Description: Gertrude's in a bad mood. But her bad mood evaporates when a famous fighter visits. Autographs are had, sparring is done... and hope is kindled in a girl's heart.
If there is one thing Southtown is famous for, it is probably its dojos. The city is a veritable fighting hotspot, with more styles than you could shake a stick at, all of them vying to convince you to spend some time with them. After her frustrating battle on the path to Konpira Shrine, Gertrude definitely needed a place to go and burn off some steam; and she'd chosen a small, modest place tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the major institutions. Normally, Gertrude would be delighted to seek out others, enjoy the discussion of various merits in the fighting realm. Not today, however.
The twenty-something fighter has shut down most attempts by the staff and fellow patrons to make polite conversation, and made it clear that she would much prefer some privacy. With a blue bandana tied tight over her forehead, the young woman strikes a more intense figure than she has seemed to be in her public outings, where she's usually seemed upbeat, cheerful, difficult to rile - well, excepting last night's ... unpleasantness. She's usually so upbeat! But Natsu had really gotten under her skin, it seems.
Which is why she's working off some frustration by beating the hell out of a punching bag. The woman's repeated katas hammer into it in set, precise motions. Over and over again. She doesn't make another noise - she's not even breathing heavily, she's just mechanically performing the same sequence of blows, shaking the chain holding the bag in place...
In contrast to the gloomy Gertrude who is abusing the hell out of a punching bag, a veritable ray of sunshine enters the door. He's probably quite easily recognizable, thanks to his sleeveless cropped top with the golden leopard print (visible once he removes his coat-- it's cold outside!) worn with the black pants, and the long earrings. His hair's down, as it usually is when he's not fighting.
It's Benimaru Nikadio, of course!
Once he's noticed, even if Gertrude doesn't see him immediately, there will be a bit of a ruckus. No fights are starting, just there are suddenly people heading in his direction. And he handles it like a pro-- used used to being noticed, after all. It's going to be a few before he can get free of them. A few young fellows want selfies with him, and Benimaru's flirtations with women are practically legendary...
It takes Gertrude a few moments to realize that Benimaru has turned up, because she is quite intent on beating the stuffing out of the gym bag. When she hears the fuss being made, though, she does look over curiously - and when she sees Benimaru, her cheeks pinken. Its not like she has a /crush/ on the good-looking fighter or anything so, unseemly, but... he's very, very good. She's only ever seen videos of his matches, but even they are enough for her to know there's more to him than just flash and style.
The flash and style don't hurt, though.
Walking over to her bag, she fishes out her notepad, and a pen. Then, patiently, she waits at the back of the crowd. She's actually a little taller than Benimaru - and in Japan, she tends to be notably taller than most of the locals. By the time its her 'turn' to talk to the star, she's at least recovered some of her good mood, smiling brightly.
"Ah, Mr. Nikadio, could I get your autograph, please?"
Its... a little embarrassing, given that she's finally starting to get traction in her own career, and Benimaru is a year younger than she is... but damnit, she's not going to let her pride get in the way of one of her idols - even if her passion is more based on punches than his postcard good looks.
Benimaru does indeed notice Gertrude as she joins at the back of the line. It's rather hard not to, she's very tall! He offers her a wink over the heads of the generally-shorter people. He's a little taller than the average Japanese man too, but that's because he's half-American himself. Also why he's blond.
Once it's her turn, he notes her bright smile and returns it with one of his own. "I'm glad you're smiling now. Frowning will spoil your looks~. Besides, you're even prettier with a smile on your face." When she asks for an autograph, he nods. "Who's it for, beautiful?" At least the flirting is harmless!
"Gertrude. Gertrude Verhangnis." To her credit - or perhaps to Benimaru's disappointment, who knows - Gertrude doesn't react overly much to the flirting. It is, after all, a very well known part of his public persona. She doesn't really believe that he thinks she's pretty, or that he's really interested in her seriously; that'd just be ridiculous!
