Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

"I... see," said Sora quietly upon hearing the girl's first sentence. He actually started to look just a little disappointed, which was a rather rare occurrence, given how well the youth normally kept his cool. Luckily for him, he wasn't allowed quite enough time to let it change into a truly noticeable expression, as Akari ultimately agreed, helping the prodigy along in returning to his composed look. "Oh! Well, great! I was actually somewhat nervous there, for a moment, admittedly, since I didn't want you to think that it was because of that Souta incident. I meant to ask you earlier, but I just held off a little too long, I guess," he replied. "And yeah, I don't mind at al--ouch... sorry about that," he added with an apologetic look, placing a hand behind his head after giving her backside a long enough glance to check the mark he had left.

"I honestly didn't realize I tapped that hard. I'll be sure to not do that next time, not that there will be," he said reassuringly in a more confident manner, also displaying his determination as a martial artist to improve from the day's match. "But really, I'll find a way to make up for it somehow, though, for sure." With that said, he proceeded to walk alongside her, out into the central areas of the town, where many of the grocers' stalls conducted business. This Honrainese city, named Koan, was a relatively large and rather old one, best known for being home to some of the more exotic dojos, but also a center for the culinary arts as well. However, there was one industry that also seemed to be on the rise here, spearheaded by a certain establishment. The oldest profession, as some would say: prostitution.

On the way to this particular shopping district was a brothel called the Pink Lotus, based in an extremely fancy building located on one of the block corners. Such was its construction, painted red and pink, that it stood out more than most, in order to help entice potential customers inside. This was no ordinary call house, but one that was considered to be extremely high class, a place of relaxation and enjoyment for even the highest of Honrainese government officials. It had only been there for several years, considered an overnight success due to its reputation for leaving even the wealthiest and most powerful of individuals utterly satisfied after their stay, owed to its impressive lineup of girls and a most shrewd, intelligent madam named Lady Fox. Naturally, most of the local dojo masters called the Pink Lotus a disgrace upon Koan, while some of them entered its doors in secret, unable to resist the siren song of pleasure that echoed from behind them. The upper floor had many stunningly beautiful girls leaning out from the railing, calling out to passerbys on the street in an attempt to get them to come inside. Of course, these girls were still individuals in their own right, and as such were likely to concentrate their efforts on getting the more attractive men up into their rooms--ones like Sora. As the two walked past, they called out to him, as expected.

"Hey, cutie! Why don't you spend some time with us?"

"There's a special rate going on, just for this week. We'll make it worth your while~"

Interestingly enough, while some of the dojo's members like Ryuu and sometimes Eiji were known for responding to these flirtations with some of their own, Sora didn't reply. Akari would then notice that he wasn't looking at the girls in the brothel at all; instead, his eyes were fixed on her.

With the prodigy remaining largely unfazed by the callgirls' propositions, the pair continued to walk on without a hitch, soon making it into the shopping district, namely the portion that had all of the grocers' stalls. This was an open-air market, and the stands themselves were hardly anything fancy, sometimes being little more than a large wagon stationed in a given area, with its owner sitting on a stool in front of it. Bartering here was a common thing, and thanks to that, lively chatter filled the air. All in all it was a very vibrant scene, something Akari was largely used to at this point. Should she take another look at her grocery list, she'd find the following ingredients: Honrainese cabbage, eggs, green leeks, some peppers, and of course, a staple food in this part of the continent, several pounds of rice. Perhaps it was a good thing after all that she had brought Sora along to help, as his strength could be put to proper use in helping her lug what would no doubt be an expensive load for tonight's dinner.

"Feel free to let me take care of the heavy lifting," reminded Sora, though for a moment, he found himself momentarily distracted by a jewelry booth, run by a strange, squinty-eyed old man, exchanging a few muffled words with him while looking over the goods. The blue-haired youth didn't immediately buy anything, though, instead opting to catch up with Akari to help her with any other goods she might pick up during her grocery trip.

Still, the daily errands for today didn't look as if they would go too normally. Just one stall over from where Akari was picking up eggs, a rough-looking man, one she had never seen before, was giving a local steamed bun seller some problems, grabbing a few of the snacks without permission or apparent intent to pay.

"H-Hey, please, kind sir, do pay before you touch thos--"
"Shut up!" The ruffian then proceeded to kick over the stand, much to the dismay of the shopkeeper and other vendors around them. Many stared, but few did anything. Looking around him, he snarled before taking a bite out of one of the buns in his filthy hands. "The hell are you lookin' at?"

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari gave a simple nod in acknowledgment to Sora as she repositioned the rear of her skirt to cover the rest of her own rear once again. “Well, we’d best get going, then,” she said with a smile before setting off, the blue-haired boy following right along beside her.

As they made their way through Koan to the young woman’s usual shopping district, their route unfortunately took them right passed what was by far the city’s most reputable and prestigious brothel, the Pink Lotus, causing the green-haired girl to briefly shift her shoulders uncomfortably as the playful catcalls began sprinkling down from the balcony as she and Sora walked passed. While she shared the same general sense of disdain that her father and many of the other dojo masters held for the esteemed house of pleasures and the ‘business’ that it traded in, at the very least Akari appreciated the fact that the establishment at least tried to pass itself off as a place of high class relaxation and entertainment, unlike some of the other, more obviously sleazy locations she had heard about...and it would be a lie to say that the dojo heiress hadn’t felt a little flattered – and perhaps even a little tempted – by the occasional catcalls that she herself had received from the ladies on the balcony when she walked by. Though she never actually acknowledged any of their flirtations, of course.

As such, the green-haired girl kept her gaze facing mostly forward and towards the ground ahead of them like she usually did, feeling a little more relaxed again once the two rivals had made their way passed the Pink Lotus. As they entered the shopping district, Akari retrieved the list her father had given her and set about obtaining the necessary items, giving a little chuckle at Sora’s remark to let him handle the heavy lifting. “Hm-hm~ That was the idea~” she said teasingly, giving a little wink and sticking the tip of her tongue out at him as she approached one of the stalls.

What should have been a simple, peaceful trip to the market to buy groceries was soon interrupted, however, as a rough-looking man that Akari had never seen before took it upon himself to rudely disturb that peace, snatching a few steam buns off of the nearby seller’s cart without permission and and seemingly no intention to pay. The man’s intent to cause trouble was quickly confirmed when the bun seller tried to intervene and he proceeded to violently kick over the stand, sending its contents scattering around on the ground, much to the dismay of everyone nearby.

In spite of the man’s challenge to the various onlookers, Akari made no direct move to confront the ruffian, instead glancing briefly over at Sora before looking to a nearby shopkeeper. “Please go and alert the guards. My friend and I can handle things if he keeps this up, but we need the authorities here as quickly as possible to arrest him or to take our testimonies if he decides to flee,” she said, pausing to set what groceries she may have had down before turning back to face the thug.

RP:

Spoiler

Full Defense.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

"O-Oh, y... yes! I'll uh... I'll go right away!" said the shopkeeper that Akari addressed, who successfully fought the temptation to take a return glance over at the brutish man while trying their best to hurry away from the scene, intent to avoid as much trouble as possible. It appeared to be a common sentiment among the vendors, as the rough man had resorted to mean-mugging anyone so much as giving him a second look. "The fuck are you gawkin' at, ah?! What are you gonna do, huh?" With his dirty, crudely shaven face twisted in anger, he feinted a lunge at some of the other villagers around him, causing them to scatter. His clothes were largely made from animal hides and such, giving the impression of a bandit hardened by the wilderness rather than one used to the more organized social structures of Honrainese city life.

