Description: The Southtown Boardwalk is the site of a team match: Megumi and Acacia against Dan, Karin, Hokutomaru. An experimental attack from Acacia runs awry, leading to an unconventional finish... (Draw Match)
Crowds. Acacia hates crowds.
Unfortunately, crowds are a fact of life in an event like this. The ocean's some distance from here - but there's a sea of humanity right on the boardwalk, packed behind the barricades bearing the Howard Enterprises and Saturday Night Fight logos. Kept in check only by flimsy fences of metal, and match officials.
And there's the camera crews, too. Already filming, beneath the bright sun. Taping the clamor of the crowd, and the loud announcer working them to fever pitch.
Acacia scowls, as a crew peon waves at her - but she complies with the cue, stepping round the barricade onto the boardwalk proper, the arena marked out for the fight. The heavy tread of Acacia's combat boots sound against the wooden planks as she marches forward. She's dressed as she normally is - an oversized leather jacket draping old leather jacket, the oversized garment draping down from her narrow shoulders. T-shirt, with an old 80s Rock logo. Denim jeans.
"IT'S S-N-F, FIGHT FANS! AND...INTRODUCING THE FIRST FIGHTERS ON TODAY'S TICKET! FROM THE FINISHING THREE...IN THE REEEED CORNER, WE HAVE ACACIA GILLESPIE AND MEGUMI ANDOU!"
Acacia scowls. Why the hell does she have to go out first? Megumi's last name has -alphabetical precidence-. She glances over her shoulder, at her teammate.
COMBATSYS: Megumi has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Acacia has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|
Megumi gives Acacia plenty of time to show herself, but realizes that it probably won't be too long before she's up. And once she starts her approach to the 'fighting area' of the boardwalk, she's...much more comfortable with the audience than her teammate seems to be. She's waving, making a quick jog down the path...even taking time to 'give fives' to those who hold their hands out. She stops after a little bit of this, taking off one of her red wristbands (leaving just one on her, now) and hands it to someone in the audience...then, she's ready.
"C'mon, ya ready for this, Acacia? We'll do fine." Megumi takes the time to twist one of her hands around in the other as she steps beside Acacia, pretty relaxed.
COMBATSYS: Dan has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dan
COMBATSYS: Karin has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Hokutomaru is hiding behind one of the various rooftops, ready to make a flashy entrance. So far no one has spotted him, causing him to grins a little. He ducks down as someone begins to look his way. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a hand full of various colored firecrackers. He quickly lights them all and then runs forward, jumping at the last moment and shooting up quickly into the air. He then jumps a second time, using his own secret technique, and does a fast backflip, using the rotational velocity to help him fling the firecrackers high into the air. He then falls down quickly and lands in the designated fighting area, which he finds due to the fact all the cameras are pointed inward at it. A short moment after he lands the firecrackers all go off, sending a shower of colored sparkles around, ten feet up in the air and raining color down around him. "Ta-da!"
Dan Hibiki hangs on the side of the arena, at least the correct side, designated for where his team is supposed to come out of, and signs autographs for some fans, flinging them into the crowd with velocity and accuracy.
Something strange about Dan though, even though he's making a TV appearance on Saturday Night Fights, his face is horrible for television. No not that it's just normally horrible, it's the fact that both of his eyes have black rings around them from some previous punchings, and his chin has twin band-aids going down each side.
Unfortunately for Dan it looks like some new welts are forming as well. It seems he's been a hurricane of battles lately, though it's probably safe to assume he won them all. "SAIKYO IS READY FOR THE CHALLENGE!"
Dear sweet Jesus, what has she gotten herself into? Karin has actually been waiting on the boardwalk all this time -- scoping out fight locales is just part of her modus operandi -- and has been observing this little scenario from one of the cafes lining the path, sipping some coffee in a nouveau riche manner. Where, you ask, is the flashy Kanzuki entrance? Apparently put on hold today. Perhaps the Hokutomaru/Dan combo was just Too Much? Not like she read up on her teammates or anything. Why would a girl who has Sakura under partial satellite surveillance ever do a thing like that?
