Match of the Millennium

Description: Seeking an explanation for the bloody conflicts and otherworldly encounters that his Midnight Channel journeys have brought him through, Kung Lao demands an audience with the Demon Queen - only to be informed that Her Infernal Majesty will only entertain him if he dons the provided formalwear! Little does he know that on the other side of the door is not Her Majesty's office, but the Midnight Channel's recording studio, where two aspiring young lady fighters are waiting with instructions that the opponent for their live Midnight Channel audition will be arriving presently in a tuxedo!

[KUNG LAO]
First, a forest of flesh-eating trees with monstrous faces. Then a murderous blood beast in the shape of a woman. And now?
Letting out a resigned breath, Kung Lao lifts his chin and waits patiently as a small Pink demonette with beribboned horns deftly slides a length of black silk through his collar, talons gripping the edge of the stool that brings her level with his chest. Restraining every instinct that demands he lash out, bat her black-painted claws away from his throat and send her back to the realm from whence she came, he allows her to knot the silk band into an elegant bow that lies artfully across his chest.
"All done!" the demon pipes, releasing the stool and fluttering up into the air on black bat-like wings. With bustling efficiency she turns to flit toward a small side door, chattering back over her shoulder as she goes. "Remember sweetheart, out the door, hang a left, down the hall to the second intersection, hang another left, and then all the way to the end. Good Luck!"
The young monk does not respond, waiting for the door to swing shut behind her before stepping around the stool and vanity to look at himself in the full-length mirror hung on the wall. Gone is his usual travel-worn garb, replaced by a tailored single-breasted jacket in black and matching pants with a silk line down the sides, accompanied by a black bow tie and vest worn over a crisp white shirt, the cuffs folded back and decorated with lotus blossom cufflinks. Simple black shoes and socks, long black hair slicked back and tied at the nape of his neck with a white ribbon, he looks...
Bemused.
"Reaching off to his right he snags a final bit of black cloth and lifts it for inspection, untangling it to reveal a silk band of a mask designed to cover only the skin directly around his eyes. Shifting his confused brown gaze from the mask, to his own reflection, he meets his eyes and gives a little shrug before pulling the scrap of silk on Lone Ranger style. That done, he steps toward the door and retrieves his black leather hat from a peg on the wall, the thin band of razor-edged metal gleaming as he settles it upon his head.
Out the door with a purposeful stride and down the hall to his left, he counts to the second intersection and swings left again. Ahead of him is a large sound-canceling door with a pink heart painted on it, and he makes for that, pushing it open and slowing to a self-possessed saunter as he steps out onto a pink stage, lips turning down into a slight frown beneath the shadowed brim of his hat. Sweeping his hidden gaze across the recording studio, he holds the door open beside him, unsure.

[PULLUM]
==*== MEANWHILE ==*==

"Ohhhh, Blaaaaaiiirrr! This is SO exciting!"

Pullum Purna is such a bundle of energy that she can hardly keep still as a catgirl from the Midnight Channel's hair and makeup department finishes tying the girl's brown ponytail up in rose red ribbons while an exceptionally pale young woman adds the last touches to her makeup.

"I bet you're so good at this! Your make-up is so good!" Pullum tells the girl as she looks up at her. "Is that goth?"

"Lips together," the make-up artist says flatly and sternly, causing Pullum to do as she's told. The make-up girl smiles a fanged smile as she puts the final touches on Pullum's lipstick.

"Mmmf!" Pullum makes a pained sound through her pursed lips as her ponytail is pulled. "Bad kitty!"

The catgirl's expression is apologetic as she pulls her clawed fingers back from where a momentary lapse of human judgment over feline instinct had resulted in them tugging at the Arabian dilettante's hair. A moment later, though, she's scowling.

"Excuse me?!"

Pullum claps her hands over her mouth a second after the make-up artist pulls away.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Force of habit!"

The catgirl and Pullum stare at each other awkwardly for a minute before the former concedes, "Yeah, me too."

Both girls burst out in a fit of giggles until a loud voice cuts through the noise.

"LADIES! Fight time is go in less than two! Are we ready?"

The pink demonette who was in charge of Kung Lao's costume flutters into the womens' dressing area, holding up an analog watch and tapping at its face.

"What is that?" Pullum asks, one eyebrow arching quizzically as she looks up at the demonette.

"She's a demon, sweetie," the pale makeup artist informs Pullum while putting away the makeup tray.

"No, i mean that thing she's holding," Pullum says, tilting her head.

"We're all set here," the catgirl calls out to the demonette.

"Woohoo!" Pullum shouts as she pops up out of her chair, her slit-legged rose red silk dress shimmering as she rises to her tip-toes and thrusts her fists in the air.

"Come on, Blair! Let's show them what the Worldwide Young Ladies Club is all about!"

[BLAIR]
Blair herself was not having as much as her friend.

Crossing her arms and scowling, the strange man in the lizard makeup hisses a lisp as he finishes up her hair. "Oh come on sweet heart, I can't get your lighting right if you don't positively glow!" Blair tries to lighten up her expression a bit. "I just hope this isn't one of those silly gimmick fights. I expect a proper fight. That's what's fun! Fighting!" She glances at herself in the mirror as the hair is finished, before looking towards Pullum. She was dressed in a shining blue counterpart to Pullum's own dress. Crimson and azure in balanced harmony. Quickly catching up to Pullum, she smirks slightly, the blue-haired girl embracing her friend's hand once for a quick squeeze.

"Well, we do look great at least.

