Description: What happens when a room full of angry fight fans turn ugly, feel disrespected on their home ground and decide to teach a disrespectful newcomer to mind their tongue? It's happened plenty of times before; they might get away with a drubbing or suitably wetting themselves in the ring. But that didn't happen tonight. The little Asian girl with the bad attitude got the crowd riled up with something she said, tossed into the ring but worse still! She keeps putting down the best talent of the night, ruining everything. The former Emperor of Muay Thai, Sagat bears witness to how low the dregs of the fighting world have fallen.
"Oraaah"'
A chiselled jaw distends under the weight of her blow, the flat of her scores long the stubbly jawline though as the fighter throws himself away from her to try and minimize the damage. He backpedals away trying clear his head at the same time as her vision wavers and she feels it beginning to tilt and fall away.
The flophouse arena that is the setting for this match is dingy, the only measure of lighting or expense spared is on the arena itself; keeping the exterior of the ring a little more private and veiled in darkness, anonymous faces. Faces screaming that are at this moment calling out vicious instruction and miming out punches and kicks : for the fighters in the arena to act no doubt.
The girl lifts her hand to her lips and brushes away the mix of blood and saliva, hair plastered to her face with sweat and running in droplets down her back and tired limbs. Her breathing is ragged and sweat stings her eye forcing her to blink it away and try to conceal the action with the forearm brushing one of the long bangs into her face and concealing the action.
'Teach her a lesson'
'Shut her mouth!'
'Put the bitch down!!'
Cries to end her, they had been the soundtrack to this fight, dozens of voices all in chorus of sentiment if not in words. Now, covered in wounds, one arm hanging low Juri Han still won't go down, the theme of the night continues. The longer she keeps standing the more outraged the cries get and there is no discernible route of escape, if there were she likely would have taken it by now. The other fighter senses her distraction and snaps her head around violently with a fast cross, taking advantage of her blindside.
There is little fight left.
He's here to scout for future talent--future /competition/. It's become a side-project of his: observing promising new styles in search of ways to crush them. Ryu is his destiny, but the road to toppling him is paved with an unknowable number of other opponents, none of whom he wishes to be further humbled by. Juri's presence is a welcome surprise: so far, she's acquitted herself well despite the odds against her, but how long can she really last...?
Sagat's been a silent observer up until now, but as Juri reels from the latest attack, the Muay Thai Titan begins to work his way through the crowd, drawing a fair number of scowls and threats along the way that he soundly ignores. He arrives beside the ring while Juri's opponent is charging in to capitalize, and grips the middle ropes in both fists as he steps from the floor to the apron.
If the other man didn't happen to notice Sagat fording the crowd, he'll probably hear the one-eyed man as he steps over the top rope to briskly stalk towards him.
If he doesn't catch /that/, then he is sure to notice when Sagat grips his head in both hands, lifts his feet off of the ground, and squeezes. /Hard/. Hard enough that his pupils gradually begin to redden after the first few moments.
"This is a /farce/," he announces to the arena at large, spinning to face a section of the crowd as he does; the captured man's body flops in his hands like a fish. "Is /this/ what you've spent your lives honing your skills for...? Attempting to torture a competitor who so clearly outclasses you by breaking your soft bodies against her fists?! PATHETIC!"
The limp body of Juri's opponent is hurled into the crowd, and the hoodie is close behind it; he's still wearing dark jeans, but the wound seared across his chest is plainly visible now. Once he's a little more properly attired, he turns to address Juri.%r%r"Arrogant girl--your trial is /over/; if you've any peers among these dregs, I have yet to see them! Fall back." His arms fold over the scar. "Recover what strength you can; when you are prepared, /I/ will be your judge."
The moment the giant figure had entered the area she had grown concerned that perhaps the blow to the head was worse than she had thought. It loomed up right behind her opponent and she was treated to a horrifying sight as the man's eyes bulge, his face gripped in terror before he even began to react to the pain and the forces coming to bear upon him.
Juri's reaction is one of shock, even in her dishevelled state seeing her latest opponent picked up so easily, despite the obvious intent and anger, it had appeared almost child's play. She had once seen a large dog that excelled at catching and killing rats, somehow she was reminded of how feeble a struggle that had seemed, because she was seeing something comparable.
