Charity Fundraiser Match!

The crowd was murmuring with excitement as the arena was prepped for another match. This next bout was one that had been hyped for a few weeks now, with even other wrestlers from Tension getting involved and weighing in with their own thoughts on the matchup. It wasn't simply that it was a tag match that had people excited, or the fact that it was between two established Tension fighters and two impressive newcomers. It was that, for the first time ever, Tension was holding a benefit match for the victims of the Tohoku quake. No matter who won or lost, this match would ultimately be for a good cause.

Even as the murmuring continued, the crowd suddenly hushed, and then burst into cheering excitement, as the first tag team arrived.






"Kanjite Knight" from the Mazinger Z soundtrack blared in the background as Makie and Kyo Akamatsu strode down the ramp, the arrival of the two sibling wrestlers causing cheers to erupt from their collective fans. The two could not have been more different: Kyo was stern-faced and relentless, striding down the ramp with the look of a warrior about to enter battle. His eyes strayed from the ring only to occasionally glance at his fans, and give them a solemn nod of acknowledgement or the ghost of a smile. Makie, by contrast, responded enthusiastically to her fans, smiling to them, waving, and even veering to the edge of the ramp to hi-five them.

Despite their differences, the two of them were veterans of Tension at this point-- the Samurai, and the Tempest. Many people placing bets favoured them already...but then again, given the buzz El Gato Blanco and Holly seemed to be making in Mexico, it would be premature to rule out the newcomers completely.

"Nervous?" Kyo asked as the reached the ring.

"Nah," Makie replied, sliding under the ropes and rolling to her feet. "You?"

"A little," her brother admitted sliding in as well and standing to his full height. "I've never been in a match with this much fanfar before."

Makie chuckled. "You know, you could learn to love the spotlight for a change," she replied. "You're a good wrestler with a lot of fans, Kyo, and there's nothing wrong with that. Plus, no matter what, we're going to generate a lot of hype tonight."

"I'm doing this for a good cause," Kyo retorted without hostility, "not popularity."

Makie shrugged. "Maybe," she said, "but you're going to be popular after this regardless, so you'd better get used to it."

Kyo said nothing. Insted, he rotated his shoulders, easing away the last of the tension in his muscles as he waited for their opponents to arrive...

Backstage, the sound of the fans' reaction to the Akamatsus could be felt right through the floor.  Blanco grinned, nodding along with the cheers of the crowd and the blaring entrance music of his opponents.  It was a good crowd pop, and he was impressed with the reaction they were getting.  It was lucky their match was against such popular opponents. All of that over-the-top promotion they'd attempted before the match was paying off, but without two solid wrestlers to back the whole thing up, it still could have been an absolute flop. Instead, he could give his partner the bit debut match she deserved, and raise a good sum for those in need.



Holly, meanwhile, paced around the gorilla area, adjusting her wrist bands and fidgeting helplessly with her tight singlet. She was suddenly quite regretting skipping leg day and opting to try and silence her night-before-match jitters with Ben & Jerry's.  She couldn't hide her nerves, and felt embarrassed as some of the stage crew and trainers in the back gave her some cheeky smirks. But there was way she could back out now.  She'd insisted that this was what she wanted:  a solid competition, against some of the best AFW had to offer, all while helping a good cause. Fate had conspired to make exactly that happen for her.  Now, it was time to see if she was up to the challenge.

When their entrance music hit (Katy Perry's "Roar," as Blanco had acquiesced to), the pair of them leapt onto the entrance ramp with fists raised in unison. They moved in tandem, though the young Brit clearly didn't stand with the practiced confidence of her masked partner.  Still, the reaction of the crowd seemed quite positive, cheers and applause all around as the match was about to get underway. The fight had been promoted as a "good fight for a good cause," and it seemed that it was appreciated by those in attendance.

"See," Gato said, over his shoulder, "that's a good reaction.  You're new, you're gorgeous, and the fans already know you're a good person.  Win or lose, they're already on your side."

"Win, mister," Holly said, grinning wide for the fans.  "No 'or.'  And let's just hope they still support us after they see us in the ring."

The pair made their way down the ramp, clasping hands with fans on either side.  The Japanese crowd was at least respectful, Holly noted, quite unlike the drunk and rowdy crowds she had gotten accustomed to in London.  Blanco, meanwhile, wondered what it would even be like to wrestle a match without Mexico's signature air horns.

The masked man gave a respectful nod to the Akamatsus, as they approached the ring.  Holly, meanwhile, chewed her lip nervously as she eyed the fit young pair they were about to face.

