The Earth's Challenge - Fei-hsien vs Gaia

[TheLoneWanderer]

Match Type: MMA Match with "I Quit" Stipulations.
Victory Conditions: Verbal Submission ONLY or KO which will earn the winning party a point. "Lewd" or Inappropriate Tactics are allowed. If the losing opponent earns a point following the "Chance Round" (Second Round), then the two fighters will tie and go into a "Sudden Death" Round.
Arena: A standard Octagon instead of a wrestling ring.

Fei's first debut!

Spoiler

Grinning from ear to ear, Fei checked the straps of his gloves to make sure they were tight on his hands. It'd be quite foolish of him to have them fall off on his first day. After doing so, he eyed his opponent as the lock to the door of the fenced cage clicked into place. Two hazel orbs followed the earth's champion from head to toe, as her name alleged. Smaller. More compact than himself. A weaker body, but potentially faster. A small, high pitched vibration of approval came from his throat as he looked back up at Gaia's face. She did have nice conditioned legs more suited to blasting ribcages and wooden posts with undying ferocity, he noted to himself after letting his eyes linger too long where they maybe should not have. Tempted by the allure of an idea, he tried to snuff out the stationary, stale introduction by walking over to Gaia. The heels of his feet came down onto the floor with a steady rhythm and before he knew it he was right in front of her. Accompanied by the two's
theme songs, that played in tandem from speakers on either side of the arena, Fei stood still for a moment had Gaia let him approach in the first place.

The crowd, on the other hand, were busy cheering on the two up-and-coming wrestlers. The preparations for the MMA-type match were almost complete. For Fei himself, there was only one last formality unaccounted for. Fei's right arm slowly rose, leaning towards the Gi-clad woman's head. If she expected a cheap strike this early, she would be surely disappointed. Instead, his gloved fist pushed on her temple lightly to call her attention and force it onto Fei if need be. While she may be reserved about her own power, Fei from the start of this outing did not bother to hide his capabilities on the surface. A straightened posture, forward-facing chest, and a smaller smile communicated his strength in contrast to the disciplined, humble mannerisms of Wren. Yet, he had not asserted himself directly onto her bodily space. He only moved as fast as her eyes could follow without concentrating. A gesture to indicate what was coming: the gentle placement of his fist onto her head.

His voice, smooth and playful, smashed through the noise of the spectators to address Gaia directly. At the same time, she'd probably see and feel his fist unfurl into the peaceful palm. When that was accomplished, he took the time to rub at the cascading, verdant curls of hair flaring down the side of the Judoka's head.

"Gaiaaaaaaa," he trailed. "-are you sure you are fit enough for this ride. Height requirements exist for a reason, as I am sure you are aware."

The low-hanging fruit of an insult about her stature, complete with the teasing of her name as if they were old friends instead of mutual enemies. A bawdy innuendo too if the woman dug enough into the statement to decipher its meaning. The audacity of this man so far meant a healthy amount of confidence, that bordered on arrogance. The difference between the two, was that Fei could back up his taunts using cold, hard performance in this already tense standoff between the two.

[Tiamat]

Spoiler

Gaia wasn't sure what to make of this whole event. It was put together rather quickly, which was the more impressing part. The green haired girl could only wonder what kind of magic was used to put this whole thing together. The ring was clean, the ref looked professional, Gaia didn't even need to find her own second. All she had to do was worry about her opponent and the fight.

Speaking of her opponent.

Gaia’s eyes narrowed as Fei’s hand hovered over her temple, that cocky grin on his face already grating on her nerves. His arrogance radiated from every inch of him—his posture, his words, the way he had the nerve to touch her hair as if they were equals in this cage. As his hand ruffled through her curls, she allowed him his moment. Let him bask in his little victory. It’d make wiping that smug smile off his face even sweeter. Simply looking up without moving her head. Giving Fei the most disinterested look she could

With a calm breath, she let the crowd's cheers fade into background noise, her focus honed entirely on Fei. He was bigger, sure—most opponents were, wasn't hard to be bigger than Gaia. Stronger? Maybe he could lift more. But better? Not a chance.