But the blonde was clearly not expecting either of her male fellow fighters to be, uh... BATSHIT INSANE. Firecrackers? Clear defiance of logic? Whatever. Putting down her now-empty coffee cup, Karin gets up and walks over to the fight area, flipping some golden curls over one shoulder and getting into an easy-going fighting stance. "Hmph. Let's get started." So sedate. So calm. Dude, WTF?
Of course, perhaps it's because she has her back to downtown that she doesn't see the lights in various skyscrapers spelling "GOOD", then going out and coming back on for "LUCK", and then off again and "MISS KARIN" for the finale on what appears to be endless loop. Fans can be so wearying.
Another fighter happens to be watching the fight -- a fighter who just happens to be the target of the Kanzuki satellite surveillance. Granted, she was just walking by at first, but then she'd remembered that this was a fight she'd wanted to catch anyway. Hokutomaru? Dan? Acacia? Karin? Megumi? Five of her favorite people, after all! Sakura wanders up through the barricades, the other spectators presenting some resistance. It's a bit harder to recognize the headbanded schoolgirl out of uniform -- the t-shirt and baggy shorts don't exactly scream 'King of Fighters champion', after all. When she gets to the front of the barricades, she rocks eagerly upon her toes.
Acacia scowls. Her reaction to the antics...is really a lot like Karin's. Except, well, since -Acacia- notices the dancing skyscrapers, the bulk of her ire's directed at the Kanzuki girl.
She clenches her fists - clad in black biker gloves, with studs over the knuckles. Shifting her feet, she turns her right side to her opponents...and adopts a basic fighting stance. Legs apart, arms raised in a simple guard.
Pushing all distractions to the back of her mind, Acacia blots out the crowd. Ignoring the shouts, the cheers, and the presense of the TV crew.
This is a match. And she's damn well taking this seriously.
"C'mon," she growls, "you party entertainers or -fighters-, hm?"
COMBATSYS: Acacia focuses on her next action.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Megumi sees lots of flashy arrivals. Hokutomaru for one. "Guess that is a family trait after all, doing that ninja appear stuff." She finds it entertaining, and even remarks back to Acacia, "Ah, let 'em have it. I've done some pretty showy arrivals myself, it's just for fun." Dan is given a curious, 'are you sure?' sort of look...but he seems to be serious about this. She too misses the flashing lights, instead keeping her attention on the fight at hand. It's started...but Megumi is staying close to Acacia, standing in a tense Aikido style.
COMBATSYS: Megumi focuses on her next action.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
What is Hotakumaru's reaction to all the scowling? A firm sticking out of the tongue with a noise that sounds like, "Mmeeeee!" He then grins at her and moves over towards Dan, taking a position just behind and to the left of him. Looks like Hoku's elected him team leader. He waves to Megumi, and then to his two team mates. "Alright! Lets do this." He looks back towards Acacia and remarks, "Don't take things so seriously! It'll just get you all frumpy and sad!" He then laughs loudly and grins some more, belying the fact that he's studying the fighting stances of his teams opponents carefully.
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru focuses on his next action.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Dan looks odly at Hoku as he's seemingly nominated Squad Leader of Saikyo-Alpha Team Alpha Omega Omicron Superball. Because that's what the team's name is now. Challenge it and you lose.
His attention then focuses on Acacia before saying, "Entertainers? Saikyo is VERY serious about life! Don't think because we're relaxed we'll lose this battle. I could do this by myself against both of you and you would lose. It's because you face the power of the triumphant will."
It's at this point that he turns away from Acacia to the gathering crowd, throwing his fist out into the air, and pumping it several times, "KORE GA SAIKYO-RYUU! Y'SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Dan gathers his will.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Karin 1.) doesn't stick her tongue out or 2.) make unqualified yet oddly profound boasts. Instead she simply watches Megumi and Acacia. One she's battle before AND alongside, knowing her capabilities fairly well... and thus, as a fellow defensive fighter, is unwilling to make the first move herself, either. As for Acacia... an unknown quantity, though Karin has the dim recollection that she was hanging around that Jiro kid and thus probably looks unassuming but is carrying a bazooka or whatever. So, rather than leap in with fists of fury, the blonde contributes to the most boring first round of an SNF ever where NOBODY DOES ANYTHING AT ALL.
