Showdown VI Opening Match: Cami Brumwell vs Natsu Arisawa

Cami sat up the rest of the way as Natsu came and sat down by her, the pigtailed princess slowly slowly coming back to the world and dealing with the realization that all her training and effort had amounted...to defeat.

Then Natsu began to speak, and Cami listened, taking in her opponents words and, after a few moments to let them sink in, nodded and gave a small smile, reaching out and taking Natsu's hand, accepting her help to get back up to her feet. She had still lost, and there were certainly still feelings of disappointment to deal with, and no doubt her sister was already ordering an assistant to buy her ice cream to help deal with that, but for now, she was still in the ring with a fellow fighter, one kind enough to not gloat or rub in her win, but comfort her foe, and she knew how one of her people would react to such a showing of respect.

"...Thank you, Miss Natsu." She said softly, a smile on her face. "That was an excellent match. You have taught me much tonight. I feel....humbled, that I underestimated the strength of a country so different than mine, and the strength of its people. I am glad to learn that it is not only in Tanzanellia that I can find people of strength, skill, and honor. Thank you!" She said happily, the overly-dramatic princess pulling Natsu in for a tight hug that got the crowd, otherwise unable to hear the conversation, applauding the show of respect.

...Then Cami saw what could only be her security force moving through the crowd, quickly realizing that her loss must have triggered their reaction. She caught one of their members eyes, making a cutting gesture with her hand to call them off, and he relayed the orders, causing the growing group of mysterious men to back off and fade back into the crowd while Cami broke the hug, keeping her hand on Natsu's shoulder and distracting her from noticing the near-threat.

Unfortunately the only distraction she could think of was a rather...embarrassing one.

"Umm...Miss Natsu. I would like to formally accept your offer of friendship...and uh...I...well...I hope there are no hard feelings about the whole..."smothering you with my butt" thing...I...had heard that things like that were common and accepted in this "Tension" culture and were approved by people. The crowd certainly seemed to like it..."

If rock bottom could be considered a college education, well than Natsu figured she'd be a scholastic professor in the subject by now. With several doctorates in the field to boot. Heck she was even giving her own personalized Ted Talk about the topic right here in the middle of the ring with someone who looked like this was her first time experiencing a major setback like this. Although Natsu was initially concerned that it might have seemed presumptuous to compare her own spirit-shattering debut loss to Cami's since the pairing were from two distinctly oppositional walks of life. But then she figured that the experience of being abjectly crestfallen over a crushing defeat...well, maybe that could be the first thing that the pairing has in common. Sure, there were probably a million other similarities that they could bond over that didn't make you feel like you've been socked in the gut and just wanna crawl into bed for the millennium or two...but she had to work with what she had. Call it her impulsive optimism, but Natsu knew that Cami needed the lecture, alongside a friend as well.

"OH, okay. Hugs are nice too~..." Natsu balked initially but returned the embrace in kind as the Dictator's Daughter showcased her respect and appreciation via bringing her in for a big Ol' one. Pleased to see that their newly christened friendship was already on a hugging basis, the Flowery Fighter relaxed into the snug entwining even if the pairing were caked in perspiration all the same. Nattie meanwhile being blissfully unaware of the Tanzanien security agents encroaching upon the ring from the audience with zipties and black hoods prepared to snatch the schoolgirl and haul her into a mini-van with blacked out windows once the broadcast went to a commercial...but were halted by the princess' hand gesture. Talking into their handcuffs to relay the message around as they slunk back into the shadows, Cami's hand on her shoulder diverting Nattie's attention from it all. "Ah don't worry about it, kinda just comes with the territory around here. But I get the feeling I'm gonna haveta get used to facing people using those kinda...er, tactics." Natsu shyly scratching her cheek with her index finger while beginning to walk up the ramp besides Cami as well.

Good, crisis averted. Cami was going to have to talk with her sister about this. The woman was head of her security, and security was important, but sending men out after her opponent was...probably something the AFW management, not to mention the Japanese law enforcement and government, would be likely to frown upon.

Besides, Natsu was much more than just an opponent now. As Cami raised Natsu's arm up in celebration of her win, smiling at the victorious girl before they left the ring together and headed up the ramp, she knew she had made her very first friend out in the wide world. Her first match, her first friend, her first time fighting for the glory of her beloved country and people. It was a hell of a first day.

Win or lose...she was absolutely ready for more.


Natsu Arisawa wins via Pinfall