Post by walkindude on Apr 8, 2018 15:08:13 GMT
Hobbs End, Washington. Barron Community Center…
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for our Main Event!” the ESPW Announcer called to the standing room only crowd. “The following contest is scheduled for one fall, with a thirty minute time limit. Introducing first, hailing from Seattle Washington, she stands at five feet seven inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and thirty-five pounds. This is her LAST independent booking before starting her tenure with FAWN, PLEASE WELCOME EVERGREEN STATE PRO WRESTLING’S OWN GREEN QUEEN… DAPHNE DUFRESNE!”
VICTORIOUS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=agG-yNlFwCY
The speakers mounted on either side of the small entranceway kicked into Panic at the Disco’s ‘Victorious’, which rolled on for perhaps thirty seconds before the woman in question stormed through the curtain with her arms spread wide. Already loud, the fans got downright deafening with a mixture of cheers and jeers that only grew more turbulent when Dufresne cupped a hand to her ear and arched an eyebrow. Delighted by the reaction, Daphne treated the throng to a brawny double bicep flex, then pointed toward the squared circle and set off on her last march as an indy wrestler.
DAPHNE DUFRESNE:
For tonight’s send off from her home base, the Abdominator sported her trademark emerald green one-piece with an hour glass shaped piece of mesh across the chest (the negative space of which created a sort of bikini top look) and an identical shape, albeit turned on its side, across her tummy to better show off her sculpted torso. Her boots and wrist tape were a matching green while her boots were gleaming black.
Though her actions and attitude over the last year or so hadn’t endeared her to a great many, ESPW was still Dufresne Country and the brunette found herself slapping the palms of several dozen fans as she made her way down the short ramp. Offering grins to her fans and middle fingers to her haters, Daphne abruptly turned her attention to the apron, which she gained with a single feline leap. From there she sprang onto the top rope and launched herself into a 450 spin that brought her down in a perfect landing in the middle of the ring.
The acrobatic display seemed to soften the less forgiving members of the crowd, as the Barron Community Center suddenly echoed with a three word plea. ‘PLEASE DON’T GO!’ Startled, Daphne strode over to the Announcer and plucked the microphone from his grasp.
“Three years ago I wrestled my very first professional match in this very ring.” she noted before her music had faded into the background. “As of midnight tonight, I’ll become the newest member of arguably the greatest women’s wrestling organization on the continent, if not the planet.” This raised a few mutters of disdain from the hardcore indy nerds in attendance, but Dufresne paid them no mind. “I won’t lie, FAWN’s been my goal ever since I stepped through the ropes, but ESPW… and this building in particular, feels like my home. The prospect of leaving is both exhilarating and terrifying, but I AM NOT scared for the future of ESPW. Every wrestler in that locker room knows this place is special and I have no doubt they’ll continue to make it the beacon for professional wrestling in the Pacific Northwest.”
She lowered the mic, looked around as the fans began a hearty ‘ESPW!’ chant.
“In fact, I’m so confident about the future of this place that I almost didn’t come back tonight. After all, I’m leaving in the morning and the main event should go to someone who will be back next week, right? So I walked into Randy Creighton’s office a month ago ready to tell him to give the Main Event to someone else, but then he said, ‘Daph, we can get you Cipher.’”
Another mixed reaction from the crowd, one that got a bemused reaction from the departing star.
“Cipher. The only woman who EVER defeated me in an ESPW ring. Oh, I tied the score in Nebraska later on, but I never beat her here… and I’ll BE DAMNED if I leave Washington without showing her how it feels to lose to the Green Queen!”
Bolstered by the loudest roar of support yet, Daphne Dufresne stormed to the corner nearest the ramp and hopped to the middle turnbuckle. “CIPHER!” she bellowed. “Get your mysterious ass out here. The Queen would like a word.”
“And introducing her opponent!” the Announcer offered when the worst of noise died down. “Hailing from a place beyond the limits of your anemic imagination, she stands at five feet four inches tall and weighs in tonight at one hundred and twenty-five pounds, she is the Maiden of Mysteries, the Empress of Enigmas, this is CIPHER!”
‘Heavy is the Head’ tore through the speakers to a decidedly mixed reaction. Oh, the boos still outnumbered the cheers, this was Dufresne Country as I believe I mentioned, but the masked woman had built herself a ferociously loyal fan-base during the last two years and many of them had picked up tickets for tonight’s show. The woman in question came through the curtain shortly thereafter, her arrival raising the noise level by several decibels. For the rubber-match in her series with the FAWN-bound indy star, the sturdy brunette wore a black lucha mask that covered everything save her mouth and her hair. Below was a one-piece done in black & white like a chessboard. Cut high on the hips and low in the back, it showed off her shoulders, glutes and thighs to great effect. Her elbow and knee pads were matte black (the latter emblazoned with blood red question marks) while her boots were the same black & white as her one-piece.
A small, albeit potentially important deviation from the norm: Cipher held a microphone.
Drawing her free hand across her throat to silence the music, she raised the mic and addressed her opponent. “Congratulations on your pending employment, my sweet Daphne. And I must say, I’m pleasantly, albeit genuinely surprised, that you chose to fulfill the last of your independent obligations. Considering what I’ve learned of you during our previous battles I would’ve expected you to sequester yourself in an Orlando gym and do nothing but post mirror selfies of your abs until it was time to debut. But no! You finished up dates with no less than a dozen promotions, including the erstwhile ESPW. Much as it pains me to admit it, that’s the sort of work ethic that gets someone to the national level.”
Not about to let the weirdo run her mouth unchallenged, Daphne snagged the Announcer’s mic and snapped, “You want to talk about work ethic, Cipher? Get down here and maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you kiss my abs after I’ve kicked your ass for the last time.”
Cipher smiled, a reaction Dufresne didn’t much appreciate. “Rest assured, I’ll join you in the ring soon enough, but before I do it seems only fair to correct a rather glaring error in your thinking. For you see, this is FAR from the last time you’ll see me. In fact I’d wager we’ll encounter each other more than ever before.”
A murmur from the crowd as they processed the implication of the masked woman’s words. Daphne snorted in disgust. “I call bull-shyt, freak. Unless you’re Parker Hamilton Jr. under that mask, and trust me, you’re not, you haven’t signed a FAWN contract.”
“Correction, little girl. I haven’t signed a FAWN contract… because my last one doesn’t expire for another three years.” Cipher replied. “You proclaim yourself royalty and for tonight that may be true, but tomorrow morning you begin your pilgrimage to the FAWN Arena, a bizarre and wondrous landscape that already has, among its many memorable personalities, a queen.” Cipher reached up, hooked the bottom edge of the mask and pulled it away.
“One who favors black.” Emily West finished.
EMILY WEST:
The small crowd lost their collective minds to a thunderous ‘HOLY SHIT!’ chant but Emily kept her attention trained on Daphne. She’d expected anything from histrionics to rage to groveling from the arrogant tyro, so she was pleasantly surprised when Dufresne strode to the edge, and sat down on the middle rope. Lifting the top strand to better invite her new coworker inside, Daphne Dufresne said, “So you’re the Black Queen? Prove it, bytch.”
Delighted to do exactly that, Emily made her way down the short aisle and while she made no alteration to her course, she did reach out to swat the hands extended in her direction. The journey proved brief and Em wasted no time getting up the steel steps and slipping through the ropes. (Daphne had backed off prior to her arrival, but only because the official insisted.) Standing in a professional wrestling ring as herself for the first time in what felt like forever, West looked to the crowd and tapped her temple once, twice, three times. I’m. So. Smart. Then she backed into the nearest corner and offered her elbows and knees to the official when he approached for final inspection.
When the bell sounded, Daphne Dufresne strode to center ring with the sort of confidence that came from knowing she’d already beaten the woman in the opposite corner. Emily hung back, interested to see if the mercurial brunette would try to cut off the ring. She did not. In fact Dufresne actually took a step back to make sure the veteran knew her approach was safe. West accepted this gesture at face value and pushed away from the buckles, though she never once let her gaze drift from the other brunette.
Hands on her hips as West closed in, Daphne said, “You were the scout they sent.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Indeed I was. Some members of upper management thought you might be our next break-out babyface, so they sent me out for… let’s call it a performance audit.”
Dufresne’s eyes narrowed. “How’d I do?” “I would think the contract you signed back in January should prove sufficient enough ans--”
FAWN’s newest hire pounced on the former World Champion, sweeping her into an aggressive Collar & Elbow Lock-Up that forced Emily back several paces before she caught her balance. In no mood to toy with her foe now that the Cipher-charade was over, Dufresne slipped a hand over West’s chin and forced her head back, thus providing just enough distraction to drive a Kneelift into Em’s stomach. Emily ‘ooofffffhed’ but ceded no ground, in fact she pressed the heel of her palm against Daphne’s chin so she could pinch the taller woman’s nose between thumb and forefinger! Dufresne hissed her displeasure, countered by burying her free hand in Emily’s hair, just above the nape of her neck. West answered in identical fashion, the Amazing Academic making a concentrated effort to loosen scalp while continuing to twist and tug on Daphne’s-- they came apart with a mutual shove, each woman glaring daggers at the other as they took a moment to check their abused features.
“As I was saying,” Emily resumed once she’d found nothing of consequence. “The office thought you’d make an exceptionally marketable babyface. So did I, truth be told. Imagine my surprise when I discovered you’re much more believable in the role of arrogant bytch.”
Daphne raised her hands and began to circle, though she made no move toward the Black Queen. “Don’t you DARE put that all on me! If that streak had carried on just a little longer I could’ve had my pick of any indy promotion in the country! Instead I get some ringer bytch flying under the radar for the sole purpose of embarrassing--”
CRAAACK!
West stepped in and lit into her opponent’s chest with a Knife-Edge Chop worthy of the Bloodwind Sisters. “Petulance doesn’t become you, Daphne.” she noted. “You’ve been around this business long enough to know no one’s entitled to anything except the chance to prove they’re--”
Dufresne lashed out with a Chop of her own only to sneer in disgust when Emily brought her forearms together to protect her chest in a makeshift guard. Cursing as her hand caromed off the bony defense, Daphne turned away from the Insidious Intellectual and promptly paid for it when West THWHAPPED a kick against the back of her left knee. Swept off balance, she landed flat on her back but rolled to one knee quickly enough. That’s when Emily collected her in a Side Headlock and bore down hard enough to make Dufresne yelp. Hauling her up only after administering a few quick punches to the crown of Daphne’s skull, West thrust her right hip into opposing tummy and slung the incoming star right back to the canvas with a snug Headlock Takedown.
“Don’t think I’ll waste breath threatening that contract.” Emily explained even as she forced Dufresne’s cheek against the side swell of her breast. “It’s signed, sealed and delivered as they say. You’re a member of the FAWN roster whether you win tonight or not, just know I have no intention of laying down for you on your last night in the indnnnggghhh!”
Daphne got a hand in Emily’s face again, but this time it was more than general bytchiness. Angling West’s head as far back as possible, Daph brought her legs up and would’ve ‘smecked’ them around her rival’s skull if Emily hadn’t raaaaaaaaked her fingers across Dufresne’s eyes!
“Hey, watch the eyes!” the ref admonished over the sound of Daphne’s surprised yelp.
