Diana Accera: Making Myself Known (Feat. Carmen Rodriguez)

Spoiler:

Pacing down the street of some no-name neighbourhood, Diana Accera was a woman on a mission. Yet to debut officially in AFW, and for now deciding to keep it that way, (officially, as in a in-ring match surrounded by gormless attendees), Diana had decided to start her search for a worthy opponent right at the top, looking straight to the champions list. Knowing for a fact that the majority of championships would require Diana pacing herself through challengers for months, maybe even years, a fact that grinded Diana's gears at the mere thought, to earn her shot, Diana went for the one champion that would be forced to make an exception.

Carmen Rodriguez. The 24/7 Champion.

True to the belts name, Diana knew that Carmen would be forced to at least even humour the big Italian, and at least consider her challenge, if for just a match regardless of the championship being at stake. She even respected the off chance that Carmen would flat out refuse a championship challenge; hell, Diana had yet to debut, and whilst the belt was always open to challengers, it would somewhat diminish the shine of the belt if opponents straight off the street demanded their right to fight for it. Regardless, Diana would make her case for a match. Even if things got hairy. Or violent.

Stepping through the doors of a gym Diana had heard Carmen frequented (hearing the one or two rumours that she were infact the owner), she paraded up to the nearest gym attendee.

"Where's Carmen?" she flat out requested, her hands to her side as she threw a bland expression.

It was a boring day at Rodriguez Gym. Suzy Q took a break from her work on the speed bag and looked up at the thin ceiling of Rodhated the boring days.

Spoiler:

To be honest, she'd been having a lot more of them lately. She had come to Japan, all the way from the razor’s edge of North Carolina, to train in the sacred art of boxing under one of the best in the world: Carmen Rodriguez. And for w good while she had done that and shown some good improvement. Carmen still didn't believe she was quite ready for the Momentum circuit, but she was a heck of a lot closer to it than she had been just six months ago. Her punches were crisper, her moves were slicker, her impacts were harder, and she was having some real fun learning the ropes.

But real fun was in short supply these days, ever since Carmen won the 24/7 Title. She was so busy with the championship life that she didn’t quite have the time to devote to training that she did before. She couldn’t be around as much. She couldn’t talk with them after a good session like she had before. She couldn’t watch old tapes with the girls like she wanted to. Things just felt less…fun.

Case in point: Suzy found herself in the gym today, working hard on the bags, as she’d been doing for the past, oh, two hours. Carmen was supposed to be coming in to advise on some sparring. However, she’d been caught in some of teleconference with AFW marketing, and now she was running late. Which meant that she and the rest of the crew were left to their lonesome. Their boring, boring lonesome.

”Left hook, left jab, right hook, right cross…” She muttered after every punch, so wrapped up in her routine that she almost didn’t notice the newcomer. But when she did turn around see who was calling for Carmen...oh, boy, did she see her.

Suzy immediately recognized that this was a fighter, and most likely a wrestler. She’d been around enough wrestlers and boxers and fighters in general to know one when she saw one, and this woman fit the bill to a T. Well-built. Tall. Maybe as big as Carmen, if not, bigger.

Which, in all likelihood, meant she’d come around looking for the 24/7 Belt. Carmen warned them all something like this might happen, someday.

”Not here, obviously.” Suzy stepped away from the bag and whiped the sweat off her brow with a spare towel. ”Who’s asking?”

Diana's eyes gave a quick patrol of the gym, as the echoes of huffs and grunts filled the place. Definitely no amateur operation it seemed. She couldn't help but briefly reminiscence past days in the boxing circuit herself; fights that had often gone on spectacularly, and earned Diana praise even when the decisions were turned against her. Then again, she also remembered the lack of satisfaction from said bouts. Hell, for a women who loved the thrill of a full body-contact spar, bouting in padded gloves with rules in place was almost torture.

And whilst she by no means resented boxing, hell, she had every intention of using her boxing past in her move set, she knew for a fact that the majority of women in the gym weren't the sort she was looking for. Except for Carmen, who'd have to bow to her desire. If Diana could find her.

Turning her head the moment Diana was asked her name, she simply responded with a gruff "Fine" rudely interrupting the woman before her. Sitting herself on a bench, she leaned back, her hands on her knees, staring almost into nothing, as it seemed apparent that the big Italian was more than happy to wait for her foe to make an appearance.

