Match of the Millennium

Description: Our first stop on our global tour de force is in the Great White North! No, not Canada (they're still not returning our calls), but Finland, home of Santa Claus! This match will pit one of our greatest American woodsmen (a boy scout, naturally) against one of Finland's greatest woodsmen in a battle above the crater lake, Paasselka! If you're eagle-eyed and lucky, you might even spot one of the Paasselka Devils, a harmless local will-o'-the-wisp phenomenon!

[TARMO]
It's late into the day. But on this stage of summer, in this part of Finland, the sun is still up in the sky. Close to the horizon, sure, but high enough to provide much more light across the land than in more southern regions. In this time of the year, there's no true night to offer here, near Paasselkä.

And on a hill overlooking the grand, massive lake brought on by a meteor since before the time of mankind, the sharp *thunk* of an axe splitting through logs of wood rings out amidst the trees... all captured dramatically by a camera drone operated by the Saturday Night Fight production company, naturally.

Here, in this serene, picturesque place, in the heart northern europe, a massive, bearded and massively muscled local has taken to setting up camp. Now chopping up firewood for a campfire-to-be, with his topless form glistening with faint hints of sweat in the light of the Night Sun (possibly visually enhanced in post by the editing team, because *of course*). He has probably been here for a while. Well before a certain american visitor to this far-away land would make his way there.

In the distance, then, faint hints of green light flicker above the seemingly-endless waters of the lake. Huh. Maybe it's just a trick of light reflecting off the camera lense.

[AARON]
From the azure horizon of the lake, a small disturbance appeared. Snaking a path between the green flickers was the pinpoint of red. As the sun moved in its never setting path, the red dot grew to unveil a red painted canoe. As the paddling of the vessel drew it nearer, the paddler Aaron Fang proved apparent. His skin covered from the relentless sun by long spandex sleeves.

Nearing the camp, the pace of the oar slowed. The canoe turned starboard side to shore. The teen rose the paddle high above the water to wave. "Mr. Karmala! Is that you?" He called to the camp. His vessel softly slid into a silty, gravely, patch adjacent to long lakeside grasses. His water shoes plopped right onto the rocks.

"Is now a good time Sir?"

[TARMO]
The approach of the canoe is... well, unexpected. It's not that there aren't boating hobbyists of all sorts (not to mention fishermen) roaming about the waters at all times of the year when the lake isn't frozen. But the Finn that has taken up camp by the shore here was... perhaps not expecting the opponent lined up for him by the occasionally-questionable SNF corporate minds to arrive here at this appointed place by such means.

The particular approach Aaron has taken does also come with the unintended side-effect that the faint little orbs have taken to hovering along the path he took along the water. It could very well be neither of them notice, though. The light phenomenon itself is a rare and difficult sighting in the first place.

"I guess you decided to take in the sights?" The finn calls out, after just a glance set to the side to the way of the american, before swinging the axe down to split one more piece of wood under the weight of it. That'll be enough for now, though. And with that, he takes a step back, and... throws the axe off to the side, sending it spinning it through the air until it smacks blade-first into a tree, sinking all-too-easily into it.

"Just make sure you don't overheat," Tarmo rumbles, turning to reach for a towel set aside to wipe at his sweaty face and equallly sweaty, bare arms with. "And I'll be ready for ya whenever ya are. I think those guys up there..." A nod towards one camera drone overhead. "Are a bit too eager to get started too."

[AARON]
Aaron just gave a cheerful smile. "No need to worry about me." he said, before taking a swig from his canteen. "These conditions are quite manageable." He wiped the few drops of seat from his brow. "Heat is fine to deal with, so long as you prepare." While far more covered than his shirtless opposite, the scout was perfectly cool thanks to the mesh wicking away his sweat and allowing its evaporation to cool him.

He placed his drink back into the canoe. And pulled from it a large wrap. He unfurled it to unveil his perfectly dry walking stick, and his quiver of arrows. The scout began the labor of stringing his walking stick into a bow, the hardwood being largely unyielding.

Bow strung Aaron walked slowly closer, being careful of the ax. "Is there anything else you need sir?" He stretched out his hand. "Or shall we get to the shake?"

[TARMO]
"Oooooh?" Tarmo's brows quirk up while he watches the scout, watching him work the walking stick into a bow with great curiousity while the thick logs that he calls his arms move to fold up together over his chest. "So you're that kinda fighter, are ya? Interestin'. Take your time there, don' wanna have you fightin' off your peak there."

Truly, the Finn simply wants an exciting fight, and trying to put a handicap on someone based on aspects of their style would just make things entirely unfun.

Once Aaron has gotten things done and dealt with, the Finn flashes a wiiiide, toothy grin at him... and with all focus on him, and Aaron's own back turned to the lake, it's unlikely either of them has noticed the suddenly much-closer hovering of the flickering green lights -- now almost directly above the two of them, much to the confusion of the tv crew recording and broadcasting this encounter.

