Description: Objective: Psion Hunting. Obstacle: Current target's refusal to cooperate. Alias: None. Summary: Acting under orders, Ayame tracks down one of the newest psycho power users to have shown up on the radar. Expecting an easy win, she goes at it alone, ambushing Shurui in the streets one night. The ruthlessly aggressive girl finds that her first target isn't going to be taken down easily however...
Making appearances in publicized fights has some risks associated with it. Even more so when those fights are taking place in a concentrated neck of the world with so many of the planet's powerful fighters gathered for one entire weekend full of Grecian combat! Those risks become compounded when one is gifted with an ability that sets one apart from most others in the world.
It isn't Shurui's fault things went this way. After all, in the scheme of things there aren't all that many that would even understand the unique twist to her attacks. Ayame suspects not even the tough brut the Gedo student was battling knew exactly why it was the energy in her attacks hurt so differently than others. But, situated in the audiance around the orrery where Shurui's fight took place, Ayame saw... or rather, felt all she needed to figure it out. Thanks to her vast experience with psions in the last half a year, she can spot them faster than just about anyone who isn't a psion themself. The cameras and mics picked up enough of the exchange between Shurui and Iincyo for Ayame to figure it all out. Gedo High would be the place to find the girl, and with that, the young bandit, street rogue, pitfighter, and now PSI hunter, was in pursuit.
The school itself was staked out, Ayame making an effort to catch Shurui any time she might be alone. There is always the question of whether she can handle the girl who fights well enough to make it into Geese Howard's leagues, but there's only one way to find out. When it comes to the 'collection' process, she prefers to act alone, not trusting bringing anyone else into her plans lest they screw them up horribly.
Sticking mostly to the outskirts of Gedo, the girl keeps her incursions into the school's turf to a minimum. An unpleasant run in with Acacia made it clear as to why she shouldn't be caught on that campus again. But she still slips in from time to time to see if she can narrow down the grey haired girl's location. She won't let a silly thing like 'no trespassing' get in the way of her objective, after all.
For all Shurui complained to Stasya about risk, she may not be the most stellar example of it herself. However, aside from her run-ins with 'recruiters' thumbing the streets for possible goon material from her days as Hoodie the anmnesic thief, Shurui never had to experience the stressful life of having her neck constantly breathed down by NESTS.
That, however, is something that's not destined to last, whether NESTS outgrows their place as a silent cameo or if someone else finds.... an interest in her.
For better or worse, it seems to be the latter, even if it's due to the girl's shared inheritance of psi than her potential as a canon fodder for a gang or, god forbid, something else. Girls who fight with glasses sometimes bear an uncomfortable amount of attention by certain.... groups.
Shurui's paths are rather easy to spot. She seems to even subsconsciously prefer a certain amount of order to her schedule, no doubt making it easy for the psi-hunter to plan where and when to strike. And where could she possibly strike?
Right when Shurui's walking home from the YFCC, of course. The campus is sparsely populated right now, and, this being the evening hours, most have gone either to study, patrol the streets, or duel, whether it be in the arcades or against one another.
Shurui can fight. Ayame knows that much. Which means attacking her has to be handled with utmost caution. The moment she picked up Shurui's trail, she began following her from a distance, studying the routes she took, the people she would meet along the way. The first time she followed her from the YFCC to Gedo, she kept her distance, merely observing.
The second time, though, wouldn't be simple reconnaissance. The trap set, the girl merely waited for her prey, lurking atop the fire escape of one of the buildings along Shurui's route. The ambush comes without warning as Ayame falls back on some of her usual tactics for startling her targets. A stray rod of re-bar gets hucked lazily over the rusted railing of the fire escape, not at all aiming for Shurui but rather to her left.
As the metal clanging resonates against the brick walls of the buildings, Ayame's feet land on the ground on her target's right, expecting that the unsuspecting girl will be turning toward her left to see what in the world just made such noise, like the sound of a gun shot drawing attention away from the true danger of the bullet's point of impact.
