Description: Christmas SNF antics, courtesy of the World's Strongest Woman Chun-Li versus the eccentric Todoh and mysterious psycho, Cherise! Special guest appearance by a massive replica of the Little Drummer Boy. (Winner: DKO)
Well, here we are. Another Christmas, fast approaching. In several corners of the world, some people are waiting until the very last minute to do all their shopping, or jack up their electric bills, or max out their credit cards just to live up to the expectations of the children... etc, etc, Christmas kind of sucks if you're an adult steeped in tradition for the unspoken obligation to spend spend spend!
But the most precious commodity there is? Time. Of all the people to gather around Rockefeller Center here in Metro City, here to watch Ryuhaku Todoh and not two lovely ladies with perfectly more impressive fighting records and some may argue in actual talent. Really. Yes. He will spend their time well. Maybe? Maybe... not?
Due attention, of course, is heavily invested upon that giant Little Drummer Boy (ONE THIRD OF THIS NAME IS A TOTAL UTTER LIE) constructed just for the amusement of rich people who make money off of putting fighters in dumb and dangerous places, garnished with a bit of Christmas spirit. The only way they could gloss over the inherent senseless violence is if there were some way for the fighters in question to bleed alternating colors of red and green with a fresh peppermint scent. Or if they bled snow, because there ain't going to be snow for Christmas otherwise.
It's a bright evening (what evening /isn't/ bright in this city, seriously), The NOT SO LITTLE Drummer Boy has this bright little smile as it looks ready to drum itself a good time for the little slice of existence the event will occupy, and a giant platform for fighting. Which is the top of the drum. It's not a small detail to glance over. It could be a little big problem.
Not for that oddball Todoh, whom appears to be trying to enjoy tea, knelt down near the front edge of the platform, enduring the chilly air and otherwise seeming... peaceful. (?!)
Bleeding peppermint scented blood. That would be a novel idea.
But market much of anything to Cherise Bouchard, and she'll be all for it. She likes the untamed, the crazy, the wild-- she likes it so much that she let one of the staff of Saturday Night Fight talk her into climbing up onto a massive drum and battle with someone else, at the side of a man she vaguely recalls doing battle against once before. But Cherise isn't going to reminisce on that for long, instead staring up at the Freakin' Huge Drummer Boy atop the surface of the drum proper.
Her hands are tucked into the pockets of an oversized black wool coat, black stockings cover her legs to deal with the fact that she doesn't seem to ever wear anything more than a skirt on the lower half of her body.
Her blue eyes widen, then narrow. The stare at the drummer boy's face is vacant, as if she's trying to look beyond the drummer, look into the depths of it's soul. Maybe it's a reflection of herself, the shiny smiles painted onto a hollow machine.
Maybe she's pretending she's in the art museum from Ferris Bueller.
Either way, the Frenchwoman stands in wait, bored, and probably thinking about things that she shouldn't at her age.
With the season in full swing, SNF is as festive as ever. All around Rockefeller Square there are ornaments and decorations laid up and out, the square glowing brilliant colors and giving the cold outdoor air an otherwise warm and welcoming feeling. There's good cheer in the air, there around the massive replica of the season's famous Little Drummer Boy.
While the other fighters gather, Chun-Li waits patiently backstage. To get into the spirit of the season, she has opted instead to wear a red-colored qipao rather than her famous blue hued affair, and her braided oxhorn hairstyle is instead adorned with small sprigs of mistletoe and baby's breath. It's a bit much, perhaps for her tastes, but her stylist insists it'll really get the spirit out of her fans!
Eventually the World's Strongest Woman emerges, a sea of cheers erupting from the huge audiences gathered to watch the fight. Lifting an arm, Chun-Li regards her fans with a vibrant, warm smile and an eager wave as she steps out and approaches the nearest SNF official. Shortly after she's being elevated up to the massive drum the three fighters are meant to fight it out upon.
"Not my idea of a conventional stage," she mutters aloud, though she smiles still. "But it's cute." Pausing in her step she lifts a white booted foot and thumps the toe of her shoe against it. Seems like a legitimate drum...
"Oh, where are my manners?" Looking toward Cherise and Todoh with a smile, she bows politely to her opponents. "My name is Chun-Li. I am looking forward to this fight. Please, let us give our best for the audience!" Her weight shifts, an idle stance held as she smiles. "Feel free to start us off, both of you?"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Starscream has joined the fight here.
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Starscream
COMBATSYS: Todoh has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Starscream 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Todoh
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Cherise has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Starscream 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Todoh
Some wonder why the one and only Ryuhaku Todoh would bother to attempt to have a nice tea on an unsafe and unsteady surface. They don't know when to stop wondering. You damn kids and your wondering. There's no more splendor in thinking! All the old philosophers have kind of made the idea out of style. All the new thinkers these days are posers! Stop wondering! Do something else! Like sit-ups. Or just stare blankly instead. That's just fine. No more of this wide-eyed wondering business.
He finishes up the rest of his tea in one large gulp, either blissfully unaware of, or showing little to any real regard for his partner for the match - or maybe even his opponent, given how he tilts his head back and savors the flavor in this wintry air. Mmmm. Delicious. This is probably the most content the general public has ever witnessed Ryuhaku Todoh, given the rest of the time he's operating on some level of angry or whatever towards pretty much anything and everything he finds an excuse to be irate about.
"Hmm, she is here," he mutters to himself as one eye lazily opens and looks off towards Chun-Li where she is politely bowing and otherwise being a perfectly upstanding, sportsmanlike individual. He clears his throat. "Yes. Our best for the audience. Our best notice... that I just drank tea they'll never have, because I just had it first, and they didn't!" Japan's cultural equivalent of Scrooge in the making, folks.
"And you give me, Ryuhaku Todoh, the honor of starting! Hm, I don't know how I should feel," he rises up from his unsteady little perch on the drum, "like perhaps I should compliment your upbringing, or... or perhaps, respectfully bow back... but you know... tonight!" He starts to chuckle in that disconcerting way that is not appropriate to a fully grown dude. "Tonight! Sure, I'll... I'll 'start,'" with one hand making little quotation mark figures as he steps a fair distance away from Chun-Li. Typical SNF regulation distance between combatants, down to the letter.
