Nightmares in the Making - Lovers Inose & Halloween Sonohara vs Mirika Hanatsuru & Yakura Shiranagi

[RingRose]

Continued from here

Mirika’s eyes lit up the moment Lovers began her excited ramble, her head tilting slightly as she listened with deceitful delight. The bright, bubbly smile on her face widened into a saccharine sneer as the words poured out, her hands clasped together in front of her chest as though she were genuinely touched by the enthusiasm.

“Oh my gosh, aren’t you just the cutest!” she chirped, practically bouncing on her heels as she leaned in slightly, her tone overly sweet and affectionate. “You still have my album? That’s, like, suuuper loyal of you~ Maybe I’ll sign it for you after we're done playing…” she continued lightly, her eyes flicking down and back up again. “Assuming you’re still conscious that is”

Yakura, meanwhile, had not reacted nearly as warmly. Her gaze remained fixed on Halloween, unblinking and analytical, as though she were already dissecting her opponent piece by piece. Kiyora stood just behind them, watching it all unfold with quiet satisfaction, her earlier amusement settling into a composed, almost regal calm as she observed both sides. Her eyes moved briefly between Halloween and Lovers, then back to her own faction, as if everything had fallen into place.

“It seems we have an understanding.” she said smoothly. “Well then… have fun.” A faint smile curved her lips as her tone turned just a touch more indulgent. “Onika and I will be watching from ringside. I don’t expect this to take long… but do try to make it entertaining. Our new fans deserve a proper show.”

With that, Kiyora stepped through the ropes, Onika following close behind as the two settled at ringside, leaning casually against the apron with smiles as wide as they were wicked. Inside the ring, Mirika and Yakura remained, the referee stepping in to check them over as they prepared. Mirika bounced lightly in place, already brimming with energy as she turned toward her partner, eyes sparkling.

“Ooooh, Yaku-chan, can I go first?” she asked sweetly, clasping her hands together. “Pretty, pretty please?” Yakura exhaled softly through her nose, her expression unchanged as she gave a small, dismissive nod before stepping out onto the apron, resting her arms along the top rope with a look of quiet disinterest.

The following tag team contest is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, representing ENCORE… weighing in at a combined 258 pounds… MIRIKA HANATSURU, THE CHERRY BLOSSOM IDOL… AND HER PARTNER, THE LILY IDOL… YAKURA SHIRANAGI!!!

Appearance

Appearance

Left in the ring, Mirika gave one last bright smile toward Lovers and Halloween before stepping into position, rolling her shoulders as she settled in, her posture loose and playful. “Now then…” she hummed, tilting her head slightly as she looked between them. “Which one of you cuties wants to dance first?”

[BlackAkuma]

This whole thing was probably a bad idea. Probably. Maybe. Certainly.

Halloween watched as the two women - Kiyora and Onika, she was still working on memorizing the names - left the ring and proceeded to enjoy the best view of the match in all the arena. While she didn’t know any of these women, they struck her as assholes, and Halloween had known more than a few of those in her time as a wrestler.

It meant they had an uphill battle ahead of them. It meant that, more than likely, the other two chucklefucks would try to screw them over and interfere. It meant that, even if they pulled a win, there was a zero percent chance that the other idols wouldn’t go for a post-match beatdown. Coming out victorious here would be hard. Damned near impossible.

Which made Halloween want to do it even more. If she didn’t like taking risks, she wouldn’t have joined a sport where most of her opponents were literally twice her size. She wouldn’t have taken on Death Bunny in her first match. She wouldn’t have a finishing move that required her to ram her head into another person’s skull.

The daredevil in her was eating well, but the strategist was still trying to make heads and tails of the situation. Yakura had been mean-mugging her for the longest time now, and while Halloween of all people could appreciate a good death stare, it was starting to worry her. That was thinking, the smart one.

Not to say the other one was an idiot, though. She was giving off serious Annie Wilkes energy. Smiles on the outside, psycho on the inside.

Problems, problems, problems. But she’d solve them.

”And their opponents, at a combined weight of 214 pounds-

”208! I’ve been dieting!”

The announcer blinked, showed her annoyance with grinding teeth, then continued. ”...210 pounds, Lovers Inose and Halloween Sonohara, Scary Love!

Huh, LAW remembered their old tag team name, that was cute. Halloween would be lying if she said it didn’t give the warm fuzzies to hear it again, but she could gush later with the replay. Business time.

Mirika seemed to be starting, with Uber Goth standing on the ring for now. That worked just fine for Halloween, and she perked up when the question was poised. After a moment of thought, she turned Lover’s way.

”Hey,” She nodded her way. ”You want to start?”

