Match of the Millennium

Description: A catgirl, a schoolgirl, a cat, and the Ristar champion all meet in the wild (virtual) world of a digital arena! Fur flies as Edenlith battles Felicia and Hayley in a test of a Vtubing arena! Now trending on Hitter!

[FELICIA]
Felicia is here--where else would she be? Well, probably not strapping herself into a set of VR-equipment, but then where else does she have to do on a night like this? Thankfully they sent it over right to one of her buildings down in Las Vegas where the fight was likely being simul-cast. This gave her the opportunity for convenience, privacy and a chance to get some free publicity. As she settled into the mat where she was getting ready to put the headset on, she was sure to hydrate--she wouldn't get a chance for a bit, she knew--and she was gonna need it.

Once the headset was on, Felicia's avatar--a rather stylized-looking 3D model of her with cel-shading would pop up in the arena, which had already been pre-crafted to her specifications. Think VR Chat, something that was made in Blender by a professional artist. She experiments with the movements and how it affects the rigging, looking for a bit like an overgrown Vtuber for a moment, before jumping up and giving a big wave.

"Hello out there all you lucky souls, Lady Felicia is here to give everyone a tantalizing performance tonight!" she cleared her throat and announced, the rolling noise she made of course sounded vaguely tiger-esque.

The arena might look a little toy-box ish, with the colored blocks and long platforms that make up the arena--it's a rough approximation of the one that rests in the Midnight Channel iRL. But it does have that rather 3D-looking shading to it, which in this case it's probably a bit simple on to save on processing power.

[HAYLEY]
Hayley Bretherton is likewise setting up. As the Ristar champion she...doesn't really seem like that much of a winner, at the moment. Instead, she keeps to herself except for some pleasantries whenever someone from the crew comes to shoot the breeze or if she needs to answer questions about the rigging and the like. It's not that she's rude---far from it. Moreso, it seems like she's a bit out of sorts about the unwanted attention.

As she gets strapped up with the VR equipment, she thinks back to the meeting from before.

---"Midnight Channel? Is that...safe?" Hayley asked, blowing her blue hair out of her face as she clutched a set of large weights and dropped at the knees into a squat before rising back up to standing.

"Of course, Miss Bretherton," Sayaka was a twenty-something Japanese woman dressed in business casual who'd be "assigned" to her temporarily by the Kanzuki Estate. She looked at a tablet, flipping through information. "We've even got a very professional team of artists and animators working on your ava--"

"My what?"

---Hayley plugs in, taking a few minutes to get acclimated to her virtual self. She looks just like Hayley, except she seems to have acquired kangaroo ears, a tail, and some facial markings. "Uhhhh."

"It's fine! The test-marking numbers were really high, and it's exactly what you said you wanted!"

"What I said I...?"

---"If you had to choose one animal, what would it be?"

"I, uh," Hayley blinks at Sayaka. "Kanga...rooo?"

"Got it. Thanks. So about our portfolio..."

Hayley Bretherton is likewise setting up. As the Ristar champion she...doesn't really seem like that much of a winner, at the moment. Instead, she keeps to herself except for some pleasantries whenever someone from the crew comes to shoot the breeze or if she needs to answer questions about the rigging and the like. It's not that she's rude---far from it. Moreso, it seems like she's a bit out of sorts about the unwanted attention.

As she gets strapped up with the VR equipment, she thinks back to the meeting from before.

***

"Midnight Channel? Is that...safe?" Hayley asked, blowing her blue hair out of her face as she clutched a set of large weights and dropped at the knees into a squat before rising back up to standing.

"Of course, Miss Bretherton," Sayaka was a twenty-something Japanese woman dressed in business casual who'd be "assigned" to her temporarily by the Kanzuki Estate. She looked at a tablet, flipping through information. "We've even got a very professional team of artists and animators working on your ava--"

"My what?"

***

Hayley plugs in, taking a few minutes to get acclimated to her virtual self. She looks just like Hayley, except she seems to have acquired kangaroo ears, a tail, and some facial markings. "Uhhhh."

"It's fine! The test-marking numbers were really high, and it's exactly what you said you wanted!"

"What I said I...what? When was that?"

***

"If you had to choose one animal, what would it be?"

"I, uh," Hayley blinks at Sayaka. "Kanga...rooo?"

"Got it. Thanks. So about our portfolio..."

