Eliza Harenwood vs Asher Faulk - Take Flight

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

A quote that she found herself thinking of as she did her preparations in the Tension locker room. It was the usual night in Tension, Eliza has been in this position many times, changing into her attire, getting ready for battle, it felt nostalgic almost looking back at it. The first time she put on her corset in her first match, she came into AFW with next to no experience and less tested in battle. Her time in Tension was... varied. She lost quite a bit. Only then after the first-ever Tension Battle Royale, she starts developing herself up and since then, built herself up as the graceful lady of war, proving herself against men and women alike. Even then, there was still more to prove herself and last year showed, hence why she was absent for most of it. Safe to say, since she came back, the Dancing Passion has been hitting the ground running, and with her performance of her open challenge, the Aristocrat was ready for whatever problems arise her way.

Eliza had heard little of her opponent, a relative newcomer to Tension, Asher Faulk. Virtually nothing in Tension went on without Eliza's notice; the man wasn't among the biggest that she fought, but he is full of energy. Fast too. Regardless, Ms Harenwood wasn't worried, she had fought many men here in Kyoto and prevailed. Plus the idea of fighting an agile opponent intrigued Tension's Lady of Grace, and she took pride in her ability to move and strike with her legs. So this would be an exciting fight Eliza felt, an excellent way to start the year with a victory against an opponent that bore certain similarities to her.

Eliza stood up, a prideful expression on her features as she looked herself over in the mirror. Dressed in her iconic dress, concealing her attire for tonight's bout. Informed by a stagehand, it was now time for her to make her entrance tonight and grace the fans of Tension no doubt clamouring for Eliza to wow them with her infamous moves. Walking swiftly down a corridor and towards the entrance ramp, Eliza readied herself by the curtain, and she took this moment to prepare herself mentally. Already her heart beats in anticipation.

Eliza Harenwood:

Theme:

The lights in the arena blacked out, and a black curtain draped itself over the entrance ramp. Loud cheering was heard as a white spotlight shone to reveal a female shadow, which danced as the song. The brilliant mix of dubstep and Spanish guitar only meant one person, Eliza then stepped out from the curtain. A pair of fans in her hands and a smirk on her face.

All the men and women in attendance were on their feet; any entrance from Eliza was a spectacle in itself. Each step she took designed to impress, Eliza gracefully stepped down the ramp. Her dress trails flawlessly before she slid into the ring, walking to the middle where the British Aristocrat would bow to all in attendance. Spinning to her corner and placing her fans below the bottom turnbuckle and in one flawless motion, Eliza would grab her dress and remove it, revealing her ring attire.

Setting her dress in the corner also Eliza would prop her left leg on the top rope. It wasn't as if she didn't stretch in the locker room; the Dancing Passion was already limber. It was to serve as a reminder to her foe of Eliza's flexibility, a confident smirk on her features as she waits for her dance partner.

Asher was heading into his second match, it made him nervous, and excited. He wondered how many matches it took to stop feeling the nerves coursing through him or if it was something everyone always felt no matter what? It was hard to dwell on considering that he actually knew who his opponent was tonight and he was actually a pretty big fan! He had seen some of her matches before and well...she was gorgeous, to say the least, and effective. So this was kind of a dream come true at the moment.

As her music played he headed towards the curtain after she headed out in his typical outfit, black pants, dress shirt jacket with the AFW logo on it and green tie. As he waited for her music to finish he began to bounce up and down some in excitement. It was hard to get his nerves under control and the adrenaline. When her music finished there was a small lull before his music blared over the stadium.

Asher Faulk:

Theme:

As the song came on this time Asher got a few more cheers now, still new but at least people knew him and the boyish good looks apparently were something people liked. He didn't dwell on it too long as he came out from behind the curtain with a large smile and took a moment to soak in the lights and the crowd. He reached out to a few fans giving them some high fives.