A slow smile tugged at the corner of her lips, but there was nothing playful about it. This was the grin of a predator who knew exactly how the fight would end. Fei’s comment about her size only served to fuel her fire, his cheap taunt a flimsy attempt to rattle her. It wouldn’t work, Gaia was not someone that got rattled.

She stepped closer, her body brushing against his, closing the already small space between them. Her voice was low, simmering with controlled anger and confidence. Height requirements, huh? she murmured, her tone mocking his childish insult. Funny thing about that—you’re talking a lot for a guy who’s about to get knocked down by someone shorter.

Gaia’s hand shot up, fast and sharp, slapping his arm away from her head with a casual flick. She didn’t move far, didn’t back down or flinch.

Ah your type is a dime a dozen, she continued, her voice calm but cutting. You think because you’ve got size on me, it’ll be easy? But here’s the thing, Fei—I've taken down men twice your size, honestly probably better than you and I didn’t need to play with their hair to do it. Her smile widened, this time with an edge of mischief. But since you’re so concerned about *rides*, I’ll make sure this one’s quick. Don’t want you to regret getting in the cage with someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

Gaia stepped back slightly, giving him just enough space to feel like he still had control, her eyes never leaving his. She raised her fists, her body coiled and ready, but her smirk remained in place. She could see it now—the moment his confidence would crumble, the second he realized that he’d underestimated her. And that moment? It would be glorious.

Let’s see if you can keep up, big guy, she teased, her tone still light but dripping with challenge. But don’t blink. I wouldn’t want you to miss the victory lap

Spoiler

[TheLoneWanderer]

Gaia Wren played along to his direction, according to her short lecture. However, the tonal shift did not go unnoticed by Fei. His mouth dropped into a intrigued line, with an eyebrow raised to accentuate the change in expression. The sting of her fingers on his wrist prompted his hand to snap away immediately, which led him to lower the offending limb off to hang on his hip while he heard her out.

"You assume a lot about someone's character.", he warned. And she thought HE was the one that talked a lot. The view must have been nice from that glass house of hers. He did that because the rules allowed him to and partly because her curls looked nice. Gaia did not scare easily despite his proactive approach. She must be discipled in the ways of martial arts at the very least. It was a far cry from the untrained individual based on the way Miss Wren carried herself. What kind of style then? He would find out soon.

"You did not play with their hair because you have the charm of coarse sandpaper. I won't be the lightweight tired and tuckered out on this canvas.----", he finally teased. A little basic for an insult considering his tastes, but the alternative was a jab about Gaia's parents that would have been beneath him to say. Mentally, he let himself have a clean breath of relaxation before entering an upright stance to guard his head and chest above all else. He lead with his left foot, and let his right foot stand on its ball behind his back. The advantage of such a stance was that he could pitch on the back foot forward and backward, aiding in either pressing the attack or evading them. Fei had decided on the aggressive approach by this time and would be hard-pressed to change his choice. The crisp air of the condensed arena swept over his eyes, forcing him to blink once just as the bell rang out once the two had exchanged pleasantries.

DING, DING.

Fei, in the mere seconds following the sound, made his move since Gaia already took a fighter's stance. His right leg's heel torqued off to the left, while his left foot swung into the air. As it curled, the slightly-bent knee snapped outward to complete of the motions of the middle kick. Fei's shin soared upward, in a continuous arc, to smash into Gaia's side and damage a particular organ. An attempt to get her liver early in the stand up fight! If she were to be fast enough to check this kick or otherwise block it, he'd only go for a final successive attack. This consisted of a blazing fast jab from his right arm, delayed by reeling his left foot back down to rechamber the leg, in order to strike Gaia's cheek while leaning his body forward to put some weight into the second blow's attempt!

[Tiamat]

As the bell rang and Fei’s leg snapped toward her with deadly precision, Gaia’s body reacted instantly, her years of disciplined training taking over. She saw the intent in his movement— the sharp arc of his shin aimed at her liver, a blow designed to end things early. But Gaia was used to opponents who started out with the aggressive approach.

