Scene #1216: Solid-Santa '14

Owner	Pose
Chika	Chika's here!! And so are a whole bunch of other Felynes, every single one of 'em -- black-furred, calico-furred, stripey-furred, spotted-furred, all the furred -- every single one of 'em in chef's hats and aprons. They're pushing around a big cart laden with food and drinks from Wyveria, like chunky rice, bone tacos, jerked meat (in various meat types), spicy sausage, fruity jam, sliced cactus -- you name it, they've probably got it. And if they don't, these cats have the skill to make it! Or an approximation of 'it', anyway. The cart trundles along from stop to stop, pushed and pulled by eager and meowing Felynes who welcome anyone to their feast with cheerful greetings and a warm invitation to sit and enjoy.
Freya	Freya arrives too. She makes her way back to the arena, being her normal 50 foot size she doesn't want to block anyone view! Thought she does have a great view of the arena.
Toph Beifong	"Hurry up!" It should be no surprise that Toph Beifong of all people is here to witness a fight of epic proportions. Though with the field being the way it is, it is pretty tough for the blind girl to actually follow the fight closely. Who the heck thought about making the arena like this anyway? Oh well, let's hope the fight comes with commentary. If not she will be dependent on somebody giving her the details. It's something at least, even if it isn't the WMAT or Earth Rumble VI. Then again the latter has become too easy, hasn't it? Either way, the teen stands by the seats, nearly bouncing in place with impatience as she waits for her companion to join her. In the process she spills some of the bacon chips from her bag, and her soda gets shaken just slightly.
Rebecca Chambers	Upon first glance, one might think Rebecca Chambers is doing a security detail here or something. The truth is, she generally isn't seen out of her S.T.A.R.S. uniform often, which is why she's showed up like that. She's gotten herself settled with refreshments. A slight smirk can be seen on her face as she prepares to see what should be a lot better than the stale specials she's ignored on television.
Lupita Auryon	Lupita, sprawled out upon the back of her dad somewhere close to the first row of the ring, is clearly ready for this. After all man. Normally she watches the telivised political rallies and law sessions for good entertainment but that sh*t's been downright BORING because of the stupid HOLIDAY where practically NOTHING legislatural is getting done on Afterus. Bluh bluh peace and joy. Give her a good old fashioned courtroom massicre or hanging! ... Sigh. Anyway, the slouchy troll is casually watching people mill about, safely nestled in the fur on the back of her giant-ass wolf-cat-thing, casually eating crickets, beetles, and mealworms (toasted, buttered, and seasoned!) from a large bag. She has the prerequisit Faygo 2-liter at her side, too; that craptastic miraculous brw she'd made in Arthur's alchemeter long ago that tastes like SERIOSULY BAD CHRISTMAS SWEATERS SOAKED IN SUGAR.
Tomoyo Daidouji	Tomoyo has made the trip out to watch the event! Wearing her winter clothes, which she begins to regret when she finds the arena is climate controlled. Undoing all the buttons as she walks down the steps, she wears it like a coat, revealing the plain white top and denim shorts she wears underneath. She finds a seat at ringside and takes off an orange purse she had slung over her right shoulder. Reaching inside, she takes out an advanced video camera! Stuffing her beanie in the bag to replace it, she raises the camera, opening up the screen and points it at the arena in anticipation. "This is so exciting~"
Kazusa Ujikane	As people are finding their seats, as vendors hawk their foods and souvenirs, as the chill winds of the Frigid Reaches part around the 'bubble' of calmer atmosphere that surrounds the Solid-Santa Arena, there at last comes an instant where the arena itself seems to come alive. Spotlights of red, green and white sweep the arena and the parking lot, the PA system kicks on with a brief hum, and the booming voice of an announcer fills the stadium with the kind of energy and enthusiasm that can only be found in blockbuster sporting events. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Solid-Santa Arena thanks you for your purchase of tickets, and welcomes newcomers and regulars alike to SOLID-SANTA AU22! The halls are still decked, the snow is still falling, so get to your seats fast, ladies and gentlemen, because you don't need to hope - Saint Nicholas soon will be /here/!"
Defiant	Somewhere near Toph, through luck and happenstance, a pair of individuals sit. They're tall, maybe around six foot in height each, and wearing matching green and gold sweaters. The man has short dark hair, a neatly trimmed beard and what looks like a cybernetic eye and a few scars across his scalp, just hidden by his hair. The woman with her dark hair and brown skin is not pretty and not ugly - just exceptionally... average.
