>>5444289Before you head out, you make a point of stopping to look for your most recent opponent.
She didn’t make it easy on you, and you’re always interested in scouting out potential talent / future opposition.
You find her ringside sipping from a bottle of rotgut booze and cradling an ice pack on her head. Guess one of the fight organizers must’ve taken a bit of pity on her.
She looks up when you approach and instantly tenses like she’s about to go into fight-or-flight.
To avoid starting another brawl, you shift to non-confrontational body language and maintain a healthy distance.
Knowing your luck, she probably doesn’t even speak English.
> “Just wanted to say that you put up a good fight. Mind if I take a seat?”There’s a long, awkward pause as she stares you down without saying a word.
She studies you intensely for a moment further, before deciding that you’ve passed some kind of invisible test and waves you over.
“Anyone ever tell you that you’re not supposed to hit girls?” Her English is good, barely a trace of an accent. The comment itself isn’t spoken like a reprimand, more like she’s just teasing you.
You shrug.
> “That’s the nature of the business; nobody forced you into the ring. Speaking of which, I’ve gotta ask, why exactly did you pick a fight with me of all people?”She just shrugs and concedes the point.
“I took you for an artless street punk and was hoping to earn some easy rent money.” Her body language suddenly shifts and her eyes quickly flit to the side as she says this. Thanks for your detective work, you’ve learned to pick up on these little cues.
