Description: Hakuya checks out the new Youth Center, and agrees to a demonstration of martial arts with Hotaru Futaba. But not all goes as planned, as special guests show up...
There are a number of things going on around here in the middle of the day on a weekend. One large room off to the side is closed off for showing old movies that haven't been in the theater for years. But the price is 'Free', so it's perfect for a cheap date for teenage-types. There's a number of small rooms along one wall where one can turn to for tutoring of the educational variety, in case school is the butt kicking you're worried about the most. Some teenagers just come to hang out and chat. Those who have an interest in the fighting circuits will sometimes linger around here on the off chance of catching a glance at a famous fighter from the leagues or Saturday Night Fights.
Downstairs is a large open room covered with mats used for teaching all kinds of things depending on the time of day. Gymnastics, acrobatics, varities of martial arts can be learned for nominal fees. It is at one such class that Hotaru is visiting as a special guest. She had gotten a request to appear at a class on Self Defense Through Martial Arts, aimed at younger kids or those with disabilities. Though she didn't know it when she accepted, the young Kenpo artist and Kyokugen trainee was selected to appear because she is an example that one doesn't have to look impressively strong in order protect oneself.
But that becomes fairly clear as the teacher points to her thin arms and explains how even teeny things like Hotaru can learn how to be tough enough to defend themselves from assailants. Hotaru maintains her smile all the same, even though she's pretty sure she could give the community instructor a good fight if it came down to it. If this will help inspire younger kids to take up training, then it's worth weathering being singled out like that.
Around this time of day, there was very little to do. School was out, so that left nothing but free time. He'd had his fill of his brand of fishing for the day, and Tenma wasn't anywhere to be found - presumably because, as he'd heard, the other exorcist had been given a sound beating and was now working off the bruises with some ramen. Normally, Hakuya was something of a homebody, and if there was nothing readily available for him to do, he sat at home and either read, watched TV, or... well, something along those lines. That, too, was sadly not an option - he'd been able to watch TV for perhaps fifteen minutes before his 'older sister' Saeko had busted in and demanded he leave. From the way she immediately set to cleaning the apartment, something she -never- did, the reason for such a demand was clear: dear sister Saeko had a in-home date.
Fortunately, those few minutes of TV watching had let the young Suigetsu heir see the news reel for the new Young Fighter's Community Center. A place for youngsters to fight in non-lethal battles? He was all for that. Finding his way here hadn't been a problem, and finding something of interest had been even easier to do. Though he wasn't a young kid, nor did he have any disabilities... or, well, problems defending himself, he wasn't really signed up to do anything here, and looking in on such things to get a feel for the place seemed like the perfect thing to do. So, stepping into the classroom, the be-hoodied young man hangs in the back, unobtrusively watching the demonstrations - even the ones that involve pointing to the young girl and referring to her as a 'teeny thing' - are met with casual amusement, a small, honest smile on the young man's features. He doesn't really do much, other than slowly open up a bottle of Chou! Lemony Ice Tea, absently drinking from it. However, his general stance, and the bandages he wears on his arms, are likely clear indicators that this young man is another of those pesky teenage fighter-types.
The Youth Fighters' Community Center! Since its recent inception, this building has caused quite a ruckus within the Southtown social circles, expectedly more for youth than the older fighters. Not only does it allow for a casual hangout for the circuits' youngest luminaries, but it allows the -fans- to congregate outside, feverishly clutching pens and pictures, action figures and their own hopes. A chance to see one's idol, the -knowledge- of where they are... it's enough to drive a youngster wild with passion! The chance to see Rock Howard waltzing out of those big double-doors... or even Sakura! Such is the scene TODAY, to be certain, with no end of youngsters waiting around outside for one of their favorites to appear on their way out the door.
"Look there!", shouts a particularly perceptive youngster(wearing a Shingo shirt). He points to the tallest wall of the Community Center, where a MYSTERIOUS MASKED MAN is rather easily scaling the thing with only a rope and grappling hook. Immediately, the assembled crowd turns towards the direction of the excited child's finger, and witnesses the sight of that broad-shouldered mystery man cresting the edge of the roof and straightening up properly.
"Hmph!", says he, squaring his shoulders and turning to face that crowd. The mask on his face makes it impossible to see his eyes, but a lust for life, a certain, inextinguishable twinkle radiates outwards from them. Slate-grey hair rustles in the breeze, his well-kept, travel-stained gi flaps insistently against a rock-hard physique.
An impossibly long nose gleams in the sunlight.
"Ha ha, children! Keep training, and you can accomplish anything you dream of! CHESTO!" The mysterious intruder slams one hand forward with that audacious battlecry, releasing a wave of invisible energy potent enough to cause garbage cans a block away to shudder violently.
"Whoa," comments one particularly loud child as his hair is whipped about by the force of the demonstartion. "I felt... I felt..."
".../Karate/...", another youngster finishes for him. "That was /pure karate/."
They look up towards their mysterious idol, but alas... he is gone! Where could he be?!
In the distance, glass shatters ominously. An old man yelps out as though he's just been cut.
The instructor is a middle-aged, clean cut man in a white karate gi. His manner is mild but with enough experience in how he conducts himself that one gets the impression that he at least knows what he's talking about. Hands clasped behind her back, Hotaru stands near him on the blue mat, blue eyes glancing over the mostly thirteen to fourteen year olds on the raised rows of bleachers along the wall. There's some older individuals in the mix as well, some also curious about the low-cost martial arts training available here or just passing through without much else to do at the moment.
The instructor gets to the demonstration part of today's presentation, however, turning toward Hotaru and having her demonstrate how she might deal with a variety of grabs from a larger person such as himself. The teenaged girl bows to him, then stands at the ready as he reaches forward and grabs hold of her arm like a mugger or purse-thief might. The transition from aggressor to victim is smooth as Hotaru clamps her other hand down over his, lifts his arm up while turning herself around, then brings his arm back down in a twisting motion, sending the instructor flipping to the ground on his back forcefully. "Ha!" The way she does it made it look easy, as if she hadn't needed much force at all to drop him to the mat.
The instructor flips back up to his feet and begins discussing Hotaru's technique for how she took him down, asking her to repeat it in slow motion as he reaches for her a second time.
Meanwhile on the bleachers, there's a bit of chatter between two young man near Hakuya, "That's Hotaru Futaba." one whispers to the other, "Yeah, I've seen her in a lot of fights on TV lately. She may look cute, but she'd totally kick your ass." The two young men chortle at the idea of the skinny female actually being a threat to anyone. Up front another kid calls out, "Are you going to fight?"
