Description: An epic battle. A clash of the titans. Three fighters...on a trampoline. Who thinks these things up, anyway? Well, okay, it's not just one trampoline, it's a whole bunch of them. So there's extra bouncy. Of course, if the SNF organizers were trying to create fanservice, they picked the wrong fighters to work that body. I mean, Acacia and Hotaru aren't exactly built with independent dual pneumatic suspension. Good thing there's that hawt Blanka and his...melons...to save the day. But it's not all fun and games. No. Not really. Because Hotaru? She's had it up to HERE with the joke fights. Oh yeah. This is not going to be pretty. (Winner: Acacia)
Another time, another mood, and Hotaru might have found this setup amusing. A diversion from the hard core, gritty matches that many SNFs tend to be. A large square near the center of Southtown Village has been apportioned for the afternoon's match with nearly all of the space occupied by nine extremely large trampolines arranged into a square, forming a veritable field of bouncy surface on which to battle. It definitely seems more like a children's playground dream than a venue for combat. The three participants in this match are expected to conduct their bout while springing around between the taut, bouncy surfaces.
For the agile, acrobatic Kenpo artist it would seem it would be harder to find a more fitting place for her to have a match. But off to the side, staring at the arrangement, arms folded over her chest, Hotaru looks anything but amused. What does it take to be taken seriously? she fumes. Why does she get put in fights like this? Would any serious, respected fighter get stuck in something so demeaning? Would her brother deign to battle serious opponents while springing around like a jumping bean? She thinks /not/.
At first glance the girl may seem no different from any other time. Clothed in her traditional white and blue, fairly Chinese styled fighting outfit, she looks just about the same as any other weekend match. Except for having her hair down instead of bound up in those childish pigtails, of course. But her sour expression suggests more has changed than simply her choice in hairstyle. Little Miss Futaba is /not/ amused.
"I know," Acacia says, blandly, from across the wide field of spring-loaded undulating canvas, "isn't funny."
She stands on the other side of the city square, facing Hotaru opposite the massive grid of interlocked trampolines. For the moment, she stands on thankfully solid ground, her combat boots resting firmly on the flagstones. As she waits, Acacia adjusts the velcro straps of her fighting gloves, tugging them tighter round her wrists. She surveys the battlefield with a level gaze, peering out from behind messy bangs of silver hair.
Acacia purses her lips. There's a tactical dimension to this, really. It's distinctly unstable terrain - in the most extreme way possible. That makes conventional combat impossible. No, aerial acrobatics are the thing here...which is unfortunate, considering her own training works best when securely grounded.
"Maybe that's why they do it," she mutters, sardonically. If she notices Hotaru's uncharacteristic ire, Acacia gives no sign. She doesn't seem to realise anything is at all out of the ordinary. Probably because she's not terribly amused herself.
Acacia turns her gaze to the audience gathered around the block, clustered beneath the SNF banners.
Then she looks down at her thin, tightly muscled form.
She glances at Hotaru's trim physique next.
"If they were hoping for bouncy fanservice," Acacia adds, dryly, "chose wrong people."
Unless that hawt Blanka saves the day.
Blanka loves these kinds of SNF's. He's perfectly willing to be a little goofy and show off the smooth athleticicism that growing up in the jungle gives him. The concept of 'Trampoline' has been studied by him by watching the TV at the Hibiki Dojo, so he's pretty sure he knows what's needed for its use! He's dressed for the occasion like he saw all the people in trampolines on this 'Man Show' that was playing, a t-shirt that's knotted at his midriff and a pair of short-shorts, with two casabas stuck in the tight top! He's pretty sure he'll have the hang of it, but it's going to be an interesting lesson to learn!
More to the point, Blanka's pleased to be working with/against Hotaru again. The beast-man has a soft spot for Futaba, as his unwillinigness to fight her in the last SNF they were together in might have led people to believe. He's bouncing around happily as he watches the setups, giant hands grabbing the edge of one of the trampolines as he gets ready to flip up and get moving. Both the girls are given big toothy grins and happy smiles - Blanka's much happier about this SNF than the last, that much is easy to see! "Ah-ROOO! Have fun, ok!?" With that, he hops on and begins bouncing. bounce bounc bounce!
