Description: Makoto versus Shinobu in the battle between style and no style. See the amazing comeback! (Draw Match)
The train ride back to Southtown is peaceful, and the streets strangely quiet for a change. With many fighters busy across the sea, the city's a little quieter for a saturday, but... as always, SNF goes on. It took Shinobu a bit of work to get scheduled, being a rural village with one semi-functional phone, but she's here and on time, for a change. Mind, she hasn't really changed out of her miko outfit on the way over, but... she's used to fighting in whatever she's got on.
A number of students are gathered, some in formal white gis, with others in athletic wear or sweats. Shinobu makes her way into the center, past the cameras and SNF workers, and takes off her sandals as she hits the mat. She bows in, and then to the SNF crew before walking out onto the mat. The students sit attentively, and Shinobu stares at them for a moment. Blink. Then, she waves cheerily, and gets a couple nervous waves back before she spins about, putting her hand to her brow as she searches for her opponent.
Makoto is pretty easy to find, because she, as always, is early.
Right now she is talking to a couple of the students in gis, having just explained the finer arts of what they were doing wrong when throwing each other, but she breaks off when she sees her actual opponent show up; with a quick bow, she steps toward Shinobu, looking her up and down curiously. Not a fighter she recognizes on sight, and a style she knows nothing about; perhaps she hasn't realized that it's a non-style.
Shinobu beams at Makoto cluelessly, and says, "Ah, I'm not giving lessons today, I'm here to figh- oh!" She then bows quickly back, and rubs her neck embarassedly. "I don't think I ever give lessons anyway.", she admits.
Then, with a quick moment of realization, she starts to search through her kimono shirt. "Would you like to buy a good luck talisman before we fight? It's only..." She pauses, and looks at the paper strip as she draws it out by its string cord, and then hands it forward. "Oh, nevermind, you can just have it if you want, it might help!", she says with a wide smile.
Makoto looks blank for a moment. "I don't need luck!" she says, dismissively. "Skill is all I need!" Depending on luck is too random...and a bit like saying she can't depend on herself or her style. She doesn't think much of the insult - and she does look at being offered a good luck charm before the fight as an insult.
Makoto bounces slightly on the mat, deciding it is good footing, before glancing back at the SNF people. They look ready. She's ready. It's just Shinobu she's not sure of. "If you're here to fight, let's get to it! I don't want to be standing here all day waiting." A few steps away, Makoto raises one fist, setting her left foot forward in her usual combat stance.
Looking a little hurt, Shinobu puts it back away. "...." She raises her fist, and gives a stern expression. Which really comes off as more pouty on her, but she does her best. "You're not gonna have to wait that long! I've been ready all this time!"
Throwing a few clumsy punches followed by a kick, her sour expression starts to fade as the idea of the fight starts to cheer her up again. "This is gonna be fun!" She slides out into a rough stance, bouncing a little on the balls of her feet impatiently. "Let's see what you do!"
COMBATSYS: Shinobu has started a fight here.
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Shinobu 0/-------/-------|
Is that it? That looked awkward to Makoto. It certainly wasn't an effective attack. "Fine!" Makoto says - and waits, staring at Shinobu as if trying to discern her style in the first few moments of the fight.
She only waits about two seconds, for those who are expecting another boring start; after that, Makoto breaks into a forward sprint for a few steps before leaping up into the air. "Haah!" she yells, midleap, as she somersaults forward and brings her foot around in a powerful heel strike, aiming to plant it on Shinobu's back and leap off again.
COMBATSYS: Makoto has joined the fight here.
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Shinobu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Makoto
COMBATSYS: Shinobu blocks Makoto's Tsurugi.
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Shinobu 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Makoto
Staring at her opponent as she flies over, it seems as if Shinobu might just stand there and get pounded... but as Makoto's directly overhead, she turns, throwing out a hand almost randomly to catch her foe's heel. She's thrown forward by the attack, and stumbles a bit as she wrings out her hand with an "Atata...", to herself.
