Description: Under the sweltering heat of a Central American sun, the Neo League pits the Tai Chi mistress Chun-Li against Ice Princess Kula Diamond in a fight with a particularly unexpected conclusion! ...and results in an unexpected ice storm. (Draw Match)
There is no mercy to be found from the heat in this location. The breeze drifting lazily though the area only pretends to offer comfort, only to deliver more humid, uncomfortable air. The sweltering noon sun overhead offers no hope of relief as the day is yet young. Air conditioned facilities exist in the vicinity, of course, but the fight itself is outdoors.
A tall, white-stone, Aztec-styled structure is to serve as the stage for this Neo League venue. The top of the pyramid-shaped temple of old is flat, surrounded on all four sides by very steep, layered sloops, with a ledge every ten feet down that's plenty wide enough to stand upon. A set of stairs along the 'front' side of the temple provides access to the top of the building.
Cameras are set up on various poles mounted on the temple, while the viewing audience has been situated some distance away from the base of the structure, far enough away as to not be in danger of becoming 'interference'. The locals have come prepared with their own portable shade. Umbrellas, covered chairs on which to relax, and other such amenities. The... tourists look miserable though, several trying to fan themselves with pamphlets and maps, sadly unaware of how rapidly their skin is burning in the glaring sunlight.
There is one that seems to be getting by in the environment, however, and that is Chun-Li's opponent for the scheduled match. Tossed into the leagues by her caretakers in order to better evaluate her combat skills against various styles and skill levels, Kula Diamond stands atop the Aztec Pyramid, dressed in a body covering dark violet, leather jacket and matching leather chaps worn over a form fitting black bodysuit. The leather clothing may be fitted with cutting edge flexible armor technology courtesy of NESTS, but that doesn't mean it isn't still /hot/.
Which is probably why the waifishly thin girl just keeps fanning herself with her hand, blowing her auburn locks of hair off of her shoulders, and cooling off her face with a seemingly endless stream of icy, cool particles. She hopes, idly, that the unkind heat isn't going to cause trouble with her particular brand of chi. But if it does... well... that's what tests and trials like this are all about, right? Probably just mean back to the lab for corrections! "Baron Pontmercy would not like this place at all," muses the NESTS project to herself. "I think this is more suited for Basker." Basker is a plush iguana. A pink plush iguana.
If Chun-Li has one lament about being a fighter in the public circuits, it's travelling to places like this.
By no means is the location awful. The lush green as far as the eye can see, breathtaking beaches along the coastlines coupled with a wonderful and rich culture makes for a wonderful tourist destination. It's always a treat to experience such great things, all for relatively free. But the awful, sweltering heat...
For now, as the Neo League crewmembers finish the last-minute preparations for today's venue, Kula Diamond waits atop the white stone Aztec temple in the blazing sun. Her scheduled opponent for the day has yet to make an appearance, but there seems to be no rush from the crew--or the wise locals in the comfort of their shade. The tourists, on the other hand, seem impatient in this heat, and for good reason.
As the last of the preparations fall underway and the crewmembers take their leave of the Aztec 'stage,' a soft hum and buzz emerges from the gathered audience waiting below. Like the biblical parting of the seas does the crowd drift, making way for a figure in blue making its way toward the white staircase. It'd be almost impossible not to recognize the figure dressed in blue--especially with the silk brocades in her hair and the large, thick spiked bracelets on her wrists.
...Well, unless you live under a rock.
When the Chinese woman reaches the steps she wastes no time whatsoever; leaping up, she swiftly and rapidly ascends the steps, pink lips pulled into a grin as she moves. A few feet from the top 'stage' the woman crouches and leaps high, her body spinning and rotating gracefully midair before she lightly and daintily lands. The grin on the woman's lips does not fade.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, miss Diamond," Chun-Li offers to her opponent as she lifts her hands, one hand making a fist before it presses into the open palm of the opposite. A polite bow from the waist up is given to the auburn-haired NESTS experiment.
"Hope you're not too hot in those clothes. This heat is so bothersome. ...So then," Dropping her arms into a crooked position, the woman assumes a stance, one leg slightly crooked forward as she balances her stance with the back.
"Shall we begin?"
The bow from the blue clad fighter is met with a broadening smile from her opponent, the hand that was busy fanning herself lowering to rest against her side, the girl looking very relaxed, calm and composed. "I like your hair," she states very sincerely, eyes focused on the beribboned brocades atop Chun-Li's head for the moment. "I wonder if I can have mine done the same way sometime," she continues, her hand coming up to run through her long, unrestained hair.