Releasing her friend, she takes point as the duo enters the studio. She holds her head high, striding with the firm grace as befitting her breeding and stature. Emerging on the stage, she places a hand on her hip, turning her head aside to glance sideways at Kung Lao with stern assertion. She lifts a single eyebrow, inspecting him diligently. He had the physique of a fighter. But did he have the talent. Well, they were told what to say.

And there, she recites the scripted line.

"Welcome, Agent. I am Blair Dame, and my friend is Pullum Purna." She tilts her head a bit. "You have done well to get this far, Agent Tuxedo Mask. But we'll see how a super spy like yourself can far against the Worldwide Young Ladies Club." She gestures for her counterpart to spread and circle, before she herself drops into her shoot fighting stance. Arms up, slightly crouched, she now looks directly at Kung Lao. The script made it clear. Introduce yourself, and start fighting as soon as possible. "Be on your guard!"

"We fight now!"

[KUNG LAO]
The arrival of two young women draws the quiet monk's attention, though at a glance he can tell neither of these are the Demon Queen he's after. For one he's seen video of Lyraelle, and neither of these girls have pink hair or devil horns. For two, they seem too...Fresh faced? Eager?
"Two on one?" Lao asks, swinging the door shut with a casual nudge of his palm. Stepping forward with a balanced sort of swagger, he glances from one girl to the other, expression placid. "That does not seem very fair..."
Clasping his hands before him, the young man's lips twitch in something just shy of a smirk, steps carrying him to a point halfway between the strangers and their bad acting.
"For you."
Reaching the center of the stage with precise, tapping steps, he begins to turn in a slow circle. Hidden eyes take in the camera equipment, the crew, the flashing LED hearts along the back wall. It is easy enough to put together what has been done here, and part of him does ache for a challenge that doesn't have to end in murder. These girls seem nice enough at a glance. But another part of him feels only frustration.
"I'm not here to fight you. Tell me where Lyraelle is and I will leave you in peace."
The offer is made calmly enough, lightly accented English relaxed despite the circumstances. Even still, his doubts in diplomacy are made clear when he widens his stance, sliding his dress shoes across the pink-painted wood. Unclasping his hands, he brings them up into a loose guard, one pointed vaguely toward either girl, knees bending and weight balanced on the balls of his feet.

[PULLUM]
Pullum's arrival into the studio may have grace, but it's certainly not a firm sort of grace. It's rather bouncy, in fact - bounding in from one foot to the other, twirling with her arms over her head and one leg outstretched, she ends in an almost ballerina-like pose, blowing a kiss at the nearest camera before she straightens up with a flourish of her red dress.

"That's right! Prepare for trouble, and make it double! The Worldwide Young Ladies Club is here for a good time, at your expense!"

Pullum winks, before twisting toward Blair to try and whisper discreetly to her more serious-minded friend, apparently forgetting that she's wired.

"Oh my gosh, Blair, he is so handsome and gentlemanly!"

She stifles a giggle, before turning back toward Kung Lao with an amused smile. She may not remember this bit about him not wanting to fight being in the script, but that doesn't mean that she can't improvise.

"It's too bad, because we insist on this dance, Mister Mask!"

Having said so, she leaps lightly forward before extending both feet, spiralling toward Kung Lao as aetherial wind energy wreathes her form.

"Drill Purrus!"

COMBATSYS: Pullum has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Pullum           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Pullum           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0         Kung Lao

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao has joined the fight here on the top side.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|-------
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Pullum           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Pullum has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|-------
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Pullum           0/-------/-------|

[BLAIR]
"Tch!"

Blair scoffs at the insult at her skill. Certainly, she was fairly new, but for the audacity of this agent fighter to dismiss her skills... ANd worse, Pullum was falling for the handsome fighter!? Blair scowls intensely, as she psyches herself up for the televised fight. His words seemed a bit suspicious... of course, he would be denying it and wanting to see Lyraelle. That's what the whole secret agent angle would be. He must be a professional actor, because he seemed so sincere about it. Shaking her head, she corrects Pullum. "Don't let his handsome features distract you, Pullum! Now we need to carefully coordinate ourselves! Now! The fight be-"

And Pullum was already attacking him?

"Hu- wait! Wait for me!" Blair calls after her friend, as she hastily tries to catch up afterwards. She's not quite fast enough to attack in tandem, but the surge of speed does take her into the air from a slightly different angle. Leaping as well, she comes in later after Kung Lao, adjusting her positioning based on his reactions. Roaring in, she opens with a well-muscled flying kick, going for a straight aerial instead of her preferred flips. How come? We she didn't want to accidentally hit her friend. All the while, she gives a firm scold.

"Slow down Pullum! And leave some of him for me!"

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

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|-------
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Pullum           0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Blair

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao just-defends Pullum's Drill Purrus!

