Unmasked Demon (Reiko and Yuki)

[dlamp]

"... ... ..." Gods, this chick's face is so asking for a fist right now. Reiko listened with clenched fists, thankful she was just a few inches short of actual punching range. This girl really sounded like she was use to being in a bubble of sorts. Reiko could understand where Yuki was coming from, to an extent. Chatting it up with your future opponent wasn't exactly productive, and Reiko was distracting the girl from her warm-ups while Reiko had already finished her own. But...

"You're kind of a bitch, Kazikura-san."

It came out more bluntly than intended, but Reiko couldn't keep the thought to herself anymore. "Like, I get where you're coming from and I'll back off so you can do your thing, but..." How to word it...? It wasn't like she could take back what she said, nor would she. And given Yuki's reactions so far she'd probably shut out anything Reiko said at this point, but some facts had to be laid out about her before she left Yuki in peace. "Well, I'll at least give you some advice as your rival."

Without warning, she poked at Yuki's forehead, more so jabbing with her finger really. "Of course I'm gonna' get in your head. All fights more psychological than martial, especially our next match." She got out of Seiza and sat with her legs crossed. "Kazikura-san, next week we'll be punching, kicking, stripping, and humiliating each other into submission. And if you're this touchy towards me as Reiko Maizono, then you're gonna' get wrecked by me in Demon Mode." She stood up, smoothing out her hakama. "But you can do a bunch of push-ups and spar with whoever if it makes you feel better or stronger or whatever. I've gotta' stay on top of my game too."

[CaptainL]

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Yuki took in a breath, getting herself ready for her next set of push-ups. She rolled onto her stomach, turning away from Reiko, but she wasn't even fully through the first motion before Reiko's next interjection made her stop dead in her tracks.

Up until this point, she'd been trying to avoid making this any worse than it had to. This wasn't the ring, and there was no point in trying to pick any fights, especially considering they would have time for that next week. Yuki had regarded Reiko with little more than annoyance. But now, she was calling her out more directly, and the words stung. Yuki was only speaking her mind, and Reiko had started it, so she hardly believed she warranted the appellation. But more striking than the insult itself was the brazenness with which Reiko spoke it, and in the middle of a gym at that. Yuki looked back at her with a gasp, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. "Excuse me-!?"

She went tense, her fingers tightening against the mats beneath them, and she bit her lip to try and hold back the urges to snap at Reiko. For now, though, she would let her continue, stalling her push-ups. In fact, as Reiko spoke, Yuki realized that, despite Reiko's offer to back off, this wasn't going to stop any time soon. Even if she did continue her exercises, she still wouldn't be able to leave the headspace of this confrontation. Reiko had indeed gotten in her head, and she could tell this wasn't over. She rolled onto her knees, facing Reiko from across the mat.

With her eyes narrowed in a glare, Yuki stared back at Reiko. Her heart pounded faster in her chest, thinking about the grueling match that was growing nearer and nearer with each passing second. She knew she was in for a lot, and Reiko's descriptions did little to ease her concerns. But she knew that their battle had already begun. She couldn't show weakness. She had to be ready. She had to show Reiko that no matter what, she wouldn't let herself be intimidated.

"Oh, I understand," she said, in the flattest and most measured tone she could manage - though her anxieties, and her anger toward Reiko for butting in just now, still bubbled beneath the surface. "But I'll be ready. Don't think for a second I won't be. I wouldn't give this anything less than my best efforts, and I won't back down. You can do what you want, but you won't scare me. I know what I'm getting into - and you should too." Did she believe herself? Perhaps she only wanted to.

[dlamp]

It was hard not to laugh at Yuki's reaction. The girl went from bubbling anger just barely being held back to completely fluster in almost a split-second. Reiko... didn't expect that. She honestly thought the girl would brush it off like so many other things she said, but... well, it got a giggle out of Reiko at least. And Yuki's edged voice made it hard to not just cave and go after her.

... ... ...

Okay, Reiko was just being a nuisance now. Sticking around further would probably cause some problems with the staff too, especially since Yuki's outburst cast a few more eyes on their interaction. Though...

"Hehe," Reiko couldn't but smile though as she met Yuki's intense glare, her own eyes flashing with hungry anticipation. "I like that look in your eyes, Kazikura-san." A fire stirred inside Reiko now. That declaration couldn't go ignored. Okay, screw etiquette, I want a piece of you now. She stepped away from Yuki, tightening the band on her hakama. "Let me know when you're done with your warm-up." She said. "I'll be around,"

And with that, she walked away left Yuki in peace, at least for the moment.

