Description: Three fighters meet at London's Roundhouse to put on a good show for British fighting fans. They may get their money's worth in pyrotechnics, if not duration; the battle is short and brutal, but in the end the psychics are able to use their unique powers to put the damper on Billy's flame. However, there are other forces at work here that may bode ill... (Winners: Luise and Miu)
London's Roundhouse-- a place full of culture and life, a whole lot of stories. Stories that wouldn't ordinarily be taught to a girl that goes to a private school in Japan.
Seated in a director's chair on the venue's stage, the small Seijyun student holds a brochure about the building, using it as a good excuse to practice with other languages and brush up on her world history. It may not ever be on a test, but it would at least give her something to write about the next time she sends a letter to her brother.
Dressed once again in her student uniform, the glossy-paper packet of information sits on her lap while she keeps a bottle of water at her small feet and works a pair of sturdy archery thimbles onto her hands, tugging the small wrist straps good and snug while she waits for the other contenders to arrive... Besides, it isn't like the SNF staff chats it up much with the odd girl, aside from giving her instructions or telling her that there were surprise conditions added to the match.
It would seem that, in relation to official bouts, Luise Meyrink is destined to fight in musical performance venues. It may simply be that the stage fits a striking presence like Luise. And somewhat fortunately for the Dancing Butterfly, she was already in Europe seeing to... other tasks, as well as her somewhat humiliating defeat to Hokuto Mizugami, who walked all over the German fighter with ease.
At the same time, however, Luise is on a mission... and she has allowed herself to become embroiled in the Neo League and Saturday Night Fight once again because she has need of the resources both organizations provide for her to find the type of person she's looking for... a small number of individuals in the fighting world with very specific talents. Very specific talents indeed...
Having attended many a concert at the Roundhouse during her days as a wealthy European heiress, Luise is familiar with the venue, and it doesn't take her long to find her way to the stage. Sweeping on, the black-clad fighter converses briefly with the SNF crew before turning to look at the girl on the chair...
...her breath catches.
Walking forward once more, Luise fixes Miu with a smile. Of all the good fortune to have, it would appear her teammate is one of those who fit Luise's criterion... people with a very specific talent indeed. "Takes your breath away, doesn't it?" Luise asks converastionally, sweeping a hand at the wide space of the venue surrounding them. "How many great artists have performed here..."
Thus far, Billy's not been having any more luck in Saturday Night Fight then usual; Which means his performance has been almost laughable by most accounts, but far be it from that to deter him. Even in the worst case he's getting some decent workouts and training, and his diehard tenacity will make it hard to lose his fans! Even if he might not make as many new ones... And indeed as he strides upon the stage of his own accord, crimson staff resting upon a shoulder and perfectly cleaned denim ensemble, there's a good few cheers and hoots. Twisting around to expose the ‘No Smoking' symbol, he jerks his thumb towards it for emphasis; If you love your clothing please don't smoke! "Hey hey hey!" is mused. Spiraling around his weapon in a rather stunning display of manual dexterity, flipping about his waist and shoulders almost like solid nunchuku, the end is whisked down to face the pair. "You two can chit-chat later... Time to get this little orchestra of pain started!!" Ohhhh, he did not just say that. But at least he's true to his word, whirling his weapon about before suddenly shooting it in a rapid onslaught, blending together in a blur... as he tries to hammer into Miu in a juggling series before a final thrust is attempted to send her backwards!
COMBATSYS: Billy has started a fight here.
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Billy 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Miu has joined the fight here.
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Miu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Billy
COMBATSYS: Luise has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Luise 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Miu
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Billy 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Billy successfully hits Miu with Fierce Strike.
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Luise 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Miu
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Billy 0/-------/------=|
Looking up from her makeshift gloves and the brochure in her lap, Miu looks at Luise for a moment with large purple eyes and a somewhat blank expression.
But Billy doesn't let things last too long.
Before she can get up from her chair, the crimson cane pummels the small student and sends her tumbling backwards, over the back of the chair and sprawling into some of the equipment set up to record the battle.
Sprawled out for a moment, Miu's eyes open slowly, blinking out the blur and blaze of white that keeps her from realizing just what had happened. Grabbing onto the storage boxes and riggings for support, she rises to her feet and pants hard, catching her breath-- this early on.
COMBATSYS: Miu gains composure.
