Challenging Fate (Rai)

[Rin Shirayama]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;][/style][/classy][STYLE=width: 400px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; padding-bottom: 10px] A steady sigh managed to escape her lips as she reached up to tug at the white-furred hood of her coat as the winds seemed laced with the scent of rain. The steady winds continued to tug at the long pony tail of snow white hair, that had been tied back with a single black ribbon to keep it out of her face for the most part, though there was little point in attempting to avoid staying low key. She'd already learned the hard way that her looks made her stand out in a crowd and so didn't even bother to pull up the jacket's hood to hide who she was or where she was going. Although, to the untrained eye, it would have been easy enough to mistake that the girl was simply shopping or possibly even lost, because it wasn't to far off the mark. Rin had only moved to Namimori a few weeks prior, so hadn't quite had a chance to familiarize herself with all the streets and back alleys that made up the town. The skies had been overcast for most of the day, but outside of that there were few perks in what had turned out to be a complete and utter waste of her time. Classes had let out early and with no club activities to attend to, Rin was doing what she normally did, exploring and looking for something interesting to occupy her free time. That meant strong opponents, something Namimori was proving to be rather lacking in, as she pulled the list from her pocket. On it were several names and addresses, with three or four that had already scratched out with a pen. Alright, Rin would admit it - this was starting to getting incredibly annoying. Considering some years had passed, Rin hadn't expected this town to be swarming with hitmen and mafia agents, but she had hoped there would be more to offer than low-level thugs and inferior opponents. It had to be a bad joke, right? Honestly, Rin had a reputation to uphold and two weeks had gone by with nothing to show for it, with the exception of one run in that the young woman was still trying to forget. A few hours had already passed and in that time, Rin had already managed to hit a couple dojos from the local area already, but they proved nothing more than a bunch of boys, who didn't deserve to call themselves 'men'. Still, it was one of the places where known fighters were said to hang out, and it mattered little to her what style they used. Whether it was traditional martial arts or some modern variation of street fighting, anyone with the guts to accept the challenge was a potential target. Rumors had already started to crop up, much to Rin's dismay of a swordsman, who was going around and challenging the strongest masters and fighters of the local dojos, and more importantly - beating them. Not that Rin cared all that much about what people said, as long as she was able to ease that restless itch that came when she got bored. Maybe she'd simply grown to accustomed to fighting with the best, because it seemed there were few left with discipline, let alone the guts to be worth the trouble. Perhaps she should have called it a day, but as her crimson eyes raised to the streets around her, she suddenly became very aware of how empty they were.... Where the heck was she, anyway? Stuffing the paper into the pocket of her black jeans, Rin continued to walk, allowing her gaze to scan the surrounding houses. These weren't your typical apartments like she was used to staying in, these were much older and more mansion like than anything Rin was accustomed to. Yeah, she was definitely on the wrong side of town. She'd managed to let out a groan when she's noted a sign hanging over one of them that read simply - 'Inazuma Dojo'. The place as massive, like something out a history book once, but it did look more promising than anything else in this neighborhood. A proud smirk slid across her face confidently, as she moved through the gate, not bothering to knock and entering the garden. Well, someone obviously took care of the place, because there were fish and ponds all over the place. Rin didn't know much about pets, but she knew you had to feed them regularly. Still, no one seemed to be around, so drawing in a breath as she neared the door to the main building decided to make her presence known in the most obvious way she knew how. "VOI! Anyone home?" Rin called out, rather loudly, though she spared no thought to neighbors ability to hear the ruckus. There was no way a house this big didn't have someone in it, and if they couldn't fight her, then maybe they could at least give her some blasted directions. Mind you, Rin was not the most imposing swordsman that had ever walked the face of the earth. She only stood around five foot, five inches tall and dressed in civilian clothing, could have very easily been mistaken for a few years younger than she truly was. A light blue v-necked t-shirt could be seen over a pair of black jeans, while a matching black hooded jacket with white fur around the rim of the hood was worn open, exposing the clearly feminine build. On her feet, were a simple pair of black lace up boots with metal plates over the toe of the shoe and a pair of fingerless gloves could been seen over her hands, but it was that long white hair that stood out more than anything, blowing with the breeze. It was certainly exotic looking, but it was hung over her back, concealed in piece of black fabric that harkened to the true danger - a simple wooden training sword. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; background-color: #000; color: #dedede]tags: Rai Inazuma words: 993 notes: Wow, this turned out long. Sorry. XD [/style]

[STYLE=font: normal 11px helvetica]made by bubbles of btn[/style]

[RAI INAZUMA]

It had been some years since the Inazuma Dojo had faced a challenger. The last time had been a young girl called Saya who, embaressingly, beat every student in the school and drew with the Master. That girl eventually married the master's son and the resulting offspring were all currently sitting in the kitchen eating the world's worst Onigiri prepared by a naked baby with a golden pacifier. As Ayame was about to offer her tactful advice about how being great at inventing explosives did not automatically mean you were great at inventing onigiri a loud shout shook the entire mansion and bowled over all three kids.

Raitaro blinked, in typical lazy style as he got to his feet and ignored the panicking Madason as his budgie chirped around in circles. Glancing to his siblings, he asked
"Did someone leave my amp plugged in?" which was soundly ignored as Denshichiro got up to see what was happening. Meeting his father midway, they shared a glance, someone had been shouting for them. The two of them both held training staffs and glanced around at the front of the house. They spotted the girl with long white hair, her hooded jacket immediately made her resemblance to her grandfather apparent to Shinnosuke, he'd heard stories from Raitaro's grandfather of the Shark of Varia, a swordsman so fierce that even the grand-master of the Inazuma school could not defeat him.