[EDENLITH]
Eden was here as well, wondering why people needed vr, probably so the ordinary people could have super powers one day, because in real life, most of them are so mundane, but that was neither here or now. She needed to concentrate on her opponents. A cat girl. Storm must be liking this. He wasn't with her, but he would be watching. There is also Hayley. She has beaten Nena in the final of that tournament. This did not make her happy. She promised she would kill her one day, hadn't she. She would at least hurt her. She did like the blue hair however.

And just like that, her avatar gets inside the virtual arena as she puts the goggle, and everything needed.She is like the Eden of real life, except she has demon horns and a demon tail... So people wanted virtual reality fun, fine. She lifts her arms in the air. "Tonight asses will be kicked so hard in 3D, real life will feel it." Yes, she actually talks now, a voice with demonic intonations, perhaps because of vr.., but still very female.

She tend keeps her attention on the two participants that would try to stop her. She didn't want to be stopped, as she takes the two karambits from under her skirt, or at least the 3D version of them, and gets in stance silently, nothing more nothing less. This was business... and fun.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Edenlith         0/-------/-------|

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

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Edenlith         0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Felicia

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

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Edenlith         0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0          Felicia

And just like that, Eden runs toward Hayley and to her back. Faster than humanly possible. She whispers to Hayley. "I told you I would get you. Nothing personal, Nena just means a lot to me." Then if she has her way, she carves the letter 'E' into Hayley's chest with one of her blades. Not terribly deep however, considering.

Either which way, she let go of Hayley after that. "Come on, you two, give nothing but your best, or it will be boring." If she drew blood, she's happy.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith successfully hits Hayley with Ding dong. Pay the consequence.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Edenlith         0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"W-Woah, careful there!" Felicia is partnered up with Hayley, falling in alongside the aussie girl, her shoulders slumping as she got down into a typical fighting stance for her. The VR element at least meant that Felicia could 'perform' here without the need for any sort of PG-rating friendly wardrobe. Some places were a little specific about that and weren't into her being au naturale, even if she did have fur. It was still weird moving in VR, it sort of felt like there was some sort of disconnect from her movements in meatspace and how they translated to the world around her, but she was able to get used to it more as she went along.

"Have some sand in your eyes~" Felicia is glad they programmed this one especially for her--as it was still as spectacular to see her get down on one leg and rake her free leg behind her--kicking up a huge cloud of pixels that are launched toward Edenlith in a spray!

[HAYLEY]
Hayley is bouncing on her feet, the tail-rigging from her avatar apparently set up to animate on its own. It moves back and forth with idle swings.

"...okay, that's a little distracting." Looking away from the tail to Edenlith, there's a hint of recognition in Hayley's face. Wasn't she the girl who knows Nena? Wasn't there something she---

Suddenly, as Edenlith closes the gap, Hayley gets a shiver up her spine. She turns and backsteps away from the demon girl, drawing her arms up for a block. As she does, Edenlith's blade cuts along her chest, splitting her vest at one of the seams it does. Fortunately, Hayley has on layers. Even more fortunately, the VR tech doesn't seem quite so fancy as to represent everything with complete photorealism, anyway.

"Gck--" It's not really a word so much as an exclamation. Hayley pivots, planting a foot and then surging forward, bringing her fist down with a hammer-like blow toward Edenlith, whipping her arm down with an arc to build momentum. Blue-white chi flares as she does.

"Is Nena okay?" Hayley asks, "I was worried about her!" Pixellated sand comes Hayley's way in the chaos, but she, fortunately, is already aiming. "H-hey! Is that fair?" she calls over her shoulder.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith blocks Hayley's Descending Magpie.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Edenlith         0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |-------\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Felicia's Sand Splash.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Edenlith         0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |-------\-------\0          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
When she took the time to think about it, she could feel a pull from the tail from her movements. -beep- tail. What the hell does it have to be there for. Eden was displeased at that, and it shows on her face, but she doesn't have much time to think about it as Hayley is quick to attack back. She brings her arm up to block that blow, not really rocking her much at the moment. "She's fine, but she should have won. Why were you so good?" A compliment amiss all that.

She doesn't expand on it however, as Felicia sends those... pixels toward her. "no thank you. Maybe later." She spins outside of the cloud, and moves in front of Felicia. Then she throws her knives into her air, and reaches for that one leg. If she had her way, she would pull her on her back, and let the knives impale her, then she gets her knives back.

