Match of the Millennium

Description: The classy, low-key lounge of supernatural reputation is of an old stock. While the affairs of mortals are often ignored in the dark world, you still find the shadows of social theory seep in through the cracks. In this case, it's lounge singer vs what has been cast as a folk singer. While the cat may croon, she will quickly find herself up against the young prodigy Honoka Inoue. Not to be confused with the older prodigy of the same name, Honoka brings her unique adaptive technique. If Felicia doesn't keep up, she may find her own techniques being used against her, in a manner of speaking!

[FELICIA]
Friday night at the Gold Lounge, even for a place that is discreet and is Darkstalker-centric as it is can be packed on weekends. Like it is tonight. Quite a few gathered to view the show tonight--regulars and even those that have bought their way in--semi-celebrities and other folks with deeper pockets. To that end security has been increased a bit, which probably suits the SNF crews that have set up their cameras here just fine.

From mostly normal men with unusual eyes and goat horns to ladies with demonic or animal features, the venue is buzzing--the waitress and cigarette girls--they themselves rather tall and lithe ladies, one looking quite like an antelope woman with coal black eyes, the other dark-skinned with voluminous white hair and lapine ears--amble through the islands of tables and people with drinks and smokes. It's a very old style of atmosphere, like a '20s speakeasy, but with modern comforts.

And tonight on stage is... Honoka Inoue? Can her folk music skills satisfy this crowd tonight?!

[HONOKA INOUE]
This is, to Honoka Inoue, a weird place.

When she signed up for SNF, she wasn't expecting to be sent to somewhere like this. Not that she has any issues with Darkstalkers... well, not many, anyway... but to be sent somewhere to sing for them? There are two problems with that!

One, of course, is that Honoka isn't much of a lounge-goer. She isn't even old enough to drink in Japan! She certainly hasn't been to a place quite like this before.

Second is that she can't actually sing very well. Don't tell.

But that did not stop her. She has decided to do this, and she's not going to chicken out, no matter what! Plus, her grandmother is a lot less likely to hear about it if she's safely out of sight...

That's why Honoka steps out onto the little stage-like area. She is wearing ... well, her budget didn't extend to costuming with things she didn't already own, which is why she's wearing a pleated skirt with a corset-like waisband, along with a blouse with lacy and frilly cuffs. It looks old-fashioned if not precisely in line with the usual decor around here.

She steps to the microphone and almost loses her nerve. She taps her gloved finger against the microphone once, getting a thumping sound, and almost immediately launches into a song without benefit of introduction or anything; she's too nervous to remember her lines!

Honoka picked... an old Japanese lullaby. Well, it *is* folk. She's trying. Maybe? Her pitch is OK, most of the time, at least...

[FELICIA]
Now, to be entirely fair--the club's patrons are a more understanding and civil affair--this was usually the recreational place of a usually downtrodden and oppressed sliver of the population. However it doesn't get some from being a little rude out in the crowd. Snorts, a few bits of laughter, some acting confused as to why what looked like a Japanese school girl was doing on stage. Those with more appreciation of the female form at least seemed alright with the girl's figure, lets face it--Inoue has a fair bit of admirers around. Just maybe not all of them hang out /here/.

Stuff isn't being thrown, not quite, at least not yet--but it's also apparent this act might not be what the club is known for... however, Inoue is about to get some help from a very unlikely source.

Tik-tak. Tik-tak.

Heralded by the clicking of high heels, is her savior--though it might not be in the form she expects!

Felicia's back-length blue hair was swept back along her head and shoulders--the latter of which were mostly bare, thanks to the strapless white cocktail gown she was wearing, slit up one side to the upper thigh, of course. Her arms were clad in shoulder-length light blue gloves (matching her hair and on her feet were a pair of dark blue pumps. Her long white tail lilted behind her, and her white cat ears were easy to notice. Blue eyeshadow and red rouge lipstick, as well.

"Excuse me, dear," Felicia purred, coming up alongside Inoue on the stage, to the cheers of the crowd.

As if flirtatiously, Felicia leaned in to whisper something into Honoka's ear, though /what/ would be a mystery to everyone but them.

"Just work with me on this--all the proceeds go to an orphan charity, I just need to make a good show, can you be a heel for me?"

Felicia leaned back, a grin on her features. If she had seen Felicia before--this was not quite the amazon and curvy feral feline darkstalker she might have known--instead this was far more slender and humanoid!

