Description: On a moonlit night, Shihong Mao finds herself in Southtown Harbor, handling low-scale Syndicate business affairs as usual. However, her business is swiftly interrupted by an archaically-dressed youth wielding a rapier, determined to do what he believes is right: stop the perceived poison of society. But is his brand of justice really just..?
Night has long since cast its veil upon the city, the skies an odd amalgamation of inky darkness and the pale violet-orange glow of light shining up from the bustling city of Southtown. Few stars can shine in the illuminated skies of night in the heart of downtown. The harbor, however, is another story altogether.
Far separated from the city proper, it serves as the perfect place for shady deals and doings to transpire in its afterhours without the police sticking their noses too deeply into matters. Vigilantes and those sorts are another story, but even then, they're far and few between, and usually dealt with accordingly, should the need arise.
Tonight, the harbor plays its role, serving as designation for a few local Syndicate members.
A pair of sleek, unlicensed black cars is parked at the far end of the harbor, the headlights of one car on while the other car remains idle. In the iridescent glow of halogen headlights are a few people milling about, a woman in black and two men dressed in gaudy silk shirts and slacks, all three gathered clearly of Asian descent.
With a signal, a shorter Asian man gestures to the other before he eyes the woman closely.
"We are alone, yeah?"
"Of course. You've my word."
With that, one of the Asian men steps forward and opens a large suitcase. In the cast off of light, it's clear there are numerous small arms inside, and what appear to be bricks of an odd white substance. The woman offers a smirk, red lips easing over her pale face as she reaches into her coat pocket. Speaking in Mandarin, she withdraws a sum of money and offers it over, bowing her head politely. One could surmise easily she's giving her thanks.
Another day, another smooth and shady deal in Southtown.
At least she can hope.
But sometimes, the 'X' factor bumps in. The variable. The unforeseen circumstance.
Tonight, the 'X' factor will be played by a young European noble, who honestly has nothing more than purely benign reasons for being here. A friend had asked that he deliver a payment to one of the factories near here, apparently in return for.. fish. His route takes him right by the transaction, however, and the bright lights simply catch his attention.
Surveying the unfolding scene from the edge of a warehouse, icy blue eyes shift from shady figure to shady figure. It's almost too stereotypical to not be an illegal transaction. But what exactly can he do? It's just him, everyone else is likely armed with guns, and- oh, look. Extra guns.
Vince's gaze shifts to the woman in question, squinting at her. He can't make out too much from this distance and angle, other than a few stray details. Nothing particularly useful.
Finally, Vince decides he has to at least find out what's going on. If it's criminal activity, it obviously needs to stop. If it's not.. well.. he'll just have to accept a social faux pas. So from his shady corner, form silhouetted, he turns to lean back against the wall in a feigned display of casuality.
"Excuse me..," comes the silky smooth voice, laced with just a hint of a French accent. "..Are we conducting something unscrupulous here? Should I not have witnessed all this?"
A bit smug perhaps, but that's his style.
All was going so well.
Accepting the case from the Asian, the woman offers over the given amount, neatly rolled into an easily concealable wad. Expectedly the man tucks it away into his pockets, out of sight and safely at his side. An exchange of false smiles follows, another light bow of the woman's head given before she takes the rather large suitcase and sets it down at her side.
"Your patronage is appreciated, mister Lau," the woman offers, still offering false smiles.
"We appreciate it and look forward to the next meeting."
The man opens his mouth and begins to speak. But the words that come out of his mouth aren't his own. They're not even remotely Asian sounding. Instead, it sounds somewhat French. And it's apologetic.
Almost immediately the three turn their heads, the two men present a bit more jumpy than the woman. She, on the other hand, offers a soft sigh as her hand clenches a bit tighter to the suitcase at her side. Only then does she crane her neck slightly, peering at the French youth. He doesn't look familiar.
'Mister Lau' and his associate, however, get antsy; wide-eyed and a bit paranoid, the two men quickly fire off their worries in Mandarin to the woman. She, on the other hand, just offers a light smirk and an idle gesture toward the car with its lights off, idling nearby. They seem inclined to scurry toward it. And once they're off and toward their car, the woman breathes a sigh of seeming relief.
