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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 5, 2008 5:46:58 GMT 1
"Seriously, Kaz, why are you so intent on this? You won that tournament, isn't that enough for you?"
"Oh, come on. You're making it sound like I'm taking this enormous risk or something! I'm feeling perfectly fine, and you all know it."
"Fine!? You could barely move around for two days after the damned thing, how do you call THAT fine?"
"I could 'barely move' because I was physically exhausted. The last fight wasn't a one-on-one, remember? Add to that fighting three fights in a row, it'll drain anyone. Oh, and my leg was sore from one of the hits I scored. Really, I'm alright. I just needed a little time to recharge the batteries, is all."
"Dammit, you're impossible, y'know that?"
Waving it off, he pushed off the balcony railing and turned back into the kitchen, walking to the fridge and pulling one of the water bottles that lined the inner shelf out. Snapping the seal with a twist, he padded back out onto the open ledge and stood for a few more minutes in partial silence. The cool air was nice, filling his lungs with a general sense of well-being that made him think it would be a good day.
The afternoon probably wouldn't be too shoddy either, assuming Tyler held up to the offer Kazuki had made to him earlier in the day. After winning the tournament, a mild curiosity had dawned that, whilst having won it (not least under rather straining circumstances in comparison to most), the previous champion had opted not to compete. Now, there was no sense of a hollow defeat for the Asian, not in the slightest. Beating Adam in a final, even with the third party presence of the other kid Nathan, had its own merits. Still, part of him had wondered how it would have turned out had Tyler opted in to the event.
'Considering that after the first time I fought him he improved on a steep curve, it could be a pretty even match. I guess we'll find out soon, though.'
Smirking, he tipped back some of the water and leaned onto the railing, sighing softly to himself.
"Are you even listening to me anymore?"
"Rene, we've been over this. I'm not allowed to get into situations where I can over-exert myself and risk getting put back into hospital. I got that. Fact is, after that tournament and the fact I'm fine now, do you not agree that a friendly match with Tyler, someone we both know and trust, is rather low down on the risk scale? Hell, if by some -flukish- chance I do end up hurt, I'll be in as good hands as any there."
"....I still think it's a stupid idea."
"Yeah, that's what I said to the doctor when he told me to quit drinking, but I still had to go along with it."
With that, she stifled a short laugh under her breath and shook her head, turning to glance at him more fully, "Listen, I know you're adamant that you've gotten back to health and you're back to the strength you had back in Varron somehow, but I'm still skeptical. More than anything, I'm just worried. Both for you AND Kira. I don't want to see you get hurt, and end up hurting her by doing that."
He nodded briefly, lightly tapping the base of the bottle against the metal railing.
"I'm not going to let that happen, nobody should know that more than you."
This time there was no comeback, no 'last word', just an agreeing nod. Glancing at his watch, he exclaimed briefly at the time and swigged another mouthful of the bottle.
"I'm going to get moving, time's ticking."
As he said it, he'd turned to go back into the apartment and passed through the kitchen quickly enough. Placing down the water bottle, he gathered up the few things he'd need to take with him, keys and the like, and stuffed them into the pocket of a loose jacket, slinging it over his shoulder for now. His shirt and pants would prove suitably warm until he got out of the car.
"Be careful, alright?"
"Hadn't planned on anything overtly risky, but sure?"
Smiling, he picked up the water bottle as he went to turn back.
"Hey, Kaz?"
Turning back over his shoulder, he met eyes with her again, "Yeah?"
"You'd better win."
Snorting at the comment, he shook his head with a grin on his face as he made his way out and down to the parking lot. Nonetheless, she had a point. He had no intention of chancing defeat, considering the stake on it. Whoever won it could consider themself the actual champion, for all it would be worth. Ego points, he supposed.
Shortly Later
He'd parked about five minutes ago and now stood, idly, leaning against the hood in silence, the sounds of the wind in the air muted out by the occasional car that drove by, and with each one he gave only the barest of glances. He knew exactly what Tyler would be driving, and watched for it. Sure enough, as he'd hoped, the Merc showed up a few minutes later and pulled up near the Mustang. When its driver emerged, there was a genuinely warm smile towards him as he pushed off the hood and turned to face Tyler.
"Good to see you. Wasn't entirely sure when you'd show up."
Grinning, he outstretched a hand to him.
"How have you been?"
