To Reforge A Destiny

[Lightman]

Not everything can be perfect. Madeline has come to terms with that, even if that doesn’t stop her from striving towards it. As they say, aim for the moon, land on the stars. But it goes as much as her time in LAW. Since her arrival, there have been a lot of matches that the Englishwoman remembers fondly. Ones that pushed her to the limits, forcing her to adapt and evolve to overcome those challenges. Whether they were good or bad personally, their in-ring skills left much for Madeline to salivate.

The only problem that Madeline identified was that most of those fond memories came from the women of LAW. Getting to the opposite sex is where the issues start to arise. Mind you, it’s not as if she’s a complete misandrist. Before joining LAW, the Englishwoman trained with all sorts of people, including men. It was a way to diversify herself, getting used to all sorts of scenarios and challenges. Had she stuck with her gender, she wouldn’t have got far. Considering her time with Ryu, the Dragon served as a shining example of the kind of skill she went up against during her beginner days. If only it had taken place on the mats.

But the fact that Ryu was the only one is a massive problem. For every seven great opponents, there had to be one pitiful redhead that had no bark, let alone a bit. And despite it taking place months ago, the image of that one supposed “BJJ tourney champion” was enough to elicit a groan out of Madeline. She still has that belt to this day, and while she’s above belt hunting in that manner, it wasn’t as if he deserved it after getting upstaged not only in grappling, but sexually too. It has since been an issue that countless of people have brought up that the male side of LAW was…lacking, to put it nicely. From masochist to psychopath, it’s a problem that has to be addressed.

Perhaps that’s why Madeline was brought into LAW’s developmental facility. Although the English Rose hadn’t been vying for an instructing role at this stage, the higher-ups-that-be thought it would be better for new talents in LAW to have further examinations to see if they are best suited for the league. As per the suggestion of doctors and therapists, it’s their way of quality control. Well, that was one-half of the reason why. Management wanted to make up to Madeline and gave her two names for the brunette to examine. Hiroyuki and Senji. Both reportedly had a strong martial arts background, they were wondering if their skills and personality could transfer well with a wrestling league. Madeline couldn’t help but have some reservations, but she’s willing to give this a shot.

Ditching the magenta and silver, Madeline’s tight-fitting gear was more discrete, controlled, yet stylish as it showed off her impeccable form nicely. A long-sleeved crop top where underneath the golden accented trim shows off her exposed, yet taut abs. Leggings that hugged on every curve, elegant gold lines tracing so flawlessly. A black sports cap to “cap” off the look, Madeline’s looks weren’t to make herself stand out. She would have easily blended in with the rest of the gym patrons who were doing their workouts. Despite being solo, the kinds of drills and stretches were pretty high-level. Hip mobility drills like leg swings, Granby rolls, and neck mobility drills like head springs and hip bridges. It was the sort of thing that she never stopped doing to keep herself loose and ready. She had an idea when they were coming and Madeline took the time to limber up. All the meanwhile the one thing was still on her mind.

Please don’t be a waste of time.

[TheLoneWanderer]

After a mere ten minutes exactly, counting the very instant of Madeline arriving, her "guests" would join her on the gym floor. The two were slow to approach the woman, the shorter fighter lingering behind his taller sibling by two steps. Of course, they were inhibited by putting the finishing touches on their outfits. On one side, Hiroyuki was pushing the folds of his top over his damp stomach, rippled with tender abs. A black rashguard, clinging to his caramelized skin, complete with miniature paths trailing down his skin that went down to his ankles to complete the synchronicity of both halves.

On Hiroyuki's left, Senji was busy compressing his lowers into the depths of his spats by making sure they were pulled up securely. A red and black variation, with more splashes of the former. The black portions acted as a support, running along the inner and outer sections of the boy's limbs. Both were fresh out of a shower before their big day with the woman of the hour, so it had only been right to rinse themselves of the filth that corroded their bodies. And quite the sight they were! Senji clearly took to being the more compact and slimmer of the two, while they shared more in the way of looks such as those piercing golden eyes. Unlike Madeline, the two's guarded portions were a matter of some conjecture. The closest she got to an "eye-service" were how the snug gear hugged their hips, to act as an accessory to the view, and chests amongst other explicit reasons.

