11679/A Good Show

A Good Show
Date of Scene:	26 June 2020
Location:	Mealtide, Empire Bay
Synopsis:	Grant is looking to impress a client. Katsumi is looking to strengthen self-control. Somewhere in the middle, fun ensues.
Cast of Characters:	Bakeneko, Aguila 6

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Bakeneko has posed:
Night has fallen over Empire Bay, and most sensible citizens have turned in. Easy prey; that's what most citizens become in areas like this when the lights go out. It's best to be the predator in these situations, no matter which side of the ethos spectrum one finds themselves.

Katsumi's still trying to figure that one out. But she knew she wanted a break from the mindboggling, reality-breaking spookies that creep around Sunnydale. She needed something more natural, something more relatable. She needed to hit things, to train herself. But not in getting stronger; getting better control. It's one thing to rip up something undead. It's another entirely to risk killing a human being. And when tension mounts, she needs to know she can control it.

And right now, tensions are /definitely/ mounted.

Thankfully, there's a rowdy crowd surrounding a massive cage that'll do just the trick. Inside, currently, are two Beefy McBrosticks whacking into each other. No form, no style, just savagery. Katsumi loves it.

She's been here before. The look she gets from the booker may be enough to indicate that. But she's making an attempt to be subtle, at least, wearing a black hoodie despite the heat, zipped up over a pair of black conforming tights and boots. Her shouting isn't doing anyone any favors.

"COME ON, GET YOUR HANDS UP! YOU JUST STARTED!"

Aguila 6 has posed:
The world traveling mercenary, Captain Grant Washington, often finds himself bouncing from city to city. What he's doing in this part of the world? Selling the services of Aguila Military Innovations, his highly illegal private military company, of course! And how's he doing it? By kicking ass!

Grant is looking forward to his turn in the ring, ready to show off for the potential client watching from the crowd. The mercenary's wearing Multicam Black fatigue pants, a black compression shirt, black assault boots and black tactical gloves. Pretty practical and mostly tactical. With him are a pair of his guys, though they're wearing plain clothes and giving him a little space. He doesn't really need someone in his corner, especially against brawlers like this, but it can't hurt to have someone to toss him a weapon if things go sideways or the cops show up.

As he makes his way towards the booker himself a young lady nearby starts screaming advice to the fighters currently in the cage. Grant smiles faintly, "Those big guys tend to tire out fast. All strength, no agility or stamina. They look good when they're fighting, though."

Bakeneko has posed:
"Ugh, I knooww!," bemoans an energetic Katsumi, not really caring who's decided to interject. A fact is a fact, and so far, it's all he's talking. Maybe except that last part. "One dude looks like a shaved gorilla, and the other- OH COME ON, FRED FLINTSTONE! GET IT TOGETHER!" She lifts a hand to delicately pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. "I'm thinking these idiots are used to bar fights. Beating up college preppies. Put'em in a ring together, and you get..." Her arms move forward, hands open to indicate the cage.

Inside, the two oversized fellows are exchanging wide-arcing haymakers.

"Rock'em Sock'em Robots."

Her arms drop, and she finally looks aside to the individual who addressed her. "Size matters, but it definitely depends how you use it." Was that innuendo? The very faint coloring in her voice from Japanese heritage may suggest she didn't /mean/ to say it like that. But when she looks back to the ring: "SOMEONE F***ING DROP ALREADY!"

Aguila 6 has posed:
The fight thus far has been fairly interesting, as is the line of conversation that's begun. Grant shrugs his shoulders, "I wasn't saying they're good lookin' guys, just that they're fun to watch. Neither of them looks like they're afraid to take a blow, which means this fight's probably not going to last too much longer."

And the remark about size, well, the merc smirks at that, "Very true, usually, but I tend to punch above my weight class. Hopefully I'll be able to get a couple of fights in. I imagine that as long as I win a few they'll let me keep coming back for more."

Bakeneko has posed:
"That's usually how it works," asides Katsumi. "Alternative is usually that you wind up in the hospital. But hey, next time you show up, you can maybe game the system and win with the odds against you. But you might also piss a lott'a people off like that."

But he's right. The fight degenerates into a blatant strangulation in front of everyone, resulting in one man going unconscious.

"Quickest route between two points, right?," glibly observes the Japanese girl. While they're celebrating and money is changing hands, she looks more directly to the dude next to her. "So you're gonna fight? New to this circuit? I'll wait. It's cool. Do something that's actually f***ing impressive, why don'cha. Give us something /new/ to look at."

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Here's hoping I can avoid the hospital, unless I'm feeling generous and want to visit my opponent after the bout," Grant chuckles a little bit. Clearly he doesn't intend to visit. "I don't think I'm going to get dropped, but we'll see."

"This will actually be my first underground prize fight, as a matter of fact. I've got a lot of practical experience, just not with a cage around me." When told to do something impressive the man grins, "I'll see if I can do something new. Don't imagine a lot of the fighters here practice Kali or Army Combatives, so the systems might be unique." The smile stays on his face, "I'll try not to end the fight too quickly. I'm not much of a showman but I'll give it a go."

