Neo League 826 - #840: Yuno vs Mary

Description: There's a saying of don't mix business and pleasure, but really, where's the fun in doing something you do all day? On your own terms, maybe it makes things different enough. In this case, Umbrella vs staff - But which comes out victorious!?



Yuno has been, to say the least, a little overwhelmed by what has happened to Southtown since his arrival here. The kid knew 'overwhelming force' when he saw it, and he couldn't help but think that if he drew too much attention to himself, he might risk getting in well over his head. On the other hand, it went against his heart to just stand aside and do nothing. On the other other hand, he liked having his heart in the place it was at the moment, and not say, punched out of his body, with all his blood.

It's a moral dilemma.

Whilst pondering this, however, he had at least found somewhere in Southtown that he found a /little/ comforting, in the form of Chinatown. It is still absolutely crazy compared to the world he was used to, but, it is at the same time, the familiar kind of crazy rather than the entirely new kind of crazy. So, he has set himself up here, and, after considering it for a little while, has decided to continue his quest regardless of the mayhem all around him. If anything, it made his quest even more important!

So it is that a very polite note had been sent to Mary. As far as Yuno knew, Mary was just... another fighter, though what little he had seen of her implied that her style would be a very interesting match against his own! Mary might not, however, be expecting a young bald boy to be the person waiting for her at the site of the challenge, where a few stalwart cameramen have been set up to monitor the results of the match. Just because there is a war, that doesn't mean the Neo League would stop!

Yuno, for his part, looks excited. There is even a small (very small) crowd gathered to watch the fight! Set outside a chinese restaurant, with a safe, respectful distance cleared for the battle to take place in, the boy is currently stretching his legs, rocking from his right to his left over and over again. "Boy, I hope she turns up! This should be fun!" He announces, to nobody in particular.

With such a time away, Mary hadn't had a moment to have some fun, nor really stretch out. That has to chance, and how fortunate that all the fighters happen to be concentrated within this little, odd, quaint, Town. So many people, so many different warriors milling about, how could you tell which is which? It's so exciting.

Parting ways with Urien, at the moment, Mary had made her statement to the Neo League officials clear. Business and pleasure don't have to be two different things, but she'd far more prefer the pleasure than any semblance of work. For now, she doesn't wish to worry about success or failure in the presence of Urien, earning her keep and all.. What she would far more prefer is a chance to really stretch out - More so than she had in the past.. and that's really what Neo League is for, isn't it? The spectacle, the sport, the /violence/.

While Mary may not be expecting a bald headed boy to be her opponent, something, moving through the minute crowd, is frilly. Rather frilly, actually, a bonnet.. and an umbrella, tilted backwards, over the woman's shoulder. Coming to a stop infront of the Chinese restaurant, Mary closes the parasol, putting the tip against the ground, and smiling from under the bonnet - which at the moment covers her eyes.

"Oh darlin', so you're the one I get ta' play with? A youngin' eh... well.. don't worry about roughin' up lil' ol me, y'hear?" She shakes a bit of the frilly dress, clearly southern, before she glances about.. after raising the bonnet up slightly. "This'll just be perfect. Practically all ah' could ever ask for." The smile grows a bit wider, but it's not so much out of happiness. She has other things planned.

".. So Darlin'..." She notes, "Ya'll want to start this here happenin' off?"

Yuno straightens up when Mary approaches, and smiles brightly. He had taken the time to find out what Mary looked like, and so he wasn't too surprised when she does appear. At her words, however, he gives a low bow. "I won't!" He promises, perhaps a little too cheerfully, but, as he straightens, he takes the three section staff from his back, and handles it easily, folded up, at the moment, it rests in his palm. "Don't worry about me, either! I'm tougher than I look. But, well, I just hope I am a challenge!"

Her offer catches the boy off guard, but, he gives a quick nod regardless. "Thank you!" He replies, shifting his footing a little, it doesn't take long for him to start looking like he is ready, bouncing on the balls of his feet, he gives Mary a moment to prepare, not wanting to catch her by surprise as she had so kindly offered him the first opportunity to strike.

And then, suddenly, he darts forwards, and the staff- which looks, honestly, pretty unwieldy- springs from his hand. He grasps the final section, the weapon stretching its full length out towards her, and aiming to crack against her shoulder before he whips it back, intending to test her defenses, and, of course, signal the beginning of the fight!

