[BiTPR2] Renewed Revolution: Spirit World III

[Tebryn]

Last post of the pervious thread. Let the games begin. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...287823&page=50

[Kuroimaken]

[SSI, Koutetsu Hideki's office]

"Forgive me for doubting it. As an intelligence officer first and a leader second, imagining the worst-case scenario is kind of in my job description."

[Draken]

SEnCorp

"And it is the job description of a weapons developer to make sure that they are safe to use. Even the wrapping of the sword's hilt was an upgrade at some point in time."

Type, type, print. Hideki hands Setsurou a piece of paper.

"Here is what the weapons will cost with a breakdown of part pricings. Good luck with the budget."

Nothing too exotic in there. Still quite a list, probably not enough money will be given to the project to get past the two digits in units until the things are tested and deemed successful.

[Kuroimaken]

"Duly noted. Your work makes my job easier, by the way."

Setsurou takes up the piece of paper and takes a brief look at it. It's not like he was expecting a different outcome either.

"I need to pass along two reports to Ishinomori-san. Any chance they can be delivered via Reiphone somehow? I need to run the specs of this thing by Naijeru, see how he likes the idea."

[Dorizzit]

Having come through the Garganta only a little bit before Jehoel he was looking around in a sort of wonder at the city. It was definitely not what he was expecting from a city of Hollows. His mind was processing and filing away the sights for later when Jehoel asked his question. Thinking about it for a bit he responded, "If Mikael and Rin-san are okay with it I would like to see the purpose-based districts first."

[Las Noches]
District 11

"Very well. I would like to note that, as a city of several thousand people, a complete tour would take almost an entire day. I...assume that an absence of this length of time would be problematic, yes? Perhaps it would be best for me to show you the highlights rather than give a comprehensive tour."

He begins lifting districts off.

"Starting with the purpose based districts, we have the Conversion district where Hollows are transformed into Arrancar, the Science district where experimentation is performed, the farming district, Grand Arena, Art, Education, Philosophy, and Grand Library."

[ImpSyndrome]

[One week later...SEIREITEI, INTERNAL SECURITY TRAINING FACILITY]

Satoshi's been busy over the past week, and it's starting to show some results. For one, he's not quite so feeble as before beginning his training under Urameshi; still just as fragile, but much more able to defend himself without a weapon. In addition, his transfer to Internal Security appears to have been extended indefinitely, so he has taken the liberty of requesting a change of assignment to that division's barracks.

Now that he's been under Urameshi's supervision for two weeks, it's about time for his abilities to be assessed. He awakens early, still feeling a bit sore from recent bumps and bruises, and prepares himself for a downright brutal test (and that's saying something, considering some of the tasks he's been put through already) of everything he's learned so far. After steeling himself for what promises to be a trying event, he quickly makes his way to the training facility, where Urameshi is likely waiting impatiently for him...

((Let me know if this post is assuming too much or advancing too quickly.))

[Kuroimaken]

Waiting, yes. Impatiently, no.

If nothing else, Urameshi's posture is the exact opposite of what one would expect. He's sitting on a lawn chair, a bag of popcorn on his lap, as he watches the various recruits fight with varying degrees of success or interest. They're all tagged by a red or white hachimaki, and the ones with red hachimaki are typically armed. In some cases, there's more than one opponent at a time for each member of the white team...

[5a Violista]

(Oops. Posted in the wrong thread.)

Spoiler: Quincies

Show

[Soul Society]
Black Dragon Gate Inn

"Oh really?", Hoshi says skeptically, then looking at Caeyrn and letting him speak before continuing.

"If you ask me, 'many' is sort of a relative term. We are talking maybe a dozen people who would be happy about it. While I'm here for my family, I still embarked on this journey knowing that most would not even consider doing it. They still believe my sister..." Hoshi sighs. "They still believe my sister will solve it all with her amazing powers and charisma. They're all idiots engaging in wishful thinking, if you ask me. She's not young anymore."

Hoshi regains her focus and gives Koutarou a dry look. "Besides... there's no such thing as a 'defenseless' Quincy. There's also no such Quincy who would have no doubts of your offer, it'd be just like them to think this is a way to lure us all into concentration camps or something. And if you try to safeguard all their non-Quincy relatives, friends, co-workers... yeah, no. It's not a realistic plan. Worrying about what you're 'expected' to do is putting the cart before the horse, a lot of them don't know you exist, Samurai."