Kazusa Ujikane	Just a scant handful of minutes after the initial announcement, the announcer returns, at the same time as a series of spotlights ringing the top of the arena all switch on with clacks that echo all through the arena, then sweep a wide circle before curling inward to illuminate the platform in the middle. "And again, folks, I'd like to welcome you all to the annual Solid Snake vs. Santa Claus charity exhibition match! They may be throwing each other around the ring, but they're doing it for a good cause, and thanks to YOUR generosity, this exhibition has over ten years of bringing money to those who need it most and giving everyone a common bond in the name of friendly competition!" The spotlights make a second sweep, illuminating the crowd in a wave. "But a great many of you weren't here for that entire decade, or even the last year! So for all of you newcomers, welcome to the arena, and welcome to the show! What you're about to see is a mixed martial arts exhibition between one of the greatest soldiers the Union has to offer, and Father Christmas himself! Neither one is any slouch in the hand-to-hand department, and over the years their matches have gone back and forth more times than I can count! But this year, that back-and-forth is gonna be just a little bit more literal." Around the spotlights come, back to the fighting platform, where they whirl and weave in a complicated dance. "Installed last year, this platform serves as the ring for the bout, and the only way to win is for ol' Snake or Saint Nick to get tossed into the water below! But staying on's not gonna be as easy as it looks. This ring's on a frictionless field, allowing it to tilt up to 30 degrees in any direction! Last year, Snake was able to adapt fast enough to squeak out a win, but with a year's training under their belt, will he have an advantage this time? I hope you're ready to find out!"
Jonothon Starsmore	('Ruddy Nora this is a big crowd.') That was the first thing Jono thought when he happened to catch a glimpse of the gathering of people. He's not exactly a social butterfly... and does he know any of these people here? Probably not. But he's here to watch the fight anyway. If he sees someone he knows here that's an added bonus. For the time being he just finds a seat and waits. He also declines the Chef Cats' offerings of food (politely though) and explains that he doesn't have the capability to eat anymore. As the fight seems to be starting he turns his attention to the announcer and listens.
Kazusa Ujikane	This time, the announcer's voice has just seconds of silence before the spotlights shift their target again, zipping off in a line that circles the outside of the arena once before it darts in, and every spotlight settles on the entrance to one side of the grounds. The crowd knows what's coming; all of them begin to roar before the speakers even kick in again. "And far be it from me to keep things held up any longer; it's time for a snowbound showdown, and our contenders are on their way! First, it's the man who guided the Union through the Oblivion Crisis, the man who stares gods in the eye and doesn't blink, an ordinary man who walks among superhumans and calls them equals!" The door opens, and out he comes. Stripped to the waist, wearing a pair of grey pants and combat boots, and holding his hair back with his trademark bandanna, Colonel Solid Snake steps out and makes for his ringside platform, lifting his arm to greet the crowd as he goes. "Standing at a height of 183 centimeters and weighing in and 90 kilos, he is a life-long soldier in the UAF! I give you! SOLID! SNAAAAAAAKE!" Up rises the smaller platform, bearing him up to the edge of the ring, onto which he hops without skipping a beat. Bobbing and weaving, shadowboxing, 'warming himself up' as a guise for giving the crowd a quick show, Snake doesn't seem to be above hamming it up just a little.
Tomoyo Daidouji	Tomoyo slowly pans her camera around in a practiced way, getting clear shots of the arena, the crowd, the announcer... and then Snake. Zooming in, she catches his little display on film. "He certainly fits the 'grizzled soldier' look, doesn't he?" But now she pans her camera up to the sky, anticipating the arrival of his opponent!
Deelel	SO here Deelel is at the fight she's clad in her outfit tha tis not a light suit, still her exposed arm has circuit like tatoos and it still a fairly form fitting top, oddly the pants look like cargo ones, either way she's here and has a big old grin on her face.
