(Log) Pong: Signas vs. Blaze Heatnix
From Megaman Mush Wiki
WHO: Blaze Heatnix, Magma Dragoon, Signas
WHAT: Second round of B&C Pong, Signas vs. Blaze Heatnix, Magma Dragoon as ref.
WHERE: Pong Arena <Alpha>
WHEN: May 9, 2221
The approximate IC time is: Fri May 09 21:44:25 2221 EST
Pong Arena <Alpha>
Welcome to the Pong arena! Much like the original 2D game over two centuries ago, Pong still consists of two players, one ball, and a battle of skill. The arena nowadays is real, and consists of a massive multi-coloured rectangular pit with four smooth walls and a very hard floor. The ball floats in the air thanks to technology, and ricochets off the walls at a very impressive speed. Get the ball past your opponent and the Pong arena will register a goal. At center-court, hanging above the arena, is a ball launcher, which serves the ball at the beginning of the match and after each goal. A large LED scoreboard proudly displays who is winning:
While most people are busy attending or watching the Sharpshooting competition, Signas was rather busy acquiring a popsicle franchise for the Hunters, purely for selfless reasons. He enters the Pong arena now, selecting a pair of gloves and gravity boots from the rack and kneeling down to strap them on.
"Do we have a referee," he asks of whoever's present. "I doubt it will be needed for this match, but stranger things have happened at Battle & Chase." A pause. "And at any other time, really."
Magma Dragoon takes a seat in the judge's throne! Ok, so it was less of a throne and more of a white chair with really long legs. But the way Magma stride into the room made people THINK it was a throne, he's just good at making other stuff look good. He's cool like that.
Grunting and looking down at the Pong Stadium, Magma nods his head and sits up in his seat, his arms crossed and his glowing yellow optics narrowed slightly. Yes, he's ready to judge. And he's going to look awesome while doing it, even if he doesn't mean too or if he doesn't do anything. That's just how awesome he is.
"I'll be your referee." He says down to Signas with a nod of his head.
"Very good," Signas says, tightening the last strap on his gravity boots and straightening to work the gloves over his hands. "Thank you for coming. I am aware that the Battle and Chase Commission scheduled this match at the same time as the Sharpshooting event and appreciate your missing it for this."
Tug tug. The gloves go on, and Signas turns and strides briskly into the arena, walking directly along the glowing blue line put in place to guide players. The glowing blue guideline which no one else ever bothers to use because it is pretty pointless, the entrance is /right there/. "I am sure Blaze Heatnix will be arriving soon."
Blaze steps into the Pong area, forgoing the Sharpshooting contest to get onto something more active and therefore more matching to her tastes, then walks over to the rack of equipment, where she puts on the forcefield gloves but forgoing the anti-grav boots for rather obvious reasons. "Hey, Signas," she greets, flashing him a bright smile that's also tinted with a familiar fierceness that rises up within her with the anticipation of heated competition. A moment later, Magma speaks up from the ref's box, and her smile grows as she looks up at him. "Hey, Magma!" she offers with even more enthusiasm than normal.
The phoenix proceeds to walk over to the designated starting point for the match, brilliantly-colored wings spread out to their full lengths beside her. With Magma as the ref, this match suddenly became that much more important to her to win, whether that's really all that sensical or not, and she's going to be going all out here.
Signas takes his position as well, and looks up at Magma Dragoon. "If you could get the ball rolling, so to speak," he asks, looking up at the launcher.
Magma Dragoon smiles as he gives Blaze a quick nod and wave. The dragon chuckles at her enthusiasm and it was enough to make him open his eyes all the way. Crossing his arms over his chest, Magma then nods back to Signas and smiled. "Both players are here. When ready move into the proper position."
Magma waits for a second, flicking the talons on his back as he watches them. "Alright. Begin!"
Magma Dragoon signals the beginning of Pong. The crowd erupts into cheers and jeers.
The Pong arena's ball launcher swivels around, finally lobbing the ball towards Blaze Heatnix.
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
"Alright! Let's get it on!" the phoenix calls out exuberantly, taking a position along the center of her line just a few feet above the ground. Remembering how the match with Billiard went, she manages to keep her energy in check enough not to go all-out on the ball, instead making a somewhat conservative hit with her forcefield gloves when the ball comes racing for her. (We'll see how long that style of play actually lasts, however).
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 3, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
"Thank you, Magma Dragoon," Signas says, watching the Launcher fire its deadly payload towards Blaze Heatnix. As it does, Signas gently launches himself off the ground, positioning himself dead center in his side of the court. This being the most tactically optimal position in Pong, according to his research.
