Description: Turrets and Arrows and Cherry, Oh My! Up-and-comers Setsuka, Flora, and Cherry face off in an abandoned warehouse, with only a turret to comfort them. What ends up happening is a fight in which... well, in which everyone loses a little. (3KO)
COMBATSYS: Turret has started a fight here.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|
Being a star is hard. SNF and the Neo League needed to be back-burnered for a week or two while Cherry starred in the Pacific University drama department presentation of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' (as Mary Magdalene; who else?). Nonstop shows and practices leave little time for doing these fighting things. However, as soon as the closing cast party started, she had a cocktail in one hand and her cell phone in the other, signing herself up for this week. Although she doesn't enjoy fighting solely for the sake of fighting, Cherry finds herself restless without the outlet for aggression and physical activity that fighting provides. Plus, you can't stay out of the spotlight TOO long if you want to make an impression on the fans.
Kind of a shame, then, that the location for this week's bout isn't something a little more... presentation-friendly. In fact, it's a big empty warehouse, for the most part; a few pallets and stacks of boxes are in evidence, but otherwise it's just a dusty concrete floor and a very, very high ceiling with fluorescent lights beaming down cold light. It's more like the setting for a drug deal or Mafia meeting gone bad than a Saturday Night Fight. And oh yeah, there's the big Star Wars-looking gun in the middle of the marked-off space for the fight, which currently dominates the Fighting Diva's attention. The turret's last appearance predates her arrival on the fighting scene, so it's all new to her... and it doesn't look friendly.
"Fantastic," she mutters, crossing her arms over her ample chest and affecting an expression of sarcastic amusement. "I leave Idaho and a state full of gun-toting militia maniacs, and where does it land me? In Japan, facing down a garage kit-looking Star Trek phaser. Doubleyou tee eff." She glances over her shoulder toward an approaching SNF employee, who hands her a TV remote-sized control for the turret, explaining that everyone gets one shot and that RAWWWR is not legally liable for any of the following side effects: nausea, headache, abdominal pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, molecular disintegration, or urge to vote Republican, before walking off.
It's pretty hard to put a ._. expression on Cherry's face, but that somehow does it... as she naturally tucks the remote into her bikini top. Let's hope it doesn't get accidentally set off, that would be awful.
Flora has been to RAAAWR twice before, over a long weekend. She didn't like it then, and she doesn't like it now. The scientists kind of worry her, but more than that, it's the things she gets stuck doing... the poison gas, the blocks (okay, the blocks were relatively tame), and now a turret.
Flora arrives in her Seijyun uniform this time, having not had any pockets on her kyudo uniform to stash the control they wanted to give her. It's currently in one of her jacket pockets. She is still carrying the long, curved staff/bow/whatever people have decided to call it this week (she still hasn't come up with a good name for it) and a quiver of blunted arrows.
She also looks terribly nervous, probably because she's still reading through the turret's disclaimer.
Unlike Cherry, Setsuka does not participate in 'summer stock' or any other sort of plays. Sure, she could, but why debase herself so? That's Cherry's job. She -has- been somewhat busy, though--her rather perfect face is a little marred, the ghost of a bruise, still-healing, fading evidence to her busy-ness. That came courtesy of the large young punk known as Tyler--a man whom Setsuka has added to "The List" that she keeps. Truthfully, she would've blown this fight off--but Cherry's name caught her eye. Maybe she can get a little revenge. And it's always nice to see Flora again!
Very nice. Flora, however, may think differently--that's no business of Setsuka's. The setting is... sparse, but compared to the damn American Gladiators pyramid where she first fought Flora, that's a godsend. And there are sure to be -some- diehard fans somewhere, probably secluded a bit. The swordswoman is soon approached by the officials as well, who explain the purpose of the turret, and how to operate it. The remote control is examined, cursorily, then tucked, ala Cherry, into Setsuka's cleavage. It will be held tight.
The assassin favors Cherry with a smile, tinged with malice, the way strawberry-kiki Kool-Aid only faintly tastes artificially flavored... and she walks onto the floor. Flora -also- gets a smile, though this one is less malicious and perhaps a bit more predatory... that bountiful confidence certainly hasn't been lessened, or perhaps it's just sprung back from her recent defeat.
Ah, the gang's all here. One exceptionally tall schoolgirl, and Gollum. The redhead notes Flora's weapon with a raised eyebrow; she knows what Setsuka is carrying, and then there's the turret. And what does Cherry have? Just these... FISTS OF DEATH. Still, it bears comment. "And here's me without my submachine gun like a proper American," the Diva says in an offhanded way, looking between her two opponents. "I feel underdressed." She stretches her arms over her head lazily, like a cat, before smirking a little bit. Something about Flora's uniform bugs her, until finally it clicks: snotty Pacific Girls making equally snotty comments about the snotty girls at Seijyun and their uniform, which they disparaged in a snotty way. "She cannae hold! The shirt cannae take much more strain, Cap'n!" she murmurs, affected brogue and all, at Flora's jacket.
