Description: It's Halloween in Chinatown! Acacia's dressed as Sakura, and vice-versa, for this totally awesome test of wills. A must-see! (Winner: Sakura)
The Japanese don't understand Halloween. Not really.
Granted, this isn't unusual. Japan's got the cultural density of a rock, and even the almighty social forces of globalization can't /do/ all that much against the Great Wall of Nippon. There's Japanese things, you see. Then there's foreign things. And then there's foreign things that have /become/ Japanese, usually by shoving them through a high-speed blender of interpretation and pureeing them until they go well with rice.
Granted, this isn't something the Japanese have a complete monopoly over. Other people do it as well - certainly Hollywood and the West have done terrible things to Asian culture. Take the Chinese. The Chinese copy /everything/.
Which brings us to the here and now. This is Southtown, a Japanese city. But one that's dominated by Howard Enterprises, essentially a Western company. And this is the /Chinatown/ district of said city.
And it's Halloween.
Clearly, this is a recipe for disaster.
Oh, the atmosphere is cheerful enough. It's a cool night, with good weather, clear skies. The moon's up, shining silver through the clouds. The sounds of reverie drift through the streets, as costumed merrymakers perform the traditional rites of the season, which consist largely of consuming inordinate amounts of sweet foods and a fair bit of alcohol. In costume. It's the costume that makes all the difference, you see.
But the focus of attention, the absolute centerpiece of this street party - is the bridge that crosses the street. Spanning the roofs of two shophouse buildings. It's a temporary structure, yes, but a very elaborate one, with solid timbers and carved wooden railings shaped in loops and whorls. It's brightly lit, too, strung with Chinese paper lanterns, casting a red glow amid golden tassles...
...well, more accurately, it's strung with an unholy mix of paper lanterns and obnoxiously orange plastic pumpkin jack-o-lanterns.
But the pumpkins are probably made in China, so that's okay.
A massive cheer goes up from the partygoers as a figure steps out onto the bridge. A distinctive fighter, dressed in a /very/ familiar uniform. White and blue blouse, yellow scarf, blue skirt. Bright red padded gloves and canvas sneakers. A white headband, the ends trailing behind her. She raises a fist, pumping it in the air, waving to the crowd.
It's probably a good thing the lighting's bad, though, because what they -can't- see is the blush creeping up Acacia's face.
"Damned skirt is drafty," she mutters, under her breath.
Even people who had =heard= about the Neo League battle should be forgiven for mistaking the two fighters assembled here tonight. They're both of Asian descent and stand about 5'1". Both are... pretty ferocious tomboys, and are pretty tough to take down =despite= their slight frames. Both are about 18. And neither brushes their hair regularly.
And, of the two announced fighters, one is dressed as Acacia, and one is dressed as Sakura. The bad lighting really isn't helping people tell the difference between the two young women, and neither is the elevated walkway that crosses the two shops.
It's a bad angle to be wearing a skirt in, and even worse when the person doing so isn't =used= to it. Sakura is... but she's wearing the black denim of Acacia's usual outfit. The jacket with green and brown hues she wears does absolutely nothing to camoflauge her here in the middle of Chinatown's gaudy light riggings.
It's certainly a =comfortable= outfit for Sakura, but the very thought of this little switcheroo seems to amuse the former Taiyo student immensely.
She knows better than to make a huge show of it, though, lest Acacia storm off stage before the fight even begins. Accordingly, she keeps her expression to a broad, bemused smile. This entails a great deal of restraint on her part!
... But even still, a snicker or two slip out with her reply to Acacia's comment: "It's not so bad once you get used to it! Just don't look down!"
Kasugano's reasonably sure Acacia's not afraid of heights -- that wasn't the reason for the warning.
Changing the subject (to keep from doubling over laughing) she walks up, tugging her lapels taut, then stepping into a loose, brawler's stance, fists balled at the ready with a mock-serious expression on her face. "S'been a while, hasn't it?"
The audio pickups can probably still convey the bemusement, serious face notwithstanding.
Her footfalls heavy on the makeshift wooden bridge, Acacia comes to a halt across from Sakura. It -is- hard to tell the two girls apart, given their similar sizes and build. They've got different skin tones and hair colours, but the poor lighting makes that hard to see, especially from a distance.
Their -body language- is quite different, though. While Sakura seems highly amused by this, Acacia is apparently...not.
