Match of the Millennium

The video begins with a dark screen that slowly fills with electric blue lines as a subtle dramatic musical swell rises. Finally, the lines connect and swivel to reveal a stylized new version of the NFG logo, before the number 2.0 draws itself on the screen to the right of it, and the NFG theme starts to play. More words flicker into view beneath the logo, resulting in: //NFG 2.0:\ -==WORLD TOUR==- ODYSSEY: ROUND 2 As the New Fighting Generation theme song kicks in, the view zooms out to show the logo on a screen between returning NFG commentators Tom and Lou. TOM: "Welcome back, ladies, gentlemen, and all of our other friends, to NFG two point oh World Tour Odyssey... Round Two!" LOU: "And our first rundown of the second season of NFG action!" TOM: "But first, what everyone's really here for: all the latest hot goss on the NFG's prospects." LOU: "It's definitely what I'm here for. That, and the rumours." TOM: "Yes, indeed. Only the finest hand-picked rumours, brought to you by Team Tom and Lou." LOU: "So, shall I start by confirming the rumour that Chevy and Buck are now officially dating?" TOM: "I think that particular cat was already out of the bag, Lou, but yes, for those who don't know, Chuck is now added to our official list of NFG couples." LOU: "So pre-eminent NFG couple Cocksley - I mean, Hawko - now have another contender to contend with, in addition to Djamzo, whose status is now murky at best." TOM: "I think people are preferring the pronunciation 'Cokesley.'" LOU: "That just sounds like product placement to me. And judging by the socials, it looks like Roxana is turning it into a throuple, so, Coxley it is?" TOM: "I take it you're referring to those posts that seemed to imply that Roxana and Coco are planning to lock in our first mentor-mentee teamup? Actually, I thought that mentors wouldn't have a say in their choice of prospect and they would be decided by Professional Fighting Worldwide." LOU: "I took it the other way around. I mean, we interviewed them about who they'd want to mentor. Obviously it'd have to be up to them." The screen behind Lou and Tom changes to show the face of a red-haired woman in a beach hat and sunglasses. When she speaks, it's with a Southern accent. CARLY: "Actually, boys, we're taking into account our prospects' preferences, but reserving the ultimate decision for each team in the interest of maximizing entertainment value." TOM: "Oh, hi, Carly. How're the Seychelles?" CARLY: "Lovely. Have a great show, boys~" The feed cuts out, returning the screen to showing the logo. LOU: "So I guess we were kinda both right. Cool! So that way, nobody gets left out, and if we're lucky, we end up with some teams that really hate each other. That always makes for the best television." TOM: "It's how we've made it this far, Lou." LOU: "What do you mean, Tom?" TOM: "And now, moving on to our standings!" (Continued in the next post!)

The screen displays the returning fighters' scores: ================================ Returner NFGP =============================== Chevy - 3 Points Zarine - 3 Points Kenzo - 3 Points Coco - 2 Points Hawksley - 2 Points Buford - 2 Points Genie - 2 Points Braun - 2 Points Hated R - 1 Points Buck - 1 points Sarah - 1 Points ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOM: "So, as we can see, Chevy, Kenzo and Zarine are sitting at the top of the leaderboard." LOU: "Coco might not be happy that Hawksley kept her from continuing her regular season streak from last year." TOM: "And at the other end of the table we have Hated R, Buck, and Sarah." LOU: "Two points ain't a big gap to overcome, though. We're still clearly in 'anything can happen' territory." The table then flips around to show the new fighters' scores: ================================= Newbie NFGP ================================ Roxana - 3 Points Tanwen - 3 Points Henry - 3 Points Max - 3 Points Rodrigo - 3 Points Xander - 3 Points Albert - 1 Points Arisa - 1 Points Homura - 1 Points Ishida - 1 Points Skye - 1 points Kahuna - 0 Points ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOM: "And, well - with no draws this round, we'd have to name everyone to cover who's in first place and who's in last." LOU: "Except for Kahuna, who was docked the point for sleeping in this round. He'll have a shell of a road ahead of him to catch up." TOM: "I believe turtles are known for come-from-behind victories, Lou, so I'm sure he'll be okay as long as he stays off the lotus. Now, let's dive into the results that got our leaderboards looking like they do!" (Continued in next post!)

-==ALBERT==- versus -==TANWEN==- TOM: "What more could we ask for than a fight against a knight and a dragon?" LOU: "It may have been a traditional story, Tom but it didn't go the way it did for Saint George." TOM: "That's right. Tanwen pulled off an impressive victory. One that will surely have had Welsh fans waving their flags proudly back home." LOU: "I've got to say Tom, that Wales has one of the coolest flags I've ever seen." TOM: "That's true, Lou but this match was more on the hotter end of the scale, as this footage shows!" -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- "Oh, alrighty, then," Tanwen accepts Albert's declination to sate her curiosity. When he deigns to flip himself over, the dragon girl is sent tumbling away, the Littlest Dragon easily dislodged by the would-be Strongest Knight. She's just getting up and dusting herself off when the boot is suddenly planted against her body, sending her nearly crashing hard into a wall - but she just manages to flap her wings enough to deaden her momentum and the resulting impact as she hits it with her arms and knees. She pivots back around, wincing at the bruises that are likely forming on her joints. "You're very strong, you are," she remarks as she faces her foe. "At least, I think so. But you forgot to bring a shield!" And as if to show the folly of his forgetfulness, she sucks in a deep breath, cheeks and chest and diaphragm swelling as she gasps audibly and presses her lips together - before blowing hard, unleashing a torrent of blazing gas from within. The fire streams out like a flamethrower, seeking to envelop Albert from across the modest distance! COMBATSYS: Tanwen successfully hits Albert with Dragon Breath. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "I see what you mean, Tom. Young Tanwen is giving Buck and Hawksley a run for their money there with that move." TOM: "Especially Hawksley, since he needs a swig of Irish whiskey to ignite his fiery breath." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012365.shtml) -===COCO===- versus -=HAWKSLEY=- TOM: "While this was an exciting match in its own right, it wasn't the double knockout result that had Hitter users bashtagging and beating all night long." LOU: "Nope. We were way more excited about the big reveal when a key piece of Coco's costume came off." TOM: "And not in the usual way." LOU: "Well, that - that happened too." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- The grass around the pair catches fire as Hawksley drives his burning chi into the earth, and Coco flinches just for a moment. It doesn't last for the time between the Irishman striking the ground and his sudden lunge forward, though - with an equal burst of speed, her bracers cross, catching the attack with a ringing clang as she's sent skidding back along the dirt with her sandals. The broken bracers fall from her wrists as she keeps going, sliding through the wall of fire in an instant, and at first, it seems that she may be engulfed, as the skirt and bustier and sandals of her outfit start to ignite. Miraculously, though, as the smoke rises off of her body, her skin remains unburnt. Her dark, expressionless mask is barely visible behind the burning barrier - until it starts to approach once more. The Amazonian warrior woman strides through the flames unfazed as blackened bits of her battlewear tumble in a trail of ash behind her. She kicks off the leather sandals, leaving her bare feet to leave prints in the dirt. Even the mask begins to melt from the intensity of the heat until she reaches up a hand to pull the molten mass of plastic and ruined electrodes away from her face and toss it aside. What's left is a Coco standing in her tight black bikini bottoms and top - seemingly made of oddly more advanced and resilient material, perhaps procured as a precautionary expense based on her past experiences - and otherwise completely exposed. COMBATSYS: Coco just-defends Hawksley's Burn Baby Burn!! With a self-satisfied smirk drawn across her face, restored and pristine, save for the minor bruising around her temples from the prior battering through her mask. "Well, that little secret didn't last long," she comments casually as she gives her back a brief stretch, then brushes her bangs away from her face. "You should be more careful, Lucky. I'm sure somebody's just launched a navy somewhere." Then, back to business, Coco shifts forward and drops down onto her hands, lashing out with one luxuriously-sculpted leg to try and kick out at Hawksley's heel, intending to take him down in lore-friendly fashion! -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "The Coalbridge estate has refused to release a statement to explain how Constance was able to recover so miraculously from her disfiguring injuries at the end of last season, and Professional Fighting Worldwide denies any prior knowledge of this change of affairs." LOU: "Look, I realise that it's kinda ironic considering the Trojan War theme this week, but should any of us be looking this gift horse in the mouth? I just can't believe the first thing Hawksley did after he found out that his girlfriend's face was okay was to give her a black eye." TOM: "I like to think it was out of respect for the spirit of the competition, Lou." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012364.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

