Local Fauna - Ria Yamazaki & Blaise Cameron

[CyanDimitrik]

Japan, land of fascinating technology, wriggly food, and the lariato(ooooo~!). It's also now home to a rare breed of creature; one not native to its island shores. This creature is akin to a lemming, but has a more sophisticated language. Also unlike the lemming, it can also survive some of nature's most deadly pitfalls; repeated blunt impact, physical exhaustion, and crippling depression. No, this creature seems impervious to the worst of these!

WHAM.

"Umf!"

"You see," says an enormous, severe Japanese man with a handlebar moustache, "when you see the hands grab in placement of the bodyslam, you must resist!" He's using English to lessen the risk of misunderstanding. It's breaking even, at best.

"I know!"

The oversized mitt of the Japanese man reaches down to grab Blaise by the scruff of his shirt, hoist him, and promptly deposit him on his boots again. Blaise stands almost sheepishly, eyes wide and shoulders hunched. The tension is lessened when the Japanese man's canvas of a palm pats him over the head in what is a sincere effort at not being patronizing. "We try again!"

Blaise stances, legs spreading to a shoulders' width apart, hands raising and fingers splayed. "Ready!"

In a flash of movement so fast for such a gigantic human that it could only be described as cosmically unfair, Blaise has been lifted and slammed back down into the mat of the gym's ring. The Japanese man stands over him, fists planted to his hips and scowling down at the younger male. Blaise croaks in response.

"You said you know!"

"Look!," says Blaise, lifting an index finger and shutting his eyes in a matter-of-fact manner, "You're huge. You don't have fingers - you have ten tag-team partners."

The massive Japanese man responds with an instantaneous elbowdrop. "Gaack!"

At least the gym appeared basically abandoned at this time of evening!

[Ria]

Even when not in competition, Ria felt the need to keep herself busy. In her past life, this would have meant picking a fight, running drugs, whatever delinquent activity presented itself. Those days were behind her. Nowadays, the gym kept her busy. It wasn't a glamorous lifestyle. There were certainly times where she had to mentally talk herself into going. But Ria knew once she got moving, got working, that she'd be in her sanctuary. With that in mind, she had scoped out a new place to work out.

Decked out in plain black Muay Thai shorts, with a sports bra and shoes that matched, Ria entered the gym. She had her bag across her shoulder and a towel draped around her neck. She had initially planned to find the nearest heavy bag, but her plans changed pretty quickly; there was a ring. In it, a young man was being tossed around by what appeared to be a bear masquerading as a human being. She had to see what was going on. She moved in to the edge of the ring, dropping her bag and towel. A few things became readily apparent; the young man was a gaijin and the hulking man was Japanese. They were speaking in English.

Ria had taken English in high school (it was mandatory), but she wasn't fluent. Even calling her passable would be generous. The way she saw it, she had two options to figure out what was going on; she could ask the gaijin, or she could ask the older man.

"Excuse me sir, but what's happening here?" Ria questioned the Japanese man. Not waiting for an answer, she looked to the young man. "You... good?" Ria asked the gaijin after some difficulty.

[CyanDimitrik]

Blaise feels like he's been pushed into a crater in the ring. Is there a crater now? He's pretty sure there's a crater. But at least his trainer has gotten off of him. The invasion of the teenaged girl earns a slow, severe, even critical turn and stare from the genetic freak of a Japanese man.

"I am attempting to carve the diamond from the rough of this outsider's decadent flaws," responds the man in a solemn, sagely tone. He's clearly more eloquent in his native tongue.

Blaise's hand shoots into the air. "I heard that!" Dazed and softly panting, the male teen turns over onto his hands and knees. A couple heavy breaths, and he sets a pair of bright blue expressive eyes on Ria. A warm smile follows. "M'good," he replies in English. "See, Mr. Handa, he shows he cares with violence." His warm smile turns cheeky. "I can speak Japanese, by the way," he adds - in Japanese.

