[Pendant Match] Kawaii: The Stranger vs Maria

Standard Kawaii Match
Winning Conditions: Pinfall or Submission
Match Stipulations: Each Team Member will win the Number of Pendant pieces stated for Participation in the match

The Stranger: Purple Parrots/Chocobos [½ pendant]

Maria Ashcroft: No team, no pendant.

The lights in the arena quickly went out as a lone piano echoed about. This was the Stranger. Unseen, unrecognized, only heard. Smoke started to pour down the ramp, albeit unseen by the audience before the whistling started up and the white light shone from the entrance-way with the silhouette being the only visible thing. As soon as the guitar started up, the lights flashed on as purple pyrotechnics went off in honor of her team. The Stranger was shown to be wearing a mask made of a royal purple-colored silk. Normally, there would be golden dragons wrapped about the design, but for the occasion, the Stranger had made sure that they were fierce-looking parrots. She was set to have her first match for the Temple games, and it was going to be to beat the living crap out of a kawaii. At least, that's how Silk saw it. Her plan was to dominate and destroy this kawaii opponent of hers, no matter how hard the little girl fought.

As she climbed into the ring and moved to her corner, the Stranger shred her purple cloak to reveal a purple and gold one-piece. Her eyes, cold and grey, stared at the entrance silently. Who was this opponent of hers, and how long would it take to prove her dominance over her? The crowd, looking at the spectacle that they had only observed once, wasn't sure what to make of the masked one. The last they saw, she was in a tough-fought cage match that ended with both participants going through the announcer's table. Surely this wasn't a woman fit for handling kawaii talents?

(Sorry bout the typos. Posted this from a phone. Will edit later)
As the stranger's music came to an end, a breif and quiet pause filled the stadium. In the shadow of the entryway, Maria swallowed down the lump in her throat, closing her eyes tightly. Her heart was racing. She could hear the buzz of the crowd, the dull hum of electricity from the lights. The air was heavy, charged, and she could smelt tge sweat, ozone, and vapor. She was nervous- but she was no coward. For a moment that seemed like an eternity she waited- before her music hit. On that cue Maria left her fear and unease behind, stepping onto the stage.

Maria's entrance was heralded by her own image tightening her gloves, portrayed above her on the massive screen. A single salute if red pyrotechnics shot into the air as she made her way to the edge of the ramp. The music built tempo and the red-head dashed forward, her hair trailing behind her and her tasteful black suit, specially tailored to be able to fight in, stayed straight on her person. Maria didn't slow even as she approached the ring.
Then she leapt.

To the chorus of the crowd's collective gasp Maria leapt from ground level and cleared the top rope, flipping and corkscrewing once. An impressive display for anyone, Maria's feet planted firmly as she stuck the landing, arms spread, and the brought them both to her sides. One arm went behind her back, and the other adjusted her tie, before she finally spoke.
"Good evening. My name is Maria Aschcroft.... I am honored to be your opponent, Miss Stranger."
The tone was a surprise, and she didn't speak into the mic when she said it. She was soft spoken, collected, her tone full of respect. She wasn't putting on a show- she meant it. This became clear when, without further ado, she bowed to The Stranger, then stood back up as her music ended
"I'm going all give it my all- so if I win, please do not think ill of me Miss Stranger.."

With that out of the way she nodded, content, and brought her hands up high in front of her, formed into half fists. She moved her weight forward on her feet and bent her knees slightly, moving up and down and looking determined
Nervous or not- I came to far to not do my best!
Maria looked more like a business executive then a wrestler with her suit and tie- but she clearly had the will to fight.

The masked one kept her eyes fixated on the entrance as her pink-haired opponent made her way down the ramp. This was it? This was her challenge in this pendant match? Pft, some little girl in a suit was not going to-Whoa, that was a bit impressive of a stunt.

So her opponent was a high-flying, business suit-wearing kawaii. The Stranger thought she might be able to have fun with this one. She stoically nodded at her opponent as she said that she was honored to be her opponent. Under her mask, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as the girl bowed at her. She sure was...strange.

The masked one merely nodded and gave a slight knowing-like smile as Maria adjusted herself for the fight. She thought it would be fun to just mirror the little kawaii for a while and play with the girl's mind. So she crouched down so that she was eye-level with the girl and clenched her fists in a ready position. All that she waited for was the sound of the bell.

Even as the stranger mimicked her stance, Maria wasn't scared or put off. Sure, there was a chance that her opponent knew how she fought, but Maria wasn't going to let that stop her. She had come to far, and this was her first night in the AFW. True, this was part of the set up for an upcoming pay-per-view she wouldn't be a part of. And true, in the grand scheme of things victory or defeat would do neither for her opponent. The Stranger had nothing to lose in this fight, it was a win/win situation for her, she could phone it in if she wanted. For Maria Aschsroft, the red haired new kawaii, this match was important. It was a matter of making a name for herself, of proving herself to those who told her her dream was impossible. It was a matter of pride. As a fighter, Maria's pride was the one thing she couldn't abide losing. Even if she lost here to The Stranger, as long as she gave it everything she got, proved that she could fight, then Maria would have no qualms about losing.
But she had no intention of losing.

Maria inhaled deeply as she counted down the seconds in her mind, calming and readying herself- and when the bell rang she exhaled in the first second, slowly-
and then took off.
Maria shot forward- she was not only agile, but she was fast. Maria knew from personal experience that she was not the strongest fighter, and when it came to grappling she was nowhere near as skilled as most opponents, but if she had one thing working for her, and it was speed and precision. She knew she would have to strike hard and fast if she wanted even a chance, and she knew that her best bet was to come out of the gate in top form. She moved in low, pulled her arm back and opened her fist, revealing her palm. She lashed forward, the heel of her open palm going for a quick, sudden strike- aimed for a spot a few inches below where the shoulder met the base of the neck, where a cluster of nerves and muscles were surprisingly susceptible to attack, if you knew about them. If she connected, the Stranger would find herself in quite a bit of pain- while no permanent damage would be done, the aching, throbbing pain would be notticeable