"Yes, let us get it on, with it being defined as 'The Game of Pong' in this instance," Signas replies levely, moving his hands out to either side of his body and bending his legs just slightly. The ball comes towards him, and he watches, calculating trajectory and gravitic drift down to the billionth decimal place. Only then does he move, placing his hand in the path of the ball, and flicking his wrist.
Signas lunges after the ball and misses!
A loud buzzer sounds, signalling a goal! The giant scoreboard flickers, now showing Blaze Heatnix: 1
Magma Dragoon smirks and nods his head. "Blaze Heatnix scores!" he quickly calls out and the entire crowd goes up in a roar! Clapping his hands as well, Magma sits back in his seat and smiles as he watches the game below. Slowly, the crowd dies down, and the roses stop falling at Blaze's feet. The dragon chuckles slightly and nods his head at Signas, then waits for the next ball to come into play.
The Pong arena's ball launcher swivels around, finally lobbing the ball towards Signas.
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
Signas's paddle taps the ball. And the ball falls straight to the ground, scoring a point for Blaze Heatnix.
Signas looks at the ball for a few moments, bemused, before shaking his head and returning to the center of his side. "Unfortunate," he states. "Well shot, Blaze Heatnix."
And then the ball is coming at him again. Signas watches the tiny ball carefully, double- and triple-checking his calculations this time. His hand snaps out, swatting lightly at the ball, but considerably harder than last time. He wants it to GO somewhere, after all.
Signas lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 3, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
Blaze turns to the crowd and poses in midair as the applause goes up, shooting Magma an especial smile as she turns back around to return her attention to the match a moment later. Signas' shot comes in relatively fast, and she jets after it with a sudden burst of speed lest it pass her by completely, then returns the shot with roughly equal amounts of force, smiling fiercely. As expected, 'conservative' didn't last particularly long, but maybe her speed will make up for her less-than-careful hits.
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 2, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
Signas nods as Blaze returns the ball. He is not particularly capable of smiling, but he looks focused nonetheless. The ball flies towards him, and he stoically tracks its progress, waiting until the optimal moment to strike.
"There," he mutters, moving deliberately towards the ball without hurrying or lunging or jetting. Just moving at the pace required to intercept its trajectory.
Signas' hand comes at the ball from above, aiming to smack it downwards, impacting just over Blaze's line and beginning a zig-zag pattern on her side of the arena. That's the plan, at least.
Signas lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
Blaze probably wasn't originally capable of smiling, either, given that she was designed with a beak, but somewhere along the way, she got someone to alter her design ever-so-slightly to allow for it (such simple aesthetic designs are, after all, quite easy to perform, all things considered), for, despite the fact that she's one of those Reploids who likes to distance themselves in numerous different ways from humans when it comes to customs and the like, being capable of facial expressions was one of those things she really liked the idea of.
Digression aside, the ball comes in much slower to her side this time, and she drops down rapidly to meet up with it, returning it with a decent amount of force, which is further compounded by the sudden burst of air pressure which increases the ball's velocity halfway back to Signas.
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 3, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
Signas sees the ball. He sees Blaze Heatnix hammer, the ball, and displays no reaction.
The ball comes towards him at a fair clip, leaving him less time to react. Nonetheless, he still does not seem hurried as he makes his play. "Do not act. REact," he breathes, that mantra again.
There is his hand, reaching for the ball, aiming to strike. He concentrates, still playing it safe, but not quite as safe as the last round. This time, his swing comes from the elbow, swatting the ball with considerable force.
Signas lunges after the ball and misses!
A loud buzzer sounds, signalling a goal! The giant scoreboard flickers, now showing Blaze Heatnix: 1
Magma Dragoon crosses his arms over his chest and watches the game as Signas knocks the ball over to Blaze... then Blaze amazingly could leap out in time and knock the ball back. Then Signas suddenly leaps out of nowhere and smacks it back with a fine professional skill! This was once more rewarded with Magma slowly following the ball with his head and blinking as it flies back for Blaze. Then Blaze makes a smash... sending it flying back to Signas, in which Dragoon once more follows it... then shakes his head and crosses his eyes. "Oy..."
A water boy nearby looks up at the dragon. "You're getting dizzy, aren't you?"
"Horribly." Magma mutters back as he rubs his head. "I can't tell Up is Black and White is Down."
"You'll get used to it." The boy says before walking off.
