Kazuki Akimoto VS Evek

[Victoria Alexander]

Location: Office

Its not much of an office. Just a large warehouse with a desk in the corner and a few bulky walls filled with junk. Please use your surroundings. No weapons for this round.

[Evek]

Well how did it come to this? Here I am, in the middle of a junkyard, getting led along with this Asian fellow - Kazuki was his name - toward a warehouse for the sole purpose of fighting. To think that a few hours ago I came home finding a black envelope with an invitation in it, wondering what it was. My curiosity brought me to this desolate place, among a sea of unfamiliar faces, forced to fight them one by one until I saw the end of the day. For most of these people, I was guessing that throwing punches wasn't too much of a problem. In my case: there always was a first time, and this was mine.

As I entered the warehouse, I looked at my surroundings, noticing a desk at the end of it. With a sigh, I walked away from Kazuki, heading to a corner of the room as I stretched my arms I wondered: how can I make something artistic out of this whole mess? No preparation, no materials, no information... how was I supposed to orchestrate this man's downfall? It didn't matter. This whole situation was an act of defiance. My talent as an artist was put to the test. Could I muster up a masterpiece in this most difficult of settings?

Kazuki Akimoto would find out.

Turning around to face him, I offered a friendly smile. It was always good to make your victim feel at ease in your presence. Catching them by surprise right after is an essential classic. I reached into my pockets and pulled out a pair of leather gloves - part of the essential mischief kit I always carried on my person - and slipped my hands into them.

"Well, Mr. Akimoto, I wish you good luck. I for one know that I'll need it, a lot."

[Kazuki Akimoto]

Victoria had always had something of a flair for theatrics when it came to tournaments, it was a memory Kazuki had kept from the days back in Varron and had felt somewhat rekindled when he had received the letter of invitation that he held in his hand. After the expected 'welcomes' and subsequent allocations of opponents, he folded the letter neatly and tucked it into the inner pocket of his overcoat. Seeing where he was expected to be, he turned slightly and began to approach the warehouse with a brief roll of his eyes.

'Why do I always end up fighting in the warehouses?'

Smiling lightly with his head slightly lowered as he walked, he balled his fists in his pockets, tightening his muscles to gain a little more...fluidity in them as he walked. He'd somewhat expected to receive the invitation, be it from Victoria or whoever would have stepped forward to organise this, simply for his status as the current champion. Good though that was, it also had the unfortunate drawback of putting a gigantic target on ones back. Already he'd spotted Tiao Lei Shen and Adam, and thuogh he sincerely thought he'd seen things, he also thought he'd spotted Warhen. That, however, didn't bear thinking about just now. His current opponent was only a few feet away, pacing back to another part of the building. Considering that there was no immediate need to start swinging, he took a moment to shrug off the overcoat and set it down atop what looked like it might have been a car door at one point. He wasn't too sure considering the state of the metal, but it wasn't relevant. Of anything in here he could use to his advantage, it would have been terribly low on the list. The crap lining the walls, though a potential bounty of weaponry, looked rather haphazard. If he'd tried to take something from it, odds are he'd have buried himself in scrap steel.

His musing broken as the younger --much younger, he noticed-- youth approached him pulling on a pair of gloves, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he sized him up mentally. He didn't look any taller or heavier than himself in the light they had, and that faux smile was noted with trepidation as he nodded simply, offering a brief smile in return as he began to walk towards him.

"Perhaps, but stranger things can happen at these tournaments. Now, lets get started, shall we?"

A short tilt of his head following the remark was considered ample notice for the young opponent in front of him before Kazuki burst forward. Call it a test, perhaps, or maybe just a matter of curiosity, but the elder Asian was intent on finding just what capacity the other boy had without wasting time. Closing the minimal gap that would have been left during his approach, Kazuki extended his right quickly in a loose, snapping jab to his targets chin, intending to use a weaving step to move right as he threw the blow.

'Let's see what you can do, hm?'

