24/08/04
Characters: Ralf, Chun-Li, Kyo, Yuki
Pao Pao Cafe
Welcome to the Pao Pao Cafe!
Although the cafe sees a lot of business, it has never grown out of its
small, homey atmosphere. Despite its unassuming size, food and drink of
nearly any kind can be found here, from traditional Japanese dishes such as
bento and ramen to American food like hamburgers and pizza. Though quite a
few traditionalists prefer to seek out the specialty shops in the mall, this
inclusive cafe offers students a great place to congregate after class.
It's not a bar, but this is the next best thing! Hell, possibly even better.
People of all temperaments and walks of life come here, almost guaranteed to
attract an entertaining patron or two at any given time. Right now, that just
happens to be Ralf, plopped down in what has come to be 'his' seat (look, he
even carved a tiny 'RJ' into the wooden leg), tilted back with one foot curled
around the well-fastened pole that holds the tabletop up to support himself. "So
then this guy," he says, his voice muffled with a bite or three of unchewed
hamburger, "He comes right in, right? Drunk as hell, looking for this girl that
ran off with his.." Yada yada, his story continues with the guy in question
getting..hell, pulled out by his wife by the ear, much to the amusement of the
bar..in his story, that is. The poor guy on the receiving end of his babbling
looks a bit uneasy with the guy's friendliness, though..or maybe it's his
manners.
Not all of the cafe's patrons are as lacking in proper manners or etiquette as
the Ikari Warrior bombarding innocent ears with his tales. A young woman slips
in through the door, instantly gaining a lot of attention. And it's easy to see
why - not only beautiful, she holds herself with a great deal of grace, is clad
in a rather revealing blue and gold Chinese dress and has a physique that any
female fighter would die for. The attention she steals is in places merely
appreciative, lustful mutterings from the more stereotypical men particularly
obvious. But from a few patrons there's recognition there too, her figure
remaining in the mind of any who have encountered her before on the fighting
circuit. It -is- only a few though, as she's kept as low a profile as possible,
not taking part in the largest tournaments to preserve her ability as an
investigator. Perhaps some even recognise her in this role, though they won't be
letting on.
For all the attention she is getting, casual, lustful or otherwise.. the woman
doesn't seem fazed. Offering a smile to an older gentleman who was just leaving,
she stands aside to let him do so then makes for the bar to order herself a
drink. She politely makes her order, then stands there quietly, legs crossed and
hands set in her lap where they cradle a small handbag - this almost dainty
posture offset by that physique and by the two thick spiked bands she wears
around her wrists. What few glances she casts around are curious but brief, more
as though she was checking for a feel of the place rather than specific people
or a specific kind of person.
People are such fickle things. One minute, Ralf had a captive audience to pour
his tales of misadventures into, the next, he's off gawking at some Chinese
woman and completely ignoring him. Now, Ralf isn't exactly a pillar of charm and
grace, but ignoring someone in the middle of their story, well.. That's just
rude! His voice trails off as he noticed that he's not getting the attention he
wants, turning his head to look at the newcomer. From his vantage point, he
can't see the wristbands, but the girl herself is striking enough. "Oy, oy," he
says, nudging the guy he was talking to with his elbow. "You like that, huh?"
The vict--patron looks over with a sharp snap of the head, shaking it further at
the mercenary as he tries to shush him. This, of course, is met with a loud
belly laugh from Ralf and a heavy slap on the poor man's shoulder. He's really
starting to get embarassed! "Here's what you do.. Go over, buy her a drink. It's
easy!" this continues for a bit longer, with the bigger man obviously enjoying
himself at the barfly's expense.
Chun-Li is just paying the bartender for her drink - a non-alcoholic fruit
cocktail - when she hears Ralf's rather loud laughter. It would be difficult not
to, and she casts a glance back over her shoulder, an eyebrow raising. She
smiles on seeing the look of the heavyset man's companion is directed towards
her and shakes her head a little as she turns back towards the 'tender. "Thank
you.." she says to him, before clutching her bag to one side of her body and
taking her drink in the other hand. She turns around and takes a closer look at
the cafe this time, looking for somewhere to take a seat.
Ironically it seems the only free and suitable table is right behind Mr. Jones,
and it's here that the world's strongest woman heads to seat herself. As she
moves around to slip down into the table's single chair, she pauses to incline
her head in a friendly bow to Ralf and his newfound friend.
A trip to the cafe was not in the plans tonight, but the even outside a passerby
can hear Ralf's loud voice. One of those people ends up knowing the voice all to
well and being rather afraid just to see what trouble the old man is causing.
Leona's entrance can be a bit less noticed since many people are still
distracted by Chun-Li and the sight of seeing Ralf at the bar carrying on causes
the blue haired woman to let out a small sigh. And he is supposed to be the
commanding officer. She must have done something to make Heidern mad, that has
to be it. Why else would the surly one be here instead of someone like Clark?
She tries to decide if she should linger or not, though. She hangs around just
inside the door while debating her next course of action.
Ralf prefers to call himself free-spirited, thank you very much! Both he and his
'friend' look over at Chun-Li as she walks around, and once he sees how close
she is to them, he just..just grins. I mean, he gets this huge, shit-eating grin
on his face, giving his victim another (admittedly rough) pat on the shoulder.
"Look, this is perfect! She's right here! Do it, man!" He says this loud enough
for everyone to hear, obviously, and it proves to be too much for the poor man.
In a hurry, he fumbles for his wallet and pays for his food, slinking out of his
seat and all but running out the door, likely to trip over or run into Leona in
his haste if she's not careful. This pulls an exasperated sigh out of the
bandana-less merc, finally leaning forward to set his chair back on all fours
with a sharp tap of wood against wood. "What'd I tell you about scaring our
customers off?" the bartender says to him, looking more than a bit peeved
himself. "Ah, he'll be back, don't worry so much," Ralf replies, waving a hand
dismissively. Now that his fun's over, he lifts his half-drained bottle of
tequila, filling his shotglass up once more before pointing it in offering to
Chun-Li herself. "Mmf?" he asks, eloquent as ever, as he has already started on
his burger again.
Chun-Li was about to carry on ahead after giving a brief greeting. It's obvious
from his appearance that Ralf is more than just another citizen of Southtown and
likely more than another wannabe fighter, too. His age helps this deduction. But
she came here for a quiet drink, and rarely socialises unless directly invited
or with professional reason.. she was all set to sit by herself for an hour or
two. Despite the attention she garners one might be surprised how few approaches
she actually gets - most likely something to do with human survival instincts!
But she doesn't just continue on her quest for solitude. Instead she lingers by
the edge of Ralf's seat, blinking with surprise as he forces his companion away.