However, there remained another objective to be fulfilled aside from filling Madeline's craving to "sit on their face" or whichever way of debauchery she chose to finish off the previous men and women of past matches. As they could not subsist off of being official "Jobbers", nor did Senji or Hiroyuki want to, the brothers had to meet the standards of LAW for maintaining an upgraded status. There isn't any "try" in that. Either you did. Or you didn't. Hiroyuki felt confident that he would. He couldn't know about the plethora of wrestlers being given "second chances", but meeting the chosen teacher's standards couldn't be IMPOSSIBLE. Such a thing was unreasonable. Fortunately, she couldn't deprive him of his belt, if nothing else. That was securely framed far away in a land beyond the depths of the sea.

Senji went ahead of his companion upon reaching the site of the lady's exercising. That was, as it turns out, meant to allow him to step over a free wooden bench, with no back but an elongated cushion as a recompense, to settle into the seat. The redhead clasped his hands together, choosing to take the physical backseat this time around and let Hiro introduce them properly. He enclosed his hands on top of his lap while keeping the legs only slightly spread apart to avoid stressing the groin-piece of his spats too much or cause minor pains to himself. A straightened back finalized his position, given he couldn't make himself overtly comfortable. He took to admiring the form of her drills; his gaze remained transfixed on her legs and arms whipping throughout the air like a propeller. Despite their differing minds, they shared one thought together.

Don't let her down.

Hiroyuki took a position in front of her legs with his knees bent by a small amount to form the crouched position - sinking lower - perhaps bordering on being between her calves, if she stopped so he wouldn't get nailed in the face by a foot but not doing so until then as to avoid getting into an uncomfortable distance. His voice was regulated, dancing along the rosy tune of a well-meant greeting.

"Hello~? You must be Madeline. For a teacher, I wasn't expecting you to dress to impress so well..."

["It's a shame you have to hide the hair."], he pondered within his mind but chose not to say out loud.

[Lightman]

Despite being active with those compound stretches and exercises, Madeline was still focused on the entrance/exit of the gym area. It can be easy enough to get lost in the moment, only focusing on yourself. The movements, the breathing, the flexing, the way her body began to warm and limber up without passing the point of the extreme. Madeline knew how to stretch before a match, and although this wouldn’t be an official one, the brunette treated it as such. Regardless if they do prove to exceed her expectations or not, they did deserve that. The Englishwoman knew of those that chose to take any opponent lightly. And she also knew how their hubris paid them dearly.

Finally, the two would arrive, and they didn’t intend to blend in with the crowd. Spats and rash guards tend to single someone out compared to the usual shorts, tank top and sports bras. Upon a first brief glance, the two were certainly dressed for the part. There’s a sense of familiarity when these two came in with their attire, quite like the times where Madeline frequented her own gym back home. And while the rest of the gym patrons didn’t match up in terms of the function of grappling (in a way, neither did Madeline), she can appreciate them inadvertently bringing good memories.

The way the redhead trailed behind the ashen-haired man was an interesting detail to note. The redhead took a backseat, leaving the introduction duties to the man in black. Hiroyuki positioned himself in front of Madeline, and had she not stopped her momentum mid-flip, he would have been whacked in the head by a lone leg. Keeping herself in a handstand, only for a brief moment, however.

“Well, if you impress me, you’ll be lucky to still call me ‘teacher’.”The brunette would fall back, landing on the balls of her bare feet, one leg at a time. She would settle into a squat, her hands falling on her flexed quads as she looked straight at Hiroyuki, part of her gaze hidden by the black cap.

“Madeline will suffice. But play your cards right, you can address me as something else~.” She chuckled as she settled into a seiza position. “So, you must be Hiroyuki…” Her eyes would look at the redhead sitting on the bench outside of the ring. “And this one, who apparently doesn’t have proper manners to introduce himself, is Senji. Not a great start, I must say~.” She lightly chuckled, picking on the potential clue that he might be shy. "But I suppose one out of two is satisfactory. Only just."

Or he could be a mute. Management hasn’t given much details of the two aside from their names.

[TheLoneWanderer]

There it was. That uncomfortable atmosphere that began to creep into his mind, for all his bravado. He needed to be that way. It would make sure his brother couldn't be steamrolled by the world and give him a shoulder to lean on. Unfortunately for him, the initial comment picked at his mind enough for the slow realization to set in. Miss Madeline was NOT the vanilla-flavor of master one might expect.

His sibling, on the other hand, was coerced into action by the mention of his name. This made him abandon the bench, quickly climbing up to join Hiroyuki by his side. One leg went through the ropes, digging into the canvas when reaching the end of its descent, before being followed by the rest of his body. The sterile environment reminded him of a pristine hospital, not that he preferred germ-infested trash heaps. The next move came prompty as a token of compensation. He stuck his left arm out, and then brought his right hand to his stomach before bowing slightly. The pose of a butler, if one needed a reference, which lasted for a few seconds before he returned to straightening his spine back out and joining the two on the floor in a knees-first position.

