Description: Some time has passed since last Marisol encountered the God of Battle, Shenwoo. In that time, Marisol believes that she has improved since their last 'spar,' having grown stronger, better and faster. And during an unexpected (and awkward) encounter in Chinatown, Marisol finds she has the chance not only to thank her 'hero,' but also test herself and her improvements, if any...
If there's one thing Marisol loves, it's trying new and exotic cuisines.
Due in part to her cushiony lifestyle and her global travels through the years, Marisol has developed a fancy for the culinary arts. It's a secret of hers, kept from even her best friend Pás, to whom she tells almost anything and everything. Truthfully, it's nothing to be ashamed of - but Marisol certainly is, due in part to her rough and abrasive nature, as well as her highly-advertised love of fighting and combat. But a girl needs her hobbies too, right?
And so, on whim the fiery half-Spaniard has taken a break this weekend after a particularly strange and exhausting Saturday Night Fight the week prior to do some shopping. And while the bags carted at her side read 'Gucci' and 'Neman Marcus' and other such high-end stores and suggest she's out doing the usual girl thing that involves hitting any and every clothing store in town, her real motives are hidden behind her girly façade. She came to Chinatown today for ingredients!
Pushing her way carefully through the throngs of people haunting the busy streets of Chinatown, the girl stands out like a beacon amongst the hundreds upon thousands of Asians scurrying about the open markets. Quietly she pokes her head into various stalls from time to time, searching over the fresh goods on display and otherwise doing her best to drown out the loud, shrill cries of vendors desperately trying to hawk their goods at her. 'You like? You buy!?'
Eventually, even Marisol needs a break. Pushing her way off to the side, she takes a deep breath into her lungs, gray eyes briefly closing. She should have expected the markets to be so busy on a Saturday afternoon, but this is just ridiculous! Opening her eyes, a cursory glance is spared to the insides of one bag, wherein lies a small bundle of fresh vegetables. No luck on the spices she wanted yet.
A heavy sigh follows, a forlorn look given toward the heavy crowds flooding the streets before her. Can she honestly brave that flock for her goods, or should she just give up her noble pursuit..?
Though he doesn't actually /live/ in Chinatown, having a nice - and currently Frenchman-free, which he would gladly tell anyone was a good thing, and he'd be lying - apartment in another part of town, Shenwoo often finds himself here, when he isn't involved in other pursuits. To him, like many other mainland transplants to Southtown, it's a little slice of home. Comforting, yeah.
He wouldn't admit to that either, though.
For various reasons, most of which should be immediately apparent, Shen has a pretty easy time of navigating the crowds in Chinatown; for one thing, he's pretty hugenormous relative to most of the locals, and he's kind of scary looking besides. But more importantly, he's famous and at least partially Chinese, which accords him an extra level of respect an 'outsider' wouldn't get, even if they were big and scary. The crowds tend to just flow out of the berserker's way, giving him a wide berth in a way that seems almost unconscious and reflexive.
So it is that, as the God of Battle walks along, his path brings him by where Marisol despairs of her ability to get through the crowds... And the sea of people parts like something out of the Bible. Shen, for his part, doesn't really notice Marisol.
Of course, she'll probably do enough noticing for the both of them.
Likely, were Shen a less imposing man and not nearly as famous a fighter as he currently is, he would indeed go unnoticed among the crowds. But here - particularly in his more 'native' part of Southtown - he is well-known by the locals as something very much a legend. He's a powerful and imposing figure whose strength is as notorious as his berserker tendencies. To some he inspires fear. To others, he is a powerful representative to his native people.
To others, he's an idol of sorts.
Where he walks, people hurriedly get out of his way. With it comes a bit of commotion, people scurrying about, desperately clearing path for the brawler as he saunters along. Meanwhile, standing off to the side is the half-Spaniard girl eyeballing her meager findings so far with a discreet frown on her lips. This hasn't been a very lucrative endeavor so far.
The crowd's commotion grows livelier as the Shanghai brawler approaches, and the very sounds of excitement and hurried shouts draw her attentions from the bag in hand. And when her eyes look up, they behold the greatest sight she's seen in some time.
The God of Battle.