COMBATSYS: Yuno has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Yuno             0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Mary has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Mary             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Yuno


COMBATSYS: Mary blocks Yuno's Weapon Jab.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Mary             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Yuno


He won't, eh? that's a good boy, oh, quite a good boy. Smiling as Yuno bows, her pale eyes.. and face, flance down at him as he takes .. a staff. A weapon user as well? Oh how wonderfully interesting. This will truly be entertaining, she thinks, especially as he explains he's tougher than he looks. "Darlin', I ain't one to judge no book by their cover." She points out, walking to the side, circling him, as he gets stuck on such words.

She doesn't have long to wait, however, the boy bouncing all over. How energetic he is! She just hopes it will translate well - All the better to crush him with, my dear. What a large staff, he has! All the better to - stretch it out and beat her over the shoulder with.

Now doesn't that beat all! "Lordy!" She laughs, as the weapon snaps for her. The umbrella's raised, popping open, as Yuno's assault slams against it, wrapping around and striking both her and the weapon - She's forced to close it. Something buckling.. so he's a bit stronger than she expected, or perhaps, there's technique in that assault.

"Almost had me off guard, ya' know..." She flips the parasol about, still walking slowly about the boy. "You're not the only one with tricks, though, darlin'!" The parasol's snapped forwards to point at Yuno, the trigger on the handle pulled.. and the sharp point at the tip firing off, followed by a second, as she pulls it back upwards, blowing the 'tip' off.

"So let's have some real fun...."

COMBATSYS: Mary successfully hits Yuno with Power Shot.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Mary             0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0             Yuno


Yuno is taken by surprise by the sudden burst of parasol. The sharp point flies true, though he attempts to get out of the way of it, it cuts a nasty slash across his rolling side, and the second shot comes in fast, far too fast for him to evade, the blow literally picks him up off his feet, and he goes skidding back quite a distance before he can being himself to a stop. He looks... comically surprised, shaking himself down before he can recover himself properly. That, had really hurt! Rather than look angry, however, he smiles. "Wow! You /are/ good!" He declares. Suddenly, with a snap, the boys staff locks together into one long weapon, rather than three separate sections.

And without another word, he /leaps/ into the air! Flying up, he brings the weapon around as fast as he possibly can, aiming to drive it in over the top, and down at Mary's shoulder again. If he could keep up the pressure on that point, maybe he'd still have a chance! He certainly wasn't going to call it a day just because of that set of nasty blows.

The surprise, here, is that as it comes down, the tip of the staff bursts into life with a bright, crackling flame. His chi flaring into being as he throws himself at Mary, deciding that it would be best to try and counter something similar happening by keeping the pressure up with power rather than defense.

COMBATSYS: Yuno successfully hits Mary with Yinglong Rising.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Mary             0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0             Yuno


As Yuno is pulled, hook line and sinker, Mary watches the boy - end up tumbling away, skidding to a stop at the end of it all. it's a bit surprising to see him moving in such a way, and she's certainly not bothered by it, at least. If anything, she enjoys it a bit. Oh what fun, watching him fly backwards! "Ya'll aren't just sayin' that, are ya?" She chides, grinning all the same.

But then the staff of omens links together for a /nasty/ blow. She barely has time to react as he leaps upwards, the weapon brought around, to drive it into her shoulder. The point is struck, as she skips backwards and into the air - and suddenly ends up once again standing up it, due to being knocked back down, staggering back as well, with the burning, crackling flame. Struck rather heavily, the stumbling becomes her crashing backwards, her bonnet lost to the ground as she pulls herself up, hair trailing about her now. "Me oh my.. now look what ya'll gone and done." She chides, grinning.

"But it sure 'bout to get interesting." The sunny day - loses a bit of it. It's not exactly sunny any longer, as cloud appear over her and Yuno, spreading out.. and then begin to lightly rain down. The beginning of something else. "Why.. I'm certain it is." The umbrella's opened wide as she puts it above her, catching the rain, and pushing it to the side... before she starts skidding towards Yuno, the rain, slicking the pavement, allowing her to do this.. and whilst a bit slow, ends up spinning twice around, before bringing the closed parasol towards his gut. Slow, but of course, positively painful.

The best kind of medicine!

