A Shirahama is you

Brian Boru wrote:Well there is a wall a bit taller on the other side of the lane though you'd likely give yourself away.

Koga laughs at your peace offering and shouts for the attack. Yeah he ain't all that bright.

Um. What? I think you're missing a bit here. The whole point was trying to approach Takeda and Ukita when Koga wasn't around.

Hmm ... I make sure I get Ukita's and Takeda's patterns down. Once I have a place where they're not accompanied by Koga or other Ragnarok goons, I wait for them there.

He seems to be willing, though the moment that rifle is placed into his hands....got twitchy, he got an uncomfortably large smile on his face when he was firing.

Question being whether he actually managed to hit what he was aiming for.

Well people Know what you and your brother did but they don't seem terrified of you.

Hmm ... I should probably be happy about that, but I can't help but recall Uncle Niccolo's opinion on fear. Well, doubtlessly an opportunity to garner some of that will present itself soon.

Brian Boru wrote:And you 'think' you're learning though between the constant whackings and the 'dead' comments you're not too sure. You still are on DODGE lessons with Kenny as well as physical training

Dodging is good. Unpleasant to learn, no doubt, but good. It means less getting hit, which means less of me bleeding, and thus less of my boss being cross with me. Less my parents and sister being concerned, too.

Speaking of my sister, I hope she liked the snacks I brought her as thanks for helping us with the map.

If I get any say on what kind of weapon(s) to learn using once we move on from dodging and physical conditioning, I'd ask Shigure to teach me how to use a staff and/or sticks. She seems more like a sword-type of person, but fighting using a weapon like that without killing someone takes a lot of skill, which I don't exactly have (yet), so I'd much rather go with something more non-lethal in nature.

Well when you ask she actually does say yes, though she does mention that her brothers are a little...defensive... might want to keep this one on the low. You manage to hear that there is a romance movie she's been wanting to see, apparently it's got a vampire in it from a book series.

...you're evil.

Well, I can't say I'm particularly enthused (to put it mildly) about that movie, but dropping her like a hot potato just because she likes something that I don't isn't exactly nice or gentleman-ly.
So, I try to make a compromise to watch some kind of romantic comedy, instead, then have a light dinner and take a walk through town or the park; talking to get to know each other better and the like. If asked, I admit that romance-movies aren't really my thing but I'm trying to accomodate her, plus that vampire-romance-movie is rather long (2+ hours); considering how protective her brother are (and how busy I am), it's likely we only have a fairly short amount of time for the date, and I'd rather spend more of that time talking with her than looking at a screen.

Not just yet.

Well, here's hoping she'll show up soon, so I can start winning her heart and convincing her to enter a polyamorous relationship with me, Kisara and Kaname once I've won them over as well!

might find some specialty shop somewhere or ask Shigure about it.

I'll probably make some discreet inquiries or the like on my own, first; look up shops on the internet and see what they offer, that kind of thing. No doubt Shigure could help me with this, but I'd prefer to try on my own, first. The importance of being independent and all that.
Though going shopping with Shigure (even if it's for weapons than more 'normal' stuff) seems like a good idea, too. She seems kinda lonely in a way, so a little socializing might do her some good.

To both of yours' surprise, you manage to hold your own. Their attacks seems almost...sluggish compared to the past and you're both hitting harder than you used to. Before long Daimonji is the only one still standing. He and Kenny are doing a funny back and forth with Daimonji unable to get a proper hit while Kenny is slowly but surely wearing the guy down. Finally after one lucky hit the big ox can't seem to take it anymore and drops gasping to the ground clutching his ribs.

Well, as horrible and terrifying as the training-regimes are, I guess there's no denying the effectiveness. A week or two earlier, and we probably would've been the ones on the ground, ultimately - though not exactly alone, either.

"Soooooo..." I drawl out. "What was that about my brother being 'weak-knees'...?" Aside from that comment, though, I leave it up to Kenichi how he wants to deal with the aftermath, since it's more or less his show anyway.

Out of sight, though, I make sure to give him a high-five, brofist, or other handshake substitute to celebrate the occasion, if he's up to it.

Of course, there's the problem that those guys are probably going to still make trouble in the future. Given how our school's apparently in Ragnarok-territory, it wouldn't surprise me if those karate-club guys weren't affiliated with the gang somehow. Either as a whole, or even just by one of them being a member.

Hm... maybe I should see about throwing some smoke and mirrors in Ragnarok's direction, just in case? Gonna need some kind of disguise(s), though. White mask(s) with nothing but eyeholes, maybe? On top of that some kind of hooded coat(s). That could work for what I have in mind, yeah. Just need to get them discreetly.

They did but the intricacies of firearms aren't their specialty just how to defend. And when you try to test it out, you both can hit the target with surprising skill but there seems to be something...missing almost.

Something missing? Just to be clear; Kenichi and I have a huge amount of talent in using guns, and this also seems to extend to other ranged weapons like bows, but with those it feels like there's something missing?
Well, if nothing else, I might be able to make some additional pocket-money from bets on darts-games or the like.
In any case, though, it's a talent I'll definitely look into cultivating as much as possible. I doubt I'll get my own gun any time soon (nor am I sure I want to, really; I'm not sure whether dad's "Naming-his-weapons" tick is just his own, or related to our lineage), but I might be able to get (or improvise) some thrown weapons. Like nails or, well, darts with metal tips. Difficult to kill someone with those, but painful, so they'd make a good distraction.
So, I'll use some of my money from my job to get myself a Darts-game; one of the more pricey ones, with metal tipped darts, and hang it up in my room, so I can practice whenever I feel like it. I'll also see if I can't get Kenichi to join me now and then, though I'll phrase it as us just spending some time together and relaxing, plus a chance to vent a bit about our masters' harsh training-methods, rather than some kind of practice for our throwing-skills. My brother may not like using weapons the way I do, but still, never know when the ability to hit someone's eye with a pebble at fifty paces (or something like that) might come in handy.

Psyckosama wrote:Understood. I'd ask Grandpa if I wasn't terrified of the man.

Heh, he's not quite as mean though the man does...wander off from time to time and no nobody really knows what the hell he does.

But I will take it deadly seriously. I'm a man of my word and I have a good sense of aesthetics.

Scrounge up the cash and...maybe....

... Damn your logic!

Though we do need "uniforms" for her. And I was thinking more of a raid of local thrift stores really.

She's still unsure what's wrong with her current outfit.

Better than the alternative.

"True."

Then its a left to left manly grip. "Now, once this arm is back to full strength we're going to test its power!"

I grip a little tighter just to show my excitement at the prospect.

"I'd like that."

True enough. Hey, they're welcomed to come here... I hope.

One look at one of the ...devices... Akisame is working on seems to change their minds.

I'm very annoyed at mother and make it clear. >

PAN-O-DOOM!

"Same can be done with a Gun, Sensei."

Wasn't really an argument.

Wow. Awesome...

