Sugar We're Going Down {T|P}

[Kyoko]

Entrance to the Moon

Only Prettier

[/center]

:Zero of Zero:

I Like It Rough~

She walked into the building and sat with a serene sigh. The symbolism and history unfolded before her. The lessons of the place had been drilled into her relentlessly over the last few weeks. A practitioner of Gintsuki no Mai does not back down. They control the fight, they choose whether or not their opponents strike will land. They will not show weakness. Flexibility and balance were second nature to her. The back ground of dancing was a benefit in this situation.

She knew the benefits of training her entire body as opposed to certain muscle groups. Now it was time for the final step before her entrance into Gintsuki no Mai. She sat in the chair, her hand upon the darkened wood of the table. A pot of ink and a long needle sat before her and she bowed her head, acknowledging that she was ready. The needle entered her skin and she kept her lips pressed together, ignoring the feeling and sound of the needle.

She leaned forwards upon the counter and the artist kept going, ignoring her limp form. A sensei approached and brushed back her hair. “Showing weakness already Kyoko-chan?” He asked harshly but the words died on his lips. Most new practitioners displayed weakness when they received their first tattoo but Kyoko had fallen asleep. “That’s a new one.” He murmured before walking away. After some time the delicate lines were finished, all in a shade of dark blue, silver ink lined the work making for a beautiful design.

Kyoko awakened and looked at her hand before dropping the other one onto the counter. “This one too.” She murmured as her head dropped back onto the counter. “I’m ambidextrous.” She explained before nodding off once more. With a hearty laugh the artist began again. “She’s going to regret that tomorrow.” He murmured as he began the tattoo. Time passed and she awoke once more seeing the silver and midnight blue designs she smiled and bowed. It was time to begin her training.

[/size][/size][/blockquote]

[Kyoko]

Hyouuryuu Yuki (Drifting Snow)
Rank: E
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: The user assumes the main stance of the Hyouuryuu Yuki no You.
Special: --
Drawback: --
Description: The user spreads their legs to shoulder width, their main-foot facing forward and their off-foot facing at a right angle to the main-foot. The torso faces the diagonal inbetween the two feet. The knees are bent to allow quick motion with short steps in either direction. The user holds their main-hand forward, with the elbow bent and the knuckles facing forward. The off-hand comes close to the chest, with the elbow bent and knuckles facing forward. The user’s head faces the direction of the main-foot. This stance allows for quick motions back and forth.
Limit: Must learn from a Gintsuki no Seikou Mai Master.

Am I More Than You Bargained For?

[/center]

:Zero of Five:

That’s Just Who I Am This Week~

She watched through distant eyes as the sensei took a stance. Her own feet drifted to shoulder width apart. Her right foot faced forwards and her off foot was perpendicular. In her martial arts classes they would have called this a modified cat stance. Her torso shifted to be diagonal between her two feet and her knees were bent. Her weight was fairly evenly distributed though a touch more rested on her back foot, that was the nature of a cat stance after all. Her right hand came upwards to block her face, with her knuckles set forwards to prepare for a punch. Her elbow was bent precisely.

Her spare hand hovered near her chest with the elbow bent inwards to protect her ribs, and the knuckles also facing forwards. Her eyes were directed towards her main foot. Her sensei nodded and offered her a knife which she took in her main hand, the blade facing outwards and horizontally. She switched the blade to her back hand and nodded feeling just as comfortable. She quickly shifted so her left foot faced front and her left hand was set forwards with the knife. Her right foot now angled outwards and her torso shifted in the opposite direction.

She switched the knife to her back hand once more and bounced on the balls of her feet, checking the stability of the stance. A quick push let her slide backwards or forwards, showing her the balance was perfectly set. It was indeed a comfortable position.

