Match Type: Standard Match Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout.
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Things had really begun to look bright for Sheila. It hardly seemed like much time had passed since her last match, and once again she was being called up from her training to take part in a LAW show. By this point, she didn't even feel like a Young Lioness any more. She could almost call herself part of the main roster! Her fellow trainees were growing frustrated by how much she bragged about it, but none of that ever seemed to dampen her enthusiasm. As far as she was concerned, she was on a path to glory, and she'd never look back!
Of course, this time her opponent was a fellow rookie - one that would be making her first appearance in a LAW ring tonight, and Sheila was there to help out. As far as anyone was aware, they'd be facing each other with similar skill levels. Some trainees faced with the prospect of making it big might be disappointed with such provisions, but not Sheila. She was just eager to get her feet under her!
"The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Coming first to the ring, from Cooktown, Queensland, at 5'6 and 130 pounds, SHEILA CHIHARA!!" Spoiler
Just hearing the ring announcer call out her name was enough to send tingles of excitement down Sheila's spine. She burst out from the curtains before her name had even left the announcer's lips, a grin on her face and her hand waving in the air as she eagerly greeted the fans to either side of her. "Hiiiii!! Everyone wish me luck, okay?" She came running down the ramp, slapping high-fives as she went, before she came to the ring apron and did a running dive under the bottom rope. There, picking herself up, Sheila dusted herself off and moved over to her corner to wait on her opponent - but even as she leaned against the ropes, she was still bobbing up and down with excitement. She couldn't help herself.
Last edited by CaptainL on Mon Dec 27, 2021 8:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Fuckin' finally." Louise Vandenbroeck had been waiting a few weeks for her LAW debut. She didn't mind that, really; after all, if she was going to be here, it was damn well going to be on her terms. Louise knew what kind of people ran, fought in, and watched this league. LAW had its fair share of vanilla, garden-variety wrestlers, but it also had plenty who didn't fit that description at all. It had taken a while to book a match that Louise wouldn't totally hate, but she was finally here. "And you're sure she's not one of the pervy ones?"
"Nope. Clean as a whistle, as far as I can tell. She's a rookie who signed with the league's Young Lioness program. Not a strong record, but she's clearly got enough skill to help you show your stuff." Much of that was thanks to the other woman she was standing with backstage: her manager, Dr. Christina Morgenstern. Over the past several weeks, the young scientist had borne most of the burden of her pickiness. Some part of Louise felt guilty, but she had good reasons for her preferences.
"Yeah, I read your scouting report-"
"She seems nice too," Dr. Morgenstern interrupted her, a cheeky smirk on her face, "for what it's worth."
And there was the rub. Ever since she came to Japan, Dr. Morgenstern had encouraged her to branch out and make friends across the league -- something she was not at all interested in. Louise rose an eyebrow at her manager, unimpressed. "You know my answer: Not much. But... I do appreciate your help. I'll see you after the match?"
"Of course, Louise. It's my pleasure."
"And making her debut all the way from the Netherlands... standing at 5'6 and weighing in at 140 pounds, please welcome the Scarlet Streak -- Louise Vandenbroeck!
With that, Louise took a few steps onto the entrance ramp before stopping. She scratched absently at the back of her neck, taking in the sights and sounds. This was her first time seeing a LAW arena from this angle, obviously. The bright lights, the cheering crowds, the conspicuous cameras watching her every move... all of it made her even more annoyed by her match attire. One mark of pervertedness that she just couldn't escape. Louise Vandenbroeck, the Scarlet Streak
Louise's Entrance Music: The Champion - The Score
One brief dissatisfied crinkle of her nose and a disgusted shake of her head later, and Louise was off. She took off at a jog down the rest of the ramp, eyeing the ring as she did. The apron looked to be about a meter off the ground. Not a small distance to climb... for most people that is. Feeling the long-dead ghosts of a once-familiar smile start to play across her face, Louise suddenly took one long stride, then another before bringing her feet together, crouching down, and--!
"Hup!"
She needed to tuck her knees in a bit, but Louise leapt onto the apron without an issue. The ropes were a little higher than that first jump, so even with the springiness of the mat, the Scarlet Streak needed to hurdle it with a hand instead of clearing it fully unassisted. Still, based on the pops from the crowd, they were clearly impressed by her display athleticism. Taking a deep breath, Louise let that brief smile fall back down into a neutral expression as she looked towards her opponent for the night.
It suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea what she was supposed to do now. Her opponent was in front of her, but the bell hadn't rung yet. Was she supposed to talk? Stare? Do warmups? For now, Louise supposed, all she could do was wait to see what her opponent did and move to copy it.
From the moment Louise set foot on the entrance ramp for the first time, Sheila perked her head up, meeting her with a grin and a wave. She hopped up and down in place, trying to ensure she'd be noticeable. She didn't know anything about the former basketball player she'd be up against, but she was always eager to make new friends, and she couldn't wait to see what she had to offer! It didn't matter that, being in the ring, Sheila was already in a rather conspicuous position. She still wanted Louise to know she'd be ready for her.