Didn't know you knew this one ^_^'''

So any movement in the plot yet?

And I send a message to my best buddy, Ryuto, apologizing that I haven't been around to chilax for a while.

Wanna hang out and shoot the shit like old times (old times being a month ago)...?

He actually responds to that one but mentions that he's pretty busy at the time.

Well about a couple of weeks after the fight with the trio, you kenny boy, and Miu are on a shopping run when who should you run into but old Koga the kicker, one hell of a shiner on his face. But with him are several other guys including a big shaggy haired fella who you just KNOW is worse than anyone else you've faced so far.

Rieverre wrote:Um. What? I think you're missing a bit here. The whole point was trying to approach Takeda and Ukita when Koga wasn't around.

...well this is awkward...alright let me try this again. The four of you stand across from each other, the tension pretty thick. Then to everyone's slight surprise, Takeda smiles, shrugs and says, "Alright. What do ya want to talk about then?"

Question being whether he actually managed to hit what he was aiming for.

Always hits either a 9 or 10 and more towards the latter.

Hmm ... I should probably be happy about that, but I can't help but recall Uncle Niccolo's opinion on fear. Well, doubtlessly an opportunity to garner some of that will present itself soon.

heh.

Kelenas wrote:Dodging is good. Unpleasant to learn, no doubt, but good. It means less getting hit, which means less of me bleeding, and thus less of my boss being cross with me. Less my parents and sister being concerned, too.

very true

Speaking of my sister, I hope she liked the snacks I brought her as thanks for helping us with the map.

quite a bit actually.

If I get any say on what kind of weapon(s) to learn using once we move on from dodging and physical conditioning, I'd ask Shigure to teach me how to use a staff and/or sticks. She seems more like a sword-type of person, but fighting using a weapon like that without killing someone takes a lot of skill, which I don't exactly have (yet), so I'd much rather go with something more non-lethal in nature.

and once again the pain starts though you seem to pick up a bit quicker, whether it's from the staff being more an ideal weapon for you or if your ...lessons with the hand sticks carried over you aren't sure though you're pretty sure you can use the damn thing now without hurting someone you don't want to.

...you're evil.

I try.

Well, I can't say I'm particularly enthused (to put it mildly) about that movie, but dropping her like a hot potato just because she likes something that I don't isn't exactly nice or gentleman-ly.
So, I try to make a compromise to watch some kind of romantic comedy, instead, then have a light dinner and take a walk through town or the park; talking to get to know each other better and the like. If asked, I admit that romance-movies aren't really my thing but I'm trying to accomodate her, plus that vampire-romance-movie is rather long (2+ hours); considering how protective her brother are (and how busy I am), it's likely we only have a fairly short amount of time for the date, and I'd rather spend more of that time talking with her than looking at a screen.

She agrees and to your slight surprise the romcom actually makes you laugh a bit though things are still pretty damn cliche, you both had fun and she seems to like you.

Well, here's hoping she'll show up soon, so I can start winning her heart and convincing her to enter a polyamorous relationship with me, Kisara and Kaname once I've won them over as well!

Well you don't ask for much do you?

I'll probably make some discreet inquiries or the like on my own, first; look up shops on the internet and see what they offer, that kind of thing. No doubt Shigure could help me with this, but I'd prefer to try on my own, first. The importance of being independent and all that.
Though going shopping with Shigure (even if it's for weapons than more 'normal' stuff) seems like a good idea, too. She seems kinda lonely in a way, so a little socializing might do her some good.

Well to your pleasant surprise you do manage to track down a site selling what you're looking for and after a check with Nijima to check the quality and legitimacy of the site, you can order it for a pretty good price.

Well, as horrible and terrifying as the training-regimes are, I guess there's no denying the effectiveness. A week or two earlier, and we probably would've been the ones on the ground, ultimately - though not exactly alone, either.

"Soooooo..." I drawl out. "What was that about my brother being 'weak-knees'...?" Aside from that comment, though, I leave it up to Kenichi how he wants to deal with the aftermath, since it's more or less his show anyway.

Out of sight, though, I make sure to give him a high-five, brofist, or other handshake substitute to celebrate the occasion, if he's up to it.

Of course, there's the problem that those guys are probably going to still make trouble in the future. Given how our school's apparently in Ragnarok-territory, it wouldn't surprise me if those karate-club guys weren't affiliated with the gang somehow. Either as a whole, or even just by one of them being a member.

Hm... maybe I should see about throwing some smoke and mirrors in Ragnarok's direction, just in case? Gonna need some kind of disguise(s), though. White mask(s) with nothing but eyeholes, maybe? On top of that some kind of hooded coat(s). That could work for what I have in mind, yeah. Just need to get them discreetly.

You hear a couple of them groan "he ain't weak-knees", but Kenny decides that after making sure they can hobble home and extracting promises from them to leave the both of you alone, they hobble off with no other harrasment.

The next day Nijima accosts the two of you saying that Tsukuba, the head of the Karate club and who actually has connections to gangs in the area is now gunning for the both of ya, and as a side note he could have taken all of your opponents at the same and walked away unscathed.

Something missing? Just to be clear; Kenichi and I have a huge amount of talent in using guns, and this also seems to extend to other ranged weapons like bows, but with those it feels like there's something missing?

Yes.

Well, if nothing else, I might be able to make some additional pocket-money from bets on darts-games or the like.
In any case, though, it's a talent I'll definitely look into cultivating as much as possible. I doubt I'll get my own gun any time soon (nor am I sure I want to, really; I'm not sure whether dad's "Naming-his-weapons" tick is just his own, or related to our lineage), but I might be able to get (or improvise) some thrown weapons. Like nails or, well, darts with metal tips. Difficult to kill someone with those, but painful, so they'd make a good distraction.

Well when you come across a couple of darts you get an uncomfortable urge to name them though you squash it if you want to.

So, I'll use some of my money from my job to get myself a Darts-game; one of the more pricey ones, with metal tipped darts, and hang it up in my room, so I can practice whenever I feel like it. I'll also see if I can't get Kenichi to join me now and then, though I'll phrase it as us just spending some time together and relaxing, plus a chance to vent a bit about our masters' harsh training-methods, rather than some kind of practice for our throwing-skills. My brother may not like using weapons the way I do, but still, never know when the ability to hit someone's eye with a pebble at fifty paces (or something like that) might come in handy.

He actually takes to it pretty well and the games you play are less who can hit the bullseye and more who and through all six of his darts into the bullseye quicker.

Brian Boru wrote:Heh, he's not quite as mean though the man does...wander off from time to time and no nobody really knows what the hell he does.

Still. While the rest of you could kill me with a pinky he could with a cold glare.

And about that, would grandpa be willing to take some calls?

Scrounge up the cash and...maybe....

I'm willing to lend her the cash. Call it an investment. I'm sure she'll be able to repay it after the first job. Bodyguards get paid WELL.

She's still unsure what's wrong with her current outfit.

