Dia Sect vs. Thorn - Opening Engagement

Rose met Selina’s stare, looking back at the woman’s glowing yellow pools with her own green pair. It was brief, couldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds, but profound all the same. They were two lionesses on the plains, sizing each other up, looking for weaknesses before they struck, and this was the exact sort of thing she had been hoping for. It was so rare to converse with another of her own mindset, to meet a real rival. She’d hoped that PDSM could scratch that itch, among others, and so far they were succeeding.

She didn’t move when the hand came her way, no more than an eyebrow raise of a couple inches. She doubted Selina would attack her, here - a tease maybe, but nothing more than that. The threat was clear enough, and she hoped her look would convey her unspoken response.

All my words are chosen carefully.

”Selina. Dear.” Rose reached up and moved Selina’s hand away with a gentle touch, holding it only long enough to give her a kiss on the backside of her hand. ”It would be a shame if match put an end to our dialogue. I crave engaging conversation, and you’ve given me nothing less than satisfaction. Bravo.” She let her words flow with an airy wisp, then patted the table. ”But, to the point. I hope you weren’t offended by the question, I only wished to point out the curious contradiction. As dominatrices, we control others. We dictate. Tell others what, when, how. A life of conquest.”

Rose steepled her fingers and leaned on the table, bringing her head low, as if the two of them were sharing some deep secret. There was mirth in her eyes as they peeked out from underneath her cap, a mischievous glint that she did little to hide. ”Being managed is none of these things, so it strikes me as strange. Passing strange.” Her eyes shifted downward, roaming along Selina’s chest then made their way back up again. ”This manager. How did you come by such a person? You don’t find that stifling, beneath someone of your talents? Surely, you can handle the life of a wrestler without guidance.”

Rose found herself enjoying this verbal match more and more, providing with the sort of mental challenge she rarely dipped into. It was a stark contrast to what her partner was going through, at the least - Thorn wouldn’t have traded places, but she wouldn’t mind trading their luck.

Día was getting the better of her so far, control the match with a ruthless pace. It was getting more than a little embarrassing, much as she hated to admit it, the skill gap showing clear between them. She had Rose’s lesson in her head, but it was taking her back to grade school, the times she’d flunked math tests she’d studied all night for. Learning something was one thing, applying it was a whole different kettle.

She was figuring that out the hard way, as Día shot her efforts to get out of the corner down with a swift kick in the stomach. It made Thorn lurch forward, putting her head in grabbing range, and there was a strong arm to seize it when she got there. In the next moment she was pulled forward, yanked downward, her skull going straight for the canvas…

...until she stepped forward, slammed her foot down, and halted all the momentum with a single, powerful motion, her back surging with muscle. Gritting her teeth, she reached up and grabbed Día’s upper arm, not to push it off, but to pull it in. Tighter.

Thorn stepped forward, jerked up, lifted Día clear off the canvas and sent her up and over, looking to hurl her into the corner with a Northern Lights Suplex.

Selina didn’t seem all that charmed by Rose’s sweet lips on her hand. Of course, neither of them were openly hostile to one another just yet. Selina may have come off as unhinged, but she seemed to be able to reign herself in when it was necessary to either keep the peace or simply keep herself entertained. Both of them were playing nice out of a certain amount of respect and curiosity for the other. Selina had honestly kept an eye on Rose since she joined the roster, had watched her for some time, and now found herself sitting right next to Rose. It was a strange phenomenon to someone like Selina, and the questions of how it all came together still hung out of reach. This entire situation should have been impossible, theoretically. With a roster as large as AFW, fighters could sit side by side with one another and never once know of each other. And even as they spoke to one another, Selina got the feeling that the only thing they really had in common was their appreciation for their work. It was a sort of “meeting your hero” situation, though neither of them would go as far as to describe the other in such a manner.

The questions Rose asked were fair, if a bit pointed. They were questions Selina as a person knew well, but as a persona intentionally ignored. The Princess of Pleasure and Punishment had no equal, and no master. She and her teammate were walking incarnations of Lust and Sadism, but such an image grew shaky once one learned there was a hand behind the scenes. But the manager wasn’t for the Princess, whose sadistic confidence helped her wear the outfit made almost exclusively of straps. She was for Selina, the woman beneath the mask.

But something like that would never come out. Rose’s observations were spot on, but Selina simply chuckled, suddenly blushing and seemingly charmed by Rose’s sinful stare at her breasts. Selina seemed to calm down, leaning in close to Rose as if she was about to kiss her on the lips, but stopping just short.

“Rosie darling~ Your Fangirl is showing! But I think it’s cute, so I’ll indulge a bit.” The Princess mused. “See Rosie, you’re clearly very different from the piggy’s and the worms that wriggle around in the dirt here at AFW. You see something, and you go to take it. You hunger for something, so you feed. I like that about you~ But, not everyone is like that. Indeed, while you and...Thorn seem to enjoy the PDSM’s work, many actually despise us.”

Selina feigned a shrug, as though she had no idea why anyone could ever come to such a conclusion, despite the numerous examples that had been aired already.

