Description: Welcome to the place where meatbuns are made. Kensou is most definitely the home team here in this Chinatown bakery, so if our child assassin and punk prodigy are to have any hope of succeeding, they must use every mixing bowl, spatula, and chef's hat at their disposal. Don't get the dough dirty, now. And try not to tumble into any ovens! (Draw Match)
It's been a while, you know, since Kensou last participated in a public fight... Over a month, by now. In the meantime, where's the Psycho Soldier been? Laying low, keeping busy and actually /training/, of all things. It's madness, really, and only time will tell if Kensou's recent development of something approaching a recogniseable work ethic will actually yield long-term results; more pertinent, though, is the question of whether or not it'll actually affect this particular match.
In the back room of one of his favourite bakeries in Chinatown, Kensou is already present amidst the milling SNF personnel, the cameras and lights, the bakery workers who've been given the chance to watch this match firsthand... Not to mention the other locals who've been let in from the street. It's a veritable sea of Chinatown residents... Which might just give Kensou's two challengers today the impression that the room /really isn't/ on their side.
For his part, though, Kensou looks like a small child who's wandered into a toy store, staring hither and yon at the bakery's back room, the cooking equipment that's somewhat been moved out of the way, filling his nose with the delicious scent of theoretical baked goods. Ahhh... It's heaven, to Sie Kensou. But will it become hell for Nassir and Arika?!
Just what on earth is a meatbun anyhow? Must be some odd Chinese culinary delight that completely escapes the young Brit. Arika has decided to come prepared, and though she's positive that the bakery will clean out the back room before they do anything in here again (at least she would -hope- so), she's got her hair pinned up in a bun with a hairnet over it, and a plain white apron smock over her capris. Just in case things get a little bit messy, there's no point in ruining her clothing.
While she's not precisely hidden from view, she's been waiting behind one of the cameras, scoping out the scene. Wanting to see just what utensils are at her disposal; besides being partnered with someone else that is.
Before things begin, she reaches up onto a high shelf and pulls down two chef's hats. One is tugged snuggly onto her head, the other held in her hands as she awaits the arrival of her partner.
Meanwhile, Nassir was getting much, much more publicity than he cared for. As part of his training regimen, he was to fight as many opponents as possible, and get accostomed to dealing with those of equal or greater skill. It made a certain degree of sense to the young soldier, and he ultimately accepted this command as he does all others...
...but he would never get used to all of -this-.
Camera crews, audience, bakery workers...Nassir felt himself getting overwhelmed with something akin to claustrophobia before even crossing the threshold from storefront to back room. Heavy bootfalls marked his arrival, his uniform well kept and signature bandoliers filled with all manners of doom.
"Yakitate," Nassir mumbled, his tenorous voice not carrying very far. "A bake shop. I see."
As he worked through the crowd and became fully visible, it would be easy enough to see an addition to his normal fighting equipment--a series of grenades, looped through with some kind of thin wire so that it formed a large hoop. The grenades were held in Nassir's hand, the hoop long enough to almost brush the ground as he moved.
"Sie Kensou," Nassir said, a bit louder now so as to hopefully command some attention. "You know why we are all here?"
COMBATSYS: Nassir has started a fight here.
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Nassir 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Nassir has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Nassir
COMBATSYS: Kensou has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
COMBATSYS: Arika has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
Oh sure, it's /mostly/ cleaned out, but there's still plenty of stuff that could end up wrecked, or make a floury mess of Kensou's spiffy duds, or Arika's aproned self, or Nassir's presumably spic and span uniform. But what's the point of being a fighter if you're not willing to get a little bit dirty?! Anyway, initially Kensou seems to not really notice Arika - or much of anyone else - until Nassir speaks up. What IS Kensou doing in the meantime? He is of course, having a pleasant daydream about being left in here by himself surrounded by meatbuns. All the meatbuns in the world. It's kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with more pork.
Kensou's attention /is/ drawn, though, when Nassir says his name, causing the Chinese psion turning around to face the other two fighters. "Seems t' me you two are here t' get yer asses schooled," Kensou says confidently, spreading his feet shoulder-width apart and putting his weight on his back leg, loosely extending his left arm while holding his right close to his waist, both hands open in a 'grasping' motion. It's not, for those who might've followed any of Kensou's previous matches, a stance he's known for using. Something has changed about the Psycho Soldier, giving him new resolve, which could bode ill for the other two fighters. "Come at me seriously!!"
COMBATSYS: Kensou takes no action.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
Fingers gripping tightly onto the chef's hat that she holds, the punk rock princess narrows her eyes at Kensou. It may look like she's quite irritated, but she's actually trying to size him up with the trained eye of a fighter. While the two males banter back and forth, Arika glances to an official and upon getting a nod, she slips into the cordoned off area.
Pirouetting in a few feet, she blows a kiss at the camera and then tosses the chef's hat over her shoulder toward Nassir. "Let's do this."
Immediately after saying that, she springs into action. Rushing toward Kensou, she extends her right shoulder up and back before slamming it toward the side of his face with a high jab. The shoulder is then rotated and the arm is brought back, just before her left hand shoots out toward his chest, targeting it with a palm strike. Before the left hand even comes close her opponents body though, it's imbued with a bright violet energy that's meant to add a little more oomph to the attack.
"We are here..." Nassir continues, climbing atop a stainless steel countertop. It's a good position for the soldier, if only because it allows the entire audience to see him. The camera can capture his visage, and send his mini-monologue to the entire world. "...because your gluttony is legendary amongst even casual fans of fighting."
Raising the grenade-hooped hand, Nassir continued, gesturing with it occasionally to punctuate his message. "You are a pig, the sort to gorge with swine until your nose turns upward and your tail grows curled. You are disgusting, self-absorbed. You would rather fill your mouth than pay heed to another, to the point where those who run these events would make merry at your expense." Kneeling down atop the stand, Nassir's lips curled apart until a toothy smile emerged. "They make a joke of you, for all the world to laugh. Look at the bake-addled swine of Chinatown. He is funny. Maybe he will make pig-oinking noise during the fight?"
The chef's hat simply lands a foot or so away from the soldier, drawing his attention down for a split second before he refocuses on Kensou. It's the first time he even acknowledged Arika's existence thus far, and seemed to be a fleeting thing at best. "I wonder if you know any other way to be," Nassir mused. "We shall see."
COMBATSYS: Nassir has left the fight here.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Nassir has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Nassir focuses on his next action.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou parries Arika's Diva Allegro!
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
That's... Not very nice, Nassir. Kensou frowns a bit at the young soldier's words, and while it's not the first time anybody's made light of him for his rather voracious appetite... It's the first time anybody's been so dang /matter of fact/ about it. The Chinese psychic fighter opens his mouth to reply, but then he notices a slight problem: Arika is getting all up in his face. At what seems like the last possible moment, Kensou slides out of the way of the British girl's attack, letting Arika careen on past him unless she can get her momentum under control.