"Why, I'll start..." at which point he just chucks the empty teacup at Chun-Li's head, which should come to the surprise of absolutely nobody involved as he raises his voice to pierce the winds and blaring Christmas songs and ambient chatter of the crowd as the SNF officials signal the start of the fight, "by asking you fetch me more tea, young lady!!"
The teacup is fragile and prone to shatter into many dangerous little glassy shards of... glass. It is not as stout as that little teapot people sing about, no sir. Ma'am.
No, not a conventional stage at all. Nor is it one that she would like to stand on a whole lot, what with the unstable surfaces and the lack of proper hook-points to secure an extra wire to keep her up upon the surface of the drum. Still, when Chun-Li properly introduces herself, the silver-haired teenager turns her head to face her and uses a finger to hook the bangs away from her face. "Cherise Bouchard."
Bringing her hand out of one of those coat pockets, her scarred fingers twitch and her wrist flicks, letting a subtle length of silvery wire fall to the surface of the massive drum-- a very light and shallow *dun* to the surface. With her other hand, she licks the tips of her fingers and shifts her weight, her fanned-out fingers forming into a claw-like shape as she brings her arm up in a swift arc.
Blades of silver energy scream away from her hand, paper thin and seeking to not only -strike- Chun-Li, but to rip, tear, and try to outright make her bleed, immediately.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Todoh's Thrown Object.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Todoh
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Cherise's Argent Claw.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Todoh
Both fighters are observed, first Todoh, then Cherise, as Chun-Li offers nothing more than a genuinely friendly smile to either. Even Todoh's infamous eccentric behavior gives her reason to grin all the more, as he offers to start them off. Cherise is spared a glance as she also introduces herself, another soft bow of the World's Strongest Woman's head delivered. Well, at least Cherise seems polite!
The fight begins with both fighters making their move. Todoh flings his cup at her, drawing a briefly baffled look from the woman before she ducks and lets it sail past, a frown briefly crossing her lips. Fetch him tea? "That isn't--!" The French woman's hand moves, catching Chun-Li's peripherals and earning her attention. Energy flies, the claw-like silvery energy crashing into the woman's forearms and leaving a small cut in its wake, causing her to flinch lightly.
Giving her arms a shaking out, Chun-Li just lets a small grin play its way across her face as she moves, dashing in at Todoh before she flips and lands in a handstand. It's a brief motion; moments later she shoves off her palms and snaps a leg out, intent on coming down upon Todoh with her boot's heel. Hard. "YAA!!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Todoh with Sen'en Shuu.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Todoh
The two assaults are uncoordinated. It is two strangers going up against the World's Strongest Woman (which would always be Kasumi in Ryuhaku's little self-centered universe). But Todoh has not forgotten that bout of so long ago in a low gravity environment! In fact, the claw-like silvery stuff from that Cherise lady veers juuuuuust close enough to him to remind him about it. He remembers it very clearly. He's sure she's still doing it wrong, like so many other kids.
He doesn't get much time to think of how to express his displeasure the other way because Chun-Li is not only the World's Strongest Woman, she is among the fastest. It's kind of a blur as she acrobatically approaches with nary an easy defensive weak spot or 'out,' and even as he just tries to lean juuuuuust a bit back, the heel comes down on his head and lays him flat enough to the drum floor that he all but bounces off of it like a trampoline. Boing!
A large bruise forms under the headband from where Chun-Li's heel would have brought so many lesser men to heel, eyes wide awake and red with discontent and offense! "THAT IS NOT THE TEA I ASKED FOR!!"
He struggles a little to gain back his momentum in mid-air, settling upon that tried and true method that he approaches pretty much everything, throwing up his arms into the air like he just doesn't care, except he really does care about this otherwise nice young(?) lady getting him the tea he asked for because damn, it's cold and he wants that tea now but noooo she's not giving it to him at his absolute demand!!
When the hands come down, it is impossible to confuse the yellowish-orangeish lights with any of the surrounding decor and cheer. It is impossible to think of it as being muted against such a colorful celebration of America's favorite winter holiday. It is what it is, three segments of chi, linked closely together and rapidly descending with the help of gravity and a dramatic downswing of his arms as it begins to fade back into thin air - but will it stop by and say 'hi' to Chun-Li along the way before it disappears?!
Once the blades of silver energy are thrown, Cherise watches as they impact with the World's Strongest Woman-- or at least, upon her arm, as she guards it with the strength that allows her to shrug off the majority of the damage. "Hnnn~."
Walking along the drum's surface, not running or expiditing her journey in any way, Cherise starts to circle the pair of fighters with a calm, calculating eye-- sharp, dangerous, and looking at the INTERPOL officer as if she had the ability to just see right through her.
Idly, Cherise's wrist flicks into the air, creating a little swirl of wire at her side that continues to move in a set pattern. She's waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting to see if Todoh can land the decisive strike that deals the woman a lot of damage-- or if Chun-Li has the power to cause the man another bout of strong damage. Either way, with that barely-visible weapon swishing in the air, Cherise starts working out the factors in her head... not so much mathematical, but observational, keeping an eye on how the woman acts.
"Oh~! That's your famous move, isn't it, old man?" she asks, spying Todoh's attack as well.
COMBATSYS: Cherise focuses on her next action.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Todoh
COMBATSYS: Todoh successfully hits Chun-Li with Kasane Ate.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Todoh
Down goes Todoh, buried briefly into the taut material lining the drum and bouncing upwards as Chun-Li withdraws her leg and rolls back, hopping back onto her feet. When HE gets back up she blinks somewhat, mildly startled at the sudden an unexpected outburst. Was he serious?
The Chinese woman just smiles and tilts her head lightly. "Sorry, mister Todoh. Maybe after the fight?" She lifts a hand, offering an apologetic salute as her sincere smile grows.
