The Way of the Iridescent Fist

[Whatevr89532]

"..." Jade's expression is almost blank. She attempts to place her still-free right hand on Ling's face as if to obscure it or force it into a less cute expression. This is probably not what the master had in mind but it's a better idea than just letting go of the wrist, right?

--

Fox nods when asked permission. The fur on her arms (really all of her fur in this form) has an unkempt, rough texture to it, almost like tough scales where it reaches the claws. Besides that, any feeling of the arm muscles will show she wasn't kidding about being physically strong in this form. "I don't really have much technique like this, to be honest. More of a 'hulk smash' instinct than anything else..."

[Knight Errant]

It seems ridiculous, to counter a jab with the act of bringing tea to the lips. And yet, that gentle, subtle motion comes out fast enough that the back of Charlotte's hand just brushes Ling's fist, deflecting it so it goes past her head, gently brushing her long golden locks. Her new master give a satisfied smile.

"That was excellent. You see? It does not take brute strength."

Charlotte's eyes are wide with disbelief over what... she had just done. Sipping, she sets the cup back down. "Charlotte not sure what just happen." She pouts... looking over her shoulder where the fist had gone. She mimics the tea drinking motion again... her other arm seemingly trying to trace the fist trajectory in midair... She gets to where it impacted the back of her gloved hand... and hrmmms. "Me usually just take punch to face... But face not good at taking punch now... This work too."

[Blaze]

The chibi eyes widened with mix recognition and horror as he spied his long-sought quarry intermingled in the crowd of students, blending in to the crowd of shouting students. Yes, there was no doubt about it. The outfit was a dead giveaway. Now, if only he could somehow break away from th-And now he just got round house kicked in the face...

Sending the Chibi flying from the steps and hurtling to the ground below.

He groaned, attempting to pick himself up as he glanced around for the target, only to see they had vanished.

"Damn it!" he cursed, spitting another tooth onto the grass. The boss was not going to be happy that the quarry had escaped.... But at least he did confirm their suspicions.

"C'mon! Get your head in the game!" the ganguro yells as she pursues the Chibi down the stairs. "I'm gonna start getting serious now, because if this is the best you got, I may as well end this now!"

She leaps, her foot coiling in Chartreuse light before coming down hard, aiming to kick the Chibi!

Waffle Iron (and the rest of the army) raise an eyebrow at that.

::An odd assumption.::

Ling's technique manages to dispel the Smoke ninja rather easily. Like a certain technique utilized by the ninja of Muffingakure, the doubles were quite fragile. In essence their purpose was to overwhelm the enemy with numbers, not expertise in one-on-one combat. Yet as she continues to plow through the field of chibi like a reaper through grain, she may begin to realize that Waffle Iron is not among the smoke anymore.

"Not once have you come at me personally. It is all smoke and mirrors. I sincerely doubt that your school teaches only this. You clearly have some warrior's pride, else you would not have taken offence to my earlier words."

Now the old man is hiding. Ling doesn't seem to intent on hunting him though. Instead, she just assumes a power stance and starts shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow. Will Master Waffle do the honorable but foolish thing and let her power up?!

Joni: Do you have time to talk for a few minutes, or are you busy practicing? I could always try back later if you are...

The girl looks to the baseball in her cap and shrugs. "My shoulder was starting to burn, so I need a breather anyway." She walks over to the dugout and produces a bottle of electrolyte-infused energy drink, downing half of it in one go.

"So what is it? I'm listening."

"..." Jade's expression is almost blank. She attempts to place her still-free right hand on Ling's face as if to obscure it or force it into a less cute expression. This is probably not what the master had in mind but it's a better idea than just letting go of the wrist, right?

As her face is mushed, Ling opens her mouth, and comes very close to biting down on Jade's hand. Her teeth stop just short of touching the skin as she starts to clamp down on it. "Cute idea, but it comes more across as you acting the doting grandmother pinching their descendants' cheeks."

She reaches out non threateningly and touches Jade's chest, right over the heart. "The correct answer is 'harden this.' Remember, as sweet as children can be, they can also be incredibly insensitive and cruel. Their minds are still forming, their capacity for empathy not yet developed. That is what you must tap into."