COMBATSYS: Felicia blocks Edenlith's Here let me help you.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Edenlith         0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |==-----\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"All's fair and love and dancing, baby~" Felicia is quick to announce as she rises from her sand-scuffing pose, though Edenlith is able to grapple with her outstretched leg briefly. And we all know how that goes when you try to grab a cat by one of their hind legs--yeah. She's frantically trying to kick out of the grasp and manages to do so with a tumble, still leaving her a bit bruised. Or at least 'damaged' enough for the game's settings to count. She is able to avoid the knives as they scythe by, as well.

"You mess with the cat you get the claws~" Felicia thrashes her right arm out with her fingers and talons extended--Catwomen's claws were basically like talons, anyway. The large hand came down, trying to rake across Edenlith's front!

[HAYLEY]
"Oh, good--eh?!" Hayley seems a bit more confused than anything about this revelation. She keeps going in stride, however, as her blow impacts Edenlith's guard. When the other woman doesn't budge, Hayley seems to get just a little more excited. Her (extra) ears twitch, her avatar's floppy kangaroo add-ons emoting with the movement of her face.

"Eh? Who designed this?!"

***

"Vtubers are very big right now," Sayaka says to Hayley as she shifts from squats to drills. The Aussie strikes a wooden training dummy, following a set rhythm, slowly first, then faster. On the second rotation, she ups the speed again. "What's a Vtuber?"

"Well, you see---"

***

Hayley steps back, adjusting his stance slightly, bending her knees. She launches forward, sweeping her arms in a circular motion as energy gathers along her forearms and into her palms. At the end of the movement, she thrusts forward with both hands to release and explosive, cannon-shot like blast of blue chi--that erupts in close proximity but doesn't travel.

"So do you know Nena from school or something? She seems nice! A bit scary. But nice!"

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Felicia's Aggressive Strike.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Edenlith         0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////////////////////////   ]
                                  |===----\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Hayley's Eucalyptus Bloom EX.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Edenlith         0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////////////////////////   ]
                                  |===----\-------\0          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
Since she didn't succeed with her attack before, not enough to hit with her daggers, she still didn't have them. As Felicia goes for her with really nasty looking claws, talon like, she rolls to dodge the blow, and grabs her daggers at the same time.

The tail was still bothering her however. "I swear I am cutting you with my knives." She frowns, maybe the vr was what was bothering.

She didn't have time to think about that too much however, as she could see and feel Hayley gathering energy. "You got a kick to yourself." Why was she talking so much, she wasn't usually lke that. She uses her strong legs to jump up, over the blast. She then lands back down rather gracefully, except for stepping on her tail and she mutters about it.

She then examines Hayley, and then boom, she starts running around her, fast, and makes illusions of more 2 more Edens, also circling her. Then they each starts to slice at her from different angles, but only the real (even if virtual) Eden would do damage, if she hits with those attack.

[FELICIA]
"My tail?! Don't take a knife to that, it would be very painful," Felicia is amazed however at the 'girl's' speed, quickly realizing they're dealing with far more than just a girl. Seeing Hayley targeted again--Felicia knows how this game works--ducking low and trying to lash out with her claw in a more direct manner, likely going for one of the legs beneath the girl's skirt.

"For you--that is!" Felicia's large pearly whites and canine teeth are flashing, even in the VR avatar. Face and motion capture is doing wonders for this fight, to be sure.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith successfully hits Hayley with I am here, here, here and here.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Edenlith         0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |==-----\-------\0          Felicia

[HAYLEY]
"Uh, yeah, please don't cut off anyone's tail!" The blast echoes in Edenlith's wake, missing her entirely and smacking a piece of scenery, which procedures to glitch out and spiral into the background somewhere like someone launched it like a top. Hayley blinks several times. "Uh."

"It's not supposed to do that," someone helpfully tells Hayley via headset.

But then, there are many Edenliths, moving rapidly. The Aussie gathers power, the surface of her skin taking a faintly metallic sheen as she does. She brings up her guard in a cross block, shoring up her defenses---only to choose the wrong Edenlith and get sliced anyway, virtually or not!

"Guh--" Hayley gasps, drawing back. Her aura shifts, losing that metallic sort of sheen it had a moment ago as something changes. Hayley tosses her arms to her sides and chi erupts from her fingers, forming raggedly, uneven claws of her own.

And with them she surges forward, raking through the air at Edenlith.

