Description: In a frozen over island cove turned into shimmering crystal cavern, the shadowy illusionist Munin Arshe takes on someone well at home on the ice in Brett Neuer. The crystalline reflections assure Munin's illusions are at her best, but the large pool gives Brett a movement advantage. The real question, however, is why is everything frozen over to begin with? (Winner: Brett)
COMBATSYS: Brett has started a fight here.
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Brett 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Munin has joined the fight here.
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Brett 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Munin
It really is a very pretty sight, the island cove. The cave in question is a seeming winter wonderland, with the small pool at it's center frozen solid, and icy protrusions clinging to the stalactites. All around them, crystaline formations glisten with light as it reflectes from outside off first the ice, then are refracted. A ring of stones sit around the frozen pool, a strange and almost mysterious faerie ring at the heart of winter....
Within the reflections of the crystals, Munin can be seen! First in one, then in another, before finally becoming visible from behind a smaller stalagmite. She slowly makes her way to the pool, finding the warm weather, despite the ice, as strange as it was in the ice skating encounter. Once there, she awaits her opponent, taking note of the surroundings, as dark whisps of chi begins to drift off her body like black mist....
Ice is great, ice is familiar, ice is, to put it a better way, HOME. After all, Minnesota in the winter time was all about snow and ice, especially those who lived on the northeastern part against Lake Superior. The cold and frozen waters were like second nature to one Brett Neuer.
This, though...this made him feel queasy. Sure, the ice cavern he got sent to was amazingly beautiful. But the very fact that, icicles and solidly frozen-over ponds aside, it was a freezer burned tropical island just compounded the wrongness the former Greyhound felt as he stepped up into the cove, ice skates already on.
As he looked around at the shimmering reflections in the crystalline cove, the hockey kid finally spotted his opponent, someone somewhat familiar. He fought Munin before a while back, but he honestly doesn't remember much about the fight. And this isn't the best place to help jar his memory. "This place creeps me out..." he grumbles as he steps forward, gentle, unsteady voice reverberating through the cavern despite how low it is.
"It is in a way.... but that only adds to the charm" replies Munin as she eyes Brett. She too remembers their earlier match, even though it seems like forever and a day ago.... "Odd that it's both normal temperature despite the ice, as well as ice to begin with.....".
Turning to face Brett, violet chi begins to form along her hands and feet, as she smirks at him, eyes hidden beind purple-tinted glasses "Been a long time since our last match. Curious to see if you've gained any new tricks since then".
Shaking his head, Brett tromps his way closer, skates crushing along the frozen over floor as he approaches the pool in the middle of the cover, his footsteps quickly turning to little pushes on the blades. "That'st the part that creeps me. This shouldnt' be happening..." he says softly, nebbish voice contrasting with his larger form. Looking over to Munin, he spots the chi starting to radiate off of her, hands AND feet.
"I really kinda feel like fighting during this all is wrong too. Like some kind of distraction," he says, sighing as he adjusts his helmet, gloved hands rechecking the clasp under his chin before tossing his stick up into a better grip. He's not comfortable with fighting like this, but he's going to do it anyway...
Munin nods "On that, we agree, though it DOES give people something to distract them at least...." she trails off, her expression suggesting more is on her mind than is being spoken.
For the moment, at least....
That said, she starts things off with a wave of her hand, sending a wave of black shadowy chi sailing at Brett! "Best we give them a good show, yes?". For a moment, 2 pinpricks of brighter purple glow through the matching tint of the glasses
COMBATSYS: Munin successfully hits Brett with Shadow Wave.
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Brett 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Munin
Brett isn't quite sure that a distraction is exactly what people need, not with all the crazy goings on going on right now. But, there is something to be said about putting people's minds at ease, as long as it doesn't let them completely ignore what's going on in the world.
That said, Brett can't quite ignore what's going on in front of him instead, as he braces himself for the wave that Munin sends at him. The blast manages to bowl aside a hasty guard, his stick nearly flying into the air as he ends up blown aside. Landing on his butt, he groans and tries to get himself back up to his feet. A small growl can be heard as he stands upright again. "Fine..." he mutters, hunching down with stick held in a face off position. Adjusting his helmet, eyes narrowed, he almost seems to scratch at the ground like a bull ready to charge.
