Poisoning The Well: Kaguya Busujima(D) vs. Kagami Itō

[ScoutLils]

Vs.

Match Rules

The match is set to one fall. Competitors can achieve victory via either: pinfall, submission, or disqualification. Hardcore rules apply and the use of weapons is allowed and encouraged.

Kaguya laid lazily over the arm rests of the rather comfy chair. She stares off into space with a bored expression awaiting her father in his office as instructed. Doku-hime came dressed normally despite having a “mission” or so she was told but it seemed like her handler was taking his sweet time. Her gaze meets his many accomplishments, achieved by underhanded tactics and the like but that was none of her business…not yet anyway. Her fingertips drum along the empty space left not covered by her torso or legs. The rhythm slowly taking shape as her eyes continue to wander as she takes in the familiarity of his office. How long had it been since she was here? Kaguya couldn’t recall her recent visit so it’s obvious it’s been a while. As her eyes wandered more, decorations came into her specs, the medium sized row of bamboo shoots, the mini sand garden on his desk, to the ornament kabuki masks hanging along the wall. If anything, her fathers tastes were still the same, a taste he tried to force on her with no avail. She was just about to stand and dig deeper when she heard an audible click from the door, her father stepping in.

The kunoichi was on her feet, at attention as he shut the door behind him. His usual hardened expression greets her, he nods to her exsist ace and heads to his desk, all the while, her gaze followed him, expecting some sort of reaction other than just a meager gesture. Kaguya should’ve known better than to think he acknowledge her with words, it was only business from here. Doku-hime steps towards the desk as her father settles into his leather chair, her hands overlap as his chin settles over his knuckles. ”I have a task for you, daughter of mine.” He began, cutting any true form of formality other than his ownership over her life. Typical, she could only think. “Of course Father, that is why I’m here.” She replies, a hint of coldness stitched itself in her words, her father only scoffed before reaching into a drawer on his left side to present a cream collared scroll, the rolls don in a dark chestnut hue. The seal was done in a purple sealing wax, common for the Busujima clan’s letters.

Her gaze met the scroll intently before she reached out to take it, her father quickly snatched it back. His gaze shifted as if to leer at her. ”Are you certain you’ll complete this task to the letter? I don’t think I need to remind you what will happen if you fail.” he remarked. Kaguya’s outreached hand hesitated for a moment, she knew exactly what would happen if she failed. Her body certainly remembers, her resolve wasn’t shaken and she again reached out to snag the scroll from him. A pleased smirk crossed his face as she huffed, a bit annoyed with his testing attitude. “You don’t, because I won’t.” She states, matter-of-factly. Her master rests his back against the chair, watching dutifully as Kaguya broke the seal and unwound the scroll revealing her task and her target.

“This is your target this evening: Kagami Itō, daughter of the famous Karateka: Yamato Itō, although he would argue against that.”He chuckled. The poison flower glanced in his direction at the comment as she turned her focus back to the page, reading every line written before she turned back to him. “You can’t be serious, you seriously want me to do this? Me?” Her father stood up at her question, his gaze felt like a glare as she met him with a strained reflection. ”I taught you never to question your mission, either you fulfill your duty to the family or you can forget returning here.” The threat made her flinch. Her digits crease the scroll in hand as she sighs in defeat, despite all her strengths, her confidence, defying him was out of the question. ”N-no…I’ll do it.” He softened, passing the corner of his desk before he set his hands upon her shoulders. ”That’s my girl. This is somewhat important to the Board. I’m sure you know about our upcoming deal with the Sakai Company, yes? Their CEO is a candidate for our board and we’re expecting a deal to inaugurate his membership.” He headed back to his desk to pull a file from the same drawer, opening the Manila envelope. “The situation is an annoying one, however, he’s hired the Busujima’s to take care of his little problem. He’s involved in an affair with his head secretary, his wife suspects him and has hired the Asano Consulting Agency to investigate. I’m sure they’ve managed to find everything they need to expose him and although we could cut our ties with him, money helps his situation. Our problem is that it could also expose us. I wouldn’t be surprised if he left some record of our organization somewhere they could find it.” He gripes.