Hotaru shakes her head as she hears the question, "I'm sorry, I don't know that there is anyone here that would be appropriate for me to spar against." She can already tell the instructor isn't near her calibur. He's probably some kid's father who has dabbled enough enough karate to train people in the basics, but little more. Her answer is met with an 'awh' from a number of people that were perhaps hoping for a more /forceful/ demonstration.
For Hakuya's part, he's just quiet and watchful. He makes the same observations as pretty much anyone who -isn't- one of the students here would make: that the teacher, while a good *teacher*, isn't much of a real expert. Yet, looking at the young blue haired girl, the Suigetsu heir gets some gears turning in his head. She looked familiar... and the two teens snickering next to him more or less make the connection for him. His expression lightens, and he gives a silent 'ah' in acknowledgement, nodding his head. SNF, since his own debut on the program, had been a favorite of his sister's to watch, mostly to get -him- to watch. 'Study these guy's moves then kick their ass! You can do that, right?' of course said fight had been between people much better than himself, but his sister didn't care about that - she just liked the money that came from him participating in said events.
However, watching had let him see Hotaru on the television, and he was pretty sure, though not exactly sure, he and she were of a kind, in terms of fighting skill. No doubt Futaba-san needed someone a bit more interesting to fight than the instructor. So, Hakuya begins to lift his hand, but then stops. He'd been taking a sip from the Chou! Lemony Ice Tea bottle, and finally -tasting- it, he had to say, it was... bewildering. How could Tenma drink this? Ugh. His strawberry milk was much better. Setting the tart drink aside, he then raises his hand again, and cheerfully calls out: "If the students would like a demonstration, I don't mind helping," he says, and then stands up from the bleachers so he can be seen better. A few of the kids would no doubt whisper, but instead of comments of how cute he is, they instead go: 'Who's that? Man, he looks really poor.' and other such claims. He'd been in all of one SNF that hadn't been a very popular fight to watch, particularly because the opponent he was facing had forfeited midway through the match. It was no wonder he wasn't very well known! For all anyone else knew, he was just a inner city kid who was trying to act big, possibly to impress Hotaru.
"So, yeah, I guess that Hotaru Futaba girl's here to teach the beginner-level Self Defense course. Wonder if it'll put old Hamman down a peg or three to have his ass kicked by a little girl, huh?" A janitor walks beside another, both men apparently on their lunch break. At least, they aren't carrying brooms or doing any sort of active cleaning! It's definitely a break.
"I saw another mini-celebrity type skulking around, man... I dunno. Futaba could be up for a challenge if I'm right in my guess." "Aw, Fred, shut your mouth, you ain't got any idea how this stuff works. These schoolkids look all alike, for all you know you're talking about some fanboy dressed up like the guy!" The other janitor punches the first in the arm, the two chuckle and keep walking down the hallway.
In the distance, a third janitor is watching the pair. He is cloaked in shadow, facial features entirely obscured beneath the wide bill of his janitor hat. Assumedly, he is stroking his chin.
"Howarzu Footsaba, eh?"
The man himself may be an enigma, but his silhouette belies his true identity -- no mere janitor could possibly posess a nose that lengthy.
Ol' Hamman has no interest in fighting Hotaru either. While he might have given her a rough time on her harmless enough looking appearance, he wouldn't have requested her to appear if he didn't know her to be a cut above most. As the girl mentions not having anyone she could fight against, he actually chuckles and nods, agreeing with her whole heartedly. He isn't about to ask to get beatdown in front of an audience by potential teeny-bopper students. That would hardly be faith-inspiring.
As a young man speaks up offering to help with a demonstration, Hotaru glances his way. Her expression is a steady, friendly smile, but when she first opens her mouth it might be possible to discern that she was initially going to try and decline the offer as politely as possible. But something causes her to pause, her mouth closing as she looks at him longer. Whatever she was going to say at first seems to be put aside as her expression brightens a little bit more.
It's said that those that have ascended to the professional circuits are able to pick each other out from a crowd of strangers, even if they've never seen each other before. There's something about those who have struggled, kicked, punched, grappled, and chi-blasted their way far enough up the charts to finally make it into SNFs, Neo League matches, and other big tournaments. Be it the way they carry themselves or the power they radiate. Or maybe it's confidence or strength of character that makes them stand out. Whatever it is that Hotaru sees in Hakuya will be her secret, but she seems to accept that yes, indeed, he would be a fair partner with which to provide a demonstration.
"Okay," she agrees, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgement toward the young man that looks to be about her age. Everyone is on the edge of their bleacher-seats now, all eyes on Hakuya. Even the instructor is looking at him with an expression that says: 'You got guts, kid. Hopefully you don't end up emptying them on the floor here.' Hamman steps to the side, off of the mat and onto the bleachers, a sweep of his arm gesturing toward the floor as he nods at Hakuya indicates that he's ceding the floor to the young man and Hotaru.
Takuma isn't the only aging Southtown Hero that takes an interest in the newly formed YFCC. Perhaps it's because of the substantial funding that Geese's people provided to help create the haven (he owns EVERYTHING in Southtown, you know.), perhaps it's because of the Center's talented clientele... regardless of the cause, Howard takes it upon himself to schedule, or rather not schedule, an impromptu visit to the training ground and hangout. The fans outside suddenly shifting from their clamoring at the entrance might be the first clue, as the King of Southtown's limousine pulls up out front, a suited Japanese man opening the door for Geese, who's clad in a much finer, designer number crisply tailored to his form, its black fabric accented here or there by crimson silk.
A broad palm brushes Geese's slicked-back blonde mane into place as he strides steadily towards the Center, accompanied by that single associate, who looks somewhere between chauffer and 'bodyguard'. Geese declines autographs with a forestalling palm, and simply pushes his way through the thrown, which parts rather readily before him. The door is opened by his henchperson, and Geese steps into the center, smiling rather broadly to himself for unrevealed reasons. Drawing a deep, refreshing breath, Howard wastes no time in heading for the gymnasium, ignoring the welcomes of the staff save for a nod or two, as he moves to see who's training today, seemingly taking inventory of the facility along his course.
Geese's self-amused expression sombers slightly as he sees Hotaru squaring off against Hakuya. It's intent, and analytical, sizing both up thoughtfully. He doesn't pay much attention to the latter, but Ms. Futaba garners a mild quirk of one pale blonde brow, and Geese's smile returns more subtly. If Hamman didn't know what to do with Hotaru, he's certainly going to be a bit intimidated by Geese, but any hesitations or shifts from the onlookers, instructor, or combatants is forestalled with another wave of Howard's hand, "Please, continue."
