Description: In Dubai, Gertrude Verhangis and Tiffany Lords come to blows a second time! But does Gertrude have Tiffany's number this go-around? (draw)
YESTERDAY: 'Don't worry Natsu, I will totally be available to help in your weird and creepy tournament, so long as I don't wind up fighting in Saudi Arabia or something ho ho ho!'
TODAY: 'Huh? Fighting in Dubai? Sure, why not.'
Gertrude is not a traditional beauty, perhaps, but one of the benefits of being a fighter is the ability to make a public statement. This particular part of Dubai might be ready to see her in a bikini printed in the colors of the german flag, but she is quite confident that she's going to be earning a lot of 'fan mail' from people across the middle east, because she's got no intention of changing her clothing until she has gotten back on the plane home.
Gertrude loves traveling, but she loves some areas more than others.
Hands on her hips, the tall, muscular German woman - with surprisingly evident scars across her arms and upper body - awaits the arrival of her opponent. The scars themselves are quite strange, mottled and discolored red patches across her skin... which might be why she ordinarily favors covering up an awful lot. But sometimes it is worth making a point.
Tiffany, for her part, arrives at the fight in her usual fighting outfit, which is to say, that of Pacific High's cheer squad. This time, though... she's decided to play it a little differently. She wants to represent /everything/ Pacific High has to offer -- which means instead of her usual, she's wearing the outfit currently favored at its /Japanese/ branch. (She has stubbornly resisted changing over.)
The star-shaped fabric that covers her chest isn't /quite/ small enough to have been the star /removed/ from what she usually wears, but it's still a fair bit more daring than her usual -- though she's still quite surprised at Gertrude this time, seeing the taller woman and blinking a few times.
"... Wow! That's /super/ cool," she says, as she regards Gertrude, taking up a position opposite the German. "You look /gorgeous/." Tugging at her boxing gloves, she elects not to comment on the scars; it seems almost pointless. If Gertrude's going to just own it, good for her! Though she might not /admit/ it, that's a confidence even Tiffany's a little jealous of.
She seems quite eager; she's heard about her next opponent in the schools' tournament, and Justice High is on a whole other level... she /needs/ the practice, and she's more than willing to travel to Dubai to get it, evidently.
Gertrude gives a faint smile, and nods her head, "Thanks, Tiffany." She says, "... I don't know if there's many that'd agree, but, thanks." Settling into her usual stance, Gertrude rolls her shoulders back. Truth be told, it feels a little strange to be fighting in such a revealing outfit - but Dubai is pretty hot, and it is still uncomfortably warm. She really needs to find some sort of replacement for her jacket long term--
"READY? FIGHT!"
Brought back to reality by the announcer's declaration, Gertrude springs into action in an instant. Sand is kicked up behind her as she closes on Tiffany, swinging one leg around as she comes in. The heel of her foot aims to connect firmly with Tiffany's jaw, sweeping around before she recovers her guard.
"Hey." She says, during the kick, because mid-combat is the best place to catch up on mild gossip. "You're in that school tournament too, right? Good luck. Maybe we'll see you and Natsu in the final, that'd be a bout I'd watch!"
COMBATSYS: Gertrude has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Gertrude 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tiffany has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Tiffany 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
COMBATSYS: Tiffany dodges Gertrude's Spin Heel.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
There's nothing better-looking than confidence -- and Tiffany finds Gertrude's downright compelling. Sure, scars -- especially scars like those... are those burns? -- aren't exactly conventionally attractive, but who cares?
Weaving back, Tiffany commits to an evasive maneuver early -- she needs the distance from Gertrude to stay safe. Leaping high into the air, she's already started a backward flip before she even clears Gertrude's heel; her gaze rests on her, a big grin on her face. "Yeah, for sure! I'm pretty confident, but to tell you the truth, I'm kinda nervous too!" she says, as she lands.
Taking to the skies again in a /second/ hop, Tiffany aims forward this time. "Justice High's on..." she starts, before, like Gertrude, she starts with spinning-based offense; as she drills down with a forward-flipping kick, she finishes, "a /whole/ other level!" Her gaze turns toward the League cameras for just a moment, giving them an exaggerated wink and a smile; even if she's talking about the seriousness of her other match, she's got to keep looking -- and feeling -- cute.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude blocks Tiffany's Exciting Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude raises her arm, and catches the kick there. The impact of the blow still runs right the way through her shoulder, but she's able to push Tiffany away. The German woman purses her lips thoughtfully, and then nods her head, "Well, I'm sure you'll do fine. You're not exactly an amateur yourself!"
