The Way of the Iridescent Fist

[Blaze]

Joni: *looks around, then smiles at Ling gratefully* Thank you. And... it would be best if I showed you.

*Joni looks around to make sure no one else is watching, then reaches into a pocket on her apron, withdrawing a small audio/video player. Powering it on, she selects the lone audio file on it and hits the Play button. A sound like that of a whoosh/hum combo is heard; in fact, anyone who's played the classic Mega Man games will recognize it immediately.*

*Meantime, Joni has morphed into her first form upon hearing the sound.*

Joni: First, we have Jennifer. Wise, kind to a fault, and looking for love in all the wrong places; has had dozens of crushes that have never went anywhere.

*Click. Whoosh. Second form, minus the motorcycle.*

Joni: *beaming grin* The rampaging Ayumi, yo! Rude and crass motorcyclist extraordinaire, born wanderer, friend to all children, and someone the average punk wouldn't want to mess with!

*Click. Whoosh. Third form.

Joni: Jill, the enigmatic soft-spoken elf. Has a hidden psychotic side that manifests itself when she's under too much stress. Hide the couch cushions; she has a mean throwing arm.

*Click. Whoosh. Fourth form.

Joni: Hannah, the aspiring athlete. Bit of a sore loser. If Jill's throwing arm was mean, Hannah's is downright vicious. A true professional off the field.

*Click. Whoosh. Second, fourth again, then finally her fifth form.*

Joni: Rosemary, at your service. Ice cream maker and part-time baker. Has a phobia of spiders. Pines over a non-existent boyfriend that supposedly went missing, but don't tell me I said that. Has a large poetry collection.

*Click. Whoosh. First, fifth, third, and finally sixth form.*

Joni: Jacqueline. Short and to the point. Despite appearances, has the credentials to be a good boss. Also a bit bossy. Has guns, and hates being touched.

*Click, click, click, whoosh, aaaand back to normal.*

Joni: And finally, me as you know me: Joni, the hard-working klutz from Circe's Manor. This is my default form, and the one that shows up on my Muffinville ID card. My eyes are poor, but my hearing is sharp.

Ling considers each form carefully. Her eyes take in their shape and size, her ears measure their tone of voice... when Joni finishes, she nods once.

"Very well. That is enough to work with. I had hoped to break in some students on other styles before properly teaching the Iridescent Fist, but one who has lived with the condition longer may be better suited. Very well."

She leads Joni up the stairs to her original seat and claps her hands. A Chinese waitress brings another chair for Joni to sit at.

"The central philosophy for the Iridescent Fist is that the seven parts of you are not disparate existences, but one part of a whole. Like a single beam of light splitting into seven colors, so too are we practitioners of this style. And because we are whole yet seperate, the strengths of our other six selves can be our own, if we want them to be."

She stops, and smiles to Joni. "Give me your honest opinion; what do you think of Ayumi, Jill, and Hannah?"

The old man silently watches as the Brickjaw forcibly swings his club at Ling, expecting the Martial Artist to roll out of the way or to jump. He is quite shocked, indeed, to see her shatter the kanabo with a single blow.

"Smoke preserve us!" he almost cries as he observes the woman's brutal counter attack on the Oni.

Yet beneath the demeanor of panic, the old Chibi is planning, carefully assessing the woman's style and how she moves to attack the Oni.

"She's just getting started sir. Don't blink~" the girl in the kimono says, watching intently herself. Frankly, Ling's fighting style is... well, it looks like the actions of a frightened, normal girl. Seemingly clumsy flailing punches, a girlish trot with fists raised by her head... the indigo energy radiating off of her...

Is she an Indigo girl right now? Is this a style of kung-fu based purely on those damsels in distress? It's ridiculous! And yet, it all comes together into a shockingly effective hard style. Is it hard because such girls, so easily flustered, would be able to pull off the graceful motions of a soft style in a real fight?

The ninja mutters something about obnoxious airheads.... His hand procuring a small sack of bird seed which he then tosses at the girl's chest with the precision and speed expected of a Shinobi.

".... Hato no Jutsu...." he softly murmurs.

*Ambush's voice shifts to something more feminine, dry and raspy.*

I see them, alright, but compared to my husband I'm just not impressed.