Waiting for the response, he gave a short glance over the younger males shoulders at their surroundings. Appropriate for the circumstance, really. Somewhat out of the way, not too likely to garner attention from the public. The warehouses around it were almost all deserted, not least the one for the parking lot they were in. The waterfront was quiet at this time in the afternoon, and they would not see any real disturbance for their...meeting.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 5, 2008 6:25:36 GMT 1
(OOC: This is why we had you write the opener, so I don't have to write much back Today was a day that wasn't too much out of the ordinary. Kyukaku was relatively relaxed, the only thing nagging at him being the idea that he should be more worried than he is about the several people wanting him beaten down. Today, however, did differ in the fact that he had gotten a phone call from Kazuki, Taiku, Kazuki...jeez, the guy should make up his mind already. The call was the request of a match, something about catching up on old times and seeing how he's come along. It was funny, to most people here Kyukaku was a figurehead, for better or worse. Most people either looked up to him, or spited him. With Kazuki it was different. It seemed he somewhat looked down at him, though not to say it in a negative tone. The closest comparision would be like he was a little brother. Hell, he's gotten beaten up by him, as well as given a hand-me-down. Not to mention, that hand me down was a couple hundred thousand dollar mercedes. It was this unique relationship that made things different than it did with all his other friends. With Adam it was a constant battle of rivalry, though that part seems to have shifted towards Kazuki rather than himself these days. With Dain and Leon it had always been about comraderie on the same level. With Kazuki, Kyu always felt he had something to prove. It was for this reason that he now stepped out of his car, and gripped his friends hand for a shake. "Fashionably late is still in season isn't it?" Kyukaku retorted, with a smirk. "Most people have ups and downs, but with me its usually just downs. I'd ask how well you're feeling, but from what I hear you're well enough to knock Adam's ass out."
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 6, 2008 20:36:30 GMT 1
Returning a brief grin at the younger male, he gave a short nod as he shook the hand.
"It's a timeless classic, I suppose."
At the note of Tylers less than good fortune of late, however subtle the remark was, he quirked an eyebrow at it before responding.
"Well, I'd say that's a good gauge of how I am, though if I'm honest, it was slightly by chance. Believe it or not, I was aiming for the other guy. Still, I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth, a win's still a win, and it'll spur him on for our next match."
Grinning shortly at the thought, it faded a moment later as he took a slightly more serious tone, leaning back to sit against the hood of the Mustang and folding his arms over his chest slowly, "So, spill. What's been getting to you?"
It was a simple remark to make, and part of him would always feel like somewhat of a guardian to some of the students, not least someone like Tyler, who he'd taken a shine to in previous years. Their first -and to date, only- encounter against each other had been in the original Edge League, a match that Kazuki had won somewhat decisively. The reason for this wasn't just to see who would be the 'actual' champion, but to see just how much the younger fighter had improved over the last couple of years. When that began, he wanted to know that Tyler wouldn't be worrying about other things, instead focusing only on the match at hand. Of course, he would also try to offer any assistance necessary, even if it was just a few helpful words.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 8, 2008 23:32:48 GMT 1
Kyukaku smiled at the explanation, regretting that he hadn't gone to the match. It would have been a hell of one to see, he was sure. The smile would fade along with Kazuki's as the question was asked. Kyu sighed as he sat down on the hood of his own car in juxtapostion to one of his mentors. He took a moment to think, raising his head once he had formed some sort of answer.
"You know how it is, its never just one thing. I should be feeling pretty good right now: I'm School Captain, so I'm in charge. I won the last tourney before you, so I've got a reputation to divert most trouble away from my title. No one's currently trying to kill me, so that's a plus."
Kyukaku said, adding in his own usual humor to distract from the real topic at hand. His smile would fade as he took another deep breath, knowing that Kaz would see right through him once again.
"There's Seth Calloway breathing down my neck, which aggravates me to no ends, but he hasn't done anything to actually justify me punching him in the face. I'm sure you've heard Shuya is the new Principal along with that other chick, and that causes problems. Our relationship is...complex at best. He helped me back in the pen as you remember, and I still owe him one somewhere down the line. But he seems really fond of Seth, and I can forsee the knife in my back, not to mention the already clashing of ideals there..." Kyukaku paused, taking a moment before coming up with his own realization.
"Really...I guess its something else entirely that's got me giving the pouty lip. Everyone I know, is leaving, one way or another. What's left to protect? I don't discriminate in giving assistance, but hell. Dain's practically non-existent these days, Leon's off in DC, Audrey's gone back to New York...its just work now, helping who needs it. Hell the most personal endeavor I got going right now is helping..."
Kyukaku paused, remembering the promise that was thrown down, "...someone who probably doesn't care one way or another what happens to me. I just don't have my heart in it anymore."
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 9, 2008 23:37:55 GMT 1
"Hm...."
