Description: [Tenma vs. Tiffany] In the ruined, flooding engine room of the Suiryuu, erstwhile cabinmates Tenma Kiryuu and Tiffany Lords face off in freezing seawater, dangerously unstable rubble, and ghostly light. Both fighters' resolve and endurance are pushed to the limit in a short, nail-bitingly close fight, but in the end it comes down to... [Winner: Tiffany]
COMBATSYS: Tiffany has started a fight here.
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Tiffany 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tenma has joined the fight here.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tiffany
Tiffany struggles to keep her footing on a precarious mount of battered ship rubble... including something that might once have been part of the engine. She looks a bit like she's seen better days, herself... but considering she's literally been used as a sledgehammer and a Luisville Slugger... she looks pretty darn good!
The only evidence that shows she took the worst of the invasion force is a handful of strategically placed adhesive bandages (including one on her forehead, and a severe reddening of her face. Hey, at least she doesn't have the tennis-racket griddwork across her features anymore, "Fight in a tournament, they said. Fame and exposure, they said." she grumbles, "Glamourous cruise, hmmph."
It's been a long day. Explosions, nets, getting shot out of a cannon, getting mauled by raving psychotics, getting locked up with Marisol for what seemed like an eternity... A really, really long day. But then, just when it seemed like there might be a chance to relax, to rest and recover, the crazy ninjas had to go blow up half the damn boat, and /then/ they have the gall to tell people to continue the tournament on its slowly-sinking, gutted remains.
But if that's how they want to play this, that's fine with Tenma Kiryuu.
In the ruined, flooding engine room, the only illumination comes from the strange energy from the seals that seem to be everywhere on what remains of the structure, dancing over the surface of the water and casting a ghastly glow all around... At first. But shortly after the Guardian King makes his way into the former engine room, it's joined by a second light, a misty red glow emanating from the wooden practice sword the teenager carries, slightly curved like the katana it's meant to mimic. Bloody chi all around the weapon, it provides its own illumination, casting a strange light on its wielder, Tenma.
The Gedo gang member doesn't look too happy, or in very good condition either; the last intact shirt he had was in his cabin - which, /technically/, he shared with Tiffany, though he was seldom around for some bizarre reason - so one can see his forearms and hands wrapped in bandages, as well as his similarly covered bare torso, white bandages looping over one shoulder. Loose olive drab cargo pants keep him decent at least, though his feet are bare, and his face is set in a look of grim determination, one eye simply refusing to open anymore. It'll get better, probably.
"Sorry," Tenma says to Tiffany as he sees the blonde, showing little of his usual exuberance or overwhelming arrogance. Today, he's all business. He's just not in the mood. "I'm gonna havta make this quick." Standing ankle-deep in water, the dark-haired boy doesn't even spare time for the usual pleasantries, or letting Tiffany get a word in edgewise if he can help it, instead sweeping his bokken through the air with a faint grunt of effort, slashing at nothing at all; but the red arc of energy that follows the blade's course through the air hides a surprise, as a crescent of roiling blood launches forth, tearing through the air at the boxer.
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Tiffany with Dharmapala.
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Tenma 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Tiffany
Tiffany's torso is not quite as bare as Tenma, but only barely. Apparently, when things all went down, she was sunbathing or something... or perhaps the room she and Tenma shared got trashed, and the red and black bikini is all she had left? Hard to say... even Tiffany might not remember.
She does remember, though, "Hey, weren't we room-"*Energy-Slash*
She rolls with the cut of red light, and almost goes bowling off into the water. She manages to catch herself on an overhanging pipe, and sweeps around it with her boxing gloves to protect her from the rusty metal, "Hey!" she shouts, as she flips through the air toward Tenma, "Dammit, can't I have at least one friendly fight around here?" trying to cartwheel /through/ his face!
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Tiffany's Beautiful Spin.