“Simply paying a receipt, good sir.” West said after she’d pushed to one knee with the newcomer still wriggling in her Headlock. Emily stood, forced Dufresne to do the same, then pumped a Kneelift into her belly. Daphne soaked it up with a grunt, made Em pay for the pleasure with a few quick punches to the ribs. West took them without complaint but tacked on three more Kneelifts to remind the brunette of her disadvantageous position. “Free yourself from this hold, Daphne.” Emily’s voice had slipped into ‘teacher addressing talented but unruly pupil’ mode, a tone that everyone from Kylie Sanders to Shea London knew and loathed with a fiery passion. “How do you expect to capture FAWN’s attention if you can’t even escape a simple Headlo--”
Dufresne cinched her arms around West’s midsection and muscled her a good six inches off the ground before Em pumped both legs to return herself to terra firma. Growling in frustration as the arrogant hag continued to grind her ears, Daphne SMACKED Emily’s stomach, then curled that hand into a claw and started to squeeeeze. “You’re gonna LET me go, you washed up old bag. Otherwise I’ll claw right though your buttery little WHOOOOAANNNNGGHH!”
In no mood to endure the steely fingers of a motivated adversary, Emily pivoted toward a corner on the far side of the ring and took off with Dufresne forced to trail behind. Picking up speed even as the distance grew smaller and smaller, West took to the skies with a well timed leap that sent her legs sliding between the middle and top ropes. This ultimately meant a comfortable landing on the second strand, whereas Daphne BWUUUNGED skull-first into the top turnbuckle. Emily usually released the Bulldog on impact, but tonight she held on, all the better to draaaaaaagg and scraaaaaape her opponent’s protesting features against the rough canvas.
Dufresne wailed and stamped her feet before grabbing hold of the ropes. “BREAK!” she barked. “GET THIS CHEAP BYTCH OFFA NNNNNGGGHHHH!”
Emily relinquished the remains of the Headlock but only to help herself to a double handful of the other brunette’s hair. A single hard bounce against the apron was enough to send Daphne reeling away from the corner, thus giving West all the time she needed to slip free of the ropes. Infinitely aware of what Dufresne could do with even the slightest opening, Emily walked her down and laid a heavy Forearm Smash across her shoulders before taking control of Daphne’s right wrist. Forcing it up between Dufresne’s shoulders with a Hammerlock, the Black Queen wedged her head under Daphne’s left arm and pressed her free hand to the slim curve of the bendyback‘s butt. Trap set, West muscled Dufresne onto the ball of her right shoulder, then kicked her legs forward and slid out of the way to THWHUMP Daphne down with every bit of her weight landing atop that Hammerlocked arm!
HAMMERLOCK BACKDROP SUPLEX:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1phJlgdiw4
The Green Queen sat bolt upright only to roll onto her side with the throbbing arm held tight to her chest. “You don’t seem to be faring too well, Daphne.” Emily chided as she renewed her claim on the brunette’s right wrist. “I hope the excitement over your newfound employment hasn’t made you complacent.” West rolled the taller woman onto her stomach and pinned the arm behind her back with another Hammerlock. “I’d hate to see such a highly touted prospect reach the big leagues only to flame out in spectacular fashion.”
“Yuuuhhh… you’re the only one that’s going to burn tonight, bytch.” Daphne grunted as she regained her bearings. “Everyone in this arena is gonna watch you get old in this ring, I swear to AAARRRRRRHHHHH!”
Emily hopped up and swung back down, all the better to drive her knee into Daphne’s exposed bicep. “I’d wager the All Mighty has more pressing concerns than listening to you whine about a wrestling match.” the Amazing Academic noted after shifting to a seat on Dufresne’s lower back. “But if you must swear, swear to me.” She cupped the younger woman’s elbow with her free hand and puuuuuussshed up on the Hammerlock.
Daphne waved off the referee when he tried to get close, but said nothing to her attacker. A quick survey of her position told Dufresne she’d have a long slog to the ropes, a revelation that made her loathe Emily West just a little bit more. Still, the only way around was through, so she braced her left elbow against the canvas and began to drag their combined weight toward the sanctuary of the strands. Up top, Emily smiled and torqued the Hammerlock. “Why Daphne, are you actually choosing something other than the path of least resistance? I’m proud of you!” Dufresne growled low in the back of her throat, an angry, dangerous sound.
Contrary to what some might think, the Green Queen had no aversion to adversity, indeed she thrived on challenge. But Daphne simply could not STAND being embarrassed, and the bytch riding her back seemed to know exactly what humiliated her the most. Even so, the hurtin’ hardbody held her tongue until she was close enough to-- “Break.” she said at once. “Get your lumpy ass off me, West. I’m in the ropOOOOOWWWW BYTCH!”
Emily complied with her rival’s request only to drive a single swift Stomp into Dufresne’s exposed forearm! Daphne let loose and curled up, then snarled in protest when the Meticulous Mastermind cupped both ears and peeled her off the mat. Ever aware of her position on the board, Emily took advantage of Daphne’s confusion to drag her back to the center of the squared circle. Once there, she dipped her knees and muscled the protesting bendyback across her shoulders in Fireman’s Carry. She’d just hooked an arm over the back of Dufresne’s neck when the incoming FAWN star drove an elbow into the side of Emily’s skull! West stumbled, steadied herself, stumbled again when Daphne tagged her with two more elbows.
For a moment it looked as though Em was gonna power through, but that all came to an end when Dufresne crooked her hand into a claw and swiped it across the smaller woman’s eyes! West lost all interest in the Fireman’s Carry, which allowed Daphne to wriggle free of the veteran’s clutches. Landing directly behind the other brunette, Dufresne grabbed a shoulder, spun Emily around and greeted her with a Roundhouse that THWHACKED off the side of her noggin! The kick knocked Em right back the way she’d came, leaving her defenseless against the Half Nelson Dufresne slapped on her left arm. Strengthening her grip with an arm around West’s waist, Daphne got low and popped her hips to PLANT Emily flush on the back of her head courtesy of a Half Nelson Suplex. Up on tiptoe immediately thereafter, the lissome lovely held on tight for a count of…
ROUNDHOUSE AND HALF NELSON SUPLEX:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjE5MmvyyfI
ONE…
TWO…
West twisted loose just after ‘TWO!’, her escape earning a loud round of applause from those in attendance. Angered by their disloyalty on what should’ve been her big night, Daphne buried her hands in Emily’s hair and hauled her to boot leather. Halving the hair-hold to keep the ref from nattering in her ear, Dufresne pulled her foe in close and sneered, “You’re not just getting old tonight, bytch. I’m going to retire your washed-up ass!” West’s dark eyes flashed for a second, but it didn’t amount to anything because Daphne CRAAACKED her across the face with a brutal open-palmed Slap! This was followed by half a dozen more, Dufresne gradually increasing the pace of her attack to land as many as possible before the zebra reached ‘FOUR!’
SLAPS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T-vOLgzH7U
Switching to a Wristlock without so much as a murmur of protest, Daph stepped back, dropped her hips and sent Emily running to the far corner with an Irish Whip. West’s ring awareness didn’t fail her, but her reflexes did, the curvaceous battler *barely* able to turn around before she BWUUUNGED back-first against the turnbuck-- “UUUUNNNNNGGGGHHH!” Dufresne, who’d followed only a few steps behind, took to the skies and connected with a Flying Forearm Smash to the welt she’d so recently raised on West’s cheek. “Don’t even think about it, grandma.” Daphne sniped upon observing Emily reaching for the ropes. “I’m not done showcasing just yet.”
Backing off just far enough to prize the Amazing Academic from the buckles, Dufresne snuggled in against West’s right side and threaded her left arm through the FAWN star’s legs while her right arm went under Em’s bicep and across her chest to cup the nape of her neck. Roars of applause from the Suplex nerds in attendance when Daphne took West up, over and down onto the back of her head with a beautiful Exploder. Emily folded into a Matchbook for a heartbeat or two before slopping out flat, a pose that was immediately interrupted by Dufresne hooking the far leg for…
EXPLODER:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWyfu62KTTk
ONE…
TWO…
West kicked out again, a little beyond ‘TWO’ this time, but still far too soon for Daphne’s liking. “Did you think I was going to back down when you took that damned mask off?” Dufresne chirped as she shoveled Emily over onto her stomach. “That I was going to fall to my knees, begging forgiveness from the evil queen of the Black Court? Bytch please. I’m the most exciting wrestler in North America today! And you? You’re just a glorified talent scout.”
Emily let Dufresne run her mouth, anything for a few precious seconds to regain her bearings. “Is that what you believe, Daphne? Or is it just what you tell yourself to justify tapping out like a little UUUUUNNNNGGGGHH!”
Dufresne planted one hand between Emily’s shoulders and another on the curve of her glutes to make sure she had a strong base when she pounded a trio of spiteful knees into the Courtier’s side. Eyes flashing, teeth bared, the hardbody brunette growled, “Bring that up again and I promise you’ll be spitting blood when they put you on the stretcher.”
West didn’t offer anything pithy for that, so Daphne hauled her to all fours and promptly took possession of Em’s left wrist. Stretching that arm out full length, Daphne stepped over Emily’s exposed bicep with her left leg and tucked that shin into the pit of her right knee. The result was a sort of Standing Figure Four, which apart from looking neat, didn’t actually start to hurt until the Green Queen carefully shifted her weight backward so she was essentially stretched out atop her opponent’s back. Doubling down on West’s captured wrist, Daphne craaaaaaaaaaaaaanked back on the beautiful Armbar and taunted, “Gonna try to hobble to the ropes, witch? Or would you like to tap out right here in the middle of the ring?”
FLOATING ARMBAR:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJGlVReSVrM
Planted on her knees and remaining hand, Em shook her head ‘no’ for Daphne and the official. “Your application of leverage is impressive.” she admitted. “But we both know you don’t have the patience or the tenacity to keep this in place long enough to secure a submissSSAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”
Dufresne grabbed hold of the trapped woman’s fingers and bent them back, adding another agonizing dimension to the Floating Armbreaker. “Bytch, I’ve got more patience and tenacity than you’ll ever know. Not that I’ll need either to finish you off. You’re gonna tap out long before I ever break a WHOOOAAAHH!”
West pulled her plant hand away and pushed backward into a short tumble that put Dufresne on her shoulders with the Insidious Intellectual pressed in against her upturned haunches for the…
ONE…
TWO…
THR-NO!
Daphne powered free of the impromptu cradle without relinquishing control over her opponent’s wrist, thus turning her first Armbar into a more traditional, although no less painful, Cross Armbreaker! Thighs snugged tight just below the FAWN star’s trapped elbow, Dufresne bore down on the Scissors and thrust her hips up in an attempt to hyperextend the Black Queen’s elbow. “MIDDLE OF THE RING, YOU HAS-BEEN!” Daphne shouted over West’s groans and the crowd’s ‘PLEASE DON’T TAP!’ chants. “GIVE IT UP OR I’LL SNAP YOUR ARM!”
Em was perhaps ninety percent certain of the other woman’s bluff, which was exactly ten percent less certain than she preferred. Gritting her teeth to avoid any more wasted oxygen, she glanced around and sure enough, Dufresne had her trapped deep in “NNNGGGGHH!”
Daphne unlocked her ankles just to scuff the heel of her right boot across Emily’s mouth once, twice, three times. “I’ll scrape your face off, go ahead, test me.” the haughty hardbody spat after another convulsive yank on her prey’s wrist. “Tap out or I’ll get really nasty.”
“Is that a fact?” Emily grunted after wagging a ‘no’ to the official. “From what the locker room has told me you’re already really EEEERRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Teeth bared, Dufresne braced her right foot against the side of West’s face and pushed forward while simultaneously pulling back on her wrist. This lessened the torque on her elbow a great deal but the increased strain on Emily’s neck and shoulder were enough to get her heels beating an agonized tattoo. Crossing her ankles several seconds later, wrenched back on the Armbreaker and purred, “Keep running your mouth if you want, bytch. Just know I’m going to break your arm the instant you say something I don’t like.”