[Evek]

Fast, down to the point, efficient, this was what I immediately assumed to be defining traits of Kazuki's methodology from the second he nodded. Hear a few words and spot an ounce of body language and voila! You have superficial knowledge of a single aspect of an individual's personality. I apologize in advance for bragging, but I can't deny the fact that my skills are above the average sophomore when it comes to understanding the intricacies of communicating and interacting between human beings. Call it bedside psychology, I don't care. It's one of the reasons I managed to so easily get things done my way in the past, and I was hoping that it would be an asset in this fight.

About the fight, since I was completely inexperienced, I decided to adopt a certain strategy that would increase my odds of surviving this unexpected challenge. Knowing quite well that I had never taken a hit in my lifetime - one of the main reasons why I have flawless facial skin, the other being the fact that I have been exempt of juvenile acne - I decided to try to keep things that way for as long as possible, since I guessed that a single decent blow would be enough to knock the wind out of me. After all, I simply did not know how to take a hit! Chances are that I would be on my knees gasping for breath if a kick brushed past my ribs for all I knew!

How was I planning on staying untouched, you ask? The answer was quite simple really. I would run. Please do not misunderstand! I'm not saying that I would have Kazuki chasing me around the warehouse while I ran circles around him, hoping that he would tire before me (cardiovascular endurance was one of my strengths, I have long games of football - I meant soccer - and rugby to thank for that). Actually, the term running is imprecise. I was wearing a pair of light casual sneakers, and was planning to use my experience as a soccer player to 'dribble' my way around Kazuki, perceiving him as a defender, so that my instincts and reflexes as an athlete would help me through this ordeal.

So when that opening jab sprung toward my face, the kinetic artist within me awakened. My eyes were focused on following the man's shoulder movements, and my body on reacting accordingly to the signals Kazuki sent. Without a second thought, I rapidly sled my right foot thirty centimeters in front of the left one as I dropped my head, looking at down at Kazuki's waist while his attack zipped above me. Noticing that his body was shifting to the side, I reacted accordingly. Using my right foot as the pivoting point, I completed my one hundred and eighty degree counter-clockwise rotation by rapidly dragging my left foot on the ground and sending my back in Akimoto's direction, hoping to intercept him by bumping it onto his chest, catching him off guard for half an instant. That instant would be enough for me to press my weight on my left foot as I raised the corresponding shoulder, wishing to give him a light bump to his chin.

Nothing starts my first experience at hostilities better than a minor concussion for the opposition. Concussion, opposition, it rhymes! Ha! The muses still animate my mind even in these circumstances! I must be destined for greatness as an artist if I can bring out the wonder in such a savage situation!

[Kazuki Akimoto]

Though renowned for his quickness and agility as a martial artist, Kazukis speed was really not that much greater, if superior at all, to many of the quick-paced fighters he encountered. The truth of his speed lay in his latent reflexes, not so much being physically quicker, but having the quickest reactions when it came to the crunch. As a result, despite it being more and more apparent the more frequently he fought in such public displays, it was a subtle edge he was able to exploit against the majority of opponents.

To see, then, his opponent apply a similar branch of logic to his own in response was a minor shock. Nothing he couldn't accept without trouble, but surprising all the same. It couldn't be exactly the same as his own methodology, but the end result appeared to be at least somewhat similar...

'If that's the case, then, it'll come down to whose trickery slips up first.'

Eveks forward step, noted from the shift in his right leg at the lower half of his vision, was the first indicator of this. Initially, the Asian had considered that the youth was merely aiming to step through with a retaliatory blow, having paid particular note to his hands for a moment, but when he had weaved downward and stepped to turn his back to Kazuki, the aforethought conclusion had been reached. Had this been knowledge before the encounter, it would have been a golden opportunity to attack the much younger fighters head with a quick shot from his elbow, but even he had limits without some degree of planning or foresight to his opponents actions.

Instead, however, when his opponent began to back into him he simply placed his left forearm across Eveks shoulder-blades, almost out of instinct than anything else as one would when someone was about to collide with you, before using the slight slide from his right-moving shift to carry his weight on that foot, flicking up his left knee to the upper quarter of the young mans left thigh. Moreso to assist in the push away he would give with his forearm an instant later, the blow wouldn't be terribly hard, enough to maybe cause a little bit of tenderness in the muscles in a slightly built fighter, but not much more. If he went without interruption he would follow another short step to his right, regaining his feet with the slight distance put between the pair.

