1/21 Instance: Ichiki no Ikiryo

[Ferguson]

TImelined after Technicolour

<Hisako> Taking a breath and watching the steamy breath fade before her, Hisako reached for her bokken's hilt, stepping forward with her right foot and getting comfortable in her stance. She took a few moments to think about what she was aiming to do before snapping her wooden blade outwards as if cutting something down.

<Hisako> Her eyes flashed with amber light as she moved; the phantom armor from before loomed over her, swinging its own long, glowing blade for just a moment. She looked up, briefly seeing it before it shattered and faded.

<Cecilia> Cecilia trudged through the grounds, boots squeaking as they cut through the new fallen snow. She stopped for a moment to regard the sight before her. Hisako practicing her moves, though her eyes widened as an amber phantom-like form appeared over her roommate.

<Hisako> "...Yurei...", Hisako whispered to herself, standing and staring into the air where the figure was, lowering her weapon; completely oblivious to Cecilia's presence.

<Cecilia> The figure faded as quickly as it came. "Is that your forcefield?" Said Cecilia, approaching the other girl. "Reminds me a little of my body armour. You even have transparent shields like I do."

<Hisako> Hisako turned to Cecilia, "Reyes-san.", she acknowledged her, looking back into the space her spectral armour had disappeared into, "A-and...yes. It seems to be this.", she looked down at her bokken, "I can make the Yurei appear if I focus."

<Cecilia> "Yurei?" Said Cecilia, fitting her mouth around the unfamiliar word. "Y'know I don't speak Japanese, right? Just Spanish, English and enough Catalan," she teased.

<Cecilia> "Ah, so you've figured out what makes the shields appear!" She smiled. "That's great. Took me forever to realize mine were directly connected to my energy levels." But the hell was this? "What is that?" She said, gesturing to Hisako's neck where a faint collar of bruises were.

<Cecilia> Cecilia eyes scanned the rest of the girl's body, another bruise on the hand as well. She had seemed...withdrawn the other night. "Who the hell did that?!" She exclaimed. "Did you get in a fight? You know, if someone's beating you up you don't have to put up with it. Tell me who it was and I'll teach them a lesson. Just give me a name."

<Hisako> "Oh...'Yurei' is ghost. O-or...maybe I am Ikiryo?", Hisako looked down at her sword, hand going to her neck as Cecilia mentioned the bruising, "...I was in a fight. Twice.", she pulled her shirt collar up, shaking her head, "You say too much all at once...", with that, she turned away, hiding her face.

<Hisako> "Cortez-sama said my honour code would get me killed in real fights.", she explained, back to Cecilia, "I challenged the girl Clarice to a fight to prove him wrong.", Hisako took a sharp breath, "...I lost to her."

<Cecilia> Cecilia sighed. God, Fabian. "Jesus Christ, well, I-" But she didn't know what to say to that, exactly. "That wasn't so bright of you, first of all. Clarice is nearly a foot taller than you, has at least twenty pounds on you and just over four years of active combat experience."

<Cecilia> "As much as I hate to say it, Fabian is right. There's no way you would've won by being honourable there, sad but true." She shrugged. "If it makes you feel any better I would've lost too if I played fair, hell, I'm not sure I'd win even if I resorted to trickery." Though now she was interested to find out. Hm. She filed that away for later. "Don't take it so hard, Fabian's...well I think he was trying to help, if you can believe me. He just...doesn't always show it very well..."

<Hisako> "I know his type. Stupid man...", Hisako looked over her shoulder, "But Reyes-san thinks I am a child? He was right. I lost, it proves I am not good enough.", she sighed, "Not yet."

<Hisako> She raised her weapon again, stepping forward and swinging it downwards; the opaque, orange ghost swordsman appeared above her again, swinging in the same motion Hisako did, fading as the motion ceased.

<Cecilia> "...And what type would that be?" Said Cecilia carefully, struggling not to become overly defensive of her boyfriend. "I don't think you're a child, I know damn well you're an adult, though the way you're acting I could be forgiven for thinking otherwise."

<Cecilia> "I don't think this is a case of 'not good enough' so much as 'not quite there yet.' You were pitted against someone far more experienced and stronger and you imposed handicaps on yourself, why would you expect to win?" She shook her head, this reminded her a lot of...well, herself. Back when she'd first gone out in the field.

<Hisako> Hisako stood back up, looking at Cecilia again, "I work hard and trained my whole life. To be beaten so easily? By people with such disrespect?", she shook her head, "Cortez-sama is arrogant and self-absorbed. He does not think, he simply speaks...", she threw a hand through her hair as if dismissing the thought, "...he enjoys being right. And does not ever see where he is wrong."

<Cecilia> Well, that was actually a fairly accurate assessment of Fabian...damn. "Well, don't hold back for my sake, tell me how you really feel," she deadpanned, sitting down on a nearby rock. "He is, but he has his reasons and good points, believe it or not. And I don't think anyone ever enjoys being wrong."