However, it falters somewhat as he moves his arms, a swath of chi segments coming at her, to the woman's surprise. She blinks, attempting to lift her arms in time, but to no avail; they strike past her defenses, a small cry escaping her as she's blasted back, boots skidding across the drum before she stops a wobbly stop. Seems his Kasane Ate got its Christmas Wish.
A glance is spared briefly, the woman's almond-brown eye peering toward Cherise, who seems to refrain from taking the offensive. Still a bit woozy from Todoh's strike, Chun-Li bites her lip before she moves, seeking to close in on Cherise and deliver a twofold strike, a side kick aimed at her stomach, followed by a swift second kick to her chest. "YA! YA!"
He's gonna test the patience of that smile, no doubt, just as he tests the patience of pretty much anybody or anything alike when the world just doesn't want to go the way he wants it to. The good news for the world at large, he does not have the means the likes of, say, Mr. Big, or Igniz, or Kurow, or Vega possess. The bad news for the world at large, he hasn't cognized the thought of humility. (Why would he, being Todoh!)
He bounces back down on the drum surface a few times until he can regain a steady, bounce-free footing as he falls unto a wobbly little kneel and rubs at his forehead briefly with a grunt. There's tea with a kick and there's a kick that is not tea, and he knows the difference!
"Hmph! Why yes it is! And you heard her, she said after the fight!" He growls. "After the fight, she said, what never!" He grumbles further as he stands back up and edges towards Chun-Li with careful shuffling of his feet for a slow approach. If she's attentive at all, there is no secret to his presence while he approaches, because when he wants something, that want, that desire, is known, shouted to the heavens, and spammed to every e-mail account. Figuratively. Does Ryuhaku even know computers? (Legend has it that every 'first!' poster upon a thread in the internet is actually him under a million different names across every site on the internet.)
"Is it after yet?!" He all but whines in an ungentlemanly manner as he tries to reach his arms under Chun-Li's and, assuming he gets a good grip, lift her over his head and just slam her up against the drum, like a drum, to drum up the pain and further cleverly reasoning why it is now 'after' the fight based on a particularly optimistic observation of his own skills and abilities compared to the World's Strongest Woman, or at least drum up another round of banter on this here drum between drumming kicks, and so forth.
(Ugh.)
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Cherise with Medium Kick.
- Power hit! -
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Todoh
Ah yes, the powerful Kasane Ate-- it hits, and it hits pretty well, all things considered. Cherise watches like a hawk, Chun-Li's every reaction to it. The way she hesitates, the way she charges in, and the way now those muscular legs are aimed toward her in a most painful way. The French girl takes the first kick with a heavy grunt, the second kick slamming into her chest and sending her slamming backwards, bouncing on the surface of the drum and skidding towards the edge.
Cherise rolls onto her hands and knees, her jaw hanging the slightest of bits, her mouth still quirked into a massive smile. Standing up and not even adjusting her coat afterward, the wire-slinging assassin decides to sprint in an arc, to work her way around Chun-Li and spring into the air. Twisting around hard, her right leg thrusts out at the woman's chest, attempting to touch so much as the toe-end of her boot to her body. If it connects, a shuddering spike of silver energy will bolt forward and attempt to pierce clear through Chun-Li's body, leaving a horrible sting... and the sensation of numbness, immediately after.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Todoh's Bodyslam.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=====--\-------\0 Cherise
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Chun-Li 1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0 Todoh
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li interrupts Argent Raid from Cherise with Hazan Tenshou Kyaku.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Todoh
She blinks again, Chun-Li's expression distantly baffled as Todoh rants about after the fight. Seeing nothing wrong with offering to get him tea after the fight, the World's Strongest Woman seeming genuinely perplexed and merely shrugs before she sports a glance to Cherise. Maybe SHE can translate?
Not that she has time. He whines at her as he closes in rather sneakily, but with a hop back and away, Chun-Li flips over Todoh and lands behind him, shaking her head lightly. "No, not yet!" she offers with a light laugh, hopping back and away a foot before she wags a finger at the older man. "You need to learn patience, sir. All in due time!"
For right now, Cherise is looking for some vengeance. Sudden movement from the Frenchwoman draws her attention immediately, brown eyes whipping back and peering at her as she suddenly leaps and thrusts a leg out. At the same time, Chun-Li kneels low, arms outstretched. "HAZAN--!!"
She moves like a blur, her body suddenly whipping into action as she snaps a leg up and around, whipping it into Cherise's prone form as her foot connects and energy lances out. But it doesn't stop at one kick; no, she whips her body again, spinning around and letting her other leg crack into the woman's chest, followed by another, and another. Ten kicks delivered with painfully precise accuracy into her chest as she carries the silver-haired woman upwards at an angle, hammering the French woman before she's left to free fall from the air and hit the ground. As for Chun-Li? She freefalls, landing in a soft crouch before she winces.
From high up above, as the fighting rages on between the World's Strongest Woman, a distant groaning sound can be heard. It is faint, and distinctly metallic; the clicking of gears into place and the whirring of motors straining to life. If anyone cared to look, they'd see it:
The Drummer Boy's eyes glowing a bright and ominous shade of red.
From speakers situated perhaps a bit disturbingly in the drummer boy's mouth, a soft tune begins to play. Distinctive, festive. It is accompanied by the stiff rise of the drummer boy's arms, metallic drumsticks glinting in the artificial lights illuminating the Rockefeller tree in Christmas joy. The sound of music picks up...
It's as 'Deck the Halls' begins playing that the drummer's sticks suddenly crash into the drumhead to the beat of the music, heavy metal tools threatening to smash into Todoh, Cherise and Chun-Li alike in a festive battering to be indulged in by all as the shrill 'voice' of the drummer boy shrieks out, "DECK THE HALLS WITH BOUGHS OF HOLLY, FRA LA LA LA LAAA, LA LA LA LAA~~~~!"
Feel the holiday cheer.
