Match of the Millennium

Description: She is a terrifying yet beautiful monster with snakes for hair. He is a brave young swordsman determined to defeat her. After traveling for days he's finally managed to track her down to a cave in the Turkish seaside town of Ayvalik. Can they manage to do battle without Perseus being turned to stone or Medusa losing her head?

[HENRY]
A beautiful town, stunning beaches, glorious weather, and Henry gets to explore.. a cave. Well, it's not like he can't return here at a later date or tool around a bit while the boat is still in port, Henry assures himself as he steps out of the sun and into the cool dampness of the cave. At least someone had the foresight to place some torches about the place for mood lighting.

After two matches of ignoring the theme of this particular part of the season, someone has apparently strongarmed Henry in at least paying lip service to the mythos of the theme by getting him to don a Greek style helmet with a red horsehair fringe a top it. Though it does look odd paired with a pair of blue jeans and an orange tee shirt with some sort of faded logo on it. The helmet does better match his sword and shield, to the untrained eye at least, the longsword and targe he prefers are quite achronistic to the helmet.

Still, he gives the sword in one hand a slight twirl as he steps further into the cave, trying to remember what he knows of his opponent to be. Wrestler. The shield might not be all that useful after all.

He turns from side to side as he keeps his guard up, every foot fall bringing him further into the murky depths of the cavern.

COMBATSYS: Henry has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Henry            0/-------/-------|

[SKYE]
In contrast to Henry, Skye has been developing a bit of a reputation for her costuming. After the rocky first round, her second round was a bit of an eye-catching with her meticulous, handmade, and (slightly inaccurate) cosplay of Atalanta. Going into this round, well, it's hard to know what to expect.

----- EARLIER -----

"Wait, I'm supposed to fight in a CAVE?" Skye's jaw continues to hang after she's done speaking. "Like, an actual cave? With BUGS and BATS and stuff?" The blond wrestler threw herself onto the bed of her room, scattering some of her sewing work and fabric paint. "Ugggh. ... wait, Medusa? Isn't that the snake hair lady? Oh my gosh. Can't I get, ya know, a cool part??"

----- NOW -----

"Greetingssss, Perseusssss," the voice trails her Ss just a bit too long and too awkwardly. As Henry's descent into the cave continues, she gets louder---her projection seems to good, but the acoustics of the cave certainly helps. In a large antechamber, Skyedusa has perched herself atop a large rock. She is dressed in a form-fitting Greek toga, carefully pinned together with large buttons that seem to have been freshly painted gold. Shorts and a sports bra under the toga are a little noticeable, but they do keep things decent. Most shocking of all, however, is Skye's hair.

Skye already has a lot of hair. The length and density of her twintails makes that clear. Right now, however, her hair is twist-braided meticulously into many snaking strands--each of which seems to be capped with what looks like a rubber snake head? It's...creative, at least. She also seems to have picked up a bit of scale-style body paint here and there to finish the aesthetic.

"I, Medoossssa," Skye continues, making a face at her own hissing, "know that you have come for my head, Persssseussss." Skye puffs out her chest.

"But can you resssisssst my ssstony gazzzze?"

Skye pauses abruptly. She makes a face.

"That was a Z. Gosh darn it."

"I mean, sssstep in my lair, sssooo that I may sssslay you inssssatead!"

And, as if on cue, Skye launches herself from the rock, whipping her leg around into an overhead tornado kick. If it connects, she pushes down, then wraps her other leg around Henry for a powerful scissors takedown!

COMBATSYS: Skye has joined the fight here.

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Skye             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Henry

COMBATSYS: Henry blocks Skye's Skyeclone.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Skye             0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Henry

[HENRY]
Maybe the shield won't be as useless as Henry thought, it comes up to quickly intercept the tornado kick, the sound of the blow landing on wood echoing through the cave. "Well, I guess we're getting started right off the bat?" He says easily. "I was hoping to get some spelunking in first."

Henry taps the tip of his blade against the cave floor as red chi shimmers down the length of the sword. "Hate to damage that outfit, looks like you put work into it." He adds the quirk of his half-smile only barely visible through the helmet.

Though that doesn't stop him as he takes a quick step back as he spins about, carrying his blade in a full circle arc around himself, tip extended as far as he can. The slicing path of the sword leaves a disc of shimmering red chi floating like an afterimage in the air for a moment, his dance link movements hopefull keeping him moving and out of the way of retaliation.

