19/12/04
Characters: Chun-Li, Terry
The Park
Southtown boasts a fairly typical park--only a great deal more expansive.
The only instance of forest area in the urban jungle of Southtown, the park,
which occupies enough acres of space to make for a beautifully spacious chunk
of forests, fields, and gardens, is a favorite for most of the city. Popular
even in the winter, the park is likewise home to festivals throughout the
year, with the coming and going of the four seasons. Tranquil most of the
time, the peace and quiet of the park is rarely broken, except by the
occasional group of students going through the park to Seijyun High, which is
tucked into the western edge of the park.
[Exits : Seijyun High, Northeast to Business District, and South
to Southtown River ]
[Players : Terry ]
Nightfall over the park. Though some natural light is still present courtesy of
a glowing half-moon, for the most part the lightsources dotting the paths
winding through the area are being relied upon for the few wanderers to find
their way by. And few indeed tonight - the air carries a crisp chill, the slight
breeze serving only to add to the cold as it buffets against the skin like some
derivative of water torture. Those who are strolling around are doing so with
coats and scarves, bundled against the night. Or at least, most of them are...
one figure spending time alone in a corner of the park is not, and in this
respect she is also alone. At least, in the surrounding area. Still though, a
light sweat has been worked up over the body of the world's strongest woman as
she carries out a series of quick palm-thrusts and low kicks against the
shifting cool air. Physically she seems on her ordinary high level - plenty of
eye-candy for any spectators who might happen by, should they have an interest
in all things martial. And mentally?
Chun-Li is at peace with herself, a long meeting with Ryu earlier in the day
seeing that all the woes and troubles left after Terry helped dispel the worst
of them have now been blown back into an integral part of her psyche as they
once were. Challenges conquered, and to be conquered soon. Not setbacks, not
sources of constant agony, but just parts of a whole that is at one with itself
and the surrounding environment. Her mind is free then from cluttering thoughts,
her breath comes steady as she carries out exercises, fighting against an
invisible force upon the air with narrowed eyes containing a calm and intent
focus. She has had enough time to recover, and now... the strongest woman in the
world is back to keep that title alive...
It isn't often that The Lone Wolf goes on the prowl at night these days, and if
you asked him why he probably couldn't tell you. But tonight... it is different.
For some reason, he feels like there's some force drawing him out into the sea
of bright city lights. What is it? Destiny? Purpose? Superstition? Whatever it
is, it doesn't concern Terry too much. In fact, the Bogard seems to be quite
relaxed by his aimless journey through Southtown. It isn't until late in his
trip that he finally enters the city park. He's walking slowly, with a sort of
dreamy look on his face. It's almost as if he's in a trance. Slowly, he moves
towards the center of the park, passing by the T'ai Chi master herself without
noticing her. Of course, she might be able to see him, as he is quite out in the
open.
Breathe in... out... in...
Chun-Li's strikes fall in a perfectly paced rhythm, her breathing controlled
through a natural exertion of will as she twists slightly in place to compensate
for further extensions when needed. When her legs lift it's with mechanical
certainty, but a fluidity there to dispel such a metaphor, and the strikes from
these lower limbs come all the firmer and more assured. This is her favoured
form of blow after all, and though only lightly dispersed throughout the
exercise their dominance clearly shows. It's when a particularly high kick rises
from the rhythm that a certain sense of prescence is felt, the Chinese woman
glimpsing past her blue-wrapped leg to glimpse a familiar figure some short way
off.
Terry... the reason for her mental recovery. Appearing as he does, with no fuss
or fanfare. Regardless for a moment, Chun-Li throws off a further series of
left-right palmstrikes then... winds down, her breath breaking its regular pace
as she drops her arms and hops on her heels a little, sneakers creaking against
the grass. Only after reaching down for the water bottle by her side does she
lift her free hand to wave across the grassy expanse, a broad smile appearing as
she tries to get the Wolf's attention. She's a fairly noticeable figure,
particularly in the way that light glints off the gold filigree of her top. But
for good measure she'll call his name if needs be... right after taking a long
gulp of her drink!