Frankly, she looks like some kind of ninja love goddess. Most regular women will be extremely intimidated and maybe driven to jealousy. She doesn't want to completely outshine her clients, plus being a bodyguard means blending in, and for someone of her her remarkable beauty you need to, sadly, dress down for the job.

"True."

Back slap!

"I'd like that."

"And I'm sure Kenny here wants his chance to do the same, right Ken?"

One look at one of the ...devices... Akisame is working on seems to change their minds.

"My brother and I started training less than two months ago. We had to make up for lost time, you didn't."

PAN-O-DOOM!

I'm used to dealing with psychotic, irrational women.

ULTIMATE COUNTER TECHNIQUE!

TEAPOT BLOCK!

Anyways... we need to start training and so does our sister. She's not too young by any sane standard of the word.

Wasn't really an argument.

I know. Just making the point.

He actually responds to that one but mentions that he's pretty busy at the time.

Sure thing. Just don't take over the world without me. I still have dibs on North America!

[quote]Well about a couple of weeks after the fight with the trio, you kenny boy, and Miu are on a shopping run when who should you run into but old Koga the kicker, one hell of a shiner on his face.

"So, Koga, I see you disrespected the kittens..." I pause, "I guess we can say that you've been pussy whipped!"

[img]But with him are several other guys including a big shaggy haired fella who you just KNOW is worse than anyone else you've faced so far.

"Kicker, Tsuji, minions... so, you guys need something?"

Brian Boru wrote:...well this is awkward...alright let me try this again. The four of you stand across from each other, the tension pretty thick. Then to everyone's slight surprise, Takeda smiles, shrugs and says, "Alright. What do ya want to talk about then?"

"Well, I figured, we could do it the traditional way. You lot try to hunt us down, we dodge you until you get your hands on something or someone to make us stand and fight, then we have it out at a time and place and in conditions neither party is particularly enthused about."

I shrug.

"But that would be boring. And a bit like a shounen manga. And I don't really like the formulaic plotlines of those very much. So instead, let's go eat something, hash out when we have our throwdown like civilized people, and sidestep a whole slew of problems and randomness that could have potentially happened. Besides, I'm genuinely a bit excited about this so I sort of want to get it right."

Always hits either a 9 or 10 and more towards the latter.

Nice. Well, I'm probably nowhere near that overtly enthusiastic. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. This might be a marksman's maxim, but as far as I've found it applies to everything from martial arts in general to programming and remains relevant.

Brian Boru wrote:quite a bit actually.

Nice and adorable little sisters deserve to be pampered a bit.

and once again the pain starts though you seem to pick up a bit quicker, whether it's from the staff being more an ideal weapon for you or if your ...lessons with the hand sticks carried over you aren't sure though you're pretty sure you can use the damn thing now without hurting someone you don't want to.

Progress!
So, my weapon-skills now encompass sticks and staves, as well as almost everything ranged. That's pretty nice; gonna keep working on that to build a solid foundation.

I try.

Please don't, then.

She agrees and to your slight surprise the romcom actually makes you laugh a bit though things are still pretty damn cliche, you both had fun and she seems to like you.

Sounds like a successful date to me. Make sure to escort her home - or at least as close to as she feels comfortable, with her brothers and all.

Well you don't ask for much do you?

I'm willing to endure Ryuanzanpaku's hell torture training for my brother's sake, I figure I deserve a reward for that!
Plus, Renka would just end up one-sidedly crushing on/pining after Kenichi (due to him already being smitten with Miu), and Kisara's and Kaname's obvious girl-crush on each other would go completely unfulfilled, so it's actually the best for everyone!

Well to your pleasant surprise you do manage to track down a site selling what you're looking for and after a check with Nijima to check the quality and legitimacy of the site, you can order it for a pretty good price.

Why'd I bring that parasitic little mutant into this? I can't stand him and wouldn't ask him for the time of the day if he was the only person on the damn planet! Ugh.

Well, no helping it now, so I might as well use the site and order that staff/sticks combo-weapon. I also discreetly buy or order some hooded cloaks and masks; I'm gonna need them for my idea to get Ragnarok off our backs.

You hear a couple of them groan "he ain't weak-knees", but Kenny decides that after making sure they can hobble home and extracting promises from them to leave the both of you alone, they hobble off with no other harrasment.

Well, that's my brother for you. Nice guy to a fault.

The next day Nijima accosts the two of you saying that Tsukuba, the head of the Karate club and who actually has connections to gangs in the area is now gunning for the both of ya, and as a side note he could have taken all of your opponents at the same and walked away unscathed.

Looks like I guessed right, then. I knew I should've made a bet with Kenichi about it. Given the location, the gang he's connected with is most likely Ragnarok if the school's part of their turf.

In any case, once we're in private - either at home, or at the Ryuanzanpaku dojo - I'll talk about this with Kenichi. I share with him my suspicion about the gang Tsukuba has connections to being Ragnarok, and if either of us manages to defeat him, those guys will notice and probably start gunning for us as well.
Now, the way I see it, there's several things we can do;
1. Keep our heads low, avoid conflict and hope the heat dies down in time. Much like the option Kenichi had with the karate-club guys. Something I'd like to avoid, though, because there's a chance they might try and use under-handed methods to draw us out.
2. Stay on the defensive. With some luck, things will go like some stereotypical MA-manga, where a series of progressively stronger opponents will come after us, until we're finally facing off against the boss(es) himself/themselves. Basically, we'd wait for the trouble to come to us, beat the trouble to a pulp, then rinse and repeat while trying to live our normal lives in-between. Not exactly my favorite solution.
3. Go on the offensive. We can start ambushing and picking off Ragnarok thugs and goons, using disguises and varying fighting styles to make it look like there's an entire group attacking Ragnarok; for example, one time I fight with the staff and Kenichi with Muay Thai, another time I fight with sticks and he with chinese kenpo, and so on, and so forth. That's what I'd prefer; if done right, it can keep them off our backs before Tsukuba even has a chance to call them down on us, and minimize the damage to our personal lives.
What does Kenichi think?

Yes.

Alright, thanks.

Well when you come across a couple of darts you get an uncomfortable urge to name them though you squash it if you want to.

Squashed. If only for the sake of the sanity of the people around me. I love my father just like the rest of my family, but I'll be one of the first to admit that his behavior regarding his guns can get rather annoying, and I'd prefer not to subject other people to the same just because I lack some self-control...

He actually takes to it pretty well and the games you play are less who can hit the bullseye and more who and through all six of his darts into the bullseye quicker.

Hm... maybe we should see if we can get creative to make it more interesting somehow? Throw the darts from the other side of the room, or even farther away? Throw using different motions, like sideways or under-hand, or from different positions, like sitting or standing sideways to the board?
(That this should help to further increase our skills is completely incidental, of course... )

(OOC: I'm hoping I'll be able to usurp the position Nijima had in canon, by forming an equivalent of the Shinpaku Alliance and recruiting everyone into it. Well, everyone except him. Find the guy annoying as hell.
Also, I'd find it absolutely amusing if Kenichi and I ended up taking over Ragnarok (or most of its members) completely by accident. )

Psyckosama wrote:Still. While the rest of you could kill me with a pinky he could with a cold glare.

