Neo League 926 - #947: Moe vs Miu

Description: In an indian library, two ancient bloodlines meet. Each ignorant of the other, but strangely drawn to them. Thrills! Spills! Mild property damage! The quiet Miu Kurosaki cracks a smile, and Moe Habana's cheery demeanor remains undiminished throughout. Feathers and Cherry Blossoms collide! But in the end, only one can emerge victorious in the heat of battle.



LAST TIME ON STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

Kyo Kusanagi leans forward over his candlelit steak dinner, dressed to the nines, and reaches across the table to grasp the hands of the woman sitting opposite him. His face is so serious, and it is clear that he has something of great import to tell his dining companion in this most beautiful of settings. Violin music is playing.

"Moe Habana," he says, voice betraying his adorably bashful nervousness. "Please... do me the honor of being my KoF teammate." Then he looks away and blushes, afraid to her hear answer.

Patrick Stewart, wearing a lime-green halter, takes Kyo's hands and says, in perfect Royal Shakespeare Company tone, "You're so shy. I would be honored."

NOW

Moe Habana, age 18 and not at all bald or British, jerks upright in the back of her cab from an impromptu nap, and stares fixedly into the middle distance, the sights and sounds of Chennai, India scrolling on by as her cabbie takes her to her destination.

"Oh man," she murmurs, looking horrified. "No more midnight gulab jamun," she murmurs. "Those things will mess you UP."

It's the young Japanese-American's first trip to India, which is terribly exciting! The Neo League, which she has recently entered, is paying for it, which is even more exciting! It meant a hotel stay and all the food she could eat, some of which she is now regretting doing right before sleep. And now a trip through the city to one of its more famous landmarks, the Connemara Library 'old building'. While it probably didn't go... EXACTLY the way her sugar-powered daydream recalls it, Kyo really DID ask Moe to be on his KoF team, and so here she is in the League, looking to train as hard as she can for the competition!

"Yeah!" echoes the Taiyo transfer student's voice as she steps onto the tile floor, tapping her fists together. "Bring on the challengers!"

Times, for Miu, have been, rather more stressed.

Ever since she accepted Rose's invitation to join The Ladies Team, Miu Kurosaki has been training like there's no tomorrow. She's thrown herself into everything she can find, and, with the Neo League Lightning Week raging in full force, she's been storming through the rankings.

At this point, there are black and white pictures of recent victories - Naerose, surrounded by feathers, Ibuki, being punched in the face, Zach, exploding the background behind her, Aranha, being brought low by a gigantic cone of feathers.

She has yet to be stopped. Every fight, made her stronger. Taught her more about this incredible inner potential. Alma had hinted at so much more to come, had started this manic push to find her limit, but, so far, she has yet to find it. Her heart, held firmly in place by a cool head, had guided her through battle after battle, to the very limit of her power, over and over again.

Plus, she gets to travel the world. That's pretty cool.

Emerging from behind the balcony, Miu suddenly jumps. Descending on a flurry of falling feathers, she lands nimbly directly in front of Moe, before she lets her hands lower to her sides. Intense eyes meet the transfer student's, and she blinks. Suddenly, she takes a step backwards. Confused. Something, felt, peculiar.

"Moe... Habana." She murmurs, as though testing the name out on her lips, turning it over, and trying to put it to the face in front of her.

You know that stereotypical anime/manga reaction to surprises, where someone jerks their entire body away in this bizarre parody of the fight-or-flight response, their eyes wide with shock? When Miu lands in front of her like the damn Cyborg Ninja she doesn't *exactly* do that, but the motion she does make, stepping backwards a pace, certainly suggests that an immediate reversal of direction with wacky kabuki-like poses is not an impossible outcome. "Whoa!"

But the tiny pale girl seems to know Moe's name, so it's likely she's the opponent that the Taiyo student just asked them to 'bring on,' and that makes Miss Habana relax considerably. She even grins and seems like she's about to extend her hand for a good old American handshake, but there's something about Miu's bearing that makes her not do it at the last second. In fact, there's something about Miu, full stop; Moe really does give her the once over, brow slightly furrowed, trying to figure out what that weird, back-of-the-head, pit-of-the-stomach feeling is about the situation. Deciding it's probably just Neo League debut fight jitters, she clears her throat and puts her typical grin on her face. "That's me. I'd bust in here like Kool Aid Man but I think they'd probably not want me to leave a Moe-shaped hole in a national landmark."