Since she's opting not to fight next the soldier heads for the guy doing the booking and has one of his men hand him a gangster roll, which he offers over, "I'm new in town, don't know any of your fighters. The scarier, the better, though."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro perks a slender black eyebrow at him. "Well, not ending it quick is a good idea. You want other people to wanna challenge you. But-," he's already moving. With a wicked grin, she shouts after him, "The cage is a prop! Use it!"

With a giggle, she stuffs her hands into her hoodie-pouchie-pockets.

Aguila 6 has posed:
With a look back to his new acquaintance, Grant lifts his jaw at the woman and flashes her a grin, shouting back, "Thanks for the advice! I'll try to make it look good!" AS he's shown where to go the mercenary leans his head from side to side before turning it to stretch his neck. He begins to bounce up and down a little bit on the balls of his feet and rotates his arms as if limbering up for the brawl ahead.

Once he's in the cage Washington turns to look at the crowd, nodding his head in appreciation of their numbers before chuckling faintly, already amused at the fun he's about to have. When it's time for the other fighter to come out Grant watches closely, studying his opponent as much as possible before the fight ensues. His smile never fades.

Bakeneko has posed:
"GO ON THEN, GIVE US A SHOW!"

By now, that cutting voice is likely easily identified as the Asian girl. Courtesy of the roaming spotlights, her face is periodically visible within the frame of her hoodie, grinning toothily with wisps of black hair spilling about. Is she going to bet? It's tempting. She has /very/ little money to work with, and it's part of the reason she's here in the first place. But then, no one's ever accused Miss Oshiro of having solid foresight. She shoulderchecks her way through the crowd to the booker, passing over a few dollars. Who she bet on, it may be unclear.

Aguila 6 has posed:
The opponent selected for Grant is indeed a scary son of a gun. Tall, bald, impressively muscular, cauliflower ears and a bunch of facial scarring. This fellow's been around the block a few times. At the signal to begin the two fighters start to circle one another. Grant's opponent leans forward into a wrestling stance,, but the merc doesn't follow suit. Washington instead continues bouncing on the balls of his feet, taking a partially bladed stance to face his opponent at an angle and brings up his hands in fists to protect his face.

When he hears the words of the woman he'd just been talking to Grant grins, nodding his head and steps towards the larger fellow. Quickly, the bigger guy shoots, moving with impressive speed for a man of his size, arms outstretched to catch his adversary in an attempt to initiate a grapple. He finds himself unsuccessful as the red haired soldier steps out of the way, bringing an arm down in a block to knock the other man's grasp away. Washington follows the block up with a round kick towards the other warrior's leg, causing a stumble towards the cage's fencing.

Time to use that big prop! Grant darts forward and bends his knees deeply, telegraphing that he's going to be jumping. Then he's in the air, winding up for a wicked haymaker. Bald man sees it coming and dodges to the side so that the blow crashes loudly against the steel and makes a tremendous noise. Immediately afterwards baldy goes on the attack, snapping off a quick hook that catches Grant in the ribs as his feet hit the ground.

"Nice hit," says the mercenary. "Land a couple more like that and I might have a job for you."

"Yeah? I ain't your gigolo, asshole," replies dude.

Bakeneko has posed:
"OHHHH S***! IT'S ABOBO! HE GOT ABOBO!"

Katsumi isn't one to stay quiet long in sporting events. Though her references to Double Dragon may be a little lost on the general gathering, that's become her name for this massive individual in question. Still, she moves back from the booker to let others get at it. She can't quite tell what's being said at the epicenter, but she can see hits being exchanged and actual evasions being executed. It's a step up.

The cage rattles. "WOO!" That's a pleased Katsumi.

Aguila 6 has posed:
Alright! The crowd likes it. Showing off is fun! Grant weaves away from some more attempts to strike him, keeping his hands up in front of himself to block one or two of them. Then he sidesteps, grabbing his opponent's wrist with one hand and slamming the palm of his other hand behind the man's elbow. It's not hard enough to cause much damage, but it'll hurt like hell. More importantly, it gives Grant his enemy's side and enables him to execute a side kick to the ribs that bangs Abobo into the cage! Grant steps back after the strike and jumps into the air, launching a spinning kick that plants boot on face. But not too hard, seeing as how this brawl has to look like a fair fight.

Abobo grabs his head just for a second before lunging towards Grant's midsection again. This time he catches on and moves to push Grant down to the ground. Rather unexpectedly the smaller man goes with it, wrapping his legs around Abobo's body as he's slammed into the floor, even letting out an "Oof" as the air is knocked out of his lungs. Hooking his feet together around the big fighter's back, Washington squeezes and strikes out with fists and elbows, trying to control the larger fellow by using what looks like some impressive leg strength. One of the elbow strikes cuts open Abobo's eyebrow, the wound becoming a new target. If the man bleeds into his eyes he won't be able to see, after all.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro stuffs her hands back into the central pouch of her hoodie, lips pursed to near duck-face levels. Insofar, the guy looks like he's a trained fighter. More than the 'street fighter' norm, of experience leading to egos, leading to picking fights with basically anyone in proximity. Granted, she's a little guilty of that. But she's had training. Not that it makes it any more socially acceptable, just different.

"OH! HE'S LEAKIN'!," shouts the girl. With a toothy grin, she spares one hand to tug the forward hem of her hood a little further, providing just a degree more coverage. "DON'T GET ALL PAINTED!"