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Edenlith with Toy Touch.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Edenlith         1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |====---\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Hayley's Hunting Dingo ES.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Edenlith         1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |====---\-------\0          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
Is confused at first, she meant her own demon tail she doesn't usually have but does have in vr. Cutting Felicia's tail, that was an idea however. They could see she was definitely thinking about it a moment.

When Felicia attacks with her claw, she is about to jump again, but damn her own tail went around a leg, and she really didn't jump, and was a perfect target for that attack. She winced as it hits, though it didn't look as damaging as it should, and even as she continues to move, even in vr, it seems to be healing, that vr was detailed indeed.

She does yanks on her own tail now, as she watches Hayley skin's changing. She had to admit, Hayley was cool, but she doesn't say outloud, she says instead. "I know Nena from school, one of my first friends." Yes, she answers late about it. Even as her leg has been damaged, she flips herself backward, in a handstand, and then back to her feet, dodging that attack after all. "You both have cool claws."

Then she looks at Felicia, and get back in front of her. "Payback is a bitch, you touched me."She brings her Karambits up, only to slams them both down, toward the Cat girl's shoulders, unceremoniously so, but rather hard.

COMBATSYS: Felicia dodges Edenlith's Fierce Strike.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Edenlith         1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |====---\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Consider yourself touched~" the joke is too easy for Felicia, that pursuit-like move was called similarly, after all. Perhaps the Dad-joke spirit had also entered Felicia.

Seeing the hooked knives come for her, Felicia was quick to throw herself backwards--evading the knives as they swing downwards from her--a few of her blue hairs cut and thrown into the air. Instead she was on her back, balancing herself on her hands and... tail?

"Look out baby~" Felicia grinned as those very muscular and shapely legs of hers spread wide and would proceed to try to wrap around Edenlith's waist--attempting to grab her via her legs and proceed to twist her body and send Eden crashing into the arena floor!

[HAYLEY]
"Oh, good," Hayley says. "Must be nice. I'm glad you two get along so well." She seems genuine about it, but what does that say about Hayley? Maybe she doesn't many school friends---she's also a bit older than Edenlith, but that's beside the point.

And on the note of points, it seems that she and Felicia are trading bladed blows. -- something that Hayley fails to do as her claws rake through empty air. They dissolve, the outpouring of energy ceasing just as soon as the Australian stops focusing on it.

But she instead shifts her footing, striking out with a sharp left kick.

***

"Wait, two versus one? This seems a little uneven. Is that fair?" Hayley asks, taking a long sip from her water bottle.

Sayaka gives an uncertain shrug. "That's what the document says. Just um, try to make it work, Ms. Bretherton?"

***

"This is what I get for getting a big head," Hayley mumbles under her breath.

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Edenlith with Rolling Scratch.
~~ Alluring Hit! ~~

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Edenlith         1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////////     ]
                                  |=======\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith interrupts Medium Kick from Hayley with Random Strike.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Edenlith         1/---====/=======|=======\=------\1           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////////     ]
                                  |=======\-------\0          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
This time, she doesn't move fast enough apparently, but she will still blame it on the tail, as she gets slammed rather roughly on the ground. "Oof, fucking tail. That's twice."

She doesn't take long however, as she rolls on her feet, straight into Hayley's Sharp left kick, only to strikes too with her knives, at a rather odd angle as the kick doesn't keep her in a good positions, but she does get that kicking leg. "I hurt you hurt." Though she didn't look that hurt.

[FELICIA]
"Looks like you're fallin' for Felicia already honey, bwahaha~" Felicia is of course joking here, as she pulls herself back up, her virtual avatar is apparently unscathed from that whole thing so far. The crowd however seems to have enjoyed that whole stunt quite highly, which is energizing for the Catwoman combatant.

"What do ya think folks--lets see a little spine~" Felicia's claws flash out again, extended--they look like those of a sabrecat, bearing down with both onto the tailed skirted Edenlith as she tries to pummel her match partner!

[HAYLEY]
The knife traces along Hayley's leg as she steps into the kick, which in turn throws the Australian off balance, rapidly sapping the momentum as she tries to get out of the worse of the counterattack. Instead, the slicing move skips across her thigh and catches her along the ribs instead. When she breaks away its into a roll to try and get some distance between herself and Edenlith. Even with the VR setup, the Aussie finds herself rubbing her side. Haptic feedback, perhaps?