They certainly looked Japanese like this, both Shinnosuke and Denshichiro wore traditional hakama of olive green and beige, they both had the same jet-black hair as the more famous Raitaro and a clear resemblance to each other with their slightly angled faces. Shinnosuke looked nervous, though Denshichiro was slightly less apprehensive. In fact, the first thing the prize student said was to sigh and ask
"What's my little brother done now?" while Shinnosuke hurriedly stepped forward.

The sky was dark with rainclouds, the wind was strong... he felt a bad omen. A cursory glance at the girl told him that she was more skilled than he was comfortable with. It gave him a disconcerting feeling, it reminded him all too well of the first time a challenger beat the Inazuma school. Clearing his throat he asked

"How might we help you, miss?"

Denshichiro had his staff held ready and low. He was expecting a fight and having trained with both Ayame and his mother, he was decidedly not against the idea of fighting a woman. There were only so many times chivlary can get your ass kicked before it just leaves you. If she was going to attack he'd be ready..

((OOC: If she does attack, he definitely won't be. Also, epic opening post is epic o.o-b))

[Rin Shirayama]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;][/style][/classy][STYLE=width: 400px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; padding-bottom: 10px] Sadly, abrasiveness was not something the Superbi family had ever been known to be short on and while Rin may have carried her father's Japanese name, she was the spitting image of the former Sword Emperor. In fact, there had always been something of a running joke when Rin was younger among the older members of the Varia. Even now, it wasn't hard to see the apple hadn't fallen far from that tree, not in looks or that familiar fierce aura that seemed to encircle the girl as she held her ground in the garden waiting for the first signs of life from the home. It was just noise at first, but soon enough the door slid back and figure stood in door, curiously peering out. Rin, of course, offered no signs of apology for disturbing the peace or for possibly scaring the daylights out of anyone, standing there with confident smirk. Two men appeared in matching hakama, more than likely the patrons of the residence and the school. They were both clearly Japanese, a trait that Rin could have spotted more than a mile away, partly from experience. One was younger and seemed more naive than the other, his relaxed demeanor easier to spot and less concerned over their unexpected guest. It was the older of the two that caught Rin's attention and with good reason, as his expression seemed to express apprehension and hesitation. They appeared to be related, but the young woman would have been willing to bet money on who was the master here, because he was the only one with sense enough to be worried about the new arrival. Rin's smirk spread a little wider as the old man finally managed to clear his throat and speak, asking why it was she was here. "Voi! Isn't it obvious?" She questioned with a knowing tone. "I'm here to challenge the master of this school to a duel." Rin explained confidently, as though the matter should have been the simplest thing in the world, though for a moment those crimson colored eyes managed to slid to the younger man. There was something sly, almost amused about the look she gave him, before her attention returned to the older man with a shake of the head and a subtle chuckle. Rin might have looked young, but she carried herself with the all the refinery and presence of a combat veteran, but it was like watching a viper, constantly knowing it could strike at a whim. "You shouldn't be so jumpy. I wouldn't waste my time coming here, just to have you use something like an excuse that you lost because you were unprepared." The young woman explained matter of factly, in some sense to put their minds at ease that she wouldn't try anything funny. Some might have mistaken it for honor, if not for the double edge the statement held, a subtle assurance of victory that couldn't have shaken lesser men. "Of course, if you'd prefer to save yourself the trip to the hospital, old man, you can always forfeit, so I don't have to waste my time on weaklings." She added with a smile that seemed to say it all. They could fight or they could run like cowards, it made no difference from her, but if they pushed this battle, they would get a glimpse of skill they called the 'devil's work', first hand. Did they really want to risk that? [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; background-color: #000; color: #dedede]tags: Rai Inazuma words: 574 notes: None [/style]

[STYLE=font: normal 11px helvetica]made by bubbles of btn[/style]

[RAI INAZUMA]

To say this was the absolute worst thing for Shinnosuke to hear would be an understatement. He would have been cautious about any challenger but anyone who seemed so clearly to be a descendent of Superbi Squalo had him on edge. Denshichiro seemed to have nowhere near as much concern as Shinnosuke as he outright chuckled at the attitude she was taking
"You wish to challenge the school? We're the Inazuma style, the greatest Spear style in the whole of Japan" he seemed to take a certain level of pride in this.

Usually, Shinnosuke would reprimand him, claiming to be the best school in Japan when they hadn't fought against anyone outside the style in years seemed like a deceitful attitude to take. Unless you counted Raitaro. Shinnosuke was busy thinking of ways to get either his grandfather or other son out here. He didn't want to tell Denshichiro but there was no way he was going to win this. His father Raikou might be able to, even though he was old his skill was close enough to the Sword Emperor and part of Shinnosuke's assessment told him she wasn't yet at that level. He was less confident of Raitaro's ability, they would be of equal skill if they fought and his... personality was not conducive to fighting an attractive young woman.

He responded slowly but with purpose
"I don't believe we can-"

"We accept your challenge" Denshichiro announced loudly, glancing to his father "But first you must defeat our master's top student." he winked. Denshichiro meant himself but Shinnosuke took note of the loose wording and decided that, just the once, he was going to have to let Denshichiro's ego take the hit. He sighed, nodded wearily and watched as Denshichiro squared off with the girl, a low stance with the spear head pointed up to deflect any incoming blows.