-==BUFORD==- versus -==BRAUN===- TOM: "So, this was supposed to be a match between a hirsute beast and an iconic strongman." LOU: "Unfortunately the fighters misunderstood who was supposed to be playing which role." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Buford, here, while buff, was not in the buff. No, he was garbed in a suit of fur. Carefully crafted by some of the best experts in the profession, Buford's suit of fur was carefully crafted in the form of a lion. While the body is rather tight and suspiciously matted in places, it was only lightly furred with velvet, following more of a broadway musical model of craftsmanship. A faux fur mane sits on his shoulders, rich and full, while his head bore fake ears using a headband. "Rwar! Rwar!" Buford announces of himself, as he strides out with his face painted in yellow, with a fake snout and whiskers added on. "I am a fierce and terrible lion!" Striding out with his katana on his shoulder, he approaches the fallen tree, while he stops and stares at Braun. He barely contains a snort of laughter at his opponent's ridiculous costume. "And what are you supposed to be, old friend?" "For God's sake, what the hell?!" Braun's reaction is one of utter confusion, bewilderment and general disruption of his entire thought process as he sits up abruptly and just leans forward and stares at fursuit wearing samurai with his mouth dropping open until he's utterly slack jawed. Clearly it must be the crafstmanship of the fursuit. 'I'm supposed to be the Nemean Lion!" he exclaims after a momentary pause, still so confused that he basically just answers the question with a befuddled straightforward manner. "You know..the lion! That's what they told me!" Or did they? Or did he just assume -he- was supposed to be The Lion and just fall right into pitfalls of this entire thing. As he thinks back over the instructions to the match ...he begins to recall that they didn't -exactly- say who was supposed to be who there was just the assumption because...well..Beastman! At first he was annoyed he presumed they weren't giving him the role of Heracles and -now- he's feeling annoyed at the idea of Buford being The Lion! "Whoever heard of a samurai Nemean Lion! I at least got the claws! Augh...you know what. Nevermind. Nice fursuit. Is it a custom fit? Looks like it's missing a few 'parts' if I were t'hazard a guess. I'm sure the censors are sighin' in relief..." -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Our fans from Season One will remember how closely fought the first match between these two was, resulting in a double knockout." LOU: "Which didn't stop 'em from filling their doggie bags with leftover beef. And here, the buffet continued." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- Buford lunges in with a headbutt aimed right at Braun's gut, a trick he had learned from Bill Bull from the Mad Gear Gang. Should it connect, he would use the momentum to reveal another Mad Gear trick he had learned. A little technique where he would swing his sword like a baseball bat, attempting to smash it wide and horizontally with worrying force. "Yes, I hope my beastial technique isn't overwhelming, old friend." Buford states smugly. "I wouldn't be surprised if humans were the -real- monsters after all." That actually -does- catch Braun off guard! It would seem that the Mad Gear techniques have a place in the skill set of a samurai! Surprising, perhaps, that it is Bull's techniques and not Katana's that settled in but... Well...actually perhaps not so surprising. COMBATSYS: Buford successfully hits Braun with Crushing Strike. It's nothing Braun himself can dwell on, however, as he's caught off guard by the attack and also the sudden force of the follow up. THe blow sends him looming to the side and then towards the ground where he's forced to use both hands to support his weight and then press up to vault away in a tumbling fall that kicks up dust and stone and well placed tree branches as he skids backwards. "Tth. The way you act, I keep havin' to remind myself you -did- make it into the tournament after all... So maybe I should stop playin' around.." His muscles surge, energy crackling about him once again as his hair begins to turn a bright burning, almost 'Akuma' esque red, becoming a mane around head. His physique strains at the garments, crackling over them with chi and transforming them to surge in size with him as he looms up larger and larger and then with a roaring grip he rumbles, "Yer doin' just fine, -old friend- but lemme give you some tips!" With that he suddenly swings in, sending a gigantic swatch of energy scything through the air towards Buford. COMBATSYS: Braun successfully hits Buford with Shockwave Claw. He then springs forward, following after it and then lunging into the air, now fully enlarged, and so thundering in towards Buford like an incoming semi truck. COMBATSYS: Braun blitzes into action and acts again! He attempts to blaze past him, dragging his arm behind him as he flanks the samurai and then coming in with a wild swing that drags yet another burning arc of energy behind it. COMBATSYS: Braun successfully hits Buford with Raging Thunder Roar. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "And this fast and furrious - I mean, furious match provided the perfect backdrop to settle their battle for superiority." LOU: "Too bad it ended with a draw. I don't think these crazy cats settled anything, but it was a great match to watch." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012367.shtml) -==KAHUNA==- versus -===MAX====- TOM: "Well, folks, I think we have an apology to make on behalf of one of our competitors for this match. Unfortunately, Kahuna was beset by a mysterious affliction after consuming some of the local flora before the match and was unable to compete due to resulting medical issues." LOU: "Is being really sleepy a medical issue? I told them they were playing a dangerous game with the title of this fight. You should never go Full Lotus Eater." TOM: "Fortunately, Kahuna fully recovered after an extended nap and there appear to be no complications which will prevent him from continuing in the competition. Maximum has been awarded three points for 'winning' this match." LOU: "So she's earned the 'Maximum' score." TOM: "Indeed." (A link to the match VOD appears below: https://tenor.com/en-GB/view/tmnt-leonardo-sleep-sleeping-snore-gif-26331993) (Continued in the next post!)

