Match of the Millennium

Description: In the penultimate match of the NFG's second season, Coco and Buck face off for the third place position!

[COCO]
"Well, Lou, it looks like despite the controversy the previous round that required one of the largest refund handouts in the history of professional fighting, the Maracana stadium is packed tonight. The main event - the first place match between Hawksley Moore and Chevelle Beaumont - might not be on until later in the evening, but there are still plenty of fans in the stands ready to see the first half of the night's date swap drama."

"And why not? This was the matchup that gave us a real Christmas miracle last time it happened, with Coco managing to stand in Buck's dragon breath and emerge completely unscathed - while her outfit did not."

"It was a real Mother of Dragons moment for Season One."

Meanwhile, Constance Coalbridge, listening backstage over a PA speaker, rolls her eyes at the memory. "Someday I'll learn how to make that trick work on my clothes, too," she tells her binturong as she finishes adjusting the straps on her arms that hold her arm warmers in place and ensures that her red gauntlets are secure.

"Alright, Morgie. Here's our cue coming up."

Megan Thee Stallion's Cobra starts to play over the sound system as Coco emerges from the backstage area in her fighting gear - a pair of tight cutoff shorts, open-toed leggings, and a zippered black vest with a flaring cobra hood over a bodysuit - and starts slowly sauntering to the ring that's been set up in the middle of the pitch. Next to her is a bearcat wearing a matching vest with cobra hood that obscures his eyes.

"Quite on the nose with this choice of track, Lou."

"I can't even tell what's being rapped about with all that censorship, but I'll take your word for it, Tom."

"Well, see, Lou, Cobra is about overcoming mental trauma by metaphorically shedding one's skin, which seems apt considering that the Queen Cobra literally shed and regrew her skin between the seasons of the NFG."

"Okay, now I get it, and it sounds hella dark. It's supposed to be Christmas, Tom."

Coco swings her legs over the ropes around the ring one at a time, pausing halfway through to blow kisses and wave at the crowd. As she's doing so, Morgie goes to climb up into the ring as well, but is scooped up by PFW animal handlers as he's doing so. Coco finishes climbing into the ring, stepping into her corner and and throwing a few punches at the air before following up with a roundhouse.

"Alright, Connie. Just don't f*ck this one up as bad as you did last time. Besides, you're good with animals."

The purple-haired kickboxer rests back against the ropes as she awaits her opponent's entrance.

[BUCK]
Coming off of two matches with fighters he was more acquainted with after multiple matches, Buck is now set up to fight Coco, from which they only had one brawl. And the results near the end were not.. ideal. So Buck has spent the time before the match centering himself, hoping whatever Coco had done last time that tripped the more bestial side of his powers would be less of a problem this time.

He stays meditating during Coco's walk on song, though he has to admit, it's quite the interesting track if not really his style. When the more rock stylings of his own song come on he unfurls himself from his seated position and walks towards the stage.

At least he's wearing a shirt today. It's a simple black tank top, but it's there, along with his usual jeans and cowboy boots, sans stirrups today. Those are for fancy dress.

He offers a few waves into the crowd as he walks along, but the closer he gets to the ring the more he tries to simply tune everything else out. Slipping between the ropes, he doesn't offer quite the display Coco does, instead he just removes his hat and tosses it off to one of the NFG folks around the outside of the ring. "Watch that for me." He says in his easy drawl before turning to face Coco, hooking his thumbs in his pockets.

"Well, you ready to get this show on the road so our better halves can have their time? Well, my better half, dunno how you and Hawksley rate each other." He adds with a curious tilt of his head.

COMBATSYS: Buck has started a fight here.

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

[COCO]
Coco keeps her eyes locked on Buck as he approaches and joins her in the ring. Sure, her cobra-like stare can be weaponized - as an intimidation tactic, or psychic infiltration - but in this case, it's out of interest, assessing his garb and what she can gather of his mental state. Cowboy chic is still rather exotic to her, born in Britain after the advent (and arguably the decline) of Steps as she was, and she gives a nod of appreciation.

