The Lounge (Final Round)

Today was a big day. Today was an important day. The tournament had gone on... a while? It certainly felt longer than it had been. Maybe some supervillain somewhere had messed with timespace, who knows?
Still, as today was so special, it seemed reasonable that things would be... different. And boy did the Lounge reflect it.

Indeed, if one were to attempt to the enter the tower from it's base, to go up to the usual habitat the competitors occupied, they would find themselves turned away. In fact, they'd find themselves directed a short way away from the tower - to a cordoned off area outside. A thin line used to seperate the VIP competitors... and the huge crowds assembled in the city square.
All around, huge bill boards and screens were hung up. Pictures and videos of all the past matches decorated the skyline - along with a clear view of the tower in which the group had previously had chance to relax.
At it's very top where there had been the glass dome, all windows giving a view from the lounge to the outside world... now the structure was surrounded in thick iron. Noone was looking through that, noone from within the room... and noone from out here.

The VIP area itself was a slightly raised area - like a miniature stage of sorts on which the guests of honour would be able to sit back in comfort as the two finalists eventually found their way to duking it out. There was plenty of comfortable seating - sofas and plush chairs to relax on, all based around a buffet table - the very vision of it leaving some of the attending audience slobbering.
And of course at the steps to the stage, stood Handsome Greg. Sweating away in the glorious sun as he adorned himself formally in suit and tie - a professional look for this most exciting of occasions.

If the last several mornings had been nervous, fidgety ones, this one had to be the worst of them all. A certain hedgehog had hardly even slept the night before (she did miss her own bed terribly), but she was wide awake now. After having gone to the tower as before and then been directed to this new 'outdoor lounge', she was just kind of standing in one place, shuffling her (new) shoes together nervously. Noting the crowds all around was almost enough to make the hedgehog flee. Were they just going to watch the participants hang out?

Froshana huffed out a breath. She'd come this far, what could a crowd really do? She smoothed down some of her tensed-out quills and made her way up to the VIP section. A little nod was given in the direction of the zebra host as she passed him, but otherwise the hedgehog's eyes wandered up to the screens and billboards all around. It was quite a sight to behold and there was a few moments where she just stood there, observing quietly. Her eyes lingered longer on the notable change to the tower they'd been in before. How curious...

Several blinks and a headshake later, Fro cleared her throat and continued on to one of the sofas and plopped down. Her gaze lowered to her paws in her lap. She certainly hoped the others would arrive before long as being seated here by herself was just... awkward.


((THE TIME IS NIGH))

"The finals..." That's all Zephyr could think of while he headed for the lounge. It certainly was a great experience for future battles. Also, it seemed that this whole tournament thing had been influencing unintentionally in the sales of his book and his father's weapons and armor, according to his mother's phone call. Oh boy...

His thoughts were cut short when he was redirected to the new lounge. Upon seeing the gathered people outside, he was surprised. Maybe he had been too focused on winning to notice, but now he knows that... ¡Wow! All that crowd and many TV spectators were following the competition so no doubt his victories brought unexpected publicity.

Finally reaching the outside lounge, he was relieved to see the usual commodities. Taking the chance he regained his usual calm personality and headed for the buffet to eat a sweet snack as stress reliever. Now he could get to his preparations, reaching for pen and notebook from his pockets and start writing down.

As the many screens show, the other finalist uses fire, so fireproof clothing was mandatory. As usual, some hidden steel plates should weaken any strike. Just in case, better be careful with the wings... As he kept noting things down, he noticed Froshana, his last opponent. He waved his left arm above him, still holding his notebook, like saying hello. Not waiting for a response, he returned to his work.

To him, the pre-battle moments were useful for getting everything ready and have an advantage before even the fight begins. But seeing her alone made him uneasy. Should he have a chat with the hedgehog?

The zebra playing host offered a small nod of his own to the contestants as they passed the cordon into the raised VIP area. He seemed to be trying his best to come off as partcularly formal on this occasion, hands clasped firmly as his face tried it's best to maintain a neutral visage. Still... his body somewhat betrayed him. The odd clenching of the fingers, the occasional twitch at the side of his lips, and the single bead of sweat rolling it's way past his temple gave all the signs that he was barely maintaining his composure. Despite all his supposed showmanship, in front of a crowd as big as this? He was a bag of nerves.
It didn't help that he'd been mic'd up - a single sound he uttered could be heard by every single person crammed into that square. He gulped slightly. It was heard by every single crammed into that square.

