Proof of Fang: Yuki Kazikura vs Shimmerlace Snuggleblossom

[Malkavia]

Shimmerlace was bouncing, fists clenched, grinning. She zipped from one image to the next—the crash, Yuki moaning on the cement floor. Then what? Maybe Shimmerlace could climb the third rope. She still hadn’t landed a good honest to God cloud-to-earth comet, had she? That idea set like a fey-glimmering jewel at the back of her pupil. She’d tried and tried to land a dive like that. Maybe this time—

Force exploded along Shimmerlace’s ribs. Her feet left the ground. Her hair whipped behind her. An arm wrenched and clutched at her spine. The pain was intense, but the out-of-the-blue surprise of the blow, like a sniper's bullet, was what really sent her reeling. There was a long stream of moments before Shimmer's brain fully caught up to her physical reality.

”WEASEL FUCKIN’ PISS MOUSE Nnnng—” No. Her teeth clamped tongue and held in the animal phantasmagoria she wanted to set streaming. She’d already been on the mat a handful of seconds. Plenty of time for someone like Yuki to set up the next move.

Faaaaaster cunt.

But that 619 had cut deep. A whole human body’s worth of momentum, thrust into her ribs, ached like a siren, blaring and getting worse before it got better—and trying to get knees under, body up did not help. Frustration sank a talon into her gut. Her knuckles clenched against the mat. She rested on her hands and knees.

Tick tock!

Shimmerlace had seen it, and it was a mirage, and now all she could see was the smeared off-white vinyl surface of the mat.

[CaptainL]

Yuki had only been one split-second impulse between turning the action back in her favor, and wiping out on the unforgiving floor below. But she knew full well that if she went out of the ring, she wouldn't stand a chance. Shimmerlace was moving fast, and any moment she was forced to fall back and nurse her wounds would give her opponent the opportunity to overtake her - an opportunity that Yuki simply couldn't afford to give out. Perhaps it was that knowledge that spurred on her survival instinct. As she closed in on the ropes, she sucked in a breath, her muscles pulling taut as her body firmed up in anticipation of what she'd need to do. Her arms shot out in front of her, her fingers finding purchase of the ropes. Her legs kicked back, using the momentum to swing her body around in an arc. And with that, she hurled herself right back in Shimmerlace's direction, her knees crashing into her back!

Still borne by the momentum of her swing, Yuki whipped back around the rest of the way, and at last she caught herself on the ropes. She sat on the middle rope, her feet on the bottom as she leaned forward with her hands on her knees, panting for breath. Sweat trickled down her brow. The crowd was cheering for such a sudden and decisive counter from Yuki, but she knew that it had been much too close for her liking. She had to have been incredibly lucky to have escaped from that predicament. She was in no mood to do that again any time soon.

Luckily, now it was Shimmerlace's turn to find herself flat on the canvas, wide open to further attack! Yuki knew she couldn't sit around waiting for her foe to recover. She had the advantage, and she needed to press on with it! Sucking in a breath, her eyes narrowed in a steely look of confidence as she sat up straighter on the ropes. She pushed herself back up to her feet, letting the weight of her body stretch the rope beneath her. And then, she jumped, using the spring of the ropes to propel her into the air - where she would stick her elbow out to come crashing into the downed Shimmer with an elbow drop!

[Malkavia]

Shimmerlace saw Yuki before she jumped. The overhead spotlights silhouetted her, enhancing Shimmer’s sense of looking up at someone larger than Yuki actually was. The crowd churned, and you could hear the way they leaned in from the murmur in their collective voice. Oooooh—! A crescendo, rising in pitch, pure auditory anticipation.

And then—sky. She sailed unflinching, effortless. Through much of this fight, Shimmer had on some lower level been struck by the grimness of Yuki’s talent. Where Angelina thrived in the ring, erupted like grinning flame, Yuki slid forward like cold steel. She fought wordlessly, never taunting or celebrating or so much as smiling. The only crevice into her mind were the moves themselves, whose swift precision spoke to honed art and gritty determination.