"You remember all of our spots, right?" she asked Blanco, as they approached the ring.  He hopped up to the apron from the steel steps, then leaned down to grab her, just beneath the arms.  He lifted her up, hoisting her into a seated position on the top rope.

"Got 'em all down pat," he promised, "we're doing good work tonight, Missus, and I'm not leaving a single yen on the table that I can earn for our cause.  We got this."

She leaned against him as the music spiked, both of them raising their arms enthusiastically to the crowd.  Holly then spun over the top rope, hopping back down to her feet.  Blanco ducked under the top rope, into the ring.  The music died down, and they stood across from their opponents.  In unison, they offered outstretched hands.  Blanco lowered his head respectfully to Kyo; Holly looked Makie up and down nervously, then did the same.

Despite himself, Kyo tensed as the opposing team's music began to play. Not out of fear, mind-- while he had spent endless hours and years training his body and building his skills, the most work had gone into training his mind, to give himself an ironclad focus that could allow him to remain mostly calm and serene in battle. He wasn't nervous about fighting Blanco or Holly, as he was confident enough in his abilities that he felt he could handle either of them. It was the attention he was getting that put him on edge: he wasn't used to being in such a high-profile match, especially one that had gained such promotion and where his victory or defeat could have real meaning. Makie was right, he thought to himself: he wasn't used to being popular.

Makie, by contrast, was feeling tense as well, but for a different reason. As she watched the other tag team approach-- Blanco, with his fierce feline mask and strong, wiry frame, and Holly looking glamorous at his side-- she felt genuinely excited. The two of them presented a challenge, a test to be overcome, and while she didn't want to dismiss Holly, her attention was drawn more to Blanco. She had heard how good luchadors were, but she now she was about to see firsthand just how good.

As the other tag team finally entered the ring, the siblings were able to get a good look at their opponents' physiques for the first time. Gato was lean and strong, with a body that was well suited to strikes and high-flying moves, and he moved with the easy confidence of someone used to the ring. Holly, on the other hand, didn't share that confidence, but she nonetheless seemed to be hiding her nervousness well, and she still seemed tough enough not to be underestimated-- those powerful thighs of hers, in particular, must give her a powerful kick.

As the other team offered their hands, the Akamatsus accepted. "Glad you two could make it," Kyo said with a smile. "So, I hope we're clear on the moves our two teams are going to be aiming for? Because otherwise, I'm sure we can all improvise fairly well."

"And by improvise, we mean kick your asses," Makie added with a grin.

Kyo turned and gave her a chastening glare. "Makie!"

"What?" Makie gave her brother an innocent look, before turning back to Gato and Holly. "In all seriousness, I know we've all been friendly with one another up until this point, but once that bell rings, Kyo and I aren't holding back, and I hope you two won't either."

The couple soaked in a few more moments of the crowd's adulation, as they entered the ring. Both of them looked quite pleased, as the fit young Akamatsus accepted their handshake. The two of them looked quite comfortable in the bright arena lights, for first-time AFW wrestlers. They shouldered the cheers of the crowd effortlessly, standing with supreme confidence at the center of the ring. More telling, was the way they looked at their opponents. Gato Blanco was hard to read, beneath the mask, but Holly was glaring hard at Makie as they approached the center of the ring.

Each of them looked their opponents up and down. Blanco's body language seemed unflappable. Shoulders relaxed, posture loose, the young luchador seemed as though he was simply glad to be there. Holly, however, was far more uptight. Her shoulders crept upward, muscles tense. Her wide eyes kept darting back and forth between Kyo and Makie. Even before words were exchanged, she seemed incredibly uncomfortable around her opponents.

As they spoke, Blanco was nodding along with Kyo. "I think we've got it down, thanks," he said, smiling from one edge of his mask to the other. "We've got some exciting-" Makie cut him off quickly, however, and it was all off, from there.

Holly was visibly bristling at Makie's words, crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at the younger girl. "Excuse me," she said, firmly, "you're not going to be touching my ass!"

Blanco, shrugged, visibly uncomfortable. "Nobody's going to be taking it easy, here," he said, placing a hand on Holly's tummy and trying to pull her back. "But some of my best friends in Mexico are guys I've beaten all sorts of bloody hell out of. There's no reason-"

This time, it was Holly cutting him off. "No, mister, she's right." Holly rolled her shoulders, and flexed her thick arms, in a transparent attempt to look intimidating. "It's time we get down to it, and show them we're here to compete, too! I just hope you're skinny bum is ready for this," Holly said, looking straight at Makie.

Blanco shrugged theatrically, walked back to his team's corner. "Okay," he said, "good contest, good match, all that. Just hope I can buy you guys a drink, at the end of all this ..." Holly, meanwhile, stood at the center of the ring, waiting for that opening bell, ready to start the contest.