Each hand appears to be covered by a thick, insulated yellow glove and the boots on her feet are also rather thickly soled. Its as if whoever put together her attire was really worried about keeping her covered up for safety's sake! "I will be fine," she continues in response to the question about her maybe feeling too hot. The statement is followed by a deep breath and slow exhale and a visible transformation to go with it.
Her red-brown hair is the most noticeble thing to change, a shimmer passing over it and leaving icy blue locks in its wake. The same pulse continues down the girl until it vanishes at her feet. After it passes small, blue particles of frigid chi begin swirling around her, like snow flakes driven by unseen winter zephyrs. Raising her right arm, her glove covered hand is surrounded by a small white halo, snow flakes drifting down lazily beneath it.
Her violet irises take on a slightly more red hue, constrasting somewhat with her blue tinted hair as Kula gazes at Chun-Li quietly in the remaining seconds before the fight is to begin. The woman's style is a known quantity, the research material on her appearances more than plentiful. Kula could be trying to think of ways to approach a master of Tai Chi. What moves to avoid, what steps to try, how to counter what her strengths may be and pin point her weaknesses. Or maybe she's just... "Chun-Li is a very pretty name just like you." the girl observes.
But if the experienced fighter thinks that she's in for a break from the seemingly docile girl she'd have to think otherwise the moment the fight has begun. The signal given by an official who immediately turns to begin the long hike back down the stairs, Kula springs into action immediately. The speed with which she advances is almost misleading in a way, closing the distance remarkably fast though her feet seem to slip over the rough stone. And then it comes - an attack in the form of a kick rising up swiftly toward Chun-Li's thigh. As the thick soled shoe closes in, a blade of sharp ice forms a long the bottom and front end of the footwear, threatening to cut deep should it not be avoided!
COMBATSYS: Kula has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Kula 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Kula's Medium Kick.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
"My...hair?
Kula's words draw an ounce of confusion from Chun-Li, her brown eyes blinking slowly in response before she offers a soft laugh, a hand reaching back to lightly rub at her neck. "Why thank you! It's quite a chore getting it just right. But, if you like, I can give you some pointers afterwards," the Chinese fighter offers, grinning still as she observes the odd young woman.
"Good to hear. I wouldn't want you suffering heat stroke in the middle of the fight," the woman offers with a friendly smile, giving the NESTS project a bit of a looking-over. Despite possibly being incredibly hot in this weather, and perhaps a little uncomfortable, that outfit Kula sports is pretty neat, the Tai Chi mistress decides.
And then...something odd happens, leaving the woman momentarily speechless as she holds her stance. The seemingly normal girl suddenly shimmers, a light, icy sheen washing over her body, all the way to her feet. It's a definite first for the woman, evident by the discreet broadening of her chocolate brown eyes.
"...my, aren't you full of compliments!" the woman offers, a cheerful expression washing over her once-confused features. Grinning broadly, the Chinese woman bows her head politely to the experiment as she offers, "You're not so bad yourself, miss Diamond. I really like what you've done to your hair. I--whoa!"
Without missing a beat the icy girl moves into action, her speed impressive as she quite literally glides across the stone-laid stage. But just as the now-blue-haired fighter closes in on the Tai Chi mistress the woman moves, her body twisting sharply to the side in the opposite direct of the offending foot, rotating out of harm's way as that blade-laden boot swings up and dares to cut her thigh. The grin on the woman's lips widens a touch, her smile growing as she says, "That was also neat."
Hopping up, the woman twists her body and swings a leg up and around in an attempt to catch the girl's face with a white boot with a swift kick. "HI-YAA!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Kula with Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kula 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
"Nn," she had answered with an eager nod at the offer for pointers. But now all that has been forgotten in favor of the fight - at least, on some levels. At least part of her thoughts are on the movies she's watched at Angel's behest, letting her more natural, scientifically honed battle instincts carry her through the fight thus far. Instincts that could use a little work, it seems.
Her bladed shoe misses the mark and Kula slams her foot back down, the ice edge shattering from the impact as she immediately attempts to draw back out of range of her opponent to re-evaluate the speed with which she's able to move. But she's too late, Chun-Li's swift but strong kick catching Kula in the cheek with enough force to send her spinning to the side as she tries to catch herself, arms swinging out at her sides in a battle for balance.