-===KENZO==- versus -===BUCK===- TOM: "A rematch of two of the returning fighters here. The last time their paths crossed in combat, it was in a car lot." LOU: "Oh yes, our old friends at the Ford garage. We had some good times there and George really looked after us." TOM: "It also gave us one of our most popular images of the season with Buck doing his best puppy impersonation in the post fight picture with Kenzo and George's daughter, Liza." LOU: "I thought she was called Raiza, Tom." TOM: "It can be confusing, so let's switch our attention to the match and this meme-worthy moment." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- One advantage Buck has over someone actually wielding a chain weapon is he doesn't care about his rock on a string. The connecting string is snapped loose from his hand and it goes sailing off into the distance the moment he sees it's not going to connect. Fun idea, but didn't work. He adds them to his list of things to workshop later. But it's also a distraction, and one that costs him as he turns into the chain wrapping around his neck. The next few moments are a blur of pain for him as he finds himself smashed to the ground not once, but twice. Less dignified is Kenzo atop him wailing on him with that tessen. But that also puts Kenzo in a bit of an odd situation, one where he can feel Buck shifting under him. Bone and muscle snapping and rearranging, and in this case, growing. Certain beasts don't like being on a leash. Buck's entire body swells with heavy muscle as fur sprouts all over, it's almost like something out of a werewolf movie, except it's an ursine face that opens its mouth in an ear splitting roar. Both of the massive paws curl into giant fists, which he brings up from either side, intending to catch Kenzo right in the middle of a bearish self-fistbump. Kenzo probably had enough speed to get out of the way of the bear knuckle fistbump (Kenzo's player facepalms), but he wanted to maintain physical contact for the follow up. As a result, Kenzo shifts to the side so he can put all of his weight on one arm to restrain one arm while using the closed fan to deflect the other arm's strike. The powerful impact still knocks the fan out of his hand sending it flying to one of the horse leg turnbuckles. COMBATSYS: Kenzo blocks Buck's Bear Arms. While it's true that certain beasts don't like being on a leash, that chain is still wrapped around the bear's neck and he can use it to finish the job. Where the head goes, the rest of the body usually follows so he hooks a leg behind the bear's head and rolls in an attempt to get the bear face down to the ground allowing him to take his back. Should he manage to do that, he'll lean back while sending electric chi into the chain as he attempts to choke Buck out until he goes limp and then releases it. He's not trying to kill the man, just win the fight after all. If Kenzo is successful, there is a high probability of a resurgence of Mystikal's HELP THE BEAR meme. COMBATSYS: Kenzo successfully hits Buck with Shocking Ambush. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "Kenzo went on to secure the win, reversing his fortunes since the last time he fought the shapeshifter. See how the whole thing played out in the full footage of the fight." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012368.shtml) -==ISHIDA==- versus -==HENRY===- TOM: "This was our first chance to see the schoolboy swordsman in action. Of course, amazingly for a new fighter, he already had some fans in attendance." LOU: "It's not that amazing when you consider who his parents are. The Pacific High kid has been one of the most talked about competitors ahead of season two, due to his starry connections." TOM: "After this performance it seems there's more to him than celebrity parents. As you can see in this thrilling footage." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- A shield also offers its own advantages. Sure, it may not be as intimidating or sharp as the sword, but there's no denying the usefulness of a disc of metal reinforced hardwood to put between you and your opponent. Something Henry takes full advantage of as the punches instead dully thump on the riveted surface of the shield. Some of the shock of the blows still pass up into Henry's arm, shields aren't perfect, but they keep the brunt of the force away, and it gives him a clue as to how hard Ishida can hit. Red chi flicks along the length of Henry's blade, wispy ribbons gliding along the sharp edges. Shield still placed before him, he brings up his sword.. And strikes it along the rim of his shield, sending a cascade of glittering red sparks into the air between him and Ishida, hopefully using the distracting maneuver to allow him a few steps back. Defense is every bit as crucial as offense -- and Henry proves that he's got plenty of that on his own. Ishida seems to nod with approval at the way his opponent handles the blows. It wouldn't be the first time Ishida has punched metal-backed hardwood, and it certainly won't be the last as he continues to press his assault. Henry may find, though, that getting out of Ishida's reach may prove more difficult than he'd envisioned. While the Japanese fighter may not have anticipated the use of sparks as an offensive tactic, he -- oddly enough -- doesn't seem to be deterred. Ishida seems to disregard the threat to his person, even as the sparks slam into his flesh and shirt, leaving behind black scorch marks alike as the toughened fighter presses forward. He grunts -- however slightly -- as he barrels forward, hoping to make the most of his drive. COMBATSYS: Ishida endures Henry's Hound Couchant. His goal would be to continue striding forward, so that he can capitalize on his momentum. With a small hop forward, he'd hope to drive a slashing chop downward at Henry, before following through with a quick backhand -- and then swivel his trailing fist forward into a stronger punch aimed at sending his opponent flying backwards into the nearest picnic table! Who knows if the audience is enjoying the exchange so far, but Henry, well he's definitely enjoying himself. It's a display of technique over flash, even with his shower of sparks fading in the air. "Rivals or friends." Henry says softly, taking a quick step back even as his opponent maintains pressure. "I'm enjoying this so far." As Ishida launches his assault he finds something in the way of actually reaching Henry at each blow. Henry brings up his sword to intercept the downward chop as he would with any swing of a normal weapon, and a quick flick of the wrist repositions the sword between him and the backfisted strike. It's not a light sword either, but Henry wields it with the ease of a sword half its size. COMBATSYS: Henry counters Taken for Granite from Ishida with Stag Guardant. It's the shield that comes in to intercept the third strike, but he doesn't just position it to guard, instead he swings the front of his shield right into the oncoming fist. The same red chi that flicked along his sword earlier swirls along the front of the shield, blasting outwards as he impacts the normally defensive equipment right into Ishida's oncoming fist. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Henry may have earned the three points here, but credit can be given to Ishida for his performance. It was a very close contest at the conclusion." LOU: "That's right, Tom, and if you want to see how the whole thing played out, be sure to check out the link on the screen." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012362.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