"Oh, I've been ready," he assures the scout, with one foot lifting up just to stomp down again with a heavy THUMP, his weight nearly making the ground itself shake. "And seems like you are too... well, you better be anyway, cuz--"

And suddenly, the Finn lunges forward into a charge, arms folded ahead of him. Apparently aiming to simply barrel right over the scout?!

"I'm done waitin'!!"

COMBATSYS: Tarmo has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Tarmo            0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Aaron has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Aaron            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Tarmo

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Aaron            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Tarmo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru has left the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Aaron            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Tarmo

COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Tarmo's Rynnakko.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Aaron            0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0            Tarmo

[AARON]
Oh, but the scout was prepared. When Tarmo charges at him, he puts out his hiking stick to stop it. When the man impacts, the teen held his stance firm, but slide back across the muddy gravel. When he finally came to a stop, his shoes had been soaked with filth. But his bow remained right where it was, while his right hand pulled back the string.

In the glare of the sun upon the lake, what Aaron was doing might be hard to discern. About his fingertips was a shining collection of light, when he finally pulled the string to his check, her let it slip. From his bow let loose a bolt of pure light, aimed straight at Tarmo.

COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Tarmo with Arrow of Light.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Aaron            0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0            Tarmo

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru has joined the fight here.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Aaron            0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[TARMO]
"Sturdy for such a lil' guy," Tarmo growls with a continued grin, halting his pushing charge when it inevitably grows clear that he's not going to get much more out of it. He stamps his foot back instead at that point, preparing to--

Hey wait a minute. What is that?

With a little noise of surprise, the massive finn sweeps his other foot back and to the side in a quick, panicked maneuver, only to find a blast of light smacking straight into his bared chest, sending him sliding back while he stares down at the tendrils of steam now flowing upwards from where the blast impacted.

"--Not quite what I was expecting," he confesses, after his eyes snap back up to Aaron. ANd the grin returns. "But--!"

Quickly, the big man is barreling forward again, trying to make up for the distance put between the two again by the ranged attack -- even if just to swing his massive fist in for a quick jab if nothing else!

"Ain't done with ya yet!"

COMBATSYS: Tarmo successfully hits Aaron with Quick Punch.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Aaron            0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[AARON]
The scout's shot landed and the man dropped. But more would be needed before he would be stopped. When the man charged, Aaron tried to avoid his path in vain. When the fist struck, something felt familiar. Ever since that meeting with Crock, Aaron would something feel a knife across his spirit. He had learned to fold the knife when he needed to, but now he felt its slash again. The knife was from Tarmo this time.

He out his feet back into the rocks below him. He tried to feel if the knife was just around him, hidden in the stones, the winds, the water. If it was anywhere but Tarmo, any possibility but the same affliction striking twice. In the shining of the sun, the white light that shone about the scout danced in the natural glare. He asked a question. "Mr. Karmala? Have you been feeling something sharp across your spirit?"

COMBATSYS: Aaron gathers the Spirit of Scouting.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Aaron            1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[TARMO]
"Eeeeh?"

The sound of confusion is aimed equally at both the light gathering around the american, and the question that comes from him.

"Might be," the Finn allows in answer at least, hand held up ahead of his face for a moment to shield his vision from the bright light while he stretches his head to the one side, and then the other.

"But ya really have time to think about that?!" He barks out-- and then takes the initiative, launching himself into a quick sprint towards the american -- leaping out up high as he nears him, with enormous palms reaching for his shoulders. Aiming to slam him right down onto the ground with the force of his own weight alone -- and to squash him underneath it with his enormous figure!

COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Tarmo's Pommitus.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Aaron            1/=======/=======|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[AARON]
His opponent jumped at him and Aaron flinched as the man began to bear down on him. He was bent backwards by the weight, but his fall to the ground was stopped by propping his hiking stick back into an awkward tripod. Such an event happening twice, he had so many questions. Did he make contact with the same man? Was there some kind of pattern to this? These questions of the knife would have to wait until the end, he would have to make it end.

He let his knife unfold.

The weight baring down on it, was compressing his bow, so he let it go. Letting the bow go so it might spring back and launch at the larger man. Stave distracting, he would swing his fist at the man's side, forming a red blade of spirit to stick in his side. To get space, he would provide a kick to allow his hands time to regain hold of the bow. A secured grip would let him an upward swing. The upward swing giving the weight needed for a downwards chop, with the head of the stick forming a translucence red mimic of the very ax head Tarmo was using before.