COMBATSYS: Blanka has started a fight here.
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Blanka 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Acacia has joined the fight here.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Blanka
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/-------|
Acacia's remark draws Hotaru's attention her way, the girl tearing her glare away from the trampolines to grace the Gedo student with a slightly more subdued look. Maybe Acacia appreciates where she's coming from. She did, after all, get stuck in a ball pit with the girl in a match not so long ago, and there's NOTHING remotely respectable about that.
A faint nod of acknowledgement is offered Acacia, Hotaru's mood improving slightly at having found a 'kindrid spirit' as it were in their mututal lack of amusement at the setup. Acacia indicates they may have gathered the wrong trio if the intent was to appeal to the audience's taste in something other than /combat/... But that's when her eyes come to rest on Blanka. He gets a double-take, Hotaru blinking, her mood offset just a little by the sight that's impossible to find rather funny looking. What is he DOING?
She almost starts to smile, a laugh on the tip of her tongue, wben she catches herself. There's no way her brother would laugh at something like that, and so neither will she! "Fun isn't... really the point." She's very certain of that. Small hands reach forward to grip the metal ring around the nearest trampoline before flipping herself up and over onto it with the greatest of ease, feet touching down lightly as the girl takes to bouncing in order to get used to the strange 'terrain' upon which this match is supposed to take place.
She does wonder, in the back of her head, how Acacia is going to get by in such a setup like this. The other girl, after all, has never struck her as the aerial combatant... But for starters she's going to show Blanka she's serious about fighting! "I hope you're ready!" she calls Blanka's way. In the midst of bouncing it comes out sounding a lot more like a friendly warning than the menacing threat she really intended it to be.
The girl uses her next bounce to power a forward flip onto the trampoline that seperates her from the dressed up beastman. Feet touching down lightly, she forward flips a second time, aiming for greater height this time as she attmepts to rise over Blanka and bring one foot crashing down toward the top of his head! Of course of she connects she'll simply flip away to another place in the square to recalibrate herself!
As Hotaru moves, Acacia arches an eyebrow. Across the trampoline grid, Acacia rests the heavy treads of one boot against the frame, stepping on the rim of tubular steel. A second step takes her onto the unsteady ground, her weight falling upon the taut fabric...and almost immediately, the springs react, tossing her into the air - already stirred by the bouncing that's going on.
Due to genes and physical conditioning, Acacia is not particularly gifted in the key attributes for a trampoline fight.
But that just means she's disadvantaged. It shouldn't take her entirely out of the game. Such severe up and down motions should be enough to send even meagre assets into systemic shock.
Which is why Acacia /also/ came prepared for this fight.
With that wonderful invention called lycra.
Spoilsport.
But it also means she's free of discomfort and distractions caused by anything untoward going on beneath her t-shirt.
Though the same can't be said for what her eyes are forced to endure, looking at exactly what Blanka is wearing over his green-clad frame.
"Sorry," Acacia says, as she twists through the air.
She sounds genuinely apologetic.
"Agree with Futaba," she deadpans, as she lashes out with a swift backhand fist to the small of Blanka's back - opposite from Hotaru's approach.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Blanka with Quick Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Blanka with Light Kick.
- Power hit! -
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/---====|
"Fun.. /always/ point! Work hard, play har*HNNGH!*" Blanka's foray into philiosophy is not to be finished, no - no, instead he's going to have his words of wisdom smacked back into his face by the twin powers of female bouncyness, the step of the foot catching him on the back of his head which forces his back to extend, leaving it wide open for the smack of Acacia's fist into his spine. He collapses, straight into the middle of the trampoline.