Kensou's attention, thusly, remains focused on Nassir! "I toldja, didn't I? Y'gotta come at me seriously." He /forces/ energy to coalesce, raising his hands up in front of his face, forming a single point of focus in front of himself. "Think whatever y' want, but... I HAVE A REALLY HIGH METABOLISM, OKAY?!" And with this exclamation of righteous fury, Kensou sweeps his hands outwards, a crackling sphere of blue-tinged white Psycho Power forming in midair and hurtling directly at Nassir! "CHOUKYUUDAN!!"
Careen past him she does, but the punk rock princess uses the momentum to her advantage. As she continues through the area to the other side, she reaches up for a rack filled with dangling pots and pans. Grabbing hold of a rather large pot, she pulls herself up and begins to hang from it. Thankfully she's light enough to do this without causing the rack up above to fall.
As she twists her body, she calls down to Nassir, "Are you going to insult him all night or actually get into this match?" There's a no hint of malice in her voice, rather a wry amusement at the whole situation. At least he's distracting Kensou, which will hopefully -also- work to her advantage.
Crackling spheres going off in the air, Arika makes her move. Releasing the pot, she does a double somersault toward Kensou. Feet come out of the somersault first, aimed directly for the back of his head in the hopes of knocking him either into an attack if Nassir decides to join in on the fun, or into the countertop otherwise.
COMBATSYS: Nassir negates Choukyuu Dan EX from Kensou with Long Shot.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
Nassir doesn't move from his countertop perch, Attention focused wholesale on Kensou. "Metabolism? Hrn!" Bringing his free hand up to his bandolier, his fingers quickly wrap themselves around one of the small grey orbs hanging from his bandolier. Ripping it free, Nassir pulls the pin with his teeth and throws it into the oncoming blast of Psychopower. The resulting explosion is undeniably loud, though the shrapnel is mostly absorbed by Kensou's effort.
"I care not for your excuses!"
Gesturing with the grenade-ring toting hand, Nassir's smile twists into something a bit more...sadistic, menacing, those teeth still visible and surprisingly white. "Are you capable of excercising control? Remorse? Integrity? The world will know your character -now!-"
Arika's words go unheeded by the soldier boy, unwilling to acknowledge her quite yet. Turning to her might bring Kensou's attention down on her, something he wasn't really inclined to do quite yet.
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Heavy Kick.
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Kensou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
While it's an admirable case of teamwork that Nassir tries to keep Kensou from being aware of Arika trying to kick him in the back of the head... Well, Kensou IS a psychic. He can, in fact, /feel/ the British girl behind him, suddenly cartwheeling to one side to escape her attack. "Too slow!" he declares, because that's the sort of thing you say in a fight, regaining his footing for just a moment, exhaling slowly. But, now what?
In fact, what comes next is that Kensou dashes forward from a low crouch, suddenly lunging into the air... Right at Nassir, choosing to avoid Arika - at least for the moment. The Chinese fighter extends his left knee and elbow, that arm braced with his other hand, aiming to strike with both limbs. "Yo-!!" If he hits that, then his momentum will no doubt carry both himself and Nassir up diagonally, as Kensou twists at the waist to strike with his /other/ knee. "Ya-!!" And then, if his plan goes all the way he wants it to, the Psycho Soldier performs an almost impossible midair flippy-dippy maneuver resulting in his swinging his extended left leg down in a huge airborne axe kick at Nassir, to send him crashing down to the counter! "Hyaa-!!"
COMBATSYS: Nassir blocks Kensou's Ryuu Renga.
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Kensou 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
So, he's realized that she's here and is ignoring her? Normally this would be a -great- thing to have happen, and Arika would be entirely overjoyed by it. As luck would have it though, Kensou's cartwheel to the side sees the diva crashing into the counter, causing the pitiful little chef's hat upon her head to get all skewed. Groaning from her crash, she reaches up to right it and then quickly flits her deep blue eyes around in the room.
Nothing really in reach that she can grab.
While the two mean focus on each other, the blonde Brit uses her hands to hoist herself up onto the counter to the side of the incoming attack. Eyes shift over to Nassir and while Kensou is still distracted she makes an attempt to leap over his shoulder, twist her body to face him and wrap her arms around his neck in a very simplistic chokehold.
The first part of Kensou's plan more or less comes to fruition, slamming into Nassir with his elbow. Unfortunately, the elbow strike isn't quite as solid a blow as it should've been: Meeting with Nassir's waiting defense, Kensou might feel some kind of hard forearm guard beneath Nassir's uniform. It does a lot to take the sting out of the blow, and the series is deftly evaded by Nassir spinning off to one side.
"If I fight here," Nassir retorts, his free hand reaching back up to his bandolier. His fingers form a pincerlike grip around a thin sliver of metal, one of his throwing knives. "People will die. Not you, Kensou--The pork pads you well, I believe, and your fighting talent is formidable enough." A wide, sweeping gesture is made to the crowd and camera crew. "These people, your people...they will die. Their blood will be on your hands, even as my own are forced. I fight in explosives, Sie! They will become collateral damage!"
Nassir's hand comes snapping back, sending the blade flying in for Kensou's flank, hoping to benefit from Arika's attack.
"Forfeit the match, and they may yet live on. If that is not reason enough, let your undying greed guide you! Your building will fall as well, the structure is old and weak. You will have no more pork-pastries."
Psychological Warfare. It's a game Nassir isn't really well versed in, but he'd try his hand at it regardless.
COMBATSYS: Kensou endures Arika's Strong Throw.
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Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Nassir
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou interrupts Strong Shot from Nassir with Sunda.
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Kensou 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
"Tch," mutters Kensou as his attack is blocked; well, it would probably be lame if the fight was easy, right? Even the lazy kung fu fighter knows sometimes you've gotta work for it. "You really like t' talk, don'tcha?" he wonders of Nassir, whose words /are/ having an effect on the Psycho Soldier... Though just what isn't entirely clear. Especially because he suddenly has a girl on his back, trying to throttle him. "Ghhk!!!" exclaims the Chinese youth, staggering back... And his eyes widen as a knife comes flying his way.
Rather than just fall back though, Kensou uses the weight - however slight it might be - of Arika on his back to tug himself partially out of the way of Nassir's thrown blade, feeling the hot sting as it slices through the flesh of one bicep... And then he's rather suddenly there in front of the young soldier, with Arika still on his back, thrusting his other hand out open-palmed, tapping Nassir ever so lightly in the chest... Before a sudden burst of almost pure white Psycho Power fires off, blasting the other young man away harshly. "If you're gonna threaten innocent people, y'think I'm gonna give up?" Kensou wonders, speaking as best he can with someone potentially still trying to choke him. "Buddy, that attitude... Pisses me off."
Surprising that Arika continues to hold on the entire time this is happening, and she quietly thanks her lucky stars that the blade of the knife missed her skin. The same cannot be said for the plain white apron though, as the tie string is cut a tad before the knife falls to the ground.
Unable to utilize the weapon without releasing their opponent, the punk rock princess just continues to tighten her arms about Kensou's neck. Each second that passes, the crushing of her arms gets continuously tighter. Unless Kensou breaks free, she'll add a wee bit more pressure to the stranglehold by attempting to draw his body backward while her knee slams up into the small of his back.
