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💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona was at her best with the crowd at her back. She'd overcome it and won a bunch of fans over against Ada, but she had a feeling Elina's faithful weren't going to be swayed by anything. Elina was the main attraction tonight, and her fans weren't going to be satisfied until she pinned Fiona or made her tap out. Just have to remember everyone watching at home. I've got all the support I need.

She used her extra time in the ring from entering first to loosen up, holding Elina's gaze while the luchadora peppered her with finger gun fire. Fiona knew what to expect here: an unfriendly, mean fight, no respect anywhere to be seen, her opponent trying to make every hit hurt as much as possible. She didn't like it, but at least she was able to prepare for it mentally. Need to keep a cool head. Block out the crowd, and focus. She could hear a few jeering at her as the referee checked over her gloves and boot covers in the corner, then went to do the same for Elina.

Fiona nodded to signal her readiness when the referee looked back to her. He cleared out of the way and called for the bell. Ding, ding, ding! The match was on, the show in Austin underway.

She circled, light on her feet, eyes locked on Elina and watching for any sudden movements that might give her away. As they neared, Fiona appeared to go in for an initial high grapple to engage, but aimed only to seize one of Elina's arms at the wrist. She tried to grab, twist, and then pull back hard into an arm drag to throw Elina to the mat right out of the gate.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

It was a hot one in late-July Austin, Texas for Fiona's second NMW singles match, and despite the added pressure of being the opening fight, it saved Fiona from needing to wait around backstage for hours with nothing to do but wrestle her own nerves. Instead, as the crowd's energy built in anticipation of the show starting, Fiona was already prepped and ready to make her entrance. She wore the same flashy set of light blue and silver ring gear as last week, with the long fingerless gloves and cloth belt, this time throwing on some metallic blue eyeshadow to match. It was a fitting look for the fresh-faced heroine versus experienced villainess vibe the match promised. Gonna need some heroics to come out on top in this one...

Fiona wasn't letting doubts overwhelm her, but she was being realistic, and after studying some of Elina's matches, she knew the odds were against her. While they were similar sizes, Elina was the better striker, the better technical wrestler, and the better defender too. Have to keep the pace of the match fast, keep her off balance, and don't let her settle in and start playing to the crowd. Above all, she'd have to be tough, both physically and mentally, as she knew a good portion of the crowd tonight in Texas would be pulling for the luchadora superstar rather than the Pacific Northwest girl, and they'd want to see Elina toy with Fiona like she did to most of her opponents.

Her music started blasting out into the arena, backstage staff giving her the okay to make her entrance, and Fiona jogged out into the spotlight. She came to a stop as showers of white sparks went off on either side of her, throwing up both hands in the "Hook 'em Horns" sign, smiling genuinely at the warm reception from the crowd.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall!" shouted out the ring announcer, as Fiona started striding her way confidently down the ramp, long and loose black hair bobbing a little behind her. "Making her way to the ring first, from Seattle, Washington... Fiona Chevaalieer!"

She zig-zagged side to side at the bottom of the ramp, getting high-fives in with fans behind the barriers on both sides, before jogging a full lap around the ring doing the same. Rather than take the stairs Fiona rolled under the bottom rope and smoothly came to her feet, giving the crowd the horns again as she made her way to the middle ropes in a corner. The silver trim of her gear sparkled under all the lights, and after two shows away from the ring, her fans were more than ready to see her in action again.

Hopping down from the ropes as her music started to fade in volume, Fiona shook hands with the referee and the ring announcer, then stepped back and faced the stage, waiting for Elina to join her.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona was almost surprised Diana was giving her the name, but then quickly realized why. She probably doesn't expect me to win even if I get the chance to prepare...

She tried to keep tabs on NMW's potential hires and additions to the women's roster as they continued to expand, and Elina Zamora made a ton of sense. She was one of the bigger CSW names, a woman who had been a threat to Raven Veyn's title reign, though she wasn't quite able to add the CSW belt to her collection from Mexico. She was even dating Uberto Cafrune, if Fiona recalled right, who had just made his own big debut to open last week's show.

Battling Elina Zamora to kick off next week's show... Fiona could see why Diana had set it up, and why she was confident. Elina was a cut above anyone Fiona had taken down in her career so far, but exactly the kind of opponent she needed to beat if she wanted to be seen as a legitimate NMW title contender. They'd set her up with a lot of talk the week before, and now she had to back it up, or come crashing down from the high of her match against Ada.

"I'll make sure to open the show with a bang, Ms. Deguara," she promised, already trying to mentally prepare herself. "The fans won't be disappointed. Elina might be, though, if she's expecting an easy debut win."

"I love the confidence, Fiona." Diana grinned. "But… you have always been known for that. Even when facing the odds you don’t back down. Like I said, Mark Trenton has quite heavily lauded you in several of our meetings. And I have also watched some of your matches from your NMWW span. I would not set you up in the ring against Elina Zamora if I thought you were going to be a four minute ragdoll for her." Diana took a short breath and added, "Just make sure not to be overconfident and to keep your wits about you. Elina is very competitive and in a passionate bout she is like a lioness playing with a mouse. She loves to toy with her opponents and raise the temperature of a match."

