FFFT Pre-Exhibition Banter (First Draft)

(Setting: the Final Fantasy Fight Tournament semifinals have just ended and they have just announced who will be competing in the finals. MC works the crowd once the finalists are announced, asking if they’re excited or if they’re enjoying the tournament. It will prompt to ask the judges and commentators how they’ve been enjoying the matches. The judges and commentators can perhaps have a bit of simple back and forth, discussing what they’ve enjoyed seeing, what they’re expecting from the final fight, etc.. Eventually we reach this point…)

B: …but yeah, the participants have definitely been putting on a great prize-worthy show for everyone here!
J: They definitely have, yeah. More importantly, though, they’ve really been putting it out there with some top-level performances that they can all be proud of–
B: Yeah! Proud of how many happy faces they’ve made out in the audience.
J: Yeah, of course. But, more importantly, proud that they did their best in a pretty demanding–
B: Hold on, hold on… what’s with the ‘more importantly’ talk?
J: I’m just saying, it’s tough to be up on that stage. You know that. Gotta think fast and on your feet, figure out what you’re doing, what the other guy’s doing… it takes a lot of work to do well up there.
B: Of course. But the end result of that hard work is to be the more impressive team still standing. The end goal of all that hard work – and in turn the ‘most important’ thing – is to be the more entertaining group for the judges and the people watching!
J: Well yeah, I’m not gonna pretend that that’s not important. Obviously in the end you still have to put on a good show. I’m just saying that there’s more to this game than just shocking laughs out of an audience with internet references and shameless fan service–
B: Shameless?! So what are you saying, that people who win the tournament are just shameless and cheap?
J: I didn’t say that. I’m just saying that there’s a lot more to winning these than just… (trying to be tactful)… I mean…
B: Uh huh. Yeah. And how many fight tournaments have you won now?
J: Whoaaaaaa hold on now…
(At this point, perhaps the MC starts trying to intervene to no effect… B and J start to stand up, start making their way onto the stage…)
B: No no, check it out. You think there’s a right way to play this, like you want to prove that your way works… but it hasn’t, has it? You just don’t want to admit it!
J: I don’t need to admit anything to you! Think about it! By tournament’s end, the winners have always been the more diverse, more fully-rounded team that could do more than just hit on the other team!
B: Yeah, and that’s just never been you is all, right? Don’t get all sour just because people don’t cheer for you as much as everyone else!
J: Yeah, well… I guess we can’t all just bring our cheering sections with us wherever we go, now can we? Eh, Zack?!
B: Hey, they do encourage you to bring supporters. Fan reaction is in the rules, you know.
J: Yeah, and you had to work really hard for that, didn’t ya? You should see how the rest of us less enfranchised souls spend our cons some time, you dumbass!
(At this point, J and B are face to face on the stage…)
B: …So what? I didn’t beat you bad enough in Seattle?
(J sucker-punches/swings/strikes at B; B defends, possibly gets struck a little; both go on guard… MC tries to intervene again…)
B: I guess not. * Audience! I need two volunteers…*
J: *Audience! I need two volunteers…*

*(We’ll be able to think of something funnier/cleverer/meaner to say to ask for volunteers from the audience or previous teams.)