COMBATSYS: Starscream successfully hits Todoh with Deck the Halls.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Todoh
It's not a whiffed grab unless you make yourself look as goofy as possible for trying to wrap your arms around thin air. This is common fighter wisdom! And Todoh looks especially dumb as he leans into aforementioned thin air as though it were to help him catch something that is clearly not there, nor has it been during the time he gets the idea to actually attempt it, because Chun-Li is that quick of foot and wit.
"Eeyurgh?!" An exaggerated gasp falls from the lips of the one man here, a man among men who cannot catch the World's Strongest Woman as she stands behind him, hitting the proverbial start button for the taunt. "Hm! You scold me like a little child, do you." The eyes narrow. Oh, what nuggets of wisdom will /he/ share.
He stands underneath Cherise during her awesome aerial approach that is soon met by Chun-Li's own counter-assault, and really, it's a great show of split-second decision making and masterful timing alike. Those watching give their 'oohs' and 'aahs,' leaving Todoh feeling somewhat jealous as he opts to fan himself. Hmph, nuggets of wisdom, what sorts of this will he spring on her in turn, he wonders, at which point he remembers he's older and gets to make them up because younger people are too young to know he made them up.
Then something horrible happens. Something so beautifully horrible, so... /festive/. The gears grind, the area on the platform takes on a bright red hue from the sheer brightness of those evil glowing eyes. The beat! The mechanical, non-voice song of the not so Little Drummer Boy!
Todoh feels something heavy on his head. He rubs it, turns around, and gets off half an angry yell before it hits him again, and again, and again, forcing him down over on all fours as it then commences drumming his rear end like a scornful father.
"AIIIIEEE!! Ooooh! Ow! GAAAH! Gck! ARGH!" And so forth, as Ryuhaku Todoh gets spanked several times over to the tune of Deck the Halls, left stunned and pained but not embarrassed, rolling onto his back on the drum as the beat of that malicious drummer robot's sticks follow around the other ladies.
He starts to drum his fingers on the drum while supporting his head with the other arm like a freshly survived Wile E. Coyote after the umpteenth ACME gadget-related failure of the episode.
COMBATSYS: Todoh takes no action.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Todoh
COMBATSYS: Starscream successfully hits Cherise with Deck the Halls.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Cherise
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Todoh
She clearly misjudged this woman somewhere along the line-- her tactical breakdown, her trains of thought, they didn't work just the way they should have, and as a result, Cherise is introduced to a whole new sort of pain that she rather quite enjoys. Ten kicks hammer into her chest, and for a moment it feels like her ribs are threatening to break. The final, driving kick sends her back down to the surface of the drum's head, and the silver-haired French girl bounces on the surface like a rag doll.
Before she can even -get up-, the sticks come crashing down on the drum's head and slam into Cherise, sending her skipping along on the drum until she comes to a pummeled, painful stop near the edge.
Her head is down, her face out of sight, but there's definately a bit of blood trailing behind her, skidding here and there from where she slid across the surface of their fighting arena. Then, her fingers pull out slightly into the air before they touch the surface of the drum...
... And silver lines of energy explode out from under the drumhead and try to ensnare the World's Strongest Woman in their powerful grasp-- including a rather disabling shock to the senses to keep her steady.
COMBATSYS: Cherise can no longer fight.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=------\1 Todoh
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Starscream's Deck the Halls.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=------\1 Todoh
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Cherise's Argent Finale.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=------\1 Todoh
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Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
... and then, her arm falls flat to the surface, taken by the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.
Just when everything seemed quite normal, the horrible Drummer Boy becomes animated.
Its hand raises, the long metallic drumsticks glinting in festive lighting shining all around. The Chinese martial artist snaps her attentions upward, watching as the thing groans and grinds before, swiftly, the drumsticks descend--and fast!
There's no time to waste; the woman's legs tense, feet digging into the leathery drum surface as she times her footing. Just when the stick falls she lunges out of the way. Followed by another, and another, and another; weaving, dodging and zipping about, Chun-Li manages to avoid the drum strikes from her newfound mechanical foe.
Todoh and Cherise, on the other hand, don't appear to fare well. That doesn't stop Cherise, however.
A sudden flash of energy catches the woman's attention, brown eyes widening before she leaps up, twirls and lands gracefully out of harm's way. Exhaling lightly, her thin shoulders sag beneath the red silk qipao, lips pulling into a light frown. That just leaves Todoh.
When the drumsticks stop beating out a horrible tune, Chun-Li makes her move. She jogs in, swiftly approaching before she leaps up and over, flipping head over heels above Todoh. At first it appears she's going to simply jump over him; however, at the apex of her leap both legs shoot out, heels aimed at the back of Todoh's head to hammer the poor guy forward after the beating he just took!
COMBATSYS: Todoh interrupts Tenshin Shuu Kyaku from Chun-Li with Aogi Kasane Ate.
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Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1 Todoh
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Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|
The drumming of his own fingers rings almost as horribly as the application of big metal stick to his butt. A thorough spanking. It is not a far cry from whatever it is that just happened to that youth who may as well be a faceless, nameless nonentity due to being one of several who seem to go for that... that /thing/ that young fighters use these days that disturb him so. Well, not a complete nonentity. He recognized her from before at least!
Nonetheless, he is there, prone, hurt, /thinking/. He's cold, he's thirsty, and quite frankly this whole scenario won't do. It looks like easy pickings for Chun-Li as she goes to finish the job, flipping up and over and presenting some heels to make him kneel further, which is hard to do because he's already lying down on the drum, drumming his fingers and otherwise waiting for imminent doom while doing his own little brand of planning and thinking.
Just as fleet goes against flat, Todoh raises a single hand suddenly, shutting one eye from exertion and irritation alike as he cups that single hand and swings it downward at an angle. Three flat, diagonal segments of chi follow this maneuver he would often dedicate /two/ hands to. Does it even do him any good?
He winces, turning his head and yelling something unintelligible as he shakes the kicked wrist up and down to shake off the pain that shoots through it - but yet the little diagonal segmented chi-plate thingies that could effectively make the block, if not a clean one - more than likely sending some of that pain back in the clash between two forces but at this point he cares not for specifics or wherever the hell Chun-Li intends to go from the rebound.
