Match of the Millennium

Description: With the revelation that the island's former owner is not so former after all, an emergency dance party has been announced at Zack's place. More revelations follow, the most important of which is that Zack has a fully-stocked cocktail bar despite having spent the last eight years or so in hiding.

[ZACK]
It's been a strange few days on Zack Island.

Or maybe it's been longer than that. It's hard to get everyone to agree on that point. Perhaps between the smoke from Junko's wall of fire surrounding the island and its subsidiaries, the strange medicinal herbs that have been found growing around the resort and its environs, and varying degrees of physical, psychological and emotional trauma experienced by the New Fighting Generation fighters and staff, perceptions of time and its passage have become unreliable.

However, a few temporal markers can be agreed upon:

At some point, the NFG members arrived on New Zack Island via glass-bottom boat for a three hour tour. During the journey, the existence of New Zack Island was explained, along with the unsolved disappearance and declaration of death in absentia of Zack.

Shortly thereafter, the mad phoenix Suzaku, inhabiting the form of Daidouji Junko, destroyed the glass-bottom boat and erected a wall of fire around the island, cutting off the NFG crew from the outside world (and vice versa).

Not long after that, Tom and Lou hastily devised a plan to mediate and film the contractually obliged tag team tournament in short order while also assigning scavenging duties to those who weren't actively participating and with an ultimate eye toward confronting Junko atop the volcano.

Not long after that, teams competed in the first round, Zack Coins were located, a supply of incredibly bland wedding rice was found by NFG staff, and plans were made for the next round of the tournament and scavenging duties.

Not long after that, the next round of matches were fought, one of the teams independently pursued a group of binturong-kidnapping meerkats into the jungle only to apparently be attacked by monsters, and three familiar faces turned up at the resort: famed (and until recently, missing) actor and NFG competitor John Doe, technologically-displaced dimensional immigrant Ayala, and, perhaps least surprisingly but most bizarrely, Zack.

Also, there were two Zacks. One of them was very large, angry, and apparently biomedically unsound.

It's the other Zack that's invited everyone on the island to a party at his place.

<< Hello all you sexy New Zack Island people! Yes, I'm talking to you! It's nine o'clock! So that means it's time to head on over to Radio ZACK for our emergency meeting party! >>

This message was broadcast throughout the Isla Zaca resort, apparently by megaphone, as the radio mast was down. Yes, Zack has been wandering all over the resort to make sure that everyone got the memo. Is it actually nine o'clock? Who can say? With the wifi down, nobody can be sure what the exact actual time is.

But at Radio Zack, it's definitely party time.

The residence is lighting up the night like the CWA lighting up a never-ending series of wrestlers' entrances, multi-coloured spotlights presenting shifting patterns of illumination across the recently-renovated open air dancefloor that leads out to the lawn. Tables have been set up outside, broken glass has been swept away, and the bass is pumping. Perhaps most salient of all, though, is an open bar with all sorts of alcoholic options (as well as canned juices and ice), and across from it a table laden with various Zack-in-the-Box goodies that have been gathered together, as well as donations of Teddy Grahams, rice cakes, granola bars, ramen noodles, and fruit snacks from Zack's personal stash. A mind-blowing variety of spices has also been set out to flavour a massive batch of otherwise bland rice.

Apparently Zack's been relying on non-perishables as well.

Meanwhile, Zack has been manning the turntables, waiting for partygoers to arrive and taking requests for the evening's playlist from his extensive library.

Above the open gaps where full-length windows used to be hangs a makeshift banner that reads:

'EMERGENCY PARTY - OPEN BAR'

[HAWKSLEY]
Once again Hawksley Moore is showing up to a party looking a bit of a mess. This morning's events have taken their toll on the cheery Cork fella, but at least he's no longer blind in one eye. Things are still a fair bit blurry though. Then there's the state of his clothing, or what's left of it. His white tank top had been destroyed in the battle with the mysterious monsters in the jungle, leaving him topless, and his denim shorts are soaked in blood.

The sight of a sign stating 'EMERGENCY PARTY - OPEN BAR' lifts the lad spirits. "Damn right it's a fecking emergency. I've not been properly wasted in three days." He calls out to whoever may be in earshot.

As party venues go, the Irishman has to admit it's a pretty impressive one. This is more like the island life he'd imagined when he'd heard the NFG circus was moving to the Caribbean. He starts nodding his dark head in time to the beat of the drums and boom of the bassline. He spares a curious glance to the man who is making the music happen and then heads in the direction of the bar.

[JOHN DOE]
With Zack in charge of music and announcements, and Second Zack dead of total organ failure, bar duty has fallen to the third most qualified man on the island for such a sacred trust. Right hand man to - and close personal friend of - Zack himself, John Doe.
Striking an elegant mix of Black Tie formal and Beach Side casual, JD stands behind the bar in a black tuxedo jacket worn open with no shirt, a pair of dark reflective shades, baggy orange and black plaid swim trunks, and Velcro sandals. The hand towel draped over his shoulder completes a look that only he could pull off, his freshly washed hair flowing down around his face in artful waves.
Spotting Hawksley's approach, the recently returned actor throws him a cooly casual thumbs up, his little grin seeming to suggest they'd only been apart days, not months. Other hand reaching beneath the table, he extracts a carefully folded bundle of red paisley and tosses it underhand toward the other NFG OG, before setting about pouring him a drink.
"Hmmh." he mutters in greeting, tone dry at the ravaged state of his friend.