Out of her pockets come fingerless fighting gloves, which get pulled on, and then Moe is ready to go, in fighting stance with fists up and bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Alright! Let's get this thing going, Miss Kurosaki! I bet you're a fast one... why don'tcha show me what you got?"

It's an invitation to punch her in the face. Why not take it?

COMBATSYS: Moe has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Moe              0/-------/-------|


Why indeed?

Miu ... has been fighting a lot, lately. This is probably what has her feeling, odd. But, at the same time, she can't help but think that this is wrong. She knows fatigue. She knows when she's not feeling her best. This is not the case. She's energized and ready to bring her a-game. So, what is this sensation? Why can she not shake it? And what... is it? For someone so used to herself, above anything else, this, is a rather disconcerting moment.

Thankfully, it doesn't last long. "They would probably be upset, yes." The girl agrees. A gentle smile actually tugs at her lips. A rarity, but she can't stop herself.

"... Alright."

And that concession to Moe's request made, the girl doesn't hold back. Feathers, dark black and burning white, begin to flow in greater number from her sleeves. And, in a sudden motion forward, her hand whips out. Three feathers slash through the air, diagonally, aiming to strike directly across Moe's body, catch her in the middle, with a flare of numbing psychic force.

COMBATSYS: Miu has joined the fight here.

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Miu              0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Moe


COMBATSYS: Moe blocks Miu's Kakure Amagakeri.

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Miu              0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0              Moe


Perhaps it's to Moe's benefit that she's naturally energetic and hyped up on adrenaline; the excitement of the fight keeps her from getting too mired in that nagging sensation of familiarity, like a loose tooth you want to keep poking with your tongue. It does mean she's ready for it when Miu comes at her with those psychic feathers, tossing them her way. "What the--" is what she starts to say, because... feathers don't seem very threatening, but some instinct tells her at the last second to defend herself, hunkering down. All the better that she does; the spectral feathers splash against her forearms and send a very peculiar sensation indeed tingling through Moe's arms. That... kinda hurt.

"Huh," the redhead says curiously, bringing her guard down and slipping back into stance, giving Miu the once over. "I wouldn't have expected... feathers. But you make it work in a... you know, a magical girl sort of way," she finishes, scratching the side of her head. "Maybe you should try shouting your attacks' names when you do 'em, see how that works for you."

She's totally serious, too. That's the worst part.

"Now, me?" Moe says, grinning. "I prefer straight-up kung fu." With that, she hops backward, seemingly like she's trying to give herself some distance... but at the last second she plants her foot on the landing and pivots, turning that into a rapid forward dash even as she extends her punching arm, Bruce Lee-style, into a stiff-armed straight punch right for the side of Miu's head!

COMBATSYS: Miu dodges Moe's Hoshiyomi.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Miu              0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0              Moe


Miu's eyebrow twitches for a moment. Did... did she just get called a magical girl? Miu is not a magical girl! She's sullen! She's moody! She keeps to herself, and she wears way too much black. She is in no way a magical girl, even if she does use feathers. The idea that she should shout her attack names, too... ugh. Miu hates talking in fights, at least most of the time. She just can't... fathom why you would want to do that.

She doesn't seem to be playing by the one-for-one rules, though. As Moe comes in to punch her in the head, Miu totally cheats, by sliding around to the side. Winding up behind the girl. She gives the slightest shake of her head. "Kung fu." She repeats. Feeling, unlike in most fights, that, she should, talk. Share. Open up.

"... I do not know kung fu."

Apparently in order to help prove her point, Miu aims to grab hold of Moe's shoulders, from behind. If she can do this, that strange, numbing energy will keep pouring out of her, and into the other girl. The throw is rough, unsophisticated, and lacks a great deal in technique. What it does have, is an awful lot of power. A bright white trail would follow after the girl as she sails through the air... directly towards a set of shelves, because property damage, as discussed earlier, is awesome, and will make the tournament organizers happy.

