Description: Ryu, the nomadic world-wandering champion, pays a visit to Southtown. When word of this reaches one particular fan, Drake Vyril, the young supermodel searches him out to fulfill a dream: to meet the legend and to test his mettle against him. Though the ending may be predictable, Drake gleans advice from the warrior - and a greater drive to excell in the end. As for Ryu? He's met a fan that may be more like him than he at first appeared.
Night descends over Southtown, the city a distant yet always near beacon, a glow on the horizon that washes out the darkened sky for miles around, leaving the glimmering stars to filter in from the west, creeping unchecked over the expanse of woodlands that still borders the metropolitan isle. Within those trees birds still sing, deer still run. Untold numbers of small furry families find some solace in the dimishing wilderness - the similarities to their cousins in the concrete jungle remaining unknown to either, for the most part. Most cling tenaciously to the world they've constructed for themselves, a word of ideas, of status, of accumulated wealth and power... rarer is the spectre who walks the borders of such realms, at once an integral part of each of them.... and unconcerned with his own standing. The mystery of Ryu's path is hardly something to be fully unraveled through one truth, or through the seeming simplicity of the legendary warrior's hermitage.
His part in the world. What is it, exactly? It's an introverted journey that Ryu knows better than most, something Gouken taught him time and again, and yet it was a lesson he could never have learned at the time. Another paradox of the answer itself. While the nomad in the pure white gi is at peace with his course, he meditates on it still - under the glimmering stars, and the waxing crescent moon. Cool breezes sing of autumn as they roll off the waves of the nearby ocean, gaining energy as the wind weaves through the branches, ocean mingling with forest and becoming quite refreshing indeed. It's a peaceful energy in which the Ansatsuken Wanderer all but basks, his mind clear, every muscle in his body relaxed. He sits in the grass, some distance from the dojo, in the shadows of the mighty forest at the far edge of the clearing. He might be difficult to spot indeed, despite wearing white, seated where he is in the shadows...
Except that the very current of the area seems to share Ryu's aims. The glade is charged with chi, a sense of peace reflecting the inward state of the nomad himself, a resonance that reverberates outwards. Where the malevolent of the world make their presence known in waves of hatred, overpowering, stifling force of will.... Ryu welcomes harmony, and the forest itself seems somehow sacred for it.
Perhaps, healing truly is possible - perhaps, it simply is more proof that all things fade and cycle. Either way, the Ansatsuken Master remains a beacon in the ebb and flow of chi to any who can sense it, anyone who happened to approach. How close would depend on their own attunement - but clearly, Ryu has no concern with someone finding him in the darkness.
Ryu is known for a great many things, most all marvelous wonders the likes of which few can truly comprehend. But one thing Drake Vyril, supermodel warrior and would-be hero, can wrap his brain around is the fact that Ryu wanders all over the place. As it so happens, Drake is taken to wandering the globe for a number of reasons, himself.
He is far from a hermit lifestyle, however.
In the end, Drake has found little chance to meet the legend, despite a fair amount of effort. That is, until the opportunity seems to present itself now. Word on the street is, Ryu's here around Southtown. And that's all Drake needed to hear to begin searching hither and thither. Normally, this might seem hopelessly pointless, since Southtown is a pretty big place.. but Ryu is quite the famous sort. One could feasibly try to follow the crowds.
But that's not how Drake intends to find him. From what he's learned, his quarry's grasp of chi and the impact his mere presence leaves all but resonates like a lighthouse around him. So Drake is trying something new. He's attempting to focus his own chi to follow where he believes he feels the flow 'spiking'.
In the end, he's wound up in the wilderness. A likely place, now that he considers it, and it seems to be on the right track. Lacking though his chi sensitivity might be compared to Ryu, he can certainly seems something in the air - and intensifying. In just a few seconds more, the young teenager emerges in the clearing, scanning his surroundings. Amethyst eyes fall on a shape in the darkness, and he simply concentrates on it, attempting to 'feel out' if this is the source of the spike. For now, though.. he can't make out who or what it is he's looking at.
Some people speak of destiny as an inexorable tide, others brush it off as luck, coincidence. As per usual siding with neither camp, the nomad chooses to neither hide from it nor believe himself ruled by it - destiny is forged through courage and understanding, not any inherent property of man. Still, the universe has a way of granting us what we seek in its own way, in its own time, and often not in the manner or method one might expect. There is an old adage that when the student is ready, the master will appear. It is unlikely that really applies quite as much in the digital age, however, where stalking someone becomes rather easier. Not that Drake's appearance is particularly bothersome to the Ansatsuken Master.