[HONOKA INOUE]
Honoka is rapidly turning red-faced, though that doesn't stop her from getting to the end of the lullaby in time. She is about to start another.

But then...!

Honoka hesitates, pulling back as someone speaks to her. She turns, slightly, to see - and is slightly surprised by *who* it is. She's seen Felicia before, but only in context in King of Fighters. To see her here, all dressed up for something other than combat, is a big change. "Oh! You're - "

She shuts up immediately, then starts to nod after the whisper - but about halfway through the first nod, Honoka realizes she can't do that without breaking the attitude. Can she be a heel? Well - maybe? She's never tried that before. Maybe it's time to learn.

"What?" she says instead. "You want the microphone? But it's *my* microphone, I just got it." Honoka cups her hand over it as if preventing Felicia from using it. "If you want it, you - you'll have to fight me for it!"

It does not sound precisely imposing, coming from her. Honoka is not exactly a terrifying figure, especially given she's still. But hey - she's trying. And if Felicia wants her to be a heel, well, this is the only way she can think of to do it.

Hopefully SNF agrees or she's going to feel really silly later.

[FELICIA]
Felicia is experienced at this--that is, stage acting, at least from her track record since leaving Violet Systems. Along with a lot of other things Lee gave her, she now had more confidence, along with a sufficiently humanoid form to pass easier amongst people, which she was showing off tonight. She gives a look of shock to the audience, as if she's completely taken back at Honoka's petulance, and then seems to resign herself. She will be the hero the city needs tonight.

"If that's how you want it, honey~" Felicia doesn't need a microphone to be heard, even over the din of the crowd--the gloves are already coming off, but fear not, it's not that kind of show!

"Guess I need to show her how to really bring the house down tonight--folks," there is a flash of blue light, looking like the woman is suddenly engulfed in St. Elmo's Fire--during which articles of clothing--her gloves, shoes, and that dress--are cast aside--thankfully being caught by a bouncer who looks like a bull-dog man in a fine crisp black suit--and suddenly, the rather familiar looking amazon form of Felicia the Catwoman is standing there, popping joints in her large muscular hands, feet and neck.

"Whew, that feels good, you wanna lead, darlin'?" she puts on mock coy for the delight of the crowd.

[HONOKA INOUE]
Honoka keeps ahold of the microphone like she expected Felicia would try to take it away from her.

But no! Instead there is an acceptance of Honoka's *villainous request* (or at least antagonistic request, which is more accurate but doesn't sound as cool on TV). "It is how I want it," Honoka says, trying to sound fierce and, once again, only partially succeeding.

The flash of light catches Honoka the most by surprise of anything here. She squints, trying to avoid being dazzled, but then:

"Wow! It actually is you!" So much for that heel attitude. Honoka practically has stars in her eyes. A real fighter, a more famous one who's been on television and everything! (Honoka has never been on television.) So much for taking the lead - she's busy being a little starstruck, though she does eventually remember to raise her hands to get in a defensive stance.

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Honoka Inoue     0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: Felicia has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Honoka Inoue     0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"That's right babe, don't worry, I'll be gentle," Felicia winked at Honoka, gesturing and showing herself off. Yes, she could be a rather large ham and wasn't above giving a little service to her fans, even one she was about to throw down with. "Call me after the fight and maybe we can go for drinks~" This was in a lower voice more meant for the two of them rather than the crowd, who could not hear over the sudden cheering and big band music that began playing as the fight began.

Felicia moved like a white and blue blur--curling into a ball and literally /bouncing/ across the small stage towards Honoka, mainly using her knees and claws if she would connect--in a sort of tumbling strike!

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue blocks Felicia's Rolling Scratch.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Honoka Inoue     0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0          Felicia

[HONOKA INOUE]
"Drinks? Um, I can't actually drink yet..." Honoka keeps her voice low too, so that Felicia can hear it but (probably) nobody else can. Honoka's eighteen - she won't be able to order alcohol in Japan for another couple years, and she isn't sure what this place would have in the way of non-alcoholic drinks that wouldn't get her looked at funny for ordering.

But then Felicia comes at her. Fast! Very fast!