The enormous Japanese man, presumably Handa, bears only a stoic frown. "This," he says, leaning down to pluck Blaise up by the scruff yet again. He doesn't set him back down yet. Instead, he supports the smaller male like a disobedient kitten while he talks, "miscreant pretends to struggle for the glory of professional wrestling! Yet he fails to grasp the simplest nuance!"

"Sometimes the violence is with words," helpfully adds Blaise, still dangling off his feet. He doesn't seem bothered by this - or even phased. He's having fun taking casual shots at Handa's barbs.

[Ria]

"OH THANK GOD!" Ria exclaims after hearing the young man can speak Japanese. She certainly would have tried to have a conversation, but it would have went about as well as things were going in the ring. Ria tilted her head upon hearing the exchange between the two in her company.

"Not to step on any toes here, but aren't the basics sometimes the hardest thing to master? I mean, flash and dash is great, but solid basics are like a sturdy foundation. Such a thing isn't always easily built. It can take time. At least, that's how I feel." Ria said all this knowing full well that she herself could use some work in that department. The fully figured woman didn't bother waiting for an invitation, climbing into the ring. She looked to Handa, then to Blaise.

"I may be wrong, Handa-san, but even stepping in the ring shows a passion for professional wrestling. That's my opinion, anyway. You put your body on the line every time you do lace up your boots. I'm sure you're well aware of that, though. And you..." Ria looked Blaise over yet again. "You're kind of a numbnut, aren't you?" There were a few things Ria had forgotten at home before heading to the gym... Tact seemed to be on that list.

[CyanDimitrik]

Shots fired! Shots fired!

Blaise blinks owlishly at her, still dangling from Handa's grip. And then suddenly, he bursts into a cheerful, but brief laugh. "Hahah! We say that in America, too!"

Handa, however, gives her no immediate response. He simply squints at her, then flicks his gaze to Blaise. That's all the statement needed. But he relents enough to drop Blaise to his colorful boots again. "Yes," he finally says. "Yes. And that is why he will now challenge you." It's not a matter of if she's up for it. It's not a question of whether or not it's okay. She climbed into the ring. She looks fit. Handa has spoken.

Blaise doesn't look quite so sure. He's never actually wrestled a girl before. Nevermind maybe the most important facet of this whole situation. "H-hey, wait! Handa! You can't just ask me to rough up a person! Non-wrestlers can have opinions!"

Handa isn't listening. Handa appears to be exiting the room.

"Handa!" Thumb and index finger pinch the bridge of his nose, eyes screwing shut. "Y'know, it's times like these that make me think there's a chance I just don't get the customs of a country on the opposite end of the planet." With that, he whirls to face the girl and finally gives her an appraising once-over. She's in shape. She carries herself with confidence. Did Handa clue into something he didn't?

"We don't have to, y'know," he excuses with an awkward chuckle. "I mean, obviously, it's not like I have to just attack whoever he says to."

[Ria]

Handa was undeniably a traditional Japanese man. If a statement, a demand, was made, there was no misconstruing it. It wasn't a request, it wasn't a question. It was what it was, in plain black and white. Ria had some reservations about this. It wasn't that she had never fought a man; she had, many times over. She wasn't looking to fight just for the sake of fighting, not anymore. Unfortunately, Blaise said something... Something that may have been misinterpreted. Non-wrestler. Maybe he meant himself. Maybe he just meant it as a general statement. Regardless of how it was meant to be taken, Ria felt it was directed at her. And she was pissed.

"Non-wrestler?! You sure as hell must be talking about yourself! I've been busting my ass for a year! I might not be the best around, but I can give as good as I get!" Ria spat the words out towards Blaise. She went to a corner, stretching her arms out as she did. When she was satisfied with that routine, she swung one of her thick legs up, hooking it over the top rope. She started stretching her hamstring and knee. As she did, she calmed down... a little.

"Listen, you're not the first guy I've fought. Truth be told, this could be good for you. It seems like you need some help." Her words weren't quite as venomous this time around. There was still a bit of bite to them. If that weren't enough, Ria clearly had her game face on. Blaise was in quite the pickle now.