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Luise 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Miu
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Billy 0/-------/------=|
Things happen so fast that Luise doesn't even get a response, just a flickering image of the red staff and Miu herself flying the stage. Turning, the Dancing Butterfly spies her opponent... a man she's faced once before, in her very first SNF, in fact. An individual hungry for violence, but with... something to him. Not the spark of psychic energy that she's looking for, but a quality that makes Luise pause in considering him, a man so thoroughly tied to an evil individual like Geese Howard.
"That may have been the most impolite dance invitation I've ever seen," Luise admonishes, before taking her stance, motes of blue light briefly extending from the tips of her pointed toes as she literally rises a few inches above the floor, floating in place. "You should be more gentle if you want to win a woman over." Driving foward, the German leaps upward, and then spins gracefully in the air, her heel glowing deep blue as she lashes out at Billy's bandana-wearing skull with a Psycho-infused kick.
COMBATSYS: Billy counters Angel Wing Waltz from Luise with Fire Dragon Pursuit Cane.
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Luise 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Miu
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Billy 0/-------/----===|
"Oye, it's not my fault she wasn't paying attention. I even did the ‘Hey hey hey!'. If she didn't feel like getting up, her loss!" Although he does seem to be giving Luise a second look, peering inquisitively while continuing to whirl about his weapon in the aftermath of knocking Miu utterly senseless. "You're that annoying girl. I remember you. Decided to lighten up on you and ended up losing..." He then snaps up his staff, catching the kick smoothly and hefting it aside. Before the weapon breaks apart, flashing out his weapon's segments with a loud cackle before whirling it together, assembling it while smacking her with the end into the ground. "I won't make that mistake again!! C'mon... I know I did bad last time, but a pair of people made of glass? Eish..." He shrugs his shoulders with a sigh, eyes closing while smoothing his bandana.
And over by those riggings and boxes, Miu gets herself upright again, no longer leaning on the equipment for support. Turning squarely to face Billy as Luise moves in and finds her own attack smacked aside, her small hands ball up into small fists-- and then her arms swiftly arc up, then back down. Her hands open and her fingers fan out, a burst of black feathers scattering away from her hands and floating on the air.
She's caught her breath.
The power within the girl's taken to rising greatly in such a short time, like taking off the 'kid gloves' and getting ready to fight for real. Miu's slight frame betrays that sudden climb in that odd force she wields... and as she starts to accelerate, to run at Billy, it raises even higher.
Her left arm reels back as she gets in close, black feathers growing and flowing out of her fist and forearm to the elbow. Once she gets a little more than arm's length away from the man, hopefully not getting smacked for her efforts, her hand surges forward-- and with a mysterious gust of wind, the feathers surge -out-, spiralling out into a collectively large 'lance' that twists like a biting drill-- and it certainly has more than enough force to throw a stout man right off his feet.
Not exactly expected, and altogether painful. While the strike itself was quite painful, Luise rebounds from the blow quickly, seemingly blurring for a second before she hits the ground and, amazingly, upright and floating again a foot or so from her impact point. Normally those sorts of tricks were not common for her, the Dancing Butterfly considering them somewhat flashy and perhaps even unsporting. However, of late she's found them easier and easier to perform, and wondering why, exactly, that might be.
"You should be careful," Luise says as she gathers herself, taking a deep breath. "A pair made of 'glass'... that might be true. But have you ever tried to pick up broken glass with your bare hands, Mr. Kane?" the German asks rhetorically, before rushing forward and swirling her hands in front of her in a circle. With the sound of music notes, a glimmering disc of deep blue energy forms, and Luise tries nothing more than to push those hands framing it forward and bash it into Billy's chest in time with Miu's strike.
COMBATSYS: Billy endures Luise's Treacherous Ballad.
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Luise 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Miu
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Billy 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Billy interrupts Yomosugara from Miu with Red Lotus Requiem.
