The foundation of the future

[skip-stop]

"Stop!" Charlotte said harshly.

In an instant, all six students she was watching stopped and turned to her. The Frenchwoman's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, which clearly indicated that she was unhappy. However, her students took it with understanding because they were well aware that despite the fact that Charlotte is a very strict coach, she would never inflate a problem out of nothing.

When she founded her own martial arts school, she didn't really think it would become anything big or meaningful. However, she put her whole soul into this place, not to mention a decent amount of money. At first, this place functioned solely as another gym, but over time, she began to have students. Rumors about a martial artist who traveled all over the world quickly spread around the area. But, no matter how funny it was, the real influx of students began with her career in LAW.

Because of this, Charlotte had to not only to some extent filter those who wanted to learn martial arts from her, but also change the concept of her martial school. Now part of the time her school works as a regular gym with first-class equipment, it was necessary so that she would not burn out. Besides, even on the days when she trains students, anyone can come here for workout.

Charlotte Ravel'

Workout outfit

"You two, to the center!" She commanded, glancing at the two guys.

When her order was carried out, she took a few steps forward, after which she motioned for them to take their fighting stance.

"Hisashi, throw a right cross!" She said. "Jacob, meet him with your own right cross!"

The young Japanese guy got ready, and then took a step forward, simultaneously throwing a right cross at his opponent's head. However, a second later, Hisashi was on his butt. The reason for this was the right cross that Jacob sent to his head.

"Get up!" Charlotte said, then looked at all the other students. "Has anyone noticed a mistake?"

"Was the arm movement too slow?"

"No."

"Did he turn the torso not enough to strengthen the punch?"

"No!" Charlotte's eyes flashed. "What kind of punch are we talking about if his fist didn't reach Jacob's head?"

Seeing the incomprehension on the faces of her students, the pink-haired woman had to make some effort to restrain a heavy sigh. She took another step forward and stood in front of Jacob, then raised her fists.

"Meet me with a right cross," she said. "Use all the speed you can."

As soon as Jacob nodded, she rushed forward. Taking a step forward and to the left, she threw her right hand forward. And although Jacob did what she demanded, his right hand went past Charlotte's head. Having missed her punch, he repeated the fate of his Japanese friend and ended up on his butt.

"Taking a step only forward during a right cross, your head remains on the line of your opponent's right hand punch," Charlotte explained. "Jacob, get up!" The guy nodded, after which she continued. "At best, you will hit each other at the same time, but if your opponent's arm is at least a centimeter longer than yours, then your attack will end with your butt on the mat!"

Charlotte looked at the students once more and was relieved to see in their eyes an understanding of what she had just said. She nodded and even smiled a little.

"Therefore, it is necessary to take a step not only forward, but also to the left, thanks to this, your head shifts and if the opponent tries to meet you with their own right cross, then their hand will pass to the right of your head," for demonstration, the Frenchwoman once again demonstrated a step forward and to the left. "Is it clear to everyone?"

"Yes, Master Ravel'!" Sounded in unison.

"Good, now continue!"

Three pairs of students returned to practice, while Charlotte took off her boxing gloves and put them on the bench. Grabbing a bottle of water, she took a small sip and continued to watch for her students. Even though she didn't show it, she was actually proud of this boxing group. There is never real success without mistakes. And there was no point in denying it, they make mistakes all the time. But each time these mistakes turn into an experience, which made Charlotte feel good, because in the end it was her merit too.

[Misfit_Alien]

Akari woke up early in the morning for her usual routine...Check her notifications, emails, and any LAW bulletins...get up, shower, run through her skincare routine, brush her teeth, etc...She gets dressed in a pair of casual shorts and a shirt, moving around her small but cozy apartment with the TV playing in the background. She fixed herself some breakfast while listening to the news, making a bowl of cereal with some fruit on the side. A healthy meal to jumpstart her morning since today would be her weekly day at the gym!!! The Sea Turtle cleaned up around her house and changed into her gym apparel for the walk ahead of her. She thought about how she would spend her day, deciding on mainly focusing on her combat training...specifically boxing, with maybe a bit of wrestling as well. She packed her things into her gym bag, locked up, and left her apartment.

Akari's Outfit

Akari went downstairs, headphones on and music blasting in her ears as she jogged a few blocks away toward her usual go-to gym. LAW's facilities were nice, but Akari preferred the homely feel of her usual spot, along with the perk of it being so close to her home.

