Description: Step 1: Tenma and Marisol end up fighting in a lingerie store. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit!
So, it's a Saturday night in Southtown, what's a teenager to do? If, for whatever reason, they're not off in some far-flung corner of the world beating up somebody else under some bizarre premise for the televised entertainment of millions worldwide, then there's actually not that many other options. You could do homework, or you could have a date, or you could stay in and /watch/ Saturday Night Fight... Or you could come to the mall. This, then, is where we find one Tenma Kiryuu. A lovely summer night breeze blows through the open-air mall, and there's still plenty of people stirring around, especially packs of teenagers, which accords the Gedo swordsman the opportunity to engage in that most ancient and gentlemanly of pursuits...
He's girl-watching.
Dressed in a pair of olive drab cargo pants and a plain black t-shirt, with heavy soled boots on his feet, Tenma is of course carrying his usual cloth-wrapped bundle, and in his free hand he's got a large drink from the food court. It's probably some kind of tooth-rotting cola; the Kiryuu heir has rebelled so completely against the staid and ascetic life of his family that he indulges in things he shouldn't as often as possible. Oh, teenagers! By himself for once, rather than surrounded by his teammates or a crowd of other Gedo gang members, Tenma lounges on a bench, enjoying the weather and the view, his dark blue eyes roaming over crowds of girls in the mall.
Life is good.
Saturday night - a day off, and a day for relaxing. And what better way to do so than to shop til you drop?
A popular hang out, Village Mall is the destination of Marisol O'Connell today. With two handfuls of shopping bags in hand, the redhead wanders along, a straw idly dangling from her full lips as she moves about. Though the mall may be popular, today it seems a bit lacking in people than usual - which is fine by the half-Spaniard. Less people to fight over bargains and sales with. Likely, everyone is off at home watching SNFs. Marisol?
For once, she doesn't really feel like participating.
Pausing in a courtyard, the redhead sets her bags down atop a bench, lifting her arms overhead to stretch them out before rolling her head on her shoulders. All in all, a break from the fighting scene has been nice - and after that humiliating loss to Hakuya, she finds herself not at all missing SNF. At least not THIS week. Next week is a different story altogether.
Gnawing idly on the long red straw, Marisol takes a moment to eye the crowd. No one really looks familiar - though they're her age, it's likely they're all Taiyo kids, and she knows no one there. Stifling a yawn, the Pacific girl's eyes wander...and fall right on Tenma.
But, for once, she doesn't call him out. Instead, she exhales in annoyance, grabs her bags and attempts to beeline for the nearest store.
Of course, given the practice he's currently engaged in, Tenma's eyes aren't looking at the girls' faces so much. Still, he manages to be the tiniest bit circumspect, rather than overtly creepy. Overtly creepy is more a Pacific High thing, isn't it? But anyway, given his position and interests, the bulk of his attention is directed a bit lower, which is why when he sees a redhead carrying a bunch of bags, he doesn't immediately recognise his sworn foe. Though he's pretty sure he's seen that butt somewhere before!
Slowly, though, Tenma's blue eyes travel upwards, taking their own time, until he spies that familiar face, looking at him rather annoyedly before turning around in a huff to go into some store? Is... Is she /ignoring/ him? Oh, that just won't do at all! "What's the matter, Red?!" Tenma calls, his voice loud and strident, echoing across the pathway. "Still all hurt 'cause I turned you down?" Two can play the public humiliation game, MARISOL.
There's a whole lot that she hasn't participated in lately-- the semi-legendary girl of Seijyun Girls Academy, the dark and mysterious Miu Kurosaki. Saturday Night Fight, the Neo League... she's even managed to keep her nose out of trouble amoungst classmates and other schools. So, keeping in line with the amount of things considered "odd" for her, she's even...
At the mall?
Of course, her taste in clothing has yet to change-- the same decorated tie and clip holding her hair in the side-set whip of a ponytail, mixed up with a sleeveless black button-up shirt and choker, those damnable armwarmers, a dark skirt and stockings... and those odd, completely off-setting polished black shoes with the sky blue panel. But the oddest accessories are in her hands-- plastic bags from the local bookstore and one from a sports shop-- the latter something particularly odd when it comes to the dour and serious psychic crow girl. Her eyes aren't wandering, nor are they aimed for specific targets. Meandering beyond Marisol or crossing into Tenma's view, her purple eyes are set to avoid eye contact, staring at a downward angle just high enough to keep her on a straight course and to keep from slamming into someone. That is ... until 'he' raises his voice. That cocky, sarcastic voice that only begs to draw attention. She hasn't seen him since that time they had teamed up on SNF... But the greater question is, who is he talking about?
Whatever endeavor Tenma has set out to accomplish this day - which is likely trying to pick up with and or score with chicks - it would seem Marisol has no intentions of lingering around to make fun of him for it. Instead, the redhead re-collects her bags and simply exhales. Pivoting sharply on her heel, the girl just seems intent on getting out of the courtyard a-sap. Forget the likes of Tenma - she has better things to waste a perfectly lovely Saturday night doing.
Of course, he won't let her just be on her way. Calling out to the redhead as she marches off, she does little more than lift a hand over her shoulder and shoot him a middle finger. "You wish," she calls back. "Go back to being creepy, Kiryuu!"
