Marine and Emma Spar!

[Weonna]

Emma

Emma adjusted her yellow top as she bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, the elastic snap of her boots against the canvas echoing softly in the near-empty Rising gym. She had been ready for this sparring session all morning, buzzing with her usual excitement. The sight of the empty ring though was… well, a little lonely. She blew a strand of blonde hair from her face, her white headband keeping the rest tucked neatly back, and let her bright eyes sweep across the gym. Alanna was supposed to be here by now.

With a shrug, Emma climbed up onto the apron, ducked through the ropes, and gave her wrists a little shake. If her girlfriend was running late, she might as well warm up. She jogged across the mat and rebounded off the ropes with a satisfying spring, her pleated skirt fluttering with every stride. The ropes hummed as she hit them again, this time harder, pushing herself to feel the rhythm. Back and forth she ran, her body light as air, the soles of her boots pounding a playful beat into the canvas.

Her breath grew heavier as she picked up speed, each rebound making her grin wider. The crowd might not be here, but Emma always pretended they were—imagining cheers, claps, and whistles filling the gym. She ducked low under an invisible clothesline, twirled on her toes, then launched herself back into the ropes. The impact stung pleasantly against her back, the vibrations running up her shoulders as she threw herself forward again.

She couldn’t help laughing at herself.

“Come on, Alanna… you’re making me play with shadows out here,”

Emma muttered with a giggle, mimicking the voice of an announcer calling her “the ever-bubbly Air Canada.” To punctuate the thought, she ran one last rope-to-rope sprint, vaulted into a handspring, and stuck the landing with her arms stretched wide, just like she would in a real match.

Pausing to catch her breath, Emma leaned into the corner ropes and wiped the sweat from her brow. Her chest rose and fell steadily, her playful spark never fading. Even when waiting, she couldn’t stand still—her fingers tapped on the top rope, her boots shuffled restlessly against the mat. All she needed was the sound of the door opening and the sight of Alanna’s familiar figure. Then the real fun could begin.

[ScylliasExoter]

Emma’s hopes were partially answered. The door opened and an Antoinette walked in. But it was not Alanna’s form. Instead it was her sister Marine Antoinette. The resemblance was uncanny.

Spoiler

Marine wore her ring gear. She was training intensely for her debut match against Christina Perez and practiced in her gear constantly to get used to it. Marine walked in warmed up after stretching and then practicing furiously on a punching bag. Upon seeing Emma, she walked over to her with a warm expression on her face and offered a hug to her sister’s girlfriend.
”Salut Emma! What are you up to?”

[Weonna]

Emma blinked in surprise when she saw Marine step through the door instead of Alanna. The bubbly blonde immediately brightened, bouncing lightly on her toes as she waved.

“Oh! Bonjour, Marine!”

she chirped in a singsong tone, her voice carrying across the gym.

As Marine approached, Emma’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

“Wowww, look at you!”

she said, hands clasping together in delight.

“That gear looks amazing on you—so sleek and fierce! You look totally ready to kick butt out there!”

Her words tumbled out rapid-fire, her enthusiasm so genuine that it almost felt like she might burst into applause any second.

When Marine drew closer, Emma accepted the hug eagerly, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend’s sister with a friendly squeeze before pulling back, cheeks flushed and smiling ear to ear.

“I was just, um… kinda playing around!”

she admitted sheepishly, tapping her fingers together.

“Alanna was supposed to spar with me today, but I think she got held up or something. So I was running the ropes to stay warm. You know me—can’t sit still for too long, hehe!”

She gave a playful twirl on one foot, her skirt fluttering as she grinned up at Marine.

“But hey, it’s so nice to see you! You’ve been working super hard for your debut, huh? I can totally tell—you look strong and confident! Bet Christina won’t know what hit her!”

Emma’s tone softened as she tilted her head, her usual optimism shining through.

“Maybe I can keep you company while you train? I don’t mind waiting for Alanna. Besides…”

she said with a wink and a giggle,

“having another Antoinette around isn’t a bad consolation prize!”

[ScylliasExoter]

Marine smiled at Emma’s compliments.
”That’s very sweet of you! And you’re right. She won’t know what hit her. I watched her beat my sister. I won’t have the same outcome.”
She raised an eyebrow at Emma’s comment.
”Oh I’m a consolation prize, you say? If you were anyone else…” Marine pat Emma on the shoulder.
”I am warmed up. If she’s late, we could spar. As a consolation,” she giggled.

[Weonna]

Emma blinked, her face lighting up with an excited grin.

“Ooooh, a spar? With you?”

she chirped, bouncing on her heels before clasping her hands together.

“That sounds so fun! I mean, I can’t say no to that! You’ve been training so hard, and I could use the practice too!”

She giggled softly, tilting her head as Marine’s confident expression reminded her of someone else.

“You know, I’ve fought Christina a couple times myself… but she’s tough! I’ve never managed to beat her yet.”

Emma puffed out her cheeks in playful frustration, then mimed throwing a punch.

“She’s quick, mean with her submissions, and she always gets this look in her eyes like she’s already planned three moves ahead. You’re smart to study her.”

Stepping back toward the ring ropes, Emma hopped inside with a graceful bounce, the sound of her boots meeting canvas echoing lightly through the gym.

