Description: Someone set a schoolgirl loose in Brazil and Ralf is nowhere to be found to remove her. Here is hoping Faolan can do the job himself when he seems to have been tracked down by the rather strange Miu who seems to have some questions, but does the Irishman have the answers she wants?
November, Brazil. Guess what. It's still uncomfortably hot.
Quite how Miu has heard about Faolan being in Brazil is a mystery which may echo throughout the ages. The fact is, she just... felt it was right. A gut feeling which just happened to be correct. So after touching down in the South American country, the young Japanese schoolgirl has taken to the jungles, wandering, pretty much at random.
She's at least dressed appropriately. A pair of loose-fitting black shorts, hardy, highly polished boots, and a loose black shirt buttoned up with silver buttons. She doesn't seem to be very concerned about the risk of imminent death that most would feel just strolling in the jungles of Brazil. But, then, she doesn't ever seem very concerned about anything, does she? Just sort of ... bland. Bored, even.
The permission slip for /this/ journey had been a real pain to obtain, though. She'd better not be wrong.
Of course there is the fact that Faolan doesn't really keep things a secret when it comes to him being a member of the mercenary group known as the Ikari Warriors and their main base of operations is located in South America. Then again the base is somewhat of a secret so it is hard to tell in WHAT part of South American the mercenary might currently be in. In this case it seems that Miu's intuition has paid off. The past several days have been full of survival training for Faolan and it is the first time in awhile he has been in a town to where he can enjoy a meal that wasn't rations or something on the lines of a cooked snake.
He also didn't realize that apparently he really pissed off one of the contestants of the last SNF he was in. Getting someone riled up in the heat of the moment is one thing, but to actually get a girl so mad she decided to take a plane halfway across the world to track him down is kind of obsessive.
He is stepping out of a small building that looks like a cafe or bar feeling sated after having a good meal. He has to meet up with the rest of the group he has been training with in a few hours to return to base, but for now he has some time to just rest and let his aching body heal somewhat. He adjusts the hat to where it better blocks the sun and he rubs at the back of his neck. "Damn mosquitos..."
Truth be told, Miu isn't actually pissed off with Faolan, though. No, not by a long shot. She'd found him interesting! He'd been rather hesitant to really hit her, at least at first, and she'd narrowly avoided some strange energy blast, which had caught her attention. Of course, Miu doesn't really exude interest in anything at all, so it might be a bit creepy when she starts to walk towards the man, looking so out of place she might just be a hallucination.
But of course, she isn't. Instead, she comes to a rest a short distance away from the man. Even here, a raven seems to have found her, and fluttered onto her shoulder. Which is interesting all on its own.
"Hello, Faolan." She says, quietly. "I hope I'm not bothering you. I would just like to challenge you." A light shrug of her shoulders, "If it isn't a bad time." ... Not exactly blood-feud, end-of-the-world type stuff from the strange girl in black.
It is probably left for the Ikari to draw his own conclusions when he comes to find himself standing near the strange girl. He tilts his head and the Irishman squints for a few moments as if he is debating that he is having some sort of weird hallucination or the like. He has kept himself hydrated and rested so it couldn't be that. And of all things why would he want to hallucinate something like this?
He does look around as if somehow there would be a better explanation hidden about. The good thing he at least doesn't see an army of Seijyun girls standing along the outskirts of town waiting to strike. "How did you...you know. I am not sure I really want to hear the answers." he says while his brow furrows. "You are a strange kid, you know that?"
He isn't trying to be mean when he says it, but he doesn't know many schoolgirls that would show up in a place like this to challenge him. Then again he doesn't know many schoolgirls. "But uh....I guess if you came out all this way it would kind of be rude to say no." he admits. He still looks a bit confused by it all but he reaches to pull out his bata from the makeshift sheath he has.
"I get that a lot." Miu admits, shrugging her shoulder, and letting the raven fly up into the sky. Black and white feathers begin to swirl around her, melting and reforming as she lets her power bubble up to the surface, crouching down a little and preparing herself to fight.
"I'm ready when you are. I'll let you pick who attacks first." She says, her voice sounding for all the world like she's just discussing the weather, or some other completely mundane subject.
