By Leaps and Bounds - Tori Martin(D) VS Ellie St. James

Match type: standard
Victory conditions: Pinfall, submission, knockout, disqualification

Tori's fists swung at an invisible opponent, her boots squeaking against the tile floor as her body swerved to dodge an incoming strike than never came. Her own bright violet eyes stared back at her in the reflection of the locker room mirror, a wide smile peeking through between the punches. She amped up the intensity of her shadowboxing, trying to release all the pent up energy and anxiety that had been bubbling up inside of her with one last knockout roundhouse kick. She stared down at her non-existent opponent, her hand held up high triumphantly to the deafening roar of thousands of fans.

And just to think, in a few moments, this wouldn't just be a fantasy.

Her heart was beating at a million miles per hour, her excitement slowly fading away as anxiety returned. What reason did she have to be so nervous? It wasn't like she was a complete rookie. Even in her indie days she hadn't been this nervous stepping into the ring for the first time. But entertaining a venue of hundreds was a whole different ballgame than the arena of thousands she was about to step into. She had always been her indie league's resident crowd pleaser, while still packing a serious punch behind all the glamour and glitz that came with her showman style. And it ain't gonna be a lick different here she reassured herself with a confident grin.

But she had to remind herself why she was here in the first place. 'Focus' She muttered with a rough shake of her head. Sure the flips, tricks, and gibes were all fine and fun, but they just came with the package. The real show came with the gut wrenching, heart racing, adrenaline inducing action that had been a staple of her performances. A debut like this was a big opportunity, a chance to wow crows and set big expectations for her career. But winning was the priority, showmanship came second, but if she was lucky, maybe she could walk away tonight having done both.  

Her smile slowly increased in intensity as she made her way the the entrance curtain and patiently awaited her cue. She flexed her fingers and bounced on her toes, a million different ways of greeting the crowd racing through her head. 'Just be yourself, can't be any better than that now can ya?' And there it was, her entrance music, and her cue to grace the stage.

Theme:

Tori Martin:

Her cape flowed behind her as she made her entrance, descending down the ramp with lightning speed. Her arms were outstretched to either side, high-fiving the fans as they welcomed the new girl into the league. A warm but confident smile shone brightly on the jumbotron above as the cameraman struggled to keep up with her. Only a few feet away from the ring now, her legs kicked up off the ramp with her hands following suit, her sprint suddenly morphing into a cartwheel instead. Two rotations later and she was already ringside, her hands timed to land perfectly with the edge of the ring apron with enough momentum to propel her up and over the top rope in a truly impressive hand-spring turned back flip.

She landed gracefully on her feet, both hands raised proudly up in the air as the crowd reveled in her performance. 'How's that for an entrance' she congratulatorily thought to herself, blowing away an out-of-place hair that had sneaked it's way over her eye after the otherwise perfect landing. The crowd's enthused reception seemed to do the trick in calming her nerves, and she gave them a small curtsy to show her appreciation. She made her to to the opposite ring corner, a wide smile still emboldened on her face as she began taking off her entrance cape. She tossed it neatly over top ring and onto the ringside below, revealing the entirety of her fight attire underneath.

With both hands draped along the tope ropes, Tori took a leaning position against the corner turnbuckle, staring out into the opposite arena entrance. She hadn't given that much thought as to who her opponent might be, but with her nerves now quelled, she couldn't help but wonder what was in store for her tonight. Either way, there was no way she would come close to matching an entrance like that... would she? C'mon Tori, win first, entertain later she reminded herself with another violent shake of her head before returning her curious gaze to the entrance curtains straight ahead.

Broadening horizons had become a frightening prospect recently. When she had first fallen in long with wrestling and made it her life’s goal to inhabit the squared circle, she had a very clear-cut plan for the future. She was always making plans, had always followed them to the “T” without fail. It was a fundamental part of who she was… Or had been. This driven working mentality had been finding itself tested, but each time it crumbled under pressure. Her run here in AFW had been mired with close losses, things to look back on to be proud of, but also one of the most humiliating failures of her or anyone else’s career. Unlike her private encounter with Rose, her loss to Rachel had been out there for the world to witness.

