Yuki Arashi vs. River Styx - Back In Black

Match Type: Standard
Victory Conditions: Pinfall, Submission, or KO

River Styx didn’t know who Yuki was, and she frankly could not given less of a fuck. She honestly wasn’t even sure if she remembered the woman’s name right - when she received a text telling her about the match, she only spared a second to look at it, just long enough to see the name and see that it was a debut match.

Didn’t matter who she  was facing, what their style was, what their deal was - Styx only cared about one thing tonight, and that was getting the job done

It had been a long time, too fucking long, since she’d been in the Friction ring. After she put down the people’s champion, Angel, she’d picked up a persona non grata status around the locker room. Not fired, for whatever reason, but they weren’t feeding her matches for whatever reason, which meant she had to turn to other outlets for venting rage and making money.

That didn’t bother her too much, really. She’d always been an underground sort of woman. But she had a stable, WAR, and only Jessica had been getting action as of late. People needed to remember who they were. Needed to remember who she was.

That was why she found herself in the ring, flipping off the crowd in the corner while they gave her the usual rain of jeers and her music faded out.  That was why she came alone, knowing she needed to do this without giving anyone the opportunity to sling bullshit her way. That was why she had a nice, knowing grin for the audience, even as they sent waves of hate to wash over her.

It had been awhile since she’d heard a good round of  boos. In most of the places she’d been fighting in her hiatus, they welcomed her barbarism, loved it when things got rough and raw.

She hoped some of them were watching this match. They’d enjoy it.

Yuki stepped out of her side of the arena entrance, clad in her combat boots, jeans, tanktop and leather jacket. To the steady beat of "Astaroth" she walked down the ramp, the reaction of the crowd... different to distinguish. Compared to the other woman, she with the upper body of a gorilla, she was obtaining GREAT reception in her first match! Cheers just to take down this woman cried across the stadium... but then there were others as there always were, certain folks who loved to see underdogs fall flat on their faces... Yuki glanced around the crowd as she walked, able to pick out a couple expressions...

Hey, whatever got them to show up, she supposed. With a casual stride she made her way right up to the arena, slipping under the ring and hopping right up to her feet as her song came to an end. Yuki walked right up the the black-clad woman so that she was JUST out of her reach, her blue eyes staring up inquisitively into her harsh, dark ones. Well... she was a brute wasn't she? If her entrance didn't make it clear, the way she looked at everyone gave it away, didn't it...? This cocky hard-ass expression... Probably thinks this'll be an easy fight. It would be too if Lucky wasn't as fast as she was either! Her eyes flicked down towards those massive arms, eyeing up her muscle....

Yeah. One hit and that's game.

Make sure that doesn't happen.

"So... 'Sticks', huh? Probs because you break guys like twigs or something?" Yuki inquired without a care in the world. Her hands tucked comfortably into her jacket pockets, her stance loose... but cautious. Just in case 'Sticks' made a move. "Bet you could too. Those arms are probably... what... about a third of your weight." A subtle jab at her size hidden behind a genuine sounding question.

And here came Styx’s opponent. What little of her there was.

Okay, maybe Yuki wasn’t that short. She was short compared to Styx, but then, about 75% of the roster was, too. She wasn’t in bad shape, but there wasn’t anything about her that piqued interest, nothing that make her hairs rise. Just another Friction wrestler making her debut, likely to have a career much shorter than the one she’d originally planned. Big whoop.

She would give the newcomer credit, thought, she didn’t lack for balls. Yuki had no qualms getting the ring and walking right towards Styx, hanging on the edge of her personal space as the black bruiser stood there with her arms folded. Talking. They always had something to say.

Styx listened. Didn’t move, didn’t interrupt. Just waited for her to finish. And then…

”River Styx. It’s a location from Greek mythology, a river that lead to the underworld. One of them. It was also a minor diety, the daughter of-”

And that was when Styx attacked. Mid-sentence, without a single warning, she lashed out and swung her arm wide, attempting to clock Yuki in the face before she even know what happened.