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Tenma 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Tiffany
Another time, and Tenma would probably be a lot friendlier, if one accepts 'staring at Tiffany's boobs and possibly making suggestive comments as he fights her' as friendly. But the almost dying, the injuries to his body and to his pride, have just taken too much of a toll on him. For once, and this is indeed something rarely seen, Tenma is in a serious mood. As Tiffany comes cartwheeling through the air at him, the Gedo gang member sees just enough of an opening to get his bokken in the way, stopping the attack cold, though the impact transfers through the wooden blade and into his arms, jarring and numbing his already injured limbs.
In the back of his mind, a dirty remark about Tiffany's bikini forms... And is cruelly stomped down before it can be spoken. Is this really Tenma Kiryuu?!
Staggering back from the impact for a second, Tenma doesn't smirk, doesn't grin, he just keeps glowering a little bit, his one eye focused and steady... As he lunges right at Tiffany and tries to slash her across the middle with his bloody bokken, hoping to drive her back into the water. "I /said/ 'sorry', geez," Tenma protests, so maybe there's a little normalcy left in there somewhere.
COMBATSYS: Tiffany dodges Tenma's Fierce Strike.
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Tenma 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Tiffany
Tiffany is jarred as her spinning form is stopped ... not quite cold... by her opponent's bokken. It's probably a good thing, too, because she's got sandles with -cleats!- Nevertheless, Tiffany smiles, a slightly impish grin, but a friendly-ish one.
Standing on her hands with her legs scissoring in the air, from where she's blocked the blow, she rolls back away from Tenma, avoiding the blow and bringing up a fist as part of the motion, to try and catch him in the side when he extends the swipe, "Yeah, but where's the "Hiya, Tiff! I'm glad to see you survived! I mean, I was worried about you! There was something I wanted to ask you 'bout!" She's bantering on purpose, a little bit teasing a little bit... well... trying to bring him out of the funk.
COMBATSYS: Tenma fails to interrupt Strong Punch from Tiffany with Initial Breaker.
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Tenma 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Tiffany
The lack of a hit is the first warning Tenma gets; the second is the slight pressure, from his blind side, where he can feel the blonde's fist headed towards his side. Twisting, the Gedo gang member pulls his weapon back, preparing to do /something/, but instead he gets himself punched right in the chest, where all those bandages are courtesy of Mature. "Ghh--!!" he grunts in pain throuch clenched teeth, staggering back into the water and putting his free hand to his bandaged chest. Owww!
"In case y'didn't notice, we're on a sinkin' boat," Tenma replies, spitting a gob of blood into the freaky glowing seawater. "Ain't really the best place t' be bosom buddies." Okay, double entendre, maybe Tiffany is actually luring Tenma out of his shell? But his one open eye remains fixed on the blonde's face rather than, uh, other places, waiting for the first sign of what she might try next.
Tiffany lands on her feet on the pile, and gives Tenma a coy smile, "Aww..." she says, rolling her head back and forth, to pop her neck. She might not be as brainy as some folks, but she's bright enough and good at reading people, "I think someone could use a /Hug!/"
With that said, she holds her arms out wide, and runs right for Tenma!
An opening?
Or... a deadly danger!
Her chest thrusts forward at the last minute, and she tries to use her considerable... topside weight to bull-rush Tenma off the rubble.
COMBATSYS: Tenma endures Tiffany's Chest Thrusting.
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Tenma 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Tiffany
SWEET BREAKDANCING BUDDHA, SHE'S HEADING RIGHT FOR HIM!
Tenma's one currently useable eye widens at the sight of Tiffany charging at him, talent first, and he finds himself in the grips... Of a dilemma. Part of him, the 'clever tactics guy' part says, 'hey bro, that's probably going to hurt something fierce, maybe we oughta not be there in front of that.' But another part of him, the 'hormone-driven teenager' part says, 'SHUT UP STUPID LOOK WHAT SHE'S DOING!!' It really is a timeless struggle, you know, between the civilised and savage impulses. But it seems there's some middle ground; Tenma doesn't try to get out of the way, but nor does he just stand there like a dope.