And about that, would grandpa be willing to take some calls?

Maybe if you ask him directly.

I'm willing to lend her the cash. Call it an investment. I'm sure she'll be able to repay it after the first job. Bodyguards get paid WELL.

From what?

Frankly, she looks like some kind of ninja love goddess. Most regular women will be extremely intimidated and maybe driven to jealousy. She doesn't want to completely outshine her clients, plus being a bodyguard means blending in, and for someone of her her remarkable beauty you need to, sadly, dress down for the job.

well... that stuns her for a moment.

"And I'm sure Kenny here wants his chance to do the same, right Ken?"

“Right.”

"My brother and I started training less than two months ago. We had to make up for lost time, you didn't."

“Heh, still take my chances elsewhere for now.”

I'm used to dealing with psychotic, irrational women.

ULTIMATE COUNTER TECHNIQUE!

TEAPOT BLOCK!

Anyways... we need to start training and so does our sister. She's not too young by any sane standard of the word.

Well considering what pops is like with his firearms she feels that she's justifiably concerned with her children getting too interested with the weapons.

Sure thing. Just don't take over the world without me. I still have dibs on North America!

Hah

"So, Koga, I see you disrespected the kittens..." I pause, "I guess we can say that you've been pussy whipped!"

The guy outright snarls.

"Kicker, Tsuji, minions... so, you guys need something?"

The others beside Koga seem a bit surprised that you seem to know them.

Koga steps forward, “Alright boss, these two are the ones that need to be beat up.”

Tsuji doesn't seem too ticked with that, he insults Koga calling him a coward, Koga tries to attack him, Tsuji promptly grabs his foot single handedly and hurls him at least 5 yards with one arm.

Miu then wanders off saying that she forgot that today was burnables day.

When you turn back around, Tsuji asks that the two of you come talk with him.

Rieverre wrote:"Well, I figured, we could do it the traditional way. You lot try to hunt us down, we dodge you until you get your hands on something or someone to make us stand and fight, then we have it out at a time and place and in conditions neither party is particularly enthused about."

I shrug.

"But that would be boring. And a bit like a shounen manga. And I don't really like the formulaic plotlines of those very much. So instead, let's go eat something, hash out when we have our throwdown like civilized people, and sidestep a whole slew of problems and randomness that could have potentially happened. Besides, I'm genuinely a bit excited about this so I sort of want to get it right."

Takeda stares at you for a moment then starts laughing his ass off at the absurdity of what you said. Then he shrugs and says, “Alright, sounds like a plan to me. So long as I knock your block off the boss doesn't care how I do it.”

Nice. Well, I'm probably nowhere near that overtly enthusiastic. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. This might be a marksman's maxim, but as far as I've found it applies to everything from martial arts in general to programming and remains relevant.

Well you try slow and you find that slow is almost too easy. Kenny throws slow to the wind, the kid firing as fast as the gun is able to and still hitting with the exact same prescision.

Kelenas wrote:Nice and adorable little sisters deserve to be pampered a bit.

Heh

Progress!
So, my weapon-skills now encompass sticks and staves, as well as almost everything ranged. That's pretty nice; gonna keep working on that to build a solid foundation.

You do that.

Sounds like a successful date to me. Make sure to escort her home - or at least as close to as she feels comfortable, with her brothers and all.

Well you decide to stop at three blocks away. The moment she passes a block you hear her scream.

I'm willing to endure Ryuanzanpaku's hell torture training for my brother's sake, I figure I deserve a reward for that!
Plus, Renka would just end up one-sidedly crushing on/pining after Kenichi (due to him already being smitten with Miu), and Kisara's and Kaname's obvious girl-crush on each other would go completely unfulfilled, so it's actually the best for everyone!

Well actually Kaname crushes on Ukita

Why'd I bring that parasitic little mutant into this? I can't stand him and wouldn't ask him for the time of the day if he was the only person on the damn planet! Ugh.

He's the best bullshit buster you know.

Well, no helping it now, so I might as well use the site and order that staff/sticks combo-weapon. I also discreetly buy or order some hooded cloaks and masks; I'm gonna need them for my idea to get Ragnarok off our backs.

You get a suit for yourself along with an extra for your brother if he decides to wear it.

Well, that's my brother for you. Nice guy to a fault.

true

Looks like I guessed right, then. I knew I should've made a bet with Kenichi about it. Given the location, the gang he's connected with is most likely Ragnarok if the school's part of their turf.

You would guess right.

In any case, once we're in private - either at home, or at the Ryuanzanpaku dojo - I'll talk about this with Kenichi. I share with him my suspicion about the gang Tsukuba has connections to being Ragnarok, and if either of us manages to defeat him, those guys will notice and probably start gunning for us as well.
Now, the way I see it, there's several things we can do;
1. Keep our heads low, avoid conflict and hope the heat dies down in time. Much like the option Kenichi had with the karate-club guys. Something I'd like to avoid, though, because there's a chance they might try and use under-handed methods to draw us out.
2. Stay on the defensive. With some luck, things will go like some stereotypical MA-manga, where a series of progressively stronger opponents will come after us, until we're finally facing off against the boss(es) himself/themselves. Basically, we'd wait for the trouble to come to us, beat the trouble to a pulp, then rinse and repeat while trying to live our normal lives in-between. Not exactly my favorite solution.
3. Go on the offensive. We can start ambushing and picking off Ragnarok thugs and goons, using disguises and varying fighting styles to make it look like there's an entire group attacking Ragnarok; for example, one time I fight with the staff and Kenichi with Muay Thai, another time I fight with sticks and he with chinese kenpo, and so on, and so forth. That's what I'd prefer; if done right, it can keep them off our backs before Tsukuba even has a chance to call them down on us, and minimize the damage to our personal lives.
What does Kenichi think?

While he'd MUCH rather just keep his head down, considering that he managed to face down this jagoffs and end it, he gets the feeling that the only way to stop this once and for all is to be slightly proactive about it. He doesn't mean go after them like batman but if we recognize them we should probably see what they're doing and stop them if need be.

Squashed. If only for the sake of the sanity of the people around me. I love my father just like the rest of my family, but I'll be one of the first to admit that his behavior regarding his guns can get rather annoying, and I'd prefer not to subject other people to the same just because I lack some self-control...

Are you sure? That one is definitely a Billy, while that one with the slightly bent needle is just begging for the name Gina...no bad brain!

Hm... maybe we should see if we can get creative to make it more interesting somehow? Throw the darts from the other side of the room, or even farther away? Throw using different motions, like sideways or under-hand, or from different positions, like sitting or standing sideways to the board?
(That this should help to further increase our skills is completely incidental, of course... )

Once again after a few fumbles you start nailing the board with shocking accuracy.

