D8 MA Expecting - Pre-Race Jitters

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

Suh-Hyun hadn't really set foot in the local dojo much. She'd only really been there yesterday for the Oshidama tournament.

But with the race coming up she decided a little sword practice would help calm the nerves.

Plucking up one of the practice blades, she strode out to the practice floor and dropped into the first stance of the basic kata her instructors had taught. From there she flowed from position to position, in a very formulaic manner. Already she felt calmer as her focus shifted from the race to the flow of her kata.

[Bayushi Hinata]

Ping!

Off the corner of the Shinjo's eye appears a masked figure. Dressed in crimson and black, a distorted, artificial voice crackles out from it's demonic visage with a bokken hanging from it's side.

"I don't mean to interrupt your exercises Unicorn-san." The voice cracks into her conciousness, it demands attention even if the tone behind it intended cordiality. "But I'm in terrible need of sharpening my skills. Care to be my partner?"

It is hard to know whether she'd recognise the figure with his mask on properly. Sportswear beating the Bayushi Mon, tall, the mask was striking....

"Care for a little dance Shinjo-san?"

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

Snip

Stopping mid strike, Suh-Hyun turned to regard the new comer.

"Sure, though I am only a novice with the sword," She smiled and bowed, "Shinjo Suh-Hyun, 2nd Testing and Evaluation Squadron, Unicorn Navy."

She was going to immediately ask for his name in turn. "Oh you were that shirtless guy hanging out with the Usagi Drop guy." Her cool and collected demeanor is shattered by a lopsided smile and visible embarrassment, "I uh didn't actually catch your name at the tournament."

[Bayushi Hinata]

A scratchy, horrible noise escapes the mask, then another, his hand goes to remove the mask to reveal the face beneath, and the fact that he is snickering, trying to contain his laughter.

"Oh is that *pfffft* who Iam? Do all the unicorn call me that?" He chuckles and winds down his laughter in a few moments.

He takes a deep breath, mask in his hand, he smiles widely and bows to the Unicorn.

"Bayushi "Shirtless Guy" Hinata. Orchid Department Security." He rises once again meeting Sun-Hyun's eyes.

"Iam no expert with the sword either. Which is why I should sharpen back up. Care to allow me another chance to change my title?"

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

"Well one at least I guess, not sure what Utaku-san and Moto-san call you." Suh-Hyun dropped into a guarded stance. "So what title are you hoping to gain with this sparring session. Shirtless Sword Guy?"

Her feet shifted as she circled cautiously. "Whenever your ready, Bayushi-san." Suh-Hyun gave him a wink.

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OOC: Want to just fluff it out or roll a contested kenjutsu?

[Bayushi Hinata]

"Some variation no-doubt. Maybe I'll get the chance to change their minds too." He has a warm, charming smile on his face as the mask rises up to meet it. After a moment it whirrs softly to life, the eyes lighting up with s predatory, golden glow.

"I shall retain my shirt this time, you're only saddling me with it if you remove it yourself." He circles her in turn. Like two orbiting stars caught in each other's gravity.

"Do your worst, Shinjo-sama"

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Let's do a contested Kenjitsu roll and go from there. It's funnier that way IMO

37!

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

The two remained circling before the Unicorn's aggressiveness saw her breaking the standoff. She darted in and struck fast. But the Scorpion was quicker and Suh-Hyun was left open to a counter attack.

Backing away after the strike, she settled back into her stance.

"Point to you." She sighed and then refocused, "I'll admit you have some nice abs but you can keep the shirt." The Shinjo smirked as she plotted her next attack.

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I forgot:
Fluffy Kenjutsu vs Bayushi Hinata. +1k0 from Prodigy | 6k4 ⇒ 30 (TN: 37)

[Bayushi Hinata]

The Scorpions waited patiently for the Sun iron's patience to run out. Batting away her bokken and tapping her on the side. Light on his feet and quick like a viper.

"The whole 'Shirtless' thing works best outdoors anyways." He chuckles, the mask distorting the voice into a mechanical, borderline garbled chatter.