Not wasting any more time he took off down the ramp moving like a speed demon. As he got to the ring he jumped up catching the top rope and catapulting himself into the ring landing rather gracefully. Smiling he waved to the crowd in the ring and looked to Eliza. He gave a sheepish wave as well while looking at the flexible posture she was casually in before moving to his corner.

Taking off his tie, jacket and shirt leaving him only in his black athletic pants he folded the clothes and set them to the side. Taking a few breaths he faced Eliza. Getting serious now he waited for the ref to check them over before the match got underway!

If there was anything that the Dancing Passion hated, not having any knowledge of your opponent is one of them. One of the downfalls of being a massive fan favourite in this league. Everyone in Tension knew about Eliza, and there were many archives of her matches so they could always get an idea of what to expect from the Lady of Grace. That is, if they even bother to watch Ms Harenwood beforehand, of course. But in her experience, that is few and far in between, those that are serious did so with the intent of proving themselves against one of the top talents in the Kyoto brand while being an absolute enigma to Eliza. And Asher was coming from a barely televised match. However, this isn’t new to the Dancing Passion, she had faced many a newcomer and had always gone in, assess her opponent and form her opinions from there. Today is just another day.

Her opponent would finally arrive after the intricate entrance from the British Aristocrat, finally able to lay eyes on him as he came from behind the curtain. The boyish looks tend to garner a lot of interest from the audience, and the crowd proved it by giving their cheers for the German, perhaps less than Eliza’s but they still gave their support for the newcomer. Asher seemed to have a lot of energy behind him, as evidenced by him dashing down the ramp, there was no waste to his movements, a quality that Eliza could admire. She always preferred her opponents to be into the fight, to make it worth her while.

As he got to his corner, Eliza had lowered her leg off the ropes, smiling slightly as Asher sheepishly greeted her with a wave. He was taking off his entrance attire similar to Eliza, looking like he is ready for battle. With her trademark, modest black and red corset and thigh-high stockings, Asher might not expect the Dancing Passion for looking like a proper wrestler but rest assured, she dresses to impress. And as usual, the crowd vocalised their appreciation, excited for such a match. Especially since the last time they saw the German, he had indulged in the seedier aspects of Tension so how would Asher fair in a proper battle. Eliza was hoping her experience in this would carry her through, but there was another aspect in that Eliza is the bigger woman in this matchup, which rarely happens, having faced men bigger than Asher is. That might serve as a plus in allowing Ms Harenwood to try out some power-based moves if the opportunity arises. That said, however, the smaller frame of the enemy would make them a more difficult target to strike with her trademark kicks. Nevertheless, she trusted in her ability to deliver a swift offence and leave her enemy a fallen, crumpled heap on the mat.

Her leg was done stretching, Eliza remained calm as she stepped forward. “Good evening, Mr Asher. I trust that you will provide a good battle. Take heed that I only accept the best of my dance partners, so please give it your all.” She said politely. Bowing slightly to Asher, she would ready herself in her iconic stance, knees bent slightly, and arms tucked inwardly. It wasn’t just her sense of dressing and fighting in the ring that endeared her to the fans. Her nature, in general, was also something very noteworthy.

For his part...Asher really hadn't planned on indulging in the seedier parts of the AFW last time. It had been allowed in the match, but his opponent had really driven it there. Still, at this moment he was here to take on Eliza and prove that he was meant to be here. Winning, it wasn't something that he figured would happen but it didn't mean he wasn't going to give it his all and aim for the W. Still facing the graceful and larger Eliza it made him nervous, his heart also fluttered a bit, she really was just beautiful and graceful. Shaking his head he watched as she stepped forward his eyes on her.

At the bow, and the proper greeting he nodded his head up and down with a small smile. "O, yea absolutely Ms. Harenwood! I'll give it everything I got don't worry. Thanks for the opportunity." His german accent weaved through his words though floating towards American sometimes as if it just really couldn't pick a spot to be. As she got into her stance, he could tell it was a solid stance, she really knew what she was doing and the matches he had seen of her that was an understatement.

