Description: Boys of all varieties are strictly VERBOTEN in the hallowed halls of Seijyun High - so what happens when a particular Suigetsu from Gedo tromps into their turf with his date for the evening, his favorite partner Hotaru Futaba? Why, it's up to Geese Howard to set matters straight in dramatic and potentially very violent fashion. Really, Hotaru should know the rules better! It's up to the founder of SNF to impress upon an impressionable generation the importance of discipline and obedience, and whoop both Hakuya and Hotaru soundly for not ending their date where it should have ended, with a polite and chaste peck on the cheek OUTSIDE the sacrosanct halls of Seijyun proper! A classic showdown between young love (someone at SNF booking must think Hakuya and Hotaru look good together, or something) and authority, only fists and feet of fury can prove who is right, and who winds up with a lifetime of detentions. (Winner: Geese)
A fortress built around the principles of keeping well to do teenaged princesses of Southtown sheltered from the rest of the world. Some girls make it in on grants and scholarships, but many really are the products of wealthy homes where parents, worrying about the corrupting influences of the world, resort to sending them to the ultra secure Seijyun All Girls school. It was an environment that took a while to grow on Hotaru - the girl originally interested in finding education elsewhere until she found out that there were other girls at the school that shared her zeal for fighting, that not every last one of them was just a prissy gossip who paid more attention to her nail polish than what the latest news in the world professional fighting was.
And for this weekend's SNF, it seems the campus will be hosting her match, bumping it up another peg in Hotaru's mind. But it just so happens that the school's strict policies seem to be playing a role in this week's match. Something the pig-tailed Kenpo artist isn't sure what to make of. A traditionalist when it comes to a lot of things, even she considers the no-boys-allowed stringent rules of the High School to be rather old fashioned. And it seems like she's going to be given a rough time because of it.
The fight billing does bear a certain awkwardness for the girl as it's presented to the viewing audience though. With her partner, Hakuya Suigetsu, being referred to as her 'date' rather than teammate, and the match staged during the cooling hours of early evening. References to young love, dates, and cute couple abound in the announcement text, heaping on even more awkwardness for the famous fighter. Thoughts of the interviews that are likely to be requested by the dozens after this match, from rabid fight reporters hoping to get the scoop on whether or not Jiro and she are no longer an item, make her shake her head slowly. "...oh boy."
The main lobby of the dormitory building seems selected for the bout. The furniture cleared out, leaving an opening space in what is likely to quickly become a ruined room, Seijyun High's on Hotaru Futaba stands with her hands clasped behind her back, cheeks a hint of pink, her expression perpetually sheepish. Per the request made of her every time she ever fights at the campus for a sanctioned match, the girl is decked out in a nice, /horribly/ expensive school uniform. A white, dress blouse, long sleeved and pressed is covered by a dark blue winter blazer, coupled with a knee length blue skirt, blue socks, and brown, polished dress shoes. It's bad enough she has to wear the uniform during a school day. But on the weekend? Hmph!
Still, there is a plus side to it all. The match does bring her the chance to fight alongside her friend, Hakuya. The week prior, the two scraped by a victory, keeping the belfry she owns safe from major damage in the process. This week? The two are against one extremely challenging opponent. Hopefully their teamwork can pull it off again.
Upon reading the fight billing this week, Hakuya had been pleased to learn that he'd once again be fighting alongside one Futaba Hotaru. Being the unusually innocent soul that he is, the Suigetsu heir doesn't really understand the concepts of 'date' or 'cute couple' - at least not beyond what they 'mean'. What they 'imply' is a whole lot more. So, naturally, Hakuya's reaction had simply been smiles and a childish 'Yay!'
And upon reading the fight billing this week, Tenma and Kenji, Hakuya's male team mates, had been less cheerful. -They- at least realized what this could mean. Differing opinions had been offered as to what should happen in regards to this. Tenma had said, the way you get chicks is the bad boy look. Kenji and Stasya, however, had other ideas. And in the end, since Stasya was the female of the group, she won.
Gedo High was, more or less, the exact opposite to Seijyun High. It was largely a boy's school, though there were no rules that stated 'boys only'. Rather than being rich, the school was utterly underfunded. And rather than the students being put in the school because their rich parents didn't wish the 'delicate sensibilities' of their precious children to be offended, the students of Gedo were there because they /were/ the ones who offended the delicate sensibilities. Gruff, violent and uncaring were the traits that came in mind when one thought of a Gedo High student. Now, Hakuya had always been the exception to that rule. Well-behaved, nice and genuinely kind, he was a stark exception to the rule.
And when he walks into the dorm, one would almost wonder if it really were the Gedo boy.
Dressed in a somewhat old style of suit, Hakuya looks exceedingly dapper in black dress shoes and slacks, white button-up workshirt, vest, arm garters, black gloves, tie, and a black blazer. With his hair undone from that tied bang he usually has, now all slicked back, the young man looks almost like, were Seijyun not a all-girls school, that he'd fit right in. He's even carrying a corsage that Stasya had put into his hand right before he'd left.
Admittedly, Hakuya had /no/ idea why he was dressed up, or why he was expected to pin the corsage on Hotaru's blouse, but Stasya assured him it'd 'make an impression' and was 'fitting'. And also, 'Hotaru would like it'. The last had sold him (even if he again didn't get the implication that was made), and so in he walks, waving a hand to Hotaru. "Futaba-saaaan! Hello again!" With little flare for the dramatic, the young man moves up to stand next to his team mate for this match, and holds up the corsage at her. "Stasya said this was for you." Well, at least he got the appearance right, even if he was utterly clueless.
"And what is -this- nonsense?"
The voice cuts in like a thunderclap as Hakuya reunites with his friend and 'date' for the evening, Hotaru Futaba. It slices like the hottest knife only a second after the corsage is offered, almost as if condemning Hakuya for daring to offer it up to his would-be special someone. Strong but not loud; strict but not frothing. Commanding. It's the voice of a man with power. It's the voice of--
"What are you kids doing up so late?"
--Geese Howard.
The King of Southtown is many things, and, just like a chameleon, he can be whatever he needs to for any given situation -- that is, after all, the absolute power he holds over his events. Over his city. A hero, a benefactor, a family man, a loving husband, a tragic figure. And occasionally, when the time calls for it?
The villain.
It's an oh-so-very hard role to accomplish, but somehow, he manages.
The founder of Saturday Night Fight stands just before Hotaru and Hakuya, adjusting to armored, elaborate wrist guards on either arm as his icy blue gaze falls upon them. Stern. Condemning. His lips pull into a deep frown as he rolls either shoulder, dropping into the well-known, well-dreaded fighting stance of Hakyokusaken.
"It seems you two need to be taught a lesson in proper feminine etiquette." Yes.
Both of them.
Waiting for the secret rendezvous to come to pass, Hotaru passes the time toying with her hair ribbons or adjusting her dainty red ribboned necktie. The seconds seem to be ticking by painfully slow. This is one of those fights where she hopes, very much, to lose herself in the action when it gets going. The particulars surrounding this bout seem designed to make her as uncomfortable as possible! "Well, it still beats fighting in a ball pit," she muses, hand going to rest at her chin just as Hakuya enters at last.
Glancing toward him, the girl blinks, turning toward him more directly as she realizes just how nice and dressed up he's looking tonight. He doesn't look like Gedo material at all just now, and she really does have to doubletake to make sure that it's the young man she's known for over a year now. Her sheepish expression is quickly replaced with a sincere smile as she relaxes now that she's not left to stand around alone in front of the carefully placed cameras.
