Match of the Millennium

Description: It's tradition to give paper money to your friends, family, and loved ones - as well as your employees, the gods, and probably also your local retailers - in a beautiful red envelope on the Chinese new year. Where do they come from? Why, that place must be the luckiest place on Earth! It's not clear just where the luck enters the equation, but a mysterious dripping tank in the factory floor where Mai and Dudley will battle it out does raise certain possibilities...

COMBATSYS: Mai has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Mai              0/-------/-------|

[MAI]
Mai is happy with the starting conditions for today's SNF. The New Year is lucky, money is lucky, and red is her lucky color! She's also feeling sort of good about the location for this fight. Working in a factory in front of a lot of excited men is sure to make her a crowd pleaser. She's heard Dudley is a gentleman which is quite different from other opponents she's fought. It's shaping up to be an exciting bout and she's in high spirits.

She arrives at the factory floor to cheers from the men who have gathered aside to watch. She waves her fan at a few of them in greeting, and takes a big whiff of the smell of paper pulp in the air. Well, paper pulp and something mysterious. Maybe that's the smell of luck?

Mai gets into a starting position, in the cleared off space dedicated for today's bout. She taps one foot on the hard floor, testing it. It's going to be rough if she falls down to that, so she'll try to keep light on her feet.

[DUDLEY]
Dudley approaches the factory in his fancy green Jaguar, already wearing his gloves in preparation for the bout. Then again, few have ever seen him without them when he's out and about in public. He believes a gentleman should always be ready to defend himself. He recalls Mai from a Christmas party just this past December, and is interested to see how she fights.

The boxer approaches from the other end of the factory, moving past the crowds to take his place within the designated area. He tosses his jacket off and throws it into the crowd. "Good evening," he greets. He produces a rose and takes a moment to sniff it. "Ms. Atsuki, I am looking forward to having a jolly good time. I do hope you will come at me with everyone you have."

He tosses the rose. "I invite you to the first blow."

COMBATSYS: Dudley has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Dudley           0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0              Mai

[MAI]
Mai waves at herself with her fan again as Dudley throws off his jacket and does prove himself to match his gentlemanly reputation. "Oh, thank you! I look forward to it too!"

He offers for her to strike out first. "This better not be a trick to get on my good side, you know. I may be a flower myself, but I still have thorns!"

She laughs, and waves her fan a couple of times, first at herself, then at the crowd watching.

Then she stomps her foot once more. She's trying to get serious, but she's still smiling. Something about today just makes her feel great. And she's trying to figure out if Dudley is her type... but she's not sure about the facial hair.

She leaps up into the air, and then angles toward Dudley, closing the gap between them quickly. It may make more sense to keep at a distance from a boxer, but she wants to try aerial manuevering as well, and getting in close for a strike this early in the battle might take him by surprise. As she turns her body, she moves into a full elbow drop.

COMBATSYS: Dudley fails to counter Musasabi no Mai from Mai with Cutting Upper.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Dudley           0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0              Mai

[DUDLEY]
Dudley sees Mai's attempt at a dive, and responds by attempting to slip forward and deliver a sharp uppercut to catch her out of the air - but instead he misses by inches and takes an elbow to the side of the face. "Oof!" He staggers backwards from the blow, rubbing his cheek. It will definitely bruise. He shakes his head and breathes out sharply. That hurt. "Quite," he replies. "Do show me what your...kung fu?...is all about."

[MAI]
"It's Shiranui clan Ninjitsu," says Mai, offering a gentle correction. Her voice still seems cheerful. She waves a single finger, bending over.

She spins around once, as if mugging again for the crowd, and then takes a little bow toward one of the factory workers. "And I will be very happy to demonstrate for everyone! Observe now-"

She does another little feint, as if she's about to hit him with her fan, but she pulls it back at the last second.

She flips forward into a handstand, and pulls her legs over Dudley's head, gripping him in a way that many men would find to be not such a bad deal. Her plan thereafter is to flip him over herself, tossing him so hard with her thighs that he goes flying in a safe direction!