"It would be foolish to insist otherwise so...yeah." Turning to face the French man, she folds her arms neatly over her chest, weight shifting from one leg to the other as she asks, her tone distantly amused, "And what do you plan on doing, if anything, about it? I'm curious to know."
Vince's icy gaze follows this 'Mister Lau', and finally to the vehicle they seem intent on entering. "Hmh..," he scoffs under his breath.
Rather than answer the woman immediately, Vince's hand dips down to his belt. Middle and ring fingers hook the blossom of one of his rosettes, and he tugs it free. His arm extends suddenly and his wrist flicks, sending the long, elaborate stiletto through the air and aimed for the front tire of the vehicle. Of course, it's dark, so a hit isn't guaranteed. ..Still, it's worth the attempt. He'd hate for them to have a clean getaway.
Following the rosette, the young swordsman leans off the wall and takes a few steps forward, head angled forward a little. The brim of his hat keeps his face shrouded in darkness for the first few steps, but when he comes to a halt, his head lifts - the shadow is cleared from his visage, revealing the young man in garrishly outdated clothes.
"A few things come to mind, my lady," Vince says coolly, faint smile playing on his lips. "I would prefer things go smoothly, however. Cooperate, and only the police need arrive and take things from here."
A glisten of steel in the halogen light of the cars catches the woman's eye, as Vince procures a rosette and flickers it toward Lau's vehicle. By then the two Asian men have already fastened into the car, the engine roaring as the stiletto sails at the rubber tires of the black vehicle. It begins to peel out, despite the loud hiss of air escaping the punctured tire. They'll not get too far, likely.
The woman in black left behind, however, shakes her head and offers a sigh. It would seem with that gesture the young man means business. After all, he threw a stiletto at her associate's tire, and as far as the Chinese woman is concerned that's a visible threat.
But those clothes...
She tries not to laugh. It begins as a slight blurt, followed by a soft cough as she lifts a lightly coiled fist to her rouge lips. Finding her calm disposition easily enough, black eyes draw to a close as the young French man offers an ultimatum of sorts. Cooperate and the police will handle everything.
"So then, are you threatening me if I don't 'cooperate' with you?" she coos, arms refolding over her chest. Black eyes slowly open once more, narrowed slightly in amusement as she fixes that inky gaze on the young fencer in archaic attire.
"I'll just get straight to it, then. I have no intentions of cooperating with you, nor have I the time or desire to finagle with the police. As polite as you have been regarding this matter, kind sir--" A flourish bow follows as the woman's lips edge into a sardonic grin.
"--I will be on my way. I would prefer things go smoothly, so, should you cooperate with me, I can promise you will walk out on your two healthy legs."
Clearly incapable of taking the youth seriously, the Chinese woman offers a wink as she hefts up the suitcase and begins walking to the other vehicle. But will he actually oblige her..?
"I must admit, it isn't in my nature to willingly harm a lady," Vince replies with a resigned, dramatic shrug of his arms. "But this does not mean my hand cannot be forced." The last bit is said with a more notable edge to it.
As smoothly as he drew the first stiletto, a second one is drawn, and this one sails towards the woman. Albeit, not aimed to strike -her- so much as the briefcase she's carrying, hoping to protrude the fine dagger from the casing. Sure, the contents may be damaged for it, but that's a chance Vince is willing to take for the sake of making his point.
"Stay a while, my lady. Chat with me," Vince invites afterwards.
"That is dangerous thinking," the woman offers in response, eyeing the garishly-dressed youth from over her shoulder. "I do believe chivalry is dead in this day and age. It's probably for the best, too." Gripping firmly to the handle of the large case, the woman's lips again ease into a smirk.
"Lots of women these days are scary, double-crossing little things. They'd sooner plunge a knife in your back than be flattered by your generosity. As kindly as you have been, though, I am afraid I have more pressing matters to attend to." She turns her back to the rouge, using the wheels of the large and likely heavy case to cart it along.
