Description: A promotional bout between Mizuki and Katelynn sees the young Kamigawa scion come out on top...
Ah the mall; ever a source of wonderment and spenderment for the teen set and the adult set. At almost any time of day just about anyone can be found there; teens between classes or skipping them, young adults buying all manner of things, older folks... everyone.
Mizuki is particularly fond of the place, to none of her friends' surprise; this afternoon finds her dragging some friends along to the mall, a time when she would normally be doing practice. But there's good reason; she's not just blowing off her martial studies. No, she made a deal with one of the mall shop owners and thus there's a special reason for the visit.
There's a fighting stage set up in front of a row of shops; they range from curio shops to exercise equipment shops. And each one has a booth out in front of the stage. The gimmick? Bet on who wins--and if you're right, you win a gift certificate.
Mizuki is already up on stage, warming up, going through a quick weapon kata; her friends are in the front row. All that remains is her opponent, one Katelynn...
There's something about having fights for show. It's not exactly like All-Star Wrestling, where everything looks painful, but in reality it's all prescripted and made to look like it's painful. Whereas with something like this, you have martial artists going at it with one another, demonstrating their prowess and skills without faking the slightest hint of it. Of course, there are officials ready at any time to caution or disqualify a fighter for being too rough or using inappropriate moves. And there's always medics on hand in case someone gets injured. And, of course, nobody gets killed. That's why it's such an attractive thing.
Katelynn arrives not long after Mizuki starts warming up, and she takes her place on the stage, wearing her traditional karate gi, as she begins to loosen up for the fight as well. She counts softly to herself as she holds each position, making sure she warms up her entire body in preparation for the fight. After she is done, she bows towards her opponent and says, "I look forward to taking you on."
COMBATSYS: Mizuki has started a fight here.
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Mizuki 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Katelynn has joined the fight here.
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Mizuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Katelynn
A traditional karateka... this should be interesting. Mizuki is dressed much less formally, but each to their own, hey? Mizuki isn't getting any money out of this, win or lose; she specifically said she'd do the fight for free. She wants the experience of it. And that is what she is going to get. Going through a last, slow, sweeping strike, Mizuki turns and smiles at her opponent. Perhaps a new friend, when this is all done with?
"I look forward to facing you as well!" she says, bowing to the somewhat older girl, then moving towards her spot in the makeshift ring--which looks fairly sturdy and simple. Already she's tuning out the cheering of the crowd, fight fans and friends alike, those rooting for their champion of the moment... turning her focus inwards. Her baton is drawn from her back, but held loosely in her right hand, dangling, as she clasps her hands together, nearly touching them to her chin, and murmuring... the end result being a swirl of blue-white-silver chi, icy and watery in look, swirling up around her, aftereffect of her ability to generate and store such energies.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki gathers her will.
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Mizuki 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Katelynn
Gathering her chi, huh? A tactic that Katelynn is very familiar with, having studied it as part of her training in Shotokan Karate, and while there's still a lot to learn, she also knows a bit about the usage of chi. She watches as her opponent focuses on gathering her inner power, and one would think that this would be the opportune time to attack, right? Well, not for Katelynn.
Instead, she simply focuses on her opponent, knowing that her first actual move could come at any moment and in just about any style, which means that one has to be on high alert for what their opponent might do. Remaining firm in her stance, Katelynn watches Mizuki, waiting for her next move.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn focuses on her next action.
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Mizuki 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Katelynn
A lot of fighters, it seem, like to try and disrupt the flow of charging... but not Katelynn. That's interesting. Mizuki smiles, again, as the glow of energy fades.
"First strike to me, then?" she murmurs... then bursts into action. That tube skirt is more stretchy than it seems, as Mizuki lopes forward, a pair of quick steps ending with her turning side-on to Katelynn and attempting to tag her with a quick, low shin kick--rather karate-like, all told.
The stance she returns to is also somewhat karateka-inspired; her right foot back, leading with her left side, left arm bent upwards at the elbow, left hand open... right hand holding the baton, kept cocked back and ready.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn blocks Mizuki's Light Kick.
