Neo League 351 - #352: Shermie vs Shinobu

Description: Never count Shinobu down until the very end! Shermie even gives the girl a new nickname. (Winner: Shinobu)



There is a stairway. A brisk breeze. A small leaf growing on a tree. And a Shinobu, sitting crosslegged at the top of the stairs. She exhales sharply, and then opens her eyes, looking up. "Ahhhh... I can't do this forever! Man, Sakura-sensei sure gives some annoying exercises." Springing to her feet, she does some quick leg stretches.
It's nearly evening, and the sun filters brightly through the trees, creating high contrast between the stark light and thick shadow. While not quite sunset, it's clearly going to get there soon. Swinging her arms around as she does some twists, Shinobu continues her warmup in anticipation.

Shermie knows the language, but she doesn't always remember to reverse the family name and given name. As she walks along the path towards the shrine, she recalls what she was told by the students at the school. That the girl she's looking for was going to train, that she had work to do. Luckily, there were few 'perfect' places in Southtown to train, and the shrine was the easiest to check. When she sees the girl, she waves a hand, manicured nails sparkling in the slowly dying light. "'allo! Shinobu Ootsuka, in the league, yes?"

She starts up the stairs before the answer is given, boots clattering on stone as she takes stride after stride, the leather miniskirt creaking and stretching as she steps towards another soon-to-be fight. At least, what she hopes is one. "Ready to protect those precious points you've been hoarding?" It isn't about the points, really - no, Shermie just wants to /win/, the last few fights having been rather disastrous for her and her ego. Such is the fate of someone who fights on will rather than skill, yes - of course, Shinobu may know more about that than most!

Shinobu swings her arms to to fro, and blinks, looking down towards Shermie from her high ground. "Hoarding? All somebody's gotta do is challenge me.", she answers, touching her chin thoughtfully as if that statement were more a puzzle than a challenge. "Well, whatever!" Raising her fist, she grins, saying, "But it's not about protecting anything, I just want a good fight, okay?"
Bounding down the stairs in several hops, and comes to a halt, flailing for a moment as she loses her balance, quickly regaining it. "But I might mess up those nice clothes if you do! I hope you don't mind..." She beams, and giggles a little as she rubs her neck self-consciously. "I won't hold back!"

There's a laugh then, and then a nod. Shermie's used to coming on strong, she has to with so many 'big, tough men'. To have someone laid-back like this, well - it's a change, that she's trying to get used to. "Just have to challenge you..? Alright!" She finishes her way up the staircase, stopping at the top step, looking a little winded, but nothing serious. She holds out a hand, and offers a smile that might meet her eyes, if one were able to see beneath her bangs.

"They're tougher than they look, promise." she says, giving a tug on the jacket and then dropping the hem of the skirt down a milimeter or so, just enough to emphasize the toughness of the leather. She doesn't take up a 'stance', per se - instead, just holding a hand out in a vague 'ready' position. "And.. the name's Shermie, just in case. I don't think I'm quite famous enough yet.. But maybe this'll help!"

COMBATSYS: Shermie has started a fight here.

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Shermie          0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Shinobu has joined the fight here.

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Shermie          0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Shinobu


Jogging up back after to keep pace, Shinobu skids at the top of the steps, hopping back. "Okay, well... here we go!" She ducks down a bit, cupping her hands together before whipping out her left hand in an underhand motion. As she does so, the shine of a blue bubble can be seen in her hand, and it wobbles a bit as she flies towards Shermie. Hit or miss, it's got an explosive burst of fluid chi, giving it a bit more 'bang' than its cute appearance might suggest. As it flies, she throws out a couple of quick punches, shadowboxing as if to try and make sure Shermie doesn't think of closing in with her right away...

COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Shermie with Petite Pop.

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Shermie          0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0          Shinobu


"Alright!!" Shermie tosses her braids back behind her as Shinobu prepares, and as the chi-ball runs her way, she tries to slide around it and close in with Shinobu. Sadly, the 'pop' part catches her off - guard, the bang and explosion knocking her off-balance and sending her to a knee. She doesn't have access to those kind of tricks herself, and being caught by one so easily makes her grumble under her breath. Think good thoughts, Shermie. Think happy thoughts, don't get mad...

