Description: WELL IT'S SOME KIND OF BEATDOWN. Ash: HAA~AAY~ Shenwoo: FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT Iori: Whatever. Iori (five seconds later): GUUUUOOOOOH. That's a pretty appropriate summary!!
Winter still settles it's cold grip over the city of Southtown, bringing with it today a chilling and constant breeze that rustles through the deathly thin branches of the trees. Southtown's Park is all but abandoned today, though it's more likely due to the fact that night time has already begun to dawn upon the city. The swell of gray clouds hides the starts about, and later on in the day, the slow descent of snowfall begins to cover the park in a thin sheet of dirty white. It's cold, it's wet, and it's night time. It's not the most perfect winter wondrland of settings.
Which is all too likely why the park is almost entirely abandoned today, and also likely the reason why Iori Yagami has found this place to be a comfortable locale to settle into and relax for the rest of the day. He has finished training for the day -- and finished venting at least a small bit of his frustrations on punching bags that he imagines in the shape of one Kyo Kusanagi. Now? Now is for that rare sliver of time where Yagami can relax. Undisturbed.
Of course, there's a reason why these events are rare.
Iori Yagami, last heir to the Yagami Clan, finds himself standing in almost the dead center of the park. Leafless, despairing trees decorate the premises around him, giving a very cold and empty feeling to the night. Iori likes it. He prefers it, mainly because others don't; and that means he can be alone with his thoughts as he stares up into the cloudless sky, completely unpeturbed by the cold and the snow. Today's been a relatively good day. So really, what Iori is waiting around for... is whatever exciting and /unique/ way it's going to be ruined this night.
For a while now, the man who calls himself Shenwoo has been laying pretty low. What's he been doing? Nothing in particular, really. Spent some time back in Shanghai, argued with his roommate/moocher Ash... The usual really, except that he hasn't spent any time in the past few weeks beating people up on television. In fact, he's been pretty well behaved on the whole 'violence' front, which is kind of strange for him. Or maybe he just hasn't fought anybody worth noting. Today, though? Today was errands. Things to do, people to see, gambling winnings to collect. And, since it's always a good idea to bring backup when you've got bookies to deal with, Shen brought Ash with him.
Sure, sure, the Frenchman might not /look/ like much, but when does that mean anything in Southtown?
But now they're on their way back to the apartment, since Shenwoo knows full well that Crimson loathes being out in the cold no matter how well he might bundle up. And, as it happens, this is supposed to be a shortcut, going through the park. The only problem being, it's actually not that short at all. Or maybe Shen took a wrong turn while he was distracted by Ash's bitching. The point is: They've been out longer than they were supposed to, and they're walking through the park, it's getting darker and colder and, of course, Shenwoo and Ash are walking directly towards Iori. "Nah... It's this way for sure. And c'mon, it ain't that cold out. It's gotta get way colder in Europe or wherever." Geography is not Shen's specialty. Punching people is.
"Oh, ooooooooooh!" Ash croons sarcastically, his breath misting past slightly parted lips, "Haven't you been saying that for the last hour? And look where we've wound up." The lean Frenchman just hunches his shoulders, chin and mouth soon hidden behind his brilliantly red scarf. "In the middle of a frost-bitten park, that's where! We could've been home before nightfall, or maybe you should have just left me alone in the first place. I was /quite/ content." Ha ha, how the smaller man goes on. Crimson is seriously bitching up a storm here, but he's EXTREMELY annoyed, and feeling a bit like a servant besides. Being out in the cold plus dragged about for the sake of someone else's agenda? Makes Ash a tad touchy. Just a bit. Teensy, really. Shenwoo is supposed to be dragged around for HIS agenda!
Clutching a still scalding hot coffee in his hands, it's not as though the fruity flamewielder possesses any interest in the drink itself, but the way it heats up his chilled fingers, his palms reddened. He steps lightly through the snow as it falls around them, movements graceful despite it being cold and wet and so deeply uncomfortable for him. The only thing that distracts him from his complaints is, intially, the thought of getting some sort of revenge on the stupid barbarian for all of this. Especially for getting them lost! But as the trudging continues, his keen blue eyes spot that distinctive shock of red hair, which gives him another, welcome distraction. Of course, he recognises Yagami right away...
There are a lot of things that annoy the last Yagami heir. One of them is, obviously, Kyo and anything or anyone associated with Kyo in any way -- which covers a rather broad list of things. Another is having his peace and quiet interrupted, something that's already happened once this weak. And a third... is a rather distinct voice that, to him, sounds like nails scraping against a chalkboard. Especially annoying is the person that voice belongs to.
