Roommates' Reunion

[CaptainL]

Meiyun had all but fallen into despair after that match. Against all odds, she actually had Rose Gold, the champion, on the ropes; she was laying into her with punch after punch, knocking her this way and that, and the blonde seemed powerless to resist! If she could bring Rose down, not only would she have vanquished the vile villain at the heart of it all, proving herself the hero she had always hoped to be - she would've become the champion too, in one fell swoop! And then, right when it all was within her reach, it had been snatched away from her - and that had cast a dark cloud over everything. Meiyun could barely think back on even the success she'd had without remembering how it had all gone sour. She hadn't just lost, and she hadn't just given up the opportunity of a lifetime - she had let down the whole Young Lioness Program in doing so. After all, it was up to her to prove they had what it took to prove Rose wrong. And she'd still failed.

Fortunately, her roommate had been there to help her pick herself back up, reminding her why she was fighting, and encouraging her to press on. Just as always, Meiyun put a smile on her face, telling herself that she still had this! Sure, this would be a defeat she'd have a hard time shaking. But it would only make her next victory so much sweeter when she bounced back better than ever!

It hadn't been long after Meiyun had broken away from Courage, however, that she heard footsteps coming down the hall. "Huh?" she muttered to herself, turning to the door - where she would be greeted by a series of knocks. And, when she opened the door, by the face of her fellow Young Lioness Corrine DuPage.

At the sound of her voice, Meiyun froze, biting her lip. With her defeat still lingering in her thoughts, it was surely on everyone else's minds too. She couldn't help but worry that whatever Corrine had to say to her had to do with the match in some way - and a blush came to her cheeks as she realized she wasn't sure if she was ready to respond. She didn't want to admit to what had happened. Still, though, Corrine was a nice girl. Mei could take the time for her.

"Yeah...I should be fine, I think. What's up?"

[FreestylePoet]

The door opened, revealing her shorter classmate, clad in a comfy looking tee. Corrine knew, however, that it must have felt like a bikini to Mei, given what had just happened to her. It was doubtless that any level of dress would feel too exposing after that match. But that was why Corrine was here in the first place.

"Mei-senpai!" she greeted her senior with a smile. "May I come in?" After waiting for her host's approval, Corrine gave a slight bow and entered the room. She'd changed into her casual clothes as well, and she held in her hands a small satchel.

Corrine DuPage, the Hedge Knight

"Yumi-senpai." She greeted her other senior with a polite nod before sitting down. Immediately a spot of apprehension hit. How was she to do this? Corrine knew that she had to be there to support Mei, but she had no idea where to begin. In the end, she supposed it was best to just start with the basics.

"How are you?" she asked, sympathy written onto her face as best she could. "You don't have to... speak in any specifics if you wish. But I just..." Corrine glanced sheepishly to the side, closing her eyes with a deep breath before looking back to Mei with a soft smile on her face. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

[SuckerPunch]

"Yosh!" Courage gave Meiyun a firm nod that did its best to match her protaganist energy! Nothing was stronger than the power of friendship!

A sudden knock on the door drew her attention towards their door. Corrine announced herself through the door and the presence of another visitor- no, supporter, put a smile on her face.

She turned to observe her roommate as she had been the one called by name. And what she saw caused her grin to falter. Mei was a strong woman. She would certainly put on a bold face for her kouhai and do her best to struggle in solitude.

"Nnn." A pensive sound snuck its way past Courage's lips as the door began to open.

Corrine greeted her and she returned it with a friendly and informal "Yo, Corrine-chan!"

And then the three girls shared a moment of awkward silence.

"Mnnn!" Courage let out another sound, though this one was more frustrated than pensive.

This wouldn't do at all!

She threw herself onto Meiyun! Looping an arm around her shoulder and weighing heavily upon her in an overdramatic show of camaraderie! But especially to spare Meiyun the pain of answering.

"We were just laughing at how ridiculous that blowhard bully looked when Meiyun was beating her up!" Grinned wider than was necessary. Wide enough for her and Meiyun both! If mei couldn't smile yet, then Courage would do it for her until she was ready!

"She was all Ohhh~~~ Itai!!! MEI-SAMA! NOOO~!" She pantomimed her best hoity ojo voice as she swayed back and forth as she hung off of Mei, jerking and jarring her around.

"And Mei was all! AT-TA-TA-TAAAA!" She improvised her best Kenshiro, jerking around as if she were being assaulted by the ghost of Bruce Lee.

"She made her look so ridiculous! Ha! Meiyun was so great!!! Tonight, she's the pride of the Young Lionesses!"

[CaptainL]

With Corrine inviting herself into the room, Meiyun bit her lip, trying to stop the blush coming to her cheeks. She had mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, the entire reason she had chosen to go up against Rose Gold was to send a message. She wanted to be the one to prove that the Young Lionesses weren't going to be pushed around, and that they were going to rise to the challenge no matter who it came from. If she had made that big of an impact, to the point where multiple people were dropping by to check on her, that told Mei that she had succeeded in what she set out to do. They would remember her. That they were all looking out for her, and willing to make sure she was all right, told her that they cared. They were all her friends, and now they were coming to her when she needed it most.