The sweat that had been accumulating on her brow seems to be dissipating as her power rises, though. It always felt so much more comfortable when she let herself call on that wellspring of energy. But, walking around leaving glowing feathers all over the place tended to draw even more attention than her creepiness did on its own.
The Irishman just nods a bit. He has a good idea why she would get that alot. The way she acts doesn't exactly help put her in a better light. Not like he has a problem with strange and withdrawn women. He does work with Leona afterall and she is a bit of an oddball herself. The fact he has seen Miu in action and the strange power she seems to have makes Faolan realize this is probably more than just some walk in the park. At least the guys aren't around to see this. He might not hear the end of it if they saw him randomly beating on or getting beat on by a schoolgirl.
He just gives a nod when she says he can decide who goes first and he holds his bata out with a hand gripping each end. "All right. Lets see how this goes." he comments and then releases one end as he swings the bata forward. He steps forward right towards the girl and remembers how speedy she can be. He will have to just go for speed over power in this fight more than likely. It is a quick strike he aims to slam into the girl's shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Faolan has started a fight here.
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Faolan 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Miu has joined the fight here.
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Miu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Faolan
COMBATSYS: Miu blocks Faolan's Medium Strike.
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Miu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Faolan
Miu's arm comes up, a soft shimmer of black energy flaring to help her turn aside the attack aimed at her shoulder. The smack still sends a shock running up her arm, but the brunt of the blow is absorbed by the energy.
Her other hand flares white, and she brings it around in an attempt to grab hold of Faolan's shirt. If she can manage that, the energy flares, and explodes outwards in a bright, lancing cone of gathered white feathers, compressed down to a sharp point.
Yes, say what you like about Miu, for all her oddness, she's definitely got a lot of raw power. Maybe not a lot of finesse, but all the raw power anyone could ever want!
COMBATSYS: Miu successfully hits Faolan with Grasping Yomo.
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Miu 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Faolan
It seems like it might not take finesse in this case. Faolan may be expecting the girl to actually try to get out of the way of his strike instead of deciding to block the blow. Instead she stays in close and her hands grasp for the shirt of the mercenary. He starts to try and bring his arm down to keep her from getting a good grasp, but instead he is grabbed and there is that sudden explosion that knocks himself backwards and he goes tumbling across the ground.
He grunts and he slowly gets to his feet. "Ugh, yeah....so glad." he tells himself given the fact that was a bit of an embarassing thing to have happen to him. He stalks forward a bit and he furrows his brow again as he comes towards Miu again. He then breaks into a quick dash and he goes to slam his shoulder into the smaller fighter and then follow up with a headbutt if he manages to get her off balance.
COMBATSYS: Miu dodges Faolan's Sheehan Special.
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Miu 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Faolan
Miu jumps up, and completes a graceful arc above her opponent. As she touches down again, she digs her heels into the dirt. Having to compensate for the sudden momentum, though she's glad that she has now put some distance between herself and Faolan.
Rather than keep up the movement, though, she does her best to keep him moving, instead. Flinging her hand forward, three of those glowing feathers lance outwards from her palm. Two darkly glowing black ones, and a central white one, aiming to catch Faolan from the knee to the shoulder, in a diagonal slash of psycho power.
COMBATSYS: Faolan blocks Miu's Kakure Amagakeri.
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Miu 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Faolan
Damn, kids like this shouldn't be so fast. He stumbles forward and finds nothing where Miu had been standing. He comes stumbling to a stop and he quickly looks about before he notices where she ended up. And she is already seems to be striking at Faolan again. He doesn't seem to have much option other than to twist about and hunker into a defensive stance to allow the feathers to strike into him. With a grump he shakes his head. This is kinda of going downhill already.
He takes a deep breath and takes a moment to allow himself a moment to reconsider his options. He holds the bata out again and he watches Miu, his gaze remains fixated on her as he tries to keep track of her movements while trying to decide what he should do if she comes in at him again.
COMBATSYS: Faolan focuses on his next action.
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Miu 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Faolan
Miu doesn't immediately follow up on the thrown feathers. Instead, she stands up straighter, and meets Faolan's gaze levelly. She, too, is trying to gauge him. She'd been hoping to see more of that strange energy, but so far, he doesn't seem very intent on letting it out. It must be more effort for him than it is for her.
