Description: Two young female fighters square off against one another just outside of the extraordinary Westminster Abbey in London, England. Will luck favor the little hurricane or the punk rock princess? Can 'Hurricane Hime' turn the fight around in time... or at all? Who cares? She gets free ice cream and a souvenir cup at the end of it all! (Winner: Arika)
Hey now wait a moment, this is new! It seems the Westminster Abbey is in for a real treat today, because it is LEAGUE FIGHT time! However the thing is, one may be a heavy crowd favorite over the other, but that never stops a certain Saikyo using superheroine. In fact, this is exactly the way she would want it!
Now instead of fighting inside, this match is actually taking place outside of the church, right at the front! It looks like it's a great day for a match too, hardly any clouds, a nice breeze and plenty of sunlight shining down on the stone floor. There's plenty of people gathered about too, much to the delight of the fighter who delivered the challenge, Hurricane Hime!
She doesn't use her flashy entrances like she does in a lot of her fights though, since a lot of the audience appear to be teenagers, she's been trying to be entertaining as she explains the importance of literacy and why it's 'cool'. Cool like her!
And they seem to be buying it, her speech cut short by the chime of the hourly bell. Oops, her opponent should be here any moment now!
Westminster Abbey is actually a location that the punk rock princess would never have chosen. Two reasons for it, really. One; a return to London. While she misses London and her small apartment in the back of the nightclub she's been restoring... it's always hard for her to come back here. Two; it's an abbey. An important one at that. The architecture is phenomenal, the grounds lovely, and the windows at the Northern entrance are enough to take anyone's breath away. But the fact is, it's still a place of worship and fighting here is a little bit unnerving.
Someone has had the foresight to set the match up outside, which actually causes Arika to give a sigh of relief. Fighting inside... harming any of the wondrous architecture... would have made her feel awful. Priceless books and decoration could have stood a chance of being destroyed, and she wouldn't want to do that. She may be a coarse and rough person at times, not caring much about things but despite that, she's got a slight affection for things she deems 'pretty'.
Foregoing a flashy entrance herself, she rounds the corner to the fight location. If not for her outfit, many would just think her a tourist. Deep blue eyes are still gazing up at the building with much awe. Just before her foot hits the stonework, a flashbulb goes off. Blinking in surprise, she glances around and laughs. Looks like the fight is about ready to start and she's the latecomer again.
Leave it to her to always show up late when on her home soil.
Nodding once at Hime, she turns toward the crowd that's gathered. Giving a friendly wave, she places both hands together and brings them to her lips in order to blow them all a kiss.
Then it's time to get serious.
Stretching her body slightly, she nods to Hime to show she's ready and waits to see if the cameramen are ready to roll.
Himeko doesn't share the same discomfort Arika does, really. But considering the superheroine's goals, she figured it'd be more than welcome, nice clean fun right? Of course! And the architecture doesn't move her much either, sure it's nice to look at, but most people know where her heart resides. Books books and more books. Good times for all.
Just so long as no nuns end up getting hit by a stray dropkick! Hurricane Hime is clad in as much pink as always, and when she catches sight of Arika, she gives a wide grin, hands on her hips as she nods once more, "Citizen Arika Fade! So we meet again, this time on the field of battle!" she bellows in her usual stereotypical american hero tone. "Once opponents, then allies, then opponents once more, but this time we fight much like the shoguns of japan! I hope you're ready because I'm about to go Three Two Six like you've never seen before!"
Hurricane Hime strikes a sentai-ish pose, dropping to one knee and arms held to her sides, "Hurricane... HIMEEEEE!"
COMBATSYS: Himeko has started a fight here.
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Himeko 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Arika has joined the fight here.
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Himeko 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Arika
Architecture can't move everyone. Arika is likely more partial to it because it -is- a landmark of London, and a place she knows well from growing up around this area. A sanctuary of sorts when things in life went wrong.