Well then, all that's left to do is get this show on the road. Moving a bit to her left, the American forms a rough triangle with her opponents, the turret at the center. A hand comes up, patting the remote reassuringly, before Cherry slips into stance, feet tapping against the floor for a moment as she prepares to get this show on the road. Her specialty has always been her precise balance and footwork... and with the turret and two weapon users in the fray, it's probably a good thing, too. "Well then... Giant Girl, Gothzilla," she says casually, glancing at each. "Whenever you're ready."
COMBATSYS: Cherry has joined the fight here.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Flora has joined the fight here.
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Flora 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Turret
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Cherry 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Setsuka has joined the fight here.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Cherry
You /are/ underdressed, Flora very nearly says, but doesn't quite have the courage to do so. Really, even /she's/ not sure why not. It isn't as if she's not going to try to punch Flora out either way.
She shoves the instructions into the opposite pocket that the remote is in and very nearly gets the guts to do it when Cherry makes a comment about her outfit. It's not /her/ fault the Seijyun uniform is almost impossible to find for someone her size. They don't have a men's one she can alter and Flora is not a good seamstress.
Flora reddens quite noticably as she steps up into the combat zone, glancing over at her other opponent. She's not any better. She remembers being chased around by the bloodthirsty girl. This is going to be a terribly unfun experience, she thinks.
"You -are- underdressed," says Setsuka. Echoing Flora's thoughts, she is, and unafraid to say so. But that's Cherry's business, anyways. Again--she wants to debase herself, that's her problem... Setsuka doesn't make mention of the fact that her own dress is just as revealing in its own way. It is -totally different- in her mind.
"Well then," she says, immediately noting Flora's discomfort, her mind working quickly through the various reasons the tall girl could have for being so uncomfortable, and grinning at the idea of them... that is an ill-fitting uniform, isn't it...? The turret, right. She'll save that for later; Setsuka reaches up, securing the remote, then turns to examine her two 'friends'. (Protip: not really friends) What to do, what to do...
But really, is there any question as to what she's going to do first? Cherry is clearly the one she needs to take out first--well, to her mind, anyways--and so she aligns herself with Cherry and then lunges, blurring forward, a touch of Psycho Power and raw skill speeding her into a blurline that resolves into an image of Setsuka--already slashing out with her semi-short blade, the arc of it aimed to slash across Cherry's belly.
For all her general nervousness /outside/ of a fight, Flora is at least able to step up when one actually breaks out. She isn't too afraid to do that. If anything, she's doing a good job of suddenly focusing on one of the few things she knows she can do well, where she doesn't have to be quite as faraid of failure.
Flora pulls one of her blunt-tipped arrows at, draws it back with her surprising (or not) strength... and holds it there, string and bow taut. She lets out a breath, draws one in, lets it out again - focusing on the projected flight of the arrow, how it will move - everything.
She does not, however, actually fire it.
COMBATSYS: Flora gathers her will.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Setsuka successfully hits Cherry with Yamikaze - Zan.
Glancing Blow
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Turret 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Cherry
That earns a smirk from Cherry. "Well, you said it out loud. I bet the polite one was thinking it, though." Yeah, Cherry's used to dealing with people making cracks about her. Of course, if one is trying to get a rise out of the Fighting Diva... good luck. She has absolutely unassailable self-confidence, at least in regards to her looks. They speak for themselves, from the redhead's view. Her fingers flex, closing into a fist and opening again over and over again. Yeah... if she reads this right, Setsuka's coming right at her first. Well, that's fine with her. "Don't be jealous, baby. Or if you're going to be, put it in your Death Cab fanzine and leave me out of it, I bore easy."
Luckily for her, that prior preparation pays off. Setsuka's attack is quick... quicker than expected. But Cherry sees it coming in advance, to a certain extent, so by the time it gets anywhere near her she's already stepping backwards. It's not quite enough to completely avoid it; a thin line of red follows the path of the attack. But it's certainly not as bad as it would have been had she been unprepared.
Landing from her backstep in a slight crouch, she leaps right back to her feet and doesn't waste any time getting in Setsuka's grille. Flora will get hers eventually, but the Pale Rider decided to make herself a target. Somewhat counterintuitively, Cherry sets off at a run and looks like she's going to go right *past* Setsuka... but before that can truly happen, she plants one foot and pivots 180 degrees, driving at the swordswoman with one fist extended. Of course, it's not to deliver a punch... it's a focus for the sudden, spherical burst of fiery red-orange aiming to put a habanero-flavored hurting on Sets.