Naturally, the targets of his aggressive intentions came to be none other than Akari and Sora, who happened to be standing nearby, and were the last who didn't immediately shy away from the large man's belligerent rampage. While threats and intimidation might have worked in causing most common folk to back down and bend to the thug's will, the two students of the Red Phoenix Dojo were anything but that. Sora in particular had a concerned expression upon his face, naturally, but he was not one to rush fights. Perhaps if he had been one of the more impulsive members of the school, like Take, then he would be upon the brute in an instant. But he wasn't, and instead, he chose to respond to the man in his calmest voice.

"What might be the problem here?" asked the blue-haired prodigy with a polite tone, one that seemed less forced than it really was.

"There is no problem," the ruffian spat back while chewing upon the food he had just stolen, causing saliva-coated bits to spew out in front of him onto the ground. Sora took a step back, so as to avoid the projectiles. "Just look at all of you. You fuckin' weaklings, just turning your heads in the other direction like that. If somebody takes somethin' from you, then fight back! Get pissed! Isn't that how it works in nature? That's why I hate cities like these... just systems made to pamper the lot of you goddamn pansies. Blindly following your silly, useless laws."

Sora's brow furrowed just slightly, but he made no move to physically antagonize the man just yet.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari frowned as the man opted to continued his belligerent rampage, shouting and tossing threats and intimidating glares and gestures at the other venders and citizens in the district, with most all of them eventually moving themselves away from the brute so as to avoid any further confrontation with him. A sentiment that seemed to only annoy the ruffian more, as if all he wanted was a fight, though that was something he would go without as long as he didn’t make a move first. Violence should always be the last resort and only done so in self-defense, after all – a philosophy the dojo-master’s daughter had grown up believing.

The green-haired girl listened then as Sora addressed him, trying to get to the bottom of whatever issue the man had. When he was done talking, Akari felt a bit surprised and confused by the man’s answer. While the brute’s words matched his rough appearance – possibly a career criminal or bandit, but certainly someone whom was hardened by life in the wilderness and away from society, it was still odd to hear such disdain for something as simple as basic civility. “Then why are you here?” Akari asked, her brow furrowed in disapproval. “Why are you here if you dislike cities so much and think so little of its laws? To cause trouble for those of us who do respect and abide by those laws? Everyone was simply going on about their business and enjoying a nice, peaceful day until you decided to disrupt that peace,” she continued, her tone of voice remaining leveled but giving off a clear sense of disgust for the man and his crude and vulgar behavior.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

"Heh... ya don't know? Word around the area is that there's a buncha dojo breakers makin' the rounds in this town, weeding out all'a the weakling schools. Not that it's any o' my concern," explained the wildman.

"But some o' the locals are pretty damn sick of it, or so this one farmer told me. Somethin' about... culture destruction, or some shit. Point is, the mistress o' the Pink Lotus is giving away a week's worth o' visits to that brothel for anyone who can stop those guys from bustin' up all o' the town's schools. So, y'know... heh heh..." He made no attempt to hide a lecherous smirk with the implication of desiring such a reward. If Akari were to consider the brutish individual's point of view, she would find that it did make some amount of sense--after all, the courtesans in that establishment were practically world-class. A man such as the one that stood before her now, uncivilized as he was, rough of features, and certainly not attractive by any means, was probably only used to having his way by force. The opportunity to spend a few nights with some of Honrai's finest women for sale was far too tempting to pass up, especially for someone who probably lacked the proper funding otherwise.

"I'm just sayin', a man like me has needs, too. Can't blame me for that--it's natural. You're a man, you know what I'm talkin' about, right?" He turned his attention to Sora, who remained stoic at the ruffian's suggestive tone, for the most part. Seeing that he wasn't about to get any support from the shorter fellow, the wanderer looked back to Akari.

"Anyway... lemme guess, you want me to pay? Hah! I don't even GOT money with which to buy these. I'd hunt for myself, but the lot of you city folk are too busy keeping your animals safely stowed away and claimin' property on 'em that I can't make sense of what's what, so I just been more and more hungry over the past couple hours. And when I get hungry, I get pissy! But... now that there's some food in my stomach... hrrmm. If you're so damn insistent, I'll pay this fool back with some o' the reward money I'll end up gettin' from takin' the dojo breakers out."

Sora finally spoke up. "That would be fair. While some of your sentiments are... understandable, it would be best to adapt to our customs while you are in a society like this one. After all, is that not a characteristic of the strong? The truly weak are the ones who can't change to fit in their environment, aren't they?"

"Uhhh... what? I, err... I suppose..." replied the man with a somewhat confused look, no doubt puzzled by the blue-haired one's relative calmness.

"Then if you could assist this shopkeeper by setting his cart back up, I'm positive that would set things back in the right direction. I'm sure it would avoid any unnecessary trouble, as you seem to have bigger goals in mind outside of dealing with the hassle of constables, after all."

The crudely dressed man gave a blank stare at first, unable to make a proper retort to Sora's suggestion, and proceeded to pick up the fallen buns, tilting the cart right side up, and piling them back on top. Provided, the snacks were still covered in dirt, and the clerk still upset by this, albeit too afraid to say anything about it. Nonetheless, the ruffian looked quite pleased with himself afterwards. "See?! Good as new." He stuffed the rest of the bun he had been eating into his mouth, licking his chops afterwards, and without further ado, headed down the road, as if to continue on his way.

Sora shot Akari a sideways glance, shrugging his shoulders slightly. Still, the heiress had the option of stopping him, though the prodigy seemed content on leaving it so that the unkempt man caused no further damage. "Well, he's not causing anymore trouble per se..."

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari held her expression as the man spoke, although her attention perked up at the mention of the rumored dojo breakers and the apparent bounty on them being offered by the mistress of the Pink Lotus. For her part, she didn’t quite know what to think about this particular revelation. It certainly confirmed the rumors of their existence – it wouldn’t make sense for there to have been a bounty put on something that didn’t even exist, but the fact that it was being offered by the mistress of the Pink Lotus wasn’t something she had expected to hear. The head of the establishment that Akari – as well as the masters of the other dojo’s – disapproved of the most was doing what she could to try and protect the very thing that the dojo heiress cared about the most... The green-haired girl couldn’t help but think that there were likely ‘less-than-honorable’ reasons behind her doing so...but still...

She was drawn out of her little thought-bubble as the man continued to speak and ultimately offered to pay back the merchant for the damage he had caused with the reward money for stopping the dojo breakers – assuming there was any actual reward ‘money’. Even so, the brutish man’s sudden relative calmness left Akari pleasantly surprised, and she nodded briefly in agreement with Sora’s words and then again in approval as the man moved to right the merchant cart that he had knocked over. The buns that had fallen were still pretty much ruined, of course, but the helpful gesture he had finished on was far from how Akari expected the encounter to go when things had first started.

Given the circumstances, the dojo heiress wasn’t quite sure what to do as the man stuffed the rest of his stolen bun into his mouth and turned to leave, causing her to return Sora’s sideways glance with one of uncertainty. The man had tried, in his own way, to make up for the damage he had done and had offered to repay the merchant with the reward from what would ultimately be a good deed on his part if he managed to stop the dojo breakers, but it didn’t feel right to just let him leave... They had defused the situation and stopped it from escalating, though, and once the guards arrived they could give their account and let the proper authorities deal with things from there, so perhaps that was enough.

“Are you alright?” Akari finally said softly as she turned back towards the accosted bun merchant, pausing a moment and mentally going through her grocery list to see if there was extra money she could spare to try and help the merchant any.