Unfortunately for her, the gym was closed down for the day. Something about a cleaning notice. Seems they'd be out for about a week or so. Just her luck...Well, she didn't want to just laze around all day. She needed to get some training done if she wanted to improve and prepare herself for the coming weeks. The Sea Turtle had big plans in mind...and to see these plans through to completion, she'd need to be at the top of her game and keep her physique in check. She pulled out her phone and looked up gyms in the nearby area. Luckily enough, there was one a few miles away. Akari opted to take a pleasant walk there instead of a taxi, figuring it'd be better to warm herself up with a brisk walk through the city. She put in the directions for the gym, put her headphones on, slung her bag over her shoulder, turned on her favorite morning playlist, and began to walk...

About twenty minutes later, Akari stood in front of the doors to the local gym. It seemed pretty high-quality for its size. Looking through the windows, Akari could see that it also catered towards combat sports...just what she needed!!! She walked inside and looked around, checking to see if there was a front desk or attendant she could speak to. As a first-timer, she wanted to get the lay of the land, a small little tour of the gym's facilities. She wouldn't want to accidentally bump into an area she wasn't supposed to be in. On top of that, Akari was interested in finding out if she could find a personal trainer or gym partner to assist her with some of her pad training and a bit of sparring.

[skip-stop]

Considering that for Charlotte, unlike her students, the training lasts all day, she could well afford to rest for a while and just observe whether the students are following her instructions correctly. Therefore, for the next ten minutes, the pink-haired woman periodically took a short sip of water and pointed out the mistakes of her charges. It was only when she felt the pain start to leave her muscles that she put the water bottle back on the bench.

"Okay, now sparring," she told the students. "Two minutes round, two volunteers to the center, the others step aside and watch carefully."

To Charlotte's delight, the only girls in the group took the initiative. The other students gave them enough free space and as soon as they got ready, Charlotte raised her hand to give the command to start the round. However, it was at this moment that she heard the doors of her martial arts school open. The Frenchwoman turned over her shoulder and saw a brunette looking around near the empty reception. At first, Charlotte raised her left eyebrow, but then she remembered that her receptionist was on a break now, which meant that the duty to meet visitors had returned to her.

"Don't kill each other, okay?" Charlotte said, after which her students' faces began to look like they had eaten a whole lemon. "Fight!"

The girls began to circle around each other, trying to find a gap in the defense, and Charlotte smoothly but confidently headed towards the new visitor. The closer she got to the stranger, the stronger the feeling became that she had seen her somewhere. However, Charlotte did not focus on this. She had a truly terrible memory for faces, she had long accepted it as a part of herself. Previously, when a person seemed familiar to her, she could ask without remorse if they really knew each other. However, after a huge series of awkward situations, the Frenchwoman finally decided to stop doing it.

"Welcome to the Charlotte Ravel's Martial Arts School," she greeted the visitor, stopping three steps away from her. "My name is Charlotte Ravel', the owner of the place." Yes, it definitely sounded a little strange, but Charlotte herself did not seem to notice it. "How can I help you?" She asked.

Despite the fact that the pink-haired woman was pretty relaxed, she involuntarily ran her eyes over the brunette from head to toe. Any other fighter would surely have understood this, because it was just an instinct. Charlotte noted that the brunette was slightly, but still inferior to her in both height and weight. However, this did not negate the fact that the Frenchwoman immediately saw the excellent physical fitness of this woman, not to mention her natural beauty.

[Misfit_Alien]

Akari looked around at the establishment. It was a light yet still busy day. This place must be popular with the locals. The few reviews Akari read about it on the way over spoke highly of the gym's values and credibility. Now that she saw it for herself, the Sea Turtle could see the quality first-hand from a mere glance. Although she preferred her usual spot, this gym could certainly provide her with the benefits she needed...but where to begin? Considering she was new, Akari deemed it best to ask for assistance. Maybe a spare trainer could lend her a hand, or one of the gym's regulars could point her in the right direction...The place was brimming with bright, young talent, eager to become better versions of themselves. Whether it be for personal improvement or to reach greater heights in whatever athletic field they were diving into, each of these members had a goal to strive for. Akari saw an ongoing group of members partaking in a sparring circle...interesting~...For now, Akari would keep to herself and await the arrival of-...Well, what perfect timing!!!

Akari turned to face the red-headed Frenchwoman, greeting her with a warm expression. "Wow, being welcomed by the owner herself...Do you happen to give that courtesy to all newcomers, or am I just a lucky girl this morning?" Akari asked playfully, tilting her head to the side before conducting herself more professionally. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Ravel. My name is Akari Ito, and I'm looking to train here at your gym. It's my first time here, so I was hoping I could get a quick tour and see what facilities are open for public usage. Additionally, I saw that circle of members over there, and I was curious about whether or not I could find a training partner for a potential sparring session."