COMBATSYS: Tarmo blocks Aaron's Be Prepared EX.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Aaron            0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0            Tarmo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[TARMO]
Tarmo finds himself on the most unusual springboard. Where Aaron's bow is the spring and Aaron himself is the board, apparently!

"Ooooh, clever boy," the Finn barks out with some excited laughter. "Can't imagine that's comfortable though!"

Well, Aaron certainly seems to agree with him. And Tarmo, on the other hand, did not quite foresee the scout turning aside to release the pressure of the bending bow, and his eyes flash wide open with the realization of what's coming.

"Whoa--?!"

Just barely in time, he manages to turn aside, letting the staff thrust past him instead of into him--

But that clears the way for Aaron's fist to punch the blade of spiritual energy into his side. "Gh?!"

It might not be a terribly deep cut, but it's enough to distress the Finn, and further clear the way for the spacing-growing kick to his sturdy abdominals before he finally regains his balance from the desperate bid at a dodge.

Just in time to make a big old stationary target for the downward swing of the staff and the axe-head of energy formed upon it.

But--

Just before the sharp end collides with the top of Tarmo's skull, the swing of the stick is suddenly halted by his left hand, lifted up above and grabbing onto the shaft in a terrifyingly firm, unrelenting grip.

"Nice tricks," he concedes with a wide grin offered to Aaron again, while he winds up his right fist low behind him. "Now lemme show you how we do things 'round these parts!"

And there comes a powerful stomp forward, his hand letting go of the younger man's stick to give himself more comfortable room to move in with -- and swing his right arm into a furious uppercut powerful enough to send the scout up into the air! If it does, he doesn't simply let him go with that, either -- the massive Finn would leap right after him, and wrap one thick arm over him, and use his own weight to bring him down to the ground that much harder, to squish under his mass!

A strange cluster of glowing green lights rises from the lake and approaches with malevolent intent...

COMBATSYS: Tarmo knocks away Aaron with Ilmahyokkays EX.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Aaron            1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru successfully hits Aaron with Ghostfire.
- Power hit! -

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Aaron            1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[AARON]
In the heat of the melee, the green lights flicker brighter. The upper cut comes, and the Eagle is airborne. His ascents turn to descent is accelerated by the man's force. Aaron slammed into the ground and skid across the slippery stones. When he finally stopped at the start of the water, the green ghostly fires overwhelmed him.

But these fires were weak. Aaron had been burned by hotter flames, more fearful flames, as the ghastly gas moved though and passed him, he simply returned back to a stand. The scout drew an arrow from his quiver and notched it. He felt the winds that pushed the flames, the wind would favor his shot. He held his breath, sucking in the northern winds. Waiting for the moment to fire.

COMBATSYS: Aaron takes aim.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Aaron            1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Tarmo Toughs Out PaasselkaPiru's Ghostfire!

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Aaron            1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[TARMO]
"Ugaah?!"

The sound from Tarmo, coming out with his sudden bounce up away from Aaron's figure after the... rather unique method of attack, drawn out by the sudden washing over of green flames seems to be one more of surprise than actual pain. His hands pat quickly against his topless form to try and chase off the errant little flames there, even while he's stomping after Aaron's retreat!

"Stupid things! I thought they stopped doing this shit?!" Wait, is this not the first time this has happened to him?

But either way, the heat and burning from the sprite-like things doesn't cause him to hesitate at all. His stomping foot sends him into a lunge after the american, with his massive paw reached out! "YOu're not going anywheeeeeere!!!"

And thrust out right towards Aaron's face, to outright grab onto it and slam him down onto the ground, skull-first! If he does, he doesn't even stop there-- intending to slam his form up and down in rapid succession by the grip on his head, before simply tossing him like a ragdoll into the air, and driving his muscular arm into the young man as a final insult to injury when he falls down again!

COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Tarmo's Hakkaa Paalle.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Aaron            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Aaron endures PaasselkaPiru's Ghostfire.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Aaron            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[AARON]
Aaron's face is grabbed and his whole body is violently slammed down. But by the time of the slam, there is nothing but a splattering of blood where the Eagle once was. The teen had escaped the rest of the attack by rolling INTO the green fires themselves, returning to a rise within the water's lapping.

Withstanding the heat of the flames to not obscure his shot, Aaron says one final statement before firing. "Language Sir". The arrow screams through the air, dancing through the fires, headed by a bright burning blade about the tip... and then the rest follow. He retrieves, notches, draws, aims, and fires eleven more arrows, each to land as hard as the last. The scout produces a one man volley of arrows aimed at one man.

COMBATSYS: Tarmo dodges PaasselkaPiru's Ghostfire.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Aaron            0/-------/---<<<<|-------\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Tarmo with Empowered Scout's Law EX.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Aaron            0/-------/---<<<<|=======\-------\1            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

[TARMO]
"Ain't nothin' wrong with usin' all your language has to offer!" the Finn insists as he bounces back, away from a sudden surge of phantasmal fire with a click of his tongue. But then there's-- wait, a blast of light from within the fires?