Normally, he'd take a second to recover - but this is the power of the trampoline, and the rebounding of it's stretchyness bounces him directly back up into the air. In one fluid motion, he's dug his hands into his shirt, and taken out the mushy casaba melons. They're held in his palms, and as he goes /straight/ up, he attempts to push them into both Hotaru and Acacia's faces, to give them something to think about. As he flails wildly in midair, he's twisting and turning like a cat, to try and get his feet under him before gravity grabs him again. "Awh-ROOOOOOO!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Blanka's Jab Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/---====|
Truth be told, Hotaru is perfectly glad to have cut off Blanka's spiel about fighting for the fun of it. The girl that line would have resonated with isn't in right now. For the young Kenpo artist, all that matters is getting this mockery of a contest of skill over with as quickly as possible. Fortunately for her, the springy environment DOES play to her strengths; Hotaru utilizing the leverage gained by the head stomp to push herself higher up into the air before coming back down, arms raised at her sides as she watches Blanka recover beneath her.
The jungle raised fighter raises swiftly back up into the midst of the two girls and thinking he has a surprise strike in mind, Hotaru swings out with her fist the very moment the two are aligned for a fleeting moment. Only, instead of socking the bouncing beastial battler, she ends up punching her hand right through the melon intended for her face, the fruit splattering upon impact, chunks sent flying out everywhere.
Pulling her now-sticky hand back, Hotaru scowls with some surprise as she bends her legs into the next inevitable bounce. Well, jeez. Even in this seemingly clean fighting environment someone finds a way to get her dirty!! Shaking her head as she is slung back up, the small fighter zeros in on Acacia, twisting her body around into a form of pirouette, her arms swinging out to try and get a hold of the Gedo student. If she gets contact, there will be a moment where she, perhaps not quite discretely, uses Acacia's shirt to wipe her melon'd hand... But the contact is brief before she flings her fiercely back toward the trampoline beneath them head first... if successful, she'll follow up by making her her next landing happens to be on Acacia's back before flipping back into the air again!
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures Blanka's Jab Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Acacia with Ten Ranku-Tou.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/---====|
Acacia hasn't fared too well against Blanka's ripe melons.
Pulp explodes over Acacia's face, blasting a geyser of juices and moist rind. The slick fluids spray all over her upper body, chunks of fruit lodging in her hair and soaking her t-shirt. The sheer force of /impact/ snaps her head back - because a bouncing melon attached to someone like Blanka is no trivial matter.
It's hardcore.
Her eyes are open, though, despite the stinging juice, as she just takes the blow. She isn't going to let something like /that/ distract her from...
...what?
The fact that her eyes are open just means Acacia gets a better view as Hotaru -grabs- her and throws her headfirst to the trampoline surface.
Protip: Most trampoline-related deaths are caused by bad landings. Not accidentally falling off the trampoline, mind you, not as such - it's just, you see, all too easy to break your own neck.
Acacia winces. She's battered, and she's got the uncomfortable sensation of even more melon juice being rubbed into her shirt.
Good thing that t-shirt's -black-.
Acacia splutters, spitting out a few seeds.
She rebounds off the surface of the trampoline, arcing up towards Hotaru. She swings her arm, now. Ignoring Blanka for the moment, seeking to retaliate against the other girl. Chi builds up in Acacia's arm, flowing from muscles and bone - out in a vibrational shockwave that splits the air, a bass roar encompassing her fist as she drives it up, up, up...
For all his time in the jungle bouncing from tree to tree, Blanka is still getting the hang of just how springy these trampolines are. The last bounce he'd done is awkward, with his body twisting this way and that as he flails and attempts to come down in some semblance of normal. He lands on the outer edge of the trampoline, feet digging into the metal bar that holds the thing up, and quickly grabs on with his hands as well, to steady himself, not bouncing for the moment. He watches the two girls battle, and tries to judge the next best attack and time to jump in. It's a difficult decision to do, with both of them seeming so matched! However, in the end, he's still having fun - so he goes to share that with his friend, probably much to her consternation.