With a sharp breath, she planted her feet firmly on the mat, pivoting on her back leg just in time to bring her right arm down to check the kick. Her forearm met his shin with a satisfying *thud*, absorbing the brunt of the impact, but her eyes were already locked on his next move.

Fei, quick and calculating, wasted no time. His leg recoiled as his right arm fired off a blazing fast jab aimed directly at her cheek. Gaia smiled inwardly—he was fast, but she was faster.

Instead of backing away from his jab, Gaia leaned into it, stepping forward and lowering her head just beneath his outstretched arm. His punch sailed harmlessly past her as she closed the gap between them, her compact frame now being used as an advantage was inside his reach. She felt the shift in his body, the weight he had put into the punch leaving him slightly off-balance, and she seized the moment.

With lightning speed, Gaia launched a sharp elbow strike up into Fei’s ribs, targeting the same spot his kick had aimed for—his liver. Her elbow was like a hammer, crashing into his side with precise force. But she didn’t stop there. Using the momentum of her step forward, she pivoted her hips and followed up with a vicious knee to his midsection, aiming to work his body early.

Fei was at least looked like he trained a bit. But the man was biting off more than he can chew. And Gaia was going to be the one that showed him that fact. As her knee connected, she leaned in close, her voice a low, playful whisper in his ear. With a slight indication that she went easy on the exchange.

Guess I’m more than just sandpaper, huh?

With that, Gaia stepped back, her eyes still locked on Fei, waiting for his next move. Allowing him to take in the brief exchange they just had. She had more counters ready, and she was just getting started.

[TheLoneWanderer]

Fei waited for the clear impact of a blow. The smashing of knuckles against skin. But he only realized it when the strike's payoff took too long to happen. He missed!
Fei's side exploded in a sensation of nails washing over a vulnerable organ. Unfortunately, Gaia was not looking to stop at a counter. The sharp edge of her knee blew past the air and cut deeply into his stomach. It caved his below inward, coercing Gaia's opponent into bending his knees closer while they remained trapped in a zero-range clinch.

"Nnngh???--", Fei growled as the air pushed out from his throat. Her taunt only served to rub more salt in the wound. More fuel to HIS tank. She wanted to pull away after that? There would not be a chance if he had anything to say about it. To take advantage of being closer to the ground, Fei's left arm looped around the meaty flesh of Gaia's knee to keep her leg trapped awkwardly in front of his chest. The shorter distance helped to pull off the small transition, hopefully faster than she could catch onto. At the same time, Qiqiang's outstretched right arm latched underneath Gaia's left armpit for an unflinching yank upward.

Finally, his legs beared the most of burden as he lifted her up entirely to deny the Mixed Martial Artist's entire retreat. As the seconds passed within the move's process, Gaia may find her right leg dangling on Fei's bicep.or shoulder while her left leg hung without much use around his back if she chose to clutch to him tightly for the incoming drop. He raised her up, as high as the length of his arms would stretch without torn ligaments. As built as she was, this was a warm up compared to his maximum.


Gaia might have caught on to his speed, his ferocity, his training. The power of belief.


And those with conviction are a cut above the rest.

He let her fall in the form of an unorthodox POWERBOMB. The canvas flexed only a little under the pressure, while the only mercy Fei gave was slamming her onto her back instead of her neck. The platinum-haired man, on the other hand, was busy recovering from a significantly less horrible shock.

"What were....you saying?"

He murmured the question into her midsection, starting to raise his head and arm from having been buried between her thighs then layed out over her chest. If she was not critically hurt from this potential finisher, then his delayed hands would try to latch on either side of her Gi's collars. He dragged himself to rest on the top position in a low, bent posture instead of keeping himself away as a more careful plan might have done. Eager to maintain his momentum, he balled his right hand into a fist in order to go to work on her nearest side using a steadily, slow stream of pounding blows.