Odyssey Round 1 Rundown (4/8) -==ROXANA==- versus -==ARISA===- TOM: "I have to give it to you, Lou, you called it that Roxana representing night would win the day here." LOU: "I like things on the dark side, Tom." TOM: "Yes but enough about your private life, Roxana was incredibly impressive here with a calm and collected performance. She faced off against the gun wielder without ever losing her cool." LOU: "And looked fantastic whilst doing it, Lou. I commend her commitment to getting into the character of Selene. You can check out her costume in this clip." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Roxana seems rather relieved that they won't actually be fighting in the chariots. She hadn't wanted to complain at such an early stage in the competition but it had seemed risky at best and downright terrifying at worst. She follows Arisa's lead, stepping on to the slightly unsteady platform and testing her balance. After swaying from side to side somewhat, she seems to reach an equilibrium. She's glad she decided on the flat sandals though. "Did you watch the en eff gee last season?" She asks Arisa. "I remember the fight on the bus with Brian and Buford. That was kinda crazy! I think that was the only one on the move that I recall." She continues the conversation in the same soft tone. "Will you be okay without food? Maybe someone has a cereal bar or something." She searches the faces of the officials, all who remain strangely silent. "Although who knows, perhaps it will be the smart decision to keep your stomach empty." She starts to giggle a bit, her hand moving to her mouth in a girlish manner. "So we are both new to all of this then. I'm sure we will do our very best and make ourselves proud." Her gaze shifts to the gesture the Texan is making, slamming her fist into her palm. "It seems you are ready for action. Just give me a moment and I will be too." A look of concentration appears on Roxana's face as her frame starts to transform. Black chitinous armour forms over the top of her head, upper face, shoulders, arms and legs, followed by the addition of claws, pincers and a scorpion tail, that pokes through a previously unseen gap in the back of her dress. "Okay. I'm good to go!" -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "That clip didn't actually show any combat, Lou." LOU: "Good point, Tom. This one definitely does." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- Roxana peeks over her shoulder as she shakes her tail, just in time to see the parasol protecting Arisa from some of her scorpion spray. "Oh, clever idea." She praises. "It's good to have things that are both beautiful to look at and have a useful purpose." The hisses of pain don't escape Roxana's ears and she does purse her pillowy lips momentarily before giving herself an internal talking to about the importance of not being deterred if she causes discomfort to her opponents. After all, if she's going to be competitive then it's bound to happen. Arisa herself appears to have no such qualms. As the chain, and more concerningly the grappling hook come hurtling towards her ankles, Roxana feels it wrap around them, threatening to force her off her feet. She manages to stay upright but not before the hook has dug into the flesh that is below the armoured area of her legs. She winces and tries to wiggle free from its grasp. Once she manages this, she turns to face the Texan again, her expression neutral. Rising into the air and starting to spin, she seeks to slash Arisa with an overhead attack using both claws. She'll then look to slash again, this time vertically, whilst throwing herself into a backflip and then landing on her feet. Despite her partial supernatural heritage, Arisa doesn't have any of the sort of abilities people might call 'superpowers', compared to Roxana's array of scorpion-like skills. That doesn't mean she's helpless; it does mean she has to rely on training, sharp wits, and being quick on her feet to deal with danger. Or at least, that's probably what an experienced fighter might tell her. What is actually happening in Arisa's head, however, is her mother's sage advice from years of successfully fighting off the undead and profane: 'Go full throttle from the jump. You gotta be a shark, kiddo; keep moving.' Thus when Roxana decides to go on the offensive, the Texan decides not to drop back and hide from it; instead, she yanks the grappling hook back and stows it, before her hands blur into folding more origami creations. Specifically, a pair of ninja-to: short Japanese blades made from rose-pink paper. COMBATSYS: Arisa attempts to interrupt Spinning Scorpion from Roxana with Random Strike. The first pair of claw strikes slam into Arisa's shoulders, as she charges INTO their path rather than away from it, and if the hisses of pain were distressing to Roxy, the look on Arisa's face -- and the sharp grunt of pain -- after that are also gonna be an issue. What's MORE of an issue, however, is that between the first and second set of claw strikes, Arisa crosses her arms in front of her with both onmyoujutsu-reinforced 'blades', striking in an X-shape to deter the followup. The blades aren't actually sharp -- it's a bit like taking a small-ish baseball bat swing instead, but that might hurt plenty! Roxana is part surprised and part thrilled at Arisa's readiness to rush towards the danger. The nerves she'd experienced before the start of the fight are gone now, replaced with excitement. As the grappling hook moves out of play, yet another wondrous creation comes into play. This master craftswoman is a genius of sorts, her skill astounding and delighting Roxana equally. "Pretty." She murmurs softly, admiring the rose-pink of the blades. As the scorpion-woman's claws connect with the sun god's shoulders, she sees the discomfort displayed in their expression. Her fellow American is a fierce fighter though and finds the strength to focus on defending herself from what's to follow. She might not have been expecting what does however. As the two battle babes brawl, the blonde may notice four extra chitinous limbs sprouting from her black-haired opponent's sides as the insect part of her imposes itself further on her form. She wraps them around Arisa, along with her human arms to pin her in place, and then stabs her in the back with her stinger, injecting her paralyzing poison in the process. Her back then arches acrobatically as she slams Arisa into the ground with her full force. COMBATSYS: Roxana reverses Random Strike from Arisa with Scorpion's Embrace EX. Hmm. Well, that's concerning. While the ability to deflect an opponent's attacks does not seem particularly uncommon in the fighting world, the ability to do it in the split second that someone is attacking you is a different situation altogether. Arisa barely has time to get out a "What the--" before Roxana has not just slammed her to the chariot-drawn platform, but given her a poisonous sting for good measure. Specifically, a paralytic poison. PROBLEM: much like the origami parasol before it, Arisa's briefly paralyzed body literally rolls RIGHT OFF THE SIDE. For a fraction of a second, everyone -- the drivers, the viewers watching via camera drone, the NFG Europe employees frantically making sure the Texan signed her waiver -- are stunned. Did Roxana just accidentally win the fight all in one go by ring out?! Then there is a *CLINK!* sound and a clever observer will notice that the just-deployed grappling hook has now latched onto one of the rear wheel axles. And the chariot has a cloud of dust growing behind it. Why? Because holding onto the chain of the grappling hook, a hastily-folded origami shield under her feet, Arisa Hawkins is SURFING BEHIND THE CHARIOTS. "NOT GONNA LIE," Arisa bellows, to be heard over the sound of two chariots, two horses, and possibly Roxana's conflicted inner monologue, "I FEEL LIKE A TOTAL BADASS RIGHT NOW." Of course, she's ALSO covered in bruises and tiny little muscle movements in her face suggest that the young woman is more than feeling the effects of Roxy's toxin (a Roxin?)... but powering through is apparently just what she does. For a moment, Arisa appears to be content to just surf along behind the chariots, possibly because pulling herself closer appears to be a time-consuming effort one handful of chains at a time. Until: A rock appears in the road. Low enough so that the chariot and platform will pass over it without problems, but which the impromptu shield-sled will -- thanks to the upward angle -- be sent into the air by. Which is exactly what happens. The shield hits the rock, sending itself and Arisa flying back TOWARD THE CHARIOT; the origami shield flies off into the distance as Arisa kicks off it into an upside-down, action movie cartwheel as she draws two SMGs -- both of wood and black metal with a "charm" of sorts hanging from the grips, a star of blue topaz and a rose of yellow quartz -- and aims them at Roxana, unleashing a hail of (NFG-mandated) blanks. Yeah, a blank isn't gonna shred you or pierce like a standard bullet... but it's still a bullet and it can hurt a hell of a lot in this kind of situation! COMBATSYS: Roxana blocks Arisa's Blue Topaz and Yellow Rose. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Okay, so that exchange was definitely not lacking in action. Both women went all out there but the scorpion's sting proved to be far too toxic for Arisa to take and Roxana went on to snatch the three points." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012370.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

