Description: A second fated meeting for Rose in Metro City the same weekend pits her against Charlie in a friendly sparring match so Chuck can work through some of his issues, and Rose discovers that win or lose, she is still having a positive effect on those who oppose Vega. Also, the meters before the first attack? *handwave* They're not the meters you're looking for.
The place: Metro City's finest park.
The time: Mid-afternoon, the sun shining down with bright, wintry light, providing some warmth to the day (but not much).
The who: Charlie Nash, ex-Air Force captain and current leader of the Vigilantes. Currently, apparently, taking a small sabbatical from his work... or just in Metro City on other business. But he's here, in any case.
The park bustles as it does on a Sunday; people out, and about, kids playing with their families, lovers walking hand in hand, arms around each other... a truly Rockwellian picture. Charlie is doing none of these things; no family, no lover, just himself. But he's alright with that. The Vigilante leader is, at the moment, regarding a small pond, not quite iced over, with some brave ducks still paddling around; a couple small kids try to entice the ducks with breadcrumbs, but this is of little notice to the military man, who certainly stands out, geared out as he usually is, despite the wintry cold. Just a relaxing day out here in Metro City, a place he doesn't come to often.
It's been quite an interesting weekend for Rose. She is used to international travel on a whim, the fiat of the wealthy that she has always made time for. However, today the psychic is on business, or at least recovering from it. It was the cards that drew her here, not pleasure, foretelling her meeting with the mysterious girl whose name she never discovered, and the resulting battle which gave her more questions than information. Now she is simply killing time until her plane leaves once again for her new home in Japan.
However, somethin had been gnawing at her this morning morning as she had a light breakfast, looking out from her hotel window at this very park. A feeling of something being... unresolved. And so, learning to trust those hunches, the woman put on her coat and shawl and began to walk the park, patient, waiting for the feeling to center itself more firmly.
And now it has. Even without his distinctive hairdo and clothing, Rose's senses immediately tell her Charlie is the one she's looking for. Contact with Vega, emotionally, physically, even spiritually, leaves a mark on a person. It's how she identified Chun-li, and it's how she can sense Charlie even now. With no preamble, she approaches the man from behind, glancing out at the same pond and standing beside and just behind him. "Is there something in particular that's attracting your gaze so?" she asks quietly.
Well. That's unusual, almost enough to get Charlie to jump. If he hadn't trained his every action and reaction. He lets the silence hang for just a moment, his gaze drifting across the pond, then turns to face the psychic, faint traces of a smile curving his lips.
"Oh, not really," he replies, conversationally, voice pitched to be of easy volume for Rose and no one else. "I was just thinking about the surface of the water and what it can hide underneath." He probably doesn't need to explain the comment to Rose, and he gives her a quick, if thorough, once-over, eyes drifting down, then back up; his gaze finding hers after that moment.
"You would be Rose, then," he 'asks', making the question a statement; even if Chun hadn't described the woman to him, he'd've known from the Neo League leaderboard...
"I've been looking forward to meeting you. A friend of mine--a colleague--suggested I talk to you. About many things..."
It's the hair, isn't it? Rose doesn't actually turn to Charlie just yet; in fact, she gets an almost intrigued expression once he makes the comment about things being just below the surface, her eyes -- rather unlike Vega's, almost bottomless orbs of dark violet -- looking as if they might bore a hole straight through to the water trapped below. After a moment, she then nods once, turning to the Air Force vigilante with a neutral expression.
"Is the saying 'it was on my to-do list'?" she asks, a trace of humor finding its way into her otherwise even, and still quiet, tone. "Inspector Chun-li had mentioned she had a 'friend' she wanted me to meet, but I have been rather busy of late." And here she turns back to the pond, her gaze freezing into a look of mild displeasure as cold as the ice itself. "Other business has been more... I hesitate to use 'pressing', and instead will suggest 'troubling'." Another pause, and then she is back to Charlie again, expression friendly enough. "What can I do for you, Mr. Nash?"