THUNK.
It comes suddenly, a loud hiss of steel and reinforced cloth colliding just below the woman. The stab of the stiletto's blade into the casing is felt up along the case itself, through the handle which the woman in black holds onto. And expectedly the woman glances back, down to the knife sticking out of her goods.
A heavy sigh follows. His hand can be forced, he said.
"I really don't think that's a good idea, sir," the woman offers, her words absent of any real emotion as she slowly releases the case's handle. Letting it go for the time being, the Chinese woman slowly turns on her stiletto heels, black eyes flickering with the faintest hints of red as she regards the costumed fencer.
"I have this terrible problem of letting violence speak for me."
To emphasize the point, the woman in black tears forward from the case, her movements marked with a distinct clicking of heels on asphalt. And should she get close enough to the rouge-like French man, the Chinese woman pivots harshly, the other leg whipping out as she spins about, attempting to swing that other leg around and up, to deliver a swift kick upwards into the young man with a sharp, guttural kiai escaping her lungs.
COMBATSYS: Shihong has started a fight here.
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Shihong 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vince has joined the fight here.
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Shihong 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vince
COMBATSYS: Vince dodges Shihong's Medium Kick.
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Shihong 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Vince
The attack is not expected. This is evidenced on his face, eyes widened briefly. It looks as though her boot will connect with him as intended, but for a quick sideways pivot. Her leg whiffs just past his head, almost knocking the hat off by the brim.
"You've chosen poorly, Miss," Vince says, sounding just a bit perterbed.
Right hand grips onto the handle of his sheathed blade, and in a flash, the gleaming weapon is out in the moonlight. "Yield before you get hurt!," he insists.
Vince's right boot shifts forward to suddenly emerge in a mild lunging stance. The blade blurs into motion, whisking in a half-circle only to drive towards the woman's chest. The weapon carries more than just an edge, however. As it whisks into position, a swirling wreath of smoky gray wind energy engulfs the length of steel. As it's stabbed forward, the energy cascades along its tip, forming an ethereal lance intended to plunge into and directly out of her body along with the blade itself.
COMBATSYS: Vince successfully hits Shihong with Venteuse.
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Shihong 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Vince
Despite the miss of her leg, the woman follows through with the motion, setting her leg down with a discreet 'click' of heels on solid ground. There's a discreet smirk lingering on her rouge lips as he speaks, his comment privately amusing the woman. It reminds her of a movie she once saw. If only she could remember the name...
"Yield?" Before she can properly question his comment, a glint of steel whips out, a whirling burst of gray wind that lances out and drives into her, along with the weapon. It draws a startled gasp from the Chinese woman's lips, black eyes wide before she sneers and grips the blade. Pulling herself off as swiftly as she can, the woman tries to back off, still grinning, despite its lack of enthusiasm it once held. This energy stuff again, she muses.
"That did hurt," she replies. "And I wasn't even given a chance to yield..." A mock pout crosses the woman lips as she staggers a few steps back from the young man. Will she give in to the fencer's demands?
Of course not.
Dipping low, the woman lets her legs spread, her stance widening as her arms stretch out. At her heels red 'flames' whip and roar to life, vermillion energy licking at her legs as she stands. A moment later she leaps forward, legs leaving ground as she flies heels first, body spiraling as she attempts to drive both heels into the young man's chest with another loud cry. Should it land, that fire erupts with a sudden burst, to launch Vince back and away through the air.
As for the energy, well, he can be certain it isn't like the stuff he has at his beck and call…
COMBATSYS: Vince blocks Shihong's Strutting Crow.
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Shihong 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Vince
"The other demonstrations were falling short," Vince replies, icy blues growing colder, more intense. "I felt a more.. felt.. gesture was necessary."
The flames on her heels are noted, and he quirks an eyebrow. Otherwise, his frame only slightly tenses in preparation. When her feet thrust at him, his stance deepens and his blade is brought up to catch her feet along its flat edge, the windy gray energy whirling along the steel. The impact of her boots strikes against the weapon, thumping it firmly to his chest. It gets a grunt from Vince, but as her 'flames' lash out, the wind energy flares, clashing with it. The 'flames' fail to really find purchase on Vince, the impact of her feet certainly make their impact.