“I would’ve thought impugning your reputation was more than enough provocation for a raging narcissist.” Emily responded much too quickly for Daphne’s liking. “But perhaps you’re made of sterner stuff than I’d imagined… or, and I admit this is far more likely, you lack the fortitude to carry through on your--”
Dufresne drew her right leg up and back, the scorpion’s tail movement of it all the clue Em needed to know Daphne’s heel was coming down on the bridge of her nose. A frightening prospect indeed, yet the Amazing Academic rolled into the threat and thus stacked Dufresne on her shoulders for the second time in as many minutes. Paying no heed to the ref that swooped in beside the action, Emily worked the thumb of her free hand into the back of Daphne’s right kneepad and jabbed the soft flesh as hard as she could. Dufresne shrieked and broke the hold at once, the limber lovely’s escape roll more than a little ungainly with that knee pulled tight to her chest.
Blessedly free of Daphne’s clutches, West held the wounded arm close and took several deep breaths before she stood--THWHAP! A freshly risen, utterly furious Daphne Dufresne darted in and lashed a stiff kick across the veteran’s left thigh. West stumbled, raised that leg to deflect a second kick and caught a hard overhand slap for the trouble. This was followed by a quick Neck Clasp, a single Kneelift to the forehead and a THWHAPPING Chest Kick as Em tottered away on spaghetti legs. She was almost clear of danger when Daphne dropped low and spun around, lashing out her left leg to sweep the Insidious Intellectual to the deck. Back on her feet before the ‘thump’ of Emily’s landing even reached the cheap seats, Dufresne wiped a bit of sweat off her midsection and made a show of ‘flicking’ it at the prone superstar. Then she’d dropped down for a tight Back Press, Daphne hooking the far leg to damned near fold West in half while the official counted…
DUFRESNE RUSH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AyQI8cM5O4
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Emily escaped once more, though Dufresne noted it lacked the urgency of her earlier kick outs. “What’s the matter, Emily? Starting to feel your age?” the younger woman teased. “Well you better dig deep old woman, because that grind you feel pressing down? It’s just getting started!”
Emily muttered something unintelligible, but the tone was defiant enough to earn a scornful slap from the Green Queen. West replied with a slap of her own, though it was so weak Daph simply shrugged it off en route to burying both hands in the vulnerable brunette’s hair. Switching over to a far more legal grip on her opponent’s ears once both women were back on their feet, Dufresne strutted to the nearest corner and tossed Emily against the buckles like she was nothing more than a sack of laundry. “I’d been dreaming about a chance to punch my knuckles bloody against Cipher’s mask.” Daphne admitted after mounting the middle rope. There she ran a hand through Emily’s battle-damp hair, her grip all the better to force the Courtier’s head back at an unpleasant angle. “But lumping up Emily West’s petulant, arrogant face?” Dufresne smiled wickedly, the hardbodied battler quite literally licking her lips with anticipation. “That’s SO much better.”
She punctuated with a sharply angled right hand that PWAAAKED her knuckles against West’s hairline. Of course, right hands in the corner were like potato chips; you couldn’t eat just one. So Dufresne reset and repeat, just hammering away at the FAWN star’s noggin while those rang up a grudging count. ‘TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE!’
Daphne released with a flourish, taking the moment to tuck some errant hairs behind her ears before setting her hands on her hips. “I suppose I COULD just punch you one more time.” she teased. “But why risk my knuckles when I’ve got a cheese grater at my disposal?”
Bludgeoned into a stupor by Dufresne’s heavy hands, Emily could only shake her head ‘no’. “Duuuhhh… don’t you dare, Daphne. Don’t MMMMRRRRGGGGHHHHH!”
Unmoved by the battered brainiac’s meaningless threat, Daphne plunged her hands into Em’s hair and stuffed those protesting features against her gulping abs before tugging the brunette’s head back n’ forth like she meant to take her nose clean off! The ref let it carry on for an internal five count, then started an external version when Dufresne showed no signs of slowing down. Relinquishing at ’FOUR!’ Daphne raised a domineering salute and barked, “She’s just the first! I’m gonna dominate FAWN just like I’ve dominated the WHOOAAANNNNGGGHH!”
This bold proclamation proved a costly mistake as Emily abruptly slipped out between the taller woman’s planted legs and took up residence on Dufresne’s six. In the next breath she grabbed hold of Daphne’s ankles and tugged backward, thus loosing DD from her moorings to drop her into a THWHUMPING face-first collision with the top turnbuckle. Crumpling to one knee on impact, Dufresne grabbed hold of the top rope and would’ve hauled herself up in short order if West hadn’t snatched a double handful of hair and BWUUUNGED Daphne’s mug against the thinly-wrapped canvas! The green-clad battler threw an angry elbow into her attacker’s midsection, alas the angle was poor and it only spurred another skull-ratting BWUUUNG from the Meticulous Mastermind. A third face on buckle impact left Dufresne sufficiently softened for West to grab the top rope in both hands. Planting her feet on the bottom rope on either side of her adversary, Emily rocked up n’ down, up n’ down, the Black Queen building up all the momentum she could before launching herself into a near perfect handstand above her prey. The ‘oooohhhh’s’ of the crowd quickly transformed into sympathetic groans when Em swung down and in, her knees pressed together to THAWHUMP between Daphne’s shoulders!
Rather than bounce away, Emily pressed in with every bit of her weight, the pressure forcing Dufresne to squirm and writhe beneath her grinding mass. Credit the nerves of Daphne Dufresne, she managed to keep her head even as Emily did her best to scrub it away. After a few ineffectual slaps to the FAWN star’s legs, Daph grabbed the middle rope in both hands and mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like ‘BREAK!’. Even if she hadn’t, the official noted Dufresne’s lifeline and tapped West on the arm. “Hop down and clear off, Emily. She’s earned a break.”
Em did as bade, though she made no effort to create distance between herself and the vulnerable brunette. Turning her attention to the zebra, she said, “I agree, if we’re following the letter of the law. Tonight however I choose to invoke the spirit of the law, which says little miss Daphne gets a break only when I think she’s earned one.”
He didn’t much care for that response, which didn’t bother Emily in the slightest. A firm grip on the younger grappler’s ankles stretched her out flat on her belly, her head *just* in the shadow of the bottom buckle. From there the Black Queen planted her right foot between Dufresne’s stems and quickly folded them into an unpleasant knot, with Daphne’s left shin tucked into the pit of her right knee and her right leg folded so that that ankle was braced snug against the shin of West’s encroaching stem. The positioning and set-up got a loud roar from the crowd and Emily couldn’t help but smile as she collected Daphne’s wrists and puuuuuuuuuuulled her upper torso off the canvas in a Deathlock Surfboard. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tap out?” West asked in the midst of putting a serious kink in her opponent’s lower back.
“F*ck no.” Dufresne spat, her chin almost brushing the bottom turnbuckle.
Em smiled, pulled back a little farther. “I’m glad. Means I made the right call.” What sounded like a complement proved to be anything but as the Amazing Academic planted her left foot between Dufresne’s shoulders and stepped down while simultaneously relinquishing control of the taller wrestler’s wrists. There was a low, evil BWUUUNG followed by a raucous roar from the fans as West’s patented Brain Drain almost put Daphne’s mug through the bottom turnbuckle.
BRAIN DRAIN @ 6:03
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-7AP12bsOU
Quick to disengage now that Dufresne was so much senseless sludge, Emily seized her prey’s ankles and draaaaagged her to the center of the squared circle, where she rolled her over and dropped down into a tight Back Press that pointed Daph’s tush toward the lights for…
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Dufresne bought herself at least another three seconds by twisting onto her side before the ref could count ‘THREE!’ Emily’s face registered surprise, but not frustration or disappointment. If anything she seemed quite pleased that the Green Queen was hanging in there. Intrigued by the idea she’d actually discovered a narcissist with some backbone, West twined her hands in Daphne’s hair and dragged her to boot leather only to double her over with a Toe Kick immediately thereafter. This transitioned nicely into a Front Facelock wherein Emily channeled her inner Jake Roberts to PLANT Dufresne’s forehead against the deck with a gorgeous DDT.
She’d have rolled her over for another cover if Daphne hadn’t reared back on her knees, thus necessitating a change of plans. Though often labeled a control freak of the highest order (and with good reason, admittedly) Emily West could adjust on the fly better than most and that’s what she did when Dufresne didn’t have the common decency to slop onto her back like any other piece of swimsuit SPAM. Quick to rise in front of the penitent lovely, West hooked her right arm across Daphne’s chest even as she dipped under the other brunette’s right arm. Then she kicked her legs forward and laid out for the second time in as less than a minute to THWHONK Daph’s face against the thinly-sheathed plywood with a Reverse STO.
DDT and REVERSE STO:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltYQg7QaReo
Emily made no pretense of going for a cover, she simply cupped Daphne under the chin and peeled her off the mat for another Front FaceloNO! Dufresne cinched both arms around the veteran’s waist, dropped her hips and snapped off a beautiful bridge to put West flat on her back with a Northern Lights Suplex! The ref hurried in to make the count but stopped short when Daphne somersaulted over the flattened grappler and rose to her full THWHUMP! Sympathetic groans from those assembled as Dufresne left her feet just long enough to drive both into Emily’s defenseless chest. Planting her butt on West’s midsection in the wake of her emphatic reversal, Daphne hooked the FAWN star’s right leg and drew it forward in a Half Matchbook that lasted through…
NORTHERN LIGHTS & DOUBLE STOMP:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhGBnl2RfBg
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
“See that you washed up beeyotch?” the Abdominal Showman taunted as she scraped her stunned opposition off the deck. “That’s how fast I can turn things around. Just like THAT!” She punctuated with a lightning-fast European Uppercut, the kind that rattled teeth and brought a smile to the face of Olivia Dare. Brought a smile to Daphne’s face too, especially when Emily staggered backward and almost took a knee. “C’MON!” Dufresne slapped her opponent’s face, earning a derisive boo from the crowd. “C’MON, DON’T TELL ME THAT’S ALL YOU’VE--”
The Black Queen took a page from the Ace’s playbook with a gorgeous Super Kick that caught Daphne flush on the chin. Dufresne timbered to her back in a heap and Emily was right there to capitalize, dropping across Daphne’s chest and hooking the far leg for…
SUPER KICK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR-KjPzg-0U
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
The flattened bendyback twisted onto her side with half a heartbeat to spare, the show of resilience finally earning a flicker of irritation from the FAWN star. Determined to break the ingénue’s spirit now that she knew it was strong enough to be worth her while, Emily grabbed a double handful of hair, lifted Dufresne off the mat and promptly checked her chin with a European Uppercut of her own. This was followed by a Wristlock and Irish Whip, the latter sending her target on a quick ride to--NO!
Daphne reversed the Whip and sent West in her place, not that the Insidious Intellectual looked the slightest bit put out of countenance by her new circumstances. Quick to take note of Dufresne’s steps following close behind, Em put on a burst of speed to make sure there was some distance between herself and the other brunette when she reached the corner. Snagging the top rope in both hands, she vaulted up and back, West floating over rival to leave Daphne boxed in against the THAWHACK!
Alas, even the best laid plans sometimes go awry, as Emily was reminded when Dufresne turned on a dime and buried a kick in the shorter woman’s ribs in mid-freefall. Caught unawares by the brutal counter, West landed hard on all fours, leaving her an easy target for Daphne, she positioned herself on the other brunette’s six. Too furious to bother with words, Dufresne bent down, wrapped her arms around Emily’s thighs and sloooooooowly muscled her off the mat until the veteran’s back was resting heavily against her chest. Dipping into a squat so West’s thighs could rest against her hips, Daph transitioned from the Wheelbarrow to a Double Chickenwing that left Em’s arms pulled tight behind her back. The position was too awkward for Dufresne to show the old hag off, but that didn’t stop her from cooing, “Checkmate, bytch.” Then she sank down a little farther and popped her hips to take Emily up, over and DOWN onto the back of her head with a beautiful Tiger Suplex!