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Luise 1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Miu
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Billy 0/-------/------=|
"I'm sorry, but poetric statements aren't gonna win you this fight. I'll try shattering one of you and seeing how it works out, if you really want..." And as the pair rush towards him in tandem, he angles his shoulder towards Luise, before shifting himself; As he allows the initial energy to dissipate over him, he forces Miu to then approach him at a more dangerous angle, unless she wants to forfeit her attack; And he would of seemed vulnerable, until such becomes apparent that he set her up perfectly for one of his more stunning onslaughts. She begins to spin, begins to impact the former King of Fighter, but her success cuts off stoutly as he /snaps/ up his staff and pegs her in the stomach. Upwards he lunges, carrying her in two before at the apex spiraling around his weapon in a huge swathe of burning flame, laughing in that manic manner once more. He falls the casual fifteen feet with ease, landing in a crouch with his weapon still trailing sparks and heat... Whether Miu will land the same way is up to question. "Two shots... C'mon, I'm barely even trying..." And then his gaze turns to Luise, still seeming strong, powerful, and only mildly staggered. "And I'm not gonna go easy...!!"
The staff user deflects attacks and then breaks clear through her own, reeling forwards with wide eyes as she's struck direct and hard-- and then the additional pain as she's carried skyward before the staff bursts into flames, caught up in the expanse of the attack and dropping hard to the ground.
But-- she still lands on her feet.
"Hhhgh--nnngh--"
The power inside her suddenly -surges-, black feathers spilling out of her palms, the backs of her hands-- her forearms, seeping out of her legs, and spilling out over her back. If the initial surge at the start was like a signal flare, this is like the light of the sun in the darkness-- a clear and direct indication that whatever this little girl has inside, it's trying to get back out. Her hands draw up into fists as more and more black feathers grow out from her left arm-- and to this point, it trumpets up and outward in a wild arrangement that makes her arm look more like a wing than the limb of a human. From her right hand, a long white feather stretches out like a blade...
And she lunges at Billy one last time, looking to stun him with a devistating slash from shoulder to hip.
COMBATSYS: Miu can no longer fight.
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Luise 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Billy
COMBATSYS: Miu successfully hits Billy with Psychic Secrets.
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Luise 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Billy
The first slash has enough momentum to it to bring Miu spinning around in a full circle, her feet barely touching the ground. Her arm rolls in stroke after stroke with this feathery 'blade', her jaw tight and her left arm shuddering with each consecutive strike-- and with more and more of those feathers spilling out all over her tiny body.
The slashes are fast and hard to track. Five, six, seven, eight... and then, at last, her left arm whips around, the feathers growing to an expansive cone of power. Her left arm drives ahead, though her fist never actually -touches- the Englishman in front of her, the massive lance of feathers providing a cushion between his body and her arm. It's massive, extremely painful, and the twist it seems to be set on rips into him deeply. Curiously, whereas a gust of wind came before-- now it sounds like the Roundhouse has been absolutely filled with the sound of a flock of birds flapping their wings in concert.
And then it bursts.
The feathers scatter out with enough force to throw the man clear off his feet and further along than she had flown upward with his powerful attack, the feathers scattering all around-- some trailing after Geese's henchman, some scattering into the air, others fluttering around her partner for this match.
Miu's arm still shudders, and her fist is tight enough that her knuckles turn white. Breathing deeply and heavily, it seems like the strikes delivered to her and the sudden burst of her powers is a little too much for her...
And so her body goes limp, and she falls lightly to the floor.
This is not going *quite* as planned. What really concerns her is the sudden flare in Miu's power that *dominates* her senses as the German steps back from her assault on Billy. She had considered rushing right back into the fray, but the sheer psychic backlash of Miu's blazing final assault almost roots her in place, the uncontrolled power battering at even her own defenses. The girl has vast potential, perhaps far greater than even she realizes... but that means she is all the more dangerous, and worse yet, all the more valuable to someone like Selma...
Luise simply watches as Miu lays into her opponent, then collapses to the stage. The girl is out, that much is clear... and suddenly this fight has become about something much different than simply three fighters looking to win a sports entertainment sort of show. Turning to Billy, Luise retains impressive calm, all things considered, as she collects herself. "You seem to have something you'd like to prove," the Dancing Butterfly observes carefully. "Interesting."
COMBATSYS: Luise gains composure.
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Luise 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Billy
However, it seems Miu is not content to be so simply defeated; And just how dangerous she might of been if allowed to linger is woefully apparent. Eyes widen at the seraphic display, yet he's slashed despite the heavy lurch backwards in an attempt to avoid it. Grimacing, he's driven back step after step, the comparitively slight pain of each blow building up to a crescendo before the final eruption overcomes him. He skids backwards to the edge of the stage, hunkered on all fours like a dog while grasping his staff. Coughing, his free hand immediately grips his head, which is reeling; That hurt about as much as people in his own bracket. What kind of bizarre girl is that? But he picks himself up, beginning to spiral his weapon around. "You gonna psychoanalyze me like Kurow did?" There's wry bemusement here. "If you think I have something to prove, you're wrong. I'm a man on the top of his game, who's damn bored to be getting such an easy win, even if your dainty friend pegged me pretty good..." He swathes in heat, crackles and sparks circling him like a halo. "You think giving yourself a breather is gonna matter? I'll still drop you in one hit... two, max..."