Immediately the redhead's face flushes, gray eyes going as wide as saucers with disbelief. Him? Here? No way! Lost for words, she's paralyzed by her excitement and disbelief...and Shenwoo keeps walking on. He's growing smaller by the second.
"H-hey!" the girl blurts, suddenly carrying off behind the brawler as she pushes through the crowds, waving an arm furiously to catch his attention, should he look. "Shenwoo, wait up!! Please!"
If Shenwoo had any idea what was going through Marisol's mind as her grey eyes laid on him, he'd probably be very confused. He doesn't, of course, set out to be anyone's 'idol', or much of anything else. To be respected for his demonstrations of strength, sure, he'll accept that... But people looking up to him is just WEIRD.
"Huh?" wonders the berserker, as he hears his name called; the locals, usually, don't bother him. So he stops, turning to look over his shoulder at whoever it is that's trying to get his attention... After all, the LAST time someone just started talking to him on the street, things got a little on the awkward side. But what he sees is a red-haired figure that should probably be familiar to him... Except Marisol only tickles the barest of recognition in the blond man's mind, his brow furrowing as he tries to remember exactly WHO she is.
Shen is pretty sure she's a fighter, though. "Oh," he says. "It's you." This is a clever way of covering up for the fact that he doesn't remember Marisol's name.
Pushing desperately through throngs of Asians, Marisol struggles in hopes of catching up to the swiftly departing brawler she so respects and looks up to. In a distant part of her mind she has a terrible fear he'll overlook her and wind up going on his way - which is precisely what she DOES NOT want, not when she has so much to tell him!
Or so she hopes she does.
But all despair is cast aside, as the blonde pauses in his step and glances over a shoulder. The moment her gray eyes fix on his gaze her body seizes and her face goes pale, the tiniest hints of rouge crawling over her cheeks. He saw her..! He's looking right at her!
Shaking her head lightly, the girl bites her lip and pushes onward, carving her way through the thick crowds and approaching the berserker with a big - almost dopey - smile on her tanned (and blushing) face. He regards her, and immediately the girl nods her head excitedly. It's her! It's--
"Marisol! M-Marisol O'Connell," she offers, bowing swiftly from the chest in greeting to the man before she stands upright. Grinning like a fiend, the girl takes a moment to just eyeball the man and legend (in her mind anyway) before she realizes the awkward, perhaps creepy silence and coughs.
"E-er, it's been a while," she offers as nonchalantly as possible, glancing away as her hands shift the bags' weight in them. "But I'm glad, because...well, I have to tell you that I've wanted to thank you for the last time." Someone...thanking Shenwoo? "Your advice has been helpful! I...like to think because of it I've become a little stronger." Sheepishly she averts her eyes, fingers fidgeting on the bags' straps.
"W-well, it seems that way, a-anyway."
Right, right. That was her name. Shenwoo, of course, just nods a little as though he knew all along, because even HE has enough social graces to realise that forgetting her name would be a really jerk thing to do, especially to someone who seems to idolise him so much. He does turn to face her, at least partway, standing his his hands tucked into the pockets of his leather trousers and watching the Pacific Resistance leader with a level dark-eyed gaze. "Is that so?" he says, when Marisol tells him that she wants to thank him... He does remember their previous encouters, at least now he does. He does recall having offered Marisol at least a little advice.
"Well, good," Shen says, nodding his head firmly. "It's important to get stronger. I hope you don't think you can sit around just 'cause you got a bit stronger, though." Laziness is the worst thing for a fighter, just look at Ash Crimson! ...Who despite being a lazybutt, Shen has never been able to beat, ever. Mutter, mutter.
'Is that so?' he inquires.
Immediately the girl nods her head, an eager response to his inquiry before she offers a tiny, almost embarrassed smile. Sure, she likes to act like a bold and confident hard-ass when she can, but there's just something about the guy she looks up to that brings out the...well, GIRL in her. Almost nervously she lifts a hand up, tucking back stray locks of wavy, coppery red hair from her face. "Y-yeah," she quietly stammers. "Those words of yours really h-helped out, I think."
His affirmation only earns him a blush, a dopey smile forcing its way across her full lips. If only she could see herself, and how utterly weird she looks in front of Shenwoo! But...it's her idol! It's Shen-freakin'-WOO, the self-proclaimed God of Battle. How can she NOT act like a dope in his presence?