And then, Terry stops. His head turns towards the World's Strongest Woman, and
as he finally meets eyes with hers, he offers a light grin and a casual salute,
a familiar greeting Terry uses for his friend. His eyes seem to shine, as if
they are reflecting the moon's rays back outward. And for a long moment, Terry
just stands there, watching the ex-Interpol agent take her swig of water. No
words are passed for the moment, but at least it's obvious that they can see
each other.
Words won't be too long in the waiting though, and after taking said swig
Chun-Li is already moving towards Terry, the bottle dangling loosely from one
hand and the other rising to dab back a few damp strands of hair from her
forehead. This done, she offers another smile as she draws closer to the blonde
fighter, appearing properly happy for the first time since their last meeting -
no hint of those troubles remain, and for all the world the twin incidents might
never have happened. "Terry." She speaks a little breathlessly as she stops, her
brisk stride leaving little time for a catching of post-drink breath. "It's good
to see you so soon... I wanted to thank you again for coming to the hospital.
Since then I'm a lot better..." she trails off with a couple of nods, taking a
gasp of air and then lifting the bottle up for another gulp of water. From this
close, it's clear she's been out for a while, her complexion ruddied from the
winter's air. Not that she has much intent of stopping anytime soon...
The Lone Wolf stands there, with a smile on his face. Fortunately for him his
jacket offers quite a bit of insulation, as do his gloves and even his long
hair. He crosses his arms over his chest and takes a moment just to listen to
her words. "... It's nothing, kiddo. I'm sure any old John Q could have come in
and had the same effect. Nice night, isn't it? Me and my dad used to watch the
sun go down and the moon rise from here." He doesn't appear to have much on the
agenda other than simple smalltalk. But then again, Terry has always been
flexible.
Beside the fact that the list of people who could have such an effect could be
counted on one hand... maybe not even that... Chun-Li doesn't comment on Terry's
denial of praise other than with a very slight shake of her head. Lowering her
water bottle for the final time after this gesture, she shifts around to stand
next to the Wolf as he continues speaking, idly capping the bottle and then
letting it hang at her side as her gaze lifts towards the night sky. More than
any natural beauty, she's aware of the wind tickling against her moistened
skin.. the coolness only serving to remind her that she is alive, and well.
But there is more reason to find a meaningful response than simple joy in
aesthetics, and the world's strongest woman gives a slow few nods, calm and
thoughtful. "It is," she replies quietly, then glancing sidelong at Terry. His
father... there's a subject that stirs emotion, memories of her own and the time
she spent with him, and sympathy for the blonde fighter that he lost his parent
even younger than she her own. Before he could even set out on his quest for
vengeance. Unsure of what compels her to turn away from a more well-meaning,
reserved route, Chun-Li feels the question leaving her lips before she can
consider it in full. "How did you first feel.. what went through your mind..
when you found out about him?"
Not a subject Terry tends to talk about, to say the least. But it isn't exactly
incredibly emotional, either. Terry considers it as a stage in his life, and a
stage that he has already passed. He stays silent for a few moments, letting out
a sigh, before finally responding. "Well, I was angry, and afraid. I wasn't just
mad at Geese, though. I was mad at a lot of things, including my dad. Somehow...
I thought that he could see it coming. But then again, not a whole lot of it
made sense to me. Thankfully, I'm a lot older now." Terry's glance meets hers
for a second, but besides his response he doesn't pursue the topic. Somehow he
can tell that Chun-Li isn't quite over the entire thing just yet.
Chun-Li trains every day, works her hardest to be the best she can be, for this
very reason. To lay this ghost to rest, to find a comfortable reconciliation
with the death of that man she admired so much. She nods slowly as Terry speaks,
finding there some familiar feeling and - reading between the lines somewhat -
making sense of just how the legendary fighter can have such a soothing effect
on her own troubles. Because he's been through the same, even moreso than Ryu
with whom she had a revelation earlier...