With her other, though, non-fractured hand, she starts to gather chi, forming a blue bubble of power. As she spins to face Makoto, she wings it at the girl carelessly. The bubble seems almost unthreatening, wobbling as it leaves her hand. But the explosive swirl of fluid energy makes it so, like horseshoes and hand grenades, close counts.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Makoto with Petite Pop.
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Shinobu 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Makoto
Makoto has never seen a chi 'blast' quite like this before. She turns after her landing, spinning around to face Shinobu with enough speed that her scarf flares out behind her, and watches the harmless-looking ball with a slightly confused expression.
Makoto brings up both hands to block it, knowing that even safe-looking blasts are probably not very safe, but the pop of the bubble sprays her with power both above and below her guard, driving her back a step. It doesn't keep her back for very long, though; Makoto charges forward again, this time trying to get her hands on Shinobu's shoulders.
It looks like a setup for a throw, but instead, Makoto grips Shinobu painfully if she manages to get her hands on, draws her head back, and then delivers a mighty headbutt with her teeth grit!
COMBATSYS: Shinobu fails to interrupt Tacchuu from Makoto with Shinobu Rocket.
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Shinobu 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Makoto
Shinobu hops back away after her attack, trying to get some space between her and her opponent, but Makoto is on her quickly... and so she crouches back, pulling her fist back to try and counter the charge. "Shinobu..."
But the tomboy snags her, and her head is profoundly butted, sending Shinobu rolling back. "... Rocke-e-e..."
Springing back to her feet, Shinobu rubs her head with an "Owwww..." And /her/ head is supposed to be hard!
Makoto's forehead appears to be invincible.
Makoto does not waste the initiative now that she has it; she presses her attack by striding forward after the rolling Shinobu, pivoting on her left foot and delivering a wide arcing kick with her right, ideally before Shinobu gets up. "Come on!" she calls; it isn't meant to be insulting, but instead an honest request: "Show me what you've got! I want to see your style! Do your best!"
COMBATSYS: Shinobu dodges Makoto's Medium Kick.
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Shinobu 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Makoto
Shinobu wobbles, and then weaves to the side, bending like a reed as the foot whips out to brush her shirt. "Style? I don't really have anything like that..." She then rushes in, ducking very low, and then bounces up to try and slam her palm under Makoto's armpit. "... but I'll show you what I've got!"
The goal is to throw off Makoto's balance and pull her into the air... from where Shinobu can carry to the side and flip her down to the mat. Mind, she's not thinking all that hard about it, but just going where her instincts carry her. And maybe she can even do nasty things to that shoulder in the process.
COMBATSYS: Makoto dodges Shinobu's Quick Throw.
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Shinobu 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Makoto
Occasionally, Makoto gets some speed, even though she's generally more focused on hitting things as quickly as possible than not being hit. Today is one of those times; she backsteps rapidly, the palm strike rippling her gi as she backs out of reach.
"How do you fight without a style or strategy?" Makoto asks, keeping her position. She doesn't have much farther to back up before she gets off the mat, so she stays put, planting her feet and beginning to focus her breathing. Both hands come up near her navel as she tenses, ready to go.
COMBATSYS: Makoto gathers her will.
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Shinobu 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Makoto
"Um... practice?", Shinobu says. "When I think too hard about it, it just kinda messes stuff up, so..." It sure doesn't /feel/ like it's working at the moment, but she's still got a fair amount of fight left in her. She then hmmms, and then rushes over to one of the students near the edge of the mat. And Makoto. "I'm really sorry about this, but..."
The student is snagged by the gi as Shinobu whips him over her head. He yelps, and then she just tries to slam him down towards Makoto. "Breakfall!", she shouts to the young man in the impromptu lesson. Here's hoping she catches on...
Looks like one student is getting a bit more instruction than he expected.
COMBATSYS: Makoto blocks Shinobu's Random Weapon.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Shinobu 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Makoto
Holy crap, it's a person!