Aguila 6 has posed:
The big, bald bruiser tries to put his fist through Grant's face and succeeds only in striking the floor thanks to blood in his eye and his opponent smacking his strike out of the way. Washington uses the missed attack as an opening and shrimps out from beneath the muscular fighter, rolling smoothly to his feet before stepping forward and planting his foot in Abobo's ribs hard enough that there's some faint cracking sounds. Not forceful enough to take a tough guy out of the fight, though.

Abobo pushes himself to his feet in time to watch Grant grab the cage, pull himself up on it and leap off. This time he leads with a knee strike to the bald man's dome piece, knocking him hard enough that he almost falls over. With a big grin on his face Grant starts to circle his opponent again, "I'm here to put on a show. If you take me to the ground again..." And then officer shows off his command voice, surprisingly loud and deep: "I WILL BREAK YOU!"

This time there's no back talk.

Bakeneko has posed:
"Groooss!," chides Katsumi loudly. "DON'T WORRY, ABOBO'S JUST GETTIN' MAD!"

Now why would she say that? Who exactly did she bet on? In truth, Katsumi is attempting to spur the giant lumpy, and now bleeding, bald man into action. Something like that creates more tension, puts more at stake. In other words, it keeps the odds from going completely sideways. "YOU'RE NOT THROWIN' IT, ARE YOU!?"

Aguila 6 has posed:
Oh yeah, Abobo is just getting mad. Especially with the crowd talkin' smack to him now. He's bleeding, red in the face, but a lot more cautious now than he had been. His hands come up and he takes on the stance of a boxer, moving forward a bit at a time. Grant, on the other hand, is feeling quite good about the show he's putting on. Still, he tries his best not to just whup his opponent. So he tries boxing, despite his opponent's greater reach. The two trade a few blows, Grant ducking and weaving more than he's hit. Abobo blocks well, taking punches to his forearms rather than his face. Then Washington starts in with low kicks to the sides of his enemy's legs, causing slight buckling with each landed hit.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro would have done things differently. But her training tends to lend itself to showmanship and death-defying maneuvers. It's difficult to judge. But judge is all Katsumi tends to do! "COME ON, MAYWEATHER! DO SOMETHING! ENOUGH SCREWING AROUND!" The kicks are a nice change of pace, but Katsumi is starting to anxiously bob on her feet.

Aguila 6 has posed:
Screwing around? Time for something a little more interesting, then. Grant kicks Abobo's leg even harder than before, causing a stumble, then Grant knocks him down with a haymaker. While his opponent is down the smaller, nimbler fighter takes a moment to do a backflip, getting some distance from his opponent. When Abobo gets to his feet the blood in his eye has blinded him and Grant comes from the angle to take advantage of his opponent's blind spot. Wrapping his arms around the bald guy's midsection, Grant suplexes him. Pretty hard, too. With his bell wrung by the impact Abobo lashes out with a kick that hits Washington in the pelvis and knocks him backwards. The larger fighter makes it to his feet and lets out a shout of rage, jumping forward to try to land a heavy punch.

The merc lets the fist slide past his head, grabs Abobo's wrist, places his body against the larger man's and flips him over his shoulder before bringing his foot down on the guy's face. There's a crunch as the nose is broken before Grant hops backwards.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro blinks at the obvious suplex. Alright, that's not what she was expecting. Most people don't shoot for that kind of thing. You'll see it /sometimes/ with the more MMA crowd, but still. Nothing in this bout gave her a reason to expect that. And the finalizing - or what she's hoping by now is finalizing - stomp, she uptilts her chin. "THAT IT?," she shouts. It's not a taunt, but rather a genuine question. Despite the crowd and how things can sometimes go, she's not here to see anyone /die/.

Aguila 6 has posed:
Abobo pushed himself to his feet, but he's punch drunk now. Grant shakes his head in surprise, "I don't need a gigolo, I need a fighter. You got guts and skill."

The bald guy nods a little bit, "We'll talk, later. Just end it."

The mercenary complies, darting forward and unloading punches in a boxer's blast, foregoing most of his own defense to overwhelm Abobo with a bunch of quick strikes before kicking his leg out from under him, getting behind him and applying a rear naked choke. As messed up as the bigger man is he can't defend himself and quickly taps.

Stepping away, Grant turns around in a slow circle, lifting his arms above his head before heading back to help his opponent to his feet. "One of my men is a medic. He'll check you out for any serious damage. Once this place shuts down we'll find a diner and talk about your next career move."

Leaving the ring together, Washington hands off Abobo to his soldiers and heads in the direction of the loud woman, lifting his chin at her, "How was the show?"

Bakeneko has posed:
"Worth twenty bucks," replies Katsumi, turning from the booker after collecting her winnings. She offers a lopsided grin. "Don't be offended. I didn't have much money to play with. And you /could/ have been blowing smoke up my skirt. Had to be sure!"

Her head tilts to glance after 'Abobo', then back to the other fellow. "What's going on there? You're not gonna, like, have him executed or something, are you?"

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Nice," Grant says when his new acquaintance takes her cash. "I wouldn't have bet on me after seeing that guy. He looks like he's got at least seventy pounds on me," he says with a grin as he inclines his head.

