17/01/06
Characters: Xiangfei, Chun-Li
The Duck Pond
From the outside, the Pond is simply a large building which seems
non-descript at first glance. It stands 2 stories tall and is pretty much
rectangular in shape, lacking any unique architecture on the outside except
for two batteries of lights mounted on the front corners of the roof. There
are large, smoked windows in the front, flanking both sides of a large set of
central doors, with a set of small circular recessed lamps in the overhang
formed by the doors. Above the doors is a large sign, proclaiming the name of
the establishment as The Duck Pond. At night, the sign comes alive in orange
and blue neon, along with the roof and foyer lights, and it usually sounds
like there's a party going on inside.
The interior of The Duck Pond is a radical contrast to the exterior.
Dominating the high ceilined room is a large dancefloor which is split in
several places into 3 different levels, each about 3 and a half feet taller
than the one below it. On the far wall opposite the entrance is a large
stage, complete with theatrical red curtains and a huge steel-latticed light
tower. On either side of the stage are large stacks of speakers, each
standing a good fifteen feet tall. Directly between the dancefloor and the
stage are a group of circular tables with chairs. Lining the walls on the
left and right side of the club are booths, ranging from small two-seaters to
large ones capable of seating a group of six. Colored lights flash and spin,
and the thumping beat of the music is everywhere. Floating on both sides of
the club are large, twelve foot long inflated ducks, each white with a golden
beak, and wearing a white sash on which "Duck Pond, LTD." is written.
[Exits : Out to Downtown ]
[Players : Xiangfei ]
Oh yeah! Uh-huh! At the Duck Pond -again- the bass is pumpin', the bodies are
bumpin', and the party's jumpin'! It's actually probably headed toward the 11pm
mark, which thankfully is the end of a certain someone's shift.
Not that Li Xiangfei is complaining, it's always fun seeing people having a
good time, dancing, drinking, and more or less in a world free of worry. Good
ol' care-free. Nothing beats that!
The place is suprisingly busy considering it's a weekday, but it's not it's
usual Wed-Sat gathering, and as such she can go home early. Li Xiangfei is
currently sitting on the counter dressed in her ususal streetwear, baggy pants,
and a light-red hoodie, plus the bells; gotta have the bells, and is chatting
away to the bouncer that doesn't seem to be paying any attention to her at all,
just standing with his arms crossed and a mean look on his face, "So I had to
show that dude what was -up-! I just walked up to him and was like 'pow'!
High-five!"
Almost comically the bouncers hand raises, and high-fives the chinese girl,
before going back to looking totally badass.
Relaxed, carefree enjoyment. Not something all manage to find ample time for;
caught up in the constant flood of trials and tribulations thrown forth by
whatever cosmic force dictates the path of one's existence. Chun-Li is among
these unfortunate many, and true to form she has recently been thoroughly
occupied by the micro-management of a small military organisation. Charlie's
Vigilantes... a group she's worked with long and hard but never imagined she
would be forced to lead. Such is life's way, though, and she is holding up well
enough despite daily difficulties. Perhaps the only concern she truly has at
this time involves the little things in life - activities and she has put off
for entirely too long. On this fine evening, the world's strongest woman plans
to start rectifying this.
It seems an age ago that she last spent quiet social time with one of her
favourite people, an amiable chat with the fighting schoolgirl Kasugano leading
to a promise to watch an upcoming fight and - from there - honour a much overdue
meeting with a certain Hip Hop Honey. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this never quite
went to plan courtesy of a match cancellation and then the burst of
anti-Shadaloo activity that has thrown Chun-Li off track for several weeks. So
now that she has forced a window in her schedule, it comes time to pay a visit
to the happening Duck Pond in search of her would-be successor...
The Tai Chi mistress is standing not six feet away as Xiangfei tosses her
impassive companion a handslap, and has already spotted the (slightly) younger
woman somewhat courtesy of those unmistakable bells. Who else would wear those
in a place like this? Her loud, distinctive tone also helps. Slightly differing
to the bouncer's reaction, Chun-Li actually flashes an amused smile, giving a
shake of her head as she approaches her fellow Chinawoman from behind, lifting a
hand to tap her on the shoulder once she's near enough. No words are offered
just yet - she'll let her appearance speak for itself. Who else would wear a
filigreed Chinese dress.. in a place like this?
Xiangfei.. Well she's got troubles of her own, likely not -nearly- the kind of
problems Chun's had to deal with, but thoughts she can escape from while at the
Pond or hanging out with her friends and teamates. But.. Perhaps that's another
story for another time.
The indeed younger chinese girl in age and arguably maturity had most definatly
been thinking of Chun-Li from time to time, but has been treating the womans
phone number like a piggy bank; saving it for an emergency. ... Whatever that
may be.