In response, the moment Vince finds his footing again, the blade whisks out to his side, then sharply slices inwards. Though this stroke is made without the added energy, it's aimed to cut her horizontally along the upper abdomen. At the conclusion of the maneuver, his right arm remains crossed to his left shoulder, blade angled forward at the ready.
COMBATSYS: Shihong interrupts Medium Strike from Vince with Savage Tiger EX.
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Vince
"'Felt' gesture, you say," the woman replies, sporting a tiny grin on her lips as she regards the young man briefly. "Well, you certainly got that point across. I'll try to see to it that I don't see another, if possible." It's quite a pain fighting against people who wield weapons in their preferred style of fighting. Especially when they can call on that odd 'chi' stuff.
Still, the woman is far from thwarted; if anything, it only further piques the Chinese woman's interests. Racing forward, she attempts to ply into him with those heels and that odd vermillion energy, to try and drive the sword-wielding French man back. A clash of steel and chi interrupts, shielding him from the brunt of her fiery blow.
Pushing off, the woman flips in midair and lands. But just as her black eyes flicker up to catch sight of Vince, he's lashing out with his sword, a horizontal strike to slice. It begins its path across her upper body--but stops. The woman's arm opposite the slash snaps out like a hungry snake, seizing his arm as she offers a helpless grin.
Moments later she wrenches his arm before she lunges inwards, heels leaving the ground as she rather suddenly begins to scale Vince's thighs and chest, climbing his person with those stiletto heels while holding onto his arm. Her intentions become clear as she nears his shoulders: planting into them, she hops up slightly, positioning her body above his before she twists his arm again, to guide him forward, angling him. Only then does she suddenly thrust both legs downwards, harsh steel heels digging into his backside, to drive him forward into the ground. And if that wasn't pain enough, the moment he hits she twists her heels into his back and releases his arm, a burst of that weird vermillion fire erupting madly against his back to give her the needed energy to launch upwards, where she flips backwards, parting ways with the fencer's prone body.
"Feel free to yield anytime. I won't hold it against you," she offers with a convincingly coy smile.
The catching of the arm comes as nothing short of a great surprise. Vince's eyes widen, but he isn't given opportunity to do more than that. She successfully scales Vince's body, right up until the final propel of the enigmatic, alien energy. And this? It truly sears him. "GAH!"
Enough to warrant a pained cry, apparently, the youth thrashed against the ground on his front.
His right hand lifts, still gripping the handle of his blade. The tip of the sword sets to the ground, and he pushes himself to a knelt position with it, leaning heavily on the weapon. Vince's eyes shift sidelong, as if to mark her behind his back.
Suddenly, Vince has whirled around and is airborne. Form once again a blur, cape flaring out behind him, Vince lands in a deep frontal stance before the woman. The blade is driven severely towards the center of her torso, with every intention to push the weapon through her up to the hilt. But again, no energy is brought to bear with this technique.
COMBATSYS: Shihong blocks Vince's Balestra.
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Vince
There are no words, as Vince pulls himself to his knees with the support of his blade. It's a curious sight, causing the Chinese woman to tip her head lightly in interest. He's certainly tenacious, she'll give him that. Certainly she knows she cannot go easy on him, especially with that sword in his hands...
Black eyes are suddenly forced a bit wide as the young man moves swiftly, taking to the sky with his cape whipping behind him. Thin brows immediately furrow as the French youth lands and thrusts his blade forward, aimed for her stomach. With a light grunt the woman lifts a leg and twists her body, attempting to catch the blade at an angle against her thigh. The result? The thrust is redirected, leaving a long gash along her slacks and a red cut that begins to swell with blood along pale skin visible through the black.
"Oh, I liked these pants," she idly muses, wincing slightly as she takes a small step opposite the blade.
Then, with a swift breath inward, does the woman take a step forward, one leg hiking upwards to give her air. The second leg then moves, swinging upwards as she attempts to quickly clip the young man in the sternum with her knee.