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|-------
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Pullum           0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Blair

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao dodges Blair's Medium Kick.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|-------
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Pullum           0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Blair

[KUNG LAO]
Between the obscuring shadow cast by his hat, and his aura of relaxed confidence, Kung Lao is not the easiest man to read. However, as he waits poised in the center of the stage for the deadly duo to attack, a faint red tinge spreads across his tan cheeks. Perhaps it is merely a reflection of the sparkling hearts blinking across the backdrop, or maybe not. Still, he is a warrior first, a slayer of monsters, and so despite any distractions, when Pullum springs forward into a swirling dropkick he is ready, responding to a faint familiar tickle along the hairs of his arms.
The wind?
Moving as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Lao reaches up to meet the spiraling girl, callused palm slipping through the ethereal wind to press lightly against her bare calf. lowering his stance, he nudges her up and over, skirt trailing across his head and shoulders as she passes. It is only once his hand withdraws that she feels the gathered winds abandon her, tugged away to swirl instead around the young monk, fluttering his bow tie and ruffling the white square of cloth tucked into his jacket pocket.
"It appears we share something in common." he comments to the girl's descending back, any trace of pink having already fled his cheeks. Confident, controlled, he delays for half a second longer, injecting a deliberately staggered pause in the shared dance, before twisting gracefully into Blair's oncoming kick.
Coat and ponytail trailing behind, the Shaolin turns so that her foot brushes past the back of his right shoulder, upper back briefly pressed against the outside of her leg as they continue past one another, finishing the twirl with his chest just inches from her backside. From there it is a simple thing for him to embrace her from behind, corded arms wrapping around her middle and cinching in just beneath her chest to pull her back against him. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the contact is short lived, Lao continuing the backward tug into a lean that drops his torso parallel to the ground. At the same moment, he swings his right leg up, using it and the momentum of his dip to hurl Blair up and over his head in a modified Tomoe nage.

[PULLUM]
Hitting the ground out of her diving spiral, Pullum skids across the floor, planting a hand against the smooth surface to slow her slide until she stops. Her ponytail bobs as she twists her head around to put her eyes back on Tuxedo Ma - er, Kung Lao.

"What's that? That we'd both look good with your hat on?" she posits with a wink before winding back up to her feet, swaying and swishing her dress as she does.

Her expression turns into a scowl as he sees the monk move to wrap his arms around Blair.

"Hey, let go of her, you brute!"

Running across the floor, she aims to deliver a quick soccer-style snap kick to the (ex-)Shaolin's back with her sandal-wrapped right foot.

"Don't ignore me just because I'm the cuter one!"

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao successfully hits Blair with Back Throw.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|------=
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Pullum           0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0            Blair

[BLAIR]
Where did that wind come from?

As Blair lets out the flying kick, the duo finds themselves ebbed and flowed by the wind. In some regards, Pullum was the lucky one. For when Blair catches up, she finds herself hoisted up like a dancer. At first, at least. Blushing herself as she is grabbed by the strong arms of the mysterious stranger, the intimate moment comes to a close as she is suddenly started to hoist over. She attempts to roll with the throw, to break away on her own accord? Smashing into the back of the set? That wasn't going her way. Collapsing in a heap, she groans as she rises up, a strap broken and her dress misaligned. "You brute! That's no way-"

And Pullum is already at him!

"Pullum, please! This is not the time for flirting! This is a very serious- hmph!" Blair adjusts her dress around, so it's facing the right alignment. "This is a very serious fight!" Having fixed her outfit once more, she follow after her partner with a swift forward kick, before outright chaining it into a back kick reverse combination. Furthering the chain, she unleashes a high roundhouse kick before finishing with a launching high back kick, attempting the let the harassing chain of kicks to overwhelm the Agent's defenses.

"Taste this!"

COMBATSYS: Blair successfully hits Kung Lao with Shoot Kick.

                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Pullum           0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0            Blair

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao interrupts Light Kick from Pullum with Swirling Dragon EX.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|---====
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Pullum           0/-------/---<<<<|=====--\-------\0            Blair

[KUNG LAO]
Dropping his head back to glance upside down after Blair's tumbling form, he pauses for another half step of the dance to watch her plough into the back wall, his long hair brushing across the floor. Satisfied at the results of his work, he brings his right leg sweeping down with enough force to pull him out of his backward bend, wind swirling gently around him as he swings upright and brings his hands calmly together into a Buddhist prayer stance.
Beneath the brim of his hat, white teeth show in a cocky grin, his heart beginning to warm to the playful exorcize. Already he can hear the rapid tapping of Pullum's sandaled approach, mentally timing her attack without the need to glance over his shoulder and confirm.
"We share a special relationship," Kung Lao offers to the girl charging his back, a hint of his playful grin audible in his voice. Separating his hands, he calls upon his connection with the wind and twists, the playful breeze that had been mirroring him whipping itself into a sudden fury. From within the gathering mini tornado his voice can be heard, adding cheekily, "With the wind."
Spinning once around in a complete circle, the monk folds his arms across his chest, and lets the wind take him, grabbing his body and spiraling him into a second, faster spin. Using that momentum, he pushes up onto the ball of his right foot and scythes the left out into a rising roundhouse kick, heel sweeping around to collide with the side of Pullum's chest. At the same moment the side of her sandaled foot catches him in the thigh, forcing him into a backward hop to keep his balance that disperses the howling wind and brings him uncomfortably close to her charging partner.
Buckling his knee, Kung Lao crumples to the side and falls out of the path of Blair's opening kick, free foot sweeping down to strike the ground and send him skipping backward. Unfortunately, off balance and scrambling to regain his center, he is too slow to avoid the first of the back kicks that strike him squarely in the chest. Staggering backward to his feet, he brings his shoulder up and tucks his head, taking the spinning roundhouse on a boxer's guard rather than the side of his head, though the force of it continues his stumble, pushing him sideways across the pink floor. Staggered, rhythm broken, he still brings both hands up in an attempt to catch her ankle as she swirls into the final rising back kick, sandaled foot blasting through his guard and slamming squarely into the side of his jaw.
Bell rung, the tuxedoed warrior tumbles backward, shoulders striking the wooden floor. However, rather than lie sprawled out in defeat, he swings his polished shoes up over his head and uncoils his crunched middle, back flipping effortlessly to his feet with a dramatic sweep of hair and coat. Relaxing back into a ready stance, he directs his hidden gaze toward the blonde in blue, taking in the slightly tattered nature of her outfit while offering her an exaggerated wince. Turning his face away, he lifts one hand to massage the bruise that is forming along his jaw, showing off the results of her work to both her and the cameras.

