Steel Jungle (Saori vs. Blair)

[dlamp]

Saori charged with reckless abandon, foot stretched out and ready to slam into Blair's head like a cannon. Her mind already images of the brutal aftermath, her nerves on edge for the satisfaction of making those wold-be bruises into earnest marks. For a moment, she smirked at the thought.

And the smirk soon switched to a scowl.

Right before her foot made contact Blair found a new surge of energy, immediately going for Saori's leg and ankle, tipping her balance as she lost her footing. The red haze her bloodlust had her in switched to a startling technicolor, and she saw herself staring up at bright lights as she feel back. "Hey-!" She tried rebalancing herself, tried to staying up on her good leg, but blair's momentum wanted her down, and her leg was forced to follow.

"Gruh!" She hit the ground hard, landing right on her head and left in a dazed as the shock of the impact left her dizzied, now on the receiving end of a throbbing headache.

[CaptainL]

Nothing seemed to illustrate the contrasts in style between Saori and Blair more than how they were going about the match right now. Saori kept charging in blindly, attempting to overpower her rival by sheer force, and giving seemingly no heed to any risks or the possibility of being blocked, dodged, or countered. But every time she came close, Blair was ready for her - she was thinking ahead, assessing the situation in front of her and the possibilities it left open, and finding the right one at the right time to ensure she could strike with devastating force. She had displayed that sort of thinking first when she intercepted Saori's charge with a boot to the face. Now, the same principles allowed her to grab her by the ankle as she aimed a kick of her own, using it to sweep her footing right out from under her!

As Saori struck the mat with a thud, Blair panted for breath, raising her hand to wipe some sweat away from her face on the side of her glove. The Jungle Princess was truly forcing her to think on her feet - which wasn't ideal for her strategy, and it was keeping her on her toes at every second. However, Blair knew that that also meant that if she gave Saori even a second in which she could strike, she would take advantage of it. Everything had to fit perfectly into place, and she could allow no deviations from the plan. Now that Saori was down, Blair had to press the advantage!

As Saori fell, Blair had caught sight of how hard her head had struck the mat. It landed with enough force to cause it to bounce up from the canvas, enough to leave her wincing at the thought of the pain. But it also meant that Saori's head would be vulnerable, and if she went after that she could inflict even further damage! Sliding herself forward, Blair attempted to take a mounted position on top of her foe, her knees pressing down into her stomach to keep her in place. If that was successful, she would draw back her fists to unleash a quick volley of punches, knocking her head this way and that!

[dlamp]

"G-Gh..." Saori's head spun as the painful throbs along it pulsed. Her breath went ragged for a moment as her mind and vision started to catch up to what just happened to her. The cold mat under her and the muffles of the crowd snapped her mind back into focus. She was down, on her back, and in probably the worse position she could be in for a wrestling match. And just as that realization came to her she spotted Blair starting to mount her. Saori's eyes sparked to life, glaring daggers at Blair she she made her way atop the Wild Child. She let out a growl and snarl, as if it might halt the woman's move. Then-

"Gugh!" A punch to her head, knocking her head to the side.

"Gra-!" And another, shooting her skull the other way

"Oghu-!" And another.

And another.

The match went from wrestling, to Muay Thai, to now MMA. Every blow from the Dragon's fists had Saori's head shooting off to the side, and a each blow the crowd winced as spittle and reddened saliva started to paint the mat. Muay Thai wasn't some baby martial art where the fight ended after a solid few strikes in a good position, and LAW was even less kind than to end things just because Blair was knocking Saori into the void. No, it was knockout, pin, or surrender, the the Jungle Princess had no intention for any to be coming from her.

"GAAAOOOO!" With a spiteful warcry to refocus her consciousness, Saori forced her arms to move in front of her face, turtling up and block Blair's assault. Her was got a few bruises and even a cut from that ground-and-pound, but Saori was still in this! She wasn't giving up now or ever. "That all you got, Dragon?!" She snarled, peeking from her hands. "RAAAWR!" She shot out a hook for a desperate punch, hoping for at least a chance to trade punches and show Blair she was still in this.

[CaptainL]

Saori was right - being held down on her back was no position anyone wanted to be in in a wrestling match. It was the natural setup for a pin. But that wasn't why Blair had brought her down. Her analytical mind had already figured out that trying to pin her opponent this early into the match, when she was still relatively fresh, was hopeless. And more to the point, Blair didn't want to go for the victory just yet. She just wanted Saori to know exactly what she felt of her - and to make sure she felt it. Gritting her teeth and pulling back her fists, the Canadian's eyes narrowed and she let out a snarl as she let her fists fly, knocking her rival's head this way and that!