More surprisingly, the diva tends to agree with her opponent on the matter of threatening innocent people. A stern look is shot to Nassir, because she -really- doesn't intend on being blown to pieces during this fight. That's -not- what she signed on for.
Not a word of that is spoken though, because she's fairly focused on trying to bring down the man to whom she's clinging.
Nassir is, for lack of a better way to describe it, blown to smithereens. Psychoforce slams into his body with the force of a Eighteen-Wheeler, sending the soldier youth careening against a large mixer. Landing in a heap of bone and metal, Nassir quickly shuts and opens his eyes in hopes of gathering his wits. It's at least reasonably successful, and Nassir busies himself with the task of climbing to his feet.
"Threaten? No. I am not threatening anything."
Nassir's voice is calm, taking on an almost icy aspect. "When a man dies, rarely does their death posture and threaten. It merely...happens. You may know it is coming, inevitable, but it does not threaten."
Wisps of energy begin to form on the youth's body, forewarning for some kind of attack most likely. Shadowy blue tendrils rise about an inch off of his body before dissipating into the air. "I do not threaten, I bear the curse of Cassandra. I am telling you what the results of your actions will be. Believe me...or not. Their deaths will be on your conscience."
If the 'home court' wasn't against them before, they likely are now. Was the soldier bluffing, or was he serious? Would the crowd begin to leave, their sense of self-preservation kicking in? Would it be too late? Would a riot ensue?
Too bad Nassir wasn't really a psychic.
Meanwhile Nassir made a throwing gesture with his empty hand, sending a small orb towards the Psycho Soldier. Roughly halfway between the two of them, it would explode...the chi-formed projective having more or less the same effect as a real grenade.
COMBATSYS: Nassir successfully hits Kensou with True Believer.
- Power hit! -
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Kensou 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|-------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou fails to interrupt Diva Attaca from Arika with Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
What turnabout is this?! It seems like the other two fighters suddenly have Kensou on the ropes, after he demonstrated, well... Something of a commanding lead, at least. The Chinese psion grits his teeth at the sudden explosion in front of him, pushing back in an attempt to both avoid it and prevent the /crazy girl clinging to his back/ from getting hurt, but it doesn't work out how he planned, maybe exactly because of the additional weight on his back, and instead he gets hit full on, which sends him off the countertop.
Rolling on the floor, Kensou then tries to deal with the /other/ person attacking him, making an attempt to throw Arika clear off of him. But instead, he gets choked some more and kneed in the back, which isn't a fun combination. "Crap..." mutters the 'hometown hero', because right this moment things aren't looking too good for him at all!
Almost thankful that the psion has blocked her from being hurt by the energy grenade, Arika begins to relax the stranglehold. By the time he's muttering 'crap' she's let go of him entirely. A quiet, "Thanks, mate," comes from the punk rock princess before she's pushing herself up to her feet.
This does not mean she's out of the fight though.
An attempt is made to ignore what Nassir is saying, while focusing entirely on the fight. Lunging out to take hold of a wheeled cart filled with ingredients, she swings it around before forcefully pushing it toward Kensou's side.
Then her better nature kicks in and she glances at those still gathered. "In case 'e ain't jokin', folks, I'd be prepared to -run-!" The girl seriously has no clue whether it's just a tactic on Nassir's part, or if the nutter really means to bring the place down around everyone. Either way, she really doesn't want to chance innocent lives.
Was the soldier being serious? Undoubtedly. He'd done worse things, true atrocities, waging an endless war in the name of another man's doctrine, in the name of a better world, in the name of protecting his own culture and in the name of practically anything else. To think that the youth was anything less than perfectly truthful would be the greatest folly.
That's what makes the situation especially weird. How people weren't practically crushing one another to escape was beyond him, a perplexing puzzle that set the boy's face into a bemused frown.
That wasn't going to save Kensou, however. Tangled up with Arika as he was, Nassir took the opportunity to move in, balling his free hand up into a fist--save for his rigidly straight first and middle fingers. A lunging strike is made for Kensou's collar, fingers seeking to press against the softer flesh therein.
If done properly, it would cause pain...followed by a numbness in the area. If done improperly...well, it would probably hurt Nassir's fingers more than anything else.
COMBATSYS: Kensou parries Arika's Large Thrown Object!
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Kensou 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Nassir's Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
It's not like Kensou doubts that Nassir would do exactly what he says, either... If there's anything he's learned over the years, it's that most fighters are prepared to back up their words. It's a resolve thing, but at the same time... It's not as though he's just going to let the other guy do whatever he wants, you know? With Arika pushing off of him he's got room to breathe, and when the cart is swung his way it's not that hard to redirect it, so it ends up somewhere else than 'hitting Kensou and hurting a lot'. And Nassir's attack? It passes through empty air, the Psycho Soldier avoiding the strike with perhaps surprising agility.
"Y'wanna see the real reason?" Kensou wonders of Nassir, reaching behind his back for... Something. Just what isn't entirely clear. "Lemme show ya somethin' neat... And then I'm gonna punch ya until y'never think a' blowin' up innocent people ever again." And from behind his back Kensou produces... Yes, a meat bun. And yes, he eats it. Right there. Is he taunting them?!
The 'somewhere else' the cart is sent rather than hitting Kensou is directly at one of the camera crew. Only through quick thinking on the man's part is the camera spared damages as he grabs it off the tripod and tries to hold it steady on his shoulder as two others leap at the cart to stop it from veering into the spectators who still have not left.
Meanwhile, Arika just gives Kensou a puzzled look. Now is -not- the time to be enjoying whatever treats the bakery is known for; be they pastries or whatever the heck those meat buns really are! But it means that the opponent is once more distracted with something other than her, allowing her to make her move.
The din of the crowd is translated into music within her mind, and the punk rock princess begins to move toward Kensou with surprising speed. As she's moving though, she's shaking her head in a near violent manner. To an untrained eye, this would look completely spastic and untactical but as she draws closer to her 'mark' she swings her head to the left in a broad circular motion. Another circle to the left, then another. Building up speed for something, obviously! Halting her movements entirely as draws ever closer to Kensou's face, she slams her head forward, aiming her forehead for his nose.
Whether or not Kensou was taunting them was unknown to the Shank Soldier, though at that point it didn't matter too much to him. He was familiar enough with Kensou's fighting style to know roughly what he could expect: The pork would be prelude to a second wind of sorts, and leave the two of them more or less back where they started.
That would be a bad thing.
Taking a few steps backwards, Nassir's hand slid back to his bandolier, quickly producing another of his throwing knives. An overhand motion sent the blade flying in for Kensou's mouth, looking to take advantage of the opportunity to effectively staple the bun to his face. It was unlikely that he'd be able to meaningfully stop the second wind, but he could perhaps make it a painful experience when it's all said and done.
COMBATSYS: Kensou successfully hits Kensou with Meat Bun EX.
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Kensou 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Harmonic Headbang.