[ROXANA]
In contrast to Hawksley, Roxana is looking immaculate as always. Her coconut white bikini is somehow pristine, despite her wearing it for her fight with Albert earlier. Her performance wasn't quite so perfect however. The black-haired beauty had taken a bit of a beating at the hands (and sword) of the muscular German, but from the serene smile she's wearing, it doesn't seem to have had much impact on her mood.

As well as the bikini, she's slipped on her white sheer coverall, that's tied loosely at the waist, and her diamante sandals. Her hip-length locks have been released from their usual slick scorpion-braid to fall loosely in waves around her shapely frame.

"This is beautiful." She states softly, looking down at the lawn beneath her feet. As the lights dance over her smooth honey-coloured skin, she starts to move to the music. It's not a song she recognises but it feels good to be using her body for something other than violence.

[COCO]
While their exploits over the course of the day may have had them apart earlier on, Coco has become considerably more clingy where Hawksley is concerned since she found out after her fight the condition that her boy-toy had returned to camp in. "Lucky! Wait for me!" she calls after him, having caught her diamond-encrusted heels on the path to Zack's party palace. She hops along after him as she straightens her sandal. She's dressed in the metallic purple bikini in which she arrived on the island, having had a chance to wash it in the resort's facilities while she fought her earlier match in the strawberry-and-cream one she'd won from a Zack-in-the-Box and having since washed off the stench of defeat experienced in that match.

She manages to sort herself by the time she hits the dancefloor, her heels clicking as she chases her hero toward the bar.

Also clicking along the dancefloor are the claws of Captain Morgan, rescuee from a life as God-king of the meerkats thanks to Hawksley's efforts. He's still wearing the mysterious crown that he was found sporting in the depths of the jungle.

"Oh em gee, Jay Dee? Is that you? Double ewe tee eff! This is so oh tee tee!" Coco gushes upon seeing John Doe behind the bar. "How have you been? Do you know Zack? What's he like? Oh, can you make me a Long Island? And make it, like, extra long?"

[TANWEN]
Meanwhile, two more partygoers are also arriving at the Casa Zaca: a rather portly, bald middle-aged man in a white t-shirt and blue swim trunks and flip-flops, and what appears to be a teenage girl (but is actually a dragon) with coppery hair sporting an indigo bucket hat and a large white towel that's been converted into a fluffy club dress through strategic folding and a belt from a bathrobe. Most would likely recognize these as Winn and Tanwen, the Welsh dad figure and dragon girl who, prior to their arrival on Zack Island, were known to terrorize the buffets aboard The Mermaid.

"Now, remember, Tan - make sure everybody has a go on the buffet before you go taking what you'd like," Winn is telling Tanwen as they wander in.

"I know," Tanwen says, sulking and sinking her shoulders sullenly for a moment as she sees the food laid out on the table and her stomach lets out an involuntary rumble. Then, distracting herself, she holds up the netted sack that she's carrying and brightens a little. "I know! I'll just be handing out these shells to everyone while I wait. It will be lovely, it will. I can't wait to see how excited everyone will be!"

Her eyes scan the room before falling on Roxana, and she quickly bounds over to the girl in the coconut bikini, shoving her hand into her sack and rifling around before pulling out a large sea scallop shell, offering it to the girl. "Hello, Miss Roxana! Would you like a sea scallop? It's not for eating, but it looks lovely, and you can keep it if you like."

[HAWKSLEY]
As requested, Hawksley halts his progress to let the purple-haired party girl catch up to him. His vision may be partially blurry right now but he can still appreciate the sight of the British babe in her dazzling bikini.

When she arrives behind him at the bar, he awards both her and her bearcat with a brilliant beaming smile. "Well if isn't Coco Pops and his highness himself, King Morgie."

The brawler's about to turn to the bartender to put in his order when he hears the Englishwoman's excited greeting and he takes a closer look at him. "Jay Dee? Well I'll be damned. First Ayala and now this. All of you feckers are crawling back out of the woodwork."

The look on his tanned face shows how pleased he is to see his buddy. "You know, I was after thinking those cailins at the prison had mauled you to death and the en eff gee had covered the whole thing up. What's the story? Have you been on this island the whole time?"

As he awaits the answer, Hawksley accepts the gift of the tank top and pulls it on over his head. Red paisley may not have been his first choice of fashion, but the colour compliments his dark hair, skin and eyes, and matches the stains on his shorts.

"Ah, that's just grand, fella. How did you know I'd banjaxed my other one?"