COMBATSYS: Henry successfully hits Skye with Lion Rampant.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Skye             0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0            Henry

[SKYE]
"Whoa!" Skye says as her kick is intercepted by the shield. She winds up in an awkward hopping stance for a moment as she tries to regain her footing, but despite her antics earlier, her gymnastic skills seem to be up to snuff. She hops on one leg two steps to pull her other leg down and regain her footing.

"People keep saying that," Skye mumbles, "then using swords..." (Gosh, he's so cool...)

Skye tries to bring up her guard, but it's a little too late as the circle of chi cuts along her forearms and splits part of her costume along the middle. "Ick!" Skye squeaks, stepping back again. "Cursssse you, Persssseusss," (Okay,) she thinks, (this is getting kind of fun). "How can you avoid my ssssstony gaze?" (Nailed it this time.) "I ssssuppossse other tacticsss are in order!"

Skye hunkers down and surges forward, aiming to grab Henry by the waist and heft him up clear over her head before spinning around into an overhead throw.

COMBATSYS: Henry dodges Skye's Medium Throw.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Skye             0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0            Henry

[HENRY]
There's a good reason the despite the sword and shield Henry usually foregoes anything resembling armor to complete the 'look.' He's almost like a gymnast in the way he stays moving and light on his feet. Though trained by a stuntman father, it's probably no surprise he's good at moving about.

"Swords are cool." He states solemnly as he keeps up his little spinning dance from his attack, slipping out of the way of Skye's grab.

He continues his dodging twirl and aims to smack Skye in the back with the flat of his sword. To be fair, even if it is the flat, it'd probably still feel like getting smacked by a metal baseball bat, so who knows if he's really doing her a favor with that maneuver.

COMBATSYS: Skye endures Henry's Random Strike.

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Skye             0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0            Henry

[SKYE]
Skye's gymnastics seem a bit more...amateurish, at best, by Henry's standards. They're of a level of skill that's less professional training and more "she might have dabbled in school." This comes through again when she does not attempt to avoid the incoming blade, and instead moves closer to Henry. The flat of the sword smacks her thigh with a heavy sound and an accompanying wobble, but the wrestler manages to keep her footing in spite of it all.

She sucks in breath, trying not to cry out, and grits her teeth. "I sssseee your sssswordsssmansssship," Skye pauses, smacking her lips. "Gosh, that was a mouthful," she whispers under her breath. "Hasss many formssss!"

But, having closed in, Skye dashes in low, aiming to spear Henry by smashing her shoulder into his waist, then take him to the ground. If she gets the takedown, she pushes her along the cavern floor before, with a great heave, lifting him up and flipping him over into a tombstone piledriver.

COMBATSYS: Henry parries Skye's Skyescraper!

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Skye             0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0            Henry

[HENRY]
Henry faces Skye, bouncing on his toes. "Well, you never know what form the casting call will be for." He says in a manner that sounds more like a quote, especially considering Henry hasn't actually worked in any films himself.

He doesn't have much time to banter though, not as Skye comes charging in again. He doesn't know how long he can keep up the game of cat and mouse, or bull and matador.. bull and Rodrigo? He slips to the side once more, but keeps his momentum going towards one of the cave walls, which he runs up slightly, sneakers gripping the rough stone, before kicking off to go airborne.

Midair, he twists about and aims for Skye, sword flaring with red energy once more as he brings down the blade from overhead, putting his falling weight behind the strike.

COMBATSYS: Skye interrupts Hawk Descendant EX from Henry with Skyeborne EX.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Skye             1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1            Henry

[SKYE]
"Gosh, that's really cool," Skye fully breaks character as "Medusa" for a moment. "Like, do you practice these or do like, they just come naturally? I'm not really that good at improv, ya know?"

But indeed, there is no time for a back and forth as suddenly Henry scales the wall with impeccable form before shifting to a downward strike. Skye plants her hands on the cave wall as he slips out of her grasp, but then she's put in the precarious position of being directly underneath the downward swing.

And Skye, in turn, pushes off the wall and curls. Both feet snap out suddenly like a cannon shot, the wrestler delivering a powerful dropkick even if Henry's blade slices through the side of her toga and cuts into her thigh in the exchange. Gritting through it, the blonde pulls herself into the kick, spreads her feet, and wraps her thighs around her fellow up-and-comer. Putting the squeeze on him, Skye then flips into a slamming Frankensteiner.

"Ow, ow, ow," Skye whines under her breath. "I want to fight someone without a sword next time..."