RP:

Spoiler

Have Akari mentally double-check her shopping list and, if there’s anything she could go without buying or if she would have any extra money left over after making her purchases, have her give the extra money to the merchant. If not, she won’t make any further mention of it. (I’ll let you make that determination, so there’s no need to have an extra post with an actual shopping list where I pick what not to buy or anything like that.)

Also, sorry for the delay.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

"Ah, yes... I'm fine. Thanks to you, miss," said the diminutive vendor meekly, somewhat crestfallen but certainly not ungrateful for the girl's kind gesture and sentiment. He tried his best to form a smile. "Really, the buns can be replaced... but I'm just glad to be unharmed. I really thought he was going to hurt me! He isn't the only ruffian that has passed through the town as of late. It seems like more are coming, even warriors from neighboring provinces and bandits from the mountains. I didn't know about the Pink Lotus having put up a bounty, either, but if it's really that much money, it makes sense, I think. I know that the Mistress is rubbing elbows with all of the city officials, so that might have something to do with it. But to have such a place actually contributing to our city like that... it's kinda odd to think about, isn't it?"

Sora nodded. "It is. Things aren't always as they seem, though. I'm sure there's more to it than just that, but hopefully the problem can be resolved before things get too hectic. At any rate, it's not much, but take this..." He reached into his pocket to produce some spare change, but was stopped by the shopkeeper himself before he could actually make the donation.

"No, no, no. Don't worry about it. I can't possibly accept such a thing, especially not from someone who is not indebted to me to begin with! You two have helped me enough--if anything, I owe you. But... if you DO want to help, then just ah, come buy from me sometime later, okay? And if you like the buns, then tell your friends, maybe." He released an awkward chuckle after having made his shameless plug, but added nothing more to it, outside of giving his thanks once again. In Honrainese culture, it wasn't uncommon to give thanks or apologize more than once--it was actually the norm, and certainly not seen as troublesome by most. When they left the marketplace, the pair earned themselves quite a few admiring gazes and subtle compliments from the general public. It was understandable, too; both Akari and Sora were respectable examples of martial artists, carried themselves well, and at the end of the day, had properly deescalated a situation without resorting to violence first. It just so happened that some of these comments, which Akari overheard, referred to them as a 'couple'.

With that, the rest of Akari's grocery shopping concluded somewhat uneventfully. Before long, the two found themselves on the way back to the dojo--with Sora doing the heavy lifting, of course. He followed her into the kitchen, where they could separate the various ingredients that were purchased and prepare them for cooking. Akari's mother, Midori, was there waiting for them. While quite the stunning beauty, even for her age, the green-haired woman, once a chef of great renown, was known for being quite strict, especially towards her own daughter. Her constantly high expectations put some strain on their relationship, and quarrels were made more often than not over such minute things like Akari's appearance or the way she 'carried herself'. Still, it wasn't as if she didn't care for or love her daughter dearly; just that if anyone was easier for the dojo's heiress to talk to, it had to be her father.

"Good timing, Akari, Sora. I trust that the ingredients you chose are still fresh?" She wasted no time in inspecting the various goods they brought back, looking each over with careful scrutiny for quality and the like. "Hmm... could be better. But they'll suffice, as well," commented Midori in a flat tone as she went to work in preparing tonight's meal. She then gave Sora a knowing look and a faint smile before moving on. "Oh, and thank you for helping Akari with the groceries, Sora. It's so nice to have a helpful young man like yourself around."

Naturally, the prodigy couldn't help but respond with a nod of acknowledgement and a smile, one that was slightly more awkward than his usual smooth manner. "Don't mention it, ma'am," he replied politely. "Anything to help the family, and, the dojo, which I consider my family as well, after all that everyone here has done for me."

"My, how modest," said Midori with a giggle. "So, when are you going to marry my daughter then?" she asked boldly with almost no delay, giving Sora little opportunity to prepare himself for such a heavy joke. "With a strong and handsome lad like you to carry on the dojo's name, perhaps Akari will be more inclined to leave such a violent trade and... settle down a bit. I'm sure that if she really puts her mind to it, she'll eventually be able to prepare meals more delicious than my own, maintain the house like a good woman should, and of course, keep your bed warm at night," she teased.

Sora's face turned beet red, and he lost his usual cool thanks to the older woman's relentless nature in her verbal testing. "A-Ah, uhhm... well, I..." Swallowing hard, he soon regained his composure despite the glitch. "I'd gladly carry on the dojo's name, if Akari weren't so talented to the point where she manages to best nearly all of her classmates, me included, in sparring, aheh..."

His answer managed to pacify the accomplished cook, a feat that hadn't quite been achieved as easily by the other members of the dojo. "Oh, you are quite good. I say you should keep this one, Akari. At any rate, would you care to stay for dinner? Provided my daughter doesn't mind..." She turned an eye to Akari.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari smiled kindly when the merchant confirmed that he was okay, although she could tell that his smile was still a bit force. Understandable, considering what had just happened. She listened, then, as he went on to explain the apparently increased level of ‘ruffians’ in the city as of late, which seemed to immediately link back to the Pink Lotus and the bounty that it had put up on the dojo breakers. The green-haired girl simply nodded in agreement with the merchant’s and Sora’s thoughts concerning the relative strangeness of the prestigious brothel’s apparent efforts to contribute in such a way to the city in such a way, as they mirrored her own thoughts from a few minutes ago.

When the merchant refused Sora’s offer to help compensate him for his lost buns, Akari opened her mouth to insist and offer something to help as well, but she stopped herself as he repeatedly insisted that they did now owe him anything. “Very well, then. I certainly will,” she said then in reply to his purchasing from him in the future. She then bowed her head and smiled softly in acceptance of his thanks again before moving on and finishing her shopping with Sora, her cheeks blushing modestly at the admiring gazes and compliments they received from the general public as they left the marketplace, and doing her best not to blush more at the few comments she’d overheard referring to the pair as a couple.

From there, the trip back to the dojo fortunately remained uneventful, and when they arrived the two rivals made their way into the kitchen to begin unpacking and separating the various ingredients to prepare for cooking. Akari’s mother, who was waiting for them in the kitchen when they arrived, wasted no time in inspecting and scrutinizing the quality of the various goods. “They are, Mother,” Akari said pleasantly, confirming the freshness of the ingredients they’d chosen...before rolling her eyes slightly at her mother’s comment that they could have been better, already used to her high standards for food what with her history as a renowned chef.

Akari then smiled kindly as her mother thanked Sora for his help with the groceries, giving him a brief nod to signify her own thanks once again, a smile that persisted as the blue-haired boy delivered his polite, heartfelt reply.

That smile quickly dropped from the dojo heiress’s face as her mother proceeded to ask Sora when he was going to marry her, however. “Mother...” Akari said, groaning slightly and rolling her eyes as Midori proceeded to recite the speech that the green-haired girl had heard time and time again over the years, about her quitting martial arts, settling down, and learning how to cook and maintain the house like a proper woman should. What she didn’t expect, however, was the sudden addition of her keeping his bed...Sora’s bed...warm at night... “MOTHER!?!” she shouted, abruptly turning to face her mother with a look of utter shock and embarrassment on her face, and her cheeks bright red as she glancing briefly at Sora before looking back to her mother, still shocked by what the woman had actually said.