<Cecilia> "The katana stuff is a game with rules," she said. "If you learned their game and their rules you'd eventually be on their level, look at me, I had no previous combat experience outside of playground brawls. Now I can hold my own in just four months pretty well."

<Cecilia> "I don't think Clarice and Fabian were trying to be 'disrespectful.'" Though if Cecilia knew Fabian there very likely had been some gloating involved. "Just trying to teach you something. Though maybe not in the best way, if you're so sore about it now. There is such a thing as bringing someone down gently."

<Hisako> With a deep breath, Hisako slid her bokken away in a fluid motion, exhaling as she heard the blade guard click against the scabbard. She shrugged at Cecilia, "You defend him with so many words.", she remarked, stepping past the other girl and thinking before turning back to face her.

<Hisako> "Maybe he is a decent person. The two of them just have no idea what is happening with me.", she explained, looking up at the cloudy sky, "...sometimes I don't, even."

<Cecilia> "Well, I can't say I'm not biased," she admitted. "Though I do try to be fair. If I'm defensive I apologize, but I am his girlfriend. If you wanted another opinion go to Bobby, I'm sure he'd give you a very different one." She laughed.

<Cecilia> "Well...what is going on with you?" Asked Cecilia. "Besides power problems and sulking?" She stood up. "You know, I do know what it is to be troubled. If you want an ear I can be one. If you like," she added.

<Hisako> At the word 'sulking', Hisako clicked her tongue, looking away, "I'm fine. I'm not sulking, I am trying to better my power. I don't want any help.", she closed her eyes, curling her hand into a fist, "I don't need anyone."

<Cecilia> "Oh, come on now," laughed Cecilia. "Those are famous last words if I ever heard them! Jesus, I'd be nowhere right now if I hadn't got the help I'd gotten from Sue. Were you born knowing how to use a sword? There's...no shame in not knowing how to do something." Jesus, Fabian. Wherever you are I hope you know I did learn a lot from you, she thought, thinking of her piano lessons with him.

<Cecilia> "Why don't you practice with me? I promise I'm nowhere near as arrogant and I won't smack you around too much. Really, I could teach you. Then we can go and show those two whose boss when you're ready. Whaddaya think?"

<Hisako> Hisako turned back to her, sighing deeply, "Fine. Not that I need your help or anything...", she shrugged, "...I suppose I am not too busy for a partner. Again...", flicking her hair with a hand, she smiled a little at Cecilia, "Maybe you can learn something?"

<Cecilia> "Of course not," Cecilia said wryly. Riiiight. "Oh, I am learning a lot of things. Piano, Catalan, fencing. Like to see myself as a lifelong learner." She dropped into a fight stance. "So powers? No powers?"

<Hisako> Removing her bokken from her belt and setting it aside, Hisako took a few steps back, "Show me your shield power.", she prepared her stance as if still wearing her sword.

<Cecilia> Cecilia nodded. Creating several shield planes around Hisako's space before creating body armour over herself. "Don't let them fool you. They're strong. Being hit by me like this feels like getting hit with a baseball bat. I can dent metal easily. Those planes you just saw too? Those can cut a car in half when I'm at full power."

<Cecilia> Cecilia dropped the shield armour and threw another shield, forcefully and directly into a nearby tree stump, splitting it in half with a loud CRACK, sending splinters of wood flying. "Like so."

<Hisako> With a smile, Hisako prepared her stance, eyes glowing as the spectral samurai image appeared, grabbing its own katana and swinging as she moved her arm. She let loose a battle cry as the armour plate around her sliced against the shields, shattering them on contact.

<Hisako> The armour disappeared after the strike as the girl who summoned it took on another stance, left leg forward and both hands held as if preparing a stab with an invisible sword.

<Cecilia> Cecilia winced and flinched hard as her shield was shorn in half. "Ow...okay, apparently other shields tear each other apart...good to know...never actually tried that.." She created body armour around herself again. "Ready to spar?" Damn, that hurt.

<Hisako> Hisako nodded, a sword forming in her hands as she adjusted her stance, "Onagai ishimasu.", she bowed her head a little bit, smiling before making a blocking motion and summoning her own defense; a shield shape flickered to life in the air before her, "Try it."

<Cecilia> Cecilia nodded, approaching the other woman slowly, like a tiger stalking it's prey. "You're very confident in your abilities. I imagine you've survived adversity. This kind of strength doesn't come from nowhere," she said conversationally. In her mind's eye several shields were at the ready to distract Hisako and hopefully give her time to rush her and overpower her quickly.

<Hisako> The raven haired girl's eyes darted to each side, taking in Cecilia's shields; "Pretty trick.", she remarked, spinning herself about on her right foot as she circled backwards, projecting the shield forth into Cecilia's armour plate before charging herself, leaping up and swinging her force-sword downwards.

<Hisako> A flicker of amber from all around her preceded the phantom armour appearing around her body; too big and too wide to fit her body. It swung downwards as she did, the yellow form glowing intensely as it darkened to orange.

