Black Diamond vs. The SoCal Connection

[Dubski]

Black Diamond vs. The SoCal Connection
Match Type: Standard Tag Team Match
Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout

Deanna Duncan was prancing about backstage with a big smile on her face, and she stood directly across from her partner, Cheyenne Black Rock. "Cheyenne. This is it. We got our first tag match in LAW. Wow. WOW. Wow. I didn't think it would happen. I mean, obviously I did. Obviously. Because why wouldn't it? We were signed, right--that's the most unbelievable part right there. We got signed together--you and me. Besties forever. Like five forevers. Forever forevers. Juuuuuust wow!"

Cheyenne smiled at her partner, looking amused. "Wow."

"Oh, you're damn right wow!" exclaimed Deanna with a smile. She pushed on the Native American's chest lightly. "And we're gonna kill it. Two SoCal girls? Please. Not only are we going to win--right now? It's already won. In my mind, at least. Power of positive thinking. And I guess time travel in that case?"

"Deanna," spoke Cheyenne.

"Whatcha got, Chey?"

"What is SoCal?" asked Cheyenne Black Rock simply.

Duncan let out a haughty laugh. "What is SoCal? It's only the pits. Absolute heap. Like, like, like, you got NorCal, and you got SoCal, and NorCal's already bad, but you go to SoCal with all the rich hoighty toities? Oh-ho-hoooo, Cheyenne! That's just the worst of all! I'm talking like, out the gate they'll give you an excuse to want to slug them right in the face! Exceptions, obviously, if they happen to be nice because hey, you shouldn't judge."

"What is hoighty toity?" followed up Cheyenne, seemingly unconcerned with the rest of whatever her partner was rambling about.

"Cheyenne, hoighty toity is--"

"Hey, you're both up now!" shouted a stage hand, and then sure enough, Deanna and Cheyenne's music began playing.

With a thrilled squeal, Deanna threw herself at Cheyenne and gave her a big hug!" "We're uuuuuup! So shut up so we can make a cool entrance, alright?"

"I will shut up," said Cheyenne in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

Pulse by Icon For Hire played in the arena as lights began to flash all over to the song. Black Diamond came out soon after with Deanna Duncan excitedly hyping up the crowd while Cheyenne Black Rock just stood behind her with a satisfied smile on her face. The pair then began to make their way to the ring as Cheyenne stood in front of the ring apron and Deanna leaped up into a slide, posing on her side behind Cheyenne for a rather flashy photo op. Deanna tugged down the top rope from her position and Cheyenne turned and grabbed it, stepping onto the apron as Duncan rolled into the ring first, posing for the crowd as Cheyenne stepped over the top rope and into the ring.

Spoiler

They went to their corner and Deanna grinned wildly. "This is it! We're here Cheyenne! We're here and we're waiting for our opponents right now! They're coming any second! And you know what? We should talk strategy. I know, probably should have done this earlier, but here's the deal. I just didn't think of it. Too excited with other things. You know? So here we are, waiting for SoCal Connection and then when we start, I say we..."

Deanna kept talking as Cheyenne paid her little mind, instead staring out calmly at the entrance ramp with her arms crossed, awaiting the pair's opponents for the night!

[CaptainL]

It had been some time since the two girls from California had last been in the ring together. Ashley had had a few matches of her own, but Kayla had been staying back from the public eye, focusing on her training since her loss to Thunder Ryuko. She wanted to prove that she still had what it took to prevail, and that her rather more...eccentric teammate didn't ruin things for her.

But the two of them were friends, despite it all. They had been a team since they toured the indies, and they still had dreams of crushing the tag division at LAW. And now, it was high time the two of them got back into the ring, together.

"Alright..." Kayla nodded to herself, tightening her gloves as she looked herself over in the mirror before she placed her sunglasses back down on her face. "I'm ready. You ready for this, Ash?"

"Dude, c'mon. Am I ever not ready? Helloooo?" Ashley sprung up by her side, throwing an arm around Kayla's shoulder. The brunette looked back at her tentatively, hoping that she wouldn't cause too much trouble, but even if she sometimes seemed more interested in the afterparty than the match, she couldn't deny that Ash knew a thing or two about wrestling. If she only got her head in the game, she thought, the two could be unstoppable.

