Description: Heck of a welcoming to Seijyun High for one newcomer on the fighting scene - Van Mitsubishi faces off against famed Kenpo artist, Hotaru Futaba, in a Neo League match bound to get her at least aquainted with how things tend to work out at the fighter-loaded all girl's school. ( Winner: Hotaru )
When Hotaru first came back to school at Seijyun the previous year, she had found the school too stuffy. The other girls attending seemed too prissy, and the eager young fighter didn't fit in too well for the longest while. That was until she met Zaki, and discovered quite convincingly that there were others at the campus just as much into fighting as she was. Her search for another school came to an end and Hotaru began to fit in better at the all girl's High School.
How appropriate, she muses, that the campus serve as one of her first stages after her return to activity within the Neo League. The young Kenpo Artist is quiet, hands clasped behind her back as she gazes at the large school building nestled in the walled-in enclosure. Her fighting attire consists of white pants and blouse with a Chinese styled blue and gold vest worn over her torso. Her hair is done up in pig-tails, the style having become a signiture component for the girl that everyone just expects to see now days, each one held in place by a red ribbon tied into a large red bow.
Her last fight had her travelling around the world - sometimes it's nice to only have to go to school to show up for a nice weekend match she contemplates with a grin, finally looking away from the large main building to glance over the setup in place. An area of the spacious front lawn of Seijyun has been cordoned off for the fight, leaving plenty of room for girls to gather in around to watch without being in harm's way. A sanctioned fight is one of the few times that the campus becomes less restrictive, allowing *gasp* boys in through the gates to see the fight take place, which provokes even further girlish interaction as the crowd's gender pool begins to even out.
Hotaru isn't familiar with her opponent though she's heard through the rumor mill that she's a fellow Seijyun student. Time to meet someone else at her school that's interested in fighting, she muses.
Van is new to the school. Very new. She's trying to fit in, and as such, is wearing the school's uniform to a fight, as egrariously undesigned for fighting as it may be. The only concession to the vagaries of fighting is a foil held in one hand as she walks out onto the front lawn. Seeing the area chosen for the fight, she frowns slightly, and begins to look around at the wider area, focusing her attention on some of the non-Seijyun students.
It is at this point that she realizes something: she is going to be fighting in front of people today. Quite a few people. Some of whom she is going to have to spend several years in school with. Basically, a chance to prove her worth in front of her classmates. Or look like a total idiot. She begins to sweat, realizes it probably doesn't look good, and proceeds to sweat some more.
She looks over to Hotaru, and stares at her for a long moment. No weapon... hmm. Her eyes sweep against the ground again, and then she realizes it might be proper to greet Hotaru or something. She sweeps a curtsey that would be elegant if it were not so hurried to her opponent, and opens her mouth for a moment, then closes it as she realizes she's not sure what to say.
She begins to tremble slightly, and a grin spreads across her face as she raises her foil before her, point of the blade pointing up towards the sky.
As Van steps into the sectioned off area Hotaru gives the other girl a smile, eyes straying only briefly over the fencing foil. Truth be told, a lot of the students in attendance aren't expecting much. Van has been put up against Hotaru Futaba, one of the most capable fighters at Seijyun High - able to go toe to toe with Zaki, the girl that single handedly commands the respect of girls all around Southtown as the leader of the Ladies Gang. That a new face to the leagues has been pit against her doesn't bode well for Van, but everyone has to get their start somewhere, right?
"Hello," comes the greeting from the young martial artist. "Van, right?" Hotaru asks, making sure that she's been told correctly. "Welcome to Seijyun." The foil is nodded at after a moment, "You may be interested in the school's fencing club," she adds with a grin. Weapons fighter, hm. She's gotten better at contending with weapon using opponents over time, but it still leaves her feeling just a tad nervous for a fleeting moment. Shaking her head to put her doubts out of her mind, Hotaru presses her hands together in front of her and offers Van a very traditional bow.
That done, she stands up straight, crossing her arms in front of her, breathing in then exhaling slowly, uncrossing her arms and turning her shoulder toward Van. "I like your hair," she remarks with regards to the strikingly long mane of black hair the other student has. Her arms raised slowly, one hand forward for fending off attacks, her other arm drawn back for striking, she gives Van a slight nod, "Whenever you're ready." Normally an aggressively fast, high pressure fighter in her style when the battle gets moving, it's not unusual for her to hang back and give another opponent an opening shot to get things started however.