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Kensou 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou blocks Nassir's Strong Shot.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
The meatbun, quite aside from being delicious, is also apparently extremely revitalising; Kensou's stance visibly eases as the pain and soreness in his body ebbs away, his Psycho Power replacing it with vigor and vitality. Even the cut on his bicep heals before the onlookers' very eyes, though it evens out somewhat when that knife comes his way... And Kensou interposes his hand between it and his /freaking face/, getting stabbed right through his palm. Which, by the way, kinda hurts. Arika's headbutt is dealt with by a sudden move out of the way, as Kensou yanks the blade free from his flesh and tosses it aside. He's not going to turn it back against his opponents; that's not how he rolls.
Overall though, Kensou is still feeling much, much better, and it shows as he suddenly lunges at Nassir, crossing the distance between them as quickly as he can, suddenly lashing out with a punch to the side of the other young man's face as he gets close enough. Unfortunately, Kensou rather foolishly does so with his /injured hand/, so it's probably not as good of an attack as it could be. "Haa-!!"
Oh thank -heavens- that the diva didn't see the blade being angled toward the opponents face before making her move! Arika would never be -that- foolish as to put herself directly in the way of a weapon that's got a bladed edge.
The velocity of the missed headbutt sends her sprawling forward, but she quickly tucks her knees to her body and forces herself into a guided tumble. Giving her head a small shake as she comes out of it, she reaches for the cart of ingredients once more. Instead of lobbing it toward her foe though, she simply runs her fingers over it, looking for the crate she saw upon it earlier.
Pulling the cart back into the cordoned off area, she grabs hold of the crate and then raises it over her head as she leaps up onto the metallic cart. The landing is not quite as silent as she would normally like, but she takes little note of the reverberation in the metal. Utilizing the cart as a vehicle of sorts, she sets it rolling toward Kensou before diving off of it toward him, angling the wooden crate at his head. As she flies through the air, the bags of flour within the crate come spilling out at the ground near Kensou. Hopefully the little flour-dust explosions will be enough of a distraction that the wooden crate angling toward the back of his head will go ignored.
COMBATSYS: Nassir blocks Kensou's Jab Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
The knife-hand strike (get it? bwahaha!) is deflected with Nassir's waiting guard, the impact largely absorbed by the armguard beneath his uniform.
"Impressive," Nassir intoned, voice low. "But that does not change anything."
Wisps of energy began to rise from his body again, similar to what manifested prior. In this case, they do little more than frame Nassir's movements, leaving afterimages hanging in the air as he rolls backwards. Uncoiling into a crouched position, Nassir watched Arika ride in, waiting for the results of the attack to be known.
COMBATSYS: Nassir focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Random Weapon.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Arika
"Heh," laughs Kensou, after Nassir blocks his punch. Though ow, that kind of stings! Note to self, don't punch people with an injured hand if you can help it. The Psycho Soldier has honestly /no/ idea what the more regular solider is doing when he rolls backwards like that, but it's not enough of a distraction to let Arika get in... Once again, he can /feel/ her coming at him, diving off the cart with crate and flour. And Kensou, well, he flips backwards, up and over, one hand briefly alighting on the cart before he pushes off again. Whew, close!
And worse still, now Kensou has the cart! Feet hitting the ground, the Psycho Soldier starts running forward, pushing the cart ahead of him... Heading directly at Nassir all willy-nilly. Apparently now he's planning to crush the other young man with it. "Comin' through!!"
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Kensou's Random Weapon.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Arika
Lending the enemy her weapon was a very stupid move on her part, especially since Arika was intending to land upon it once more after hitting Kensou. The crate never makes its mark though, and so she's got little use for it any more. Flinging it toward the cart, she figures it'll either land back atop it in a haphazard manner or crack and fall to the ground. Little heed is paid to it in any case.
From her downed position on the ground, she winces. Rolling to the side, she pushes herself up to her feet once more and catches the cart aiming to crush Nassir. The only thing she -can- do to help her opponent is to leap up into the air once more.
Jumping at Kensou, she tries to wrap her arms around his throat again, as that seemed to be the only thing that's managed to affect him so far. Her weight isn't pushed forward though if she meets the mark. Every intention is made to fall backward and to the side so that both herself and Kensou hit the ground with his head cracking upon it as they land.
Neatly somersault leaping over the oncoming cart, Nassir landed in a spiderman-like crouch behind the cart. It's ultimate fate seems to be just crashing into a wall before tipping over...it's flight finished.
"Hrn."
Now for Kensou. He'd need to come up with a good way to bring Kensou down...without incurring that second wind he seemed to be capable of. Maybe now would be a time for teamwork.
In all reality, Nassir wasn't really sure what to make of his teammate. She'd been...busy, that much he knew, but couldn't really make heads of tails of her style. One thing that did jump out at him, though?
Kensou hadn't even -tried- to attack her. Maybe that could be used to their advantage. Somehow.
While his mind was busy puzzling out strategies, his body busied itself with further attacks. Snapping his head around to get a better look at Kensou, His free hand reached down for one of the knives he threw earlier in the bout. With nary a moment for aim, Nassir snapped the blade high with the hopes of hitting Kensou's central mass before Arika's Lungblower connected.
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Nassir's Long Shot.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Arika
It seems like whatever intensive training Kensou has been doing lately has paid off; the Psycho Soldier twists out of the way of Nassir's thrown blade, and then throws himself into a low roll to evade Arika's grasping arms. "Whoa, that was close!!" he's heard to exclaim as he gets his footing again, settling in a low crouch; he hasn't been as careful as he should've been with his energy so far in the fight, and he knows it's going to start costing him, soon. So rather than let that happen...
Kensou settles back into his fighting stance from earlier, backing up to keep his eyes on both Nassir and Arika as best he can, and then he tenses a little... Hands clench into fists, teeth grit a little, and he turns his focus inward instead of out, concentrating. Suddenly, all around him flour is kicked up into a small windstorm, whirling around him along with motes of bluish light as his power builds. "Haaaaa..."
COMBATSYS: Kensou gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Arika
From her position on the floor, a grunt of irritation is made. Arika doesn't know just -who- this guy is, but he's got a Hell of a lot of stamina. Inhaling deeply to catch her breath before pursuing her quarry, she gets a lungful of flour dust and begins to cough. Dry throat now, she brings a fist up to her mouth and coughs a few more times to clear her throat as she pulls herself up to her feet.
Then her eyes turn on Kensou.
A little wary of approaching him while the blue light and flour is whirling about him, she takes a step back. Fists slip up into a defensive position before she begins to advance. Hopping back and forth between one foot and another, she bounces forward and tosses a faux punch toward Kensou, purposefully falling short of hitting his face. Her right fist then swings upward directly aiming for the base of his chin in a powerful uppercut, hindered by the slight blindness caused by the small windstorm.
The flickering energy that had been surrounding Nassir suddenly guts out, his power seemingly disrupted in the face of Kensou's own. Still in that awkward looking crouch, Nassir watched intently as Arika made her move. Nassir had little interest in entering that flourstorm...and worse, his patience was slowly growing thin. He wasn't totally familiar with how Psychopower worked, but could see readily enough that energy was building up within him.
As such, Nassir did what he could to disrupt and control what could otherwise be the beginning of a disastrous endgame. Slowly standing to full height, Nassir reached up to his throat, coughing gently. "You must realize, Kensou..."