But then, it's hard to tell.
"Yes," Acacia replies, blandly.
A beat.
Then she carefully plucks the hem of her skirt between her thumb and forefinger. In an equally dry voice, she adds:
"And...I'm wearing bike shorts."
Acacia arches a slender eyebrow, tilting her head to the side in a perfectly measured gesture. The corner of her lip twitches, as she meets Sakura's eyes.
"So...no point looking down...Kasugano."
Sakura doesn't walk quite so heavily upon the bridge -- she usually saves the dramatic stomping for when she's really ticked off. She's far from frustrated now -- Acacia's been one of her favorite match-ups in this Neo League, ever since the very first Neo League fight ever!
But, as Acacia alludes to the skirt, and the quite subtle intimation that =Sakura= might be the one looking down, her cheeks -are- made to blush just the faintest bit! "Th- that's not what I meant!" she stammers, fists tightening just the slightest. "The fans, the =fans!=" stresses the junior Ansatsuken with an open-hand gesture to the crowd. "It's--
Kasugano realizes that she probably drew way more confused looks there than she'd have liked, so she recovers as best she can: "It's all about them! We gotta give 'em a good show, right?"
Smirking as she gets back into her usual groove, she steps forward with a 'snatch the pebble from my hand' gesture: "But, just to be fair, I'll be nice and let the schoolgirl go first!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Acacia has joined the fight here.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
"Hai, hai, Sakura-senpai."
The words are delivered with a completely toneless inflection, flat and deadpan. Acacia's expression doesn't change, not even in the slightest. For all the difference it makes, her face might as well be carved from stone. She regards Sakura with a level gaze.
And then...
Acacia smiles.
She /moves/, then, lunging forward. Acacia's legs flex at the knees, before her muscles release, throwing her into the air. The unfamiliar fabric of the uniform swirls around her as she moves, the skirt tossed by the motion, scarf and headband flapping in the wind. But she doesn't let that distract her from the business of directing a very serious uppercut to Sakura's chin.
Serious, at least, save for the...rather uncharacteristic shout that leaves Acacia's lungs:
"SHOU'OU KEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura parries Acacia's Strong Punch!
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
Sakura's not a very good actress. Aside from the Halloween-inspired swapping of wardrobes, she's barely -tried- to act like Acacia. In her all-or-nothing mind, that'd just mean being quiet and stuff, and Sakura's not big on quiet! ... So when Acacia =smiles=, she actually feels kinda guilty! "... Oh... yeah, I totally forgot..."
... At which point her expression turns to an overplayed caricature of Acacia's earlier expression, brows furrowed, mouth pinched in an overly tight look of concentration. "Mmmm!" she grunts, just to complete her melodramatic portrayal.
And it's right about then that she finds a Shou'ou Ken coming straight for her chin. Seeing her own move -- the one more undeniably =Sakura= than any of her others -- in her =own= uniform -- is just a bit surreal!
But while her attention, her conscious mind is focused on the weird juxtaposition it's been presented with, her body is luckily acting on its own accord. A quick strafe to her left carries her chin just out of harm's way, her right forearm hinging up beneath that uppercut, as a fallback measure, as if to nudge the attacking limb to the side.
But, in doing so, she's also placed herself neatly at Acacia's back -- an opportunity which the seasoned fighter is quick to capitalize on.
She hopes to lash her left arm about Acacia's neck, and lock it into place with her other arm for a tight pull. "... Huh, does it really leave me that open?" she asks with an amazed gasp.
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures Sakura's Sakura Strangle EX.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Sakura
"Prob'ly...not," Acacia coughs, her voice rasping. That's what you get when you try to speak with an arm hooked securely round your neck and windpipe. Not an easy feat, but one Acacia manages all the same - even as she struggles to draw breath.
"'m not you," Acacia retorts.
No, she isn't. Although for the crowd down below, the little exchange seems to be meeting with approval. No time to think about that, though. With Sakura hanging off her back, slowly choking the life out of her...Acacia reacts. That opening move was theater.
This one is pure Acacia. Simple, to the point, brutally efficient.
Taking advantage of their close proximity, Acacia hauls her arm back, slamming an elbow towards Sakura's gut.
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Quick Punch from Acacia with Medium Throw.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Sakura
Acacia said she wasn't Sakura -- so of course the plucky Ansatsuken student has to make some remark to that. "Not everyone can be so lucky!"
