Description: ...the harder they fall. It's been a long night of violence. Now, morning has come - and the crisis isn't over. Of course, a little thing like that isn't going to stop Preston and Luc from having a civilized breakfast meeting. Hotaru seems alarmed by their complacency, though. Her fear might well be justified. Because here comes Adelheid Bernstein, flanked by two associates from the Darkside Student Congress. And they're taking things...quite seriously.
Crazy hijacks seem to be the order of the day; the fighting outside, since that netting was lowered over the boat, has certainly seemed to escalate. On the other hand, that hasn't meant a whole lot to the members of Pacific Resistance. While they've taken a token part in affairs so far, it seems that the rich kids from Pacific High really aren't too interested in the war that has gripped the vessel.
Then again, this is about to become personal.
And ideally not while anyone's in the shower.
With the rising of the sun comes the rising of a certain Briton. He's tall, he's made of muscle, and he's hungry. So with a simple knock on a door, he's been accompanied from the cabins below to the ship to the promenade deck. It's a nice area, the inside, even if the battles have somewhat damaged a fair bit of the exterior. At least the interior isn't so bad. But right now, leaning atop the grand piano, that's where Preston is.
And the youth is eating breakfast. Without a shirt on. That's what he does.
"Fuckin' good ribs," he tells his teammate, mouth full as he chews rather noisily. A brute by any other name, he seems to be enjoying himself on the supposed luxury yacht despite the events that have gripped all the participants. He casts a glance at the fencing rapiers that reside on the wall nearby, but... he seems mostly unconcerned, seemingly an island by which all drama floats by. He's certainly equipped for floating; his oar rests beside him.
Was that a klaxon he just heard, and a warning about invaders? The Brit keeps eating his ribs, idly wondering at this.
Rich kids don't care if the boat they're on is being bombarded or not. After all, there's an unspoken agreement when it comes to evacuating ships: rich people before pore people. They're just better!
Of course, some of the members of the Pacific Resistance simply find their lack of affect stemming from a lack of interesting targets. Who wants to kick low-order grunts in the junk all day? It's boring and really it's just unproductive. Which is why Luc Schroedinger has been taking this all in remarkable stride, with the same face that paints his day-to-day activities. Strolling onto the promenade deck, eyes half-lidded in boredom and hands shoved deep into his pockets, Luc flops down on the bench set near the piano that Preston is gobbling down his breakfast at. The youth seems now not only agitated, but... a little melancholy. After all--
"Maaaan... all these losers are messing up my fights. There's nothin' to do. Stupid goddamn shitheads."
--He hasn't punched anyone in the face in ages.
He says nothing else. He just sits on the bench, hunched forward... and sulking. Truly, Luc is a man to pity today.
It's been a busy morning. The renewed assault on the Suiryuu began late in the night, and by the time the sun came up, well. Any expectations the Ryouhara had of suddenly seizing two ships looked to be rather abruptly back to odds of winding up without a tournament at all. Not to mention a way back to mainland. R's hold on the main deck has only solidified in the past few hours, and as day breaks over the expansive sea, the Pacific Resistance's contented, completely slackass little Breakfast Club will be abruptly broken up, one of the bay windows towards the back erupting inwards in a sudden, violent storm of shimmering shrapnel that washes across the floor in a shattering wave, clearing the path for the agents of 'R'. The agile platinum blonde steps over the newly made threshhold first, still dressed in the reinforced infantry armor and kevlar-weave of an invading soldier, complete with heavy gloves and boots and a bandolier of blades and bombs, "This ship is now the property of Rugal Bernstein. You will stand down and leave of your own free will, or be neutralized." Formulaic, professional, and accompanied by a nod and a gesture over his shoulder that's meant to encourage Sada and Nadine to move in on his flanks... and theirs.
For one guest of the Ryouhara, the last twelve hours or so have been one long waking nightmare. All this time Hotaru had been worried about what the ninja were up to. But it turns out /pirates/ are the real crisis de jour.
She was out on the deck when the 'R' chopper flew in, unloading a number of Rugal's elites and other allies of the "R" Organization as the first wave of a surprise counter attack from the Black Noah. She was there when the squad formed up by Elle fell apart and the Blackjack leader turned to stand with the enemy. "We need to warn everyone else," she had told Blanka as she fell back. The green jungle raised fighter had gone off in one direction while Hotaru made her way to the lounge to see who might be holed up there.
Storming into the luxurous room, practically out of breath, Hotaru takes quick inventory in the people present. Which amounts to one large student enjoying some hella tasty breakfast and his apathetic partner. To say that the pig-tailed fighter looks astonished at their lack of concern is to put it mildly.
"H-hey, you two, there's guys swarming all over the boat, beating people up and dragging them off... I mean, NEW guys!" She waves her hands, sounding maybe akin to a panicked squirrel with how fast she's talking, "Like, really mean ones! They're tough! And, and, if everyone doesn't help stop them, I bet they're going to throw us all off the boat into the ocean like they already did to someone and, and-"
Her worried, frantic explanation is cut short as the window shatters into the room, eyes widening as she backs away from the impromptu entrance to stand nearer to Preston and Luc.
Nadine is, for a change, not in disguise.
Unlike Adelheid, she is not dressed as a soldier; Nadine refused to be burdened down by plating or reinforced clothes, and she didn't want her hands covered in bulky gloves that would stop her from doing her many tricks with her thrown weapons.
Instead, she's dressed in the same outfit she used once before: that of a secretary for 'R', a long black dress slit almost all the way up one leg, with a deep blue vest. The design is the same as Mature's or Vice's, it's only the colouring that is different. Her face, however, is not hidden this time.
Nadine steps rather delicately over the window frame and across the broken glass, her shoes crunching over it. She moves toward Adelheid's left, circling around him, apparently unarmed. This is probably not going to last long.
Sada's out for blood, or at least tears, after how this trip has treated her. With her hair straightened out by water and Evil Energy (tnx Zach) and clad in a slightly smaller version of the traditional "R" Secretary uniform, Sada is recognizable most clearly by her kusarigama. She whirls the kama around idly, looking ahead with a thin grin straight out of World War II propaganda.
At least her English is pretty good. "Well, hello," she says, stepping along towards Adelheid's right. "I'd suggest you listen to him. We don't WANT to have to hurt anyone."
Her head turns towards Hotaru as she comes in, and her eyes widen as she gasps in faux astonishment. "Oh, /no/! /Really/? Throw you all in the /ocean/? How HORRIBLE of them."
Big British teeth are about to sink into a delicious pork rib sandwich when that window bursts in, revealing assailants. Well if that isn't odd, the tall Brit really doesn't know what is. He supposes if he saw a white dragon fly by outside with a boy on his back, that would be fairly weird. Those teeth sink the rest of the way into the sandwich, and with his mouth even fuller he talks to the boy at his side.
"Is t'is expecuh?" he asks, spraying chunks of sandwich and pork out at Luc. Hotaru's sudden entrance and her warning register then, and he considers his choices. Part of Preston is tempted to just walk away and let the invaders have their way with those who are silly enough to oppose the alleged 'bad guys.' His uncle's told him about pirating. What they're doing is probably fine, as long as the ship is out on international waters.
With a sigh though, Preston puts the sandwich down, and aims to hoist Luc to his feet. "How about we flip a coin to see if we join this fuckin' little party, huh lil' buddy?" he questions of his teammate, casting another glance over at Hotaru. It seems that a fight is inevitable. Stretching his massive bulk, his body ripples as he begins warming up muscles, inevitably taking that oar in hand and brandishing it before him. "Then again, I left my fuckin' wallet down in the room. Let's fuckin' fight, my little friend here is itchin' for it. And hey, don't I know you?" The last is directed at Sada, whom he squints at.
COMBATSYS: Preston has started a fight here.
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Preston 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Adelheid has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Luc has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Luc
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
COMBATSYS: Nadine has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Luc
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
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|-------\-------\0 Nadine
COMBATSYS: Luc has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Luc 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Sada has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Luc 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sada
"..."
There's a little girl flailing at Luc and Preston. Slowly, Luc leans forward. He squints, brows furrowing.
"... Shut up--"
BOOM.
With a ground shattering explosion, glass rains everywhere in an almost beautifully shimmering downpour. The German is left to stare blankly as a trio of weirdly-dressed individuals come stomping in through the makeshift portal, his right eyebrow twitching. "... Oi," he remarks to Hotaru, jerking a thumb towards the three. "Are these the freaks you were talking about?"
He doesn't wait for answers. Some pompous jackass is prancing around trying to give everyone orders while two girls stand beside him, trying to look pretty or something, Luc doesn't even know. Brought up to a stand both under his own power and Preston's grip and tug. Muttering and snarling at the Brit as he sprays pork everywhere, the young man instead brings his eyes to focus on the trio. Two of them he doesn't recognize -- which might be poor on his part considering Nadine goes to his school -- but the last one, the one jabbering on and on about nothing important and everything irrelevant... he remembers -her-. His memory is only good, after all, when it comes to people he's fought.
"Tch! Whatever. You morons are talking to much. So... how about..." And before he can even finish his sentence, Luc is off with a bang, pushing off the ground in a sudden rush, eyes now alight with life. His intention is simple. He makes a beeline for the person he DOES know, who has been talking the most: Sada. And, one hand cocked back, he's just going to punch her straight on in the face in a right hook, accompanied by a brutal explosion of black-blue chi. "... you -GET THE FUCK OUT-."