She she decides to ask him. "In the fight, you threw some black power at me." She says, "Could you do that again? I am curious to know what your power feels like, Sir." She's respectful, at least, but no matter how you slice it, that is a darn strange request. She doesn't seem like the sort to let herself take hits, either, but that sure seems to be what she's implying.
COMBATSYS: Miu gains composure.
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Miu 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Faolan
There is a raised brow at the question. "What about it?" he asks as he tilts his head. He seems to have a few people ask him about it, but to someone like Faolan he has no clue why the interest. He supposes maybe it is just a bit of a rare look. He certainly knows many people that wield energy better than he does. He just nods a bit. "Nothing special, but is that why you really came out here?" he asks as there is a crackle along the bata as he lets his energy flow out of his body and into the stick.
He steps forward and as it crackles he closes the distance between he and Miu. That bata has a swirl of that black energy starting to gather in the end of it while it gets thrust forward. He aims to firmly plant it into Miu's chest with a strong strike and upon contact the energy he has put into the bata is released to give a light shock to the other fighter.
COMBATSYS: Miu endures Faolan's Saying Hello!
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Miu 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Faolan
Miu takes the blow full on, and, well, it hurts! The energy burns right the way through her, but the girl doesn't let it knock her backwards. Instead, she does her best to absorb it, doing her level best to try and understand where it came from. What sets this power aside from her own? It... definitely feels very different. Crackling and burning where hers is numbing and stinging.
"In... teresting."
Her voice is heavy and choked, but she lashes out with both hands, aiming to grab the man by the shoulders. If she can manage it, her own energy will surge out, and she'll swing him around, a trail of beautiful feathers left floating in his wake... before she lets go, fully intending to just pitch him into the wall of the building he'd walked out from.
Then, she'll let herself stumble a bit, trying to catch her breath. Ouch.
COMBATSYS: Faolan interrupts Power Throw from Miu with One for the Road EX.
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Miu 0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Faolan
And while it doesn't look like what some fighters use, it is more like being shocked by sticking a fork in a light socket or something on those lines. It just doesn't look to have the same physical appearance of lightning that some people like Blanka has despite them being similar in nature. He then smirks some and he chuckles a bit. "I have been told that a few times. Not sure why some of you people are so facinated." he comments even as he prepares for the incoming attack.
She gets a firm grip on him, but this time Faolan doesn't get taken off his feet. Oh he feels the sting of the energy being releases, but he grunts and just slams the end of his bata against the chest of Miu once again as he starts to send more energy through it. He then grunts and hefts upwards as he releases the energy with enough force that it blasts Miu up and away from the Irishman. "Hope this is a good enough display for ye."
Miu is lifted bodily off her feet, in contrast, by the energy that powers into her. The girl hangs in the air for a few seconds before she impacts, painfully, into the ground. Dazed and confused, she forces herself to get up, and wipe a trickle of blood from her lips. The girl's power is flaring, now. Feathers flowing out all around her in a strange dance.
"It was impressive." She murmurs, softly, "I'm interested because, I don't know enough. There are things I must learn."
And suddenly, she's coming forwards. "Allow me to show you..."
When she's closed the distance, her arm comes around, trailing a thick white slash of energy behind it. If the first hits, it will be followed by a second, chained into a third, gradually lifting Faolan up as she alternates arms...
And concludes with a massive, swirling spiral of white and black feathers, which would hang, and then explode violently in a bright flash and flare of pure psycho power. For those few, brief moments that it is unveiled, everything that Miu has inside her is put on display.
COMBATSYS: Faolan interrupts Psychic Secrets from Miu with Carry the Coffin.
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Miu 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Faolan
If anything Faolan would have to say the girl is the one with the more interesting form of energy. Strange powerful blows that seem to just manifest into feathers that hurt more than most fireballs or punches he has taken to the face. It probably doesn't help he has been training for several days and his body was already feeling some pain before this. He won't complain though. He is an Ikari and damned if he is going to whine about not being well enough rested. If he is going to get his ass kicked he is going to give it his all.