The cameras rolling, the crowd in place, the officials off to side to take notes and record the match... everything is in place now for Van's first sanctioned fight to get started. Hotaru pauses for a moment, perhaps sensing the nervousness in the other girl. She rarely encourages her opponents in fights, believing that it's up to them to bring their best or just slop their way through a match. But this once she makes an exception, "It'll be all right. Just show me what you can do with that weapon of yours." she remarks with a supportive smile.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Van has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Van
Van blinks, staring at Hotaru for a long moment. Her opponent doesn't seem to be taking her as a serious threat. Should she take advantage of this? ...is she in the shape to take advantage of this? Is this just a ruse? She wipes her brow with the back of her gloved hand, and clears her throat, smiling back. "Thank you, Hotaru. It is an honor to have you welcome me here. You are more exquisite in person." She is silent for a long moment, apparently petrified, then suddenly lets out her breath, poining her sword towards. "I'm sure the fencers here have a lot to teach me. However, please take me seriously."
She advances quickly on Hotaru, swinging the tip her blade around in front of her to make a web of metal. If her opponent can't get near her, she can't get hurt, right? It's not a move suited to a foil, although it might work well with a sabre or staff. However, when she closes in almost in range to Hotaru, she seemingly stumbles - then drops forwards on one knee in a lunge, stabbing straight forwards, towards Hotaru's leg.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Van's Medium Strike.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Van
At the compliment, Hotaru grins a little but when Van asks to be taken seriously, the girl's smile fades, making way for a sober, serious expression as she gives the other student a very sharp nod. "Yes, of course," she remarks, willing to respect the request. No holding back then, no pulling punches or going easy. She's going to treat the new girl like she would any other fighting peer.
As Van advances, swinging the tip of the blade around to create a defensive barrier of sorts, the Kenpo artist merely holds her ground, gauging the other girl's speed, her approach, her pacing, getting a feel for how she intends to use that weapon. Not having fought many fencers, she is at least familiar with some fo the more commonly known points of it. The motion can be deceptive to a degree, but when the stab comes, Hotaru spins around it, the foil failing to make contact with her leg as she exposes her back to Van for just a brief moment.
And then comes her retaliation - a mule-kick styled swing of her leg backward, her body leaning in the opposite direction for counter balance, her arms drawn up at her sides as she aims to strike back into the other girl's stomach with force that might be sufficient to drive Van back some distance if she's struck cleanly. "KYA!"
COMBATSYS: Van dodges Hotaru's Medium Kick.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Van
Van watches Hotaru spin with a slight frown - apparently she wasn't caught off-guard. Unfortunate. Still, if she's going to just avoid attacks, this fight is still-
Wait. That's not just an avoidance. As the mule kick comes towards her stomach, Van leaps backwards, the foot coming within an inch of her stomach. She hits the ground on her back, and rolls back up into a standing position, pointing her sword straight at Hotaru as she rights herself. The tip is still trembling slightly, and there's a panicked look in her eyes.
She exhales, and the tip of her foil steadies. She stares for a long moment at Hotaru's eyes, noting the change. "I have watched your fights before, while you have not seen mine. Therefore, despite your advanced skill, any move you attempt..." She gives a slight shrug, and smiles a bit self-deprecatingly. "...well, in theory...."
COMBATSYS: Van focuses on her next action.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Van
The fancily dressed girl slips out of the range of the intended kick and Hotaru rights herself, arms raised for balance as well as preparing to defend herself from an anticipated counter attack. But none is forthcoming, Van opting to buy herself a moment to speak and the pig-tailed fighter affords her that opportunity rather than advancing immediately. "Perhaps," she replies, "But the same could be said for most people I've fought." she points out - far more people have seen her fight than she's seen of them most of the time.
Her quiet smile returns after a moment, a mixture of friendliness and amusement in her expression. "We'll just have to see." She springs forward then, hopping into the air to close the distance but not striking until after her feet have touched back down, the girl closer now.
She lands in a spin, not unlike the dodge she had made a moment ago. And following the momentum of that spin, she swings her right leg out low, aiming to sweep for Van's ankles, dropping into a low crouch in the process, one leg further out in front of the other, arms ou tat her sides for balance.