"Taken or not, the offer stands, Bowsman." Koutarou notes. "Given the situation and your specific request that we do not interfere, this is really all we can do. And should you reconsider that stance, we would also be willing to reconsider our own.

I honestly wish we could take a more diplomatic and direct approach. But we defer to your expertise in this event. Soul Society is undergoing a number of changes of its own, so perhaps this is for the best.

Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"

[Seireitei]
Quincies at Black Dragon Gate Inn

Caeyrn has nothing left on his mind. He gives a half of a shake of his head, but defers to Ms. Hoshi before saying so.

He is wondering how common female Shinigami are, however.


At some other time
Miss Suou once again is doing normal things that she should be doing.
Specifically, she's halfheartedly practicing Kido.

Spoiler: Las Noches

Show

[Hueco Mundo]
Moving towards Valentina's quarters

Mikael gives Valentina a dry look. "Panthers are just large cats, you know", he mutters under his breath as she adresses the others. When she turns back to him, he laughs at her question. "Run? Sure." But when she gets moving, he jumps up in the air with all his assorted baggage - but instead of falling back down, he begins to float, and then, in a flash of green light, accelerates and flies after her.

"I can also fly! Just stay where I can see you!", he shouts when he gets next to Valentina, before curving sharply upwards to avoid hitting a wall. He'll follow her from up high, taking the straightest route to her anticipated direction.

Hueco Mundo
Arrived at Valentina's Quarters

Valentina arrives at her quarters. It's very plain and sparse.

Loathe as she is to admit it, Mikael didn't get lost. She grudgingly says to him, "You're not that bad."

She takes a breath and continues. "So, you can keep your things here during your stay in Las Noches. They'll be left alone so long as they stay in here," she says simply.

[ImpSyndrome]

[INTERNAL SECURITY TRAINING FACILITY]

Waiting, yes. Impatiently, no.

If nothing else, Urameshi's posture is the exact opposite of what one would expect. He's sitting on a lawn chair, a bag of popcorn on his lap, as he watches the various recruits fight with varying degrees of success or interest. They're all tagged by a red or white hachimaki, and the ones with red hachimaki are typically armed. In some cases, there's more than one opponent at a time for each member of the white team...

(Oh, this looks promising,) Satoshi thinks to himself with a sense of dread. He approaches Urameshi's location and stands at attention, saying, "Present as requested, sensei. I'm ready to begin my assessment."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Black Dragon Gate Inn

"Eh, I think that covers it, Samurai." Hoshi looks rather relaxed. "For my part, I'm happy to stay here for a while. This inn looks cozy. You seem to treat your political prisoners rather well. I need to get a word to my family within a few days, but I'll let you and your bosses a moment to chew on this before getting to that." Hoshi glances at Caeyrn. "You can show the boy around, though. I can tell from that glazed look of his that he's thinking of seeing some scenery. By 'scenery', I mean your female peers... they don't all dress in those dreary black rags, I hope."

---

[Soul Society]
Muken, deepest level of the underground prison

The Commander nods. "I shall leave Kobayashi-san to your care. Now, I have to leave, sadly. I have a lot of things to attend to. I will send one of my servants to aid you in training Hiraku-san later. Good luck." With those words, the commander steps inside the elevator and takes the trip up, leaving Igarashi and Momoka to examine their surroundings.

It's really dark down there. And quiet. If not for the occasional drop of water falling down from the ceiling, the whole place would be like one giant sensory deprivation room. If they go searching, they will find no furniture, unless the occasional sharp rocks jutting out of the water count as such. At points, the water gets dangerously deep, and continuing is not adviced as the same effect that prevents airwalking within Seireitei is present here too - if anything, it's even stronger. It's like an invisible weight placed on the two Shinigami.

But on the bright side, there's a lot of room to set up a workshop and machinery...

((OOC: this concludes briefing for Igarashi and Momoka. They are free to come to and go from Muken as they please. Feel free to detail how they're going around accomplishing their task as you please. I'll put up an episode thread for Masaru's training later on.))

