The foundation of the future

[skip-stop]

This was definitely not a situation that Charlotte could have been prepared for beforehand. The Frenchwoman was far from the most sociable person in the world. Yes, she started working on herself in this direction some time ago, so now it's easier for her to find a common language with others. But even now some everyday situations could put her in a stupor.

Fortunately, she didn't get too confused and found the words to convey her point of view to Akari. After that the black-haired woman calmed down slightly, but still decided to clarify once again whether everything was okay between them. A truly amazing woman.

Charlotte still couldn't quite believe the fact that someone had kicked her ass, and now was saying that she didn't want to leave a bad impression on herself. If Charlotte had been a little more perceptive, she would have wondered why Akari agreed to spar in the first place if she wasn't ready to win. But the pink-haired woman has never been one who likes to look for hidden meanings behind words.

“Defeat is unacceptable to me,” she said openly with a slight shrug, in this case she had no reason to hide her point of view from Akari. “However, defeat is an integral part of any fighter's life." Charlotte folded her hands behind her back and looked around her school, fixing her eyes on her students. “You can find a thousand excuses for any defeat, you can resent or hate the one who defeated you.” Charlotte, without noticing it, gave free rein to her thoughts. “But it doesn't make any sense to me because I'm aiming for something more than just winning.” As she looked at her students, the corners of her lips lifted slightly. “I want to be the one who can inspire a new generation of fighters, the one who will remind them and all sports fans that valor and nobility still exist." Charlotte blinked slowly. “So, yes, defeat is unacceptable, but instead of blaming you for anything, I'm going to draw conclusions so that I can eventually become the best version of myself.”

It wasn't until she finished speaking that she realized she'd said a lot of things she hadn't intended to say at all. Because of this, she blinked rapidly a few times, and then a blush began to form on her cheeks. Why did she suddenly decide to tell Akari all this? The Frenchwoman was confused and now she was the one who created the awkward situation.

She needed to think of something urgently before Akari started talking. Charlotte's eyes quickly began to flicker from side to side, as if searching for any hint of salvation. Suddenly, her gaze fell on a door with an electronic lock. She had never been in that room since that day a few months ago. Remembering perfectly well what had happened then, she would never have suggested something like that, but now Charlotte had completely lost her usual composure, and therefore…

“How about another round?” She asked before common sense could stop her. “In a more... private setting without prying eyes." Charlotte pointed at the door. “There's another room with everything needed, which is usually provided to clients who want to train alone without any noise around.”

[Misfit_Alien]

Listening to Charlotte's words lit a fire inside of Akari...the Frenchwoman's tone was so compelling and enlightening. All those feelings of doubt and worry melted away in the warmth of Charlotte's resolve, like candle wax beneath the hot flame of a burning wick. Just being in the woman's presence was such a motivating experience. She was certainly a fighter, that's for sure. Akari had come across so many fighters who were less than honorable or took a loss far too personally. However, Charlotte was different...she was proud, but not arrogant. Stalwart, but not stubborn. Dedicated, but not obsessive. Akari simply stood there, taken aback by her speech.

"Wow-..." Akari said, her eyes wide with intrigue. The silence that followed felt so heavy. She didn't want to leave things on an awkward note. She was genuinely impressed and awestruck, and yet she couldn't quite find the words just yet.

When Charlotte presented her with another round of sparring in a much more private setting, Akari didn't think much about the implications, practically jumping on the opportunity as soon as it was presented to her. "I'd like that..." Akari replied, giving Charlotte an earnest smile after sheepishly rubbing her forearm. Afterwards, the Japanese woman would follow behind the Frenchwoman, entering the room and seeing all the equipment and space...it definitely looked like it was worth any extra fee for those who wanted to break away for some privacy. Honestly, it was a helluva lot nicer than some of the spaces at LAW. "It's so nice-" Akari said, her eyes darting around.

"Hey, when I said 'wow' earlier...I meant, like, WOW...Like, what you said. That whole speech. It's...impressive. That's such a massive goal, I never even thought about that kind of stuff...at least, not the way you do. I've always wanted to achieve stardom, to be a champion...to be a face beloved by all. To be a real fighter, one who can stand at the very top with the best of them. But I've never thought about what I'd actually DO with that status. But you, you seem like you have it all figured out. It's inspiring..." She said, glancing off to the side, letting out a dry chuckle, laughing at herself.

God, what was she doing?

"Heh-...You're making it more and more tempting to sign up here, y'know. There's a lot to admire about this place..." She said, her eyes unintentionally landing on Charlotte's figure as she finished her sentence, only for her to quickly look away. She wasn't trying to stare...nor imply something so uncouth, albeit flattering in a way...she was genuinely complimenting the level of quality Charlotte had crafted within this place. It was such a lovely environment to be with plenty of motivation to be found for those looking to improve themselves at every level...mind, body, and spirit.

