Description: A dusty riverbed is the perfect place for a late-night, not-exactly-sanctioned fight venue, and also the perfect place for a KOF team to be formed.
At the river bed near Gedo High, an underground fighting venue has popped up. Blood is spilled and money changes hands quickly here. While it is still close to Gedo High School, it's tolerated mainly because no one is being murdered and no serious crimes are being committed... at the moment.
Aranha had just returned from his trip to Saudi Arabia to investigate one potential member of his team and now he's searching for another member. Once again, he's attempting to find someone that may have been overlooked but has that 'something' he can work with.
So far, he hasn't seen anything special out of the people fighting so far, but the not is still young and there are still many fighters itching to prove themselves, but on the flipside, there are just as many tomato cans.
Such things pop up even when fighting is such an accepted thing as to make regular, violent brawls a commonplace thing. But criminal elements will always have some angle to play. Maybe that's why these fighters aren't so impressive--they're taking dives. It's a thought, at least.
Shiden's gear sets him apart from most of the crowd--he's dressed in fine clothing, though the clothing he wears, a dark suit with a dark shirt, is somehow able to resist attracting the masive amounts of dust that come flying up from the scuffles ensuing. But he's shaking his head.
Like Aranha, he's here scouting, and, just like Aranha, he's not seeing -anything- impressive.
"Pathetic," he says, loud enough to be clearly heard.
Aranha had been keeping enough of a focus to be aware of when someone was around him so it would be harder(which isn't to say impossible) to get the drop on even if he was placing a majority of his focus on the fights. When he hears something from close by, Aranha shifts his focus to that location. Not like he was seeing anything worth paying attention to anyway.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that." Aranha doesn't even bother to mask his disappointment. As far as he was concerned his was justified. There's the throwing of fights and that part doesn't surprise him that much. If anything, he expected that. What really disappointed him were the ones that were obviously not thrown since they looked like a couple of second graders fighting in the school yard.
"No... I take that back... Pathetic isn't quite strong enough to describe this."
"And you, you're a class above, aren't you? Mr... Aranha." The Chongquan user's lips curl upwards in a sardonic half-smile. Of course he knows who Aranha is... while he was certainly scouting, that's for sure, he had heard rumors that Aranha was doing the same. So, scouting the scout. He gives the capoeirista a once-over, dismissing the fights; his interest is locked.
"Yes, I know who you are. Actually... I've been looking for you, Mister Aranha." Why not be blunt about it? He suspects Aranha will appreciate it, bluntness. Shiden can certainly be manipulative, but he prefers to lay his groundwork subtly.
"I've been looking for you in the matter of... this." And by 'this', he means the white envelope with the red wax seal that he flashes from a coat pocket, discreetly.
Considering that Aranha had been putting feelers out for potential team mates he expected for his sources to send him towards possible finds. What he didn't quite expect were the possible finds to seek him out. Enemies, yes. Potential team mates, no.
So when Shiden makes it known that he was searching for him, he raises an eyebrow. "Well you've found me..." Aranha likewise sizes the Asian up attempting to get preliminary information such as limb length and the like. It's the little things like that can mean so much in a fight between people of equal skill.
He then takes one last glance at the coat before facing the fighting, pretending to be watching it. "I can't say that I'd let just anyone on my team without knowing what they are capable of, Mr..."
Let Shiden fill in the blank.
"Shiden will do. And of course not; that would hardly be wise. That said, I'm sure you'll find that I'm much better than these punks..." He chuckles, a little, and inclines his head. "If you'd like, we can go at it for a little while. I've seen videos of you in action... but it's only fair you see what I'm capable of, as well."
He doesn't even bother removing the suit jacket--looks like it's thin enough to not be a hindrance, though he might shrug it off during the fight anyways, if he just needs that last degree of freedom.
"I believe the kids," he says, motioning with his chin towards the other fighters, "are just about done playing..."
