Shark Tank

Mercy followed Allison closely until they were brought into a room. Mercy honestly had no idea what to expect but she definitely couldn't imagine what she saw. Even as they entered it, Mercy felt like she needed to put on sunglasses or cover her eyes. She blinked rapidly as she looked around. It was surreal to behold and Mercy certainly loved it. Suddenly she was feeling as though she had chosen wisely with her attire as she took in the scene and let the pleasant aroma drift past her nose.

"Ah, uh.. yeah!" Mercy said, snapped back to attention as she sat down , set her drink on the table and hefted her back up on it as well. "uhhh..." Mercy couldn't even think to get back on topic as she looked around. "This is really amazing." She said sincerely. "I'm very impressed. I've seen a lot in my day, working with who I have worked with, but this is still really... cool." She said the last word sheepishly.

"But, yeah..." Mercy adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. She took another drink of her Long Island and looked back at Allison, noticing the jacket and the unbuttoned shirt. She had gotten "casual" pretty fast. Mercy wasn't going to let it distract her though! Wasn't the whole POINT to have a good atmosphere?

"I think that all parties involved should gather together to negotiate terms. What the terms ARE, would be up to all involved. I would imagine if you desired, that you could have representation. I'd advise the other side to seek it out for their own sake though you may not need... or want it." She said, looking Allison over a bit more. She probably relished the idea of taking the Gastins down by herself. That would probably be as exciting as a board room meeting could get for anyone.

"Then, after everything is agreed upon, a contract will be written up and signed by all parties. That would conclude all matters entirely between your party and those you wish to negotiate with. If the contract is breached, legal action could be taken up to and including: a restraining order, civil action, and-or termination of certain other legal contracts and-or possible criminal action."

Mercy inhaled as though she had said it in one breath. "How do you feel about this, Ms. Watson?" She said as her aqua eyes fell and mingled with Allison's green ones.

Allison's eyes remained attentive while Mercy spoke, even while she sipped her wine. It wasn't Mercy's suggestion that she was interested in, though.

"Hmmm..." She said pensively. "And you think this would work? Bonnie Gastin seems to be the more reasonable of the two, but Clyde... Perhaps you know them better than I, given your position, but I only see this way ending with Clyde Gastin losing his job. Though, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing for him... or his sister."

Her face was full of concern as she looked at Mercy and sipped her wine.

Mercy blushed a bit at Allison's inference. Her lips tightened but she listened carefully. "Well..." She said. "If he understands that consequences have actions, then he can't exactly get mad at the legal system because he's too much of a hot head." She said. "And..." Mercy turned her head. She bit her lip and then drowned down her words with a big gulp of the Long island. It was nearly three quarters gone now and Mercy was starting to feel just a little heat in her cheeks.

She turned back to Allison and smiled. "I... think that... if I take your desires into consideration that it is the option that is left on the table. Success I cannot guarantee, of course, but you have stifled most other avenues of resolution." Mercy was quick. "Not to say that the choice isn't a good one, Ms. Watson." She said politely. "If he can behave himself in the meeting then I think that will give you an indication of how he will behave past the deliberations."

Mercy then leaned forward. "However, I still believe that this matter should not be solved privately." Mercy poked at the counter with her finger. "I understand that, at the moment, I am acting as a legal adviser to you, but I would be remiss in my duties if I did not say that you should still keep your obligations to the AFW as a concern in this matter. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that in ring appearances are required, but there could be some arrangements to be made so that a viewing audience can still be engaged in, perhaps, a discreet way."

Mercy leaned forward. "You have garnered some attention with the audiences thanks to your efforts with Bonnie and Clyde Gastin as well as Lu Jiao Jocelyn. As the assistant to the Chief of Talent relations, I believe that you should take advantage of the opportunity. In fact, I may even insist. However, I do understand that this may put me in a position of bias concerning the matter in totality so, if you feel as though I cannot complete my duties for you as both a legal adviser as well as part of the management staff that oversees your wrestling career, I am willing to recuse myself of any further involvement and we can end any further discussion on the matter. My advice stands and there would be no further professional contact as a legal adviser."