[CyanDimitrik]

She bursts at him, and Blaise recoils in shock. "Whoa-hey-hangon-wait!," he protests rapidfire. "You are?! I mean, whoa! Hold on!," he repeats, hands raised in hopes of reigning things back in. This got out of hand so fast! "I didn't- I mean, how-" He's vocally flailing. And now that she's returning, she'll be met with haplessness.

But he recognizes that look. Of course, he is a wrestler, and it's a look he's seen a hundred times before. He may have worn it a time or two, himself! So even while she's talking to him, he's resigned to tolerate the faux pas in silence. In the meantime, he takes the collar of his shirt and tugs, drawing the shirt up and over his head to cast it outside the ring. This leaves him in what's obviously wrestling gear - boots, trunks, and zilch else, trim and toned upper-body left bare.

When she says her piece, his hands lift again. It isn't to invite a grapple, but to beg a moment. "I didn't mean to offend ya. I honestly had no idea. That's on me. So I'll.. make it up to ya, 'kay? Juice or something afterwards. But for what it's worth, you're obviously right."

The fingers spread. So does a grin.

"I haven't yet developed that Highlander sense that tells me there's another wrestler in the area." Does she get Highlander? ...Sure she does. What country doesn't get Highlander?

He's the first to make a move, attempting to catch the girl in an opening lockup.

[Ria]

Ria couldn't help but stare for a second after Blaise took his shirt off. Regardless of any actual wrestling talent, he had obviously put the work in at the gym. She snapped her focus back to the task at hand. She had finished her stretching by the time he -Well, Ria wasn't exactly sure what to call it. It was like a hyper version of the five stages of grieving; denial, followed by bargaining, then acceptance. The anger and depression part didn't really seem to suit this guy. On top of that, while witty, his Highlander joke fell a bit flat with Ria.

"Highlander? Is that the one with the talking car?" David Hasselhoff would be rolling over in his grave if he heard that... And if he was dead. The banter was short lived. Blaise had moved in with a lockup! Ria yelped out in surprise! She recovered quickly from her mental shock. This guy was a bit more aggressive than she had given him credit for! But the first strike didn't mean much if it wasn't actually a strike. Thinking on her feet, Ria decided to try and position herself to execute a Japanese arm drag. She wasn't sure it would work on Blaise. It was a move based in momentum, so it could be guarded against if the opponent saw it coming. With what Handa had said earlier, however, Ria thought such a thing wouldn't be happening.

[CyanDimitrik]

The grapple is executed, and whatever momentum Blaise may have had is cut short with her response. He has long enough to gape at her. It doesn't last long, but it's cranked to maximum Decker.

Whether one might blame it on his own skill level or her jarring him that badly by flubbing an American classic, the reversal sees success. Blaise is flipped through the air and lands squarely on his back on the mat. But he doesn't stay down long. Despite the obvious punishment he was receiving at the (unreasonably huge) hands of Handa, he's kept some considerable pep in his step! He springs to all fours and lifts to his boots, staggering a single step before catching his balance again.

"Whew! Okay, yeah, you definitely are a wrestler!" And the smile on his face is unrelenting with that knowledge. He attempts to close in with her again, this time hoping to catch her with a toe-kick to the midsection.

[Ria]

If nothing else, Blaise was resilient. Ria couldn't help but smirk. Part of her thought that might knock him out. No such luck. In fact, to the young man's credit, he seemed no worse for wear. Despite that, or maybe because of that, Ria rushed in quickly. That was a mistake. Blaise had looked to close the gap himself and not without a plan. He had thrown a toe-kick out. It was a basic attack, but seeing as Ria had been underestimating him... She let out a grunt as the kick caught her in the solar plexus! The blow staggered her for a second, and a second only. The look she had earlier was back.

Ria was the type who let their anger get the best of them. It didn't help that pain was a trigger for her. It wasn't that she couldn't take it; she had for years and would continue to do so in her career. It was just something that got her blood boiling. If she was honest, she was glad it did. Unfortunately, Ria was now looking to take that renewed anger out on Blaise. She used a quick slide step to close the gap again. She let out a primal scream as she threw middle kick aimed for Blaise's ribs!