MITB Qualifier - Cicilia De'Reignhardt vs. Belle Christensen

"Is that so...?" Cicilia grunted loudly as she heaved the blonde to her feet with her, the German's grip growing more and more crushing with each passing second! "You would slander me in front of a crowd... insult me... and you think we can TALK?" The boxer knew that what Kaylee was spouting was nothing less than a poorly crafted joke, trying to make light of the fact that she was going through one of the earliest iterations of the "spine durability test."

Her arms clenched tighter and tighter around the girl, aiming to snap her in half... or force her to tap... At least, she thought that's what she wanted. With Kaylee's struggles for freedom being less than noticeable to someone of superior physical attributes, the German had enough time and doubt flashing through her mind that she took herself to task for these thoughts... if they were something she genuinely believed. Did Kaylee deserve to be hurt...? Like... REALLY, permanently hurt for what she had done here tonight...?

Her reflexes DEMANDED BLOOD...

...but she had listened too them enough times to know that their thirst was unquenchable... even if they were satisfied one time before. Cicilia's sanguine eyes blanked and her grip ceased to tighten yet remained solid, the German having a quick delve inside herself before this fight continued.

She attacked my pride, destroyed my public image... But she hasn't attacked what's important... Cicilia mused, this revelation... saddening her! Not because she didn't have the justification to hurt her... but because she didn't and her reflex was to CRUSH HER TO DUST! Cicilia had thought to trust her instincts of right and wrong, that when she got mad, it was for the right reasons... that what resulted from those rages was nothing less than karma.

...She was wrong.

...She was going to hurt this girl... for just throwing around words...

Cicilia's moment of clarity was CUT short as the ref jumped beside the boxer, DEMANDING she let Kaylee go! Apparently, the blonde had managed to wedge the upper part of her foot over one of the nearby ropes, allowing her to get a rather unconventional rope-break!

Without a word, Cicilia did as she was told, releasing Kaylee from her grasp... and pushing her somewhat gently away, letting her stumble towards the center of the ring where the boxer did not pursue. She just stood there, expression... almost pained, her sanguine eyes watching Kaylee carefully... but there was more than that battle-awareness about them.

“Oh please, like I didn't see how you looked at me and your tone. You were dismissing me before we even got started Lil Ms. Insulted.” She grit her teeth as arms constricted around her, hissing. “You looked down on me last time too. Talk about a hypocrite., You accused me right back, that slander too?” Kaylee let out a pained cry as the bearhug reached a whole new intensity. She just had to hold on and kick for the ropes, maybe she could get them… if not she had a plan b but was reluctant to use it.

She was tougher than people.gave her credit for. Comparing her to Belle just because her friend was built like a tank. They saw Kaylee was the weak link because she was nimble and seemingly fragile. Every match that Party Hard had faced, it was always the same. Cicilia was just another person who was unable to look past what was on the outside and judged her on that…

The fact the bearhug had stopped tightening did not go amiss. She had been in this hold pretty frequently as it was a favorite of Belle's and the two women trained exclusively together before her injury. Something changed, what changed? She could worry about that later. Lifting her head she spied the ropes, squirming and wiggling to angle her body just enough to extend one leg more than the other. With a few passing swipes she failed but eventually when capitalize on Cicilia's dazed state by hooking the toe of her boot over the top of the rope.

Kaylee was legitimately surprised the German didn't throw her to the mat when the break was called. No, quite the opposite really, she was let down gently save for a small shove at the end that made her take a few steps to right her balance. She turned to face Cicilia, a brow arched inquisitively as she observed the drastic change in the woman's demeanor. Has she burned all that rage out and was now on the decline?

The blond kept herself at the ready, not making a move just yet as she shook out her arms to work feeling back into them. She bobbed lightly, getting her rhythm back slowly as the two women squared off in silence. She was tempted to say something, take a jab at the woman again, but whatever this was here, she was going to accept it.

“Ready?” She inquired softly, a strange olive branch from her to the boxer. It seemed uncharacteristic of the opportunist when faced with someone deemed a bigger threat than her. Perhaps there was some sympathy for the boxer in her gentle tone, wanting to make sure it was good to get going again.

Kaylee's question if the German's anger was gone was easily answered by the expression on her face. Instead of a snarling or stone-set expression of anger, Cicilia's lips seemed to be curled down into a more... pained and concerned frown, her anger quenched under the colder, bone-bite of regret. She didn't know what she was doing anymore... She was so damn tired of being angry all the time, of using it as justification to get revenge, revenge that didn't even SATISFY her once it was attained. She was tired of hurting people she didn't really even know, of taking this beyond what it was meant to be... tired of staring down at people like Kaylee and dismissing them like dirt...

She didn't know why she did it... But it was WRONG no matter what... She knew this... And she had done NOTHING... Until now anyway.

Compared to the burning iron fortress the German had portrayed herself as with her tough, hard body-language, Cicilia appeared almost DEFLATED before Kaylee! Her muscles relaxed, her stance hunched over slightly, her eyes inattentive to the degree that someone with her opponent's speed could easily exploit...