Lovers lit up with a smile so sweet it came with a dentist’s warning, and she started bouncing in time with Mirika. ”Heck yeah, I’d love to-”

”Then I’m starting.”

Halloween swore, she could hear the air flying out of her deflated ex, as she dropped her jaw and looked over, utterly gobsmacked. She pouted, putting on puppy-dog eyes that used to get her everything she wanted back when they were dating, but she was immune to that effect. ”But, but, but-”

[”But nothing.] Halloween spoke in Spanish, so she could converse with Lovers in semi-private…assuming Mirika didn’t know the language, of course. Lovers wasn’t super fluent herself, but she’d gotten decent while they were dating. The woman could learn fast when she put her mind to it. [“You’re still in fangasm mode. She’ll rip you up, she’s counting on that.”][/color] Halloween gave Mirika another look-up-and-down. [“Relax, look and learn, and I’ll let you in after a couple minutes. ‘Kay?”

Lovers let out a long, exasperated sigh, but she did as asked and slunk her way back to their corner, as Halloween turned to face Mirika. She smirked and folded her arms, standing tall and proud. ”You and me are kicking off. Ms. Cherry Blossom.” The referee was already coming over for a quick pat down, checking for any weapons. Where Halloween would’ve hidden them on this outfit, she didn’t know.

”One thing before we start, though. Have to ask.” She canted her head to the side and rubbed her chin. ”What’s your favorite scary movie?”

[RingRose]

Mirika watched with a cocked smile as she observed the exchange between Halloween and Lovers, her eyes flicking between the two with quiet amusement. Halloween, at least, seemed to understand what she was dealing with, keeping herself between Mirika and her partner as if she could shield her from what was coming. That alone was enough to make Mirika’s smile widen.

“Aww… you’re starting?” she chimed sweetly, tilting her head as she sized her up more deliberately this time. “I thought my little fan was dying for a turn.” A soft giggle slipped out, light and airy. “Guess I get to break you first~”

DING DING DING

The sharp clang of the bell rang through the arena, and just like that, the match was underway. Mirika stepped out of her corner and dipped slightly into a low stance, circling with light side-steps, that was until Halloween hit her with a question that visibly piqued her interest. She tapped a finger lightly against her chin as she moved closer, never breaking eye contact.

“Hmm… scary movie?” she echoed, almost thoughtfully, a small hum following before her smile returned. “I like Misery…” she said as her gaze lifted again, something unsettling forming behind her eyes. “But I always thought they got it backwards. It’d be way more fun if the celeb was the one doing the hurting…” she added with a quiet giggle, “Kinda like what we're gonna do to you and Lovers-chan!" She rose slightly onto her toes, glancing past Halloween just long enough to send Lovers a playful wink and a blown kiss before resetting into her grappling stance, her burning desire to pounce on her opponent held back just long enough to hear the answer she’d invited.

[BlackAkuma]

The whole ‘Scary Movie’ bit was a time-honored tradition for Halloween, something she’d been doing as her trademark since she took on the name. A little silly, yeah, but it helped get her in the mood, gave her mind something to churn on while the action was going, which, somehow, made her more focused.

It was weird, but she was a pint-sized Asian/Hispanic with pigtails and a theme based around a holiday. Weird was in her soul.

Mirika’s pick brought a whooping laugh out of her. ”Wow, I must be psychic. Or you’re reading my mind. Which is actually pretty damn creepy, itself.” Halloween rolled her neck and started bouncing on her heels, getting all nice and limber, getting higher and higher with each hop. ”Great pick. 1990, Rob Reiner, RIP. Kathy deserved all that gold. Best SK movie, I say. Shining’s overrated.” Her eyes settled on Mirika as she picked up speed. ”As for that last thing, though, you got it backwards, cherry pie.”

Her feet came down and stayed there, as she crouched with a wicked grin. ”I’m the monster in this horror story.”

The words had barely left her lips before she began rushing around the ring, circling around and daring Mirika to catch up, moving so quick her feet scarcely touched the ground, and the referee had to leap out of the way. She moved faster and faster, trying to test how well Mirika could keep up, before she rushed straight with arms raised, looking to lock horns with a collar-and-elbow tie-up.

[RingRose]

“The monster?” she echoed softly, almost amused, her stance lowering just slightly as she prepared. “Mm… we’ll see about that.”

And then Halloween came to her with a burst of devilish speed. The idol might have been caught off guard if she wasn’t a speedster herself, stepping in at the exact moment of engagement to meet the incoming rush head-on as their arms came up. She didn’t shy away from the impact, accepting the collar-and-elbow tie-up cleanly, one hand locking at the shoulder while the other braced at the arm as their frames collided.

