Description: The Neo League HOT SPRINGS episode! Sakura in a tiny pink towel! Acacia in...a wetsuit! A wetsuit? Yeah, well. She's shy like that. But Sakura's got no qualms with teasing Acacia or the fans. In more ways than one. (Winner: Acacia)
Southtown is super cold this time of year, what with winter being in full spring. It's usually fairly temperate, but a few parkas have been sighted, and it's generally not a good time to be walking around in tanktops and cutoff shorts. Ditto with Seattle, home of the Masters Arena and the production team for the Neo League.
What better way to spur on TV viewings and DVD sales in a sluggish winter than by filming summer scenes in steamy Papua New Guinea? And a hot spring may be a bit of an unusual location for a fight, but that's one of the things that makes the Neo League fun for the audience, right? Even if a few of the audience members are -in- the hot spring, and the fighters themselves aren't. Underwater battles can get a bit difficult to wage, after all.
What may -not- be surprising is that Sakura Kasugano is -not- in her standard uniform -- the one she's worn to most Neo League fights thus far, and indeed, -all- of her professional fights otherwise.
She's wearing a pink bath towel, barely big enough to keep the schoolgirl decent for the cameras. Barefoot, bare-fisted, with only the long white headband as an allusion to her usual fighting outfit. She doesn't seem shy about it though -- her face -is- red, but that's more from the steamy hot spring waters than anything else.
She pads barefoot down the wooden walkway, cameras turning to follow. She -does- have a pair of vambraces in hand, though -- pale red ones that she straps on as she steps to the center of the wooden boardwalk. She offers a conspiratory smile to the camera, along with a rapid-fire wink -- clearly hamming it up for the home audiences here.
Ken Masters is probably sleeping on the couch once Eliza catches wind of this.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Acacia has joined the fight here.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
But at least Sakura seems to be enjoying herself. She's probably getting a kick out of this, looking pretty for the camera.
At least someone's enjoying this.
Because, y'know, Acacia isn't.
The other girl's nowhere to be seen. For a few long moments, Sakura's the only one on the boardwalk, with no trace of her opponent...well, aside from the muffled sounds of argument coming from the changing rooms, voices yelling from the wooden huts just off-camera.
Presently, though, Acacia does emerge. And /her/ face is most certainly red, and /not/ from the heat. That's quite a feat, considering her brown complexion. Blushes shouldn't be -visible- on her face. But this one is.
And she's not even in a towel. She's not even in a swimsuit. No, she's in a black and green /wetsuit/, the kind surfers wear, with abbreviated sleeves just below the shoulder, and legs to mid-thigh. Compared to Sakura's little trick with the bath towel, that's nothing.
Acacia still seems...mortified, though. Stiffly, she marches onto the boardwalk, bare feet padding against the wood. She stops, across from Sakura, and nods her head. "...hi."
Okay... Sakura's clearly going to be waiting a while here. She takes the time to check the Neo League 'lapel' pins she has holding her towel in place. They weren't all that obvious before, due to the way she was standing, but she's got nothing better to do while Acacia's deciding on wardrobe issues, and may as well do one final check before liftoff (or lack thereof).
But when the girl strides out, Sakura can't help but snicker. The girls' respective choice of apparel is, of course, their own prerogative in such a fight, so it's not like someone put Kasugano up to this. At least, no one -official-. Nope, this was all her call. And she can't help but be amused by the call Acacia seems to have made.
She'd torment her friend, but really, it's too early for that. The Taiyo girl figures that's the most revealing outfit she's ever seen Acacia wear, and it probably took a lot of bravery as it is. So... she keeps the friendly jabs to herself as she strides up to center stage. And notes, simply, "Hi!"
Bowing at the waist, as if it were any other fight, she flashes a smile back to her friend. "Been a while since we fought, hasn't it?" she asks casually, raising her guarded left hand before her.
The referee walks up, allowing time for Acacia's rebuttal before dropping his hand. "Ready? FIGHT!"
And Sakura starts things off as one might expect -- by pulling her hands back behind her, spreading her palms, and forming a bright orb of blue flame. The fireball isn't much warmer than the balmy hot springs, but the real danger is the force packed with in it: "HADOOOOOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia slows Medium Hadouken from Sakura with Mass Breaker.