"I suppose if we're going off of match performance, the 'better halves' thing is hard to argue in this scenario. I like to think we're each other's better half, though," she answers diplomatically while flashing a smile at the nearest camera and making a heart with her hands before mouthing 'He's obviously punching, though' and winking.

Stepping away from her corner, she slips into a Muay Thai stance, bringing up her gauntlets at a low guard and rocking on her feet as she prepares for the bell to go.

"Let's see if you'll be on better behaviour this time, hmm?"

COMBATSYS: Coco has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Coco             0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0             Buck

[HAWKSLEY]
Sitting in a prime position in the stadium, in the area reserved for family and friends of the competitors, Hawksley Moore supresses a smirk at Coco's cheeky comment. "Well of course I'm punching, darling." He calls out over the cheers of the crowd. "I'm a fecking boxer."

He's been having a grand old time so far today. He'd had a long lie-in this morning followed by a Brazilian brunch at Duckbill Cookies & Coffee Copacabana with Coco. They'd chatted about everything other than this evening's matches, making the most of their free time before getting back to the fighting. The afternoon had been spent doing a photo shoot for his sponsors 'Lucky's Fiery Ale" and he's still dressed in the lucky green coloured brand t-shirt, along with the battered blue jeans and white and red sneakers that will provide the costume for his brawl later.

Coco and Buck had done themselves proud with their entrances and they both earn themselves loud cheers and enthusiastic clapping from the Cork Cruiserweight as they prepare to do battle. Of course Coco is his girl and he's gonna be cheering for her to snatch the win, but he still wants his buddy to put on a good show too.

[BUCK]
"I'm always on my best behavior with the ladies." Buck says, playing up his country drawl a little with a crooked smile. "Ma raised me right." He chuckles and slips his thumbs from his pockets, lacing his fingers together and twisting his hands, palms outwards to crack his knuckles.

He settles into his typical brawling stance, looking like he's ready to get down and dirty in a barfight, no trained martial arts here, as usual. Just his (sometimes literally) magpie self-stylizations of what he's picked up here and there.

He wastes no time as the bell sounds, moving in quick to close the distance. If he remembers right, Coco is a close in fighter, but so is he. So this is bound to be a slugfest.

He looks like he's coming in for an opening jab, but changes it up last minute, lifting his foot and using his forward momentum to carry the kick the last bit of distance between him and Coco.

COMBATSYS: Coco blocks Buck's Diving Kick.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Coco             0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0             Buck

[COCO]
Coco smirks at Buck's line as he replies to her, raising one knee as she poses in preparation.

"My mum is French, so, you know; all's fair."

The bell sounds, and Buck launches himself at her. Her gloves come up on reflex, her guard shifting slightly as the feinting jab turns into a flying kick, and the cowboy boot smacks solidly into her forearm protectors.

Buck is correct in his recollection; bringing the fight to her suits Coco comfortably. As he's coming out of his kicking motion, she's already moving forward for the clinch, aiming to lock eyes with the shapeshifter as her mind also attempts to grapple with his, like a serpent aiming to coil around its prey. If she can get into the grapple, she'll thrust a knee forward to try and double him over, then swing her leg around and turn to straddle his head while he's bent. If that works, she'll use her center of gravity to put him into a spin, tightening her legs around him while using the connection she's tried to establish to amplify the sense of vertigo imbued before slinging him away with a twist of her hips and releasing of her grip, leaving a lingering sensation of inebriation if all goes to plan!

COMBATSYS: Buck fails to interrupt Singapore Sling from Coco with Spin Doctor.
- Power fail! -

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Coco             0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0             Buck

[BUCK]
Buck attempts to power through Coco's assault, ignoring her attack and instead coming at her with an open palm, spinnerets barely visible on his palm ready to tangle her up in silk. And not the type of silk she's probably used to, but alas, things simply don't go to plan.

