Description: Despite some bad luck to start, Gato gets to watch with impressive sang-froid as his opponents beat the bejeezus out of each other. (Winner: Gato)
The lights are all set up. It's needed, for this fight has been scheduled for the night; where the dazzling lights that run the carousel's body can be truly appreciated by the crowd and the millions of viewers at home. Not so much the combatants; some of the lights are damn annoying.
Brass rings are ready to be collected, and the carousel is otherwise empty; the time tolls near, for the live feed to go out across the nation -- across the world. The Saturday Night Fight is due to begin! The camera crews are at the ready. All they need are the combatants...
And there's one of them now! Shingo Yabuki, whose attitude on life is about as nice as the shine of his shoes. Not right now though! He had to trudge through sand to get here on time. Panting, he waves the makeup crew off as he's led through the crowd of onlookers, the spectators who have paid primo for the best seats in the house, beyond the barricade that surrounds the carousel itself. "W-wait, we're fighting on this thing?" he questions the organizers, who rather unceremoniously throw him up onto the ride.
Gripping the nearest pole that runs through the unfortunate wooden horse's body, he glances around. "Man, this is going to suck, I can just tell," he speaks to himself, before sticking his leg up on the nearest horse. Some pre-fight stretches, no doubt! Once all the combatants are gathered, they'll start the carousel.
Gato Futaba is the next fighter to arrive, moving silently through the lit area with a bit of a scowl on what appears to be a bruised face. His silk shirt is nowhere to be seen, the fighter instead opting for some reason to go bare-chested. This of course gives a vew of the bruises and welts that have recently been hammered into his body, and the three long claw marks on his back. Just below the scar is the beginning of a tight wrapping of bandages.
It seems something has happened to Gato before the fight, but after a quick word with the official, he's pushed up onto the Carousel just as easily as the young Yabuki. He crosses his arms, looking at the other fighter for a good long minute before leaning against the inner wall of the carousel. Looking off to the side and waiting for the last member of this trio.
In her last few fights, Luise has had the opportunity to give the audience some sort of performance before the bout. After all, a performer is effectively how Luise thinks of herself: as a fighter, a dancer, a musician, a scholar. However, the amusement park really has no such opportunity, loud and noisy as it is... and Luise herself doesn't appear to be in any mood to perform regardless. Her normally deep, luminous blue eyes are dulled, her carriage reserved and withdrawn. She's had no small amount of things to think about the past few days and it's clearly affecting her.
In fact, one of the SNF crew has to tap Luise on the shoulder to get her attention as she sips coffee from a paper cup and looks off into the distance. Apologizing, she unfolds from her seat and walks to the carousel with grace, if not high enthusiam, and hops onto it with a short jump, looking between Shingo and Gato, trying to take their measure from a glance alone. "My apologies, gentlemen..." she says, trying to smile. "Shall we begin?"
"START IT UP!" an official shouts.
With a lurch, the carousel jerks into action not long after those words leave Luise's mouth. Glad to already be holding onto something, the Yabuki youth turns his gaze onto the other fighters. "Hey," he greets. Should be an interesting mix, he decides. He attempts to focus, to put himself right into the fight and feel the tempo-- when the carousel music starts. It's a small world after all.
"I would've thought they'd have to pay maaaajor royalties for that track," he notes, before dashing those thoughts. Keep your head in the game, Shingo! A quick glance at one of the overhead cameras shows a blinking red light. "Looks like we're good!" he advises the others, giving them a thumbs-up -- and then hightails it in the other direction, moving away from his opponents, running past horses as he hastily moves to tighten his headband.
COMBATSYS: Shingo has started a fight here.
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Shingo 0/-------/-------|
Gato's reaction to the cheerful tune's leap into life is, quite frankly, not much of a reaction at all. He looks towards the hastily travelling Shingo once, and then back towards Luise, before he closes his eyes, and continues to rest against the inner-wall of the carousel, reaching his right hand up to grab the brass pole that impales one of the gaudy horses through the back.
