A Test of Endurance (For Ringropes)

Kyo couldn't help but wince a little at the mention of Mako, remembering his...well...less than pleasant introduction to his sister's current girlfriend. "Um...no, Makie," he corrected. "Mako is someone else entirely." He was taken a little by surprise at Shin's mention a former partner who was thinking of joining, though. Anyone who would have tagged with the Bear of Japan at some point would have to be formidable indeed. This, and the mention of other leagues that Shin had been in, piqued Kyo's curiosity, and he wanted to ask her more.

His careless words, though, were quickly leapt upon by Shin. While she wasn't getting visibly angry, there was the gleam of a challenge in her eyes. And even here, in late hours in the gym, Kyo couldn't ignore a challenge.

"Well if you must know, I've been concussed, crushed, and bent out of shape in worse matches than ours," he said, stepping off of the treadmill."One match actually left me so badly injured that I was bedridden for a whole week. But don't think I haven't become better because of those defeats."1 He folded his arm and leaned against the frame of the treadmill. "You gave me a hard fight, and your submission skills are pretty good...." Very good, if he was honest with himself, but he didn't want to give Shin too much praise as he stared her down, "...but you're not the worst opponent I've had to fight against. Though you did force me to fight you to a draw, so that's still significant."

Shin let out a small “ah” when Kyo corrected her about his sister’s name. Though from the sounds of it, it looks like he knew someone named mako as well. And she seemed to be a tense topic if Kyo’s reaction said anything. Wait? Wasn’t there a champion in tension whose name was Mako? Were they the same?

That train of thought ended when Kyo continued on. Stating that he had been injured in other matches far worse than their own. Though, her match with him was still a draw so that was still significant. Shin could understand that, having had matches of her own that left bruises for weeks and made her shudder just thinking about them. Though Shin couldn’t help but feel like Kyo was attempting to downplay they’re match out of some sort of macho pride or whatever. Well then.

“Yeah. That’s great and all, but that doesn’t really change anything now does it?” She asked standing up and crossing her arms over her chest. “You weren’t able to make me tap, and I wasn’t able to make you tap. And now here we are, quite a predicament isn’t it? And if I remember correctly, this gym has a practice ring in it right?” she asked, wondering if Kyo would rise to the bait.

Shin was standing up now so that she was level with Kyo, giving him a sudden reminder of the Bear's imposing height. She folded powerful arms across her powerful chest as she stared him down, and in that moment, Kyo could have felt he swore the temperature in the room drop. Just as when he had first faced her in the ring, though, he didn't flinch, and didn't avert his gaze: he wanted to show now weakness in front of Shin as she adopted an aggressive posture.

And then, just like that, she mentioned the practice ring. Despite himself, Kyo found himself wanting to smile.

"Is that a challenge then?" Kyo asked, taking a stop closer to Shin, his eyes never meeting hers. "You want an unofficial spar to settle our draw?" He allowed himself a smile. "Very well, I accept. We fight to the same conditions as before: until one of us submits, either by tapout or by submission. Unless you have any other ideas in mind?"

Admittedly, a part of him was eager to settle the issue of which of them was the better wrestler. Another part of him, though, was simply excited by the prospect of tussling with this amazonian beauty again...

And rise to the bait he did as Shin couldn’t keep the small smirk from growing on her face as Kyo accepted her challenge. Despite the hardness in his gaze, Shin knew that Kyo was feeling the same excitement she was at the moment. Quickly, her new sparring partner laid out the rules and Shin nodded along with them.

”Same rules as before, I’m up for that. And nope, I’ve got nothing more to add. I can win with just those, don’t want to make things too hard now do we.” Shin giggled before walking away. Crossing the gym and moving towards the door that held the practice ring they were going to use for their tiebreaker bout.

Unlike AFW’s specially made rings that were the best that money could buy. The ring in the gym was far different. The ropes were all different covers, and there was no tarp covering the apron. Allowing everyone to see the underside of the ring in clear view. Despite it all, it was perfect for what Shin and Kyo had planned and the Bear was quick to slide inside and hop to her feet. Walking over to one of the corners while she waited for Kyo to enter behind her.

Kyo couldn't help but smile further at Shin's giggle. In a few minutes, he and Shin would be slamming, bending and stretching the living hell out of each other, of this he had no doubt, so it was quite reassuring to know that there was nothing personal going on, and that at the end of the day this was just a friendly spar instead of a grudge match.