Instead, the currently one-eyed Guardian King smiles. Slowly, but he does it. The impact is... Ferocious. Nothing compared to what happened when he stood up to Birdie's headfirst rush in the corridors of the Suiryuu, but it's nothing to sneeze at either. This time, though, Tenma knows what he's doing, shifting his footing on the uncertain ground to redirect his momentum, twsting, and ducking, and then throwing himself /up/ and directly at Tiffany in a corkscrew motion from /right up in her... well not her face but really close/ in a rising, whirling strike with his bokken aimed to take her up with him, and then knock her away. "VAJRA!!"
COMBATSYS: Tiffany blocks Tenma's Vajra.
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Tenma 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Tiffany
Tiffany smiles as Tenma gives ground, but doesn't get bowled over. She opens her mouth to say, "There, don't you feel better?" but blinks as she's caught up in his rising strike and lifted off into the air. She brings her arms up and catches the bokken sharply between her boxing mitts before it does anything really serious to her cleavage (or her bikini top!)
Smiling sweetly, she moves to try and interpose her cleated sandles against his belly, shove him away from her in midair... and maybe catch him with a kick in the process! "Awfully forward, aren'tcha?"
COMBATSYS: Tenma dodges Tiffany's Heavy Kick.
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Tenma 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Tiffany
So, that didn't work out quite how Tenma intended, but the dark-haired teen isn't about to give himself over to being surprised. Not right now; he doesn't know /why/ the ninjas decided he should be in the semifinals, but since he's here, he's going to make the best of it. Even in the sinking remains of a destroyed creepy ship of doom. The cleated sandals press against Tenma's bare belly, pushing him off, but at the same moment, he pushes off as well, managing to avoid getting hurt by Tiffany in midair; instead he rides the momentum back, flipping once and landing unevenly in the rising water, stumbling a step. "Yeah, well, fortune favours the bold, an' all that," he replies, finally.
"So what th' hell did you wanna ask me, anyway?" Tenma wonders as he splashes forward through the ice-cold, glowing seawater as if it were nothing at all, to reascend the rubble pile and close with Tiffany, striking out at her in the process with a fast, one-handed slash aimed right where her shoulder meets her neck. At least he's showing enough consideration to not go for her face; or, maybe he just isn't that suicidal.
COMBATSYS: Tiffany dodges Tenma's Medium Strike.
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Tenma 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Tiffany
Tiffany lands on her feet on the mound of rubble, and ducks and weaves her way closer to her opponent. If Tenma's got any knowledge of professional boxing at all... he's likely to recognize that shuffle. It's textbook 'float like a butterfly'
The sting comes rapidly after she sways out of the way of his slash, "Oh, just wanted to ask if ya can forgive me fer that pretty girl I tied to a chair in our room! I felt bad for not warning you about 'er!"
See, now, she's banking on the fact that he wasn't around when she did it, and that he didn't hear Momo ambushed her on the first night aboard!
Quite frankly, she hopes his brain shuts down at the pretty girl bondage part.
With that hopeful opening, she unloads a groovy knuckle at his face!
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Tiffany's Groovy Knuckle.
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Tenma 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Tiffany
Really, the only boxer Tenma knows much about is Marisol, and her style is less 'professional boxing' and more 'drunken Irish barroom brawl', isn't it? So there's less appreciation for Tiffany's smooth moves, and instead a faint hiss of irritation from the swordsman. But it's cool, he can handle it. "You did what?!" Tenma demands, though he seems more bewildered than anything else. And if he knew who Tiffany was talking about, he'd probably throw up a little in his mouth. Seriously, ew.
But Tenma isn't so distracted that he can't handle the punch headed his way, and once again Tiffany's attack meets wooden, chi-emanating sword, the force enough to drive the Gedo gang member back a few steps. "Didn't figure you for some kinda weirdo, Barbie," he says, having apparently recovered enough of his usual nature to fall back on referring to people by demeaning nicknames instead of their actual handles. "But," Tenma adds, whirling his bokken once to raise it, point down, over the rubble at their feet. "I ain't got time for distractions right now." He drives the weapon down, into the wreckage, and bloody chi pours down into it along the blade of his sword, until the red light suffuses the engine room from underneath, almost overwhelming the glow of the seals and ambient energy. And then, the whole rubble pile seems to explode, draconic shapes made out of blood howling forth, destroying everything in their path as they zero in on Tiffany. "I'm here to win!!"
