Hakuya - Have Beatdowns, Will Travel

Description: Tenma is always getting in trouble, and usually it has to do with getting in trouble with girls. In this case, the leader of the Pacific Resistance team comes looking for Tenma, but the Guardian King isn't around to answer for whatever he did to piss the fiery redhead off. Who is? Hakuya. While the quiet Guardian King manages to defuse the situation, he then calls upon her to help him train... and ends up getting more than he bargained for.



Tuesday. 2:02 PM.

Endlessly blue skies drape over the city, littered with fluffy white clouds lazily drifting across the horizon. Gone is the chill of winter that once lingered; in its wake is the encroaching warmth of summer, the only reprieve from sunny heat a cool breeze that passes on occasion. It's wonderful spring weather, and it draws out many people to enjoy it while it's here. Summer will be coming soon, after all.

Classes have let out for the day, and Gedo is thriving with activity. Students mill to and fro, leaving campus or returning to dormitories, some heading elsewhere on campus for their after school rituals and do whatever they so please. It's yet another nice, relatively normal and violence-free day at Gedo High.

"WHERE IS HE!?" A resounding crack follows the shrill yell that pierces the courtyard.

Normalcy comes to an abrupt, violent end.

At the center of a gathering of students is a bulky Gedo thug holding his face and, standing over him, a girl who is very much not a student at the school. Clad in a gray skirt and short-sleeved button down, her uniform is anything but conformist to any of the surrounding schools. Despite this...people at Gedo know who she is. They know her face, and they most certainly know her name.

"I said--" The girl steps forward, causing the thug to recoil and flinch slightly. "Where is Tenma!?"

Blue skies, birds singing, and Hakuya's got strawberry milk.

Life is good.

The Guardian Kings had no training scheduled for today, a rare thing but likely done to give their bodies SOME rest. Since the fight with Kain, Tenma had taken their training TO THE NEXT LEVEL, as he put it, and made them train every single day. This training entailed basically beating the crap out of each other until none of them could move any more, then walking it off and coming back to do it again the next day. It had only doubled in intensity since the incident with Marise, their resolve being kept strong, a determination to make themselves stronger to defeat any opponent keeping them going. There's a limit to how much people can beaten up black and blue every day, though. So Tenma had called this a health day. It was meant for the GKs to take some time off and recooperate. That in mind, Hakuya had a perfect spot down by the river he wanted to sit and fish at, while drinking a big ol' bottle of strawberry milk - the panacea for all ailments, as far as Hakuya was concerned.

But on his way out of the school, he heard it. That yell, or more like a challenge, towards Tenma. "Hm? That voice..." Hakuya muses. Turning, the Suigetsu heir makes his way over to what is quite evidently a fight starting, as there was -always- a congregation around such incidents. "Er, excuse me! Please let me through!" Hakuya chimes in politely, and the Gedo students part for him, surprisingly, letting him making his way to the front of the group. There he finds a familiar sight. Not so much Marisol, as much as Marisol standing over someone with a likely broken nose. Being his usual cheerful self, the grappler, while sipping his drink from a straw, raises a hand and waves to the redhead while smiling easily. But he doesn't step forward or offer the information she seeks... if only because he didn't actually hear what she yelled, so much as he heard her yelling in general.

"M-man how the hell s-should I--??"

"YOU GO HERE, RIGHT??!"

The yelling doesn't stop, Marisol's anger only encouraged as the thug recoils and feigns ignorance - or so she believes. Stepping forward, her stance drops, arms reaching up to rest comfortably on her curvy hips as she just leans forward at the waist with a smug grin. She pauses in her anger, sizing the young Gedoite up with an eye of scrutiny and amusement.

"Tch, then again, you're weak. What would someone weak and pathetic know, anyway?" Leaning forward, the redhead gets into the thug's face, her grin edging further across her face, turning into a patronizing sneer. The guy looks confused and offended.

"What a waste of my damn time, comin' here. All of you Gedo punks are weak!" Standing fully upright once more, the half-Spaniard girl just scoffs and tosses a hand, turning her back to the wounded student as he continues to stare in disbelief. Her hand moves, smoothing back through her coppery red locks as gray eyes snap shut.

"Tenma's probably run away in fear or something..." Gray eyes open...and spy...Hakuya.

He's waving her down?