And it is as Iori's head lifts towards the sky the he hears that voice. That annoying, grating voice that can only belong to one man.
"... Crimson."
The name is positively spat out as brown eyes turn to stare at the approaching duo. While Iori takes note of Shenwoo with a frown, his focus falls upon the platinum blonde shivering next to him. And that is what really makes the Yagami's expression take a distasteful, yet somewhat amused, note. Now isn't this unique. The first person to disturb his peace and quiet is someone /looking/ for Ash, and then next one to do it... is Ash himself. Funny. But it pisses him off.
Still, Iori practically dismisses the man with a soft, "Che!" On any other day he'd probably grind Ash's face into the ground on sight, but -- as Ash hasn't (yet) done anything to incite him, and as Iori is in a relatively complacent mood, all he does is shove hands deep into his pockets, and promptly, perhaps rudely, turns his head and back to the duo. He's in a lenient mood today. But no doubt Ash could crumble that in a heartbeat.
It's true, Ash can be quite annoying! In fact, Shenwoo's probably the only living human being who can stand his company for extended periods of time... And even the brawler has been known to get irritated with the Frenchman. Often, even. But as Ash is basically Shen's only friend, well... He's built up a certain immunity to Ash's irritation abilities. Maybe that's the real reason he gets into so many fights with people? Right now, though, the tall blond man heaves a grumpy sigh at the shorter fighter's sarcasm, rolling his dark eyes. "Tch," he says, in almost the exact moment as Iori makes that dismissive curse.
And then, catching up with the rest of the class, Shenwoo notices that Ash has noticed somebody. And been noticed in return. "Hmm?" the berserker murmurs, scrubbing a gloved hand through his hair as he tilts his head to one side. Oh hey, it's Yagami. And he doesn't look too happy to see the pair of them... Which Shen immediately, and quite rightly, blames on ol' freckles. "...Hey, Ash, what'd you do to piss /him/ off?" he asks, none too quietly and sounding distinctly amused. Of course, it must be Ash's doing, right?
Aw, but Iori... Didn't you go out of your way to warn Ash by proxy about NESTS? That was clearly an act of LOVE, so how can you say that on any other day, there'd be some grinding of the Frenchman's face into the ground on sight! Clearly, denial isn't just a river in Egypt. Besides which, it's Crimson himself who owes the Yagami scion a beating for that one incident many months ago, anyway. Despite his often careless dismissal of things which others would expect to bother him, Ash hasn't forgotten his moral victory that day, and he certainly hasn't forgotten the redheaded man's cheap shot at the end of that little encounter. It took place in this very park, even... And at the memory, the weird flamewielder's thin lips curve into a sly smile that can only mean one thing: trouble.
As the heir to that cursed Yagami legacy has clearly taken notice of his presence, Ash is rather tempted to just march on over there, but before he can, Iori turns his back to them both. ... Wait, both? Oh, Shenwoo! You're here still, ha ha ha. Blinking those blue eyes of his he looks over to the brawler, acknowledging his existence and the remarks with the slight canting of his head to the side. "Saa, who knows." Ash wonders outloud, mysteriously, giving one of his trademark non-answers. Then suddenly, carelessly, the lean, freckle-faced fighter allows the cup of CAFFIENE GOODNESS to slip from his fingers, letting it hit the ground and pop open, spilling steaming hot coffee on the wet, dirty snow, and he decides to act on his whims instead of just continuing to follow along in the Shanghai-born mutt's wake. He's a great friend, huh? "I'm bored, and cold. Perhaps Iori Yagami can provide us with some entertainment, and god only knows you haven't seen a worthy match in months." He's flippant and dismissive, but inviting Shenwoo to help in a round-about way, should he so wish. Besides, he does have a reason he's not mentioning: Payback for that cheap shot from before, and for having attacked him by surprise in the first place! "I do so enjoy running errands," Ash then decides, and his hands ignite with green, bubbly flames... HEADS UP, YAGAMI! He's tossing some of that stuff right in your direction, and at the man's back, too! Honour? C'est la vie, Ash was probably born without it anyway; besides, turnabout is /always/ fair play.
COMBATSYS: Ash has started a fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Iori has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Ash 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Iori
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Iori
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Iori overcomes Rapide Ventose from Ash with Yami Barai.