Hard enough to do when your blood tells you to take every fight seriously, but you don't have the skill to do so. Still, there's only so much a person can do! From her kneeling position, she lurches forwards, trying to eel inside those shadow-boxing sorts of moves, and if she can, get a hand on Shinobu's shoulder. "Let's see how you play in close!" she exclaims!

COMBATSYS: Shinobu fails to interrupt Spiral from Shermie with Quick Punch.

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Shermie          0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0          Shinobu


Eel, eel! Shermie dodges one or two of those attacks, and manages to get her hand in Shinobu's hair. As soon as she does, she leaps upwards, landing on the girl's shoulders with her knees. She bends over, her head upside down in front of Shinobu - (How do her bangs hide her eyes in this position!?) and she grins. There's a wrenching twist of her body, and she flips the girl away from her, landing on her feet nearby!

Though she continues to whip out punches, Shinobu's timing is off the mark. She flips over, crashing down on the stone courtyard before the old shrine, and kicks up a puff of dirt and dust as she does so. Slowly, though, she gets up with a "Atatata...", shimmying the cloud of particles away.
She looks around, having gotten turned away from Shinobu. "Ninja technique?", she muses softly before finally swinging around to face Shermie. "There you are!", she says, and then waves a bit, as if greeting somebody rather than facing them to the... point loss.

Meanwhile, Shermie's actually planning on following up pretty quickly - she's not going to let up for a second, and if she can keep Shinobu on the ropes, all the better for her. "I just go with what works, you know? I hope your neck's okay!" She tosses a playful salute as she does it, a teasing little motion before she gets back down to business!

She grins again, almost a predator's smile as she starts forwards, lunging out with a swinging kick, aimed at her standing opponent. It may cause the skirt to ride up, but it's not like this is an SNF or anything where there are cameras - and really, Shermie has no shame. No shame, whatsoever! Once the burning in her blood takes over, well - she's out to win.

COMBATSYS: Shinobu endures Shermie's Light Kick.

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Shermie          0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0          Shinobu


The kick goes up, and Shinobu blinks, the kick cathing her in the side... and then she grins widely. Apparently, she doesn't mind the pain. "You're gonna have to hit harder than that, you know!" And with that, she rears back, throwing out a fierce rabbit punch, swinging her fist high and then down at Shermie in a distinct lack of refined technique. No, what Shinobu's going for is pure power, trying to batter Shermie whlie she's still getting her footing after her kick. Quite careless of her, but quite dangerous as well!

COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Shermie with Strong Punch.
- Power hit! -

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Shermie          0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Shinobu


Really, dangerous moves win fights! Or lose them - it's kind of a either/or situation, and in the end, there's no real way to tell which way it's going to go down until it's far too late. Shermie is in the midst of trying to stay in close, thinking that if she does, she'll be able to avoid the worst of the chi-blasts that she got before, only to er.. take a punch right in the center of her chest. She gasps for breath, shocked and stunned for a second, then closing her own hands into fists. If the girl can give, the girl can take - right?

"Hit harder?! Got it!" With that, she takes her own carelessness, reaching for the outstretched hand as she tries to follow up with Shinobu, swinging her hands around in an attempt to flip Shinobu up and away, giving her an additional bit of impetus and momentum, possibly even towards those stairs! This'll show her! Or leave Shermie wide open for whatever comes after. Oops!

COMBATSYS: Shinobu blocks Shermie's Shermie Shoot.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Shermie          1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1          Shinobu


Though she's thrown, she isn't exactly punished. Flipping away, Shinobu lands on the stairs feetfirst, narrowing her eyes as she skids down a stop. Her feet and ankles feel that impact, for sure, but... she's still up. Tough for a girl her age, that's for sure.
Then, she ducks down, slamming her fist into the stair... and raises it slowly, a bit of gravel falling from her knuckle. Then, after a slight delay, there's a *crack* sound as the stone splits, and she raises her fist in challenge. "That was pretty good! But you better look out now... I'm ready this time!"

COMBATSYS: Shinobu gathers her will.

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Shermie          1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1          Shinobu


Tough indeed. Too tough? That remains to be seen! Shermie is pretty tough herself, no matter what her reaction to that sternum punch might be. No matter! She's psyched up, and eager - ready and able to try and take the other girl down a notch. As she stands on the stair, even - this should be a unique and fun situation.