The ganguro's eyes track the tossed birdseed as she begins to shake her torso. Her chest sways languidly, away from the birdseed, then back towards it. It's such a soft, fluid motion that it shouldn't do much. And yet, at the point of impact, her boob launches the birdseed back at the Chibi at high speeds!

"Careful where you drop that stuff. I have to clean up afterwards~" she says, a glint in her eyes as she regards the ninja.

She then looks back to Ambush, and is as giddy as ever, like nothing ever happened. "Oh man, I'm totes jealous! I mean, I think so. Is he a cat too?"

"Well, the most obvious turning point was the loss of her glasses," starts the wolf-girl, adjusting her own pair subconsciously. "That appears to have resulted from either the 'scientist' not factoring in the possibility of what would normally be a mistake, her opponent planning the apparent mistake to catch her off-guard, or both."

Ling smiles, and then raises a fist to bring it down on the wolf-girl's head. Lightly of course, a soft 'bonk' of a strike. Enough to reprimand, but not to hurt. "One point, see me after class," she says with a wry, teasing smirk. "The second principle of Polished Mind Style is 'the thing you must know above all else is that you know nothing.' The calculations you use to predict a battle are always just that; calculations. Things with no bearing on the physical world, on the battle at hand. To rely too much on them, both to predict your opponent and guide your own actions, is folly.

She walks over, and helps the scientist up before placing a hand on the student council president's shoulder. "In this fight, the younger girl went off-script. That attack was impromptu, clumsy. Against an opponent who was reacting properly, it would not have hit. But against an opponent who placed all their trust in what they thought was coming next, it won her the match. Do you understand?

Slab Bulkhead growls as his weapon is shattered... and his stomach is flailed at. The hits doing surprising damage for what they look like. He goes to grab one of her flailing arms in his heavy claws... the other letting go of the scepter as he swipes downwards with his slashing claws. Red mist leaking out of his jaws as his eyes burn.

Ling's flailing arm is grabbed, and she sees the claw coming. She leans away from the oni, murmuring "Blooming Wallflower Style... Backwards Fall Down Stairs." Both her legs come up to slam against the oni's own, hard enough to possibly break the kneecap and pull him with her as she sails back. Certainly enough to throw off that swipe, but the claws still find some purchase in her, cutting her clothes and tearing her flesh.

The two fly together for a moment. The oni was always a little top-heavy, but that only exaggerates as they soar. Muscle-bound legs slim down rapidly, losing anything you might call tone to leave behind a pair of shapely, smooth legs. The skin has become soft, pale and peachy, both there and spreading from his abdomen from where the flurry of blows impacted. Oddly though, those pectorals don't seem to be getting any smaller. But they are getting flabbier, softer...

Finally, they land. Ling had angled the kick and launch just-so, so that the oni lands on his back with her atop. She kneels atop the rapidly-shifting Slab, before intoning again. "Blooming Wallflower Style... Profuse Apology." She assumes the dogeza position atop her opponent, hands keeping his arms pinned to the ground, knees pressed against his softer, slimmer belly. And then she slams her head down, as if apologizing. Her her slips in-between those proud horns to impact hard against the oni's head!

[Feng]

"She's just getting started sir. Don't blink~" the girl in the kimono says, watching intently herself. Frankly, Ling's fighting style is... well, it looks like the actions of a frightened, normal girl. Seemingly clumsy flailing punches, a girlish trot with fists raised by her head... the indigo energy radiating off of her...

Is she an Indigo girl right now? Is this a style of kung-fu based purely on those damsels in distress? It's ridiculous! And yet, it all comes together into a shockingly effective hard style. Is it hard because such girls, so easily flustered, would be able to pull off the graceful motions of a soft style in a real fight?

The Chibi observes, nodding quietly and making careful observations of the girl's movements.

"Deceptive...." he mumbles, stroking his beard, eyes twinkling with amusement as Ling conducts her coup de grace attack against the Oni. "Ruthless too."

The ganguro's eyes track the tossed birdseed as she begins to shake her torso. Her chest sways languidly, away from the birdseed, then back towards it. It's such a soft, fluid motion that it shouldn't do much. And yet, at the point of impact, her boob launches the birdseed back at the Chibi at high speeds!

