Yuki Kazikura vs. Vorona (Two Out of Three Falls)

[CaptainL]

Yuki had her hands firmly clasped around Vorona's head - but the real pressure would only be on her when she wrenched backward, torquing both her neck and her arm at the same time. Every inch she turned, moving one way and then the other, would grind down at her opponent's joints, forcing her body to buckle against the pressure! Now, Yuki was making one thing perfectly clear. Vorona had been a tricky one. She had slipped through her fingers too many times before...but Yuki wasn't about to let it happen again! Now, she finally had the Russian right where she needed her, tied down and unable to run away. And Yuki was going to milk that for all it was worth.

Gritting her teeth, the raven-haired girl bent her spine back more and more, forcing Vorona into an even steeper angle the more she pulled back at her head. She just had to keep Vorona under pressure. Sooner or later, she thought, she'd have to break. When her resistance began to wane, in fact, that gave Yuki some hope. That was a sign this was working - and that she just needed to keep it up; sooner or later, Vorona would give in! As close as their heads were, Yuki could hear it as Vorona cried out to Winter, and for a moment, that made her teeth clench tighter at the thought of having her opponents' dirty tricks cut her low again...but, on the flip side, that meant Vorona wasn't capable of helping herself. If she needed to rely on Winter to save her, then what Yuki was doing was working!

Winter was able to get a hold of Vorona's arm, pulling her a little closer to the ropes. Yuki hissed in frustration when she felt her opponent move beneath her...but when she heard the ref admonishing Winter, it made her smile just a little to herself. If Winter couldn't pull her usual tricks without scrutiny, then surely she had Vorona right where she needed her! She knew, of course, that Vorona was a little closer to the ropes, and in range of a rope break. So...Yuki just had to make sure that her predicament was as painful as possible while she still had her!

She felt it as Vorona kicked at the air, and as her balance wavered from side to side the more she fought. But Yuki would kick her legs out behind her, attempting to scissor Vorona's knee to hold it in place before threading one calf over the back of Vorona's own in order to force her knee to extend! At the very least, she could deal some damage before she'd have to let go!

[Monsy]

As her head was being forced back, the strength to even counter-bend her head so it wasn’t being torqued and stretched into her spinal cord was bleeding dry. Her chest had lifted on the ground. She was on the verge of screaming. The crowd was hungering.

“Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!”
“Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!”

Went their voices. Winter, having failed to secured her sun’s ropebreak, now turned around to face the crowd and waved her hands. “No-no-no’s! You ignorant people! No tap!” Her arms crossed in an X, then swiped the ground. “No tap!”

Meanwhile, Vorona was slowing down in the hold. She was arching back too far for her to continue much longer. It seemed the more she went, the more she was being bent into the submission. A constrictor’s kill. Her brain was already firing off impossible thoughts..

C-CAN’T--
E--E-ESCAPE--

Then her knee. Her calf. It was folded. A leg across the back of her knee and her calf muscle was being sliced across bone. Her knee burned warmly as it stretched. Pinched. She whimpered, opened her mouth, groaned, then began to breathe hastily like she was on the verge of breaking down.

Winter’s argument with the crowd suddenly stopped. She looked over-shoulder, saw Vorona’s struggle, then felt her heart-sink. Poor--Poor… Crow. She went over to ringside, reached underneath the bottom ropes and leaned into the canvas as much as she could.

“Baby please. Just a little bit farther! You’s can do it! No tap. No tap! Don't you's quit!”

And with a growl, Vorona made one more push to save herself. “Quieeeeeeet!” Then grabbed the bottom rope.

[CaptainL]

The tension in the ring right now was like a tug of war. And in that analogy, Yuki was holding on to one end of that rope for dear life! Yuki's hands were clasped around Vorona's face, pulling back hard at her head and her chin to stretch her spine as far as it could go. And when that wasn't enough to stop her, she would let her leg slip from around the Russian woman's arm, wrapping it around her leg to compress the muscles and tendons in her limb with a calf slicer! She knew Vorona was hurting - she had to be. She could feel the shudders that ran through her body beneath her. And she could hear the roar of the crowd, too, as they chanted for Vorona to tap out! Just a moment ago, Yuki had focused on causing Vorona more pain for the long run, rather than trying to finish her off. But now, as she heard the fans call to her to finish the job, Yuki's heart beat a little bit faster - she couldn't help but find herself emboldened by the encouragement!

