tushanshu | [VOICE | Backdated Pre-Event] Survey

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[VOICE | Backdated Pre-Event] Survey

[You wanna play it this say, Raph? Taking surveys to prove a point? Fine. Let's play.

It's not about who cares - well okay, to be fair, that's the MAIN reason they developed such fine-tuned stealth skills in the first place. But that's not the only reason a ninja should stay hidden. With enemies who would probably not announce themselves first, who would see him and his brothers on the Network and then proceed to silently hunt them down one by one...

The last time the team faced Shredder, he nearly killed them all, starting with Leonardo himself; the memory of seeing the intent in Oruku's eyes while facing down his blade remained a deeply chilling moment. But now Leo's team is down by one, they're not always together and they can't just stay underground here. If Shredder found one of them out in Keeliai, alone, with no way to contact the others for help...]

How many people have had their enemies show up.

[A question with the cadence of a statement. That's how you know he's serious, apparently.

If this survey turns up zilch? Leo will have to concede the point completely. But he doesn't really suppose that'll be the case. Let's find out.]

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[Never block a power move.

Well - not unless you’re Raphael. Which Leo is not. And he’s not about to tackle fire head-on, either. There are a lot of things he wouldn’t meet head-on, and Leonardo has learned strategy to cope with a great many of them. When he wins, it’s typically because of his skill or strategy, not his power.

The fist sweeps in, a scythe of flame; Leo steps forward as if to counter or block, putting himself in perilously close range. But then he drops like a stone to allow her fist to pass over his head with a rush and crackle of heat, and hears her weight-bearing foot crunch on gravel as she twists to continue momentum into the kick.

Leo’s right leg stretches to the side from his crouch, and as Korra's windmill kick spins its course he slides to follow, moving right and sideways as his opponent's technique carries her forwards. As Leo transfers his full weight to his right and straightens one-legged in the wake of her attack, his left folds tight and close in preparation for a sharp perpendicular sidekick to the bender’s now-exposed back.

There are a handful of advanced blocks or dodges Korra could employ, if she’s prepared for the move coming for her blind side. But if she isn’t ready for the feint or if the smooth close-quarters dodge catches her by surprise, Korra will shortly find out that those big feet and calf muscles aren’t just for show.

His foot whips out, sharp and precise and balanced, with approximately the striking power of a small pony.]

Edited 2013-06-19 23:49 (UTC)

[Having no intention to actually set Leo on fire, she had expected him to dodge the first move. When her follow up was also avoided, Korra did not stop going forward. Placing her foot from the missed kick on the ground, she put her weight onto it as she crouched, freeing her other leg to come back to her position so she could kick it outward behind her in a sweep, she let her distributed weight work as an axis for her to turn on.

As she did so, the ground they were on jutted up so it was touching the bottom of her foot and following its motion towards Leonardo’s ankle. Korra was actually surprised to see the force behind the kick that was aimed for her back, her crouching had given her a fair view of it.]

[Even before Leo's foot contacts nothing but air, he knows he has to move. She's good, he realizes even as he bends his weight-bearing leg to get leverage for a jump. It's not an easy move, especially if he wants to get any height within the available split-second before her counter, so - as always when he fights - he puts every ounce of strength into it. Even with his reflexes, Korra's earthbending-enhanced kick clips his toes.

But he makes it, spinning with agility that makes his shell-laden bulk seem weightless. He lands just within striking range so that she's no longer inside his reach, and before he touches down his katana is already humming through the air in an aggressive set designed to drive her back. His Musashi-based technique is backed by a brutal strength and he presses hard, but never once does he try to actually cut her. His blade intends to cut only air, aiming inches shy of his sparring partner, and his weapon remains faithful to his intent. But they're designed to come perilously close, and he's counting on her to either retreat for her own safety or meet his weapon with an appropriate guard.

He's seen a little of what she can do now, and trusts her to react well. How does a bender contend with a swordsman? Leo's looking forward to finding out.]

[There was nothing quite like seeing a shelled warrior move more nimbly than any of Korra's previous sparring partners. The fact that she could only graze the tips of his toes told Korra that she was dealing with someone just as seasoned as she was and if she prided herself on anything, it was her combat ability.

