Description: The wandering pirate May stumbles into the wrong part of town and is accosted by nerfarious hoodlums! Fortunately, she's rescued from certain doom by a passing stranger - but it turns out that her helper might not be so friendly after all!
LATE MORNING
GEDO STREET
Gedo street is a place that the sane seldom wander to, which mean that in a chaotic world such as this it really only acts as a filter rather than a true barrier to prevent all people from wandering in. It is a rite of passage, an area where only those who truly seek to test their mettle will willingly wander into, as all know full well of the dangers that await in these notoriously rough streets. Although Gedo street is reforming to a certain extent, the fact remains that its students are tough as nails and will look at any outsiders as if they were a challenger.
Then, there's the ones that are truly wholly ignorant of everything that is happening around them and will wander into Gedo street because they don't know of its reputation. It's likely that they also don't even care if they did.
May is decidedly one of the latter people. The little girl had wandered off to Gedo street noticing that it was a very reclusive place where the police, and by association the social services, seldom wandered to and decided it would make a great hide out.
No sooner had she taken a few steps in she had immediately gotten jumped by a bunch of Gedo hooligans, which she was in the process of fending off.
"Back yeh scurvy dogs!! This booty is mine! Go get yer own!!" Cries of conflict were easily overhead as May was currently clashing her giant anchor against a student armed with a wooden bokken. Several other students were trying to close in but couldn't seem capable of getting past the large reach the pirate girl's weapon provided her.
"Spread out and circle her you morons!" Cursed one of the thugs. "Don't let her hit you with that friggin anchor of hers!"
The mornings are always noisy around Gedo High. Despite the general lack of traffic that passes through here comparing to the rest of Southtown, the influx of students and staff down the lone street tends to give rise to confrontations. Insults and gossip lead to arguments. Arguments lead to fights. Fights lead to brawls. It's a wonder that any of the students actually make it to their classes. Most don't get that far.
By proxy, the nurse's office at the dilapidated old school is usually packed to the brim. While most of the students keep their disagreements civil and only use their fists, it's not uncommon for various bludgeoning instruments to come into the more heated debates and even the occasional knife wound, though even the generally lenient teachers at Gedo come down hard on anyone that stupid.
As such, May's predicament isn't something that draws a great deal of attention at first. Most of the Gedo students have already made their way onto the premises and what few linger behind are the more unsavory sort; the kind who'd beat up a young girl without hesitation, as the small urchin is now finding out.
It is perhaps fortunate for her then that today is the day that Makoto had set aside to deal with some of the legal issues regarding the property that had passed into her hands upon the death of her father. Despite being dressed in her traditional school uniform, the teenage girl looks completely out of place as she marches purposefully towards the gates of Gedo High. Without dyed hair, ripped pants, tattoos, or any sort of visible gang paraphanelia, she looks downright professional in comparison to the individuals that comprise the bulk of the school's population.
Bureaucrats and their paperwork. Makoto grumbles under her breath, already in a foul mood after nearly three hours of listening to some windbag go on and on about property rights and taxes and the like. As if she needed to be reminded just how much money she /doesn't/ have to fix up the dojo. Distracted by her internal grumbling, she almost marches right past the distraught girl - until the heavy *clong* of her anchor smashing against the bokken snaps her out of it.
Lifting her head to peer curiously at the spectacle, Makoto stares incredulously for a moment when she realizes what it is the girl is wearing. Some kind of cosplayer? Well, she wandered down the wrong street! Normally, the karateka would be quite content to let someone that foolish pay for it but when she realizes just how young May appears to be, she frowns.
She can't very well let some kid get ganked right out in the middle of the street. Besides, it's hardly a fair fight. The small leather school bag hanging over Makoto's shoulder hits the ground roughtly about the same time her fist plows into the back of the nearest gangster's head. A thunderous crack rings out at the impact and the completely oblivious youth practically rockets out of his shoes as he goes sailing over May's head.
"HEY!" Makoto's voice bellows out like a lion's roar, washing over the small group in a palapable wave. "Why don't you LOSERS pick on someone your own size?!"
*POW!*
Out like a light. With a Makoto's fist colliding squarely on the back of the head of one gangster that decided to hang back, the rest of the group turn to look at the assailant that is flanking them with great distress. You never know what's going to happen when a brawl erupts in Gedo street, because on one hand you might get assistance from other like minded thug students, but on the other you might end up getting flanked by Daigo.
Or in this case..