[JOHN DOE]
How indeed.
"Ehh." JD deflects, grin turning shy as a wave of his pale hand modestly dismisses any concerns or curiosity aimed at him. Setting aside the bottle of bourbon he'd been pouring, he slides the chilled glass across to his friend, sans ice, and turns his attention to the purplekinied babe bringing up his rear.
"Khkoo," he greats warmly, flashing a casual salute toward the little critter at her feet. "Zhk? Mmmhk..." A lazy shrug of his shoulder and he indicates where Zack is working the turn tables, dark brows waggling up and down over his sunglasses.
Quite the character, it seems.
"Yyyyh?" he shoots back, turning the conversation back toward his fellows even as graceful hands collect a high ball glass, lemon wedge, soda can and an assortment of bottles. Pouring and mixing with relaxed confidence, he seems content to soak in the vibes and serve people their drinks, as mysteriously charismatic and earnest as he ever was.

[ROXANA]
Roxana senses Tanwen approaching her. It's hard to ignore the vibrant energy that the dragon-woman has and it brings a slow smile to the Nebraskan's face.

"Hey, Tanwen. It's good to see you." Her black eyes shift down to look at the seashell.

"I'd love one. It has such an exquisite shape." Taking the treasure from Tanwen, Rox holds it in the palm of her left hand and uses the fingers of her right hand, to trace its outline.

"Where did you find it? Was it on Niki Beach?" She hadn't spotted any such things herself, during the match earlier in the day, but to be fair her mind had been on other matters.

[COCO]
Coco is careful enough to not apply pressure directly into any wounds, if only just, as she leans up against Hawksley's side. "Oh, that's right. Ayala's back too! That's fantastic. Do you think they've been secretly scripting all of this? I mean, I can't decide what seems least likely between you guys showing up completely coincidentally and the NFG somehow paying Junko to set the island on fire."

She nods along at John Doe's explanation of his relationship with Zack. "Oh, that's cool. Zack's kind of like the ultimate celebrity, isn't he? I can see why he would have been laying low all this time, working on his craft and all. Do you think he secretly planned all this so that we'd all get here and he'd be like, 'Surprise! It's Zack, baby!'?"

Meanwhile, Morgie wanders over toward the DJ booth, drawn by... something or other. Perhaps the sheer magnetism of Zack himself.

"Did you know that the meerkats did this to Lucky after they kidnapped Morgie? I mean, I don't blame them, since we're totally invading their territory. It's so tragic. Hey, did you try putting those herbs I found on your shoulder?"

[TANWEN]
"Nooo," Tanwen replies boisterously as Roxana guesses at where she found the shells. "Well, I mean, sort of! They were in a treasure chest, they were! Down under the sea! It was the first time I ever found a real treasure chest! Chevy and me pulled it out and found all the shells. /And/ two Zack Coins!"

Tanwen puffs up her chest proudly as she tells the Gear the story.

"You can use it for holding little things if you want, like a pat of butter or a bar of soap. Well, maybe not a pat of butter. Or you can just keep it to look nice, I suppose. It's not the same as a sand dollar, though. Have you finished making a character sheet for Soraya? We've not all started yet, really. Oh!" A sudden recollection interrupts Tanwen's train of thought.

"You were going to fight Sir Albert today, weren't you? How did it go? I haven't seen him yet, either."

[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley's eyes drink in the bottle of bourbon that John sets aside and then come to rest on the offered glass gratefully. "Cheers, fella." He toasts, before downing the amber liquid in one gulp.

Like the film star he looks in the direction if the DJ, curious about the legendary party man. Surely he's got something special in store for them this evening?

"Are you excited to meet one of your idols then, Coco Pops?" He asks. "It's good news that the man isn't dead but I can't help but wonder where he's been all this time. It seems like people mysteriously vanishing and then reappearing is all the rage right now."

[ROXANA]
"A treasure chest?" Roxana blinks. "That sounds like something that a party of adventurers might find." There's a playful expression on her striking face as she ponders the roleplaying. "I don't think I've got past filling my name, race and class in." She admits. "There's been other things on my mind but since we don't seem to be leaving anytime soon, you could maybe help me with it?" She wonders hopefully. "I'm guessing as a fighter lady, Soraya will need lots of strength and perhaps some dexterity?"

She tucks a strand of shiny hair behind her left ear and then contemplates Tanwen's other question. "I got my butt kicked." Rox finally lands on as a response. "He's quite the formidable fighter, but then you'd know that. I seem to recall you bested him though in your battle."

[JOHN DOE]
"Mmmmmks..." JD replies a bit dubiously, garnishing Coco's drink and sliding it across the bar with a gentle spiral motion that sets the ice within to tinkling. One long finger lifts to hook his sunglasses and lower them, grey eyes peering over the tops at Hawksley's many wounds.
"Huh." he murmurs.
Pushing his shades back into place, the actor snags the bottle of Bourbon to refresh the Irishman's glass, as Meerkats or not he seems like he needs it. Rather than take back the bottle, however, he leaves it to his friend, following it a moment later with a plastic cup full of cubed ice and a carefully folded cloth napkin.
"Rrrf.." he mutters with a sympathetic shake of his head.