If one could apologize with body language, offer something... ANYTHING to change the tone of this fight... this would be it...

...And her attempt was not revealed as futile fore Kaylee stood her ground a good few steps away from the Juggernaut, observing her quietly. If the German would guess, she was trying to figure out what what was going on... why would someone like CICILIA let her go so easily...? A similiar question could've been asked by the boxer why KAYLEE wasn't using this opportunity to punish her?

...It seemed they both had ideas about the other that weren't entirely correct. Cicilia took a deep breath as Kaylee asked her if she were ready to continue, the boxer relaxing herself and letting those negative emotions run their course... until she could no longer feel them inside. Slowly, she lifted her hands, tightening her fingers into fists as she lifted her boxing guard, her sanguine eyes focusing into a determined glare.

"Yeah." She responded, her lips faintly curling up into a small, appreciative smile. "Let's go."

The brief pause in action had been good for her. Muscles having a chance to relax after the blood had been practically squeezed from her as if she were a sponge. Her fingers wiggled while her body sway d, working feeling back into each of her extremities. Once she felt ready, she bobbed on the ball of her feet, whiffling her stance to test her mobility again… good, she was still alright.

With a hop in her step she eyed Cicilia appraisingly, arms raised at the ready should the two suddenly grapple. She circled trying to think of the best way to approach… which there wasn't one really. When dealing with someone like the German it was better to let them come to you, keep options open, make use of all that speed that Kaylee had but the other woman didn't.

But Cicilia seemed calmer now, slightly spent even. Could she even withstands hits just to counterattack as she did before while she was like this? The blond was unsure. She dipped and and out, fiegning aggression as she circled, trying to formulate a plan… but maybe that was the problem.

She was overthinking things. Belle had once mentioned that Kaylee's want to control things didn't work well in wrestling, a sport in which you only were have of the equation. To some degree she was right. Quick thinking and gut reaction had saved her more than most any scheme she had come up with…

Kaylee shifted her body in, sliding one of her boot tips along the mat on approach to Cicilia. It looked perhaps like an attempt to sweep the boxers leg, but at the last minute the blond hrew all her weight to the side, flipping herself up onto a single arm handstand. The spin of her leg contact though, redirecting the kick around to target Cicilia's head.

As her body spun she set down her other palm to the canvas, trying to use the kicking leg and the following one which would be on opposite sides of the German's head at this time, to snap down on it tightly. She would attempt to tuck her body in and pull Cicilia forward to whip the boxer off her feet wide a hurricanrana

Physically exhausted? No. Kaylee had hurt her but not enough to actually make a dent in her stamina. Emotionally... She was vulnerable. Cicilia had let down her guard, as it were, letting her true self show to the outside for the first time since... Ugh... She couldn't even remember. If that made her look exhausted, that was probably because it's what she felt. She was tired of this... She was tired of heels, she was tired of people attacking her personally, she was tired of accusations, of threats of LIES... She needed a damn vacation where she could relax and revitalize herself in solitude away from everything... Maybe she would do just that after this match... After all, the audience certainly wanted her gone after what Kaylee pulled at the start. Might do her some good to disappear.

Again.

Cicilia had been watching Kaylee very carefully, her gaze flashing to each and every one of the blonde's slow and cautious movements, looking for obvious signs of an attack she could easily counter. She never really considered herself a counter-puncher, especially since that required a lot more thought and picking-and-choosing which moves to defend and others to attack from... She always liked to lose herself in a fight and just let whatever happened happened... even if that resulted in her going to the infirmary more times than not.

Not this time. She didn't want to lay in some stupid bed all damn day for another week. She wasn't going to let herself get hurt. She was actually going to use some of those skills she was trained to use and fight like she meant it.

That being said, a lack of experience fighting someone as agile and dancer-like as Kaylee would play into the German's performance, bring it down quite a bit in terms of quality! Kaylee's agile movements were more fit for an action-movie than an actual fight but their unorthadox and fluid movements combated well against the straight-forward juggernaut! As if trained in break-dancing, the blonde slipped and spun along the floor, stretching her leg out as if she were ready to sweep the German's leg! Cicilia lifted it up as a reflex, ready to STOMP down on it as it would follow through... but Kaylee QUICKLY shifted positions and before she knew it, the girl's boot collided with her cheek!

"...Guh..." She coughed, spittle escaping her lips! Before she could even fall to the side with the motion of a kick, the German found another foot connecting with the other side of her head, locking it between two! Dazed and confused, Cicilia was EASILY thrown over in an expertly crafted Hurricana, The German landing so hard on her back, she actually bounced lightly against the canvas!

"Gah!" She growled, laying upon the floor face up!

With legs locked around Cicilia's neck the blond swinging her body weight hard, enough to pitch the German to the mat with a flip. Kaylee herself caught her own fall against the canvas with outstretched hands, barely feeling any form of impact has her opponent sailed to the ring floor. Within a moment she had popped back to her feet, ready and willing to capture her momentum again.

