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 Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:24 pm
Sighing, the kitsune held her right arm out before her, closing her eyes and lifting her head a touch higher as another deep breath came in. Water naturally began to bleed off of her shirt as quickly as it poured from the tiny vial hanging about her neck.
As this did not require much thought or speaking, the water began to spiral rapidly into a small ball and almost as quickly it took the form a polearm; a simple bo. Maintaining the form was not difficult, but she failed to see how pragmatic an art is was in comparison to solidifying it, which would require significantly less effort in the long run.
"The abrasive properties are significantly higher, I admit."
By speaking aloud, she partially revealed her inner sentiments on the subject, though whether or not Kendo could draw that significance lay in his own hands. She was here, after all, to learn from him. Questions had a way of answering themselves given enough time.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:41 pm
A smirk appeared on the sages lips.
"Ah I see, your statement has some validity to it. Ice also has that nice numbing effect to it as well. But you seem to forget one thing...."
With in the blink of an eye he had already quick drawn his blade and slashed horizontally with enough force to cleave the young maiden in half. It was clear he was not pulling any punch's with this lesson.
He sincerely hoped she had been practicing her melee skills on top of her magic. While he had killed many a person in his day, he never enjoyed it at any point. This would be no exception.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 8:55 pm
It goes without saying that she responded rather suddenly. She lacked the proper posture to perform a parry properly, and even if she did, the horizontal nature of his strike would make such a tactic reckless if not render it completely useless.
Rather, she answered by stepping in, drawing herself closer to Kendo, moving a touch to his side along with his spear. At least this way she would not be severed by the tip of the spear, and it kept her in close enough quarters. Likewise, she positioned one end of her bo into the palm of her left hand and thrust it forward, the tip shooting up roughly at his cheek area. For all that it was a sudden move, she had time to target the temple, but figured a lesson is better taught when the instructor maintained consciousness.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:11 pm
In seamless flow of form what was once a spear had become a ninjajto. Parrying her staff upward and to the side, he triangle stepped underneath her arm, presenting the water blade's point to her ribs.
"Flowing water has no true form unless acted upon. Ice is rigid and also lacks the infinite density that is flowing water. It may be easier to use, but it has it is inherently weaker in overall energy. Excellent form with the staff I might add."
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:27 pm
"My thanks."
An oversight that she was just one step behind, but it was one step too many. No sooner had she thrust had she realized the limitations imposed from countless hours of training with a single, rigid weapon. Even she lacked imagination on some points.
She was none too delighted at having a blade pointing at any part of her. Though she could wiggle out of this situation, there was no reason to, and even so, her evasive maneuver was, in itself, more or less acknowledgment of defeat in and of itself. It expressed an inability to perform some other feat that might be termed more honorable in terms of melee. Many a fighter these days flaunted such techniques shamelessly, but she had no desire to fall into their ranks.
"With its versatility, I wonder at the meaning behind your previous intention to have me form a single weapon with such a potential element. Perhaps you only wanted me to understand this point, but I doubt your riddles are that simple to solve."
Assuming it safe, the kitsune stepped out of range of the currently formed ninjato and relaxed her posture, though her bo rested firmly in her right hand by her foot.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:44 pm
Stepping back he was clearly smiling broadly beneath is many scarves.
"Excellent, I see you understand. One thing to note is that without your vial, changing the weapons structure seamless becomes increasingly more difficult. While you can shrink the size of the weapon easily without the vial, it would take to far to long to make it bigger at will without excess water to add to the flow."
Spinning his ninjato in hand he drove the short blade into tiles before him. Uprooting the blade, it no longer had its translucent sheen but now gave off a murky dirty texture.
"This is a technique I acquired when fighting fire mages."
Waving his hand over the blade steam arose from beneath his touch until the water was no more. What remained was a crystalline structure in the shape of the ninjato.
"To my knowledge most women like diamonds, here is a present."
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 9:50 pm
"I suppose so," he said, not entirely sure he could agree with his aunt. He might have ventured to say something else had there not been the physical interruption of someone coming into the club, seemingly oblivious that he or his aunt were even there. Catching the signal from Jade Ba-chan, Kenta did what most any properly trained Japanese boy did when given an order. He obeyed. When he had developed such a strict level of discipline, he could not say, but if Ba-chan said to hush, then chances were she knew better than he did and so he'd better just do it without argument.
When the person, who apparently was also a kitsune of sorts, left, he exhaled heavily, the way people do when they're caught unawares and told to stand perfectly still. No sooner had he gotten the air out than his ears were slightly assaulted by the sound of a scream and what stood out in his mind as one of his mother tongues. Technically, he should probably call it his father tongue, but he recognized it all the same.
Again, before he could say anything, he was beckoned to follow, and so he did, tail wagging contently behind him as his black locks fell slowly back into place. Re-entering the main room, he finally took a sip of his cocoa as he watched the goings-on. There was a man at the table, one he had fought before, seeming to aggressively demand the attention of someone else about the same age as Kenta. Although he could feel the presence of Tamashii-san, he did not see the large man, so he was probably residing in a deeper part of the building.