((OOC: You can control Denshichiro for the fight if you like, he's not weak exactly but Rin could probably beat him without being hit once o.o-b))

[Rin Shirayama]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;][/style][/classy][STYLE=width: 400px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; padding-bottom: 10px] Rin's brow lower slightly when the younger of the two laughed, never one to be mocked, no matter what the circumstances were. Clearly, this one needed some sense knocked into him, if he couldn't even see the difference in their strength with a simple glance. Although, the more he talked, the funnier it became. "Oh? I've fought worse." She answered calmly, though this was no small matter of stretching the truth or overconfidence. Rin really had fought worse, much worse, and had been trained under not one, but 'the' greatest swordsman in the world. The boasts of a single style of any weapon were no great concern to her and she would deal with it the same way she had other and the same way her grandfather had before her. No style was perfect, all she had to do was see it and dissect it, then this was be nothing more than a cake walk. It was the older man, however, that seemed to have already put something important together. Not that this was the first time someone had ever looked ready to run and face shame, as opposed to facing her in a duel. Chances were, he had either heard the rumors going around Namimori or there was a possibility that he had managed to put together who she was related to. There were times when Rin couldn't have been more proud of her family line, but genetics could be a curse at times, such as making potential opponents run for the hills before you even had a chance to draw your sword. It made for a boring fight, that much was for sure. As the old man began to speak, Rin's expression faltered, knowing what was coming next and the sense of annoyance immediately began to well up. Fortunately, before he was ever able to get out the words, the younger of the two immediately butted in and blurted out an acceptance of her challenge. It was a prospect that caused the smirk to return to the girl's face in sheer amusement. He only made it worse on himself, when he confessed to being the dojo's top student, which earned a laugh from Rin. "Voi! You can line up as many pupils as you want, but the results are still going to be the same. Just don't think flirting with me, means I don't intend to bury you." Rin explained, slipping the sling off her shoulder. With a quick pull of a cord, she'd snatched the material, causing it unravel and sending the wooden bokken spinning into the air. As it came down, Rin simply extended her hand, catching it by the handle as the younger man moved to square off. Tossing the fabric lazily to the side, a smirk played on the young woman's lips, a sense of ease crossing her features as though a part of her own arm had been returned. "When I beat this boy of your's, I intend to fight the master of this dojo, old man." She warned, bringing the sword to rest in front of her, leaving her left hand loose and relaxed. As the young man launched forward into a thrust, Rin simply parried, side-stepping and blocking the end of the wooden spear with the sword, keeping the sword at a side angle. When the spear end snapped back, the young girl was already on the move, her footwork doing most of the work and only using the sword to block his strikes, the smile never wavering with each step. Of course, while it may have looked like Denshichiro had Rin on the ropes and doing nothing more defending, a keen eye could have seen that her tactics were less necessity and more choice. She was watching, playing with him, testing the waters, gearing up for some thing that would put an end to this confident brat. As the shaft of the spear glided across the edge of the bokken, Rin's feet shuffled forward breaking the distance between the two, as her right foot suddenly launched upward at the young man's chest to knock him backwards and possibly the wind out of him if he wasn't expecting it. Although, whether it hit the spear or the body the damage wouldn't be to severe. "Voi! Is the best you got?... I'm getting tired of waiting to see what's so impressive about this famous style of yours." Rin called out, taunting the young man once more with a smirk that seems more fired up now that the battle had started, as the rush of adrenaline began to flood her senses, like blood in the water. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; background-color: #000; color: #dedede]tags: Rai Inazuma words: 769 notes: None [/style]

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[RAI INAZUMA]

Shinnosuke smiled at her words and closed his eyes. Repeating himself he said
"If you can defeat my best student, you can fight me" before sitting down to watch, unsure how best to draw out Raitaro or Raikou. He finally settled on sending a brief text-message to Ayame and waited.

Denshichiro had been raised in the Inazuma style all his life. Against most opponents his mix of strength and speed with delicate accuracy made him ferocious and an opponent best avoided. Yet this young girl was fending him off with ease. it wasn't that obvious to the casual observer, it may have looked like he had her on the ropes but both of them seemed aware, she was toying with him. Her foot-work helped her evade his thrusts with ease and it was obvious slashes wouldn't help like this, even if he managed a wide cutting arc she could avoid it with that unreal speed and he'd be exposed.

After one particularly disastrous thrust, Denshichiro looked alarmed, she closed the space between them. Maintaining the neccessary distance was a core of spear-fighting to be compromised was- he tried to tense or counter but was too late as he took the kick square in the ribs. He gasped, losing air as he tumbled backwards, crashing across the floor with the impact. He rolled to his feet, spear held forward but his breath was uneven, he'd been winded by that. So effortlessly... he couldn't fight against this kind of force. She laughed, mocking his style yet... yet she was right. He couldn't stand against her but he wouldn't let his family down.

Standing up once more he resumed his stance, the tip pointed towards the enemy's face, the right arm and leg forward, he was ready he'd have to try and do it. He rushed forward ready to attack once more-
"Hot girl where?" he glanced up, Raitaro had burst out of the house and stood besides his father now. Shorter black hair in a mess of spikes, piercings in his eyebrow and a similar face, he was clearly a younger brother. A loose red t-shirt with random english words scrawled over it and tracksuit trousers adorned his slobbish frame along with a complete lack of socks or shoes.

This distraction would be enough as Denshichiro's eyes left his opponents and strayed towards Raitaro

((OOC: Wide open for an attack >_< stupid Denshichiro!))

