[BATT] Meet & Beat [Ganyma x Sascha]

[Sypon]

DING DING
Two dudes fight for publicity  

[Sypon]

“You’ve seen the lobby before, and the Coliseum itself, where all the glitz and glam is – backstage is all pretty practical,” Ganyma explained. The footsteps of the two men echoed through simple concrete and linoleum hallways, lined with the occasional mat, ladder and chairs (for resting, not hitting). It was nearing the tail-end of the tour, with only a few special nuggets left to share with the direct competition. Well – competition and cohort.

The ALG was acutely aware of the Death Dancers as an institution – at least, some particularly perceptive producers were. Scoping out the competition in a field similar to their own was par for the course, and potential business deals were of equal relevance. It was a simple solution to both issues to invite one of the signed Dancers to the ring in order to make the acquaintance of Shield. He and Nova were both involved in the idol competition, and the timing was too perfect. Ganyma, of course, wasn’t particularly aware of all of this nuance, or any of the politics behind the decision. Getting to know his sponsors was foremost an exciting proposition – particularly because he was a bit in the dark about his sponsorships in the first place. Getting to know Sascha – or, Nova, rather – was a step in the right direction. He’d already touched base with Miss Moteku, after all.

“Here’s the locker rooms. Superstars like Sheena have their own trailers or rooms when they roam through, but for the most part us mid-and low-tier fighters do the communal thing, y’know? It’s pretty casual back here. The real publicity and story stuff goes on in the ring, and, uh, with the writers and all that. You probably get that, bein’ in the entertainment business. You do staged fights?”

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Sascha whistled in appreciation for the sights and sounds--or lack thereof. He'd seen his fair share of ALG fights, but being in the coliseum practically alone was an entirely different atmosphere. It was surreal, almost eerie. The most striking was the odd air of solemnity that came with standing where so many incredible fights had taken place between equally incredible trolls. For all of Sascha's self-confidence he was still having a hard time believing he'd actually made it far enough in life to be on a private tour of the Four Fronds Coliseum.

Granted, he was currently standing in a locker room, which was hardly glamorous in of itself. As far as lockers went, though, this was a damn classy establishment. Just the leftover workout clothes lying around could probably fetch a fair amount of beetles depending on who wore it last.

Sascha's eyes flicked up the troll giving him the tour. His stage moniker "Shield" was easier to remember than his actual name. He'd said it at some point, Sascha was sure of it. Still, the greeting they'd exchanged at the beginning of the tour was peanuts compared to the full Superstar Authority intro Sascha had watched from the sidelines. It was hard for Sascha to recognize the two as the same person. It was mostly the mask's doing. This guy wasn't exactly pitiable to look at, but his features were broad, mellow, normal. Sascha had at least expected more prominent teeth.

Sascha's eyebrows lowered as Ganyma addressed him. It was the yellowblood's "thoughtful" face, but had the unfortunate effect of making him look annoyed. "Staged? Hell no; I'm in it to win it. Spin doctoring is Chiara's job. ...Do you bite it on purpose?" Sascha asked with an almost childlike incredulity.

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

Ganyma idly scratched the back of his neck. “Mm.” He thought for a moment, looking around the room for something to latch onto.

“Winning’s a lot more of a big picture thing here, y’know? If you win every fight, the fans start to hate you ‘cos you don’t show any weakness. There’s no drama, you just kinda float by. Usually the most popular fighters get their breaks by bein’ the underdog or having a big comeback and then staying on top after that. I’m kinda workin’ my way up right now, so I’m in that boat. Started out fresh out of the Hunting Grounds as this guy,”

He made a general motion to his face, showing that he was simply billed under his regular image. “And I’ve been workin’ on my image since then. I mean, it’s kinda similar to how my life’s goin’, which helps, but that’s the real way to bring in the big bucks. The fans love that stuff, and the Coliseum does, too – gotta have a cool angle, personality, charisma and all that stuff. The best fights are the most interesting ones, sometimes, uh – ‘cumulating over a few losses and then a good comeback. That’s entertainment. That’s how I win.” He offered Sascha a wink, picking up momentum as he talked about his trajectory.