- Power hit! -
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Acacia 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sakura
"Yeah, ah---" Acacia stammers, then cuts herself off with a scowl, flushing even further. She doesn't like to appear indecisive and weak like that, but this whole situation is just -awkward-...who's idea was it to make them fight here...half-dressed...over water...surrounded by nearly naked spectators?
Acacia twitches. Why, oh -why- did she agree to this?
She bites her lip, regaining her composure. But by then, Sakura's already on the offensive. Drawing her hands together and releasing the familiar blast of chi...and without much time to react, Acacia makes a small hiss, twists her body round - and slams one foot into the boardwalk. Her bare heel crashing into the wood - and -splintering- it, a rippling shockwave exploding from the planks, the wavefront meeting the hadouken head-on. The resulting clash of chi energies knocks Acacia back - she was too close - but she quickly recovers herself, shaking her head. "...yeah," she murmurs, with a weak smile, "been a while?"
Not wanting to appear indecisive and weak -- isn't that the mark of a lot of fighters? It could be argued that indecisiveness, though, comes hand-in-hand with unpredictability -- at least, that's the line Sakura tends to keel to.
"I was gettin' tired of winter back home," Sakura admits after her Hadouken clashes with Acacia's charge, slamming into her. "It's nice to be somewhere it's summer again, I say!" She may not be riffing on Acacia, but she's still as loud and brash as ever -- particularly mindful of the audience, both those present and watching at home.
And it's that brash, invasive demeanor that leads to Sakura following up her prior charge by dashing in close, hoping to grab for Acacia's arm. And if she'd manage that, the girl would be jerking it hard to Acacia's right, while simultaneously sweeping her feet the opposite direction for a quick takedown. "Hyaaaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures Sakura's Quick Throw.
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Acacia 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Sakura
"Warmer," Acacia replies, regaining a little of her usual sardonic humour - if not all of her confidence. She gives seemingly no resistance as Sakura grabs her arm and yanks, her legs giving way as Sakura steals her balance. Acacia hits the ground, crashing to the wooden walkway. But as she does, she squirms, lashing a kick at Sakura, one foot towards the other girl's fuzzy-pink-towel-clad midsection.
Still lying on the platform, one leg extended, half-propped up by an elbow, Acacia adds, "...but...do we -have- to wear...so...few...clothes?"
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Sakura with Light Kick.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Sakura
Sakura may have thought herself successful in taking Acacia down, but she clearly wasn't expecting to get kicked in the side for the trouble. She's tried to block it at the last second -- maybe if she'd paid attention to her friend's feet she'd be able to take the blow somewhere other than her ribcage.
r The camera -almost- catches sight of something it shouldn't, as Sakura's knocked to the boardwalk, but the Ansatsuken prodigy's quick reflexes allow her to land in a roll, and spring right back to her feet. "Don't -have- to, y'know... just thought it'd be fun! Besides..."
She leaps forward, leaning back so that she can plant her feet right on Acacia's chest. "What's the big deal?" If she manages to land on Acacia, she'd compress down like a spring, before uncoiling her full potential, grinding her heel into Acacia's sternum as she springboards into a backflip. "HYAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia fails to counter Sailor Shoot from Sakura with Icon of Stone.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
Acacia's already on the ground, so it's not like she can fall any further. Or can she? Sakura's little stomp and leap drives her deeper into the walkway? And how does one get driven deeper into solid ground? By being driven -through- it, the wooden boards cracking and giving way. Acacia doesn't quite fall all the way through, though, but it leaves her lying sprawled, half-slipping into a fresh hole beneath her spine, the wood creaking as she pries herself free. "Nngh," Acacia mumbles, rubbing a bare leg self-consciously as she stands, "'s not...it's not..."
Her fingers brush against skin. Acacia tries to compose herself. It's really not that bad...especially since, with Megumi's help, and Megumi's strange healing powers, Acacia no longer -has- most of the nasty scars she used to be shy about. But still...
"...it's not..."
Acacia stops. She can't exactly say it's not /decent/, Sakura might take offense. Ugh. She settles for shutting up, and just getting back to her feet, getting into the game.
COMBATSYS: Acacia gains composure.
((Ed note: I goofed and did an action after interrupting. I skipped my next action 'cause of this.))
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Acacia 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
So it's about -scarring?- Not that Sakura gains any fresh insight on this matter, as she hasn't been properly illuminated to this condition, but... well, the fact that she's broken boards with Acacia -does- come as a bit of a surprise to the schoolgirl.
