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💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Maybe to Kendra's surprise, Fiona didn't feel like yelling at her or scolding her. She wasn't a veteran in this business, but even a year and change of experience had taught her to expect the unexpected going into every match.

"If the whole thing had been your idea, maybe I'd be mad at you, but... you're right. Shin was going to get betrayed at some point in this tournament anyway, from what it sounds like. She made the choice to leave her partner in the dust, and now she paid the price for it." She let her head fall back to rest against the wall. "And honestly, if you'd told me about this before the match it would've been in my head the entire fight. Shin probably would've wiped the floor with me."

She actually smiled a little. "You know it really wasn't that obvious, at least not to me. Maybe I'm just a little slow with these tactics, but my first thought was that you were trying to protect me from Choi Minji coming after me with the belt. Didn't even think she'd go after her partner until it happened."

Then again, she did recently take several blows to the head. Maybe she could be forgiven for not catching on instantly.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona was thankful to have a few minutes to catch her breath and try to process what had just happened before speaking with Gordon. The crowd didn't seem to have processed it either as Defiant Dream made their way backstage, but the only thing they knew for certain was that Fiona was moving on into the second round of the Rubicon Gauntlet, while Shin Choon-hee's partnership with Choi Minji was most definitely over.

It wasn't exactly how Fiona wanted to win the match, of course. She wanted to prove she was the better wrestler than Shin, to show that she'd improved her skills since their last fight, and she really didn't do that. The contest had gone back and forth, but it didn't look like Fiona was going to pull off the upset, right up until she did, with Choi Minji's help. If the result said anything, it was that Shin's poor choice of partner, or perhaps the way she'd treated her, had come back to bite her. And that wasn't something anyone could blame Fiona for.

"That would be nice, yeah," Fiona agreed, leaning back against the wall and running her fingers through her hair, trying to cool down. "Did Choi Minji tell you she was going to turn on Shin?"

~ BLACK FLAGS OF THE ABECEAN ~

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B R I N L A I T H
B R I N L A I T H

10th of Midyear, 4E 200

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Brinlaith retreated down the stairs back into the relative safety of the hold, a handsome Redguard man passing by her with two blades and a surprising amount of politeness given their situation. She expected him to come right back down like she did when he saw the state of the fight above, but he didn't. A hero, or a fool... or maybe dead already.

She gave him no further thought and vanished into the shadows, biding her time and trying to gather what information she could with her limited view of the enemy ship and the sounds of combat continuing above. She put some distance between herself and the stairwell, knowing more pirates could come down at any moment.

On her way she came across a scuffle, a fistfight between a pirate and a Thalmor Justiciar of all things. What's one of them doing here? She hadn't spotted any others on her brief time aboard, though Brinlaith had made little effort to make the rounds with other passengers or crew. She watched from her hiding place as he was caught out of his element, battered by the fists of the pirate, and for a second she wondered if he would survive. But the pirate failed to keep up the pressure. Brin's eyes lit up briefly from the shadows as fire engulfed the man, and the pair of them ran off in the direction of the stairs. Good. Maybe someone else will get him up there.

Suddenly a sharp pain erupted in her upper back, and Brinlaith was thrown forward onto her knees, a splotch of her blood falling onto the wooden planks beneath her. She looked down at herself to see an arrow protruding from beneath her right collarbone. Gritting her teeth, she scrambled into cover behind a barrel just before a second arrow whistled past. She chanced a look towards where it came from, finding the sharp-eyed Redguard pirate woman that shot her. Brin hurled a fire bolt back at her, missing and setting more of the ship on fire, but at least forcing the archer to take cover as well and buying her some time.

Without hesitation, Brinlaith took the arrow in both hands and pulled it forward far enough to be able to snap the head off, then reached over her back with her left hand to rip it out entirely. That got her ire up, and she turned and poked her head out of cover just enough to draw another shot. Then she charged with a rage-filled cry, dagger sheathed, nothing but fire in her hands.

She never made it to the archer, because the ship exploded. The Redguard woman was obliterated by it, blasted apart by force and consumed by fire, while Brinlaith was thrown backwards, hitting the wall hard enough to make her see stars. The hull was blown open, sections of the deck crumbling and collapsing, and as Brin came to she found herself sliding forward, leaving a bloody smear behind her. There was nothing to grab, and a second later she fell into the sea.

The salt taste filled her mouth before she could get her bearings and break the surface, coughing and blinking the sting out of her eyes. The wound in her back stung more painfully, and made it difficult to tread water. Pushing red hair from her face, she spotted another flailing individual, reaching out to her. Maybe an Imperial man, maybe a Breton, she couldn't tell in the dim light. Maybe a pirate, maybe crew of the Arslan's Fortune. He was in bad shape, burned and bleeding badly from a wound to his neck.

