John Carnaby vs Eliza Harenwood - The Challenge Ahead

John wasn't liking how this was turning out, he had heard and seen the lethal moves of the self righteous dancing passion but to actually experience them was an entirely different field all together. Meanwhile Eliza had done the same against the former title holder, she had managed to get some very stiff shots and set the momentum for the opening of the match here. No doubt feeling inwardly smug that she was high and mighty against the artist, well the time would come when he got hold of Eliza and he'd really have her test her resolve. He'd actually worked on a move just for this match, something that would give even the acrobatic Eliza cause for concern. For now however John was more preoccupied with the fact that was left at the whims of Eliza, who had a special treat in store for him.

Knowing that John was a pro in his field Eliza had taken advantage of the stunned state he was in by cinching in a hold that could only be described as a human pretzel. The dancing passion also had a pretty good ground game, John would say it wasn't anywhere near as good as his was. But competent all the same. This hold was something that very much suited Eliza one could suggest, but currently John was more concerned by his current predicament as he being spread eagled and bent around. This wasn't going to win Eliza the match though, not with the freshness of the artist.

The artist gritted his teeth, drawing on his darker side and spiteful thoughts and began shaking about in the hold. The ropes weren't too far away to make escape from that an unreasonable attempt, plus he had his hands to use. John would use his left arm to try and slink it between Eliza's legs and his right would try and deliver some balled fists to them, his shuffling about combined with this meant that the dancing passion would have things that she'd need to deal with if she wanted to keep the artist constrained in her little trap here........

Although famed for her well-aimed and precise blows that left opponents wondering what just happened, Eliza knew that she needed to develop a reliable follow up to her strikes. Especially for situations that call for her to be on the ground. She knew the time will come for Eliza to face John, the scion was not going to play around, and it was paramount that she learnt how to deal with the ground game. Submissions were at the same time both a boon and anathema to the Dancing Passion; her legs could be targeted and render her game plan less effective. But at the same time, it allowed Eliza to bring her opponents down to size proverbially and literally; John was undoubtedly going to learn this the hard way once the match ended. Indeed, Eliza was famed for a particular move of hers that was a submission, but she was hesitant in thinking if John would warrant it. After what had happened with Sin and especially her feelings with the Rebels Without Borders, she resisted feeding fuel to the fire. Besides, Ms Harenwood felt the move was supposed to be an honour for her opponents, especially if they survive long enough for Eliza to use it. But the demon residing inside of her will not claim another victim to consume in its flames, she thought.

She wouldn’t allow it, especially with John.

“You still have nothing against me?” Eliza said coldly, her eyes staring down into John’s soul while her fingertips began to massage his scalp. “You aren’t doing an excellent job at hiding it, you know. I can tell. You despise me. You wish to break me, tear me apart…limb by limb…” Eliza noticed John trying to struggle free, his fists hitting one of her legs. Bringing a scoff from the undead ex-friend. “..but most of all, you hate that you know what you’re doing is wrong.”

The Undead Aristocrat knew that John was durable, fresh still. So the next step was to make sure he would not cope with the long haul, as it would undoubtedly occur. Even as she had him tied up, Eliza had to work him down and use the chance to break him down before he’d wriggle free or use the ropes for a hail mary. True, Eliza’s ground game wasn’t like John’s. But when she had the advantage, she’ll run with it.

Seeking to prove it, the same hand massaging his hair would bring his right leg closer to her and stretch it out more. Keeping it pinned by tucking it underneath her arms, her hand gripped on the lone fist that was bashing at her thigh, pulling it away to give an uncomfortable twist to his joint. "This is where your ideals will lead you. Nothing but pain and suffering. And it will tear you asunder. From the inside and out.” Her right hand reached to grab at his foot, pulling it towards her for a painful calf slicer. A nasty mix to this cocktail of pain.

John knew that he could handle all of this, he'd just need one opening. Then he'd turn things around and make sure that Eliza was gonna have to feel the squeeze, just like she was doing right now. She was good, but the artist was a former champ. He made sure to keep himself calm, John faced the stings of art critics. So Eliza's pressure was gonna be easy by comparison, at least that's what the artist told himself. He hissed in response to the holier than thou dancer's words, not in annoyance but more in trying to keep himself composed. John stared Eliza down, he knew she was trying to get into his head there. The way she softly caressed his smooth brown locks reminded John of his wrestling session with Jackie Rose, so he knew the mindgames there.

The dancing passion spoke of how John hated Eliza in secret, she was.....going a bit extreme there he felt but okay. Then she spoke of how John knew that this was wrong, that he dared to stand against Eliza as she preached from her soapbox. To which the artist simply muttered "Oh please.....your not innocent yourself......" besides she wasn't so innocent. John saw what she did to Sin, he saw that spark in her. So hi pot. It seemed however that Eliza had finely honed her ground game because she had not only managed to negate John's hands.