Charlie raises a hand, palm out. "I understand. My... work... often keeps me busy as well. But Chun insisted," and here he grins, warmly, and chuckles a bit, "and she can be quite persuasive." Here he pauses, considering his next words carefully.
"She seemed to think you could possibly aid me in a crisis of... faith." Another pause, this one even longer. How much, Charlie muses, to say? And how? It's important that words not simply be bandied about in public; there are always ears to hear, and there's no sense in being haphazard. But Chun seemed sure, so...
"... and she tells me that you have a connection with a man of great interested to both me and Chun-Li. She spoke of, perhaps, grounds of ... common interest." It's not like Charlie to try and be so subtle... so he's not all that good at it. But give him points for trying.
[OOC] Rose says, "We have turned Vega into Voldemort between you and Chun-li."
[OOC] Charlie cackles.
[OOC] Charlie says, "So are you or Cammy the Girl Who Lived?"
[OOC] Rose says, "Cammy."
[OOC] Rose believes she gets to be Dumbledore.
[OOC] Charlie says, "I smell a musical!"
The last comment makes Rose sigh a little bit, perhaps in regret; her explanation of her connection to Vega to Chun-li was sketchy at best, out of necessity. Unfortunately it led the Interpol agent to speculation, it would appear. "The word 'connection' can mean many things," she ventures carefully, attempting to undo some of the damage. "In the sense that he and I share certain... similarities, we are connected. In the sense that we have a shared history, we are connected." And here she turns back to Charlie, her expression serious. "In the sense that we oppose each other as light strives against dark, then we are as disconnected as can be meant."
Pausing a moment to let that sink in, the psychic turns back to watching the pond. Better to look non-chalant, after all, since it's almost certain if Shadaloo has eyes here, they are on these two people who could not be MORE hated by Vega. "As for a crisis of faith? I am no priest," and here she actually favors Charlie with a rare, light laugh, "but in my everyday life I rather specialize in helping people to see the path before them. So why do we not address that issue first?" And here Rose's eyes narrow a tiny bit. "Before venturing into darker territory."
Hmm. Perhaps the wrong tack was chosen; nonetheless, Charlie isn't willing to give up just yet. Rose's suggestion -is- taken, however, and so the man nods. "Very well, then. I have, as of late, had a... problem." He turns to look back at the lake, perhaps uncomfortable speaking of these things.
"I have found that I do not have the confidence I once had, and that I believe I need, in order to pursue what I have made my life's work. If that is so, then I need to find a way to restore that confidence--or to 'hang it up', as it is said, before I cost good men their lives. Chun said to me that she believed you could help me 'find myself' again." His lips quirk.
"She probably meant through sparring; I think she felt that matching up against you was revelatory in more than one way."
"For me as much as for her," Rose graciously adds, finally fully turning away from the pond and standing face to face with Charlie. "Though now, the thing that I believe she found most enlightening -- discovering someone with a 'power' similar to his own -- might be wasted on you, for she most assuredly would have shared it with you." And if not, well, Rose just did the hard work for her. Almost on instinct, the psychic loosens the gold shawl around her neck a bit, the fabric fluttering faintly before settling once again on her mostly bare shoulders. "I am not necessarily partial to fighting as a hobby, but I have found lately it does seem to be the best way to reach people of a particular type."
And then she's back to the pond again. "It is almost certainly in our benefit to keep our skills in shape, as it stands," Rose enigmatically adds. Unconsciously, she draws her right arm over her left, rubbing it a bit; almost certainly a gesture at the chill air? Or perhaps something different. Still, she doesn't appear to be favoring it any. "Shadaloo's agents are abroad here in Metro City. He has become active far sooner and much more aggressively than I had anticipated."
