Description: Sakura calls Akira out for a Neo League battle! Fighters can't just call each other up for tea and crumpets, y'know! (Winner: Sakura)
Sound Beach, mid-afternoon, near the end of May. Sakura Kasugano is here, ready to help kick summer off into full swing! The Neo League fight crew is here too, having marked off a nice, level section of the beach normally reserved for volleyball matches. Sakura is staying true to form, sticking with her Taiyo schoolgirl uniform for this battle, save for the socks and shoes. It's hard enough fighting on sand.
It's rather important to her that she fight Akira, after all -- she'd heard a rather confusing rumor about her opponent, and she's eager to get to the bottom of it. ... But Akira can be a bit hard to get hold of -- every time Sakura's been to Seijyun looking to visit, she ends up getting attacked and she =still= doesn't get to say hey. What's up with that?
... But that'd explain why the schoolgirl is here on the beach, earlier than usual. And perhaps it explains why she's a bit impatient, arms crossed over her chest as she taps her foot as she waits.
Rumors?! Well, for the moment Akira is ignorant of whatever those rumors might be though this is hardly surprising since who tells the object of the rumors about the rumors concerning them? Well maybe Sakura! But not most people.
Akira is rubbing sunscreen on her arms, as she's wearing a tanktop--she has a bathingsuit under, in case she feels like swimming after she gets the snot beat out of her--but otherwise she's in her usual gear which is a little heavy on the beach under the sand. Except for her gloves, of course, she's not wearing -those-.
"Hey there, Sakura," Akira waves as she approaches, "Been a while. Good luck today!"
"Yeah, totally! Good luck to you!" Yeah, Akira's plenty friendly =now=, isn't she? That's one thing that confused her about the rumors, they didn't really seem to mesh with what Sakura knows of her friend.
But Sakura's nothing if not direct.
"Someone's been goin' around callin' you a, uh... 'bimbo?' I just about popped 'em in the nose for that, really!" She waves her hands dismissively, before readjusting the fit on her handguards. Akira might not be wearing her gloves, no, but these are special to Sakura! ... Kinda like that white headband she won't let go of. "I'm like... " Pause. "Hey, maybe I should've put some of that on, " she adds, a bit distracted in her own thoughts. But at least she got that out in the open! "Ah well! Figured a Neo League fight was a good way to catch up on ol' times, at least!" Maybe her opponent won't feel so, but Sakura sure doesn't mind discussing some things in front of the camera...
Speaking of cameras, they're rolling. And since it looks like Sakura's ready, from the way she shifts into a defensive stance, left arm leading, right fist hovering by her mouth, the ref figures he can go ahead and start them off. "Fighters ready? FIGHT!"
And Sakura... just smiles. "C'mon, Akira, y'wanna take first strike?" she offers with a somewhat cocky grin.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
Akira doesn't want to gunge up her gloves with sunscreen. She can get riled up as anybody else--especially with the helmet on--but for the moment she is clearly nervous--her Neo League record should say it all, really, but there's also the fact that it's Sakura she's fighting with all the things this means.
"Yeah--unlike with the SNFs, I tend to get into these matches with people I know." She smiles a little, "But it's very good to see you again--and if you insist."
She bows her head briefly before she darts forward suddenly, hopping up--as if to try and go over Sakura--but instead shifts her body weight downward and lands right in front of her--lashing out with her hands to try and grab Sakura's arms--and swing her around and across the beach floor! "HYAAA!" She shouts--to keep herself focused.
COMBATSYS: Akira has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Akira
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Akira's Houbu.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Akira
Kurow heads over to the boardwalk.
"Totally!" Sakura flashes Akira a thumbs-up in response! She can usually get along with just about anyone her own age, so long as they aren't, like, Seishirou. "I love fighting folks I know!"
Especially if they're polite, like Akira! The Taiyo tomboy nods her head in agreement, and raises her arms in defense of what seems to be an overhead strike! But then it seems Akira is trying for a grapple instead of an impact -- luckily Sakura has an appropriate defense ofr that as well! When Akira whirls her around, Kasugano kicks about in midair sharply, flinging herself out of the toss. So what if the camera get a little fanservice in the process -- this is a FIGHT!
