24/7 Championship Match - Carmen Rodriguez (C) vs. Soledad 'Sola' Vega - All Good Things

The Downward Spiral. Even in Kyoto, a city filled with hot, famous night clubs, it managed to stand out for a few reasons. It had a unique design,with multiple floors twisting their way downwards, giving the impression that you were inside the spire of a giant drill, burrowing its way to the earth. It was also one of the few clubs in Kyoto with numerous multilingual bartenders and staff, which made it a frequent haunt for people vacationing to Japan. Or AFW wrestlers.

Carmen had visited the place many times and had quite a few wild nights here. But none of them were going to be as wild as this one.

She sat on a stool by the bar on the bottom level, right in front of the throbbing dance floor watching as the crowd, hopped around and gyrated and swung and bobbed to the pulsing rhythm. Carmen was sorely tempted to go out and join them, move over to the dance floor and just fade into the night like she’d done so many times...but no. Not tonight. Tonight, she had a special sort of dance partner.

She wasn’t dressed in her part clothes. Instead, she was was her hardcore outfit - the sweat pants, the sneaker, the red Tension A-shirt, and, of course, the grappling gloves. Instead of a nice drink from the counter, she had a water bottle to guzzle, a large one she was halfway finished with.

Carmen sipped away as she lifted her head up, looking towards some extremely recent additions to the clubs. Cameras. More than usual, better quality, higher definition. The kind that could catch a fight from any angle and broadcast a fight across the world. That was why she was here. A match.

A grudge match.

Carmen rarely took pleasure from hurting people, but Soledad Vega had earned that level of hate out of her. She clenched her fists just thinking about, the little bitch’s smarmy words and her smug attitude. She was pretty. Beautiful, even. Skilled. But she needed to be taken down, she needed a lesson in humility and she needed to learn that she’d never hold the 24/7 Title as long as it was Carmen’s to hold.

Soon, the referee and Soledad would be here, and the lesson could begin. Until then, she would sit and drink and wait.

There was a modest crowd outside for Soledad Vega to shoulder past, as she made her way into the club. She gave a knowing wink to the doorman, a massive man with frosted tips. Well-built, handsome, he could have made a name for himself, if he'd opted to start fighting professionally. This wasn't his night, however. This was Soledad Vega's, and quite a few of the regulars here were well aware of that fact.

When Soledad had chosen the location for the match, tonight, she had chosen it carefully. Still new to the city, and to Japan in general, the young latina's penchant for eye-catching behavior and apparel had helped her to quickly make a name for herself, locally. She hoped that tonight, she could solidify that name. In the club, and in AFW in general.

Sliding into the club, Soledad cast a quick glance around the room. She flashed a grin to some of those in attendance, offering the occasional flirty wink or blown kiss. Anything to keep as many eyes on herself as she could. Sola hadn't been seen in public much, since Carmen had called her out. The things that had been said, drudging up Soledad's past, putting it on blast the way Carmen had ... it had rattled the young street fighter. She'd gotten all the way to Japan, but she hadn't gotten past all of that, it seemed.

So, much of Soledad's work in the time between then and now was spent on rebuilding walls. On getting herself back into fighting trim, a return to the same ambitious form that had led her to invade Carmen's home, try to take the title from her in the dark of night, and get this feud started in the first place.

Soledad sauntered toward the dance floor. Carmen was here somewhere, she was sure, but she couldn't tell just where. As a server passed, Sola brushed her hand across his shoulder, leaned in, and whispered her drink order into his ear. Sola let the word "Tequila" slide through her lips, letting her breath brush his ear, ensuring he wasn't going to ask her any questions before bringing back the drink.