If one does not believe in luck, then one is forced to conclude that the determined Mr. Vyril has made his way here for a purpose. They have found him frequently since he came back to this city, the rising stars of the fighting world. Not that it is surprising - many blades are forged in Southtown, for better or for worse. The nomad rises gracefully, planting one bare foot beneath him and all but flowing to his feet in the grass, turning slightly to look back towards his quiet observer, fully aware of Drake's approach by the time he's closed the proximity. He's effin' with the flow, man.
"Rather late for a nature walk, no?" Ryu inquires, calm voice touched with amusement. He knows why Drake's here, and seems rather relaxed about it as he takes a step forward from the shadows of the trees. Yes, Drake must be a fighter... the situation is not new to Ryu, indeed, perhaps they are increasing recently to remind him of his own 'student's' progress. It seems not so long ago at all that it was her confronting him like this.
Suspicions are confirmed when the figure moves forward, starlight illuminating the Ansatsuken beast. Odd as it may seem, Drake seems somehow surprised by this. Ryu's question goes unanswered for several seconds, the teen simply standing there with a bewildered look on his face. Something in his mind finally catches up to what's going on, however, and he dips his head suddenly.
"Yeah."
Beat.
"I mean no."
Pause.
"Ehh.. can I get a do-over?"
Drake's head lifts again, expression now a mixture of mortification and sheepishness. "I take it you're.. Ryu." The name is said with a certain solemnity, a sort of reverence, perhaps, laced with what could very well be either self-consciousness or timidity.
Patience is not only a virtue, but a discipline. Ryu doesn't seem too concerned with Drake's hesitation, merely standing where he is, his head turning to look off towards the starlit horizon, away from Southtown. He looks back slowly as the fighter / model speaks, smiling slightly before he offers a nod in response to the question, "I am." The young champion confirms, tone still relaxed and matter of fact - no sign of the hubris or expectation one generally associates with weight of reputation. Ryu tries not to put too much stock in what everyone has to say about him, "You came out here looking for me, Mr... ?" There's something vaguely familiar about the youth, but it might just be the hints of his fighting in his movements, and stance.
Ryu is, after all, something of an expert on hybrid martial arts, and well versed (sometimes painfully) in the styles of the world, "What can I do for you?" He inquires quietly, the charge of chi around him carrying a reserved sort of intensity, still in perfect rhythm with the subtler currents of the peaceful forest.
"V-Vyril. Drake Vyril," replies the dark-haired American islander. "Or.. Domino. But I don't guess you'd be much for watching other people on t.v., huh? Hahah.." The laugh is awkward at best, but not exactly forced - just tense. His right hand lifts to set behind his neck, and he clears his throat. "To be honest.. I came out here to just meet you. Lame, right?" A bit of his youth might be showing in his selection of words and cadence, and the boyish smile he displays likely doesn't help this too much - but there's a deeper well behind those dark amethysts of his. Something a little more worldly about them. "It's an honor, Ryu-sama." His Japanese is a hint off in accent, but still, the bow he presents is a crisp, well-honed one. His gi might give some indication of experience or culturing.
"Hard to get cable out here." Ryu observes, "And the last time the Kims tried to install a satellite dish, the entire corner of the roof ripped off." Is he serious? It's rather difficult to tell for sure, in this instance, but the tone remains steady, relaxed and at-ease. He returns the bow politely, inclining his head towards Drake, "Then I am honored." He responds respectfully, considering the younger fighter a moment, "I am not sure what it is you seek. Beyond this meeting, I mean." He has no secret message from the future, and no pressing and perfect plan to save the entire world and/or universe that requires immediate aid - despite the inevitable rigors of the life he leads, there is an unhurried air about the nomad as well, "But meaning is in perspective, and I would not judge that for you." At the least, perhaps the fresh air and consideration will do him good - even if Ryu doesn't have the answers he seeks. Of course, answers require questions... and all too often people do not fully realize that which they wonder the most.
Drake raises to his full height and lets out that awkwardly tense laugh again. "I just.. wanted to know what you're like. In person, I mean," he appends. "And maybe, if it's not too much trouble.. trouble you for a spar?"
