Match of the Millennium

Description: Hayley and Tsugumi square off against eachother on the extraordinary backdrop of a abandoned japanese kabuki theater.

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
Squatting beneath a craggy, crumbling cliff just a stone's throw from the impoverished outskirts of Southtown is an anachronistic building that seems to defy not just the ravages of time but those of nature itself. A traditional kabuki theater, likely built at least hundreds of years ago, it is almost perfectly preserved but for a few broken rails surrounding the smoothed planks of the main floor. Ancient wood creaks and moans in the billowing winds raging off the ocean beyond, protesting against the waves that crash high over rocks and railing to touch those within with a salty spray.

It is a large, open area. of wooden flooring. In a way, a lttile akin to a traditional japanese Dojo. However, the wooden walls that have somehow stood the test of the sea's crashing waves have large holes in them to serve as both entrance and a way for the audiences that would've been attending hundreds to look into the main stage. This place has serene beauty, yet a equal measure of tragic eeriness. Even though it has been kept in decent enough states by local preservation intiatives, the place feels abandoned, empty. However, it makes for anamazing arena and backdrop for the official Rising Star match that is about to take place.

Tsugumi walks in, looking at the relics and remnants of lost history in admiration for multiple silent seconds, while the camera-people get themselves set up to shoot all the spicy angles (not that kind of spicy!) in the upcoming brawl between the wrestler, and Hayley Bretherton! When she'd meet looks with her opponent, she'd walk up to offer a deep bow- "Hello, Bretherton-Kun! Welcome to Japan- I've watched your fights over and over in preparation for today, you're awesome!"

Before the two had even started exchanging blows, Tsugumi is laying on genuine praise as she looks at her australian opponent with enthusiastic eyes- She is seemingly a bit of a fan after doing her research!

But really, with her boundless enthusiasm, she's practically a fan of everyone that she sees fight!

[HAYLEY]
Hayley's entry is gradual as she looks over the scenery. There is a great deal to take in, from the antiquity of the entire place to the gorgeous artwork that has been preserved. As she moves toward the center of the fighting area, she perks up. Placing her fist into her palm, she bows in a style more of kung fu than the Japanese styles like karate and judo.

"Oh, roight, Sendo-san, yes?" Hayley seems to have some passing knowledge of Japanese, at least. "T-thank you," she reddens a little bit. "I didn't realize I had much of a reputation..."

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
"You don't?! Well that's not fair!" She pouts, at Hayley's admittance of her relative obscurity- before doubling down on her enthusiasm "Well, I'm in the same boat! But you have sooo much more experience under your belt, y'know! Like, at this point, you should have a whole following! I'm just a highschooler- And you, you uuuuh." For a moment, she seems to lose her train of thought- before scrambling to give a follow-up. "You're really cool!"

Very well-worded, Tsugumi Sendo.

She takes a few steps back, into her starting position as the Kanzuki Estate's camera-people announce that everything's set up. "I can't wait to get started! Whenever you're ready!" She spreads her arms in a fairly wide stance, hands open and ready to take hold of any limb that comes within her vicinity. Today, she is wearing her usual combat/training garb. A rubbery black body-suit cut off at the elbows and just above the knees, worn under a white and blue sports jacket. Around her hands, she wears thick, padded fingerless gloves, accentuating her hands as the most important part of her fighting style.

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Tsugumi Sendo    0/-------/-------|

[HAYLEY]
Reaching up, Hayley runs a hand through her shaggy blue hair, looking away from Tsugumi. "Y-yeah, I mean, I guess I did well enough in Neo League this season, but I didn't really think of myself as anyone special...." But as Tsugumi assumes a fighting stance, Hayley's eyes follow. The Aussie puts one foot forward, turning to the side as she assumes a combative stance herself, knees bent, one arm close and the other raised in front.

Reaching up, Hayley runs a hand through her shaggy blue hair, looking away from Tsugumi. "Y-yeah, I mean, I guess I did well enough in Neo League this season, but I didn't really think of myself as anyone special...." But as Tsugumi assumes a fighting stance, Hayley's eyes follow. The Aussie puts one foot forward, turning to the side as she assumes a combative stance herself, knees bent, one arm close and the other raised in front.

"But thanks! I can't wait to see what you can do. In fact, let's get started, eh?"

Hayley bends her knees then suddenly springs forward, making a lunge onto her front foot. As she does, she swing in overhead, bring her arm down in a strong, sweeping chop to cover her advance.

