Leather or Lace? - Avery Merritt vs. Beast

[BlackAkuma]

Beast didn’t even know what planet he was on.

Being knocked out was a strange thing. It utterly disrupted the flow of time, made the brain unable to track it and severed your sense of self. A few seconds asleep could feel like minutes, as the brain rushed with dozens of incoherent thoughts. The mind could go to strange places, seeing things that weren’t there, hallucinations, delirium…

Beast was no stranger to it, and one would think that would give him some resistance to the effects. But no - some things couldn't be prepared for, only endured, especially when they came at such a rapid pace.

He bounced between reality and unreality, dreaming and waking, coming to for only a couple of hazy seconds before being pulled under again. It was like being waterboarded and the experience left him desperate and dazed, unable to even tell where he was. The crowd faded, the world faded, and he wasn’t in the ring anymore - he was home, in the bed, with Beauty lording standing over him, demanding his subservience. The tone and the warmth were familiar. He knew this, and he knew how to respond.

The words came out, and he didn’t even will his lips to move, like it was a pure reflex. He regretted them the moment they escaped, but he knew that wouldn’t save him.

He could hear her speaking through his despair, but he didn’t even register the words. All he knew was that he was being moved around, placed on his back. A shadow cast over him, and he looked through the haze to see Avery’s hips descending at a worrying rate, but there wasn’t anything he could do to stop them. Not anymore.

He stole a half-breath before her flesh settled over his face like a mask, plunging him into the abyss. Thick, wide hips spread over his features and formed a perfect seal, so complete that he couldn't steal a single breath. His mouth fought for every scrap of air it could find, but only sucked in hardened flesh, and he found himself fading once again…

[RockRye]

Avery settled in snugly, her weight pressing down on Beast’s face with deliberate finality. She sighed, her lips curling into a smirk as she felt the faint, frantic attempts beneath her to pull in air, desperate, shallow, warm breaths warming her skin rather than cool air tickling her cheeks and refreshing him. She wriggled imperiously, adjusting her position to ensure no escape, her knees curling back beneath her to anchor herself securely. The crowd roared their approval, and Avery soaked it in, closing her eyes for a moment to savor the atmosphere.

For years, this had been her calling card, a symbol of her unapologetic dominance. Yet now, it was sweeter, knowing that Beauty, with all her arrogance and haughty demeanor, was forced to watch her plaything crumble beneath Avery. Her smirk deepened as she traced her hands slowly down her thighs, posing for the cameras and basking in the moment. She stretched her arms overhead in an exaggerated stretch, flicking her tongue playfully at the cameras, a queen commanding the adoration of her subjects.

Back to the subject of her ire. Avery’s expression flickered, smug curiosity overtaking her triumph for a moment. She turned her head toward where Beauty had been standing. She had all but disappeared.

"Run off already?" Avery taunted aloud, her voice dripping with mockery as she scanned for her rival. Her smirk faltered when she realized Beauty was gone. The trembling beneath her intensified. Avery's head snapped toward the source, her sharp gaze narrowing as realization began to dawn.

[BlackAkuma]

Enough.

Beauty had had enough.

She had sat idly by while Avery belittled and besmirched her, taking every opportunity for to insult without giving much in the way back. She had stood and watched as the woman went out of her way to subjugate her slave, her property, relishing in the effort, all so she could make a name for herself. This so-called Ice Queen had set out to make a name for herself, which she could respect, but the woman had chosen to do it at her expense.

All grave insults, all infractions worthy of punishment, but Beauty could’ve waited for that. She had patience, and revenge was best doled out when one had the time to contemplate. It would come and it would be fierce. Avery would pay for this, in good time.

But then the woman had to go and put an exclamation on this whole ordeal in the most vulgar way possible. Not only forcing a submissive’s plea from Beast, but also sitting on his face, smothering, making him - and Beauty by extension - the laughing stock of the world.

No. This would not stand.

As Avery reveled in her moment, Beauty made her way to the side of the ring, kicking off her shoes as she went. Her attire - a long, tight gown that hugged her hips - wasn’t designed for what she was about to do, but frankly, she was past the point of caring about such things. Whatever this outfit cost, she would pay ten times that amount for the opportunity to ruin Avery’s moment.