But it was a double-edged sword. Meiyun had just been through the lowest point of her life. She'd been made a fool of in front of everyone, mocked and shamed for the world to see, and in her mind, that had been a stain over everything she might have accomplished in her acceptance of the challenge. They wouldn't remember the bold girl who was willing to take on the champion before she had even finished her training - they'd only remember her bare breasts bobbing up and down as Rose shook her with her legs spread for the cameras to see. And now, all the attention Meiyun was getting...meant they had all seen that, too.

Her blush deepened, and she pulled her shirt closer to herself; for as modest as her outfit was, she was still ashamed of the body that lay beneath it, knowing how all of it had been on display. If Corrine was checking on her, that meant that she too had seen everything. That she was trying to avoid anything too painful for Mei only spoke to how well aware of it she was. The Hakka girl glanced down at the floor, not ready to make eye contact. "I'm...it's fine. I'm okay now, I think. Thanks for checking on me, though..."

At least, at the end of it all...Corrine was her friend. She wasn't going to mock her, even if that was what Rose wanted the world to do. She wanted Meiyun to feel safe, and to feel like she had her back. Mei began to look back up at her, but when their eyes met, she smiled a little wider, even as awkward as her smile may have been. "Really, I appreciate it."

And then, Courage threw her arm around her, pulling her into a tight hug! Meiyun wasn't prepared for that, and her eyes went wide as she looked back in shock. When her roommate launched into an overly dramatic retelling of her match with Rose, recounting every blow and every taunt, her cheeks blushed brighter. She was sure it probably looked cringy. After all, she had outright started to do anime LARP in the middle of the ring, in what was in theory a title match. She wondered how many people she'd looked like an idiot to. When Yumi laughed, she couldn't help but shake the feeling she was laughing at her.

But that, Meiyun realized, was just the thought Rose wanted to put in her head. Yumi, her roommate, her friend - the friend who had been here to cheer her up, to encourage her even when she thought she had nothing worth being proud about - would never mock her like this. She was laughing with her. Seeing the smile on Courage's face as she recounted the match reminded Meiyun of something important. For as much as Rose had turned things around at the last minute, it was true. Meiyun really did have her on the ropes. And for just those few short seconds, she had looked like a hero.

"I...I guess I did, huh?" She grinned a little wider, holding her back straighter as she grinned with confidence. "When you put it like that, I guess-! And you were there to see the whole thing!"

[FreestylePoet]

The awkward tension in the air was so thick that even Corrine's family blade would not have been able to cut it. The Hedge Knight sweatdropped. Perhaps this was her fault. She'd done her best to offer comfort to her senpai, but... the situation was delicate. This was always a task that was always difficult despite her skill as a servant; emotional counsel was hardly a one-size-fits-all situation. But what was she if she could not even stand by her senpai in her moment of need?

Luckily, Mei-senpai's roommate was an idol! Yumi-senpai -- or perhaps Courage-senpai in this case -- was adept at connecting with the hearts of fans across Japan and around the world. To her, one more must have been a mere trick of the trade. Corrine's eyes widened as Courage-senpai launched into a goofy, playful, supportive tirade. And seconds after, Mei-senpai's smile grew!

"Ahaha!" Corrine found herself giggling, not only due to Courage-senpai's antics, but also out of relief. The young servant had much to learn, but her classmate -- her friend -- was going to be alright. That was all that mattered. "That we were, Mei-senpai. And that she was, Yumi-senpai." She nodded with a polite, though slightly less composed, smile to each of her seniors in turn.

"It truly was remarkable, you know. You'll have to show me those combination punches at some point," she lilted, tilting her head playfully at Mei-senpai. Then came a pause, though this one was filled with consideration rather than reluctance. Her next words were important, even at risk of making the air heavy once more. Even so, she had to say them. "Though you showed even more than your hard-earned skill. You showed your bravery, and my only regret is that I could not muster the same once the Champion's challenge came to us. I came to LAW in search of a woman of character to lead and inspire me. While we still have much to learn, I can only hope my eventual client can move me half as much as you have tonight."

Then Corrine clasped her hands, not noticing how it placed her small satchel in plain view. She bowed deeply towards the Hakka girl, hoping that her rendition of Japanese decorum was accurate. "So thank you, Mei-senpai. For reminding me why I am here."

[SuckerPunch]

Courage's exuberance dimmed a little as the gloom began to dissipate. It had been an act of theatrics for Meiyun's sake. So when neither Meiyun nor Corrine seemed to be concerned, she allowed it to fade. To allow herself to gently melt into the background.

She held tight onto Meiyun, but shifted her weight to subtly encourage the contender into center stage. Corrine had come to see her, afterall.

For now, she was simply a background character.