The brief exclamation was said under his breath and rather quietly even at that, and his eyes had dropped to the concrete underfoot as he studiously pored over it, taking in Tylers words in silence for the time being. He'd figured that the younger male would have been having some troubles, though noted mentally that no mention of Trent Davis was given. Either Tyler didn't know yet, or he didn't want to raise further alarm in either of them. It was well known that Trent and Kvist had been closely associated, and any thought of one would simply renew those of the other...As such, he ignored that for the moment.
"Far be me to be the 'old voice of reason', but look at it like this, I guess. You're all getting to the age where your own lives demand priority, and it strains friendships. No doubt about that, I assure you. Maverik? I haven't seen hide nor hair of him in months. Since Xian had their kid, he's been out of sight. Akira and Akamaru have both stepped down their own roads. It's crappy, I know, but taking a leaf from their books might be the best idea you can have."
Only now would he raise his head again as he continued, looking directly towards the school captain.
"Being the captain -does- mean you have responsibility for others as well, but from experience, if you forgo your own needs entirely, it only exacerbates the situation. You've gotta keep you right before you start keeping others right too."
That particular sagely exerpt aside, he would change the subject. A little more business-like in his words, he decided to voice his opinion on the matter of the Principals and Seth.
"Seth is an aggravation, I wholeheartedly agree with you on that, but as you said, right now he's just being an ass about things without actually creating a situation. Shuya? Well, as you said, he did help you out, but keep one eye very close on him when you can. I can't really say much more on him other than the fact he's almost as good as hiding his agenda as MacMillan was. The other Principal with him, on that note, is Victoria Alexander. She was the captain of Varron when I started there, and though her and I have a...tumultuous past, she's someone you can trust. When you have time, speak to her, explain that I sent you to her and tell her everything you've told me about the situation. Considering the pair of them share an office and work closely, she might, if nothing else, be able to keep you on a level field with some of what's going on."
Smiling faintly after that, he rolled his shoulders slowly and pushed himself off the hood of the car.
"But, we'll have plenty of time to talk later, for now, shall we work up a sweat? What do you say?"
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 11, 2008 21:02:30 GMT 1
"Yeah. It's not so much the growing up part. It's more of a...hell, I don't know. Your point is noted, though, thanks."
Kyukaku nodded sincerely, not exactly sure of how to better word anything he was feeling that he already had. He knew everyone grew up and grew apart, that was no surprise. It was just the fact that when that happened there grew spaces and voids, and what was there to fill them right now? Regardless, the second portion of Kazuki's advice would hit much closer to home, Kyukaku giving a deeper nod than he had before.
"Tumultuous, huh?" Kyukaku asked with a smirk, having little knowledge on most of Kazuki's past...endeavors.
"Well, that's good to know. Getting harder to know who you can trust these days. Yeah, I'll be sure to look her up, thanks."
Kyukaku nodded again, smiling. His smile would grow into a grin as Kazuki got back to the current subject. Kyu wouldn't lie, he certainly felt like he had a clearer mind at the least, after verbally sorting some things out with Kaz. Without responding, Kyukaku would slide off his hood and walk several feet behind their cars, gaining enough of a clearing. He'd gesture Kazuki to follow, though he probably already was. Kyukaku would get into his usual loose karate stance, left side forward with both hands half-clenched, left hand a foot out from his chest, with his right resting just below his jaw.
"Care to start us off, gramps?"
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 12, 2008 23:25:02 GMT 1
Shrugging somewhat at the remark, he left it at that. He would never profess to being a 'wise' man, but if he at least lightened the mental load on his friend somewhat, then he'd consider himself having accomplished his goal. At that, he would only smirk and raise an eyebrow at the surreptitious comment to his former relationship with Victoria.
"Yes, 'tumultuous'. That's all you need to know other than being able to trust her."
The grin hung there briefly at it before he was then spurred on by his former Legion ally. At the quip, he would drop the grin to a rather tight-lipped smirk, flicking an eyebrow up before shifting a little to accomodate his footwork. As always, he opened with no stance, his hands held barely at waist height and his feet leading only partially onto his right, and immediately he would shoot forward. The gap between them wouldn't be terribly large, and closing it swiftly at his pace would be childs play. Of course, one thing Kazuki had always remembered about the younger fighter was that he too was a fast mover, and though he had a couple of inches and maybe twenty pounds on the smaller Kazuki, it would be something to watch out for.
'Oh, you'll take that back soon enough, Tyler....'