"Yes ma'am! You've got my name correct.", He enunciated in a softer exclamation while acknowledging her seniority if nothing else. Hiroyuki wrapped his arm around the back of his neck, shaking Senji up and down with a rumble of his arm.

"Senji here is just shy, Maddy. We all can't have sticks up our asses. Now, that's grounds for our 'start' being worth more than just good, don't you think?"

Senji put his right hand on his brother's chest, moving to push him off after being jittered around, and his hair tossed by a hand bearing fingerless gloves, in such a playful way. He had no issue with that by itself, but this was a matter of principle.

"I don't need a lot of...handholding."


"Come onnnn, kid. I have been missing you, BUT alright---You shouldn't get too excited."

However, this was not the time to get into a spat about boundaries and jests. They had a session to get deep into. Speaking of which, Hiro turned his gaze back to staring into Madeline's mesmerizing emerald eyes. He fully slinked his arm back from around Senji's neck and then gestured broadly to his chest and Senji's body, following the wait for Madeline's potential response to his first question. Unlike Madeline, he would be saying this as a half-joke instead of the entirely serious proposition she laid out for the both of them.

"Since you're the woman of the day, teacher, which of us would you like to get on top of first? If you even can..."

After returning the favor due to Maddy's earlier comments, he sat back on his butt and crossed his legs in a similar position to the girl across from them while Senji chose to stay rooted in place. They could both move back if she gave a physical answer and took the question as literal, but Hiroyuki's position was a bit easier to transition himself into being on the sadly-named "bottom".

[Lightman]

Ah. So he’s not a mute.

That at least confirmed one curiosity she had. Not that she would have minded teaching a mute, but it would bring challenges regarding communication. Madeline wouldn’t put it past management to not tell her and leave the Englishwoman to figure it out. Regardless, Senji would respond, reacting to the mention of his name. She would remain sitting on her heels, all the while the redhead appeared at Hiroyuki’s side. Already the signs were there and Madeline was picking them up. The way he followed the ashen-haired man’s side, under his shadow almost. It’s been like that since the moment those two arrived. Might be something to pursue.

“Well well~. Ma’am even. Very good.” She smiled, Senji rescuing herself with a proper title. The Englishwoman had since caught on to the point that he was shy, a fact she found quite cute. Hiroyuki would seek to take the lead and speak mostly on his behalf. “Only just. Though I’d ask that you kindly refrain from calling me ‘Maddy’. We’ve just met.”

She remained calm and poised letting the two bickered a bit before Hiroyuki asked which one to start first. For a moment, Madeline seemed to ponder for a bit, her eyes slowly locking onto Senji, who remained rooted at his friend’s side. She smiled, a subtle grin as if she was about to pick him first, letting the moments drag on.

“You there.” The Englishwoman’s gaze snapped back to Hiroyuki. “Seeing as you’re so eager. I take it that you have a preference for standing or starting on our knees?”

[TheLoneWanderer]

["Awwww, you're fantastic, Senji!"], Hiro mused to himself. He managed to not fall apart into a sputtering mess at the beginning of the checkered-painted start line. It was not bad for someone whose best friends were the kindred spirit of a crazy uncle 2-plus decades older than himself, a fluffy puppy, and his big brother.----There had been his classmates but that was a long time ago now.


Regardless, Senji would combust and Hiroyuki would falter in his stature if Madeline started gushing over baby pictures or some doomsday-level occurrence like that. Fortunately, the halls of LAW were accepting and vast with companionship, so long as he put forth the effort. So far, among his notable coworkers, there were Bast and Huan Lei Brightspring...but they were barely friends at this point. And now, so long as he played his cards right, he could add another to his circle aside from them. It felt good to be open. Dare he say, it felt MANDATORY. Yet he needed to be careful, otherwise he'd be putting his neck in a wolf's mouth.

On the other hand, fighting was all business for Hiro. He loved the competition but he found the hypersexual sections of the business deplorable. Beating each other seemed more dignified, somehow. When she took offense of the shortened name, he shook his head to agree with her. Boundaries. Right. It'd be better to obey the senior who could ignore his taps, drain his [redacted], and cripple his limbs, the desire to work with Madeline instead of against her aside.