COMBATSYS: Setsuka dodges Cherry's Heartbreaker.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Cherry
Oh, Cherry -looks- fine. If you're into that sort of thing. There's no question about that. Setsuka isn't really trying to get a rise out of the woman, though Cherry, conversely, seems to be doing her best to get a rise out of her opponents. Setsuka, however, is just as well-versed in the psychological warfare aspect, even if she isn't -quite- as talky. Cherry proves to be quite fast, but Setsuka knew that already--she waits until the last minute, to spin around to her right side.
"Excuse me," she quips, mildly, as that explosion of fiery red-orange energy flares up, brightening her world for a moment, "I have to go see a man about getting you some clothes that fit properly."
That said, she is actually going to go see Flora. Flora is a large target, but that's no guarantee of success, as Setsuka takes five steps then leaps upwards, tucking her body in tight and then extending her right foot in a classic flying kick for the big woman.
"I hope you haven't forgotten about me," she says to Flora, even in mid-kick.
COMBATSYS: Flora blocks Setsuka's Light Kick.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Cherry
Fortunately, it doesn't occur to Flora that she may have just been called a man. Or a tailor, for that matter.
She is a big target, but also expects Setsuka to come after her, given how much 'fun' they had last time they were in a fight together. It turns out that she guessed right. Flora stops drawing her bow taut to use her lower arm to take the worst of the blow, a strike hard enough that she really feels it but not hard enough to knock her over despite taking the force of much of Setsuka's weight.
Flora switches her grip on her staff just slightly and brings it crosswise in front of her, a straight horizontal blow that ends with a jab to try to push Setsuka away from her. Flora doesn't say a lot while fighting, apparently - or at least hasn't yet.
"Have fun," Cherry says, giving a little wave by wiggling her fingers. Frankly, she's happy to see the creepy-ass woman go, though she wouldn't necessarily wish Setsuka on Flora, who despite being a mountain of a woman seems nice enough. The Fighting Diva takes a second, stepping toward Setsuka and Flora carefully and observing how the latter deals with the attack coming her way. A bow that's also a staff, huh... that's going to make for an interesting fight, isn't it? "Interesting," the redhead murmurs. "That's going to be a fun time for everybody."
Hoping that delivering the jab will distract Flora and dealing with it will distract Setsuka, Cherry turns her quick advance into a dead run and then LEAPS at the bow-using fighter, flipping clear over Setsuka's head and attempting to land on the tall girl's shoulders knees-first, using the force of her fall to drive the Seijyun student right into the floor.
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Setsuka with Quick Strike.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Cherry
The impact isn't as satisfying as it could be--mostly due to Flora's forearm being in the way. And the length of that staff-bow thing... sometimes it just seems longer than it really is. Sets is used to having the range advantage, even with her shorter blade; this is a bit unusual for her. The jab strikes true, with an impact that tells of Flora's strength; the swordswoman's eyes narrow as she stumbles back from the impact.
Cherry is leaping past her, just now--but rather than attempt to backstab the flying redhead, Setsuka decides, in a split second, to try and work -with her-. Dropping low, she kicks out with her right leg, supporting her weight on her hands. It looks like a sweep kick, and the intent is roughly the same--but instead of trying to force Flora's feet together, Setsuka is attempting to hook her foot around Flora's leg.
If successful, she'll tug forward, attempting to unbalance the tall girl, to make her easier prey for Cherry. One might think that Setsuka wouldn't want to work with Cherry--but she already has in the past, and while her ultimate goal is to come out a winner and that means beating Cherry, too, she'll work with any advantage she can find.
COMBATSYS: Setsuka successfully hits Flora with Quick Throw.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Flora blocks Cherry's Quick Throw.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Cherry
Enemies working together: how bad can this fight be? Flora is generally pretty quick on her feet but she is not very accustomed to defending from multiple directions at once. Oh, she can do it, but it isn't what she's best at and it tends to suffer a little because of it.
Flora steps back in preparation for Cherry's impact before it even comes and tenses. This, unfortunately, puts her feet in such a position that Setsuka's foot has a relatively easy time hooking around Flora's, yanking her back forward and badly off-balance.
She has no chance of getting out of Cherry's flight path at this point, so Flora does the only thing she can think of; she lets Setsuka's yank take her almost all the way to the ground, catching herself on her knees and palms with her bow sheltered by her body. Flora /is/ strong enough to hold herself up when Cherry's knees hit her back at this angle, but it's hard and she feels the impact; it gets a grunt out of her.
Unfortunately, this leaves her in a very bad position: hands and knees and with no weapon. Flora attempts to roll out from under Cherry, scooping up her bow as she goes and just get back to her feet. There's no attack coming from her - she's just trying to regain her balance and her breath and prepare for the next onslaught she's sure is coming.
