Wrestling with equality (for Caroline)

Hearing how eager Steven was to join in as her tag partner brought some relief to Caroline, who was starting to sweat the challenge that she had made for herself. Fighting an experienced tag team as a rookie would've been hard enough for a person with all their senses, but for Caroline, the biggest threat wasn't her inferior skill, but the match type itself. In her singles fight with Jesse, her poor eyesight hadn't been a deal breaker, since she'd only needed to focus on one other person. This time, she needed to keep track of three. If she got too close to her out-of-play opponent by mistake, she could get grabbed from behind and double-teamed. If she got too close to Steven by mistake, a stray shot could hit her own teammate! For a girl who interpreted her surroundings as a gray haze, avoiding mistakes like these was going to be a real problem. Just thinking about it made Caroline want to back out, but she wouldn't shame her sensei by failing to rise to the occasion. Besides, she was sure she'd be a better fighter by the time it was over, and thinking about that brought her positive attitude back.

Focusing back on the people around her, Caroline giggled at Steven's shyness. “Dress however you want, just make sure it'll stay on!” she said excitedly as she stepped onto the ring apron and took her place at one of the four corners. She was already wearing her light blue leotard and white boots, so she didn't need to change into anything. While she was waiting for Steven, she looked over to where Sion and Daisuke were standing. “Since this whole crazy thing was my idea, I guess I'll be the one to start for my team unless Steven objects. Which of you two is up first?”

Jesse saw Steven’s playful flirting with Caroline, though she did not mind it at all. Before she could say anything about Steven wanting to change right there she was a bit surprised by that but didn’t object. It appeared to be ok as he had what he was going to wear in the ring underneath. She chuckled a bit at Caroline telling him to keep it on, to which Jesse would put her hands on his hips from behind and jokingly say “There’s a time and place for everything right?” She also didn't mind that Caroline wanted to team with Steven for this instead of her. It didn't effect Daisuke nor Sion as they just met Caroline so they didn't what she has all done or who she has all worked with yet, but has heard a little bit about her though.

Sion offers to start for them, though Daisuke asks if Caroline wants them to go all out for the whole thing to just keep things in first gear for the first few minutes, which she is ok with either. She also wonders if they should police themselves or if they want someone to ref/observe everything. If the latter Kei will say she’ll just watch from outside. Another student nearby could easy be asked if need be, even Kayura would, though if not she’ll just watch as this appears to interest her now.

Sion's question about whether or not they should hold back gave Caroline pause for a moment, and she thought it over while everybody got into position in and around the ring. She had to admit, it was very tempting to ask them to hold back. Sion and Daisuke were an accomplished tag team who had recently gone as far as a tournament match with the United Kingdom Elite, although they had ultimately lost to their English adversaries. They probably had skills beyond even Jesse, who had managed to ring Caroline's bell during their fight. However, Caroline was determined to make sure that her training prepared her adequately for the AFW, and the tag teams there didn't pull any punches. Even the supposedly clean ones that enjoyed fan appeal didn't resist the urge to pull some questionably legal double team maneuvers while the ref wasn't looking, so Caroline wanted her training to prepare her for such tactics. Besides, the young rookie had grown used to going all out in her spars, so it wouldn't be fair for her to expect anything less from her opponents.

“You can go all out, I promise I'll be okay even if things get rough,” she said, although her choice of words implied that the married couple could also hold back if they wanted to. Her words were also a promise to Kei, Jesse, and herself, that she would not choke up like she did at the end of her last serious fight.

When asked whether or not she wanted a ref, Caroline turned the offer down. She didn't mind a more informal style for her training fights, even if it led to some questionable tactics. The refs at AFW were nearly useless anyway, so Caroline figured that having no ref at all would replicate the style of that wrestling promotion quite nicely. Despite her refusal, however, Caroline knew that Kei was watching this fight, unlike the last one, so she was free to chew her children/students out if they did anything nasty. Once things had been set up, Caroline took her place in the ring and waited for Sion to be ready. In the meantime, she wanted a quick word with Steven, so she turned back to where he would be standing behind their corner.