Mentally, he grinned, genuinely excited for the friendly competition, and he made his opening attack. Typical, perhaps, but openers tended to be. Pointless to go in guns blazing against a fresh opponent. Weaving to his right at the last instant he approached, he would torque harshly on his right foot, causing his left to slide out in a slight turn behind him as he turned in towards Tyler and shot his right fist out in a tightly-fired hook to the younger males ribs, keeping his left arm held as a preparatory defence against what would likely be an inevitable counter.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 16, 2008 3:59:50 GMT 1
Though little had really been sorted out, Kyukaku had been given a few ideas and certainly had gotten alot off his chest. That would be good. Now Kyukaku could simply enjoy the fight at hand with a clear mind and no distractions. That meant Kyukaku wouldn't be holding back, well, holding back anymore than he usually did. While he still wasn't planning on killing the old man, he knew kazuki could take whatever was thrown at him, and Kyu certainly had an inclination to throw alot at him.
While Kyu certainly was fast in his own merit, there was no doubt about the gap between the two. To most eyes there wouldn't be much if any distinct difference between the level of their speeds, but with an eye like Kyu's, he certainly knew of it. Though he perceived the fist coming in, there wasn't much he could do to avoid it at their distance.
Kyukaku's left hand would pull in at the elbow, placing the arm at his ribs. The fist would strike his forearm and bicep, the muscle taking no damage from the attack as he shifted his hips to the right to ride the blow. Using his swaying motion to gain momentum like a pendulum, Kyukaku would snap back to the right. Keeping his right fist where it was, his right elbow would lift up having to do very little to quickly react with his own downward arc of an elbow strike, aiming to hit the lower left side of Kaz's face, even if he attempted a duck.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 23, 2008 18:12:16 GMT 1
ooc: Obviously, apologies for keeping you waiting. I'll be more punctual from here on out, promise. Also, you might like this teeny-tiny little twist, so long as my move doesn't bother you. ic: Shooting out the punch would be only the first step in a long fight, he knew this fully, and as the counter to his opening gambit began the elder of the pair allowed a tiny smirk to emerge onto his lips. The punch would be intercepted by Tylers arm dropping back, but it would still send the limb uncomfortably into his side somewhat. In turn, to the elbow that would be making its move for him, his already raised arm would need to do very little in terms of movement to block it from getting to his face. The notion of the connection of that elbow however made him pause, mentally, for a moment as he pondered something. Without concern, he stepped back and held a hand up to halt Tyler. "Wait...Technically I'm cheating just now, so give me a second." Knowing the remark would elicit a perplexed look from the younger of the pair, he didn't bother to explain and just 'did'. Pulling off the uncharacteristically baggy shirt he was wearing, the long sleeves concealing his arms along with the loose track pants covering his legs, his upper body would be revealed as adorned in what appeared to be a flak vest and arm-guards on both the upper and lower sections of the limbs. He'd been so accustomed to the training weights he'd been wearing --and adding weight to-- that it hadn't even dawned on him to remove them. Realistically, if he looked at it, the chance could occur that Tyler struck him on one of them and caused an unneccessary injury to himself. After all, as strong as they were, lead was still lead, and slamming your fist into it would hurt. Unstrapping the arm weights first, he tossed them down with a hearty 'thud' a few feet away. Each was sitting at around twenty pounds as before, but the addition of the upper arm weights had added to the original weight. Pulling off the 'vest', he gave a short grunt as he underhanded it over with the other weights. He'd conceded that when not training he didn't -need- it any higher than the fifty pounds he had used during his excursion a couple of months ago...This one was lighter, anyway, at thirty pounds. "Okay, it may be old fashioned and all that, but if it works, it works, right?" Giving a short grin to the captain, he dropped down to one knee and unfastened the similar-looking weight sleeves that clung to his legs, tossing both of them aside with a clunk. He'd effectively shed his own body weight, less thirty pounds or so, and stood again with a slow stretch. "I was actually saving that to scare the shit out of Adam next time I go a few rounds with him. What do you think of my patented training methods...?" The grin stuck again for a moment as he shifted back towards where they'd been fighting, having discarded the shirt with the pile of weights, and brought his hands back up again. "Right, back to business?" ooc: See the thread 'Starting From Scratch' for background on the weights and whatnot.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 23, 2008 18:49:09 GMT 1
(OOC: You're old. You need to take your time.)
The force of the punch seemed rather distorted, regardless of the fact Kyukaku was able to absorb the impact with no damage. Kyu swayed with the motion, returning with his own strike. Though Kazuki had his arm up, Kyu intended on smashing through the smaller man's guard. However, when the dull thud shocked its way down Kyu's arm it seemed it wasn't meant to be.