When she looks at what his guys are doing the merc chuckles, "I'm offering him a job. One of my guys is a medic. I run a security company down in South America, looking to expand more up here. Dude like that'll make a great bodyguard. Scary, talented fighter, got a lot of heart." Then he chuckles, "I'm always looking for new talent."

Bakeneko has posed:
"Yeeaah," says a cautious Katsumi, staring past grant to the hulk of a man being tended to. There's a note of skepticism in her voice, but not one she pursues.

"So this was, what, a demo' or something?" She looks back to him as the rowdy crowd begins searching for new contenders. "Or is this more like a recruitment strategy? Pick up people who're tough, but not strong thinkers? People who're down on their luck?" The money is stuffed into a billfold, which then goes right into the pouch of her hoodie.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Yeah, showing off for a potential client," Grant says with a chuckle. "I usually try to hire ex-military types. Lots of contacts for them down in Latin America, but I need people up here for the new venture."

"I didn't figure the fighters here for being down on their luck," Washington says, though he does take a closer look to try to spot others lining up to brawl. "Don't want anyone too desperate, anyway. I'm not the Marines, you won't see me recruiting from low income high schools. My guys down south tend to be former infantry, airborne especially. Guys who, if they had an American security clearance, would be making a minimum of eighty or ninety grand a year contracting overseas."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro clicks her tongue softly at the monetary figure. It sounds like a lot. She's getting better about translating yen to dollars on the fly. But the crack about the marines flies completely over her head. Anything too specific about governmental habits aren't going to land with the foreigner. "Most people who do this are. I think, anyway. Freaks no one else'll let back in the ring, or people too desperate for quick cash to care how bad it hurts to get it. Or! People who need money and don't mind hurting someone to do it, but would rather it be someone who's okay with getting hurt than mugging someone. S'how I figure it."

Her narrow shoulders bob in a shrug.

"I try not to think about it!"

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Hadn't considered that. I figured it would mostly be adrenaline junkies," Washington says after some consideration. "Makes me feel bad about kicking their asses, almost. Least they know what they're getting into fighting here." The guy also shrugs, "I'd much rather pay people to protect folks than to kick the hell out of one another to the point of serious injury."

Turning, he looks through the crowd, his gaze stopping for a just a moment on a particular group of people, before moving on to scan the rest of the assembly, "You're a fighter yourself, I'm guessing. You into stuff like this? Got any particular combat systems you favor?"

Bakeneko has posed:
"Eh. F***'em," Katsumi replies, the callousness of the remark offset by the chirpy girlishness of her voice. "They stepped up, they made the choice. It's not a hug-party."

A catty smile touches her lips at the question, and she starts to respond when suddenly cut off by a shout from the booker. "BAKENEKO! YOU FIGHTIN'!?"

The girl stiffens a little at the shout and whirls around. Then a glance back to the man, an impish eyebrow perked. "Yeah!," she shouts over her shoulder. "I am." Turning more to him, she purrs, "You'll see for yourself."

And with that, the girl begins weaving between bodies to make her way up and into the cage, politely held open by a smug announcer.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Looking forward to it," Grant replies to the woman when she says he'll see. A smile forms on his face as he rocks back slightly on his heels, trying to make sure he can see the cage well from his current spot. One of his men comes up to him to talk quietly for a moment. Washington looks towards him and nods, speaking softly in reply. The other guy returns to his friend and Abobo, who's looking a lot better now. The big, bald guy looks at Grant and gives him a thumbs up. The mercenary captain nods back in reply.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro, or perhaps 'Bakeneko', strolls along the perimeter of the cage, a confident sashay to her hips. Fingers hook the edges of her hood to pull it back from her face, then smoothly unzip the hoodie worn over her torso. The garment itself may have been thin, but the weather's been warming up considerably lately - she's happy to be rid of it once undone. She lets it drop near the chain links of the cage, leaving herself in a simple, black and gray racerback sportsbra. She certainly came to the 'arena' with the intention to fight. And with arms now raising, urging the audience into a frenzy of bloodlust and what she's pretty sure are hormones, it's likely clear she's worked a crowd before. She's comfortable with it. Nothing about this creates a hitch in her relaxed smile.

She comes to a halt facing the dude she's been talking to for the night. As the crowd seems to figure out who will be taking her on, she hooks her fingers through the chain links. "I'm gonna be reeeaaal pissed if you bet against me!," she calls to him, though with a wry tone to her voice rather than threatening.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Put my winnings on her!" Grant yells to the bookie he hadn't yet collected from, not looking away from Bakeneko. "Remember to put on a show!" He shouts to her with a grin on his face.

The mercenary's got a good spot in the crowd and he focuses on the fight that's about to begin, still wearing his smile.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro releases the fencing of the cage, hands raised in a facetious shrug. "I /always/ put on a good show...," she assures, gaze half-lidded as she backs away. Only her progress is interrupted by a slightly taller woman wearing compression shorts, sneakers, and a sportsbra as well. Her accessory may be more telling - a pair of MMA-style grappling gloves. Hair tied back in a tight braid, she probably looks like a formidable athlete - solidly built, but with lankey limbs. Nothing but sneering aggression to be offered when Katsumi turns to face her, having to tilt her head back a little.