”...the fuck are you doing?”

Suzy’s eyebrow arched as their ‘guest’ just took a seat like she owned the place. It wasn’t completely unexpected - after all, the AFW wasn’t known for hiring people with manners - but this went a little beyond the pale. No name, no introduction, no anythng.

”Hey.” Suzy sighed and pushed the bag away, giving her a clear view on the woman. There was a time when she would’ve approached this situation a lot more directly, but she was trying to improve on that, these days. ”This isn’t a public place. Carmen’s not here, so if you don’t have business…”

She pointed straight at the door. ”Leave a message or something.”

Diana brought up her hands to the back of her head, stretching her legs forward, as she leaned back. Hell, if someone walked in now, they probably could of sworn that Diana did own the place.

"Pipe down small fry..." she'd mutter, her eyes completely on the ceiling.

"I can be patient. Give your boss a knock or something. I know for a fact she's here."

Suzy, for some reason, expected this woman to pack up and leave when she was told that she didn’t have any right to be there. Like a sensible person would. In hindsight, that was a tad silly of her. Heaven forbid a wrestler in this town have some common decency. And sense.

”Small…” She canted her head to the side. ”Okay,” Suzy started to pull off her gloves and toss them to the side. ”You’re a little slow, so I’ll spell this out for you, all simple. This is a boxing gym. No loitering. If you want to join, that’s one thing.” She motioned to an office up a flight of stairs, overlooking the gym. ’Ryoko can get you started up there. But if not…”

Suzy pointed to the door again, this time with her finger, and stepped closer. ”There’s the door. So…shoo. Begone. Get.”

Diana simply closed her eyes, as the girl seemed intent on trying to get rid of her. If she had earphones on her, now would of been the time she put them in. Instead, she simply opened her eyes, coughed, and rolled her eyes at her seemingly-incapable-of-silence greeter. Obviously no intention of re-joining the boxing career, she simply closed her eyes once more, seemingly intent on blanking the girl.

That is, until she tried literally to shoo her. Opening one eye, she shot a glare at the girl.

"Shut up. Whilst your doing that, get Carmen down here. Emphasis on the shutting up."

Suddenly Suzy found herself with the strong desire to kick this girl’s ass.

It wasn't just her attitude - though, goddamn, and people said she was cocky - but some of her girlfriends were starting to take notice of the altercation, looking her way. Time to put up.

”Okay, sweetcakes.” She gave the bench their guest was sitting on a little kick, jolting her. ”Carmen’s coming, but until she gets here, why don't you try me out, have a little spar?”

Suzy stepped back with a wry smirk on her face, motioning towards the ring. This chick was big, but that didn't mean anything by itself. Hell, Suzy excelled with the big bitches. ”Might as well get warmed up, right?”[/color][/color]

Whilst both eyes had gone back to being shut, Diana couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. Not just by this gobby rookie boxer, but by a few other gormless gym attendees, who probably just wanted to see what the rabble was all about.

Looking down at the foot that jolted her bench, her eyes would roll up, now fully glaring at the girl infront of her.

"I don't know you. And I don't need to. Is your name Carmen?"

Putting both hands to her side, she'd stand up, slowly, in as intimidating a manner as she could muster, looking down at the smaller girl as she leaned in, aiming to press her face close.

"No? Then, Fuck. Off." she'd finish the last two words with a strong tongue, making sure they were heard by the surrounding girls.

Suzy almost - almost - backed away when their increasingly unwelcome guest stood to her full height, showing just how much a tower of power she really was. She knew the butch bitch was tall, no shit, but she'd underestimated how tall until just now. Being this close really put it into perspective.

But a crowd was forming. A bluff was clearly called. And while the idea to just call Carmen did pop in her mind, the idea of tiring out her would-be challenger before she even arrived was far, far more tempting. It would certainly make her feel better.

”Bitch, my name is Suzy. Susanne, to you.” Southern drawl filled her voice as she closed the distance, tossed her dreadlocks out of the way, and brought their faces together, forehead to sweaty forehead, with a fierce look on her face. Just so there'd be illusions about what they movingtowards. ”And if you don't back off right here, right now, I'll drop you long before Carmen ever gets a chance to.”