Cecilia Northman Vs. Minerva Larsen - III: Clash of Queens

Standard Match

Rules: Standard
Victory Conditons: Pinfall, Submission, K.O. Or Ringout.
Attire: Standard

Spoiler:

It had been far too long since Cecilia had faced off against her old tag partner and nemesis Minerva. Their previous encounter having ended with Minerva picking up the victory thanks to some unscrupolous tactics. Which didn't sit very well with the Hardcore Queen, she was intent on paying Minerva back and showing the Danish pest just what the Swede could do to her when she was pissed off. Having had to sit on her frustration for a while though had perhaps mellowed the anger a bit, she was mostly just looking to pay Minerva back and give her old rival a beating she wouldn't forget...though that was always something she was looking to do to her at any opportunity.  

Already standing at the Gorila Position, Cecilia rolled her shoulders and readied herself. The crowd scurried around to try and start the entrance theme of the famous/infamous Cecilia Northman! When it began the crowd went into a roar, loud and thunderous cheers that echoed through the arena, with a few jeers mixed into the loudness of it all. Cecilia shrug her shoulders and stepped out onto the ramp, walking down with confindence towards the squared circle, she made her way to the ring and rolled in under the bottom ropes, rising up towards her feet as she would make her way to the center of the ring. Raising her right hand into the air as a closed fist as if she had already won, she stood there with her arm raised for a few seconds as the cheers died down and the music stopped. Turning and walking towards her corner, Cecilia would drape her arms over the ropes and lean back against it, releasing a heavy huff of air as her crimson eyes fixed themselves on the ramp.

Feeling the itching sensation of excitement as it coursed through her body, she wanted Minerva to get down here and face her right now. To slug it out and slam Minerva all around the ring. She could hardly wait....

For all their disdain for each other, Minerva and Cecilia were probably more alike than either woman would be willing to admit, at least in the way they held grudges. Minerva had held onto her anger at Cecilia for nearly ending her career for years, and had even followed her to the other side of the world for revenge. She had claimed it, but not in a manner that could effectively bring an end to the hate between them. Perhaps nothing would ever be able to do that. Either way, fate had taken them both in separate directions since their last encounter. New paths had been forged for them both, as well as new grudges. But now an old rivalry was being renewed once again.

Spoiler:

Minerva:

The silence that followed the end of Cecilia’s entrance was eventually broken by the sounds of low cello notes leading into the Rains of Castamere, playing a prolonged intro before Minerva finally strode out onto the stage and began walking down the aisle. For their first two matches, the Dane had come to the ring wearing a smug grin and an air of pompous arrogance. She was as sure of herself now as ever, but there was no smile or grin on Minerva’s features. She wore an expression of intense focus, not entirely unlike Cecilia. Even her ring gear was different than what she had worn in her previous bouts with the Swede. Marching straight to the center of the ring, she stared her rival down.

“Well, well... We meet again.”

Cecilia's eyes fixed upon the ramp as she saw her former tag partner and long time hated rival Minerva make her way down the ramp. Keeping her eyes fixed on her until she made her way halfway down the rampe, where Cecilia would close her eyes and then start to walk up towards her center of the ring. The Dane had a smug grin on her face where Cecilia had nothing but a face of stone.

Standing but an inch or so away from Minerva as they were uncannily close, Cecilia kept her red eyes glaring into Minerva's eyes as her rival spoke. " That we do." Cecilia spoke as she place her hands on her hips. " You can at least hope your ending won't be as bad as that crummy show you like so much." Cecilia joked as she would crack a grin.

In a more casual setting, Cecilia bringing up the ending of Game of Thrones around Minerva would’ve been a dangerous thing to do, though not so much because the Dane would’ve taken offense to it. Though it had been her favorite show, she loathed the way it ended more than she loathed Ari Nagawa, and even more than she had loathed Cecilia at the peak of their animosity toward one another, which was saying quite a bit. If she wasn’t focused on a match she was about to compete in, Minerva might’ve exploded into a rant that could’ve gone on all night about her issues with the show at it’s latter end, particularly the way her beloved Cersei Lannister had been handled.

