One Oversized Teddybear (For LARIATO)

Oh, look at that! Drake straightens his posture and finds himself in possession of a small tchotchke panda - a keychain ornament, maybe. He tilts his head slightly at it, then turns to find Julia pouting at him all cute-like. His response is to smile boyishly and twirls the doe-eyed panda around his index finger. "Gotta get your head in the game~," he teases.

But immediately afterwards, he moves into her side to link arms with her again. "But don't you worry. I'm pretty much mandated by Guy Law to win you an oversized teddybear," is explained in a playfully matter-of-fact manner, eyes shut and everything. But unless she resists, he'll begin guiding her a little further into the carnival.

"Wanna know a secret...?," he asks. And whether or not she gives him the go-ahead, he offers it anyway. "I'm horrified of hentai matches. What I did with you is... just about as far as I'd ever be willing to go in front of an audience. Maybe a little further. But I know what kind of things happen in those matches. So I don't think I'll ever be as big in this group as I could be. I don't model nude, so I refuse to do that kind of... exhibitionist-y stuff."

Julia just mumbled and continued to pout as Drake twirled the little keychain panda around his finger. However, the promise of a giant teddybear certainly seemed to turn her spirits right back around again, causing her bright smile to once again become visible. “I’m gonna hold ya to that, so you better.” she replied with a chuckle.

With his arm hooked around hers once again, she began walking by his side as again as they continued moving through the carnival. And as they went, Julia turned her gaze to Drake as he told her his secret. She had to admit, she was a bit surprised by the fact, especially considering he was a handsome man on the Tension roster. Most people, including herself, had previously heard the stereotype that all of Tension’s men were more interested in just groping and rolling around with pretty women than actually wrestling. Julia knew firsthand that Drake was a very talented wrestler, but it seemed he was also practically on the very opposite end of the spectrum in terms of that stereotype.

“Wow, I had no idea...” she said. “I mean, when you put it that way it makes sense. But it’s still a bit surprising. I’ve never done an actual hentai match either, but I’ve had some matches that went...well, a bit further than what we did. At least in that regard.”

"You have..?," asks Drake, not entirely certain how to feel about that. This is the crux of the matter when it comes to him and any potential relationships beyond just friends. It's the reason things went south with Irene. Drake doesn't share. Though in this case, it really comes down to, "Err, how much.. further.. have you gone? I've been in matches that involve hentai things, but it's never gotten that far. If I knew what was about to happen and couldn't stop it, I think I'd rather tap out than be humiliated..."

Drake's head bobs. "I mean, tapping out is humiliating by itself. But it's the kind of humiliation I can bounce back from. Getting... stripped and molested... I mean, I want my family to be able to see my matches and be proud of what I've become."

Once again a faint blush formed on Julia's cheeks, and she somewhat frantically waved a hand in front of her. "I-I mean, it's not like I've actually gotten naked or had sex in front of an audience before." she said, feeling she might have accidentally made it sound worse than it was, and trying to come up with a few examples to better explain it.

"But like…well, you know how I pinned you in our match? I've done the same pin a lot before, and there's been times when I've accidentally sat back…a bit further." she said, hoping she didn't come off as perverted as she spoke. "And I've had opponents who've felt me up during matches, and I've been on both sides of some pins and holds that had some…suggestive positioning."

But she nodded in sure agreement with the last thing Drake said. "Yeah, I wouldn't want my family to see me in a situation like that either. I mean, I'll take on any kind of match that gets thrown at me. But, I get what you're saying. After all, we came to the AFW to wrestle, not for sex… Or at least, you and I did anyway."

As she talks, Drake seems to relax. He even lets out a little laugh as she gives her examples. "Ohhh, geeze. You made it sound so bad..." He lets her continue, an impish smile touching his lips. "Well, maybe instead of nailing you with my splash finisher, I should end the match with what I was going to hit ya with originally." That piledriver tends to end in a suggestive pin. And who knows how she'd react to it with someone she actually likes?

Though something she says gets a subtle second glance from him. "So... if you were challenged or asked to do a hentai match with... like... required climax finish... you'd do it?" That would basically require one or the other get rapey with the opponent. "I couldn't do that. Like you said, I'm here to wrestle. Not screw."

Drake slows their pace down until he's standing with her in front of a house of mirrors. He shoots the entrance a glance, then back to Julia with an unspoken, questioning quirk of an eyebrow.

