ten_fwd | [ota] Putting the 'out' in working out

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[ota] Putting the 'out' in working out

Minoru was planning on working out in the holodeck, but as soon as they announced the ship was docking on Pacifica, he was on his way out. From the cargo bay if it got him there faster! He needed to be on a planet to absorb natural energy and he badly needed to recharge that seal.

Option A:
Unlike the last place the Enterprise docked, which was filled with mountains and exciting terrain to traverse, this wasn't all that interesting. He didn't like water and he certainly didn't like lounging around. But if anyone's up for exploring, Minoru is always happy to tag along. Perhaps a trip to the Submersible Research Institute would put him face to face with some sea snakes.

Option B.
The beaches are a lot more secluded at night - perfect for an after-dinner run or sparring session in the sand. As long as no one gets hurt, they won't get in trouble, right? Right.

Option C.
Minoru promised a few sparring matches, at least one of which would necessitate the holodeck. With natural energy flowing through his chakra pathways and a steady supply of it available until the ship takes off, he can use all his power without holding back!

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Raiden takes a couple more swings at Minoru, before breaking it off and taking a light hop up to the branches again. Raiden had been at the disadvantage there, but it certainly made it interesting to see what else his opponent could do, when he was in his element.

Being in his element meant dodging upwards as well as to the side. For a self-proclaimed Snake Sage, he didn't slither. He swung through the trees like a monkey. And it was clear that he was loving every moment of it.

When Raiden leapt up, Minoru followed. He darted across the branches, cutting through the narrow spaces with a flying side kick.

That, is another reason Raiden decides it was a good idea to go to the trees again. They're here to spar, to learn, and to enjoy themselves. Seeing Minoru swing through the trees with ease is as amusing as it is tough to track.

That kick comes around, and not wanting to actually shock him, the lightning drops as he brings up his guard, taking a backstep toward the end of the branch as the leg hits his forearms hard.

They were both strong. The powerful block forced Minoru back slightly, just as his kick likely did to Raiden.

He was on the edge of a branch that was wobbling up and down, but that didn't seem to matter. Only one foot touched down. With the aid of his chakra, it stuck there. He pulled his kicking leg in slightly, centering his balance. Then, he released a small bit of that chakra to slide in again - this time with a hook kick upside his opponent's head.

The transfer of energy in and out of his feet was completely effortless, an instinct born out of doing it his entire life.

Conversely, Raiden is not sticking to the branch but practically hovering when it goes out from under his feet as it bounces from their fight. He's never had reason to learn to keep his feet stuck to a surface like that really, when one can simply fly it results in a different set of tactics.

Raiden only barely ducks that kick, but it takes off his hat and sends it flipping lightly to the ground. He doesn't even glance after it as he drops low, sweeping a leg for that planted foot upon the branch.

Minoru, on the other hand, had no idea how to fly. He could run very fast and leap from considerable heights, but he couldn't actually stay up there. He made a mental note to ask Raiden about that one later.

There was no time to focus on it now. Minoru hopped over the sweep, bouncing on the branch. It finally snapped, but Minoru was already in the air again, twisting around to send an ax kick down upon the crouching Raiden.

Raiden would have stayed in the air, but that kick lands hard, and sends him careening at the ground as the timer runs out. He at least manages to land on hands and feet, taking a moment to gather himself while the scene shimmers back to the black surroundings of the holodeck.

With calm composure, he reaches over, picking up his hat and stands with a bemused look upon his face as he places it gently back on top of his head.

Minoru toppled down with him, for the most part. He tried to grab a branch on the way, and in doing so, managed to not fall completely on top of Raiden. Unfortunately, his landing was a little less graceful than he would have hoped.

He rolled backwards and back to his feet on the black floor.

"Sorry about that last kick. I thought you'd disappear out from under it for sure." He scratched his head. He didn't intend to hurt his sparring partner, and hoped he hadn't.

"Nothing to apologize for." Raiden is clearly in good spirits. It was a fair hit and the fight had been enjoyable.

"No harm was done. A friendly reminder that I am further from my realm than I am used to being." He offers a warm bow in return.

Minoru met that bow.

"Your world doesn't have a lot of forests?" Minoru asked. His world, obviously, was just like that, and the terrain was second nature to him.

Maybe the next random environment would be more similar to what Raiden was used to. Surely, they were going to go another round, so he'd just wait and see.

"It does, but I rarely have cause to frequent them. Those that I do, are not the ancient growth we have seen here today." Raiden looks up as a simulated wind whistles faintly through the slats of his hat, and then the next scene materializes with a small flash of light and rolling thunder.

The scenes are on random and 'exotic', and it pulls up one that is not an uncommon sight for the Enterprise crew. It's straight from one of the holo-novels, a dark city street from Earth, sometime in the very early 20th century. Lights are dim, and to set the mood, it's raining.

The wetness is real enough, but Raiden pauses as there's another roll of thunder, eyes glancing skyward toward a cloud cover that he cannot sense. It's eerie, seeing rain and yet, being unable to sense the eddies and charging of the clouds before the also false lightning arcs through the storm above. He gives a wry smile, seeing no advantage aside from the moisture content of the air in this new arena.

"A shame it is not real." He could do so much more with true clouds, but the water slicking the street is conductive enough, and that he can work with.

Minoru glanced up as the arena changed and the computer's voice started its countdown. "It feels real enough to me."

He still half-smiled, because Minoru had a difficult time notsmiling. But he really didn't like getting wet. He had yet to experience holodeck rain, so perhaps the wet feeling would go away when the scene ended. Or maybe he should have packed a towel.

