A Strongfoot Scorned

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: Hmpt, not so much of a secret that you’d be facing me after what my cousin did to you..

Velvet: Hopefully this time you’ll put up a better fight than when I put you through the wringer.. because I should varn you, Cashmere hits HARD!

[CaptainL]

Well...this did not exactly go according to Danielle's plan. Her hopes of dodging a fight that she was sure she was going to lose and nominating Jade in her place had just blown up catastrophically. But how was she supposed to know that this was going to happen? If she knew she was going to need Jade, she would've made sure to have her close at hand. But alas, fate waited for no one.

As she stepped away from the phone, she watched the two Strongfoots, her eye still twitching nervously as her hands quivered at her sides. Now, that meant it was just her against Cashmere - and, as she thought back with a shudder on the sheer power she had seen Cashmere unleash on the barricade she'd constructed, that would be an uphill battle indeed. But what was she supposed to do now? Step away? Call it off? Act like this was all a joke? Danielle's pride was great - great enough to get her into this in the first place, but also so great that she knew she couldn't just give up now. That would be tantamount to admitting defeat and debasing herself in front of the Strongfoots - again. And she had already been through far too much of that. She swallowed a gulp of bile, realizing all too late that it was her desperation to save face that had only landed her in hotter water. Whether she liked it or not, this was a challenge she would have to accept!

"J-Just you wait-!" the Frenchwoman spat back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why, you don't even know who I'm going to train under in preparation!" She didn't know that either, but that wasn't something they would need to know. "I think you'll find that first match was just a fluke - nothing more! This time, though...this time will be different! You'll see!"

She bit her lip, standing tall and trying her best not to let her anxiety show through. No matter how much her eye twitched. Danielle needed to believe this. Or, at the very least, to convince the Strongfoots that she believed it.

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: Name ze time and place, I figure I’d give you a bit of time to prepare for our duel..

Velvet: Because you’ll need all ze training you can get against my cousin!

[CaptainL]

If there was any saving grace about this miserable situation, it was that the two Strongfoots were at least willing to let Danielle settle this on her terms. She breathed a short sigh of relief and hugged her arms closer to herself - and, just moments later, bit her lip with a blush at the thought that doing so would make her look like she was as nervous about this as she really was. She had to make sure the Strongfoots knew she was capable, and every bit willing to rise to their challenge! Not that she was doing a particularly good job of showing it.

"You...h-have my word," Dani huffed. "I'll face you in...in, uh...three weeks! But I must warn you - when you're facing me at my fullest potential, then you will know your cousin just got a stroke of good luck! You'll see-!"

She cleared her throat and tried to stand tall, but even then, her eyes flit back and forth, and her stance wavered. Hopefully, she'd have the time to properly prepare herself and get in shape for that match, and it wouldn't all blow up in her face. The first step was going to be finding a trainer - and she just hoped she'd be able to do so in a timely fashion...

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: Three veeks?! Do you know how busy my schedule is? Ze amount of fashion shows I have to attend alongside the deadlines I have for my company is lutefisk!!

Velvet: Fetter, calm yourself.. no need to fly off ze handle!

[CaptainL]

When Danielle heard that the date she'd named wouldn't do, she breathed a short sigh of relief. For once, something had gone her way today. If a date in three weeks wasn't going to work for Cashmere, then she had all the time she needed to find a trainer and hone her skills so she just might stand a chance - maybe she'd even find an excuse to bail out herself. But of course, she wasn't going to admit that was what she wanted - not now!

"W-Well, then...I'll let you know when I'm ready! Then, though...then you'll see!" Clearing her throat, Dani turned and marched off down the hallway. "I'll...see you then-!" she barked, in as defiant a voice as she could manage. She didn't look back at the Strongfoots for even a moment, though - that would mean facing what was, at the moment, her greatest fear. And she couldn't let them see just how nervous she really was.

As soon as she had turned the corner, Danielle slumped against the wall, panting for breath. She rubbed at her head, trying to dull the throbbing sensation in her temples. It felt like she'd just run a marathon; her heart was racing. Something told her, deep in her soul, that things wouldn't be that simple. The Strongfoots wouldn't forget this. Even if they did, a disturbance like this was sure to get picked up by the media, and they would surely hold Dani to her challenge. Now she had to find a trainer, get in shape, and stand up to Cashmere - and above all, to swallow her pride enough to accept she'd need to do it all in the first place. Just what had she agreed to?

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Cashmere: *Sighs* I should probably go check on Ollie to see how her match is doing, and maybe after she’d be able to train me for my big debut..

Velvet: I’m sure it von’t take long, but given how I practically mopped ze floor with Danielle.. I doubt she’ll be able to improve!

[CaptainL]

Continued here