COMBATSYS: Hayley has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Hayley           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Tsugumi Sendo

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo blocks Hayley's Descending Magpie.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Hayley           0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0    Tsugumi Sendo

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
The overhead punch gets blocked fairly solidly by Tsugumi's forearm, yet she struggles with the energy that had been imbued in the attack. Still though, her defense was mostly successful; But hayley is frighteningly close now. Tsugumi retaliates by initating a flurry of repeated side-kicks into Hayley, before she flips backwards- Kicking towards the Aussie's chin as her attack has her leap high in the sky, potentially knocking her opponent with her if she isn't careful!

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo successfully hits Hayley with Making Okonomiyaki.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Hayley           0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0    Tsugumi Sendo

[HAYLEY]
Hayley seems a bit surprised when she surges with that unusual chi again, her blow disrupted in its moment by her arm feeling heavy, weighty, even. It feels off, like her muscles and joints are like iron. For a moment, she thinks back, back to the conditioning in the distant past...

---

Hayley, dressed in a kung fu uniform, throws punches against a wooden training dummy. Her sifu interrupts her, calling her aside.

"Hayley, extend your arms." She does so dutifully, but with a bit of confusion. Her sifu reaches out, tying a sash around her right arm.

"Sifu? May I ask what this about?"

The old man is of Chinese descent with short, silver hair slicked close to his head. He continues, stepping to the side and hoisting a heavy, iron weight. Meticulously, the sash is threaded through a hole in the center, tied, and then released. Hayley staggers forward, pulling her arm up with a strain to keep it aloft.

"Yes," her teacher says. "You get it. Hold that there. As I put on the other one."

Hayley makes an unpleasant face.

---

Lost in her reminescing, Hayley steps back too little and too late. The side-kicks hammer against her side, working their way through her endurance and bending her toward them. As she staggers, boot impacts with chin and launches the bluenette backward dizzily and onto her back.

But she does not linger there, instead curling up, planting her palms, and then launching from her back onto her feet in one motion.

"That was good," she says with a heavy breath. "But let's try something else--!"

Hayley strikes out, her hands tense like iron and her fingers splayed. Her digits try to wrap around and Tsugumi's arm and clamp like a vice, the Aussie then pulling her forward to try and vault up, throw her legs around the younger woman's middle, and clamp the Japanese fighter into a painful squeeze between the Aussie's dense thighs for a leg takedown.

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo endures Hayley's Rolling Crocodile ES.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Hayley           0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0    Tsugumi Sendo

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
"O-Ouch!" She reacts at being squeezed, but she doesn't much falter- She seems to push her way through the attack, avoiding losing her balance but still firmly stuck between a thigh and a hard place (another thigh of course) She attempts to grasp Hayley's legs, as they are so thoroughly putting pressure on her sides. The wrestler pulls them away, attempting to create a bit of room before jumping upwards, whether she manages to pull free or not, this attack consists of her attempting to land on the torso of her opponent-- Back-side first!

Indeed, Hayley. You are not the only one with butt-attacks.

COMBATSYS: Hayley interrupts Tsugumi Hip from Tsugumi Sendo with Wombat's Crushing Blow EX.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Hayley           1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1    Tsugumi Sendo

[HAYLEY]
As Hayley is pulled away from she drops onto her seat from the leg takedown, giving Tsugumi enough breathing room to move back and launch into the seated drop. Not one to be outdone, Hayley rolls onto her belly, planting her palms into a push-up position as she rises--as Tsugumi falls, butt-first, toward the Australian.

With a grunt, the bluenette is landed upon...but perhaps not with the crushing force she expects. There's a thump as Hayley, mid-rise, catches Tsugumi. Her arms tremble from the impact, Hayley grunting as she struggles to hold Tsugumi, who finds herself seated atop the Aussie's own...seat. She holds Tsugumi there for only a moment before Hayley pushes through, vaulting backward.

And in doing so, she flips positions, the brief Keijo-style clash reversed as she flips Tsugumi over and, rather than being caught in the seated slam, lands on her backside first instead in a reversal of fortune!

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
"N-Nani?!" How anime of a response, the colliding of the backsides; Yet, it does prove that this is most certainly Hayley's expertise. In true moment for the camera's, Tsugumi's attack gets reversed as the wrestler flips over and lands on the ground stomach-first. "Ooowoow."

"Hngggg, nice one, Bretherton-San!" Even though the schoolgirl looks a little dissapointed, she doesn't lose her enthusiasm; Rolling up to her feet before attempting to duck close and grab both of her ankles, before pulling them upwards toward herself! If succesfull, Hayley would get flipped over 270 degrees so that she'd end up stomach-down, head facing the tomboy. Hayley would find her neck clenched between the upper and lower arm, gripped tightly with the elbow before Tsugumi jumps up, taking both of them higher into the air before /slamming/ down Hayley's head into the wooden flooring!