"I see," she quietly murmurs in response, meeting the Wolf's glance without
hesitation. There's no discomfort here, just symapthy and honest interest - he
hides his past so well beneath a cheery faade. But is that the right word?
Somehow... she thinks not, and after a moment's pause a small, warm smile creeps
onto the Chinese woman's lips. "You know though, I don't think I've really got
any older. Beneath it all, I'm just the girl I was then." Shaking her head she
turns her attention to the grass, lightly scuffing one foot against the shadowed
green slivers. The feature she notes is one only Terry has really had a chance
to see, along with one or two others in past times, but it's something she has
to admit openly.. in order to better deal with the fact. "We're so similar, and
yet so different."
There's quite a bit of reading between the lines when it comes to Terry. After
all, there /is/ a reason his name for her is often 'kiddo', despite the fact
they're only a few years apart. And somehow, his past is not as much hidden as
it is... not dwelt upon. He shifts his weight a little, but his gaze never falls
from the silvery moon. However, he can't help but chuckle a little bit at
Chun-Li's almost... innocent comment. "I don't think I've gotten any older,
either. Or at least I wish I haven't. But we don't really decide that. We only
mature in the eyes of everyone else." His gaze doesn't turn away from the night
sky, even as he speaks. "... Now, I didn't know you back then, so I guess you
can only call it a hunch. But I would say you've done a damn fine job of growing
up." His focus shifts to the foot for a second, before turning back up into the
sky. "... That's the way we all are, I guess."
Chun-Li gives a short, breathless laugh at Terry's appraisal, shooting a
sidelong glance at the blonde fighter. She pauses in mid-glance, tipping her
head to one side. "I suppose so..." she says vaguely as he finishes speaking,
still giving him that lingering gaze. There's no romantic fascination or
worshipful awe in her eyes.. as should be assumed.. and instead she appears
preoccupied, distracted by another feature in what she sees. Perhaps it's the
way the moon clashes against the image of the Hungry Wolf, his face turned into
its bright silver light, that brings a sharp comparison with that very
nickname... it's certainly a striking image.
The young woman does not pause for too long though, and she smiles once she
looks away, swinging first one foot forward and then the other to begin pacing
at a sedate pace away from her friend. "Maybe I shouldn't wonder so much, I
normally wouldn't but.. it's been that kind of time." She keeps her voice low,
still adrift in the quietly regal atmosphere that this meeting has possessed. A
few minutes of humble exchange between titans. Around eight feet away the
world's strongest woman finally stops, swinging around to face Terry and
planting her sneakered feet firmly to the floor. Her hands unfold at her side,
fingers stretching luxuriously in the cool air. "I don't suppose," she pauses,
and deep brown eyes lift to meet with the sapphire blue of the blonde-haired
fighter before her, "You'd help me back onto my path?"
And Terry's eyes finally focus back upon the form of his fairly newfound friend.
"Hey, don't worry about it. If you don't spend time thinking about these things,
you're probably not breathing." But even as he says this, Terry is settling into
a comfortable stance, almost already prepared for Chun-Li's challenge. "Hey,
sure, why not? I don't want to distract you from your sparring by bantering like
a crazy old man. You don't win fights by philosophizing, anyway." He does a few
quick hops, letting the cool air brush against him and perhaps help his focus.
"Well, then. Care to dance?"
COMBATSYS: Terry has started a fight here.
"I'm not sure..." Chun-Li replies with a small smile, bouncing a little on the
balls of her feet. She's already loose and prepared though, and so further
action is more from force of habit than anything. "I think our philosophies play
a large part in the style we use..." her words sound hardly directed towards
Terry, aimed somewhere into the void of space, partially to herself but mostly
into nothing.. a re-iteration of a fact they likely both know. Again, a
replacement of her knowledge. Revision, if you will.
The distance flooding away, the young woman quickly follows with a definite nod.