Coco's mental abilities always seem to have an odd effect on Buck, and work a bit too well. Like usual, touching him mind is like touching two, something human and something animal, and that second half rears up and begins to go wild at the touch.

It stops him in his tracks as he tries to get that part of himself back under control, giving Coco free reign to throw him around like a rag doll.

Feeling drunk is no problem for him, he's been there enough that it's less of a worry than that second part of his mind going bananas in his brain. He slowly gets to his feet, rocking a little as his face goes decidedly lupine for a short moment before he pulls himself back under control. "Damn.. one day we're going to need to see why you can do that." He says, shaking his head to clear it.

[COCO]
Coco lands on her backside after executing her maneuver, hands hitting the mat a moment later to stop herself from losing further control. Her eyes rise up to observe as the seemingly involuntary shift flickers across Buck's face. "Getting involuntary reactions you don't get around the other girls? It's a common problem, apparently," she reassures the American with a smarmy expression as she pushes herself up onto her feet. "You can tell Chevy I said so, if she asks!" Even as she's bantering she's already stepping forward into a roundhouse kick aimed at the seemingly dazed shapeshifter's upper body!

COMBATSYS: Buck blocks Coco's Medium Kick.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Coco             0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1             Buck

[BUCK]
Dazed, but not dazed enough to bring up his guard against the kick, letting it deflect off his crossed arms instead of landing clean. "Don't you worry about my reactions." Unless they get out of control, but he doesn't share that part.

Stepping in close he gets right up into Coco's personal space, his fist already coming up for a short distance punch. Though this is one of his zestier punches, electricity firing off of skin that's slightly greyed out as if the color had been sucked from it, though the bright blue sparks certainly make up for any drabness of color.

The electricity cracks with a thunderous snap as he drives his fist forward, aiming right at Coco's sternum.

COMBATSYS: Coco just-defends Buck's Shock & Awe ES!!

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Coco             0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0             Buck

[COCO]
"Who said I was worried?" Coco says as her foot deflects off of Buck's guard, still smirking. "Like I said, it's common. You only need to call your GP if it lasts more than four hours."

As he closes into her personal space and aims for her chest, she pivots her body to the side, using her gauntleted hand to redirect the crackling fist so that it grazes her side instead, focusing her mind's eye as she does. The electricity discharges against the fabric of her bodysuit, singeing a sizzling hole in its side, but the shock finds her body inexplicably nonconductive. Before he can retract his arm, she tries to capture it under her own, her back turning toward him and her head turning so that her eyes meet his over her shoulder to try and lock his gaze. At the same time, her other hand will move to his wrist to pull it against her front and free her elbow. Should she succeed, she'll give a wink before snapping her freed elbow at his face and following up with a cheeky rearward thrust to try and knock him to the ground!

COMBATSYS: Coco successfully hits Buck with Tiki Bongo.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Coco             1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0             Buck

[BUCK]
There's a slight "Tsk," of annoyance as one of his more reliable maneuvers fails to connect, electric sparks discharging uselessly into the air. It only takes one look over to Coco to guess a retaliation is on its way. Buck braces himself, and while he gets sent to the ground, he at least manages to fall with the attack with some semblance of control.

It's still not something he enjoys, as his head snaps back from the elbow (why does everyone go for the face?).

Hitting the mat, he goes into a roll, landing in a crouch facing Coco. If she likes snakes so much.. well. Slitted eyes meet Coco's for a moment as his mouth soes that uncomfortably wide stretch, the bit of blood trailing from his nose no doubt adding a gruesome tint to the visage. A few globs of cobra venom quick to follow, sizzling through the air towards the Brit.

COMBATSYS: Buck successfully hits Coco with Spit Take.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Coco             1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0             Buck

[COCO]
It might not be something Buck enjoys (ostensibly), but Coco, for her part, seems to take great pleasure in the exchange - as do the Coco fans in the audience. The Purple Posse in particular make their glee known with whooping and whistles, having apparently come from Sunshine City to support their Queen Cobra. She makes a point of flashing them a V as she stumbles forward with the rebound of her own attack.