Yuki saw the attack coming a mile away... or rather she could see it coming REALLY easily. Despite how spontaneous 'Sticks' was she was still slow as the hell her namesake was from! As that hook came around, Yuki simply leaned back, the large woman's fist barely whizzing past her face, ruffling the white ghost's long colorless bangs with the tailwind! Her expression did not change, as the fist past her by, one of mild amusement mixed with slight boredom, the woman being no stranger to this trick. It tended to be one her early opponents favored... When they couldn't catch her on the merit of their own speed, they tended to lull her into a little conversation where they could start with a sneak attack! She would admit... She had been knocked senseless a few times learning this lesson but now? it was more or less a natural move she expected from all her opponents.

In response, as soon as the arm passed. Yuki's arm seemed to disappear, moving faster than the untrained eye could see! with her fingers outstretched almost like a blade, the ghost's arm swung around in a lightning-speed backhand, smacking at the side of her larger opponent's throat in retaliation before quickly slipping back into it's respective jacket pocket... All in the blink of an eye! It was Yuki's speed that she was known for... her attacks almost seeming invisible, their impact being devastating! Styx... Was fighting a ghost, a phantom she had just invoked with her little surprise attack!

...How fitting.

"Oooooooooh... S-T-Y-X!" Yuki acknowledged, carrying on as if nothing had happened! Her expression fell though... thoughtful. "Why some underworld hag, though...? Sounds a bit degrading if you ask me."

Swing and a miss. Shit.

Styx grunted as her attempt came up empty, passing by Yuki’s head with nothing good to show from it. Kind of irritating, really, with the crowd having a quick laugh at the attempt and the referee hurriedly calling for the bell. Ticked her off, but it wasn’t anything she was unused to, being honest. She’d always been a quality over quantity sort of woman, knowing she could beat anyone with a couple of hits. Sure, they might avoid the bulk of them, but when she only needed to hit them once and they needed to hit her dozens of time, but all worked out.

No, what was really grinding her gears was this chick’s mouth. Even the new women Styx faced had the sense to keep their lips sealed when the fight was on, but not Yuki. No, she just kept yapping away, on and on, making those little jokes. It was something Styx could see growing old. Fast.

”Shut it.”

That was the only reply Styx gave and the only one Yuki was going to get for the moment. Instead of words, the rest of the reply was action, as she lunged toward the impudent imp with her foot raised, trying to kick her square in the chest and bring her to the floor.

Yuki just shrugged and and sighed heavily, stepping to the side once more as Styx brought her boot up, attempting to slam it into her chest! The snow-white ghost simply slipped out of the way of her foot, raising an eyebrow at her opponent as if questioning her repetitive and frankly unusable strategy. Brute force wasn't going to work against her! No doubt Styx had acquired her victories, that they were well fought and earned. No doubt that she had to work for her winnings and that she wasn't the dumb brute she was making herself out to be in this moment but whether she was what her strategy embodied or she was simply underestimating her, Styx was just using up her energy... All according to Yuki's plan.  

"Yeah, sure. Fine. Whatever." The ghost muttered, suddenly taking a shot at her larger opponent! It would take FAR too long if she just let this girl wear herself out the whole way! Not only that, but it wouldn't be interesting! Who would pay for a match where only one side threw punches!? Yuki's movements were swift and strong like the sudden attack of a snake, a jab RIGHT into the giant's nose, her own momentum carrying her into the punch!

Just as soon as her fist connected, it retracted, folding back up against her chest in case Styx was quick to retaliate before her other fist came around in a deadly arc, SLAMMING into her opponent's (no doubt) padded side! She intended to cut deep into her kidney, wound her and let her bleed... Not literally of course because that would be... graphic, but she wanted to make the pain drain her of her energy and will to fight. It would only be drops from these blows... but the more Styx continued to attack... the more of it would flow from her bruises.

In theory, Styx shouldn’t have been mad about this, really. If management had just tossed her some weakling, so no-name kawaii without an ounce of talent, she would’ve been even more pissed than she currently was. Taking apart bitches who didn’t know their place and making them into playthings was more of Jessica’s wheelhouse.

But for this white-haired, uppity little bitch, she was willing to make an exception...if she could catch her. That was proving to be an annoyingly big ‘If’, right from the get-go.

Styx cursed under her breath with her attack whiffed, then cursed over her breath when Yuki retaliated, hitting her with those annoying pinpricks in the side. It wasn’t so much how hard she hit that was the problem, but where those fists landed. Right in the side. Kidney shot. Nasty one, too. Styx had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out, and didn’t wholly succeed in the effort.