Gritting her teeth, she slid into the ring, pushed up to her feet, ran at Avery from the side, and leaped towards her, knee first, attempting to ram it right into the blonde bimbo’s skull at twelve or so miles an hour.

[RockRye]

Avery’s instincts had been honed by years of navigating treacherous waters, both in and out of the ring. The telltale signs of something amiss had prickled at her senses long before the crowd’s cries confirmed her unease. After all, if the roles had reversed, if she had watched someone unravel the dominance she had held over another, she would have resorted to drastic action, too. Her sharp mind connected the dots as she felt the reverberations through the canvas grow more intense. The rumbling, the sudden escalation of noise, and the missing Beauty in her peripheral vision painted an ominous picture for her.

With a fluid motion, Avery pulled her feet back beneath her and began to rise from her perch atop Beast, dismissing him as a spent force who could no longer interfere, anyway. She was already calculating her next move, her sharp eyes darting toward the source of the disturbance. If Beauty dared enter this ring with her, she would—

As she turned, a sharp, blinding pain lanced through her temple, her world collapsing into an instant of darkness. The blow came with such force and precision that she couldn’t even cry out. Her body slackened completely, collapsing back onto Beast’s prone form. Her head rested against his chest, her features serene in an unsettling imitation of sleep.

The crowd erupted into a cacophony of shock and outrage. The referee gestured wildly, signaling an end to the match with the definitive clang of the bell and a shouted declaration of disqualification.

Avery missed all of it. For those few seconds, she was somewhere else entirely, adrift in unconsciousness. But as her body stirred, she let out a soft, low moan, her hand weakly rising toward her temple. Her eyelids fluttered, and she groaned as her sharp blue eyes opened, clouded but flickering with life once more, too drowsy to summon all her usual composure, and worst of all, completely vulnerable.

[BlackAkuma]

Beast was going out again, slowly but surely, though at least he was doing so in a more pleasant manner than before. He could feel his world fading one again in the darkness, as the telltale signs all began to slip in - losing his sense of self, disconnecting with the world, his panic giving way to a comforting warmth. It felt good to drift off like this, like being put to sleep with anesthesia. Just close your eyes, let go, and…

He came back to life all at once as the weight was unexpectedly lifted off his face, leaving him to gasp and heave on the canvas. The crowd’s jeering cut into his mind like a harsh knife and the world spun above him, as he desperately tried to make sense of what was happening. Had Avery just gotten off of him for some reason? Was she planned something else? The bell was ringing, had time run out, or-

His vision focused as Beauty stepped into his vision, her cruel face staring down at him like a dark goddess. Her face was cast iron as she gazed his way with a mix of contempt and loathing, and not the playful kind she would’ve reserved for their private hours. No, this was real, genuine, and seething. He could tell the difference.

”Stand. Now.”

He nodded and sat up, mustering his senses despite the delirium. He rolled to his knee and began to push his way up, keeping his eyes to the ground all the way. ”Mistress, forgive me, I-”

She cut him off with a stinging slap to the face, one that targeted the exact same spot Avery had struck a few moments ago. He doubted that was an accident. Beast winced, but otherwise kept still and supplicant. ”Later.” She pointed towards Avery. ”Get her up.”

Beast moved without hesitation as the referee walked around them, impotently waving her arms and urging them to stop. He grabbed her by her shimmering blonde hair and pulled her upwards, forcing her to stand, while he maneuvered around behind her and snacked his arms up her shoulders. His fingers locked behind her neck gripped tight, trapping her in a Full Nelson.

[RockRye]

Avery’s hand instinctively transitioned from cradling to massaging her aching head, fingers rubbing gently at the tender spot as the fog began to lift. For a moment, a singular question dominated her returning senses: What hit me? But the deafening roar of the crowd shattered that thought, bringing her back to the sharp reality that Beauty had blindsided her. Her temples throbbed, and her skull felt like it was wrapped in a vice, but the pain only fueled the inferno of rage building within her.

Her eyes fluttered open to the blinding glare of the arena lights, her vision swimming as she blinked rapidly, trying to locate the source of her anguish. She was scanning for Beauty, the referee, or anyone foolish enough to stoke her fury when a jarring yank at her hair forced her thoughts elsewhere.