Her headband makes a graceful arc as she flies backwards, landing in a low crouch with one hand to the boardwalk, the other to one side. She stares wild-eyed back at Acacia, nodding. "It's... why, is there something to hide?" Sakura asks with a completely guileless expression. She's playing the crowd, clearly... effectively giving Acacia carte blanche to tear into her later, naturally, but despite her friendly tendencies outside the ring, Sakura's not really known for her manners -inside- it.
Clenching her fists, she nods back to Acacia, making sure she can extricate herself from the boards well enough. "I mean, it's not -live- or anything, right?" she asks with an impish smirk.
She holds her ground, though, throwing her hands to either side with a cocky grin. The steam clouds around her whirl into a spiral, before getting forcefully shoved aside by the whipping winds, threatening to rend the pink towel right off the spry schoolgirl. "Haaaaaaaaaaaa!"
And yet... she's not concerned in the slightest. Why -would- she be, considering her usual uniform?
COMBATSYS: Sakura gathers her will.
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Acacia 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Sakura
It does, though, concern Acacia. She visibly -flinches-. Though she quickly suppresses the reaction, it's obvious Sakura's display - and the flapping towel threatening wardrobe malfunction...greatly unsettle her. Twitching, Acacia manages to get into an approximation of her usual fighting stance, feet apart, resting on the wood, legs bent, arms held in a guard before her. But she's...just a little rattled, though trying very hard not to show it.
"No...but...but...aren't you..."
Acacia looks almost distressed for a second. "...worried...dressed like that...on TV!..."
She trails off, somewhat lamely. Cursing herself, scowling, unhappy with how -stupid- she must sound.
COMBATSYS: Acacia takes no action.
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Acacia 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Sakura certainly doesn't -seem- worried about it. If anything, her grin only grows larger at Acacia's discomfiture, even as the winds rush around her.
"What, this?" asks the Taiyo schoolgirl, bringing her heels together for a moment. She reaches for the first lapel pin, unfastening it. "Eh, if it bothered me, d'ya think I'd have picked it?"
The second pin is pulled off with equal ambivalence -- the towel's folds are more than enough to keep the towel in place. Tossing the pins to the side, she offers a wide shrug. "We're in a =fight=, Acacia. Can't be bothered by what other people might like to think about it, now, can we?"
And then she curls her hands up, flashing Acacia another wink as the telltale crackle of electricity surges between her palms. "Just don't let the little things getcha down!" The winds rush around her hands, swirling inward to form a white-hot core of chi between them. The winds pick and pull at the tails of her towel, threatening to lay the schoolgirl bare before the dozens of viewers present. The drama is unquestionable, as the audience collectively holds its breath in anticipation of her sure-kill attack! "Shinkuuuuu..."
And as Sakura thrusts her hands forward, loosing the raging tempest of energy at her easily-embarassed friend, the unspeakable happens as a sheer consequence of Newton's law, 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.'
The towel flies off from the backwash of her enormous, four-foot-wide fireball, leaving Sakura clothed in a smile.
And a perfectly pristine, maroon, two-piece swimsuit.
"HADOOOOOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia blocks Sakura's Shinkuu Hadouken.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Sakura
"GAH!"
As the exclamation leaves Acacia's lips, she throws a hand in front of her face...no, more. She pulls away, fully burying her eyes in the crook of one arm. Crossing the other at the forearm, making a warding gesture. She flinches away, in alarm...
Not because of the hadouken.
Because of the flying towel.
Though it proves to be pretty effective against the hadouken, too. The bright blast of energy splashes over Acacia's form, hissing into the steam rising from the water...Acacia stumbles a few steps back, but seems mostly unhurt, her own chi shielding her in that instinctive moment of pure defensive reaction.
Then she lowers her arm, and risks a peek at Sakura. Then twitches. Once, twice...
Acacia splutters, in a quivering voice, "...you...on PURPOSE..."
Twitch.
"SAA-KUU-RAAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia focuses on her next action.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Sakura
Sakura doesn't often give a smile that's quite so bright in the middle of a fight. As she'd resolved before -- it was =much= too soon to rag on Acacia about her embarassment. Kasugano has a past history of deliberately forcing issues like this in mid-fight, in order to make her point -- it worked with Hinata, it worked against Kyo of all people, roughly a year ago -- and it seems to be on Acacia's radar as well.