If Miu was confused before, it's likely she'll be clued in a bit now. Sadly, the crow girl of Seijyun remains unnoticed by the redhead - she is far more intent on just escaping the likes of Tenma, her face marred with a look fo annoyance and disgust. God, can't she just have one day away from Gedo weirdos? Lingere shop, here she comes. Is Tenma brave enough to follow her in!?
Of course Tenma won't let Marisol just be on her way! There's rivalry to think about. He's already on his feet by the time the half-Irish snob is flipping him off, grasping the cloth bundle which was leaning against the bench on which he sat with his free hand, and then tossing it up to catch it with the same hand, levelling it over his shoulder. "Well, since ya want me to be creepy," he declares, not yet noticing Miu, because he has bigger fish to fry. And a lingerie store? That's not about to frighten the intrepid young swordsman off! Quite the contrary, as he follows behind the redhead with a smarmy grin on his face, taking a loud drink of his Coke as he does so. What on earth could this pair be up to?!
Indeed, struck upside the head with the might of the clue-by-four. The exchange of dialogue is enough to make Miu's brow furrow and look for the pair in question with quick, scanning eyes. There's Tenma, apparently lugging his bokken as usual. And Marisol! Looking between the pair, for a moment, Miu is torn on who to call to first-- if she actually does work up the voice in her throat to call to either of them.
Of course, it never once crosses her mind that the two of them are rivals of any sort.
And while there isn't all that much that the tiny crow girl of Seijyun could actually shop for or -pretend- to shop for at a lingerie store, her small feets turn and adjust her course to follow dutifully after Tenma and Marisol. Perhaps her height can work to her advantage here? Moving to the side, stepping behind racks and cases to watch the pair. This is when the gears start to turn...
'Their dialogue is confusing,' she thinks to herself. 'If they're in a relationship, then they wouldn't be speaking to each other in such a manner. Then again, Kiryuu is a student from Gedo, and sometimes the guys at Pacific can be snobbish. Is this what they call an abusive relationship?'
Perhaps someone's been feeding the purple-eye girl Yurika's romance novels?
Still unnoticed by the redhead, Marisol O'Connell continues to march forth without regarding poor Miu, eyes hooded as she beelines for the lingerie shop. Surely Tenma isn't brave enough to pass the threshold of a woman's store. Surely his mind is too tender and sensitive to things like silky bras and lacy lingerie? Or will his mind break at the very thought?
Clearly not.
Without an ounce of modesty, Tenma breaches the threshold of the lingere shop, following in behind the half-Spaniard girl. In his wake, so too does poor Miu, hiding behind a rack as she observes the two fighters. Marisol? Just marches right for the bra section, where gray eyes peer thoughtfully at the on-display selection. Are they confusing? No doubt! Poor Miu.
Miu just best pray she never vocalizes her thoughts on the subject of the relationship between Marisol and Tenma. She might not live to rue the day.
Regardless of Miu and her thoughts, Marisol continues perusing the frilly wares. Thoughtfully she rubs her chin, eyes passing over the variety of colors before she simply sets her bags down and puts her hands on her hips.
"Actually, Tenma," she remarks, casting a glance toward him. "Maybe you can be of some help, rather than be creepy." What's that supposed to mean?
It's a good thing Marisol chose to wear a non-buttoned shirt today. Grabbing the hems, she lifts it up and asks, rather loudly, "HEY! Is this my color?" By color, she means the red bra she shows off. "I was thinking of getting something in a shade of blue. What do you think, TENMA KIRYUU, of GEDO HIGH SCHOOL?"
Casually tapping the cloth bundle of his wrapped bokken against his shoulder, Tenma quite brazenly follows Marisol into the store, and indeed /through/ it, his eyes glancing over at the frilly stuff, and the advertisements, and of course some of the other customers. He seems quite unaffected by what should, by all rights, reduce him to some sort of gibbering mess of embarassed teenaged boy. Well, maybe not unaffected; he definitely looks /interested/. His smarmy grin widens as Marisol glances towards him again, and he considers her words. "I guess I could," Tenma allows, looking almost serious for a moment, because he's being a jackass.
However, Tenma's grin reappears with interest when Marisol starts hiking her shirt up and speaking at a very inappropriate volume. Also he gets a good view of her bra, as the other customers and clerks look over and quite possibly are absolutely scandalised by the rude girl and her apparent boyfriend. "Suits your hair, doesn't it?" the Gedo swordsman says, sounding quite calm despite the embarassing situation he's in. "I dunno, maybe green?" And then he takes another long pull from his Coke, which is pretty much empty, so he starts making that really annoying 'bottom of a drink' slurping noise.
Curious. Tenma's so bold and confident in what's normally a fortress for women and the land of wibbling males, and Marisol doesn't seem to be too wholly disturbed on having him chase her around the store. In fact, he's asking her for sound, sage advice at a time like this! Wait-- color?!
The poor small girl starts from behind the display rack as Marisol gives the store a bit of a show, hands jerking up and one foot shifting to an awkward point. Unmentionables and other clothing rattle and crash as the tiny crow girl falls flat on her backside, bags and books therein clattering against each other.