However, the Sea Turtle would be lying to herself if she said that Charlotte's commanding and guiding presence wasn't a bonus to this place. Among other aspects about her-...

[skip-stop]

This time, it was Charlotte who was the one who created the awkward situation. Well, at least this situation was definitely awkward for Charlotte herself. She wasn't used to sharing her thoughts, especially such intimate ones. Therefore, as soon as she heard Akari's reaction, the Frenchwoman hurried to change the subject by any means possible. And she couldn't think of anything better than to offer the black-haired woman another round of sparring, this time away from prying eyes.

Akari was definitely not someone she needed to ask twice. She quickly agreed to Charlotte's suggestion, which caused the pink-haired woman a little relief. Her heart was still beating insanely fast, but she headed towards the private part of her school while Akari followed her.

Once in the private room, where there was also a ring, mats and other equipment, Charlotte was even ready to relax, thinking that Akari would not focus on what the Frenchwoman had said a minute ago. But, as it turned out, Charlotte's sudden offer was not enough for the black-haired woman to forget about what was said.

When Akari decided to explain her reaction to the Frenchwoman's words, Charlotte's face rapidly began to turn red again. Akari's every word seemed extremely embarrassing to her. Especially considering that even though everything Charlotte said was true, it was actually only part of the truth. There was another reason that stood before all the other reasons why the Frenchwoman wanted to become the best. But she would rather swallow her own tongue than admit to this reason. It's better not to let anyone know about this. Some things are too dark to shed light on.

“I...” the pink-haired woman stammered, trying to find at least some words to answer Akari. “Thank you...”

Fortunately, Akari quickly switched to another topic, saying that she was seriously considering sign up here. Although she tried to quickly look away, Charlotte still managed to notice that at that moment the black-haired woman was looking at her. Without knowing it, Akari involuntarily made Charlotte think about her last visit to this private part of her school. Even though it had happened a few months ago, she was still embarrassed to recall it.

“If you keep talking like that, I'll think you're looking for a way to get an extra discount,” Charlotte said with a slight smile, once again confirming how bad her sense of humor is. “But the doors of my school are always open for you.”

[Misfit_Alien]

Akari took notice of Charlotte's reddening cheeks, as well as the uneasy look in her eyes, as it seemed like the Frenchwoman's mind trailed off...falling back into a memory of something else, as to what, Akari couldn't quite tell...but she didn't comment about it. Whatever she was feeling...and whatever she was hiding...was personal information that Akari shouldn't and wouldn't ever pry about. It wasn't her place to ask. So, to keep things cordial and focused, she simply responded to Charlotte's words with a bit of humor.

"Oops, looks like you caught me. My grand scheme's been unravelled...you're a sharp fighter and an even sharper detective, Charlotte." Akari said, smiling at the woman as things seemed to be panning out for the better. "I would like that a lot. Honestly, the LAW gym has never felt as welcoming as this place. With so many people under this promotion, it feels like LAW's gym will turn into a warzone at any point when a couple of egos too big for their own good clash together. This place feels nice...inviting...disciplined. It feels like I can hear myself think and train in peace. But it's not difficult to find a friendly face or a helping hand." Akari commented, highlighting and complimenting all the good work Charlotte's done to invest in not only the space's equipment, but the atmosphere as well.

"So, same rules? Or did you wanna go for something else? I honestly think you could've broken free if it wasn't for the whole fifteen seconds thing...I get it's important to get out as quickly as possible, a-and I'm not that I wasn't TRYING, or anything but-...Ah, you know-...the rule set is fine unless you want to change it. I shouldn't be stressing over it if you aren't-" Akari said, trying to course correct mid-sentence as she didn't want her words to be miscontrued. "...didn't think I could make things more awkward."

[skip-stop]

Charlotte could only wonder if Akari suspected anything. Anyway, the black-haired woman very successfully pretended that absolutely everything was fine. And the Frenchwoman was more than happy with that. No one needs to know the reasons why she wakes up in a cold sweat almost every night. Someday she will achieve her goal and after that she will be able to sleep peacefully. At least that's what she has to believe.

The silly joke of the pink-haired woman was greeted by Akari with all cordiality. Charlotte's sense of humor didn't seem to bother her at all. Moreover, the Japanese woman again burst out with compliments towards Charlotte. Perhaps it would be fair to say that the Frenchwoman has never received so much praise.

She just wasn't used to it, so she once again scratched her head in embarrassment. Charlotte really put a lot of effort into opening this school, but not everyone was ready to praise her for it. Akari was the first person in a very long time to appreciate Charlotte's efforts to create a place where everyone would be comfortable.