There's definitely some more respect there, after their last match. Gertrude seems to have chilled out some herself. The talk with Natsu has helped her finger her center some - she might not be exactly happy with how things are turning out, with mysterious assailants and near-death experiences, but she feels like... herself again. She knows what she's doing. She's GOT this.
Gertrude waits for Tiffany to land, and only then does she take back to the offensive. In a contrast to the swirling kick, the sharp chop comes swinging in overhead, aiming to connect with Tiffany's shoulder. Gertrude steps into the blow, and couples it with a loud:
"KIYAH!"
COMBATSYS: Tiffany dodges Gertrude's Sublime Comet.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/------<|=------\-------\0 Gertrude
Tiffany, meanwhile, has started to recognize that there might be something 'to' this fighting thing for her; win or lose, she /enjoys/ it -- she does it for herself and she feels good about it, and it's an even bigger rush than cheerleading! While she's not quite as centered as Gertrude has become, she's definitely happy with herself and the way her life is going...
... and it's that that she uses to hastily backpedal from the chop, ducking low and away. It's a matter of inches -- she feels that hand against her hair as she retreats -- but she manages even so. "Wow... you're on a whole other level from last time," she notes, with a smile. "This should be some good practice!"
Her lips purse slightly as she considers her options; a light seems to turn on behind her eyes, though, and she goes back into a tall stance, starting to pinwheel her right arm, building up sparkling energy as she does so. "Guru, guru, guru..." she murmurs, a big smile on her face; she doesn't charge up as long as she often does, though, instead just stepping in and swinging a chi-laden fist straight forward! "Thanks for the compliment!" she notes, in the middle of her swing.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude interrupts Groovy Punch from Tiffany with Rebound Grapple.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/--<<<<<|===----\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude's jaw clenches with the winding up energy. Its... a thing. She knows this is going to hurt, but, Tiffany is right - she does feel much better about herself, and she thinks she sees how to deal with it. Stepping into the punch, it hits her side, and she shifts into it, grabbing Tiffany by the shoulders as she does.
The sharp upwards knee that connects powerfully with Tiffany's stomach is followed almost immediately by a brutally fast takedown, hurling the girl into the ground hard enough to bounce her away - and help mitigate the amount of time that energy-laced fist can connect with her gut. When it is done, Gert gives a shake of her head, and a fast exhale, slamming her foot back into the ground to root herself again.
"... Thanks. I feel like I'm making some real improvements!"
As that grab-and-knee-and-takedown all comes crashing down, Tiffany feels herself losing control of the fight; it's not an awful feeling, as feelings go, but she does now have a lot more cause to worry than she did a few seconds ago.
"I'll say," she says dazedly as she pulls back up to her feet; her whole body is aching from those blows, but that doesn't mean she can just give up, does it? She attempts to shake the cobwebs out of her head, clenching and unclenching her fists a few times in the hopes that it gets her brain going again.
"Me too, though! ... even if I haven't had a great run of it the last few days..." She's still stinging from her loss on the Circuit of Champions, as much as she'd like not to be. Putting that out of her mind, Tiffany decides to change things up a little. She's tried aggressing...
Moving in toward Gertrude, Tiffany starts her offense much the same way the Verhangis scion started hers -- with a grab at the shoulders and a pull in. She transitions toward more of a head-grab within moments, drawing her opponent in and trying to shove her face down into her chest; grinding it there for a little while, she then forces herself into a full-body upward thrust, trying to send Gertrude flying! The view is nice -- but is there really much way to appreciate it, with a body-blow like that?
COMBATSYS: Gertrude blocks Tiffany's Chest Thrusting.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/--<<<<<|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude remembers this move! Rather than attempting to counter with her fist again, she goes in a different direction. Tiffany grabs her shoulders, and she grabs Tiffany's in turn. Struggling back and forth for a few moments, she manages to bring her arms down to block the upwards blow, and then takes a step backwards. She has to admit, whilst the technique isn't exactly orthodox, it is... disturbingly effective.