"Oof," she gasps, the sound escaping her lips with breath visible even in this tropical heat as she catches control once more. Now her thoughts are occupied with comparing the two movies, how bad that just hurt, and how she had best come up with a better tactic than getting kicked in the face. Her gloved hand tightens, red eyes shifting back to focus on the Tai Chi master.
It is perhaps dreading another kick like that that the girl brings her hand up to her mouth, palm up, fingers forward as she stands up straighter. A strong exhale has her blowing what seems at first harmless air over the surface of her glove, but as it whips out toward Chun-Li, it takes on something far more dangerous - laden with sharp ice crystals and frigid, painful chi, what started as a simple exhale rapidly becomes a small, localized storm targeting the woman's torso.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Kula's Diamond Breath.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kula 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Chun-Li
Following through with the motions of her swift rotation, the qipao-clad Chinese woman lets her lowered leg land first, followed secondly by the offending leg that sent the poor ice-wielding NESTS girl spiraling to the side. Fortunately, and to Chun-Li's relief, the seemingly fragile girl is made of tougher stuff. The grin on the woman's glossed lips lingers.
Assuming her stance once more, the woman's arms lift as her legs tense, chocolate brown eyes fixed on her opponent as she regains her balance and clenches that odd yellow glove-clad hand. Odd, the woman ponders. Her stance doesn't seem particularly threatening...but that hardly means anything, especially considering the icy blade her boot had a moment ago.
All becomes clear as the NESTS project lifts a hand, however. An exhale of breath draws a mildly confused look from the Tai Chi mistress, her lips pursing lightly as her legs tense further in anticipation for come what may. And soon it becomes clear; that icy breath reaches out far, shards of ice daring to cut into the woman's body.
In one swift and graceful movement Chun-Li drops to the ground and folds her legs. Lifting both arms up, she takes the bulk of the icy blow with her forearms, shielding her face for the initial burst before she swiftly rolls backwards. Planting her hands, the woman leaps back up onto her feet, her arms shaking out lightly. It's the real thing, she comes to find, as the light coat of icy on her arms begins to melt away.
"My, my!" the woman offers, still looking cheerful. "That is a very neat trick, miss Diamond."
A moment later the Chinese woman dashes forward. A few feet from Kula the woman plants a foot and slides for the girl, one arm lifted and folded over her forehead while the other swiftly shoots outwards, a straight knife hand strike aimed for her sternum. "HAH!"
COMBATSYS: Kula blocks Chun-Li's Jab Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kula 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Chun-Li
The woman's solid defense is observed as she drops into a protective stance to ward off the worst of the ice laden blast. Hm. Fast, but also smart enough to fend off the ice. Given the temperature, she might've just relieved Chun-Li of some of the tropical, damp heat with that attack for all the good it did from Kula's perspective. Another approach is going to be required it would seem.
Chun-Li closes in on the NESTS operative, her hand slamming outward with an intent to catch her in the chest. But the girl's leather guarded arms are in the way in an instant as she simply absorbs the hit at the cost of being forced back a couple of steps. "Thank you," she at last has time to say, though her eyes seem to be focused more on the surface of the temple than on the spiked bracely wearing woman. Perhaps a change in the environment is the edge she needs...
Hopping back a little, putting distance between her and her opponent, Kula crouches down, hands planting flat against the hot stone. A spike in chi use builds up around the girl and from her hands a shimmering sheen spreads out over the rock, forming a radius of skating rink-smooth ice all around the girl. Standing up slowly, she stares back at Chun-Li, her mouth closed, her eyes focused.
It seems if the woman intends to close distance with Kula, she is going to have to contend with the ten foot radius ice slick she's just made around her. For the next few moments, at least, until it melts away beneath the unforgiving sun. In the center of the slick, Kula waits.
COMBATSYS: Kula focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kula 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Chun-Li
With her attack stunted by the girl's swift reaction, Chun-Li can't help but offer another tiny smile in response, brown eyes half-lidded as she offers Kula a friendly expression. Though it may be a League fight, and although they're being particularly violent with one another, it doesn't mean they can't have fun. Chun-Li's enjoying herself, at least.
Stepping back post-attack, the woman recoils from the blue-haired girl and assumes a stance once again, simply observing as the girl retreats herself. What's she doing, anyway, the Chinese woman wonders, as Kula suddenly crouches and summons up more of her abundant icy chi. A light whistle slips past puckered lips as she watches.