(OOC: I'm hoping I'll be able to usurp the position Nijima had in canon, by forming an equivalent of the Shinpaku Alliance and recruiting everyone into it. Well, everyone except him. Find the guy annoying as hell.
Also, I'd find it absolutely amusing if Kenichi and I ended up taking over Ragnarok (or most of its members) completely by accident. )

You'll have to cross that bridge when you get there.

Brian Boru wrote:Maybe if you ask him directly.

I was implying that I do.

From what?

Come on, I have some money around...

And all else fails I ask dad to borrow some cash, or failing that, ask mom for some of her old clothes explaining the situation.

well... that stuns her for a moment.

"It's the truth. You're exceptional."

“Right.”

"Bro fist."

“Heh, still take my chances elsewhere for now.”

"You can still hang, and..." I grin. "I do have some information on one James Shiba..."

Well considering what pops is like with his firearms she feels that she's justifiably concerned with her children getting too interested with the weapons.

Mom! It's a family art!

The guy outright snarls.

They always say that the smallest dog barks the loudest...

The others beside Koga seem a bit surprised that you seem to know them.

Smirk.

Koga steps forward, “Alright boss, these two are the ones that need to be beat up.”

Tsuji doesn't seem too ticked with that, he insults Koga calling him a coward, Koga tries to attack him, Tsuji promptly grabs his foot single handedly and hurls him at least 5 yards with one arm.

I sigh. "I hate to say it, but you're scraping the bottom of the barrel with that one."

Miu then wanders off saying that she forgot that today was burnables day.

"Damn it Miu!"

When you turn back around, Tsuji asks that the two of you come talk with him.

"Why?"

Brian Boru wrote:Takeda stares at you for a moment then starts laughing his ass off at the absurdity of what you said. Then he shrugs and says, “Alright, sounds like a plan to me. So long as I knock your block off the boss doesn't care how I do it.”

"Shiny. There's a pretty decent beef-bowl place a block and a half from here. We can talk there."

Well you try slow and you find that slow is almost too easy. Kenny throws slow to the wind, the kid firing as fast as the gun is able to and still hitting with the exact same prescision.

Well then, I ramp it up bit by bit to see how that influences my accuracy.

Looks like the masters weren't quite right. We do have some martial talent.

... next time I'm at the dojo, I check to see whether this newly discovered hand-eye coordination can also be applied to thrown weapons. That was more or less my whole reason for trying out marksmanship in the first place.

Brian Boru wrote:Well you decide to stop at three blocks away. The moment she passes a block you hear her scream.

Oh, isn't this just typical? I'd admittedly half-expected something like that because it seemed like things were going too well. I quickly look around something I can use as a weapon - stick, pipe, some pebbles - then run after her, though with some caution. I'd rather not run head-first into a trap.

Well actually Kaname crushes on Ukita

Completely unimportant detail, I assure you! Plus, Ukita still got Shiratori (once he realizes Shiratori's a girl, anyway...)

He's the best bullshit buster you know.

Yeah, but instead he usually tries to serve his own personal blend of BS, and I have no intentions of sampling it. -_-

You get a suit for yourself along with an extra for your brother if he decides to wear it.

Well, 3-4 cloaks, actually, to have some extras in reserve, and an even larger number (~10) of masks (all different).

You would guess right.

Curse my dislike for gambling!

While he'd MUCH rather just keep his head down, considering that he managed to face down this jagoffs and end it, he gets the feeling that the only way to stop this once and for all is to be slightly proactive about it. He doesn't mean go after them like batman but if we recognize them we should probably see what they're doing and stop them if need be.

Stopping them if they're trying to bully or mug someone is a given, but no, the idea is less for us to become Batman and Robin (he'd be Robin, by the way ) and more that we pretend to be some kind of rival gang with a penchant for weird dress-code who's trying to muscle in on Ragnarok's turf. That will hoopefully send Ragnarok scrambling over themselves to find the guys attacking them, and by the time they figure out that there's no real "rival gang" attacking them, they'll hopefully have all forgotten about us, and we can go back to our normal lives.

Are you sure? That one is definitely a Billy, while that one with the slightly bent needle is just begging for the name Gina...no bad brain!

Aaaand that pretty much decides it right there. Squash. Squash with extreme prejudice! Squash for all that is good and holy in this world!

Once again after a few fumbles you start nailing the board with shocking accuracy.

Turn towards Kenichi. "You know... if everything else fails, we could probably join the circus. Give it a few months' practice, and we can likely pull shit that makes most knife-throwers look like poor amateurs..."

You'll have to cross that bridge when you get there.

Fair enough.

Psyckosama wrote:I was implying that I do.

When you ask he almost laughs but agrees to help whenever he's in though he does say that he might be gone from time to time.

Come on, I have some money around...

And all else fails I ask dad to borrow some cash, or failing that, ask mom for some of her old clothes explaining the situation.

Well when you tell them the situation, they to your surprise agree, provided that you manage to pay them back quickly. One problem though is mom's a bit too tall for Shigure though their other measurments are uncomfortably close. How the hell DID dad land mom anyway?

"It's the truth. You're exceptional."

She doesn't comment though you swear she blushes a bit when she turns and hops up into the rafters or maybe that was a trick of the light.

"You can still hang, and..." I grin. "I do have some information on one James Shiba..."

You notice Akisame flinch for a moment when you mention that name.

Mom! It's a family art!

She finally relents but if she hears you naming anything or summoning them Voltron style ...pan-o-doom!

They always say that the smallest dog barks the loudest...

Heh

I sigh. "I hate to say it, but you're scraping the bottom of the barrel with that one."

"Tsk, not one of mine."

"Damn it Miu!"

Kenny boy reciprocates the feeling.

"Why?"

He wanted to offer the two of you a proposition but somewhere a bit less inhabited.

Rieverre wrote:"Shiny. There's a pretty decent beef-bowl place a block and a half from here. We can talk there."

He shrugs "Alright then lead the way."

When you sit down to eat, Kenny a bit overwhelmed at the surrealness of this situation, Takeda takes a bite then after swallowing he grunts and asks, "Alright what did you have in mind specifically?"

Well then, I ramp it up bit by bit to see how that influences my accuracy.

Still hitting with the same accuracy.

Looks like the masters weren't quite right. We do have some martial talent.

Firearms ain't their expertise and Kenny in canon was terrified of weapons.

... next time I'm at the dojo, I check to see whether this newly discovered hand-eye coordination can also be applied to thrown weapons. That was more or less my whole reason for trying out marksmanship in the first place.