She's just continuing to yammer away, that is until she's tapped on the
shoulder, she looking over just a moment, "- I'll be right with you," and turns
back, "There were, like, -fifty- policemen out there, right? And I'm all
thinking 'what's up with that, he's just a drunk'! And it turns ou- HOLY CRAP!"
Most certainly a most-delayed of delayed reactions, Xiangfei spins on the
counter, quickly loses her balance and goes crashing to the floor, bells
jangling from the impact.
Her hand is seen raising to the counter as she pulls herself up, her face red
as a beet, and clearly looking suprised; it wasn't her birthday! And.. The
chinese new year wasn't for a while! "Wh.. H.. H.. hi Chun-sama!" she manages to
sputter, quickly wiping off her arms and bows deeply *WHAM* slamming her
forehead into the counter, and.. Just kind of stays that was for a moment, as if
allowing the pain to register. The bouncer winces a little in sympathy, but..
Then continues to check out Chun-li from the corner of his eye. Now -thats- a
chinawoman!
"...... ow." she stands up again, with a red mark on her head, and flails her
arms sporadically, "Wh.. uh, would you like a drink? Or some chips or something,
I could get them for free! Hi!"
...it's certainly good to see that nothing has changed with Li Xiangfei. As
she's quickly 'ignored', Chun-Li reacts with only the briefest of confusion,
past experience asserting itself in her reaction as she simply smiles and leans
back on her heels, arms folding loosely about her midsection. Her patience is
rewarded when the future Strongest spins around, but even as she lifts a hand to
offer a friendly wave she's given something a little more.. extreme to deal with
than simple surprise, a wince crossing her features when the jangling and
crashing goes off. "Fei-Fei..." she murmurs quietly, hand rising a little
further to rub at the side of her forehead. At least she half-expected such a
show, this time around...
Reddened embarassment aside, that seems about all the insanity for the moment,
and the Strongest Woman in the World is visibly relaxing by the time she's
struck with the thump of Xiangfei's head making solid contact. Suppressing a
cringe this time, she still leans forward with a concerned look, moving to help
the younger woman back to her full height with a hand to either shoulder, "Um..
I'd love a drink, maybe in a moment - are you okay?" She blinks slowly, tipping
her head to one side to punctuate the question, and then, "Hi!"
This is.. Just so so embarassing. But there are delighted tears streaming down
her cheeks when Chun-Li assists in helping her stand straight again and hasn't..
You know, not fled for her dear life of something. And of course tagging on her
pet-name of sorts is a whole lot of 'bandaging on the wound' as it were.
"Y.. Yeah, I'm fine, thank you," she manages to sputter, rubbing her forehead
then, and then suddenly she's all smiles, her hands thrown in the air, "Hi!!"
she cries back, and she makes a quick hop over the counter again with the assist
of her palm on it, "I'm sorry, you just caught me completely off-guard, I wasn't
expecting, I mean, uh, I didn't think, you know, at my -job-, you came to see me
at work, how cool is THAT??" because she believes it's very important to note
that it's extremely cool to have a 'Strongest Woman' come by to say hello. How
many other people can boast that?
.. Don't answer that.
"Er, oh! Um, so Merry Christmas to you, and Happy New Year! And.. Er, how have
you been? You look -great- Chun-sama, how about the Medals Tournament, that was
the best, wasn't it? Is it true Sakura almost beat you? 'Cuz I know you must
have been holding back a little, right?"
.. How long has it been again?
How many other people? If pushed for an answer, Chun-Li would have to admit this
is about the first person she's visited at their workplace for purely
pleasurable reasons. But then it's not every day she meets somebody who holds
such a high opinion of her that they break into tears and/or hot flushes with
each passing minute spent in her company. Even should she have any other fans on
the same level as the Hip Hop Honey, it's unlikely they can also possess enough
fighting ability to have a friendly rivalry going with a fighting prodigy like
Sakura. In short? Xiangfei is special, and not in /that/ way.
"No need to apologise - I was the one sneaking up," The Tai Chi mistress
explains to her fangirl as she hops across the counter, the older woman
retracting her grip to once more fold her arms about her midriff. "Thought I'd
surprise you!" Though she admits it with a sheepish grin, it's more than obvious
the surprise isn't unpleasant. But innate politeness can't quite get away from
the physical harm caused by her approach - however slight and passing that harm
may be. Letting any further apologetic gesture pass, Chun-Li pauses for a moment
to take in the flurry of questions thrown out by Xiangfei, once more angling her
head to one side when it seems the waitress is done. Anything else...?