Trying his best to play it off as clearing his throat, he suddenly and abruptly made his way towards Froshana. Gripped tightly in one hand was a microphone... which he was soon enough holding up in the unassuming competitor's direction;
"So..." he began, voice cracking eeever-so-slightly, "The big final, eh?" Nailed it.

After a little while of just staring at her lap, the hedgehog finally decided to peek back up at the screens. She watched highlights of some of the previous fights, silently judging herself any time she appeared. She'd have to try and think outside the box to get through this round. ...Which was not very appealing to her introverted nature. Granted, it wasn't too long before she made a very late realization about her opponent for the upcoming fight.

'Oh gods, he's got a sword.'

In her mind, this was followed by a colorful variety of curse words. Of course the guy she had to fight in the last round of this tournament was going to be someone with a blade. Of course. Because avoiding the guy who thought it was okay to bring a firearm and start shooting opponents wasn't lucky enough, right?

Regardless, her opponent soon arrived and Froshana turned her attention over to the eagle-owl when he approached the buffet. While tactics and strategies started to jumble around in her head, she didn't really realize she was just staring at the avian. At least not until he looked up from whatever he was writing to wave.
Fro blinked several times and managed an uneasy smile and halfhearted wave in return. Granted, by then he'd looked away again and she just lowered her paw back down and let out a short breath.

A strange sound over speakers in the square made her ears perk up and look around, uncertain of what it really was until she was able to make the connection between the sound that followed and the zebra clearing his throat. Of course, then he was suddenly approaching and the hedgehog went a little wide-eyed. She didn't even see the microphone until it was being held out towards her face, at which point she eyeballed it for a moment, then looked back up at Greg. Thank goodness he was wearing a shirt today. The sound of his voice over the speakers made it plenty clear that this wasn't about to be a casual, private conversation.

Despite her quills rapidly starting to bristle up again and the urge to sink in between the sofa cushions and hide, Froshana gave a nervous smile and a nod.

"Er, y-yeah! It's the, uh, last.. fight..?"

...Welp, time to just fade out of existence and pretend that was not all she could think to say.

Thanks to Greg's chivalry, the avian wasn't the first one subjected to the microphone, to which he took the chance to put away his written battle auto-advices in his pocket and prepared to have a talk with the host while expectant masses would hear our conversation. No pressure, right?

Zephyr let out a long sigh. He knew that as long he remained calm, nothing would go wrong. But in his mind, all the possible variables that this... Interview? Was it an interview or just a short "harmless" talk? It could affect the current kind of popularity, or even influence somehow in the fight...

Nevermind! In an attempt to keep his cool, he ordered himself to give the image of a gentleman. Hopefully, it'll go better than the pyromancer's reaction.

Right. Right, that was certainly a reply. Uh... Good! Sure, he was good at this! Everything was going swimmingly!
...Albeit he did kinda wish she'd given a longer supply. He hadn't been prepped with questions in advance, his employers apparently assuming his 'natural charisma' would see him through. Still, he could at least ask a couple of obvious ones - things to tide the assembled audience over. Those would at least hopefully have a somewhat more expansive response.
"So... obviously you'll be fighting Zephyr - who I'll be joining in a second. But first, uh, I thought it might be best to get your thoughts on your opponent? How do you rate your own chances?" he hesitated slightly, before deciding to throw in one more; "And anything you might be expecting from the final arena?"
He was rapid-firing the questions now. Still... it felt good to at least be asking them. Rather than, y'know, just standing there all quiet and confused. He almost felt professional.
Just keep smiling Greg. Just keep smiling.

Despite the heat of embarrassment burning across her face and ears, the teen listened as a string of questions were tossed out. Maybe she could actually sound like she had some vague idea of what was going on this time!

Her flitting glance switched over to Zephyr when his name came back, then returned to Greg after. Froshana turned her head away to clear her throat before actually starting to reply, "W-well, I, uh, don't really know him, but obviously he's more than just lucky to have made it this far."
A little better this time, though it was awkward to talk about the avian while he was, y'know, right there.
"I figure I've got an... okay chance? I don't have a weapon or anything, but I'll try to figure something out. And I don't know what to expect for the arena. There's been so many places I never would've thought of. There's no telling what's been planned for the, uh.. big finale."

Okay, that was better than just running away like her initial impulse was to do, though her paws were still nervously clasped together in her lap.