(Is this the Final Boss?)
As he instead directs his anger towards the crowd she slumps forward, hands on knees and breathing hard, It helps with the nausea and the shaking but even still she allows herself just a few seconds of rest before she straightens. Her Impression of her fierce saviour haven't gotten any less - larger than life.
The cheer and laughter had cut off as though it were being suddenly strangled, faint echoes and lone voices out of place as the curtain of silence descends. Cries and swearing from those struggling under the weight of Juri's now former opponent seeming surreal; entirely out of place with the cowed and almost docile seeming crowd.
"Judge ..me? Aha--hah-HA! Sounds like a good time to me."
The irony isn't lost on her. She came here looking for a show, a sign of some real blood sports and was instead being treated to front row centre stage in a very intimate way. Did they think this kind of lesson was humbling? Fuck that, they'd proved they were trash! That possibly deranged laugher mellows and slowly fades though it was piercing in this still and quiet place. But - her furious saviour wasn't something like the rest of the dregs in here. It looks like he had acted out of some kind of misguided sense of honour, or anger about what was going on here. Her eyes are drawn to the wound concealed beneath the hoodie, carved deeply on or into the chest; the defined musculature and the size; everything about him seemed to be powerful, indicative of violence, supreme confidence.
One hand comes to rest on her hip the other combs the loose strands of hair from her face and comes to rest against her cheek as she openly appraises Sagat, head to toe and she likes what she sees.
Her openly expressed interest seems to be enough to cause an upwelling of spirit in the crowd, seeing someone step up to stop them only worked this well because they were experiencing shame. The crowd stirs and a few angry calls sound as it begins to be replaced with outrage, had these two had even come together or something?
"Now, perhaps," Sagat allows, sizing her up in turn. She might've originally come for a show, but--could she really not have known what heckling might earn her in a venue like this? That she was sure to become a /part/ of the show if she wounded the fighters' pride too deeply?
Is she ignorant, or reckless? Or both?
He doesn't give her any more room to collect herself, but he refrains from pouncing--for now. All he really wants is to test her, to see what she's made of; he couldn't care less for the honor of this hole in the wall arena, as much as a part of him empathizes with the desire to silence detractors by any means necessary. If she isn't able to handle trading blows with him for a while, he won't really be accomplishing anything past beating up an already battered fighter.
Then again: if she's checking him out, how out of it could she really be? The former Emperor actually drops back a half-step as the crowd shifts, and bemusement flashes over his expression.
"We will see how it sounds," he says as he briskly shakes his head, then focuses a narrow-eyed stare upon her, "once you've lived it!" He punctuates the declaration by charging forward and throwing a quick knee towards her gut--just to see if she's ready, or punish her if she isn't.
COMBATSYS: Sagat has started a fight here.
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Sagat 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Juri has joined the fight here.
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Sagat 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Juri
COMBATSYS: Juri blocks Sagat's Light Kick.
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Sagat 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Juri
A thin tight smile plays across Juri lips, it's not a pleasant development, the saviour had become another monster in the ring - turning on her and she accepts it as a matter of course. There is a resigned shrug and she continues to stand without assuming a guard.
The moment he mounts his attack she draws knee up and braces her knee and elbow together, the kicks still sends her sprawling but she come out of it by rolling sideways when she makes contact with the ground and coming back up to one knee. Tch, the big guy wasn't all show, which would have been handy right about now. From one knee he looms even higher and larger, a goddamned colossus huh?
The Korean woman hardly behaves like a fighter at all, she knows how to fight but she is not displaying any kind of methodology, tactics or prowess. Maybe she really was an amateur? But that wouldn't explain the forms or the moves. Just.. a profound disparity between her actions when she was actually striking blows and when she was standing quietly.
Juri makes a show of dusting her pants with a beating of her palm while standing but in reality she is testing that leg to see if it can carry her any further forward. Satisfied with the result she leans into light footed run at Sagat, leaping with a hop she turns it into a back-heel kick aiming right at him.
COMBATSYS: Sagat endures Juri's Sekku.
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Sagat 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Juri
Pushing off of his lead foot, Sagat surges /into/ the kick, turning his head along the angle she's striking along. The blow still rattles his jaw and rocks him on his feet, but he catches himself pretty readily and gives his head another quick shake. All that punishment with only a short respite, and she /still/ has the strength to leave his ear ringing.
