Yukino Fuyumi vs. Vin Caster - Idols and Queens in a POW match

[Hagen-Autem]

Type: POW match.
Rules:All the rules of a regular standard match will apply; with the exception of disqualifications for being out of the ring, moreover, participants will only be disqualified if they are caught breaking the rules 3 times. The prohibitions that lead to a strike are: low blows, raking your opponent's eyes, biting, using objects, third party intervention, not releasing your opponent after a 5-count by the referee after declaring a rope-break.
Rules POW: The loser will belong to her opponent by 24 hrs.
Win by: Pinfall, knockout, verbal submission, tap-out.

Vin's theme

As soon as her theme overtook her, the long-haired, brunette pub rep stepped through the entrance to the top ramp to strike a power pose, tensing every muscle fibre in her slender, athletic body for the announcer's introduction:

"VIN CASTER. THE COPPERHEAD." The number of times she's been called that are counted, and in her mind there would be no room to take it as a good omen, moreover that no matter how many hands reached out to her from the railings, Vin leaned into none of them - today, her mind was not focused on them, but on the was at the end of her advance: the ring. Because today had to be different.

And with each step of hers, that indifferent gesture in her face became more obvious - she flicked the tip of her tongue to below of her lips to get over her bad taste she was getting her bad run with these idols. She herself would be prey to say that these defeats had been luck, even if she herself didn't believe in it. Because Vin Caster couldn't be that bad after all, could she? Even if she hadn't had a match that showed how talented she herself believed she was. If she is. Maybe she isn't? Maybe she's just another wrestler in a huge federation that every day links up with more and more independent circuits as happened with Gart's pub-club, formerly Gart's Bar.

To refute those musings with a single sentence, with conviction tested at every turn by her performance in comparison to the blonde and the pinkette...it was becoming a feat under that skin not to kick something to silence that static. Maybe she was the one who wasn't seeing things as they are...

But no! She clicked her tongue to stop all those unfounded ramblings that were undermining her mind. It had to be better than this! She is a not roockie.

'It's just a fucking record.' She thought. 'It doesn't mean anything at the end of the day.' She demurred before running the remaining stretch of the ramp to leap into the ring to go under the ropes in a slide and get to her corner to plant one of her boots on one of the turnbuckles and use it as a stepping stone to reach the next one. And from that rampant position, screaming like a raging animal from the top of her corner for all to hear, mainly that feeling inside her head that wants to sink her in depressing frustration. Enlivening the audience with her howl and mixing her raging emotion with the cheering to form an overwhelming euphoric wave by all.

Today was going to be different, it didn't have to, it was going to be! Because she had to prove to everyone that she was above all those bushleague - even if Vin has to take it more seriously and give it her all like a professional wrestler should always do.

Vin's idol outfit

[CaptainL]

As she waited backstage, Yukino did her best to calm her nerves, sucking in a breath as her fists clenched and unclenched at her sides. By all means, she shouldn't be this worried, she told herself. She had won at Apex, and that had more than proven that she had what it took to elevate herself to the upper ranks of LAW. Against any other opponent, she would have been ready to go, no questions asked. But against Vin Caster, she found herself just a little more on edge.

In the leadup to Apex, Yukino had faced Gabriel Vinlee, a parner of Vin's, and though she had given it her all and pushed herself to her limits, doing the best she could to keep up with the pressure Gabriel put on her, in the end, she still faced a crushing defeat, one that rocked the foundations of her confidence in herself. She thought she had bounced back from that, and that her victory at Apex should have put any doubts to rest, but all it took was her being put up against a fellow pub representative to remind her of all her fears and anxieties rising to the surface once again. What if she wasn't good enough? If Gabriel was already such a tough opponent, would Vin give her just as much of a challenge - and could she keep up?

Furthermore, she knew all too well that there was a deeper history at play between Vin and the Idol Dragons. Yukino's partner, Nashi Dragneel, had already served her a humiliating defeat in a prior humiliation match. That should have put Yukino's mind at ease, reminding her that she'd proven Vin could be bested. But instead, it only made her worry more. Yukino was sure that Vin still remembered that match, and that she still held a grudge that wasn't going to be put to rest so easily. When the two teams ran into each other at the Rodouko Gym's Halloween party, Yukino could feel the tension radiating off of Vin just from being around her and Nashi. If all that resentment was still going strong, surely that would carry into their match - and surely, Vin would be all the more driven to succeed, just to set the matter straight and pay Yukino back for what Nashi had done to her. Yukino, no doubt, would have to watch her back.