Greg grinned and nodded his way through the answers. Whilst he was doing his best to seem interested, more than anything, he was simply relieved to be able to take a few seconds away from talking.
Like, seriously. He didn't know there'd be THIS MANY people here. Had they all been watching him on TV too? ...Okay, they'd've tuned in for the fights admittedly, not for him, but... Well, actually, maybe some of them HAD tuned in for him.
It took a few seconds before his brain finally clocked in that the hedgehog had finished answering his questions a significant measure of time ago.

"Oh-u-uh, thankyou!" he nodded with a grin, white teeth not hiding that the blunder had made his confidence hit rock bottom. Either way, it seemed he was satisfied enough with the answers as soon enough he was turning on his heel and making his way up to Zephyr. Holding up the microphone to the swordsman's face, he began;
"So, you've heard what your competitor's had to say..." he lead in, "Any response to that? Any thoughts of your own?"

(Alright, time to shine! No slip-ups!) With this words in his head, he gathered all the confidence and finesse he could muster and answered in a soft voice trying to seem humble but filled with determination to win.

"She will be a great rival, just like all these fantastic battles have been..." He gives it two seconds of though with a smile one would have remembering happy times. Then, with a firm gaze to the hedgehog, pronounces the next word with contained excitement. "Amazing."

Now looking back at the host, he finished with an epic tone. "A grand finale awaits."

At this moment,his mind caught up with the facts. He never had used a microphone before! He was about to blow up of nervousness but he couldn't let it happen. This could make a difference in the most critical moment of the fight ahead. A doubt, an insecurity or the slightest sign of weakness now could change the outcome later. Of course, this was only a possibility, but he was eager to make a good impression as well. So he kept the facade as best as he could.

This guy was money. He practically spoke in soundbites. As far as TV goes, he was a wonder.
As far as giving Greg time away from talking went... He was less helpful in that regard.
"R-right, uh, thank you!" he nodded, "So that's... uh..."

DOOOONG

It was as if the gods had sensed him floundering and offered a guiding hand. ...Ooor more likely the producers had seen he didn't have many questions, and thusly decided to cue the sound effect. Either way, the sound influenced a hush over the area. Stepping away from Zephyr - with a deep knowledge that right now literally everyone here was waiting on him - Handsome Greg spoke.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time..." he spoke - his voice evidently shaking as he attempted to maintain his composure, "We're at the final round now. Whoever wins this battle... is the winner of the Tremendous Tribulations Tournament!"
He allowed a small break for the audience to rile himself up. Also to pat himself on the back for not tripping over the words 'Tremendous Tribulation Tournament'.
"So... Froshana... Zephyr..." he spoke up again as the crowd noise eased off, "If you'd like to make your way over to the next arena. You will be heading for... The Lounge."

After that uncomfortable little stretch of silence before the microphone was withdrawn, the hedgehog resisted the urge to just flop over on the couch and hyperventilate for a while. Had she known just how much of a spectacle this tournament was going to end up being, maybe she would have just stayed at work.

Left back to herself, she watched Greg move over to her opponent and adjust the focus to them instead. The avian was just about a polar opposite and she found herself wondering if the guy had been rehearsing in front of a mirror before arriving. It was like watching an actual person who was meant to be on television. Granted, when he looked over, Froshana had to make sure she didn't shrink down and instead stared back for a couple of moments. Letting her nerves show any more than they already were was probably not going to do any favors against this confident sort, after all.

It seemed just as the brief interviews were wrapping up, a loud sound silenced the crowd (and their host). It made the jumpy hedgehog flinch for just a moment, but she just hoped maybe no one was looking her way this time. The announcement for the beginning of the final round was made and Froshana stood up at the mention of her name. Time to finally finish this.

The sudden noise almost made Zephyr jump. He hated it when surprises were this loud. But also, no longer under the pressure of the interview, he could let the nervousness fade away. A relieved sigh escaped from his beak. He was glad that was over.

But now, the grand finale he was speaking of was about to start. Tactics and possible opportunities played in his head, balancing all pros and cons he knew of. At the mention of the lounge, he started remembering the place. The final arena was going to be the old waiting room? Unexpected. But no matter, he would go all out.

The time has come.

Boubka wanted to head to the usual lounge. But he was stopped by some guys in suits called 'bodyguards'. He had no permission to enter it. "But I was a competitor at the TTT? Didn't you see my battles? I mean I don't want be narcissistic, but I think you should know me by now?!" One of the 'bodyguards' said that the lounge was moved. Bou just had to walk towards another 'bodyguard' That would open the VIP gate for him. The fox was slightly annoyed. He liked the lounge. There was food there. And a nice sofa. But there was nothing he could do right now.