"Hakuya!" she chirps back as he approaches, grinning broadly, "Guess we must've made an impression last we-" Her voice cuts off as he presents the corsage, eyes widening slightly, "O-oh, did you bring this?" she asks as he explains Stasya gave him the advise about presenting it. Swallowing just a little nervously, her mind reels at trying to determine just how far she should go for the purposes of playing up to the venue as described. "It's lovely," she finally declares, taking a step closer, "Will you-"
But the reunion is about to get a lot more complicated as a third makes his presence known. Just who they were to be teaming up against had been left unclear to the young fighter. But when Geese steps into view, it becomes anything /but/ unclear. Of course she knows the King of Southtown, the Father of SNF and the one who has done more to promote the sport she has made her life's focus than any other man. And that's... about all she knows, really. "M-Mister Howard," she stammers, whirling to face the imposing figure. No one in the city doesn't know of him. It's possible almost no one in the world doesn't know of him. She's watched his occasional forays into the matches before. To be pit against him now is both frightening and flattering. Mostly frightenings.
"We do?" she asks back, eyes wide, sidelgancing toward Hakuya. Okay, this entire scenario just got a whole lot more complicated. And just why is her partner getting a lesson in feminine etiquette??
What do you /do/ with a corsage, anyway? Were they meant to be special somehow? Girls liked flowers, he supposed, so that was clear enough. But again, the Suigetsu heir entirely misses the point on the implication of pinning it to the girl you fancy. Hotaru certainly seems taken aback by it, which must mean she likes it, which is good! Hakuya doesn't really pick up on the nervousness, however, as to him he's simply giving a gift to a friend, something nice and thoughtful that had no meaning attached to it. Really, in terms of 'feminine etiquette' he may not actually know the rules, but he rarely, if ever crossed them. At least intentionally.
So when Hotaru starts to ask him to pin it on her, he seems a touch lost, but is soon found again once Geese's voice bellows out across the way. Blinking in surprise, the young Asian teen turns in unsion with his teammate to look across the way at Geese. He recognizes the man, actually; this man was there when he first met Hotaru, over a year ago, when he had been asked to engage in a spar with Hotaru. Geese and some masked man that Hotaru seemed entirely uncomfortable simply being in the same /room/ with had begun to fight, interrupting their spar. Other than the name, and the fact he was 'somehow' related to the Saturday Night Fight promotion, Hakuya... honestly didn't know anything of Geese Howard.
Smiling happily at Geese, the young Suigetsu heir looks for all the world like being taught 'feminine etiquette' might not be a bad idea. "Umm... Tenma and Kenji both say I have a lot to learn about girls. So maybe this'll be informative? I'm not really sure what I've got to learn, I mean I know Futaba-san pretty well already..." His smile fades a bit to a confused look, then shakes his head. "Ah, but... um. Was I supposed to pin this onto your blouse, Futaba-san?" Riight in front of Geese.
It would seem that they both have much to learn.
Howard's expression never wavers from the differing responses to his appearance. His stance has been made, just as clear as his intentions this day -- their reactions are precisely what he seeks for. From Hotaru, the reaction is as expected from someone who has heard of Geese, or has seen what he can do. His icy blue eyes narrow upon her, assessing the girl with a scrutinizing gaze. "Hmph," he grunts. He knows her well enough, too. He knows everyone who signs up for his Saturday Night Fights.
It is, after all, his business to know.
But then there's Hakuya. His reaction is... different. Not as much surprise, not as much awe. Different. It makes him a bit more noteworthy, at the moment. Especially when coupled with the fact that he obliviously begins to move to put the corsage on Hotaru. Geese's stance holds true. His eyes narrow. Fingers curl in.
"That is -unacceptable behavior-."
And in one, blindingly fast motion, Geese Howard surges forward. The King of Southtown moves like a bullet, breaching Hakuya's defenses in an instant to grip onto his shoulder. If the grip holds true, his left hand will bury itself into Suigetsu's midsection, intent on -flipping- him through the air with disorienting force. "Young men and women like yourself--" his right hand pulls back, palm open, "--must not fraternize--" his muscles tense, dangerously tight.
"--/AFTER CURFEW./"
And then, all that tension is unloaded with the force of a battering ram, to level an open-palm strike straight into Hakuya's chest with crushing force.
COMBATSYS: Geese has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Geese 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Geese 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Hakuya has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Geese 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hakuya
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
She really has no idea just how naive Hakuya is. He's always come across as a well meaning, kind exception to the rule of a typical Gedo student - as if his difficult upbringing didn't steer him into becoming a bad egg like seems to so often happen to those who end up funneled into that campus for the poor, downtrodden, or just down right uncontrollable students. Rebels, gang members, vandals, trouble incarnate. Hakuya doesn't fit any of those molds. Intentional or not, he somehow proves to be completely inoffensive in pretty much every conceivable way.
It makes it hard to not encourage him even in the forboding presence of Geese Howard as he asks about the corsage in his hand. Blushing just a little at the implications and severe scolding coming from the austere King of Southtown, the girl speaks up with a bit of a stammer, "A-ah, that's what you would do, yes, but maybe now isn't the best time," she replies at last, nodding to the side toward Geese, "Mister Howard doesn't consider it appropriate behavior at the moment." As to /why/ it's inappropriate, she'll leave that explanation up to the incoming Villain of the moment as Howard makes his move.
"Look out!" the Kenpo artist offers as a warning, taking a step backward and to the side to avoid being easily struck by a second hit from the Hakyokusaken master as Geese zooms in to enforce the curfew with decisive force. His is a style she has never faced directly. Known for being difficult to slip through, flexible, hard to trap, her best shot is to strike quickly while he goes for Hakuya she decides.
Winding down into a low crouch, the girl takes in a quick breath before spring forward into a swift kick with her right aimed for Geese's ribs as he reaches for Hakuya. Snapping her leg back, she whirls into a follow up, roundhouse styled strike toward his upper back for a second strike, risking getting in close and aggressive if it means being able to find an opening in his defense! "KYA!"
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Hakuya with Combo Throw.
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Geese 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Hakuya
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
The roaring from Geese Howard is enough for Hakuya to pull up short in his attempts to continue giving the corsage to Hotaru. Why would he even be so insistent on that in the first place is likely evident enough, if one thought about the boy's thought patterns: if you bring a gift for someone, you give it to them. Even if you have someone talking about inappropriate behavior, since how could be giving a girl - a friend, no less! - a flower be considered inappropriate?
The Suigetsu heir never gets a chance to give the gift, however, as Geese is off like a bullet, intent on showing Hakuya just how wrongly he was behaving. Truth be told, while Hakuya was by no means an inexperienced fighter, he had rarely fought people as /fast/ as Geese. That German guy, Kain, was pretty fast and strong, but that had been more or less his only encounter with someone who was on a completely different level from him. There were people -better- than him, certainly, but Geese trumped them all. What was why, even as the boy tries to move his arms into a purely reflexive blocking motion, he's just a beat too slow. He blinks. And that's all the time Geese needs to get inside of Hakuya's guard, grab him, and flip him up into the air.
And then, with a single punch, send him flying to the wall of the hallway, impacting hard enough that the stucco caves in, and the support beam behind it cracks.
A loud 'gwuh!' escapes from Hakuya, and he flops down to the floor, onto his hands and knees. The corsage is gone, sent flying in an entirely different direction as the young heir. Slowly getting back up to his feet, staggering just a little, Hakuya... still isn't out just yet. "Hah... ha ha... you hit hard, Mister." Which, to Hakuya's thinking, is a damn fine compliment. But now, as Tenma would say, it was his turn! Rushing back towards the fight, the Suigetsu heir seeks to try and grab Geese's top as the man deals with Hotaru's attacks. Twisting his body around, Hakuya'll try to tug Geese off his feet, and throw the man over the boy's shoulder, using himself as a fulcrum. But it won't stop there, as Hakuya seeks to send Geese to the floor all the faster by twisting around yet again, and bringing his foot up and over, all to try and crash a full circle kick into Geese's abdomen, speeding his descent to the carpeted floor.