Sit around? "N-no, never," she nearly blurts, eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and horror. "If anything I've been training MORE than ever, putting myself up against fighters of all kinds when I can." She looks him in the eye, giving him a stern, confident look before she confesses, "Someday, I want to be as strong and powerful as you!" A split-second later she realizes what she's said and blushes profusely.
"Eer, well, if such a feat is even possible."
A moment after she's recovered Marisol glances back up, offering another grin as she regards her fighting idol. "I was kind of wondering...er, would it be possible to...uh..." Her smile falters as she realizes her burning question, eyes dropping to the ground as she absently twiddles her thumbs, sheepishly asking, "W-well, if you maybe had time to s-spar a bit?"
A split-second later her head snaps back up, a blush on her face as she adds, "S-so you know, you can tell me w-what I should improve on, and if y-you think I've become better?" Bowing from the chest up again, she seems a touch embarrassed. "Because of anyone, your opinion matters m-most to me!"
IS such a feat possible? Shenwoo doesn't know; after all, there's no telling how strong someone can possibly get until they get there. "That's a good goal," he says, a bit awkwardly. He's not really sure HOW to deal with this, most people's behaviour towards Shenwoo being vastly different from Marisol's, especially when Marisol is acting like a giddy schoolgirl desperate for his approval.
"But if that's what you wanna do, fine." Shen isn't doing anything in particular right now... And there's always the chance that Marisol might provide some entertainment. Just because she's comparatively 'weak' to him, it doesn't mean she doesn't have a few interesting tricks up her sleeve, especially if she's been working on getting stronger. Shenwoo's stance doesn't change, he just watches Marisol levelly. "Show me what'cha got."
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has started a fight here.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Marisol has joined the fight here.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Marisol
Likely, after all is said and done and Shenwoo has set off on his way, Marisol will look back on this encounter and scold herself for acting...well, weird. But the here and now is too exciting NOT to focus on; after all, this is the guy she's more or less become utterly inspired by since really breaking into the fighting scene. And why WOULDN'T she admire him? He's strong and fast and fearsome - not to mention he's a good-looking guy!
Her thoughts snap as he speaks, and immediately all eyes are back on Shenwoo. He's willing to spar with her? He's going to advise her again and actually take time out of his busy day (she presumes) to do this for her?
"O-oh man, thank you so much," she blurts in response, bowing deeply forward - particularly to hide the obscenely-red blush that's staining her cheeks. How cool is this? HOW COOL IS THIS REALLY?? Shenwoo, the God of Battle, willing to fight her again?
"All right, then!"
Recovering quickly, the girl sets her bags aside, the streets having long-since become empty around the God of Battle. Now, more than ever, the emptiness grows, as spectators around the two fighters realize what's about to happen: a fight! And it's one they don't even have to pay to watch!
While his stance may be level, the half-Spaniard girl immediately draws her hands up into a neutral boxer-like stance, feet shoulder's width apart as she fixes her gray eyes on the brawler. Show him what she's got, he says. "Okay then. Just please, don't hold back on m-me!" She won't hold back, not that it matters to someone as damn powerful as him. For a brief moment she weighs her options. Then?
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Charging for the brawler, Marisol keeps her fists close before she unleashes her right, attempting to drive a right hook right into the side of Shenwoo's facemeats!
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo fails to interrupt Hook Punch from Marisol with Tenrenshou.
- Power fail! -
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Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Marisol
Why is Marisol looking at him like that? She's going all red in the face... That's /weird/. Shenwoo does not understand many things in this world, and to be frank, girls are easily in the top ten.
Anyway, since he's letting her take the first go, Shen just sort of stands there while she gets herself together and puts her bags aside, letting Marisol choose her first move on her own time... Which, well, proves to work out pretty well for the girl herself. As Marisol rushes at him, Shenwoo's weight shifts slightly, and the God of Battle actually steps /into/ the attack, raising his leg...
And getting clocked in the face regardless, his head jerking to one side from the force of the blow. His leg extends in the planned kick regardless, which goes right under Marisol's upraised arm, missing her completely, before Shen uses the impact to push himself back from the redhead, surveying her curiously. "Not bad," he says, shrugging his shoulders.