As she turns around to see Buck crouching on the ring floor, the smile on her face quickly wilts, lips curling and teeth clenching with disgust at the sight of his own stretching mouth. To be clear, she likes the idea of herself as a snake, but her actual experience with snakes? Distinctly unpleasant so far. Also, snake-faced cowboys?

"Ewww!"

The post-millennial is already cringing before the poison even leaves Buck's mouth. Maybe she'd forgotten about this, or maybe it's just her swallowed-by-a-giant-snake trauma acting up, but her typically stalwart defensive instincts are reduced to mostly backing away and trying to cover her face even though the first glob is headed for her chest. She flinches and lowers her arms to protect that region as the poison splatters and sizzles against her bosom, only for the next glob to hit higher - nailing her right on the cheek.

"Noooooo!!!"

Literally dying of pure cringe (the kryptonite of her generation), she frantically swipes at her face, the remaining expectorations deflected by her batting hands.

"/Why/ do I keep ending up covered in /reptile spit/?!" Constance wants to know as she rapidly wipes away what she can. There's a distinctive purple discoloration creeping across one side of her face and the visible part of her bustline in reaction to the venom. She scowls at Buck as she gathers herself and huffs. "That was so rude!"

COMBATSYS: Coco focuses on her next action.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Coco             1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0             Buck

[BUCK]
That's the problem with Buck, he never met an animal he didn't like. Minus certain people. And so why everyone reacts with disgust or fear to snake face? Well, he doesn't get it, but he's smart enough to take advantage of it.

"Rude? You elbowed me in the face. Lemme show you." Buck points out as he burst from his crouch in a full on charging rush.

Serpentine features are replaced with bovine ones, as Coco seems to want her cowboys more cow and lass snake. Or so he interprets.

At least the pointy end of the horns aren't part of what comes next, but the solid cap they make on his head doesn't help as he rears back and simply tries to drive the top of his head right into Coco's.

COMBATSYS: Coco just-defends Buck's Bullheaded ES!!

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Coco             2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\1             Buck

[COCO]
Coco allows herself to slip back into her stance as Buck starts to rush toward her. The minotaur-like transformation triggers something in the back of her mind. Suddenly, she finds herself wondering what Angel has been up to. That quickly becomes a question of what Angel would do in this situation. Her hood falls back as she tilts her head to look up at the bull. What Would Angel Do?

Grab the bull by the horns, Coco thinks.

And so, that's what Coco does - as he aims to crash his head down on her, she reaches out to grab the horns on either side of his head, holding him back inches from her face as her silver eyes meet his bovine ones as any further forward momentum only pushes her further away.

"What? You want to show me how horny that's made you?" she manages to get out, smirking through the strain of trying to keep the bull-headed Buck under control both through physical force and her psychic stare. "In that case, you'll probably enjoy this."

As she attempts to pull his head down further, it might seem that she's talking about the up-close view of her chest - but that's only a setup for an impending high knee to the underside of his jaw!

COMBATSYS: Coco successfully hits Buck with Tequila Sunrise.
~~ Alluring Hit! ~~

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Coco             2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1             Buck

[BUCK]
Well that didn't go according to plan. That's all the Buck can think as he's getting a knee driven right into the underside of his jaw. Thank god cow skulls are a bit thicker than human ones, as it takes some of the blow but not quite enough.

"Off my game." He mutters as he spits off to the side once freed.

"Can you cut it with the smut talk? You just ain't my type, sorry. I was raised to like women with some class."

Sure, he may be on the losing end of this fight, but the look he gives Coco is thoughtful, as if trying to see how he can work his way through this.

Instead of coming in hot again, he back off a few steps, bringing up his hands. Eyes darting out into the audience for a moment, he flicks them back and takes a deep breath, waiting for Coco to come to him this time.