She had assumed her career was done but found for some reason her popularity had only grown. It was frustrating and a bit baffling when thinking about just how much she put into getting here to only gain recognition for something she was ashamed of. What perhaps was worse was the women lining up to challenge her now. It wasn’t because they wished to test themselves or her skills, it was because they had seen weakness and aimed to exploit it. She had become just another rung on a ladder for these people. She haded seeing that look in their eyes, not just because it made her feel like meat but because part of her couldn’t help but be excited by the prospect of it happening again. What was wrong with her?

It was pure happenstance this particular opportunity caught her eye. An official booking email as opposed to individual wrestlers or manager mouthpieces flooding her for pitched matches. A rookie to AFW but one that had solid wrestling credentials on the indie scene so it wasn’t just an example of management throwing her someone inexperienced. While she wasn’t overly keen on going in without being able to review any of their old matches, the thought of facing off against someone who was unfamiliar with her embarrassing record seemed refreshing so she had accepted.

Theme:

Ellie St James:

Ellie St. James came strutting out from gorilla position, brushing back the black curtains to bath in the arena lighting flooding the stage. Planting her heel hard she spun, coming to an abrupt stop with her back to the ring and the cameras, popping her jacket collar. She turned her head enough to peer over her shoulder, throwing a thumb back to gesture the logo “Bangarang” prominently scrawled across her back. While not nearly as high energy as her opponent, the pop from the crowd was surprisingly loud tonight. She did her best not to dwell on why and ignore the itching irritation creeping in.

Arms spread wide she turned herself back around, giving the slack of her jacket a flourishing brush to the side. There was no theatrics, no flips, nothing to get the people bouncing aside from her music and a smile. Ellie spared some time to inch closer to younger more impressionable-looking fans, giving them a high five where she could while avoiding some of the more… mature members of the audience she assumed were wanting to get close to her for less wholesome reasons. When she reached the ringside area, her casual stride broke into a few jogging steps before throwing herself beneath the bottom ropes. Sliding into the ring across her chest, she kicked her hands and feet out to pop up, rising to finally get a good look at her opponent for the evening.

She looked young with a timeless sort of beauty about it. It was hard to get a read on just how old she was. Bright ring gear, vibrant face, a model expression… She could see a fair bit of similarity to her own tag partner in this woman, perhaps even what Lyla could have been if she actually put forth the effort to impress. She was slender, something that Ellie found herself a bit envious of even despite being in fantastic shape herself. All in all, there wasn’t much that stood out to her as being helpful save for this woman having some impressive heels on her boots… which was a bold move in this business.

Stepping to the center of the ring, Ellie came to a stop giving Tori equal opportunity to follow suit. A hand was offered out as a sign of respect from one competitor to another to start things off right. “Congratulations on getting signed with AFW. Looking forward to seeing what you can do… Ms. Martin was it?”

An upbeat rock anthem replaced Tori's metal theme as her opponent made a far more traditional entrance. Going for the usual fanfare, she high-fived and greeted loyal fans with the dignity of a respectable wrestler. Nothing too unique or flashy, but nevertheless the crowd gave an enthused reception for the women as she made her way down the ramp. Tori's face turned into a dampened pout as she watched patiently from the turnbuckle. She couldn't help but admit she was slightly irked out by the audience, given that her performance hadn't seemed to pay off that much more than her opponent's in terms of crowd appeal.

She seemed comfortable approaching the ring, giving only the occasional uneasy glance towards some of the more perverted patrons of tonight's event. Standard in a league like this no doubt. But her perceptions shifted as the girl came closer... there was something more, a tense expression hidden behind her curt smile, almost as if she was troubled by her seeming popularity. As odd as that was, at least she didn't bother with any of the forced bravado Tori had to muster up in order to pull of her little stunt.