Senji's amber orbs, afterward, looked into the abyss of Madeline's eyes. In an anticipation that gripped at his very being, he slowly slid his arms from across each other to prepare for the match; those expectations became dashed when she picked Hiroyuki instead. The weight of her words settled in his mind as he pondered on the "WHY?" until it clicked seconds later. Hiroyuki, in his infinite wisdom, snapped his jaws at her too much. He presented himself as more of a threat, as Bast the heavyweight focused on during a duo match, which led to Senji, fortunately, being underestimated and getting some good shots in. He felt a little sour about not going first. She should be very interesting to go against despite him being (figuratively) lusty for battle. That was for the other girls to indulge in:
which didn't involve him entering into a relationship with some blue-haired one-eyed grappler who decided her catch was too good to not hold to his death, if need be, and get "hotter than the Sahara" when the pieces about her started clicking into place. In this time, it looked like his fortune with the one-eyed variety of women was reversed...for now.

"---on our knees. You can use what you wish, I'm going to feel quite bad about something on your body bruising."

Hiroyuki raised an eyebrow at her calling, massaging his hair out of habit before extending his hand towards her arm, the one of Madeline's right, so she could take the offer and they could lock up. If she took it, then he'd wrap his right palm around the back of her neck. Shuffling closer, nice and gently without forcing his will upon her with a takedown, sinking into the void of her jaws...

[Lightman]

Madeline noticed the subtle shifts in the eyes of the two the moment she called out Hiroyuki first. For a moment, she did consider choosing the redhead. There was a pleasant air about him, even if he’s considered more of the “little brother” of the duo, as it seems. Perhaps a quiet and meek personality hid great potential, which could give Madeline a run for her money. Skilled as she is with grappling as a whole, the Englishwoman was of no delusion that she was invincible. Indomitable, even.

Mind you, it didn’t matter who was going first, considering Madeline would have time with both. But she was amused to see the small hints that showed their personality, what they think at this very moment. “Use what I wish, hmm?” She let that question hang in the air as if prompting Hiroyuki to think about what that statement allows. Nothing that dips into the realm that’s considered hardcore, mind you. But still a vast number of possibilities. And enough time to indulge in them.

“How kind of you to think of my well-being. I assure you, my body has already seen its share of bruises. So long as it doesn’t go any further than that.” A particular warning for Hiroyuki, in case the man had any inclinations to further in the rough category. Hiroyuki shifted himself forward, inching closer for a lock-up. Madeline would move into a proper combat position, sitting on one of her heels while one foot was planted on the ground. Her hands moved not to grip onto the ashen-haired sparring partner, but to keep them away. In her mind, the moment someone has a grip on you, they are one step ahead of you. He wasn’t pushing, though, not vying for a takedown yet, which was curious. The man got closer, and all the while Madeline’s arms kept his at bay.

That is until her right hand grabbed at Hiroyuki’s left wrist, while her left hand shot out to grip his left shoulder. Should she get those hooks in, the Englishwoman pulled that wrist in, and yank his shoulder down to take him down diagonally. If all goes well, she seeks to send him onto his back so that the English Rose can land on top, with a good grip on his arm…

[TheLoneWanderer]

Hiroyuki grunted in a troubled manner at being denied while his hands slowly, but smoothly, followed her hand-fighting throughout the CQC's space. She did not want to bite. Hiroyuki's lips curled into a sneer with his right eyebrow raising, as the denial turned into aggression. She began to pull, which turned into a severe yank. His body twisted downward, obeying the leverage-driven move before his other elbow smashed into the mat to stop himself. Despite the force, it did not hurt as much as one might think. Hiroyuki did take her seriously, but he had no synapses firing between his ears that'd guide him towards breaking her jaw and knocking her pearly whites loose from their gums. No one here DESERVED that. from what he saw in these past months.

"I MUST take your word on that."


Hiro's mouth twisted back into a curious frown. The first priority should be to recover guard, he consoled to himself. His waist shuffled, writhing, underneath Madeline but was unable to wrap his legs around her hips due to the body in the way. The pair of knees and thighs hugging his ribs did not help him here either. Hiroyuki tried to slap his hands together, tightly locking both palms into a gable-grip. If he got that far, then he would aim to establish a bridge by pulling to place his forearms in front of Madeline's stomach and push her away through her groin sliding along his waist.

At the same time, Hiroyuki leaned his weight onto his left foot in order to help himself perform a shrimp escape. If he only scooted backward, he would be able to get a good amount of space to thread his legs out ---- eventually. With both arms occupied by overpowering Madeline's grip, if fate turned in his direction, he could not do much to protect his face aside from turning his head towards the left if she wanted to engage in some classical ground n' pound for some disorientation. Given the minimal rules, he could not help but be apprehensive about that particular situation.