WHEELBARROW TIGER SUPLEX:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=481-cH4h6PQ
Daphne would’ve held the bridge if she’d landed the move even a few minutes earlier, but she was still woozy from the Super Kick which meant West tumbled onto her belly before struggling to all fours. The indy superstar was also slow to rise, though she widened the gap considerably when she realized Em wasn’t getting much farther without help. “Looks like you’re starting to wheeze, old woman.” Dufresne chirped as she hauled the smaller brunette to her feet in stages. “Don’t go passing out on me now, I want to HEAR you beg for mercy!”
Emily replied with a quick elbow to the gut, alas it lacked any real power, as evidenced by the way Daphne shrugged it off before clubbing her across the back of the head and shoulders. “If that’s all you’ve got left I’d save your energy.” she barked. “You’ll need it for groveling after the bell!”
On that unpleasant note she laid claim to Emily’s wrist, stepped back and lowered a shoulder to send the Amazing Academic hurtling at the nearest corner at ludicrous speed! West would’ve had a hard time turning into the impact under the best of circumstances and these most certainly weren’t. As such she hit the top turnbuckle with a sternum-shivering BWUUUNG that left the fans cringing and Emily tottering away from the scene of the accident like a woman more than twice her age. Elsewhere, Daphne Dufresne watched the scene play out from a deep, expectant crouch. Holding steady until she judged the veteran was in the dead center of the squared circle, the Washboard Warrior charged in from the right and spun into position on West’s six. In the blink of an eye Daph had her right leg threaded over Emily’s left thigh and the back of her left thigh wedged in against the base of the smaller wrestler’s neck. The press and pressure of those strong gams was more than enough to sink the Black Queen to one knee, but Emily’s problems didn’t begin in earnest until Dufresne caught her right arm under the bicep and craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanked it back at an ungodly angle!
SLIDE AROUND OCTOPUS STRETCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMxVIwliMSs
“TAP OUT!” Daphne bellowed once the Octopus was sunk in deep. “TAP OR I’LL RUIN YOUR SHOULDER, I SWEAR TO GOD!” she pushed down with her left leg and reefed up on the Armbar to reinforce the point.
Understandably concerned by the angle of West’s neck and right arm, the referee dropped to one knee beside the action and asked, “What do you say, Emily? Need me to call for the bell?”
The Amazing Academic didn’t dare shake her head for fear of another lighting bolt of pain through her neck and even waggling her fingers was difficult, what with her left hand braced against the mat like a kickstand. After a few seconds she grunted, “No, my good sir. Daphne hasn’t surrendered yeEEEERRRRRRHHHHHHHH!”
“Arrogant bytch!” Dufresne spat. “You’re trapped! Done! Admit it before you pass OOOOOWWWWWW!”
Emily slid her planted hand backward until she felt heavy curve of Dufresne’s right knee. Working by feel rather than sight she wormed her thumb into the pit of the other brunette’s knee and jabbed as hard as she could! Daphne relinquished the Octopus at once, which wasn’t to say Emily escaped unscathed, as nothing could be farther from the truth. Teeth bared against the fire radiating from her tweaked knee, Dufresne curled both hands into claws and raked them across Emily’s eyes! The Black Queen wailed, then started to scramble away but found herself caught in a stern Half Nelson.
“You’re done now, bytch.” Daph panted as she dragged West to boot-leather. “Your reputation dies tonight.”
Strengthening her grip with a Half Waistlock, Dufresne got low and put every ounce of her considerable skill and venom into the Suplex that THWHUMPED Emily down on the back of her head and shoulders. Dropped with more than enough power left over to somersault onto her knees, West waited like a penitent as Daphne scrambled up and charged, the Green Queen exploding off her plant foot to TWAWHACK Emily’s defenseless chin with the same European Uppercut that’d defeated Cipher several months prior. Turned inside out by that hellacious Alpha Strike, West offered no resistance as the haughty hardbody shoveled her onto her back and dropped across her tummy in a miniature Splash. Hooking the far leg as tight as she could, Dufresne nodded along with the ref and crowd through…
HALF NELSON SUPLEX & ALPHA STRIKE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rjAJmAbYfo
ONE…
TWO….
THRE--
Emily reached out and grabbed the bottom rope, halting the count with half a heartbeat to spare.
“F*CK YOU!” Daphne screamed down at the exhausted FAWN star. “JUST STAY DOWN!” With that she snagged Emily at wrist and ankle, dragged her away from the safety of the strands and flopped back down for another cover…
ONE…
TWO…
THRENOOOOOOOO!
West inched a shoulder off the mat and Dufresne had to bury her hands in her own hair to keep from throttling the zebra. Acting only when some semblance of control reasserted itself, Daphne scraped her adversary off the deck and secured a Wristlock. “Remember what I said earlier about not passing out?” she grunted. “I lied. You can leave on a stretcher for all I care.” West had no response at the ready so Dufresne simply dropped a hip and slung her into a corner on the far side of the ring. Somehow Em found the energy to put her back into the buckles before impact, unfortunately all this meant was a much better view of her opponent as she took to the skies with a High Knee that slammed across Emily’s prodigious chest.
DUFRESKNEE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm4s7oxhP5M
Careful to keep the smaller wrestler smeared against the corner until she regained her feet, Daphne pulled Emily out, spun her around and stuffed her head under one arm, all the better to muscle the Amazing Academic into a seat on the top turnbuckle. Moving far slower than she would’ve liked, Dufresne stepped through the ropes to the apron, then climbed West’s perch from the opposite side. “Yuuuuhhhh… you should be honored.” Daphne huffed as she slowly but surely muscled Emily onto her shoulders for a Fireman’s Carry. “I’ve only done this once before tonight, and then I didn’t even need it. Just wanted to show off against a bytch who’d caused me problems. Gonna show off against you too,” Dufresne set her feet on the middle rope and got a legitimate ‘OOOOOOHHHHHH!’ from the crowd as she made her way to the third floor, “but it doesn’t feel like piling onNNNEEEERRROOOWWWWW F*CK!”
Emily repaid Daphne’s earlier eye rake with a vindictive thumb to her opponent’s right eye. The Green Queen kept her footing but lost her hooks, which allowed Emily to wriggle into a relatively safe mount on the middle rope. Infuriated by the veteran’s tenacity, Dufresne snatched a double handful of hair and reared back for a Headbutt only to wail in surprise when West caught her with the classic Three Stooges Eye Poke! Daph scrabbled at watering peepers, thus giving Em more than enough time to pwak-pwak-PWAK her across the chin with a trio of European Uppercuts. The blinded brunette reeled on the spot, forcing West to catch hold of Dufresne’s top so she could reel her in for a Front Facelock. Too focused on the task at hand to smile when the crowd let loose with a cheer, the Queen of the Black Court grabbed hold of Daphne’s waistband and hauled the taller woman directly overhead! The drop that followed was relatively short, as West simply hopped down to the deck, unfortunately for Daphne that meant her skull BWUUUUNGED into the top turnbuckle with sickening force!
TURNBUCKLE HEMORRHAGE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ldEOrxlAE
Dufresne’s limber frame seemed to compress for a moment, the Washboard Warrior folding up in a crumpled ‘C’ before nerves and gravity stretched her out and she landed on the far side of the apron, still on her feet by virtue of nothing more than dumb luck and Emily’s Front Facelock. Taking a moment to catch her breath and to adjust her grips on Daphne’s near dead weight, West planted her feet and hauled Dufresne to high noon for the second time in less than a minute. Only now she took several steps back, drawing Daph away from the ropes and any chance of salvation. Remarkably steady for so late in the contest, the Amazing Academic held her burden aloft with hardly a flutter while the crowd tolled the seconds. ‘ONE!TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN!”
CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4TqRceRjhQ
Emily kicked a knee up high and dropped straight down to PLANT Daphne high and tight on the back of her head and shoulders with a picture perfect Cerebral Hemorrhage. Dufresne bounced away from the landing and damned if she didn’t try to tumble onto her belly, but Emily caught her at hip and shoulder and pulled her right back to start. From there it was merely a matter of hooking both legs and rolling into the Back Press, West pointing her rival’s rump at the overhead lights for…
ONE…
TWO…
THREE!
Em broke the cover as soon as the bell sounded to make sure she was on one knee and tapping her temple when the Announcer called, “Ladies and gentlemen, your winner via pin-fall… EMILY WEST!”
Exhausted but victorious, the Black Queen stood tall and treated the crowd to a knowing smirk when the official raised her hand shortly thereafter. With traditions thus observed, she turned her attention to Daphne, who was slowly making her way to all fours. West took a step forward and someone in the crowd bellowed, “GO FAWN ON HER ASS, EMILY!” The sentiment was echoed by a good many in attendance, so much so that Dufresne looked up, her dark eyes wide and wary of any potential post-bell humiliations.
Emily gave it some serious consideration. After all, the Green Queen was responsible for Cipher’s only losses, one of which included her first match with Sadia Morales in more than a decade. Yes, the Insidious Intellectual considered herself quite justified in doling out a little old school FAWN justice, yet in the end she offered her hand to the other brunette. After all, what was the point of bringing new pieces to the board if they arrived as damaged goods?
“I’d advise getting off your knees.” Emily said to her newest co-worker. “Unless you’re interested in joining the Court, of course.”
Daphne frowned, clambered to verticality without taking the older woman’s hand. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. I didn’t bust my ass night in and night out just to sign on as your newest toady.”
West rolled her eyes. “First, I don’t have toadies, I have a network of extremely talented women that keeps FAWN safe from threats that would otherwise disrupt the balance of the great game. Second, each and every woman in the Court has taken the knee of their own volition. As far as you are concerned Daphne Dufresne, I’m quite happy to simply welcome you to the board. But you’ve got to play the game quite some time before I’ll know if you’re worthy of protecting it.”
Dufresne bristled at the idea that she wasn’t Court material, even if she had no interest in the faction. “I just took you to the limit, West.” she snapped. “I think that entitles me to your respect, if not entrance to your snotty little club.”
“Respect is earned, Daphne.” Em countered. “Which is why I’ll offer you my hand a second time. Rest assured there won’t be a third.”
Dufresne put her hands on her hips and scowled. In truth she HATED ending her indy career on a loss, yet she couldn’t deny the tingle that ran up her spine when the crowd started chanting ‘SHAKE HER HAND! SHAKE HER HAND!’ After a moment she reached out and did just that, albeit quite grudgingly.
“Don’t expect any deference in Orlando.” the new hire warned. “I’m coming to FAWN with every intention of being the best and I’ll run straight through the Court if I have to.”
“I know of at least three women that would relish the challenge.” West replied with a faint smirk.
“I mean it, Emily. I’m not scared of you or the Court. And unlike most of that roster, I know I can beat you. So don’t think you can threaten me into compliance.”
Emily’s smile grew a little more predatory as she drew away. “Don’t upend the board and I won’t have to, Ms. Dufresne.”
“Guess you’ll have to crawl out from under that rock to see how it plays out, huh?” Daphne challenged. “Better do it soon though. Spring Break will be here before you know it.”
“Yes it will.” the Black Queen agreed. “As for whether or not I’m actually in attendance to witness your grand debut, well, you won’t know unless I want you to.”
“That’s the difference between us. You’re content to stay in the shadows. Me? I want all eyes on me the instant I walk through that curtain.”
“Which is one of the myriad reasons I’ll look forward to having you around the office, Daphne. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a shower to take and a flight to catch.” Emily turned, paused halfway through and looked back at the newest member of the roster. “Oh, and Daphne? Welcome to FAWN.”
Dufresne watched her go, completely oblivious to the dueling ‘THANK YOU, EMILY!, DON’T GO, DAPHNE!’ chants. “Thanks for having me.” she said to no one in particular. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to introducing myself to each and every woman in the locker room.”
