Party Hard vs. Novae - Starstruck

Really, the darting eyes should’ve tipped Tatiana off that something was wrong, here.

Kaylee kept looking between her and the referee, as if considering something while her opponent approached. She assumed it was just concern for her partner. After all, Valerie had just given her a rough run of it. Not to mention her own problems - not only had Tatiana’s kick landed well, but it hit with more force than even she had been expecting.

She had Kaylee cornered. Trapped. But she should’ve known what to expect from a trapped rat.

Tatiana was advancing on, when the pleading made her pause, hesitating for a second. She was still resolved to finish seize the moment, but hitting someone begging for mercy seemed just...wrong. Even if she wanted it to be right. Granted, Kaylee had sat on her sister’s face and been kind of a Grade A Jerk for the match, but…

It was a moment of indecision, and that turned out to be a moment far too long. A flash came out, blinding Tatiana, leaving her staggering away as she rapidly blinked, attempting to get the stars out of her eyes.

Just for that, she was unsubscribing from Kaylee’s Youtube channel. For a month. Maybe.

Got her! Kaylee had to keep herself from cackling as she deftly jammed the phone back into the suspended sleeve. She was going to defeat both of them, single handed. Forever written in the record books. She hurried up to Tatiana, shooting out a toe kick to spike her stomach, looking to bend her over. From there she would hook and arm around her head, throwing a hand up to the roar of the crowd. They knew what she was going for, her finisher the Tipsey-Turvey! She hadn't had the room for the running variant, but this would do. It was all over for Tatiana!

She kicked off the ground, the sting in her leg stunted her flight, she didn't get the air she needed to get over her... she couldn't finish the move! She wound up hanging horizontal on Tatiana for a moment before she reversed directions, having to transition her failed finisher into a DDT instead, a sloppy one at that which sent her crashing to the floor poorly along with Tatiana.

The official backed away, turning to the action at hand as Belle climbed herself up on to the apron. She rolled and massaged her shoulder, frowning at the display she witnessed. With Kaylee possibly in control, she wasn't in a hurry to gang up on Tatiana.

A phone. Tatiana was going to lose this match, not because of a move she took, or because of a mistake she made, or anything like that. No, she was going to lose because, of all things, a phone. There was one for the history books.

It was a distressing thought, one of many going through her head at the moment, as she reeled from the blinding flare. Before she could think anything else, though, something hard and quick hit her stomach - a kick, and a sharp one at that, forcing her to bend over, knocking the wind clean out of her. The next move, she found herself pulled under Kaylee’s arm, yanked down, and getting spiked with...frankly, a very disappointing DDT.

At least, that was what Tatiana thought she was going for. It seemed like she couldn’t make up her mind on doing that or some other move, so she just changed it up and went with this. It wasn’t pleasant, sure, but it was a love tap of a DDT, one that didn’t hurt too much and only left Tatiana a little hurt on the ropes. She still had enough strength to start sitting up right after, albeit a tad groggily. ”What...what was that supposed to be.”

Yeah, a little unprofessional, but she was genuinely curious.

If it had been anyone but Novae, she might have been able to laugh it off. Kaylee was a hard woman to fluster. The fact she had wanted her golden opportunity to win the match after cheating to get it wasn't lost on her. In the back of her mind she knew she messed up bad, but right now it was somehow Tatiana's fault her plans had been dashed and Belle's fault for not finishing the redhead far earlier in the match when Kaylee had called for it. She'd never botched a move of hers so bad in public, let alone her finisher.

She turned her head looking to at Tatiana from the mat as the woman leaned on the ropes. The question was so blunt, so insulting to her in that moment she rolled over onto her stomach and started clawing her way to the redhead. "Me having mercy on you."

She had, in her frenzied scramble, managed to rise to her hands and kneels as she rushed the other woman, drawing back her arm to strike her head with a forearm, trying to push her up against the ropes and pummel her further with strikes. A farcry from her usual style and grace, it spoke to her desperation and anger.

Belle was taking her sweet time. Slipping herself between the ropes to enter the ring, circling the outside as the two other girls tussled. She was not unlike a random good in a Kung Fu movie, for some reason waiting on the outside to only rush the hero after they had finished off their other allies without pushing their numbers advantage. She played up her shoulder injury for the crowd, using it as an excuse for her uninvolvement. She shouldn't sit on the sideline forever though.

Tatiana had no idea what had happened there - no, she didn’t buy Kaylee’s assertion that she’d messed the move out of mercy she didn’t seem to have much of - but regardless, she was going to take full advantage of it. The move equated to little more than a bump on the head, something she could get up from fast, even in her frazzled state.

”Ugh, okay.” She gripped the turnbuckle and pulled up to her knees, then a foot, determined to keep rising. ”Just let me-”

In a moment, Kaylee was all over her, pinning her up against the turnbuckle, swarming her with strikes. Vicious body blows and crashed into her chest, and while they were far from the worst she’d ever taken, the blonde delivered with them with a ferocity that few could match. Worn down as she was, there wasn’t much Tatiana could do to escape this onslaught.