COMBATSYS: Van fails to interrupt Light Kick from Hotaru with Medium Strike.
-* CRITICAL FAIL! *-
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Van
"That's true. But don't confuse me with your average opponent. I can see your movements before you even move." Van watches Hotaru drop down to the ground, and swings out her blade to the side as she swings her leg out. And stabs downwards, right towards Hotaru's leg is going to be.
Or rather, precisely where Hotaru's leg would have been if she had swung with her left leg. The sword bites deep into the earth.
And then she's hit by Hotaru's feet, and knocked painfully down on the ground, foil torn from her hand as the ground wins out, not managing even a semblance of a breakfall, the back of her head hitting first. Luckily it's grass, but that still did a lot to her.
She just lies there for a moment, then aims a weak kick at Hotaru's leg without getting up. It's probably not expected, as it's probably also about the worst attack she could use in this situation. Doesn't even look like a martial artist's kick, more like someone untrained in kicking.
"Well," Hotaru remarks, her foot sweeping, taking Van's feet right out from under her, the foil left standing upright in the grass and the other student down on the ground with a hard landing an instant later, "I've heard that one before too," she continues, coming out of the sweep into that low stance of hers, arms out at her sides for balance, blue eyes fixed on the fallen girl.
The kick comes a moment later, the long haired fighter no doubt fearing retaliation, and Hotaru springs into action, hopping up over it to land on Van's other side. She has only a quick moment to make a decision - Part of her wants to ease off on Van; let her get up, get her foil back, and try this over again. But the student's sincere request that she take her seriously leaves her unable to back off. If she wants to see her style for what it is, in earnest, then she isn't going to be given a break.
Still, even at her most serious, she doesn't kick a fallen opponent. Certain things just don't fall within what she considers honorable combat against a peer. Her mind is made up as to what to do the instant her feet touch the ground. She attacks quickly, leaning down, both hands going for Van's right arm, intending to pull the limb up off the ground. Her foot will come in next if she gets the grip, trying to nudge Van over onto her side, making it possible for Hotaru to twist her arm in hard behind her back. She isn't going to go so far as to tear ligaments or pop joints, but there might be a fair amount of pressure all the same.
"Sometimes just knowing isn't enough though," she points out mid-attempt. If she manages to wrench the limb in behind Van's back, she'll hold the position for a little while before finally letting go and drawing back a couple of steps, rather than risk staying in one place too long.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Van with Ten Ranku-Tou.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1 Van
The kick misses too. Well, no suprise there. Van is getting a little desperate now. Is she outclassed to that extent? Can't think like that, though, or she'll lose any chance of doing anything....
"That might be true, but..." Van's arm is grabbed, and she's quickly manuevered into a side position. She tries to tug at the ribbon around her waist as she's rolled over, as if trying to get it undone, but to no avail. She struggles to get free, but this just wrenches her arm some more. She lets out a ragged breath, and stops struggling for a moment.
Hotaru lets her go, and Van rolls back up to her feet, face red as she stares at her opponent. "The cameras really don't do you justice... in more way than one. Still, if I can..." She looks over to her foil stuck in the ground with narrowed eyes, as if trying to figure out how to get it back - then removes the ribbon from her uniform in one fluid motion, striking out at Hotaru as if it was a whip, trying to drive her back from a distance once again.
Apparently her uniform was designed so something besides the ribbon was holding it together, as it remains relatively unchanged.
COMBATSYS: Van successfully hits Hotaru with Sudden Fling.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Van
Back on her feet, Hotaru stands up straight, turning her shoulder toward Van, assuming the ready stance she had opened the match with, bouncing lightly on her toes. She notices the glance toward the foil, the other girl's desire to get her weapon back not too hard to sympathize with. Still, it seems that the other student has a couple more options at her disposal, giving her a chance to contend with Hotaru without the sword.
The ribbon cracks out and Hotaru steps to the side - the second crack has her backing up though, realizing that it's presently giving Van a fair amount of control over the space in front of her. In the process of moving, however, she gets a ribbon-crack across her shoulder, stinging a little but leaving her mostly all right...