She pauses, then, to adjust her glasses with her free hand. Narrowing her eyes at the younger fighter as she looks her up and down. "I guess you can't win all the time." She says. "... Today, for instance. You can't win today."
And she winks. The trash talk is about as mild as it could possibly get, but more to the point, she's paying attention to how Tiffany moves. The girl is FAST. She's going to have to work hard if she intends to keep up... she needs a couple of good openings, and Tiffany obviously isn't going to give them up easy.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude calculates her next move.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/--<<<<<|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
At this point, Tiffany is smart enough to the business to know that Gertrude is sizing her up; she may /look/ the part of the dumb American bimbo, but she's no dummy. She knows, at a certain level of abstraction, what to expect in a situation like this -- and has just the plan to totally blow through it. ... or at least, /thinks/ she does.
"I'll show you!" she counters, running in toward the calculating Gertrude and locking eyes. At first, it looks like she's coming in heedless of any obvious threat, and has taken the bait... but it's at the last possible second that she shows that she can play it smart, too.
Ducking low, Tiffany does a hand-stand, starting her body into a spin; pulsing with bright purple sparkles, the Lords heiress launches herself up and forward toward Gertrude, feet drilling into the air the entire time!
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Tiffany's Beautiful Spin.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/---<<<<|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude is waiting, watching, and the moment Tiffany launches into the handstand, she is moving in turn. These moments are always some of the most intense in the fight, to her; yes, she can see what her opponent is doing, but she has to voluntarily give up the momentum and wait for them to take the offensive again... or pass it back to her. It is in these moments that fights are won or lost!
When Tiffany goes into her handstand, every instinct that Gertrude has tells her to get out of there. She dives sideways, spraying sand into the air, which is soon joined by the amount of sand thrown up by Tiffany's impact with the ground. The cloud obscures both fighters for just a few seconds, leading to confused murmurings amongst the crowd...
And then Gertrude hurls herself back onto the offensive. With a terrifying shout, the German woman's leg slashes through the thrown-up sand. She THINKS she knows where Tiffany should have landed, and she hopes that she's going to make firm contact, putting everything into the effort to recapture the offensive in the fight. If she hits anything at all, she follows it up with a second.
"HYAAAAAAAAAAH!"
And uses the momentum to swing around with a second slashing heel which should - if nothing else - totally disperse the sand and let people see what is going on again!
COMBATSYS: Tiffany blocks Gertrude's Double Spin Heel EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
Though Gertrude has Tiffany dead to rights, the Lords heiress throws up her arms at the last second, taking a sharp breath in as those heels hammer into her one after the other -- her opponent is using the environment /much/ better than she is, and she knows it.
"Nngh... quit using the sand!" she groans out, wobbling slightly as she tries to find her footing again. She feels outmatched, this time; still keeping her eyes on Gertrude, she tries to find that perfect spot to stick something out, that nice, clean zone of control for a quick hit.
It doesn't take her long to /think/ she sees it... though whether she actually does is a separate matter. Nevertheless, she steps up and aims two quick, probing kicks for the German's legs; they're mostly an attempt to quite literally break Gertrude's stride.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Tiffany's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
"You've got to be prepared to use the environment, too!"
Getrude's admonishment isn't meant entirely cruelly. The woman didn't exactly INTEND to use the sand, but, now that it has happened, it seems to be working out for her. The German woman is finding it surprisingly easy to keep her footing, and when the two kicks come in to test her guard, she steps backwards, keeping just out of range.
Now that the cloud has settled down, though, it is much easier to see what is going on - and where she needs to aim. She claps both hands together in front of her, and then takes a sharp intake of breath, stepping forwards and bringing her palm smashing out in one smooth motion - the German woman fully intent on using her greater reach to her advantage.
There's little obvious technique in the attack, aiming to just hammer her palm right into Tiffany's midsection. An untrained fighter might even think it looks rather... crude. But the explosive burst of strength uses every muscle in her upper body to deliver the punishing strike - and she's aiming as carefully as she can to try and land the blow despite her opponent's superior speed.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Tiffany with Crushing Blow.