That could have been bad - real bad.
As the girl moves, closing in on the brawler with the faintest hints of a delighted grin haunting her sun kissed features, subtle nuances are noted. The shift of his weight, the readiness he seems to discreetly employ as every step she takes draws her nearer and nearer. And then, the fateful moment: a fist sails right for his face--!
And beneath her arm, a foot moves. Fortunately, she somehow out-maneuvers the God of Battle, her fist colliding into his jaw as his leg swings up and grazes over her poised arm's underneath. As he pushes off the girl backs down a bit, lips pulled into a thoughtful line as she regards the brawler. What will he do next, she wonders, very nearly teeming with girlish delight. To fight the guy she looks up to..!
But he disarms her easily, his compliment earning him a look of disbelief before she coyly sports a grin on her tanned - and slightly red! - features. "T-thank you!" she offers, hands curling into fists. "But I'm just getting started!"
Again Marisol takes off, blazing a trail right for Shenwoo. When in close proximity the girl's fist moves again, dropping low before she drives her knuckles for his stomach with the intention of stopping the man short and potentially stunning him. Only then will she snap a hand up and seek to grab his open shirt by the collar, attempting to drag him down into her knee as it jerks up before shoving away, switching legs before she snaps one upwards, to deliver a kick straight into his jaw with an oh-so feminine yell of:
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo parries Marisol's Chain Reaction!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Marisol
If nothing else, Marisol's confidence gets a wide grin out of Shenwoo. At least once she gets into it, she acts like a proper fighter, instead of blushing and stammering all the time! But since she's so confident, feeling that she's 'just getting started', Shenwoo ought to show her just what she's gotten herself into. Marisol's own attack comes in, and when she ducks low to drive her fist into his well-toned stomach, her fist is instead deflected to one side by a casual sweep of the berserker's tattoed forearm, hopefully enough to throw her off balance for a reprisal.
And what reprisal, you might ask?
Shenwoo immediately rears back with his left fist, before throwing himself into a rushing punch, his shirt and hair trailing behind him as he moves to collied with Marisol from nearly point-blank range. Let's see how her newfound strength deals with THIS. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Marisol with Gekiken EX.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Marisol
Just when she was sure she had it bagged, Shenwoo goes and proves he's as awesome as she remembers him being. With one deft maneuver her incoming punch is directed aside by way of Shenwoo's meaty forearm, earning him a clearly-bemused look from the redhead as she's sent stumbling to one side. Before she even has time to BLINK, Shenwoo is already preparing for his counterattack. And by the time the girl even tries to move--
That infamous punch of Shenwoo's drives right into her.
The impact is painful, and the very force behind Shenwoo's attack sends the girl stumbling several feet with a loud gasp as she practically skids backwards. Eventually her arms pinwheel, giving her much-needed balance before she falls flat on her ass. Then, gray eyes settle on the brawler, a big, too excited grin on her face.
"That was...so...awesome," she compliments between gasps of breath.
Again she charges forward, despite the ache haunting her chest. Zeroing in on the God of Battle, Marisol attempts to deliver a one-two combo, a meaty cross, followed by a swift jab. "HYAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo endures Marisol's Medium Punch.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Marisol
Pssh, Marisol will be fine, she has plent of chest padding.
The question is, will Shenwoo fare as well when the redhead comes at him once again, aiming to treat him to some more of her own punching power? Perhaps more out of curiousity than anything else, Shen stands his ground against this particular attack of Marisol's, and is struck firmly by the cross and the jab, each blow sending a resounding impact through the taller fighter's tightly muscled body.
"Good," the God of Battle says, before his arm suddenly lashes out, seeking to catch Marisol by the throat. If he does grab her, his hand clamps onto her like a vise, clenching on her esophagus as he lifts her off of the sidewalk entirely, taking a few moments to prove his point before tossing the girl away. "There!!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol endures Shenwoo's Kyakuten Touchi.
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Shenwoo 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Marisol
To Marisol's utmost glee, Shenwoo takes the punch like the MAN he is.
Inside her (padded) chest, her heart flutters a little. How can someone so great exist..?