"I'll still take the compliment."

He took a step forward, decisive and quick and thrust at the Unicorn. Would she be fast enough to get out of the way?

34

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

Suh-Hyun was taking the measure of her opponent and he was more practiced but she was more agile. Twisting away at the last second, she slipped out of his attack. Turning quickly she tapped the Bayushi's side and stepped past him.

"One for me." Suh-Hyun smirked, "Another go?"

As they circled she sighed, "The weather here is definitely my least favorite part. Station born, uses to controlled atmosphere."

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Fluffy Kenjutsu vs Bayushi Hinata. +1k0 from Prodigy Round 2 | 6k4 ⇒ 49 (TN: 34)

[Bayushi Hinata]

"World of Dreams. So still too hot and humid here. At least compared to the temperate region I grew up in"

He rubbed his side and took his stance once more.

"More excuses to show off I guess. I hope your clan mates enjoyed as much as you did"

He waited patiently for her this time. Biding his time like a snake in the grass.

21

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

Suh-Hyun waggled her finger, "Your not the first set of nice abs I have seen on this island. And not the first Scorpion for the World of Dreams I have met here either. I've heard one perspective on the Scorpion world, what's yours?"

Seeing an opening she lunged forward spinning to land a hit on his arm...but her overconfidence had again left her open as the Scorpion evaded the attack.

"Well looks like the next strike maybe the last." She slid back and smiled, dropping into her stance again, "First to three?"

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Fluffy Kenjutsu vs Bayushi Hinata. +1k0 from Prodigy Round 3 | 6k4 ⇒ 15 (TN: 21)

[Bayushi Hinata]

"I've been quite a few people's first.... and last. I'll let you decide who's and what. As for my homeworld, well, what's the point in stories if you can visit it yourself?"

He took stance once more. Lunging wildly at her before she had time to react, his sword purposefully crossed with hers. In the brief, winding and energetic dance that follows he presses closer, and closer, using his weight to push against her. In due time their swords are bound at the hilt, and above them his face is close enough for her to look into his artificial eyes. When he speaks the voice isn't distorted, she can almost feel his breath on her when she hears him.

"Let's not be too hasty. This is a dance Lady Shinjo. Not a competition." He holds them both there, intimately close, his guard exposed after his spoke, a precarious position.

20

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

Momentarily caught off guard, the Unicorn blinks and looks a bit confused. Then Suh-Hyun smirks, "I see. It's probably best not to leave things open," With a lightning quick shift, the Shinjo slips off to the side and lets the Scorpion's own push send him off balance. She lands a blow to his back and hops back to open the distance. "Whether words to interpretation or one's guard to counter attack."

"I find it best to get a locals view before visiting any world. Particularly places with reputations like your home world." Her wooden blade is levelled at Hinata and he can see her body tense in preparation for another attack. "A place many say devours the unwary."

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Fluffy Kenjutsu vs Bayushi Hinata. Swiiiiing | 6k4 ⇒ 39 (TN: 20)

[Bayushi Hinata]

It's a good thing his face is hidden behind the mask, the expression he puts on as he is put off balance is frankly embarassing. He stumbles forward and gets his due punishment for his own overconfidence. Once they are back at the edges of the circle he rolls his arms, hopping a couple of times on each foot before facing Sun-Hyun's way again, the mask removed and set at his hip.

"It was worth a try... Flustering you enough for another point. Oh well, I'll just have to try harder."

He keeps their distance, trading blows at the edge of each's reach. "Only those born outside of the Scorpion would consider it a monster that htreatens to devour you!" He says with a chuckle. "You speak of openness as entrapment. Yet it is potential!" A riposte, another clash just out of reach of each other.

"To me it is Home. To fools, it is their doom. And to you, Lady Shinjo, it will be whatever you make of it!" He pressed the attack, a wide grin on his face as his blade danced against hers. He pulled back, outside of reach, a bead of sweat running off his brow, a hand moves to fan himself with his... when did his shirt's neckline dip that low?