"Oh.." she manages quietly. She's initially caught offguard, looking rather
girlish and unsure for a few moments, but then she slowly gives an amused smile,
and reaches for the chair she was intending to occupy, moving it around so that
she can partially face the mercenary whilst keeping the intended table. "Thank
you, I'm fine." She replies firmly to Ralf as she sets her own drink onto the
tabletop and sits down, leaving her purse in her lap and lifting the other hand
in a polite warding gesture.
As her hand lowers she leans back and raises one eyebrow, asking quite sweetly,
"Since you've drawn so much attention to yourself, perhaps I should know your
name?"
Wannabe..? Girl, Ralf has been busting skulls since before you were even
born..even if he doesn't look THAT old..does he? What, is there a gray hair or
something? Oh god! Ahem. In any case, Ralf gives a king of half-hearted shrug at
the refusal of his gift, setting it back on his table hard, the clear liquid
swishing around violently within. "Ralf," he answers simply, before swallowing
mind you, exuding more of that grace of his. Before anything else, he tips his
glass back, downing the swill in one quick ..it's not even a gulp, he just
slides it past his palet. Unlike the lesser guys in the place, he seems
positively comfortable dealing with the young lady, probably because..well, he's
never seen her fight, and he's got better things to do than go skirt-chasing.
"And y--" he pauses mid-question, now getting a look at the spiky bands that
she's decided to adorn herself with. "The hell are -those-?" he asks, pointing
at one of them with his shotglass still in hand.
Chun-Li doesn't turn her nose up too much at the man's lack of manners, which
might seem odd from someone so graceful and polite. The truth is she's a little
too used to the criminal element to be worried about somebody like Ralf.. she
applies her code of behaviour to herself more than others. Actually in the
mercenary she seems to find it a little amusing, when not doing anything else
watching him with eyes a little wider than normal and one eyebrow cocked, a half
smile on her lips. As he offers a name she bows her head again and offers her
own, "I-" her hesitation comes on seeing him not wait for the return
introduction. She makes a swift recovery and continues, "I'm Chun-Li." Seeing
the older man about to speak though she holds her tongue on saying anything else
she might usually add, and waits patiently to answer his question. Not that
she's expecting to be asked that. At least he seems he doesn't know who she
is... and lifting her hands from where they have been resting in her lap she
displays the spiked bands and gives a small shrug, "Oh? They're just.. something
I enjoy wearing."
...he was lucky that Yuki Kushinada, love of his life, even agreed to come here
with him after he was (of course) late again for their date. Make no mistake, it
took no small amount of begging on the part of one Kyo Kusanagi. There may have
been even a promise to finally get her that Vespa she's had her heart set on,
though as Kusanagi opens the door to the Pao Pao Cafe, he certainly hopes he
didn't say anything like that in the heat of battle, so to speak. It's so hard
to remember with Yuki's screams of "KYO KUSANAGIIII!!!" still ringing in his
ears. In any case, he hold the door open for his girlfriend gentlemanly, trying
to get back in her good graces, "Errm, ladies first..."
"Aaaah huh.. Okay." Ralf kind of just..looks sidelong at Chun-Li, his gaze
shifting from the ornate little buns that her hair is done up in, the
over-puffed shoulders of the dress, the high-topped boots and finally to
the..the spikes. Note that, unlike most of the other patrons, he has elected not
to stare at any more..prominent features. "Chun-Li.." he repeats, his eyes
rolling up as he tilts his head back, again pushing against the sturdy table
support to teeter prevariously on the back legs of his chair. Has he heard that
name? No, he doesn't think so.. Eventually, he lowers his head, reaching for his
bottle again and now taking his dose of alcohol from it directly. Those
shotglasses are just so..so damn tiny! "Is that a stage name or something?" he
asks, much to the surprise of the couple of people nearby that know of her and
could hear him. "She's not a dominatrix, dipshit." comes from one of them,
gaining Ralf's temporary attention. "She's not?" he asks, looking back toward
the woman in question.
Chun-Li lowers her hands with a soft laugh. He does have a point, it's strange
to be walking around wearing such devices on her wrists but honestly... she just
really loves her bracelets, not liking to take them off at all except when it's
absolutely necessary. As he ponders on her name she reaches for her fruit
cocktail, raising the tall glass and taking a dainty sip. It's lucky she's not
more of a gulper, as when Ralf's next enquiry comes she'd otherwise end up
spitting a mouthful of liquid across the room. Instead she merely stares at him
open-mouthed, not remembering to lower the glass and just.. sitting there frozen
for a moment.
"No, I'm not!" She finally claims, tone showing some exasperation. Granted her
control is still excellent, but there's no hiding the fact that Ralf's
'innocent' misunderstanding got through. She lowers her glass then, to her
credit not slamming it, and sets her hand back with the other in her lap. "And
it's not a stage name either.. I go by my own name wherever I am."
There's no mention that he might have heard of her, or even -should-, because
she doesn't see why. He's not introduced himself as a professional streetfighter
and unless he'd been on the circuit in the last few years it was unlikely the
name Chun-Li would ever have cropped up with him before. Even if he was still
fighting, she's not exactly as famous as Kyo Kusanagi or even anybody else who
does well in the big tourneys. After a pause to gather herself she decides she
might as well mention before anybody else does, "I'm a fighter, like many others
in this city."
Yuki seems to have calmed considerably- It would seem mentioning of the Vespa is
an ace in the hole for Kyo, but really, can he depend on that nuch longer? Well,
perhaps that road can be crossed once he gets to it. She brings a hand to her
mouth, snickering at Kyo's politeness, and replies, "Why thank you, 'kind sir'."
That is one nice thing about dates though, Kyo tends to act a lot differently
than he would in school which is a very refreshing change of pace, she thinks.
"Though there was one thing I forgot to mention; I am on a diet, do they have
salads here?"
Ralf stares at Chun-Li with a mostly neutral expression on his face, his eyes
widened as if..as if he really did look kind of lost on the matter once she
debunks his image of her working at a club somewhere. Honestly, kids today have
such weird fashion sense. Honestly, he thought the whole spiked bondage look
went out decades ago! He is, if nothing else, attentive to the woman's
objections, a strange kind of lopsided smirk stretching across his big mouth at
her reaction. To see such grace crumble so quickly, it's just..aah. "I see, I
see! My bad, sorry." he says, though he still carries that goofy, amused
expression that doesn't do much to help maintain a look of sincerity. Stretching
one of his big arms over the back of his chair, he lets out a big yawn after the
objections have passed, scratching his stomach lazily. "Fighter? You? ..." Wait
for it. "They have a women's league now or something?" Kyo and Yuki go
unnoticed, at least by him. He's enjoying himself too much with Chun-Li here.