His compliment earns him another grin from the half-Spaniard girl, eyes gleeful as she regards the man. But before she can offer a 'thanks' in response, a hand suddenly snaps outward and grabs her by the neck and choking her without batting a lash. Sure, it's mean and pretty damn cruel, but in her mind it's just a part of the fight.
And only emphasizes how totally bad ASS her favorite fighter EVER is!
Still, it sucks not to be able to breathe; hands naturally claw at the brawler's meaty fist before she's suddenly tossed. However, perhaps to Shenwoo's dismay, she doesn't fall as he intended. Instead of hitting on her back, the girl hits and rolls, almost instantly hopping to her feet.
"RAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
And shooting off another attack.
Fists ablaze with chi, Marisol seeks to capitalize in on that moment and deliver a chi-imbued straight punch, followed by a cross before both fists drop to her hips. Twisting her torso, she drives both chi-laced fists right for Shenwoo's chest, where - if she's lucky - a burst of dandelion-yellow energy will erupt and send him staggering!
COMBATSYS: Marisol successfully hits Shenwoo with El Matador.
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Shenwoo 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Marisol
Okay, for one thing? Don't ever tell Shenwoo that you weren't that upset about getting choked by him, because that's weird.
For another thing, Marisol's offense proves to be enough to get past Shen's defense for a second time, as the berserker once again tries to just stand his ground against the redhead's attacks. This time, that doesn't work out too well for him, as he's caught by the first chi-blazing fist, and then the successive strikes that keep him too off-balance to capitalise on the lull after a combination. Don't worry though, he's still got something in mind.
In fact, it looks pretty familiar, as Shenwoo once again rears back and throws himself forward, but this time? This time it's much, MUCH faster. Shen blurs, nearly lapsing out of sight completely with his burst of speed, seeming to flicker as he closes with Marisol at a breakneck pace, his left fist extended and a shockwave of pure power riding on that same fist, enveloping the God of Battle and turning him into some kind of crazy bellowing human bullet. "SHYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Marisol with Zetsu! Gekiken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Marisol
Recovering from her strikes, the half-Spaniard's gray eyes fix on the brawler almost immediately, watching the fearsome God of Battle almost instantly rear back into an offensive stance. She knows this move well - very well, in fact. It's one of her favorites; however, it's not Bakuma Assault. But is she upset?
Of course not!
If anything, the girl's expression becomes strangely pleasant, her gray eyes wide as she watches him as carefully as possible. The man is frighteningly fast - and he proves as much when he takes off like a bullet, blurring in and out before he suddenly reappears, a potent, chi-laced punch delivered right into the girl's chest. Impact results in a brutal crack, flesh meeting flesh as the girl is sent FLYING backwards. When she lands, it's on her back, her body bouncing before it ceases to move further.
And for the longest time she lays there, gray eyes fixed on the sky. Blurry are the clouds and buildings looming in her line of vision, her ears ringing loudly as her heart throbs in her chest. Her body hurts so BADLY, but she refuses to just take it lying down. She has to prove to the brawler she's gotten better, because in her heart she knows she has. And, perhaps more importantly, she knows she has to KEEP getting better.
"Nnngh."
Pushing herself from the ground, Marisol struggles to her feet, shoulders shuddering visibly as she tries to regain her balance. Shaking her head lightly, the girl offers a loud, racking cough as she comes to stand, a hand gingerly pressing against the point of impact. Touch alone sends pain shooting down her front. It hurts so much...and that's what keeps her going. It keeps her motivated. It...makes her smile?
"That was...great," the girl weakly offers, as her feet shift beneath her. "That's why you're the God of Battle!" That's why she looks up to him, because he's frighteningly strong and so fast. "You're not holding back!" It's totally made her day.
With a laugh the girl suddenly bolts forward, fists erupting with more dandelion-colored chi flames. Her intentions are clear, as she blazes right for the brawler: coming in close, she'll attempt to deliver three nasty hooks before a swift uppercut is executed. From there, the girl will lash out and attempt to seize that open collar before shoving herself upwards, to crack her skull right into his face before she drops down and low, a fist tightly-clenched...before she fires off a nasty uppercut right for his jaw and a loud, guttural holler.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo fails to reflect Cloud Nine from Marisol with Tamaken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Marisol
Does Shenwoo even understand the concept of 'holding back'? Well, he DOES, but it's not something he's liable to do... Especially when Marisol apparently benefits from these little encounters. He has been known to accuse opponents of doing so, though. And nothing could hurt his feelings worse!
