Thread: Against the Ropes [ Sigr & Captain Brandeau ]

The thought of having made a mistake crossed Ayna's mind, but it was but a brief idea, barely a coherent one that was burned by the fire of her excitement. Accustomed to the boxing weight categories, she had certainly messed up when she nodded to the super middleweight suggestion, as it was clear that her rival, getting into the ring sooner than her, had a good thirty pounds or so over her. She had never been good at memorizing those kind of details, but even if she could protest or back off, she wasn't going to. The difference was made apparent when he stood at her height despite him being bulkier, but Ayna barely noticed it as she was distracted by the spot she was in. The girl had stepped into a ring numerous times, practice, amateur matches... but never in a fight, a real one. Sure, this was an underground joint that got some kind of leeway with the authorities, but it was still her first real fight. It was a real ring the one under her bare feet, there were real ropes the one she held with her light gloves. Most of her training was boxing one, but she dabbled in MMA too, unsure about what kind of sport should she get into professionally. Her prodigious physique and devotion to training had allowed her to shine in both sports so far, as amateurs were no match for her, but this was a different animal. The guy in front of her not only looked tough, but she also managed to recognize that brute from another one of her visits, as he worked there as a bouncer. He may have sport training or not, she didn't know, but he sure knew how to manage stupid drunks and rowdy visitors, so he wouldn't be a stranger to grapples, tackling and submission maneuvers. Ayna could handle punches like breeze, and even kicks after a bit of practice with a girl from the gym that was into kickboxing, but it was the wrestling part the one where she lacked most training. Sure, she had a bit of judo training from when she was little, but she always found it boring and abandoned it soon. Her inspection of her opponent also allowed her to peek at a couple of tattoos that seemed the kind of thing you did in the military, but with the distance, the lights and her lack of knowledge, she couldn't point to what kind of corps they belonged to. All in all, she was ready to face that bull with a shaved head, eager to exchange blows with him, but before the yellow clad referee could even check them, a shout from behind her back pulled Ayna out of the mental zone she was in. That voice, and he knew her name. Vinny? What the fuck are you doing here? she asked, surprised and slightly angry, more about the intrusion in what was a moment for her than about being interrupted by Vinny in particular. That fit and scrappy young woman that was swearing on top of the ring didn't look quite the same as little Ayna, and yet, she yet had the same fire on her slate grey eyes that when she played at fighting with Vinny. We'll talk when I'm done with this! she shouted, turning her back to him, radiating self-assuredness like a palpable aura. Ayna barely paid attention to the referees spiel, knowing the rules by heart, as she was focused on her opponent's eyes. He was taking things seriously before, as did anyone that entered a ring with a minimum of respect, but she could notice that he could see it in her eyes now. This was no joke, she knew what she was getting into. After bumping fists as a sign of respect, Ayna assumed her fighting stance before the bell sounded, ready for the fight. It was a variation of her usual stance, mostly a textbook orthodox one that needed improving, but at least she had enough sense to lower and widen it a bit, turning it into something of a crouching stance that she thought could help with unlikely kicks and specially grabs. She had reach and agility to be an outboxer, but she lacked the training and more importantly the calm disposition for it. That way, anyone that watched her fight would easily peg her into the more offensive approaches of a slugger or a swarmer, as she had the power and pacing to do both. As the bell echoed, Ayna darted straight forward, surprising her opponent with decision, eating a left jab for her efforts as soon as the bouncer reacted to her approach. He was faster than she expected, but she was already bobbing to the right so the punch just grazed her, allowing her to sink a right in his abdomen, painful but he had for sure suffered worse. Maybe Ayna wasn't as strong as she looked and he wouldn't have to resort to subdue her with a grapple and could end this returning punch for punch, as she had proven to be a slippery one. The punch he had taken was a strong one, but his core was his best feature and could take way more punishment than that. The bouncer started a solid combination of left jabs, showing that he wasn't just an ex solider, as he was managing to keep her arms up, unable to mount a proper attack. Vinny's words echoed on her mind, more of a distraction than anything else, as she resented his intrusion, even if casual, in a moment that was all hers. Even then, the faltering of her guard was her fault and her fault alone, as her form was worse than she thought and even if the bouncer wasn't threatening her with grappling, the added pressure made her unable to keep a solid defense, as his jabs connected better and better each time. Ayna readied for a slip to the right, wanting to do something to change the pace, something that her opponent read like an open book, and used to get a right punch ready. After all, the worst she could punish him with if it went wrong was a left jab, and he had already tasted her right. All sound seemed to fade as Ayna's left landed on the bouncer's face, her reach and stance allowing it to land before his own right. The girl stepped to the side, wanting to prevent a follow up that never came, as a combination of surprise and pure pain locked him on the spot for a moment. Finally able to react, the bouncer went for her legs, all too clear, all to slow given his state, managing just to eat a second left from Ayna, this time an uppercut instead of a straight that made him fall to her side. The girl stood there, processing what just happened, as the bell toll and referee standing between them clued her in. She was victorious. Rising her left fist, bloodied by the bouncer's broken nose, sound seemed to return to her ears, as the venue roared around her. Maybe it was childish, maybe it was the old instincts coming back, but the first thing she did was approach he ropes closest to Vinny. Did you see that? she asked, a pure and wide smile on her beautiful face, even if the jabs she took had swollen one of her cheeks. He didn't expect that. Maybe he didn't notice I'm left handed... she realized, opening and closing the fingers of her left hand, blood tricking down her arm.