Sakura seems to be sensing =some= kind of motion from Acacia, but with the close proximity, there isn't =too= much opportunity to take defensive measures. Instead, she tries jerking Acacia sharply to one side, hoping to throw off her game.
Unfortunately, she read the intention wrong, and =helped= Acacia introduce an elbow to her torso. Releasing her hold with a muted grunt, she doubles back, hand to her side... and only now remembers =why= it felt different: many layers of fabric!
She backs away quickly afterwards, raising her guard again and narrowing her eyes. But her smile is one of fresh appreciation: "I'd forgot for a bit just how hard you hit!"
"What," Acacia grumbles, sounding as if she's offended, "do I need to start giving remedial classes or something?"
She snorts, nostrils flaring. It's not a particularly ladylike gesture, but...really, see if she cares. This whole Halloween thing is probably the first time Acacia's worn a skirt in...er...hn...ever.
The sailor-suited girl turns round, coming to face her opponent. She watches the other fighter across the bridge. Acacia's eyes narrow as she squints through the dim light, studying Sakura's form as illuminated by the swaying lanterns, both paper and faux-pumpkin. Truth be told, Sakura actually looks pretty /good/ in Acacia's usual fighting outfit. The jeans and t-shirt suit her pretty well, and she carries off the camo jacket with even a hint of style. For some reason, Acacia finds that mildly irritating. One of her eyes twitches slightly.
"Hn," Acacia sniffs, "come on."
She slides into a fighting stance...
...an almost perfect mirror image of Sakura's own.
COMBATSYS: Acacia focuses on her next action.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Sakura
If Acacia were to start acting ladylike, she =really= wouldn't be playing the part of Sakura here! ... The juxtaposition of the sour expression and the Sakura-styled uniform brings a snicker to the Taiyo grad. So much for that brief instant of acting all serious-like.
"Yeah, teachers tell me I got a bit of trouble 'retaining' stuff after a test..." smirks the Ansatsuken fighter. And... since Acacia is ganking =her= stance, right now, Sakura likewise returns to =Acacia's=.
... There, she furrows her brow for a moment, in concentration. "... So what is it you =call= this move, anyway?" she asks curiously, drawing her fist back. The air fluctuates, trembling with what seems to be a marked variation in pressure, tinged with thin, hairline traces of blue chi. She's clearly attempting to duplicate one of the moves Acacia's used on her before... but it's not quite as =invisible= as Acacia herself was able to do.
It's the thought that counts, though! Kasugano launches herself forward, the intense pressure sticking to her hand like a boxing glove as she aims to knock Acacia's block off! Unlike Acacia's attack, though, Kasugano stops a bit short to let her chi do the work here. "Hnnngh!" ... If that's the attack's name, so be it!
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Acacia fails to interrupt Medium Hadouken from Sakura with Ground Effect.
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Acacia 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
Acacia frowns. She knows for a fact that Sakura Kasugano's a chi adept. And a savant when it comes to fighting techniques. But seeing her -own- move being replicated like that is more than a little disconcerting.
Especially since, it seems, Sakura's version of it is quite effective in its own right.
As Sakura attacks, Acacia throws herself forward. A ring of concussive chi blasts out around her, shaking the timbers of the bridge - her boots leave the wooden surface with explosive force as she rockets forward, hauling her own arm around to...
But no. She's /not fast enough/.
Sakura's blow connects first. While her hand stops short of collision, that doesn't mute the power of Sakura's chi. A second explosion shakes the makeshift battlefield, blasting apart a few of those hanging lanterns from the raw change in air pressure.
Acacia reels back. She's still on her feet, but doubled over, eyes clenched shut. She draws breath in a ragged hiss.
"No name," she mutters, "and I think you're better at it than me."
Acacia quirks an eyebrow.
"No fair," she complains.
Kasugano had pretty much figured out how to throw a basic Hadouken through simple observation, so... it's at least =possible= to replicate someone else's moves. It's hardly a perfect copy: the execution was slower and sloppier than it should be. And in a way, Kasugano already uses 'pressure' of a more obvious, less concentrated nature to make her Hadoukens potent.
"Oh, mine isn't -that- good..." Kasugano protests, waving the complaint off with a hand. She's concerned for her friend, but she doesn't want to embarass Acacia by offering her a hand up or anything! "It's not like I could punch anywhere near as hard though!"