"Why did you do it?" he then wonders as he raises his fists. "Why did you disrespect these fighters?" His voice is stern and his tone is demanding; still, he's more curious than angry. "Not that they were worthy of much of it--but why?"
If Sagat /is/ a monster, he is at least one who's willing to listen--even if he doesn't seem keen on giving Juri much time to explain.
Just after posing the question, the giant slings his arms back and the rest of his body into a forward in a horizontal leap towards Juri, roaring, "TIGER CRUSH!" as he flies. Legs like pillars curl up close to his body and his right knee bends so that the point is poised to be driven into the Korean woman's body.
COMBATSYS: Sagat knocks away Juri with Tiger Crush.
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Sagat 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Juri
Juri's knee crumples in with the blow in response to Sagat stepping into her press against her attack, that's some kind of chops to just power forward right through her blow. It's she who is pushed back and there's nothing really to be done form this position but try to fall back and catch herself.
She might be small by comparison to Sagat but as she falls back and he raises his fists she reacts with his question with an expression of confusion that rapidly begins to melt to reveal the disdain beneath. Juri really thinks nothing of the people here,. They were trash, worthless in the extreme and patting each other on the back for having reached such levels.
Rather than avoiding his charge the small girls likewise pushes off and comes in at Sagat, trying to twist her body and avoid the lions share of the blow; Juri rockets into the air like she was a ragdoll. Sailing into the air and flying back far enough that she strikes and is slung back into the ring only by the presence of the ropes. Tottering forward she almost stumbles but doesn't go down, it clearly hurt.
More than anyone would believe having watched it, any though to a reply had been blasted right out of her by the blow, her entire body laid out across that knee had done a number on her ribs.. she's not sure if she can or should speak. It wouldn't do to squeak out an answer in front of these vermin just because she was too hurt.
Setting one foot back she establishes an odd stance, coiled like she is about to unleash a massive roundhouse, a gigantic telegraph for a move; but at a distance much too far to actually reach Sagat. The Purple energy roiling around her foot and calf the moment she touches off and starts the swing speaks to it's actual intent, hurling the projectile towards its target.
COMBATSYS: Sagat blocks Juri's EX Fuhajin.
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Sagat 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Juri
When Sagat lands, he waits instead of pressing the attack. Granted, he's waiting with clenched fists and a coiled, predatory posture, but this is probably something of an improvement over another round of him barreling into her.
He waits because if he doesn't learn something of who she is, he'll have accomplished nothing beyond doing these hyenas' dirty work. He waits because, let's face it, it's hard to answer questions when you've just taken a knee to the ribs--so much so that it is, apparently, easier to lash out than speak.
The former Emperor's eyebrow briefly arches, then narrows as he draws his body - and more importantly, right leg - up and back, allowing that violet wave to crash against his shin. Flickers of his own amber chi leap from the impact point as the limb is driven back, and once all the special effects are gone, he's left with a band of reddened skin wrapped around the front of his leg.
After that, it gets kind of difficult for Sagat to justify waiting much longer.
"ANSWER ME!"
The bellowed directive comes as drops his foot to the ground, then immediately pushes off into a charge across the gap that's opened up between them. Once he's close enough, he intends to step towards her side so that he can twist back into her with a crashing elbow aimed at the side of her skull.
Is hitting someone over the head any better than knocking the wind out of them when they're expected to answer questions? It's debatable; Sagat is still getting a feel for this whole 'violent interrogation' business.
COMBATSYS: Sagat knocks away Juri with Medium Punch.
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|=======\=====--\1 Juri
Juri responds to the bellow by spitting on the arena floor once again, the big guy even seemed to be able to handle a trick like her fuhajin; that and doesn't seem much the worse for it. Pessimistic observations that maybe he could steamroll right over her without even noticing circle around the edges of conscious thought but are summarily dismissed because her pride won't allow her to entertain those thoughts.
He's fast! Juri sidesteps what looked like the incoming charge, somewhat surprised when her vision fills with the imposing stature of Sagat only to have him slips away to the side out of sight even she switches up het footwork to change direction. That still disgusted smirk she wasn't even aware she had plastered across her face is wiped away in a moment of panic and sudden effort. She doesn't even attempt to turn her head to follow, only throws herself away on instinct.
