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[CaptainL]

The anger was rising in Angelina's voice; she needled at Yuki more and more, egging the girl on. If she was going to get out of her grasp, Angelina wanted to make her work for it. As she felt the pressure tighten around her throat, Yuki's eyes bulged, and a cough was ripped from her lungs, only to be muffled beneath Angelina's hold, drowned into a hoarse rasp. She could feel the heat building inside her chest - all the stale air and frustration that she was keeping penned up inside herself - and the edges of the world had begun to blur as more and more air was wrung out of her lungs. But Yuki wasn't about to lie down and take this. Not Angelina's taunts, and not her physical attacks either. She was doing her best to fight back, but it seemed like nothing she was doing was working. But when Angelina came crawling forward over her...then Yuki at last found the willpower she needed to escape. With a buck of her hips, and a shove at the redhead's shoulders, she was able to flip Angelina off of her, and sent her crashing to the floor!

Now, with the pressure off of her, Yuki rolled up to sit on the bed. She groaned and rubbed at her throat, still aching from where Angelina had grabbed at it; she winced as she felt the lingering soreness there still. She would need a moment to get the air back in her lungs, and when she took a breath, it came through in a heavy heave, leaving her doubled over and gagging. But she was quick to push herself up straighter, and there, her eyes locked onto Angelina with a piercing glare. Yuki knew better than to take her eyes off the Marauder. She couldn't leave herself open, or give her the chance to strike back. And she couldn't concede defeat to her, either!

Now, all sense of subtlety between them had gone out the window. They might have been dueling in passive-aggressive nods and sidelong glances when they were at the dinner table, but they had to keep their fists to themselves when Yuki's parents were present. Even when they were behind closed doors, their squabbles had been a closer, softer affair, the sort easily glossed over by those unaware - the two of them were wrestling for control both literally and figuratively as they tossed and turned over the bed, but they never came to more direct blows. But now, they might as well have forgotten they were trying not to alert anyone to their battle. Now, Yuki saw Angelina draw her foot back, prepared to kick Yuki straight in the jaw. If it hit, it was sure to hurt. But then...Yuki wasn't about to let Angelina get away with it!

Just then, she jumped back to her feet, in one swift motion rising from the bed and reaching out to grab Angelina's leg as it came near her! "I've got more! Much more!" she shouted back, both in response to Angelina's taunts, and in an attempt to build herself up in the face of such doubts! If she could secure a hold on Angelina's foot, Yuki would shove back at it hard, attempting to fling Angelina backward with the momentum of her rise on her side!

[Monsy]

You knew you were getting your money’s worth when neither could contain their shouting. Nor the fighting. From rolling around, the chokes and hair pulls. Felt just like old times. The best times. And having waited for something to come out of all of this, she got her answer with a quick toss off the bed. It wasn’t much at first. Pain in your back was like a nibble, where you’re more winded and squeezing your diaphragm that needed to get back on beat. Even then, she didn’t give Yuki a moment’s respite, pushing herself as one should and throwing her leg into a kick that could’ve finished this.

‘I’ve got more! Much more!’ Had to be the best thing she said. It almost brought her to forget the idea of a yearbook just to come at her. Gold that shined ten times brighter. A true contender. But before that, she flew, with her knee half-bent as her foot was caught, used to throw her into a desk and mirror. Her hip hit the lip, and her head snapped into the glass with her upper back. The whiplash was muffled only by the spiderweb forming in its face, dripping in shards and medium chunks.

About a third gave way. Mostly on the upper-portion, middle and sides. “N-Nghh…” She blinked, as the world danced and swished around, she tried to sit up and lean off the wall, but ended up sinking deeper into it. Her knees just became uncoordinated and it was hard to place her hands. They still found the back of her head, pinching and writhing, brought back around to see some red colour on her index and middle fingers.

She let it fall, then looked at Yuki with a twitching upper lip. “Wanna know why I said no to that do-over?” She huffed, sucking in deep before a sigh, counting her fingers as she listed, “Amano, RG, Xiomara, Skylah, me. What's one thing all those important matches have in common? Hu-mili-ation. Mommy and Daddy raised the most talented fail addict to evah chase a belt.” Angelina laughed, “I got nothin’ for choke artists but contempt.”

