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 Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:17 pm
"None." She spat, glaring at him. Although she couldn't make seals with her hands trapped, she began forcing chakra through her pores, breaking and pushing the ground around her until it began to crumble. She scrambled from the fissure, bending and pivoting as she'd always done, with the grace of a dancer and a speed that was almost unreal.
This was how she began to work her way through the clones, striking as she went.
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 8:31 pm
Kataru was indeed, impressed as he continued to watch on, seeing that she was now fighting his clones. He didn't care much for them, since it took 0.1 % to make only 5, at his level anyways. His eyes narrowed, as he shook his head some, in order for his red spiky hair to fall down back into shape and cover his right eye and half of his cheek scar.
"You know...you aren't living up to my estimations, hence...I will still underestimate you."
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Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:10 pm
With each step, the ground trembled slightly under the weight of Sage's unwieldy construct. Bom.....bom...bom...After a few moments, it stopped. oh crap...the arm is..I can feel the inside of it destabilizing...why? can't worry about that now....either break off the arm and toss it, or try and salvage it...I'd rather not have it explode and damage the trees.
With a deep breath, Sage closed his eyes and focused as best he could. As the seconds ticked by, the right arm of his construct bulged. It then began twisting around in unnatural ways, and all along the length of the arm small scab like domes appeared. No...no...crap Crap...CRAP!
In a single moment, the arm reached up towards the sun, as if it were trying to claw it's way home. It then promptly exploded. The explosions started at the tips of it's fingers, and ran their way down along the domes. As the explosions ceased, the Golem fell on it's side. For a few moments it stayed there, before melting into a pile of slowly dissipating ectoplasm, pancakes, and a somewhat singed Sage.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:31 am
A sigh escapes the woman's lips as she surveys the page before her. Though Irianna is a humble person by nature, even she has to admit that the idea is pretty solid. This is nothing like her attempt at an air-based doppleganger.
Irianna puts her book and pen back in the travel bag. She slings the bag over her shoulder and walks the length of a branch for several feet before spreading her wings and making a powerful leap from the tree. Great wings pump just enough to gain a little altitude. Keen eyes search out a clearing or meadow suitable for landing. She finds one, angles toward it, and makes a landing among grasses grown higher than her hips and scattered wild flowers.
For a brief moment, the winged woman considers just falling back and taking in the earthy smells and the warm spring sunshine. Instead, she walks with swift strides to one end of the meadow. Her target is an old pine, marked by a very thick trunk. Irianna tosses her bag behind the pine and puts her back against the rough bark. She makes sure her wings aren't between her body and the tree.
Satisfied with her position, Irianna brings her hands up in front of her face and interlaces the fingers. It looks as though she is praying, but Irianna found long ago that keeping her hands from dangling at her sides increases her concentration. She sighs deeply, closes her eyes, and clears her mind. Once everything else is forgotten or ignored, Irianna reaches into herself for her chakra. Instead of sending it to her wings or hands as usual, she sends the chakra into her lungs, wind pipe, and mouth. Some of the chakra is emitted from her mouth, attracting a handful of wind currents. The rest of the summoned chakra goes to work strengthening Irianna's internal respiratory system.
Irianna feels her lungs expanding with the air attracted by her energy. Even more chakra is expended to merge with the air. The young woman monitors the expanse of her lungs carefully. When she feels she has filled her lungs enough, Irianna tightly closes her mouth. She can feel the mix of air and chakra in her body, a warm and slightly painful mix. Irianna opens her eyes to look at the meadow of tall grasses and brightly colored flowers. I feel kind of bad about this. I hate to ruin such a beautiful scene. It'll all grow back, though. Eventually.
Small, rosy lips form an "o", and Irianna allows her lungs to steadily release the potent mixture of air and chakra. The force of the air is strengthened by the chakra, and the chakra's presence attracts more wind currents to add to the size and strength of the gale that is issued forth.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:49 am
Irianna is immediately thankful of her foresight. Rough pine bark digs into her skin as the escaping air forces her backward and she can feel the pressure on her spine and the back of her rib cage. It's better than being tossed across a field, though. Her wings are safely outspread, the birdlike bones beneath the feathers not in danger of being crushed between her torso and the tree. Irianna's judicious release of the air feels like it takes a life time, but saves her lungs from collapsing.
And the result of the technique is worth the effort.
The last of the chakra enhanced breath escapes her lungs, and after a brief moment of rest, Irianna looks over the damage to the meadow. The entire field, once grown past Irianna's hips, has been flattened, some of it ripped away, and no flower holds a single petal. On the other side of the meadow even a few trees took some damage. Old limbs and new leaves litter the forest floor. One sapling looks as though it bent under the pressure of the wind. For someone who had expected to bring damage to little more than half the meadow, the result is astonishing.
Irianna allows herself a little laugh of elation. Her joy doesn't last long, though. Weakness and dizziness hit the winged woman in a wave as strong as her gale. Suddenly weak knees give way and Irianna's legs fold under her weight. She slumps to the ground, the pine bark further scraping her back and ripping at her white gown. The world spins and Irianna closes her eyes.
That's not good. Must have used more chakra than I figured would be needed. Didn't think about not being used to expending so much of it...
Thinking that she should get up, that she should try to walk back to the safety of the dojo, Irianna opens her eyes and shifts her weight a little. Dizzines hits again. A gasp escapes Irianna's lips and she leans back against the tree. Black spots appear in her vision and a peculiar numbness overcomes her body. Irianna is more than a little concerned as she slips into unconsciousness.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:48 am
Reeve appears unruffled or bothered as he sits, continuing to play (mostly because I'm not around when everyone else is...). However, having spent most his life as a ninja, he is intimately familiar with the inate energy of things, often using it as a weapon via violent electricity. This said, he can tell when things are amiss, such as an unconscious person in the area. Quietly putting away his flute, he heads out to her location. Due to his long sojourn from the Academy to his homeland, Eirren, his accent is sharp and distinct.