The possibility of someone like Mai pulling a similar stunt on her never crossed Kasugano's mind.
Though, in the wake of her attack, the Taiyo student has already started dashing up to attack Acacia. No longer fettered by any need to keep her legs together for sake of appearances, the swimsuited schoolgirl breaks into a full-on run for Acacia -- in fact, =past= Acacia -- as she attempts to catch the girl with a flying lariat.
If she manages that, she'd be swinging her legs on past her, carrying the sturdier girl backwards with a goal of dunking her right back into that hole she'd made earlier. "DOURYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia fails to counter Quick Throw from Sakura with Icon of Stone.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Sakura
Acacia grits her teeth. As Sakura rockets towards her, Acacia attempts to intercept the incoming arm, to turn the move against her friend. But she doesn't -quite- move fast enough. Maybe she's still all-too-distracted by the entire situation. Which is still causing her a great deal of discomfort. The swimsuit's...better than what she feared, yeah, but the whole package deal of this fight, the costumes, and the environment...well...
In any case, Acacia -does- get caught, with a faint choking sound. And tossed, like a big humanoid basketball, through the hole in the walkway. Smashing it -bigger-, in fact, as she crashes all the way through, hitting the water with a big SPLASH and rising steam.
Presently, Acacia's fingers appear, clasping the boardwalk, on one side, as she hauls her head above water, scowling at Sakura.
"No fair," Acacia retorts, looking a little grumpy.
Sakura lets go after her mission of transferring momentum to Acacia is accomplished. She... well, heck, she's surprised herself, here! But at least she has a method behind her madness. Her legs whip to the side, her body twisting to allow her to land low, one leg stretched out as her hands press flat against the boards. They creak lightly, stressed by Acacia's fall but still holding up the light schoolgirl with ease.
"I'm tellin' ya..." she notes, "You can't get distracted like that!" She rises to her feet slowly, mindful of the cameras, and not -quite- shying away from it, this time. But rather than press an immediate advantage, Sakura spreads her feet, palms opening as she steps into a defensive stance, left arm paralleling the boardwalk before her. "It's still the same ol' me you're fighting, right?" she offers in an attempt to restore her friend's bountiful fighting spirit.
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Sakura
Acacia remains in the water, only her upper body visible, neck and shoulders - and the one hand gripping onto the boardwalk. The water isn't that deep, of course, but the rest of Acacia's tangled beneath the walkway, along with bits of floating wood. She gives Sakura a -look-, narrowing her eyes, squinting at the other girl through strands of sodden silver hair.
Then Acacia smiles. It's a very distinctive kind of smile, the sort that says: I'm gonna get you for this.
There's a sudden massive -geyser- of splashing water, as Acacia propels herself upward, blowing the edge of the wooden walkway to brown shards. The reason for that - and the rain of displaced water - becomes evident as she clears the surface. The hand that was underwater, her entire arm, vibrating with Acacia's concussive chi. No glow, just a -blur- so fast it's visible to the eye, distorting the air and producing an atonal wail as Acacia leaps towards Sakura. Her chi-shrouded fist whipping forward.
"RIGHT!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Bonecrusher from Acacia with Large Hadouken EX.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Acacia 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Sakura
Gonna get you? To say the least. Sakura expected -something- to be up, from the way Acacia just starts grinning like a maniac. That's one reason, anyway -- the other being that with as much as Sakura's been able to chip away at Acacia's defenses, it's only a matter of time before the see-saw tips in the opposite direction.
In this case, catching Sakura right under the chin.
Even though she'd had every intention of nailing Acacia with a fireball as soon as she got up, the dramatic manner in which she did so was the unnerving part. She'd expected Acacia to come straight up through the hole. She =didn't= expect death from below. She =didn't= expect a singularity of such massive proportions to sprout up right beneath her. And she was completely unprepared for the sudden flight she'd be taking backwards, her entire body resonating with the signature of Acacia's attack, a vibration she can feel from her head to her toes.
And then she cracks into the rocks surrounding the hot spring. Because she didn't fly -straight- down the boardwalk -- she'd flown off to one side. And crashed into the rock... headfirst.
The splintering crack can probably be heard a few miles away.