And just to test that theory, Sakura steps forward, hurling an underhanded punch clear into Acacia's mid-torso, hoping to continue her momentum as best she can. "Hyaaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia blocks Sakura's Fierce Punch.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Sakura
"I dunno," Acacia retorts. She stops the punch, her own forearm coming up, fingers clenched beneath the red padding of her glove. The other girl's fist slams into hard unyielding flesh. But the impact still pushes Acacia back a little, the soles of her sneakers scraping against the wooden bridge, her skirt, scarf, and headband whipping around a little.
Acacia doesn't resist the momentum. In fact she moves with it, kicking against the ground, hopping back a step. Opening a little bit of distance. She rotates her blocking arm, bending at at the shoulder and elbow.
"-I- can't do your thing," Acacia observes.
But when she says it, there's a strange gleam in her eyes, her lips moving into a small - but distinct - smile.
She slips her other hand into a pocket of the uniform skirt. Then she whips her hand out and forward, braced with her other arm, her fingers and palms fanning out at the point of release.
A blue rubber ball rockets out towards Sakura, flung with all the force Acacia could manage with that awkward throwing posture. A blue ball with flame details drawn on it in marker pen, and a name printed in big block letters:
POOKY
Acacia lifts her voice in a shout.
"HADOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura parries Acacia's Thrown Object!
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Sakura
... Sakura still can't get over that, seeing another girl in her uniform taking the hits like that. It's really surreal! ... But then the weight of a camo jacket catches up with her, and she realizes she'll need to hop backwards a few steps. She rolls her shoulders slightly, to allow the jacket to settle back into position. Oh, hey, maybe -that's- why other fighters do that, she thinks to herself.
Kasugano finds her face twisting into a frown at Acacia's words, shaking her head. "O-of course you can, you're..." Well, she was going to be a smartass and say she was wearing the divine uniform, but there's two things stopping her.
(1) She doesn't want to be =that= arrogant.
(2) Acacia just shouted 'Hadouken', which means something may be flying her way anyway.
(3) There is, and it's a blue racquetball.
Sakura's reflexes are, in many ways, quicker to respond than her brain is. And it was point 2 and 3 that caused her to dip her shoulders down, ducking under the projectile like a boxer, and dash forward.
Eyeing the projectile incredulously as she passes, she quickly identifies that it's no threat... and snatches the ball out of midair, turning her back to Acacia for a moment as she curls to examine the writing on it... "Hey, this--"
But she's =still= got forward momentum, as she never really stopped running towards Acacia, despite being turned around. Old habits are hard to break! And once she realizes this, she twists about, fist curled: "You remembered!" Oddly enough, this gets said =without= shouting the name of her running uppercut to the jaw. Is she copying Acacia after all?
COMBATSYS: Acacia blocks Sakura's Shou'ou Ken EX.
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Acacia 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Sakura
"Hai, hai," Acacia deadpans, her inflection perfectly level, "Ryu-sensei."
She says this as she neatly interposes an arm in the path of Sakura's uppercut, taking the blow meant for her head on rigid muscle, instead. A small hiss escapes Acacia's lungs as the impact jars her lean frame. But it doesn't hurt as bad as it /could/ have. Thank goodness for small victories. Meanwhile, her free hand flexes, straining the crimson padding of the combat glove.
Sneaker soles scrape against the wooden planks of the bridge, producing a tortured squeal of protesting rubber - Acacia changes her footing, shifts her weight, the blue pleated skirt fanning out around her in a way that would threaten her modesty if it wasn't for the all-important long cycle shorts.
Honestly, she doesn't know how Sakura does it.
But no time to ponder on the logistics of fanservice or lack thereof. Because she now pounds her own hand towards Sakura in a retaliatory attack, this one aimed square at her gut. Which is all fine and well, except for two things. One, while this /is/ essentially the attack Sakura copied a moment before, Acacia's chi-charged punch technique...
...instead of being clenched tightly into a fist, her hand's open. It's the palm that's pointing at Sakura's abdomen.
And instead of an indistinct haze of concussive chi running down the length and breadth of Acacia's arm, she's managed to concentrate the force around her hand itself, shaping it /almost/ into a sphere.
It's the principle of the thing, after all.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Acacia's Mass Driver.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Sakura
Ryu-sensei, huh? Many people would take that as an insult, but Sakura can only give a broad, appreciative grin in response.