The girl does not miss a single beat; stepping forward, her lips pull into a grin as she closes in on poor Hakuya. And when she's close enough her hands plant on her hips, her face jutting forward as she gets right INTO his face.

"YOU know where he's at, don't you? Did that punk send you instead??"

Looking a little sympathetic for the poor guy facing down Marisol's wrath - he's been on that end of the rage stick before - Hakuya nonetheless doesn't interfere, instead merely watching more, and sipping his refreshing pink-colored beverage. The bottle was glass, and had a overly cute drawing of a pink cow on it saying 'muu' which is of course written in Japanese. Considering he's smiling his usual easy smile as he does this, how could he possibly be mistaken for one of the stronger students at this school? Seriously. "Um, no. Tenma left awhile ago, saying something about ramen, I think," Hakuya answers truthfully as Marisol turns to question him. It's at this point that he realizes something - as Marisol had proven too strong for the one Gedo student, and now she was moving onto the Guardian King, it was clear to the other Gedo students that he was going to be fighting the redhead, most likely. As such, the 'ring' around Marisol had shifted backwards, leaving Hakuya high and dry. "Eh?" he asks as he looks behind him.

Blinking in puzzlement, he returns his gaze to the leader of his rival team, and offers her a friendly smile. "It's been awhile since we've last talked, huh? Christmas, I think, wasn't it? How've you been?" The easy-going questions are completely at odds with the mood, which never fails to astound the Gedo students - how the hell can he remain like that when there was imminent violence? "Er... but, no, he didn't send me or anything. I just heard you shouting and I came over to see. It's good to see you again." More smiling, and he sips more from his drink.

Though the girl looks intently at the young Guardian King before her, those gray eyes can't help but wander the longer she peers at him. The reason? The glass of milk and the too-cute pink cow mooing in moonspeak on its label. Briefly the girl's lips pucker, her bottom lip briefly pulling inwards as she absently gnaws on it. It sure is cute...

Shaking her head sternly, the girl dismisses the thoughts, gray eyes peering back up at Hakuya with a light frown haunting her full lips. His news is not exactly what she wants to hear from him. Tenma left? But...

"Where would that jerk even go?" the girl growls, eyes hooding as she peers Hakuya down. "He's homeless or something. I know that bum...this probably IS his home. And food? He's too poor to afford food! You better not be lyin' to me, Suigetsu..!"

In the manner of seconds, however, Hakuya disarms the girl.

Marisol's face falls flat as she stares the youth in his blue eyes, gray depths widening ever so slightly as he offers a friendly, rather amiable change of subject. Fumbling mentally, she takes a step back, eyes narrowing a scant few inches as she gazes at him with newfound uncertainty. What is he up to..?

"Er...yeah, it has been a while. And uh. .." It's good to see her again? And the smiling..?

Gnashing her teeth lightly behind her lips, the girl mulls privately before she exhales and throws her arms up into the air. "What a weirdo you are!" The moment passes quickly enough, however, and soon she peers at the Suigetsu heir uncertainly once more.

"Whatever! Hello to you too. And if Tenma isn't here, well..."

The half-Spaniard girl turns on her heel, her chin aloft as she about-faces from Hakuya.

"I'll be on my way. I can feel the poverty creeping and trying to get beneath my skin...ugh."

There's a slight murmur through the crowd at this strange turn of events. First, the redhead had shown up, all fire and brimstone, demanding to see Tenma and beating up people to get answers from them. She'd then turned that fiery rage onto Hakuya, and just by talking normally had she been completely diffused. Likely, tomorrow, there were going to be rumors. Of the kind Marisol would likely be mortified to hear. Things like 'Does Suigetsu have a girlfriend?!' with cellphone photos of Marisol pasted along with the words. After all, how -else- could Hakuya have so completely turned the raging redhead's fury aside? He was a calm dude, but usually that just infuriated the furious even more!
As for Hakuya, he just smiles more and shakes his head. "No lie. Today we didn't have practice, so everyone's left. I stayed behind to help clean the classroom." There's a small pause as Hakuya simply watches the continued display of uncertainty from the girl, though he has no idea what's causing it. After all, though he no longer thought Marisol hated him instinctively, he was pretty sure she wasn't fond of him, and her normal attitude was nothing like this. It was more like... well, rage and insults. So he's somewhat not sure what to say back, either, until she turns to leave - and that's when an idea strikes him. He'd been meaning to find Marisol for awhile now, for the simple purpose of helping himself get stronger. Marisol was a strong fighter, so it was only natural to seek her out. "Wait a sec," he says. Moving to the side a bit, he sets the bottle with the mooing cow aside for now, then moves away from it, flexing out a wrist.
"If you wouldn't mind, I've actually been wanting to fight you," now THAT'S a twist, usually the Suigetsu is eager to -avoid- fighting. "I think at Christmas, I was a little slowed down by the suit I was wearing... but you and I haven't seen each other's full strength for awhile. I'm sure Tenma will return in time... so until then..." he shifts his feet, planting them firmly, and holds out his hands. "I want to train with you. I think you're the only one who can really further my defensive skills. You're very strong... so I'd like to see which is stronger. Your offense, or my defense."