---

[Hueco Mundo]
Valentina's quarters

There's a loud thud as Mikael lowers his heavy possessions on the floor at the corner of the room. "You make it sound like you were intentionally trying to shake me off", the man remarks. "Quite a contradiction with what you said back there. I offered you an easier way to get off the hook for babysitting me, you know? You should've taken it." Mikael stretches his limbs and cracks his neck. "Now, I feel like taking a nap." He takes a step towards Valentina's bed, if there is any. If not, he just sits cross-legged on the floor. "If you feel like not wasting the rest of your day here, feel free to wander off. I promise I won't go anywhere on my own."

[Kuroimaken]

[INTERNAL SECURITY TRAINING FACILITY]

(Oh, this looks promising,) Satoshi thinks to himself with a sense of dread. He approaches Urameshi's location and stands at attention, saying, "Present as requested, sensei. I'm ready to begin my assessment."

"Yer late, Satoshi. The penalty for being late is fighting Tsuchigumo over there."

Satoshi was, of course, keenly aware of who "Tsuchigumo" was. He was one of his senpai and one of the smallest giants he knew. The man was easily nine feet tall. And he was armed with a tetsubo that matched his stature.

"Start at your leisure, kiddo."


______________________

[The Black Dragon Inn]

"If you'd rather, we can always toss you in one of our more conventional holding cells." The Vice-Commander jested. "It's kind of against S.O.P. to simply show people around like that under these circunstances. So I'm going to have to decline that request. We can still provide you a good meal and other things to peruse in the meantime, though. Make yourselves as guests in this inn."

[Terry576]

Masaru's Mindscape

Izanami shrugs and lounges in the throne she has taken over, her hand drumming a beat into one of the arms.

"That's all I do, little wolf! I talk and I talk and I talk and people listen because I've got the power that they dream of, the thing they desire most in the world, and I do nothing with it~ I use it for my own whims and my own needs because black gates and blacker hearts are all that I really see around Seireitei anymore! There's no Amaterasu to convince me otherwise, no Reenes or Izanagis who think that I'm just overreacting; it's all people tripping over themselves to cater to my needs, or prevent me from doing whatever I want. It's a boring thing, so I talk."

As Masaru talks, she listens, and then?

She laughs. A long deep, guttural sound that is as vicious as it is loud, bouncing through the room and hitting walls and just being. She looks at him, danger in her eyes and a mad, mad smile on her face, shaking her head as if he was a small child that had just asked her a stupid question.

"Oh. Oh, oh oh. Little wolf, come ooooooon!"

A sword appears in her hand, more of a needle really, a thin sharp blade that is good only for stabbing and never for cutting, a thing as black as the abyss that she is, and she flicks the tip, watching as it disappears into nothingness.

"Since when were you under the impression I was ever using my Zanpakuto?"

The laugh is back, a cruel and wicked thing that goes on for far too long and is far too twisted for such a person, even if she is no longer taking the form of a little girl, and she grins at him with too sharp teeth and terrifyingly black eyes.

"Reene's right, I've lost my edge. Maybe, like you said, it's 'emotions' that I let control me. Which is true - but the point of teaching is to do as I say not as I do. I can understand why you refuse to listen to me, after all, I'm Izanami-no-Mikoto, and more then that, all you've seen so far is that I've destroyed most of what you know and care about, all because I'm fickle and do what I will!"

She taps her hand on the arm again. Bambumbumbap. Bambumbumbap. Bambumbumbap.

"And yet, little wolf, I'm still here. You talk about how I've done nothing, but I ran the entirety of Gotei for hundreds of years! I swept across battlefields and people fled because I was that strong, that noble, as disgusting as the word sounds to me now, to fight on my own! I am not an example for a Shinigami, I am the example. Please check your facts before you admonish me for doing nothing! You, Seireitei, everything here wouldn't exist if I hadn't Fallen, so long ago."

Her eyes burn like fire and she stares at him with a small smile.

"It's quite alright for you to do whatever you wish! After all, I'm just a voice in your head! 'The same mistakes, the same old pride, the priceless lessons cast aside', as the old adage goes! History repeats itself again and again, so take care little wolf! Take care that you remain you and don't become me~"

[ImpSyndrome]

"Yer late, Satoshi. The penalty for being late is fighting Tsuchigumo over there."