When it becomes clear all is said, she takes in a breath before replying, "Merry
Christmas to you too! I hope the holidays were fun... I would have tried to
visit then but things have been a little busy." Pause. "Generally... I've been
fine. Working, training, travelling about. The usual." Her gaze flickers briefly
upward as she makes a speedy recall from the mental checklist, giving a renewed
smile and a nod once she does so, "Sakura did almost beat me - she's come a long
way. Though as to holding back? No comment. I'd have to let you find /that/ out
for yourself." With this, it's just possible there's a glint of mischief in her
eye. After all, she did promise a spar at some point, didn't she?
An excited little 'squee!' passes her lips to Chuns belated holiday greetings.
Poor Chun, again having to deal with an assault of questions, but at least none
of them are personal this time; fancy that!
That aside though, as expected, Xiangfei seems completely forgiving toward any
of Chun's apologies, tossing in, "Oh hey, it ain't no thing, I know someone like
you must be busy all the time. The life of a fighter in their prime isn't
exactly a vacation," she nods her head sagely to her own bit of 'wisdom' there.
It doesn't cover -all- the bases that Chun had laid out, but it's uh.. Good
enough, given the situation.
Now what really gets her heart aflutter is the vague insinuation that there's
going to be a spar. Were she weaker in body, her heart would have lept out of
her mouth and ran out of the club screaming, "Wh.. Wha? F.. F.. For real?? I
mean, yeah! Yes, of course we should have a match, we should have one right here
in the Duck Pond! A match!"
And the strangest thing happens, the music just comes to a halt with a
scratching record sound and the club goes dead quiet, save for the occassional
mumble, and the DJ sitting at the turntable stands up, lowers his sunglasses,
clearly looking Xiang-ward, ".. Oh damn!" he cries into the microphone, "Ladies
and germs, we got a special treat for you tonight! Looks like our girl, the
Radical Warrior Li, has a fight in store! So all'yall, clear the dance floor,
and lets get this party started! ... Again!"
Whoosh! Like a scene out of a sitcom or something, tables and chairs are being
moved, and people scrambling to get out of the way. It would seem it isn't
immedietly obvious who the opponent is just yet, but it most certainly will be
once Xiang proceeds to try to take Chun-Li by the wrist and drag her over to the
center dance floor, "It's a challenge, so you can't say 'no'!" she insists, yet
somehow manages that in an 'is that ok?' tone.
'The life of a fighter in their prime'. Exactly. It's certainly not a vacation!
Just ask someone like Ryu or Terry Bogard - they have so much to do that their
heads are constantly spinning, their lives topsy-turvied around with each
passing day. Neither has the time to idly bum around, or dedicate themselves to
anything but a frantic flow of essential activities. ...or perhaps those are
poor examples. Chun-Li is quite happy with Xiangfei's informed summary though -
it saves lengthy explanations and saves bringing in anything too serious to this
relationship. Much as she's growing steadily fond of the fangirl, there's no
desire to share her 'deep, darkest secrets' just yet.. if at all. She has few
casual friends.
And she has a grand total of one friend in whom she might expect the manner of
display that follows Xiangfei's stammered response to her teasing 'challenge'.
Present company included. The Strongest Woman in the World is smiling to
herself, halfway to opening her mouth and offering a polite acceptance of the
suggestion, her assumption clearly that there must be some back room suitable
for fighting. This is Southtown, after all. What she isn't expecting is, as so
often seems the case with Li Xiangfei, exactly what happens. Dark brown eyes
focus on the suddenly-stopped DJ, widening a little in alarm - has something
happened to throw off the mood in the Duck Pond? Has the party been interrupted
by a Syndicate mob or-... ah.
Chun-Li blinks rapidly, forcing herself neither to laugh nor resemble a
deer-in-headlights as the announcement is made. Radical Warrior Li? Her gaze
shoots to the younger woman, eyebrows lifting questioningly, in time for her
wrist to be gripped. Lucky that the Tai Chi mistress is so graceful, her feet
sorting themselves out smoothly to follow Xiangfei with deft steps. Her hearing
takes a little longer to follow suit, and she's already on the dance floor by
the time the last comment registers. Finally a reaction asserts itself and she
laughs, looking about with a slow shake of her head and then turning back to the
Hip Hop Honey.
"Very well! Then I accept." Chun-Li slides back into her fighting stance, heels
lifting from the floor and arms raising in neutral position about her torso.
Despite the surroundings, she settles herself quickly - watching Xiangfei with
at least a good portion of the focus she can usually bring to bear. She's fought
in worse locations. "Come at me whenever you're ready, Radical Warrior Li!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has started a fight here.
Xiangfei, to be honest, isn't even sure herself how close she would like to be
with the Tai Chi mistress. Sure, the 'obvious' answer would be 'zomg
girlfriend!!' if she were asked, and get very very strange looks in return, but
there are things she doesn't particularly like to share either- And Yuri
probably wouldn't be too happy with having Chun replace her as the waitresses
new 'best friend'. So then, where does one go from there? Huh.