"So, you ready to surrender yet? I'm not gonna be thirsty all night you know!!" He berates like the ingrate he is, regardless of being down a teammate because damn, he can't wait.
Though her feet connect with Todoh, the sudden burst of segmented chi catches her by surprise. It erupts like before, blasting Chun-Li back and away, to hit the drum's surface with a loud, distinct rap of something heavy on the taut leather-like surface. She bounces once more, then lands on her back.
Smiling at the evening air, she pulls herself to her feet once more, shaking off his chiding with a gentle but playful sort of expression. "No, not quite yet, mister Todoh," the woman explains, dipping her head in a slight bow before she slides into stance. "I've still got some fight left in me!"
To emphasize her point, Chun-Li moves without warning, dashing in close in an attempt to snare Ryuhaku Todoh by his front and slam him hard into the drum beneath the pair. "YAA!"
COMBATSYS: Todoh dodges Chun-Li's Quick Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|
Look at her, all nice and straightforward and honest. Everything a father would want in a daughter! But in a twist of eccentric hypocritical behavior this just turns Chun-Li into the most irritating woman of the evening, a fact that can be read plainly on the elder man's face as he still shakes out that hand from that little kick of hers.
He rolls about the drum like someone who just can't sleep without tossing or turning as Chun-Li races forward, which means putting pressure where he was recently throttled which means angry groan which then becomes a little extra desire towards spiteful malice which then is broadcast to the world as a rather modest sweep of a leg at Chun-Li's feet while working himself up to a stand.
"So how about I borrow some of that fight and beat you until you get me some tea with it, huh?!" He asks all the while.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Todoh's Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Starscream 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|
Arms shoot forward, but long fingers catch nothing, save empty air between her fingertips. Instantly, Chun-Li's gaze shoots forward and watches as the older Todoh rolls back along the drum, her lips daring to tug into a grin at the sight. It is pretty amusing, after all! "Oh, come on," she offers, holding her ground with her arms akimbo and her hands upon her hips. "Don't be a sourpuss!"
But he is, evident by the kick that shoots out. Leaping up as his foot sweeps, Chun-Li hops over his leg entirely before she lands again, bouncing slightly atop the drum surface. "Besides, if you keep being grumpy, I'll not be generous enough to get you tea afterwards," she chides, teasingly.
With a grin she moves once more, drawing in as quickly as possible before she twists her body and swings an arm out, attempting to deliver a swift backfist to Todoh's cheek! "YAH!"
Just when you thought it was safe to stop celebrating the birth of the son of god--!!
While the big Little Drummer Boy has quieted down since it's last rampage, it was only a matter of time before the festive onslaught began anew. And that time -- is /now./ With the creak of metal aching to life, the mighty, slaving arms of the drummer boy who likely never even wanted to be drumming songs for baby Jesus but did it /anyway/ because that's what hard-working people do during the holidays, lift upwards into the air. That very Christmasy (satanic) gaze of the boy flares violent red as his mouth opens wide, the sound of gears clicking into place the only warning that Todoh and Chun-Li will get. One down--
--And apparently, the drummer intends to take out two birds with one stone this time. The drumsticks rain down in a sudden, ferocious beat as music starts to blare across the stereo. Loud music. Distinctive music. The beat is a bit sluggish at first, but the blows are all mighty and tremendous. Noteworthy and terrible. Could it be--
COMBATSYS: Todoh dodges Chun-Li's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\====---\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Todoh dodges Starscream's Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\====---\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|
That ol' Todoh. Never knows when to quit. Never knows when to shut up. Never knows when he doesn't belong. But he always knows what exactly he wants, and he wants him more tea and if this lady doesn't get it for him, he might have to get it himself. And by 'get it himself' it's more 'yell and shout at people while hitting them until they do what you want.'
The sweep comes up short but his return to a respectable fighting posture, surprisingly for those oddsmakers probably having a heart attack right about now, arms forward and legs spread apart despite the continuing throbbing pain of a still fresh spanking. He doesn't even feel like standing up but /look what they made him do/, they made him stand up again and boy is he not pleased.
She chides playfully. He glares menacingly. Her fist flies as the gears grind and the Not So Little Drummer Boy gets ready for the coup de gras. Some nails are bitten among the parts of the crowd who were too dumb to wear gloves in this temperature. Todoh is doomed in some comically karmic fashion or another...!
Except that he leaps into the air with hardly a start or any other sort of tell, sailing into the air as he narrowly avoids both fist and nearby drumstick, for the moment free of any sort of seismic force that would have disrupted his balance and/or continued chances to have the strength to pitch a total fit over petty things no one is under any obligation to do except for himself, thrusting a foot forward at descent in a classic leaping kick upon Chun-Li as he would pretty much anyone else, if he did leaping kicks more often.
"HOW ABOUT NOW?!" He calls above the thunderous percussions and gasping crowds and his own ego. Seriously, his own ego is so loud and proud that it could probably drown out your average heavy metal concert. (Maybe.)
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Starscream's Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\====---\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li full-parries Todoh's Medium Kick!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\====---\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/--=====|
The glare given by Todoh is still met with a small, almost irritatingly coy smile from the World's Strongest Woman. It remains even as she moves forward, attempting to slam her knuckles straight into the man's face and send him flying. Somehow, though, old man Todoh avoids her altogether once again. It's nearly startling, how fast this old man is moving.
But her thoughts are stirred as machinery moves above, the massive Drummer Boy coming to life once more to exact musical justice upon both fighters remaining. Her brown eyes narrow sharply, as the drumsticks come down, and with a sudden jolt she moves, avoiding the first strike. Seconds later, Todoh's foot shoots out at her face, drawing a surprised look. She lifts her arms suddenly, letting her bare forearm intercept the kick and glides beneath it as she shifts herself swiftly underneath Todoh.