COMBATSYS: Dudley just-defends Mai's Shiranui Gourin!

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Dudley           0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0              Mai

[DUDLEY]
Dudley chuckles. "My mistake." He keeps his boxer stance as he circles her, his defense looking tight. This is fully on display when she attempts to grab him with her legs. This would make Dudley blush, had it hit. Instead, he not only blocks her attempt but with sudden speed brushes her legs away, ending up at a different angle entirely. He uses this oppurtunity to suddenly rush up and deliver a rapid series of left jabs almost too fast to track, finishing with a right hook to the face. "Machinegun Blow!"

COMBATSYS: Mai blocks Dudley's Machinegun Blow.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Dudley           0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0              Mai

[MAI]
Fortunately for Mai, she's quick to adjust, even if her attempted grab was diverted. She flips back to her feet fast.

A rocket of rapid-fire punches comes for her face, and she raises her arms just in time to absorb the worst of the hits. However, Dudley's fists are still fast enough that she feels a little bit bruised from the exchange!

The other bad news is that she's much closer than she wanted to be. Trying to throw Dudley was a way of trying to get some distance back too, but now he's right on top of her, in a range where surely boxing has an advantage. She seems to be paying closer attention to his footwork now. Maybe she can retaliate by using a sweep. Boxers rely more on their upper body moves after all, right?

She suddenly drops to the ground, kicking her leg into a slide. As her foot sweeps down, she kicks back up thereafter. She switches smoothly into a kick with the other leg as well, moving into a back flipping kick that sweeps from low to high!

"You're fast with your fists, but are you light on your feet?"

COMBATSYS: Dudley guards against Mai's Benitsuru no Mai.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Dudley           0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0              Mai

[DUDLEY]
As Mai goes for the low kick, however, Dudley crouches, blocking her sweep completely. As she goes for a higher kick, he rises with it, letting her smack her foot into his arms rather than his face or chest. "Mmph. You'll see for yourself, my lady," he responds smoothly. His eyes stay focused and sharp on her despite his graceful tone.

He starts to move in, and throws out a few jabs. He's suddenly ducking and weaving around her, trying to disorient her with his footwork as he dances about, hitting her with more quick jabs and finally a straight from his other fist out of nowhere!

COMBATSYS: Mai fails to interrupt Mix-Up Combo from Dudley with Ryuuenbu.
- Power fail! -
~~ Alluring Hit! ~~

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Dudley           0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0              Mai

[MAI]
Mai tries to move in rather than back when these mixups come for her. She underestimates the speed in the situation in this regard. When she moves in, she twists her arm and uses a flash of chi, a flame bursting around her hand. But it's so brief, and utterly shut down by a punch that goes firing right into her chest. It hits her square, knocking her back and away, with a bounce and a bit of a flail!

"Wow, all right, I guess you weren't kidding!"

[DUDLEY]
Dudley smirks. "A fighter should never kid, my dear," he says, feet moving back and forth as he bobs in place. He suddenly jukes backwards as if giving her some space...but just as quickly is moving forward, the lights catching the sweat of his brow as his right fist comes flying forward. It is a blue missile carried by strong, tight muscle, and he's plowing it right for any open spots past her defense. The right comes first, then the left, a right hook, then a straight punch to finish it off, all in rapid succession.

All the while, he keeps his poised, calm expression. Perhaps this is the British Stiff Upper Lip in action. He exhales deeply after his last move.

COMBATSYS: Mai blocks Dudley's Short Swing Blow.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Dudley           0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0              Mai

[MAI]
Mai raises up her hands, and flips out a fan. She lets out a huff with her voice as she blocks the first attack, then twists and blocks the second. Her cheerful, jocular expression from starting the fight out becomes a bit more intense as she focuses. When she manages to block the last punch, she looks relieved that there's not another one incoming.

But Dudley's expression is still more serious than hers. Maybe she can get a little trick off and get him to lighten up just a tad. It's worth the attempt at distraction if she can throw him out of rhythm. "Aw. But I like to kid around! You have to keep it lightened up once in a while!"