Of course, that depended on whether Evek would pose no retaliation of his own...

[Evek]

There are many things that I do not enjoy in life, one of them is being pushed around. Now that I think about it, I don't think anybody enjoys being pushed around, period. That thought aside, I clumsily stumbled a couple of steps forward. As I recovered my balance, I realized that the back of my left leg was in mild pain. My instincts as an inexperienced fighter told me to nurse it, but I managed to regain my composure. The blow was far from decisive. At best, it was irritating. But the biggest source of irritation at that moment wasn't the blow I had taken, it was the realization that I could've been in much more trouble than I was now had my opponent decided to counter in a more violent manner. Turning to face the young Asian man, I regained my stance and took a moment to open my mouth.

"Tell me, Mr. Akimoto, are you going easy on me?"

Score one for hubris...

"Because I believe that you could've done much more than simply push me away."

Score two for arrogance.

"I guess I'll have to make you regret not taking advantage of the opportunity that you were given!"

Score three for cockiness! It's a hat-trick of pride, deadliest of sins! I took a quick step forward, closing the distance between myself and Kazuki, ready to engage him in a melee once more. I flashed a defiant grin as I leaned to the right, pressing my weight on my right foot while the tip of my left one dragged behind it, preparing myself for one hell of a surprise...

RETREAT!

Actually, with that maneuver, I managed to change the direction I was facing without raising too much suspicion, or so I hoped. What was I facing, you ask? Oh, nothing in particular, just that massive office desk in the corner, you know? Using my high speed carved through years of playing as a soccer forward and a rugby wingman, I sprinted toward it. As I approached it, I initiated a sliding tackle, passing through the opening in the middle, under the desk's board. Not even waiting for my body to come to a stop, I spun around and got to my feet, reached to my side and grabbed the handle of one of the metal drawers that the desk had. Pulling it out with on firm motion, I branded it at Kazuki, had he not already initiated a flying kick to my face by then, and continued with my provoking performance.

"Parfait! Nothing like the taste of steel to teach you a lesson!"

[Kazuki Akimoto]

One of his eyebrows curled upwards slightly at the words coming from the younger boys lips, a delectable combination of amusement and concealed ire at the play to his ego. It wasn't a tactic he used or, indeed, approved of, but it was one he was quite familiar with. After all, if your opponent can be infuriated enough to lose their composure, making your own efforts simpler, is that not a good thing?

A problem lay in Kazukis already present confidence at present. He had won these tournaments many times before and despite entering them with a sense of caution, knowing that one mistake spells failure, he also held a subconscious belief that unless the boy facing him were to be a true prodigy, the fight was just a question of how long it took to win. The opening move had been somewhat sloppy, and whilst it fit the logic behind Kazukis unpredictable style having some similarities, there was no denying it could have been mere inexperience.

Meus Regestus

"Perhaps, but why waste a perfectly good warm-up for the real fights later?"

A flash of a smirk crept onto his lips as the boy approached, and with his arms raised somewhat lower than before, both in a direct taunt of his own and a partial suspicion of any direct advances, Kazuki tensed his body momentarily. Focused entirely on the approaching boy, he lowered his centre an inch or two in anticipation before Evek once again altered his movements at the last moment. This time, turning away and running for a desk he'd spotted in passing.

'Hm...'

The shift in his body allowed him to spring from his stationary position a touch quicker than usual, and compensating the time required to turn into the appropriate direction as he proceeded to pursue the young man as he bolted for the desk. Its positioning made only a small number of potential actions likely to Evek, considering the fact it sat in the corner of the large 'room'. There was a moment of favourable thinking when the boy dropped into a slide through a central space between the two drawer-bases, but as he continued his own advance, he brought his right leg up and slammed it into the edge of the desk, the combination of a powerful thrust kick and his own body charging at such a pace more than enough to shift the desk rather forcefully -if not very far, though that would prove irrelevant- into Evek as he attempted....whatever it was he was attempting. With almost his full legs reach along with that of the desks depth, unless Evek had rubber limbs his reach would be rather pointless. On top of that, the desk was not going to be light...From a standing position he doubted he'd have had much luck shifting it with the kick, but with the running start, the power he would put out was going to be considerably higher, almost certainly enough to shift the furniture into the young man as he attempted to rise from his position with its full weight; easily a couple of hundred pounds.

