Match of the Millennium

Description: The battle of the Darkstalkers comes to a conclusion! Or at least a battle.

[TAMAKI]
As the tournament progresses, the crowds get bigger.

When at first the NFG matches got a respectable crowd, they *were* watching a bunch of untested novices and nobody was quite sure how good the matches were going to be.

But it's the semifinals now! The entrants still standing have proven to be good, or at least good enough to keep themselves in the ring. And, of course, people love to see later-tourney matches.

So there's quite a lot more people here than on Tamaki's first match. It doesn't bother her any. She likes the crowd. She spent some time walking through it in disguise before her match, just soaking in the event. She bought a hot dog. It was good.

As a result she is almost, but not quite, late for her own match. She wanders into the back room just before the crew is thinking about sending someone to look for her, and is very quickly sent out into the ring, tokkuri slung over one shoulder, her ears flat down against her head in annoyance at being hustled along.

But she *is* interested in her opponent, so she watches the other entryway to the ring intently. After a couple moments, she opens her tokkuri and takes a long swig, savouring the drink rather than chugging.

[NIXIE]
Nixie's curious about the other non-human combatant in the tournament. Tanukis are shapeshifters right? It could help her in her research to become human again after all. The tricky part is how do you fight someone who can transform?

Of course the growing crowd was making it so hard to be ignored each time she entered a fight. At least having a set entryway made it easier for her to make it into the ring without having to push her way through the mob. The goblin's eyes turn upwards and are drawn to her opponent.

[TAMAKI]
Tamaki recorks her tokkuri as her opponent steps out.

Her short, green opponent.

Now, Tamaki isn't going in blind. She did bother to learn about her opponents, at least a little. But Nixie is still a little surprising, even for someone like her, who's old enough to have seen a lot.

"Ha! They're sending me someone a little interesting," Tamaki says, letting her rural-Japanese accent show a little bit. "I admire your ability to find clothes that fit. That can't be the easiest thing in the world, so at least you have one skill; resourcefulness counts for a lot."

She flicks a little drop of presumably-sake off her finger from where she dripped a little bit. "I'm not sure how it helps you with the *fighting*, though..."

COMBATSYS: Tamaki has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Nixie has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Tamaki           0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0            Nixie

[NIXIE]
"Tell me about it, you don't know how difficult to find clothes that fits. I didn't pick the outfit. I'm guessing a shapeshifter has the same problem huh? Were you born this way or did you touch a magic leaf or something?" Nixie figures Tamaki can relate somewhat at least. While talking to the tanuki she subtly pulls round something out of one of her pockets and rolls it on the ground at her. If she didn't manage to notice it, she might find herself in a rather sticky situtation.

COMBATSYS: Nixie successfully hits Tamaki with Glue Grenade.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Tamaki           0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0            Nixie

[TAMAKI]
"Oh, it's not a problem I have," Tamaki says, cheerfully. "It helps if you don't care if they see you naked."

Tamaki is mostly trying to put Nixie on edge or fluster her, as she doesn't appear to take her own words very seriously. But she *does* look serious a moment later, almost offended as she draws herself up to her full height. "Absolutely not. I was born this way, a proper bake-danuki, not whatever you're thinking of - "

Seriousness doesn't suit Tamaki. It distracts her from the rolling grenade, and it gets too close; Tamaki whirls, flicking her tail at it but misjudges the length. The grenade explodes against Tamaki's leg, splattering it with glue; her tail continues its motion, flicking a ball of chi at Nixie. "Gluing the tail... is rude!"

COMBATSYS: Tamaki successfully hits Nixie with Swaying Tail.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Tamaki           1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0            Nixie

[NIXIE]
"You don't care if people see you naked?" Now it's Nixie's turn to be caught off-guard as she's hit by the projectile and she's knocked back a bit. She cringes a bit at that. "Yeah, I can imagine that'll be a pain to get out, let me give you a hand with that." The goblin tosses another explosive at the tanuki, though she'll have more to worry about then glue if she steps on this one.