Sakura's expression is one of abject shock, as her limbs fall uselessly to the side, her body sliding limply into the hot spring water. Her eyes are all swirly by this point ... and if nothing else, she really =ought= to be dead. But as soon as her head slips under the water, she disappears with naught else but a burbling of water and a few bubbles.
At least it's calm for a few seconds before she bursts her head out of the water, gasping for breath, "HAAAAAAAAAAuuugh!" A few coughs, wheezes, and sputters later, she weakly pushes back to her feet. She's okay, folks. Just... shaken.
Acacia feels a brief moment of guilt for hitting Sakura so hard. She never likes hurting people she actually -cares- about, she always worries about that...but...
...it's only a -brief- moment. Because, frankly, Sakura deserved it. She had it coming, for yanking her around like that!
Acacia lands on the damaged walkway, the abused wooden planks groaning in protest, but bearing her weight. Acacia brushes a couple splinters and flecks of wood from the shoulder of her wetsuit, then turns towards Sakura.
And sticks her tongue out.
COMBATSYS: Acacia gains composure.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Sakura
Y...yeah, okay, Sakura -did- kinda deserve that. She won't admit it, but she won't =deny= it either. Right now... she's just rubbing the back of her head. Taking a vibrational shockwave at point blank range and then being plowed into a rock wall hurt her to the =core=.
And she's not afraid to admit -that-. "Owwie." she states, continuing to rub the back of her head as she regains her footing on the uneven rocks. She hadn't planned for a rock climb, but that's what it takes -- a spider-like climb along the rock face until she can get to a decent height -- at which point she leaps backwards, landing upon the walkway in a low crouch. She rises... slowly. =Very= slowly, as a matter of fact, blinking back at Acacia. "Okay."
One deep breath. Exhale. Then another. Exhale. Then a nod. "Okay." she states once more, extending her palm. It's an Athena Asamiya stance, left hand extended, right hand in a mantis pose near her chin.
"Game on?" she offers with a faint smile.
All is forgiven.
COMBATSYS: Sakura gains composure.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
In a deadpan voice, Acacia replies, "Push play."
She nods, then smiles, a faint grin crossing her face. Then she springs into motion. Her legs flex, muscles tensing, as she pushes herself forward, pounding off from the ball of one foot. She charges at Sakura, flying into the air - hurdling the broken planks in her path. Throwing a tightly balled fist to mark the resumption of hostilities.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Sakura with Quick Punch.
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Acacia 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Sakura
Push play? Well... no better way to resume the fight than with a dashing punch. Sakura -ought- to have a defense prepared -- she's had time to recover, and gather her wits about her -- but the aerial angle is a bit difficult to guard. She raises her arm, but it's a tricky angle, and Acacia's fist clobbers her right in the sternum, knocking her backward a few feet, her stance already -quite- shaky from the numerous assaults. "That was fast-forward!" she quips.
And then she rockets forward, closing in for the kill -- aww, look, it's a bear hug!
Should she manage that, though, she'd try for something a bit more brutal, and highly nontraditional for Sakura -- canting backward to suplex Acacia into the boardwalk again. Experience has shown that the American -likes- stuffing punches, after all. "HNNNNGH!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Acacia with Strong Throw.
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Acacia 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1 Sakura
Acacia seems...somewhat -bewildered- when Sakura grabs hold of her, enfolding her in the hug. She's caught off-guard...literally so, her eyes widening in confusion, her mind presented with a situation it cannot resolve. And so, Acacia is lifted, and thus she is slammed, with an impact that rattles the wooden walkway, shaking it precariously. The spectators watching from within the hot springs back away, even -further-, up to the rocky edges of the pools. Because, really, with the sounds that bridge is making, it doesn't look like it's going to stay intact for much longer.
A dizzy look in her eyes, Acacia squirms out of Sakura's grasp. "If...didn't know better," she wheezes, red-faced, "I'd think..."
Acacia chokes, but forces the wisecrack out anyway, "...you're coming on to me."
And with that, she wheels, rolling into a crouch - and aiming a kick at Sakura, all at once.
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Light Kick from Acacia with Medium Hadouken.
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Acacia 1/--=====/=======|=======\====---\1 Sakura
Well, there was that risk. Sakura basically -has- been showing Acacia different, more playful aspects of her personality than she'd show just anyone. It's not just goofing off though -- there's skill behind her moves, it's just that her moves are a bit more experimental, tentative than she might unleash upon more distant opponents.