[ZACK]
Aside from the NFG fighters who've already arrived, pretty much all of the camera crew are present, assembled about the dance floor and tables like so many extras in a soap opera. In particular, one of them has their leg up on a stool with an ice pack on it. Workaholic tech guy Steve is wandering around with a handheld, filming the party.

"I swear I heard them, Lou. Giant frogs. Do you know what that means, Lou? Frog legs. We should be out there with spears and buckets..."

"Whoa, careful, Tom. Coco's right over there. We'll discuss the rog-fays some other ime-tay."

"You do realise that pig latin only works on toddlers, right?"

Tom and Lou amble in, dressed in Hawaiian shirts and shorts, making their way over to the bar.

"Hey, do you think Zack's got any Lucky's Fiery Ale?" Lou asks.

<< Hello, people!! >>

At first it seems like Zack's calling out over the PA system - but it turns out that he's actually just using that megaphone again, having walked over to the bar area. He lowers the obnoxious audio amplifier and flashes a grin. He's wearing mirrored black shades, despite the fact that the sun is fading fast along the horizon.

"Surprise! It's Zack, baby!" he declares, holding out his arms. "Oh, hey! That big funky meerkat found my crown! I was wonderin' where that got off to! Lookin' good, Mister Meerkat! You keep it!"

Turning from Captain Morgan to the others, Zack appears to scan them from behind his sunglasses, nodding in approval. "Looks like you got my memo about the tournament after all! You'll have to introduce me to all the lucky couples! Great casting; very sexy. Hey, Jay Dee! How's the bar goin', man?"

Zack steps over to offer a fistbump to the celebrity-turned-bartender. "You seen that ninja that attacked you at the store? I gotta apologize to him. I didn't know sendin' for extra ice would cause so much heat."

[COCO]
Coco snatches her drink up with a deft and practiced motion, immediately raising it to her lips to suck on. Her Irish boyfriend isn't the only one who's had to cut down their alcohol intake severely under the harsh conditions of island life. She lets out a relieved sigh as the ice and coconut flavour hit her tongue, gulping it down fast enough that she ends up putting a palm to her temple to stave off brain freeze.

"Oh em gee, I so needed that. Lucky! You never answered my question." She lets out a huff. "You didn't, did you? I swear, you've got to give it a go. Those green herbs have definitely got medicinal properties. I found a note stuck to a refrigerator that said so. Has anyone else been finding random notes?"

She turns as Tom and Lou approach. She smiles at the latter. "Hiya, Lou!"

Then she scowls at the former. "Hello, Thomas."

Then she turns toward the sound of the megaphone, hands clasping around her cocktail. "Oh em gee, it's him!"

Captain Morgan turns a questioning look toward Coco, making binturong noises.

"I know you're not a meerkat, Morgie, but I'd be ever such a rude guest if I corrected his zoology at his own party," she murmurs apologetically to the bearcat.

[TANWEN]
"You think that there's a treasure chest here at the party?" Tanwen stage-whispers conspiratorially to Roxana, leaning up on her tip-toes a little to do side while scanning the room with her amber eyes. "Yes, you'll be wanting dexterity and strength and constitution. You don't need charisma or intelligence, really. Well, you might need a bit of intelligence - but only thirteen. That's if you want to be doing all sorts of fancy fighting tricks."

She nods her head slowly when Roxana mentions what happened in her fight with Albert. "I wonder why humans are always wanting to kick each other's bums. Mister Braun said they were going to kick our bottoms, and then he did! Well, he kicked Chevy's bottom. Nobody kicked my bottom. We ended up winning, but only after I got exploded by fireworks. That wasn't very nice." She lets out a sigh, her shoulders sagging slightly at the memory, but perks up almost instantly. "Do you think there's really giant frogs? We'd best be careful. They can swallow you from long range with their tongues!"

[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley notices John Doe checking out his battle scars. "Don't worry about me." He assures him. "I've had a lot worse." It's not exactly true but at least the alcohol will serve as added pain relief.

The Irishman refills the glass again, slipping in some cubes of ice, which he crunches once the drink is drained.

Spotting the injured cameraman across the room, the Cork cruiserweight salutes him. The two men had been together in the jungle and lived to tell the tale, and the other fella had earned himself a broken leg for the trouble. When Steve turns his camera on him, Hawksley sticks his tongue out, happy to play the part of the happy fool whilst amongst friends.

At the sound of the familiar voices of Tom and Lou and the mention of his own brand of beer, the dark-haired lad turns to face them. "I dunno if Zack has any but I've still got a few bottles I can sort you out with." He assures them.

Coco chastises him for ignoring her question. It hadn't been intentional, he's just a little out of it. "Oh yeah, that green shite." He nods. "I thought you could rub it on me or something. Give me a cheeky little massage." His words are followed by a wink of his good eye and a hand moving down to the small of her back.

[ROXANA]
Roxana looks Zack's way as he starts to speak, temporarily distracted from the unique charms of Tanwen. "Hello." She murmurs in response to him, though it's unlikely to be loud enough for the DJ to hear her.