COMBATSYS: Hayley blocks Tsugumi Sendo's Choke Hold.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Hayley           1/--=====/=======|=======\===----\1    Tsugumi Sendo

[HAYLEY]
Hayley staggers onto her feet, her unorthodox reversal having worked in her favor. She repositions, planting a foot and turning on it to face Tsugumi properly once again. She raises her arms, sliding into a more comfortable stance once more.

And it seems it is just in time for Tsugumi to be grabbed by the ankles, flipped, and put in a headlock. She wedges an arm in there, using it to brace against the worse of the choke.

"Nngh," Hayley grunts, "that's a--a good hold!" And, as if on cue, she's put out of and slammed against the floor, managing to at least avoid the worst of it.

But she doesn't wait to rise, instead taking her low position as a chance to vault up into a low kick toward Tsugumi's middle, striking out before rolling away to climb to her feet.

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo blocks Hayley's Medium Kick.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Hayley           1/-======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2    Tsugumi Sendo

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
"Woh-" Not expecting the kick from such a low angle, Tsugumi barely manages to block it with her forearm- It feels so solid, So dense! Almost unnaturally so, like it's a large hunk of stone or metal sinking into her side. Nontheless, the worst of the impact was thankfully avoided, but perhaps somewhat surprisingly; the wrestler doesn't opt to attack, instead taking a measured step back.

For a few seconds, she is silent, as she places her upper arms in front of her body in a sort of peek-a-boo guard. Although, then- With a thunderous yell, she /pumps/ them outward as she flexes them. "YOOOOSSHAAAA"

You uh, better cover your ears, Hayley. Tsugumi looks pumped- Super pumped, MEGA PUMPED-

"YOU'RE AWESOME, MS.BRETHERTON! LET'S GO, FIGHTING SPIRIT." dear lord, this girl can yell- Her words are a little silly, yet she seems to be having some genuine surge of strength. The Aussie might even observe some of her scrapes and bruises closing and fading, some type of internal, perhaps unconcious mending with her Chi. In any case, she looks at Hayley with fiery eyes, ready to handle anything that will be thrown her way!

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo gathers her will.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Hayley           1/-======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2    Tsugumi Sendo

[HAYLEY]
Hayley rises to her feet and dusts herself off, briefly, but she's interrupted from her thoughts by the mighty yell of one Tsugumi Sendo, who is Super Pumped. Turbo Pumped. The Aussie actually sticks a finger in her ear briefly as she waits to get her full hearing back.

"Uh, thanks!" She's a bit too loud herself, what with the deafening yell. She bends her knees, lowering her stance...but hesitating to advance right away. She narrows her eyes, appraising Tsugumi. Reading her body language. ... observing the mending from the surge of chi.

Hayley shifts her footing slightly to a slightly more Tai Chi-type stance. She breathes deeply, gathering energy of her own. Psyching herself up as well, but less loudly than Tsugumi.

"I'm really impressed, Sendo-san. I need to see more of YOUR techniques!"

COMBATSYS: Hayley gathers her will.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Hayley           2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2    Tsugumi Sendo

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
Oh- Crap, something is up- This is not ordinary

Tsugumi was dashing towards Hayley, right? Normal stuff, about to grab Hayley for some good ol' pancake tossing. Namely, as her hands shoot out toward both the Aussie's shoulder, and the inner thigh.

But when she'd touch? A /flash/ of light would start to emerge from her hands. A truly radiant, blinding shine. Her opponent might feel warmth coming from her hands- Though not burning, not yet enough to sear through skin and clothing. "Wh-What the?!" She exclaims, but she is too far into her attack; And muscle-memory took care of the rest. If Tsugumi managed to make clean contact, Hayley would find herself being flipped over as the wrestler spins her around at both points of contact- Shoulder and thigh. Her opponent's head facing downward, Tsugumi would jump up, and smash the Australian into the ground and, with her?

A column of bright light, smiting her opponent as they come down. It makes contact with Tsugumi as well, but yet it does not harm her- Her opponent? Not so much. It would hurt. The now very confused wrestler stumbles back, looking at the glow on her hands that would be fading steadily- "Wh- What in the.. Who did that?!" Her head darts around, having trouble acknowleding that that was in fact /her/ energy. I mean, she felt it, didn't she? This is a odd thing to be in denial about, to be sure.

COMBATSYS: Hayley blocks Tsugumi Sendo's Rebound Throw.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Hayley           2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>-\1    Tsugumi Sendo

[HAYLEY]
Hayley can feel the tension change so palpably she can almost smell it. Tsugumi was closing in on her and something happened, like a chemical reaction in a glass beaker. She can remember being a science class at one point when two chemicals touched each other and there was a just a flash as the reaction happened.