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Sascha listened to Ganyma with a pensive expression. Bullheadedness had gotten him this far, but Sascha knew finesse would only become more important as he rose through the social ranks. Ganyma didn't look the part of someone that angled for edges, but his information was solid. Better yet, it was information garnered from experience. Sascha had to admit Ganyma was sweeps ahead of him, literally and figuratively.

Sascha could use this. Feeling invigorated, he stretched his back and planted his hands on his hips. "I get it. You're talking sense," he said with a flippant tone, but pleased smile. "You had me at 'drama.' So tell me, Shield, what's an up-and-coming like me gotta do to get my foot in the door within, say..." Sascha mentally calculated the length of the Superstar Authority competition, "...A perigee?"

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

Ganyma smirked. “Oh, we do drama! I bet you do, too. I can tell. I hear you’ve got some good tricks up your, uh, sleeves. Mind sleeves.”

Sascha was a telekinetic, and Ganyma had primarily defensive abilities. A clash between the two powers would be a sight to behold, and the thought immediately inspired Ganyma into a realization. “Well, the ALG has been lookin’ for businesses to promote, hence the Death Dancers sponsorship ‘n all that. I’d say it wouldn’t hurt nobody if you wanted to do a little trial fight out in the ring for a bit of dazzle, y’know? A demonstration, get an intro and some eyes on ya. You’d just need someone to fight. And I’m free this afternoon.” Ganyma shrugged, his expression growing into a grin. “Wanna show me what you got?”

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Ganyma seemed to be warming up to him, Sascha noted. He still wasn't suave by any stretch, but he was energetic and not chatting about the architecture. Also he was talking about Sascha, which was always relevant to Sascha's interests.

Even more relevant was talk of Sascha fighting Ganyma. On stage. For publicity. Sascha tried to keep his enthusiasm from coming across as manic.

"After you, my friend."

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

“Alright then. Give me a sec to change. You need a set of gear, or are you good to go however?” Ganyma was already walking over to his locker. He turned the lock and popped it open. The inside of his (large, vertical locker – about the size of a very modest closet) was stocked to the brim with masks hanging gingerly on hooks up above, with the rest of his gear in organized containers below.

“I’m not gonna go full outfit. Don’t have boots here anyway – I bring those from home usually ‘cos there’s too many to fit in here.” He looked down at his current attire – black jeans and black boots with silvery metal toes – and picked a mask from inside. Black, with intricate grey stitching. He tied his hair up, slipped it over, laced it up and pulled off his shirt. Shockingly, he was immediately transformed. Good to go.

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

HP: 20/20
Military Weapon: +1 DMG
Telekinesis: 1/1 Offensive Style B: Attack does double damage, and detracts 1 health from opponent every remaining turn.

If being at the coliseum after hours was surreal, being on the stage proper was a waking dream. Sascha shuffled his stance in a manner he refused to identify as "nervously." It didn't help that Shield was now his persona in its entirety. The slick mask completely blocked off the sloping, calm features of the troll beneath. This was an honest-to-gog coliseum fight.

Normally Sascha would have wanted the crowds, but now he wasn't so sure. Something told Sascha this match-up was not about to play out in his favor. He considered it was perhaps foreshadowing that Shield had advised him that losing was an important part of one's career path.

Sascha snorted. Enough anticipation. He charged Shield for no other reason than to make something finally happen.

Sascha does 3 damage!

Sypon

 

[Sypon]

40/40
Adult + Military Weapon: +2 DMG
Ultimate Shield: 3/4
(not usin trinkets)

Immediately, Ganyma braced himself. With the tension, he skillfully activated his power - the blow glanced off. The plates around Ganyma's torso and shoulders formed nearly instantaneously, crackling as they emerged.