Oh shi--
Looking left and right, the Seijyun girl scrambles to her feet and tries to use her height to advantage, crouching a little low and praying she hasn't been seen just yet.
By the way, don't mind the bobbing arch of hair trying to cut between racks of lace garments.
Without an ounce of modesty, Marisol just grabs the hem of her shirt and, with a tug, lifts it up and over her chest. There, for Tenma's nubile teenage eyes is a vision of red. For the most part, however, the clerks and a few shoppers look positively dumbfounded, offering looks of uncertainty as the young woman just stands with her shirt up. There's a long pause.
His response does not yield him any particularly strange looks or annoyed remarks. Instead, Marisol seems a little surprised at best before she sports a slight smirk. "Green, huh?" Dropping her shirt over her bosom once more, smoothing it into place. Pensive now, the redhead taps a finger against her chin, eyeing the display once again. The obnoxious slurping is ignored completely.
"I suppose you have a point." Snatching a forest green one from the display before her, the redhead merrily bends and grabs her things before she skips toward the check out. "Thanks Tenma! You really ARE useful!"
However, halfway there, Marisol spies a pigtail peeking out from behind a lacy display. Furrowing red brows, the girl spares a glance toward Tenma from over a shoulder, before she jerks a thumb toward Miu. "Hey, Tenma," she remarks.
"I think you have an admirerer. When did YOU start roping in the girls, anyway?"
Of course, with Marisol's shirt lifted like that, Tenma gives a long and considering gaze. He's almost disappoint when she puts her shirt back down, because while he may not like her very much, she's nice to look at. Oh well; they can't all be mysterious girls on the beach in bikinis, right? With Marisol skipping towards the checkout, Tenma of course follows her, glancing around lazily, and he too spots the mysterious topknot/pigtail thing. He's seen that before, somewhere. "Hmmm..." he muses.
"What, you gettin' jealous or somethin'?" Tenma wonders of Marisol, back to being all kinds of smarmy. At least seventeen different varieties of it, all at once. "I can't help it if there's girls out there as prefer actual guys to a buncha rich wastes of space, huh? 'course, given your own preferences, how d'you know she's not one of /your/ admirers?" Ha ha ha ha, horrible shrew.
Bounce. Bounce, bounce. Swish. Only one person could have such a hairstyle, at least... given the length, the arch. And then when she thinks that she's well into the clear, Miu's small frame lifts to stand upright to step away from the merchandise and cross quickly through the open area with the clerks and the ... two people she was trying so hard to avoid.
Looking much like a deer about to be struck by a car, the blood runs cold in her veins and her usual calm, composed demeanor has decided to smoke a few cigarettes behind the building and leave the poor girl alone. "Oh... Kiryuu, Miss O'Connell. Um. ... F-Fancy meeting the two of you in a place like this." Since, you know, it isn't like she could actually use the grand majority of the garments in the store.
Peep show over and purchase found, Marisol seems content and happy - at least until, rather unexpectedly, a pigtail is noticed. For a moment, the redhead looks a little puzzled. Then, bluntly, she asks if it belongs to Tenma in some form or fashion. After all, Marisol doesn't precisely keep up with the likes of the Guardian Kings' leader. His personal life is none of her business!
"Jealous? Hah," Tossing her head, the half-Spaniard's red mane tosses about as she smirks, hands resting akimbo on her slender hips. "You wish, Kiryuu. With an attitude like yours, you'd be lucky to find yourself a girl!" As for the other remark? Frowning briefly, she scoffs before she adds, "I'm sorry, pigtails aren't my type."
Finally revealing herself to the pair, Marisol's smoky gaze shifts toward Miu, peering at the crow girl thoughtfully before she offers a tiny smirk. "Hey Miu," she states, lifting a hand in a casual gesture of greeting. However, the girl's presence gives her reason to wonder, before those eyes drift toward Miu's flat chest.
"Miu," she asks, staring blatantly at the girl's bustline. "Why are you here, anyway?" It's perhaps insulting, but there is a tinge of genuine uncertainty and confusion in her tone.
"Princess," Tenma says smoothly, in response to Miu's rather nervous greeting. What's she all upset about? The Gedo boy can't even begin to fathom it... But then, girls are mysterious creatures, and who knows WHAT they're thinking at any given time. Tenma's no mind-reader. He does, however, catch the thrust of Marisol's questions of the small girl, and the rather conspicuous glance she gives at poor Miu's, uh, lack of chest. And, demonstrating a either a very advanced or very poor grasp of irony, the Gedo swordsman actually gets a little offended by the redhead's rudeness!
Hitching the cloth-wrapped bokken against his shoulder, Tenma's blue eyes look over at Marisol, and he frowns, ever so slightly. "Ain't you the rude one, Red," he says. "Nobody gets all mad at you for goin' to a library even though you can't read a word, do they?" Okay, so... He's actually being much ruder to Miu than Marisol herself is, but he's doing it for all the right reasons?
Ah-- still using that name for her. Or didn't he say that's what -all- Seijyun girls were? Still, the awkward greeting and the feeling that she's being stared at are more than enough to put a little color in her face. But that's when her eyes lull upward to look at Marisol's, then follow the Pacific student's gaze back down to-- a-and Tenma too!!