Well, most of the time.
Sakura lets Acacia go, bridging back to her feet and whirling back around to face her, her step nimble. The adrenaline's finally doing its job of killing the pain, so she can focus on the fight again. She does crack a smirk at Acacia's quip, but it doesn't distract her from the planned followup -- hands curled behind her, forming a bright blue blossom of energy. Acacia should know it well. And when Acacia whips her foot out, Sakura meets it with a fiery blast of cerulean energy, which not only envelops the kick, but plows through and around it into Acacia. The kick still lands, but Sakura's concussive wave has taken -some- of the sting out of it.
Clearly not -all-, though, as Sakura's staggering backward nonetheless. "Nngh. Maybe I am, maybe not?"
This time, it's Sakura who sticks out the tongue.
Ooh, -sassed-. With a -hadouken-, no less. That's just cruel of Sakura. So very cruel.
It's not a pretty picture. Acacia crouched on the battered walkway, leg extended in a kick - just as Sakura fireballs her at point-blank range. The two attacks collide in a fiery blast of energy. Sakura goes staggering back - but Acacia just -flops- backward, unbalanced, falling painfully on her rear and side. Faint wisps curl from her drenched hair and wetsuit, water flashing into steam from the heat of Sakura's chi. Acacia makes a small hiss as she gathers her displaced body back into some semblance of order. Pressing her hands and knees against the scorched and splintered planks of the bridge, scrabbling back to her feet. She regards Sakura, scowling at the other girl's outstretched tongue.
"...not your type," Acacia retorts, after a moment's pause.
Then, Acacia moves. Once again, she streams forward, bare feet pounding a rapid stacatto on the wooden floor. She lunges, bent, low to the ground - and Acacia sticks her forearm in front of her. Her intent's clear...she's trying to ram into Sakura, hitting her in the exposed midsection with a powerful body blow. Like all of Acacia's attacks, it's not exactly incredibly elegant, and Sakura can probably see it coming from a mile away. But it's -fast-. With Acacia kicking off quick enough that she nearly punches -another- hole through the walkway with the ball of her foot. Muscle power and momentum racing towards Sakura.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Sakura with Stonewall.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sakura
"Aww," is Sakura's disappointed response.
There's better ways to go than being smacked around by a Hadouken -- not the least of which is being crushed in the stomach after snarfing down hot dogs all day. Not exactly the -local- cuisine, but Sakura didn't particularly feel like experimenting.
All that muscle power and momentum hits the girl squarely in the abdomen, despite the girl's best attempt to impose her arms in the way. It's fast, after all... and Sakura really doesn't have much of a chance there.
And so she flies backwards, utterly rocked to the core by the blow, skidding backwards across the boardwalk for a looooong way before finally flipping over into a series of tumbling rolls. Legs and arms go every which way as she spins wildly out of control, though her momentum does fade down, allowing her to roll gently to a stop against the =other= rock wall. That's one long boardwalk to be traversing in the span of a few seconds.
Yet -- as is quite common for her -- Sakura is not done yet. No, she falls over -- onto her hands and feet, like a frog. And from there, she pushes back to her feet, shouting out, "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" as she sprints towards Acacia.
Kasugano's nothing if not determined -- she's literally -glowing- with chi as she races ever closer. Approaching Acacia, she drops into a low sweep kick. Again -- nothing that isn't wildly telegraphed, but considering her fatigue, she can't really afford the energy for a feint. It's all or nothing -- and it's all channeled into what could be her final attack, a whirling buzzsaw blade of kicking fury directed solely upon Acacia's shins and ankles. "YAAA! YAAA! YAAA! YAAA!" And if she manages to land those -- she'd rise to deliver one wild kick to finish it off, practically knocking herself onto her own duff from the massive expenditure. "YAAAAAAAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Acacia 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Acacia counters Haru Ichiban EX from Sakura with Unyielding Stance.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Acacia 0/-------/-======|
Acacia's reaction isn't...nearly as loud. She's not a loud person. She stands her ground, in the place where she stopped after tackle-slamming Sakura. Seeing her friend charge towards her, screaming and ablaze with light...Acacia sets her jaw, closing her mouth in a thin line. She lowers herself in a defensive crouch, letting her own chi subtly fill her body, soaking through bone and whipcord muscle...and meets the assault head on.