In the moment and not yet processing what had just happened, Kyukaku's right leg lifted off the ground, snapping in a high round kick to the side of Kazuki's face, following the older man as he stepped back. Kazuki held up his hands and asked for a time out though, causing Kyukaku to rapidly pull his kick in, less than an inch away from grazing Kaz's nose.
"Jesus Christ..." Kyukaku said, regaining his footing as he gave Kaz a look of confusion, not quite understanding what the older man was talking about.
Oh. Fuck me.
Kyukaku watched as the weights were stripped from Kazuki's body. It should have been obvious. Kyukaku may perceive strikes quicker than almost anyone, but to see Kazuki's movements so early should have been a tip off. The old man might have gotten himself hurt, but that didn't seem like it was going to be bothering him much.
"I think that they're ripping off Dragonball Z, but what do I know?" Kyukaku replied with a smile, slipping off his own coat and throwing it to the side, revealing a simple black Chevelle shirt. "Oh, I don't have any weights though. I just wanted to feel included."
With that, Kyukaku would burst forward again, landing with his left foot forward as he'd throw a sharp jab to Kazuki's head, following up with a right cross intending on slamming into the center of his chest, though following his head if he moved away after the initial jab.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 23, 2008 19:31:52 GMT 1
He chuckled softly at the remark, nodding.
"Yeah, I know, it's a total rip-off, but it's actually working for me. I'm forced to work harder constantly, so without them my reflexes are a good bit sharper. No superhuman strength or flying yet, though. Bummer, right?"
Grinning again, he watched the younger male approach quickly as he brought his hands up. He was going to be a little quicker than he had been prior to ditching the weights, but he knew better than to rely on it. The leading jab was quick enough, but parried by his right hand fairly simply with a rising block to the inside of the wrist. Knocking it aside would leave Tyler all his forward momentum from the lunge, and with the following blow, he would have to rely on his entire body. Rotating a quarter-turn to his right, his left arm would alter the path of the heavier cross across his body, pushing it inward towards Tylers body at the lower half of his upper arm, just past the elbow.
That, in part, was something of a feint however. His actual counter came lower, as the elder of the pair would raise and sharply bring his left foot down against Tylers right --and back-- shin and ankle. Attacking his back foot would make it less conspicuous, and with the block to his arm also keeping his mind occupied elsewhere, it would be almost entirely luck that Tyler would need in order to avoid a sprained ankle.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 25, 2008 3:07:07 GMT 1
The jab was parried.
No surprise there.
The cross was deflected.
Oh, what a shocker.
Thankfully, Kyukaku knew enough of his friend to know that nothing as simple as a two punch combination would be enough to land on Kazuki. Intending on not giving the man a second to set himself, he allowed the shift of his weight to his left leg, flowing with the motion Kazuki started. Intent on keeping Kaz on the defensive, Kyukaku lifted his right foot off the ground, planning on slamming his knee into the older man's midsection.
The knee wouldn't get very far, however, as Kazuki was in motion himself. The intended ankle stomp of Kaz would end up striking in a jab-like shin kick, quickly sliding down to Kyu's foot and planting them both back on the ground once again. With both attacks cancelling eachother out, Kyukaku would once again go with the current motion.
Reacting as if Kazuki intended for the leg check, Kyukaku's right foot would plant firmly as he shifted his hips to the right. With all of their arms up around their chests, Kyu would have to occupy Kaz to prevent him from parrying him again. The right arm, having just been deflected to the inside, would already be moving back into place. Instead of returning to guard though, Kyu's right hand would go to grip Kaz's own right wrist and push it against the older man's chest. With such close proximity, there was little Kazuki could do to prevent it, let alone see it coming.
Knowing that he had aikido background, Kyukaku wouldn't plan on holding Kazuki for long, and would just as quickly settle for trapping the man's arm for half a second. With Kazuki's stomp turning into more of a leg check, it was also possible he would be somewhat off balance after the awkward collision. If he was, that would just give him all the more time, but if not, it still meant he would be standing still for the moment at least.
Occupying Kaz's right arm, Kyu's left arm would also be coming to the inside, though in a much different way. Kyukaku's arm swing up and around Kaz's field of vision, he would swing it in a wide arc around to the right side of Kaz's head. Snapping in at the elbow, Kyukaku would send a piercing ridgehand to the back of Kaz's skull, aiming for the soft spot at the base of the spine.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 29, 2008 19:02:01 GMT 1
'Hn, his pacing is quicker than I remember it. He'd normally not have gone for that knee...'