There's a moment as Drake seems to reconsider the bluntness of his request, and he gives his head a quick shake, bangs playing about before his eyes. "Weird thing to ask for, I know, but.. you've gotta understand, you were sort've an inspiration when I first started fighting outside of what I was doing already. And I don't just mean the stuff you did for tournaments - I mean.. y'know.. the part about justice. Helping people. Righting wrongs." The humor in his voice has drained out, leaving only sincerity. "That's a big part of why I fight. The money and the fame's spectacular, but..."
Shoulders bob in a shrug more casual in appearance than the young model feels.
"..Understand what I'm sayin'?"
Ryu nods slowly, and seems to study Drake more deeply for a much longer moment. It's his turn not to answer immediately, weighing the other fighter's words along with his sense of the younger man's strength. His own power is something Ryu takes very, very seriously, and it shows, "Practice compassion - justice can strike for good, or for ill. It is too easy to get caught up in yourself fighting for any single ideal. You must fight for everyone else, for the world, if you wish to do good. You will never abolish evil - it is part of nature, and both the light and the dark can do great harm. Blood begets blood, and when we forget our affinity to our enemy, we become more like them than we ever intended. Yet you are correct - one must never hesitate to protect, or to stop those who would rob others of their own choices."
Ryu pauses a moment longer before answering, the thoughts more important, in his book.... "I will spar with you, if you wish. It is always interesting to see a new fighter, or style. Whenever you are ready." Ryu? Ryu is always ready. His stance shifts, but only subtly. His feet slightly wider apart, one forward... one fist clenching back at his side as he raises his right hand forward, open. His dark eyes lock onto Drake, unflinching.
COMBATSYS: Ryu has started a fight here.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Drake has joined the fight here.
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Drake 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Ryu
Drake falls silent and still when Ryu speaks, giving something perhaps a little uncommon for him - his undivided attention. At the end, he nods once. "I.. think I understand. I think it was right, my involvement in the Thailand crisis, though." Pause. "..Wasn't it? Helping a country to regain its liberty from a megalomaniac..?" It should be very clear that he's trying to not become too confounded with the sagely principals put before him - he's just trying to take baby steps in understanding Ryu's full meaning.
But then, the fight's on. Something changes in Drake's demeanor. As his feet shift apart, right foot sliding back to enter a shallow backstance, all hints of distraction are lost on him. His own dark eyes lock onto Ryu's, burning with an intense determination. A determination to do what, exactly, might be unclear - but it's a good guess that it likely has a lot to do with 'doing his best'. The youth's expression becomes stoic, concentrated and calculating as his right hand chambers at chest level with fingers splayed, left arm angling down before him with hand tapered flat. Drake's naturally lean and trim frame seems more akin to a tightly coiled spring now, teetering at the edge of explosive action.
And then the action takes place.
Drake propels himself forward across the grassy clearing, bare soles hardly touching soil as he rushes the master. His body suddenly ignites with an aura of sparkling white, which quickly displaces into a 'shadow' replica of himself, following his every movement with but a second's delay. Drake attempts to maneuver behind Ryu's back to lock his arms around the older man's midsection, back bridging to drive his head and shoulders firmly against the ground in a German suplex. Following the impact, Drake will simply roll over to repeat the process for a second, equally punishing suplex. Only after this impact, Drake holds the position and his 'shadow' surges past him to form a pool under Ryu... which promptly explodes into a torrential geyser of sparkling white concussive chi.
COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Drake's Whiteout.
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Drake 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Ryu
It's a difficult question - and as established, Ryu is not a man who particularly likes making definitive, outside judgements when he doesn't have all the information, or any direct knowledge at all. He was in Thailand, for his own purposes, a personal mission indeed... and it's not as if he's never asked himself what Drake asks. It turns out he has at least a few moments to consider his response, however. The shift in Domino's demeanor is readily apparent to the Ansatsuken Dragon, as is the upsurge in the model / wrestler's inner chi. His charge is impressive - he throws himself full on into the fray, there is no hesitation, and if anything the tinge of fear spurs him onward.
But when Drake seeks to execute his ring inspired technique, his quarry is quite literally no longer there to be grabbed. What is blurring to an audience of wrestling and martial arts fans finds itself subject to the alert senses of the young champion, his long red headband rushing out behind him, snapping as he lunges sidelong into a graceful, twisting step.