Tori quickly extinguished the tinge of sympathy creeping into her thoughts. Sympathy doesn't garner well in a fight, and besides, she knew nothing about this girl or her past, so what was there to be a sympathetic about? They were in a cutthroat kind of business, and right now, she had to remind herself of what her opponent had that she so desperately wanted for herself: Experience in the league, a reputation, the kind of recognizability that only came after you've had some matches to pin to your name. It was a long river to cross, and as standup as this girl may appear to be, she was only a stepping stone to get there. Or maybe that was a bold assumption, considering she didn't know much about her seemingly modest foe... aaand there it was, doubt creeping back into her mind after having been exuding confidence just moments ago.

Luckily for her, the young wrestler didn't seem like too much of a physical threat. Athletic, toned, capable; sure. But nothing that would signal that this match was going to be a one-way slug fest. Tori had learned early on in her career that underestimating an opponent was a surefire way to set yourself up for failure. Best to give them the benefit of the doubt and treat them all like overt threats. As convenient as it would have been to have some meek jobber serve as the first rung on the ladder to the top, the possibility of having some real action right of the bat was far more enticing. Or better yet, if she had actually done her research and not leave her debut up to chance. God, why hadn't she done any research?

Tori sized the girl up as she slipped between the ropes, mouthing her name as the announcer bellowed it through the speakers overhead. Ellie... it was rare a name fit a face so perfectly, equal parts cute and elegant. She waited for Ellie to go center-ring first, while she herself leaned back against the turnbuckle a little longer before meeting her there with long, slow strides. Her features shone even brighter up close. Her attire was perhaps less flamboyant than her own, but worked well against the backdrop of her pale skin and toned figure. She was young, but carried herself with a poise that signaled maturity in the ring, a fact that was reinforced by her outstretched hand and... what was that, Ms. Martin?

She clasped Ellie's hand with both of her own, hiding a chuckle beneath a brief bow and lowered head. "Thanks Ellie, but please, call me Tori. I can't be that much older than yourself now can I?" Tori teased with a grin. She brought herself back up into an upright position on par with Ellie's own. Firm, confident, similar build and height. Oh yes, this was going to be an exciting match indeed. The bell was only a few moments away, but Tori hadn't finished their introductions quite yet. She brought her hand up to her face with her other arm supporting it underneath, her violet eyes breaking from Ellie's curious gaze to instead inspect her own neatly polished nails with an apathetic sigh.

"I wish I could say the same sweetie, but I hate to break it to ya, this is gonna be a one way show and tell... just hope you can take it." Her eyes twinkled in jest as they darted back up to catch Ellie's reaction. Nothing like a little spark to ignite some fire in their competition before it was officially underway.

When their hands met, she had been content with just a shake. When Tori bowed her head though, Ellie mirrored the gesture. It may have been a habit or a quirk of the other woman, but with the wide range of AFW's recruiting she couldn't be certain it wasn't a cultural thing. She always tried to be courteous when the opportunity presented itself, after all, they were co-workers in a sense. Her own handshake was a gentle one, lacking much in the way of bravado or intimidation that could come from gripping too tightly as a means of establishing a form of dominance. The correction of her name also got a faint rosy hue to pop on the British women's pale cheeks, those bright eyes of hers shifting to the side with a small fluster of embarrassment. She obviously had not intended to offend by her neutral introduction.

"Apologies. Tori it is..." She had seemed content to carry on with the pleasantries if the other woman's shift in attention and heavy sigh silenced her. The British woman's brow furrowed a bit, watching the redhead examining her nails, practically dismissing her with actions as well as words. Ellie's lips tightened slightly, chin raising just a bit more. It could have been just for show, a bit of competitive banter, or mind games, that was part of things around here. She couldn't help but feel a small pit in her stomach though and assumed the worst, that her reputation had already made its way to Tori as well. Drawing in a long inhale through her nose, the young brit took a half step back, tugging at the wrists of her gloves to pull them nice and tight as she flexed her fingers.

"Seems like you already fit in around here. Alright then, let's see if you can back those words or if you'll just be on your back after all is said and done." Ellie's pristine white boots slipped along the canvas, spreading to lower her stance down low. Hands up, shoulders forward, she took on a rather textbook grappling stance just in time for the bell to chime. Rather than rushing forward on her own, the Brit motioned to Tori with a small upnod in a challenge. "So show me."