Ayame is swift, stepping in toward the younger girl, empty hands coming up to try and grab her arm and twist it painfully behind her while simultaneously hooking one foot around her ankles in order to simply tackle her right down to the pavement. With everything happening in an instant, the time with which to react is preciously limited. "Don't resist," comes the encouraging voice of the female assasulting Shurui. As for her aura? Ayame comes across bright, happy, cheerful - not at all matching the ruthless aggression she comes at Shurui with now.
COMBATSYS: Ayame has started a fight here.
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Ayame 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Shurui has joined the fight here.
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Ayame 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shurui
COMBATSYS: Ayame successfully hits Shurui with Medium Throw.
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Ayame 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Shurui
*clang*
Shurui follows her instinct to look towards the distracting echoing sound, her mood changing from nuetral to instant suspucion. Her body tenses up like a stressed bed spring, ready to release at a moment's notice. .... And yet, despite all this, it proves useless as Shurui feels movement to her right.
While her third eye is useful, it's far from all-seeing and all-knowing.
Shurui's senses even feel the girl coming to tackling her, but Ayame proves to be the faster one. "Tch!" Shurui curses aloud as she's driven to pavement, the shades planted on her forehead gone skittering down the walk.
It's hard not to focus on the aura of the person who tackled her, especially when it's... cheerful? What.... what is this?! "Get the fuck off me!" Shurui's not sure *how* to react to such an aura in such a context. This girl...
This girl must be nuts. That's all Shurui can figure out. With a violent tugging of her body, Shurui attempts to roll over onto the blonde on her back, trying to pin her down just long enough to deliver an elbow to the face, which will hopefully in turn free her other arm from the girl's grasp.
COMBATSYS: Ayame interrupts Quick Throw from Shurui with Quick Throw.
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Ayame 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Shurui
In combat, Ayame is fast, vicious, and relentless, and as she gets the speed advantage on Shurui due to startling the other girl, she capitalizes on the edge it gives her with great effectiveness. Dropping her target to the ground, she twists the girl's arm further, bringing her other arm up with the intent to wrap it around her neck and get her locked up in a submission hold that will end this quickly.
But that's when the Gedo student's struggling gives her a moment's reprieve as Ayame finds herself twisted over onto her back, brown eyes staring up, Shurui getting a moment to look into the face of her would-be attacker. A faint smile tugs at the corners of her lips as the elbow comes crashing down toward her face, and in that instant the tables are once again turned, the girl tumbling over, taking Shurui with her, and ending up seated on top of her stomach instead, hands reaching for her neck to try and strangle the girl.
"So rude," the girl laughs lightly, "And we've just met. I'm afraid it isn't going to be as easy as simply asking me to leave you alone though. You have something my employer is interested in. So... sucks to be you, but you're coming with me!" Her left hand draws back from Shurui's throat as Ayame reaches for one of her belts, sliding a thin metallic object from a sheath hidden there. With a flick of her wrist, the glint of a sharp butterfly knife is barely visible in the dim light of the street.
Something becomes clear as the mysterious smiling girl retains her hold on Shurui: Shurui, in terms of rough all-out street fighting, has gone soft.
When it's a fair fight, Shurui still shines, but the rough-and-tumble days of Hoodie, where she used the dirtiest tricks in the book in order to survive whatever surprise attack befell her? It seems they've exhausted themselves in the dim shallow back of Shurui's memories.
And yet, something hasn't died, something more feral that shines in the clone's eyes at the suggestion of the knife, paired with the hands to her neck. "...grkk...." Her teeth grit at the start of a forced closing of her throat, her lungs becoming desperate at the notion that their supply is becoming limited...
No one shall have her.
Even if Shurui isn't readily aware of the fact that she's being targetted because of her powers, Ayame just may recieve a taste of that soul fire burning at Shurui's core. Unfortunately, it'll be through a fist, delivered in a small amount of space as Shurui attempts to twist her body to support the punch's desperate bid for momentum. Whether it obtains the normal amount of force or not, if it hits Ayame's chest, ghostly energy emiminates from the ground zero of Shurui's applied knuckles, hopefully dislodging her from the grey-haired girl's neck and body.
COMBATSYS: Ayame dodges Shurui's Velvet Fist.