COMBATSYS: Buck focuses on his next action.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Coco             2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1             Buck

[CHEVY]
Chevy Beaumont had tried her level best to get out to the friends-and-family seating area before the match started, but one thing had led to another with last-minute phone calls and arrangements for her own fight. She had managed to sneak her way in afterwards without a whole lot of fuss. And she's mostly been enjoying herself -- throwing up a loud cheer when Buck landed hits, and generally being a good sport when Coco gets one over on him.

It's that last exchange, though, that has the hayseed's cheeks turning red. Not only at the way she takes Buck by the horns -- but in how she oversells nearly *every* aspect of the exchange to her favor! Her knuckles are white as she clenches the denim of her jeans to keep from saying more.

... But then she hears Buck speak -- and all that tension just evaporates! She throws her fist into the air. "Yeah! You tell 'er, Buck!"

So much for being incognito! Thankfully, fans of Buck and Team Thunder are representing, and there's plenty of cheers to follow!

[COCO]
Buck is released at the moment of Coco's knee impacting against his jaw, the kickboxer also backing off to rub her now-sweaty palms on the stockings covering her knees - particularly focusing on the one that's been used to execute the maneuver. Cow skulls are thicker than human ones, after all.

"Smut talk? Me?" Coco feigns innocence before lifting her shoulders. "Well, like I said, my mum's French, so --"

Then Buck makes his assertion about her character. That one has her gasping in shock. "No class?" She puffs out, scattering some loose purple strands that were falling in her face away from it. "Babes, what do you think I am, a pig wrestler or something?"

She lowers her stance slightly, leaning forward as she coils like a serpent readying to strike and staring straight at Buck, trying to meet his gaze.

Perhaps it's the sound of her rival joining in on Buck's insinuation. Perhaps it's the fact that she was so thoroughly bested in her last match that drives her to vengeance. Perhaps she woke up today and chose violence.

Whatever the reason, Coco's next words are a shot of pure venom.

"Look, I know things aren't going your way this match, but cheer up - even if you take fourth place, you'll still be a silver medal to Chevy."

With that comment, she'll try and stir - both in word and through reverse empathy - the bestial side of Buck that she's brought out both in this match and the last one they fought. And if she can get him where she wants him, she'll flip forward in a flash, aiming to scythe down on his head with a vicious kick.

COMBATSYS: Buck fails to counter #Cobra's Fang# from Coco with Inkblot.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Coco             0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Buck can no longer fight.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Coco             0/-------/-------|

[BUCK]
"Far as I'm concerned, Hawks is the one that lost out." Buck says rather evenly, turning his eyes once more out into the audience in what he thinks is the right direction, its hard to tell with the spotlights shining down on him.

He knows he hasn't been giving a very good show this match, and he also knows its quickly coming to a close. "See, tearin' others down. That's why you ain't have no class. No confidence." He smirks a little. "'Sides, she did kick your rump."

As Coco comes rushing towards him he settles in with the look of someone who knows this is going to be the final exchange. And those eyes, no, he's not dealing with that brain fry again. And in the last moment, important words come to him.

Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish...

It's as good a thought as any. And as Coco closes in he lashes out, shooting chi and a cloud of ink out around him in all directions, concealing him from sight and hopefully fouling up the incoming attack.

It's just not enough.

Coco's foot still finds him in the ink cloud and a he comes stumbling out of it backwards, falling against the ropes.

He hangs there long enough that its clear he's finished, even if he's not quite out of it.

"I need a bacon burger, or.. ribs.. yeah.." He finally mutters after a moment, waving off any attempts to help him that don't involve bringing him his requested meal.

Though, he does look at Coco once more and with a smirk says, "Congrats on bronze." Then in a lower whisper that might be drowned out by the cheering crowd at the conclusion of the match, "I still got silver."

[COCO]
Coco ends up standing in a puddle of ink after landing from her decisive kick, slowly stepping backwards and sliding her sleeved foot along the ring floor. Noticing the inky trail it's leaving, she finishes the movement with a small spin, drawing a heart on the surface.

"Babes, I was just having bants. You're the one who came at me. Don't slap a snake in the face and then call it mean when you get bit."