Fox nods when asked permission. The fur on her arms (really all of her fur in this form) has an unkempt, rough texture to it, almost like tough scales where it reaches the claws. Besides that, any feeling of the arm muscles will show she wasn't kidding about being physically strong in this form. "I don't really have much technique like this, to be honest. More of a 'hulk smash' instinct than anything else..."

"Not all styles need an abundance of technique. Some only need just enough to refine the power that is already there," Ling replies as she finishes her inspection with a satisfied look on her face.

"I've no doubt that, as the avatar for Crimson, your capacity for bestial savaging far exceeds my own. I would like to see it for myself, if you don't mind. I am sure there is much I could glen from it." She claps her hands, and a bunch of woman dressed in overalls and unzipped oily coveralls wheel out an old car.

"If you wouldn't mind, please take this car apart with your claws. I will observe your movements."

Charlotte's eyes are wide with disbelief over what... she had just done. Sipping, she sets the cup back down. "Charlotte not sure what just happen." She pouts... looking over her shoulder where the fist had gone. She mimics the tea drinking motion again... her other arm seemingly trying to trace the fist trajectory in midair... She gets to where it impacted the back of her gloved hand... and hrmmms. "Me usually just take punch to face... But face not good at taking punch now... This work too."

Ling seems very satisfied with her new student! So much so, that she actually gives the girl a gentle embrace. "You see? This is the essence of all kung fu; taking what exists in nature, and refining it so that we may understand it better. By grasping the nature of the woman the Colors create, we can distill what makes them what they are, and hone it. Better understanding of even subtle things like 'how they drink tea' can reveal much to us. Only then do we understand the Way of this place."

She releases the princess and gestures at the assistants to take the table away. "As your reward for mastering that so quickly, I will let you pick you what learn next; curtsying, or hair-brushing?"

[Feng]

The diminutive ninja turns his attention to the Ganguro's taunt and sighed, finding himself between a rock and a very hard place. On the rock, his opponent was proving increasingly difficult to handle. The Chibiwanbanshu were no strangers to color energy, especially those who threw their lot in with Bones. And yet these monsters were demonstrating hybridization.

Why had he provoked her again? Stupid pride? The Flaming One would not approve.

And then there was the hard place, the very threat that was distracting his mind. He was now certain that his quarry was lurking around the school. The rainbow feathers were a dead giveaway.

Why? Was it because the dojo reminded it of its home? Was it drawn by the massive collection of color energy collecting here? Or had it simply stumbled upon the place by accident; a cruel joke by the Powers That Be?

Regardless, he could not let it slip on through. The Master would be most.... displeased.

His eyes narrowed as the girl began charging her attack. Great. More Tall One sorcery.... And then a thought occurs. "Perhaps.... Yes. That could work."

The Chibi leaped towards his opponent, revealing a pair of palm-concealed shivs. The obsidian shimmered in the sunlight. "Have it your way, Tall One!" he shouted, going to attack in a trajectory that left very little wiggle room for the ninja to escape the glowing kick... and yet put the girl in reach of the glass blades.

---

ELSEWHERE

"A warrior I am, but a fool I am not," says Waffle Iron, sitting atop a feather-caked rooftop. He hops on down slowly approaching Ling but leaving a respectable distance.

"I know when I'm beat" he says with a nod. "As Elder of the Black Temple I yield the match."

He reached into his sleeve and procured a scroll. "The Northern School of the Chibiwanbanshu, the agreed winnings for our match."

[Whatevr89532]

Jade withdraws the hand from Ling's face about when she starts talking. "...I see. Do you want me to release your wrist now?" She's actually still holding that as tightly as ever.

--

"All right then..." Fox regards the car for a few seconds...and then makes a sudden, flying leap toward it. The force of the jump, partially up but mostly toward the target, is absurd, and when she leads with those claws this alone is enough to tear a hole through from the side she impacts to the other one. After landing it takes her a second to turn around (that low speed in action, it seems), and then she grabs the two partially-disconnected pieces, one in each clawed hand, and pulls them up and apart as easily as some tissue paper before slamming them into each other top-to-top, crumpling the roof together. After letting go of the rejoined car-mass again she pauses briefly as it falls back to the ground and then grabs it with one hand to vault upward, ending up upside-down above it, and just starts grabbing and lightly tossing random chunks of crumpled car outward until there's not anything of it left but the lower part of one of the seats (it's rather hard to say which one) sitting on top of a small, thin column of crumpled-together metal and glass.

