L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

The first thing that Bebe noticed was the noise.

This wasn’t her first time hanging around in the back before a match, in the area that wrestlers called the ‘gorilla position’ for some strange reason. She had plenty of matches around the world, so she knew the pressure that mounted before a match, the energy that ran through you before you stepped into those lights and made your way towards the cage. Even though this was a new sport with new rules in a new setting, she’d been under the impression that this part, at least, wouldn’t be too different than what she was accustomed to.

She was wrong. It was hard to put into words, but she could hear the rumbling din from beyond the curtains, and they just sounded…different. More energetic, rowdier, crazier. Not that she hadn't fought before enthusiastic fans before, but the tenor was different, like the heavy metal cover of a pop song. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, but it was a thing, no question.

It wasn’t doing wonders for her nerves, either. Here she stood, ready to fight in her first pro wrestling match, and she couldn't shake the feeling that her father was watching. Kind of a silly thought, the more she mulled it over - after all, even if there was a heaven and even if her father went to it, she could be pretty sure that they didn’t let you watch LAW there. It was a comforting notion, though, and it gave her the extra oomph she needed to go through with all of this in the first place.

Just another fight. Close your eyes. Focus. Deep breaths.

A buzz from her pocket was enough to end all of that, and she fished it out with a sigh. Probably her brother calling again to give her advice she didn’t need, or her sister posting some picture about cats, or-

It was Mina. Good.

[MINA: Hey, you.
MINA: We’re all watching back home! Do us proud!]

Those few words of encouragement from her girlfriend were exactly what she needed right now, warming her heart and fortifying her mind. She was about to text her back and tell her as much, too, when a stagehand came up from the side, tapping her on the shoulder. “Ms. Gunn? We’re about to queue up your music. Are you ready?”

She shrugged and let it all out with a long huff. “As I’ll ever be.” She cracked her neck from side to side as her music began to play and the audience’s rumbling reached a new level. “Let’s get this started.”

It was funny, when she thought about it. This was not the first time she’d been in a wrestling arena. Her father had dragged her to his matches all the time, even when she stopped wanting to come, almost never having the time to find a good babysitter for her. She’d been in crowd’s larger than this all over the states. This shouldn’t have been anything new to her.

But as she made her way to the ring with her music blaring all around her, she was able to appreciate the difference between being in the crowd and being on the ramp, having all that focus aimed straight at you. It was stultifying, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was how her father felt when he came out for his first match, too. All that pressure, all those expectations, hitting you like a tidal wave.

He’d pushed past it, though. So could she.

Bebe balled her fists, made her way up the stairs, and slid into the ring with a quick hop on the other side. She gave the audience a quick wave, feeling the need to do something to acknowledge them, then shuffled over to her corner and bounced on her toes as she waited for her music to die down. Had to keep that blood pumping, be ready for whatever was coming her way.

Haruna took on her cape as she readies herself in the locker room. Beneath her cape, she was dressed in a rather simplistic two piece black undergarment. Along with fingerless gloves and sleeves going up to her elbow, along with a simple red wrestling boots. She tied her long hair into a ponytail as she then turned her attention to the exit. Today was her debut in LAW, she have made her name known in the past in various promotions outside LAW. But now, things are different. She already proven herself back in the days, but there was this drive for her to test the younger generation to see if they're up to par against her standards.

She walked through the backstage area, focused and determined. There was this noticeable aura of stern command surrounding her. She already know what it felt like walking through the backstage area as a wrestler for the first time, this was no different. She glanced over to the stagehand as she stood ready behind the curtain. Now... If her proteges are around, she'd ask them to stood with her ringside, but it seems like they were busy with their other things. The only thing she asks them now was to watch her match from wherever they are, and learn how to fight a certain fighting style from her. That is after all, what a teacher would do to their students right?

As Haruna's music plays, she waits by the curtain until the intro vocals concluded. Walking out right after and stood at the center stage, the crowd cheered at her as she stood there with narrowed eyes. Her gaze scanning through the crowd. Acknowledging them before her eyes focused towards the ring, and her opponent that came before her. Judging by her looks, it seemed like she's a martial artist who decided to try her hand into pro wrestling. Of course, one of her students had fought one of these kinds before. This would be a good lesson for her to learn how to fight them efficiently.

Waving her cape away, Haruna then started walking through the ramp. Her eyes focused to the ring, she then walk to the side and took the steps to get on the ring apron. Walking through the ring apron, she slid her boots back before slipping herself through the middle to enter the ring. As she enters the ring, she walked to the center of the ring and her gaze focused to her opponent.

"So, you're my first opponent here?" She asked, seemingly unimpressed. "You better impress me then." She concluded with a nod as she walked to her corner. Calmly taking off her cape and tosses it off the ring for the ring crew to catch and bring it backstage. Haruna then cracks her knuckles and does some last minutes stretching as she awaits for the bell to ring, keeping her eyes focused to her opponent.

Haruna

Bebe had exactly three major thoughts as her opponent made her way down to the ring.

One, she was tall. She was at least six inches taller than Bebe herself, and she had a fair bit of muscle along the way, definitely well with the heavyweight class. Bebe didn’t think she was a small woman by any real definition, but it was clear that she wouldn’t be muscling this woman around the ring, and she was already thinking up some strategies with that disparity in mind.

Two, she wasn’t wearing all that much. Bebe knew that was sort of the dominant style in female wrestling today, but there was still something so weird about going into a fight with someone who let so much of their body hang out. Mina had wanted her to try it out, came up with the whole idea for a gaudy, sexy taekwondo inspired outfit, but Bebe had to kill that idea in the crib. Wasn’t her, wouldn’t ever be.