"Thailand is better off now, is it not? It is not enough to be right - one must understand the consequences of both action and inaction, and choose wisely." The momentum of the evasion follows into the landing, and the nomad drops low into a sudden, spinning crouch, his left foot shooting outwards, seeking to hook Drake at the ankle and quite abruptly drop him to the ground, "You must understand /why/ you fight! Haah!"
COMBATSYS: Drake parries Ryu's Light Kick!
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Drake 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Ryu
The shadow image of Drake catches up to the corporeal version, and the aura dissipates when there is no prey to be captured. That speed was certainly alarming - and coming from one who favors 'blitz' tactics, that's definitely saying something. "So the best philosophy is to take a course of action that'll lead to the better result, even if 'unjust' in its course?," Drake asks in that very slim moment in time that he has. Such an unusual thing for him to do, talking. Especially considering the gravity in which he's treating this encounter. But if he doesn't take the opportunity when it's presented...
A foot is suddenly blurring into motion. Much, much faster than most anything Drake has dealt with before, and he doesn't have time to consider a tactical counter-measure. Instead, he reacts purely on trained technique and raw reflexes - which serves him very well in this situation. The young model goes from a standing position to a crouched one in the blink of an eye, pivoting and catching the leg as it sweeps. Using Ryu's considerable momentum, Drake raises up again and twists on the leg to ideally tumble Ryu over flat onto the grass.
Immediately following this, Drake turns and lunges for the nearest tree. He grabs ahold of a medium-height branch and swings himself up to perch atop it, back turned to Ryu. His right fist thrusts into the air with a bright, but determined smile - for the small, forest-dwelling population's sake, apparently - and suddenly springs from his roost into a double backflip. On the second tight rotation, the model unfurls and spreads his limbs, pulling the toning of his torso taut and firm for impact against Ryu in a high-flying moonsault, hoping to capitalize on a moment's stunned confusion.
COMBATSYS: Ryu just-defends Drake's Darkside Slam EX!
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Drake 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Ryu
Simple efficiency, no wasted motion. Every aspect of the form of Ansatsuken taught by Gouken emphasizes this ideal, even as it flows from soft to hard, with influences from many Eastern cultures indeed. The snapping sweep of a kick is aborted as quickly as it began with Drake's deft, intuitive deflection. The defense is impressive indeed, surprising even - but Ryu is not toppled by sudden shifts. His footing is regained as he flows with the diverted kick, rising around his momentum rather than being ruled by its sudden shift. It's instinct of his own, and in an instant the former World Warrior is on his feet. Sparring gloves reflect the moonlight as he raises his fists before him, eyes tracking Drake's ascent into the trees, "That would be 'the ends justify the means'. That is a trap in and of itself, as if you can forsee a 'better' future and force it through negative action. Instead I would append that the /ability/ to exert one's will or power over an obstacle..." he raises his arms high, stepping into the somersaulting slam even as he weaves low, slamming both arms upwards. In a fluid instant, the airborne model is deflected over Ryu as the nomad steps forward and under the sailing warrior. There is no real opposition in the motion, no moment of resilient defense - the guard is completely fluid, responding only to the force offered by his opponent, and moving in balance with it to come out on the other side as Drake touches down wide of his intended target.
Wide, and suddenly facing a charging Ryu, who lunges in seeking to overcome Drake's guard and snap an arm across his throat, as a hooking foot comes in behind his leg. A sudden twist of his torso and application of leverage could find Drake rather harshly slammed to his back as Ryu throws his impressive strength and technique behind that singular motion - one he expects Domino can appreciate.
COMBATSYS: Drake blocks Ryu's Medium Throw.
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Drake 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Ryu
Deflected, Drake more or less bounces like a ball-of-person to land on his feet rather than prone as per normal. That might have actually helped his landing a little. And it's for this reason alone that Drake is able to bring to bear any sort of defense against Ryu's sudden retaliation, right hand clasping onto Ryu's wrist to slow his descent and twisting aside to localize the impact on his shoulder rather than full-on.
But after hitting the ground, Drake's legs suddenly lash out and he twists over to set his left leg behind Ryu's left knee, right leg setting against his shin. The legs then scissor, and the supermodel twists over yet again - but this time using the trapped leg to hopefully bring Ryu down onto his front, with that leg trapped and twisted about his own in a leg-on-leg lock.