Following behind Shin, he slid under the ropes and hopped lightly to his feet. Seeing Shin waiting in one corner, Kyo walked over to the other corner and grabbed the top ropes, doing a few quick stretches against him as he readied his body for the fight to come. "Seeing as there is no ref around," he said, "I suppose we can both be adults about this and allow rope breaks?" Or do count outs in case either of us goes out of the ring, Kyo wanted to add, though even if their fight somehow did somehow spill out of the ring, it wasn't like they had an audience to worry about getting in the way...

Shin could feel the well of excitement growing inside her. Idly she began to stretch her limbs as she watched Kyo slide in after her. Moving to his own corner with a smile on his face which she happily recuperated. As the man continued to explain the rules of their up and coming bout, Shin would turn around towards the turnbuckle and continue limbering up.

Grabbing the ropes, she would bend herself down and stretch both her back and her legs. Remembering her last match with Kyo, she was certain that they needed to be limbered for the holds he’ll no doubt put her in. Though as she did so, she didn’t realize how she was essentially jutting her shorts covered rear straight towards Kyo’s face. A small moan left her lips as a particular spot in her spine finally popped. That was annoying her all day!

But the moment was short lived and soon enough, Shin had straitened back up. ”Of course. I’m sure we can act like adults here. The honor system works for me! She replied turning back around to face him. ”Would you like to start us off, or should I?” She asked. If she received no answer, then Shin would just shrug and move her hand like she was ringing a bell. “All right then. Ding ding”

Kyo rotated his shoulders, before arching one of his arms behind his back to stretch at it, twisting his body sideways as he did so...unintentionally giving Shin a reminder of how fit and flexible he was as his stretched sideways a little. Even as he did so, though, he saw that Shin was also warming up in her corner, leaning against it to stretch her legs back....and giving Kyo a good view of her ample butt as it her gym shorts hugged her rear. He immediately straightened up and looked away, red faced, trying not to get distracted before the match even began. Damn it, he could swear Shin was doing this on purpose...

As the two of them backed out of their corners, Shin asked which of them should start off. "If you would be so kind?" he replied. Shin answered with a lighthearted ding ding ding, and then the two of them were moving. Watching Shin carefully, Kyo would circle her, before bracing himself and raising his arms in an unspoken call for a lockup. Now, just as then, he was showing now fear of those powerful muscles of hers...

After limbering up (and maybe a few suggestive noises and poses). Shin playfully “rang” the bell and the two were underway. Slowly Shin stepped out of her corner, her eyes watching as Kyo did the same. The two of them slowly circling each other, both of them knew the other’s capabilities and despite the match having been days ago. Shin couldn’t help but think back on and compare each moment to now.

Kyo was the first to offer his hand for a lockup, and cautiously Shin accepted. Their fingers interlocking together before the bear began to push with all of her might. Attempting to shove Kyo backwards and towards his own corner. Muscles bulging and teeth gritting, depending on how much resistance she had got, her chest would press up against his own.

The two of them collided in the center of their ring, arms interlocking as they pushed and twisted against each other. Kyo clenched his teeth as he and Sin grappled for supremacy, his forehead setting down next to hers. Shin was still an extremely strong opponent, and, inch by inch, he felt himself being forced back.

Moving quickly, he twisted around, sliding an arm around Shins's head to lock her in a side headlock, grinding her face against his abs. Not wanting to be caught in a back body drop, he suddenly dropped low, swlping a leg to knock Shin's legs out from under her as he tried to get her in a grounded headlock.

Kyo was strong, one of the strongest people she’s ever faced. But he wasn’t strong enough to push her back, and it showed. Slowly but surely, Kyo began to fall back towards the corner and Shin’s mind began to think of moves to use when they get there. Maybe a shoulder charge to knock some wind out of his sails.

Unfortunately, that plan wouldn’t see fruition as before she knew it. Kyo had stepped to the side and used the bears own momentum to lock her in a sudden headlock. She groaned slightly as she felt his arms begin to crush his skull. Her face rubbing up against his abs that were hard enough to grate chee-Stop it! If she could she would have shaken her head to remove that suggestive thought.

Instead she merely pried at his and and would try to pop her head free so she could transition behind him and wrap her arms around his waist in a waist lock. Her chest unintentionally mushrooming between his shoulder blades.