As he spun through the air, Korra continued with her current option and her hand touched the ground causing stone to latch onto her arm like a gauntlet. The rock from her missed sweep came to her as she brought her leg back in and covered her other forearm in the same manner.

Korra had only trained against swordplay, never had she been a cut-throat battle with one. Even though the blade of the katana was just out of reach, she didn't take any chances and Korra thrust her arm defensively out to deter it's path.

Where as most would take the tentative option to retreat farther back, Leonardo would find that Korra was very aggressive in combat and she pressed into his reach. With weapons that were best used from a distance, Korra sought to close the gap as much as possible and turn the tide in her favor by attempting to make it a close quarters combat situation. Using the arm that had blocked his sword, Korra continued forward in order to aim a punch at the elbow holding the offending sword.

The only time she had ever fought someone wielding two weapon in a serious situation had been Amon's Lieutenant and his electrified kali sticks. Having taken him down before by disarming him, Korra saw that was a viable method to apply here.]

[A block enhanced by rock-bending to protect her arms - of course. Leo grins even as his blade chips stone, meeting surprising resistance to his own muscle, a strength which enables him to shift the weight of his shell as if it was nothing more than light body armor. Seeing how Korra integrates bending with martial arts is a thrill, just as he thought it would be.

The punch is enhanced by bending as well, the rock-enforced blow hitting as hard as those of his own brothers. At impact, rather than allow the jangle of nerves crawling up his forearm to disable his grip completely, Leo lets the strength go out of his arm while keeping his fingers and thumb linked. It loosens his grip, yet keeps the blade under control so it's neither fumbled nor dropped. He tucks the katana into a space used by neither of their bodies, edge out.

Leo's other hand whips out, crosses over between them, and firmly grasps the upper portion of Korra's offensive arm. In the space of a split second Leo grins, pivots, twists his shell into Korra's body for leverage and yanks to throw.

It's true that as a medium-range fighter, Leo prefers his opponents at blade's length. He does, however, have plenty of ways to cope with those who would rather get up close and personal. It's necessary to contend with his two younger brothers, if nothing else.]

[Expecting him to brace for impact, Korra's surprise showed when Leo's arm gave way. Her distraction did cost her when in that same split second, she looks to see his hand grabbing her arm.

Uh-oh.

The shell is shaped just right for a shoulder throw. Without a missing a beat, Korra is sent sailing into the air. Tucking her chin in, Korra's back hit the ground and she continued rolling backwards a few times before twisting herself forward. She swept her foot in Leo's direction forcefully even though he was far away and then set it firmly on their personal arena; a very low rumbling sound started.

A return grin.

Part of the ground near her feet became a sink hole and Korra stood up. Water gushed out of the hole, and her arms simultaneously performed a quick, yet tranquil motion which summoned water onto both of her arms. Not unlike tentacles.

First move was hers, and now she waited as water continued to cover the ground.]

[And now the battle over range has entered an entirely new dimension. Leo instantly recognizes the tactical situation as similar to one he's faced at home in live combat – the home-turf opponent being a 12-foot-tall, regenerating weed monster. Korra's a lot nicer to look at, naturally, but Leo can already tell that the water tentacles will probably function in combat much like Snakeweed's vines.

Switching his katana to the other hand, Leo shakes the tingles out of his arm as he evaluates her new set up. In a real battle, these logistics would create a very dangerous situation; taking on Snakeweed without the benefit of a brother at his side would be nearly impossible, in lieu of a truly lucky break.

Fortunately, this battle isn't for keeps; Leo can use his favorite opening technique without having to worry about his neck should Korra overwhelm him. That outcome is distinct possibility though, and the thrill of this challenge lights up his eyes.

This is the most fun he's had in a long time.

His arm is ready for full action within seconds. Instead of returning the single katana to a two-handed grip he draws his secondary blade, holding one high and the other low, each parallel to the ground in one of the hallmark ready positions of the Niten Ryū style in which specializes. The tension in his frame smooths and sharpens the angles of his terrapin body into a clearly hydrodynamic figure; intensely focused, narrowed eyes evaluate Korra's posture, the way her water tentacles move, her concentration...