"Careful where you drop that stuff. I have to clean up afterwards~" she says, a glint in her eyes as she regards the ninja.

She then looks back to Ambush, and is as giddy as ever, like nothing ever happened. "Oh man, I'm totes jealous! I mean, I think so. Is he a cat too?"

The seed bag is reflected back at the Chibi who snatches it with surprisingly swift reflexes for one so laid back. His eyebrow was raised, no doubt amused by how the Ganguro reflected the projectile.

But wait. Why was the bag he was no twirling on his finger empty? If the Ganguro were to observe, she would notice a small hole at the bag's base...

The ninja gives a sly nod of the head as the sound of rustling wings is heard, accompanied by the cooing of pigeons.

[Whatevr89532]

The girl winces slightly at the hit, gentle as it is. Her ears stay down for a while afterward, her tail going a bit still. "Of course..Socrates," she says, nodding and appearing to understand. "But.." She shakes her head, deciding against actually asking whatever question she had in mind.

[Knight Errant]

Rip Steakface grits his teeth as his kneecaps break. His legs weakening further, and he'd likely not even be able to stand were he upright. The small girl pinning him to the ground... he laughs again. And unhinges his jaw... that red smoke flowing out and surrounding Ling's head. Whatever her mental state... be it calm, feigned fear or actual feelings of it... a new emotion attempts to burst in with as much subtlety as the Oni himself. Rage. Against her will, her blood begins pounding as tinges of red enter her vision.

She would have the strange urge to abandon whatever focused attack she had... and instead to just pound wildly on the oni with whatever strength she had. Of course... if she keeps her cool she can resist the impulse. But everything about the Oni's stupid face just pisses her off so much...

[AmbushCat]

Ling considers each form carefully. Her eyes take in their shape and size, her ears measure their tone of voice... when Joni finishes, she nods once.

"Very well. That is enough to work with. I had hoped to break in some students on other styles before properly teaching the Iridescent Fist, but one who has lived with the condition longer may be better suited. Very well."

She leads Joni up the stairs to her original seat and claps her hands. A Chinese waitress brings another chair for Joni to sit at.

"The central philosophy for the Iridescent Fist is that the seven parts of you are not disparate existences, but one part of a whole. Like a single beam of light splitting into seven colors, so too are we practitioners of this style. And because we are whole yet seperate, the strengths of our other six selves can be our own, if we want them to be."

She stops, and smiles to Joni. "Give me your honest opinion; what do you think of Ayumi, Jill, and Hannah?"

Joni: *sits down in the provided chair* Well, Master, Ayumi's always struck me as someone who maintains her rudeness for the sake of niceties... if that makes sense. I guess the expression I'm looking for is "jerk with a heart of gold". She's volatile to those who make her angry, but she's willing to "throw down" for the sake of those who look up to her. She's rough, but I think I like her.
Jill has always been the biggest mystery to me. She doesn't talk much, she's a bit shy, and she has those occasional psychotic breaks where she just flips out and attacks everything with magic daggers and throw pillows. I've learned over the years to only let her out when nothing's going on, nothing that could conceivably push her stress levels over their limit. I feel that she could be a legitimately nice person if only she were a bit more open... though thinking about it now, I get why she keeps to herself.
Hannah's one of those people whose mentality undergoes a complete shift depending on whether she's on the job or not. Outside a stadium, she's a bit cold but willing to be friendly, always polite, never talks down to anyone. Inside a stadium, people better hope that she's good enough to win, because her temper tantrums are legendary. On the whole she's a tough personality to manage, though its doable. As a person I'm not sure I like her, since her on-field demeanor goes against what I stand for as one of Lady Circe's maids.

She then looks back to Ambush, and is as giddy as ever, like nothing ever happened. "Oh man, I'm totes jealous! I mean, I think so. Is he a cat too?"

No, he's human. *smiles proudly* Imagine David Hasselhoff during his Baywatch years, and you get a pretty good idea of what he looks like.

[Blaze]

Rip Steakface grits his teeth as his kneecaps break. His legs weakening further, and he'd likely not even be able to stand were he upright. The small girl pinning him to the ground... he laughs again. And unhinges his jaw... that red smoke flowing out and surrounding Ling's head. Whatever her mental state... be it calm, feigned fear or actual feelings of it... a new emotion attempts to burst in with as much subtlety as the Oni himself. Rage. Against her will, her blood begins pounding as tinges of red enter her vision.