With a low hiss, Styx spun about on her heel and swung her fist out wide, a full arc, coming at Yuki from the chest level. She’d probably dodge that, sure, and that was why she tried to followed it up with a rising knee immediately after, trying to hit her with something before she could make a full escape.

Yuki was really bored with this woman. Seriously. It seemed nothing Styx could do would come any faster than the speed of a slug. All her tactics were the same: Overwhelm with heavy strikes. That was it... Nothing more, nothing less it would appear. No attempted grapples, no attempts at getting to her with words... Just one big striker. Fresh prey for the ghost. Granted, her own strikes weren't doing as much as she wanted either. Beyond the muscle Styx already possessed, she had enough padding to further soften the blows Yuki had already landed. Her punches seemed to do little more than inflict pain but hey... that was fine. So long as it all piled up in the end to come crashing down on her... She could live with that.

Frustrated, Styx lashed out with vicious backhand, a move with them so close, Yuki couldn't just step back from! She was forced to duck under that vicious fist, her knuckle gently grazing her forehead as she ducked low! She 'tsked' in distaste at that, slightly aggrivated that she had been touched by such a brute maneuver! The knee coming up to meet her face, though.. That would be a much larger problem. Served her right for getting greedy... She could've easily waited for a more opportune moment to go on the attack. Well... Whatever. It was of no consequence. She would simply have to start trying now. THROWING herself to the side, Yuki managed to barely roll out of the way of that oncoming pike that was Styx's knee, hopping back up to her feet as if she wasn't nearly knocked out of the fight.

"Can you do anything else?" Yuki sighed, slipping off her leather jacket and tossing out of the ring. "This isn't going to go your way if you don't change up your tactics." As much advice as it was a taunt. She simply shrugged and shook her head, Raising her hands up slightly in a battle stance.

"Lets cut past the crap and get serious."

The audience wasn’t crazy about it, either.

Styx regularly got a negative reception from the Japanese crowd. In part because she championed a hardcore, bloody, brutal sort of wrestling that was everything the average AFW fan didn’t want out of their cheap porn matches, and she was responsible for putting some of their beloved stars in the hospital.

She was fine with that. Totally. Hell, she encouraged it, which led to the second part: she often flat out told the crowd how much she hated them, and they gave that hate back, and she fed on it. She craved it. It was mana from the heavens.

This was more of a ‘I hate your match’ kind of mad, not the ‘I hate you’ stuff she strived for. And Yuki wasn’t helping matters.

”Fuck!” Styx spat to the side after her backhand and the knee both missed their target. Close, yeah, but close only mattered with horseshoes, and wrestling was damn sure not that. When she spun back around to face her foe, the little punk had her guard up, taunting her, daring her to come in and get close.

Okay. Okay.

Styx raised her own guard and moved in, taking slow steps, trying to keep an eye out for any tricks that Yuki would. The moment she was close enough - or what she thought was close enough - she lunged out with wide arms, trying to wrap them around Yuki and pull her in. If she could just touch the little bitch, even for a second…

Yuki sighed heavily and shook her head as Styx moved in once more the same as she always had, slow, deliberate, her moves as easy to read as a children's book. What did she think this would change? If she couldn't get her hands on her with the direct approach before, what made this behemoth think it would work now? The ashen ghost just watched and waited, akin to a speedster humoring her opponent into thinking they would land a blow... before zipping out of the way at the last moment!

As soon as Styx opened her vice-like arms to clamp down on the smaller woman, Yuki went on the attack, lunging forward as quick as she could, her own arms reaching out to grab one of Styx's, slipping around to pin it behind her back to yank the arm into a lock! Should this move succeed, she would wrench the arm back as hard as she could manage, staring blankly into the back of her opponent's head without a single word spoken. She'd give one thing for Styx... She was a tough one... People that can take her hits so easily and keep fighting like they're at 100% usually made for long, but interesting matches... Unfortunately, only half of that was true.

If she managed to wrench Styx's arm behind her, Yuki would lash out with her boot, striking the back of the woman's knee in an effort to buckle it and bring her down to one. The white-haired woman would press herself hard against the woman in black, trying to make any counter-attack she might attempt as difficult to execute as possible.