“As much as I hate to say this, I might get lost in there because of my blindness, and have trouble figuring out where our corner is. To help keep me oriented, could you call out every once in a while so I know where you are?” she asked, hanging her head in shame. Asking for this kind of help was deeply embarrassing, but owning up to her faults and keeping Steven in the loop would be better than letting him down in the match itself. He was her partner, and felt like a friend to boot, so she wanted to make sure they would be able to work as a team, despite her sensory issues.

Both understood what Caroline was saying and they didn't mind telling her that. Kayura watched on and while she didn't say anything she heard Caroline's request decide that she might do it from time to time, just to see what might happen.
As they spoke some more Lina showed up. Kei gave her a run down of what was about to happen, even the parts of how Caroline wanted Sion and Daisuke to go full out on her. Lina looked concerned but did not fault Caroline for wanting to learn with difficulty. Lina asked Caroline if she wants to be truly tested if she herself should be Daisuke and Sion's corner and be against Caroline in this one.

Lina was willing to do whatever Caroline was wanting long as it would give her the help or at least the knowledge she was looking for. Lina was making progress with her anger management classes so the timing for this might do her some good as well. Once those details get sorted out she will ask when they will start.

The Teenwrestler was eager and pumped up, jumping up in place on the ring apron as he was totally pumped up to start off the match. He had no problem in Caroline beginning the match, after all it was her training match and she requested it so its only fair that she starts the tussle. "Yeah ofcourse, go right ahead. Dont worry about a thing, you got this and I've got your back" he smiled giving her a thumbs up.

However, as she came back- Steven was a bit caught off guard by her question. The teen had no idea that his tag team partner was partially blind. The question caused him to look around a bit and he had no answer for a while, he was only thinking "how could a blind person wrestle?" but as he saw Caroline's head drop down in disappointment, Steven quickly smiled and chuckled to make her feet better. "Dont worry about it partner, we got this. I'll call it out, no worries. Go get'm girl" he said, giving her a pat on the back for some reassurance.

Seeing how supportive Steven was of her gave Caroline the confidence she needed to smile a bit as she moved forward to face Sion. Lina's question, on the other hand, confused her a bit. When she mentioned being in Sion and Daisuke's corner and being against her on this one, she wondered if Lina was planning to take some cheap shots at Caroline herself. It was a scary thought since Lina was Caroline's manager, but on the other hand, Caroline was slightly aware that the woman could be really rough on her clients, so no doubt the vibrant carrot top would want to see how much punishment her trainee could handle. Caroline herself was okay with it, and if Lina was literally standing near Sion and Daisuke's corner, it might even help her. Despite how bad her eyes were, they were scarcely good enough to detect the blot of orange color that was Lina's hair, so the sight of her would be something of a beacon to let Caroline know that she was too close to the enemy's corner for comfort...hopefully.

“Alright then, let's go,” Caroline told Sion, trying to sound confident even though she was quivering a bit. Squinting to focus her blurry gaze on Sion, the girl advanced cautiously toward him and held her arms out as he came into reach, looking to start with a fairly simple collar and elbow tie-up. However, since Caroline's own corner was currently behind her, she was planning to surprise Sion by attempting to drag him back instead of pushing forward, hoping that he would play into it by pushing forward himself. In the tag matches she had seen, control was usually gained by one team isolating another team's active member in their corner, so Caroline would be the first to try it.

Even though they were given the ok to go all out Sion still went in a bit easier than normal for the lock up.  He was taken by surprise with the direction Caroline took it, though as soon as he felt himself go more forward than he should have he dropped to a knee while keeping the lock up going as a way to hit the breaks as they say.  Kei saw this and put a halt to things for a moment.  She looked towards the ring and said "What the hell was that?"  It took a moment it to be known she was directing that towards Sion and not Caroline.  "If you're doing to go in go in like you mean in."  He was not trying to take it easy on her at all, he just wanted to help her into get into the lock up a bit easier, but in the process it did cause it look like he went into it a bit weak.  "Do that again and I will personally whip your ass.  Now show your opponent the proper respect she deserves and give it to her same way you'd expect her to get it to you."