Anyone who is close enough to get hit by a stray dropkick deserves it really! People who come to watch fights should know well enough to stay back, even if there are no barriers. But the diva is going to try her best to utilize the crowd as little as possible. At least so far as throwing them about as objects is concerned.
Hurricane Hime's announcement is enough to make her giggle, but a stoic facade is all that is given to the girl in front of her. It's the 'Citizen Arika Fade' part that gets her every time. It's not something she can help, it's just so... well adorable! Regardless, she manages a straight face and another nod. "Oh, believe me, mate. I'm ready."
The cameras zoom in on Hime as she strikes her pose. When they swing back to Arika, all she gives to them is a sly and flirty little wink. That's when someone calls the fight, and things are meant to begin.
Oh yes.. Hime is more than sure that she was looking very very cool at that very moment. It's enough to make her smile grow just that much more, and when she stands up once more, punches her fists togeather, fires up her confidence and breaks forward the moment the match starts.
She's not exactly certain what to expect from Arika, seeing as she hadn't been fighting /against/ her in some time... But Hime has a few new tricks of her own- That she doesn't fire out right away. She reaches into her sidepack, drawing out a handful of card-sized papers and whips them toward Arika's ankle. If she's not quick to respond, the Punk Rock Princess will find her ankles ensnared, and snapping the paper 'rope' like a whip, the wave would whip Arika upward, and then just as quickly slammed onto the ground. "Here we go!"
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Himeko's Picture Pages.
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Himeko 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Arika
Lesson one for Hurricane Hime: Never announce to your opponent when you're about to attack.
Hearing the words gives the diva enough time to catch what it is Hime is intending. Just before the papers connect with her ankle, Arika jumps up and over them. Too bad, really. If she'd waited another few seconds she could have attempted jumping rope with them!
Now that her opponent is warmed up to the fighting, she launches herself forward. Quick foot movements bring her up close and personal with Hurricane Hime. Chambering her right hand into a fist, she quickly bumps it upward toward the younger girl's chin. Concurrent to this, her left hand slams out toward the girl's chest; a bright violet energy forming around it as the hand is fully extended in a palmheel strike.
COMBATSYS: Himeko blocks Arika's Diva Allegro.
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Himeko 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Arika
But if you don't announce it, it doesn't look nearly as cool when it connects! And looking totally stylin' in battle is one of the most important things in a fight, at least that's what Himeko was told, and she'll stick with it! The paper rope is snapped back to her palms like a slinky, her opposite hand reaching into her skirt to withdraw her ever-trusty paperback book.
Arika's strong fists land hard, but not into her chin or her chest, but rather her book, the energy emblazed blows hit the hardened cover once, then twice, forcing her back a step. But then she's back on track, quickly scooching to slip behind the rocker, and attemps to slip her arms about the older womans waist. If she can, then just a jerk back on her hips would make her the victim of a nicely executed German Suplex! A throw that should be in every schoolgirls arsenal!
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Himeko's Medium Throw.
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Himeko 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Arika
All that energy wasted on a book? Pah! Not entirely wasted though, it would seem. Hurricane Hime is still stepping back. Still, it's best to concede that it was an interesting technique to use. "Nice block."
Though it's a sanctioned fight, no reason it can't be friendly, right?
However, Hime will find that it's actually difficult to get behind Arika when she's paying a good deal of attention to the fight at hand. Deep blue eyes remain upon her opponent as the girl begins to scooch. Arms lift to slip about her and the diva makes her move. Twisting sharply, she spins to face the other girl again. A quiet, "Tch," can be heard before she waggles the index finger of her right hand in a 'no-no' motion. Using this as a distraction, draws her knee up toward her chest. A quickly snapped kick is driven forward in the area of the younger girl's torso.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Himeko with Light Kick.
- Power hit! -
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Himeko 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Arika
"Hehe, thank you!" Hime gives back, "You've gotten faster since the last time we've fought yourself!"