Whatever rumors spill from the woodworks at Gedo may come, they are the furthest thing from Marisol's mind. Besides, what does it matter what a bunch of poverty-stricken students do in their spare time to someone like her? It means nothing! For now, the girl is focused on the Guardian King before her. He's not Tenma, but it'll do.

"Hmph," the girl replies, her head turning to the side as she snaps her eyes shut. A moment after she's turning her back to the Guardian King in an odd display of a demeanor that seems very much unlike the Marisol he's come to know over the past year. "Goodie two-shoes," she murmurs. She turns to leave the high school grounds.

But he tells her to stop.

Opening her eyes, the girl shoots them aside, peering at the Suigetsu heir as if he sprouted a second head on his shoulders. Saying nothing, the half-Spaniard just observes the young man closely - carefully - as he approaches. And then he offers a confession most curious. He wants to 'train' with the rival team's leader.

Slowly but surely her one, visible eye hoods lazily, her lips pulling into an odd, half-hearted scowl.

"You gotta be kidding me?"

A hand reaches up from her side, pressing idly against her forehead as she draws her eyes to a close, a sigh escaping her lips. A smirk swiftly cuts its way over full lips, eyes still shut as she chuckles low. "Your offense? Greater than my defense? Impossible." Opening a solitary eye, the girl peers right at the Guardian King, her smirk growing. "That SNF ...wasn't even my full potential." Her smirk reaches epic proportions of overconfidence.

"I'm going to continue to GET stronger, too. You guys won't be able to keep up.

"You wanna train, eh?" Widening her eyes, the girl laughs.

And then lashes out with a swift punch aimed for Hakuya's face.

"Block THIS!"

COMBATSYS: Marisol has started a fight here.

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Marisol          0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Hakuya has joined the fight here.

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Marisol          0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Hakuya


COMBATSYS: Marisol successfully hits Hakuya with Medium Punch.
- Power hit! -

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Marisol          0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0           Hakuya


Holding his fighting stance as Marisol talks, Hakuya doesn't move at all, intent on not being caught unawares. The sad part of this was that he's heard it all before. Tenma talks like this a lot, just like Marisol does. So it doesn't bug him in the least, honestly. He remains quiet all through her smack talk, readying himself for what he -knows- is going to be a tough fight. And despite all that, Marisol still manages to surprise him by having her fist impact, like a brick being smashed upside his head, into his face. A loud grunt of pain escapes him, and his head snaps to the side. He doesn't waver, though, to his credit. Before turning his head back around, he spit to the ground, a bit of blood mixed in with the saliva. Her punch undoubtedly mashed his lips up quite good against his teeth, which wasn't going to precisely feel well for the rest of the day. Despite this, once he turns back to Marisol, he smiles a bit. "Yep, you hit very hard."
Then the smile fades. Feet pushing off, he suddenly lunges for the Pacific Resistance team leader, arm snapping out to grapple her about the waist. If this manages to be successful, he'll scoop her up into that arm, then begin to charge forward, holding her to his side. The dash doesn't take that long, since there isn't a -huge- amount of room to run, with the ring of students around them. But he builds up enough momentum that when he reaches about halfway across the makeshift 'ring', and suddenly stops, there's more than enough momentum to keep Marisol going, crashing right into the ground.

COMBATSYS: Marisol blocks Hakuya's Strong Throw.