He collects his thoughts for a few moments more, before opening his eyes and letting go of the pole. He quietly and swiftly slides into his kenpo stance, ready for his opponents. Clearly Gato is not much of a man for smalltalk.
COMBATSYS: Gato has joined the fight here.
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Gato 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shingo
Lucky for her, Luise has excellent balance, because the lurching of the carousel is not kind to people without it. She doesn't necessarily 'retreat' like Shingo has, knowing that there's not really anywhere to go. She does, however, forego her typical fighting pose, a sort of floating hover that keeps her off the ground by an inch or two... combined with the spinning of the carousel, that's probably not a good idea.
Without Shingo to focus on, the dark blue gaze fixates on Gato. The main radiates an aura of disinterest and calm competence... it's impressive, and intimidating, much as he likely intends. But to Luise's mind it also signals someone who has never had fun fighting in his life... and that type of fighter is very different from who she is. Shingo is a concern as an opponent... but Gato is her man to watch.
COMBATSYS: Luise has joined the fight here.
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Gato 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/-------|
Hey now! Watch Shingo too! While he may indeed appear to be running away, in truth he's just making his way right around the carousel. On his way, he leaps up to collect a brass ring from the top -- but otherwise he continues on as the carousel spins at a decent click, and all of those horses move up and down, gathering his thoughts.
Give him a moment or three, and he'll be back around the other side, ready to pound someone in the face!
COMBATSYS: Shingo focuses on his next action.
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Gato 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/-------|
Gato, in his stance, begins to let his sandals fall silently on the base of the carousel, sending him running towards Shingo with swiftness. It seems like he's decided to be the first to take the offensive, as he hops onto the back of fake horses, before closing the distance and grabbing another one of those impaled poles.
He let's momentum swing him around the thin rod, and kicks out at the young Yabuki, once more with an empty silence. It's almost as if the strong looking-man is miles away somewhere.
There's a certain resistance to fully get into this fight just yet on Luise's part, and tactically speaking it's to her benefit to consider for a moment what type of fighter both Gato and Shingo are. So rather than assaulting either one, she hangs back, observing their strikes and defenses, trying to move with the carousel but not necessarily hiding behind any of the horses. She notes both fighters' use of the environment, filing that info away and promising to use it herself.
The truth, however, is that much of that is rationalization. Luise isn't 100% sure she wants to be in this scenario after her long conversation with Seth, and is giving herself any reason to hesitate, all her personal rules about fighting as a performer completely forgotten... and shooting the premise of the match right to hell, to boot.
COMBATSYS: Luise focuses on her next action.
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Gato 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Shingo counters Medium Kick from Gato with Tsuki Hiji.
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Gato 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 0/-------/------=|
Now, the problem with being a million miles away mentally in the fight, when you're fighting the likes of Shingo Yabuki? He's going to make you pay for it.
So as Gato swings about that pole and lashes out with a sandaled foot, the youth proves quicker -- for now, at least. Twisting on a heel, he brings his forearm up to cushion the blow, pushing back against that offending leg -- and promptly retaliates, leaping up to drive his elbow down into the older man's side.
He steps away hastily. "C'mon, you two are too quiet! It's like I'm on a carousel with a pair of silent, brooding fighters or somethin'! Get into it!"
The bandaged man is pushed down onto the horse by the young martial artist elbow, and his facial expression actually changes to a wince, before he lets go of the brass pole and slides to the side. He regards Shingo for a moment, before shaking his head.
"Hmph."
The only word the man speaks, and it's not even really a word. He steps away from the other man and slides back into his stance, clearing his thoughts, and turning towards Luise.
In this three way fight, it looks like he's having a bit of a problem picking an opponent, meanwhile, in the circular confines of the amusement ride, it continues to be a small, small world. Pushing the terrible soundtrack from his mind, Gato Futaba focuses his thoughts, and puts together a battle strategy to make up for his first offense being so adroitly repelled.
