Description: Out With The Old, In With The New: In a museum of relics, two fighters face off, and one proves he's not to be taken lightly. One fighter is also wearing a dress, and it's not Marisol... (Winner: Hakuya)
Another SNF, which meant he got another steak dinner from his kind, caring, protective sister who totally wasn't just leeching from him. No sir, Hakuya Suigetsu's sister Saeko was as pure and innocent as they come. In any case, after the steak dinner he was shunted off to Tokyo, where he'd never been before. Somehow, also, he had managed not to meet up with the person sent to the airport to pick him up. Mostly because, the SNFs he'd done before had been at Southtown, so there was no need to travel... and thus he didn't know of the pick-up guys. So, he had gotten horribly lost instead. For hours, he had wandered the streets of Tokyo, looking at the sights, asking random people where the Mueseum of Religious History was. After several incorrect answers leading him in incorrect directions, and many people who had never even heard of the damn thing, Hakuya finally makes it... somehow, just in time. Saeko's eagerness to see him at the SNF match had put him on an extremely early flight, which gave him ample time to be lost! It sure did worry the SNF people, though.
Striding into the mueseum, the teenager has, surprisingly, different clothes on. They could even be considered 'nice'. A kind of stylized hakama and dogi top that was a mixture of martial arts robe, like a certain Mister Howard wore, and also ceremonial/religious dress, the Suigetsu heir actually looks the part of a rich, ancient family heir for once. If it weren't for the fact he were sipping from the straw in a carton of strawberry milk, and had a huge stack of pamphlets under each arm, from various businesses and sights he had inadvertantly visited (and probably because he could not have seemed more like a country bumpkin tourist), he might actually look presentable! Looking around a bit slowly, a SNF official flags him down, then sends him over to the fighting pit, while handling the massive stack of fliers away from the teen, so he could actually... you know. Move.
Meanwhile, across Japan, in Southtown, Marisol O'Connell is sleeping late, but not purposefully so. Hardly; as it turns out, the half-Spaniard forgot to set her alarm, which means she isn't woken up until a bubbling blonde breaks through her dorm room door and squeals, "Get up get up get up!! Your flight leaves in twenty minutes!!" With that wake-up call, Marisol hurriedly dressed herself and snagged a taxi to the airport.
Fast-forward a few hours later. Scene: Museum of Religious History, home of various important relics of Japan encased in nice thick, glass cases. But Marisol isn't there yet. Instead, she detoured from the airport to the nearest boutique, and engaged herself in a bit of shopping. Six bags and a few thousand dollars less latter, the redhead barges in through the front doors.
"All right!" she bellows, drawing every set of eyes in the foyer. "I'm here for that SNF scheduled for this weekend with that Gedo loser! Where is he?"
Almost immediately an SNF official darts forward and ushers the girl in the area set aside for the fight itself. There, gray eyes catch sight of the well-dressed young man, to whom she offers a blank stare. Then her face contorts. Then she bursts out laughing.
"Pfffha ha ha ha!!" Bowing forward at the waist, the girl's hands rest on her knees. "What the hell are you wearing? You look like a clown! Oh man--I don't know if I can fight you! Ha ha, I might be too busy laughing at you! Ah ha ha ha!!"
Tossing the carton into a nearby trash bin, Hakuya moves into the marked off section of the ring (which is rather big, since the two of them are supposed to have full run of the place) and takes his place. He smiles cheerfully to Marisol, and even waves to her, like they were the best of friends. And then she starts laughing, and he blinks, looking down at himself. "What...? Oh. These are my, um, ceremonial robes..." he then shows something a little different than his usual bit of emotions, but only for a tiny fraction of a moment. Did Marisol... actually hurt his feelings?? ...Nah. And even if she did, Hakuya's probably already gone and forgiven her and somehow turned it into his own fault.
Making the last of the preparations, the SNF officials finally seem ready, and they give the signal. As this happens, Hakuya shifts into his usual fighting stance, palms held open towards Marisol, and then, taking the initiative for once, he moves forward. Closing the distance between his opponent and himself, he ducks low initially in order to strike at Marisol's knee with the thrust forward palm. If he makes it, he'll then rise smoothly to deliver another palm strike, uppercutting her chin, then finally driving a shoulder rush into her center, intending on driving her back. Considering he went first, is it possible Marisol's jeers finally got to him?!
COMBATSYS: Hakuya has started a fight here.
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Hakuya 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Marisol has joined the fight here.
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Marisol 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hakuya
COMBATSYS: Marisol fails to interrupt Howling Harvest from Hakuya with Red Clover.
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Marisol 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Hakuya
And all the while Marisol is still busy laughing, all but crying in amusement. Just when she feels herself losing the ability, one glance spared draws her back into a tizzy of laughter, arms folding across her stomach. "Ah ha ha ha! Ceremonial robes?? Pfffhahaha why are you wearing them!? This is a fight, not a tea ceremony!" Whether he's offended or not doesn't matter to the girl; instead she just keeps laughing, even as the preparations around her are being finalized.