... that was the outcome of that discussion, right?

COMBATSYS: Moe fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Miu with Enbi.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Miu              0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0              Moe


Annie arrives from elsewhere.

SIX YEARS AGO

"Now, Moe," says Daddy Habana, in the yard behind their rather nice Bay Area home, "our family style of the Slicing Fist is based on many principles, both for offense and defense. Someday it may be that you will need to know these various techniques. That is why we have kept the tradition alive over the centuries."

A pause. "Moe?"

"LOOK, DADDY!" Moe Habana, age 12, shouts. "I CAN KICK AND FLIP BACKWARDS AT THE SAME TIME!" :D

"Yes, dear. That's nice, bu--"

"Wheee!"

"DAMNIT, MOE."

NOW

It does look a little sloppy, that throw. But Moe knows this AWESOME move where she kicks while flipping over backwa--

Cut to a few minutes later, Moe lying on her back and looking up at the library ceiling, slightly spaced out. There's a groan as muscles and tendons protest, but the girl gets up anyway and, glancing at Miu with vaguely out-of-focus eyes for a moment, then gives the Seijyun Raven a thumbs up, if slightly unsteadily.

"Feathers. Got it."

If Miu were thinking clearly ... she would probably follow up the assault. She has, after all, been treating the entire league as an exercise in self exploration. She was supposed to push herself to the very limit. Crush all opposition, and come to a greater understanding of her style. That was certainly how she had approached every other fight. Give them no quarter, fight with everything she had!

But, as Moe crashes into the shelves, she winces in sympathy. The girl doesn't turn her power inward. She doesn't recover her breathing. She doesn't, in short, do an awful lot.

Instead, she nods her head. "I do not know why." She admits, as she watches the girl. "It is, what it is. If you like... I will show you everything I have."

She's smiling, again, as she echoes the words that Alma had used. Words which had stoked her own determination. "I would like you to show me what you have, Moe Habana. I would like to see... the limit of your soul."

COMBATSYS: Miu takes no action.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Miu              0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0              Moe


The limit of her soul?

"Uh, well..."

Boy, have YOU got the wrong person.

For her part, Moe finds Miu's actions totally inexplicable, and once the soul gets mentioned, Miss Habana is actually vaguely uncomfortable, and it shows. She's a rough and tumble type, well adjusted, doesn't fire lightning bolts from her eye sockets or anything. A good scrap is fun for her though, win or lose, and it's easy to mistake Miu's genuine desire to see what Moe has to offer as, well... pity.

"Hey, now," she says, tilting her head at the comparatively smaller Miu. "Don't go taking it easy on me just 'cause I've been a little unlucky. This fight's far from over." Another bounce or two on her heels, and Moe grins, extending her arm, hand closed into a fist, before pulling it back. "I'm getting ready for King of Fighters, I can't afford to slack off. But hey, if you wanna leave yourself open for punching, be my guest!"

And then she's surging forward and attempting to sweep out her fist until it comes just close enough to Miu's body without connecting, before she finally takes that last inch step and drives home another Bruce Lee-style move. Unlike the trained-by-the-movies types, though, hers is pitch perfect; apparently Moe's trained in Jeet Kune Do too.

COMBATSYS: Miu dodges Moe's Fierce Punch.

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Miu              0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0              Moe


Miu steps to the side of the punch easily. The girls' brow furrows a little. She's, not good at talking to people, it is true. Maybe that was part of the reason she preferred to stay bottled up inside. But, she surely didn't mean to imply she wasn't taking Moe seriously. She can't soak hits at all. She's certain that, with the technique Moe was showing, if she took a blow, she was going to be badly injured. She couldn't afford that, that's for certain.

When Moe comes in, she steps to the side. There's no more words from the raven-haired girl, instead, she focuses on the fight far more, instead. If Moe wanted to just fight... then they would fight! Miu has absolutely no problem with that. That is, after all, why they are here.