Hakuya seems to sense the pressure placed on him. All eyes on him, all minds on him, that sort of thing. Rather than coming down with stage fright, the be-hoodied teen just blinks, and looks around to all the eyes on him, with a kind of perplexed look. Why were they all looking at him like he was crazy? A few more blinks, and then the young man shrugs a bit, a cheerful smile replacing his confusion. "Ahh... I guess I was a little unexpected, huh? I'm sorry!" he says, but even so, he begins to hop down off the bleachers, and then make his way over to the mat. He misses Geese's arrival, but even if his back weren't turned to the man, he'd likely be one of the few people in the room who had no idea who the guy was. Or, well, one of the few people in the room who would have business knowing who the guy was, anyway. Moving over across from Hotaru on the mat, he does some very basic loosening up motions, rotating his arms, back, and legs a bit to get into the fighting spirit. If he really -was- just a poor guy trying to impress Hotaru, he at least knew how to make it look good. He then centers, and bows to Hotaru - since that's how friendly matches were done, after all! - and then slides into his fighting stance. Legs spaced evenly spart, hands held up, but unclenched, palms outward. He doesn't say anything, even though he continues to smile, just lightly, his attention entirely on Hotaru. Though he does glance briefly to Geese... not quite sure why people -are- looking to him, if they do. Even so, he's ready for Hotaru, but seems intent on not taking the first attack... for now, anyway.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya has started a fight here.
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Hakuya 0/-------/-------|
Just as the two are making their introductions to one another and going through the traditional pre-fight motions, students in the classroom are glancing at an unexpected guest with a curious expression in their eyes. Something along the lines of confusion... and a little fear. But who can blame them for being afraid? Those nearest the unfamiliar janitor can feel that slight electricity of his aura -- the very elements flow /through/ this man, rather than around him. He is as much a part of the world as a mountain might be -- indeed, perhaps moreso.
The little girl on the mat inclines her head to the schoolboy approaching her, while their teacher steps to the side - a gallant, selfless gesture that masks the more selfish desire to retain a modicum of respect. It makes the janitor smile to himself -- how much does it take until a man realizes that the only way to learn is through accepting one's faults?
"Oh, youth!" booms he, sweeping off his cap and overalls in a dramatic twirl. He leaps from his position at the end of the room to the middle of the mat - directly between the two fighters - and extends both hands, each palm facing either child's head. "Let me show you what fighting is all about! These sorts of lessons don't come cheap, but I'm feeling generous today!"
There is a frightened, almost sheepish silence. Mr. Karate, enthusiasm almost entirely unabated, looks eagerly from one combatant to the other.
Still more silence.
Eventually, the teacher looks up to him, curiously... a little meekly. "Ah... sir."
"YES?!", booms the deity.
"..This is a Rape Aggression Defense course, sir. I'm afraid you may have the wrong room." Another pause, and she adds, even more timidly. "At least... I hope you are."
"...Oh.", he says, and waves his hands a bit. "Move along, then! Rape is a terrible thing! Ho ho!" Mr. Karate sprints out of the room, stage-left, and continues his quest!
People in Hotaru and Hakuya's room might hear some distant shouting, but that's the entirety of it.
If Hotaru was able to pick out Hakuya as being a young man that merits being respected as a fighter, the new arrival registers right off the charts as he steps in. Her eyes stray his way, widening slightly. She knows him at a glance. Geese Howard. His image burned into the minds of just about anyone who has any ambitions of moving up in the professional fighting circuits. And that's definitely something Hotaru has ambitions for, striving to prove herself worthy to her brother when she manages to find him again.
Even she takes in her breath a bit at Geese's presence, but his unmistakeable request to continue as before is respected and her attention is back on Hakuya as she takes a second to size him up. He may be an unknown to her, but she knows better than to not take him seriously all the same.
The young fighter crosses her arms in front of her, then exhales slowly as she slips into a ready stance of her own, one hand forward, for defense, her other hand further back, she stands with her side toward the young man and gives him a nod, "Attack.", she requests. Everyone leans forward, glancing back and forth between the two on the mats. Is Hakuya's brave volunteering all just male bravado? Or does he really have something to show for it?
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hakuya
Geese doesn't miss the look of recognition, or realization that Hotaru gains with her glance, and the lack of it from Hakuya is somewhat interesting as well. His attention is for the two in the 'ring', squaring off on the mats... though that is distracted by the boisterous disruption down the hall. Sounds like those kids are getting a bit rowdy, but it's hardly Howard's problem.. at least, SO HE THINKS. Little does he know, MR. KARATE is /everyone's/ problem!
For the moment, the King of Southtown's cool, pale blue gaze returns to Futaba and Suigetsu... he knows little of either fighter, beyond Hotaru's talented displays in an SNF or two. The thing is, talented fighters are something of a pasttime of Howard's. Even if he can't exactly hire them all, it's wise to know who they are, where they are, and what they want. And also if they're in some way suitable to exploit on television and DVD for mucho money. Thickly corded arms cross over Geese's suited chest, his stance relaxing somewhat as he settles in to watch, for the moment. There's a mild smirk as he looks back to Hakuya. Ah, he's glad he doesn't have to deal with the prospect of being beaten down by schoolgirls.
... hey, there's a fight card. Geese vs. HORDE OF SCHOOLGIRLS. Frightening.
And not only is there the 'eyes on Geese' disturbance to this little match, but the sudden yelling from down the hall. Hakuya's expression vaguely registers concern... but at this point, he's in his fighting mode, and in such a mode, one does not take their eyes off their opponent. Waiting for Hotaru's attack... it does not come. Instead, he gets the request to attack first, which is understandable from a number of standpoints. In this setting, Hotaru isn't the one who has to prove herself. Hakuya's just a no-name kid in cheap clothes, but a damn nice set of sneakers - and those sneakers were discarded for proper footing on the mat! Giving a nod, Hakuya says nothing. Instead, he simply moves forward, a slow, casual move forward, while maintaining his stance. He closes the distance first, but then when there's only a short amount of space between he and Hotaru, he suddenly leaps forward, thrusting one palm strike out for the blue-haired girl's face. An easily readable, horribly telegraphed palm strike that, if he were being taken seriously, might be understood to be a feint. When his feet touch back to the ground, he launches his other hand out in another, less telegraphed strike to the girl's middle. But these both are feints, both to try to force Hotaru to begin moving in some direction. That is then turned into advantage for the Suigetsu heir, as his body then shifts, twisting in place, his leg coming out to sweep Hotaru's legs out from under her, while at the same time pushing her in the same direction she's moving, using her own momentum to overbalance her and trip her to the floor.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Hotaru with Waning Dawn.