That was, until her flailing arms slapped into something interesting, and she got an idea.

”Ex...excuse me…” She reached into Kaylee’s sleeve and pulled out what had to be the most important inanimate object in her life. ”You dropped your phone.”

And, with that, Tatiana swung her arm up and sent Kaylee’s smartphone flying into the crowd. For her sake, she hoped it had a good case.

Kaylee rarely struck with her arms, not unless it was to cause an opening. What she lacked in raw power she was making up for in aggression. Even as unpolished as her blows were, they were amounting to something as she hit Tatiana anyplace she could. If she couldn't end her the way she wanted, she would just do what worked for Belle. They were about the same size, and both had been through enough in this match that she would swear she could bash the redhead down until she couldn't fight any longer. She shoved her palm into the girl's cheek, shoving her head to hold it at arm's length as her arm acme up with all the intention of caving in her face, she paused frozen as Tatiana lifted her phone. "You..."

Kaylee looked on in horror as her smart phone took to the sky, glinting as it spiraled through the air to the uproar of the fans. It hadn't even gotten half way through it's arc when she grabbed the redhead by the shoulders to turn, whipping her down to the mat. She didn't pursue it past that as she nearly dove between the ropes to land shakily on her feet as she rushed towards teh crowd. Her phone had landed in a cluster of people who swarmed the location, creating a mob to fight of the precious belonging of the beloved Kaylee Day. She scrambled over the barricade, abandoning the match entirely. Her contacts, her raw footage, EVERYTHING was on that device. While it was saved to the cloud as well, she couldn't let someone get a hold of it.

"Daywalkers! My phone, please!" She called over the mosh pit, some parted from the pile while the others still fought over it. She started to grab, pull and shove her way through, getting caught up in the pile. "Give me back my phone! Ahh! Did someone just touch my butt?! Who touched my butt!"

The referee looked baffled by this turn of events. So much so she glanced back between Belle and Tatiana as if some manner of context were required. Shortly after she began the count out on Kaylee, who had since become lost from sight in the crowd. Some actual black shirted members of staff had been dispatched into the crowd to try and separate the mob as well. The scene was chaos. By the time Kaylee had vanished , the count had already been going.

"1...2...3...4...!"

Belle stood there watching, trying very hard to keep the dumbstruck grin on her face from turning into uproarious laughter. She should do something... Call Kaylee back to the ring, go out to help her... She was so taken back by it all she found it far to hard to look away. She slowly walked over to the ropes as Kaylee vanished from sight, craning her neck slightly to see if she could make anything out of the girl as she bit her lip. That wasn't good. She caught sight of the arena staff pushing through the crowd, likely trying to separate the talent from the audience. They had it under control, she hoped.

"...5...!"

She turned her head from the mob to peer down along the ropes to Tatiana, the realization that their two against one was all but assured to now be a one versus one. She was conflicted over how she felt about that. The two had stayed not only civil throughout the match, but openly friendly. Now was the time to buckle down though... was Belle going to choke again when the time came to end things and cost herself the win for her team? She shook her head lightly as she pushed off the ropes walking towards the center of the ring, eyes locked onto Tatiana. She planted herself, and waited with her arms at her side for the redhead to join her.

"...6...!"

Strange as it was, Tatiana couldn’t help but think of a strange little incident from her childhood. She and her mother had been eating at a park, a little picnic, with her feasting on one of the meatball subs she adored. By accident, one of the meatballs slipped out, rolled to the ground, and wound up slamming into the side of an anthill.

The smartphone was the meatball. The Daywalkers, the ants.

Tatiana sat up after being tossed and looked off to the side, gazing out over the chaos she’d created. It had been a gamble, but given how attached she seemed to her device, she was willing to bet that Kaylee would completely forget about the match to get it back, giving it her total focus. Sure enough, she was out there amongst the throngs. Would she get her phone back? Probably, with a few cracks. Would she get it back in time to return to the ring and beat the count? Not likely.

She smiled, nodded, sighed. Her gambit had worked. Now came the hard part. Sure enough, when she turned back around, Belle the Beauty was right there. Waiting. ”Right, then.”

She slapped the mat and pushed up to her feet, straining to rise. Sure, she was in pain from Kaylee’s beating, but it was nothing she couldn’t weather, now more than ever. She stood and made her way to the center, looking deep into her sparkling blue eyes as she neared. She met with Belle, matched position, and for a second - only a second - she held that pose and didn’t move.

When that second passed, a smile crossed her face and she slid down into her fighting stance. ”Ready to finish this with me?” She kept her tone light and friendly, like they were meeting on a warm summer’s day, not getting ready to clobber each other.

"...7...!"