Mirika planted her feet firmly into the mat and began to push back, testing the resistance, gauging her opponent’s strength through the contact. There wasn’t a significant size advantage between them, which meant she couldn’t simply overpower Halloween outright. That didn’t bother her in the slightest.

“Mmm… not bad…” she hummed softly, “But monsters are supposed to be scary…”

Rather than continue the test of strength, Mirika shifted her weight off-center, turning her hips sharply to break Halloween's stance. She slipped out of the push with practiced ease, her arm threading through cleanly as she redirected Halloween’s momentum. Pivoting smoothly to the side, she looped her arm around the head and pulled in tight, securing a standing side headlock in one fluid motion!

Her stance widened immediately, grounding herself as she cinched the hold in, forearm snug against the side of the head while her free hand reinforced the grip, applying increasing pressure to her opponent's neck!

[BlackAkuma]

Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh. Halloween could be such a butt, sometimes.

”10…11…12…”

Yes, Lovers fully intended to count up to two minutes and bug Halloween if she hadn't tagged her back in by then. She’d said she would wait a couple minutes, and she fully assumed her girlfriend meant two minutes with that, and not ‘a few’. If she was going to be like this, then it was perfectly fair game for her to be picky about it.

She was annoyed that Halloween pulled rank and refused to let her have fun with Mirika, but not surprised by it. She was always treating her like she was dumb about this sort of stuff, like she couldn't figure out that, no, Mirika didn’t have her best interests at heart in this match, that she’d just stumble into a trap. Lovers might not have been the smartest person in the world, but even she could count, and she knew 4 was more than 2. Seriously, stuff like this was why they’d have to separate for a while.

…well, that and Lovers having a little side-fun with another wrestler. But that was a long story, and she didn’t want-

”Lovers, pay attention!”

Halloween’s cry snapped her out of the daydream, and she looked over to see her tag partner in a tight side headlock, with Mirika grinding hard on her skull. Halloween tried to push her way out, but it wasn’t happening. The idol was no strongwoman, but she still had a noticeable size difference over the petite Mexanese woman.

Halloween wasn’t the sort to give up, though; Lovers could always say that about her. She pushed forward, then abruptly changed direction and pulled Mirika back, until the hit the ropes and bounced forward. Like that, she tried to use the momentum to aid her as she pushed hard against her opponent’s back and slammed her feet down hard, attempting pull her head free and send the idol running towards the opposite side of the ring all at once.

[RingRose]

“Ehehe… got you~” Mirika hummed softly, her tone light and almost affectionate, as if she’d just caught something cute rather than an opponent trying to fight her way free. Her arm clamped snug around Halloween’s head, forearm pressing in just right as she gave a sharp twist of her hips, tightening the side headlock with malice and glee. “It’s okay…” she added in a softer voice, “I’ll make you nice and quiet...”

But the little devil didn't seem so keen on being a docile plaything for the evil idol. Halloween forced the angle, pushing forward before sharply redirecting, and for a split second Mirika’s base slipped just enough. She felt the ropes press against her back, the tension building before snapping her forward again, the rebound forcing her to release whether she wanted to or not.

“Oh…?”

She hit the opposite ropes with her back and shoulders, absorbing the impact as they bent and launched her forward again. But she didn't fumble, instead her steps quickened, a small skip in her stride as she closed the distance.

Across the ring, Yakura remained poised on the apron, one arm draped over the top rope as she watched with a cool, unblinking focus. Her expression barely shifted, but her eyes followed every move Mirika made. When the momentum looked like it might turn, there was the faintest narrowing of her gaze, one of concern at first, but this was quickly fleeting as she figured what her fellow idol would do with next. At ringside, Kiyora and Onika observed with patience, their presence an ever lingering threat just outside the ropes.

And then Mirika sprang. Her body snapped upward in one smooth motion, both legs shooting forward at once as she aimed a crisp, well-timed dropkick straight toward Halloween’s chest. That same bright, doll-like smile never left her face as she aimed the soles of her boots with Halloween's sternum!

[BlackAkuma]

On the surface, on the outside, Halloween was all wild focus, fully leaning into her persona as a nightmarish little hellion. When you were her size, you couldn't get by with being meek and quiet. That made you into a jobber. That made you into the federation's punching bag, who the big girls looked for whenever they needed quick wins. Stand tall, carry yourself, and you can make up for all kinds of lacks.

Inside, though, things were a little slower. Like now, where she was trying to figure out the puzzle of ENCORE, even as she and Mirika started out their little dance. Who were these woman, exactly? Their leader had thrown down the gauntlet, but in her experience, there was what people like this said they wanted and what they really, and the two could be worlds apart.