- Power hit! -
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Hakuya
What happens immediately after the yelling is, sadly, entirely unknown. For the next few months, people will attempt to make up stories about what occured between Mr. Karate running out of the R.A.D. classroom and the small fire beginning in the cafeteria kitchen, but the simple fact of the matter is that even the chef isn't aware -- after witnessing the fire-eyed Tengu-masked man rush into his workplace and demand the whereabouts of a "Hotsie Footsie", he had sprinted out for his life.
After hearing some distant clattering and yet more yelling, Hotaru, Geese, Hakuya, and the rest of the students in the classroom would be treated to the sounds of faint yelping, a quiet roar of a fire's ignition... and the much LESS distant shrieks of children running down the hallway by the door at breakneck, panicked pace.
Not enough to prompt fear for one's life, but certainly enough to make one wonder: "What the hell's going on down there?!"
As Hakuya advances, Hotaru holds completely still. Even as his hand strikes for her face, she blinks, but doesn't flinch, and as his second attack extends toward her stomach she stands her ground. While he may have hoped to get her moving in one direction or another as an evasive action, the girl appears to be allowing him to land the attack to the fullest of his abilities, which really ends up hitting harder than she had anticipated.
Her feet swept out from under her, Hotaru gets pressed hard to the mat by his arm, releasing a surprised 'Umph' as she lands. Okay, point proven. Hakuya is worth taking seriously as she suspected. She folds her legs up then kicks out, pushing with her hands to launch herself back to her feet swiftly, "First Lesson is to realize that no matter what, you're going to get hit sometimes. Don't be afraid of it - fearing the blow will often cripple you more than the attack itself can." she speaks, grinning to herself. She's glad to have this chance to demonstrate some things to those that trail behind her by only a handful of years. But as she speaks, she never takes her eyes of Hakuya, studying how he moves, how he carries himself, trying to identify his fighting style by comparing his moves against those of others she has fought. After some seconds pass, she nods at him, "Again please," she requests, slipping loosely back into the fighting stance she had used earlier.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru focuses on her next action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Hakuya
Ha! It's nearly a vocalized amusement as Hakuya drops Hotaru forcibly to the mat. But Geese just grins, and watches... the recovery is relatively impressive. Patient, interesting... Geese knows the signs of a fighter taking the measure of another, and he's rather certain both are just getting started. Thus, the distress in the hall is a somewhat distant concern. But... did someone shout 'fire'? ... that can't be good.
The suited henchman with Howard looks questioningly towards his boss, and Geese just gives a nod. The bodyguard slips back out the door, and down the hall... to investigate the source of the chaos. Who would expect it to be Takuma Sakazaki trying to burn down the Youth Center?!?!? We're gonna need a montage.
Is a little put off by the fact Hotaru doesn't flinch from his attacks. In fact, it almost just makes him try to abandon the attack altogether, but then his balance would just be all manner of off. So, he follows through with it, a bit more forcefully than intended, and the girl is sent off to the floor. Hakuya 'hops' backwards twice to distance himself from the young girl, intent on not letting her counter attack him from a prone position, like many people try when they've been thrown. But it doesn't come - instead, Hotaru rights herself, and gives a small lecture, which makes Hakuya blink in confusion. He doesn't take his eyes off Hotaru, no, but he's a touch put off again. But, he reclaims himself, and nods once, as if he somehow 'gets' something all of a sudden, and smiles more. With that... he again moves forward, a little faster this time, and then before he makes it to Hotaru's form, he hops, spins vertically, and then when he lands again, he pushes off with the added kinetic motion and a slight shout of 'Haah!', and performs a spin kick, aimed straight for Hotaru's shoulder. No doubt showing off a bit.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru fails to interrupt Heavy Kick from Hakuya with Tenshin Shou.
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Hotaru 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Hakuya
Men like Geese Howard employ the cream of the crop, especially so far as their personal guard is concerned. Certainly, Geese's employee isn't the type to balk in front of the face of oddity, but who could blame him for balking in the face of something out of a nightmare? This man, after stepping into the hallway and being whelmed by a tide of children and teachers, bears witness to something his subordinates and colleagues won't believe no matter -how- well he tells it.
Like some freakish spectre or Disney ghost, Mr. Karate stumbles down the hallway, entirely aflame. He is naught but a frightening mask hovering in the midst of an intense bonfire composing his person, shrieking out the occasional, "WHERE ARE THEY FIGHTING?!" amidst the roar of the flames.
Above him, and right outside of the room that Hakuya and Hotaru are fighting in, a localized fire-sprinkler system rains water down on him, and has the fire doused in a moment. He... can't really do much given the radical temperature changes assaulting him(fire, then water, then uncomfortable in-between?!), but he DOES notice that the curious man is standing outside of a room... where one very familiar little girl is indicating that her opponent should attack her again!
Karate's eyes light up. "HOTSU!" He rushes forward, adeptly bowls over the still-confused bodyguard, and comes to a shrieking halt directly in the middle of the rear of the classroom. Typically this is where he'd make his incredible, intrigue-filled entrance, but he's far, far, far too tired for that right now.
So he just stands there, clad in that sooty, burnt-up gi, watching. Thankfully, he does not notice Geese though it's rather impossible to miss the guy. We'll leave it to Storyteller Fiat for now.
She waits again for Hakuya to attack, eyes studying his movement, gauging the direction from where his next move will come. She can tell that he's put a fair amount of strength into this kick of his, and that worries her a bit. For all the calm she's exuding, she's still not really one for taking strong hits. But as Takuma and Ryo have been drilling into her time and time again, that reluctance to to weather an opponent's blows, even if it looks like it's going to hurt, is not the way to true mastery in combat.
Here goes nothing, she tells herself, crouching slightly then leaping right up into the young man's kick. She had tried to propel herself with enough force to bowl him over even while taking the attack head on. Based on how she had felt him out so far, she was pretty sure she could do it. But confidence in such things does not always equal success. The comperatively unknown fighter's kick strikes her in the side with more force than she had anticipated and her trajectory is shot as a result. Unable to land smoothly after that, she instead tumbles to the side, sliding along the mat a little ways. Ow! Shaking her head, the pig-tailed girl gets back to her feet, her grin from before looking slightly sheepish now, "Second thing to note: If you're trying to defend yourself, jumping into someone's kick isn't a very good idea."
There is a slight murmur in the crowd now. It might have something to do with Takuma's entrance though. Who let the burned up guy in here? Several heads turn to stare at Takuma, but most of the audience's attention is on the two on the floor. 'Hey, he's pretty good,' some begin to whisper, having not expected the volunteer to actually give the small time celebrity such a rough time.