"Watch where I'm walkin'. You might get hurt," sasses the Japanese girl, adamantly unintimidated.

The same could be said of the other woman, however, whose only response is to pressure in closer to her, forehead to forehead, nose to nose. The announcer quickly moves in, not to separate them, but to lay out the 'rules' - or what could be said of them. Fight to a knockout or tapout. Whatever means necessary to get there; whatever works, works. Just try not to bite or scratch.

And the moment he waves an arm, the taller woman shifts back and drives a crisp right hook against Katsumi's chin, sending her in a half-spin to the side. Her right hand moves to her jaw, the left hand grabbing onto the chain links again.

Aguila 6 has posed:
Quietly, Grant studies the fighters' moves. He stands still as a stone in the crowd, absorbing the show, watching closely for any important details.

"She can take a hit, at least," the merc says to no one in particular. "Gotta keep her hands up, though." There's a chance he may have forgotten that she's trying to be showy as well.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro does appear to be rocked by the blow she took on the outset, taking her sweet time to recollect her senses. But she sees Grant watching. He's easy to see in the veritable ocean of moving bodies, the one pillar that isn't presently caught in undulation. And it's to him that she shoots a wicked smile, hand still rubbing her jaw.

Oh dear. She's playing possum.

The other woman seems rather confident in her handiwork, likely a bit seasoned in bouts herself. And seeing 'Bakeneko' reel from the opening shot, she's opted to play up the crowd a bit, raising a fist with a smirk. And when she returns her attention to her opponent, she'll find her perfectly vulnerable, her back an exposed and tantalizing target. She rushes in with a feminine growl, and leaps with a knee angled towards her spine.

It was the thumps of a feet moving across the platform that Katsumi was tuned into. Not the sounds; the vibrations. A veteran of the ring, one can only absorb so much fighting in a certain environment before developing a sense for it. 'Ring awareness', they call it. And when the vibrations suddenly halt their approach, she wheels to the side! Knee collides with cage with a rattle of metal, and the ebon-haired punkette has orbited gracefully to her back. A forearm presses behind her opponent's shoulders, forcing her torso tight against the chains, while her free arm begins drilling punches into her lower back, each blow eliciting a yelp.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Oh. I like you!" Grant exclaims with a big grin on his face as he watches Bakeneko sucker in her opponent, pleased to see such a well executed trap play out. There's still not much reason for him to move, but he does lift his hands together to clap them in appreciation.

"Right in the kidneys, too! That'll slow her down a little." Who he's talking to is still unclear as of this time, but the guy is speaking nonetheless. "I find myself really looking forward to seeing where this goes."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro ends her volley against her opponent's undefended back by pressing in tight behind her, forcing her cheek against the metal grating - only to shoot a wink out at the audience. Or possibly Grant. Hard to say, the crowd is so large.

"C'mon, Sporty Spice, we're not done..." Katsumi hooks an arm beneath the other girl's chin to pull her back from the caging, dragging her several feet before her opponent throws a monkeywrench into the situation. Elbows fly back into the Japanese girl's midsection, each hit causing a jolt.

The women spins out of the neck-hook entanglement, only to add a punch against her cheek, whipping her head aside. Seemingly dazed, Katsumi sways into a full 180 rotation - only to suddenly pop into the air in a half-backflip, her right boot kicking up into the air and taking her opponent by surprise.

Though Katsumi's boots are relatively soft as far as footwear goes, the toe colliding with the other woman's forehead is clearly not a gentle one, landing her floored on her back. Katsumi, meanwhile, lands hunched on her shoulders, only to redirect the momentum into a nipup. She is, one hundred percent, showing off. Without bothering to face her dazed and recovering opponent, she raises her arms to the audience, fingers splayed. "YA LIKE THAT?! WE DONE WITH'ER?!"

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Wow." Grant is impressed with what he sees and doesn't hide it, based on how his eyes open wide and he wears a huge smile. "I need to spend more time in illegal fight rings, this is great!" He's quite happy with how things are going, though he does glance from Bakeneko to her opponent to see what the other woman's about to do. "I also need more practice showing off, apparently."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro smiles a wide, somehow predatory smile to the roaring crowd. And truth be told, she's /loving/ it. It isn't like a drug or anything. This isn't an adrenaline high. This is comforting; familiar. It's home. Like a warm hug from an old friend. God, she misses doing this regularly. Different scope, different circumstance, but the same feeling. She could live in moments like these.

The other woman is, however, outraged by what she's deemed flashy nonsense. Suddenly, she rushes Katsumi and overwhelms her smaller stature, bearing her down to the floor on her chest. 'Bakeneko' manages a surprised squeak before being manipulated into position - her left arm hooked behind her back, while the other woman's right arm hooks beneath her chin to force her into a painful, backwards arch, straining both spine and the joints throughout her captured limb. Those in the know would be able to identify this as a crossface chickenwing submission hold.

And it looks painful.

"AAAHHN!" Katsumi's boots kick against the platform, eyes squeezed shut, her expression wracked. Her free hand paws over the bicep hooking under her chin, but seemingly to no avail. Her attacker simply clings on, yarding back on the hold.