COMBATSYS: Gato focuses on his next action.
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Gato 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/------=|
Silent, brooding fighters? Luise blinks at the injunction, but Shingo is... right, isn't he? She's not saying anything, she's obsessively focused on her own personal problems... and is completely ignoring why she bothered to sign up for this activity in the first place. It's perhaps cliche to say that Yabuki's voice snaps Luise out of her funk, but in a way it does.
"You're right," Luise says, trying to smile again. Unlike Gato, the music doesn't actually bother her; Luise has always felt attuned to music, and she lets her body sway somewhat in the rhythm of the calliope tune before spinning at Shingo, her feet barely brushing the floor, as she reaches for the young fighter's collar and, if she gets purchase, unceremoniously drops him to the floor of the carousel. "Although this might not be the thanks you wanted."
COMBATSYS: Shingo blocks Luise's Quick Throw.
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Gato 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/-----==|
With a three-way battle, it's bound to get hairier and a bit more interesting. But with his call for his opponents to lighten up heeded by Luise, it seems the girl has more in mind for young Yabuki! His collar is grabbed, but before he encounters the floor he grips onto the closest brass pole he can.
Stopped just short of meeting the floor, he grunts -- and reaches out to grab Luise's wrist. "Hey, any thanks will do, lady," he tells her. Should he have the wrist though, he's going to introduce her to the closest wooden horse's ass he can find, swinging her in a circle before the inevitable encounter.
"Nice dance moves, by the way!"
Gato watches as Luise approaches Shingo, before looking towards her attack and appraising it. As it's blocked swiftly, and Shingo launches an attack of his own, the opportunist in Gato comes out.
He runs forward again, letting the silk cut of his pants swish a bit with the speed of his movements, before leaping off the ground and launching his foot toe-forward towards Luise. A solid 'Kyah!' escapes his lips as he exerts the effort.
It looks like the brawl has finally broken out.
COMBATSYS: Luise endures Shingo's Medium Throw.
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Gato 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Luise counters Sen-Ga from Gato with New Moon Nocturne.
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Gato 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 0/-------/-----==|
Suddenly everyone is paying attention to Luise. She has precious little time to judge exactly how to deal with two people coming for her at once... and perhaps she spends a little too much time considering that Shingo's hand is on her wrist before she can make any sort of decision one way or the other. However, as she sails through the air toward the horse, the Dancing Butterfly decides to improvise. Rather than struggle against Shingo's grip she goes slack, trying to angle herself to gain purchase on the horse he's swinging her at.
Wincing in pain from the force she hits with, Luise nevertheless manages to achieve her goal, planting her feet on the horse's back and reaching up a hand on the pole to steady her. "I'm sorry, but dancing is..." Reaching up, she snaps her hand around Gato's foot and, with surprising ease, hurls him toward the center of the carousel against the wall. "...something best done in pairs!"
Sending Luise on her way, Shingo can't help but smirk at the rejoinder that comes back as she dispenses with Gato. She's fast, he decides. It might be worthwhile dealing with her first... "You're a little too old for me, lady, and I've got two left feet!" And he's more than willing to show everybody his foot work, but not right now.
His dukes are lifted. Otherwise known as his bread and butter, he moves to capitalize on Gato's flight -- leaping through the air after him, he slaps the back of a horse as he sails over the top -- and brings those fists to bear. Let him help the old man into the center of the carousel with a vicious one-two combo, if he's able to catch Gato while in mid-air. "Eat this!"
COMBATSYS: Gato fails to counter Dokugami Mikansei from Shingo with Hou-zan Sai Heki-Ga.
- Power fail! -
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Gato 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/---====|
Twisting his body in mid-air, Gato brings his hands up to intercept the incoming attack, before a bit of bad luck hits him. He hits that wall, right as Shingo strikes him. The combination causing his battle plan to go up in smoke faster than a piece of flash paper.
Grunting as he slumps against the wall, he clutches his side and raises his head to look at the two fighters, trying to find a new strategy in all of this.