[Rin Shirayama]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;][/style][/classy][STYLE=width: 400px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; padding-bottom: 10px] Normally, Rin might have argued the fact, but seemed contented by the old man's words as the fight began, ignoring everything else. Once the battle started, that was all existed in her world, because that was how she had been trained to be. In combat, in assassination, the target and goal were ones only focus, and any distraction was something that could get you killed. Eventually, she'd learned to tune it out, but where Rin may have lacked the sheer brute strength of most men, she made up for it in speed and simple tactical experience. She had spent her life learning not simple the sword, but hand to hand, honing the skills of an assassin and becoming a human weapon. Rin may have looked normal enough on the surface, worn the mask at school and in front of others, but she was no one to be trifled with, a lesson the young man was about to learn the hard way as her foot slammed into his rib cage. She watched with a satisfied smirk as the air left his lungs, the panic had hit him in realization, a mistake on the young man's part. A cool head was everything in battle, when one lost that calm, they left themselves open to attack. He managed to roll himself back onto his feet, but the pain was evident and the message clear, Rin was no longer playing around. If he stood any chance, he couldn't make rookie mistakes like the one he just had or he would be in a lot more pain. A smirk crept to her face as he rose to his feet once more, dropping back into a position to wait for his strike. She simply had to time it correctly and she would end this in one move. Now that he was reckless and desperate, Rin could seize her chance and fight her real target, the master, instead of the arrogant pup. She could see it as his body tensed and sprang forward to thrust, waiting until the last minute to side step and ready to deliver a hard upper-cut blow with the bokken. He might have had a chance to dodge or move away had he seen it coming, but in those moments, the young man's gaze was broken by something else that distracted him from the fight. Stepping through and past him, Rin showed little mercy, allowing the sword to pass like the gust of wind, intent on driving her opponent to the ground in a painful heap. He would probably be lucky if he didn't end up with a few cracked ribs, but the confident smile on Rin's face was proof enough. Her patience had paid off and now, this fight was over. Drawing the sword up to rest it on her shoulder, a hand raised to push the long white bangs from her face, finally allowing her crimson eyes to settle on the younger boy in the red shirt with a subtle, confident smile. "You should take a lesson from your older students, brat. Never get distracted in the middle of a fight." Rin added, a slight mean streak rubbing salt in the older brother's wounded ego, but wanting to make sure he never made the mistake of underestimating her again. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; background-color: #000; color: #dedede]tags: Rai Inazuma words: 547 notes: None [/style]

[STYLE=font: normal 11px helvetica]made by bubbles of btn[/style]

[RAI INAZUMA]

"But baby, you're so distracting! You have any more lessons for me?" Raitaro sighed, staring with open lust admiration at the white haired girl who'd so easily dispatched his brother. His complete lack of reaction was perhaps startling, usually you'd expect someone to at least look concerned as Ayame was as she ran to help her brother and make sure he was OK. He was in bad shape but they knew people who could heal with Dying Will Flames, he'd be alright. The brutality though, the force of the blow... Ayame was careful as she moved him to one side and tried to rouse him. Denshichiro was lost in his defeat, he'd been so thoroughly beaten...

Shinnosuke was, of course, concerned, he'd hoped Denshichiro would fare better but at least he came out in one piece. He sighed, she'd beaten him as if he were hardly there and so he strode forward
"I said you could fight me after you beat my best student. So, now you've had a warm up, would you care to fight him" he waved his hand back to indicate Raitaro, catching him as the boy was busy mooning over the white haired girl. His bubble burst, he frowned and looked suddenly annoyed
"Ehh? Oyaji, I'm not fighting her! I'm barely even a student!" both Raitaro and his father began remembering the few times he'd trained this year. One perfunctory stab at a black belt to test the guy's blocking and him inventing the Denkouissen. The rest of it was a montage of poor guitar playing and visiting Maid Cafes with his grandad.
"Nevertheless, you are the best student we have. The best example of Inazuma style"
"But I don't caaare, if she takes the sign then she can take the Mafia too so I don't have to do that any more"
"Stop being so lazy, you ungrateful little-" Shinnosuke managed to supress the pulsing vein in his fore-head. Desperate times...

"Miss Superbi, would you be open to placing a bet? If you beat Raitaro you will have bested out entire Dojo and I shall relinquish our sign to you. If he wins though... you must go on a date with him"
"Annnnnnd SOLD" Raitaro hopped over to Denshichiro and grabbed the practice spear from his limp fingers, Ayame looked more than a little appalled that saving the family's livelihood was less important than scoring a date to him as Raitaro took Denshichiro's space. He adopted the same stance as his brother had but it was... different. It was more relaxed, more confident and gave off an entirely different feeling. It was like a kitten compared to a lion, the idiot boy appeared to be dedicating himself to this.

There was a crackled of green lightning as Lightning Flames briefly rolled down the staff, toughening the wood and making it more solid. Raitaro smiled at the white haired girl
"So, what's your name hotness? I'm Raitaro Inazuma, my home phone number's on the sign outside for when you need to call me. And might I just add, you have amazing eyes" He obviously wasn't paying attention to the fight but unlike Denshichiro this didn't feel like a clear disadvantage... Raitaro didn't like striking the first blow, at least not against an unknown quality, he preferred to be reactive so he waited...

[Sheeka Rithan]

[cs=2][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background: #121212; width: 500px; height: 45px;] [style= font-family: times; font-size: 35pt; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: center; color: #467B94; margin-top: -20px;]DUSK LAMENT[/style] [style= background-color: #121212; font-family: courier new; font-size: 7pt; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 8px; letter-spacing: 3px; text-align: center; z index: 1; position: relative; color: #FFFFFF; margin-top: -30;]NIGHT BRINGS PAINFUL TEARS AND TWILIGHT STARS[/style]

[atrb=style,background: #212121; width: 150px; height: 400px; border-bottom:dashed thick #467B94; border-top:dashed thick #467B94][style=width:100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #333333; opacity:0.9;filter:alpha(opacity=40); margin-left:25px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/c0SALs.jpg); -moz-border-radius-topleft: 40px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-topleft: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-topright: 40px; -o-border-radius-topleft: 40px; -o-border-radius-topright: 40px;] [/style]   [style=width:100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #333333; opacity:0.9;filter:alpha(opacity=40); margin-left: 25px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/c0SALs.jpg);] [/style]  [style=width:100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #333333; opacity:0.9;filter:alpha(opacity=40); margin-left: 25px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/c0SALs.jpg); -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 40px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-bottomleft: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-bottomright: 40px; -o-border-radius-bottomleft: 40px; -o-border-radius-bottomright: 40px;] [/style]