Oh. It's an arrow. That's probably not good.

And even less so when there's an entire storm of them! In spite of Tarmo's best efforts at putting his arms up to at least try to shield himself, each and every one collides front and center with the big man's chest, pushing him back bit by bit as his feet skid back along the ground... and at the end of it all, leaving him wobbling where he stands, eyes rolled up and steam rising up from every part of his body.

"Uuuuugggghhh..."

Eventually, he does manage to stabilize himself, even if he damn near buckles over forward entirely, with a big gout of blood spat out from within his mouth to land into a puddle upon the ground in front of him.

"GUhh... Tricksy..." He growls, something almost akin to madness rising in his eyes now while he stomps sidewards -- setting himself to circling around the american's perimeter. Carefully watching him. Like a llion stalking it's prey.

COMBATSYS: Tarmo focuses on his next action.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Aaron            0/-------/---<<<<|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru successfully hits Aaron with Ghostfire.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Aaron            0/-------/---<<<<|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/------=|

[AARON]
Tarmo gives Aaron the hint of mercy, not yet striking, but just circling him. Oh, but those fires burned higher. The flames lash up at the teenager, he almost feels them consume him, to drift away in their warm embrace.

But he would not lay down into the burning end. He would make his stand. The scout swung out his bow like a great sickle to Tarmo's patrol. While distracted by the wide strike, Aaron would retrieve a trio of arrows from the man's torso with a firm yank of the other hand.

COMBATSYS: Aaron keeps on fighting!

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Aaron            0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: Tarmo interrupts Scout Salute from Aaron with Moukari-Isku EX.

[                           \\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Aaron            1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0            Tarmo
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru successfully hits Tarmo with Ghostfire.

[                           \\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Aaron            1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0            Tarmo
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/------=|

[TARMO]
Tarmo, as it turns out, appears to have different ideas. The instant Aaron comes sweeping in with the length of the bow, the Finn stomps right in too. ANd he uses his own size and reach to his advantage, snatching a tight hold of the scout's armo before the swing has gone through--

"Gotcha!"

And with taht vice-like grip, he turns along with the initial momentum of Aaron's swing, and quickly throws him right over his own head and down onto the ground with a heavy THUMP.

"You wanna just sit down now?" He suggests with a wide grin, still holding on the American's arm with his strong hand... and then suddenly, a flash of light comes up behind him, and ethereal green flames wash over his bare back!

"GAH?! SERIOUSLY?!"

[AARON]
Before he could pull the arrows out, Aaron was pulled in. By the time he crashed back down into the stones and soil, he knew it was the end. He could have just lain down and let the other win, there was no grand gain in this wilderness. But if he gave up now, would he still have the willpower when it mattered? Warmly smiling with teeth painted a fresh red. "You first, sir", he said before moving into action.

Aaron pulled a trio of arrows from his quiver. Already behind his foe, he launched into the air, holding the arrows like a dagger. To billow down, hand gripping a trio of arrows glimmering like a great red blade, to try and land them in his back. It would be his last chance to win, to not give in, to pull them both down into the flames.

COMBATSYS: Aaron can no longer fight.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Tarmo            0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0    PaasselkaPiru

COMBATSYS: Tarmo interrupts Fleur De Lis from Aaron with Karhun Isku EX.
- Power hit! -

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Tarmo            0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0    PaasselkaPiru

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru successfully hits Tarmo with Ghostfire.
COMBATSYS: Tarmo refuses to stay down!

[                         \\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Tarmo            0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0    PaasselkaPiru

[TARMO]
The massive finn, unfortunately, is unrelenting. There's hardly even a chance given for Aaron to finish his maneuver, before Tarmo has already spun around -- and brought his boulder-sized fist slamming into him from above and smack him right back down onto the ground with a growl of, "I said SIT!"

And yet, the flames come again. A bright green gout licks right over Tarmo's bare back once again, before washing over his entire upper body. The ethereal fire doesn't catch onto anything, but it does leave the Finn wobbling forward--

Only to stomp one foot down in forceful support of his weight with a defiant growl.

"Alright... Guess... That's it..." He mutters, hand reaching down to snatch the american from the ground and unceremoniously hoist him over his shoulder -- before setting into brisk leaps to get *away* from the shoreline. "Guess we overstayed our welcome... hhh... We'll get your boat back later, sorry!"

COMBATSYS: Tarmo has left the fight here.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru takes no action.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
PaasselkaPiru    0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: PaasselkaPiru has ended the fight here.

Log created on 15:10:49 07/01/2021 by Aaron, and last modified on 16:35:46 07/14/2021.