[HENRY]
There's no way to get away when you're airborne. Not unless you have wings or something, which Henry decidedly does not. So he unfortunately takes the kick to the midsection even as he manage to at least score something of a hit.

He starts twisting midair, trying to get himself into a landing position until he finds those legs wrapping around him. And then he has an intimate moment with the cave floor. "Ooomph."

He doesn't lay there in a daze though, instead rolling to his feet, planting his shield on the ground and pushing himself back up. "Well, that stung." He shakes his head to clear the spinning medusa-birds dancing about his head.

"Been training since I was a kid." He says, a hint of pride in his voice as he does so. Flipping the sword in his hand he brings it up beside his head. Though most would probably still call him a kid. He steps forward and swings his sword downwards. Instead of aiming for Skye he slashes the glowing tip of his blade along the rocky ground, sending up a shimmering spray of red chi-sparks between them.

COMBATSYS: Henry successfully hits Skye with Hound Couchant.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Skye             1/--=====/=======|=======\===----\1            Henry

[SKYE]
As the two separate, Skye takes a few labored breaths. Getting cut up seems to be wearing on her, as is Henry's mastery of that red energy. She takes a deep breath and holds it, psyching herself up as she rises to her feet.

When the power wave comes toward her, she fails to guard again, instead taking the blast head on as it crests around her and knocks her flat on her toush. Teeth gritted and eyes clothes, she yelps again.

"Ah, ah ha, Perssseusss, the godsss have blesssed you with consssiderable power! ... phew." Skye smacks her mouth and takes another breath. "But I, Medusssa will not not let you take my head without a fight!" Standing upright, Skye slaps her face and psyches herself, seeming to regain a bit of vitality before hunkering down.

Breaking into a sprint, Skye tries to rush in, grab hold, and quickly hip toss Henry--lacking the power from before, by trying to make for it with some speed.

COMBATSYS: Skye successfully hits Henry with Quick Throw.

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Skye             1/-======/=======|=======\======-\1            Henry

[HENRY]
Henry gives a half laugh-snort. "More hard work more than some god's blessing, but thanks." He take a moment to peel off the helmet and toss it aside. Really, the thing was getting a bit too stuffy. Thought the helmet hair really doesn't suit him, leaving a blue nest on top of his head he tries to fix by shaking his head.

He once more tries to bring his shield to bear to break Skye's headlong charge, but the chase is temporarily lost as she manages to get a hold of him.

"Erk." Is all he manages to say as he gets sent flying a few feet, but hits the ground in a roll and stops in a crouch with his sword pulled back, tip pointed towards Skyedusa.

"Okay, let's try this." The sword flares with his now familiar red chi, though it completely engulfs the sword this time as he tucks it under his arm, the energy forming into something more akin to a jousting lance. Even the soles of his shoes seem to glow as he pushes off the ground and launches himself forward at full speed, his feet sending up puffs of red light as they slam into the ground.

He aims toward's Skye's side, trying to score her with the lance as he rushes by.

If he makes it past her, he plants his foot and swings his chi-lance around in a wide horizontal slash, his teeth gritted in concentration of keeping the energy flowing long enough for the maneuver.

COMBATSYS: Skye interrupts Unicorn Respectant from Henry with Skye's the Limit EX.

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Skye             0/-------/---<<<<|=======\=======\1            Henry

[SKYE]
"Well, yeah," Skye interjects, breaking character again. "You've clearly trained really hard, but ya know, Medusa. Gotta be kind of a jerk, right?" At least Skye tries to cover her mouth and keep it somewhat quiet, but the cave is not very conducive to the exchange.

But then, as Henry gathers power and prepares a dramatic finish (?), Skye shifts her footing for a wider stance. She tries to steel herself, her eyes following his movement and sweat beading on her brow. Her skill with chi may be rather limited, but even she can tell that whatever comes next will be big.

The initial cut ripes through her costume to the skin underneath, inflicting a mixture of cut and a cut into her aura, but Skye endures, turning with the hit as he goes for the follow-up. She flexes her fingers and readies herself as he comes in, better prepared this time.

The lance of energy smashes into her, but Skye pushes back, pushing it away at great expense to herself. With the blade clear, she moves in for a charge, aiming to smash into Henry with a powerful shoulder check, but one that's more intended to set him up for what comes next.

Going for the lift, the blonde wraps her arms around his waist, lifts him up, then falls backward into a suplex. She rolls on over him after, however, positioning herself for a second rolling suplex, then a third after another tumble.