Coco is holding court around the bar with her brawler boyfriend, her bearcat and the handsome barman, who Rox recognises as John Doe from Season One of the New Fighting Generation. She must remember to get a selfie with him later. Firstly though, there's other matters to attend to.

"There could be a treasure chest." She muses. "It seems like Zack is kinda rich, what with him owning his own island and all. As for the stats, they all seem reasonable. I think I can do the role of Soraya justice." Giving a giggle, she tells Tanwen. "Soraya is my middle name, you know. I felt on the spot when I selected one, so I just kept it simple and used that."

Roxana seems to take time to contemplate the idea of the giant frogs. "I think there probably is some somewhere." She admits. "Congratulations to you and Chevy on your win, by the way. You're doing really well! I think it will be your turn to take on Might and Magic next, so I wish you luck with that. I wonder if Iris will bring out the Zack dolls again."

[JOHN DOE]
"Mmh." JD commiserates with Hawksley, the handsome actor no stranger to taking his own licks. Having been lit on fire, stabbed through, and had his arm broken during the course of the NFG, it's honestly surprising that the silver screen super star never took a break before his sudden disappearance. But if nothing else, he's definitely a hard worker.
Zack's arrival at the bar earns him a slight shake of the head, two of John Doe's fingers directed up toward his eyes to indicate he's looking out. Still, there are obviously no hard feelings either way, the super star bumping their host's knuckles with an easy grin before stepping down the line a bit to mix a Rum and Coke for one of the crew. As he passes Tom and Lou he offers both a bob of his head, a lock of glossy hair falling across his shades.
"Hrrrghk..." he greets.

[ISHIDA]
Ishida is hungry, and in lieu of action, Ishida is also -tired-. It took some effort for him to rouse himself out of the slumber for the poolside discussion. That fight against Max and Buck had taken a lot of the wind out of his sails. But when he'd heard there was an 'emergency meeting party', his ears perked up quickly.

Carried aloft with hopes of succulent barbecued pork, or marinated steak, or any -number- of delicious entrees, Ishida had bounded his way up the hill to Radio Zack. But as he approached, his scent of smell detected one curious anomaly:

Nothing.

Expectations dashed, he pushes the door open, stepping inside. His jacket is kept open; a few ruddy scars are visible beneath the shredded fabric. His swim trunks fared only moderately better. But as he walks in... he catches sight of the rice.

It's not meat. But he can put down some rice, regardless of what flavor it may or may not be. Considering the slim pickings he finds there, he snags a pack of ramen noodles -- dehydrated meat is still meat, after all -- and then fixes himself as big a bowl of rice as would be polite in such a setting. He sprinkles on spices as appropriate -- anything will be welcome from the scraps he's managed thus far.

With bowl in hand -- he makes his way over towards Roxana first.

"Good evening, Rox. That was a close match for Toxique..."

His grey eyes scan the crowd, picking out Hawksley where he'd expect him to be, and raising an eyebrow at the reappearance of John Doe. But just as he's about to say something in that regard, his eyes catch sight of Tanwen.

"Oh, hello! Congratulations on your team's advance to the next round..."

He eyes the sea scallop. But unfortunately, it seems to be empty.

He blinks once more, glancing back to Roxana. "Wait, were you saying something about... Zack dolls?"

[ROXANA]
"Oh hi, Ishida!" Roxana greets him warmly, though soon her smiling face has changed its expression to one of wry amusement.

"It may have been close for Team Toxique overall, thanks to Coco, but it certainly wasn't close between Albert and I. I could barely get a grip on him. Not like when I fought you. That was much more fun."

Her eyes flit over to Zack, as Ishida mentions the dolls of him. "Yeaaah, that was all majorly weird. Iris produced them out of what seemed like thin air. I've seen her do it before of course, with that teddy bear when she fought Coco in Metro City. Maybe it's my mentor that brings it out in her."

She giggles lightly and holds out her own sea shell to show Ishida. "Tanwen gifted me one. I kinda love it. I'm gonna use it for soap, like she suggested."

She looks the Japanese man over, noting the scars on his toned torso. "Hopefully they weren't too painful for you to bear. I hear Max can be a bit of an animal and then there's Buck of course..."

[SARAH]
Zack may have the turntables manned, but does that mean that DJ Supernova is going to be absent? Of course not! Even if she's not turning the tables, she's still not going to pass up a chance to party! The spunky tomboy isn't going to let this opportunity go to waste!

The girl is wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt with a tropical design to it along with a pair of blue tight-fitting pants, while going barefooted as is her typical choice for footwear (or a lack thereof.) Of course, she wouldn't be her usual self without her baseball cap on.

As Sarah arrives at the party scene, she's still got her usual cheerful smile on her face despite not doing too well in the tournament. In fact, the girl doesn't just walk into the scene, but she actually seems to be skipping and doing a few acrobatics as well. Upon reaching the scene proper, Sarah strikes a pose briefly before giving a wave. "Hi everyone! Great to see you all! I just know we're gonna have a great time!"

[RODRIGO]
Right after his mentor arrives, Rodrigo arrives at the Emergency Meeting Party wearing the cape around his shoulder and his espada ropera on his hip. While his team is out of the tournament, his encounter with Brolic Zack has made it clear that a level of constant readiness will be required while on Zack Island.