COMBATSYS: Karin focuses on her next action.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Leaving Acacia to break the stalemate.
By breaking some heads.
The silver-haired girl casts a baleful eye on Dan. She stares at him for a moment, before glancing at Megumi. From the corner of her mouth, she murmurs, "Just for fun...my ass."
One heartbeat. Two.
Then, Acacia snaps into motion. Moving to some unseen, unspoken signal. She breaks into a run, heavy boots pounding the boardwalk, hair streaming in the wind. Acacia charges, heading straight for Dan. Leading with one outstretched elbow, pistoning towards his throat.
The crowd roars in approval - this fight's under way.
Megumi is also giving Dan a very weird look. "..He's not even paying attention to us! He's just posing and talking to the audience...what the /hell./" Well, as Acacia starts running, Megumi waits a few seconds, then does likewise.
She's beelining for Dan, one fist held up with sparkling red energy wrapped around it. Once she's near, she tries to attack Dan from the side; swinging her fist at his ribs, and should her fist connect, the energy will explode outward. The timing is done in pretty good concert with Acacia's frontal attack, too.
Hokutomaru blinks. Ahhh! Everyone is going after team leader! This isn't good! Well, he'll have to do the best he can to slow one of them down... "Quick, everyone attack Acacia! We need to show her that you can have fun while fighting and still win!" He then grins and reaches into his pocket and pulls out what appears to be a two layer chocolate birthday cake, complete with candles. "Happy Birthday to /YOU/!" Fling!
COMBATSYS: Dan blocks Acacia's Mass Driver.
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Acacia 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Dan with Crimson Blast.
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Acacia 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Dan Hibiki eyes Acacia oddly as he notices, "Oh snap, we're starting now, you mean? I thought we were going to banter a bit more! What kind of cheating cheaters don't yell fight when they're about to fight. Where's your honor? Your grace? Your Style?"
He says all of this while casually swatting Acacia's hand away from his throat. Unfortunately he doesn't even realize Megumi has him locked in a pincers style assault, and suddenly his ribs are on fire. "AAAAHHHTAAAA!" He screams, and bounds away from the two girls, "What the hell?!"
Looking from Acacia to Megumi he says, "You must both remember, I am a master at kicking your ass," and then he twists his hip backwards, taking a step on his back foot and then launching his left foot forward, propelling him into the air. Looks like he's heading towards Megumi.
Also looks like he's using three stylized aerial roundhouse kicks and shouting, "DAN DAN KYAKU!"
Putting all of the theatrics aside, Karin decides to face off with Megumi. Why? She's a known quantity, and to be honest Karin's been wanting a rematch. "I don't know about these other two," the blonde asides to Megumi as she moves into position to attack, "but I've been hoping to get a chance to fight you again. Perhaps to have 'fun'." You can HEAR the fingerquotes. And then, without further ado, she's hopping into the air... and on her way down scythes out both legs at Megumi, but not in the double upward style of her usual move, but rather once to the level, revolving a full turn in midair as she attacks. "Shunpuu Kyaku!" Oh lord.
COMBATSYS: Acacia blocks Hokutomaru's Large Thrown Object.
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Acacia 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Battle cries. Shouted challenges.
And the sound of a large cake going -splat-.
"'ing hell, piss off," Acacia mumbles, shooting Hokutomaru a nasty look...as bits of confectionary crumble down her blocking arm, coating her entire jacket sleeve in rich gooey chocolate.
She growls. Sure, this is a televised event. Sure, it's...entertainment. Acacia knows all that. But this kind of god-forsaken -grandstanding-, this...-insanity-...annoys the crap out of her.
But if that's the way they wanna play...
A smile spreads across Acacia's face, the corner of her lips peeling back. Not a friendly smile. Shaking her arm, she lets fragments of chocolate cake cascade to the ground. And shifts her gaze to Dan.
"Want someone to yell fight...?"
Acacia clenches her fist.
The chocolate coating her arm -explodes- into a fine brown mist, thrown free by the waves of chi energy erupting from her fist. The concussive force running up and down her arm, to the shoulder. It's not a flame, not a glow - just a shimmer, a blur, accompanied by a pulse-pounding shriek in the audio register.
"FIGHT!"