Turning back to the game, Magma watches the ball zigzag back and forth. Picture, if you will, behind him a large crowd of people also watching the ball. Every time the ball goes left, people look left. When it goes right, people look right. This was in a very neat union. People must have rehearse this before.
As Magma and everyone else watches, suddenly the ball crashes into the goal and Magma nods his head. "Blaze Heatnix scored once more! Bringing the game up to 0 to 2!"
Once more the crowd bursts into cheers as Magma calls back the ball and nods down at Signas and Blaze again. "Get ready!" he says, pauses to allow the players to prepare, then launches the ball again. "Begin!"
The Pong arena's ball launcher swivels around, finally lobbing the ball towards Blaze Heatnix.
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
Blaze thrusts one hand up in the air when Signas misses the ball again. "Yes!" Once more, she poses for the crowd as they cheer, and once more shoots an especial smile up to Magma in the reffing box as she turns back to the game, ready for another pass. This time, the ball comes shooting directly to her from the machine, and she makes a simple, direct hit over to the other Hunter, putting a good deal of power behind it, but equally maintaining some level of control--it's much like when she manipulates the air pressure, really, and the practice excites her almost as much as the match itself.
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 4, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
"Hh," Signas grunts, tracking the speeding ball. "Clearly this game is not one of my strong points," he concedes, jetting up towards the ball and attempting to smack it straight back towards Blaze Heatnix. Maybe he can actually get a volley going instead of just missing horribly this time.
Signas lunges after the ball and misses!
A loud buzzer sounds, signalling a goal! The giant scoreboard flickers, now showing Blaze Heatnix: 3
Magma Dragoon nods his head as he raises a hand again. "Blaze Heatnix scores again!" More cheering and loving fan banter with much ripping of shirts and throwing of flowers. Only, not.
"Player's ready?" Magma pauses... again... "Begin!" he says as he launches the ball once more and leans back in his throne.
The Pong arena's ball launcher swivels around, finally lobbing the ball towards Blaze Heatnix.
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
Blaze is definitely having a much better time at Pong than she had at Dodgeball, perhaps because this competition is designed to be done not only on the ground, but also in the air--as indicated by the anti-grav boots--giving her an automatic advantage over those who much use external equipment in order to compete. This time, the phoenix doesn't cheer, but instead simply readies herself, getting somewhat more serious as the match progresses in her direction, her smile noticeably larger and more fierce, eyes gleaming. Again, the ball comes her way, and she continues to walk the line between power and control as she bats it over to Signas.
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and misses!
A loud buzzer sounds, signalling a goal! The giant scoreboard flickers, now showing Signas: 1
Magma Dragoon blinks as he looks up. "And Blaze Heatnix misses the ball! Point goes to Signas!" Magma says as he sits back down on his seat. "Players! Get ready." Magma says... then launches the ball once more! "Begin!"
Afterwards, Magma turns around and yells at several people behind him. "And could SOMEONE get me a hot dog?"
The Pong arena's ball launcher swivels around, finally lobbing the ball towards Signas.
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
"That Launcher," Signas says, shaking his head. "Bad luck, Blaze Heatnix. You are doing extremely well."
The Diplomat waits and watches as the Launcher swivels to and fro, picking a target at 'random'. This time: him. With a grunt, Signas launches towards the ball and aims to slam it down with the righteous fury of everyone who has ever been punk'd by the Launcher before him.
Which is a lot of people.
"IMPAAAACT! PADDLLLLLLE!"
Signas lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 5, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
Someone in the audience says what we are all thinking. "Ohshi-"
While desperately lunging for the ball, Blaze says it herself for good measure, "Ohshi-!" Flight systems going into overdrive to make the sudden acceleration possible, the phoenix creates a simultaneous burst of air pressure to slow down the oncoming ball and bring it closer to herself so that she can return. So caught up in actually /hitting/ the thing, it's a pretty weak hit if she manages to make it at all, which is fairly iffy at this juncture--Signas really slammed that one home.
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 2, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
"Excellent," Signas booms, as Blaze Heatnix catches and returns the ball. "That is the spirit I like to see."
As the ball-- robbed of most of its deadly momentum-- speeds back towards him, Signas makes his move, jetting back down to smack the projectile. "Hnn," he grunts, swinging his entire arm into the strike.
Signas lunges after the ball and misses!
A loud buzzer sounds, signalling a goal! The giant scoreboard flickers, now showing Blaze Heatnix: 4
Magma Dragoon bites down on his extra mustard spicy hot dog and licks his muzzle. Delicious! Hell, he'll choose judging over playing anytime if the food's always this good.