And boy is that true, Hime might have to adopt a different strategy if this keeps up! Well, actually maybe now would be a good time for her to do so. She ends up grabbing at nothing, lurched forward and standing on the tips of her toes as she's 'chided' by her opponent, and her knee that follows hits dead on; the little Hurricane was willing to take the blow for the greater good, but perhaps that blow was a little /too/ much for her to handle! "HHHNGH!!"
Her eyes cross briefly upon contact, sending her sprawling back and crashing onto her back, but her knees tuck inward, so she rolls into a ball back a few paces and when she's on her knees again, quickly opens her paperback and flips through a few pages, "Good thing the 'solutions' page is in the back! The jig is up!"
COMBATSYS: Himeko focuses on her next action.
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Himeko 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Arika
"It's all got to do with the trainin', mate." Though, that's not necessarily true either. Quite a lot of it has to do with sheer will of not wanting to be hit. After the stint in Thailand, it's become a recurring thing with her. Suppose that's what happens when you nearly die twice attempting to do the right thing.
Arika's eyes widen as she sees the damage that kick does though. Squinting them shut with a tiny wince as she watches the girl crash backward, she rubs the back of her neck. Okay. Time to admit to herself that she's either got to ease up on the attacks or find much larger people to play with. She doesn't want to accidentally -kill- someone, does she? Sighing, she sets herself into a defensive stance.
Giving Hime enough time to roll back up onto her knees she nods. Girl seems to be okay, so she figures it's got to be safe to continue. Lurching forward, she makes a grab for the little Hurricane's shoulders in order to lift her up. Should she do this successfully she then slams the poor girl's body down against her upturned knee in a traditional backbreaker move.
COMBATSYS: Himeko fails to interrupt Quick Throw from Arika with Magic School Bus.
- Power fail! -
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Himeko 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Arika
"Ah HA!" Hime apparently has found the answers in her trusty notebook, and with a nod of her head snaps the paperback shut, in time to see Arika approaching, of course. Now, the little Hurricane isn't one to shy away from grapples, it's just noogies she's not very hot on.
She hops up to her feet, and when her shoulders are grabbed, there's a brief moment of struggle, her gloved hands reaching for Arika's shoulders as well, but the distance is pretty painfully obvious. Quite a nasty miscalculation, as she's slung upward into the air. "Oh no!!" flips and then drops right onto Arika's knee just as planned, bouncing off of it and onto the ground right after on her belly.
Oof, this isn't a good start, but she had been in worse scenarios; she'll just need a second to regroup.. A second she doesn't even give herself since she's already on her feet again, her hands on her hips, "Ha-HA!!"
And then hunches forward a bit, holding at her back, "Ow."
Oh, Arika would never stoop so low as to noogie someone during a fight. Then again, she's not the type to noogie someone normally anyhow. Grappling and wrestling are something she does though, and something she's got every intention of training further thanks to her brief stint in the AIW as Princess Arika.
With no idea what Hurricane Hime is attempting, she follows through with the drop. Then she watches as the girl goes bouncing off her knee and onto the ground. For a split second, she nearly leaps up into the air and attempts to hit the younger girl with an elbow drop, but the slightest hesitation gives Hime enough time to get to her feet.
Closing her eyes she tries to focus on the fight and not the fact that she's injuring the poor girl. Arika will ensure that her opponent has good medical attention after the fight if need be, but she'd rather not have to. As she forces her attention onto the match, her feet begin to hop back and forth. Almost as though dancing to some unheard rhythm. Each hop brings her closer to Hime and at the last second she pirouettes into a perfect circle. Upon coming out of it, her hips rotate and her instep snaps toward her opponents shin. Normally this would be sent toward the torso, but she's feeling kind of bad for that backbreaker.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Himeko with Rhythmic Roundhouse.
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Himeko 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Arika
Himeko cups the back of her neck and stretches backward, a little crick in the back seems to be enough to get her back in motion, and the heroine gives a satisfied sigh as she leans back into her boxer-like stance. It's definatly not a time to panic, just stay cool and be cool and it works out in the end! "Ok!" Hime shouts to herself, and when Arika jives forward, she's pretty sure she knows what's coming.