Radical Warrior Li... Oh right. Chun-Li certainly has no idea about that, does
she? It doesn't even click in until the questioning glance that she's given, and
the smaller chinese woman can't help but laugh, rubbing the back of her head,
"Oh! Er.. Haha," at least the general confusion was taken well, that's a plus!
"I used to work in the Pao-Pao Cafe," she says as she walks backward on the
multi-lit dance platform, gripping her hoodie and lifts it up over her head,
wearing an oversized, black t-shirt underneath. And it's tucked into her pants,
so there!
It's hard to contain her excitement at this point, but Xiangfei does manage to
somehow calm herself so that she can get into a combative mode of thought, "And
so I worked here under a different alias at the time.. It kinda stuck, eh-heh..
Ok well then, I'm ready to roll!" Xiangfei claps her hands togeather, fans her
fingertips outward and finally with a yell, her pointer and thumbs remain
pressed to make a diamond shape, at that instant a slender pillar of golden chi
bursts into existance, swirling and circling her form; it's upwind tossing up
the braided loops of her hair. Yes, she can feel it already, she's in the zone!
COMBATSYS: Xiangfei gathers her will.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Xiangfei
Chun-Li nods along with the explanation for Xiangfei's odd nickname - she wasn't
about to question it too deeply, since clearly the younger woman has taken in
aspects of culture that the ex-Interpol agent is barely aware of. If at all.
Still, at least now she has some idea why she's calling her greatest fan by yet
another curious moniker. As an added bonus, the lapse back into conversation
buys enough time for her friendly opponent to get herself into a concentrated
mindset - the manner of this causing no surprise to the world's strongest woman.
She's seen the girl fight after all, and knows she has a fair amount of strength
at her disposal; Kyo Kusanagi's pupil may have caught some unfortunate
personality defects from his mentor, but he is hardly lacking in skill. This
should be interesting.
"Okay." Chun-Li belatedly offers to Xiangfei, smile widening on her lips once
more, before it flickers away to a more solemn air. Bringing her hands to her
chest, she drops her stance to offer a low bow, ribbons in her hair set to a
flowing wave with the motion. As she straightens they settle back down, only to
be disturbed again a moment later by the first movements of battle. "Ready? Then
here I come!" Surging forward toward the dramatically-uplit Hip Hop Honey, she
breaks into a headlong sprint, ducking one shoulder low once half the distance
has been covered.
A brief debate runs through the woman's head, on just how this should be opened.
Should she hold back a little, as she did when first fighting Sakura? Or allow
her full talents to emerge? Doubtless Xiangfei would know the difference, so the
debate lasts only an instant. Using the gathered momentum and the positioning of
her form to best effect, Chun-Li covers the last few feet in a sudden lunge
forward, hurling her upper body into a forceful thrust of both arms - these
bearing opened and tensed palms, pressed together for a powerful striking
surface. "SOU!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Xiangfei with Sou Hakkei.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Xiangfei
Well that was.. Unusual. Usually in this position Xiangfei considers herself
more ready for a defensive reaction; granted while she may -think- she's ready
to go, she's rather shaken up from the excitement, not realizing until too late
that she should be moving to defend herself. As such, her eyes widen a bit
moments before impact, the blaze going out immedietly as she shoots backward and
crashes onto her back, managing at least to tuck in her knees and handspring to
her feet after rolling.
The expression on her face is rather priceless really, she'd never felt such a
simple looking blow that hard before! ".. Augh," she groans, though gives a
shaky smile to her opponent, "O.. Ok! All right, I'm -really- ready this time!"
her sneakers squeak on the flashing lights as the bass continues to thump in the
club, and she decides to show the Strongest Woman -her- rendition of that
attack, closing in the distance and lashes her palm toward the womans gut.
Though it's not an all-out strike, strangly enough, should her fingertips find
its mark, they curl inward, unseen impact slamming into the woman with perhaps
enough force to knock her clean on the floor! "HAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Xiangfei's Kadoma.
The secret? Chun-Li channels a great deal of her inner strength into that
particular strike; enough to make it not only physically punishing but a great
harder to defend against than perceptions might suggest. On reflection, it
should be somewhat obvious that was a surge in the beauty's aura as she struck,
chi welling up to endow her outstretched palms with more force than expected.
There's no shame in the reaction Xiangfei displays... and nothing in the world's
strongest woman but the readiness that would be shown an equal, her back
straightening as she draws back to her full height and slips into a stationary
fighting stance, coiled and prepared.