'Of a particular type'. Meaning--fighters. And, quite probably in Rose's case, fighters who also use Psycho Power--though Charlie doesn't know that. He's found the league--and fighting--to be a good way to scout for potential allies in this war, and while it is a war mostly cold right now, there will be a time when it becomes hotter than hell--so to speak. And Charlie wants to have as many good people at his back when that time comes.
"I understand that a power like his is rare--and yes, she had mentioned that. Still--it is something I would like to experience, for myself." He grins, "Under perhaps... more controlled circumstances than might be found were I to challenge him directly. Would you do me the honor, Rose?" He asks simply and directly, his breath misting out into a cloud that floats away briefly before dissipating.
"We can discuss Shadaloo later--I hope."
Not to be outdone, the fortuneteller smiles, faintly. "It isn't only yourself who wishes to see what people are capable of," Rose says faintly, taking a few steps back to give everyone some room. Hopefully there's enough people in this park that the two top-class fighters aren't going to attract a lot of undue attention. "I was heartened to find someone of Chun-li's skill opposed Vega," she adds, finally saying the name of He Who Must Not Be Named.
Traditionally, this is when someone falls into stance. However, in Rose's case she, ah, doesn't HAVE one. Instead, she sets her feet just slightly farther apart and once again loosens the shawl on her shoulders, for the briefest second a spark of Soul Power flickering across its surface. "As one of her contemporaries I would expect as much from you, Commander. Whenever you're ready."
COMBATSYS: Rose has started a fight here.
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Rose 0/-------/-------|
People can tell when a fight's breaking out... some inborn instinct. So people give the two top-class fighters a wide berth and start cheering--even if they don't really know who the two people fighting are. Once Rose agrees to the match, Charlie backs up a bit, creating about ten yards of space between the psychic and himself. Unlike Rose, Charlie -does- have a stance, his hands coming up and clenching into fists, feet spreading apart and knees flexing and bending.
"I hope I can live up to those expectations, Rose. And please--call me Charlie. Even most of the Vigilantes don't call me Commander."
COMBATSYS: Charlie has joined the fight here.
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Rose 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Charlie
The fortuneteller gives her opponent a curt nod; she's found that a lot of banter during fights tends to be distracting, and while that might be a valid tactic sometimes, this isn't one of them. Instead she simply watches Charlie closely, trying to gauge where he'll move first. After all, she only knows him from rumor, and she expects him to fight on the same level as Chun-li... a win she only barely squeaked out. "I have every confidence that you will," she adds coolly.
COMBATSYS: Rose focuses on her next action.
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Rose 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Charlie
It seems the the action won't yet start; Charlie nods in response, then spends a moment, like Rose, to tune out the bantering from the crowd, ignoring the complaints at the lack of action. This isn't a fight for the league, it isn't a PPV... it's a more personal match, and so Charlie feels no pressure to perform 'for the crowd'. And it's always best to be prepared and to study your opponent when you can, as he is now.
COMBATSYS: Charlie focuses on his next action.
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Rose 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Charlie
Well, then. And so, the fighters continued to stare at each other across 10 feet of snow until well in the evening, then resolved everything with a game of tic-tac-toe over brandy back at the hotel. "A bit of caution isn't a bad thing at all," Rose says warily, "but we're not getting anywhere at this rate." Deciding to make the first move, the psychic, with a mere flick of the wrist, whips her shawl out toward Charlie in the blink of an eye, a violet sphere of Soul Power trailing gold light arcing out at him. "Soul Spark!"
COMBATSYS: Charlie slows Soul Spark from Rose with Sonic Boom.
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Rose 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Charlie
The instant Rose starts moving, Charlie's preparing his response; three quick steps back and he's charging up his energy the entire time. The purple blast of Soul Power is met with Charlie's right hand, glowing with energy, attempting to chop straight through the attack and offer one back to Rose--but in this case he's a fraction of a second off his pace and he only negates some of the damage, which sends him back another step.
"Nice attack," he replies, calmly, as if it didn't hurt all that bad.