COMBATSYS: Billy gathers his will.
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Luise 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Billy
That actually gets a chuckle from Luise, whose right hand starts to glow with the deep blue of the nighttime sky. "What a dilemma. You do have something to prove after all, we're just not 'worthy' to prove it against. Ah well..." Luise gives up on beating Billy, for now. Why should she bother? The man considers both of his opponents to be less than dirt from minute one, and in the Dancing Butterfly's eyes, no amount of strength is going to make him so important that it's worth expending the effort now. "But if you'd like, I'll give you a chance to vent your insecurity before I leave with my true reason for being here." Coming at Billy from the air, Luise crosses her arms over her chest and then lashes out with them at Billy, downward in a sort of cross-chop, though with a bit more finesse than that.
COMBATSYS: Billy fails to counter Strong Punch from Luise with Ifrit Crisis.
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Luise 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Billy
"Wow. Last I checked, I joined to gain publicity. And last I checked, it's some young girl I never saw before, and someone I only remember due to barely failing to beat up..." He still seems far more amused then anything else, but she's presented him with an excellent opportunity; Although one he drops the ball on through his own mistiming, stance shifting as he diffuses the gathered power, which appears to be a feint. But rearing back his staff, the airbound angle results in her reaching him a split second before he begins his attack, slamming into his chest and skidding him backwards, seeming far more genuinely surprised then actually hurt. "Huh..." He rubs the point of impact, somewhat put off. "Crowd woulda liked that finale..." This seems to be his concern, as opposed to the large difference in health at the present.
Landing on her feet -- or rather, coming to a stop a few inches above the ground -- the Dancing Butterfly smiles at Billy. It's not as if she bears him any true malice. If anything, in the German's eyes, he's simply misplaced his priorities. She decides once again not to attack, taking a deep breath and observing Billy closely. Perhaps even Luise should take stock of her own beliefs in fighting and showmanship; after all, even if she is here on a 'mission', this is a nationally televised fight. And if she wants to make sure Selma understands her way of thinking, the best way is to live it. "'Sometimes a cigar is merely a cigar', right?" she asks with a faint grin.
COMBATSYS: Luise focuses on her next action.
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Luise 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Billy
A certain someone actually hasn't been paying a lot of attention to Luise as of late.. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have done so considering the plan the german has in mind.
It wasn't long ago that the white-clad Selma was in another part of the country doing... Something or other, when she felt a sudden large spike of psychic power.
Decided to certainly be worth her time checking out, it brings us to now, when the woman just simply.. Appears within the audience. Luckily the people are so entranced by the fight, that they don't seem to notice! Her eyes immedietly catch sight of the fight, before her, and seems a bit suprised- Just what exactly is Luise doing out here? Fighting against a particularly strong looking fighter at that-
Wait, the power before, was that the result of Luise's previous actions? No, that can't be right, it felt different than what she was used to for sure. Confused by, well, pretty much everything, she decides to stick around and see if it comes up a final time.
"...You're using smoking references to the wrong person." Billy states, eyes hardening as his face warps in distaste. "But I enjoy putting on a show. That's about it, huh? And right now..." He suddenly whips around and unleashes his staff, shooting through the intervening distance in a heartbeat as it separates into three pieces connected by a chain. "...It's time for the final chorus!" The attempt is to slam into her stomach like a freight train within the relatively short distance, and in a cackle retract it as a flare of fire attempts to consume her! It's like greased lightning, his own personal bid to cripple her to at least the same extent he himself is at...
COMBATSYS: Luise endures Billy's Blazing Cane Thrust.
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Luise 1/-======/=======|=====--\-------\0 Billy
Billy's attack goes off without a hitch... or, depending on your definition, with one. The cane slams into her stomach, knocking the wind from her momentarily... but even as the third part of the three-section staff is about to retract, the fiery energy blossoming around it, the Dancing Butterfly's hand encircles it like a vice grip. She can't hold it for long, but a little time is all she needs. "Your... definition of 'show' is... perhaps where my issue is," Luise says carefully, trying to conserve what breath is left to her. This is going to be a tricky maneuver, and it's going to take focus...