[rs=2][atrb=style,background: #121212] [style=margin-left: 10; border-bottom:dashed thick #467B94; border-top:dashed thick #467B94; height: 460px; width: 300; overflow:auto; background-color: #212121; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #FFFFFF; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-right: 10px; padding-left: 10px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 10px; -webkit-border-radius: 10px; -o-border-radius: 10px;] There had definitely been several trying days since his arrival in Japan and subsequent addition to the Spiaggia family. His family was, to say the very least, an interesting bunch. He really didn't know what to think about them at the moment. Except that his boss was a womanizer who made fun of his height and Sayomi was kind of crazy. After departing from the Dojo, Sheeka had taken pains to make sure Sayomi didn't follow him home with a nice illusions of himself walking in the opposite direction. He really didn't have anything to do that day, considering he'd yet to actually attend the local school. He probably should do that eventually...after all, education was important. Especially for him, since he'd had to catch up that year after he'd run away from home. He had easily caught up with the curriculum so he could stay with his age-group. Might as well visit his family, see what they were up to that day. He kind of wanted to learn about the style his boss used. Maybe he could learn it? Or something. The fact he was short didn't help with carrying around a long spear, really. Ugh. Everybody was getting to him. He wasn't short. He wasn't short. He was just...vertically challenged? He still had a few years to grow...and everybody else was just super tall. "Annnnnnd SOLD"

[/i]

What was his boss up to now? Screaming about sold? What. Huh. He was so odd sometimes, Sheeka dully noted as he wandered into the dojo. There was a girl though..a very...familiarish girl. That hair...he couldn't put the stuffed dog he currently carried with him's paw on it.

"So, what's your name hotness? I'm Raitaro Inazuma, my home phone number's on the sign outside for when you need to call me. And might I just add, you have amazing eyes"[/i]

He was flirting with the girl...why was that not surprising...but they looked like they were getting ready to fight, so it might be a chance to get to know how Raitaro fought. So, taking a place on the side-lines with his stuffed animal in hand. Maybe he wasn't a complete idiot all the time? Hopefully not...
[/style][/td][/tr]
[tr][td][atrb=style,background: #212121; width: 150px; height: 100px; border-bottom:dashed thick #467B94; padding: 2px 5px;][style=font-family: courier new; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 4px; font-size: 10; text-transform: uppercase;]words || 364
tagged|| rin, rai
notes || yes. Maybe rai isn’t as stupid as he acts. [/style][/td][/tr]
[tr][td][cs=2][atrb=style,background: #121212; padding: 3px;][style=font-family: courier new; letter-spacing: 4px; font-size: 10; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;]made by aveon on btn[/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Rin Shirayama]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;][/style][/classy][STYLE=width: 400px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; padding-bottom: 10px] For a moment, Rin arched a brow at the boy's words, rather shocked by his forwardness and complete lack of concern for his older brother. Most people would have rushed past her to the side of the wounded or cursed her for what she'd done, but not this one. No, he didn't even bat an eye at the loss of a comrade or seemed to sweat the matter, as though weakness were enough of a sin to earn what retribution had befallen him. Actually, it sort of reminded her of someone else she knew. Jeez, that was a scary thought and Rin had to shake off the thought as she moved to off to the side, so they could deal with the wounded. She didn't have any intention of killing anyone, allowing her focus to instead fall to the old man. However, what came out of his mouth next earned a scowl in annoyance, along with the boy, who seemed as shocked about the whole matter as she was. "Voi! What kind of game are you playing?" Rin snapped, recalling his previous promise and what was a clear issue here. She had already fought what was the more mature student here and bested him, so there was no point in pitting her against his younger brother. It was not only a waste of time, it was a clear effort to buy time, because the old man knew he couldn't win against her. Even the boy was quick to confess that he was not even a student, let alone someone who was in a position to be defending the honor of a dojo. She listened as he continued to explain that he didn't care if she took the sign or the Mafia... Wait? What?! Rin only managed to watch with confusion as the boy seemed to be handling the arguement for her, pushing the old man to annoyance, until his attention returned to her once more. When he adressed her by her grandfather's name, Rin stiffened seriously, not typically one to bring up that name when she didn't have to. She listened as he explained that if she only beat the boy, then the entire victory was her's, but it was what the old man added to the end of if Raitaro won that managed to shake the normally steady swordswoman. "A DATE?!" Rin yelped in shocked, though before she had a chance to argue, Rai had shouted his wholehearted agreement to the deal and the trained assassin found herself in a situation she wasn't normally in - extremely confused. "Wait a minute, you old fart!" The girl nearly screech in anger, though the young man wasn't making it any easier. "Don't look so damn happy, ya brat, I still get a say in this. HEY!" Rin yelled at him, as her stomach tightened in sudden realization. No, no matter how much Rin hated the idea, she couldn't very well argue with the wager, because if she walked away now, it was as good as loosing. The previous fight would have been for nothing and she would have had to admit withdrawing to some brat, she didn't even know. Rin was fuming. It was written all over her face and she looked ready to strangle someone as she turned on her heel, that long pony tail catching in the wind as she turned to face the boy. "Fine,.... but you sentenced him to a hospital stay, old man." She practically growled threatening, bringing the sword up in a more serious gesture than she had before. Rin didn't care how old he was or what his reason was, she was not going on a date with someone, simply because she lost a sword match. It was unheard of, the shame alone would have been enough to commit harakiri. Unfortunately, it was only made worse by the loud mouth brat, who immediately began asking her question and irritating the bloody hell out of her in the process. First, he wanted to know her name, then he was giving her his number, and then he was complimenting her eyes... Wait, why would he do that? No one had ever done that. If anything, most people said they made her look more like a demon than that white hair already did. Yet, he'd just called them 'beautiful'. Rin's face was flooded red, though it wasn't clear what there was more of, embarrassment or pure rage. "Voi! Shut up, I don't need your number, because we're not going on a date. I'm going to beat you and then we are never going to see each other again, you hear me, brat?" Rin explained rather clearly, hoping to drive it into his thick skull, though as she forced back to swallow, she knew she had to calm down. If she stayed flustered like this, things were only going to get worse and she needed to concentrate. As the crackle of Lightning Flame echoed across the weapon, Rin steadied her breathing. It was different from before, though it didn't seemed possible. This kid wasn't like his brother, there was any doubt or hesitation in his stance, he was ready to throw everything he had into this. Which meant, she couldn't play around anymore. A rush of blue raced down the edge of the bokken taking the initiative in the fight. "Amestubuha!" Rin spoke, drawing the blade up in and arch, sending small drops of rain flames out like scattering fireflies on a summer night. The whole display would have been pretty had Rin not rushed forward, taking aim at Rai and bringing the sword down in a hard swing straight swing, though quickly darting back upon his defense of the attack. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; background-color: #000; color: #dedede]tags: Rai Inazuma + Sheeka Rithan words: 948 notes: Congrats XD You have officially ticked off and flustered Rin. [/style]