The elbow striking the at the left side of her head generates a barely crack at the same time the girl is flung away, falling back away she turns the latter half of the of the fall into a back somersault and remains crouched. Hand covering her unopened eyes the Korean girl stares back at Sagat in surprise, when she removes the hand she studies the gauntleted hand with fascination. The palm of the glove is wet, thick with her own blood and the same smeared across her eye and beginning to trickle down her cheek.
Smiling oddly the woman pushes herself back to her feet, grabbing one of the ropes for support with the bloodied and she retains a hold of it for support.
"That felt good, didn't it?"
That blow had probably just gone and chipped the artificial eye embedded in her skull, or crushed some of the tissue surrounding it. The blood pouring out of her skull was a trigger, an old one, rarely tapped. It excited her, all the pain and fatigue washed away and gone because this finally like it was maybe to the death. Barely standing but grinning like a devil, reveling in blood; even her own.
"Surely you must have figured it out by now?"
COMBATSYS: Juri takes no action.
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Juri
"You were displeased with the talent on display," Sagat rumbles as he continues to press towards Juri. "You sensed weakness, perhaps a lack of discipline, and you wanted to test them to see if you were right." He doesn't stop moving, but he /does/, as he plants his foot, pivot to face a section of the audience as he roars, "And you /were/, as these dogs so eagerly proved!"
Once he's facing Juri again, he continues, "But more than that: you were /bored/," with a derisive sneer. "Your pride has backed you into a dangerous corner, girl: even if none of these men are your equal, what could you do against all of them?"
His hulking frame briefly becomes a blur as he then lunges across the rest of the space between them, snapping his hands out to grab hold of her arm. If he manages it, he'll try to swing her in an overhead arc meant to drive her back-first into the mat.
The grin and gushing blood suggest the very real possibility that she is approaching a dangerous threshhold of some kind, and he means to push her right over it.
COMBATSYS: Juri blocks Sagat's Medium Throw.
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Juri
A change comes over Juris face, bewilderment gradually replaced by amazement as her brows climb higher and her smile thins out into one more expressive of her amusement. Someone understands her train of thought but more amazingly more so than that actually seems to express it.
The bloodied girl in the ring goes so far as to clap her hands together twice in applause, a wet sounding clap that bloodies both her hands but she seems completely unheeding of the mess or of the wounds still bleeding. Even if her body trembles and falls to dust beneath it can't dull how enjoyable and worth savoring the moment is.r
"Heh-ah ahaHAHA. You get it! You get how tedious this place full of Nobody's is!?"
If being backed into a corner and killed by some scum was the price of keeping and having her pride, and her fun then it wasn't a terrible end. Growing old spitting out kids she'd hate to a man she loathed was far more a deterrent. She would carve her fury into their bones and flesh in doing so thought. Taking slices out of anyone who tried. The entire speech about preserveing her life or the threat to it falls on deaf ears.
Arching overhead and whipping down towards the mat she changes her trajectory some mid-flight on the downward swing she drops neatly, legs fold up neatly beneath her and she bleeds away a blow which probably would have crushed her flat into the mat.
Grinning the whole time as she sweeps a kick whilst turning, kicking at Sagats' leg, and making ready to stand back into the other kick aimed right into his gut. The movement is as fast as two heartbeats and designed to catch a foe still hanging in midair with the second blow.
COMBATSYS: Sagat endures Juri's Kaisen Dankairaku Limited.
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Sagat 0/-------/--=====|>>>>---\-------\0 Juri
Sagat plants his feet instead of trying to step over, or step away from, or even catch the kick coming at his leg. Even though he's ready for it, it hits him so hard that he's nearly dropped to a knee on the spot, letting out a clipped cry of pain as he goes down. Before he's able to fully straighten his body, the second kick catches him in the midsection, sending him flying several feet across the ring until he finally crashes to his back. He tumbles backwards once or twice before catcheing himself with a hand and stopping in a three-point stance
"Hrrgh..." he groans as his free arm hand grazes across his stomach and he tries to catch the breath that was forced out of him. "Hhhh--/I/ came looking for competition, girl; had it not been for your interruption, I would have been very disappointed indeed tonight."