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Marisol          0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0           Hakuya


Smirking wide, the redhead's expression shifts from 'cocky' to 'crazy' in the matter of mere seconds. Lunging forward with a sharp laugh, her fist coils tightly and suddenly shoots from her chest, driving hard, right for the center of poor Hakuya's smiling face. Impact is pretty brutal; a crack erupts from between the fighters, the blow coupled with enough force to snap the poor Guardian King's head to one side.

The half-Spaniard girl doesn't linger long; instead, her fist coils back and close to her body once more, her feet shoulder's width apart as she places a few feet between herself and the Suigetsu heir. He spits blood...and then compliments the redhead. Her expression is initially puzzled, gray eyes widening a touch in response. But soon enough it's replaced with another cocky smirk.

"Tch, tell me something I don't already know!"

But the unexpected happens right then. Hakuya stops smiling.

"Wha--??" Suddenly grabbed by the waist, the girl is carted for a brief run, Marisol's expression baffled and startled as she's carried. "W-what are you, a pervert!?" she cries...just before he suddenly stops and sends HER flying with the force of his momentum. She sails but twists her body as she flies, her body hitting the ground with a less-painful strike, the brunt of the toss absorbed on her side.

Immediately the girl rolls forward and hops to her feet, eyes half-lidded as she eyes the young man closely. Privately, Marisol admits that the damn Suigetsu boy hits hard. But like hell she'd confess anything of the sort to a Guardian King.

Well, except maybe Stasya.

"HRAAAGH!" She charges almost instantly, closing in on Hakuya to deliver a threefold strike, opening with a straight punch with the left, then an uppercut with the right. Her body twists, a leg spinning around and swinging upwards, a hooking kick aimed right for the side of his skull!

COMBATSYS: Hakuya blocks Marisol's Iron Whip.

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Marisol          0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0           Hakuya


Pervert? The comment makes him pause a little, but only after he's actually thrown Marisol. Stopping dead for a second or two, he asks, "Um...? Why would you--" but then the redhead is up quicker than he can believe, almost, after being thrown, and she charges in. Stepping back to allow for a bit more room, he just barely manages to raise his arm in order to intercept the first strike she deals, the fist hitting his forearm, then being forced to the side, free of his body. The uppercut is caught on his other hand, palm catching the strike. Both blows are pretty strong, jarring to his hands, but far less so than him getting hit directly with her fists. The kick, he doesn't block so much as ducks under, letting the girl's foot sweep over his back, and then moving towards Marisol's flank. While he -would- admit it - and has, twice, so far - Marisol hits damn hard. Following up her attack with his own, he aims, from her side, a stiff palm strike directly to her kidney, then spins on one heel, and brings his other arm about, intent on driving an elbow into the girl's back, hopefully pushing her forward so that he can get some breathing room.

COMBATSYS: Marisol Toughs Out Hakuya's Strong Punch!

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Marisol          0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0           Hakuya


Recovering from her forced fall, the girl is all smirks as she charges the Suigetsu heir once more, a fist aimed for his face. But unlike before, Hakuya intercepts the blow, the brunt absorbed by his forearm, the uppercut striking his hand in the center of his palm. The girl sneers, just before a leg swings up and attempts to sock the young man upside his head. He...ducks?

"I knew you were a pervert!" the girl cries, a leg immediately dropping back into place as her hands drop and attempt to pin her skirt down properly. While normally it wouldn't bother her in the middle of a fight, there's just SOMETHING about Hakuya that unnerves her. But there is precious little time to truly dwell on calling him a pervert and slinging accusations.

Twisting her body, the girl faces him dead on, the strike of both hands absorbed on her stomach, as opposed to her kidneys and back, his attempts to push the girl back and stave her off briefly an honorable attempt. Marisol laughs lightly, eyes widening before she pushes off her back foot and lunges at the Suigetsu heir once more with a punch aimed for his stomach. The smirk grows, as fists suddenly flare up with fiery yellow chi.

Another body blow follows, chi licking from her palms as she drives her fist into his stomach again before she recoils slightly. The chi on her fists flares up as her arms move again, each fist intent on driving a chi-laced hook into his face, the final blow coupled with a particularly nasty burst of fiery dandelion yellow chi.

COMBATSYS: Hakuya fails to interrupt Red Clover from Marisol with Blind Crescent.