Landing in a low crouch, Kasugano instantly charges forward again, leaping into a whirling kick, her leg whipping around like a helicopter's rotor blade. She aims to kick Akira up to three times in the shoulder before landing! "Shunpuuuuu Kyaku!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Akira with Shunpuu Kyaku.
- Power hit! -
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Sakura 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Akira
Akira tries to get the heck out of there!
But she's too slow--she is slammed up into the air with all three kicks--a couple fail to hit her shoulder but MANAGE to hit her in the head, which is probably better for Sakura. She hits the ground roughly with a heavy HUMPH and lays down there dizzily for a few moments, blankly staring upwards. Oof, she thinks.
Akira pulls back up to her feet and shakes her head to clear it, "That really hut--nice job, Sakura..." Akira comments before throwing herself forward as well in her own series of flying jump kicks--three in all--with a burst of wind chi erupting from her feet with each impacting strike! "But be careful of this!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Akira's Dancing Cyclone Kick.
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Sakura 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Akira
It may be better for the =battle=, but Sakura doesn't like causing dain bramage! ... Well, to people she likes, anyway! "Heh, thanks!" Landing in the sand, she hops back and forth from one foot to the other; the sand is a bit hot! But at least this way Kasugano can practice without relying on her shoes. They tend to fall off, at times, anyway.
But when Akira closes in with a series of her own kicks, it seems Sakura's narrowly able to throw herself to the side, diving into an evasive tumble to carry herself out of harm's way. Panting as she pushes back to her feet, Sakura seems a bit surprised, at that -- "Whoa, that was close!" she comments, brushing sand off her shoulders as she dashes back into the fray.
She takes a bit longer closing in on Akira: she's mostly trying to make sure Akira can regain her footing before balling her fists together, swinging them like an axehandle into the Taikyoku-ken fighter's shoulder! "Hyyyyyaaah!"
COMBATSYS: Akira interrupts Fierce Punch from Sakura with Rolling Slam.
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Akira
Fighting's dangerous! Akira is also not doing so well either, as evident by her evading one of Akira's most trusted techniques--the Dancing Cyclone Kick! Well, clearly Sakura danced around that maneuver! "Wow... this is really gonna be a hard one." Akira marvels as she lands--turning around as Sakura moves in with enough strike--and she lashes up with her hands, grabs Sakura's hand, and then falls forward, kicking up into Sakura's stomach--aiming to fling her back over her and far across the beach--again.
Whoops! Sakura didn't think her leverage would be used against her in such a fashion! But that's one reason she loves fighting so many different people -- it's a fun challenge! "That's the best kind of fight, though, ain't it?"
Even if it does result in her taking a twin kick to the stomach powerful enough to propel her several dozen feet across the beach.
Her skirted derriere hits the sand first, sending her into a clumsy, head-over-heels tumble, but the good thing about the sand is that it provides a comparatively soft surface to shift direction on. Slamming her heel into the sand (which, by the way, makes this really cool squeaking sound!) Sakura leaps back at Akira, a shower of sand erupting in her wake as her hands remain collected by her right side. Three strides away from Akira, Sakura digs her heels in again, but her hands keep going with the momentum -- a brilliant, blue-white blossom of chi erupting from those palms and continuing on towards Akira! "Hadoooooouken!" shouts the fighting fangirl as the bloom of concussive force continues on towards Akira!
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Akira with Large Hadouken EX.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Akira
It's probably going to be three for three! But perhaps Akira has a diabolical plan. A diabolical plan that involves getting hit a lot. If that is the case, Sakura is in trouble because Akira is getting pounded!
In reality, Akira is practically minded and thinks the best fight is the one with the least amount of internal injuries--though sometimes, when fighting people like Sakura, she tries to fight with the HEART of battle! Or in this case, the heart of the hadouken which catches her white in the chest and sends her blasting into a hot dog cart.
"Oof." Akira comments as a sausage lands on her face. She blinks a couple times, picks it off, and takes a bite. "Huh." She comments before hopping back up to her feet, nibbling on her sausage and watching Sakura carefully as she catches her breath.
COMBATSYS: Akira gains composure.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Akira
Sakura eeps lightly -- she didn't mean to hit Akira =that= hard! But maybe it's all for the better, because Akira gets a nice snack.