COMBATSYS: Vince dodges Shihong's Short Kick.
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Vince
Though the blade didn't do half as much damage as Vince had intended, something must be said for the woman's reaction speeds. Bothersome in this situation, but.. still. And her composure is a bit remarkable. Still, she's a villain, Vince rationalizes.
That's about all he has time to consider, though. Her foot is lifting at him again, and Vince suddenly, from that prone position, leaps into the air in a single forward flip. He lands gracefully on his boots just off to her side with his back turned to her. Vince's blade jabs under his left arm behind him, aimed to pierce the woman's body, followed by a quick spinning turnabout to slice the blade from her shoulder to opposite hip.
COMBATSYS: Shihong auto-guards Vince's Quick Strike!
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Vince
Another miss?
A smile cracks the Chinese woman's red lips. At least her night isn't as boring as she'd anticipated...
Recovering from the botched knee strike, Shihong plants a heel, letting her foot slide noisily across the asphalt as she recovers from the assault. The forward foot plants firmly as she whips her body around, just in time to spy an incoming blade from underneath the young swordsman's arm. Black eyes immediately flicker red, watching the glistening blade as it sails closer...
A flare of vermillion energy surges along her arm as she swings it inwards as she herself attempts to slide to one side. The result: the blade is redirected again, her arm shielded by the swath of red that helps in keeping her from enduring yet another nasty gash.
But she capitalizes as best she can. Drawing a sharp breath past her red lips, the woman inhales deeply, a leg tensing before she lifts it. A split-second later she plants it and, closing the gap between herself and the French youth, attempts to drive a palm heel right for the young man's prone small of his back. While the heel of her palm does not strike, it's the sudden swell and concussive burst of red energy that's meant to do the trick, a surge of energy to sting and disorient the young man.
COMBATSYS: Vince dodges Shihong's Swallow's Wings.
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Vince
The blade going awry, Vince doesn't proceed with the follow-up stroke. Instead, his head turns in time to see just a flicker of red ignite behind him. This spurs him into action by pure reflexes alone, body crouching suddenly low and almost to the ground. The red energy strikes out at nothing but a fluttering cape. Still pumping on nothing but the adrenaline that spurred him into motion to evade that attack, Vince braces himself with his left hand on the ground. His right boot shoots up behind him, heel angled to catch the woman on the jaw in a vertical mule kick.
COMBATSYS: Shihong blocks Vince's Light Kick.
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Vince
Another attempt, another failure.
Frowning lightly, the woman withdraws her arm as the burst of energy flutters little more than the cape the young man wears, drawing him out of harm's way in the nick of time. It earns him a light, lopsided smirk from the woman, black eyes hooding as she observes the young man braces. A kick follows soon after.
Her once-offending hand crosses, intercepting the blow with the center of her palm as she prevents the strike from successfully connecting with her jaw. The strike draws a light grunt from the woman, red lips pulling into a tight line across her face.
A moment after, however, she releases the foot and steps back.
"Interesting man, you are. But tell me, what do you hope to gain from this, anyway?" she asks of Vince, those black eyes again flickering with an odd red glow as she observes the young man closely, carefully. "What do you want to achieve in meddling in the 'professional' affairs of others?"
COMBATSYS: Shihong focuses on her next action.
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Vince
With the foot not really striking home, Vince pushes forward onto the hand bracing his body to enter an agile single hand-spring flip. Once more, the swordsman lands on his boots gracefully. When he whirls back on the woman, she posing her question.
"Nothing more than the satisfaction of seeing justice served. Your kind poisons society!," he accuses, pointing the tip of his rapier at her. "If you yield now, I'll not have to reveal the full extent of Rose Dansant!"
Vince's left foot suddenly shifts forward, along with his left hand lifting from a casual position to being extended out towards her. In that instant, a rosette was retrieved and sent through the air, tip aimed to pierce into her chest.
COMBATSYS: Shihong auto-guards Vince's Sudden Fling!