And she swings her fist in a backhand, toward Dan's already-abused skull.
COMBATSYS: Megumi blocks Karin's Mujin Kyaku.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Megumi counters Dankuu Kyaku from Dan with Flood Reversal.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Megumi has a lot to keep track of. Hokutomaru seems to be tossing things around...just not at her. Okay. Dan's ranting...fine. Karin's attacking. Not so fine. Megumi throws her arms out to take the worst of Karin's feet, pushing back against the hit to get a little space as Dan's flying kicks come in. "Yeah. I'll be with you in a sec, Karin..." Flying kicks...perfect. Megumi's hands go up to grab Dan's kicking leg at the ankle and shin, and she jumps up and forward. The effect of this is to carry Dan's leg up towards his head, to flip him over as she descends, driving him down onto the boards, and hopefully leaving him wide open for Acacia's fist.
Hokutomaru watches the fight progress. Ok, so Dan is getting smeared, and that's not good! What can the little Ninja do about this? Well... he has shuriken. Lots of shuriken, and that helps things. He crouches down into a four point position and then leaps high up into the air, twisting and flipping so that his back is to the sky when he reaches the apex of his jump. He then reaches into his pockets and pulls out a handful of the deadly throwing stars, flinging two of them towards Megumi and two of them towards Acacia before beginning his fall towards Earth. "Want me to get serious? Take this! Hya, hya, hya, hya!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Dan with Bonecrusher.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/--=====|=======\======-\1 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Well, Dan certainly is sucking up the joint. For real. C'mon Dan, you can do it!!! But he's thrown not only into a perfect position for Acacia's fist, he's actually thrown /into/ Acacia's fist, and knocked into the Crowd.
He sits up in the throng of people, before hopping back into the fighting area, and hanging back near the crowd.
"S...Shoosh." He rubs his brow and hms, "SAIKYO IS GOING TO STAY OVER HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT. TEAM DAN. Uh... SHOW ME YOUR FIGHTING SPIRIT." . o O (Dan Hibiki has got to sit down.
COMBATSYS: Dan takes a breather.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/--=====|=======\======-\1 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Karin just... watches Dan sail right on by, backstepping casually so he doesn't clip her in the face. "Take your time," she responds to Megumi evenly as Hokutomaru's shuriken goes whizzing by her ear at a really far too close for comfort distance. Sighing, she checks her armguards and gives Megumi time to deal with the incoming projectile before falling back into stance and facing off with her again. "Dan Hibiki and some ninja kid... am I being punished for something?" And then she's on the move, looking to snap a kick right into Megumi's shoulder. Nothing fancy, but the situation doesn't call for fancy, either.
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru successfully hits Acacia with Shuriken.
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Acacia 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/--=====|=======\======-\1 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
Acacia catches Hokutomaru's comment about taking things seriously - just as she catches his shuriken in the shoulder. The throwing star slices through Acacia's jacket, lodging itself in her arm with a faint splatter of blood.
The girl stumbles, falling into a half-crouch. She narrows her eyes, regarding the ninja. "Much appreciated," she spits.
Of course, the way she sounds...it doesn't seem she's really appreciative at all.
"But, excuse...while I deal with pink boy. MEGUMI! GROUND AND POUND!"
It's not an elegant way to phrase the tactic, no.
But it -is- fairly descriptive.
Rising like a runner from the starting blocks, Acacia lunges -past- Hokutomaru, heading towards the barricades. Where Dan's standing, just in front of the crowd.
Though she's always serious in a fight, Acacia does have a sense of humour. And it's fitting to take Pink Boy down...in front of his fans.
Literally. As in, with one sweeping leg, a powerful kick, to cut his legs right out from under him.
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru successfully hits Megumi with Shuriken.
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Acacia 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 0/-------/-======|=======\======-\1 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Karin successfully hits Megumi with Light Kick.
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Acacia 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Megumi 1/-------/=======|=======\======-\1 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Karin
"What the...is he seriously trying to do that?" Megumi's incredulous at Dan's retreat. She shoots a quick look at the incoming blade...and tries to jump away from it, too late; it sinks into her side and she cries out, then tries to spin away from Karin's kick. No good; Karin overtakes her and adds even more momentum to her spin by striking her shoulder. By all accounts, that hurt. But she is still moving, and heard Acacia. "Right!"