"So.. we're left to our best judgment.. in the assessment of a situation. And having the power to overcome the obstacles in the way.. is the only way.. to really help people. Right?," Drake asks amidst the attempt and struggle.
COMBATSYS: Drake successfully hits Ryu with Fast Throw.
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Drake 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Ryu
Clearly, Drake has some experience at the grappling game. His landing out of the brutally efficient slam is impressive, moreso for the quick rebuttal to the attack. It's more flash than destructive technique that drops Ryu from his feet - but he is dropped nonetheless, and the sudden landing jars him as he comes to the ground on one elbow, shoving himself back to some measure of control immediately. It's there that Drake may realize some measure of problem. Without enough force to stun his dangerous opponent, Ryu is in motion at the same time, shoving sidelong to twist with Drake's intended lock, his free leg flying high... and seeking to drop, harshly, heel first right into Domino, intent on not only preventing - but also countering the sudden offensive in one fell swoop.
Of course, at the rate Vyril is going, the Ansatsuken Wanderer is rather certain he hasn't seen all of the other fighter's tricks just yet, "That is all any of us can do. And never become blind to our own humanity in the process."
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Drake with Medium Kick.
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Drake 1/------=/=======|==-----\-------\0 Ryu
"I.. understand," replies Drake in earnest.
Unfortunately, the sincerity of that is cut short by something of a squeak. Indeed, the teenager squeaks when sufficiently surprised - and this is by no stretch of the imagination sufficient. Ryu's feet are frightening things, indeed, and he'd hoped the leg-lock would be more effective than it appears to have been. Unfortunately for him, Drake cannot possibly recover from the committed submission hold quickly enough to avoid the foot, and the axe-kick HAMMERS his torso hard. It gets a choked grunt from the youth, and the leg-lock is released fully as Drake rolls over onto hands and knees, making an agonized groan.
Despite the severity of that single hit by itself, Drake pushes himself back up to his feet to face Ryu. And in an instant, the self-created blitz style reveals its spice: martial arts. Drake is in the air, twisting over in a butterfly kick aimed to strike Ryu's torso with his right knee. The maneuver brings him in a full circle instantly, left foot thrusting under Ryu's chin to ideally send him into the air. Drake's jump alone would bring him along for the ride, and at the pinnacle of their ascent, he twists into yet another acrobatic butterfly kick. The knee this time goes high, aiming for Ryu's head, while the launched foot attempts to bash against the Dragon's torso to launch him away.
If the move carries out as planned, Drake simply drops from the sky after that kick to land in a crouch on his right knee, hands on the ground and back turned to Ryu.
COMBATSYS: Drake successfully hits Ryu with Lunar Eclipse.
- Power hit! -
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Drake 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Ryu
Further tricks is an understatement - Drake ups the ante, and slips inside Ryu's guard despite the pain of the previous kick. The quick blitz staggers the Ansatsuken Master back, Ryu's footing dropping back as he seeks to keep control over his own stance - but it is not to be. Kicked upwards, and then away, Ryu hits the ground harshly, rebounding off one shoulder and tumbling over himself. It's at the apex of his topple, upside down against the ground, the the young champion's technique resurfaces. Kicking outwards, the nomad rolls with his momentum and comes up in a crouch even faster than he had been on track to, the stress in his limbs doing little to slow him down as he surges back to his feet....
Time for a real challenge. Hands sweep forward, fingers flexing as his opposing palms shove forward, together. In an instant, a destructive crescendo of blue-white chi rushes forth from his hands and his fingertips, rolling together in a densely packed, searing blast that flares forward at an alarming rate, sizzling through the air with flaring intensity, echoed by the fervent incantation, "HADOOOUKEN!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Drake with Hadouken.
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Drake 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Ryu
After a couple seconds to regain his center, Drake raises to his full height and turns to face Ryu again and enter his stance - only there's that entirely too memorable call being made. Drake's eyes take up the majority of his face, pupils dilate.. and he only starts to dive out of the way when the blast slams into him, all but shattering that ethereal chi that flows through him and rattling his very being.
In short, Drake goes flying.
He smashes against one tree and actually goes clean through the trunk to smash against the second one, back cracking hard against the bark with limbs and head following suit just a moment after. When the sheer force of the chi blast relents, he drops from the treetrunk to land on hands and knees in the grass again, unable to make any sound beyond heavy, labored, and highly strained panting.