So no, Marisol is not getting anything less than Shenwoo at full power, and clearly she's that much the happier for it. When Marisol rushes at him again, Shenwoo thinks he's got her number; he's got a way of dealing with her attack, that much he's pretty certain of. So when that first hooking punch comes his way, the God of Battle starts to swing his arm at the chi-ensconced fist to stop it cold... But he chooses poorly, it seems.
Instead, Shenwoo is thoroughly battered by Marisol's most powerful attack, taking every hit and, at the last, getting knocked backwards and nearly over by the force of her uppercut, staggering as he regains his balance, rubbing his jaw with one hand. "Better," the brawler says. "You don't worry 'bout the pain, that's important. Doesn't matter if you get hit, so long as you hit the other guy /harder/. But you can't just rely on fists, y'know," Shenwoo nods thoughtfully, watching Marisol. "You gotta use everything you've got. Understand?"
She sees that fist coming inwards, an attack that's particularly 'fresh' to Shenwoo's arsenal and utterly unpredictable. What is she to expect, as her chi-laced fist goes sailing for the side of the God of Battle's face? An interrupting punch? Another chokehold? The half-Spaniard is left wondering briefly, but such thoughts are swiftly cast aside. She needs to HIT HIM.
And just when things seem like they won't go her way, success.
Battered repeatedly, the girl holds no punches as she unleashes on the God of Battle. She knows well in her mind this is the least pain he's likely endured by someone's hands, and certainly Marisol pales in comparison to those he's faced before. Still, she wants to improve and impress the fighter she idolizes so. Each punch is delivered as swiftly and effectively as possible, the headbutt as fierce as any.
When all is said and done, the brawler recovers, and so too does the girl. Breathing hard, she fixes her gray eyes on the blonde, each word of advice he offers noted. The pain is the least of her concerns; she can worry about that when the fight is over, after all. But, can't rely only on her fists? Use everything she's got?
"I u-understand," she offers, nodding her head once. Aside from her fists, she has some control over chi manipulation, even if it pales in comparison to her teammates, or even some of the Guardian Kings. But that doesn't make the 'ability' any less useful, if that is what the God of Battle is hinting at.
So she smiles, despite how desperately her body begs her to stop pushing it so much.
"Thank you."
Perhaps expectedly or not, the girl suddenly bursts forward, attempting to seize the brawler by his neck and grip tight, similar to the fashion he'd gripped her before. Should she get a firm hold the half-Spaniard will drive her opposite arm forward, her fist laced with chi as she attempts to drive a strong burst of pure energy into his chest and - hopefully - send him flying back. "HYAAAAAAGH!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo stops Moon Sling from Marisol with Tamaken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Marisol
That is /one/ of the things Shenwoo means by his advice, yeah. He's not really up on the whole 'chi' thing, but he knows it can be pretty useful. But no, what he really means is something else that will become clear as soon as he finds a good opportunity. "You sure you do?" he wonders, at her statement that she understands. Well, we'll see in a moment, won't we? Thanks or no thanks, when Marisol comes at him with the intent to start throwing his ass around, the berserker only has a few options at his disposal. He gets caught by the neck, sure, but...
When Marisol tries to hit him with her chi again, this time Shenwoo is able to knock it aside despite the awkward positioning, the strike of his hand disrupting the chi entirely, sending dandelion-yellow power scattering everywhere. "Then SHOW ME ALREADY!!"
"Y-yeah, I'm sure! ...well, I think?" Okay, so she's not entirely clear on his advice, but she's pretty sure she has a good grasp of what he expects. With hope she can prove she has SOME grasp, but coming at the brawler and choking him before sending him flying with another dose of chi to the chest. It's a good plan on paper.
But in execution it doesn't QUITE work as intended.
Instead, the brawler shows her precisely what he's made of. He swings a fist as she attempts to grab him, his very HAND dispersing that chi energy she'd relied on to aid her. Blinking in surprise, the girl is utterly stunned by this sudden turn of events. What sort of move is this? She doesn't recall ever seeing him capable of doing something like that. It's...