Seeing Drake's reaction put Julia at ease while she spoke. It had all been a bit awkward to say, but she was just glad it hadn't made her come off as overly perverted or something. And a chuckle escaped her lips as he talked about using his flip piledriver on her in a match, though really, she'd probably be a little far on the unconscious side to even notice if he went for a suggestive pin after using that move.

After Drake asked his question, Julia gave a slight nod of her blonde head. "It's not like I want to do those kinds of matches, but hentai is a part of wrestling now, even if we don't like it." she said. "You could say bashing chairs over peoples' heads isn't wrestling either, but we still have hardcore matches and people who specialize in them. And more often than not the ones who make it furthest are the ones who can adapt, no matter what kind of match they're in."

Julia then stopped, her train of thought practically derailing as they came right up to the house of mirrors. Feeling Drake's glance, she turned to give him a quick smirk, then giggled as she took off running into the entrance, practically racing the model to see who could get there first.

That's a race she wins.

Drake doesn't agree with the girl's sentiment at all. It lands like a kick in the gut and takes the wind out of his sails. Without saying it, it strikes his ear as her admitting she'd enter the rape-matches, nude matches, and whatever else the company threw her way or was challenged into, simply for the sake of never saying no; to have the chance to "go the furthest." Once again, Drake finds himself to be alone in his feelings.

'I might be in the wrong league.' And that's a truly devastating thought. His hopes to be taken seriously and strive for glory, smashed simply for his refusal to debase himself.

Still standing where she left him, the model draws in a quick breath and exhales it in a cleansing sigh. Disappointment, trepidations, and fear is buried beneath a layer of subdued cheer, and he finally takes off after her.

The house of mirrors isn't particularly special, but that isn't to say it's not fun. Tunnels of countless clones flit and flicker no matter where one goes. And due to Drake's lagged entrance, there's a chance he's completely lost here somewhere in the smooth tunnels. "Julia~?," he calls.

As Julia ran into the house of mirrors, she giggled and looked back over her shoulder, only for her cheerful expression to do almost immediately do a complete 180. Only a moment ago they were having fun, but now he seemed utterly distraught. Was it something she’d said? As far as Julia knew, all she’d said was that she wanted to do whatever it took to have a successful career. But somewhere along the line, she must’ve said something that struck a nerve.

Turning immediately after entering the maze of mirrors, the blonde hid herself behind one of the first walls. Great. You’ve got one friend in this whole country and you’ve already fucked it up and offended him. Nice job, Julia. she thought to herself, cursing her foolishness. But the sound of hurried steps coming into the room then caught her attention.

Hearing Drake’s voice playfully calling out to her brought a smile to her face, and the blonde was relieved to hear it didn’t all seem as bad as she’d thought after all. Although, she still made a mental note to apologize later when she got the chance. Putting a hand over her mouth to try to suppress a giggle, Julia then began to sneak around through the tunnels as they played an impromptu game of hide-and-seek.

Drake's determined not to let it show. He can get through this... whatever it is, show her a nice time, and then let her go to pursue her future however she likes. It's bittersweet at best, but it's his only play.

In the meantime...

The teen meanders his way through the hall, surrounded by nothing but himself as far as the refracted eye can see. "Juuuliaa-" Whump. He staggers back after walking headlong into a mirror, expression scrunched up. "Ow." A hand sets over his nose, rubbing over it to dull the sudden ache. "I just want you to know," he calls, voice a little distorted from his hand being over his nose, "trying to sneak up on a guy surrounded by mirrors isn't gonna work~!"

Maybe. He has no idea. But after a little pawing around at the air before him, he's fairly certain it's a path he can traverse. So he starts ahead once more.

Julia continued to fight the giggles that tried to escape her lips as she tiptoed through the tunnels, doing her best to remain quiet as a mouse. Occasionally her reflections would pass over the mirrors around Drake, though the blonde for the most part remained out of sight.

She heard a small collision, followed by a Drake's distorted voice, which led her to believe he must've run into the mirrors. Now giggling to herself, probably just a tad more loudly than she should've, she began to sneak around again to try to get in position to sneak up on Drake, despite his warning.

Once the model was in sight, Julia began to inch toward him - or at least, what she thought was him. However, after several steps, the luchadora then suddenly crashed face first into a mirror. "Oomph!" she gasped, covering her nose with her hand while falling back, hoping he hadn't found her yet realizing she was now right in the open, with Drake's reflection surrounding her everywhere she looked.