One of the ever-present feathers is grabbed, melding back into her hand somewhat, bright white and glowing, she spins, and aims to, simply, drive the energy-imbued feather between Moe's shoulderblades. Where Moe's technique is flawless, Miu's suffers badly for a lack of formal education. But that incredible, ever-present power... that refuses to diminish even a little bit, and that more than picks up the slack for her.

COMBATSYS: Moe blocks Miu's Medium Punch.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Miu              0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0              Moe


In response, her opponent's defensive is really aggressive in nature, Moe's arm sweeping up and effectively knocking away Miu's feather-stab punch even as it comes in toward her shoulders; the impact stings, then feels bizarrely tingly because of that strange energy, but it's better than taking the blow full-on, for sure. "You're quick, I'll give you that," Moe says to Miu as the two briefly clash. Fast... but in Moe's experience, that does indeed usually mean they haven't built up the resilience you need to take a punch or two. Moe herself isn't exactly a meatwall herself, preferring to balance her strength and her speed when training, but she can see how it's working to Miu's advantage right now.

The fight's not exactly over for either fighter right now, however, and Moe decides to press the attack rather than stay back. "Maybe you should learn some kung fu!" the Japanese-American says good-naturedly. "Might help you focus some of that, uh... whatever." Yeah, she's not into the whole ENERGY AKIMBO thing herself. Moe prefers a good old-fashioned punching.

Or, in this case, kicking, as she swiftly looks to slam her knee into Miu's stomach, then turn and flip the Seijyun student onto the ground opposite her while the gut blow has her staggered for a moment. It's a pretty risky move, but it might just pay off for her.

COMBATSYS: Moe successfully hits Miu with Combo Grapple.
Grazing Hit

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Miu              0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0              Moe


Miu does manage to evade the knee. It passes harmlessly by her, and she even manages to slip away from the gut punch. The trouble is, she gets snared at the last moment, although she isn't bent over... she still gets slammed bodily into the ground. She winces, and rolls to the side as swiftly as she can, stumbling back up to her feet. Somehow, the girl still manages to look dignified, at least, comparatively.

She doesn't stay back for long, though. Leaping forwards, augmented by a bit of that power, she spins as she goes, and her foot comes lashing upwards. Aiming to make painful contact with the side of Moe's head, and with enough of that energy coming with her to knock Moe off her feet. At least, that's the plan.

Truth be told, Miu is a little frustrated with herself right now. Maybe Moe was right, and she had been taking the fight too... lightly. Maybe that strange feeling of familiarity was really /overconfidence/. Maybe she thought she knew this person because she thought she knew everyone, now. She needed to focus, center, and get her head back in the fight. She couldn't let herself be brought low by, by pride!

COMBATSYS: Miu successfully hits Moe with Medium Kick.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Miu              0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0              Moe


It could be just as much that Moe herself took Miu's brief pause in the fight a little too hard. That, or she's trying her damndest to go full bore and make sure she doesn't disappoint Kyo in KoF. Something is clearly on her mind, anyway, though it could just as easily be that nagging feeling in the back of her head that this is all sort of deja vu. Regardless, it's apparently throwing off her defensive game, since she notices Miu's incoming kick perhaps a little too late and her attempt to dodge it is a little too late too; the blow sends Moe stumbling back a few steps to end up with her back against a library desk, braced against it.

Hmmm.

"Heh... maybe I deserved that for saying you should study some martial arts," Moe says with a (genuine) smile. She doesn't attack; for the moment Moe feels the need to take a breather and consider her opponent's movements carefully. Just throwing herself at the girl head-on isn't accomplishing anything. There's got to be another way. "Think, Moe, think!" she says, out loud, without meaning to. Oh dear.

COMBATSYS: Moe focuses on her next action.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Miu              0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0              Moe


Emotions are funny things.

Miu tries very hard to keep her cool when she fights. Nine times out of ten, this works magnificently. She is very strong willed, even by the standards of fighters, and especially by the standards of teenage fighters. She lets her head rule her heart in almost all things, because her head is what has guided her through all things.

Now, though, as Moe takes her moment to stop ... her head says, she should take a moment to stop herself. To pause, reflect, consider. Find her center. Find her focus. And then strike.

