The Hunter in Winters Embrace: Cadence Cahill [D] Vs. Zara Winters

[Captain Calamitous]

Match Type: No-Disqualification Match

Rules: Victory is achieved via Pin-Fall, Submission, or Knockout. Neither standard rules nor disqualification apply.
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Pacing... That's all Cadence could think to do, pace to and fro in the dull white locker room he stood in, waiting for his turn to face what sounded like a very full and excitable crowd. Though his paint decorated face hid any notion of his nervousness, his current mannerisms however... Well, they left something to be desired. He couldn't deny his anxiousness, a full on set of that 'butterflies in the stomach' feeling, heavy breathing, and an elevated heart-rate; no, Cadence couldn't deny the fact that he was scared, not of the fight ahead, not at all, fights were a dime-a-dozen where he came from. No, The Irishman was terrified less of the physical, and more of the metaphorical, as strange as that sounded. The mere act of getting into LAW represented both a fresh new start, ripe with experience and success, or a short lived trail of failures for the man, and it was the ladder that scared him the most. Having marked his discharge from service as one of his biggest failures to date, it was safe to say that Cadence was far from comfortable in making a swift exit from law the next. With a rapid set of raps to the locker room door shocking the man out of his train of thought, Cadence knew he needed to set aside his focus on what might be, and focus more on what is. Taking in a deep breath, and exhaling slowly, steadily; Cadence conjured up as much composure as he could muster, doing his best to set his mind on the match ahead, before doing a quick gear check and charging his way out of the lockers towards the Arena Entrance, determined to start this new path with his best foot forward.

"Ladies and Gentlemen-" The announcer begun, riling the crowd up for the next match of the night, "-the following contest is scheduled for one fall. Our first competitor to enter the ring, hailing all the way from Kilkenny, Ireland! Standing at six foot three inches, and weighing one-hundred and ninety-five pounds, making his first ever debut to L.A.W., Cadence Cahill!" The announcer chimed, the crowd roaring and cheering as Cadence's theme begun to play. With his queue to make his entrance being given, Cadence took a few steps out from behind the entrance, stopping as his eyes adjusted to the lights over head and as he took in the crowd that now surrounded him.

Spoiler

Wide-eyed and beginning to breath a little heavier, the former soldier couldn't help but feel a little bit more nervous. He had never seen so many people crowded into an arena, let alone seen that many focus on him. "Okay-" He thought to himself, "-this is far from the most compromised position you've been in, just keep walking and focus on the fight ahead, this'll all be a normal sight soon enough... I hope."

Though a little unnerved by the large audience around him, he made his way down the ramp and the ring, constantly doing his best to keep calm and retain that icy yet determined glare, despite the occasional whistle or ogle at his toned and scarred body. Eventually making his way into the ring, Cadence took one more look around the arena and its audience as his theme died down, trying to force himself into getting used to the large crowd once more; the former soldier took to a corner of the ring opposite of the entrance, hoping to focus more on his potential opponent more than the still unnerving crowd.

[Aeri]

For her first match in the mixed division, Zara really didn’t know what to expect. In LAW, she hadn’t been given many matches to show her talent off, and she had been whiling away her time in Tokyo. It didn’t help that she was rather picky with who she fought, which led to her declining most opponents.

Which meant she didn’t get matches. And for a while that was fine, but Zara had started to get bored. So when an opportunity for something fresh and new had come to her, Zara would accept. It was an opportunity against a rookie, who didn’t seem.. weak by the typical glance. It made her smile. That was good. Weakness didn’t go unpunished with her.

So she waited and watched. Watched the man enter into the ring, with his scarred body and army aesthetic. She had really expected more ex-militia in LAW, but there were surprisingly little. But as of Cadence.. oh yes, Zara thought. She could have fun with him. Suddenly she stood up, placing a hand on her waist. She could hear her theme playing. Stepping out towards the arena, all eyes on her as she emerged from her position.

But she had eyes for nobody other than her opponent, and so she locked on a stare, with a confident and commanding gaze. Unlike many women in LAW, Zara didn’t fight in super revealing clothing, moreso preferring the skintight variety that clung tauntingly to her curves.

Spoiler

She walked through the pathway, stepping through the ropes and climbed into the ring. But she didn’t just stop there, no.. she walked straight up to Cadence, close enough to press her frame against his own, just barely. Then Zara smiled down at him. Even if she was just an inch bigger, the presence she commanded would give anyone the chills..

“Hello, solider boy. I hope you are prepared for today. You picked the short straw to be matched against me.. try not to have your spirit shattered before the end of this match.. hm?”