Megumi moves in too, making a long flip towards Dan. If Acacia gets Dan down, she'll land beside him to grab an arm and raise it up, before starting to twist its hand sideways and downward. It might look odd, but it would be a submission hold; twisting the arm's bones in towards one another. If Dan doesn't go down, she instead attempts to take him down by grabbing at a hand and twisting sideways to flip him over that way.
Hokutomaru groans. His team leaders is taking a breather… and he's going to get pounded into pulp. That's gonna hurt. He'd help, but he's a bit too /in the air/ to help right now. Options... Options... Well, this is worth a try! *BAMF* The ninja twists as he comes down and appears up above Megumi, pulling out his bokken and swinging hard for her head, a large trail of spiky orange Chi flowing out behind the home made weapon. With any luck it'll be enough of a distraction for Dan to get the hell out of Dodge before he gets turned into grade A fish paste.
COMBATSYS: Dan blocks Acacia's Fulcrum Shift.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Dan with Aikido Techniques.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Megumi 1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Dan
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Karin
Dan puts his arms in front of Acacia, and sort of plays patty cake with her to defuse her throw, "God, what the hell kind of attack is this here? Are you playing some sort of schoolyard clapping game? Seriously. I mean, Come on. Hahaha, Pac-man, Pac-man, playing the at--WHOAHGAWD!" He's thrown by Megumi, and with what hopefully isn't his last ounce of strength, lands in a rolling position, before rolling towards Acacia. He pops out of the roll and launches.. his attack. A corkscrewing violent uppercut. Oh yeah baby. Them's good times.
KOURYUUU REKKA!" (Please don't die, please don't die, please don't die.)
COMBATSYS: Dan can no longer fight.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Karin
Heaving another sigh as Dan takes a fall behind her, Karin rubs the bridge of her nose. "You shouldn't push yourself, Mister Hibiki," she mourns quietly, before glancing to Megumi. "I guess we'll have to put a one on one on hold for the time being. And since I don't want to appear the bully..." The blonde switches tacks, using Acacia's really sort of unnerving Dan fetish to her advantage, dashing up behind the I Never Have Fun Lady Mark 2 and aiming a knife hand at the back of her neck all wire-fu style. Watah!
COMBATSYS: Dan successfully hits Acacia with Kouryuu Rekka.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Megumi 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Acacia counters Quick Punch from Karin with Unyielding Stance.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Megumi 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Karin
The sound of fist hitting bone echoes like a gunshot across the boardwalk - Dan's fist colliding with Acacia's chin. The blow rocks her, but she -doesn't go down-.
She's still on her feet. Still standing. Twisting her neck, working it from side to side. Then she narrows her eyes.
Impossibly fast, she -twists-, snapping an arm out.
Catching Karin's knife hand, stopping the blade of her palm with an iron grip, linked slender fingers.
In a soft, quiet voice, Acacia murmurs, "...we don't always get what we want, Miss Kanzuki."
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru successfully hits Megumi with Rakka-zan.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
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Megumi 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Karin
Megumi looks...very pleased with how that went. Acacia managed to keep Dan busy long enough for her to land her own hold, at least. And once he's out, she gives a quick "Alright!" to celebrate...then Hokutomaru is appearing above. Megumi tries to roll beneath it, but gets clocked in the head regardless, sent down to the wooden surface. She gets up, shaking her head a few times...and throws her arms apart. "Sure. Rematch later then, Karin..." Then her arms go high and low, creating a thin red energy 'wall' a bit taller and wider than she is. It floats out for a few feet, then begins returning towards Megumi...
Hokutomaru watches the fated last stand of Dan Hibiki. He was a good team leader, but now he was gone; out of the fight for good. He lowers his head and has a brief moment of silence for the fallen, and then looks up. Landing after the sword slash, Hokutomaru stands directly behind Megumi, and her attention seems to be focused mostly on herself. Well, what worked once might work again? He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a trio of shurikens, trying to fling them into Megumi's back while she's distracted. Not a very nice thing to do, but this is a fight, and he is Ninja.