Santa Claus	What is that? Could it be...? Is it possibly...the jingling of bells from on high, summoning up thoughts of cheer and joy with their every chime? Is it... SANTA CLAUS? Yes, the jolly spirit of the season himself makes an appearance for yet another year. Down he comes from the skies, reindeer pulling his sleigh by running through the air as if it were solid earth. With a wave of his hand and that all-too-famous laugh, he descends in a slowing spiral as the announcer calls out his presence for everyone to hear. "And here comes his jolly old opponent! Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Old Saint Nick, we call him - but of course, you all know him best as...SANTAAAAAA CLAAAAAAAAAAAUS!" Rather than waiting for the sleigh to touch down, Santa opts for a more sprightly entrance. As the sleigh circles the ring, he stands in its seat, the reindeer trained well enough to be able to handle things themselves. Santa seems to brace for a moment or two, bending his legs, swinging his arms...and then, finally, when his sleigh comes across the ring from Snake...he jumps! Legs together, arms spread, the big man in red seems like he's aiming for a belly flop. From his hands stream sparkling white dust that flies out as he lands, spreading across the arena and coming to alight on seats, floors, and even a few people to create a glimmering landscape of holiday cheer. Fortunately, it's easier to remove than glitter. At the last moment, Santa flips, coming to land on the ring surprisingly gently as the reindeer veer off on his sleigh to find a calm landing spot. Belly shaking, eyes twinkling, cheeks red as cherries, Santa rises up and greets Snake with a cheery little wink before he starts pulling off his red coat and gloves to reveal suspenders and a white button-up shirt along with the usual pants and boots. Once that's done, he takes just one more moment to spruce up his fluffy beard, making sure everything's in order before the round is good and set.
Zwei	Being the nosy bugger it is, Zwei wouldn't miss an event as hyped and storied as the annual Snake vs Santa match. Especially not on a special 10 year anniversary! Weiss seems to have sat down in an arbitrary position between eyesight and earshot of most of the other Elites, and though she doesn't have any snacks to waste on herself, she has all sensors running at full gear, and half a mind to chat everyone to death. "He does! He's exceptionally physically fit as well!" She says to Tomoyo. "I have to wonder if he's using genemods with a physique like that!" She turns to wave at Jonothon, able to make him out easily even in what is presumably a crowd. Her wandering gaze settles on Defiant in particular however, giving him an uncomfortably long stare.
Kazusa Ujikane	When Santa comes down, Snake tenses - as if preparing for the arena to sway underneath them, even if the friction locks are still on. "Hell of an entrance, big guy," Snake greets simply as Santa comes down, offering that and a simple nod in the way of greeting. That alone says volumes, though; as long as they've been at it, Snake's not easy to impress anymore. "Think they're just about ready to-" The platform lurches a little under the two competitors, the friction locks released at last, giving it a few seconds of faint swaying before it finds a balance under them again. Snake looks at the ground below him, and then takes a couple steps back, adopting a square ready stance. "Looks like we're gonna get rolling." As Snake falls to the ready, the announcer chimes in one last time. "The fighters are on the platform, the friction locks are off, the crowds are at a fever pitch, and the bell is ready; ladies and gentlemen, HERE! WE! GO!" DINGDINGDING!
Santa Claus	Santa is about to respond, but whatever he was about to say is cut off by the need to focus on the fact that the platform under them just got a little less stable! "Woah-hohoho!" is his cheerful call of surprise as he holds his arms out, wobbling dangerously in place before he's certain he's not going to fall over. "Still not quite used to that one," he chuckles, crouching down into his own ready stance. "Good to see you here again, old friend," the man in red greets in turn, smiling his bright smile of unfiltered cheer behind that fluffy white beard. "Let's try to put in a little extra this year! There's been some waiting after all, hasn't there?" The bell chimes, and Santa's into action before you can say "like a bowlful of jelly." Forward he goes, sliding one boot along the floor and thrusting a palm into Snake in a solid opening strike to test his old sparring buddy's balance this year.
Kazusa Ujikane	Last year it was Snake that grabbed the initiative as soon as the bell rang, but this time, Santa quite literally beats him to the punch. The blow comes in lower than he was prepared for, grazing just past the old soldier's guard to hit him square in the abs - and send him stumbling back a good few steps, far enough for the platform to begin its sway. But it seems like after last year, he's prepared for it, because the platform dropping underneath him just tips Snake off that it's time to lean forward, and to rush himself right back up to the middle. His own opening blow is a feint; a false body blow meant to lure Santa's guard downward so he can convert it upward into a shoving elbow to the chest, seeking to use Santa's lower center of gravity against him.
