[X] Hadoken!: Karate 100: Karate can be used on targets that are far away or armed with Ranged Weapons.
"OK, are you two watching?" You're hopping from foot to foot while staring at Yamato and Yameko. Your brother and his kitsune Partner both nod from where they're sitting on the roof. You called them here to showcase your latest technique. Once you're certain that both of them have their eyes on you, you turn your back towards them. You've already placed an empty can of Rainbow Coffee on the other side of the roof. That will serve as your target for this new move.
Taking cues from some of the shows you've watched, you begin to move your arms in circular patterns. Your right arm goes up and over your head, while your left arm passes in front of your stomach. Calling back to when you fought that Oni, you gather the energy you felt when battling alongside Yato. The sensation of electricity coursing through your fingers intensifies with every movement, reaching a point where it seemed as if your fingers were gliding through water.
You slide your left leg behind you, bend at your waist, and then pull your hands toward your stomach. You place the palms of your hands together, then push the energy into the center where they meet. The electricity moves from your fingertips into your palms, building and building until...
"HAAAAAA!" you shout while pushing your hands forward, releasing the energy held within your palms. The force turns into air pressure that quickly exits your palms and travels directly towards the empty can. The dust on the roof tiles is dispersed into large circles as the air pressure wave passes over them. When it finally hits its target, the empty can buckles inward before being launched into the air by the force of the impact. The coffee can flips through the air for a moment before landing on the ground and rolling towards your feet.
Smiling through the sweat dripping down your brow, you turn back to Yamato and Yameko and ask, "Did you see that?! I can do Hadokens now!"
"More specifically, you can gather air pressure between your palms and launch it as an attack," Yamato explains, while Yameko stares at you with her mouth wide open. Your brother idly helps her close her mouth before continuing, "Could you explain where that idea came from?"
You chuckle, then start scratching your cheek, "Well, I kind of figured... we've already seen that supernatural stuff is real. And I can do crazy bullshit with my martial arts now. So, I just thought that...ya know. If all this crap is real...why not try doing the stuff we see in video games and anime? Couldn't hurt to try, right? I just kind of started doing the motions during my break time, and before I knew it, boom. I could shoot balls of air at people."
"Interesting. Perhaps I should give such things a chance. Being able to surpass logical limitations in order to perform supernatural maneuvers could be a significant advantage for our team. Would you be interested in helping me, Yameko?" Yamato says, moving one hand to his Partner's head to scratch her ears.
Smiling and leaning into his hand, Yameko nods, "I'd be happy to, Lord Yamato."
"Wonderful. Thank you for the idea, Hayato."
"No problem, bro," you give Yamato a thumbs-up.
[Gained Hadoken! Can now launch Ranged Attacks that use your Karate Skill for Checks!]
[X] Hang out with Ritsuko (Relationship: 5/10; 8/10 RP)
You wave goodbye to the bus driver, stepping out into the cool air of the bus stop. The guy driving tips his hat but doesn't say anything. He just closes the door behind you before pulling back into the busy city streets. Once he's joined the numerous cars on the road, you start your trek down the sidewalk.
You take out your phone and text Ritsuko that you have just gotten off the bus. Then, you ask her where she would like to meet up. She wanted to talk to you, but she never really specified where you could find her. A reply comes a few seconds later, telling you that she's at a park. She then asks you which bus stop you came to. You let her know, and she quickly gives you directions to the place. It's a bit of a walk, but you don't mind. You won't say no to the opportunity for a good jog.
It takes you about an hour or so to find the park that Ritsuko told you about. The place is pretty well-maintained. The grass is a vibrant green, the trees are adorned with orange and yellow leaves, and there are numerous children playing with their parents. A fountain acts as the centerpiece of a cobblestone circle. Benches are arranged around it, accompanied by two vending machines and trash cans that face the eastern section of the park.