Really... Sakura only remembers mentioning 'Pooky' once. But perhaps the one single statement gained notoriety of its own after that one very special Saturday Night Fight. Her silly statement was ridiculed endlessly on the internet, for one, but Sakura quickly forgot about the meme after a few months. But that doesn't change the fact that she is impressed by the recall! Drawing back from her punch, she stashes the racquetball into a pocket, still grinning like mad as she curls her arms up defensively.
But now that Acacia's giving Sakura the 'real deal', she's quick to pay attention. Hand =open=, not closed, a bit more spherical instead of oblong. Info assimilated!
Sakura's with Acacia right down to the 'getting hurt' part, where the Taiyo graduate drops down to one knee, spreading both palms in front of her to resist the pressure, her open palms smattered with tiny motes of blue light as her chi flows about to aid her defense. Her grin tightens from the exertion, her eyes narrow, and her camo jacket flaps about from the air disturbance... but she more or less holds her ground, even as the bridge beneath her even shows the warning signs of buckling from the stress. "See?" she admits tensely, "Can't hold a candle to the real thing!"
When the wave passes, though, Kasugano's going to lunge forward from her lowered position, aiming to grab two fistfuls of seifuku collar before falling backwards, her left heel as a fulcrum with which to send Acacia flying way over her head! "Hrii-haaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia interrupts Medium Throw from Sakura with Unyielding Stance.
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Acacia 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
"Actually," Acacia comments, just as Sakura rushes towards her, "mine wasn't right either."
True enough. Acacia's actual -move- is a clenched fist blow. The little variation she just smacked Sakura with...was merely in honour of the whole spherical chi thing that the legend of Pooky represents. One must respect tradition, after all.
Now, though? She gets serious. Her eyes widen, just a little, as the other girl rushes her. Sakura gets a clean grasp of the uniform collar, fabric crinkling beneath the Ansatsuken princess' iron grip. True to form, Acacia gets wrenched from the ground, slung into low orbit.
But.
As she lifts the uniformed girl, Sakura probably notices something wrong.
Acacia's about the same size and weight as Sakura. But in the middle of the throw manuever, Acacia abruptly seems... to /mass/ a whole lot more, in defiance of all laws of Physics. Almost like she's anchored to the earth.
Which might just throw her off long enough for Acacia to slam a hard elbow into Sakura's face - before they spin apart, and Acacia crashes to the bridge.
Kasugano laughs weakly in response -- so she actually got it right the first time? Whoops. "Close enough!"
It's still weird to pull on the collar that's so similar to one pulled many times before. ... It's even weirder to realize that her entire left leg can't lift all of Acacia's weight. What the--
Sakura realizes an instant too soon that her opponent isn't going where she intends, but is instead leaning forward to elbow her in the face. That's not the most pleasant of exchanges, but... well, considering how hard Acacia hits, it could be worse!
Kasugano rolls sideways, one hand slapping to her face. "Ow, ow, OW that hurts..." she grumbles, trying to stem the flow of blood that's started founting from her nose.
It's kind of hard to punch someone this way though, so as she pushes back to a standing position, she fires off a quick heel kick at Acacia. "That was a good one, though!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures Sakura's Medium Kick.
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Acacia 1/----===/=======|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
"Thanks," Acacia manages. It's a quick sort of statement, though, delivered between breaths, as she struggles to pull air through her lungs. Her ribcage heaves, sweat beginning to bead on her face and spotting the fabric of the sailor suit uniform. Not that she has time to comment more, given the fact Sakura's already once again on the offensive.
Acacia grunts as the kick slams home, the heavy combat boot heel crunching into her torso. Apparently the chunky footwear isn't throwing Sakura off - if anything, it just gave a nastier edge to that blow.
But Acacia rides out the impact. She twists her body at just the right moment, letting the hit spin her further around. And Acacia comes out of it in a spinning kick of her own, stretching out a leg, whipping a sneaker sole at her opponent. It isn't a precise reproduction of the infamous whirling Ansatsuken kick, but, hey.
Good enough for the live audience, and the viewers at home.
If only the damn skirt didn't flare so much.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Acacia's Heavy Kick.
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Acacia 1/----===/=======|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
No, as much as Sakura hated the experience, it gave her the muscle memory from beating people up with heavy metal gauntlets and reinforced combat boots. She's kinda used to the weight now, it's just a bit more frustrating! ... Whereas Acacia might not have as much experience with skirts or anything like that. Fanboys and their cameras being what they are, Acacia may regret this fight more than she realizes now.