Regarded Tatiana quietly as she made her way over, taking a moment to really look her over. She hadn't paid her nearly enough mind when they had first been face to face, so she took the time now before they were supposed to be at each other's throats. The girl had been through the ringer, but was staying positive and trying not to let it all show. She found her to be admirable among other things. she broke their gaze briefly, reaching into one of her pockets to pull out a small band. Throughout it all she had been fairly respectable, with the lapse or two to Kaylee... which understandable. Her early doubts she was being played a fool had gradually faded. She seemed genuinely kind, too kind, almost not cut out for this career in her mind. Maybe this was just an isolated case, there did seem like there was something... No, she was just seeing things that weren't there. Reading to much into it all.

"...8...!"

"I'm ready." She spoke simply, combing her fingers back through her hair. She was committed to this now. It wasn't just about the team, but the two of them as competitors as well. She couldn't help but feel a connection, that perhaps she had been the overshadowed one between her pairing as well.  With a few gentle twists of the wrist she had tied her mane back in a secured ponytail. She shook her head, jostling it enough to loosen it to the point of comfort. "You sure you are?" Belles eyes flicked back to Tatiana, a small glimmer in those deep blue pools. She smirked as she took a small step back, tucking in her arms up, fists raised in her own personal fighting stance.

"...9...!"

"You better not hold back, this is your moment to shine. Don't blow it." She shifted one of her shoulders slightly forward, parting her legs for a solid foundation. Her body rocked and bobbed with a gentle sway, feeling her own rhythm. This was it. Time to see this thing through to the end. All that was left was to wait for it...

"...10!" The referee threw up her hands. Kaylee had been eliminated via count out. Signalling the elimination, the bell rung.

Go time. Belle stepped in the instant the bell sounded, leading with a quick left jab from her forward arm and shoulder she used as a defensive wall, tossing another if she was intercepted with a guard. If she hadn't been stopped, she would twist, bringing in a hard hook from the right arm she had tucked behind her, the slow lumbering blow had to travel further, but packed a sizable amount of force behind it as it flew towards Tatiana's midsection as she attempted to plant it into the girl to bend her forward.

Now that they were up close and had a moment of respite to really look each other over, Tatiana indulged in the opportunity. Not that this was a bad thing, really - Belle lived up to her name. She was hot, but not quite in the same way that Kaylee was. Not as flashy. Not as bright. If Tatiana had just passed Belle in the street, she wouldn’t have thought too much of the woman. Pretty, cute, sweet, but nothing to hammer into her memory. Seeing her fight, listening to her speak, interacting, talking…

Needless to say, she was glad Belle was the one she was fighting, not Kaylee. She’d had more than enough of the latter and not nearly enough of the former.

She snapped to attention at her opponent’s words, readying her fists as Belle readied her ponytail. Not a bad look for her. ”My moment, hm?” Her typical smile took on a wild curve, her blood already starting to boil. This had been a long, hard match, edging closer to something you would see on a PPV, and she was aching to bring it to a close. Almost as much as she was aching to bring it to a close with Novae on top.

Any thoughts that Belle might go soft on her were erased the moment the bell rang, when the brunette came at her like a raging bull. The first jab caught Tatiana in the check, popped her head back, but she managed to get her guard up in time to block its brother. The hook that was coming her way like a battering, that was a different sort of problem.

She leaped back, narrowly avoiding the blow, but that didn’t mean she was clear. If Kaylee could hammer in the corner, that meant Belle could do it and do it better. The last thing she wanted to do was give out free ground. So, deciding to throw all caution to the wind, she leaped forward and threw her chest down as she came toward her opponent, somersaulting - a somersault that had her legs flying up and down in an arch, one that would send her feet heading straight towards Belle’s head with a Rolling Koppu Kick.

Belle's stance made her into wall. While it exposed her back a bit more on one side, up front she had impressive coverage which had proven invaluable this far in AFW. It wasn't uncommon for her to bulldoze through her opponents attacks to continue her assaults.she was already shuffle stepping after Tatiana in pursuit.

Attacking Belle head on was a mistake many people made, it had even cost a stronger, better fighter a match against her. Tatiana however wasn't just attacking her from the front, but also above. It was a hole she couldn't cover, how often would a blow come so hard and quick from over her head anyway?

The kick came down hard, the heel catching her solidly near the back of her head due to how she tucked it in her stance. It had been enough to not only break her guard but throw her off balance, dropping down to a knee off to her right side. "Rrr... Nice one Tat."

Her right arm came down to help catch her weight while the left threw itself back up protectively. She tried to keep sight of Tatiana, but this position left her exposed from behind. If she lost sight of her, that is where she would be going. If she was able to keep the redhead in her sight, she would rise up to resume her guard. If she presumably dipped behind her to try to make an easy target of her, she would rise up and throw a wide spinning back fist with her left arm to cut the girl down.