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Mizuki 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Katelynn
The kick comes quickly at Katelynn, but her defensive stance rises just as quickly, taking the blow mostly through her forearm, which fortunately doesn't hurt too much as it might have if it had connected directly with her. Then again, the kick itself didn't have too much force to begin with so that's not saying a lot in the first place.
"Still warming up? Well, I can go along with you there," She says as she attempts to throw a speedy punch with her right hand as she gets back into her standard fighting stance.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki blocks Katelynn's Quick Punch.
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Mizuki 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Katelynn
Mizuki smiles as her strike is blocked; and she blocks in turn, absorbing the punch with her left forearm. That, too, didn't sting too badly; and Mizuki is more confident now, as it so happens. Not overly confident--but confident. Confident enough, it seems, to try another strike for the legs--but not a kick, this time.
Mizuki rebounds from the punch, slightly, then suddenly twists forward, spinning towards her left, slashing out with the baton for Katelynn's thigh. She isn't seeking to do permanent damage, but a good solid strike might disable the leg to an extent...
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Katelynn with Medium Strike.
- Power hit! -
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Mizuki 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Katelynn
Again, Katelynn tries to shift into a defensive stance, but unfortunately, her balance is a little off. A bit off, actually. In fact, she's so off that the baton hits its target, meaning that Katelynn staggers back a little, rubbing at her leg in pain. Apparently, this was a case of a misjudged attack on behalf of the karateka. But everyone makes mistakes, even the best black belts. So she attempts to make up for that with a simple throw technique which involves grabbing her opponent and throwing her onto the ground quickly.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki endures Katelynn's Quick Throw.
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Mizuki 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Katelynn
Mizuki doesn't resist the throw; but that doesn't mean she's idle while it's going to happen, either. She can't help taking damage--but what she -can- try to do is to sweep Katelynn's feet out from under her as she falls; hopefully what will happen is that the girl will be too busy completing her throw to notice Mizuki's attack.
Hopefully. Mizuki knows nothing is guaranteed in this 'game'... but again, she's not looking to -win-... she's just looking to have a good fight.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn blocks Mizuki's Medium Throw.
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Mizuki 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Katelynn
Katelynn sees the throw coming, and as soon as she's grabbed, she braces herself for the impact which she knows is only inevitable once she goes into the air. As soon as she hits the ground, she rolls to the side and gets back to her feet, a little bruised but none the worse for the wear. She dusts her gi off before looking back at Mizuki.
"It seems I have underestimated you. It turns out you're rather worthy," She says with a smirk, before taking a moment to look intently at her right fist. A cyan aura of chi appears around it, and then Katelynn launches it, in the form of a ball about the size of a beach ball, at Mizuki.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki reflects Energy Fist from Katelynn with Suishou no Kagami.
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Mizuki 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Katelynn
Under-estimated-... Mizuki's brow furrows a little. Does she take that to mean that Katelynn was toying with her? Or is it an honest admission of Mizuki's skills? She isn't sure. But either way--she's got a blue beachball of chi coming at her.
Mizuki takes a long, skipping backstep, while she raises her baton--the far end glowing blue-white as she traces a large circle out. She actually traces it out twice, then calls out, in a clear, high-pitched yell, "Suishou no Kagami... IKE!" Then the center resolves into a thick mirrorlike surface of blue-white ice chi that bounces the energy back at Katelynn.
This is, of course, one of Mizuki's particularly good skills, dealing with energy...
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Katelynn with Reflected Energy Fist.
Glancing Blow
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Mizuki 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Katelynn
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, how about being hit by your own attack? In spite of her best efforts, Katelynn just can't get out of the way of the attack that's suddenly coming back at her from Mizuki, and finds herself stunned briefly by the blast of chi that she just sent at the girl. After managing to catch her breath, Katelynn decides that it's time to increase her inner power a little.
Stepping back a little, she takes a deep breath and focuses it on increasing her chi. A bluish aura can be seen around her during this time.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn gathers her will.
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Mizuki 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Katelynn
Ah yes. It -is- one of Mizuki's strengths, after all; but Katelynn couldn't know that. The reflect draws an 'ooooh!' from the crowd, and afterwards Mizuki sets herself... some people like to try and bust through those attacks, but... well. It seems Katelynn isn't the type to do so--and Mizuki can feel teh chi rising around her.