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[RAI INAZUMA]

Shinnosuke mumbled something after she mentioned Raitaro having a hospital stay after this. It sounded a good deal like "That'd be a first" but held his peace as the two kids squared off. He tried not to show it but he was incredibly nervous about this. Raitaro needed to win had he given him enough motivation?

Naturally, Raitaro barely batted an eye at the tirade of abuse and objections streaming from Rin as she kept insisting that they weren't going to go on a date that she was going to win. Of course he didn't say anything, it wasn't so much confidence as blind determination, he had to win because a date with a hottie came after. A date with a hottie who... seemed to be blushing at his compliments so naturally he grinned even broader. Hey, she must be listening to them if she's smiling. Raitaro took a second to notice that Sheeka had turned up and briefly nodded to his Mist Guardian
"Hey Shii, have you grown?" he meant it in a nice way, he didn't actually think Sheeka had grown at all but since it was such a big THING for him he figured he might try and toss a compliment his way to make him feel better. Because it must suck being short.

Raitaro's lack of focus also cost him a chance to counter Ametsubuha as the white-haired girl unleashed a weird spray of blue. Reflexively, Raitaro dodged backwards and landed in his same stance a few feet back, avoding any contact with the attack though the blue blobs didn't seem too dangerous now. What was more pressing was the white-haired girl moving to attack, he went to dodge but found his left leg unresponsive, he glanced down and saw he'd managed to get part of his leg stuck in the blue flame blobs and it was no moving slower. It was like dragging his leg through trickle, everywhere not touching it was fine but the spots where his leg met flame were moving terribly slowly.

Seeing he couldn't dodge, he shifted his spear up and deflected the blow, the tip of his spear clashing with the edge of the blade. The impact was sharp but he kept his balance, watching as she moved back. This'd likely be the point Sheeka saw something impressive, the force of the wooden weapons clashing was impressive for a master let alone two kids plus Rai was shutting up. Raitaro was a little concerned by the force of that blow, it made a lotta sense that a move like that took Denshichiro out she was way better than him. Heck, she might be better than Raitaro...

With effort, he dragged his leg free of the tranquil rain flames. He could see the benefit to her move now, it made the whole zone a mine-field and he couldn't just run through since the droplets left no clear route he could take. He smiled, looked like he'd need to be careful, keeping track of where she was, he adjusted his step, raising the spear to be more level and with a frightening speed thrust forward, retracting the spear to unleashed a flurry of thrusts, each one picking the slim spot between tranquilising drops. They weren't big enough for his body but a stick? Each blow was risky, if she reflected it into a flame it'd get stuck but at the same time it'd make dodging trickier for her.

It wasn't that intense, it felt almost lazy but the speed and strength of the blows was far superior to Denshichiro's blows striking for awkward targets and trying to drive Rin back. The goal was to make her move away from the Ametsubuha field since the rain flames were a serious disadvantage to Raitaro. He wouldn't like to admit it but having such decreased mobility was risky, if he got caught just once even he could see that it'd mean he was screwed, as he continued the assault Raitaro casually asked
"You never told me your name, hey, anyone ever told you how nice your hair is? It's like fresh fallen snow <3"" Oh look, he was still flirting, even as he kept trying to stab her with a pole. At least he can focus on something.

Shinnosuke stood besides Sheeka and respectfully bowed to the young Mist Guardian
"I hope you brought some luck with you, Rithan-san. I am sure we shall need it..."

[Sheeka Rithan]

[cs=2][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background: #121212; width: 500px; height: 45px;] [style= font-family: times; font-size: 35pt; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: center; color: #467B94; margin-top: -20px;]DUSK LAMENT[/style] [style= background-color: #121212; font-family: courier new; font-size: 7pt; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 8px; letter-spacing: 3px; text-align: center; z index: 1; position: relative; color: #FFFFFF; margin-top: -30;]NIGHT BRINGS PAINFUL TEARS AND TWILIGHT STARS[/style]

[atrb=style,background: #212121; width: 150px; height: 400px; border-bottom:dashed thick #467B94; border-top:dashed thick #467B94][style=width:100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #333333; opacity:0.9;filter:alpha(opacity=40); margin-left:25px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/c0SALs.jpg); -moz-border-radius-topleft: 40px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-topleft: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-topright: 40px; -o-border-radius-topleft: 40px; -o-border-radius-topright: 40px;] [/style]   [style=width:100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #333333; opacity:0.9;filter:alpha(opacity=40); margin-left: 25px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/c0SALs.jpg);] [/style]  [style=width:100px; height: 100px; border: 5px solid #333333; opacity:0.9;filter:alpha(opacity=40); margin-left: 25px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/c0SALs.jpg); -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 40px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-bottomleft: 40px; -webkit-border-radius-bottomright: 40px; -o-border-radius-bottomleft: 40px; -o-border-radius-bottomright: 40px;] [/style]

[rs=2][atrb=style,background: #121212] [style=margin-left: 10; border-bottom:dashed thick #467B94; border-top:dashed thick #467B94; height: 460px; width: 300; overflow:auto; background-color: #212121; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; color: #FFFFFF; padding-top: 15px; padding-bottom: 15px; padding-right: 10px; padding-left: 10px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 10px; -webkit-border-radius: 10px; -o-border-radius: 10px;] "Voi! Shut up, I don't need your number, because we're not going on a date. I'm going to beat you and then we are never going to see each other again, you hear me, brat?"