Honoka lets out a sound best described as 'yeep' and crouches, tensing her entire body as she holds her arms up in front of her like a boxer covering her face. Felicia tumbles right into the paired arms, bouncing off them instead of Honoka's delicate body; she feels the impact all the way through her torso but it doesn't knock her over, at least.

Seeing that this has made Felicia bounce away, Honoka drops entirely, planting hands on the ground and pivoting, performing a pair of whirling kicks and moving her body and arms in a way that looks almost dance-like. She's trying to clip the curled-up Felicia before she gets away - and maybe kick her even further, who knows?

COMBATSYS: Felicia dodges Honoka Inoue's Tropical Storm.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Honoka Inoue     0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"You can have orange juice then!" Felicia says somewhat out of context to the crowd--her knees deflecting off of Honoka's raised, braced arms in guard--and manages to recover by flipping herself back afterwards, landing on the balls of her feet and toes.

"Alright, awesome--keep it up--" Felicia is able to use her momentum afterwards to duck the lashing, whirling kicks from Inoue, her head and body bobbing down each time, like they really are doing a dance!

"Hope your balance is as good in those mary janes as mine--" Felicia darts her upper body and arms out--trying to snatch hold of Honoka's ankles and flip the girl over! But is Inoue's balance and mince on point!?

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue dodges Felicia's Fast Throw.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Honoka Inoue     0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0          Felicia

[HONOKA INOUE]
Orange juice. Well, that's a thought. Honoka can certainly drink that...

"I'll think about it!" She's still a little star-struck, but she's also starting to feel the burn of excitement. It always comes on her when she watches a fight intently; apparently it's even stronger when she fights herself, even as she runs more on instinct than training. "But right now... you have to fight me! For the honour of the microphone!!"

Honoka proves to be light on her feet. Or... hands, or whatever; she pushes off the ground, landing on said feet and keeping the momentum from her leap to lunge sideways, just barely out of reach of Felicia! Honoka turns it into a stomping kick, driving her heel downward at Felicia's grabbing hand. It's completely instinctive, but hey - it's effective enough if she can land it!

COMBATSYS: Felicia blocks Honoka Inoue's Strong Kick.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Honoka Inoue     0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Is that the best you can--oogh--ow," Felicia has to admit, getting curb stomped by a Japanese school girl in Mary Jane heels is not something she expected to cross off her bucket list for this life, but there it is--and it also leaves her seeing stars, despite how she tried to block it with her forearm. The black and blue it leaves does noticeably begin to fade over time, though. Thank god for Werecat regen powers, she'd be using tons of concealer to cover that otherwise!

Wringing her hand, she leaps up at Honoka again--this time trying to grab her blouse and skirt and lay in with her claws--it's more of a grab which leads into a scratch as she flings around Honoka--attempting to throw her after! Ouch.

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue fails to counter Hell Cat from Felicia with Heishin-Geki.
- Power fail! -

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Honoka Inoue     1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Felicia

[HONOKA INOUE]
Honoka is not using any identifiable style, or rather she's not settled on one in particular - she's just doing what works, things she's seen other fighters do. Sometimes fighters stomp, and though she doesn't really have the bulk for it, she makes it work, mostly.

"Sorry!" Honoka can't help herself from apologizing. It was such an obvious move that she just knew it was *right*. She's still ready to fight, bouncing on her feet lightly as Felicia leaps at her, reaching to meet her -

Honoka misjudged Felicia's speed. Felicia gets in with the claws, raking at Honoka's... outfit, as well as Honoka herself. "Aah, watch the clothes, they're expensive!" Honoka finds herself no longer assaulted by claws when instead she is hefted up, being flung across the stage to tumble.

Honoka has lost... her corset-like belt, because Felicia's claws cut the laces. Her blouse is neatly tucked into her skirt anyway, but without the waist accent it looks less fitted, making her figure look a little thicker; the blouse is sized for her bust and is a little too loose around her waist because of it. "Hey!" Honoka is somewhere between mortified and angry. "Please don't wreck my clothes! I need them! All of them!!"

[FELICIA]
"Ohshi--I'll pay for those, don't worry!" Felicia's eyes went wide--though she had attempted to lay in her claws, she hadn't expect the results to be that... spectacular? The crowd sure seems to be enjoying where this is going, even if not everyone is quite that rude and crude. At the moment though the fight had edged a bit into burlesque territory--which well, did suite the venue.