- Power hit! -
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
Now, see. Iori was in a good mood. He /was/, being the key word there. Ash showing up unexpectedly, and perhaps even coincidently, has soured the Yagami's mood yet not completely ruined it. He's still content enough to just spit out Ash's name, turn, and walk away. Hands shoved deep into his pockets, head dipped low, the stoic and unpleasant Orochi-tainted youth begins to simply walk. But even as he walks, he can't help but hear Ash's annoying voice. Shenwoo, he could care less about right now; but Ash has always been bothersome, hasn't he?
He walks. Black-clad feet crush against the snow-covered earth, gait slow and calm. The sound of the coffee cup hitting the ground goes unheeded. And even as green flames bloom from Ash's hands, it seems that the crimson-haired man doesn't even notice. How arrogant. How sloppy. How--
"How stupid do you think I am?"
Though his back faces the lance of green flames, the air around Iori begins to glow with a faint violet hue. From beyond his broad shoulders, the tongues of purple, cursed flames can be seen springing forth. And then... "What kind of ARROGANT TWIT ARE YOU?!" Iori suddenly WHEELS around, his gaze narrowed and right hand consumed by flames. It snaps forward, high into the air -- yet his attack is not necessarily airborne. Exploding from the ground is a gout of purple fire which completely consumes and melts away at the snow beneath the trio. It screams straight towards Ash, crashing into and dispersing the green bubbleflames he so callously flung at Iori before heading for a straight beeline towards the pale-haired fighter. He wants a fight? Well, he'll get one. A very painful one.
Shenwoo might not have much of a head for subtleties, but there are certain things he /does/ get. And what amounts to an engraved invitation to fight Yagami? Boy howdy is he gonna take Ash up on that. The flames consuming each other are a secondary concern for the berserker, whose broad slash of a mouth pulls into a wide, wolfish grin. Purple flames destroy green and keep heading on towards Ash, while Shen starts running directly at Iori, heedlessly, headlong, careless of any possible danger. "He's right, it's been a while since I've had any fun," the berserker says, dark eyes alight with an almost mad glint. A fight, a fight! And he /knows/ Iori is strong. Stronger than himself, certainly.... But when has that ever stopped Shen?
"SO MAKE IT FUN FOR ME, OKAY YAGAMI?!" the self-styled 'God of Battle' roars, glee mingling with fury as he throws himself forward, his speed surpassing that he could manage running, hair and shirt and jacket trailing behind him as he leads with his right arm... And then throws out his left fist, clenched tight, metal ring leading in his distinctive rushing punch, aimed at the redhead's face. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Ash with Yami Barai.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/----===|
Unless required, it's not very often that Ash will initiate a fight, especially against a superior opponent... But the moment those violet hued flames burst forth, he has no regrets. Even if it was a whim that overtook him, this sight is a beautiful thing that makes it all worthwhile! Hungrily, the clash of fire is observed, and he predicts the results long before the conclusion. His expression twisting into something equally mad, watching as the gouts of burning pain are rushing headlong for him, and then... Ha ha, Shenwoo, you're so ridiculously predictable, but it's a good thing the brawler is just that. Ash can always count on his happy punching meatsack to go rushing into a fight to deliver a beating on his slightest suggestion, though sometimes it winds up with those fists being turned on him. If it comes to that, the flamewielder can deal with his friend, no worries.
Ash's eyes are alight with joy: Yes, Yagami. Make this fun for the both of them. He lifts his hands again... Closer, closer... Soon the flames are right on top of him and Ash battens down the hatches, throwing a wall of flames in front of himself... But he's made the terrible mistake of underestimation, a very rare occurance for someone who makes a point of being so cautious, and as the flames crash through the barrier, the only thing he can do is shield his head with his arms when they impact. It burns, and leaves his coat smoking, the tail ends of that red scarf just ash. At least... he's kinda warm, ha ha ha... Ow. Arms somewhat shaky, they're lowered and the Frenchman swears softly in his native language before he's suddenly cutting straight through the snow in a run, like a smoking black cloud with platinum hair, and closing in on Iori not too long after Shenwoo should. Moving gracefully, with a deceptive laziness, he snaps a hand out, hoping to catch the Yagami scion offguard while he's busy dealing with the brawler. Those long fingernails, meticulously tended to, are going for blood...