And charge he does, running forward until he hits the ice, then racing forward even faster, trying to get the momentum up enough to barrel into Munin with a hard check of his stick.
COMBATSYS: Brett successfully hits Munin with Medium Strike.
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Brett 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Munin
A response, Munin expects. What she DOESN'T expect is the vitrol she senses, or the suddenness of his charge!
She gets hit hard by his hockey stick, and is knocked back off her feet, sliding on the ice. Flipping back into a roll, she is on her knees as the slide stops, and she smirks at him, as she suddenly LEAPS off the ground!
Or does she?
She appears to, and at the same time, she appears to run at him head on with an attack, and at the same time as that come around from the side!
Courtesy of the crystals, her normal illusions appear enhanced due to all the refraction going on.... there are 3 of her!
COMBATSYS: Munin successfully hits Brett with Mirror Image.
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Brett 1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Munin
When Brett gets into 'game mode', all that usual good nature and Minnesota nice tends to go out of the window, and he becomes a wrecking ball. It's why he was a key part of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds' third line after all. So it shouldn't be a big surprise when he ends up knocking Munin off her feet like he does. The problem is the aftermath...
After all, it could just be the reflections of the cavern, but it seems like there are more Munins than there used to be. And that hesitation trying to figure out which one is which results in Brett getting struck hard in the chest by the one rushing straight at him. "GUH!!" Sliding on the ice and dropping to a knee, he falters for a spell, before pushing himself back up and glowering even more. Gritting his teeth, he charges in again...unlike before, he slows just a bit before contact, dropping low as his stick sweeps out. As he gets closer, he spins faster and faster, stick rising up as he gets near in hopes of catching Munin in that spiraling attack.
COMBATSYS: Munin fails to counter Wild Spiral from Brett with Double Vision.
- Power fail! -
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Brett 1/-----==/=======|-------\-------\0 Munin
With a smirk, Munin flicks a lance of chi into her palm, watching Brett go. She figures she has this in the bag. He's moving in a predictable pattern, and getting more and more speed, but still not enough she can't track him. One good strike as he gets close, and it'll all be over!
She steps to make her move and.... slips on the ice! This leaves her wide open, and unable to react before she is hit, and hit hard, again sent to the chilly ground, dazed a moment from the impact!
The Wild Spiral strikes true for Brett, sailing on by after that battering and quickly making a hard pivot along the edge of the pool. This IS his element, after all. Coming back around, he sees Munin still dazed from her attempted riposte, and not a moment is wasted to try and pounce on that vulnerability. Charging in again, Brett seems dead set on simply bullrushing Munin....
Until he stops, spraying ice as he brakes in front of her and then kicks off to the side. As he does, the blade of his stick hooks around, trying to sideswipe at Munin in passing as he starts a slower circling around within stick's length.
COMBATSYS: Munin blocks Brett's Random Strike.
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Brett 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Munin
With a quick shake of her head, Munin recovers just in time to see the strike coming! She steps in and puts up an arm, blocking the stick at the neck just behind the bladed area!
With the same motion, she moves to strike at him with her other hand, a lance of chi jutting out from the palm! The strike is low, aimed at his stomach.
If she connects, she'll use the low position and velocity to literally lift Brett up, over her head, then slam him back-first on the ice!
COMBATSYS: Brett fails to interrupt Eclipse from Munin with Hurricane Check EX.
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-
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Brett 1/-======/=======|====---\-------\0 Munin
While his swiping stick attack didn't hit flush, he did manage to hook on to Munin's guard to make her pay enough for blocking the shot. Brett continued to circle, as he watches Munin's other hand reel back for a strike with her palm. Sensing this moment, he takes into a quick charge, trying to intercept her before the palm extends out...
Unfortunately, he's slow enough in doing so that her strike manages to catch him deep in his gut, the lift up and the slam nearly cracking the ice beneath him as a howl of pain escapes the hockey kid. That...really, really hurt...