There's a flash, here, too. One that Tsugumi wasn't expecting, nor one that Hayley was expecting.

The Aussie reacts on reflex and instinct, rolling out of the through via mid-air twist to land in an awkward crash on her hip before rolling back onto her knees and springing to her feet.

"You didn't...do that on your own?" Hayley asks, confused. She looks at her own hands, and she thinks. The irony feel. The flow of chi. Are these things...related? She has more questions than answers right now.

But there is also the fight. A fight that she intends to give her best shot to. She'll find her answers when the time comes.

Hayley surges forward, crashing toward Tsugumi with a powerful slam of her foot before she surges forward into a Bajiquan shoulder charge. If it impacts she capitalizes on the stagger, launching into a series of three rapid punches and two palms. Side-stepping, she tries to grab her opponent's arm and pull open her guard for two swift side kicks.

Then, she flips around again in her rotation, gathering chi before thrusting it forward into a two-handed explosive palm strike, the bursting out like a geyser. If all this leaves enough an opening, she finally steps behind, loops her arm under Tsugumi's to leave her open, then delivers a devastatingly powerful hip-check to try and knock her up into the air for an over-the-shoulder throw!

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo blocks Hayley's Southern Cross Formation ES.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Hayley           0/-------/--<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2    Tsugumi Sendo

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
"N- No? I never do that on my own!" she seems more confused then Hayley is about all this, but a lot of time to think about it- she doesn't have. Hayley comes in with that stomp-and charge; Almost shatterring her guard with it's sheer instant momentum and force! The wrestler can only barely keep herself together as those 5 hand-strikes come barraging- *papapapapa* into the forearms she had so tightly put together! Tsugumi manages to bat away Hayley's grabbing-arm as it fails to breach, those two side-kicks though? Still hurts, especially after that rock-hard kick from earlier.

The girl's eyes widen as she sees her opponent gathering energy- she still sucks at defending against it! The blast officially manages to blows her arms apart! The chi energy penentrating through at it tears at Tsugumi's skin; But the aussie is still onto her. Getting frighteningly close, rendering one arm useless and 'checking her skyward! The tomboy manages to resist the impact somewhat by putting her knee in the way of the strike; Though that in it's own right managed to push her own limb into her stomach painfully. Finally, the girl dampens with the impact of that final throw, tucking and rolling away when impacting with the hardwood floor, standing up quickly, looking worse for wear.

"W-Wow, Bretherton-San! That was quite something..." She stretches her upper body, trying to somewhat relax her sore muscles- as that inner-chi healing does it's work again, actually stronger then it seemed to be before. "YOSH-! Get ready for my best, Bretherton-San!!" Perhaps not the most intelligent thing to annouce- but she doesn't lack enthusiasm, atleast! Rushing toward Hayley and attempting to grip her arm with both hands, putting a leg in her way to make her stumble before spinning her around, dragging across the floor by her feet- and throwing her away from her, assuming that she'll try to recover by engaging in a stumbly sort of run- Tsugumi takes that moment to cartwheel after, twice, kicking Hayley with each spin of her body before standing upright and continuing the flurry with a barrage of punches, kicks, and elbows- "RUSHRUSHRUSHRUSHRUSH" Before attempting to launch her skyward with a hip-check of her own! Jumping after to clench her thighs on both sides of the Aussie's neck, coming down to slam her into the floor while trying to keep up her tight thigh-hold!

COMBATSYS: Hayley blocks Tsugumi Sendo's Flying Tsugumi Drop.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Hayley           0/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\-------\1    Tsugumi Sendo

[HAYLEY]
The burst of chi and Tsugumi's confusion hangs uneasily on Hayley, who chews the edge of her lip slightly, even as she finishes out the brutal Southern Cross combination attack. When the two fighters separate, Hayley drawing back in the face of Tsugumi's tight guard, the Aussie tugs at her headband slightly.

"I---I think we need to talk about this a bit later, Tsugumi!" she suggests, resuming her defensive position---and just in time, too. The younger fighter is soon closing on Hayley, hooking her leg and pulling her off balance. Stumbling onto one leg, the bluenette supports her weight a flamingo, balancing easily, if briefly, on one foot. This gives her at least a bit of a breather to shift, raise her guard, and shield herself against the cartwheeling blows.

Boots impact against Hayley's forearms as she pulls tightly guarding her head from the hit. Even as that danger is clear she's forced to reposition, weathering most---but not all---of a flurry of incoming hits. Hayley's eyes widen when the last hit comes, and she tries to shift, to intercept the hip-check with her own, but she's still off balance. It catches her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her as it sets up the aerial thigh-hold and slam.