End
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for our Main Event!” the ESPW Announcer called to the standing room only crowd. “The following contest is scheduled for one fall, with a thirty minute time limit. Introducing first, hailing from Seattle Washington, she stands at five feet seven inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and thirty-five pounds. This is her LAST independent booking before starting her tenure with FAWN, PLEASE WELCOME EVERGREEN STATE PRO WRESTLING’S OWN GREEN QUEEN… DAPHNE DUFRESNE!”
VICTORIOUS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=agG-yNlFwCY
The speakers mounted on either side of the small entranceway kicked into Panic at the Disco’s ‘Victorious’, which rolled on for perhaps thirty seconds before the woman in question stormed through the curtain with her arms spread wide. Already loud, the fans got downright deafening with a mixture of cheers and jeers that only grew more turbulent when Dufresne cupped a hand to her ear and arched an eyebrow. Delighted by the reaction, Daphne treated the throng to a brawny double bicep flex, then pointed toward the squared circle and set off on her last march as an indy wrestler.
DAPHNE DUFRESNE:
For tonight’s send off from her home base, the Abdominator sported her trademark emerald green one-piece with an hour glass shaped piece of mesh across the chest (the negative space of which created a sort of bikini top look) and an identical shape, albeit turned on its side, across her tummy to better show off her sculpted torso. Her boots and wrist tape were a matching green while her boots were gleaming black.
Though her actions and attitude over the last year or so hadn’t endeared her to a great many, ESPW was still Dufresne Country and the brunette found herself slapping the palms of several dozen fans as she made her way down the short ramp. Offering grins to her fans and middle fingers to her haters, Daphne abruptly turned her attention to the apron, which she gained with a single feline leap. From there she sprang onto the top rope and launched herself into a 450 spin that brought her down in a perfect landing in the middle of the ring.
The acrobatic display seemed to soften the less forgiving members of the crowd, as the Barron Community Center suddenly echoed with a three word plea. ‘PLEASE DON’T GO!’ Startled, Daphne strode over to the Announcer and plucked the microphone from his grasp.
“Three years ago I wrestled my very first professional match in this very ring.” she noted before her music had faded into the background. “As of midnight tonight, I’ll become the newest member of arguably the greatest women’s wrestling organization on the continent, if not the planet.” This raised a few mutters of disdain from the hardcore indy nerds in attendance, but Dufresne paid them no mind. “I won’t lie, FAWN’s been my goal ever since I stepped through the ropes, but ESPW… and this building in particular, feels like my home. The prospect of leaving is both exhilarating and terrifying, but I AM NOT scared for the future of ESPW. Every wrestler in that locker room knows this place is special and I have no doubt they’ll continue to make it the beacon for professional wrestling in the Pacific Northwest.”
She lowered the mic, looked around as the fans began a hearty ‘ESPW!’ chant.
“In fact, I’m so confident about the future of this place that I almost didn’t come back tonight. After all, I’m leaving in the morning and the main event should go to someone who will be back next week, right? So I walked into Randy Creighton’s office a month ago ready to tell him to give the Main Event to someone else, but then he said, ‘Daph, we can get you Cipher.’”
Another mixed reaction from the crowd, one that got a bemused reaction from the departing star.
“Cipher. The only woman who EVER defeated me in an ESPW ring. Oh, I tied the score in Nebraska later on, but I never beat her here… and I’ll BE DAMNED if I leave Washington without showing her how it feels to lose to the Green Queen!”
Bolstered by the loudest roar of support yet, Daphne Dufresne stormed to the corner nearest the ramp and hopped to the middle turnbuckle. “CIPHER!” she bellowed. “Get your mysterious ass out here. The Queen would like a word.”
“And introducing her opponent!” the Announcer offered when the worst of noise died down. “Hailing from a place beyond the limits of your anemic imagination, she stands at five feet four inches tall and weighs in tonight at one hundred and twenty-five pounds, she is the Maiden of Mysteries, the Empress of Enigmas, this is CIPHER!”
‘Heavy is the Head’ tore through the speakers to a decidedly mixed reaction. Oh, the boos still outnumbered the cheers, this was Dufresne Country as I believe I mentioned, but the masked woman had built herself a ferociously loyal fan-base during the last two years and many of them had picked up tickets for tonight’s show. The woman in question came through the curtain shortly thereafter, her arrival raising the noise level by several decibels. For the rubber-match in her series with the FAWN-bound indy star, the sturdy brunette wore a black lucha mask that covered everything save her mouth and her hair. Below was a one-piece done in black & white like a chessboard. Cut high on the hips and low in the back, it showed off her shoulders, glutes and thighs to great effect. Her elbow and knee pads were matte black (the latter emblazoned with blood red question marks) while her boots were the same black & white as her one-piece.
A small, albeit potentially important deviation from the norm: Cipher held a microphone.
Drawing her free hand across her throat to silence the music, she raised the mic and addressed her opponent. “Congratulations on your pending employment, my sweet Daphne. And I must say, I’m pleasantly, albeit genuinely surprised, that you chose to fulfill the last of your independent obligations. Considering what I’ve learned of you during our previous battles I would’ve expected you to sequester yourself in an Orlando gym and do nothing but post mirror selfies of your abs until it was time to debut. But no! You finished up dates with no less than a dozen promotions, including the erstwhile ESPW. Much as it pains me to admit it, that’s the sort of work ethic that gets someone to the national level.”
Not about to let the weirdo run her mouth unchallenged, Daphne snagged the Announcer’s mic and snapped, “You want to talk about work ethic, Cipher? Get down here and maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you kiss my abs after I’ve kicked your ass for the last time.”
Cipher smiled, a reaction Dufresne didn’t much appreciate. “Rest assured, I’ll join you in the ring soon enough, but before I do it seems only fair to correct a rather glaring error in your thinking. For you see, this is FAR from the last time you’ll see me. In fact I’d wager we’ll encounter each other more than ever before.”
A murmur from the crowd as they processed the implication of the masked woman’s words. Daphne snorted in disgust. “I call bull-shyt, freak. Unless you’re Parker Hamilton Jr. under that mask, and trust me, you’re not, you haven’t signed a FAWN contract.”
“Correction, little girl. I haven’t signed a FAWN contract… because my last one doesn’t expire for another three years.” Cipher replied. “You proclaim yourself royalty and for tonight that may be true, but tomorrow morning you begin your pilgrimage to the FAWN Arena, a bizarre and wondrous landscape that already has, among its many memorable personalities, a queen.” Cipher reached up, hooked the bottom edge of the mask and pulled it away.
“One who favors black.” Emily West finished.
EMILY WEST:
The small crowd lost their collective minds to a thunderous ‘HOLY SHIT!’ chant but Emily kept her attention trained on Daphne. She’d expected anything from histrionics to rage to groveling from the arrogant tyro, so she was pleasantly surprised when Dufresne strode to the edge, and sat down on the middle rope. Lifting the top strand to better invite her new coworker inside, Daphne Dufresne said, “So you’re the Black Queen? Prove it, bytch.”
Delighted to do exactly that, Emily made her way down the short aisle and while she made no alteration to her course, she did reach out to swat the hands extended in her direction. The journey proved brief and Em wasted no time getting up the steel steps and slipping through the ropes. (Daphne had backed off prior to her arrival, but only because the official insisted.) Standing in a professional wrestling ring as herself for the first time in what felt like forever, West looked to the crowd and tapped her temple once, twice, three times. I’m. So. Smart. Then she backed into the nearest corner and offered her elbows and knees to the official when he approached for final inspection.
When the bell sounded, Daphne Dufresne strode to center ring with the sort of confidence that came from knowing she’d already beaten the woman in the opposite corner. Emily hung back, interested to see if the mercurial brunette would try to cut off the ring. She did not. In fact Dufresne actually took a step back to make sure the veteran knew her approach was safe. West accepted this gesture at face value and pushed away from the buckles, though she never once let her gaze drift from the other brunette.
Hands on her hips as West closed in, Daphne said, “You were the scout they sent.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Indeed I was. Some members of upper management thought you might be our next break-out babyface, so they sent me out for… let’s call it a performance audit.”
Dufresne’s eyes narrowed. “How’d I do?” “I would think the contract you signed back in January should prove sufficient enough ans--”
FAWN’s newest hire pounced on the former World Champion, sweeping her into an aggressive Collar & Elbow Lock-Up that forced Emily back several paces before she caught her balance. In no mood to toy with her foe now that the Cipher-charade was over, Dufresne slipped a hand over West’s chin and forced her head back, thus providing just enough distraction to drive a Kneelift into Em’s stomach. Emily ‘ooofffffhed’ but ceded no ground, in fact she pressed the heel of her palm against Daphne’s chin so she could pinch the taller woman’s nose between thumb and forefinger! Dufresne hissed her displeasure, countered by burying her free hand in Emily’s hair, just above the nape of her neck. West answered in identical fashion, the Amazing Academic making a concentrated effort to loosen scalp while continuing to twist and tug on Daphne’s-- they came apart with a mutual shove, each woman glaring daggers at the other as they took a moment to check their abused features.
“As I was saying,” Emily resumed once she’d found nothing of consequence. “The office thought you’d make an exceptionally marketable babyface. So did I, truth be told. Imagine my surprise when I discovered you’re much more believable in the role of arrogant bytch.”
Daphne raised her hands and began to circle, though she made no move toward the Black Queen. “Don’t you DARE put that all on me! If that streak had carried on just a little longer I could’ve had my pick of any indy promotion in the country! Instead I get some ringer bytch flying under the radar for the sole purpose of embarrassing--”
CRAAACK!
West stepped in and lit into her opponent’s chest with a Knife-Edge Chop worthy of the Bloodwind Sisters. “Petulance doesn’t become you, Daphne.” she noted. “You’ve been around this business long enough to know no one’s entitled to anything except the chance to prove they’re--”
Dufresne lashed out with a Chop of her own only to sneer in disgust when Emily brought her forearms together to protect her chest in a makeshift guard. Cursing as her hand caromed off the bony defense, Daphne turned away from the Insidious Intellectual and promptly paid for it when West THWHAPPED a kick against the back of her left knee. Swept off balance, she landed flat on her back but rolled to one knee quickly enough. That’s when Emily collected her in a Side Headlock and bore down hard enough to make Dufresne yelp. Hauling her up only after administering a few quick punches to the crown of Daphne’s skull, West thrust her right hip into opposing tummy and slung the incoming star right back to the canvas with a snug Headlock Takedown.
“Don’t think I’ll waste breath threatening that contract.” Emily explained even as she forced Dufresne’s cheek against the side swell of her breast. “It’s signed, sealed and delivered as they say. You’re a member of the FAWN roster whether you win tonight or not, just know I have no intention of laying down for you on your last night in the indnnnggghhh!”
Daphne got a hand in Emily’s face again, but this time it was more than general bytchiness. Angling West’s head as far back as possible, Daph brought her legs up and would’ve ‘smecked’ them around her rival’s skull if Emily hadn’t raaaaaaaaked her fingers across Dufresne’s eyes!
“Hey, watch the eyes!” the ref admonished over the sound of Daphne’s surprised yelp.
“Simply paying a receipt, good sir.” West said after she’d pushed to one knee with the newcomer still wriggling in her Headlock. Emily stood, forced Dufresne to do the same, then pumped a Kneelift into her belly. Daphne soaked it up with a grunt, made Em pay for the pleasure with a few quick punches to the ribs. West took them without complaint but tacked on three more Kneelifts to remind the brunette of her disadvantageous position. “Free yourself from this hold, Daphne.” Emily’s voice had slipped into ‘teacher addressing talented but unruly pupil’ mode, a tone that everyone from Kylie Sanders to Shea London knew and loathed with a fiery passion. “How do you expect to capture FAWN’s attention if you can’t even escape a simple Headlo--”
Dufresne cinched her arms around West’s midsection and muscled her a good six inches off the ground before Em pumped both legs to return herself to terra firma. Growling in frustration as the arrogant hag continued to grind her ears, Daphne SMACKED Emily’s stomach, then curled that hand into a claw and started to squeeeeze. “You’re gonna LET me go, you washed up old bag. Otherwise I’ll claw right though your buttery little WHOOOOAANNNNGGHH!”