The elder of the pair felt the collision come earlier than he expected, and it was quite obvious that Tyler had attempted a following strike on him. It nullified the shot to the ankle, and with their feet brought back down the pair would be standing close enough to one another in their efforts to have their arms fully occupied with the opening gambit.
'An impressive opening, Tyler, let's see how you react to the kid gloves coming off....'
Mentally, he grinned for an instant as his wrist was grabbed, not at the motion itself but at his own pre-decided intention. Shifting his other foot forward, bringing himself almost flush against Tyler, he would butt his head forward sharply in a movement that would use barely a foot of distance to close in on the younger males nose and mouth, hopefully leaving the options to lower or turn his head to be moot with timing. A good fighter can make his body resistant to almost all attacks, but there were some places that just couldn't be improved. Teeth were always going to be vulnerable, a nose was always easy to break, the groin would always be a mans weak spot, and as he would discover himself, the bunched nerves at the base of the neck would always be susceptible to attack.
Kazuki would utilise the first two in his headbutt, immediately following suit for it with his left fist slamming into the lower right side of Tylers ribcage, where the floating ribs were located and winding the other male would be more likely. Despite this, however, there was little he would be able to do in preventing the shot to his neck, the only -tiny- spot of respite coming in the fact that, with his headbutt, the muscles in his neck would tighten in the forward snap and absorb a fraction of the jarring blow. In any case, however, it would cause his head to twitch to his right, instinctively craning in to protect the vulnerable area.
"Good hit."
Smiling visibly this time, though likely unseen from his slightly inclined head, he would drive his captured arm against Tylers catch if he still held it, or into the other boys chest otherwise, aiming to shunt him back a step or two and free the pair from each others close proximity a little.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 30, 2008 1:29:34 GMT 1
Despite it being one of his own often used tactics, Kyukaku was surprised when Kazuki stepped forward with the grab. Thankfully, Kyu had enough fore knowledge of styles like Aikido and Hapkido to not be shaken by this intial tactic, letting him simply react to the moment at hand. With arms already in motion, Kyukaku could do little with his already planted feet. He could do little, but he could still do something.
Lowering his own head with a crank of his neck, Kyukaku intended on countering the headbutt with one of his own, as he often did against numerous other opponents. However, Kazuki was still in motion of his attack, not to mention several inches shorter. Instead of cracking heads with the older man, Kyu would only get away with slamming his own forhead into the hairline of the other man's head. It was still a solid strike by Kazuki, giving Kyukaku an instant headache, but at least there wouldn't be any lasting damage of the initial nose-teeth targets.
The moment the head landed, Kyukaku threw his head back to illeviate any lingering force. This would remove his vision for the moment, allowing the punch to strike below his field of vision, mere milliseconds after his ridgehand connected with Kaz's neck. Kyukaku would take as much of the power away as he stepped back in continuation with the same plan he had for his head, though in reality doing little to lessen the blow, which thankfully hadn't cracked anything.
With Kaz's push helping him to do the same thing, Kyu would come at rest just out of the older man's range. He'd wince at the older man, rubbing his forehead with his right hand as his left went accross to his lower ribs.
"You're a sneaky old fart."
Kyukaku would drop his hands as he smiled, obviously not as injured as his motions joked he had been. Not wanting to put it off any longer to avoid getting cold, Kyukaku planted his right foot, leaping off it as he sent a close flying knee with his left knee, planning on hitting the man's hip on his right side.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Sept 30, 2008 2:01:42 GMT 1
A flash of white covered his eyes for a moment as Tylers head collided with his own, apparently opting for the 'safer' option and taking the shot to the front of his head. It would prove slightly useful as the fight went on, considering the migraine it could trigger from such a clean shot to the frontal bone in the skull. However, it hadn't hit his intended target, and in that respect, there was a faint tinge of annoyance in the older male.
'Clever, minimalise the damage if you're unable to avoid it.'
Apart from that, their blows would seemingly land without interference, both their movements (he'd notice the shift from Tyler stepping back at the headbutt) offering very slight respite from their respective attacks, but otherwise causing neither to escape unscathed. When they -did- back away from one another, Kazuki took a half step back to ensure he was out of Tylers range, the taller youth likely to have a few inches of extra reach on him.
"Hey, sneaky wins fights. I'm surprised you used your head though, literally."
He smirked warmly, rolling his head to loosen off the knot in his neck where that palm had caught him. It was tender, no doubt, but hardly something to be concerned with. For all his build and height, it belied a deceptive ability to take a hit in comparison to what most people expected. That, however, was not something unknown to Tyler, and he would simply watch the younger boy as he made his move, seemingly keen to continue again.