Grazing Hit
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Tiffany 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
Though she does her best to backpedal, Tiffany can't /quite/ get out of the way of that sheer burst of motion; it catches her along the shoulder and sends her sprawling. When she gets back up, she's dazed, unfocused; it's clear that she's starting to lose her grip on this fight, and even though she forces a big, Sunshine smile back on her face, it doesn't /quite/ reach her eyes.
"Nngh... close," she murmurs softly, feeling a touch overextended; has Gertrude so thoroughly surpassed her in such a short time? She feels like she's been on the back foot the whole match!
Eager to make up the difference, the Lords heiress commits to a course of action that might be a mistake. Taking a page from Boman's book, she commits to a style of boxing she hasn't /quite/ actually learned coming in for a heavy overhand strike to Gertrude's face. Like Gertrude's own strike, it seems crude in comparison to many of her motions... and /unlike/ Gertrude's, there's no real plan to it.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude interrupts Strong Punch from Tiffany with Rising Knuckle.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Tiffany 1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude sees the attack coming, and worse, part of her can tell how... hard, Tiffany is finding the fight. Sometimes, especially when she's focused so intently on her opponent, Gertrude almost feels like she *knows* what they are feeling, what they are thinking, and... although it doesn't happen often, it always makes her uncomfortable when it is frustration rather than excitement.
But it wouldn't be fair to Tiffany to give her less than her best, would it?
Fearing that any words she could say would just sound condescending, Gertrude's jaw just clenches as Tiffany resumes the offensive. The chunky punch is a risky move, and as it comes in, Gertrude's fingers clench into a fist.
In the same moment that Tiffany strikes, Gertrude's fist comes rocketing upwards. Tiffany lands a solid blow on Gertrude's midsection, but the woman's knuckles slam heavily into the younger fighter's jaw, and she twists with the motion, shouting out:
"RISING! KNUCKLE!"
And only then releasing the breath that she took when she struck a few moments ago, the tension inside her flowing out in a rush. "Hoo..."
As that fist rockets through her guard when she's at her most vulnerable, Tiffany finds herself sent up and then straight down to the ground with a visible wince; she lies flat on her back for a second, only kipping up when her body starts telling her head that it could go for a couple more of these.
Excitement to frustration and back again; it's how things go for the Lords heiress almost every time. It's just the rhythm of her heart. "... Dammit," she murmurs -- perhaps the /last/ time she's going to let herself get upset; there's better things to work toward, and besides... her next match is likely to be even more uphill than this one, so perhaps this is good for her!
The smile's back on her face as she sees the tension slipping out of Gertrude, and there's a gleam in her eye, though, as she starts to get it together. "All right -- I'm not letting you pull that one on me again," she says, ducking and weaving, scouting out her spot.
COMBATSYS: Tiffany focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Tiffany 1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude gives a firm nod, "Good." Glad, at least, that Tiffany is correcting what she felt was probably the biggest mistake; she'd gotten reckless after Gertrude broke her stride, and now, she's forcing the older fighter to come back at her on her terms. She can do that.
Dashing across the sand, Gertrude moves in synch with Tiffany as much as she can. The bobbing, weaving motions make it difficult - but she does her best to keep up. Tiffany's speed has been her single greatest advantage in the fight so far, no doubt about that - Gertrude has managed to take the momentum by finding the hole in Tiffany's attacks. If the teenager can do the same to her... it could all turn around again in an instant.
So Gertrude goes for the sensible option. Aiming to simply grab Tiffany by the shoulders, and use the momentum of her run to scoop her up in a simple, flowing roll-and-fling. It is a move she's practiced a countles number of times, so much so that it is almost entirely muscle memory at this point! A sudden turnabout from the striking-focused strategy she's used so far this fight, too!
COMBATSYS: Tiffany interrupts Tomoe Nage from Gertrude with Rival Launcher EX.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/--=====|=======\====---\1 Gertrude
This time, it's Tiffany's turn to catch Gertrude at /her/ most vulnerable; that glint in her eye remains as she watches the older woman come in toward her, and her gaze drops low, down to her midsection. Both gloves go low, and she swings them back up in what might /generously/ be termed a throw -- if it weren't for the fact that it's really more of a double-uppercut with intent to send flying.
