Demon's Revelation (Reiko and...)

[dlamp]

Yeah yeah, go on and laugh... Reiko rolled her eyes, but at least the girl was a little more motivated. It was still awkward, being seen as someone of note, dealing with an honest fan and spectator of her fights and not just a fellow wrestler. And... being praised for her efforts in the ring despite her lost. It... felt weird. Dealing with Lunar was a bit awkward, but she was already on good terms with her. This girl was a complete stranger and yet already looked at Amano with some kind of reverence. It... was definitely a new experience, one that had Reiko blushing. Still, she wouldn't falter or try to deflect like with Luna. She stuck to her guns then and she'll keep sticking to them now.

"I..." She looked away for a moment, staring at her hand before making a fist. "I just wanted to prove that you can make to a big stage like this if you work at it." She started. "I was seeing everyone just whine and moan about Rose being a bad champion and how they wanted to get up at her level rip the belt off her, but..." She narrowed her eyes, letting out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair again. "You ever see someone say they wanna' be the best at something, but they just don't bother doing anything about it? That's what it felt like. When I saw Rose win the belt, when I saw her and Aoi got at it with everything they had and Aoi wanting to deck Rose even if it meant her career because she had a point to make... I... I wanted to be like that." She forced a smile. "I only had one match under my belt around that time, but I wanted to get to that level. So I just... threw myself into match after match. And... now I'm here." She paused, giving a small laugh at the irony. It was a championship match that inspired Reiko to throw herself into LAW's world more, and now it was coming full circle.

"You could probably do it." Reiko said, turning to Hitomi. "LAW's pretty nutty a lot of the time, but if you aren't afraid to take risks, take a beating, and give on back, then... I think anyone can make it here." Her eye flashed, lips curling into a smirk. "If you're serious, then maybe just be ready for a trial by fire if you do get in. My first match was a hardcore, ten-count battle to the finish where my yellow kimono turned red. So don't go thinking it's a walk in the park."

[CaptainL]

"Whoah..." Hitomi listened closely to what Reiko had to say, hanging off every word, and nodding her head with each point she raised. She, of course, knew everything she was alluding to - Hitomi had been following LAW religiously, and she had seen every match Reiko mentioned, from the feud between Rose and Aoi that led to the shocking title change to each step Reiko took in building herself up so that she could take Rose on and set things right. She could see that same determination Reiko referred to in every match she wrestled in, and in each win she got under her belt to establish herself as a worthy challenger for the title. She had seen it just a few hours ago in the ring, too. And now, it was all coming straight from the horse's mouth. Everything Hitomi had thought about what was going through Reiko's head had been confirmed, and her smile grew wider, stirred by the knowledge that she had access to the inner workings of the Rascal Demon's mind.

"That's aweshome! I alwaysh could tell, watching you, that you were giving it your all...but hearing it from you meansh a lot."

But as much as Hitomi was excited to meet one of her idols in person, her excitement at that paled in comparison to what came up next - as Reiko told Hitomi she had her chance to make it as a wrestler. The girl gasped, straightening her back to look at Reiko with a grin that split her face from ear to ear. "Really?! You really think sho!?" Hitomi began to hop up and down in place, unable to contain her enthusiasm. Even what Reiko said next did little to dissuade her. "Don't worry! I know what I'm going into, but I know I can handle it! I've been training to become a wreshtler for yearsh now, and I've got the endurancshe to shtand up to anything! Here, I'll prove it!"

Hitomi took a few steps back from Reiko, taking point on the sidewalk and beckoning her closer. "Go on! Hit me!"

[dlamp]

"Oh?" Reiko's smirk grew, watching Hitomi moving toward the sidewalk, literally asking for a punch. "Heh," The sight alone was enough to get her to crack an honest smile. This random fan with an excitable, dorky presence was just smile and rainbows, now asking to prove her mettle and determination. Just the sort of attitude that got Reiko's blood pumping. In the ring, in the dojo, or even here on the beach, the little demon couldn't help but answer any challenge. And they say I'm the spunky one. It still felt kind of weird to be looked at as some sort of inspiration or encouragement, but seeing Hitomi's excitement was infectious and the sour mood she was in before was fading. Truly after forcing a tough front with Lunar.