Hotaru certainly doesn't miss Takuma's entrance either, the girl glancing his way briefly, eyebrows raising slightly. Hotsu is it now... *sigh* But her eyes are back on Hakuya once again. "When you're ready," she states, getting prepared once more.
Oh! And score two for the unassuming bum. Hotaru gets taken by the deceptively slow but powerful kick, and Geese has to let out a chuckle. Oh, it is amusing... at least when there's no skyscraper to get tossed off the top of. It's hard for Howard to miss Takuma's entrance, and even if the haggard Kyokugen master's senses aren't quite at peak, Geese's are. A rather boggle-filled expression is levelled on Sakazaki's entrance. ... is he really singed, scorched, and subsequently soaked from the sprinkler system? ... is he really wearing the Tengu Mask? What the hell is /wrong/ with that man? One too many cracks to the skull seems a worthwhile guess.
"Sakazaki!" None of this 'Hotsu' bullshit. Geese turns to face Takuma fully, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!? This is a youth center!" And as near as Geese can tell, from the fleeing, wet students out in the hall, and his henchman sprawled in the doorway brushing a scorch from his suit from being bowled over whilst Takuma was still smouldering, Takuma is causing a hell of a lot of trouble!
Hakuya can feel the attack coming, but there's not much he can really do other than rotate his body and kick, like was intended. Fortunately, bowling through another's attack like that is a little difficult, and while Hakuya isn't the biggest guy in the world, no doubt he had a bit more mass and likely a bit more speed behind him. Thus, the attack is thwarted, and Hotaru is sent to the floor. Landing after the kick, the Suigetsu heir looks a little sympathetic to the pigtailed girl's pain. He backs off a little bit, making a small wince, and no doubt is not earning a few fans for kicking a girl so hard. Make no doubt about it, that kick likely would've taken out most of the people in the room. Though Geese and the newly arrived charred, singed, drenched Mr. Karate probably would've laughed such a thing off.
Speaking of the new arrival, while Hakuya knows it's bad business to look away from your opponent during a match, he can't help -but- do it as the man busts right on in. Blinking in utter confusion, he frowns... but then forces his attention back to Hotaru. He's still not quite sure what in the world is going on, so he instead just tries to focus on Hotaru, methodically blocking out everyone else in the room. Don't look at the strange old guy in the mask. Don't look at the obviously wealthy dude yelling at him. Just look at Hotaru. Yeah. Do what she was doing earlier... study her. The way she moves, the way she fights. For now, he'll do just that. And look utterly bewildered, besides, as he's not sure what to do.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Hakuya
It's really /hard/ to focus with the commotion Takuma is causing. Not to mention, the young student of the Kyokugen master feels a lot more pressure on her now. No more flubbing moves, she tells herself. Even if the point of the demonstration wasn't to show off, it won't do to be utterly incapable of at least landing a hit against the young man.
She'll have to get to know more about him after all this is done. If he hasn't hit the leagues yet, he really should in her mind. But not Neo League. Neo League is weak. Only SNF matters. Yes.
Determined to show that she can in fact attack back, contrary to how things have gone so far, Hotaru darts forward, moving with the alacrity that she relies on so heavily to even the odds in fights where raw power won't. She isn't charging blindly though, she'll attempt to weave her way past any counter attack if one comes. The end goal is to grab hold of Hakuya's arms with her two hands, then unleash a sequence of knee and kick attacks - One to his shin, another to his stomach, as she will literally climb up him like a set of stairs if she manages to get a hold of him. In the end, she will leap away, springing from his shoulders and making an acrobatic flip through the air... assuming she manages to do anything at all, of course.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya endures Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai EX.
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Hotaru 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
It's an interesting sort of attention-triangle that the kids, Geese, and Mr. Karate have going on. The children are frightened of the older men. Geese is staring Karate down. Karate is staring the children down. A chef, in the distance, is crying over his broken kitchen. One of Geese's henchmen is trying to peel himself off of the floor. Somewhere in England, a man's monocle pops off of his jolly face for no good reason.
It doesn't matter at all to Mr. Karate -- Geese might as well be yelling 'KUSANAGI' at him... it's the same idea! It's something the old master capitalizes on, tilting that costumed face to the side and regarding Geese cooly. "Who!? I'm the Karate Goblin, and these kids need to understand that this piddling instruction isn't going to get them anywhere! It's only hard work and intense dedication that gets fighters anywhere near their aspirations, and the only style I've seen come -close- to it is that Kyokugen buzz!"
Karate's eyes flare dangerously as he regards Howard, and he leans forward a bit. Even dampened and singed as he is, the gesture still manages to maintain a modicum of threat. "Not that silly prattle I've seen -you- throwing around. That 'Deadly Storm'? Pfah! Leave the hard stuff to the pros, make up your own moves!"
Karate... goblin. Those get an extra hit die, if Geese isn't mistaken. Luckily, Howard brought his +5 mitts of facepunching. Howard's smirk only widens with Karate's rebuttal, however, "You're coming to a charity center... to pitch your school." The idea appears quite amusing to the King of Southtown, and the Hakyokusaken master registers the newest impact in the fight off to the side more in terms of the audible cracks of the strikes... but Howard's icy eyes are firmly on Sakazaki, now, "Kyokugen, hmph. The only thing you teach those poor kids is how to take out your trash."
The words are calm, but clearly baiting, and hell, Geese is still smirking quite bemusedly, "Yes, your style certainly has... originality written all over it. Too bad it's not as effective as the other martial arts it looks like." Geese taps his chin thoughtfully, "Or maybe it's the practitioners." Geese's head cants to the side, an afterthought suddenly firing through his synapses.
"... did you get in a fight with a stove on the way here?" Geese ponders aloud, half rhetorically, ".. and lose?"
His concentration is a little off. Even if he attempts to focus on the girl, the back-and-forth between the other two men, who are most definitely strange, is enough to keep even the most trained mind a little off-kilter. Which is probably why, when the now newly determined Hotaru comes charging at him, his options for defending himself are fairly limited. Tensing, he can think of only one option, and... lets his arms get grabbed. The knee to his shin and stomach are taken, but taken with a bit of acceptance, as though each strike were anticipated, and all he was doing was letting the attack hit in a place he's already steeled for impact. He stumbles back just one step as the lighter fighter kicks off him, but that's all that he falls back, as no sooner as Hotaru's attack executed, than does the Suigetsu heir spring forward, closing the distance between himself and the pigtailed girl quickly, hopefully taking advantage of the recovery time in the attack in order to make his own. His palm lashes out for Hotaru's knee, body dropping low in order to strike, then his other arm strikes upwards in order to slam the palm into the girl's chin. Thusly hopefully putting the girl off balance, he then drives both palms into the girl's stomach, hopefully knocking her back.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Hotaru with Howling Harvest.