"I was astounded by how quick you were in the USA regionals last year." She says, "The third round match was particularly impressive. I don't think anyone saw your Gen'ei Hurricane coming." She's trying hard not to geek out. Unfortunately, she's failing, "Your opponent sure didn't, huh? HAHAHASCHRKTHAHAHA!"
Laughing at her own (terrible) joke is bad enough, but the snort is just... completely undignified, and her cheeks darken a far deeper shade of red. To try and offset how, embarrassing, that is, she immediately plunges on, her voice just a little higher in pitch, "You know I'm a fighter too! I practice the Shotokan Karate, I, I think I'm doing pretty good!!"
/The/ Shotokan Karate. God damnit Gertrude what the hell is wrong with you right now?! A smooth talker, she is not. Not when she's talking to a modern day fighting legend, anyway!
Benimaru lets the looking over of his flirting go-- it's often overlooked (for that specific reason; he's kind of a 'face', to use wrestling terms, so he has to be nice to the fans or risk spoiling that image). He grins when she mentions the match and his Gen'ei Hurricane. "They never see it coming. Just like lightning, 'beibi'." He reaches a hand up to flick at one of his earrings to it catches the light.
"Oh?" He seems to have overlooked her not-so-smooth talking. Maybe he's used to it? "Shotokan, hm?" He taps his chin. And then he remembers something. "Oh yes. Your last name, how do you spell it?" Wouldn't do for him to go misspelling a fan's name on an autograph....
Gertrude waves her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about that, just Gertrude is fine, honestly." Her smile only seems to be getting bigger - he's actually taking something of an interest in her, even if it is in a rather moderated way - then again, one day, they'll probably wind up competing against one another, if Gertrude has anything to say about it... maybe he can sense in her the potential of a true rival?!
Or maybe he's just trying to be nice. She beams brighter still, "I've been all over the world studying it. See, its practiced in almost every country, but the schools tend to diverge a bit, so there's always something new to pick up even with the same foundational techniques, its really interesting that way!"
Benimaru nods as she mentions just the use of her first name is fine, and writes the autograph out. It reads--
To Gertrude:
Keep reaching for the stars, and one day you'll be one yourself!
~ Nikaido Benimaru
He hands the paper back to her with a grin. "Styles differ a lot in different regions. It's like languages; each region has its own 'dialect' of a particular fighting style." He pauses, and tilts his head. "Care to show me your 'dialect' of Shotokan? Just a friendly spar."
Silence, and the crowd's eyes turn to Gertrude.
Gertrude takes the paper back, and can't help but giggle again. Tucking it away into her pocket, it isn't until the question comes that she looks uncomfortable. She's under no illusions about her ability to keep up with a man like Benimaru; he's a Big Name! It'd be almost like expecting to come on top against Ryu, or Sagat. That'd just be ridiculous!
But how could she turn down the opportunity to test herself?
"Well, I don't expect it'd be very exciting for you, but... if, if you really want to see what I can do... I'll give you my all!"
COMBATSYS: Benimaru has started a fight here.
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Benimaru 0/-------/------=|
"Within reason, of course," Benimaru replies. "I wouldn't want either of us to get hurt." Credit where it's due-- Benimaru's been clobbered by some pretty strong female fighters in his time. "Besides, I have a feeling you'll be... quite a handful." Wink~! Yes, he's turned up the intensity on his flirting a little. But adrenaline will do that to one! And fighters don't become fighters unless they LIKE the rush!
But, that said, he heads for the nearest ring that doesn't appear to be being used currently. He's even nice enough to hold the ropes open for her to enter. Such a gentleman!
Gertrude can't resist showing off a bit - maybe to prove that she's not going to be a total walkover (at least... that's the plan). Rather than duck in under the ropes, she hops up to the corner of the ring, and braces her hand against the top of the column before vaulting over and into the middle. There's a wink from her at that, and she dips her head to Benimaru - a few fans have already gotten their phones out. Damn the invention of the smartphone. No fight in a public place will ever be private again!