Kyo looks at Yuki incredulously, "Diet? But you're not even fat..." he says to
her in amazement. He shrugs and figures that's just the way girls are, low self
body image and all, not really a problem he suffers from; If anything Kyo's
self-image is way too high. "Whatever," he shrugs, following a waiter over to
their table and sitting down, "I don't see why you're doing that to yourself, I
mean, you're still the cutest girl I know..." Of course, while he's saying that
he catches glimpse of Ralf and especially Chun-Li sitting close by.
So maybe we lied... Chun-Li's actually finding it pretty difficult to adjust to
the entire Ralf experience. Even random thugs, stupid at first glance, are aware
enough to pick up obvious hints in her manners and while she doubts the
mercenary is actually stupid it's hard to think just what he -is-. Set in his
ways, perhaps? Whatever it is that makes up the essence of Ralf Jones she's
caught out again by his next line of conversation, having just managed to relax
back into herself with his quick apology. A nod came upon the first part of his
enquiry, confirming that she was indeed a fighter - something one might assume
from her astounding physique, you'd think, but the nod turns into a hanging of
her head with what comes next. A women's league? If there was one, reputation
would suggest she'd be at it's very pinnacle, but.. really... can he hold the
belief there's no female fighters out there? She's hardly the only one. So she
just sits there for all of five seconds, totally lost trying to figure out on
earth they made it such a point in this brief conversation. But then a smile
steals across her lips and then looks up at Ralf, beaming brightly, "That's
right! It's a special competition for those of us who aren't allowed into the
-real- bouts." She reaches for her drink agaain, barely suppressing laughter and
so the only sign of actual amusement, rather than open friendliness, is a gleam
in the depths of her brown eyes.
Yuki stares at Kyo for a moment to his comment of her not looking fat, and then
laughs a bit, "Well thanks for the compliment, but I'm not doing it because I
think I'm fat; there's a difference between fat and overweight." She takes her
seat as well, ordering a glass of water, "And you can't talk me out of it, so
don't even bother. Now more importantly," she pauses just a moment to glance in
the same direction as Kyo, but her attention is taken for long, "I wanted to let
you know that I'm giving up on fashion design and going to into medical school
soon.. I think it'll be a very.... Well.. High in demand job, especially in this
city."
Kyo doesn't dwell too long on Chun-Li like every other male in the cafe seems to
be doing, mostly because he fears and respects the power of Yuki's glare, and
her slap, and her bookbag. He nods thoughtfully to her career change
announcement, but does Kyo reassure her that she made the right choice, or
congratulate her on making such a brave decision? Of course not! This is Kyo
Kusanagi we're talking about!
"Huh. So I guess this means you'll get to wear one of those cute nurse's
uniforms, right?"
Now, Ralf usually isn't one to pick on women. Some of them, however, take his
views of masculinity quite intimately, as is the case right now. In fact, some
of the guys around have taken offense as well, some turning in their seats,
others getting up to get a better look at the two people and their..admittedly
restrained argument. You see that smirk on his face, though? It's just gotten
bigger. Much, much bigger. "Yeah, they started something like that up? Keeps you
from getting hurt in the real tournaments, I guess. Like last year, hooo. There
were some tough bastards there, even for me." So, he's at least got experience
somewhere. Also, he's not carrying a sneer or saying any of this with a
malicious tone, really! He's just so..aloof about it, as if his view is
perfectly acceptable. He's even relaxed enough to reach out for his bottle,
taking another swig or two back of his delicious, sweet alcohol, nectar of life.
"Lemme tell ya though, it can get real ugly in real fights! Crazy people man,
just crazy." He tilts back in his chair just a -bit- further, dangerously close
to falling, if it weren't for his foot around the table support.
Chun-Li doesn't notice Kyo either, she'd recognise him if she thought to look
away from her gradually less pleasant conversation but right now she's
thoroughly absorbed. The laughter is still there, suppressed deep down, but as
Ralf goes on her eyebrows shoot up and something more hostile seeps in. She
can't help be offended, no matter how much she's trying to take the man's
comments with a pinch of salt. He is going a bit far after all, and doubtless a
few of the patrons know it. "Well.." the young woman begins, setting down her
drink and brushing at the front skirt of her outfit. She pauses, considering the
casually reclining Ralf out of the corner of her eye before suddenly the smile
returns and she sits up with a single barking laugh, "Ha! Maybe you should show
me before I go out and find myself in big trouble!" She beams again at the
mercenary, and then moves as if to stand, straightening her outfit and slowly
rising to her feet. Is this mere slip of a girl suggesting they fight in a
public place?!
Yuki can't say she's surprised in the least by Kyo's reaction; though she also
wasn't expecting him to be supportive either, and was hoping he would at -least-
be impressed. Though maybe he is, it's just completely for the wrong reasons.
Yuki raises an eyebrow slightly, and then brings a hand to her forehead, shaking
it, "Why do I even bother?" she mumbles to herself, "You wouldn't even see it
even if I did, you never go to the hospital, Kyon." now at this point she
catches wind of the conversation going on between Ralf and Chun-Li, and while
she doesn't fully understand what the fuss is about, it's obvious things are
heating up a bit. And so she asks to Kyo, "Do you know them?" because, you know,
since he's a fighter, he should know everyone else in the world who looks tough,
in her logic.
Ralf lowers his head enough to look at the ornately-attired woman as she stands,
having tipped back to drain his bottle completely. "Uh?" he utters, eloquent as
ever, opening his mouth with his tongue stretched out to get one..more..drop.
After he finishes that, he lips his lips, smacking them loudly before wiping his
mouth with the back of his hand. "Why do you wanna make me fight a girl?" he
goads, getting in more than his fair share of trash talking while he can. He
sits up straight as his chair legs clack against the floor, his bottle meeting
the table with similar force. It's not that he wants to back out of this, god
no. In fact, it's good to finally face off against someone with such a fierce
look, such..such anger! It's almost enough to give him goosebumps and quiver in
anticipation. The fact that the crowd it starting to cheer the two on doesn't
help, and even the bartender looks interested, despite chastizing Ralf earlier.
"Ah, sounds like the people have spoken," he says as he stands up slowly,
casually, lifting his arms up over his head to stretch and get his muscles used
to moving again.
Yuki can probably sense her boyfriend tensing up a little across the table from
her as he watches the exchange of words between Chun-Li and some other guy he
vaguely recognizes, probably from a tournament, continue to grow in intensity.
"Yeah..." he replies to her quietly, "...It looks like people just can't leave
well enough alone."
"It would seem so." Chun-Li says simply, on her feet now and looking at Ralf
only long enough to see him begin to stand. Then she tosses her head and strides
out to the centre of the floor - her purposeful movement threatening to plow
over a slow patron who didn't quite pick up what was about to occur. He
backpedals frantically to get away from this fierce and determined young woman -
let's face it, that smile really was only ever going to appear to be exactly
what it was. An act. It's virtually impossible to hide so much wounded pride.