Turns out that so long as it goes into the air you and Kenny can make it hit with a shocking amount of accuracy. Rocks, darts, stars, arrows, javelins, throwing axes, you name it you can make it airborn and hit what you want. Though none of it seems to give you the raw satisfaction of a fire arm, the bang and smell of the powder, the whistle of the bullet, and the thud of a target hit. Of course the masters mention that the utter lack of power and speed behind your projectiles means that it's usefulness is ... limited. They also mention that while the two of you have a surprising amount of talent with this, they do mention that it is incredibly rough and you'll need someone to teach the both of you, note Shigure's eyes glow with such anticipation that you think she could have been used as a search light during an air raid in the battle of britain

Kelenas wrote:Oh, isn't this just typical? I'd admittedly half-expected something like that because it seemed like things were going too well. I quickly look around something I can use as a weapon - stick, pipe, some pebbles - then run after her, though with some caution. I'd rather not run head-first into a trap.

Well you find a pipe along with some golfball sized stones before you dash after the cry. Turns out that a trio of street thugs accosted her, one has a knife out ready to threaten with.

Completely unimportant detail, I assure you! Plus, Ukita still got Shiratori (once he realizes Shiratori's a girl, anyway...)

Might take a while and he seems to be in denial when it's found out.

Yeah, but instead he usually tries to serve his own personal blend of BS, and I have no intentions of sampling it. -_-

duly noted.

Well, 3-4 cloaks, actually, to have some extras in reserve, and an even larger number (~10) of masks (all different).

Duly noted though Kenny wonders why you need so many.

Stopping them if they're trying to bully or mug someone is a given, but no, the idea is less for us to become Batman and Robin (he'd be Robin, by the way ) and more that we pretend to be some kind of rival gang with a penchant for weird dress-code who's trying to muscle in on Ragnarok's turf. That will hoopefully send Ragnarok scrambling over themselves to find the guys attacking them, and by the time they figure out that there's no real "rival gang" attacking them, they'll hopefully have all forgotten about us, and we can go back to our normal lives.

That's devious bro...but if you think it can work then I'll help you anyway I can bro.

Aaaand that pretty much decides it right there. Squash. Squash with extreme prejudice! Squash for all that is good and holy in this world!

And squashed it is though you feel kinda incomplete for a few days when you play with the darts, though it does go away.

Turn towards Kenichi. "You know... if everything else fails, we could probably join the circus. Give it a few months' practice, and we can likely pull shit that makes most knife-throwers look like poor amateurs..."

He blanches at knives, weapons still terrify him.

Brian Boru wrote:When you ask he almost laughs but agrees to help whenever he's in though he does say that he might be gone from time to time.

No problem, sir.

I'm sure one of the others could cover on those days! ^_^

I do hope they appreciate the work I'm putting into keeping the place afloat.

Well when you tell them the situation, they to your surprise agree, provided that you manage to pay them back quickly.

As fast as I can.

[quote]One problem though is mom's a bit too tall for Shigure though their other measurments are uncomfortably close. How the hell DID dad land mom anyway?

No idea. Absolutely no idea. Though it does make things easier. Just have to raise the hem a bit, that's all.

She doesn't comment though you swear she blushes a bit when she turns and hops up into the rafters or maybe that was a trick of the light.

Shiguri-sensei's cute when she blushes! ^_^

So, how does the bodyguard stuff work out?

You notice Akisame flinch for a moment when you mention that name.

I give sensei a pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic nod.

She finally relents but if she hears you naming anything or summoning them Voltron style ...pan-o-doom!

Naming I can't help. There's a long tradition of people naming their weapons. It's a sign of respect...

But yeah, Voltron style weapons summoning, unless done entirely as a joke, is utterly moronic and deserving of contempt and creative use of cookware.

"Tsk, not one of mine."

Yet here he is.

Kenny boy reciprocates the feeling.

Le Sigh.

He wanted to offer the two of you a proposition but somewhere a bit less inhabited.

Fine, shoot...

I lead him off somewhere. If he asks I make it clear that I'm not about to walk into an ambush.

If he asks what I think he's going to... sorry, but we don't minion.

And would Kenny like to take care of this one?

Brian Boru wrote:Well you find a pipe along with some golfball sized stones before you dash after the cry. Turns out that a trio of street thugs accosted her, one has a knife out ready to threaten with.

Well, here's hoping my experiments with Kenichi about our family's lineage have paid off. Using as much force as I can muster, I throw one of the rocks at the guy holding the knife; specifically his hand, so he'll let go of the weapon, then continue my approach more cautiously, tossing around another rock in one hand, with the pipe in the other. Keep a close eye on my surroundings, though.
"You know, I only recently started learning how to use something like this" demonstratively raise the pipe "properly, but I'm still not very good at controlling how much damage I'll actually inflict with it. So... what do you think? The yen you might be able to get from us worth the risk of lacerations or broken bones? Last I heard costs of medical treatment had gone up again..."

I'm usually not one for speeches, but in this particular instance I was more than a bit concerned Fan might get mixed up in the fight if I just immediatelly attacked. Throwing some trash-talk at them, I'm hoping they'll focus their attention on me, and give her a chance to get some distance away.

Might take a while and he seems to be in denial when it's found out.

Obviously, I shall cure him of that. And probably try to hook up all the other guys who don't end up with a Romance Interest because Kenichi steals them with the Valkyries.

Duly noted though Kenny wonders why you need so many.

Explained with my plan below.

That's devious bro...but if you think it can work then I'll help you anyway I can bro.

Well, the basic idea is that we use the fact that Kenichi is training in different martial arts styles, and I with different weapons, in combination with the masks and cloaks to make it look like there's different pairs of people (though all from the same group) attacking Ragnarok's goons, because it was always just the same they'd likely quickly smell something fishy.
So, for one day Kenichi and I might wear the masks A and B, and fight with Kenpo and Staff, respectively. Another we're wearing masks C and D and fight with Muay Thai and Sticks. with masks E and F, we're using Karate and Nunchaku. And so on. Admittedly, I'm somewhat of a weak link, there, since I don't know as many weapon-styles, yet, as Kenichi knows unarmed-styles.
Hope that makes more sense to him now.

And squashed it is though you feel kinda incomplete for a few days when you play with the darts, though it does go away.

And though I'm admittedly somewhat curious whether Kenichi felt the same impulse, it shall be never be spoken of on my part. Ever.

He blanches at knives, weapons still terrify him.

"Right, sorry."

Brian Boru wrote:He shrugs "Alright then lead the way."

When you sit down to eat, Kenny a bit overwhelmed at the surrealness of this situation, Takeda takes a bite then after swallowing he grunts and asks, "Alright what did you have in mind specifically?"

"To be honest I didn't really expect to get this far. Gives me a bit of hope for the human condition, it does."

Grin.

"Moving right along, I was thinking of something less random and dependent on circumstances than just throwing down in the street somewhere. Partly because it would minimize potential interruptions, and partly because I really want to see how practical applications of boxing and judo look. So, there are two of us and there are two of you. Either two one-on-one bouts each, so everyone gets to fight everyone, or just two fights total with who fights who decided by coin toss or drawing lots. Lacking anything else, we can use the dojo my brother and I train at as venue, unless you have another preference?"

