motm - Thursday, February 10, 2005, 4:38 PM ------------------------------------------- Ah, well. Mr Yabuki's been getting himself in a lot of, er, highly publicized fights lately. And not the same kind as Miss Kasugano is, either. Speaking of Sakura, school's out, and she'd miraculously caught up with Shingo on the way out -- though she was patient enough to simply coil her arm around his while waiting for his friends to finish chatting with him. Friends are important, after all! As the two walk out of the high school, Sakura grins. Apparently, the two have some free time, oddly enough. "So yeah... I was just curious, Shingo, do you, like, =always= pick fights with people way way more powerful than you, or is it just, like, coincidence?" Elbowing his ribs lightly, Kasugano shakes her head. "And you just disappear without telling me like that, too! I wish =I= could get such senior perks... Maybe I oughta just get you a cellphone or something like mine..." The Ansatsuken prodigy is grinning the whole while, so it's doubtful that she's serious about that threat. Or is it? The chances of Shingo actually using the cellphone if he were to get one aren't very promising. The fact that said chances are only marginally better than him losing it within a week is not a good sign either. Main reason he doesn't have a cellular now would be that he's a people person. Preferring to actually talk to people face-to-face than just over the phone. And if an emergency comes up he could always use /someone else's/ phone. Seeing that most people have one. That and he subconsciously doesn't want to have a way for his mom to keep track of why he isn't home doing his schoolwork. Glad to be in the company of Sakura yet again, Shingo grins very contentedly. So much in a dream world of having the greatest girl ever at his side that he almost misses her question, "Huh? Picking fights? Oh, I guess I just must be that lucky. Heh." Look at that, always in an ever pleasant mood no matter what. Disappearing without telling her? He has no clue what she's talking about. But plays along with it, "Sorry! I didn't mean to. Just that I keep getting sent on errands and stuff." "Pff! I dunno about that! I think you just take any excuse to get out of school, if ya ask me." No one did ask Sakura, of course, but that never stopped her before. "At least you ran, yesterday. I dunno what I'd do if my baby got knocked unconscious again. You better just not make this a weekly thing, y'know!" Laughing, she grips Shingo's arm tight -- so he can't escape -- and rams him with her shoulder. "Y'big jerk!" She's in good spirits about it all, though. She never =did= say where she was heading, just that she'd wanted to go shopping, and wanted Shingo to tag along. "I wished I coulda saved ya this time. Who was this guy, again? Did you catch his name?" Shingo smirks, "Heheh. Hey, it's not my fault my teachers keep asking me to pick stuff up for them during class hours. I guess it's because I always hand my assignments in on time." At Sakura's next comment a look of indignation creeps across his face, albeit a feigned one, "I resent that! I didn't run away. I strategically retreated. Better part of valor and all. And oh, I don't know. I kinda think it makes the week more interesting, don't you?" The boy winks right before he is rammed, "Hey ow!" Again feigned. "Nah. I think he was related to Yagami though. He was using some weird purple energy in his moves. But I dunno." Snickering as a faint redness comes across her cheeks, the skirted schoolgirl doesn't seem to be taking any of this seriously. "Hey, =I= turn my stuff in on time! Mostly!" Rolling her eyes in equally feigned dismissal, she nods quietly. "Well, yeah. You're pretty tough, Shingo, but neither of us is invincible. Just remember that y'ain't no fun to me when you're unconscious." Again with the bumping, though it's much lighter this time, at least. "And yeah, I =suppose=. I had to answer all kindsa questions about it today since =someone= didn't call me last night and let me know what happened, but yeah, at least answering people kept me awake through first period." Smirking faintly, she raises one eyebrow over to Shingo. "S'why I'm punishing you," she adds, lightly rocking her hips against his. Punishment? For a guy? Oh, that can only mean one thing! Yup. Shopping for =clothes=. For the store Sakura stops in front of is a Chinese boutique. Pretty nice one -- they actually custom-make dresses if you ask them nicely, but there's plenty of lower-cost selections out front. Kasugano unlinks her arm from Shingo's, but snags him by the hand and leads him inside. "You're helping me pick something nice to wear." Oh how Lady Luck rains her misfortunes on the poor highschool senior. Here he thought he was going to enjoy a delightful walk home with Sakura. Instead he has been suckered into going shopping with the girl. She must be really mad at him then! Or not really. "I meant to call you, really! But then Megumi came over and by the time she left it was kinda late to be making phone calls. Or so mom says." He gulps at the mention of punishing, obviously know that she doesn't mean the 'good' type of punishment, "..." Yabuki sweatdrops having nothing to say to that, left speechless as he is dragged haplessly in tow along with the girl. Something nice for her to wear? "What's wrong with the clothes you already have?" He asks seeing if there's a way out of this. He'd rather be training. "The clothes I already have? Shingo, this is my uniform! I wear it to school, and I wear it to fights. ... and that's really about it. I gotta look nice every once in a while, though!" Danger, Shingo Yabuki, Danger! Stepping inside, she walks up to one of the Chinese-style dresses, touching the silk fabric. She'd been here plenty of times before, see... just didn't have much reason to buy before. "Sometimes I just wanna be more... more girly, y'know? I'm not =always= wanting to put a fist in someone's face." She lets go of Shingo's hand, giving him some breathing room, as she then plucks out a dress she'd admired often in the past -- and yet remains unsold -- from the racks, holding it overherself. Dressplate time! "I mean, wouldn't this look nice on me?" Is that a trick question? It's an aquamarine-colored dress, so if anything, it'd definitely be a lot more feminine than she normally wears. Well, really, any color dress would, if it had a high mandarin collar, short sleeves, and the miniskirt-like cut this dress does. Heck, it doesn't even go halfway down her uniform's skirt, and you know how often that can get flipped up. "Just... every once in a while, maybe?" So all she has in her entire bedroom closet is her school uniform? Crazy weird. So what's she saying about how he wears his uniform almost all the time too? He looks over himself thinking about this still following her all the while. Her words going in one ear and right out the other. Missing everything she says except when she asks if the dress would look good on her. Taking a good view of said dress and then at Sakura, putting them both together in his head. Nosebleed time! A barely noticeable trickle resides just within his nostril. However, the HUGE grin that appears isn't as quite barely noticeable. Shingo just nods and smiles to himself at this. Not much of an answer to the girl. This is what you get from a teenaged boy. He's in his own little world now. Ohhhh yeah. Well, she =does= have a lot of school uniforms. Aaaaand she has lots of other clothes. But that's not the