"Oh shit! It's Makoto! R--"
*KLANG!!*
The student with the bokken's words are cut short as the pirate cosplayer proves that she's not entirely defenseless. That anchor she's carrying around is the real thing and she just flattened the guy with when he was distracted, bashing him into a Gedo student imprint right into the concrete, spider web like cracks spreading all along the pavement, yet another thing the city won't be paying to repair.
With two of their numbers down instantly, the rest of the group scatters quickly leaving only the Gedo school girl standing face to face with the pirate cosplayer.
"Arr har har!!" She laughs, hauling her massive anchor over her shoulder. "That's what ye scoundrels get for trying to steal from a pirate!!" Apparently she's really /really/ into her cosplay.
May's eyes look up to Makoto and she gives her a raised eyebrow look, noticing that she's also wearing a Gedo High uniform.
The grip on her anchor tightens again and she gets into a lower stance, tell tale signs she's getting to attack her.
"Don't get any closer! I'll smash yeh to chum buckets I will!"
Makoto's scowl chases the thugs all the way to the end of the street but after they've vanished from her sight (you have to keep an eye on these punks or they'll take a parting shot) she turns her displeasure onto the little girl.
"What the HELL do you think you're doing here, kid?"
The flattened and unconscious student is given a cursory glance, the Gedo student noting that May can atleast deliver a mean sucker punch, but her frown doesn't lose any of its scorn or intensity. Despite being only an inch or two taller than the diminuative pirate, the Rindou-kan master seems a whole lot larger, her aggressive personality swelling to fill the void that her physical size lacks.
"This isn't a place for you to be playing around. You're gonna get hurt if you stick around here."
May's sudden shift to the defensive causes a slight change in Makoto's expression. She quirks an eyebrow at the anchor and crosses her arms but her glare becomes less chastizing and more appraising.
"I'm sure you're tough and all, kid... but I don't have time to be playing games."
Technically May is somewhat taller than Makoto if one were to consider her pirate hat.
But those are mere details in comparison to the heated exchange of looks that is happening now.
May gives naught but a parting glance to the boys running off. She may be a fighter but she lacks the experience to know of the precautions that must be taken after a fight. Its not entirely her fault though, since people that run away from her after seeing what kind of power her anchor packs seldom return, if ever.
Problem is that her childish over confidence also yields some other problems, namely taking everything too personal, including a stare down. May's own wide brown eyes lock into Makoto's and she makes angry expressions up at her. Unfortunately, they end up looking sickeningly adorable coming from her youthful face, but she really is trying her hardest to look intimidating.
"I'm not playing around, matey! I'm looking where to bury me treasure!" She argues, swinging her anchor over her head.
Then she glares back to the slightly older girl, both of them no doubt thinking that they are the more mature one despite being possibly about a year apart in age.
"Kid!!? Ye got some nerve, landlubber! I appreciate ye bailing me out from those rats boarding me ship, but ye gotta learn how to recognize a real sea dog when ye lay eyes on one!"
May takes a step back, spits to the side, and readies her anchor. "I'll teach ye not to talk down to Captain May! Scourge of the Seven Seas! Arrr!!"
COMBATSYS: May has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
May 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Makoto has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Makoto 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 May
Makoto lets out an annoyed sigh and puts a finger to her temple. Great, first lawyers, now pirates. All she needs now is a few rampaging ninja and her day will be complete.
Unfortunately, it looks like the kid means to take offense to being told to get lost. She can't very well walk away from such an open challenge, even if the person issuing it is just some over-zealous cosplayer. She'll have to be... what's that word... 'gentle'.
"Fine, have it your way, kid."
Makoto drops into a combat stance, one hand extended for defensive purposes while the other clenches into a tight fist at shoulder level. It's not quite the same sort of loose pose that most karate practioners use, if May is at all familiar with such things. The Gedo student is making it pretty clear that she's about to do some damage.
"And after I show you what a real fighter can do, I'm gonna take you over my knee and teach you not to talk back to your elders!"
Little pirate girl wants a fight? So be it. Makoto wastes no time in making good on her promise to display the skills that she's honed throughout her life. She rushes forward in a burst of speed that closes the gap between them in a flash and reaches out for May, fingers seeking purchase in her flowy overcoat. The karateka's leg sweeps up from behind an instant later, attempting to trip the pirate and plant her flat on her face, at which point her fist comes hammering down on her back, smashing the small of her spine with a pair of ruthless blows means to inflict pain more than actual damage.
COMBATSYS: Makoto successfully hits May with Araiso.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 May
"Why you---" May is much too childish and temperamental to even realize what a stance is. Whereas May will more than likely not recognize what Makoto is doing by adopting a stance, the Karateka on the other hand will notice that May has no trained fighting style to speak of! She likely doesn't need it, being able to haul an anchor of that size with just physical strength.
