Invoking the Spirits: Yuri Yoshika vs Kanon Fujiwara

[Malkavia]

‎ ‎

Standard Match: Victory to be awarded on pinfall, submission, or KO

[CaptainL]

Nightmare on LAW Street had barely begun, yet to all the fans in the audience, cheering and screaming - some, perhaps, out of more than just hype - it might as well have been raging all night, from the energy on display. Whether it was the appeal for die-hard LAW fans of seeing a show come to a town it didn't often tour, or the atmosphere of Halloween night, there didn't seem to be a soul in the crowd who wasn't eager to see what the next match would bring. For such an occasion as this, Mr. Halloween couldn't ask for anything better.

In fact, he was going to make that known - the big screens set up over the stands crackled to life, the image slowly fading into being through a haze of crackling static before any onlookers could make out him seated before his desk, his elbows planted on the surface and his fingers tented just in front of his face. His brow cast a deep shadow over his features, but the smirk that played across his face was unmistakable.

"I can hear all of you, my welcome guests," he began."And oh, how I love it so. The only thing that warms my heart more than this time of year is the company of all those who share my passion - our passion. My fellow creatures of the night, what music we make! And it isn't just you and I who are moved on such a day, my dear friends - the two young ladies we're blessed enough to have grace the ring in just a moment's time, they too share our spirit. They aren't content to live a life so mundane, so expected, so explainable - no, they seek greater powers; they dare ot peer into the beyond. They say that the spirits are powerful on this day. And these women, yes, they feel them. To all of us, this is a day like no other, but to them? Ah, it's so much more. With that in mind...I eagerly await what they may show us..."

With that, the signal on the big screen began to fade, the feed growing choppier and hazy - some would've sworn it flashed through a montage of strange, subliminal images for a split-second at a time - before it at last blinked out of sight. That gave the floor back over to the ring announcer, and as the lights began to focus in on the ring, it was that announcer whose voice filled the speakers...

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall! Coming first to the ring, from Kyoto, Japan, at a height of 5'8, weighing 140 pounds! KANON FUJIWAAAAR-"

But before the announcer could even finish calling out one competitor's name, the audio was suddenly cut, and the lights went out too, plunging the arena into darkness. For a time, all was silent - no one in the stands even wanted to make a noise, lest they attract attention. But then, the image of a spinning pentagram, blood-red and with arcane inscriptions lining its circumference, appeared on the screen. And when the lights shone down on the entrance ramp, they bathed the stage in red, as fog poured from the curtains like the entrance to a forgotten tomb.

Spoiler

Music

From out of that smoke stepped Kanon herself, her arms spread wide at her sides, and her gleaming scythe close at hand. As though she'd fallen into a trance, her head rolled back over her shoulder, and she muttered a chant in some incomprehensible tongue, standing in the light. Only a few moments later did she begin to walk her way down to the ring, but even then her head hung low, and each step fell with a solemn thud, as though her strides carried the weight of her intentions. When she at last reached the apron, she planted the blade of the scythe firmly in the ground and bowed her head in reverence, placing her hands upon its pommel. "Sit hic ager...ungatur in sanguine..."

Then, once again, the lights cut. When they came up again, the scythe was gone, and Kanon had abandoned her elaborate getup in favor of one more suited to the squared circle. Unseen by anyone, she had gone from standing beside the apron to being perched atop one set of ropes, sitting on the top rope opposite the entrance, where she kept a close eye on what might come next.

Spoiler

[Malkavia]

Kanon accomplished something remarkable: She made Yuri forget to be nervous. Unlike most of the audience, Yuri relaxed in the darkness. It was totally irrational, but she found the inky blackness to be a kind of shield, a place she could hide where the harsh light of day threatened exposure. She was, in this sense, a nocturnally aligned kind of creature.

Then, however, the pentagram illuminated the room in its sanguine glow. From behind the backstage curtain, Yuri squinted at the sigil, as a memory stirred in the recesses of her mind. The glyphs surrounding the pentagram reminded her of a hermetic seal, the kind of occult inscription that a magus like Crowley might have used to seal and command a demon. Or...was it a summoning circle? She always had trouble distinguishing the two, as it required intimate familiarity with the specific glyph pattern, and she had not yet become fully conversant in the diabolic scripts.