"Awesome," she murmurs.
But soon enough the brawler bellows, snapping the girl out of her awe. Shaking her head lightly, the girl nods her head before she yells, dashing forward with every intention of driving a fist straight into the center of the God of Battle's face. Yes, she's very tired. Yes, she's pushed herself too damn hard. But...this is just too awesome. It's one of the best days EVER.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo parries Marisol's Medium Punch!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Marisol
"Too slow!" Shenwoo chides, slipping back just out of range of Marisol's dashing punch, moving to get out of the girl's range with a flickering step that actually puts him /behind/ her, the only contact Marisol manages to make with him is passing through an afterimage generated by his unexpected burst of speed. Don't worry, though, Shen didn't throw everything he had into avoiding the attack; no, he doesn't even bother to regain his balance behind Marisol before he lashes out with one foot in a stomping kick aimed right at the small of the redhead's back.
And then, if that hits, he rides the momentum forward, throwing himself off-balance even further to smash his fist down in an overhanded punch, designed to drive Marisol right into the pavement! "GRAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol endures Shenwoo's Fusen Kyaku EX.
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Shenwoo 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Marisol
Shenwoo really IS the God of Battle.
To the half-Spaniard's surprise, the brawler proves his swiftness, as her punch sails right for the fighter. Manuvering out of harm's way, he only 'reappears' a split-second later, behind the half-Spaniard girl. Giving her precious little time to really do much of ANYTHING, she can only take that kick to her back with a loud grunt, teeth biting tightly as she grits through it.
Ignore the pain, he told her.
She does precisely that.
Even the horribly punch from above hurts like Hell, the very force behind it driving the redhead straight into the pavement. Impact resounds with a wet-sounding crunch, the ground beneath her face cracking and spider-webbing outwards. It's pretty nasty. But...
"Ha...haha...hahaha...ha..."
Somehow the girl pulls herself to her feet. Shuddering violently, the redhead does not move from close proximity - in fact, it keeps her right where she wants to be. Right in front of the Shanghai brawler.
And that's when she moves, lunging at the brawler with every intention of delivering four brutal hooks to his face. Should each strike land, Marisol recoils, a fist clenched tightly at her side, muscles twitching and visibly quivering as she focuses all her strength into that fist...before she throws herself forward, to drive that fist straight to the center of Shenwoo's meaty chest. "YAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
It's her swan song here, but...it's so worth it.
COMBATSYS: Marisol can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ <
Shenwoo 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo endures Marisol's Atom Smasher.
[ \\\\ <
Shenwoo 1/---====/=======|
Now, that's exactly what Shenwoo wanted to see from Marisol. Perserverence. Pain means nothing, in the end, except when you can use it to fuel yourself to greater and greater feats. The thing is, Shen wants to see just HOW great of a feat Marisol can pull off in these circumstances, so when the redhead tries for another massive punch, the berserker once again stands there and takes it.
The full force of the blow is impressive, even to the likes of the God of Battle, enough to send him staggering back several steps, clutching his chest. Well, even if Marisol could keep going, by this point Shenwoo couldn't, though how much of that is as a result of his own choice to simply face down Marisol's physical strength is an open question.
"Tch... Yeah, that's a definite improvement over last time," Shenwoo says by way of a compliment, apparently analysing the girl's performance, comparing what he remembers of their previous sparring match... "But you need to use your head more." He doesn't mean that she needs to think things through better; he means it literally.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo can no longer fight.
The moment when her fist makes contact with Shenwoo's chest is the moment when Marisol feels the last of her strength leave her body. She's given her best - her all - here, and having endured the full brunt of Shenwoo's attacks has left her body shuddering, pleading desperately for her to just stop already. Even if she WANTED to keep fighting, the fiery half-Spaniard girl just could do it at this point.
She's spent.
Her knees give way and she nearly falls to her knees; but determination prevents that, the half-Spaniard girl begging her body to endure at least a bit more. Shuddering quite visibly she gasps for breath, a hand feebly clutching at her chest, where he'd Zetsu! Gekiken'd her something fierce. She expects...something from the brawler. She just doesn't know what. Almost hesitantly Marisol lifts her gaze and peers tiredly up to the man.
And...he compliments her?