COMBATSYS: Mary successfully hits Yuno with Element of Fun.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Mary             0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1             Yuno


Yuno looks pretty happy with the end result of the attack, but, he becomes distracted by the light rain, and, suddenly, he finds Mary skidding across towards him. She might be slow, but, Yuno just can't seem to predict where she is coming from, no doubt helped by the skidding, sliding motions that she makes. The parasol slams firmly into his gut, and, if the last attack had been bad, this one is positively crushing. The young boy practically doubles over over the end of the closed umbrella, a pained 'HGK!' escaping him as he does so.

Backing up as fast as he can, he breathes harder, that energy returning to his body, he wipes sweat from his brow, and, after a moments thought, breaks his staff again, swinging it around idly, he exhales long and slow, bouncing from step to step, he does his level best to try and ease some of the pain out of his limbs. "I'm not just saying that!" He confirms, bobbing and weaving a little more now, "I don't know what to say! But, I'm not out of this fight yet! Don't you worry about that... it'll take more than that to put me down!"

His eyes gleam, he really didn't want his first fight in Southtown to end with him completely outclassed... but at this rate, he didn't have much choice in the matter! Come on, Yuno! Pull it together!

COMBATSYS: Yuno gains composure.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mary             0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1             Yuno


As Yuno backs up, the strike obviously having worked, Mary backs off as well, leaping away, and watching him breath every so hard. It just causes her heart to flutter, it does, as he takes a while to get himself back to normal, the staff broken out once more... and him just not giving up! "Ya'll such a spirited one." Mary remarks, keeping the umbrella closed and in one hand, the rain streaking down her dress and skin - which seems to enjoy it, of all things.

"Oh good!" Mary chimes back in, grinning, "I ain't even close to done playin' with ya'll anyways, darlin'.. you're just such a sweet thing." She clearly means it too, but as gets the ol' pep back into him, readying his pepper... Mary sticks back, and away from him. Which means it's time for one more thing.

Not that he may see it coming.

Grasping the handle of the parasol, Mary yanks it free of the base, a slight jingling sound possibly noted.. as she spins once on he water, sending hooking towards Yuno - The handle of the parasol, which attempts to look about his leg.. and yank it upwards, snaring him and aiming to get rid of that balance he might have regained with the fight back into him.

"I ain't done with you yet, oh heavens no!" It's spoken in a happy tone, of all things.

COMBATSYS: Yuno overcomes Snare Whip from Mary with Thrown Weapon.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mary             0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1             Yuno


Yuno catches his breath. He isn't tired... but he is starting to ache, a lot. The woman had managed to really do a number on him, and he had no intention of allowing her to catch him like that a second time! The trouble is, she was such an adaptable opponent! Each attack had been something new and something he just hadn't seen coming. Heck, he even suspected that she might have had something to do with the rain!

"Thank you!" He replies, cheerfully. The boy genuinely doesn't mind that he was being beaten up. The fact was, it was such an invigorating fight that each moment seemed to bring something new! Another test of his skills. And she doesn't disappoint him when, suddenly, he finds that handle shooting right at him. His response, however, might just be a surprise all of its own.

Reacting very quickly indeed, the boy steps forwards, twirling, and his staff lashes out. The projectile is smashed out of way, and his own staff ploughs on through, broadly on target at least, and intending to smack into Mary's gut. This time, considerably more force than he had utilized in his attempt to prod her defenses is packed into the tip of his weapon, all the momentum from the spin and the lunge punching through at her.

He is smiling, too... he had to admit, he'd reacted mostly on impulse, there, and not in accordance with the 'correct' way to respond. He was pleasantly surprised that he had actually managed to escape! He'd just have to try and keep this up!

COMBATSYS: Mary fails to slow Thrown Weapon from Yuno with Quick Shot.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mary             0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1             Yuno


The whip, however, manages to be simply struck out of the way, and the staff plows forwards, smashing away both the assault and the proceeding response to such an assault - the force considerably more, but not exactly all too trouble-some. So far, it's just been a matter of love taps.. and being smashed backwards, unable to respond in time, is far from a love tap.

Yet she can't say it hurts far too much, either.

Coughing, she shakes herself off, rubbing her stomach where the dusty mark touches the doused white clothing. "What a bother," She starts, shaking her wet hair this way and that, as the rain continues to fall.. only getting harder. "That ya'll were able to see through me so easily."

