Strangers in the Night

That...wasn’t quite the response she was expecting from Anne. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect, really, given that this was the first time they’d met, but the way she just clammed up took her off guard and left the most awkward of awkward pauses in the room. Thankfully, Korra was there to get her out of there.

Carmen gladly took Korra’s hand - it was a little surprising, but since they’d done far, far more intimate things only an hour or so, it was hardly breaking new ground. She walked along with her, occasionally lacing their fingers and enjoying the soft flesh against her palm. ”Sorry if I got out of my place a bit, back there.” She sighed, taking a quick glance back as they made their way down the hall. ”They seem like nice girls, just surprised any of them got put up against King.” She turned her attention back to Korra as they rounded a corner. ”Does Lily set them up for those matches?”

Korra would lead Carmen out of the makeshift living room and down another service corridor, passing by what were clearly laundry rooms, a locker room, and some kind of baths. From the sounds of it there was someone taking a shower, but Korra didn't stop to investigate who just yet. Giggling at her lover Korra looked back with a sympathetic smile, "Oh, no, honey, Lamya was right: Anne's just a bitch like that. You learn to not take it personally. Acting tough is how she makes up for being such a mess in the ring."

When the subject of the matches with King came up again she gave a soft sigh. "Eh, yeah, Lily schedules them, but we've never been sure if its at management's request or her own idea. I mean, they like sliding him some easy matches to build up his rep as a heel. Then again, sometimes we get the impression that Lily just likes breaking us down a little. Anne actually demanded the last match with King, a handicap match, so she could get a little revenge..." As she trailed off the impression was clear that it didn't go quite according to plan.

At last they came to a door with a piece of paper with the word "gym" written on it in both English and Japanese. From within the sounds of clanging equipment could be heard mingled with a few voices in soft, feminine grunting.

Carmen nodded along as Korra explained the setup. It wasn’t all that strange, really - she’d had a manager back during her boxing days, she knew how crazy and muddled it could get. Combined with the natural craziness of wrestling, it was bound to be insanity. Though, from the looks of things, Lily was doing a decent enough job keeping together a wide variety of women. It showed promise.

”Breaking you down, huh?” Carmen jerked to the side and gave her a playful bump. ”I don’t mind that so much. Tension’s got a lot of hidden talent, finding good opponents is tough.” She scoffed after a quick thought. ”Well, since I got the belt, they’ve been finding me, but…”

Carmen’s voice trailed off - did she tell Korra about the 24/7 Title? She was a bit tepid about bringing it up, not wanting to make this night about her championship, but with Lily it was bound to come up.

The thought was pushed aside, as they neared the gym. There was a sign, of course, but Carmen really didn’t need it. She could smell it as they came close, along with the unmistakeable sound of someone in the middle of a hard workout. Her sort of environment.

”Oh, I like those sounds…” She opened the door and stepped in, eager to see what - and who - Lily’s facility had to offer.

The mention of a belt had not been lost on Korra, and with a pause she had been about to ask about it when Carmen opened the door to the gym. Instantly Korra's attention was back on the task at hand, recalling just what it was that Carmen had wanted to do when they found Kanda. And find her they did.

The gym was simple and spartan. One wall was dominated by tall mirrors that were in need of cleaning, the floor was occupied by a number of basic exercise machines and a rack of free-weights, and a small CD-player with an iPod dock was seated upon a table opposite the mirrors.

A tall woman with long black hair, bound into a single tail with a succession of elastics, straddled a bench with her back to the door. She was dressed in short bicycle shorts and a sports bra as she pulled a metal bar down from one of the machines to touch the back of her neck before releasing it with a clank of iron plates.

Also in the room was a small, Chinese girl upon a yoga mat. Properly enough she wore yoga pants and a tank top as she lay on her belly, body folded in half until her toes could touch the top of her own head. Lacing her fingers beneath her chin she idly held the posture as if it were natural and comfortable for her.

Korra stepped past Carmen and with a gesturing hand made introductions, "Uh, Carmen. The human pretzel over there is Ping, and... uh... the other is Kanda." She tried to keep her nervousness out of her voice, but failed miserably. Exposing herself to Kanda was a scary thought, as was the idea of being sandwiched between Kanda -and- Carmen.

As much as Carmen appreciated the introduction, it was completely unnescessary. If all the girls had been lined up together, she could've picked Kanda out from them, just going off the way Korra spoke of her and what she knew of her young lover's tastes. Kanda was a fine female specimen - Carmen could see her muscles working, see the raw power in her form, the body of a real fighter. She wanted a better look.

"I see what you were talking about before. She's..." Carmen bit her lip and let that sentence finish itself. She took a deep breath and finally unlaced her fingers, moving away from Korra's side as she did. "Just stay here, for now. I'll talk to her and see what can happen, here."

Carmen leaned forward and gave Korra a quick kiss, trying to still her nerves, but in truth, Korra wasn't the only one feeling jitters. She didn't know Kanda. She hadn't even seen Kanda's face. And now she was about to ask this woman to do some rather crazy things with her Korra. This would either go spectactularly well or insanely bad. There wasn't much middle ground.

In for a penny, in for a pounding.