COMBATSYS: Iori endures Shenwoo's Gekiken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/----===|
[OOC] Nanako says, "hard/core/"
COMBATSYS: Iori interrupts Quick Punch from Ash with Yumebiki.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-======|
Ash underestimates Iori in more ways than one, but he'll find that out soon enough. Though the Yagami's face takes a disinterested stare, there is rage that dares to pass the teetering edge with just the simplest of pushes within those dark eyes. The flames that burn across his hand are quickly snuffed out with the clenching of a fist, even as Iori's lips pull back into a sneer. "You're starting a fight you can't /handle,/ ass, so why don't you just run along with your tail between your legs? You're good at that." The scathing commentary is spat out at the red-clad Frenchman even as those purple flames crash into Crimson without mercy. And it's there that Iori finally smiles. Arrogant shit got what's coming to him --
--But he's not the only one Iori has to worry about. Staring almost blankly as Shenwoo speeds across the distance between them so rapidly, Iori can do little more than frown at the other man. "This isn't your fight. But if you wanna get involved..." And then, that fist comes stabbing at him in time with Ash's rush. Iori's lips peel back into a look of rage, and he /stands his ground./ "... I'LL TEAR YOU APART, TOO!!"
Roaring out, Iori takes the full blow of Shenwoo's fierce punch, RIGHT in the face. Yet he only takes a single step backwards, moving with the force of the blow just in time so that when Ash's nails rake, they barely even scrape the surface of his chest. "Too /SLOW/! GUUOOOOOOOOOH!!" Here, let Iori show you how it's done; his left hand swipes forward, RAKING brutal talons across Ash's chest in a way meant to slice through flesh, and then, in the same movement, Iori SPINS, delivering a brutal -- and intentionally /humiliating/ -- backhand right across Ash's face. "GURRAAAHHH!!" And there it is.
Iori is now officially 'over the edge.'
Rebounding off the impact of his Gekiken, Shenwoo, of all things, laughs aloud in response to Yagami's threats, a harsh bark of mad amusement. And then... Oh. /Ohhhh/. Ash just /ate it/. "Where you lookin', Yagami?" the 'God of Battle' says, somewhat offended that nothing physical came of the threat directed at him. He tugs his gloves a little tighter, before acting again. "BETTER PAY ATTENTION TO ME, OR I'LL KICK YOUR SORRY ASS!" You want brutality? Shen might not claw at people, but he knows a thing or two about being a vicious bastard.
Stepping in, the berserker intentionally tries to force Iori off-balance, long enough to thrust his left hand forward again. But this time, his hand isn't balled into a fist; his fingers are splayed open, aiming to grip the Yagami scion by the throat, hard. If Shen gets that grip, then he's going to lift Iori off the ground by his neck, holding him up as the leather of his glove creaks and his hand clenches on the other man's windpipe, and Shen just... Laughs. And then, presuming everything goes well, he turns and chucks Iori at the nearest tree, because why the hell not? "GO PASS OUT!!"
The tear of fabric, the way his flesh gives way to the nails dragged across his chest... Even with that, Ash can handle this fight just fine, thank you! As Iori spins afterwards, the Frenchman's small eyes widen to their limits and WHABAM, he is bitchslapped so hard that it knocks the smaller fighter off his feet, and he twirls once in the air himself, like the pirouettes he so often uses in attacks, before crashing into the snow a few feet away. The cold chills him right to the bone as it seeps into his fresh wounds through the damage done to his jacket, but he doesn't stay there long, much like any smart individual would. However, he certainly doesn't run with his tail tucked between his legs either; were Ash going to flee, he'd do it in a much more dignified manner than that.
Hands finding a place in previously packed snow, he pushes himself up from his laying chest-down position, leaving blotches of red behind in his wake. Ugh, this better not scar, and just to check the depth of the cuts, Ash's hand is brought up and brushes over the damage. A sharp sting of pain courses through him, and he jerks his arm away, palm covered in crimson that the flamewielder simply stares at blankly before, well... Have you ever seen blood evaporate?
"Ha... ha ha..." Laughing breathlessly, the eldest of the fighters present climbs gingerly to his feet, gouts of flame issuing forth from his slender fingertips. "Ha ha ha--" Ash makes a face, then brushes his tongue over his dry lips, finding /more/ blood. Go figure, he did get struck pretty hard across the face, but all his teeth seem to be intact, just a split lip is all. Those small pupils narrow even further; oh his poor, precious visage, how DARE the Yagami scion strike his face... But the redhead looks to have his hands pretty full with Shenwoo, so Ash just... continues to pour his power into those strange flames. Soon, they climb all up along his arm, surrounding him, filling the darkening night with sickly green luminescence, and he gathers his will in the center, all of his energy, gritting his teeth together so tightly that his jaw begins to ache, but smiling still with that bleeding split lip. This is the face of a very pissed off Ash Crimson.
