Match of the Millennium

Description: Aranha seeks out Hayabusa to take out insurance in case Daniel has returned only to reap more souls. It's complicated by some very legitimate personal grievances, with Aranha having been tortured by Daniel... and Hayabusa having murdered Daniel once already.

[ARANHA]
The Dancing Spider has been busy in some respects and not busy enough in others. He had been putting in work in fight halls, performing parkour runs and occasionally keeping his burglary skills sharp through drills since he still has plans to eventually hit Mishima Zaibatsu when the time is right but hasn't been pulled any actual heists lately.

He still needed to make a connection with one of the Full Moon Society allies since there was an issue that recently came up that both he and Ryu Hayabusa were concerned about. Daniel Little.

After calling a specific number at the antique shop, giving a passphrase as well as using a code to set up a meeting location and a time. The only thing left to do was wait.

Aranha gets to the appointed meeting location about 10 minutes early and cases the place. An abandoned temple covered with overgrowth. It was obvious that time has not been kind to this location. All the beter to have a private meeting.

[RYU HAYABUSA]
Daniel Little. Detective, ally... depraved, demonic entity sinking into madness that the Dragon Ninja felt compelled to vanquish, sealing his alleged friend at a naturally sacred intersection of the Earth's own energies. For all intents and purposes Hayabusa acted to slay the man; or what once had been such. The struggle just as nearly claimed Ryu instead. It's an unusual weight to bear, a choice and consequence Ryu would take up again; and with his lifestyle, again and again after that.

"Aranha." The Spider's name is carefully enunciated, if distinctly accented by Japanese when it's spoken a polite distance off the Dancer's flank. The tree frogs' chorus surrounding the overgrown space is unbroken by the shinobi's arrival, a rhythmic confirmation of the meeting's privacy as the shrine is cast in the long shadows and fogged hues of twilight.

"How are things?" The question is stoic, unassuming; though in their business, such meets are seldom to convey that all is well, and the world is safe and at peace. Hayabusa is Ninja Casual just now, however-- clad in shadowy gray-blue fare befitting said profession, belted in black, and accompanied by the nigh-omnipresent katana at his side. Hooded, but not masked; very friendly.

[ARANHA]
"Hayabusa."

The American of African descent performs a bow to the ninja before responding to the query. "Other than it recently being made clear that I might have been facing too many tomato cans lately, I'm doing okay." Just thinking about his recent encounter with Lilith irritated the capoeirista. Even still, it had nothing to do with why they were here now.

"Daniel fought my sister on the Midnight Channel. He used it as an opportunity to challenge me at a televised venue."

he irritation level within the capoeirista slightly rising. Having to deal with the former Interpol agent in any capacity brought back some very unpleasant memories. Memories he would rather lock away and throw away the key. Memory doesn't always work that way unless one were to deal with less ethical people.

"My response was that the only way he gets to fight me is by making it into the Neo League tournament."

[RYU HAYABUSA]
Memory absolutely works that way. People lock away trauma, refuse to acknowledge evidence, seal off everything that's not representative of who one tells themselves "they" are. It's facing painful recollection, enduring the shadowed nuance of reality that takes true strength of will.

aThe Dragon Ninja returns the polite bow gracefully and graciously, a furrow to his brow appearing almost immediately as he hears the Dancing Spider out. "I have not crossed paths with the Detective since his... return." Hayabusa admits. "But I have seen no sign his murderous spiral continues." Is that supposed to be ironic, shinobi? Are you afraid to look too closely?

"If you wish to face him, face him; else, do not." It's far easier on the surface than it may be in practice. "Do you know what he hopes to gain?" The world of public call-outs and fighting personas is still the greatest mystery in this strange, strange realm for the Shinobi Prince.

Beat. "Tomato cans?" Ryu doesn't get that reference. It might be Important.

[ARANHA]
"Honestly. I don't want to fight him again. At least not in a context where I can't remove him from the face of the earth. But that's why the Neo League tournament is the only way he'll get to face me. It's the only public venue where I can't refuse the fight without taking a hit to my wallet."

He takes a deep breath. He's not able to talk about the former detective without getting angry. He takes a few more breaths and then continues where he left off. "As for why he wants that match, he wants to go on some type of apology tour or some sh... Something like that." For some reason, Aranha just feels weird about even entertaining the idea of cursing around Hayabusa. "He wants the fight where I can't try to murder him on live TV. The reason I'm bringing this up is that I figured you'd want an update on him as well as making sure I have someone keeping an eye on him and ready to intercede in case he's not as repentant as he's trying to make himself out to be."