Only when Hakuya rushes her does she stop briefly, to eye his incoming attack. Still laughing, she attempts to cut him short with a kick, but his knee proves faster. Volleyed in his blows, the girl only staggers back afterwards, still laughing all the while.
"Is that it??" she asks, looking almost dumbfounded. "Ha ha!! I think that dress of yours is keeping you from actually hitting me properly!"
Maybe it'd just been awhile since he'd had to weather Marisol's insults, or maybe it was that he'd rarely had to do it without Tenma there to back him up. Hakuya, after all, was usually the quiet sort and he didn't seem particularly good with words. He understood that it was just jibes, things to say to put your opponent off balance, but... had that first comment just opened up a tiny crack in his usual defense of Being Too Damn Nice? Either way, it seems the ceremonial robes were enough of a distraction that Marisol's attempt at interrupting his motions failed. But the verbal assault afterwards makes him hesitate... briefly. Adopting a more serious look, he presses his attack, moving lower once again in order to push his shoulder against Marisol's stomach. But rather than push her away, his arms come around to grab her, attempting to lift her up with his shoulder, twist, then slam her back down onto the floor of the mueseum.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Marisol with Strong Throw.
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Marisol 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Hakuya
Serious look or no, Marisol just continues to laugh at Hakuya, still holding her stomach as it aches. Thoroughly amused by Hakuya's ‘predicament,' the half-Spaniard girl just delights herself in his clothing. Really! Those ceremonial robes are awfully silly looking on a guy like him. A Gedo boy, no less!!
Even as he charges her again she doesn't seem to noticed. It's only when he pushes her with his shoulder in the stomach she stops laughing, a ‘hork' escaping her before she's picked up and slammed into the ground.
Groaning lightly, the girl rises from the ground, looking seriously perturbed. Annoyed by his luck twice in a row, the fiery redhead lunges at the young Suigetsu heir, swinging a particularly nasty hook right for his face. "HAAAH! You punk-ass jerk!"
COMBATSYS: Hakuya blocks Marisol's Hook Punch.
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Marisol 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Hakuya
If she did manage to crack his usual defenses against her verbal jabs, it seems to be gone now, replaced by only that serious look. If he hears any more of her insults, it doesn't seem to register at all. Perhaps guarding himself a little more, lest he actually feel... negative emotions towards someone else?! Unthinkable.
The throw is made, and as is usual for the boy, he seems to know just how to throw someone to the ground, making them akin to a rag doll. Feet shuffling to back away from Marisol on instinct, he throws up his guard, prepared for whatever it is she might have ready for him when she gets back up. It's probably a good thing, as he's ready to move his arms up in a 'X' in order to intercept the fist intended for his face on his arms, which are a good deal less sensitive to hurtful pain, grunting out a little with the impact of the blow.
Stepping forward even as he makes the block, he then twists his body, his back foot sweeping around, and then up, aiming the foot to impact against the side of Marisol's face. Should he be successful, he'll then continue twisting, lowering himself and dropping his weight onto his hands, aiming a kick upwards into the Pacific Resistance leader's stomach.
COMBATSYS: Marisol endures Hakuya's Rising Dusk.
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Marisol 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Hakuya
With a mighty swing the girl's fist is staved off, the block of Hakuya's earning him a swift sneer as she takes a step back and away. Eyes narrow, glaring at the Gedo boy with a light of annoyance and disgust. Yes, she does not like him, much like how she does not like Tenma. He's almost as obnoxious as his team leader, with his attempts to be friendly and smile and...
Growling, the redhead coils her hand into a tight fist. When he comes in, the girl just stands there, taking every blow like a (wo)man before, at the final kick, she doesn't stagger; instead, the girl hollers loud and attempts to sock the boy hard in the stomach with a swift blow. "I really HATE you guys!!"
COMBATSYS: Hakuya endures Marisol's Fierce Punch.
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Marisol 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
Unfortunately for Marisol, Hakuya seems oblivious to the idea that someone could actually not like him. Or perhaps it was more to the point that Hakuya just didn't understand how someone could hate someone else, when there really was no reason to hate that person other than 'because'. So he's going to keep on being friendly! Because they're not really attempts - that's just how he rolls.
Similarly, as Marisol throws forward a punch, Hakuya copies exactly what the redhead did to him, and just stands there. The fist impacts him solidly, and he gives out a heavy grunt, but otherwise seems to take it like a man. Because that's not just how Hakuya rolls, that's how the Guardian Kings roll. Hands move out, and he seeks to grab the arm before it's pulled away, tugging Marisol forward, and then /past/ himself. The arm is then tugged downwards, and the movement is turned into a throw move that WOULD that leave Marisol on her back on the floor again... except Hakuya isn't done. Assuming he gets that far, he'll then bring his leg up to knee Marisol roughly upwards, grabbing her in midair, and then suplexing her into the museum floor with nary a sound as he moves.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Marisol with Silent Crescent.