“They think we are scary, and even go so far as to say we are unhinged! That's a bit rude~ We simply enjoy our positions of power, not unlike some of the others here. But our fallen toys usually get back up again, and rather than being grateful for the experience, they tell the other pigs and worms! Suddenly it’s much harder to play! No one likes us, everyone hates us, but do we eat worms? No~ Someone provides the worms under contract. They can’t run now, not unless they want serious trouble. Our manager was provided, but by who, she won't say~ Allll we know is that she has our contracts, and gets us matches. If you want to know anything else, you'll have to ask her, because she doesn't tell us anything about herself~!”

Selina suddenly turned her head and a chuckle ripped through the mask’s speakers. The sound was akin to dry leaves dragging across a clean floor, sharp and hissy. The Princess’s cryptic, hungry eyes flashed back towards Rose. Selina never really stared at the woman’s bare body. She only ever did look either into Rose’s eyes, or her face. A trained Dominatrix could tell what someone wanted from them with a simple glance, and as strange a puzzle Selina was, she clearly had found something she liked in the Red Head.

“I doubt you have these issues though, Rosie. You’re so...pretty~ Your Thorn is a fine side dish to compliment you...I bet you get lots of matches, with a face so pretty. No one is scared of you...and THAT is the key difference between us, Rosie. Sakura begged for more as you played with her in the ring and Thorn watched with pleasure...but she cried, and begged for me to stop as the crowd looked away~”

Contrary to her wording, Selina seemed excited! Happy even about the distinction she made between them. She wasn’t sad or turned off by her actions she did against Dimitri, Wolf, Sakura, Kai, or the Champion’s tag team. She relished them, and the prospect she would be adding this sweet faced woman to the collection was what was keeping her back.

She wanted Rose, that was clear, but as much as she remained calm and polite, there was that lingering hunger in her gaze that never went away. Not since Rose first saw that primal look from the Princess upon their meeting. Every time Selina looked at Rose, the lingering feeling of desire seemed to hang in the air...though it was difficult to tell if said desire was born from affection, or something much stranger.

The verbal battle ringside was only upstaged by the actual battle going on in the ring. Thorn had been having a hard time throughout the fight, her inexperience quickly coming around to bite her in various places as Día seemed to blow past any and all attempts Thorn made to get her head back in the fight. The stronger woman was effectively getting bullied, much to the crowds surprise, as the Demon just kept on hitting her! Were it not for Thorns incredible endurance, it may have very well been the end already! Thorn’s stamina was one of the only things that anyone could think was keeping her standing, and as Día Sect wrapped her arms around the woman’s neck, the hope for a comeback from Rose’s personal partner was quickly withering away. This was an execution, brutal and simple. Día practically confirmed it with that wicked grin of hers as she pushed off the corner, falling like a guillotine blade to end Thorn’s not so stellar solo career!

A thundering crash rang out through the arena, finally drawing Selina’s attention. She, and everyone else were expecting to see Thorn’s beaten form sprawled neatly across the canvas. Instead, a curious murmur escaped Selina’s mask as she found that the crash was not the sound of Thorn’s skull meeting the rings floor, but rather, her boot! The muscle woman had stopped her downfall by sheer strength! The Demon remained tied around her, almost like some twisted clothing as Día herself seemed surprised! That grin quickly morphed into a scowl, and just as she moved to slip her arm free from the brute, Thorn’s grabbed ahold of her once illusive foe! She tugged her arm tightly around her neck before suddenly throwing her over her shoulder! Día became a black, shadowy mask once again as Thorn was merciless with her Suplex! Speed, power, and technique all came together to smash the demon into the floor with enough force to make her bounce!

A loud growl came from Día’s clenched teeth, the woman’s chains on her hip rattling about like metallic alarms as she began climbing back to her feet. Immediately, the effect of rising up so fast hit Día, as she stumbled a bit, her head still woozy and lightheaded from the sudden toss and the pain in her back doing little to alleviate it. She had no room to use her speed, and for the moment, the living shadow was tethered by her body's sudden limitations!

A very poor spot to be in, at the moment.

Rose was quite aware of where Selina’s eyes were, and the fact that this woman had managed to go the entire conversation without looking at her breasts didn’t escape her notice. She was often asked why she essentially wrestled topless, and she could give a variety of reasons for it - she liked the feel, enjoyed the wind on her body, loved the sensation of her skin against another person’s in sweaty, visceral combat. But, from a practical standpoint, it worked wonders as a distraction. Man or woman, straight or gay, no matter the inclination, nudity always had an effect on those around her, even in an environment like the AFW. It left her foes flustered, and she could work that to her advantage.

But Selina was different. Selina didn’t even seem to notice. Selina only looked her in the eye. Whether the woman realized it or not, she had likely broken a world record that few would ever challenge.

The blush hadn’t gone unnoticed, either. What was going on in this woman’s head? She couldn’t help but wonder.