"Phew," Hayley takes a heavy breath. Here she thought Nena was the scary one. She steps forward, putting out one foot while drawing the other back, extending one arm forward and holding the other close. She inhales, then exhales.

And suddenly, Hayley surges forward, dashing in and planting one foot. She then pivots, swinging her hips toward Edenlith with a tremendous burst of suddenly power. It would seem the Aussie can generate a lot of torque all at once with whatever that style of hers is!

***

"Did you just..." Sayaka blinked.

"What? Oh, that hit? Yeah it's..."

"A Rainbow Mika thing, right?" Sayaka beamed.

"Well, uh, no, not really?"Hayley rubbed the back of her head, mussing her hair.

"Oh. Well, does it work?" Sayaka asked.

"...usually?"

***

Hayley adjusts her footing, her skin shimmering with that metallic chi once again.

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Edenlith with Scratch Attack.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         1/-======/=======|-------\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////////     ]
                                  |=======\==-----\1          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Hayley's Triumphant Wombat ES.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         1/-======/=======|-------\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////////     ]
                                  |=======\==-----\1          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
Eden at the moment seems more concentrated on Hayley as she rolls back. She's hurt, Eden can see that. Then she comes back so suddenly toward her to attack, yet, Eden moves her body in such a way, she seems to mold her body so that the attack barely misses her, like she knew exactly how Hayley forms would be.

But as much as this worked, it seems she can't dodge the attack that comes from behind for her spine, as it his and it hurts the 'poor?' girl. "son of a." It hits right where Felicia was aiming.

At this, Eden turns around, and now she looks pissed, in control, but yes, pissed. "ok time to stop playing." She glares at Felicia, and suddenly, the ground opens up under her. If she has her way, Felicia falls through, and seems to be in hell, and burning there, literally so, and it looks real, not pixelated. But after a moment of mental torture, Felicia be free of it, and see she is still in the vr. If it doesn't work, well then there the illusion doesn't happen.

COMBATSYS: Felicia blocks Edenlith's A hell of a time.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         1/=======/=======|-------\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////////////////           ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"But you wanna play with me," Felicia blinks as she suddenly sees the ground open up beneath her--starting to slide in before she spazzes out--using her cat-like reflexes and grace (or lack of) to scramble back up, while only winding up minorly singed. Burned fur~

"Eeeek!" Felicia runs up and around the other two, the end of her tail sporting a little flame before she's able to pat it out--swinging herself around to Edenlith and bringing up one of those big white furred legs and feet of hers--trying to clock Eden with the heel of her left foot!

[HAYLEY]
Hayley's powerful hit impacts empty air, but the Aussie quickly adjusts, stepping forward to right herself instead of throwing entirely into the attack as she could have. She steps back, and straightens up, When the portal opens up underneath Felicia, she seems concerned. Equally concerning is that her shimmering metal chi lingers for a moment, seeming to close over her wounds, at least a little.

"Uh, special effects, right?" She watches Felicia pat her tail out. OK, fire chi isn't that much of a stretch, Hayley tells herself, especially given how things have been lately, but...she pays it no further mind.

"OK," Hayley rolls her neck. She watches Edenlith for a moment, assessing and trying to get a read on the more slippery fighter. The way she moves, the adjustment of her footing to evade. Anything that might give her a bit of a leg-up.

COMBATSYS: Hayley focuses on her next action.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         1/=======/=======|-------\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ////////////////////          ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Felicia's Medium Kick.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         1/=======/=======|-------\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ////////////////////          ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
"I want to play with you, until you're broken." Eden says to Felicia. It must have been a joke right, but her tone was not one of jokes. It wasn't an angry tone either. It was a tone almost monotone, with a hint of promise in it.

Despite the pain she is in, or should be in, from numerous hits she ended up receiving, she still is fast and agile. She ends up backing up from the kick without difficulty, and turns around to face Hayley, but nothing comes from her, she is observed instead. "See anything you like?" She cocks her head, but then pushes on her legs to jump toward her and if she has her way tackle her down to the ground. If she gets that far, she kisses her forehead. "Mwah." Before standing back up.

[FELICIA]
"It sure hurt like it was!" Felicia might have had some fire effects applied to her tail, in the VR arena--but it sure felt like it /was/ real fire. She'd been burned before, sometimes severely--and there was no greater way to ruin a werecreature's day than hurt them with some kind of burn--it clearly got in the way of the healing factor, after all.