Perhaps the biggest threat hanging over Yukino's head, however, was that this would be a POW match. If she lost here, then she would have no choice but to sign over her freedom to Vin for a whole day. And if Vin hated the Idol Dragons as much as Yukino thought she did, she could only shudder to think of what she could do to her if she had free reign. Was she going to put her through further torments? Was she going to vent all of her frustrations on her? Was it something even worse than Yukino could ever imagine?

Whatever it was...she couldn't let it get to her now, she told herself. Taking in a long, deep breath, Yukino stood a little taller and faced the curtains. Now, it was her turn to go on, and she had to be ready for it.

Spoiler

The announcer called out her name, and the crowd lit up in cheers as Yukino stepped out onto the ramp to the sound of her music playing. When she was all her supporters calling out to her, clapping and waving and holding up signs with messages voicing their encouragment on them, Yukino smiled a little wider - knowing that all of her fans were still counting on her, that they still believed in her, she thought to herself that she just might be able to do this. She waved back and slapped a few high-fives on her way down the aisle - but when she came to the ring, she looked up at Vin, and there her eyes narrowed into a glare as she climbed up onto the apron and through the ropes. She drew in one last deep breath as her eyes met her opponent's. She knew she would need it.

[Hagen-Autem]

Vin's mind was more absorbed in herself, in that corner, than in her surroundings and her screams. Almost staring into nothingness was the brunette. And she didn't wake up until she heard the idol's rhythm - her eyes barely reacted with a blink to look in the direction of the upper ramp.

Petite, white-haired, adorable, dressed with flamboyance like herself. She must surely feel like she's in her own skin, unlike Vin who had to dress like an idol for a precept to this match. Yukino embodied a lot of the things Vin usually pushes aside - her own best friend Sonny was considered a cute little ball that everyone wanted to cuddle and care for, just like the twins in her faction, but they're exceptions to the rule and Retchaell knows they have no real chance of beating her, not alone. But these idols and their tricks...

Her eyes responded by holding Yukino's gaze as she clocked her before stepping into the ring. The Japanese woman didn't look like she was going to be intimidated by anyone, that's what the pub rep understood from that look of hers, and that's good in a competitor because right now it's in Vin's best interest to put aside how she looks and see her how she wants to behave- a pro-wrestler.

Very good, dwarf. She thought. All that internal clattering was holding itself together like a spider's web while the referee prepared to made the call for the bell to start ringing as soon as the two are face-to-face in the centre of the ring. However, Vin would take their time to detach herself from her corner despite the evocation, and she would take even more time as she walked ever so slowly to the centre of the ring.

For her strategy was very simple: The Second queen of pub-club wanted to force the bell strike before they faced each other, because if that happened, Vin could take the lead for an explosive move! Cutting the remaining distance with a flip that would turn into a cartwheel kick immediately. Although, given her face and aura, one would sense that something is not right with her.

[CaptainL]

Yukino had to admit, she...wasn't exactly prepared for Vin to be dressed like this. She'd only had limited experience with the Copperhead before, but every time she'd seen her, she had been fierce, intimidating, and deadly serious, with a piercing look in her eyes that seemed to stare right through to her soul. She still had that now, granted, but it was tempered a fair amount when she was dressed in a frilly outfit not unlike what Nashi and Yukino might wear themselves on stage. It seemed so uncharacteristic for Vin's style that Yukino had to ask herself what reasons she had - if she had lost a bet, or if this was some stipulation from a match she wasn't aware of. When she entered the ring, her eyebrow raised as she studied her opponent curiously. The urge to chuckle slipped to the forefront of her mind - but just as quickly, Yukino bit her tongue and sucked in a breath, standing a little straighter. No matter what Vin might have looked like or how she was dressed, this was still a match she would need to take as seriously as any other, she reminded herself. Emotions were sure to run high, and the stakes were higher than ever. Yukino had to be ready for anything - she couldn't afford to lose.

And indeed, before the bell had even rung, Vin was already closing in on Yukino! The white-haired girl gasped - she had no idea what her foe's plans were, or what she was about to do. But the timekeeper saw what was going on, and the bell soon sounded!