But Sakura probably won't regret this -kick-, as she's already planning to twist out of the way. When Acacia's foot whirls around, though, Sakura starts to panic... and slides her other foot out of the way, dropping her to the planks with a rather loud thump! It's a thump and not a crack because she'd landed on her hands, mind... and as Acacia's kick passes, the girl leaps back to her feet. And indeed, she leaps onto the railing from there, sending the jack-o-lantern lights and Chinese lanterns swaying from the motion.
But that swaying motion only intensifies, as Sakura stabilizes her footing. She's corralling her energy into a fixed point just to her right, palms on either side of a brilliant blue-white energy vortex, in marked contrast to all the oranges and reds of the Chinatown venue. She's tried to copy Acacia's way... but all this talk about Pooky is making her nostalgic. "Shinkuuuu...." she shouts, grinning madly as the energy gains in intensity, ringed with crackling bolts of electricity, the force kicking her hair and camo jacket about. Can the beleaguered bridge survive another impact?
Let's find out, as Sakura thrusts her hands forward, unleashing the concussive blue chi at Acacia! "HADOOOOOOOOUKEN!"
Okay, the folks who weren't sure which fighter was Sakura before, probably know =now=.
COMBATSYS: Acacia fails to interrupt Shinkuu Hadouken from Sakura with Stonewall.
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Sakura 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Acacia can no longer fight.
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Sakura 0/-------/-----==|
So that's one question answered.
How about the other?
Can the bridge survive?
Well...
No.
The explosion is absolutely /massive/, lighting the sky above Chinatown more than any firework. A retina-searing blast of spiritual power, crackling arcs of lightning, and the sheer distortion in air pressure as the shockwave destroys a good chunk of the makeshift wooden walkway. Chunks of carved railing, rivets, broken planks and supports go flying in all directions - along with wrecked lanterns, both paper and pumpkin. The debris rains down on the crowd below, causing a few shouts of consternation - but luckily nobody's directly below the bridge, meaning the brunt of it falls on empty street.
As the smoke clears, drifting away on the night breeze... there's no sign of Acacia at first.
Until she gives a wet ragged cough.
Fingers twitch. Acacia, it seems, is clinging to the broken-off end of what /remains/ of the bridge. She dangles, suspended rather precariously over empty air, gripping the shattered remains of a structural beam. Not too far away from where Sakura is.
Acacia cranes her neck upwards, one eye shut, the other just barely open.
"Okay," she rasps, "you win, that -is- the real Pooky."
Kasugano's used to her ultimate fireball attack being blocked, or worse, even flat-out =denied=. But apparently the blast of chi hits its mark this time, taking a good chunk of the bridge with it.
In all honesty, Sakura never =tries= to deal property damage. It always comes as a guilty shock to her, and this is no exception, one hand going to her gaping mouth. "Aaaah..." Oops.
When the camo-jacketed Kasugano hears the cough, though, there's no time to spare -- she immediately dashes forward, dropping to one knee as close as she can get to Acacia, and grabs for her wrist. "Gotcha! ... And, uh... sorry about that! Get a little carried away at times..." Laughing mildly, she helps Acacia back up to the somewhat more stable part of the bridge. "Guess I needed the remedial classes after all! That was a sweet fight!"
Though, as the camera crew converges on the duo for some close-up shots, Kasugano looks around the wreckage of the bridge, and the twisted, mangled lanterns, still swinging back and forth. Sensing that some witticism is all but =expected= in this case, she quips, "Ah, well... they were gonna take it all down tomorrow morning anyway, right?"
COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.
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Sakura 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
"Yeah," Acacia replies, as she's hauled back onto what's left of the bridge. Not that this is incredibly comforting a place to be, since the remaining surface groans beneath her weight as she slumps onto her side - not bothering to stand, or even sit up. She just lies there, twisting her head to snort at Sakura.
"'cides," she says, "this way..."
Acacia waves a hand vaguely, indicating the wreckage and the crowd down below.
"...more souvenirs for 'em. Genuine chunk of Kasugano debris."
Beat.
"Should sign them," Acacia observes, as she closes her eyes.
Log created on 09:16:37 11/10/2007 by Sakura, and last modified on 09:44:24 11/12/2007.