Hey, wait a minute. Sakura just landed the hit, why does =Akira= get to eat? "Hey, that looks good!" cries out Sakura, her concern quickly replaced by jealousy! "You gonna share any with the rest of the class, Akira?" The tip of Sakura's tongue juts out with that remark, but she's quick to pull it back in as she charges forth, lest she get popped in the jaw or something. But why would she get popped in the jaw? Why, because she's leaping into a rushing punch, one powerful punch aimed at slamming Akira right in the sternum. Sakura may be hungry too, but this is a fight! "Hyyyyaah!"
COMBATSYS: Akira parries Sakura's Medium Punch!
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Akira
Hot-dogs are awesome, even without the bun. Akira laughs a little, taking another bite of the hot dog, "Well, sure, I'll share..." And Akira grabs another hot dog sausage and flings it up in the air--hey, Sakura can't get that without jumping up there! How mean!
But this may be part of a setup, as Akira twists around from the punch, sand swooshing around her feet, and she falls back--throwing herself up into another into another series of flying jumpkicks--aiming to knock Sakura up to the hotdog! Of course, Sakura might be able to nab it herself without her help, but Akira is just a helpful person. Really!
Akira makes a mental note to leave some money for the poor vendor...
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Dancing Cyclone Kick EX from Akira with Quick Throw.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Akira
What? She threw the dog into the air? "Hey, that's food ab--" But she's too busy worrying about where her punch is being misdirected to! ... Luckily, she's not actually being =caught= with that redirection, but instead she's being set up for a series of kicks! A series which Sakura knows she wants no part of!
Especially not with a sausage hanging in the balance!
She looks up to the airborne hotdog, gulping lightly as she figures out what to do. She should focus on the fight, but it's =food= and it's about to be =ruined!= She didn't want a sandwich! So when Akira closes in with her kick, Kasugano blocks the first strike. The second, she blocks in kind, her arms shuddering from the blow -- Akira does not kick lightly, after all!
But by the time that third kick comes in, the hot dog is about to land! Kasugano shouts, "Sorry, Akira... " she starts! Just as that kick swings about, Kasugano dashes =past= Akira, evading the kick as she latches her arm around the Taikyoku-ken fighter's waist! It's not powerful or anything, just a quick shove to push Akira to the sandy beach...
Just long enough for Sakura to hop up a little bit, and catch the hotdog in her mouth. Juuust like a trained dog. *chomp*
Landing a good distance back, she flicks a thumbs-up to Akira. Smug? ... Yeah, that's Sakura for ya.
Akira says, "Woah!" as Sakura moves faster than her feet--a pretty impressive feat! Oh ho ho, I kill me. Feat, feet.--and slams her in the stomach, throwing Akira onto her back, dizzied (there are no birds flying around her head, however). She blinks twice and up at Sakura--seeing her catch the hot dog.
"My hot dog misdirection technique EX failed...?!" Akira jokes despite her ribs hurting--and as Sakura throws up a smug thumbs up, well, Akira rolls around and throws a painful kick for Sakura's legs--aiming to knock her right off her feet while she's enjoying the successes of her--ha ha ha--wondrous feat!
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Akira's Heavy Kick.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Akira
Sakura zealously defends any attempt to put food to waste! She's pretty stubborn that way, really. But with Akira making a joke, albeit a bit =odd= one, Kasugano can't help but crack a grin. ... Well, as much as her half-eaten hot dog will allow. "Mfffd!" (Good!)
With Akira slamming her feet around though, there's little time to further appraise the situation -- Kasugano just drops to the ground, dropping her knee slightly so she can present a bit larger surface for Akira's kick, distributing the impact a bit more equitably! And thus, the pain.
But just afterwards, the schoolgirl's vaulting into a somersault! She may still be trying to finish her hot dog, but that doesn't mean she won't be snapping out of her spin to drive two chopping hands down onto Akira's shoulders! "Hnnng-hyaaa!" she shouts, force of habit overpowering her immediate need to finish her impromptu meal.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Akira with Sakura Otoshi.
- Power hit! -
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=======\===----\1 Akira
Akira finishes off her sausage! Take that, hot dog!