She leaned in along with Selina, two schoolgirls sharing secrets in the lunchroom, as words slithered out of her fellow dommes mouth. The Princess had a way of speaking, Rose would give her that, and she had many interesting things to share. Quite a unique setup, being run by a woman they didn’t truly know, for purposes they weren’t wholly aware of. Curious, and she made a note to dig deeper at a later time. There was a story, here, and while she wasn’t a detective, she couldn’t resist the call.

”You live an intriguing life, Selina. You’ll have to pardon my prying, it’s difficult to resist.” She wiggled a few playful fingers her way. ”And you’re not wrong. Thorn and I have taken on more than our fair share of fans in our short time in Japan. We’re more on the other side of the coin. I inspire lust, you inspire fear, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with either approach, any more than, say, a painter choosing watercolors over acrylics. It’s all preference.”

At long last, Rose let her foot off their little captive’s head, giving her some relief, a small measure. She leaned down and took the woman’s chin - a gentle touch, gloves grazing the skin, and lifted her face up to meet her own, bringing them less than a foot apart. Staring from the shadow of her cap, holding her gaze as she scanned the little woman. Yes, there was some heat, there. This one hadn’t joined the AFW merely for the paycheck - no, she enjoyed the scenery, too. Not uncommon.

”But there’s something to be said for the carrot over the stick, I feel. Fear is easy. Humans are hardwired for fear. It’s key for our survival. But respect, admiration, desire - these are trickier. And far more rewarding.” She moved closer now, lips nearing the woman’s, inches now. ”Far more…”

Rose was interrupted by a loud, startling crash in the ring, cutting her off and bringing her gaze to the ring. She gave the poor thing a teasing lick on the lips, then brought her full focus to the match itself, watching the aftermath of Thorn’s suplex. Needless to say, but she wasn’t displeased by the results.

Thorn may have been green, lacking in finesse, but she had power and knew how to use it. Her suplex hadn’t been perfect - she was lacking on the followthrough, her foot posture was off, she used her back more than she was supposed to and her legs not enough, and she had tried to hold it for the pin, only to fall flat. But it did its most important job: Bringing the pain to Día. After being run roughshod for the better part of three minutes, she finally had the bitch.

She sat up right after and looked over her shoulder in time to see Día doing much the same - and wishing she hadn’t. Though it was the first heavy move she hit her with, it was having a good effect, leaving her reeling. For the first time, Thorn had something to work with.

But what would she do with it?

Bearhug. When in doubt, bearhug.

She rose up and came at Día low and with open arms, wrapping them around her foe’s slim waist. She pulled her in, grabbed her wrists, and lifted her up off the canvas as she stood, putting pressure on the spine she had just got through hammering.

The Princess of Pleasure watched curiously as Rose began to monologue about the similarities between the two of them. Claiming the Rose used Lust and Selina used Fear to achieve the same desired effect. Neither was wrong in the red heads opinion, she simply opted to go the more difficult, but rewarding route. Rose preferred the carrot over Selina’s stick. With absolute ease, Rose began to prove her point with the furniture beneath Selina herself. Rose gripped the announcer’s chin and brought her up to look her in the eyes. With just a few soft words, Selina’s eyes narrowed as she felt the gentle shaking of the furniture’s arms stop and steady themselves. No longer did the see quiver or shake, but they remained perfectly still like good furniture should. Selina herself found her attention grabbed by Rose’s demonstration as the red head slowly leaned in towards the chair, looking as though she were about to kiss her. Selina unintentionally leaned a bit closer to see if Rose was simply teasing, or actually about to reward their slave. Her eyes peeked curiously, their lips about to touch…

Then that damn crash happened!

Selina’s eyes were ripped away, the Princess’s hungry glare flicked over only to find her partner had lost control over Thorn. An annoyed growl ripped through her mask’s speakers before she felt a shiver in her chair! The Kiss! Selina quickly turned back to find Rose retreating from the woman beneath her, focusing on the match at hand. Did she kiss her?! Was she simply teasing?!? Selina couldn’t tell! Not from Rose’s perfectly stoic gaze, nor from the Worm’s disgusting expression of wanting. It looked at Rose, blissfully unaware of where it stood in the order of things. That stupid wishful look on her face really set Selina off, leading the Princess to live up to her name and deliver swift punishment on the poor girl. A sharp yelp came from her lips as Selina slammed her knuckles into her tailbone, the woman nearly faltering if not for Selina grabbing her hair and yanking her head up. The hostility coming from Selina seemed to quadruple in a matter of seconds. Her fingers remained laced in the young woman’s hair for a solid minute as Selina’s eyes burned towards her partner.

Día had made a stupid mistake, and now the newbie had the upper hand! She should have been left laying on the floor bawling like a babe, but instead Día let her slip through her fingers! Selina’s foot began to anxiously tap the floor as she blamed her newly born irritation and rage on Día’s foolishness. Now she had no idea if this little WORM had stolen a kiss that rightfully belonged to her! The Princess had no sympathy for the demon, only growing more agitated with every blow Thorn managed to land.