"HOTAROOOO! Blanka learn something..!" With that, he times his own leap and launches himself skyward. He attempts to land /just/ before her, in front of her and all toothily grinned, to pre-load the trampoline with springiness, and only making a small hop himself to transfer all that inertia and bounce to the smaller girl. Done correctly, the move /should/ launch her much higher and off-center. However, it's Blanka's first time trying it, so his mileage may vary!!
COMBATSYS: Hotaru endures Acacia's Mass Driver.
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Hotaru 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru interrupts Strong Throw from Blanka with Maou Satsujinken.
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Hotaru 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 1/------=/=======|
With the aerial advantage Hotaru has, it's not like she doesn't see Acacia's impending retaliation. Up in the air, reaching the apex of her leap, she most definitely does. She just doesn't seem to care, her eyes snapping from Acacia toward Blanka instead, the corner of her mouth flicking up into a faint smirk, an opportunity spotted. She'll demonstrate just how serious she IS about this not being fun by making it as un-fun as possible for the poor jungle trained fighter.
Twisting herself around, she forces Acacia's strike to come from the side, driving her back down hard. The impact is brutal hard, reminding the girl that strikes from the laconic girl seriously need to be regarded as a major threat. There's no changing things now, however, she's committed to her course of action in the form of a speeding bullet, her right hand already flaring to life with a red-orange spiral spining out of her forearm, forming almost a 'drill bit' of chi in front of her hand.
Blanka lands right in front of her, eager to show her something, but Hotaru's not particularly interested. The moment he tries to transfer the inertia into springing her up high, she snaps her hand out, grabbing a tight hold of his long hair, stopping her ascent short and allowing her to snap right back down in front of him, driving her chi infused hand directly into his chest, discharging all of its energy with a point blank, catastrophic explosion of shreading, piercing energy, designed to maim and wound above all else. "Tell me if this feels fun!" the girl snaps, her tone bitter, her expression nothing remotely resembling friendly.
The backlash sends Hotaru reeling, releasing his hair as the two are forced to part ways, tumbling backward in the air in the opposite direction, but a slow backward flip allows her to recover into her next landing without further incident.
Have fun, the green guy says. Well, Acacia's not sure what fun is to be had while bouncing up and down like a flippin' idiot...
...alongside a couple of people doing their level best to hurt you.
Fun for the audience, maybe. The crowd ringing the giant interlocked grid of trampolines is yelling their lungs out. Looks like they're enjoying themselves, even if Acacia sure as hell ain't.
Mind, it's not like she's -angry- or anything. She's just annoyed at being forced to fight in a manner that's so -uncomfortable- to her. Acacia hits the taut fabric of the trampoline again, ricocheting as the coiled springs rebound her into the air. She rolls to the edge, coming close to falling entirely off the frame. But it gives her some distance as Hotaru and Blanka collide. All this up and down motion is making Acacia wish she had a lighter breakfast. It's also making her /very thankful/ she wore adequate support, since without it, she's sure the ligaments in her chest would be hurting right now. But Acacia doesn't have the annihilating intent that Hotaru's emitting. She's just annoyed, she's not -pissed-.
Acacia's brow furrows as she glances at her friend. This is the second fight Acacia's been in with the other girl...where Hotaru's just flipped out and gleefully gone for the throat. Apparently /enjoying/ it. Acacia's not gonna condemn anyone for asserting themselves, but this seems...uncharacteristic.
No time to think, though. No time to woolgather. As the trampoline shakes beneath her weight, Acacia flips round. One leg descends almost in an axe kick, the heavy heel of one boot smashing into the surface so hard the springs /give way/. A horrible shriek of protesting metal fills the air, as a shockwave of chi explodes from the point of impact, distorting the air and shaking the trampoline frame mercilessly. The wavefront explodes across the unstable battlefield, rippling beneath Blanka as he descends...even as he eats an angry-Hotaru-strike straight to the chest.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Blanka with Mass Breaker.