Daisuke had a feeling she knew what Kei was trying to accomplish.  Sion got ready again and went to circle Caroline, though Kei chimed in once again, this time asking Sion what he was waiting for.  She looks over to Lina and tells her "Your boy's lookin' a little soft, Lina."  She then gets on the apron and tells Sion to let Daisuke show him how it's done and maybe he can learn a thing or two and maybe become become at least half as good as she (Kei) was.  That comment Sion didn't like at all.  While hardly anyone compared him to being in Kei's shadow he felt like he was insulting him in front of everyone.  Kei shook her head but then found Sion striking Kei in the gut with the side of the knee and lifts her up for a release front suplex, making Kei land on the floor in front of the ring.  Daisuke did not expect that reaction and Kei leans over the ropes and looks down at Kei and tells her "Is that what you think? Get your ass up and take a look" giving her a finger in the process before turning back to Caroline and running towards her, hoping to grab her with a running football like tackle, but in a way so he's run her back against the corner of the ring.  If he did that instead of knocking her down.  He would pulls her back to the middle of the ring and give her a fist strike up high.

Daisuke didn't expect this out result and looked down towards Kei, to which Kei gave Daisuke a wink as she slowly pulled herself up.  If Steven saw Kei while she was getting back up she would see a grin on her face as she was rubbing her chest a little bit.  Even though this was Caroline's battle she wanted Sion to step it up a notch himself, so she got in his head and if that was her plan than it looked like it was working.

Before Kei could even start talking, Caroline would move swiftly to capitalize on Sion's new position as he dropped down. Since his head was now at waist level, Caroline would pull a leg back and then drive it forward to smash her knee into Sion's nose. She immediately regretted the possibility of giving him a nosebleed this early in the fight, and when Kei started lecturing him, Caroline took a hint and pulled away from the lockup, taking a few steps back to let them have it out.

Knowing that Sion was Kei's son, Caroline quickly grew appalled with how she was talking to him. She got that Kei was trying to motivate him to fight harder, but there had to be a line between giving someone harsh motivation and just insulting them, and Kei had crossed it. Caroline herself was about to open her mouth in Sion's defense, but Sion was way ahead of her. She didn't see exactly what Sion had done to her, but the blind girl still heard the loud, heavy thud of Kei's body hitting solid ground outside the ring. Looking back at her corner, she furrowed her brow worriedly at Steven, wondering if Kei and Sion's fight was going to derail this entire match.

Fortunately, that didn't happen. Sion resumed the fight, but Caroline was unprepared for his sudden burst of fury and froze up as he charged her. Winded by the tackle, Caroline couldn't resist as Sion drove her back into the corner, winding her again and causing her to cough and groan on impact. Since Caroline's back had been to her corner when Sion tackled her, however, she knew that Steven had to be right behind them. Summoning what little strength she still had after the tackle, Caroline planted her feet in a firm, wide stance and grabbed Sion's hair to try to pull his head closer, pulling it into a reverse headlock if she could. “Steven!” Caroline shouted, encouraging him to do something in the most likely brief moment before Sion overpowered Caroline and dragged her away from the corner again. Whether he took the opportunity to tag himself in or just took a shot at Sion didn't really matter to Caroline, but she had never seen an AFW tag team that wouldn't take advantage of having an enemy in their corner. From Jesse, Caroline had acquired a tendency to go all out in her spars, even with arguably cheap shots, and that attitude was coming out here.

Steven was thoroughly enjoying this little spar, he even let out a small chuckle seeing how Kei was scolding her son Sion for taking it easy on his opponent, rightly so. The match resumed and the two continued to wrestle it out, Sion took up the offensive as he tackled Caroline but thankfully she held on and didnt go down on her back and instead, cleverly, got backed up into their own corner.

"Right. Nice move!" he smiled as he tagged himself in before acrobatically jumping over the top rope and landing down on the ring canvas on both feet. "Yo! Let his head go" the teenwrestler spoke before dropping down onto his knees behind Sion and wrapping his arm around his opponents thigh to roll him up in a surprise small package pin.

“Right!” Caroline said, releasing Sion's head and shoving him into Steven's embrace to let him execute whatever attack he was planning. Even though she had been tagged out, Caroline would linger just inside the ring for a couple of seconds before stepping through the ropes to take her place on the ring apron. She was perceptive enough to notice Steven working on a pin or submission of some sort, and she wanted to be ready to rush to his defense in case Daisuke left her corner to interfere. Aside from that, she would leave things to Steven until he needed to switch out again, focusing as best she could on those bright blue and red boxers of his to keep aware of his position.