"Well.." Fox levers over to sitting on this seat, looking around at the destruction out of concern for any onlookers who didn't get out of the way of the thrown pieces fast enough but not seeming particularly winded by the exercise. "I think that's 'apart'."

[AmbushCat]

The girl looks to the baseball in her cap and shrugs. "My shoulder was starting to burn, so I need a breather anyway." She walks over to the dugout and produces a bottle of electrolyte-infused energy drink, downing half of it in one go.

"So what is it? I'm listening."

Joni: *blushing, a bit embarrassed* Well, part of it's a confession. I don't pay as much attention to sports as I probably should, so over the years I've lost track of your progress. Would you be willing to bring me up to speed on how you've been?

[Knight Errant]

Ling seems very satisfied with her new student! So much so, that she actually gives the girl a gentle embrace. "You see? This is the essence of all kung fu; taking what exists in nature, and refining it so that we may understand it better. By grasping the nature of the woman the Colors create, we can distill what makes them what they are, and hone it. Better understanding of even subtle things like 'how they drink tea' can reveal much to us. Only then do we understand the Way of this place."

She releases the princess and gestures at the assistants to take the table away. "As your reward for mastering that so quickly, I will let you pick you what learn next; curtsying, or hair-brushing?"

Charlotte winces at the hug! Not expecting that either. "U-um... me happy you happy...? Me just learning weird punch style according to our pact." She frowns... nodding.

"As for what do next... me fine with hair. You no see how amazing me had it? Wild and bushy! This all tied down." She frowns... tugging at her soft hair. "Not as good."

[Blaze]

The diminutive ninja turns his attention to the Ganguro's taunt and sighed, finding himself between a rock and a very hard place. On the rock, his opponent was proving increasingly difficult to handle. The Chibiwanbanshu were no strangers to color energy, especially those who threw their lot in with Bones. And yet these monsters were demonstrating hybridization.

Why had he provoked her again? Stupid pride? The Flaming One would not approve.

And then there was the hard place, the very threat that was distracting his mind. He was now certain that his quarry was lurking around the school. The rainbow feathers were a dead giveaway.

Why? Was it because the dojo reminded it of its home? Was it drawn by the massive collection of color energy collecting here? Or had it simply stumbled upon the place by accident; a cruel joke by the Powers That Be?

Regardless, he could not let it slip on through. The Master would be most.... displeased.

His eyes narrowed as the girl began charging her attack. Great. More Tall One sorcery.... And then a thought occurs. "Perhaps.... Yes. That could work."

The Chibi leaped towards his opponent, revealing a pair of palm-concealed shivs. The obsidian shimmered in the sunlight. "Have it your way, Tall One!" he shouted, going to attack in a trajectory that left very little wiggle room for the ninja to escape the glowing kick... and yet put the girl in reach of the glass blades.

The ganguro practices two very aggressive styles, so it's probably not surprising to discover that she has little in the way of defensive options. This become evident as the obsidian knives slash her legs on the way down, the kick losing impact and the dangerous energy about it fizzling out.

She doesn't seem to upset about it though. In fact, she's laughing. "Finally! I was worried you were some chump! Okay, let's do this."

She raises that wounded leg into a crane stance (offering a peek at the racy underwear beneath that short skirt) before leaping at her still-airborne opponent, flipping back to try and catch them with a vicious bicycle kick.

"With blades like those, I think we'll get along great once you lose!"

"A warrior I am, but a fool I am not," says Waffle Iron, sitting atop a feather-caked rooftop. He hops on down slowly approaching Ling but leaving a respectable distance.

"I know when I'm beat" he says with a nod. "As Elder of the Black Temple I yield the match."

He reached into his sleeve and procured a scroll. "The Northern School of the Chibiwanbanshu, the agreed winnings for our match."

Ling allows the energy about her to fizzle out. She look... disappointed? "Keep it," she says in response to the offering of the deed. "I do not consider forfeiture a victory, merely a stalemate." She gives her old opponent a look of understanding, but also pity.