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Hotaru 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0 Acacia
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Blanka 1/---====/=======|
She's not smiling. Hotaru Futaba isn't smiling, and she isn't having fun, and she's ... angry? At /Blanka/?! But.. but... this is not how the world is supposed to work! Supposedly, Blanka is supposed to be enjoying himself and doing his best and so is Hotaru - but in that instant that her hand slaps against his chest and blood flows out of the shredded skin of his green frame, he realizes that something's /very/ wrong. The pain, well - he's taken his share of it before, wincing as he's knocked back, legs kicking high as the trampoline throws him off, and then with the sudden shake, he's on his back, hurt and confused. He doesn't move for a long second - an eternity, when the battle is being forced to occur on a springing surface such as this.
When he comes back up, his eyes are sad, gold narrowing a bit as he studies Hotaru - and then turns towards Acacia, something very distressed in his look. "'otaroo... If you keep attacking Blanka, you lose.." He knows he's the weakest now - and he knows that this fight, for some reason, is /very/ important to Hotaru. And with that knowledge, his course of action is perfectly defined - unfortunately for Acacia. Without any further thought, he launches himself at the woman, his body glowing in a flicker of blue-white light. As he tries to wrap her up, his frame suddenly courses with electricity, a blazing display of sheer raw power.
Her devestating attack delivered, Hotaru's landing on the adjacent trampoline is converted into a smooth touch down as she converts her momentum into a small hop rather than a leap, taking a lot of the spring out of the rebound, allowing her to slide a few yards before coming to a complete stop for a change. Blue eyes take in the springy battlefield from the safety of distance for a moment, studying the other two fighters briefly, catching a glimps of the next hit Blanka takes from Acacia's powerful strikes.
The ache of the fight begins to settle in then, the power of Acacia's last blow catching up with her, causing her to cough once and stumble forward, catching herself with her hand. Her right arm burns as if on fire even though the furious energy that poured over it a moment ago is gone from sight for the time being. Hissing, Hotaru pushes herself back to standing, her focus coming to rest on Blanka the very moment he studies her in return. He can't possibly understand what brought the girl to this point, what drives her to strike so brutally, as if her entire outlook on fighting had taken an entire shift.
Acacia's next. That much Hotaru had already decided before Blanka goes tearing off after her with electricty coursing over his body. The Gedo student has another attack to worry about as Hotaru comes in fast from behind, running along the trampolines rather than leaping, waiting until she's at just the right range to spring forward into a whirl of spinning, windmilling strikes, each palm blow puntcuated by a spark of chi as she tries to crush her way through any attempt at defense on the part of the other girl.
If she gets her opening, she finishes by ramming her shoulder into Acacia, her right and left hand cupped together at her side, an incredible quantity of that red-orange chi building up between her hands for a split second. "Heh," comes the quiet grunt, right before she turns her other shoulder forward, discharging all of that power at point blank range with the same violent energy she used on Blanka only moments ago. What's good for the beast is good for the girl, it would seem!
COMBATSYS: Acacia blocks Hotaru's Sou-shou Tenrenge EX.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Acacia interrupts Direct Lightning from Blanka with Unyielding Stance.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=======\====---\1 Acacia
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Blanka 0/-------/---====|
Wrapped in Blanka's grasp, Acacia hisses as energy crackles around her frame. Held as she is, there's little she can do to avoid Hotaru's furious assault, energy laced blows slamming hard into her torso and snapping her head around. But though electricity crackles round Acacia's lean frame, though she can do nothing to oppose Hotaru's attacks...she doesn't seem to be breaking.
Oh, Acacia /hurts/, no doubt. The grimace on her face is evidence of that. But she should be unconscious by now. She's still conscious, though, still moving. And then...the surge of chi renforcing her body explodes through her muscles as she -wrenches- free from Blanka by the simple expedent of slamming her own skull into the jungle man's head, a furious collision of bone against bone.