Odyssey Round 1 Rundown (5/8) -==XANDER==- versus -===SKYE===- TOM: "Here's the match you were most looking forward to." LOU: "I can't deny that, Tom. I love seeing a fine wrestling woman giving it her all." TOM: "Don't you mean giving it her ass, Lou?" LOU: "Of course. Let's look at Skye doing just that." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Acknowledging it as ridiculous and dangerous would take more combat sense, more finely-honed instinct than Skye seems to possess. No, instead Skye powers through the hit and keeps going for the aggressive throw. Unfortunately, Skye is even less prepared for the retaliation. "Hrrrgh," it's not really a word so much as a wince, a heaving out of air as the kick strikes her squarely in the hip and thigh, which both wobble from still developing discipline. Skye's leg gives out next as she lets go of Xander and falls over. "Ow," the second punctuation follows and she's rubbing her exposed thigh, a sour expression on her face. When Xander calls out her teacher, well, Skye looks like a deer in the headlights. And then she gets mad. "I mean, she's not THAT bad, she's just done this a while, and I'm still trying to get in that kind of shape!" Skye huffs. "We're doing conditioning, ya know? But not the hair kind, because she had to explain that. I gotta get TOUGH and STRONG and learn to take a BUMP!" Skye pauses, having risen to her feet now and heaving between breaths. She pauses for a good second before continuing. "Oh, shoot. That was out of character! Ah-HEM!" Skye gets a smile on her face, it's an uncomfortable smile. It's one in spite of the pain and the discomfort. She laughs, just a little, at some yet unknown joke. "I, Skye-taeus, will next show you the original Grecian martial art!" She charges forward with a burst of speed, picking up momentum. She seems to be mulling out her method of delivery in the brief trip to her destination before, as she gets close, she suddenly shifts position and throws herself, hip first, to try and bowl Xander over with her bottom. And if she succeeds, Skye is then moving upon him with another throw, aiming to heft up the karateka over her head then JUMP with him in tow into a flying powerbomb to SLAM him violently against the stones. But not done yet, Skye follows up: "This is Pankr--PanCAKEtion!" True to her word, Skye leaps after Xander, aiming to land in a seated slam, and well. The pun becomes obvious. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Impressive stuff there, Lou. I can see why you're a fan. Xander was looking good out there too though." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- The pun was not obvious to Xander. As he recovers from his lecture, the karateka waits for Skye to make her next move. She refutes him, out of character of course to the frustration of the Furies. But as she comes, Xander looks up and down her, and gives a rather soft stern response. "You're not really built for tough and strong though. More fast and agile..." But it was moot, because after all, she was building up speed. And Xander, well. Well he blocks, right? As she brings the full force of what Gaia gave her, he realizes about halfway through catching the kick, that it wasn't a kick. It was a full on ass. She was assing at him. Xander's cheeks immediately go red, as he staggers back from the full force of the hip check. And as he falls over, well, it's like the ninja girl all over again. That strange girl who stabbed him. Lifted right back up, he is sent slamming down with the heftiest power bomb yet. Laying flat on his back, he is stunned and exposed. Right as she aims the buns right after the puns. Helpless, Xander is left with the least karate move he has experienced so far. The Butt Stomp. COMBATSYS: Skye successfully hits Xander with Skyelight EX. For a brief moment, Xander reflects on his karate career on the global stage starting under a set of weapons grade glutes. Slammed into the broken flagstones, the absolute despair of being associated with being butted is the fuel that fires within him. He wastes no time. A blast of flames boils up around him, scattering ash and embers around as he rises up once more. Xander was shaking cinders off himself, as he diligently brings himself back into his fighting stance. Looking across at his opponent, he bursts out curtly, "It's pankration, not Pancaketion! And using your buttocks as a weapon is inappropriate! Are you being trained in being a professional wrestler? Or are you being trained in being someone's lingerie model who tussles in a pool of Double Donk Sauce! Your teacher should be ashamed!" Xanderkles indignation seems to only empower him more. "It it time that... time that...." For a moment, there is a familiar spirit of rising escalations, a hint of a bombastic rise. But then, something restrains it. The Dutch boy restrains against it, latching down on it. The smoke and fire rises off his back, as he steadies his stance. "... No..." "I cannot use the Hi-Ougi just yet." And he takes in a deep breath. Inhaling deeply, he engulfs his aura. Embers, smoke and all. Consuming the cinders, he eats the flames and draws them within. He shudders, as he swallows the fire. Body shaking a moment, the acrid energy finally settles. He steps firmly and deliberately forward, approaching Skyetaeus once more. "Seiken Chudan Tsuki. The appropriate response is to defend and deflect." He rattles briskly, lunging forward with a swift palm strike with the left, and a suspicious palm strike with the right, advancing with every driving blow. There was an invisible struggle taking place now. A battle of attunements. The spirit of the phoenix. A battle between the earth, and the Skye. COMBATSYS: Xander successfully hits Skye with Medium Punch. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "And if you want to see more of the exciting exchange between these two, not to mention the colourful commentary, then check out the link on the screen." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012371.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

-=RODRIGO==- versus -==HOMURA==- TOM: "Now this was a dazzling display." LOU: "A dramatic backdrop with some a-maze-ing agility on show." TOM: "My highlight was this gem." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Even though the moon color rip through wood and crack stone, Rodrigo show that both he and the slash and tear resistant, chain mail reinforced, cape are both made of sterner stuff. He hunkers down behind the cape using it in a similar fashion as one would use a shield, letting out a grunt as the bolts impacts on his guard. "That was interesting." The Spanish swordsman doesn't elaborate further. There's too much going on for him to talk about not having encountered energy users before. Besides, Rodrigo wants to show off his art as well. The Spaniard moves forward, holding the point of the blade towards Homura as if to discourage poorly thought out approaches before delivering a quick slash and then spinning away in display of deadly beauty. COMBATSYS: Rodrigo successfully hits Homura with Splendid Slash. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "A good choice there. Rodrigo is a graceful guy. Homura had some moves to show off too though. Like the one in this clip." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- The four piece assault flares quick in a series of eyeblinks along the shape of the Spaniard's guard, the silvered crash of steel against steel rippling down his nerves, the drag of metal redirecting his strokes off-center, causing the boy to raise an eyebrow, sharp and subtle. His neutral mien never -really- breaks, but the tiniest quirk of his expression betrays his manner of thinking. The Spaniard is going to be a problem. He needs to be faster. The moment of disengagement gives him a tiny droplet of tempo, the hiss of his blade cracking hard against Rodrigo's, a binding along the razored curve of his weapon held for just a second, a fleeting moment. Just enough time for Homura to nod, once, a tiny breath of effort betrayed from the otherwise silken disposition of the shugenja. "Hope it serves you well.." A slow, tiny flex of the boy's wrist. And suddenly, sharply, he rolls his entire weight over the Spaniard's blade, pressing down on the weapon and using it as a steel springboard to throw himself into the air. While normally this might be an attempt to disarm or distract Rodrigo, the boy's featherweight is almost nonexistent, allowing him to throw himself into the air with little more than a wrist flick. A drifting, arcing spin, as he flips, the kinetic speed of the movement belying a huge amount of his hangtime. It lets him shield himself from assault, sending another, powerful flare of that silver energy arcing between the two fighters, an edge of selene power threatening the Spaniard from above and just -barely- inside his sword range. The boy never -actually- hits the ground after.. COMBATSYS: Homura successfully hits Rodrigo with Mitsurei. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "A brilliant brawl. No bull." LOU: "I thought there was a bull, Tom. Wasn't that part of the theme?" (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012369.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