It seemed her words had hit their mark, as shown by the unamused expression on Ellie's face as she began backing up and issuing a challenge of her own. Tori smirked, taking a full step back herself herself before beginning to enter a much more nimble stance. Her hands were relaxed but poised out in front of her, fingers spread wide as she bounced back and forth in smooth pendulum steps - classic striking stance. Ellie was far more grounded, crouched in a position with all the tell-tale signs of an experience grappler. Tori flicked the tip of her nose with her thumb. Shouldn't be a problem she thought. So long as we don't stay locked up for too long that is.

The ref's hands swiped down in between them, the loud ring of the bell accompanying the gesture that signaled the start of the match. Tori only had a brief opportunity to act first, and heed Ellie's words while she was at it: After all that showboating and trash talking, she better have something to show for it. She grit her teeth and swooped in at the exact moment the bell rang out, hoping that her speed could make up for any deficiencies in strength that may exist between them. She extended one hand outwards to latch onto the back of Ellie's neck, with the other hand grasping at her arm to bring her in close for a collar and elbow lockup.

If Ellie's grappling stance was any indicator of her skills, then this wasn't a position she wanted to be in for any significant amount of time, and so she began immediately applying downwards pressure in an attempts to maneuver Ellie's upper body beneath her with her head forced up against Tori's chest. She used this opportunity to gauge Ellie's strength, extracting every bit of physical information she could as she struggled to secure control. Her brows furrowed with obvious signs of exertion: Too long in the collar and elbow lockup, and she was bound to be outmaneuvered, and so she tried to transition the lockup into a front headlock instead. If she had managed to secure the desired positioning quick enough, than Ellie would be in a prime spot for Tori to launch a knee upwards into Ellie's gut, a move that would hopefully be enough to weaken the Brit's resistance.

Ellie was poised and ready, goading Tori to come get her after the bell. Even so, the redhead's speed caught her slightly off guard as they charged forward with long graceful strides to make the distance between them. While the two locked up in unison, practically mirroring one another, the initial surge of momentum was carried into the British rookie and found her already losing leverage with their opening clash. Even if it only had been a mere second of control before resistance halted them in a deadlock, it was something that put her in a bad position, making her strain to fight what would have otherwise been a pound-for-pound matching of strength.

Ellie refused to lift her boots, knowing any step offered another chance to throw her off balance. Instead, she inched her boot forward, sliding it from heel to toe to wiggle into just the right position to get her legs under her, pushing up to add her length strength to help keep her head from being pulled down against her will. Her eyes hadn't left Tori's, staring on stoic defiance as she snorted out heated exhales through her nostril letting on little else of how taxing their contest of strength was becoming. One thing was clear, she was making it a point to show just how unyielding she intended to be, even if she wasn't in a position to capitalize on it… yet.

When Tori finally made her move, Ellie wasn't caught off guard again. The redhead would find herself seemingly in full control, dragging the lavender-haired woman forward to be pulled into her facelock with no signs of struggle. Ellie stepped in as their lockup broke down, gliding her fingers down the length of her opponent's arm, bringing the other away from her collar as well. Both clamped back together over Tori's wrist, attempting to twist her arm to prevent it from coming in around her. Going low she aimed to duck beneath the captured limb and whirl around her in a tight motion to slip up behind her with the arm on her control. If all went her way, she would wrench the tortured limb into Tori upper back with a tight hammerlock reversal.

For a minute there, it all seemed to be going according to plan. Her speedy opening had caught the brit of guard, but it wasn't long before the young rookie regained her bearings, and brought both of them to a standstill. Defiance raged in her eyes as she vehemently resisted the downwards push, dismissed only by a strained scoff from Tori as she increasingly grew annoyed with Ellie's fierce resistance. Her initial assessment was right: A prolonged lockup with the lavender-haired women wasn't a situation she wanted to find herself in, and cracks in Tori's offensive were already beginning to reveal themselves in the form of her faltering arms and backwards staggering feet.