She turns profile, eyes half-lidding and expression becoming a bit more serious ... albeit the red flush to her cheeks. "W-What? I... saw you both and decided to say hello. I pray that such a gesture isn't thought of as rude, so-- wh--" Only now does the meaning behind Tenma's phrase click.
"Why you-!"
Princess? "You and your pet names, I swear," Marisol mutters under her breath, shooting the young Gedoite a glare-but-not really. It passes easily enough and, with a half-smirk, she turns her gray gaze back onto the crow girl. "Don't mind him," she remarks, lifting a finger up and pressing it idly against her temple. "I can bet you he was dropped on his head as a kid." Whether he's offended or not by her gesture to Miu is of no concern to the young woman.
Instead, she exhales and draws her eyes shut. Now he's saying she can't read? "You're a real jackass, you know that?" she remarks, gray eyes opening, narrowed and focused entirely on the bokken-wielding youth. "She was just stopping in to say hello, you know." And if the clerks hated the duo-turned-trio before, they'll surely hate them now!
Because Marisol attempts to thwack Tenma in the face with her green bra.
COMBATSYS: Marisol has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Marisol 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tenma has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Marisol 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
COMBATSYS: Tenma endures Marisol's Thrown Object.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Marisol 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Tenma
Really, people should know Tenma well enough to expect this sort of behaviour from him! "You were the one actin' like she shouldn't be in here," Tenma replies to Marisol, apparently not noticing Miu's indignance at all as he continues to act on her behalf... When suddenly he's got a bra swung at him. He doesn't even try to avoid it, getting smacked right in the face with Marisol's lacy underthing, and there's enough force behind it courtesy of the redhead's surprising physical strength to knock him back a step or two, but...
"Ain't that the mature thing to do, Red," Tenma grits out, though he was the one who seemed perfectly content to get hit in the face with a brassiere. Pervert. But his response is immediate, so blatantly challenged by the half-Irish girl, as he pops the plastic lid off of his drink with his thumb, the lid and straw tumbling to the floor underfoot, and then he thrusts the cup at Marisol, letting half-melted ice and water fly forth at her! Now they're just causing a /scene/.
The gears still won't properly align when it comes to Marisol and Tenma, the small Seijyun girl unable to get the two of them to stop and ... well, maybe talk things out. Inappropriate battle seems to be a popular topic with the two of them-- now with Marisol striking Tenma right in the face with a bra. Miu's jaw is left a little slack as things continue to degrade, though she ultimately stands back to watch the debacle, one hand reached out a little bit.
"Wait, you two ... s-shouldn't you do this outside of the store...?"
It isn't as though they'd listen, but the suggestion is still there...
COMBATSYS: Marisol interrupts Thrown Object from Tenma with Chain Reaction.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Marisol 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Tenma
"Well, I was surprised," she admits, sounding sincere about it. "Miu doesn't seem like the sort of girl to be walkin' into a store like this." To emphasize the point, a thumb jerks over her shoulder, toward a mannequin set up wearing a small, black and very frilly near-see through nightgown. A half-hearted smirk cuts her full lips shortly thereafter. Then a bra smacks Tenma, and to no one's surprise he just stands there and takes it in the face. Like a man.
"Oops. Sorry, my hand slipped," she remarks, still grinning with that same, half-lidded look on her face. Eyes flicker to the cup as the young Gedo student pops the lid off. Briefly, however, Marisol spares a glance toward Miu. Shouldn't they take this outside?
"Nah," she remarks. "It's nice and air conditioned in here."
Turning her attention back onto the bokken-wielding youth, Marisol lunges in just as he begins to move his arm. With her right arm she smacks his hand aside completely and diverts the splash of ice and cola onto the floor of the lingerie shop, to the dismay of the clerk, who sighs. But she doesn't stop there! No, Marisol is cheap; the other hand swings forward, knuckles burying into Tenma's gut before she grabs him by the face.
"Nothin' personal, Tenma~" she sing-songs - before slamming him face-first into her knee. Pushing him, she jerks a leg from below, her heel swinging up to strike him straight in the jaw with a particularly fierce vertical kick.
When that's said and done, the spares a glance over her shoulder, to Miu, and remarks, "Boys are so immature, aren't they? Throwing drinks, trying to get a free peep show. Honestly, Kiryuu." Shaking her head, she looks Tenma's way. "I already willingly showed you them. What more do you want from me?"
Okay, Tenma saw that one going differently in his head, you know? He's battered around by Marisol's sudden attack, and he ends up tumbling arse over teakettle from the kick, but ends up in a low crouch not far away. Of course, he quickly unties the cloth sheath of his bokken, sliding the weapon free... And then bites into the flesh of his left thumb to draw blood, a wide grin on his face. "You wanna know what I want, Red?" he says, as he runs his bloodied thumb down the blade of his bokken, painting a red line there. "I want t' beat you so bad, you havta acknowledge what everybody else knows. That I'm a way, way better fighter than you are."
With a single sweep through the air, his bokken lights up, surrounded by that misty crimson aura of mingled blood and chi. "Maybe make ya bow your head to the floor, too. But when's that gonna happen, right?" And then, he lunges forward, bokken held low, edge up, and when he gets close enough he swings it upwards, a violent slash of wood and energy aimed across Marisol's torso. "GRAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol blocks Tenma's Fierce Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Marisol 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Tenma
Sent rolling backwards, it earns him a broad grin from the redhead when she turns her gaze back onto him. Watching as he rises up and unsheathes his bokken, the girl just tips her head up all the more, chin aloft as she hoods her smoky gaze at the Gedo fighter. "Oh my, Kiryuu," the girl responds to his initial remark, grinning impishly. "That sounds so scandalous."