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Ayame 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Shurui
A lot of fighters with roughly Ayame's level of experience would be blind to the attack coming. Oh, sure, they'd see the fist, the close quarters knuckle sandwich of pain intended. But the clenched hand isn't the only nature of Shurui's attack. It's what comes with it - that energy, a mystery to mode, but something Ayame has come to understand, and even sense like few others her age or ability could hope to.
It gives her the little edge she needs in dealing with Shurui, hopping off the girl, pushing off with her feet against the ground to give her a back flipping start before coming down real close to her target. It might give the grey haired girl time to try and scramble to her feet, but not very much. "I'm starting to get the feeling that you think you're pretty tough - that you can handle yourself," Ayame remarks, wasting precious seconds with what might seem like idle chatter. But let no one think that's all there is to it. She has a knack for reading her opponents, even without any special gifts. Breaking down behaviors into predictable patterns comes second nature to the young prodigy.
"But I'm way out of your league. The more you struggle, the more I'll have to rough you up for delivery. Make no mistake, the outcome here is going to be the same either way." And it's then that she steps in, aiming to catch Shurui with a swift slash across her torso, threatening to slash a thin line through her tank top with the deadly, sharp knife. "I know all about what you can do... you don't have a chance in hell of beating me!"
COMBATSYS: Ayame successfully hits Shurui with Quick Strike.
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Ayame 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Shurui
Delicious air. The attack didn't hit, but Shurui got the results she had hoped for. Coughing as she wills her body to get up, Shurui sucks in air through her open mouth, her breath exiting out in hateful, short gasps.
"It's not a matter of *think*... it's a matter of *do*." Shurui lapses into a ready stance, her breathing beginning to turn to a normal rate. "...It doesn't matter what I think, all that matters is that I *survive*. Don't know why you boss seems to think I'm special in any way." The grey-haired girl could run away. She's tempted to. It's not always good to stand straight and defend your turf, especially when there's nothing on the line if you *do* retreat. But this case is different; Ayame seems to want the girl for some odd reason, and, judging by her speed and battle tactics, Shurui can't out-street someone who's been there longer than she has.
Blood wells from the cut across Shurui's torso, red blooming across the white shirt. She winces at the sharp pain, grabbing at it and gritting her teeth in a fake smile. "Heh. I see a girl who's cheerful on the inside, but the interior isn't matching with the exterior." Her view, given without Ayame asking. "What's your secret?"
Roughing her up? Shurui's fake smile lapses to a true smirk, her eyes lidding. "Keep going. Don't wanna give your boss a false impression after all!" A pulse of psi energy fills the air at the last note of Shurui's sentence, her hand swiping downward to realize a grey arc of energy in the thief's direction.
COMBATSYS: Ayame reflects Quartz Shard from Shurui with Midsummer Fantasy.
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Ayame 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Shurui
Ayame would happily give chase were Shurui to run. And... she's very well equipped to do just that, as the girl might find out should she try to make a break for it. But for now it seems she hopes to drive off her assailant with that very power that makes her a target, and Ayame is content to entertain the attempt. Brown eyes study the girl impassively for a while before Ayame leans her head to the side slightly, mouth forming that faint, mildly amused expression again. The knife in her left hand has vanished, likely back to its hidden sheath, but the motion to return it there was so fast as to make it almost untraceable.
"Oh... so you do see deep, don't you," the long haired antagonist chirps bemusedly. "I suspected you might. Your kind seem to be able to... The thing is, kiddo, you see what I want you to see, and nothing more." She focuses back on Shurui, standing up a little bit straighter, "For example-"
And then the cheerful nature is gone, replaced in an instant by a flare of violent, churning anger, broiling just beneath the surface. And it is accompanying that build up that Ayame extends her left hand, palm forward, fingers spread out, pulling chi from the world around her and forcing it into a discus of swirling energy in front of her.
Angrily it clashes against the grey energy, protecting Ayame from Shurui's attack. Much of the power of the attack is even consumed by the swirling pool of red. "Now I'm angry, because I want to be." And in the next moment the red, violent persona is gone, replaced with a cool, impassive one, every bit as icey as she was fiery a moment ago, the girl seeming to shift through personalities with trivial ease. "And now I'm merely ready to show you that your desire to survive is... insufficient here." Lowering her hand, the shield of energy collapses out of the air in front of her, becoming as blue as her aura as it seems to literally rain down to the ground at Ayame's feet before vanishing all together.