But for now, they'd have to settle for giving it their best shot. And that was something Kayla was prepared for.

"Alright...alright! It's about time the SoCal Connection got back together! Let's do this!"

"WOO!" Ash cheered, pumping a fist in the air with one hand as her other hand whipped around to deliver a sharp slap to Kayla's behind. The middleweight clenched her teeth, rubbing at her cheek.

"Ow-! A little...rough, don't you think?"

"What's the matter?" Ashley said with a shrug. "You were on the wrestling team, yeah? And athletes do that all the time!"

"I mean, yeah, but..."

"Why do you guys do that anyway?"

Kayla cleared her throat, running to the door. "Listen, we gotta get out there! The music's playing!"

Music

As their music filled the arena, Kayla and Ashley made their way down the ring to the sounds of cheers. The two of them threw up their arms, joined at one hand, as they passed through the crowd, with Ash slapping a few high-fives on the way and mugging for photos as they passed. Kayla, meanwhile, kept up a careful stride toward the ring, and was the first to get on the apron, slipping in through the top and middle ropes as Ashley hopped up to the corner behind her. Once inside, Kayla turned and exchanged a high-five with her partner before she took off her sunglasses and hat, shaking out her hair and passing them to Ash. Then, she diverted her gaze back to the ring, pointing a finger toward the members of Black Diamond.

"Listen, you guys may be new around here...but new or not, you're still going to need to learn where you stand! I've never been one for going easy on anyone, so you'll get a taste of what the tag division has to offer! If you think you can stand with the teams here, you'll have to prove yourselves!"

Stepping forward, Kayla shrugged her shoulders to let her Hawaiian shirt fall from her as she laced her fingers and stretched out the joints in her hands. Ashley similarly disposed of her entrance accessories before leaning in on the ropes in the corner, watching her partner with a grin and a thumbs-up. "You got this one, Kay!~"

Kayla Grant

Ash Daniels

[Dubski]

Deanna continued to prattle on as Cheyenne stood there, watching as the SoCal Connection made their ways to the ring. In an odd way, Black Rock began to put together what Duncan was trying to tell her about them, even if Deanna was struggling to really do so effectively. And then suddenly the white noise of her partner began to fade away when she was saying something more relevant. "...See? What did I tell you. SoCal girls all the way. Ugh. Hawaiian shirts? You aren't from Hawaii. And hats? You're indoors. And sunglasses? Again, indoors"

"You wear sunglasses in your entrance sometimes," answered Cheyenne as she stared out at the pair as they came closer in the ring.

"Yeah. Hater shaders. They're ironic. This is all legit for them. Am I saying hate them? No. But I am saying destroy them with every square inch of your muscle-y fierce sexiness," explained the Diamond simply, gesturing to them.

"I will try my best," replied Cheyenne, a simple smile on her face.

Deanna let out a laugh as she slapped Cheyenne on the back. "I know you will! Because you're just so amazing! And I--" Duncan was cut off by Kayla's bold proclamation, giving her a strange look. Then, when she was done, Deanna looked at Cheyenne. "We know that." Then the platinum-haired girl looked at Kayla and yelled, "We know all that!" The Diamond scoffed and then looked at her partner once more, shaking her head. "Jeesh. Some people like to talk just to hear themselves talk, you know?"

Black Rock nodded once and then said, "I am aware." She fought off a twinge of a smirk, knowing the irony of her partner saying that all too well. "I think I will engage first."

"Hey, go for it! Loving the forwardness! Try to leave some for me, alright?" said Duncan with a laugh, getting onto the apron. "But I mean, if you don't, that's fine too. Just--you know, try to win. You know what I mean. I don't need to tell you to try winning."

"You can stop talking, Deanna." Cheyenne stated bluntly as she began to walk out of the corner.

"Yup! Got it!" Deanna shouted before firing a thumbs up at her partner.