With her face contorted into a grimace of determination and desperation, Yuki tried to lean back just a little bit further - twisting her back that much more; squeezing tighter to Vorona's chin as her thighs rubbed together with every inch she narrowed the gap between her legs and Vorona's own. Even hearing Winter call out to her partner to hold on just made Yuki all the more determined to last it out, just to prove her wrong! Yuki had to put everything she could, now, into making Vorona tap!

But, in the end, Vorona's determination managed to edge out Yuki's, and she made it to the ropes. The referee called for the break, and Yuki obliged, letting go of her opponent and rolling aside. She got onto her hands and knees, slowly pushing herself back up. As she did, she panted and huffed; her brow was slick with sweat, and her shoulders heaved up and down with every breath she took. She had put every ounce of strength she had into that hold, and she couldn't help but feel like she had come out the other end just as strained as Vorona had been. But the match still wasn't over. Vorona still wasn't out. That meant Yuki had more work to do!

With a huff, Yuki pushed up off the mat, hoisting herself back to her feet. Then, she would reach down to grab Vorona by the arm. She wasn't going to let her get away this easily - if she was going to get up, it would be on Yuki's terms. She'd tug at Vorona's arm so that she'd turn around and face her. And then, Yuki would yank forward on her arm to pull her closer, while she swung out with the other one to club her in the face with a rainmaker!

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WABMXXIBEdw

[Monsy]

Vorona’s body slapped into the mat after Yuki let her go. She was like an elastic. Then she laid there in a heap, sweating, pink on her cheeks from the lingering embarrassment of being stuck in a hold -- by Yuki Kazikura -- of all people. The referee was standing by them after calling the break. Vorona crawled forward with Winter there to help her tug closer.

“Up. up-up! She’s rights there!”
“Hands off the active competitors!”

And Winter raised her hands. Vorona pulled her torso towards the second rope. Under her breath, she cursed, “W-Wretched… p-plain girl… Ssk… ssk--” She hissed, suddenly pulled back by her arm. Obediently, Vorona’s feet came underneath her with auto-pilot strength. She didn’t have the brainpower to command it properly, so she stumbled, with her arms sagging, her feet kicking behind her and her upper-body teetering forward, right into--

A rainmaker! “B-Bwaaaaaaaa--!”

She choked, snapped back like an air cannon, then striked the mat with such force, she flipped over after landing on her shoulder-blades. A drunk stupor washed over her senses, smothering them, making her feel warm, silly and dizzy. Her head pounded with her chest. Her clothes and legs were sweatier than they had been two minutes. She felt weaker. Her arms lost any control. Instead she rolled to her hands and knees, sitting on her calves. Her head circled around, around and around. Her eyes droopy, dumb, with her mask slightly tilted. Her jaw slack.

"Aghh..."

After two seconds, she sighed out a breath then collapsed on her face, rendering her face-down, hips directly up, knees folded in and arms straight down, reaching her knees.

[CaptainL]

Winter was giving her beloved all the encouragement she could hope for in stirring her back up to her feet and to carry on the fight. It would've been endearing, Yuki thought to herself, had the two of them not already shown themselves to be a couple of disreputable cheats that Yuki had sworn to prove she was better than. But nothing was going to stop her from executing her plan. Vorona's actions had already shown Yuki enough - she might've thought that she was so high and mighty, but she would crumble under the right offense. Yuki just needed to stay true to herself, and keep up that pressure - there was nothing she could do to stop her! Above all, she couldn't let Vorona think her ways would prosper!

As Yuki yanked on Vorona's arm, she reeled her inward - and straight into the path of a powerful blow from her forearm! The impact was so great, it struck with a crack, one that left a fair few in the stands gasping at the raw power on display. And from the way Vorona plummeted to the ground, she might as well have been hit with a hammer. She flopped over, tried to rise, and then dropped right back down again. Yuki watched it all with a stern eye, the stoic look never leaving her face as Vorona floundered around like a dying fish. Her eyes followed her down to every fall she made, never once betraying any sympathy or any mercy. Yuki, as a matter of fact, had Vorona exactly where she wanted her. And with that...she was going to strike.

It was time for her to show Vorona exactly what her underhanded tactics would net her in the end, when karma rolled around. First, Yuki grabbed one of Vorona's legs, tugging on it to roll her onto her back. She kept that leg in her grasp as she dropped down on top of her - pulling it back with her as she leaned back as far as she could, stretching Vorona's leg far enough to lift her hips off the mat!