issue, really -- she wanted to see what Shingo actually thought of the dress she'd been eyeing! ... Though she didn't quite expect his grin to split his face in half -- and, as such, she actually reddens a bit at all the attention. "What, what, you like it? Seriously?" A slightly nervous giggle escapes her as she shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I wasn't sure which color to go with though... there's this, and then there's the royal blue one here, and they're both the same size..." Shingo may have noticed that Kasugano typically has a pretty good idea of what she wants, most of the time -- asking for opinions is really nothing more than a favor. "Huh? Wha'?" The boy is snapped out of his daze and looks around bewildered. Oh yeah, that's right. He's in Sakura's company. His face flushes in his embarrassment. He rubs his head, "Eheheheheheh." Think quick Shingo. What exactly did she just say? Come on. Say something that'll make her think he was listening and not actually just picturing what she looks like in the dress. "Uh...I think this one'll look better on you. That one just seems, I dunno, too dark." He shrugs. The boy doesn't have much expertise when it comes to fashion. As if it wasn't clear enough from how he dresses to emulate a certain Kusanagi. It's a wonder why he hasn't gotten a blazing sun imprinted on his own shirt to complete the look. Probably cause his mom wouldn't allow it. But that's another story for another time. "Yeah, definitely this one." He nods more certain. Well, it seems like Shingo said the magic words, at least -- from the way she suddenly looks back at him with a bright, eager smile. "Y'think so?" She's not that dedicated of a clothes shopper herself, but she knows what she likes -- and it just happened that Shingo's preference helped her off the fence, in this case. "Cool! I wasn't sure, really!" Eyeing the tag for a moment, she looks back at Shingo... and realizes she doesn't know if it'll fit. "Er... I'm gonna go try it on, okay? If you see anything else, though, just hold onto it or something?" Setting the royal blue dress back onto the rack, she takes the short-sleeved dress with her back into one of the changing rooms. ... And after a couple minutes, she comes back out! It's obviously not meant to go with sneakers, so she walks out barefooted. Forgot to take off the headband, but really, would you even know it was her otherwise? One thing can be said for sure, though -- the body-hugging dress really shows off the Ansatsuken prodigy's figure a lot better than her school uniform does -- and that's sayin' something! One can almost hear the sound of Shingo's jaw hitting the ground when Sakura steps back out. That is if his jaw could extend that far. Seeing that it's not physically possible it just hangs open. Quite visibly too. So much so that he is literally speechless for at least a good minute. His cheeks and face overall reddening at the sight. The only thing that would make it more obvious that he really likes would be if his tongue were to roll out from his mouth and hang off to the side. Which it doesn't, by the way. Now don't get him wrong, he has always known that Sakura is the cutest girl in the Taiyo. Well, actually Southtown. You know what, forget that. The world, even. But still. That dress just looks good on her. He does try to form some words but all that comes out is some incoherent babble. But the words do finally come out, "Err, ahem. Looks good..." Well... truth be told, Sakura doesn't consider herself an exhibitionist or anything. She just likes wearing things that make her feel pretty -- and this dress happens to be one such item. So, seeing Shingo's reaction is definitely a boon to the schoolgirl -- one which she wants to see a bit more of. Chuckling softly, she pads towards Shingo, well aware of the handful of other customers -also- gawking at her, yet she really only seems to be focusing her attention on just one person. "You like? Was thinking that, like, whenever the school throws a dance or something, then..." She shrugs her shoulders a bit, turning to present the reverse angle to Shingo once she gets closer. It's definitely no uniform, that's for sure -- her athletic form acts as the proper showcase for a garment with such sheen. She turns to look at Shingo over shoulder, grinning a bit. "I thought about getting a longer one, too, but maybe later...? I always trip and crack my face open or somethin' when I wear a dress, though..." Shingo coughs, "Like? You could say that." He smirks at her. And then she turns to show off her backside. Jawdrop again. Only not as long as previously. If only cause he had only just recovered from the first time she stepped out. A little more blood trickles within his nose and his face is even redder. How does he manage to be so lucky? A longer one? No, no, no Sakura. That will not do. It really does make a difference to Shingo really. Be it short or not. Sakura looks good to him in anything. She could be wearing a bear suit for all he cares and he'd still swoon over her. "Sure, why not?" An smile of not so innocent intentions appears on his face as he advances on her, "You know...you keep on looking that good and I won't be responsible for my actions." Well, Sakura never was all that 'big' or anything, but a short Chinese dress like this makes the most of what's she's got. Which is to say ... enough. Obviously. A faint redness tinges her cheeks as well, after the topic of absolved responsibility comes to light. Turning back around with a swish of her headband, and only the lightest flutter from the much-too-short cut of the dress, she adds, "Ah... well. I don't think I need to get the cops chasing after you again, so." Winking, she then starts heading back to the dressing room. Emerging from the dressing room in her uniform and sneakers, she's already folded up the dress -- and walks up to the counter to pay for it. "So... what now, huh? You healed up enough for a quick spar or somethin?" Shingo lets out a happy sigh when his girlfriend heads to change back into her own clothes. Taking in the 'view' of the retreating girl while he does. It's days like these that make it worth being the schoolboy. Oh yes indeed. So when Sakura steps out in her uniform to take care of the expense for her new dress and asks about if he's up for a sparring match, he plainly responds, "Well, after seeing you in that dress I was kinda up for a different sort of...sparring." If you know what he means. And from the grin on his face she would be able to discern exactly what he means. "But otherwise, sure. Megumi took care of any bruises that I had. So I'm good to go." There's a smile. He doesn't care what they do as long as they do it together. 