*DING DING DING*

No sooner had that happened, Vin sprung into action - and Yukino knew she had only a fraction of a second to make her move! There was no time to ponder anything! Her body seized up, leaning back from Vin as she flung herself forward in a cartwheel, and her arms swung up to cover her face with her forearms in an attempt to block the brunt of the blow. Still, Vin would hit with no small amount of force, sending Yukino staggering back toward the ropes. She winced from the stinging sensation in her arms, and she grabbed onto the ropes to steady herself, her knees buckling and her feet threatening to give way as she panted for breath. Vin was quick to remind her she was a threat worth taking seriously!

[Hagen-Autem]

Vin didn't stutter, her kick made itself felt in Yukino's defence to a level that would make even fans of this Idol Ice Dragon feel the power of the Second Queen's legs. Almost as if no one knew which of the three queens in her faction: Vin Castes was the most sadistic when it came to beatings. Although she was not at all willing to give Yukino the same experience she had with her partner in kingship.

But maybe it was just that the brunette's tactics caught Yukino off guard, and that was something that could be set against the course of the match. And as the match had only just begun, fans knew that Yukino could do something against such this volatile European. But for better or worse, Vin still had that rattlesnake expression on her face, ready to bite again and with no interest in giving her any quarter or time for assimilate to her target.

So, the impartial queen took advantage of the idol's stupefied state - plus the fact that the white-haired wrestler had backed up so far that she was on the ropes in a bad position - and rushed back into a race that brought out her trademark wild speed and eagerness to connect blows, predisposed to leap with her knee aimed at Yukino's chest. It was a running knee smash!

It was clear- Vin was thinking of nothing else but racking up a lot of damage on the idol. Wanting to set her up to take her to who knows where today at the end of the match.

[CaptainL]

Vin had opened this match up with a display of her power, and it was one that said, in no uncertain terms, what Yukino would have to look forward to. The white-haired girl had been staggered by her kick, throwing her back a few steps, and with each time her foot came down on the mat she stumbled on uneasy footing, her balance threatening to give out from under her as she rocked from side to side. She might have blocked the kick, but Vin had hit with enough force to rattle her sense of balance - what Yukino would be dealing with if she hadn't blocked, she could hardly imagine. As she came to the ropes, Yukino bent forward at the waist, her body sagging under its own weight. She took in a few pants to bring the air back in her lungs; as she did, her eyes squeezed shut in a pained wince as the ache of Vin's kick rippled up and down her arms. But she still grit her teeth and looked back up, pushing her feet off the mat to straighten her back. That was just a taste of Vin's power, Yukino told herself. There would be far more where that came from...and it was for that reason that she'd need to be ready for what her opponent had in store.

Indeed, when she looked back up, she saw that Vin was coming straight toward her! One foot pushed off the ground behind her to launch herself through the air toward Yukino; the other curled beneath her as she kicked her knee up to try and drive it into the girl's chest. The sight would have been enough to make many a wrestler shudder - even Yukino couldn't help but tense at the thought. But if she had anything to say about it...she wouldn't let Vin have her way! Looking to cut her opponent off at the pass with an attack of her own, Yukino would lunge closer, her forearm swinging up in an arc toward Vin's jaw to try and intercept her with a European uppercut! She'd just need to strike fast enough to land her blow before Vin did hers!

[Hagen-Autem]

Vin was about to find out how much one of these idols can take if she goes all out from the start - the targets were clear in this pub rep's mind, Yukino was nothing more than a target with its centre in her chest, but the potential obstacles and setbacks to meeting them were not contemplated...

Just as Retchaell was about to eject from the platform to drive that devastating knee where she wanted it - didn't even show a hint of hesitation as she was about to do it - a European uppercut came out of nowhere! at the same speed at which Vin rushed! to jerk this Gart Viper's head backwards like a pendulum! Ruining all the Copperhead's plans and sending her body at crashing like a towel onto her opponent's, hilariously before of a bounce that sent Vin back three steps with no direction at all.

But it wasn't enough to stun her - Vin would have to be a very glassy cannon for such a soft hit to be able to deal with her; Although the truth was that something in her head restarted, forcing her to stop her barrage to put everything back in place. "Mhgh...Buahg!..."

Although, if the brunette was able to recover back as fast as she kicks, then she would raise her furious eyes again to aim at Yukino's abdomen and drive one of her feet there to put in her place this 'showgirl'.

But that would only happen if she was the one to pull herself together first, because if she wasn't, she wouldn't be who to take the opportunity either.

"You...! Little son of..."