Following the Verhangis scion into the air, Tiffany swings fist and foot at her over and over again, redoubling her efforts; that smile gets bigger and bigger now that she's got her groove totally, earnestly back. When she finishes, it's with a vicious hammer-blow -- the near-inverse of the way things started.
When she lands in front of Gertrude, she breathes a sigh of relief. "Wowww... I -- I usually try to keep that one in my pocket," she says, letting out a second sigh once she finishes. She seems barely any worse-for-wear -- if at all -- from Gertrude's earlier grab at her; indeed, she seems to have blown clean through it.
Gertrude is rendered pretty much powerless as Tiffany does exactly what she feared she would. Ultimately, there's little that she could have done to stop it. The Lords Heiress is talented enough that Gertrude doesn't feel at all bad about her inability to counteract or defend herself against the assault. Sometimes, these things happen. All she can really do is hold on and wait.
It is when Tiffany exhales that she makes her move in return.
Really, it is as much desperation as it is anything else. The larger woman comes up with her fist leading the way and a shout on her lips, tearing up from the ground with her famous uppercut.
If that connects, Gertrude erupts into a flurry of blows all her own, whipping her foot around once, twice, three times for Tiffany's jaw, and finishing off the combination of strikes with a powerful slamming chop. But it really is dependant on that initial uppercut to blow Tiffany's defenses wide open.
Can she turn things back around?!
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Tiffany with Unity Drive.
[ \\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Tiffany 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
Tiffany second-guesses herself, and in that instant, she finds out that she's made a tremendous mistake. Gertrude does indeed manage to turn things back around, that much is for sure; the flurry nearly knocks Tiffany's jaw out of alignment, and she staggers back all the while.
The chop, though, is what puts her straight down; she hits the ground, and stays there for a long time... but once again, she gets back up. This time, it's to answer a count of nine -- just barely managing to keep herself in the fight. The bikini-clad Gertrude has really done a number on her!
"Okay, thhhhhat's not gonna' work," she says, breathing out a long, slow sigh. That's not to say that /nothing/ will, though; Tiffany has a plan in mind at this point, and nothing's going to stop her from putting it into action! Taking to the air, she goes into a long backward flip, her legs seeming to sparkle in the sand...
COMBATSYS: Tiffany successfully hits Gertrude with Groovy Screw EX.
[ \\\\\\ < > //// ]
Tiffany 0/-------/--<<<<<|=======\=------\1 Gertrude
... and as her legs find purchase, she throws herself into a full-body spin at maximum speed. It's enough to twist Gertrude's neck without quite breaking it -- a remarkable mixture of power and control as Tiffany seems to almost helicopter up into the sky with the older woman, carrying her up and up and up.
As abruptly as it started, though, it stops -- and Tiffany kicks off with her legs, sending herself up into the air and Gertrude, hopefully, down to the ground to stay.
Gertrude finds herself being lifted into the air, and the rest, really, is kind of a blur. The answer to whether or not she can turn it around is, it seems, a resounding 'no'. She's fought often enough to know when she's not going to be able to last beyond another, and Tiffany's smashing blow puts her down hard.
When she lands again, that's when Gertrude gives it her last ditch effort. She won't be able to claim a victory, but she might be able to claw back a draw, aiming to grab any part of Tiffany that she can to draw the match towards a more inconclusive conclusion...
COMBATSYS: Gertrude can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ <
Tiffany 0/-------/--<<<<<|
COMBATSYS: Tiffany fails to interrupt EX Tomoe Nagi from Gertrude with Groovy Knuckle.
COMBATSYS: Tiffany can no longer fight.
And she does! Snaring the girl, she glows with a soft blue power, rolling backwards and taking Tiffany with her. Both leave glowing trails behind them for several meters before Gertrude finally lets go, flinging Tiffany through the air in a pretty blue trailing arc...
... And both fighters are left sprawled out on the beach. Better hope the Neo League can spring for some sun tan lotion!
Though Tiffany tries her best to push right through Gertrude's grab with a low duck and spin, she -- just like the Verhangis scion -- ends up tossed to the ground and sprawled out. It's unclear for a while whether she's even conscious; she just lies there, too spent to even attempt to sit back up, until the organizers shuffle the pair out. Talk about a close battle!
Log created on 08:19:07 01/11/2015 by Tiffany, and last modified on 11:42:42 01/11/2015.