[Tiamat]

Gaia felt her blows land cleanly. The air leaving Fei’s body so all signs that damage was done. Sure Gaia wasn’t going 100% from that counter, but still Fei would have to take a moment to breathe right? That sort of conventional thinking was wrong here. Gaia was shocked with Fei stopping her attempt to make space. As Fei’s arms locked around her knee and armpit, yanking her upward before she had a chance to fully react. Her eyes widened in shock as her feet left the ground, **What?!?**” the realization of what was coming hitting her as hard as the move itself. **A powerbomb?** She had been in enough fights to recognize it, but that didn't stop the gut-punch of disbelief from flashing across her face. With her and Fei’s positioning it was nearly impossible to counter, not to mention that Gaia wasn’t even expecting it.

She gritted her teeth, her mind racing to process the incoming impact. As Fei hoisted her up, her right leg dangled awkwardly over his bicep while her left leg found no purchase. **He's going to drop me!** Gaia's instincts screamed at her to brace, but there was no stopping the momentum. As her body began to descend, gravity pulling her down toward the mat. There was no time to fully guard herself, but she tightened her core, tucking her chin to her chest. She felt the canvas beneath her as she slammed down, her back hitting the mat with a sickening thud.

The impact was brutal to say the least. Those close to the octagon winced at the impact. Just because you brace for something doesn’t make it magically not hurt. The pain radiated up her spine as she grimaced. Letting out a grunt after the fact. She wouldn’t let out anymore just to spite Fei, despite the damage being done. That powerbomb did plenty of things for both opponents. Aside from the pain for Gaia, it was a jump start to her battery.

**No time to be shocked. Move.**

Her mind snapped back to focus as Fei started to rise, already going for a dominant position. Gaia’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t about to let him stay in control. As he reached to latch onto her Gi and pin her down, Gaia twisted her hips sharply, swinging her legs up to wrap around his neck and arm. The sudden shift caught him just as he prepared to rain down blows, her thighs locking tight around him in a triangle choke.

That all you got? Gaia taunted, grinning as she locked in the hold. I’ve taken harder hits in warm-ups. Gaia growled through the burn in her muscles, her voice dripping confidence. Tightening the hold and making sure it was locked in place. Gaia was not someone that was going to be shaken up by a powerbomb.

She wrenched her body sideways, using the leverage to shove Fei off balance. His punches, already slowed by her grip, became wild and ineffective as she used the chokehold to create the space she needed. If these were the level of punches coming her way while in the hold. Then she could easily keep the hold going. Fei didn’t seem to be the powerhouse type. But even if he went for another powerbomb as some muscle heads tend to do in this position. Gaia was more than ready to work around that. Fei was gonna have to think fast, since his air supply isn’t going to last forever.

[TheLoneWanderer]

Trapped. She had abilities on the ground too! The clinch of her legs around his neck and right arm settled into a pressure which bordered on pounding. The blood washing around his head was all he felt when the realization settled in, along with the steaming heat of the close contact and built-up sweat. His right arm punched upward but the strikes were not as effective as he needed them to be, especially as she twisted around to get a better angle as opposed to staying across from him. Defeated, the left arm pawed at her nearest thigh before they settled on gripping it for a desperate purchase. A muffled whine rumbled out his mouth to challenge her taunts while tickling over the skin of Gaia's inner thighs. Literally, he choked on any words he made in response. The fangs of the triangle only bit harder.

The blonde's body sagged within the submission, leaving his rear raised up high while the rest of his body weight distributed itself among Fei's knees and feet. A broken posture in terms of grappling. The destructive power of her legs enveloped him fully, entrapping him in an anaconda's embrace with dozens of times more of an effect. The allure of the hold lay smothered in the back of his mind. Just lay in the blasted heat and forget. His half-lidded eyes raised up to stare at the submitter, her warm smile almost stretching into a Cheshire's grin from the double vision. Not ready to throw in the towel yet, Fei physically moved towards an escape plan. His free fingers slid along her legs and found his trapped arm. Then, he pushed his trapped arm along the smooth expanse of Gaia's stomach. After pointing the edge of his elbow at her stomach, Fei attempted to crawl his feet to a side where she would be looking at him straight on instead of from an angle. If she had the foresight to pull his head down with her hands, then Fei would be forced to continuously gas his arms out to fight both gravity and keep his head from being snatched deeper into the Triangle Choke again.