"Don't think you have to hold back." She says, "I can take a hit." And that said, she assumes her stance - feet lightly apart, arms raised. This is exciting! Getting to see these techniques up close is more than she could have hoped for!
COMBATSYS: Gertrude has joined the fight here.
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Benimaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
Benimaru grins broadly at the acrobatic maneuver. "Impressive," he notes, standing opposite her in the ring. "Let's see if you can keep going, though." He raises his hands from his sides, a spark leaping through his fingers. As he raises his hands, he runs them quickly through his hair, a motion like one might use to finger-comb his hair. Except when he frees his hands again, his hair's still standing up.
There's the style~.
The mention of him not holding back gets a chuckle. "Likewise, 'hani'. I can take anything you can dish out, and then some~." Eesh, what a flirt. But at least he's not making it too obvious, aside from the tone.
And he's also not wasting time to dwell on it. Almost immediately he's trying to close the distance with a knee strike that's so quick his leg blurs to the sight. Sure he's opening with purely physical moves, but this isn't what he'd call 'holding back'. Rather, he's testing her defense, to see how solid it is.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru successfully hits Gertrude with Iai Geri.
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Benimaru 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Gertrude
The move is a blur, and Gertrude can't keep up. Though she tries, stepping backwards, the impact thuds heavily against her side, and she grunts, feet failing to grip to the mat and instead stumbling as she moves to recover her guard. To her credit, the kick doesn't knock her flat on her ass - instead, she's taking a rather more tactical approach to the fight.
"Quick, but that was expected. I'll have to watch out for his electricity, too... its only a spar, so he's probably not going to try and blow me up - but it'd be embarrassing to be caught off-guard."
The German woman's monologue is coupled with a very deliberate shift of her glasses with one hand, studying Benimaru carefully to work out where he's going to try and hit next...
COMBATSYS: Gertrude calculates her next move.
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Benimaru 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Gertrude
Benimaru darts back as soon as the knee kick is done, just in case Gertrude chooses to try to retaliate while he's vulnerable. However, no counterattack seems forthcoming. Though he notes the adjusting of her glasses, and the hard look she focuses on him. She's going to study him? Well, then... he'll just have to give her something to study~.
Again he darts forward. But this time he pulls back his hand. A bolt of lightning appears to lance down from above him somewhere, striking the fist. And he makes a chopping motion-- before he reaches her, actually-- seeming to glide along the floor towards her as he does. It actually looks like he misses completely. Except a few moments later a burst of electricity pops and snaps to life along the path his hand took. And that may very possibly hit...
COMBATSYS: Gertrude fails to interrupt Raimei Tou from Benimaru with Rising Knuckle EX.
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Benimaru 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
As Benimaru comes in again, Gertrude's jaw clenches. She doesn't try to get out of the way this time - instead, as he summons up his energy, the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and she narrows her eyes. Rather than attempt to dodge or mitigate the attack - energy has never been her strong suite - she trusts her instincts. This proves to be a mistake.
Stepping forwards when she believes it to be safe, Gertrude begins to raise a clenched fist in a powerful uppercut - but she's a fraction of a second too slow to make the connection before the burst of lightning energy shocks through her system. There's a grunt from the woman, and she drops briefly to her knee, trembling from the pain of it.
That... had definitely hurt.
"Careful," Benimaru cautions. "Sometimes I can be... quite a shock~." No, he's not above a bad joke! He's also not above taking another shot when it looks like his opponent's down! However, he does dial back the intensity a little. Besides not wanting to be a bully, he's also not wanting to burn out like a shooting star, despite his title.
So instead, he aims a kick low, seeking to quite literally sweep her feet out from under her! There's a mat there. And she's good, he can tell from her stance. So she wouldn't hurt herself.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Benimaru's Medium Kick.
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Benimaru 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Gertrude
Gertrude rolls backwards, away from the swung kick, and she raises up again with a light huff. She's definitely had more auspicious openings to a fight - but she's not done yet, which is pretty good going as far as she's concerned. With Benimaru's electricity still working its way painfully through her system, she shakes her head - okay, time to get back in there!