However, as May is starting to realize, brute strength gets her through equally untrained bullies, but not through trained fighters.
"AGH!!" May gets yanked down by her coat and thrown face down where she receives a crashing hit to her spine. "HRRGG!!" The girl winces on the ground in agony feeling that blow know the wind out of her, its likely that only sheer anger is keeping her from passing out.
Infuriated beyond belief, enough that she's actively ignoring the pain and lack of oxygen, May rolls on her back and picks herself up in a quite uncanny way. The ground beneath her seems to turn into water and a /dolphin/ comes out from behind her. A dolphin entirely made out of chi.
"I'll clubber ye for that!!!" Calls the pirate girl as she rides the dolphin like a surf board and swings her massive anchor right to Makoto's face.
COMBATSYS: Makoto interrupts Mr. Dolphin Horizontal from May with Fukiage EX.
*KNOCKED AWAY*
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 May
Despite being something of a invalid when it comes to manipulating chi, Makoto knows the tell-tale signs that accompany powerful surges of spiritual energy. The brawler throws herself back several feet as soon as May rolls over and summons up her unique and rather strange form of power, eyes going wide in the process.
"Holy crap!! You can...?"
She doesn't get the chance to complete the thought. The fact that the little girl is strong enough to swing a giant anchor around? Explainable, it could be a prop or a hollowed out bit of metal. Summoning up freaking spiritual dolphins? That takes some talent.
May's anchor interrupts her mental process on the matter. Actually forced to take a step back, Makoto lifts one arm and catches the massive club on the front of her forearm. The impact physically drives her backwards a couple of inches and sends a shooting pain through her nerves - THAT'S A REAL ANCHOR.
This double whammy of surprise forces Makoto's instincts into overdrive. Even as the anchor smashes into her guard, the girl turns the weapon aside with a skillful twist of her body and the majority of its dolphin-fueled momentum gets shunted away. In the same motion, the karateka brings her left fist up and with a loud shout drives it square into the base of the pirate girl's jaw.
"Oh bollocks-HRRGG!!!" Inexperienced as May is when it comes to the fighting world even she knows that when her anchor is deflected its really bad news.
Knowing what's coming its about the only consolation the pirate girl gets when her attack is bashed out of the way, leaving her totally exposed to a crashing fist coming square for her jaw. The girl cries out in pain again as she's sent rocketing out of her chi made dolphin which dissipates into thin air and then lands several feet away from Makoto, rolling on the ground until she comes to a resounding stop face down down the street.
Is that it? Its over?
Heavy approaching steps will point that not just yet. From the horizon, May comes charging again down towards Makoto to close the distance, still raring to fight.
"GANGWAY!!" She's heard yelling, another surge of chi energy felt in the air, this one feeling a lot, lot larger than the last one.
May swings her anchor down, still a ways off from Makoto. This time though, its not the anchor that she needs to notice but another of May's aquatic chi animal friends.
From behind the pirate girl a massive whale erupts from the ground and archs up in the air, casting its great shadow on everything down below.
Right before it seeks to crash directly on top of the Karateka.
COMBATSYS: May successfully hits Makoto with Great Yamada Attack.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Makoto 1/-------/=======|>>>>---\-------\0 May
Makoto actually looks surprised after she delivers the deadly uppercut. Crap, she hadn't meant to unleash that kind of an attack on a little girl. She'd been too surprised by her chi-manipulation to hold back. Hopefully she hasn't just knocked the cosplayer's head off.
The Gedo student breaks into a quick jog, heading in the direction that May's body flew. However, before she can even get three steps down the road, the spritely little runt is back on her feet and coming in with that massive anchor ready to swing! Makoto's arms pinwheel in the air as she skids to a halt, hurriedly dropping into her combat stance once again to prepare for this newest attack.
Nothing could have prepared her for what actually comes her way though. Time seems to slow down for an instant as the shimmering majestic creature explodes from the street. Its shadow slowly eclipses the pavement between them and then darkens over Makoto herself who merely stares up at the thing, gaping and incredulous.
"Oh you have got to be kiddi-!!"
The spirit whale explodes as its bulk slams down onto the street, flattening the stunned brawler straight into the ground. She grunts against the overwhelming pressure, teeth grinding, but even her impressive tolerance to pain gives in and she lets out a deep and unfeminine yelp.