[skip-stop]

After Charlotte introduced herself to the stranger and asked if she could help her in any way, the Frenchwoman involuntarily smiled. She even had to make some effort to keep her smile from getting too wide. The reason for this was the brunette's words, completely filled with both politeness and a certain amount of humor. Charlotte appreciated such qualities very much, so it was definitely a good start.

"I guess there really was a certain amount of luck involved," she replied. "The receptionist usually greets visitors, but as you may have noticed, she is currently on a break, so in this particular case, the responsibility for greetings lies on me."

The Frenchwoman blinked quickly when she heard the addressing "Miss Ravel". She wouldn't say she was disgusted by it, but it was definitely not something she liked. The only thing worse for her was being called "Mademoiselle". However, literally immediately after that, she involuntarily raised both eyebrows. It was not surprising that the brunette was looking for a place to train, but something else attracted Charlotte's attention. The name.

Akari Ito.

As soon as she heard that, everything immediately fell into place. At the same moment, Charlotte realized why this brunette seemed familiar to her. Yes, she had a bad memory for faces, but she had a very good associative memory. Not so long ago, her manager, Victoria, forcibly told Charlotte to familiarize herself with a list of potential rivals that a pink-haired woman might encounter on the way to her dream. Akari Ito was on that list. Moreover, she was one of the five people whom Charlotte, in Victoria's opinion, would have to face sooner or later anyway.

Literally immediately after Akari finished speaking, Charlotte clenched her right fist and pressed it against her straightened left palm, after which she bowed to the brunette.

"I'm afraid I have a bad memory for faces," she admitted, straightening up to her full height. "But it's always nice to meet a LAW colleague." With that, Charlotte extended her right hand forward, offering Akari a handshake. "Especially at my school."

The Frenchwoman was fully aware that Akari might not have known that Charlotte, like her, was a LAW fighter, because she did not react in any way when she heard the name of the pink-haired woman. In any case, unlike the recent situation with Jenner, Charlotte wasn't going to keep it a secret, so she decided to put her cards on the table right away. And if Akari had accepted the handshake, then Charlotte with a clear conscience could have waved her hand around her school.

"All exercise machines and all sports equipment, including dumbbells and yoga mats, are available to any visitor," she said. "Both punching bags and martial arts dummies, including Wing Chun dummies, are available for solo practice." Charlotte then pointed to a door very close to them. "The locker room, personal locker and shower room are at your service." Lowering her hand, she turned back to face Akari. "There are two rings, tatami mats and classic mats available for practice with a partner, but I must say that none of my student group has enough experience to give you serious sparring." Charlotte did not mention herself because it would be far beyond her modesty. "Well, that's all I guess." She thought for a moment, and then smiled slightly. "Oh yes, water and disposable cups are free, just like the first training."

[Misfit_Alien]

"Collea-...? Oh! So that IS you." Akari exclaimed with a gleeful look. "The name Charlotte Ravel sounded so familiar, but I just couldn't remember where I had heard it from. You're like-...the talk of the town amongst notable middleweights. I'm sorry I didn't connect the dots sooner. There are so many people in the locker room and on the roster. It's hard to keep up sometimes. One week, you're facing an almost fifty-year-old veteran, and the next, you could be tag-teaming with that veteran to take on two eighteen-year-old up-and-comers...There are so many names and faces to remember, it feels impossible." She said, chuckling slightly at the end of her sentence. She returns the handshake with a professional amount of courtesy and firmness. "So-...this whole place is YOUR school? That's..." She said, pausing momentarily before her eyes widened with awe as her lips formed a smile. "SO COOL!!" She said, expressing her admiration and reverence for the fact with a hefty amount of emphasis and eagerness. "Sorry to burst out a little there, but-...I mean-...I find it so impressive. It's not every day that you meet someone extraordinary looking to pass down what they know to others." Akari said.

After being given a thorough run-down of the gym's facilities, Akari nodded in response, taking time to appreciate the graciousness of Charlotte's introduction and greeting. "Well, it sounds like a plan then! If things go well, you MIGHT just see a new face around here." Akari replied. "Although-...I need to ask. If none of your students are capable of taking me on for a spar, is there anyone ELSE that can help me out with a spar?" She asked curiously.