Brinlaith swam to him, wincing with every movement of her right arm. "Help... me..." he whispered to her, struggling to keep his head above the water. I did offer my services as a healer, free of charge. She began forming a spell in her hands, holding his gaze.

"I'm no fool. And you're dead already, you know."

She touched him with her pale spell, leeching most of the life he had left and healing her own wound almost completely. Brinlaith sighed with relief, moving much more easily, then pushed the man's head down under the water. He stared up at her with wide eyes, some mixture of fear and confusion swirling in them, but then the blackness of the depths quickly swallowed his form.

She gave him no further thought and started to swim. The explosion created plenty of driftwood, she just needed to find something to cling to until she could come up with a plan.

FIGHTING SPIRIT PRO-WRESTLING

Emiko Kozutsami

WRESTLER PROFILE

Ring Name: Emiko Kozutsami
Nickname(s): The Rebel Princess
Billed From: Saitama, Japan
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Weight: 128 lbs (58 kg)
Age: 24
Appearance/Pic Base: Saya Kamitani
Text Color: A8EDEA

CHARACTER

Alignment: Babyface.

Gimmick: Daughter of the legendary (and now retired) heel Maro Kozutsami, The Crimson King, Emiko blazes her own path and won't be defined by blood or expectations. She refuses any and all handouts or shortcuts offered to her because of her name, earning her achievements the hard way. Emiko aggressively pursues the toughest challenges, any setbacks or defeats she suffers only fueling her drive. She debuted on the independent circuit at nineteen, winning multiple championships over the next five years, and now looks to make her mark on FSPW. She'll meet and exceed her father's achievements, and she'll do it her own way.

ENTRANCE

Entrance Theme: Burn by HARU NEMURI & Frost Children

Entrance Description: Blue flames light up the screens, and Emiko appears amidst white sparks at the top of the ramp when the beat drops, wearing a long cloak of white feathers with her ring attire. She surveys the crowd, then descends with the verse, laser-focused on the ring. She takes her time, walking a lap around the ring and eyeing up the competition if they entered first. Once she's up onto the apron, she vaults over the top rope in time with the drop of the chorus, heading to the corner and only then playing to the crowd, swaying with her arms extended and a confident smile. The music fades out before the second verse begins, and by then Emiko has removed her cloak and is ready for battle.

MOVESET

Wrestling Style: High energy, making heavy use of punishing kicks and aggressive takedowns. Impressively strong for her size and highly resilient, she looks to end matches with either a suplex showcasing her power, or a fearless aerial assault from the corner, with little regard for her own safety and no hesitation to fight ringside. She honors the Spirit of Competition whenever she can, but when the rules are relaxed or she's up against a hated rival, her natural aggression can win out.

Finishers

• Phoenix Splash/450 Splash
• Bridging Dragon Suplex

Signature Moves

• Overhead Kick - either standing or springboard
• Missile Dropkick
• Poisoned Frankensteiner
• Diving Elbow Drop

Other Common Moves

• Running Facebuster
• Bicycle Kick
• Chest Kick/Roundhouse Combo
• Running Meteora - against a cornered opponent, either sitting or hanging from turnbuckles. Followed by dragging them out to set up for an aerial move.
• German Suplex
• Thesz Press
• Standing Elbow Drop

FIGHTING SPIRIT PRO-WRESTLING

Emiko Kozutsami

Emiko Kozutsami

WRESTLER PROFILE

Ring Name: Emiko Kozutsami
Nickname(s): The Rebel Princess
Billed From: Saitama, Japan
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
Weight: 128 lbs (58 kg)
Age: 24
Appearance/Pic Base: Saya Kamitani
Text Color: A8EDEA

CHARACTER

Alignment: Babyface.

Gimmick: Daughter of the legendary (and now retired) heel Maro Kozutsami, The Crimson King, Emiko blazes her own path and won't be defined by blood or expectations. She refuses any and all handouts or shortcuts offered to her because of her name, earning her achievements the hard way. Emiko aggressively pursues the toughest challenges, any setbacks or defeats she suffers only fueling her drive. She debuted on the independent circuit at nineteen, winning multiple championships over the next five years, and now looks to make her mark on FSPW. She'll meet and exceed her father's achievements, and she'll do it her own way.