Fei's arms then gave a single, concentrated effort to push on her belly to raise his neck in the diagonal direction. The objective of this action was to weaken the connection between Gaia's ankle and knee by sliding the former back up to help break the Triangle entirely. This, if successful, would use his strength reserves to soundly raise his back and return the two back to closed guard. To get on top again, Fei took his turn to shift his knees up onto her pelvis and slide his legs past hers so that he could avoid being locked by her legs again. While doing so, he coughed three times and took some seconds to recover from the unforgiving choke. But there was no time for anymore rest now, especially when Gaia was still fresh and durable. Now mounted on her waist, Fei's body leaned down to allow a setup for his own submission as a counter. Fei's arms pinned one of hers down in order to slide his right elbow by her neck and grip her right wrist. His left forearm slid under her bicep, as he wanted to unite that hand with his other wrist. He cranked Gaia's elbow upward, tenderizing the muscle and bones in her shoulder for a quick Americana or shoulder lock. Fei's body stayed turned in and toward his left, where his back would be pressing into her head, in a deeper manner than usual to aid in allowing him to focus on the lock itself. Now it was Gaia's turn to think about how to deal with this body-altering situation and find an opening...

Spoiler

[Tiamat]

Gaia's eyes narrowed as she felt Fei's strength pressing against her triangle hold. Looks like he wasn't dumb after all. At least not dumb enough to try again for a powerbomb. He was determined, stubborn even, but Gaia could sense his desperation as he pawed at her legs. His struggling breaths fanned across her skin, and though his muscles bulged with the effort to break free, she held on, tightening her grip.

But Fei wasn’t just brute force—he had skill, too. Gaia felt the shift as he slowly worked his arm free, driving his elbow into her stomach. It wasn’t a clean escape, but it was enough to loosen her hold. It was enough to keep himself in the match. As he twisted his body to break out of the triangle, Gaia gritted her teeth. **Fine. You want to play it that way?**

The second Fei managed to break free and mount her, he took a moment to cough and recover. Fei would've been better off if he tried the powerbomb instead of giving Gaia this easy layup. Gaia keeping her brimming confidence as she quickly took this opening.

With a sudden, explosive twist of her hips, Gaia bucked upward, using her powerful core to disrupt his balance. Fei's weight shifted just slightly, but it was enough. She felt the gap, the smallest opening, and she capitalized on it. Twisting her body in the opposite direction, allowing her to gain the advantage despite being mounted.

With a grunt of exertion, she bridged hard again, this time forcing Fei to lean too far forward to maintain his mount. Her legs shot up, wrapping around his waist. Gaia rolled, using her legs and hips to reverse the position, flipping Fei onto his back in one fluid motion. She now had the dominant position, her chest heaving as she stared down at him, a cocky grin spreading across her face.

You really thought you had me there, huh? she teased, her voice laced with playful confidence. "Should've not tried going to the ground with me"

With Fei momentarily stunned from the reversal, Gaia quickly slid her arm under his neck, locking in a tight rear-naked choke. She tightened her grip, her muscles coiled like steel as she applied pressure, making sure there was no room for him to escape this time.

Let’s see you wiggle out of this,she whispered in his ear, her breath hot against his skin, tightening the choke as she secured her legs around his waist, leaving him trapped beneath her with nowhere to go.

[TheLoneWanderer]

Gaia's legs were not a joke, as evidenced by her Triangle Choke. They were like thick, smooth, steel coils at full tilt. The important thing was that he had gotten out in the first place, and right into another compromising situation. The sudden bump of her hips disrupted his momentum, sending his hands sprawling to catch the floor while the spikes of many needles' sensations spread across his hands from the harsh motion. Through the space, Gaia scoots back to allow her legs more passage and re-wrap his waist to keep him close. So much for the shoulder lock plan, even though he had been halfway through the steps before she interrupted.

Fei raised his eyebrows in interest as she used her hips to rock him like a baby's crib onto his back to reverse their positions.