“Aaaahhh!” Avery shrieked, the sound laced with both indignation and desperation. “You animal!” The sharp pull at her scalp sent a stinging pain radiating down her neck, and she instinctively scrambled to her feet to ease the agony, thick legs trembling slightly beneath her as she stood. Her breath hitched in a whine as she was yanked upright, arms flailing briefly before they were caught, her arms wrenched painfully into a tight full nelson.

“No! Stop it!” she cried, her voice rising in pitch as the hold bent her shoulders and neck, forcing her head downward. The position was unbearable, and worse, humiliating. Her dangling arms swayed uselessly as she writhed, trying to alleviate the sharp ache spreading across her upper body. The vulnerability, the indignity of it, had her face flushing hot with embarrassment.

“You cowards! Get your hands off of me!” she demanded, her words strained as the full nelson forced her into an unnatural arch. Avery thrashed, her toned figure glistening under the lights as she struggled in vain, each movement sending jolts of pain through her entire torso.

[BlackAkuma]

LAW’s security wasn’t anything to write home about, but even they would eventually respond to something this blatant, and Beauty suspected she would not have to wait long. One, perhaps two minutes, and they would have a throng of black shirts to deal with, separating them, protecting Avery, and keeping the ring safe.

More than enough time. Beauty had made grown men scream for their mothers in less time.

And speaking of screams, she took great joy in hearing Avery’s, as Beast dragged her up by those glittering golden strands. Quite a treat, in that obnoxious American accent. It was a start towards making up for the indignities she’d suffered today - a small, but meaningful one.

Beauty stood, arms folded, as Beast hoisted her up and kept her trapped in his grip, locking in a tight full nelson. While the crowd was booing and jeering at her intrusion, she noted no small amount of them were enjoying the sight of the busty blonde’s bouncing breasts, jiggling about as she struggled in distress. So much for their heroine.

”Silence." She drove the back of her hand across Avery’s face with a rough slap, then followed with an even harsher blow to the other cheek. She moved in quick, seized the woman’s jaw, and held it tight as she brought their faces close together.

”This could have been simple, Ice Queen. A match, win or lose, nothing much to it, but you had to go and make it personal. When you kick the hornet’s nest, you’ve only yourself to blame for the stings.”

Beauty stepped back, snapped her fingers, and Beast followed through with her silent order - he pulled Avery up, arched his back, and proceeded to bring her crashing down on the back of her head with a full nelson suplex.

[RockRye]

Avery’s arms bulged with effort, every muscle in her toned frame straining as she tried to pry herself free from Beast’s ironclad grip. Her biceps flexed, her back rippled with exertion, and her face was twisted in both fury and determination. Yet no matter how much power she poured into her struggle, it was fruitless. Beast’s grip was unyielding, his strength so overwhelming that her thrashing only served to emphasize her helplessness. Her arms dangled pathetically, unable to match his raw power, while her chin was forced down into her ample chest, the very curves she prided herself on now jostling with every movement for the cameras to drink in shamelessly.

Through her growing frustration, a fleeting thought crossed her mind: Kick him. A well-placed blow to his crotch, and this would be over. But before she could act, Beauty’s sharp voice cut through the din, snapping her attention forward. Avery turned her seething gaze on the smaller woman, her tongue ready to lash out with a volley of insults.

“You—” she began, but her words were choked into a startled gasp as Beauty slapped her across the face with a resounding crack.

“Hhhhk—!” The words got caught in her throat with the first slap. Avery’s head snapped to the side, then the other, her golden hair whipping with the force of the blows. A low, furious growl escaped her throat, her blood boiling as she turned her head back to glare at Beauty, eyes blazing. She opened her mouth to retaliate, but Beauty silenced her again, roughly taking her by the jaw.

Avery let out a muffled noise of outrage as Beauty’s grip forced her sputtering mouth open, leaving her looking utterly ridiculous. Her face was a deep crimson, her embarrassment and rage spreading down her neck and into her upper body. Beauty’s condescending words washed over her, but Avery ignored all but two of them. She addressed the most important of those two when Beauty released her jaw.

“Queen,” she spat out defiantly, her voice thick with venom despite her restrained state. “At least you know I am a queen.”

The relief was short-lived. Before Avery could react, she felt her body being hoisted into the air.

“Augh—!” she screamed, her voice rising in panic as the world around her spun violently. The crowd gasped as her curvy, powerful body arced over Beast’s head, her legs flailing and arms briefly reaching out in vain for something, anything, to grab onto. The bright lights of the arena blurred into streaks, and the roaring audience seemed to tilt and twist in her vision.