Impressive. For someone who appears relatively young, the girl is holding up considerably well against a woman likely twice her age with more experience. And that chi of hers is truly interesting...
But the ten foot radius of ice is going to put a damper on the Tai Chi mistress' means of attacking her.
Tipping her head lightly to one side, Chun-Li offers a light but audible 'hmm,' the corners of her glossy pink lips curling into a demure smile. "You've placed me in a rather odd situation, miss Diamond," the elder woman offers as she approaches the outer edge of the icy circle. Lifting a booted foot, she idly tests its surface--slippery. It is the real thing, after all.
Hopping back a few feet, she places more distance between them once again. "But... ah, I think I can manage." She smiles briefly; then a deep breath slips past her lips, deep into her lungs as her eyes draw shut...before they suddenly snap open. The woman dashes swiftly forward. Is she going to try to run across the surface Kula has made..? She reaches the circle's edge...and lunges into the air, her hand planting briefly on the ground to push her upwards.
"SPINNING--!" she cries, as her legs shoot outwards. "BIRD--!" With her body's momentum the woman's long, powerful legs snap outward, her body inverting as she literally helicopters through the air, carried forward as she spins right for poor Kula.
"KIIICK!"
COMBATSYS: Kula interrupts Spinning Bird Kick from Chun-Li with Crow Bite.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Kula 0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Chun-Li
The Chinese fighter's subtle smiles are met with faint tugs at the corner of her lips. Childish little grins, pleased at the compliments for her NESTS given talents. In spite the dangerous nature of her attacks, she seems to bear the brown haired woman no malice. As she waits for a moment, forcing Chun-Li to come to her if she wishes to keep the pressure on the younger fighter. She could, of course, wait it out. The ice doesn't have long beneath the glaring heat of the sun. But that just means all the more time for Kula to catch her breath and perhaps devise another strategy.
Either way, she's presented the veteran fighter with a perhaps... unique situation she may not have had to deal with in quite this way before. As she mentions that she'll find a way to manage, Kula cants her head to the side slightly, "Careful, it's slippery," the girl cautions calmly. Isn't that the point? She seems to have no trouble standing on it though. But the Tai Chi master decides to go right over it with a technique that she's made famous. The flurry of deadly kicks that is the inverted helecopter - The Spinning Bird Kick.
Acting more on instinct than conscious tactics, Kula crouches slightly as the woman draws near with the powerful attack. Her left hand waves out in front of her, creating three thick, icy barriers between her and Chun-Li, intersecting the path to be followed by her legs. As the powerful kicks smash through the ice barriers, some of Chun-Li's kinetic energy consumed by the icy obstacles, Kula springs to life, crouching down just a little further before springing up right into the force of one of the kicks, her right arm swinging out in a powerful uppercut.
Sharp, icy chi trails behind her arm as she punches into the woman's stomach, forcing the both of them up into the air. At the apex of her ascent, the ice princess draws her hands up over her head and pirouettes into a followup, ice laced kick against Chun-Li's side to knock her back a little harder. Dropping out of the high uppercut, Kula lands in a half crouch, her gloved hands pressing against the stone as the ice slick behind her crackles and melts away, becoming a large damp spot on the roof and nothing more.
Slowly the sky-blue haired girl stands up straight, arms resting against her sides as she assumes that same non-stance the experienced fighter noticed in her earlier. The icy particles begin to swirl up around the girl again as she exhales slowly. Pacing... she needs to pace herself. Her chi, while potent, does have its limits.
With no reservations, the woman's plan is decided. If she cannot walk across that sheet of ice--
--she'll just have to defy gravity itself and FLY over it.
Swinging her body into motion, the woman sails right for the icy NESTS girl, her cautious noted, but falling upon figuratively deaf ears. After all, she's devised a means of conquering this small little problem for the interim. Why should she worry terribly..?
The girl again surprises the Chinese fighter as she spins. Icy barriers erected to absorb the bulk of her kicks, Chun-Li does not falter in her assault; still moving, she plows through what she can in hopes of reaching the girl on the other side. If anything, it's going to make her flight a touch shorter; she'll cross that bridge soon--or so she thinks.
