again to Kuro, this time poking him in the side with his boken' perhaps a bit harder than he meant to. "I asked you what was that for? The least you could do is answer me." Kuro spun around and the glare still remained on his face. "Because..." he started, but soon stopped himself and his glared faded into a slight forced smile. "Aren't you the one who was saying we need to stay focused Kin?" With that, Kuro took Aki's hand in his own and clapped Kin on the shoulder with his other while motioning with his head and saying. "Let's go." Kuro then took a few quick strides forward and kicked the door to the Third Year area open. Kin, unsatisfied with his friend's answer, was about to say something, but was quickly stopped by an unlikely source. Oni had sauntered over to the group and had been watching for a minute or so before walking over to Kin and giving him a quick bonk on the back of the head as he was about to say something. He then leaned in to Kin and said in a low voice, "You know, the truely wise follow their own direction. You already know the answer to your own question, so why ask it? Besides, you shouldn't let something like that get your panties in a bind." Kin, who had been looking at the ground and thinking over Oni's words as he spoke, looked up to reply, but quickly found that he had already moved on to the Third Year area with the others. Whatever Kin thought as he trudged through the areas. He was unhappy, with a lot of things. The events that had just transpired, the fact that he was obviously a little inebriated, and... Kins whole mind seemed to freeze as he stepped through the doors, looked around, and the gravity of the situation he was presently facing hit him at full force. The furnishments for the Third Year area were humble at best, which indicated the fact that the Third Year at Tenhanshi Academy was far and away the toughest. But, the furnishments and people of the Third Year area were the last things on Kin's mind. His mind was transfixed on one single thought- this was where he had been eight months before when he had gotten hurt. He had suceeded in accomplishing something that took him an entire semester alone in one single day with his friends. At that moment, he looked around at Kuro and Aki and he was grateful they were there, even Oni who he barely knew he was grateful for. Mentally sober now, Kin began to regain his focus and take in the entire scene of the Third Year area. A few students training, a few conversing, one drinking, and two guards...a boy and a girl...seniors...I'll take out the boy. Without giving any warning, Kin lowered his stance and brandished his boken in his right hand and began to streak towards the Fourth Year door, taking a little extra time to follow the walls for a little bit of concealment. About ten yards away from the door, Kin quickened his pace and began darting towards the left side of the boy guard's view. A few feet away, Kin leaped foward and brought his boken towards a spot between the guard right collarbone and neck in a heavy, downward slash. For a faint moment, Kin thought he might succeed in ambushing the guards, that was until his eyes met with the guards a fraction of a second before his attack made contact. In that fraction of time, the guard was able to raise his right arm and shield Kin's intended point of contact with his forearms. The sound that erupted from the contact between the boken and the guard's forearm was not what Kin expected. A metal clang had rung out and while Kin had put enough force into his attack to break most any body part it came in contact with, the guard stood unphased and uninjured in front of Kin, glaring at him with an almost sadistic look in his eyes. Kin jumped back and tried to analyze what had just transpired and figure out what was going on. The only thing Kin drew was a blank, and it wasn't until he took another glance over at the guard that he realized how he had with stood the attack. The right cuff of the guard's shirt had been ripped by Kin's attack and now revealed the gaurds bear arms, but rather than skin, the only thing present on his forearm was a dull grey texture, steel. He's wearing steel bracers, so he must be a hand to hand guy Kin thought to himself, and here I was thinking he was Superman or some shit. Alright then, time for round two. This time Kin approached the guard, who still hadn't moved, more slowly and waited for the guard to strike so he could counter. Kin waited in vain though, since the guard didn't do so much as blink. "Are you just a motorized statue or something?" Kin barked at the guard growing impatient. The guards simply continued to gaze at Kin, the only hint of life being the fire burning in his eyes. "How are we supposed to do kentou if you don't move or speak." Kin barked again at the guard. This time, the guard reacted. The guard took a step towards Kin and shouted, "The way you fight is NOT kentou." Without missing a beat, Kin lunged forward and land a horizontal blow to the outside of the leg the guard had stepped forward with, causing a sickening pop to erupt from the guards knee. Kin then retreated back a few yards and shouted towards the guard with a smile on his face, *"Now* it's kentou!"** __________________ We're nothing like God. Not only do we have limited powers, but sometimes we're driven to become the devil himself.

07-20-2007, 11:53 AM	#51 (permalink)
Yukimura Tilted Location: At a computer, obviously.	Kuro laughed at Kin's antics. While he couldn't approve of his course of action, he could certainly appreciate how by Kin's own moral code, he was doing exactly what was best. "Kin, I'm not usually the one to be picky about the rules, but I think you could seriously use a crash course in the meaning of kentou. (Not that I'm entirely sure how it works myself.)" Kuro felt a slight breeze blow over him, and it instantly alerted something inside him. His eyes darted around the room a moment before landing on a figure in red who had already passed by the two guards and was entering the fourth year area. From behind his mask, Kuro saw him send a wink his way, and then he was gone. Kuro chuckled. I guess fighting isn't the only strength people develop in this school. Maybe I could learn a lesson from that. It's time to put Nasaki Kobushi's true power to the test. He stood across from the female guard and she immediately dropped into a stance. Kuro didn't even bother examining her style as he normally would, though a few things registered anyway. He raised one hand in the air and waved. "Hello." The guard stumbled in her stance before righting herself and standing up again. "Oh, um, hello. Sorry. I thought you were here to pass to the fourth year area." "I am." "Right..." "There's no reason we can't be civil. So, you have to guard this door all day?" "Well, yeah. I mean, not every day. I have classes here like any student. A few of us alternate duty." "You must be incredibley strong to guard such a coveted door. I bet this job is a great way to get even stronger." The tension in her body eased visably as she became more comfortable engaging in this conversation. They continued talking about everything that came to mind. Though, it was Kuro in the conversation. It typically came back around to fighting. They laughed together, exchanged handshakes and high-fives, and in the course of several minutes became friends. The girl's face was now steady in a smile as they spoke, and so was Kuro's. He felt he had found a good friend in her somehow, though he knew exactly what he was doing. "Listen, I have to go on one way or the other, but I'd really rather not fight you of all people. I hate to ask it of you if it's going to make trouble, but could you please let me pass?" "Oh, it won't make any trouble for me Kuro. I mean, for some reason, the thought of letting you continue on doesn't bug me very much, and I don't have to answer to anyone else about it. Just don't tell anyone. I don't want a lot of people asking me for the same favor." "Wow, that's a load off. I'll keep it between you and me." The two hugged and Kuro passed through the door while the other guard was still busy fighting Kin. Aki and Oni started to follow him through before the girl put her hand up signaling them to stop. "Where exactly do you two think you're going?" Last edited by Yukimura; 07-21-2007 at 01:20 PM..