"Let's do it, Terry. And don't hold back on me.. I'm fully recovered, I assure
you!" Her smile returns with a bolder edge, tossed out in friendly challenge
before she's suddenly charging the short distance towards the Wolf, the
pitter-patter of her feet sounding louder than usual in the night air. "HYAH!"
Her cry is louder still, almost shocking in the sudden threat of its tone as she
lunges the last step forward, right foot leading her torso as it bends over one
extended limb, both arms rising and coming together as the woman's hands fire
out palms-flat towards Terry's chest.
She's holding nothing back herself, all her usual spirit and focus hurled into
this double palm thrust. This is a fight she truly needs, as much as she needed
the words preceding it...
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has joined the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Terry with Sou Hakkei.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Terry 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Chun-Li
The Lone Wolf shrugs, almost none challntly. "If you say so!" Of course, it
isn't as much doubt as it is to get Chun-Li fired up. As much as Chun-Li's
making an attempt not to hold back, Terry still feels the need to push her on.
Of course, that's the way Terry is when it comes down to it. Of course, the
speed of her attack shows signs that he doesn't even need to, as before he can
do anything to stop it he has a pair of palms thrusted right into his chest.
Quite a blow, really, but that doesn't mean it's going to push Terry back. In
fact, it looks as if he's just going to take it, really, while he reaches out to
grab Chun-Li. Should he manage the snag, he'll follow it up with a heavy
uppercut to drive her back!
COMBATSYS: Terry successfully hits Chun-Li with Grasping Upper.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Terry 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Chun-Li
With the very first smack of flesh upon flesh, Chun-Li can feel her soul's
prescence burning away. The one thing that cannot be simulated through thought
or solo training; the very thrill of battle, where the true spirit of the
fighter emerges. Her gaze darts sidelong though, as past a momentary blind-spot
Terry reaches to haul her in by her shirt and follow with that snapped off
uppercut. It's a beauty to be sure, and exactly the kind of thing she wanted to
have hurled against her. The sensation of impact is welcomed with a muffled
grunt, and the woman spins head over heels to make contact with the grass
behind...
Or not, as she spins a second time, tucking into a tight ball of powerful limbs
and ending up in a tense crouch. *whump* Her landing is heavy though, and takes
none of the impact, which she pays for in a flicker of disorientation...
hopefully not fatal to her follow-up, as with a smile on her lips the world's
strongest woman immediately rises with one hand applied to the ground, launching
herself into a powerful thrust kick aimed diagonally upward to again hammer at
Terry's chest. This time though, it won't be a lone blow, and her mouth opens in
a cry as she swivels her hips to deal the second with the opposite leg,
swivelling one more time to sling out a third and final kick from the final leg.
Rising all the while, she'll send Terry towards the ground in payback by the
time this technique is through!
If it hits at all. "TENSHOU KYAKU!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Terry with Tenshou Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Terry 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
The Lone Wolf takes the first blow, and is inevitably met with each and every
one of the following. Finally, he is slammed hard into the ground, feeling the
cold blades of grass for the first time. He doesn't take the blows too hard,
though, as he is immediately back up and preparing his counterattack. This time,
he has decided to make things a tad more interesting. He throws his arms up into
the air as he waits for Chun-Li to land, and with fierce velocity he catapaults
himself forward, arm extended and blazing in light blue chi as he aims his
trademark vicious lunging knuckle towards the Chinese girl.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Terry's Burn Knuckle.
Chun-Li's expression is stoic and determined for the duration of her rising kick
combination, her being trained upon staying on top of her game... she might not
defeat the legendary Wolf, and whether or not she does is once again not an
issue. It never is with the carefree blonde fighter, and instead a good showing
is all she plans to give - to prove to herself that her game has not been thrown
off by the extended absence. It's been years since such a break, the last time
being when Vega left her in a bloody heap in the thick jungle of Thailand. It is
always Vega, Vega and his hideous organisation.