"Whew... no freaking way you're still okay, focus on THIS--" Felicia reared back, with a great roar of the crowd, the image of her model flickering as she turned on some of the werecat agility--curling a mighty right hook right against the girl's upper body and face!

COMBATSYS: Hayley blocks Edenlith's Power Throw.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////         ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

[HAYLEY]
When Hayley turns, she's still assessing Edenlith, tightening her own guard, waiting for the coming attack. When it does come, it's not in any way that she could expect. No, instead, Hayley finds herself pushing back against Edenlith as the other woman bowls her over to the ground. Fortunately for Hayley, her rear padding absorbs most of the fall---most of it. It's still enough to make her grimace. In the aftermath? She expects knifes, or claws, or chi. None of these are what she receives.

"W-what." Hayley's face starts turning red. "I-I wasn't intending to look in *that* way!" she objects.

But then Felicia is closing the gap, putting on pressure again. As Edenlith draws off, Hayley curls up her legs then springs from her back onto her feet in one clean motion, her shaggy blue hair swinging behind her. Stepping again, she changes stances, steels herself, and powers forward with a shoulder-charge.

She seems too flustered to comment further, for the moment.

Elsewhere, Sayaka takes notes.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Felicia's Medium Punch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////         ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Hayley successfully hits Edenlith with Medium Punch.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////         ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
"I am always ok." In truth, she was feeling the pain, she wasn't that ok, but pain didn't matter. Screw pain. She bends backward, in half a bridge, as the hook comes for her upperbody and face, she even sticks out her tongue slightly as she comes back up

But after, Hayley back on the offensive faster than she expected, and perhaps harder too, as she is shoulder charged, sent backward a bit, but she is rolls with the motion, to lessen the damage, and ends up on one knee, pondering her options.

She rolls toward Felicia, feints a knife to the stomach, but then slides to her left side to stabs there instead. "This is getting to be fun." She says as she grin a bit. Upon closer inspection, her nose was bleeding a bit in the simulation, was it in real life too, perhaps.

COMBATSYS: Felicia dodges Edenlith's Evasive Strike.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  /////////////////////         ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Woo!" Felicia bouncces back from the feint--not overcomitting to it so that she can't shide and blade her sides away from the knife that swoops down to disembowel her pretty pixellated self. "More than one way to skin a cat, baby--but not that!" Felicia cheered, jumping back from Edenlith and Hayley just to give her some extra space. It wasn't a particularly strategic move, what she was going to do, but the audience was likely going insane, and she knew that, and it gave her all the adrenaline she needed, despite how winding the fight had been with this supernatural schoolgirl.

"Get ready for some fabulous bullshit right here! Here I go~" Felicia began to glow prismatic flashing colors as the chi enveloped her, rolling towards Edenlith with a speed previous unseen and on impact, would unfuel into a flurry of punches, swipes, kicks and blows--ending in an unreal uppercut!

[HAYLEY]
Hayley watches the movements, from back-bend to feint, and her brow furrows. She chews the edge of her lip, waiting for an opening, watching for an opportunity. Finally, she darts in, closing the gap as Felicia completes her uppercut.

Chi surges again as Hayley splays her fingers, then pulls them tightly together into traditional Five Animal Forms snake hands. As the Aussie draws forward, her chi flares blue and white, each snake-like, stabbing strike exploding with a small flash of controlled power.

"I'm not sure you should tempt her, if I'm honest!" Hayley calls. Her tail, as if on cue, wobbles, her kangaroo ears twitching.

"These things are still weird. What do they even respond to...?

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Felicia's Dancing Flash.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////        ]
                                  |>>>>---\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Hayley's Twin Adder Striking Fangs.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////        ]
                                  |>>>>---\-------\0          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
"Oh I will get you later." She gives a wink to the cat girl, then smiles as Felicia really pushes herself for that, and what does Edenlith do? Moves around all the blows going for her, as if she was anticipating all of them. When it's done, she raises her hands in the air. "One round of applauds for Miss Felicia, for showing us what she can really do!"

She then turns around as she feels energy surging again from Hayley. She also moves aside of each strikes, at this moment she was on a roll, and it was probably annoying. "Hayley too, who can really kick ass!" It's hard to know if she means the praise she's saying or if she is just sarcastic.

After all that however, she back up a bit, before running to Hayley and sliding on the ground to kick at her left leg. It was less than impressive really. "Super kick!" She says as she does it.