Blair felt every thud and thwack of her knuckles burying into Saori's face, and the way her head snapped from side to side. With each successful hit, her heart pounded faster and faster; her muscles tensed with anticipation of beating Saori into the ground, and finally shutting that mouth of hers. But then, as Blair drew back another fist, the girl threw her head back, bellowing in rage! Even when her face was being bludgeoned from every angle imaginable, somehow, she still found the strength to resist, as though all of her punches were doing nothing at all! Blair slowed to a stop, her body locking into place with her fist raised in midair as she stared back at her foe in shock. A second later, she realized that she couldn't let down her guard, that she had to keep fighting - but it was already too late. When Blair next brought down her fist, it would only meet the hard surface of Saori's forearms, as she managed to block the shot!

Seeing that her opponent had mounted a defense, Blair leaned back to collect herself. She began to pant, her shoulders rising and falling with each huff and puff, and sweat trickled from her brow. The match had gone into a stalemate - Blair still held the top position, but any further offense would be a waste of her energy when Saori was so focused on blocking it. And the Jungle Princess was quick to taunt her about it, daring her to do more!

"You...haven't even seen the half of it-!" Blair hissed back through clenched teeth. A moment later, Saori's fist whipped through the air. Even from the position she was in, it managed to graze Blair's side, causing her to shudder as her muscles rippled with tension and she firmed up her body. Now, things were getting even - but still, Blair wasn't going to stop. She had promised to take this fight to Saori, and she wasn't going to make a liar of herself!

Sliding down along Saori's body to lie on top of her for a better angle, she too whipped back with a fist of her own, this one aimed for her rival's ribs. If Saori was going to hit her, Blair would hit back just as hard!

[dlamp]

The small break in Blair's rhythm of punches was just what Saori needed for that punch. It wasn't a clean. It was barely even a blow that did any damage. But the tiny little shake and shudder she got from it gave the Wild Child a vicious grin. "Hehe," Not much, but the surge of energy that came from getting even a weak hit was enough to give Saori a bit of her stamina back. Still, her skull pounded with painful throbs, swimming dizziness, a feeling that only compounded further as Blair shifted her weight to the center and rose her fist for another punch.

Saori turtled up again, ready for another round of ground-and-pound punches. She braced her arms for impact, right over her face.

"Graa-!"

Only to get nailed in her unprotected, unprepared ribs instead. Saori's eyes shot up, her guard broken as her hands went to try soothing and protecting her torso. "A-Aag-!" Blair's fist was a damn needle, and it stabbed Saori right were she was relaxed and unguarded. Her head craned to the side, and as much as she tried she could even twist her body away to protect her now-bruising side. She didn't feel like anything broke, but she'd be damned if Blair didn't try. And worse, Blair's weight on her center kept her in place primed for a further beating.

"Raaaawr!" But she only roared in response, her face twisting into a vicious, pained glare as she bared her teeth at the Dragon. With reckless abandon, she swung her free arm forward, going for a mad and wild punch to Blair's stomach in turn. She wanted her to feel that same pain. She needed it.

[CaptainL]

Blair could hear that little chuckle coming from Saori, and all it did was make her teeth clench tighter into a hiss, her fist trembling at her side. She knew when she was being mocked - and when she took herself as seriously as she did, she had little patience for those who would do so. It reminded her why she was fighting, and why she was so desperate to stand up to her opponent, to silence her once and for all and to prove she wouldn't stand for this. But Blair couldn't let that break her concentration. She still needed to fight on with everything she had - and she was going to make Saori feel how determined she was.

As her knuckles buried into the girl's ribs, Blair could feel the twist of her body as she shot away to the side, and the way her skin and muscles crumpled inward against the blow. She could hear the pain in Saori's voice, and she knew that she had struck a blow she was going to feel for some time now. It gave her a sense of satisfaction, one that sent the corners of her lips creeping upward into a smile. But Blair knew there was still work to be done. The match wasn't over yet. And Saori knew that just as well - which was why she too was going to keep on fighting!

The defiance in the Jungle Princess was clear as she bared her teeth at Blair, hissing at her through her teeth. She too shot out with a punch - and, as uncoordinated and haphazard as she was in her approach, Blair could see it coming; the way she drew back her shoulder and the way she thrust her arm forward. Her own arms pulled inward, prepared to mount a defense - but it was too late. Saori's quickness well made up for her lack of care, and before Blair could do anything to save herself, her punch had rammed right into her stomach, sending her doubling forward!

Blair's teeth clenched in a hiss of pain, and she bent over at the waist, her hands grabbing at her midsection to try and dull the sensation. Saori's fist had been thrown with just as much force, and in her case, it had struck Blair at a softer, more vulnerable target, without the protective layers of muscle and rib in the way. The Canadian's brow furrowed as she grimaced, shrinking back from the pain. The strike had tested her balance and sent her leaning her weight forward, threatening to pull her down. But still, Blair knew this couldn't be over. She couldn't let it be the end - she still needed to fight on!

Now that Saori's arm was extended toward her, a thought flashed to the forefront of Blair's mind - she knew how she could use this! Thinking quickly, she reached out for her opponent's wrist, going to grab it and keep it in place. If that worked, she would try to roll the two of them over onto their sides, giving her enough room to throw both legs around Saori's arm for an armbar!

