In the Wolf's Jaws

Manami spent a couple minutes walking around the back stage. The Wolf Girl felt a bit aimless as she transverse from one corridor to the next. She bad forgotten the directions and needed a bit of time to get her bearings. Then she felt a tug against her palm, as if she was caught on something and looked back. Ah, she had almost forgotten. Her spoils.

Poor Kaede. The pink-haired brawler had put quite a fuss in the middle of the ring mere minutes ago. Before she was thoroughly crushed beneath the Wolf Girl's claws. It was a somewhat brutal showing that had her inches away from being disqualified. Still, it was all well enough. She'd no doubt made a strong impression, and the administration would think twice about sending her against someone so ill-equipped.

Speaking of which, this girl was putting up quite a struggle for someone with injured hands. Her leg kept tugging back, likely out of reflex more than anything. It was enough to be annoyance, however. Everything she heard about her was true. Kaede was a fighter that simply did not listen. It would be unfair to say she was incapable of reading the situation. She just wouldn't. She refused to. Unless, of course, that harsh reality was forced upon her.

Throwing her forward, she change the grapple up a bit, pulling her forward by her pink strands rather than her troublesome leg. If she had any protests, Manami wasn't interested in hearing them. Her mind was focused on locating that private room. She remembered reserving it, in the event this match left her wanting, but let the exact location slip her mind. Why did all of these hallways have to look so similar?

Let's see, turn right here...make a left there...last door on the right with a sign on the handle. Ah, here it was. Throwing open the door, she'd hurry in and toss the pinkette into the side of the ring before shutting a locking the entrance behind her. She walked over to the injured fighter as she took in the room. The lighting was adequate and the floors clean, but with no particular shine to it. To the side were a number of strewn out...instruments on the floor. That was something to note. The ring itself would suffice, but it was clearly less impressive than Friction’s famed square. The colors were gray and dull, and the canvas was of lesser quality. Still, that didn't matter, she wasn't going to be the one eating it by the end.

Stopping just a few inches of Kaede, Manami would let out a series of quick kicks, forcing the girl upright. Once she was in position, she'd force her foot against her chest, pinning her into the ring’s side.

“Behave.” She spoke matter of factly and without care for the girl’s fierce defiance. Releasing her leg before leaning toward, cupping the pink punk’s chin in her hand, she’d force the two to lock eyes, sending a very clear and brief message.

“Ready?”

Kaede didn't even really think about tapping, it wasn't a conscious decision on her part. It was as if her body was in such extreme pain that she didn't need to - her body hijacked her brain and made the decision for her, did the only thing it could do to save itself.

It wasn't a matter of pride anymore, but survival. If Kaede wanted to wrestle again - and, goddamn it, she did - she had to tap.

So she did, and even though Manami didn’t let her go nearly as soon as she would've liked, she did let her go. Kaede immediately rolled into a ball and cradled up, rubbing her aching digit, doing her best to deal with the swelling pain that was taking over her everything. It had been the worst three minutes of her life, but she could look past it, now. It was over.

So she’d thought. So she'd hoped.

She was wrong.

Sheer fear took over her face as Manami crawled her way like a woman possessed, staring over her with more of the feral madness that had been on display throughout the match. A chill ran through Kaede’s bones as the psycho woman spouted her insane words, and then made good on them.

”No, no, stop!” Kaede struggled and kicked, as Manami dragged her away, up the ramp, into the darkness and through the halls of the Friction backstage. What came next were a frantic, frightening couple of minutes, as she roughly tugged along by the Wolf Girl’s whims, yanked this way and that, even jerked about by her hair. ”Letgoletgo!” She squealed, fumbling at Manami’s grip with her good hand, all the while wonder what this woman had planned for her, where they were going, what was about to happen.

She got that answer soon enough, as they came to one of the AFW’s private rings - one of the danker, dingier ones, too. The one people had to use when all the good ones were taken, the one that had seen far better days. Before she could even truly take it in, Kaede was tossed headlong inside, smacking hard into the side of the ring. She laid there, groaning and wishing she could just take a minute, even a few seconds, to catch her breath.

Manami had other ideas. ”Stop, stop for just a second-” She raised a defensive hand as the wild woman came over and kicked her upright, roughly making her rise, only to pin her hard against the side of the ring with her foot. All Kaede could do was feebly push at her ankle, trying and vain to get some respite.

”Ready?” She hissed through her teeth, looking up at Manami with equal parts confusion and pain. ”Ready for what?”

Ah, how she loved that look. The pleading eyes of knowing when one was staring death in the face. Her skin was getting goosebumps. The Wolf Girl could hardly wait to get started. But it appeared that Kaede was doing just as she said she would: refusing to read the room. Anyone could see just what they were in store for, but perhaps this girl had seen her fair share of punishment, and knew that it came in all shapes and sizes. It was understand if she didn't know exactly which type Manami favored in her private affairs. Alright. Then it was time for a little instruction.