On reaching her destination, the world's strongest woman spins on her heel to
face the man who's going to teach her just what it means to be a proper fighter,
and unusually she doesn't take a stance. Not at all, in fact. Her feet come
together beneath her and she stands erect, hands clasped behind her back and
waiting with a similar act of politeness for Ralf to catch up to her. "So shall
we?" She bounces once on her heels, but doesn't change her posture once this is
done. She stands there like a good schoolgirl awaiting teacher's first
instruction and as she tilts her head cutely to one side she asks a question to
echo this, "Since you know so much more, you really ought to attack first, don't
you think?"
Yuki isn't exactly sure what Kyo is tensing up about at first, but then it
becomes very apparent once Chun stands up and challenges Ralf. She blinks a few
times, her jaw dropping, "Wh.. What's she doing? She'll get destroyed!" she
asks, mainly to herself, and seems to want to get to her feet to try and reason
with the woman. But she thinks better of it; who knows, maybe Ralf will decide
not to? That'd be pretty convenient.
A tendril of crimson flame suddenly flies across the space between Chun-Li and
Ralf like a shot from a flaregun. It dissapates quickly enough, without doing
any harm, but it definitely serves it's purpose; to get the attention of
everyone in the cafe. The source of this distraction? It's Kyo Kusanagi, arm
still outstretched from casting the bolt of flame. "I know at least one of you
two is a professional..." he says, his voice tinged with irritation, "I don't
care if you want to beat the snot out of each other, but if my girlfriend and
I's dinner gets disturbed I'l be REALLY annoyed, so why don't you two guys take
it outside huh?"
Ralf isn't too far behind the woman, honestly. Sure, he has to stretch out some,
kicking his legs out while using the other for support a couple of times, but
the tequila going through him does a good enough job of keeping the blood
flowing. Indeed, he looked pretty relaxed the whole time he was taunting the
poor girl, now he looks nothing short of excited, like some little kid that
broke into the candy factory. He flashes a big, toothy, shit-eating grin as he
reaches back behind his head, making sure the knot holding his bandana on is
good and tight before his next spectacle. Beating on his chest with both hands
like some crazy Tarzan reject, he lets out a quick, harsh ..sort of a half roar,
half grunt. "If that's what it'll take," he says, sneering fully now, cracking
his knuckles as he approaches and..pauses at the flash of fire in his way. He
looks over at Kyo as he 'warns' them, pointing a meaty finger at the guy even
before he finishes, attempting to talk over him. "Hey, you butt outta this,
kid." Indeed, many of the patrons seem to agree, though the employees themselves
are thinking that this is a pretty good idea, this whole 'outside' business.
Kyo looks at Ralf, and for a second like he's about to get up himself and join
Chun-Li in challenging the bigger man... but then he just smirks and runs a hand
through his brown locks, "Suit yourself. It's for your benefit as well
though..." he mentions, casually, "...I just thought I'd try to save you the
embarassment of having all these people-" he motions to the rest of the
restaurant patrons, "-see you get beat to hell by a woman." He shrugs again, as
if Ralf were beyond help, than turns back to his girlfriend, looking bored.
Chun-Li keeps up her act, not showing a fault as she hears Ralf's roar or
watches his warm-up behaviour. Though she really can't help wanting to teach him
a lesson - not that she assumes he's a bad person, he just has a few things to
learn that she won't mind giving him a hand in learning. She doesn't intend to
make the first move though, as she says, and is calmly waiting for his attack
when... flame. Her eyes widen and she glances towards the source, her look
becoming less hostile and more openly friendly as she sees Kyo Kusanagi standing
there. Bringing her hands around and in front of her, she presses the palms
together and executes a quick bow, "Of course, Mr. Kusanagi.. sorry for
disturbing your meal!" She repeats the bow, this time to Yuki and coupled with a
warm smile. Maybe Ralf wasn't expecting that reaction... but she was expecting
his, and as she turns around she casts him a steely glance. It's fleeting indeed
though, before she's making for the door of the cafe which is helpfully held
open by one of those who waiting to spectate. Hearing Kyo's words behind her,
she really starts having trouble not to laugh as she steps out into the cool air
of the street outside.
Yuki looks relieved by Kyo's interference, but she for one, doesn't exactly
agree with the words that come from her boyfriends mouth. At first she nods in
agreement, crossing her arms and nodding sagely, then gives Kyo an 'Are you out
of your MIND??' look when he predicts Chun-Li will beat the hell out of Ralf.
"Wh.. A... Uh.." she stammers, shaking her head, and for once finds herself at a
loss for words. She gives a weak smile to Chun-Li's bow, ".. Eh-heh."
Ralf grits his teeth once more at the interruption, his mouth opening again to
bitch at the smart-mouthed little flame-brat trying to sermonize him. "I don't
wa--" he starts, catching Chun-Li's reactions and eventual departure. Some of
the patrons follow, others look to Ralf curiously, wondering what he'll do.
Others still urge him to run out there, to not back down. "Uh.. Eh." He lifts a
meaty hand to rub the top of his head, giving the place a brief glance. Oddly
enough, the woman's change from pissed to polite jarred his brain into..well,
what passes as working properly. "Yeah, well.. I don't wanna wreck this place.
They've got the only good burger in town." Yeah..yeah, that's his excuse. It'll
do as he lowers both hands to his sides, fists clenched as he walks out the door
himself.
Southtown Village
A change from the hectic pace of the Business District, and the gritty
environs of Downtown Southtown, the Southtown Village is a far quieter
district of the city. Few buildings top over five or six stories, and most of
the population of the area live in house-like brownstone apartments at street
level. A myriad of small shops dot the area, as the Village is a center for
culture and arts. Small theaters for live performances, coffee shops,
bookstores, art museums...all are common sights.
Probably the only sliver of the city that doesn't thrive on large
businesses and tourist attractions, the Village instead adopts a laid-back
pace to things. The only exception to this is nearby Taiyo High, which makes
the entire district of the city a hotbed for youth activity.
[Exits : Hibiki Dojo, Gorin Heights Apts, West to Mall,
Northwest to Outskirts, Taiyo High, and South to Chinatown ]
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has started a fight here.
COMBATSYS: Ralf has joined the fight here.
Chun-Li clears her throat as she pauses on the sidewalk outside, letting a group
of drunken pedestrians brush past her before she strides boldly out into the
middle of the road. Luckily there's not actually much traffic and what little
there is likely to be diverted by a small crowd as others on the street pick up
on exactly what must be going on. Murmurs start, of the young woman's status and
simply of her obvious resolve. In Southtown it doesn't take a genius to work out
when a fight's breaking - they do happen every night in every part of the city,
after all.