Sit hic ager...ungatur in sanguine. Yuri blinked. Her head cocked to one side as she mentally translated the classical Latin. Let this field be...something in blood. She bit her lip and furrowed her brow. Ungō ungere... She'd seen that word. She could almost picture it on the page. But the meaning was an aggravating blank blur in her mind. She bit her finger as she struggled to remember—she didn't need to remember, really, since the context spoke so readily for itself, but it was irritating to have lost vocabulary...

Another crackle of darkness interrupted Yuri's thoughts, and when the lights returned, Yuri's eyes widened. She was not the type to gasp, but she did for a few seconds forget to breathe. The speed of Kanon's quickchange was so rapid and convincing that it almost felt as though her outfit really had been magically transponded between planes in that momentary tendril of black. Yuri felt a familiar tingle up her spine, a sensation she usually felt only while curled over some medieval European manual of the arcane depths and considered, what if—what if these ancient Bedouin mystics and Iberian alchemists really had contacted, contracted, and bound extraplanar malevolences?

It would be her turn soon. The plan, selected by Monika, had been for Yuri to be...cute. To smile. To carry a Jack O' Lantern and say a little prayer to the spirits to bless this match. To be honest, she had always thought the concept of cute did not fully integrate with the concept she had for her gimmick. However, she was not one to argue with the President. She drummed her fingers thoughtfully along the lit Jack O' Lantern between her hands and looked down at the candle within. Her thoughts began to wander over the old streets of Cairo and the esoteric science of the ancient world...

—

After Kanon settled onto the ropes, the lights along the edges of Yuri's entrance ramp burst into bright columns of light. As Yuri stepped into the arena, the light did more to obscure than to reveal her, rendering her a silhouette of black stepping towards the ring. The melismatic and melancholy call of a children's choir sang a a traditional song of shadows to announce this hooded shade.

When she stepped into the ring, it became easier to make out her features: She was tall, dressed in a hooded, dark purple robe lined in thin silver inscriptions. A grinning Jack O'Lantern in her hands grinned orange at the crowd, and as yuri lowered her head to the hole in the gourd's top, the candlelight illuminated her flat, soulless face.

Her voice was a velvet sotto voce whisper, monotone and pale. "Hac flamma portam nostram interficiam." With this flame we will cut our gate. Then—Poof! She blew out the candle. For an instant, there was silence.

Then her back arched. She dropped the pumpkin, which fell to the mat and, crunk, crumbled into a dozen wet pieces. Yuri began to shake and tremble, her arms wrenching into wild angles like the branches of some cursed tree. Her neck wrenched back so far, some of those in the audience wondered how she could get to that angle without hurting herself. Her robe fell at her feet, revealing a black leotard and purple boots, and she began to gurgle as saliva ran freely down her chin.

Then, she snapped. Suddenly still as her eyes alighted, glittering, on Kanon. A smile arced over Yoshika's face.

"We seeeeeee you. Maga sanguinisssss." Her voice had become loud and high and piercing. In the audience, Monika cocked her head, a look of irritation flitting over her face. She had never heard Yuri use that creepy voice before—and it was everything other than cute.

[CaptainL]

Kanon had little knowledge of who her next opponent would be. In truth, she didn't particularly care. She was here first and foremost as a representative of the Selection - a servant of a higher power. Achieving glory for herself came second. Really, it usually did - her own self-esteem was so low, she'd grown used to thinking of herself better served as a tool of greater intelligences she could only hope to fleetingly understand. Either way, she was sure her opponent wouldn't matter. Just another warm body for her to bend and break; to subject to her whims, and to make into a canvas so that she could show the world the Selection would be unmatched - especially on this night, when its message of fear and of the beyond was at its most timely.

As soon as Yuri made her appearance, however? Kanon knew that there was something deeper afoot. Something far more interesting.

She could've passed off the robes and candles as another concession to the season; the sort of thing plenty of wrestlers had already taken part in tonight. But the distant lilt in her voice; the incantations - it had the air of a ritual; of something being done with purpose. It was a ritual Kanon was unfamiliar with, but she had studied more than enough grimoires to catch a hint of the supernatural, and she knew it when she saw it. Her opponent, surely, knew what she was talking about. She had found a kindred spirit in Kanon tonight, and she wanted the albino to know that.

And when the lights came back up, and Yuri bent herself into such strange, such impossible positions, chanting all the while in a forgotten tongue? There was no question. Kanon's eyes grew wider and she leaned closer with rapt attention. She was all but assured now that their encounter was no mere incident of random chance. No, something had brought them together. She could almost feel it, in the rush of excitement that came to her now, leaving her heart aflutter. Her normally expressionless face even betrayed the hint of a smile. This was big. The spirits were here, tonight, on the night of their waxing. And they had chosen this opportunity to converse with their caller.

