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 Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 9:49 am
An older model Prius pulled into the parking garage of the arena hours before the show started. Grace Fatsumoto was sitting behind the wheel singing along with her latest earworm. A song by AJR that resonated both emotionally and musically to her. She particularly enjoyed the ending. She finished the song, just sitting in her car vibing before it was time to get ready for the show. She wasn't disheartened, not by the loss to Ramona; but the ominous threats made by Rex still lingered in the back of her mind. As the song finished she shut the car off and gathered her bedazzled blue gym bag, heading for the locker room where a space would have been prepared for her.
In the locker room, hours later, Grace was finishing the adornments to her attire. The weighted boots fit snuggly on her calves and ankles, they were a custom design by an old friend of her father's. The increased weight lowered her already negligible center of gravity making balancing on the rings ropes and turnbuckles a breeze. The boots slowed her down some, but that served her needs as well; her mentors had always berated her for zipping around too quickly. They would say, "Your feet move so fast they carry your mind past the fight." She slowed herself down to force herself to stay in the moment. There was another boon her weighted boots gave her, surprise.
When she took her boots off, her already incredible speed seemed to grow exponentially. More than once she'd been compared to the characters in Dragon Ball Z, they would remove weights and become stronger. That boost of speed had come in handy against Ewing. It allowed her to strike her much larger opponent with a spinning heel kick, one of her specialties; and something she refused to do with the boots on, fearing just how lethal such a strike could be.
Once she finished lacing up her boots, Grace started a series of steps and leaps, a routine she'd developed to help her feet settle into the boots before a match; a little extra cardio never hurt either. All that was left was to buckle her cape on and head to the gorilla pit where she would climb to the platform she dropped from for her entrance. The closer she got to her match however, the more her nerves began to set in. A shade seemed to possess her and she slumped slightly, Rex's words coming back to her sapping her confidence.
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 11:15 am
Unbeknownst to Grace, she had drawn the attention of someone else. Reich had heard the footsteps of Grace as she made her way down to the pit.
Hidden in the shadows, he took some time to study her. To the untrained eye, she looked calm and ready, yet beneath the surface trouble was brewing.
He slowly stood up and made his way into her field of vision. "Penny for your thoughts?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 12:11 pm
As a baby Grace almost never cried, well into adolescence she was so stoic her teachers joked that she was a Quaker. She was also always very alert to her surroundings, with a keen ear for soft sounds. These qualities combined to make her notoriously difficult to startle, a game her jovial father enjoyed. She was so lost in her own self doubts at the moment however that when Erynys stepped from the shadows before her, she almost jumped out of her tightly laced boots.
"Aaarghhhhh!"
Grace cried out in shock, his question pulling her from her thoughts and back to the moment. Her slight scream turned into soft chuckles as she realized what had happened and who had ambushed her. The surprise on her face morphed into a brilliant smile, "Oh! Hey Erynys, wow you scared the crap out of me!"
Checking back over her shoulder, Grace stepped closer, "What was it you wanted?" She asked, bashfully; embarrassed that she'd forgotten his question in the immediate aftermath of being startled.
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 12:38 pm
He observed her quietly, a faint smirk hidden under his face mask. "I do apologize for startling you. You just seem preoccupied by something...weighed down by something. Did you want to talk about it?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 1:48 pm
Grace's smile faltered slightly, she shook her head, "No, I dunno. I'm just in my head a bit. King of the Canvas was intense. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but between Rex and Ramona they really cleaned my clock.
But I really need to focus on my match tonight instead. I'm facing Emiko Sone, THE Emiko Sone; I can't afford to be distracted by them."
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 2:22 pm
He nodded his head in agreement. "Ja. While I have never had the chance to face Frau Sone, I do know she is not one to sleep on. You will need all your focus on them."
He made as if to go, but then stopped himself. "Be careful Miss Grace. It's no secret that you have befriended Ramona and I know you wish to help her, but the viper may not be willing to let go of his prey and would it be worth it to sacrifice yourself for her when she follows his wishes so easily?
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 5:55 pm
Grace looked at the floor, shuffling her feet as she contemplated Erynys' words. She knew it was dangerous, and after her last match she understood the kind of control Rex had over Ramona. She also remembered the look on Ramona's face when she saw the book; she was expecting a trap. Grace had a feeling deep in her gut, Ramona needed someone in her corner.
"I know I probably shouldn't. It would be a distraction. But who else would?" It was thin reasoning, but it was all Grace had to cling to, especially after how ruthlessly Ramona had beaten Grace.
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Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 6:23 pm
He placed a reassuring hand on Grace's shoulder. "I know. I know you care about her and I'm not telling you to end your friendship with her. I'm just cautioning you to be mindful and to stay on your guard. If Ramona wants to get out from the shadows, she will have to find her own way. You can be there to support her and encourage her, but you cannot walk that path FOR her. She has to do that on her own. It's the only way to find her own strength, her own voice."
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