"Everything about me is my secret, Shurui. Unfortunately, whatever secrets you're keeping will do little for you here." And with that, Ayame begins to advance forward, her left hand reaching to open a black pouch affixed to one of her belts.
COMBATSYS: Ayame successfully hits Shurui with Reflected Quartz Shard.
- Power hit! -
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Ayame 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Shurui
Her aura....
Changed?!
"....?!" Shurui backs away, the shock of her gift's advantage, something she took for granted, shattered like the blue disc that shatters at Ayame's feet. "H-" The question never has a chance to leave her mouth as her own energy comes rocketing back at her, hitting her body like a collapsing brick wall.
Her body skids on the ground, rolling until she finds enough willpower in her hands and feet to slow her backwards roll. Grime, dirt, and broken bits of concrete stick to the girl as she gets up, her breath coming out in slow, steady heaves of heated air. "My secrets..."
Shurui begins to laugh. It's a bitter one, brought about by the sting of blood on her stomach and and the burn of her own psi energy. "... My secrets? That's hilarious. Your boss has a fucked up idea of how to spend their time." Yet even as the girl laughs, she maintains her distance, her dark eyes darting touchs the pouch on her side.
"So, tell me what you know about me. C'mon, 'wanna hear it. What are my secrets? That I like classical music? That I eat a lot? Or something more complicated?"
COMBATSYS: Shurui gains composure.
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Ayame 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Shurui
Her hand dips into her pouch, withdrawing a half-foot long, round object that might be hard to identify from a distance. It becomes much easier to tell what it is as Aayme continues stalking calmly toward Shurui, however, as suddenly the small tube telescopes out to a full length, six foot long, metal staff with a subtle hydraulic hiss. In the daylight, the titanium weapon would be glinting brightly as it reflected some of the sunlight. But in the night, it becomes more visible as a very faint aura of blue traces over its surface, mirroring Ayame's on aura.
"It's all a matter of control," the girl states, her voice calm, almost impassive. "On a deeper level than most seek to try. Just like the world is what you make of it, with your strength, your power, so are you too what you make of yourself. One simply has to transcend conventional limitations..." Her mouth curls into a faint smile and the girl seems to darken slightly as Shurui starts laughing, "Apparently I haven't softened you up enough yet... No matter."
The energy that was visible along the staff fades away as Ayame stops channeling it, and then Shurui's attacker is darting forward, "I don't know your secrets, nor do I care. But I do know one who will easily find out all they want about you... don't worry, you'll get to meet my benefactor soon enough!" A hop into the air and then Ayame lands a little ways out from Shurui, sweeping her staff out swiftly in a wide arc at chest height before spinning back around with her entire body, attempting to sweep Shurui's ankles out from under her. "Hah!"
COMBATSYS: Ayame successfully hits Shurui with Medium Strike.
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Ayame 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Shurui
Ayame doesn't care. And, well, neither does Shurui, at this point. All she needs is that precious time to recooperate and compose her body, even if it may not amount to much. However, if she can last a little longer, perhaps she'll find the break that she needs and possibly get away. That, or wear her attacker down to a point that she'd be too tired to chase after Shurui. Of course, that may mean that Shurui is *also* too tired to run, but her options are running low as it is. ".... Keep going. I'm not done with you *yet*. You can keep changing your aura, and it won't mean crap unless you can apply those words to your own body."
Unfortunately? It seems Ayame can. The blue aura tracing over the metal staff makes it clear in Shurui's now naked eyes, but it doesn't keep her opponent from manuvering it faster than the grey-haired girl can dodge. With a grunt of surprise, Shurui is on her back again, eyes wincing shut from the explosion of pain across her chest.
She has to survive this. If she doesn't...
... She can't depend on anyone coming for her. Would anyone notice she was even gone? It would be a sobering thought for many, but for Shurui, it's something she assumes. Still, she laughs. "... Your boss can dig all they like, but they won't find out anything about me," Shurui casually tosses back as she sits up, leaning on one knee in order to straighten back up fully. "....You'll ....probably end up having all the fun parts to yourself."