She would have the strange urge to abandon whatever focused attack she had... and instead to just pound wildly on the oni with whatever strength she had. Of course... if she keeps her cool she can resist the impulse. But everything about the Oni's stupid face just pisses her off so much...

The red mist bellows... before catching in the oni's throat, likely inducing a coughing fit. The last few wisps of it emerge, more a purple color than red now. Ling gets a whiff, and her aura shifts momentarily, taking on an umbra of orange and crimson. But it fades, the energies emanating from her form just before she slams her head against his. This sends a lance of Indigo lancing right through his head, and the changes are both immediate and dramatic.

His fiery grizzled mane begins to soften rapidly, taking on the color of gold spun from straw and pooling under his still-shrinking form. His horns just fall right off as those lanterns and their frame begin to wrap around his golden locks, becoming a white ribbon, tying them into an elaborate braided bun with bangs left to frame his softening face. His eyes, once white pinpricks, widen and soften as color bloom within, a beautiful, regal purple. His teeth shrink, becoming those of a human, an omnivore, hidden behind a pair of soft pink lips. His gaping nostrils dwindle down into a petite button nose as his ear pull close to the skull, now rounded.

His body has betrayed him entirely now, those tiger pelts now a blanket to hide the changes. He's shorter than Ling now, muscles utterly gone, replaced by soft hairless skin. Claws have retracted into polished, manicured nails and his mighty pecs have become a pair of round, perky breasts, rather large in spite of the petite form. Hips and rear have swollen too, giving him a rather shapely silhouette, if anyone could see it past the pelts.

Although, 'he' is not the appropriate pronoun now. As Ling dismounts from the girl, there's a sharp tug between those plump thighs, leaving the feminine pronoun as slightly more appropriate. "Do you concede?" the martial artist asks, looking down on the girl with a slight smirk.

The Chibi observes, nodding quietly and making careful observations of the girl's movements.

"Deceptive...." he mumbles, stroking his beard, eyes twinkling with amusement as Ling conducts her coup de grace attack against the Oni. "Ruthless too."

"She's being nice," the woman in the kimono says with certainty in her voice. "If she wanted to, she could have blown him away on the first exchange."

The mechanics of her styles becomes clearer now as the Chibi watches. The oni managed to get her with some kind of breath attack, and it made her aura become orange and crimson for a moment before it faded away. Somehow, she's using qi-manipulation to generate Muffinville colors, just enough to let her tap into these styles. By constantly billowing them as an aura, she keeps it from profoundly affecting her body and state of mind... but it must be a precarious balance. Maybe the key to victory is to throw it off?

The seed bag is reflected back at the Chibi who snatches it with surprisingly swift reflexes for one so laid back. His eyebrow was raised, no doubt amused by how the Ganguro reflected the projectile.

But wait. Why was the bag he was no twirling on his finger empty? If the Ganguro were to observe, she would notice a small hole at the bag's base...

The ninja gives a sly nod of the head as the sound of rustling wings is heard, accompanied by the cooing of pigeons.

No, he's human. *smiles proudly* Imagine David Hasselhoff during his Baywatch years, and you get a pretty good idea of what he looks like.

"Oh you mean that German guy from the hamburger video and the weirdly good singing voice? It's like, so hard to believe he used to be a hunk, but..."

The ganguro pauses, and goes as pale as her fake tan will let her as the sound of pigeons get closer. Daggers are glared at the Chibi as she looks to Ambush.

"Hey uh... you eat birds right? Could you do something about this so they don't crap all over the roof I have to clean? I'll do like, anything you want!"