But as she comes in for a graceful landing, Chun-Li's mind is fixed away from
such things, her focus on Terry as he rockets straight back in with all the
undying persistence she's seen and knew well even before experiencing it for
herself... strong and tenacious, the marks of the Wolf. Her timing is perfect
though, and the instant his shrouded fist should make impact with her ready
form, she's swinging away on one arm, kicking her legs out to enter an uncanny
leap away from her friendly opponent.
"KOUKEN!" Another cry is leaving her lips before she's even landed, and once she
does both hands are thrust forward glowing with pale blue energy. It's a
half-second before chi coalesces into an orb, a golden spark emerging at the
centre of a sapphire sheath as it thunders in towards the landing Terry.
COMBATSYS: Terry fails to slow Kikou Ken from Chun-Li with Power Wave.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Terry 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Chun-Li
And again, Terry can do nothing to really stop it. He attempts to slam an arm
into the ground, but it's pretty much a lost cause. The energy ball hits him
with full force, sending him reeling backwards and dazed for more than a few
moments. He mutters a few things under his breath, about how the moon is so
beautiful and various nonsense, but its plain to see he's not doing so hot right
now.
Something else is plain to see... someone really hasn't lost her abilities.
Granted it was doubtful that she would, but Chun-Li -did- have doubts. After a
fight the like of which she saw with the Spanish ninja Balrog, she would have
been a wonder not to harbour some pessimistic thoughts. These are gone as she
watches her chi-ball fly forth to intercept Terry's attempt at destroying its
path.. and not only this, but so fine was her control that the effect is
heightened. It may be the most finely constructed piece of energy she's hurled
since arriving in Southtown, and this thought draws a smile as she straightens
up, slipping into her accustomed stance and starting to shift rhythmically as
she watches Terry. "Take your time." She offers quietly, concentrating on
keeping her edge whilst allowing her friend space to regain his own. There's no
need to push such an advantage in this fight...
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li focuses on her next action.
"Oi! I thought you said no holding back!" Terry yells, though his face is still
bright. Obviously, he's managed to snap out of his real trance. And maybe, like
the wolf he represents, staring at the wolf may make him stronger. Terry does
not in fact take his time. He immediately shakes himself out of it and starts
dashing towards Chun-Li. Before long, crouches forward, and then dedicates all
of his momentum to lifting his body into the air, flipping upside down and
spinning like a top!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li fails to interrupt Rising Tackle from Terry with Hazan
Tenshou Kyaku.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Terry 1/=======/=======|=====--\-------\0 Chun-Li
Chun-Li will be doing no such thing, and her knowing smile says as much in
response to Terry's cry. Her gaze remains upon him intently until the last
possible second, when with sudden agility she flings herself into a spinning
pirouette forward, throwing herself right onto the incoming blow and seeming to
fly with it, to weather the worst before presumably pulling off some magnificent
returning attack of her own... but as the two rise into the air, any spectator
would see a definite shift within her flight-path, from being somewhat
controlled to being totally wild, and her powerful form is caught repeatedly by
the continuing upward blaze that is the Hungry Wolf. Finally at the zenith of
the leap she's kicked away, and hits the floor rather harder than might be
expected... her hands going out to either side and her chest rising as she sucks
in a long, deep breath. That... didn't go to plan, and she lies there for a few
more moments before pushing herself into a crouch, a few curls of brown hair now
loose and hanging over her vision as she looks toward Terry. "Good call..."
Terry adds in a few delayed slow rotations in his expert form, before finally
flipping over and landing softly on the ground. And as if possessed by that very
moon, Terry is not holding anything back. Almost immediately after landing,
Terry springs forward and into action, propelled by that same velocity of his
failed Burn Knuckle. And again, he outstretches his fist, quickly closing the
distance... before stopping immediately on the ground, and pounding that same
fist down into the dirt, sending a massive blast of energy to send Chun-Li
skyward! He doesn't stop there, as he then slams his fist down twice more,
aiming to juggle her into the air!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Terry's Power Geyser.