By jumping at the elder Asian.
'Well, -this- I wouldn't have expected...'
Ariel attacks had great advantages, they were powered not just by momentum, but by gravity as well, but the most obvious flaw of all was the main reason Kazuki, a fighter whose agility was far and away his prime asset, kept his feet firmly on the ground. Especially -this- early into a match.
Once you were in the air, you -had- to come down somehow. If someone messed with your positioning, you'd end up on the ground awkwardly, not least looking rather ridiculous in the process. As such, as Tyler would burst off that right foot, Kazuki would spring back on both feet, favouring his right side to shift further back before torquing the leg back around swiftly to the other males left leg. By the time the kick would approach, it was almost certain that Tyler would have landed on the ground, most likely with his left leg forward no less, and he was aiming to exploit the brief moments of broken balance he would hopefully have from his strike coming into contact with air alone.
It was perhaps a rather crude avoidance, but sometimes it was easier just to take a step back, however large it would need to be.
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Post by Kyukaku on Sept 30, 2008 3:01:40 GMT 1
Bingo.
Move after move, it seemed that Kyukaku and Kazuki shared a very similiar set of tactics. While there was definately more than a few differences, they both fought off experience. If both men are smart fighters, how does one get ahead? In this case, Kyukaku thought one step ahead. Throw a move he doesn't often use, to spark a reaction of his opponent. Granted, the prediction wasn't exact, Kazuki moved almost exactly as Kyu would have, himself.
Knowing the differences in their reach, Kyu had purposefully thrown a close-range ariel attack. Not that such moves weren't useful in their own merit, but never a good opening attack, let alone one rarely utilized by the Karate practitioner. Initially expecting more of a leg sweep on his other leg, Kyu still wasn't too far off when Kazuki sent a low kick.
Having pulled his knee up into his chest when Kazuki began to move back, Kyu watched as the older man reacted. As the low kick came, Kyukaku stomped out with his left foot, fully extending just as his right foot once again planted on the ground. With his greater reach, and more direct of an attack, Kyukaku's heel would stomp into the knee cap of Kazuki's kicking leg, pushing the lighter limb back violently, let alone likely injuring the joint. Continuing to push forward with his kick, Kyukaku would plant his weight more on his left foot as his right fist fired out in a right cross to Kazuki's chin, who would be rather off balanced if all went accordingly.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Oct 6, 2008 17:21:16 GMT 1
Shit
Underestimation wouldn't be the word to describe the current predicament the elder of the pair was in, more like a....misguided sense of where each of their abilities lay. Tylers now-evident attack was a clever one, though the obvious flaws were prevalent in it. Both limbs were moving so landing a perfectly flush shot to his knee would be difficult at best, and for the height the knee would be at in comparison to Kazukis kicking leg, the 'attacking' foot would be only slightly above it, forcing it into more of a painful 'shove' against the knee.
Despite that, he would land fairly accurately on the side of the knee, his foot grating against the material of his pants and consequently the skin underneath. Thankfully for Kazuki, the looser nature of the garment would be the saving grace, the slack in the material causing the foot to slide to one side, past the knee to the back of Kazukis leg bearing in mind the small amount of momentum his failed kick would still have.
The fact was, that knee was sore. No doubting it, and he was rather annoyed at having been so quick to fall into a ruse. However, he remained even-minded and could see the fist raising for the punch, having kept his eyes on Tylers upper body the entire time. The chance stood that the younger male would have a slightly awkward landing himself and it would stutter his movement, but chances like that weren't lightly taken. The 'steps' each had taken would put them uncommonly close to one another again, and the draw for his own punch would be quick.
Rather, not a punch per se, but a sharp palm shot to the middle of Tylers chest with his right hand, having been forced to busy his left with the cross, oddly meeting the blow head-on with his palm and closing around it, using the moment granted to move his head to the right a little before lowering resistance against the punch, letting its natural course take as it flew out and attempting a shift to grip the wrist instead.
Kazuki knew that the odds of Tyler seeing his plan were there, but he would continue on regardless. The palm shot he'd performed wouldn't have been a sudden impact, rather a continuous force against the younger of the pairs chest and pushing his upper body back. The interception of the punch would have the arm pulled down and away from Tylers body, and the positioning of Kazukis leg would serve its new purpose as he twisted his body, aiming to throw Tyler to the ground. Hardly his initial plan, but one that would prove sufficient right now. If all went accordingly, he would have gained a small spot of 'revenge' for the clever counter performed to him on his knee.