Spoiler

[Monsy]

Vorona felt her energy vanish in real time. There was a strong burn like from a tough workout or sport session. Then she felt this invisible barrier wash over her which suddenly makes her movements feel so... laboured. Her muscles want to squeeze. She felt lazier, slower, looser. Dizziness, ears ringing as she tried to recover on her knees.

Then...

Splat.

She couldn't muscle it. At all. Her body was tingling with sore. Her chest felt inflamed by the rainmaker. Her head was too heavy. She couldn't fix the dumb expression she was making -- half-kissing the mat with black spit while she stared vacantly at Winter, smeared in tears and black eyeliner starting to become runny. She turned over like a dream. Knew she was being turned over. But her body was surrendering, spreading out on the mat.

When Yuki plopped down, Vorona's breath exited in a few coughs. A cheek meshed into her slender shoulder. Her one leg was so high-angled that Vorona can see the boots' toes through the glimpse of black visions. Her other leg stayed glued to the mat, coming up only when her hips did then hovering down to the toes.

Winter squeezed her fists in front of herself, stood on her toes, felt stiff everywhere. Her expression was squeezed for panic and concern.

“Uumm! Uumm!”

The script didn't account for Vorona being pinned. She started to squeeze her hands tighter and tighter, waiting for the kick-out.

“ONE!”
“TWO!”

As for Vorona...
Her leotard was clinging for dear life to her sweaty body. The netted legs shined underneath silver stage light. The weight had truly settled in Yuki's grip afterwards. Vorona’s netted buttocks became visible and the hungry crowds, cheering. Yuki was crowned on top. The camera flashes started to thicken along with Winter's silent malding.

[CaptainL]

Vorona looked for all the world like a puppet that had just had its strings cut. The moment Yuki's forearm rammed into her, it was like the life was driven out of her, leaving her dazed and stumbling as her head swam in circles around the room. It was only moments later that she lost her footing and dropped down, falling limp and lifeless on the mat. But Yuki was right behind her. She was watching every one of Vorona's movements with laser-focused attention, staying alert for the moment she would need to act. That same moment that Vorona touched the floor, Yuki was ready for her - and she dropped down beside her, pulling back on her leg so hard her hips rose off the mat!

With a toss of her hair back over her shoulder, Yuki looked behind her at Winter, her eyes narrowing on her with a cold and unimpressed stare. Yuki had learned through the course of this match, and she knew that Winter couldn't be trusted to not try anything funny. She needed to send a message - she needed Vorona's partner to know that she had her eyes on her, and that she would be prepared for her tricks. Locked in Yuki's sightlines, Winter couldn't make her move. And when Vorona had all but crumbled under the joshi wrestler's offense, she was equally helpless - all she could do was await the final count.

"THREE!"

And there it came! With Yuki scoring the pin, the crowd lit up with cheers, celebrating her victory in the first round of this match. But Yuki knew it was far from over, and she wasn't going to distract herself in her celebrations. She just picked herself back up, turning back to face Winter as she dusted herself off - and there, she pointed to her eyes with two fingers before pointing back at Winter, letting her know she'd be on guard.

[Monsy]

That… BITCH.

Winter’s teeth clenched so hard that it could shatter to dust. The pinfall came. She played it over in her head. Again. Again. She found herself balling fists, intentionally digging the fingernails into her palm. Winter wanted Yuki destroyed. And for doing to Vorona, who was melting into the canvas when her leg was discarded. She sank, felt a breath, took it and… sighed. Her senses were so loopy that she thought herself in the comforts of a sofa. That her arms and legs were neatly positioned for comfort and elegance and not sprawled in all directions, twitching and shining.

Above all, Vorona needs a little tap-tap to get going, Winter concluded. It’s ok, Vorona. You did perfect. You did better than them and are better than them. They just… thinkofsomething…

…

As Winter moved onto the apron, she thought of how she’ll string this together in a way that wouldn’t get her neck rung. Proper grammar. Wording. Adjectives. Tense. On the other hand, she felt a certain kick and heat from the thought. It’s ok, Nikki. Yes.

“Nuh-uh! No! You aren’t allowed in the ring between rounds either!” The referee said, not intensely annoyed but they were sharp to respond to Winter’s attempted rescue. Vorona was still down, but she was looking. She peeked at the blaring lights, then shut her eyes. Turned on her hip.