Her Father would sigh as he pinches his nose, truthfully he’s not pleased with this matter and in fact, was incredibly livid with the clean up as well having to attempt to salvage an already threatened deal. “Kagami happens to be one of their PI’s. I want you to wring anything and everything she knows, no matter how little it could be. It’s possible they may have already passed everything they have on the affair along to the wife. If that’s the case then we’ll forward him back a small percentage to compensate. Our priority is the safety of the family. Make sure you cover your tracks and use the safe house in the city, I expect you to do whatever it takes.” He states, sitting back at his desk to pick up where he left off. Her gaze averts as he continues. ”I’ve already arranged everything for you, you’ll be able to get away with any tactic you decide tonight. Make a show of it, but don’t give away more than you have to.” A catch and release sort of mission, not exactly what she was expecting but she supposed it warranted such an approach with the threat of their very exsistence being possibly exposed. Kaguya offers a slight smile. ”Consider it done, Father.”

—————Later that Evening—————

She had everything laid out, her plan was to shake Kagami from the very beginning with a bit of bait and switch. The kunoichi patted down her double, she suspected no one, including her opponent knew what she looked like and this would be the perfect ploy for an esteemed ninja like herself. Her double looked herself over, dyed purple hair tied in a ponytail wearing a set of black bottoms and a white crop top. Kaguya didn’t exactly pick their clothes but she supposed it didn’t matter as she looked them over once more. Their appearance would be short lived afterall and would be such a spectacle to see the rumored scaredy cat to react to this~. “You remember the plan, yes? This is a huge moment, you’ll get the rest of your payment after my match, so don’t mess up.” she states. The double nods, having earned her half of the promised payment it seemed easy enough. “Good, now get out there, when the lights go out, that’s your cue.”[/color] she instructs. With a nod, they leave the locker room while Kaguya would step back, throwing on her fake robe as her obsidian toned Oni-mask clicked in place. It was time to play.

Spoiler

theme

Completing her preparations, Kaguya would sneak into the crowd, avoiding security and personnel alike as she makes her way into the gallery. She made sure to get as close as she could without being spotted for her little trap to spring. Her father wanted a show, so she’d give him one.

With her theme beginning to glare out over the speakers, her double would push past the curtains to walk out and greet the crowd, a small roar of praise broke out in reaponse. They stepped down with confidence just as she instructed, her eyes followed them as she awaited in the crowd, none the wiser of her presences as she calmly strolled through. Their walk to the ring was swift, her double kept their eyes focused on the arena as they climbed those steel steps to slip past the ropes. Everything was falling into place, her shoots full of her “poisons” and her plan for the evening was in motion.


With her theme dying down, the kunoichi held her position. Her double turned to meet the entrance hanging as close to the right side post where she was waiting. Tonight was going to be the start of her career, the start of her life as a Busujima ninja. Kagami Itō wouldn’t leave the arena in one piece, she’d be certain of that.

[Ichi]

Backstage

     "At least I have clothes this time..." murmured Kagami, her eyes downcast. Last time, Kagami did not have that essential. But misfortune had made itself a demonstrable mainstay of her life, and she knew not to correlate current fortune to future events. In fact, experience had taught her to expect something to go wrong in each and every one of her endeavors. If Kagami had been lucky, such experiences would have desensitized her to uncertainty and steeled her composure. Instead, she learned generalized, reactionary fear akin that of the infant who had negative experiences pertaining to a white, fluffy rat

This is referential to the 'Little Albert' experiment.

. Kagami, however, had an amalgam of perceived duty and necessity spurring her on, forcing her to march on even as her heart beat in her throat.
     To Kagami, wrestling in LAW was just another job—a contract in which her consideration was suffering and labor, with money as compensation

In American law, 'consideration' is something of value exchanged between parties in a contract.