"Don't worry." She says, seriously - so seriously, one might wonder if she missed the joke entirely - "I'm not down yet!"
Whilst Benimaru is taking it easy, Gertrude is giving it everything she's got. Stretching back against the ropes of the ring, she suddenly comes leaping back inwards, her arm swinging around in a powerful downwards chop. She puts her full weight behind the motion, aiming to come down on top of Benimaru and smash her hand right into his shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Benimaru with Utopian Crusher.
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Benimaru 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Gertrude
Benimaru seems pleased that Gertrude's not down yet. "Good... show me what you've got~," he half-teases. He's really going to get in trouble for this kind of thing if he's not careful. Besides that, he realizes a moment too late that she's taken his invitation at face value. Her sudden leaping off the ropes takes Benimaru off guard. He tries to raise his arm to deflect it, but the chop passes his raising arm and impacts his shoulder painfully. With a grunt, he staggers back. It takes him a moment to collect himself from that.
"Ouch! Good hit," Benimaru replies honestly, with a smile. "Let's see out you deal with this one~." He closes the distance, drawing back a hand as if to draw a punch. But instead of a standard punch, when he pulls his hand back, electricity seems to gather around his fist. And when he punches forward-- towards Gertrude, actually-- that electricity bursts.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude blocks Benimaru's Raijin Ken.
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Benimaru 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Gertrude
The burst of electricity connects solidly with Gertrude's crossed arms, and the woman throws her arms to the side with a grunt. Even blocking the quick burst of power was a painful reminder that she's punching far above her weight, here; the fizzling electricity bursts across her arms, and she gives a firm nod of her head - she's got no intention of doing anything less than her best!
Sliding back in towards him, Gertrude moves to grasp Benimaru by the shoulders. If she can get a firm grip, two quick knees will strike into his stomach, and then she'll pitch him down towards the floor as hard as she can.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru dodges Gertrude's Violent Grapple.
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Benimaru 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Gertrude
This time Benimaru is ready, and turns just enough to the side to avoid being grabbed. He'll try to swoop around behind her in the meantime, hoping to use his speed to be able to catch her off-guard and force her to turn around to face him. He doesn't actually hit her in the back, but waits until she turns before he presses his attack again.
He opts for speed over power, and he hopes the strategy pays off. It's a kick aimed at her stomach. It's not very strong, but perhaps the quickness will help it strike true.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru successfully hits Gertrude with Light Kick.
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Benimaru 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Gertrude
Speed over power definitely seems to be paying off for Benimaru. The kick hits home, and Gertrude grunts with it, failing utterly to try and mitigate the damage at all. She takes a deep breath, and then decides to just... go for it! She can keep trying to play around and hope she keeps up, or she can try and land a telling hit! Certainly, if it keeps up much more like this, she's just going to be chipped away and topple over.
The woman actually starts to glow blue as she steels herself, slamming her foot into the ground and holding out one hand towards Benimaru. She takes a deep breath, and suddenly, she's blitzing forwards with a loud cry:
"KIYAH!"
Both hands aim to grab hold of the shocking fighter, and if she can get a firm grip, she'll roll backwards, bracing him against her. The sudden strength in the woman is matched by a sheer, ferocious /determination/ which literally radiates out of her, enough to add a painful, numbing burn to the move as she hurls him backwards at the ropes of the arena. If it all worked, both Gertrude and Benimaru will leave soft blue aftertrails for several seconds - which will get an appreciative 'ooo' from the audience, at least!
COMBATSYS: Benimaru endures Gertrude's EX Tomoe Nagi EX.
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Benimaru 1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
Suddenly Gertrude is rushing towards him, glowing blue. He tries to dodge--
"Hey now. First date~, no grab--"
Unfortunately he fails to dodge! He braces himself for the throw, going with the momentum rather than trying to fight against it. An appreciative 'ooo' from the audience, yes. But a grunt of pain from Benimaru when he hits the mat. Though he uses the momentum to get back to his feet, stumbling slightly. "Ha! I'm definitely going to feel that one tomorrow!" he notes, in a jovial tone. "Fact, I'm feeling it right now."