Luc drops POSE ODOR: Preston > Luc > Hotaru > Adel > Nadine > Sada..
Hotaru has never seen Luc before outside of observing him from the comfortable distance of remote viewing on the occasional broadcasts he's shown up in. But Preston she remembers from a good long while back when she haplessly tried to push him over by slamming herself against him ineffectively. He's strong. Eyes raising up slowly to take the full height of the oar bearer in, the girl blinks as he pulls Luc to his feet as well, looking a bit put out at being made fun of by first Sada then being told to shut up by Luc. Yesh. She's just trying to warn everyone of cataclysmic impending doom, that's all!!
"Y-yeah, that's them." she remarks. "I-I mean he is," she waves a hand toward Adelheid, "Those two must be part of a second wave," she adds, glancing over Nadine and Sada, blue eyes wide. The offer to surrender? Well, it'd be tempting, really, but Hotaru isn't about to abandon the Suiryuu while Sakura's on it, so she's either going to take a stand with the two from Pacific or retreat further into the boat.
At least it looks like they're going to fight. Calming down, Hotaru tries to focus. She escaped the last fight unscathed if but a little winded. The odds are a bit rougher here. As the young German leaps to the offense, the Kenpo artist follows right behind, veering toward Adelheid with a quick change of momentum in the course of one step, trying to catch the Bernstein heir off guard.
An attempt is made to snag a hold of one of his arms with one hand and pry his defenses open long enough for her to dish out a punishing sequence of kicks right up the front of him. He seems like the one in charge, after all. And doesn't seem much older than he is if at all. Surely she can handle some thuggish teen, right?
COMBATSYS: Adelheid blocks Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai.
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Luc 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sada
Great. What part of 'stand down and everyone goes home' is so hard for people to get?!?! Maybe he's the only one without a lot of heart for this fight, after all. Despite the steam it picked up when the Suiryuu's combatants were on him more fiercely, and invading his 'home', such as it is... well, here he is facing the panicked girl who ran away earlier, and two random kids having breakfast, and thinking it's a sporting match. Sada and Nadine seem gung-ho and ready to hurt people, though... it doesn't really surprise the platinum blonde, considering they're the ones vouched for by Kirishima.
It's hard being surrounded by psychopaths. How does he make do? Well, for one thing, Adelheid makes sure to stay valuable, and true to his talent, and he's moving with Hotaru fluidly as she rushes him. He twists with the jarring wrench of his arm, swinging back to transfer the exchange more to his own volition immediately, a harsh, chopping forearm descending courtesy of his free arm, to intercept Hotaru's rising kick as it first grazes his ribs, mitigating much of the harsh impact... and pushing Hotaru right out of her attack.
It's more intimidating, perhaps, than immediately damning: Adelheid has to reacclimate momentarily after the sudden assault and defense, as well. But he's not going to keep her waiting long. Her age? Yes. But Hotaru's crazy parentage at least left her alone. It's apples and oranges, and now it's Adelheid's booted feet that are snapping in for Futaba. A forward, leaping heel aligned with her jaw, that would lead fluidly into a brutal, skull-crushing roundhouse, before being finalized with a simple, efficient, not at all nice reinforced toe to the ribs.
"Suit yourself," Nadine says, in her light Bristol accent. "If you do want to leave without continuing a fight, do so. You have thirty seconds, even if you've already started to fight." No, she isn't in charge, but she'd like to think she is. That, and they told her to offer that, which makes it OK.
As she is not under attack at first, Nadine does not immediately lash out. She edges around the side of the battle rather than charging straight in, circling around the side of the room for a better position. In fact, she appears to be heading toward the piano; perhaps she has dastardly musical plans.
Or maybe she just wants a better view, pick one.
COMBATSYS: Nadine focuses on her next action.
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Luc 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sada
COMBATSYS: Sada counters Medium Punch from Luc with Asai Harvester.
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Sada
Sada feels the room explode into action. Even without chi training it's obvious to anyone with half a brain or five weeks of martial arts training. She lets her eyes widen in anticipation, her attention going towards Luc when he hits the ground. She brings the kusari up closer to her legs and watches him intently, not making a single move to dodge or mitigate the attack as Luc rumbles on, promising to hit like a freight train against her face.
She grins tightly at the next to last moment, and /then/ she moves, leaning to the side as her arm whips up with the glittering blade of the kusarigama's sickle, catching Luc's extended limb and twisting it while leaving a shallow, spiralling cut along his flesh. It may be bad for those charming, elegant sleeves, as well as for Luc's own personal skin and tissue.
"No," Sada says as she spins the weighted end at her side, once, casually: "You."
Fighting is indeed inevitable. The oar sweeps a path in front of him, whooshing through the air, as the two people whom he stands with stream forward and onto the offensive. Like a stoic vanguard, the Brit is left behind; but not for long. Their prompt entry into the fray gives him a chance to size up the defenses of those who actually participate -- and initially it seems that Adelheid, that blonde invader, seems to be the most damaging. He knows Sada's mettle, just as he knows Hotaru; he's notched up wins against both. But for the moment, and almost predictably, his clear gaze centers on Nadine.
"What, you just gonna fuckin' stand there and let your friends do all the fightin', huh?" Preston roars the words out as he steps away from the piano. That oar of his threatens as his bare feet thunder across the plush carpeting, heedless of the glass he's likely to step on; he's just that tough, he's no doubt enduring the pain!
"Hey, Kraut!" he shouts at Luc as he rushes past the pair he knows, aiming for the girl he's certain he's seen in the halls. "Stop botherin' with her, she's fuckin' weak! Let's knock this bitch out, she goes to school with us!" It's like a betrayal. Not that he cares. He just wants to knock Nadine's teeth in.
Approaching his piano, is she? He doesn't think so! "Not that I've got a problem with ya fuckin' takin' over the ship, but hey; a fight's a fight! Chew on this!" Despite his words, it's more of a ruse. Stepping down solidly, he thrusts the oar forward in a stabbing thrust, aiming for Nadine's belly -- a simple thrust, a linear strike, but enough to knock the wind right out! And it's only the beginning; Nadine can expect to be knocked pretty far back, at one of the bulkheads that are so delightfully hidden behind pristine decor and plaster boards.
Oh, well if THAT isn't just annoying as hell.
That's the primary thought that goes through the German's mind as he suddenly finds himself being shredded up by Sada's kusarigama: how annoying. Not how great, or how painful, just... annoying. It would seem that the pain to his own person is minimal at best -- or maybe he just has a high threshhold for it. Regardless, Sada proves herself to be quite effective at least at nullifying the striking force behind his attack, biting into Luc's arm with a painful series of slaces that tears up his sleeves and leaves meager cuts and gashes along his arms. Without even a second thought, he leaps backwards, preparing for something different -- something faster.
But that's when Preston speaks up. Green eyes snap towards Preston, blinking mutely. And then, they turn towards Nadine... and squint. "What the shit? She goes to school with us...?" He pauses her, considers... and then he grins.
"Then let's see how good she is, huh?!"
Without a second's rumination over Sada, Luc is already blasting off with single-minded purpose. Breaking across the space between himself and Nadine, Luc suddenly LEAPS into the air with a single foot extended. Black fire begins to encompass his leg in a spiral pattern as he soars through the air with a single-minded intention -- to kick Nadine in the chest just as Preston thrusts out with his oar. "GURRRRAAAAAAAAAGH!!" What follows is a sudden -surge- of black-blue fire that just channels out from his leg in a sudden, explosive tidal wave of force, meant to help with the process of 'knocking Nadine helluva far.'
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Hotaru with B's Destruction.
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Sada
Adelheid's defense proves to be tighter than Hotaru had anticipated, the smaller fighter failing to catch him off guard like she had hoped. Her attack is so thoroughly rebuffed that his final shove to knock her away leaves the girl struggling to regain her balance after having extended herself a bit too much.
Her footing is regaind just before the young man unleashes a sequence of crushing kicks against the far more fragile fighter. The boot to the jaw is stunning, leaving her a sitting target for the follow up to her head that takes her off her feet and the final toe to her stomach that buckles the girl over in mid-air. The only solace she has is that her landing is atop the very couch Luc was relaxing on before this foray began.
Rolling off the sofa to get onto her feet, Hotaru is already looking a little pale after that last combo. She'll just have to assume Preston and Luc are holding their own, because she's determined to stick to the blond young leader of this raid, pausing just long enough to wipe the back of her hand against her mouth, eyes watching him more warily now that she's felt first hand what he's capable of.
"He's tough," she murmurs, perhaps a soft warning offered to the two Pacific boys about the calibur of fighter they're up against. The small Kenpo artist doesn't hold back though, jaw clenched as she steadies herself and charges the young man again, taking to the air for a quick jump kick aimed for the side of his head.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid interrupts Light Kick from Hotaru with Genocide Cutter.
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Sada
Tough, irritable, and ready to be done with this battle between cursed ships. Jinchuu, perhaps more than any other couple of violent days in a short but violent life, has begun to illustrate just what that means. The visceral, alarming reality of the situation, "Fine. Martyr yourselves for a clan of assassins toying with you aboard a haunted ship." Adelheid assesses darkly, with a degree of dismissive detachment. This is how it's been at every turn: He'll indulge it, or at least, it seems he's fine with it just now.