Maybe psychos just out to have a fun, violent time. Maybe trying to work their way up to bigger game. LAW didn’t have much in the way of non-asshole factions, so if they tried an organized push…

Whatever the case, she would say they were talented, at least based off what she was seeing from Mirika so far. That little headlock had been textbook, and after getting launched away, she hit the ropes without missing a beat. Someone had been practicing their rope running.

She was coming back fast, but instead of waiting for her, Halloween came rushing forward to meet. The audience held their breath for an instant as the two blurs hurtled towards the center of the ring - either they’d collide or someone would hit the right move at the right time, or-

A dropkick. A fast dropkick. Halloween had little time to register it and even less to do something about it. There was no time to dodge to the side, not with her momentum, but below? That might work.

Halloween threw her body down as the dropkick flew her way, tumbling underneath the flying Mirika and coming out just behind her as she came back down. Without even taking the time to lock her target, she sprang up, leaped behind her, raised her arm, and tried to bring an elbow drop down on where she assumed Mirika would be.

It wasn’t a small assumption, just going off some mental math, and it’d suck if she was wrong. But if she was right…

[RingRose]

Mirika’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she launched the dropkick, but her confidence evaporated the instant Halloween rolled under her trajectory. Soon she was in free fall where she was forced to hit the mat hard, landing flat on her butt with a sharp thwack that echoed through the ring.

“Ehh?! N-no way…!” she squeaked, her voice trembling with a mixture of genuine shock and rising fury. She pressed a hand to her rear briefly, but the moment barely passed before Halloween sprang up from beneath her, elbow cocked and aimed straight for her midsection.

“AAAH! You… little pest! ” Mirika squealed at her opponent's elbow came colliding into her tummy. The air exploded from her lungs, causing Mirika to curl up on the mat with her hands pressed to her stomach, writhing in pain.

Yakura, perched on the corner apron, let out a small, exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes in a quiet mixture of mild annoyance. At ringside, Kiyora and Onika both tensed visibly, their eyes narrowing as if the elbow had hit them personally. It was a misstep on Mirika's part, but in the idol world, every blemish was scrutinized. They shifted slightly, the irritation evident as the Rose idol tapped her fingers on the apron.

Mirika pressed her back against the mat for a brief moment, catching her breath as her doll-like mask slipped just slightly, a glimmer of pure, incandescent fury shining behind her bright eyes. Then, with a soft, shaky inhale, she pushed herself up onto one elbow, voice still high and sweet but threaded with menace. “You’re… really asking for it now, you know?” she hissed through gritted teeth, the kawaii lilt of her tone contrasting sharply with the danger in her gaze as she attempted to work her back up to her feet.

[BlackAkuma]

”Gotcha!”

It was just an elbow drop - the most basic of basic moves, Week One of training type stuff - but nailing Mirika with it felt especially satisfying. There was just something about the way her boney little arm sunk into the Cherry Idol’s body, the way it went deep, the sound she made after the impact, all of it coming together for this delectable cocktail. For a woman like her, there was nothing better than the moment her opponent realized that she was an actual threat, and not just some bigmouthed little jobber. It was Halloween’s drug. She was addicted to it.

”Soy la dama de los muertos!” Halloween popped up to her feet as the crowd cheered, with a few of them even throwing a few poorly pronounced Spanish words her way. She was quick to throw a wink over to the surly Yakura, gave her own cheek a quick smack, then turned her attention back to Mirika with a fuller tank of energy than she’d started with.

The woman’s threat made her wicked grin even wickeder. Something about thinly veiled threats always got her blood going. That sugar-sweet veneer had cracked a bit, and the sourness underneath was showing. This was not a woman who liked to be shown up, damn sure not in her first match on the LAW brand.

”I’m not an asker, cherry pie. I’m a taker.” She reached down and grabbed two handfuls of the woman’s hair, yanking her up whether she wanted to come or not. Especially if she didn’t want to come. ”Up you go.”

It was rare that Halloween found herself up against an opponent that she could reliably suplex, and she wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by. As soon as Mirika was on her feet, she moved in, ducking her head up the woman’s shoulder and pulled her in tight. She dipped down, then exploded upwards, lifting Mirika off the canvas, bringing up and over, then planted her flat on her back again with a Northern Lights Suplex.

She made sure to bridge out after the impact, too, to force a pinfall. Halloween doubted she would get more than a one count, if that much, this early into the match, but it was more of a flex than anything, being the first to pin in the match. Plus, it would probably tick of Mirika even more, which was quickly becoming a favorite hobby.