Diana seemed to stop just short of wishing Fiona good luck in the match, but as she turned and left the two of them, the clacking of her heels growing more distant, Fiona was surprised how genuine her advice seemed to be. She wasn't sure if she'd misjudged her, or if she perhaps was more neutral in the growing feud between her father and Mark Trenton. Maybe this is just her way of getting in my head? I don't know.

"Well, she doesn't have to worry about me getting overconfident," she said quietly to Kendra, turning and exhaling a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. "Elina Zamora's going to be a huge challenge. And opening the show, too..." It was the clearest sign she was moving up on the roster, but that could all change if she turned in a poor performance.

Have to keep the nerves under control, and my head clear, Fiona reminded herself. Elina was going to try to toy with her, get under her skin, and if Fiona made it easy for her, she wouldn't stand a chance in the actual fight. She had a massive opportunity in front of her, but she'd need to fight like hell to seize it.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona had hoped for a tag match, and had almost expected one since they'd given Kendra this week off as well. Defiant Dream hadn't been in the ring together since their disastrous match against the Beatifics late last year, and Fiona was eager to wash that memory away with a fresh start in NMW. But management would always follow the demand, and if the demand was for Fiona to fight alone, then she was up to the challenge.

She forced herself to hold Diana's gaze, though the words "smiling daggers" came to mind. The way she was phrasing this, a "very special match" against a "recent acquisition," it was all uncomfortably similar to what Jay Wyatt had just dealt with, and did nothing to help her rising nerves. Fiona felt like she needed to choose her words carefully with this woman, and she got the sense that, despite presenting herself very professionally and business-like, Diana was enjoying making the two young Trenton hires squirm a little.

"I'll look forward to getting back into the ring, then," she answered. "Will I be told who I'm fighting ahead of time, or is this going to be another surprise match? I think I could give the fans a much better show if I'm able to prepare on the same level as my opponent."

She didn't bother to ask if her opponent knew who she'd be debuting against, because of course she did. If it stayed that way, it would be a serious disadvantage for Fiona to overcome, a full week for her opponent to study her moves and habits, while she'd be left wondering if she was up against a striker, a high-flyer, a grappler, or something in between.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

"Ms. Deguara," Fiona greeted, thinking about offering a hand to shake, but Diana's hands were quite full. And now I'm not really sure what to do with mine. "It's good to finally meet you."

Fiona knew what it felt like to be intimidated, as the likes of Isabella, Abby, and several others had done it to her before, intentionally or otherwise, but this was a slightly different feeling. Diana Deguara wouldn't have a chance in a fight against Fiona, but she wouldn't need to, because Fiona couldn't help but feel like this woman could ruin her with a couple words, or a single text to the wrong person. She had the kind of power that Fiona could only dream of right now: the ability to snap her fingers and make people dance.

Fiona found herself wishing she'd put on a jacket like Kendra had, or somehow found a way to add a few inches to her height. She was the shortest woman of the three, and the youngest, and she really felt like it, too. She glanced back to Kendra a moment, her posture a little more relaxed than her partner's, but still unable to hide a bit of sudden nervousness.

"What did you want to talk about?"

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona couldn't help but think Kendra was right, at least in her outlook on the situation. Their side of the brewing conflict was smaller and less organized, while the CSW vets seemed to be working together well, and getting help where they needed it from the powers running things. They'd removed Jay Wyatt from the picture already, putting the men's division under the control of the likes of Silas Dane, Mihailo Vasić, or even the boss's son, Carlo, before he'd even fought a match.

The women's side was still unresolved, but the two big pillars holding up Trenton's side of things were clearly Isabella and Defiant Dream, Fiona specifically. Having an organized group targeting her, with backing from part of management all while they smiled and cheered her on, was making the bullying she suffered at the hands of the Beatifics last year feel trivial. Suddenly Fiona felt lucky not to have been given a match tonight. It gave her at least a little time to try to put up some defenses.

"We need friends, is what we need," she suggested, "so we can try to watch each other's backs. Guessing Isabella's a step ahead of us, she would've seen this coming. I can try talking to her. I'm sure Jay will work with us, once he recovers. Maybe Jason, or Quinn..." She didn't sound very certain, because the names she was listing weren't the biggest of guns, so to speak. And there was no guarantee they'd want to throw in their lot with the outnumbered few getting targeted by the Deguaras.

"As for the other NMWW women..." she grimaced. "I don't know. Guessing most of them will stay out of the way. A few of them would probably just backstab us if management asked." She really couldn't imagine asking Keysha or Ash for help. The NMWW vets were all too divided, just in it for themselves. It was a tough situation.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

"Yeah, it really was." Fiona kept her voice low, even though there wasn't much risk of them being overheard with the muffled crowd noise as the show went on without them tonight. "My guess is that it'll keep going like this until the titles are decided. Mr. Deguara probably wants to make sure his people are the first ones wearing the belts here. That would be a... 'chest thumping' statement, as you put it."