In no mood to endure the steely fingers of a motivated adversary, Emily pivoted toward a corner on the far side of the ring and took off with Dufresne forced to trail behind. Picking up speed even as the distance grew smaller and smaller, West took to the skies with a well timed leap that sent her legs sliding between the middle and top ropes. This ultimately meant a comfortable landing on the second strand, whereas Daphne BWUUUNGED skull-first into the top turnbuckle. Emily usually released the Bulldog on impact, but tonight she held on, all the better to draaaaaaagg and scraaaaaape her opponent’s protesting features against the rough canvas.
Dufresne wailed and stamped her feet before grabbing hold of the ropes. “BREAK!” she barked. “GET THIS CHEAP BYTCH OFFA NNNNNGGGHHHH!”
Emily relinquished the remains of the Headlock but only to help herself to a double handful of the other brunette’s hair. A single hard bounce against the apron was enough to send Daphne reeling away from the corner, thus giving West all the time she needed to slip free of the ropes. Infinitely aware of what Dufresne could do with even the slightest opening, Emily walked her down and laid a heavy Forearm Smash across her shoulders before taking control of Daphne’s right wrist. Forcing it up between Dufresne’s shoulders with a Hammerlock, the Black Queen wedged her head under Daphne’s left arm and pressed her free hand to the slim curve of the bendyback‘s butt. Trap set, West muscled Dufresne onto the ball of her right shoulder, then kicked her legs forward and slid out of the way to THWHUMP Daphne down with every bit of her weight landing atop that Hammerlocked arm!
HAMMERLOCK BACKDROP SUPLEX:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1phJlgdiw4
The Green Queen sat bolt upright only to roll onto her side with the throbbing arm held tight to her chest. “You don’t seem to be faring too well, Daphne.” Emily chided as she renewed her claim on the brunette’s right wrist. “I hope the excitement over your newfound employment hasn’t made you complacent.” West rolled the taller woman onto her stomach and pinned the arm behind her back with another Hammerlock. “I’d hate to see such a highly touted prospect reach the big leagues only to flame out in spectacular fashion.”
“Yuuuhhh… you’re the only one that’s going to burn tonight, bytch.” Daphne grunted as she regained her bearings. “Everyone in this arena is gonna watch you get old in this ring, I swear to AAARRRRRRHHHHH!”
Emily hopped up and swung back down, all the better to drive her knee into Daphne’s exposed bicep. “I’d wager the All Mighty has more pressing concerns than listening to you whine about a wrestling match.” the Amazing Academic noted after shifting to a seat on Dufresne’s lower back. “But if you must swear, swear to me.” She cupped the younger woman’s elbow with her free hand and puuuuuussshed up on the Hammerlock.
Daphne waved off the referee when he tried to get close, but said nothing to her attacker. A quick survey of her position told Dufresne she’d have a long slog to the ropes, a revelation that made her loathe Emily West just a little bit more. Still, the only way around was through, so she braced her left elbow against the canvas and began to drag their combined weight toward the sanctuary of the strands. Up top, Emily smiled and torqued the Hammerlock. “Why Daphne, are you actually choosing something other than the path of least resistance? I’m proud of you!” Dufresne growled low in the back of her throat, an angry, dangerous sound.
Contrary to what some might think, the Green Queen had no aversion to adversity, indeed she thrived on challenge. But Daphne simply could not STAND being embarrassed, and the bytch riding her back seemed to know exactly what humiliated her the most. Even so, the hurtin’ hardbody held her tongue until she was close enough to-- “Break.” she said at once. “Get your lumpy ass off me, West. I’m in the ropOOOOOWWWW BYTCH!”
Emily complied with her rival’s request only to drive a single swift Stomp into Dufresne’s exposed forearm! Daphne let loose and curled up, then snarled in protest when the Meticulous Mastermind cupped both ears and peeled her off the mat. Ever aware of her position on the board, Emily took advantage of Daphne’s confusion to drag her back to the center of the squared circle. Once there, she dipped her knees and muscled the protesting bendyback across her shoulders in Fireman’s Carry. She’d just hooked an arm over the back of Dufresne’s neck when the incoming FAWN star drove an elbow into the side of Emily’s skull! West stumbled, steadied herself, stumbled again when Daphne tagged her with two more elbows.
For a moment it looked as though Em was gonna power through, but that all came to an end when Dufresne crooked her hand into a claw and swiped it across the smaller woman’s eyes! West lost all interest in the Fireman’s Carry, which allowed Daphne to wriggle free of the veteran’s clutches. Landing directly behind the other brunette, Dufresne grabbed a shoulder, spun Emily around and greeted her with a Roundhouse that THWHACKED off the side of her noggin! The kick knocked Em right back the way she’d came, leaving her defenseless against the Half Nelson Dufresne slapped on her left arm. Strengthening her grip with an arm around West’s waist, Daphne got low and popped her hips to PLANT Emily flush on the back of her head courtesy of a Half Nelson Suplex. Up on tiptoe immediately thereafter, the lissome lovely held on tight for a count of…
ROUNDHOUSE AND HALF NELSON SUPLEX:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjE5MmvyyfI
ONE…
TWO…
West twisted loose just after ‘TWO!’, her escape earning a loud round of applause from those in attendance. Angered by their disloyalty on what should’ve been her big night, Daphne buried her hands in Emily’s hair and hauled her to boot leather. Halving the hair-hold to keep the ref from nattering in her ear, Dufresne pulled her foe in close and sneered, “You’re not just getting old tonight, bytch. I’m going to retire your washed-up ass!” West’s dark eyes flashed for a second, but it didn’t amount to anything because Daphne CRAAACKED her across the face with a brutal open-palmed Slap! This was followed by half a dozen more, Dufresne gradually increasing the pace of her attack to land as many as possible before the zebra reached ‘FOUR!’
SLAPS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T-vOLgzH7U
Switching to a Wristlock without so much as a murmur of protest, Daph stepped back, dropped her hips and sent Emily running to the far corner with an Irish Whip. West’s ring awareness didn’t fail her, but her reflexes did, the curvaceous battler *barely* able to turn around before she BWUUUNGED back-first against the turnbuck-- “UUUUNNNNNGGGGHHH!” Dufresne, who’d followed only a few steps behind, took to the skies and connected with a Flying Forearm Smash to the welt she’d so recently raised on West’s cheek. “Don’t even think about it, grandma.” Daphne sniped upon observing Emily reaching for the ropes. “I’m not done showcasing just yet.”
Backing off just far enough to prize the Amazing Academic from the buckles, Dufresne snuggled in against West’s right side and threaded her left arm through the FAWN star’s legs while her right arm went under Em’s bicep and across her chest to cup the nape of her neck. Roars of applause from the Suplex nerds in attendance when Daphne took West up, over and down onto the back of her head with a beautiful Exploder. Emily folded into a Matchbook for a heartbeat or two before slopping out flat, a pose that was immediately interrupted by Dufresne hooking the far leg for…
EXPLODER:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWyfu62KTTk
ONE…
TWO…
West kicked out again, a little beyond ‘TWO’ this time, but still far too soon for Daphne’s liking. “Did you think I was going to back down when you took that damned mask off?” Dufresne chirped as she shoveled Emily over onto her stomach. “That I was going to fall to my knees, begging forgiveness from the evil queen of the Black Court? Bytch please. I’m the most exciting wrestler in North America today! And you? You’re just a glorified talent scout.”
Emily let Dufresne run her mouth, anything for a few precious seconds to regain her bearings. “Is that what you believe, Daphne? Or is it just what you tell yourself to justify tapping out like a little UUUUUNNNNGGGGHH!”
Dufresne planted one hand between Emily’s shoulders and another on the curve of her glutes to make sure she had a strong base when she pounded a trio of spiteful knees into the Courtier’s side. Eyes flashing, teeth bared, the hardbody brunette growled, “Bring that up again and I promise you’ll be spitting blood when they put you on the stretcher.”
West didn’t offer anything pithy for that, so Daphne hauled her to all fours and promptly took possession of Em’s left wrist. Stretching that arm out full length, Daphne stepped over Emily’s exposed bicep with her left leg and tucked that shin into the pit of her right knee. The result was a sort of Standing Figure Four, which apart from looking neat, didn’t actually start to hurt until the Green Queen carefully shifted her weight backward so she was essentially stretched out atop her opponent’s back. Doubling down on West’s captured wrist, Daphne craaaaaaaaaaaaaanked back on the beautiful Armbar and taunted, “Gonna try to hobble to the ropes, witch? Or would you like to tap out right here in the middle of the ring?”
FLOATING ARMBAR:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJGlVReSVrM
Planted on her knees and remaining hand, Em shook her head ‘no’ for Daphne and the official. “Your application of leverage is impressive.” she admitted. “But we both know you don’t have the patience or the tenacity to keep this in place long enough to secure a submissSSAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”
Dufresne grabbed hold of the trapped woman’s fingers and bent them back, adding another agonizing dimension to the Floating Armbreaker. “Bytch, I’ve got more patience and tenacity than you’ll ever know. Not that I’ll need either to finish you off. You’re gonna tap out long before I ever break a WHOOOAAAHH!”
West pulled her plant hand away and pushed backward into a short tumble that put Dufresne on her shoulders with the Insidious Intellectual pressed in against her upturned haunches for the…
ONE…
TWO…
THR-NO!
Daphne powered free of the impromptu cradle without relinquishing control over her opponent’s wrist, thus turning her first Armbar into a more traditional, although no less painful, Cross Armbreaker! Thighs snugged tight just below the FAWN star’s trapped elbow, Dufresne bore down on the Scissors and thrust her hips up in an attempt to hyperextend the Black Queen’s elbow. “MIDDLE OF THE RING, YOU HAS-BEEN!” Daphne shouted over West’s groans and the crowd’s ‘PLEASE DON’T TAP!’ chants. “GIVE IT UP OR I’LL SNAP YOUR ARM!”
Em was perhaps ninety percent certain of the other woman’s bluff, which was exactly ten percent less certain than she preferred. Gritting her teeth to avoid any more wasted oxygen, she glanced around and sure enough, Dufresne had her trapped deep in “NNNGGGGHH!”
Daphne unlocked her ankles just to scuff the heel of her right boot across Emily’s mouth once, twice, three times. “I’ll scrape your face off, go ahead, test me.” the haughty hardbody spat after another convulsive yank on her prey’s wrist. “Tap out or I’ll get really nasty.”
“Is that a fact?” Emily grunted after wagging a ‘no’ to the official. “From what the locker room has told me you’re already really EEEERRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHH!”
Teeth bared, Dufresne braced her right foot against the side of West’s face and pushed forward while simultaneously pulling back on her wrist. This lessened the torque on her elbow a great deal but the increased strain on Emily’s neck and shoulder were enough to get her heels beating an agonized tattoo. Crossing her ankles several seconds later, wrenched back on the Armbreaker and purred, “Keep running your mouth if you want, bytch. Just know I’m going to break your arm the instant you say something I don’t like.”