And since she's showing off her best... well, Benimaru would be remiss if he didn't do the same. He doesn't want her to feel as though she's not good enough-- she's actually DAMN good! Ultimately, though, his wish to pay his opponent proper respect wins out over his fear of hurting her.
He crouches, meeting his hands together, and a bright purple spark flashes. He seems to still... and then suddenly he's moving in a blur, behind Gertrude and then back, electricity trailing from his hands in a wavy pattern. This one's flashy enough to get a callout from him.
"DENEI SPARK!"
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Benimaru's Denei Spark.
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Benimaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
Perhaps it is just that Gertrude is really, really in the zone after her attack connected. Whatever the case, when Benimaru's electrical energy starts to gather, she feels sweat bead on her brow, and she adjusts her glasses. She knows what is coming, but the reality of it is still far more intimidating than anything she could have prepared for by watching fight videos - and she hadn't even prepared for this spar before it happened!
The instant Benimaru begins to move, the German fighter takes to the air, and he passes within inches of her below. How she manages to hang in the air long enough to avoid the sheets of electricity beneath her is a question she will ask herself for ages - almost certainly it had more to do with desperation than anything she could replicate in training.
And it isn't until Benimaru stops moving that she comes down from the ceiling, one well-polished sneaker leading the way to try and crack across his jaw. She's so caught up in the moment she feels she has to replicate his attack name calling, even if this isn't... a polished attack.
"CEILING... FOOT?!"
COMBATSYS: Benimaru dodges Gertrude's Quick Kick.
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Benimaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
Thankfully Benimaru's speed stays with him a moment after he comes back from the second pass, and the very tail-end of it gets him out of the way of the kick. Though at the attack announcement, he pauses. 'Ceiling Foot'? He snickers a bit, but it's not particularly meanspirited. Attack names are hard! "...How about 'Sky Goddess Flight'?" he suggests.
Though even as he's suggesting it, he's winding up for another strike. This time as he closes the distance, it's a backflip kick that he unleashes. But rather than just a simple backflip kick, as his foot leaves the ground, it creates a 'charge'. And as his foot leaves the charge, it bursts, letting a bolt of lightning strike upwards, from the ground.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude dodges Benimaru's Super Inazuma Kick.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gertrude
"Maybe if it had worked..."
She sounds doubtful, though; the whole 'goddess' thing? Nah, a little bit too in-your-face for Gertrude's liking. She should have known that Benimaru was going to be back on the offensive any second, though, and no sooner has she touched down to earth again, than Benimaru's foot is racing up towards her crackling with electrical power.
"Geez!" She exclaims, darting backwards, and still only barely getting out of the way. Still... her throw had seemed like a success, so rolling back in, she aims to grab hold of the man's shoulders a second time. "... I'll probably just stick to the fundamentals."
Which she aims to demonstrate a second time - though there's no... strange, burning energy or impressive contrails behind it this time, as she hopes to brace Benimaru to her knee and fling him back against the ropes in a well-practiced backwards roll. It might not be flashy, but Gertrude's style is largely based around doing what works! Punching and throwing.
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Benimaru with Tomoe Nage.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Gertrude
Dodging seems to be Benimaru's go-to method for dealing with an opponent. However, Gertrude is defeating that pretty quickly, with her being so speedy too. Her throw puts him on the ropes, literally. Upside down, no less. He has to do an acrobatic bit of handstanding-- and probably also some grandstanding-- to get back on his feet, and then turn so he's facing her.