Instantly and rather suddenly, Kula whips into action, leaping into the Tai Chi mistress with an icy uppercut that lashes into the Chinese woman. Shards of ice cut into her, the faintest hints of red staining her qipao and slashing bits of fabric as she's whipped upwards mid-flight. And just as Chun-Li attempts to correct herself midair and recover, a follow-up kick covered in ice slams fiercely into the woman, sending the fighter sailing a good distance from Kula, where she hits the ground and rolls.
Coughing lightly, the woman gathers herself and staggers to her feet, jaw clenched tightly behind her lips as she rises. And once the brown-eyed woman has her gaze on the ice-wielding girl...she offers another light grin. "That kind of hurt. You're pretty strong. I'm impressed!"
With that Chun-Li moves into action once more. With the icy ring melted and little more than a slushy puddle, she has no reason to hesitate; with that in mind, the Tai Chi mistress rushes at Kula and, once she's close enough, draws a leg up and chambers it swiftly before she shoots it outwards before drawing it back just as quickly. "HAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Kula with Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Kula 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Chun-Li
As she remarks on Kula's strength, the smaller fighter's cheeks tint just a bit red, her smile taking on a child-like beaming expression that lasts a good while. "Thank you. I have been well taught." And well designed, but that doesn't really fit into a conversation too easily now does it. She's not innattentive to Chun-Li's return, but the woman moves with such speed! Kula's instincts tell her to work with the attack, turn into it and absorb the blow full on - a price in pain spent to secure a better positioning.
And while she does turn her side to the kick, she had underestimated the power behind it. The force is enough to send Kula stumbling back, the light weight combatant's stance no match for the power behind Chun-Li's kicks. Wincing, the girl brings her gloved hand up to rest against her side. "As have you, right?" she responds.
Red-tinted eyes study her opponent for only an instant before she slips forward in the same skating way she had moved earlier; leaning low at first before coming up with a clenched fist sheathed in a guantlet of spikey ice bearing in on Chun-Li's ribs. Cool ice on a hot, Central American day may seem like the most refreshing ever. But while the crystals on her arm are freezing cold, there's nothing refreshing about the sharp cuts they're likely to make should the girl get a clean shot.
COMBATSYS: Kula successfully hits Chun-Li with Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kula 1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1 Chun-Li
"I can see that," the elder woman offers with a smile, tipping her head lightly to the girl...before she blazes forward and delivers her kick. It's fast, and there's a lot of well-trained leg muscle there to make a seemingly fleeting strike all the more potent. It sends poor Kula stumbling and wincing as a result, but the Chinese woman's smile doesn't fade. The girl can give as much as she gets--her lightly-torn qipao and wounds are proof enough.
Nodding lightly, the woman's lips curl lightly, a demure smile edging over her glossy lips before those chocolate brown eyes narrow. Without hesitating the girl 'skates' forward, crossing the distance between them with ease before she lashes out with a ice-wrapped fist. Lifting her arms, the woman attempts to shield off the attack...
But damn that ice!
Slippery, it pierces her defenses and affords Kula a clean shot to the woman's ribs. Exhaling loudly, the woman staggers back, a gash across her side and hints of red where the ice slashed what skin it could bite into. Indeed, there's more to the girl than meets the eye, and so far she's presented a bit of a challenge.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I must be a little rusty," the woman offers, lifting a hand up and offering an apologetic salute. "It's been a little while since I last fought." Still grinning, the woman assumes stance once more, fists clenched in front of her. "I think I'm warmed up now, though. Ready..?" Her smile grows big as she widens her stance...
Quite suddenly the woman bursts into action, her form a blur of blue and white as she blazes right for Kula. A few feet from the girl she twists her body and snaps a leg out, aimed right for her chest...
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Kula with Houyoku Sen EX.
[ \\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kula 1/=======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Chun-Li
With one fierce kick, Chun-Li unleashes a world of pain.
Delivering a loud cry, the woman's leg strikes Kula's chest repeatedly, delivering a series of harsh blows that go from high, medium and low, over and over again. Over and over the leg strikes before she recoils and lowers the leg- -but does not relent. Instead, the woman hops to the opposite leg, doing the same series of kicks with unyielding fury and impressive speed before she coils the leg and sets it down for support. Is it over?
No; instead, the woman switches legs again and, with one potent strike upwards, sends her boot heel crashing straight into Kula's jaw with a loud, guttural cry.
The punch delivered, Kula draws her hand back, skipping back a little, the icy sheath cracking and falling away to the ground where it begins to melt. She clasps her hands behind her back, drawing one of her heels up such that she's standing on her toes, as if pausing in the midst of skating on unseen ice.