Deciding that she isn't going to be kept at bay forever, however, the Kenpo artist finally sprints in, closing distance with Van quickly in spite the distance. She's tested how the other girl can contend with strikes and grapples, but the pig-tailed fighter is extremely versitile in her techniques, and it's to be expected that she's interested in testing what Van can do with another one of her tools - chi manipulation.
Stepping into a swift kick should she get close enough, Hotaru swings her foot early, avoiding actually striking the other girl with her leg. What follows might pose a threat, however - a swath of powerful, blue chi in the wake of the kick, that blossoms out and threatens to plow into the other girl. Should it hit, it strikes with pure, concussive force, demonstrating no elemental properties. "HA!"
COMBATSYS: Van fails to interrupt Kobi Kyaku from Hotaru with Medium Fling.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/---====|=======\======-\1 Van
Van continues to swing the ribbon with more vigor, trying to hold Hotaru back - if things are kept at a range, she has the advantage - or such is the theory. However, the pig-tailed girl dashes past it, and although Van steps backwards - well, moving forwards is a lot easier than moving backwards, especially when one is tryig to keep a ribbon pattern up. Once Hotaru is within melee range, there's really not much a whip can do, and Van is forced on the defensive.
As Hotaru steps in with a kick, Van begins to reflexively move away, then notices it isn't actually going to strike, and watches for the next attack. Her eyes flicker back to the swath of blue chi. Right, that. But by this point, it's far too late, and the chi easily connects. Van's body is knocked back across the grassy field like a rag doll, and falls back limply against some of the ropes cordoning off the area.
Her attack delivered, Hotaru's foot snaps down, the girl ending up in a position that has her back toward where Van was knocked back. Her right hand rests against her left knee as she watches the other girl over her left shoulder. She had been ready to smoothly flow into a second attack after the first, keeping the pressure on, but considering the impact her chi attack had, it strikes her as excessive at this point.
Were Van truly a peer, Hotaru would press, keeping her aggressive attacks going as is her style of fighting, but as the fight drags on, it's becoming increasingly clear that there's just a significant gap right now between the two and as much as she wants to honor the other girl's request that she take her seriously, the circumstances thus far just don't make that possible.
Thus it is that the Kenpo artist merely holds still, maintaining her stance, looking, to some degree, to be vulnerable to an attack with her back mostly toward the other girl. And then she does what she would do for any fighter she respected - she asks, "Are you hanging in there?" A hint of concern in her voice. She really isn't the sort to enjoy crushing a fellow classmate in a fight, knowing full well that everyone has to get their start somewhere.
"Should get your sword," she states after another moment, still showing no signs of moving, offering Van the opportunity to rearm herself, it seems. If fencing is her style, as it seemed to be from what Hotaru had perceived thus far, then, "I want to see more of what you can do with it. Come on," she encourages, smiling faintly.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/---====|=======\======-\1 Van
Van looks up to see Hotaru... merely mantaining her stance? Hmm. No attack forthcoming, either. She's actually a little relieved, but still... She looks back up to Hotaru, and pushes herself off the rope, steadying herself as she analyzes the damage. She adjusts her stance slightly, and looks back to Hotaru.
At those words, her shoulders slump slightly. "So you were taking it easy on me all this time, and still...." A delicate shrug. "I should not be suprised."
She takes a couple of steps forwards, then lashes out with her ribbon, pulling the sword up out of the ground and flicking it up into the air. It falls back down towards her hand, and she catches it, then fumbles, and it falls to the ground.
Great. She kicks the sword back up into the air, grabs it, and readies herself again, sword in one hand, ribbon in the other, watching Hotaru carefully.
COMBATSYS: Van gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Van
"No..." Hotaru states, shaking her head, grinning just a little. "Not easy at all. You've weathered a number of my techniques thus far. That you're still fighting means you're tough." She watches Van flick the foil from the ground with her ribbon, only to fumble it back into the dirt, and still just holds her ground.
"But I came to fight someone who can put up a challenge, and if you need your sword in order to be able to do that, then I want to fight you with your sword." she continues, her voice becoming a little bit more stern. "So if you think that means I'm holding back too much, I understand. But this fight isn't all about you. So please, pick up your sword and let's continue."