Fortunately, Sora had managed to compose himself fairly quickly and give an answer that seemed to satisfy Midori. Akari had calmed down a bit herself as well after a few more seconds, although her mother’s comment that Sora was one she should keep earned the woman an unamused glare from her daughter, though Akari blushed slightly again as her mother offered for Sora to stay for dinner...provided she didn’t mind. “O-Of course I don’t mind... It would be rude not to offer...” she replied, pausing a moment as she briefly glanced at Sora and waited for his reply, the light blush on her cheeks perhaps suggesting that she wouldn’t mind if he wanted to stay for dinner, despite the embarrassment her mother had caused her.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

"Pardon me for intruding, then," said Sora with a bow of his head. The statement wasn't so much a mark of insecurity as it was a very formal and polite way of accepting an invitation in Honrai. This was common in a culture full of very subtle nuances and roundabout ways of saying things. As such, even the most confident citizens were familiar with such a way of acting; to not conform to it every time, particularly in settings like these, was considered rude. Sora was anything but that, which Akari's mother seemed to have no shortage of appreciation for.

"Wonderful!" replied Midori with an almost out-of-place brightness to her tone. "Now, Akari and I have some dinner to prepare, so please, feel free to relax in the other room while waiting."

"I can assist, if you wish..."

"Don't you worry--we'll be fine. You are our guest, after all." Midori gave him a certain look, and Sora seemed to understand what it meant; that the mother wanted just a bit of time alone with her daughter.

"If you insist, ma'am. I'll see that the Master isn't overburdened with any tasks, then." With that, the youth left the kitchen, seeking Hayato in order to assist with whatever the old man might be doing.

"Such a good boy," commented Midori. "Almost reminds me of your father when he was about your age. Now, why don't you help me with these?" She then had Akari help in chopping up some of the vegetables while she made sure that the meat went first into a large wok. Of course, this was just one of the many dishes they'd have available by the time everyone was ready to eat. The green-haired woman's hands moved on their own, with all of the skill required in just about any of the cooking process being second nature to her. This contrasted sharply to that of Midori's food preparation skills, which, while perhaps average by most standards, were far from on par in her mother's eyes.

"Oh, don't act so surprised about the bedwarming comment. I was serious, you know; it's not as if I'm ignorant to these things. Especially at your age," said Midori once they were alone, almost scolding in her tone. "It's something you'll do as a woman to her husband, whether you care to admit it or not. As with all -proper- women of Koan, which of course excludes those awful girls in the brothels. You'd be quite ungrateful to pass up a man such as him. Even to have the very choice in this country as to whom you'll marry is quite a luxury, I'd say--you're lucky your father is so lenient on that end. Had he not been, we'd likely have little choice but to marry you off to the heir of some other dojo by now. But, we're making it, somehow..." A trace of melancholy was evident in her voice as she trailed off.

It wasn't without good reason, as reputation often came with income, and both were relatively low in their household as of late; lower than it should be, and Akari knew it. While Hayato also had a side job in acupuncture, few wanted to be treated by someone liable to freeze up every now and then. Even the frequency of his spells was often exaggerated in the talk around town, much to the family's detriment. Still, he was a respectable man, viewed as merely an unfortunate case and little more. A victim, as many would say. But Akari's father did not, and would not, share that point of view. To accept this would be to just give up, in his eyes, and he was simply incapable of doing such. Thanks to his efforts, the dojo did enjoy a small resurgence, but there was still quite a bit to be done, both financially and otherwise.

By the time they finished, a generous meal, composed of no less than six different dishes, was ready to be served, and Midori had her daughter assist her in carrying it to the dining room, where Hayato and Sora joined them. Of course, the prodigy and master got along well enough. Both could easily socialize with just about anyone in the dojo without much difficulty, after all.

Akari's father took his seat at the table. Sora soon followed suit, though his eyes widened at the impressive display. "Wow, this looks absolutely delicious! I've never had the pleasure of trying your cuisine, ma'am, but I've heard it's amazing."

"No need to compliment me like that," replied Midori. "It's actually been quite a few years since I've cooked for anyone outside of my family, so don't expect too much of it all," added the chef with feigned modesty. "But if it's enough for you, then I'll be quite happy."

Once they started eating, Akari and Sora found the food delicious; noodles, dumplings, rice, meat and vegetables arranged and prepared in various ways. Of course, Akari was used to this by now, but she could tell that her mother pulled out all of the stops to impress Sora.

"This is so good," said the prodigy. His face told everything that needed to be said about the food though; that it was damn good.

"I'm glad you think so highly of my cooking. Now, wouldn't it be nice to have something like that every day?" teased Midori. "If only Akari bothered to learn from me... such a waste, isn't it? After all, I won't be around forever..." Apparently, she wasn't beyond guilt tripping to have her way. It was a bold move in front of their current guest, at least by Honrainese standards, but this constant nagging of sorts was just part of the woman's nature, for as long as Akari had ever known.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari nodded briefly at Sora’s respectful acceptance of the offer to stay for dinner and gave him an appreciative smile at his own offer to assist with the food preparation, even though she knew her mother would never allow it due to her wanting to be alone with her so she could continue her lecturing while they prepared the meal. As Akari went about chopping some of the vegetables for one of several dishes that Midori would be preparing, she glanced over every once in a while as her mother worked, having honestly always been impressed at just how quickly and effortlessly her mother’s hands moved as she handled the various ingredients, which she knew came from years of practice and expertise. Akari herself was no slouch, the martial artist’s own skills in this area were still far from par in her mother’s eyes.

When Midori’s inevitable lecturing began, Akari could do little more than sigh at first, already knowing that it was coming, though she still had trouble fighting back a blush at her mother’s reinforcement of her bed-warming comments. “I...I’m aware of that, Mother. I just...it’s very embarrassing and inappropriate for you to actual say such a thing in front of Sora. Especially since we...” Akari said, catching herself as she was about to mention that the two of them were planning to attend the Lunar Festival together, but stopped herself. She paused a moment and sighed again before refocusing on the food she was preparing. “...Nevermind. Let’s just focus on preparing dinner,” she said as she resumed chopping the vegetables, despite knowing that this wouldn’t end of her and her mother’s conversation. In truth, the green-haired girl did feel bad about the situation that her family and the dojo had been left in due to her father’s condition, but that was why she had always tried so hard to earn her place as the heir to her father’s dojo, to make right the wrong that was done to him and restore it’s name...she just wished her mother could see that as well...

Once the meal was finished, Akari and her mother carried the various dishes out into the dining room where they all soon sat down and began enjoying the meal, with Sora making his admiration for both the presentation and taste of Midori’s famous food known. Akari was more used to her mother’s wonderful cooking, of course, but even she could tell that her mother had put a little extra into tonight’s meal in an effort to impress Sora, which – given the blue-haired boy’s praise – she had clearly accomplished. His words also served as an excuse for Midori to press her nagging argument about her daughter’s role again, although it gave Akari an opportunity to speak as well.