[CaptainL]

In the heat of the moment, everything else seemed to fall away. There was no outside world to worry about any more, no fear of tipping off anyone to their quarrel, and no respect for ettiquite and proper conduct. Angelina had dragged Yuki into a fight whether she wanted one or not, and by now, everything was flying by far too quickly for anyone to stop and think. She'd invaded her home, she had violated her privacy, she had promised even more threats to come - she had turned everything Yuki knew upside down, and left her with nowhere she could call a safe haven. Even now that the fists were being thrown, Angelina was only out to escalate things further at every turn. Yuki had no choice but to rise to meet her. And when she grabbed the redhead by the leg, acting on a split-second impulse to dodge and deflect her opponent's next strike, to divert the momentum against her, everything came as naturally to Yuki as breathing. One motion flowed into the next. It was kill or be killed. She had to fight for her life!

But in one second, everything came to a screeching halt. Angelina flew back into the mirror - and with it, the sound of breaking glass shocked Yuki back to her senses. It pierced through the otherwise tranquil air of the Kazikura household, commanding the attention of everyone in earshot. And to Yuki, that meant the most. Her eyes went wide and glassy, and her whole body shook with a gasp; her hand flew to her mouth as she stared out at the scene before her. It only would have taken a few seconds, but to Yuki, everything dragged on into an eternity.

She had done this. Angelina was bleeding. There was broken glass everywhere - and it was her fault.

A cold, clammy sensation trickled down the back of Yuki's neck, and her heart pounded in her chest. But all she could do was stare back at her rival in shock - every word she could have said died in her throat. Ever since her barbed wire match with Amano Jaku, Yuki had known she truly was capable of such brutality and such aggression if she was pushed past the breaking point. That was something not even she had been aware she had in her - and the thought had left her terrified. Yuki hardly knew the power she possessed, but if it was that frightful and that destructive, she never wanted it to come out again. But now, it seemed, it had - and at the time where she needed to hold it back more than any. She didn't want things to escalate this far. She didn't want that rage to become necessary. But now, it was out. And she couldn't take back what she had done.

"Oh...my god...I..." Each word that left Yuki came between gasps, as her shoulders rose and fell in a frenzy. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't apologize, because Angelina didn't deserve that. She couldn't admit she was wrong, because that would be conceding ground to Angelina, and she didn't want to give her any opportunity to boast about besting her. But she couldn't just ignore what she had done. She couldn't just go back to living life like it had never happened.

But Yuki's mind would soon be made up for her. Because Angelina just had to open her mouth again.

"...what?" Yuki's voice was soft; barely above a hushed whisper. But her eyes narrowed in a piercing glare, her teeth clenched, and her fingers balled into tight, quivering fists at her sides. Her breaths quickened with each exhale, from pants to heaves to the snorts of a bull ready to charge. For as much as Yuki wanted to keep that anger back, for as much as it scared her...Angelina had brought that out, more than ever before. She had to have known, now. She was going after Yuki's greatest fear - her own inadequacy. For every major match she tried to hold herself to, no matter how she tried to push past her limits and become stronger than she ever was before, it never seemed to be enough. She always fell short, in the end. It left her questioning who she was, what her purpose was, if she even had a future. Yuki tried to push those fears out of her head. But now, Angelina had held them right up in front of her face. And Yuki couldn't just ignore that.

"What. Did you say!?" Yuki began to storm toward Angelina now, with every footfall coming down with the force of a stomp. She couldn't just let this slide any more. She couldn't shrink back in fear of who she was. She couldn't run away from it. More than anything else, this told her she needed to embrace it. Even if it was just between the two of them, Yuki's pride was on the line. Angelina had cast everything she held about herself into doubt. If she let her get away with that now... it would only prove Angelina's point. That she couldn't follow through. It would just be another time Yuki tried to stand up to a greater opponent than ever before, only to fall flat.

She wasn't going to let that happen any more. Not to Angelina. Not to anyone!

Throwing herself down onto her knees in front of Angelina, Yuki moved to grab the redhead by the collar of her shirt, pulling her forward. Her other hand clenched into a fist, held just overhead. One eye bulged, while the other was narrowed in a squint, and her teeth gnashed in fury. "This is gonna be different!!" With that, Yuki let her fist fly, aimed right for Angelina's face!

[Monsy]

Helluva knock that was. One moment you’re looking to make this girl count the sheep, next, you’re having dribbles of glass rain from your scalp, pitter-patter the carpet behind you like fall away diamonds. She still had half a mouth to talk, talk and talk. It seemed like most of her growl was locked there than her fists -- or she would’ve gotten up. Fuck, she should’ve. You hear that rev from whispers, to a question -- to a shout. Higher and higher. She comes closer, and almost felt like a fuckin’ loom with all that teeth squeezing together. Hardly moved from there, on her knees, grabbing her collar. Angelina rebutted by doing the same, bringing her hand up to clutch a handful of their collar, then curling her fist in to pull it taut. Her elbow touched the wall. It was limited. A bit fucked. But fuck this girl even more.