-=HATED R==- versus -==CHEVY===- TOM: "Now we turn to the man bringing the fun, it's Hated R!" LOU: "Hated R! He's definitely my favourite male in the en eff gee since Brian Storm left us." TOM: "He's always ready to bring the party but Chevy was the one who brought the fabulous fighting ability. Just look at her here." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Water -is- great during the summer. Chevy really wishes it were warmer though, so she wouldn't need to wear as many layers. With this much on, it's hard for her to show off the pretty deer-antler necklace Buck had gotten her... Though, it seems that Hated R may be thinking she's not wearing -enough- layers. For the first thing he does after getting up is to peel off his extra-warm hoodie! "H-hey, I'm sorry if I gave the wrong idea, but--" There's a moment of indecision where Chevy isn't -quite- sure what's going on. By now though, her fighting habits are starting to come back to her: water begins to churn at her feet, rolling into a tight ring around her feet. And when the hoodie comes close, her caution pays off: she's able to swing the pole up, catching the hoodie upon a bucket! With the hoodie out of the way, the dangerous kick behind it is revealed -- just in time for the pole to catch the tread of his shoe! Chevy's eyes open in alarm, but rather than resist the impact of the kick, she sidesteps out of the way and lets the pole continue flying backwards a bit, holding on with just her left hand. Stepping backwards, her water-shoes slosh around through the churning waters... And then, the waterbender changes the tide. The churning water surges beneath her feet, lifting her up and allowing her to pivot freely. As her overcloak flares wide from the momentum of Hated R's kick, her wave lets her keep pace with his escape! "Hey, where're you goin'? We ain't done here yet!" The momentum continues her spin as her wave hurtles her towards him. She reaches out, seeking to latch hold of the back of his neck. If she grabs hold, the wave-riding waterbender would try to haul him up a bit -- and then bulldog him face-first into the deck! COMBATSYS: Chevy successfully hits Hated R with Mudskipper EX. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "Ouch, hitting that deck had to hurt. Hated had the perfect response though." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- There's a good chance that Hated R doesn't even know what he's going to do from moment to moment. He's one of those individuals that just kind of goes with whatever part of the flow is flowing at any given time. Which usually means that he's going to be trying to learn how to fight and also fight at the same time. There's a reason why he has a security team, right? When that kick of his ends up being worse for him than Chevy, there's a frown of annoyance that creeps across his features. He doesn't know if he timed it wrong or if CHevy's just that good. Either way, it's just some bad luck... or the beginning of what may turn out to be bad luck. But the annoyance doesn't last long as it is replaced with some wide eyes at the way Chevy grips him by the back of the neck. For a moment, he looks like a cartoon character trying to run in place -- his feet are off the ground for a couple of rotations and everything. Chevy is stronger than she looks, guys. The culmination of such a tremendous bulldog has the crowd reacting as if this were the latest pay-per-view or something. Hated R's face smashes into the deck and the pained groan mixes with the crunching of his nose and it's just pain for the next few brief moments. Hated R peels his face from the deck to look up and around. "Is it too late to learn Wax On, Wax Off?" His pained and bloody nosed quip is followed up by him rolling to the side and stumbling to get himself up to his feet. As he gets up to his feet, wobbling to and fro, he whines a bit. As he gets up to his feet... again(?), wobbling to and fro, he whines a bit... more? As he gets up to his feet... another time(?), still wobbling to and fro, he whines another bit. As he gets up to-- okay, what is going on here?! One by one, Hated Rs rise to their feet, they all seemed to operating and moving the same but just slightly delayed as if they were a collection of After Images reacting one after each other and surrounding Chevy. The reality of them being Hard Light Holograms because the reality as all five of them (including the Real Hated R) swarm in Chevy's direction to unleash a barrage of kicks, punches, stomps, lean backs, pops locks and drop its. It's just a plethora of dance moves and combat moves all rolled into a dogpile of hard light holographic pop stardom. Perhaps the most annoying part of this whole thing is that they are harmonizing together as they do this. So rude. But at least it sounds great. COMBATSYS: Chevy blocks Hated R's Big Time Rush. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "There's no denying that, Lou but Chevy wasn't done yet." Both Tom and Lou take a shot. -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #3 -=*=- There's just so much to respond to. Chevy takes it all in stride, though -- since she's -pretty- sure that getting his opponents to laugh is a legit element of his strategy. She grins as he rolls around -- and moreso as he springs back to his feet. She does stare in bewilderment for a moment as she draws her bucket and pole back, swirling it around to maintain a ready stance. Because -- seriously, this guy just licked his own hand. Ew. Coughing lightly, she notes, "... Well, I'm glad you like it that way, 'cause I can definitely say it ain't no good as eye drops..." The hayseed begins to withdraw, though, as Hated R starts raising the temperature on deck. Is it the chipotle mayo flavor, or his own? Her face contorts in mild disgust -- though part of that is upsold for the crowd. "... Just... -ew!-" The trouble is -- she knows how the crane kick works. And the trick to it is that the -actual- vector of the kick can vary quite a bit, based on how he angles his snap -- making her particular style of leverage-based counterattacking difficult. She raises her pole -- but without knowing how he'll strike, she opts for a safe defense -- crossing her forearms to absorb the brunt of the strike. "Aagh..!" she barks, hopping back as she shakes the numbness out of her left forearm. But more than that, she's a little confused: "Flying Frasier...? What is that, like, the -full- name of the move?" It doesn't take her long to recover though. Taking two quick paces to her side, she suddenly swings her pole in such a way that both buckets rise upwards, clanking lightly against one another. Grinning, she takes a long stride in to close the gap with Hated R. "Alright, Cool Hand Luke -- let's see if we cain't communicate a bit better, huh?" Chevy reaches out for Hated R's right hand. If she grabs hold of it, though -- she'll suddenly fling her buckets out hardly to her right, using the leverage from her weighted pole to whirl herself around counter-clockwise! And if she's still got a good, solid grip on Hated R -- that means he'll suddenly find his arm yanked forward sharply, as Chevy hurls his right shoulder into the deck! COMBATSYS: Chevy successfully hits Hated R with Riptide. -**- LUNATIC HIT!! -**- -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "A decisive victory for one of the strongest returning fighters. You can see the full footage by following the link on the screen. My favourite part was when Hated pulled out the chipotle mayo." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012366.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

-===SARAH==- versus -==GENIE===- versus -==ZARINE==- TOM: "So, this was our first three-way of the season. I know you were personally looking forward to this one, Lou. How did it hold up to your expectations?" LOU: "Well, Tom, the thing I love about three-ways - well, one thing I love about three-ways - is the tactical element that comes into play when you know you gotta take out not just one, but two opponents. Most fighters don't have the gas in the tank to easily take out two competitors of equal skill, so you gotta judge how to let your opponents do the work of wearing each other down - without giving them an opening to turn around and tag team you." TOM: "Would you say that this one went how you expected?" LOU: "I gotta admit, Tom, that the result makes sense, but it was still surprising how they got there. Let's look at where they started." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Zarine looks between the other two women, hefting her blade as if it weighed nothing. "This is a battle to determine who is the fairest," she says gravely. "We all know it is I, but the viewers demand conflict." Her smile is wry and teasing, though the ruthless confidence is there too, burning in her red eyes. Her gaze sweeps between the other two, sizing them up. Trying to decide her course of action. She largely knows what both women are capable of, the question is which needs to be eliminated first. She closes her eyes, letting the tip of her sword droop slightly. When she moves, she almost sems to blur. She lunges for Sarah, her blade erupting in black fire. "I am the fairest of we three! Mortals look upon me and weep at my beauty!" The tip of the blade flicks at the DJ, a testing strike. She really seems to be buying into this whole show of it. The fairest? Well, that is what the Trial of Paris was, wasn't it? Genie stares into the middle distance. Could she be the fairest? Can she fight to be the fairest? For usually benign Genie, such an idea seems outrageous, and yet--- Yes. She will do that. The rules demand it! Claiming that title, well, that is simply a perk of it all, is it not? Genie blinks and, for an instant, her eyes glow faintly pink with her lingering power. The Swiss esper raises a hand on gathers power, shaping it into a rough spear that she then hurls forward toward Zarine as she clashes with Sarah. Genie seems to linger, however, in finding the right words. "Zaphrodite, you are truly fair, but does not Athe-nie," The Swiss stumbles. It's hammy, and bragging certainly goes against her breeding, but, "bear both wisdom AND beauty?" To Sarah, using a weapon is merely using an inanimate object as an extension of your body. The standard of it all basically has you using your own body as your weapon. It doesn't matter what you do or how you use it. It's all about skill. Sarah sees no harm in Zarine using a sword of some kind, and she also sees no harm in using her arms to deflect the incoming attack. She manages to knock it away, albeit with a little bit of pain going through her arms from where she absorbed the attack. "Could've been a lot worse," She says before turning to face Zarine. "Who is truly the fairest of them all? We could look into a mirror perhaps, but those things you can never rely upon, you know?" She shrugs a little. "Nevertheless, it shall be a proven thing that I, Sa-Hera, shall be proven as the fairest of us three!" She goes for Zarine as she says, "Prepare yourself, Zaphrodite!" Even though she's clad in an unusual attire, she still attempts to deliver a simple leaping kick technique from her style of Capoeira. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "I gotta say, I loved how they all got into character for this one." TOM: "Was Zarine actually in character there? I kind of got the vibe that she was just being sincere." LOU: "Well, that might be why the other two both went in on her. That's not when the blood hit the water, though." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- COMBATSYS: Zarine successfully hits Sarah with The Spider's Strategem. COMBATSYS: Genie successfully hits Sarah with Medium Kick. - Power hit! - Zaphrodite hits Sarah with her blade, despite the Capoeirista's attempt to defend. This leaves her unable to defend herself against Genie's kick either. The girl is left stunned and somewhat bloodied, gritting her teeth in pain. "How blasphemous!" Sarah mutters, trying to remain in-character. "Two goddesses going after one!" After a moment, Sarah simply shakes her head. "I shall have to punish you for this!" She points at Genie and says, "I shall start with you!" Sarah brings her hands back and then throws forth a large projectile resembling a butterfly. "Your hit hurt worse, Athe-nie! You will pay first!" -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Yes, that combination seemed to put Sarah immediately on the back foot." LOU: "I thought the creepy vampire lady with the big smack talk would be getting targeted, but Sarah ended up getting taken out first." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #3 -=*=- Sarah falls. Retreats. Whatever. It doesn't matter. Zarine's brutal assault did exactly what it was meant to. Her strikes fed her, returned some strength to her. Enough so that the glow in her eyes fades and the claws retract. And she pretends like it never happened. "It's just us now. May the best woman win." Yeah, she's really leaning in on the pretending the berserk frenzy didn't happen. She extends her left hand, and her discarded blade slings through the air, the hilt slapping into her palm. Upon closer inspection, she's not looking great. She's managing the poise, but there's a little tremble in her hands. Her red eyes seem somehow dull. She is putting everything out here, and it might not be enough. Without another word, she lunges at Genie, the sword whistling and screaming as it slices through the air in a triple striking combo. When Zarine enters a berserker state, something seems to click. She can hear it, pounding in her ears like the beating of a heart. Perhaps it's the fact that Genie is overloaded with psychic power at the moment, her hair standing on her end, her eyes aglow, but in that moment she seems to hit a wavelength with the vampire. She can -feel- that hunger. She wants to act on it. To devour. It's a terrifying feeling. Genie throws Sarah away perhaps a bit too violently, but it matters not--Zarine finishes that part of the fight, and now it turns back to Genie. The Esper is trying to get her act together, to shake that lingering feeling of rage picked up from Zarine when the triple-strike comes. Surging with power, the Swiss tries to bring up a barrier and deflect--to end the fight decisively. COMBATSYS: Genie fails to reflect Blood Money from Zarine with Chevalier De La Charrette EX. She misjudges. The slash hits her head on, tearing at her wardrobe and tossing her handily across the stage. She bounces into a roll, climbing to her feet---but looking bloodied and battered for the effort. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "It seemed like the NFG's signature goth girl came alive with Sarah's downfall, and Genie just couldn't quite handle her offense after that." LOU: "It went about how I'd expect a fight between a vampire and a Swiss trust fund baby to go, Tom. Maybe she just spent a little too much of that mojo on taking out Sarah. Then again, two out of three ain't bad." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012363.shtml) TOM: "And that's it for our matches from last round. Let's move on to the card for Round Two!" (Continued in the next post!)