Even though Ellie wasn't exactly where she wanted her, Tori attempted the front face lock anyways. It happened relatively quick, with Tori pulling her opponent in and bending her forward slightly, tucking her head beneath her armpit and wrapping her arm across her cheek so that her forearm squeezed against her face. In contrast with their lockup, the maneuver was pulled off with surprisingly little resistance on Ellie's part, a fact that immediately set off alarm bells in Tori's head. The girl was capable of putting up a fight if she really wanted to, that much was already evident, yet she had practically slipped into Tori's transition as if out her own volition. Her eyes darted over her shoulder and to the back of Ellie's head, the only part not obstructed by her occupied arm, to see what the young fighter was up to.

Her suspicions were right. Tori didn't even have enough time to lift her leg up from the ground to carry out her knee before her move was already being used against her. Ellie's fingers picked at Tori's lock, breaking the hold and sliding her own arm against the length of her back. Pain shot up through her arm and culminated into her shoulder joint, eliciting a sharp cry from Tori as she was suddenly forced into the defensive.

The little limey was a slippery one alright.

Her other arm hung stiff by her side, paralyzed by the sudden shock at which Ellie's reversal had come. Another sharp cry escaped her lips as her hand was nearly forced upwards into the back of her head, causing enough shock to finally wake her other arm into action. Before Ellie would have enough time to apply another wrench, Tori would throw her free arm up and over their locked ensemble, grimacing in pain as she twisted her body even further in order to wrap her arm tight around Ellie's head. While pushing down against Ellie's head had proven futile before, this time, gravity was on her side. She quickly shuffled her feet forwards, crouching further down with each step until her butt was planted on the canvas, her opponent forced to bend down along with her while still locked up behind her.

Tori was slightly more at ease in this position, but there no denying that Ellie was still in control of the lockup, even if her bent-over stance meant she had to apply even more effort to maintain it. Tori set about fixing that right away, rocking back and forth in her seated position until she had built enough momentum to swing her legs up and over Ellie and initiate a shoulder and shoulder roll off to the side, hoping the direction and force of the roll would be enough unwind her arms out the hammerlock. If successful, Tori would now be on her back instead, with Ellie's hold on the redhead now reduced to a feeble grasp on her hand.

With her shoulder joint in a significantly more relaxed position, and three out of her four limbs still in her possession, Tori would begin making use of her legs. immediately after completing the roll, Tori would keep her legs elevated above her, spreading them out wide in a mid air scissor kick that would then transition downwards so that they fell on either side of Ellies head. Her outstretched legs would then clamp together, trapping the lavender-haired beauty's head between them, breaking their hand hold completely while bringing her entire body down with it. She could only pray that the young grappler didn't have any more tricks up her sleeve, because if she didn't, Ellie would now find herself forced prone into a tight headscissors.

There were some things far more trouble than they were worth. While Ellie could be bullheaded about some things, she wasn't too stubborn to see that maintaining her hammerlock was no longer a viable option when she found herself hunched forward, forced to drop to a knee to accompany Tori down to the mat. This wasn't a woman who was faltering and flailing, there were gears being set into motion and the Brit was actively looking for a moment in the movement to break away cleanly. In the meanwhile, she had done her damnedest to maintain a tight pressure on the redhead's arm, working hard to crank every available opportunity she could muster among the constant movement. She was no submissionist but understood the value of not allowing any control she had to go to waste.

Normally being on the mat like this would have been a good thing. She had ample experience in traditional Greco-Roman wrestling, making her just as dangerous rolling about on the canvas as she was on her feet, but her opponent was wily and already so hard to pin down. Her focus now was keeping things simple and expending as little energy as possible while looking for her opening.

It never presented itself, not in the way she had wanted. Bearing witness to Tori systematically dismantling her clean reversal to the point of uselessness. Once the captured arm was no longer lodged into the redhead's back, it had been surrendered. Her hands were better served elsewhere, which was forethought immediately called into action when legs shot up towards her head. The Brit muttered a soft swear beneath her breath, knelt far forward to avoid the long legs coming for her, she opted to not pull away at all but instead leaned into them and throw an arm forward. When they closed in around her, one was over the top of her left shoulder but the other was under her right arm, she had squeezed an arm through enough to make closing the legs around her far more difficult with the added width.

