Haruka Date vs. Valley Doll - Back in the Saddle

Haruka's poker face was seriously starting to get to Valley. As she laid on her front, kicking her legs and coping with the pain as best she could, there was no way not be a little disturbed by it. She could just see enough from the corner of her eye to tell she was wearing the same melancholy expression, even after nailing the aerial move. It was like her mind was in an entirely different place and her body knew how to do all of this on reflex. Which was either impressive or terrifying. She couldn't quite decide which. Both?

Whatever the reason for her ennui, it wasn't making her a worse wrestler. It took Valley a moment to realize what Haruka was doing, but the truth of it sank in quick - a Stretch Muffler. A move she hadn't seen  in quite a while, and she was getting a grim reminder on why she didn't miss it.

It was too early in the match for tapping, but Valley doubted that was the point. It wasn't coincidence that this submission hold focused on her legs. She was trying to take away her weapons, and Valley was going to fight tooth and nail to keep that from happening.

She flopped forward and reached out, again and again, trying to grab the ropes and break the hold.

Haruka thought the plan was a solid one. Valley's leg was exposed and prime for a little battering. She got the Stretch Muffler in with little resistance and sent some pain through Valley's legs- the trouble was she hadn't made sure she was far enough away from the ropes to do any real damage. Haruka shrugged Valley's leg off of her as the ref told her to. Getting up, she chided herself inwardly; that was a rookie mistake and Haruka was no rookie.

A few steps back were enough to get some distance between them. She looked Valley over, trying to see if she had hurt the woman. Haruka knew that it was a silly fear but she had known a few women who were injured from lesser moves. There was never a desire to hurt any woman at least not seriously in the ring. Those fears culminated in a simple "Are you prepared to continue?" Haruka chided herself inwardly again. She didn't mean to sound arrogant or really anything other than helpful but the words came out monotone and flat. Like she was bragging...

Haruka didn't think she would be given time to ruminate on how awkward she was. She took up her stance and made herself ready for combat once again.

Oh, thank God for the ropes. Valley grabbed hold to them like they were a literal lifeline, like the only thing between her and utter destruction was a steel cable. Not too far off from the truth.

Her leg flopped down with an unpleasant landing as Haruka let it go, and Valley immediately curled up and tried to rub the pain away. Her entire thigh burning with pulsing pain, hurt with every little move she tried to make. Walking would be annoying. Running would be agony. Kicking would be impossible. With a few minutes, she might be able to heal up a bit and push past the pain, but for the moment, her choices were limited.

She tried her best to ignore Haruka's little taunt and push on. She wanted this to be a friendly match, hoped they could keep things copacetic, but it seemed like that was just not going to happen. Valley and purple-haired women simply did not mix.

"Ready and willing." She barred her teeth as she spoke and pulled up, using the ropes for support as she rose. Getting back into her fighting stance, she decided to stray from her usual style - if the bottom was off limits, she'd just have to work with the top. She made her way in and threw a hard right straight towards Haruka - she wasn't a boxer on her best day, but she could get some decent power behind her fists, too.

Haruka was looking low, preparing for a sweep or a kick with Valley's unstrained leg. It looked like that thought hadn't even occurred to the blonde woman, who might have had some trouble moving as far as Haruka could detect. Haruka felt the full straight right directly in her chest which knocked a few of the cobwebs out. Haruka flailed staggered back a step or two before finding her footing and taking a step forward.

If Valley wanted to fight standing up then so could Haruka. She planted on her left foot and swung in a roundhouse with her right. Haruka was ready to test just how ready and willing Valley was with the punch. The same serious stoic look on her face concealed her thoughts but the eyes she made at Valley were almost sympathetic. I did not mean to boast, she almost said, things just come out weird sometimes.

Haruka was not afraid of this becoming a boxing match. She was far more proficient with her kicks but was no slouch throwing punches.

Valley threw a punch, and she expected one to come right back in return. Sure enough, Haruka repaid the favor in kind.