Taking one last deep breath he brought his hands up considering how the heck he even approached this match, she was quick a deadly striker and probably stronger than him...He really had his work cut out for him today. With some distance between them, he nodded once green eyes intense before suddenly just running straight at her. AS he got closer she probably could see him begin to push down with his legs as if planning to go airborne first thing. It was a feint and a gambit if he could make her believe he was going high without warning he'd drop right into a textbook baseball slide going right under her. He was trying to use all his momentum from the slide to grab one of her strong legs and pull it with him in a surprise attempt to take her off balance to start off this match.

Eliza remained cautious in her game plan; Asher most likely had watched her most popular matches. With a large amount of fame meant that virtually everyone attempted potshots at you, hoping to raise their standing. But Eliza didn’t falter in the light of it; in fact, she welcomed the spotlight and the challenge it came with it, proving herself against the large array of men in Tension. Big or small. Asher may have an edge in being somewhat of being an enigma and probably have watched Eliza’s matches. "Brilliant. So, Mr Asher, let us begin." Eliza hasn’t looked at the man due to the seedier part of that debut. However, she was confident of what to expect from Mr Faulk.

The bell would shortly ring to signal the start of the fight and any thoughts that the Dancing Passion had she would keep to herself. Now it was time to start the battle, taking a deep breath as she settled into her stance, Eliza smiled as she mentally counted her steps, right up until Asher dashed in like a blur, an impressive speed that even Eliza can be proud of. Not wasting time at all, the German-American came in, the Dancing Passion noticing the slight bend of his legs, expecting something out of him, something big, something straight on perhaps. Her sanguine eyes narrowed, fully focused as she suddenly pivoted on one foot, stepping to one side and twirling with the swiftness of the wind. She intended to sidestep away to his side, expecting something like a dropkick. However, it turned out to be a feint as Asher went low for a baseball kick. The German was attempting to take out Eliza’s famous legs, it seems? Well now he has fully jumped into the fire, nobody gets close to the flame without getting burnt.

The British Aristocrat would continue with her spin, displaying excellent finesse as she swung her leg, aiming to smack her heel straight into the head of Mr Faulk. A powerful blow on Eliza’s part, enough to send any man staggering away as well as serving a hint as to what could occur should Tension’s Lady of Grace can dictate the pace of battle.

Asher was in for a penny in for a pound as the saying goes when he went full throttle at Eliza. Really he wasn't surprised when she went spinning away, after all, she was a dancer and he had seen some of her matches so he knew somewhat to expect. So as he slid and she went spinning, his mind and body were already prepared for the next moment that was coming up, which could involve a whole lot of pain for him.

As her heel came hurtling in towards his head he did nothing fancy, he just dropped flat on his back in the slide with a small thump onto the canvas while the air and her heel whiffed over him harmlessly. It was close for comfort and left him a bit awkward laying there while she was still upon her legs, but it did mean he hadn't just got his entire world rocked by those deadly legs of hers. So before she decided to follow up on any more painful ideas he'd go for a kip upright towards his feet. The crowd would love the brief exchange even though nobody got hit, it really showed off both fighters at that moment.

If Eliza didn't follow up when he got to his feet he would back up facing her again taking in a few breaths to steady out his nerves and adrenaline. He was really going to have to be careful, and he was pretty sure if that kick hit he'd be on the back foot for the rest of the match.

It was a good tactic, but one that Eliza had seen before many times in her years of being a wrestler for Tension. Her legs are indeed famous, ones that we're able to allow her to use such an explosive offence with accurate strikes that hit at the right spot. The danger is always knowing where to hit on an enemy, getting some significant damage and have her opponent regretting going up against her. Many a man and woman had expressed they'd like to be in such a position, even if it came with immense pain. Whatever gets their rocks off, Eliza supposed.