Negotiation time! And if this goes right, we might go and get these two as semi-permanent sparring partners, which would be dead-useful.

Turns out that so long as it goes into the air you and Kenny can make it hit with a shocking amount of accuracy. Rocks, darts, stars, arrows, javelins, throwing axes, you name it you can make it airborn and hit what you want. Though none of it seems to give you the raw satisfaction of a fire arm, the bang and smell of the powder, the whistle of the bullet, and the thud of a target hit. Of course the masters mention that the utter lack of power and speed behind your projectiles means that it's usefulness is ... limited. They also mention that while the two of you have a surprising amount of talent with this, they do mention that it is incredibly rough and you'll need someone to teach the both of you, note Shigure's eyes glow with such anticipation that you think she could have been used as a search light during an air raid in the battle of britain.

Considering I've been a regular student of hers already, that might be something of an overreaction ... well, no matter.

I think about teasing her about it for a moment and making a round of the other masters going 'sensei, do you know of such a person?', but that would be a little cruel.

Instead I just go: "Well, Shigure-sensei, looks like my brother and I both will be in your care from now on."

So, thrown weapons training. And thrown weapons _avoidance_ training, no doubt.

Also, on a hunch, I'll check whether or not that talent somewhat extends to things like a rope dart.

*poke*
Any chance this will be continued?

It will just needed a bit of inspiration

*poke?*

Psyckosama wrote:No problem, sir.

I'm sure one of the others could cover on those days! ^_^

I do hope they appreciate the work I'm putting into keeping the place afloat.

Well Miu's tickled that someone else seems to care. Kenny immediately claims that he'll help as well.

As fast as I can.

Alright

No idea. Absolutely no idea. Though it does make things easier. Just have to raise the hem a bit, that's all.

Shigure actually looks quite nice in them.

Shiguri-sensei's cute when she blushes! ^_^

So, how does the bodyguard stuff work out?

She gets an offer pretty quick and disappears for a few days, she comes back with the clothing somewhat 'ruffled' be glad mom wasn't too attached to that dress.... But the payment she got for the job helped in gobs with the dojo's financial issues.

I give sensei a pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic nod.

He raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

Naming I can't help. There's a long tradition of people naming their weapons. It's a sign of respect...

But yeah, Voltron style weapons summoning, unless done entirely as a joke, is utterly moronic and deserving of contempt and creative use of cookware.

"But...but...I had this whole family summoning system all planned out!" Pops presents an incredibly detailed set of schematics that would make Akisame blush.

Yet here he is.

"Cause the dolt wouldn't shut up and I was interested in finding you two anyway."

Le Sigh.

He's been like that since you two could sit up on your own, it ain't gonna change over night.

Fine, shoot...

I lead him off somewhere. If he asks I make it clear that I'm not about to walk into an ambush.

If he asks what I think he's going to... sorry, but we don't minion.

And would Kenny like to take care of this one?

As a matter of fact he does offer the two of you to join his crew. Among Ragnarok he's got one of the biggest bands in the entire gang and he'd like some extra quality among that quantity.

When you snub him, the big guy is a little tiffed.

But before he responds Kenny goes in a long lengthy speech about the ultimate uselessness of delinquency, about their futures, their jobs prospects, what they'll do when they want families or a home, or what if they are too hurt to be useful to the gang what then? The sheer eloquency of it makes you wonder if Akisame can astral project and is currently possessing the guy.

The thugs behind Shaggy start to mutter among themselves. Shaggy however snarls at them then turns back, "Shut-up! A mealy-mouth like you could never understand the romance of a man! (Not my words!) Forget recruiting you I'm just gonna pound you into the dirt." His shirt rips and the uncomfortably big guy (Seriously the guy must have protein shakes on invitro when nobody's looking) charges you.

Kelenas wrote:Well, here's hoping my experiments with Kenichi about our family's lineage have paid off. Using as much force as I can muster, I throw one of the rocks at the guy holding the knife; specifically his hand, so he'll let go of the weapon, then continue my approach more cautiously, tossing around another rock in one hand, with the pipe in the other. Keep a close eye on my surroundings, though.

That throw actually shatters all the bones in his hand and the thug is down on the ground howling. The other two look up to see the source of the attack.

"You know, I only recently started learning how to use something like this" demonstratively raise the pipe "properly, but I'm still not very good at controlling how much damage I'll actually inflict with it. So... what do you think? The yen you might be able to get from us worth the risk of lacerations or broken bones? Last I heard costs of medical treatment had gone up again..."

I'm usually not one for speeches, but in this particular instance I was more than a bit concerned Fan might get mixed up in the fight if I just immediatelly attacked. Throwing some trash-talk at them, I'm hoping they'll focus their attention on me, and give her a chance to get some distance away.

The two thugs snarl and the bigger one, armed with a baseball bat with nails in it snarls, "Hey no one hurts my brother ya little runt." And the two charge, their weapons held so badly it almost makes you flinch.

Obviously, I shall cure him of that. And probably try to hook up all the other guys who don't end up with a Romance Interest because Kenichi steals them with the Valkyries.

Heh

Explained with my plan below.

Right

Well, the basic idea is that we use the fact that Kenichi is training in different martial arts styles, and I with different weapons, in combination with the masks and cloaks to make it look like there's different pairs of people (though all from the same group) attacking Ragnarok's goons, because it was always just the same they'd likely quickly smell something fishy.
So, for one day Kenichi and I might wear the masks A and B, and fight with Kenpo and Staff, respectively. Another we're wearing masks C and D and fight with Muay Thai and Sticks. with masks E and F, we're using Karate and Nunchaku. And so on. Admittedly, I'm somewhat of a weak link, there, since I don't know as many weapon-styles, yet, as Kenichi knows unarmed-styles.
Hope that makes more sense to him now.

He gets it though he does wonder when his life turned in a superhero comic...

And though I'm admittedly somewhat curious whether Kenichi felt the same impulse, it shall be never be spoken of on my part. Ever.

Alright

"Right, sorry."

"No it isn't your fault...I gotta get over myself."

Rieverre wrote:"To be honest I didn't really expect to get this far. Gives me a bit of hope for the human condition, it does."

Grin.

"Moving right along, I was thinking of something less random and dependent on circumstances than just throwing down in the street somewhere. Partly because it would minimize potential interruptions, and partly because I really want to see how practical applications of boxing and judo look. So, there are two of us and there are two of you. Either two one-on-one bouts each, so everyone gets to fight everyone, or just two fights total with who fights who decided by coin toss or drawing lots. Lacking anything else, we can use the dojo my brother and I train at as venue, unless you have another preference?"

Negotiation time! And if this goes right, we might go and get these two as semi-permanent sparring partners, which would be dead-useful.

Takeda is silent for a while his face deep in thought, then he grins and shrugs, "Sure why not. There's a place under a nearby bridge no one will bother us there."

Ukita's eyes bug, "What!? You can't be serious!?"