[PULLUM]
This guy is good, Pullum thinks.

And probably some sort of wealthy gentleman, too, judging by his dashing outfit. And witty -

"OW!"

The scarlet dervish is sent back against one of the liquid electronic display walls, her arm wrapped around her chest as she flinches from the pain of the sideboob roundhouse and the resulting crash against the wall. She steps lightly away, regaining her balance smoothly as she takes on a more serious expression and a more focused stance.

"You're right, Blair! It is time to get serious! Flirting can come later!"

Lunging forward, Pullum looks to try and catch Tuxedo Lao off-guard in tandem with Blair, reaching to try and get hold of the nearest forearm that she can.

"Let's get him!"

If she manages to do so, she'll swing her right foot backward to build up a pendulous momentum before snapping it forward into a backward somersault, releasing the monk as she aims a devastating kick to his chin!

[BLAIR]
A special relationship?

Blair knew that the man was toying with Pullum now. 'I already have a girlfriend' was always the best way to really annoy Pullum. What's worse, is that the man was then punishing her physically as well as the mental torment. Blair was chasing after the man with her combination, finishing with kick straight to the head. For some people, that might have been enough.

But for Blair, it was only the beginning.

"How dare you!" Blair erupts at the obviously rich and handsome playboy looking to seduce the poor and innocent Lyraelle, whoever she is. Hurling at Kung Lao, she unleashing a short jab straight at Kung Lao's firm torso. Whether it hit or not, she would double the commitment, letting the other hand drive upwards into an uppercut straight up at that handsome jaw again to double up, a punching combination aimed to keep on the pressure as Pullum pursues as well. "You treat her like that?"

"And just because my friend was distracted by your looks..."

COMBATSYS: Pullum successfully hits Kung Lao with Ordence Foot EX.

                 [          |||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|-======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Pullum           0/-------/-<<<<<<|=====--\-------\0            Blair

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao dodges Blair's Fierce Punch.

                 [          |||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|-======
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Pullum           0/-------/-<<<<<<|=====--\-------\0            Blair

[KUNG LAO]
Lowering his left hand from his jaw, Kung Lao curls the fingers of both into loose fists, hands coming up into an easy guard position as he steps back to square off against the simultaneous charges. Despite the purpling bruise spreading across the left side of his face he looks as poised and dangerous as ever, balanced.
"I do not have a lot of practice with flirting," the monk admits through the slight slant of his crooked smile, "but I am sure the both of you will be excellent teachers."
All across the country relationship vloggers spontaneously begin planning videos titled 'How to have the confidence of a Shaolin Monk.'
The faintest touch of cool breeze brushes across the girls' skin as they come into striking range of Tuxedo Lao, reminding him of that special relationship he shares. Right hand lashing out, he meets Pullum grab for grab, fingers closing gently around her forearm at the same moment she grabs his. Lifting his chin slightly, he allows her a glimpse under his hat, dark eyes grinning at her even though his lips have firmed into a focused line.
Then he moves.
Gaze remaining focused on the rose before him, he relies upon the feel of the wind to guide him into a neat side step, avoiding Blair's opening blow and twisting the dark-haired girl into a dancing quarter turn. As the blonde pursues him with a rising uppercut he steps forward, fist brushing just past him, and presses his chest lightly to Pullum's.
With his dance partner having gone onto one foot, it is easy enough to dance a half circle back around her, twirling her 180 degrees and putting her between himself and Blair. A wide flash of grin cuts across his face as he does, fingers loosening on her arm and body pulling away as he steps back...
Only to get kicked square in the chin.
"HRGK!"
Head jolting backward from the force of it, he backpedals a couple of steps to keep from taking another tumble, a bit of spit escaping between his teeth to spatter across the ground. Hand shooting up to check the damage, he gives his head a shake to clear away the stars that dance across his vision, mouth opening then closing to test that she hasn't broken anything.
All across the land those same vloggers begin questioning their life choices.
"Ouch."
Deadpanning the word in the driest tone possible, Lao lowers his hand from the darkening purple bruise on his chin, the mottled color already spreading to join the mark from the first time he was kicked in the face. There is no time for pain though. This fight is just beginning, and he has plenty of tricks left up his well-tailored sleeves.
Flashing a casual OK sign up at Pullum, he grins at her past his hand before bursting apart into wind. Where once there was a man there is little more than a lingering breeze, all traces of him literally vanishing into thin air.
A moment later a swirling flood of air spins together directly in front of Blair, the monk taking shape from the breeze even as he steps forward into a rising palm strike toward her face, attempting to drive the heel of his right hand up beneath her chin and send her staggering backward off balance.
"HUP!"
Following the opening his free hand sweeps up to swipe his hat off of his head, tossing the bladed edge forward to hum past the girl's left shoulder. The faintest kiss of the blade brushes her skin as the headgear passes by, slicing through the one remaining strap of her dress as he closes in upon her.
"HAHT!"
Lunging forward, Kung Lao lashes out with a quick left right left combination toward random points of her chest, ending the opening series of strikes with a flashing feint of his right up toward her chin.
"HAAAAWT!"
Rather than going high he instead goes low, left fist leading in a second blurringly fast combination of punches to her stomach and lower chest, seven blows striking home faster than the patter of raindrops in a storm. Pressuring her, attempting to drive her back, he suddenly breaks off and steps back, left hand lifting to catch his hat as it comes humming back in over her right shoulder.
"HAH!"
Fingers clamping down on the brim of the deadly headgear with an authoritative FWAP, he sweeps into a sudden flourishing spin, leaping forward to deliver a flying windmill kick squarely to the center of her chest while his hat is swept back into place on his head.