[CaptainL]

Knowing that Corrine had watched the match so closely, Meiyun had conflicting feelings. On one hand, that meant that when Rose had stripped and humiliated her for all the cameras to see, her classmates had seen every bit of it. The thought of that made her bite her lip anxiously, and her cheeks flushed red as she hugged an arm closer to her chest. But neither of them were mocking her about it, and neither of them seemed to think any less of her for her shameful loss. On the contrary, they had been all the more impressed with the bravery Mei had shown in stepping up to such a challenge, knowing full well so much was on the line. They were proud to know she had stood up for them when no one else would've. Even if Meiyun had, ultimately, lost, she had made a statement that meant so much more.

As she reflected on Corrine's words, the tension in her body began to ease. Her stiff stance slackened, and the nervous grimace on her face slipped into a warm smile. She was blushing again, but this time, it wasn't from the thought of having her naked body broadcast around the world. This time, it was because she could see how much Corrine looked up to her, how much she'd inspired her. She was even pledging her loyalty to her! Meiyun had never had anyone defer to her like this before. It felt strange having someone look up to her while she was still in training herself, surrounded by all the teachers and veterans she herself saw as role models. She'd never have expected anyone to feel that way about her so soon...but she could tell, all the same, that Corrine meant every word from the bottom of her heart. And she was proud to know she had done that for her.

"Oh, Corrine..." She lowered her head in deference to the blue-haired girl as she bowed, but when she straightened herself back up, Meiyun took a step forward, throwing her arms around her to pull her into a hug. It was a much less formal gesture than the bow, but Meiyun meant it that much. "Thank you...so much. You have no idea it means to me to know that I have your support - or that I could inspire you..."

Just voicing the words, she sniffled a little. Her eyes began to water, but not from shame and sorrow any more, but from happiness. "You know, I...never thought I would ever mean this much to anyone...in all our classes, you've always seemed so good, so much...better than me. I never would've thought you'd look up to me..."

[FreestylePoet]

The bow was a simple gesture of respect for all Mei had done and shown. It was woefully inadequate in the face of her senpai's efforts, but paying homage in this way was nonetheless second nature. She hadn't been expecting much of a response... much less a full-bodied hug from Mei-senpai! The embrace warmed her heart, offering the young Hedge Knight a moment to reflect as her senior poured her heart out.

It was strange. Certainly Meiyun Lai could not be the one she dedicated herself to in the tradition of the DuPage family. Not yet, anyway. She was far too young and inexperienced to truly cast her shadow on the world. Even so, their time together in the Young Lioness Program had impressed upon Corrine that the young Hakka girl held that potential inside her -- and this night showed that more than any.

Her instinct as a servant and knight was to see that potential to its end. That was her selfless devotion. So even if Mei-senpai was not yet the one she would pledge herself body and mind to, she was certainly one to watch over as she blossomed into what may. And that started with stopping this self-deprecating train of thoughts in its tracks.

Corrine pulled away, smiling kindly. "It's true. Training is one thing. Acting? Leading? Another world entirely. To not look up to you would be to miss the plainly obvious." Then, as if reminded of its existence, she glanced down at the bag. "Oh! I almost forgot... I'm not the only one who thinks this, you know." She reached into the satchel, pulling out a gift that had been bought for Mei-senpai just hours earlier...

CUTENESS WARNING

"This is for you. Call it..." How should she put this? "From a secret admirer of sorts. She takes inspiration in you, just as I do. She was just... worried that she might not be able to say it properly."

[CaptainL]

It didn't matter to Meiyun if Corrine felt it was her place to stand back, and to show deference to her betters. To Meiyun, she wasn't just her underclassman. She was a classmate, a comrade, and a friend. As Corrine was quick to remind her, when Meiyun had stood up to Rose Gold's challenge, when she had defended the honor of her fellow trainees, she was one of the many she stuck her neck out for. Even if it hadn't worked out, that hardly mattered. What mattered was that Mei had shown the courage of a true hero. And when she heard one of those same people she had been fighting for show her thanks, she couldn't help but get misty-eyed. Meiyun never thought she'd have anyone look up to her this early in her career - but no one could deny that she had earned it.

When Corrine reached into her bag, though, Meiyun perked her head up, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. And when the blue-haired girl produced a plush of a smiling ramen bowl, she clasped her hand to her mouth to hold back a gasp. "Awwww..!! Oh my god, it's so CUTE!" With a grin, Meiyun practically snatched it out of Corrine's hands to hug it tightly to her chest. "Thanks sooo much, Corrine...this really made my day."

But it wasn't the gift in and of itself that brightened her spirits - it was what it meant. Corrine wasn't alone. There were others in the Young Lioness Program who looked to Meiyun as the hero they needed - the hero she had always dreamed of becoming. Corrine had said as much - and the thought of it made Mei's smile grow more and more the more she thought of it. Just a moment ago, she thought that she had condemned her career to shame and disgrace with her loss. Now? She felt more than ever like a winner. She might have lost the match, but it was what she accomplished in the process that really mattered.

"Well...if you see her, tell her I said thanks, okay?" Meiyun replied, nodding to Corrine. "It means a lot."