Agitation that did very little to help Día in the moment. She got caught off guard, sure. But that didn’t mean shit with the head start she’d manage to get herself at the start of the match! The demon may have been a little woozy, but even in that state, the greenie was hardly a threat. Día Sect blinked beneath her hood, trying to shake the stars out of her eyes in time to see Thorn rushing towards her like a bull! Suddenly, those sure thoughts of Thorn being no big deal fluttered away as her thick atoms suddenly snaked around Día’s limbs and body like two boa constrictors!

“Gck!”

Thorn’s muscles weren’t a joke! The pressure being pushed down on the demon’s arms and spine weren’t anything to scoff at, and she didn’t trust that if she let go of the breath she was holding that she could get another back! It was like being slowly crushed by a compactor, one made of flesh and bone. Día’s pained grimace revealed her fangs as she struggled in the hold, but found no purchase with her arms. Thorn held them tightly, and the Demon soon found her mask’s blood red eyes peering down on Thorn’s face! The pained grimace slowly morphed into a smile, as the demon spoke in a slow, methodical tone meant to conserve the air she had.

“Not...bad…”

Using what tools she had, Día Sect would opt to use her legs. Pulling the left one back, she would try and destabilize the hold by further punishing Thorn’s muscular midsection! Of course, one blow wouldn’t be nearly enough. The Demon would bring her leg back twice, three times, six! She’d do so until she was out of breath if she needed to, looking to tenderize the armor plating of her enduring enemy and break her way free!

”Ah, there we are.” Rose gave her partner a slow, silent clap, nodding as Thorn glanced her way for quick acknowledgement. ”That’s more like it.”

It was good to see. This was the sort of thing that she had envisioned when she took the Australian Bruiser for a partner. She’d had other offers, with AFW management intent on setting her up with someone like Maria Crawford, believing the two of them would click, but that wasn’t to be. Personalities didn’t click. Wrestling styles clicked less. It wasn’t meant to be.

But Thorn was different. The woman was bullheaded, overeager, headstrong, but those could be positives in the right situation, and were a good way to temper her own indifference. One of them cooled the fires, the other fanned the flames, and between them there was the potential for a unit, combining finesse and raw power in a destructive mix. There was still work to be done, training to perfect, but at Thorn’s best, she could be what Rose saw in the ring now - a juggernaut, crushing the feeble between her arms. An alluring, encouraging sight.

Thorn, for her part, wasn’t considering any of that. She was simply happy that she finally had this woman, after the bitch ran her ragged for damn near a two-minutes straight. The skill gap was wide, but there were times when brute force was all you needed to overcome that kind of gap. She’d bet that Día would agree, too. You know, if she could speak full sentences with her lungs being compressed and all.

”Thanks.” She smirked at her opponent’s scant complement, and showed her appreciation by jerking the woman from side to side and redoubling her efforts, slicing harder into her spine. ”Nice tits, by the way.” She nuzzled up against the woman’s chest with a rough laugh. “Real? Plastic?”

Yeah, Thorn could’ve done this for a long, long damn time, and she was tempted to try, but there was one problem with that: Día’s knee. Specifically, the way said knew kept ramming into her side, digging in time after time, hammering her open ribs. Each time hurt more than the last, and by the fourth, she’d had her fill of it. ”Oh, you want out? Fine!”

And then Thorn proceeded to release Día. Granted, she did so by jerking to the side, lifting her up high, then slamming her back to the mat with a vicious spinebuster, but she did release her. She made sure to press her fist against the same chest she’d been admiring a moment ago, pressing her down for a pinfall.

It wouldn’t work, Rose was fairly sure of that, but she was doing as she’d been taught, going for the pin whenever she had a good opening. She couldn't fault her partner for that. In the meantime, though, she was being drawn by her future opponents' sudden ire towards their shared footstool. A sudden burst of rage, taking it out on the poor, pretty thing in rough fashion. ”Selina? You seem stressed.” She reached out and ran her hand over the trapped girl’s hand as it twitched on the table, bringing her some sense of steadiness. ”I hope nothing I said was too distressing. I would hate for you to overexert before our dance.”

So, it seemed the new girl wasn’t just strong, but a cheeky little bitch too! One fleeting moment of victory, and she had the gall to speak to the Demon of Domination in such a manner?! Such impertinence, such ignorance! It seemed this pathetic little rookie needed some reduction in just how far down the food chain she really was! She was a pathetic little welp that managed to get lucky and nothing else! As soon as Día managed to break free, and she would break free, she’d show this newbie how cruel this arena could be! She’d do it now, were it not for her arms being restrained! Thorn enjoyed her spot of power, swinging Día around and burying her face in the Demon’s chest. It was clear by the look on the hooded woman’s face that she was not fond of being put in a compromising situation, which fueled the brutality of her knee strikes! Día was making progress, but before she could land a critical strike Thorn would suddenly hoist her up and bring her crashing down with a spine buster!