Dear lord. He compliments her!
Almost instantly the girl's face lights up, gray eyes bright as she just...stares at the brawler. Smiling broadly, she can't help but blush, her face red with embarrassment and pride. He noticed! He noticed she's gotten better. That's the...best thing he could ever say! It means she MUST be doing something right, right?
But, what?
"Use my head more?" she wonders aloud, absently scratching at her chin. Thoughtfully, the girl eyes the brawler, weighing his words mentally before she offers a light smirk, gray eyes hooding slightly. "All right, then. I'll do my best!" An emphatic nod follows.
She pauses abruptly, however, gray eyes thoughtfully dipping aside, to the bags she'd cast off previously. He did go out of his way to gauge her improvements AND offer pointers, after all.. . A thoughtful look crosses her features.
And then she moves, dropping into a careful crouch before she pulls something out of the bag. When she stands up, there's a small bundle in her hands. A bundle which is thrust outwards and offered to the fighter.
"H-here," she stammers lightly, still red in the face. "I bought these fruit sucker candies in town today, but I don't really need 'em. If anything, I'd rather use them as a gift, as thanks f-for you helping me out and all, s-sir." SIR?? "Everything you've done has been a great help. It's the least I can do, I-I think." Besides, you know, a kiss or something. IN A PERFECT WORLD, MAYBE.
Did she just... Call him 'sir'? The expression on Shenwoo's face quickly moves into 'bewildered' territory, as habitually the only people who call him 'sir' are employees at bars or restaurants where he spends entirely too much money, or people he terrified into submission during his days as a street thug and gangster. So to hear someone to whom he hasn't given any money OR invested effort in intimidating call him that is a little... Jarring.
So jarring that Shen doesn't even remember to be properly gruff when he's offered the candies. "Uh... Yeah, sure, thanks," he says instead, instead taking the offered bundle. "You just... Y'know, keep getting stronger and stuff. Maybe one day we'll have a /real/ fight." Wasn't that a real fight? Well, maybe not; Shenwoo wasn't nearly as vicious as he usually is.
The fact that Marisol has the sort of respect for Shenwoo that would have her calling him 'sir' is flat-out weird to begin with! But the redhead is otherwise unaware of how odd her demeanor is for someone as surly and notorious as the Shanghai-born God of War. As far as she's aware she's giving him the utmost respect possible here - nothing less! And that's what Shenwoo would want, right? Respect?
Still, the girl's offer is accepted, however less-than graceful it may be. It brings a big smile to Marisol's sun-kissed features as he takes the spontaneous gift. "Don't thank me; I should be thanking you. You've been a very big help, after all," she confesses, grinning as wide as ever. His advice that follows is met with an eager nod, the redhead offering a light 'mmn!' in agreement.
"That's my goal - to get stronger. And one day, yes. I will give you that real fight. Just wait, okay?" She hopes he will, anyway. "And don't stop fighting either," she asks. What? "You're my favorite fighter in the world. Your fights are ALWAYS the best ones SNF and the Leagues have to offer. Don't stop!" The half-Spaniard offers a bow.
"But.., thank you very much for your time. It was an honor to be able to fight you again." She desperately tries not to blush... but it's not working out so well.
Gaaah! Shenwoo has no idea how to deal with Marisol's behaviour at all. Girls are so weird; and, he has reliable information that they also possess 'cooties', whatever those are. Sounds dangerous, though.
"Yeah well, I'm not about to go quitting fighting," Shen says, a bit uncomfortably. What else would he DO? Fighting is the only thing he truly enjoys and is good at. Nothing else compares to the rush of battle. But seriously, he thinks to himself, her FAVOURITE? Nobody ever tells Shenwoo that, and he isn't exactly short on fans.
As for his 'valuable time'... "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm always willing to help out a fan." Especially what appears to be his BIGGEST fan. Shenwoo is mildly intimidated by this aspect of fame. "You just, uh... Get back to your shopping or whatever it is you were doin'. The food here is good for making sure you get strong," he adds, with a firm nod, before pausing a bit uncomfortably. "Well... Uh... See ya," Shen says.
And then he tries to make his escape.
Log created on 21:07:39 09/06/2008 by Marisol, and last modified on 03:29:26 09/07/2008.