He walked to the other 'bodyguard' "Ah. Boubka Frolig. You're on my list. I welcome you to the lounge of the finals!" Ah great! Some recognision! "Too bad you're out of the tournament man, I liked you." "I-uh...thanks!" He didn't expect anyone to care for him. The 'bodyguard' opened the gate. Boubka wondered if there were any others already there. "Seems like you're the first non-active competitor to be here. Froshana and Zephyr are already off!" Bummer. Huge bummer. Oh well. "There's food at this lounge right?" "Yes! Of cou-" The fox already ran up the steps, longing for some food to get into his mouth hole.

Greg was on the steps as well. He waved at him, still running on the steps at top speed. "OH HI GREG! SORRY FOOD'S FIRST." Bou almost knocked Greg off the steps, which wasn't a great thing to do seeing as they were quite high from the ground. Bou finally reached the table. Oh my. This was high class food. Some haute cuisine even was there! But Bou didn't care about the fancy stuff. He grabbed a plate and put the most basic stuff on there. Donuts, cake, hamburgers. Oh gods Greg please distract Bou or else he's gonna get fat.

(Apologies for not responding sooner, was hoping others might pop in and then in my waiting sorta forgot it was down to me to reply!)

Greg let out a relaxed sigh as the competitors took their leave - followed by a sudden sharp intake of breath as yet another guest to the arena barrelled past him! Trying not to lose his footing, the zebra narrowly avoided toppling down the steps. Well that was... embarassing. He was kind of glad the majority of their audience still had their eyes on the big screens up top. Albeit, a few of the closer audience members had seemingly put their arms up to catch him... at least, those not distracted by the cyan figure gorging himself on the presented treats.
Straightening out his tie with a small 'ahem' he tried his very best to retain a professional look. Allowing himself a small murmured 'thank you' to those who'd moved to catch him, he took but a second to prepare himself... and approached Bou.

"Excuse me, Boubka?" he raised his voice slightly, hoping to get the young fox's attention, "Would you mind if I were to ask you a few questions?" It seemed the zebra had that damned microphone in his hand again. Indeed, even as he moved in, Greg was already raising it.
"Throughout the competition, you've had time to get to know your fellow competitors, to see their bouts and recognise their strengths and weaknesses. As such, seeing the final two... who do you believe has it in them to win this tournament?"
Straight in with the tough questions, nice one Greg. He gave himself a mental pat on the back.

The fox turned around to look at the zebra. Oh boy. He immediately went interviewer mode. Guess he couldn't eat a lot of snacks for the time being. He still had a full mouth though. He tried to finish his donut. "Mmmwhelwhm...Ehwlmmm..." A big gulp. Ah. Better. "I honestly don't know much about the Zephyr guy. I know he beat up Maxie, so he must be kinda strong, but Froshana made me lose, so she's probably better." He grinned. "To be truly honest, I'm not sure. Zephyr seems to be very trained and experienced. But Froshana is definitely tougher than she looks, and I've seen the replays. She's constantly doing something new. Something special, surprising." The fox sounded very enthusiastic. His eyes were glowing, literally. "This surely is gonna be a close call for both competitors. Although I think fire has an advantage over steel sword. "

He shook his head. He was also interested in what Greg thought about it. He was always so neutral. "But what about you Greg? Who do you think is going to win?" He said it in a kind of teasing tone, while he started eating a sausage.

Greg nodded politely as Boubka provided his answer, attempting his best as presenter to sorta... slip into the background and allow the fox to take centre-stage. Unfortunately, this immediately collapsed the moment the very question he gave was fired back at him, dragging him back into focus.
"I... Uh..." Someone was screaming down his earpiece now. Don't screw this up. Answering to this wrong was the sorta thing that could get one fired in this line of work.
"I couldn't possibly say..." he adjusted his tie nervously - the fabric rubbing against his microphone for everyone to hear, "...I DO have to be, uh, 'neutral', you see..."

The fox nodded and smiled in reply. He didn't seem to notice how Greg was being manipulated through his earpiece. "I understand! You probably know them both well. Maybe Zephyr is actually a cool guy! I dunno, because character development never gets shown on tv with tournaments. Such a bummer..." Then he suddenly seemed excited. He looked into the camera, as if that was the way to talk to the producers. "Maybe you should do that next time! Show us personalities! That'd be so siiick! I'd watch that! Well I'd watch it anyway I love this tournament." He glanced to one of the screens, then took a bite of a chocolate muffin. "Hohw iws the battuwl gowing enyway? Whohs whinning?" Bou stop talking with a full mouth.