Keeping her chin firmly in her hands, Manami would hold her gaze as she slowly I meant forward and straddled her prisoner's thighs. Giving her trademark headcock, she'd burn a hole with her stare into the pinkette’s auburn pupils.

“Here's how it'll work. You're going to sit and wait in this corner, hands on your knees like a good little girl.” She turned the girl’s head and gestured to the to the turnbuckle just behind her. In a snap, she forced her eyes back to the Wolf’s. “I'm going to call for you and you'll answer. You will meet me in the center and hold out whatever piece of you I desire. Then, I'll lock you into a hold.” She stalled on that last bit. Wanting to gauge the girl’s reaction before she continued. “When I’m done with you, or I hear a genuine scream, perhaps both, I'll let you go. You'll go back to the same corner and we'll go again. And again. And again. Until I've finished.”

Manami leaned in closer and closer with each emphasis. Their faces close, noses practically touching, as she wanted to make herself clear just how serious she was. In fact, anyone from her glory days knew just how serious she was. Her infamous "practice" sessions were instrumental to her rise to the top. They played a key role in getting her noticed by the federation. And now, they would do the same for her here. This session would be the harbinger of many to come. Kaede would be the first, her screams signaling her rise to the top. She should feel honored, in some small way.

“Maybe you can consider it punishment for tapping out, like a coward. You could always run, whenever you'd like, but I'll hunt you down. I'll hunt you, wound you, bleed you. I'll remind you to never make that mistake again. Unless, of course, you can make it out of here. The door is right there, after all.”

That last bit was more just to tempt her. Manami always loved a good chase. It got her blood rushing like few things did. Then, she suddenly drew back, meeting Kaede with a warm gaze.

“But who knows? Perform well enough, I might even reward you. Don't be embarrassed if you scream either. You have such a cute voice.”

She released the grip on her jaw, moving her free hand to her cheek. She didn't caress it, but merely didn't want her to feel backed into a corner, even if she quite literally was.

“Now. Again. Are you ready?”

For her sake, she'd better answer wisely. Not that Manami was worried. Kaede had proven herself to be a smart girl, able to learn quickly the fly. She knew the right decision to make.

Kaede only really knew a handful of thing before Manami began explaining the situation and how she saw it going down. Firstly, she knew that this woman was crazy, and not just by the usual wrestling standards. This was dyed-in-the-wool, mainstream, slasher fic crazy, the kind that only really belonged behind thick, iron bars, in a place that people didn’t talk about at polite parties.

Second, she knew that Manami had something planned for in this room, something she didn’t want people stumbling on at random, giving the locked door. That did not bode well for Kaede’s continued well being - if she was willing to break bones in the light of day, what would she do in the shadows?

It was terrifying thought, one that continued to send chills up her spine, even as Manami laid out her expectations. Outwardly, Kaede nodded along with wide eyes, shivering, clenching her teeth, gulping when she spoke about the holds. Inwardly, she was weighing options.

She was hurt. She couldn’t move very fast, if at all. She could walk, sure, but running would be a pain, and there was no telling how far and fast she could go until she tried. Manami was still pretty much daisy-fresh. If anything, she moved faster now that psycho-mode was enabled.

But the things she was talking about doing, the crazy shit she seemed bent on using Kaede’s body for...wasn’t it worth a shot? There was no reason to think Manami would give her any leeway, how long it would be until she stopped. Six minutes, six hours, hell, she could’ve been crazy enough for six days.

No. No, she had to make a break for it.

Kaede nodded along, obedient until the last word. ”Ready...ready.” Sitting there, still and silent, she nodded and waited for Manami to get off of her. Slow and groggy, overselling how hurt she was, Kaede stood and made her way towards the corner, keeping an eye on her captor in the corner of her eye, waiting until she was just far enough away, the second where she was even a little distracted…

...and when that second came Kaede bolted towards the door as fast as her bare feet would take her, making a crazed, mad dash for the exit, not bothering to look behind her for an instant.

Close, so close, almost...

Manami grew a soft smile when she saw heard Kaede’s reluctant approval. Slowly rising off of her, she climbed onto the ropes and watched her opponent slowly get up. The girl was moving pretty slowly, practically hunched over. Clearly, she was not going to pose much of a threat. At least, that’s what the average woman would expect. However, just as Kaede failed to realize quickly enough before, Manami was in a breed of her own.

Slowly, Manami would climb through the ropes, eyeing her prisoner as she made her way to the corner. For a second, she closed her eyes and stretched her arms, one over the other, looking distracted. Shifting her head towards the ceiling, she turned her herself slightly and...waited. Waiting for the feeling the panic and tension in the air. Waiting to smell the fear that could only emanate from a fleeing body. And sure enough, there it was. The sound of bare feet slapping against the floor accompanying the sweet scent.