Recovering his stance quickly, one lithe but muscular arm tenses, Adelheid's crimson eyes tracking Hotaru's sudden leap... and dropping his own downward. Hitting the crouch, he rockets out of it just as quickly, both legs shoving him powerfully skyward, and as Hotaru's foot skips off his shoulderblade as he rises, she crashes full-on into a rising, cleaving blade of an axe-kick. Adelheid's entire form twists, adding momentum and force as his boot arcs up, a blade of wildly luminescent silver chi coursing along its path, aligned to cleave the stubborn girl quite literally in twain. Really, it's merciful compared to other members of 'R'.
"Surrender!"
COMBATSYS: Nadine dodges Preston's Medium Strike.
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Luc 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Sada
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Nadine with Tyrant Strike.
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Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Sada
If there's one thing Nadine has learned to do, it is stay the hell away from weapons.
Nadine switches from a slower, careful sidelong motion to a flat-out dash when Preston starts bellowing at her, which is really a dead giveaway that he intends to do her harm. She tucks and rolls under the oar strike, letting it whistle over her close enough to ruffle up her hair.
She is less lucky when, on rising, she moves almost directly into Preston's kick. It blasts her backwards and against a wall, which she hits with enough force to crack the wood covering; she slides down a moment later.
Although quite sore, she is still mobile enough to pick herself up and keep running. She does not go for the piano after all - she goes for the rack of fencing swords next to it, scooping one up and spinning in the same motion to throw it like a javelin at Luc. Nadine retrieves the second sword and holds it somewhat oddly, more like a very, very long knife than a sword at all.
"You recognized me," she says, despite having had the air knocked out of her a moment ago. "I'm surprised, as people around here tend to be a little oblivious. Then again, I suppose you're the sort that does anything for a fight, crude as you are."
Sada feels her blood seethe at Preston's comment. Her lips thin and she steps forwards, glass crunching beneath her feet as she moves. Her nostrils flare slightly - and she ignores Nadine's plight for the moment, but it's all, in the end, for the greater good.
How can she do this best? she reasons through her cold fury at the denigrating remark. When Preston moves away from the piano, she leaps up onto it and uses it as a platform for her next move - leaping towards his back as he overbalances with the strike from the oar. She swings the kusari down, aiming to loop it between his arm and his body and wrap the chain once, solidly, around his upper arm... in order to grab the lower portion.
"Easy to say 'weak,'" she says as she descends, the chain taking a moment to go taut; if Preston is quick he might be able to slip free. "/When you're eating prime rib,/" she concludes, before letting out a scream that's more of a guttural roar and yanking back on the chain with brutal, twisting force, aiming to pop Preston's arm out of its socket and send him sprawling to the floor!
COMBATSYS: Preston blocks Sada's Fighting Like A Girl.
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Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Sada
The one-handed thrust of his oar catches air, which whimpers in agony! But it seems that there's a bit of dancing to be had after that; partner dancing, at least by the opposition! The tall brute is about to capitalize on the fact that Nadine is, well, from his school, when the familiar feel of cold metal links settle down to bite into his flesh. Yeah, he was anticipating that. Goading an opponent is one of his prime means of attack, beyond his massive brawn.
A savage smirk appears on Preston's face as he settles for what he knows is meant to happen; he feels the chains tighten, the length going taut -- and as the leverage is utilized he tosses his oar into the air, burying it into the ceiling by the tip of the blade to put up a solid defense. He grips the chain, stopping what would be a rather horrendous and painful separation of his shoulder into a bit of chain burn and a fair bit of bleeding. "Oooh, but the rib's so good there, luv; you should try it, really!"
Quickly, he seeks to unravel the chain -- and at worst, he'll simply use his brute strength to drag Sada along as he stomps towards Nadine again. "Really, quit tryin' to weigh me down, you little half-pint squinty bitch! I've got that bitch over there to clobber first, wait your bloody turn!" His bleeding hand stretches out to the side, gripping the oar's shaft to pull it from the ceiling as he continues. It seems that Pacific Resistance has set their sights on a victim!
COMBATSYS: Preston focuses on his next action.
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Luc 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Sada
COMBATSYS: Luc blocks Nadine's Medium Fling.
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Luc 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
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Preston 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Nadine
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Sada
"What?" Luc begins as he lands on his feet in a smooth recovery from his assault. He quirks a brow, and stares at Nadine as if she was talking in a foreign language.
"... Do I know you, ass?"
Well, Luc certainly doesn't. Preston seems to. The German hardly cares though, he just wants to see if this Nadine is even remotely worth his time. And soon enough, as he lands, she's hurling a javelin at him like a missile. His fist clenches. He grins.
And then he just up and freaking punches the javelin.
Without a thought, without much care, Luc just shoves his fist right into the thing, crushing it entirely and sending the metal flying through the air. Wood splinters, flings everywhere like schrapnel... and Luc is still grinning. "I don't -care who you are-."
And without much further ado, he just rushes forward bodily, twisting towards his right side and thrusting out his arm, hand-first, directly into Nadine's face. He snaps his fingers, and then... a spark. A spark of black chi which blooms into a full broiling, spherical mass of fire, shooting off to impact with Nadine's face at point-blank. "GRAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Hakuya has joined the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/---====/=======|
Some lessons have to be learned the hard way. Case in point: Don't jump at people who have the Genocide Cutter to draw upon. Her own kick against his shoulder is hardly better than glancing as Adelheid tears into Hotaru with that family inherited technique of his.
The axe kick brings her momentum to a painful stop, driving her back and up long enough for the punishing follow up that drives her back with undeniable power. The Futaba girl's back smashes against a window, sending spider-webbed cracks spreading out behind her as she slides back down to the floor looking utterly devastated. She hasn't been this severely outclassed by someone in her age bracket outside of her skirmishes with the Justice High fighting prodigy, Kurow Kirishima.
Sitting still for a moment, her left hand pressing against her abused stomach, Hotaru stuggles back up to her feet slowly. His words strike a nerve. Here she is fighting against a bunch of ruthless criminals, getting her head kicked in, for what? Where are the Ryouhara? Where is Riko or that beloved Seishirou she's always talking about? Why is it just the poor suckers stuck on this floating chi bomb that have to take the brunt of this beating?
It isn't too hard to detect the panic of questioning doubt settling in on the girl but with a shake of her head, Hotaru brushes such concerns aside. A glance behind her reveals Preston and Luc seem to be getting along just fine with Nadine and Sada. Pleasant words exchanged by everyone! Pushing away from the wall as her feet find the strength to sustain her again, the girl focuses back on Rugal's son. He's got her outmatched by a lot. But if she can just slip something past him to land a clean hit, she might be able to turn it around a little.
Charging for Adelheid again, the stubborn girl leaps into the air, spinning to give her strikes momentum as she unleashes two swift windmilling swings, aimed high to direct his attention that way. Before she lands and tries to dish out a second series of similar strikes. If she breaks through his guard, she'll follow up with a shoulder lunge and a chi laced dive right back into the Bernstein heir to try and flatten him against the floor.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Adelheid with Sou-shou Tenrenge EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Adelheid
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Hmph. You can almost hear the Bernstein family grunt as Adelheid touches down out of the remarkably deadly technique. But really, he expected... or at least hoped that Hotaru would heed his warning. This fight isn't going well for the proletariat, so it only makes good sense... that Futaba would be plucking herself back up, and coming on rather strong. Adelheid shifts his weight, preparing a lunge of his own to quickly change positions to one NOT about to get flattened by a desperate schoolgirl prodigy. Instead, her strikes catch him mid-step, setting off his balance as the platinum blonde is whipped backwards and thoroughly wailed upon.
Staggering under the assault, the Bernstein heir is driven quite effectively back, and finally, the explosive finish sends him skidding to the ground on one knee. Never over until it's over. It's a lesson he knows all too well, and with a forced breath that sounds half like a sigh he shoves forward, looking to intercept Hotaru's landing, and execute a sudden, lunging takedown, to literally bounce her back, or the back of her head, off the promenade dock by shoving her into it on the way down.
COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Nadine with Explosive Round.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Adelheid
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Everyone likes to beat on Nadine, it's like a hobby. That's part of why she started fighting in the first place - to get out of being bullied. It worked, until the fighters decided to bully her instead of random people.
Leaving Preston for a moment, since he's agreeably keeping to himself, Nadine instead focuses on Luc. She raises her sword up, still holding it a little unusually, and attempts to interpose it between the explosion and her face. It half-works; she gets the sword in the right place, but it's blown out of her hands by the force of the same blast that sends her reeling, leaving a long slash down the side of Nadine's face.
She reaches up, feels the blood, and makes a little hissing indraw of breath. Sure, she fights with knives all the time, but that doesn't mean she wants cuts that can ruin her appearance! Rushing forward again, she leaps a step away and twists her body upward and around, attempting a strong kick directly for the center of Luc's torso with both feet.
If she manages it, she springs away, catching herself in a roll. If she misses, she probably goes splat right on the floor next to him.
Sada stops pulling taut on the chain when Preston starts working on it. She doesn't strike again right away, instead landing behind him in a crouch. Nobody's focusing their wrath on her. Good.