Neva Fernandez	In all the croud, there sits Neva Fernandez, having Planeswalkered her way into the stadium and found herself a seat. She managed to get herself some popcorn from somewhere, calling out a cheer, "GO SANTA!" And after a few moments of watching, brings a thermous up to sip on some Eggnog. She forgot how much she missed it.
Santa Claus	It seems Snake's not the only one who's learned. The feint works on Santa, but only partially, as it's only one hand that slips down into a guard while the other stays higher up. That palm is what finds Snake's elbow, and while Santa's arm jerks back a little and he finds himself skidding slightly along the floor to start the platform's dangerous tilt, he's not tumbling over that easily! With Snake right in that spot, Santa makes use of what's available to him. A two-part attack follows as Santa shoves Snake's elbow aside with the intention of pushing him off-balance and twisting him around, then follows through with a shove of his other hand aimed for the small of Snake's back to send him stumbling away again.
Kazusa Ujikane	Caught in his own feint, Snake doesn't have the leverage to press the advantage. The superior mass of Old Saint Nick makes powering through a stalemate impossible, and the shove to his elbow is enough to turn that stalemate to his opponent's advantage. "Hrngh-!" Turned and shoved, the colonel goes stumbling towards the side of the arena, a good bit further this time - far enough, in fact, to tilt it the full 30 degrees, resulting in a dangerous slide before he can turn himself around and shift his weight to avoid taking a swim. But he doesn't go over. And that's enough to turn it back around. Right back up the arena platform Snake goes, powering up the slope and at the same time using it to his advantage. If there's one boon Santa has here, it's stable footing - and a tackle to the legs is the surest way to upset that, when he can get in under the big guy's guard. And that's one thing being on lower ground helps with.
Santa Claus	Snake isn't alone in his plight; the big man in red has to make sure he keeps his footing, too, once it bends so steeply. Fortunately, he knows how to do just that, bracing right after his twisting-shoving assault in preparation for the coming tilt. What he's not so prepared for is Snake's following tactic. Santa suddenly finds Snake lunging into his legs, and while he isn't sent tumbling back like a snowball down a hill, he still suffers the results of that impact. The platform shudders as it suddenly finds the hefty old elf's rump crashing down onto it with an "oof" from the man himself, and the platform not only levels out, but starts tilting dangerously in the other direction! Santa's not going down that easy, though. If the platform's going to start tilting over, he's going to make the most of it. Rather than tumble backwards even further, Santa slams a hand down and uses it to help twist his body around. It'll probably end with him on his padded belly, but in the process, he tries to swing his legs around and put Snake back on the downward slope.
Tomoyo Daidouji	Tomoyo records EVERYTHING! Santa's entrance, the banter, the match! Her visible eye is starting to sparkle as she places her free hand to her cheek. Part of her wants to cheer herself... but no! She is recording, and no one likes it when the recorder's voice is captured in the recording. So she remains silent, a soft smile on her face, and her camera trained on the action!
Kazusa Ujikane	A fast-spinning trip is one of the last things Snake would expect from Santa Claus; then again, Father Christmas has always been surprisingly sharp about using his own momentum to impressive advantage. "Gnh-!" Pushed over by a low hit to his legs, Snake goes down face-first and slides a good ways towards the edge again, this time arresting his momentum only by using both hands and feet. It puts him in an almost 'track meet starting block' position, and he's not slow to take advantage of it, either. It's only a couple of meters back to Santa, but Snake crosses it quick, darting forward to try and catch his venerable opponent before the big guy can get to his feet; this time it's not a tackle, but a low palm intended to force Saint Nick to double over, followed by a quick knee - and then a /shove/, meant to push Santa off balance and right down the slope.
Santa Claus	What does Santa doubling over from a well-aimed palm strike sound like? Something along the lines of "Oohohow!" The man even manages to sound jolly in the middle of battle! The strikes hit right as Santa's trying to get himself back to his feet, and this time he /does/ tumble over. Rolling down the hill sideways, he's not in the best position to retaliate - and certainly not the best to make any other real use of his momentum. The most he can manage is to shift himself around enough that he straightens out and pushes his boots down against the floor, slowing him down just enough to come ever-so-close to the platform's edge. He straightens up, waves his arms, leans back... ...and, fortunately, doesn't fall right off. The audience can stop holding their breath for now. The big man moves forward instead, leading into an upward climb that leaves him huffing and puffing as he charges back up at Snake from the steep incline. When he comes close, he leaps in a final jump, but it's not aimed at Snake himself. No, Santa's hurling himself right past Snake, all the way over to bring himself crashing down onto the other end of the platform's pivot. That much Christmas cheer slamming around would sure do a number on anyone's balance!