[CaptainL]

No matter how much Vin might have viewed her as just an idol, no matter how much she might have scorned her as an over-glorified pop star using her fame in the music world to push herself to the front of the line in LAW, Yukino was determined to prove she was so much more than that. She was a wrestler, and one skilled and capable enough to have not only made it all the way to Apex, but to win her match there. As the brunette came closer and closer to her, Yukino's next move was one aimed to get that message across - and just before Vin's knee could connect, she threw herself forward, her forearm cutting through the air in an arc to slam into her opponent's chin!

A few fans in the crowd let out a cheer, invigorated by the sight of Yukino taking back some of the momentum for herself and refusing to be cowed by such a display from her opponent! However, Yukino wasn't unscathed. The momentum had thrown Vin forward, and for a moment the two girls crashed into one another, throwing Yukino back into the ropes with a yelp. She stretched the ropes against her weight, her footing threatening to give way as her teeth clenched in a wince, but before she could fall, the ropes pulled taut to push her back onto her feet - while Vin went staggering backward, forcing some distance between the two girls. Had she been anywhere else in the ring, Yukino knew she wouldn't have been so lucky.

For a moment, Yukino stayed where she was, hanging on the ropes and panting for breath. Vin's speed had been on full display, and that move more than anything else had served as a wakeup call to the white-haired idol that she needed to stay on her toes - that any wrong move could allow her opponent to seize control. In fact, already Vin was straightening herself to her feet - and Yukino looked up with a gasp to see her already drawing back a foot! If Vin was able to land this strike from such close range, the wind could be knocked right out of her! But, she reminded herself, she had the ropes to brace her. The wide-eyed look on her face soon turned to one of a stern, focused determination. That could well be her salvation.

Grabbing onto the ropes to anchor herself in place, Yukino went to throw herself over in a backflip to get onto the apron, and out of the way! If she timed it right, Vin's foot would only land on the ropes. But that assumed she would be quick enough to act in time!

[Hagen-Autem]

The stubbornness of Vin was a very strong notion, able to maintain a focus to act against was even dazed or clumsy, and with an engine as fierce as impulsiveness, she will do anything to make the 'Wrecking ball' nickname count!

But things didn't go her way: Yukino managed to do a backflip around the top rope to get off of the way of Vin's leg before contact - leaving the ankle of this second queen to hang from the rope at the same time that the idol ended up standing on the apron at the end of her acrobatics.

Vin was stunned, she wasn't even paying attention to the uproar of cheers for the idol for such a manoeuvre worthy of a replay on the titantron screen. If it's not one thing, it's another? How? Is she doing something wrong here or is there something she's not noticing?... and if she just not as good as she thinks she is?

"T'ch! What?!!" Vin spat out, at the same time improvising one more kick! The brunette would take advantage of this new position to use the support ropes as she leapt so that she could turn her entire body in the air to the left like a big rudder, looking to drive her support foot into Yukino's head in an springboard Enzuigiri kick. She wasn't going to accept that an idol was that good, no more so than her, who has trained so much...

[CaptainL]

Yukino knew she had to act fast - there was no margin for error when Vin was bearing down on her as fast as she could, with her mind already made up that she had nothing in store but the white-haired girl's destruction. If she didn't pull this off, she only had a relentless beatdown to look forward to. But Vin had well and truly shown her that she meant business, and Yukino was in no mood to sit around and find out just how hard she could hit. Luckily, the dance training Yukino had been through to hone her craft on the stage made sure she was agile and quick on her feet - and right as Vin's kick was about to slam into her, she was able to flip over the top rope, getting onto the apron with nary a second to spare!

Yukino leaned against the ropes, panting for breath and shaking herself out. That had been far too close for her liking. At least she was out of trouble now - but after pulling off something like that, she would need a moment or two for the frantic pounding of her heart to calm down before she was ready to jump back into the action. And that was a moment Vin had no intentions of allowing her.

Just as Yukino caught her breath, and just as she began to push herself back up, Vin suddenly cut her off when she hopped into the air and whipped around a kick aimed right at the back of Yukino's head! The idol let out a gasp, only for it to be cut short by the sound of a scream as a wave of pain erupted through her spine. Grabbing the back of her head, she curled her body inward to try and brace herself against the impact, but the force of the blow was enough to knock her off the apron, sending her wiping out on the floor below and skidding a few feet away!

Rolling up onto her side and panting for breath, the Winter Idol grumbled to herself as she tried to rub at her bruises. She might have managed to prevent a worse fate for herself, but this one still hurt!