But the bad news is she's just not fast enough to put up a proper defense, the roundhouse nails her good in the shin, an intense sting of pain shoots up her legs and downs her once more. Not completely though, at least, but she's going to feel that one for a bit!
"Heh, all right, it seems you've gotten a lot better!" Hurricane admits as she's up once more. "However this fight isn't over just yet, it's SAIKYO TIME!!!" And it was so.
Hime tucks away her book in favor of her paper fan, and she leaps into the air, swinging downward to try and smack Arika right in the face with the thing with a loud FWAP! When the lands, there's a fan in her opposite hand now, and she twirls like a tornado, the suprisingly resiliant weapons hoping to lay down a flurry of pwn!
COMBATSYS: Arika counters Fierce Strike from Himeko with Diva Attaca.
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Himeko 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Arika
Arika totally feels like the bad guy here! There's this adorable young superheroine that's trying to get the world to read and become more literate, and here's the punk rock princess just laying the beats on her! It's a rare thing to make the diva think of anyone but herself, but in this instance, she can't help it.
"Thanks," she offers to the younger girl after the compliment. "Tryin' to make these moves a wee bit more fluid..." Faster, if nothing else. Executed slightly differently in order to give her the upper hand.
All eyes are on Hime as she leaps into the air. A fan is swung down toward Arika's face and she just can't allow that to happen. Before the moment of impact, she twists her body gracefully and situates herself behind the little hurricane. Before Hime lands, the diva is right there to take hold of her in a rather harsh and forceful way. Right arm wrapping about her opponents throat, she begins to crush a little. Enough to cut off airflow momentarily as she stretches the girl's body back toward her applying a steady pressure to it.
Himeko sees Arika for a moment, and then she.. Doesn't?? Maybe Himeko went a little /too/ all out in that moment, this is much more apparent though when she realizes that her opponent hadn't vanished, but actually slipped behind her and pulled her into a very tightly held and well executed choke!
It's definatly a pretty dramatic struggle for a moment, after re-holstering her fans, the girl struggles against it, tongue lolling as she tries to force some air into her lungs while she's at it!
Finally it's clear she can't break out without some serious maneuvering on her part. It's time to feed off the crowd, totally wrestling style as she stamps her foot at a steady beat, and them flails her free arm motioning for the spectators to clap along and psyche her up for a bigtime comeback!
COMBATSYS: Himeko gathers her will.
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Himeko 1/-======/=======|===----\-------\0 Arika
The crowd loves being pumped up like that! As the little hurricane motions to them, they pull through. Clapping, cheering, whistling. Seems that Hurricane Hime has quite a few fans out there today!
All of the dramatic struggling and calling to the crowd causes Arika to relent a little. Good thing she didn't see the lolling tongue, otherwise she'd just start feeling awful again. Releasing Hime, she gives the girl a small push forward. A nudge to get her out of the way a tad so that she can spring in with her next move. Feet leave the stones as she leaps up in the air to pull herself into a front flip. Uncurling her body from this, she sends the soles of both of her feet barreling toward Hime's stomach.
Unfortunately for her, whether this hits or misses she's landing on her back on the stones.
COMBATSYS: Himeko fails to interrupt Medium Kick from Arika with Schoolhouse Rock!.
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Arika 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Himeko can no longer fight.
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Arika 0/-------/---====|
Himeko continues to stomp her foot, nodding her head as she's definatly starting to get pumped, yes Himeko can definatly feel it! And apparently Arika can as well, if the nudge away means anything. Hime swings her fists in the air, "YOOOSH!" and for a moment she can see it, what appears to be a very good opportunity to intercept with something huge!
Hime withdraws her book, an intense moment, almost in slow-motion as Arika's flying, flipping drop-kick of sorts grows closer and closer to Himeko and then whips her book forward as if cocking a gun.