“I would’ve thought impugning your reputation was more than enough provocation for a raging narcissist.” Emily responded much too quickly for Daphne’s liking. “But perhaps you’re made of sterner stuff than I’d imagined… or, and I admit this is far more likely, you lack the fortitude to carry through on your--”
Dufresne drew her right leg up and back, the scorpion’s tail movement of it all the clue Em needed to know Daphne’s heel was coming down on the bridge of her nose. A frightening prospect indeed, yet the Amazing Academic rolled into the threat and thus stacked Dufresne on her shoulders for the second time in as many minutes. Paying no heed to the ref that swooped in beside the action, Emily worked the thumb of her free hand into the back of Daphne’s right kneepad and jabbed the soft flesh as hard as she could. Dufresne shrieked and broke the hold at once, the limber lovely’s escape roll more than a little ungainly with that knee pulled tight to her chest.
Blessedly free of Daphne’s clutches, West held the wounded arm close and took several deep breaths before she stood--THWHAP! A freshly risen, utterly furious Daphne Dufresne darted in and lashed a stiff kick across the veteran’s left thigh. West stumbled, raised that leg to deflect a second kick and caught a hard overhand slap for the trouble. This was followed by a quick Neck Clasp, a single Kneelift to the forehead and a THWHAPPING Chest Kick as Em tottered away on spaghetti legs. She was almost clear of danger when Daphne dropped low and spun around, lashing out her left leg to sweep the Insidious Intellectual to the deck. Back on her feet before the ‘thump’ of Emily’s landing even reached the cheap seats, Dufresne wiped a bit of sweat off her midsection and made a show of ‘flicking’ it at the prone superstar. Then she’d dropped down for a tight Back Press, Daphne hooking the far leg to damned near fold West in half while the official counted…
DUFRESNE RUSH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AyQI8cM5O4
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Emily escaped once more, though Dufresne noted it lacked the urgency of her earlier kick outs. “What’s the matter, Emily? Starting to feel your age?” the younger woman teased. “Well you better dig deep old woman, because that grind you feel pressing down? It’s just getting started!”
Emily muttered something unintelligible, but the tone was defiant enough to earn a scornful slap from the Green Queen. West replied with a slap of her own, though it was so weak Daph simply shrugged it off en route to burying both hands in the vulnerable brunette’s hair. Switching over to a far more legal grip on her opponent’s ears once both women were back on their feet, Dufresne strutted to the nearest corner and tossed Emily against the buckles like she was nothing more than a sack of laundry. “I’d been dreaming about a chance to punch my knuckles bloody against Cipher’s mask.” Daphne admitted after mounting the middle rope. There she ran a hand through Emily’s battle-damp hair, her grip all the better to force the Courtier’s head back at an unpleasant angle. “But lumping up Emily West’s petulant, arrogant face?” Dufresne smiled wickedly, the hardbodied battler quite literally licking her lips with anticipation. “That’s SO much better.”
She punctuated with a sharply angled right hand that PWAAAKED her knuckles against West’s hairline. Of course, right hands in the corner were like potato chips; you couldn’t eat just one. So Dufresne reset and repeat, just hammering away at the FAWN star’s noggin while those rang up a grudging count. ‘TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE!’
Daphne released with a flourish, taking the moment to tuck some errant hairs behind her ears before setting her hands on her hips. “I suppose I COULD just punch you one more time.” she teased. “But why risk my knuckles when I’ve got a cheese grater at my disposal?”
Bludgeoned into a stupor by Dufresne’s heavy hands, Emily could only shake her head ‘no’. “Duuuhhh… don’t you dare, Daphne. Don’t MMMMRRRRGGGGHHHHH!”
Unmoved by the battered brainiac’s meaningless threat, Daphne plunged her hands into Em’s hair and stuffed those protesting features against her gulping abs before tugging the brunette’s head back n’ forth like she meant to take her nose clean off! The ref let it carry on for an internal five count, then started an external version when Dufresne showed no signs of slowing down. Relinquishing at ’FOUR!’ Daphne raised a domineering salute and barked, “She’s just the first! I’m gonna dominate FAWN just like I’ve dominated the WHOOAAANNNNGGGHH!”
This bold proclamation proved a costly mistake as Emily abruptly slipped out between the taller woman’s planted legs and took up residence on Dufresne’s six. In the next breath she grabbed hold of Daphne’s ankles and tugged backward, thus loosing DD from her moorings to drop her into a THWHUMPING face-first collision with the top turnbuckle. Crumpling to one knee on impact, Dufresne grabbed hold of the top rope and would’ve hauled herself up in short order if West hadn’t snatched a double handful of hair and BWUUUNGED Daphne’s mug against the thinly-wrapped canvas! The green-clad battler threw an angry elbow into her attacker’s midsection, alas the angle was poor and it only spurred another skull-ratting BWUUUNG from the Meticulous Mastermind. A third face on buckle impact left Dufresne sufficiently softened for West to grab the top rope in both hands. Planting her feet on the bottom rope on either side of her adversary, Emily rocked up n’ down, up n’ down, the Black Queen building up all the momentum she could before launching herself into a near perfect handstand above her prey. The ‘oooohhhh’s’ of the crowd quickly transformed into sympathetic groans when Em swung down and in, her knees pressed together to THAWHUMP between Daphne’s shoulders!
Rather than bounce away, Emily pressed in with every bit of her weight, the pressure forcing Dufresne to squirm and writhe beneath her grinding mass. Credit the nerves of Daphne Dufresne, she managed to keep her head even as Emily did her best to scrub it away. After a few ineffectual slaps to the FAWN star’s legs, Daph grabbed the middle rope in both hands and mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like ‘BREAK!’. Even if she hadn’t, the official noted Dufresne’s lifeline and tapped West on the arm. “Hop down and clear off, Emily. She’s earned a break.”
Em did as bade, though she made no effort to create distance between herself and the vulnerable brunette. Turning her attention to the zebra, she said, “I agree, if we’re following the letter of the law. Tonight however I choose to invoke the spirit of the law, which says little miss Daphne gets a break only when I think she’s earned one.”
He didn’t much care for that response, which didn’t bother Emily in the slightest. A firm grip on the younger grappler’s ankles stretched her out flat on her belly, her head *just* in the shadow of the bottom buckle. From there the Black Queen planted her right foot between Dufresne’s stems and quickly folded them into an unpleasant knot, with Daphne’s left shin tucked into the pit of her right knee and her right leg folded so that that ankle was braced snug against the shin of West’s encroaching stem. The positioning and set-up got a loud roar from the crowd and Emily couldn’t help but smile as she collected Daphne’s wrists and puuuuuuuuuuulled her upper torso off the canvas in a Deathlock Surfboard. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tap out?” West asked in the midst of putting a serious kink in her opponent’s lower back.
“F*ck no.” Dufresne spat, her chin almost brushing the bottom turnbuckle.
Em smiled, pulled back a little farther. “I’m glad. Means I made the right call.” What sounded like a complement proved to be anything but as the Amazing Academic planted her left foot between Dufresne’s shoulders and stepped down while simultaneously relinquishing control of the taller wrestler’s wrists. There was a low, evil BWUUUNG followed by a raucous roar from the fans as West’s patented Brain Drain almost put Daphne’s mug through the bottom turnbuckle.
BRAIN DRAIN @ 6:03
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-7AP12bsOU
Quick to disengage now that Dufresne was so much senseless sludge, Emily seized her prey’s ankles and draaaaagged her to the center of the squared circle, where she rolled her over and dropped down into a tight Back Press that pointed Daph’s tush toward the lights for…
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Dufresne bought herself at least another three seconds by twisting onto her side before the ref could count ‘THREE!’ Emily’s face registered surprise, but not frustration or disappointment. If anything she seemed quite pleased that the Green Queen was hanging in there. Intrigued by the idea she’d actually discovered a narcissist with some backbone, West twined her hands in Daphne’s hair and dragged her to boot leather only to double her over with a Toe Kick immediately thereafter. This transitioned nicely into a Front Facelock wherein Emily channeled her inner Jake Roberts to PLANT Dufresne’s forehead against the deck with a gorgeous DDT.
She’d have rolled her over for another cover if Daphne hadn’t reared back on her knees, thus necessitating a change of plans. Though often labeled a control freak of the highest order (and with good reason, admittedly) Emily West could adjust on the fly better than most and that’s what she did when Dufresne didn’t have the common decency to slop onto her back like any other piece of swimsuit SPAM. Quick to rise in front of the penitent lovely, West hooked her right arm across Daphne’s chest even as she dipped under the other brunette’s right arm. Then she kicked her legs forward and laid out for the second time in as less than a minute to THWHONK Daph’s face against the thinly-sheathed plywood with a Reverse STO.
DDT and REVERSE STO:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltYQg7QaReo
Emily made no pretense of going for a cover, she simply cupped Daphne under the chin and peeled her off the mat for another Front FaceloNO! Dufresne cinched both arms around the veteran’s waist, dropped her hips and snapped off a beautiful bridge to put West flat on her back with a Northern Lights Suplex! The ref hurried in to make the count but stopped short when Daphne somersaulted over the flattened grappler and rose to her full THWHUMP! Sympathetic groans from those assembled as Dufresne left her feet just long enough to drive both into Emily’s defenseless chest. Planting her butt on West’s midsection in the wake of her emphatic reversal, Daphne hooked the FAWN star’s right leg and drew it forward in a Half Matchbook that lasted through…
NORTHERN LIGHTS & DOUBLE STOMP:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhGBnl2RfBg
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
“See that you washed up beeyotch?” the Abdominal Showman taunted as she scraped her stunned opposition off the deck. “That’s how fast I can turn things around. Just like THAT!” She punctuated with a lightning-fast European Uppercut, the kind that rattled teeth and brought a smile to the face of Olivia Dare. Brought a smile to Daphne’s face too, especially when Emily staggered backward and almost took a knee. “C’MON!” Dufresne slapped her opponent’s face, earning a derisive boo from the crowd. “C’MON, DON’T TELL ME THAT’S ALL YOU’VE--”
The Black Queen took a page from the Ace’s playbook with a gorgeous Super Kick that caught Daphne flush on the chin. Dufresne timbered to her back in a heap and Emily was right there to capitalize, dropping across Daphne’s chest and hooking the far leg for…
SUPER KICK:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR-KjPzg-0U
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
The flattened bendyback twisted onto her side with half a heartbeat to spare, the show of resilience finally earning a flicker of irritation from the FAWN star. Determined to break the ingénue’s spirit now that she knew it was strong enough to be worth her while, Emily grabbed a double handful of hair, lifted Dufresne off the mat and promptly checked her chin with a European Uppercut of her own. This was followed by a Wristlock and Irish Whip, the latter sending her target on a quick ride to--NO!
Daphne reversed the Whip and sent West in her place, not that the Insidious Intellectual looked the slightest bit put out of countenance by her new circumstances. Quick to take note of Dufresne’s steps following close behind, Em put on a burst of speed to make sure there was some distance between herself and the other brunette when she reached the corner. Snagging the top rope in both hands, she vaulted up and back, West floating over rival to leave Daphne boxed in against the THAWHACK!
Alas, even the best laid plans sometimes go awry, as Emily was reminded when Dufresne turned on a dime and buried a kick in the shorter woman’s ribs in mid-freefall. Caught unawares by the brutal counter, West landed hard on all fours, leaving her an easy target for Daphne, she positioned herself on the other brunette’s six. Too furious to bother with words, Dufresne bent down, wrapped her arms around Emily’s thighs and sloooooooowly muscled her off the mat until the veteran’s back was resting heavily against her chest. Dipping into a squat so West’s thighs could rest against her hips, Daph transitioned from the Wheelbarrow to a Double Chickenwing that left Em’s arms pulled tight behind her back. The position was too awkward for Dufresne to show the old hag off, but that didn’t stop her from cooing, “Checkmate, bytch.” Then she sank down a little farther and popped her hips to take Emily up, over and DOWN onto the back of her head with a beautiful Tiger Suplex!