Satoshi was, of course, keenly aware of who "Tsuchigumo" was. He was one of his senpai and one of the smallest giants he knew. The man was easily nine feet tall. And he was armed with a tetsubo that matched his stature.

"Start at your leisure, kiddo."

By now, Satoshi is used to these punishments; although he's pretty sure he was right on time for today's assessment, he decides against defending himself, if only for fear of incurring some additional penalty. In any case, yes, he's quite familiar with Tsuchigumo, the self-proclaimed "Oni of IntSec"; he's also woefully aware of both his fists and his weapon, all of which have given him a fair number of bruises lately.

"Alright," the newbie reluctantly says, "let's get this over with...Ready when you are, senpai." With that, he adopts a combat stance and prepares himself for the worst...

((Are we assuming that Satoshi has some chance of taking this guy, or is he going to get walloped effortlessly?))

[KnightDisciple]

Masaru's Mindscape

Spoiler

Show

Izanami shrugs and lounges in the throne she has taken over, her hand drumming a beat into one of the arms.

"That's all I do, little wolf! I talk and I talk and I talk and people listen because I've got the power that they dream of, the thing they desire most in the world, and I do nothing with it~ I use it for my own whims and my own needs because black gates and blacker hearts are all that I really see around Seireitei anymore! There's no Amaterasu to convince me otherwise, no Reenes or Izanagis who think that I'm just overreacting; it's all people tripping over themselves to cater to my needs, or prevent me from doing whatever I want. It's a boring thing, so I talk."

As Masaru talks, she listens, and then?

She laughs. A long deep, guttural sound that is as vicious as it is loud, bouncing through the room and hitting walls and just being. She looks at him, danger in her eyes and a mad, mad smile on her face, shaking her head as if he was a small child that had just asked her a stupid question.

"Oh. Oh, oh oh. Little wolf, come ooooooon!"

A sword appears in her hand, more of a needle really, a thin sharp blade that is good only for stabbing and never for cutting, a thing as black as the abyss that she is, and she flicks the tip, watching as it disappears into nothingness.

"Since when were you under the impression I was ever using my Zanpakuto?"

The laugh is back, a cruel and wicked thing that goes on for far too long and is far too twisted for such a person, even if she is no longer taking the form of a little girl, and she grins at him with too sharp teeth and terrifyingly black eyes.

"Reene's right, I've lost my edge. Maybe, like you said, it's 'emotions' that I let control me. Which is true - but the point of teaching is to do as I say not as I do. I can understand why you refuse to listen to me, after all, I'm Izanami-no-Mikoto, and more then that, all you've seen so far is that I've destroyed most of what you know and care about, all because I'm fickle and do what I will!"

She taps her hand on the arm again. Bambumbumbap. Bambumbumbap. Bambumbumbap.

"And yet, little wolf, I'm still here. You talk about how I've done nothing, but I ran the entirety of Gotei for hundreds of years! I swept across battlefields and people fled because I was that strong, that noble, as disgusting as the word sounds to me now, to fight on my own! I am not an example for a Shinigami, I am the example. Please check your facts before you admonish me for doing nothing! You, Seireitei, everything here wouldn't exist if I hadn't Fallen, so long ago."

Her eyes burn like fire and she stares at him with a small smile.

"It's quite alright for you to do whatever you wish! After all, I'm just a voice in your head! 'The same mistakes, the same old pride, the priceless lessons cast aside', as the old adage goes! History repeats itself again and again, so take care little wolf! Take care that you remain you and don't become me~"

Masaru simply let her talk for a while, before speaking briefly.

"Then if I am free to do what I wish, I wish you to leave me be, so that I may have peace. I am about to undertake something that must remain free of outside influence.

And I wish to remain myself."

His voice is remarkably calm and soft, but there's steel under the velvet.

[Kuroimaken]

By now, Satoshi is used to these punishments; although he's pretty sure he was right on time for today's assessment, he decides against defending himself, if only for fear of incurring some additional penalty. In any case, yes, he's quite familiar with Tsuchigumo, the self-proclaimed "Oni of IntSec"; he's also woefully aware of both his fists and his weapon, all of which have given him a fair number of bruises lately.

"Alright," the newbie reluctantly says, "let's get this over with...Ready when you are, senpai." With that, he adopts a combat stance and prepares himself for the worst...