Smirking, she swings the chain, before sliding it back into the weapon, and popping open the parasol, glancing at him from under it.

"But ya'll certainly are putting up a much better effort..."

For a moment, Yuno looks hesitant. He is glad that he has managed to throw back her continued assault. Break her flow for a moment, at least. And he has to really consider his next action. He swallows for a moment, nodding, his smile is more wry than genuine, this time, however. "You are very good." He repeats, slowly, stepping forwards in a small dance around and to the side, his eyes locked on her. Afraid, really, that if he took his eyes off her for an instant, she was going to take the instant to strike him down.

"Thank you... the weather may be bad, but maybe my luck is about to turn!"

And, suddenly, he is darting forwards, he throws the staff up, and snatches the middle section, spinning it around in a sudden, whirling buzz of thrashing metal, it looks incredibly chaotic, but from the way he is controlling it, he obviously knows precisely what he is doing, as he swings it around once, aiming to bring the staff into sharp contact with his opponent, before bouncing it around and using the momentum for a second sweep, intending to simply fill as much space around her as she could with whirling metal.

COMBATSYS: Mary interrupts Sky Surrounds Mountain from Yuno with Singing in the Rain.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Mary             0/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1             Yuno


She doesn't take kindly to having her flow broken, but Mary certainly isn't a quitter. Oh no, she just enjoys this. This power that she sacrificed so much for. Or rather, so little for. What she was before was just nothing like she could have been! She's far more happy this way now. She owes it all to Urien as well, what a kind man he is.

Very good? "Oh, ya'll just flatterin' me now!" She laughs, - and then stops as the crack about the bad weather is made. "Y'know.. it really ain't too bad." The weather she means. His luck is still terrible. As Yuno darts forwards, throwing up the staff, and causes it to go spinning.. the metal that thrashes forwards makes it so difficult to get a good idea of what's going on, the G-project woman grasping the handle, and pulling it once more from the base.

As Yuno swings it around, aiming to bring the staff into a sharp contact.. it strikes, Mary moving with the swing, sent sliding away from the force of the assault. Yet, he might feel a little tug, Mary grinning as the crimson stains her white flesh. "It's about ta' get much worse..."

The rain suddenly changes, Mary reeling back in on the chained handle, pulling the young boy up into the air, and beginning to swing him around. The rain that falls now, for this brief happening, has .. changed. With each drop, a sizzle. Positively acidic. And she ends up running his body against the ground, into it, as she swings, before hefting him up once, breaking the rotation.. and swinging him over and down, stopping the motion into a little puddle of that burning chi - before it all fades together.

The clouds get thicker, but the rain, thankfully, is rain again. Against her skin, the acid doesn't seem to do quite much. It's already bleached her body. What more can it do? "Oh now.. ya'll ain't lookin' too good. Maybe you should jes' save yer self the trouble, darlin'." She pulls the handle back, sliding it in, and locking it into place. "But please, don't... I still ain't done."

Yuno cries out in pain as the rain suddenly becomes burning against his skin. It was... incredible! He couldn't even have begun to defend against that, and it catches him entirely by surprise, breaks his flow, and, suddenly, he finds his form lifted up and off the ground, and is slammed bodily into the acid puddle. He gives a second, louder cry of pain. Some small part of him was really aware of how amazing that power was... most of him, however, is wracked with pain after the heavy impact into the ground. When the chi dissolves, he is left battered and beaten, but, he isn't... quite ready to quit yet!

He forces himself up and off the ground, his right hand grips the center section of his staff hard, and he raises his left hand, palm inward, and stretched out towards her. At her words, his head slowly raises until he matches her eye, determination still shines there, and he smiles slowly.

"I can still fight."

He exhales slowly, and then he breathes in. For a moment, his eyes close. He whispers something under his breath, which, depending on just how acute Mary's hearing is, may be audible as... 'Enlightenment... Awakens... Man.'

In an instant, he is on her. Moving with an incredible speed, where before the staff had been a whirling blur, this time, it just seems to be... everywhere. Dancing from his left hand to his right, he leaps and jumps, tumbles and twists, the staff almost invisible except as a blur of dark metal slashing through the air, the attack intending to bludgeon and batter at her from each and every direction, until, by the time he finally finishes, he is standing six feet away, the weapon held firmly by the top and bottom section, and stretched tight.