COMBATSYS: Flora focuses on her next action.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Cherry
Somehow, Cherry expected a tall girl like Flora to be adept at keeping people from taking advantage of that height, so despite the fact that her maneuver doesn't have quite the impact she wanted, the redhead is smiling when she lands, bouncing off the Seijyun student and landing in a crouch, standing up and turning to face both of her opponents. Actually, she doesn't just stand up, she *rises*, arms out, like a gymnast coming up from a floor exercise vault, turning around and beaming. Yeah, she's a performer, alright. "Thank you, thank you." Maybe she's referring to the fact that she just landed quite well among a bunch of discarded pallets without spearing herself on stray wood?
Hm. Flora's deciding not to push it right now, keeping an eye out. Sensible, but it also makes Cherry loathe to attack her head on, considering she's armed. Unarmed, she needs to pluck advantage wherever she can find it rather than running in blindly. "Oh man, I feel like I should be making a joke about wood right now, or something," she admits, running a hand through her hair. For a second, green eyes flicker to the turret, then back to Flora and Setsuka. "Anyhow. How are you two today? I'm feeling a little stiff, myself... been a while since I've done this." And then she stretches? And cracks her knuckles. And adjusts her bodice, not accidentally shoving her bosoms together. Oh, dear, is that turret pointed toward Setsuka? And where was Cherry keeping that remote again?
She's going to TOTALLY pretend to be surprised, once the lancing green laser fires from the turret, too. "Oops."
COMBATSYS: Turret successfully hits Setsuka with Stun Ray.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Cherry
... She'd forgotten about the turret. Much to her dismay. The green beam of energy strikes Setsuka squarely in the back; she stumbles forward, gasping, as it has its effect, and for a moment, she shivers. She finds it hard to believe that Cherry hasn't touched her breasts in a while. The girl probably wakes up fondling herself.
That said... she turns towards Cherry, with a thin, acid smile. "That was interesting," she says, as she straightens. "An interesting experience..." But not interesting enough, apparently. Setsuka ignores Flora, for the moment--this may be a mistake, but Cherry's certainly earned the attention.
Setsuka's right hand flashes to the grip of her blade and she draws the weapon, enacting a high, piercing song as she lashes out with it, concentrating her power as she does--firing an arc of blue-purple Psycho Power at Cherry, an arc that hisses and crackles as it slices towards Cherry's body. Cherry knows the feel of the power--cold-shocky and electric...
A joke about wood? Flora doesn't get it. There are some disadvantages to being largely sheltered, apparently. Cherry would be an eye-opener if Flora ever actually talked to the woman.
She looks away for a moment, embarassed (again) when Cherry...activates the turret. Yes. She'll think about it that way by preference. Then back, a moment later, just in time to see them fighting each other...
Flora draws and fires one of her blunted arrows without apparently taking time to aim. 'Shoot when you feel you should' is one of the catchphrases of her style of kyudo and she thought it would be right, well, right away. The arrow, in flight, splits into three arrows, one normal and two the shimmery green of her chi, as they arc toward Setsuka's back while she presses the attack.
COMBATSYS: Cherry blocks Setsuka's Kokuu Zan.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Cherry
Yeah, she's familiar, which might explain why the typically aggressive Fighting Diva takes a more defensive turn. One arm comes up, forcing her to keep her ground rather than stay in motion as she'd prefer to; the arc of energy splashes off her forearm, and much to Cherry's annoyance Setsuka likely has the satisfaction of seeing the American grit her teeth for just a moment. She's always been better at dealing with more physical threats than spiritual ones, after all, so that stung quite a bit no matter how you look at it. "Glad you liked it," Cherry admits with a grin, brushing her hands on her leather pants.
And then, she's on the move.
Flora's shot interests her, but perhaps what's interesting is that for a moment or two, the speedy Diva is *keeping up with the arrow*, dashing toward Setsuka with a sudden burst of speed. Of course, that can't be kept up forever, and the projectile outpaces her, but for the briefest of seconds it's an impressive display. Of course, the ending is much more simplistic: when she gets in close enough, Cherry curls her fingers in and attempts to ram her palm into the bottom of Setsuka's chin.
COMBATSYS: Setsuka dodges Cherry's Quick Punch.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Setsuka blocks Flora's Split Arrow.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Flora
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Setsuka 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Cherry
Keeping up with the Joneses, eh? Cherry is displaying some amazing speed, for sure--if it weren't for Setsuka's psiblast pushing her back some, giving just that little bit of time to prepare, the swordswoman would be under -extreme- pressure. As it is, she's still being pressured. Cherry's punch is avoided by a quick backstep, but there's still the matter of the arrows. Those, Setsuka deals with by, well, swinging her blade. She manages to knock the blunted arrow off-target some; it just glances, and then she's dealing with those green arrows as well.
The ghostly green arrows hurt more than the actual blunted arrow--but while Flora's managed to do the most hurting so far, Setsuka has Cherry right in front of her, like just hello boobs, and Flora is farther away. She'd have to go through Cherry to get to Flora--and that seems to be her plan, as she suddenly drops her right shoulder and lunges.