Makoto spreads her arms and literally catches the poor student, causing her to stagger back with him in her arms for a few moments. "Sorry, she's crazy," she informs him, trying to set him down rather gently to the side so he can run away and be free, back in the students' natural habitat.
She turns back to Shinobu, fist balled. "You don't involve bystanders unless they involve themselves first!" she yells, then elects to teach Shinobu a lesson. It's time. "And you really should practice! You'll never get better otherwise, or be able to do things like...this!"
Makoto rushes forward, striking straight at about gut level with her left hand. It's only the opening strike, though, and the setup for the flurry of punches she delivers toward Shinobu's torso. She hesitates briefly, to wind up for the last, massive strike upward, accompanied with a yelled "SEICHUUSEN GODANZUKI!"
Makoto's scarf flutters from the force of her movement as she holds the pose afterwards.
COMBATSYS: Makoto successfully hits Shinobu with Seichuusen Godanzuki.
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Shinobu 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Makoto
Shinobu blinks, and says, "Ehhhh? I wouldn't have done that... if I didn't know he'd be okay!", she exorts in return, shaking her fist. And then she says, "I do prac-"
And then, she's battered by the assault before she can finish what she's saying. There's no defense; apparently, her guard was thoroughly down. Up she goes, and down she slams to the mat.
And then, she starts to get back again, stumbling a little as she does so. "Owwww.... was really cool!" She looks cheery despite the bruises, and then brushes herself off with a wince. She exhales sharply, and then slams her foot down, gesturing in a 'c'mere' motion to her opponent.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu gathers her will.
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Shinobu 1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0 Makoto
And, as requested, Makoto comes there. "That's the last art of Rindoukan!" she declares, when Shinobu says it's 'cool'.
She strides forward smoothly towards Shinobu in her odd walk, giving Shinobu only a few seconds of unoccupied time before the attack. It's rather slow and obvious; Makoto rears back, then delivers a massive overhand chop forward with a roar. "Haaaiya!" she screams, as her hand descends with enough force to make the ground shake slightly and objects on it bounce up.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu blocks Makoto's Oroshi.
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Shinobu 1/=======/=======|=====--\-------\0 Makoto
"Last...?", Shinobu says, surprised. "That's kind of sad...", she says with a small pout, imagining Makoto'll never learn something /even cooler/.
She then digs her foot into the break between two mats, and kicks it up with her toes as she raises her arms, hiding behind the cover. She stumbles back with the impact, and shimmies a little, her top settling back down with the force of the impact.
Then, she brings up her left arm, narrowing her eyes. "Try this out!" She rushes in, and then hops to the side before leaning into a flurry of left-handed punches "Yaya-", she starts, before then weaving to one side with another blurred series of strikes, "-yayayaaya-", and then leans back as she throws out a final series of punches "Yayayaya!" Hopping back and cupping her hands close to her belly, she narrows her eyes at Makoto. "How's that?"
COMBATSYS: Makoto interrupts Rumble Punch from Shinobu with Hayate.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Shinobu 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=====--\-------\0 Makoto
"Why is it sad?" Makoto demands. "I can improve myself to the pinnacle of my art! There's no reason to stop!" She rises back up, taking half a step away just before Shinobu comes toward her.
Makoto sees the opening. It's nothing she has to stop and think about; her mastery of Rindoukan is enough that as soon as she realizes it's there, she acts. Makoto steps forward, bringing her fist forward in a straight punch with enough force to blow her scarf back and bowl Shinobu away mid-Rumble Punch as her fist arcs under the rapid flurry. Makoto seems unhurt from the blow as she settles down.
