Description: Yet another hoodlum tries to prey upon the hapless citizens of Southtown's Chinatown. Little does Camille know, this neighborhood has its own guardian angel! ...She couldn't make it, so Kentou showed up instead. The youth gives the battle his all, but is clearly outmatched by this sword-wielding Syndicate enforcer. However.. What conflict does the red-head have over this fight? What deal does she strike with Kentou that completely stuns him? Find out!
It's an ordinary day in Chinatown, really. The little pocket of people who have crossed the pond (though one would say 'little' loosely) in Southtown has a fairly set routine -- but not all parts of that routine are necessarily terribly functional. After all, in this land of opportunity, there are a lot of costs to be paid... not the least of which is protection. There are so many in this town who simply prefer not to have to deal with Southsynd at all, and are willing to pay the price.
And there are many who stop thinking paying the price is a good idea. And, of course, when that happens, it always turns ugly. Someone obstinate enough can often draw a little serious attention from the syndicate... and when that happens, a foot soldier is not far behind. Today's foot soldier? Camille Irvine.
The young lady from the British Isles doesn't seem particularly enthused with her job, but she's doing it just the same, twisting the arm of the owner of a small fruit cart in the center of Chinatown quite literally.
In a city as dirty and crime-ridden as Southtown, protection is just an extra tax one needs to pay. Like the electricity or water. Possibly, more important than either. Everyone knows the score here, and very, very few are privledged to be outside of that system. Namely big fighting names and their neighbors. But even they tread lightly when Southsynd enforcers walk the streets.
Chinatown is no exception, but there's another twist. The Chinese immigrants and families who live here have always lived in something of a siege mentality. Relying on eachother and the deep, family-oriented communities to see them through times good and bad. Unlike many other parts of the city, if someone comes into Chinatown to mess with someone.. very often you mess with all of them.
Not to say the shopkeepers and merchants in this part of town are above the Syndicate's Law.. But many enforcers tend to get annoyed doing business here.
You never know when some Kung Fu hero rounds the corner to get in the way..
Take for example, young Kentou. One of the many delivery boys and other passerbys very carefully not watching the shakedown as it occurs. While most simply turn the other cheek, not wanting to be next on the list.. The boy halts at the street corner. Mousey eyes turning and staring at this altercation with a deepening frown. The package of fish meal quickly set down on the curb as he yanks his shop bib off of his Wushu jacket beneath.
"HEY!" The boy yells out. A few others near him quickly reach out, trying to shush and stop the poor kid before he gets himself hurt, but the youth is too fast for them. Ducking beneath a swinging arm the boy heads straight for the taller, older woman, pointing to her as he tosses his white cap over his shoulder allowing his long braids to unfurl behind him, "You let him go RIGHT NOW!"
No thought or consideration in the youth's expression, going with the kneejerk reaction of his heart and never looking back.
Camille turns to see just who's yelling at her, letting go of her charge; at first, it seems as though the older man intends to crack her upside the head with something when she's not looking, but then he realizes that he, while brave, is not a fighter, and he already has someone to fight his battles. Even if that someone /is/ a 13 year old boy running out of the crowd and yelling for the situation to stop.
When Camille spots the young boy yelling for her to stop, she takes a deep breath and suppresses a sigh; he's just a kid. But kids, she remembers, are some of the most dangerous people in Southtown -- he certainly could stop her, maybe even put her in the hospital, if she doesn't take him seriously.
That doesn't make it feel any better.
Stepping toward Kentou, Camille puts on her best smug, self-assured face, trying to make Kentou think twice about intervening. "Why?" she asks, with a chuckle. "Are you going to stop me? Cute, but I think I'm a little out of your league..." Pulling forth that massive sword from behind her back, she gestures for Ondori to come at her, trying to leave her guard as wide-open as possible. "But I think it's a cute gesture, so please, try it."
This feels awful, she thinks to herself, but... well... just part of the job, right?
The youth stomps right up towards this taller girl only to -stop- in mid-step. Halting as his eyes widen at the titanic sword is slowly drawn from behind the European and pointed in his general direction. Brown eyes crossing slightly as he peers at the tip, judging the weapon nearly as big as -he- is.
