Yukino Fuyumi vs. Haruka Le Roux - Apex Qualifier Match

[CaptainL]

Match Type: Standard Match
Rules: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout. Completion will count to each participant's required Apex Qualifier matches.

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Yukino was fighting an uphill battle. After her match against Kira Kusangi, the white-haired girl had been forced to enter the competition for the World Openweight Championship for the sake of her own pride - and because she'd lost to the Golden Goddess, so too would she be forced to face whichever opponents Kira hand-picked for her, opponents who were sure to challenge her abilities. She couldn't help but be a little nervous - even if she only needed to stand up to three opponents to qualify, whether she won or lost, what if she failed to meet the judges' standards and Kira forced her to face an even more dangerous foe? For that matter, if she made it to Apex on a losing record, would it really be worth it when she'd done all of this to try and prove herself?

Nevertheless, she was ready to face any challenge she had to. Yukino had gotten herself into this, but she was ready to see it through, and to do justice to her promise of becoming a worthy wrestler. That had inspired her to do her best in every match leading up to this one. Now, she just had to keep those efforts going - but it was still hard to shake her worries.

"You'll be in my corner, right, Nashi?" As Yukino put the last adjustments on her ring gear, she looked back at her best friend. She already knew that Nashi would follow her to anything, but it never hurt to have her reassurance.

[SRG]

Nashi would be in the locker room with her best friend ready to accompany her to the ring! However she could definitely feel her friends uneasyness for the match ahead and wanted to give her confidence!”Off Course! You’re my best friend Yukino!” she would wrap her arms around her and say”besides I talked to the officials and they’re willing to have me be the judge!” she said excitedly jumping up in the air.


As they get called down to the ring, Nashi would raise her Yukino’s right arm up as if she had only won. Additionally the idol would have her left arm pointing towards her friend before they started to walk down. She would wave to the audience and even shake her hips for the crowd before reaching the ring”don’t worry if anything happens I’ll be at the judges table I got you’re back Yukino ” she hugged her friendly tightly before sitting down at the judges putting on a headset for the match.

[CaptainL]

When Nashi pulled Yukino into a hug, the Winter Idol smiled a little bit wider. She knew that no matter what happened, she could always count on Nashi, and knowing that made her feel a little less alone going into each of her matches. Having Nashi there to cheer her on made her feel like there was someone on her side, and that she wouldn't have to be afraid. But she certainly wasn't expecting Nashi to go the extra mile in volunteering to be a judge for the match!

"W-What!?" Yukino sputtered and gasped as she shot straight up in her seat. Had she been drinking anything, she would have spat it by now. This was a step beyond. "You mean it? Really? I mean...are you even allowed to do that? With you being my friend and everything, is it fair..?" She wasn't sure if Nashi could be an impartial judge...but even still, she looked back at her with a smile. It would make her feel just a little bit better to know that Nashi was at the judges' table to weigh in on whatever happened, and whether it was in her favor or not, she would at least know she was there.

There was no time to sit around pondering such things, though. It was time for Yukino to make her entrance! The two of them stepped out onto the enrance ramp, and there Nashi hoisted Yukino's arm over her head, drawing a few cheers from the crowd. The white-haired girl stood a little bit straighter, puffing out her chest with a confident look on her face. If Nashi believed in her, she knew she was going to do her best!

When Nashi broke away to join the judges, Yukino continued to the ring, her head held high. At last, she climbed over the ropes, stopping to look back and wave to her fans one more time before she settled in the corner and did a few stretches to get herself warmed up.

Spoiler

[Taskmaster12]

“Time to start.” Haruka got out from her chair with Korra and Noloty staying put. “You’re not going to help?” “Do you need help? You’re the one Robin’s worried about. You can earn your wage without us.” Haruka huffed while looking at Noloty casually sitting as well. “It is one girl. Some new broad. What kind of danger could she be? Just look at her.” Noloty pulled out the image of her on her phone. “She looks like the female character in an anime that jobs so the male hero can save them. Hi little jobber. Tehehe!” Noloty’s humor has never been the best timed. Being reminded she was facing a new face because Haruka wasn’t impressing was not what she needed to hear. “I’ll be back.” Soon her music player on her way out 8 seconds before she followed with a smile. Haruka usually enjoyed some love from the fans for her looks and friendliness. Now they didn’t know what to think about her because of her association with Korra as of late. The CWF Alumni was becoming less of a secret now with her and Noloty entering the tag scenes soon. Being up against another tag team wrestler was a coincidence. This qualifier match for Apex was part of her plan to prove herself by getting to Apex so she could avoid Robin’s ire. This was all too much to worry about while getting to a match with Yukino. No matter the reason she knew that she needed a win and that’s what she would get. She kept a friendly smile to meet her when she entered the ring. “Is this your first Qualifer as well? I haven’t seen much of your work?”

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

When Haruka entered the ring, Yukino stood up a little straighter, moving to the center of the ring to meet her eye to eye. She wasn't quite sure what she would be up against when Kira picked her opponents for Apex...but when she saw who she would be facing tonight, a part of her had to wonder if there was a mistake. She'd only known Kira Kusangi a short while, but that had been more than enough to tell her that the self-proclaimed Golden Goddess of Wrestling was a ruthless and sadistic foe who wanted to break her spirits and her body at the same time. Surely, when it came to deciding Yukino's opponents, she would look for wrestlers she could count on being just as cruel and merciless...but Haruka looked like a cheerful cream puff, and from the cheers she was getting it seemed she had the fans' goodwill too, which made Yukino feel less likely she'd be subjected to any dirty tactics. A smile came to her face as she let out a reassured sigh, but she caught herself before her stance could relax too much. She knew that looks could be deceiving, and she could never be sure of what she was in for until the match began...