It seems his plan is just that. There is nothing fancy about what he does. It is just Faolan putting on a pure display of his strength and toughness as he steps forward right into the strikes with teeth gritted. Oh it hurts like a sonofabitch, but he is also coming in close enough he slams his bata into the girl once more. It is more than just once too. It feels like a whirlwind of strikes all across her arms and torso before he dips low and goes to swing at the back of her legs and take them out from under her before raising the bata up and slamming it down one final time to catch her between both stick and ground.
He breathes heavily afterwards and his eyes are half closed as he slumps. "Shit, you are one tough kid." Damned if he would have ever guessed that. He didn't get to see her take too many hits last fight, but she has taken everything the Ikari has and isn't dead so he has to give her props.
When Miu picks herself up, she's breathing hard. Beaten and bloodied, but not yet taken down. The feathers that had been trickling out are no longer doing so, the power turning inwards as it attempts to repair the damage that had been dealt to the poor girl. A split lip closes over, and some of the bruises begin to fade. Restoring strength to the injured girl's limbs.
She does not press the attack, though. Even if she could see the tactical advantage in doing so. She's not bloodthirsty. It would be rude to treat this as a life or death match when, actually, Faolan was helping her in her quest to better understand the world of fighting. Whether he knew it or not.
"It is not enough." She says, in that strangely-quiet voice. Yet, quite audible despite the distance between the two fighters. "There are people who have beaten me without me even being able to lay a finger on them... I must get better, and, I, must beat them."
She clasps her hands together, and bows to the man. "Thank you for the demonstration, Sir. I understand if you want to leave it here, but I will see the fight through, if you want to know for certain which of us... can win."
COMBATSYS: Miu gains composure.
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Miu 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Faolan
It takes a moment, but Faolan manages to pull himself to his feet once again. His body is screaming in protest, but he keeps himself standing tall and he starts to bring his bata up ready to strike again. Only he instead lowers it and lets one end of the stick rest on the ground so he can lean on it. "Normally I would oblige, but you caught me during a training week." he admits. Does he want to stop? No, part of his pride wants him to keep going, but he also knows there is actual work to be done. His main duty is to be an Ikari fist and he won't be helping anyone in the group if he is sidelined a bit from him 'goofing around'.
He reaches up with his free hand to lift his cap and wipe his brow before setting it back down on his head. "So you want to be stronger? You got plenty of time to do that. I ain't your father or anything, but remember to enjoy being a teen. It happens only once." he says with a bit of a grin and a chuckle. It isn't a very pretty sight though given he is pretty busted up and there is some blood running down the side of his face where one of the strikes opened him up. "But do what you want. Good luck either way."
Miu nods her head, and lets her arms drop to her side. She seems... if anything, even more solemn than she normally does, though. Her features firmly dropped. From above, that raven that had been her companion flutters back down, to nestle on her shoulder, as the girl gives light inclination of her head to the battered warrior. She wasn't faring much better, but, thankfully, her power could numb the worst of the pain for her, and encourage the healing of her busted up body.
"Thank you for the advice, Sir." She says, "But, you are wrong. Time is the one thing I do not have. I know I am young, but if I stop and let myself relax ... I will never forgive myself."
That rather cryptic statement made, the girl turns, and begins to walk back the way she'd come. It was a long trek to the airport, but she should be able to return home before her permission slip ran out. With the lessons learned, it was a successful journey after all!
Sometimes when running into people like Miu the mercenary is left wondering what makes some of them like they are now. She can't be that old by his guess and to see her act in a way kind of makes Faolan feel sorry for her. Kids shouldn't act so serious. Heck, he isn't even that serious most of the time unless it is required of him. He just nods and he raises his bata and starts to slip it back into the sheath. "Yeah, uh....welcome." he tells her and waves a hand.
He is going to have to explain to his friends why he is a bit on the battered side soon, but he is more left wondering what the girl might be seeking. In the end it might just be best not to think about it too much. The guy already has a day job and he doesn't need to be going around helping schoolgirls find things in his off time. People might start getting weird ideas and he gets odd looks enough as it is most of the time.
Log created on 10:12:13 11/25/2010 by Faolan, and last modified on 12:02:51 11/25/2010.