It wasn't an ideal position for either woman with Ellie able to keep on her knees and Tori on her back with legs clenched around her, but the Brit was confident she could still do ample damage from here. It would come at a cost of going fully to the mat though or trying to lift herself off her knees, a prospect that seemed daunting. Rather than commit to either, she raised the arm she had slipped through Tori's legs, bending at the elbow so its point was on full display. An unspoken threat of coming down at the woman on her back held high and at the ready. She was still hoping for the clean break, hoping the threat of dropping her weight down on Tori with an elbow strike would be enough to get the redhead to release her. If she did, Ellie would move to quickly break away and rise, eager to be on her feet again. She would afford Tori the same curiosity regardless, like the sportswoman she was presumed to be.

It all seemed to be going as good as could be expected given the complexity of the reversal Tori was trying to pull off. Multi-step maneuvers rarely went fully according to plan in any wrestling match, much less this early on when both opponents were still fresh in both mind and body. This match was no different. She had managed to lower herself to the ground, and bring Ellie along for the ride, but not quick enough to prevent her from cranking on her arm for all it was worth in those last few fleeting seconds. Tori endured as best she could, groaning and wincing her way through the pain until she had finally positioned herself on more favorable terms.

Ellie seemed to recognize it too, releasing the hold all together in response to Tori's nimble unwinding. She breathed a sigh of relief as the pain started to dissipate from her shoulder. It was comforting knowing her arm was back in her control, but it came at the expense of no longer guaranteeing her proximity to her opponent. If she acted quick enough however, she'd be able to negate that effect.

Her legs came down fast and hard, but Ellie was just a tad quicker. Her legs didn't find themselves with Ellie's head clamped between them, but instead with her upper torso and arm wedged tightly underneath. Tori paused, her mind racing on how best to react to Ellie's quick thinking. A scissor in this position wouldn't have nearly the same affect as the headscissors she was gunning for, but with only a fraction of a second left to spare, she didn't have time to weigh other options. She locked her legs tight and squeezed her victim underneath, exerting pressure that would have been immense if they were applied to the girl's head, but seemed to be nothing more than mildly debilitating in her current position. She considered readjusting her hold, releasing slightly and scooting her legs farther up until they were in the desired spot, but before she could act on that idea she was stopped cold by Ellie's pointed and daring elbow.

They shared a telling glance at one another, the message ringing out loud and clear: Release the hold, or else. A defeated sigh wisped from between her lips. She had escaped one compromising position, only to find herself in another. She silently acknowledged the clever thinking on Ellie's part with a small upnod in her direction, before agreeing to her terms and releasing her legs, freeing them both from any unnecessary torment. She would try and distance herself as far away as possible from her opponent, tumbling along the canvas in a backwards somersault and landing in the three point position; feet wide apart and one hand on the floor, while the other hand outstretched away from her body diagonally upwards. It didn't have any practical use of course, but it still made for a flashy ascent as she slowly rose to her feet in tandem with Ellie.

She began bouncing on the spot, hands closed into tight fists up in front of her as she carefully processed her options. She glanced behind Ellie and towards the ropes before shifting here eyes back to her opponent. As much as she would have liked to make use of them, now wasn't the time or place. She needed to wear her opponent down first, but the slippery Brit wasn't making it easy. Grappling hadn't panned out in her favor, but grappling wasn't the only card in her hand.

"That was one mean hammerlock" Tori half-heartily acknowledged, tapping her shoulder with her fingers at the spot that had been searing in pain just moments ago. She began inching closer, bouncing on her toes as she began rotating around Ellie in a circle that gradually grew smaller and smaller, hoping to distract the girl with words while watching every twitch of Ellie's muscles in case the young women decided to act first and talk later. It was hard to say if she would, but the girl had fared well on the defensive so far, and besides, they both needed a little downtime to recover. "And getting your arm between the scissors, that was just... muah!" She threw her fingers out from her puckered lips in an exaggerated chef's kiss before closing them back up into a fist, her tone bordering on the edge of authentic admiration and sarcastic mockery. "Should have gone for the elbow in my opinion, but the gesture was much appreciated" she said with a shrug, hoping her post-lockup analysis had bid her enough time to enter within striking range by now.