Nevertheless, Eliza saw that Asher had done his homework on the Dancing Passion, looking to take her legs out right out of the gate. Now that she caught on, however, Asher was going to try his hardest to weakening the British Aristocrat. The lady of grace wasn't about to make such a game plan easier to do. Especially with a thumping headache, at least that is what he'd be feeling had her kick connected. The German-American was fast, quickly ducking underneath to evade what would be a decisive blow on him. Eliza was right in her assessment, trying to hit a smaller target would be tricky.

But she wouldn't let that deter her as she would step in after her spin, or more importantly, as Asher performed a kip-up, leaping up in the air some to sens her heel streaking forward towards his face, looking to land that decisive blow that would send him reeling.

While going after Eliza's legs was definitely a tactic, Asher knew the risks involved, he'd figured at this point she was used to dealing with such attacks against her biggest strength. He was going to have to come at her with multiple game plans and keep her off balance on what exactly his goal was to take her down. Though he'd have to avoid getting his head taken off if he was going to make that happen which she seemed intent on doing now.

As he came kipping up she came back around with her heel right back towards his face something he wasn't certainly a fan
of that happening. Thankfully years of putting his hands up from getting hit paid off as he came towards his feet his hands came to his face. The heel smashed into his hands which definitely hurt smacking them back against his face but it spared him a worse headache.

As the hit smacked he went stumbling back from momentum and somewhat on purpose to make some room between him and her. If she gave him the room he'd go right back against the ropes leaning against them shaking his hands out as he took a moment to recover.

Eliza had great flexibility on her side, and that had come in handy for impressive displays. One notable example had been in the Tension battle royale where she was thrown over the top rope, only to pull the splits on the apron to save herself. It was feats like these that helped endear her to the Tension fanbase, they showed off those killer legs of hers and the poise Eliza possessed from her years of dance practise. Still, Eliza knew that Mr Faulk was probably indicative of his nature, able to run at fast speed. That'd serve to make him hard to control, but all the same, this serves as a great challenge to see if Ms Harenwood could handle that aspect of an opponent.

While she didn't manage to land a proper hit, Asher was forced on the backfoot; his instinct allowed him to lessen the blow. Roll with the punches, as the famous saying goes, though the Dancing Passion knew this at least jarred the German-American. As evident with him shaking his hands after, telling him that it could have been much worse. "Impressive," Eliza muttered, knowing she would have to try hard with this opponent as well.

Unlike before, Eliza did not give chase to Asher, usually not pursuing her opponents once they arrive at the ropes. It was in her wisdom to not attack as the enemy who so often was bigger and stronger than the Dancing Passion could fling her out of the ring. And while Eliza did not doubt her ability to land from an elevated position, she would prefer not to do so. The same went for Asher, despite being shorter than the Dancing Passion, she chose not to risk it, lest she falls into a trap that she will regret — settling back into her stance after taking a step back, poised and ready for Asher whenever he's ready.

Since Eliza didn't pursue him Asher decided to take a moment to recover and collect his thoughts while he let the dull throb in his hands subside. He didn't really want to consider how it would have felt to taking that hit straight to the head, but he was sure it would have been much more painful. Easing off the ropes he smiled despite himself, this was exciting. Up against someone so good in front of all these people, it was hard not to be excited.

Taking a step from the ropes he watched her, wondering how he was going to approach this now it was obvious that he really had to give it his all. Though going in set him up for a counter from her that lead to possibly being on the wrong end of her feet. Or hell even her fists he couldn't discount that she knew how to strike multiple ways. There really wasn't a good strategy so he'd just have to figure it out.

Moving with his hands up he headed back towards her watching her closely as he took controlled breaths keeping his heartrate under control. Gauging the distance between them he'd shoot in after her going straight at her, considering how she responded his plan though is to move under any attack or slip around planning to go straight for the ropes and bounce off coming back at her for a flying cross-body splash onto her larger body.