With Brett down, Munin does the only sensible thing: goes for a kick to his head! Not enough to kill or maim or anything. He IS wearing a helmet, after all. Just enough to knock him out, she hopes. She feels bad kicking when hes down, literally, but when one hits as hard as he does, you don't risk letting them up....
A lesson she has learned the hard way from various enemies in more dangerous battles....
COMBATSYS: Brett blocks Munin's Aggressive Strike.
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Brett 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Munin
Thankfully, this time Brett is ready for the attempted kick, managing to get a gloved hand up to intercept the hit when he's down and push it aside. Sure, he HAS the helmet, but he's not going to put ALL trust into it. Instead, he manages to deflect it away and uses the momentum from that guard to turn himself off the ice. Grunting a little, he sets his eye back on Munin.
Kicking off the ice low, he barrels in and tries to slash up at her hard, his stick glowing a faint blue as his stick swings out in that cutting motion.
COMBATSYS: Munin fails to counter Red Sabre from Brett with Shadow Strike.
- Power fail! -
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Brett 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Munin
With a quick dash, Munin moves to a position that appears to be under the glowing sticks trajectory, poised to slide under as it goes by, and counter-attack before Brett can respond....
Sadly, she completely misjudges her positioning, taking the blade full on the side of her head, sending her to the ground, dazed.
A bleeding gash can be seen on the side of her head, spotting red on the otherwise bluish ise, and her shades are cut on one side, falling to the ground
It's clear the ice is making both of them misjudge their attacks, and it seems to be hurting them equally at this rate. However, as Brett's chi-charged strike manages to strike home upside of Munin's head and draws blood, Brett senses the opening he needs...and this time, he's not about to let up on it.
Coming close, he tries to grab Munin in one hand and hold her steady with his stick-holding hand, while his other hand reels back. A gloved fist surges forward in a punch...then another, trying to batter her repeatedly. Punches quickly turn to full swinging elbows, several thrown before finally trying to give the coup de grace with another hard slashing strike with his stick.
COMBATSYS: Munin fails to counter Broad Street Barrage from Brett with Terminal Response.
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Brett 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Munin can no longer fight.
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Brett 0/-------/-----==|
With a dab at the side of her head, Munin starts to get back up just in time for Brett to grab her! She glares up at him suddenly, her brightly-glowing purple eyes boring into him with a feral touch. She seems to know instinctively what is coming, and lunges. A lance of chi emits from her the rune on the palm of her glove, aimed at Bretts faceplate!
However, the first blow impacts her before she connects, throwing off her aim entirely. Then the next, and the next. By the time Brett finishes, she is unconscious in his arm, with bruises to along with the bleeding, the glow in her eyes extinguished.
The aggression shows through as Brett finishes off that hockey-style combo. No finesse, no technique, just a good ol' flying fist for the most part. Not even aware of what Munin had planned to counteract him, he just continues to hit her until that final strike away, Gripping his stick, he continues to circle her, as if waiting for her to get back up. HIs jaw is set, his eyes narrowed, he's still ready to go smash mouth.
It's when Munin doesn't get up after all that he starts to loosen up, that tenseness melting away, as does his aggression, and a return to the normal, everyday, gentle giant of a Neuer starts to come back out. "....hey...are you ok?" he asks, even as he hears a distant signal from the tournament staff, announcing the end of the fight from just outside of the cove.
Sometime after Munin is carted off for treatment out of the cove, Brett is still there, sitting around and marveling at the unnatural ice. He really didn't give much heed to a comment Munin made earlier, but as he removes his heavier sweater and takes off his gloves, he can feel the sweat on his skin from the winter wear, feeling the temperature around him far warmer than should support this ice.
Feeling down on the ground to see if the ice still felt cold, he frowned. "Seriously...what's going on...." he mutters to himself. It can't REALLY be the end of the world like people keep panicking about...right?
COMBATSYS: Brett has ended the fight here.
Log created on 20:02:35 08/29/2014 by Brett, and last modified on 23:21:53 08/30/2014.