"Nice one, Nova!" He bellowed, and returned the attack with a short, less powerful blow before sidestepping to regain his ground.

3 damage!  

[seekingCylem]

HP: 17/20
Military Weapon: +1 DMG
Telekinesis: 1/1 Offensive Style B: Attack does double damage, and detracts 1 health from opponent every remaining turn.

Sascha wheeled back more from surprise than the force of the blow. Being punched was certainly still a motivator, though. He wheezed, but still found it in himself to laugh. With a few steps between the two trolls, Sascha felt comfortable enough to pause and assess the situation.

This... This was a tough situation. Sascha adjusted his grip on his knives. Defense was obviously the game for someone named Shield. If he was going to have any kind of opening, it'd probably be in the attack. Sascha hoped.

Sascha does 0 damage!

 

[Sypon]

40/40
Adult + Military Weapon: +2 DMG
Ultimate Shield: 3/4

“You’d better get in there,” Ganyma warned. He backed up to the edge of the ring and strafed, then burst forward to deliver another passing blow to Sascha. “I’m pretty good at endurance matches.”

He hopped, elbows bent and arms out to defend from Sascha’s blades with his hardened arms. There were only a handful of viewers – mostly trainees running up and down the stairs, janitorial and a few fighters on break – but action was needed here. You never knew when Traian was watching. “C’MON!”


3 damage!  

[seekingCylem]

HP: 14/20
Military Weapon: +1 DMG
Telekinesis: 1/1 Offensive Style B: Attack does double damage, and detracts 1 health from opponent every remaining turn.

Sascha should have known better than to let his guard down when he saw Shield back up. First he was talking, and then Shield was in his face. Sascha panicked at the unanticipated speed. His swing glanced off Shield's forearms harmlessly. Shield returned the favor with a solid whack to Sascha's unguarded torso.

Was this what a proper fight between another powered troll felt like? Sascha cursed and pulled his arms inward, defensively. He didn't know the first thing about getting around something like this. Shield's call to action was only further pissing Sascha off. Did it not look like he was trying!?

Sascha does 0 damage!

 

[Sypon]

40/40
Adult + Military Weapon: +2 DMG
Ultimate Shield: 3/4

Ganyma frowned outwardly, though his expression was thankfully covered by his mask. Sascha's tactics weren't a great match for his defensive style of battle. Perhaps this would be a better lesson than it would be a demonstration. He didn't want to patronize the younger man in combat by going easy on him now, though. But, he could risk pulling a heartier attack - he knew he could take a direct blow if he did so.

The wrestler grabbed Sascha by the midsection on his next pass, twisting backwards with enough force to launch him downward.

5 damage!  

[seekingCylem]

HP: 9/20
Military Weapon: +1 DMG
Telekinesis: 0/1 Offensive Style B: Attack does double damage, and detracts 1 health from opponent every remaining turn.

Shield wasn't pulling back. There was no caution in his movements. The older troll knew exactly what he was doing, to Sascha's chagrin, but not surprise. Sascha knew those first couple blows were just testing the waters. Whatever happened next would reveal whether or not Shield had decided he was worth taking seriously.

It was perhaps the most flattered Sascha could be while being suplexed. He hit the floor hard--only protected slightly by the arrangement of his horns and the deadened nerves across his back. The impact shocked through his system. For a brief second, Sascha was paralyzed. Without the use of his body, the remaining course of action was his mind.

The arena floor lit with red sparks. They glittered and disappeared into the floor. In a sudden lurch, gravity seemingly inverted. Sascha and Ganyma both lifted off the ground. With a bass "pop" the men were propelled opposite directions with significant force. Sascha used the momentum to flip himself upright. He slid to a stop down on one knee, breathing heavily. He wiped some spittle from the corner of his grinning mouth and rocked himself into a standing position.

"C'MON!" He parroted, gesturing with his fingers threaded through his knife.

Sascha does 11 damage!