But her heart says, no. Her heart is telling her that she needs to keep striking, to demonstrate what it is she is capable of, to, prove herself, and to prove to this girl that she is *not* being taken lightly. It is not logical. It is the very opposite of logical. And yet, Miu gives in to it. If she were to be asked about it later, she would never be able to explain why.

"Perhaps I should." The raven-haired girl admits. "But, for now... my power will guide me..."

Oh what the hell.

"CHOU! Hissatsu... AMAGAKERI!"

Snapping her arms to the side, those feathers that surround her drift upwards, and suddenly seem, much more menacing. One at a time, they slice through the air, trailing pretty sparkles as feather after feather shoots forwards, aiming to knock Moe out of her contemplation!

COMBATSYS: Miu successfully hits Moe with Chou Hissatsu Amagakeri.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Miu              0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1              Moe


Oh, no. This time, she's ready.

There's not enough time, compared to the flurry of feathers, to actually form a reasonable defense, but what Moe does -- without even knowing it -- is steel herself for the blow and try to think positive thoughts. Weirdly enough, when what you're dealing with is psychic power, this is actually an unexpected benefit. Moe is pelted with psychic feathers, but at the end of the day, having taken a moment to think things through actually makes their cumulative effect considerably weaker. It still leaves Moe fairly breathless -- she's basically lost this fight at this point -- but it hasn't taken her out of it quite yet. She can still make an impression on Miu.

"Right, well... looks like you dug pretty deep for that one. So, lemme return the favor. After all, you asked to see my 'soul', right?"

For some reason, there's a feeling of strength inside of Moe. As if she's tapping some source she didn't know about.

And then she's charging Miu, running considerably faster than before, and when she gets close the unwitting inheritor of the Yatsuka no Tsurugi extends her arms, palms out, and pinwheels toward Miu over and over again. If the young psychic is caught up in Moe's storm of attacks, she then slams a fist into Miu's stomach before twirling upward in a spinning uppercut-like move, the spitting image of the Kusanagi technique 'Oniyaki' without the fire.

And the whole time, much as Miu's power spills feathers everywhere, Moe herself erupts in a storm of cherry blossoms that scatter everywhere.

COMBATSYS: Miu blocks Moe's Ouran.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Miu              0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0              Moe


Miu looks surprised. The girl had been expecting that to be the end of it, but... it very much isn't. Moe comes charging in, and there's, a strange energy. Miu is not greatly experienced, but she does have a great deal of innate talent. Every sense she has tells her, something /strange/ is going on. But she just, can't put her finger on it! It is infuriating.

Her arms snap out, time and again. Her defense isn't perfect, but it doesn't just rely on the physical. There are so many feathers around now, that they are helping too. Taking some of the bite out of the lesser punches. At the critical moment, her arms snap down in a hard cross, catching Moe's fist, and raising with her as she comes up, refusing to break and turn aside.

When the storm finally passes, Miu takes a deep breath.

Suddenly, the feathers part, blown away by an unfelt breeze. For a moment, they dance amidst the cherry blossoms, and the two fighters are a wonderful picture. Briefly.

And then, her fist comes driving up. White energy flares, and the fist would pass, harmlessly, within inches of Moe's face...

What is not harmless, is the energy which comes burning up around it, covering that distance with numbing power, the girl hoping that this time, Moe's mind is rather... less cheery! What a horrible thing to wish on someone. Then again, she is a goth.

COMBATSYS: Moe auto-guards Miu's Kirameki!

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Miu              0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0              Moe


Kung fu does come in handy occasionally. Case in point: Miu's blinding blade of white feathery energy comes in for a near landing on Moe's face.

So she removes her face from the equation by simply leaning her torso back ever so slightly, then applying gentle pressure on the girl's striking arm so that it heads safely downwards even faster than normal. It's an interesting dichotomy on the field, today; Miu is displaying all the God-given power she can use to great effect, but despite being down and out, Moe seems determined to put all her skills to good use.

"I'm glad I got a chance to fight you, Miu Kurosaki," she says with a grin. "It's been very instructive."

