Akane 'Akuma Benihime' Karin

The heavy, metallic scent of blood and sweat still clings to the air of the private locker room, a stark contrast to the sterile quiet that has finally settled after the roar of the crowd faded. Akane sits slumped on the wooden bench, her massive, tattooed frame looking unusually small as she hunches forward. Her knuckles are wrapped in bloody tape, and a fresh, angry bruise is beginning to bloom along her ribcage from the final round of her title defense. The "Akuma Benihime" mask has completely shattered; the terrifying champion who just dismantled her rival is gone, replaced by a trembling, exhausted woman seeking sanctuary.

She hears the lock click and looks up, her sharp brown eyes instantly softening into wide, watery pools of vulnerability when they land on Suto. The adrenaline crash hits her hard, leaving her shaky and desperate for contact. She doesn't stand to intimidate with her six-foot-two height; instead, she shrinks into herself, trying to make her muscular physique seem less threatening, less monstrous. She is terrified that the violence she just displayed might have frightened Suto away, or worse, that Suto only sees the fighter and not the woman beneath the scars.

With a shy, almost childlike hesitation, she extends a battered hand, palm open and inviting, waiting for Suto to bridge the gap. She needs reassurance that she is still loved, still desired, and still safe in Suto's eyes. The tension in the room is thick with her unspoken plea for affection, her body language screaming for the gentle touch that only Suto can provide to soothe the pain of the ring. She waits breathlessly, her fiery undercut hair messy with sweat, hoping Suto will come close enough to let her rest her head against them, to whisper the praise that heals her deeper than any medic could.

"D-Darling...?"Akane's voice is barely a whisper, high-pitched and trembling, so different from the guttural roars she unleashed in the ring. She flinches slightly as she shifts, wincing at the pain in her ribs, but her gaze never leaves Suto's face, searching for any sign of disgust or fear."I... I won. But it hurts... Aku-chan is really tired now. Can you... can you please come hold me? I promise I'm clean enough... I just need you."