“Okay, let’s make this official then! I’ll be your Christina for today~”

she teased, winking as she shifted into a stance that mimicked the Filipina’s posture—shoulders low, movements sharp and deliberate.

She even added a little smirk, lifting her chin in a playful imitation.

“Let’s see if you’re ready for the real deal, Marine. Think you can handle my ‘Sampaguita Sleeper’?”

she said with exaggerated drama, giggling before ducking into her corner, gripping the ropes behind her and bouncing lightly in place to warm up.

Emma’s bright eyes glittered with excitement, the friendly competitiveness radiating from her as she called out,

“Alright, Mademoiselle Antoinette! Ding ding! Show me what you’ve got!”

[ScylliasExoter]

Marine raised an eyebrow and haughtily giggled.
You want me to treat you like Christina? Careful what you wish for, mon ami!
She stood in the corner watching Emma. Waiting.
When Emma “rung” the bell, Marine walked to the center of the ring and began circling her opponent. After all, that is what she would do to Christina.
”’Sampaguita Sleeper.’ I don’t know what her move names mean or which is which. Try all her moves on me. We’ll see how I react.”
Marine then lunged for Emma, looking to lock up with her in an arm and collar tie up.

[Weonna]

Emma giggled softly as Marine circled her, matching her movement with a light bounce in her step.

“Careful, I might just take that as a challenge,”

she teased back, eyes sparkling as the two women closed in. When Marine lunged in for the tie-up, Emma met her halfway, boots sliding against the canvas as their arms collided and locked. For a moment, it was a test of strength—Marine’s grip was firm and confident, but Emma, with a quick twist, shifted her weight and caught her opponent’s wrist.

“Gotcha!”

she chirped with playful cheer before smoothly rolling under Marine’s arm, twisting her wrist into a tight wristlock. The torque made Marine’s arm stretch upward, her shoulder tensing as Emma leaned back slightly to keep the pressure steady.

“See? Christina always likes to start slow,”

she explained through a grin, her tone almost sing-song despite the hold.

“She doesn’t go for big flashy stuff right away—she works the limbs, wears you down first. Every match I’ve had with her starts just like this.”

Emma gave the wrist a careful but firm wrench, emphasizing the point before loosening slightly to keep things playful.

“She loves finding weak spots and just sticking to ‘em. Super patient. Super annoying,”

she said with a giggle, remembering her own frustrating encounters with the Fighting Filipina.

“So if you’re really prepping for her, Marine, you gotta be ready to play her game first… and outthink her before she switches gears!”

[ScylliasExoter]

Marine grunted in discomfort from having her arm twisted. She quickly thought to her earlier training. Logic dictated from here Christina would switch to a headlock or a full hammerlock. Marine considered heading off the next transition before realizing she'd be playing Christina's game. Opting to be unpredictable, Marine turned and swung her free arm to deliver a backhand punch straight to Emma's gut. That's what she would do to Christina and right now Emma was Christina.

[Weonna]

Emma gasped sharply as Marine’s backhand caught her square in the stomach, folding her forward with a small, breathy

“Oof!”

She stumbled back, one hand clutching her midsection, her face twisting into a mix of hurt and confusion.

“M-Marine! Why would you do that?!”

she whimpered in an adorably pitiful tone, wide blue eyes looking up like a scolded puppy. By now Emma has mastered that look whenever she wanted Alanna to do something for her.

The reaction was so convincing that even Marine might have felt a twinge of guilt—right before Emma’s expression changed. Her innocent pout melted into a mischievous grin.

“Heh… gotcha~”

In a flash, Emma straightened and snapped her arm upward, connecting a sharp European Uppercut right under Marine’s chin. The move should send the Frenchwoman reeling, as Emma used that moment to sprint toward the ropes, rebounding off them with speed before launching forward—her boots striking clean against Marine’s chest with a dropkick!

Emma rolled through and popped back up, breathing quickly, her face glistening with determination. Without missing a beat, she dropped down beside Marine and hooked her arm across the Frenchwoman’s neck, wrenching back to lock in a Crossface. Her legs kicked slightly for leverage as she pulled Marine’s arm back, her voice low and earnest now.

“That’s another thing Christina taught me…”

she said, tightening the hold with a soft grunt.

“Never—ever—trust your opponent. Not even your friends. Especially not the ones who smile before they strike.”

Emma gave a cheeky grin through the effort of the hold, eyes gleaming.

“So, how’s that lesson feel, mademoiselle?”

[ScylliasExoter]

Marine paused and hesitated as Emma doubled over crying. She had memories of fighting Alanna growing up, and when things got too rough, the fear of injuring her (to the point that she’d yell for their mother) was a constant fear. Marine bent over,
”You okay, mon ami?”

She froze when she realized Emma was playing possum. One European uppercut later, Marine was knocked on her butt. She got up dazed and then suddenly felt a blast of pain in her chest from Emma’s dropkick. Knocked prone, she was helpless as Emma got down on top of her. She trapped Marine’s left arm with her legs and wrenched Marine’s head back with a crossface submission.

Marine’s back and neck were on fire. Despite the pain, she heard Emma’s lesson and resolved to take it to heart. But for now, Emma had her cold. Marine only had one arm and Emma’s weight was fully on top of her back. Unable to throw Emma off due to the nearly blinding pain, Marine did the only thing she could do. She tapped Emma’s thigh to signal her submission.