"Hey the boss said that we had to find them and test their skill, never said anything about how we do it."

Ukita grumbles a bit but agrees. Kenny's all agog at this turn of events.

Considering I've been a regular student of hers already, that might be something of an overreaction ... well, no matter.

I think about teasing her about it for a moment and making a round of the other masters going 'sensei, do you know of such a person?', but that would be a little cruel.

Instead I just go: "Well, Shigure-sensei, looks like my brother and I both will be in your care from now on."

So, thrown weapons training. And thrown weapons _avoidance_ training, no doubt.

Also, on a hunch, I'll check whether or not that talent somewhat extends to things like a rope dart.

Well it was more along the line of having two students but I digress.

She nods, "Try not...to die." Kenny doesn't take that well.

You swear she picked up the pace when Kenny started training with you.

Interestingly the rope dart when thrown is excellently done as well but using it in any other way takes the monstrous level of training you have to do with your other masters.

Brian Boru wrote:Well Miu's tickled that someone else seems to care. Kenny immediately claims that he'll help as well.

And I make a joke about male prostitution.

As fast as I can.

Alright

Shigure actually looks quite nice in them.

And buckets are drolled...

She gets an offer pretty quick and disappears for a few days, she comes back with the clothing somewhat 'ruffled' be glad mom wasn't too attached to that dress.... But the payment she got for the job helped in gobs with the dojo's financial issues.

Well, I tell her she needs to keep some of it aside for wardrobe and help arrange her next gig.

So what happened and how did it go. Did she enjoy the work?

He raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

"I understand the look. That's the forlorn and wistful remembrance of a treasured rival look."

"But...but...I had this whole family summoning system all planned out!" Pops presents an incredibly detailed set of schematics that would make Akisame blush.

"Dad... ever heard the english term KISS? It means Keep It Simple, Stupid. We need fast access not impressive special effects!"

"Cause the dolt wouldn't shut up and I was interested in finding you two anyway."

"Yeah for standards."

As a matter of fact he does offer the two of you to join his crew. Among Ragnarok he's got one of the biggest bands in the entire gang and he'd like some extra quality among that quantity.

Yeah, but that boils down to the whole "Follower" thing. Some men lead, other men follow. We don't follow. No offense.

When you snub him, the big guy is a little tiffed.

Hey, its nothing personal.

But before he responds Kenny goes in a long lengthy speech about the ultimate uselessness of delinquency, about their futures, their jobs prospects, what they'll do when they want families or a home, or what if they are too hurt to be useful to the gang what then? The sheer eloquency of it makes you wonder if Akisame can astral project and is currently possessing the guy.

By the middle of the speech I'm standing behind Kenichi with a couple convenient and ridiculous looking hand puppets, parodying his speech as he makes it.

Seriously, what is this, an after school special?

The thugs behind Shaggy start to mutter among themselves. Shaggy however snarls at them then turns back, "Shut-up! A mealy-mouth like you could never understand the romance of a man! (Not my words!)

"Uh, dude... I'm flattered and all, but I'm entirely not interested in romancing men. I'm entirely cool with it! Really! But its not my thing..."

Forget recruiting you I'm just gonna pound you into the dirt." His shirt rips and the uncomfortably big guy (Seriously the guy must have protein shakes on invitro when nobody's looking) charges you.

"Seriously man, no need to get all Tsundare here!"

I back up defensively looking more than a little creeped out and dodge his blows looking rather uncomfortable the entire time... I mean dude... No means no!

Can we just say that things fall in a way that utterly humiliates him and feeds into the gag?

Brian Boru wrote:Takeda is silent for a while his face deep in thought, then he grins and shrugs, "Sure why not. There's a place under a nearby bridge no one will bother us there."

Ukita's eyes bug, "What!? You can't be serious!?"

"Hey the boss said that we had to find them and test their skill, never said anything about how we do it."

Ukita grumbles a bit but agrees. Kenny's all agog at this turn of events.

"Hm," I hmmm. "Should be fun. Also, I suppose you guys are on a timeline for this? Did your boss give you any deadline on when you're supposed to be done with the testing?"

Unless he wants to do it right now, we'll exchange phone numbers and set a date and time for the fight. Then Ken and I will scope out the venue a few days beforehand. Yeah, still practicing jumping and climbing all over the place. It's practical in that it prevents any of the usual suspect delinquents from running into us.

... I'll also google Takeda, Ukita, Koga and Nanjo. Social networking and online resources are such wonderful research tools. If that bears no fruit, I'll call Niijima.

Well it was more along the line of having two students but I digress.

She nods, "Try not...to die." Kenny doesn't take that well.

You swear she picked up the pace when Kenny started training with you.

Aww, she really does care! That's so cute!

At least this is probably polishing up my reaction times further, which is always nice.

"Ken, stop being such a drama queen. That's actually one of the best pieces of advice anyone can give you and should always be kept close to the heart."

I then make baking some knife and sword shaped cookies a project for the next cooking with mom session. Because confusing people is fun ^^

Interestingly the rope dart when thrown is excellently done as well but using it in any other way takes the monstrous level of training you have to do with your other masters.

Both Shigure and Kensei should be able to help with this. The former because of the obvious. The latter because it's very much part of the traditional chinese martial arts portfolio.

Brian Boru wrote:That throw actually shatters all the bones in his hand and the thug is down on the ground howling. The other two look up to see the source of the attack.

...

...

...

...holy crap!

Okay, considering that I was first thinking of targeting the guy's head, it's probably damn lucky I decided to switch to his hand instead. It also makes me more than a bit nervous; if I just did that after only a few weeks of training (even accounting for the natural talent in ranged accuracy), then I'm kinda scared of thinking what Shigure could do if she was serious. Destroy a tank with a ricecorn?

The two thugs snarl and the bigger one, armed with a baseball bat with nails in it snarls, "Hey no one hurts my brother ya little runt." And the two charge, their weapons held so badly it almost makes you flinch.

"Well, I'd say 'You should 've thought of that before you decided to go around mugging people', but that kind of assumes you're doing any thinking at all."

Alright, the two obviously haven't been trained in how to use their weapons, but that doesn't mean I should underestimate them. Still, their grip seems to be an obvious weakpoint, so I should make use of that. First, though, I'll try and use another thrown (though not as forcefully) rock aimed at the legs to perhaps make one of them stumble and trip the other. Otherwise, I'll attempt to disarm them quickly and knock them out, while still being cautious of any surprises.

He gets it though he does wonder when his life turned in a superhero comic...

The moment he decided to pick up martial arts, obviously. No, seriously; before that, the occasional band of deliquents was all we had to worry about. Now we suddenly might have an entire gang after us, including some boss-characters.

Though he got the genre wrong; as japanese, we're naturally not in a superhero comic as the gaijin seem to love them, but in a shounen or seinen manga.

"No it isn't your fault...I gotta get over myself."

"No problem; we all got our issues. I still get the creepies from big spiders, for example." *shudder*