But she practically chokes on it when as soon as she gets up, she's slammed back down by Sakura's DUAL KARATE CHOPS for her shoulders. There's a soft popping noise upon impact on the right shoulder, and Akira goes down again.
But she doesn't stay down there for very long--Akira rolls into a handstand--spinning around in place as she does what APPEARS to be one of Chun Li's own flying kicks--except not in the air, on the ground! She repeatedly strikes for Sakura--predictably aiming for the upper body--and twist her hands around so she can keep smacking with her legs. She tries to shout out a chi but she's getting too smacked around to do it properly so it comes out like some sort of croak.
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Haten Mueishu from Akira with Shou'ou Ken.
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Sakura 1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0 Akira
Well... Sakura's alllmost done with her own hot dog. Much like Akira was nailed when she finished, so Sakura is nailed as she's about to whirl about and pop Akira in the chin. Part of the problem there was that Akira's chin wasn't anywhere near Sakura's fist -- indeed, Akira was in the midst of =kicking= her. Whoops.
With the first kick opening up her defenses, Sakura's totally off-guard for the rest, her body ratcheting backward with each successive blow, a storm of sand blown up from the sheer =speed= of Akira's series of strikes. Knocked back in such a fashion, she eventually falls onto her duff, but she's quick to scramble back and onto her feet! Spitting out sand, Kasugano notes with a cough, "Wow, you don't play around with those kicks!"
Hotaru heads over to the boardwalk.
Roberto heads over to the boardwalk.
Joe heads over to the boardwalk.
"Nope!" Akira rolls back onto her feet and hops around a little bit--pretending that she's not as brutalized as she is. Akira's probably worse off than Sakura is, judging from all those early and powerful strikes by the other teen--but she's not down yet which means she's still plenty dangerous. She shakes her hair around a bit to get some hair out of it--then brushes it out of her eyes so she can keep her eyes on the Sakura.
"But I can do other things besides kickin'." She grins, "Try this...!" She laughs as she dashes forward again quickly, and leaps into the air--and...brings both her fists down upon Sakura if she's not careful!
Miu heads over to the boardwalk.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Akira's Leaping Smash.
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Sakura 1/-======/=======|=------\-------\0 Akira
Sakura'd be happy if this fight went either way -- it's the feel-good fight of the year, so far! But of course Sakura would =prefer= to be the last woman standing here, so she'll keep trying her best till the end!
And trying her best means throwing her arms up to block Akira's leaping smash. Sakura already tried something similar a while ago, after all -- so she knows the general intention here. Throwing her handguards up, she neatly defends against the incoming attack, stepping backwards from the sheer impact.
But Sakura's waiting for Akira to land, this time! Because, when she does, Kasugano will dash forward, drop low to the ground, and churn up a cyclone of sand around her as she spins towards Akira's ankles! "Here I come!!" The true terror isn't the sand, but instead the fighting fangirl's feet! Should Sakura land enough of her kicks, she'd soon rise and deliver a much more painful thrust kick to the stomach, with what she hopes will end the fight! "HA! HA! HA! HA! HAAAAAA!" No, it's not laughter, it's the tomboy's battle cry!
COMBATSYS: Akira parries Sakura's Haru Ichiban!
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Akira
Akira feels similarly as Sakura. She doesn't mind losing to Sakura. She likes Sakura. It's people with poor attitudes that she gets grumpy about losing to because they're always being unpleasant and then they ALSO beat you up. It rattles upon Akira's warrior instincts! She pants lightly as Sakura announces her intention to punk Akira with her -own- feet, using the small heads up to turn around and prepare herself--and she manages to do a pretty decent job of it despite the speed of Sakura's assault.
"Ngh..." Akira grunts as she pivots--and twists.Sakura lands right where Akira was standing moments before. There's an instant where Akira is a little surprised at her own positioning, but it's only an instant--soon her elbow bursts up towards Sakura's chin--in her signiature move, the Gate Elbow!...EX version!
COMBATSYS: Sakura endures Akira's Gate Elbow EX!
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Akira
Man, Sakura's best non-Hadouken attack -- repelled completely?! Talk about a confidence-shaker! But with a battle like this Sakura can't really walk home upset -- especially not with Akira going all hardcore like that! Heck, it even inspires Sakura to be even more hardcore in exchange!