[PULLUM]
The hem of Pullum's dress flutters lightly as a breeze swirls around her, her heels clicking on the wood as she comes out of the somersault strike. Her lips crack back into a smile as she sees Kung Lao reel from her attack.

"Sorry, were you expecting us to go easy, Mister Mask?" she says with a wink as she shifts from foot to foot. "You should have known better than - hey, where did you go?!"

Her brown eyes flit around before noticing the monk's re-appearance on one of the fight-tracking screens.

"Blair! Look out, he's right in front of you!"

Whipping around toward where Blair is standing, she leaps upward, hands pressing off of the ceiling of the studio before springing down toward the other side of Kung Lao, aiming to outflank him while sweeping her heel back in the same motion to try and kick the Shaolin's shin out from under him.

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao successfully hits Blair with Plum Flower ES.

                 [           ||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         1|-------|=======
[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Pullum           0/-------/--<<<<<|=======\===----\1            Blair

[BLAIR]
To be fair, some of those Vloggers were one of those unfortunate Daniel fans.

Kung Lao would appreciate knowing that the r/ladykiller folks would be fair weather friends to the Shaolon Monk. That is, until Blair finds herself over extended in her assault against the monk. Everyone at home watches with bated breath as Pullum makes her follow up. But for the young lady, the monk's attention was now on her. Blair tried to slip around the heel, and just barely succeeded. Evading it, she repositions as the hat suddenly flies off. She doesn't worry much about it.

Until it cuts her shoulder.

Gasping as it cuts the strap and skin underneath. It's enough to daze her for the follow up blows hammering her chest. Groaning and moaning in agony, she writhes and jerks as her eyes cross. By the time the feint comes out, she actually recovers to sway around it. But it was a feint, so the blows comes straight to her gut. Her eyes bug out as her tongue lolls out of her mouth, gasping and gagging at the attack. And to add injury to insult, the hat even managed to slice the other strap on the way back. Groaning and moaning, eyes bulged out, Blair recovers just enough composure in time to grab her dress. When the finishing kick comes? She barely manages to turn aside, taking a blow to her shoulder. Grabbing her chest to keep her dress on, she could only respond one way as Pullum's charge manages to buy her just a bit of space.

"Did you just call me HAWWWT?"

STumbling, bleeding, and bruised, she steadies herself as she glowers at the handsome agent. "Or am I the one who is HAHT?" Blair suddenly became indignant, and she erupted with energy. "It looks like you need a lot more practice on flirting, jerk!" She declares, before she somersaults after Kung Lao, hands still grabbing her dress by the chest to keep it on. Should she connect with the rushing kick? She would begin to launch off it to flip end over end, over and over to kick Kung Lao over and over again to send him up in the air, a battering barrage well meant to juggle him in place.

But only if she could get that first one.

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao just-defends Pullum's Reverse Ankle EX!

                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         1|-------|=======
[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Pullum           0/-------/-<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\0            Blair

COMBATSYS: Blair successfully hits Kung Lao with Fairy Gift.

                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         1|---====|=======
[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Pullum           0/-------/-<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\0            Blair

[KUNG LAO]
No more time for banter.
Landing lightly on the balls of his feet, Kung Lao is immediately set upon by the second girl. Swinging his foot back, he plants it atop her sweeping leg and presses firmly down on the limb, turning to face her as he steps up and over her calf with all the casual grace of a slinking cat. With everything going more or less according to plan, he should be able to deal with Pul--
'Did you just call me HAWWWT?'
"What?"
That single word, spoken with earnest bafflement and nearly drown out by the indignant girl's following statement, is all Kung Lao manages to say before a pair of heeled sandals catch him in the backs of the shoulders, driving him down to a knee before Pullum and knocking the breath from his lungs with a huff. From there all he can do is tuck his head in and guard his ribs as a follow up kick swings up to batter him back to his feet, and a second lifts him off of the ground.
White cloth knocked clear of his pocket, it flutters slowly to the ground while he pulls his knees up and absorbs kick after kick to his back and sides, driven ever upward upon the battering power of Blair's indignant fury. Tears open along the arms and back of his coat, a couple of blows even splitting the white shirt cloth beneath to show flashes of tanned skin through the sagging rents.
The final kick nearly bounces him off of the ceiling as she finally drops away, the monk uncurling with a grunt and rolling slowly through the air, descending back toward both girls with near liquid grace, though his motions are a little stiff following that latest bit of abuse. Tilting himself into a forward dive, he plummets from the air directly toward Pullum, reaching out to try and snag his rose-clad tormentor by the shoulders and swing his lower body down and around her, dragging her into a swirling spin that ends with him on one knee and her draped face-down across the other. A position that suggests he might be about to give her a spanking.
World wide viewership sky rockets.
Faced with the moral quandary of whether he should employ the deadly blade of his hat against two seemingly innocent women, the monk has decided that he most definitely can. But it won't be flesh he is rending tonight.
Sweeping his hat once more from his head, the slightly raggedy Tuxedo Lao attempts to sweep the blade down the dark-haired princess's back from nape to heels, its razor rim tickling her skin down the crease of her spine, through a second curvier one, and between her thighs to the floor. Miraculously she won't be cut by the masterfully precise procedure, though the same can not be said for her clothing.
"In truth," Lao says, voice a little tighter from pain but still playful, "I find you both very attractive."
Lifting his hat away, he attempts to drive Pullum back to her feet with a sudden thrust of his knee, returning his hat to his head as he lunges after her to deliver a series of wickedly fast palm strikes to her chest, abdomen, shoulders and chin, driving her back toward the studio wall and its sparkling lights.