At last it seems Van has her foil back in hand and the blue-eyed martial artist gives her a short nod. If she wants to continue to see what the Kenpo artist can do when she's at her best, then Hotaru feels pressured to oblidge. "If you still think I was going easy on you after this, then..." she shrugs just a little, a flicker of a grin returning. Thus it is that the girl leaps toward Van, shoulder first, feet touching down about a yard out, her torso twisting around as she then springs into a second hop, arms windmilling as she attempts to draw Van's guard high with a couple of swift strikes... The style is fluid, forming one of the more key attacks of Hotaru's variant of Kenpo.
And then she lands a second time and the final strike of the combo comes, all that forward momentum driven into her next attack - a punishing palm strike toward Van's stomach, attempting to power it in past her guard, intending to have driven Van's defenses high due to the initial leap and strikes. "HAA!" comes the exclaimation as Hotaru leans heavily into the attack, lending leg, torso, and arm strength to the potentially punishing blow. Her other arm slams out in the opposite direction, behind her, to provide counter balance against the aggressive attack.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Van with Soushou Shin EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Van
Van stares at Hotaru for a long moment through her speech, then smiles. "I'm selfish. So are you. That's a good thing. But, when it comes right down to it...."
Hotaru is leaping in now, and Van drops her sword and ribbon. "I don't need it." She takes a couple of quick steps backwards, and pulls up one of the poles holding the rope in place, raising it in preparation to block Hotaru's attack, rope still attached.
She sees Hotaru's arms windmilling, and looks for the real attack. Of course, this doesn't stop Hotaru's arms from hitting her, which pretty much puts all hope of blocking the real attack firmly out of reach. Hotaru lands, and the palm strike hits Van's stomach, and she flies backwards, but her momentum is stopped to some extent by the give of the rope. This does not make it less painful, but she's still on her feet, staring at Hotaru blearily, pulling the pole away from the fraying remains of the rope so it's free. "The entire world..."
She takes a few halting steps forwards, and begins to jab at Hotaru with an array of pole moves, attempting to drive her back, before swinging the pole around and smacking her like she's using a baseball bat. Should this hit, it should drive her past the sword and ribbon.
COMBATSYS: Van can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Van successfully hits Hotaru with Nash Equilibrium.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hotaru 1/------=/=======|
Van drops the pole, crouching low to pick up the ribbon and swing it around Hotaru's neck in one smooth movement. She kicks the sword into the air as she straightens up, grabs it, and stabs at Hotaru's stomach as she drags her close with the ribbon.
Her voice is low, and she hardly moves her lips, but her voice is still audible. "Thanks." And with that, she falls to the ground.
The strike delivered, she drives Van back some - but not quite as far as she had intended, the ropes providing some support for the struck girl. Drawing her arms back, Hotaru rises up to standing, blue eyes watching for a moment, observing Van busying herself with the pole. A change in tactics then, perhaps. Might be interesting.
She waits for Van to return with the makeshift staff, avoiding the first couple of swings deftly, but losing ground in the process. Perhaps thinking to try and slip in another attack to put an end to the combination, she takes a step forward only to end up with the pole cracking her in the side hard enough to send the girl stumbling backward, her guard down for just a moment. Long enough, in fact, for her neck to be snared by the ribbon, provoking a startled squeak, hands coming up to tighten down around the ribbon to try and limit the torgue Van might be able to give it.
This leaves her open for the stab, however, her arms busy with the strangling fabric long enough for the foil to pierce her vest and blouse and gash her on the side. Drat, she muses for a moment, she had been hoping to avoid ruining another one. But that's hard to do against a blade flinging opponent. But while Van proved to have a bite in the end, the fight is still over, the girl dropping to the grass.
Hotaru takes a couple steps back, hand going to press against her side, wincing slightly, her other hand going up to unfurl the ribbon from around her neck and drop it to the ground. "That," she exhales, rubbing her side a little, "Is more like it." she finishes with a grin. The Neo League match over, ending how most in attendence expected from the Kenpo Artist that had gone on to become a Warrior Belt holder in the SNF leagues for a few weeks. Turning to the side, "I'll see you around, Van. It was nice meeting you." she states, continuing on her way off to the side, deciding she'd like a couple stitches in that injury.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has ended the fight here.
Van is either too unconcious or too embarassed to reply. Maybe some mixture of the two. Either way, she continues to lie on the comfortable grass quietly.
Log created on 13:39:58 06/08/2008 by Hotaru, and last modified on 18:16:06 06/08/2008.