Critical deduction is not needed to tell he's in excessive amounts of pain right now.
But given a couple seconds, Drake starts to slowly rise back to his feet, legs weakly supporting him. He, in fact, stumbles a couple times and faulters to a knee. But on the third attempt, Drake stands fully and re-enters his stance, easing back into the clearing proper. Breathing now through an open mouth, frame quite visibly rising and falling with each breath, he forces himself to stare down the World Warrior - the eyes betray both a tenacious determination, but at the same time, vast amounts of pain currently pushed to the back of his mind.
COMBATSYS: Drake focuses on his next action.
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Drake 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Ryu
Drake feels the full fury of the legendary Hadouken, and once again it earns its notable reputation. Crashing through into one of the more resilient trees is probably preferable to the bushes and branches and brambles beyond, but the landing looks anything but comfortable. Ryu watches Domino closely as the determined youth pulls himself back up, tries to regain his senses, "You have technique... as your experience widens and your style adapts, you will only grow stronger. Never be afraid of your own limitations - they are essential to improve oneself, and improve." Not that it's likely to be incredibly comforting after being blasted through a tree, but hey!
"That you care to help others and better the world is a good sign - gain power to that end, but never let your power deceive or drive you onward. It is only a tool, you define it, it does not define you." He holds his ground, for the moment, carefully analyzing Drake's movements, not entirely sure if - or with what - the wrestling fighter might attack with next, and not wanting to push him too much further, immediately. Instead, he weighs his options, the tactical plane slowing to a slow, Matrix-inspired crawl. The wind rushes through his hair, and his headband flutters wide. Ryu waits.
COMBATSYS: Ryu focuses on his next action.
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Drake 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Ryu
Drake listens ardently to Ryu, hesitating in his attack to register what's being said. And unsurprisingly, it's a bit profound. Define the power, it does not define you. Something to mull over, that. "I want to push past where I am now. For myself, and for those who can't defend themselves," calls Drake across the clearing to Ryu. "-That's- the tool I wanna use it for!" Fame, surely. Fun, absolutely. But above all else? The assistance of others seems to be chiefest.
And now Drake advances. In that slowed down perception, it could look like a clumsy, headlong charge into what would surely be resounding defeat. But as the distance is closed, the movements become far more deliberate - each footfall measured for distance and pace. Just before entering strike range, Drake attempts to feint to Ryu's right side. His left arm suddenly lashes out to hook his torso, right arm sweeping under his legs. If caught, Drake hoists him into a cradled position and immediately drops to a knee, smashing Ryu's back upon the other, upturned knee. Following impact, his left hand sets under Ryu's chin, right hand to his leg, both shoving downwards to arch in a chained submission hold.
COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Drake's Star Breaker.
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Drake 1/------=/=======|-------\-------\0 Ryu
Purity of purpose, and strength to back it up. It's a lifestyle that's difficult to maintain, sometimes, but too valuable to turn from. It's the legacy of his surrogate father, and to Ryu, that is what matters the most. It's strange that the heirs to the style inherited by Gouken would be Ryu and Ken, and it's certainly something that his murderous brother disapproves of... but there is a strange balance to it, the reversal of an artform that has taken so many lives, with such frightful strength. A nod answers Drake's epiphany, acknowledging the wrestler's motives as good, the idea a positive one. All the harder in execution, but then - nearly everything is.
Another of these things is getting a grip on the elusive King of Fighters. Ryu darts away with a blurring motion, all but shooting from point to point in a singular shift of momentum, landing in a ready stance, his bare feet touching down lightly in the grass. He studies the power behind Drake's charge, the determination - yes, Domino is on his last legs, but it doesn't stop him from fighting his hardest. Harder than that, if at all possible. It's a sentiment that the Ansatsuken Dragon can relate to, indeed. Not to mention something that can save one's life, or someone else's.
This time, Drake is given no opportunity to fully recover from his assault. The nomad rushes him, stepping in and trying to slip past his defenses with a shooting right hand. His grapple seeks the front of Drake's gi, other hand thrusting forward lightly, just lower on his torso - a balance point, as he would proceed to drop all of his weight backwards, launching his leg up and into Domino's midsection, a classic sacrifice throw seeking to send the wrestler flying across the clearing, freely arcing into the air with alarming velocity.
