She was alone. And that, for some reason, made her skin crawl. She couldn't say why. Maybe it was because there was always someone sharing the space with her at the pub, or because everyone there wanted a photo as soon as they saw her. Not here. Here it was LAW, and the silence didn't ask for permission.
She checked her false ears: securely fastened thanks to the hair clips, firm, impossible to fall off. Everything was in order. She turned around to appreciate the curve of her back and how her own bum looked. Her outfit suited her as always.
And yet... There was something comforting about that stillness. An unexpected peace she didn't know she could enjoy.
Ears. Pompous tail. Chaps. The sleeveless sweatshirt is clean, without stains or loose threads.
She felt light. Free. More cheerful. With a gentle, contained euphoria. She felt the weight of her own expectations... and, for the first time, she didn't mind carrying it.
She wasn't suppressing those feelings this time...
With a flirtatious jump, she smiled at her reflection. She clasped her hands behind her back and waited for her own verdict.
Approved.
Sonny left the dressing room and, without really knowing why, looked both ways down the corridor. No one was watching her, which made her feel more comfortable. She wasn't introverted. She was just... nervous.
She skipped along, like Little Red Riding Hood on her way to the forest, until she reached the entrance to the ring. The previous fight was ending. Just in time. That was a coincidence. She waited on the upper ramp until the technician gave her the go-ahead to unleash all that pent-up energy.
She stood on tiptoe as she pumped herself up and deflated, biting her lower lip. She was nervous because her opponent was a brilliant girl. Even more so than her.
And that wasn't a bad thing.
It was exciting.
She would face someone similar to her, in her own way! But with a more elaborate vibe, less discreet, more striking.
Sonny smiled because she wanted to have fun with someone who wasn't a bad person.
This was going to be fun.
Then her theme song played.
The first beat bounced off the walls of the arena and Sonny was stunned. Her fake ears perked up in time with her eyebrows, as if by pure reflex; her smooth skin
bristled; she even felt the same thing with her tail, betraying the excitement that ran through her body before she could even think about it.
She looked at the technician, who signalled that it was time to start, and from his intensity, she assumed that she herself was delaying the action!
She took the first step; her leg crossed the curtains, receiving the warmth of the arena. The Ash Bunny started lightly on the upper ramp; the light of the arena enveloped her as if she had changed reality. The murmur of the audience grew. Sonny felt it in her chest, warm, vibrant. Almost as if she were floating, she took another step. And then another, stopping at the beginning of the ramp, officially.
And there she began her entrance: she twisted her hips in a small, playful pivot, letting her tail describe an arc in the air, while she tilted her waist to one side and formed a large heart with her hands in front of her chest.
The buzz over this girl's cuteness exploded in the stands.
This girl continued now, not walking: she moved forward in small jumps, setting the pace with her toes, letting the music guide her. She extended her hands to one side of the upper ramp to greet the spectators on that side, then raised her other arm and slid to the other side to repeat the greeting with the others. She had a wide, sincere smile, the kind that a bad liar like her cannot fake.
She sped up as she approached the edge of the ring, jumping onto the edge of the canvas and sliding inside with an agile, almost feline leap. Her arms, chest and hips slid across the canvas, and she bounced once on the canvas to get on all fours and then to her feet. She moved straight towards one of the corners without losing her momentum.
She placed one foot on the bottom rope, then the other on the middle rope, and with one last push, she stood up on the tensioner. Up there, she raised both arms forcefully, opening her chest, letting the music and the noise of the audience wash over her completely.
The response was immediate.
Sonny did not close her eyes for a moment. She breathed. She let herself be filled.
She felt complete. Free. Alive. Not like a jobber.
It's not that she doesn't like being mistreated, it's just that today she doesn't feel like it.
Today she could be a competent fighter.
Then she descended from the corner with a small jump, landing on her feet on the canvas. Her tail waved, leaving a trail behind her. She rested her hands on her knees, leaning forward, swaying slightly from side to side. Warming up. Her tail moved restlessly to the not-so-subtle rhythm of her hips. Her artificial ears tilted forward, alert as well.
She waited.
Eagerly.
Ready for whatever came.
This would be fun!
Spoiler
Her outfit is the one on the right.