You spot Ritsuko a few seconds after entering. It's hard to miss the girl wearing an all-black outfit in the middle of the place. Especially when she is standing next to a vending machine and trying to get something out of it.
By shaking the machine like crazy.
You call out to her to grab her attention...and prevent her from potentially causing the machine to fall on her. She stops shaking the machine when she hears your voice. She quickly turns around and releases her grip on the vending machine. Her eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in frustration. You walk over to her and wave, "Hey, Ritsuko. I got your message. And, as you can see, I'm totally fi-"
"You jerk!"
[Motives: 58 VS DC 50 = Success! +2 XP]
[Feelings: 60 VS DC 40 = Success! +1 Ritsuko RP]
You let her fist connect with your chest and flinch back a bit. Partially cause it hurt a little bit, but also because you could tell why she was doing it. It wasn't a punch born out of malice or genuine anger. It was born out of worry, and she didn't know how else to express it. So, she went with this method.
She slowly pulls her fist away while looking up at you with narrowed eyes, "Why the hell didn't you call me, or at least text me that something was wrong?!"
You shrug, "I got hurt real bad. Bad enough that I had to stay with the nurse for a while. Still not back to 100%. But I'm getting there. And everything was kind of hectic, so I didn't really think about it. And besides, I'm here now. Isn't that what matters?"
Ritsuko runs a hand down her face and shakes her head, "No-I mean, yes-I mean, gaaah! Look, I was worried about you, okay?! I couldn't make it to your fight cause I had schoolwork to do, and my dad wouldn't let me out of the house until it was finished!"
She starts pacing in front of you, repeatedly throwing her hands in the air while yelling, "I'm just about finished when I get a call from Yuna, telling me something went wrong at the Tournament. I look online and there's a bunch of talk about something happening around there. I'm panicking, worrying if Yuna and you are alright, but I'm stuck at home cause dad won't let me out!"
She stops pacing and points a finger at you, "Then after Yuna makes it home, I hear about some girl who owns a hospital saying everything's under control. All I'm worried about is how you're doing, and you don't even call me, and now I know you got hurt, but I don't know what happened, and I...and...aaaaahhh!"
You have to reach out and grab her arm to stop her from punching the vending machine she was about to hit. You're confident that she would have been fine, but you don't want her to get in trouble for vandalism. And the two of you had gathered a small crowd of people who were staring at Ritsuko with judgmental eyes. You gently release her arm and jerk a thumb toward the west, "How about we go for a walk? We can catch up while moving."
Ritsuko doesn't argue. Shoving her hands into her jacket pockets, she starts heading down the western path. You follow her, eventually managing to catch up with her and walk at the same pace. As you move away from the center of the park, the sounds around you begin to change. From the sounds of people chattering and water flowing through a fountain, to the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds. It's a stark contrast, but a welcome one. It certainly seems to calm Ritsuko down. She started the walk hunched over and upset, but soon straightened up and began looking forward.
You speak once she's calm enough, "Better?"
"Yeah. Better," she lets out a sigh and shakes her head, "Sorry about all that."
You shrug, "No big deal. By the way, you mentioned Yunagi earlier. Is he alright?"
She waves dismissively, "Yuna is totally fine. He was crying up a storm when he got home, but calmed down after some time in his room with his bird."
"Bird?" you raise an eyebrow, "He has a pet?"
"Yeah, a Hagoromo Parakeet. Named the thing Hagi. Always goes to take care of it when he needs to calm down," she shakes her head, "Damn thing is loud, too. Wakes me up in the middle of the night if he doesn't put it in a cage."
"Ah. Do you have a pet?"
She shakes her head, "No, but not for lack of wanting one. But my dad doesn't think I would do a good job taking care of a pet."
"Well, what would you want?"
She scratches the top of her head and looks away from you, "Um... a Hercules beetle."
You try to stifle a chuckle but fail miserably. So instead you just say out loud, "Pf-really?"