Acacia falls to the trampoline ground, the springs straining as they catch her weight. Acacia breathes, air hissing through clenched teeth. Her ribcage heaves, her lungs labour, drawing much needed oxygen through her body. As her vision clears, she rasps in a soft voice:
"Yeah, you're right," she says, to Blanka, "Futaba..."
Her eyes focus on Hotaru.
"...what's -with- you?"
This, well - this is /not/ Blanka's day. As Acacia shakes free with the vicious headbutt, he feels something in his nose give way, pug-shaped mass of tissue suddenly smooshed even more inwards, making his howl of pain sound very weak and stuffy indeed. He lets go the girl as Hotaru attacks, and staggers back to the end of the trampoline. From there, he starts to raise his arm, to catch Acacia from behind and try to stun her - but.. she sees it too, that need in Hotaru. And when /she/ questions it, Blanka can't move. He stands there for a long moment, and then just speaks.
"Whatever it is.. Blanka have too much respect for Hotaroo. She wants to win, she wins against Blanka. Blanka... gives." With that, he makes a turn, and steps off the trampoline onto the ground below. His legs almost give, knees weak and his body achingly demanding to allow unconciousness, but he forces himself to stay upright. He grabs the edge of the metal casing with all his might, and locks his legs in position, gold eyes just /staring/, full of hurt and frustration and confusion. This is two weeks in a row where the fights have all gone horribly wrong - what's with this tournament now!?
COMBATSYS: Blanka takes no action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=======\====---\1 Acacia
COMBATSYS: Blanka can no longer fight.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=======\====---\1 Acacia
The flurry of strikes delivered, Hotaru hops back as Acacia turns her attention toward Blanka briefly, giving the bestman a solid headbutting, Gedo-style, before turning her focus back on the young Kenpo artist. Staring back at Acacia, jaw set tightly, the girl seems to care nothing for her question, responding with a quiet 'Tch,' beneath her labored breath.
But when Blanka throws in the towel she pauses, brow furrowing as she shouts his way, "What are you doing? Don't you dare-!" she demands right before he hops off, his feet landing on the ground off the trampolines. Given the rules of this particular bout that's a final concession all by itself. He's trying to help her but for his trouble all he gets is an even more angry glare. She doesn't want the fight HANDED to her. She wants that victory torn from her opponents by tooth and nail, and having him step out denies her that completely.
Frustrated, Hotaru turns her attention back toward Acacia, determination wavering, uncertainty settling in. She wanted to get this miserable, nonsensical fight over with as soon as possible the moment it began, but now she's not so sure. She's been on a warpath to wrest respect from everyone she knew, only to find that she's been throwing away something she had had all along. This isn't the first time she's found herself questioning her last couple of months in fighting. She hasn't been happy for as long as she can remember. She hasn't enjoyed any of her slew of seemingly 'easy victories' for just as long, each one leaving her feeling more and more empty than the one before.
Her right fist clenches, "What's with me?" she echos back as she has to so many others before now, blue energy rippling around her entire forearm. Bright, vibrant blue, looking like the chi she had always used in time past. "Nothing. I've simply woken up to the potential I always had, that's all. No more holding back. No more making it unnecessarily hard on myself. I always had this capacity, now I'm simply putting it to use... You're just one of many surprised that I always had this within me..."
Drawing her hand back, she gets ready to unleash her classical blue chi ball Acacia should be well familiar with. A return to the concussive, less destructive energy she had always used before. Maybe she's had enough of trying to explode her friends. Maybe Blanka's standing down, Acacia's concern has made her question the vehemence with which she has fought...
And that's what she seems intending to send the other girl's way. Until she's reminded of the reason she keeps doing using that other, twisted energy of hers. That hunger - the craving within to unleash it, let it loose...