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Marisol          0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0           Hakuya


Really, Hakuya wasn't even thinking of that! Though -Tenma- might have ducked under the kick in order to sneak a peek under the redhead's skirt, Hakuya isn't Tenma. So really, he doesn't even have half a clue why he's being insisted, once more, that he was a pervert. It's so confusing at that point that all he can do is attack, as planned - though this time, probably a bit off-center, which indeed allows Marisol to twist and catch his palm strike exactly where he doesn't want it to go - where she can guard against it. And then she's in his face with yet more punches, but this time, with chi. Feet sliding back, Hakuya attempts to set up his guard... but it's for naught.
The first fist slams into his stomach, and while it hurts, he's on track to try an interrupt, his hand reaching for her wrist before she can withdraw it from his stomach. Even if he does manage to catch it, the next blow knocks his senses askew, head turning to the side with a snap, and being forced to lose his grip on the redhead's fist before he can do anything. More blows rain down, and he staggers back from the punches, the final one actually knocking him back, while his sneakers keep to the concrete, squealing across the ground. He tries to keep his feet, but overbalances as he's a bit dazed, and falls to the floor ungracefully, on his front. There's a moments pause when he doesn't look like he's going to get back up, but then slowly... does, shaking his head roughly. "Ow," he says, a brief bit of a smile returning. That really hurt, and it looks like it'll take him a second to get recovered from it, but he's not out of the fight yet!

With a brilliant display of dandelion-yellow energy, the girl charges into the poor Suigetsu heir, mercilessly assailing him with a volley of brutal punches. Despite his best attempts to stand against and maneuver through, the girl overpowers his defenses, punching him repeatedly before she punches him away, sending him staggering back and ultimately face-down on the courtyard concrete.

A long, awkward silence follows immediately after, all eyes on Hakuya as a cool breeze passes through.

Is...he out?

With an 'ow,' the smiling Guardian King pulls himself back onto his feet and recovers from the strikes, causing the half-Spaniard girl's features to falter as she stares. Normally it wouldn't bother her, but the fact that he's smiling and not scowling or sneering makes it just...very weird. A shake of her head follows, smoky gray eyes pinching shut.

"Honestly, you keep getting back up. That's so very unhealthy!" she exclaims, shoulders lifting in a helpless shrug as her lips pull into a frown. "Training or no, you'd think you would have the wits about you to keep your face in one piece at least. I said that SNF wasn't my best - and I sure as hell refuse to hold back on a Guardian King!"

Her eyes open, peering at Hakuya with the tiniest of grins haunting her glossed lips.

"In any case, if you wanna train, I won't relent." It's all the warning she figures he needs.

Planting her forward-most foot, Marisol throws herself forward, lunging at Hakuya in an attempt to deliver two swift hook punches at his face. No relent, and certainly no mercy. He was warned!

COMBATSYS: Hakuya blocks Marisol's Hook Punch.

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Marisol          0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1           Hakuya


"If I don't get back up... when it's really serious, who -will- get back up?" Hakuya's question seems to almost be a serious one, at that. Rhetoric, of course, but he seems determined to be the one on his team that can take as much punishment as he can, for as long as he can, and keep getting back up. Which is why he's on his feet again in only a few moments, shifting back into his stance. He doesn't look too good, but he's still standing, at the least! And when Marisol offers him the no mercy, he merely smiles again, nodding. "I wouldn't want it any other way." Then there's little time for talking as the Pacific Resistance leader steps forward, and swings fists at him. Once again, he's quick to raise his arms, but this time it's more controlled, his hands moving to hit the intercept the strikes, then twisting the arm aside in a redirect before it can reach his jaw, like she intends. Both punches are turned aside this way, though again it can't be feeling good on his hands!
With that, he steps forward, hopefully moving inside of the red-haired girl's guard, his palms lashing out, striking first at either of Marisol's sides, impacting at the same time, should they hit their target. But following that up is another dual set of palm strikes, going for the throat and stomach this time, and after -that- is a rushed shoulder ram into the girl's middle, intending on driving her back with sheer force of strength.

COMBATSYS: Marisol interrupts Howling Harvest from Hakuya with Snap Wind.

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Marisol          0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1           Hakuya


His words are heard, but the girl does not immediately respond; instead, she does not relent, making her move towards the young man with a fist raised and an odd, almost alarming sneer on her face. She warned him. She really did..!