“I don't think I'll stop thanking you for your kind words today,” she said. “I really appreciate that you liked my school.”

For a while, she even forgot why they had come here. She only recalled about another round of sparring when Akari headed to the ring. Both women rolled under the bottom rope, then got to their feet. The last time the Frenchwoman was in this ring a lot of things happened that she is still trying to forget about. That blonde made her... no, no, no, now is not the time to think about it. Thankfully, Akari helped Charlotte stop thinking about it by suggesting to change the rules.

“Well, maybe I could have gotten out of your hold if it hadn't been for those fifteen seconds,” Charlotte shrugged. “Or maybe you would have just strangled me to unconsciousness." The corners of her lips turned up ironically. “It makes no sense to speculate how events might have developed under different circumstances.”

Despite the fact that from the very first second of their acquaintance, Akari had been making some hints, now it seemed that she was much more interested in sparring than in anything else. Perhaps this was the most important difference between her and the woman whom Charlotte had met here the last time. As it turned out, that woman didn't need sparring at all.

“These rules only exist so that sparring doesn't turn into a real match,” she reminded. “Although I don't like to hold back, but we have to give our best in official matches, not during sparring.”

The Frenchwoman tilted her head slightly to the side, involuntarily running her eyes over Akari. Akari's victory in the first sparring was fair, and Charlotte wasn't going to make excuses for it, it's just that this woman is too strong. Nevertheless, somewhere in the depths of her soul, the Frenchwoman was somewhat upset that she could not give Akari a decent sparring fight. Maybe this was her chance to fix the situation at least a little bit, so…

“However... why don't we stop holding back in order to better understand who each of us is dealing with?" She offered with a slight smile. “Let's do it this way, a ten-minute sparring with the rules of a standard match.” Without noticing it, Charlotte took a step towards the black-haired woman. “So we don't have to hold back, but the sparring time limit will keep us from getting carried away too much.” She only stopped when there was no more than one step between her and Akari. “How does that sound?”

[Misfit_Alien]

"Just ten minutes, hm? A lot can happen in that time, y'know-...who am I kidding, of course you do." Akari said, muttering that last part under her breath. "Not to sound rude, or anything, it just-...like, it'd make sense someone of your caliber would know that, duh-...I imagine you've probably knocked someone out before in half the time, maybe even less." Akari said with a chuckle. "I'm a little anxious, but just as eager. I prefer going all out cuz you get to learn more about a person that way, and it's a real good challenge, often eye-opening. I get this sort of tingly feeling whenever I'm put on edge, like I can't stop thinking about all the ways things could go right or wrong. It's not that I freeze up or anything, I'm just so focused on the fight ahead, y'know? It's like I'm just so amazed at how many ways a match could play out. It gets me excited in a way that's hard to describe. I felt it...for just a second, during our original spar. It was like a spark, a short-lived burst of roaring fire. But now-...we get to see how things play out when that fire grows a little hotter-..." Akari said, finally cutting off her long tirade with a gleeful smile.

"Ah-...I got lost in my head again, sorry. The idea of a good fight just kinda takes over, and I can't stop thinking about it, and if I start talking, it's hard to stop and-...I'm doing it all over again." She said. "Heh, I must be giving off a strange first impression, huh?" She said, laughing at herself to lighten the mood again after an admittedly awkward moment. All that time, and the pair were barely a few inches away from each other. Akari's eyes locked onto Charlotte's, and the moment just stopped. Everything slowed down to a crawl, all other noises wound down to a hushed silence, and Akari could only look toward Charlotte with intrigue, curiosity, and awe...before finally coming back to reality and focusing on the matter at hand.

"BUT-...to, -ahem-, answer your question-...Yeah, ten minutes, all out...sounds great!"

[skip-stop]

Charlotte didn't know why she took a step towards Akari. But when she got so close to the black-haired woman, it was like entering a sauna. For some reason, being so close to her, the Frenchwoman felt an extraordinary warmth. It made her breathing a little faster. Although the most interesting thing started after Akari started talking.

After the first words that a lot can happen in ten minutes, something seemed to click inside Charlotte and the pink-haired woman switched to autopilot mode. It took her just a few seconds to imagine what could have happened in those ten minutes. A few punches... a few kicks... a few intimate touches... a few throws... a few hot kisses... a few submission holds... passionate sex…

Because of these thoughts, Charlotte's face started to turn red again, but at the same moment Akari asked about the first impression. Oh, if only she knew what exactly was in the Frenchwoman's head at that moment. Even the martial arts master herself could hardly explain what caused her fantasy to burst that much. Being cold-blooded and rational, she used to suppress any of her desires because it distracts her from her goal. But in Akari's case... it would be a blatant lie on Charlotte's part to say that she doesn't want events to unfold exactly as she imagined.