That menacing thing certainly takes the wind out of his sails as the boy stammers, "...How in the..." How can she even stay standing with that thing? Let alone actually holding it outwards in just one hand like that! ... She must be freakishly strong.
The boy swallows once, eyes shifting a moment to the old man she was roughing up moments before, then back to the menacing girl yet again. Similarly, the boy wonder tries to be nice to girls if he can. Afterall, its what his Mom told him to do! ... But, at the same time, this 'girl' is shaking down doubtlessly innocent shopkeepers. And the boy is going to make sure this mugger knows her kind isn't welcome in this neighborhood!
With a steadying breath, the boy's arms whip forth from his sides snapping his fingers into tight fists. In a short series of shadow boxing flourishes, Kentou then squares his stance and begins bouncing on the balls of his feet. Fists held at shoulder level as his expression hardens.
He isn't running away, never again! "Anyone who picks on old men are -beneath- my league, lady!"
COMBATSYS: Kentou has started a fight here.
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Kentou 0/-------/-------|
In truth, that's the /only/ thing Camille can do one-handed with that blade -- hold it, and perhaps draw it on a good day. If it came to actually using it with one arm, she'd falter instantly... but it's /spectacular/ for intimidation purposes, more than anything. It makes her seem more competent than she really is, and to Camille, image has become so very important lately.
Digging her feet in a little deeper, Camille shakes her head, saying, "You should've taken the shot..." with no small amount of disappointment -- maybe she vaguely /wants/ Kentou to beat her. It certainly would give her an excuse to go back empty handed, after all. Holding the blade in one hand again just long enough to toss her hair, she studies the boy's shadow boxing one last time and then says, "Beneath your league...? Well, I suppose we can find out."
Holding the blade horizontally, flat pointed outward, she leaps toward Kentou, trying to tackle him to the ground and hold him there by straddling the boy's stomach. "I'm sorry," she says, shaking her head as she starts -- if she can keep him down -- to bash the boy about the head over and over with the hilt of her massive blade.
COMBATSYS: Camille has joined the fight here.
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Kentou 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Camille
COMBATSYS: Kentou interrupts God Save The Queen from Camille with Tekkoudan.
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Kentou 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Camille
"I don't take cheapshots!" The boy blurts out derisively, inching a little closer as his eyes narrow. The boy is used to others underestimating him, as such he interprets her somewhat unconcerned reactions as just business as usual. Little does he know such disappointment could represent something else.. But the youth is too steamed at her for her petty thievery. Focusing on this outrage and using it to keep himself from tensing nervously at the sight of that swinging sword.
Of course, the woman's posturing telegraphed that jump perhaps a little too much than she wanted. Surprisingly, the boy -leaps- forward with surprising quickness! Hopping a rushing step forth as he swings both fists close together in a side-long thrust for her middle!
"TEKKOUDAN!"
Of course, the lady's raw momentum proves a little too much as she manages to crash against him with that hilt banging at the side of his head painfully, just as he -smacks- her back and sending them both reeling from eachother! "AGH!"
That thrust at her gut knocks Camille back, throwing her balance off and sending her entire plan into shambles for a second. Her massive claymore gets a quick spin as she starts to put herself back together, saying, "That was a really solid hit... I know /I/ wasn't that talented at..." she starts, groaning as she moves that claymore back into its sheath, dropping into a slightly lower, more conventionally combative-looking stance.
"... how old /are/ you, anyway? Twelve?" That's her best guess, at this point -- she's not awful at guessing ages, but she's usually a /little/ off in one direction or another. "Anyway, I wish I had that kind of talent that young -- I'm a bit jealous!" Her posture shifts even lower, and she starts to go in toward Kentou for yet another pass -- this time, though, she's going to be a little more careful.
Specifically, she's going to lunge forward, trying to knock Kentou to the ground once again, this time by diving through his legs. If she can get him to fall like that, she'll whirl around, grab his legs, and put him in a quick Boston crab for a few seconds, grabbing his legs and sitting down toward his back, stretching his back and legs painfully before stepping back off.