"Don't you remember being a young man? A time where your own pride as a fighter trumped concern for your health? A time where clan politics mattered less than honing your skills? Do you remember when you truly became old, when you became comfortable with your life as it is, rather than excited over what it would be?"

She curls a hand into a fist. "That is not the Way of this place. I could remind you of what it was like, if you would let me."

Jade withdraws the hand from Ling's face about when she starts talking. "...I see. Do you want me to release your wrist now?" She's actually still holding that as tightly as ever.

"Oh, yes! You did manage to keep this lock throughout, so for that I commend you," she says. Once the lock is broken, she rubs her wrist and grins.

"I get the feeling that you're getting bored with this aspect of training, so let's move on to something more interesting. You were created with a mix of Silver and Red, yes? Time to learn how to channel and fuel those Colors to enhance what you can do!"

She assumes a stance, legs spread as she begins to burn Red. "The Colors of Muffinville are attuned to the Way of this place. That is why they can be found in fruit, weaved in magic and other spiritual ways, and naturally occur. To that end, they can be produced with your own qi, allowing you to enhance your qualities with what they offer, fuel the styles your learn, and become more attune with the Way."

"All right then..." Fox regards the car for a few seconds...and then makes a sudden, flying leap toward it. The force of the jump, partially up but mostly toward the target, is absurd, and when she leads with those claws this alone is enough to tear a hole through from the side she impacts to the other one. After landing it takes her a second to turn around (that low speed in action, it seems), and then she grabs the two partially-disconnected pieces, one in each clawed hand, and pulls them up and apart as easily as some tissue paper before slamming them into each other top-to-top, crumpling the roof together. After letting go of the rejoined car-mass again she pauses briefly as it falls back to the ground and then grabs it with one hand to vault upward, ending up upside-down above it, and just starts grabbing and lightly tossing random chunks of crumpled car outward until there's not anything of it left but the lower part of one of the seats (it's rather hard to say which one) sitting on top of a small, thin column of crumpled-together metal and glass.

"Well.." Fox levers over to sitting on this seat, looking around at the destruction out of concern for any onlookers who didn't get out of the way of the thrown pieces fast enough but not seeming particularly winded by the exercise. "I think that's 'apart'."

Several onlooking students did get pelted with scrap metal! But luckily, those more advanced had deflected the bigger chunks, so it's just a few bumps and scrapes. Ling doesn't mind though, she's too busy thoroughly assessing the damage and how Fox did it.

"Your turning is awful," she remarks bluntly. "You must be like a dog chasing its tail. I realize those arms must be heavy, but it is something to work on. With claws like that, even a lazy swipe backwards as you turn would do much," she begins to rattle off as advice comes to her.

"You clearly have a lot of destructive potential against a single target. But how do you defend yourself? Let's find out." She claps her hands, and her students line up. They all have staffs tipped with white gloves. Their fingers wiggle in a concerning way.

"Your job is to defend yourself from their assault without striking them directly. Begin." The students move to surround Fox, and jab with those gloves! They try and grab and caress at any sensitive part of the Avatar, including the ears, tail, and chest!

Joni: *blushing, a bit embarrassed* Well, part of it's a confession. I don't pay as much attention to sports as I probably should, so over the years I've lost track of your progress. Would you be willing to bring me up to speed on how you've been?

The pitcher gives the maid an incredulous look. "You really want to know?..." She stares into her water bottle for a long moment before giving an answer. "My fastballs have gotten faster. I'm coming close to a consistent 95mph on them. Curveballs need work though. My batting average is at .273, which is a slight improvement on last season."

She grimaces. "My running isn't getting better though. But I would always rather practice my pitches over running laps. I know that doing that might give me more power from my legs, but it's so boring."

She shakes her head, and glances at the maid. "Anyway. How's uh... maiding?"

Charlotte winces at the hug! Not expecting that either. "U-um... me happy you happy...? Me just learning weird punch style according to our pact." She frowns... nodding.

"As for what do next... me fine with hair. You no see how amazing me had it? Wild and bushy! This all tied down." She frowns... tugging at her soft hair. "Not as good."

"I think it's a lovely hairstyle, but I understand, Ling says as she reaches a hand up to start undoing the elaborate 'do. Soon, Charlotte's hair hangs long down her back, a shimmering shower of gold. More students come up, offering Ling and Charlotte pearl brushes to use.

