“Oh...” Charlotte began to think hard. “Actually, I don't have much free time to get into any interesting stories.” She confessed. “However, I can probably say that my trip to Las Vegas with Astrid and Nerissa was an extremely unusual adventure, especially for me because I'm not used to such things." The pink-haired woman smiled, remembering the time she spent with her best friends. “I am not ashamed to admit that I have a very difficult relationship with alcohol, which is why I prefer to drink only good wines and in small quantities." The Frenchwoman scratched her head in embarrassment. “While we were in Las Vegas, Nerissa decided that putting strong alcohol in my wine was a great idea.” Charlotte would have preferred not to talk about it, but she knew she had to be honest. “Half an hour later, I was so drunk that I was ready to conduct a taekwondo master class right in the casino hall.” She laughed. “Let's just say how much fun I had that night can only be compared to how bad I felt the next morning.”
Charlotte Ravel'
A young woman dressed in her casual clothes sat on a chair on a low stage to get a better view of all the people gathered here today. She lowered the microphone and looked around the conference room, which was filled with laughter after her story. It wasn't the largest room, but there was practically no free space. People have taken literally every corner, as they say in such situations, even an apple has nowhere to fall. However, this was not surprising.
It was winter outside, which meant that the time for the second most important annual event was coming very soon. Fight The LAW. The federation's leadership wanted to make some hype around this event, so they gave fans the opportunity to meet their idols. It came as a surprise to Charlotte that she was invited, but she did not refuse, because despite her rather reclusive lifestyle, she understood how important it was to keep in touch with those who came to cheer for her during matches.
The pink-haired woman was given the opportunity to choose the format of a meeting with her fans. And she decided to opt for the so-called panel. No journalists or cameras, just her and her fans. Victoria has said many times that people want to know more about Charlotte. It was hard for the Frenchwoman to believe it because she believed that her life would seem extremely boring to others. Therefore, she was pleasantly surprised when the doors of the conference room opened three hours ago and a stream of people poured in.
“Miss Ravel, it's time...” one of the security staff told her.
“Already?” She was surprised, and then she looked at her watch.
Indeed, it had already been three whole hours. She didn't expect it herself, but at that time she wasn't tired at all, and the questions from the fans seemed endless, some of them gave Charlotte the opportunity to tell a story from her life, while others led to a real discussion. However, it was late in the evening and most of the other fighters had already finished their fan meetings, so…
“Our time is running out, and since we don't want the security guards to throw us out,” Charlotte paused briefly so the fans could laugh. “Three more questions and after that we will conclude our meeting.” At least twenty people raised their hands after that, which slightly confused the Frenchwoman. “Yes, you, in the third row, I saw that you wanted to ask a question all evening, so go ahead!”
A girl who looked no more than twelve years old got up from a chair. Charlotte still couldn't get used to the fact that some of her fans were so young, but it certainly warmed her heart. She took a short sip of water and prepared to listen to the question, but in the next second something seemed to squeeze her heart.
“How do your parents feel about your success, do they support you, do they come to watch your matches?" The girl's voice sounded clear as the first snow.
The fans stared at Charlotte with interest because this question seemed very good to them. Yes, it really was a good question probably for any fighter. Except for Charlotte. The pink-haired woman seemed speechless. It was one of those things she never wanted to talk about. Not even all of her close friends know about Charlotte's relationship with her family.
“I...” Charlotte wanted to say that she couldn't answer that question, but then she looked into the little girl's eyes, yes, that would be a betrayal on her part, and so she just couldn't help but answer. “My family...”
For the first time in a very long time, a chill ran down the pink-haired woman's spine. The mere mention of her family was like an avalanche of memories for her. Born into one of the richest and most influential families in France, she was to become the heiress of the family. But when it became clear that Charlotte wasn't like the rest of her family, they all turned their backs on her. Because of this, malice settled in her heart, which became bigger and bigger every year, which as a result led to the fact that it still haunts her in nightmares.…
“Charlotte?” The little girl called out perplexedly.
“Ah... yes...” the Frenchwoman shook her head, and then closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. “You see, unfortunately, my family doesn't share my aspirations.” She said, trying to keep her voice under control. “They wanted a completely different future for me, but this future is not what I wanted." Charlotte looked away. “Neither my parents nor my younger sister are interested in my success and don't come to watch my matches." She smiled sadly. “But I have another family... my manager Victoria, my best friends Astrid and Nerissa, as well as all the other members of our team, together we support each other on our common difficult path, this is more than enough for me.”
The reaction to Charlotte's response was not the most unequivocal because no one knew that she had such a difficult relationship with her family. Charlotte took a short sip of water, trying to calm down completely. It was just a small part of what she had locked away deep in her soul. The memories of her last meeting with her younger sister terrified her. She spent the last seven years of her life trying to forget about all this. Forget about what a monster she was.
“Next question, please...” said Charlotte, trying not to create an awkward pause, after which she pointed at a completely random guy before the others could raise their hands. “If I'm not mistaken, you also wanted to ask something.”
“Yes, that's right!” Getting up from his chair, the short-haired brunet said. “Recently, a major media resource conducted a poll of who fans would like to see in a match with Charlotte Ravel'.” At this point, the crowd buzzed excitedly like a swarm of bees. “The third place went to the match against Alizeh Midori, the second place went to the rematch against Akari Ito.” The noise continued to grow, and with it, Charlotte's interest continued to grow. “And the first place went to the match against Kyoko Akan.” The conference room was filled with an excited buzz. “What do you think about this match and what are the chances that such a match will take place?”