"Ready, huh? You'll have to be fast - because I'm even faster!" With that, she starts towards the girl as she raises her fist, and Shermie's leg whips out again, in a feint. Should she manage to draw Shinobu off-guard with the fake kick, she'll latch the back of her knee behind Shinobu's head, and then use a body twist to fling her down the stairs. Sure, it means that Shermie's probably going to take a tumble too - but is that /really/ so bad when she's trying to take an opponent out?!

COMBATSYS: Shinobu endures Shermie's Fast Throw.

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Shermie          1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1          Shinobu


Though flung, Shinobu's tumble is brief, as she impacts, bounces once, and then hits the ground as hard as she can. The impact reverses her momentum, sending her up into the air and flying back towards Shermie again. She brings her fist back in midair, trying to pound Shermie right in the chest with a loud kiai of "WaTA!"... before she rises full. There's momentum added to her swing, as she tries to drive her opponent into the stairs and possibly back off her feet again with the forceful attack.

COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Shermie with Strong Punch.

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Shermie          1/------=/=======|=======\=====--\1          Shinobu


Repetitive, monotonous - and simple. Shermie's grimace isn't nearly as strong this time as that fist comes in again - battering through her defenses easily, but only knocking the woman towards the stairs, trapping her against the stone, and forcing her to take the brunt of the impact. She rolls to the side as she recovers, leaning back against the stairs.

"Is that all you know how to do?" she scoffs, returning to her feet and using the height advantage of the stairs to give her a bit of an edge. She grabs a piece of stone in her hand, and chucks it at the girl - not enough to knock her back, probably - but certainly enough to give her pause. This isn't playtime, and her blood's reached a near-fever peak, urging her into rash motion. She's holding off still - but just barely.

COMBATSYS: Shermie successfully hits Shinobu with Thrown Object.

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Shermie          1/-----==/=======|=======\======-\1          Shinobu


"Eh? No...", Shinobu says with a blink. "There's... ah!" The stone rebounds off her temple, and a trickle of blood slips down as Shinobu narrows her eyes as she raises her hand, popping her knuckles with flexes of her hand. "You wanna see something cool?! Well..."
Then, with a slight hop, she drops into a crouching position, watching Shermie with folded hands. Resting her chin on her fingers, she goes still, as if watching Shermie for a vital moment, a weakness. But she's entirely silent and still, as if waiting for something to happen now.

COMBATSYS: Shinobu focuses on her next action.

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Shermie          1/-----==/=======|=======\======-\1          Shinobu


"...That's not very 'cool'." Shermie, of course, knows all /about/ cool. She wrote the book, one might say. She's aware enough of 'cool' that she's more than able to be considered an expert on the subject. And this, no - this sitting around and waiting is not cool /at all/. Instead, it's boring, frustrating, and pushing the red-headed woman into a relative froth of anger, much like someone else who carries the Orochi taint. Hers is pure though - a impulse which drives her into acts of insanity, eager willingness to throw herself at an opponent over and over. And so, when the opportunity arises, well - she'll take it!

Shermie dives towards Shinobu, though she keeps the move high - she tries to wrap her arms around the other woman's waist as she does, to use the momentum of her tumble to drag Shinobu with her, and then to increase the speed, and chuck her to the ground below. It's not the smartest plan, it's not the best plan - but by gosh, it's going to be the plan that Shermie's going to use!

COMBATSYS: Shermie successfully hits Shinobu with Shermie Whip.

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Shermie          1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Shinobu


Shinobu is ground hard, breaking a step or two another along the way as she rolls down a few steps. Unsteadily, she rises, wobbling a little, and then rushes at Shermie. As she does so, she snatches up a heavy piece of a broken stair, and leaps up into the air. The whole thing has 'desperation move' written all over it. "Earth... fist!", she cries out, giving the thing an impromptu name as she tries to bring the block down on Shermie's head. It may not be stylish... or subtle... or skilled. But it's a rock, dammit, with all the force that might imply.

COMBATSYS: Shinobu has reached second wind!