"Watch me," the Master says as she takes off her cap. She bunches up a bunch of hair and brings it to the front, holding it loosely as she sweeps the brush down through it, over and over and over... it doesn't seem that hard. Occasionally she switches sides, but that's it. It seems more like peaceful meditation... is that the intent? "Now you."

[Feng]

The ninja smirks, twirling his blades. Obsidian knives were a iconic aspect of the Chibi culture, a throwback to a time before the Chibiwanbanshu when the myriad clans fought one another at the whim of the war-thirsty Burning One, the ever-conniving Smoking One, the grim Drowned One....

In the modern age the Chibi had embraced steel and more complex weaponry thanks to their encounters with the Tall Ones, those who dwarfed the Smallfolk in height and capacity for chaos. And yet some Chibi still crafted the obsidian knives, remembering the warrior traditions of old.

He only regretted not coating it in toxins.

He went to thrust his knife into the woman's foot, only to be distracted by the woman's colorful panties. 'What was with women and their fancy underwear?' O////o;;

The impact of the spinning kick disperses those pervy thoughts.

"I'm sure the Burning One will craft your vessel into something pleasant... in the Next Life~!"

---

Old Bird sighs.

"It would be disrespectful to refuse a gift from the Smoking One, Master Ling" said the elder. He nods.

"As for your offer? I do remember the days of my youth, fighting the enemies of the Puffin Tribe in a vicious shadow war that raged beneath the streets of your city. I remember the long nights of frantic terror, not knowing if or when the glass knives of the Penguin's would slit our throats in our own bed."

He sighs.

"And even after the fighting stopped? When the Burning One was subdued by one of your kind? The fighting still continued from the countless schisms in our order. Between those who wanted to destroy the Tall Ones and those who would rather live in peace. Instead of fighting outsiders, I was fighting those I once fought alongside. Former friends whose lives I tore out with my own hands?"

He leans on his staff.

"Chibi ninjutsu is all about trickery and deception, true. But I find the biggest con is the belief that there is joy to be had in fighting. For me, I have discovered that there is simply duty for my people."

He head-tilts staring at Ling inquisitively.

"What service would I be performing, then, by abandoning my position at the Black Temple and joining your school? How is the selfish pursuit of youth benefiting my people?"

[Whatevr89532]

Jade lets go when asked, and watches the master start to glow Red. "Okay," she nods. "I've always been cautious around colors because I dislike the idea of them changing who I am or the way I think..Having some way of controlling them to some extent seems very helpful."

--

"I know that mentally, but in this form my instincts are all wrong..." Fox starts to say, until the new test is announced. She crosses her huge claw-arms over the front of her body in an upward-pointing X shape, their sheer size blocking off her chest area, and tries to maneuver her way out of being fully surrounded, aiming to keep all of the opponents in front. As for the ears and tail...her best efforts to dodge are rather poor ones--not because they're badly directed but because her reaction time is so slow--but she doesn't react as if she's all that sensitive there. The low speed also makes the efforts to avoid being surrounded difficult unless there's a nearby wall to lean against. One particular thing that may strike Ling is that she doesn't seem at all tempted to strike them directly, or if she is she's resisting it quite well.

[AmbushCat]

The pitcher gives the maid an incredulous look. "You really want to know?..." She stares into her water bottle for a long moment before giving an answer. "My fastballs have gotten faster. I'm coming close to a consistent 95mph on them. Curveballs need work though. My batting average is at .273, which is a slight improvement on last season."

She grimaces. "My running isn't getting better though. But I would always rather practice my pitches over running laps. I know that doing that might give me more power from my legs, but it's so boring."

She shakes her head, and glances at the maid. "Anyway. How's uh... maiding?"

Joni: *listens politely throughout* It's safe to say your performance is better than mine. *frowns* My assignments end well, but getting there's a complete pain. Those attacks of 'klutziness' I was having were getting out of hand, and I lost track of how often I was admitted to the nurses' office. It's my hope that by learning from Master Ling, they won't be problems anymore. *removes her glasses and cleans them off on her apron* Or at least, not as often as before.