"I'd expect nothing less," she murmurs in response to the Radical Warrior, a
small smile making its way through her focus as she watches the blurred
approach. Funny, but the rhythm in the background seems to be perfectly echoing
that of the fight - there might be something to be said for this manner of
battle. It does seem to aid Chun-Li's evasion, her body bending willowlike
around the attempted palm-stab, the woman then becoming a flickering blur that
lashes past Xiangfei's flank to straighten up just behind her. "Stay sharp!"
"Heee-YAH!" Spinning hard upon one heel, the Tai Chi mistress swings herself
around into a devastating roundhouse, her white-booted foot aiming for severe
contact across LiX's shoulders. If it hits, she'll follow through with the
motion to snap back into her fighting stance, sucking in a quick breath and
waiting for the next incoming strike. If it doesn't? Well...
COMBATSYS: Xiangfei blocks Chun-Li's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Xiangfei
Xiangfei doesn't have much choice in the matter!! While she was a bit
disappointed she couldn't land that strike, she doesn't have time to assess or
mull on it; it's just -instinct- when Chun-Li fights back again, she leaning
back and thrusting her palms upward, as if she were playing limbo.. And was
knocking the stick upward along the way, but it's more like she's making sure
the kick continues on it's way.
"EEEEK!" she squeals to herself, having gotten to touch the Strongest womans
leg for a brief moment that wasn't followed by so much pain she couldn't make a
big deal of it. But that suddenly -extremely- bright smile might come off as
being because of managing to defend it.
So...
Xiang's been watching Chun-Lis matches for some time, she must have learned
SOMETHING! Think, Xiang, think!! Speed, yes, but the trick is to match up with
Chun somehow. And so still in her backward position, Xiangfei twirls and
performs a rather unusual strike, thrusting both her palms outward to strike the
womans gut, then lurches upward while hopping back to strike the same spot with
her elbow, "Hah! Hai!"
COMBATSYS: Xiangfei successfully hits Chun-Li with Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Xiangfei
Chun-Li's aware enough that Xiangfei has watched so many of her matches; hearing
enough from both the younger woman herself, and from Sakura, to judge her a
worthy contender. After all - any who watch a prospective opponent fight that
many times, using an eye capable of even the slightest analysis? They'll
eventually work out how to counter each blow and follow through from each
evasion, at least in theory if not in practice. The fact that the Hip Hop Honey
has her own array of talent suggested from the outset that she might well have
reached this latter stage, and it's something she displays now.
Though Chun-Li recovers quickly from her defended strike, pulling her leg back
without a stumble, setting her feet firmly to the floor and snapping up a
guard... the incoming attack breaks through an opening - forcing her raised arms
aside to penetrate through to contact with softer flesh. "Ngh!" Grunting as much
in surprise as pain, the world's strongest woman takes a half-step backward only
to find herself caught with a second deceptive blow that further tenderises her
torso. "...fast, Fei-Fei. Against most people, I would have defended that..."
Her statement rings true enough - it's simply testament to her opponent's sense
of timing that she broke through what should have been an impenetrable block.
Chun-Li's attacks may be making rather solid contact, but this could still prove
interesting for the both of them. Taking in a breath as she steps back a few
more paces, the Chinese beauty draws her hands back in a fluid motion, fingers
cupping about an imaginary ball. Once she halts there comes a flare of golden
chi, light spilling out to briefly fill the stage with a bright glow. It's soon
shrouded in an irridescent sheath of more mundane blue however, as a miniature
maelstrom swirls about Chun-Li's hands. "Let's see what else you can do! Ki-"
Suddenly she lunges in a manner similar to her opening double-palmed assault,
thrusting her hands out toward Xiangfei with a cry of, "KOUKEN!" Her trademark
projectile whiplashes forward, a slight spiral in its lightning quick trail.
COMBATSYS: Xiangfei slows Kikou Ken from Chun-Li with Nanpa.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/--=====|=======\====---\1 Xiangfei
While there are clearly similarities in the two fighters styles, the fact that
they're executed differently shows their differences as well.
Though that's not Xiangfei's current worries, she's also feeling a bit
overwhelmed; wheras Ryu is just full-on strong, Chun-Li is just so quick, she
just can't -think-! She doesn't have much time to offer words of return, as the
fabled Kikoken is flaring her way, Xiangfei in turn claps her palms togeather
and twirls around;
She really should have known better, her blast was more about power than speed,
which may not be so obvious as the chi smacks into her and sends her staggering
on one foot, "OOF!" and potentially is left open for another attack!
Open indeed, but nothing is forthcoming.
After hurling her speedy blast, Chun-Li is slow to straighten, keeping her guard
raised and senses alert but making no move toward a follow-up. Her hands finally
lower to her sides when Xiangfei is harshly impacted, briefly veiled behind a
cloud of dissipating chi-energy. "That was close," the world's strongest woman
offers with a nod of her head, visibly relaxing both her powerful form and the
intensity of her stare to look on her fangirl as she might normally - rather
than with the resolve of battle.