Joni: *sits down in the provided chair* Well, Master, Ayumi's always struck me as someone who maintains her rudeness for the sake of niceties... if that makes sense. I guess the expression I'm looking for is "jerk with a heart of gold". She's volatile to those who make her angry, but she's willing to "throw down" for the sake of those who look up to her. She's rough, but I think I like her.
Jill has always been the biggest mystery to me. She doesn't talk much, she's a bit shy, and she has those occasional psychotic breaks where she just flips out and attacks everything with magic daggers and throw pillows. I've learned over the years to only let her out when nothing's going on, nothing that could conceivably push her stress levels over their limit. I feel that she could be a legitimately nice person if only she were a bit more open... though thinking about it now, I get why she keeps to herself.
Hannah's one of those people whose mentality undergoes a complete shift depending on whether she's on the job or not. Outside a stadium, she's a bit cold but willing to be friendly, always polite, never talks down to anyone. Inside a stadium, people better hope that she's good enough to win, because her temper tantrums are legendary. On the whole she's a tough personality to manage, though its doable. As a person I'm not sure I like her, since her on-field demeanor goes against what I stand for as one of Lady Circe's maids.

Ling nods, folding her arms under her chest and considering Joni's words. "I ask regarding those three, as they would embody those traits you find so desirable. Elves are typically graceful creatures, and to drive motorcycles and excel in athletics takes physical coordination. Now, the act of communing with our other selves requires deep introspection and meditation... however, I feel that you may not want to wait that long, so I do have a shortcut."

She gestures for their 'waitress' to come closer and whispers in her ear. The woman nods and swishes away, soon returning with an incense holder that bears a single stick.

"An invention made by an old student. This will plunge your mind inwards, allowing you to directly commune with your other selves. However, there is much that can go wrong. If you wish to do this, I must insist on accompanying you. If that is not satisfactory, I can teach you the slower method, or you may seek answers elsewhere."

The girl winces slightly at the hit, gentle as it is. Her ears stay down for a while afterward, her tail going a bit still. "Of course..Socrates," she says, nodding and appearing to understand. "But.." She shakes her head, deciding against actually asking whatever question she had in mind.

Ling nods to the wolf girl, and goes to start offering advice to the two combatants they played audience to. But that half-formed question does not escape her ears, and she looks back.

"The only foolish question is that which goes unasked. I know this, and I know you know this. Ask what you were going to ask." She pauses for a moment, and smirks. "As an example; we have been speaking all this time, and I do not know your name. Please tell me, what is it?"

[Feng]

"She's being nice," the woman in the kimono says with certainty in her voice. "If she wanted to, she could have blown him away on the first exchange."

The mechanics of her styles becomes clearer now as the Chibi watches. The oni managed to get her with some kind of breath attack, and it made her aura become orange and crimson for a moment before it faded away. Somehow, she's using qi-manipulation to generate Muffinville colors, just enough to let her tap into these styles. By constantly billowing them as an aura, she keeps it from profoundly affecting her body and state of mind... but it must be a precarious balance. Maybe the key to victory is to throw it off?

The old Chibi head tilts. "Oh? So I see. So I see."

He scratches his chin in thought as he figures out how best to use this information that he has gleaned from observation.

The ganguro pauses, and goes as pale as her fake tan will let her as the sound of pigeons get closer. Daggers are glared at the Chibi as she looks to Ambush.

"Hey uh... you eat birds right? Could you do something about this so they don't crap all over the roof I have to clean? I'll do like, anything you want!"

Soon the army of flying pests arive. There aren't your ordinary pigeons, however. No THESE are Ninja Pigeons, trained by the Chibiwanbanshu for stealth and courier missions!

*Coooooo* *Cooooooo*

Right, so maybe they were regular Muffinville pigeons with ninja headbands. The Ganguro was probably right to fear them, though. Already they are making a mess with their feathers and other pigeon products, all over the roof.

If the Chibi is capable of smirking behind that mask, he certainly is now.

[Whatevr89532]

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's Jade," says the girl, looking a little like a sad puppy on realizing she'd been rude enough not to introduce herself sooner. "I'm concerned I'm just getting ahead of myself is all. It's just..." she shakes her head. "I comprehend the motions required to perform a number of types of martial arts well enough to program them precisely into a robot or a powersuit, and it takes me approximately a day's worth of reading to learn a new one to that extent. But when I try to execute anything like that myself, it invariably fails. My body is frail in the first place, and being clumsy at any kind of fighting on top of that doesn't help. It's why I usually rely on this.." She points to her anklet. "..or rather, my suit that's in this. But being unable to defend myself without technological aid is a crippling weakness. I was going to say 'what good is understanding the principles if my body won't obey me in employing them,' but as I understand it we would've gotten to that eventually anyway."