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao successfully hits Pullum with Aggressive Tiger.

                 [               ||||||||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         0|-------|<<<<<<<
[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Pullum           1/--=====/=======|>>>>>>>\-------\0            Blair

[PULLUM]
Landing on the smooth floor and meeting the graceful resistance of the monk's rebuffing of her attempts at aggressive footsies, Pullum slips back, her eyebrows lowering and eyes narrowing. She's about to say something incredibly witty - she's sure of it - when Blair interjects.

'Did you just call me HAWWWT?'

(The instant replay keeps catching that line. It's bound to be a FightTube meme before the night is over.)

As Blair carries Kung Lao further and further into the air, Pullum watches, stance at the ready at first, but crossing her arms over her chest after a moment.

"He was obviously talking about ME, Blair!"

Her expression remains cross until Blair touches back down, at which point she drops the terse look and beams a smile, raising a hand as she moves to high five Blair.

"Nice one, B! You really showed him a wh-ahhh!"

As she's going to exchange skin, her shoulders are grabbed from behind, and she suddenly finds herself bent over the monk's knee. She kicks her legs, shooting a look over her shoulder.

"Agent Mask, no!" she cries out in protest. "Not on television!"

The girl's legs stop kicking and tense up as Kung Mask slides his razor-rimmed hat along the curve of her spine - and her eyes go wide as she feels it pass beyond her waist, splitting the back of her dress from top to bottom.

"Ack!"

As she's pushed up to her feet by Kung Lao's knee, Pullum's face flushes with heat, her hands reaching down behind her backside to desperately hold the two halves of the seat of her red dress together while attempting to backpedal away from Tuxedo Lao.

"H-hey, slow down, tiger!"

The barrage of palm strikes to her body and chin sending Pullum staggering backward.

"Gah!"

Catching herself with her shoulders against the wall, Pullum shoots a look across at Blair, noting her friend's shared state of dress distress. A serious look crosses her face.

"Blair! It's now or never! I'll go tops if you go bottoms! Show him what we've got!"

And then, striving forward, Pullum lunges to try and catch hold of Kung Lao's own forearms with her hands, letting go of her dress to do so - modesty won't win the match, after all. If she can manage to do so, she'll plant one foot against the Shaolin's thigh and swing her leg around to mount Kung Lao's shoulders and bring his head into the embrace of her thighs - before twisting her hips around and aiming to bring him down to the ground in tandem with her Worldwide Young Ladies Club companion!

[BLAIR]
Blair didn't realize what she did to her reputation, until much later.

For now, as she juggles Kung Lao in a capture juggle which was a totally legitimate way to capture someone, holding on to her top to protect her undergarments from a fate worse than death.

"Excuse me, Pullum, but I think he was talking about me because he was clearly attacking me at the time!" Blair corrects sternly, cheeks blushing red. The blushing gets even worse at Kung Lao does that... does that -thing- to Pullum, right in front of Blair. Blushing brighter and brighter red, she stamps her foot. She actually seemed to be waiting until the pair was done. And when Pullum hits the wall, she finally looks, scowling.

And that scowl becomes a knowing grin.

Releasing her top, she gives a loud. "Whoops! Don't look Agent Mask!" It was a dire trick, as once she did, it, her underbra is revealed. And as Pullum comes hurtling in, Blair does to in perfect harmony. While the dancer goes for one side, Blair herself goes for the other. Launching into a sliding kick, she aims to latch on Kung Lao's leg, going for the takedown at the ankles to knock him straight down in unison with Pullum's own. And where Pullum was going for the mount on the head?

Blair would be aiming to finish by sitting on the man's pelvis, mounting the other end side saddle.

COMBATSYS: Pullum and Blair successfully hit Kung Lao with Top and Bottom.
# Disabling hit! #

                 [                     ||||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         1|----<<<|<<<<<<<
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Pullum           1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0            Blair