Feet fly across the pavement as Shurui's body engorges itself on adrenaline, a staple of survival. Clasping her fists together and extending her arms as she nears striking distance, Shurui whips her body around and attempts to club her possible kidnapper with the momentum her body produces, aiming for the girl's neck.
COMBATSYS: Ayame fails to counter Strong Punch from Shurui with Harvest's Reaper.
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Ayame 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Shurui
"I can live with that," Ayame replies with a faint grin at the mention of being the only one to have fun with this little project. "But I somehow doubt it. I have to answer to a very, ah, persuasive individual." The girl stops advancing as Shurui charges back at her, hefting up the metal weapon in front of her, her eyes narrowing.
The hint of retaliation comes as Shurui whips around into her attack, too committed to the momentum to back down, rethink, or even defend herself. And that's when that polearm of hers ignites with a flaring, firey like red aura, similar in hue to the angry persona Shurui saw in Ayame earlier. And then she lashes out, sweeping the staff up from low to high, attempting to smash the grey haired youth hard before she can even get in close, sacrificing speed for raw, destructive force.
Fortunately for Shurui, the retaliation comes a smidge too slow, and she manages to slip around the upward swinging staff, the tail end of the weapon bleeding off chi in its wake, almost looking like the blade of a scythe made of pure energy. As the strike goes wide, Ayame finds herself struck in the neck by the other girl and is sent stumbling to the side as Shurui gets her first solid hit in on the girl.
With a gasp, her right hand releases her staff to lift up and rest at her neck, glaring back at Shurui as she lowers her hand slowly, taking a tighter grip on the metal weapon, the red chi that was flowing over its surface flickering then fading fast, tapering off near the ends like fire starved of its fuel. "Cute," comes the growl, "But you're only delaying the inevitable."
$r Persuasive. Shurui's nostrils flare with disbelief. For once in her life, the lack of memories proves to be a comforting factor against this possible danger, this... invasive being. How can they get secrets even she doesn't know of? What the hell could they possibly learn from her?
... Better to be left asking why than knowing exactly how. Shurui isn't planning on being this girl's newest catch.
The staff is barely dodged; Shurui doesn't even need that third eye to sense the energy searing the air just past the skin of her neck and face. Sweat flicks into the air from the motion of the clone's head sudden jerk back as she rounds around, attempting to continue this break in Ayame's defense witrh another attack.
"... It's not meant to be *cute*," Shurui spits through gritting teeth. "I just don't want to be on the missing persons list!" A fist shoots out, knuckles point towards the staff-wielding girl's core, along the centerline of her body. It's not exactly that Wing Chun-esque one inch punch; it works more as a compliment that is followed by Shurui's other fist if it lands, then replaced over and over in a wheeling motion until Shurui pushes her away or Ayame escapes the girl's reach.
COMBATSYS: Shurui successfully hits Ayame with Iron Lung.
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Ayame 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Shurui
"It's not really up to you," Ayame snaps back, sounding irritated. This is taking longer than she had hoped it would as Shurui is putting up a very effective fight now that she's getting her hits in. And then the girl comes spinning in on Ayame and the girl lifts her staff up to intersect the incoming blow only to find her grip is insufficient to stop Shurui's strike dead.
The first blow slams the staff back against her stomach and then the rest of the swings come, knocking the feather weight fighter back hard, leaving her open to the hits that follow one after another. No time to speak now, the only sound coming in the form of pained gasps as she finds herself struck time and time again.
Left with no choice but to try and strike Shurui back to free herself, Ayame shifts her staff off to her left hand and spins into a solid boot-clad kick aimed toward Shurui's stomach just as the girl comes swinging in hard, realizing that she has no intent of letting up until she's managed to beat Ayame down too hard to continue.
COMBATSYS: Shurui counters Light Kick from Ayame with Plum Blossom Shower.
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Ayame 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Shurui
The irritation in Ayame's voice is music to Shurui's ears. It's something she'll gladly take as a sort of advantage here and now, especially as she tries to work every single bit of pain she can into the core of Ayame's physical body while she still is able to do so.