WHEELBARROW TIGER SUPLEX:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=481-cH4h6PQ
Daphne would’ve held the bridge if she’d landed the move even a few minutes earlier, but she was still woozy from the Super Kick which meant West tumbled onto her belly before struggling to all fours. The indy superstar was also slow to rise, though she widened the gap considerably when she realized Em wasn’t getting much farther without help. “Looks like you’re starting to wheeze, old woman.” Dufresne chirped as she hauled the smaller brunette to her feet in stages. “Don’t go passing out on me now, I want to HEAR you beg for mercy!”
Emily replied with a quick elbow to the gut, alas it lacked any real power, as evidenced by the way Daphne shrugged it off before clubbing her across the back of the head and shoulders. “If that’s all you’ve got left I’d save your energy.” she barked. “You’ll need it for groveling after the bell!”
On that unpleasant note she laid claim to Emily’s wrist, stepped back and lowered a shoulder to send the Amazing Academic hurtling at the nearest corner at ludicrous speed! West would’ve had a hard time turning into the impact under the best of circumstances and these most certainly weren’t. As such she hit the top turnbuckle with a sternum-shivering BWUUUNG that left the fans cringing and Emily tottering away from the scene of the accident like a woman more than twice her age. Elsewhere, Daphne Dufresne watched the scene play out from a deep, expectant crouch. Holding steady until she judged the veteran was in the dead center of the squared circle, the Washboard Warrior charged in from the right and spun into position on West’s six. In the blink of an eye Daph had her right leg threaded over Emily’s left thigh and the back of her left thigh wedged in against the base of the smaller wrestler’s neck. The press and pressure of those strong gams was more than enough to sink the Black Queen to one knee, but Emily’s problems didn’t begin in earnest until Dufresne caught her right arm under the bicep and craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanked it back at an ungodly angle!
SLIDE AROUND OCTOPUS STRETCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMxVIwliMSs
“TAP OUT!” Daphne bellowed once the Octopus was sunk in deep. “TAP OR I’LL RUIN YOUR SHOULDER, I SWEAR TO GOD!” she pushed down with her left leg and reefed up on the Armbar to reinforce the point.
Understandably concerned by the angle of West’s neck and right arm, the referee dropped to one knee beside the action and asked, “What do you say, Emily? Need me to call for the bell?”
The Amazing Academic didn’t dare shake her head for fear of another lighting bolt of pain through her neck and even waggling her fingers was difficult, what with her left hand braced against the mat like a kickstand. After a few seconds she grunted, “No, my good sir. Daphne hasn’t surrendered yeEEEERRRRRRHHHHHHHH!”
“Arrogant bytch!” Dufresne spat. “You’re trapped! Done! Admit it before you pass OOOOOWWWWWW!”
Emily slid her planted hand backward until she felt heavy curve of Dufresne’s right knee. Working by feel rather than sight she wormed her thumb into the pit of the other brunette’s knee and jabbed as hard as she could! Daphne relinquished the Octopus at once, which wasn’t to say Emily escaped unscathed, as nothing could be farther from the truth. Teeth bared against the fire radiating from her tweaked knee, Dufresne curled both hands into claws and raked them across Emily’s eyes! The Black Queen wailed, then started to scramble away but found herself caught in a stern Half Nelson.
“You’re done now, bytch.” Daph panted as she dragged West to boot-leather. “Your reputation dies tonight.”
Strengthening her grip with a Half Waistlock, Dufresne got low and put every ounce of her considerable skill and venom into the Suplex that THWHUMPED Emily down on the back of her head and shoulders. Dropped with more than enough power left over to somersault onto her knees, West waited like a penitent as Daphne scrambled up and charged, the Green Queen exploding off her plant foot to TWAWHACK Emily’s defenseless chin with the same European Uppercut that’d defeated Cipher several months prior. Turned inside out by that hellacious Alpha Strike, West offered no resistance as the haughty hardbody shoveled her onto her back and dropped across her tummy in a miniature Splash. Hooking the far leg as tight as she could, Dufresne nodded along with the ref and crowd through…
HALF NELSON SUPLEX & ALPHA STRIKE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rjAJmAbYfo
ONE…
TWO….
THRE--
Emily reached out and grabbed the bottom rope, halting the count with half a heartbeat to spare.
“F*CK YOU!” Daphne screamed down at the exhausted FAWN star. “JUST STAY DOWN!” With that she snagged Emily at wrist and ankle, dragged her away from the safety of the strands and flopped back down for another cover…
ONE…
TWO…
THRENOOOOOOOO!
West inched a shoulder off the mat and Dufresne had to bury her hands in her own hair to keep from throttling the zebra. Acting only when some semblance of control reasserted itself, Daphne scraped her adversary off the deck and secured a Wristlock. “Remember what I said earlier about not passing out?” she grunted. “I lied. You can leave on a stretcher for all I care.” West had no response at the ready so Dufresne simply dropped a hip and slung her into a corner on the far side of the ring. Somehow Em found the energy to put her back into the buckles before impact, unfortunately all this meant was a much better view of her opponent as she took to the skies with a High Knee that slammed across Emily’s prodigious chest.
DUFRESKNEE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm4s7oxhP5M
Careful to keep the smaller wrestler smeared against the corner until she regained her feet, Daphne pulled Emily out, spun her around and stuffed her head under one arm, all the better to muscle the Amazing Academic into a seat on the top turnbuckle. Moving far slower than she would’ve liked, Dufresne stepped through the ropes to the apron, then climbed West’s perch from the opposite side. “Yuuuuhhhh… you should be honored.” Daphne huffed as she slowly but surely muscled Emily onto her shoulders for a Fireman’s Carry. “I’ve only done this once before tonight, and then I didn’t even need it. Just wanted to show off against a bytch who’d caused me problems. Gonna show off against you too,” Dufresne set her feet on the middle rope and got a legitimate ‘OOOOOOHHHHHH!’ from the crowd as she made her way to the third floor, “but it doesn’t feel like piling onNNNEEEERRROOOWWWWW F*CK!”
Emily repaid Daphne’s earlier eye rake with a vindictive thumb to her opponent’s right eye. The Green Queen kept her footing but lost her hooks, which allowed Emily to wriggle into a relatively safe mount on the middle rope. Infuriated by the veteran’s tenacity, Dufresne snatched a double handful of hair and reared back for a Headbutt only to wail in surprise when West caught her with the classic Three Stooges Eye Poke! Daph scrabbled at watering peepers, thus giving Em more than enough time to pwak-pwak-PWAK her across the chin with a trio of European Uppercuts. The blinded brunette reeled on the spot, forcing West to catch hold of Dufresne’s top so she could reel her in for a Front Facelock. Too focused on the task at hand to smile when the crowd let loose with a cheer, the Queen of the Black Court grabbed hold of Daphne’s waistband and hauled the taller woman directly overhead! The drop that followed was relatively short, as West simply hopped down to the deck, unfortunately for Daphne that meant her skull BWUUUUNGED into the top turnbuckle with sickening force!
TURNBUCKLE HEMORRHAGE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ldEOrxlAE
Dufresne’s limber frame seemed to compress for a moment, the Washboard Warrior folding up in a crumpled ‘C’ before nerves and gravity stretched her out and she landed on the far side of the apron, still on her feet by virtue of nothing more than dumb luck and Emily’s Front Facelock. Taking a moment to catch her breath and to adjust her grips on Daphne’s near dead weight, West planted her feet and hauled Dufresne to high noon for the second time in less than a minute. Only now she took several steps back, drawing Daph away from the ropes and any chance of salvation. Remarkably steady for so late in the contest, the Amazing Academic held her burden aloft with hardly a flutter while the crowd tolled the seconds. ‘ONE!TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN!”
CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4TqRceRjhQ
Emily kicked a knee up high and dropped straight down to PLANT Daphne high and tight on the back of her head and shoulders with a picture perfect Cerebral Hemorrhage. Dufresne bounced away from the landing and damned if she didn’t try to tumble onto her belly, but Emily caught her at hip and shoulder and pulled her right back to start. From there it was merely a matter of hooking both legs and rolling into the Back Press, West pointing her rival’s rump at the overhead lights for…
ONE…
TWO…
THREE!
Em broke the cover as soon as the bell sounded to make sure she was on one knee and tapping her temple when the Announcer called, “Ladies and gentlemen, your winner via pin-fall… EMILY WEST!”
Exhausted but victorious, the Black Queen stood tall and treated the crowd to a knowing smirk when the official raised her hand shortly thereafter. With traditions thus observed, she turned her attention to Daphne, who was slowly making her way to all fours. West took a step forward and someone in the crowd bellowed, “GO FAWN ON HER ASS, EMILY!” The sentiment was echoed by a good many in attendance, so much so that Dufresne looked up, her dark eyes wide and wary of any potential post-bell humiliations.
Emily gave it some serious consideration. After all, the Green Queen was responsible for Cipher’s only losses, one of which included her first match with Sadia Morales in more than a decade. Yes, the Insidious Intellectual considered herself quite justified in doling out a little old school FAWN justice, yet in the end she offered her hand to the other brunette. After all, what was the point of bringing new pieces to the board if they arrived as damaged goods?
“I’d advise getting off your knees.” Emily said to her newest co-worker. “Unless you’re interested in joining the Court, of course.”
Daphne frowned, clambered to verticality without taking the older woman’s hand. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. I didn’t bust my ass night in and night out just to sign on as your newest toady.”
West rolled her eyes. “First, I don’t have toadies, I have a network of extremely talented women that keeps FAWN safe from threats that would otherwise disrupt the balance of the great game. Second, each and every woman in the Court has taken the knee of their own volition. As far as you are concerned Daphne Dufresne, I’m quite happy to simply welcome you to the board. But you’ve got to play the game quite some time before I’ll know if you’re worthy of protecting it.”
Dufresne bristled at the idea that she wasn’t Court material, even if she had no interest in the faction. “I just took you to the limit, West.” she snapped. “I think that entitles me to your respect, if not entrance to your snotty little club.”
“Respect is earned, Daphne.” Em countered. “Which is why I’ll offer you my hand a second time. Rest assured there won’t be a third.”
Dufresne put her hands on her hips and scowled. In truth she HATED ending her indy career on a loss, yet she couldn’t deny the tingle that ran up her spine when the crowd started chanting ‘SHAKE HER HAND! SHAKE HER HAND!’ After a moment she reached out and did just that, albeit quite grudgingly.
“Don’t expect any deference in Orlando.” the new hire warned. “I’m coming to FAWN with every intention of being the best and I’ll run straight through the Court if I have to.”
“I know of at least three women that would relish the challenge.” West replied with a faint smirk.
“I mean it, Emily. I’m not scared of you or the Court. And unlike most of that roster, I know I can beat you. So don’t think you can threaten me into compliance.”
Emily’s smile grew a little more predatory as she drew away. “Don’t upend the board and I won’t have to, Ms. Dufresne.”
“Guess you’ll have to crawl out from under that rock to see how it plays out, huh?” Daphne challenged. “Better do it soon though. Spring Break will be here before you know it.”
“Yes it will.” the Black Queen agreed. “As for whether or not I’m actually in attendance to witness your grand debut, well, you won’t know unless I want you to.”
“That’s the difference between us. You’re content to stay in the shadows. Me? I want all eyes on me the instant I walk through that curtain.”
“Which is one of the myriad reasons I’ll look forward to having you around the office, Daphne. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a shower to take and a flight to catch.” Emily turned, paused halfway through and looked back at the newest member of the roster. “Oh, and Daphne? Welcome to FAWN.”
Dufresne watched her go, completely oblivious to the dueling ‘THANK YOU, EMILY!, DON’T GO, DAPHNE!’ chants. “Thanks for having me.” she said to no one in particular. “I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to introducing myself to each and every woman in the locker room.”
End