[skip-stop]

Charlotte barely managed to contain her emotions when it became clear that Akari recognized her too. The reality was that the Frenchwoman was aware that after the start of her career she had found not only the love of the audience, but also a fairly high place in the ranking among the fighters of LAW, especially in the middleweight division. Nevertheless, by her nature, Charlotte was very far from such a thing as popularity, so the moments when someone recognizes her still seem surprising and even to some extent unusual to her.

"The talk of the town you say..." Charlotte repeated, slightly embarrassed. "To be honest, it's flattering to hear that."

She gladly joined their hands in a handshake, feeling the confident grip of the brunette in all its glory. Without remorse, Charlotte responded in kind, because despite the relaxed atmosphere, they both remained fighters. However, even after that, the surprises did not end. This was clearly not Akari's intention, but her words involuntarily pushed the pink-haired woman to start blushing. It wasn't every day that she heard praise for her school.

"Thank you!" She said sincerely, releasing Akari's hand, after which she looked around the place. "I traveled the world a lot, studying martial arts from a variety of masters, and when I decided to settle in Japan, it seemed to me the right decision to show everyone what martial arts is and what it means to be a real fighter." Charlotte smiled slightly. "Funny or not, even my LAW career started from here, because it was here that my manager, Victoria, found me by chance."

Actually, it was all a bit strange for Charlotte. Even in the company of her best friends, Astrid and Nerissa, she's rarely so verbose, preferring short and concise answers. However, there was some kind of unusual energy coming from Akari. It wasn't just her active and easy manner of speech. Looking at this woman, Charlotte, for some hidden reason, felt that she could trust her.

"That would be great," the martial arts master nodded at the words about a new face around. "I hope you won't be disappointed."

It seemed that the time for their greeting was coming to an end and that in a few moments Akari would be heading to the locker room. But instead, the brunette surprised Charlotte once again. Akari asked who else could help her with sparring, which was as open a hint as possible. At that moment, Charlotte's heart began to beat a little faster, despite the fact that her face remained calm. Strict discipline obliged her to keep her cool. However, in her heart she was grateful to Akari for these words, because in fact, Charlotte wanted to learn from her own experience what this brunette was capable of.

"Well, I want to believe that I know one person who could help you," yes, humor has never been Charlotte's strong suit, but she tried her best to give Akari not a direct answer, but an open hint. "But only on one condition." Charlotte allowed herself to smile, thereby brushing aside the mystery in the words. "It will be an honor to meet you in sparring, and I hope you will let my students watch us, it will be an invaluable experience for them."

[Misfit_Alien]

"The truth can often be flattering." The Sea Turtle said, continuing to befriend the redhead with another kindly remark, praising her for her efforts...which had NOT gone unnoticed. Akari Ito was always the type to try and prop others up. Her dreams of becoming a wrestling icon required that mindset. A good quality of a future figurehead in this industry should be the ability to inspire others, lift their spirits, and make them see the best in themselves even when they don't believe it's there. "Wow-...You've got some experience, then! I've only ever been to the States for a bit. Even then, I didn't see much. I was there for a chance to study abroad for my music engineering degree." She said, brushing her hair back. "I-...sometimes DJ, on the side..." She said, sounding semi-nervous about that fact. Typically, Akari was always confident about mentioning her DJ'ing side hobby, but mentioning it in front of such an accomplished, well-traveled woman like Charlotte made her feel kinda silly, but not in an embarrassing way. However, the Sea Turtle was partially flustered, as denoted by the slight tinge of red forming underneath her cheeks.

Afterward, the Japanese woman was given a short and semi-comedic remark by the redhead in response to her provocative, humorous inquiry about a sparring session. Akari let out a soft chuckle at Charlotte's amusing play at comedy. While not the sharpest or wittiest remark, it was still a fun attempt at casual banter, which Akari always appreciated. Throughout her time at LAW, she noticed a lot of bad blood between certain wrestlers and factions. So many people were out to hurt others, cause trouble, start fights, and make a ruckus...Wrestling was supposed to be a sport of passion and excellence. Of fun and sportsmanship. So many sour grapes rotten the experience for many, so interacting with Charlotte was a breath of fresh air. Despite being face-to-face with one of her most intimidating and well-trained foes...in terms of competition amongst the middleweight roster...Akari felt oddly relaxed. There was no need for unnecessary animosity, intense seriousness, or overwhelming competitiveness. Just two newfound acquaintances talking shop and setting up a sparring date~...Speaking of which, Charlotte's words caught the eye of the ever-social extrovert.