"You should be more polite," Sada says as she narrows her eyes, watching Preston advance take a breath. "We let you people come to our country to study and you end up so ill mannered." She pauses for a fraction and says, with one shoulder's shrug, "I can't blame you, but -" She waits for the ship to sway slightly, snapping the kusari out to the side...
and THEN sweeping it as the ship sways back in the other direction, crying out "Ha!" as she strains it, sweeping it to try to entangle one of Preston's enormous beefy legs and yank it out from underneath him. He may be a master of ancient maritime arts, but lives there seamen powerful enough to resist the motion of the ocean!?
The boat was getting invaded. That was news to him. But then, since unintentionally 'scaring' his bunkmate off, Hakuya has had his cabin all to himself. And after his fight with Nikolai some days ago, he's been holed up in the cabin with some rather serious wounds. It was just fortunate that there was a fully stocked medkit in the room, otherwise... the Suigetsu heir very likely would've died. Sleeping up against a wall for most of the time, waking up only to drink or eat, or redress his wounds, he'd just now made a decent recovery. And, upon opening his door, what did he find?
War.
The sounds of fighting - and not just fighting, but full-scale battle. It was the panic and anger running through the air like a palpable miasma that alerted him to the subtle difference - after all, fights broke out all the time on the Suiryuu, so the sounds of battle weren't altogether unfamiliar. It was right now that Hakuya stumbled out of his room, walking normally for once, that he understood what the sounds he heard was. Realizing this, though, brought on one single question. Were his friends okay? He had to find them.
Fortunately it didn't take long. Following the sounds of battle, he'd snuck around while fighters were distracted, and finally managed to find three people he knew. Luc, who was a familiar enough face by now, as well as his companion, the big burly guy. What was he name? Had he even gotten it? And even Hotaru was here... he wasn't aware she was even on this boat!
But then he notices the -other- three. Three people he -didn't- know. They were fighting his friends, and the only thing he could conclude was: they were people he had to protect his friends from. "Luc! Hotaru!" he calls out suddenly, and then dashes towards them, skidding to a halt as he comes near to the fighting group. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he gives one of his trademark smiles - those wonderfully vacant and friendly smiles. "I'll give you a hand!" He didn't really know -what- was going on just yet, no. But he was damn intent on protecting the people that mattered to him. He needed no other reason to fight.
He was no analytical fighter, but he was pretty sure he could understand something about the lay of the land - the male of the other group was the strongest one, and Hotaru wasn't doing too good against him. Time to back her up. "Hyah!" he cries out, and moves towards Adelheid's side, rushing straight at the other man. With the intent to strike out at his flanks, harrying the Bernstein heir, he'll throw a feint or two before sliding his leg forward, trying to sweep at the back of Adelheid's knees, taking his support out from under him and making him crash to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Preston endures Sada's Snare Whip.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Oh don't you worry Sada -- the wrath will come soon enough. Still lumbering in Nadine's direction, Preston watches with muted satisfaction as the light show begins from his fellow teammate. But wait, what's this?! The entrance of Hakuya draws only one word from the tall brute;
"Terrorist!" Yes, he knows Hakuya. But wait, the guy's going to help them, rather than the other terrorists?! What a twist. He knows practically everybody present it would seem, and the divided lines here are... interesting, to say the least. Now if only he cared about things like that; he's just a rich kid who enjoys inflicting harm to people. But he can hear it, the whistle of that whip coming for him again; and he simply lets it coil about his leg.
There's a pained grunt from Preston as he sinks to one knee, the impact hard as he encounters the floor. "Oh you're bein' cute again, aren't ya luv? What did I tell you? I told you to wait ya bloody turn!" he admonishes the plucky Asian as he unravels the chain again -- but this time, he's off to a quick rush, showing remarkable speed for his size as his bare feet thunder across the carpeting. Whatever blood he leaves in his wake matters not; he's a meat mountain rushing down at Nadine like an avalanche!
However unfair it may be, it seems the bullying is destined to continue; rather than let her fall out of the air, he aims to grab her out of it, swinging that oar around in a make-shift attempt to cowtip the equally plucky girl from Pacific, smashing her down with brutal force. And if Nadine finds herself on the ground, she can expect a potentially fatal discharge of chi to rocket into her body, along with a smirking Preston.
Well, y'know. Unless he doesn't catch her, then he's just going to shake his fist.
COMBATSYS: Luc dodges Nadine's Heavy Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Nadine doesn't talk that much. Luc, at least, can appreciate this much about the girl; talkers are just annoying. Even as she is blown back by the sheer force of his attack, Luc seems relatively nonplussed. Landing on his feet smoothly, the German just scoffs, straightening out his already wrinkled and torn shirt in a gesture that could only be considered habit. "Che! All these idiots are weak and it's pissin' me off! What the fuck is wrong with you?! Do something worthwhile!"
And so she does. Or at least, attempts to. Rushing and twisting, she comes in fast -- but not nearly fast enough. Luc, funneling instinct as if it was just his second-nature, sees that kick coming before it even starts and, in one jerkingly fast movement, simply steps off -straight- to the side. Nadine will go sailing harmlessly by, even as Schroedinger shoves a hand into his pocket in a display of ultimate arrogance. "And now I'm gonna kick your ass, you worth--"
He's cut off, then, by the sound of someone calling his name. Blinking, his gaze jerks to the side to see... Hakuya. -That- guy. "... hnn! Whatever! Just don't get in my way!" And, that distraction out of the way, the German turns his attention back to Nadine... just as Preston comes barreling at her. Brows furrowing, Luc's own response is simple. Right hand still in pocket, he lashes -out- with a sudden, ruthless efficiency, snapping his right leg out in a kick aimed for Nadine's ribcage, complemented by a fierce battering ram of explosive black fire that lances from his leg... seeking to time it exactly with the savage swing of Preston's oar. "ASS!!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Adelheid with Tenshin Shou.
- Power fail! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Hotaru is only just getting up when Adelheid comes for her next. Opponents of her own calibur might've been more battered than the young man, but he doesn't seem to have been slowed as much as she would have needed to recover herself. Turning right before he tackles her, the girl tries to spring back with a shoulder lunge back into his gut to stop the assault preemptively.
But he has her off her feet before she can even get the traction she needs to pull something like that off. Thus it is that she finds her head being slammed down against the deck far too swiftly for her to worm her way out of that assault. Ear drums ringing, vision blurred, Hotaru ends up a crumpled pile on the ground, unable to even dream of getting back up enough to retaliate right away.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid dodges Hakuya's Waning Dawn.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Remember that earlier monologue about living a nightmarish chaos war aboard two vessels that, in Adelheid's highly expert opinion, should be scuttled and sent to their graves? Well, it's fulfilled once more as reinforcements arrive on the Ryouhara side. This... has happened far too much, lately. Adelheid's mission is going well, some would say near completed, and some interloper shows up and complicates things. Well, "Not this time." The platinum blonde murmurs, eyes narrowing as he catches Hakuya's sidelong assault. He drops low, and Adel? Well, Adel pushes up, vaulting right off Hotaru as she's driven down and away. He kicks into a forward somersault, coming up in a crouch and twisting around to face the pair. In a way, Hakuya /is/ now in the perfect spot to protect Hotaru. If only because he's in the way as both of Adel's arms shove forward, conjuring a brilliant, roiling mass of silvery wind-chi before him.
The tidal wave rockets forward at an alarming pace, a man-high mass of disaster area gale with the focused will of the Bernstein heir behind it. His muscles tense, his jaw grits, and he projects all of his power into a defining strike. Does he really have to repeat the 'Surrender' here?
COMBATSYS: Nadine dodges Preston's Keelhauling.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Nadine dodges Luc's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Having landed on the ground, Nadine looks for a moment like a temptingly easy target. She's just sitting there, how hard can it be?
Hard. Nadine is an acrobat, and she flips up to her feet with remarkable ease, her hard landing on her back having not actually discomfited her very much. From there, she hops up even higher, wind gusting almost vertically and taking her even higher in the room. The deck isn't that high - she manages to touch the ceiling.
Actually, she hangs there a moment, having embedded the knives she drew in the roof. Nadine has never done this with her feet before, but perhaps there's a time for everything. Twisting slightly and bringing her legs up behind her, which causes the knives or the ceiling (or both) to creak slightly, she snaps them forward all of a sudden.
A blast of wind rushes out from her lower legs and feet, striking the floor below with a sound like the impact of a cannonball, and where it hits, it immediately starts to spin; a small, localized tornado springs up, moves across the ground toward Preston while showering broken bits of flooring in its wake, and dies down in the span of six seconds.
Nadine's knives give out around here, and she drops back to the ground.
Sada draws the kusarigama back with a rattle of chain and lets herself sneer. It comes through in her voice even if Preston's looking away. "So I guess they bought you off, did they? You've just been lucky enough to get the good spots, with the meat, the drink, the soft beds. Did you perform well for their entertainment?"
She moves as if to strike - and then she gets a better idea.
She turns away from the fight entirely! Cowardice? No. She moves towards the grand piano; with brutal strikes of the kama she breaks first one bolt, then another, then a third... and she leaps on top of the piano, whipping the kusari around with a whirling hissing noise before slamming it down to break the final one and part of the piano's leg, the instrument itself letting out a discordant CLONG.