Cranking him in a way that asserted dominance Eliza spoke of how John would be torn inside out, managing to land herself a calf slicer into this human pretzel. Something that Ryan known for with his refined finisher the Knightmare, what a tangled web Eliza was weaving. John didn't decide to bother retorting back to Eliza, as the pain was taking far more of his time right now. No matter, at this point trying to battle with her was gonna take some serious effort. Fortunately that John was like what, 5'11 and had a good 200 pounds on him? The artist was gonna start seriously rocking the boat here to unbalance Eliza and hopefully distract her from attempting some other elaborate hold for the time being.........

Being 5’11” and 200lbs more than the Undead Dancer doesn’t mean anything when one is tied up like a pretzel. Regardless of his former status as a champion. The position rendered his strength useless. Sure, Eliza had once feared about her male opponents breaking free from her submissions, ever since a lothario called Marc, but those were just simple submissions. Ubiquitous mainstays that people have come to expect to see as wrestling fans. This, however, was different. It trapped all of his limbs, delivering all sorts of stretches at once while not giving the man not much for leverage. Meaning that Ms Harenwood could simply wear the man down without any recourse coming her way.

Of course, John would protest and try to struggle, but it would be to no avail in a hold like this. Perhaps it was his pride in being so knowledgeable of submissions; perhaps it was his disdain towards the Dancing Passion. Either way, Eliza curiously watched him struggle pathetically and arguing her points. Rather morbid in a way, but she remained steadfast in the hold. Had she put even more pressure into it, John would undoubtedly tap out from the sheer pain of his joints, muscles and bones. Though that wasn’t her goal when it came to this hold. That wasn’t its purpose.  

As seconds pass by, it would continue to chip away at his resolve, bringing him closer to that breaking point. Eliza knew how dangerous the Scion was on the ground and weakening him was the best course of action. Working him down to a more manageable degree. And it indeed was working. The Dancing Passion simply had to endure John’s resistance, knowing that he had no leverage in this matter. He was trapped in her web and was in threat to be feasted upon.

“Useless.” Eliza simply said as he continued to stare down at John, seeing his face contorted with pain. The flame inside was pleased as such suffering. “Yield and cease this foolishness.”

Yeah John could tell, deep down Eliza was getting her rocks off at this. She could try and deny it but John saw it in her eyes, she was trying to break his will there. She'd find that hard to do, given that John was fresh despite the immense pain and intricate hold Eliza had cinched in on him here. He'd actually give her credit, this hold was something that he'd not be able to fully do lacking her dancer flexibility. Many a man and woman would have actually wanted Eliza to lock them into a hold like this, where one was outright helpless and locked into her web where she could simply just mutter sweet little nothings into your ear.

Eliza proclaimed that John's struggles were pointless and that he should just yield to her greatness, even with the pain making John wince his eyebrow twitched hard there. She should have known better than anyone that it wasn't in John's nature to tap out, he'd rather get KO'd than do so these days. Perhaps this was simply an attempt at making him bend to her will, but John gritted his teeth. He might have had all his limbs restrained here, but the artist would do one thing. Eliza's legs were in close to his head here, the artist would bare his fangs. If Eliza was an undead dancer then John was a vampiric creator.

And so it was that John quickly sank his teeth right into Eliza's nearest leg, it was something that Ryan would have done had he been locked in the same spot. The artist would do whatever it took these days, had Eliza faced him in the UK Elite he'd have likely tapped out here not knowing any other way. But John was now pragmatic and keen to use whatever option could be done and that he could see. Eliza would need to relent eventually if she didn't want to risk further harm to her precious legs..........

The haunting eyes stared deep at the face of John, her face expressionless in the midst of tangled pain. A direct contrast to John’s expression, who try as he might, can’t hide the fact that this intricate web brought forth fruits of suffering. Purposely designed to torture someone like the renowned Scion, though Eliza knew that this would not be enough. He had the most formidable will that refused to tap out, preferring to go out of his shield. It was something that the Dancing Passion had seen when she’d use the Ballroom Roller. Those that had pride and prefer to blackout before they tap out. And then some believe it isn’t worth it and would tap before risking injury—two conflicting ideas between those trapped in the hold.

That’s to say that Eliza was actually thinking this. John doesn’t seem to get that this was more of a puppet, drawn to action by something more significant than both of them. It didn’t care about greatness as John claimed. All it cared about was the suffering of those before this vessel. But he was in his own dark thoughts to even consider that a possibility. Of course, a lot of details seemed to be going over his head, to begin with. Like the fact that Eliza’s ballerina flats were sliding off her foot with the shifting of the other. It was understandable that he was desperately thinking of ways to escape this cursed jail.