"It's not bad to fight naked, I do it all the time, hrff--" Felicia called back at Honoka, raising her foot and leg again to deliver what looked like a roundhouse kick to the side of Honoka's temple, since she's rather distracted by the wardrobe malfunction she's going through! Hey, Felicia did say it had to be a /good/ show!

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue blocks Felicia's Light Kick.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Honoka Inoue     1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0          Felicia

[HONOKA INOUE]
It's just her belt. Honoka will live.

She might not like it, but she'll live.

Losing it certainly doesn't interfere with her ability to fight. It might take her a moment to get back into position out of startlement but once she's there she's just fine; her reaction time is sufficient to get her arm up to catch the sudden kick, catch the kick on her forearm, and take a step back to absorb the force. "I'm not you!" is her response, along with yet another red-faced look.

Honoka's actual combat response is sudden. With a Bruce Lee-like yell, she steps forward, delivering a single punch toward Felicia's midsection as she pivots her body so that her right side is facing Felicia, her left arm held behind her with her to rso in profile.

That definitely isn't the style she was using before!

COMBATSYS: Felicia blocks Honoka Inoue's Medium Punch.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Honoka Inoue     1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"You're pretty fast, I like it--" Felicia feels her light, swatting roundhouse kick absorbed by Honoka's defense, bringing her palm up to try and catch Honoka's return punch--wincing at the impact. The sudden high-pitched yell makes her ears prin back for just a moment, as well, in response to the sudden loud kiai. She was definitely pretty good at this, and the show was turning out to be turning the crowd into a wrecking ball of cheers!

"Doing great hon, just keep on your toes--" Felicia darts in, bending down and attempting to claw--or perhaps swat at Honoka's angle again, to flip her leg out from under herself, an attack meant to harry and distract the opponent, rather than flip or throw!

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue blocks Felicia's Toy Touch.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Honoka Inoue     1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0          Felicia

[HONOKA INOUE]
The crowd is loving it. Honoka is, too. The thrill is real. She thought it might only happen when she watched, but no, she feels it now that she's fighting too, a burning heat inside that wants her to keep going.

So she does.

Honoka stumbles when Felicia bats at her legs, but she deals with it first by reaching down to swat at a hand and then to grab, attempting to snag Felicia's outstretched hand and yank, sending her sprawling along the stage.

But that's not the end of it. Hoping that Felicia is still down, Honoka leaps into the air, performing a somersault flip and landing in a body splash, smashing down chest-first on top of the catwoman with all the force in her body! She shifts her positioning around, changing it from mearly having fallen on top of the catwoman into trying to pin her, holding her down in something between a wrestling maneuver and close-combat infighting.

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue successfully hits Felicia with Firebust Splash.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Honoka Inoue     1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Oof--" Felicia is indeed pulled down hard, chin flat against the stage floor as the rest of her is brought to a crash. Not even the cat lady's figure can cushion that fall! Ouch.

Of course, this pain and force pales to the sudden splash that Honoka performs next--coming right down against her. The full weight of Honoka feels like it's crushing her--and Felicia's eyes might have bugged out for just a moment as she cringed in pain. Yikes!

And now, even held down and struggling to get the torn bloused school girl off her, Felicia attempts to fight back--the catwoman's own tail flicking up and attemping to double slap Honoka by the cheek to get her off her! When one fights with a darkstalker--you gotta remember they have stuff like that!

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Honoka Inoue with Improvised Smack.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Honoka Inoue     1/--=====/=======|=======\====---\1          Felicia

[HONOKA INOUE]
Honoka weighs a whopping 99 pounds and is, let's say, sufficiently cushioned that it is a fairly soft landing (relatively speaking; it's still a hundred pounds of fighter landing on her opponent). It was mostly the speed of the impact that she was counting on to knock the air out of her opponent. That, and the comfortable knowledge that *she* was prepared for it while Felicia might not have been.

Either way, she shouldn't be too hard to dislodge now that she's on, simply because she is pretty light. And indeed she isn't; the smacks from Felicia's tail are nearly enough to do it, especially when Honoka flinches from the blow.

But she keeps ahold of Felicia, rolling into her back with Felicia on top before using her legs to literally launch Felicia up in the air, literally throwing her across the stage by legpower alone! "Ha~a! Away!"