However, he's a typical fighter. He just wants to have her acknowledge he's a better fighter than she. "I'm sorry, I can't do something like that," she responds, lifting a hand up and letting her fingers toy at a few stray locks of red hair. "You may be able to swing that compensating sword of yours around all you like, but that doesn't make you better than me."
Without further adieu the young man lunges at the half-Spaniard, but with one, deft motion, the girl intercepts the bokken by grabbing it out of the air. "Too slow, Kiryuu." she chides softly with a playful grin...before the other hand swings forward, a harsh hook aimed for the side of his face.
COMBATSYS: Tenma interrupts Hook Punch from Marisol with Initial Breaker.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Marisol 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Tenma
"Compensating? Heh... Spoken like somebody who knows how bad they suck," Tenma laughs, but then his sword is caught, and then Marisol is back on the attack... But Tenma's not just going to stand there this time. Wrenching his bokken away from the girl's grasp harshly, he ducks back as the hook punch grazes his face, levelling his sword horizontally, pulled all the way back, point aimed right at Marisol... And then he stabs her.
Lunging forward with a great deal of speed, Tenma thrusts the tip of his bokken into Marisol's torso, to drive her further back. "DROP DEAD ALREADY!!" he bellows as he attacks, because Tenma? Not very good at the shutting up.
Where's Miu been all this time? ... Well, fortunately, just barely out of the way of the pair of combatants, her hands held up and trying to calm the clerk of the store down a little before the merchendise in the lingerie store is completely trashed. It'll take some convincing... but maybe, just maybe she can convince them to take it just outside the store and into the expanse of the mall proper. Hopefully without having to resort to the usage of her powers, but ...
Life is never that kind.
Miu holds up her hands, her little form suddenly moving to the side of the two fighters. "Come on, you two! You're going to make a mess in here!"
"Oh, is that all you can come up with?" she retorts, swift in her attempts to knock back his insult. It's a weak retort at best, but it serves well enough to prove she's far from interested in the things he's willing to sling at her. Sticks and stones, as they say. "Truth be told, I think your buddy Hakuya is a much better fighter!"
Lashing out, there's resistance met as her fist swings and more or less bites through empty air. The resistance comes as he yanks his bokken free and, with one motion, swings in and stabs her in the gut, then again, driven further back. Drop dead, he yells. Sticks and stones, right? Miu goes unnoticed for now; Marisol has her game face going on.
"Keep outta this!" she snaps at the girl, thrusting a hand in Miu's direction to more or less tell her to keep at bay. Charging Tenma shortly thereafter, Marisol intends on snaring him by the throats while thrusting the other hand's palm heel into his gut. The result? A familiar burst of fiery dandelion-yellow chi that will likely blast him back and away! Poor Miu, caught in the middle.
COMBATSYS: Marisol successfully hits Tenma with Moon Sling.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Marisol 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Tenma
And indeed, Tenma is well and truly blasted back, though he tries to get his arms in the way of the grab and heel strike... But he's not in time, and he goes a-flyin', crashing through racks of skimpy unmentionables. So, while he gets hurt, it's not entirely a downside. "Well, Hakuya IS good," the Gedo swordsman admits as he rises from where he crashed, a leopard print thong perched rather precariously atop his head. He doesn't seem to notice. "Ain't been able to do much but draw against him. 'course... S'why I actually respect him, isn't it? Can't say the same 'bout you, trash." As he says this, he points his bokken directly at Marisol, to leave no confusion as to who he means.
"Like Red said, this ain't your problem, Princess," Tenma directs at Miu, without taking his eyes off of his opponent. "Me an' her, we've got some unfinished business, don't we? So back it up." And, with Miu hopefully staying the hell out of the way, he raises his bokken up quickly and then sweeps it back down, red energy streaking through the air, and in the wake of the slash a crescent of roiling red blood launches forth, directly at Marisol, screaming through the air.
COMBATSYS: Marisol slows Dharmapala from Tenma with Rolling Star.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Marisol 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Tenma
From Marisol first, Miu's rejection hits her a little hard. She hesitates, wanting to say something-- because both of them ... well, is friends the right word? Though their rivalry is nothing of her concern, there's still something that lingers within poor Miu where she doesn't want to see them fight. And then Tenma speaks up, too.
Her hands lower to her sides, her expression becomes a little more than dejected-- even when Tenma's prancing around with underpants on his head. But ... she stands back-- unwillingly, perhaps, but she still stands back. The mood of the small psion is reflected not in her face, but her hands-- her tightly clenched fists, teeming with the energy that manifests as feathers that gently rain from her hands and land on the floor. Sure, she'll comply ... for now...
Dusting her hands off post-attack, the young woman's full lips remain in a coy grin. Likely, Tenma enjoys the fact he's just been sent through all sorts of lovely, frilly negligee he'll never see on a real woman. So, in a sense, it would seem she's done him a favor. Still, she's not dumb enough to take her eye off the Gedo boy. More particularly, the thong perched atop his head is noted. For a moment, Marisol's expression remains flat.