“I must say, Sora is right, though, Mother,” Akari replied honestly. “This food is delicious, even more so than usual. It’s a shame you’re not still cooking as a professional chef anymore. I’m sure people would line up down the street for a taste of meals as good as this,” she said, pausing for a moment before taking another delectable bite from her plate. While the green-haired girl meant every word of her praise, perhaps only her mother would be able to recognize the hidden meaning behind her actually giving it and the exact words she’d used doing so.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

"Oh, I'm sure he knows I'm just teasing as well," said Midori while the two were in the kitchen, brushing off the comment as if it were the most trivial thing. She didn't say anything in response to the sentence that Akari herself cut off midway, but instead flashed a knowing smirk while keeping her attention fixed on the food, continuing with her skilled work.

~~~~~​

"Yes, it's really a surprise that you aren't still preparing such delicious meals for the people of Koan," Sora said in agreement. This addition did its part in backing up Akari's original intent to get underneath her mother's skin, and Midori's eyebrow twitched for just a second, though a noticeable one nonetheless. The woman managed to keep her smile either way, but the damage was done--Akari knew that her comeback hadn't gone completely ignored.

"Mm, well, thank you. But that would certainly depend on your father, Akari..." she trailed off, releasing a subtle huff.

"Oh, I am just blessed to have a family as good as this one," remarked Hayato. "Your mother took a hiatus in order to better care for me, originally. But now that I am doing, ah, somewhat better, I would have no objections if she were to pursue her original passion. If anything, I'd encourage it."

Midori frowned a little at this. "But dear, are you sure? If I were to be absent and you were to have another severe attack while walking or training, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself..."

"If it's just during the daytime, I can manage," explained the master. "Naturally, my students will be there to catch me, if I were to fall."

"Of course," said Sora reassuringly. "Any one of us would gladly put our lives on the line for you, Master."

Akari's mother couldn't help but release something of a sigh, conceding the point. "I can do it, then, so long as you stay safe while I am working." The daughter had won this round, although knowing her mother, this victory would not mean the end of any future arguments as well.

Clearly uncomfortable with the topic at hand, Midori opted to change it, as there was little point in dwelling over it, or so she thought. "Oh, which reminds me, the Second Lunar Festival is tomorrow night. Are you coming with us?"

"Actually, I... asked Akari if she would go with me, and so we are..."

The master dropped his chopsticks upon hearing the youth's bold claim, freezing in place for a few seconds before retrieving them. Whether it was his own reaction or a very brief episode of his condition was difficult to discern, however.

After her initial look of concern towards her husband, Midori simply giggled. "Oh? Well, isn't that lovely? Do take care of Akari, won't you? It'll be a first for her, that is, attending the event as one half of a couple. But it's about time, I would say! Isn't that right, dear?"

Hayato cleared his throat before responding. "Ahem... ah, yes. Do be careful, though." While the master had been most amused by a different attempt by the less talented and graceful Souta earlier in the day, the notion of Akari going with Sora alone to a festival known for attracting many of Koan's loving couples, many of which would undoubtedly find secluded corners in which to consummate their love, left him looking slightly uncomfortable, and understandably so. After all, Akari was not the type to bring home many boys, if any. And while the dojo's prodigy was on very good terms with its master, the proud father's thought of giving his daughter 'away' just now, after all this time, proved mildly unsettling to a degree that even he did not foresee. Perhaps it would have been less so, had Sora been just another boy on the list. But he wasn't, or so it seemed.

~~~~~​

Before long, dinner concluded, and naturally Sora offered to help with the dishes, to which Midori would wave him off dismissively. "No, no. I will take care of it."

"I should be going, then," replied the youth with a respective bow to both of his elders. Hayato simply nodded at this.

"Go see him off then, Akari?" recommended Midori as she collected the empty dishes to bring into the kitchen.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari grinned inwardly at the subtle reaction that her comment and Sora’s support garnered from her mother, but gave no visible sign of her moment of satisfaction as she continued to take bites of food from her plate. She was a bit surprised at just how far the point had carried as her father chimed in with his own support of Midori resuming her pursuit of her passion for cooking, however, with Akari’s simple comment resulting in her mother seemingly deciding that she would indeed be getting back into cooking professionally, at least to some extent. Either way, the green-haired girl knew that her small ‘victory’ wouldn’t be the end of her and her mother’s differing opinions on the kind of future that she should pursue, but it was nice to know that she had at least some support in her general way of thinking.

When the question then came of whether or not she would be going to the Lunar Festival with her parents again this year, Akari thought for a moment and was about to respond when Sora beat her to it, explaining that he had asked the young heiress to go with him alluding to the fact that she had agreed. Akari simply smiled softly and nodded her acknowledgment after her father’s apparent minor episode, blushing slightly as she elaborated. “Yes. Sora asked me after training today if I would go to the festival with him, and I thought it might be fun to go with someone else for a change,” she said, pausing as her mother and father gave their respective replies before continuing herself. “Of course, I will, Father,” she replied with a nod. “I was actually going to ask you tonight if you would be okay with it since we usually go as a family, so I’m glad to hear that you’re both okay with it,” Akari finished, passing a brief glance at Sora before returning to her meal.

Once dinner was over and Sora said his goodbye, Akari nodded at her mother’s request for her to see him off and followed the blue-haired boy to the door, waiting until they were outside before speaking up. “I apologize for my mother. She’s usually not...quite so...direct with her language... Even when she’s joking...” Akari said, blushing and looking off to the side as the thought of what Midori had said about her warming Sora’s bed flashed through her mind again. “A-Anyway, thank you again for your help with the groceries today. And I’m glad you enjoyed dinner,” she continued, pushing her embarrassment aside and briefly bowing her read respectfully. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then, I guess,” she concluded, giving Sora her final goodbyes as he took his leave.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

Midori made a dismissive wave to Akari's request for her approval at the dinner table. "Oh, don't you worry about it, dear. Do enjoy yourselves now! You only have so many opportunities like these in your lifetime, and before long you'll be an old woman like me. So by all means, have fun."

Rather quiet about the topic, Hayato simply nodded his head and finished the rest of his food.

~~~~~​

At the gate, which separated the front courtyard and Akari's home from the rest of Koan, Sora looked around and gave her a smile. "It's okay, really! It was my first time staying for dinner, after all, and I'm sure she was just looking to test me. My mother is the same way, more or less," said the prodigy. It was hard to imagine that anyone else could be quite like Midori, but given the youth's reassuring tone, he was probably trying his best to ease her embarrassment. If his words didn't succeed in this attempt, his kind expression would likely help, as he was considerably easy on the eyes of most. "Don't worry, Akari--I enjoyed it more than any meal I've had in a good while. Your family has a good way of making me feel right at home, so. I don't doubt that tomorrow night's dinner should be just as enjoyable." Of course, it was no secret that he was referring to the Lunar Festival that was planned for the following evening. "Goodnight then, Akari. See you in the morning," giving her a wave and a smile before heading off.

She might not have noticed it before, but it was rather cold outside by the time she headed back inside. Akari's father had gone to meditate, and her mother had begun work on cleaning the dishes. From here she was free to head to bed, if she so wished, or spend her time however she wanted.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

“Goodnight, Sora,” Akari replied, nodding her head politely and watching him leave for a moment before turning and heading back towards her house, rubbing her arm absentmindedly as she went due to the chill in the air that had set in, although only actually noticing the cold once she had made her way back inside. ‘I hope doesn’t get too cold on his way home...’ she thought to herself unconsciously as she moved through the house, taking her time and properly wishing both her mother and father goodnight as well before making her way to her room to change clothes and prepare for bed.

After laying one of her plain, light-blue nighties out across her bed, Akari slipped out of her dress and draped it over her arm before she was suddenly reminded of the mark that Sora had made on her bottom during training, causing her to blush lightly again as she peaked down at her backside to see whether or not the hand mark had faded yet...and hoping greatly that her mother hadn’t noticed it if it had been there all evening. In any case, whether the offending mark was still present or not, the green-haired girl would give out a soft sigh before taking her clothes over to her hamper and placing them inside, and then making her way back over to her bed and slipping into her hip-length nighty and then into bed, lying on her side and pulling the covers snugly up over her shoulder and closing her eyes.

As she lied there for several minutes and waited for sleep to come, however, she couldn’t quite get the thought of Sora walking home in the chilly night air out of her head, although that was mostly due to the suggestive comments that Midori had made earlier, causing brief thoughts of her literally ‘warming’ the blue-haired boy’s bed to keep flashing through her mind every couple of minutes or so as well. Struggling to get to sleep, Akari shifted slightly under her sheets as her hand drifted down to rest on her backside and she began to absentmindedly stroke and rub the spot where Sora had spanked her, causing her to shiver slightly at the sudden thought of feeling his hand there again, and before she knew it her hand was sliding down the rest of the way over the back of her thigh, with her fingers slipping between her legs. “Mmh...” she whimpered softly as she lightly pressed a finger against her panties and began to gently rub it along her slit through the slowly dampening fabric. “N-Nnh... Ah... S-Sora...” the green-haired girl muttered, her body beginning to tingle under her own touch for a moment before she suddenly opened her eyes and froze, as if suddenly realizing what she was doing.

It certainly wasn’t the first time that the dojo heiress had touched herself in such a way over the years, and it wouldn’t have even been the first time that she had done so to the occasional thought of Sora or one of the other dojo students – as rare as those particular instances were. Something about it felt different to Akari somehow, though. Perhaps it was because she and Sora were actually going on a date to the Lunar Festival tomorrow evening, or maybe it was her due to her mother’s teasing or the conflicting ideals that they each held, she didn’t know. Whatever the case may be, the green-haired girl somewhat reluctantly pulled her hand back out from between her legs and wiped the trace of dampness on her fingers off on the back of her panties before shifting and getting comfortable again beneath her sheets, closing her eyes and forcing herself to try and get to sleep.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 70, PP = 30, EP = 30, Status = Fine

Sleep came slower to Akari than usual that night, for a number of fairly obvious reasons. Her body needed a short while to recover from the sexual stimulation she unwittingly placed upon it, but on top of that, it was also terribly chilly, even with the covers. It was quiet, unnervingly so, and while crickets normally provided an idle backdrop for the girl to fall asleep by, they didn't seem to be out that evening. After what felt like at least an hour or two of waiting, Akari did finally fall asleep, with the sheets wrapped tightly around her at least twice.

