EVENT: The Great BREW Malfunction Pt II [OPEN]

[soul_mods]

Characters: Everyone and anyone
Location: Anywhere in Death City!
Rating: PG-13
Time: July 16 to July 18th
Description: And then it gets worse.



By now, no one is popping in and out of existence, but that's hardly any consolation when odd things keep happening.

At first it's not that bad. An innocuous item or two shows up. Something harmless wanders around that you're sure has never been in Death City before.

By the second day, bigger and more dangerous things start showing up and by the third...

Well.

As long as you don't mind the giant pieces of debris or creatures blocking the road or the sky, it's not that bad, right?

((OOC: List of canon items and creatures arriving can be found here. Remember, the list only tells you where they initially show up. They'll probably move on soon enough to a new location.

Remember to put Character | Location | OPEN/CLOSED in your subject!))


Open Threads
Sephiroth and Cloud
Amaterasu
Keroro
Edgeworth
Trucy
Aqua
Hyoubu
Eve
Hiro
Morgan
Clopin
L
Alucard
Light
Neji
Lily
Psii
Raidou
Takuto

Comments

[awokentospring]

Yes... I suppose it is natural, given Weapon forms or Meister abilities are often somewhat linked to a person's natural strengths...

[Lee had never practiced Neji's style before. It wasn't something his sensei encouraged because Lee's strengths did not lie in subtlety and precision so much as brute strength and speed.

Lee hummed, trying to switch over to an open-palm style. The fasteners on his wrists held Neji's form to him, so he could open his palms for the movements, but it was an odd feeling that left his fingers tingling, wishing to curl back into fists.]

I am not sure if I will be good at this or not...

[heavenly_earth]

[He could feel Lee's uncertainty and did what he could to encourage and help guide his Meister's movements as Lee sometimes did with him when they first started practicing together]

It may not be something you'll master, but you only need to incorporate the principles into your own style, as I had with your form- the most important of which of course, is to keep your hands open.

[awokentospring]

That will probably be the most difficult part for me.

[As it was, shuko were not typically used as weapons except when necessarily. For ninja still attempting to gain a sense of their chakra, it was a good way to help them scale trees and buildings though not nearly as quiet and effective. But Lee had a feeling Neji's shuko form would be a lot more helpful as a weapon than normal shuko. At least, he would be against the Kishin Eggs they may encounter in the future.]

This feels awkward. Are you certain I am doing this... alright?

[heavenly_earth]

Your form is terrible.

[It wasn't an insult so much as a tease. Lee's form was fine- for his own style, that was. From a purely Hyuuga perspective, it was awfully predictable and unsuited to fighting in such a manner]

Kicks won't gain you much ground, so you'll need to simply move more, and put more focus into palm thrusts.

[awokentospring]

Oh. [Welp.]

So... the footwork is tricky. But I can certainly do better with the palm thrusts!

[And he did, trying to shuffle along fluidly like Neji could, but perhaps with less grace. His thrusts did become stronger, however, pressing out towards opponents unseen.]

[heavenly_earth]

[Neji smiled to himself, watching Lee attempt to mimic the movements he'd seen for so many years.

But he did make progress with the strong shoves of his arm. Of course, Jyuuken was far less about strength, but Lee needed to adjust to the new movements before they got more complex. More importantly..]

Lee, try hitting something like that.

[awokentospring]

Try...? [To do that they would need to find something suitable to practice against. Not thinking beyond that, Lee abandoned his training and rushed towards the practice field where he knew there were practice dummies perfect for attacking.

Lee got there faster than he would have expected. In fact, there were times as he raced along that he thought he was returning to his natural speed. But he didn't think about that, instead moving to get one of the dummies ready for action.]

Yosh!

[And with that, Lee began his advance on the dummy.]

[heavenly_earth]

[The scenery blinked by, and Neji wondered if it was an ability, or just how fast Lee naturally ran. But he focused on the target presented to him, felt Lee wind up for palm thrust aimed at the dummy--

And felt it splint apart centimeters from contact]

Lee..

[awokentospring]

[That was surprising to say the least. Lee stopped, having been ready to start up another thrust with the opposite palm, only to stop a moment and gauge the damage that had already been wroght.]

Oh.... Did I do something wrong?

[Gentle fist wasn't supposed to destroy things. Not like how Lee's hits were meant to break bones and cause external damage. It was all about being subtle and affecting what was inside rather than out.

... Ooops.]