When Haruka asked if this was her first qualifier, the idol perked up a little. "It's my second, actually!" Yukino said with a grin, thinking back on her previous qualifier against Carolina Reine Youngren. The fight she had been able to put up in that match reassured Yukino that she had the potential in her to succeed. Thinking about it now gave her a little more reassurance, and she was ready to carry it forward into this match! "I'm new to LAW, for sure, but I intend to keep doing my best and to keep moving up - right, Nashi?" She glanced back at the judges' table to flash a smile to her friend - but then, the bell chimed, and the match was on!

*DING DING DING*

Yukino was still unfamiliar with Haruka, and she needed to acquaint herself with what she could do. For now, she'd move in closer, lifting her hands to go for a test of strength - that would tell her how strong her opponent was, as well as how likely she might be to take advantage of a neutral position. The whole time, her eyes scanned the Frenchwoman up and down, just in case she might be plotting something - or if she might offer her an opportunity.

[Taskmaster12]

Haruka must have calmed Yukino down from whatever concerns she had. She must have feared someone worse would be walking up to her today. Lucky for her that Korra was staying back tonight and not helping her. That smile wouldn’t be there or last long. “Hhhmmm. The new face is hard at work.” She didn’t plan to make this a bad meeting. It was just a win and nothing else for her which meant any need to be hostile or hurt Yukino would just be to satisfy some sadistic pleasure that she didn’t have. The name she brought up surprised her and Haruka turned to look at the judges table before looking back at Yukino. Did she have someone on the payroll at the table? The girl she looked at looked like she was dressed the same way. Could that even be possible? The bell broke her thoughts to make Haruka turn back to Yukino. Judge or not she couldn’t change the outcome of this match. Time to do what she did best. “How new are you? Do you have any road experience?” Simple starting questions asked as casually a nurse going through some basic procedures while she took her arms for a test of strength before she began pushing. She would learn about Yukino before she tore her down and take notes of what kind of wrestler she was.

[CaptainL]

The match was still young, and at this stage, it could be anyone's game. When Yukino leaned in to take Haruka by the hands, their exchange was an even one - both women pushed and pulled at one another, fighting over who would take charge at the outset of the match. But for every bit of ground one of them gained, the other took that back. Yukino began to circle around Haruka in the center of the ring as they pushed at each other, but she never let her eyes stray far from her opponent. She had to be ready for anything.

"Road...experience?" She blinked a little, but still she grit her teeth, giving Haruka another shove. "Okay, maybe I haven't had the most matches so far...but I know a thing or two about traveling from my idol days, so I'm not worried about that-!" At the same time, she could feel some of the hairs stand up on the back of her neck as she said that. As soon as the words left her mouth, Yukino grew all too aware that she didn't have the greatest list of accomplishments to boast of, and her opponent likely wasn't impressed. She worried if she had embarrassed herself not even a minute into the match. But she shook that thought out of her head - if she couldn't talk big, she'd let her actions speak for themselves!

As she gave another push forward into Haruka's guard, Yukino would try something different. Hoping that the push would unsteady her foe, she would suddenly break the position, going to dart around behind her opponent's back, and throwing her arms around Haruka's own to pull them back into a nelson hold!

[Taskmaster12]

Something seemed to be bothering Yukino when she asked about road experience. Something that Haruka knew was her cue to start using. “Idol days? Are you worried that you’re not good enough or something?” She was asking it innocently despite trying to mess with her. Arms pressed against her and pushing back to force her back. Despite Yukino’s confidence those words were asking to be tested and analyzed as much as Yukino did. “It you aren’t worried about that, what are you worried about?” Her words followed Yukino pushing against her and then trying to slip behind her to match Haruka pushing her arm up and hooking Yukino’s arm to stop her attempt to move behind her and grabbing the arm to pull it in close to capture it under her own, taking her other hand to pull Yukino closer.

[CaptainL]

Oh, no. Yukino's eyes widened as she realized the mistake she had just made. She'd exposed just a brief, fleeting moment of doubt, and Haruka had seized upon it. Now she knew that Yukino didn't have much experience in the ring to boast of, and that she was worried it would hold her in this match. She was on to her!

The white-haired girl's cheeks flushed red at Haruka's questioning, and she began to stammer out her response, desperate to save face. "E-Er...it's nothing! I can still handle you just fine-!" But her words were wavering; not even she fully believed everything about what she said - and in the process, she began to slip back from Haruka, her grip on her weakening and her hands sliding down her arms. Yukino decided it was time for her to break the lockup to get behind Haruka and go for a Nelson hold - but by then, it was too late.

Before Yukino could move around behind Haruka, the Frenchwoman grabbed her by the arm, pulling her closer! Her jaw dropped in a gasp to see her opponent close into range, and she knew she had to think fast. Scrambling out of desperation for some way to fight back, Yukino would swing a forearm in front of her, attempting to cut Haruka off with a blow to the face!

[Taskmaster12]

“You seem to have a low level of confidence for an idol. I know your past career meant that you’re used to large crowds so that I don’t think that’s the reason you seem so nervous.” Haruka had already figured out what this was about. Bluntly stating it would only be met with denial and trying to ignore it while dragging it out would get her a bit further and more playtime. The surprise at her words being used to expose herself got to Yukino on a small level thanks to her hesitation allowing Haruka to grab her arm before she broke the hold to get behind her. “How good are you when your plans don’t work out? Are you a brick wall or a stick house?” More questions to get in her head. Yukino had enough of them quickly swatting at her head with a forearm that sent her head careening to the side while she stepped back. I words were needed for her next move which was to give a forearm back.