Leo doesn't give his opponent long to solidify her position. After a human-sized handful of heartbeats the turtle charges; when he gets to the lip of the spreading and shallow puddle, his toes splash the rippling edge as he propels himself in an arcing leap punctuated by a fierce battle yell.]

HYAAH!!

[Yes, Leonardo is charging a water bender who's brandishing water tentacles. Tactically, the odds aren't in his favor, but with little chance of sneaking around her or getting behind her and given that he's not willing to pull out the shuriken or smoke bombs, his options are limited. So instead of a superior strategy, he banks on his skill and experience.

As Leo jumps, his katana are held at the perfect angle to scythe through the air of any feasible approach vector; front, side or diagonal. Snakeweed typically had at least four vicious, thorny vines in play, so Leo expects to track and handle a pair of water tentacles just fine. And although this jump sometimes results in him getting batted out of the air? This time, he doesn't need to worry that his opponent will follow-up by trying to turn him into fertilizer.

However, if he breaks through her defense, slashing his way past and inside her guard? There's a twist and a kick planned at the end of his samurai-style charge. If – but only if – his chosen tactic goes spectacularly well, that kick has the potential to result in the match-ending KO.

But Leonardo does hope it won't be quite that easy.]

[Inclining her head, curious to see how Leonardo would see this different style, Korra watched him shake his arm with the tiniest tug at the corners of her mouth. When he drew out his other katana, Korra couldn’t help but let that tug form into a smile and lean into her battle stance, her heels came off the ground and all her balance went into the balls of her feet. Water tentacles provided the mobility that the related octopus form wouldn’t allow.

While she favored her firebending, Korra’s innate waterbending was strong to begin with and was honed by the best teacher her world could offer. Of course she utilized more of the aggressive Southern Water style than the defensive Northern Water style. Since bending had been what comprised most of her life, this too was the most fun she had since arriving on Tu Vishan.

Moving her fingers idly, Korra waited, the very tips of the water surrounding her arms flicked back and forth, much like a cat’s tail. Hearing the battle cry and seeing his charge, Korra kept watching Leo until she saw his weight shift mid-run and he jumped into the air.

Both tentacles pressurized enough to be firm enough to grab an opponent while maintain its liquid form. Reaching with an outstretched hand, this one was going straight to wrap around the ankle of the offending foot. As she did so, Korra brought her other hand to her shoulder so she could give a backfist at Leonardo remotely with the other tentacle. Effectively attempting to grapple him and deliver a strong, discouraging blow. To be followed by more, if successful, with the submission of her sparring partner in mind.

A lot less brutal than anything she would have employed in a non-sparring match.]

Edited 2013-07-09 18:19 (UTC)

[And that is a move that Snakeweed never could have pulled off; Leo's never seen anything like it. If he'd had more clearance he might have been able to reach around and sever the tentacle, but the combat is too close and ground contact is imminent; so instead of escape he braces for impact and retaliation.

Hitting the earth shell-first with a splash, Leo pounds the dirt with his hilts to channel the impact; the technique ensures he isn't winded by the throw, and immediately he raises one oversized and very sturdy forearm in defense against her backfist. Leo can block a full roundhouse kick with those solid flippers and they can take a lot of punishment. But he's only engaged one in defense; the other?

Leo almost forgets to drop his katana first; his standard combat procedure is to hit with the pommel for a nasty KO, and his weapons-grip is firm. But that's dirty pool for sparring, and he doesn't need to hit that hard, so the incoming offensive that swings around from Korra's near side (the one belonging to the arm she's using to strike, so there's no upper limb available on that side for a block) aiming for her jaw is composed merely of a natural fist about the size of her head, and knuckles nearly the width of her entire palm.

If he connects, he'll follow the force he's engaged with a twist, hoping to flip her attempt to pin and pummel him into a pin of his own. From there he wagers he'll either be able to immobilize her arms and keep her down, or end this spar with the edge of his katana held a few inches from her neck (also known as standard procedure).]