Kazusa Ujikane	Snake is set for a tackle. He's prepared to dodge, whether it be low, to the sides, or even leaping over Santa. What he is not prepared for is to see Father Christmas take flight without the aid of nine large woodland creatures. The cameras have a perfect angle to catch the surprise on Snake's face. They can even catch his lips forming the word, "Holy-" the split second before Santa slams into the other side of the platform. And then Snake is tumbling and sliding, knocked clean off his feet. This time, he goes down the slope headfirst, making his previous methods of arresting his momentum roughly 'completely useless'. It only comes to a stop as he reaches the edge, when in a show of quick thinking and sheer arm strength, he reaches forward, grabs the edge of the arena, and simply /holds/ to stop himself from going over the side. It's a tremendous strain and the crowd gasps, but he's able to stop. This leads to a quick turn on the platform and a push to his feet, and then the old soldier puts his guard up, and comes in for a more wary exchange. One feint. Two. A couple false starts. And then a sudden palm strike, a left body blow, and finally Snake lunges forward to one side, turning himself around for a roundhouse kick to be planted right between Santa's shoulderblades. "Hngh!"
Santa Claus	Santa's festive corpulence does a suitable job of slowing down his own focused dive before /he/ has to resort to tactics like Snake's. As the soldier is getting to his feet, so is Santa, bracing himself in a wary, eye-narrowing stance, arms raised and body bouncing like a bowl of Christmas pudding. Snake comes in. Santa ducks, jerks, weaves, going full-on defense solid enough to rival the most ancient of fruitcakes. It seems Snake's not the only one who's brushed up on CQC...but he's certainly got a little more experience under his belt in that regard. The palm strike meets Santa's lifted arm, but he's not quick enough against the following blows. "Ooh-!" He's hit once, twice, stumbling forward with arms waving in his moment of lost balance. The platform tilts dangerously, and it almost seems like the old elf's about to meet a fateful tumble. Then his foot comes forward, boot slamming into the floor to keep him steady. Sparkles of white Christmas cheer burst forth from his body, and with a great /heave/ and a mighty "HoHO!" he dives backward to deliver the swift, wintery justice of his rear end against Snake's stable form.
Kazusa Ujikane	Few men can say they've faced down an oncoming glacier and lived to tell the tale. In a corner of his mind, Snake is sure this isn't that far off. Old Saint Nick comes hurtling back up the slope just in time to catch the colonel off guard, but his reaction times manage to save him from taking all that weight head-on. But that's all they save him from; he's able to absorb the impact by bringing his arms up instead, but that's still a truly staggering amount of force to take, and it pushes him right up the slope, stumbling and staggering before he can finally right himself - and, for once in the match, setting the arena back to a roughly level state. Of course, it won't last long, but it's nice for a moment. It at least means he'll have stable footing! So naturally, he takes advantage with a straight-ahead charge, dropping low as if he intends to powerhouse tackle Santa right towards the side... only to suddenly jump up and bring both feet forward, launching himself boots-first at Santa's chest in a flying double kick that very nearly seems to float.
Santa Claus	Time almost seems to slow down for a moment. Santa's landing isn't too graceful. The jolly old man needs a second to stagger himself on impact, but it gives him enough time to recover and see Snake charging straight for him. That's not a hit even the sturdiest of polar bears could take easily, and Santa only has a few seconds to react. So what does he do? He bends and twists, pushing the limits of his round form to dodge out of the way of Snake's strike. For the few seconds it lasts, the wide eyes and puffed cheeks of the rotund elf are all too obvious as Snake's heels graze past his chest, just barely missing him as the old soldier continues flying forward. In the next moment, as Snake is passing him, Santa twists again, bringing his arm around to catch Snake in a headlock mid-flight. Fist clenched, arm pressed to his side, Santa pushes his strength and balance to swing around and bodily hurl Snake off to the other end of the platform by simply letting him go at the peak of his spin. Maybe not the most graceful move, but nobody ever claimed Santa was a graceful man.