[/size][/size][/blockquote]

[Elgar]

+5

[Kyoko]

Nameru (To Taste)
Rank: E, D, C, B, A, S
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: The user, through the sharpening of their five senses and an instinctual knowledge of flow, becomes aware of their surroundings and capable of defending against attacks.
Special: --
Drawback: Can only be learned up to your current Character Rank.
Description: The user strives to expand their senses, taking in data from all five senses and treating each of them as equally important. Through a combination of peripheral vision, hearing, and measurement of air pressure changes, the user becomes capable of perceiving threats around them and reacting accordingly. At E rank, the user can only perceive such threats as traps or projectiles. However, at the following levels, the user becomes capable of perceiving strikes from a foe of an equal level to the rank they have learned. Therefore, a B rank ninja could strike a C rank user of this technique and the user would not be able to perceive them via this technique and lose the majority of the benefits, though their dodging would benefit from the heightened awareness nonetheless. The user may only learn this technique up to their character’s rank. Thus, a C rank character could only learn up to the C rank version of Nameru. Nameru is limited to threats within twenty meters of the foe, as anything that doesn’t enter that radius is beyond the senses of a human to perceive. However, threats are perceivable once they enter that range.
Limit: Must learn from a Gintsuki no Seikou Mai Master. Must know Hyouuryuu Yuki (Drifting Snow).

It’s Last Call | Last Resort

[/center]

:Zero of Five:

But First Mistake~

She stood focusing her breathing as she looked over the floor before her. Small explosives were hidden beneath the floor boards that could be trigged with her touch. She needed to cross the floor without doing that. Her eyes scanned the floor spotting the seemingly oily patch just before her. With a quick leap she cleared the patch and touched down upon the floor lightly. Dancing had bestowed her with grace that would help to make this challenge far easier. Slowly she extended her leg out towards the left on the diagonal and stepped across to another clear spot. So far so good.

She went to step forwards and suddenly something shifted in the air. She leapt high, tumbling in the air to come into a precise landing as a kunai passed beneath her. She exhaled quickly as she landed, clearing her lungs of the negative air that the shock gave her. Another quick step to the side cleared her of yet another explosive. She toed the ground before her and felt an unnatural heat. She retracted her touch carefully and stepped far so as to cross the trap beneath her. She could tell by the sheen on the wood that the last few steps between her and the floor were all trapped. She went to slip off to the side when the wind pressure against her face changed.

She bent over backwards and let her hands touch onto the ground. As the shuriken passed over her body she kicked her legs over backwards and alighted upon the ground. Three quick steps took her on a diagonal and one well placed leap landed her on safe ground. She smiled and sighed before bowing to the room itself. It had served her well.

[/size][/size][/blockquote]

[Elgar]

+5

[Kyoko]

Tentou (To Invert)
Rank: D
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: The user inverts their stance, gently dodging a straight thrust or strike.
Special: --
Drawback: Cannot evade wide-radius attacks.
Description: The user steps forward with their off-foot, twisting it to face forward. As they do so, they turn their main foot perpendicular and away, creating a mirrored version of the normal stance. As they do this, the user rocks their body backwards slightly, allowing any attacks coming from the front to simply ghost past them. Learning the Tentou teaches one to be equally skilled with their main-side and off-side.
Limit: Must learn from a Gintsuki no Seikou Mai Master. Must know Hyouuryuu Yuki (Drifting Snow).

Always Watching Out For Which And When

[/center]

:Zero of Ten:

Always Running Out Of Time~

Tentou, inversion, a fluid method of switching from one stance to the other while simultaneously dodging a straight attack. It was a simple idea however highly useful. When an attack came she could dodge and place herself in a far better position for a counter. She stepped into her stance, her hands still sore from the inking they had undergone the previous day but she ignored it. Pain was so secondary as a feeling that she often ignored it completely. What she focused on now was the skill she had set out to learn.

Her hind foot, the right, slid forwards as it twisted to the front. Her left foot turned perpendicular as her body arced around where the strike would have been. The foot work seemed solid but something about the movements of her body seemed off. In her current position she still would have taken the strike, only on a different part of her body. Staying where she was she performed the skill again, but in the opposite direction. As her feet moved she let her hands switch, keeping her guard solid.