As she settled in on the dance floor, the young woman began to shimmy her hips. The beat, the music on this side of the world was quite different from back home. But, Sola put in the work, to learn and adapt. And dance was a rather universal language. The Puerto Rican street fighter grinned, as her body began to sway to the music, abs tightening as she got into the beat. She leaned on a table, bowing her head to let her long, asymmetrical hair cascade down her shoulder. Soledad couldn't wait to get her hands on Carmen, tonight, but she couldn't bring herself to go searching for her. As she nodded and swayed with the music, Soledad could feel the eyes being drawn to her motions. If anything, the self-possessed rookie figured, let Carmen come find her.

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

Normally, Carmen wouldn’t have minded waiting so long for Soledad and the referee to show up. She was aching to get her hands - and possibly feet - on the little brat, and this would be the best way to do it. Public. Permanent. In a way that would end their little beef with no questions.

But the location was the problem.

She wanted to be uptight, she wanted to focus on the task at hand, but it was a little hard with the pulse-pounding music and the swaying waves of undulating human flesh. Carmen wasn’t the best dancer in the world, but she enjoyed her little nights out. And it had been a good while since she’d descended into the Downward Spiral.

Carmen was leaning against the bar, considering her options, chewing her lip, when the decision became a lot easier.

There she was. There was Sola. But no referee, no fight. So until then…

On a whim, Carmen made her way out onto the dancer floor, weaving her way through the crowd, bumping through the crowd until her hips tapped against the one she was looking for. She looked down on the smaller Latino, keeping a casual look on her face. No need to make a scene when there wasn’t any reason to.

Soledad grinned, hips swaying to the music. She hadn't fully committed herself to dancing (at least not yet), but sh ecouldn't help but think it might be a nice way to warm up, before she could finally get her hands on Carmen. And, of course, it would be a good way to get more eyes on her, before tonight's "main event."

Soledad could feel eyes on her already, but not enough. Not the right eyes, either- Sola wanted to believe that she would know, when she finally had Carmen's attention. Having waited long enough for this fight, the animosity between herself and the hometown legend having built up to such a head, Sola wanted nothing less than a true, blood-boiling feud, tonight. Something that would help cement her name. Something that would help replace her reputation back home with something unquestionably more impressive.

Finally, Sola was ready to seperate herself from the table. Her drink was still on its way, but that was hardly the only way she could have fun in a club like this.

Standing off the table, Sola shimmied a hip out, lifted her arms in preparation to dance- and found herself bumping hard into the thigh of the very woman she'd come here for, tonight. Sola looked up, saw the nonplussed expression on Carmen's face. A smirk tugged at the corner of Soledad's lip, which she let curl and evolve into a full-on sneer.

"Carmen!" Soledad said, with stingingly false enthusiasm. "Fancy running into you, here." Sola bumped her hip against Carmen again, just a slight bit more stiffly this time, before stepping back. The younger woman squared her shoulders, and cocked out a hip. "So ... did you bring my belt? And your hat?"

Carmen stood there, head canted ever-so-slightly to the side, looking at a woman who was so similar and yet so different from herself. Younger, meaner, driven just as much as her, but with different ways to go about it. As she did, she couldn’t help but reflect on how this scene could’ve gone if they hadn’t met the way they’d met, if Carmen had just stumbled on Sola in a bar one night. Things could’ve been different. Better.

Oh, well.

Sola was certainly looking fine tonight, at least, as the neon lights cut a fine figure in the darkness. The crowd could sense the energy between them, and even those who didn’t watch the AFW and didn’t know what was going on knew well enough to give them some space.
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”They wanted to clean the belt up for our match. The referee’s bringing it. As for a hat…” Carmen started to circle around Sola, letting her eyes roam up and down the young Latina’s body. ”I don’t think I’ll be needing it. Tonight, I’m leaving with my title on my shoulders. Just like every other night.”

Carmen stopped her circling and leaned in, bringing her face close to Vega, with only inches in between. ”I’m not some little boy you can beat with a handjob, and you’re not getting the jump on me in the middle of a the night. It’s not going to end well for you.”

Sola tossed a smirk toward the club patrons who were giving the two women ground. She and Carmen had just bumped into one another, and already they were throwing off the vibe of an impending fight. The curvy street fighter cross her arms beneath her chest, throwing it out there a bit, and shifted her weight to one leg. Tossing the longer half of her hair yet again, showing off a bit for Carmen.

