The Way of the Iridescent Fist

[Feng]

The Ex-ninja redoubles her efforts, her hips swishing and swaying as she presses her enormous boobies against Kazuko's!

---

"I am ready to begin, Sensei" says the renamed Pamela, giving her instructor a bow.

[Knight Errant]

WOOSH! The fast step-in followed by the curtsy has Elizabeth off-guard. As such, the sudden upward sweep of the scepter is only narrowly avoided by her leaping back. But the tip of it catches that mask, knocking it from her face.

She's lovely underneath it, save a small scar on her cheek. Immediately, her Indigo aura begins to dim as she scrabbles for it!

Charlott's slim fingers curl around the scepter... her teeth grit... and for a moment, she tenses for a back swing towards Elizabeth's skull... Her indigo aura flickering as old instincts rise to the surface. She almost executes the no doubt awkward maneuver... but catches herself at the last second... Clasping her hands together... taking a deep, slow breath.

She raises an eyebrow as Elizabeth scrambles... watching her bend down. "Ooooh? You bow to me already?" She says with a calm voice... yet her aura flares... the Duchess might find her knees bending slightly.

[Blaze]

Viridi: Granted I'm concerned about all of them to varying degrees. I have extensive protection against Colors in general for a good reason; if by some chance someone succeeded in transforming me, the Goddess of Nature, the entire Continent's environment would change as well. If I were to become Blue, for instance, almost all life would follow suit, be they animal, plant or otherwise. The end result would be that without any desire to procreate or have relations with males, most life would become endangered or extinct inside of several years.

*finishes her tea* If I had to pin down those Colors that I'm most concerned with... I'd say Yellow, Jale, and Black. I have a semi-regular association with the template for Scarlet energy, Callista Wilson-Metallium, so to a lesser extent I'm worried about that as well.

"I understand. Beings of the land must protect themselves least the land become tainted. I still hold that these colors are the Way of this place, and to be so paranoid about them is to live an unwell life. But if you wish to ensure more troublesome Colors are well-managed here, I can show you."

She rises, and guides Viridi down the stairs and then around them. An iron door has been built into the side of them, and she opens it to reveal torchlit stairs, spiraling down. After descending, the two arrive in a carved cavern where those with a deathly pallor go through katas, guided by a jiangshi.

"Here is where the practitioners of Tomb Genesis Style practice."

Jade nods, eventually finding a reasonably comfortable balance and practicing maintaining it. "I had to begin finding arguments against nihilism within a day or two of coming into existence. The danger of certain thoughts progressing too quickly to counteract seems to have always been with me."

Ling nods, observiong closely as Jade begins to hit that ideal equilibrium. Once she has it steady, the martial artist begins hurling questions and problems at the wolfgirl to solve.

They start entirely within her purview; things about computer programming and engineering. They then begin to escalate, Ling describing entire swaths of computer code for Jade to debug, or entire mechanical systems for her to find flaws in and correct. And then from there, questions from subjects beyond her specializations. Orbital mechanics, chemical formula, and even quantum calculations!

"You have something in mind? A race, or some other sort of opponent?" Fox wonders aloud.

"A race may be suitable, yes. But to where..."

She leaps onto the walls and scans the skyline, before deciding on something. She then leaps down and nods.

"We race to the space elevator that leads to Muffinville-3, the defunct space station. From there, we run up the cable. Whomever gets higher shall be the victor. Do you agree?"

The Ex-ninja redoubles her efforts, her hips swishing and swaying as she presses her enormous boobies against Kazuko's!

From the hips come power! Swaying them boosts her forward momentum, allowing her to shove harder against the ganguro. She gets on her tippy-toes to try and maintain the struggle.

"Hah, not bad besty! But you won't beat me with raw power alone!"

She shoves back, getting her girls to slip under the elf's before arching her back! Somehow, in spite of the seemingly frictionless globes, this is enough to toss the elf into the air!

"I am ready to begin, Sensei" says the renamed Pamela, giving her instructor a bow.

Ling rises and begins to shine with Azure light. This makes her form slightly more curved and mature, but that's it.

"We begin with the basic stance. Legs wide, hands on hips."

She takes the stance herself... looking akin to a stern mother, ready to deliver a scolding.

((Not using the color for her words because it's almost unreadable.))

Charlott's slim fingers curl around the scepter... her teeth grit... and for a moment, she tenses for a back swing towards Elizabeth's skull... Her indigo aura flickering as old instincts rise to the surface. She almost executes the no doubt awkward maneuver... but catches herself at the last second... Clasping her hands together... taking a deep, slow breath.