The Spaniard looks around at the spread indicating that even Zack would have to make do because of a certain fiery individual. His gaze moves towards the party guests offering waves and nods to them. When his gaze hits Zack himself he glances away, not quite meeting his eyes. Maybe there was some regret over what he almost intentionally done but then unintentionally done due to the modified version of Zack.

He then moves to the side to observe the party considering that the get together had the words 'Emergency Meeting' attached to it.

[HAWKSLEY]
Sarah's arrival has Hawksley giving her a broad grin. The lass from Manchester is always a lively presence at a party and her entrances are well worth observing. "It's great to see you too, cailin. If you ask nicely, he might let you have a go." He suggests to the blonde, tilting his head in Zack's direction.

It's not long before Rodrigo arrives too, completing The Rhythm Renegades brace. The Spaniard is dressed to impress and also for battle, should things take a downward turn, or upward turn, depending on your view.

Waving back at the him, Hawksley lifts his drink in welcome, before downing what's left of it and going in for a refill from the bottle.

[SARAH]
So Sarah's become a mentor now, is that it? Not that she minds being called someone's mentor. She's always ready to lend a hand and be supportive when someone needs something. She didn't expect Rodrigo to consider her his mentor, but it's a title she'll gladly take. When she sees Rodrigo arrive, she smiles at him and gives him a friendly wave.

When Hawksley greets her, Sarah gives a tip of her cap to him. "I could, but it's Zack's Island, so it's only fair he gets to be in charge. I figure if he wants to, he can ask me and I'll have a turn. If not, there'll be plenty of other opportunities to party!" With that, Sarah plops down on one of the barstools and orders a cola from the bartender. At the same time, she's tapping her bare foot to the wonderful music. "Besides, it seems Zack's got things going well!"

[ISHIDA]
"He seems like he could be the one to beat, this round." Ishida smiles briefly as he considers Albert's chances and relative success so far in the extended contest of wills. "Both he and Osterlund-san have come a long way in the past few months, I would say. They have surprisingly good synergy. Which is something, considering how good a pair you two have been."

He glances pointedly at Roxana for a moment, before his gaze flits past her towards Coco and Hawksley. It's still a new sensation, being around the first wave of NFG fighters -- but he's slowly getting acclimated to the idea.

"Oh, right, those..." Ishida grins back at Roxana as she acknowledges the Zack dolls. "She does have a way of inspiring the best from people."

He nods to Sarah and Rodrigo as they walk in. It's hard for someone -not- to smile in the presence of DJ Supernova: he gives the two of them a nod in greeting. He seems like he might be up for visiting in a moment, though...

"Oh, it is a pretty shell, yes! ... Though, I am curious -- have you seen Henry at all? I hope he is okay."

Apprehension creeps into his features as he hazards another glance towards Hawksley's blood-spattered shorts. "Do you know the reason for this... emergency meeting, at all?"

[ROXANA]
"Coco is quite something." Roxana muses to Ishida, her eyes flitting over to her mentor. "I had every confidence we would put on a good performance but sometimes you've just got to take a beating." She shrugs her slim shoulders, brushing off the defeat casually. "You know how that is too though. I had high hopes for you and Kenzo in the contest."

Sarah and Rodrigo's arrivals both bring a smile to her face and she waves over to them, admiring Rodrigo's cape. "You know, so far, it's only us losers who've shown up to the party." She laughs lightly. "Well, other than Hawksley, but he and Henry haven't had a chance to fight yet."

Rox has to admit that the sight of Hawksley's blood-splattered shorts is a disturbing one but she happens to know that both he and Henry made it back, whilst not unharmed, at least alive and without any serious injuries on the American's part. "I figure Henry is just sleeping things off. He was up at the crack of the dawn helping Hawksley save Morgie. Maybe he'll make it over later when he's had a chance to rest some."

The mention of the emergency meeting has the scorpion-girl taking on a more serious expression. "I don't know for sure, but I can hazard some guesses. Perhaps Zack wants to make sure we're all working together so we can survive as long as possible with the supplies."

[SARAH]
It is hard not to smile when Sarah's around. She gives a smile and a nod to Ishida while she's sitting on her stool, waiting patiently for her soda. Despite not doing well, Sarah's smile is still present. Granted, it's not as prominent as say, Dee Jay, but she still has a contagious smile.

After getting her soda, Sarah tips the barkeeper before taking a sip. She looks out across the dance floor, trying to get an idea for a good spot to bust a few moves.

[ISHIDA]
Ishida offers an enigmatic smile -- showing he isn't letting it get to him too much.

"It is a mixed blessing. One has more to learn from defeat than victory."

Perhaps he might have been unsettled before, but he's had time to let it sink in a bit. Besides -- Roxana has a way of bringing out the best in the Shaolin aspirant.

He does, however, give immediate feedback on one of Roxana's statements to help her save face. As she mentions that only 'us losers' have shown up, he helpfully suggests, "... And Cadwallader-san and Zack-san, of course." He angles his smile towards Tanwen, acknowledging her team's advancement within the tournament. "... I suppose that'd due to how well they'd done in the previous stages."

