Bannockburn

Odessa was able to laugh a little at Emilyâ€s embarrassment, despite the throbbing pain in her right arm. She was glad that Risako seemed to have a sense of humor about this, and that just made Emilyâ€s embarrassment that much sweeter.

Grinning like a predator staring down her prey, Odessa listened to Emilyâ€s additions to her challenge. She didnâ€t disagree with the idea of fighting to a verbal submission. Not at all. Hearing Emily choke out “I give” before she groveled in front of the English flag would make it that much more enjoyable.

“I have no objection to that,” Odessa would reply. “And how about one more little addition to the stakes, darling? When you lose, not only will you have to submit to me and pay your respects to St. Georgeâ€s Cross, but youâ€ll have to do that after I strip you naked and take your costume as a war trophy.” She laughed and patted Emilyâ€s cheek again. “If youâ€re too scared to bare it all, darling, Iâ€ll let you back out now. You can apologize and Iâ€d be more than happy to start making nice with you again.”

No one thought Emily could have turned a deeper shade of red, but she did just that when Odessa added her further stipulation to the match. "Wha...WHAT?" she sputtered. "Are ye bloody...but that's..."

It wasn't just the idea of being forced to bare it all that shocked Emily, though that played a big part of it. Up until now, she'd managed to stay out of some of the more racy matches that AFW was known for-- she considered herself a proper wrestler, after all, and in her opinion things like stripping opponents, erotic moves and pretty much everything about hentai matches had no place in proper wrestling. But now, Odessa was challenging her to a match where not only was there the danger of Emily being stripped naked in front of a live audience, but also where Emily would have to do the same to her opponent to win. It was the most undignified thing Emily could imagine.

She was about to leave the table then and there, when Odessa brought national pride back into the issue. She hesitated, before glaring once again at Odessa. She was NOT going to lose face to this Englishwoman, even if it meant accepting something she knew she shouldn't. "I am nae apologizing for nout," she growled. "Yer challenge is accepted, Brock. And if ye want me tae humiliate ye as well as beat ye, then so be it."

Emilyâ€s reaction was wonderful to witness. Odessa loved to see the reactions of prudes like her Scottish foe when she suggested a stipulation like that. Odessa considered herself a proper wrestler, too, but she also sometimes wanted to humiliate her opponents in a slightly more dramatic way. Stripping Emily naked and forcing her to worship the flag of England would be a very fitting end to their little contest of wills.

“What? I promise I wonâ€t do anything to that curvy, pale Scottish body if you donâ€t want me to. Iâ€ll leave that to your friend over here,” Odessa would reply, laughing a little at Emilyâ€s uncertainty and glancing upwards at Risako again. While Emily did have a gorgeous body, this wasnâ€t about sex, and Odessa wasnâ€t about to make it about sex. “I just want to make it perfectly clear whoâ€s the winner and whoâ€s the loser.”

She would laugh and pick up the last couple of chips from her plate, waving them in Emilyâ€s face again. “This is going to be fun. Iâ€m sure youâ€ll come around after I wipe your naked body all over the canvas.”

The last comment set Emily off-- inebriated as she was, she could hardly restrain herself from lunging at the smug English git and pound her face in. And she would have done so too, if Risako hadn't suddenly stepped in front of her and restrained her firmly.

"Emily, no!" she said sternly. "It's not worth it! You're better than this!"

The Japanese girl's words caused some of Emily's anger to subside. Risako was right, she was not the sort of woman to get into bar fights or backstage slugging matches. She was a woman of breeding and lineage, and she wasn't going to do something as low as attack Odessa like this-- that would be sinking to her level after all.

"I'm alright, I'm alright," Emily said, before taking a deep breath and glaring at Odessa. "I just hope you aren't too shy yerself, lass," she growled, "because nudity or no, I'm going tae win that match and make ye tap." She gave Odessa one last, vindictive smile. "Start learning 'Scots Wa Hae,' lass, because ye'll be made tae sing it by th' end."

And with that, Emily turned and stormed off, leaving Risako and Odessa behind. Sighing, Risako turned and shrugged to Odessa. "Thanks for the chips," she said with a smile, taking one last chip and teasingly poking Odessa's chin with her finger, before turning and following the angry Scotswoman out of the pub.