Description: Domino matches against the monk Frei, and things start off evenly. But a few strong hits in Frei's favor see him taking the win at the scrublands of Kilamanjaro. (Winner: Frei)
Welcome to darkest Africa... not. The location for this Neo League battle is anything but dark, especially in the middle of summer. Rising high above the savanna of northeast Tanzania, majestic Mount Kilimanjaro is a brown and white tower and a testament to the natural beauty of the continent. Considered one of the country's most important national sites, the government has considered it a nature preserve since the early 1900's. A popular tourist spot, the park is now host to one of the travelling roadshow-style bouts that the Neo League is known for.
Battling anywhere on the peak is naturally forbidden; even the normal foot traffic of tourists can eventually be damaging to a mountain through steady erosion. But the green-tan-brown of short trees and scrubland surrounding the foot of Kilimanjaro is fair game. Set just aside from a service road for the nature park, the 'arena' for this fight is nothing less than the whole savanna, apparently... though the Neo League cameras and some hastily-erected steel riser/bleachers provide seating for tourists and locals alike interested in seeing the bout.
For Frei, this is his first official fighting appearance in a very long time; the young monk has had more personal problems to deal with lately. But having resolved most of his family trouble, he felt it was time to get back out there and get involved with things. As it stands now he is at the edge of the 'arena', head tilted to the side and a hand to his midsection as he looks up at the mountain the area is named for. If nothing else, he enjoys these fights because of the occasional chance to be in a really fascinating venue.
Thankfully, the weather appears to be dry in the heat of summer, with a breeze blowing in from the southeast thanks to Indian Ocean currents. Tearing himself away from the view of the mountain, Frei turns to look toward the other side of the fighting area, waiting for his opponent to arrive.
It isn't long before the opponent arrives, Domino stalking through the scrub sans robe this time. No reason to really have it with him. He's going to forego his usual theatric entrance this time around - not enough audience to play up. That and he's in a slightly fouled mood over a recent losing streak.
Nevertheless, Frei is greeted with a polite smile and incline of his head. He really doesn't know anything about this guy other than he's.. uhm.. Asian. The outfit really suggests this. Other than that, though? Doesn't know beans about'em. So this could be interesting.
But hey, win, lose, he's in Africa. Bound to be a lot of savage aminals that would make for good training. That's what Rainbow Mika was doing, last he heard from her. Roughing up wildlife. Might be something to that? If nothing else, he has some nice scenery to work with out here.
But for the time being, Domino rolls his right arm back, left hand set to his shoulder to limber up, exhaling a small whoosh of a sigh. "Ready?," he finally calls to his opponent.
COMBATSYS: Drake has started a fight here.
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Drake 0/-------/-------|
Indeed, the venue is a bit... understated, in terms of playing to an audience, which probably accounts for Frei's great deal of distraction with the mountain. If these two fighters aren't careful, it's going to steal the show! Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, the monk turns his head somewhat to track Domino's entry into the ring, then smiles and brings his left hand up, giving a wave. The wrestler cuts an impressive figure, for sure; compared to lackadaisacal Frei with his baggy qipao tunic and jeans, the well-muscled fighter is getting most of the crowd's attention. Frei himself actually lets out a low whistle, before saying offhandedly, "You're certainly dressed for the weather better than I am. Nice to meet you."
Is he ready? Well, hopefully. Bringing up on foot, he taps the toe of one wooden sandal on the ground a few times, and then drops into 'stance'. The fingerquotes are needed; while it's obvious there's a shift in Frei's posture suggesting his readiness to fight, it's not as if he practices any recognizable martial art. Without his typical headband, his long red bangs drift across his face in the merciful breeze of the arena.
Shutting his eyes for a moment, the monk moves his arms and hands in a slow, complicated pair of circles, before bringing them to rest right where they started and opening his eyes; if Domino is familiar with the meditative exercises of tai chi, he might recognize the 'hand push' Frei just performed. "Yep! Best of luck." And then he... waits. Not a first move type, this one, after all.
COMBATSYS: Frei has joined the fight here.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Drake
Domino tilts his head slightly at the motions and gestures his soon-to-be opponent goes through. He's not familiar with it whatsoever, but he can assume it's some sort of Kung Fu. When it finishes, Domino cracks a wry sort of grin and acts in deliberate mockery by over-dramatically whisking his right hand through his bangs. When the locks of obsidian hair fall back into place, he shoots Frei a lighthearted grin. No malice, just mirth.
But within a few seconds, the look melts away. Domino's expression turns to one of stoic concentration. Amethyst eyes narrow on Frei and his body grows visibly rigid, fingers flexing slowly. He doesn't enter his stance at this time, but his countenance should make it perfectly clear that he's ready for a fight.