So she lunges forward, crossing the distance in a flash--both hands on her baton as she holds it like she would a sword--and uses it in the same manner. As she approaches, she thrusts her baton out, attempting to 'stab' Katelynn in the stomach.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn endures Mizuki's Deep Strike.
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Mizuki 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Katelynn
Upon finishing with her charging, Katelynn moves into the proper position to endure the strike coming at her from Mizuki, and even though it does hurt, at least she finds herself in the opportune position to strike back at the girl. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, she propels herself off of the ground with her front facing foot, and flies at Mizuki with her rear foot now facing forward in pretty much a horizontal flying kick done at a rather fast rate of speed!
COMBATSYS: Mizuki blocks Katelynn's Missile Kick.
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Mizuki 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Katelynn
Fast attacks demand fast reactions; Mizuki's eyes widen when she sees Katelynn just... take the attack. She's off balance but--but somehow she's able to pull herself back upright just in time to get her forearms interposed between the kick and her body. The impact pushes her back quite a bit, but that's alright; a strike like that would have meant far more pain had it landed.
"Wow," murmurs Mizuki, "You're fast..." But Mizuki can be pretty fast, herself; she suddenly steps forward, attempting to catch Katelynn with a series of thrusting strikes with her baton--only this time, the baton is sheathed in blue-silver chi that might add a little more sting....
COMBATSYS: Katelynn counters Kouryuu no Renda from Mizuki with Palm Blaster.
- Power hit! -
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Mizuki 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Katelynn
Good try. Very nice technique too. But it's not good enough to get the best of Katelynn. In fact, she may look like she's fascinated by the attack, but in reality, she's just focusing on it. When the attack gets too close, Katelynn quickly knocks it away with one arm, and with the other arm, sends forth a palm strike with a chi aura around it aimed right at Mizuki's gut, which should send her stumbling backwards.
Indeed Mizuki -does- go stumbling back. That was... impressive, to say the least. Karateka are not, as a whole, known for their counter-techniques; Kyokugenryuu is somewhat unique in that sense and it appears Katelynn is as well. Rubbing her stomach, Mizuki frowns a little; that definitely hurt.
"A very nice counter," she comments, summoning up another smile. Still, she's far from 'out'... but perhaps it's time to reassess.
"My apologies, perhaps I was underestimating you as well," she continues, as she shakes the pain off.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki focuses on her next action.
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Mizuki 1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1 Katelynn
"Apology accepted," Katelynn says, smiling and giving a bow to her opponent, before stepping back again. Apparently, this fight has taken a bit out of her, and unfortunately, she can't just go grab a drink of water and have her opponent sit around and wait for her. This is a fight, and you have to work with what you've got. So Katelynn decides to take a moment and focus on resting a little, using a little chi to take her mind off of her thirst.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn gains composure.
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Mizuki 1/---====/=======|=======\=------\1 Katelynn
Well then! Back to business. Mizuki once again takes the initiative; the younger girl dashes forward, closing distance with Katelynn and aiming another set of strikes at the thigh she struck earlier. Rather than one large strike, however, she hammers the baton in with another spinning backhand and, like a drummer, 'double-taps' the same spot.
It's a technique similar to one seen in Escrima or Arnis--which is where it is taken from, in fact. Even though she just got countered... well, Mizuki can't let that fear get at her or she'll never do anything.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn blocks Mizuki's Medium Strike.
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Mizuki 1/---====/=======|=======\==-----\1 Katelynn
Fear is something a fighter must never feel. Whether they're on the attacking end or defending end, if you let fear slip in, even for a second, then you're pretty much giving your opponent a huge advantage over yourself. Which is why keeping your mind optimistic is always the best thing to do no matter how negative the situation may seem.
At any rate, Katelynn blocks the attack as it comes at her, and without hesitation, immediately proceeds to throw a strong kick in the direction of the girl
COMBATSYS: Mizuki interrupts Heavy Kick from Katelynn with Koori no Hebi.