Again Chun-Li takes up that exact same posture, seemingly remaining ignorant of
the crowd and just waiting instead for Ralf to catch up and pick up the
challenge where they were forced to leave it off. Polite smile, tilted head and
patented 'waiting schoolgirl' stance. She's out to prove a point, and she wants
to hit it home as embarassingly as possible for the grizzled mercenary.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes no action.
Ralf steps out of the cafe, his neck craning one way with a loud pop, his face
showing a very..very relieved look as he sighs loudly, but only for a moment. So
much for trying to keep a low profile here, as a lot of people have come around
to watch. Eventually, a short line of cars are stopped as the drivers look on,
most of them sitting or standing on their hoods for a better view. The mercenary
steps out into the makeshift 'ring' of people, stretching his arms out in front
of them before half-bending them, his fists balled as they hang loosely by his
sides. He's not taking any stance either, and just to prove how stupi--confident
he is..he walks right up to his opponent, lifting his fist in a quick, but still
strong punch towards her gut. Ladies only have so many places to hit, after all.
Nothing spectacular.
Kyo watches Chun-Li and Ralf take up positions outside on the street, stopping
traffic in the village, "You really think she doesn't have a chance?" he asks
his love with a sly tone of voice.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Ralf's Quick Punch.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Chun-Li
"Then let's see what I'll learn..." the young woman comments as Ralf finally
closes in upon her. Still not moving, she doesn't shift in the slightest until
he snaps off that punch towards her. And then it's with startling speed, her
arms hooking around from behind her and swatting in a wide arc to either side -
each hand taking part of the light punch's weight. But she doesn't stop there,
flashing Ralf a smile as she goes with the momentum of her arms, tucking them
around behind her once more as she enters a twirling spin around his right side
to come up a short way off to the side behind him. "Hyah!" Placing all her
weight onto her right leg and not compensating for balance with her hands she
throws a rather weighty kick with the left, aiming full across the mercenary's
lower back to hopefully make him stumble forward a pace or so. He has to learn
not to underestimate her right from the start, whilst seeing just how little she
is able to think of him!
Yuki looks worriedly toward the two, and then back to Kyo once he asks his
question. By her look alone she seems to reply, 'Do you even need to ask?' and
then brings a hand to her forehead again, "Well.. That's part of it," she
replies, "I mean first of all, he's way bigger than she is, plus boys shouldn't
be fighting girls," and then she starts her ranting, "It's like with Sakura, it
just doesn't make sense to me, why would women even be -interested- in being
involved in such barbaric stupidity? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for female
equality but this is utterly ridiculous." a slight pause, and then she laughs
nervously to Kyo, "Well uh.. No offense. you uh.. Look really good when you
fight... And stuff."
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Ralf with Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Chun-Li
He'll only learn with a good asskicking or three, don't be fooled. He, for his
part, is genuinely surprised that such a little girl..well, a girl with such
little arms anyway, were so quick to stop him. He was fully expecting her to
take the hit and crumple, letting him get back to his lounging around. But
noooo, she had to go and be some kind of supergirlfighter thingie! His surprise
is such that he can't react quite in time for her response to his admittedly
half-hearted attack, getting only as far as lifting an arm defensively and
starting to turn, but it's too late for that. He takes the kick in full, arching
back with a sharp yell, having to stumble forward appropriately, quickly turning
to face her again with his hand gingerly rubbing the afflicted area. He's
starting to share the pissy look that Chun-Li had earlier, again due to wounded
pride more than anything. "Lucky hit.." he mutters, clenching his teeth as he
takes a heavy step forward, his arm raised for a much stronger, but still quite
ordinary punch toward the woman's upper chest.
COMBATSYS: Ralf successfully hits Chun-Li with Strong Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Chun-Li
"Barbarian stupidity?" Kyo chuckles, "Well... I won't argue with you there." He
says quietly, taking a sip of his glass of water and peering into Yuki's eyes
for a long while, trying to find gather his thoughts on this matter. "It's...
complicated. Guy or girl, everyone has a different reason for fighting. It's
something that compels them, something they just can't leave alone."
"Of course it was!" Another smart-alecky reply from the young woman as she
withdraws from her kick and straightens up again, this time not with quite so
much pluck - standing quite normally rather than in any truly mocking fashion.
She's fairly sure she can teach this lesson now, and not worried about having to
move too quickly.. Ralf has shown he's not really going to try and she's ready
to exploit that as much as is needed! So when he comes in for a rather
hefty-seeming punch, she doesn't bother moving until the last instant.
Which is when her eyes widen. She sees the mercenary's blow coming right in past
her guard, and feels herself register it too late. If her hit was good luck, her
lack of a dodge is downright -awful- luck as she takes the blow full on and is
even sent tumbling over backwards. But she's not down and out yet! No chance...
as she falls she throws an art out backward and curls her fingers lithely,
bracing them to the floor at an angle barely possible. But barely possible IS
still possible, and with crazy agility Chun-Li then proceeds to curl around this
tiny bit of leverage and launch herself into a more controlled flip up onto her
feet facing Ralf. That hurt a lot, and she can feel a healthy bruise welling up
but she's not going to show it - not until the man's been taught.
"Hm.. this just got a little more interesting." She remarks to him with a bright
smile, before lunging forward in a two-step headlong charge, hopping into the
air once she's gathered enough momentum and lifting both legs up, one extended
to catch him with a vicious flying kick to the chest and the other tucked behind
it and ready to stabilise her to the floor.
COMBATSYS: Ralf blocks Chun-Li's Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Chun-Li
God, that felt good! Not..not the whole hitting a woman part, but actually
-connecting- makes it feel like a real fightt. Blows have been traded, and
despite the fact that Ralf has been nursing his bottle for the last hour, he
still looks like he's in pretty good shape, considering. His stands up straight
again as soon as the punch lands, pointing at Chun-Li with one finger
outstretched. There's no verbal taunt to go along with it, he just pulls his
hand back, bouncing on the balls of his feet a couple of times to loosen up some
more. Seriously, he looks..happy. This is the rush he wants, the excitement of
hand to hand combat. Or..in this case, it's more foot to hand than anything
else. His lips purse in, admittedly, a bit of awe at the acrobatics needed to
get his opponent back to her feet quickly and safely, then stretching out in a
wide scowl as she starts to run at him, already raising his arms up to keep the
flying kick from hitting anything serious. Still, heels hurt, but it's better
for his arms to eat the damage than his face. The sheer force of it causes him
to have to take a step back, but as soon as she hits the ground, he's back on
the offensive. It's another strong punch with his right hand, very similar to
the last. The difference is, it's more than just brute force this time. If it
hits, you can expect a small, fiery explosion on contact.