"A crowd, eh? Sure! The more, the merrier! I love putting on a good show. I just hope you won't feel too bad if I embarrass you in front of them~..." Akari teased before conducting herself maturely once more, still eager but a little more...professional. "It'd be my pleasure and honor to go toe-to-toe with you. Just set the rules and method. Of course, I mainly wrestle, but I can handle boxing and mat wrestling, too, if need be." She commented.

[skip-stop]

"Oh, really?" Charlotte was slightly surprised. "I hope... to hear your DJ skills one day."

Perhaps she did not choose her words in the best way, but even this could be considered some achievement because Charlotte was not used to such conversations at all. Akari's hobby seemed interesting to her and she was glad that the brunette shared it with her. Charlotte managed to make sure that most fighters have a second side, which they rarely show to others. She was sure that if her hobby became public, it would surprise everyone. Therefore, for now, she did not reveal all the cards to Akari, deciding that it was better to leave it for later.

Besides, they had much more important things. The Japanese woman took Charlotte's request about the students with great enthusiasm. She seemed to like being the center of attention. The pink-haired woman could understand this, because although popularity itself was not her goal, she treated all the viewers who supported her with sincere cordiality. By joining LAW, she wanted to show them that honor and nobleness have not yet been forgotten among the fighters.

"You will try..." Charlotte replied somewhat tartly to Akari's words that she could embarrass the Frenchwoman in front of her students.

Six months ago, she would not have responded to these words. Charlotte was not in favor of exchanging barbs between fighters, finding such behavior unworthy. Nevertheless, the experience in LAW has shown that she should not take every phrase thrown at her with hostility. It wasn't easy for her, but she learned to distinguish light teasing from real rudeness. Moreover, she has learned to respond to teasing with teasing. In a sense, this was another step forward for her on the path of self-development, which she has just demonstrated.

When Akari started talking about the sparring conditions, something seemed to stir in the Frenchwoman's mind. It was a strange feeling of deja vu. Right. She had already been in a similar situation a few months ago. And the truth was, right now she didn't want to recall that sparring with Jenner at all. Even the thought of it was starting to make Charlotte blush. Fortunately, this time she was sure that everything would be different with Akari.

"Of course," the pink-haired woman nodded. "I suggest the following. Ten minutes sparring, full contact, one fall, victory by pinfall or submission, after ten minutes will be declared a draw." She took a brief look at the ring before completing her proposal. "Just like a standard match, but with two small adjustments." Her gaze returned to Akari. "Since this is a sparring, not a match, I suggest counting pinfall faster than usual. Besides, victory can be achieved if one of us uses a submission hold and the other one doesn't break it in fifteen seconds." Charlotte smiled slightly. "I believe it will allow us to speed things up and keep us from getting too carried away, what do you think?"

[Misfit_Alien]

"W-well, I could always give you a ticket to one of my shows. I'd never turn down the opportunity to showcase my skills and introduce someone to the wide world of DJ culture and club raves...O-only if you're interested, of course! It's not like I can like-...force you to go or anything-..." She said, that last part coming off as a tad sheepish in nature as Akari stopped herself from going on a long-winded tangent about her love and passion for DJ'ing. Following that, Akari's eyes gleamed with a bright sparkle in response to Charlotte's response to her taunt. It was always fun to banter with fellow wrestlers...trash-talking WAS part of the job description, so practicing with light jabs and friendly barb exchanges always proved to be enjoyable and a great source of practice.

"Full-contact? That's fine by me. I was actually worried for a second there. I had hoped you wouldn't choose to go easy on me. Not that I think you'd underestimate me or anything like that. It's just...it's more fun when we can let loose a little, y'know?" She said before allowing the woman to continue laying down the rules of engagement for later, every detail striking a positive chord with Akari. Charlotte was so organized, refined, and well-mannered...talk about professional standards. The pink-haired fighter really was a noteworthy individual. Now the Sea Turtle was kind of happy that her gym was being cleaned out and fumigated for the time being, thanking her lucky stars for it, in fact...had this little detour in her schedule never occurred, she would have missed out on the chance to meet and spar with such a fantastic individual.

"Good thinking! This'll keep us from going overboard...besides, Akari Ito vs Charlotte Ravel? Talk about a hit idea for a match. We wouldn't want to give something THAT exciting away for free~...So, in that case, your students can have a small peek at how two talented individuals tango in the ring." She said. "If that's all we have to figure out, I'll see myself over to the locker room so I can change and warm up. If you'll kindly excuse me." She commented, beginning to turn and walk away from the pink-haired gym owner before turning back halfway, looking toward Charlotte with an excited, friendly wink. "See you soon~..." She said with a cheerful attitude before moseying off to get into her gear.