COMBATSYS: Geese blocks Hotaru's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Hakuya
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Geese dodges Hakuya's Blind Crescent.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Hakuya
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
"This isn't a time for compliments," comes Geese Howard's terse reply to Hakuya.
"This is a time for learning!"
Really, maybe Geese is enjoying beating on the two of them just a little too much. But it certainly never appears on his stone-cold face, even as Hakuya impacts the wall beyond. There's no time, really; the fight has begun with that single act, and Geese's mind and eyes are focused entirely on his two opponents. The first is Hotaru. Small, spry -- highly maneuverable. The Kenpoist springs forward into the air, and at breakneck speeds, Howard is there to meet her. She doesn't manage to break those iron-clad defenses; the first kick hits the solid side of Geese's left wrist guard, eliciting a small grunt from Howard. "Not quite fast enough--!" he comments, before spinning around, snapping his -left- hand forward to intercept Hotaru's second kick, palm first, edging only slightly across the ground as the blow is buffered across his strong arm.
"HMPH!" One push, and Howard seeks to shove Hotaru away, just in time to deal with the onrush of Hakuya. "Do not be so forward with a young woman like Hotaru Futaba, Hakuya Suigetsu," Geese says, sternly. "To come to the dorms so late is a very grievous offense--" Hakuya seeks a grip, but Howard is too fast; he pushes straight off his left foot, backpedaling fast as he seeks to outpace the Suigetsu heir, "-- especially when it is forbidden! Do you not respect rules?!" Skidding across the smooth floor, icy blue flames lick across Howard's arm, culminating in his palm in a harsh, crackling sphere.
"Hotaru Futaba!" he booms next, spinning towards the girl. "Don't think you're escaping my wrath, either! Enticing a young, impressionable boy like Hakuya here despite himself is very unlady-like!" Geese's right arm sweeps forward, and all that energy suddenly -explodes- forward, striking the ground in a pulsing blossom of blue fire screaming a path straight for Hotaru.
"REPPUKEN!"
Ah, Geese loves kids.
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Hotaru with Reppuken.
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Geese 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Hakuya
> //////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Hotaru
A time for learning indeed. Such as learning about just how much trouble the two of them are in. The lesson ahead promises to be a painful one if the experience of Hakuya after Geese's opening attack is any indication. Her kicks are fended off, forcing her to take a step back as he pushes back with his second block. Recovering her balance, she sees him escape Hakuya's bold charge, gaining a new appreciation for the calibur of opponent the two are contending with.
He goes on to lecture the Suigetsu heir about being so forward as to visit the Futaba girl this late and Hotaru shakes her head, "It's not his fault!" she protests. But that only seems to earn her Geese's attention - she isn't excempt from punishment here. Accused of being unlady-like, her cheeks flush pink, glancing toward Hakuya only briefly, not entirely sure if he even understands what's being intimated by all these lines.
A glance back toward Howard happens just in time to see an explosion of energy tearing across the ground directly for her. A step back, planting her left foot, bringing her arms up in front of her, the girl attempts to brazenly contend against that churning power, drawing upon her own aura in the attempt. It's just flat out not a match. The famous Reppuken blows through the young fighter's guard, sending her slamming right back against the wall with a solid gasp before slumping to her knees.
It didn't knock the breath out of her, though, leaving her strong enough to argue on the behalf of the two youth. "The rules here are overly strict and unfair!" she protests, her right arm charging with a vibrant blue aura as she forces herself back to standing slowly. "How is anyone supposed to meet anyone with those kinds of restrictions!" By the time she's back on her feet, she's ready to sling that chi loose, swinging her right arm foreward, uncurling her fingers to let fly a sapphire blue sphere of pulsing energy threatening to collide with the harsh taskmaster with concussive force! "YA!"
Geese is fast, and can easily slip from Hakuya's grasping hands. However, there's also a small falter on the part of the Suigetsu heir as the elder man begins to lecture him. The boy was truly a good kid, and the accusation that he'd done something wrong - particularly when he'd been /asked/ to be here - makes him miss a step or two, turning around as Geese moves out of attacking range to just look at the man, eyes widening in shock. He did /not/ break the rules! He was here to fight, like the rest of them were! That was the point, right? That--
Oh, right. Acting.
This epiphany of remembering /exactly/ where he was, and what he was supposed to be doing, makes the younger man blink once more, a look of enlightenment on his face. Oooh yeah... the fight was about him 'playing' at sneaking into the female dorms to see Hotaru, against the rules. But the Suigetsu heir finds himself at a loss. How, precisely, was one supposed to act when they were breaking the rules? A split second is taken to think on this matter... and the answer comes easily enough. What Would Tenma Do?
"Whatever, old man! Hotaru's /my/ woman, and I'll be damned if some old geezer is gonna keep me from seein' her when I want to!" His entire language, tone of voice, and everything changes. Mostly so that he does a pretty fair approximation of Tenma's tone of voice, if not how it 'sounds' precisely. His stance shifts, and he flexes his gloved hands, settling an annoyed expression on his features. Then, with this new persona adopted, Hakuya rushes in right alongside Hotaru's chi sphere to attack the 'rules warden'. Whether the projectile hits or not, Hakuya is right behind it, shouting a defiant, "HHRRRRRUUUUHHAHHHH!" as he leaps up, seeking to swing a foot at Howard's jaw, and... pauses. From there, he 'pushes' off the man's face to reverse his direction, and twists his entire body around in a mid-air twist to kick the man again with both legs, landing on his back on the floor after it's delivered... or so he hopes.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Geese with Hakki Shou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Hakuya
> ////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Geese counters Rising Dusk from Hakuya with Chuudan Atemi Nage.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Hakuya
> ////////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Hotaru
"What bold words to say while blatantly breaking the rules!" yells Howard as his hand snaps backwards, fingers still crackling with excess energy. The chi disperses in a chaotic dance against his fingertips, Geese's gaze focusing a piercing stare upon Hotaru. "Rules are meant to be followed!" he chastises, lowering into a defensive stance once more. "Whether you agree with them or not is /irrelevant/! Those who do not follow the rules... are /CRIMINAL./"
The bright blue light of the Hakki Shou impacts against Geese's chest before he can make a full lunge to the side; the concussive force, combined with his mid-motion leap, forces Howard backward several feet, stumbling to a stop a second later. Smoke rises from his chest, but Howard recovers with phenomenal speed, intense eyes snapping towards Hakuya. "'Your' woman?! How disrespectful!" the King of Southtown declares, right hand's fingers bending into a claw. "I see I'll have to beat some common sense and respect into you, Hakuya Suigetsu." Hakuya's foot swings outward, and before it can even connect?
The Suigetsu heir will find it suddenly stopped.
"Women are not objects to own!" Geese Howard roars as he clenches tight onto Hakuya's ankle. He -yanks- the young man forward before -burying- his right palm into his midsection. "And this is NOT a CO-ED DORM!"
Chi erupts in a blinding flash as a rotating, crackling orb of blue fire billows out from Geese's palm, exploding with burning concussive force to knock Hakuya straight away.
"Should I explain further...?!"
Her determined projectile unleashed, Hotaru draws her right hand back, the remaining aura surrounding her arm fading rapidly once she is no longer channeling it. When Hakuya at first speaks up again, she can't help but blink with some surprise. This time it's /her/ turn to be a little confused as to why he's acting the way he is. That doesn't sound like the young man she knows at all! Calling Geese an old man. Calling her HIS woman. Then calling their opponent a geezer. That's not the Hakuya SHE know-! Oh... right. It dawns on her at last, the shock fading to faint amusement as she realizes he's putting on a show now. In fact, it's a good enough job that she half suspects she knows who he's drawing on for his inspiration at that.