Then there were the other two kitsune. They were gone, but not far. either way, he was more interested in what lay before him than singling out any one particular energy or another. As Jade Ba-chan spoke to Kaen, he kept his ear open, eyes averted, waiting for the moment when he would either greet her, or find someone else to talk with, assuming Ba-chan had some business with her. She made him cocoa, so he was happy enough with her as it was.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:25 am
It began as an ember; a dull wisp of a flame which appeared upon the plateau of a rock in the hot springs underground. Slowly it ate away at the fabric of space, singing the cavernous room with the bitter scent of ozone, growing into an oval nearly two meters high. Akin to lightning, hungry tendrils of fire arced from its center and across the water; deforming the simple wax candles nearby, sucking away oxygen like an otherworldly drain. Inside of its borders raged a maelstrom of red and orange fury. A portal to one of the Elemental Planes.
Too - pouring forth like a river so suddenly released - came the little flames; curious spirits who were eager to consume, too young to understand that the Material Plane was (in comparison) too frigid for them to survive. Despite their purity, the treated stones and sulfuric water would in no way satiate their hunger or fuel them. They left faint trails of ash leading away from the portal as they evaporated into nothingness.
The being that crossed the planar threshold next might have been mistaken for some form of elemental, were anyone there to see it. Its features were chiseled from obsidian stone, shimmering in the light of the dancing fire on the other side, its hair a mass of blue flame trailing several feet behind it. As it passed through the dimensional tear the portal immediately began to close, as if it were a shred of canvas burning itself away. The air twisted and howled, screaming as it was sucked into the rapidly-shrinking hole in space, until at last the remaining ember had faded, and all that was heard were the gentle bubbles of the spring and the hissing of rising steam.
The black sentinel stood motionless atop the now-glowing outcropping of rock as its "hair" - the once-intense fireball of blue and orange - began to dissipate without an appropriate environment to sustain it. The flames fell as thin gray traces of ash around the figure's shoulders; gray hairs, indeed. Seemingly having waited for this, it took a step forward, to the sound of cracking earth. All about it the obsidian fell away like chunks of shale, revealing a deep bronze skin that was covered with charcoal and crimson tattoos. A golden eye surveyed its surroundings, the right one hidden still behind a jagged piece of rock that resembled an eyepatch.
His features wrinkled and one visible eye slightly sunken, it was not a question that this man was rather old. Remarkably he stood straight under the weight of the remaining stone, which covered his chest, right shoulder, and legs much like plate armor. The dirty cloth he wore beneath was singed and burned, and charred bandages were wrapped around his forearms and ankles. If his aged body had any scars to show, they were hidden beneath the clusters of odd tattoos - replicas of the same design, each in some strange unrecognizable language. No doubt that from a distance his skin tone would appear much darker, due simply to the density of the markings.
He let out a grunt as he sat atop the slowly-cooling rock, the orange glow having faded as the room's temperature continued to normalize. He would rest a moment and attempt to adjust his body to the local climate, which was notoriously cooler than what he was used to. Crossing his legs and folding his arms across his chest, he closed his eye and waited.
It was good to be home.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:09 am
A woman walked by and a small Fox picked up his presence but the rest of the moments simply blurred into one long cold moment for him. His mind transcending into a sort of dazed state where his senses would only snap him back to reatly if need be. Otheriwse he saw the world as a poem still as if written on paper. People were words and emotions, actions and expressions all through their own creativity means and in his transition from reatly to dream he saw them for what they truly where.
All the while he waited for Deity and Jade.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:06 am
Although she accepted the diamond, her look spoke neither of satisfaction nor disdain. Looking at it, one could not be too sure of what she was thinking. Gratitude or perhaps lack thereof?
Lifting her gaze to Kendo once more, she temporarily sheathed the gift behind her, beneath the layer of denim so that the handle poked toward the right and the blade, facing up, slanted along her lower back and hips. It would do for now.
Whatever had come over the sagacious fox, it seemed he took his role several degrees more seriously, though she could not say why. Chances were she could channel his thoughts to figure out what it was, but there was respect for this particular male. She would leave his mind be so long as he remained sane.
"My earlier conjecture must have been inaccurate; you have not been so idle after all. Perhaps...when the tension settles, the three of us can talk more openly. Surely she would enjoy your company also."
The tension of which she spoke, generated from the ten or so individuals that had taken a place somewhere within the club since her coming. For all that everything was silent, there was a hanging discomfort produced from so many energies growing curious about the presence of so many others. Clearly this was not the norm and not a scheduled happening. Though it would not distract her from her lesson, should there be anything left to learn - and she thought there was - she could not afford leisure in such an environment. It had not occurred to her how little she truly knew of the people who thought this a pleasant gathering place, if not a home. Walls could talk, but not in much detail. Not like this.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:26 am
Listening to the young woman's statement he at once felt like was stabbed through the proverbial heart. Only about 300 years ago those whom he had called student loved the riddles he spoke of. Then again these students also followed him on his travels and got to witness him cast spells more readily during those turbulent times.