[Once that water's latched on, Korra's all too sure of victory in their sparring match. After Leo's shell hits the ground and her water tentacle is heading towards him, Korra's focused on that. Try to break that block so he would submit.

The oncoming goes through, all Korra can do is see it at the last moment. Unable to block, and unable to use her legs to earthbend a defense in time the blow lands squarely on her jaw. Water splashes loudly onto the ground as the foot that shared the same side of the injured jaw was forced into the air by the impact, her balance toppled.

When she went to stop herself from falling and getting her fists prepared to firebend, Leo was already atop of her and had both of her arms pinned limiting her firebending options. The only bending maneuvers that came to her mind were breath related, one that she attempted to use on Tarrlok when her arms were bound: firebreathing and ice breath: a technique learned from her years of training under Katara. Both were something reserved for a real duel, not a sparring match.]

Not bad.

[Said playfully, in a much more joking tone than when Mako said those same words to her on the day they met. It hurt a bit to talk, but nothing worse than she's received from fighting Amon's chi-blockers, and she wasn't too concerned since she would heal it up when she was free to do so.]

Not bad yourself. [Leo chuckles through the water dripping off his beak, eyes alight from the thrill of such an unpredictable spar. This practice fight was one of the most surprising – and fun – he's ever had, the integration of raw elemental power with skilled martial arts being a completely new facet in his arena.

With her concession, Leo immediately releases his grip, backs his weight off and stands to offer his worthy opponent a hand up off the ground with an open smile. On top of their commonalities, Korra has earned his solid respect.]

You almost had me for a minute. I've never seen anything like that!

Er - I hope I didn't hit you too hard. [Leo hadn't hit her any harder than he would hit his brothers, but the lot of them are nature's tanks after all. Although the strike wasn't quite as hard as one he would've used in a life-or-death situation, he's not accustomed to pulling his punches, nor would he do so as an issue of respect for his partner. He can, however, tell from the set of her jaw that she's feeling it.]

[The water actually lands in Korra mouth and she sputters, laughing as she takes his hand to stand up.]

Yeah, bending's pretty cool. But it's not everything.

[Massaging her jaw gently, Korra smiled even though it stung.]

I'll be fine, don't worry.

[She set her teeth apart and look occupied for a moment as her tongue dug around in her mouth, then she spat a small speck of blood on the ground. Her back teeth had made a small cut from the blow.]

So you're ninjutsu training really forces you to think on your feet, huh?

[Leo smirks in appreciation as Korra demonstrates manners worthy of any one of his brothers; the older girl is tough, smart, fun and powerfully talented. He's officially smitten, but it will be a while before he figures that out; for now, he's fully engaged in noticing how cool she is. And fluffing his own metaphorical feathers a bit, but that's nothing unusual.]

You could say that. [Nudging his toes under the hilt of one of his weapons, Leo flips it up to easily catch with one hand. He frowns at the mud clinging to the blade, and proceeds to wipe it off on one forearm – keeping the business end against his wrist-wrap as a matter of habitual safety precaution – before splashing his way to the next one.]

Ninjutsu has been refined for centuries to enable warriors to overcome great odds… Superior firepower and armor, too. A small team of lightly-armed ninja could prevail over a mounted Lord and 20 of his best samurai or more. [Leo elaborates as he works; he was the only one of his brothers who paid rapt attention when Splinter spoke of Japanese history.] Technique and stealth are more important than force, but it doesn't hurt to be a heavy-hitter too.

So it doesn't really matter if you're fighting on entire ninja army, or just a single guy who can pound you into the pavement with one good hit – or, somebody who can shoot fire from their fists. [Leo breaks slightly from his "quoting daddy"/classroom mode to grin at her again.] Reflexes and strategy are key to any victory. Thinking on our feet? It's just part of the job description.

Technique is definitely something I've had to learn, but stealth was never really a part of my training regimen. [She had picked up some here and there, enough to not alert any White Lotus sentries while she was on the roof overhead. But not enough to fool Master Tenzin.]