COMBATSYS: Ash gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/----===/=======|
COMBATSYS: Iori dodges Shenwoo's Kyakuten Touchi.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/----===/=======|
Better pay attention to /Shenwoo/? The look the rage-filled Iori gives the 'God of Battle' or whatever the hell he liked to call himself is something akin to 'are you on crack?' The tall man's form is tense even as Ash flies through the air, even as a bark of laughter escapes him at the pale-skinned Frenchman's expense. Shenwoo may be brutal, may be insane, but then again -- the same could be said for Iori. Which is why he knows that the Shanghai fighter is rushing at him again. Gaze snapping towards Shenwoo as he steps in and goes for the grasp. His response is simple --
"Tch! You want attention!? FINE!" He simply... steps to the side.
Of course, it's not as simple as all that. Shenwoo comes fast, but instantly Iori is moving to the side, pivotting on his right foot to let Shenwoo stagger to the side of him. This, hopefully, sets the man slightly off balance and sets up for Iori's counter assault. One hand cocking back, the red-headed Yagami heir swings forward, intending to strike Shenwoo painfully in the gut. If it connects, it's followed with lightning-fast speed by an uppercut with his other hand, accompanied by a roar of, "I'LL PAY ATTENTION TO YOU!"
COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Shenwoo with Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/----===/=======|
Now, most people would probably be upset, having an attack dodged like that. Most people are not, however, Shenwoo. The brawler's expression seems to /brighten/ when Iori gets out of the way of his grab, and the blond-haired Chinaman is indeed left off-balance for Iori's own attack, though he makes no effort whatsoever to avoid it. He gets hit in the gut, and then uppercutted, staggering backwards. "Hahahahaha... THAT'S GOOD!!" the berserker declares, suddenly righting himself. "Keep it up! I WANT TO ENJOY THIS MORE!!"
Showing more of that characteristic disregard for his physical well-being, his dark eyes quite wide, the self-styled 'God of Battle' lunges forward at Iori again, trying to grab him by his stupid red hair. If he manages that, well, anybody who's ever seen Shen fight knows exactly what's going to happen; he's going to yank Iori forward by his hair, while simultaneously throwing himself head-first at Yagami's face. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Oh snap, it's the legendary HEADBUTT, which Ash himself has been on the receiving end of, once upon a time. It was followed up by this brutal headache that lasted a couple days, too; the Frenchman was not a fan. The brawler's got a skull made out of granite, and it's even filled with rocks, making for a double whammy of cranium pain. Unfortunately though, the white-haired freckle-face doesn't have a whole lot of patience right now to admire the barbaric technique, because a certain thought crosses his mind, soon overwhelming even the idea of payback: They can't lose this fight. Why? All will know when he wins! And of course Ash at least gives the fact that Shen is attacking some ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, a faint narrowing of his eyes, but beyond that... eh. Nothing.
The flame surrounding him intensifies in the night, glowing brightly, and then he begins to extend one arm... Sure, his roommate's in the way, but Ash knows that the bonehead will either get the hell outta there, unless he's dumb enough to wind up burned. He really doesn't care much at all that his friend is an obstacle in getting to Yagami. Soon, the outline of green is directed to his hands, and the Frenchman releases a large crescent of bubbling emerald flame, swinging his arm widely. He follows the motion up with a second without even a moment of hesitation, and with the other gout of fire smashing into the first, they merge together and rip across the short amount of space between the flamewielder and the fight. Snow instantly melts below, wet grass is suddenly dry, and then... Ash does makes with a deceiving, casual fingernail check, holding his hand up towards the sky and examining the polish for any chips. He's got to be careful of them, you know!
COMBATSYS: Iori endures Ash's Ventose.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Iori interrupts Strong Punch from Shenwoo with Strong Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 1/---====/=======|
Now it seems Shenwoo has the focus of Iori's rage and bloodlust, anger twisting a sadistic grin across the red-haired fighter's lips as he simply PLOWS his fists into the Shanghai warrior. Sending the God of Battle tumbling, Iori's hands splay out to show off that dangerous set of claws he sports. His grin is wild, unstable, and the feeling around him simply PULSES with animosity. And yet, Shenwoo still looks pleased, in a sharp contrast to the Yagami's anger-born sadism. And just as it seems that Shenwoo is coming at him with that legendary, thick scalp -- simultaneously, Ash sends a bright gout of emerald fire straight towards them. And instantly does Iori's grin broaden.
"BRING IT ON, PRICK!"