The announcer drops beside the pair, watching intently for 'Bakeneko' to give the telltale tapout!

Aguila 6 has posed:
When he sees Bakeneko getting bent backwards Grant winces and turns his head to the side slightly. Apparently he's getting more into the fight than he planned on as he lets out a thunderous, "YOU GOT THIS! TUCK YOUR CHIN!" Who knows if it will help, though? The hold she's in looks quite painful and difficult to escape from.

Bakeneko has posed:
Normally, it would be. Bakeneko's opponent is clearly a trained fighter, with at least /some/ legitimate background in mixed martial arts. And it appears that her gloating may have cost her everything there.

Half the crowd is chanting, "TAP! TAP! TAP!" The other half is urging her to fight through it, simply for violence's own sake. Besides, the Japanese girl is assuredly the cocky upstart in this little fiasco. It's kind of nice seeing her get her comeuppance.

Now, what exactly is going through Katsumi's head? It's still the roar of the crowd; savoring it. Relishing in it. And at the end of the day - this hold doesn't actually hurt. Not for a lack of effort. She can feel the other chick twisting on her arm and wrenching her backwards. But Katsumi is... different. When the sun goes down, something changes about her in a deep and powerful way. Some might argue she ceases to be human. But amidst the clamor and thrill of the fight, let's not forget why she's here.

She's training herself. She's training herself to control her strength. To not kill people.

So why the theatrics? Why the genuine screams of pain, the torture written across her face? Well, the hold isn't /comfortable/, but if one has to ask, one hasn't been paying attention~...

The announcer raises his hands. "IS THAT IT!? YOU TAP, NEKO!?"

The Japanese girl seethes through clenched teeth, eyes screwed shut. Her hand grips a little tighter against the limb suspending her - but she shakes her head defiantly. This spurs the MMA-girl to twist her back into a tighter arch, earning another pained scream. This time, Katsumi's hand lifts, a light tremor in her fingertips - only to begin taking advantage of the wider gap that lean has created, hammering elbows back into her captor's ribs. And evidently she can generate a lot of backwards force, as it only takes a couple before she releases her to back away.

Bakeneko drops to lie flat on the platform, panting softly, tussling the silky hair now hanging in front of her face. Her forearms press into the floor to slowly begin collecting herself, pawing her hair back out of her eyes.

She steals a glimpse aside where last she saw Grant. Meanwhile, her opponent is moving back in - promptly thumping a kick into Bakeneko's side and forcing her to roll over onto her back with a yelp.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Alright! Great escape," the highly competitive nature of the fight has Grant cheering now. He's really glad his new acquaintance is doing well after the advice she'd given him. He still doesn't move, though, trying to maintain his good spot to view the cage from. Occasionally he glances at the bookie to see how things are going, trying to make out where the bets may have landed. All in all, he's having a pretty good time, it looks like.

Bakeneko has posed:
If one can gauge from glances alone, it looks pretty evenly split. Though with every moment, more people step forward to place more bets. The stack seems to favor the MMA girl, if only by a small amount. Even though she's been on the receiving end of tremendous punishment more recently, Bakeneko's confidence and brass have an inspiring effect on people. Though lying prone in front of an adversary isn't a good position to be in.

The MMA woman is purel focused on Katsumi now, ignoring the audience's clamor. She leans down to grip a fistful of the Japanese girl's hair near the scalp, forcibly pulling her first to her knees, then with a yank (earning another yelp!), on up to her feet.

The woman draws back, and launches a stiff haymaker. Katsumi is suddenly in motion, slipping the grip on her hair and ducking the wild, intended knockout blow to place herself behind her back. Arms clamp around her middle, and the shorter Japanese girl suddenly rears back, driving the MMA fighter against her head and shoulders behind her in a German suplex! But it doesn't end there! Katsumi kick-rolls backwards, still keeping her opponent in her clutches to yank her up to her feet again, before following through with a second slam. This time, Katsumi releases her to sit up, disheveled, but with a wide smile. The other woman remained hunched on her shoulders for a few seconds more before toppling to her side, stunned.

The Japanese punkette pops to her boots and waves an arm to the crowd, her unusually-hued gaze scanning the faces. She'd lost track of the acquaintance amidst the rolling suplexes! "I think it's time to put this b**** away! Don't you!?"

Aguila 6 has posed:
After clapping his hands throughout the suplex tsunami, Grant cups his hands to his mouth and shouts, "TAKE HER OUT, BAKENEKO!" He bounces lightly on the balls of his feet as he watches, keeping his eyes on the fight for fear of missing any more of the good brawling he's witness to right now. There's a wild grin on his amused face making it looks quite like the mercenary commander is having the time of his life. This might be more fun for him than doing the fighting himself.

Bakeneko has posed:
A shout!

Katsumi's attention snaps in Grant's direction, finally spotting him. "Take'er out!?," she repeats with a broad smile. Then more broadly to the audience, she spreads her arms. "SHOULD I TAKE'ER OUT!?"

The roar is intensifying. She looks back at the MMA girl, who has since rolled onto her back in a sprawl, desperately trying to recuperate. Those suplexes were far from gentle.

Katsumi raises her index finger high in the air. "ONE MORE THING FIRST!"