Sola looked Carmen up and down. Every inch of her looked professional. Carmen was a champion – and legend in their native Puerto Rico- for a reason. Toned, poised, she looked so ready for a fight. Part of Sola admired her. That part of her, however, was completely dwarfed by the part that imagined how good it would feel to knock her off that pedestal.

Sola turned her head, keeping her eyes locked with Carmen as the veteran paced around her. She cocked an eyebrow, not letting her confident veneer drop. Sola's youth had been spent fighting more in the streets, even in places like this, than in the ring. This was her element, she told herself, she should be owning it. She could feel Carmen's eyes running up and down her body, studying her, casing her out.

When Carmen leaned in, Sola didn't break ground. "Oh-ho!" she scoffed, at Carmen's taunt. "So, you liked that match, did you? Studying my technique? Or, were you studying my "form" ...?

"The boy was fun. A lot of fun. But this? This is all business, Carmen." Sola leaned in, until the tip of her nose was touching Carmen. The champion was intimidating, of course, but Sola reminded herself that she'd faced down beasts, before, and lived. She could do this.

When Carmen leaned in, she expected Sola to back off, at least a little bit. After all, if the attack at her apartment was anything to go by, the younger Latina wasn’t interested in a straight up fight, didn’t have the steel to face her directly and hold her ground. She wasn’t Diana Accera. She wasn’t Lorenza Saldano. She wasn’t any of the dozens of seasoned women Carmen had taken on and taken down in her lifetime.

She was a first year Tension wrestler with three matches under her name.

But Soledad’s confidence was unwavering. It might’ve been inspiring if it wasn’t so irritating.

Their noses touch, not bothering Carmen one bit. She’d had her face shoved in Sola’s face in the last match, and her time with Youkai was good proof that the woman cared little for personal space.

Reflexes took over for a moment, and she couldn’t resist a hot breath at the mention of Sola’s ‘form’ and the moves that accompanied it, but she regained composure soon enough. She wasn't going to be sexed out of her title, not matter how well Sola's hips filled out those pants or how much of cleavage spilled out of that top. ”It stopped being business when you invaded my home.” Carmen pushed a little closer, letting their lips briefly brush, a not-quite kiss before she pressed their foreheads together. ”Now it’s personal. You ready for that, little girl? Really ready for this level?”

Sola took a deep breath, as Carmen leaned in. The young latina street fighter was itching for things to get started, but she had to be patient. Last time she'd rushed Carmen blind, things hadn't gone her way. The fight got out of hand, and she'd ended the night without that championship in her hands again. And while Sola felt as comfortable as could be here, in this club, she still know about a hundred things could go wrong if she didn't play this one right.

Besides, that ref was still on their way. She could pin Carmen for a ten-count if she wanted to, but someone would have to be here to make that count!

But then, as if out of the corner of her eye, Soledad noticed something. The way Carmen's breath got caught up, at Sola's taunting. Really, the young latina had simply been trying to be rude, but she seemed to have hit a nerve. And if Soledad were willing to jump Carmen in her own home, there was no way that she was going to miss jumping on this.

"So, Carmen," she said, sliding forward. The vivacious young wrestler didn't stop until her body was almost flush with Carmen's, her curvaceous figure tucking flush with the champion's toned body. "This is getting personal for you, eh? We're taking it to 'another level,' eh?"

In time to the pounding music, Sola began working her hips. She was lightly grinding against Carmen, subtly for now, only the clubgoers watching them most intensely having even a hint of what was going on.

"So, tell me," Sola said, breathing the words low, right into the nape of Carmen's neck, "how personal are you prepared for things to get?"

All of the sudden, things got weird.

Granted, a former boxer and silver medalist were going to have a match for a wrestling championship in the middle of a major dance club, so things were destined to be weird from the start. But the moment Soledad moved forward and pressed against her, a rather unique line got crossed.