Benimaru is starting to show signs of tiring. He's out of breath, and sweating now. "Can't let... failure get you down," he manages. He comes back with another quick attack, just a quick punch this time. Nothing flashy. Gotta save up that flashiness~.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru successfully hits Gertrude with Jab Punch.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Gertrude
The punch connects solidly with Gertrude's jaw, and the woman grunts, shaking her head. She'd hoped to just... steel herself, and be ready to retaliate - instead, she has to back off a pace just to reset her glasses on her nose. Still, she's got no complaints about her performance in this fight; she's scored several palpable hits... and she's still standing! If she can hold like this, who knows? She might even pull a win out of the bag! That'd be something to write home about!
Well... actually it wouldn't, but no need to dwell on that.
Cracking her neck, she nods her head in agreement. "The road to success is paved with failure." She agrees, which sounds pretty deep, considering she just got punched in the face.
Stepping forwards, though, she brings her fist HAMMERING upwards. The powerful, swinging uppercut is one of the core moves in her style - if he'd noticed how annoyed she was when he first arrived, he probably saw it then - and it has rarely ever failed her. So why not gamble a little more on the reliable.
"RISING KNUCKLE!"
COMBATSYS: Gertrude successfully hits Benimaru with Rising Knuckle.
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Benimaru 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Gertrude
And it doesn't fail her this time, either! Gertrude's fist impacts solidly with Benimaru's jaw and carries him upwards. He hits the ground and bounces once on the mat. Ow. Benimaru is so incredibly glad for the mat right now. That hurt back enough as it was; no sense adding a concussion to it. Damn, did he bite the inside of his cheek?
She's absolutely right. The way to success is indeed paved with failure. But there's always ways to mitigate the failures. Credit where it's due, she's really good. But on the other hand, if he gets beaten to a pulp by 'just some fan', he loses in every way possible.
That in mind, as he gets to his feet, he raises his hands. He shakes his hands side to side. "Okay, I give," he chuckles. Got to save SOME face here, after all. He doesn't have a lot in him, and she looks like she could keep going forever. "You won that one. Hey, have you tried for national yet? With an uppercut like that, you'd send plenty of people to the mat."
Gertrude is, frankly, fairly stunned that she's done so well. But in her mind, Benimaru could not have less to prove; the man is a legend, and his speed is just as impressive up close as she had imagined it would be. Bringing her hands together, she bows low to the man, and makes sure, as she rises, that her bandana remains tugged down firmly over her forehead.
"Nationals?" She repeats, with a little laugh. "Oh, no... I'm ah, well. I've won a few little competitions... I almost, won the Pro belt for the Western World, too, but... not quite." She smiles bashfully, "Germany would never put me forward as a representative. Ah... family, history, you might say. But thank you, Benimaru. For the spar, and for your compliment. Maybe we can fight for real some time!"
COMBATSYS: Benimaru has left the fight here.
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Gertrude 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Gertrude has ended the fight here.
Benimaru returns the bow. Though when she notes Germany wouldn't put her forward as a representative, he tilts his head. "Well, if Germany won't..." He shifts his weight to one hip in that feminine way he's known for doing, crossing his arms at his midriff. "...Why not make your own legend?" he suggests. "Get into professional tournaments, make a good showing, even if you don't win, and someone is bound to see."
Here he smiles. "Tell you what," he begins, raising a hand. "Let me talk to my manager. He might be able to drop your name in the right ears, and the next time you join a tournament, someone might just be watching. It's not a sure thing, but it can definitely improve your odds. You know what they say, right? It's who you know~."
"Eheh, well... that's what I've been trying..." Gertrude says, with a nervous little laugh. It isn't exactly as easy as just walking out there and winning a tournament, though! She's had her little successes, but having them add up to a big one... that, she fears, means sacrifice.
A sacrifice she's not sure she's ready to make - but Benimaru is offering to put the eyes of the world on her, and... "Well, that'd be... that'd be very, good of you..." She says, uncertainly. "A-alright! Sure, lets, lets see where this goes!"
Who you know, indeed... but this IS everything she's always wanted! How could she do anything other than try to seize it!
Log created on 11:17:01 12/21/2014 by Benimaru, and last modified on 17:20:18 12/21/2014.