"Trash? This, from a Gedo reject? Oh please." A hand lifts, idly waving about. "And if you didn't have a shred of respect or something of such a nature, why are you still here fighting, huh? You didn't HAVE to try and hit me back, you know." Which is entirely true. If he didn't respect her, why would he waste his time? The bokken-point is otherwise ignored.
"Unfinished business? From what?" Scoffing, Marisol lifts her hands up and folds her arms over her chest. Likely, the two versus two has since been forgotten. Either way, it becomes of little interest when that roiling red slash of chi comes flying. Lifting her hands up before her, Marisol lets her hands erupt into flames, yellow energy licking around her arms, coalescing in between her palms.
"I hate that stuff," she mutters, before she thrusts her palms forward. For the most part the brunt of Tenma's crescent is devoured by the girl's own energies. However, what isn't eaten whizzes past, causing the redhead to wince slightly at the stinging of the impact, causing her to stagger back a step or two thereafter with a lopsided grin. Lifting a hand, she runs the top of it across her brow.
Poor Miu. It's not that Marisol told her to keep out of it to be mean; hardly. She told the girl to stay back because she doesn't want Miu getting hit. Sadly, the sentiment seemed lost somewhere in the execution. Tenma, on the other hand, is a big fat puppy-kicking jerk. Look what you did, Tenma.
Tact and Tenma Kiryuu are not well aquainted with one another, and that's the truth. He doesn't seem particularly bothered by having spoken harshly to Miu, or the fact that it's clearly upset the young psychic, because he is - as he tends to be - almost completely focused on what's in front of him. One of the two people he likes least in all the world. Sure, he doesn't /hate/ Marisol the way he does Luc... But she's nevertheless quite good at pissing him off. Without even doing anything! Maybe if she just stood around and didn't talk.
But the thing is, whatever Marisol says, and however it may have affected Miu, Tenma doesn't just stand there. Instead, he's rushing forward as Marisol staggers back, and somehow those underwear managed to stay perched atop his head, in defiance of all known physics, until he leaps into the air at the half-Irish girl, stabbing diagonally downwards at her from midair. "BECAUSE," he declares. "I like to FIGHT!!"
Also, at this point, the thong falls off his head, forward, at Marisol. A courting gift?!
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Marisol with Weapon Jab.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Marisol 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Tenma
It's also a well-known fact to just about anyone who crosses the path of the sword-wielding Gedo boy. He's a jerk with absolutely zero regard for the feelings of others, plain and simple. It's partly why he pisses Marisol off! That, and he's very much similar to the girl, and if they say you're your own worst enemy, then clearly people very similar to you are a close second.
Not that she particularly hates him. He's just a jerk, and pissing him off is kind of a hobby.
But whatever. He makes his move and, frankly, the panties atop his head, desperately clutching to his skull, distracts her. Only when they flutter free like an autumn leaf does she snap out of it, but too late. The jab is too swift to stave off, and she's struck, the impact mildly annoying at best.
"Don't you think it's kind of silly to bring a weapon to a fist fight?" she asks, absently rubbing her chest, where Tenma's bokken struck her. "I mean, really. How would YOU like it if I brought a gun to a fight? And don't you ever leave that thing at home?" Is Marisol buying some time for herself? Possibly!!
COMBATSYS: Marisol focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Marisol 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Tenma
Landing easily on his feet, Tenma tilts his head slightly to one side. He's actually quite familiar with the concept of talking to buy time - it's something Tenma himself has done on more than one occasion. A perfectly viable tactic. "So basically, you're a whiner," Tenma decides, taking a single step back from Marisol and leaning his chi-empowered bokken against his shoulder. His left hand, at his side, tucks thumbfirst into his pants pocket, as he assumes an elaborately casual pose.
"What's the difference between me usin' my sword an' you usin' your girly yellow chi?" Tenma wonders, a bit philosophically. "An' why would I leave it at home? Would you leave your fists at home, Red? Ain't no difference one way or the other. People use what they use. If you just wanna complain 'bout it, then I guess you're even more pathetic than I thought, huh?" Of course, he's taking advantage of the lull too, catching his breath...
COMBATSYS: Tenma gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Marisol 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Tenma
"A whiner? God, Kiryuu, if you have such a problem with fighting me, really. Stop picking them, or at least stop punching back. I don't care if you like to fight or not." She even goes so far as to lift a hand and toss her head to one side, waving it idly about. Is HE buying time? Fine, let him. If he needs a breath, well. She'll be nice enough to let him. She's a pretty giving gal, that Marisol.
"As for my chi? Why are you bothering bringing that up - you use chi too. Too damn much of it, in fact." Thrusting a finger forward, a long, well-manicured nail singles Tenma out. "I hate that shit, too. You, Luc, that weird pedo-boxer guy; you guys need to learn some sense of control, rather than let that crap spill out everywhere." Nevermind Tenma's is a different case. Sort of.