. Personal enjoyment was minimal, if it even existed at all, yet Kagami had accepted this reality.
     By the luck—or rather the 'unluck'—of the draw, all of her jobs were stressful, demeaning, life-threatening, or some combination thereof. Both her current and former positions at 'Family Burger' subjected her to the company-mandated managerial tactics of verbal beratement and 'family slaps'. Wrestling for LAW was different, but it came with its own hazards: beyond the physical hazards, she risked immodest exposure—or worse—for the gratification of lascivious fans. That almost made Kagami miss her old life competing in karate, where her only bodily exposure came via defibrillation following unexpected commotio cordis. Yet, in this 'between a rock and a hard place' scenario, being sexualized for commercial and masturbatory purposes was preferable to her father's oppressive expectations and conditional warmth during her karate career.
     Nowadays, an entire ocean separated Kagami from her father, and all familial bonds between the two had decayed into dust. Yet, the chains linking her to her mother and siblings back in the United States still ensnared her. Perhaps in different circumstances, Kagami could have become a poster child of the specious American dream

Using the adjective 'specious' is an intentional jab at the concept of the 'American Dream'.

, dragging herself up to a better life through her own merits and determination. But stagnation, rather than advancement, were in the cards for Kagami. The demands of her mother impelled Kagami to bear not just her own weight but that of many. Advancement often comes at the price of immediate needs, and Kagami was corralled into taking multiple jobs just to support herself and her family—the latter, while only being a subjective obligation, was nonetheless subjectively binding to Kagami.
     'Family Burger' employee, LAW wrestler, and private investigator trainee... those were Kagami's jobs. Or, perhaps more accurately, they were ancillary activities to her role as provider.
     Ironically, her job at the private investigation firm Asano Consulting—the job that had the highest chance to kill her—was the one that was most palatable to her. It was a position that did not inherently entail lasciviousness like LAW, nor did her superiors slap and verbally berate her. Moreover, even though she was still learning the ropes, it was the one job that allowed her to use her mind to a satisfying degree.
     Kagami took a shaky breath, her heart beating at a presto tempo

In music, a tempo of 'presto' is a fast tempo.

. She looked down, scanning her clothed chest and fishnet-covered limbs. The air felt cold around her, not due to the ambient temperature, but instead from the comparative lack of covering. In any other circumstance, Kagami would have felt uneasy in such a quasi-revealing outfit. But this was different. Himeno, one of her coworkers at Asano Consulting, had painstakingly constructed this outfit after hours. The entire office had pitched in to pay for materials, but it was Himeno who had assembled it. Granted, Himeno had generally been intoxicated during those times, but Kagami saw all the sewing needle pricks and tangled threads as a kind gesture.
     Seeing Himeno's handiwork made Kagami's heart flutter, giving her overtaxed heart a break through several staccato aberrations. She drew another breath, the unevenness even more pronounced. Several tears fell from her face onto the fabric covering her chest. At the end of the day, gifts were not something that Kagami was used to.
     The only realistic thing that would have made this situation better would have been if Himeno, Rin, or any of the other women at Asano Consulting were there with her. But, circumstances precluded that. Himeno and Rin were working feverishly to finalize an investigation into a rich CEO of some company—an ostensibly standard infidelity investigation, but one made remarkable by the status of the CEO. Kagami did not any substantive details about the case, but she did know that it was particularly lucrative and was more difficult than many other cases.
     Part of Kagami wished that Himeno or Rin could have put their work on hold and been there with her. However, Kagami felt like that would be too much to ask: she was responsible for herself, and they had a job to do. Still, their promises to remotely keep tabs on her match felt like stabs to the chest—not for the typical reasons, but because Kagami felt like accepting those promises was her being imposing. Burdensome...
     ...much like her involvement in this upcoming match. An involvement was about to begin, given that the distant sound of her opponent's entrance music had died down.
     "At least I have clothes this time..." repeated Kagami to herself.

The LAW Arena

     A glitchy, stuttering electronic beat cut in. Speakers strained, overdriven and struggling with the arrhythmic pulses. There was no order in the noise—only cacophony masquerading as music.

Entrance Music: The Devil Appears (Chainsaw Man OST)

     Cued in by her entrance music, Kagami promptly stepped out onto the stage area. Blinding light assailed her vision, prompting the brunette to blink hard. But she expected this, as the backstage had been dark.
     Kagami gasped.
     The crowd was substantial. It was hardly different from her last match, but more noticeable without the previous distracting circumstances—one of which was unplanned nudity. Kagami sneaked a glance down at her attire, releasing a quick sigh of relief after confirming she was clothed.