Then, with a sickening jolt, Avery’s head and shoulders slammed into the mat. A sharp, searing pain shot through her before everything went black again, her body collapsing into an unresponsive heap beneath the stunned gaze of the crowd.

[BlackAkuma]

Beast gritted his teeth as Avery struggled in his hold, having no easy time maintaining it. Avery was by no means a small woman, and he could tell an unusual amount of that weight was below her waist. That made hold her awkward. She didn’t have the upper body strength to just power out of the hold, but her leg power made it a challenge to keep her in one place. It certainly didn’t help that he attempting this on the heels of being knocked out…four times? Five times? God, he could not remember.

But, difficult as it may be, he would do it. He failed Beauty once, and he daredn’t do it again.

He stood still - as still as he could - as Beauty got her licks in, battering Avery’s face back and forth. While he couldn't see the look on her face from where he stood, he could feel her body tremble, bubbling with rage, a furnace about to pop. The complete opposite of the satisfaction writ large on Beauty’s features, as she scratched an itch that had doubtless been bothering her since she first laid eyes on the blonde.

She snapped her fingers, and while Beast couldn't read minds, he took the meaning easily enough. A deep breath, a grunt of exertion, and he brought her Avery up and over, a flight that ended with a brutal crash on the back of her neck.

The audience cried out at the impact and rightfully so. While he was far from his best, he still had enough energy to execute that move perfectly, and Avery felt the effects. From the looks of things, she was out cold, left as an unresponsive wreck on the floor.

That wouldn’t stop Beauty from lording the moment over her. She walked over, raised her foot, and brought her heel down on the woman’s head, grinding it into the canvas as she looked down on her with a smug smile. ”What is a queen to a goddess?”

She likely would’ve done far more than that, if given half the chance - luckily for Avery, security was rushing down the ramp, waddling their way over to the ring as fast as they could go. Beauty sighed at the sight of them, but let it go with a shrug. Fighting off a horde of guards wasn’t on their itinerary.

”Come on, Beast.” Beauty strolled towards the ropes and waited for Beast to pull them down before she slipped through. [color=a900bd]”I’ll think up your punishments in the morning. For now, I want to go home, take a shower, and hop in bed.”[/color] She cast a quick, cutting glance his way. ”Alone.”

He dutifully nodded and followed close behind, his head hung low every step of the way.

[BlackAkuma]

Beauty prided herself on reading people; Avery might as well have been an open book to her now. This was her only time meeting the woman directly, but she got the impression that the blonde was not one to keep her feelings bottled up, not accustomed to a tight lip - no, if she had something to say, it would be said, loud and without a filter. She could only imagine the things that Avery wished to do to her, and she would not have to imagine for much longer, she suspected.

Good. Perfect. She wanted this woman heated, angry, enraged…stupid. The hotter, the better.

For the moment, she kept her cool, though Beauty didn’t fail to notice her clenched fists, taut and ready to strike. Soon. Soon. First, the woman had to get something off her bouncing chest, as she made a foolish attempt to try and shame her, one that brought a wry smile to her face.

Indeed, Beauty had heard this prattle before, and it always bored her. In this game, she used all the tools at her disposal in whatever manner she could. Adhering to some ignorant sense of honor was a weakness, one she had exploited countless times, and she would happily do so again, today, if the opportunity presented itself.

But that would come later, if it came at all. Now was the time for the opening shot. Avery could’ve lead with so many things - a punch, a kick from those thighs of hers, a grab at her hair, a choke. Instead, she showed how much their last encounter had rattled her with a slap, a receipt for the one Beauty had given her days ago. The blow struck Beauty’s cheek flush and sent her staggering to the side, a stinging blow that left her number and made her stumble.

But if she thought it was enough to make Beauty wither, then that would be one more thing she was sorely mistaken on ”Such fire.” She threw her hair back and spat off to the side. ”Good.”

Tempting as it was to retaliate with a slap of her own, Beauty resisted the urge and decided to go for something a little more substantial. Speed and agility would be her allies, here, and her best bet was to rely on them right away - she spun about, leaped up, and swung her foot towards Avery’s face, attempting to hit the woman with a gamenri across her pristine face.