Dan Hibiki's Violent Shining Dragon Fist continues past Acacia, going high into the air, where the skies are clear and the wind is pleasant. It's here that Go Hibiki appears in his mind's eye. And the tears begin flowing from Dan's eye.
Visualizing his father, shaking his head somberly at Dan's performance, the cream green clad warrior falls backwards in a parabolic arc, landing on some of the crowd. At least their hands. They start bouncing him like he were at a rock concert, and his head pops up, to look at the fight. Cheering his team-mates on he exclaims, "THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO PROVE YOUR STYLES! THE SAIKYO SPIRIT IS WITHIN YOU. KORE GA SAIKYO RYUU, Y'SHAA!!!!!!!"
"Hey, could you ladies kinda hop me over to the beer vendor? I think I sprained my ankle from my sheer fury. What do you mean why'd I lose? I did it on purpose, those two kids have the will of the warrior, the other contenders? They're nothing. With me on their team, it was totally unbalanced. Like I said at the beginning, I could destroy both of them with a thought. Less talking, more beer vendor."
End Dan's Part in the tournament now!
"When you are hearing *me* of all people tell you to lighten up, Miss Gillespie," Karin says patiently, drawing her hand back from Acacia's grip, "you should know that you have serious issues to work out." Megumi's forgotten, at least for the time being; instead, Karin simply takes a step forward and looks to drive Acacia right into the boardwalk, with a Karin's elbow chaser to make it extra special. "Although frankly, anything that keeps me from having to hear Dan Hibiki's Chicken Soup for the Soul is welcome."
COMBATSYS: Acacia counters Yashiro Kuzushi from Karin with Icon of Stone.
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Acacia 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Karin
"I live to serve," Acacia shoots back, with a distinct edge of sarcasm.
Karin's initial shove knocks Acacia back. But what it doesn't do is knock her -down-. Her feet change position, soles sliding against the wooden surface of the boardwalk. Resting her weight on one rear-placed heel. Karin's elbow heads towards Acacia. But the silver-haired girl is an instant faster.
The gleaming studs on Acacia's right glove catches the sunlight...as it flashes out in a vicious blow to Karin's stomach.
"And I am to please."
Acacia's not humourless. Far from it. It's just flamboyance she hates. But if it's witty repartee they want, that...well, she'll give good as she gets.
She pulls back, with a dark smile. The pink loudmouth's down. That just leaves the -ninja- loudmouth. And the -rich- loudmouth. (and yes, after that little skyscraper display, Acacia's quite firm in her classification of Karin. Rich. Loudmouth. Wanna argue?)
Her eyes harden, half-shrouded beneath strands of sweat-slicked hair. Two against two. Even odds.
Or not quite even odds. Not really. Because Megumi's her friend and teammate. And -she- knows...
Without turning, Acacia calls: "Remember what happens when I mediate?"
COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Megumi with Restoration Aura.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Megumi dodges Hokutomaru's Shuriken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Karin
Megumi's wall continues toward her, but for some reason...well, she's not distracted. She can see Hokutomaru just fine, spinning to look at him. Incoming blades; she vaults up very high, letting the shurikens go by harmlessly. The downside of this is that she only makes partial contact with her wall; most of it went by without touching her and vanishes as she lands. What little did make contact dislodges the shuriken from earlier, however. "Why are you using those?" Megumi asks. She's staring at Hokutomaru, and isn't doing much more than cursory movement, little hops from side to side and so on.
COMBATSYS: Megumi focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Karin
Hokutomaru frowns a little. That didn't work. In fact, none of this is working anymore. He looks around to survey the situation; Karin is locked in combat with Acacia, and he's doing a whole lot of nothing. Bad, bad, bad. He looks up to Megumi and shrugs a little, "Because they were working." He then does a series of backflips to get away from her, and continues to survey. Hmm.
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Karin
"As you like," Karin responds with a shrug. Taking hits is just part of the combat process, after all, so she staggers a tiny bit and is then ready for more, lashing out at Acacia with a pair of downward-sweeping overhead punches that start above her pretty blonde hair and then move down on both sides, intending to catch the opponent coming or going. Is she asking to be countered again by using such a slow-moving strike? Sure she is. But what's life without a little risk?