[Lightman]

Those emerald eyes caught on the slight sneer and the eyebrow-raising. She wasn’t sure if Hiroyuki expected Madeline to let him get a grip on her, especially given that it could easily set up the next step towards building a dominant advantage over her. Madeline took it just like any spar, keeping things neutral. All the while, she’d figure out the best path to advance. There were many takedowns one could do when on their knees. The Englishwoman took this option since his legs were positioned well enough. Not so easy to dislodge him one way or another, which meant that this was the only way to bring him down onto the mat.

She didn’t throw him hard, only with enough strength to manipulate the larger body to her will. Remaining on top, Madeline didn’t seem to be in a hurry, only biding her time while reacting to whatever Hiroyuki tries to do. While she would have moved quickly to lock in an armbar, for example, the English Rose was more focused on what the ashen-haired sparring partner had to offer. It wasn’t the time to go full throttle, otherwise, he would get to how Madeline’s tenacity very, very well.

The slow, controlled pace allowed Hiroyuki to work on his escape route. Those emerald jewels scanned intently on every movement he made. And from what she could see, he knows his stuff. Gable grip to keep those upper limbs from being snatched and a shrimp escape to slide out from underneath. Strangely, Madeline’s hips moved slightly up to allow him more of an easier slide out than expected. A slight raise, no doubt the redhead watching on would have got a nice view of her buttocks in those tight leggings. Once he got a good distance to thread his legs out from underneath, the same hands that were occupying Hiro’s hands suddenly relented…

…And snapped at the new target that is that right leg of his, looking to trap it under her armpit. Madeline’s right leg swiftly shot out and snaked above his left and underneath that right knee. Her left leg seeks to meet and entwine both ankles together in the perfect connection, bringing Hiroyuki’s right shin underneath her left knee. What soon followed, after she would lie on her side, would be a harsh torque anti-clockwise, and a bunch of pressure on those legs of his.

A particularly nasty leg lock from Sambo. Don’t ask Madeline how she came to know about this one.

[TheLoneWanderer]

Before now, Hiroyuki had been in many a fight. Due to his frame, the tendency for physical exchanges had not been due to schoolyard bullying. It was a choice of career, in legal circuits not as "high tier" as LAW. Not quite as luxurious as the ONE championship, Strikeforce, or UFC. He knew he did well enough in getting hit and bashing heads to get an offer from LAW...but now there was the matter of keeping his contract. He did have a passion for medicine, years ago, but that went up in flames about the time Senji was incapacitated for seven years. The martial skills themselves had not atrophied, thankfully. His father and master, despite having skeletons in their closets, had taught him well. If this little get-together went well, Madeline would stack her own knowledge on top of what the two already knew.

Senji followed their movements eagerly, after having returned to sitting on his knees. He did not miss the moment of Maddy's hips climbing down from their perch. At the same time, he only felt his jaw warm in surface temperature and his fists burrow into the flesh of his thighs. An increase of tension in the atmosphere. Perhaps it was not quite the stuttering, whimpering response she was hoping for? If she wanted that, then she'd need to toil away at the task until it success came her way. Then she could choke them out on the lapels of charcoal suits instead.

Hiroyuki, occupied by hand-fighting, could not stop the immediate transition Madeline performed. No matter the world, this family could count on encountering something of Russian origin, whether that be a technique or woman. Her arm looped around his ankle, grinding his momentum to a halt and sending a spike of apprehension up his spine before Madeline spit on the wound by twisting his ankle and inverting his left knee's direction.


"FᵤCₖ-", He whispered, low enough for neither partner to hear his agony.

The ghost of a vile curse formed on his lips before Hiroyuki reigned his "self" back in. Hiro leaned forward in order to catch her feet with both hands by slithering his ten fingers between the single seam, one palm each trying to get a grip on her insteps, and TEAR the connection apart a few moments after it happened. He was not able to use his legs at the moment, as his left knee was being pushed inward by her calves and the ankle remained locked.

However, Hiro's hands did not have such a restriction. His newly formed right fist recoiled back to his chest and shot downward to smash Madeline in the lower ribs, grazing the big liver and edge of her ribs as a target. With his other hand, he attempts to get a proper grip on her outside elbow which was not leaning on the floor. If she was laying on her right side, then Hiro hits her large intestines and edge of her ribs instead with deep, penetrating blows. Yet he did not stop at one. He kept punching at the same spot, trying to shock her body into undoing the hold before he had to tap or spend months recovering. Leaning forward so much was troublesome enough.