COMBATSYS: Tamaki reflects Mine Mayhem from Nixie with Ponpoko Beat.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Tamaki           1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0            Nixie

[TAMAKI]
"Ha ha!" Tamaki laughs out loud, a deep belly laugh. "You have to be a little less gullible, I think! When I'm shaped like a human, I prefer clothes."

Nixie throws something else at Tamaki - but this time Tamaki *is* expecting it. Once was a trick, twice is a habit. Rather than try to bat it with her tail (which is still kind of gummy and she needs to wash the glue out ASAP) Tamaki thumps her own belly with her hand, causing a surprisingly loud thumping sound.

It also causes an aura of chi to burst off her in all directions, an unfocused multicoloured pulse. The pulse only travels a couple feet from her, but it's enough to catch the mine where it's fallen and send it flying right back at Nixie!

Afterwards, Tamaki pulls her tail in front of her and tries to scrape the worst of the glue off of it. Compared to her tail, her leg being glued is not really a concern.

[NIXIE]
Nixie should have expected that as the mine is flung back to her and explodes. She tries to move out of the way but isn't able to do so and gets caught in the blast. "Ugh, so how does changing form work? Ancient tanuki magic or is something that anyone can learn?" Maybe there was a way she could convert it into alchemy. As far as the fight goes she decides to go for a different approach as she unsheathes her sharpened metal straw. The weapon is promptly jabbed at Tamaki.

COMBATSYS: Tamaki blocks Nixie's Medium Strike.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Tamaki           1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0            Nixie

[TAMAKI]
"Ugh." Tamaki has managed to get her hands all gummed up too. Probably not the best plan to scrape it off bare-handed!

She flicks a blob of glue at Nixie, harmlessly at it turns out; it splats to the ground before reaching the goblin. "My, you're pushy. We just met and already you are trying to find my secrets! You could at least buy me a drink first. I heard that you were some kind of drink creator..."

Tamaki may not quite have the right idea of what a coffee barista does.

Nixie comes in with a jab, and Tamaki sways backwards. She looks unbalanced as she tilts far too far backwards, letting the metal weapon scrape against her hip before she bats it away with one hand - she's using her tail to prop herself up and make sure she doesn't fall.

Pushing herself back upright, Tamaki sways forward instead, getting really uncomfortably into Nixie's personal space - she's going for a palm strike, aimed low, at Nixie's stomach. "Hm~m," she lets out, thoughtfully.

Except, well, Tamaki's hands are all glued up, so what starts as a palm strike turns into a sudden grapple as she pulls Nixie back, aiming to send her tumbling along the floor as Tamaki's swaying evasion brings her back the other way again!

COMBATSYS: Tamaki successfully hits Nixie with Combo Grapple.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Tamaki           1/--=====/=======|=======\==-----\1            Nixie

[NIXIE]
"I mix coffee...though I suppose I could add some alcohol in there if you want. Well, I'm not going to get back to normal by not asking questions." Mixie's from New Jersey what did you expect? She's smack quite a ways by the palm strike. Her opponent can certainly hit hard as she's knocked down.

She doesn't get up right away as pulls out a flask of green liquid and takes a sip from it. She instantly perks up a bit before tossing the container at Tamaki. Hopefully she doesn't send it back at her again.

COMBATSYS: Nixie successfully hits Tamaki with Toxic Tonic.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Tamaki           1/--=====/=======|==-----\-------\0            Nixie

[TAMAKI]
"Ah! Coffee! I like that almost as much," Tamaki says, which is actually pretty much true in that she'll eat just about anything.

Nixie takes a swig from the tonic, so it seems safe, and Tamaki mostly ignores it coming in. It hits her almost directly between the eyes, which stings, making her go cross-eyed for a moment... and when it splatters on Tamaki it sure doesn't feel great; imbued with energy, she can feel herself getting dizzy. And it makes her nose itch. Almost like -

"Ah - ah - "

Tamaki lets out a huge sneeze. She really did have to, though she probably made it a little more dramatic than it strictly needed to be; a gust of wind surrounds her, leaves fluttering in it, and when it clears, there's Nixie!

Well, another Nixie. It's like looking in a mirror. A funhouse mirror, perhaps; this Nixie is a good six feet tall, much taller than Tamaki normally is - but aside from being half again as tall as the real Nixie, it seems like a perfect copy.

