Xenarius vs. Rapheal

[king]

...

[kenshin]

And so today was the day, the day once again Raphael would get in the ring and get his hands dirty, or get his ass beaten. But Raphael would be entirely different this time. HE had practiced the teachings of Maverik to himself. Moving his body according to his 'Be like water' Philosophy. He felt different, and he felt very ready this time. As he stepped in he couldn't help but look at the audience around him. They were hungry for blood, and i guess....he would give it to him. He stood ready and waited for is opponent to come. "Come on...."

[Xenarius]

"Ugh..." I sigh looking over at the clock my eyes grow to the size of dinner plates. "Oh damn I'm late. I better get ready. I run to my closet and get out a pair of loose fitting gray sweatpants and put them. I quickly put on my boots and tie them then running toward the door I yell up the stairs to my aunt. "Bye , I'll be back in a few hours." She thinks I am off to a study group, but if all goes well I won't have to explain where I actually was to her. Then rushing out my front door I run to the bus stop just barely catching the one I need. Out of breath I pay the driver and sit down. The butterflies already starting in my stomach I start to chew my finger nails. "I just hope I make it there on time..." I think to myself as the bus pulls away from the stop.

Twenty minutes later I get off at the stop nearest where I'm going. Looking down at my watch I curse softly and take off at a run again slowing only when I see the building. Walking up to the door I step inside looking around in hopes of seeing where I'm supposed to go. I see the door leading to the basement and guess that from the noise coming from behind it that is where I am supposed to be. I slowly walk down the stairs as I catch my breath. "Oh..." I whisper to myself as I walk into the large room at the bottom. It is filled with people chatting and arguing over betting amounts and other such things. I work my way through the crowd trying to find the ring and eventually make it there just in time to hear the end of the man's speech.

"Hmmm I wonder who I will be facing." I see Maverik standing near by and hope that I don't have to fight him first, but soon my match is announced. "Xenarius vs. Raphael," Some one calls out. A small grin comes to my face. "This is an interesting development. I have fought along side him it will be an honor to fight against him. Though I do wish we had seen each other here before now. Ah well a reunion is a reunion." I say as I step into the ring. "Hello my good friend. It will be an honor to fight you." I say as I start to bounce around to get the blood flowing. "This should be an interesting night." I think to myself.

[kenshin]

As soon as he heard a semi-familiar voice, he first looked at the match board and found out. Xenarius Vs. Raphael. "Oh lord...what a misplaced Turnabout..." He said, then turnign his head to the opponent of whom he was going to fight. "An honor? Really? I really don't think it is...im no much of a fighter..." He said to him, But it was a damned of a lie. Xenarius saw him that night during the raid, How he spinned kicked in the air, His dexterty and stamina, Xenarius will be going up against a formidable foe. On Raphaels hands were light red handwraps. How were they red? These were handwraps that Raphael wore during his long period in Polermo, back when he was known as...'Morte'...I guess today is when he resurfaces... he thought solemly. He simply stood there with his arms crossed. "Ready when you are sir..."

[Xenarius]

"Well then let us begin." I say lowering into my stance. "I must not let him catch me off guard. That is when he really inflicts damage." I think to myself as I wait for him to strike. "We have had the privilege of seeing each other fight before Raph... and you know I am not an offensive one... so I am also ready when you are. Lets just do this and agree to not let it affect our friendship." My palms start to sweat a little bit in this silence left by my voice. "It is much like the calm before the storm, good luck to you Raphael." I think to myself knowing that the storm is about to break.

[kenshin]

"Ah ha ha..." Raph lauhged half heartedly. Raphael Had observed Xenarius's Stlye and stance during the incident in Varron, and as a watchmen. Defensive one, One who makes their body either into a living shield or a pure boulder. You must have keen senses, and observe spots where there are openings. Raphael simply cracked his knuckles, and neck once. When he did this, he released pressure points that released more adreniline in his body. And so he responded again with two comments. "In the Arena...Friendship is irrelevent..." HE said through a half smile. "The storm you say......Well then....I am as fierce as a storm in the sea Xenarius..." he said. His hands moved in a fluid motion, In the way of water. He then started moving side ways around Xenarius, conducting an observation fopr blind spots.

[Xenarius]

As Raphael begins to walk around me I will turn to follow his motions never letting him get behind me. "I understand that in the ring friendship is irrelevant, I meant that after we have finished here no matter who wins we should not let it effect our friendship. You are as fierce as a storm in the sea. Hmmm I wonder whether you have ever actually faced such a storm. They are quite a sight to behold. If what you say is true then this should be very interesting indeed." I keep turning following his every movement waiting for that twitch that tells me he is about to move in and attack. Until then all I can do is wait.