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Post by Kyukaku on Oct 12, 2008 20:17:42 GMT 1
The move was far from perfect, but so were both the fighters. Kyukaku's somewhat wild stomp would connect with Kazuki's leg, though not exactly as intended. Kyu expected this, as they were both very much in motion and a perfectly clean hit would be highly unlikely.
Kyu would be forced to plant his foot past Kaz's leg, instantly dissatisfied with the current placement of his feet. Still, Kyukaku would send the punch, hoping to to distract the older man long enough for him to reposition himself. Just before his fist would impact, Kyu felt the pressure on his chest. A moment later, Kaz would gain control over his right hand as well. Since the palm still laid against his chest in addition to no initial pain, it was pretty obvious what the Aikido master had in mind.
Left arm at the ready, Kyu would attempt to shift his weight away from Kazuki as his hand dipped to the inside. Moving in a small circle in a motion similiar to swimming, Kyu's left hand would knock Kazuki's arm to the outside, taking little more than a nudge to accomplish, as all it would be was redirecting Kaz's pushing energy. As he attempted to shift his weight to the back, right leg, Kyu's right wrist would twist counter-clockwise, attempting to shake out of Kaz's grip before it was fully established.
Whether it would be enough to fully shake out wasn't as important, as Kyu would gain enough leeway regardless. In the short and quick movement of the wrist, Kyukaku's hand would circle back, palming Kaz in the chest. Unlike the older man's palm, this would be meant as a strike. Though by no means soft, there had been little room to gain enough momentum for anything overly damaging, but it should be enough to push the smaller man away, as Kyukaku would stumble back himself from Kaz's attempted throw, taking a couple of steps before regaining his full balance.
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on Oct 20, 2008 18:58:18 GMT 1
ooc: I know, I'm a horrible, neglectful bastard. Still, you'll always come back for more. Sorry if it's a bit short, but there wasn't a whole lot I could actually do, given my arms being tied up as they were. ^^; ic: With his initial force for the throw being displaced in the form of Tylers knock to his 'striking' arm, his first choice was eliminated. However, it was not entirely lost, as his palm fisted roughly into the material of his shirt by the left shoulder. It would make his movements a bit more awkward, but certainly better than having no hold whatsoever. His concern that his movements would be read took fruition, it seemed, as not only did Tyler make effort to dislodge the pushing arm, but to wrench back his right arm as well. It wouldn't be so easy to shake the elder Asians grip off, but the pull back would be enough that Kazuki would end up conceding some slack. 'Squirmy little shit, ain't ya...?'The thought brought a mental smirk, though his external visage was still focused and stoic. Tylers caught wrist, from the moment of slack he'd get from the wrench away, would collide into his chest firmly. With both his hands pre-occupied, there was nothing the elder of the pair could do to stop it, and was inwardly thankful that their close range made putting real power into any strikes rather pointless. It would, however, be enough to stagger him back, and in turn with his still-held grip on Tylers shirt, he would shunt his own fist against the body underneath. Hardly likely to cause any kind of damage, the hit would serve the same purpose as Tylers. It took a couple of steps for him to stabilise his balance, thanks in part to the crossed-over positioning of his and Tylers right legs, but they would invariably end up apart from one another again, regaining their equilibriums and putting them on an even footing once more.
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Post by Kyukaku on Oct 25, 2008 20:48:13 GMT 1
I AM better.
Looking back to their first and only previous match, Kyukaku had done all he could simply to survive and prolong the battle. Then, he had no real hopes of winning, only being able to keep Kazuki from finishing him off quickly. Some broken fingers and a dislocated elbow would be the end of the battle, however, leaving Kazuki sweating but not much else.
How the fight was going now, brought a smile to Kyu's lips. In his eyes, as of now there was yet to be one of them clearly doing better than the other. They'd flow in and out, becomming a true battle against masters of their own crafts. The fact that neither of them clearly had the advantage only fired up the younger fighter even more, remembering the feeling of being the underdog and the excitement it came with. There was no pressure to save the school, to protect a friend, or save his own life.
There was only now.
With a cleared mind, Kyukaku stepped in once more, prepared to give Kazuki all he could. The not prolonged, Kyukaku didn't rush in either, knowing that having his own balance back meant Kazuki would also have recovered his equillibrium. Planting his left foot directly in front of Kazuki, their bodies would form a perpendicular angle. Kyu's left palm would be facing his own body, quickly twisting out to strike the bridge of his nose with the edge of his hand in a chop. The move would quickly snap back, the chop being much more focused on speed and precision rather than power. Still, if left unnoticed or unchecked, Kazuki would be left with a broken nose.
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