[CaptainL]

Yuki took in a breath, trying to still her nerves. No matter how much she might have wanted to, she couldn't lose her cool now. The battle between her and Reiko was already afoot, even if no one had stepped in the ring and no bell had been rung. If she acted up here, in front of her future opponent, it would show that she was impulsive. Malleable. Easily twisted to her opponent's whims. There was no question that Amano, or Reiko, or whoever she was was adept at psychological warfare, and Yuki had to defend herself against that as much as she would any other technique, holding herself to her standards as a cool, collected, and methodical fighter.

Still, she couldn't deny that Reiko had wormed her way into her head whether she liked it or not. Already Yuki could feel the gazes of her fellow gym-goers settling on the scene in front of them, and the heat of a blush tickled her cheeks. She resolved that she wouldn't let this keep her back, and with a huff, she straightened herself, stiffening her back. She had to stay strong, no matter what Reiko tried.

Looking back down at the mat, Yuki returned to her stretches, working the other leg before moving to her arms. "Right," she muttered. "In any case, when the time comes to face each other...I'll be ready." She didn't look at Reiko all the while - she had other things to concern herself with.

[dlamp]

And so Reiko went about her own training routine, moving to a different corner of the ring and putting in her earbuds as she went to work. She had already finished stretching so next were the basics. Pull-ups, pushups, jogging in place, and a series of short katas to round things off, though that one got her a few stares even though she kept her kiai shouts to quiet breaths. She brushed past it though, finishing up and settling into her resting stance.

...

...

...

"Ugh..." Yeah, she was still thinking about Yuki.

It was hard not to. The two might be in their own corners, but she was still in view, and there was still this... tension. She could still hear other gym members whispering about it... okay, mostly about Reiko's attire, but some of it did pivot back to her spat with Yuki. And it wasn't like Reiko didn't still wanted a piece of her, or at least another shot at talking to her. The gym was more or less neutral territory after all. They could just talk as rivals, even if Reiko didn't exactly get off on the right foot. "... ... ..." Ugh, I can't focus. She relaxed her stance, moving toward a nearby bench to take a break and hopefully get Yuki out of her mind for a moment.

[CaptainL]

Reiko had stepped away from Yuki, but that didn't mean she was out of her head. Quite the opposite, in fact. Even without Reiko hovering over her shoulder, the raven-haired girl still couldn't put their confrontation aside enough to focus on what was important. She knew that she needed to just ignore Reiko, and that nothing good could come of letting her distract her from her routine; after all, she had a big match to prepare for. But she couldn't. Yuki completed her stretches and lay down for some push-ups, but with every time she pushed her weight off the ground, all she could think about was Reiko - it was as though she was pushing back against her shoulders, their eyes still locked in a staredown.

"Gah..." Soon, Yuki realized that she couldn't keep going like this. No matter how much she tried to throw herself into her exercises, Reiko's presence still haunted her. She rolled up onto her knees, deciding she needed a change of pace in order to properly take her mind off her upcoming opponent. She looked over toward the weights - but between her and them were a few people stopping to stare at someone on a bench nearby. And that person, unmistakable in their gi, was Reiko. In order to get to where she was heading, Yuki would have to go past her.

Nothing to worry about, she thought. They were done with their exchange of words. All they were now were fellow gym-goers. She didn't need to make a big deal about it, and it wouldn't be an issue. Taking in a breath, Yuki lifted her chin, looking at the ceiling as she went to calmly and casually pass Reiko by. She took care not to look directly at her. It would be as though she wasn't there.

[dlamp]

For the moment, Reiko focused on her breathing, going into a semi-meditative state as she closed her eyes. Just... don't think about it. She thought. Just focus on your breathing, don't let anything distrac- ugh, nope. She could still heard the other wrestlers muttering, even more so as Reiko heard Yuki's footsteps... well, heard the gym-goers talking about Yuki's approach anyway. And Reiko was nearly in a cold sweat. Was Yuki going to approach her first and just talk things out? Was she going to try and insult Reiko back? Were they going to have an impromptu spar or catfight right here in the middle of the gym? The questions and possibilities were swirling through Reiko's mind. With hesitation, she opened her eyes, looking in Yuki's direction and... she was... barely paying attention. No, that wasn't it. Yuki was literally turning her nose up at Reiko and making an effort to just deny her existence.

Again.

Seriously?! You're gonna' do this now?!

Screw it. This girl really was asking for a fight now.

"Stop." It was more an order than a suggestion, and Reiko's voice was barely containing the growl under her throat. "Stop and look me in the eyes Kazikura Yuki."