She pulls a face, an expression of disgust - though it might look like she's pulling a bitchy face, it's at the request for meat. She is, after all, a notorious vegan. And as she's stepping closer, the bell rings, causing her to stop in her tracks before turning around and sauntering to the other side of the ring, waving at the fans and blowing kisses, especially toward the direction of a certain beast and the binturong that should have joined him by now.

"Thank goodness. When Buck said something about ribs and Coco started walking closer, I thought we were in for another KickGate," Lou says from the sidelines.

"I didn't catch what brought that last exchange on, but it looks like Coco's taken third place in a less amicable way than expected," Tom remarks. "I suppose that we'll have to deep dive the replay on the podcast later."

COMBATSYS: Coco has ended the fight here.


[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley Moore has been minding his own business. He's having a grand old time sipping from his beer and savouring the action in the brawl between Coco and Buck, but suddenly things seem to have taken a turn.

The British babe has been deploying her usual flirty tactics during the fight so far. It's not something that phases him and he knows it's all part of her performance and ring persona. Apparently Buck doesn't appreciate her antics however, which is fair play. Chevy is watching and there's a good chance she isn't comfortable with it either. Especially given her history with Coco.

When Buck calls out Coco on having no class though, Hawksley isn't too happy about it. "Coco's got plenty of class." He calls out to him from the crowd. "I mean no hard feelings, fella, but don't be talking about my cailin that way."

Despite the Irishman's intervention, Coco seems to be handling herself just fine, shooting some banter back at Buck. When she suggests the cowboy is Chevy's silver medal though, Hawksley visibly flinches. He looks over to the redhead in the crowd, cringing on her behalf. That was a brutal blow from the purple-haired pugilist and he tells her as much. "Jesus, Coco! Talk about going for the jugular. Just focus on the fight for feck's sake."

Not that she needs to do so for much longer. As Buck succumbs to Coco's physical, mental and emotional assault, Hawksley can't deny how impressive she's looked in the ring this evening. With both her fighting form and sharp tongue, it takes him back to the first season of the NFG.

[CHEVY]
Up in the stands, Chevy had an increasingly apprehensive expression on her face as the match progressed towards its conclusion. Obviously, she was gunning for Buck, but she can personally attest to Coco being one tough cookie.

The barb that the serpent slips out, though... hits her like a slap. She scowls back -- jumping out of her seat! "That's *super* offsides!" And if Hawksley looks over at her, he'd likely see her face burning red! ... Of course, *he* would know the extent of her admissions. But to be fair -- so would Buck.

Still fuming, she's already left her seat by the time the last strike is landing. Though she does manage to rein in her frustration enough to give Hawksley a firm pat on the shoulder as she passes. "You're next, pal. Hope you're ready for it."

Stiff-lipped, she makes it down towards ringside, not long after Coco paints her 'heart' upon the canvas. The more ardent fans know the denim shoulders well enough to let them pass without a fuss.

As soon as Buck mentions ribs, though, she pulls out her phone to complete an order at a local bar and grill -- which means she misses Coco's blanching as a result. But by the time she finishes her order, she's all smiles again, hiding her true feelings behind a mask of friendly Southern hospitality.

She reaches under the ropes, standing up on her tippy-toes so she can reach Buck -- enough to run her fingers through his hair. She keeps her voice low -- just enough for Buck to hear her over the cheers for Coco.

"Hey, you. Don't fret none about her. The smallest dogs bark the most, right?" Letting a snicker escape, she keeps a smile on her face while Coco has her moment in the limelight. Despite the rivalry, and the abundance of things she -could- say, she decides on discretion as it's just before her bout with Hawksley. Instead -- her attentions are where they need to be -- on Buck.

"Love you beaucoup!" She grins back at Buck, hoping to lift his spirits. "You fought your heart out up there! So let's get you stitched up so we can get some grub!"

Log created on 15:50:48 02/01/2025 by Coco, and last modified on 16:14:34 02/12/2025.