The aim is to get her shoulder into Cherry's chest, then push up, to lift her off her feet--and then spin, to hurl Cherry off to one side, aided by her right hand, to clear her out of the way towards Flora.
If arrows work, Flora's not going to complain. It gives her some chances to get some hits in before someone inevitably takes her out - and if they go beating on her like they were before, making her back hurt like that, it won't be /that/ long before they do.
Flora reaches for another arrow and draws it. This time she actually takes some time to aim - her targets are moving very fast, after all, faster than she goes most of the time. This time, when Flora fires -
- the arrow appears to vanish entirely, flickering before reappearing at impact, either with Cherry or the ground. It doesn't stick in, obviously, but if it hits the ground it makes a loud /thunk/, and if it hits Cherry it's likely to bruise pretty well.
COMBATSYS: Cherry dodges Setsuka's Strong Throw.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Cherry with Secret Hunt.
Glancing Blow
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Flora
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Setsuka 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Cherry
Whatever it is Setsuka has planned, it doesn't really seem like Cherry has any interest whatsoever in seeing what being grabbed by Setsuka is like. Thankfully, that shoulder check is hard to do without revealing your intentions early, and Cherry is ready for it. Already at a low line of attack from her punch, the Fighting Diva just reverses course, driving one foot into the ground in front of her, almost between Setsuka's stance, and kicks off *backwards*, doing a moonsault to land in a crouch. The problem is that she doesn't hear the bow twang, and the mysteriously appearing/disappearing arrow is really hard to sense. At the last possible second, crouching from her landing, she suddenly jerks her body to the right. Sadly, it's not fast enough; the arrow clips her shoulder, drawing a hiss of pain. Yeah, that's the second time that's happened today and she's not happy about it.
Sadly, she doesn't feel like being pressed on the defensive but it's where she's going to stay for the moment, rubbing her shot shoulder and making slow steps backwards, feet expertly weaving in and out of each other so that if someone leaps right at her she can get back into motion. "That does it," she mutters. "Next time I'm coming in Che Guevara fatigues and a pair of Kalashnikovs."
COMBATSYS: Cherry focuses on her next action.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Flora
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Setsuka 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Cherry
Had she overheard Cherry's mutter, Setsuka might've replied something to the effect of "Aren't your guns big enough already?" But she didn't hear, and thus a perfectly good quip is wasted. A -shame-. However, even though Setsuka -didn't- hit Cherry... the woman is now out of the way, which was the main goal after all. And Flora is preoccupied with arrowing Cherry, for the moment... which gives Setsuka just enough time to get up to the tall woman.
"Hello," she says, sounding totally pleasant as she suddenly slashes outwards with her blade, a tight, arcing cut from low left to high right, from her perspective; as is usual with her sword attacks, she does not seek to permanently injure, or even kill... but she -does- so want to see Flora bleed.
That, of course, depends on Flora, to some extent. May Setsuka never fight Candy; she would find it utterly unsatisfying, taking apart a toy. Humans squeal so much better.
COMBATSYS: Setsuka successfully hits Flora with Power Strike.
- Power hit! -
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Flora
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Setsuka 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Cherry
Flora was going for a third arrow, and sometimes it's hard to defend yourself when someone comes in close - a common problem for Flora, which is why she uses her weapon like a staff half the time anyway.
She drops the arrow and, perhaps surprisingly for a staff-user, does not try to parry. She doesn't want the sword to cut through the bow, or damage it badly enough that the next time she pulls it taut, it cracks. Instead she tries to move away from the blow.
This does not work. Flora leans just the wrong way, and rears back as the blade leaves a long, shallow, but messy cut from her right hip to somewhere around the middle of her chest on the left. She yelps in pain as she staggers back, almost automatically throwing a kick once she's recovered, as she's not sure she trusts using her upper body quite yet. Flora's kicks, however, are very strong, probably because of her long legs. It's awkward, but it has force.
Hmmm. The redhead was almost certain that her opponents would take hold of the opportunity to strike at her while she was recovering, and instead dark blademistress looks to sink her proverbial fangs (or maybe literal ones; Cherry resolves to check the next time Sets smiles) into the tall schoolgirl. However, the redhead is now presented with a troublesome decision: gang up on Setsuka and pray she can take down Flora by herself, or capitalize on Flora's attacking Setsuka and bide her time? In perhaps the first time ever, Cherry fights her impulses; what she WANTS to do is smack Setsuka until she stops moving, but the Diva realizes that giving in to that impulse is exactly what Gothika would want. Crazy.