"And it's about time that the grown ass men show 'em things, huh?" His lips curl into a bit of a grin as he moves towards the fighting circle where he instantly seeks out the organizer and makes himself known. After paying the buy in. He looks around for a moment before reaching for where his Oakley Thumps would be. His hand stops upon him deciding that this would probably not be the best place for wearing them.
He then takes a deep breath before waiting for Shiden to arrive. Waiting in silence for the fight to begin.
Shiden smiles. "Something like that." He purses his lips, and unleashes a brief, piercing whistle; immediately the fight going on ends, much to the disappointment of the fighters--and the bettors. Until they see who's getting ready to fight--then the betting flares right the hell back up. Shiden lets it--his bet's on something else.
That said, he takes up stance, his hands up, curled into loose fists, bouncing on slightly spread feet, his pleasant expression gone, all his concentration on his opponent. Aranha is uncommonly fast and, as a capoerista, relies more on kicks and leg manuevers--but he has unpredictability to him.
This is what runs through Shiden's head, his eyes gauging Aranha's limbs, as the other man did earlier, watching his movements, studying him.
COMBATSYS: Shiden has started a fight here.
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Shiden 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Aranha has joined the fight here.
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Aranha 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shiden
COMBATSYS: Shiden focuses on his next action.
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Aranha 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shiden
And Aranha eases into his dance, swaying left and right while he takes in his opponent's stance, eyeballing it for strengths and weaknesses. First thing he sees is how the stance is somewhat bouncy, and slightly spread feet. If anything it seems to point someone who is mobile. And Aranha plans on testing that mobility.
He dances in closer and closer before spinning around in an attempt to catch the back of the Chongquan practitioner's legs just enough to buckle the knees before dropping to the ground to perform scissor leg take down.
COMBATSYS: Shiden fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Aranha with Ringing the Bell.
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Aranha 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Shiden
The first exchange doesn't go well for Shiden; misjudging that spin, his counterattack is neatly cut off, the man going down to the scissor-leg takedown, though he disentangles himself easily enough, rolling with the impact after a moment, and rising back to his feet. His visage remains carefully neutral, 'game face' on, those eyes of his narrowed almost to slits.
Tempted though he is to make a comment, he rarely finds it prudent to do so when he's just been on the losing end of an exchange--so he remains quiet, instead gathering his thoughts for the next such pass.
Aranha quickly disengages from Shiden once the takedown is executed, sliding away and then spinning back to his feet. His motion is constant however as he turns himself so that his side is facing him for just an instant before tilting into a handstand and then whirling his legs like a helicopter.
Even as he does that, he wonders what could've happened had the counter attack had been successful. But even still he learned more about his opponent's character after the lack of success. Focused. Even Tempered. Both are useful traits in a team memeber.
COMBATSYS: Shiden blocks Aranha's Inverted Tornado.
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Aranha 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Shiden
Capoeira is certainly flashier than Chongquan--as much a dance style and a performance art as martial art. In that, it might be considered superior to Chongquan--few would say that Shiden's art is a pretty one. But that flashiness sometimes costs--such as here, that inverted tornado giving Shiden just enough time to get his arms between the whirling legs and his body, as they impact.
It stings, but not insurmountably so; and Shiden doesn't wait for Aranha to right himself before retaliating with a simple forward kick, aimed low to compensate for Aranha's position. The kick has bit more 'snap' than power to it--it's not like Shiden's attempting, or wanting, to cave Aranha's chest in.
COMBATSYS: Shiden successfully hits Aranha with Light Kick.
Glancing Blow
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Aranha 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Shiden
But even with its flash, Aranha seldom does anything in a fight without having a reason behind it. On one hand it gave Shiden time to put up a defense but on the other, the use of the swing of his arm to give the move spin was also what allowed him to get a bit of distance between them which ended up being the difference between being caught in the chest by the kick and having it just glance off of his shoulder instead. If he was just a little quicker in delivery he might've actually gotten away unscathed.