Mercy didn't even get into the fact that she had been dating Clyde. There was no position Mercy was in that didn't have her in a position of bias in SOME capacity. Really, she shouldn't even be seeing Allison. Still, maybe her ego was up to the challenge and Allison probably LIKED the idea of putting Mercy on the spot.

Allison nodded. "Yes, you do have a point. While I've been so... upset over all this, I may have forgotten about my obligations to the fans, and to the company."

She crossed one leg over the other and gently bobbed her foot up and down. She looked like another piece of art in the beautifully set room.

"Miss Wrenn, I want to tell you how much I appreciate your professionalism, and your help. I know that you must have your reservations about me, and rightfully so. I won't apologize for my tenacity in the ring, and I have no illusions as to the spectacle that the fans pay to see. I want to give them a show, paint them a picture, and when it's over I hope to leave it all in the ring. Perhaps I can be a bit... overzealous, but as someone in talent relations, you know as well as I do that the fans will always watch my matches."

She tugged at the open collar of her shirt and fanned herself. The room quickly became very warm for someone dressed more for the weather outside.

"So maybe we can solve this whole problem in the ring after all. It's where I'm most comfortable. Certainly, the surprise visits I've had here from the Gastins are most unwelcome... You can imagine the effect they have on the atmosphere. So perhaps a match, but with a stipulation, a legally binding one.

"Would you care for a swim?" She asked, in a sudden change of subject. Without waiting for an answer, she stood up and began walking away from Mercy, toward a changing screen at the back of the room, unbuttoning her shirt as she went.

"If you consider where the problem began," she said, raising her sublime voice enough to be heard over the distance. "Maybe, somewhat unsurprisingly, Clyde is the issue. And maybe, more than with me, his difficulties are with his sister. Have you seen the way he looks at her? The things he does? Perhaps... we can ban him from ringside during the match, and from the Friction arena. A restraining order between him and Bonnie, if you will. What do you think?"

She stepped behind the screen, and shortly began to drape articles of clothing over the top.

Mercy's eyes lit up as Allison acknowledged Mercy. Obviously she had a point. She was smart. She knew what she was doing even if it may not always seem like she was capable of it. Maybe that was intentional. She always followed her father's advice whenever she could. With Allison, it seemed to be no exception.

Still, she didn't mind the buttering up and beamed proudly when Allison stroked her kindly with words. "Oh, yes, well.." She said, waving her hand dismissively at Allison. "It's definitely nice to see someone who understands the difference between that wrestling business and what happens outside of the arena." Clyde definitely didn't understand that.

Mercy furrowed her brow, however, when Allison had suddenly decided to go with Mercy's FIRST suggestion at her office. What was all the run around for if she was just going to say yes to that? Still, as she looked around the place, maybe it was ok. Allison certainly was treating her nicely and she even asked for a swim!

Wait. What?

Mercy blinked as Allison didn't even wait for an answer but simply slipped behind a screen and began to undress all while still continuing to talk shop. Mercy struggled between peering at the outline behind the screen and listening to Allison's words simultaneously. She stood up and took an unsure step. She looked down at her own clothes and then back at the counter.

"I... uhhh... Well, Clyde might BE the problem but.." She stopped. "I think he just wants to protect his sister. I don't think he wants to... um..." Mercy shivered a bit at the thought. "Don't twins have some kind of weird connection? I don't think it's as creepy as you imply." Mercy said, leaning forward with a bit of conviction in her voice. This was certainly a point she could defend Clyde on! He loved his sister! He didn't love his sister.

"Aaaanyway! I think that sort of stipulation would be best for all parties involved. It satisfies your need for closure, the Gastin's desire for revenge and all of our obligations towards the viewing audience. I still suggest a proper mediation to draw up official terms, but that can be sorted out. Coming in with the knowledge of a match might make them more agreeable to the other stipulations." Except for Clyde. He probably wouldn't be agreeable about any of it.

"I'd... love to swim..." Mercy was feeling the heat herself and fanned her cheeks with a dainty flip of her hand. "But, I don't have a bathing suit or even a change of clothes!" She said with a bit of sadness in her tone. Though, she supposed that if she didn't swim, then she wouldn't die freezing of wet hair whens he left.