[kenshin]

"so many questions you ask of me...but so little time...It'll be up to your intuition my friend..." He said. He stopped midway infront of Xenarius, who was shielding everypossible blind spot he knew he had. But the more one tries to cover them, the more he neglects the spots he leaves open. And so Raph started his 'Baiting' Game. He was jumpy, He moved his foot to the left, then to the right. He moved to the left, then to the right. He was fooling with Xenarius's sight. Too much movement can make one confused and jumpy. If you loose your concentration, then you wont know where your opponent will go or strike. so he kept his movement technique to hopefully catch Xenarius off guard. Then he decided NOW was the time to 'Bite'. He moved his left leg forward and got close enough to throw a punch. He closed his fist and was ready to strike, But he Cancelled it! And rolled to his right, where he saw Xenarius;s Ribs were open for his Shot. Note his two modes of fighting. Approaching the opponent through mixed movements and closing in for a strike but stopping and moving aside for openings is called 'Cancelation'. When he Stopped at his side, his fist unclenched and his hand. His fingers bent and his nails were pointing to His side, To resemble a claw, and so Raphael took his shot at Xenarius and was watchful for what Xenarius would do if he noticed the technique.

[Xenarius]

"Hmmm... he's trying to throw me off by moving back and forth... Here he comes." I think as he starts to advance. As he goes to throw his first punch I step back and as he pulls back and rolls right I step to my left putting some distance between us. Then as he trys to gouge my ribcage I grab his wrist and pull him towards me sticking my foot out in hopes that he will trip. I have realized on from his first attack that I will have to use my height to my advantage in this fight because if he gets inside I will be in trouble. Whether the trip succeeds or not I will let go of his wrist and take a few quick steps back still facing him.

[Valencia Donahue]

[Intro]

May we be introduced to Ruth, Valencia’s good friend whom is a lesbian… And damn proud of it. Her girlfriend would be Gladys, who often goes out with Ruth to watch the tournaments that Pillar Kurtz hosts. Of course, the two don’t just merely watch, scream, and cheer, since they seldom found fighters worth watching, screaming, and cheering for. What the two of them did was act as commentators, narrating every move worth narrating and squeezing in remarks here and there. As regulars, the duo always seemed to have a seat in the next best place, since the best seats were often reserved for the rich folks. Somewhere in the bleachers, just high enough to see over the standers was a clear enough view to see the action. Sure, the place was constantly hammered by the sound of rabid spectators, but somehow… Someway… Their voices were always loud enough to be heard over the din. Call it years of practice.

That bit of exposition done, the two were well aware of Valencia’s growing interest with the Varron transfers and their issues with Hircine’s way of running things, so they invited her to come and watch the slaughtering. Needless to say, Valencia was more than glad to take up on their offer and here she was off to Ruth’s side, “assisting” in the commentating whenever Ruth and Gladys felt like having a third voice give some snide remarks.

[Yellow]

~{é~{é~{é}~é}~é}~

[/yellow]

[RUTH]: “I have a bad feeling about this fight…”

[GLADYS]: “Why? Because you usually bet on the person who shows up first?”

Ruth looked over to her girlfriend, pursed her lips together, and nodded. Gladys clenched her teeth together and began to apply pressure to her eyes, knowing for a fact that if it’s going to be a bad fight, the two of them will have to commentate anyways. Ruth had good gut feelings, especially since a bit of Valencia’s perceptiveness has been rubbing off on her lately because they’re roommates. The only reason why Ruth doesn’t win every gamble she makes is because she typically bets on the first combatant to show up and bets on the second only when Gladys decides to call dibs. She didn’t call dibs this time merely because she didn’t know who was going to show up foremost and even less about the fighters. Valencia looked to Ruth as she released a sigh and forced a smile.

There’s nothing Ruth doesn’t know when it comes to rumors… She probably knows both of the fighters…

[RUTH]: “Never fear, Underdog is here! Aaaaaannnddd let’s not forget that the sky’s the limit when it comes down to potential as long as you reach for the stars! Speaking of celestial beings, the first Varronian of this match will be… RAPHAEL MIDICHI!!”

The list… The way the name was listed… If this guy is Italian, shouldn’t it be “Medicci”…? As in, that extremely rich family from the Renaissance era?