[/i]

Why did Sheeka get the feeling that it wasn't going to turn out like that and that they'd probably be seeing a lot more of the angry girl? Wait. Did she just yell 'you' in Italian? Why did that seem so familiar. Bloody heck. He'd heard the rumors of somebody going around and challenging dojos...was this the person doing that? Well. It sounded like Rai would have his work cut out for him, if he could win because well...so far he was messing around. In a fight, that was probably highly disrespectful because you're opponent would want you are your best...

"Hey Shii, have you grown?"[/i]

He couldn't tell if Raitaro was trying to make him feel better or commenting on his height again. Either way, just the mere mention of his height was annoying. He twitched in obvious annoyance before his voice rose in annoyance. "Oi! Be quiet, you! I clearly haven't! Concentrate on your bloody fight rather than my height!" One hand angrily flailed in the air while the other held onto his stuffed animal.

"You never told me your name, hey, anyone ever told you how nice your hair is? It's like fresh fallen snow <3"[/i]

Argh. He was a terrible flirt. Sheeka's hand flew to his face in a full-hand facepalm. Was there such a thing as a personality transplant? Probably not...but maybe somebody would invent a personality transplant one day soon and Rai would stop being a silly flirt like that. He felt so sorry for that girl...especially since anger in a fight was never good. The angrier you got, the more wild attacks became as you tried to take down your opponent, right?

"I hope you brought some luck with you, Rithan-san. I am sure we shall need it..." [/i]

Sheeka's head turned to the other Inazuma family member and he inclined his head in turn to the other. "Hopefully I did, then. I mean...he really should be more serious in a fight then this," Sheeka commented. He didn't know who he felt more sorry for at the moment...Rai when Rin got a hold of him or Rin because Rai was flirting with her terribly.

Sheeka had to admit, albeit a little bit grudgingly because it just wasn't fair that somebody so...so.../Rai-ish/ could be good with his weapons. It was nice to know that Raitaro was good at his fighting style, even if he wasn't really being serious at the moment.... [/style][/td][/tr]
[tr][td][atrb=style,background: #212121; width: 150px; height: 100px; border-bottom:dashed thick #467B94; padding: 2px 5px;][style=font-family: courier new; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 4px; font-size: 10; text-transform: uppercase;]words || 442
tagged|| rin, rai
notes || Pft. [/style][/td][/tr]
[tr][td][cs=2][atrb=style,background: #121212; padding: 3px;][style=font-family: courier new; letter-spacing: 4px; font-size: 10; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;]made by aveon on btn[/style][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[Rin Shirayama]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;][/style][/classy][STYLE=width: 400px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; padding-bottom: 10px] For the most part, Rin was aware of the new prescence, but chose to ignore it for the most obvious of reasons - she was distracted with Raitaro. There weren't many opponents that could get under her skin, but flirting in the middle of a fight was so unorthodox that even Rin didn't know what to make of the matter. Whatever the case, Sheeka's distraction served it's purpose and managed to distract her opponent long enough to play the field to her advantage. Like any general or military commander would, she was not content to play by the rules of her enemy and in a moment had turned the field of combat into her own personal chess board. The young man seemed to realize his mistake though, as he brought the spear end up to meet the wooden sword, clashing with an impact that sent a chill up her spine. That was it! The rush Rin had been waiting for and it was hard to hide the smile that crossed her face that could have very easily been mistaken for joy or excitement. Not that many sane people would be so happy over what they had just witnessed as the strikes they were using were no joke. Of course, she didn't have a great deal of fear when it came to battle, but had come to relish it over time and had learned to turn complete chaos into stillness. Because in the end, that was the rain did, it washed away everything, whether it was an enemy outside or the enemy within. As the boy moved to attack once more, Rin continued to rely on her footwork. She had no intention of retreating backward out of the field though, instead used more circular movements to side step and turn away, using the sword to counter the strikes, while dodging the end of the spear, sometimes by little more than a hair's breath from her body. It took an incredible amount of precision and grace, the kind that would have made any dancer green with envy. However, her intent was simple as she brought the sword up to knock the weapon away in a fencing manner, intent to throw or knock the weapon into the blue balls of Rain Flame. With each one, the opponent's weapon would become slower and heavier, until eventually they would be left vulnerable and open to attack. It was a truly ruthless style, but not unlike one very familiar to a former Sword Emperor. However, somewhere among the melee Raitaro managed to speak, continuing to flirt, despite his subordinate yelling at him to focus more on the match. The subject though was what earned a smirk in amusement and almost seemed to make her ignore the clear insult. "Oh, like I haven't heard that one before." Rin added sarcastically, bringing the sword up once more to knock the spear end away. "Let's just say, I have really good genes. Although, if I were you... I wouldn't take my opponent so lightly." She explained with a knowing smirk, the hint clear enough if Rai's father had taught him anything about the mafia, though this time Rin was taking the initiative and moving forward in a quick burst. Drawing the sword up and bringing it down hard in a diagonal slash, as Rin continued to build up her energy. Normally, she didn't like to rely on grandfather's technique, but if this kid wouldn't take her seriously, it seemed she had no choice, except to put him in his place. If Raitaro didn't stop flirting, he was going to be in for a very nasty surprise with what Rin had in store and now that she seemed ready to take a more offensive measures, this fight was about to get interesting. Of course, he wasn't the only one with a reason that required him to win at any cost, and not simply because Rin was trying to avoid going on a date with a some troublesome guy. Even if he was taller than her, he was still a brat when it came to maturity. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; background-color: #000; color: #dedede]tags: Rai Inazuma + Sheeka Rithan words: 547 notes: None [/style]