At that point, a blade threatens to cut through Kensou's flourstorm and back alike, pushing through lung and coming out the other end. Arika could see the wielder of the blade well enough, as would Kensou if he turned in time to evade the strike: A second Nassir, cast in that shadowy blue energy of his.
COMBATSYS: Kensou blocks Arika's Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou blocks Nassir's Phantom Patrol.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kensou 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Nassir
> ///////////////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Arika
The fakeout punch from Arika /almost/ manages to fool Kensou, but he doesn't really have anywhere to go here without breaking his concentration... So when she comes up for the uppercut, her strike instead hits the Psycho Soldier's forearm, which he's brought to bear more easily in his curret defensive stance. And then, things get a little more intense than Kensou would probably like them to, as Nassir attempts to shank the hell out of him! Twisting as he feels it come his way, Kensou catches the blade with his hand, which elicits a hiss of pain from the Chinese psion, but it's better than the alternative.
"So far, it's just been the warmup," Kensou explains. "Now I'm gonna show you what happens when I get serious." Whichever Nassir happens to be the real one - assuming the 'fake' disappears after that knife attack - is going to be the intended recipient of what comes next, as Kensou lunges towards him, bracing himself with one leg and thrusting both hands out, palms open... And unleashing hell in the middle of the bakery as a spherical explosion of blue-tinged white Psycho Power forms in front of him, focused directly on the knife-wielder. "HAAAAAAAAAA-!!!"
Shadowy blue energy figures, blue energy swirls, weapons flying.
Needless to say, the back room of the bakery is looking more like a tornado hit it than a bunch of fighters, and the fight is still going on!
Half hearing Kensou, Arika watches him lunge forward. More energy is brought into the fray then, the explosion sending the flour dust up into the air. It's not quite thick enough to shroud her, but she tries to use the room to her advantage again. Something she learned well in all the bar brawls back in those sleazy London pubs.
Twirling her body in a perfect three-hundred-and-sixty degree circle, she springs out of it with a sharp roundhouse kick aimed for Kensou's ribcage. Her right leg comes up nearly vertically, rotates at the same time her hip does and then she snaps the top of her foot at him.
COMBATSYS: Kensou successfully hits Nassir with Senki Hakkei.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > / ]
Kensou 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Nassir
> //////////////////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Arika
The fake does indeed disappear, the energy which sustained its life reclaimed by the true Nassir. This, unfortunately, does precious little in the face of Psychopower. Engulfed in the sphere of destruction, there is little to be seen of Nassir but a silhouette...and even that only lasts for a moment before the brightness of the attack completely overwhelms him.
Indeed, so strong was the attack that there was nothing left of Nassir when the attack dissipated. Was the young soldier just reduced to eye irritant? It's enough to raise brows, likely.
It's only when attention pulls down that things become clearer...or, more likely, get more confusing. Where Nassir once was, there is now...
...a Roast Turkey Dinner.
By the looks of things, it's slightly overdone: The skin of the turkey breast was black, the potatos shrunken and hardly recognizable. The carrots were little more than shrivelled and shrunken sticks of orange, but amusingly enough the plate took it well enough.
Apparently, Kensou tapped into the Haggarfriends' power to reduce men to foodstuffs. Unfortunately, not all of Nassir made it out--the ring of grenades were also left behind, rolling slowly along the ground, pins gone.
A parting gift from the USPL's child soldier. It was unlikely that they'd be enough to bring the building down on their heads, but the force of the explosion would be more than sufficient to render the bakery effectively out of business unless Kensou (or someone else) did -something-.
There's also something to be said about the level of damage it would do to unprotected flesh. Cue the screaming and the running.
COMBATSYS: Nassir can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Nassir successfully hits Kensou with The End of Struggle.
Glancing Blow
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Kensou with Rhythmic Roundhouse.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Arika
Pushed back as the psychic blast ends, Kensou is rather surprised to discover two things; one, there's a roast turkey on the ground where Nassir was, and a bunch of grenades. And two, Arika is still trying to hit him! In fact, Kensou gets clocked right in the ribs by the punk rock girl such is his surprise, and then he gets hit by her second kick. But luckily, this has the added effect of making it easier for him to get out of the way of the ensuing explosion... Though he doesn't entirely make it. "RUN FASTER!!" the Psycho Soldier helpfully implores the room at large, because even if it's not going to bring the building down on them, shrapnel is likely to hurt innocent folks and such. He even shouts it at Arika, though it might not be heard over the din of people making a break for it.
In the aftermath of the explosion, though, Kensou pushes himself up and, true to SNF form the cameras are /still going strong/ - they probably got really tough custom cameras because of certain people hitting other fighters with them - but the Chinese psion needs a moment to catch his breath... And in the chaos, who can tell where his remaining opponent might've gotten off to?
COMBATSYS: Kensou gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Arika
A Roast Turkey Dinner?
Arika has very little time to even consider it, and her partner's disappearance because at that -precise- moment, she notices the ring of grenades that were left behind.
First reaction is to dive to the side of the stainless steel counter and cover herself from the brunt of the attack. Deep blue eyes scan the area though, and while the majority of the spectators have run off there appears to be one little girl that's been left behind and nearly trampled by the exodus. Immediately reacting to the situation before anything can happen to the child, the punk rock princess grabs the girl by the hand and throws herself around the little one before moving them both toward the counter.
"Shh, don't fret, poppet... we'll get'cha out'a here, I promise."
Not as though a whimper from the little girl can be heard, but the diva tries to calm her down all the same.
Shrapnel disperses throughout the room then; the steel counter and a few of the ovens looking to take the brunt of the shards, though more than a few smaller pieces graze over the diva's back, causing her to push against the counter, wincing in pain.
With the child still being protected by her, there's little she can do to actually attack her opponent. From where she is, she hefts up a singed piece of the crate that shattered earlier and lobs it in the last direction she had seen him, not even knowing if she's close to the mark or not and completely giving away her location.
COMBATSYS: Kensou overcomes Thrown Object from Arika with Choukyuu Dan.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Arika
"Hah... Whew," says Kensou, giving his head a bit of a shake. No building falling on them, no horrible cries of pain from maimed bystanders anywhere - though his ears are kind of ringing, so maybe he just can't hear them - and honestly the Chinese youth is left wondering just what he ought to do when suddenly there's a piece of crate thrown at him. He can tell, there's a difference between 'something happens to get tossed' and 'an objec thrown with full intent', so his natural reaction is to turn in that direction and quickly focus energy together again.
"Choukyuudan!!" Kensou shouts a bit hoarsely, as he sweeps his arms out and sends a crackling sphere of blue-tinged white energy shooting forward, vapourising the chunk of crate and continuing on in the direction from whence it came. Of course, he has /no idea/ where he's shooting it at, psychic or not!
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Kensou's Choukyuu Dan.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Arika
Releasing the little girl, Arika rises to her feet. "Crawl along the floor to the door, poppet. Get out'a 'ere before it gets messier." God. She's not even sure the girl can hear her, and her own ears are ringing like crazy. This is worse than when the reverb is set incorrectly on the sound systems and it squawks in her ears.