"WELL," Sada shouts as she crouches to maintain balance, the sway of the ship making the piano slide sightly backwards... "/Fuck that/!" And then when it starts moving forwards, she kicks off of it, shoving with her legs and landing behind it as the piano topples forwards with terrible force towards -- thanks to that slightly awkward takeoff --
-- Luc!?
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Hakuya with Crown Prince.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
"Hotaru!" Hakuya calls out, seeing the girl getting... well, let's just say her treatment is less than 'with kid gloves on'. No doubt his concern for his friends, something that's been a little amped up recently since his fight with Nikolai, distracts him a bit too much. Hakuya's sweeping leg hits nothing but air as Adel vaults upwards, and it's all the Gedo student can do to try to regain his feet before he gets totally axed from behind. Leg sweeps up and around, and he does a fairly impressive looking spin on his heel, standing back up straight then getting up his arms-- just as the silvery wind-chi flares up. Rather than moving, the Guardian King simply plants his feet. He wasn't going to move at all, because he realizes the same thing Adel does - Hotaru is now behind him. Dodging would be bad. And even then, Adel simply moves way too fast to even try a dodge. At least he'd be accurate in his guess - Adelheid was not someone he could take lightly. The gale winds slam against Hakuya like a fist would, and it staggers him, a loud grunt being heard, his eyes widening in shock from the hit. What the hell was that?
"Ugn... unh..." he mutters, staggering to the side. Shaking his head, he rights himself and then looks at his opponent, breathing heavily from just one hit. "W-was that it...?" he asks. His eyes focus on his opponent's. "I won't go down that easy!" Whoa, Hakuya talking smack in mid-fight? Tenma must be corrupting him. Feet shift, and he races forward, closing the gap between himself and the other man. His plan is simple: rush Adelheid, then extend his arm and try to catch the Bernstein fighter in a grapple, like a clothesline. He'll then pick the older man up and race with him a short distance, charging down the deck, before suddenly, Hakuya's momentum just -stops- somehow. But Adel's continues forward, possibly slamming him hard into the wooden decking.
COMBATSYS: Nadine successfully hits Preston with Rolling Storm.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Alas, poor Preston -- he's really striking out against the nimble Nadine! And with that miniature hurricane sweeping a path at him, he does the first thing that comes to mind when something made of energy is thornw at him; he leaps to one side, only to be caught and sent for a tumble. "Ow-oof--ow!" he grunts the sounds out as the debris buries itself into his body, more crimson streaking his massive frame as he slides out of the strike into a three-point stance.
Well... time to change tactics, clearly. "Alright, I get the picture; we'll deal with you last," he growls at the knife-wielding Nadine, and with that he sets his sights on the person he dubs to be the leader; the blonde Adelheid. His features twist into a smirk as he sees Hakuya charge by... and he figures, hey? He may as well help out.
"Alright terrorist, let's see if we can make this work," he roars as he starts off, a charging mountain of muscle that bears down on the platinum pan--ts wearer. No, no; not a pansy. "Eat this!" he roars, sending that massive oar of his whistling forward. Depending on whether or not Hakuya succeeds, he'll either attempt an intercept on the flying Adelheid or simply come in hard and fast, seeking to drive the blunt of the weapon deep into his target's middle -- and if it strikes, there may well be another ride for poor Adelheid, one into the air to land wherever he'd like to, but ideally hard!
COMBATSYS: Luc interrupts Random Weapon from Sada with Aufstand Welle.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Ooooh, that's not good. That's not good for anybody. Nadine nimbly maneuvering out of his otherwise -swift- attack just makes Luc all kinds of Really Angry. Green eyes narrow, and he looks towards Nadine, apparently ready to just punch the ever-loving crap out of her until she stops moving -- it's the look in his eye. That sort of -glint-. A shimmer that just says someone is about to get blown up.
But, just as he might be inclined to make a move, he hears something. The snapping of wires. The splintering of wood. The CLONG of a piano. He looks. He frowns.
"What the fuck is -THAT- supposed to be?"
He gets his answer the moment that Sada goes screaming forward with that bellow of -fuck that-. The piano falls forward, and Sada is once more reintroduced to Luc. She might remember the look in his eyes, she might not. She might also remember the familiar black chi that encases him like a chrysallis. "You gotta be kidding me..." he mutters. And then...
... he springs.
"DON'T COME AT ME WITH THIS -STUPID SHIT-!"
In one, simple moment, Luc EXPLODES like a rocket of chi, battering through the rest of the piano in an EXPLOSION of wood and string and keys. And he keeps on going, that BURNING cocoon of black fire slamming into Sada like a runaway train, blasting her straight up into the air along with him... right before Luc just explodes in a massive shockwave of blue-black power to send Sada flying far and away.
"GET THE HELL OUT!"
Boom.
When Hakuya first entered this fray, Hotaru was getting to battered around by Rugal's son to even realize it. Her ears ringing, her eyesight blurred by a field of red creeping in from around the edges of her vision. She isn't even standing by the time the young man bravely takes the poweful chi blast to prevent her from getting obliterated.
All she hears is the explosion of wind blasting against Hakuya and as she slowly pulls herself up yet once again, the girl tries to focus on him, barely staying upright on shakey limbs ready to give out. "H-Hakuya...?" That really IS him? She's as surprised to find he's aboard the boat as he was to discover her. Being cooped up in his cabin for so long has made him hard to notice, it would seem.
The girl barely comprehends that he's going charging after Adelheid again. Maybe he doesn't quite realize how ridiculously powerful the young man is... She's already been more than severely bested by him. Still, with the Gedo student, maybe there's a little bit of hope to carry them through this.
The wall is great for support, but unless she plans on standing there until Adel gets close again, it isn't going to help the fight out much. "Right behind you," the girl utters, pushing away from the wall to charge Adelheid. Hakuya is trying to tackle him with his strength. Hotaru will settle with trying to grab hold of a free arm and wrench it into an armlock behind his back or an armbar if he's knocked down.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Adelheid with Tidal Crush.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Adelheid blocks Preston's Bunting Tosser.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Adelheid with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
A swinging arm aligns with that thrusting, rather impressive oar. It's a jarring impact that drives him nearly out of his stance... and Preston's efforts lead to much pain for Adelheid. He shifts his weight, drops a foot back, but Hakuya still catches him squarely, clothesligning him back and launching him into a haphazard crash-landing, a low groan escaping his lips. Got to focus, got to... Hotaru returns to the fray, dropping onto his arm rather painfully. Teeth grit, and Adel flexes his arm, seeking to leverage Futaba off him, and shove away.
It's far from a graceful motion, at this point, and all the Bernstein heir can do is roll back, and come up in a defensive crouch, biding his time a moment, "Could use..." he pants out to his teammates, "Some cover here." It's fairly obvious, but it never hurts to encourage them, right? He doesn't press the attack, trying to gain his bearings, and reassess the suddenly more focused battle.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
"Oh no," Nadine says, finally speaking again. "You don't get to come after me to satisfy your desire for random violence and then stop just when it's inconvenient. That's not how this works."
She spends a moment to wipe at her face - the blood is starting to get inconvenient - before advancing on Preston from behind at a low dash, charging in as fast as she can. Nadine does not strike with her knives. That would be predictable. Instead, she tries to grip Preston around the waist with both arms.
Nadine cannot lift someone six foot six, weighing over two hundred pounds, without help. She gets the help. Wind picks up, slow at first before an enormous gust comes from nowhere - possibly enough to blow Preston off his foot without Nadine yanking and trying to throw him to the side, away from Adelheid.
The piano explodes in black light and Sada goes with it, rising up fast enough to slam into the roof before falling down in a heap, unceremoniously; the kusarigama follows a moment later, kama blade sinking into the decking. She breathes as she lays there, still for a few moments; some blood trickles from cuts on her arms, running down them and to the deck. Then she pushes one hand on the ground.
She rises up. Her face is turning an unpleasant red, flushing as well as bruising, as she looks over at Luc. "Stupid shit," she says. "What the fuck is that supposed to be. Get the hell out." Then she starts talking in Japanese, fast and with a Kyoto accent: "<So you think you're going to get some kind of a ticket off, huh?! So you think you're gonna just stand there and sneer, huh!?>"
She rises again, eyes going wide as her lips draw back from her teeth, slouching forwards with hair falling in her eyes. "<I'm sick of you fuckers' cheap attitude! Sneering at everything and chuckling with disdain!>" She steps towards Luc, but stops, well over two yards away. She slumps, breathing hard again, voice wheezing slightly.
Then she lets out a scream that loses much of its potentially unsettling effect from the simple fact that other people in the area are also screaming and exploding. She finishes voicing her anger, gathering up the kusari in one hand and pitching it forwards like an over-sized ten pound fast ball directly at the crotch of Luc's styling strapped-up pants!
Terrorist? He hears the word, but is too focused on striking Adel to react to it much. And this focus seems to pay off, as the clothesline strikes Adel and he lifts the Bernstein heir up just after the man gets put off balance by being slammed by an oar. Racing down the deck, momentum is built up, but the odd part of Hakuya's attack is the -sudden- stop of the Guardian King's own momentum. He never slows, he just stops, and all that momentum keeps pushing Adel into the ground, slamming him into the deck. He's given a moment to breathe, panting a bit from exertion, when Hotaru finishes what amounts to a Triple Tech. Straightening up, he looks behind him and waves to Preston, calling back, "Thank you, sir!" ...He's not sure what else to call the big guy, because he can't for the life of him recall a name, just that he's on Pacific Resistance.