When Kaede took off running, the Wolf Girl merely turned and gave a wide smirk, seeing her slip through the ropes and bolt towards the door. Her blood broke into a rush and her all the hairs on her body stood up on end. This girl was prey. Delicious, fleeting prey.

What this pink punk failed to realize was that this wasn’t Manami’s fist hunt. Did she think she that was the first time someone had tried that trick on her? The first time someone played her for a fool? No. And just like the rest of them, she wasn’t going anywhere. She had seen every trick, and this one was by far the most pathetic. The girl was light, but she’d seen faster, stronger, and definitely smarter individuals make a break for it. But Kaede. Poor poor Kaede. She had less than no chance. She might as well stop and brace herself for the storm headed her away.

“Impudent little bitch.” She chuckled a bit after she muttered that to herself.

Vaulting over the top rope, she’d stand on the edge of the apron before crouching low, giving Kaede a little more of a head start. Then, leaping off the edge, scrambling on all fours for a moment as she moved into a low sprint, she’d pick up speed just as Kaede reached the door. Not slowing down in the slightest, Manami would slam her shoulder into her fleeting captive’s back or front, depending on how quickly she turned around. From there, she’d dig her nails into the girl’s shoulders, pinning her against the door.

“I thought we had an agreement. I told you, didn’t I? I suppose you like the sight of your own blood, hm? I can empathize.” Her voice was gentle. Almost serene. It was clearly mocking the pink-haired girl for her foolhardy efforts.

And now. Time for the pain. Further tearing her way into the girl’s soft skin, she’d attempt to illicit a reaction from Kaede. There was a lesson for her to learn before she dragged her back to the ring. You can’t run from the wolf in its den. Nothing leaves alive without permission.

Six feet away.

Kaede could hear a commotion coming from behind her. She didn’t look, partly because she didn’t want to divert any energy from running and partly because she didn’t want to psyche herself out. Just to guess, though, it sounded like something heavy just hit the floor, as if Manami had just jumped out of the ring. She couldn’t move that fast, could she?

Four feet away.

There was something coming up behind Kaede now. It didn’t sound human, more like the scampering of a dog across the floor, four feet touching instead of two. It seemed far away at first, but then it rapidly, impossibly closed in, and she could hear this insane panting along with it. Too close, too fast…

Two feet away.

Kaede had just begun to reach out for the door handle when Manami slammed against her full force, hitting like a torpedo and make her crashing chest first into the door. She crashed into it hard enough to rock the walls, and even still she tried to fumble with the lock, hoping to somehow escape.

But Manami was quick to shut that down, as her nails - no, claws dug into the pinkette shoulders and brought out a shrill scream, one that tore through the entire room and reverberated through the walls. ”Okay, okay, I’ll do it! I’ll-” Her shrieks went up a pitch as the nails went in even further, and she began to furiously pound on the door - both to alleviate the pain and in the hope someone might hear on the outside. ”I’ll behave, I’ll behave, just stop! Fuck, stop!”

She wasn’t convinced.

Kaede was a girl who only had one talent. And that talent was being excessively stubborn. She was defiant until the end. And worse than that, she never learned her lesson. After her punishment was doled out, she came back like it was nothing, as if it had never happened. That wasn’t happening on Manami’s watch. Nothing was getting past her.

Even worse was that she was once again trying to pull a wall over her eyes. Trying to play it cool. Trying to think she was smarter than the psycho with a sadistic streak. It was an insult. One that Manami wasn’t going to take lightly.

“Oh? I don’t think you will.” She slammed her forehead into hers. Even if the girl was just slightly taller, it still had all the impact she desired. She kept looking into her eyes, wanting her to get every word. “Why? Because even after I pop your wrist.” She slammed her head into hers again. “Even after I break your finger.” Another headbutt. “After I drag you across the halls and through the disgusting, filthy ground.” Slam. “You.” Slam. “Still.” Slam. “Don’t!” Slam. “Get it!”

One more crack against the skull and Manami could feel their heads softening a bit. Whether it was her, her opponents, or simply imagined as if her body was defending itself, she didn’t care. Maybe she was angry. Maybe it was just a front. She wasn’t even sure herself. When she got into this role, she played the part to fruition. Until it became reality. So, as she grabbed the defiant pink punk’s throat, she slammed it into the door. Her eyes went wide as she forced the cowering girl to look at her before delivering her one last warning.

“You’re mine, you stupid bitch! Understand?! I’ll eat you whole!”

That last threat lingered in her mind for some reason. It wasn’t like she meant it. But for some reason, the thought was oddly pleasing upon reflection. Eat. Her. Whole. Bones and all. She might have snapped. Correction, Kaede was a girl with two talents. Making crazy people crazier.