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Marisol 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Hakuya
Let him take the punch; swinging hard nonetheless, Marisol makes her move before she withdraws, steel gray eyes clearly angry as she just holds her ground. Friendly or no, the girl clearly and utterly dislikes him. At least Tenma trash talks and gives her a reason to really hate him. This guy? He just stands around all quiet and smiling. And that makes her even ANGRIER.
Though she attempts to smack his hands away, Marisol is snared, tugged beyond him before she's smacked and ultimately suplexed into the floor of the museum with a sick ‘crack.' For a moment, she too is silent. Is she unconscious? Or is she considering her luck? Possibly both.
Then, scrambling with a burst of speed up from the ground, the girl lunges at Hakuya with a yell. A hand swiftly rises, fingers pulled into a tight, white-knuckle fist aimed for his face...
COMBATSYS: Hakuya blocks Marisol's Cloud Nine.
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Marisol 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Hakuya
...And Hakuya intercepts with his arms raised in an 'X' again. The fist hits hard still, and the force of it makes his feet skid backwards, pushing him away even though he successfully blocked the attack. Grunting with the effort of keeping his guard up against the force of the attack, he nevertheless comes out of it alright, taking a leap backwards away from Marisol as the force dies out. Shaking his arms out, he flinches and shakes his head a second before he gets back into a fighting posture. Maybe he shouldn't have blocked that!
But no time to worry about his aching arms. Moving forward, he attempts to follow up Marisol's attack with his own, crouching low a moment, and then suddenly springing up, twisting in mid air. This first leap seems to only be to build up kinetic energy, however, as he doesn't even get close to Marisol, instead landing, and then pushing up and forward again, using the kinetic energy to make the second twisting jump all the more quick, aiming a foot straight for the Pacific Resistance leader's torso, one that will likely hurt a lot, should he hit!
COMBATSYS: Marisol fails to interrupt Heavy Kick from Hakuya with Chain Reaction.
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Marisol 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Hakuya
Her attack shrugged off YET again, the girl just sneers, looking exceptionally unpleasant as she stands there. And still, all this time, he doesn't say a word to or at her. What the hell is his problem, anyway? "Don't you ever fucking say something!?" she screams, eyes wide with anger. "I hate the fact you just stand around like an idiot! Quit that shit!!"
Blinded by fury - rather than amusement - the girl sees the kick coming and, with a last-ditch attempt, tries to punch him in the stomach hard. Yet once more she's too slow; struck repeatedly, the girl goes skidding back, hands curled into tight, white-knuckle fists.
"I hate you, and I hate Tenma. And your friend Kenji! I hate all of you losers!"
The attack lands, even when it really shouldn't. He can sense her trying to attack him, but maybe she's just getting too worked up, and having it effect her movement. His foot hits her square and sends her staggering back from the blow, and he's able to land without incident. Straightening, he's then faced with a new kind of assault: verbal. Or, well, not so new anyway. Getting screamed at that like, he's suddenly all self-conscious and embarrassed, unsure what to do. "Uh...?" he asks, intelligently. She hates him because he's quiet and smiles? What?
"Maybe..." he starts, lifting a hand to rub the back of his head nervously, "If you didn't hate so much, you would be more free to work on your abilities?" There's a slight pause, and he seems to come to some sort of conclusion as to what he just said. Namely, what he just said sounded awfully like what Tenma would say. Which isn't bad or anything, but just... not him. He drops his stance in order to wave his arms energetically, suddenly looking way concerned. "N-no! I mean that, that, um, well you're really strong! But you let your anger get in the way!" He starts stammering and half-saying things, but fails to make something coherent, proving that Hakuya is terrible with words, and hence why he usually just lets Tenma and Kenji do the talking.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya takes no action.
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Marisol 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Hakuya
Self-conscious and embarrassed? Likely, anyone in Hakuya's place - on national television, no less - would very well feel the same. But the wild-eyed redhead seems far from concerned with his well-being. Furious and driven by her angers, the girl just seems to lose her cool - and takes it out on poor Hakuya.
"Shut UP!" she screams, thrusting a finger at his chest. "Don't talk to me like you know me! And how dare you patronize me like this, telling me I'd be better of if I wasn't hateful!" Seething mad now, the girl just tosses her head viciously to one side, snarling, "It doesn't get in my way, and how do YOU know I'm angry all the time!!"
Tossing her hand, the girl waves it dismissively. "I'm wasting my breath on a dope like you! You know what?" Zeroing her gaze on Hakuya, she sports an angry look. "If you're so concerned with my anger getting in my way?" Marisol pivots harshly on her heel thereafter. She's walking away.