Iori doesn't even BOTHER moving out of the way of Ash's assault. In fact, he let's it engulf him, laughing the entire time as flames obscure his form and burn at his clothes. And almost instantly... the Yagami SPRINGS out of those fires, bringing his head crashing /right/ into Shenwoo's. The sheer force simply negates most of the power the God of Battle had behind his thrust, as Iori's headbutt overpowers the other man. "GUWAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!!" But he doesn't stop there. As soon as the first smash of heads finishes, Iori follows up with a second, more brutal assault, head rearing back to SMASH right into Shenwoo's nose with terrifying force.
It's brutal indeed, Shenwoo headbutted in return once, and then again; there's the sound of cartilage breaking, and blood streams down the brawler's face as he staggers back from that vicious hit... But pain? Doesn't register to him at all. "Heh," he laughs, flashing a big, toothy grin at Iori through all the blood, as it runs between his teeth, down over his chin, spattering onto the dirty snow at his feet. "Isn't this great?" Shen wonders, gleefully. "It's been too long! Too long!" And then he reaches up, to set his nose back into place, which is probably kinda gross. Oh, Shenwoo.
"Now I'm gonna bust your ugly face in," the 'God of Battle' says to Iori in the exact same tone of voice, extending his right fist, thumb down. And then he moves so fast, the eye can scarcely follow him. His tall, lean body blurs as he launches himself at the Yagami scion, blood trailing in the air behind him, his left fist once again flung forward, energy focusing there, creating an expanding shockwave that surround him, which he plans to hit Iori right in his, well, 'ugly face', along with that beringed fist. "SHYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
Just stand there then, Iori. Burn, whatever. Really, it suits the Frenchman just fine, that particular turn of events... And speaking of the freckle-face, while all of this is going on, what's that guy gotten himself up to? Well, he's still quite busy making sure his nails are fine. Don't get me wrong though, Ash /notices/ what's happening with Shenwoo after his flames disperse on the Yagami scion's form, but he hardly seems to pay attention to it at all. Especially what with the brawler eventually righting his broken nose; and then, there's that surge of power from his friend... That makes Ash smile a little. "Hmm, maybe I should step things up a little too..." Of course, that was honestly the plan all along, because Ash is playing this game with every intention of winning.
The emerald flames, dancing and weaving between his fingers, have not yet been extinguished, and the lean fighter approaches the other two men at a casual pace over the snow. He still keeps SOME distance from them however, but the reason for this is that... There's something he'd quite like to show you, Yagami. Without getting slapped like a bitch out of it. God help Shenwoo if he doesn't get out of the way, because Ash is reaching for the black sky, and suddenly he's surrounded by flames, as if lighting HIMSELF on fire. It's just like when the flamewielder had gathered his power, but different in many ways as well... This, for instance, is like a wall. A pillar of emerald fire, surrounding him, engulfing him, tendrils of smoke rising from the grass that burns underfoot, snow evaporating instantly, and it climbs upwards, past his hands and higher. Ash then lowers his hands, and as he does so his platinum blonde hair lifts, a rush of noise filling his head and the air all around him. He gazes out through the green straight at Iori, a sickly glow cast upon his alabaster skin. It's a penetrating stare, but strange, and those eyes of blue... are no longer blue at all. They're red. Red as blood. Red as the fires of hell.
Crashing forth from his impressive pillar of power, the fire around him goes on a crazy, sporadic foray, gushing out in some places, wrapping lovingly around the Frenchman in others. Moving with his will, unnaturally, impossibly, it lashes out in a vicious torrent to consume Iori, to wreak as much havoc, pain and agony for the man as possible, should it even strike, while Ash watches on with those inhuman eyes...
[OOC] Iori says, "Well gawrsh!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Iori with Zetsu Gekiken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Ash successfully hits Iori with Sans-Culottes.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
So lost in the fray as Iori is, he's completely forgotten the main target of this little battle -- the one that currently seems to be gathering power for something painful. Dark eyes narrowing, it seems Yagami's focus is entirely on breaking Shenwoo apart, piece by piece. Something he's going to pay for soon enough, but first -- he has an angry Asian man rushing at him fist first with a burst of chi to accompany it.
Perhaps arrogantly, Iori seems intent on just doing what he has been doing the entire fight -- taking the hit like a man. Yet he miscalculates the fierceness of the blow, and as soon as it strikes, Yagami finds himself /staggering/ backwards, blood flying from his nose and mouth from the strike. Yet, despite the blood, the most it seems to do is just make the man /angrier./ And just as he is about to rush towards Shenwoo, he sees it.