'A different sort of sparring?' Cheeks flushing pink again at the thoughts that particular phrasing brings to mind, Sakura chuckles lightly and turns back around. "Well... yeah, I mean, I'm sure we -could- and all..." Slipping her bag around her wrist, both her hands reach for one of Shingo's as she starts for the door out of this little Chinese clothing boutique. "But yeah, great! I'm starting to get a bit out of practice and all..." She's been practicing, but with her master out of town... she'd started to slack a bit in the discipline department. Not without good reason -- like Bison and Vice rearing their heads and all -- but still. "Besides, if we did any of -that-, I don't think I'd be home in time for bed, y'know?" Holding hands with the girl as they both step out of the store and back into daylight, Shingo says, "Heheh. No complaints here. But I'd think your parents might. Ad we can't have any of that, now can we?" Darn parents. The only things they're good for is food, money, and shelter. Ok, that's not all. But the main things. And at least -her- master has an excuse. The boy's master is in town. But is just never around whenever Shingo goes a-looking for him. What a coincidence, huh? Haven't hearing from him since being invited to the Esaka Team. "So. You gonna drop your stuff home first or...?" He motions to her recent purchase with his head. Nevermind the fact that they haven't even come to a decision where they're going to spar yet. Well, yeah. They would. Truth be told, that whole 'Strolheim' thing was just a lucky fluke -- for now that she's back in Southtown, things have been starting to fall back to the same threat-and-retribution pattern from before. "Well, I don't see why! It's on the other end of town and all, and I'll probably lose the mood if we went all the way back =there=..." Shrugging lightly, she juggles the bag about along her wrist. "It's not goin' anywhere, though! Unless we wanna be knocking ourselves out again or somethin' silly like that." Smirking a bit, she adds, "And I don't see any snow around, so." Oh yeah. That's right. Winter is coming to a close, isn't it? Darn those crazy ever-changing seasons. "True. So. The Dome or the park?" By park he's referring to one of the many parks located nearby in Southtown Village. "And that would be silly, wouldn't it?" He snickers out loud. Seeing that it would be really funny if they did manage to knock themselves out again. By accident of course. It is just a friendly little match after all. Not like they're going for each other's throats. It's a park she knows well -- though really, -everything- in Southtown is her domain! Except Gedo street, and the northwestern forests and stuff. But close! "Park, then! If we go back to school I'm almost positive they'll find a way to pin something else on me..." Snickering a bit, she starts jogging towards the park -- you know the place! It's pretty much one of the boundaries between Chinatown and the village. "Ah... crap. I left my handguards in my locker t'day. Guess I'll have to go without, huh?" Unlinking her hands from Shingo's, she sets her recent purchase on the lawn, walking a fair distance away from him. "And you better not go easy on me after that shopping trip, either! I saw where you were looking!" She didn't, really, but it's still fun to tease the boy. Ryu may have been scarce since his re-debut in Southtown on the SNF stage, but that doesn't mean he's been idle. No, as is usually the case, there is a method to the Ansatsuken master's madness, and in this case, that method was observation, and time to his own training and concerns. Observation, of course, of his student, and her pursuit of training in his absence. As such, he's noted some of the downturn in her discipline, though he's been unfortunately absent for much of the more volatile upheavals in the girl's life. Still, he can see the bursts of temper, impulsive anxiety in much of what she's done since. Either by design or happenstance, the wanderer in the white gi is already present in the park where Kasugano and Shingo head, a patiently medatative air to his stance, though for all appearances, he is doing just that... Standing there, waiting. Being that it is a park. The teen couple aren't the only ones there. Frolicking on the slides and swings are kids who are also enjoying their freedom from their scholastic obligations. Their parents mingling on the side at various benches keeping an eye on their young ones every so often. Even though the kids are still mostly young they have been around long enough to know when two or more people are about to fight. They don't pick up on it right away though. At least not all of them. One or two of the more observant ones watch for now to see what happens, only calling their closest buddies to see. He shrugs at the girl, "Guess so." He says nothing of his own still missing gloves of course. "Eheheheh. Uhhhh, I have no recollection of the event in question," comes the nervous reply complete with blushing not knowing that she really didn't see him looking. Tossing a look back to one of the kids he calls out with a smile, "Hey kid! Watch our stuff for us, okay?" A nod is the response to Shingo. Cool. Turning back to Sakura he raises his hands into that signature Kusanagi-ryu way after adjusting his wristbands and smiles, "Ready when you are, Sakura-chan." The presence of Ryu isn't noted yet. The explanation being that he has his back turned to the Ansatsuken master. Yeah, that's it. COMBATSYS: Shingo has started a fight here. So Ryu's been stalking her, is that it? IS IT? Uh... well, not really. The point is, Sakura's only been partially motivated to train -- though it's not... -all- her fault, really. Whenever she trains at the house, her parents see fit to interrupt her training with stuff like 'getting ready for dinner' and such. And she was explicitly told to -not- train at the dojo if no one was going to be there. And that implies not -going- to the dojo until she gets word from the wanderer -- rather, staying in public where there's plenty of witnesses. And... yeah. That's why Sakura didn't see Ryu -- can't see the forest for the trees, or something, right? Eh-heh... So, really, once Shingo says 'ready', the prodigy decides she can go ahead and start what she's been trying to for the past few minutes -- the fight, of course! She starts off by dashing into a leap, hurling herself into a hard left hook at his side while her skirt and headband struggle to keep up. It's only afterwards that she notices the red headband of her master, though... but by that point, the fight's already begun! "Sens--" COMBATSYS: Sakura has joined the fight here. [\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////] Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Shingo COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Shingo with Medium Punch. Looks like her awareness of chi has been slipping, too! Ryu certainly was doing nothing to hide himself, though the girl's absence of notice is telling in and of itself. Maybe Mr. Yabuki is just too much distraction... For the moment, Ryu simply watches the pair, his expression an unreadably neutral set of analytical consideration. That they seem inclined to just begin brawling, well, he's not surprised by that, but neither is it quite what he's here to watch. Unfolding his powerful arms from their position across his chest, the Ansatsuken master walks forward at a steady clip, approaching Shingo and Sakura about the time Kasugano decides to notice he's there at all. A simple nod is Ryu's acknowledgement of her half-uttered honorific, dark eyes trailing between the pair, "Shopping takes priority over training, now?" He asks, tone somewhere between joking and dead serious, to a degree that it may be hard to tell which he intended, his eyes drifting to the parcel that was recently set aside, with a slow shake of his head. Maybe if Sakura told her parents that she'd be training with the great Dan Hibiki they'd be more inclined to allowing their daughter go train at the dojo. It may not be the dojo she had in mind but at least it's a dojo! And so the girl makes the first move this fight. The more intuitive of the kids start rousing more of a scene for the others to come over now as their little faces peer from the jungle gym and the fence