Carmen R./Diana A. - Building Bridges

Diana didn't seem at all thrown off as Carmen dealt with her own strike, practically expecting it given whom she was fighting. If the two had gone back and forth like this without stopping, maybe, on a good day, Diana could have slightly edged out Carmen. But opting instead for something she nowadays felt more comfortable with, the grapple Carmen expected soon came her way, as the shorter haired of the two looked to take her opponents head off her shoulders with a high right.

Naturally Diana didn't want to be at the end of it.

Letting her right side almost sag so it was brought behind her, Diana looked to step on the outside of that hook as it came in. Immediately seeking a follow-up, open palms would come the Puerto Rican's way, as Diana sought a grip of Carmen's hips, with the rest of her own frame following in to close the distance and avoid further nasty wind ups.

What was the worst/best thing about fighting Diana?

The woman just did not stop.

Carmen had almost forgotten how relentless she could be when she was driving forward, strong and determined. Sure, her hook missed, but she’d been counting on it to at least serve as a deterrent, enough to make the woman back off and stay at a range Carmen liked.

Not happening, nope. Diana was coming in close, looking to make it a tight fight, which meant there was only one way for Carmen to respond - had to bring this up close, make it personal.

Diana grabbed her hips and Carmen twisted around to grab her shoulders, looking to take hold and push her back hard, hoping to force her back towards the wall. She doubted she would get that far, her opponent was too powerful, but she hoped to at least take her by surprise and gain a better position.

At first atleast, it appeared as though Diana was seeking to press Carmen against the wall behind her. There were many things she could do from there on, such as rear back for a hell of a strike which Carmen couldn't back away from, or simply stay against her, in an effort to drive the wind out of her. Many more options would present themselves in such a scenario, but perhaps to Carmen's luck, Diana didn't seek to explore them. Feeling Carmen's hands go high, Diana could have likely have powered on through via a quick lowering of stance, to get her arms around Carmen's thighs as her shoulder moved into her.

She didn't seek to press against the wall though, instead opting to let Carmen shove against her top half, allowing the shorter haired figure free reign in pouring in her power.

Power Diana would ideally use, as with a sudden turn of her hips, push would turn to pull. The dark haired amazon seeking to get something of a firm grip on Carmen's top half as she shoved against her own, and turn it against her. Via a full twist of her body, into something of a judo style throw.

Trying to overpower Diana Accera was a losing battle on most days - Carmen could probably count all the woman on the active Friction roster who could do with two hands, and she doubted she would need all the fingers. She wasn’t just strong, but had that rare explosive power, the kind that came from.

But, in this instance, it seemed to be working in Carmen’s favor. She wasn’t getting as much resistance as she’d initially expected, maybe because she’d caught Diana off guard. It seemed like she could get this woman under control, that she could reign her opponent in.

And then, all of the sudden, it didn’t.

It seemed like Diana had been expanding her moveset since they parted ways, as she suddenly whipped Carmen about and used her own momentum against, executing a throw that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a jiu jitsu competition. Carmen hit hard, right on her back, and tried to scramble back to her feet as soon as possible, knowing that such an opening would be taken advantage of quickly.

Diana wasn't so much expanding on her move set, as opting to use moves in her repertoire seldom used. As ever, if a move fit the bill, she was happy to use it. Not that anything else really fit given how close the two were.

Feeling Carmen slide over her hips and to the canvas, Diana herself was close to following suite, happily giving way in an effort to simply drop atop Carmen and pin her from side-on. Such was the usual following for a judo flip such as this, but Carmen seemed uninterested in following the usual chain of events. Correcting her footing and briefly putting her back towards the wall, Diana raised her fists as she watched Carmen roll out of harms way. To try and dive at her short haired foe now would have simply invited a sprawl from Carmen, and the momentum shifted back upon the Italian.

So simply, she waited. Moving her back away from the wall into more open space, with her fists raised, seemingly looking to see what Carmen offered when back on her own two feet.

Carmen hit the ground, popped to her feet, spun on her heel, turned around, and…

Nothing.

Diana wasn’t moving in, didn’t close the distance or go for the kill like she was expecting. Instead, she was hanging back and keeping the distance between them. Not aggressive, but patient. Not oppressive, but reserved. It wasn’t quite the Diana that she remembered, the woman who made her brother tap out and sent him packing. She wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but it was a ‘thing’. Definitely something to look out for.

If they were going to mix things up, maybe she should follow suit? Instead of staying in her boxing stance, Carmen opened and took on a more traditional grappling pose, staying low as she neared. She didn't engage, not just yet, but she extended her arms into the edge of her opponent’s range, daring her to try out a test of strength. It was a contest that would normally be in Diana’s favor, which would make it enticing for the Italian. Would she take the bait?

In their first fight, in what felt to be a lifetime ago in that fated gym that Carmen and her apprentice at the time had frequented, Carmen was rarely one to go beyond rough tackles and harsh blows. Those slams and holds she did commit to were few and far between, though it was hard to forget that in the end, it was a slam that put Diana out of that encounter.

Now, Carmen was willingly looking for a grapple, with her hands low practically inviting Diana in.

Diana knew for a fact that her short haired foe would be up to something, but to do anything other than accept would have been somewhat uncharacteristic. Had this been anyone else, she may have teased the idea of locking up, before responding with a snap forearm to the head. But this was Carmen, and despite the fact she'd never verbally admit it, Diana wasn't even considering delving into tactics and moves that one would deem 'unsportsmanlike.'

So for now, Diana leaned in. Only inches at a time, to see if this offer of a lock-up would be genuine.

Carmen knew Diana, and not simply in the biblical sense. While their relationship was more physical than mental, that wasn’t to say there was no mental aspect at all, that it all came down to sex with them. Far from it.

They’d fought and fucked, but there were gentle moments, too, calm times where they talked and chatted and learned more about each other. If there was one thing that she understood about Diana, it was that the woman, at the least, respected her as a fighter. That she’d never cheat to win, or settle for the cleanest victory. She could beat Carmen clean and she wanted the world to know it.

So, with that in mind, there was no question how she would react to the tie up.

Sure enough, she lowered and moved in. Cautious, no doubt expecting a trap, but she came all the same. Carmen moved in as well, and for a moment she held back on the edge of closing the gap, teasing the clash. Drawing it out. Waiting, waiting, waiting until…

She threw herself forward into the grapple, all the power she could, in a mad surge to push Diana back. It likely wouldn’t be enough, but she wanted to see how far she could get before the titaness put an end to her forward march.