[Knight Errant]

"I think it's a lovely hairstyle, but I understand, Ling says as she reaches a hand up to start undoing the elaborate 'do. Soon, Charlotte's hair hangs long down her back, a shimmering shower of gold. More students come up, offering Ling and Charlotte pearl brushes to use.

"Watch me," the Master says as she takes off her cap. She bunches up a bunch of hair and brings it to the front, holding it loosely as she sweeps the brush down through it, over and over and over... it doesn't seem that hard. Occasionally she switches sides, but that's it. It seems more like peaceful meditation... is that the intent? "Now you."

She takes the brush... looking at it a bit warily... then watches Ling as she brushes her hair. Hrm... it does seem... simple... and silly, but... she goes to mirror Ling's movements as best she can. Gently pulling the brush through her hair.

[Blaze]

The ninja smirks, twirling his blades. Obsidian knives were a iconic aspect of the Chibi culture, a throwback to a time before the Chibiwanbanshu when the myriad clans fought one another at the whim of the war-thirsty Burning One, the ever-conniving Smoking One, the grim Drowned One....

In the modern age the Chibi had embraced steel and more complex weaponry thanks to their encounters with the Tall Ones, those who dwarfed the Smallfolk in height and capacity for chaos. And yet some Chibi still crafted the obsidian knives, remembering the warrior traditions of old.

He only regretted not coating it in toxins.

He went to thrust his knife into the woman's foot, only to be distracted by the woman's colorful panties. 'What was with women and their fancy underwear?' O////o;;

The impact of the spinning kick disperses those pervy thoughts.

"I'm sure the Burning One will craft your vessel into something pleasant... in the Next Life~!"

"Your Burning One is lukewarm next to me, because I'm already hot as he-hey!"

She points at the obsidian knives the Chibi wields. "You pulled a weapon! What happened to bare-hands only?!" She claims she's not an airhead, but she clearly has her moments. "Well shorty, if you're gonna cheat, I'll cheat harder!"

She raises a hand in the air and snaps it. A girl in the crowd tosses her the box cutter again... but why is she glowing Orange now?

"Bloody Mandarin Secret Skill: Awakening of Murderous Potential!"

It is a known fact that Orange girls typically manifest with large, impractical weapons that they use with uncanny, brutal skill. So it is a bit strange for this one to wield something as simple as a box cutter. But as she so happily displays today, anything can become those bizarre tools of slaughter in the hands of those who master Bloody Mandarin.

Before the ninja's eyes, she begins to extend the blade as the Orange pumps into it. It comes out, and out, and out, more segments than the tiny handle should be able to hold. Eventually, it has the length of a jian, and she wields it as if it were.

"Now I'm for real! Try not to bleed out too fast!"

She swings... and the blade segments separate, connected by thin wires. She's turn the box cutter into some kind of bizarre whipsword, one that she lashes the area with, carving up the footpath, the turf of the hill... and potentially an unlucky Chibi!

Old Bird sighs.

"It would be disrespectful to refuse a gift from the Smoking One, Master Ling" said the elder. He nods.

"As for your offer? I do remember the days of my youth, fighting the enemies of the Puffin Tribe in a vicious shadow war that raged beneath the streets of your city. I remember the long nights of frantic terror, not knowing if or when the glass knives of the Penguin's would slit our throats in our own bed."

He sighs.

"And even after the fighting stopped? When the Burning One was subdued by one of your kind? The fighting still continued from the countless schisms in our order. Between those who wanted to destroy the Tall Ones and those who would rather live in peace. Instead of fighting outsiders, I was fighting those I once fought alongside. Former friends whose lives I tore out with my own hands?"

He leans on his staff.

"Chibi ninjutsu is all about trickery and deception, true. But I find the biggest con is the belief that there is joy to be had in fighting. For me, I have discovered that there is simply duty for my people."

He head-tilts staring at Ling inquisitively.

"What service would I be performing, then, by abandoning my position at the Black Temple and joining your school? How is the selfish pursuit of youth benefiting my people?"

"You speak of selflessness and selfishness. The Way is above such concepts," Ling says. She does not take the scroll yet, but she does sit cross-legged before the old man.

