Unmasked Demon (Reiko and Yuki)

[dlamp]

Reiko always felt so out of place in the gym. Every time she came into a LAW gym she was met with countless stares from the wrestlers. Granted, it was mostly due to her attire, a white gi and dark hakama pants definitely stood out among the group of crop tops, spats, and t-shirts. Reiko looked more like she was going to a dojo than a wrestling gym, and the majority of the time that was the case. The Taishuya dojo was closed today for cleaning and Reiko still wanted to train today, so she went to the gym instead. As a LAW wrestle she did have free access to it, but training on anything but tatami mats felt weird to her, so it was quite the internal debate before she went for it. And while Himeko and Nanase did press her to wear something more casual and proper for training, to Reiko this was training attire.

Stubborn as she was, she rarely wore or even had casual clothing. Most of her attire was yukata, kimono, and training gi, with only her work attire at the daycare and a scant few dresses for formal events in her closet. She just... preferred Japanese clothing, and she wasn't wasting money on buying western clothes just yet. So there she was, stubbornly looking out of place with her traditional attire, in a corner finishing up her stretches.

Now... what to do... No point in practicing forms and kata here, she'd just get more stares, and while sparring would be ideal... Not too many people looked like they were interested in trading blows with the small girl dressed like some old-fashioned yakuza. Ugh, so much for getting some practice before fighting Yuki-chan.

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

To Yuki Kazikura, her previous victory against Amano Jaku was still a recent memory. It had been a little over a week since the match, but even still it remained a pressing topic on Yuki's mind.

Had things gone differently, Yuki was sure it wouldn't be occupying her thoughts the way it did. It would have been just another victory in a string of victories for her, with each win bolstering her confidence more and more. Yuki was still building herself back up after her defeat against Rose Gold last year, but when opponent after opponent fell before her, she was sure she was well on her way to attaining the glory she sought after. Amano seemed no different than any of her other foes, as Yuki had managed to pin her without much fanfare.

That was, until after the match.

Amano wasn't done with Yuki. Yuki might have won that battle, but the war was still raging, on fronts more psychological than physical. Cornering Yuki after the match, the Demon had challenged her to a humiliation match to settle the score, and that was something that managed to shake her well-practiced stoic exterior. Dealing with humiliation had never been Yuki's strongest suit, but what was she supposed to do? Turn Amano down, and look like a coward in front of all her fans? Call the reputation she had worked so hard to rebuild into question?

No, Yuki couldn't do that. If she was going to go into a humiliation match, she needed to do everything she could to ensure she could win it. She'd been training every night, doing her conditioning exercises at home. And as often as she could, she would hit the gym to get a little more work in to prepare herself.

Now was one such occasion, as Yuki made her way down the aisle of the gym, past a few mats and weight machines. Along her way, she noticed one girl in martial arts gear, which was something she found curious. Yuki stopped in mid-stride, turning to her and raising her eyebrow, but she didn't want to stare. She knew that people had their own proclivities, and she wasn't one to judge. Shrugging, Yuki moved on, going to a mat not far from the girl to start doing some warmup stretches of her own.

Spoiler

[dlamp]

"Hm?" Among the stares and glances she got as she glanced around one stood out. It seemed Reiko wasn't the only one doing some training for their match, Yuki Kazikura herself meet eyes with Reiko. For a moment, Reiko's heart ran a little faster. It was only nature she'd be here, most LAW wrestlers trained at LAW gyms, and Yuki didn't seem like the type to go to a dojo or private place like Reiko. But... the small instance had Reiko wondering about her future opponent's reaction, her words and remarks. She waited for some kind of retort or hostility, but Yuki... just... walked away. In a bit of a shy manner too, like she felt bad about staring. It was... weird, especially since the last time they talked it was with hostility, insults, and general aggression.

Oh. Right. Kinda' look like a normal Japanese girl right now and not a wild, blonde demon. Without the hair dye, yellow contacts, or wild pigtails, Reiko just looked like a normal Japanese girl in the gym... well, gi and hakama aside. Actually... it'd be kinda' fun to mess with her like this. She quickly pushed that thought away. As cute as it'd be, Reiko wasn't that bad of a person, and wasn't like her Amano persona was much of a secret anyway, at least on her files. Plus, Yuki was just a few feet from her, so it'd be weird if Reiko didn't say something. So...

"Wow Kazikura-san, pretty brave to just start warming up near your future opponent." Of course, this being Reiko, she couldn't help but be a little biting in her tone. It wasn't like she had a high opinion of Yuki in the first place given the situation.

[CaptainL]

Yuki hadn't given Reiko any second thoughts. Were it not for her choice of workout attire, she would have blended in perfectly with the usual clientele of the gym, and her in-ring persona was so distinct from how she carried herself outside of it Yuki would never have considered this was the same woman she had been across from in the ring a week ago. The encounter was practically out of her thoughts a few seconds later, as Yuki took her place on the mats to warm up. She rolled out her shoulders before she bent down, sticking one leg far out in front of her to stretch the muscles in her thighs and calves.

Being so focused on her own stretches, Yuki didn't realize that Reiko wasn't done with her. She didn't realize that she still had the gi-clad girl's attention, up until Reiko spoke up. "Hm..?" Looking up, Yuki turned her head to the source of the sound.

Her words gave her pause, though. A confused expression crossed her face. Was this a challenge? She hardly knew this girl; at least she didn't think she knew her. What would she want with her? "I'm sorry, do I know you? Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I've seen you or your matches." Yuki wasn't trying to be condescending; she genuinely had no idea who she was speaking to. Let alone that it was the same girl she was preparing for a rematch with.