[AmbushCat]

"Oh you mean that German guy from the hamburger video and the weirdly good singing voice? It's like, so hard to believe he used to be a hunk, but..."

The ganguro pauses, and goes as pale as her fake tan will let her as the sound of pigeons get closer. Daggers are glared at the Chibi as she looks to Ambush.

"Hey uh... you eat birds right? Could you do something about this so they don't crap all over the roof I have to clean? I'll do like, anything you want!"

*Ambush doesn't reply, though his tail does morph into an oversized vacuum cleaner attachment.*

Ling nods, folding her arms under her chest and considering Joni's words. "I ask regarding those three, as they would embody those traits you find so desirable. Elves are typically graceful creatures, and to drive motorcycles and excel in athletics takes physical coordination. Now, the act of communing with our other selves requires deep introspection and meditation... however, I feel that you may not want to wait that long, so I do have a shortcut."

She gestures for their 'waitress' to come closer and whispers in her ear. The woman nods and swishes away, soon returning with an incense holder that bears a single stick.

"An invention made by an old student. This will plunge your mind inwards, allowing you to directly commune with your other selves. However, there is much that can go wrong. If you wish to do this, I must insist on accompanying you. If that is not satisfactory, I can teach you the slower method, or you may seek answers elsewhere."

Joni: *gives this idea some thought* ...I... I'd say it's worth a shot. I accept your help, Master.

Soon the army of flying pests arive. There aren't your ordinary pigeons, however. No THESE are Ninja Pigeons, trained by the Chibiwanbanshu for stealth and courier missions!

*Coooooo* *Cooooooo*

Right, so maybe they were regular Muffinville pigeons with ninja headbands. The Ganguro was probably right to fear them, though. Already they are making a mess with their feathers and other pigeon products, all over the roof.

If the Chibi is capable of smirking behind that mask, he certainly is now.

*Ambush's vacuum tail whirrs to life and swerves about, snagging those pigeons unfortunate enough to get within his range.*

Oh hey, Skyrat and Dirty Bird. Awesome!

[Knight Errant]

Butch Deadlift coughs. A moment of confusion on his face before *CRACK!* He is headbutted by Ling. His eyes roll as they enlarge and turn a soft purple. She glares up at Ling. Her soft, weak form pinned as she tries unsuccessfully to squirm out of it. Frowning... she lunges forwards for a bite! "Raaaa....gh? Raaagh?" She pauses halfway... looking even more confused. She tests her teeth with her tongue. Blinking. "What did small human do?" She asks, glaring.

[Blaze]

The old Chibi head tilts. "Oh? So I see. So I see."

He scratches his chin in thought as he figures out how best to use this information that he has gleaned from observation.

"That's right," the woman says. Since it is a style of qi-manipulation, anything that could disrupt the flow would likely be effective!

"That's why I want you to stop whatever you're planning. You're going to fail."

The demure woman in the pink yukata smiles down at the Chibi. "You're not as quiet as you think you are when you mutter to yourself. Please, don't do it. I don't know why you would want to, if she went after one of your schools or you're being paid or something, but it's not worth it. Let her-letus train in peace, please."

Soon the army of flying pests arive. There aren't your ordinary pigeons, however. No THESE are Ninja Pigeons, trained by the Chibiwanbanshu for stealth and courier missions!

*Coooooo* *Cooooooo*

Right, so maybe they were regular Muffinville pigeons with ninja headbands. The Ganguro was probably right to fear them, though. Already they are making a mess with their feathers and other pigeon products, all over the roof.

If the Chibi is capable of smirking behind that mask, he certainly is now.

*Ambush doesn't reply, though his tail does morph into an oversized vacuum cleaner attachment.*

*Ambush's vacuum tail whirrs to life and swerves about, snagging those pigeons unfortunate enough to get within his range.*

Oh hey, Skyrat and Dirty Bird. Awesome!

The ganguro cheers as Ambush starts trying to hoover up the ninja birds. "Oh man, awesome! I'm like, totally in your debt and stuff!" She then glowers at the Chibi. "What's your problem, jerk?! You come to my roof and cause trouble in your little $2 store ninja outfit?! I should kick your ass, punk! Clean up all this bird crap with your face!"