Odyssarah (Sarah) v Polyphemus (Braun) in "This Cave Has Amazing Acoustics" (Greece - Polyphemus Cave, Crete) Odyssarah finds a cave whilst out exploring in Crete and thinks it would be a cool place to host a party at! The problem is, there's already a one-eyed giant, Polypehmus, sleeping there and he's not very happy at being disturbed by the lively DJ. TOM: "What a fantastic idea by Sarah to play a DJ set in a cave. It's the kind of thing that cool kids would have attended back in the nineties. Or so I hear anyway." LOU: "I was a cool kid back in the nineties but I never got to try that out, especially in somewhere as exotic as Crete." TOM: "I can see why someone might be bothered by a person showing up in their house and deciding to have a party. Even I might be driven to violence in that case. I think with the fuel of his wrath behind him, Braun is gonna beat Sarah fair and square in this scenario." LOU: "My money is on the musicmaker. She's gonna be buzzing and brimming with energy, whereas Braun will have been woken from a nap. I'm good for nothing if someone disturbs my sleep." Odysseinie (Genie) v Circe (Chevy) in "This Food Tastes Funny" (Italy - Cape Circeo) Odysseinie is sightseeing when she stumbles upon an ancient palace, from where the sound of Circe singing classic rock whilst cooking can be heard. Curious, Odysseinie calls out to her and is welcomed in to share a meal. In the nick of time, Odysseinie discovers that Circe has mixed a potion into her food with the intention of turning her into a pig and she's none too happy about it! TOM: "I feel like Chevy has been horribly miscast again here. This is two rounds in a row that she's playing the part of the villain." LOU: "Well all those Coco fans out there might think it's the perfect role for the redhead." TOM: "The Coco and Chevy feud is so last season, Lou. Didn't you hear they've been seen drinking together in the karaoke bar on The Mermaid? They were even cheering each other's performances." LOU: "No, I didn't get that memo, Tom. I feel like I'm hearing a lot less gossip than last year. I'm not sure why that is." TOM: "On a totaly unrelated note, I wonder if Lyraelle Lightheart will be gracing us with her prescence on the cruise." LOU: "I've no idea, Tom. I barely know the woman. Other than her being a guest on our show, of course. Back to the match though, I'm voting for Genie to have the mental edge here. She's quite the formidable force." TOM: "And of course I'm cheering for Chevy." Odyss R (Hated R) v Calypso (Coco) in "Rum and Coco Cola" (Malta - Marsalforn Bay, Gozo) Odyss R and his entourage have moored their yacht on Gozo with the intention of partying on the island. Calypso has been staying there alone for far too long and is very bored, so when it's time for the star to move on, she insists upon him staying. TOM: "So what's this title about then? Isn't a bit biased towards one of the competitors?" LOU: "No, Tom. It's the title of a well known calypso song by Lord Invader, or a play on it at least. It's one that's definitely on my holiday playlist." TOM: "Speaking of holidays, this sounds like both our boy, Hated R and Coco will be having the time of their life. A beach, a boat and no doubt with these two involved, plenty of partying." LOU: "They are here for a brawl though, don't forget and I fear for poor Hated up against the power of the purple." TOM: "If nothing else we're likely to get some great music out of it." LOU: "Coco is gonna have him dancing in circles, Tom. Whatever happens though, we can be sure it will be entertaining." (Continued in the next post!)

Odysseuna (Kahuna) v Poseidon (Xander) in "Aggro" (Greece - Corfu - Acharavi Beach) Odysseuna just wants to go surfing but Poseidon spots him and grows angry at his skill. He pushes him off his board, pulls him under the water and breaks his board! Surely Odysseuna can't let this go without a fight? TOM: "Aggro? Isn't that a name that could be applied to almost any fight?" LOU: "That's right, Tom. In this circumstance though, it's been used in the same way as surfing slang. It's what our Australian friends call aggressive surfing." TOM: "Oh, I see. Well thanks for letting me in on that lingo. Who do you think is looking good in this match?" LOU: "It's hard to say, Tom, since last time Kahuna never actually made it to his match due to that overdose incident we discussed earlier." TOM: "That's a good point, Lou. Whereas Xander put in a great show against wrestler, Skye. I think my vote is going to have to go for him." LOU: "I'll support Kahuna then. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the greatest shows of all time." Odyssford (Buford) v Broadsea (Kenzo) in "Games of the Olympiad" (Greece - Corfu - The National Athletic Center of Kerkyra) It's sports day and the strongest and most talented men are getting ready to compete. Odyssford is feeling far too exhausted however and just wants to relax and eat his tendies. Broadsea, another competitor, taunts Odyssford, claiming that he must not be skilled in athletics. This angers Odyssford and he seeks to prove his worth! TOM: "So here we have a definite grudge match. Things not downright nasty last time these two faced off in Sunshine City." LOU: "Kenzo proved victorious on that occasion, both in the battle of brawn and haikus." TOM: "Which only means that Buford will have a score to settle and he managed to get that double knockout with Braun as we discussed earlier." LOU: "As lovable as Buford is, I think Kenzo is coming into this strong after his victory over Zeus. I mean Buck." Agamemmon (Albert) v Menelaury (Henry) in "Philia" (Turkey - Hisarlik) TOM: "I see what they've done there with using the Greek word for brotherly love, when these two are portraying brothers." LOU: "I thought it was something to do with that delicious cheese that I have on my bagels, Tom but there you go, I've learned something new." TOM: "Although Albert got slain by the dragon in the previous round, I have a hunch he's going to put in a better showing this time around." LOU: "Henry all the way for me. He's got real star quality, be it with stunts or a sword. He's definitely one to watch." (Continued in the next post!)