The most Minoru could tell from the scene was that it was vaguely industrial. The walls were going to be solid enough to run on and there was a lot of metal to bounce off of. He'd been in industrial worlds before, but never for more than a few months at a time.

His own world (and as part of a people who still believed the moon was the husk of the mystical ten-tailed beast, he didn't know its place in the cosmos) was far less advanced. Society was more akin to feudal Japan. They had electricity for a couple of generations now, but chakra and jutsu development were vastly more important than technological progress.

He bowed again, immediately dashing to find something to stand on that wasn't water or metal. This setting could be a lightning user's dream.

A lightning user, certainly. Raiden's just disappointed because if the storm were real, Minoru would be in for one very impressive show. However, this is not the case and so he turns to his opponent, returning the bow and giving him a head start. There's plenty of insulating concrete and brick around, but aside from the cars and their rubber tires, not much is protected from a an electric charge.

He waits a moment, and then disappears in a flash of lightning, as a simulated strike hits nearby. He may not be an actual ninja, but in a storm he can be illusive. He holds out a moment on top of a low building nearby, and when another lightning bolt flashes, he appears behind wherever Minoru has dashed, looking for a haven in this wet scenario.

When the lightning bolts happened, Minoru lost sight of his opponent. Raiden could appear anywhere, and the rain was loud enough to obscure footsteps. Minoru knew he had a significant disadvantage here.

He paused on the side of a building. Literally, standing on the side. The brick was the best insulation he could think of off the top of his head.

He tried to stay still (which wasn't his strong suit either), using all of his senses to anticipate Raiden's eventual attack. When the lightning struck, Minoru turned his head... Albeit in the wrong direction. He fell for the feint.

Raiden comes in swinging with a roundhouse. His preferred style of fighting is more hands than feet, but with Minoru standing on the side of the building, it's one way of taking a shot at his legs. He's parallel to Minoru at least, the side of the building acting as their new ground though Raiden is hovering rather than standing, again.

It was a good feint. Even though Minoru tried to perform a substitution jutsu, there simply wasn't enough time to focus his chakra. The roundhouse made contact, and Minoru broke contact with the wall.

He splashed in a fairly large puddle, catching himself with one hand and then tumbling and rolling more than once to get back to his feet.

"Good one." He admitted, turning back around. He bounced into a squat, feeling his legs stinging slightly. "But it won't work on me twice."

"I would be disappointed, if it did." Raiden comes back down to the ground, sandals settling easily into a puddle with a small smile. It's clear that wet is not a state he minds in the least.

He takes a leap forward, swinging an arm down at Minoru, while the other stays back, ready to come in under his guard if Raiden can manage it against the skilled fighter.

Minoru slid his feet out and dropped low. When he was even lower than Raiden's second punch, he spun. He was already wet. Getting wetter was only going to be worth it if the sweep worked.

Raiden's feet go out from under him, but he leans forward, planting them again as he puts a hand down onto the ground, as if to stabilize himself. A quick jolt of electricity arcs between his fingers just at his hand splashes down into the standing water at their feet.

Minoru spun on his hands, catching a glimpse of Raiden landing in that forward crouch. The lightning...

He pushed himself out of the water as it struck, but unlike Raiden, Minoru couldn't levitate. What went up had to come down. He pushed chakra into his feet, and combined it with natural energy from his seal. The result was a partial Sage Mode. The white scales that now covered his feet and ankles behaved a little bit like armor, helping him withstand blows he couldn't conceivably block as well as protect against the elements. He hadn't ever tried it against lightning, but perhaps it would mitigate some of the shock.

How well and how much was about to be determined.

The attack is meant more as a jolt to put his opponent off balance and surprise their nerves, so that armor will certainly help Minoru reduce the effectiveness of the tactic. Raiden's not looking to be brutal though, and he's really quite curious by the change to Minoru's feet.

The charge to the puddle stops, and instead Raiden scoops up water in his hand, splashing it at Minoru as he comes at him with his fists again.

He landed while the electricity was still shooting through the water, and barely felt a thing. He knew, logically, that the jolt wasn't meant to do lasting harm, but the fact that Sage Mode provided protection from it was a big boost in confidence.

And then he got splashed in the face...

When Raiden came in, Minoru was still able to meet his punch. It did, however, come close than he would have liked. Instead of blocking and countering, he slid his hand up and around, coiling his arm like a snake around Raiden's arm. It was a joint lock. Pushing his hand against his opponent's shoulder, he moved to take him off balance. His back leg was already coming in for a sweep.

Raiden is surprised by the way Minoru puts his arm into the lock, but instead of struggling against it, he opens his fist, grabbing onto Minoru's clothing as best he can, and pulling as he leaned backward.

He's not trying to throw him over his shoulder, instead, as that sweep comes around Raiden pushes off the ground and goes airborne, Minoru in tow.

When Raiden grabbed on, Minoru expectd a throw. He found himself in the air, but in an entirely different way!

He could have grabbed on, but instead, kept his body lose. If he was going to be thrown from an even greater height, he needed to be able to fall safely. Being stiff only made things worse. On top of that, the energy in his seal was already moving. Minoru was ready to activate his Sage Mode with just a thought if necessary - especially if he had to face a lightning jutsu while in the other's grasp.

Raiden isn't looking to put Minoru in any real peril, but he's curious to see what he makes of the tactic. Not having control over the storm means he has to severely modify the attack from his usual method.

Once they're airborne, he does a spin and lets go, hoping to send Minoru into the air over one of the rooftops where Raiden can pick up the fight again. The drop at that point would be more than manageable for a skilled human, but it changes the dynamics of their arena a bit more with the metal ducting and air-handling systems now in play.

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