Blinking her eyes from the dust and trying to make sure no slivers of metal have found their way beneath her lids, the punk rock princess turns just in time to see the crackling sphere of energy heading in their direction. If the little girl hasn't moved yet, she's on the direct path of the attack!
First and foremost, she'd be taking care of herself. Taking care of number one. But that poor child has no way of protecting herself! In an attempt to save them both, she grabs the previously crashed cart and throws it in front of them. As she leaps up to dive behind it to hide there with the girl, the energy projectile draws closer and just before her entire body is safely behind the cart it hits. The majority of the blast rocks the cart, sending it directly toward the girl she was trying to protect, and so Arika twists her body and lets the cart hit her instead.
"'urry, poppet! Go!"
Spurring the child on, she watches her begin to crawl away and then looks back to the cart. With a fairly good idea of where Kensou is standing now, she leans back against the wall and uses both feet to kick the cart out toward him, hoping to (at the very least) knock him off balance so she can get herself back into this fight.
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Large Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Arika
However, not this time; Kensou rightly figures that since the cameras are still rolling and the smoke is clearing enough for them to catch everything, plus the whole 'Arika is tossing things at him' thing, that he oughta get back in the fight his own self. So when the cart comes his way, Kensou runs right at it, hopping up /onto/ the thing once he gets close enough, and then springing up off of it towards Arika. Her hiding place, such as it is, isn't going to remain hidden for very long.
As he falls towards her through the air, Kensou extends an elbow in an airborne attack aimed at the British fighter's head... Barring Arika causing things to go differently, he's going to land lightly on his feeth thereafter, hit or miss. "Hey, there you are!" he calls as cheerily as he can manage under the circumstances.
COMBATSYS: Arika fails to counter Jab Punch from Kensou with Diva Allegro.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Arika
Causing things to go differently is precisely what the young diva intends. At first she's not even about to bother getting to her feet, but seeing him hop up -onto- the now rickety cart means she's -got- to get up and fight.
As he comes toward her with his elbow, she attempts to retaliate with a jab of her own. Positive it's going to land, she focuses her energy upon her left hand and shifts to slam it out toward him when his elbow connects with the side of her head. "Bloody OW!" Elbows meeting with temples are not usually any great fun, and in this case it certainly isn't.
Landing easily like he intended, Kensou has absolutely no idea what it was that Arika was planning to do, since it didn't really materialise. Them's the breaks, though! "C'mon, y'ain't givin' up yet, are ya?" Sure, her 'teammate' was kind of a crazy person and tried to blow them all up, but that shouldn't discourage her from trying her best. At least now she has Kensou's complete and undivided attention! Also, as it happens, he's reacing to try and grab her by the collar of her shirt and whichever arm he can get ahold of.
Presuming he succeeds at that, then the Chinese youth is going to simply spin and toss Arika in something of a rough throw back towards the general area where the fight started... Because there's no reason to go hiding off in the dark corners of the bakery, now is there? "Hup!!"
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Kensou's Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Arika
Oh, indeed. Crazy person trying to blow the building up and nearly succeeding tends to hinder one's ability to fight.
Normally.
"You'd like that, wouldn'ya, mate?" Arika grins, trying not to let the fact that he's shown himself to be an extremely well-trained fighter throw her. She's saved a little girl's life this evening, and so even if she loses now she'll go back to the hotel feeling that she's fought honorably, just like a Shooting Star -should- feel.
She hopes.
Unable to spin away before Kensou comes at her, he manages to take hold of the apron. But what happens next will likely cause the viewers at home to snicker.
Arika slips right out of the apron and crawls along the ground until she can situate herself behind and to the side of Kensou. From there, she doesn't even stand. Instead she tries to wrap her arm about his waist and pull herself up along his body before reaching down to try and take hold of legs with her other arm.
COMBATSYS: Kensou interrupts Quick Throw from Arika with Ryuu Renda.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Arika
"What the--" Kensou says in surprise when all he gets is a handful of apron, but he's rather surprised by what /else/ is going on. In other circumstances, he might not so much mind the attempt to clamber all over him, but it's intended to harm him! So this is no time for him to go getting distracted, no sir... Instead, he wrenches himself away from the initial grapple, however painfully, grabbing for Arika's collar again to yank the British fighter off of him and onto her own footing, kind of, using one hand to hold her up if he must!
From there, Kensou unleashes a short combination of punches, culminating in his ducking down quickly to uppercut Arika right in the jaw, letting go of her so she can be properly knocked away. "Not enough yet!" he declares, as though it weren't rather obvious.
The only 'collar' that Kensou manages to grab are the ties at the back of her bikini. These begin to work loose as he wrenches her off of him. Arika's hands move up to try and keep the top held on tightly, really not wanting -another- mishap with clothing during a televised fight. As such, she's completely unable to block the barrage of punches that are raining down upon her -or- the uppercut that slams her head to the side.
"Look, mate, just so's ya know, I ain't got nothin' to do with that other bloke!" This offered as she rubs her jaw, on the off chance that the Chinese boy is irritated with what was said (obviously), and what has happened so far in the back room of the bakery. She wants it made perfectly clear that she thinks Nassir is a bit of a nutter.
Problem is, now she's feeling the fight. Her opponent may not be feeling the strains of it yet, but she definitely is. As such, when her feet hit the floor she's easily knocked out of the way. However, it doesn't stop her from kipping right back up to her feet and sending a snap kick directly at his jaw to return the favor.
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Arika
Well that's even worse! It's probably the fault of the dust in Kensou's eyes - yeah, that's the ticket, /dust/ - and/or the concussive force of that earlier explosion that he didn't parse he was grabbing some girl by her swimsuit top. Because that's kind of embarassing! "Didn't think y'were," he responds quickly, because there isn't a /huge/ amount of time for him to do so before Arika takes another shot at him with that snap kick. He ducks to the side, taking a turning step, and the punk rock girl's foot passes through empty air.
But Kensou keeps right on turning, swinging his own foot up in a fast kick for the side - and kind of the back as well - of the blonde's head. If she wants to do a close-in match, well, he's entirely willing to oblige her. "Hyaa-!!"
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Kensou's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Arika
"Good! 'cause I ain't!" Heaven forbid she be lumped together in a group with the crazy military boy. Out of the corner of her eye, she spies the foot swinging toward her. It affords her barely enough time to turn around and cross her arms in front of her face to stop the kick from hitting her dead on. Instead, her forearms take the brunt of the damage and she glowers at him. "'ey now!"
Geeze. Try to have a civil conversation with someone during a fight and she gets a kick to the head. That'll teach her. Reaching for Kensou's arm, she tries to draw it around her own body as she twists behind him. If she's still got hold of the arm, she then begins to lean forward, putting all of her weight upon his shoulder and attempting to force his face down into the mound of flour that covers the floor.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Kensou with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Arika
A fight's a fight, after all... And Arika tried to kick him in the head first! Kensou actually looks fairly impressed as the British girl blocks his kick, and when she goes to grab his arm he tries to duck back... But doesn't make it. Instead, he's grabbed and twisted, getting forced down towards the ground, which honestly isn't leaving him with a whole lot of options, you know? "Ow... Ow..." he mutters, keeping his free hand and his legs underneath him as best he can.