"Not just yet!" she calls back as she lifts her leg. Once Todoh lands, however, her leg snaps out, a series of fast blows delivered in rapid succession, each pounding at the older man like some brutal jackhammer. "YA! YA! YA!"
COMBATSYS: Todoh endures Chun-Li's Hyakuretsu Kyaku EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/=======|
And consarnit, Todoh loses complete track of where Chun-Li is in between his demands that she put down whatever fight she have left so she can get him some tea (or, in the more likely scenario, pick it up and beat her with it) and that she's just not... there any more, because she's behind him right as he lands, once again miffed at putting that much strain on his lower back.
'Not just yet,' she calls from behind him. He doesn't even really get much time to actually think about complaining about his lower back and lack of additional tea since Chun-Li times her assault right when he lands to begin with, and in fact, that feeling of 'ow' in his lower back was simply the first of many lightning kicks, each one pushing him forward away from Chun-Li with a few ribs unable to withstand such might at the speed they're racking up! It's brutal!
One of the drumsticks slams down nearby in front of him, which disrupts his balance that he doesn't sway away, he sways /back/ into the kicks, turning around as he wheezes for the air that she keeps kicking out of him, teeth gritting into the ultimate grimace cocktail of pain, anger, thirst, and of course, Old Man Attitude.
And those bruises travel with wherever the kicks end up landing instead with the turn, traveling around his back to his left side all the way up front, at which point he raises his arms up - the one that wasn't kicked in earlier rising higher than the one that was - and defying any expectations of whatever breath he can take in after such a thorough hammering with but a call.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOW?!" The arms go down. There's now yellowish-orangeish blocky chi blobs, no, from the ground and outward is a conic wave of whiteish-blue thin blade-like shapes as they protrude from the ground, threatening to envelope Chun-Li and perhaps even take her along for the ride outward as he asks that quintessential question of whether or not /this/ will, in fact, make the fight over so he can get more of his damned tea!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Todoh's Cho Kasane Ate.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 1/-------/=======|
Kick after kick, Todoh takes it with admirable effort. As he begins to turn in the midst of her barrage she lets her features falter somewhat, her expression baffled as he faces her directly. What on earth could the old man possibly be doing? Something is definitely amiss, but what is it?
Again, Todoh's arms raise up and summarily descend, another swath of odd-colored and oddly-shaped chi flying forth. She blinks, but has already learned her lesson from before; swiftly her arms swing up, shielding her face and chest from harm as the chi collides into her and sends her sliding back along the drum's surface. Once the chi has settled, her arms drop and lightly shake out, a small grin reforming on her mouth.
"Mmmm, no, not just yet!" she calls back as she leaps up, bouncing once on the rubbery leather surface for height before she bounces again, going even higher--and then forward with a leap! For she twists midair, only to suddenly snap a leg out, attempting to come down swiftly upon Todoh's head with the top of her boot's heel. "HAH!"
COMBATSYS: Todoh dodges Chun-Li's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 1/-------/=======|
He's still wheezing, and after that last shot, he's having a heck of a time staying straight up. A cough later confirms that yeah, a few more of those good kicks there and that'd be that, wouldn't it? But manly pride does its damned hardest to hide such discomfort from showing on his face. Not for the good of his family and his art! Well, actually, yeah, for the good of his family and his art. But really, the first thing on his mind right now is 'tea, must have.' Being beaten up does not do wonders for thirst! Unless it's for blood, and if one wants to taste one's own. That would be weird.
Ahem.
Chun-Li continues to insist it's not time just yet, and how's he supposed to feel about that?! He coughs twice again, crouching over as such that her swift descent is met with a hairline miss that leaves the two of them uncomfortably close to one another. The World's Strongest Woman and some guy, back to back in a tense situation where any one hit could be the decisive strike, especially with that drummer's evil gaze looming before them.
The situation calls for a masterly stroke to inspire the generation, a show-stopping blow that could change the face of Saturday Night Fight forever, herald the beginning of a whole new chapter in the way the very world approaches the art of fighting, be it on the streets, among rival schools, a showdown among samurai, stalkers in the dark, to mark this final fight where the last blades have been drawn in the old era...
It does not call for Ryuhaku to suddenly lift up a hand behind Chun-Li's head and then impolitely and childishly flick his fingers at it, but that doesn't stop him from doing just that. It is a brazen underestimation of just how much he's up against! To him it is not him versus Chun-Li, it is him versus the limits of his own patience and by Gill, he's sure losing.
COMBATSYS: Todoh successfully hits Chun-Li with Jab Punch EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 1/------=/=======|
Clearly, Chun-Li has underestimated this old Todoh.
To her surprise, he again narrowly avoids her heel strike, her foot coming down and bouncing against the leathery drum surface as he moves out of harm's way. Her brow furrows slightly, discreetly crinkled in confusion as she swiftly pulls herself up in an attempt to get back onto her feet. But just when Chun-Li manages to get on them--
Todoh smacks her upside the back of her head. Sort of.
The gesture is jarring, briefly stunning the woman before she whips around and peers curiously at the old man. He's acting like a spoiled child! This is a fight, and all he wants is his tea!?
Again, the World's Strongest Woman smiles. "Just for that you're not getting any tea from me after this," she chides, wagging her finger once more before she suddenly moves. Leaping up high, her body rotates midair, head inverting as she twists and brings her legs up. A surge of chi ignites around her, soft violet energy lancing down her legs before she twists sharply. Her legs split, the energy spiking as it trails down along with her chi and comes down like the wrath of god upon Todoh, to send him slamming painfully into the face of the drum, complete with a burst of chi! "HAAAAH!"
And now it's time for the Revenge of the Return of the Resurrection of the Big Little Drummer Boy VI: The Return of the Revenging Harder!??
The battle rages on, perhaps longer than many would have thought -- but why would they think anything other than greatness of the elegant and subtle technique of Ryuhaku Todoh? The subtle, powerful, masterful, wonderful art of TODOH-RYUU is one that can scarcely be comprehended by science and scientology alike.