No one will own her. No one. She is no one's golem, no one's adopted spectre sealed into a contract by a name. Shurui was a name given to her, yes, but it is one that she was offered, not forced to have. In turn, she came to accept it as her own.
The attack is not named because of any effects; no, the name comes from the classic step it incorporates. Ayame's kick comes flying in, but Shurui is proving herself just as fast now. Turning quickly so that the kick lands in her side and not her gut, the shorter girl presses against Ayame, locking her knee against the side of Ayame's unused own and, pressing her arms against one side of the thief's neck and another to the opposite side, she twists, tripping the girl to the ground. "Hyah!"
Kicking back in an attempt to get Shurui to lay off proves ineffective as Ayame finds her own attack stopped completely short. The look of surprise is plainly written as the tables are turned and she's the one sent crashing to the ground along with a rather jarring wrenching of the neck. Landing rough, the girl grunts before sweeping out with her staff swiftly, a quick feint not intended to hit anything but merely clear the way for her to roll up to her feet, managing to pull off the agile recovery even with the long staff in her hand.
Once upright again, she pauses at last, no longer advancing on Shurui, no longer charging in with swings or strikes. Instead she merely holds her ground, gritting her teeth as she takes in the other girl. She had known Shurui could fight, but had expected to take care of her handily. Now that the element of surprise has passed, however, things have been getting rapidly 'inconvenient'.
Tightening her jaw, Ayame grips her staff tightly in both of her hands, holding the weapon up in front of her as she begins to channel power up and around her. The flare of chi compared to what she had been doing thus far is significant, building up with a bright swirl of vibrant colors up from the ground at her feet. The staff ignites as well, a deep, violent red, flaring out at the ends almost as if mimicking fire. "You have..." Ayame begins to speak, her voice strained, "...five seconds..." The power builds up more around her by the second, "...to run."
COMBATSYS: Ayame gathers her will.
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Ayame 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Shurui
And so, Ayame gives Shurui that precious chance to leave, to escape. That one thing she was waiting for.
... Shurui doesn't budge. Or rather, she moves, but it's not to escape. ".... I need more than that, if I have to turn my goddamn back on you." She can't trust Ayame, can't trust anyone with the ability to waver their aura like that. This girl must have had a lifetime of such promising so many varying lies, only to plant a knife in any back that presents itself. A knife, or a rod.
Or something more lethal. "You can't afford letting me go without a fight. So can't trust a fucking word you say!" Her words are crude, but it matches Shurui's mood right now. "I will not be commanded!" A quick fist darts towards Ayame, attempting to hit against the center line to keep that momentum going. She has to keep wearing Ayame down; only then will she be granted the time that's needed to escape.
COMBATSYS: Ayame endures Shurui's Quick Punch.
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Ayame 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Shurui
As Shurui speaks, tossing away the 'chance' Ayame made it sound like she might have, the long haired teen merely grins back, her expression neither confirming nor denying the psion's suspicion about her supposed offer. Though pretty much anyone who has seen Ayame in action would've probably agreed with her assessment that turning her back would be the worst idea.
The grey haired girl comes in to strike out with another swift punch, but this time the girl she strikes out at simply holds her ground, taking the blow to the stomach, simply willing to play the easy target if it means Shurui will get in closer.
"You should've run," comes the voice from behind the increasing barrier of chi around the girl. And then the attack comes as Ayame sweeps the staff in her hand out in a wide arc toward Shurui, funneling all of the power built up around her into the weapon itself, causing it to flare with a blinding amount of bright, fire-like chi...
And all of it is sent hurtling toward Shurui across the remarkably small distance. For all the trouble Ayame has been doing to catch the girl, this seems like a remarkable way to blast her away! Of course if she takes the fight clean out of Shurui then her work is practically done anyway...
COMBATSYS: Shurui blocks Ayame's Final Sunset.
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Ayame 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Shurui
..... No. When Ayame was trying to defend herself, Shurui knew it was good to keep going. However, with that quick burst of a punch to Ayame's stomach, Shurui knows what Ayame is trying to do. And it's not because of any psychic ability, either.