ENTRANCE

Entrance Theme: Burn by HARU NEMURI & Frost Children

Entrance Description: Blue flames light up the screens, and Emiko appears amidst white sparks at the top of the ramp when the beat drops, wearing a long cloak of white feathers with her ring attire. She surveys the crowd, then descends with the verse, laser-focused on the ring. She takes her time, walking a lap around the ring and eyeing up the competition if they entered first. Once she's up onto the apron, she vaults over the top rope in time with the drop of the chorus, heading to the corner and only then playing to the crowd, swaying with her arms extended and a confident smile. The music fades out before the second verse begins, and by then Emiko has removed her cloak and is ready for battle.

MOVESET

Wrestling Style: High energy, making heavy use of punishing kicks and aggressive takedowns. Impressively strong for her size and highly resilient, she looks to end matches with either a suplex showcasing her power, or a fearless aerial assault from the corner, with little regard for her own safety and no hesitation to fight ringside. She honors the Spirit of Competition whenever she can, but when the rules are relaxed or she's up against a hated rival, her natural aggression can win out.

Finishers

• Phoenix Splash/450 Splash
• Bridging Dragon Suplex

Signature Moves

• Overhead Kick - either standing or springboard
• Missile Dropkick
• Poisoned Frankensteiner
• Diving Elbow Drop

Other Common Moves

• Running Facebuster
• Bicycle Kick
• Chest Kick/Roundhouse Combo
• Running Meteora - against a cornered opponent, either sitting or hanging from turnbuckles. Followed by dragging them out to set up for an aerial move.
• German Suplex
• Thesz Press
• Standing Elbow Drop

Let me know if I need to change or add anything!

FIGHTING SPIRIT PRO-WRESTLING

And as far as the men's vs women's divisions, I've given it some thought and I wonder if it's just easier to have everyone in the same division, as is the case with most e-feds you'll find online. It makes things easier when you have a smaller roster overall, and you can just focus on the characters above everything. Just treat it like a fighting videogame sort of, where it doesn't matter.

@Bonesaw McGraw

If we can get enough characters I'd personally prefer to keep it separated, or limited to the occasional mixed tag match, but I don't know how likely that is. I'm fine with it either way, and tried to make my character with that in mind.

Speaking of, just need to hunt down entrance music for her and she'll be done. Should be able to find time for that in a few hours!

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona was on one knee while most of the chaos unfolded. In the moment, she didn't know if Kendra had worked something out with Choi Minji and was distracting for her, or if she thought Shin's partner was going to try to attack Fiona with the championship belt, but either way, it worked out massively in Fiona's favor. Fiona was dumbfounded as she watched Shin get taken out by her tag partner just before the count resumed, ending the match and rewarding Fiona with a stunning upset.

The bell rang, Fiona's music erupting from the speakers as the referee came over to help her to her feet, then took her right wrist and held it up.

"Here is your winner, by countout... Fiona Chevalier!"

Fiona, like almost everyone in the arena, was still in shock, holding her stomach and standing on unsteady legs, unable to take her eyes off of Shin Choon-hee and Choi Minji. The outcome of the match had still been in doubt before the betrayal, but Shin had held the advantage throughout, steadily wearing Fiona down and weathering the swings in momentum better. Now it was over, her run at NMW singles gold done before it could even get started, and Fiona was moving on, her first win over her bitter rival secured.

It wasn't how she wanted it to happen, but Fiona found she didn't feel all that sorry for Shin, and couldn't help but smile a little at the sound of her music and the hype of the fans. She stumbled back towards her corner, where Kendra had climbed back up and through the ropes, Defiant Dream sharing a victorious hug.

"What just happened?!" she asked her partner, turning back to watch the scene unfolding ringside. All eyes were on the Korean team now, to see what their next moves would be.

FIGHTING SPIRIT PRO-WRESTLING

@Bonesaw McGraw Sorry for the delay, been a crazy week or so. I'm working on a Japanese babyface wrestler using Saya Kamitani as the appearance (from before her heel turn). Don't know if I'll be able to finish it tomorrow, but sometime this weekend at the latest.

💀 NO MERCY WRESTLING LEGENDS 💀

Fiona had wanted to get to Shin before her partner Choi Minji could help her somehow, or before Shin could play any ringside tricks, but she'd made a costly mistake in her haste, leaving herself vulnerable to a counterattack she didn't see coming. She thought the fall had shaken Shin more than it had, so she was thrown off balance easily when she escaped, pulled right into a headbutt.

She stumbled back, woozy again and blinking rapidly with an unfocused gaze. Shin's hold on her shoulders kept her close, and pulled her right back in for a vicious knee strike up into her midsection. She doubled over, clutching her belly with both hands, left wide open to another blow to the head, an elbow crashing down on the back of her skull. She dropped to her hands and knees, hearing muted shouts from Kendra as well as all the noise from the crowd. Fiona had a good amount of crowd support tonight, but the energy in the arena was shifting away from her as she continued letting Shin Choon-hee get the better of her. Many in the crowd were eager to see some ringside carnage, and it was looking like it was about to come at Fiona's expense.