~~~~~​

The heiress woke up with the same cold sensation nipping at her skin. This made it difficult for her to stay in bed even just a little longer, no matter how much the temptation to might have pulled at her. It appeared that even nature was pushing her to rise today, but such was the life of a martial artist. There was no opportunity to be lax with oneself, to take it easy, to be lazy. Day in and day out, the discipline to rise where many would fall would be forced upon her. Midori was still asleep, though Akari was sure she'd be awake in just another hour or two, knowing her mother. Hayato, in contrast, had risen by now, but was doing his meditations on the back porch, leaving the daughter to go about her morning activities uninterrupted.

In contrast to the day before, the sun had proved slower to emerge this morning, leaving a dull blue tint upon the dojo courtyard. It would leave something of an oddly depressing feeling, if Akari were the type to allow herself to be affected by the weather easily, but all in all, it was rather peaceful. Even if she chose to take her time with breakfast and her other daily traditions, she still had over fifteen minutes to do her warm-ups before the first student, often Sora, would come in for the day. But even with the extra time, the martial artist wouldn't be able to use them all, as someone appeared to arrive much earlier than normal. A knock came at the front gate, the one that separated the courtyard from the street--odd, considering the students usually just opened it and walked in, so this person was clearly not someone used to the way things worked in the Red Phoenix Dojo.

Upon answering the door, Akari would have to look up to behold the face of the newcomer before her, a lightly tanned gentleman with short, spiky jet-black hair, standing just short of six feet, dressed in a tanktop and baggy dark blue pants. He was without a doubt a foreigner, given his facial features, and was possessed of an impressive physical build, with well-defined muscles. Still, the slight smile that he carried was more of a friendly one than an intimidating one, and while the girl could tell that he was strong, he seemed to lack the air of hostility that most common thugs off the street had about them when going in to make a challenge. While he spoke Honrainese quite well, he did have a noticeable accent that was difficult for Akari to identify.

"Good morning. Sorry for coming here so early. Is this the Red Phoenix Dojo? And would its master be available?" He looked past the heiress just briefly, surveying the courtyard rather quickly before allowing his eyes to settle back on her face and awaiting her answer.

Spoiler

Akari has 6 EXP that she may now spend as you wish.

Also, kind of a reference as to what the 'front gate' more or less looks like:

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

OOC:

Spoiler

Spent the available 6 exp. on her Body stat, and added the Grapple Expert Talent and a Fetish Flaw as per Shoutbox talks.

Akari awoke the next morning feeling chilly and noticeably more groggy that usual, although that didn’t come as any particular surprise to her given the trouble that she’d had getting to sleep the night before due to the cold and unusually quiet night air. Even so, the green-haired girl had never been one for lazing about in bed, her nearly life-long training in discipline and martial arts not allowing her to do so. As such, after untangling herself from her covers, she forced herself to rise and quickly moved to retrieve a pair of soft light-blue cloth pants and a pair of socks and slipped them on, the early morning chill nipping at her bare legs and feet helping to hasten her a bit in that process.

After that, Akari went about her morning routine as usual before grabbing something simple to eat for breakfast and taking a seat in the living room for some light reading to help focus and exercise her mind. However, she again found herself having trouble focusing her thoughts with the conversations from around dinner the night before still nagging at the back of her mind. She managed to suppress her restless thoughts well enough, though, and before long it was time to begin her preparations for the day’s training session, changing into a clean set of her training garb before making her way out into the courtyard to begin her usual warm-ups. The dojo heiress had barely managed to get started when a knock came at the front gate, unusual considering that the other students knew that they could – and normally did – just open the gate and come inside whenever they arrived.

As she went to answer the door, the thought occurred to her then that it might be Souta arriving early like she had asked him to as a way to make up for his tardiness the previous day, so when the green-haired girl opened the gate and found herself having to look up slightly to meet the face of a tall, muscular, and clearly foreign man waiting on the other side, she was certainly surprised. “Oh, good morning, sir. Yes, this is the Red Phoenix Dojo,” Akari replied, giving a customary bow. “Please, come in. If you’ll wait just a moment my father will be with you shortly,” she said, stepping aside to allow him entry if he so chose, or he could wait outside the gate if he preferred. Either way, Akari would turn and walk steadily back to the house to retrieve her father, the dojo’s master, and following him back out into the courtyard.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine
(Character sheet adjusted)

Nodding his head, the foreigner took Akari's invitation to come in at face value, following her into the courtyard. That was about as far as he went, however, and he proceeded to wait there patiently for the master's arrival.

Hayato would be found sitting on the back porch, right where she remembered him, exhibiting a delayed reaction when roused by his daughter. Whether it was his momentary paralysis or him simply being in the 'zone' would be difficult for anyone else to tell, but Akari knew her family well, and based on this pause being a somewhat regular thing when breaking free from his meditations, she could guess it to be the latter. The aged master stood up before long, turned to acknowledge Akari, and made the move towards the courtyard. "Interesting for a visitor to be here this early," he mused aloud, his expression shifting just slightly upon spotting the newcomer. "Welcome. How may I help you?"

"Hello. I am Vitto, of the Cendio family. This is... quite a nice dojo," said the young man, taking a look around to admire the immediate scenery. "You are the master?"

"Thank you. Yes, my name is Hayato. I imagine you've some business to discuss."