Unfortunately, Geese isn't impressed. Continuing to lecture the intrepid couple on proper decorum even in the act of getting struck first by her projectile then to go on to retaliate against Hakuya with decisive force. The girl has to admit - Geese does make some good points. He must be good with the ladies of this day and age with his mixture of traditional manners and modern day progressiveness. Unfortunately, the lecture is accompanied with the painful beating that her partner is subjected to, provoking a pained wince from the Kenpo artist a short distance off.
Breathing in, Hotaru raises her own voice just before charging forward, "Leave him alone! Hakuya is a good boy. I'm the one that invited him this late, don't take it out on him!" She kicks into a short hop from two hards out, spinning through the air, swinging her arms into a pair of windmilling strikes intended to draw his guard high. The intent is to follow up in her landing, slamming her right hand out in a single palm strike aimed toward his center of gravity, dedicating all the strength she has into that single blow, lending leg and torso strength for added force. "YAA!" Her left hand slams out in the opposite direction away from Geese to provide needed counter balance in hopes of overcomitting and stumbling forward from so much momentum.
Were Hakuya the type to actually think of these things - since he honestly doesn't realize /what/ he's saying, only that it was thematically appropriate, apparently - the young Suigetsu heir might be a little ruffled at the reading into his words. Of course he didn't own Hotaru! But what was he supposed to say? All the movies said it like that. 'My woman' 'my girlfriend' 'my man' 'my boyfriend'. But he's got very little time to ponder linguistic semantics, because Geese doesn't just express his disapproval of the suddenly-rogue Hakuya with mere words. No, not Geese Howard. Instead, even though the man just took a hit from a chi blast that didn't look entirely friendly, Hakuya's foot is still stopped in mid-air. And before he can even think to try and continue the second stage of the attack anyway... Geese is expressing his disapproval with violence.
Chi slams into him, and oooooh man does it hurt. Not quite on the level of Kain Heinlein, perhaps, but most assuredly up there. This time, as he's launched away, the force is enough to send him flying once more, though lucky him, he doesn't slam into any walls. Rather, he runs out of momentum (though he still flies past Hotaru) and just crashes into the ground, rolling a bit. To his credit, he's quick to stand back up, grunting in evident pain. Yeah, that was pretty embarrassing, in more ways than one. But he still is determined to give a good show! It's what the crowd likes, right?
Struggling to his feet, he staggers again, but then steadies himself, and favors Geese with a glare approximate to what he imagines Tenma would have. Despite that, he says, "Um... um... er..." fumbling for the right words. He definitely was /not/ Tenma, even if he could do a fair impersonation of his best friend. Eventually, he figures it out though. "I ain't got any respect for weak old men like you! There's no way a weak piece of crap like you could get between Hotaru and me!" And then, he begins to unbutton his jacket, stripping it off and flinging it away, leaving him in that entirely 1880's Old West outfit of his, which he manages to make look rather dapper. Flexing his gloved hands once more, he tries to add a bit more insults to the mix, by raising one arm, and hooking it about the other, a universal but slightly less offensive version of the bird. "Maybe you just want her yourself? Old farts like you like the younger girls, right!?"
He's actually blushing while he says these words, feeling as though his ears were on fire. I'm /so/ sorry, Hotaru, he thinks. But for now he seems to just be taunting and holding off.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Hakuya
> ///////////////////// ]
|====---\-------\0 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Geese with Soushou Shin.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Hakuya
> ///////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Hotaru
Ah, yes.
It's good to be Geese.
With almost rigid perfection and grace, Geese snaps back into place a mere moment after his technique completes itself, content to watch Hakuya sail off in a brutal backwards fling. Blue eyes roll towards Hotaru as the boy lands, considering her words with a frown. And yet, there is no answer. At least... no verbal one. The frown should be all the indication she needs:
Geese Howard is displeased.
In short order, Hotaru rushes in, breaking through Howard's defenses in one short hop. Instead of bringing up a guard, the King of Southtown sees fit to merely maneuver to the side -- thinking he sees through the ploy. But there's more to it than even what he preceived; the single palm strike smacks into his midsection with that single blow, bringing enough force with it to take the air from his lungs and force him into the air -- but only briefly. He lands a moment after, feet slamming against the ground once, twice... and then stops. His right leg tenses, drawing back behind him. Hakuya's words ring loud and clear to him.
"Well then," he intones. His leg bends, an ominous foreshadowing of what's to come.
"You'll -both- be held accountable!"
Geese snaps his leg out in that single instead, to capitalize on Hotaru's momentum. One blow to the head, than another to the ribs, before finishing it all up with one, lancing strike to her midsection with one furious blow. "HMPH!! Inviting a boy to your room, knowing the rules! Grace and restraint are the properties of a true woman!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Geese's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Geese 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Hakuya
> /////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Hotaru
It's not so good to be someone /fighting/ Geese. Even though her palm strike landed, Hotaru is faced with the expected fact that all in all, it didn't phase him too terrible much. Drawing her arm back quickly in order to avoid him getting a tight grip on her wrist and drawing her into one of those punishing techniques of his, the young fighter braces herself, slamming her left foot behind her, shifting her right shoulder toward him just in time for the combination of kicks that come in retaliation.
Clearly the two rebellious youths, defiant in their young love, are earning the ire of Mister Howard as he steps in with that swift kick. Her right arm raises to defend her head, though the force forces her to lean to the side. The same arm snaps down to protect her ribs, but not without great cost to her own defenses as she's pushed even further, a soft hiss escaping her lips at the severe amount of force she's absorbing with that defense of hers.
When his final strike comes, jacket sleeve covered arms cross in front of the featherweight, sparing her the lancing blow even if she's forced to stagger as a result. "Oof," she exhales, relieved to have managed to avoid the clean hits, even if her entire arm feels numb from the energy absorbed. Lowering her arms, sapphire blue eyes focus back on Geese as she tries to judge the best course of action. A worried glance is cast toward Hakuya on him, but the fact that he's still keeping up the act suggests to her that he's hanging in there just fine. Grinning a little as he continues mouthing off to none other than Geese Howard, she decides she has to keep the ball rolling herself.
Snapping her attention back to the King of Southtown, "Say what you will, but what we feel for each other is very real, and way more important than stuffy, old fashioned rules!" She grins inwardly a little, finding the whole show more amusing the more she gets into it.
Hands tighten as she exclaims her defiance, the girl sweeping in low into a crouching stance, arms to her sides for balance, right foot forward, left foot beneath her for support. A position held for only an instant as she transitions out of it, uncoiling into a forward lunge. Her left hand leads - a forward palm strike at stomach level. Her right hand follows as her body twists into it to lend greater weight to the second blow at chest level. "HAA!"
It most certainly is not good to be someone fighting Geese Howard. Though, for a moment, Hakuya has to let the act drop just for a second to admire the man. Either Hakuya was worse than he knew at this whole 'insulting' thing, which there was a very real possibility of (he couldn't tell, honestly, because he didn't even know what he was saying), or Geese had a very level head. It almost reminded him of his grandfather, in a way. Except Koichi Suigetsu was, incredibly (at least to the Suigetsu heir), weaker than Geese, if his estimations were correct.
But, now suitably recovered, and also de-jacketed, so hopefully he could move a little better and actually do some sort of defensive maneuvers, the young grappler feels good enough to charge forward! --And is about to, when he hears Hotaru's comments. What they feel for each other...? Oh, wow! She was getting into it, too. The boy has to pause for just a moment longer to supress a laugh of mingled embarrassment and joy. This was kind of fun, actually! Even if fighting Geese was indeed a lesson, even if it wasn't... precisely... a lesson in manners and decorum, it was a lesson in painings.