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Drake with Tomoe Nage.
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Drake 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0 Ryu
Grabbed clean out of his attempt, so far as Drake can fathom, the young model has absolutely no course of action to take in defending himself. It happens entirely too fast for him to work with, and before he can even get past the 'Oh, crap' part of the thought process, he's launched away behind Ryu.
Landing first on his head, then banking to a shoulder, Drake tumbles back into the air like a skipped stone, only to come down on his feet. Unable to stop the momentum, he just topples again, banking off the other shoulder until he finally skids to a stop on his back. And that's where Drake lays for several seconds, eyes squeezed shut and teeth grit. His back arches upwards, and he struggles slowly, forcing himself onto his side... then, miraculously enough, to all fours. Drawing on sheer willpower, Drake commands his body to allow him one final burst of energy. Sure, it may very well cost him his consciousness, but to him, it will be a very much worthwhile demonstration.
"Y-yeah.. time for.. my best..," Drake breathes, unable to even re-enter his stance.
Despite it all, that forced energy is brought to bear, surging into motion and bearing down on his target. At the last moment, his hands lash out to attempt clamping onto Ryu's shoulders...
COMBATSYS: Drake can no longer fight.
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Ryu 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Drake successfully hits Ryu with Total Eclipse.
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Ryu 0/-------/--=====|
Shoulders grasped, Drake yanks firmly downwards, forcing Ryu to a doubled over position. Ryu is then... subjected to treatment he may have received from Zangief at one point of another. His neck is locked between a pair of wrestler-legs, arms locked around his midsection to hoist him into piledriver position.
A piledriver does not come, however. Instead, when Ryu is suspended, Drake draws on what reserves of strength he has left in him, pulling it all into this single effort - to begin crushing and squeezing Ryu's torso in an inverted bearhug, the likes of which he hopes Ryu's never endured before. The arms continue to crush inwards, until they've grown as tight as they can possibly become - whether due to unyielding muscle, bone, or breaking the person (not so likely). But once that point is achieved, that is where the arms lock down and maintain pressure.
From there, the second phase of the Total Eclipse begins. Drake leaps high into the air in a series of rapidly hastening forward flips with Ryu. Once the two have ascended to the tree tops and they begin their descent, they've become a single, swirling blurred entity, destined only to come to a shattering end upon Ryu's head with their combined bodyweights, the elevation of the jump, and the insane built-up momentum backing the piledriver.
But following this hit, Drake can sustain himself no longer. He simply drops away from Ryu and collapses into a heap on his side, barely staving off the darkness.
Ryu shifts one side forward as Drake rushes in - but he hesitates, and suddenly recalculates, backing up a step, and then another... but he misguages, and the last ditch assault rings true indeed. Domino barrels full on into the Ansatsuken Master, and he's restrained rather abruptly and, at least for the moment, with a grim finality. Given time he could break the vicegrip, he is relatively certain... the clampdown is a rather unusual experience for Vyril as well however, in all likelihood. It's like he's trying to compress metal, to crush Ryu's chest down to the point where breath becomes difficult, and bones bend or break. With incredible resiliency he tenses, considers his situation....
And then they're whirling through the air. The disorienting, flipping flight leaves the Ansatsuken Dragon with little idea which way is up, at least until he's slammed back into the ground. The painful collision of his skull with the dirt is momentarily disorienting, but the bruised nomad rolls clear nonetheless, coming up in a crouch as Drake collapses to the side, one gloved hand rising to massage the back of his neck. That stung, "Not bad." Ryu congratulates, calmly, "Focus on that which you fear the most, and understand the least. Learn to overcome the impossible." The ever-helpful advise is offered in punctuation of the spar, as the nomad rises, and turns back towards the dojo, "I suspect I'll see you around."
COMBATSYS: Ryu takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ryu 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Ryu has ended the fight here.
"Hn..?," Drake asks blearily, head barely lifting. "Consider.. representing Japan.. for my tour.. eh?," he suggests with a small grin. "And... If you.. ever feel like you.. want a student.. or could stand to have one... I'd be honored.. to learn from ya... Ryu-sama..." But that, unfortunately, was the remnants of Drake's energy. His head drops, and his world becomes black and motionless. Still. Silent.
Log created on 20:32:02 08/28/2008 by Drake, and last modified on 16:10:11 08/29/2008.