With that, she surges forward, attempting to slam her outstretched fist into Miu's collarbone... but she then does a quick turn in place, slamming the opposite elbow into Miu's gut before pivoting a third time and striking out and downward to finish the trio of blows.

COMBATSYS: Miu dodges Moe's Sotosode.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Miu              0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0              Moe


Miu returns Moe's look. In reality, if she even wanted to speak, she's not sure she could, right now. She had not expected such a dramatic last-minute effort. It takes her completely by surprise. If it wasn't for the fact that Moe pauses for a moment to speak, Miu would likely have been struck solidly, just because she wouldn't have had the wherewithal to get out of the way.

Thankfully, for her at least, she does have that wherewithal. It is a close run thing. Moe's fist is ducked under, and then the elbow slid backwards away from. Taken far enough away that the third strike is not a threat, Miu takes a heartbeat to compose herself...

And she shakes her head. "No, thank you, Moe."

And then, because she doesn't wish to risk offending the girl again, she drives her hand forward as powerfully as she can. Lunging into the blow, if she can make contact with Moe's center mass, as she hopes to, one more of those numbing feathers will be buried into the cheery girl.

COMBATSYS: Moe fails to interrupt Aggressive Strike from Miu with Medium Kick.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Miu              0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0              Moe


Moe Habana really can't catch a break today.

The goal had been to swing her leg up and ram it into Miu's side while the girl was still in close quarters, but it's hard to account for that power that is Miu's birthright, and the energy sears painfully on Moe's stomach before she can fully extend that kick, sending her a step back or two. Grimacing a little, the Habana scion decides that today just isn't her day, and resolves to see the fight out as best she can. She took a few chances -- risky ones, in a few cases -- and they didn't pay off. That, combined with Miu's agility, gave the psychic the upper hand.

That said...

Moe tightens her hand grips and runs her hand across her mouth for a moment before giving Miu an appraising look. "Hope you don't think I'm a sore loser for sayin' this," the Slicing Fist fighter says evenly, "but I think you could still go a long way if you keep training. I mean, you got the power and some skills, but I also just got plain old unlucky out there today, too. That's how these things go, sometimes!"

Her grin widens a bit. "What I'm sayin' is, you better keep training or next time we fight I'm gonna beat you down really, really hard."

This time, Miu shakes her head. Hoping backwards, she spreads her arms, and turns her power inwards. She doesn't know quite what to make of Moe's words, exactly. On one hand, they were a compliment. On the other, it was, mildly irritating. She knew she needed to train. That was what entering this league was all about. She didn't particularly care for praise, or the thrill of the fight itself, as such. No, for Miu, this has all been about learning. She WILL discover her limits, and she WILL push past them, one way or another.

"For someone who has lost, you are being awfully talkative, Moe Habana." The raven-haired Psion says, her eyes glinting harshly. "If you want to talk about my training, we can discuss it, certainly, but."

"Surrender, or come at me again. You do not seem to me to be the kind to surrender."

COMBATSYS: Miu gains composure.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Miu              0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0              Moe


Rose arrives from elsewhere.

COMBATSYS: Miu has left the fight here.

[                       \\\\\\\  <
Moe              0/-------/----===|


COMBATSYS: Moe has ended the fight here.


"Hey, your training is up to you," Moe says simply, brushing off her shirt a bit and settling back into stance. She's GOT to be on her last legs after the beating she's taken, but strangely enough she SEEMS like she's as fresh as a proverbial daisy. This will in fact continue until Miu knocks her fully unconscious, at which point Moe will topple over like a house of cards in a hurricane. It is this peculiar power she has that is not actually related to her mystical heritage, nor her martial arts skills.

(It's because she's American.)

"I don't think you'd like the training I do, anyway."

TEN YEARS AGO

"Moe, today we begin your training in the Way of the Slicing Fist," begins Mr. Habana calmly. "It will test your endurance, your speed, and your strength. But someday you will use these skills as a true master. Now, let us begin."

She was already up to two juggled chainsaws before Mrs. Habana put a stop to it.