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Hotaru 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Hakuya
It is hard for Mr. Karate to understand why people insist on his likeliness to that Kyokugen master, Takuma Sakazaki. Most people, anyway. Geese Howard is one of the few who is "allowed" to know the truth, and Karate's current denial of this is something that could either be attributed to either pure, honest senility or simple stubbornness. Regardless of which method Karate is utilizing, the implications of Geese's words are clear:
The big man's nose is quivering with rage!
"I AM NOT TAKUMA SAKAZAKI! NOW THEN:" He calms, and adopts a more... relaxed stance.
"My style...?! I have no one style, I fight with only the best techniques, the absolute pinnacle of martial might! Kyokugen, be it what it is, is merely one pool from which I drink the entirety of my ability!" Mr. Karate takes this moment to flex.
"Ansatsuken!" He stomps once, to the left. A child squeaks in fear.
"Muay Thai!" He stomps to the right. Another child looks up at him, unimpressed.
"Kenpo!" One of Karate's massive biceps are flexed. This impresses quite a few people!
"Saikyo!" The other bicep is flexed, and every anonymous child in the room save one is impressed.
"And Judo!" Karate lifts his nose triumphantly, and that last child begrudgingly accepts his clear superiority.
"And the only thing that's going to be losing fights today, Geese Howard, is you! Stove-defeated or not, I'll prove to you that the pure essence of Karate mastery is more than enough to defeat your slipshod mockeries! Are you prepared to show these children what they have to aspire to!?"
Her attack lands true and the girl flips backward, putting distance between her and Hakuya. But the recovery time is still significant, which the young man is definitely able to take advantage of. Rising to a standing position, she attempts to block, but her arm is high while he is aiming low. The kick to her knee knocks her stance loose, the following punch to her chin sends her reeling, making it easy for him to land the final blow to her stomach, causing the girl to crumple forward, hand coming in to press against her stomach as she collapses to the ground.
Lying on the mat, it's easy to allow her mind to stray from the fight to listen to the so far only vocal alteraction between Geese Howard and... the Karate Goblin. Which, honestly, by this point most of the room has already done too. While some are still following the physical fight, many are staring in abject confusion at the exchange between the two veteran fighters.
While it may or may not be intentional, Geese's taunts against the older Sakazaki strike home to the girl as well. She's not doing a very good job as a hopeful Kyokugen student as the unknown fighter seems to be picking her apart without too much trouble. Get it together, she tells herself, pushing herself off the ground, though slower now, the attacks he's landed starting to catch up with her.
Charging him again, she sweeps her foot out with an upward kick, like a backwards roundhouse, leg going from low to high. Trailing behind the strike is a swath of blue chi, however, the first she's demonstrated of /that/ particular property of her abilities so far. Her foot will surely miss, but will the expanding blast of chi do likewise?
COMBATSYS: Hakuya blocks Hotaru's Kobi Kyaku EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Hakuya
Hakuya is now torn. On the one side, there's these people shouting. And in general being extremely distracting. Takuma -- err, Karate Goblin! -- seems particularly good at being distracting. So, because most people are watching Karate Goblin and Geese fighting verbally, and not watching -them- the demonstration of fighting techniques seems to be a little... not necessary any more. But at the same time, Hotaru seems to be all fired up! As evidenced when this distracting turn of events doesn't hinder her at all - she just charges in and attacks once more. Rather than being distracted himself this time, he instead is ready and able to defend himself, and defend he does, arms coming up in an X over his body to block the kick... which misses him. It's probably fortunate that the explosion of chi comes so quickly afterwards, otherwise he might've dropped his guard. As it is, the blue chi impacts on his arms, and he's ready for it, the energy making him slide back a little on the mats.
Uncrossing his arms, Hakuya crouches low, and then moves to follow up with his own attack, driving another palm strike to Hotaru's side. If he succeeds, he then ducks under her arm, while simultaneously grabbing it, and twisting. If all goes as planned, another strike while be given to Hotaru's shoulder, and then his leg, from the front of the girl's legs, will sweep inwards, while yanking her forward with her twisted arm, throwing her to the ground once more.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Hakuya's Silent Crescent.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
Geese lets out an exaggerated yawn as MR. KARATE GOBLIN lists off his many, myriad mastered styles. Clearly at least ONE person in this room still isn't impressed, "Love the mask, Sakazaki." Howard throws Takuma a wink. Good to see the old fellow 'Takin' it back', so to speak. Or maybe he just longs for the good old days, under the wealth-inspiring employ of Geese Howard, with Yuri in a cage, "So. You ran rampant to find your way in here. Set yourself on fire in that ridiculous get-up. Nearly burned down a charity center... scared off a bunch of children... and now you want to get your ass kicked in front of an audience? Well, let's make it a double date then." Geese grins widely and flexes his arms, cracking his knuckles out in front of him and widening his stance slightly, his hands hanging relaxedly at his sides.
"Or maybe I should just let those two beat you down." Howard ponders, nodding aside towards Hakuya and Hotaru. The idea seems to amuse him, but the challenge still stands, "I don't think you have what it takes for anything else, right now." The distraction is something of a verbal feint. Most of his attention is on assessing Takuma's aggression.
COMBATSYS: Geese has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Geese
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hakuya 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Takuma has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Geese
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Takuma 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
Hotaru snaps her foot back, recovering her stance quickly. Raising her hand to block what seems to be mostly just a palm strike, she stops his incoming blow, but finds her arm grabbed all the same, twisted around as he begins to tear her stance apart piece by piece all over again. "Ah!" she cries out, feeling the pain as the limb is stretched in a direction it isn't supposed to go for the purposes of getting leverage on her.
But as his strike comes in for her shoulder, she tugs hard with her torso, resulting in merely a glancing blow instead of the straight on attack. And as his feet sweep for her ankles, she hops in place, allowing his leg to travel underneath hers. Having no leverage of her own by that point though, she does get flipped all the same, but she's able to plant her feet firmly on the ground, recovering from the attack still standing. Hotaru shakes her arm that had been cinched up by the young man, working out the burn she feels even after the attack. "Oh," she shakes her head, "You've got a lot of skill, I should have taken you more seriously from the beginning," she admits with a bit of a laugh and a rueful smile. "Third lesson: Don't allow confidence to induce carelessness," she states, more for herself than anyone else, as really no one seems to be paying much attention to the younger fighters now.