Thus it is that when she swings her arm forward, she adds a final little touch to the chi ball - a red, narrow spike through the center of it - a shard of that same piercing energy she has been using the whole match, launching it at Acacia. It might be hard to even see at first, but should Acacia fail to defend herself against the chi blast she'll find the little extra 'present' in it far more painful than Hotaru's normal strikes. "HAH!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia fails to interrupt Hakki Shou from Hotaru with Stonewall.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Acacia
Acacia watches out of the corner of her eyes as Blanka climbs off the trampolines, staggering to the sidelines. She notes his position in her peripheral vision. A twinge of...something...crosses her face, her facial muscles twitching - a change from her usual impassive fighter's mask. But when she locks eyes with Hotaru, her expression is once again perfectly still.
She begins to move.
But...
Too slow.
Acacia winces as the red energy crashes over her, smashing her to the surface of the trampoline. Springs groan as Acacia bounces in a parabolic arc, before just barely righting herself, hands and feet catching the edges of one of the interlocked frames. On all fours, she inhales, breathing heavily.
Damn, Acacia thinks.
She lifts her head.
"Nothing wrong with aggression," Acacia grinds out, as she levers herself upright.
She looks Hotaru in the eye.
"I'm not the green guy," she states.
"Good," Hotaru snaps back, having watched Acacia catch herself from her tumble. "Then you won't mind that I'm not going to hold back for as long as you intend to continue fighting." She begins to walk forward then, slowly, her body aching, her right arm burning. The bouncing, the flipping, all of that is gone now as the girl simply strides, albiet slightly buoyantly, over the surface of the trampoline, stepping steadily onto the one occupied by the other girl still.
Even as she walks, her right forarm flares to life again, churning with energy not unlike that which she had blasted Blanka with at point blank. "You understand then," Hotaru continues, closing the distance between them. "What it means to have this kind of power." In the past Acacia had bested her time and time again, the Gedo student always having been secretly held as a 'benchmark' in Hotaru's mind. Some day, she had told herself when they had met almost a year ago... some day she would be powerful enough to beat the tough as nails girl from Gedo. Made of stone, some say about Acacia.
So be it. That means all Hotaru has to do is strike with the kind of force that can powder rock. And that's what she intends to attack with /now/. Exhausted, perspiration rolling down her cheeks and down from around her hairline, the girl charges in the final yards, drawing her fist back, cocking it behind her head as she attacks with reckless abandon.
Her left hand is forward, a simple swat with her palm as if forcing Acacia to defend herself in another direction, but of course the real attack is impossible to miss; Swiftly she slams it forward, giving it all she has left in her, a powerful explosion of fierce chi discharging from the end of her fist as she tries to strike Acacia in the stomach with it with all she's got. "RAH!"
COMBATSYS: Acacia dodges Hotaru's Satsujinken.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Acacia
She's tired. She's injured. She hasn't taken all that much physical abuse, but the damage from the powerful chi than both her opponents have slung around is building up. Her vision's starting to blur. Sweat slicks her skin, blending with pulped melon juices into a whole new acidic cocktail. Acacia's still moving, though.
Because part of her legendary durability is not, in fact, actual resistance to damage.
It's also sheer bloody mindedness.
"Anger," she observes, simply, as she draws back. Her eyes track Hotaru's fist as the other girl chambers the punch.
"Is..."
Then Acacia just lets herself /tumble/ backwards, counting on the trampoline to break her fall. The explosive blow misses her by scant inches, the outer edge of the chi effect stinging through the fabric of Acacia's t-shirt to reach her abdomen. But it's a slight impact, nowhere near full force. Acacia hits the trampoline surface. Bounces back up. Swinging her own fist straight at Hotaru, leather-clad knuckles.
"...a tool."
Left unsaid is the implication...that a real craftsman uses it.
Isn't used by it.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Hotaru with Strong Punch.
[ \\\\ < > /////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Acacia
Isn't *consumed* by it.
Hotaru stumbles forward as Acacia manages to tumble out of the way of the strike, catching herself just barely from falling forward, left hand planted against her knee. Her head bowed at first, it comes up in time to see Acacia coming toward her. Now attempt to dodge, no attempt to even raise her hands in defense, the girl simply charges forward, taking the first to the side of her face, the power behind it enough to send her spinning sideways to the floor of the trampoline, catching herself with her hands as she slides to a stop with a pained gasp.