"You can HAVE this win. I'm clearly ‘too angry' to fight you anyway. So just go run home to your buddy buddy Tenma and tell him how you kicked my ass soundly in your frilly skirt dress thing." Storming off, the girl makes her way out of the Museum, unconcerned with whether or not he would attempt to stop her or not. "Go gloat about it and have a good laugh. I quit!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol has left the fight here.
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Hakuya 1/-------/=======|
Overlooking the battle is a Garuda statue, an ominous winged lesser king of brass perched atop a pedestal. A great divinity from Hindu beliefs and, to a lesser extent, Buddhism. This icon of the religious history in the museum gleams, as if still new, born solely to bear witness over the battle.
Its eyes glow red.
Clearly, it was.
Only moments after Marisol makes her stormy exit, the statue explodes into cans dancing across the makeshift site of the arena, those cans trailing thick curls of even thicker smoke, sealing all sight.
A voice curls through the din of the surprised gasps and the quiet hums of running cameras.
"Don't underestimate the power of anger."
It is a thick smoke. One that weighs on the body almost as much as a distinct../heat/.. weighs on the mind. It is almost a presence in itself. Can it actually /be/ something as simple as a smoke bomb? It's almost suffocating.
It is not.
It is a derivative, from crushed moth wings.
The voice came from the fore. But the strike itself comes from behind. The smoke twists around the ninja as he moves. A knifehand thrust to a specific point in the back of the skull. It is set perfectly in tune to the encroaching heat wave and the ensuing blast--fire crawls along the burning powder suspension. The dance seeks to envelop Hakuya first with fire, then the thunderbolt of a strike from the newcomer to the event, still unseen in that sudden inferno.
COMBATSYS: Seishirou has joined the fight here.
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Hakuya 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Seishirou
COMBATSYS: Seishirou successfully hits Hakuya with Calculated Tactics.
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Hakuya 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Seishirou
Hakuya's not really thinking about national television at all. In fact, his only concern would probably be Marisol. Despite what she says, he only wants to help. If he were one of those nice boys that have no spine, in the face of her ranting at him, he likely would've broken down crying, or near to it, at the force of her anger. After all, her hate was pretty irrational, and he couldn't comprehend how she could hate so much with so little reason. But explaining that would take someone who could actually talk well. So instead, he just stands there, looking a little sad. He doesn't try to stop her as she walks off, he doesn't even look at her, he just looks defeated. The SNF staff are likely just as stunned, as it was rare for a fight not to reach its conclusion, no matter how badly someone was getting beaten on.
When the sudden attack comes, Hakuya is still stunned, but the SNF staff are not. Cameras roll as the canisters are lobbed around, the smoke obscuring the fight arena, but not deterring the cameras to keep rolling, regardless. They can't see it as Hakuya is struck, with pin-point accuracy to the back of the head, him being entirely unable to defend himself in his mental state. They can't see it as his head snaps forward, eyes widening in surprise, and then his consciousness fading entirely, just from one attack. And they can't see it as he pitches forward, falling flat on his face, unconscious. What dastardly deeds are being wrought upon the young Suigetsu heir?!
COMBATSYS: Hakuya has left the fight here.
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Seishirou 0/-------/------=|
Shortly thereafter, they would come to understand.
The museum is burning.
It wouldn't the largest blaze Ryouhara has set--oh, by far not so. But in the end, the billowing clouds of the artificial smoke are replaced by the real thing. Unlike the two fighters here, Seishirou has very little respect for this place, or the heritage it represents it would seem. The only concession to national decency is in the timing of the explosion. Because of the swiftnewss of the trigger, The smoke did not fully manage to spread through the area and as such, there wasn't as much spread out fuel for the fireblast.
There are several reasons why this could be. One, Seishirou made a mistake. This is laughable. Two. Seishirou cares. This would appear to be almost as ludicrous. Three. More of the fire is focused into a single area, gauranteeing more damage. Seeing as how he occupied the same space, unless he had a good plan,this seems unlikely.
The last, and most probable to be chief of the answers is almost laughably simple.
The more that isn't damaged, the more there is for people to save.
In the chaos that inevitably follows in the fire, all of which is caught on dodgy tape in the smoke, Ryouhara is therefore left to his own devices as it would apply to security and the like. He stands after Hakuya falls. A brief nod of satisfaction. He didn't miss the critical point this time. The ninja, a slow frown creeping across his face, adjsuts his sleeves, as he kneels to pick up Hakuya by a bunched up handful of his hood. He will sling the body over his shoulder as if it were not much more than a sack of potatoes.
Then he will disappear.
COMBATSYS: Seishirou has ended the fight here.
Log created on 18:06:56 06/23/2007 by Marisol, and last modified on 10:25:32 06/30/2007.