[dlamp]

Reiko forced a wry smile. Wow, the cold shoulder kind of hurt a little. In fairness, Reiko wasn't exactly getting up into Yuki's face like when in Demon Mode, but... still felt weird seeing this kind of off guard side to Yuki compared to the girl that had such a quiet fire in her eyes during their match. It was kind of cute in a way.

But Reiko wasn't devious, so...

"Kazikura-san, we fought last week." She said. "We're fighting in another week? Big humiliation match?" She pulled her hair up, making ponytails with her hands. "I don't have my hair extensions or dye, but... should I strip to my panties and call you 'Yuki-chan' here too so it clicks?" Okay, now she was just being vindictive.

[CaptainL]

Yuki straightened herself to look Reiko in the eye, but she still listened to what she said with some confusion. "A-Ah..?"

Indeed, Yuki wasn't used to be taken off guard. She was someone who wanted to feel in control at every moment, and she performed best when she could be focused and alert, planning each move to hit with its strongest potential. When something surprised her, throwing unexpected complications into the mix that she couldn't anticipate, that was where Yuki struggled to adjust herself to rise to the challenge. That held true when she was in the ring - but as was growing apparent, the same held true for her personal life. Outside of how she presented herself in the ring, Reiko looked completely unrecognizable based on what Yuki knew of her, and she hadn't realized that she had been talking to the same girl she was set to fight, up until now.

"O-Oh..!" Yuki blushed at Reiko's mention of stripping down, but she bit her lip. She was facing down her opponent, and this was no time to show weakness - especially when it was the same opponent who intended to turn that weakness against her. "No...I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you." She did a short bow toward Reiko to express her apologies, but then looked back over her shoulder. "Listen. I don't want to pick any fights right now, so if I can get back to training..."

[dlamp]

Aw, kind of expected a bigger reaction. Granted, it wasn't like Reiko was that well known in ring, but only a small blush and quick bow wasn't the kind of jump she was hoping for. Then again, Yuki was pretty stoic. Annoyingly so really. And it wasn't like Reiko was going to jump at her or anything, as much as the idea crossed her mind. No, she was just here to train and get ready for the fight ahead, just as Yuki was. Picking a fight here would defeat the purpose, though it hurt a little that Yuki expected the worst from her.

"Do I look like the kind of girl that'd slug you for no reason?" She said, narrowing her eyes. Great, now this was awkward. The only person that got close enough for Reiko to talk to and it was her opponent of all people. And even more annoyingly Yuki still had that damn stoic and distant personality to her off ring as well. Ugh. Yeah, I definitely hate the gym. Should of just found a different dojo.

[CaptainL]

Yuki had turned away from Reiko, turning her attention back to the mat. She stretched her arms, limbering up her shoulders and her fingers as she prepared to return to her routine. But of course, it wouldn't be that easy. Just as Yuki has lowering herself to the ground, getting on her hands and knees for some push-ups, Reiko spoke up again.

With a sigh, Yuki rolled her eyes, stalling her motions long enough to look back in the other girl's direction. "No. Well, maybe now you don't. Knowing you, though? I wouldn't put it past you." Her brow narrowed in a pointed glare. Yuki just wanted to work out, but Reiko was beginning to test her patience. This really wasn't what she needed to be dealing with right now.

[dlamp]

Reiko narrowed her eyes. This little- First she brushed Reiko off and now she judged her? The hell? This was almost as annoying as the end of their match. Was Reiko really that unimportant to Yuki despite the upcoming match? And did Yuki actually think that low of Reiko that she'd assume Reiko would just beat on someone in the gym for an edge? "Tsk," That comment... Reiko wasn't going to just let that slide.

"And what do you know about me?" She snapped back. "Because I'm pretty sure you don't even care ab-" She stopped, gritting her teeth. No. Snapping at Yuki wouldn't help, no matter how much she wanted to. And gods above did she want to. No, instead Reiko sat down on her knees in Seiza and took a breath. Might as well try to send an olive branch. "Kazikura-san, I'm not that bad." She said, her voice on edge. "Do you have a problem with me or something?"

[CaptainL]

She was just going to ignore her, Yuki thought to herself. She was never someone who cared for distractions - not in a match, and certainly not now. She was trying to get something meaningful done here in setting herself to training and preparing herself for her coming rematch, and yet Reiko kept trying to get in her head and under her skin at the time she wanted that the least. Yuki was tense with thoughts of how she was going to handle a humiliation match, and she was trying her best to get herself into the headspace she needed to be in. If Reiko kept gunning for her attention, it could only hold her back. And for a match like this, Yuki was not about to be held back.

But even as she kept her gaze on the mat beneath her and continued her push-ups, Yuki couldn't stop Reiko from questioning her, and at last she had no choice. Taking a momentary lull in her routine, she turned onto her side, propping herself up with her elbow as she looked back at the girl and sighed.

"Look," she said. "I'm not going to pretend I know you, and I can already tell from what you've shown me that the person you are inside the ring is different than the one inside it. But...I also know your tactics." Her eyes narrowed as she said that, thinking back on their last match, where Amano had tried to throw Yuki off her concentration by distracting her and keeping her guessing, weakening the calculated effort she put behind her attacks. It had challenged her in their last meeting, but if that was how Amano could gain an advantage in a match, Yuki wasn't surprised by the prospect that she'd try it again, before the bell even rang. "I know you're the type to try and mess with my head...and while this is probably going to fall on deaf ears anyway, I'll say it. I need this right now. I'm not about to go into a match like this if I'm not fully prepared, and I don't have time to train and have this conversation with you, so if you don't mind just leaving me be...yeah. If I need to go elsewhere, I will." She really didn't want a confrontation right now, but she needed to make herself clear.