He seems a bit more concerned about the threat of meerkats. He hadn't figured those little critters to be all that dangerous -- and remains quiet as Roxana explains.

"... Well. I am glad to have something other than fish and leaves. This will make it much easier to recover." There is a small beat, as he looks down to his bowl of rice. "... I hope you will not find it rude if I partake of the offering."

He will attempt to eat as discreetly as he can, from how hungry he is. But with Sarah moving onto the dance floor, he offers another smile. And he remains rooted to the spot -- a wallflower till the last, who never really felt confident enough to try dancing.

[ZACK]
"Hey Tom, it's Jay Dee!" Lou remarks upon noticing the barman's identity.

"So it is," Tom replies.

"It's been so long since I've seen him, I can't remember which one of us is supposed to be a fan and which one of us is supposed to be a detractor," Lou comments aside to Tom.

"I'm pretty sure we're both firmly fans, Lou. Like Brian Storm," Tom remarks back.

"You mean kayfabe, right? We both know you despise Brian Storm in real life," Lou says.

"Shh, Lou. I don't care if we're all likely to die on a less-than-deserted island; there are cameras running, and I don't want to be cancelled posthumously," Tom says, furrowing his brow. "Especially not over that t-shirt hawking himbo."

"No one will ever know, good buddy," Lou says, before giving Hawksley a thumbs-up. "Hey, thanks, Hawks."

<< Hey heyyy! Supernova! Rodriguez! Good to see you, babies! Thanks for helping sort out that -uninvited guest- earlier! >>

Zack is back on his megaphone to greet two of the newer arrivals to the party.

<< Now, everyone, the buffet is open, the rice is hot, so grab some food and find a spot while I give y'all a briefing for this emergency meeting... party!!! >>

The high-rolling table turner shoots fingerguns wildly before stepping up to his setup to shift the tunes to something more mellow and funky.

<< So, according to Tasty and Loverboy, y'all already got the lo-down on Isla Zaca! What you're probably wonderin' is, how come Zack ain't dead, and where's Zack been all this time? Well, I'll tell you! >>

The bass thumps suspensefully, building up to the dramatic reveal.

<< I never died! >>

Then, after another (several) beat(s):

<< And I've been here! >>

"Well, that was succinct," Tom says.

"Almost disappointingly so," Lou adds. "Hey, Zack! What was the part about ax-tay asion-evay?"

<< Zack doesn't speak Pig Latin, Oo-Lay! But let me tell you all a little about death and taxes! >> Zack continues. << Turns out, just 'cause you're dead doesn't mean you don't have to keep payin' taxes! Zack found that out the hard way. Isla Zaca was eating up all of Zack's bank account while Zack was chillin' out and waitin' for it to get turned over to Professional Fighting Worldwide. That's why Zack decided to sublet Zack Volcano in the meantime to his friend from a totally legitimate biotechnological research company! So, any questions so far? >>

[HAWKSLEY]
"You're more than welcome, fella." Hawksley tells Lou. "We're all in this together, so we need to help each other out where we can."

He looks around the other guests, past the pretty forms of Coco and John to the trio of season two fighters chattering together, over something that looks like seashells. It's Zack that captures his focus though when he starts to speak.

Listening to the man's less than revealing tale about his death and resurrection, Hawksley looks distinctly unimpressed. "Well come on now, will you? They're hardly gonna be making a Nutflex series based on that story are they? Will you not be giving us some more details?"

His dark brows shoot up in expectation and then come together to form a frown when the DJ mentions the biotechnological research company. "Well feck. That doesn't sound dodgy at all does it? You wouldn't happen to have been breeding invisible poison spitting creatures would you?"

[ROXANA]
"Of course! Sorry, Tanwen." Rox seems ruffled for once as she looks towards the Welsh woman with remorse. "You are still flying high in the tournament. We even discussed it earlier. Perhaps I can blame it on the lack of food. Maybe I will join you in partaking, Ishida."

She helps herself to some rice, seasoning it with black pepper, chilli powder and thyme, before returning to join the others. "Zack I'm not really counting, since he's more of a host than a contestant."

Giving a sideways smile to Ishida, she suggests. "Maybe once we've both got some energy from the food, we can hit the dancefloor."

Before Rox can get a response however, her attention is grabbed by the man on the megaphone. She appears decidedly unphased by his revelation and stares at him, seemingly waiting for more. When he goes on to reveal the rental to a research company, she's clearly somewhat unsettled. "Science." She murmurs, her expression steely.

[SARAH]
Sarah doesn't mind being called by her disk jockey alias. In fact, it brings a grin to her face when she hears someone calling her by her club scene name.

Once she finishes her soda, Sarah tips the bartender before giving another smile to Ishida as she strides onto the dance floor. As she's doing so, she's snapping her fingers a little to get a taste for the beat that's rocking the place. Once she finds an open spot on the dance floor, Sarah shows what she's capable of.