[heavenly_earth]

[Neji simply looked at it, dummy cracked and ready to fall off its post at the next breeze. Satisfaction rolled through him]

No, you did fine, Lee. Perhaps a bit too much force, but Jyuuken can be destructive in its own right. I've blown out the back of a man's throat in a desperate strike before.

[Pushed into a Kishin Egg's body, the damage would hardly be visible, but against something as breakable as a training dummy..]

[awokentospring]

[That was a better result than Lee had expected. He smiled, pleasure whirling through him at the praise.]

Perhaps we should stick to shadowboxing and maybe search for a more sturdy target later. Perhaps a boulder?

[heavenly_earth]

[The Weapon couldn't help smiling in turn, feeling Lee's elation align with his]

Fair enough. We need to work more on your form anyway. This certainly means you'll have to lean to fight with an open-palm style. Jyuuken is never performed with a closed fist, after all.

[awokentospring]

That is true... I am glad that form is my worst trait so far. It is definitely something that can be accomplished!

[Lee pumped his fist, but then relaxed and began to unfasten Neji's grips.]

Perhaps it would be best to carry on a lesson on form if you were there to show me through example.

[heavenly_earth]

[Neji felt Lee unfastening him, and almost started to ask what he was doing-- but it was true that he could better assist his Meister through forms in his regular state.

Once he was free of Lee, Neji transformed back and relished in the feeling of having proper limbs again. He straightened from his crouch and moved around Lee, realigning his teammate's limbs until his stance resembled something like an initial form]

Hyuuga's style, in case you haven't noticed, is based around circular movements. Winding spirals, fluid movements, it allows us to engage multiple opponents and control the flow of battle.

[awokentospring]

I always felt like your style dragged out our fights longer than necessary...

[Though Lee was all about speed and hitting the weak points he could find as quickly and forcefully as possible. This was totally different, so Lee allowed Neji to mold him without resistance.

It was different, but he could do this.]

So I am going to need to pivot a lot or...?

[heavenly_earth]

[Neji hummed his amusement, stepping back to look over Lee's stance with a critical eye. It was correct, only seeming unnatural on Lee, who wasn't used to the position and held the limbs awkwardly in their placement]

Not too often, but forms are about creating and ingraining habitual movements, so I expect you'll pick up on it after awhile.

[Neji mirrored the stance next to Lee, then lifted his palms and strode a few smooth steps forward, as if starting to turn in a circle. He paused, watching Lee and waiting for him to mimic the movements]

[awokentospring]

[Lee could accept that. He needed practice! That would make him into a fighter better suited to Neji's weapon form.

Lee attempted to follow along with Neji. He wasn't quite as smooth yet, but he expected to get better with time. His arms still felt like they were held awkwardly.]

[heavenly_earth]

[Neji nodded, not expecting too much grace from a person that habitually threw all his weight into a crushing kick or punch. Just the base movements would do for now.

He reverted back into the initial stance without fanfare, then went through the same motions again]

Again.

[Forms were about repetition, after all]

[awokentospring]

[Lee watched Neji again, and he followed through the moves in repetition without complaint. Again and again they did this, the same moves over and over again until Lee no longer felt awkward holding his arms in this new way. He still was not perfect, but that would come with more hard work.

Lee was quite pleased by having Neji as his teacher. Honestly, there was no one who would have been better suited to the task.]

Shall we move on, or do you wish to stop for now?

[heavenly_earth]

[Neji considered it]

We've gotten through one whole rotation, and that'll keep you occupied in practicing foundation for at least a few days. You know the movements, and you can do them with me in the mornings.

But we also need to sort out your Meister ability.

[awokentospring]

I will also practice when I have free time!

[Neji's style wasn't tiring at all so Lee felt content with that. He needed to get a good grasp on the basics, and he could handle doing much of that on his own now that he knew the base step.]

Ah, yes, my ability. It is important. Though... I wonder how I can access it.

[heavenly_earth]

[Neji nodded, certain of Lee's determination. As for his teammate's ability]

You've undergone some meditation training to control how quickly your batons changed color.

[Lee's Weapon form that seemed so long ago now]

Meditation is how I first awoke Clairvoyance.

[awokentospring]

Ah... yes. That is true...

[Damn. He hated meditation. It was helpful with his weapon ability, certainly, but would that help him in this?]

I suppose I could try but... but I am not the same as you, Neji. I may need something a bit more... at my own pace.

[heavenly_earth]

[Lee had managed some meditation true, but he just couldn't sit still long enough to really focus.]

It's the simplest method to start with.

[awokentospring]

I... suppose that is true.

[Sighing, Lee moved to sit on the ground and took a deep breath. Hopefully he wouldn't fall asleep.]