COMBATSYS: Camille successfully hits Kentou with Quick Throw.
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Kentou 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Camille
Uh oh.. Now she's being careful..
The boy stumbles back a moment, shaking his head once to get the stars out of his vision before refocusing on the woman. Okay, okay.. She's definitely a little on the strong-side there. Now, if he can just -ACK!
As the woman adopts a lower stance, Kentou reactively half-crouches down. The tactic seems to throw his game off a little bit, as few fighters often go for his legs. Afterall, few fighters are short enough to manage such a feat comfortably. One of the few advantages of having a tinier form.
"I'm not telling!" The boy squacks out, frowning a little bit as the youth begins to circle slowly, "..Well.. Well thank you. I.." The boy babbles a moment, a bit off-put by the sudden influx of compliments as well. Wide eyes blinking.. but clearly caught off-guard in the end as she lunges forth very successfully. The boy had only begun to try and kneel down to lower his center of gravity enough to brace against the dive.. but as is! The boy is entirely swept off his feet!
With a cry of surprise, Kentou flops over her, whirling in mid-air until he slams face-first into the ground. Grunting as he just begins to push himself up.. only to feel his legs yanked and bent up and over himself, feeling her weight on his back as the youth lets out a surprised yelp! "AAAH!"
Ow Ow Ow!
As she steps away, the boy crawls on his hands a few moments, letting the surprising pain run through his hyper-extended lower extremities a moment before scrambling himself up in a clumsy spinning kip-up. Woosy legs carrying him a few extra steps as he winces up to her..
...Grrr! He won't let her win! This old man is depending on him!
"HaaHUT!" Kentou belts out a sharp kiai, dispelling his pain as he makes himself focus. Working the muscle spasm out of his legs as he shuffles in place for a second.. And then -RUSHING- forth, "NADARE!"
The boy nearly blurs in a swift, racing charge as he -leaps- up and over the woman! Attempting to slip an arm over her shoulder as he completes the movement and use the continued momentum in a bid to -throw- the woman! Flipping him over his shoulder as he lands behind her in a single smooth motion, "KUDAKI!"
COMBATSYS: Camille blocks Kentou's Nadare Kudaki.
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Kentou 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Camille
Grappling a grappler is rarely a spectacular idea, as Kentou no doubt finds out; even though Ondori does manage to place himself behind his opponent, what he doesn't count on is Camille's quick reaction time and careful positioning; when he slips an arm under her shoulder and tosses her, she lands smoothly, rolling with the throw -- it's not painless, but it's not precisely painful either.
Not getting back up, Camille stays close to Kentou's legs and down on the ground, saying to herself, "This isn't the way I would've..." but cutting herself off before she gives Kentou more of a glimpse into her psyche than she's comfortable giving him. Besides -- she has to focus on fighting him off! Or at least, making a good show of getting beaten down by him -- the more likely outcome, her head is already telling her, even in spite of her surprising victory the other evening.
This time, mercifully, what she goes for is not a toss or a hold, instead seeking to deal with Kentou the old-fashioned way: raw blunt trauma. She sighs a little, letting her red hair spill around her face as she rolls toward Kentou and springs up, carefully maneuvering with that claymore across her back, and looking to slug him cleanly in the face with a forceful, "YAH!" She may not have Kentou's heart, but on agility it seems like she might have a tiny advantage -- and, from the looks of that punch, she might be able to match him on /that/ too.
COMBATSYS: Camille successfully hits Kentou with Quick Punch.
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Kentou 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Camille
The youth feels a moment of victory as he manages to hurl the slightly larger woman up and over his shoulder.. A feeling that instantly sinks as she lands herself safely infront of him, hardly the worse for wear.
The boy's eyes widen as he blurts, "..Oh crap.." Just beginning to try and retreat away from the ground fighter only to pause as he hears her murmur.. Brow furrowing a moment, "..Would-"
If the enforcer is so convinced that the boy could fight her to a stand-still, she makes for a poor prophet as her quick jab finds its mark right on the boy's face! The youth squacks as he staggers back another step. Hand briefly covering his face as he absorbs the damage with a grunt.