Instead, she charges Flora, hoping that her distraction will prove to be to Cherry's benefit. Throwing herself into a low-angle, horizontal jump, it *looks* like Cherry is going to perform a wrestling-style flying dropkick... but rather than booting Flora in the head, the American is looking to lock her ankles around Flora's neck and then *twist*, spiralling the Seijyun girl to the ground in a spinning slam.
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Setsuka with Heavy Kick.
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Turret 0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Cherry
It's definitely a powerful kick. Setsuka is -smashed- by it--flung backwards a good five feet. Flora is, essentially, getting her revenge. Or... is she? Setsuka flips in midair, landing on her feet; briefly, her right hand touches where that foot hit, hiding a wince--it shows in the corners of her eyes, a brief tightening. There'll be a bruise there tomorrow. Fortunately for her... that also hit the remote in her bosom. Tucked in her bosom, that is.
And the turret happens to be aimed at Flora. Further serependipity. The green beam sizzle for Flora as Setsuka yanks the remote out of her dress and tosses it aside; that'll do, for now, she thinks, getting her breath back under control. At least now she's feeling pumped up, that glittering in her eyes a sign of something arcane and evil coming loose, swimming upwards...
COMBATSYS: Turret successfully hits Flora with Stun Ray.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Flora dodges Cherry's Diva la Revolution.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Cherry
Moving around shows Flora that she's not as badly hurt as she thought at first from the blood. She can do it without too much stiffness, and she straightens up again. She's going to need a new shirt when she goes home, though - this one, between the stains and the fact that it's shredded across her stomach, is a write-off.
Whatever Cherry is going to do, Flora has no interest in hanging around for. She throws herself to the side, rolling with her bow tucked against her body, and makes it free of the diva - but not of the laser that came from the turret, which hit her as she rose, painfully. It makes her wound ache even more, and she feels kind of sluggish.
Flora gets to her feet, a little wobbly. She isn't too far away, and so she slides forward a couple feet, going for a sweep with the hooked part of her staff to try to yank Cherry to the ground. Not that she doesn't stay there a fair bit on her own anyway, what with the jumping and rolling.
COMBATSYS: Cherry interrupts Strong Throw from Flora with Hot Legs.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Cherry
Hmm... that's two shots of the turret. Only one left, which actually makes Cherry feel a little better. She has no desire to be hit with whatever superscience nonsense is involved with a bright green Star Wars-style laser, thank you. Thankfully, even though her technique doesn't connect with Flora, that particular move isn't hard for Cherry to 'cancel' out of, the redhead twisting her body to land in a crouch. Maybe that wasn't the right choice after all, and she should have gone for Setsuka instea--
And then, staff.
Moving out of her attack or no, it's difficult to get a bead on where Flora's strikes are coming from: bow shots one second, staff strikes the next... the Diva is forced to grudgingly admire the relatively quiet girl's ability to change on the fly. The staff slams into Cherry, pushing her toward the ground... but Flora might notice that it's a little too easy, especially since the American is probably topheavy like whoa. And indeed, it IS too easy: rather than slamming to the ground, Cherry effectively turns her fall into a handstand... and with one mighty shove off the ground the redhead arcs skyward, her legs performing an intricate series of upward kicks, starting with a split and moving upwards from there, sending Flora into the sky up and away, before Cherry inverts herself one last time and performs a three-point landing. "Careful," she admonishes with a smile. "I'm hot."
Let Flora and Cherry beat each other; Setsuka is still smarting from that kick. She watches the exchange with bright eyes; even the pain she doesn't cause can be quite beautiful, to her, and she is forced to admire Cherry's technique. The girl might be a mouthy American of some sort but she -does- have skills. Setsuka won't take that away from her. She doesn't even want to. She just wants some blood and pain, perfectly normal.
Even with Flora in a rather deplorable position, and Cherry still having taken some damage even during her counter-strike, Setsuka holds back--for once--taking the smarter route, perhaps. She is, in fact, taking careful note of both her foes--expecting one or the other to come after her now, if the pattern holds true. Or perhaps both.
She couldn't, rightfully, blame them; she's 'wronged' them both before, though she doesn't see it that way, naturally. The only thing she can do is be as prepared as she can possibly be.
COMBATSYS: Setsuka focuses on her next action.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Cherry
That was unexpected.
Flora was not expecting the trip to work quite that well, really, and so her followup - which was going to be a downward strike - is slow. Cherry has plenty of time to plant into a handstand and come up kicking, which launches the large student up, up - and then, because she obeys the laws of gravity, down with a heavy /thud/.
Flora almost decides to stay down for a few moments because being dizzy like this stinks. She mumbles something in Japanese as she staggers back up, weaving slightly until she comes under control. She considers her options for a moment, and once again takes none of them, staying back to focus on incoming attacks and, hopefully, encourage the two to beat the heck out of each other.