The young man launches forward, rushing towards Geese, several lengths behind Hotaru. As the girl crouches down, setting her footing for a strike intended for Geese's stomach, Hakuya decides to attack from another angle. While he's a touch late compared to Hotaru, he does roughly make it at the same time, circling to Geese's side, and intending to strike the man's side and kidney with dual palm strikes. Should that be successful, his back foot sweeps to the side, and he turns his entire body in a circle, bringing his elbow around to attempt to smash it into the King of Southtown's back.
COMBATSYS: Geese blocks Hotaru's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Geese 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Hakuya
> /////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Geese interrupts Strong Punch from Hakuya with Raging Storm+.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Geese 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Hakuya
> /////////////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Hotaru
There's something to be said for fun and games of this sort of level.
After a while, they start to become more painful than fun.
It's a fact that Geese Howard demonstrates with remarkable brutality and efficiency; the man's composure is nigh infinite as his leg -slams- back into the ground, cracking the very marble beneath the ferocity of the impact. A level gaze focuses on Hakuya, and then Hotaru. He thinks. He weighs the two of them in his mind with a frightening level of efficiency and speed.
And then he develops a plan that, as evidenced by the smile that crawls across his lips, likely isn't a very promising one for either of them.
First, to deal with Hotaru; the young fighter comes in fast and low, holding a crane-like position before surging forward into a powerful lunge. His response is universally simple; the first blow is swatted away by Geese before that palm can make impact against his midsection, and the second meets the edge of his right wrist, impacting with enough of a blow to numb his arm with a dull pain. "Hhmmph! Then let me show you the strength of that 'stuffy, old-fashioned rules' yield!"
With one push Geese seeks to knock Hotaru away again; by the time Hakuya is nearing his defenses, he might notice cold, blue flames rising up from Howard's body like chilling embers. And even if he doesn't? The words that come are audible enough:
"Raging!"
Hakuya manages to make the briefest of impacts against Geese's side before the King of Southtown suddenly -sweeps- down, his hands surging to strike the ground with a vicious -=CRACK=- of impact. The winds around them pick up violently. It's brutal. Unforgiving.
Like being in the center of a--
"STORM!"
At that moment, Hakuya will find himself engulfed in a brilliant cage of flames, cast in hues of darkest blue. Massive claws of undulating, cold chi erupt in rippling waves of pure and unforgiving power wreathed in violet. The claws whip about, catching Hakuya in their fury, engulfing him, and then -blowing- him backwards without any sense of mercy or restraint, all with Geese Howard standing crouched at the epicentre of his self-made storm with a gaze of absolute intensity.
"-This- is the power of proper etiquette!"
This may or may not be true.
Each of her palm strikes is met by solid defense. The best she can hope for is that perhaps she's distracted the master level fighter long enough for Hakuya to get a shot at him. That isn't what happens. His shove sends the smaller fighter stumbling backward with ease. She recovers her stance quickly, but not after having lost a few feet of ground. As it turns out - that proves to be for the /best/.
In fact, as the signs of Geese's energy building up become apparent, she retreats another step back even further, mouth opening to give warning to Hakuya of something powerful coming. It's too late though - the young man is committed to his attack, attempting to strike the older fighter. A strike that is completely lost by the destructive power unleashed - a storm of flame and chi that makes the rest of the room seem dim by comparison. Her right arm raises over her eyes as she gazes upon the legendary technique, mouth slightly agape, knowing full well that her partner just got caught in the middle of it.
Behind the wall of energy is its creator, the impressive Geese Howard, master of that technique. The storm subsides eventually, leaving the room to darken, and Hotaru stares back, holding her ground, closing her mouth as her eyes get used to the adjusted light again. From above, chunks of stucco and plaster fall from the ceiling, knocked loose by the power that exploded into the lobby from that fearsome technique.
So that's what it's like up close, she thinks to herself quietly, only vageuly aware of just how destructively powerful that attack was, not having had to experience it herself. No, that opportunity is afford her hapless partner, the brave Hakuya. All she can hope is that he's going to be okay in the long run. Another chunk of plaster falls, bouncing off her shoulder, acting as a catalyst to get her moving again. Standing around in awe isn't going to work at all!
"Hm," the girl allows. He does make a rather compelling argument in favor of strict rules and standards. It's hard to argue with rules backed by the power of the Raging Storm. She thinks carefully about his ability, thus far, to thrust off each of her attacks, practically shoving her right out of her strikes most of the time. Perhaps if she's clever, she can play to that!
Standing up straight, the young fighter darts forward, mouth closed in concentration as she swings out with her right hand, palm first, acting as if going for another one of her palm strikes. Only, should she get close enough, the girl twists her hand and shaps out for Geese's wrist again, anticipating that he might simply try to fend off her strike with his superior control.
Her left hand closes in quickly behind in an attempt to secure a more firm grip on his forearm as she steps in an to his side, twisting his arm up and over as she turns around and sweeps with her right foot in an attempt to finish toppling the taller fighter to the floor of the lobby in one swift, simple slam, utilizing positioning and technique more than brute force to try her hand at dropping him!
Unfortunately, the fun and games are indeed brought to a close, and none of that 'lights off, everybody go home' Coney Island stuff. No, Geese Howard doesn't end the fun by dimming the lights. Particularly not with these two 'love birds' who so stubbornly refuse to adhere to the rules of the dorm... or the rules of decorum, etiquette, and indeed maybe even taste, with Hakuya mouthing off like he was. Perhaps most unfortunate about this whole thing is that despite the well-meaning attempt Hotaru makes at distracting Geese, nothing comes of it but her being pushed away.
And him getting Raging Stormed.
Sure, Hakuya's palm strikes hit against the man. But as he swings around to try and drive his elbow into the King of Southtown, all so he can complete the blow, the sudden switch of his view to looking outwards, away from his opponent, lets the Suigetsu heir see, just for a moment, what's in store, with all that chi beginning to gather and coalesce. And then Geese /tells/ him by shouting the name of the attack. And then? And then there is pain. Before Hakuya can even think to try and dodge, block, or do /something/, the chi slams into him. RIPS into him. He's literally torn off his feet, swirled in a circle once around the body of the storm's master, then, when the chi is done rocking him like a hurricane, he's thrown far from Geese, once again being introduced to a wall and slamming hard enough into it yet -another- hole is placed in the pristine dorm hall.
That... sort of hurt. It reminded him of Kain's massive burst of chi. That had hurt, too. And like this, it had more or less been the final blow his body could stand. There's still energy in him... but it's fading. He's tired, he's hurt, and he's definitely just a little bit demoralized to consider that other than that briefest of touches of his hands upon Geese before the Storm was upon him... he's done jack all nothing to the man. That hurt a bit more than anything, because it was leaving Hotaru with the man to deal with all on her own. And, though he still wasn't sure precisely what he'd said to Geese... he felt pretty embarrassed to have spoken like that and then gotten beaten up so easily.
He wondered, briefly, if Tenma felt like that a lot. Then, just like Tenma, he got right back up.
"Weak!" Hakuya shouts as he stands, quite a bit more ruffled, dirty, and in a few places, /bloody/ than when he first came in. "I'll show you... what a Guardian King can do!" This was less Hakuya simply emulating Tenma. Some of his own sentiment was behind it. But, wiping his bloodied nose on his sleeve, he charges ahead at Geese. He's coming in after Hotaru's attack, and regardless of whether it hits or not, his aims are simple. Step 1: Grab Geese. Step 2: Throw him lots. Step 3: Profit. If the initial grab is completed, the Suigetsu heir spins in place, and hefts the much larger men above his head using kinetic force, and simply slams him into the ground. Then, picking the King's leg up, Hakuya drags Geese across the ground a short distance, then flips him up, over, and back into the ground. Once more would Howard be grabbed, lifted, twirled, and then thrown directly into the nearest wall, assuming all of it goes according to plan. And then? Then?