[KUNG LAO]
Lao's final palm strike catches Pullum squarely in the collarbone and sends her thudding backward into the flashing display of hearts. Though battered and the slightest bit woozy from the number of head shots he's taken, the monk still manages to flash the dark-haired girl a quick grin from beneath the brim of his hat, relaxing back into a posture of balanced readiness.
"You are the ones who attacked me. I do not want to harm you, but that doesn't mean I am unwilling to find, other, methods of making you submit."
Is he doing this on purpose? He has to be doing this on purpose. Whether he is or not, views of the program continue to climb at an alarming rate.
The look passed between the two girls wipes the smile from his face, Kung Tuxedo taking a step back to try and get both in view at the same time. Unfortunately for him, that means he is just in time for Blair to ACCIDENTALLY give him an eye full, distracting him just long enough to lose track of her partner.
Having vastly underestimated how effective the dress split would be at slowing Pullum down, by the time he glances back in her direction she has completely closed the distance between them. The cameras behind her are treated to quite a view as she grabs the masked man's guarding hands and vaults neatly up his body, Lao's vision going dark as her tanned legs swing up to knock his hat tumbling off of his head, soft thighs locking around his ears and mooshing his face into the rose silk of her tattered skirt.
Knees bending, he is in the process of pulling his hands free of her grip to reach up and wrestle her off when Blair's sliding kick catches the back of his ankles. Feet driven out from under him he has no way to prevent being hip slung to the ground, back impacting the wood with a solid THUD. And if that weren't bad enough, before he can swing his feet up to try and lock them around the girl now sitting on his face, Blair swings up to seat herself upon his torso, both young women poised atop him in a photo-perfect moment that is likely to find a home on many a web sight.
"GRMMPH."
A Muffled grunt of exhaustion and effort vibrates from between Pullum's legs as the trapped monk brings his hands up, planting his palms against her exposed cheeks and shoving hard in an attempt to boost her off onto the floor above his head. Mask slightly askew and strands of escaped hair draped across his face, he huffs out a breath and stares ruefully up toward the ceiling, cheeks once more a little flushed.
"I deserved that." he admits, eyes slanting up to glance toward Pullum before he lifts his head from the floor to peer down at Blair. "But I do need to find Lyraelle. So..."
Pulling his knees up, he digs his heels into the floor and wipes all expression but focus from his face, wind swirling all throughout the room as it begins to funnel in toward him. Escaped strands of hair whipping about, bow tie flailing, he pulls harder, driving the circulating air from a roar to a howl. Overhead lights tug dangerously at their cables. Loose equipment topples over and papers whip into the air, swirling faster and faster around the stage.
Beneath Blair's hips, the solid body of her captured prey dissolves into a sudden rush of air that blasts up her skirt and around her body, attempting to drag her spinning into the air upon a living funnel of wind. It is from within the heart of that spiral that Kung Lao emerges, launching himself straight up from below to drive both upraised fists into her center mass, doing his best to surge up and pin her to the ceiling as he hovers in the air, hair and coat whipping around him.

[PULLUM]
With a moment to take stock afforded by the tag-team takedown between the Worldwide Young Ladies' Club members, Pullum pants softly, leaning back and looking across Tuxedo Sofa to Blair. A smug little smile pulls at the corners of her lips. She raises a hand up, preparing to high five her partner in crime once more.

"Pullum and Blair win... Friendship!" she enthuses, until she's interrupted by the front of her now-triple-slitted dress blowing up in her face as the wind picks up violently underneath her.

"Waammmfff!"

The hands pressing into her hips lift and shove her away as Kung Lao surges beneath Blair. Thrashing in the sea of red silk, matching undergarments now on display for the world to see in brilliant high-resolution LED, Pullum eventually escapes by tearing the dress - which is, by now, really more of a high-class apron - off of herself and kicking out of it.

"Unlike my friend Blair, I am not comfortable performing without pants! Somebody bring me a pair!" she complains loudly, looking around the set as she covers herself with her arms. "Darun?!"

Failing to find her bodyguard with her searching eyes, Pullum focuses back on the rising Kung Lao and pulls a scowl of displeasure.

"Hey! Easy with the fists on my sister, mister!"

Slightly late to the party, she drops the modesty act, runs forward and leaps up in an attempt to simply latch onto Kung Lao and pull him down to the ground by one of his legs.

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao successfully hits Blair with Double Yang.

                 [                      |||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Pullum           1/---====/=======|=======\====---\1            Blair

[BLAIR]
"What?"

"Friendship!?"

Blair's interjection comes as there is a wiggling under her. Looking down sternly, as becoming a woman of her stature, she notices that Agent Tuxedo Mask was struggling. "Knock it off! You think you deserve the best of what the Worldwide-" She declares, when all of a sudden, a hot wind blows up her skirt. Shrieking, she crosses her legs in an attempt to block. It doesn't help much, as the whirlwind carries her all the way to the ceiling. Slammed hard, she groans as blood from her mouth. She nearly goes out there, until her eyes surge open.

She's on the -ceiling-.

If Blair considered herself a harsh mistress, then she had much to learn from Lady Gravity herself. With her own weight bearing down more force against Kung Lao's fists, she grits her teeth. And there, she attempts to break free with a stiff overhead chop into the agent, all while Blair comes up with her own grab for the legs. With a surge of energy, she follows through with her own support. Whether the punch works, she would be adding on to Blair's attack by attempting to seize Kung Lao and whip around his neck. It was not going to be great to tear them both down to the ground, but as she tries to whip and wrench at the neck, she was going to drag them both down to the floor.

Spinning all the time.

COMBATSYS: Blair blitzes into action and acts again!

                 [                      |||||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Pullum           1/---====/=======|=======\====---\1            Blair

COMBATSYS: Pullum successfully hits Kung Lao with Quick Throw.

                 [                        |||||| ]
                 Kung Lao         2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Pullum           1/-======/=======|=======\====---\1            Blair

COMBATSYS: Blair successfully hits Kung Lao with Aggressive Strike.
# Disabling hit! #

                 [                           ||| ]
                 Kung Lao         2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Pullum           1/-======/=======|=======\====---\1            Blair

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao parries Blair's Power Throw!