COMBATSYS: Mary interrupts Enlightenment Awakens Man from Yuno with Beg Your Pardon.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mary             1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0             Yuno


There is no argument that this bald, and young, boy is rather interesting. Nor is there an argument if he has the right stuff. The argument, to her, is how fast she would prefer to try and beat the life out of his smiling face - Not that, you see, he is incapable of doing anything against him. Oh. Quite the contrary! He's a little powerhouse packed with small bits of dynamite fueled action, that gives her such a buzz in this fight.

Forcing himself up, Mary presses the tip of the parasol once more against the ground, hands covering the handle. He makes his declaration.. and she shakes her head. "Ya'll a stubborn one.. I like that."

But just how stubborn? Well, there's only one way to see.

Her hearing isn't that acute.. but he does say something, before he's moving against her, the staff is a blur, and dancing about her, it's almost invisible. She taps the ground again, and the rain - the rain bearing down upon the two gets thicker. Droplets shoot off the staff, off Yuno's body, giving her a deeper look into things. The rain bearing down helps her point out what the boy is trying to do..

Grinning, Mary can see the dark metal - even if she cannot really see it. Bludgeoned a few times, the umbrella opens up.. and stabs against the boys body, hefting him up into the air, as he aims to stay committed to that assault. Tossing him upwards, she tries to 'catch' him against, the sharp point being used to catch and toss him off, the woman herself rather .. tired.. beaten, bruised, and a bit bloody..

But sometimes you have to get dirty to have a little fun. "How 'bout now, darlin'?" She notes, walking in closer.

"You still got some of that spunk?"

If there was one thing that Yuno didn't see coming, it was that she might be able to match his speed, let alone turn it against him. The blow stabs deep into his gut, and, his own momentum interrupted yet again, he finds himself slammed bodily into the ground, a loud shout torn from him. But. He wouldn't... let it end just yet! No! He still had more fight left in him! Incredibly, despite the terrible punishment Mary's heavy blows have laid against him, he bounces off the ground, and raises himself up on shaking legs. It was time... to give it his all!

"NOT YET!" He shouts, the staff gripped around all three sections, he throws himself forwards, packing everything into one final, desperate blow.

"WAVE!" He declares, as he stabs the butt of the staff forwards. He needed to, repeating the name of the motions, because he could tell that, for all his bluster, he didn't have much fight left in him. He didn't know how much he did have left, only that he was running on empty.

"SMASHES!" And, whether the staff has slammed into her gut or not, his arms move to try and grab around the back of her head, whilst his leg provides a firm barrier over which to send her crashing into the ground.

"... Bo... oat?"

For a moment, he holds the final motion. Whether it has hit or not, his arms outstretched, his leg firmly in position, and then, his legs betray him, and his whole body gives out at once, as though all the exertion had, quite suddenly, caught up with him and he had, finally, given up.

COMBATSYS: Yuno can no longer fight.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Mary             1/------=/=======|


COMBATSYS: Mary fails to interrupt Wave Smashes Boat from Yuno with Cookiedough Creme Banana Cupcake!.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  <
Mary             1/---====/=======|


Yuno refuses to give up, and Mary is seeing that as quite a sight. As he throws himself forwards, packing everything he has into that one blow.. Mary has time to watch. Has time to prepare... but doesn't have time to actually do what she HAD planned! "Hahah! Not yet? Ain't you just a little firecracker!" But she waits, sliding the chain out once more, and swinging it.

Then The butt of the staff slams forwards, Mary reaching for the hands, attempting to snap the handle on him again - "Ack!" She doesn't have time, because next, she's grasped, and sent careening to the ground, crashing hard.. and able to watch Yuno go down.. his strength fading completely in those short span of motions.

Mary, while beaten rather thoroughly.. still isn't to that level of being beaten. Not just yet.

Staggering back up, drenched, but rather happy all things told, she brushes off her dress. "Ooh.. looks like ya'll.. ran out just in time." She fans herself. ".. I'm feelin' it.. any longer and I'da been a goner.. but ya'll really made my day." She notes, closing the parasol up completely.

"Maybe next time, ya'll get me for sure.." She begins to wander away, having had her 'fun'. Maybe now.. the boss'll have something for her. Something she might be able to better concentrate on now.

Log created on 12:42:55 03/06/2009 by Mary, and last modified on 19:17:27 03/09/2009.