"This place, Muffinville. It is a place of change, everyone knows. However, many only focus on the physical side of things. The changes here are not just in the form of growing curves or the like, and I am also not speaking about the mental archetypes that reoccur so frequently. I speak of spiritual changes, of becoming a different person where it truly matters."

"When some experience these changes, many just... shrug it off, through some means or another. But tell me; were is the sense in clinging to the old and comfortable in a realm of constant chaos? There is none. The Way of this place is change, and so it should be embraced. You changed, from young to old, and your mindset changed in time. But now you act as if your world is set in stone. I assure you it is not. No matter how hard you cling to tradition and community, The Way sweeps up everyone in time."

She produces a picture from her gi, and shows it to the old man. There are five people in the image; a young man with a typical noire trench coat, a young nun with bright blonde hair, a cherry-looking yet shabby Buddhist monk, a stern-looking miko, and an elderly man in a dark gi. "I came here with four students, and not a one of us look or act anything like the people in this picture now. The Way took us, and we went with it. To fight against it, by rejecting the changes it brings or simply resetting as if nothing happened, is folly and brings only misery and stasis."

The picture is returned to its resting place. "My school helps people to go along with the Way. I frame it through combat, as even now, it is the only thing I am good at. You may enter my tutelage and understand where it might take you. Or I can take the scroll, conclude our business, and it will sweep you up another time. My offer remains open if so. And finally, to answer your question; it is not for me to say. But if you understand the Way, you will find your own answer to it in time."

Jade lets go when asked, and watches the master start to glow Red. "Okay," she nods. "I've always been cautious around colors because I dislike the idea of them changing who I am or the way I think..Having some way of controlling them to some extent seems very helpful."

Ling looks to Jade. She had been oddly excitable since she became like this, but her expression shifts to a stern one. "To be cautious is fine. I teach the means of keeping the Colors from overwhelming you. But to be overly paranoid and take many precautions against it is folly. It is against the Way."

She then smiles again and begins her lesson. "Okay! To start, you need to understand what the essence of the Color you're trying to channel is. Red is the color of... well, cute things. So you need to think 'cute.' I want you to close your eyes and think of all the cute things you can!"

"I know that mentally, but in this form my instincts are all wrong..." Fox starts to say, until the new test is announced. She crosses her huge claw-arms over the front of her body in an upward-pointing X shape, their sheer size blocking off her chest area, and tries to maneuver her way out of being fully surrounded, aiming to keep all of the opponents in front. As for the ears and tail...her best efforts to dodge are rather poor ones--not because they're badly directed but because her reaction time is so slow--but she doesn't react as if she's all that sensitive there. The low speed also makes the efforts to avoid being surrounded difficult unless there's a nearby wall to lean against. One particular thing that may strike Ling is that she doesn't seem at all tempted to strike them directly, or if she is she's resisting it quite well.

Ling watches the exercise carefully... she seems unhappy with it. Her students certainly do well though, some using their hands to try and open gaps in Fox's guard so others can sneak in a quick squeeze! Eventually, the Master claps her hands, and the groping/training exercise ends. "Something's wrong," she insists as she marches up to Fox before placing her hands on the Avatar's shoulders.

"Only a tortoise or the like would hunker down as you did. And you say that your instincts are 'wrong?' Please, explain how. But as you do, let Crimson build up within you. I want to see how it flows in this form." In spite of her stern words, she seems a bit concerned. Fiercely so.

Joni: *listens politely throughout* It's safe to say your performance is better than mine. *frowns* My assignments end well, but getting there's a complete pain. Those attacks of 'klutziness' I was having were getting out of hand, and I lost track of how often I was admitted to the nurses' office. It's my hope that by learning from Master Ling, they won't be problems anymore. *removes her glasses and cleans them off on her apron* Or at least, not as often as before.

The baseball player looks to Ling, who only inclines her head respectfully. "Right... well, good luck with that. Martial arts huh? Maybe a bit of those would help me..."

She begins to down her water bottle, and Ling takes the chance to raise an eyebrow at Joni. This would certainly be an opportune time to bring it up!

"But I get the feeling you didn't come here just to catch up. Get to the point," Hannah adds once her bottle is empty.

She takes the brush... looking at it a bit warily... then watches Ling as she brushes her hair. Hrm... it does seem... simple... and silly, but... she goes to mirror Ling's movements as best she can. Gently pulling the brush through her hair.