Kanon didn't hesitate. She hopped down from the ropes, taking a step closer to Yuri and bowing her head toward her - or rather, to whatever was using Yuri as its vessel. "O noble one," she began, "for what occasion hast thou come forth tonight? Dost thou seek purpose? Art thou lost? Seek solace here in she who calls thee - who respects thine power. Who seeks thine guidance..."

She knew it was risky. She didn't have any salt on her, and there was no time to draw a protective circle. But she knew the chants and sutras she'd need to invoke if things began to go south. And in her excitement, she almost could forgive herself for letting the precautions slip. This was an occasion like no other, after all!

[Malkavia]

Out in the stands, the Dokis who had not chosen to jettison all of the group's plans and figures watched on with yawning horror.

Jeeeeeesus Yuri.

Monika pressed her face into her palms. Why? Why couldn't she just follow the script they had all agreed on? It was so egotistical of her not even to consider how this made the group —

"OH MY GOD!!"

Monika's feet pushed against the ground so hard, she almost left out of her seat. Sayori's scream was — well. Gosh. Monika hadn't even known Sayori could make sounds like that.

She didn't look great. She had a pale face. Wide eyes. With her hands over her mouth, she...kind of looked like the famous monkey, actually. Say no evil...

"I THINK YURI IS POSSESSED!!"

She was also...loud.

"Holy crap—" ...OK with Natsuki, the act was a little more obvious. She did not have to be talking that loudly. Or stand up and lean over the guard rail. "You're right! She always did like to mess around with that—that ouija board stuff! One of them's finally uh. What'd say? Like closed the..."

Gosh...darn it. These girls. You know, now that Monika looked, that—flailing Yuri was doing, with those contortions, did look pretty convincing. And painful. Especially when she put her neck at that broken kind of angle. It made her tummy turn a bit.

Still...

Monika stood up. Alright, Moni, put on your best stage voice... "She's closed the loop and tied herself to her guardian spirit." Boy she hoped that sounded less stupid outloud than it did in her head... "Her only chance now is to sate the spirit in the destruction of her enemy. Otherwise..." She lowered her chin and let the shade of a silhouette cover her face. "She may never reclaim her body."

—

They all...bought it.

Kanon. Natsuki. Even Monika.

Not to mention, of course, Sayori. Goodness gracious, but that scream had almost made Yuri flinch and drop character. Sayori could be quite the effective actor...

But. For now, Yuri had her role to play out. Her ghost, she decided, would be...

...scared.

Her eyes popped open like wide, round saucers. She looked left, mouth drooping. A line of drool leaked from her lip and — split — hit the mat. She shivered

"I..." She constricted her vocal chords so tightly it ached, then spoke while breathing in instead of out, which produced a sound like a storm gale. Then, she shivered again, blinked twice, and turned her sideways gaze to Kanon. "...I am so...removed from mine home. I know not this...place."

The ghost, Yuri had decided, would be a young girl. She imagined her hair would be scraggled and damp. Filled with bits of driftwood. She drowned perhaps. Her voice was soft like thin reeds in a river.

She extended her hand to Kannon. A tremor ran through her arm, as if just the effort of holding up her bones was a strain on her stamina.

"Wilst thou offer me thine hand and thy kindly guidance, thou flickering keeper?"

[CaptainL]

It only seemed natural, right? It was a Halloween show, and of course, Yuri, with her keen interest in the supernatural, was eager to get into the act. Her opponent was a self-professed master of the mystic arts herself, so she would surely appreciate her performance - perhaps even play along with it. It lent itself well to the sort of spooky atmosphere people were expecting on a night like this; perhaps it would bring a bit of levity to the proceedings. But it had worked...perhaps too well. In spite of her studies on the subject - or perhaps because of them - Kanon was completely convinced of Yuri's sincerity. To her, this was no act, and no laughing matter. She was dealing with a lost soul, and a conduit to powers beyond. And she was going to treat it with all the importance such a thing deserved. To her, this spirit had recognized her power, and reached out to her for guidance, on a night like this, where the fragile border between realities was at its weakest and most warped. To Kanon, that was a worthy test of her mettle as a magician - and she was going to rise to that challenge!