But as Louise came to the side of the ring, Sheila took a step back, watching her entrance. And, when she sprung right into the ring and over the ropes, the Australian girl let out a gasp! She could tell now that she was facing a fellow high-flyer, and from the looks of it, one with no shortage of talent herself! This was sure to be an interesting match, and Sheila was as hyped up for it as anyone else!
"Hi hi!" Sheila said, running up to her opponent with her hand extended for a shake. "I'm Sheila! It's nice to meet you! Hope we can have a good match, yeah?" With a grin on her face, Sheila nodded her head. Her enthusiasm stood in stark contrast to Louise's own reserved tones, but if she noticed, she didn't seem to care all that much.
As soon as Sheila ran up to meet her, Louise was already annoyed. This Australian's chipper attitude was definitely preferable to fighting a complete lunatic, as she was warned might happened in LAW, but that didn't mean that it didn't tick her off a bit. She'd much prefer facing off against someone who was all business.
Regardless of her preferences, though, Sheila was the woman in front of her tonight. Louise narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she took the Aussie's hand; after all, some women were known to cheat from their first moments in their ring. Based on what she'd heard, Sheila didn't seem the type, but it couldn't hurt to be careful. "It's... nice to meet you as well. No offense, but I think I'd like to be done with this as soon as we can." It might have been an odd thing to say -- just as odd as being a pro wrestler with no real love for the sport, really. But Sheila would have to deal with it.
Louise's eyes roved up and down her opponent's form -- and no, it wasn't in a pervy way. She was getting a sense for her opponent's build, her stance, her demeanor, her-
Suddenly, something hit her. She groaned and pinched her nosebridge. "...You don't have pockets." Thankfully, her own shorts had slim, nearly-fake pockets of their own -- enough for Louise to be able to store something that her stablemate Julie had asked her to bring. However, the apparent lack of storage on Sheila's simple and (as Louise embarrassingly noticed) rather tight swimsuit would make giving it to her difficult. Spoiler
Kangaroo temporary tattoos!
She unfurled the sheet, showing Sheila their contents. "I can give this to you after we're done here." Louise really didn't want to spend more time with Sheila -- or anyone in this league, really -- than she had to, but Julie would probably be way more annoying if Louise refused her request. "Now, if there's nothing else...?" Louise glanced from Sheila to the referee.
Last edited by FreestylePoet on Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Before the match had even begun, the contrasts between Louise and her opponent were on everyone's minds. Sheila was as eager and excitable as ever, happy to throw herself into a match she was sure she could have fun with no matter what might happen in it. Louise, meanwhile, had only been in a LAW ring for a few seconds, but that had been enough for everyone to recognize her aloof attitude and impatience when it came to others. If there was anyone who didn't seem to notice...it was Sheila herself, who grasped Louise's hand tightly and gave it a vigorous shake, with no heed to whether or not the white-haired girl would appreciate it.
"Well...I can try my best to make it quick!" Sheila said to Louise's request. "I juuuust might beat you in no time flat - and I wouldn't mind!" She giggled to herself, sticking her tongue out playfully at her own joke. It was what Louise said next that gave Sheila pause - and not out of suspicion so much as simple confusion.
"Huh? Pockets? Why would I have..?" She reached down at her legs, only to remember that they were bare. But when Louise held out a sheet of tattoos, just as Sheila had discussed in her previous online encounter with the Scarlet Streak, it was enough to jog the Young Lioness's memory. They had met before! Well, sort of! Gasping, Sheila's eyes went wide, and she looked back up at Louise with a grin.
"OH! You're that girl! They're sooo cool, I love them! Yeah, after the match would be great!" Without warning, Sheila lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Louise in a tight hug. "Thanks soooo much!!"
The referee was watching all of this with a blank stare. She'd seen a lot of things in wrestling, but Sheila was...something else. At last, she cleared her throat. "Erm...Miss Chihara?"
"OH, right!" Letting go of Louise, Sheila hopped back, raising her fists and getting down into a stance. "Almost forgot about the match! Let's see what you can do!" At last, seeing the match was ready to begin, the ref girl signaled the timekeeper with a roll of her eyes.
"Gah!" When Sheila threw her arms around her, Louise almost started the match right then and there. A quick shove-to-kick combo, a swift punch to the side of the head, or maybe one of those fancy suplexes that she kept hearing about. That's all it would take. But that would be a dirty blow, and while she didn't particularly care enough for Sheila's well-being to spare her that fate, she also saw no real reason to resort to one rather than simply endure.