Kyo nodded at Blanco's suggestion of drinks. "We know this great place on Suchibaru Street, so we can meet there," he said, before the two of them moved out of earshot. Seeing that Makie and Holly seemed the most eager to get to grips with one another, Kyo nodded to his sister and moved back to his corner, letting Makie take the first run in the ring.

Makie, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at Holly. "Skinny? Really? That's all you've got, Thunder Thighs?" She began to circle Holly, never once taking her eyes off of the English girl as she waited for the bell. As the bell rang, Makie smiled and motioned for a lockup. "Come on, lets see what youve got."

Blanco ducked under the top rope and took his spot on the apron as quickly as he could, before the opening bell. He couldn't help but wonder how Holly was going to take her first match, as incredibly tense as she already was. He took his spot on the apron, and took hold of the thin string attached to the ring post. "You got this, lady!" he shouted, encouragingly, as he watched the two young women circling one another.

Holly, meanwhile, was flushing deep red. Her jaw slacked open, shocked at Makie's smack-talk. "'Th-thunder ...?' You little slag!" she gasped, face and chest flushing red. He eyes tracked Makie as the younger girl circled her, and she leapt at the chance to lock up. Rushing forward a bit clumsily, anger affecting her technique, Holly rushed Makie as quickly as she could. Trying to lock the younger Japanese girl into an elbow-and-collar tie up, Holly would then start pushing Makie back against the ropes to try and take control. "I'm going to make you eat those words," she threatened, as she pressed herself hard against Makie.

The fans were clapping in rhythm now as Makie and Holly circled. The English girl hadn't taken kindly to Makie's trash talk, and she was now definitely in a fighting mood. Grinning at her, Makie edged closer as Holly motioned for a lockup.

The two of them tied up in the centre of the ring, pushing and twisting. The first thing that Makie discovered was that Holly was a lot stronger than she looked-- the Japanese girl found herself slowly but surely being pushed back. "Nnngh..." she grunted as her back was suddenly pressed against the ropes."No thanks...unlike you, I'm...on a diet..."

Squirming, Makie would twist, hoping to reverse their positions. If she was successful, then she would drop back, hoping to press her legs against her opponent's generous bosom and monkey flip her to the mat!

Makie's words were clearly flustering Holly, as the British girl's face reddened. "W-why you little-" she stammered, as the smaller Japanese girl spun her around without effort, escaping the ropes. Holly was losing composure and control all at once.

"Hggnnn!" she whimpered, as Makie's legs dug hard into her ample chest. The monkey flip went off in a snap, sending Holly tumbling end-over-end, hitting the mat hard on her bum. "Aaaow!" she moaned, both hands massaging her aching bosom.

At ringside, Blanco shook his head. Less than five minutes into his girl's career in Japan, and she was off to a less-than-dignified start. Holly was sitting upright, wobbly, a dazed look on her face. Blanco pounded the corner turnbuckle to try and rouse the Brit out of her funk, but Holly wasn't responding. She was a sitting duck for whatever Makie had planned, next.

Flipping back up to her knees Makie noted with satisfaction that the monkey flip had left Holly sitting stunned on her ass. So far, so good, but this match was just beginning, and she was just getting warmed up. Turning, Makie clapped to the fans to get them motivated, before turning back to her downed opponent.

"Come on, Lady Chestington, it isn't break time yet!" she taunted further, grabbing Holly by the arm to yank the Brit to her feet. Without further ado, she would whip Holly towards the ropes. The moment the Brit came bouncing back, Makie would be there, leaping at her feet-first to grab onto her head and, hopefully, use her own momentum against her in a sunset flip!

It was all too easy for Makie to yank Holly up to her feet. Stumbling, arms windmilling a bit as she stood, Holly's body was like putty in Makie's hands. Her temper had gotten the better of her, and Makie's continued mockery of her thicker figure wasn't helping that, at all.

Holly's eyes darted around the arena, trying to get her head back in the game despite a heavy blush running from her cheeks right down her chest. Unfocused and dizzy, the Brit was easy enough for Makie to fling againts the ropes, coming bouncing back utterly helpless. She came to a clumsy stop as Makie's slender figure flipped over her. Holly's hands went upward, trying to catch hold of her, only to leave her off-kilter and susceptible to Makie's toned legs catching her around the head and flipping her straight onto her back!

"Kick out, missus!" Blanco shouted, from ringside. Holly, meanwhile, was flat on her back, staring at the arena lights with her arms flat against the mat, her legs splayed up in the air, listlessly swaying side to side.