So you've taken down entire armies? [Partially joking, the half curious to see what the actual personal number for Leo is.]

[The young ninja would be among the first to tell her that sneaking up on a Master is in an entirely different category than in getting by a sentry. Also, Leo's brothers fail at stealth all the time, and when leader-boy is busy yelling at them to be quiet he does too.]

It's important against overwhelming numbers, but not much use in a spar, [he chuckles as he runs his thumb along gleaming metal to polish it off. They're still wet, but Leo gets soaked on a regular basis; it's business as usual for his gear.

At the question he smirks, gaze drifting up and to the side as he considers the scale of their battles to date.] Well – not by myself, no. [He makes it seem as if it's a slightly embarrassing admittance; Leo would very much liked to have made that claim, but unfortunately couldn't. Miyamoto could have.] And, not all at once.

[The clean blade twists in the air with a flourish, then slides back into its sheath with a clink. Leo's in full Serious Hero (or Pretentious, as his brothers would tell him) Mode.]

But the Shredder has an army all right, and he's serious about taking us out. I don't know how many guys he's got, but the one time they really cornered us with superior numbers he must've sent… I don't know. Fifty guys after us? Plus his two best henchmen, they're worth any ten ashigaru.

In ninja terms, that's an army - and stealth wasn't an option… They had a hostage.

It was pretty intense.

[Their enemy’s peculiar name gets a raised eyebrow from Korra, but she doesn’t interrupt. After all, she had her own crazy opponent that had an army of his own and constantly wore a mask.]

Glad you guys pulled through. What is it with them and taking hostages?

[Korra had to ask thinking of how the airbending family was abducted, and even though he wasn’t necessarily a hostage, Korra put Bolin in that category anyway.]

Yeah, guess I can see why you posted that on the network now. If this Shredder ever does show up, I think I’d like to take a crack at him. Taking down one insane psychopath qualifies me for that, right?

[There’s a wry smirk on her face after that. The parallels they shared in regards to training and life experiences were different and similar at the same time. It was comforting, in a weird way, to know that others close to her age were going through similar troubles. Human or not.]

It's a line they can cross but we won't, [Leo comments on the topic of hostages, brimming with faith in the wisdom of his sensei's words on the matter. He paraphrases them now.] It makes them dangerous, but it doesn't make them strong.

[Leo's reaction to the suggestion that Korra might confront Shredder, on the other hand, is nothing short of dramatic. His eyes widen in alarm and he turns to face her squarely, one hand gesturing for emphasis.]

Korra, NO. Shredder – he isn't just some psychopath with an army. He's a Grand Master of ninjutsu, like Sensei. We've only fought him once, all four of us against him alone, and we – we barely made it out alive.

[The young turtle is dead serious. That fight hadn't been a battle; it had been a rout, where it seemed all the progress they could make was to pull the heavily-armored ninja off a family member: after Raphael went down, Leo engaged only to be taken out in an unprecedented five seconds; then Donnie was flattened, so Mikey dove in with shuriken flying and was tossed off the building for his contribution; after that Leo and Donnie both got cornered and Raphael saved them by inches with a kamikaze leap, and so on and so forth.

It was blind, random, sheer lucky chance that they got away. A crucial distraction, just as Leo was facing the end of a blade and an ultimatum to surrender his father or die – they were given the space of seconds in which to escape, his brothers pulling him to his feet as he limped from a cracked rib and they retreated to the sewers while Shredder's head was turned. Leo had stared death in the eyes that day, and that sobering memory plus the knowledge that the only reason he and his brothers were alive was due to the protection of their shells lends urgency to his warning.

If the Shredder got inside Korra's guard – and the man excelled at ripping through defenses as if they were tissue paper – she would wind up with a lot worse than the deep, parallel scores that dent Leo's shell here and there. Some marks are the result of training flubs, but an increasing and now-overwhelming number of them are from live combat; a deep few are from that battle. Turtles carry their history.