((Are we assuming that Satoshi has some chance of taking this guy, or is he going to get walloped effortlessly?))

Spoiler

Show

Standard protocol for an enemy who is five or more times above your weight category is to be smart about it. Satoshi has a chance, but only if he fights smart. While it wouldn't be uncalled for to have him demonstrate more strength than he's supposed to have in some way, it's up to you how Satoshi is going to get out of this mess.

Tsuchigumo is, of course, a mere nickname. 'Oni of IntSec' is also a nickname, but not one that the veteran claims exclusivity of - there are at least two or three recruits close to his size or comparative strength that claim the same. They haven't been able to settle the matter definitively yet.

Satoshi is greeted by a wide side sweep of the tetsubo. Tsuchigumo telegraphs a lot, thankfully, but that doesn't make dealing with it much easier. Between the size of the weapon and the opponent himself, he has a lot of reach and area to toy with.

[ImpSyndrome]

Spoiler

Show

Standard protocol for an enemy who is five or more times above your weight category is to be smart about it. Satoshi has a chance, but only if he fights smart. While it wouldn't be uncalled for to have him demonstrate more strength than he's supposed to have in some way, it's up to you how Satoshi is going to get out of this mess.

Tsuchigumo is, of course, a mere nickname. 'Oni of IntSec' is also a nickname, but not one that the veteran claims exclusivity of - there are at least two or three recruits close to his size or comparative strength that claim the same. They haven't been able to settle the matter definitively yet.

Satoshi is greeted by a wide side sweep of the tetsubo. Tsuchigumo telegraphs a lot, thankfully, but that doesn't make dealing with it much easier. Between the size of the weapon and the opponent himself, he has a lot of reach and area to toy with.

((Well, I'll just have to fight strategically and hope for the best, then.))

Satoshi reacts quickly to the opening attack, noting Tsuchigumo's stance and motions as he swings his massive weapon. There are a few possible options, all of which have their advantages: dive forward and under the attack, negating the reach of the weapon; jump backward to safety and watch for an opening; or leap over the sweeping blow and counter-attack in midair. His final decision, though, is much more gutsy: he quickly takes a step forward and lashes out with a precision strike, aimed at the wrist of his enemy's weapon arm. Should his blow connect, the shock of the impact should halt the attack and force the giant Shinigami to drop his tetsubo, evening the odds slightly in the newbie's favor...

((Let's take this one move at a time for now, shall we?))

[Kuroimaken]

Spoiler

Show

I'd have it no other way.

Satoshi's move proves fairly ineffective. While Tsuchigumo's hand does tremble a bit, he doesn't relinquish his grip on the weapon. Even if he did, he's wielding it with both hands. That would at best create an opening.

The giant grunts as he lets the struck arm release the tetsubo, swinging his arm around in an attempt to backhand Satoshi. This time the recruit is closer to his range, and given the size of that upper palm, he might have some difficulty dodging...

[ImpSyndrome]

Spoiler

Show

I'd have it no other way.

Satoshi's move proves fairly ineffective. While Tsuchigumo's hand does tremble a bit, he doesn't relinquish his grip on the weapon. Even if he did, he's wielding it with both hands. That would at best create an opening.

The giant grunts as he lets the struck arm release the tetsubo, swinging his arm around in an attempt to backhand Satoshi. This time the recruit is closer to his range, and given the size of that upper palm, he might have some difficulty dodging...

((Well, shoot...Wish I'd known it was a two-handed attack; his strategy would've been different then.))

The tremor in Tsuchigumo's hand gives Satoshi just enough time to react to his gambit's failure, and he readies himself for the next move. Being aware of his opponent's movements, he anticipates the backhand, but knowing that he's being evaluated on more than tactics alone, he takes another risk in reacting. Rather than trying to avoid the blow, Satoshi steps closer and reaches out to grab the oversized Shinigami's elbow and wrist as they rocket toward him. Success will have him catch his opponent's arm and pull it outward, redirecting the force of the attack and staggering him; considering his foe's size and weight, it shouldn't take much more than a quick tug, and with any luck, he'll either fall flat on his face or hit a wall, adding injury to the insult...