She can't pass up on it. One small indulgence. Just one! They'll forgive her that, right? She moves to the girl's side, then rushes to the cage wall, hopping at it. Fingers lace with chain links, the toes of her boots dipping the little holds. Climbing with perhaps surprising finesse, she scales a few additional feet into the air, before scrunching her form as close to a ball as she can manage. With a kick of her legs and releasing with her hands, she vaults herself into a high-arcing backflip, seemingly with impeccable aim. Arms and legs draw back to pull her form taut, and she drops her midsection squarely across the MMA girl's unprotected middle.

The impact is immediately clear, the other girl curling in around Katsumi with an agonized sputter, the breath knocked out of her. Those in the know might be able to identify the move as.. well, something between a rebound and a high risk moonsault. Either way, the result is the same.

Katsumi wastes no time in lifting to her feet and leaning down to grab the neck of her clearly-beaten opponent, pulling her to her knees. "READY!?"

Aguila 6 has posed:
"If she kills her I might fall in love," Grant says softly as he stares at the fighters. Who the hell he's talking to, though, is up for anyone to guess. Probably just caught up in the moment. "She fights like Hulk Hogan, but the hurt is real. This is impressive."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro, herself, looks exhilarated. Everyone can feel it - those moments before the finishing blow. The crowd is growing more wild by the moment, anticipation building. How is it going to end? And is Bakeneko going to kill her? There's definite fear in a good portion of the crowd, those who'd rather just see unsolicited fights than murders.

Katsumi pulls her throat just beneath the jaw, forcing the other female to stand a little on wobbly knees. Suddenly, her head is trapped under Katsumi's right arm, forced into a standing backwards arch. Her entire balance is dependant on the Japanese diva.

Katsumi's left hand lifts into the air as the other girl helplessly paws at her restraint, desperation growing. A familiar chant begins to rise among the crowd:

"FINISH HER! FINISH HER! FINISH HER!"

Bakeneko, the monster cat, tilts her head to shoot the audience a wink completely out of place for the brutality at hand. And she promptly drops with her victim, bringing her arm down against the other girl's torso as their combined weights and gravity itself brings the back of her head against the platform. Again, for those in the know - a reverse DDT.

From the moment of impact, the MMA fighter goes limp. Katsumi quickly releases her and pops up to her feet. The announcer touches a pair of fingers to the girl's neck, and confirms to the audience: "KNOCKOUT!"

Aguila 6 has posed:
"WELL DONE! GREAT FIGHT!" yells Grant before he starts to chuckle. Looking towards the rest of the crowd he watches to see their reaction to the knockout, pleased that he's on the winning side of things.

Rocking back on his heels he slides his gloved hands into his pockets and scans towards the bookie, once more cracking a smile. Making money is always nice, even if the few grand it'll add up to is pocket change.

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro was on pins and needles. She felt the girl go limp in her grasp upon impact. Her heart was in her throat, fearing the worst. She didn't overdo it, right? She controlled the landing. Her neck was cradled. Just the back of the head taking the bump. Gravity doing what it does, which is a lot, admittedly, but no added superhuman downwards thrust! And when the announcer declares a knockout and not 'kill', she almost visibly lets out a relieved breath. She didn't even realize she'd been holding it.

Can't let the crowd see that!

She quickly covers it by rushing the edge of the cage, standing over the roaring masses. "LEMME HEAR YA! YEAH!" And that's genuine, at least. God, she's missed performing.

Her victory lap brings her to the discarded hoodie, and she bundles it over an arm. No point pulling it back on just yet. She's mildly sweaty, it'd feel gross. But before she can exit the cage, the announcer grabs her wrist to raise into the air for a final moment of glory. Katsumi eagerly indulges, cocky smile on her face, and hips cocked at just the right angle. This is not new for her.

The wrist is released, and she all but frolics out of the cage as it's opened for her, immediately spotting Grant. Her chin uptilts, magenta eyes somehow a little brighter under the panning spotlights. "Enjoy the show?"

Aguila 6 has posed:
When Bakeneko asks her question to him Grant makes eye contact before he shows his teeth in a smile, "A lot more than I was expecting to. You make a lot of that look easy, you didn't kick her ass too badly and really played to the crowd. I'm really impressed."

The mercenary then adds, "I also won a bunch of money on you and that's always pleasant."

Then the fellow says, "My name is Grant, but the way."

Bakeneko has posed:
"The people want a brutal show. To be thrilled. And you want opponents." Katsumi perks a slender black eyebrow at him. "Everyone gets what they want. I mean, of course you win in the end - gotta get paid."

Her gaze darts to the bookie, then back to him. "Sayin' I'm owed a cut?," she teases with a toothy grin. Her free hand lifts, pawing back a few wisps of the silky-straight hair from her face. "I'm-.. ah.." She can't give her real name, can she? No one here knows her real name. And thankfully, no one seems to recognize her in this circle. Or if they do, they're keeping quiet about it. "-Bakeneko. I go by Bakeneko."

Aguila 6 has posed:
"I very rarely lose," Grant seems to confirm to his acquaintance with a smirk. "Rarely any money in it."