"Ha ha! You look especially short from up here," 'Nixie' says. "Is this the way you want to look?" She stretches, arching her back before swiveling her shoulders from left to right, working out the kinks.

And then she runs straight at Nixie! Taking a leap into the air, the false Nixie gets up surprisingly high, doing half a forward flip, and then spreads her arms and legs - because she's going to belly flop right on the other goblin!

About two seconds after landing, 'Nixie' turns back into Tamaki, still flopped out either on top of Nixie or on the ground.

COMBATSYS: Nixie manages to escape Tamaki's Art of Transformation - Mirror!

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Tamaki           0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0            Nixie

[NIXIE]
"I wasn't that tall as a human! Sheesh! And I didn't have green skin or pointed ears either!" Nixie's actually not all that surprised that Tamaki turned into her. She's not in the best mood now that Tamaki mocked her appearance. Of course given her short height it's not too hard for her to run underneath the fake as she ends up on the ground.

It sets her up perfectly for one of the goblin's traps though. A magic sigil appears on the ground before wooden spikes start to rise up from it. Tamaki might want to get up before she gets stabbed by them.

COMBATSYS: Nixie successfully hits Tamaki with Punji Pain.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Tamaki           0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0            Nixie

[TAMAKI]
Already on the ground, all Tamaki has to do to avoid spikes is roll.

She's good at rolling.

When the sigil lights up, Tamaki rolls briskly to one side, though not briskly enough; the spikes come up, catching her in the back and ensuring that she rolls faster than she had been. It stings! She doesn't complain, this time.

Still lying on her back: "You should be proud of your distinctiveness! Look at me. Am I hiding my tail? Am I hiding my ears? No! I decided it was time to reveal myself. Learn to accept yourself! And stop stressing. Have some fun!"

Tamaki pulls her legs up and does a forward handspring, driving both her feet at Nixie in a powerful kick that simultaneously gets her back on her feet and (hopefully) takes the smaller goblin down! It's an unusual maneuver that looks a lot more acrobatic than someone built like Tamaki really is likely to pull off, and it's surprisingly hard to read.

COMBATSYS: Nixie Toughs Out Tamaki's Rude Awakening!

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Tamaki           0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1            Nixie

[NIXIE]
"Yes, but you were born a tanuki! It's not like you had a life before then!" Nixie's starting to sound rather irrated about all this. She does get knocked down by Tamaki this time as she wasn't expecting that from her. Though Tamaki might not be so happy about what happens next. The powerful kick knocks several explosives that the goblin was carrying out of the air and into the air above her.

COMBATSYS: Nixie successfully hits Tamaki with Epic Explosives.
- Power hit! -

[                                < >  //////////                    ]
Tamaki           0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0            Nixie

[TAMAKI]
Tamaki says, from her back, "I don't know if I should be insulted or not," when Nixie says she didn't have a life before that.

How are baby bake-danukis made? The world may never know. Tamaki isn't telling.

She wasn't expecting explosives to fly everywhere when she kicked Nixie. Tamaki's eyes widen and her jaw drops almost comedically as she realizes that yes, those are bomblets falling around her, and no, there's too many of them for her to bounce back. She hunkers down, trying to protect herself.

They explode.

When the smoke clears, Tamaki is about ten feet away, flat on her back again and staring at the ceiling. She very slowly reaches for her tokkuri, opens it up, and proceeds to try to take a drink, which mostly seems to mean 'dump it all over her face'.

Yeah, she's out of it.

COMBATSYS: Tamaki takes no action.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  <
Nixie            0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Tamaki can no longer fight.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  <
Nixie            0/-------/-------|

[NIXIE]
"What, where you reborn as a tanuki or something?" Nixie's not going to get an answer to that right now is she? Well, at least she won right? Of course she's going to have restock on explosives now before the finals. The goblin's still surprised that she made it this far, she figures the tanuki is likely a lot more experienced at fight than she is.

COMBATSYS: Nixie has ended the fight here.

Log created on 16:45:21 05/04/2023 by Tamaki, and last modified on 17:50:02 05/10/2023.