And to her delight, he withstands and weathers the blow impressively. His forearms again absorb the blows, shielding his poor battered face from harm. A laugh begins to leave her lips, gray eyes widening a touch as she observes him closely. But then he's suddenly making HIS move. It draws a briefly puzzled look from Marisol as she staggers back. There's little time to react properly...

So she smirks.

The palms strike her sides, drawing a low 'oof' from her, followed by the palm strikes that target her throat and gut, winding her briefly as her feet stir, staggering a half-inch. But when he attempts to ram his shoulder into her stomach--

Marisol's fist crashes into Hakuya's face.

It's but a prelude; a moment after the stunning impact the half-Spaniard girl drops low and coils a fist painfully tight at her side...before she unleashes a swift uppercut right for the underneath of Hakuya's jaw, to launch the boy.

"You fool!" the girl cries, her face stern. "You act like you're alone. Why do you think you'd be alone when the going really gets tough, huh? Those dork-ass friends of yours will be there to hold you up, right?" Tilting her head a bit, her eyes hood, lips pulling tightly across her face as she eyes Hakuya.

"Or am I wrong, Suigetsu?"

Really, he should've seen it coming, the punch. It snaps out and hits him right in the midst of his shoulder strike, but there's little he can honestly do about it at that point. The punch staggers him, though not for long - which is what the second punch is likely for! Slamming into his chin, he IS lifted off his feet and sent crashing down to the floor again. This time, however, he's not down for long, rolling as soon as he lands and kipping back up to his feet. "Rrgh..." he mutters as he raises up to a knee.

His answer might be a little surprising.

"Of course they're there for me... but... am I strong enough to be there for -them-?" The look in his eyes says he's pretty serious about that, too. Like he considers himself the weakest of the Guardian Kings, the weak link that would bring them all down, should he falter. Rising up, he isn't smiling anymore, giving Marisol a sudden, determined look. "Hiiyaaaah!" he cries out as he dashes forward again, quickly closing the distance and grappling for the girl by her shirt. If he's successful, he'll lift her up, off her feet and jerk her towards him. If that is accomplished, he'll twist his grip on her, flipping her upside down, then slamming her into the ground behind him, before finishing his body's turn so he faces her once more, skitting backwards to gain some distance.

COMBATSYS: Marisol blocks Hakuya's Strong Throw.

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Marisol          0/-------/=======|=======\===----\1           Hakuya


As Hakuya climbs back to his feet, Marisol's arms fold over her chest, her expression neutral as she simply observes the young man. Bemused mildly by his demeanor, and how utterly unlike the usual young man she knows and is annoyed by, a thin red brow slowly eases its way up her tanned brow as she idly purses her lips. Maybe the things she heard about changed them more than she bargained for..?

His response tells her everything she knows.

"You're such an idiot," the girl ultimately replies, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as a hand presses to her forehead. Even as Hakuya charges in and grabs her, the girl doesn't seem nonplussed or surprised; she's hefted and turned, sent slamming into the ground. But like before her body twists, the real force of his attack absorbed on her upper back as her body relaxes, dampening the stunning slam.

Pulling herself to her feet, the girl's lips ease into a grin.

"Heh. Do you really think I would dislike you idiots so much if you were WEAK?" she asks, sounding almost genuine. "Do you honestly believe that you aren't 'strong' enough to be there for your dumb friends? And if you were weak, would someone like Tenma bother with you?" Lifting her chin, the girl's expression hardens, gray eyes narrowed harshly as she eyes Hakuya intently.

"Strength isn't always about power of the body, Suigetsu. A real team's strength comes not exclusively from individuals and their capabilities as a fighter, but from their bond and their teamwork. A clock would only fall apart if it were missing its pieces, right?"

The redhead sighs, her hand pressing to her face exasperatedly.

"Power and strength are only components of a team. But you have another strength, and that's here." A hand jerks, lightly punching against her chest. "You have an unshakable, strong bond with your dumb friends." Her hand falls loose to her side as she smirks.

"Are you strong enough to be there for them? Tch," Marisol tosses her head.

"What a stupid question!"

The girl's body lurches forward then thereafter, a wide smirk on her lips as she drives forward and attempts to drive her knuckles into the dead center of the young man's chest.