Joni: *gives this idea some thought* ...I... I'd say it's worth a shot. I accept your help, Master.

Ling nods, and claps her hands. The waitress brings some collapsable screens and arranges them around the two, so that the incense doesn't get blown to somewhere it doesn't need to be. It fills the enclosed space, smelling of elderberries and cinnamon for some reason, the scent rushing straight to the head. It's dizzying, and quick to claim consciousness once inhaled!

The two women come to within Joni's inner mind. RIght now, it consists of a circular chamber, all decked out in blue metallic floors and walls with white circuitry patterns. Around them are six doors, each one bearing the face of one of her other persona. A familiar tune fills the air.

"I feel as if I am being left out of a joke... Ling mutters, before turning to the maid. "So, which do you wish to confront first?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's Jade," says the girl, looking a little like a sad puppy on realizing she'd been rude enough not to introduce herself sooner. "I'm concerned I'm just getting ahead of myself is all. It's just..." she shakes her head. "I comprehend the motions required to perform a number of types of martial arts well enough to program them precisely into a robot or a powersuit, and it takes me approximately a day's worth of reading to learn a new one to that extent. But when I try to execute anything like that myself, it invariably fails. My body is frail in the first place, and being clumsy at any kind of fighting on top of that doesn't help. It's why I usually rely on this.." She points to her anklet. "..or rather, my suit that's in this. But being unable to defend myself without technological aid is a crippling weakness. I was going to say 'what good is understanding the principles if my body won't obey me in employing them,' but as I understand it we would've gotten to that eventually anyway."

Ling's expression softens a little. For all her sternness, it seems she is not immune to puppy-dog eyes. "It is... understandable why you would be this way. Silver is the color of intellectualism, and making the world easier to deal with is what all creatures of intellect do. When the flesh is weak, the mind works to circumvent it in the easy way. Building up physical strength and co-ordination is not easy, so you turn to technology to bridge the gap. However, the trick lies not not avoiding what is hard, but making what is hard easy by finding enjoyment in it."

She produces a brown rubber ball from her sleeve and begins bouncing it off the ground, up and down, rhythmically. "How this can be done varies from person to person, but I already have an idea with you. You are part canine, and your features move in ways that a canine would to reflect your mood. That indicates some level of instinct within you." Up and down, up and down. Descending, pausing for the briefest moment as it hits the ground, then ascending again. It's so utterly eye-catching for Jade!

"Do you know why dogs like to stick their head out the windows of moving cars? They are enraptured by 'going fast.' They love to run, and they love to chase things that move at great speeds. A moving car is a delight for them, because it allows them to attain speeds impossible with four legs. It is also why greyhound tracks use a speeding mechanical rabbit to drive them to run. It is also why they love to play fetch. The faster you throw the thing they are to fetch, the more fun they have. This like this ball here. You like the ball Jade? You want it?"

Ling suddenly hurls it, across the entire courtyard! "Go get it!"

Butch Deadlift coughs. A moment of confusion on his face before *CRACK!* He is headbutted by Ling. His eyes roll as they enlarge and turn a soft purple. She glares up at Ling. Her soft, weak form pinned as she tries unsuccessfully to squirm out of it. Frowning... she lunges forwards for a bite! "Raaaa....gh? Raaagh?" She pauses halfway... looking even more confused. She tests her teeth with her tongue. Blinking. "What did small human do?" She asks, glaring.

Ling dismounts the former oni, smiling a victorious smile. "The essence of the Blooming Wallflower Style is 'be meek, and render your opponent meeker.' It is among the most qi-dependent of my styles, to make up for weak bodies and seemingly clumsy attacks. But by defeating the opponent within the mind as well as the body, by winning with such a style, it fulfills two of the conditions on my Sevenfold Path to Victory. I hope you paid close attention, because this is the style you will be learning now."

She kneels down, and presents the bottom of her chin too the girl. "Unless you still think you can win? If so, please, take the shot. But be aware... I will retaliate if you do. And it will be a decisive blow."