[5a Violista]

Soul Society
Black Dragon Inn

Hm. Interesting. They're guests, trapped in this inn. It sounds like it's time to start feeling for the boundaries of this. "Well," Caeyrn responds, leaning back and getting into a comfortable - almost disrespectful - slouching position. "Here's nice enough. Wouldn't mind staying, so long as I don't miss work for this."


Hueco Mundo
Valentina's Quarters

"I figured you would keep up," she responds, almost shocked that he would suggest such a thing. Almost. Because, in a way, it sort-of was true.

There is, indeed, a bed. It's probably not the most comfortable one ever, but it's not used very often either. "Alright. I'll just leave you here." There's not really anything he could mess up in here, anyway. "Just don't break anything."

She stares at him a little, to make sure he understood. Then, Valentina turns around and exits the room to go do other duties she has.

[Kuroimaken]

"Good! Don't worry about expenses. The Gotei has been a sponsor of this inn since its foundation. If that'll be all, gentlemen, I need to make a report. I DO answer to someone higher in the chain of command, after all." Koutarou stood up and offered a short bow.

"If you need to contact me again, send us a message. The Black Dragon Inn has excellent couriers."

[Kuroimaken]

((Well, shoot...Wish I'd known it was a two-handed attack; his strategy would've been different then.))

The tremor in Tsuchigumo's hand gives Satoshi just enough time to react to his gambit's failure, and he readies himself for the next move. Being aware of his opponent's movements, he anticipates the backhand, but knowing that he's being evaluated on more than tactics alone, he takes another risk in reacting. Rather than trying to avoid the blow, Satoshi steps closer and reaches out to grab the oversized Shinigami's elbow and wrist as they rocket toward him. Success will have him catch his opponent's arm and pull it outward, redirecting the force of the attack and staggering him; considering his foe's size and weight, it shouldn't take much more than a quick tug, and with any luck, he'll either fall flat on his face or hit a wall, adding injury to the insult...

Unfortunately, Satoshi's gambit fails to take into account the sheer massiveness of his opponent's strength and weight. The best he manages is to cushion the impact somewhat before he's sent reeling backwards against the dirt.

[ImpSyndrome]

Unfortunately, Satoshi's gambit fails to take into account the sheer massiveness of his opponent's strength and weight. The best he manages is to cushion the impact somewhat before he's sent reeling backwards against the dirt.

Satoshi fails even that much, being frail as he is; the blow lobs him back in an upward arc, landing on his back several yards away. It's not the first time he's been tossed around by a hefty opponent, but this time he's sustained a fractured rib in the process; it's going to be much harder, if not impossible, to perform any more grappling techniques...not that he plans to anyway, considering how spectacularly he botched these attempts. He's slow to get to his feet, but once he does, he'll square off his stance and get ready for another try...

[Kuroimaken]

Worse yet is the taunting grin of the "Oni". He doesn't say a thing, letting his expression mark his opinion of Satoshi. He waits for the recruit to get to his feet before taking a step forward and going for an overhead bash with both hands again.

[ImpSyndrome]

Worse yet is the taunting grin of the "Oni". He doesn't say a thing, letting his expression mark his opinion of Satoshi. He waits for the recruit to get to his feet before taking a step forward and going for an overhead bash with both hands again.

As soon as Satoshi gets back on his feet, he rolls to one side to avoid the vertical strike, but the maneuver puts some strain on his fracture and causes him more pain. Two weeks' worth of frustration and anger has already started to fester in his mind, but fighting this losing battle is quickly making things worse. Notions of rebellion creep into his consciousness, of ignoring the nature of his training and employing his Kido and agility techniques to overcome his opponent. Without the nod from Urameshi, though, he can only wonder what else he can do against such an overwhelming force...

[Kuroimaken]

.oO(Why isn't he playing to his strengths?) Urameshi pondered as he watched the match.

Tsuchigumo, for his own part, once again reverts to shorter-range attacks when the tetsubo fails. This time, he rears back a kick aimed squarely at Satoshi's torso.

At least, on the upside, that means only one of his feet is on the ground...

[ImpSyndrome]

.oO(Why isn't he playing to his strengths?) Urameshi pondered as he watched the match.

Tsuchigumo, for his own part, once again reverts to shorter-range attacks when the tetsubo fails. This time, he rears back a kick aimed squarely at Satoshi's torso.

At least, on the upside, that means only one of his feet is on the ground...