[dlamp]

Saori grinned wide and proud as she felt her fist dig into Blair's tender and exposed flesh, eyes flashing as she watched her opponent lurch over in pain. And almost immediate Saori could feel the addictive rush of a good hit kicking her senses into gear, sharpening every bit of Blair's pain-filled face as she savored the bitter expression her rival was making as she made a desperate attempt to straighten that twisted face back into something calmer. Bet you did like that, huh dragon? Saori started to reel her fist back again, ready to start really pounding her hate-filled message into Blair. But her confident expression soon shifted to panic.

Blair's hands moved fast from her stomach to Saori's wrist. Saori's eyebrow twitch, her jaw tightened as she felt the hard pull and sudden shift in Blair's weight and movement. "Hey don-" It was too late, Saori already figure out Blair's next plan of attack and was too late to counter it. She tried in vain to grab her captured wrist, just slipping out of reach as Blair rolled the two over with Saori flat on her back.

Then. Pain.

"Aaaaaaagh!" The searing pain around her arm and shoulder was like hot lead against a sensitive joint. The Wild Child howled in pain, kicking her legs about in fury, more angry at herself for getting caught in the submission than anything else. "Gaaaaargh!"

[CaptainL]

Saori hit hard - no one was going to deny that. Blair was still wincing from the residual pain of her strikes, and she was sure a bruise was already forming across her stomach. She grit her teeth, reminding herself that the most important thing to do here was to ensure that she prevented Saori from hitting her as much as possible. Even she wasn't sure how much more of that she could take. But if there was a saving grace to how hard Saori hit, it was that every punch was thrown wildly and without coordination. Saori hit like a truck when she hit, but whether or not those blows actually landed wasn't guaranteed. That was a hole in her strategy Blair had recognized since their last match, and it was one she was sure she could take advantage of. Sure enough, Saori was going in for another punch - but this was one that Blair could predict and intercept! And with one swift motion, she managed to both grab at Saori's arm and pull her down, dropping to her side as she wrapped her legs around her bicep to stretch at her shoulder joint with an armbar!

Blair could hear the screams coming from Saori, and the ring shook beneath them with the pounding of her feet against the canvas. But she clenched her teeth, gathering her resolve enough to carry herself through it. No matter how hard Saori fought, she told herself, she would just be wasting her energy, something that would only cost her later in the match - as would having one of her arms weakened when she relied on her punches as much as she did. She squeezed at Saori's wrist with a white-knuckled grasp, and the muscles in her thighs flexed, clenching tighter around her arm to anchor it in place.

However, Blair was also keenly aware that she was a striker through and through, and her training in other disciplines of martial arts was limited. Her armbar wasn't one that could hold for long - and already, with Saori fighting against it so much, it was beginning to slip, loosening more and more with each of the Jungle Princess's kicks. But still, Blair held on. The most she could do was to wring as much out of this hold as possible!

[dlamp]

Saori could feel the hold on her arm start to weaken. Not by much, and she could still feel the blazing burn along the muscles and tendons in her shoulder, but the tiny gap was there. And with all the kicking and flailing she was doing the hold was only getting looser. "Let goo!" She started to pull her grabbed arm back, pulling her whole torso back in an attempted to break the hold as weak as the action was. All her mind focused on was surviving and getting free. The hold was hell, but she had to find a way out.

"Do you give up Saori?"

Saori's eyes narrowed at the referee, practically foaming at the mouth from the question. "Like hell!" She screamed, yanking harder.

[CaptainL]

Blair's eyes squeezed shut, and her brow furrowed as she tried to concentrate all of her focus on holding in the armbar as long as she could. She could feel her fingers slip, little by little, as her opponent's flailing made it harder and harder for her to keep her grip; each time she twisted and turned, Blair's hand slid down her arm a little more. Although she was an expert striker, Blair was more rudimentary when it came to other dimensions of martial arts, and she couldn't keep her hold locked in as firmly as a true submission master could. And Saori would sooner die than submit to Blair's hold; she told the referee as much. Blair knew there was no way the match could end here - but even still, she wanted to do as much damage as she could. Even when Saori escaped, Blair wanted to make sure she wouldn't bounce back so easily. And when she knew she was dealing with a fellow Muay Thai practitioner, she knew that weakening the arms could only help her in the long run.

Eventually, Blair's fingers had all but made it down to Saori's wrist - and, with another firm jerk, the Jungle Princess was able to break away from her, causing Blair to go tumbling backward from the release of the momentum. She landed on her back, but soon got her elbows underneath her to prop herself up as she focused a glare on her rival. Hoping to get a shot in before Saori could get too far away, Blair drew back one of her legs, hoping to shoot off a kick at her foe's side while they were still on the ground! It wouldn't have as much force behind it as Blair could gather from a stand-up position, but hopefully it could still do the job!