"Xiangfei.. you're quite strong, and every bit as good as Sakura's always told
me." Shameless plug alert. Though Chun-Li looks fairly serious despite the
friendly nature of her tone, "But if you want to stop at any point, let me know.
I don't want you to get hurt over this -" She pauses to take in a breath, chest
rising and falling before a smile spreads itself upon her lips, "We're friends,
not rivals. Whenever you're ready..."
Chun-Li breaks her own lull, stance widening and hands lifting - the right to
make a solid fist at her hip and the left to extend toward the Hip Hop Honey,
fingers curled gracefully outward. A position designed for little but defensive
manuevering, though it looks dramatic enough; and just in time a gust of hot air
hits the stage, billowing the woman's skirts and ribbons to a crazed flapping.
Who needs the wind when you have technicians standing by?
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes no action.
Xiangfei's footing is regained, and there's only a slight hint of a stagger as
Xiangfei drops back into her open-palm stance, still swerving a bit, and her
arms snap up, crossing over her face as if anticipating another attack, body
tightened and ready for impact-
But... Then there's... Nothing?
Now that little gust, along with the Tai Chi mistresses obvious grace, it's all
a beautiful thing, and she's quickly understanding why it may be difficult for
others to understand the beauty of it all, it's intense! And it's definatly
getting her adrenaline pumping despite her paranoia. Guard lowering, she gives a
nervous chuckle, "Wh.. S.. Sakura really said that about me?" she asks with a
slightly embarassed grin, clearly having no trouble hearing the woman over the
cheering patrons and the booming music, "And yes, I know but... People I've
faught know that," her hands rest atop one another, and then the motions are so
quick, her hands are almost a blur, the end result in her fist slamming into her
open palm, "My best fighting comes out when it's all on the line! I want you to
see my absolute best!"
COMBATSYS: Xiangfei focuses on her next action.
Chun-Li only affirms Sakura's comments with a single nod, keeping her stance
firm and motionless but for the passing unnatural gust. Admittedly it's hardly
the highest accolade - the fighting schoolgirl comments on a great deal of
people and holds many in perhaps higher esteem than they deserve... but she had
other thoughts beside mere strength in arms, that reinforced Chun-Li's opinion
of the Hip Hop Honey as a fighter, beyond anything else. Something she does well
enough herself in the comment that follows, enough to draw a little rush from
the Strongest Woman in the World.. something bordering on pride, though it's
hardly identical.
"I'm glad," she responds, tightening her posture just a little, enough to
display a more marked return to the fight's rhythm. "Then come at me with
everything you have! I won't hold back either..." As she tails off, Chun-Li's
eyes narrow a little, her gaze now intent upon Xiangfei and awaiting whatever
power the younger woman holds inside her - though there is an unspoken clause in
her words. The previous offer was meant in truth, and the slightest indication
that she should pull her blows will cause her to do so.. though somehow, the Tai
Chi mistress doubts it will come to that.
Now she merely waits for action to follow spirit.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li focuses on her next action.
Come at her with everything she has.. That's exactly what the chinese girl
-doesn't- want to do! But she can't hesiitate forever, the chinese girl gritting
her teeth lightly as she nods her head. What in blazes should she do? At this
point it's not so much trying to impress Chun-Li as it is to land a decent blow,
and so, "Okay!" Xiangfei rushes forward, then sweeps low as if she were going
for a low tackle. But there's a *whoosh* sound, a cloud of dust blowing out
under her, some sort of momentum suddenly blasting the girl upward and she
attempts to drive her shoulder into the Strongest Woman, sending her up with
her, "KaaAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Xiangfei's Tenpou Zan.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/-======|=======\=====--\1 Xiangfei
The result of Xiangfei's charge is almost a surprise in itself - given that
Chun-Li was fully expecting to deal with some overkill chi-blast or a long
combination assault, to find herself assaulted by a quick rising shoulder tackle
catches her a little off-guard. Unable to move too quickly from her current
position in such little time, she settles for angling her raised arm inward,
soaking the brunt of the blow away from harsher impact with her ribcage. There
is still a soft 'oof' as breath expels itself from her lungs, but the world's
strongest woman is set up for something better than an unruly tumble back to
earth as she's carried upward by Xiangfei.
"That isn't quite /everything/..." she remarks breathlessly, casting a grin down
to the younger warrior before her other hand reaches up to snag a grasp on the
back of her neck. Attempting to obtain a light grip, she then twists herself
around, a thrust from the entrapped arm building extra momentum for the aerial
spin she needs to execute what she has planned - namely a bodily toss down to
the stage. But there's a little more to it, and should the initial manuever work
out she'll continue her twisting movement to kick out with one powerful leg,
kiai'ing her return back to earth with a booted heel aimed for rough impact with
the centre of LiX's mass.
"KAAAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Xiangfei fails to interrupt Strong Throw from Chun-Li with Chou
Pai-Long.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Chun-Li 0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Xiangfei
Chun-Li of course was right, it -wasn't- everything, but as usual, there's a
method for her madness. After crashing onto her feet again, Xiangfei simply
smirks, her left hand drawing back and as soon as Chun's hand touches the back
of her neck, a large cloud of dust blows out behind her-
Unfortunatly for Xiangfei though, Chuns movement is too quick, Xiang yelps, and
then quite a bit of air is pushed out of her with the following kick, slamming
down hard back onto the stage, and the plexi makes a loud crack. Luckily, that
isn't her spine, but the girl is holding her gut and wheezing as she forces
herself to scramble to her feet again, her legs shaking a bit. Man, so much for
-that- set-up, "I... *huff* I'm ok.."
Naturally, the world's strongest woman feels that attempted burst of action from
the Hip Hop Honey - a spark in aura registering on the least mundane of her
senses, and others making her aware in their more conventional fashion. It was a
close call though, and as she springs up from the successful kick, using the
violence of the blow as a rebound to bring her up all the faster, Chun-Li knows
she came fairly close to being cut down by the younger fighter. "Are you-?"
Her first two words are barely phrased before Xiangfei begins to get to her
feet, and the Chinese beauty smiles as she retreats a few steps, pausing to let
her gaze hover on the recovering girl before she spins away, presenting her back
as a very open target. "Then don't stop. I want to see your best shot, and..."
her lips perk upward a touch and she flicks a glance sidelong to the throng
gathered about the stage, "Nor do your fans." Her fans? Well, they're certainly
not cheering for the 'mysterious' stranger, give or take the odd Chun-fanboy who
happens to be present. "Come on, Fei-Fei!"
All but chirping the last, Chun-Li casts a look back over her shoulder, then
turns her attention from the Hometown Heroine, even letting her eyes slide shut.
Casting control to other senses but her vision, she awaits movement from behind,
breathing deep and even... if she has a plan, it must be an odd one, for she
gains no advantage from this position - focused or not.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes no action.
Xiangfei cringes slightly, still holding her gut, and starting to pant a bit..
It didn't take a genius to know she was in a bad position, and on top of that,
she was already starting to feel her inner chi taking a hit on top of it.
She's going to have to take another gamble, she really hates to, but what
choice did she have? Her hands tighten into fists, the girl slaps her cheeks and
she nods her head, "OK!" sprinting forward and this time tries to overwhelm the
woman with quantity over quality, she dashes at Chun-li, throwing her palm out
with a simple palm-strike with her left and then her right, twirling around with
a diagonal chop, "Hai! Hah! HYAH!" with a twist, she snaps back with a rushing
elbow, then completes the combination with a spin kick toward the side,
"WATAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li interrupts Heavy Kick from Xiangfei with Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Chun-Li 1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Xiangfei
Chun-Li's positioning may not be the best, but her intensity is quick to return
once the distance is covered. Xiangfei's first strike catches her hard in the
small of the back, forcing a half-turn from the Strongest Woman in the World;
but this is something she comes well prepared for, heels digging in to propel
her /into/ this forced momentum. Spinning about yields her the ability to catch
the second and third blows with a tightened midsection, deflecting them with
only a slight wince of pain for such efforts - the elbow? It's stopped dead, as
she drops down low and snaps up both hands, catching it firmly and slinging
Xiangfei's arm away in time to meet the final part of the combo.
"YAAAAAH!" Lunging in parallel with the kick, Chun-Li snaps one arm to the side,
angled along her body to deflect the worst of its weight and give her plenty of
room for movement - enough to launch a kick of her own, a white boot flashing
out and upward in a painful thrust kick straight to the chest. It's hard and
fast enough to send the Hip Hop Honey careering backward, buying time for the
world's strongest woman to recover, flowing into her usual stance with a 'soush'
as her breath is regained.
"Come on, Xiangfei.. don't give up on me yet."
For a moment Xiangfei looks ecstatic, it seemed that she was actually managing
to overwhelm Chun just as she had planned, but- But what? It some point did she
slow down? It was difficult to tell, but what she -does- know is by the time she
sees what it is Chun-Li is doing, it's much too late for her to do anything
about it. The impact is incredible, getting an audible 'oooooooh!!' from the
onlookers as Xiangfei flies back, managing to shift her weight enough so that
she collides onto the floor again, rather that into something possibly less fun
to smash against, rolling along the ground and then flops onto her gut.