COMBATSYS: Karin successfully hits Acacia with Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Karin
Because there's risk, and there's reward. And on this day, the stars smile on Karin. The blow connects - this time, Karin -does- knock Acacia off her feet, sending her sprawling to the rough sea-worn planks.
"Ngh," Acacia mumbles, as she rolls back, and rises, one knee against the ground. Wiping away a trickle of blood from her mouth.
That hurt. But no time for that now.
She flicks her gaze quickly across the battlefield, taking in relative positions. She's backed up away from the spectators now...that's good. Near one of the boardwalk shops. That's bad. But SNF insures property damage, right? Karin's over there, Hokutomaru's over there...
...and Megumi...
Acacia makes eye contact with Megumi, then snaps her eyes toward Hokutomaru and makes a slashing motion with one arm. Get the message, damnit!
COMBATSYS: Acacia focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Karin
Megumi eventually gets tired of the standoff, snapping a quick glance to Acacia's seperate fight. "...Ah." A nod, then she's rushing after Hokutomaru, expecting him to 'teleport' away in a puff of smoke or something like that. But regardless of any evasions he might take, Megumi keeps alert, very intent on eventually overtaking him and trying to grab his shoulders. If she manages to get ahold, she'll flip behind him, wrap her arms around his waist, then spin and try to fling Hokutomaru off towards Acacia and Karin. Not at them...just generally towards them.
COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Hokutomaru with Flood Reversal.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Karin
Hokutomaru thinks Megumi got the message. She's coming at him quickly, and instead of trying to get away from her further, he tries to stop her from really getting ahold of him. Whoops, wrong move. He gets an impromptu flying lesson from Megumi, hitting the ground and rolling. Eep, that wasn't very fun. He pops back up to his feet quickly and brushes stray ground matter from himself. Hmph! This is getting out of hand. He doesn't feel like taking a strong one-two punch, so he turns towards Acacia and flings a pair of kunai towards her chest, and hopefully give her second thoughts about attacking him.
Relieved that her punch hit, Karin slips back into stance a few feet away. However, she's also a highly perceptive individual, and Acacia's change in glance is not lost on Karin, who -- like her rival -- is an expert at taking in everything and improvising on the fly. Of course, then she hears Hokutomaru approaching from the air and, without losing a second, says to Acacia, "Excuse me a moment, won't you?" And then she's moonsaulting through the air, twisting in the middle of her jump to come straight down at Megumi, lashing her right hand down in a scything motion, then immediately following it up on the ground with a spinning fist from her left hand, and finally a Hou Shou palm strike to the stomach. Say what you want about Karin's effectiveness in a fight, but you can't fault her technique; it takes practice and skill to pull aerials off like that. Of course, now it has to actually connect cleanly...
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures Hokutomaru's Large Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Acacia 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Hokutomaru
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Karin
This may not be wise. But it's what she's going to do. Acacia clenches her fists, squeezes them hard. Hard enough that it's almost painful, even through the thick leather of her gloves.
Her eyes flash, dangerously, her lips pulling back into a feral grin, showing a whole row of teeth.
Acacia doesn't like taking pleasure in combat. To her, fighting's a serious thing. It's not supposed to be fun.
But in this case? She'll allow herself a tiny exception.
Acacia lets her eyes flicker shut, as she takes a deep breath. Centering herself, she summons her chi. Letting the energy well up from within her, flowing through every part of her body.
Other fighters have elegant chi techniques, displays of fire, of flame. Acacia...Acacia's always been lacking. Her efforts at controlling her energies have always been less effective than what she'd like. And her attempts at meditation? Disasterous.
Explosive.
Acacia smiles. A real smile, one of dark amusement.
She lets the power go.
Karin is near her, even as she breaks off to attack. Hokutomaru is near. And the boardwalk -dissolves-. Exploding, as Acacia does, in all directions, several feet - leaving her, swaying, collapsing, in a crater.