surrounding the playground for their safety. The parents of course are still blissfully unaware. There's just so much gossiping to be done. Shingo sees the oncoming punch of Sakura's. That much is certain. How he doesn't manage to step out of the way is due to a variety of reasons. The first one being when his sparring partner begins to say the word sensei. That could only mean to the boy that Ryu is around. A blink is all that's needed from the momentary distraction that 'shotokan' is watching their match. Something he wasn't expecting at all today. He flickers his attention off of Sakura to look around for where the wanderer could be and gets nailed right in the side. It's not all that powerful given the size difference between the two coupled with the fact that Shingo is known to take hits like drunk in a bar. It does serve of reminding him that he is in a fight here. So he drops down to a crouch after receiving the punch and swings out a leg to sweep out the girl's own feet out from under her to capitalize on her slight shift of balance from executing her swing. Just so happens that his timing is exactly when Ryu deems it fit to make his crictical remark. [\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Shingo COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Strong Kick from Shingo with Sakura Strangle. [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Shingo Busted! Sakura has her reasons, but they're mostly related to the fact that the Kasugano family had gone without a daughter for a month -- and they were making up for lost time! This is pretty much the -only- time she and Shingo have had to spend together and just... horse around... and now she finds her master here all of a sudden? For shame! Still -- it's something of a testament to the Ansatsuken student's prodigal potential that she manages to get partially out of the way of Shingo's kick -- well. Not =totally= out of the way, considering her distraction, but enough to step towards him, ever so slightly weakening the lever action of his forceful kick. Not that she doesn't yelp with pain in the process, but her instincts are already kicking in -- as she continues stepping forward, hooking her elbow around Shingo's neck and pulling it tight. Grimacing a bit at her own partially subconscious tactic, she tugs her grip sharply about Shingo's neck for a moment as she regards Ryu. "Eh... uh... well, no! I needed a dress, that's all! And we're training, see! It's..." By this point, she can sense that the stronger boy's close to escaping the schoolgirl's armlock-prison, and delivers a quick chop to his shoulder as a parting blow before hopping to relative safety. "Mom keeps distracting me at home, and you told me not to practice at the dojo!" she adds, jogging a few steps back for when Shingo decides to come back at her. She passes a brief glance over to Ryu -- even throwing in a bright (if overcompensatingly so) smile at him. "How's Strolheim been these past few, huh?" But she's cautious not to keep her gaze off Shingo for long -- she hadn't called break, so it's still fight-on! Well, it looks like Kasugano's reflexes haven't gone entirely to pot. And she's quite a bit more capable under a bit of distraction than she had been a few months, which is good to see. He's really only half-serious, he's aware that she's been keeping up on her training, if not with the same vigor that he insists upon, but that's not really that big of an issue to him, at this point. He's aware that she has family and social lives to look after, and doesn't really begrudge her that, even if he does feel like giving her a bit of a hard time for it, "One more reason the outskirts make for a good area to lose oneself in training." Ryu replies simply, his warnings unrecanted, "Strolheim was quite interesting, a lot to learn about fighting, and fighters." It's a fairly obscure reply, but then, Ryu's not the most forthcoming of people, particularly in mixed company. Also, his player doesn't know how everything turned out yet. He does take a step forward and hold up a hand to forestall Shingo, however, "I'm glad to see you two have been honing your skills this way..." He offers sincerely, without the same half-testing tone that had dominated his initial arrival, "But I came here to train as well, and it's only right that I should guage your progress over the past few weeks, hmm?" He smiles slightly at that, asserting himself more fully between the pair of sparring teens, "Unless you two aren't up for the challenge?" He inquires, a dark brow arching as his deep brown eyes turn from Kasugano to Yabuki, and back. Fight on you say? Very well. Shingo urks in surprise more than the actual technique itself. Being strangled is also not something unknown to him in fights. He has gotten around dealing with different ways people fight and all. He reaches for the arm to break the lock around his neck and to get the schoolgirl off him. Funny as that sounds. However, Sakura feels his motions and decides to expedite the process by releasing her grip of her own volition. Yay for him. Not so yay when leaves him the parting gift of a sharp karate chop to his body. And if she thinks she's gonna get away that easily from him with her cute little hopping. She is sorely mistaken. That is until Ryu makes his presence more felt by stepping in between the two. Out of respect for his girlfriend and her master more than anything else, Shingo complies by holding off on his follow-up attack. His stance straightens up and he bows to the man, "It would be an honour for you to join us, Mr. Ryu." If word got out that Shingo turned down the request of the World Warrior, he doubt he would hear the end of it. Or so he figures in his mind. Just who he wouldn't hear the end of it from is still up to debate. Not that it matters. Plus, it is intriguing to see how he would fare against the 'legendary' fighter. That and he would rather fight -with- Sakura than -against- her. COMBATSYS: Shingo takes no action. COMBATSYS: Ryu has joined the fight here on the right meter side. [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////] Sakura 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 0/-------/---====| Sakura really has every -reason- to be defensive, with the threat of possible counterattack from her boyfriend still imminent. Though, mercifully, he doesn't choose to press that counterattack, letting her and Ryu exchange words for a bit. It kinda explains the edge in her voice, as well as the slight rephrasing of her straying from the outskirts he'd mentioned. "Yeah, well... dunno if you'd heard, but Bison's beating us stupid here in town, too..." Well, she's apt to repeat herself, as adrenaline has already begun the process of converting dexterity from a verbal form into a physical one. Smirking a bit at Shingo's willing acceptance of the sudden change in terms, Sakura shrugs a bit. "Well, you're no Geese Howard, but I guess you'll do as a partner, Shingo..." She =did= want to address the last fight she'd had with Ryu -- but words can come later! Flashing Shingo a quick wink and a light snicker to make sure her words are taken as a joke, she coils her hands at her side, swirling a rapidly-growing ball of blue energy in her palms. An orb which she then hurls at Ryu -- a slight change in targets, but it's still training, right? "HADOOOOOUKEN!" COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Sakura's Small Hadouken. [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////] Sakura 