Girls Just Wanna Fight

"And weird people. Which, like, to be honest, I'm probably one of them," Maddie said, chuckling. Even among professional fighters, Maddie was a bit of an odd duck with her near-exclusive devotion to competition. "Nice to meet you, Mio."

In the ring, she would not let up for a second, but outside of the ring, with a girl who obviously seemed very tentative and uncertain about even interacting with her, Maddie brought some of her more recently-discovered social graces into play. High School Maddie would not have been able to let the conversation lapse into a companionable silence, as they walked down the corridor towards the locker rooms which were Maddie's destination and seemed to be Mio's, as well. She was willing to give the girl some space, though evidently not quite enough to prevent her from whirling and barking at her.

Not wanting to make the girl uncomfortable, Maddie shrugged and held up her hands. "Hey, I gotcha. I mean, I don't really think you could beat me in the ring, but if you wanted to try, I'm pretty much totally, always up for that. That's kind of my thing," she explained. "But I met a lot of my best friends in the ring, you know."

Hazel arched an eyebrow, suppressing an eye roll at Maddie's attempt to brag to her. However, that's when she thought about it. She needed a good win, or else she'd be left in the dust as Phoebe and Yona gained more and more match opportunities.
She hadn't gotten anything for herself in weeks, and it seemed that her career was hanging my a thread. All she had was Hade's Plague, but if that ever disbanded, she'd be screwed. She had to find her way to the top somehow, and maybe, Maddie would be her key to that. The both of them were actually quite similar in build; almost as if they were made to be rivals.
She could be what Renee is to Yona, but for her. So, in spite of their decent banter, and somewhat friendly interaction, she continued to spit insults at her in hopes that she'd challenge her, without making Hazel look desperate. She didn't need Maddie blackmailing her with the fact that she asked for a match if things went south in the future.
"Beat you in the ring?" Hazel scoffed, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Darling, it's adorable that you believe anyone cares about your little matches. I've faced opponents with more skill in their pinky fingers than you have in your entire career."
Of course, her comments were no more than a lie to get under the woman's skin; Hazel entrusting that, since she had recognized her beforehand, that she didn't know that Hazel has lost every solo match she had.
In all reality, her team carried her, and was solely in the only reason she was still signed with AFW, but Maddie didn't need to know that before signing the contract. Truthfully, she wasn't thinking all that much about how she'd fair against someone with the same aspects as her. She didn't need to even know her long to immediately know that her potential opponent was athletic.
After all, she nearly ran all the way to her in less than a minute, and from one glance, it was clear that her body was tactfully vigorous in performance, and in all actuality, personality as well, but that only left her with more room to grow. If such an opportunity fell on her lap, she was no doubt, going to prepare day and night to obliterate her competition. All she needed was a chance to show her best in the ring.

Maddie, for her part, didn't really feel like she had bragged at all. Clapping back at the other girl's assertion of kicking her butt was actually quite restrained for Maddie's usual style, but she didn't want to risk offending the girl when she was obviously having one of those weird days. It seemed, though, that what Maddie said had been enough to spark Mio's competitive spirit.

The girl was insulting her in pretty much every possible way, from demeaning nicknames and condescension to plain old putdowns. It did irk Maddie a little bit, after the relatively pleasant conversation they had been having. She figured something she had said or done had triggered something emotionally for Mio which had not initially been apparent. Maddie put one arm under her chest and the other on the side of her face, scratching her cheek just in front of her ear in contemplation.

"I mean, I have fought for titles, you know. Like, twice," Maddie said, unable to keep a feisty little grin from her face as she explained. It had been a couple of years since her hentai title chase, and that type of fighting didn't necessarily translate to other modes, but it showed without question that she was a dangerous opponent, and she wanted to make sure Mio knew that. "And I've done some pretty crazy stuff. You sure you know what you're getting into?" If the girl wanted a match, Maddie would give her a match. She just needed to make sure the girl understood who she was messing with!

Mio couldn't help but roll her eyes as Maddie seemingly downplayed her braggadocious remarks. The feisty grin on Maddie's face only fueled Mio's irritation, but she decided to play along with the charade.
"Oh, wow, twice? Color me impressed," Mio replied with a tone of faux admiration, her words laced with sarcasm. "And crazy stuff? Please, spare me the details of your 'crazy' antics. I'm sure they're just riveting."
Mio took a step closer to Maddie, meeting her gaze with a scornful smile. "But hey, I'm up for a match, bitch. Let's see if your 'crazy' experience can keep up with someone who doesn't need to rely on cheap tricks and gimmicks." The challenge was thrown, and Mio was ready to back up her words in the ring.

"I mean, depending on what you're into, I think some of the stuff I've done would be pretty riveting," Maddie said, moving her hands to her hips, though still with a smile on her face. Her competitive side had been sufficiently prodded now to be coming out in full force, though she still recognized that the trash-talking girl in front of her needed to be handled with a little bit of empathy. Maddie's goal was to turn Mio's day around and make her feel better—albeit while also kicking her cute little butt in whatever sort of match she was into.

"But we can skip right to the fighting part," Maddie agreed, meeting Mio's gaze. "If we're not doing any cheap tricks or gimmicks, then what are we doing? That rules out things like pudding wrestling or tickle fights. I guess it might even rule out things like smothering or belly punching, depending on what your definition of a gimmick is."