Chun-Li apologizes and Kula shakes her head, "It's okay. I have to fight every day so I don't quite know what that's like but I can imagine that it might put you a bit out of practice." Her smile fades for a moment before perking back up, "I would have figured that you started out warmed up though," she giggles lightly, pointing up at the sun overhead that's so hard to forget about out here. It's funny to her. She lowers her pointing hand, tightening int into a fist, a halo of deadly cold chi emanating out from it, showing that for all the chi she's consumed to create the constant assault of jagged ice, she still has more where that came from.
She asks if she's ready and Kula offers a blink and then a slight nod. Ready as she's going to be. And then it comes, the powerful kicks of one of the strongest people in the world bearing down on her. But for her defenses, she would have been easily battered unconscious by the assault. But as Chun-Li kicks, Kula manages to create the occasional ice barrier through which the strikes must shatter before they can continue to hit her. It isn't enough for her to mount a thorough defense, but it helps a little. Just enough, really.
The last kick comes in for Kula's jaw, and again there's an ice barrier to absorb the brunt of it. Shattered as if fragile glass, the kick strikes the girl's jaw all the same, knocking Kula clean off her feet and up into the air. She drops back down rather uncerimoniously, landing hard on her upperback before lying flat as if having the fight kicked right out of her.
But the match isn't quite over. She does have an attack left to unleash. One knee draws up, showing that she's still conscious, and then her yellow gloved hands stretch and press down as Kula Diamond pulls herself off the stoney temple roof into a first a stead, then a crouching, and finally a standing position. As she rises, the temperature in a sizeable radius around her plummets noticeably. A wind picks up, driven by chi of incredible magnitude welling up with Kula herself the focal point of the phenomenon. "I feel you are strong enough that I must test my ultimate technique on you," the young looking girl warns, her voice perhaps hard to pick up over the rushing wind. A icy sheen passes over her as she clasps her hands together in front of her.
Slowly she raises her arms over her head, as if stretching, holding back the pent up energy just for a moment longer, allowing it to build up to a frightening magnitude... And then small fighter closes her eyes, lowering her arms from atop her head, extending them out to her sides. A blizzard errupts - hurricane of driven, icy shards whipping all about the top of the temple with Kula as the eye of the very real if quite localized storm. For an instant it's nearly impossible to see anything but an explosion of white atop the ancient ruin. And it's within that instant Chun-Li must defend herself.
COMBATSYS: Kula successfully hits Chun-Li with Freeze Execution.
[ \\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Kula 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Chun-Li
Grinning, the woman's expression warms a bit as her gaze fixes on the kid. "Every day, huh? That seems pretty dedicated to your art. I can see it pays off, though. ...ah?" When Kula points upwards, however, the woman's eyes follow...and easily put two and two together. A sheepish grin follows. "Well, yes. You're right about that. I could really use a nice iced tea right about now." A laugh follows, though brown eyes note the ice. It's seemingly endless.
And then she moves almost seamlessly into action, tearing into the girl with kick after kick, despite each barrier of ice that she throws up to stave off the attack. While some absorb the blow, it would appear the Tai Chi mistress' legs are no match and, with one final blow, shatters the last barrier and sends the poor girl high into the air. Chun-Li, on the other hand, simply coils her leg and sets it down, brown eyes driving upwards. Maybe she overdid it just a bit..?
The woman begins to move forward as the girl hits the temple's floor--but stops, as the girl pulls herself up and stands on her feet once more. A curious look haunts the woman's face, the temperature drop less-than discreet around her, considering the blazing sun that hangs high above and bears down on the temple arena. How odd.
"Ultimate technique?" the woman echoes, as the winds begin to pick up.
"I'm ready," she replies, grinning amiably. Inwardly, she hopes she is, at least.
With a horrible gust the ice barrels forward, winds of frigid cold carrying shards of ice that slash and cut into the woman, despite her attempts to shield her body from harm. It's relentless and painful, the winds buffeting the woman harshly about in the middle of the chi blizzard that encompasses her.
When the winds clear, however, the woman is flat on her back, her blue qipao tattered but still weathering the wear and tear it endures. Breathing raggedly, the woman struggles rather vainly to pull herself up from the ground, shards of ice lodged in her body swiftly melting under the awful sun, offering some relief to the wounded fighter. And, somehow, she manages to rise, offering a weak smile as she climbs back onto her feet.