"I graduated already. I do not need a lecture from you trying to be my master." He snapped, in a quieter shout, at her. Fei pursed his lips as he thought about the current problem, settling his arms on her sides to maintain some semblance of control. The key here was to win back guard and go for a submission, but Gaia was faster on that front. Her right(?) arm shot around his neck for a choke attempt, lightly yanking his head backward into her collars and face. Wren faced an issue where she probably couldn't get that 2nd leg hook in due to Fei pulling his right foot straight back to slow down Gaia rolling him over. Still, the choke remained possible to finish even with Fei tilted onto his side. A stressful position for Fei either way.

"...ffffgh..."

Fei blew out some indiscernible retort to her short comeback. The breath and intimacy only made him fluster more visibly, with the clock ticking in Fei's brain amongst the suffocating embrace of the blood choke. He sat between her thighs, being dejected, and huffing out fatally short breaths. It quickly settled on Fei's mind where he recognized that he’d never escape, not fully, until he unwound her body hooks and freed his thighs from her calves. The noose around his neck demanded his attention elsewhere. Both of his arms went to try and dig into the V-shaped space between her arm and his throat, between the meaty connection of the two as opposed to pulling uselessly like an amateur or spazzy white belt. If he could just get a little bit of a reprieve, then that would be worth it. Breaking her ankles was not an option because Gaia was careful enough to not cross her ankles below the line of his hip. So far, Gaia had not portrayed herself as the type of person to 'play dirty' using Fei's delicate spots.

["Gaia has me pinned down here---how am I getting strangled----I should not be on the bottom! What can I do....? Perhaps I can refer back to the rules??!!"]

His lips curled upward into a grimace of a smirk as opposed to the flashy grin plastered across Gaia's face currently. Struck by inspiration from his frantic thoughts, he found an idea that did not involve him trying to ravish or rip into her like an animal. Using the space created by him digging his fingers between the choking arm, he shifted his weight onto the right, perhaps allowing her to get that second hook in since Gaia was so astute at taking opportunities. He helped this transition along by twisting his head forcefully to the right since he was now so eager to use the legal "inappropriate" tactic of taking the flesh of her neck into his mouth and leaving short kisses on either her neck or jaw depending on how high she was seated on his side. A little revenge for being so superior just as he had been doing to Gaia at various points. This also had the practical purpose of easing up the intensity of RNC because of the change in his head's direction. The verdant knight's legs, which were struggling for purchase to wrap around his waist, had the unintended effect of starting to stimulate his groin as a small note for the situation downstairs. Thankfully, he was not naked enough to expose his 'shame' to the world outside the cage. He did not intend to in any case-----not without buildup. A hint to what she was doing to him, without being on purpose as it appeared, took the form of Fei's breath hitching on her skin every so often provided she had been knocked off the set course of crushing his carotid arteries with her arms.

[Tiamat]

Gaia’s grip on the choke was solid, her legs wrapped tightly around Fei's waist, and for a moment, she was fully in control. Her cocky grin hadn't faltered as she whispered her taunt into his ear, feeling the tension in his body beneath hers. The crowd roared in the background, but her focus was on the pressure building in Fei’s neck, the subtle pulse under her arm as the blood choke slowly took effect.

Then, she felt it—his lips. Fei’s head twisted just enough to place a series of short, teasing kisses along her neck. **What the hell?** For the first time in the fight, Gaia’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. She had expected aggression, brute force, maybe even a desperate struggle—but this? The unexpected softness of his lips against her skin sent a shock of confusion through her.

Her confidence wavered, just for a second, but it was enough.

Gaia's grip loosened, her focus split between maintaining the choke and processing what he had just done. Her face heated up, a flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck and cheeks, and she hated herself for reacting this way. **Why did he do that? Was he trying to distract her?**

Seriously? she muttered, trying to mask her sudden fluster with a forced laugh. But her hold weakened, her legs loosening slightly around his waist as her concentration slipped.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Fei capitalized on the gap. Gaia felt his arms push against her choke, prying just enough space to start slipping free. Mentally cursing herself for making such a mistake.. **Focus, Gaia!**

She quickly tried to re-tighten the choke, but it was too late. Fei had already shifted his body, creating enough distance to escape from her legs. Gaia cursed under her breath, scrambling to adjust, but the momentary loss of control had given him the opening he needed. He was already starting to twist out from under her, and she could feel her hold slipping.