If he doesn't get his act together, it might be a short ride for Gato. Though with that terrible music, that may not be such a bad thing, after all.
A wince of sympathy does wash across Luise's face as she sees Gato hit particularly hard twice in a row. Yes, he's her opponent, but she's not exactly invested in seeing either Gato or Shingo get brutalized... simply in enjoying the interplay of their fighting styles. And perhaps she's finally coming out of her shell, now that she has physical activity to focus on, her actions becoming more fluid and more purposeful. She decides to let Gato be and focus on Shingo, spinning around a horse and driving a quick, downward stomp toward the young fighter's calf, intending to knock him off balance long enough for her to drive that same leg into his stomach. "It's not proper to tease a lady about her age, Mr. Yabuki," she offers, though with a smile behind it.
COMBATSYS: Shingo endures Luise's Light Kick.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 0/-------/--=====|
Driving Gato into the wall seems enough for Yabuki; he's glad that his speed continues to prove the faster, for the now at least. Staring back at the man whom he just delivered that combo to, he flexes his fingers within the black gloves he sports; a precious gift. His hands clench as he sees the blur coming around the closest horse -- but he does not move.
The foot to the calf causes that leg to buckle, the boy teetering down towards one knee right as Luise brings that leg up again, into his middle this time. "Oof!" he sounds, knocked back onto both feet, one hand clutching at his stomach as he stumbles into the closest wooden horse. "Hey, think of it as a compliment," he groans the words out, grimacing as he's otherwise temporarily winded.
"I'd love to dance with you, age and all, seriously; but my mother would freak."
She's also liable to freak about what he does next. His fists may be his bread and butter, but it's his feet that write the cheques. He springs forward to return the favor, by burying his shoe right into Luise's exposed midriff.
Gato pushes himself off the wall, and then glares at the Yabuki. He's not quite happy about what's been happening so far. Then again, it doesn't look like Gato's the kind of man to be quite happy about anything. \
He positions himself beside one of the Carousel horses, and locks his feet to the ground, before bringing his arm back and then thrusting it right into the side of the thing.
Snapping it free of the brass pole, and letting wood splinter around it, the two halves of the wooden horse go flying towards the young fighter. "KYAAAAAAAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Shingo successfully hits Luise with Medium Kick.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/-======|
Luise relies mostly on her speed to keep her from danger, but it's not really a reliable thing... you're almost always guaranteed to make a mistake sooner or later. Case in point: the carousel is a minefield of objects to dodge around, and adding blows to the mix doesn't help any. Shingo's foot sends Luise stumbling back into one of the horses, grimacing in pain. "But she's fine with you fighting?" Luise teases, recovering herself. Shingo's clearly ahead compared to both Gato and herself, so the Dancing Butterfly stows her reservations about double teaming and heads in behind Gato, extending her hands toward Shingo and tracing a circle in the air. With an audible chiming arpeggio, a disc of blue light flashes into being, looking to simply repulse Shingo into the distance with a burst of sheer psychic force.
COMBATSYS: Shingo dodges Gato's Large Thrown Object.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Luise successfully hits Shingo with Treacherous Ballad.
- Power hit! -
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/-----==/=======|
"She hates me fighting as well, but the money's too good! Plus, my dear mother doesn't want to step on my drea--" he cuts off suddenly as he hears that yell from Gato. W-wait is... is that guy wielding a horse?! "This isn't Troy!" Shingo shouts as the horse comes sailing at him in two pieces -- and he scrambles behind the closest horse he can find, shielding himself from the blow.
But as he pops his head back out, he's presented with Luise making some kind of... blue disc! "This isn't Tron!" he shouts, lifting his hands in a futile attempt to defend himself. The burst hits him, and he's sent rocketing back -- straight thorugh a horse, which splinters into pieces. It's two horses after that when he stops, his spine twisted around a brass pole. "O-ow," he sounds, gasping as he spends a moment floundering.