Hobbled by his injury, Satoshi's recovery from the dodge is delayed, and he catches the kick with his face instead. He recoils and staggers several paces away, clutching at his nose (it doesn't seem to be broken, thank goodness), and struggles to maintain focus and balance. For some reason, he's feeling these hits more than he ever did during his training, and all the mistakes he's making are only serving to further cloud his mind. He shakes his head a few times to clear away the cobwebs and glares darkly at Tsuchigumo, searching for some way to subvert his ridiculous strength...

[Kuroimaken]

"That's enough, Tsuchigumo. Obviously the kid was too overmatched this time." Urameshi replies as he notices just how slow Satoshi's reflexes are after that first tumble.

Despite feeling sore and bruised all over, Satoshi had never actually broken any bones during Urameshi's training. Takes longer to heal, after all, even with Kaido.

Perhaps because of this Urameshi decided to call it off.

Of course, he ordered Tsuchigumo to stand down, not Satoshi...

[ImpSyndrome]

"That's enough, Tsuchigumo. Obviously the kid was too overmatched this time." Urameshi replies as he notices just how slow Satoshi's reflexes are after that first tumble.

Despite feeling sore and bruised all over, Satoshi had never actually broken any bones during Urameshi's training. Takes longer to heal, after all, even with Kaido.

Perhaps because of this Urameshi decided to call it off.

Of course, he ordered Tsuchigumo to stand down, not Satoshi...

Suddenly, everything stops, and the trainee stares dumbfounded as the "Oni" disengages. Satoshi has half a mind to call shenanigans on Urameshi right now. He sentences him to fight a losing battle and then calls it halfway through? That's not the trainer he has been working with for the past two weeks; he'd want the newbie to follow through, to see the fight to its bitter end, even if it means getting his face caved in. Then again, Satoshi isn't quite thinking straight, what with his blood roiling with indignant rage and his rib cage still buzzing with dull pain.

When it comes down to it, though, Urameshi's right; he's in over his head against the bulky Tsuchigumo, the odds stacked too heavily against him now that he's been injured. As much as he'd love to break out a sneak attack and get some revenge, the fight's over and throwing a fit isn't going to change the fact of his failure. He sinks to one knee and cradles his chest with one arm, spitting a curse in Japanese. "I should've known better," he mutters. "Taking him head-on was a big mistake...Some 'bad-@$$' I turned out to be."

((Disappointing, I know, but anything else would've been hugely out-of-character for him. Plus, I can't have him win every battle, regardless of the odds, just because he's my character.))

[Kuroimaken]

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Nah, it's perfectly fine. Either outcome I can work with, actually, and both would build character for him in different but interesting ways. For the record, Satoshi DID have a winning chance against Tsuchigumo, but he risked too much too early.

"Go report your ass to Medical, Satoshi. You're no good to any of us half-broken."

Once the rage clears up, Satoshi may realize that as much as Urameshi stacked the deck against him, as painful as his lessons had been so far, he'd never really been given a task he couldn't complete. He'd been yelled at, occasionally swatted with a shinai, but while he'd always been challenged, he'd never been given a losing hand.

[ImpSyndrome]

[INTSEC TRAINING FACILITY -> Heading to LOGISTICS & MEDICINE GROUNDS]

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Nah, it's perfectly fine. Either outcome I can work with, actually, and both would build character for him in different but interesting ways. For the record, Satoshi DID have a winning chance against Tsuchigumo, but he risked too much too early.

"Go report your ass to Medical, Satoshi. You're no good to any of us half-broken."

Once the rage clears up, Satoshi may realize that as much as Urameshi stacked the deck against him, as painful as his lessons had been so far, he'd never really been given a task he couldn't complete. He'd been yelled at, occasionally swatted with a shinai, but while he'd always been challenged, he'd never been given a losing hand.

((Very true, although I didn't consider it when we first started the fight. Lesson learned, I suppose.))

Satoshi slowly stands up and shuffles dejectedly out of the training facility, his ego suffering as much as he appears to in body. Nothing from the past two weeks comes close to the shame he feels now.

((Er...Sorry for the short post, but I'm not entirely sure where to take this now. Should I act his hospitalization out through exposition, wait for another player to take control of one of the Logistics and Medicine NPCs, or just skip through it entirely...? Any thoughts?))