But in the sky, Yuki sent a glimmer of something…different. A shift in her eyes from push to soar, a slip from proving to proven. That light caught in Shimmer’s gut, and she almost felt a glow herself even as her body tensed and she teetered onto her back and her boots scrambled against the mat—

Yuki’s elbow crushed Shimmerlace’s gut. Shimmer coughed, weak, sickly, then shuddered. The crowd was on its feet. Shimmer’s boot lifted, fell. She curled like a pill-bug as the sound of an entire Apex stadium erupting added texture to a world spinning around a nauseated pain in her belly. Her face contorted. Her breath wheezed.

”Fuckin’...shit…”

[CaptainL]

For Yuki, it wasn't about showing off, or looking good, or even trying to attract fame and fortune. Even when the crowd gasped in awe of the athletic talent and quick thinking she had shown in spiking her opponent into the mat off the momentum of the 619, the dark-haired girl never for a moment took the time to mug for the cameras, or to taunt her foe. She was cold, methodical, and focused; she let the flow of the match guide her through the motions, letting every action transition smoothly into the next. Shimmer had only been knocked to the mat for a few seconds, but Yuki wasn't going to give her any more time to recover than she herself needed to catch her breath. For Yuki, this was about her. This was her proving ground, and nothing would matter unless she herself had shown the world she was capable of rising to the challenge, and showing the strength everyone wanted to see out of her.

No sooner had she collected herself that Yuki was once again off, taking to the sky! She pressed her boots against the ropes and sprung herself skyward, her hair flowing around her in a cascade of black waves borne by the rush of the air and the lunge of her body. As she turned toward her downed opponent, she stretched outward, working her way just a little closer to the target. She rolled onto her side in midair, her elbow held out to come crashing down right into Shimmer's stomach. Everything was lined up perfectly. It would only be a matter of milliseconds before she made impact - and then, with the sound of a thump, she flattened her opponent in between her elbow and the canvas!

Yuki could feel the rumble of the ring under the impact, and the rise and fall of her opponent's body as she was lifted up by the force of the strike before dropping back down flat. She could hear the fans cheering her even louder. But once again, her attention was focused purely on the action of the match. She took a few slow, deep breaths as her body adjusted to the halt it had come to, but soon she looked back at Shimmerlace, her eyes narrowing into a piercing, determined glare. Now, she had succeeded at knocking the wind out of her foe. She was vulnerable. And with that, Yuki could move in for the kill.

Reaching back behind her, Yuki grabbed for Shimmerlace's leg, sweeping it up into the air! She rolled her center of balance forward, such that the Feychild's shoulders would be pushed to the mat under her weight. And on cue, the referee fell into place to begin the count!

"ONE!"

[Malkavia]

The impact had flooded Shimmer’s extremities with blood. Her fingers prickled, head expanded like a tire under pressure, and for several beats she could hear her heart pulse. When Yuki folded Shimmer’s leg, Shimmerlace had felt a cold crawling inward—a tightening of her skin, the closing of her throat, a shiver of sickly pleasure in her navel.

”ONE!”

A hand strikes the mat, a flush spreads over Shimmer’s face. She gasps but can’t stop the world spinning or the ground from teetering or still the nausea.

Yuki’s eyes pinned her as much as her weight. Shimmerlace had been folded up this way many times. What was she to those lovely wrestlers? A bit of dandruff to be brushed aside, casually, sometimes even with mutual fun if they were willing to parlay with the Lord Seelie Admiral. But the piercing way Yuki had of looking both at and past Shimmer made this moment unique.

”TWO!”

Was it respect? The Seelie Scion’s body tensed. Yuki was someone who saw Shimmer, as a wrestler, as a threat, perhaps, or at least an obstacle. Yet the needle from Yuki’s eyes, passing through her fey skin like thin fabric, didn’t feel like recognition; that look felt like being tossed out of her body and made to look at herself as something alien. Meat.

Shimmerlace’s face curled before she kicked. Her cheeks seemed to sink, her lips formed a grimace deep enough to expose the tips of her teeth, her forehead creased. Bitter smell, sour taste. The crowd groaned, then offered a spattering of applause as she pushed with a short, intense spike of force and rolled onto her side.

Still breathing heavily, Shimmerlace covered her face with her palms, grasped the bitter, coiled feeling in both hands, and slipped it into another of her corked bottles.

