Rookie Talk (For Rei)

It as a typical night at Friction, with the crowd being so loud that Peggy could clearly hear them backstage. After a hot start going 2-1, with her loss being a close match against Julia Rogers... Peggy was in a slump, 2 losses where she was in control late only to miss a key move, allowing her foes the chance to put her away.

Alaina was here, as was Julia. Sonic Boom as they were known during their tag matches were out there making an announcement. Pwggy was in her wrestling attire ready to go if there was a call to action: a green one piece swimsuit, green boots with gold highlights, gold kneepads, and gold elbowpads. Peggy moved to a nearby mirror, checking herself out. She wasn't fat or even chubby but she didn't have Julia's lithe, lean speedy build nor Alaina's muscular, defined power build. She was, as she put it, a sort of jiggly semi-fit. However, her last losses and foes had her feeling a bit self conscious where she normally didn't. "No matter, I'll be back to kickin' their skonny asses and punchin' the faces in of those prissy pincesses..." Peggy quietly thought to herself. "Besides, Joshy boy sure seems to like what he sees." Peggy was now lost in thought thinking of a guy who she shared mutual interest in.

All that led to Peggy being totally unaware of a couple other rookies milling about as she turned her attention to a TV, broadcasting two of the women in Friction she looked up to.

Aless Redmond would never understand why it was company policy for certain trainers to be “ready and waiting” backstage during the airing of a Friction broadcast. Management claimed that it was because there was always a small chance that a series of unfortunate events – injury, sickness, family emergency for the wrestlers who were slated to have a match on the night – someone needed to be available to fill a hole in the match card, and lest a wrestler stepped up, the trainers were all that were available. If all else failed, they could always go out and get embarrassed, more than likely, for the entertainment of a few million people. Oh yeah, they were also here to help “cramps” and such injuries too, apparently. No wrestler was pathetic enough to need a trainer to rub down her cramping leg, just so AFW knew.

As long as Aless had been employed by AFW, and as the other trainers told her, in all the years of AFW’s existence, a trainer had been in a match a total of oh, hardly ever. Other wrestlers were always ready to step up and take someone’s place if a girl ever fell prey to her human nature and was forced out. For the roster’s wrestler, a slow climb to the top meant using those who fell down as steps.

Regardless, Aless was still here - barely dressed for action in a pair of tight jeans and a button-down shirt concealing her training attire – hands stuffed in her pockets, with nothing to do but stand around, passively watch a few of the matches, and stew that this would probably be her lot in life for the next twenty years or so. All that while she could have just as easily been out having a good time. Checking the time on her phone as she loitered outside of the trainers’ lockers, Aless finally dislodged herself from the wall she was leaning on, thinking it was entirely too depressing to hang around with the few other trainers on-duty.

It was times like these that Aless was tempted to just ask for a match. Logic always won out rather than impulse, but this trainer job felt like treading water, and it was painfully evident now that she wasn’t going to get a modeling gig here in Japan. She couldn’t afford to fly back to the States and try again there, either. Besides, someone would probably say her arms were too muscular now, or something ridiculous. So she was stuck.

She stepped lightly down the hall, evading a wrestler here or there preparing for later matches. One she nearly brushed by, though – standing in front of a mirror near a TV where a couple of other women were gathered – caught her attention, if for no other reason than because of the gorgeous green one-piece she wore that meshed strikingly with her red hair. Aless twisted her mouth to the side, admiring her look - once a model, always a fashion connoisseur, she admitted. Maybe Aless needed to wear more green, given her own red hair.

At risk of being nosy, the ex-model stopped behind the woman and gazed at her from the rear. Though Aless did recognize the woman from the ring – she was evidently a wrestler – the trainer thought that the cameras didn’t do the woman before her justice. What fantastic curves. And she looked the part of a wrestler – whereas Aless was all thin frame with boobs and a butt, the woman before her had a body that would look totally natural sinking in a bodyscissor or a headlock – sort of like Mikayla. The redhead bit the inside of her lip; nope, she wouldn’t fill out that one-piece half as well.