Carmen strolled over to the thai warrior's side and stepped into her field of view with a wave. "Kanda?" She smiled, polite, but kept a predatory glint in her eye as she looked this woman over. She was a potential opponent, after all, and some habits died hard. "I'm Carmen - Carmen Rodriguez. New to the stable, maybe."

Doing as she'd been asked Korra waited by the door, fingers knotted together as she nervously watched her lover work her magic. She felt more exposed now than she had when she was naked and strapped to the cross! To keep herself occupied she watched Ping's routine and wondered if she could manage some of those same positions. Maybe?

Kanda let the bar recede with another CLANG as a stranger slipped into her field of view from the side. Sweat glistened on the Thai fighter's fair skin as she lifted her chin to stare up at Carmen with a haughty and calm demeanor. "Pleasure to meet you, Carmen. I'm Kanda Kaya. I've yet to debut, but am technically a member of this stable as well." Her eyes never drifted, but remained locked upon Carmen's face in serenity and patience. If there was anything wild or predatory behind her eyes she hid it far better than her peers.

Carmen was a tad surprised by the reaction. It was...normal. Polite. Maybe she'd just gotten so used to hanging out with bombastic people, but Kanda's gentle, stoic demeanor was striking. It gave her a serene, powerful beauty that she rarely saw. Never in the AFW.

"The pleasure's all mine." Carmen calmed herself as well, letting her face soften all the way as she sat down on a bench across from Kanda. She straddled it and faced the Thai beauty for a moment. A few silent seconds, while she pondered the best way of doing this.

Honesty.

"What I'm about to say is going to be very, very blunt - but I can't think of any better way to approach this, so please, bear with me." She leaned forward and nodded towards the door, where an extremely nervous Korra was still standing. "I met Korra about two hours ago, in a club. A BDSM club. We wrestled, then we shared some private time together, and I got to know her a bit."

Carmen let out a deep, nostalgic sigh. It was a short time ago, but even so, the expereince was so intense, so electric, she was still heady from it all. "Anyway," She waved it off and straightened up. "While we did this, I asked her about her fantasies, her dreams, and...she mentioned you. How she's dreamed about you. How she's longed for you. How she's amazed by you. I was curious, and I need a manager anyway, so I decided to come and see for myself." She canted her head to the side, curious to see how Kanda reacted. It was a lot to drop out at once.

Kanda would listen to Carmen's explanation of the night thus far with the same implacable cool that she had affected thus far, as if the Peurto Rican was simply giving her the weather report. Only when she said that Korra had mentioned her did she so much as tilt her head in a slightly quizzical gesture. She said nothing and made no sound nor motion until Carmen was finished and silent hung heavily over them once again.

The tall woman's hips slid forward slightly until she sat upon the edge of the bench allowing her to lean back and brace herself upon her hands which gripped the opposite edge behind her. Crossing one lean leg over the other she adopted a standard modeling pose, arching her back slightly. Her face still carried the same aloof air as displayed herself for Carmen's assessment. "Now you are here, and you have seen. What have you decided?" There was no mention of Korra or her desire, but straight and to the point. What now?

Kanda hadn't run away screaming, called the cops, or broken into a fit. So far, this was going far better than Carmen's worse fears.

But she wasn't exactly reacting, either. Right away, Carmen could see how she would be effective in a match - Kanda was simply impossible to read. Her expression gave away nothing. No hints. The Puerto Rican boxer thought she was pretty implacable herself, but not like this. Kanda was an iron fortress of will, and it was clear that you couldn't really get in unless she let you in. And she had to have a good reason to do that.

"I think Korra has good taste. I think you are exquisite, from head to toe. And I think I'd like to see her fantasies come true." She held up a finger, as she kept her eyes locked on Kanda's. Never faltering. Never moving. "But I'm also a competitor. I'm a fighter. I like a challenge. The prospect of a challenge is what drew me to Korra, and it's what draws me to you, too. You look strong, and I'd like to see you in action. So, here's my suggestion. My offer."

Carmen slid forward as well, folding her arms and putting her own body on display. Her muscles, sinewy and solid, pulsing with power, eager to be used. "Let's do what I did with Korra. A match. The two of us. If you defeat me, you'll have me and Korra for as long as you like, for whatever you want. If I win, though, I get to claim you both."

Carmen closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, savoring the smell of sweat coming off Kanda's sweltering body. "Either way, I'll give you a night you will never forget." When her eyes opened again, the fire from before had returned. She was hungry, in more ways than one. "Never."

With slow grace Kanda sat upright once more, no longer needing to display herself since Carmen had come to her conclusion already. Stoically she listened to the proposal, just as she had listened to the account of the night thus far, and silently contemplated what had been laid out for her. It would be obvious why Korra was a little intimidated to come up to Kanda with these thoughts herself. There were no indications of which way she was leaning until she spoke. "What sort of match do you propose? Standard rules, or did you have something more sexually charged in mind?"

Korra was doing her best to look patient, but that wasn't one of her strong suits. Giving up she decided to distract herself by going over to Ping and laying face up on the mat next to hers. Rolling up onto her shoulders she stretched out her legs until she could touch her toes just above her head. Not quite as impressive as tying yourself into a knot, but it was a start!