2823/WMAT AQ1 Rhapsody vs James Rogers

WMAT AQ1 Rhapsody vs James Rogers
Date of Scene:	16 August 2015
Location:	Papaya Island - Stadium
Synopsis:	Qualifier fight in Bracket A between Rhapsody and James Rogers!
Cast of Characters:	325, 802
Tinyplot:	WMAT 2015

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James Rogers (802) has posed:
Its early afternoon as the audience has gathered at the World Tournament Stadium at Papaya Island for the Bracket A bout featuring James Rogers and Rhapsody. The anouncer walks to the center of the ring and begins speaking.

"Ladies and gentlmen, the contestants are coming into the ring now." He points in the direction James is coming from and says, "In this corner, we have James Rogers, an Avenger who..." he consults his notes, "Yes, who I am told is wearing an outfit designed for him by the Mutliverse Renoun Tomoyo!"

James walks out wearing a long-sleeved high-collared dark red shirt, with the Avengers logo on the back in white, and a star over his heart, also in white. On the shoulders are epaulettes, with the tassels alternating between red and white, the main body being blue with more white stars on it. His pants are dark black cargo pants, with many loops and pockets for gear, held up by a white belt, the clasp shaped like his shield. On his feet is a pair of brown, sturdy combat boots with thick soles and brown laces. To finish the look, he wears a pair of red-tinted goggles. He is also carrying his shield on his left arm.

James pauses at the edge of the ring and waves to the croud before entering the ring and waits for his opponent to enter.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
After the crowd noise lowers, and the announcer is allowed to speak again, the introductions would resume, "And out of the other corner, hailing from the city of Ravnica, and the Izzet Sector's Guildmaster, Rhapsody Mizzet!"

More crowd noise heralds Rhapsody's arrival. No fireworks, no flashy entry, just a 'regular' individual in a trenchcoat with both her spellblades at her back. She, like James, gives the crowd a friendly wave and a bow as well. Don't mind the Izzet Section over there full of goblins and heaven knows what else. It's a pretty rambunctious sector.

James Rogers (802) has posed:
The announcer, says "Let the fight begin!" and then quickly departs the ring as the contestants take their stances so as to be out of the way of the anticipated area of action.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
The announcer takes off, the crowd goes quiet for the moment between his departure and the first blow to land. If it was another arena, maybe a tumbleweed would blow by. As an Izzet, and someone who enjoys being unpredictable, the Izzet Guildmaster keeps distance, draws one of her two blades as if she was about to charge at James. Instead, a flick of the blade causes a thunderous sound as an arc of electricity rips across the field toward James! Magic user, Mr. Rogers. They can be crafty!

James Rogers (802) has posed:
As the announcer departs and Rhapsody draws her sword, James activates his shield -- taking on a dull red glow surrounding it enitrely -- and braces for the expected charge. Unexpectedly the /electrical charge/ arcs over his shield and strikes his right shoulder sending a painful tingle though his entire arm.

James then flings his shield frisbee-like at Rhapsody, aiming at the center of her mass. As it flies towards her he runs closer to her and towards her right-hand flank where he knows that the shield will be flying from the post-impact ricochette so he can catch it.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
The bolt lands, the blade is kept in one hand, and then when James throws his shield, the dragoness leaps upward. Even without wings, Rhapsody can jump fairly well. With the shield dodged, she attempts to come down on the man with a more typical slash of her sword!

James Rogers (802) has posed:
As soon as he sees the shield miss its intended target, James brings himself to a skidding stop and changes direction before taking off again. Taking advantage of Rhapsody's jump he runs straight towards where the shield has landed beyond her 'take off point'.

Rhapsody comes down just as James is passing though the space she had occuppied. Her slash catches him in the already numbed right shoulder and cuts a line along the flesh of his shoulder blade after tearing though the epaulettes and fabric of his shirt.

Reaching his shield a few feet away, James rolls as he picks it up and then leaps up at Rhapsody, throwing a right-hand hook towards her jaw as he tries to push her sword out of the way with his shield at the same time.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
Good move! The guildmaster was going for another slash, only to feel the blade bite into the shield placed in it's way. With her attack halted, the strike to her jaw turns her head, her body following slightly. A stumbling step back is taken, however, the dragon is quick to regain her stance. Drawing the second of her two blades, the guildmaster slashes at the man with both of them at once.

James Rogers (802) has posed:
A second blade! Yes, that throws James' defenses off slightly for a moment and the guildmaster's blades find purchase and slice into him -- one his left forarm as the sword slips beneath the edge of the shield and the other grazing his right hand ribs (slicing cleanly though the dark red shirt which darkens further with the blood seeping into it though the cut caused by the second blade).