...which suddenly breaks as the Dancing Butterfly immediately senses the presence of the Flower.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kane," Luise says simply, suddenly pulling the chain taunt and leaping up ONTO it, using her great dexterity to balance for a moment on it before her position forces her to let go, dropping the chain's rigidity and allowing Billy to retract the weapon... but also giving Luise a boost to leap forward into his guard, eight clear orbs of light suddenly encircling her waist. "My timetable has been somewhat pushed up. Consider this a gesture of... farewell." And then her back arches in midair, and each orb lances out with a beam of purest white light, like the glow of a star, each beam lancing out toward Billy in a spiralling burst.
COMBATSYS: Luise successfully hits Billy with Overture to Farewell.
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Luise 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Billy
"My fans don't come here to see me play nice. They come here since I'm a no-nonsense son of a bitch who delights on breaking people in half." Yet her little interaction with his staff ends in a snort of annoyance... at least, until he's impacted dead-on by her flash of energy. What is it with him and psycho fighters? This does hurt a fair bit less then Miu, but he can't think of many people off the top of his head who'd care to be hit by either. But as he coughs, feeling the wash of blackness start to build... so barely, so /barely/ can he not fight it away... he begins to whirl around his staff in a frenetic fashion. "Well..." Both ends ignite in fire, washing up into a pinwheel that kicks up an unbelievable amount of heat. "...Consider this /my/ farewell...!!" Rearing backwards he then unleashes a rather monumental-sized fireball, which rushes forth towards Luise. "GO TO HELL!!" Stumbling forward, he then slowly crashes upon the ground, his mind finally eroded enough to pass out. Briefly; And he'll be far more agitated then anything when he wakes up in a few minutes with an epic hangover!
COMBATSYS: Billy can no longer fight.
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Luise 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Luise blocks Billy's Blazing Whirlwind Cane.
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Luise 0/-------/---====|
She hadn't expected Billy to go down without one last shot... indeed, though she kept a careful veneer over it, Luise was quite nervous that even her risky last-ditch attempt that put it all on the line would be interrupted with some savvy weapon use. Much to her relief, it is not, and as she lands the Dancing Butterfly has enough time to rally her defenses as the massive fireball comes her way. Scarlet fire flares briefly against a brilliant shield of blue Psycho Power; Luise cannot mitigate it all, but what remains of the powerful strike is... bearable, at least. In the end, the German is the one standing.
Sadly, she doesn't even hear Billy's comment. The presence of Selma in the Roundhouse suddenly has her immediate attention, and it is no small surprise that once she's sure Billy isn't going to get up again, Luise heads straight for Miu's prone form, kneeling next to her... but eyes looking around the stadium. Paranoia is a new feeling to Luise... and she's not sure she likes it, either.
Gathering the crow girl up in her arms, Luise stands... unsteadily, from the weight and her injuries, but she can manage it. Only then does she turn to Billy with a faint smile. "I cannot go to Hell just quite yet, Mr. Kane... unfortunately, I still have things to do here yet. But perhaps we can dance... some other day."
COMBATSYS: Luise takes no action.
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Luise 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Luise has ended the fight here.
Hmn, perhaps she has underestimated Luise last time. It was certainly something to think about, but the more important matter was discovering the source of the power before.. Unfortunatly it doesn't appear that she's going to find out just standing around- And to be honest she'd much rather that Luise not be about anyway, it'd make things too much of a pain. She was in no particular rush, and quite confident that it will make it's presence known at a later date anyway.
It wasn't a complete waste though, it was an impressive display of technique that Selma was quite positive her 'sister' didn't even have for one reason or another? Was that just 'The Flower' being arrogant? Who's to say. But one thing was for certain, she didn't like Billy very much either. She'll take her time purging him when the time comes, she thinks.
With her peeping complete for now, a sudden gust of wind picks up scattering a burst of violet petals about the particular section. The fight fans around her hold onto their hats, hairs, scarves, whatever in most likely confusion- Especially when the petal-storm dies and Selma, nor the petals are anywhere to be seen afterward.
Log created on 21:10:16 10/14/2007 by Luise, and last modified on 06:05:53 10/23/2007.