She couldn't help but wonder if she'd put a target on her own back, and Kendra's by extension, with her segment on the mic last week. Fiona was seen as a rising star from NMWW with a ton of potential especially given how young she was, clearly one of Mark Trenton's favorite hires from the past year. Her debut had made former CSW fan-favorite Ada Eberhard look pretty bad, and then they asked her to talk up her own title chances, even if she didn't truly feel she was on that level yet...

Yeah, I need to keep on the lookout. So many people in this company I can't even begin to trust...

"I wonder if they'll try to go after Isabella the same way. Her and Raven are gonna end up at the center of all this." As the two former champions from NMWW and CSW, and the two clear frontrunners for the women's title here, their rivalry had immediately become very symbolic. Their no-contest fight at the grand opening had resolved nothing, and fans were already begging for a rematch. Isabella Cadiz had always seemed untouchable to Fiona while at NMWW, but after what had happened to Jay Wyatt, Fiona felt like no one was safe around here.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona walked the halls backstage, feeling similarly let down. After her segment last week, which had been well-received by the fans as far as she knew, she'd expected a match here in Tulsa, either alone or as a tag team. But as she trained over the week with Kendra, the call never came, and neither of their names showed up on the match card. She thought for sure Mr. McKinney would want to take advantage of her rivalries with Ash Weathers or Keysha Wayne, or get Defiant Dream back in the ring against the Beatifics. She almost considered asking for a chance to fight Katarina Vasić after the way she and her brother had treated Jay Wyatt, but she doubted she had the pull to make demands just a few weeks into her NMW career. So when she flew out to Tulsa with the company, it was apparently just to do signings and take pictures with fans before the show.

She did that in her new ring gear, a light sky blue bra top and mini shorts with eye-catching silver trim, keeping consistent with the Defiant Dream's color now that they were established as a team again. She'd swapped out her usual studded leather belt for a silky silver cloth one, tied at the hip with the ends trailing to mid-thigh, thin blue boot covers coming up over her knees as usual. Her fingerless gloves doubled as long arm sleeves all the way up past her biceps, leaving just her shoulders bare. It was as flashy a gear set as Fiona had ever worn, and she felt cute as hell, but apparently the fans would have to wait at least another week to see her in the ring.

Fiona found Kendra by the window, watching the storm outside. She stood beside her, putting her back to the wall and crossing her arms. "Guess that's us done for the night," she said, not trying to hide her disappointment. She watched some of the other wrestlers and staff moving about with feverish activity to and from the changing rooms. "Hopefully this CSW/NMWW thing doesn't get any worse. I figured once we were all under one brand it'd be every man and woman for themselves, a fresh start for everyone. Guess Mr. Deguara and a few of his wrestlers have different ideas."

STARFINDER ~ Rogue Voyage

Zaeli Ashren

---

This had all turned a bit spookier than Zaeli had been anticipating. She'd expected an easy shakedown run, a chance to get to know her new crew members and gain some experience while seeing someplace new, not... scouring a retrofitted orc warship for survivors where something had clearly gone very wrong.

Zaeli geared herself up in her space suit, not knowing what kind of environment they were about to walk into. It was somewhat snug-fitting, easy enough to move in, and would offer her at least a little protection if it came to a fight, but Zaeli couldn't help but hope whatever was responsible for this had moved on. She was no soldier, and while she knew how to use the handcannon strapped to her thigh, it would be better for everyone involved if her ammunition remained unspent.

Valiane seemed to know what she was doing, at least from what Zaeli had gathered during the long flight. Very cool, very composed. The file she'd perused on her had only covered her skillset, not her background, but on the surface she seemed like someone who could handle a mission like this confidently. Maybe I'll just follow her lead. Observational learning.

Waiting near the airlock, Zaeli re-checked her computer to ensure her uplink to the Ionera was stable. She hadn't given up trying to find a personal device among the Prudent's life signs to open communications with, but so far she'd had no luck there. Her backpack was loaded up with a few portable kits for electronics, mechanical tools, a basic medkit, and some spare ammunition, everything she thought she might need.

Clicking her harness-mounted flashlight on and off once to check, Zaeli glanced around at the rest of the crew, unable to hide a bit of nervousness.

Metropolis of Superheroes

@Xaltwind
That sounds like a hell of a lot to deal with, and I don't blame you at all for stepping away from GMing. I really hope things improve for you on the health front.

I'm interested in continuing the RP (or getting it started, really, we haven't quite got off the ground yet it feels like), but I'm definitely not considering stepping into a GM role myself, so that would have to be someone else. I was still waiting to see how the RP was actually going to work once our characters started getting to their hero activities, since I'm assuming we wouldn't all be going around together in one single big group.