[CaptainL]

Yuki's heart skipped a beat as a rush of adrenaline shot through her - feeling her body drop down on top of Shimmerlace's own, the shift of her weight that pushed the balance over just enough to roll her foe onto her shoulders as she snatched her leg and jerked upward. When she heard the call from the ref, a tingle ran down her spine as her body went tense with excitement and anticipation. Now, she knew, she had Shimmer down for the count. When she had practically flattened the Young Lioness under her assault, it seemed as though the first fall was well within her grasp. The question would be if the pink-haired girl would be able to kick out in time. But then, Yuki was prepared for that. She had pledged to give this match her utmost effort; to take it as seriously as it deserved. Shimmerlace would almost certainly be just as focused - and Yuki reminded herself that whatever she bounced back with, she had to be prepared for a fight. If anything, she wanted Shimmerlace to bounce back and keep fighting if that would prove she had it in her to raise the stakes - which would in turn prove Yuki could ride those rising tides. When Yuki stared Shimmer down, the look on her face wasn't just a threat. It was a challenge - she wanted to see if she could goad her foe into fighting back!

But it seemed as though that challenge was all the motivation Shimmerlace needed. As Yuki leaned forward to try and secure the pin - focusing that same burning look into her eyes as she did so - Shimmer found the strength she needed to kick up with her leg, and with a gasp, Yuki was thrown off! Going rolling back, she sputtered and coughed as she tumbled over a few times. But she would soon grind to a halt, righting herself on her hands and knees. She panted a few times, collecting her thoughts - but when she looked back at her opponent, her eyes narrowed with focus. Not with a glare of hatred, but of determination; of knowing her purpose. Shimmer had shown Yuki it was going to take more than that to keep her down. But if that was the case...Yuki was happy to amp things up accordingly!

Pushing herself up to her feet, Yuki sprung into a stance - her feet apart, her knees bent, and her weight leaned forward toward the action. She was poised and ready, all her energy stored and ready to spring as soon as she felt the time was right. For now, Shimmerlace was down. But Yuki was going to wait until she rose - once that happened, she would come charging in closer, ready to draw back her foot to unleash a well-placed toe kick right into her stomach with the same momentum she strode forward with!

[Malkavia]

What was that? Shimmerlace felt shaken. She didn’t get bitter. Even the gibbet…it was all just colour in the clouds. Sometimes the airy globe blistered scarlet with rage or split jagged lightning neon with wrath, but it was grinning colours, thunder on the edge of a cackle. Fey stuff. This—

Just stuff it stuff it stuff it. Shimmerlace felt her chest expand towards the ceiling, deflate towards her spine, felt her sweat go cold on her chest, and pushed the spindle of her gut towards the things that mattered: Thistlebro. Violet Eyes. The match.

And the match came charging quick! As soon as she’d forced the mat to sit flat under her back and then heaved to a seat, Yuki came charging like an airborne boulder.

Yuki up to now had waited on Shimmer and (with maddening skill) reacted, so the initiative was unexpected; the sudden pressure caught the Feychild’s thinking brain half-fizzled. But magician hands have to be quick and act on minds of their own to slip cards into decks and balls into cups, and Shimmer’s instinct is to get her mitts up and catch the boot. If she succeeded, the force would sting her hands through her white gloves and slide her butt over the mat. Force arrested in Shimmer’s shoulders and rump would pass through her like a gust of wind, the kind of concussion to throw back a girl’s hair.

But. Blinking, she’d have the ankle. And if she could catch up to the moment, move quickly (or as quickly as her still-achy gut allowed), if she rose shakily to her feet with Yuki’s captive, hopping boot—well. Then her hands would tighten. Then a bit of that grin would slink in behind her face. Kick. Drop. Push…Aye, she may well lick her wolfish chops at the mouth-watering array of possible counter-attacks.

[CaptainL]

Yuki had already made up her mind about what was going to happen. She wouldn't give Shimmerlace the chance to recover - while she was still getting up, she'd quickly narrow into range and take her down with a swift kick to the jaw. All the momentum of her charge could only fall behind her strike, bolstering its force - when she hit Shimmerlace, it would have the full brunt of her sprint behind it. As she closed in on the Feychild, her eyes narrowed into a piercing glare. She couldn't take her eyes off Shimmer; she couldn't even blink. This was the moment she had to strike!