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 0/-------/---====| There'd be no end of people capable of giving Shingo grief in that case, right? Either way, that's not Ryu's intention here, or at least... not /that/ sort of grief. With Yabuki's assent, the Ansatsuken master's stance drifts towards combat-ready, distracted only by Kasugano's words. Bison? Beating on them? That's not good news, and it brings a frown to the World Warrior's face. Mike was supposed to be steering clear of himself and Sakura, and if that's not the case, well... There are many things that need reassessment. Then again, it's another thing he's not sure he wants to get into in front of Shingo. That, and he suddenly finds a familiar chi-ball hurtling his way. With a quick, reflexive motion, the World Warrior backpedals and half-hops, contorting his midsection out of the quick-moving fireball's path, and out of immediate danger. He doesn't seem put off by the sudden attack, in fact... it serves to lighten his mood a bit once more, his own hands dropping to his sides as he faces Sakura, a sudden torrent of blue-white chi growing to voluminous mass in the blink of an eye between his cradling palms, "Not bad. Here's one for you..." Ryu returns the favor, sweeping his arms forward to launch the energy-trailing, gusting ball of powerful chi in for his student, its launch from his outstretched palms accompanied by a fierce call of, "Hadooouken!" Hrm. It's Shingo's turn up at bat. He hehs himself at Sakura's joke at his expense and he replies, "And I'm thankful for that every day!" The telltale glow around his former opponent's hands alerts him to the inevitable chi projectile that's soon to follow. And much like Ryu he gets to moving even though the attack isn't for him. This time. He bends his knees to weave to the side of the new challenger into this sparring match. The reason being that the young Yabuki wouldn't feel right outright coming at Ryu from the back just as he entered the scene. Perhaps later on. So when the Ansatsuken master retaliates with his own hadouken to answer Sakura's, Shingo still low from his manuever places a finger to maintain his balance and pushes up into a jump. His legs swinging up in a double front kick at the more experienced fighter. COMBATSYS: Sakura endures Ryu's Hadouken! [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 0/-------/---====| Well... at least she's given Ryu something to think about. She'd... actually started to forget just how -quick- the master's fireballs really are though -- experiencing it first-hand tends to be a quick wake-up call. She knows it's quicker than anything she could muster, so rather than try to churn out another fireball -- still twitchy from the expenditure of her last -- she channels her energy in a different sense. All she can manage is a small burst of light from her palms, but she's hoping its enough to dull the pain of the concussive blast long enough for her to run through it. And, it seems like she's at least partially successful in that since she's able to plow through by gritting her teeth. No screaming in front of the master, though. Why would she wanna do a dumb thing like close in on him, though? Well, simple -- because she wants to reach out and kick someone! Specifically, her master, and she's targeting his head. The fact that her grey skirt isn't doing much to preserve her modesty in the face of the onlooking kids and their parents -- besides, she's already setting a horrible example for them by wheeling an overhead kick at some guy's head, right? "Hriii-HAAA!" COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Shingo's Oboroguruma Mikansei. COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Sakura's Flower Kick. [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 0/-------/---====| Shingo's weaving flanking maneuver is noted, Ryu's attention divided between the pair at least on the periphery of his vision, focusing on neither to the exclusion of the other combatant... And so he's in motion as Yabuki leaps up, the double-kick whiffing past his face as he backsteps and twists, bringing his body out of the path of Shingo's advance, at least for the moment, and directly into Sakura's. The swinging high-kick meets a horizontally-aligned forearm as the World Warrior lifts a practiced guard into place, pushing Kasugano's kicking leg off to the side and deflecting it away from more tender areas with a quick motion of his powerfully corded arm. His eyes lock on Sakura's for only a moment, as Ryu is still moving with the momentum of his forceful block, twisting to face Shingo full-on once more and responding wit ha simple, but undeniably effective maneuver, his right fist snapping out in a triphammer straight aligned with the descending Yabuki's chest. Ryu, for his part, doesn't seem intimidated in the least by the prospect of keeping the two-on-one fight in close-quarters. COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Shingo with Medium Punch. [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 1/-------/=======| Whoa. A double miss from both of his kicks. Although it's not entirely unexpected against the veteran. But Shingo was at least hoping that his tactic would've divereted Ryu's attention long enough for Sakura's kick to land. Guess he underestimated Ryu's skill slightly. Either that or he is very positive on the outcome of this friendly fight. So what if Ryu manages to manipulate his position in a way that after blocking Sakura's move he is able to situate himself to launch a well-timed counter-offensive at the boy's torso before he can fully recover from his previous Twilight Wheel technique. The blow knocking him out of the air faster than he would've on his own. A rollout ensures that he doesn't take additional injury from falling the wrong way. Shingo's strategy for this match is to do his best to keep Ryu in between him and Sakura. Hopefully to make keeping track of the two teens not as easy it would've been had they both kept up with a frontal attack. With this repositioning he gets in closer than before. Ryu wants to keep it close-quarters, then Shingo is more than happy to accomodate. He grabs the man's gi. With a sharp twist pull of his torso and a drop of his hips to bring his centre of gravity below Ryu's he aims to put the man into a overhead shoulder throw into the grass. Dropping to his knees to hasten the downward motion of the body should he succeed. "KIAI!" Wh...what? Sakura's wondering just why she got a suddenly intense look from her master -- did she screw up somehow? Is she really -that- far out of practice? Or maybe he's just hypnotized by the bright-eyed schoolgirl's charm. ... Yeah, which one of these isn't like the others? As her foot is knocked aside, the Taiyo schoolgirl stays close, keeping a watchful eye on what takes place next. She -was- going to jump in closer in an attempt to land a quick throw on her otherwise distracted master, but as soon as Shingo clutches tight -- well, maybe it'd be better to keep her distance. Hopping backwards, she keeps her hands in front of her in anticipation of a quick counter-attack by Ryu -- but on the whole, does a quick run-through in her mind of what she'll do as soon as she spies an opening... COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action. COMBATSYS: Ryu fails to interrupt Issetsu Seoi Nage Fukanzen from Shingo with Seoi Nage. - Power hit! - [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 1/------=/=======| Shingo is up a bit quicker than Ryu had anticipated, but