[Captain Calamitous]

If he were to be honest, Crowds had always unnerved Cadence, it was something you learned to be wary of in the military; crowds often spelled bad news, the potential for dangerous situations, especially if they were focused on you. After nine-teen years of service, rules like that tend to become second nature, a part of your instinctual thought process; and unfortunately for Cadence, it was something he was going to have to learn to tame in this new career. For now, though, he needed something to focus on, to alleviate that bit of instinct nipping at the back of his mind; luckily for Cadence, that's exactly what he got. As soon as his opponents theme began to play, his eyes shifted to the entrance, just in-time to meet the confident, commanding gaze of his opponent, her black eyes staring straight at him, not even paying attention to the crowd cheering and yelling around her. To most in this situation, having a woman as tall and as confident as this Zara Winters make a beeline straight towards you might have unnerved them, but Cadence wasn't most. After so many years of jumping feet first into hell, he had learned a thing or two about intimidation factors, how to utilize them, and how to deal with them.

With a subject to focus his attention on and push the existence of the crowd to the back of his mind, Cadence watched as the slightly taller woman made her way right towards him, pressing her frame ever so slightly against his. He knew well enough from her dark aesthetic she was probably looking for a reaction, a little bit of shiver, a hint of fear at her size and the presence she brought with her; and while it was impressive that she commanded such a presence, Cadence was the wrong target for that kind of tact. Having matched her glare with his own, and having had listened to her spiel about a potential "Shattered Spirit" and how he had picked the short straw, Cadence could feel a competitive twinge surge through him. With the beginnings of a defiant smile forming across his lips, matching her own, as he looked up at her, Cadence placed a foot forward in between hers, and began to push forward against her frame with his; as weird as it probably looked he wanted to gain some ground away from the corner ring post so he wasn't trapped when the bell was eventually rung, and to deny the woman the reaction she might have been hoping for. A quick glance over the woman's curvaceous body fueled that competitive urge even further, she looked like she could handle herself and he was hoping she could, even if that Flock-of-Seagulls hair-do she was sporting took away some of that danger factor for him. "So long as you try not to go down all too soon, I do so enjoy a good challenge, Miss Winters.".

[Aeri]

At the very least, he wasn’t a wimp, Zara mused. He looked like he knew his shit, albeit maybe not in wrestling but he seemed like he could handle himself due to the scars littered across his body. She felt a twinge of respect surge through her, but that was all it was, merely a twinge. And to give him credit, he didn’t flinch when she appeared, merely met her gaze with his own..

.. she supposed that was good. A smile crawled across her face, the rush of competitiveness unfamiliar to her.. but not wholly unwelcome. He pressed himself forwards instead of backing away. Now that they were close enough, she smiled. He could tell that she wasn’t all curves. Oh no, behind that attire hid some well built and muscular abs, matching his own body. She’d take a step forwards, bumping Cadence back with her body..

“Why, that’s Zara to you.. and careful what you wish for.. I might be too much for your handsome self to handle..”

She stepped back. Creating space between the two, Zara spread her arms out and delivered a playful smile. The bell rang thrice, the sound signalling the beginning of the match.. but Zara didn’t move from her spot. She clearly wanted to see what the rookie would do when offered the first move!

[Captain Calamitous]

With his opponent having taken a few steps back, surprisingly giving him some space, as well as giving him what seemed to be the first move and a playful smile as the bell rang, Cadence kept his gaze on Zara's; quickly trying to asses his best strategy towards taking her on, he went over what he had gleaned so far. Cadence knew she was confident, that was no secret, and he knew well enough confidence was an earned attribute unless you were stupid enough to fake it; Zara, however didn't look like the stupid type, no she more than likely knew her stuff. She was also slightly taller than him, and while the difference wasn't immense, it did mean she had more reach than him, and a high possibility of being stronger than him, something her well built body attested to; her height however, could also come at a cost, with his slightly smaller frame and fairly high agility making it fairly possible that he could outmaneuver her. Zara also seemed to have something of an intimidation factor to her with that dark aesthetic she seems to exhibit, and while it really didn't effect him in the slightest, by the smile on her face, she seems to have enjoyed that fact just a little.

All in all, she seemed like a good challenge for the former Seal, A well built combatant with a possibly large wheelhouse; unfortunately for her, though, so was he. Recognizing that his best chance in taking on this Raza Winters was something akin to the "Death by a thousand Paper-cuts" approach, he knew he'd have wear her down with as many fast and hard strikes and grapples as needed before hitting her with some bigger payloads; with a quick flick of his gaze to the ropes on his left however, he reminded himself that this being a hardcore match, he also had the option of whatever "tools" were stashed under the ring, and so did she.

Having an idea of what she might be capable of, Cadence, for his first move against her, wanted to see how smart Zara might've been; So planning on psyching her out before attempting a real blow to the woman, Cadence took an orthodox Mauy Thai stance whilst keeping his defiant glare on her. Deciding to try something a bit old school, he quickly lifted a leg up and sent it towards the side of her abdomen; just before he could connect the hit though, he suddenly jerked the leg back, and sent it in upwards, attempting to land a hard kick to the side of her head with his boot!