He sinks to the floor with a thud. He opts not to get back up for the moment.
COMBATSYS: Shingo gains composure.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/-------/=======|
The bandaged fighter looks satisfied as Shingo ducks for cover, once again turning his attention towards Luise. If there's one thing you can say about Gato is that he's been pretty equal opportunity in this fight. And he takes a quick hop towards her, with the intent of doing to her what he did to the horse, albeit without the whole shattering her in two part.
His arm hooks back, and his open palm moves forward, aimed towards the woman with a shocking amount of force behind it. The silent man is definitely not pulling his punches, however his powerful movements seem to be the key to his dwindling stamina.
COMBATSYS: Luise dodges Gato's Shin-Ga.
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Gato 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/-------/=======|
Perhaps it's an adrenaline high from having thrown herself through all those attacks in a row, but Luise's reaction time is apparently peaked; as Gato's palm streaks toward her, Luise all but vaults over him, drifting through the air like her sobriquet rather than somersaulting thankings to the low ceiling. "Haha... you're and interesting person, Shingo Yabuki," she says, stopping to catch her breath. She's complimenting Shingo... but her gaze is on Gato. How to approach him...
COMBATSYS: Luise gains composure.
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Gato 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/-------/=======|
Interesting person?! Shingo hears this while he's on the ground catching his breath... but he spends a moment wondering at her compliment. He takes out his notebook, and flips to the pages he has tabbed for 'Flirting.'
A blank page stares back at him. "Man, I need to take better notes," he says to himself, slipping the notebook away and climbing back to his feet. He grimaces, knuckling his back, before opting to shake it all off. Ducking down low, he weaves his way through the horses quickly.
"You don't know the half of it!" he shouts as he appears near Luise, aiming to grab her with both hands -- and this would be where his mother will faint -- and slam her over his shoulder, with an assisted hip toss, into the wooden floor. "Oriiiiiya!"
Gato frowns as Luise disappears from his reach so easily, before he turns towards the two fighters and raises his eyebrow. A slight shrug rolls over his shoulders and a smirk appears on his face, before he crosses his arms under his chest, and watches the two, letting his chin find the crook of his thumb and his forefinger.
It seems, he's following the leader here, and catching a bit of a breather while the two duke it out.
COMBATSYS: Gato gains composure.
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Gato 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Luise dodges Shingo's Issetsu Seoi Nage Fukanzen.
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Gato 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/-------/=======|
Perhaps Shingo shouldn't have resorted to the notebook, but Luise finds Yabuki's candor pleasing... and distracting from the things that are troubling her. Sadly, it also means she's paying stricter attention to the young man, and his grab attempt is met with another of Luise's dancing dodges, the woman's backwards leap taking her toward the back of another nearby horse. However, as she flies backwards she flings her hand in a sweeping upward arc, a butterfly-shaped burst of blue light flickering from her hands toward Shingo. "Hyah!"
COMBATSYS: Shingo fails to interrupt Sharp Quartet from Luise with Aragami Mikansei.
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Gato 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/----===/=======|
Seemingly forgetting all about Gato as well, the Yabuki youth finds Luise to be a touch too elusive for him. "H-hey!" he exclaims as she dances out of his grasp, only to go wide-eyed as she retaliates with a blast at close range. Attempting to start after the woman anyway, he instead finds himself struck by the light -- and again hurtles backwards, straight through another of the wooden horses. "O-ow..." he groans from the floor.
The martial artist who's been forgotten to the sands of time, apparently, seems to actually start to smile at the turn of events. He continues to lean on the horse, though this time he's no longer resting on his laurels, he appraises the movements of each fighter as they attack each other, his eyes falling the younger man very interestedly.
His hand finally falls away from his chin, and he shrugs again, breaking back into his fighting stance and waiting at the ready. What does Gato have up his sleeve?
COMBATSYS: Gato focuses on his next action.