The impact was riveting. The entire ring creaked from the impact as Día found herself being squashed between Thorn and the hard Canvas floor. The acute pain that burned up her back and neck was infuriatingly painful, not helped by the chains that dangled from her costume and served to smack the top of her body on impact. The frustration was enough for Día to let loose an irritated growl, not helped by Thorns rather promiscuous pinfall attempt as she placed a fist down on Día’s chest. The Hooded woman’s blood red eyes went to Thorn’s hand, then her face as the referee dropped to count the pin…

But they didn’t even get to count even one second before Día’s hand moved like a shadow and seized their collar!

“Win, and I may let you find out!”

With a yank, the Demon would tug the referee with terrifying power, looking to slam their head against the side of Thorns face! Día didn’t need weapons to take Thorn down, but hitting her with the closest, sturdiest object she could find sounded much more satisfying then she cared to admit. All the Demon wanted was to tear this newbie to shreds, and if it wasn’t with her claw, then she would improvise, and use her bare hands if she needed to! Lust was a weapon, and Thorn had plenty of weaknesses. Exploiting them shouldn’t prove difficult!

It was a sentiment that wasn’t quite shared with her partner. Selina was proving to be easily distracted by certain things. While Día’s struggles irritated her, the furniture she was sitting on was also beginning to make the Princess’s fuse ebb and burn away. She didn’t care about striking the poor girl beneath her in the back. Selina was frustrated, and needed to let off some steam. Like an addict needing a fix, Selina dug her knuckles into the commentators back to drink in the sounds of her whimpers and yelps of pain. Her eyes peered at Día, the tapping of her foot slowing slightly once her partner had gotten free from Thorn’s crushing hug. Selina may not have looked happy, but she finally relaxed her fist that had been buried in her living cushion’s back.

Rose asked Selina about some nonsense of being stressed. The Princess’s eyes flicked towards the barely dressed red head, remaining silent for a moment as she seemed to be thinking about what Rose had said. At least the tapping of her foot finally stopped, and soon Selina was back in reality, though a little less chipper then she was previously.

“Anxious…that's all. I want to have my fun, and seeing Día screw around delays our little...dance. Patience is a virtue I've never been blessed with, you see. If I see something I want, I tend to take it. It’s the struggle that makes it worth it, but sitting here as the clock ticks on! Why, it’s like making a starving man wait until the soup is warm~”

Selina began to pull on her whip in a worrying fashion. The way her fingers moved about the tightened leather, softly squeezing, pulling, and wrenching the weapon as though she were gently choking a neck was a worrying sight, especially with those eyes no longer smiling as they once did. She was probably trying to distract herself from her desires while venting her frustration, but it was a nerve wracking sight for the woman beneath her nonetheless. At any moment, that ire could easily turn right back on her like it had moments ago.

“But enough about that...what I’m wondering is why you and your partner went and called us out in this merry little challenge of yours. I’m certain you could have gotten a number of fighters crawling out to greet you should you have asked. And yet you chose the PDSM. You’d said you were fans, and while that's sweet I can’t help but think that’s not enough to warrant such...theatrics. In fact, it makes me think even more. You don’t strike me as masochists, so losing isn’t the goal. But if it isn’t for gratification, is it for something else? I can’t help but think that my sweet little Rosie is seeing me as a stepping stone and that hurts, but not in the good way~”

Selina may have looked threatening, but she certainly didn’t sound that way. Her tone remained as calm as a woman like Selina could be and she seemed genuinely curious. The accusation was there, but in a playful manner, one that invited itself to be brushed off with a reasonable explanation if it existed. The Princess was probing around, but not too deeply. She only wanted what she wanted, and the questions she probed with were simply a way to help the time go by with conversation…

At least, that's how it seemed.

Ah, the crux of the matter. Rose suspected they would be coming this point, sooner or later.

Curious, she kept her eyes on the worrying whip for a moment, noting how Selina wrangled it, the way she was twisted and tugged. ‘Anxious’? Yes, that was a good word for it. She reminded Rose of a fidgety child, waiting for her turn in the candy store. She likely wasn’t accustomed to being so close to the action and yet not being a part of it, the way a standard tag match allowed her to switch between being the viewer and the victimizer with a single slapped hand. It was a funny little dance to watch, and while it wasn’t part of Rose’s initial strategy to tease her so, it certainly was now.

”Timing is everything. La gatta frettolosa ha fatto i gattini ciechi.” She let that hang for a moment, a knowing smile on her face. Peppering her speech like this was, perhaps, a bit grandiose, but she so rarely had the chance to speak her native language these days, she liked to indulge. ”The hasty cat gives birth to blind kittens. Silly saying my grandmother loved to say, but it holds true. I’m not growing old that fast, Selina. Don’t worry.”

She wouldn’t be a dominatrix if she didn’t tease and deny every now and then, but there was only so far she was willing to go. Now, for a direct answer.