As she stumbles back from the blow, Shinobu breathes heavily. Then, she then looks down at her cupped hands almost in surprise... as if she hardly realized she was gathering of her chi... and, well, that punch just knocked it right out of her. There's a bubble there, but a fair deal larger than before, more the size of a soccer ball. "Wait, no, this is ba-"
Quickly, she puts herself between it and the students... and then, the wild chi in Shinobu's ball detonates. It rips up the mat in a wave of fluid power, arcing out more like a detonating balloon than a perfect flow of energy. She's thrown back, but her opponent also has the powerful attack to contend with.
Well, this'll be good for the replays!
COMBATSYS: Shinobu has reached second wind!
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Shinobu 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Makoto
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Makoto with Final Finish.
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Shinobu 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Makoto
The burst catches Makoto by surprise. She has no idea what these things can do! They're a mystery to her. It blasts her backwards, her feet skidding along the mat and leaving moderately painful burns behind, but she manages to keep her footing. Barely, but it's enough.
That is not staying down. Makoto attempts to keep SHinobu down by making up the distance between them at a run, dropping into a low kick as she goes by planting her palms on the ground and swinging her entire body forward, foot-first. She's tired, but trying not to show it.
COMBATSYS: Shinobu dodges Makoto's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Shinobu 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Makoto
Shinobu nearly slides off the mat, and as Makoto comes to her, she presses up with her hands, literally scampering out of the way. It's not like the girl /should/ be standing, but... trying to predict when Shinobu is actually /down/ is pretty tough.
Sliding to a stop, she laughs. "This is good!" And then rushes at Makoto, trying to grab her... and then return an earlier favor with a leaping headbutt, trying to smash her forehead into Makoto's.
Whose forehead will win out this time?
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Makoto with Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Shinobu 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Makoto
Makoto's forehead is still supreme.
However, Shinobu manages to catch Makoto in her nose, and she staggers back with it bleeding freely. It probably isn't broken, though...or that's what Makoto is hoping. "Nfglr," she says, raising one hand to it to try to check the flow.
She hangs back only for a few moments, leaping backwards to the closest wall before rocketing forward, foot-first, aimed at Shinobu's torso. Makoto follows up the initial strike with a flurry of other spinning, arcing kicks, followed by a fist aimed to launch her vertically and back onto Makoto's waiting uppercut.
COMBATSYS: Makoto successfully hits Shinobu with Abare Tosanami Kudaki.
[ < > //////// ]
Shinobu 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Makoto
Turning her side to the attacks, Shinobu manages to block the first kick. But that's all she gets, as the rest seems to catch her by surprise, and she's blown up into the air. Looks like that might be it for talent; hard work and skill have it pretty battered.
But as she comes down, she twists her legs out in an inverted spin kick at Makoto. As she whips her legs around, they flow with her azure arcs of chi as her palm hits the ground, and she spins a few more times, creating a small typhoon of power about her, whipping about rapidly as she tries to suck Makoto into her barrage...
COMBATSYS: Shinobu can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Makoto 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Shinobu successfully hits Makoto with The 37th Chamber.
[ \ <
Makoto 1/------=/=======|
... as she carries Makoto up with her a short distance, Shinobu rears back, and then throws an upside-down punch into Makoto's chest. The savant crashes away with the recoil, falling against the ground and rolling across what's left of the mats into a clumsy heap.
The typhoon of chi is enough to catch Makoto in it, trapping her like a boat in a whirlpool despite how she tries to free herself. She doesn't seem to have the trick of it, so mostly it involves flailing randomly.
Flailing randomly is a route to failure! The fist catches Makoto in the center of her chest, and she arcs up, along, and down, landing face-first and spread-eagled on the ground with a heavy /thump/. She fails to get up.
COMBATSYS: Makoto takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Makoto can no longer fight.
"... because...", Shinobu gets out between her labored breaths. "... if that's your last move, you can't... come up... with something cooler later...", she says, and then goes back into ouching and wincing for a moment.
"But you're really good!" With a yelp, Shinobu tries to get up again. Her body gives her a firm, internal STOP sign, however.
Log created on 14:22:56 07/01/2007 by Makoto, and last modified on 19:26:47 07/05/2007.