Cheyenne Black Rock would then make her way to the middle of the ring. She was a large, imposing figure. A dark-skinned, well-toned powerhouse and as she let her appearance do the talking for her as she stood in the center of the ring, arms crossed. "I will not go easy on you both either," stated Cheyenne, adopting a more serious expression, the tone behind her voice putting more gravity on those simple words.

[CaptainL]

It was probably for the best that the two Californians weren't in range to hear Deanna mock their entrance. Ash would no doubt have butted in about that, and, knowing her, the discussion from there would hardly be productive. But even when they did reach the ring, the opposing team was quick to assert themselves. As soon as Kayla had spoken, Deanna shot back with a remark of her own - which made Kayla roll her eyes; even if she didn't know the platinum-haired girl as much as Cheyenne did, she had already seen enough from her to recognize the irony as well.

"Geez," Ashley muttered as she leaned over the ropes to whisper to her partner, "these two are...something, huh?"

"Whatever they are," Kayla interjected, "I'm still gonna give it my all. No matter what."

Her attention was soon grasped by more pressing matters, as the imposing form of Cheyenne Black Rock made itself known in the ring. Kayla stopped to look up at the heavyweight, and the discrepancies in size between the two of them wasn't lost on her. She bit her lip and balled her fists, trying to focus, but she was determined, and she didn't want to get intimidated lest it throw her off her game. Ashley, meanwhile, was more observant of Deanna prattling on, and was quick to issue an ironic statement of her own.

"Does this chick ever shut up-"

"SHH!" Kayla snapped back at her, looking over her shoulder with a glare, as Ash went quiet. Kayla's expression grew serious as she shook out her arms and flexed her muscles, returning her gaze back to Cheyenne. "Didn't think so," she added, quietly sweeping the matters of her partner under the rug. "I wanna see what you've got, all the same!"

*DING DING DING*

As soon as the bell rang, Kayla was quick to drop down into a stance, holding her hands up in front of her to ready herself. Seeing how powerfully built Cheyenne was, she was sure that a test of strength would put her at a disadvantage. Electing to take a different route, Kayla would open the match by swinging a kick toward her opponent, hoping to get in some early offense and soften her up for further down the road.

[Dubski]

Cheyenne Black Rock stood and then slowly slipped into a more unorthodox grappling stance, ready for when the bell sounded the start of the match. She didn't reply to the girl, but the big Native American watched her closely, and when the kick came she maneuvered to catch her leg before she was hit. Giving Kayla a skeptical look, as if to ask her how she could possibly think that was a good idea, she would keep a hold of it, giving her a moment to worry. Deanna, meanwhile, was cheering and clapping in her corner, standing up on the middle rope to get a better view.

The powerhouse of the Black Diamond duo would then shove Kayla back and release her foot as the same time. The purpose was to make sure Kayla would have to try catching her balance for the moment, and in that very same moment, she would rush forward and try to hit a big boot to her chest, aiming to hit a brutal blow on her opponent before she could retain her balance enough to stop it!

[CaptainL]

Kayla wanted to put her partner's more enthusiastic banter behind her. No matter what Ashley had to say, or how she would find a way to butt in, Kayla was serious, and she wanted to prove herself. She huffed, blowing a short gust of air through her teeth to clear hair away from her eyes, as she eyed Cheyenne up. Not wanting to take her chances with the heavyweight, she tried to stay back and soften her up with strikes before going for the grapple, and she had aimed a kick with that in mind.

At least, that was what Kayla hoped to achieve. She soon saw that Cheyenne had the reflexes to match her size, as her leg was caught in place as she swung it for her! Taken by surprise, Kayla stood staring in shock, her jaw dropping open with a gasp. From where she watched in the corner, Ash grasped the rope tighter, but threw a fist in the air. "C'mon, Kay! You got this! You can do it!"

But whatever Kayla could do, avoiding Cheyenne's next move wasn't it. The Native American woman shoved her back, causing her to slip to one knee as she fell backward and coughed. As she fell and doubled over, Kayla exposed herself to Cheyenne's attack - she had left herself wide open to take the big boot, her upper torso bent right into the path of Cheyenne's leg. Next thing she knew, the impact knocked her back through the air as she planted on the canvas, groaning.