On impulse, Leonardo reaches out for one of her hands and holds it between the two of them. There's nothing proprietary or invasive about the gesture; he's merely that earnest, and desperately trying to get through. She cannot go after Oruku Saki. The Foot clan leader will take her out and she won't even see it coming; her bending won't get a chance.]

Promise me you won't go after him, especially not alone. Please.

[Leo’s reaction take Korra completely by surprise. After the posturing and confidence in his abilities, she hadn’t been expecting him to turn gravely serious. Baffled by it, Korra blinks in rapid confusion at Leo’s abrupt hand grab and plea. Then a slightly offended sigh.]

If he does show up here and does anything that could endanger others it’s my job to stop him. [No limitations, no promises. Her tone was clear and concise. Taking the protective duties of the Avatar seriously was one of the foundations Korra had learned early on in her training.]

Whether I’m alone or not.

[Leo's dramatic reaction reflects the fact that the prior battle, although a very narrow call, was won through Leonardo's actions. But the battle against Shredder hadn't been a win at all, it had been a lucky escape. He's proud of how good he is, and has a tendency to get cocky and egotistical about it, but he's learned through dangerous and painful experience that he's just not ready to face some things (although sometimes you must). Although incredibly good, he is still not a master, and he's never balked at a prudent retreat.

If Korra couldn't take Leonardo down in about half the time they were fighting, even considering the light-hearted sparring situation, the Shredder was perfectly capable of making mincemeat out of her. Every strategic instinct he has tells him a one-on-one battle between the bender and the ninjutsu master, regardless of Korra's impressive power, could end only one way. And she didn't have the stealth training to escape.

He blinks at her vehemence. But despite his instincts on the battle, a second later he smiles in kindred recognition. It's a hero's answer, one he can respect. When other people's lives were at risk, Leo would also put his own on the line. Even when the odds were insurmountable.]

The people in the most danger are going to be the ones who get between him and us. But if you want to stand with us, we could use a little fire on our side.

[Of course, if Leo gets his say in who fights alongside them, he would grab his cousins as well. And that group, he thinks, would be enough to fight the master into a standstill – perhaps even, with the right strategy, defeat him. IF he was allowed that luxury; the experienced Oruku Saki may very well engineer any conflict on his grounds. It's a prospect Leo is struggling to plan for. Yet despite logistical difficulties he has no intention of letting the Shredder catch them by surprise again.

He's let his forearm droop a little, but yep he's still holding her hand, a little absently in lieu of focusing on the conversation. His thumb is resting across her knuckles, but there's little to no pressure holding her there. With his metabolism up from the fight, the pair's only a slight temperature difference between them, but he does run cooler.]

Only a little fire? [Asked playfully now that Korra was assured Leo didn’t take offense to her words. Sitting/standing by and doing nothing while something untoward happened to others wasn’t how any Avatar react.] I’ll bring as much as you guys need.

[There was little Korra wouldn’t do to help someone with a frightening foe as Leo described the Shredder to be. Taking her hand back absent-mindedly, Korra stuck a finger in her mouth and pulled out a small blood clot on the tip of blood and saliva covered finger.]

I should get some water when I get home. [She said thoughtfully before flicking it off with her thumb.]

So you know how to get a hold me on the network if you need boys need anything, right?

[She was smiling, a faint pink across her teeth from the little cut.]

Well I can encrypt a call-out, but if there's a faster way I'll take it.

[Leo grins at her cavalier attitude. Words are all fine and good, but Korra has thoroughly demonstrated she can more than keep up. He knows he must have seen only the tip of the iceberg, and with the correct planning, her powers can give them a winning edge.]

I bet that'll heat up his armor. You'll make a heck of a secret weapon, that's for sure.

But… [His serious face comes back on – yet this time he's just informing her, not forbidding. He knows this won't change her decision, but it's his responsibility to let her know the full risks first.] You should know, before getting into this? Once he finds out you're our ally, he won't ever stop coming after you.

This is a clan blood feud. Standing with us – it'll make you a round-the-clock-target.

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[VOICE | Backdated Pre-Event] Survey

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resurrects

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[VOICE | Backdated Pre-Event] Survey

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*resurrects*

\o/

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resurrects