So the clone backs off. ....She doesn't do this normally. To take on a blow from an opponent, especially someone stronger and more experienced than her, could work against her goal of wearing them down in turn. However, as before, her options are limited. Dodging could be an option, but when the blast forms, Shurui knows it's too risky a venture. Instead, she braces, holding her arms in front of her in a precise, practiced motion to take the oncoming blast.
....
Pain. Searing, blinding pain. It almost disconnects her from that steady pipeline of adrenaline that's keeping her body going. If it had been a fair, normal, tournament fight, this would have gone so differently. There, it's okay to lose. Shurui was broken of any possible streak of being a sore loser when Muda, her adoptive father, got ahold of her through food and then disclipine.
Here? She can't afford to lose. The risks are too vague to bear taking on.
Kneeling down, as if in pain, Shurui grabbing one of the rusty rebars from before. Heat and smoke escapes from her burnt body, her roughened body and collapsed stature making her unintentionally resemble more some sort of strange gremblin than just a weird girl. Pausing to find the best opening, Shurui roughly flings it at the thief with a warning or word, her aim slightly skewed from her hunched viewpoint. If it hits, good. If it doesn't? Still gives her time to recover and regain her strength.
COMBATSYS: Ayame dodges Shurui's Thrown Object.
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Ayame 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Shurui
The ridiculous amount of energy unleashed, Ayame pulls her staff back in, the metal weapon rapidly cooling, the lingering flicker of energy coursing along its surface before dying out, leaving the girl to inspect her handywork. "Che," the young assailant grunts as she sees Shurui has managed to survive the attack rather well.
As she's seen with many that bear the Gedo student's type of energy, it seems her chi based attacks pack a good punch. But Shurui's defenses keep her lasting in spite the burning pain. The grasping of the rebar and subsequent tossing is observed and handled by Ayame, the girl stepping to the side, letting it fly harmlessly past. "You're really a big hassle, aren't you." She states, her irritation from before calmed some - now she just sounds mildly put out.
Tucking the staff under her right shoulder, her left hand reaches over to her right forearm to push back the black and white cloth covering that limb. Revealed is a small device strapped near her wrist and when exposed, the 'wings' on it expand on the mini-crossbow, locking into place, ready to fire. Lifting her right arm to point it in Shurui's direction, Ayame narrows one eye, takes aim, and presses the trigger hidden in the palm of her glove.
With a small whistle, a single bolt zips through the distance between them, aiming to tag Shurui in the leg. Laced with a mild nerve agent, should it reach her blood stream, it might slow her down for just a bit by forcing her limb to numb slightly. Nothing that would keep a fighter down indefinitely, but Ayame just needs a little edge to wrap this up anyway.
COMBATSYS: Ayame successfully hits Shurui with Sudden Fling.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Ayame 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Shurui
"I try." Shurui pants with desperate snatches of air, pausing to wipe the spit clinging to the side of her mouth.
A big hassle? She has to be.
Shurui tries to dodge the incoming projectile, but Ayame's dart is faster. A wince clouds Shurui's face with the projectile lancing past the cloth of her pants and into her skin. "...Nngh!" Her leg is.... oh shit. That thing was... was...
Fear chokes along the bottom of Shurui's spine, a creeping idea that whatever is happening, it's something that may be beyond anything Shurui's capable of handling. "Are you part of the syndicate?! Some sort of gang that wants me? If so, I'll tell you- I'm *not* turning to that." And there's nothing Shurui can do about it, whether she runs or fights. "I *have* something now."
It may be something in the past, but her memories are still something she can't deny the honor owed to them.
Fuck all this. Shurui'll have to fight. And she *will* fight. Not because of some burning will or some sort of inner peaceful strength, either. She'll fight because she wants to protect what she has: her memories. ".... Ngh!" Forcing her steadily numbing foot to work with her, Shurui rushes towards Ayame, directing her fists to hang low and then, when she is close enough to strike, whipping her body around to throw the two fists against the side of the thief's face.
If she gets past this, she'll definitely cry for joy within the privacy of her room.