And like a bottle rocket, Domino shoots towards Frei, cutting a wedge through the tall grass in his path on approach. The moment he closes the distance, his left arm attempts to hook Frei's torso, right arm sweeping under his legs to scoop him up and immediately bring him back down across an upturned knee in a backbreaker. Immediately after impact, one hand sets to the monk's jaw, the other to a leg, both pressing down to arch his spine painfully.
COMBATSYS: Drake successfully hits Frei with Star Breaker.
- Power hit! -
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Frei 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Drake
Apparently, a little rustier at this than he thought! The monk sees the wrestler come in, prepares himself... but he's actually not used to fighting people who use grappling techniques, despite Frei's own focus on throws and holds in the physical fighting arena. He attempts to step backwards out of the way and completely misjudges how much distance he needs. Up and over he goes, green eyes going wide at the feel of joints and muscles moving in ways they really, really shouldn't. Whether because he's out of practice or because his attempt at evasion put him in a bad position isn't clear, but that little technique hurt particularly bad.
Rolling off to the side, Frei gets to his feet and dusts himself off. Hurting... but not down yet, not by a longshot. "Hmm... most guys I've met with that kind of build are trying to be Bruce Lee instead of wrestlers. Interesting." The comment has an airy quality to it, to go with the almost childlike expression of curiosity on Frei's face. The man couldn't be 'all business' if he tried. Perhaps the Earth Minus One version could...
Nodding once, Frei sets his foot back a bit. "Welp... my turn, I guess." Setting off at a good clip, he closes the distance with Domino relatively quickly. However, as he does so, a reddish glow around his left side suddenly 'splits off', becoming a vaguely Frei-shaped being of fiery chi that for the most part mirrors his movements... but as the 'two' close, Frei suddenly drops, sweeping out a kick at Domino's feet, while the fire 'clone' kicks high, aiming for the shoulder instead.
COMBATSYS: Drake blocks Frei's Kagerou.
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Frei 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Drake
Domino raises back to his full height as Frei rolls away, and the comment gets a small smirk. "I'm anything but normal," he adds. Oh, he's perfectly aware of all the stereotypes his existence simply bunks. A mish-mesh of contradictions, some might call him. But Domino's just fine with that. He likes to think it sets him apart.
Domino opts to observe the way his opponent fights for the time being, eyes tracking his movements right up until there's a second Frei running around on fire.
Wait, wth?
Domino's stance immediately deepens, becoming more defensive. He sweep kick strikes a leg, bringing Domino down to a knee but not toppling him. The fire-Frei's kick strikes forearms instead of shoulders.
Though the blow was a bit jarring, it certainly wasn't as bad as it could have been. Domino quickly gets back up to his full height and focuses on the visceral Frei, attempting to hook him into a forward headlock under his left arm. If successful, his right hand grabs for the waist of his jeans, and he yanks back, attempting to flip his opponent up and over to land behind him in a snap suplex.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Drake's Medium Throw.
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Frei 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Drake
There's a strangled gasp of air for a second as Domino does indeed get his headlock, but the beauty of the technique Frei just used is that even when he's caught by surprise, there's always a few seconds to gather himself before the opponent can really start to move. Thus as the right hand grabs for the followup, the monk gets a brief but firm grip on the wrist of that arm before shoving it away, all but yanking himself out of Domino's grip and stumbling back a few steps along the dust and grass, finally pulling himself standing and running a hand around his collar. That stung more than a little bit, but it could have been far worse.
But he is smiling, because the wrestling model has said something that Frei himself considers important. "Good," the monk notes in a tone of approval. "Normal... normal's overrated. I think being different is a lot more fun." Which... explains a lot about Frei's personality once you get to know him.
Rather than standing there jawing away, however, he pushes off the ground and charges right back into the fray. It's his turn to try a grappling technique, now, but one slightly more Eastern in flavor than Domino's style. Skidding to a halt just before the other fighter, Frei steps forward to hook a sandal-ed foot around Domino's calf to kick him briefly off-balance, while reaching with the opposite arm for the Shooting Star's forearm. If he can get a grip, the monk pivots, swinging Domino in a horizontal arc before letting go, like throwing a discus... but just as he does so, he opens his palm, an invisible burst of windy chi looking to propel his victim along.
COMBATSYS: Frei successfully hits Drake with Medium Throw.
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Frei 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Drake
The grappling technique is really a surprise to Domino. Despite attempts to avoid it, and his intentions to just flip over after the sweep, the windy chi follows it through, landing the model in the scrub and tumbling him along. The young wrestler lays there a second before frowning and pulling back up to his feet.