She raises an eyebrow as Elizabeth scrambles... watching her bend down. "Ooooh? You bow to me already?" She says with a calm voice... yet her aura flares... the Duchess might find her knees bending slightly.

The woman wobbles, halfway from grabbing her mask as her knee begins to bend. Onlookers 'ooohhhh' and golf-clap the achievement, while Elizabeth's aura begins to splutter and flare back to life. She's trying to shrug off the command!

But she's still wide open, focused on the mask. Time for a finishing blow?

[Whatevr89532]

Jade has actually been studying more widely than her most apparent interests before now, and at least knows the basics in many of the topics, but the more complicated problems still require more work. At a rather high level of difficulty there is a brief but perceptible pause as she works through the problems with the carefully-balanced mental boost rather than pushing any more Silver into her head.

--

"Alright." Fox rubs his hands a bit, actually seeming slightly eager to give it a go. "Never really tested speed-endurance of this form seriously, I just assumed it'll give out after a long enough burst. We should probably actually count down and say go, eh?"

[Feng]

The elf with no name is sent flying in the air.... then crashes onto the ground; fortunately her large rear cushions her fall.

"Spinning tea cups...." she mumbles, getting up and rubbing her sore rear.

---

Pamela nods slowly. "I think I understand...?" she says, mimicking Ling's gesture. "Oooph! This brings back memories of my own mother; she was such a ferocious woman!" @-@;;

[AmbushCat]

"I understand. Beings of the land must protect themselves least the land become tainted. I still hold that these colors are the Way of this place, and to be so paranoid about them is to live an unwell life. But if you wish to ensure more troublesome Colors are well-managed here, I can show you."

She rises, and guides Viridi down the stairs and then around them. An iron door has been built into the side of them, and she opens it to reveal torchlit stairs, spiraling down. After descending, the two arrive in a carved cavern where those with a deathly pallor go through katas, guided by a jiangshi.

"Here is where the practitioners of Tomb Genesis Style practice."

*Viridi doesn't say anything at first, instead humming a few bars of a familiar tune. After enough time gone by, she giggles.*
The fact that Hades isn't around to see this is so gratifying.

[Blaze]

Jade has actually been studying more widely than her most apparent interests before now, and at least knows the basics in many of the topics, but the more complicated problems still require more work. At a rather high level of difficulty there is a brief but perceptible pause as she works through the problems with the carefully-balanced mental boost rather than pushing any more Silver into her head.

Ling nods with approval as Jade keeps the Silver carefully modulated, even in the face of more complicated questions.

"Very good. Now, let us take it up a notch. Try also channeling Red at the same time."

"Alright." Fox rubs his hands a bit, actually seeming slightly eager to give it a go. "Never really tested speed-endurance of this form seriously, I just assumed it'll give out after a long enough burst. We should probably actually count down and say go, eh?"

Ling nods, also looking eager. "On three. 1... 2... 3!"

She's off like a shot, leaping the walls in a single bound and dashing down the hill towards Muffinville!

The elf with no name is sent flying in the air.... then crashes onto the ground; fortunately her large rear cushions her fall.

"Spinning tea cups...." she mumbles, getting up and rubbing her sore rear.

"Hahaha! You're a million years early to defeat me!" Kazuko declares. Though she looks pretty spooked by that sudden onslaught at the end.

"Are you like, okay dear?" the instructor asks, walking over to help the elf up. "I totally didn't catch your name either!"

Pamela nods slowly. "I think I understand...?" she says, mimicking Ling's gesture. "Oooph! This brings back memories of my own mother; she was such a ferocious woman!" @-@;;

"That is the idea. This style channels a mother's love into a means of combat. It becomes especially potent when you are partnered with a practitioner of... well, that can wait."

She begins going through the kata. Lots of finger wagging!

*Viridi doesn't say anything at first, instead humming a few bars of a familiar tune. After enough time gone by, she giggles.*
The fact that Hades isn't around to see this is so gratifying.

Ling rolls her eyes as the reference soars over her head. The katas are very stiff, with some unnatural jerking that looks like their motions have been overcranked. The master guides the goddess to a side room where meals are being prepared. The core ingredient seems to be brains!

"We source these from butchers. Offal from cows and sheep is extremely cheap, and it's enough to tide them over until they master Yellow channeling to control their cravings."

[Whatevr89532]

"Alright..." Jade runs a quick calculation and then focuses a percentage of her boosted brainpower about equal to the amount of concentration she needed to channel Red before on doing just that.