[Knight Errant]

Her glare maintains. "You play dirty trick on Oni." Then a smile cracks. "HahaHAHAhahah! Me like that. But even if tricked..." Her eye gleams... "Me can't give up so easily!" Her soft features twist into a fury unsuited for her face. She clenches her fist... rising for an uppercut with all the strength she can muster. Right on Ling's outstretched chin.

[Whatevr89532]

"Er.." Jade seems slightly embarrassed that her eyes are even drawn to the ball, but they are. Her mind is still active, and she more decides to chase after it than follows an instinct to do so. Her run is kind of childish and not very fast even accounting for how short her legs are, but she doesn't trip over herself or anything. In fact, her stamina's not bad either, as she makes it about three-quarters of the way there before being unable to continue, doubling over and panting rapidly.

[AmbushCat]

The ganguro cheers as Ambush starts trying to hoover up the ninja birds. "Oh man, awesome! I'm like, totally in your debt and stuff!"

Eh, think nothing of it. It's just me being a cat; I like birds.

Ling nods, and claps her hands. The waitress brings some collapsable screens and arranges them around the two, so that the incense doesn't get blown to somewhere it doesn't need to be. It fills the enclosed space, smelling of elderberries and cinnamon for some reason, the scent rushing straight to the head. It's dizzying, and quick to claim consciousness once inhaled!

The two women come to within Joni's inner mind. RIght now, it consists of a circular chamber, all decked out in blue metallic floors and walls with white circuitry patterns. Around them are six doors, each one bearing the face of one of her other persona. A familiar tune fills the air.

"I feel as if I am being left out of a joke... Ling mutters, before turning to the maid. "So, which do you wish to confront first?"

Joni: *blinks* Wow. Um... this is very interesting. Let's see... *looks around* Once the hard ones are out of the way, the easy ones should be a walk in the park. I'd say... let's start with Jill. *walks up to the door in question* So I assume I just go in, then?

[Feng]

The ganguro cheers as Ambush starts trying to hoover up the ninja birds. "Oh man, awesome! I'm like, totally in your debt and stuff!" She then glowers at the Chibi. "What's your problem, jerk?! You come to my roof and cause trouble in your little $2 store ninja outfit?! I should kick your ass, punk! Clean up all this bird crap with your face!"

The chibi ninja raises an eyebrow at the Ganguro's threat.

".... bring it, Goldilocks. Your bimbo style is no match for Chibi ninjutsu...." he says, striking a pose. Did he have to wiggle his fingers? Was that some sort of esoteric technique? Or was he just throwing shade at the girl?

As for Ambush, the pigeons make a rather easy meal being as they are pigeons, birds not particularly known for their intellect... Well, certainly not the ones common in Muffinville.

But why did they smell of burnt incense? Hopefully the aroma (and aftertaste) wasn't enough to give the poor cat heartburn.

"That's right," the woman says. Since it is a style of qi-manipulation, anything that could disrupt the flow would likely be effective!

"That's why I want you to stop whatever you're planning. You're going to fail."

The demure woman in the pink yukata smiles down at the Chibi. "You're not as quiet as you think you are when you mutter to yourself. Please, don't do it. I don't know why you would want to, if she went after one of your schools or you're being paid or something, but it's not worth it. Let her-letus train in peace, please."

The old chibi smiles.

"Ehehehehe~! So you heard me talking to myself, eh?" he grimaced, rubbing the back of his bald head. "Even after a hundred years of training and rigorous meditation, I still can't seem to shake the poor habit."

He leans on his staff. "I have no intention of destroying your school, Missy. Oh? Did you think I was a thug of Bones? Ehehehehe! The Black Temple can run circles around those thugs who would call themselves 'Chibiwanban'."

He stretches a bit.

"No, no, I am merely here to offer a challenge on behalf of the Black Temple. As a gesture of friendship and for the sake of, ah, what do you young un's among the Tall Folk call it.... Ah yes! Public relations."

He nods then stares straight at the girl, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "And I'd be wary of discounting me just yet, Missy! You may have pierced my harmless old coot deception, most admirably I must add, but this Old Bird still has his tricks."

He turns and watches the Sensei lay down the law on the Oni. "That being said, I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about fighting your teacher, ehehehehe. The young lady fights like something out of our legends, the kind we tell our young to make them behave."