"Huh." That's really all Domino contributes to the conversation. But hey, when Domino's fighting, it's rare to get any kind of conversational noise from him. So it's something, at least!
Domino dashes in towards Frei again, this time weaving around behind him to attempt hooking an arm around Frei's neck and torquing with a drag, attempting to hip-toss him down to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Frei dodges Drake's Fast Throw.
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Frei 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Drake
It's a credit to Domino's speed and technique that rather than some toreador-style fancy evasion, Frei tries to track the wrestler with his eyes and totally fails; he can only really get a bead on Domino when he's close enough that the hooking arm is already on its way out, and the monk does the most inelegant thing in the universe: he yelps and dives off to the side in a low tumbling somersault, rolling to a stop and coming up on one knee looking spooked. Not exactly elegant, but at least it worked!
Brushing yet more savanna dirt from his clothes, Frei grins at Domino. "God, you're quick. Gotta keep your eye on the quick ones..." Speedy fighters have always been the monk's weakness; they are the hare to his tortoise, and contrary to Aesop's fable the hare usually comes out ahead in that race. "Hm. You kinda remind me of someone, now that I think about it... I just can't figure out who."
Rather than attacking, however, Frei takes a deep breath and gets into a defensive stance, once again making complicated, slow pushing motions with his hands. For a second, the gentle breeze in the area kicks up, resonating with the young monk's chi as he gathers it around himself, centering.
COMBATSYS: Frei gathers his will.
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Frei 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Drake
When Frei gets away from the attack, Domino whirls around to face him again. He studies his opponent's movements in silence, attempting to suss out a way of getting in close again. ...When Frei says something Domino used to hear constantly.
'You remind me of someone.'
God, it better not be Alma. That's the last thing Domino wants to hear right now. And it's something he'd actually forgotten about for a long time, up until now.
Amethysts narrow slightly and Domino takes off after the prepping monk, attempting to catch him by surprise. His right arm attempts to hook Frei's left leg, while his left arm goes to hook over his shoulder. Once caught, Domino torques over to slam Frei down on his back with his weight falling atop in a powerslam.
COMBATSYS: Frei endures Drake's Solar Eclipse.
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Frei 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0 Drake
The problem with gathering chi to you, finding your center, is that when someone charges at you determined to do you harm, your defensive options are suddenly somewhat limited. Diving for cover isn't an option anymore, and though Frei does a better job of reading Domino's movements this time, that also means he knows this technique isn't going to be easy to avoid, either.
So he doesn't bother.
Of course, Domino's a trained wrestler; he might be able to sense, as he gets his grip and starts to lift the monk's body, that it's a little TOO easy; the body a little too limp, not resisting. This doesn't mean the grapple is any less effective; far from it, the monk slams into the grassy ground exactly as planned, giving an "oof!" of pain as he lands and the wrestling model slams down on top of him.
However.
An aura of silver and gold flickers into being even as Frei hits the ground... and the second Domino's body is clear and he has a chance to get up, that hand suddenly slashes a wide arc through the air, looking to karate chop! Domino right across the torso. The metallic-looking aura becomes a line of slicing chi, following the parabolic arc of the swing and humming in the air, like the sound of a tuning fork being struck.
COMBATSYS: Frei successfully hits Drake with Houken.
- Power hit! -
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Frei 1/---====/=======|=======\======-\1 Drake
Too easy, and it comes with a price. Domino lifts off Frei, a look of confusion crossing his face.. and suddenly, there's a chop and silver energy. He blacks out temporarily, hitting the ground and hard, skidding for a short distance. But Domino comes to, growling under his breath. So this is going to be decent training in, if nothing else, -persistence-.
Once on his feet, the young model brushes some flecks of dirt from himself and gives his head a quick shake to clear his mind. He then rushes in towards Frei, attempting to clamp his hands down hard on his shoulders...
COMBATSYS: Frei interrupts Total Eclipse from Drake with Ashura Ressenjin.
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Frei 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\1 Drake
And with the shoulders clamped onto, Domino yanks Frei forward to lock his neck between his legs. His arms then hook around his midsection to hoist him off his feet and into piledriving position. But he doesn't just go ahead with the hit. Oh no. Instead, his arms CRUSH inwards around the midsection in an inverted bearhug, arms steadily intensifying to as great as he can muster...
Again, Frei is presented with another Lady or the Tiger sort of proposition: he can either try to get out of the way, which Domino's proven speed and technique will not make easy, or he can weather the storm and try to make the best of what happens afterwards. Deciding on the latter, he presses one foot back into the dirt, grits his teeth, and waits for the inevitable.
During which... he wishes it were evitable.