… She was staring, wasn’t she? Realizing it was evident when she saw herself in the mirror once the woman leaned away, gawking like a fifteen-year-old boy on the beach during spring break, Aless cringed faintly and shot her eyes to the woman, hoping she hadn’t been caught.

Peggy felt the hair on the back of her neck stand. It was a learned reaction, almost as if she sensed an attacker backstage avout to ambush her. She did indeed sense someone, but it wasn't an aggressor, but an admirer from the looks of it.

"Can I help ya with somethin' like a picture? Or do ya want me to strike a lose first?" Peggy said to the woman looking at her. A slim, fit fellow red-head. "Ya don't happen to be from Ireland do ya lass, or am I the only red head here with the native accent?" Peggy asked as she faced Aless with her hands on her hips.

Peggy would hardly call herself notorious, but after 5 matches she figured she was at least a known quantity with something of a rudimentary reputation. She grinned as she awaited the response from Aless, ready in the back of her mind for a fight should things suddenly go south.

Whoops.

Aless rarely incriminated herself with her expression, but as she bit her lower lip, it was clear she knew she had been caught gazing.

She was not sure if that would create a problem for her. Aless' time here had taught her that wrestlers reacted in two ways to most things - either fairly well or very, very poorly. When they reacted well, Aless might chat them up for a minute and a half and slip away without risking her luck against their patience. When they reacted poorly... Aless had thus far succeed with apologizing and making a quick exit before they could do anything more than at her.

This particular wrestler wasn't scowling at her. Aless mentally slotted her into the first group rather than the second.

But the other woman did know exactly what Aless had been doing. Whoops indeed. Aless smiled apologetically, and had it on her tongue to speak that apology, when the woman interrupted with another question. Okay, she really wasn't too bothered by Aless' staring if she was so friendly as to start making small talk about accents. She shook her head faintly. "Nope. One of the Americans. But I... think my great-grandparents on my mom's side were from Ireland?"

She was tempted to add to the conversation, but Aless did what she always did - avoided announcing herself too loudly. Most wrestlers didn't care to hear anything about her, anyway. "And sorry for staring. I was just..." -regretting not having your body at this point in my life. Her eyes promptly settled on the other woman's full body again. "...wondering where you got that one-piece. I really like it, but I don't think it would look quite the same on me..."

This woman certainly didn't seem like she was here to start a fight. For that Peggy was thankful. "I see, I haven't met anyone else from my old neighborhood, but I always hope ta sometime." Peggy said with a shrug.

In total contrast to whatbmost fitness nuts said, this lady seemed to be complimentary towards her. That caught Peggy off guard more than her not being here to sart a fight. "I got it at a sporting good store nearby. My pals Alaina and Julia took me, they know more Japanese than I do so I couldn't even pronounce the name." Peggy said with a shrug. "Ya lookmlike a lean, mean fitness nut. Usually you all tell me that I have too much shaky flab on me, not tell me I look good in my wrestling attire." Peggy said as she stomped her legs showing a little bit of the jiggle on a good portion of her inner thigh and backside.

"By the way, I am Peggy McIntyre. Ya look like a wrestler but I don't know yer face." Peggy said, extending her hand. "I would say you would wear something like a sports bra and briefs, ya got a way righter, more fit body ta show off than I do." Peggy said as she sized up Aless.

This wrestler did not only come across as tolerant of Aless' lack of manners; she was also quite friendly. Aless' tense muscles slackened. Right. Relaxing. Talking about her neighborhood. Everything was fine. Without much else to offer on the subject of Irish members of AFW, Aless only smiled at the other woman's sentiment.