COMBATSYS: Ralf successfully hits Chun-Li with Bomb Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
Yuki glances to the menu, and is more or less ready to order.. So when the
waiter/waitress approaches, she orders a garden salad and rice. Of course she's
listening to Kyo too, and stares right back as the young man eyes her, "Well.. I
won't pretend that I understand, but I have to give you credit for making it
sound deep." she replies with a small smirk, expression still worried.
Kyo tilts his head at Yuki, looking at her for a minute. She's not going to be
let off the hook THAT easily, "So... you think I look hot when I'm fighting
huh?" he teases.
A real fight indeed, and it's certainly becoming a lot more of a challenge than
Chun-Li was expecting from a randomly encountered lush! Big or not, she's
learned a long time ago it's not about muscle power but about speed, brains and
fighting spirit. Ralf is better equipped in these areas than she'd given credit
for, as she feels her harshly piercing kick land on solidly braced forearms.
Springing off she lands in a tense crouch then bounces up to her feet, turning
to face the next onslaught - and at least this time she knows what to expect.
Seeing Ralf's fist come in at the same fair burst of speed, all the unstoppable
power of a brawler true, the young woman cracks an impressed smile. She intends
to hop back and nail him with a knee in his moment of over-extension but then he
surprises her once again. The punch itself barely grazes, just aggravating the
bruise already blossoming at her breast from the last sucker, and it's the
explosion that catches her! "Hah!" She's hurled back with the force, her own
reverse momentum multiplied and sending her into a virtual backward leap.
Controlling herself just enough she does manage to land on both feet, scrabbling
briefly before she can proper purchase.
But then she stands with far more martial intent than she's stood for the first
few blows of this fight, her left leg out in front and the right extended behind
with her body turned side-on to Ralf. Only pausing to drag in a quick breath
she's then lunging forward into her position, upper body leaning out over her
bent knee as she throws both arms directly forward. "KOUKEN!" It's her own turn
to bring the fireworks, and a burst of blue and gold energy bursts from between
her opened palms, the gold flaring into a little ball inside the rippling
fireball of blue. At a rapid speed this oddly beautiful projectile hammers out
towards Ralf, the girl behind it looking about as excited as he looks - this is
becoming a proper match!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Ralf with Kikou Ken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Ralf 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
Yuki let off the hook? Well, she's not going to confess that she said that just
in case Kyo was going to be upset about her thoughts of fighting in general.
Yuki also can't really remember much about Kyo's last fight in the last KoF
tournament. "... er.." she replies, and decides to just play along and nods her
head, "Well. Yes, your... Um.. Flame... Punchy.. Thing that you do? It's
really..." she pauses a moment to find a good adjective, "It's really..
Flamboyant. Very cool." as she follows it up with a thumbs up.
Ah, the lovely fireworks of exploding fists! Usually, that's a metaphor for
common rabblerousers and that 'fighting spirit' of there, but Ralf is quite
content at his ability to bring that flowery prose out in a more literal sense.
He stretches out the fingers on his right hand after the hit, clenching and then
relaxing them again a few times to clear the tingling of his own explosion from
his fingertips. "Yeah, see what you're in for?" he taunts, extending a fist
towards the Chinese girl, feeling quite pleased with himself despite fighting a
girl. Two clean hits of his to her one, he figures he's coming out well on top
in this little surprise fight. His expression changes with the change in her
posture however, his eyes growing wide at the swell of bright blue and gold
energy sailing toward him. "Shit!" he can't help but exclaim, crossing his arms
across his face and hunching over slightly, preparing for the worst. Fireballs..
God, those things suck! Why can't people like..just fight normally? With his
concern about what others can do that he can't, he doesn't quite get his defense
right, taking the full force of the attack right in the gut, knocking him a few
feet backwards and flat on his back, doing a good job of winding him as well.
"Damn it.. Hate those damn things.." he mutters, getting back up to his feet and
still short of breath, trying to gulp air down in quick gasps. A bit awkwardly
at first, Ralf forces himself into a dash. He's still having to heave at the
end, and with gritted teeth bared, he plants his left foot down firmly, using it
as a pivot to turn and lift his right leg, throwing a relatively slow, heavy
kick toward Chun-Li's ...uh...big-ass thigh.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Ralf's Heavy Kick.
Kyo looks at Yuki with half-lidded eyes, "Flame..." He twitches, "Punchy..."
twitches again, "Thing..." He stares at Yuki for a moment longer before folding
his arms and looking out the window at the fight, "Hrmpf. If you were the one
naming my techniques I would have been laughed out of KOF..." He takes a swig of
his water. Girls. Pff.
The projectile manuever isn't actually a favourite of Chun-Li's. She can see it
has its uses, and it's pulled her out of a few would-be corners and turned the
tide in the odd fight by simultaneously damaging the opponent and buying her a
fair amount of time - which is exactly what it's done here. She falls back into
her more normal stance, similar to that in which she landed a few moments before
but relaxed enough that she can move loosely and easily, with her arms tucked
close around her body. Rocking slightly on her heels, she watches Ralf levelly
as he rights himself and then goes into a headlong dash.
(Remember.. he's faster than I think, and those movements... they're hard to
predict.) She really is ready this time, and just hopes there are no more
oncoming surprises from the mercenary. Her wish is granted this time.. it seems
brute force is all she needs to contend with and the moment he plants his foot
down she's tense and ready to dodge, watching his footwork to read the oncoming
kick. What does she do? She shifts her right leg back past behind the left and
steps around Ralf deftly, coming around at his right flank drawn up on one leg
with her hands a little further from her body now.
Why becomes apparent as she leans back, whipping the other leg out and going to
catch Ralf as he remains over-extended, with a quick and relatively lightweight
kick. But it doesn't end there. The first kick is simple enough, but the barest
flicker of a moment after what she judges as the connection time she throws
another kick with the same leg, more rapid... so quick that the entire limb
becomes a blur, and Ralf is soon going to find himself on the end of a series of
identical kicks, "YA! YA! YA! YA!" She punctuates each one with a sharp
exclamation, as she hammers him with a machine-gun round of booted blows.
COMBATSYS: Ralf blocks Chun-Li's Hyakuretsu Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Ralf 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0 Chun-Li
Yuki folds her hands on her lap, looking a bit embarassed when Kyo repeats the
name she had given for his technique. Well.. Ok, perhaps it wasn't that great,
but she's not so terrible with names, she's seen plenty of magical girl anime
with worse names for attacks, "What? That's not true!" she then says in her
defense, "I'd give them fantastic names, I'm actually very talented in giving
names, especially to pets," she says in a matter-of-fact tone.