it doesn't stop him from trying to deal with the boy's renewed assault. As Yabuki's hands clasp on his gi, the World Warrior returns the favor, both of his own seeking to find purchase on Shingo's chest in return. A heave from his arms is a moment off, however, his timing falling prey to the sudden drop and change of leverage Yabuki executes, and Ryu is hurled up and over, slamming into the grass. Similarly to Shingo, however, the Ansatsuken master rolls with the momentum, and despite the hearty impact, he's back on his feet in a moment, fists hovering before him in a ready guard, a respectful nod sent to Shingo. The intense look in Ryu's eyes is undimmed as he considers the younger warrior, but then... That's often the case when the young champion is in battle. The satisfying feel of the World Warrior being tugged off his feet and through the air to finally impact with the grass is the first of many moral victories this match for Shingo. There was no doubt in his mind that he would catch Ryu off-guard by switching from a strike to a grapple. Much like how there was no doubt that the master wasn't going to make it easy for the boy. But either through luck, conviction, skill, or a combination of all of the mentioned Shingo wins out in the throwing contest. He isn't done there, though. His grip relaxes on the gi once the toss is executed and Shingo sprints zig-zag at Ryu not letting down on the attack at all. Let Ryu focus on him. Maybe he'll forget that Sakura is involved as well and she'll get that opening she's looking for. When Shingo is about to zig again he kicks up instead of remaining on the ground and angles his body at Ryu's torso, "SHINGO KIIIIICKU!" His body spiralling through the air to complete with a downward swing of his leg. Sakura cracks a smile once her boyfriend manages to get a good toss in on Ryu -- thus validating her decision to get the heck out of the way and let him execute it. "Nice one, Shingo..." she comments -- though she's already gathering energy for an attack of her own. Just as before, her hands are coiled at her side, nestling a growing ball of cerulean energies there. Spending a bit more time to craft a more perfect projectile, meshing the fibers of chi together into a densely packed orb. Chestnut brown eyes train on Ryu, a faint smirk crossing the schoolgirl's lips, instants before they part and loose a cry of "HADOOOOOUKEN!" Sakura slings both hands forward, guiding the sleek, aerodynamic missile to its target -- fervently hoping that Shingo doesn't end up becoming that target. COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Shingo's Shingo Kick. COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Sakura's Medium Hadouken. [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 1/------=/=======| Just because he took a spill doesn't mean Ryu got up more vulnerable... He can sense the energy Kasugano is gathering as surely as he sees Shingo rushing him, trying to disorient his instincts with the darting motions of his step... But the World Warrior isn't buying it, and as Yabuki launches up in at him, Ryu twists away, planting his right foot behind him as Shingo passes before him, the World Warrior's second foot coming back to steady himself with scant instants left to get himself out of the way of Sakura's more potent Hadouken... And that's just what he does, legs bending slightly as he propells himself up and over the chi-ball, arcing in a graceful path across the expanse seperating himself from Sakura, his descent led by a right fist, which cocks back at his side and extends with sudden force at the side of Kasugano's head at the last moment, carrying the force of both arm and the World Warrior's weight behind it, and focused with a forceful, "Haaaaah!!!" Darn. Shingo's well-meaning intentions of kicking Ryu in the face are cut short by the warrior getting out of the way of the boy's signature move. The teen blinks in genuine surprise. Huh? His special move missed the intended target? Curse you Ryu! Stand still! You're not supposed to dodge a technique so awesome as the Shingo Kick! Yabuki lands on his feet and back in continuous motion. He intends to show the older Ansatsuken fighter just exactly what it is that he has got first-hand. He may not have to. But this is also for him to see how he can fare and to get an approximation of the other fighter's talents. The Kusanagi apprentice approaches from Ryu's rear just as the punch is launched at Sakura. "Hey Mister Ryuuuu! I'm still here too, you know!" The distance is closed quickly to Sakura's master and Shingo making use of his taller height lifts one hand high overhead. And with a sudden motion he brings his arm crashing down, elbow first, towards the upper back of the older man, "Gecchu!" Normally a counter against others, the Moon Elbow this time is used as an attack. First time for everything. But anyways, dodge this Ryu. COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Sakura with Fierce Punch. [ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ] Sakura 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 1/------=/=======| Out of all the evasions Sakura may have expected Ryu to whip out, leaping over her fireball in such graceful form was -not- among them. her hands still extended from the cast fireball, Kasugano glances up just in time to find Ryu's fist swinging down at her head. Ear thusly boxed, Sakura flies off to the side, topspinning for two complete turns before landing face-first in the grass. But at least she catches herself with her hands and springs back to her feet, shaking her head dizzily afterwards. "M...man..." she stammers, staggering around woozily for a moment. Squinting her eyes at Ryu, she then realizes her boyfriend's throwing up more cover fire -- and is once more grateful at the way he seems to be helping sandwich Ryu between them. Perfect chance for her to take two long strides close, unloading an elbow at his ribcage. "SHIN!" Afterwards, though, she kneels -- and then sharply uncoils herself upwards, spiralling an uppercut towards her sensei with a cry of his own move -- "SHOOOOOOOORYUUUUKEN!" No need for stepping forward with this series of direct blows -- she's trying to show that she -has- been practicing, despite the scene he may have come in on! COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Shingo's Tsuki Hiji. COMBATSYS: Ryu just-defends Sakura's Midare Zakura! [ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 1/------=/=======| Uhoh. Incoming elbow sandwich. Needless to say, it behooves Ryu /not/ to be between the pair of marauding teens, and so he does indeed dodge Shingo's elbow, a deft sidestep carrying the World Warrior out of Yabuki's path with a speed that seems almost uncanny, the approach noted with a simple glance over his shoulder, and leaving him perfectly aligned to meet Sakura's attack. Which Ryu does. Tossing up a palm, a strong arm absorbs the shock of that initial elbow, the infused chi in the girl's forceful motions seeming to course into that blocking appendage, rather than harming him in any way... Ryu seems invigorated, a quick half-step back bringing his face out of the path of her rising uppercut as his other hand darts forward to intercept and deflect the fist high, sending the schoolgirl sailing without tasting any of the pain inherent in that attack. But Ryu's up right after her, aiming to snag her before she fully descends, hands grabbing for her uniform front, and with a display of gravity-defying finesse... stall his