The youth takes a second to recover, tasting the blood on the inside of his lips.. Not good, not good.
Don't let yourself be distracted Kentou, focus! Focus!
"RRrr.. HUT!" Shouting out again, the boy charges forth anew! Never pausing for long as the youth throws himself right back into the fray, risking a harder blow as the youth rushes and leaps high into the air. Foot outstretched in a risky, off-balance kick. Hoping to throw what force his little body is capable of behind it and make up for what speed is failing him here! "HAAAA-HAYUP!"
COMBATSYS: Camille dodges Kentou's Heavy Kick.
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Kentou 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Camille
As Kentou starts to come in for that off-balance strike with his foot, Camille reaches for that claymore once again, and this time uses it to buy herself a little distance. Deflecting Kentou's foot just slightly, she weaves away from the kick, taking a breath. "Are you /really/ sure you want to be doing this?" she asks, her tone less supercilious. She actually sounds like she's worried about him.
He's just a boy, she tells herself -- a boy who's in the way, certainly, but just a boy, just the same. It's kind of depressing to think about the pain she might be inflicting on him, to put it gently -- she almost wants to run, but if she did... well, these people aren't the only ones who have to deal with the wrath of Southsynd when they don't do things the expected way.
Still, she /can/ allow him more opportunities to catch up -- after all, isn't that a common tactic in a fight, when one needs to reassess one's strategy? Hanging back, Camille glances around the area, apparently looking for parts of the environment that might gain her an advantage. "And, before you go... what's your name?" she asks, off-handedly, trying to seem less conflicted than she is.
COMBATSYS: Camille focuses on her next action.
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Kentou 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Camille
Woosh.
The boy grunts in frustration as his risky gambit doesn't pay off, wild kick missing it's target by miles as the woman easily deflects it away.
The boy recovers in a moment as he lands again on his feet, twisting around in a low crouch. The adrenaline pumping through him, sweat rolling down his brow as Kentou puts his all into this unfolding battle.
"I.." Words blasting out inbetween gasps for air, "Won't.." Springing forth from his turned stance, "Let you.." Using the springing momentum of his short range leap to power his outstretched fist in a hard, solid blow aiming again for the woman's midsection, "HURT HIM!"
Kentou may not even care what happens to him. Certainly, that woman is clearly just toying with him, and could inflict serious damage to his nearly defenseless frame.. But the boy never backs down when the safety of innocent people are on the line. Maybe he can't stop her.. perhaps he should run away and try to get help.. But the boy is never going to let a meaningless thing like personal safety keep him from doing what's right.
..At least.. not again..
Clearly, the boy is quite young. Hardly thinking about tactics, reassessing his opponent or even taking a second to catch his breath. Always on the attack, on the assault. Never pausing, just entirely relentless with barely any focus.
All heart... not so much brains..
COMBATSYS: Kentou successfully hits Camille with Strong Punch.
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Kentou 1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0 Camille
The woman finally takes a good, solid hit from Kentou while she's on the defensive -- his speed is improving, and that heart starts to carry him farther, that little leap taking him through her defenses completely and punching her right in the chest. "I don't... /want/... to hurt him," she hisses, sounding like she's starting to get really /angry/ with him.
It's not him she's angry at.
Regardless, once she stops staggering back, she's once again moving forward -- something she should've done half a second ago, she tells herself, even though hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Camille's never one to pass up an opportunity to second-guess herself, after all. "You shouldn't have gotten involved!" she yells at him as she moves forward, rushing in with that sword. "If you hadn't, this would already be over!"
This is when she starts lashing out, going for forceful strike after forceful strike with that blade, swinging it wildly as she advances in, not going for accuracy or speed but rather raw chopping force, using the horse-slaying blade precisely as it was meant to be used: like a club that conveniently has edges on it.
COMBATSYS: Kentou dodges Camille's Deep Strike.