"I think you know the answer to that! Stop fishing for compliments! This isn't a pity party, Suigetsu!!"

COMBATSYS: Marisol successfully hits Hakuya with Medium Punch.

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Marisol          0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1           Hakuya


Sadly, he's been through this line of logic himself. He may not be the fastest when it came to intelligence, but he could reason his way through most anything, given enough time. That is, if he didn't defeat himself at every turn, which was the problem this time. He had gotten beaten badly by Nikolai on the Suiryuu, and that had shaken his confidence immensely. It wasn't so much that he lost in a fight, he could handle that. But he lost to the point where his life was in danger - he could have easily been killed, and all because he was weak. So since then he'd seen himself as very weak. It wasn't fishing for compliments, like Marisol said. It was an honest and true belief. He'd been raised since he was a child to believe he had to protect -everyone- from people stronger than they. It was hard to change things so strongly indoctrinated.

Oddly, Marisol's fists were either making a lot of sense, or just making his brain not work quite that well.

Staggering back from the blow to his chest, Hakuya pants heavily. He was at the end of his rope, about. He doesn't talk anymore, but instead just surges forward, intending on grappling with Marisol once more. Grabbing at her waist, if he is successful, he'll lift her up, over, and back down again in a suplex, then quicker than can be believed, rolls away from Marisol, gets up, grabs her again, then lifts her up once more and slams her to the floor for a second time. Growling out in a cry of, "Hrrrrggggh!" he then picks her up for a third and final time, and simply flings her into the ground some distance away, as though throwing a burlap sack across the way.

COMBATSYS: Hakuya successfully hits Marisol with Last Eclipse.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Marisol          1/-----==/=======|-------\-------\0           Hakuya


The lack of conversation returned from the Suigetsu heir is mildly disarming, like many things about the now-stern faced youth. Frowning a bit, the girl sighs and shakes her head, arms dropping from her sides as she faces him squarely. A beat; a moment later the girl is charging Hakuya, a fist aimed for the center of his chest to knock the young man back. He staggers, but keeps his footing. He's still up?

Marisol looks puzzled.

Whatever his past, and whatever his present, Marisol does not know - and it's likely she'd argue that she just does not care, either. It's bad enough she's been as nice as she can be to him. And offering her own input and advice to a potential problem bothering the guy? Unthinkable! But the fight isn't over quite yet. Hakuya still stands.

And he's grabbing her waist again.

And then slammed into the ground not once, but twice, before she's sent flying into the ground feet away, where shit hits on her shoulder and tumbles a few turns before stopping. A loud groan escapes the girl's lips.

Lifting a hand, Marisol plants it firmly, pushing herself up off the dusty concrete to stand upright once more. Smirking broadly, the redhead's eyes are half-lidded in amusement, full lips pulled into a broad smirk as she eyes Hakuya. "Pretty good," she compliments finally. At her side her knuckles crack.

"HYAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Shooting forward, the girl swings a fist suddenly, a swift and fleeting straight punch aimed for the Suigetsu heir's...shoulder?

COMBATSYS: Hakuya fails to interrupt Light Punch from Marisol with Strong Punch.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Marisol          1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0           Hakuya


COMBATSYS: Hakuya can no longer fight.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Marisol          1/-----==/=======|


After the throws are completed, Hakuya stands there, a little worn out. Panting heavily, the Suigetsu heir isn't going to last much longer at this rate. And when Marisol picks herself back up off the ground, compliment or no, he knows he's probably got seconds left. So when the redhead turns to strike him, he moves to try and strike first, but it just doesn't take. In an almost comedic motion, the fist hits his shoulder, and then he's deposited onto the ground as though he were shoved. "Ow," he says in a deadpan, not quite sure what happened there. But instead of getting back up, he leans back onto his hands, panting still. "Ah ha... I guess... your offense is much better than my defense, huh? I think that's all I can take, for now... you win." There's some cheering from the crowd, which begins to disperse immediately, fight over. As for Hakuya, he eventually looks back up to Marisol, offering her a smile. "...Thank you, Marisol. For more than the fight," he adds the last part as a semi after thought, as though he were trying to clarify.

Log created on 23:38:36 04/22/2008 by Hakuya, and last modified on 21:34:49 04/24/2008.