In a way, that was the response Rose was hoping for; she had already seen how Chun-li used her chi to deal with focused Soul Power, and is pleased to see Charlie's own powerful energy is enough to severely cut down the force of her own attack. "Thank you," she says, trying to keep up a sense of calm grace. Although she doesn't enjoy fighting, it is -- through body chemistry alone -- 'thrilling', and it takes no small effort to keep herself perfectly focused, as without that focus her attacks are almost useless.
Moving in carefully, the psychic suddenly drops low, her shawl spreading beneath her in a pillar-like shape, glowing with Soul Power that gives it the strength of iron, or at least enough to lift Rose herself in the air for what would be, in any other fighter, a handstand-like low kick.
COMBATSYS: Charlie blocks Rose's Medium Kick.
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Rose 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Charlie
An interesting technique, one that probably draws some oohs and aahs from the audience; Charlie is impressed--he's never seen cloth do that before.
"I need to get me a shawl like that," he whistles--but he's not distracted enough to -not- defend against the attack, right forearm coming up to absorb the kick, though it stings a little thanks to Soul Power. Charlie moves in, hoping to catch Rose while she's recovering, hammering out with his left fist for a jab at the psychic's gut.
COMBATSYS: Charlie successfully hits Rose with Quick Punch.
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Rose 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Charlie
Rather unlike Charlie, Rose is very adept at sucking up damage; her primary strategy is usually to get the heck out of the way. The problem is that Charlie's punch comes in at a rather speedier clip than the psychic is expecting and her sidestep isn't quite fast enough. With an oof, Rose drops back a few steps, having taken the knuckles in the side from her aborted dodge. "Not that it seems to be doing me much good at the moment," she says, with a trace of good humor. She's taken worse, after all. Rallying, the psychic spins back around, heading back to Charlie and hoping to simply get a palm right atop his sternum; if she can, the psychic simply flicks the air force commander away, using psychic power to make the barest of throws into something much greater.
COMBATSYS: Charlie Toughs Out Rose's Soul Fade!
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Rose 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Charlie
Up, up, and--back down to earth! Charlie doesn't even try to get away from that.... and it's an amazing ride. But what he does do is prepared for the landing; he hits on his shoulder, tucking into a ball, and rolling forward slightly before springing up in front of Rose. This close, he grabs for Rose, intending to wrap his arm around her neck and hit her with a few knees before using the grip to toss her away. It's brutal, and quite probably Charlie would feel bad about even trying it--if Rose didn't just show him an immense sort of power just then.
COMBATSYS: Rose endures Charlie's Knee Gatling.
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Rose 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Charlie
Now that was unexpected. Rose has seen people charge through her attacks before -- lord knows Vega did in her fight with him -- but in those cases people were at least a little slowed down. To Rose's (not entirely unpleasant) surprise, Charlie just shrugs the entire affair off as if it never HAPPENED, and thus the psychic is off-guard when he comes in for the repeated knee strikes, gasping as the first few land home.
However, Rose's mind works fast, and more to the point she is an expert at mind-over-matter. Thus by the last few times Charlie's knee comes up into her stomach, Rose is actually subtly inching forward, getting in nice and close so that when he finally lets go of her neck, the psychic is already crouched and ready. "Excellent!" she notes, but doesn't waste more time on compliments; instead, she snaps her shawl upwards, intending to launch Charlie into the air and send a surge of Soul Power, manifesting as familiar blue flame, through him in the process...
COMBATSYS: Charlie endures Rose's Aura Soul Throw.
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Rose 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Charlie
However, the psychic doesn't stop there. Once Charlie is in the air she leaps up after him, literally catching him with one hand and then simply redirecting him off into the distance, adding another burst of blue psychic flame in the process. "Soul Throw!"