So endure she did, slowly clapping the back of Sheila's shoulder instead of attacking her. "Sure. After the match..." Louise supposed that she should get used to Sheila touching her, considering they were about to fight. Still, that didn't mean she had to like it. After being stuck in that hug for far too long, she started to push Sheila away, only being freed from the embrace when the referee saw fit to step in.
Louise stepped back as the bell rang to start not only the match but also her LAW career. She took a deep breath with her eyes closed. "What I can do... Right." She crouched down with one foot forward, as if at the starting blocks for a race... and then did just that, surging forward with speed truly deserving of her name: the Scarlet Streak! "Hrrrraaah!" With an effortful growl, she swung her arm towards Sheila, looking to start the match with a swift punch to the gut!
It was bound to be awkward. Sheila was an openly affectionate person who wore her emotions on her sleeve, and Louise was...very much not. When the Australian pulled her into a hug, Louise's survival instincts were kicking in, and she readied herself to strike. But she was able to calm herself down soon after. No use in getting ahead of herself here.
All the while, Sheila was oblivious to her opponent's dismay. She kept up a grin, as eager as ever to face off against a new opponent and to see what her foe had in store to show her. Even as Louise began to push her away, Sheila didn't let go; it was only when the referee's intervention became necessary that she broke away.
But as soon as the bell rang, Sheila stood at the ready. It was as though a switch flipped in her mind, telling her that it was no longer time to goof around, and she needed to get serious! Louise came barreling toward Sheila right out of the gate, but the Young Lioness would meet her with just as much agility and enthusiasm - she charged Louise at the same time, looking to throw her weight against her with a shoulder tackle! She turned herself to the side to try and avoid the incoming punch as she did, but if she would miss it, it would only be by a hair's breadth!
Here, Louise's amateurism when it came to fighting was on full display. Just in the opening moments of their match, she'd made three key errors. The first was her choice of attack. In general, punches were uncreative and low-impact, both death knells in the more freeform style of professional wrestling. Worse, Louise's gut punch was telegraphed from the moment she pushed off the canvas!
That surge forward, lightning-fast though it was, led to her second blunder. She didn't expect Sheila to be able to match the explosive speed of a would-be pro athlete, but even though the Scarlet Streak was faster, Sheila's charge reminded her: The fighters of LAW were indeed, by definition, professional athletes! Underestimating her opponent exposed her to the Aussie's exuberant counterpush.
Which led to the third and final mistake. Where Sheila's instinct was to dodge, Louise's was just the opposite. When faced with a blur of a person trying to avoid you, a basketball player's natural reaction was to step in front of them. And that's exactly what Louise did -- placing her right in line with Sheila's shoulder!
"Guh--!" Louise's chest squeezed inward upon itself, and her lungs quivered as Sheila drove herself into the Nederlander! She clattered to the ground, not quite winded but certainly wincing. Louise was able to catch herself and prop her upper body up with her elbows, so she wasn't quite supine. Still, if her opponent was fast enough, Louise would be wide open for a follow-up attack!
A keen sports analyst could have broken down Louise's mistakes step by step, showing the precise second where everything had gone wrong. Sheila was no analyst, though, nor was she a strategic thinker. She simply saw an invitation when Louise came charging - an invitation to get out of the way, but also one to come back at her opponent just has hard! She lunged forward, leaning down as she took off - and, as she drew closer, coming up shoulder-first to slam her weight into the former basketball player's chest!
With the sound of a smack, Louise went to the mat, bowled off her feet. Put off balance by the move and without her opponent's body to brace herself, Sheila fell forward, but caught herself on the palm of her hand as she stuck out an arm to hold herself against the canvas, her legs apart and her behind in the air. She lifted herself back up from a three-point stance, looking up with a grin and planting her hands on her hips with pride.
Of course, it wasn't over. Now Louise was down, and Sheila had a chance to capitalize on that fact! The Scarlet Streak was in the process of lifting herself back up, but it was then that Sheila jumped forward and kicked out with her legs, letting out a battle cry as she went to come crashing down on top of Louise's abdomen with a hip drop!
Louise caught herself on the canvas, quickly putting herself in a spot to regain her bearings. But her opponent's enthusiastic speed brought Sheila right back to her! By the time Louise realized what was happening, even her lightning quickness couldn't save her.
"Grroh!" Louise's stomach deformed around her opponent's hips, and what little air she kept after the first strike was swiftly dashed from her lungs. The shoulder check was not the first time she'd been shoved. But the hip drop was the first time she'd been truly struck. From the moment Sheila made contact, she knew that getting hit was an experience that she did not like at all. Who would?
Like a prodded cattle, she lashed out, reflexively shoving at her opponent's side in an attempt to pull Sheila off of her. If she was successful, all Louise would do was flop over onto her knees and forehead, clutching her abdomen. "Nnggh..." she groaned. If she wasn't winded before, she most certainly was now. Her anger was quickly growing... But even her trained body couldn't listen. Louise's first-ever career hit had made sure of that.