She spins around and, it seems as if she's going to hit him with a backward kick. But instead of doing that, she just lifts up her skirt, and flashes the underwear under her skirt. The crowd absolutely loves it, of course, the men hooting at her distraction attempt.

She looks over her shoulder and winks at the factory workers, then she spins around again--

Ah, there's a secret weapon! That little tail on the end of her skirt is heavy enough to smack like a wet towel if it's aimed in the right direction.

COMBATSYS: Dudley counters Quick Strike from Mai with Cross Counter EX.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Dudley           0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1              Mai

[DUDLEY]
Dudley recognizes what Mai is trying to do. He smirks slightly again. "I've found that lightening up during a fight, can often mean lights out if you're not careful," he replies. He's about to say more when...Mai lifts up her skirt. This succeeds in flustering Dudley, who closes his eyes and looks away. "/Ms. Atsuki!/" he exclaims. "Must you resort to such tactics?" He is NOT PLEASED. Flashing one's underwear is not proper, no sir.

He holds this pose and SEEMS to be wide open, especially for the weighted clothing strike coming at him now....but then a flashing glint catches his eye as it opens slightly.

One second the clothing strap seems to smack him, the next he is gone, powering forward with his fist extended to clobber Mai in the head as he zips past, ending this burst of speed on the other side. "CROSS COUNTAH!" he exclaims. "...nice try."

[MAI]
Mai takes a big counter for her attempt at being flashy. Even if she did fluster things a little, it wasn't enough to turn the tide!

She's going to need some big luck to get through this one. As the blow hits her... in the back, on the shoulder, considering the angle, and she flies away, she stumbles and turns back to face. As she does, she's looking at the big vat of leaking luck tank. It looks so sparkly, so interesting, and it smells kind of ...fresh?

"Okay, New Year's Luck. Please help me make it through this fight!"

She offers a little bow to the tank. Which seems weird... but then she rises up with renewed strength. A sparkle of fire flares up in her eye, and she dives forward...

"Chou Hissatsu-"

She does a flip, and then a kick, and then her chi activates around her body, causing another flare and flash of awe from the crowd. She rises up from the forward roll in a burst. She becomes a flaming pillar of fire, diving at Dudley with a curtain of flame in her wake. Her shoulder is the striking surface, and her legs drag a bit behind as she throws her weight into it, but the fact that she went from an ordinary stance, to one surrounded by an aura of fire, is the really dangerous part of her assault. "Shinobibachi!"

COMBATSYS: Dudley just-defends Mai's Chou Hissatsu Shinobibachi EX!

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Dudley           0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0              Mai

[DUDLEY]
Mai's impressive acrobatics please the crowd. Dudley merely waits with his guard up, ignoring the kick and the sudden ignition of fire around his opponent. Despite the sweat, the bruise forming an ugly purple mark on his face, and the mysterious luck tank leaking whatever it is within, he remains focused like a surgical scalpel. It is this focus that brought him fame and glory within the ring, and it is something he carries now into the wider world of street fighting.

So, when she finally strikes, Dudley knocks her arm away again, pivoting around her so she passes by harmlessly. But before she can fully move away, the boxer aims to slam his fist into her stomach. "Good show, good spirit. But, perhaps Fortune has smiled on me this night."

COMBATSYS: Mai full-parries Dudley's Body Blow!!

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Dudley           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0              Mai

[MAI]
Mai's tricky attack still didn't find its mark, and Dudley seemed to defend easily. She's getting tired, her fleet feet failing her as she struggles to keep up.

But a little luck - or maybe it's just determination - comes her way, as she braces herself for the next blow, pulling out a fan and holding it in front of her stomach.

She twirls it with a surprisingly swift manuever, and the powerful blow is entirely deflected.

There's still a sparkle in her eye, and she looks into Dudley's. "Don't count me out just yet! I promised you I'd fight my hardest, even if I'm down."

She's a frivilous girl, but she still thinks she could earn a little respect from the handsome fighter. But she can't do that just standing there being dramatic... she's got to keep fighting back!

As they're both in very close, she leans in, and sweeps her fan in a crescent arc. She snaps it shut at the end of the turn, using it as a slashing weapon.