But with her mind centered on the task at hand, she was able to simply return her rival’s grin and chuckle at the comment. “Not even you are capable of crafting such a horrid fate for me, Northman,” she replied, before moving back into her corner, stretching her limbs a bit in the last few moments before the bell rang.

DING!

And with that Minerva came back out, hands up as she watched Cecilia’s movements. Seeking to meet her rival in the middle of the ring once again, she would this time greet her by lashing out with her hands in an attempt to initiate a lockup with the blonde.

Cecilia couldn't help but smirk a little as she looked on at the facial expression changes of the Dane. She had known Minerva long enough to see her tells and know how to annoy her more than anything. Part of her had hoped to get Minerva into a long winded and unnecessary rant only to strike when she was in the middle of it. Though it seemed as if her old tag partner was more composed than that for now.

Hearing her chuckle out and seeing her grinning like that only made Cecilia want to drag that face of hers across the canvas. Seeing Minerva move back towards her corner so would the blonde, backing up and making her way towards her corner where she would wait until the bell rang.

Afterwhich she stepped out and raised her hands, watching Minerva as she saw how the raven haired woman made her way closer and closer towards the center of the squared circle. Seeing how Minerva was lashing out with her hands the blonde powerhouse would do the same! Trying to go in for that lockup and clash with the Dane! Locking up and quickly trying to force Minerva backwards!

If Cecilia had brought up that horrid ending around the time it had aired, she would’ve gotten the exact reaction she had hoped for and much more. Minerva had been reeling at home from the mortifying loss of her championship back then, and knowing the final season of her beloved show was coming had been one of the few things that gave her any sort of solace at the time. And then, one episode at a time, her favorite characters had been butchered, stories she had been invested in ended with complete dissatisfaction. Already at possibly the lowest point both mentally and emotionally, one could only imagine how great her outbursts of rage when the one thing that had a chance to raise her spirits had instead disappointed her so severely.

But time heals all wounds, as they say. Not that Minerva had forgiven the writers responsible for ruining what she believed should have been the greatest show of all time, but in the time after she had focused herself on things far more important. Namely, getting her career back on the right track.

Now she found herself engaged in a lockup with her rival. The Minerva of old would’ve taken this moment to throw some cheeky banter at the blonde before trying to drive her backward, likely in a bid to make some arbitrary statement of superiority. Now, more focused and driven than before, she instead opted for something much more practical, hurling her right knee up and seeking to blast it directly into Cecilia’s stomach!

There was a bit of a disappointment in the fact that Minerva while having reacted with a slight sign in her facial expression, she had sort of wanted to get Minerva on a whole angry rant. It reminded her a bit of the good old days, though she figured that perhaps Minerva was a bit too focused on trying to prepare for the match. Though when Minerva didn't even try and banter in the lock up, Cecilia couldn't help but narrow her eyes a bit, scoffing out right in Minerva's face.

She was about to fire off with some banter of her own to start them off only for Minerva to suddenly drive her knee right up into the strong abs of the powerful blonde. " Guuh!" Cecilia gasped out as air was knocked out of her lungs and she was forced to hunch over a bit, gritting her teeth and snarling out with anger a bit she tried to force herself back up into a full stand, but surely Minerva wasn't going to let this chance slip through her fingers.

The last time they had met, it no doubt would’ve taken very little to get Minerva to argue and rant with Cecilia. But some things about the Dane had changed since then. Of course, she still hated and resented the blonde. That would likely never change. But certain events since their last encounter had altered Minerva’s perspective. In some ways she was a different person now, though she was still hellbent on making sure her rival wasn’t the one getting her arm raised in the end tonight.

Her knee struck right on target, doubling Cecilia over, and it was absolutely correct to assume Minerva wouldn’t just wait for her to right herself. She moved to wrap her hands around the back of her enemy’s neck to flip her over into a seated position with a snapmare which, if successful, would be immediately followed by a thunderous soccer kick aimed right for Cecilia’s spine! Minerva had always had strong legs, and she had spent a lot of time in recent years training to make her kicks a particularly deadly tool in her offense. She was wasting no time in trying to put them to use against her rival.