”You want a reason for my challenge? There’s no single one. I suppose the simplest is that I find you and your partner sexually attractive and wanted the opportunity to engage with you in a physical manner.” She spoke cool and blunt, the way that only a woman who spent most of her time in public topless could do. ”I relish challenge, competition. Iron sharpening iron. Thorn can certainly use the experience, fighting someone on our own level, opponents we can’t overpower or charm into submission. And there’s no denying that when…”

She interrupted herself and brought up a coy finger, wagging it with a sly smirk. ”Apologies. If I defeat you, if we come out on top overall, that will certainly be boon to any future aspirations we have in Tension. The tag titles. The hentai belt. Who can say?” Rose rapped her knuckles against the table and propped up her chin, leaning forward with a curious eye. ”But enough of my ulterior motives, let’s speak on yours. There’s no law that says a challenge has to be accepted. You could very well have ignored me and gone about with the rest of your day. You didn’t come out on a lark, so why? What gain do you see in this little war we’re waging?”

If this was, indeed, a war, then Thorn would say she was finally making some inroads through the enemy lines. She didn’t think she was about to pin Día and score the win, but it almost didn’t matter. She was the first one to put her opponents shoulder on the mat, she was the one on top, she was the one in control, and it wasn’t a spot she would easily give up. The moment her opponent escaped this pin, she would find a fist planted square on her face, hammering her into the canvas. Thorn had no qualms with a little ground-and-pounding.

She was ready for retaliation, too. No way was Día slipping out of this. She had the bitch.

The referee’s skull proved her wrong.

She had to admit, she didn’t expect that her opponent would use the official’s head as a weapon, but fuck, that was what happened, and it was effective. The blow threw her for a loop, knocked her silly, and she was sent flopping off her foe,coming to a rest on her side. She stayed there for a few seconds, too, rubbing the aching spot on her skull, before she sat back up again, growling under her breath. ”That was some cheap shit.”

Selina needed a distraction. Something to keep her mind off of the people smacking each other around inside the ring without her assistance. If she focused too long, then she might just go crazy with jealousy! She had spoiled herself on fights, and she would admit that having Rose all to herself seemed like a great idea at the time it was suggested. But she found that being in such close proximity with her opponent and being unable to strike out or be struck was a rather uncomfortable position to be in. She could neither feel pleasure, nor punishment. Rose’s psychological bullying and teasing were a bit too complex for someone fighting their own primal urges like Selina was. The Princess listened to Rose’s strange saying, blinking at her blankly as she spoke some foreign language she didn’t understand. Most of what Rose said at first were simply words that stretched the conversation out for Selina. She had already stated her impatience, and now Rose was dragging her sentences out! A painful, teasing strategy to be sure. One Selina wouldn’t have thought of, were they to have swapped positions. Selina was a predator of the body, not the mind, but it took her only a minute to realize that Rose was intentionally teasing her. That earned a Rose a small look of realization.

“Aren’t all kitten’s born blind?” Was all the Princess had taken away from her cohorts' words. At least she was easily distracted when she really wanted to be.

Finally, Rose got to the meat of the matter. Selina wanted to know why specifically Rose and Thorn had chosen the PDSM as targets for a tag team match. There were a few different reason’s Selina could think of, but she wanted to hear it right from Rose's mouth. Maybe her answer would drag her attention away from the combat that was only a few feet away from her. And after hearing the simple truth of the matter, Selina actually gave Rose a quizzical look. It seemed the Princess had expected darker, more underlying ulterior motives other than simple lust. Of course, Rose went on to describe the perks that could come along for their team should they manage to defeat the PDSM, but Selina was well aware of those options before she had even walked down the ramp to meet and greet these two young women.

“Such grand ambitions, Rosie~ Running a school, owning a partner, AND a desire for one of the belts of thissss place? How on earth will you get any You time with all of the obligations you are trying to set yourself up for? Honestly, it sounds as though beating you and shutting that mindset down might just be a favor to you.”

Selina tried to put herself in Rose’s shoes and found them far too tight! The Princess had no desire to do half the things Rose already did, and the thought that she wanted to go on and take a championship belt? Ambitious truly was the word for young Rose. Perhaps Selina could have learned something from her, if it weren’t for her stubborn refusal to think of anything beyond her own in the moment desires. Perhaps this was why Rhein Kazahana was assigned to her as a manager.

But enough about that! Rose had a question now! What a back and forth! Maybe if they delve deeper, Selina might achieve her goal of distracting herself from the fight right in front of her. Ah, the experience was like standing out in the cold, knowing a nice warm bed was just waiting for you at home. Selina so desperately wanted to jump right into things, maybe even attack Rose right now! But...no, such a thing had to be savored like a fine dish! Every second here out in the cold meant that the time to crawl into the proverbial bed all the sweeter! Selina thought she could handle it, maybe wait it out…

But Rose’s question struck a little too close to the problem.

“I WANT YOU, LITTLE ROSIE~!”

Selina’s head whipped around, her long blonde hair trailing behind her as her masked cheeks were suddenly a flushed red! Were it not for Rose leaning down, the two women’s skulls might have collided in an accidental headbutt, but that didn’t stop Selina from invading Rose’s space once more, this time getting uncomfortably close! Her chest was begging to press against the Italian woman, the subtle noises from inside the mask began to grow audible. Silent hissed whispers and Selina’s barely audible breaths as the woman glared down at Rose with a look that might have either been true love, or absolute sadism in its purest form!