Once again, Charlie doesn't seem to want to defend--recognizing the sped at which Rose attacks he shifts his thoughts from defense to how best to handle the situation. He's uppercutted upwards--and then thrown back down to the ground in a burst of energy and pure physical impact. And it hurts, oh by god yes it hurts. But he's rolling right afterwards, kipping back up to his feet, and now he has a response primed. His hands glowing with energy, his life power concentrated into these two fists of his, he lashes them out at Rose, flinging scintillating, spinning scythes of energy at Rose, left, right, left, right, left.
"SONIC... BREAK!" cries the man, his chi-amplified voice shaking some trees as he fires off the attack.
COMBATSYS: Rose blocks Charlie's Sonic Break.
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Rose 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Charlie
Typically, Rose is the "get out of the way" type, not the "sit there and take it" type. However, the speed of Charlie's attack is not in the "get out of the way" range. Instead, the psychic again breaks out the charged shawl, holding it in front of her like a narrow shield, letting the rapid scythes of energy burst on it, a combination of the effort and the splash damage causing some particular pain but nothing near so bad, Rose recognizes, as just taking them on the chin would.
Breathing heavily, the psychic stops for a moment to collect herself, shawl settling once again around her shoulders. "Excellent," she says again, in deference to Charlie's strength. "A well-rounded and capable fighter, just as I would have hoped." And then she's dashing in, whipping out a quick punch to Charlie's stomach, a haze nimbus of Soul Power crackling around her fist like controlled lightning. "It's not over yet, however."
COMBATSYS: Charlie endures Rose's Jab Punch.
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Rose 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Charlie
The punch comes in and Charlie grunts as the combination of Soul Power and woman's fist hit him in the stomach. But one of the fundamental techniques taught by the Special Forces is when and where to absorb damage to get a tactical advantage. Obviously, if something's lethal, you get the hell out of the way. But this punch won't be lethal.. and taking it gives Charlie the chance to reply in kind, whipping his left hand out to try and tag Rose in the head with a hook punch.
COMBATSYS: Rose fails to interrupt Quick Punch from Charlie with Soul Drain.
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Rose 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Charlie
The head, not so much. Hope to catch Charlie by surprise, the psychic suddenly flips herself forward, hoping to arc over Charlie's punch and catch him around the collar for one of her signature psycho power-enhanced throws. Sadly, it doesn't work out that way; his punch catches her in the stomach as she flips, sending her backwards through the air with a "Whuf!" as she just barely catches herself before hitting the ground. The psychic is looking a little tired, in fact. "A little careless of me," she admits, frowning.
Charlie watches Rose's landing, noting her weariness; he doesn't drop out of stance, but he doesn't come in at her again, just yet, either, wanting to give her a chance to recover, if she wants, for a moment. It has been a surprising and thoroughly enjoyable match on many levels, for the ex-Air Forcer, and it shows on his face, in his expression.
COMBATSYS: Charlie takes no action.
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Rose 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Charlie
Rose isn't particularly enjoying herself, but she doesn't really enjoy fighting for its own sake. Still, she looks, if not happy, at least pleased with the results so far. Charlie is every bit the challenge that Chun-li was, and that fact is more thrilling and more pleasing than any fight could ever make her on its own merits. "You needn't do me any favors," Rose says patiently, also not moving but instead drawing on her own inner reserves, bolstering her faltering physical power with spiritual energy from within. "I can guarantee you that Vega would show no such quarter."
COMBATSYS: Rose gathers her will.
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Rose 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Charlie
Charlie wasn't trying to insulting, he hopes Rose doesn't see it that way.
"Very true," he replies, "but then--perhaps that's something that separates you and me from men like him." He doesn't say that, were this a fight to the death, he -wouldn't- be giving quarter... that's a given. But this isn't, and so he does.
"I hope that rest was enough," he says. And why? Because here he comes again! Once more on the attack, he lunge-dashes the short distance between himself and Rose, kicking out at her shin, an attempt to disrupt her concentration.
COMBATSYS: Rose interrupts Light Kick from Charlie with Soul Fade.