"Alright," Reiko stood up, moving over to the sidewalk next to Hitomi. Kinda' wish we stayed on the sand... It'd give a little cushion at least, but if Hitomi was truly serious... "Fair warning, despite all the Aikido stuff I do I can throw a decent punch." A few years of karate was to thank for it, knowing just the right areas to knock someone down. But for Hitomi's sake... she'd aim careful. "Anyway..." She took a stance, legs apart, fists raised. A jokes aside, assuming Hitomi was true about her words then Reiko would be striking someone with height and weight on her. Someone that could take a solid hit, and Reiko had fought enough big girls at her dojo to know a hard it was to take a large opponent down. "Ready?"

[CaptainL]

Regardless of Reiko's warnings, Hitomi wasn't dissuaded in the least. She faced her with a grin, spreading her arms wide and presenting herself open to attack. "Well, yeah!" she said, "ya think I don't know that? I shaw what you did to Roshe jusht earlier thish evening!" Contrary to what most would anticipate when faced with a well-established wrestler, hot off the heels of taking on a champion and giving her a run for her money, Hitomi showed no fear or hesitation at all. She knew exactly how much this was going to hurt - but she needed to show she had what it took to make it in the ring, and that meant she was going to have to roll with the punches. Literally, in this case. Besides, she wouldn't get anywhere by just easing into it! She had to hit the ground running!

"Oh yeah, I'm ready!" Hitomi cheered. "Whenever you are!"

[dlamp]

Reiko's smirk grew. "Heh, guess you got a point." The punch-out with Rose at the tail end of the match played back in her mind. Throwing everything she had into her fists against a human opponent. And with Hitomi looking confident about her limits holding back wasn't an option. She wasn't going to insult Hitomi's resolve with a weak punch. "Haaah..." Reiko exhaled, focusing her gaze onto Hitomi, looking for a spot to strike. Her first instinct was the liver, but that'd be... ruthless. Too ruthless for what was to be a test. Second was the stomach, but risking someone losing their dinner on the sidewalk wouldn't be ideal. Okay... She gave Hitomi one more glance before finding her target point.

Then, she struck.

It was fast motion, liking pulling a cord, Reiko thrust her fist forward, rotating her upper body for the extra force, her fist going right for Hitomi's torso.

[CaptainL]

Well...Hitomi had quite literally asked for it, and no one could say that Reiko didn't deliver. The Demon swung a fist straight toward her, building on the force of the blow with the twisting motion of her body as she whipped herself around, and Hitomi was standing idly by, making no effort to avoid the strike or brace herself against it. Instead, she took the impact head-on, and with the sound of a crack, her body whipped backward. Her arms flung back in an arc, and the sound of a gasp left her lungs as her feet were swept off the ground beneath her. Knocked off her balance, Hitomi went tumbling back from the sidewalk, landing in a heap on the ground with her limbs splayed in all directions around her. Any onlookers might be forgiven for assuming that Hitomi had just been hit by a truck.

...And despite it all, she looked up from the ground with a smile. This was exactly what she'd wanted, and Reiko had more than lived up to her expectations! Hitomi lifted an arm from the ground, turning it to extend a thumbs-up raised to Reiko. "I'm okay! Nische shot there!" she cheered, in a perfectly normal and eager voice. Now, she could say she had taken a punch from Reiko; a unique honor if she ever knew one.

[dlamp]

Reiko couldn't help but wince at the impact. Hitomi asked for it, begged for it even, but as a martial artist she felt a little guilty for striking an obvious newbie at full force. The woman fell right onto her back in almost overly dramatic fashion, landing right on the hard sidewalk. Yeah... should of did this in the sand. Reiko thought, frowning at the result. This wasn't the ring after all, and this wasn't even a match. Even if Hitomi asked for it, this felt like bullying. But... the woman wanted to prove herself, and just as Reiko was able to ask if she was still breathing.