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Shermie          1/-----==/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Shinobu


COMBATSYS: Shermie interrupts Random Weapon from Shinobu with Lightning Leg Lariat.

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Shermie          0/-------/--=====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Shinobu


Nuh-uh.
No way.

This was /over/. This was /done/. Shermie worked /damn/ hard for that win - she knows just how hard that she has to fight for these things - and she /won/ those, fair and square. Shinobu getting back up was and is /not/ part of the picture.

As the giant piece of stone is brought back up, Shermie's eyes focus on it through the blur of her bangs, and something inside her snaps - something very angry, something very old, and something that wants to prove that it's the strongest force out there, no matter what breaks in the shell it's currently in. "WHY.. DON'T YOU STAY DOWN!?" she snarls, running /into/ the stone, shattering it as fingers resembling claws reach out and grab Shinobu by the throat and heave her upwards. She won't hit the ground without incident, either - Shermie's /right/ there, a crackling blaze of chi exploding in a blast of lightning as she catches Shinobu right in the stomach with her knee, wrapped in blue light. As she lands, she's crouched, feral - no woman, just an old beast. "... STAY DOWN."

Beaten and battered, Shinobu takes what might normally be lethal in and of itself. But she's determined, and even if her body continually reminds her of just how much it'd rather lie down for a good scream, she won't have any of it. She gets up, wobbling a little. "I can't... because..." She grins cheerfully, despite Shermie's anger. After all, she's seen this frustration often enough, and she won't let it ruin her moment. "Because I haven't shown you my cool thing yet!"
Crouching over, Shinobu gathers up her power in both hands, making another small bubble. But then, with a "Hahhhhhh!", it swells to the size of a soccer ball, spinning as its suspended between her hands. Thrusting it forward with both hands, she calls out, "Here it is!", as she rushes forward with the last of her speed. It's a bit of a stumble, but hit or miss, the result is largely the same.
The detonation that follows actually causes smaller trees to buckle, a explosion of watery chi flowing outward and then splashing down like a wave, leaving a huge mist behind. Shinobu is, indeed, thrown down and falls down the stairs, rolling over and over with the recoil of her attack. But what of Shermie...?

COMBATSYS: Shinobu has reached third wind!

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Shermie          0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0          Shinobu


COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Shermie with Final Finish.

[                          \\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Shermie          1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0          Shinobu


They say that water and electricity don't mix. When one's not natural to a host body, and the other's a violent attack from an opponent, the situation is very much true. As the explosion of water smashes into Shermie, she stumbles down to the ground. She doesn't have the stamina to get up over and over like a god-damned Weeble, and as she hits the stones, she is only barely able to get to her feet. It doesn't hit as hard as it could, but it's still enough to feed the inner disgust at not being willing to fight as hard as the girl.

Drenched, like a cat who has just gone through the 'wash' setting at the local pet salon, Shermie gets to her feet. She follows forwards, trying to grab Shinobu around the middle. If she can, she might /just/ whisper a 'well done' into the girl's ear, all the while lifting her up and suplexing her /again/ and /again/ and /again/. That is, of course, if her legs can get her that far. It's going to be a close thing!

COMBATSYS: Shermie can no longer fight.

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


COMBATSYS: Shinobu dodges Shermie's Shermie Carnival.

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


Shinobu watches Shermie come down the stairs at her, and then... she spins, twirling away. If Shermie's well enough to see, it's the sort of evasion one might expect from herself more than Shermie, as if she's mixing in her opponent's footwork with her own. Granted, it's not as graceful, as Shinobu's heel hits a branch, she pinwheels... and then falls back on her butt, wincing. "Atata... ah..." She starts to get up again, but it's a trembling, precarious motion. "Ah, you're a lot stronger than you look.", she says, and nearly falls down again. "Ow..."

".. So're you, Weeble." Shermie's found her new name for Shinobu. There's a tired smile, and a slight shrug. Apparently Shermie needs more work, more effort and more practice. In the end, well - it'll all come down to something she doesn't have right yet, and she may never get. She'll go lick her wounds, and walk away another day. And maybe, just maybe, she'll find a way to control what she's lost. And her temper, because right now, she's barely hanging on to it. It's not that important a match anyhow, right? Right.

Log created by Shermie, and last modified on 05:43:13 04/06/2007.