“A-AGH!” Her head snaps back into the wall, denting the drywall. You can feel her spine unhinge as she wobbles on her shoulders, then falls sideways with just her upper-half bending like a slithering snake. It’s a shot of pure fucking venom in her jaw. Her head had turned, with hair taking place to cover what looked like a reddening bruise. She licked her teeth and whirled around her wounded jaw. The punching arm froze, and as she teetered, pressed against the wall before it placed down on the floor. She went in and out of a wince, seeing rabbits and Yukis, feeling upside down and still spinning around that she felt nauseous. One eye peeked, dazed and partially vacant, looking up to Yuki and starting to pant -- but managing to show contempt.

[CaptainL]

Yuki was through trying to reason with Angelina. She had already seen that would get her nowhere. No matter how much Yuki tried to talk her down, or how much she tried to appeal to common decency, the Marauder wasn't going to have any of it. She had already made up her mind - she wasn't going to get out of Yuki's life unless the girl drove her out by force. But if that was what it would come down to...Yuki would play by her rules!

Now she had the redhead pinned down, lying in a heap of broken glass and scattered pillows. She leaned in closer, moving to straddle her waist just as Angelina had done to her a moment before, in order to gain a more advantageous position with which to execute her assault. She was done holding back - she couldn't keep running from that aggression in her; not when she needed it now more than ever. She had to show Angelina that this wouldn't fly, and that she was done tolerating her antics. If Angelina was that hell-bent on antagonizing her, Yuki was going to show her what a mistake she was making.

Angelina grabbed for Yuki's shirt as well, but the dark-haired girl didn't even feel it. Her grip was weak; her strength was fading fast - and she was lost in the adrenaline rush of finally standing up to her rival; finally letting out all the anger and the frustration she had been forced to keep pent up in side of her for so long. Angelina had deprived her of a rematch. She had barged into her own home, forcing her to confront the threat she posed to her safety and stability, while making sure she couldn't do a thing about it. Now, Yuki was going to finish that fight, even if she had to take matters into her own hands! Even after Angelina had crumpled into the corner, even after her own punches had long since ceased, Yuki wouldn't let up. She would keep throwing blow after blow at the Marauder's face. With each one that landed, she could feel her heart soar - each punch was one that had been denied of her for too long. But now, at last, she could have closure. Now, she could put this all behind her. She was going to keep going until Angelina couldn't move, and maybe even beyond that...

When the rest of the world had died down into a low drone, Yuki didn't hear the footsteps coming down the hallway behind her. She didn't give a thought to the commotion she was making - not until, just then, she heard the door swing open.

"...Yuki?"

In that moment, Yuki froze. She looked back over her shoulder to see her parents standing behind her, their faces aghast. And in that moment, the reality of her situation came flooding back at her. Her face went white, her eyes wide. Her hand hung in the air, her whole body rigid, but too frozen up in shock to move. She realized she had lost control - and when she realized that she'd let her aggression get the better of her again, she felt the pit drop in her stomach almost immediately. It was the lesson she'd taken away from that barbed wire match, the one thing she had sworn herself to overcoming - and now, she had failed herself.

But worse yet was the reckoning this would bring. Yuki realized that now, her parents were seeing their daughter unleash a relentless beatdown on their new houseguest, in a room that had been thrown into disarray. And she realized that there was nothing she could do to explain herself.

[Monsy]

When the hits become a torrential rain, you no longer register the wet after a few seconds. Her face just pings, back and forth, a little less each time until it was just her neck holding her head upright for another. The knuckles made a loud clap against her bone, and the skin slapped, smashed into her teeth, eye and neck, replaced by swelling, congesting and forming a small unnoticeable inflaming pad where she ate one shot after another. The pain itself was numbing after the eighth shot, and her neck gone sore. “Guh! AGH! EGH!!”

The spittle turns to red, thrown to the side. Her lip is split in two. A gash collects over her eye as she steadily sunk back into the carpet, with her upper-body held up by Yuki’s fist. She saw white and endured an ear-jarring ring, with her eyes gradually slipping into her skull and her mouth slacked, drooling more colour onto the carpet. Her voice mostly stopped, melting into whines. A leg shivered and kicked involuntarily. A coping mechanism when the discomfort was total, violent and constant. At last, the hand holding Yuki’s collar fell and she was more or less spread eagle, panting when it came to a sudden stop.