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Tiffany with Hell of Blood.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Tiffany
Okay... so now, all you note-takers watching on the security cams, (we know you're there!) we know what kinds of attacks Tiffy's weak against. Giant blood-bathing dragon attacks. You've got her number now!
As the wash of red comes writhing up out of the wreckage, she screams loudly... though through the haze of chi-infused nastiness, it sounds a bit more like, EWW! Eww, eww, eww, eeEEWWWWW~!!" When the haze clears... Tenma's alone on the pile of destruction. Has Tiffany been totally destroyed? The place is empty... unless you look up, where a literally *Spinning* Tiffany is blazing down toward Tenma like a human drill bit... feet first! If Tenma's not careful, he'll be blasted into the hull with the fighting furious combo of cheerleader and cleats!
. o O (Also... darn you security cam ninjas!)
COMBATSYS: Tiffany successfully hits Tenma with Wonderful Kick.
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Tenma 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Tiffany
That's pretty much the typical reaction to Tenma's attacks, by and large. Strangely, a lot of people don't fancy the idea of getting hit with blood, for some reason. But for all that Tenma has Tiffany's number... It seems the blonde has a good bead on Tenma as well. As she comes drilling down towards him, the Guardian King sets himself, trying to get his bokken in the way of the attack, but no dice; Tiffany simply powers through his guard, driving him into the hull powerfully, just enough that his injured body is already saying 'hell no', but...
Even as he's driven into the water and steel, he swings his bokken one last time, once more cutting a swath through empty air and sending a crescent of bloody chi right at the boxer-cheerleader, in a last defiant gesture. "Eat... THIS!!"
COMBATSYS: Tenma can no longer fight.
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Tiffany 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Tiffany blocks Tenma's Dharmapala.
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Tiffany 0/-------/-----==|
Tiffany lands from her wonderful kick... with... not so much in the way of poise. She almost falls in the water, actually. After Tenma goes blazing away from the impact with her tootsies, she touches down, slips and waves her arms wildly in the air, kicking out a leg in a frantic, somewhat cheesecake-ish posture (especially with her tattered bikini) before she gets her feet back under her. It looks like a vulnerable moment, and Tenma (whether going on instinct or rage,) nearly capitalizes on it. Fortunately for the blonde girl, she sees his blast coming and brings her arms up in an X-shape to block. The blast actually pushes her away from the edge, and she lets out a deep sigh when she realizes she's still standing.
A moment passes.
Then, another. She peers over the edge of the rubble, "Hello? Okay, down there?"
The next... ten or so minutes are spent with Tiff clambering down to try and extract Tenma and toss him (fireman's carry-wise) over her shoulder, "See? Wasn't this more fun when we made the best of it instead of being all crabby?" intending to carry him to safety.
She does spare a moment to stop... and stick her tongue out at a spot somewhere near the ceiling. She figures that's as good a place as any for the Ninja-Cam.
Close... But no cigar. For a moment, there's a strange and unfamiliar feeling in Tenma's mind, one he can't even put a name to; insecurity is something he's never really come more than within brushing distance of before, but given what's happened since his fight in the Ghost Machine room... Laying half out of the water, the chi aura around his bokken having vanished, Tenma's one good eye stares up at the distant, ruined ceiling as Tiffany climbs down, and he thinks. Once he IS picked up like that, with a grunt of mild irritation as his dignity is maligned further by being /rescued/ - again! - the Guardian King speaks. "You better win," he grouses, in response to Tiffany's presumably rhetorical question about his crabbiness.
Of course, as Tiffany carries him to safety like that, Tenma notices something else, which prompts him to speak again. "Nice view," he says, not bothering to moderate his voice at all.
Yeah, he's gonna be just fine.
Tiffany smirks, as if she knows she oughtta give Tenma a slug for that quip. But instead, she gives him a light chuckle, "What the heck, I put you through a lot." and carries him to the exit, slung over her shoulder.
She does make sure she knows where his hands are at all times, though. -.-
Log created on 19:25:04 10/25/2007 by Tenma, and last modified on 23:16:43 10/25/2007.