She's pausing to catch her breath, but she also can't help but allow her attention to meander toward Geese and the Karate Goblin, glancing back and forth between the two of them. She can see as plan as day that the masked man is Master Takuma, though she hasn't the slightest clue what has gotten into him. People are beginning to scramble away from the two of them, giving them a wide berth to work with, lest someone get caught up in the potential cross fire.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru gains composure.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Geese
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Takuma 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
Takuma Sakazaki is a man ruined by Geese Howard. Not so much as, say, OTHER men... but his pride, his ideals as a karate master, his honor... all ruined by the crimelord. Were it Takuma Sakazaki battling Geese Howard, things would be far different, and in fact a great deal more -aggressory-. As it stands, this is not Takuma Sakazaki. It is Mr. Karate, and Mr. Karate is an enigmatic being with few to no regrets or worries. Geese Howard is merely a giant to him -- no mortal enemy.
"Harrumph!" Karate blatantly ignores Geese's allegations of an alter-ego. These things eventually just start to get in the way of more important conversation. "Ass-kicking? Fires? Screaming children? Necessary sacrifices to inspire youth! Why, if it weren't for people like me, where would our predecessors be?! Looking up to -you- as the paragon of martial art!"
He falls into a traditional, -very- Takuma-like bull-stance, and glances towards Hotaru and Hakuya. It's a quick analysis he makes, and he even goes so far as to bark out one curt: "LITTLE GIRL, USE YOUR MOMENTUM AGAINST HIM!" before bringing his attention, that glowering, scowling attention, back to Geese.
"I've heard about you, Howard. It'll be a tough fight since it's only a two-floor building... but we'll see how much that advantage gives you right about now!" It's a quick motion. Karate steps forward, and with one blindingly fast motion sends his right fist towards Geese's shoulder, announcing the strike's landing(or intended one, at least), with a loud kiai.
COMBATSYS: Geese counters Medium Punch from Takuma with Chuudan Atemi Nage.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Geese
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Takuma 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
A man ruined. And really, Geese loves it. One can see that plain as day, though thankfully the /reasons/ behind it are quite top secret and deniable! As it is, he gets to harass Takuma due to Takuma's public wackyness! It's the best of both worlds, and might even prove /good/ PR. As it is, well, Howard simply laughs, "Now now, we can't all live in hovels conning the youth into fixing up the yard, don't be bitter." As Geese rather expected, the Karate Goblin is not going to take long in following up his challenge, and while Hotaru and the others reassess their safety, Geese gives them a little more reason to.
The King of Southtown's stance remains almost relaxed, shoulders squared as Sakazaki taunts and steps in. Blindingly fast though the fist may be, Geese still moves in perfect synch with it, shifting back on the corresponding foot, as a yielding palm slaps over the slamming fist. Momentum is absorbed back, stopped with a substantial flex of that powerful arm, and in the same instant Howard's other palm strikes outward. A brutal, singular snap, like the bite of a snake, but it is not his palm that collides with Takuma, but rather the fervent explosion of blue-white chi. It sears the air with icy, searing power, flaring outwards in a spherical shockwave that all but envelopes Takuma's head and upper body, shockwaving once, twice, as it erupts MR. KARATE back from whence he came.
"Hmph." Howard intones, as though disappointed, "Predictable, as always."
The strike goes down mostly as planned, and he even gets complimented! Laughing a little in return, Hakuya gives a friendly smile to Hotaru, and rubs the back of his head in a self-conscious gesture. "That's okay, it happens a lot," he says, and then bows his head a little bit. He's sliding back into his fighting stance, when he notices Hotaru's pausing, catching her breath. And, as the -other- two fighters here begin to actually throw hands, not to mention that Hotaru looks away from him, to the other two, Hakuya is more than happy to... well, also look away. The demonstration was more or less over, and while he wasn't really sure if Hotaru was wanting to continue or not (she seemed pretty riled up... was she angry because the match was being disrupted, maybe?), the Suigetsu heir himself seems ready to stop. After all, the other two were -awfully- distracting. So, given that, he simply drops his fighting stance rather than adopting it again, and shoves his hands into his hoodie's pockets, turning from Hotaru to look away at the others.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya drops his guard to recover.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Geese
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Takuma 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
Karate sails through the air as the immediate repurcussion of Geese's counter-attack, and students caught between the two fights find themselves having difficulty breathing due to the sheer -talent- Howard displays. It's no mean feat to knock aside somebody like they were a mere sack of bricks... much less somebody like Mr. Karate. The tengu-masked man slams into the wall with a heavy "OOMPH!", and likely leaves an irreperable dent in one of the heavy cushions keeping it a safe surface for training matches. He staggers to the ground, but is quick to regain his feet.
Golden eyes stare out at Howard, and sweep across the room to observe the progress of the other fight. Had Hotaru taken his advice to heart? Perhaps the other one did -- it was information both of them could use. He says nothing for now, simply observing Geese with a sort of pained wariness... the sort of look one expects from a wild animal cornered by human captors.
"I fight to spread my knowledge and usher in the next generation of combatants as best I can! No rules will bar me from teaching where I must! But -you-!" Karate jabs a finger at Howard, even as an aura of golden chi bursts from the ground beneath him. "This behavior is reprehensible! Is fighting a passion of yours, or a means to an end!? A cash crop, that's all you see the up-and-comers as!"
COMBATSYS: Takuma gathers his will.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Geese
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Takuma 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
Catching sight of Mr. Karate getting knocked backward by the powerful counter from Geese causes the girl to blanch slightly. What is he /doing/? Has he lost his mind? The exchange between the veterans is far more important than the demonstration she had been engaging in. What lessons there were to be learned by the attacks traded between Hakuya and Hotaru are left to stand on their own merit now
She has to admit that she doesn't really know Takuma all /that/ well. Most of her time at the dojo has been with his son, Ryo, who has acted as her primary instructor, with occasional guest-training by Marco. Takuma has been here and there, barking words of wisdom, or sometimes something that sounded a lot like /unwisdom/. But even still, the elder Sakazaki is more family to her than the distant relatives of either her father or mother's side, who seem only to check on her out of a sense of duty rather than any real interest.