                 [                           ||| ]
                 Kung Lao         2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Pullum           1/-======/=======|=======\=====--\1            Blair

[KUNG LAO]
Wincing in sympathy as bloody spit splatters across his masked face, Kung Lao keeps half of his focus on maintaining control of the wind while the other keeps tabs on his opponents. The blonde above him is clearly wounded, maybe he should drop her and focus on--
A chop of Blair's hand descends from on high and catches the tuxedoed monk squarely across the upper lip, snapping his head back and shattering his concentration into a million tiny pieces. Losing his grip on the wind that holds them both aloft, the pair have already began to plummet out of the sky when Pullum leaps up to latch onto his leg, adding her own meager weight to the tangled mess.
"UHFF."
Pain continuing to flash behind his eyes, the Shaolin reacts on instinct as Blair goes for his neck, hands snapping up to drive stiffened knife strikes into the inside of her elbow joints, breaking the grab and knocking her arms wide for a clear counter strike.
A strike that never comes, as the dark-haired pinup below him pulls him away, twisting him through the air to impact the ground shoulder-first. Already a bit disoriented, the side of his head bounces off of the painted wood with a solid THONK, dark eyes crossing even as years of instinctive training take over and he rolls, tumbling across the floor and up onto his feet in a cat-like crouch.
"Ugh..."
Head spinning, long hair a wild mess only barely keeping the shape of a ponytail, he sways slightly on the spot. Before his eyes, four nearly naked girls weave and bob in different directions, which is horribly confusing if not entirely unpleasant.
Sluggishly, he begins to comprehend that he might be concussed.
"Damn..."
Fighting through the confusion, he forces his eyes to focus, forces his brain to clear. Through sheer will he pushes back the fog and buys himself a moment of clarity with which to act. He just needs to fight through this. If he can only get through these two, he might be able to figure out why all this has been happening.
The raging tornado that still howls throughout the studio gains direction, drawn inward toward the monk that crouches upon the scuffed pink floor. Papers, bits of office materials, and loose cables whip in toward him. Overhead lights groan, then snap, a couple crashing to the ground and tumbling inward as the air screams.
Leveling his sharpened gaze on Pullum, he narrows the focus of the wind yet further, the stage lights rolling to a halt as a final, devastating blast hits her from behind and attempts to launch her toward him, only for him to spring forward and meet her half way, right hand slashing down in a heavy chop to her shoulder. Following that by a twisting side step, he swings past the rose-clad princess's right side and brings his hand scything around in a second blow aimed squarely for the back of her neck, pulling the force of it just enough that it shouldn't break anything.
Poised there at the end of his strike, hand out and weight balanced perfectly, he blinks once, cracks beginning to spread through his iron wall of concentration. Then, all at once, his focus shatters, the young monk collapsing so abruptly that his left cheek smacks the floor. Eyes glazed, thoughts a foggy mess of spinning sensations, he struggles to keep from vomiting as the consequences of his actions finally catch up to him.

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao can no longer fight.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Pullum           1/-======/=======|=======\=====--\1            Blair

COMBATSYS: Kung Lao successfully hits Pullum with Fist of Shaolin EX.

[                            \\  < >  ///////                       ]
Pullum           2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1            Blair

[PULLUM]
Pullum staggers and stumbles backward as she manages to pull the Shaolin down from the ceiling, collapsing onto her backside. Her palms press into the floor as she grimaces, shoving herself back up to her feet.

"Blair! Are you alive?" she calls out to her friend as she sways, before turning sharply toward the source of the howling wind that's tugging at her hair, arms wrapping around her body to protect her bare flesh from the chilling breeze. Sensing the danger, she tries to wheel off to one side to tear herself out of the grip of the violent wind, but too slow - she's wrenched into an uncontrolled tumble until she's chopped out of the air with the knife edge of Kung Lao's hand. The second chop knocks her down to the ground, where she shudders on the floor, straining to try and lift herself up again with her knees and elbows before slumping down again.

"Blair..." she croaks out as her eyes lift up from the floor toward Blair, fingers reaching toward her friend. "...don't forget... to interrogate Agent Mask..."

Her head lolls to the side.

"...and get... his number..."

Her eyes flutter as consciousness fades.

[BLAIR]
It was strange how so much could happen in so little time.

Pullum gets her grab, and Blair lands her chop. But the spin grab was probably a big mistake. As Blair goes for her grab, the man not only stops it dead, but is spun away. Which was good and bad for him, much like it was good and bad for Blair. Blair's fall comes unceramonously as she falls, falls, falls back down. ANd yet, good fortune sways back her way as the handsome Agent Tuxedo Mask brings another windy assault, this time towards Pullum. Blair is blown along as well, rolling through the air as she comes to a crash right into the stage set, the paper crashing down as she collapses downwards. In a way, it was a rough landing.

But then again, she's the one who rises up.

"Uuuuhn..." She groans, staggering back up. Wobblying on her feet, she watches just as the aftermath of the wind sends Pullum hurtling to the floor by her feet. That rouses her out of her daze, as she crouches down to hold her friend's hand. "Pullum! No!" She cries out, before her friend finally expires, where expiring means falling asleep. Releasing her friend's hand, she stands up again... before squeaking, quickly bringing her dress top back over her chest. Shaking a finger at the equally down Kung Lao, she declares in her most queenly tone. "Do not worry, sister! I will do more than get his number! Take him backstage!" She declares, as she turns bright red in his cheeks, as the creautres saunter from the dressing room to capture the monk. "We will make him expose his secrets..."

"... And take pictures too!"

"For special spy research!"

Log created on 09:53:21 02/25/2021 by Kung Lao, and last modified on 16:27:34 03/02/2021.