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Mizuki 1/--=====/=======|=======\======-\1 Katelynn
The kick connects, but perhaps not as fully as Katelynn might want; Mizuki leans back, soaking some of the damage. There'll still be a bruise on Mizuki's cheek, but perhaps she can return the damage back to Katelynn... as Mizuki leans, her baton is sweeping upwards, and her chi is being called. A knee-high wavecrest of hissing, blue-white icy chi envelops Katelynn, already starting its damage--and then, even as Mizuki is reeling, her baton is slashing downwards, completing the technique, and adding more chi, so that a waist-high wave of chi sends Katelynn away from the Kamigawa scion.
Katelynn is sent flying by the counter attack, and she's reminded of the saying 'do unto others...' Unfortunately, that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. In fact, it hurts her quite a bit, which means she lays on the ground for a moment before getting back onto her feet. She tries to catch her breath again, but something inside her tells her otherwise.
She then rushes towards Mizuki and proceeds to unload her own personal kata, consisting of a series of punches and kicks sequenced together just right so that it can be classified as the 'Ultimate Kata!'
COMBATSYS: Katelynn successfully hits Mizuki with Ultimate Kata.
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Mizuki 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0 Katelynn
It's as if a storm descended upon Mizuki for a brief few seconds. The pain is intense, amazing; she is reminded, oddly enough, of the first spar she ever had with her grandfather, her first sensei. She didn't think she could hurt more then. She's since realized she could hurt far more... but she's not out yet. The final attack pummels her and throws her to the far end of the ring--and that's fine with her.
Rising unsteadily, Mizuki gasps, "Wow... that was... awesome but--I'm not done yet!" Once again she assumes the 'prayer' pose, murmuring... and a blue-silver glow suffuses her body. But she's not -gathering- chi--she's spending it. The water-like chi seems to flow over her, a cooling, calming touch that has power behind it...
It seems like the Ultimate Kata showed that Katelynn is down but never out. Which is why she smirks a little, only to have that smirk disappear as she sees Mizuki is apparently gathering her chi, either for a big attack or to heal herself. In a situation like this, usually Katelynn would try to rest a little, but it's down to the wire and can't risk anything going wrong for her.
As a result, she attempts to break the girl's concentration with a hard punch aimed right at her.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Mizuki with Iki no Nagare.
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Mizuki 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Katelynn
COMBATSYS: Mizuki interrupts Strong Punch from Katelynn with Medium Strike.
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Mizuki 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Katelynn
Unfortunately for Katelynn--Mizuki's concentration is not broken so easily. The water chi 'breaks' and Mizuki looks remarkably better--tangibly and intangibly. And it happens in time for her to deal with Katelynn's strike.
The punch is caught in Mizuki's left hand; the impact is incredible, and a lesser person's hand would probably be broken, but Mizuki is stronger than that. And at the same time her baton is sweeping upwards, an uppercut strike that takes Katelynn along the body and the side of her face--Mizuki doesn't want to break her jaw, after all. After that...? Well, that's up to Katelynn.
Katelynn really blew it this time. The attack hits hard, and it's obvious she's run out of steam. She tries to bow and tell her opponent, "Nice fight," but it comes out rather unsteadily. She doesn't try to do anything, instead she just lets her body drop to the floor. At least it's soft and padded for fighting so it shouldn't hurt too much.
Yes, she lost, but she gave it her all, and that's what matters the most.
COMBATSYS: Katelynn takes no action.
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Mizuki 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Katelynn can no longer fight.
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Mizuki 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Mizuki has ended the fight here.
Mizuki won? She won! After a brief bit of cheering, jumping up and down and all that, Mizuki turns towards Katelynn.
"Here, let me help you a little," she says, gently, kneeling down and resting her hands on Katelynn's shoulders, sending some of her healing energy into the karateka.
"You're really good," she says, with a sincere smile.
"I'd love to fight you again! You use karate, right?"
The healing energy feels good, and it helps Katelynn recover. She manages to get up and smile at Mizuki. "Yes, I am a karate practitioner. I enjoyed fighting with you and I hope we can do it again sometime."
At that, Katelynn, having recovered a bit, proceeds to cool down a little with some simple stretches, starting with a butterfly stretch as she draws her feet towards her and bends forward.
Log created on 22:19:54 05/02/2007 by Mizuki, and last modified on 22:50:37 05/16/2007.