The whirling multitude of kicks slam into Acacia's legs...but the smaller girl remains standing, despite the crack of bone. The proverbial immovable object, seemingly unfazed by the abuse. And when Sakura rises in her final kick, Acacia gently shifts her hands, -catching- Sakura's attack by the foot and ankle. Her arms tremble as they absorb the shock...but reduce the momentum to nothing.
Acacia releases her grip...but blinks, when Sakura starts to topple. Estimating that the other girl's -probably- had enough, she moves forward, trying to keep Sakura from falling.
COMBATSYS: Acacia has ended the fight here.
The -best- way to keep Sakura from falling would have been for Acacia to keep holding that leg up. She was starting to get a bit weak, her knee visibly shaking from the suddenly halted momentum, her arms flung out to either side for balance, fingertips splaying out to give her an extra, but nearly-insigificant measure of additional balance.
No, when Acacia lets go, pretty much the -only- way to keep Sakura from falling would be to step forward and sweep an arm under her back.
The position in which Sakura now finds her limp body supported by Acacia is probably summed up best by her weak, shaky response, head lolling to one side to address her opponent.
"... Well, now... aren't you a regular Prince Charming?"
If the smirk across her lips is any indication, Sakura just couldn't resist one more jab.
Acacia flushes red. Again. And, as noted before...not from the heat. Her eyes squeezing shut, her mouth making interesting contortions. She trembles, managing only a few weak sounds of protest.
Until she opens her eyes, anyway.
And her expression changes, into an answering smirk.
Acacia snorts...and then, she slips her arms away from Sakura.
"No," Acacia says.
And, very gently, she gives Sakura a firm -push-.
Bear in mind they're standing near the edge of the wooden walkway, over the main pool of the hot springs. With lots of steamy water behind them.
Uh-oh. Sakura -knows- what that means: the red face, the shaking arms, the weak murmurs.
Knowing what's coming doesn't always equate to an ability to -do- something about it though -- Sakura's taxed herself far beyond her limits, as usual, and... well, she doesn't really have the energy to push herself back to her feet in avoidance.
So she's left to fall, for that brief instant before Acacia shoves her sideways. Her feet scrabble about for grip along the boards, but they're slick from all the splashing. Sakura, once more, gets tossed into the drink.
Her back makes a very, =very= loud slap across the flat surface of water. Her convulsion can be seen just as her body submerges, wreathed with a rather large splash and a storm of bubbles.
She reemerges, spitting up water... but as Sakura's brown eyes cant up to address Acacia, that faint smirk returning to her lips, she can't find herself being upset.
Why? Because she totally deserved that.
Acacia takes a couple steps forward, walking right to the edge of the platform. Any further, and she'd be in the water right alongside Sakura. Acacia's still on dry ground, though...but she squats, bending so she doesn't tower above her half-submerged friend. Making eye contact, she gives Sakura a long hard look, with a frowny face. Raising one finger, Acacia waggles it in the air, like a teacher lecturing an unruly student.
Then she folds her arms in front of her, and...
...sticks her tongue out.
Sakura's quick to dart her tongue right back out at Acacia, never one to back away from a challenge. Especially since that's -really- all she can do at this point.
She -can- raise the stakes though, as she thoughtfully notes: "I still won, though."
Explanation? Slicking her hair back out of her eyes, soggy headband doing nothing to keep the unruly mass under control, Sakura in turn raises -her- finger.
"Gotcha to stop worrying about the folks at home," she points out with a wiiiiiide grin.
You can take the girl out of the fight, but you can't take the fight out of the girl.
Acacia's eyes widen, a look of alarm grabbing onto her face and latching hold. Her mouth opens, forming a small 'o' of sheer unadulterated surprise, and more than a bit of panic. With a faint whimper, she loses her balance - falling backwards, instead of into the water. The jarring -thump- doesn't help her shock. She whips her head round, staring at the TV cameras filming the match...and worse still, the few -spectators- actually in the hot springs.
She'd actually /completely forgotten/ about them, in the course of the fight. But now, Acacia's acutely aware of their presense...and the fact they saw and heard everything.
Oh god.
Acacia buries her face in her hands. "...eep."
Sakura: 1 - Acacia: 0
Winner: Sakura (Moral Victory)
Log created by Acacia, and last modified on 14:35:40 02/23/2006.