The blonde-haired disk jockey proceeds to demonstrate a variety of dance maneuvers that incorporate her knowledge of Capoeira as well as things like breakdancing and other dances she's learned on the club scene. She even manages to spin around on her bare feet a few times too without breaking a sweat. All the while that constant smile never leaves her face.

[ISHIDA]
Ishida takes those few moments to enjoy his rice. It's... been a bit since he's been able to partake in meals without regrets for someone -else- potentially going without. But now -- he's happy, in that regard.

He nods offhandedly to Roxana -- though there is a mild degree of uncertainty in his expression, all the same. He's fought Roxana before, he's participated in a keijo match with her before -- and yet, dancing seems like it might be the furthest departure from his wheelhouse to date.

That's when the man on the megaphone speaks up. There are many interesting revelations taking place -- and yet, the starving martial artist is seemingly more intent on filling his stomach.

The part that does raise his interest though is when Hawksley speaks up. And when he mentions invisible, poison-spitting creatures, he can't help but wonder if that's related to the blood spattered on his shorts.

Okay, he's straight-out -alarmed- by that revelation, considering how he actually -stops eating- to stare at Hawksley, for that. It... kind of fits in with a question that's been bugging him ever since the phoenix goddess interrupted their brief tour of the island.

"... 'The fruits of that dark research, ' she had said," Ishida comments quietly to no one in particular.

Roxana's hesitation does not go unnoticed, however. His jaw sets for a moment as he considers a response. After some deliberation, he offers one.

"Do you know if this biotechnological research company was impacted by the recent devastation? I feel that it may be our duty as 'good neighbors' to check up on them."

[RODRIGO]
Rodrigo cringes upon being referred to as 'Rodriguez.' He doesn't verbally respond though seeing that more is being said about what Zack was doing while he was thought to be dead. Information like it getting subleted by a biotech research company while waiting for PFW to take over seemed like it was IMPORTANT information. Especially considering Zack's mention of the uninvited guest that Sarah and he had to deal with.

He had made the connection and was about to bring it up but Hawksley beats him to the punch (pun not intended). Invisible poison spitting creatures? What the hell has Hawksley encountered? That being said he still has something to add.

"I'm pretty sure they're breeding a brain damaged. performance enhanced version of our host not unlike the previously mentioned 'uninvited guest.' Did you happen to willingly give genetic material to that 'friend' of your's?"

He then eyes the food but not going after it considering the food situation they are in.

[ZACK]
Zack clears his throat into the megaphone before first taking the opportunity to respond to the dubious Irishman.

<< Obviously, Zack's gotta save the good stuff for when Netkicks /do/ come at Zack with an offer for the serial rights! But since y'all have been such great guests, Zack will make sure each of you gets a copy of the first edition of Zack's autobiography, which is due to be finished sometime next April! Now, apologies, but Zack can only take one question at a time per guest! >>

Zack looks around as he waits for another question, leading to an awkward pause before Ishida chimes in.

<< That's a good question! In fact, Zack has scheduled a meeting with his lovely liaison from the biotech research firm for the day after tomorrow to discuss the state of island affairs. And to save somebody a question, Zack never schedules a meeting the day after a party. Zack was planning on enlisting some volunteers to attend that meeting! >>

Zack turns his attention to Rodrigo next, clearing his throat once more. << Zack did provide assistance to the biotech firm. They told Zack that it was because their local options for voluntary donations were limited, and they were interested in genetic material from fighters. Zack has considered the possibility that the biotech babies are responsible for certain Zack-a-like guests that may have destroyed Zack's radio tower. Which brings Zack to some notes that Zack has discussed with Tom and Lou regarding a plan of action! Or, as Zack likes to call it, a -sexy- plan of action. >>

"I don't think any of the rest of us like to call it that," Tom says grimly.

Zack crossfades into a new beat as he begins to introduce the sexy (?) action plan. << So, problemo numero uno: Junko, the funky phoenix. Y'all gotta go kick her fiery booty. The problem is, there's a lotta jungle between here and Zack Mountain, and Zack Jungle's got a little problem with a monster infestation. So while you sexy couples are fighting the next round of the tournament, somebody's gonna have to make sure the road to Zack Mountain is safe. >>

Zack loops in a hi-hat as he moves on to problemo numero dos. << Next problem: The Secret Lab. Zack considers his tenants in breach of contract after they sent giga-Zack to wreck his radio. Unfortunately, Zack ain't exactly sure where this secret lab is. So Zack has arranged a clandestine meeting with his lady friend to get the deets so we can drop in for a surprise inspection. >>

Snare hits start playing on the track as Zack continues. << And problemo numero tres: keeping Isla Zaca Resort safe and supplied. Not only because it's worth millions of dollars in potential revenue, but because we've got a giant radio tower here, which means it's our best way of contacting the outside world. Also, it's where Zack's house is. >>

Zack sits back in his chair and kicks off the booth, spinning around into a lounging pose as he smiles broadly at the party-goers. << So, do I have any volunteers...? >>

Log created on 08:29:23 07/18/2024 by Zack, and last modified on 13:17:29 08/11/2024.