If the opportunity to attack first still presented itself, she would do so without warning. Tori would try to throw her right leg towards Ellie, appearing to aim her foot in the direction of her exposed thigh. A simple low kick at first glance, but one that came with a twist, literally. Halfway through the motion, Tori would suddenly change the direction of her kick, bucking her hips and snapping her leg upwards so that the top of her boot was now aimed at the side of Ellie's head in a smooth question mark kick.

Ellie hadn't been particularly thrilled to find herself clamped down between Tori's legs, but better this way than another. Even with a less than ideal lock she could feel the strength in those thighs as they closed in uncomfortably around her, forcing her to shift her body awkwardly to resist being smooshed into a more vulnerable angle to be scissored. She held her ground, teeth clenched behind a tight-lipped grimace as she hoped deterrence was enough to free her. While it was true she could do quite a bit of damage from here with her elbow, she couldn't help but worry Tori might be able to capture her arm if she did. It wasn't a hard transition from this into something like a triangle choke. She couldn't risk it, not in the middle of the ring.

When her legs parted, Ellie paid Tori's retreat little mind. It was not her intention to race the girl to standing nor to attack should she have beaten her to it. Instead, the lavender-haired girl planted a palm on her knee and rose with a huff. While it was regrettable she hadn't been able to pin the redhead down a bit longer, the exchange had been very telling of what she expected to see in this math. She tried to remind herself that sort of intel gathered relatively safely was just as valuable if not better than gaining real ground early in. Tori had the makings of someone who burned hot and fast, a slow engagement would suit Ellie better anyway.

"Thanks." Ellie replied, choosing to take Tori's words as a compliment even if it could have been intended as otherwise. "If you'd like I can show it to you again, though I'll lock it in a bit tighter this time to make sure it sticks." The Brit retorted lightheartedly, knowing such an offer and opportunity was not likely to present itself again. She had shown it once and Tori had managed to slip out. If she was ready, it likely would go just as poorly.

As Tori inched in, Ellie moved opposite to her in both length between them and continuing the circle they danced. Unlike her opponent, the lavender-haired girl made her path obvious as she moved to the edge of the ring, bringing a hand up to trace her fingertips along the ropes. She had managed to worm her way out of two submission moves in the opening scuffle already and if on the off chance her opponent was an accomplished submissionist she wanted the safety net that a rope break provided close at hand.

"This is a lot of praise for someone who didn't think I'd get a chance to do much of anything a minute ago." Ellie retorted somewhat dryly, openly suspicious of Tori's flattery. She couldn't help but keep seeing her tag partner in this woman and it made her extremely wary of so much banter, more so as the woman was closing distance. A slender brow quirked at the mention of her standoff at elbow point. The over-analytical Brit narrowed one eye, trying to decide if that spoke more to the redhead's killer instinct or recklessness.

Ellie slipped away from the ropes just as Tori neared, wanting to make sure she didn't trap herself against the ropes. Her hands came up again at the ready, boots shuffling to stagger to stance in waiting. When the kick came, a small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she scouted it, lifting her boot to let her leg rest on the ball of her foot, letting her leading leg slack a bit with the intention of absorbing the blow. Her shoulder rolled back as she tucked her arm, winding up for a big retaliatory strike when a flash of movement caught her by surprise. As the kick snapped away from her leg and arced around, it caught her cleanly upside the head. Her pastel hair fluttered in an explosion of motion as her head snapped to the side, formerly bright eyes vacant at the point of impact. Firm footing turned to jelly with each backward step that found her fumbling into the ropes.

A hand was swimming blinding behind her, fingers made of rubber trying to grasp for the ropes for balance but only managed to strum them like the strings of a guitar. Gravity finally took mercy on the shambling woman, dragging her down to tangle briefly in the ropes before being bounced back towards the ring where she unceremoniously fell face down with a dull thud. The arena was a confused mix of emotions. Some cried out in protest while others were hushed into silence by the loud crack the kick had echoed into the night and others still roared out in cheers of excitement for the first solid blow of the match. Looking at Ellie laying in a crumpled heap on the canvas, it might just be the only one needed to end things.