Her right hand comes up, wiping across her mouth, coming away with a streak of red covering her skin from her bloodied lip. "Che. Don't you lecture me!" She pushes off, springing forward with what dubious strength even exists in her anymore. Her body wanted to quit a long time ago. She's never fought like this - not for some SNF, not where nothing is on the line but simply another victory. Not when no one's life is on the line. But she can't bring herself to quit yet.
It is with a tackle that she leaps for Acacia as soon as she's within range, both of her hands going for the other girl's throat in an attempt to seize a tight, strangling hold, attempting to kick her down to the ground in the process so that she can kneel atop Acacia's stomach and simply finish the fight by strangling the other girl into submitting.
COMBATSYS: Acacia dodges Hotaru's Strong Throw.
[ \\\\ < > /////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Acacia
It's not a bad idea.
The trouble is the ground in question isn't ground. It's not solid. It's fabric stretched taut - and braced with tightly coiled springs to give it elastic flexibility. In her sheer bloody-minded desire to /finish this fight/, Hotaru might well have forgotten that.
Acacia hasn't.
Oh, she complained about the chosen arena. She still doesn't like it. But all that means is the environmental conditions have been first and foremost on her mind. She hasn't been distracted from that by any desire to just /put down/ the other fighter.
That's the other thing, about anger.
Tunnel vision.
She doesn't voice that thought, though. No, Acacia's silent...as she twists in mid-air. Just enough to keep her throat from Hotaru's questing fingers. She does let Hotaru's kick land, driving her to the mat. But that's deliberate. Because when the inevitable rebound happens, the trampoline's springs recoiling with a metallic sound...Acacia moves swiftly, attempting to reverse the hold. Quick as lightning, her own hand /flashes/ for Hotaru's own throat, iron fingers and palm exploding forth.
Acacia's eyes are hard.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Hotaru with Stronghold.
[ < > ////// ]
Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Acacia
The turn around is practically inevitable. The girl is just exhausted beyond belief. The moment Acacia slips out of the way of her tackle, she's very easy to get a hold of, barely capable of staying standing let alone getting out of the way. The impact against her neck gags the girl, and in the next instant she finds herself strangled - the exact same thing she intended to do to Acacia.
A feeble attempt is made to rip herself free from Acacia's grip, but there's just no way she can pry the other girl's powerful fingers from off her throat. Still, if she can just reach her... Acacia had better watch out as Hotaru slams her hand out, going for one final, desperate bid to get a grip on her T-Shirt, her right hand again charging..., intent on delivering a fight ending strike to wrap the match with certain finality...
COMBATSYS: Hotaru can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ <
Acacia 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Acacia dodges Hotaru's Maou Satsujinken.
[ \\\\\\ <
Acacia 0/-------/=======|
But she can't quite get the hold before she just can't continue any further. Her right hand drops limp against her side, the brief flare of chi flickering out. Her left hand follows suit a moment later, dropping down against the girl's side as her body finally gives up, the burning, ruthless aggressive finally having exhausted her into submission.
Acacia releases her grip, her fingers finally going slack. She withdraws her hand from Hotaru's throat, lifting sweat-stained leather from the other girl's skin. Acacia doesn't quite manage to stand, not on the distinctly unstable footing of the trampolines. She does flop into a sitting position, legs bent at the knees. Her spine's straight, though. And like that, she regards Hotaru.
A hush falls around the makeshift arena. A hush broken only by the announcer's voice, the SNF referee proclaiming Acacia the winner. Blanka willingly vacated the ring, and now it looks like Acacia's the only one able to fight. That judgement's made - with a Japanese translation echoed for the local crowd in an even more enthusiastic tone.
The audience goes absolutely crazy.
Acacia, though...she doesn't say a word. She just stares at Hotaru.
Silently.
COMBATSYS: Acacia has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:10:05 03/07/2008 by Acacia, and last modified on 19:05:28 03/12/2008.