“OH, I’ve watched you for so very, very loooooong, my little Rose bud! Since you swaggered into the roster, I’ve watched you~ Thought about you, even! I’ve been waiting to hear your voice...That fancy little language you speak~ I want to hear it whimper my your pretty face is scrunched up in agony~”

Selina’s voice grew higher, her excitement reaching a boiling point as she felt Rose’s warmth, saw the look in her eyes! Selina didn’t look human, and she didn’t bother looking at Rose like she was one at all! This wasn’t two colleagues talking shop, this was a spider paralyzing its prey, a constrictor suffocating its meal before it dined!

“I want to see your beautiful, pale skin covered in my whip’s lash marks! Feel your hair between my fingers as I PULL YOU OFF THE FLOOR~ OOOOOHHH, and that wire you use~ The one in all your promotional images~ Dellllicioussssss! I want to feel it around my neccccckkkk! Tighter, tighter, TIGHTER!!!! Feel your hatred, your love, your rage as you feel mine! I want your friend to WATCH you! No, watch us~ To see the face your slave makes when I make you my own, but YOUR PARTNER?!? What a lovely expression she would make, right?!?! Do you think she’d want to join? Maybe she’d want to help you! But it will be our time~ She’d only get to watch...Just as we are doing now…”

Reminding herself that she was still stuck there, waiting for the fun to happen seemed to return Selina back into her bad mood. One second, she was practically hugging Rose, the next, she was scooting back and tapping her foot in annoyance once again. Selina didn’t bat an eye as Día used the Referee’s skull as a weapon and headbutted Thorn across the face with it.

“If you want to think of it as a war, Rose...be my guest. Use what you want, however you want. So long as we have fun, what harm is there? We only win if we are satisfied, no matter what the bell or the officials say. I may not have another chance to dance with a flower so rare as you, Rosie. So I’ll take my time, and savor every step we have with one another!”

A chuckle slipped from her mask as Selina’s gaze returned to the fight. She would see that Día’s surprise attack had critically stunned Thorn. Even more shocking was the fact that Thorn was actually down for a few seconds afterwards. Precious time that Día used to get back to her feet while the poor rookie was rubbing her jaw. It was never smart to let one’s opponent have free reign over the battlefield, and considering Thorn had just lost her grasp on a woman who dressed and acted like a demon, the chances of her opponent being sportsman like and allowing her to have an easy time standing were pretty much slim to none...slim being out of town.

The only warning Thorn would get about Día’s location was the sound of the ropes creaking, followed by rapidly approaching foot falls. By the time Thorn uttered her complaint, there was a shadow being cast over her.

If Thorn was lucky, she might avoid the sharp knee to the back of the skull the Hooded woman had planned to greet her with! Thorn had proven herself resourceful, and she would need every ounce she could muster in order to climb back! Día was already bearing down on her, like a bat out of hell trying to tear its way through Thorn herself!

“This is a nasty business, Rookie! Time to throw away your mommy’s playbook and think outside the box! Get real dirty!”

This was all going to suck. Thorn knew it was going to suck, and that made it suck all the more.

She was in a bad spot at the moment, waylaid by Día’s little escape attempt. That would’ve been bad enough by itself, but it was made all the worse by the fact that she didn’t have a solid visual on her opponent’s location. She was already starting to see the key theme when it came to dealing with this woman. She might have been smaller, shrimpier, but she knew how to make the hits she landed important, to make them count. She was finding all the chinks in Thorn’s armor, had been from the start, and she was only competent enough to recognize the process, not enough to stop it.

She was making her way up when she registered the hints of her opponent’s next move, could hear her coming up from behind with all the tells. By the time she was in position to do something about it, turning to face her, however, it was far too late - she had a knee upside her skull at that point, knocking her away and down, rocking her skull and filling her vision with stars. Through it all, through the pain the haze, she had the sense to know what her next move needed to be - retreat.

As much as it aggravated her, she was low on choices. Thorn stayed on her side and rolled out of the ring, coming down to her feet on the outside of the ring. She stumbled a few steps after that, until she found herself leaning on the barricade for support.

It wasn’t a good look, but it was the best play she had for now, needing to regroup and gather her bearings. Rose would agree with the decision - at least, she would have if she weren’t currently distracted.

Rose had been pondering Selina’s initial words when the outburst came, contemplating whether there was some truth to them. Could a woman be too ambitious? She wasn’t so sure. The idea of stagnancy was offensive, anathema, unthinkable, and she always wanted to be in movement. She was about to say as much, too, when Selina had her outburst, drawing the eyes of every in the vicinity, even the referee.

The AFW’s resident therapist, Veronica Heartland, was a good friend of Rose’s, and the two had a little dialogue about Selina, just a few days ago over lunch. While her friend hadn’t had the chance to get the Princess on the couch - yet - she was familiar enough with the woman to make certain diagnoses, to make a base assessment of her mental statement. It was, admittedly, over Rose’s head, but certain words cut through the fog more than others. Bi-polar disorder, dissociative identity disorder, AD/HD…

While she was no expert by any means, she was starting to see where Veronica was coming from. Rose would bet that a skilled psychologist could write a rather thick book on Selina. Quite possibly a trilogy.