"Oh, by the way." She said, almost offhandedly. "I assume that since Mr. Gastin would be banned at ringside that Ms. Lu would also be banned? That seems fair."

Allison laughed softly, a delicate sound like a whisper that drifted up from behind the changing screen. "Darling, the last time I saw little Jocelyn, she knocked me unconscious with a chair. Do you not think it would be in my best interests as well to keep her away?"

She emerged a moment later in a breathtaking black swimsuit, with a scooped neckline and cut low into the curve of her lower back, with a sheer crimson sash knotted around the dip of her waist. She strode to the pool with the composition of a model and the poise of a queen.

"If you'd like to join me, there's a suit in your size waiting for you back there. I think the white would look quite lovely on you. And the water is just right, by the way."

She eased herself into the pool, the water temperature was refreshing, but not bracing, and lounged against the side.

Mercy furrowed her brow at Allison's words. "And before that, you two were tag teaming at Summer Splash. I know that Jocelyn is nutty and whether or not you're still on good terms, who knows what she might do. If you're not, then adding that stipulation should be no issue at all."

Mercy had more questions but when Allison stepped through, she had to stop and take the woman in. Obviously Allison was a stunning woman, but seeing her in a suit that leaved almost nothing to the imagination made it almost hard for Mercy to stare.

"Oh... OK..." Mercy muttered at Allison's words, her mouth hung open a bit. She then shook her head. "Wait, what? Really?" Mercy stood up curiously. She crept over towards the screen as if she was a curious cat, trying to sniff out a bit of left out fish.

She peeked around the screen and saw the white one piece and her eyes lit up. "Ms. Watson, it's very cute." She said, trying to hold in her glee. "Yes, I'll be right there!" Mercy quickly slipped off her clothes and held the suit up to look it over before joyfully putting it on. She nearly squealed as she checked herself out. It accentuated her modest chest and showed off her killer butt.

She practically pranced out from behind the screen and twirled in Allison's view. "What do you think!?" She gushed.

Allison took in the sight with her cool gaze and nodded approvingly. "You look ravishing. Like it was sewn especially for you. It's yours, of course. No one else could possibly do it justice now that you've worn it."

Her eyes remained on Mercy as she went back to the topic at hand. "No, it would put my mind at ease to ban Lu Jiao from the arena. Though... I have as much faith in her ability to follow the rules as I do in Mr Gastin's." She sighed. "In either case, the two of them, Clyde and Bonnie, clearly want to hurt me with impunity to restore their bruised egos after the losses I've dealt them. Obviously, I can't allow them to do that. I value the little momentum my AFW career has gained so far, and I am not overly fond of being beaten to a pulp. Do you think a fair match would satisfy them, even if I win?"

Mercy beamed and curtsied when Allison complimented her. She felt as pretty as the words Allison spoke and couldn't help but stifle a giggle before she slipped into the water and melted ito it.

"Ooooh, maaaan." She sank into the water before sitting up and staring back at Allison while she spoke. "Well, there are ways to keep them out of the match even if they break the rules negotiated."

Mercy splashed the water gently and purred. "I think that... if they understand that this is a last opportunity but a genuine opportunity, they will understand. I mean... they would be legally obliged to get the point." Mercy nodded.

"So...why did Jocelyn hit you with a chair?"

"Mmm. You're referring to a cage, or something like that. I don't personally see how losing to me a second time in a cage would make her feel any better about things, but... they've been crowing about a fight for long enough."

She took a long, slow breath and relaxed down into the water. Her eyes remained closed as she spoke. "She's a troubled little girl. She attached herself to me at some point, and it became clear that it was a problem for both of us. I told her that I didn't want her in my life, and she took it badly." She shrugged, and opened her eyes just enough to look at Mercy. "If I didn't have this place, I don't think I'd have the stomach for this business, to be honest."

After a moment, she added "You seem to carry a lot of stress with you. Do you do anything to relax and rejuvenate yourself? Is there anything you'd like to do now?"