As Hakuya turns his back on her, Hotaru reaches out to swat him on the back of the head, playfully really, she isn't aiming to wound. "Hey, good fight. My name is Hotaru, though you might know that already... We'll have to have another go at it some other time," she says before trying to step around him and run over to the masked Goblin, sliding to a stop only a couple feet away. "Takuma-sensei! Takuma-sensei! What are you doing? Are you okay?" her voice now is one of concern, her hands clasping in front of her almost prayer-like. It's clear that she thinks he really might have just totally flipped out judging by the look in her eyes. And she doesn't really think the impending beatdown from Geese is the best cure for it at the moment.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Hakuya with Quick Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Geese
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Takuma 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Hakuya
Geese clenches one fist for dramatic effect as Takuma rises, the crimelord's icy gaze locked on the elder Sakazaki, "My passion should be self-evident. Just because one doesn't prance about in halloween costumes doesn't mean they don't like to fight, dear Takuma." Geese's mouth quirks at one corner, a sardonic expression mirrored a bit in his tone, "Is this really how you spread knowledge? Well, I suppose it does let them see just what an incompetent nut you truly are!" Howard isn't pulling any punches, in terms of words or strikes, and he's not about to give Takuma as much time as he might like to prepare, "Now let's see if you're still nice and flammable!" Geese whips his left hand upwards through the air, fingers clawing a glaring trail of chi, as a geyser erupts at his feet, "DOUBLE..."
And Howard's right hand follows suit, summoning renewed power, redoubling the blast at his feet in the span of an instant, mats rumbling and shifting outwards as the tremendous wave of chi crashes inward at Sakazaki, threatening to pin him between it and the wall with even /more/ force and raging agony. The blast itself is forged of similar, icy hot shards of shearing power, tinged darkest blue and purple, and about the height of MR. KARATE himself. ... if not taller. It's a good thing the only thing behind Takuma is the already damaged wall, "REPPUKEN!!!"
As for the Suigetsu heir, he's just not sure -what- is going on. He knows neither of the two men, though can tell, just by looking, that the two of them are very good fighters. And 'very good' might not even do it justice, honestly. Though he didn't get a clear enough look at that counter... well, he does get a look at the Rich Guy throwing out... something. A chi strike of some design, no doubt. Impressive... and impressive enough that he doesn't even notice the slap upside his head coming until the strike done already got here. "Ah!" He cries out, mostly in surprise rather than in any real pain, then looks over to Hotaru. "Uh... Suigetsu. Suigetsu Hakuya. And yes, I would like that..." he says, but then Hotaru's off and running to Takuma to see what's going on. As Hakuya knows no one, he's just going to stay out of this for now. Yeah. That's probably the safest bet.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya has left the fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Geese
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Takuma 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Takuma with Double Reppuken.
- Power hit! -
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Geese
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Takuma 1/---====/=======|
There's a sort of calm that touches a person immediately before they experience any sort of incredible tragedy. Be it insight into the nature of the universe, the common "life flashing before one's eyes", or the less-common realization that the omelette you'd eaten earlier that day was perhaps a little undercooked -- it's always the little things that come to mind immediately before death. The things you don't normally think of.
As the Double Reppuken crashes through his upraised arms and Hotaru Futaba is running up to him, Mr. Karate is recalling the scene at the Dojo earlier today. Ryo, halfway through his third set of pushups. Hotaru, working on repairing the roof. Yuri, oversleeping. It never really SEEMS so idyllic at the time, but Mr. Karate realizes that it's moments like these that make life worth living. When you can see the su-
REPPUKEN #1
Mr. Karate is ripped from his thoughts with one intense "UMFLGH" as the first wave of angst-chi slaps into his body and rends his arms from their protective position. The second one does even MORE damage, sending him flying not just INTO the wall, but -through- it and into the hallway beyond. He comes to a stop on the smooth, tiled floor of the area before getting to his feet, sloo-oo-ooowly.
He says, to Geese, very smoothly: "It would be stupid to stay and fight right now! But you won't get away from this without injury! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHN!!!!!!!" He extends his arms, and even as the golden chi is forming between them and surging outwards, towards Geese, Karate's feet lift off of the ground so as to allow him to be propelled -backwards- by the attack. He's doing some sort of... ridiculous release so as to allow him to get out of here faster than Geese seems to be doing it! Self-sacrifice for a bit of dignity? Mr. Karate isn't above it!
The end result of this, so far as Karate is concerned, is that the masked warrior is sent careening through the Youth Center's other wall, shouting one faint, "NEXT TIME, HOWARD!!!!!" before he vanishes.
Simply vanishes!
COMBATSYS: Takuma endures Takuma's Triple Haohshokoken.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Geese
[ \\\\\ <
Takuma 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Takuma takes no action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Geese
COMBATSYS: Takuma can no longer fight.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Geese
COMBATSYS: Takuma successfully hits Geese with Triple Haohshokoken.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Geese
FWOOM! There's no stopping the lone gunman with no concern for self-preservation, and Takuma's massive, self-launching explosions of chi are enough to catch Geese off guard... finally! The Triple Haoh Sho Ko Kens crash with exceptional force, sending Geese lurching backwards on his feet, finally dropped to a crouch some distance back from where he was, near to the opposite wall. It's safe to say that the onlookers are rather gaping at the fast, dramatic, and incredibly brutal exchange of raw power, which seems to end as suddenly as it began as the beaten Sakazaki makes his speedy getaway.
Howard pushes up out of his crouch, cracking his neck to the side as he rights his footing. A low, amused chuckle shakes Geese's chest, and he shakes his head slowly, looking back towards Hotaru, and the other students, "Well that was unexpected. But a bit more demonstration can't hurt." A battle of legends, impromptu in the classroom. It's better than a field trip! "But all the antics in the world can't match true focus, and determination." And a few artifacts of power, mmmm.
She's close when the next attack comes from the Southtown crimelord, youth-center benefactor, SNF sponsor, and all around swell guy. As the two waves of destructive force tear into Takuma, she braces herself, catching only the smallest splash damage from the effect, but it's enough to send her stumbling back several feet all the same. Gasping as the attack ends, she hurries forward to peek through the newest Door added at the community center, eyes wide with concern.
It's with obvious relief that she watches him get back up, and as he begins to unleash another attack of incredible magnitude, she ducks back around the wall, not wanting to be in the path of /that/ attack either. As the three massive fireballs scream past, she looks back out into the hall only to see an new hole beyond and no Karate Goblin in sight.
Her shoulders sink a little. Where in the world has he gotten off to now? Will he come back home? Does these psychotic rampages happen /often/? She still has a lot to learn about the hijinks of the Kyokugen dojo, to say the least. She turns around, looking rather awestruck at Mister Howard as he addresses the likewise stupified crowd here. This will have been a demonstration to remember, that's for sure.
"I- I think that's all class," she stammers. Almost all moving in unisen the entire group of people on the bleachers get to their feet and make their way out of the room through any exit available, be it ones that existed before just a minute ago or not. Steadying herself with a palm press to her forehead, Hotaru heads for the door, a bewildered expression on her face.
Log created on 02:37:18 05/20/2007 by Hakuya, and last modified on 01:44:17 05/28/2007.