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Shihong 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Vince
"Justice served? My 'kind' poisons society?" she echoes, eyeing the rapier's sharp tip as it's thrust toward her, singling the woman out before the French youth. For a moment she says nothing; instead she just observes Vince, as he threatens her once more.
"And how do we poison society, might I ask? I'm simply trying to make a living. I'm simply dealing in arms. If you wish to focus your anger on someone, I'd suggest you consider pointing that sword of yours at the media and its poisoning of morals on society today? Maybe the corrupted government and their hypocrisy and greed? It's a start, I think..."
Pausing, the woman's eyes widen as he shifts his weight, a rosette sailing toward her. Again, a flare of energy lances over her hand and arm, as her arm moves and attempts to shield her from the stiletto. Colliding with that fiery energy, it's cast off and aside, clattering noisily on the ground at her feet.
"They say in China that it is easier to dodge a spear in front of you, but hard to shield against an arrow that is shot from behind. In other words, it is far easier to guard against the obvious. Sure, go for the 'ill' members of society, but even if you by some fluke succeed in stamping out this perceived 'poison,' you will still have to contend with other poisons, those arrows from behind."
Grinning lightly, the woman shrugs her shoulders.
"Either way, I still enjoy myself."
Racing forward, Shihong attempts to close in on Vince with an attempt to strike high with her fist. It's a feint, however; immediately after she drops low, hands planting firm on the ground as her legs tense. Fires erupt again from her heels, both legs shooting outwards as she attempts to strike him hard in the shins. Should the first strike land she follows by twisting her body, coming into a handstand while swinging one leg up after a fiery other, to clip him savagely in the chest and chin as she attempts to stand upright once more.
COMBATSYS: Vince blocks Shihong's Coiled Serpent.
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Shihong 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Vince
As she dashes in towards him, Vince shifts his footing back into the typical fencing stance, leading with the sword arm. Her initial kicks land, to some degree - but the feet meet with steel again, as opposed to a body, Vince suddenly ducked down and braced. The 'flames' catch with more wind energy and intermingle before being cast aside relatively harmlessly. The initial kicks don't impact by much, but the following kicks slam along the length of the blade again, Vince rising to intercept them. These thrust the flat of the blade against his torso, earning her a small displeasured grunt and a stagger back.
But mostly, it's her words that have Vince grimacing briefly.
"If you believe yourself a victim of circumstance, then yield! I will help you keep out of trouble as best I can!," offers the swordsman, gaze softening a touch.
But then he's immediately closed in on her again, blade drawn to his left side. "Unless you simply enjoy the life of a villain too much!" And the sword is sliced heavily for her torso in an outwards horizontal arc, followed immediately by a deep thrust. He can't afford to give the woman a breather. She could be downright lethal if he lets up on her without her surrender.
COMBATSYS: Shihong blocks Vince's Fierce Strike.
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Shihong 0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Vince
Fierce on the offense, Vince is, in kind, fierce on the defense. Though her attacks lash out at the young fencer, they yield little results in pain; staving off each blow and the flames accompanying her strikes, Shihong is kept at bay for the moment, forced back as Vince himself staggers away. When she comes to stand once more, the woman lets her eyes hood slightly, lips curling into a demure smirk.
"Oh, I'm no victim of circumstance, don't get me wrong. I chose this lifestyle."
The smile broadens a bit.
"I enjoy this lifestyle, yes. Thanks for the kindness, however. A shame I can't return it in kind."
Again he comes at her, the blade wielded and aimed for her vulnerable torso. Twisting her body, the woman whips an arm out, redirecting that piercing thrust along her arm, a long cut forming along her coat's sleeve, and a swell of red along the gash left on pale flesh.
"Too close," she muses aloud.
Almost immediately after the woman whips into action, using her body's momentum in that twist to whip a leg up and around, a particularly nasty kick aimed for Vince's temple with the back of her heel as she offers a sharp, guttural cry.
COMBATSYS: Shihong successfully hits Vince with Strong Kick.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Shihong 1/-------/=======|=======\======-\1 Vince
The redirection is something Vince can handle easily enough. But for some reason, he's just too slow on the withdraw and riposte. And it costs him rather dearly. The heel cracks against his skull, knocking the hat from his head and bloodying him effectively. Vince is knocked to his side on the ground without any more noise than the impact.