Proteus (Buck) v Menelausley (Hawksley) in "Get Out of My Garden!" (Egypt - Ras El-Tin Palace Gardens) After a night of drink and debauchery, Menelausley is looking for a place to sleep and stumbles upon Proteus' resting place in the gardens of Ras El-Tin Palace. He slips into a steady slumber until Proteus appears in his many forms to try and eject the inebriated intruder from his lair. TOM: "This is one a lot of the fans will be excited for. Last time the lads met on the beach in Sunshine City, they gave us a thrilling match in the summer sun." LOU: "Not to mention what happened afterwards." TOM: "Well yes, because we're not supposed to mention it, Lou." TOM: "Of course, so back to the action. I really can't call this, Lou. I think it's gonna be incredibly close. If my hand is forced though, I'll support Buck." LOU: "Is that because he's dating Chevy, Tom? Hawksley all the way for me. If he can handle Coco then I'm confident he can take on his brawler buddy and beat him." Hercules (Ishida) v Ladon (Tanwen) in "Hoarding Apples" (Morocco - Lixus) Ladon has discovered a tree brimming with 'Golden Delicious' apples and has set about guarding it, so she doesn't have to share them with anyone else. She hadn't counted on a hungry Hercules showing up and deciding he needed a snack. TOM: "What a wonderful role model Tanwen is being, demonstrating the importance of getting enough fruit in your diet." LOU: "Have you forgotten she went into a chocolate coma a couple of weeks ago?" TOM: "Well it's important to have balance in your diet, Lou." LOU: "Sharing is important too, though. Poor Ishida just wants to have a snack and she's stopping him by keeping all the apples for herself." TOM: "It's in her nature to hoard, Tom. She's a dragon." LOU: "And it's in Ishida's nature to punish her for it. I'm tipping him to take the match." Orion (Rodrigo) v Scorpius (Roxana) in "A Sting in the Tale" (Greece - Thebes - Ruins of The Cadmea) The confident and bold Orion has been boasting that he can defeat any creature that comes his way. Enter Scorpius to step into his path and try and prove his claims wrong! TOM: "Well if these two stick to the script, Scorpius will be securing the victory." LOU: "As we know by now, Tom, these fights often can't be predicted. Besides, if we were going along with the tales the matches were portraying, then we'd already have all the results, as well as some dead competitors." TOM: "That's a fair point, Lou. With that in mind, I think I'm going to back Rodrigo for this one. His moves against Homura were superbly skillful." LOU: "Roxana for me. For sure." TOM: "Did you hear that there's rumours she's teaming up with Coco? Is that why you're supporting her?" LOU: "No! I've heard nothing of the sort. Like I said, I don't get the gossip like I used to. I'm just a fan of Rox's work and her wardrobe." (Continued in the next post!)

Artemis (Max) v Hera (Arisa) in "The Last Woman Standing" (Turkey - Hisarlik) What starts as some friendly and fun combat during an excursion from the cruise ship to visit some ruins, soon turns into a competitive match, where both women are determined to be the last one standing! TOM: "How lovely that Max and Arisa have chosen to leave the ship together to see something of Greece." LOU: "Yes, let's hope their little outing doesn't get ruined." TOM: "I see what you did there, Lou." LOU: "It's good to be seen, Tom. Now this one is tricky, because we haven't seen Max compete in a match yet, despite her technically recording a win." TOM: "Yes and Arisa lost her last one. Like I said before though, she does have a gun, which is hard to bet against." LOU: "I think if Max puts in her maximum effort then she can snatch another victory here and this time one she actually gets to play for." Peleus (Homura) v Atalanta (Skye) in "Royal Rumble" (Greece - Iolcus) Father of Achilles and a warrior in his own right, Peleus is confident he can win a local fighting tournament with his considerable combat skills. Wrestler woman Atalanta has other ideas however and wants to claim the title for herself! TOM: "This title is confusing. We already had a rumble last summer and this is nothing like it." LOU: "I imagine it's because Atalanta is actually the daughter of a king and Skye who is playing her is a wrestler." TOM: "Oh right, I get it now. So what's your thoughts on this one, Lou? I imagine Skye is someone you'll still be supporting with your background." LOU "Totally, Tom. There's no way I can't give Skyke my backing here." TOM: "Homura is my pick. Did you hear that he's been practising for his fights by getting into disagreements with the cruise ship staff?" LOU: "No. Once again I seem to have not received that information, Tom. You know, maybe we should invite Lyraelle on the show next time. She's always popular with the public." Empusa (Zarine) v Hecate (Iris) in "Underworld" (Greece - Cape Matapan Caves) The word is out that an exclusive new bar named 'Underworld' has opened on the southernmost tip of the Greek mainland. Notorious nightlife lovers Empusa and Hecate are both eager to gain entry but when they arrive, there's only enough room to admit one more! TOM: "Magic meets the supernatural for this thrilling matchup, Lou. Who are you looking towards for the victory?" LOU: "I don't really want to say, Tom. I don't want to have a spell cast on me or have my blood drained." TOM: "Very amusing, Lou. We of course no that Zarine is only a cosplayer. Albeit a very dedicated one. Did you hear that she was seen drinking a red drink in the karaoke bar? Just to get people to think she was drinking blood." LOU: "No! I didn't hear that either or anything else, Tom! The question is though, how are you finding out all this information on the contestants?" TOM: "I've made friends with some of the crew on the cruise ship, Lou. We've got a regular poker game going." LOU: "Well thanks for letting me know about that." TOM: "You're not supposed to be gambling, Lou. Not after what happened in Vegas." LOU: "You're right, Tom. I know you're only looking out for me. I'm gonna bet on Iris. She has all kinds of tricks up her sleeves." TOM: "Zarine for me. She's got the perfect outfits to get into a bar called Underworld." LOU: "Maybe we can check it out sometime, Tom. You haven't had a chance to wear your new leather pants yet." (Continued in the next post!)

Greetings, doodz! You can now begin your second round matches of Odyssey. Stages named in the match descriptions can be found by typing stage/list NFG. Matches are due for END OF DAY SUNDAY MARCH 24TH. As usual, there will be NO extensions given past the deadline. Please contact me by @mail or on Discord if you've yet to have contact with your oppponent(s) by SUNDAY MARCH 10TH. If a match is in progress but isn't finished in time, the result will be counted as a DRAW. If a match hasn't started, it will be considered not to have happened for one reason or another (to be discussed with me) and will not be worth any points. Three points will be given for a win, two for a draw and one for a loss. Thanks to Parasoul's player for creating the Odyssey theme. Thanks to Rafferty's player for matchups, match descriptions and assistance with the rundown. Thanks to Rafferty and Kobun for their work creating stages.