She made no sudden movements as Selina invaded her personal space, letting all her dirtiest thoughts slip from that garish mask of hers. The woman had a vivid imagination, Rose would give her that, and she could almost picture the things she described, the positions, the scenarios. She looked on, curious, feeling the heat radiating off her future foe in waves. Such a carnal woman, so hungry - Rose was anxious, too, but the waiting must have been its own kind of torture for Selina, too.

After a moment to compose, to think, to calm, Rose leaned towards Selina and curled her finger towards the woman, beckoning her closer. Her beestung lips, glistening with bright, red lipstick, curved upwards into a grin with the slightest hint of mania. ”I never leave a woman unsatisfied, Selina. Sometimes a man - on purpose, mind you - but never a woman. You’ve nothing to worry about.” She planted a hand on her own chest and gave it a soft pad. ”But what about my needs? My desires? Eager as I am to feel your skin against mine, it’s not a unique pleasure. We both indulge in that all the time.”

Rose brought her finger to her chin and began a slow stroke, tracing the edge and running along the side. ”I suggest we raise the stakes. A wager.”

The knee to the back of Thorn’s skull landed with a clean, echoing THWACK that rang out into the audience! The riveting impact was painful to watch, much less experience. No one was surprised to see Thorn fall once again from such a vicious attack! It seemed just as the new girl was starting to find her rhythm, Día had managed to upset it all and reclaim the momentum she had taken from the start! It was disheartening for both Rose and Thorn fans to see the giant beauty struggle against the Demon. It seemed that Día was as slippery and quick as she was rude and aggressive, with every time Thorn got her hands on her, the Demon simply slipped away. How on earth could she face Día in such a state?

It turns out, she couldn’t. Thorn would quickly retreat out of the ring, rolling with the impact and making a clean getaway outside of the arena! The sight of the tall, powerful woman taking a breather on the barricade was something few fan’s of the scarred beauty ever expected to see. She was usually the one tiring her opponents out, making them flee. Not the other way around. It didn’t help that Día didn’t seem all that eager to let Thorn go.

“Where do you think you're running off to?!?” The Monster woman growled with a tone that sounded straight out of a nightmare, “You wanted this fight Thorn! Now you’re running scared? I don’t believe you and your little bitch thought you could take us! Did you want your fat head to be ripped limb from limb?”

Día dropped from the ring like a spider dropped from its web. Silent, creeping, watchful of Thorn’s haggard state. The once loud, impressionable footfalls went silent as Día approached with a softer step, to where not even the hard floor outside the arena could give her away. The only sign Thorn had was the fans screaming to watch out, which had the adverse effect of drowning Día’s steps out even further. The demon was well aware of Thorn’s incredible durability, so despite her creeping approach, she quickly cut the distance away and burned Thorn’s resting time to mere seconds.

If Thorn was still struggling, dazed from the shocking blow to the head, then she might be relieved that Día didn’t open her next assault with an attack...rather, the Demon lurched forward and would attempt to grab a hold of Thorn’s wrist! If she managed to succeed, then Día would pull Thorn off the barricade, reaching her other hand up to grab a handful of the bangs covering her large opponent’s bad eye. With a tug, Día would look to walk Thorn over towards the hard, metal corner post of the ring. It wasn’t hard to imagine what she planned on doing with Thorn’s head in her claws.

The destructive back and forth went largely ignored by the two fighter companions. Rather than watch, the two seemed to be delving further into their dark fantasies. Selina was far more aggressive, pushing herself onto Rose in a barely restrained manner. Her wants and desires ringing out over the arena, dragging the attention of everyone nearby besides the fighters. But if Selina was a wild, unchecked club, then Rose was the precise, sharp scalpel. A blade hidden in a bouquet of sweet smelling flora! She was clever enough to be quiet about her wants, using her sweet appearance to lure her victims closer before feasting on them. Another thing Selina might have learned from Rose~ Of course, it wasn’t fear that struck through Selina’s heart as she leaned in and caught a glimpse of that Manic grin. Rather, it was a small ping of comradery! Rose seemed to be in a very similar mindset to Selina, her bright red lips glistening like honey atop a ready to spring bear trap! The danger the young woman posed was enticing, even to a warped woman like Selina. And like a good, proper trap, Rose laid bare the proper bait to attract her prey.

“Oooo~ A game, eh? I LIKE gamessss...One with a prize?”

Selina’s gaze was stuck on that smile of Rose’s. That single, silent promise that Rose could keep up with Selina’s mania and fulfill her deep desires. But Rose wanted to address her desires. Had it been anyone else, Selina would have shrugged such a notion off. She was selfish, and never cared for others preferences. But Rose was baiting Selina, and the subtle sadist had the Princess’s attention.

“And what wager would you want of me, Rosie?”