COMBATSYS: Hayley blocks Edenlith's Light Kick.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  //////////////////////        ]
                                  |>>>>---\-------\0          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Hey wait a minute---woooah!" Felicia hilariously, rolls right past Edenlith, and winds up sprawled against the floor, having totally whiffed their attack and wounded up bouncing off the ropes or walls of the arena, whichever came first. Getting up, she staggers back over to where the fight was still going, trying to perhaps sneak attack Edenlith from the back or the side--not really minding if she looks a little bit like a dirty fighter at this point. Hayley was not doing well, clearly.

"C'mon--lets go--" she vaults herself into the ground, coming down with a drop kick against the schoolgirl!

[HAYLEY]
Hayley digs in her heels, her aura concentrating again. In the moment where Edenlith's kick connects with her leg, it's a bit like hitting an iron bar. In the next moment, Hayley is mobile again, shifting to try and snap back with a kick of her own and catch Edenlith before she can withdraw.

"I'm not sure if I should thanks or not," Hayley considers, eyeballing Edenlith.

***

Earlier, Sayaka speaks to Hayley. "Do you know this Felicia lady? I mean, there's not a lot of fighters in--"

"Uh, no. I don't think I've met her? It's not like every fighter knows the others. Hayley says awkwardly, straightening her hair. "I mean, I think she's a Darkstalker and she's been on the circuit for a while. I'm pretty sure she was in KoF one time?"

"I thought you didn't know her?"

Hayley shrugs helplessly. "I watch these things sometimes, ah-roight?"

***

"Hoi," Hayley says to Felicia. "I think we need a new angle."

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Edenlith with Diving Kick.
Glancing Blow

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////////////////////       ]
                                  |=====--\-------\0          Felicia

COMBATSYS: Edenlith blocks Hayley's Light Kick.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////////////////////       ]
                                  |=====--\-------\0          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
Eden was focused mainly on Hayley, and did not see the dive kick coming from Felicia. It does catch her off guard, and makes her get closer to Hayley as she kicks toward her. She mutters a "Bitch" making a face, and brings her arms up to block the kick from Hayley, as it she didn't really have time to try to dodge it. It rocks her arms a bit. "I will deal with you after." She pushes Hayley away, not to do damage, just to clear her from her space, than looks toward Felicia.

After a moment of starring, she says "You!" Her pixelated hair flies around her head from the energy gathering around her. When she is ready, she brings another illusion to Felicia's mind for mental torture. Assuming it works, she's in a void. A completely void, there is nothing, as if she's just dead and existing nowhere. Until she hears a whispers from Eden. "I've entertained you long enough, you're not that good." Then she would feel battered all over her body, as Edenlith starts slicing and stabbing at incredible speed, several time, probably too much too count. It was probably a good thing it was in vr. For Hayley she wouldn't be in the void but instead see the slashing and slicing going on, so to speak.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith successfully hits Felicia with This is the end.
? Strange Hit! ?

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Edenlith         0/-------/---<<<<|======-\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////                       ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Felicia

[FELICIA]
"Uh oh--" Felicia's eyes went wide as she suddenly found herself trapped in a... deep, dark void?

"This is probably what my french fries feel like as I'm driving home~" she manages a sheepish grin, before suddenly--a storm of blows, cuts and stabs assail her--and she is thrown out of the space a bloody mess. She lands face down on the floor of the arena, bloody nad torn, but quickly rises, and after being sufficiently woozy from bloodloss, the multiple wounds begin to close as her Werecat regeneration kicks in.

"Alright, this one's for you, Hayley--here's the pitch--" Felicia grimaces and attempts to grab Edenlith--trying to swing her body around the dark girl to begin slicing into her with her claws while swinging--and then throwing!--if she's able to grab.

[HAYLEY]
Hayley's eyes widen with fear as Felicia seems to disappear into the void. Just...special effects...right? She is having second thoughts on that, considering some of Felicia's own abilities, but then again, Hayley does have a few tricks of her own, as of late. Either way, she seems relieved when the entertainer returns worse for the wear but back on the field.

"Wh-huh? Okay, roight," Hayley chimes in, suddenly seeing Edenlith potentially heading in her direction from a rolling throw. The Aussie spreads her feet wide, bends her knees, gathers power--

And then surges forward with another cannon-like hip-check to attempt to butt bump the potential incoming Edenlith fastball?! Or will she strike out...?