That smile persisted, along with a nod of genuine interest. Not shopping locally for her gear was a mistake, apparently, if they had anything that looked as sharp as this particular one-piece; Aless always bought her stuff online. "Local. Got it. Thanks." She picked up the mention of two names - Alaina and Julia. Anyone involved with the company would have at least a basic familiarity with those names. They were names that held weight. Though Aless didn't know a great deal about this woman in particular, it sounded like she kept good company.

Though the woman didn't sound all that enthusiastic about her own body, she sure didn't seem to be shy about it. Her one-piece was not as revealing as some ring attire, but it showed off plenty - and that plenty, the woman drew attention to as she explained what she meant by "flabby." Aless took it all in, clearing her throat a little. Here she was, thinking the woman looked great. It was a great irony that Aless, the former model, didn't think the skinny model look was anything special. If she didn't catch herself, she was going to be staring again. "Uhm, I-" She waved her hand in dismissal of the criticism. "I'd say they're wrong. So there's one."

Peggy McIntyre. That was definitely an Irish name, if Aless knew Irish names, and it was one that Aless would think highly of after this conversation.

But, like many, she made one mistake. Ugh, this was the part she always hated... "No," she replied, trying not to sound dejected. "Not a wrestler. I'm a trainer." Aless felt like she might as well say I'm insignificant. I'm one of those people who rubs your leg a lot if it hurts a little. I get put in holds in the gym occasionally. Quite a few wrestlers wouldn't give her the time of day once she explained her role in the company. Regardless, she continued, clasping Peggy's hand with her own. "Aless Redmond."

"Ahhh, I dunno about all that. It's not that special, compared to some of the women around here. They've got some crazy bodies." Mainly - stronger bodies. Nonetheless, she stuck her thumb into her belt loop, pulling the side of her jeans down a few inches to reveal the red workout gear beneath. Aless was proud of her body, yes, but nights like tonight, she was more interested in dressing in something fit for hitting the town as soon as she was off the clock. And if she got a chance to slip out early, even better. She could slip out in her casual wear and no one would be the wiser. "I'm actually ready to go in case someone around the arena needs me." Her voice lowered. "Not that they do."

Peggy listened and recalled being younger. She grew up loving wrestling and being made fun of because it wasn't girly, then having the boys tell her she couldn't wrestle because she was a girl. "Lass, just hit the ring, put in some work n' someone will notice ya. All ya gotta do is get your ass in gear so when that call comes you will be ready! Tell someone ya want to mix it up inside the ropes!" Peggy said as she gave Aless a pat on the shoulder.

"What ya put in is what ya get out. Being here in the company means ya already got a foot in the door. Its up to you to kick it down isn't it? Peggy hoped she was encouraging the young woman, roughly her own age, to try to go past her comfort zone. Being meek and timid never got anyone anywhere in this business. Peggy knew it, and she wanted to make sure Aless picked up on that as well. Peggy wanted more than anything to get Aless out of that shell of hers. She was fit, and Peggy estimated that with proper form she would pack a surprising punch in her lean, wirey frame.

It was a reticent, if thankful, smile that Aless gave as Peggy showered her in encouragement. She made it sound so easy to demand a place in the ring, and maybe it was, or would have been, had Aless been ready for the ring when she had first been employed. When she first interviewed, she was a thin, if fit, twenty-something young woman who was just desperate for a job and who happened to know enough about fitness and martial arts to merit getting the lowest job on the proverbial company ladder. She would have gotten taken apart in the ring if she had tried to sell herself as a legitimate competitor - a literal model able to do nothing more than look good while an experienced wrestler held her dangling in a torture rack.

Now, even if she did see the appeal of being in the ring - the glamour, the fanfare, the opportunity to actually have conviction as she put another woman in a hold - she doubted that anyone in the company with the power to set up matches would do anything more than laugh if she requested a match. "Trainers don't... have much wiggle room in the company," Aless finally told the other redhead, with a disappointed shrug. "I mean, have you ever heard of any trainer getting a real chance in the ring? I've been here three years, and I don't know of anyone who's managed to do it."