Vince remains there on his right side for the time being, eyes squeezed shut. The red starts to seep down from sandy blond hair along his temple.
"S-so be it...," he whispers, clearly hurting now.
The eyes remain shut.. but something is definitely going on. The winds in the area begin picking up, swirling and gathering in a localized area around Shihong. Vince's left hand suddenly thrusts into the air, and immediately, a torrent of swirling wind explodes from beneath the woman, aiming to trap her within the condensing walls of smoky gray. Though it may be energy, it certainly sounds, looks, and -feels- like a tornado, the wind shredding at whatever is caught like a ravenous animal...
COMBATSYS: Vince successfully hits Shihong with LaRose Storm.
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Shihong 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Vince
With the winds both pouring in and billowing upwards, the shredding action also carries a launching effect. Shihong finds herself in the air in the center of the tornado, and that's when Vince pulls himself back up to his feet.
Icy blue eyes narrow on the woman, and he leaps directly into the tornado. Unlike what his foe is experiencing, Vince is neither ripped nor torn, but rather the winds seem to carry him softly through the air, drawing swiftly to his prey as his cape billows out behind him. The moment he's within range, a true demonstration of Rose Dansant takes place.
Vince's sword arm simply disappears.
This is far from harmless, however. The arm, though now little more than a flesh or occassional blur, is busily goring the woman over thoroughly with the rapier. A countless number of savage, though precise stabs mount upon her body from legs to collar in an instant. The force behind each stab grows with each lightning fast stroke, up until one final, exceptionally forceful stab plunges into her body heavily enough to blast her back out of the tornado itself to land on the ground.
Once finished, Vince remains aloft in the tornado long enough to whisk his bloody blade to the side, scattering the scarlet fluid into the winds. He then flips out of the tornado, himself, landing in a crouch beside his hat, panting.
The hat, then, is placed back atop his head.
Eyes flicker aside, as Vince hits the ground with a painful impact, a distantly thoughtful expression lingering on the woman's rouge-colored lips. Perhaps it was a bit much, the kick; however, the young man is being far from relenting with the likes of Shihong. If anything, he poses a greater threat with his rapier and stilettos.
As he whispers her eyes narrow a touch, black eyes flickering red as she watches him closely. What is he planning, she wonders. And when the winds begin to pick up around her, she offers a light smirk. And then that damnable energy consumes her from below.
Caught in its torrent, the woman is prone and left with little more than her steely resolve to shield her. He comes then, wielding his rapier through the tornado like a madman in her eyes, as he rises like some villain in the air on his unnatural winds. And then she is stabbed viciously.
Repeatedly.
It hurts, yes. Each strike leaves its mark, marring her like some fleshy pincushion before he finally yields in his assault, the final stab launching her out of the winds to hit the ground in a heap. Groaning slightly, the woman rolls lazily to one side as Vince collects his hat, her body shivering as she coughs.
But her cough…turns into a laugh.
"Y-you, ca-call me a villain?" the woman asks, her body slowly peeling itself off the concrete like a wet band-aid off skin. Staggering in her heels, the woman's fingertips lift, pressing into her temples as the other hand drifts down, clutching at her numerous chest wounds.
"When you're the one...savagely stabbing me like some awful psychopath? Is this really your idea of 'justice' in the world?" A vicious cough escapes her lips as she briefly pitches forward.
Whipping her head up, the woman's black eyes are now a vibrant shade of red, as flames begin to whip up from her heels. On her lips lies a sinister smirk.
Without a word, Shihong suddenly throws her bloodied self back into the fray, fires burning violently along her legs as she charges. Halfway she leaps, fiery heels aimed for the fencer's torso...
COMBATSYS: Shihong successfully hits Vince with Bird of Paradise.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > / ]
Shihong 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Vince
And, should it cleanly impact, the woman's heels will lightly make contact; the real pain comes from the sudden lance of vermillion energy that promptly explodes against the young man, a brutal burst that's meant to disorient as well as harm. It also provides her the needed momentum.