And when things move back to normal, the kick slams hard, way too hard for her to keep proper aim so the pages of her book go firing off harmlessly into the air as she doubles over, and then hits the ground one more time. So it would seem both of them are laying on the stone floor now, but which one of them is going to get up??
"Ugh.. Rats.." The little hurricane couldn't without a bit of assitance, she is just completely tuckered out.
Rolling backward a little, Arika bounds back up to her feet. Arms raise for a moment as she claims victory. A double handed kiss is blown out in the direction of the spectators. Cameras zoom in on the face of the winner, and the diva drops her shoulder slightly. Offering the viewers at home a flirtatious wink and playfully blown kiss, she waits just long enough for the cameras to pan back out.
Here's where most fighters would walk off from the match. Here's where Arika would normally walk off from the match.
Something has changed in the last several months though. From a self-centered, vain woman... to someone who's starting to look out for people other than herself. Amazing what spending time in the proper company can do.
Turning back to Hime, she offers a hand down to the girl. "You fought well today." Pausing briefly, she tries to think of what else to add. "Think of it as a learnin' experience, and next time you'll be better prepared when an opponent changes strategy." She thinks that sounds well enough as an attempted encouragement.
Dropping her voice lower, she adds, "If you're feelin' up for it, mate, I know a great ice cream shop not far from here..."
COMBATSYS: Arika has ended the fight here.
Himeko only looks worse than she actually feels, the young heroine sits up a bit as she rubs at her front with a slight cringe. That was definatly a very tough fight, she's going to need to do some serious training when she gets back to Southtown, she knows that much. But she doesn't have any idea where she went wrong- But judging by the crowd, she's pretty sure she at least /looked/ awesome. The pink-clad girl grins, accepting Arika's hand to help herself up.
"Of course I did! I'm absolutly flabbergasted that you managed to fend off my Saikyo style so well, you should be very proud of yourself! However I will admit I haven't exactly perfected it yet.. Mmm-hm, mm-hmm.." Her arms crossed she nods her head, as if stating an undeniable fact. As for the mention of ice cream, her expression perk up, she clearly quite interested, but something else actually nags at the heroines mind, her brow quirking. "Hey ah.. Where'd your accent go, anyway? You lose it?" JUSTICE.
Oh, snap. She did lose it, didn't she? Good thing the cameras aren't rolling any longer, otherwise the diva would have a lot more explaining to do than Lucy normally has to do to Ricky. Arika shifts her gaze to the side and quickly glances around to ensure that no one actually -heard- Hime. Satisfied that no one seems to have, her shoulders roll back in a small shrug. Clearing her throat, she shakes her head. "You can't just lose an accent. Ain't the way it 'appens." Pause. "Wot are you goin' on 'bout any'ow? You up for ice cream or not?"
Abrasive Cockney accent back in place once more, the diva nods to Hime and then starts to trek forward. She doesn't go too far without stopping to glance over her shoulder to see if the younger fighter intends on joining her or not.
Huh, that was weird! Hurricane Hime is left scratching her head once Arika is back to 'normal'. Though her inner Himeko is very very suspicious. Things just aren't adding up, but she still doesn't have enough clues to pin down the actual problem. Come to think of it, while she's in London she'd best to check some things out on her free time.. But for now, "I'm coming, wait up!"
Her scarf whips wildly behind her as she dashes to catch up with the rocker, waving to the crowd along the way. "I would like frozen yogurt. Chocolate! With sprinkles! Well no, no sprinkles, maybe walnuts, and in a cup. One of the suvenier cups!"
Boy, the younger fighter certainly doesn't want much at all, does she? Arika snickers at the request and continues on her way. Hime is close enough to keep up now without her stopping, and the continued walking allows her to get the snickering under control before Hime notices (she hopes). "Right then. Know just the thing. This way!" Turning toward the street she goes over the request in her mind. "If they ain't got no souvenir cups, we'll stop at a shop and pick you one up, 'ow's that?"
Himeko says, "Sweet!"
Log created on 23:21:54 07/29/2007 by Arika, and last modified on 06:08:56 07/31/2007.