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[RAI INAZUMA]

Raitaro's mind was starting to grind the dusty gears as he had to think on his feet more than usual. Mostly because as he noted with some chagrin, she definitely knew what she was doing, she hadn't been hit once by a thrust and she wasn't being driven out at all. Still, she responded to his comment in turn and with his usual flair for sounding normal rather than crude Raitaro replied with
"I assure you, I'm paying attention... to your genes" Shinnosuke winced, he was going to lose his dojo, there was no two ways about it, he was going to lose the school and Raitaro would just sit around all day playing that stupid guitar. Unfortunately for Shinnosuke, he was maybe a little over-confident in his son's abilities as Raitaro managed to get snagged by more of the blue flames, the stick felt slower and he realised with a slight horror that even though he culd pry the staff free it still slowed down when it hit the flames.

Well, that left him fewer options. He could keep poking through the gaps but if he got hit by a bum deflection he'd be done for. He could try and get in close and just hit her with some Lightning Flames but that was barely even an attack it was more like having a taser taped to your hand. Still, he had a much easier option here. As Rin raised her sword up high he took a few seconds to observe the sword's attack line before moving, shifting his weight to the opposite side he angled his body along the same diagonal so the wooden sword would slice through parrallel to his body. Adjusting his grip, he slid his hands down to hold the staff mid-way down and with a snap of his wrist struck out to try and hit Rin's mid-section. Following this up, he slid his hands down once again to hold the end of the staff and mid-way up to bring it down towards her back.

They weren't light blows, he was trying to avoid serious injury but they were enough to take the fight out of a rookie. Of course, she was far from a rookie but goddamnit, Raitaro couldn't bring himself to seriously injure someone so hot. Using this brief gap in attacking, he began moving his feet in odd patterns, slipping away and out of the range of Ametsubuha, he twisted his frame to avoid any more droplets in the process. He was well aware, painfully even, that if he hit too many more drops even his speed and talent would be hopelessly outmatched. Evading his way out of the field felt like his only option.

Irritatingly, he had only one attack option available to him that used techniques to this level. Denkouissen, it was perfect, it was brutal, it was nigh unblockable and was his usual cheat to avoid Rain Flames. It would also shatter his staff into a million pieces if he missed and hit something else so it wasn't an option. He kept charging the staff with Lightning Flames, maybe if he kept it primed he could stun her a bit with the blow and use the advantage? Or harden it enough to endure a Denkouissen? Why had his dad even agreed to this!? What the hell was wrong with that old man. Raitaro made to move fully out of the way of Ametsubuha, regain the home advantage as it were, while readying himself to have to use his one and only special technique.

[Rin Shirayama]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,350,true][STYLE=float: left; width: 100px; height: 100px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;][/style][/classy][STYLE=width: 400px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; padding-bottom: 10px] Now Rin had fought men of every age and creed when it came to her pursuits with a sword, but what came out of Raitaro's mouth this time, officially topped the list as the worst lines she had ever heard in a match... ever! She wasn't sure whether she should have been irritated, appalled at his crudeness, or simply pity him for ever saying such words. Even his own father seemed to flinched, but the distraction was pushed aside. If Raitaro was really mafia, it was just another sign of how watered down the generations had become to accept an idiot like this one into their ranks. However, it seemed evident he was starting to get how dangerous the situation he found himself was, as he pulled the spear from the blue flames, earning a smirk in amusement as she moved to strike. To her shock though, the kid turned out to be much keener than his older brother was when it came to combat. Rin could admit she'd underestimated her opponent a little and had rushed into to quickly in her attempts to finish this fight, though she was no rookie either. As her sword came down, she was all to aware of the position she was in, so forced the air out of lungs, before the spear end collided with side. There was no way to avoid it completely, so despite baring with a little pain, it wouldn't be enough to remove her from the fight. Turning the bokken in her hand to guard her back as the second strike came down, Rin was ready and quickly darted back to put some distance between, and to shake off the slight ache in her right side. Nothing seemed to be broken, but there would no doubt be a bruise by tomorrow, but it was more irritating than anything that he'd even managed to land a hit. He had some talent, she'd give him that. A person simply didn't predict the movements of a weapon without some knowledge, so was he feigning idiocy to make her drop her guard. It was possible. Which meant, it was time to get serious as she took note of the Rai attempting to escape Ametsubuha's field. "Voi, running away so soon, Inazuma-kun?" Rin spoke in a tempting tone, as a smirk spread to her face, rushing forward with the intent to cut off his escape route. Using one of the nearby tall garden stones to grant her more height, Rin launched herself off the rock and took aim at the boy. Of course, while it was strange that assassin would call out to a person before attacking, there was a reason. Bringing the bokken down in a straight strike, taking aim at his head, if the didn't manage to block the move, Rin was going to win and he was going to wake up with the headache of the century. However, if his skill what was more than dumb luck, then she would be ready. "Shougekiha!" Rin spoke, ready to unleash the wave of vibrations with the first solid thing the wooden sword came into contact with. Yes, before Raitaro walked away from this fight, he would learn the true reason her family were so feared as swordsmen. [/style][STYLE=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font: normal 11px arial; line-height: 90%; background-color: #000; color: #dedede]tags: Rai Inazuma + Sheeka Rithan words: 542 notes: None [/style]

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