Gradually, he rises to his full height, lowering his hand as he goes; his fists end up clenched at his sides rather than coming up near his face.
"However," he allows after letting out a long breath, "there is /potential/ here. I sense hunger--a need to transcend this filthy arena on the way to greater heights. There is pride here to spare, even if you've wounded it--even if much of it is no doubt undeserved."
The next time he reaches for her, it's with an open palm; he ends up lightly favoring his abdomen as he extends, but he completes the gesture regardless--and given that he's leaving himself pretty open, the hand on his belly curls up into a fist in an instant.
"Perhaps... given the proper oversight, this hovel could grow into what we'd both hoped to find tonight." he posits.
COMBATSYS: Sagat takes no action.
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Sagat 0/-------/--=====|>>>>---\-------\0 Juri
Feeling good this time about having landed a hit! Juri neglecting to note the condition of her body or the gradual sinking and widening of her posture in favor of experiencing the high of fighting like this; As close to a sense of being alive as it gets. As potent as it gets and she can feel. Lungs strain for air, sweat and blood fall around your feet and every fiber of being tells you that you're alive, screaming in protest or ebbing away leaving her light headed.
Arms hanging limply from the shoulder and feet spread wide to keep her standing Juri's focus falls to the ground at her feet, the whorl and trails, streaks of blood made by her last assault; new petal shaped spots made by occasional drops falling. The sight is transfixing but for the sound of her opponent rising and beginning to make his way toward her. Thumping footsteps.
"This place is full of vermin, it would be better to burn it down and start fresh."
For the first time in what feels an eternity she turns her gaze on the crowd. Marked terror, whether they are afraid of him, or her; she has no qualms with the result. Grown hard men, merciless thugs thrilled to howling at the prospect of seeing her crushed just minutes before; men used to violence, laughing or shouting for blood and murder without really meaning it. They flinched or fell back just because she was looking at them.
And she was thrilled.
Her gaze comes up and she inspects the offered hand for the anomaly it feels it is, she tips her head back to look Sagat in the eye. And after a search of the lines in his face she almost snorts. Was he unreadable, carved from stone? Her hand raises to take his and she makes to stand properly with the additional support.
"Ha, You're aiming low-if.. thi- "
Her jibe falls short as Juri, pale and weak; finally rockets past her limits and everything is pushed away to the end of a tunnel, distant and muted beyond recognition as she falls forward. Completely limp and fluid as water she topples toward Sagat; Were she awake she'd probably be furious anyone ever even saw a moment of weakness.
COMBATSYS: Juri drops her guard to recover.
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Sagat 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Juri
"Perhaps!" the former Emperor cackles in agreement when Juri suggests burning it all down. He has to appreciate the depths of her passion, as wild and reckless as it seems to be--nevermind her stubborn determination in facing him after running the gauntlet; it may not have been the wisest decision, but it was a gutsy one.
The crowd, on the other hand, gets further attention; a part of him does expect an ambush from someone proud enough to get riled up over the casual and serial disrespect being paid to them and stupid(or powerful) enough to think that entering the ring is a good idea, but he still feels up to warding off a sucker punch or two if things take a bad turn.
Or grabbing Juri and plowing through the mass of humanity if they take a /really/ bad turn.
Besides that flash of mirth, Sagat's expression is stern, and a little curious; the rage that dominated his features throughout the fight is gone. He retains that serious countenance when he begins to mutter, "If you've a bett--" as she trails off, and it turns into an annoyed frown when she follows that up by collapsing.
His arm shoots out in time to let her limp body fold against it, and as he transfers her to the opposite shoulder, he finally gives the audience another look: a glare to make sure none of them think to try anything now that the object of their ire is unconscious.
"One day," he rumbles loudly enough to be heard by a healthy swath of the audience as he stalks out of the ring to eventually try and work his way through the crowd, "I will return to see what, if anything, you've learned from tonight--assuming that this is not your last night here, of course. Try to reclaim your honor tonight if you'd like, or wait until then; it makes no difference to me."
COMBATSYS: Sagat has left the fight here.
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Juri 0/-------/---====|
Log created on 19:19:54 11/30/2014 by Juri, and last modified on 03:25:10 12/05/2014.