Still, the time has hit its limit once more even as power surges around Chun-Li in ebbs of violet chi. Violet contrasts with red as suddenly, like a shot in the dark, music cuts through the air at a violent volume once again. Slow, simple. Melancholy.
'Blue Christmas' plays as a funeral march for Chun-Li and Todoh as those drumsticks once more pound into the drumset, suddenly covering a wide, sweeping area as they pummel the leathery arena Chun-Li and Todoh preside upon with the sticks of God Himself.
Or something. Either way, it'll sting.
COMBATSYS: Todoh endures Starscream's Blue Christmas.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\==-----\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Todoh with Tensei Ranka EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
That music blares as Chun-Li takes to the air. That festive, blaring music that's going to damage some of these peoples' hearing as they get older! The flawless indicator of upcoming drumming mayhem! Not that it matters much to Ryuhaku, but it really should. Sometimes he can't disregard or ignore things enough to be not an issue. This is one of those times.
"What, just because--" He is interrupted due to having to breathe because of smashed up ribs, one of the few times bodily injury has been ever able to shut him up - or at least stop him from finishing some inane derisive commentary about what their attitudes towards whatever it is he does means. And also because a large drumstick suddenly slams down on him. He bends over painfully as he's thumped once, an indecipherable trail of further displeasure at which point he's struck down again into a further bent-over shape. When the third comes, by sheer piss and vinegar, he just brings his arms up around the stick and is lifted up for the ride while his head swims over the latest.
Nobody would be entirely sure as to what this would accomplish other than him meeting Chun-Li's assault far sooner than she might have expected as he kicks him off the drumstick to the waiting drum below with a prolonged gasp, at which point his battered old body bounces off the drum. It renders the original point of the exercise moot and leaves much to speculation, which is... normal fare for Todoh, all things considered.
He sits up sluggishly in defiance of injury, lack of any clarity of the world around him, and any real ability to breathe in much. "N-Nooooooow?"
The drumstick comes down on his head one more time out of spite, adding another lump to his head as his upper body just tilts back onto the drum, a nap on the drumskin like Mickey Rogers to the boxing mat.
All appears peaceful and over with at last on this cold yet warm holiday night, but...?!
COMBATSYS: Todoh takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Todoh has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|
He then suddenly shoots up onto his feet like a salaryman forgetting to wake up before the proper stop and snorts, readopting that stance anew with little variations between slouching and any actual steadiness due to, of course, having the crap beaten out of him just now.
"I'm still... still thirsty, you know!" Oh hey, look at that, he's managed an exclamation mark. He's fair game!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Starscream's Blue Christmas.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/------=|
Just as Chun-Li recovers from the painful assault she'd dealt unto poor Todoh, drumsticks begin to fall down, to once again pound the drum--and the fighters upon it! Not about to press her luck, however, Chun-Li takes the defensive. As the drum sticks crash and sweep about she shields her body, letting the metallic drumsticks crash into her forearms as she weathers it all out. Surely the fight is sealed, with Todoh on his back--!
Spoke too soon.
He shoots up suddenly, a baffled look once again crossing Chun-Li's features before she offers a sigh and a lopsided grin. "No, not yet. And not ever if you continue to get sassy!" she yet again chides at the older man. She doesn't waste time, however; dashing forward again, Chun-Li seeks to close the once-broad gap between Todoh and herself to deliver another swift blow with a fist to his sternum. "HI-YAA!"
COMBATSYS: Todoh dodges Chun-Li's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/------=|
Confusion and sighing? Get used to it! This is Ryuhaku Todoh! What this confusion and sighing are over, though, is not for him to decide, no matter what sorts of causes he would attempt to append to such gestures and emotional states.
It is a small medical wonder, though, that a man would be able to put up any sort of notion of being able to fight back after some of the latest. Blood dribbles down his head, his breath is heavy, labored, and bears all the signs of a need to get to some kind of oxygen machine or something, but nooooo, he still wants his tea and he really wants it now and he wants her to get it for him, as has been reiterated several times already.
"Hmph," he hmphs as she declines once again... with conditions! How dare she! In defiance to this defiance, he flexes his knowledge of the third dimension as the swift punch goes sailing once more, only to just pass his side as he not-so-effortlessly sways off to the side to avoid the blow in a none too spectacular or showy manner.
That he nearly falls back onto his back again in the process, as evidenced by him swinging his arms to try and keep his balance is plenty indication that maybe it might be a foregone conclusion to many of the spectators as he forces himself forward with but a single upwards uppercut. It is not like the flying uppercuts of pretty much anyone else under the sun, for it is not even a jumping or flying uppercut. It is simply an uppercut, a mere uppercut, nothing but the uppercut and that uppercut may or may not be nothing.
"Not fast enoooough!" Not fast enough what? Service, or not fast enough strikes? He doesn't care to specify because he feels his desires and expectations of Chun-Li in this instance and any instance thereof are crystal clear.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Todoh's Hakuzan Tou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/------=|
What on Earth did Todoh drink before the match?
Startled when he sways just out of her fist's way, Chun-Li can't help but try and stifle a small chuckle when he clumsily recovers. As he suddenly swings forward and attempts to uppercut her, Chun-Li simply hops back, avoiding the strike to her prone face by mere seconds. But a smile still remains on her thin lips, eyes alight with mirth.
"Is that so? Well I clearly have to try harder, then!" she chimes as she lunges forward and drops low, to try and sweep the man's feet out from underneath him. "HAAH!" All she needs is one solid hit, she thinks. How he's still up and able to move is certainly beyond her. Shouldn't he be out by now!?
COMBATSYS: Todoh counters Medium Kick from Chun-Li with Kuzu Otoshi.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/----===|
Post-uppercut, he still doesn't cast much of an air of... being together. Maybe he's too busted up to let reason take over, but then again he doesn't seem to let reason take over even when he /isn't/ knocking on the door of yet another huge hospital bill. His gaze, unfocused, if still somehow unapproving. His legs seem ready to buckle under him, but he holds his arms out all the same in his usual stance.
He hasn't had any alcohol tonight. This could change.