Turning back to Adelheid then, the Suigetsu's sneakers scuffle on the decking a moment as he picks up speed, charging at Adelheid again. After all, he swore to protect Hotaru, right? Well, he'd done a pretty significant job of helping! Might as well follow through. He goes for nothing particularly fancy this time, closing the distance to the lean man, then planting his feet solidly before simply striking out with an open palm, an uppercut aimed for the man's chin, then driving another palm into his stomach as a follow up should it succeed.
COMBATSYS: Preston interrupts Twister Toss from Nadine with Queen's Regulations.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Luc 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
With his thrusting strike blocked by the arm of Adelheid, something within Preston clicks. And he starts seeing red. All the same though, the others swing into effect, and a moment later he's left by himself, the battle sweeping onwards. Distantly, he hears Hakuya addressing him -- but he doesn't really hear it, not while he's entering what may well be his 'Dark Side.' Oh, how tempting it is to sink into it!
Somewhere in there, the Brit hears just what Sada is having to say -- and while he likely has a passable grasp of the language, he opts to be racist instead; "What was that, squints? Kung-pao chicken, rice rice, Nissan Honda?" he roars at her, twisting as he opts to not descend into his evil non-talkative self, instead opting to go on the offensive. Well, the physical offensive.
He twists on a heel, right in time to see Nadine come in low and hug him about the waist. "What the fuck? I didn't ask for no fuckin' mouthhugs, you little tramp," he growls down at her, and gives her forehead a solid push backwards, even as the winds pick up -- but no, no. He won't be the one flying. That massive oar of his descends to separate the plucky Nadine from his waist by smacking her in the forehead, and then he capitalizes with a jab to the middle, followed by simply sweeping her feet out from under her. It's almost graceful! If only it weren't delivered by such a crude brute of a youth.
COMBATSYS: Sada successfully hits Luc with Odani Foundation Art.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Luc 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Luc lands. He lands soundly, with a light -whump- against the ground as his body bends into a crouch. He exhales in a slow breath... and then stands, looking for all the world to be calm again. Save for that irritable sneer on his lips, that bored, half-lidded look in his eyes. His neck rolls with a crack. He heaves a sigh.
"Worthless trash. Jeeeeeez... you're not even worth my time."
It's about then that Sada falls and starts sputtering out Japanese. Luc turns, such that his back faces the chaos going on beyond him -- Adelheid crouching back, Nadine getting the holy oar oar'd out of her by an oar. Instead, he faces Sada entirely, gives her his full attention. He lifts a brow in a subtle curious tick. "..." His mouth opens. It seems as if he might say something important.
"...I don't understand moon language, you stupid shit."
Except he doesn't, and in response, he gets a ball thrust at his balls. So to speak. Luc just seems intent on standing there and taking the full hit like A REAL MAN. But. He misjudges the full force of the kusari and the sensitivity of his crotch, and thus, he's struck. Dead on. "Hurk--!" He staggers one step. Then another. He hunches over, seemingly overtaken with pain.
"..." he breathes out a single breath. "That... that is some -weak attack-. You're not worth my time. Can't even talk right. Moron." And... apparently Luc is up and at 'em in no time flat, twisting around on a single foot and bounding off. Away from Sada. Apparently because he's displeased with her not hitting him hard enough in the crotch. Luc logic is infallible.
But, ignoring everything else, Luc rushes forward towards the only person -not- attacking this time around -- Adelheid. His right leg tenses, and then springs -forward-, encased in a burning field of black-blue fire as he attempts to drive it straight into the man's spine, pushing himself far harder than he would normally. "GRAAAAAAAGH!!"
Slipping away as Adelheid pries her off his arm, Hotaru nearly stumbles onto her side, gasping for breath as she struggles to stay upright. Having Hakuya's help has given her a measure of hope in what was looking to be an entirely lost cause. A quiet smile is spared in his direction, but he's too driven on keeping Adelheid away from her to even notice, most likely.
All the yelling and swearing from the Preston potion of the room tells her that the large foreigner is still on his feet. And the spout of profanity from Luc's direction means that he's hanging in there, even if his voice went up a little in pitch. Hotaru rolls her eyes a little. The people on 'her side' kind of seem the questionable sorts to ally with, really. Hey, but at least there's Hakuya. He's a good Japanese kid!
For the moment, Hotaru stays backed off, taking the opportuntiy of being left alone to get a better sense of what's going on, staying wary of any incoming attacks.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Luc 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Adelheid with Quick Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Luc 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Adelheid dodges Luc's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Luc 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Drawing deep breaths, centering his chi, and trying to clear that nasty ringing in his head that threatens to obscure vision.. these are important things. So important that Adelheid neglects to start getting to his feet until Hakuya is already re-closing the distance. This is war. This is war. It's not usual for Adelheid to see such stiff resistance in these operations - but then, he's the fool who expected a surrender, in the first place. As he pushes to his feet, Hakuya's palm drives him up, and back, a spattering of blood leaving his mouth as he staggers away. Battered or no, he has enough wits to move, darting suddenly aside as Luc launches in to assist, "Even if you win here... you're throwing your lives away."
He kicks his leg forward, cleaving a brief path along the deck, and ripping a lance of powerful energy from the air about his boot, the arcing blade tearing outwards, sweeping a swift and sudden path for Luc's legs. It might buy him a little more breathing room - it might not. But Adel's not down yet, and it's certain that there's no surrender for him, not here.
Well that hurt.
Nadine takes the oar to the head, and it causes the wound to her face - which had previously stopped bleeding - to reopen again as well as send her reeling. She isn't really in a position to react at all when the sweep comes, and she falls in a messy heap.
It looks for a moment like she's not going to get up again - but Nadine does, forcing herself to her knees, and then her feet. She makes a complicated-looking motion with her arms in front of her, releasing both the knives.
A tornado springs up almost immediately in front of her, whirling winds whipping small objects off the ground and actually catching her knives, spinning them around so quickly they're hard to make out clearly. The tornado moves forward, slowly at first, before rocketing off at top speed, straight for Preston!
A few moments after that, the tornado abruptly fades away, winds blasting out in all directions almost as if it exploded. The knives go with them, propelled off in random directions. One hits the floor and sticks there, buried to the hilt. The other lands in the ruins of the piano and causes a rather strange twanging noise.
Sada jerks the kusarigama back. Luc's insulting of her language makes her seethe /even harder/, if such a thing was possible - but Luc's focusing his fury elsewhere. However, this is not to be the case forever, and perhaps foolishly assuming that her comrades will endure the onslaught of the young men forever, she runs up towards Luc, foregoing her chain tricks for now.
She considers what to say as she runs, her skirt fluttering slightly in the breeze she creates, chains rattling. Denounce his culture. Insult his family. Insult his heritage. What would work? she thinks as she draws nearer. What words would slice to the gaijin's core and make him bleed?
She realizes she has no idea, and opts for "Fuck you!" as she narrows her eyes against the glare of chi that both Luc and Adelheid manifest, whipping the kusarigama at Luc in a doubled-over fashion, aimed at the young man's upper body to get him off his balance against her de-facto group leader. If (when!!) the chains wrap around, Sada throws herself back with another incoherent scream of fury. Hopefully it will translate and introduce Luc to either the warm and caring deck, Adelheid's leg, or some combination of the two!
A solid blow. No doubt the man was a little too focused on reviving himself to set his jaw against a palm uppercut. Blood flies, but the body moves just as Hakuya strikes with his other fist, Adel putting distance between himself and the Gedo school boy. Turning, he's not about to let Adelheid get away, particularly not when he's attacking Luc. Shouldn't -he- be the one getting hit, or was Adelheid put off too much by his display when the man first attacked him? Whatever the case, what Adelheid says seems to catch Hakuya's attention. "You're wrong. I don't know what's going on, but as I see it, you're fighting only for selfish reasons and hurting innocents!" And he just can't let that happen. So, while Adelheid is distracted with attacking Luc, Hakuya takes his own initiative. Stepping up, his gloved hands move out to grab Adel's clothes, and he twitsts, attempting to pull Adel off balance, then backwards, over the Suigetsu's shoulder, then slamming him into the ground once more.
COMBATSYS: Preston blocks Nadine's Iron Cyclone.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Luc 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
"To be perfectly fuckin' honest I don't plan on throwin' me life away for no stinkin' ghost boat. Frankly, I'm wonderin' about that part, but hey -- I don't really give two fucks." That would be Preston responding to Adelheid's bold declaration of impending doom. While it may potentially be true, Preston nevertheless isn't that entertained by the notion. He's just wanting to knock some heads around, just like he doesn't really get the whole reason why Sada's involved, and calling them all kinds of snobbish names. The son of a Duke, bought off? Not bloody likely.
Further expletives are cut short as he notices the whirlwind developing right in front of him. With a sour grunt, he falls on the defensive, lifting both arms and bringing the blade of the oar down. The blades within the whirlwind slash wildly, drawing blood -- but the damage as hte whirlwind slides over him seems to be minimal at best. "God, you are an annoying little twat, aren't you?!" he demands of Nadine, before turning his attention.