Kyo arches a brow at Yuki, "'Precious' isn't even a name, that's like if your
name was like, 'Adorable'"
Ralf, truth be told, could have made a smarter move. Good boy, run right at
someone when you're short of breath and unable to put everything behind your
attack, that's what you do. Idiot. Well, nobody ever said he was a tactical
fighter. Instincts are his big thing. His kick whiffs completely, sending him
spinning still until he lands the errant foot, leaving him in sort of a
half-squat by the time Chun-Li moves around him. ..Not that she had to move far,
with his spinning and all. He only hears the first attack an instant before
feeling the first kick land firmly against his shoulder, and indeed, even a
couple more hit nearby as he hurries to back away, flexing his arm and bracing
himself for any more impacts he may have to take until he can scramble away.
He's a meaty one though, and he can feel the red prints on his skin feeling a
little sore, but he'll live. Just so long as it wasn't another damn fireball.
..Speaking of which, he really could use one right now, just to get through that
vortex of high-heeled death right now. His right arm rises, him sitting just out
of reach as he waits for the last kick, or at least to slow down enough that he
can do something. The first chance he gets, he rushes at the girl, both arms
outstretched in one of those 'gimme huggie' manners. It's got to look kind of
funny to the onlookers that haven't seen a throw or anything before, rare as
that may be. If luck is with him, the audience will get to see his (not yet)
famous Suuupah Argentine Backbreakaaaaah! ...Course, there's always the chance
he'll whiff. That's always embarassing.
COMBATSYS: Ralf successfully hits Chun-Li with Super Argentine Backbreaker.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Ralf 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1 Chun-Li
Yuki's jaw drops slightly, seeming rather insulted by Kyo's comment, which is
doing a great job of distracting her from the fight, "What?" she asks, but
before he can repeat himself, "Precious is a -very- fitting name for that cat;
And it's -perfect- for an animal, not for a person, there's a difference!"
Kyo mutters under his breath, "He's not so damn precious when you make me go
look for him at 2 am in the morning..." he says, resting his face on the palm of
his hand.
While the Kikouken projectile may not be one of the strongest woman in the
world's very favourite moves, what she just executed was. The Lightning Kick..
one step short of being that technique most identified with her - a flurry of
individually powerful blows strung together in a blur of pain. Ralf is probably
feeling quite good about dodging the worst of it, and he's one of a few people
who've been able to watch it wind down from the outside! And watch it wind down
he does, though in truth it doesn't last very long... there's just a lot of
action in a very short time. It still leaves an opening though, and one that's
now exploited totally by the Ikari Warrior!
Caught offguard, just having time to lower her leg to the floor, Chun-Li is
almost effortlessly scooped up, and hurled heavenward. She sails up above the
street, spinning onto her side in the air and hanging only momentarily before
falling rapidly downward - ending up backfirst across Ralf's shoulders in one
mother of a backbreaker. It's a testament to her constitution that she doesn't
cry out, just giving a soft pained grunt, and another as the mercenary hurls her
bodily to the floor. She stays down for a second, no doubt winded as even the
best of fighters should be after that kind of sudden assault, but strangely..
she doesn't look too damaged, only a little reddening showing as she stirs and
pushes herself first to a crouch, then to her feet.
"An excellent move!" She gasps out, smiling at Ralf, as she draws herself back
onto one leg once again, "I just hope you're ready.. to face the
consequences..." the smile slips rather, her deep brown gaze narrowing and
expression giving way to a fierce determination. There's excitement there too,
but she hasn't forgotten the purpose of entering this streetfight - proving that
she shouldn't be underestimated in the least. She does nothing to back up her
words yet though, standing balanced perfectly with every slightest nuance in her
posture aiding this, hands at just the right height and angle and even her
fingers tensed and individually set to provide the most advantageous
positioning.
She's a professional, there's no doubt about it.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li focuses on her next action.
Yuki says, "... I heard that.." at this point her food already having arrived,
and for some reason it's already conveniently given to her 'to go'. Yuki gets to
her feet and she sets her hands on the table, "Well if it were up to me, I
wouldn't have named you 'Kyo', I would have named you 'Annoying'. Thank you for
the meal, but I'm leaving," she then declares, clearly irritated and without
another word storms on out of the restaraunt with the intent to go home. Grr!"
Kyo waves at his girlfriend, though it's more of a "shoo shoo" motion he makes
with his hand, "You can do as you like..."
Ralf doesn't even look to see how badly Chun-Li took the classic rasslin' move,
already turning toward the crowd with both arms lifting, his hands balled into
tight fists as he's met with cheers from many of the people, and completely
ignoring the jeering of the rest. He was just in the middle of more posing and
flexing, true to the guys on TV that inspired that move, when the cheers change
to something more like gasps and chitterings of a surprised nature. "..Huh?" is
all Ralf says as he turns around, his eyes widening for a brief moment. "Jesus!"
he cries, pointing at her with his right hand. He's just amazed that she can get
up and act so..so casually after his trio of strong hits, -especially- the
backbreaker! "What are you, Supergirl or something? Come to fight evil and
stuff?" The warning falls on deaf ears however, as the mercenary is too busy
just being ..well, amazed. If he were the conceding type, he would think that
this chick is pretty good..or at least tough as hell. So..all he has to do is
wear her down, right? Right. "I won't.." he cries, rushing at miss I'm So Tough
again, going once more for the grab, this time aiming for a simple suplex.
"..let some GIRL outclass ME!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Ralf's Northern Lights Bomb.
Chun-Li smirks as Ralf makes the Supergirl crack.. she can't help being amused
by it, and it busts through the cool shell of determination rather easily. Come
to fight evil! If only he knew... that's exactly what she has set out to do, and
one day she'll bring down the ultimate evil. In her mind. And there's a thought
that brings it all back home.. she's got no time to be amused, no time to
deliberate over the wittiness of another fighter's comment - lose this fight and
she may as well lose every fight. She talked big, she acted big and now she has
to prove that she's strong enough to allow herself such indulgences.
It's with hard eyes that she watches Ralf's next charge, her one floored foot
shifting just slightly underneath her. Here it comes... with a warcry that only
triples her resolve. (Maybe no girl can best you, Ralf... but I'm no girl...)
She spins away into a pirouette of sorts around the mercenary as he comes
forward, and then follows it up by lowering her foot and dancing forward in a
graceful leap. The spin carried her to his flank once again and the leap? It got
her behind him, where she quickly reassumes her stance, fingers splayed
perfectly around her and knee drawn up. Focusing upon Ralf just for a moment,
she then closes her eyes. She can feel well enough when he's about to rise from
the attempted grapple, and she times her attack accordingly... she's no normal
fighter. She's one of the best the world has to offer. And now she proves it.