Chun-Li moves in for the sweep. He grins. There isn't any connection between these two events other than one happening just at the same time as the other. The foot moves in at lightning speed. (Lightning fast thunder thighs, who would have thought?)
At which point he suddenly snaps the leg up with his hands, flipping Chun-Li over onto her back on the drum with a slam that could perhaps just maybe win the approval of the soulless eyes of that heartless automaton of a Giant Robot Drummer Boy as he then withdraws a fan from parts unknown and smacks Chun-Li with it a couple times without any particular favored place to really strike her.
He doesn't ask the question. Why? He kind of forgets to make the question even more grating while in the process of grating Chun-Li to Cheese-Li.
Dropping low, the woman is suddenly quite startled when Todoh's hand snaps out and otherwise just flips her over onto the back like some little turtle. It knocks the wind out of her lungs, as do the sudden smacks of his fan upon her person before she's left to her own devices. Coughing lightly, the woman rolls over and pulls herself shakily to her feet. This isn't going well...
Pulling back, she distances herself a bit, giving herself room from the man. She doesn't push the offensive; instead, Chun-Li pulls back and gives herself a moment to focus on her actions, eyes pinching shut a few times before they open. Fixed on Todoh, she offers a small, coy smile as she bows her head politely.
"S-sorry, just give me a moment, okay?" she implores of the old man, taking time out to catch her breath before things get lively again.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|
You just can't get enough of the Christmas Joy, and so here it is, back to lay another beat on you.
Literally.
The time has come once again. Like clockwork, the motors of the drummer boy ignite. The people look hopeful, perhaps enjoying the sight and spectacle of a giant mechanical boy beating the life out of unfortunate victims. Or perhaps they want to hear a new song.
They don't get it. Instead, the whirring, crackling sound of stereos and gears clicking into place are drowned out by the blaring sound of something familiar as metal sticks hammer into the leather arena, seeking to pound into Todoh and the prone Chun-Li. The shrieking voice of the Drummer Boy roars out, a little strained this time -- perhaps from the machinery overworking itself -- as 'Deck the Halls' begins to play in a slightly high-pitched squeal. The crowds frown.
Holiday spirit isn't as good if it's just /repeated./
The violence is nice and festive, though.
COMBATSYS: Starscream successfully hits Todoh with Deck the Halls.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Starscream 1/=======/=======|=======\===----\1 Todoh
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|
Chun-Li pulls back and asks for a reprieve. Most fighters would not allow her the opportunity when she was weak. After all, taking her down would mean plenty to one's own status as a fighter. She is hailed as one of the best of the best of the best in the world. Ryuhaku Todoh already believes this of /himself/.
He foolishly sits on his knees as the whirring, crackling stereos come live. Finally, he will have more tea at last, he figures. This is really stupid to do given the drumsticks are beginning to come down again. Maybe he figures he's safe here in his little waiting spot for more tea?!
He must, if he isn't moving by the time it comes down nearby, and then adjusts itself to his present position and whacks him upside the head, knocking him over face-flat. It repeats this several times before relenting, and it is quite a drumming like the ones before. Is that enough to keep him down at last?!
Moments pass. And then...
Todoh leans up again back in the previous waiting kneeling position, his face a real piece of modern artwork of bruises, missing teeth, blood, and other such ugly realities of fighting. "Noooooooooooow?!" He asks as he brings his hands up again, shaking, as a new color fills the night are with a light blue shine! Four(!?) segments of that lovable blocky chi are like some kind of aurora in this cold night, bringing down the wrath of the heavens(?) and the Gods themselves (lies) as he doubles back over, hands still outstretched. Does he bow to Chun-Li?! Well... not intentionally.
But there's still the matter of that... blue... descending wave thing that's kind of like the other thing he's been throwing around and you know what, even in his infinite wisdom and generosity (pffthahaha) Ryuhaku thinks it too cheap to do anything other than do a simple palette swap.
Is it a mere palette swap?! More importantly, does he stay down this time? Some of these people want to go home for the holidays already!
COMBATSYS: Todoh can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|=======\=======\1 Starscream
Okay yeah he does.
COMBATSYS: Starscream successfully hits Chun-Li with Deck the Halls.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/---====|=======\=======\1 Starscream
COMBATSYS: Todoh successfully hits Chun-Li with Meiou Ken EX.
Glancing Blow
[ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-======|=======\=======\1 Starscream
Just when she thought she had a chance to catch her breath--
That cursed automaton comes to life once more!
Its drumsticks come crashing down, thumping on the massive drum--and catching bother fighters in its wake. Chun-Li lets out a strangled cry as she's smacked a few times, her body aching all over from the beating she's taken so far. It hurts, and this doesn't make things any better! But...she has to pull through!
Unfortunately, Todoh doesn't make that /easy/. Just as she gets onto her feet the old man does as well, suddenly filling the air with energy that comes crashing toward her. While she tries her best to avoid the bulk, she's still painfully clipped, a cry escaping her once more as she spins around and ultimately hits the drum's surface with an audible THUD.
Like Todoh, she's down for the count too, it seems, both victims of cruel holiday cheer. But the crowds seem to love it, and that's what matters most! Right?
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Starscream 1/=======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Starscream 1/=======/=======|
Two mighty fighters are down for the count. Well, three. But two of them went for a good long bout. It is quiet aside from the murmuring and the obligatory announcement of a double KO after an argument that accidentally gets broadcast around the impromptu gathering as to whether or not the victory should be awarded to the Giant Robot Drummer Boy instead, despite it being an invalid machine made solely for this battle, etc, etc.
But somehow, between the hustle of environmental noise and the bustle of a light head and an aching body, Ryuhaku Todoh manages to inch towards her in a rather awkward way, given he's still face-down from a kneel. He stops about arm's length away before it happens again. The subject that will never die, the question that will go forever.
"Now?" He mumbles.
COMBATSYS: Starscream has ended the fight here.
Log created on 20:19:05 12/21/2008 by Chun-Li, and last modified on 21:29:43 01/16/2009.