“But why?! I just wanting to help her stands back up!” But the referee shook their head, standing closer to the ropes, facing Winter. Back to the ring.
“No can do.”
“You can check me for weapons?” Her eyes started to grow. Her fists placed beneath her own chin, arms folded in.
“No!”
“What about if I strips naked, raise my hands up and count to ten and--”
“NO! NO! NO!” Their finger pointed at Winter with a thrust for each no given.

Vorona groaned loudly, turned over. “Rrrrat. P-Pissant. Mouse.”

She was saying curses under her breath. Her mask was still unadjusted. She ended up on her stomach, then slid an elbow underneath, looking out to the thousands of… cheering spectators. Vorona’s anger flashed, snarling and getting a taste of runny makeup. The embarassment fought fiercely on her red cheeks. The way the referee was using their finger. She felt an itch to forget this entire match. Destroy him. But... Later.

She pushed onto all fours, felt the struggle as her body locked up and recouped slower, dripping sweat and mouth-breathing slowly. The pain of Yuki’s Rainmaker put a long-lasting feeling across her collar like she was somehow singed. “G-Gahh...”

She put an arm across herself, looked across the ring at Yuki and saw her stoicness. Her pathetic little yellow leotard and simple wear. Her pathetic hairstyle and lack of… anything distinguishable.

“K-Kazikura…” She paused, made a SSSSK, then rose up. She placed her boot down, then stood on it with clear wobbles. Both her thighs together. She was bent over, middle of the ring. Referee still distracted in an argument that went into too many semantics. Her mask was still on crooked.

“You… You must’ve bent the rules. You have a weapon inside that elbow sleeve of yours, don’t you, little one?”

[CaptainL]

In between rounds, Yuki walked back over to her corner. She brushed some sweaty strands of hair away from her brow, collected a water bottle from one of the crew members, and took a long drink before turning to face her opponent, rolling out her shoulders. Still coming off of the exertion she'd put herself through, her breaths were slow and heavy, her shoulders rising and falling with every pant that left her throat. But...when she looked over and saw that Vorona hadn't even gotten up; that she was still stumbling around ineptly on all fours? That Winter was still trying to get in the ring and intervene? That just made Yuki's eyes narrow in on her foe with a cold and steely gaze. It told her one thing - Vorona was pathetic.

All that grandstanding she'd been doing with the flashy entrance and the threats? It meant nothing. The fact that Yuki might have actually thought she had something to worry about with Vorona, looking back, was just laughable. The white-haired woman didn't inspire fear any more. Not if she couldn't stand up to Yuki without falling back on her partner. The thought that she actually thought she could get away with such little effort only inspired disgust.

In fact, she would dare to accuse Yuki of cheating - when she herself had bent the rules time and time again in this match! The moment Yuki heard it, her eyes narrowed in a glare. She stood up straighter and stiffer, crossing her arms. The sheer audacity of Vorona's accusation had emboldened her - she needed to stand up to her and prove her wrong!

"No, Vorona," she huffed. "I don't. Because, unlike you, I have respect for wrestling. I'm not here to feed my own ego. I'm here to prove I belong, and to perfect my calling. I don't take the easy way out. But if you thought the same..." She shot a glare over at Winter. "She wouldn't be here!" Now, the tables had turned. Now, Yuki was the hunter - and Vorona her hapless prey!

[Monsy]

She wouldn’t be here!

Winter felt a small cut inside her chest. Her attention turned away from the referee, who now blocked Winter’s entry firmly, towards Yuki at the other corner. I’m doing all this working and she’s still so rude! How does anyone like her? Meanwhile, Vorona’s sense was similar. Respect for wrestling. to insult her in this way, as if saying, where is your art? To the struggling artist who was finding a measure of stability on her wobbly feet.

Was inexcusably callous.

The strings pulling Vorona’s expression now soured. She frowned, with curls on her forehead and sharp-angled brows. The corners of her black-painted lips dipped into a sharp frown. “I’d hold my tongue, little one...” And for a moment, both Winter and Vorona saw things through the exact same lens. And with Vorona back on her feet proper, there was nothing keeping the powerful impulse to charge headlong--

--Headlong into a lariat attempt! Her arm extended, half-bent and SWINGING at Yuki once she closed the distance, panting with hard-worked lungs, a sweaty strain on her legs but with all the intent and frustration to lob these shoulders clean off!