"Arrah, missie, whit be awry wi'ye? Are y'there?"
Taking a knee, he gently shakes her by the shoulder, trying to rock her into wakefulness.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 12:10 pm
After a few hours of laying unconscious under a pile of pancakes, Sage awakens with a start. He quickly moves to sit up, only to regret it as he falls back down onto his back. ow ow owowowowowoowow......damn it, what caused that instability? my focus was sharp...I was enforcing structure throughout...what could have gone wrong...the only time it explodes like that is if you force it to crystalize with too much force...wait...perhaps I was focusing too hard...but then what do I do? the only way I could keep it together was by focusing with that much force...unless....perhaps I need to allow the instability...ectoplasm can support things while fluid...like water. perhaps I can have only the outermost layer as a solid thing...and fill the rest with liquid ectoplasm...have a small, flexible tube for breathing...and another for sight...or perhaps I should instead have it be something to control from afar. If I ride atop it, instead of inside, I wont need the extra tubing...so first shall come the form, then perhaps later a form of large armor suit. However, for now...I'm going to want to lay here and meditate. After all, these wounds could use some attention.
With a deep breath, Sage closed his eyes and drifted off into a meditative trance. To any onlooker, it would appear as though he were sleeping under a pile of pancakes. To the squirrels...it looked like a free lunch.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:55 pm
As she comes to consciousness, Irianna is first aware of movement. In her muddled state of mind, she barely recognizes that her own body is being gently rocked from side to side. She can feel something pressing into her shoulder, causing the slight movement. The next thing she recognizes is a sharp pain, most of it coming from her back. Now why would my back hurt...?
Someone says a few words, startling the young woman into opening her eyes and giving a little jump of surprise. The quick movement makes her back rub further against the bark of the pine tree, re-opening small wounds and leaving splinters where the dress, low in the back to accomodate her wings, doesn't protect her skin. The sharp pains soon give way to the universal soreness of her body, a side-effect of overusing her chakra.
Overuse of my chakra? Now when did I--Oooh, now I remember.
Irianna mentally curses herself, thinking she should have known better than to be so eager to test a new technique. Had she thought a little more, this stranger wouldn't have found her passed out in the middle of nowhere. Thinking of strangers...
Violet eyes gaze up at the man. Well, not such a stranger after all. The guy with the flute. She smiles apologetically and manages a small laugh. "Heheh, I'll be just fine. Overstepped my boundaries is all." Irianna tries her best to seem in good health as she speaks, but doubts the effort does much good. Her voice is a little shaky and she can only imagine how pale her features must be. Then she extends one arm and asks, "Wanna give me a hand up? Not really sure if I've got my strength back yet."
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:06 pm
He takes the hand, but hesitates before pulling her to her feet.
"Na', I'm no' movin' ye yet, ye lookit a wee banged. Are y'hurt anywhere?"
As a matter of habit, he sets his herb pack on the ground and opens it.
"Arrah, sorry, missie. Forgot t'introduce meself. Reeve Rhion, Rai sensei and herbalism instructor. Whit name d'you go by?"
(Thank goodness!)
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:18 pm
"My name's Irianna Gale. Just call me Iri. I appreciate the help."
Getting to her feet reminds Irianna of the pain in her back. She moves her wings away from the dozens of tiny wounds, not liking the idea of bloodying her feathers. "I'm not hurt that bad. Lots of scratches and splinters. Though I can't see them, I imagine I probably have some pretty extensive bruising. Not anything to worry about." She laughs again and says, "I guess what's hurt most is my pride. The one mistake I didn't consider is the mistake I made."
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:24 pm
"Iri Gale, eh? 'S a nice name. Well, can ye walk back t'the Academy?"
It being apparently not needed, Reeve closes his pack and shoulders it.
"When'd ye get here, anyway?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:32 pm
Irianna quirks an eyebrow in thought. "Do you mean to ask how long I've been a part of the Academy? Or how long I've been passed out against the tree?"
She shrugs and, as she walks behind the tree to retrieve her travel bag, gives her response to both questions. "Can't really remember how long I've been here at the Academy. A couple months at least, maybe two and half. And I've been at the edge of this meadow for about..." Violet eyes glance at the position of the sun, "an hour or two. I passed out after I expended too much chakra doing that." And Irianna nods her head to indicate the ravaged meadow.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:41 pm
Reeve takes in the meadow with a sweeping gaze.
" 'N hour 'r tae? Y'must be a force t'be reckon't wi'. Sure an' if ye want I should talk plainer, I can try- I been 'way f'r tae long so me native tongue's stickin...'
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:49 pm
As he came out of his trance, Sage opened his eyes. As they opened, a faint glowing could be seen coming from them. In one motion, he stood. After which, he manifested a bluish coating of ectoplasm over his right arm. It reached from the tips of his fingers to the ball of his shoulder. As for his outfit, the shirt was ruined, and his pants were roughed up. As he began walking towards the dojo, his eyes slowly faded.
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:16 pm
(( Sorry it took so long to reply, Reeve. My buddy got a hold of the PC. ))
Irianna chuckles a little and waves her hand dismissively. "I wouldn't think that highly of me. I'm a total newb to the ninja arts. Once I got into the flow of using that technique, I forgot to monitor how much chakra I had left. It's a wonder I didn't kill myself."
The young woman begins to walk in the direction of the dojo. Sore muscles give her some pain, but she refuses to so much as wince. "And don't worry about the accent. I understand you well enough."
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