Carmen wasn’t blind. Sola’s personality was repugnant, but her body was a completely different story, and the young Latina certainly knew how to move it. She hadn’t thought that it would come to be a factor in this, that Sola wouldn’t try to weave the same spell she did on the Youkai. Clearly, she’d been wrong.

But okay. She wasn’t going to back down, not for this, not here. She wasn’t a walking sexpot, but Carmen had picked up quite a few things in her time with the AFW. If Sola wanted to dance, they’d dance.

She reached around Sola’s waist and pulled her close, roughly bringing their bodies together and making the light grinding far less light. Skin touched. Hairs mingled. Carmen’s thigh pressed along Soledad’s middle, and her lips came near her the temptress’ ear, just to speak one, hot word.

”Very.”

Soledad admittedly had no idea how Carmen would respond to her advances.  In throwing herself at the defending champion like this, Sola was indeed hoping she could throw Carmen off her game.  More than that, she had been hoping to draw some extra eyes onto their impending fight.  What good was beating the champion, if no one saw you do it?

The two women were tucked tightly together.  Sola could feel Carmen's hips grinding against hers, could feel her bare belly softly caressing Carmen's toned abs.  Slowly and subtly, she tried to work her way up and down that championship body.  Still, however, she had no idea how Carmen would react, until she felt Carmen's arm wrap around her waist.

The grip was firm, assured.  There might have been a moment's hesitation, but once Carmen committed, she seemed to be going all in.  And so, Sola had to do the same.

"Ooh!" she squealed, as Carmen pulled her in.  Sola took a deep breath, arching her spine, letting her ample and barely-covered chest come to rest right on Carmen.  Leaning forward, Sola let her warm breasts melt into Carmen's body, as the champion held her snugly.

Quickly, Sola turned toward the nearest group of watching fans, and gave a faux-shocked smile.  Sola gave them a dramatic, knowing wink.  As Carmen leaned in, and whispered her one word, Sola dragged her teeth across her wet lower lip in anticipation.

Closing her eyes, Sola began to increase her grinding.  Flexing her powerful legs, Sola let the motion of her ample hips be clear and obvious, as she brought her midsection flush against Carmen's body.

"Well, then, chica," Sola said, lifting her chin to expose the nape of her neck fully to Carmen's face, "maybe we could have a little fun before the referee gets her, and tells us we have to behave, no?  You fight good, but how well do you dance?"  This was an entirely different sort of encounter, than any Sola and Carmen had, before.  Sola was gambling, not knowing how the legendary fighter would respond to this kind of challenge.  But right now, the teenage street fighter was willing to take a chance on this strategy, and see where it might take her.

Styx's fist met with Doom's guard with a solid, palpable sound.  The impact of the punch carried through Doom's arms, shaking her shoulders.  The woman's leanly-muscled back rippled, as she flexed and absorbed the blow.  Doom didn't brace herself hard against it, but let the impact run through her body.  The brawler bounced back, slightly, letting the kintetic energy run through her body.

Doom shook herself out, from her shoulders on down, in one quick shiver.  She dropped that guard, suddenly, taking just a moment to spare a glance around the ring.  The fans were still somewhat quiet.  A bit of a cheer had sounded for the opening bell, and the start of another violent contest.  A grin tugged at Doom's lips, smug in her knowledge that these drooling fanboys weren't going to get their usual sort of show, out of this one.

Still, Doom didn't care enough for the fans to give them her full attention.  Styx was there, standing in the ring, ready to go.  And Doom was all too eager to oblige.  Shaking out the impact of Styx's blow, trying to roll with the sting of taking that heavy fist to the forearms, Doom shot forward.  Stepping in, the brawler jabbed forward with a pair of shots, rabbit-quick, thrusting her fist right for Styx's face.  Doom wanted to not just take Styx's assault, but give back with something hard in turn, and show all the plebians in attendance that they were in for a contest, tonight!