<Cecilia> Okay, shield weren't working, at least not the way they usually did, which was by deflecting blows, thought Cecilia as she dodged Hisako's sword. Better to resort to trickery then, or more underhanded moves, if she wanted to win. All was fair in love and war as far as Cecilia was concerned.

<Cecilia> "Tricks are for kids," she laughed, sending a forcefield into the ground in front of Hisako, sending a small tsunami of rocks and dirt crashing over her. Xavier might kill her once she was done here, but at least she'd give as good as she got.

<Hisako> Hisako landed, crouching down and flicking her force-blade around in her hands, holding it backwards and thrusting it upwards. There was a bright flash of an almost crimson orange as a shield around her body; the shell was in the figure of the armour-plate again, as if a samurai crouched in a defensive stance.

<Hisako> Moments after the rocks had fallen, she stood, psionic armour flickering away as she flicked her blade around in her hands, jumping forward with a horizontal strike.

<Cecilia> Cecilia slammed a shield into Hisako's side, confused as to why the other girl would even bother to approach her with shields down. But perhaps it was ignorance. Hisako had never seen her fight.

<Hisako> The other girl's force-blade met the shield; her psionic armour flickering to life and catching the blow. Hisako sailed with the force of the strike, rolling on the ground, spinning around and striking for Cecilia again, her armour swinging its large katana at her with all the strength she could push it with.

<Cecilia> Cecilia hit the ground to duck the giant sword and sent out a forcefield at the other girl's foot level to trip her up. "This you fighting with honour then? Or going by my rules? And why didn't you do this with Clarice and Fabian?!" She panted, shuffling out of the way.

<Hisako> Hisako rolled forwards onto and off of the shield blast, landing with swinging a C-arc downwards with her sword. The armour around her moved as she did, slamming its blade down on Cecilia, "This is fighting to win!"

<Cecilia> Cecilia yelped as the forcefield sword went right through her shield body armour and grazed her arm, tearing through the coat on her left arm and leaving a large gash. "STOPstopstopstopSTOP!" She yelled, getting up and running back, clutching at her arm.

<Mayday> Standing up, the armour around Hisako faded away, "Reyes-san!", she called out, running over to the other girl, "I-I am sorry! I didn't think it would do that!"

<Cecilia> "DON'T TOUCH ME!" She snapped before she could stop herself, leaping away from her. "...I..." But no, she wasn't sorry. "Why the hell did you stab me!? You could've killed me! Why didn't you just hold it? This is sparring not a fight to the death!"

<Cecilia> She took her hand off the gash. This was going to need stitches. FUCK. "I'm going to the medlab," she said hoarsely.

<Hisako> "I-It's the first time I've used it like this! I didn't know I could until a few days ago!", Hisako blushed, suddenly horribly offended, "As if you never lose control of a power! I heard you have before, gizensha!"

<Cecilia> "Of my powers?!" Laughed Cecilia, incredulously. "Since when?"

<Hisako> Hisako folded her arms, "Y-you probably have a lot! Of course you would pretend now that you don't!", she huffed, "This is why I don't need you or anyone else!", she turned, picking up her bokken, "I make a mistake and you lose your temper!?"

<Cecilia> Well, she did have that shooting dome incident with Mayday and she did slice a zombie in half...and thank Christ that was a zombie and not a person. "...I have," she admitted. "But I haven't ever continued to attack once someone was down in sparring."

<Cecilia> "And I fail to see why you wouldn't think a sword can cut," she said, sarcastically. "You saw what happens when one forcefield hits another just moments before! Are you stupid? Or just so happy to win against someone you had to nearly kill me in the process?!"

<Hisako> "You didn't say you were tapping out! You made no indication! You offend me by suggesting I would do something like this!", Hisako snapped, "How dare you, Reyes-san!", she spat, turning to leave.

<Hisako> Hisako stopped momentarily, shuddering in anger before cutting her eye at Cecilia, the pure rage in her so strong she couldn't even think of any words to say, instead just turning once more, proceeding away.

<Cecilia> "Jesus fucking Christ," Cecilia muttered to herself. "Who the fuck needs to be told you don't stab someone with a sword even if they aren't tapping out? What the fuck...?" She looked at her arm, sticky with blood. "Stupid..."

<Cecilia> She closed her hand tightly around the cut. She needed stitches and a shower and tonight she was going to stay with her 'arrogant' boyfriend because she'd be damned if she saw Hisako so soon after. She ran a serious risk of slapping another bitch if she did.

<Hisako> In anger, Hisako had ended up running into the tree-strewn edges of the mansion's grounds. She panted, stopping beside a tree and forcing the tears back down before slamming her fist into a tree, following it with another, and another as her forcefield construct shielded her hands, smashing deep cracks into it,

<Hisako> "Ama!", she screamed, "Ama! Ama! Ama! AMAAA!!!", her hands slid down as she did, crying out at the top of her lungs as she started to cry all over again. 'Failure', she thought to herself, leaning against the tree as the construct around her faded away, leaving her bitterly alone.

[Ferguson]

Oh dear, bitches need slapped upside the head.

[PanicSwitch]

Bitches be crazy

[Chaos]

DEAL WITH IT