"Hey, don't laugh! They're cool! And have you seen how strong they are?" she says indignantly. She's pointing at you with an accusing finger and saying, "Those guys are some of the best beetles in the world! And anyone who owns one is lucky!"
"Okay, okay, okay," you hold up your hands in a placating gesture as you nod in agreement, "Got it, got it. It does sound pretty cool. Hope you get one someday, Ritsuko."
Her frown doesn't last long after that. It turns into a small smile as the two of you continue walking. From there, it's mostly just small talk. You give her a few updates on how Yamato is doing, and she tells you a bit more about her family. Nothing about her dad, but she does mention that her mom is usually away on business. Though she doesn't say what that "business" is.
But after some time, Ritsuko goes quiet. Then she stops walking and asks you something you didn't expect, "It's bullshit, right?"
"What is?" you stop and turn to give her your full attention.
She takes a moment to find her voice. Then she looks up at you with determination in her eyes, "That cover-story for the Tournament? It's bullshit, isn't it?"
You blink. You certainly didn't expect that. You shift your stance slightly and ask, "Uh, what do you mean?"
"You know what...uh, nah, you wouldn't. You're not the kind of guy to lie," she shakes her head and takes a deep breath. Then she says, "I don't trust what that girl medical girl who gave the cover story said. It doesn't add up with what Yuna was talking about when he got home. He kept going on and on about a 'red monster arm' and 'a butcher knife'. The official story is that there was a gas leak, but I don't buy that shit. Something else happened there, someone's trying to cover it up, and you got hurt because of it, and that pisses me off because I can't do anything about the fact that you got hurt without me being able to help you and-"
Her hands quickly moved to cover her mouth to stop herself from saying any more. You just stare at her, trying to hide your surprise at her response. Ritsuko was the last person you expected to be capable of seeing through Estella's cover story. Not that she's stupid or anything. She just doesn't seem like the type to do stuff like that. As an awkward silence falls over the two of you, you nervously chuckle and scratch your cheek, "Uh, I didn't know you were so concerned. I would have contacted you earlier if I had. Heheheh."
Ritsuko pulls her hands off her mouth and continues to avoid making eye contact. You wait for her to respond to you, but she doesn't say anything more. But you do notice her cheeks turning a slight shade of red. She also begins to rock on her heels while keeping her hands behind her back. Huh. That's weird. You wonder why she's acting like that?
Could she...
[CSC Feelings + ABORTED]
-Nah, it couldn't be. The two of you are just friends. Not like she would actually feel that way about you. If she did, you'd try to convince her otherwise. You'd just fuck that up.
But one thing you can tell is that she knows that something else happened at the Tournament. She doesn't know the details beyond Estella's cover story. But she has picked up on the fact that what Estella said isn't necessarily true. Hmm, you're not sure how to feel about that.
Maybe... maybe you should tell her what's going on? It couldn't hurt having someone else on your Supernatural Team, could it? And her dad is rich. Having a second rich person in your group would probably help you take on those Organization fuckers. No telling what kind of resources they have.
Then again...are you sure her dad would be okay with it? You've never met the man, but she hasn't spoken fondly of him. It might not be a good idea to take the risk of him finding out about what you're doing. But you're not sure if you can really lie to Ritsuko either...
[] Tell her the truth. You'll have to inform everyone else before you do. But you don't want to lie to her. And she could be a great help.
[] Change the subject. You don't need to deal with this now. Just leave it for later... or let her find out on her own.
[] Lie to her. You're not good at lying. But maybe you can try it out here? It's probably a good idea to keep her in the dark. (Bad Idea)
[] Write in...
And besides that, you've still got a day to hang out with her. What should you do?
[] Go back to the arcade. You want a rematch.
[] Go to the docks and skip some stones again. See if you can beat your record.
[] Go hunting for some assholes to beat up. You could use a chance to freshen up your skills.
[] See if she's up for some sparring. You want to see how much she's improved.
[] Write in...