Their brief excursion across the stage is punctuated with an awkward struggle as Hayley tries to wedge her arm in enough to break free before they impact against the floor, the Aussie cushioning the blow with a burst of that metallic chi---in fact, the stage seems to crack a little when she collides with it.

"Whew," Hayley pants, wiggling herself into a better position as the two separate again. Chi starts to gather, Hayley cupping her palms. "That was really good, Sendo-san, I didn't expect the surprise launcher!"

The blue-haired Australian punctuates "surprise launcher," with a surprise of her own, chi flaring in a thin aura as she drives both palms forward with an explosion of blue-ish energy.

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo endures Hayley's Eucalyptus Bloom.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Hayley           1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>----\1    Tsugumi Sendo

[TSUGUMI SENDO]
Tsugumi dashes into the palm-strike, as she tries to get herself into optimal position for a counterattack- Yet, she starts to feel dizzy after Hayley struck her side- She knows that she is going to fall down any second, at this point; But the tomboy plans on bringing the aussie with her-! Laying her hands on her opponent's shoulders, and using some of her strength to vault over before landing on Hayley's neck- Legs over the shoulders and putting painfull pressure on the neck as the girl winds up her fists, before slamming them into the sides of her opponent's head over and over! Repeated, heavy haymakers but with each one, the power is waning, the grip on Hayley's neck would weaken, until, and with a final, weak punch, she falls backwards- Potentially pulling Hayley with her by the wrestler's legs if the attack proved successful. "Y-Yes.. lets do that.." Are her last words before losing her conciousness.

COMBATSYS: Tsugumi Sendo can no longer fight.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Hayley           1/------=/=======|

COMBATSYS: Hayley interrupts Loop Line Crash from Tsugumi Sendo with Hunting Dingo EX.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Hayley           0/-------/-======|

[HAYLEY]
The tide of the battle turns back and forth, a tug-of-war of wills between the two scrappy prodigies in a grab for the next round of Rising Star. As she draws back her hands from the palm strike, Hayley furrows her brow a little, narrowing her eyes in concern.

It's a concern that, it seems, is placed a little too early as Tsugumi charges in again for a final counterattack! Palms meet shoulders with a heavy slap before Tsugumi vaults up, landing on the bluenette to position herself for a riding beatdown. Hayley takes several hardy hits, wincing until she grits her teeth and steels herself.

Quite literally, in this case, a surge of catching her surprise. For a moment, flares from her fingertips, chi-shaped like claws, disappears as her arms stiffen, taking on that familiar sheen again. Adapting on the fly, Hayley slams her palms into Tsugumi's thighs, her fingers clenched tightly in a desperate monkey claw as Hayley hoists the other girl over her head into a flapjack and tosses her away as Tsugumi's grip weakens--better that than taking more painful haymakers!

"Are you okay, Sendo-san?" Hayley breathes heavily, her hair a mess. Her headband comes loose, letting that huge mop of blue hair spill down, Hayley reaching to push it up out of her face as she moves to check on her fellow Rising Star.

COMBATSYS: Hayley has ended the fight here.


[TSUGUMI SENDO]
Tsugumi would have already blacked out when Hayley would have gotten her with that first attack, but she still gets tossed away. As the australian approaches, Tsugumi would just start to awake from her momentary unconciousness.

"Ughuuuu--"
%"D'aaaw. I lost, huh--" Indeed she did, since the judge on stand-bye just called the fight in Hayley's favor. "Maaan, I was so looking forward to fighting Dai- Uhhh, 'Blazing Panther' in the next round as well." She pouts, seemingly genuinely quite dissapointed that she wouldn't be able to face her friend within the bounds of Ristar-- Thankfully though, it seems she made a new one! "That final attack was fantastic, Bretherton-San. Congratulations on your victory." Complimenting her opponent, her voice is still a little meeker then usual, though still genuine.

She actually does seem fairly sad, a little uncharacterisic for her usually perpetually sunny mood, despite circumstance. "I'm okay though! I kinda hurt, but that's part of it; I'll heal up in due time!"

[HAYLEY]
"You did really well," Hayley says with a growing smile. "I'm glad you're okay. Who's D--" She blinks several times. "Ah, roight." She nods her head, ignoring the first part. "You were really hoping to fight Blazing Panther."

"Well," Hayley suggests, "maybe we can get some ice cream as a consolation prize? I'll pay for it!"

Log created on 16:34:55 05/04/2021 by Tsugumi Sendo, and last modified on 16:03:55 05/11/2021.