She opened her eyes, more like peeked as the upside down world wasn’t too kind to the recently knocked out Marauder. One eye was easier to open, facing the door. Her head sort of dangled, horns touched the floor, slack with a noodle spine and sandbag limbs.

“Aah. Kazikura-san.” Angelina took the moment frozen in time to slip the yearbook underneath her sweater, then rested on her elbows, breathing slow but long. She looked up to Yuki, “Ya were right, we should’ve done this outside.” Her head turned to the parents, licking her banged up lip to hide the damage as best she could, and fostering a smile. “We… Well, it is what it looks like. I wanted to know what it takes to be a future champ like ya daughtah here. I didn’t want her to hold back. She was insistent on bein’ light inside, warned me even, but I pushed it.”

It was hoped that this might placate them. At least to be confused. And especially at least for her to get up, grabbing onto a dresser, tucking an arm over her belly then using the ledge to pull herself back up. She ended up leaning and stumbling into the wall. She shook her head, trying to sort the cobwebs. God it was like walking on manual. One leg. Two leg. One-two. One-two. Except one of those legs just doesn't stop shivering. Then you manage an awkward stance, stare at the pair as they shift into doubles. She put one foot forward for awkward balance, then bowed, putting as much angle as she could to at least hide the fact she looked like absolute shit. “I’m sorry for bein’ a bad guest.”

Then went upright, turning around, still panting and having a slight slouch. She made a finger gun, “See ya soon, Yooks.” Then headed for the door, slipping between the parents and going straight for the exit, not even putting on her boots but picking them up and exiting immediately. The farther she got away, the more she bit her inner cheek. The more rage reached a boil. She wanted to scream. Break down a wall. Smash a car. Anything and everything. The veins were bulging in her neck, and the only medicine was simply taking her bike, racing off and yelling into the wind.

[CaptainL]

One split-second was enough to change everything. One moment, Yuki had lost herself in her anger, and in her pursuit of vengeance. All the emotions she had repressed, that she had held down for fear of overtaking her, had come back to the surface - and when they exploded outward, it was Angelina who was right there in the crosshairs. All the doubts, all the hesitations she ever could have had, she let it all fall away. Angelina had been the cause of all of this. If anyone needed to be punished, it was her. Yuki couldn't even see the blood running from her lip, or the bruises she was painting over her face, or the way the Marauder had gone limp against the floor - all those things that should have given her pause. Every time her fist landed against Angelina's face, it felt satisfying. It was release, relief, of all those feelings she'd had but forced to keep to herself - only now could she let them be free; she could be honest.

And then - the moment she heard the door open, the moment she realized she wasn't alone - everything stopped.

Yuki spun back around to face her parents, who stared back at the two girls from the doorway, aghast and in utter shock. She was reminded, then, that the rest of the world existed - and that she had let herself forget that, in the heat and intensity of the moment. Now, she had embraced all that anger and that hate, and she had let herself become the very thing she was most afraid of; the thing she'd tried so hard to hold at bay. Now, her parents could see all of that. What would they think happened to her daughter? Would they think that she really was just a mindless brute? That she had done all this to their houseguest?

She scrambled off of Angelina, but when she saw the state she was in - how she teetered on her footing, how her body sagged under the weight of all her aches and pains - she shuddered, shrinking back into herself as the color drained from her face. Had she really done all of that-!? She was just as alarmed as her parents were, and a sinking feeling set into her stomach. But for her part, Angelina was doing what she could to take the blame, coming up with an excuse about the two of them wanting to spar. Even letting Yuki come off as the responsible one for wanting to do it inside. For her efforts, her parents seemed to buy it - they breathed a sigh of relief, heading into the room. Yuki wanted to play along; she wanted to apologize for being too rough. Perhaps, even just a little, she might just mean it. But she couldn't - she was still in shock, and no words came to her.

Kanae took a step forward, extending her hand to the girl to try and steady her. "Are...are you okay, Angelina..? Do you need something? Here, I can get something for your bleeding-" But Angelina already slipped outside, not even leaving Yuki a chance to get anything in first. Jiro confronted his daughter, looking at her with a gaze that Yuki couldn't quite place. Fear, maybe. Or disappointment. But mostly confusion. "Yuki...what happened?"

"I'm...I'm sorry, Dad..."

"It isn't your fault, just...you got carried away, didn't you?"

To that, Yuki said nothing. She hung her head low, staring at the floor beneath her. She couldn't bear the thought of even making eye contact. Yuki knew in the depths of her heart that he was right. The fact that Angelina had made off with the yearbook didn't even cross her mind, and she didn't care anyway. That wasn't the reason she'd failed.