"AHHH!" Like biting her leg.

A testament to how Eliza managed to cinch in a hold that John couldn’t escape from, but it was annoying all the same. The undead dancer felt those teeth dig into her flesh, making a tear on the stockings that she’s wearing. "You..." It may not be her usual ones, but the principle was the same. Nobody attacks her legs, and nobody tears at her stockings. And that deserves punishment.

Eliza would let go of his arm, which would release the arm lock that had damaged his joints, but not without sending a hammering backfist towards his nose. It might not be much, but for what she has planned, it would make sense. Her legs released from his body as he wanted, but that wouldn’t stop Eliza from moving upwards, sliding up more behind him. One leg would hook behind his knee, her arms coming up from under him in a full nelson. But not a proper one as her hand yanked onto his brown locks. Holding him in place for the other leg to come up and plant her foot onto his face!

“Suffer.”

John would have liked to have called himself a pragmatist sometimes, a thing he'd learned during his wrestling career was sometimes it was best to be like that. Something that he decided to do even more now that he was in the warriors without borders, the artist would begrudgingly admit that Eliza's hold on him was solid. Not as good as what he could do but still not half bad, but she didn't play into the fact that John would have been perfectly fine with doing a bit of underhandedness in this match. Just about anyone would be forced to let go, Eliza should be thankful that it was Ryan's sharpened fangs sinking into her leg there.

Yet still John was worn down quite a bit from that intricate web of a submission that the dancing passion had cinched in on him, enough that Eliza was able to at least partially salvage her grip on the scribe by flawlessly transferring him into a full nelson hold. Shifting around on him like water as it were, it also seemed that for attacking her legs in such a way Eliza decided to be a bit underhanded herself there by grabbing onto John's hair. How the ref didn't tell her off for this John didn't know, probably favouritism he reasoned. But Eliza one upped the hold by bringing in one of her fabulous legs and getting her stocking clad foot right in John's face while the other helped restrain him!

Eliza spoke of making John suffer........oh that was it, this spoiled brat had her fun for long enough the artist reasoned. She was gonna try something like this on him? While many a man or woman would have been envious of John's place having one of Eliza's beautiful feet in his face John saw it very much differently, he'd had enough of her dictating the pace of the match and locking him in one hold after the next. It was time for payback! Thankfully John had an idea in this placement.

He gritted his teeth, tossed his head around to get that damn foot out of his face and dug down deep. Yanking himself forward and upward and taking Eliza with him to a more vertical placement, whereupon he'd get one of his arms free and get Eliza's jaw right on his shoulder. Just in time to take her to the mat with a hard hitting stunner! Slamming that jaw down with a hard impact that would make even the ring itself shudder! John really needed to get some offence going here if he was to have any chance of doing something against the dancing passion here, he just hoped this would help even the oods!

To think someone like him would stoop so low. There was a time when Eliza had looked up to the former artist, especially as he would perform submissions on his foes. He truly made it an artform, handling things with grace just like Eliza does with her strikes. At one point, she wished she had taken pointers from John, especially as she could apply such knowledge to her own battles. Not to say the Dancing Passion didn’t regret the path she took, as it has allowed her to meet new people outside of her own circle. Or at least outside the UK Eli-no, Rebels Without Borders as they’d like to call themselves. The change in name came with a change in how they approach battle. Considering John would get to the point he’d resort to biting an opponent. That was something she would not tolerate.

Eliza responded in kind, and while it wasn’t dirty, it certainly wasn’t something she would do. At least not with the dark flame that has been controlling her thoughts and actions. The scribe would find release, but not quite what he’d expect. Getting behind him, the dark bride would transition into something that should teach him a lesson. Or at least she thought it would, John was still resilient. But that brings another problem, resistance begets suffering. And as John valiantly began to rise up to his feet, fighting free from her clutches, Eliza responded in kind.

Just as John would move his face away from one foot, the other came swinging upwards to smack him right towards the face. “Futile.” One thing that John didn’t take into account was the fact that Eliza’s kicks were renowned to come from any direction, which also included during submissions. If one can’t control her legs, the battle has already been decided. The instep of her foot would have smacked at his face, while she’d swing the other leg to strike also, her toes curled inwards for a painful strike towards his eyes. “Pointless.” Her saccharine eyes would seem uncaring to the punishment John would experience, both legs would rise up, not to strike at his face but to swing down, her heels aiming right towards his balls. If John wanted to get this dirty, then nothing would stop her from delivering such a debilitating strike. “Impotent.” All before the dark bride would press her feet behind his back before flipping back behind John and landing with both feet.