‘Regret’ seemed like too simple a word for what Kaede was feeling right. Too few letters. Too short. There had to be some bigger, fancier word to describe what she felt at the moment, as she strongly wished she’d never even tried running in the first place.

Having her head rocked was not doing wonders for her vocabulary skills, either. As she struggled in Manami’s grip, she reflexively made the pain worse, forced those sharp talons to sink in even deep, but the headbutts that came along with them were the worst.

The first clocked her square in the head and let her stunned and staring, rapidly blinking as she looked at Manami.

The second one was the one that really had her hurting, as the pain truly settled in and she registered what was happening to her.

The third one was merciful - it left her all fuzzy, and for an instant she didn’t feel any pain at all. Kaede treasured that moment, and rightfully so, because it didn’t last.

The fourth, fifth, and six rocked Kaede’s skull in shorter, and by the end she could barely stand, barely think, barely do anything but languish in the Wolf Girls’ merciless hold, choking and sputtering as her hand clamped tight on her threat. In the back of her head, she knew that Manami wasn’t really going to eat her, but it was hard to rationalize when those eyes were staring at like burning embers. In that moment, this seemed like a woman who was capable of anything. Anything.

”I…” She squeaked out an answer as best as she could. ”I...I understand.”

Manami kept that fierce look on her face for a few more moments. She read her opponent's response thoroughly. The scent of a coward was quickly dissipating. Now, she was a nice, lean, submissive piece of meat. Or, at the very least, part of her was. But it was more than enough to work with.

The grimace on the Wolf Girl’s face was gone. Now, in its place grew the same wicked smirk that Kaede had first witnessed in the ring. Her excitement was returning to her in droves. If Kaede felt like running again later on, she was free to. She was bound to snap at some point in their session and she could use the energy. For now though, she was topped off, and ready to get started. But first, the reminder.

“You’d better. Because if not...” She leaned forward before she finished her statement. Removing her hand from its rooted spot in Kaede’s shoulder, she brushed the girl's pink strands aside before running a tongue up her cheek. The motion was slow and forceful. She wanted it to burn for as long as possible. Bringing it back into her mouth, she kept close to the girl’s ear. “...I’ll slaughter you.”

With that, she released the hold on Kaede’s throat, letting her hair brush along her face as she pulled away and the pinkette fell forward. The wild smile was still on her face as she watched the hunched over loudmouth. With one hand on her hip, she let her opponent catch her breath for a moment. There weren’t going to be too many times like that coming up. When she saw that she had recovered for the most part, she went back to her demands.

“Now, back in the ring. To your corner, remember.”

Manami took a few steps forward before she turned back to her captive.

“Ah.” She held a finger, signaling her to stop. “On your knees. Crawl back to the ring. And make sure to ‘ba’ a few times on the way there. Nice and loud too, whelp.”

Too bad there wasn’t an audience here. She’d love to see their reactions after a demand like that. Hm, maybe ‘oink’ was more appropriate. Nah, she wasn’t fat enough. And pigs weren’t exclusively pink. This was better. And it sounded more humiliating. She wondered just how thoroughly Kaede’s will would be damaged by this. Not to mention that wrist couldn't be holding up too well. No worse than by the crushing she was about to get, of course.

For a second, as Kaede was held tight in Manami’s grip, the world seemed to balance on a pin. There was no telling what someone like this would or could do next, what dark place she might take this to. She could snap in an instant, throw away her plans, and start ripping Kaede to shreds. She realized that, she feared that, and she knew there would be nothing she could do to stop it.

There was that smile. That crazed, devilish smile that sent a shiver up Kaede’s spine, a look of pure, wanton chaos, and it only got worse when her tongue slithered its way across her cheek. She reflexively turned away, revolted, but couldn’t move nearly enough. She was far to stay there as the saliva dripped off her face, and Manami’s threat rattled her skull.

When she was finally, finally let go, Kaede fell to her knees and gasped, coughing and sputtering on her knees as she attempted to refill her lungs. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the door and briefly, just for a moment, considered one final escape attempt. With Manami walking away and her back turned, maybe…

Her sharp words drew Kaede’s attention forward once more and squashed those thoughts flat, as the Wolf Girl dragged them back to where they’d been a moment ago. Knowing better than to defy her this, Kaede began to stand up and start the long walk…

Only it wouldn’t be a walk. It would be a crawl.

She hesitated for a moment and only a moment, before dropping down to her knees and doing as told. She crawled along the dirty floor, bleeting every few steps as she hurried along, until she finally made it to the ring and slid inside, glad that there was no around to see that. Or any of this for that matter.

Resigned to her fate, Kaede turned to the corner and rested against the turnbuckle. Waiting.