Vitto nodded. "You could say that. It's actually to issue a formal challenge. There are certain traditions in Honrai, I hear, by which one goes about this, but even using them we have not been accepted well by any dojos in Koan. Which is really a shame, since they would do the same between each other, though we have been excluded every time. So we've chosen to simply make a more direct approach as of late. Our offer is the equivalent of 10,000 banknotes to any master who can defeat our representative."

Ten thousand banknotes. If Akari remembered correctly, the amount was somewhere in the range of her family dojo's personal debt; that much money could easily set them upright and then some. Not an easy amount to make by any means, and certainly not for a single fight. Hayato remained stoic, however, despite the potential gains of the deal.

"The goal is to prove the strength of the Cendio Family's martial arts style. If you win, we will pay you, as per a signed contract, and leave. Upon a loss, however... we will share with you the secrets of our techniques, and only ask that you do your part to spread them to anyone who wishes to learn. The special conditions of our matches is that you allow them to be recorded via memory crystal. Our representatives are also restricted from biting, eye gouging, and hair pulling. You are allowed to do so, but as per our personal code, we will not."

Memory crystals, an enchanted item relatively common to those who had the money, were used for recording visual events, usually up to an hour or so. They provided proof for those who needed it, although they had, curiously, rarely been used before in martial arts matches. It only went to show the seriousness by which the Cendios took their craft. "It's not such a terrible deal, is it?"

Akari's father bowed his head. "Unfortunately, I am no longer in any condition to be making nor accepting challenges like these. We must graciously decline your offer. While the spread of knowledge and such is an admirable goal, we are simply not in any position to be taking on trials of skill the way that the other schools have--not at this point, anyway. I apologize."

The main gate could be heard opening, and several students made their way in to class; Souta, Sora, Haru, and Kyo. "Excuse us," said Sora as they shuffled in, as per tradition. It wasn't a statement meant to get attention so much as to politely announce one's presence.

Vitto's smile faded only slightly at the answer, but he remained pleasant nonetheless. "I see... that's unfortunate. Thank you, though, for being understanding--or at least more tolerant than the other schools we have made the offer to. Some of our family members have died for the sake of perfecting our art, and we made the trip here to ensure that their efforts were not in vain. I do have many other trips to make, however, so I won't be disturbing you anymore." Bowing, he turned to leave. "May you have a good day."

"I see--I won't be keeping you then. Enjoy yours as well," said Hayato.

As the muscled youth moved to leave, however, Souta pointed an accusing finger at him, yelling, "Hey! Who is this guy?! Isn't he... a dojo breaker or something?!! What's going on?!"

Sora, characteristic of his usual, collected self, furrowed his brow and exchanged glances with Akari. After all, they did hear about the 'bounty' placed on the group; was an opportunity to possibly earn even more than 10,000 banknotes simply leaving their dojo?

Vitto frowned a little, opening his mouth as if to say something in his own defense, but Hayato covered for him. "Souta. That's enough," he said with a sharp gaze pointed in the reckless youth's direction.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari followed her father back out to the courtyard where the visitor stood waiting and took her place by the dojo master’s side as he addressed the newcomer, listening politely to their conversation. Her interest spiked for a moment at the reveal that the foreigner was here to issue a formal challenge, but her brow furrowing slightly as he went on to explain how much trouble he seemed to be having finding acceptance from the local dojos. When he finally made his offer of ten thousand banknotes to any dojo master that could best them, Akari couldn’t help but widen her eyes slightly in surprise. That much money would be enough for her father to pay off their family’s debts outright and then some, for this man to be making such an offer, and for this Cendio family to have the funds to simply pay it should anyone succeed in their challenge... It spoke volumes of the confidence and pride that they had in their family’s style of martial arts.

Akari had to suppress a slight frown as Vitto outlined what would be expected should her father accept the foreign man’s family’s challenge and lose, however. It essentially meant that their dojo and its teachings – the things that drove the young heiress and that she took so much pride in – would be forfeit, and instead be required to learn and teach this ‘Cendio’ style of martial arts. Could that be what had happened to the other more prestigious dojo’s around Koan? Was this Cendio family the group that was behind these ‘dojo breakers’ that they’d learned about? It made a fair amount of sense, but Akari pushed those thoughts from her mind for the time being. It wasn’t fair to this man or his family to just assume that without any actual proof, especially when he himself had been nothing but polite since his arrival.

Either way, with his offer made it was left to Hayato to respond, who graciously bowed his head and ultimately declined the man’s offer, a decision that didn’t come as any particular surprise to Akari given her father’s condition and the limitations that it forced on him. The gate into the courtyard could be heard opening then, drawing the green-haired girl’s gaze as several of the dojo’s students made there way inside, each of which she greeted with a polite smile and a nod. When Vitto gave his own gracious response and made to take his leave, Akari smiled politely and returned his bow with her own.

Not sharing in her or her father’s respectful demeanor was Souta, however, who promptly stepped in as the foreigner moved to leave and directed an accusatory finger at him, demanding to know what was going on and whether the man was a dojo breaker. Akari frowned slightly at the boy’s rude reaction to what – for all he knew, having just arrived – could have been nothing more than a new student looking to join the dojo. She couldn’t deny that she had her own doubts about the matter, though, so when she saw the look on Sora’s face as he glanced her way she could only return it with her own look of uncertainty.

Before Vitto or any of the students could respond or add to Souta’s offending comments, Hayato spoke up and put an stop to any such discussion before it could begin. “Calm yourself, Souta,” Akari added in support of her father, although less sharply than his own response. “There’s no call to be so rude to a visitor of our dojo. Besides, Mr. Cendio was just leaving,” the green-haired girl said before giving a polite nod to the muscular man. “Please forgive Souta. The rumors of a group of so-called ‘dojo breakers’ going around recently have a few of our students feeling on edge,” Akari explained briefly, stopping there to allow the man to either respond or merely take his leave.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Status:

Spoiler

Akari: HP = 76, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine

"B-But..." Souta started, only to wither in his attempt at a rebuttal, especially after seeing that both Hayato and Akari had no intentions of supporting his stance.

"I see," replied Vitto, though he said nothing more on the subject of dojo breaking. Rather, he made a face that appeared to show that he didn't quite understand the term, as it was a relatively obscure compound word in their dialect. The only thing he did seem to grasp was Souta's hostility and the other students' attempts to neutralize the situation. Still, the well-built member of the Cendio family seemed content to leave it at that. "It is not a problem. Take care, then," he said in farewell before taking his leave.

There was a thorough exchange of looks between the students that were present afterwards, and understandably so.

"Wow, did you see him? He was huge!" exclaimed Haru.

"Certainly not what I'd have expected from a dojo breaker, if he is indeed one of them," remarked Sora thoughtfully. "He actually seems to be considerably more pleasant than some of our rival dojos' representatives, even."

"Perhaps he's scouting the place?" suggested Kyo with narrowed eyes.

"If he was, then I knew we shoulda... done at least something about it," muttered Souta, frowning.

"Let's not be hasty," said Hayato firmly. "Working upon assumptions alone is like attempting to build a palace upon a crumbling foundation; anything you add based on them will also collapse should the bottom give way. Let us focus on our own training for today. Besides, you do remember what day it is, don't you? Hoho..."

Souta and Haru both groaned at the same time, and the entrance of the dojo's other students, nearly all of whom had relatively somber looks, told them what day of the week it was; conditioning day. Not just any conditioning day, but the most grueling one of the already physically challenging regimen. Students were required to do countless numbers of body-weight exercises, such as push-ups, sit-ups, squats, pull-ups, and the like, an obscene amount of running, enduring each other's strikes while in stance, and even carrying each others' bodyweight on their backs as they jumped and sprinted from one place to another, amongst a number of other things. Needless to say, it usually wasn't the favorite of anyone in class, including the more devoted students like Kyo and Sora. Akari knew that, by the end of the day, she would be in severe need of a bath--not that she wouldn't want to take one anyway, knowing that the Lunar Festival was to take place later tonight.