[CaptainL]

Yuki really didn't want this to be any more of a problem than it needed to be. She was just here to work out. To train and prepare herself for an upcoming match. She didn't want trouble, even when it concerned the same woman she would be facing off against in the very match she was heading into. She could hear the other gym-goers whispering to each other as she passed, and the thought of it made her tense, balling a fist at her side. She could hear her name being spoken, even if the others in the gym thought that she couldn't. But she was just going to ignore it. It wasn't her business.

Until Reiko made it her business, anyway.

Hearing her name being called, Yuki stopped abruptly in her tracks. She wheeled around on her heel, her gaze settling back on Reiko as her eyes narrowed into a glare. She just couldn't leave her alone, it seemed. "What do you want-!?" she growled, her tone rising with frustration. "What is it now-?"

[dlamp]

Reiko met Yuki's glare, baring her teeth at the girl as she stood up. "What do I want?" She shot back, her octave rising. "I want to punch you right now, and your damn attitude ain't helping with that. I don't like being here either, but acting like some preppy schoolgirl bitch doesn't make me disappe-"

"Wow, those two are really going at it."

Oh Gods, not this bullshit.

"Weren't they arguing in that corner before?"

"Tehehehe, you'd think the Aikido girl would have some patience, but nope~"

"They're such a distraction... I swear, ever since that damn 'Lightweight Revolution' shit Rose was on these half-pints have been-"

Reiko cut herself off, pivoting on her heel to the voices behind her. It was hard enough seeing Yuki strut about acting like the high and mighty upstart. It was hard enough having to see her go about the gym like nothing else mattered and treating everyone and everything that wasn't about her with indifference. And it was damn hard enough trying to deal with the peanut gallery talking about Reiko's attire and outfit like she didn't know how out of place she was. She had enough of it, and the manic rage had already hushed the closest people to the two girls.



"SHUT UP ALREADY!!"



...


...


...


The entire gym was silenced, frozen by the black-hot rage that roared from Reiko's throat. People stopped lifting weights, stopped stretching. Some nearly dropped their equipment in from sudden screech. And all eyes were on Reiko and Yuki now.

And yet... no one approached.

Because one look at Reiko gave it away. The wild, bloodshot look in her eyes. The staggered, frantic breaths from her throat. The outright spasms her shoulders were making. To approach Reiko in this state was to approach death, and it was a feeling Reiko hadn't since her expulsion. And slowly, the people inched away, some going back to their workout, some moving far away from the two. And some... watching from a safe distance.

Once that was done, Reiko then turned her attention to Yuki, her hateful glare fully directed at her. "YOU." It was all her hoarse voice spat out before snatching at Yuki's shirt and starting to move the two toward the nearest private room with little finesse or care.

[CaptainL]

Yuki had been trying to block out the comments from the peanut gallery before, seeing them as just another distraction that was steering her mind away from what she really needed to focus on. But now, she didn't need to. Now, there was only one thing that commanded her attention. As she heard Reiko cuss her out, Yuki's blood suddenly ran cold. Her eyes went wide, her mouth dropping open in a gasp. The world around her slowed to a stop, and in that moment it was only her and Reiko, locked in an unbreakable staredown. Nothing else mattered.

"What...did you just say-!?" Yuki clenched her teeth, her hands tightening into fists. As she narrowed her glare at Reiko, she squared up her shoulders, leaning herself closer until the two were practically nose to nose, feeling each others' breaths against their faces. "I'm only minding my own business! You're the one getting in my face, and I don't know what you w-" Yuki's voice mixed in with the whispers of the onlookers, the noise in the room building to a crescendo. But in one moment, it all was extinguished.

As Reiko's patience snapped, everyone went silent, and Yuki was no exception. She stood there, paralyzed, as a bead of cold sweat ran down the back of her neck. All that moved was her chest as it slowly rose and fell with the motions of each breath she took. Just as much as anyone else, Yuki knew that Reiko meant business now. She might have been an accomplished wrestler, one who had previously held the honor of number-one contender for the Lightweight Championship, but even she was afraid to so much as make a sound.

It was Reiko who made the first move, as she closed the distance, reaching out to grab Yuki by the shirt. She winced as the fabric tugged upward in Reiko's fingers, the lower reaches of her toned stomach peeking out from beneath the hem. "Nngh..!" she hissed, as Reiko less than gently pulled her into a nearby room. She didn't fight it, all the same. She wasn't about to test Reiko's limits.

With a thud, Yuki landed against the wall, shuddering as her back struck its surface. Still face to face with Reiko, she narrowed her glare, her teeth gritting. "What's your problem-!?" she asked. "I'm not even trying to deal with you here!"