A giant pillar of fire aiming to consume him viciously.
Surprise seizes hold of Iori's face for a split seconds, before he makes a single dive. He's too slow this time around, though; consumed in the Frenchman's vicious chi-born fire, the Yagami heir howls. Perhaps in pain, but then... there's more RAGE there still than anything else. It burns at skin and clothes, until finally it begins to dissipate...
... and a maddened Iori Yagami comes rushing at Ash with undeniably swift speeds, aiming to bring raised claws straight down across the other man's face. "GUOOOOOOOOH!!"
COMBATSYS: Ash just-defends Iori's Ya Otome!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
[OOC] Shenwoo says, "O W N E D."
Once again, Shenwoo rebounds off the force of his rushing punch, recoiling from the redhead who's staggering back. /That/ makes him feel better. A little satisfied. "Isn't it great?!" the tall blond asks of Yagami, whose expression suggests that maybe - just /maybe/ - he doesn't quite share Shen's idea of fun. However, there are bigger concerns for the brawler to deal with, such as: Not getting set on fire. His eyes widen a little as he /feels/ that emerald flame attack coming from behind, and he dives to one side with a loud curse. GOD DAMMIT ASH YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WARN HIM. However, it seems that Iori is not so lucky.
And plus, he's going directly for the Frenchman.
It's a pretty good run Iori puts on, but the 'God of Battle' just grins. "Heh, like Ash would lose to something like that," he says, mostly to himself, shaking his head... And then he's suddenly rushing forward as well, going after Iori's exposed back. Getting close, he drops into a baseball slide, heedless of the damage this might do to his clothes - he's rich, what does he care? - and aims a really painful looking heel kick at the back of Iori's knee. "NOW GO TO HELL!!"
But while the flame eventually lifts from its assault against Iori, the luminescent green chi gushing forth from Ash does not cease. It's drawn in towards him instead, and the oncoming advance is observed with a chilling, sinister look. The red eyes remain, at least up until the cursed heir of the Yagami clan rakes through the emerald wall with his hand, aiming right for the Frenchman's face. Young Crimson waits a split second longer, just long enough that he's quite certain a point has been made, before snapping out. All it takes is a blink, then red is replaced with blue, and he seizes Iori's hands forcefully, denying him the hurt he had been intending. A surprising feat, for someone of Ash's size and stature, halting Iori's ferocious attack so handily.
Using the Yagami heir's inertia to draw him in, no, Ash does not kiss him, but moves to the side, close enough that he can at least whisper something in Iori's ear before pushing the larger man away. Visible chi gone, bubbling away into nothingness, the Frenchman himself hops back with a bright smile, though it's devoid of any real warmth. "You will lose, Iori Yagami." His voice is soft, low, and hardly musical at all. Though it's clearly Ash speaking, it certainly doesn't sound anything like his usually annoying, upbeat and whimsical tone. "Just like you lost in the tournament." Ahahaha, adding insult to injury, the white-haired fellow laughs merrily before he has enough of the charade. He's seen and felt enough of the Yagami's power to be sufficiently satisfied for today, and was even disappointed by the end results. That's it? Shen certainly is right, like Ash would lose to something so pathetic.
Taking a hop and a neat little jump forwards to reach Iori again, despite having just moved back, and noting the brawler seems to be going right for the redhead's back, Ash is in the air, cutting through it with an overhead swing, aiming the nastiest punch he can possibly manage right for Yagami's bloodied mug. Clearly, Shen and the Frenchman are really the team you DON'T want to mess with. Geese Howard himself can probably even attest to that, not that his pride would ever let him. IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE CHEAP AND DON'T FIGHT FAIR... But they work together. Sometimes.
COMBATSYS: Ash successfully hits Iori with Messidor.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Iori interrupts Fusen Kyaku from Shenwoo with Oniyaki.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > / ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Iori
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Iori can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/------=|
Something so PATHETIC? Iori is hardly surprised to find that his attack has been stopped; he's too far gone into a berserker rage to care anymore. The swing of his hands is stopped preemptively and held, but he hardly even stops to consider what that could mean. Instead, his stare focuses entirely on Ash, with a look that promises only pain. Maybe not now, but next time? Next time they meet, Iori will make sure there's no little friends around Crimson to help him out. And then they'll play. By Iori's rules. Of course, his gaze doesn't get all this across. The main point is this: RRRRRGGHHH KILL KILL KILL.