The kick came on just as easily as Yuki would've taken another step - her foot shot forward, poised to slam straight into Shimmerlace's gut. But just inches away from its target, Yuki's kick came to a sudden halt - as Shimmer reached up and caught her by the ankle! In one instant, all her momentum ceased. Just when she thought everything was working, Shimmerlace had thrown a wrench into her strategy. Yuki was so surprised to see her plan swept out from under her at the last moment that her jaw dropped in a gasp. She hadn't even considered such a reversal possible.

But a moment later, Yuki reminded herself that standing around contemplating her predicament would do her no good! Just as soon as she'd stopped, her teeth clenched in a grimace, and her fists balled tighter with determination. Shimmer might have interrupted Yuki's flow, but she wouldn't let her keep it that way - she had to take back control! While Shimmer had her foot caught, Yuki couldn't kick up with her other leg without compromising her balance - but that was a risk she was willing to take! Crying out in defiance, she kicked her other foot up from the ground, whipping it toward Shimmerlace's chest with a swift superkick!

[Malkavia]

Drop on her knee, kick her gut, push the—Yuki’s kick slid between Shimmer’s scrambled pinball plans, THUD, against her chest, knocked the wind out (made her choke, ”Gek!”), sent her flying, then stumbling back, and Yuki’s boot slipped between her fingers, and she almost lost her balance. The world lurched, fuck, FUCK, but she hit the ropes before she could slip. The cables cradled her weight, bending elastic against the force of Yuki’s kick, and the Seelie Scion’s body squished, and the ropes went taut, gathered tension that creaked, and then sprung and slingshot her back towards center-ring

Fine, fuck it, roll with it. Her eyes narrow and she leans in, pushes her boot against the mat. What now? That she’s even thinking that question means she’s too slow—with breath this hard, with the wind whipping past her face and the hair billowed out behind her and Yuki planning some dire thorny mystery, it needed to be instant. Instinct. By the time she gets to an answer, she’ll be on top of her opponent.

But her instincts are flailing. It’s just Yuki rushing closer and an out-of-control train of momentum Shimmerlace couldn’t stop in time if her heels were stilettos. All Shimmer can do in the fraction of a second she gets is to tense her nerves, rush to catch up, and hope whatever Yuki has planned is something with a hook for her overheated brain.

[CaptainL]

Sure enough, as soon as Yuki's other foot left the ground, she dropped to her back - she had abandoned her center of balance in the name of dishing out some damage on her foe, and when Shimmerlace was holding onto her other leg, she had nowhere to go but down. But when Yuki went down, at least she was ready. No sooner had she landed that she quickly pushed herself back up, propping herself up on her elbows so as not to let a second of the action leave her sights. She sucked in a breath, but she shook her head, clearing the sweaty strands of hair from out of her eyes. She might have gone down, but it was well worth it - she'd knocked Shimmerlace back in the process, forcing the pink-haired girl to let her go. The thought of it made a smile come to Yuki's face as she reminded herself that her efforts had all paid off in the end. But that smile soon dropped into a steely, focused glare. She had gotten the edge on Shimmer, but things were far from finished. She had the advantage; now it was time to press onward with it!

Finding the strength she needed in her confidence, Yuki quickly kipped back up to her feet, and as soon as her boots met the ground she took off running. She could see that Shimmerlace had hit the ropes, and right now she was stretching herself back against them, drawing on their momentum to catapult herself forward like a rock flung from a slingshot. There would be no time to intercept her before she bounced back - if Yuki tried to meet her head-on, she'd just be throwing herself directly into the line of fire. No, when she ran, she ran backward. She threw her back against the ropes on the opposite side of the ring, her eyes locking on Shimmerlace all the while. If Shimmer wanted to use the ropes, then Yuki was going to counter her blow for blow, with her exact same tactics!

When the tension on the ropes released, it would shoot Shimmer straight toward the center of the ring, catapulting her at top speeds. But at the same time, Yuki was looking to launch herself from the other side of the ring, hurtling toward Shimmer with just as much force! It would all be a matter of who would strike first - this one moment could determine the course of the match, depending on who seized the advantage. One would triumph; the other would be struck down with all the momentum of the charge coming crashing into them. It was all up to whoever would be faster on the draw. But Yuki was determined that would be her, as she drew her arm back, preparing to let it loose with a lariat as she came close!