Hakuya Suigetsu simply collapses to the ground, unconscious. He's probably not going to wake up for awhile.
COMBATSYS: Hakuya can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Geese blocks Hotaru's Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Hotaru
COMBATSYS: Geese dodges Hakuya's Last Eclipse.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Hotaru
The storm dies. Whisps of excess chi still crackle with ambient energy through the air as the charged Geese straightens, his stature tall and proud. He rolls one shoulder, and then the other before lowering his stance once more into the forboding posture of Hakyokusaken. A single hand lifts, and beckons.
"It's time for the final lesson."
Of course, Geese obligingly waits. First for Hakuya to recover, and then for Hotaru to charge. The both come in in sequences, one after the other; the weakened and sluggish Hakuya still strains to the best of his ability, and that technique he uses -- it is given with every fibre of power that is left within his being. It comes in fast, faster than Geese would expect. But, even as he attempts to prepare for Hakuya's incoming charge--
--Hotaru comes in with another palm strike. "Predictable!" roars Geese in response to Hotaru, intent to deal with her swiftly to return his attention back to Hakuya. His right palm thrusts out, to intercept and deflect Hotaru's own...
... only, Hotaru doesn't quite do what's expected.
Geese falls for the trap. Or at least, one might think; Hotaru takes a firm grip on his wrist, and for the first time in the fight, he looks surprised. "What--!?" he starts. Hakuya closes in, seeking to grip onto Geese. Things look desperate for the man... until a grin flashes across his face.
"Almost..." Hakuya lunges for the grab, and suddenly, Geese twists; it happens the exact instant that Hotaru grips onto his arm with her left hand. In that same moment, Geese grips onto -her- arm, twisting directly out of Hakuya's strike, only a centimeter off from the boy -- close. So very close. "... but..." Hotaru yanks, but Geese seeks to disengage the grapple, twisting both arms around with expert speed and deftness. He follows up in a surge of motion, seeking to turn Hotaru's momentum into his own as he keeps a grip onto her arms. "... not..." And now, it's Geese's turn: twisting her arms up and over, he'll seek to flip her straight over, to bring her to a rough landing, back-first, into the marble ground below.
"... ENOUGH!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru interrupts Medium Throw from Geese with Tanshou Shin EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/-======|=======\=====--\1 Hotaru
For a moment all she knows is that Hakuya is charging in with her. He's a tough kid. Perhaps he's got some fight left in him after all in spite the devastation wrought by that storm of chi. Trying a different tactic, the bold challenge of trying to flip the more veteran fighter to the floor of the dormitory lobby, just might be the new angle she needs to get through Geese's defenses. Give someone like him exactly what he expects, and he's just going to tear you apart. That much has been made abundantly clear.
She has him now. Just a little twist and there will be almost nothing he can do to keep from being topped if but for a short moment. But he reads the trick just a bit too fast for her to make the most of it, reversing her grip, stopping the smaller fighter's movement short as his hands seize the girl's arms. She sees Hakuya go flying by, unaware just how much the young man was pushing himself for one last shot, as she's got to focus on recovering her reversed grapple all of the sudden!
Flipped up and over, the girl rips one arm from Geese's grasp in order to take control over her descent, snapping her feet down so that she lands hard on them instead of on her back, a soft grunt escaping her lips as she does so. This is her only chance, she decides - a slim opening to get him before he corrects for her last second recovery. The odds of success may not be impressive, but against a man like Geese Howard, one doesn't get anywhere by simply playing the odds. This is her shot to try and make an impression. Twice now he had personally attended matches pitting her and the Kasagi boy against Kain Heinlein, and twice now he had seemed disappointed with the results - something she tries now to make up for, giving her next combination all the dedication she can.
Her other arm she doesn't bother to wrench free, chosing instead to lunge right back into the Hakyokusaken master shoulder first; feet leaving the ground as she literally pours everything she has into that opening shoulder strike.
The second her feet touch down, both hands slam out into opposing palm strikes, much like the blow she ahd delivered earlier in the fight - her right plowing forward right toward his sternum, her left hand slamming behind her, providing crucial conterbalance to keep her from simply toppling into him from all of her forward, committed momentum. "HAAAA!"
Gamble. It's a dangerous
But the payoff is certainly worth it.
Instead of landing back-first, Hotaru lands feet-first. Impacting roughly, the unsteady and unexpected impact is enough to surprise Geese and throw him off his guard. This, combined with the fact that Hotaru is so swiftly in his defenses, leads Howard to be extremely vulnerable to Hotaru's sudden blitz attack. His grip releases from the girl's arm, and he starts to take a step back, to establish a guard--
--too late. The attack is too fast, too sudden. In one moment she barrels through his guard with a shoulder rush, destabilizing his footing and sending the man teetering backwards in a sudden stagger. It's unbalancing enough that the mighty palm strike that follows lances into his sternum solidly, with enough force that even Geese, the King of Southtown, is force straight off his feet. The wind is blown from his lungs as he goes airborne, twisting dangerously. His eyes narrow, his teeth grit...
... but when he lands, he lands on his feet.
Striking ground, his landing is a staggered one, ending with the man stopping in a crouch -- but he is still on his feet, still stable. And still entirely prepared to fight. Taking in a deep breath, he looks up towards Hotaru, his icy blue eyes intense... but he doesn't press an offensive. No; instead, he stands in place, regaining his breath, and taking a moment to reassess his situation and, more importantly, gain his bearings.
"That... was better. But you still have much to learn about grace and subtlety!"
If anything, Geese Howard is ever a master of maintaining his composure.
COMBATSYS: Geese gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/--=====|=======\====---\1 Hotaru
Landing out of her small combination, Hotaru slides to a stop, drawing her hands up, winding up into a tight stance as quickly as possible, preparing to defend herself in case of rapid retaliation. Sapphire blue eyes stare back at her opponent, the realization settling in that Hakuya will not be joining her for the remainder of this match. As of now, it is her, and the Father of modern fighting broadcasts, alone.
Studying his condition, he doesn't seem too much worse off for the wear. That's to be expected. Dishing out the best two hit combinations she can accomplish aren't going to drop a veteran like him. He didn't get his fame just by being rich and charismatic. Every fighter who's series about the sport knows full well that when Geese Howard steps into the arena of his own broadcasts, he knows full well how to handle himself. Still, she managed a successful counter attack. It's something. It's 'better', as he allows.
The pig-tailed girl nods her head slightly at his remarks, but on the matter of grace and subtlety, a faint flicker of a grin crosses her lips. She could fall back on something graceful - softer hitting strikes, attempting to slip around the taller fighter, going for light, quick hits, then retreating for distance in order to try and recover from the attack... It could prove to be good for pacing herself properly and may very well fit into the image of feminine decorum he sought to impart upon the two young fighters.
But tonight, she and Hakuya were rebellious kids, breaking the rules they deemed not worth observing. Tonight wasn't about being subtle at all. Tonight was about pushing herself as hard and fast as possible, until she too, like Hakuya, can fight no longer. Her breaths come faster as she focuses on what she decides to do next, standing up slowly, even taking a moment to adjust the long sleeves of her blue school blazer into proper position.
"Maybe I do," the girl replies between breaths, "But you might have something to learn about dismissing the determined spirit of youth. Stuffy old rules can't hold us back." She leans forward, launching into a sprint, pouring all the power she has into the attack to come next. It would be easy to sense, the build up of energy within the girl, the build up of chi as she takes in her breath, "Eventually we're going to break free of old ways and find our own path!"
She closes the gap between them with all the speed her body can accomplish, slipping in low from a yard out, shoes sliding easily over the polished wood floor. "Ten-shou...!" From that low crouch comes a backward flip kick powered by a torrent of vibrant, bright chi that lights the room aglow in shades of blue as the girl attempts to smash her way through the guard of Geese Howard with direct, kinetic force - subtley can take a hike!