Then comes the question about tomato cans. "Oh. Boxing and fight hall slang. People with significantly lower amounts of fighting skill. They tend to look like they're leaking tomato juice when battered. In otherwords, I don't think I've been challenging myself enough lately and recently paid for it."

[RYU HAYABUSA]
"He'll not sacrifice his renewed life for your vengeance; but he may accept he warrants another beating." Hayabusa posits with mild, subtly expressive amusement, tinged in his words and gold-flecked eyes rather than expressed freely on his stoic features. It's not much different without the mask, some days. "I will, of course, be willing to step in if he is--" the Dragon Ninja takes just a moment to ponder the nature of it, "-- still a monster."

It's a sad possibility, but one weighed as not unlikely, despite the insanity on its face. "Though I would point out that if such is truly a necessity, video cameras make very little difference." Reputation is a seperate matter to such duty, even if the Shinobi has oft employed his own tricks to prevent them from -recording- much!

Ryu cants his head thoughtfully, gazing out through the fog towards the gathering dark, "In my experience, fighters of every skill level tend to look... that way." There's a pensive lack of amusement to the observation that's almost dry enough to be intentional snark in and of itself. The katana helps; but his point his fair. "Staying sharp is paramount." There's utter sincerity, however, in -that- agreement.

[ARANHA]
"As many times as he got killed on Shang Tsung's island, I wouldn't be surprised if he was able to get up after being nuked. Though after what he put me through, I'm not even sure that three beatings would be enough."

Aranha himself, could think of a few ways to deal with the cameras as well. The problem for him would be to pull that off while in the middle of a fight with fists, feet, and energy sent in his direction. Having someone who could pull it off independently of him was a major boon.

"As far as the Illyrian front, unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to do more research on what the nation was about. Were you able to turn up any information about them?"

[RYU HAYABUSA]
"It's rarely enough." Hayabusa observes with quiet melancholy. For a man who's devoted his life to violence, he's found its long-term resolution potential to be-- limited. Necessary isn't always a particularly pretty equation. Nor is equitable reprisal as simple as some may make it.

"Only enough to know that many organizations and powerful individuals of seemingly divergent motives intersect there. If it poses a greater threat or purpose-- it will be another in the queue. The boundaries of our realm have been--" Hayabusa makes light of something with little levity, "-- tomato cans." It's a succinct enough descriptor for the less mystically inclined.

"It has been a turbulent series of months." It's matter-of-fact, more than the exhaustion one might expect in the implication. When is it not turbulent for long? "To regain your edge you need to expand the decisive application of your jutsus. Your agility is seldom in question; but the art is in choosing powerful techniques to end conflict, not simply surviving more of it."

[ARANHA]
The capoeirista, lets out a sigh in reference to the Illyria front. "I sincerely hope it's not in the greater threat category. I would like to find a more permanent home for the displaced darkstalkers of Bastion Village. From the times of managed to contact them, they informed me that the nomadic lifestyle has taken a toll on them."

Being informed that the boundaries of this realm being easily battered put a frown upon Aranha's face. It made him wonder if there if there might be more situations like the one that brought about the most recent Mortal Kombat tournament. The two would have to deal with it as it comes.

Hayabusa comes through with the excellent advice however. It put into perspective the arts that Aranha had trained. Parkour and capoeira. While capoeira can be used in a conflict ending capacity, parkour had been utilized as a survival art. Survive long enough to either reposition into an advantageous situation or make available an escape route. It was food for thought and honestly, capoeirista wanted some time to think about it.

"Thank you for your time. This meeting gave me a lot to think about."

He performs one last bow to the ninja.

[RYU HAYABUSA]
"It's a magical theocracy in a world that's always brewing the next catastrophe." It's not sarcastic, it's not bitter, it's just Fact. Hayabusa is something of a realist, as mystical shinobi go. "If it's not a greater threat, whoever takes offense to it will be." Rather than waxing fatalistic on the everlasting certainty of strife, the Dragon Ninja expresses a much more pragmatic tone to his difficult to argue assertion-- anticipation; preparation.

"I will watch your back when the time comes, Dancer." Ryu assures the Capoeirista, his brows knitting in furtive consideration, apparently of some vague point in the drifting fog and shadow, "I need to see what's happened to the Gumshoe myself." Well past time to assess that rather unusual Happening, all things considered.

"Resolve what you need to with him, but take care you do not let your grievances cloud your judgement. We are judge, jury, and executioner and that duty must always come first; and with the utmost respect." The Dragon Ninja returns the bow, eyes steady on the Spider in its wake as he offers a further nod of farewell, turning to stride resolutely into the growing night.

Log created on 18:38:12 11/13/2020 by Ryu Hayabusa, and last modified on 18:15:09 11/16/2020.