Chun-Li's words are barely breathed when her eyes widen upon a once-more
advancing Terry Bogard. There's no time to let herself settle, and he gives
himself similarly little breathing space. This is fast paced and intense..
exactly as it should be. And she won't disappoint, both hands slamming to the
floor to propel the Chinese woman into a crouching flip backward, that takes her
just out from the range of the very first burst of titanic chi energy. She's
alert for the next though, and rather than surge in to catch Terry at the first
possible juncture, she waits and hops back again once the second comes, angling
her torso back to let the burning wave lick past her. Faintly warm and reeking
of power, she pauses only to admire the third stage of Terry's technique before
acting to take the initiative for herself...
Chun-Li opens with a rise to her feet, but in the same smooth motion she hurls
her graceful form into a leap and overhead flip, turning smoothly around the
still-roaring Power Geyser below to land behind the Wolf once she estimates
he'll begin to stand himself. With any luck, her intuition will be correct and
she can move herself to this position before he realises his blows have failed
to land. Should the gambit pay off, he'll receive his own portion of the payload
in the form of a bodily slam to the floor, as the Chinese martial artist leans
in to brace him from behind with both hands and lean forward in another smooth
application of effort...
COMBATSYS: Terry endures Chun-Li's Koshuu Tou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Terry 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
The hit registers, and it registers in full force But somehow, he manages to
take it quite well. He slams upon the ground, and though the fact she managed to
dodge such a tactic was surprising, Terry reveals a large aspect of his
personality by not dwelling on it. Immediately after he hits the ground, he
springs back up. And quickly, he slams his fist into the ground, creating a huge
shockwave of chi that encircles the close quarters around him. These moves...
haven't been working so well, to say the least. But the Lone Wolf doesn't
falter, confident til the end.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Terry's Round Wave.
The thing with such smooth landings is that they can be felt from both ends...
and even as her effort is applied, Chun-Li can sense something vaguely wrong. An
itching feeling tells her not to hang around for a second, and so she doesn't -
once Terry hits the floor and springs back up she's already gone, hopping back
three times in quick succession and falling into her careful stance. That was
close... likely on any lesser fighter it would have paid off, and once more she
knows she hasn't fallen into that bracket. She still has it, the edge for combat
that has seen her rise so quickly in ability over her adult years.
But such an edge must be used and then sharpened to best keep, and knowing this
the woman doesn't hang around - demonstrating the vigour Terry demonstrates as
she rushes forward into his dissipating wave, bending at the waist a few feet
from the blonde fighter, to place one hand's fingers to the floor. Using this
point of contact, she swings her entire body into a movement of uncanny grace
and skill, her whole powerful form contorting around until she is rocketing
forward in an aerial headstand and a fast spin to accompany it, both legs
kicking out at the last to deal the flurry of strikes so well known to her
followers and her opponents.
"SPINNING BIRD KICK!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Terry with Spinning Bird Kick.
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Terry 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1 Chun-Li
It's pretty obvious that Terry is no good at dodging this attack, as he is
kicked around in a rather ironic similarity to the ir previous match. He again
twists through the air and lands roughly on the ground... but like their last
encounter he isn't done yet. Again, he rises, and AGAIN, he slams his fist into
the ground to create a huge geyser of energy. Terry obviously doesn't learn his
lesson very well.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Terry's Power Geyser.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Terry 0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1 Chun-Li
It rarely fails her... there's a reason such techniques become so well
affiliated with their masters and mistresses, after all. And with each
connection the woman's resolve grows, and her renewed self-confidence grows.
This fight has had its intended effect and then some. Once she starts to uncurl,
Chun-Li is all too aware from the crackle in the air that another huge
decimating wave is headed her way. In fact, that it's about to explode right
over her current position, and so with hastened agility she spins out of the air
into a crouch, instantly hurling her arms about her torso and slamming her eyes
shut. And then, it comes...