COMBATSYS: Geese counters Ten-shou Ranki from Hotaru with Gedan Atemi Nage.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Geese 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Hotaru
He waits. Strength returns to the man, slowly but surely, his breathing recovered, balance stabilized. He is impeccably calm, for the damages he's sustained, but there should be no mistaking that they're there; bruises pepper his body, and there is the small smidge of bright scarlet against the corner of his mouth.
But it's a wonder what the impeccable, dominating presence of Geese Howard can do to make all that disappear.
Rigid and powerful, the King of Southtown lets his arms fall downward. His hands remain open, palms twisting outward as the man inhales deeply, and exhales a slow, languid breath. This is the end of the line, but Howard is not so foolish as to underestimate this girl. He's seen what she can do, just like everyone who graces the SNF circuit. She's resourceful.
Which just means he'll have to crush her before she can muster up that resolve of hers.
But Geese isn't afforded much time to consider; only a moment later is Hotaru speaking, drawing a wry smile from the lips of Geese Howard. "Heh," he breathes out, pale blue eyes focusing entirely upon the girl. "Then, try and show me!" he declares, one arm sweeping to the side.
"And I'll stifle that youthful rebeliousness with this one hand!"
And so she comes, and at a rapid pace, too. Yet, for all Hotaru's speed... Geese is suddenly upon -her- in what would seem like the blink of the eye, preempting her assault with one swift forward launch. She flips up into the air... and before she can even lash out with her feet, Howard is suddenly driving his elbow into her solar plexus, burying a single, powerful blow to halt all her progress and launch her backwards -- breaking her attack before it can even start.
"Your lack of knowledge makes you vulnerable to this rigid, unbending power of experience!"
A split second slower and she might have had her shot. But Geese's timing is impeccable, the master level fighter launching himself forward, managing to position himself in just the right place from which to strike the instant the younger combatant had fully and without reservation committed herself to her attack. The flare of chi continues up without her, however, forming a blue fount of energy that quickly collapses as the entire technique is destroyed by a stunning elbow that collides with the featherweight. All her forward momentum only serves to make the impact all that much more painful as Hotaru goes flying back, slamming into the opposite wall hard.
Her momentum shattered, she crumples slowly, her right hand lifting to rest against her sternum as she finds herself completely unable to breath for several seconds while her diaphragm spasms, trying to sort out what just happened. Eyes, opened wided to the superior preparation on the part of her more experienced opponent, stare back at Geese as at last breath is restored with a series of coughs.
Pushing herself up slowly with the help of the wall, the pig-tailed fighter shakes her head quickly. Okay, maybe there is something to wisdom of experience - a possibility she's forced to allow for as her vision finally clears. Lowering her hand from her chest, she grins just a little, cheeks flushed a faint red from the pain she can't ignore. The determined fighter never tires of challenging herself against the best the world has to offer. To experience what their years of training have taught them first hand leaves her a better informed, smarter fighter for it. For all the menacing presence Geese Howard bears, the dedicated fighter considers this opportunity to go up against him nothing less than a great honor.
Exhaling, she dips her head slightly out of respect, "Perhaps there is something to your perspective that I need to take to heart." She glances up, eyes glinting as she draws herself into a more tightly wound stance, her shoulder toward him, her torso turned sideways as she shuffles a few steps closer. "But this isn't over yet!"
From that posture, the girl unwinds into a spinning hop into the air, arms swinging out, aiming to deliver three solid, windmilling palm strikes, right, left, then right, before touching back down on her feet.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Geese with Enryuu Banda.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Geese 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Hotaru
Rubble decorates the interior of Seijyun's dorms now, a combination of both Hakuya and Hotaru's meetings with the walls of the establishment. Plaster, concrete, chunks of marble all lay scattered across the formerly pristine floors as Geese steps forward, rolling his right shoulder with a practiced ease. Hotaru slams into the opposing wall even as Howard recovers himself. The fight looks to be going poorly for her--
--but there is something to be said for the power of determination.
And determination Hotaru has, in spades. Despite the constant batterings she's taken today, she still gets up, and she still moves at him with surprising amounts of speed. Howard's eyes widen; he doesn't even have time to respond to Hotaru's words before the girl hops straight into his defenses. Three blows knock with surprising force for a girl her size, crashing into his right side, then his left, then his right again, all with tremendous strength. The King of Southtown doesn't expect it. And for the first time in the fight--
--he falls.
It's brief, at best. The would-be master of Hakyokusaken strikes the hard marble floor for an instant before he twists around, coming into a kneel. He stops, taking a deep breath. His right hand slides to his side, and slowly his fingers twist around something. "Your determination is remarkable. Perhaps I have underestimated you and the power of youth. But this --"
In a single instant, Howard surges forward. In his hand? A slab of concrete, spun in his grip with surprising deftness before he -slams- it forward, intent to bury it straight into Hotaru's midsection with all the force of a battering ram.
"--this is the strength of years of experience!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Geese's Random Weapon.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Geese 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
Her feet touch the ground, the girl sliding to a stop, transitioning out of her offense immediately back into her defense. As flexible and fluid in her motions as water, she can become as stubborn to budge as a boulder when she puts her mind to it. And as the girl tightens up, feet bracing, guard raised in preparation for what Howard might have in mind to attack back with next.
Knocked back, but clearly not out by any stretch, the master level fighter slams back, concrete in hand to lend weight to his already impressive physical prowess. Prepared, initially, to try and simply weather out anything he threw her way. But a block of concrete deserves, as one might expect, /special/ consideration. Merely trying to bunker down is hardly going to suffice for such a threat. Gasping as the nature of Geese's attack becomes evident, the young fighter shifts her stance a little, right shoulder toward the incoming weapon. Her left hand slams forward, just a little past her right shoulder, a small discharge of of blue heralding a quick 'aggressive defense' as she drives that pulse of power into that segment of concrete, turning the improvised weapon to a cloud of grey dust that flies past her mostly harmlessly.
The momentum behind the older fighter's strike still drives her loose in the end as Hotaru's feet slip back across the floor, her guard thrown wide open just simply by the kinetic force driven into her torso. A slight exhale escapes her lips, an expression of the energy expended in that last second, crucial defense that kept her from getting another trip into a neighboring wall and adding to the damage already wrought thus far.
Pushed to the edge of her capacity to keep fighting, she doesn't burn precious seconds with a verbal reply just now. Instead, the Kenpo artist slips forward, dropping into a low sweep with her right foot, only to drop into a seated position and kick out with her left foot toward one of Howard's shins with her heel. "YA!" If she makes it out of the exchange unscathed, she pushes back with her right foot and both hands, springing back up to standing while also gaining ground in the same action.
COMBATSYS: Geese blocks Hotaru's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Geese 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Hotaru
Observant eyes see everything. Hotaru's movements are like an open map to Geese as he levels his attack. Special resources are leveled into play as the kenpo user deals with Geese's strike. Hand meets concrete in an explosive flash of blue. It's an impressive gambit--
--and it's one that works out masterfully for Hotaru. Chi rips through rubble and dissipates much of the force of the attack, but Howard hardly even seems deterred. "Impressive!" the older fighter compliments fiercely, his hands snapping back to his side as Hotaru recovers and presses an offense. Geese considers the fight, planning his next act even as Hotaru slips in with nimble grace.
Her feint is predicted; the lance out of her foot is intercepted with unbelievable speed before it can even strike waiting shin. The King of Southtown's leg snaps upwards, bending at the knee before lancing out in turn. That foot impacts preemptively, not against shin, but against the bottom of Geese's tabi-clad foot, distilling most of the force driven behind it. Howard doesn't even move; just a second later does his foot snap back into the ground, just as Hotaru springs away, a thin and confident smirk crossing his lips.