Either way, Aranha tilts himself out of the handstand dropping into a crouched position with one leg extended forward while he sits on the rear leg. He then leans forward bringing his weight off off that rear leg before twisting to the side and lashing out with a roundhouse kick while keeping both hands and one foot on the ground and a grin on his face.
COMBATSYS: Shiden interrupts Strong Kick from Aranha with Immovable Mountain.
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Aranha 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Shiden
He's taken the risk once--and he came away on the worse end of it. That doesn't mean that it isn't a risk worth taking. He sees that roundhouse kick coming, sets himself... and as it comes, he times his attack... -there-. Aranha's foot hits, for sure, but he's brought his leg in range--and Shiden is certainly -not- above attempting to disable one of his opponent's primary weapons.
His hands glow, a flash really, of orange-red power as he slams both palms into Aranha's kicking leg, right into the meat of the thigh, even as the toe of that kicking foot is twisting his jaw around--were he a robot, his head would be permanently out of skew.
And that leg is feeling quite a lot of pain right now. In fact, when he comes out of the kick he finds himself hopping away on one foot. He takes a deep breath to attempt to push aside the pain and then a completely different type of smile forms on his lips. The smile of someone with the wheels turning in his head.
"Okay, you got me." But that's about all he says as he rubs his thigh a bit more, After that, he resumes dancing however instead of choosing to attack, he decides on studying his opponent.
COMBATSYS: Aranha focuses on his next action.
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Aranha 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Shiden
Surprisingly, Shiden relaxes his fighting stance. "In the interest of not potentially injuring each other before the main event, I think we can say we've seen enough... and there is the matter of potential teammates to discuss." Now, of course, Aranha -could- choose to attack him right here and now, but he's betting the man won't. It was a testing spar, not a real fight.
So Shiden stands there, dusting his suitjacket off, then regarding his would-be teammate with an alert expression. "There is a wrestler I've encountered... she's a bit..." He pauses. "... Uncouth. But I think she has the kind of skill and mentality we'll need. Her name is Varvara, though I doubt you've heard of her--she tends to keep a low profile."
COMBATSYS: Shiden takes no action.
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Aranha 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Shiden
Aranha is tempted to. Incredibly tempted to continue attacking. Capoeiristas detest having their legs attacked. They especially hate having their legs attacked so brutally. On the other hand, in Street Fighting, pretty much anything goes and so he doesn't expect him to honor the same things that he does.
Even still, Aranha has to acknowledge that he's right, he has seen enough to make judgements on his ability even if there are still questions left unanswered as far as he's concerned.
"Funny that you should say that. I have someone who could be described the same way."
With the sudden stop in the action, people are starting to boo and jeer at the two fighters. "I guess they don't like us stopping the action right now."
COMBATSYS: Aranha takes no action.
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Aranha 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Shiden
"They can't make us fight," is Shiden's reply, and he considers the situation for a moment. "It sounds like you've already chosen at least one teammate--I'll track down Varvara and... she shouldn't be too difficult to persuade. Her thought processes are not exactly complex... we can promise her food and she'd fight."
It's actually just a little sad--there but for the grace of God and all that. But Shiden proffers a hand to Aranha, a sign to 'seal the deal', as it were. "Best of luck in recruiting. If you think of anything..." Well, he's not just reaching out with a hand to shake, Aranha'll find a business card in his hand, too, if he takes the grip. One with Shiden's name and a phone number.
"She sounds like someone took two of my old team mates and combined them." The capoeirista shakes his head and then takes the card away and pockets it before looking back at the one who offered the card and nods. "We'll see what happens."
After that, Aranha pushes his way out of the fight circle. Anyone who tries to shove him back in will be crapping their teeth the next morning.
Log created on 21:36:36 10/25/2010 by Shiden, and last modified on 18:51:12 10/26/2010.