Swish, rasp, swish, rasp, swish, rasp. So the motions and the sounds go, over and over as Charlotte brushes her hair. It is oddly soothing, the gentle pull at her roots, the feel of the silky soft locks becoming straighter and neater. She does feel oddly calm... maybe it is just a meditative technique. But the Master keeps talking, loud enough to be heard, but softly enough to not break the trance.

"Do you know the classic tale of the knight, the dragon, and the princess? The wicked dragon kidnaps the princess, but the brave knight rides out to slay it and rescue the princess, to whom he is eventually wed. Who do you think is the most powerful character in the story? Some would say the dragon, as he can burn down cities with a breath and wears scales that can turn most any weapon. But in the end, he is slain by the knight, so is the knight the strongest? No, for he is just a man in the end. His might extends to where is blade can reach and where his horse can take him."

The truth is that the princess is the most powerful figure in the tale. She is at the center of events, all the way through the tale. Though she weds the knight, it is through her noble name that he becomes king. Though she is kidnapped by the dragon, it is not because she is powerless, but because she is powerful. There were many girls he could have taken, but it is for her that the dragon risked bloody retribution, for her that the knight risked life and limb. For she wields power, power to lead and inspire a kingdom, to pass on her royal lineage. There is power in a princess, but it is through my training and through embracing with a princess is that you learn to use it."

[Whatevr89532]

Jade isn't entirely sure how many precautions are too many, but doesn't try to argue the point. "Okay..." She closes her eyes, and tries to think of cute things. With the speed her mind runs at, it takes barely a second to get thousands of mental images together, everything from kittens and puppies to big-eyed cartoon characters to babies (when they're not being terrible) and so on and so forth. Even at this rate, "all the cute things you can think of" might still take a while. There are a lot of permutations of cute things, after all.

--

"Well..just what I said earlier about the lack of technique." Fox waves her hand slightly, and the Crimson spills out from her slightly, moving like a fire surrounding her. It doesn't appear to take much effort to do this; if anything, it seems like she was expending some small amount of effort preventing it from doing this before. Anyone who came into contact with this glow would immediately be overwhelmed with the color (though, if Ling's still holding on to her shoulders it's possible she has some way of keeping that from flooding out all the others). "Trust me, I have a lot of experience with all kinds of fighting styles from my old life. But there's a difference between knowing mentally how to fight a certain way and having the correct muscle memory, reflexes, and other kinds of automatic, instinctive actions so your body fights the way you want it to. This form's first instinct in defending itself is to hit whatever's annoying it into next year, but you said not to do that--and I wouldn't want to anyway. Adjusting that instinct will take some practice I just haven't had yet. In my default form, even unarmed, I probably wouldn't have been touched once, and could end up with a collection of those weird staff things."

[Feng]

As one of Bones' lackeys, the Chibi ninja was indeed aware of orange girl's ability to summon weapons from seemingly nowhere. This knowledge did little to prepare the diminutive assassin for the Ganguro's hidden Ace.

His eyes widened as the blade turned into a whip sword. Whip sword! In her hands? This match was going south fast!

"Green bimbo.... Orange psycho.... Just what in the Thousand Hells are you, Tall One?" he shouts, attempting to roll out of the way, but not fast enough. The edge of the whip sword nicked him on the back.

'Burning One.... preserve me!'

---

There is a long silence as Waffle Iron considers the photograph. His face is unreadable. His eyes wander to the school, watching the other students training in the courtyard. Eventually his gaze settles on a yellow butterfly flickering through the grounds.

".... .... Your words have touched, Master Ling" he concedes after a while. "I have grown weary of the way of Smoke. I have grown weary of Flames.... And in my years at the Black Temple, despite my antics, I have grown.... weary with time."

He sighs, pulling out a long tobacco pipe and lighting it, taking a long puff before offering it to Ling as a friendly gesture.

"I see this as a sign that it is perhaps time to move beyond the shadowy ways of the Black Temple, Master Ling. To retire from Chibi ninjutsu. Indeed, I had long considered leaving but my stubborn devotion to my order kept me from following my heart."

He nods.

"I will take you up on your offer, Master Ling. I only ask for two things in return."