KINGS & QUEENS ( QF ) — Oscar Orelash vs Audrey Trovita

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Finally, some mercy came her way. When Audrey started tapping, Oscar didn't hesitate to let her go. She finally stopped screaming, her throat getting sore, and rolled over onto her side and curled in on herself, trying to stretch her back in the opposite direction to dull the pain. Eventually, she flopped onto her back again and stopped moving. It seemed to be the best position to dull her various aches. Her eyes closed and she threw up an arm over them to help block out the lights. And that was where she stayed, sprawled out and breathing heavily, while Oscar was declared the victor, to the cheering delight of the audience!

Shortly after, a presence appeared at her side. Asking if she could walk. She cracked an eye open, expecting to see the ref... but no, it was Oscar. She opened her eyes again to put her full attention on him, and noticed he had extended a hand towards her. She stared at it warily for a moment, taking another few seconds to breathe.

Eventually, she spoke. "Heh. 'Course... I can. I'm... tired... not dead."

With a slight lopsided smile, she reached out and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. Oscar did most of the work, and once she was there, Audrey swayed, quickly putting a hand on his shoulder for balance as her legs threatened to give out. She leaned heavily on him for support after that.

"Ooooohkay, spoke too soon..." With effort, she turned to look him in the eye, her grin a bit wider now. "'Grats. You earned it."

[MappleMan7]

"Ah- easy, easy. That was a lot you went through... take it slow"

Oscar was quick to help Audrey stand as her legs threatened to give out on her- not surprising considering the punishment they took during the match at his hands. He looked down at his former opponent and returned a big grin of his own before taking her hand and raising it upward- earning supportive cheers from the audience. A mix somewhere between fans loving Oscar's sportsmanship and audience members cheering in support of Audrey's efforts in the match.

"Thank you very much! You certainly made me work for it. You have a lot going for you for someone who's entirely self-taught... have you ever considered reaching out for proper training?"

Oscar would help Audrey out of the ring, looking to take the two of them up the ramp as he continued to talk to her.

"If so- consider this an offer. You don't just have potential- You've a ton of heart, massive guts, determination, and a burning passion in your soul. I would like to help bring that to light- to... well, offer a mentorship. To help with your training. Would you be interested, Audrey?"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

"Ah, yeah, don't need to tell me twice," Audrey answered, still feeling a bit lightheaded and leaning against Oscar to keep herself standing.

Then, to her surprise, he took her hand and raised it into the air! Even more strange, it drew cheers! But well, they had just put on an entertaining match. She'd lasted far longer than she herself would have bet. Audrey waved somewhat shyly with her free hand, feeling a bit awkward. Surely they were cheering for Oscar's victory, right?

They then moved to leave, with Oscar helping Audrey out of the ring, which she was grateful for. She wasn't sure, now that she was moving, if she would have been able to do it on her own after all. It was easier to hear once they got backstage and the noise of the crowd was behind them. And easier to talk now that she didn't have to raise her voice; her throat was sore from all the screaming.

At his question, she shrugged. "Thought about it, sure. Just never found anyone I trusted. Didn't think it was worth paying for a coach that may or may not know what they're doing."

And then he surprised her, offering to be her mentor. Audrey froze in place and stared at him for a moment, considering. She ran a hand through her messy hair, taking a minute to fix her ponytail. That was how Keira got picked up - her eventual mentor saw her sparring, saw what she could become, and took her under her wing. Keira had made off pretty well afterwards. And now, it sounded like Oscar saw something similar in her.

"Well, clearly training on my own can only get me so far..." she started. And it was true, if her record was any proof. She probably did need to learn how to better defend herself. Maybe it was time for her to get some hands-on experience.

With a fresh grin of determination, she once again reached out and shook his hand. "Alright. I'll take you up on that, Oscar."

Winner: Oscar Orelash via submission!