     Her hands found her opposite triceps as she took a tentative step forward. Later steps were hardly more confident, and Kagami's shoulders slumped accordingly. The sound of her heartbeat quietly pounded in her ears, perceptible yet overwhelmed by ambient noise. People populated the periphery of her vision, and the ring occupied the center. Seeing the squared circle and feeling that familiar pounding in her chest reminded Kagami that she was about to compete.
     Following a deep breath, she aimed her gaze towards the vicinity of her opponent-to-be, being careful not to meet her gaze. Even without the clarity of focused vision, Kagami could see that the woman was comparable in size to herself, with nothing particularly out of the ordinary in her physique or attire. And without seeing how the woman moved, Kagami would have difficulty assessing what she would be up against.
     The rest of Kagami's entrance would be mundane, with the brunette making her way up the steel steps leading to the ring and gracelessly crawling through the middle and top ropes. A listless gait would lead her to the corner, where she would wait for the match to begin. All the while, Kagami would try to maintain her indirect gaze, hopefully avoiding her opponent's notice—but Kagami had few positive expectations, knowing how situations tended to turn out for her.

[ScoutLils]

Kaguya’s gaze was fixed to the ramp, as an eerie cut of electronic music filled her ears, she would finally glimpse her target in the flesh. The Poison Princess takes her time analyzing their build, their posture. She notices Kagami is actually somewhat toned, it’s obvious she has training but then again, the violet ninja was very aware of that fact. Her posture on the other hand showed her meekness, the lack of confidence in herself, or maybe she was overthinking that aspect. Still, perhaps driving Kagami out of her comfort zone is exactly what she could use to make them break. Her fingertips run along the shoot she had in mind, the one planned to bring about this poor girls downfall.

With her opponent finally making it to the ring, Kaguya felt unimpressed. Kagami had a chance to shine but she didn’t take it, almost like she sheltered herself from any possible reaction that could have been negative. Doku-hime smirks as she pinches the hood of her cloak, pulling it up over her face as the Oni’s teeth poke from the shadows. The double’s gaze met her own, with a slight nod down, the hidden signal was given. Only one single step was taken of her “clone” to meet Kagami; the overhead lights would suddenly shut off, darkening the arena. The crowd scremaed and roared in surprise, the time to act was now.

Disguise

With the “clone” dropping and rolling under the ropes to then blindly crawl to the barricade to escape, the kunoichi leapt over the barrier, and bound her way up the apron. She grabs hold of the tethers slinging her upward to plant her feet over the turnbuckle to stabilize.

She stands tall in the darkness as the overhead lights ignite, bringing intense beams of light suddenly like the Sun. There she stood, her figure looming as if some other-worldly like entity, come to feast on an unsuspecting wanderer. ”Here you are…” Kaguya calls, her voice is clear but firm. ”How small. I expected a bit more, but as your executioner, I’ll take satisfaction with every last moment before your inevitable demise by my hand, Kagami Itō!” The kunoichi leaps from the turnbuckle, landing on her feet as her fingertips reach out past the fabric to gather into her palm. With a harsh tug, the loose material spills, flapping outward like a flag in the wind as Kaguya tossed the dark cloak over ringside. Her index and thumb punch her mask as she unclicks the porcelain material from her face. The kunoichi sports her purple garments, her white obi tied tight with her shoots tucked into her waist. The referee takes her mask, Kaguya feigns ignorance as she pretends that she suddenly recalled something important. ”Oh, that’s right. Silly me.”

Actual Attire

With a stiff led chuckle, Kaguya’s hand reaches betwixt her chest to pull a small scroll hidden in her garments. She passed it off to the ref who eyed it suspiciously before slowly unraveling its contents. ”A stipulation was added last minute, seem like the winner gets the loser for twenty four hours.” She states with a matter of fact tone. The stipulation was a fail safe, on the chance she possibly lost, Kagami would take advantage of the rules, still giving the kunoichi access to the scardey-cats intel.