The wrestling model didn't get those muscles for nothing. Hoisted, piledriven, and then squeezed with all the crushing force Domino has, it's all Frei can do to keep from blacking out. But even as he feels the blackness start to creep into his vision, he summons up one last, great surge of energy. With a loud shout, he shoves his arms aside. Despite the disparity in physical strength, either desperation or sheer bloody stubbornness gives Frei enough force to get him out of the bearhug for just long enough. Shoving a hand down toward the ground, he does a quick hop and backflip away from Domino...
...but he doesn't stop there. Rebounding off his own escape, Frei scythes a mid-level kick at Domino before he can recover from his own attack, and as it impacts there's a burst of purple-black energy around the area hit, cold to the touch. The kick is followed by a series of punches and kicks aiming for various points on the body... points that Domino may or may not recognize as chakra points, according to that system. Each blow is punctuated with a burst of that cold, dark energy... until the final blow, a double palm strike, puts some distance between the fighters once again.
Which Frei is thankful for, as he slumps forward, brow tightened with the effort of keeping from tumbling over. He might have made the best of it, but that HURT.
The escape leaves Domino stunned and somewhat confused. People usually don't get out of this attack! It's almost unheard of! But Frei's managed, and before he can do anything about it, there's a series of blows headed his way. Each strike gets a sharp yelp from the younger fighter, who can't concentrate on anything right now but the pain each one inflicts. More pain than the punches normally should, according to his knowledge.
With the final strike, Domino is blasted off his feet and sent tumbling across the ground, landing facedown.
A few seconds pass.
Domino.. actually gets back up, body shuddering from exertion and pain, teeth grit, eyes bleary. Persistence is a theme going through his mind again. Though he's currently in grand amounts of pain and wants to just collapse, he's refusing to do so. If he can will himself to move, he can fight! And so, the young model attempts to rush Frei again - much, much less speedy and maneuverable than before. It's pretty clear that he's hurt, and the only thing pushing him is the drive to win.
And when the distance is closed, he attempts to sweep around behind Frei's back to set a foot over his left leg between his feet. Domino's upper body ducks under Frei's right arm, and his left arm extends over shoulders behind Frei's neck. And finally, Domino stands upright, forcing his weight across Frei's midsection while wrenching him to the side and backwards in an abdominal stretch.
COMBATSYS: Drake can no longer fight.
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Frei 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Frei auto-guards Drake's Sterling Stretch!
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Frei 0/-------/-======|
Indeed, when it comes to physical power, Frei is not among the world's best... there are probably students at Southtown's high schools able to swing around more meaty might. On the other hand, the monk is amazingly resilient given his small frame. He hasn't taken his eyes off Domino, not yet; the wrestler seems the type who is always going to have that extra bit of energy, the will to win. And considering how hard even a part of that last technique hit, Frei's in no mood to see anything similar, thank you.
However, the fatigue makes the speedy wrestler a little easier to follow with the eye; the foot sweep Frei carefully pivots away from, and the hooking arm is firmly but gently pushed back by Frei's outstretched hand. The monk takes a quick and small step back, but doesn't go too far away in case Domino has more to come. The monk has seen people come back from the brink of far worse before, for certain.
However, presuming that this is Domino's final assault, Frei lets a long breath out, putting a hand to his chest, and then extends his hand to Domino. "That was a good match. Thank you very much." And then he winces, putting his other hand to his ribs. Ow... he's gonna be feeling that for weeks. "You're really strong."
The attack completely flubbed, Domino's last ounces of morale are drained. He feels his energy rapidly seeping away, and he collapses to a knee. Frei's words manage to reach him, and Domino actually looks... unhappy. "But.. not strong enough..," he mutters. He's got to get better if he's going to continue. This losing streak he's on is.. just awful. Terrible, even. But he can't really say anything more - his energy's completely left him, and the young man finally drops to the scrub unconscious.
For a second, green eyes widen; the conversation Frei had with his troubled younger brother just a scant few days past suddenly comes back to haunt him. 'Why are you stronger?' Of course, then Frei's reply had been that he wasn't stronger, merely the one who came out ahead in that one, single instance. He opens his mouth to say it, and then notices that Domino has slumped unconscious and frowns.
Dropping down on bent knees, the monk smiles at the model genuinely, even if he can't see it. "I guess you can't really hear what I'm saying right now... but let's fight again sometime. Fighting... it's never a sure thing. There's so many things that can go wrong, so many variables to account for. You never know what the results will be."
Giving a little wave, the monk turns to go. Hopefully he can meet this guy in the ring again someday.
Log created on 15:01:21 06/09/2008 by Drake, and last modified on 18:11:01 06/09/2008.