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Kentou 1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0 Camille
As Kentou's fist finally finds a chink in the woman's defenses, only then does the boy straighten to declair, "Then WHAT do you think you're DOING?!" Those youthful eyes glare at her. Outrage born of innocence. While the youth isn't completely blind to the crime in this town, its simply that the boy doesn't understand shades of gray. There is right, and there is wrong. There's nothing on this Earth that could make him do what she was doing to that poor man. No amount of money he would accept, and the boy has thrown himself into plenty of hopeless situations where he clearly doesn't care much about his personal well being.
Kentou's lips press firmly together as the youth looks up to her as she rises again. Taking a precautionary step back and lifting his fists, watching that massive sword coming back into play. .... Clearly she's done going easy on him, and the boy wasn't doing so hot when she was playing around! His pulse quickens as a tension runs through his frame. Okay.. now its getting dangerous..
As she charges him, the boy finally shows something resembling self-preservation as he weaves inbetween the pendulum-like chops of the blade. Stepping just to the left or just to the right as those wild, inaccurate swings miss him by inches each time. Sparks fly as the blade scratches the pavement where he was standing moments before.
%Deciding he needs to do something about that terrible weapon, the boy quickly steps into her swinging range. Attempting to leap forward at just the right time to curl an his arms around her sword arm, twisting inwards in a bid to stay inside of that slashing arc as well as keep a blunt force arm-lock. Once close, the boy shouts up to her at point blank.
"Its only OVER when thugs like YOU are kicked out of this town!"
COMBATSYS: Camille interrupts Quick Throw from Kentou with Frankensteiner.
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Kentou 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Camille
When Kentou weaves under those hacks, Camille finds herself grinding her teeth and letting her frustration finally get the best of her -- the more Kentou talks to her, the more she gets aggravated. How can he say that? How can he tell her that she's just a thug, that she's hurting people -- if it wasn't her, it'd just be some /other/ thug, and --
When Kentou snags one of her arms and starts wrenching, she instantly pulls both of her hands off of that claymore and lets it drop to the ground harmlessly. "You -- how /dare/ you!?" she yells at the boy, flipping herself up and putting something that Kentou likely wasn't expecting her to use to /very/ good use: her legs. Snagging the small boy's head with her legs, Camille flips her body around, wrenching her arm free of his grip and sending him flying into a convenient wall.
It's then that she starts yelling. God help us all. "Where do you get off telling me I should be kicked out of this town?! You don't know the first thing about me!" Irvine yells, retrieving her claymore and sheathing the ridiculous blade once again. She starts to speak again, but it only turns into a frustrated "rrrgh!" that some might call cute.
Uh oh.
While the youth is indeed successful in removing what seemed to be the most dangerous weapon of the time.. Kentou is quickly taught the depth of his error as two very different weapons are brought to bear. The boy can only blink once as the woman suddenly hops straight up, "Wha-" Utterly flabbergasted as her legs very easily clamp onto his head. Feverishly cheeks only grow warmer as his hands only just begin to reach up in a vain bid to do SOMETHING about this plight.. Except by the time the boy understands the trouble he's in its already over.
As the enforcer flips her entire body in place, the youth is flung far and hard.. Flipping a full 180 degrees in mid-air as he -crashes- upside down against the wall of the building. The air blasting from his lungs as he stares with wide eyes.. Just hanging there for a surreal moment, before gravity catches up with him and he summarily falls to the ground in a crashing heap.
That... that hurt.. A lot.
The boy isn't quite unconscious.. But as the youth struggles slowly, barely even managing to flip over onto his front.. Its clear he isn't standing up again for a good long while, "..Hnng....hn.." Haggard cough splattering blood on the pavement beneath him, struggling to get air back into his lungs..
COMBATSYS: Kentou takes no action.
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Kentou 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Camille
Camille stops dead when she sees Kentou hack up blood -- there are a lot of things she has, but killer instinct isn't one of them. The more she finds success in combat, the more she finds that she just doesn't enjoy the sort of critical matches that her job offers her. Sure, she's good at it, and there /is/ a sort of enjoyment in a job well done, but this wasn't what she had in mind tonight. She was going to twist a guy's arm a little, he'd give Southsynd its due, she'd go home and take a nap. This wasn't part of the bargain -- and she doesn't like the change in plans.