Bloodied and staggered, Skye stumbles once, then stands up straight. "H-hah! I'm not done! Here comes the finale!" Skye pauses, "Uh, Perseus! The wrath of the Gorgo--Gorg...Medusa!"

Skye hops up onto the stone platform from before, hikes up her toga (she has on shorts underneath), and makes a proclamation:

"If I can't pertrify you, I'll ssssquash you flat!" Skye hops backward, coming down on her "Perseus" with her oversized toush.

[HENRY]
It's clear Henry does not expect his chi lance to be pushed back upon, not with the way his eyes widen slightly at the moment it is. The chi flickers then fades out, leaving his panting quite a bit from the strain of having maintained that. There's a time to make things look effortless and then there's a time to let others know something was a strain. And with Henry it might be hard to tell what's acting and what's real. The sweat glistening across his face might be an indication though.

He has no time to react to the shoulder check, followed by a few more one on one meetings with the rocky floor of the cavern, each one eliciting a grunt of mixed pain and displeasure from the teen as he's smashed over and over again. Then just as he thinks he's free he casts a quizzical glance as the 'Gorgon' hoists up her wardrobe. "Wait.. what.. OOMPH!" And all the air goes out of him.

It's not dignified. Not at all.

At least she can't keep him pinned there, right? Right? Well, it doesn't matter, because Henry is just not going to put up with it. No ifs, ands, or.. well you get the idea.

Henry smacking his heel on the ground might be all the warning she gets. The moment he does so a blade of pure chi extends out from the end of his shoe. And in a move that requires more than a little flexibility, he brings his leg up as quickly as possible, trying to plant the chi-bootblade right into Skye's back.

If someone is going to sit on him, they are going to learn he is not a comfy chair.

COMBATSYS: Henry successfully hits Skye with Crane Vigilant.
- Power hit! -

[                        \\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Skye             1/-------/<<<<<<<|=======\=======\1            Henry

[SKYE]
Having just pulled off her "dramatic finale," Skye seems content, briefly, to rest on her laurels. "So! Perssseus," Skye speaks through labored breaths. "Are you ready to sssurrender?" The blonde keeps her seat, having been trained to go for the pin once someone's under her rear. "Perhapssss if I can't turn you to sssssstone I'll," Skye considers, "I'll jusssst ssssswallow you whole?" Skye makes a face.

"Could Medusa do that?" she whispers to Henry, "I mean, she was a snake lady, right? That seems on brand. I mean, I just kind of improvised and--eeep!"

Suddenly Henry, in a feat of dexterity AND maneuverability, has shifted to spike her, violently in the back with a boot blade.

"Huuuurk," Skye makes a pained noise as she falls forward off Henry and lands in a heap, wheezing. "Owwww, I thought you were done," she complains, still face down.

But then she plants her palms and vaults up, leaping to her feet in one motion--before almost immediately falling over. "I ssseriously admire your resssolve, Persssseusss!" Skye stumbles again. "I feel like I sprung a leak. Uh."

Skye pushes her hair back, knocking several loosened rubber snake heads out of her braids in the meantime. Her hand is extended in a sharp point. "But I'm not finisssshed either! Here I go!"

Skye barrels toward Henry again, swinging out with a sharp elbow aimed at catching him on the chin and staggering him long enough for her to hook her arms around his waist, jump with both of them, and deliver another dangerous powerbomb.

And, if she succeeds, she doesn't stop there. Instead, she hops after, adding insult to injury (well, and adding injury to injury) with another seated slam.

"Get ssssquisssshed!"

COMBATSYS: Henry counters Skyelight from Skye with Stag Guardant.

[                           \\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Skye             0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>-\1            Henry

[HENRY]
"Sorry." Henry states, only sounding half-apologetic. A fight is a fight afterall. It's what they're here to do and holding back is something of an insult. They'll just make friends later over, well not drinks, but some sort of social thing back on the ship.

Once Skye rolls off of him, he pulls a kip-up and springs back up to his feet. Though the landing isn't completely graceful, there's more than a little stumbling before he's back to stability. "Uhg, I think you bruised a rib." He winces, then shakes his head.

Squaring off with Skyedusa for what should be their last traded blows he brings up his shield.

"You know what happened to Medusa after her head got chopped off right?"

He doesn't answer verbally as Sky charges him, instead striking the rim of his shield with the pommel of his sword, causing the targe to light up with his crimson chi.

