Heated Clash Between Phoenix and Firecracker - Blaise vs Audrey

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Match rules: Standard pin/submission/KO, with PoW rules in effect for the loser

Backstage, a familiar scene unfolded in the locker rooms.

sat alone on her bench, frowning down at her phone as she stared at the profile of her opponent for the evening. She knew little of him, and so as usual, decided to do some research into what kind of wolf she'd be being fed to tonight.

To her surprise, it seemed like this Blaise was not known for his violent nor humiliating tactics in his matches. A good - if unusual - sign, in theory... but there had to be a catch. There was always a catch, at least in Audrey's mind. Why else would they have stapled a 'prisoner of war' rule to an otherwise routine fight? She took only mild comfort in the fact that this wasn't - officially - a lewd match. Internally, experience had taught her to expect the worst, regardless.

Nerves or not, however, Audrey stubbornly refused to cower from a challenge. She'd face it head-on, as she always did. The redhead had been on the receiving end of plenty of hate, from fans calling her childish names to insisting she did not belong here. It wouldn't do for her to succumb and lean into the jeers; that would only be validating them. So she'd march out to her music down the ramp, projecting as much confidence as she could muster - the performance was always her strongest suit.

But Audrey was not treating this match as a friendly contest - not until she could size up her opponent in person. No, she was going to take this as seriously as she did against any male opponent, and strode down the ramp without her usual flair, instead all business. She walked calmly but with purpose, staring straight ahead towards the ring the entire time, doing her best to project a confidence she didn't feel and clearly wasn't known for.

Upon entering the ring, she casually hopped up to sit atop one of the corner posts as she turned her attention to her next opponent's entrance...

[CyanDimitrik]

Blaise similarly didn't know much about his opponent. Though he, perhaps humorously enough, found himself on the opposite end of the spectrum. He wants to treat the match as lighthearted and fun. That's who he is. That's what he's about. The spirit of competition to be the best should be a passion, something that gets the blood pumping and makes the heart soar. But ever since he'd come back from that intense training and had the rebrand, everything has felt off. Everything has felt different. He can't argue with the results - he's winning matches now, and convincingly. He feels like a stronger force in the ring, like he's impacting the fans in a more pronounced way. He's moving the needle with every pin.

But where's the soaring heart?

Blaise has decided to forego the jacket this time. That was his trainer's idea anyway, another way to separate him from the loser he used to be. But the shades... those get to stay. Those are fun to play with. It's not even his own image he's thinking about with those - it's the reaction he can get out of an opponent, out of the flustered referee. It's cute. So those get to rest perched on his face, hiding the bright blue eyes beneath.

His music hits.

The first crunchy guitar strums are usually all anyone needs to hear to identify the song, even in Japan. His name appears in vivid flames shifting from blue the brilliant, natural orange-red. The second set of those distinct guitar strums introduces his monicker: THE PHOENIX.

And then the man himself emerges from the back with a spirited run, caught in a crossfire of brilliant spotlights. He halts center stage with a bright smile and fist thrust high into the air, triggering a burst of pyros behind him and eliciting a pop of enthusiastic cheer from the audience. Then, further contrasting his fairer foe, Blaise begins his descent down the ramp with frequent swings to the left and right, meeting fans for quick high-fives, fistbumps, and the occasional hug from his more ardent supporters.

Upon reaching the ring's edge, he skirts aside to climb the steps, grab the rope rope, and smoothly vault himself up and over. When boots hit the mat, he lets the momentum flow into a roll ending with him standing tall center ring. Both arms sweep high above his head and to either side, head tipped back, basking in the crescendo of thrilled spectators.

At last, he is ushered back into his corner by the referee-girl for inspection. And following the pat-down, Blaise plucks the shades from his face and turns them around to gently slot them atop the girl's crown. She stands there staring at him,wide-eyed, until he shoots her a quick wink and reactivates her brain with a fingertap to her central processing core: her nose.

Boop.

Blushing, she hurries to check Audrey next.

Blaise in full gear!

Meanwhile, Blaise is bobbing eagerly between his feet, a veritable dynamo of energy. His naked blue eyes affix to the ginger across the ring from him, finally taking her in. And she's cute. She looks a little intense, but definitely cute. Freckles, big eyes, fair skin, a sweet take on wrestling gear - it's no wonder the LAW management wanted this to be a PoW match. He figures any guy would want to self-insert with him right now and imagine being the one taking her home.