Kazusa Ujikane	There are moments where you just know you've made a mistake. Solid Snake has one of them just about the moment his feet fail to find purchase on Santa's sternum. He only has seconds to consider how badly he's miscalculated before he finds himself a Flying Snake. The landing is more than a little rough, with enough inertia to send him sliding /up/ the platform right to the edge, one leg over the side - forcing him to hurriedly pull himself back on before his side drops and spills him right off. He makes it, but only just, and the impact seems to have knocked the wind out of him. It takes Snake a couple seconds to come back to his feet. But he shakes it off with a quick rattle of the head, and then adopts his signature CQC stance; game on. Once again, it's a much more wary approach, the soldier circling to one side so that the two of them are on even footing as the platform shifts underneath them. He watches, he tenses up once or twice as if about to strike, only to abort it at the last second- and then suddenly he's forward, hooking his arms around Saint Nick's prodigious bulk, and proceeding to apply that not-quite-inhuman strength of his to an attack that uses Santa's own size against him in the most powerful way - via gravity. Even Santa's not immune to the mighty belly-to-belly suplex.
Santa Claus	Santa's shoulder rolls once Snake is free from its clutches. He bounces on the balls of his feet, preparing for Snake's inevitable return. This match has taken a few shifts already, and while Santa hasn't yet found himself dangling on the edge of the platform (considering that would certainly be the end of the match), he's well aware that the same situation won't mean Snake's end. It's never that easy, is it? Of course, the soldier comes back in again, and the two stare each other down like predators vying for the last slice of Christmas ham. Alert and jittery, Santa reacts to each testy approach from Snake as if ready to follow through on it, though they keep coming up as nothing. He waits. He leers. And finally, Snake fakes him out. The jolly elf finds himself well aware of his folly even before he's grabbed. He misses his counter, and in the next moment, the platform experiences a vibration that can be felt pole to pole. Santa sure looks like he's down for the count after /that/ one. ...but no. Not yet! Snake's legs are suddenly grabbed, and with another ground-shaking impact, Santa's feet are under him. With strength that would shock the greatest skeptics, Santa leaps, practically taking flight like one of his own reindeer and taking Snake along for the ride. This one doesn't come with sleigh bells, though, aside from the ones Snake might be hearing after it's over with: no, Santa spins in the middle of his leap, keeping Snake held by the ankles to send him off in another giant swing, not aimed outward, but /down/ onto the platform below with a triumphant "Ho ho HO!"
Kazusa Ujikane	It's the kind of move no ordinary person would be able to pull. Realizing you've been grabbed for a giant swing, anticipating the moment of release, timing the jerk of your body for /just/ the instant your opponent lets go so that you can change your position before you hit; it takes incredible reflexes, perfect muscle memory and body awareness. Snake manages it, just barely. His body twists and tucks in the moment he's released, rolling him over so that it's his feet that come down first on the platform. Even still there's plenty of force to bleed off, but he manages it by allowing himself to roll backwards, doing a complete reverse somersault and coming out of it on his feet again. It brings him close to the edge, almost too close, but it's a clean save this time. With such perfect footing, he's in prime position to counterattack. This late in the match, though, it's a dangerous proposition to overexert. So he keeps it simple. A straight charge, a last-second juke, straightening his arm out - a freight train of a clothesline, hoping to catch Santa still recovering from that leap.
Santa Claus	Snake's movement is incredible. Even Santa finds himself baffled by the soldier's sudden shift in position that comes just in time to spare him from a final toss, or even much of any damage at all! What speed, what grace! And what an arm coming for round old Nick as he's falling from his leap. It's a clean hit. Santa spills backward, his feet knocked right out from under him and crashing him onto his shoulders on the platform below. Hat dislodged, legs in the air, he looks like a complete fool of a man right there; something out of a Christmas card in bad taste, perhaps. But then it's /his/ turn to move. Knees bend, and the man in red braces himself against the floor. It requires him to roll even further, but the result should be well worth the cost. When Kringle's boots come out again, it's a two-legged kick aimed right for Snake's back as the soldier passes him by, a solid blow that will likely end up with Santa face-down and, hopefully, a similar fate for his legendary opponent!