[Dubski]

Cheyenne's strength was her perception, coupled with her strength made her fearsome to behold. Kayla quickly learned that after being on the receiving end up a big boot to the chest, sending her down to the mat with impressive impact! In the corner, Deanna Duncan let out a scream of glee and looked out to the crowd. "You see that!? It might as well be over!" yelled Deanna, clapping in her corner and whooping for Cheyenne.

...Who promptly ignored her. The large Native American girl would then lean down and then grab Kayla by her arm with a calm expression on her face before attempting to tug her to her feet and go for an irish whip. However, the dark-skinned woman would keep a hold on Kayla's arm and then attempt to yank her right back for a short-arm clothesline, trying to knock her loopy! She wanted to impose her strength and wear her opponent down immediately in the match.

[CaptainL]

Ash winced as she saw her partner go down, but she had faith in Kayla to pull through all the while. She had known her tag partner for some time, and she knew she was a tough girl who could overcome the odds if she set her mind to it. Which was why it was so frustrating to her to hear Deanna already celebrating, as though the match had already been won. "HEY!" she shouted back. "Wipe that dumb smile off your face! You haven't seen anything yet!"

Despite Ashley's protests, Kayla wasn't doing too hot so far. Dazed by the landing, she was powerless to resist as Cheyenne grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her feet. The brunette winced as she felt her pull on her arm, preparing to go charging across the ring - but instead, Cheyenne pulled her in close, directly into the path of her arm! Kayla's head cracked backward with her hair trailing behind her, letting out a cough as she was sent stumbling on her feet.

However, while in close range, Kayla still had an opportunity to make her move. The pain would only embolden her to do something about it. Shaking herself and gritting her teeth, she tried to close in and throw her free arm around Cheyenne's neck, attempting to counter with a sleeperhold if she could make the shot!

[Dubski]

Deanna glared at Ash in the corner and then ran over to the other side of the apron to say, "I haven't seen anything!? I saw all I need to see! Your girl is going DOWN!" And then Duncan proceeded to moonwalk back to her corner, a wide grin on her face as the action raged on in the ring!

Cheyenne Black Rock continued her assault, managing to nail Kayla with the short-arm clothesline which she seemed a bit surprised (for as much surprise as her rather stoic expression would show) that the California girl was still standing. The swift counter was what Cheyenne wasn't prepared for though, as she leaped onto Cheyenne and then locked in a sleeper hold, a move that got a groan of annoyance from the tallest woman in the match. She would attempt to pry Kayla's arms off of her, struggling to as Kayla had expertly applied it.

"Heeeeey, Chey! Maybe fight back against it!" suggested Duncan less-than-helpfully. Cheyenne gave her partner a bothered look before trying to grab Kayla around the waist. She would then attempt to pick her up with the intent to throw her in a side suplex to try dislodging her opponent from her!

[CaptainL]

With the white-haired girl closing in on her, Ashley flinched, not knowing what Deanna had planned or what she should prepare for. She feared an assault on the apron, and she grew stiff, ready to defend herself if she needed to; her hand was raised and ready. However, before she could do anything, Deanna simply taunted her and then walked backward slowly to her corner, leaving the redhead blinking in confusion. Deanna was...strange. And when Ashley was saying that, it had to mean something.

Her attention was quickly drawn back to the action in the ring, though - and she grinned as she saw that Kayla had managed to stay on her feet. Even if she had been knocked back, and her balance was tested, she'd managed to keep her grip on Cheyenne's arm and stay standing, as well as giving her the grounds to throw herself forward and transition into a sleeperhold! "WOO!" Ash cheered. "You can do it, Kay!!"

Kayla smiled to herself, feeling the confidence rising in her as she held down firmly onto the heavyweight's throat; the muscles in her arm bulged to steady her grip. She narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth, wanting to remain secure. However, Cheyenne would soon show a counter of her own, as she scooped Kayla up around the waist and hurled her over to the side! With the force of Cheyenne's strength and the distance she dropped to the canvas, Kayla bounced off the mat as she landed with a thud, the impact leaving her gasping and stunned. Her hold on Cheyenne was broken, and she lay out flat.