She got her guard up just in time to block Haruka's punch as it came screaming in, nearly clubbing her right in the cheek. Nasty blow, lots of power behind it - not as dangerous as the kicks, but nothing Valley wanted to take too much of. Her own punches didn't have quite the force behind them, and if things turned into a slug fest, she knew who'd come out of top.

Valley moved back instead of forward and tightened her guard, kept it close. Better to play defensive for the moment, wait for Haruka to make a mistake and then take advantage. It gave her time to get a better look at her opponent, too, and see the odd look in her eyes...almost compassionate?

Yeah. They were going to have a little talk when this was through.

Haruka felt the bone collide on bone when Valley blocked the roundhouse. It was a nasty crunch and Haruka was not keen on having such a punch blocked again.

A brief flap of her hand was not enough to shake the pain away to no one's surprise. The open hand became a fist- Haruka would have to grit her teeth and ignore the pain. There was still a match to win. Valley was very solidly on the defensive and a quick examination revealed there were no chinks in her armor. Well, if Valley wasn't going to give them to her, then Haruka would have to make one.

Haruka's left pivot foot was enough to provide a strong launch pad so that Haruka could launch herself into the air and send a spinning heel kick at Valley's head. A cyclone of purple hair and loose pants and fury achieved liftoff in a spectacular fashion and only a blonde woman with her guard up would be able to tell just how exactly touchdown went...

Valley saw Haruka coming in for the spin and she had a pretty good idea what was about to happen. It didn't matter. She was in no position to dodge. Too close to the ropes. Leg still hurting, couldn't pull out a decent duck right now, not nearly enough time. Valley did what they always told you to do when a cyclone was coming your way: batter down the hatches, brace for impact, and pray you'll still be standing when it's over.

She managed to block the move, but that was thing with Haruka - even when you blocked her moves, you didn't really block her moves. The heel kick cracked her guard wide open and sent her stumbling back, right into the last place she wanted to be: the turnbuckle.

She hit it hard and slumped against the padding with her arms draped over the ropes, barely standing. She might as well have had a bullseye on her chest.

Haruka ran into the hard wall of Valley's hand as opposed to the soft tissue of which wasn't as much of a disappointment as she first thought. She had sent Valley to the turnbuckle after a fashion and was in a good position to follow up. The landing was flawless and Haruka quickly moved on Valley.

Haruka tried to heave Valley up to the top rope. While a jumping kick, most likely knocking Valley to the hard concrete floor below, would have been beyond spectacular Haruka had a better idea. If she could seat Valley on the top rope she would quickly turn around and send her plummeting to the ground with a stunning Iconoclasm.

The purple-haired woman was gambling on the fact that Valley was expecting a kick or a punch or some sort of strike and going all in. If at any point Valley tried to fight back Haruka would be screwed. A look of grim determination spread over Haruka's face as she did her best to execute the move.

Valley had absolutely no idea why Haruka was trying to get her up on the turnbuckle like this. There were only a handful of moves she knew of that worked well from this position, even fewer that she would have ever pegged a girl like her using. A hurricanrana, maybe? Something dashing.  Something daring. Something Valley did not want to be on the receiving end of. If she ever had a chance of getting back into the fight, it was going to be right about now.

Valley saw her chance the moment Haruka spun around and reached up. It would be a good setup for a powerful move if it connected, but it was also a prime position for one of Valley's favorite moves - the figure four scissorhold. She brought her legs in, shot them over Haruka's shoulders, and tried to clamp down around her neck before she had the chance to complete whatever she was going for, hoping she was quick enough on the draw and her legs still had a few good squeezes left in them.

Haruka thought she had it- she was so close to the Iconoclasm, so close to sending pain shooting through Valley's back and maybe going for a roll up. That plan came to an abrupt halt when Valley snaked one of her powerful legs around her neck. Haruka gasped and clutched at her neck, desperate for air.

She took a step forward, trying to get off the turnbuckle. If Valley came with her all the better. Haruka could fall to the ground and do an impromptu slam. And if she didn't, then Haruka could get a little distance between them and come at her to strike her again.