--

Fox gets going right on 3 as well, a barely-visible blur next to Ling. For the moment at least he's not having trouble keeping up, and tries exerting himself a bit more to try and pull slightly ahead.

[AmbushCat]

Admittedly it grates on me a little, but with Yellow I guess this is really the best one could ask for.

*Viridi taps a few of the visible ingredients with her staff. The brains being used look... fresher, if that were possible.*

That's a little better.

[Knight Errant]

The woman wobbles, halfway from grabbing her mask as her knee begins to bend. Onlookers 'ooohhhh' and golf-clap the achievement, while Elizabeth's aura begins to splutter and flare back to life. She's trying to shrug off the command!

But she's still wide open, focused on the mask. Time for a finishing blow?

Charlotte mmms... and moves to rush up behind her. Shifting the grip of her scepter to her other hand... she goes to put her focus into one of her slender, gloved hands... moving in for what looks like a dainty slap to the back of her head. She does her best to shift that strange... power... to infuse it.

[Blaze]

"Alright..." Jade runs a quick calculation and then focuses a percentage of her boosted brainpower about equal to the amount of concentration she needed to channel Red before on doing just that.

Using Silver to gauge how much Red should be using works, but it feels... wrong somehow. Colors are expressions of feelings, of the land and of nature. To so rigidly define them using logic and reasoning... well, it works. But it's off-putting.

"You've grown quite accomplished at this. I'm impressed."

Fox gets going right on 3 as well, a barely-visible blur next to Ling. For the moment at least he's not having trouble keeping up, and tries exerting himself a bit more to try and pull slightly ahead.

Ling springs from roof to roof lithely, spreading the impact from her landings so that they might not damage them. As the tall, thin line of the cable that suspends the space elevator comes into view, she launches herself to the ground and begins running up it.

"Keep pace, Avatar! You don't want to be bested by a pretender like me!"

Admittedly it grates on me a little, but with Yellow I guess this is really the best one could ask for.

*Viridi taps a few of the visible ingredients with her staff. The brains being used look... fresher, if that were possible.*

That's a little better.

Ling clucks her tongue. "Though burdened with unlife, they deserve the chance to exist on their own terms if they do not harm others. I suppose a nature spirit cannot abide the continued existence of the dead."

She gives the refreshed brains a quick glance. "You mentioned Jale next, yes?"

Charlotte mmms... and moves to rush up behind her. Shifting the grip of her scepter to her other hand... she goes to put her focus into one of her slender, gloved hands... moving in for what looks like a dainty slap to the back of her head. She does her best to shift that strange... power... to infuse it.

The back of Elizabeth's head is struck, the Indigo shining around Charlotte's hand, flowing around her head at the point of contact.

It forms a new mask upon Charlotte's face, soothing her. But all her will to fight seems to have ebbed, her own aura dimming before fading. Everyone applauds!

[AmbushCat]

More than you know... but that's too long a story. Maybe I'll tell it some other time.

And yes.

[Blaze]

More than you know... but that's too long a story. Maybe I'll tell it some other time.

And yes.

Ling nods, and leads the goddess from the basement back to the open air courtyard. Up the steps, into the pagoda, and into a side room, loaded with clutter.

It's packed with myriad things, such as racks of clothing, weapons hanging from the walls, and cardboard cutouts of anime and game characters. "Jale proved to be difficult to craft a martial art out of. I eventually devised Hollow Statue Style but given the color's nature of being influenced by other colors, getting others to take a form where they can learn it has proven difficult. To that end, this room is filled with those who wish to undertake the path. Lessons on how to channel it are given, and they must utilize it to move before continuing. They are granted one day a week to be human once more, and offered the chance to learn something else before going under once more."

[Whatevr89532]

Jade pushes aside the off feeling. The goal of science is to understand nature completely, so surely understanding (at least some of) the Colors well enough to control them falls under that umbrella. Her own nature is a mix of the two colors, so applying one to the other should be...logical, in a way. At the same time, she nods. "I suppose if I projected red to someone not proficient with that style it could make them a less capable combatant. But this still feels a long ways off from actually being a competent fighter."

--

Fox doesn't have much trouble making the same jumps, doing quick rolls and cartwheels to handle the impact of landings. This makes his landings a little slower overall, but he keeps pace perfectly all the same. "Is that how you see yourself? Or just part of the taunt?" He runs up the opposite side of the cable, giving a slightly heavier burst of speed now.

[AmbushCat]

*nods* My lieutenant told me that the Color was on the unorthodox side, but part of me's still surprised. My own fault for not reading the reports more closely.