She takes a few steps back, looking at the youth as he struggles to get back up, struggles simply to /keep going/. The young lady feels like she's going to regret this... but just this once, it's the only way she can do this.
"... I want you to hit me as hard as you can," she says, allowing Kentou as much time as he needs to get back up, not staying on him and beating him down like a 'real' fighter would. "I want you to come at me as hard as you can and maybe knock me out of the running for a few days." What's with the sudden change of heart, Kentou must wonder.
COMBATSYS: Camille takes no action.
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Kentou 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Camille
To the boy, this is merely par for the course.
Does Kentou regret getting beaten in battle? No. His only regret.. is not doing more for that poor old man. Slowly but surely his vision clears from the swirling black spots and bleary stars. Inches from losing consciousness but managing to fight his way from the very brink out of sheer, bottomless gumption alone.
Shockingly, as distressed as the boy clearly looks, he somehow manages to begin dragging himself on the ground. Pulling himself forward, even if his legs are unwilling to carrying him again so quickly. Unfocused eyes slowly looking up towards Camille, "..Won't.. let you.."
More than a few bystanders begin to get restless now. Nobody wants to see the poor kid get hurt, and even some of the more fearful civilians begin to seem antsy.. debating rushing headlong into certain doom to try and protect the brave, if stupid, little kid.
All of that tension, however, is dispelled as the woman issues that stunning order. The youth halts in his crawl, eyes blinking out of sequence as he can only wonder if he just got hit on the head WAY too hard or if the ringing in his ears is playing tricks because.. She didn't just say what he thought she just said..
"....W...what?" Kentou stammers, not expecting that statement at all.. Those words beginning to cast her previous statements, which he figured was typical thuggish boasting, in an entirely new light, ".. What are you.. WHY are you..?" This doesn't even begin to make sense. His addled mind straining to think of something resembling a logical explaination for this change of heart.
Was she, or was she not shaking down that old man? Is this not what the boy thought it was?..
COMBATSYS: Kentou takes no action.
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Kentou 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Camille
Camille walks in toward Kentou, her posture open, not looking for a moment like she's about to assault the boy -- especially considering that if that were the case, the crowd would no doubt rush at him to protect him, and her to beat her back. "... Listen," she says, her voice dropping to a whisper as she gets close enough, just barely loud enough to reach him without the crowd hearing. "I can't go back empty-handed unless it's because I got the stuffing thumped out of me."
She takes a shaky breath, gritting her teeth. Camille wants to be strong, wants to prove herself -- but not like this. She doesn't want to become the sort of person who beats little children within an inch of their lives over a few dollars. "So I want you to do just that. I don't want to hurt you, and you're not going to step aside and let me finish my job... this is probably the best way we can do it -- right?" Trying to sound as cheerful as possible, Irvine leaves herself wide open still.
Come on, little kid, she thinks to herself. Come on, show a little gut, this situation is enough of a dog's dinner as it is... "Please. Just -- lay me out clean," she says, still quiet as she roughly helps Kentou back up -- it's a little forceful, but that's more to keep the crowd from understanding /too/ much of what's going on.
COMBATSYS: Camille takes no action.
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Kentou 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Camille
This is... something different.
As the woman leans down to whisper, the boy's blood-streaked jaw drops a little lower. A complicated proposition even when his head wasn't nearly bashed in, the boy's expression rotates through puzzlement to mild horror.
This is wrong. Its all wrong. Kentou doesn't strike people who won't defend themselves, that's not what his martial skills are for. That was only the province of hoodlums.. Until very recently.
"...A..are you sure you .. you even want that 'job'?" Kentou retorts in a quick stammer. Its beginning to dawn on him that this woman doesn't even really want to BE a street thug. Is she being coerced into doing this? Blackmailed somehow? There's no way some card carrying Syndicate goon would ever take a punch like this to keep from breaking someone's fingers for being late on payments.