Three, she looked serious, despite the getup. Maybe a little too serious, if what happened next was any indication.

Bebe opened her mouth for a greeting as Haruna came her way, but was instead cut off by the woman’s unimpressed assessment. ”All right, then. Yes, my name is Bebe, it’s nice meeting you, too. Sheesh.” Bebe cleaned out her ear and started hopping on her toes, getting nice and loose.

The bell rang, and she came out of the corner with her toes tapping. She moved around her opponent, staying out of range for now and keeping a tight eye on her. Whatever came her way, whenever it did, she would be ready.

Haruna was focused coming into the match, she's going to show what it takes to beat her opponent today. And as the bell rings, she cracks her neck lightly and walks out of her corner. Nodding lightly as her eyes focused to her opponent. "All right then Bebe, time to give you a lesson." She said shortly as she assumed her stance.

It seemed like Bebe had a good idea on starting off the match carefully. So is Haruna, the two circled around the ring, keeping their distance between them. She showed a slight grin, slightly impressed at how she started the match off. "Keeping your distance... Good." She assessed as she stepped closer slightly.

Haruna started off with another careful approach, trying to gauge how much reach she had over Bebe and goes for feint kicks to see how she'd react. And after a quick assessment. Haruna then stepped into a really close range and swings her arm in for a chop across Bebe's chest!

Feint kicks? Hm.

Bebe’s reaction to the feints was no reaction at all. If there was one thing her time in taekwondo taught her, it was how to read movement from the lower body, so she knew when something real was coming her way and when something wasn’t. Her brain made all the small calculations, factoring in the way her opponent moved, the proper placement of the feet, and several other little details that the average eye would’ve missed, but were as plain to her as day.

Nice try. Not happening.

The actual attack was a little better, as her opponent moved in and swung out, going for Bebe’s chest. Not time to sidestep, too close for that. Could’ve blocked, but she didn’t want to take more damage than she had to at the start of the match. Best to avoid altogether.

Bebe ducked under the blow and stepped forward, coming out behind Haruna. She would only be in the woman’s blind spot for a second, but that was all the time she needed to raise her foot up and shoot it straight behind her, aiming her heel at Haruna’s back with a stiff mule kick.

Haruna studied through the reaction (or lack thereof) that Bebe shows through the feint kicks she thrown at her. If she could see through the feints that she was unfazed by it. Then it means that her opponent studied in a martial arts that dominantly used one's lower body. As such, when Haruna goes for the chop... Bebe ducked down and goes towards Haruna's blind spot. Though Haruna makes a wild guess that her opponent would strike immediately and she followed up her whiffed chop with a roll forward to get away from whatever offense Bebe had in mind!

Quickly making her distance from Bebe as she knelt up and held the rope, turning back to see what the offense was. "Taekwondo huh?" She commented while getting back to her feet. Nodding amusingly as she walked through the canvas and circled around Bebe. Raising her guard once again, she then gestured for Bebe to come at her with her fingers. "Come at me with all you got then."

Missed?

For a second, an instant, Bebe thought that she had been off with her kick, that she’d missed her mark somehow, despite this being a strike that she’d practiced enough to do in her sleep. It was only when she looked back and saw the distance between her and Haruna that she realized: The woman had dodged. Good reflexes, on this one.

”Guilty.” She kept her leg up for a moment, chambered, before setting it back down and easing her into her stance. ”What gave me away?”

It was a rhetorical question, and one she didn’t wait around for. She came in with a long step and shot her leg low, thrusting it at her opponent’s knee. Instead of bringing it to the floor, however, she brought it back in and fired the same kick again, only higher, aiming a stiff side kick at Haruna’s chest. The blows came in rapid succession, two flashes, as she put her opponent’s reflexes to the test.

Haruna stood there ready as Bebe asked the question on what gave her discipline away. She would be answering the question had Bebe didn't step forward and tries to shoot a stiff kick to her knee. Haruna quickly retracted her leg and took a step back. But when she took the step back. Bebe showed her agility and retracted her foot.

She was brought by a slight surprise, realizing that her front was exposed with her step back. She quickly hunched down and crossed her arms in front of her chest! Just in time for Bebe's leg to come to impact with it!!

With the force of her kick, Haruna promptly took some steps back as her arms stung from how hard that kick was. Regardless of her reflexes, that kick is quite a stiff one. "The way you don't show any reactions to any of the feint kicks were a dead giveaway." Haruna let out with a slight smile. Waving her arms lightly to lighten up the stinging buzz on her forearms from blocking the kick. "But that aside, go on, show me more of those kicks." She challenged again. Her expression lightened up as the skill Bebe shown so far impressed her slightly.

So, Haruna was smart. Clearly.

Bebe wasn’t thinking that solely due to her age, either. She’d fought with older foes before, and the experience that came with that could sometimes be more of a hindrance than a help. Experience brought confidence with it, confidence led to cockiness, and that all led to you falling for things you really shouldn’t have, just because you didn’t think your opponent was good enough or skilled enough to pull them off.

That didn't seem to be the case, here. Haruna was the better pure wrestler, most likely, but that didn’t mean she would be cutting her any slack. Bebe had to keep the pressure going. ”If you insist.”

Bebe moved in again, slipping into her stance and bringing her leg up, chambering for a kick…only to throw her self forward and whip her arm out instead, trying to take her foe off guard with a rapid backfist to the face.