Evek could make allegations that the seasoned veteran had gone easy on him before (an inkling of that -was- true, but with at least a scraping of knowledge into the odd tactics his opponent was inclined to use, it was just a question of breaking down the unorthodox methods), but the impact from the desk, were it to hit, would easily be enough to knock the boy to the ground and inflict some serious pain, considering it would be from the edge of the desk no less.

"I'm sure you'll try to make me regret my actions, but if you continue to gift-wrap these opportunities for me, I doubt you'll have much of a chance to do so, kiddo."

Not one for tough talk, the words were quite blandly spoken, a hint of a smirk on his lips at the rather condescending tone, but little else. Instead, he brought his legs back to a comfortable positioning, approaching at walking pace with a good few feet between the pair (not to mention the desk) in a circular motion.


ooc: Nothing states that the desk is anchored to the ground, and I just couldn't resist the notion.

[Evek]

OOC: Two-hundred pound desks? Where do you buy your furniture, mate? Granite 'R Us?

IC: Ahem.

There seems to have been a small series of complications in my plan; which was unfortunate. Quite unfortunate, you see, since the desk under which I sled had actually managed to shift its position somehow. It seemed that not only Kazuki failed to be fooled by my feint, but that he also managed to stay close enough behind me to kick the desk as I sled, as if he almost knew in advance what my plan was, considering the minuscule time frame he had to do such a feat. Wonderful, now my right arm is numbed by the impact it took with the shift, and my head is aching ever since I bumped it into the desk as I attempted to get up on my feet.

I appeared to be the complete opposite of what an eloquent fighter was supposed to incarnate. Until now, my maneuvers had been clumsy, unwise and unsuccessful. Desperation was beginning to take form within my spirit. Uncertainty began to cloud my mind as I slowly crawled up from beneath the desk, on the side opposing Kazuki. Maintaining distance was still preferable. Releasing a deep sigh, I took a moment to brush off the dust on my shoulders with a swift motion from each of my gloved hands. Turning around, I grimaced at the sight of the intimidating Asian man. This was turning out to be quite unpleasant, and the ship on which I was seemed to be sinking. With an exasperated a voice, I uttered a curse before springing into action.

"Ah pis merde!"

On the brink of despair, crazy things can happen. I collapsed, leaning down to touch the ground with the palm of my right hand, lowering my center of gravity in the process. The instant that followed, I pushed forward with both legs and let my hands grip onto the edge of the desk. It was a textbook rugby maneuver that I used to maximize my pushing power, achieving unexpected potential in the process. Technically speaking, I would be able to push a sumo wrestler should I catch him off guard. The odds for an immobile desk weren't that bright. As I completed the motion, I let go of the desk letting it slide forward a couple of yards at an unexpected speed. It was time to reaffirm my pride, and I was going to start it by showing this man how to properly make a desk move.

Structure, strategy, strength. Those were the words flowing in my mind as I looked at Kazuki with relentless determination.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

ooc: No, but I'm assuming the desk was a typical office-type, two sets of drawers, a top-board, framework and the like. They probably weigh less, but I -was- a little drunk when I typed my last post out. It's not exactly important anyway, unless we're gonna be picking it up and throwing it at each other.

ic:

Evek, in his attempt to rise from under the desk, was....stunted, if the word fit. The desks collision was followed by a brief shudder of the wood as the young man tried to get up, only to clip his head or shoulders on it. Were it not for the situation present, the sight might even have been a little amusing to the older veteran, but instead he kept his eyes sharp, looking for any movements he could pick up on.

When he finally rose from the position behind and under the desk, Kazuki paused a moment, sizing up the boy with a careful gaze as the foreign expletive was fired at him. This, unlike before, did draw a hint of amusement from him and with a tilt of his head, responding in English, he retorted calmly.