COMBATSYS: Flora focuses on her next action.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Cherry
Shaking her hands out to her sides, Cherry braces herself for the followup... which never comes. An eyebrow goes up toward both of her opponents, neither of which appears to be inclined to attack her right now. In fact, the Diva thinks to herself, that's characterized much of the fight so far: either there's a flurry of action, or nobody's doing anything at all. Shaking her head with a sigh, Cherry brings a hand to the back of her head, running her fingers through her long red hair as she addresses Flora and Cherry both. "Well, this is exciting, but if you're trying to get a win by BORING me to death, I don't think it's going to work." Well, maybe that will provoke them into attacking her.
That, and the fact that she's going to taunt them a second time. With a flourish, she presents the turret remote, holding it in front of her like a cell phone, tapping fingers against it as if sending a text message, looking very serious.
Which is ruined when she turns and just flings the thing at Setsuka's head.
COMBATSYS: Setsuka overcomes Thrown Object from Cherry with Thrown Object.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Cherry
Cute. Setsuka watches the remote as it flies through the air on a bee-line for her head--she actually backs up a step. But she's not running. Instead, she prepares for a rather complex manuever. That is... she suddenly lashes out with her blade; she draws it, cleaving the remote in half--and then she drops her scabbard. Her slashing attack takes her through a full three-sixty, and as she comes out of it, she's gesturing with her left hand.
Throwing something. Not a remote--she discarded hers--but a heavy, flattened-pyramid shape of a throwing dagger. Really, even if it's razor sharp, it's more of a distraction than anything, but it'll do for that purpose anyways. Flora gets a bye, for the moment.. but both are proving quite hard to 'put away'.
That's probably Setsuka's fault more than anything else; she could and should have just taken one out, then the other. But that's how battle goes.
Flora is easy to tease but hard to taunt. She doesn't get subtlety half the time. She realizes, here, that Cherry is doing it - but not really who it's directed at, or why.
Still, she's going to get her wish anyway, because Flora reaches into her quiver again. She doesn't draw one arrow; she draws three, holding them delicately between her fingers as she draws all of them back at once. Considering, considering...
She still doesn't like Setsuka from what she did last fight, and so Flora aims at her, releasing the three blunted arrows simultaneously. Just like before, though, they split apart from each other - and so by the time they get to Setsuka, there's not three so much as about twenty, all the extras shimmering green darts that burst with flashes of light on impact with her or a wall or the ground.
COMBATSYS: Setsuka successfully hits Cherry with Thrown Object.
- Power hit! -
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Turret 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Cherry
And there's another blade.
Somewhat stupidly, Cherry tries to *catch* it, because that would be showy and awesome. The fact that she fails is perhaps NOT showy and awesome, particularly because the catch attempt instead drives the knife *through her hand*. That gets a loud, sharp "OW!" from the Fighting Diva, and brings back unhappy memories of her fight with Katana, where he two wielded a pair of blades and seemed to take great joy in using them on young girls with sensitive skin.
It's starting to piss her off.
It takes time to yank the blade out of her hand, precious time that gives Setsuka time to prepare, but at this point the Fighting Diva's not exactly firing on all cylinders. "You know, I'm actually at a loss for a funny quip in this situation. And that pisses me off more than anything else." Then she's on the move. Slowed by fatigue, distracted by anger... but you never know. This just might help her out, because when she gets close to Setsuka, weaving and back forth through Flora's barrage of arrows, the redhead plants one foot, twists, and delivers a high kick that quite frankly is intended to separate Setsuka's head from her body entirely.
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Setsuka with Thousand Flight.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Flora
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Setsuka 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\1 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Setsuka counters Heavy Kick from Cherry with Yamikaze - Zan.
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Flora 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Turret
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Cherry 1/----===/=======|
COMBATSYS: Setsuka can no longer fight.
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Flora 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Turret
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Cherry 1/----===/=======|
Arrowed. This time, it's her. The impact is terrible; blunted arrows striking her in the ribs, snapping one or two, and the ghostly green arrows providing even more pain. Setsuka... will be out of the fight, in just a moment. But she has to hold it together for just one more moment--just long enough to deal with Cherry. She hisses--a purely reptilian sound. No forked tongue, though.
She has to work fast--she's already starting to fall. And Cherry's close. The kick is stopped by a pair of glowing hands, Setsuka not employing her blade; not only stopped cold, but held in place by a brief burst of strength. And then she's slamming a hand into Cherry's thigh, a hand glowing with that Psycho Power; it leaves behind a ball of energy.
Setsuka 'tosses' the leg aside and steps in, already going down, her hands firing out to strike Cherry twice more, once high up on the chest, once in the stomach... and even as Setsuka is dropping to one knee, those 'bombs' of Psycho Power are going off, localized explosions of pure, electric pain. With a last gasp, Setsuka falls onto her side.
It'll only be a moment later that she's dragging herself out of the arena, with a bittersweet ending moment for this SNF.
Well. That could have ended worse.
