Thread: Against the Ropes [ Sigr & Captain Brandeau ]

After a long and thoughtful pause he answered, N-no, not yet. I can't let them see me like this... Vinny was in desperate need of a hair cut, a shower shave, and a pair of decent clothes. He'd been wearing this uniform for about 16 hours now, reeking of sweat, grease and dirty dishwater. Every food stain on the black fabric was evident and, from his experience, needed to be scrubbed by hand before being thrown into the washer. On top of that, Vinny was a deadbeat, in the nicest term possible. Once a promising young man with a bright future, now a boring recluse with an Average Joe life. No friends, nothing new ever happening, he was useless during any kind of small talk. He could see the awkward silences ahead when the time would come to explain himself to Ayna's parents. He decided he would meet with them after school around 4 so Ayna would also be present, then he told her the plan. Is tomorrow between 4 and 5 a good time? If things went good, he could imagine staying for a nice family dinner and dessert like it used to be. Working at the restaurant, he could eat all he wanted so he never went without a home cooked meal but food made especially for you by someone who loves you added a whole new kick. And the Omarovs have always treated Vinny like their own. Maybe there was hope... Me and Viv? Ha. Vinny laughed but turned to her so she could see the seriousness in his green eyes. There's nothing going on there. It was painful to admit that he wasn't involved in any kind of relationship. And Vivian Ramirez was a beautiful girl. Vinny thought back to just a few moments before, when Vivian walked just a little behind him and beside Reggie. The Latina was in her cell phone the whole time, probably texting her father. She gets like that when she misses curfew. Her dad's just very protective. Vinny remembered Mr. Ramirez coming to him at the restaurant, asking that he keep an eye out for Viv since he couldn't watch over her at work. It was a favor from a fan of the fighter so Vinny didn't mind. Mr. Ramirez asked the same of Marina and a select few of the female staff at the high school. From what he remembered, Ayna's parents weren't much different when the time came to send their daughter to middle school in the city. So Ayna could probably relate. Ever since her mother... do you remember Estefania Ramirez in the news? Suddenly there was a bad taste in his mouth. Terrible things happen in the city all the time but the Ramirez case was too close to home. It shook the whole neighborhood. She was sexually assaulted by a man who stalked her and knew her husband was out of town for business while the children stayed at their aunt's for spring break a few years back. The abuse went on for two days and would have went on for longer if her coworkers had not reported her missing. Instinctively, Vinny stepped a bit closer to Ayna, almost shoulder to shoulder, the quiet night feeling more eerie. So you're parents don't know you do this kind of thing? You know if you get caught fighting before you're legal, you'll never get to go pro. There was a hint of anger in his voice when he asked. She put so much at risk to attend one measly fight. She came alone and had Vinny not been there she would have left alone, her parents didn't know she even left, So if something happened to youse, no one would know where to start. And what if that bouncer put you in the hospital? Ayna, don't look at me like I'm the crazy one here. What were you thinking coming out here on ya own?