COMBATSYS: Acacia has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Hokutomaru
> /////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Karin successfully hits Megumi with Guren Ken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Hokutomaru
> /////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Karin
Megumi suddenly decides, "...Something's not right." And that's very true, as Acacia's gathering herself up like that...Megumi stays back. As Karin comes in, Megumi tries to get away, but she's too distracted to mount an effective evasion this time, and gets rocked back. She recovers from it a few moments later, trying to shove Karin back towards Acacia. If she'll get Karin that far back or not, who knows. But at least she clears enough room to spawn another energy-wall, and much like the last one it floats out, then begins to return to her...Acacia may be down, but Megumi realizes it was intentional -- she needs to try and finish this.
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru endures Acacia's Irresistible Force.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1 Hokutomaru
> /////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Karin
Hokutomaru watches the energy build up. Eep. The kunai find their mark, but it certainly isn't going to be helping him any with what she's planning. And now, he has a choice. He can try to get away... or he can use it to his advantage. He actually runs towards Acacia and skids to a stop, pulling out a scroll as he does so. He then bends over, and takes it, hard. The blast throws him forward at high speed, the little ninja sizzling from the attack as he is flung right towards Megumi. He takes the scroll and stuffs it into his mouth, lifting his hands into the proper positions. Now all this is going to take is a bit of timing. "Shiranui!" He hits the ground and slides to a stop, not a foot away from the pink haired girl. A flaming whirlwind of chi flies up around him and he is lifted up off the ground, "Ultimate Attack!"
COMBATSYS: Karin blocks Acacia's Irresistible Force.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
> //////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Karin
...what the hell, yo. Did Acacia just pull a Gundam Wing and blow herself up? She totally did. And now thanks to Megumi's skillful redirection of force Karin's about to head right into the expanding blast wave of chi. However, Karin's no slouch when it comes to the defensive herself; turning around she throws her arms up and, somehow, musters enough counter-force to keep the explosion from hitting full force... lucky, too, because it would have been a hell of a hit had it connected.
"That... was a little egregious," Karin admits, turning back to find Hokutomaru going full-bore at Megumi with a raised eyebrow. Energetic kid, ain't he? Deciding to pull back for the nonce, Karin takes a breath and falls back into stance, watching Megumi carefully. "This seems a little unbalanced, Megumi..." she says calmly. "If you'd like we can call it a draw."
COMBATSYS: Karin focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
> //////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Megumi with Restoration Aura.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
> //////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Karin
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru successfully hits Megumi with Chou Bakuen Tatsumaki.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Megumi 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
> //////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Karin
Megumi this time fares much better on one end; her wall cleanly goes over her, and does a lot to fix up lingering cuts and whacks she's had from this fight. But Hokutomaru just pretty much got launched into her with his tornado-like technique, and...she gets launched back hard, smashing into the wall of a boardwalk shop. "Ugh..."
Megumi starts to get up, and hears Karin's offer. "What? ..." She looks at Acacia. ...Acacia is unconscious. "...This is probably going to get me ganged up on later, running out on a fight like this instead of continuing...but." Megumi's hands drop to her sides as she runs over to Acacia. "I didn't think she'd knock herself out. I need to take care of this, it's more important than trying to win some money or whatever. Fight's over, call it whatever result you want. I'm sorry about this." She's more occupied with administering healing to Acacia for now, and clearly, if anyone wants to slam her upside the head for the KO, she'd be an easy target for it; no real defense at all.
COMBATSYS: Megumi has left the fight here.
> /////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Hokutomaru
> //////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Karin
Hokutomaru gets ready to follow up another attack... and stops when Megumi calls the fight off. He scratches his head a little and shrugs. He follows her over to Acacia, and looks to Megumi. "Is she alright? And... are /you/ alright?" She is his friend, after all. He stretches out a little, a bit confused with adrenaline pumping through his veins still. He's feeling hyperactive, but that isn't really right for the moment. Must calm himself down, somehow.
COMBATSYS: Hokutomaru has left the fight here.
> //////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Karin
To be honest, Karin looks a little relieved that Megumi takes her up on that offer. "Don't worry about it," she assures the pink-haired fighter. "If Geese Howard decides to get into a snit about it, the zaibatsu will compensate you for the loss." My, she's feeling generous. "Just take care of yourself."
COMBATSYS: Karin has ended the fight here.
Log created by Hokutomaru, and last modified on 19:43:14 10/08/2005.