And as that whisper drifts into his ear, he blinks. It's not a look of surprise, again -- instead, it's simply a blank look before he is pushed away, staggering backwards as blood oozes from his wounds. "..." A blink. And his response? He lifts his right hand up, presenting Ash a clear view of his middle finger. "You think someone as pathetic as you can take anything from me? Go to hell!"
Lose? "Heh, you think it matters? Your attacks are /weak/," He spits the words out, and he says it truthfully, too. He's been hit harder, faster, and more ruthlessly and he still comes back tearing through. Ash can't hold a candle to the pain he's gone through. "Next time..." He inhales, "... when you're not with any cronies... I'll tear you a new one. Understand?" But Iori has an ace up his sleeve that even Ash probably couldn't predict.
Which is exactly why Iori doesn't even move as that punch comes for his face. Head knocked to the side, Iori's resolve keeps him standing firm and tall... with a brutal and vicious smile on his lips. "... Elisabeth." He speaks, a simple word. "Sound familiar?"
But, perhaps conveniently, that's about when Shenwoo comes his way. Sliding across the ground, Iori pays no heed until the last second -- and that's when he swoops down, turning to face Shenwoo fully so that his foot hits the front of Yagami's leg. "Ha... get... THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY. GUOOOOOOOH!!" Leaping, Iori's clawed hands burst into flames, smashing into Shenwoo's face and body viciously as he rises sharply into the air in a sudden double-helix of physical pain and corrupted, violet flames. The attack is meant to knock Shenwoo through the air, so that Iori can stagger off. He's beaten, to be sure, but not nearly to the point of collapse. And, instead of explaining his /own/ cryptic comments... Iori just walks off, to leave Ash and Shenwoo to tend to their own injuries. He's in pain. Next time around...
... he's going to pay Ash back in spades.
WHO'S A CRONY?? Shenwoo is not a crony! He's a sidekick! Still, the blond man is more focused on the act of trying to kick Iori's knee into next week than he is anything else, so really, he misses the exchange - the threats, the being called a crony, and the E-name as well. Plus, that's about when his foot impacts Iori's shin rather than where he'd planned, and /then/ gets grabbed and set on fire and flung through the air. And that kinda hurts. Grunting as he hits the snowy ground, Shen rolls over his shoulder to end up in a crouch, but... Yagami's walking off. Hmph.
"Tch, and I was just starting to have fun, too," Shenwoo says, getting to his feet with only a bit of a wobble. His nose has already stopped bleeding, though now he's got some burns and other crap to deal with. Still, his dark eyes turn to Ash, a bit curiously. "Feel better now?" he asks the Frenchman. Maybe this will keep him from whining until they get home! Shen's... Probably gonna need to sleep all that off, impossibly tough lunkhead that he is.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/------=|
Pfft, he's not scared of you and what little you know, Yagami... What very, /ridiculously little/ you know, even. If only you could realise that... And don't make such rude gestures! Given how little light there is, Ash can /barely/ make it out anyway, not until he's nearly on top of Iori, but still. Hmph! Because of that, this victory will be even more satisfying... Perhaps even vindicating! And there's the sweet feeling of impact, but the fact that Iori just feels like standing around, instead of making the slightest attempt to block or avoid it, doesn't provide him with much enjoyment.
It's terribly convenient, how Shenwoo comes their way right then, because while Ash would certainly like to thrash some information out of Iori about the French noblewoman from his not too distant past, he'd really rather save face instead. Dignity is a very important thing to Ash, sometimes the most important, and with the distraction his friend provides, it's ample time to school his expression into... something that looks a little less like complete surprise. Luckily, Iori is allowed to leave without further incident, even with his promises of payback; they've met on one on one terms before, and if he needs to put the scion through another emotional wringer, Ash has no objections to obliging. He's not scared, of the Yagami scion or anyone else, but that potential confrontation really isn't the foremost thing in his mind, either. As the brawler addresses him, the Frenchman's head turns sharply to his friend, and he gingerly covers the wound on his chest. Horray, congealed blood. "Obviously not." there's a cold twist to his lips, interruption only lasting a brief moment, "Let's go, there should be some bandages and ointment back at the apartment." The way home, Ash Crimson's mood is decidedly foul, though it's not of the whiny variety... More a silent, contemplative one, where he just tells Shen to shut up every time the barbarian opens his mouth.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Ash has ended the fight here.
[OOC] Ralf moons the camera.
[OOC] Ralf t('.'t ) "VIVA LA REVOLUTION"
Ralf heads northeast into the Business District.
Log created by Iori, and last modified on 09:20:54 02/18/2007.