own ascent, and descent dead for a quick twist of his shoulders intent on bringing Sakura around... and slamming her down before him. To say that Shingo isn't taking it well that Ryu is focusing more on the girlfriend than himself would be an understatement. Don't get him wrong. He knows it's mostly because of the teacher-student relationship between the two. It's simply that he doesn't want to feel left out. Not that he's jealous or anything. Really, he's not. Just because Ryu shows up out of nowhere and interrupts /their/ match means nothing. Honestly. Ok, maybe it means a little. But Shingo isn't going to let anyone know that. And surprise, surprise the Moon Elbow is indeed dodged. Such a slippery fighter that Ryu guy. Sakura performing the Shin Shoryuken? Sweet. That's bound to get her master's attention. Or so Shingo figures. But leave it to Ryu to spoil the mood by somehow absorbing the attack. Guess that's why he's the World Warrior. The boy isn't going to let that affect his decisions though. No, sir. But Ryu lifting the girl up and slamming her down does. "SHINGO KIIIIICKU!" Though he may be a bit too far to actually save Sakura from her fate, at least he can attempt to better her chances by striking out at Ryu while he's in mid-action. Shingo launches himself into the twisting kick again aiming for the back of his opponent's head. COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Sakura with Kuuchuu Seoi Nage. [ \\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ] Sakura 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Ryu [ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <| Shingo 1/------=/=======| Really, what choice does Sakura have in this matter? She's pretty much stuck in midair -- she can try to tuck herself into a roll, she could throw a kick at her master's face -- but really, none of those are viable when her attack missed in the way it did, leaving her vulnerable for the grab. Her pink scarf is the first to be caught in Ryu's grasp, though the rest is quick to follow as she's tossed head over heels into the playground equipment. Well, she's able to pull off a midair spin -now-, anyway, but that's just to avoid clobbering her head against stainless steel tubing -- she lets her body absorb that blow, flattening against the climbing lattice, much to the dismay of the four-year-olds watching with shock just a few feet beyond. Falling into the sandy play area, she drops to her knees, ribcage heaving as she pants for breath. She passes a quick glance to the kids and their parents, before turning back to Ryu, body wracked with a sudden spasm of pain. Shrugging it off, she holds up her hand as a sign of concession -- "... I'm sorry, sensei, I can't go on right now..." There's all kinds of reasons why, but she'd rather not go into them -- there's other things to worry about, like not throwing up from the dizzying acrobatics. COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action. COMBATSYS: Sakura has left the fight here. COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Shingo's Shingo Kick. Twisting in midair as Sakura is tossed free, Ryu lands ready for Shingo's attack, crossing his arms to deflect the boy's kicks off his hardened musculature, backstepping only a small pace to absorb more of the blow's impact. Despite the bruising force behind it, the World Warrior is phased little, twisting a half-turn to face Shingo sidelong, his closer right leg snapping up and out in a blurring side-thrust aimed to collide with Yabuki's jaw, once more as the younger warrior descends from his technique. Kasugano's choice to concede is heard, and accepted, but there's really no time to accept it with more than his actions, turning his attention to the boyfriend... At least, until and unless he takes the same out as the young champion's own student. COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Shingo with Medium Kick. [ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ] Shingo 1/=======/=======|======-\-------\0 Ryu The chances of which are not exactly in Ryu's favour. Shingo watches his girlfriend go down and resolves that he will give it his all and continue for the rest of the fight. If only for the principal. Yeah he'd rather end the fight now and check on her. But he knows she'll be all right. Had this been more serious, his choice would be different altogether. His eyes flicker to her fallen form and back to her master. He's in on this on his own now. At least physically. Taking a deep breath to stay cool, Shingo hehs to Ryu, "I have to admit that you're pretty good, Mister Ryu. Just a shame we couldn't be more of a challenge." The offense is resumed. Charging in faster than all his previous attempts, Shingo shifts his body in such a way to come in at Ryu with a shoulder tackle. All his weight behind it. "YAAAAAAA!" COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Shingo's Ge Shiki - Kake Hourin. [ \\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ] Shingo 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Ryu That Yabuki decides to pursue the fight isn't surprising to Ryu... He can guess at the motivations, in addition to the boy's obvious spirit, and he's glad to oblige, even if this particular bout is only meant to test the pair's mettle, and progress. Whatever his conclusions on those fronts might be, his attention to the fight itself is unwavering, dark eyes steady on Shingo as he charges. Just as the boy's shoulder comes in, the World Warrior drops back, shifting his weight to forge a somewhat haphazard backwards hop, more instinct than plan, as he sucks in his nonexistant gut and throws his upper body back out of the way of the rushing tackle, landing and backpedalling to match Yabuki's forward momentum. As the charge ends, however, Shingo will find himself once again dealing with the World Warrior's grasping hands, seeking to find purchase on his uniform. Should his grip prove successful, Ryu drops his weight back, dragging Yabuki to the ground with him, and as his back flattens against the grass, the World Warrior's right leg will shoot out, even with Shingo's ribcage, with the obvious intent of renewing the young warrior's momentum, and sending him airborne, on an angle to receive a rather harsh landing on the ground beyond. COMBATSYS: Shingo dodges Ryu's Tomoe Nage. [ \\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ] Shingo 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Ryu The shoulder tackle failing at the desired effect of connecting with Ryu doesn't cause Shingo to waver in any manner or fashion. What with the way this match has been going with Ryu dodging and deflecting almost everything sent his way. The resulting grab of his school uniform by the man, however, wasn't anticipated. He was half-expecting another strike. But seeing at how Ryu got Sakura out of the match he should've figured. The initial surprise of being gripped is only for a brief instant as the boy flies through the air. The harsh impact Ryu was aiming for never coming. Shingo intent of not goind down easy finds it in himself to pull off one of those twisting motions that the man has been pulling off all fight and lands on his feet facing Ryu. The second his feet touch the ground he springs forward swinging his fist in a right hook of Kusanagi-ryu. The taunt that normally accompanies it withheld. The boy still has respect for Ryu after all. COMBATSYS: Shingo successfully hits Ryu with Aragami Mikansei. - Power hit! - [ \\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ] Shingo 