Confusion and his not-insignificant pain contorts his expression into helplessness. The boy is tugged back onto his feet abruptly, letting out a pained squack as the ground is beneath his feet once more. Only barely able to remain standing as he looks up to the taller woman with luminous eyes. He WANTS to yell at her to make sense. Mere moments ago he wanted to slug her as hard as she's requesting because he was convinced she was just a heartless brute. And now.. As she admits that she doesn't really want to hurt anybody, Kentou is supposed to strike her even harder?
His 'Gut' is telling him that this woman needs to leave her 'job' as soon as she can.. And she doesn't quite deserve the beating she's so ardently requesting.
"..I.." The boy's hand slowly rises.. fingers not quite curled into a fist. His arm trembling.. Obviously conflicted, and more than a little exausted from the beating he took moments ago. ... The sad fact is, he isn't even sure he CAN lay her out in his condition.
"...Its Kentou.." The boy whispers as he stumbles backwards a few steps..
"H..Ha..HAA!" Trying to muster up what little strength he has left. Hopping into the air only a few inches and spins.. Landing into a deeper crouch while gritting his teeth, "TenchiiiiIII.." And -SPRINGING- forth. Continuing the momentum from the hop and the springing charge as his fist strikes forth with surprising speed and strength, considering his condition.. let alone age... The boy literally -throwing- himself off his feet.. As the completely unbalanced and barely controlled move sends him sprawling back upon the ground in the aftermath.. regardless of its success, croaking out, "...Shuuen.."
COMBATSYS: Kentou successfully hits Camille with Tenchi Shuuen.
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Kentou 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Camille
Kentou does precisely what he set out to do, and though Camille puts up some token effort of trying to intercept the blow, she instead tries to shoulder into it and takes it dead-on in the face. It /looks/ like, to those who weren't privy to that little conversation, she tried to preempt the boy and failed, and got severely injured for her trouble. She clutches at her cheek, rolling on the ground in very real pain -- she's pretty sure something broke, though she's not sure /what/.
"Oooooghh," she groans, looking back at Kentou and giving the boy a small, knowing wink before going back to her original plan. "I... owww... oh, wow, that -- /ow/..." Her hand doesn't leave her cheek as she starts to make her way back to her feet, however slowly; it doesn't look like she's too good-off, that's for certain. "... you're quite the fighter, Kentou," she says, pulling out her claymore only to use it to support herself (an awkward endeavor, considering its size).
That felt a little dirty, she thinks, but so is the fuzzy math (in her opinion; lord knows she doesn't actually have a head for it, especially the monetary variety) that got her in this situation in the first place. So long as she doesn't make a habit of this sort of thing, it's fine if she lets something slip every now and again... "Ugh, I think I need someone to take a good, long butcher's at my cheek bone," she says, starting to make her way off, slumping on her blade in a slightly exaggerated manner.
Kentou, meanwhile, if he bothers to look where she landed, may find something that looks completely unremarkable amid the trash around the area but might be important to /him/ later: a phone number. (That's certainly /one/ way to get it from a lady!)
The fallen boy, however, doesn't need to bother acting out feigned pain. Kentou is.. feeling pretty hurt. The youth is sprawled out on his back in the aftermath of his best strike. If somewhat sloppily executed.. But for once the youth doesn't mind the fact that his Tenchi Shuuen didn't strike with its fullest strength. Not that the crowd need know the complete difference... as the locals quickly part to allow the sword-weilding thug hobble away.
"..Unng.." Kentou breathes, slowly lifting his head just enough to watch the extremely conflicted woman slowly shamble off.
In truth.. The youth doesn't know what to feel. Eyes moving to the city sky above as his head bumps lightly on the pavement once more. Technically.. he just saved an old man from a thug but the truth of the matter is that she was just looking for the first, best excuse not to. The boy just doesn't even begin to understand it.. Why do something so terrible when.. you don't even want to? Mmmn. Maybe Hotaru will know what this is about.. perhaps?
Exhaling again slowly, the boy closes his eyes and rolls his head to the side. Just trying to give his body a few minutes to recover enough so he can stagger on to make his earlier delivery.. Blinking moments later at the hastily scrawled out phone number on a small piece of trash nearby..
...Hmmmm...
Log created on 22:14:39 10/11/2007 by Kentou, and last modified on 02:47:33 10/12/2007.