That is, Sakura's gonna let Akira clock her in the chin. Yep! Sakura's chin goes flying to the side as a result.
Wasn't it supposed to go flying =back= and not to the side, though? Well, yes, but therein lies the =beauty= of Sakura's plan -- as she'd actually used Akira's move to impart more momentum to her sudden spin, in an attempt to get the jump on her opponent! With any luck, she won't be able to see Kasugano's infamous Flower Kick as it spins around from on high, whipping around to crack down onto the slightly-taller girl's shoulder! "Hriii-HAAA!" ... And then Sakura might be taking a nap afterward, from how shaky she's gotten...
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Akira
... Or maybe not just yet.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Akira with Flower Kick EX.
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Akira
Sorry, Akira! Not this time!
Akira throws her own flying jump kick for Sakura--it is the battle of the flying kicks!--but Sakura's strike hits FIRST and Akira starts to fall--but she might get one vicious strike in there before she goes down like a heap of bricks!
But maybe not! Either way, Akira isn't getting up. She's down for the count.
COMBATSYS: Akira can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\ <
Sakura 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Akira's Dancing Cyclone Kick.
[ \\\\\ <
Sakura 0/-------/----===|
Jump kicks RULE! But Sakura's determination to stay standing and give Akira the absolute best battle she can is what keeps her standing! That, and pure adrenaline!
But with Akira giving one last kick, Kasugano exhales sharply, stutter-stepping backward and raising her arms defensively. The Cyclone Kick crashes into her raised handguard, padding absorbing some of the blow, Kasugano's defensive withdrawal dulling the rest. And miraculously, even after such a blow... the headbanded one is still standing!
Panting heavily, Kasugano takes another few steps back, giving the referee a moment to ensure that, yeah, Akira's not getting up and announce the battle's conclusion. One moment later, Sakura steps forward to offer the Seijyun student a hand up, smiling all the while. "Now =that=... that was a close fight! You almost had me with that... wh... I still don't know how you got out of the way of that..." She laughs good-naturedly, rubbing the back of her head.
Now, about that hot dog stand...
COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
"I've been training with Takuma," Akira wheezes--laying in the sand for a while, "I think that means I can only do the impossible now--the possible is a lot harder than the impossible, yeah?" she laughs a little and takes Sakura's hand, using it to pull herslef up, "Nice fight--" She coughs, "You doing alright, Sakura? How's Ryu doing?" Are the rumors confirmed?!
No, actually, the rumors are totally dispelled, as far as Sakura's concerned! Akira's the same ol' Akira as ever! But... that wasn't asked, so Sakura doesn't think about it.
"... Takuma, huh?" asks Sakura. "You're training with him, and I hear Hotaru's training there, too...?" She scratches her head. "I don't see why, I mean, man. Those guys are =boring=."
And then Akira brings up Ryu. IRONY, MAYBE?
"Uhhh... last I saw him he's doing great! Well on his way to winning World Warrior again, I know that much! ... S'been a couple months since we've talked though..." She shrugs mildly. "I've been busy tryin' to get done with schoolwork!"
She laughs briefly, walking with Akira over to the hotdog stand, digging in her pocket for a moment. "But man. You got me =starving= with that number..."
"You think Takuma's boring?" Akira asks dubiously, "Are you sure... he seems a little too..unboring.. to me. He likes to get hit with tables." Huh, Akira thinks, World Warrior is still going on? It's been the semifinals for weeks! "I guess they're really hyping up the last matches... it's been a while... Now I feel really bad about missing the signups."
She dusts herself off. This takes a while, and she heads to the stand after her, "You already ate one--you want more?--My treat, since it's my fault."
Well... okay. Yeah. Takuma likes shouting. A LOT. So there is that. Kasugano just never found much awesomeness in Kyokugen-ryuu, compared to Ryu's style, which is just cool. Look, Sakura's logic is unassailable within her own mind.
"Nah, it's cool." She grins. "Not your fault I'm hungry! Besides, there's =always= room for hot dogs!" Again... Sakura's logic is unquestionable! RAR.
Log created on 17:22:03 05/28/2007 by Sakura, and last modified on 22:06:15 05/31/2007.