"A cut? You did help me make the dough and I'd hate anyone to think I'm cheap," the merc says with consideration. "I very rarely meet people who catch my interest like you do. I mean, I could probably make money off of you if I thought hard enough about how, but I don't seem to care as much about that as I usually do." What is this feeling? Perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Washington actually looks as though he's thinking hard, perhaps trying to sort out emotions other than greed. "Anyway, good to meet you Bakeneko."

Bakeneko has posed:
The more consternated he appears to be, the more 'Bakeneko' appears confusedly entertained. Her chin tucks, looking up at him through her lashes. "You good, chief?," she asks, her handle of American colloquialisms easy-breezy. "I was kidding. I'm not a charity case." She is, but her pride would never let her admit anything of the sort.

The bookie moves in to dole out her winnings, and Grant's earnings from the bet. Grant's earnings are considerably better than Katsumi's. At the end of the day, her MMA-flavored opponent doesn't pull the same weight as the musclefreak Grant fought. But that's fine. It's intentional, even. If she fought at a level above what people would think possible, she'd be drawing too much attention. But the hundred dollar bill she's given looks a bit meager in comparison. Still, it's better than the twenty she came in with.

It's quickly stuffed into the folds of her bundled hoodie.

Aguila 6 has posed:
Taking his money Grant pockets it and looks over to make sure that his guys are still hanging with his opponent, "Don't think I'd just hand you cash. I was thinking I'd take you out for a bite to eat or something." He tilts his head at Abobo, "I'm going to feed that guy anyway, while I get a background check run on him. Make sure he's got no felonies or domestic violence misdemeanors."

Then he tries to turn the conversation, "Where did you learn to fight? Stone Cold Steve Austin running training camps I don't know about? You looked great out there."

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro follows his gaze to the aforetitled Abobo. What his real name is, she has no idea. She likes the nickname. It's nerdy, but nerdy in a way that won't get her ostracized. Wait what did he just say?

"McScuse me?," asks Katsumi as she looks back at Grant. "Ah- wh-" Bravado, gone. Thankfully, a change in topic is presented. She pounces onto it with a tiger's ferocity. "That! Right. Well, I'm- was... a professional wrestler. Don't you dare laugh." She squints. "Most of what we learn is dangerous as Hell. I mean," she motions aside to the ring, "obviously. So in a way, yeah, Stone Cold bootcamp. Gimme a Hell yeah." She's foreign, but she knows her Americana. At least in wrestling.

Aguila 6 has posed:
"I was offering to pay for you to grab some food with us," Grant says, examining Bakeneko seriously. Her reaction doesn't seem to have bothered him any, but he's still quite interested in it.

As the topic bounces his eyes widen, "Really? That's a hell of a career. I imagine it's quite dangerous, execute a move wrong and someone suffers a crippling injury. What do you do now, other than compete in underground fights?"

Bakeneko has posed:
"Mn. Well. High-flyers don't live long. And that's something I'd do. As ya maybe saw with that moonsault." Her magenta gaze drops a little. "Felt f***ing incredible..." She toes a boot at the ground before refocusing on Grant. "Now? Uh, now, I... ah..." Her gaze flits from point to point, searching for anything relevant in the past month of destitution. "...I don't do anything. I do this, I guess. I keep myself in shape."

Feeling a little less thrilled with her life's situation brought to the forefront again, she breathes a soft sigh. "Look, thanks for the invite, but you don't really wanna hang out with me socially. I know in the moment you do? Energy high and all that? But I'll just wind up pissing you off. I do it to everyone. I'm gonna get going."

Aguila 6 has posed:
"Yeah. It was quite the bad ass display of acrobatic prowess," Grant says Bakeneko with a big grin on his face. As she explains her situation further he just nods a couple of times.

Then she turns him down. More than anything else he appears curious, at least at first. Then he chuckles, "Why do you think you piss everyone off? And what makes you think I can't handle getting angry? You know I work with soldiers, right? That I retired from the Army before I started doing what I do now?"

Bakeneko has posed:
Katsumi Oshiro hates being so up-front about her social failings, even if they're glaringly obvious - at least in her mind. Grant can be forgiven, he doesn't really know her. Her attitude plays well to this bunch, in the moment. It's later that it becomes a problem. She shifts the bundled hoodie in front of her torso, hugging it in both arms.

"It's just what I do. Sometimes I can hold it off for a day or two, but eventually, I just say the wrong thing. I'm like a girl-shaped wrecking ball. Especially if you have people around who you wanna have respect you. I'll ruin that." She hunches her shoulders in an awkward shrug. "Take my word for it. Get while the gettin's good."

Aguila 6 has posed:
The mercenary eventually just shrugs his shoulders, "If you say so." The expression on his face looks unconvinced, however. "Regardless, it was nice meeting you and good to watch you fight." Grant holds out a gloved hand in a fist for a bump, "I hope to see you around, hopefully you figure out your issue or you realize that if you hurt my feelings that's on me a much as it's on you."

A smile slowly appears on his face, "Take care of yourself."

Bakeneko has posed:
Except it isn't. It's never on the other person. It's always on Katsumi. She's a problem. The burden of bearing that guilt sags her shoulders a little.

"Yeah. I will," she assures dully. But she lifts a fist to gently bump into his before rebundling on the hoodie. From there, she begins to shy back into the crowd.