"Aarg!" James cries out before gritting with the pain. He steps back for a moment and then 'throws' what would be a left-handed punch were it not for the shield worn on that arm which causes the edge of the shield to slash towards her collar blades or neck.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
The shield slices better than what Rhapsody would have expected. It easily cuts through the guildmaster coat and through the bare hide underneath. No scales eh? Something James may want to make note of in regards to this dragon.

    Rhapsody's reply to his strike comes quickly, one blade jabbing forward before she 'pulls the trigger' on it, trying to transmit the electricity from the blade directly into the young avenger before her.

James Rogers (802) has posed:
Zot! A burst of electricity hits James and he shakes it off as he drops into a spinning kick meaning to forceably sweep Rhapsody's feet out from her so she will drop to the floor and... hopefully... hit the floor painfully.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
SWEEP THE LEG! Done. Rhapsody falls back but is quick to scramble away so she can climb to her feet. With a little distance between the two, the dragon takes a quick breath and spins around after, jaw open, before a small blast of raw energy is sent James' way! She -is- a dragon after all.

James Rogers (802) has posed:
The energy blast washes across James' chest singing his shirt and, in places, the flesh beneath as it burns holes though the red fabric. As there is some distance between them again he chooses to use the signature Rogers toss and throws the shield directly at her. However, he also runs immediately after it as the straight shot will bounce the shield back at him so he can catch it and be in punching distance of the dragon again.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
This time the shield will find it's mark. The weapon impacts Rhapsody in the chest, sending her stepping backward again. Watching the man rush toward her, she actually ducks low, trying to copy something he did a moment earlier. A sweep, but with her tail! Hit or miss, she'd continue around and follw up with a vertical slash from her blades.

James Rogers (802) has posed:
Almost as if he anticipated the sweep, James leaps mid-rush, travelling gracefully over Rhapsody's tail as he swings his right arm in for a gravity-assisted punch. He obvously intended to deflect sword attacks with his shield but the blade travels down the force field, sparking bright red as it does, and slashes down his left thigh, cutting though pants and flesh with equal ease.

Whether his punch lands or not, the pain in his leg is obvious as he half-stumbles towards the left as his weight comes down on the newly injured let.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
    Landing square on her jaw, the man's punch actually forces Rhapsody down to the ground with a whump and a slight bit of dust. Is that a crack in the stadium floor? Could be! "Ow," is likely heard as she pushes herself up, a look going to her opponent. A lot of slicing against James has really left marks, however, this isn't done. Not by a long shot!

    On her feet again, the dragon decides to charge in and show James that she means business! She'd lift one spell blade overhead to try and attract the attention of the man's shield before, and instead, swinging horizontally at him from the left with the other blade. Only then would the second strike come down, followed by both coming across from the right.

James Rogers (802) has posed:
The feint works well and James' shield was raised to meet it leaving him wide open to the slash across his chest from the right. Twisting in reaction to this the first of the follow though slashes, coming down from the feint only grazes his right hand temple but the other cuts a shallow gash across his abdomen... inches above his belly button and nearly parallel to the first slash from the combo across his pecs.

James screams out a kiai to focus though the pain of the cuts and ignores the damage to his new shirt.

He takes a step back and flings his shield arm at Rhapsody again crossing right to left to bash her in the face with the center of the shield with his full strength beind the swing of his arm.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
Slices, dices, and it would seem James does not like being all cut up by the Mizzium blades that Rhapsody received in her younger years. As that shield soars to strike her again, it would find one of the Guildmaster's blades in its path. It only deflects the strike into her shoulder, leaving her coat torn once again. In response, the dragon takes a deeper breath than the one that she took earlier. The blast, this time, is larger, brighter, and Rhapsody hopes it can get to James before his shield does..

James Rogers (802) has posed:
James takes the blast full in the face this time and stumbles backwards as his injured left leg wavers under his weight as he tried to step back from her. As he regains his balance he raises both hands up, palms open towards Rhapsody, even with his temples, deactivating the shield's force field and winching as the motion painfully pulls on the gash across his abdomen as he does so.

He says, "I yield," softly at first so that Rhapsody hears it and then once more, a bit louder so it carries better on the stadium's sound system.

Rhapsody (325) has posed:
The guildmaster seems a little surprised, but once it's made official and the crowd hears it, the roar begins and the dragon puts away her weapons. "Good fight!" she compliments, crossing the field to offer her hand for a shake.

James Rogers (802) has posed:
James moves carefully and accepts Rhapsody's hand, saying "Yeah. Good luck in your next bout," as he shakes it.