Naturally, though, Kensou needs to change the situation if he's going to get out of the grab, which would be why he kicks off of the ground with both feet, aiming to flip himself and Arika both over... Except if things go the way he plans them, then Arika will be the one on the bottom, with his own full weight crashing on top of her. Sure, his shoulder's still gonna hurt, but hopefully...
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Kensou's Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Except things don't go the way he plans, and Arika throws herself into a side-roll just as she hits the ground. The pain from impact still occurs, of course, but she's willing to force it to the side in favor rolling back toward him. "'ello there, mate," she says with a slightly teasing wink. "Lovely of you to join me 'ere on the floor."
Though pained, she's clearly amused by something!
At the angle she's got herself on, this is going to prove to be extremely difficult, but an attempt is made to set herself on his stomach. Before she can even glance down at him or ensure that she's settled on his body, a barrage of hammer-fist punches are sent in rapid succession toward his temples. Back and forth in quick repetition hoping to knock him dizzy.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Kensou with Drum Solo.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Arika
This is starting to go very badly for Kensou here... But then, fighting on the ground really isn't his thing. He's not a grappler or anything of the sort, and honestly he prefers to be in a situation where he can move around a lot. Flippy-dippy kung fu nonsense and so on. He tries to avoid the whole 'getting straddled' thing, but to no avail, and instead ends up with Arika sitting on his stomach and punching him in the head. This is, as one might gather, not ideal. In fact, it hurts!
This would most likely be why Kensou tries to get loose, in this case by swinging his legs up and trying to catch the blonde British girl around the neck with them, before swinging her back off of him, and quite possibly headfirst into the floor. "Sorry, lady, but I like t' have my space!!"
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Kensou's Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Arika
Training in amateur wrestling has taught the punk rock princess that when an opponent is struggling around beneath her, if she can't get a firm hold on them she's better off removing herself from the area.
So that's what she does.
Once off of him though, flips herself around so that she can get behind his head and try to pull him up to his feet. While moving, she attempts to reach under his right arm and place his hand behind his neck at the same time she makes a grab for his other arm and tries to draw it across his body.
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Punk Rock Breakdown.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Arika
Well, okay then... That's basically what Kensou was after, he was just intending it with more 'Arika getting a mild concussion' in the process. But, you know, either way; he's already on his way to his feet when Arika tries to help him out with exactly that, but rather than letting her help him, he throws himself forward to get out of her grasp. "Whoa! Hey, uh, thanks but no thanks," he says, at least half-jokingly... But he suspects her help up would have some unfortunate consequences for his person!
As Kensou moves away from the grasping Arika, he staggers a little, gasping for breath. "Not good," the Psycho Soldier mutters to himself, turning to face the punk rock girl once again. "Hey, you're tougher'n you looked... What's your name again?" Don't feel bad, he doesn't remember Nassir's either. He didn't read past 'fighting in a bakery'.
COMBATSYS: Kensou gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Arika
Slippery psion! Arika was hoping that would wind him a little bit so she'd have a chance to compose herself a bit and take a much needed rest! The punk rock princess glares over at Kensou and then rolls her eyes. "No offence, mate, but you ain't me type." Just in case he's thinking of getting any ideas beyond what she was -really- intending to do.
When it looks to her like he's taking a bit of a breather for himself, Arika makes no reply. That action only angers her and spurs her on in the fight. Her right hand springs into motion first, angling in toward his chest in a knife chop. The left follows through immediately with an open hand chop designed to push him away from her if it hits.
Then and -only- then does she spit, "The name's Arika."
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Arika
Hey now, Kensou's had to fight two people! Why wouldn't he be tired? "Oh, thank goodness," he replies to the glare/eyerolling comment, rapping himself in the head with one fist. "I was gettin' worried y'might... Y'know." Might what? But actually he's joking, though this may or may not be immediately evident. "Anyway, y'ain't my type either!" he adds. His type is a little more 'cheerful girl with purple hair and enormous psionic power named Athena'. Yes, it's specific, but that's how he likes is.
The knife hand slips through the air harmlessly as Kensou dodges out of the way again, the Psycho Soldier showing some rather alarming speed once again; clearly, his training has paid off. "Arika, huh?" he repeats, positioning himself to the side and a bit behind the punk rock girl before lashing out with his own fist in a punch that actually /completely overbalances/ him as he tries to sock her one in the head. "Hyaa-!!"
COMBATSYS: Kensou successfully hits Arika with Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Arika
Overbalancing seems to work well for him, for when Arika goes to dodge out of the way of his incoming fist she miscalculates. Miscalculates so badly that her ears are now ringing and if she couldn't feel her head still attached to her shoulders, she'd swear that he knocked it right off.
Bruising from the earlier kicks have already started to show on her lightly tanned skin as red splotches, but she's quite certain that this punch is going to leave a doozy. Her right hand comes up to gently massage the area as she gives her head a shake. Quite a bit dazed from the hit still, she jumps forward and tries simply to bash the top of her skull into the bridge of the psion's nose.
COMBATSYS: Kensou fails to interrupt Quick Punch from Arika with Sunda.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Arika
It was a satisfying hit, at least. ...Maybe not so much for Arika though. Kensou twists as he sees her come careening towards him like that, throwing his own hand out... But it's not timed right, and the girl's momentum is enough to deflect his hand as energy disperses to no good effect and he gets headbutted /right in the nose/. It might not be broken, but it sure is bleeding, eliciting a 'geh!' of pain from the Psycho Soldier, who staggers back. This isn't looking good at /all/.
Blood. That's what she likes to see when her head is aiming for someone's nose. Arika takes a chance to stagger behind him now and lean against the counter and take a deep breath.
Only...
... instead of the break she would've liked to take earlier, the punk rock princess presses on. Leveraging herself up onto the counter once more, she makes a grab for Kensou's head. From there, she tries to place her knee just at the base of his skull with her shin resting between his shoulderblades. Managing this, she simply jumps off the counter and tries to drive his bloody face into the mess of flour and shrapnel on the ground.
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Arika
His NOSE is BLEEDING. Kensou doesn't like that in the least little bit! Still, he's impressed by Arika's perserverance as she hops back up on the counter and tries to do some awful grappling thing to him... But he's not going to just stand around and /let/ her, you know? He dodges out of the way of the grab for his head, taking a few awkward steps forward before he suddenly turns, facing the British girl, and pushes off the ground.
Kensou almost literally flies through the air right at her, diagonally upwards towards where she's on that countertop, throwing his right hand forward in a grasping hand motion... Where a blue-tinged white light begins to glow. That same light bleeds out around his hand and arm, creating a streak of Psycho Power that follows his path through the air, as he tries to blast Arika right off the counter with psionic force and physical impact in the hopes of closing the fight down /right the heck now/. "Uryaa-!!"
COMBATSYS: Kensou successfully hits Arika with Ryuu Sougeki.