"It's so annoying. And you're a dumbass. How can I leave my hands at home? Pathetic? Me?" Smirking, the girl bows her head a bit, features darkening. "I'd like to see you fight sometime without that stupid toy sword of yours. Let's see how you'd fare without being able to swing it around." That said, Marisol lunges forward and dips a bit forward. It's a sluggish tactic, but she swings a fist fiercely, intent on deliver a nice, beefy uppercut straight for Tenma's waiting chops and send him flying back - potentially into the ladies' dressing room!
COMBATSYS: Tenma endures Marisol's Uppercut Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Marisol 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Tenma
"It was an analogy, you retard," Tenma says irritably, staring down Marisol's pointing finger. Seriously, how does she manage to be a /boxer/ and not break those long nails all the time? She must be a witch. OR SOME KIND OF CYBORG. But when Marisol taunts him and ducks low like that, Tenma just grins from ear to ear and takes it full on the chin, the strike blasting him back... But not that far. He was ready for it, catching himself on a rack with his free hand, snaked clear from his pocket at the last possible moment. The rack is upended, its items strewn everywhere, and Tenma still falls... But he doesn't stay down.
Swinging his bokken up behind himself as he rises, the Gedo swordsman slides one foot forward, to push Marisol's back. "Fine, you wanna see?!" he says, his left hand balled into a fist and lashing out at Marisol's chest and torso, to strike repeatedly at precise locations, distrupting the very flow of life through her body. Whether or not that works, though, his footwork and strikes are carefully planned, to herd Marisol back...
COMBATSYS: Marisol interrupts Flow Breaker from Tenma with Iron Butterfly.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Marisol 1/------=/=======|=======\====---\1 Tenma
Now he's calling her rude names? Exhaling loudly, she shakes her head, red locks idly tossing about her slender shoulders before she simply folds her arms over her chest. "Honestly, Kiryuu. You're such a moron." Another exhale, and her head simply sags to one side, arms falling free of her chest. He's such a bother, that Tenma.
Whatever. Making her move, and moving in a particularly predictable fashion, Marisol charges and ultimately swings a fist, knuckles biting fiercely into Tenma's jaw. Sent back, the fighter is swift enough to catch himself on the nearby rack, filled with all sorts of scandalous and gauzy lingerie. Would he even notice? Likely not.
Then he moves; a foot swings out and initially it makes contact, one fist striking her precisely. It causes her to flinch slightly, but her response is swift and quick; swinging a hand up from her side, a roar of yellow chi dances out in the wake of her hand. Those flames encase the young heir, encircling him in a hazy sphere of yellow before it springs to life. Inwardly, the energy spikes, to pierce him with energy before the energy cocoon explodes, a brief display of energy butterflies floating up toward the ceiling, to vanish into thin air.
"My, you're so adorable, Tenma," she remarks, pausing a moment to eye her nails.
Well... That hurt a little bit. As Tenma is caught by the cocoon of energy, his own chi strives against it to little avail, and the spikes sure hurt, but he's had worse. From Marisol herself! He staggers back, watching the... Butterflies, seriously? ...well, the butterflies of chi float away, and then his blue eyes return to Marisol. "I guess you can act like a girl if you try hard," he decides offhandedly, swinging his sword hand back, and pushing his left hand forward, fingers lightly contorted as an aid to concentration. It's... Probably obvious what's coming next. As he focuses, the red glow around his bokken builds, crimson energy obscuring the wooden blade entirely.
"Time t' say goodnight, Red," Tenma says, before he starts rushing forward at her. It's not far, and in a split second he's close enough to strike, swinging his chi-ensconced bokken around in a wide, wild strike at Marisol's side, aiming just under her ribs... And if it hits, quite aside from the expected harm from the chi-charged wooden sword, his chi passes through Marisol's body, disrupting the flow of energy there, blocking the movement of her very life's force, robbing her of her vitality and leaving behind a chilly numbness... "EAT THIS!!"
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Marisol with The Sealing Sword.
[ \\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Marisol 1/-======/=======|=------\-------\0 Tenma
Again, more insults and again, they fall upon deaf ears. Instead, she lifts a hand once more, tossing it idly about, dismissing his words as of little importance to a girl like her. She acts pretty girly! Why, she's trying to shop for a bra, not to mention the bags gathered near their proximity! Thus does she shrug, rolling her slender shoulders before she offers a wry smirk. "It's just a shame you are lacking in the masculine department."
Good night? Smirking all the more, Marisol's grin lingers on those full lips. "Not yet, amigo," she assures, hooding her gaze. The bokken comes, swinging fiercely...and Marisol stands there. Struck harshly, the wind is more or less knocked out of her proverbial sails, causing her to stagger and grope clumsily for the nearest rack. What's worse, the blood-chi has otherwise stained her white blouse.
Panting now, the girl just grabs her shirt, glaring at the mess. "G-god damn it, Tenma," she stammers, looking mildly annoyed at her newfound stains. "This is why I hate fighting with you," Marisol explains. "You can't swing that goddamned sword without staining my shirt."
COMBATSYS: Marisol gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Marisol 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Tenma
That sure did the trick, didn't it? Tenma pulls his bokken back as it runs out of momentum, the crimson glow around the blade having died back down to normal. With another smug look, the Gedo student watches Marisol turn aghast at her shirt, clearly not the least bit contrite about it. "Aww, poor little Red," he says, pouting sarcastically. And then he holds up his left hand and rubs his thumb against the side of his index finger, giving her a little of the tiny violin.