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Rose 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Charlie
When she wants to be, Rose can be particularly speedy. This is, in fact, one of those cases. She drops out of her building of power almost instantly to reach out and literally snag Charlie's foot with one hand, holding him fast for a moment. "The other thing to bear in mind is that, with fighters such as ourselves, no simple action is ever what it appears." And then with a flick of the wrist, she simply lets go of the foot, directing Charlie's momentum elsewhere and using Soul Power to tack on even more. Sure, stopping a powerful kick with your bare hands sounds easy, but in fact it hurt like hell... not as bad, however, as the maneuver she just tried will hurt Charlie, though. One hopes, anyway.
Oh yes. Yes, it hurt. Not just physically, too; Charlie's still seeing sparks afterwards, blinking rapidly to try and regain his vision. "Heh," he replies, "seems so." Underestimating Rose? Maybe, but Charlie wouldn't think of it that way.
"You're every bit as good as Chun said. Maybe even better." Having been foiled like that once before, Charlie isn't eager to have it happen again, and so this time he pauses, but to renew his studies of Rose's attacks and defenses.
COMBATSYS: Charlie focuses on his next action.
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Rose 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Charlie
It's not as if Rose is sitting there fresh as a daisy. In fact, she looks particularly exhausted; she's been trading blows with Charlie for what feels like forever, despite the fact that this fight has been, comparatively speaking, pretty short. The outside world as only seen the blazingly fast thrust and riposte, which is why many of the nearby children are cheering.
"You honor me. But I am not your real challenge." Setting her left foot forward slightly, Rose sizes up Charlie. Like a samurai movie, the conclusion will be decided in an instant. And then, suddenly, she lashes out with the scarf, which snakes through the air with blistering speed, intending to simply smack Charlie a good one right in the gut. "Show me your true strength!"
COMBATSYS: Charlie interrupts Aura Scarf from Rose with Step Kick.
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Rose 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Charlie
True strength? True spirit. Words he's heard from not only Rose, but Ryu, and recently. And it seems Rose is serious about it, so Charlie will rise to that challenge.
"Very well!" he cries, in response to the challenge, and he steps in, arms snapping down to deflect the scarf away from him, leaving Rose open for one of Charlie's trademark techniques--a simple, but brutally efective, stepping side kick that takes the woman right in the gut.
Well, if this were an anime Charlie would have busted out the Kamehameha at that point and blown Rose, the now-outclassed mentor character into dust. As it stands he just plows through one of her more powerful strikes and smacks her in the stomach, sending her stumbling backwards in pain she can no longer block out. Exhausted and bruised beyond measure, she's almost done.
"I will address... your greater issue now," the psychic says carefully, while she gathers herself for some kind of counter assault. "Your crisis of confidence is not unique. Chun-li asked it, perhaps, more succinctly than you. She asked: 'Can I do this?'" Perhaps those words will resonate with Charlie somewhat. "She wondered if she had the power. Do any of us? The answer to your 'crisis of confidence' is not in your own power, which you trust. It is in your worry about your allies, your men. Like a good commander, you are afraid of hurting others. You wonder, 'Can I do this on my own? Can I protect people that I care about alone?'"
And then, with the last of her strength, the psychic flings out her shawl once again, the purplish sphere of Soul Power -- the very last of her reserves -- lancing out at Charlie. Slower than normal, but still a force to be reckoned with. "Answer me. Will you fight alone? Or will you recognize your true strength, as a man? As a leader? As a friend?"
COMBATSYS: Charlie overcomes Soul Spark from Rose with Sonic Boom.
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Rose 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Charlie
Honestly, Charlie would feel bad about hitting this woman. If she weren't so goddamned tough. And if he hadn't sparred with Chun-Li numerous times. So the feeling is there... if not quite as strong as it might be. Rose's speech goes well-heard, and well-considered; he's thinking about it, nodding to himself. Chun does have a way with words, and Rose has stated his problem quite succinctly.