COMBATSYS: Dudley blocks Mai's Sayo Chidori EX.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Dudley           0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0              Mai

[DUDLEY]
Dudley is surprised, but impressed, by Mai's sudden action. "Hmm. It seems I was remiss. Very well, Ms. Atsuki; let's see what else you've got." Dudley remains a spirited competitor despite this sudden shift in fortune. He remains confident, however, the Sweet Science will prevail.

The fan slices, but Dudley is seemingly refreshed despite the prolonged fight. His arms take the brunt of the blow, cutting red lines in his light brown skin. As soon as her fan snaps shut, he moves to weave around her guard and deliver a swift, but powerful, uppercut to the jaw!

COMBATSYS: Mai instinctively blocks Dudley's Uppercut.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Dudley           0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0              Mai

[MAI]
Mai is simply determined not to go down, even when things seem hopeless. But the uppercut... that's an attack telegraphed enough for her to manage to avoid it. She takes a step back, blocking this with her outstretched fan to give herself a little room. This move was faster than the last, as if she didn't really take the time to consider it. But now she has to find a moment to figure out another move.

Though she's in a compromised spot, Mai stands out of her fighting stance for a second, and pulls her ponytail over her shoulder. She uses the fan to fan herself again. This gives her a moment to catch her breath, as the wind blows into her face and tosses her hair just so. "Well I do have to say that, though I think you are really the faster fighter, I've had a lot of fun!"

She bends over. "When you pick a rose next time, think of me, okay?"

Bending over is once again a diversion, as once she's in that position... she goes for a backflipping kick!

COMBATSYS: Mai successfully hits Dudley with Hishou Ryuuenjin.
- Power hit! -
~~ Alluring Hit! ~~

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Dudley           1/---====/=======|=======\=------\1              Mai

[DUDLEY]
Dudley briefly lowers his guard when Mai complements him. Despite all his training and experiencing, he is still rather young. "Ah...Ms. Atsuki...the pleasure is all mine," he assures. "Next time I am in my garden, I shall remember you."

Then Mai performs a flip kick.

Before he can even try and avoid it, the foot smashes into his chin with a force enough to lift him off his feet. He falls backwards, the boxer landing on his back with a brief bounce. He lets out a slow groan, dazed from the blow and feeling like his jaw was cracked in half. Slowly he rises, rubbing his chin and making sure he still had his teeth. Still there, but one is definitely cracked. That's going to take some dental work. "...hmm."

He lifts his dominant fist, and suddenly it becomes enveloped in a swirling whirlwind of wind-like chi. "Now for the finale." He rushes Mai to punch her with such force it will lift her into the air and spin her around in a tunnel of wind energy, holding her in place while continuing to spin her as Dudley winds up his second punch. "CORKSCREW..." The very air seems to struggle against the force of Dudley's punch as he displaces it, swinging a hook to slam into Mai and send her spiralling into the wall. "....CROSS!"

COMBATSYS: Dudley successfully hits Mai with Corkscrew Cross.
- Power hit! -

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Dudley           0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2              Mai

[MAI]
Mai tried her best with distraction, flirting, chi, and combos, but Dudley's speed and power were overwhelming in this match! The air spirals around her and she struggles to brace herself against it...

At the last second, she makes perhaps a bad call; maybe if she was able to move out of the way, she'd get lucky...

But her luck has run out. The corkscrew strike hits her right on the head. Her body spins around a little, caught in the whirlwind, and she feels dizzy. Then she collapses, down for the count.

COMBATSYS: Mai takes no action.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Dudley           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Mai can no longer fight.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Dudley           0/-------/-------|

[DUDLEY]
Dudley exhales slowly, then produces a toss and gently tosses it at Mai's feet. "You fought well, Ms. Atsuki," he says, loosening the collar of his shirt. "I hope we can meet again for a rematch." Someone tosses him his jacket off-screen and he catches it, casually pulling it over himself.

Log created on 20:49:02 02/19/2019 by Mai, and last modified on 11:25:58 02/25/2019.