As Blaze slams the ball back at Signas at a slower speed then before, Magma flicks his talons and watches the bout closely. After a few seconds and the ball flies into the goal, Magma holds up a hand... pauses... swallows, then calls out! "Blaze Heatnix scores once again! The score is now 4 to 1!" he says, then sits back. "Get ready!" Magma calls out... then nods. "Begin!"
- CHOMP*
The Pong arena's ball launcher swivels around, finally lobbing the ball towards Signas.
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
Signas would smirk, if he could. "The end is nigh, Blaze Heatnix. I hope you are well-prepared for the trials ahead."
The accursed Launcher fires its payload, once again selecting Signas with its malicious, inhuman sensors. Signas floats backwards until he is touching the far wall, then gently kicks off and glides towards the incoming ball, swatting it towards Blaze with a flick of his wrist.
Signas lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 3, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
"Heh...game point," Blaze says, just a little quietly, starting to get a little nervous now that she's this close. As the ball goes flying off for Signas, she readies herself, taking up a position in the center of her side and watching closely as he hits the ball, trying to preemptively judge its direction. She can't screw it up here, not while Magma's watching; if she doesn't win any other match, she's /going/ to win this one. The other Hunter hits the ball solidly, and she immediately dives for it through the air, intercepting it and sending it back with the same type of shot that's been serving her so well today.
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and misses!
A loud buzzer sounds, signalling a goal! The giant scoreboard flickers, now showing Signas: 2
NO GAME POINT FOR YOU!
Magma Dragoon blinks as suddenly the ball whizzes past Blaze and right into the goal. "Now is the time for the dramatic catch up." Magma mutters to himself, then holds up a hand. "Point to Signas!" he calls out with a nod of his head. "The score is now 4 to 2! Players get ready!" Pause... "Begin!"
The Pong arena's ball launcher swivels around, finally lobbing the ball towards Signas.
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
"Or 3 to 1, if you do not count the Launcher's points," Signas deadpans.
The Diplomat descends as the Launcher lobs, preparing to make what may be his final shot. Eyes narrow, and he tenses. The ball comes to him.
And his hand comes around, aiming to impact the sphere with a solid-- but not excessive-- blow. "It is down to the wire, as the hip kids say."
Signas lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 3, heading towards Blaze Heatnix (Player 2).
"C'mon, c'mon," Blaze murmurs quietly to herself as the ball goes off for Signas, and then he sends it flying her way. Once more, she lunges for it through the air, and then, at the last moment, twists around just so to get a much better angle on the ball, just trying to return it to Signas and not really caring much about the power behind it this time. She isn't going to lose this match. Not this one.
Blaze Heatnix lunges after the ball and hits it!
The Pong ball is at level 1, heading towards Signas (Player 1).
"Your coordination is very good," Signas compliments, kicking off the floor and floating up towards the slowly-spinning ball. The Diplomat will have to be extra careful-- those slow shots are often the deadliest. Squinting, he he pulls back his hand.
"Now," he almost whispers, as soon as he is in position. His hand comes around, tapping the ball with just enough force to return it to Blaze Heatnix's end of the field... at least, that's PROBABLY what he's doing, right?!
Signas lunges after the ball and misses!
A loud buzzer sounds, signalling a goal! The giant scoreboard flickers, now showing Blaze Heatnix: 5
Blaze watches the course of the slower-moving ball carefully as it moves across the field to Signas, and just as he goes to hit it, she smiles at him. "I win." Very abruptly and with no visible cause, the ball completely shifts directions, moving to a very sharp arc downwards that carries it completely out of the reach of his paddle by the time his swing would have actually connected.
Signas looks oddly satisfied. Almost as if he planned this all along.
"So you do, Blaze Heatnix. So you do."
One can almost see him puffing away at a cigar, exclaiming, 'I love it when a plan comes together!'... /Almost/.
Magma Dragoon stands on his feet and applauds, "Blaze Heatnix pulls away with the victory." He says and cheers as the entire audience roars into applauds for the fiery Hunter.
Signas floats to the ground and immediately crosses the court, pulling off his gloves and reaching a hand towards Blaze Heatnix. "Good work, Hunter," he says proudly. "Your spirit burns with conviction. Good luck... in the next round."
Blaze positively beams under the praise from her two fellow Hunters, particularly from Magma, and she returns Signas' handshake, even if a little loosely due to not being much of a handshake person herself. Honestly, she's rather curious about the look on the diplomat's when it first turned out he lost, but after a few moments pays it no mind.