To her own suprise though, she can still at least feel herself move, despite
being on the end of her rope; she shakily drawing up to one foot, panting
heavily and hand slipping into her pocket- Chun isn't the only one buying time
now at this point, the intensity in her eyes are more apparent, both hands
brought back as if about to throw a hadouken.
That's not what happens of course, there's a light *plink* And a yen coin goes
zipping from her grip like a little chakrum, looking to smack the strongest
woman in the forehead.
COMBATSYS: Xiangfei can no longer fight.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Xiangfei's Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <|
Chun-Li 1/-----==/=======|
Xiangfei just can't get enough to get back to her feet, though, there's
certainly a struggle to do so, but it just isn't happening. ".. Rrgh," she
grumbles in frustration, punching her fist into the ground as she lowers her
head. That perhaps sums it up right there, must to the disappointment of the
onlookers.. But then again, that woman must have been pretty darn strong to do
that much damage in a few moves!
Remaining tightly coiled in her most favoured positioning, Chun-Li watches
Xiangfei land hard on her front with a concentrated gaze. There's enough resolve
in the girl that - despite the power of the inflicted blows - the world's
strongest woman expects her to leap back up with some defiant cry, to finally
unleash all that strength she's been stashing away somewhere deep inside. It's
with a little disappointment and a little astonishment that she instead finds
herself the subject of a flying coin, and a hand snaps up to intercept it. "Hm."
Wincing slightly as the metal edge digs into her fingers, the Tai Chi mistress
lowers her hand to examine the coin briefly, before palming it and lowering both
hands to her side. "...I think we should stop, then?" She asks quietly, voice as
close to a whisper as it can be whilst still reaching the collapsed Chinawoman.
Though she does hesitate in case of further movement or a reply in the negative,
Chun-Li does not tarry too long before making her way across at a relatively
sedate pace, dropping down next to Xiangfei and gripping the girl's shoulder
with her free hand.
"You could have done a lot better." ...hardly the greatest compliment, but more
than anything there's sympathy in her tone. What else could she say? To praise
the Hip Hop Honey too much would be condescending and dishonest - it was not a
difficult fight for her more experienced opponent, despite the close moments.
She gives Xiangfei a light squeeze, "And I know you /will/ do next time."
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has ended the fight here.
.. Which was really the entire point. Xiangfei figured a bit later in the match,
the best chance she had would be to catch Chun-Li by suprise; and while she had
managed that on a few occasions, she just ulitmatly.. Came up short. She really
didn't know what to say even when Chun-Li talks to her, hell, she didn't even
get hit with the Spinning Bird Kick!
Though she just can't properly express just how wrong this match really was for
her, she just rubs at her mouth with the back of her hand, still gazing down at
the flashing lights. ... Though it really would be in poor taste to leave the
Strongest Woman on a bad note, she instead forces a smile as she looks to the
woman, her eyes watering as she clenches her hands into fists, "Y.. Yeah! Yes,
of course, this just simply means my time isn't now yet, it's my destiny, after
all!" she cries, ".. The first time jitters, it ain't no thing!"
"Then you'll have to be prepared, Fei-Fei," Chun-Li murmurs down to the Hip Hop
Honey, bringing her hands up to her chest and clapping her palms together in
preparation for another bow. "Because I'll come back as soon as I can, and if
you can't beat me then?" Pausing, she bends at the hip to offer her formal
gesture, straightening up and instantly seeming that much brighter, more
enthused. Here she's made something of a snap decision, letting instinct lead
the way before common sense or deep thought... it's about time she allowed
herself to be as impulsive in her social life as in her quest for vengeance.
"Then I'll teach you how to do so for the time after that. Deal?"
Xiangfei takes in a calm breath, and she slowly gets to her feet as well,
continuing to look to Chun-Li, not with an exactly hopeful one, but some sort of
nudge. And she most certainly gets it, following the womans words her own brown
eyes widen a little,
At the part of coming back, that is.
Perhaps what she was most frightened of was Chun's disappointmet, and she
punches her fist into her palm again, returning the bow to the woman, which, for
some reason, gets a roar of approval form the onlookers, and there's a lot more
alcohol being passed around. It must be an honor thing or something right? Oh
who knows.
But suddenly the Heavenly Hip-Hop Honeys smile is much more genuine and bright,
"Yes!! Yes! Definatly, thank you so much!" the chinese girl cries, lounging
forward to steal a quick hug from the older chinese woman; a rather belated wind
there as it were, "I will practice more and I'll be ready, thank you, Chun-sama,
um.. Hey, while you're here, why don't we have a drink? I wanted to ask you a
bit about your kikoken..." and then probably blab a little more about how she'd
been kicking her rival Kensous butt, and even her matches with Sakura. A rather
opportune place to fade to black, mirite?
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