It's the blonde again. Adelheid's going to threaten his life? Preston would almost laugh, but right now he's considering more that he'd really like to eat the rest of his pork rib sandwich. Which is ... on the floor now, thanks to Sada having taken out the piano. "Oh you're next," he warns her, as he runs for Adelheid. If Hakuya's going to send him for a bit of a tumble, then the massive, dirty, bleeding bare foot that the Brit aims to bury into the blonde invader could land anywhere -- be it face, butt, groin, stomach, leg, ankle! Oh the possibilities! But he aims to kick him just like a football. That's what he calls 'soccer.'
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Luc with Reppukyaku.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Luc 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Luc fails to interrupt Sling Whip from Sada with Anschlag Ereignis.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Sada
COMBATSYS: Luc can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Sada
Adelheid to his front, Sada to his back. What is Luc to do?
Get clobbered, of course.
And he seems not to mind at all.
First, comes Adelheid's assault. Those gouts of winds that whip out towards the German are met head on... and thusly overpower the poor young man in a brutal assault that sends him flying backwards. He soars through the air with the greatest of ease, just in time for that kusarigama to strike him in the midsection. Airborne as he is, he doesn't double over -- he does greet the deck face-first with a deafening crash, churning up wood and getting stabbed unpleasantly with splinters. He comes to a final stop, with only one thing to say to Sada before he goes silent:
"You can't hit for... shit... pathetic."
Thunk.
Okay, okay. They can do this. Hakuya is staying on the offense, demonstrating tenacity by sticking to Adelheid while Preston is weathering a ton of mighty attacks like the big tough kid he is, and Luc is... oh, wait, Luc just got destroyed. That's not looking okay at all. In fact, that's pretty much the opposite of okay.
Hotaru winces as he goes down, turning her attention on the three 'R' aligned invaders. Both Adelheid and Nadine have been taking a beating, but Sada has been getting by fairly unscathed... Hotaru may be on shaking limbs, but she's had a moment to collect herself too. Breathing in, the girl charges the young weapon user, forced to stick to the ground rather than taking to the air like she normally would due to the ceiling not being high enough to work for her.
When she gets in range, she hops into a spinning strike with two whirlwind palm smacks to draw Sada's attention high... in hopes that the other Seijyun girl misses the low, strong palm strike that comes out the instant Hotaru's feet touch the ground. The Kenpo artist may lack arm strength, but she leans into the attack hard, lending torso and leg strength to make it quite a forceful strike. "Ya!"
COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Adelheid with Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Adelheid
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Sada
COMBATSYS: Adelheid fails to interrupt Light Kick from Preston with Genocide Cutter.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Adelheid can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|
Threatening their lives? Oh no. These goody-two-shoes misunderstand, as seems to be their lot in life. Still, Adelheid apparently managed to motivate the opposition, even as he helps to take one of them down. He's the next on the list, however. The maelstrom of wind-chi blasts away from him, he draws a breath.... shifts his weight backwards... and the nhe's grabbed by Hakuya, flipped up and around, the air leaving his lungs as he hits the ground, back-first. His eyes open wide, and he haphazardly kicks outward, swinging back to a crouch despite the sudden, searing pain throughout his body....
And comes up in time to eat a foot to the face, cracking sharply back to the deck, and not moving just this moment. Looks like this one is now out of the platinum blonde's hands...
The scary question is what Rugal will do about it.
Nadine has apparently given enough of the old what-for to Preston for a few moments, and Luc is down; that means she can ignore both of the other Pacific students. Well, except to respond to Preston: "I try to be tenacious. It wouldn't do to give up halfway through, now would it?"
Adelheid dropping was unexpected and unpleasant, though, but Nadine does not give up yet. She reaches down for the knife embedded in the floor, grips it, and twists while pulling up as hard as she can; it eventually comes free, into her hand.
She throws it suddenly at Hotaru, sending it whipping through the air as fast and as hard as she can. It isn't one of her better throws, but it's passable.
COMBATSYS: Sada parries Hotaru's Soushou Shin!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
Sada may be in some sort of perfect storm of fury. This may be how people felt when they strode the battlefields of yore, slaying dozens.
Her head turns towards Hotaru as she advances, grimacing at her in a most unattractive way. She lets out a scream that nearly splits her lips, advancing into that incoming set of blows. The smacks are tossed aside with casual strokes of the kama, and she brings her other arm up when that thrusting strike comes in -
To meet it, muscles in her arms straining. She grins at Hotaru, briefly, tightly. "You should thank me for my mercy; at least you're polite in your fighting." Then she strikes forwards with the head of the kama, aiming the blunt tip of wood directly at Hotaru's own personal private solar plexus. It's closer than the head and less gorey than using the blade!
Up, over, and down Adelheid goes, and where he stops is... apparently somewhere where Preston's foot can get right in on his face. Whoa. It takes Hakuya a moment to register what's going on, it finally clicks: Adelheid was down. Even Hakuya looks surprised. Straightening up, he turns around to where he can hear the others fighting. Luc was down from the aftermath of the Bernstein's attack, but Hotaru was surprisingly still kicking! Looking to Preston, though he knew nothing of the bigger man beyond his associations, he offers a smile to him, "You fight very well! But I should expect that from you, as you're on Pacific Resistance!" Praising Preston and said associates... and yet, no doubt, in return Preston would say something unkind. But that's okay, Hakuya's used to it. For now, though, even though he can see Hotaru needs help, he just can't yet. He's too tired from exerting himself, and it wasn't like his wounds felt all that great either. Did one actually open again...?
COMBATSYS: Hakuya gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
After delivering that kick to Adelheid, the Brit turns to see just what state the rest are in. It seems that his teammate is down, so he steps off in that direction, noting the way that everybody seems to be concentrating on the girl. "Well, I'm always up for a little girl on girl on girl," he muses to the unconscious Luc, giving the fallen Resistance member a nudge with his foot. At about this stage, Hakuya has some choice words for his ears, and they earn a heavy grunt from the Brit. "What, you were expectin' somethin' else, son? You're doin' alright though. Let's mop these bitches up eh? I get the feelin' the rest of our little friends are in need of a hand."
Rather than take a moment like Hakuya though, he presses the attack. The oar of his is hefted and spun in the air, and then he's charging across the room once more. "Since you're so fond of givin' me a fuckin' lecture, try this instead!" the Brit roars as he barrels at Nadine. It's the oar that comes sliding through, the length of it glowing with a white-blue glow, surprisingly!
It cleaves the air, well short of where Nadine stands. But in its wake, that energy detaches, forming a trio of crescents that spend a moment floating -- before seeking the girl out! "But why don't both of you bitches riddle me fuckin' this. I'm fightin' for the fun of it. Why the fuck are you fightin' here exactly? Shouldn't you both be, uh, in school?"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Nadine's Medium Fling.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Sada
[ \\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Sada successfully hits Hotaru with Asai Harvester EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Sada
[ \\ <
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|
Sada manages to fend off Hotaru's strikes deftly enough to leave the Kenpo artist flat footed when she comes back at her. Avoiding Nadine's thrown knife happens pretty much on accident as the pig-tailed girl tries to weave out of the way of the wooden handle smacks her hard in the chest. Already having been struggling to stay upright as it is, that final blow elicits a pained, choking gasp from the girl, her eyes widened, the yelp lost due to lack of air with which to make a sound.
She's done all she can here, and though her mouth moves as if to say something in reply to Sada, the words are silent as the girl bends her legs and tries to slam her shoulder into the weapon user's chest in an attempt to plow her over before dropping to her own hands and knees then slumping prone.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Sada
COMBATSYS: Preston successfully hits Nadine with White Horses.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Preston 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Sada
"I could ask you the same thing," Nadine responds to Preston, "as you go to my school - or you're supposed to, delinquent or not - "
There is one thing that shuts her up, and that something is pain. Arcing crescents are an effective way to make Nadine keep her mouth shut, as she grits her teeth to avoid showing him just how much that actually hurt.
This time she throws not one but two knives, retrieving a second from somewhere in the depths of that dress' sides and the hidden pockets within. They both come whistling forward, pitched with one overhand and one, a moment later, underhand. "Enjoying yourself?" she eventually manages, through clenched teeth.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Sada with Tenshin Shou EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Preston 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Sada
Sada feels a brief pang of sympathy as Hotaru strikes - and a lot more of something else as the strike ripples through her, the force of Hotaru's blow translating into a series of vicious bruises and a cracked rib in her front. She steps back, panting once, and lets the girl fall to the floor.
Then her head snaps up as she hears Hakuya speak, and points the kama at him, her expression furious but in a more stable, straightforward way. "Shut up," she shouts at him. "They're resisting nothing! They're a glorified gang, even if they do fight well! At least have the honesty to call yourself a gang, and ride around on motorcycles and sniff paint thinner! Don't say you're resisting when you didn't have to be there!!"
Then Preston talks, and she looks at him, brandishing the kama: "Shut it! Right NOW we're fighting to save your ingrates' lives from whatever the hell crap these psychotic ninjas are going to do! They'll throw you into a meat grinder to make ritual potions, or to extract your power to feed your dead gods!"
She seems to be forgetting to hit someone. Maybe she's hoping Nadine will go down first.