Kazusa Ujikane	Blow for blow, Father Christmas never fails to give Snake a hell of a fight. Even now, with both of them pushing exhaustion, it's hard to say who has the upper hand. Granted, when Santa's boots slam into his back from behind and send the colonel right into the ground pretty much facefirst, he might just have a moment or two where he's pretty sure it's not him. He can't be blamed for that, after all; this time he really does slide off the edge, and in a feat that has the crowd on their feet, only his grabbing the edge keeps the soldier from taking a swim. Dangling on the edge like that isn't a longterm solution, either. It takes most of what he's got left just to pull himself back up onto the platform, but he manages it with a sideways roll, and then comes up on one knee, breathing hard. "Still not used to the new arena, huh?" It's a friendly jab, to cover both of them getting a moment just to catch their breath. That way both he and Santa have enough time to stand up again, to muster up whatever they've got left for one last go. And having spent most of the match going low, faking it out, or making headlong charges for entirely different reasons, Snake decides to go for broke just this once. It's a rush that a football player would be proud of. His form is pretty much perfect. The tackle is more or less a last ditch effort, but if he can shove Santa off the edge through sheer force, that's all that matters.
Santa Claus	In the time it takes Snake to get back up on the platform from his dramatic near-drop, Santa just manages to roll himself onto his feet, where his hands find his knees and he huffs and puffs with whatever energy he has left. First his once-a-year run around the Multiverse, now this? It's a wonder the man has managed all the things he has so far! He must be working out back at home. Snake's quip is met with a twinkling wink as Santa props himself up again. "Takes some time for an old dog to learn new tricks, doesn't it?" Still with enough cheer to infect the coldest heart with enough warmth to merit a smirk. /Someone/ maxed out on charisma. Snake charges, and it seems like this is it. All or nothing, banking on one last rush. Santa, however, braces. Arms lifted, legs parted, ready to take on Snake's assault with a defense that's as sturdy as he can manage. And, of course, the best offense is a good defense. This is exactly what Santa tries to make use of as Snake charges after him, hoping to use the soldier's own momentum against him. Not only does he hold fast against the impact, only skidding back a few feet and starting the dangerous tilt of the platform all over again, but he twists one last time. Grabbing Snake's shoulders in his hands, he yanks the veteran aside using his own great weight as leverage and slips his leg in front of Snake's as the platform tilts further and further. A directed maneuver to send the soldier tumbling head over heels into a watery defeat!
Kazusa Ujikane	If he were in control, it might almost be acrobatic. As it is, Snake's ass-over-teakettle tumble is decidedly undignificed, and with all the force he's built up, it's too late to arrest himself or shift his direction by the time Santa turns and trips him. This time he just doesn't have anything left in him to pull out that last-second save; it's a headlong stumble-tumble-roll, and the former field marshal goes right over the edge and into the water with a tremendous splash. "AAAAAAND THERE YOU HAVE IT, FOLKS! After another neck-and-neck meeting of equals, Santa manages to pull out the win in the very ring that proved his downfall last year!" It takes a second or two, but Snake manages to pull himself out of the water onto the edge of the pool and sits for a moment, catching his breath. Once he does, though, he turns to look up to the platform and call out, "Looks like it's on me this year." Tradition is tradition, after all.
Santa Claus	The platform finally starts to level out again once Snake's defeat is assured, giving Santa a few moments to catch his breath and recover from that last-minute save. When he hears Snake call up to him, though, he gives a head-shaking chuckle of merriment and pushes himself upright one last time. Santa manages to get down near the pool himself after a few moments, dressed up in his whole outfit again. A sparkle in his eye and a glimmer in his cheeks brightens his expression as he comes up beside Snake and offers his hand to help his old friend to his feet. "Took a little to get used to the new platform, but you nearly had me there a few times, old friend! Hohoh!" He nods, then, a reassuring and friendly gesture once Snake is back steadily on his feet. "Meet you in half an hour at the usual spot, then. Another good year, I'd say. A good year indeed!"
Chika	Chika and the other Felyne Chefs give their brand of wild cheering to Santa and Snake alike. They're cats, so they've got a lot of energy for this kind of thing. Then they work on packing up their food cart. It's been a busy night for business! "What a show!" Chika cheers.
Tomoyo Daidouji	With the match over, Tomoyo closes her camcorder and flops back in her seat with a relieved sigh. That was terribly exciting! She begins clapping her gloved hands together and finally gives off a cheer for the two in the arena.
Rebecca Chambers	After all is said and done, Rebecca applauds, but there's a hint of sadness in her facial expression. Why? Because she was most likely rooting for Snake. But if she had rooted for Snake and Santa lost? Does that mean she gets coal in her stocking next year? Who knows...