Her body twisted this time, taking her away from the attack. But the movements were too sharp, really unbefitting of the style. She needed smooth and fluid movements to complete the technique properly. Once again she danced forwards, her feet sliding into their proper positions. Simultaneously her hands switched and her body rocked in a circle, taking her away from and around the attack. With a small bit of flare she spun a circle as she landed, her knife circling with her as she moved.

It always happened this way, she couldn’t do something without adding her own flair to it. The good thing about this technique is even if she was too slow she was moving in on the strike, taking some of the power away from the attack. She caught the eyes of her Sensei and bowed, silently telling him she was ready for him to perform the strike so she could attempt to dodge it. He moved to her fluidly and they took their stances. Without warning he shot forth, his blade flashing dangerously. A beat too late she slid her foot forwards and rocked around, the edge scraping against her shirt.

He struck again, this time she moved in perfect timing. Her body swung a wide circle as she dodged around, keeping the knife just out of range of her skin. As she landed she spun, her arm circling around to catch at his throat with her knife. He quickly caught her arm and spun her over his shoulders and onto the ground. Breath escaped her as she hit the ground solidly. The mans face appeared over her with a smile. “Nice try, but you’ll have to try much harder to catch me off guard.” He warned her before helping her to her feet.

[/size][/size][/blockquote]

[j]

~Learrned.

[Kyoko]

Bouseki Yuki (Spinning Snow)
Rank: D
Skill: Taijutsu
Effect: The user delivers a surprise kick with their off foot.
Special: --
Drawback: --
Description: The user steps forward with their off-foot and points it forward, as though performing the Tentou. Rather than shifting their main-foot backwards, however, the user lifts their main-foot off the ground and spins gracefully to deliver a powerful heel kick to the opponent. They then resume the stance.
Limit: Must learn from a Gintsuki no Seikou Mai Master. Must know Tentou (To Invert).

Crafty Little Lip Tricks

[/center]

:Zero of Ten:

Tattoo On Her Left Hip~

Spinning Snow, there was magic purely in the names of the skills. A surprise kick with the off foot. The technique involved a spin which meant the kick delivered would be that much more powerful and it worked off the same principal as Tentou meaning she had some understanding of it already. She stood in her stance and took a deep breath, clearing her head and focusing on the skill at hand. Nothing else could permeate her thoughts now, she was in her center and the world was shut off.

Her back foot slid forwards and took its position, her rear foot lifted as her body pivoted, spinning in a tight circle before the heel would smash into the opponents back. It seemed too simple, a clear sign she was doing something wrong. The movement was slow for one thing. Slow attacks cost lives. She tried again, quickly shifting her back foot forth and launching herself into the spin. The kick came out wild, landing no where near where her target would be.

She paused and found one of the free standing bags and drug it over to her practice space to allow her a decent façade of an opponent. She slid in once more and spun. As she came around her leg wrapped around the bag, her thigh smashing into it and the rest of her leg wrapping. That could only mean she was far too close to properly execute the technique. For a long moment she stared, frowning at the target before taking her stance once more. She would not be bested by such a thing.

She performed the inversion; keeping her body in a tight spin and leaning away from the bag, letting her leg shoot out only when she was in perfect position to perform the kick. Her toes hit the bag and skidded off. Slowly she stepped back into her stance and shook her head, that wasn’t right either. It was better than before but the kick was supposed to be delivered with the heel meaning she needed to reposition her foot if she wished to do it the right way.

Once again she stepped into her stance and took off, her back foot stepping forwards and her body turning into a perfectly tight spin. She let her body fall away from the target to create space before position her foot and letting the kick fly. Her heel slammed into the bag sending the target rocking forwards. She landed her foot behind her and kept her arms tightly in the proper position as a smile crossed her face. That had felt much better.

[/size][/size][/blockquote]

[ladymia]

+10