Valencia lifted her gaze from the spunky-lookin’ lad in the arena to her friend by her side and got a disturbed expression on her face as soon as she saw Ruth looking as if she wanted to personally beat the snot outta Raphael. In a weird sense, it was like watching a sadistic kid intentionally flushing a bunch of turtles down a toilet… Hey, turtles! Ninja Turtles! Raphael! Ha ha ha… Errahem. Next up was Gladys, who gave Ruth a comforting pat on the shoulder and a nervous chuckle before introducing the person she was putting money on.

[GLADYS]: “When it comes right down to it, every conflict is just a matter of coming at a crossroads… ‘X’ marks the spot for this Varronian, XENARIUS!!”

Apparently, judging by the introductions, these two aren’t renowned enough to have flashier blurbs…

Fast-forward a little. Ruth and Gladys were literally twitching as they did their thing, though unfortunately not with the rapid-fire flare and flurry of words as with most other fights. Okay, it’s not as though this was the first time they’ve encountered this situation, but since they’ve heard so much about the students from Varron, they’ve set their expectations a bit higher than usual. Ruth leaned towards Valencia as she fiddled around with a digital camera on her lap.

[RUTH]: “Yo… What’s your take on this?”

Valencia didn’t even look up.

“Obviously, it’s not captivating. Lotsa blab, not enough jab. I know I’m usually one to strike second, but even I’m not foolish enough to waste other people’s time. Battles of attrition are about wearing people down, not boring your opponent to death. The opening moves aren’t exactly ‘bright’, either. Raphael’s style of baiting says ‘I’m horsemeat, dog chow’ written all over it. If I was tossed into that ring right now, I think I can trounce ‘em both blindfolded. Literally.”

[RUTH]: “Aha… And I’d actually have something to talk about.”

[kenshin]

Sadly, this tactic would not work. As he closed in on His ribs, Xen grabbed his hand and pulled Raph towards him. He also placed his foot out in order to trip him. As he moved forward and landed on Xenarius's foot, he fell forward, but broke the fall into a roll. As soon as he settled himself, He saw Xenarius still facing him. well played... he thought. Now he would need to heat it up. HE decided it would be best to try to get some shots in. He moved forward to Xennarius, holding his hands up in a boxing stance. HE was not ready to release his 'Real Style'. He was abit jumpy like Xenarius was when getting ready for the match. When it came to strenght, Raphs Arms and legs excelled in that area. HE once observed Xenarius fight with him in varron. He didn't look strong. But never underestimate your opponent. So with one final litle jump, Raphael spinned and pushed his leg out forward in a strenghtend spin kick.

[Xenarius]

Again it was as simple as stepping back to avoid the attack, but this time I would step forward after the attack and throw two quick jabs at Raphael's ribs (on his left side) and his face (on his right side).

"Why is he going so slowly? I've seen him fight before... if he keeps up at this pace all I will have to do is wear him down to win the fight..." I think to myself as I do this. When I am in close for the punches I whisper to him. "Stop going easy on me Raph this is boring for me you and everyone watching us." Then if everything goes according to plan I take a step back away from him.

[kenshin]

Damit! Nothing works. He can't use his 'style' Or he'll put Xenariu's life at risk. so as his kick failed, Xenarius moved in and deliverd his Jibs to his ribs. However. As soon as Xenarius moved his fists to him, Rahael caught Both of His arms in his. But what really set him off was when Xenarius whisperd to him about this whole thing. Raphael went dead silent. He rememberd the same thing Back in polermo...what Loretta told him, was the exact thign Xenarius told him. His breathing rew heavy, his fists were clenched, his look was now angry and enraged. His hold of Xenarius's arms tighten. You want blood?....Fine...forgive me... he thought painfully. His eyes flashed open. He calculated every part of this next assault. With his left arm holding Xenarius's other arm, He would release his right arm and strike back with a mean right. Then while still holding Xenariu's other arm, he could get behind him and have him in a grip lock. He will carry it out, first the arm. Raphaels tight clench on his arm released, and his Right hand was formed like a claw as it was closing in on His Jaw.

[Xenarius]

"Hmm... that seems to have gotten a rise out of him..." I think to myself as his claw slams into my jaw. Then he gets behind me and try to basically pin me... He obviously forgot what my specialty is. After he gets behind me for his lock I will grab his arm that is grabbing me and his other arm as well. Then I would roll forward before he had a chance to lock up my legs in essence giving him the option of letting go or having his head hit the mat. If he loosens his grip I will propel him forward away from me and if not well we will both be on the mat and hopefully the hit to his head will loosen his grip for him.