"Actually, you haven't really, like, told me anything about what kind of matches you do do. So let's start with that. What've you got? Submission? Prostyle? Boxing?"

Mio stood with her arms crossed tightly against her chest, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she focused her gaze on Maddie. The exchange of heated words between the two continued, with Maddie seemingly attempting to engage in lighthearted banter. However, Mio couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt lingering within her. Despite Maddie's seemingly friendly approach, Mio's competitive nature ignited, fueling her with a fiery determination as she intently absorbed each word that escaped Maddie's lips. The intensity of the situation grew, leaving Mio on high alert, ready to defend herself and prove her worth.
“Let’s keep it simple and classic, shall we? I'm a fan of submission matches. No gimmicks or distractions needed. Just you, me and the mat. Pro-style could work too, but I prefer the intensity and strategy of submissions,” Mio explained with a confident tone. She was ready to showcase her skills and prove that she could hold her own in a straightforward, no-nonsense fight. She thought that, she surely hadn't lost due to her own shortcomings, but rather, the circumstances of her matches. However, she'd control this match from all angles. She'd shut Maddie up, and show her that she was truly superior, and hopefully gain an interesting rivalry that she could use to catch up to her teammates' popularity.
Though, if Maddie were to deny her invitation to a standard affair, she wasn't sure she'd do. She was practically a bully picking on someone to feel some superiority that she couldn't get around Hade's Plague or her former opponents. She threw a lot of hate at her potential opponent, but in hindsight, she needed her to say yes more than anything.

Maddie sensed Mio's escalating anxiousness, and it seemed that her attempt at friendly teasing was not exactly putting the girl at ease. Unfortunately, Maddie wasn't quite sure what else she could do to assuage her doubts. All she could really do now was indulge in her own desires, which, luckily enough, aligned pretty neatly with those of her soon-to-be-opponent.

"Yeah, submission works for me. I kinda like it better than prostyle, so we're on the same page there," Maddie said, still smiling as she agreed to the suggestion of a simple and straightforward meeting on the mats between the two of them. It was her favorite style of wrestling, and only a little bit behind the various codes of punch-based competition in terms of her absolute list of preferences. The way Mio seemed to be working herself up, it seemed that she would be ready to go right now, which was just fine in Maddie's book. She only hoped that this new girl could keep up with her!

"Have you got good gear with you to wear? Anything else you want to add, or should we go find an open mat room?" Maddie continued.

Mio directed a condescending glance towards Maddie, as her growing unease began to morph into irritation. "So, you think submission is your thing, huh? It's not surprising, considering it seems to be the only skill you excel in," she replied, a sly grin appearing on her face. The initial intention of light-hearted banter had undeniably failed, now replaced by a biting sarcasm in Mio's voice.
When Maddie brought up their shared preferences, Mio couldn't help but roll her eyes and brush off the remark with a casual gesture. "That's not enough, I'll take you on in a no disqualifications match" she said, her impatience clear in her tone. Mio was eager to showcase her skills on the wrestling mats, and Maddie's upbeat attitude was not helping to calm her nerves.
Mio's response to Maddie's question about her gear was filled with disdain, as she made a snide remark about Maddie's lack of seriousness. This thinly veiled insult showcased Mio's belief that she was more dedicated than Maddie. The mention of an available mat room only served to empower Mio and assert her dominance in the situation.
"Well.. unless you think you wouldn't be able to keep up~" Mio shook her hair contemptuously, obviously eager for the opportunity to push her skills to the limit against Mattie, and hopefully, use the no disqualifications against her potential opponent to win.

Maddie was a little disappointed that her attempts at detente all seemed to be running up against a brick wall. If anything, Maddie's pleasant attitude might have actually been fueling Mio's bad behavior. The more she tried to pull their banter back towards the light and friendly, the more the young newcomer resisted.

"Heh heh, that one was pretty good. I might have to train a little bit before I could beat you in a stand-up comedy contest." That wasn't true, since Maddie was naturally hilarious, but she wanted to give the girl some credit and a boost to try to shake her out of her funk. It was probably just going to make her more arrogant, though. "It's my favorite wrestling thing, though I guess if we're going no disqualifications I can bring in some of my other favorite punch-based things if I want to. So, sure, let's do it!"

She knew what no disqualifications probably meant to the little sourpuss, of course, so she would have to be on guard. Extending a hand to Mio to offer to guide her along, Maddie would jerk her other thumb over her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure there's a room down that way that's free. Got everything you need, or do you need some prep time?"

Mio scoffed at Maddie's attempts to lighten the mood. "Stand-up comedy? Yeah, right. Stick to wrestling, sweetheart," she retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Maddie's pleasant demeanor only served to irritate her further.
She rolled her eyes at Maddie's mention of no disqualifications. "Oh, how generous of you to offer yourself as a punching bag for me,," Mio replied, her voice laced with disdain.
Ignoring Maddie's extended hand, Mio crossed her arms defiantly. "Prep time? Please, I don't need it," she said dismissively. "I'll take you down just the way I am."
With a smug smirk, Mio followed Maddie towards the room, her mind already focused on the upcoming match. She was determined to show Maddie who the real wrestler was, and she wouldn't let anything stand in her way.