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Ryu Well now, evading the throw would have been one thing, but Shingo manages to turn it to his advantage, if anything. By the time the World Warrior is back to his feet, he's got a charging fighter to deal with from a whole different angle, a lot faster than one would expect after that throw. As such, it's all the World Warrior can do to throw an arm up in the way of Yabuki's right hook, but it's slightly misjudged, and the fist careens right past and into Ryu nonetheless, sending him staggering back, a wince painted clearly on his rough-hewn features. He doesn't waste time or attention on the pain, however, dropping back into a crouch that looks, at first, like one he was forced into... But nothing could be further from the truth, which is readily apparent as the Ansatsuken wanderer veritably launches out of it and forward, a short jump bringing his entire body around during the brief ascent, his right leg snapping out before him as his entire form levels off and flies powerfully and quickly in at Yabuki, a fiercely gusting wind rushing beneath him as his gravity-defying approach continues, his frame twirling in midair again and again, that outstretched leg roundhousing with rotorblade fury, level with Shingo's skull, "Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku!!!" COMBATSYS: Shingo counters Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku from Ryu with Tsuki Hiji. [ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ] Shingo 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Ryu There were a lot of things that bugged Benimaru.. However it's been a lucky streak today for the blonde model, there wasn't anything that bugged him at all today, he had a day off, had a nice lunch with a woman.. Er, who's name eluded him at the moment, and well, it's just been a darn good day. And now it was time to head down to the night club to play a little pool to finish off the day. Cutting through Chinatown however, puts a slight obstacle in his route, eyebrows lifting to catch sight of Shingo in a heated, no holds barred battle with Ryu. "Oh god," why'd it have to be him? Curious to see what the outcome would be, he slips his hands into his pockets, watching quietly for now. The young fighter fights with renewed vigor. Maybe Sakura being removed from the fight was a good thing after all. For his burning spirit is getting him through further than most others would've expected. First he pulls off a dodge against all odds and then his Wild Bite connects solidly with Ryu's body. His performance so well done that it even prompts the World Warrior into executing the dreaded Hurricane Kick. The combination of wind guts and barrage of oncoming roundhouse kicks looking intimidating even to Shingo. From sparring with Sakura many times before he has experienced her version of it. But as far as to the genuine article...this would have to be his first. Yabuki isn't exactly sure what to do, but he just does something. Holding his ground he holds up an forearm to block the fury and watch the timing of the kicks. And when it seems to him that he has his opening, he acts. A leg sharply rising up to knock Ryu out of his technique right in the midst of one of the spin kicks. The boy can't help but grin with glee as he watches for the next attack. An impressive feat indeed, Ryu can do little as one of his mightiest techniques is negated and used against him, and he crashes back to the ground. The World Warrior doesn't stay there, however, instead rolling with the momentum and bringing his palms to the ground behind him, vaulting into a quick flip that brings him back to his feet in short order, chest heaving with exertion as he faces Shingo... And draws upon a rather potent technique that's sure to draw the boy's eye, and perhaps his envy. Between cradling palms, the World Warrior summons forth a sudden and tremendous rush of raw flame, the fire-imbued chi swirling together and building in both heat and ferocity, the multifaceted conflaguration rapidly building its power before the young champion sweeps his arms forward, shoving the superheated wave forward and releasing it as the heels of his hands come together before him, "Hadoooouken!!!" Ryu incants as the napalmy ball of flaming wrath hurtles forward for Shingo, charring the tips of the grass and flash-searing the ground along its breakneck path. COMBATSYS: Shingo dodges Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadouken. [ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ] Shingo 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Ryu Oh and Shingo has so been hoping to make it through without having to deal with those pesky chi projectiles. Damn those things. These Ansatsuken people thinking they're so cool with their blue energy balls fired from their hands and everything. Wait a minute. This one isn't blue. It's red! Something's not right here. Shingo has seen enough hadoukens to know that they're not normally that colour. This could mean that being hit by this particular variety emitted by Ryu would definitely be more painful than the regular blue kind. If only the boy could shoot flame. Then he'd be able to shut down all these projectile wielding punks. Not that Ryu is a punk or anything. Deciding that he'd rather not see just how much more painful it'd be, Shingo dives off to the side allowing the hadouken to instead hit the tree behind him. The searing heat from the ball clearly felt as it passes by and scorches the bark of the tree, splitting it in two horizontally. oO(Is that fire?!)Oo "That's a neat trick, Mister Ryu!" Shingo makes a note that as soon as he learns to shoot flame from Kyo to talk to Ryu about learning how to channel it into a hadouken like that. There's no time to think about that now. He's got a match to finish. Leaping to his feet after the roll he dashes forward to come at Ryu with a rising spinning elbow clothesline, "Oriyaaaaa!" This move may look familiar to the World Warrior. If lacking flames. COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Shingo's Oniyaki Mikansei. A neat trick that has little usefulness today, it seems! Shingo has definitely found his footing, and he's managing to stay a step ahead of Ryu's attempts to finish off the last of the boy's fight... But that's not going to frustrate the World Warrior, it merely encourages him to try that much harder. Standing his ground as Yabuki charges, there's an odd spike in Ryu's energy, an arcing rush of what looks like electrical current rushing down his arms as he drops back from the young warrior's rising elbow, stepping back several times in quick succession, more than safely out of range of the attack... Which is also part of the plan, as the World Warrior's hands come together, the void between them suddenly filled with that wildly coruscating current, the blue-white of his chi leaning more towards blinding white just now, touched by the other hues as the sphere of coursing energy grows greater and greater between splayed fingertips, bolting down his muscular arms and surging from his hands, "Denjiiiiiiin...." Ryu intones, pushing more and more power into the sphere, and subsequently hurtling it forward at Shingo's point of landing, the taser++ blasting through the air and crackling with all the speed and power of its natural inspiration, "Hadooooouken!!!!" COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Shingo with Denjin Hadouken. [ < > /////////////// ] Shingo 2/<<<<<<