COMBATSYS: Sada focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Nadine
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Preston 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Sada
Hakuya gives Sada his best blank, innocent look as she starts yelling at him. He blinks a few times through it, and instinctively holds up his hands in front of his chest, idly waving them a little to stem off the girl's raging words. "Um... I don't think you know them that well..." he tries. Honestly, he liked all of Pacific Resistance, and counted them as friends. WHY is probably beyond most people, but he didn't like people bad mouthing them anymore than he did his much closer friends, Tenma and Kenji. Sighing, he shakes his head some as Preston calls them 'bitches'. He's all for 'cleaning them up' but... bitches? Really. Oh well. He can't win this one - he's supposed to be fighting, anyway! Launching himself forward, he rushes towards the other two fights, his expression turning from blank and innocent to serious in but a moment. He goes straight for Nadine this time, gauging between the two roughly that the one using knives needed less 'attention' than the kama-wielding one did to put her down. "Hyaaaaaaaaaah-!" he cries out, and rushes straight for the girl. His arm extends, and once again he tries a clothesline, the arm reaching for Nadine, intending to sweep her up and off her feet. If he's successful, he'll then swirl around on his feet, pulling a full 180, and then throwing Nadine to the floor.
COMBATSYS: Preston Toughs Out Nadine's Power Fling!!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Hakuya 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Nadine
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Preston 1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1 Sada
"I just answered that! I'm fightin' for the fun of it. You think I give a rats ass about why you guys are attackin' us, or why there's a floatin' ship over this one, or why there are all kinds of fuckin' things goin' bump in the fuckin' night?" A heavy snort escapes Preston's mouth, a snarl that only lacks the smoke of a comical bull. The blades come at him, but he simply flexes, causing them to ricochet off his bulk; he's a goddamn mountain of muscle, it's what he does. "It's you I'd suggest takin' a long good look in the mirror about, but hey. Don't get me wrong. I really don't give a fuck, and..."
Wait, what the hell is Sada smoking? He squints at the girl. That shit isn't making any sense. "Are you just fuckin' nuts or are you just fuckin' nuts, luv? Now I think I can speak for my little Nazi friend here," and again he kicks the unconscious Luc in the ribs. "But we're in it for the fun of the fight. What the hell do we care about some supposed ghost ship? You guys are gettin' in our faces, and that means you get punched. But if you wanna step and climb back out that window, by all means.
"It'll save you some pain. This does somewhat seem like one hell of a motherfuckin' silly fight."
What, is he meant to stop fighting though? If they won't leave of their own volition, then he'll assist in their departure. He's got an oar for paddlin'. Time to use it. "Just leave before we consider keepin you two 'round for fun, ya hear? Take your little blonde bastard and get the fuck off the ship!" With that, he figures he may as well take care of Sada, since she's the one eating cocaine for breakfast to come up with such crack-addled ideas.
He points one finger at her -- but more accurately, the ground beneath her! A swell of chi blossoms, aiming to knock her off her feet and into the air -- just as he jumps, aiming to meet the girl in the air and drive the butt of the oar deep into her belly to bring her back down to earth, hard!
COMBATSYS: Nadine dodges Hakuya's Strong Throw.
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Hakuya 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Nadine
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Preston 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 Sada
Nadine is running out of knives to throw.
She looks moderately shocked when Preston literally flexes her knives into submission, as that is something that is rarely done and a bit of a downer from her perspective; it's more emotion than she usually shows, so at least it's having /some/ effect on her.
When Hakuya comes at her, Nadine reacts as quickly as she can with a pounding head, a bleeding face, and someone yelling profanities at her and her partner. She ducks under the arm while raising her own, attempting to get her elbow right about where Hakuya's throat is, and then using it as a pivot point to spin around and plant her feet into his back. It looks awkward.
COMBATSYS: Preston successfully hits Sada with Azimuth Circle.
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Hakuya 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Nadine
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Preston 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sada
It works perfectly. Sada goes flying upwards as the deck beneath her erupts in a storm of planking and fire and blue light. She hates chi for a fleeting moment. She sees the oar, and resolves to master and enslave this evil energy to serve her whims before she's struck with brutal force. She hits the ground and lays there, still, for a few moments.
She mumbles something. She coughs, then, and says it louder. "You do it... for... fun?"
She leans back, then, levering herself up from the ground with splinters in one cheek and blood running into her eye. She curses inwardly towards all American pig dogs, and then rises to her feet with a heaving, agonized lurch. Joints creak. "Well," she says with withering spite in her voice, "I'm glad that SOMEBODY has." And then she throws the weapon.
She spins it around first, putting her entire body in heaving the kusari-end first, in order to wrap brutally around Preston's body; she then proceeds, barely looking at him as she moves by reflex, to yank down in the hopes of pulling him down before hurling the kama at the middle of the probable target, letting out a scream at the last moment -- she couldn't possibly see him, but she aims it anyway. This is probably not the ideal tactical maneuver, but she'll blame their lack of coordinated death-dealing on Nadine, later.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya interrupts Savage Combo from Nadine with Blind Crescent.
- Power hit! -
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Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Nadine
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Preston 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Sada
Well, that didn't work! Arm passes straight over Nadine, but Hakuya's well aware of how people tend to react to nearly being thrown around like a ragdoll. Seriously, Tenma gets -pissed- after awhile of that. The elbow makes his throat, but he's already turned, his feet at the ready. She swings around and even gets her feet into his back, and he's shoved forward. But he only takes two steps, before his hand is reaching back and grabbing Nadine's ankle, and with a rough jerk, pulls the girl forward, past himself, and then launches her straight up in the air. But he's not done, not by a long shot! Raising his leg straight up, he waits until Nadine passes by his heel, and then axe kicks her in the stomach, sending her all the more roughly into the floor, slamming her into the deck space. He then hops backwards, feet dancing away a bit as he waits for Nadine to get back up. --Or, was it the end just yet?
COMBATSYS: Sada successfully hits Preston with Mataemon's Punishment.
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Hakuya 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Nadine
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Preston 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Sada
"Oi, look. I understand you may have trouble understandin' all the words that're comin' out of my mouth, but I'm not a fuckin' Yank, y'hear?" It seems that Sada does indeed hear, since she's suddenly wrapping the chain about his middle and knocking him over. And suffice it to say, he's left bleeding, battered, chain-burnt and definitely smarting after the kama does its damage as well. "Oooh that got me right in the funsies, it did," he growls. Preston doesn't elaborate. It got him in the middle, and it hurt -- she even knocked him off his feet, which is a feat unto itself.
Awkwardly, he steps back to his feet, leaning on the oar for support. To judge him, he's breathing hard, definitely pushed to his limits if not beyond them. But he's not done yet. Well he will be soon, but not just yet. Lifting the oar, he moves in for what is likely to be one last strike from him -- and he figures, he may as well assist Sada in getting the hell off the boat. "You should remember how this feels, luv," he warns her as he nears, sending the blade whistling in a thrust, much akin to a spear.
It's what he tried on Adelheid earlier, and he's likely to be just as successful now. The oar is aimed for the middle, where he may skewer Sada with its broad head -- and then throw her towards the broken window and the sea beyond, or their repel lines, whatever catches her fancy!
Nadine slams into the floor with startling force, having been almost helpless during the assault - she was nearly dropped in the first place, and that just seals the deal. She gathers her chi in an attempt to protect herself, but...
Rather than let it out properly, when Nadine smashes into the floor, the wind aura blasts away from her in all directions. It kicks up several small, randomly aimed tornados, whirling wildly throughout the nearby area; none of them last long, but there might be a brief creation of one strong enough to hurt.
Afterwards, all Nadine tries to do is drag herself away, back to the window. She isn't going to be fighting anymore.
COMBATSYS: Nadine can no longer fight.
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Hakuya 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Sada
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Preston 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Sada fails to counter Bunting Tosser from Preston with Asai Harvester.
- Power fail! -
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Preston 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Hakuya
COMBATSYS: Sada can no longer fight.
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Preston 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Hakuya
"I know you aren't an American!!" Sada hisses at Preston. "You think I am /stupid/ or do you just want to - " Oh for God's sake, she thinks, seeing that oar slam towards her. She raises the kama to swipe at the mighty oar. But it is an enormous length of wood, and hers is, by comparison, paltry.
She flies gracefully out the window and is saved from a swan dive into the warm Pacific seas only by the railing. She nearly breaks through anyway and slumps down anyway with a groan.
It seems that the Pacific Resistance has resisted successfully, today.
But the piano's still busted, and that, in the end, is a victory for the Darkside Student Council. Play the shamisen, you heathens!
COMBATSYS: Hakuya reflects Rolling Storm from Nadine with Darkside Sunder.
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Preston 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Hakuya
He was pretty sure that -was- the end... but you never knew, with fighters. And indeed Nadine proves to have strength for just one more attack. Wind swirls up, and tornados form... and yeah, one forms enough that it might actually hurt. Hakuya's response to this is simple, though. Raising his arm, the fingerless gloved hand 'catches' the swirling wind, the razor swirls being held juuuuust away from his palm. Furrowing his brow, it doesn't take Hakuya as long as he had last time: he just 'grips' the energy, and then suddenly casts it away, one handed, ripping into the ground away from Nadine until it works itself out. Looking over towards Preston, he sees that his opponent, as well, is out - a good thing, he supposes. That meant... they won? Maybe. "I guess... we'll put them in the cabins. They're more easily defendable." Now just to decide how to do the lifting.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya has left the fight here.
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Preston 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Preston has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:16:54 10/20/2007 by Adelheid, and last modified on 19:57:49 10/22/2007.