Shin roughly hauled her up to a stand again, arms closing and locking around her midsection. Fiona knew what was coming, and knew she'd be finished if she didn't escape. The count was already at five, there was no way she'd get back in the ring by ten if she took a suplex onto the announcer table.

Shin squeezed and lifted her up, Fiona's boots coming off the ground for a second, but she kicked and struggled and managed to come back down. She didn't give Shin a second chance, throwing back an elbow strike and managing to catch her in the side of the head with a solid hit. When Shin's grip loosened, Fiona slipped free, grabbing Shin by the right arm and pulling her forward and around. Building speed pulling her in a half-circle, Fiona sent Shin running and then crashing into the announcer's table head and left shoulder first, shaking all the equipment with a bang.

"Seven!..." called the referee.

Fiona fell to a knee, holding her stomach and needing to plant her other hand on the floor to not fall over. Gotta get back in, before she gets up... With a grunt of effort, Fiona stood and rolled herself under the bottom rope, trying to fight off the dizziness before Shin could make it back in the ring. The head and body strikes were really starting to take their toll on her, but the fans all knew she wouldn't give up against Shin until she had no choice. That left arm of Shin's was probably her one path to a win now, she just had to find a way to lock in a good submission before it was too late.

~ BLACK FLAGS OF THE ABECEAN ~

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B R I N L A I T H
B R I N L A I T H

10th of Midyear, 4E 200

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All I can hear above me is fire, steel, blood, and screams...

The Nord woman known as Brinlaith remained hidden in the lower decks of the Arslan's Fortune, dagger drawn and held in a steady hand. The storm winds had been brutal, and she'd been fool enough to go to her room and try to get some sleep, only to be jarred awake by the sound of fire spells hitting the deck, alarm bells, and a ship ramming into their hull. Whoever these pirates were, they were either recklessly aggressive or desperate, as the Breton crew cut down their first wave, and still they attacked. Brin knew few outlaws willing to fight when death was a distinct possibility, but maybe the sea created a different breed.

She'd offered her services as a healer to the captain in exchange for passage to High Rock, but with the arrival of the full force of these pirates, it seemed to Brin like the only way to keep this crew upright was going to be necromancy, and that was magic she did not possess. She weighed her options: fight with the Breton crew? They were outmatched, probably mostly dead already. Abandon ship? She had no idea which way to even swim, nor if they were even close to land. Betray them, try to join the pirates? She'd be leaving herself at their mercy, a thought that made Brinlaith sick to her stomach. She needed to get above deck, carefully, and see what she could see. Instinct would guide her from there, as it always had.

She crouched by the door of her quarters, hearing two pirates marching her way down the hall outside. A few were heading below, in search of either easy prey or the chance to be the first to lay hands on precious cargo. Either way, they didn't stop to search Brin's seemingly empty room. As they passed, she stepped out of the doorway, behind them. The nearest was a Redguard man, thin and bald and clearly not thriving from his life at sea. A spell lit in Brin's hand, dark red and angry. She pressed it to the bare, sun-cooked skin of his back, standing up to whisper in his ear.

"Make a mess for me."

She shoved him forward, towards the Imperial woman that had come down here with him. The Redguard flew into a rage, hacking with his cutlass into the side and back of the other pirate. She fell, taken by surprise by her former ally, and Brinlaith watched as he kept slashing, a good one finding the base of her neck, and that was that. She surged forward, now with fire in her hand, and thrust it right into the Redguard's face as he turned around. He screamed, blinded completely, and staggered backwards. Most of his face had burned off, but in his magically-induced rage, he tried to keep fighting, swinging at the air. It was easy work for Brin to sneak around to his side, then shove her dagger through his ribs. He stilled quite suddenly, and dropped.

Brin took a moment to regard the two corpses she'd made, a sudden burst of extreme violence that she'd caused. It occurred to her that she probably could've let them keep walking. Some healer I am. She took a second to see if anyone was drawn to the noise, but the chaos on deck seemed to have drowned it out.

Onwards, to the deck. Brinlaith stopped at the top of the stairs, taking it in. The ship was burning, the crew was dying, and with all the damn smoke and the darkness of night, she couldn't hope to see if there was land in any direction. She was a fierce fighter when it came down to it, but as she surveyed the scene on the deck, all Brin saw was death. Instinct guided her again.

And it took her right back down the way she came. The lower decks had friendlier shadows, fewer pirates, and if need be, the pirates had already blasted a few holes in the hull with spells that she could escape through. Not dying here. Not tonight.