[ \\\\\\ < > //// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Arika
Wha-? The cutesy little grapple hold with his face implanting on the sharp objects didn't work? Shame! Arika is about to leap down and retaliate when the glow is seen. The light streaks out toward her and while she tries to block it, she fails miserably. The full brunt of the psionic blast sends her literally -flying- off of the counter and against one of the ovens which (thankfully) is not on.
Gasping to catch her breath, the diva lays in a crumpled position on the ground for a moment. Another gasp, and she's trying to pull herself up to her feet. GOD that hurt like bloody Hell, but the punk rock princess just -can't- let it end like this.
Win or lose, now, she's got to know she gave it her all.
Gathering her energy, she raises her left shoulder up on an angle and brings her hand up to her lips. Winking, she blows a kiss at Kensou and murmurs, "Great fight, mate." The left arm then falls into position, held approximately three inches below her shoulder and to the side, with the elbow bent upward like she's holding onto the neck of a guitar. Her right hand is angled in toward her midriff, the hand held in a strumming position. Mimicking a power chord, a bright explosion of multi-colored energy is set off behind her before it arcs off into a beam toward Kensou. As the beam continues forward, and the bright colors entwine around one another, the punk diva falls to her knees, just trying to catch her breath and stay conscious.
COMBATSYS: Arika has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou dodges Arika's Siren Song.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Arika
Meanwhile, Kensou lands on the counter, /somehow/, ending up in a low crouch thereon... It seems like all the momentum got transferred to Arika, with her flying off and hitting things and all, leaving the Psycho Soldier perched on the edge of the countertop. Clearly, though, the British girl must be done, right? Winking and blowing a kiss and all that and then... She attacks him with /air guitar/? For serious? The sad part is that this isn't the first time he's ever been attacked with music. "Aw hell no," says Kensou, who backflips off of the counter and lets the beam sail harmlessly over his head.
Once it's done, then Kensou is free to vault back over the countertop, rushing headlong right at his one remaining opponent again. She might have just enough time to recover her breath by the time he's up in her face, suddenly lunging forward with his hand in a 'blunted' knife-hand position, fingers curled in at the second knuckle, aiming to strike her in the first vulnerable place he can. "Persistent, ain'tcha?!"
COMBATSYS: Kensou successfully hits Arika with Jab Punch.
[ \\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Arika
Consciousness seems to be failing her, and Arika takes another deep breath in effort to give her enough energy to spring back into the fight. Deep blue eyes look quite glassy as she forces her body back up off of the messy floor.
First thing she's greeted with is a knife-hand to the chest, which as -any- female will attest to hurts like HELL. Her left arm crosses over her chest to stop him from hitting the now throbbing area again, but what's her right arm doing?
Thanks to the close proximity, the right arm is swinging up toward his chin with a quick forearm uppercut. Not so effective as a fisted one, but maybe it'll get him to back off.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Kensou with Quick Punch.
[ \\\\ < > ////// ]
Kensou 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Arika
Is that what this has come down to? A knock-down close-quarters brawl? Probably not for long, knowing at least one of the two people currently involved in it. Kensou staggers back as he gets hit in the chin with Arika's forearm, which certainly stings, and you know... He's not really feeling his best, here. In fact, he's barely standing himself, and that's pretty clear; the only thing keeping him up is pure willpower and determination, and as he stumbles back he concentrates on one single point in front of him.
Bringing his hands up in front of his face, the already tired Kensou prepares to use more of his dwindling energy in what he hopes will be enough of an attack to end the fight entirely, forcing pure power to bind together with his mind, before sweeping his hands out with another cry of: "CHOUKYUUDAN!!" that sends a crackling sphere of blue-tinged white Psycho Power hurtling at the rather close Arika!
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Kensou's Choukyuu Dan.
[ \\\ < > /// ]
Kensou 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Arika
Close combat energy spheres are -not- fun. At least, she's going to presume they're not fun. Considering the proximity, any attempt to dodge the blue-tinged white sphere of energy would likely wind up with her getting hit by it -anyhow-. Using a little bit of quick thinking, she reaches overhead and yanks down two of the dangling pots. Each one is held tight to her body with the minutest of spaces between them. While the pots deflect a good deal of the Psycho Power away from her body, the sphere does hit dead center and some manages to make its way through to her body and knocks her back a few feet.
"Well," she says, her breathing quite labored from the intensity of the fight, her body starting to feel a bit run down now. "That's a wee bit of.... fun... you're 'avin'... ain't it?"
Slipping her fists into the pots, she swings one out toward the side of Kensou's head like a mallet hitting a gong, the other one curving in at the same time on the opposite side.
Honestly! The British punk rocker isn't trying to squish his head, just bring him a nice coppery tone from the reverberations she's hoping they'll make in his ears.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Kensou with Strong Punch.
[ < > //// ]
Kensou 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Arika
It is, perhaps, just too much by now for Kensou to keep going. He's tired, he's battered, he's bleeding from at least three places on his body - two of them his /freaking hands/ - but whatever the reason is, when Arika tries to hit him in the head with pots, he can't avoid them in time, getting quite resoundingly hit in the head. Ow. "Ghh..." he grumbles incoherently, staggering...
...And then throwing both hands forward, not even bothering to brace himself this time as he unleashes that spherical blast of Psycho Power once again. It's not quite what it should be, given his current state, but it's nevertheless quite dangerous as psionic energy flares in the air in front of him, enveloping his arms and, hopefully, Arika.
Either way, when it's done, as a consequence of his failing to brace himself, he goes flying backwards away from the spot he was just standing in... Hitting the counter pretty roughly. And he is, noticeably, out like a light!
COMBATSYS: Kensou can no longer fight.
> //// ]
|=======\-------\0 Arika
COMBATSYS: Kensou successfully hits Arika with Senki Hakkei.
- Power hit! -
> ]
|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Arika
Holy God!
Arika watches him stagger, she's almost -certain- that he's down for the count and is about to turn her back and walk toward the cameras and give them a winning smile. But...
... out of the corner of her eye, she spies energy once again. Turning back just in time to see it envelope Kensou's arms, the diva tries to dive out of the way. Perhaps an attempt to block it some how would have given her better results.
Fortune favors the bold, and all that.
The sheer force of the dangerous psionic energy sends the blonde Brit back against the oven again, this time she cracks her skull on the corner of it and a small trickle of blood can be seen traveling down her temple. There's very little chance that the girl is still conscious at this point, and is very likely concussed.
COMBATSYS: Arika takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Arika can no longer fight.
And finally, well, an SNF official is there to check on the results of the match. Yeah, they were laying pretty low after Nassir tried to go all Guy Fawkes on the place, but who can blame them? They're not fighters! Quickly checking on Arika, and then Kensou, with the clear result that neither fighter is able to continue - and since Nassir has fled the premises - the match is called as a draw. The remaining fans (all outside now, natch) give a perfunctory cheer, and won't Kensou and Arika be happy when they wake up?
Well Kensou probably won't, but them's the breaks!
Log created on 16:02:14 05/05/2007 by Nassir, and last modified on 10:01:38 05/12/2007.