Despite not having the best emotions after the previous question, the pink-haired woman smiled while thinking about what she had just heard. She definitely had something to say about the results of this poll, but although she was used to being honest, she wanted to find the right words. Besides, it would be unfair for her to tell about her thoughts only about the first place.
“My manager constantly reminds me that I have to keep an eye on things like this, and even though I try to do it, this poll has passed me by,” she confessed. “Well, I won't hide the fact that the results seem very interesting to me, so I think I'll share my thoughts about all three options that you've outlined." The Frenchwoman paused briefly to take a sip of water. “Alizeh Midori... we don't know each other personally, but I personally saw her in action because I was in the front row with Astrid and Nerissa during her match against Lily.” An attentive person would surely have noticed that Charlotte's gaze had become more serious. “Alizeh has a more than impressive score and she is certainly an outstanding representative of the middleweight division, her skills cannot be questioned, moreover, after a personal meeting with her, my manager told me that she believes that I have a lot in common with her." Charlotte paused briefly, clearly wanting to emphasize the importance of her next words. “Yes, it's possible that she and I are similar in some ways, but I believe that we differ in many ways, especially in our aspirations and the reasons for these aspirations.” Some of the fans understood what Charlotte was talking about, but there was confusion on the faces of others. “I'm not aiming to be the top one fighter in the rankings, I'm aiming to be the best fighter in the world!” She said with all seriousness. “Maybe one day Alizeh and I will meet in the ring to prove to each other the importance of our aspirations!”
This was met with loud applause, while the Frenchwoman was given the opportunity to take another sip of water to wet her throat. It was no secret that many people wanted to see this match. Many people wanted to know which one was better. Maybe, just maybe, deep down, Charlotte wanted it too. But in fact, she believed that it was worth fighting for something more. Yes, the future is always vague and you cannot know what awaits you tomorrow. Perhaps tomorrow fate will bring them together and they will fight against each other in the same ring. But that day has not come yet.
“Akari Ito...” as soon as she said that name, the corners of her lips involuntarily lifted, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. “She gave me the best match of my life!” The Frenchwoman said honestly, trying to hide most of her emotions about this woman. “She's...” at this point, Charlotte had to cover her mouth with her left hand to collect her thoughts. “Akari is the best person I've ever met in the LAW ring, she not only shares my views on what a real fighter should be like, but she also has outstanding skills worthy of a true champion.” Charlotte rarely lost her composure, but at that moment her breathing became heavy. “When we were fighting, it felt like I was fighting my own reflection!” She said, pressing her left palm to her heart. “You know, I firmly believe that you can only truly know a person in a fight!” Charlotte looked around at all the fans gathered. “And I can tell you without scruples that Akari is the kind of woman who deserves to be top one in the world!” She tried to get her emotions under control. “So I'm looking forward to our next match!!!”
The fans burst into applause, while Charlotte devoted this time to calm down. Yes, she has devoted the last seven years to giving up her emotions and feelings. There are no emotions, there is only peace. This was one of her main principles. But when Akari appeared in her life, her principles began to crumble like a sand castle. This woman... no one, not even Jenner, caused such a powerful storm of emotions in Charlotte. This brunette had sunk into her soul, and no matter how much she resisted, she couldn't change it. However, the pink-haired woman had to take a deep breath because she had to tell about her thoughts about something else...
“Kyoko Akan...” Charlotte's voice slowed down noticeably, which was proof that she was choosing her words much more carefully. “It would be honest to say that for me it seems to be an interesting and rather unexpected result.” She said, trying to keep her voice steady. “But I think I understand why the fans preferred Kyoko in this poll." The martial arts master's voice became serious again, and lightning began to sparkle in her eyes. “She is certainly strong, and as a middleweight champion she was able to defeat many outstanding women.” She admitted. “But unfortunately, during her reign, she was unable to do one important thing, she was unable to preserve her honor.” Not all of them, but many began to nod understandingly. “Someone might say that I'm wrong, but as a fighter, I think I understand the reason, Kyoko is so afraid of defeat that now she is ready to do anything, even the most despicable things, to keep her title and status." Charlotte blinked slowly. “That's why we are completely different people.” She concluded. “I strive for self-improvement every day and every morning I wake up with the goal of becoming better than I was yesterday, so I also think that defeat is unacceptable!” She paused briefly. “But even though there have been bitter defeats in my career, they have not been able to make me turn away from my path, and therefore I will never stoop to dirty methods in an attempt to get a victory.” In a fit of emotion, she clenched her left fist and pressed it to her heart. “My goal is to become the best fighter in the world and I will be able to do it without resorting to outside help or meanness.” She made a promise. “I think that's why fans want to see this match, because it's always interesting for viewers to see two opposites in the ring." Charlotte chuckled softly. “Ironically or not, for the same reason I think this match is unlikely to happen.” She said. “We are from different worlds.”
Her response clearly left fans impressed. Perhaps she could have chosen more delicate words, but the Frenchwoman is used to being honest, especially with her fans. It would probably have been better for the hype if she had jumped to her feet right away with the promise that she would tear Kyoko apart if she was given a chance, but the martial arts master was not used to such loud words. When she finished answering, she glanced briefly at her watch, and then looked around the conference room.
“Any more questions?”
