Early Morning Blues

"Ah, so I'm not your first," Leah responded, the words slipping out almost reflexively as she processed the news. Her expression remained unchanged, giving no indication that she recognized the potential weight behind her words. After a beat or two, curiosity sparked anew within her, prompting her to inquire further. "Did she win?"

As Jasper circled around her, Leah held her ground, her gaze tracking his movements. She followed him as far as she could without moving her feet, turning her head just enough to keep him in her peripherals. Despite the joking stakes of simply lifting her off the ground, Leah couldn't help but find herself considering Jasper's offer of buying lunch. She pondered the idea far more intensely than it like warranted, mentally scrolling through a list of every place she loved to eat at around where they were.

Free food was always enticing, but she couldn't remember where she was at with her spending allowance for the month. If Jasper managed to beat her it would require a phonecall home to ask for an exception from her brother who  had was the de facto master of coin for them after her frivolous wasting of her paychecks on crane games at the arcade. It was a conversation she wasn't particularly eager to have so she decided to use it as potent motivation to emerge victorious.

"Alright. You're on," she declared with a determined nod, her blonde locks bouncing lightly as she shifted her weight to bounce on the balls of her feet in place. Pumping her arms back and forth in small rowing motions, she warmed up her muscles, preparing herself for the challenge ahead. "Standard rules stuff, nothing super fancy. Keep it safe and clean."

"Ah, no you weren't." Jasper said with a soft sigh as he remembered his one and only mixed match in AFW, very much a one-sided affair where he got beaten into the dirt by a short blue Amazon of some description though... he couldn't quite remember her name, and as such remained quiet as Leah quietly asked if she bested him or not, silently pouting for a brief second before taking a light breath and getting back to business by stretching his arms out and rolling his shoulders, standing on the tips of his bare toes to size himself up with the Blonde one more time before taking a step backwards to give Leah some space.

...There was this on restaurant the boy had on his mind for trying out, couldn't remember the name but it was in the Kyoto area and they served pancakes that he'd heard so many good things about, that looked so delicious in all the ads he saw for the joint... And to be fair he wasn't so flush with cash lately having instituted a spending limit recently after almost bankrupting himself on model trains shipped directly from the UK... But that was no matter really, He was confident in a win.

Leah's voice suddenly snapped Jasper from his thoughts on the soft fluffy sweetness of a Japanese pancake as she laid out the rules for their little bout, the Welsh boy blinking several times as though to remember what she said before giving a nod.

"Just don't hold back, I love a challenge bach... And I look forward to lunch at my choosing~" He finished off that sentence with a cheeky grin on his face, his tone playful and devious as he slammed his fist into an open hand with excitement, a good honest wrestling match, what fun!

The blonde's gaze lingered on Jasper, her eyes filled with expectation as she awaited his response. It seemed he was reluctant to provide one, his demeanor hinting at a less-than-desirable outcome from their previous match. Despite this, Leah tried to refrain from jumping to conclusions too hastily. She had learned from past experiences that assumptions often led her down convoluted paths or landed her in trouble. For a fleeting moment, a pout tugged at the corners of her lips, a silent lament for the lack of closure. Yet, like a moth drawn to a flame, her attention swiftly refocused when Jasper began to ready himself for their upcoming bout.

"We'll see. I'm not looking for either of us to get hurt over lunch, especially when I have some booked matches coming up," Leah remarked, her tone measured as she assessed the situation. With a quick once-over, she took stock of her own readiness, making minor adjustments to her attire. While lacking in traditional ring gear, she took the time to tuck in her tank top into her gym shorts and ensure her sneaker's laces were securely knotted. Satisfied with her preparations, she flashed Jasper a thumbs-up, signaling her readiness to commence.

Stepping back half a pace, Leah settled into a low grappling stance, her hands raised defensively to ward off any kicks aimed at her head as she leaned in. Jasper's choice of ring attire offered her valuable insights into his preferred tactics, prompting her to preemptively defend against a more obvious opening. "Ding ding goes the bell," she quipped, a playful yet focused glint in her eye.