Launched back across the ground, the pain is numbed if not avoided, and as she
lands several feet away, quivering from the energetic assault, Chun-Li needs a
few moments to recover. That's as impressive an attack as any from the Wolf, but
ultimately.. she can only be glad not to again feel the terrific sting of his
most powerful assault. With a thousand tactical choices now ranging through her
brain, she stands when she has her orientation back, eyes opening and body
slipping anew into that same old stance. Starting to shift in a preparatory
rhythm, her brown eyes lock onto Terry... she can feel the pain starting to
creep through over-tired limbs, can almost feel the threat of approaching
blackness should she receive a beating. But at the same time, she's bursting
with energy and ready to see this through.
"Come on, Terry. I'm not finished yet!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li focuses on her next action.
It looks like this is coming down to the climax. But like Chun-Li, Terry isn't
done yet. He immediately shifts his wait forward, and, to reinforce the fact
that he never learns, launches himself at blazing speed towards Chun-Li, with
his fist again outstretched and blazing with blue chi.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Terry's Burn Knuckle.
"Hah!" With a sharp expulsion of breath, Chun-Li is spinning aside even as Terry
launches himself forward. He may not be seeming to learn from mistakes, but
she's learning from mistake and success alike.. she may have wanted to find her
old form, but now she knows that this is still in her possession? More
improvement must be made. Another defeat like the last cannot be allowed to
happen! Feeling the warmth of chi on her back, she barely brushes aside the
powerful technique and straightens up away from the Wolf.. before again she's on
the move, this time surging towards his location with a horizontal leap into a
piercing thrust kick. "SENRETSU KYAKU!"
No holding back. This is followed with a series of blazing blows, kicks to the
side, to the legs and even to the head as a flood of chi cascades out from the
powerful Chinese woman, consuming both her and (hopefully) her opponent in a
wave of pale blue as they are forced through a tunnel of pain by her manuevers.
It all ends with a lightning burst almost as familiar as the Spinning Bird Kick
itself, and should Terry have been caught by her quick ploy he'll find himself
blasted away as she calmly draws herself up on one leg, spreading her arms about
her person in perfect positions... and breathing in slowly.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Terry with Senretsu Kyaku.
[ < > //////// ]
Terry 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Chun-Li
And each blow hits him steadily, unrelentingly, and without pause. He opted to
take no real move to dodge, nor does he even try to keep the blows from crushing
him. And at the climax, he launches into the air, falling back on the ground.
His final thoughts for the moment, flash back to his recent defeat by Ryu. The
conversation they had about being eventually surpassed. Of course, Ryu did his
best to console the Wolf, but it needed no consoling. That is merely something
Terry has already accepted! After all, what better example than now, as Terry
was the one who helped Chun-Li get back on her feet. Slipping out of
consciousness, Terry has a satisfied smile on his face.
... ... ... ...
Chun-Li remains paused for quite some time, unblinking eyes fixed upon the
fallen form of the Wolf before her. Her arms stay in their places, and not a
tremor runs up her single point of balance. Her expression is stoical and
serious, everything about her speaking of consideration. Of the past, of the
present and.. of the future. She entered this fight without thoughts of victory,
only of a return to form, a finding of her true self, and now it seems another
legend has been toppled by her singularly powerful limbs. Her gaze slips
downward after a few minutes, and then.. her raised leg sets down, unfolding
slowly, sneaker making barely a sound in the dark grasses.
"Thank you, Terry," says the world's strongest woman as she lowers her arms as
well, hands falling to her sides. She bites down on her lower lip a moment
before speaking more to the prone legend's form. It barely matters that he seems
free from the conscious world; the sentiment is what counts, and something tells
her he knows all that she has to say anyway... it still needs to be said. "I'm
ready to fight again, and I owe it to you.. and you alone." A smile crosses her
lips, "Or near enough. I hope, one day, you can gain your vengeance as I plan to
gain mine..." She tails off for the last time this evening, her own eyes
slipping silently closed as a dark cloud wells up within, her limbs screaming
protest at her posture. It's only a few seconds before she lies in the grass,
curled up near to the Wolf with her head resting on folded arms.
It's as good a place to rest as any... and this rest has been well earned.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes no action.
(
geocities.com/terrybgoode/logs) (
geocities.com/terrybgoode)