"I'm okay! Nische shot there!"

Reiko let out a sigh of relief. From the sound and look of it one might think Reiko committed assault, but the smile on Hitomi's face got Reiko smiling as well. The fact she was still able to move was enough of a relief, but seeing the giddy look on Hitomi's face sent Reiko back to her first few times at the dojo, realizing she could actually survive a harsh throw through ukemi and get some pleasure from trading blows. "Hehe..." Reiko offered the girl a hand. "Well, congrats on still being alive." She said. "If you can take a hit like that, then I think there's hope for you."

[CaptainL]

Whatever might have been going through Reiko's mind, Hitomi was perfectly unconcerned with it. She might have gone flying from the force of the impact, having quite deliberately left herself open to attack and made no effort to defend herself, but she was able to bounce back from it just fine. If Hitomi had anything to brag about, it was her endurance. Whether by genetic miracle or just plain dumb luck, she always seemed to shrug off injury. She might not have had much in the way of serious wrestling training, but it was by virtue of her durability alone she was convinced she could succeed in the ring. And, if anything, Reiko had proved that right.

Hitomi took Reiko's hand as she held it out, rising unsteadily to her feet. For a moment, she teetered back and forth, still dizzy from the impact, but soon she shook off that too, grounding herself on her center of balance and brushing off her shirt. Then, she met Reiko with a smile, nodding her head. "Oh, you have no idea how musch that meansh, hearing it from you!" Grasping Reiko's hand tightly, she shook it vigorously. "Now that I have you to vousch for me, I know I can make it! Heheh...you don't mind if I brag about thish to all my friendsh, right?"

Then, Hitomi looked around, where her eyes settled on a dumpster on a street corner nearby - one where the lid had been left open, by sheer chance. With a smirk, she glanced back at Reiko. Already, another idea was coming to her head. "Hey. You wanna shee what elshe I can do?"

[dlamp]

To Reiko's surprise, Hitomi was able to more or less shake off the hit she took. It took her a moment to find her footing and stand, but she stood tall afterwards. It was kind of a shock, really. Reiko honestly thought it was just a tough front to try and impress Reiko, but seeing Hitomi's enthusiasm really was inspiring... even if she was still be a little to touchy with her. "Hehe... sure, if you want." Admittedly a noncommittal answer, but the girl was still a bit in shock at the whole interaction. It was one big moment after another, and Hitomi's next idea seemed to involve something at the end of the sidewalk.

Whatever was cooking in the woman's head, she seemed to have some big idea to impress Reiko further. And as this one seemed to not involve Reiko taking another swing at her...

"Heh, sure. Show me what you got!"

[CaptainL]

Hitomi couldn't help herself, and her grin was spreading wide across her face. This was exactly what she'd always dreamed of - she had her chance to show off her skills to a captive audience, and to prove that she had what it took to be worthy of the squared circle. And she was able to do this with a LAW star at that, something she never would have expected in a million years - but which only made the experience even better. Maybe, just maybe, if Reiko was impressed enough, she'd be able to put a good word in for Hitomi, and to help her get into LAW!

Now, though, it was time for another demonstration, as Hitomi nodded eagerly to Reiko. "You bet! Watsch this!" she said, locking eyes on the dumpster. While Hitomi's endurance was certainly nothing to scoff at, she knew that if she was going to succeed as a wrestler, she had to be capable of more than just taking hits. Luckily, she had other talents too.

Taking off across the street, Hitomi charged for the dumpster as fast as she could. She wasn't the most coordinated, and her less-than-slim physique certainly didn't do her any favors, but it didn't seem to cross her mind as she zeroed in on her target. As she got close, Hitomi hopped into the air, planting a hand on the rim of the open edge before she hurled herself inside, all while calling out the source of her "training."

"ASSHASSHIN'S CREED!!"

Spoiler

A metallic clang rang out as Hitomi struck the bottom of the dumpster, before she gave her familiar reassurance. "I'm okay!"