NOW

"And nobody said anything about surrendering just yet," says Moe Habana, Deft Juggler. She cracks her knuckles. "You've taken a lot out of me but you're gonna have to go all the way if you want to claim victory." And with that she ducks in, twirls, and attempts to plant a quick snap kick right into the bottom of Miu's jaw.

COMBATSYS: Miu endures Moe's Light Kick.

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Miu              0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0              Moe


Miu does something completely unexpected. Something entirely unlike the way she has approached the rest of the fight, and indeed, the way she approached every other fight she has been in. She takes the kick.

It whips her head to the side. But, the time for discussion is finished. Moe Habana is a strange girl. Someone she would want to watch, with interest. Someone, perhaps, she might even want to spend time with. Despite their being of different schools, different blood, and utterly different styles. There is no way to really explain why she feels this way. She just, does. In a way she can't shake, like a splinter in her mind.

Now, however, she must claim victory. It is certain not to be an easy thing.

Summoning every ounce and scrap of power that she has within her, the girl has not moved, but, as Moe's leg came out, she may have noticed a sudden, marked increase in the rate at which feathers are forming around Miu's body. Something which now, might just seem a little worrying.

There's no words any more, no shouting of her move name (that had felt, weird), and no warning beyond that feathery hint. Suddenly, Miu's arm has come up, and is mere inches away from Moe's stomach. Sweat beads on Miu's brow, and her teeth are gritted. Calling upon the very depths of her power, she unleashes everything she has, point blank, praying that this, at last, would be /enough/.

A massive lance of psychic force is the result. All of the feathers suddenly blurring together into one, overwhelming spike of psycho power. The cone is huge, almost filling the entire space in which they were fighting, and all of Miu's power is put on display for that one, brief, shining moment.

After which, hit or miss, she will sink to one knee, panting for breath. Having, quite thoroughly, overexerted herself. Why... had she chosen to do that? She's not sure she could explain.

COMBATSYS: Miu successfully hits Moe with Chou Yomosugara.

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Miu              0/-------/------=|=======\=------\1              Moe


There's not much you can do when anything happens at point blank range, really. The lance of feathers hits her and the redhead goes flying, slamming into a bookshelf with a loud crashing noise. It's the first 'casualty' of the fight, but thankfully it doesn't seem as if the bookcase sustains any real damage. On the other hand, Moe is not so lucky. Whatever it was Miu decided to do at the last minute, it pretty much closed the deal. The Taiyo student lays there for a little longer than indicates 'just got hit' and instead gets up a little shakily, staring down Miu. "Like I said," she says with a smile. "You've got to earn it."

And then she's charging the Seijyun student. It's a last desperate gasp. It has nowhere near the potential to turn this into a DKO. But for Moe, it's more about making sure her message has internal integrity from start to finish. When she gets close to Miu, Moe makes a short, low-angle hop, looking to slam one outstretched leg into the girl's stomach. If she can accomplish that, Moe effectively 'walks' up Miu's body with furious repeated kicks before flipping off in a backward somersault.

Whether she then rebounds onto the floor, or simply falls through the space Miu just vacated, after that Moe hits the ground, unconscious.

COMBATSYS: Moe can no longer fight.

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Miu              0/-------/------=|


COMBATSYS: Miu dodges Moe's Kakuhi.

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Miu              0/-------/------=|


Miu has no intention of letting Moe get even one last hit in. The girl is, in fact, a little unnerved that Moe gets up at all. When she comes at her, Miu is silent, waiting, watching. She doesn't actually get up from the floor, either.

Instead, Moe hops, and the girl, suddenly, hugs the floor. Rolling across and under it, she neatly evades the danger, letting Moe jump above her, as she gets up, ready to continue the fight, deliver another hit, try and just, /stop/ the irrepressible Habana.

It doesn't happen. Instead, Moe is very unconscious, and Miu looks to the camera, once. Before nodding, and just, walking away. Already replaying the entire fight in her head. It was, strange. It would be haunting her for some time to come.

COMBATSYS: Miu has ended the fight here.

Log created on 15:00:13 01/13/2011 by Miu, and last modified on 20:42:44 01/13/2011.