"Good morning, everyone. As you may know, today is conditioning day. Get together with your partners from yesterday. They will be the ones to go through the trials with you," announced the master.

Eiji groaned. If anyone was the first to avoid hard work, it was usually him. "Aww, man... do we HAVE to? I mean, I'm still kinda sore from the other day, and that was sparring. Jiro went kinda hard on me." He rubbed his opposite shoulder with one arm, as if to demonstrate that his body was still aching, just as he claimed.

"That we do," replied Hayato with a smile. "But I hope you understand by now as to why it is we do this. Truly understanding the way of the Red Phoenix Style lies within this type of training. This conditioning, harsh as it is, is my greatest gift to you in terms of helping you understand the essence of our way. We are not known to be the most technical school, nor the quickest, or the strongest. Focusing on certain types of strikes, throws and the like... none of those are trademarks of our dojo; instead, we merely have a little of everything, an eclectic style developed from older forms. The one thing that we do have, that sets us apart from the others, however, is an indomitable spirit that refuses to be extinguished. The purpose of this training is not so much to test your body as it is to test your heart and mind, as where the body fails, the spirit can carry on. It is meant to make you quit, to find one of the thousands of excuses that one can grab onto in order to simply stop. However, of those, you must find one reason within yourself to not quit. When you can do so without fail, I can truly proclaim you to be a practitioner of the Red Phoenix Style. So, let's begin, shall we?"

And so the day's grueling regimen began. Sora walked up to Akari with his usual smile, no different from before, and the two went on their way, doing far better than most of the other students thanks to their natural athleticism. Still, it didn't make things that much easier, and no more than an hour in Akari could already feel the strain on her body. An occasional glance around would show her that the other members of the dojo were already having quite the hard time, especially the pairs of Jiro / Eiji and Haru / Souta. 'Luckily' for them, Hayato was never far to urge them on with a staff. This left Sora and Akari to motivate each other as partners, which allowed the girl to see just how diligent the prodigy was, despite there being obvious strain in his visage during the more difficult portions of the routine. They held each other's feet during sit-ups, faced each other during push-ups, and took turns delivering blows to each other's midsections.

Besides carrying each other while running, there was a particularly intimate drill that Akari's father had come up with, in which one member of a given pair stood up straight with their arms stretched out to the side, while the other clung to them and climbed circles around their standing frame, careful not to touch the ground with any part of their body as they did so. Needless to say, it took an immense amount of bodily strength and concentration to perform with any success. The person being clung to needed to stay upright, and in the process worked their core muscles quite a bit, while the one doing the 'laps' worked just about everything. Partners would then switch after the maximum amount of reps were finished. Luckily, Sora wasn't THAT much bigger than Akari, making it far more bearable when it was his turn to grab onto her. In the process, they were practically covered in each other's sweat; this new, brutal exercise had ended up bringing Akari physically closer to Sora than she was ready for. Still, he did have a much more tolerable scent as opposed to some other students; even an alluring one, if Akari allowed it to be.

Example:

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Luckily, this was the last routine for the day, despite being the most difficult. By the time it had finished, the vast majority of the Red Phoenix Dojo's members were sprawled out on the ground of the courtyard, facing the sky. Those who weren't; Sora, Kyo and Take, were sitting, too busy catching their breaths to stand properly.

Akari's father seemed more than just a little pleased with the results of the day's training, and it showed on his face. Nodding to the students and addressing them as a whole, he gave his formal dismissal. "A job well done. By discovering your own limits on a regular basis, you can continue to break them. When you are in disbelief of what you have accomplished in a given session, that's how you know you have improved. To do so daily is the true path of a martial artist."

The only response Hayato received was heavy breathing all around, but it didn't seem bother him too much. "Be well," he concluded, allowing them to cool down.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Sora turned to Akari as the others continued to heave. "Whew... that's one way to keep us worn down for the Festival, isn't it? Will... you be alright?"

Spoiler

Akari gained 2 EXP for the grueling training session.

 

[xgkf]

Re: Fist of the Phoenix (xgkf) GMed by Takimaru

Akari nodded in silent agreement with her father’s words regarding the other students’ comments about the large foreign man after he’d left, knowing them to be true. Hayato then made reference to the day’s training, garnering a series of groans from the other students and causing even Akari herself to pale slightly and swallow once nervously at the realization that today was conditioning day, a fact that had slipped the dojo heiress’s mind given the happenings of the last couple of days. She showed no signs of her own displeasure beyond that, however, focusing on maintaining a steady stance beside her father with her back straight and her hands clasped behind her back, trying to stand as an example for the other students with her steadfast demeanor.

Even so, when the day’s grueling training regimen finally did get underway, they had barely made it an our into the exercises before even Akari had begun to feel the strain on her body and in her muscles. The green-haired girl refused to complain or let herself fall behind, however, regardless of how difficult portions of the routine became, with the fact that she had been partnered up with Sora again only serving to fuel that fire further, like it always seemed to do. The friendly rivalry that they shared drove them both to try their hardest in an effort to perform just that much better than the other: However many push-ups or sit-ups Sora did, Akari pushed herself to do more. However hard Akari ran with and without his added weight on her back, Sora pushed himself to go longer and harder both with and without her weight as well. All the while the two of them encouraging each other with both supportive words and good-natured one-upmanship.

The dojo heiress had to suppress a mild blush as the final exercise of the day rolled around, however, or at least she would have had her face – along with everyone else’s – not already been reddened from the level of physical excursion that she had expended over the last few hours. The rest of the day’s routine felt almost like child’s-play to the green-haired girl compared to this new one, especially given how worn out she already was because of those previous exercises, causing her to have to cling as tightly to Sora as she could at times with her arms up around his back and shoulders and her legs wrapped securely around his waist as she climbed around him, lest she risk losing her grip and crashing down onto the ground. The routine only became more difficult when Akari was the one standing while Sora clung onto her, with the only real saving grace for her being that the blue-haired boy wasn’t that much bigger than she was.

The whole ordeal ended up bringing Akari much closer to Sora, physically, than she was really prepared for, resulting in each of them practically being covered in seemingly just as much of each others’ sweat as they were their own. Fortunately, Sora had always seemed to have a much more tolerable scent about him compared to most of the other students, making the grueling exercise at least a little more bearable thanks to the fact that she didn’t have to endure a foul odor as well. It was something that she had noticed faintly about the blue-haired prodigy in the past, but the difference seemed more prominent now given their proximity and the sweat covering their bodies, and if it wasn’t for Akari having to focus so hard on the drill she might have even found his scent somewhat...alluring.

Even so, by the time the routine had finished Akari was left gasping for breath as she sat there nearly collapsed on knees, dripping with sweat and barely able to think about anything other than how exhausted she was even as her father addressed the class and delivered his formal dismissal. She was more well-off than many of the other students, though, the majority of which were lying sprawled out on their backs and facing the sky, too tired to even sit up, let alone stand. Akari gave a labored chuckle at Sora’s remark regarding the Festival then. “Yeah... No kidding...” she replied, breathing heavily as she looked back over at him. “And yeah, I’ll be fine... I just...really need a bath...” she added, chuckling again lightly before resigning herself to simply sit there and recover for a little bit longer.

OOC:

Spoiler

Added Akari's updated character sheet to my first post.