COMBATSYS: Felicia blocks Honoka Inoue's Medium Kick.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Honoka Inoue     1/-======/=======|=======\=====--\1          Felicia

[FELICIA]
Felicia is launched, cat launched! She lands hard--in a roll, however, lessening some of the force of it. Her finger and toenails rake at the stage--trying to gain purchase, pulling herself up. She's battered, definitely, but still in this. She's breathing hard and growling a little, though that is more due to the abundance of chi energy she's built up over the fight--much like Honoka's own fiery bodysplash and kiai from earlier. She must be careful though, since she's getting tired. Also a tad more careful--she must be weary of getting counter-attacked. Honoka is a handful--even to a werecat!

Darting in close, she attempts a quick and sort of clumsy haymaker towards her shoulders--trying to wear her opponent down more.

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Honoka Inoue with Medium Punch.
- Power hit! -
~~ Alluring Hit! ~~

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Honoka Inoue     2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\======-\1          Felicia

[HONOKA INOUE]
Honoka rolls before rising once she's gotten Felicia across the stage. At least she had enough room to do that.

Honestly, she's starting to get tired, too - not that she's going to admit it! She still *seems* like she has a lot of energy, bouncing on her feet as she shifts her stance left and right, waiting for Felicia's inevitable approach.

And approach she does! Maybe she was more tuckered out than she thought, though, because Felicia sneaks in a batting haymaker downward at Honoka's shoulders and Honoka doesn't manage to bring up her arms to block it properly. It hits - solidly, scraping past Honoka's shoulder to impact her chest, something that (accidentally) causes a dramatic rebound and afterquakes.

"Aah!" If Honoka was embarrassed before, now she's mortified. She feels the heat burn in her cheeks, in her torso, in her arm -

Oh. No. That's something else.

Honoka's gloved hand begins to radiate energy, releasing little wisps of deep red as she clenches it into a fist. She draws it back aS more and more energy flows around - into it, and then -

Honoka punches. It's just one blow, but it causes a veritable eruption of chi as the energy blasts through her and out her gloved knuckles. If Felicia gets hit by it solidly, she's going to be launched all the way across the stage (again), trailing a tail of red energy behind her as she goes! "BAD CAT!"

COMBATSYS: Felicia interrupts Annihilation Stance from Honoka Inoue with ES Rolling Buckler.

[                           \\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Honoka Inoue     1/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>-\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Lets give them a real showstopper!" Felicia darts back after delivering that decidedly punishing haymaker, her eyes going wide however as she realizes the girl is brimming with chi energy that she needs to send /somewhere/, and that somewhere is likely through her.

As Honoka comes out of her stance and her that hand of hers glows with an awesome power--Felicia burns with pale blue chi energy herself--quickly rolling herself into a ball and charging /toward/ Honoka.

What follows next is perhaps too difficult for most of the crowd to follow--but slow motion cameras capture Felicia unrolling from the ball into an uppercut--trying to avoid Honoka's flame wreathed hand to try and interrupt her attack with a furry handed upper to her jaw!

[HONOKA INOUE]
It's too fast for the crowd to see, but Honoka sees it unfolding before her. She can see what Felicia's doing, and more - she'll remember that. It burns into her memory as the last wisps of energy fade from around her fist.

But...

Seeing what is happening does not help her stop it. Felicia's uppercut hits Honoka in the jaw just perfectly, literally lifting her up and sending her tail over teakettle. She rolls backwards, stopping flat on her back with a thump.

Her eyes are a little swirly. She'll just stay down for a few moments, thanks.

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue takes no action.

                                  >  /////////////                 ]
                                  |>>>>>>-\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Honoka Inoue can no longer fight.

                                  >  /////////////                 ]
                                  |>>>>>>-\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
The odor of ozone and burnt fur fills the area briefly after the two fighters clash--but after the climax, neither of them is standing. After a while, Felicia pulls herself up to the floor on her knees, finally getting hold of the microphone.

"I hope everyone enjoyed the show tonight, I'm gonna take a little nap now--" and with another flash of light--Felicia is replaced by a... white housecat? With a shock of blue hair? It's curled up next to where Honoka lay, the two likely being picked up and off the stage a time later.

Needless to say, the crowd definitely got their money's worth tonight!

COMBATSYS: Felicia has ended the fight here.

Log created on 18:18:14 05/10/2019 by Honoka Inoue, and last modified on 09:43:33 05/17/2019.