“You talk a lot, that's for sure,” Charlotte said honestly, then smiled softly. “But maybe it's because of this you create the best first impression of yourself.”

Ironically, this situation was very different from the situation that happened in this private room a few months ago. At that time, it was Charlotte who was set up for just a sparring session, while Jenner wanted a much more racy turn of events. This time, Charlotte, with shame in her soul, was forced to admit that it was in her head that obscene thoughts originated, while for Akari only training was important.

“Well, then let's get started...”

Taking a deep breath to gather her strength, Charlotte took a few steps back, distancing herself from Akari. The warmth she felt next to the black-haired woman evaporated almost immediately. Well. Sparring. The Frenchwoman clenched her fists and took her fighting stance. She glanced briefly at the clock on the wall, then returned her gaze to Akari.

“Ten minutes,” she said. “Start!”

[Misfit_Alien]

Akari couldn't deny that she admired Charlotte...in more ways than one, as a matter of fact. However, this didn't mean that she'd say anything to Charlotte. She had no clue what was going on in the Frenchwoman's mind. Plus, it was their first time meeting. They had known each other for all of an hour, maybe just a bit beyond that. So why complicate such things with unprofessional talk like that? It wasn't just promiscuous. It could be seen as profoundly immature. Akari would hate to see Charlotte's reaction to her engaging in such lewd and lustful behavior, acting and speaking without any sense of shame. Just the thought was enough to get Akari to clam up about it. She liked Charlotte, even without knowing her all too much, and she'd hate to ruin a good thing by jumping the shark so suddenly.

Even if she pictured them making out, grappling and cuddling on the canvas, drenched in sweat, and ragged with exhaustion...Akari had to keep a lid on that and focus, and showcase to her pink-haired acquaintance that she had so much more to offer as a fighter, especially now that they were allowed to go all out with no strings attached...save for a pesky, albeit fair, ten-minute time limit.

When they began, Akari wasted no time, wanting to cherish and savor every second she had as she tightened her fists. She'd let her actions do the talking, skipping over the usual lock-up or grappling contest at the beginning of a match to launch a volley of strikes at Charlotte instead. She aimed to test the waters of the Frenchwoman's striking capabilities, testing the extent of her range with a quick burst of jabs as she took on a more kickboxing-centric stance, even partially raising the front of her lead foot off the ground, bouncing it gently before rushing in with those opening jabs. After that initial volley, she'd quickly toss out a straight, only to pump fake the strike and swing her leg around to deliver a quick kick to Charlotte's calf.

[skip-stop]

Charlotte certainly felt weird. She was usually a real block of ice who kept her cool no matter the situation. Moreover, she didn't even need to make any effort to do this, it was part of her nature. But next to this woman... the Frenchwoman's heart began to beat much faster the moment she first saw Akari. And it continued to beat at breakneck speed even now, when she gave a start to their second sparring match.

Because of this, the pink-haired woman had to make an effort to concentrate. Fortunately, she managed it without any problems. Despite her wild imagination, she was still curious to see if she could prove herself against such an outstanding fighter as Akari. She got a chance to find out if their first sparring was an accident or a pattern.

As soon as she let Akari know that their sparring had begun, the black-haired woman immediately rushed forward, causing the martial arts master's eyes to narrow slightly. She began to sway slightly on her toes. She has to do better this time, otherwise she just won't be able to look Akari in the eye.

Having regained most of her composure, Charlotte did not lose her head at the moment when Akari unleashed a barrage of quick jabs at her. Acting like a true professional, the pink-haired woman began to take the shortest possible steps back and to the side. Due to the fact that she moved no more than an inch with each step, Akari's fist was catastrophically close to her face each time, but each time it could not reach the target.

“Come on, Akari... make your move...” thought Charlotte.

Their first sparring session made her realize how high Akari's fighting skills were, so she had no doubt that jabs were just the beginning. And she was not mistaken, because the next moment Akari used her other hand, throwing a much heavier punch at Charlotte's head. At the same moment, the pink-haired woman's eyes flashed as she did not believe that Akari had chosen such a straightforward attack.

Charlotte had to suppress the urge to grin after Akari's fist slowed down and her leg revealed her real plan. There was no reason for Charlotte to keep backing down now. She took a quick breath, and then used her speed to throw her right foot towards Akari's attacking leg. Acting proactively, she intended to be the first who kicks her opponent's calf, thereby blocking the kick of the black-haired woman.

If she had succeeded, she would not even have returned her foot to the mat, instead bending her leg at the knee to straighten that leg with the might of a cannon salvo. With a quick and powerful side kick, she was going to kick Akari right in the solar plexus, thereby paralyzing her for at least a few moments.

Spoiler