He's kind of an ass, you see.
Of course, though Marisol is back to sitting on her tuchus, this time Tenma's not inclined to play the same game, taking a single step forward before he throws himself into a lunging forward slash, wild and uncontrolled, following it up with a second, and then he reaches to grab Marisol by the front of her bloodstained shirt, to yank her in close for a gentle, loving headbutt, his forehead aimed to smash right into her pretty face. "Get LOST!!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol interrupts Deep Strike from Tenma with Bee Sting.
[ \\\\\\ < > /// ]
Marisol 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Tenma
"God, stop calling me that. It sounds flirty," she complains, still huffing at her shirt as she otherwise ignores the taunting of Kiryuu. Besides, it's more or less common sense that, at every given opportunity, he'll do precisely that. Thus, Tenma is easily ignored as she lifts a hand up and moistens her fingertips before rubbing in annoyance on a spot. It's a lost cause.
"Damn it!" she curses, snapping her eyes shut. Ass or no, it would seem miss Red has had enough of his lip and blood-slinging. When he suddenly makes a motion to come in and at her, Marisol suddenly jerks to life. Snaring him by the collar as that initial slash strikes into her shoulder, she sports a wide, wolfish smirk.
"What is it with you trying to invade my personal space, anyway?" she mutters, glaring with hooded eyes at the Gedo boy. A hand lifts, pressing gently against his face as she grins. "Oh? Do you want a kiss? Is that it?" And just when things couldn't get any more awkward, Marisol actually inclines...
But then, rather abruptly, he's blasted back, as her other hand swings in and lodges a spike of pure chi through his chest, which swiftly erupts and blasts him back. Toward the dressing rooms. And Marisol?
She just dusts her hands and scoffs. "Boys."
And indeed, Marisol might think to herself that she's done with Tenma, as he gets blasted into one of the changerooms. The door, luckily, was open, so all that really happens is the guy gets smashed against the far wall, and there's screams from the adjoining changerooms... Apparently SOME people hadn't heard the rest of the commotion. But it doesn't last. It never lasts.
In fact, in short order Tenma is rushing back out of the changeroom, running on his last legs, raising his bokken up with both hands, his eyes focused completely on the red-haired girl. For once, there's no insults or taunts hurled by the arrogant boy, who swings his chi-charged bokken down in a vicious slash at Marisol's body when he gets close, snarling as he attacks, and at the bottom of the slash he reverses the blade and swings back up, making a shallow v-shape with the quick, successive blows!
COMBATSYS: Tenma can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ <
Marisol 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Marisol fails to interrupt Ungyou from Tenma with Jab Punch.
COMBATSYS: Marisol can no longer fight.
Just when she figured that things were more or less over, a commotion stirs from behind. Blinking once, gray eyes slowly swivel over a shoulder, peering at the Guardian King as he reemerges from the change room he'd crashed into. Frowning sharply, Marisol's expression sours softly. Really. Can't he learn to stop pursuing once in his life to admit defeat? Scoffing, she turns to face him once more.
No words. Just staring. When he charges, Marisol just attempts to jerk a fist out and clip him in the nose, if only to stun him and send him staggering back. Struck by the bokken's vicious swing, the girl staggers back, a hand clutching feebly at her chest. What the hell is his problem, anyway? Staring at him, the redhead just looks aghast.
Then, with a scoff, she tosses her head viciously to the side. She's unable to push this any more, and neither is he. Thus, without a word, she marches right past him, head held high before she grabs her bags. Pivoting on her heel, she turns forward again, marching past Tenma once again and toward the exit. She pauses, however, shoulder to shoulder with the young man. For a moment, there is an odd silence as she just glares forward.
Lips part, a breath sliding past them. Then:
"You're such an inconsiderate jerk, Tenma Kiryuu."
Tossing her head again, Marisol marches toward the exit. Really, she was being relatively nice for once.
And this, you see, is what Tenma meant about 'unfinished business'. When has there ever been resolution between himself and Marisol? When have they, going toe to toe, one on one, come to a clear conclusion? Not even once. But it's true that he can't push this any further, as the red glow around his bokken fades entirely, the line of blood he'd painted on it before having disappeared. He watches Marisol as she takes her things and gets ready to take off, his expression not showing anything one way or the other, but as she stops beside him to speak, he snorts faintly. "And you ain't a lick better," he mutters sidelong at the redhead, who shortly thereafter makes her exit.
Then, Tenma gets the cloth sheath for his sword back, and looks over towards the checkout, where it seems one of the clerks - or maybe the manager - is on the phone. And he hears words like 'security' and 'troublemaking punks' filter through the air. "Ah, hell," the Gedo swordsman grunts, turning and, if Miu is still there, aiming to grab her by the arm. "C'mon, Princess. We'd better get outta here," he tells her, though this is of course entirely his (and Marisol's) fault, but as a teenager Miu is bound to be implicated! If this whole premise bears fruit, then he'll make his escape, leading Miu along until they can filter into the crowd.
Then he'll take her to Orange Julius and maybe she'll feel a bit better.
Log created on 22:51:53 06/30/2007 by Tenma, and last modified on 04:04:35 07/02/2007.