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Gato 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/----===/=======|
Time may have forgotten Gato, but Luise certainly hasn't; in fact, her ranged assault on Shingo was primarily directed to give herself some breathing room to focus on the yellow-clad stoic fighter. "You seem very skilled," Luise says as she turns to him, hopping down from the horse she was using as a place to stand. "Though the style is unfamiliar... still, I hope you'll honor me with the next dance." Leaping forward, Luise twists around a pole much as Gato did at the opening of the match, but rather than delivering a kick, she intends to snag Gato by the shoulder and carry him along, slamming him into the side of another nearby horse.
Almost as if feeling the pressure of Gato's gaze on his prone form, Shingo starts inching away. Yep, let the two of them dance for a bit while he... pulls himself back to his feet... "Oh god I think I've slipped a disk," he groans as he comes upright against the side of a horse. Tensing, he slams his back against the fixture, then twists a little.
"Ah, better," he says with a sigh of relief, before turning his gaze onto the other two. They're lined up like a set of pins -- he's tempted to go for the strike. Setting his feet, he makes his charge a gallant one -- and ever the gentleman, he goes in fist-first.
With Luise swinging Gato about in the air, she proves too tempting a target -- so he angles for her, to bury a fist into her back. "Your body is weak! But your dancing is sublime!"
COMBATSYS: Luise successfully hits Gato with Quick Throw.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Luise
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Shingo 1/----===/=======|
Gato is dragged and slammed as he puts his focus on Shingo, the assault, notwithstanding causing him a considerable amount of frustration. Frustration that shows on his face as he slides back up into his stance and glares at Luise for a moment. He shakes his head a bit, before vaulting forward...
Towards Shingo. What an odd turn of events, he all but hops over the woman, trying to deliver a kick into the face of the young man.
Let's hope this attempt isn't a repeat of the last one.
COMBATSYS: Luise endures Shingo's Medium Punch.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Luise
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Shingo 1/---====/=======|
Luise can't exactly take Shingo to task for his statement. After all, Luise is not a physical powerhouse by any means. She relies on guile and speed more than anything else. Well... that and her unique powers. Sensing Shingo behind her, the Dancing Butterfly decides to try and make a point about the whole thing by... not moving. Shingo's fist connects with the small of her back, but Luise has rooted herself to the spot, refusing to move.
Instead, eight small orbs, clear as glass, appear from nowhere, circling her body. As Luise turns to Shingo with a faint smile, the orbs begin to glow with a fierce white light that's almost blinding. "Perhaps... but a strong body is nothing without a strong mind," she chides, before pointing one hand lazily at Shingo. In response, all eight of the orbs suddenly lance out with a beam of purest starlight, a helix of lightbeams looking to put the hurt on Shingo but good. "This is my farewell overture, Shingo Yabuki."
COMBATSYS: Shingo blocks Gato's Light Kick.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Luise
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Shingo 1/--=====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Luise successfully hits Shingo with Overture to Farewell.
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\ <
Shingo 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|
The problem that Shingo runs into, after driving his fist into the back of the woman, is that... he's left somewhat vulnerable. Having expected Luise to crumple or at least go staggering, he's caught somewhat off guard as those lights ignite in front of him instead. He grimaces, lifting his arms -- and somehow catches the silhouette of Gato coming in to strike at him.
It's a good thing he has those arms up, but the force of the old man's strike puts him off balance -- and it's then that the dancing woman makes good on her retaliation. Starlight lances out and through the boy, whose scream pierces through the chorus of Small World as he's sent tumbling back. That definitely hurt, and he falls through a rather cut-up horse thanks to Luise's strike.
Groaning, he figures he may as well... go out with a bang! "I guess I'm... not gettin' the big paycheck on this one but... hey, it's been fun! Maybe next time... a one-on-one with either of you or..."
Or what? Summoning what little he has left, he opts to give the stoic fighter a hand -- and charges at Luise for a final strike of his own! Two can play the Overture game! "Moerou, Shingo!" He closes what little distance there is, leading in for a series of strikes--
COMBATSYS: Shingo has reached second wind!