COMBATSYS: Ayame interrupts Strong Punch from Shurui with Hijacked.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Ayame 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Shurui
Unfortunately there's no getting past this. At least, it doesn't appear that way. The crossbow bolt fired, Ayame lowers her right hand, the staff still tucked under her right shoulder. The little stinger connects with her prey's leg and the girl smiles faintly. It's no where near potent enough to drop a capable fighter all by itself, but it will make the girl sluggish for a brief moment - and that window of opportunity is all Ayame needs to finish this job, she's quite certain.
"Oh... hm... yeah, sorry, this isn't exactly a recruitment drive, kiddo." comes the answer with a partial shrug. But Ayame isn't holding still, either, the girl slipping her hand down to her waist to dip into that pouch of tools again, this time coming up with three small spheres connected by leather cords. A set of bolas, as Ayame demonstrates by spinning them over her head swiftly with her left hand.
And as Shurui closes distance, Ayame flings the spinning projectile out, targeting the girl's legs near the ankles, intending to take her down and put a stop to any chance she has of putting up a fight by entangling her legs completely. The retaliation isn't enough to stop Shurui completely, but it is sufficient to mitigate the momentum with which she crashes into Ayame...
Grunting from the impact, the girl hops back to see if her work here is done, not wanting to risk staying in range in case Shurui has a giant explosive retaliation in mind as some psycho power users Ayame has fought in the past...
Shurui falls with a cry as her legs, one of which is now numbed by the serum that laced Ayame's dart, are entangled in the strong threads of the enwrapping bolas. Like a raging bull, her momentum still manages to carry her through to hit the blonde girl. It hurts, and Shurui's line of blurred vision is beginning to fail, alongside the rest of her body as it finally begins to defeat her powerful mind.
".... No..."
No, no psycho blast. Shurui's going to go with what's worked before: the one she can easily apply to Ayame's body without the use of her entrapped legs. One hand latches out to attempt pulling the girl downward and onto the ground, making it all the easier to apply her next attack if it hits. ".... I'll take you down with me if I have to!"
COMBATSYS: Shurui can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Ayame 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Ayame counters Iron Lung from Shurui with Bright Renewal.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\ <
Ayame 0/-------/-======|
Shurui has taken a lot of punishment from the psion hunter. Staff smacks, chi blasts, having her own power slammed back into her, a poison laced dart, and now a bolas at her legs to drop the girl to the ground. Fallen, she seems to be just about finished by Ayame's somewhat experienced eye. She can't go on forever after all. There has to be limits anyone can endure...
"Just close your eyes and catch a nice nap," the girl consoles, stepping forward, her voice falsely sugury, as if anyone would expect her to be the slightest bit nice after seeing her in action. "By the time you wake up, you won't even know where you're at..." she finishes with a smirk, taking a step closer.
But then Shurui reaches for her leg and Ayame lashes out with vicious retaliation, her staff slamming down, smashing hard against Shurui's forearm, pinning it against the ground. "You..." the girl grunts, leaning harder against the staff, thus pressing it harder against Shurui's forearm, grinding it against the pavement. "...just don't know when..."
The young savage's voice becomes a weary growl as the efforts of the battle start to catch up with her. "...to quit." The staff is hefted up, releasing Shurui's arm for just a moment as Ayame holds the weapon above her arm for a moment. And then comes the drop, the girl slamming it against the poor student's forearm with bone-breaking force, hoping all delusions of trying to fight her way free will be taken from her completely with the brutal strike. Perhaps she'll do her a favor and pass out from the pain while she's at it.
Taking a step back, Ayame retrieves a thin, pink phone from the pouch at her belt, flipping it open and holding it up to her ear. "...job's done." She exhales, leaning forward, propping her staff against the ground for support, "...come pick us up. Yeah... tougher than I expected... Nah, I'm fine. Just hurry up."
Flicking the phone closed, Ayame scoots back over to stand closer to the captured girl. "Whelp. You're the first of many to come. I hope not all of 'em are this much trouble." the girl speaks, more to herself than the transfer student. Next stop? Shurui will be out of Ayame's hands. It remains to be seen what Ayame's employer has in mind...
Log created on 23:32:19 02/19/2008 by Ayame, and last modified on 03:54:39 02/21/2008.