As the elbow strike comes in, Henry swings out his shield to meet it head on. But the crimson light proves to be more than just a defense, as when Skye's elbow strikes it, the chi flares for a moment, then explodes from the shield towards her in a wave.

"Shields. Surprisingly good as weapons.."

[SKYE]
In a brief moment, Skye seems sets to clinch victory. She thinks she has it in the bag. The dramatic display, the finishing slam. She plays through all in her head as she musters the energy for the charge.

And then, instead, she impacts the shield and the chi flares out like someone striking a gong. It bowls her right over, sending her rolling onto her back, then heels over head on over to her stomach. She lays there for a good few seconds, groans, and then finally pushes herself up.

"What'ssss that?" That was definitely not her earlier "hiss" and sounds more like a "punch drunk slur." "I forgot about that part..."

But Skye struggles forward anyway, throwing herself into a swift, sweeping kick. Doing so, however, seems to take the last of her balance, and Skye falls first onto her butt then flops back onto her back.

"Ow."

COMBATSYS: Skye has reached second wind!

[                             \  < >  ///////                       ]
Skye             0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>-\1            Henry

COMBATSYS: Henry dodges Skye's Light Kick.

[                             \  < >  ///////                       ]
Skye             0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>-\1            Henry

[HENRY]
Henry as well doesn't not seem as steady on his feet as he was, one knee seeminging to want to bend and buckle and only willpower keeping it from doing so. He shakes his shield arm a little, trying to bring back feeling into it.

"Okay.. are we...? Nope!" His question is answered as Skye makes another lunge for him. "You don't give up, do you?" He mutters as he manages to slip out of the way of another attack, his teeth gritted together.

His response is another flick of his blade towards the Gorgon, a quick slash as he keeps moving, afraif that if he stops he's going to fall over himself.

COMBATSYS: Henry successfully hits Skye with Quick Strike.

[                                < >  ////////                      ]
Skye             0/-------/-======|=======\=======\1            Henry

[SKYE]
With another deep groan, the blade slashes into what's left of Skye's toga before she falls to the ground. For a long, lingering moment, it seems like she might be down for the count and that Henry has a chance for a breather. It is a short one, at best.

Skye pushes herself up off the ground again, rolling over to do so. She staggers, stumbles, then dashes back toward him one final time to try and throw her whole weight and momentum into a hip-check. If it connects, she tries to then ride Henry to the ground in one more seated pin.

Whether it does or does not, after the exertion, she falls over in a heap---actually out of steam this time.

COMBATSYS: Skye can no longer fight.

[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Henry            1/=======/=======|

COMBATSYS: Henry dodges Skye's Skyedive.

[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Henry            1/=======/=======|

[HENRY]
Henry backs off a little after his strike, thinking that that surely must be the end of it. "Well.. that wa... Erk!" His thought cut off as Skye comes at him one more time.

He practically dives to the side to get out of the way of yet another attempt to grapple him, rolling along the ground with any semblence of grace gone righ out the window. He even almost loses his sword before he comes up with the blade pointed right towards his opponent. Though the weapon shakes noticeably, his usual steady grip weakened from exhaustion.

He squints at the fallen Gorgon, this time really waiting to make sure she's staying down as he finally lowers his sword and gets to his feet. "Sheesh, you had me on the ropes there."

He winces as he stands and makes his way over to a rock where he sits down and lays his sword across his thighs, his once orange tee grimy and clinging to him, and some wonderful bruises already starting to polka dot his skin, but he's up. Mostly.

"That was a good fight, thanks for that." He winces again as he shifts on his seat. "I'm going to be feeling that buttdrop for a few days."

COMBATSYS: Henry has ended the fight here.


[SKYE]
"Nnnngh," Skye says, facedown still. "Thanks," she adds after. "I guess the hero is supposed to win, but at least I tried."

She blows her hair out of her face. "That was a good fight. I'm going to have to try harder next time." Beat.

"I don't think I can get up. ... no no, it's fine. I'll just lay here a bit. Ow."

[HENRY]
Henry chuckles softly and lays back on his rock seat. "I look forward to it. Well, not the having my head smashed into the ground part, but the fight." He stares up at the ceiling.

"I'd come help you up but then we'd both be on the ground but the medical team should be here soon enough."

And sure enough, as they were waiting outside the cave once it's clear the two are done with their brawl the medics come rushing in to tend to the two fighters.

Log created on 23:55:03 04/02/2024 by Skye, and last modified on 04:21:24 04/08/2024.