It starts with a leap forward and a simple kick, like that which began her
Lightning Kick combination.. but it's faster, and more focused. Stronger too,
and as she moves a nimbus of energy surrounds her, pale blue-white chi bursting
around her as she whips off another few kicks, insanely fast but still a test of
her opponent - placing his position in relation to the crazy blurred cocoon they
both occupy. It's the next flurry, led into by another hop forward to try and
spear the man on a fifth kick, that's the real killer. It's the same as the move
he so well blocked and dodged last time, but again... magnified, everything
about it enhanced and her entire form blurring in front of him, each landed kick
flaring off a burst of energy channelled from the tunnel of the stuff around
them. It's a move worthy of any champion... and it's one she hopes to use to
bring this to a climactic standstill!
This should be his lesson.
"SENRETSU KYAKU!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Ralf with Senretsu Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Ralf 2/<<<<<< //////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
Chun-Li watches Ralf with her chest rising and falling constantly, shifting in a
perfect rhythm on her feet. She's got a reputation, and it has been earned -
training with one of the world's finest martial artists from the age of six
years old, and joining the Interpol ranks but ten years later. Girl or woman,
one thing's for sure: she's special. This is no ordinary opponent the mercenary
is facing... but now she knows he's no ordinary opponent either. She tenses as
he rockets closer, her eyes fixed on that vibrating fist he wields, wondering
just how strong his strongest blow can be.
She's about to find out. Remaining silent, firm and ready, she watches the
Galactica Phantom roar in towards her, sparks filling her vision even as she
throws both arms in front of her to block the haymaking blitzer of a punch. But
she never had any hope of blocking that. Tough she is, there's no doubt, but she
isn't an unmoveable wall. The flames scald her forearms, charring the metal of
the spikes on her bracelets and forcing her guard aside with the sheer pressure
of the attack. Ralf busts through her defences, throwing her wide open with the
initial impact and leaving her to take the brunt of the explosion herself - dead
on the chest, with a terrific thump accompanying the landing of the blow.
The strongest woman in the world is launched back six feet before she can even
think about falling, when it's a disoriented stumble and a faintly girlish yell
before she does so. *thwump* She's not light, and she falls with a great
pressure, propelled by the attack so hard you can almost feel the street dent.
It's a wonder she can get up at all... but she does, slowly easing herself onto
all fours and staring across at the Ikari team leader. She searches for words
but cannot find them, instead she stands and starts to walk towards him. She
doesn't stop, until she stands right beside him, certain after an attack like
that he won't have time or inclination to move. "Here comes some more.." she
says in a breathless half-whisper, and virtually seems to fall forward, bracing
into the thickset man with each arm going for a side of his body. It came on
slow, and it finishes slow should she catch him as she plans - a very real, very
brutal and very final bodyslam into the pavement.
She thinks he'll appreciate the gesture, when he wakes up.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Ralf with Koshuu Tou.
[ \\\\\ < > /////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
Indeed, the Galactica Phantom is a mighty attack, and as such, likes to drain
the mercenary pretty rapidly. Of course, considering the slew of hits he just
took, the fact that he could even bring it out is a testament to the guy's
determination and will, if not his sheer bull-headedness and pride. Even after
the blow, he droops to a squatting position, his left hand planted on his knee
just to prop his torso up, with his right arm hanging limp in front of him, the
fingers still twitching slightly now and again. "Hah.. Like that, uh? Y'want
some more?" he taunts again, a total bluff as he knows he's pretty much spent.
That's why, when you actually GET UP, his jaw drops open, eyes wide in complete
disbelief..again. "Haaaaaahn?" is the only sound he makes, then attempts to
stand up straight as the...the devil non-girl thing approaches him, but is quick
to double over again as the sharp pains in his abs make themselves known again.
By the time he looks up again, she's already on him, for..aw, it's a hug! Yes,
she's so impressed that..that..Ralf, helpless as he is at the moment, gets his
back slammed into the pavement, accompanied by a cacophany of strained joints
and a loud, guttural yell of pain. In a final show of his stubborn nature, he
swings his left fist out weakly, in fact blindly as his vision is covered in a
blurry haze.
COMBATSYS: Ralf has reached second wind!
COMBATSYS: Ralf successfully hits Chun-Li with Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Ralf 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
Chun-Li meant to finish it like this, because it shows she's not afraid to act
like Ralf... up close, hands-on, not hiding behind flurries of kicks and
spinning away from every little thing. She wanted to finish him like he'd have
finished her, down and dirty. A short drop and a heavy fall. As she releases him
from this last brief embrace she straightens up with a sigh, finally about to
relax and get that drink she came to get. But apparently it's not to be. She
staggers with a punch that comes out of nowhere from someone who shouldn't have
the strength to throw it, caught offguard by total lack of anticipation. "Oh,
come on..." she breathes, impressed but exasperated, and rubs at her right side
where the punch managed to connect. She looks down at the mercenary and shakes
her head, torn between smiling and frowning... she really thought it was over.
But then, it still looks like it is. She gathers herself and waits. Waits for
him to pass out, or surrender. Resolve can only go so far.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes a breather.
Ralf almost didn't, as is evidenced by the way his arm just..just falls to drape
across his chest, which rises and falls with heavy, deep breaths. The merc's
eyes are closed now, obviously trying to get the will to get back up. Indeed, he
squirms some, only to be rewarded with throbbing pains all over his upper body
and force him to lay still. The spirit is willing, as they say. "Ah.. A'right..
A'right.." he manages to gasp out, finally. "Gimme..gimme ten minutes. I'll be
good as new." Right. Sure. At least his hand has stopped twitching now, though!
"I admit.. You're pretty hot shit." he nearly mumbles, adding in an even lower
for out of the corner of his mouth, "..for a girl and all."
COMBATSYS: Ralf has left the fight here.
Chun-Li looks down at Ralf, dragging in even breaths as she listens to him push
words from his body. Truthfully she's not feeling a lot better herself - that
last punch did more than just about the entire rest of the fight put together,
and with it she gained a whole new level of respect for the grizzled mercenary.
Winner? There wasn't a winner... she made her point, so she considers it a
victory, but he performed amazingly well. Equally well to herself. And this is
her summary of the duel as she shifts closer and offers Ralf a hand, either for
a congratulatory shake or to help him up if he feels up to it. She smiles wryly,
and inclines her head, "Compliment noted. Now do you really want ten minutes, or
would you rather get back inside for a drink?"
How benevolent of you! With the fight done, Ralf just takes the chance to lay
back and..rest up some. He doesn't even see the hand at first, but the mention
of a drink.. Now, that's something to get his attention. His eyes snap open,
quickly regaining their focus and lighting upon the hand in question. "Drink..
Yeah, I need some of that," he mumbles, not using you for support as he pulls
himself up to a sitting position, grunting and groaning the whole way. He
doesn't completely ignore it either, however, giving you one of those manly-ass
hooked-thumb handshakes instead. At least this ended on a decent enough note.
After all, who can hate Ralf for long? You'll see, once he gets sauced up again
and gets back to shooting his mouth off at someone else. =.=
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