Flora lowers her bow slightly. Setsuka looks like she's - yes, there she goes - and Cherry looks tired. As tired as Flora feels, too. She feels bad and doesn't really want to take another shot at the woman. It takes time and effort, and frankly Flora is very tired. She doesn't need that.
Fortunately, there is a button she was directed to press earlier. Flora reaches into her pocket - her shirt is shredded, her jacket is not - and pulls out the remote, which she considers for a moment before pushing. Sorry, Cherry. Flora feels bad about /that/ too, but not quite so bad as rushing in and knocking her out would be.
COMBATSYS: Cherry blocks Turret's Stun Ray.
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Flora 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Turret
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Cherry 1/---====/=======|
A hiss of pain, though honestly, the charge of psycho power through her body is nothing compared to Cherry's annoyance that Setsuka's head is not currently flying across the room in a parabolic arc, to land on the floor and roll to a stop with lifeless eyes pointing back at her as is dramatically mandated. Standing back up, she at least has the satisfaction of watching Setsuka roll to a stop and then crawl the hell away; the Diva even turns to Flora and says, in a highly sarcastic tone, "It'd be nice if she'd stay in her crypt, wouldn't it?" Look, they're bonding! Oh hey, there's the remote. I know that remote.
Hmm.
Cherry actually has quite powerful energy-wielding abilities, but they work almost entirely on instinct; reflections of her fiery personality that certainly accounts for her manifestations of chi as being the scarlet infernos she tends to produce. And she's the last to be the hit with the turret... but it does mean she's had time to think it over. It's not a bullet, right? It's a laser. Presumably that should be energy of some form... so shouldn't energy work against it?
Her fist glowing red-gold, the Fighting Diva effectively turns and *punches* the laser. The result is surprisingly effective: a good portion of the green beam splashes off to the side, leaving a significantly weakened blast to hit her in the arm, with a sizzling sound. Grimacing, she yanks her hand back, and then turns to the big girl.
Hmm.
"I can recommend a good tailor, you know," the American finally says, waving a hand in front of her own ample chest for emphasis. "We can talk after." And then BAM. She is moving toward her opponent so fast it SEEMS like teleportation, leading with a simple close-fisted punch to the stomach to stagger Flora for what might come next...
COMBATSYS: Cherry successfully hits Flora with Disco Inferno.
[ < > //////////////////////////////]
Flora 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Turret
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Cherry 0/-------/-------|
...and contact. What comes next is certainly pretty to look at, as long as you're not the victim. Staggering her opponent with the first blow, the Fighting Diva proceeds to lay into Flora with a flowing series of fists, palm strikes, and kicks all over her body, delivered at blinding speed, until she performs a high kick that almost send her leg entirely vertical, launching Flora into the air. Cherry, meanwhile, leaps up after her, arching her back... and the air around the two fighters EXPLODES with an aura of crimson fire, shaped like a phoenix in flight; Cherry shouts, over the crackling fire, "BURN BABY BURN!"
That isn't /quite/ the problem Flora has - she's big there, but she's big everywhere - but she nods anyway. "Uh, okay," she says, not entirely accustomed to the niceness from the other fighter. "We can do that, tonight or another - "
She never gets a chance to finish that sentence because Cherry is already rushing at her and she has to deal with that. The first hit catches her solidly, knocking the wind out of her and leaving her open for the flurry of followups, launched into the sky at the head of a phoenix.
Flora manages to regain control only for a few moments there; when she's airborne and away from Cherry, she manages to fire two or three arrows aimed at joints and pressure points, but when she lands it's with a very heavy sound that she doesn't get up from immediately.
That would be because she's knocked out.
COMBATSYS: Flora can no longer fight.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Cherry with Split Pressure Shot.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Cherry
COMBATSYS: Cherry takes no action.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Cherry can no longer fight.
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Turret 0/-------/------=|
EVERYBODY'S knocked out. It's a knocked outedness party. Why? Because Cherry wanted to make damn sure Flora was on the ground and overcommitted like crazy. When she lands, she's already given it all she has, and while she's expecting some sort of reprisal the volley of arrows is faster than she expected from someone she just effectively knocked into next week. Cherry tries to get moving and dive out of the way, but the flesh is not as willing as the spirit; the volley slams into her with the mandated *fthnk* sounds of arrows hitting stuff.
Interestingly, it doesn't knock her out immediately, nor does the force carry her along; instead she stands there for a dumbfounded second, arrows sticking out of key body points, and then starts just... removing the arrows, hopefully before blood loss and fatigue get the best of her. Dramatic to the last, just after she pulls out the last arrow, her green eyes widen a bit, and she gives a simple "...damn," before toppling over backwards onto the ground, unconscious.
Okay then.
Log created on 15:55:38 09/28/2008 by Setsuka, and last modified on 01:23:56 10/06/2008.