"Come and get me! If you hit, I'll give you a proper answer."

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

"I'm a test pilot and was a fighter pilot," Suh-Hyun slides to the right, shifting one foot at a time. "I'm pretty good at keeping my cool in combat." Outside of combat...not always.

"Something of a poet, Bayushi-san." Another shift of position, her expression was more neutral now. She was focusing on her next attack, "I suppose I will have to see it myself sometime for a better or answer,"

With a sudden burst she lunged again, slipping past his guard to land another blow before nimbly bounce back out of reach. "Or I could just strike you and get a 'proper answer'." She let out a little laugh.

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Fluff Kenjutsu Roll vs Bayushi Hinata. Another Swiiiiing! | 6k4 ⇒ 28 (TN: 23)

[Bayushi Hinata]

Hinata tries to block her strike, and unfortunately fails, the Unicorn too nimble for the trap he had set. He holds the bokken between them with a smile on his face.

"Deal's a deal. Dreams is a regular planet in the end Shinjo-san, it's only sin is being run by scorpion. If I described my childhood to you it would not be different to any other because of where I was born. The scorpion value loyalty, and have a role to keep as villains of the empire. Reputation precedes us, and we must maintain it."

He raises the bokken, moving into her guard with blistering speed. After a curt exchange at the edge of their reach he pushed further, batting away her bokken and putting his own under her chin, holding her face towards his.

"I think this is point for me."

"Iam more than a nice set of abs. I'm also a pretty face. And can cook. You're certainly more than a Fighter Pilot, are you not?"

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

"As a Unicorn, I understand that one can't judge someone purely by reputation," A simple leap back would bring her out of the strike's range, "But reputations aren't often born from nothing. Even if the origin isn't always fair." She smiles as the blade seems like it will pass her only for it to end up under her chin. It elicits a sigh, "Technically you didn't hit...but well played."

"Well I prefer the piloting part," She looks at him with the bokken still resting just under her chin, "But I can drive pretty much anything...of course that is most of my kin among the Shinjo, I also enjoy a good morning run, and am a pretty good dancer."

Slowly she slides back, "And not half bad at kenjutsu it seems. Your last move not withstanding."

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Fluff Kenjutsu Roll vs Bayushi Hinata. Another Swiiiiing! Again! | 6k4 ⇒ 22 (TN: 35)

[Bayushi Hinata]

"Oh we deserve our reputation." He allows her to pull away. Bokken held loosely at his side in a relaxed posture. "But Iam one of many, with a less than desirable reputation either way. The only stereotype I don't fit falls on the mask."

He remains at the edge, not fully at ease, not fully on the offense, waiting for her.

"Your skill itself isn't much to write home about, you have talent. I reckon infantry tactics are outside your purview in any case." He smirks at her his feet trailing him along the rim of the circle. "A good dancer? That I think, says a lot more about a Bushi than the rest .."

[Shinjo Suh-Hyun]

"Not much use for fancy blade work in a fighter craft," Suh-Hyun lets her body relax, a lull in the sparring, "If you want to see something I'm better at, you could always watch the race. I intend to make the race exciting for your clan mate." She smiles, "And are you saying I should be weary around you Bayushi-san? A Shirtless Sword Wielding Rake?" Her tone was teasing now, less serious now that they weren't actively trying to hit each other.

"I'm curious know what you think dancing says about a bushi though."

[Bayushi Hinata]

"Neither is it for security work. Iaijutsu is much more prevalent in my line of work."

"I intend to participate myself. I won't pretend like I'll be competition, but I'll have a cute girl by my side so that's a win either way."

He paced the rim of the ring, a slow rhythm coming to his feet as he did. "Oh you should! A seductive glance is as deadly as a swift sword. And I have to wield both!" The rhythm picks up, pacing around each other like orbiting moons.

"Dancing says you know the beat of a fight, your feet know to move on instinct. The question-.
He comes to a halt abruptly, tension building for s moment as he begins to sink back into stance.

"Does a dancer recognise her fated partner?"