Using that vicious burst, the woman repels off against his torso and back, twisting quickly and whipping her body into a flip. Lashing her legs out, both legs surging with energy to drive into the top of Vince's head and send him crashing forward into the ground, as the woman again daintily leaps backwards into a flip and lands a few feet away, panting from exertion.
Vince simply is not prepared for her attack. This is because she actually -survived- the LaRose Storm. This is something he's certainly not used to. This is evidenced by his widened eyes, head turning to regard her. He has only long enough to bring himself up to his feet before hers collide with him, and that lancing energy more or less eviscerates him.
"GAH!"
The woman lands on him, driving him down to the ground again. He doesn't have time or the breath to utter a yelp or cry of pain - he simply hits the ground with a sick thud. This time, he lays there a good several seconds, looking very much as if he's out of commission.
However...
"Evil... must be erradicated..."
Vince slowly shifts onto his side, sword's tip planting into the tip of the ground to support him yet again, frame shaking from exhaustion and fatigue.
"W-wherever.. it is found... by any means.. necessary.."
A tenacious glare is sent to the woman, and Vince pulls himself up to his full height again. He stands there on unsteady feet for a few seconds more, letting the moonlight glint off his blade. Once again, he's in motion - even though his gait is obviously crippled, it's a swift approach. The moment he's in range again, Hell's gates are swung open once more on the woman. The arm blurs out of vision, and the stabs repeat themselves, intent on thrusting and ploughing through her body to rip more vicious holes in her. After the innumerable amount of stabs are made, one final thrust is delivered to blast her back down to the ground.
Though hit or miss, that was the last he could manage. Vince drops to his knees, sword's tip set atop the ground again and head hanging, only barely clinging to consciousness. He no longer has the energy to move, let alone bring himself to lift his blade again.
COMBATSYS: Vince can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ <
Shihong 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Shihong just-defends Vince's LaRose Thorns!
[ \\\\\\\\\\ <
Shihong 0/-------/-----==|
Landing dantily after otherwise brutally assaulting the Fencer, Shihong offers a light exhale, nostrils flaring softly as she draws her eyes shut. Folding her arms over her chest--specifically to help staunch bleeding and shrug off some of the pain--she stands, patient. That ought to do it, she figures. Surely he won't get up after that..?
But how wrong she is.
A head turns, shoulders sagging lightly as she peers toward the murmuring young man. He rises, albeit slowly, a wreck if anything. Discreetly the woman frowns; why isn't he just staying down? Must he continue to press the matter?
"It's not EVIL," the woman insists. "It's just a lifestyle."
The glare is noted, as the youth rises from the ground. Determined to press the offensive, he comes with a broken gait, causing the woman to crane her neck inquisitively at his state of being. Like before he wields his rapier, steel glinting ominously in the light of the moon and halogen headlights. He wants to gouge her again?
Not on Shihong's watch.
Vermillion red erupts along her arms, fires burning as that rapier comes. Again the woman thrusts her arm outwards and forward, redirecting that incoming initial strike at her abdomen and sparing her body from being again pincushioned by painful steel. The woman twists, moving away and readying for another onslaught...
But he falls instead, supporting himself with the rapier.
"Meddle not in the affairs of that which you don't really understand," the woman offers from over her shoulder. "There are many things in this world that you wouldn't comprehend. Not everything is really as it seems. You really think I'm evil? Villainous? Vile?"
Tossing her head, the woman walks forward, back to the abandoned suitcase, rosette still wedged into its front and all. Lashing a hand outwards, the Chinese woman clutches its handle firmly as she walks to the car.
"Nietzsche said, 'When you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back at you.'"
She leaves it at that, letting the slam of a car door fill the silent void instead, the roar of an engine filling the night as she drives away, leaving Vince to fend for himself without a shred of mercy, perhaps expected of a woman like her.
COMBATSYS: Shihong has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:21:30 07/31/2008 by Shihong, and last modified on 00:43:56 08/02/2008.