There's no more words; there's no time for it. Geese doesn't even intend to give Hotaru time to -breathe- before he is already upon her in a single, bounding charge. His intent? To grip her by the right wrist, before -slamming- his open palm into her gut. If it connects cleanly, the Hakyokusaken master will use that palm as a fulcrum to twist Hotaru through the air, bringing her slamming, brutally, into the ground at the opposite side of Howard's body -- where, as soon as she hits hard marble floor, a shocking bright blue bolt of chi will suddenly -surge- down like lightning to shock the kenpoist brutally and disrupt the very flow of chi in her body. "HMPH!"
COMBATSYS: Geese successfully hits Hotaru with Raimei Gouha Nage.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Geese 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Hotaru
His defenses prove solid once more as he begins to digest and decipher the nuances to Hotaru's take on traditional Chinese martial arts. Acrobatic, fast, but hard hitting when committed to striking, her lighter attacks aren't too hard to pick out as merely stalling for time as she tries to figure out a better course of action. Finding her strikes stopped short, the girl tries to whip back up to her feet quickly enough, anticipating quick rebuttle.
Her right hand trails just a split second too slow at snapping back out of range and the young fighter finds her quick escape cut short. His open palm catches up an instant later, plowing into her stomach with enough force to leave her ready to crumple to the ground, mouth forced open with a pained gasp. It proves easy to twist her up and over, slamming her into the ground flat on her back. Too weak to pry herself free, the disruptive chi that explodes down through her center of gravity leaves the girl's back arching as she cries out with what little air remains in her lungs.
Wincing, she curls up on her side, hand coming in to press over her stomach as she wheezes for breath, eyes still wide open even as her body begs for a reprieve from the intense combat. One hand plants down against the debris scattered about her body, sweeping some aside as she rolls over the rest of the way onto her hands and knees. Still moving, she knows full well that she had either better concede quickly or expect Geese to press the attack until she decidedly /stops/ moving. He doesn't seem the sort to waste any time.
She ends up rising with her left shoulder targeting the older fighter's chest, teeth gritting as she struggles to fight on in spite feeling completely exhausted by the trying fight. Should she manage to plant that shoulder, she'll twist her right shoulder forward, bringing both hands in together for a follow up double-palm strike to try and drive Geese back. Her mouth opens, but no sound escapes her lips as she fights just to regain the power to breath while continuing to fight on with her last ounce of strength!
COMBATSYS: Geese counters Strong Punch from Hotaru with Joudan Atemi Nage.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Geese 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Hotaru
Hotaru Futaba is a tenacious girl.
But tenacity can only take you so far against a man who can outlast death itself.
The fight is over; Howard knows as much the second that Hotaru strikes the ground. She continues to last, to -survive-, but the conflict has come to an end now. He can see it clear as day. And he can predict exactly what happens next. Futaba struggles, rolls to her hands and knees. Geese stands proud and confident, sliding back into the solid and unbending stance of the Hakyokusaken style. His ice-blue eyes are cold, his expression rigid and stern.
But he hasn't enjoyed himself this much in a long, long time.
"This is the end of the line, Hotaru Futaba!" Geese Howard announces, stabbing one finger at her. "While you have demonstrated resolve, your continual defiance of rules and procedures have painted you the very opposite of how a true lady should behave! This match was decided before you even entered this hall!" Howard's hand grips tight, his lips pulled into a thin line as his eyes narrow dangerously.
"Against the rules of civilized society, there can be no hope of victory!"
And then comes Hotaru's final act; the closing call is made with her forward lunge, putting every ounce of strength into that final blow... for nothing. Geese, in a moment of pure deftness, sidesteps Hotaru's blow entirely, -gripping- her by her left wrist. In one disorienting moment, the King of Southtown uses Hotaru's own momentum against her, right hand planting into her midsection before he launches her straight off her feet in a flipping toss, to send her spiraling through the air at insane velocities to meet the cold, hard wall opposite the founder of SNF.
"Do you understand now!?"
Her shoulder slam takes her slipping right past Geese, an easy mark for his split second grab of her left wrist, twisting her right out of her forward momentum before she can even bring her attack to fruition. Startled and beyond the point of being able to pull herself free in time, she tries to bring her right hand around to defend against the follow up strike. "Ah!" she finds herself jettisoned across the lobby with incredible force.
Flipping head over heals, her dizzying trip comes to a punishing, sudden stop upside down against the wall opposite Geese, leaving her to stare back across the distance between them and marvel at the way the world seems to have been turned on its head. For a couple of seconds, at least, before she peels off and falls to the floor hard, only barely catching herself on her elbows and knees, head bowed, pig-tails draped down over her shoulders as a shudder courses through her body.
Wobbling as Geese Howard's lesson is imparted, the girl grins faintly through the grimace of pain as she stares hard at the floor beneath her face. "You present," she coughs, curling up a little but not falling over quite yet, "an enlightening argument." She shifts, putting her hands down to prop herself up slowly, arms trembling, "I understand, Master Howard." She lifts her head, shuffling one foot down beneath her as she prepares herself. "Hakuya-kun and I will respect the rules of this institution and society, having received further instructions on the matter from you this night."
Teeth gritted, the girl finally pushes herself to her feet, lunging into a forward sprint. "The lesson was needed, but it would be adding futher disrespect to quit while I can still fight." Taking in her breath with a pained hiss, she forces herself into a forward leap, spinning into another set of windmilling palm strikes as she had demonstrated earlier in the fight. Only the instant her feet touch the ground, she tries again to land a second set. It takes everything she has, giving that last inch, but should she manage to find a way through his guard, she'll finish with a rising shoulder and finish with an aerial spin kick.
Recovering graceful from the attack isn't an option, however, for she has no means of keeping her balance upon landing and will most likely spin into a very final drop onto her back, out like a light.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Geese 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Geese dodges Hotaru's Ten-ren-ge.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Geese 1/-----==/=======|
And now is time for the curtain call. It's a shame, really.
Howard was enjoying the opportunity for a real workout.
Head tilting to glance at Hotaru as she makes her abrupt landing onto the floor on hands and knees, the King of Southtown looks imperious, his lips drawn into a stern frown. Today he's the law-abiding force of antagonism. A bit of a rough fit, but it served its purpose well enough. There is nothing, /nothing/, that he cannot be. At the end of the day, this is all a play that turns to his whims and fancies. He is the director.
Everyone else is merely bit players.
A slow and heavy nod of acknowledgment is given to Hotaru's concession, but there are no words offered. Howard stands tall, in preparation. All the damage he's done, he still knows, even now, Hotaru will give one last shot, no matter how desperate and futile it might be.
Kids are all the same.
True to his prediction, Hotaru makes one last stand, spinning at Geese with slow, but determined speed. The man is far quicker than one would assume, though; as those windmilling strikes are launched, Geese is quick to suddenly backstep, pushing off his left heel and pivoting deftly to the -right-, just out of the way of Hotaru's blows. The second set comes, closer this time, and Howard twists.
Those palm strikes launch only a centimeter off from Geese's torso before the King of Southtown is completely gone. Close, but not enough.
The technique ends, and Howard lands in a short backwards hop, just barely out of harm's way. "You fought well," he commends, looking behind him at Hakuya's downed form for a long moment. The compliments aren't really sincere, but they certainly sound it. "But patience wins out all battles. Remember that." Hotaru lands, finished, just as Geese turns, intent to walk out of Seijyun's dorms having successfully instilled a deeper sense of femininity into both his opponents.
COMBATSYS: Geese takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Geese 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Geese has ended the fight here.
Log created on 23:13:04 09/13/2008 by Hakuya, and last modified on 10:24:52 09/18/2008.