"Now now, no need for that, is there?"

Quirking an eyebrow at Eveks shift in position, dropping down as he had, it took a seconds thought for Kazuki to realise what he intended. After all, the 'sprinters start' he'd shifted to hinted to either leaping onto the desk or driving into it, but it was only when Evek collided with the cabinet and drove it at the Asian that he could formulate a reaction. A simple one, by any regard, but a reaction all the same. Having paced as he had, he would be at one end of the desk when it was shunted, and brought his left palm against the corner to brace against the oncoming weight. Of course, with only his trim 165lbs to bolster it, little was going to slow the desk with its momentum, and instead Kazuki let his left leg slide back, turning him to face the desk head-on before pushing up off the ground. Hooking his left foot atop the table-top, he brought his body fully onto the flat surface in a half-kneeling, half-crouching position.

Pushing to his feet, he stop atop the wooden (yes, assumption) surface, glancing down at the teenager with a half-grin present on his face. There was no doubt it was a clever move, gleaned in part from his own perhaps, and the effort taken to shift the desk was less than he had used himself.

"Interesting, you've got some strength in those shoulders. Now how about we make this interesting, rather than running around and playing tag?"

He'd pause a moment to see if the younger fighter would listen or make another attack of his own.

"Hop up here, we'll trade hits. First one to fall off, loses. That way we can get on with the rest of our lives."

Inwardly, he grinned at the one-sided logic of his 'offer', doubting rather whole-heartedly that Evek would even consider it but figuring if nothing else, it would rile up the youngster just a little bit more.

[Evek]

I looked up from my inferior position, raising an eyebrow at Kazuki's proposition. A test of endurance, was it? Considering my current condition, and how Kazuki clearly had the upper hand, I wasn't too sure how I could turn things around in my favor. I bit my lip and took a second to evaluate my chances. They weren't huge, but for some reason, I thought they'd improve if I accepted his challenge. Resigned to my fate, I let out a sigh before speaking up.

"Best idea I've heard all the day."

That being said, I climbed up on what would be my side of the desk, and allowed a shiver to run up my spine, easing out the tension that had accumulated in my body in the past couple of minutes. Looking at Kazuki, I gave a nod, then opened my mouth once more to make sure that I understood the rules.

"So we trade hits, and first one off the desk loses, right?" I then realized something that Kazuki hadn't talked about, and decided to take some initiative on the matter. "Okay, to see who starts," I reached into my pocket with my right hand, and pulled out a quarter, "I'll flip this coin. Heads,"I showed heads, "I start. Tails," I turned the coin around, there was tails, "you start. Here goes." With my right hand, I put my thumb beneath the coin and made it fly. There was a little problem in my apparently simple maneuver, my right arm was completely numbed by the impact of the desk, so I was unable to correctly evaluate the amount of force required for the basic task. The error in judgment made the coin fly much too far and much too high, making it land approximately four yards behind Kazuki. Embarrassed, I timidly opened my mouth.

"Um... could you check it out?"

It was tails.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

"Must have been a rather interesting day, if you ask me..."

As Evek proceeded to step atop the desk, the elder of the pair watched as the youngster took his position at the opposite end of the panel. For a moment, his body pulled taut, preparing to launch a punch before a coin was drawn out.

'You have to be kidding me...'

With the gesture of allocating who would throw the first punch being made, Kazuki held off in a mixture of annoyance and yet, a little amusement. Watching the coin flip up and past him, a flicker of recognition entered his mind. He was not stupid by any means, and a thought of Eveks possible intentions, whether the action was deliberate or not, entered his head.

"I don't think it's going to matter..."

A rather curt answer to the question given, but he was not about to turn his head away and let the smart-assed kid in front of him get a sneaky shot in on him. Instead, quite abruptly and perhaps a little underhanded, he slammed forward a right cross at Eveks upper chest, intent on delivering the first hit. After all, he'd not implied anything about deciding who would go first...

[Victoria Alexander]

Winner: Kazuki

Finish up and move on to the next round.

Thank you.