With a long stride she charged to the nearby rope, hitting it hard enough with back turned to bounce off back to the downed boxer. Distanced closed in a blink of an eye, she swung her leg, body lowering to send her into a quick spin. Kicking off the ground she launched herself up, corkscrewing in the air before coming crashing down at Cicilia with one of her signature moves, the Jump-Jive-Jam!

Should she land the move, she would immediately move to scoop up one of Cicilia's legs and roll her weight back onto the other woman's chest in an attempt to pin her. Kaylee's offense had gone from 0 to 60 in a flash, a testament to how skilled she actually could be in the ring.

Cicilia lay there, writhing ever so slightly upon the floor, her spine on fire, her head aching somewhat. Damn acrobatics... They were impossible to counter... by rushing in like a blockhead. One thing Cicilia learned in ALL her time of fighting both back in Germany and here, these acrobats need a LONG wind-up time for a lot of their aesthetically pleasing moves, some taking several seconds to pull off with all their flips and spins and whatnot. Yeah, they were strong... but it was like comparing a punch with a long, shoulder-spinning wind-up to one with a short one straight-punch, both with the same power. The slower-wind up one was more likely to be countered...

The logic held true here.

Kaylee's follow up would've been just as effective and twice as quick if she just... backflipped on top of the German but no, her fantastic spins gave the boxer something to focus on... and enough time to formulate a rudimentary defense! As Kaylee SPUN like a top, FALLING down on the Juggernaut, Cicilia quickly raised her knees, forcing Kaylee to fall upon the much tougher and sharper edges of legs instead of her stomach!

Cicilia wasn't so easily taken control of... Kaylee's moves simply didn't hit that hard enough to stun her! Throwing the German around and dancing about provided significant distraction... but hits like this simply didn't do enough to keep her down for long!

Momentum was power. When faced with someone whose raw strength gth dwarfed your own, you did what you could to close the gap. While Kaylee's acrobatics are stylish and sleek, they served to strengthen her assaults by using a force she didn't have otherwise… they also got the fans cheering, so win/win really.

Save for cases like this anyway.

The blond spiralled through the air, unaware of what was waiting for her when she came crashing down in a body splash. Knees pieced her abdomen like daggers, digging deep as all that built up energy came to a screeching halt that spiked back up into her body. She folded forward over top of Cicilia before the counterforce sent her flopping to the side, clutching her stomach in agonizing pain.

She lay on her side, a leg kicking at the mat as Kaylee struggled to manage the pain and even draw breath. She already knew her mistake, already had a new game plan… it was just all a manner of being able to get up and implement it. She lifted her head, peering on with squinting eyes across the way at Cicilia to keep track of the woman while she tried to blink the tears that unintentionally had started to water her eyes after taking such a hit.

Cicilia winced as Kaylee fell RIGHT on her knees, the weight of a full-sized woman SLAMMING onto her legs not exactly comfortable... but then, it seemed to do far more to her opponent than her! While the German suffered sharp, annoying jabs in her thighs for supporting all that force, Kaylee was gasping, GAGGING for air as she fell off to the side, clutching at her stomach weakly as she tried desperately to remain lucid and capable!

The German rolled up to her feet, a bit slower than usual, taking her time walking over to her downed foe so that she could loosen up her legs... keep them from cramping up. Besides, it didn't look like Kaylee was going anywhere. Once she reached the blonde, the boxer would reach down, grabbing her by her shoulders and YANKING the smaller girl to her feet! If she managed to do so, the German would bring one of her fists back... AND throw a MASSIVE uppercut into the acrobat's gut, aiming to capitalize on that weak-point she had fashioned!

Cicilia spared no strength, wishing to end this fight quickly and as painlessly as she could manage. Blows weaker than this one had knocked out opponents in the Gym, buckling them over to the point they could no longer stand.

...She hoped this would be the same for Kaylee! ...Beating her to paste just... wasn't something she wanted to do anymore.

Kaylee weezed, watching carefully as Cicilia rose to her feet not unlike the Terminator. She almost laughed a bit at that but it only came out as another hacking cough. While she had been laid out, she wasn't entirely helpless, not yet. Buckled over she slowly tucked her legs underneath her, preparing to rise on her own.

She winced when Cicilia clamped down on her shoulder, expecting something more rather than what she got. Being lifted to her feet was a mixed blessing, one she intended to make good use of. As the boxer pulled her up, she pushed off the canvas on her own to aid the fast assent. One of her arms quickly left her midsection she still clutched in the other, swinging up high and fast to smash into the other woman's nose as hard as she could. The hope had been to deter Cicilia, but regardless of her own offense the boxer had other plans.

"Hgh!" Kaylee's eyes shot wide as a fist drilled into her guts, scrambling her insides and making her regret the choice to spring for a heavy breakfast. The blow was so fierce it snapped her forward and popped her feet right off the canvas, making her fall back to the mat on her front gasping for air.