"That...was very impressive...miss Diamond. I'm glad...I could see it." Her smile grows a bit, a warm expression lingering on Chun-Li's face. "I don't know if I can...fight much longer, but I'll do my best to give you a challenge. You're rather good."
Pursing her lips a moment thereafter, the woman leaps up high and spins, landing as close as she can near Kula. And once she lands a leg lashes out, much like before, to execute a rapid series of lightning-quick high, medium and low kicks at the girl's body with a number of sharp cries.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\ <
Kula 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Kula with Hyakuretsu Kyaku.
[ <
Kula 0/-------/--=====|
The storm passes, the top of the temple covered with rapidly melting snow and ice as Kula lowers her arms from her sides to let them hang loosely. A long exhale punctuates the end of the assault as well as the end of Kula's strength. She's still standing as Chun-Li gets up, surrounded by the vanishing snowy drifts; what water isn't evaporating into a cooling mist pouring over the walls of the temple and running down the ledges there. A brief reprieve from the sweltering heat for both of the fighters, perhaps.
"Thank you. You are very strong, Chun-Li." Kula responds, her voice winded, the last attack having taken nearly everything out of her in its execution. The blue in her hair melts away, replaced by its natural auburn color and the gentle ice crystals that had swirled about her body during most of the fight melt away, falling to the ground as added droplets of moisture. "I'm afraid I don't have any more strength left. It's time to stop now." she states quite simply. As if there really is no point in continuing now that her expansive chi consumption has run its course. That doesn't mean her opponent should stop though, and the other fighter takes the opportunity to give the girl one last attack to contend with.
Up she goes, spinning into the air, and Kula lifts her face to follow. She's barely staying standing as is, and the lack of anything frozen in her vicinity should be a clear indication that she's out of energy. But that doesn't mean she isn't going to make one last attempt to get out of the way. A step to the side avoids the first kick, but there's more where that came from! An arm comes up the instant she realizes that there's another kick coming, but she's too slow to defend herself, caught in the stomach with enough force to drive her backward. The low kick knocks her shin out from under her and Kula drops to one knee, both of her hands planted against the ground for support.
Slowly the girl lifts her head, face framed by long, auburn hair, now-violet eyes focusing on Chun-Li for a brief moment. "So strong to keep fighting after that," she observes, admittedly somewhat surprised to see that the other fighter was still /moving/ after her self-proclaimed ultimate technique. "Need more practice. But... not right now." she states, her arms giving out, the girl flopping forward with a small splash into the rapidly evaporating water.
COMBATSYS: Kula takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Kula can no longer fight.
Winded herself, the Tai Chi mistress' lips edge into a tiny but weak smile in response as she regards the ice-wielding girl. After Kula's last and particularly stunning blow, she can feel it in her body: there is precious little more that she can offer in their match, which is a pity. Kula has been a particularly intriguing opponent for the woman.
"You have been quite a handful yourself, miss Diamond," the Chinese woman offers with a friendly and soft grin, brown eyes alight with sincerity. "I hope we get another chance to fight. I won't be such a push over next time." However, the girl offers her words, confessing she can't really push herself any further, and briefly does Chun-Li hesitate. But this is a fight...
Despite these thoughts, the woman in blue lunges into action, closing in on poor Kula with a hundred lightning-fast kicks of varying height. Over and over she strikes with relentless speed and strength, ultimately bringing the auburn-haired girl to her knees. And shortly after...Chun-Li collapses, breathing raggedly and struggling for a deep breath. Her swan song took a good bit out of her.
Over the PA an announcer declares neither fighter the winner, citing the match as a draw, both in English, as well as Spanish for the native speakers. But Chun-Li doesn't hear it; instead, those brown eyes watch the now violet-eyed girl closely, glossy lips pursed lightly as the experiment speaks. It earns the girl a light, weak laugh.
"You flatter me too much...miss Diamond," the Tai Chi mistress offers quietly. But when the girl falls face-first to the dampened stony floor, Chun-Li rises as swiftly as she can, quick to try and help the girl back onto her feet to find the nearest on-hand Neo League medic. She'll need one herself, after all; those gashes from Kula's ice have definitely left their mark on the elder woman.
Log created on 22:36:55 05/12/2008 by Chun-Li, and last modified on 23:25:13 05/13/2008.