During those days they would readily bestow gifts of appreciation on him. Well such times were gone, no matter how much this one looked like the Kitsune kit he had taken under his wing those many years ago. She was a completely different person. What ever happened to that girl?
Realizing he was deviating from the lesson his head and creating more of an unseen tension he once more returned his attention to the student before him.
"I wish you to know that gift is mainly a study aid. I wish you to continue to work on you mana control. From what I've been told you are highly adept with the particle management associated with creating illusions."
His tailed swayed light behind him as if showing an unseen approval he himself was not showing.
"Such is an excellent skill which you should use in conjunction with increasing your mana control. That diamond blade was created by heating the water and managing the particle density in a uniform pattern. One heats water by adding energy to its natural flow, this will naturally be generated by the spell technique we generated today. Studying the patterns of particles in solution will produce different effects when you separate out the water."
Reaching into one of his many satchels he produced a blue jeweled necklace which he promptly placed about his neck. Raising his hand before him as if he were trying to pray a stream of blood red liquid forth spattering onto the tiles bubbling and hissing
"For instance this solution I found near a hot spring in Japan. Quite corrosive, but it gives you ideas. You seem to focus mainly on forms of distilled water. Another thing we should rectify. Ever thought of wearing component pouches?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:23 am
"My illusions are simpler and perhaps more complicated than that."
The statement wasn't defensive or explanatory, but mentioned so that he would not misconstrue the nature of her 'illusions.' As it was, even if she left his mind alone, she could feel tension as acutely as she might hear a pin drop within the vicinity. Slight though it was, it generated a sensation her body in one way or another comprehended. Without thinking on it too much, she let him continue uninterrupted, though she took it upon herself to consider the weight of her words more carefully.
"I have not."
She answered bluntly, seeing no reason to expand on it. Water had potential that she could not yet measure up to fully. Kendo spoke, and she knew, even before he said anything that it was true, but his saying it meant he thought she was more than capable to practice more complex arts. Either that or it was all just one singular art to him, and to focus on only one part of it was crippling at best. She could appreciate the fact however it was argued.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:08 pm
:: She didn't know which was more odd: that hardly anyone had taken notice of her (embarrassingly random) squealing, or that half the congregation departed for the stadium not too long after. Kaen was admittedly very oblivious to her surroundings and easily startled, but she hadn't meant to offend and/or drive away anyone with her weird nervous episodes. She watched the patrons head for the arena with a vaguely distressed look until she saw Jade emerge from the crowd, followed by a silvery kitsune boy who seemed disinterested in Kaen for the most part. Either way, she was pleased to see Jade, and grinned bashfully as the woman gathered Kaen's fallen sketchbook from the floor and urged her to pay more attention. ::
"Maa ne, Jade-san. Hontou ni baka nandesu ne. I'm so oblivious, not to notice a crowd so huge."
:: Light as a feather, Kaen pushed off the floor and floated to the bartop, settling on it with a plate in her lap; the other was placed by her knees in front of her; hands free now, she took the sketchbook from Jade and flipped it open once more to the page she had been working on, set it on the bartop as well. Kaen armed herself with her fork and then looked to Jade. ::
"And of course you may join me, I'd love the company!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:10 am
Getting her gist the old fox shrugged feeling it was unnecessary to push one in a direction they had no intention of going. Grasping his chin one of his gauntleted hands he seemed to be lost in thought at the moment.
"I suppose you just wish to maximize your potential within the areas you are already skilled in."
Leaning forward a staff appeared from a burst of black flame, keeping him propped up.
"I forget that not all are general magic users. I try to look beyond the set parameters in most situations. Devising a unseen solution for for different issues is a forte of mine. I must remember to remain focused with you"
His tail curled about his waist as if a belt.
"It will be trying to my own personality. But I am not the focus of attention at this time. You are the one who dictates the pace and what exactly it is you wish to absorb."
Crossing his arms over his chest his tail danced playfully behind him.
"So what do you wish to learn from an old fool such as myself. I don't normally delve beyond surface thoughts with my psychic abilities."
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Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:01 pm
She sighed, either out of frustration or exhaustion. It was good that she was so unreadable, but also irritating at times such as this. For all the good it did her, she remained silent as she measured his words against her own disposition. Her tail expressed impatience with her analyzing and consideration, wanting action over thought, but she would not move into anything without being careful - or at least forced into it.
"You misunderstand. I'm none too familiar with your style, and you refer to things I neither know of nor understand. Without knowing what they are and how..."
She paused, rethinking herself, her mentor, and the club at large. Too many people could be watching at some point or another. Certain exchanges required for confidence than this place could afford. In a more direct way, she approached the pile of spilled liquid on the floor, causing the tile beneath it to contort even as it was being eaten away.
"It behaves like acid, but what makes this significant?"
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