Normally, Aless would have left it at that, but Peggy was definitely being... motivational. And, to be honest, she was the only person who had ever broached the subject of Aless' actually taking her career into the ring. At least, she was the only person who ever mentioned it seriously, as far as Aless could remember. The ex-model looked down at her fingers as they fiddled with the loop of her jeans, a testament to her anxiousness - anxiousness born of her knowing that she, more than she was willing to admit even to herself, wanted a shot to do something more than get tossed around as a practice dummy all day. She broke into rambling - quiet rambling. "It's just... who would want to fight me? A girl goes out there, beats up a trainer, and people would probably make fun of her for it. Would be even worse for her if I won."

Peggy thought for a minute, actually curious herself how Aless could show the company that she was ready. "Well.... ya could talk to a talent scout and set up something where you would basically do ring training and show them that ya got what it takes?" Peggy said, knowing that she was reaching. She recalled her own tryout, where the 19 year old flew to Japan and faced off against a few other hopefuls. Winner got the roster spot, and none of the women who showed up managed to beat Peggy, who grew up fairly close to the ring.

As far as booking went, if Aless was able to secure a spot as a wrestler that was a different story. Peggy was at the mercy of whoever scheduled these things. "It is really tough figuring' out matches once you are in. I got faced with a prissy Brit bitch who thinks she's the greatest thing on earth, did a cross promotion match against a cute guy in Tension, and I've faced a cocky Brazilian kick boxer who also thinks she is the best wrestler to ever set foot in the ring." Peggy said with a shrug. "I could try to say somethin' nice to the talent scouts and if ya hold up there I'll face ya as long as you understand I'm not gonna hold back and you will get your ass kicked pretty bad." Peggy said, adding a grin at the end.

Someone who actually believed Aless could make something of herself as a wrestler. Of course, Peggy had never seen Aless wrestle, so it might have been a case of faith misplaced. Whatever. At this point, Aless would take the advice of any wrestler who didn’t cast off her hopes as foolish simply because she was a trainer.

Though Aless wasn’t sure that any of Peggy’s ideas were going to work. She bit at her lower lip when Peggy mentioned her going to the talent scouts but didn’t say anything. It was the only sensible thing to do, in reality, but it was also more than likely a dead end. Several trainers that Aless knew had gone to the talent scouts and had never even been given so much as a sniff after their tryouts. Talent scouts were probably a dead end… but then, what else could she do? Remain a trainer standing around backstage, she supposed. Very fulfilling.

She lowered her head and only half-listened to Peggy as she described the opponents that she had been stuck with; though for Peggy these were probably less than stellar ring experiences, Aless would have pretty much fought anyone if it meant she could do something more than be looked at as a punching bag. Seen by the crowds. At least in position for someone besides a couple of the nicer wrestlers to give a crap about her.

What Peggy finally said, though, saw Aless cast wide eyes on the Irishwoman. She would be willing to fight her? If…they could get Aless past the scouts and into a chance at the ring. Even with the good word from a wrestler, the scouts probably would do nothing more than entertain Aless for a couple of days and then send her back to the trainers’ locker room with a pat on the back and a “good try.” If they knew she was a trainer, they wouldn’t care – they would just think Peggy’s good word was charity.

If they knew she was a trainer… But they didn’t know. Not unless someone told them. Or if someone revealed her to them… ”Actually I might have an…idea.” If Peggy was being honest, Aless was willing to go to every extreme to make sure she made the possibility of ring time a reality. She sighed lightly at her own idea, but continued. ”You could… tell them I’m new, and that you can vouch for my skills. The talent people have never seen me before.” That was the less-daring part of her idea. ”I mean, that just gets me in trouble if someone who does know me says the wrong thing, but… I could always… wear a mask. And a distracting outfit. And I have some temporary hair dye lying around my apartment…”

Was that as stupid as it sounded saying it out loud? She hoped not, but winced in anticipation of Peggy’s reaction.