When the abberation disappears from whence it came, Makoto pushes back to her feet, staggering once or twice like a sailor trying to find their land legs. Looks like her decision to hold back was in error. That can be remedied. Her promise to teach this crazy little girl some manners is definately going to come true, though!
Glaring at the pirate, Makoto lets a tiny hint of respect slip into the smirk she gives May. "I don't know where you learned to do that but I guess it doesn't matter. Anyone who can put me on my face is a REAL fighter! So I'm not holding back any more, got it, kid?"
Drawing her fist back dramatically, Makoto lowers herself into a combat stance and even as she does so the wind around her suddenly kicks up. The long yellow headband wrapped about her neck begins to billow outwards as the fighting spirit within her awakens and swirls to life and Makoto inhales slowly, gathering all of that rampaging energy into her body. It only takes a few seconds for the build up to reach critical mass and when it does, the karateka explodes forward with a surge of speed so intense that her outline becomes a blur of smeared colors.
Makoto's fist leads the way as she tears across the street towards the shining beacon of May's orange outfit, a torpedo of human flesh and bone aiming to sink her ship for good!
COMBATSYS: Makoto dazes May with Hayate!
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Makoto 1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 May
"Arr har har har!!" May is heard laughing in satisfaction when Makoto sinks under the weight of her chi whale. "That'll learn ye, cur!!" The pirate seems to be pretty satisfied with herself and despite her quickly bruising face, the girl is all fierce smiles and cheers, waving her massive anchor up over her head.
Her festive mood doesn't last for long, as Makoto is quickly back to her feet with grim determination. May spits to the side again, saliva mixed up with blood staining the street, and adopts a defensive stance again with that same look of fierce delight that only a fighter can have when in battle. This is the stuff that a pirate for her lives for! "Quit yer blithering and fight ya blaggart!"
Of course, that is exactly what Makoto does as she launches at the pirate with blinding speed. May even raises an eyebrow in surprised confusion when Makoto is suddenly right on top of her again delivering a crashing blow to her face again. "HUAAH!" That one looked like it hurt a lot, and her pirate hat goes flying backwards, her eyes spinning in a full daze. "What the... bloody... hell.." She says looking totally lost.
She staggers one way, then other, looks like she's about to fall and..
"HRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Starts screaming bloody murder all of the sudden, grabbing her anchor fiercely and making a desperate spin to crash her improvised weapon against something, anything, although ideally Makoto.
COMBATSYS: May can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Makoto 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: May successfully hits Makoto with Super Screaming Ultimate Spinning Whirlwind.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Makoto 1/-======/=======|
The impact of her punch brings with it a resounding crunch and Makoto takes a step back, watching with no small amount of pride and satisfaction as the girl reels from a display of the real strength at her command. Hmph, as if some weird cosplayer could actually match her skills.
That lack of respect costs her. May's dizzied stumbles suddenly turn into a whirlwind of berserker swings. The first one, by some chance of fate, manages to clobber the karateka square in the gut. Her eyes bulge as the wind is explosively blasted out of her lungs, doubling over onto her knees on the pavement in surprise. This has the effect of putting her beneath most of the blind flailing, which is some consolation, until the final spin that precedes the pirate's crumple to the ground catches her upside the head.
Makoto lets out a stunned squawk and topples backwards, stretched out on the street opposite of the other girl. Eventually, however, the Gedo student pushes back to her feet, wincing hard at the swimming pain in her head.
"Atatata...! What the hell was that?!"
She glares at May who is quite unconscious on the ground, little swirls still in her eyes. Ugh, she can't just leave the kid here, those punks will come back eventually. Besides, she still has to teach this kid a lesson and - she leans forward and sniffs at the 'pirate', confirming something else - give her a bath. Those clothes look like they've seen better days too. What kind of parent lets their daughter run around like that in the bad part of town?
Pushing to her feet, Makoto gathers up her school bag, tossing it over one shoulder. May is hoisted over the other. She considers leaving the anchor where it lies - who the hell is going to steal /that/? But, that would be irresponsible, and besides, the girl would probably throw a fit. The heavy weight is stuffed underneath her arm awkwardly and with her ridiculous burden of plundered pirate booty in hand, Makoto slowly makes the several mile trek back to her family dojo.
Being quite helpless to do anything but be unconscious while she's being carried away, May, who is surprisingly light for a girl that carries around a bonna fide anchor, is only able to mumble a few things in her daze.
"A pirate's...life... fer me..."
Yeah, she's not waking up any time soon.
Log created on 11:19:52 12/23/2014 by Makoto, and last modified on 14:41:09 12/23/2014.