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Luise
[ \\\\\\\ <
Shingo 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Shingo successfully hits Luise with Burning Shingo.
- Power hit! -
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Gato 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Luise
[ \\\\\\\ <
Shingo 0/-------/--=====|
And a distinct series of strikes it proves to be! /Burn her, Shingo!/ He merges all of his 'signature' strikes together into an even flow; the Aragami flowing into the Dokugami, into the Nie Togi -- fists, an elbow and then an uppercut -- culminating with a shattering fist to the face, to drive Luise away quite violently!
And the boy is left standing, panting heavily. Maybe he won't be falling over just yet.
Way to prove Luise wrong, Shingo. Luise was actually feeling mostly okay despite the heavy beating she's taken this fight, but the combination assault from someone who SHOULD be down completely overtakes her defenses, catching her entirely by surprise. It's Luise's turn to smash through a number of horses, landing in a sprawl a good distance from Shingo.
However, she may not be out of this JUST yet. Rising unsteadily to her feet, the psychic has one last trick in store, her hand settling down to her side and beginning to glow with a blue-white light. "Well done, but... some songs have more than one climax!" With a sweep of that arm, Luise slices through the air with her arm, the blue glow extending into a lightsaber-like blade of ridiculous length. Lucky for everyone involved that it's Psycho Power, because if it weren't, Luise would quite handily be cutting the carousel in half.
COMBATSYS: Luise can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Gato 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Shingo
Watching all that, Gato is suitably impressed by Shingo, and now breathing a bit easier with one of his opponents seemingly striked so fiercely, it makes cleaning up a cinch.
The man in the bandages and green slacks hops up on to the back one of the horses, and crouches, with an odd smile on his face. HIs target is pretty clear.
He thrusts his hands out, and without a word, a shockwave blasts through the air towards Shingo, completely invisible until it hits the ground near him, sparking upwards towards him.
It seems Gato's playing it safe here.
COMBATSYS: Luise successfully hits Shingo with Fanfare of Hope.
Glancing Blow
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Gato 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Shingo
COMBATSYS: Gato successfully hits Shingo with Kou-Ga.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Gato 1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1 Shingo
Luise fell down unconscious sometime after her lightsaber too. Yeah.
It seems that there's a swan song for Shingo, as this second wind of his is rather short-lived! Ganged up on rather brutally, and with luck not on his side, the youth simply watches as Luise's beam descends down on him. "Gulp," he sounds, as it cuts a swath clear through him. And at the same time, the ground beneath him explodes, sparking upwards.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Yabuki has nowhere to go! "Yaaaaargh!" he wails in agony, but somehow, SOMEHOW retains his footing. He stumbles back a step or two instead, back coming up against the horse behind him.
"Oh... oh man I... I think I'm done, yeah..." he groans, before again throwing himself into the fray. He seems to flash for a moment, but then his feet seem to have a mind of their own. Shoulder lowered, he braces as he slides forward on a collision course with Gato! "Eat... oh god..." His eyes slide shut about halfway to Gato, and he falls forward into a flying headbutt instead.
COMBATSYS: Shingo can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Gato 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Shingo successfully hits Gato with Ge Shiki - Kake Hourin.
[ \\\\\ <
Gato 1/-======/=======|
Gato is bowled over by the other man and pushed to his back. His stern frown remaining as he lays motionless for a moment, before pushing the youth off of him.
He stands and looks at his fallen opponents for a good long moment before shaking his head, "Hmph. You both have some potential, but you waste it with your pointless conversation. I hope you've both learned something from this."
With that he walks towards the edge of the carousel as it slows down, getting off of it and heading back towards Southtown proper. His breathing is shallow and his expression pained, but he's still standing, and still walking, inwardly thankful that his luck had not yet run out.
As quickly as he made it to the fight, just as quickly he disappears, moving on towards what's next.
COMBATSYS: Gato has ended the fight here.
Log created by Luise, and last modified on 12:43:15 05/05/2007.