"There are things we all have to face alone. Enemies, situations, crises. And once, long ago, I thought I could take on the world by myself. But I know better now. I fight with all my strength because to do less would be an insult to my friends, my colleagues, my family, my -self-." With every word, he sounds more and more sure. "They are my strength, as I am theirs."
And that, perhaps, is the answer he was waiting for. The projectile from Rose--still potent, if slower than before--is met with Charlie's own force, once more, and this time he smashes through it, dissipating it, sending his own projectile back at her. No shouted attack this time... just after he releases the Sonic Boom, he falls to one knee, fatigue burning through his muscles and veins.
COMBATSYS: Rose fails to reflect Sonic Boom from Charlie with Soul Reflect.
[ \\\\\\ <
Charlie 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Rose can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ <
Charlie 1/-------/=======|
[OOC] Rose has 4% reserve left. Hahahahahahaha.
[OOC] Charlie says, "Wow."
Rose makes a token attempt at curling her Soul-charged scarf in front of her to either absorb or reflect that incoming energy, but while Charlie might not know it, the emotional power of self-confidence adds something to that attack which people other than herself might not notice, and so her fatigued attempt at defense is too slow; she takes the attack on the chin, and while the damage itself isn't particularly great, it's enough to bring the fight to a close, the psychic dropping to one knee and clinging tenaciously to consciousness.
"Most impressive," she finally says, voice quiet with exhaustion. "My 'victory'..." and the fingerquotes are audible "over Chun-li was by a hair's breadth. I am glad to find both of you who oppose him such powerful, skilled fighters." And here she pauses to hold a hand to her chest for a moment, regulating her breathing, before she speaks any further. "And perhaps, in some small way, this last exchange will serve as a more tangible reminder of the transience of your 'crisis of faith'."
Charlie pushes himself up onto his feet again, staggering a bit, almost as if drunk; but he's a wee bit better off than Rose is, so he offers her a hand up. It's the gentlemanly thing to do, after all.
"It's true, we are both powerful and skilled," and he doesn't say it to be tooting his own horn; it's simple fact, "but strong allies--strong of arm, strong of heart, strong of conviction--are always appreciated. As I appreciate your willingness to spar with me today, Rose. I will remember this exchange. And I hope that we are able to call each other ally--and friend."
Interestingly enough, Rose was the one who particularly didn't give her hand to Chun-li after their fight, trusting the tai chi fighter to get up on her own. Yet at the same time, she recognizes Charlie's attempt to courtesy and thus takes him up on the proffered hand, slowly pulling herself standing. Apparently already on the road to recovery, she seems to be alright on her own once she's actually up.
"I am glad that I was of some assistance to you both," the psychic says earnestly, despite her almost perpetually neutral-looking demeanor. "I cannot say we will tread the same path in our opposition of Vega. Your reasons for fighting against him and his organization are very different than mine. And before you ask," she adds, cutting off the possibility of further questioning, "the topic is rather personal. Perhaps someday, if the time and situation warrant it, we can discuss it then. However, as people with the same goal, we are all allied in opposing Shadaloo. Strength is nothing without power of the heart. Remember that, for your true heart is your most powerful weapon against him."
A nod. It's the best he could hope for; Rose seems intent on walking her own path, and who could blame her? Her investment in fighting Vega -is- quite a bit different. Still--Charlie fixes her with a brief, intense look.
"Just don't forget, Rose, even if you wish to walk your path alone, you -will- have allies should you need them." He is confident in thinking that either he or Chun will always be available should the psychic need assistance.
"And I won't forget what you've said, and what you've shown me. Thank you, again, Rose." And, with that, he's preparing to leave--having been too long from his job and his Vigilantes, by far. He favors Rose with a grin. "We'll have to try it again sometime. Maybe a League fight." And then he's walking off, heading out of the park, towards the car he brought... which will lead to the airport, blah blah blah red lines getting drawn on a map and cue the John Williams music.
Log created by Rose, and last modified on 20:20:16 12/15/2005.