Kanon bowed her head toward Yuri - or, perhaps, to the force that was using Yuri as a vessel. Such a powerful force was owed her respect, after all. As her hand rose, so too did Kanon's to match, meeting her and taking her hand with a firm squeeze. Then, she nodded her head in recognition.

"Aye, O lost one - thou hast seen thine guide, and thine guide has accepted thine plea. Yet...your spirit is a strong one, I can feel it." Her hand squeezed at Yuri's own; her gaze was unblinking. "I cannot claim dominion over thee - nay, I do not feel it. As the great King Solomon before me, I shall have to best this body thou hast claimed and bend thee to mine will. But if that is why thou hast manifested here, on a night like tonight, in a place as this - I say, the universe has guided our paths to be one, and I shalt answer!"

The whole arena watched in silence. Even the referee regaded Kanon with a puzzled look - it seemed like she might've just been playing along, but the grim and serious look on her face told anyone that she really did believe what she was saying, for better or worse. Neverheless, the ref sucked in a breath, signaling for the timekeeper. This looked as much as anything like the start of the match, and it might as well get underway!

*DING DING DING*

[Malkavia]

Kanon's hand was warm in Yuri's grip—an unexpected but perhaps unsurprising contrast with the ghostly exterior that the esoteric practitioner presented. It occurred to Yuri that there might be a similar chink in her facade: are ghosts supposed to have nervous, clammy palms?

Still, as Yuri peered into her opponent's blood-red eyes, she felt something fluttering through her chest. A glitter of something like silk, violet and precious and smooth. Kanon believed her most of all—a fact as thrilling as it was terrifying.

She had her opponent's hand—a position well-situated for the kind of judo throws Yuri had trained. As she continued to breathe out in a ghostly hiss, shivering from the deep cold of the river that had claimed her life, she considered: Was it fair to take advantage of the position Kanon had handed her?

Aha, a simple answer lies written in the sand, Yuri: What would your ghost do?

Before her ghost stands one who practices the arts of Solomon—a sorcerer who can bind her! In this powerful person, there may be freedom from her eternal cold suffering; yet, should Kanon prove weak of spirit, in her may also lie mutual destruction and the torments of Hades. Yuri must test her.

She must test her without reservation.

As the bell rang, silence stretched for one beat. Then, Yuri moved with the abruptness of the demonic to try to grab Kanon by her shoulder and chest. As she moved, Yuri's face transformed. Her fearful, trembling lips hardened and cracked, pulled back towards her ears until deep wrinkled furrowed through in both her cheeks like cracks in glass. Her eyes seemed to sink deeply into her skull while five creases dug into her forehead, making her look almost elderly. Baring her teeth, she screamed—furious as the grave—and attempted the most basic of Judo throws: The O-goshi.

The O-goshi

[CaptainL]

The opening of this match had certainly been...interesting. No one could deny that. No one knew if it was just the two girls getting far too wrapped up in the Halloween spirit, or if there truly was something else at hand on this night; given what Kanon had shown herself capable of in previous matches, either option seemed entirely possible. Regardless, with the bell sounding, the match was about to begin! And Kanon was ready for it - she knew the spirits were restless on this night, but she was determined to prove her mettle in bringing them back into line!

She settled her body into a stance, her gaze trained on Yuri. Her piercing red eyes began to narrow as they focused in on her foe - she resolved she would be prepared for whatever she, or the spirit controlling her, was to throw at her next. Sure enough, Yuri was quick to make a move. She came barreling toward Kanon as though her body had been whipped into a frenzy, her arms and legs flailing at the air. The albino sucked in a breath and held herself steady - whatever eldritch powers this spirit possessed, she had to be ready for them.

She was not quite expecting to find herself on the other end of...a simple, rudimentary judo throw.

Oh, yes, Yuri had the element of surprise on her side. She had struck so quickly Kanon had little time to prepare. And even if she did have more time...she would have expected something perhaps a bit more advanced from a creature of such otherworldly power. Either way, Yuri had managed to strike quickly enough and with little warning, allowing her to sweep Kanon up off her center of balance! Kanon found herself about to tip forward, her footing threatening to give way...

...But then, she realized she knew a way out of this! Just as her feet were about to leave the ground, she went to turn around before throwing her weight backward, attempting to roll Yuri over her shoulder with a yoko-guruma counter! As she did, she huffed under her breath. So far, this seemed simple enough...but Kanon knew that dealing with the spirits was rarely simple.

"You're only toying with me, I'm sure..."

Spoiler