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Felicia and Hayley's Hellish Tantanoola Tiger.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Edenlith         0/-------/---<<<<|====---\-------\0           Hayley
                                  >  ///////                       ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\-------\1          Felicia

[EDENLITH]
Eden seems proud of the fact she has hurt the feline girl, yet, not so much when she also seems to heal quite well. "Well it still hurts yea?" She gives half a smile.

Then everything goes so fast, she twists her body to barely dodge sharps claw that were coming her way, but Felicia does grab her and sends her rolling toward Hayley, surely it spells doom for the school bitch.

No, she twists her rolling body just enough to roll to the side of the Hayley delectable butt, and then she stops the roll. "Thumbs up for this, really. I mean it." She did, that was a beauty, and she respected the teamwork.

She then strangely, take off one of her shoe, and throws it at Hayley, toward her face, except it transforms into a creepy face hugger, as Eden uses another illusion to add mental anguish to the physical attack. "For you." She simply says. "enjoy."She stands back up fully after that.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith successfully hits Hayley with Everybody can hear you scream.
-* WILD HIT! *-
~ Cruel hit! ~

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Edenlith         1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1           Hayley
                                  >  ///////                       ]
                                  |>>>>>>>\-------\1          Felicia

[FELICIA]
Felicia has whiffed another opportunity for a grand attack--and been severely damaged in the process! She then has to watch Hayley get literally face-huggered--not quite the sort of date she's sure the Aussie girl was hoping for!

Summoning the last of her power, she forms a giant glowing balloon in her hand out of chi--attempting to spin and discus hurl it directly at Edenlith--causing it to explode nearby in a nova shower of energy!

[HAYLEY]
Hayley hip-checks empty air, almost stumbling as Edenlith sidesteps, redirects, and sets herself up for a counter attack! ... with a facehugger, no less?!

The Aussie turns, the shoe becoming something else, or so it seems, as the projectile hurls toward the Aussie.

"Wait a second, is this a special effect???" Hayley reaches up to guard, but the shoe slips past and clocks her in the head, but hard.

In the simulation, the "facehugger" attaches itself, briefly, causing the panicked bluenette to ... attempt to rip it off her face, and fast!

And the real Hayley, in turn, rips the headset off in a hurry. She blinks when all the scenery changes.

"I...uh..."

"HAYLEY BRETHERTON, DISQUALIFICATION!" The announcer bellows over the loudspeaker.

"O-oh." Hayley seems genuinely embarrassed.

COMBATSYS: Hayley takes no action.

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

COMBATSYS: Hayley can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Felicia successfully hits Edenlith with ES Cat Spike.

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

[EDENLITH]
Did Eden try to dodge the attack, or did she actually went head on for it. It was difficult to tell, and she wouldn't say, but it hits her head on, and she falls on one knee. Is that it... No, she gets up, and her eyes glow red now. She looks directly into Felicia's eyes, and the energy can be felt again, and if she has her way she sends images into her head, fucked up images, kids being burned alive, smell of the flesh included in the package, and as she pushes the images into the poor girl's mind, she runs toward her, and slashes at her neck. She only did that because it's vr, right? RIGHT?

COMBATSYS: Edenlith successfully hits Felicia with It's already too late.
~ Cruel hit! ~

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

[FELICIA]
Felicia's energy attack it would appear was not enough--her head now being wracked with images as meanwhile in Nevada, at her VR station, her body is doing the same thing--holding it and screaming.

"Stop it stop it stop it yeeeeooowl!" her voice turns into a feline yowl, turning into a ball again and spinning right into Edenlith, half-made from the pain and stimuli--the digital form of Felicia exploding into pixels on impact--as her RL self slumps to the floor beneath her chair, passed out.

COMBATSYS: Felicia can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Edenlith dodges Felicia's ES Rolling Buckler.

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

[EDENLITH]
In the end, Eden is there, and right before impact she's not, she is on the other side of the arena. "This was entertaining, and I am tired." She lifts one arm in the air, as the Announcer, announces her as the winner. Eden says "Thank you, now I am leaving the vr, because, that tail is getting on my nerve, I am not a guy, and even if I was, it shouldn't be on my ass." With that, she removes the vr goggles, and throws them away toward a wall. One of the crew. "Hey, that's fragile and it costs money." Eden looks at them. "Your life is more precious." A veiled threat as she walks away.

COMBATSYS: Edenlith has ended the fight here.

Log created on 18:50:59 07/06/2021 by Hayley, and last modified on 13:30:02 07/09/2021.