"Now this should get interesting." I think as I start to taste blood.

[kenshin]

His 2nd part of his offense didnt go quite well. As soon as he moved behind to lock his arm and legs, He moved his legs out of the way and grabbed raphs arms. damn... he thought. Now Xenarius was going for the roll and smash. He had no choice but to let go. And so Xenarius Did propel him forward, away from him. This would cause him to stumble, but HE was able to do a flip to station himself perfectly. Now these two were separate again. Raphael Raised his right arm first, and took off the light red wrap around his hand, then the other. soon the wraps were down, and his hands can be seen. The were tightly clenched, but he relaxed them and opened his hand to reveal his fingers and nails. The nails themselves were filed and sharpend, to be sharp and deadly like the end of a sword. As Raphaels eyes looked at Xenarius with bloodlust in them. He started Moving slightly faster to Xenarius once again, his hand formed like claws ready to ravage him and his legs abit bent . No doubt would Xenarius assume his defensive posture. But now that his wraps were off and his hands and nails free, he could perform his defense break. Whenj he was within striking distance he raised his arm slightly and with the bottom side of his arm, slam down into Xenarius's defense, andbreak it. If it worked, then Raphael would open his hand and strike Xenarius across the jaw and probably face with his open hand and his sharp nails.

[Xenarius]

A small smile comes to my face as Raphael charges in for the attack. I can tell he expects me to stay on the defensive as I have done for the entire fight up to this point. Which is understandable. It is how I fought the entire time he saw me fight in Varron as well. But I picked up a few new tricks since he last saw me.

As he charges in I will actually step forward with my left foot and throw my right knee right into his gut. If this connects I will then slam my elbow down into the back of his neck as he bends over from the blow. If that also connects I will grab his right arm and lock it behind his back as he hits the mat.

[kenshin]

Raphael spread a smile of pure joy! Not only did Xenarius save him the trouble of Lowering his defenses but it left a tremendous opening! He watched Him move his left foot forward, He knew this from his fight with Taiku and Dain. Xenarius would carry out a knee strike. HE smiled so evily, because he saw a killer opening. He also wouldn't need to carry out a guard breaker, because it would put a heavy strain on Raphs arm. As he saw Xenarius's knee move to him, Raphael hopped and placed his hands directly onto his knee, then as if playing a game of leap frog, he propelled off his knee and was at face level with Xenarius, He took both his hands and grabbed onto Xenarius's face, digging his nails into the side of his head, and watchedas his knee would drive very painfully for the center of his face.

[Xenarius]

"Hmm this is quite a predicament..." I think to myself as he grabs my face and then I see the knee coming and smile. I reach out and grab his leg and pull it straight down, hard. The effect of this is that Raphael will be completely off balance and will now be rotating toward the ground. I let go of his leg with one of my hands while his hands are still occupied and slam my palm into the top of his nose. Then I will let it slide down far enough that I can gouge his eyes with my fingers (not to permanently blind him but hopefully to temporarily blind him). If he lets go I will back away from him. Small spatters of blood falling to the mat from my cheeks and forehead where he gouged.

[kenshin]

Once he felt the tug of his leg, he knew he was in some deep trouble.Shit...! need to move fast... he thought. As he drifted to the ground, through the corner of his half opened eye he saw the fist of Xenarius closing in, he was able to move his head out of the way from the punch, but he took the eye gouging. Raphael let out a horrible painful scream because of that. His hands and nails were still in Xenarius's head. As Xen moved so did he. His head was down, and he was breathing very heavy. Your blood....will decorate this arena... he thought darkly to himself. His head lifted up to face Xenarius. And his eyes flashed open. His eyes were very blood shot. Even though it was hard for him to see, he could make out a blurry figure that was Xenarius. His nails dug alittle more deeper. Raphaels arms tightend. And all Xenarius could hear was a blood thirsty Cry from Raph, As he Pulled Xenarius into his Left knee, and his neck landing right next to Raphs mouth. And he opend his jaw and bit right into the neck of Xenarius.

[Xenarius]

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH," the scream tore from my lips.... It wasn't the first time someone had bitten me, but it still caught me by Surprise. "What the hell are you doing?" I say to Raphael as I react to him biting my neck. I wrap his legs with mine and push so we both fall to the mat with me on top still holding his legs immobile. Then I begin to slam forward. Slamming his head into the mat with all the force in my body over and over until he lets go. If he does not let go I will reach up with one hand and press my thumb down on his wind pipe choking him.