The Promo-Conference. Charlotte Ravel' And Alaina Sanders. The Point Of No Return

"What's so funny?" asked Charlotte, casting a displeased glance at Victoria, who had been giggling quietly for the past half hour.
“You look great when you wear something other than a tracksuit,” the manager replied with a smile, “and I also love your loose hair.”

Charlotte sighed heavily and buried her face in her hands. She felt unnatural. Indeed, today she was dressed much more formally than usual, however, even she understood that this was not the ultimate dream. She just didn't have any other formal attire. But clothing was what worried her least.

At first, the girl thought that it would not be something special, because in the end it was her idea. But then the Frenchwoman noticed that the closer the day of the promo-conference approached, the more nervous she became. She had never had to take part in something like that, so now the girl paced the room, thereby amusing Victoria. The Englishwoman found the fact that usually calm and cold-blooded Charlotte was now like a cornered rabbit.

“You already had an interview with Natasha,” said Victoria, trying to calm her ward, “now it will be about the same.”
“We were alone with her, not counting the working staff,” the girl retorted, “and only she asked questions, but what if someone asks me a question and I don’t know what to answer?”
“Don't worry, I'll be there,” the Englishwoman smiled again, “and now we have to go. Fear not, there will be only a few dozen people there."

But Charlotte noticed the fact that Victoria averted her gaze on the last words. The martial arts master took a deep breath and together they left the room, heading down the hallway. What was happening was definitely not familiar to her. However, the Frenchwoman understood that she had to pull herself together. If she was going to get to the top with sweat and blood, then she must be ready for such events. And if she doesn't manage to handle a small promo-conference, what will she do if she ever lifts a belt abowe her head? Charlotte and Victoria stopped in front of a door, through which a noise was heard.

“So, don't forget the plan,” Victoria decided to give the final briefing, “you go out to the center of the podium, welcoming the journalists and fans, Alaina should come out almost simultaneously with you. You will meet in the center, shake hands, hug each other if there is such a desire. Then you have to take your places at the table, I will sit on your right just in case. Greet your guests formally. Then you will make the announcement and then let the journalists and fans ask questions. All clear?"
“I'm going to fuck up...” Charlotte said resignedly.
“Hey, you can handle it, you just haven't realized how popular you have become! Charlotte, they came here not only because of Alaina, they are here for you too! Just be yourself. Now let's go!”

Charlotte Ravel':

Victoria opened the door and pushed the pink-haired girl forward. In the blink of an eye, the conference room was filled with applause and cheers. Charlotte's eyes widened for a moment. There were not a few dozen people here. There were no less than a fifteen journalists and no less than a hundred fans here. The Frenchwoman was not afraid to fight in front of an audience of thousands, but now she was confused.

"Did they really come here for me?.." thought the girl, disbelieving her eyes.

And then a wide smile appeared on Charlotte's face. She raised her hand in greeting and directed towards the center of the podium in order to meet with Alaina. Perhaps Victoria was right and the martial arts master did not yet fully realize that there was nothing wrong here. She just wasn't used to it. But now, seeing the faces of all these people so close, the heart of the Frenchwoman was filled with unusual warmth. It wasn’t just the audience who was sitting there while she was in the ring. These were truly loyal people who came here to communicate with her. Charlotte stopped in the very center of the podium, waiting for Alaina in order to greet her and so that they could start this promo-conference together.

She did not have to wait long, as Alaina appeared almost immediately after Charlotte reached the middle of the podium. The guests greeted the American girl no less, and perhaps even more warmly than the martial arts master. The pink-haired girl smiled as Alaina approached her.

Indeed, it was pointless to deny it, their last meeting did not end in the most rosy way. And Charlotte would be lying if she said that she had no sediment at all. However, life was too complicated and therefore, although their relationship definitely became a little colder, she still considered Alaina her friend. In addition, Charlotte considered herself a professional and therefore interpersonal problems should not relate to work. And now both girls were at work, regardless of everything else.

“I was only a second ahead of you,” she said, accepting the handshake and then hugging Alaina back, “hello, good to see you.”

The sounds of cameras and many flashes were heard. She has yet to get used to it, but now that it all began, Charlotte felt a little better than she had five minutes ago. Not in vain they say that the most important thing is to start something. After the girls hugged, Alaina took her place at the table. Charlotte did the same and looked away. Victoria said she would sit next to her to help if needed. But…

“Good luck,” Victoria said with a wink at Charlotte before closing the door.

A chill ran down the pink-haired girl's spine. This English bitch deceived her and left her alone with Alaina and a crowd of journalists and fans. The martial arts master's heart beat faster. But even in spite of the beginning panic, she understood why Victoria did this. She wanted Charlotte to handle this on her own. The girl looked ahead and met the expectant gazes of journalists and fans. She had to start, she can't just keep quiet.

“Um,” Charlotte cleared her throat slightly and then approached the microphone, “Hello everyone and good evening! To begin with, thanks a lot for coming to our conference today. We are delighted to see you all and hope you will not be disappointed with the results.”

Despite the fact that Charlotte began uncertainly, with each new word her voice acquired confidence and ease. After a little greeting, she paused to give Alaina the opportunity to greet the guests too. It was not a game of tugging at the blanket, so the Frenchwoman had a good sense of tact, she was not going to take all attention or force Alaina to interrupt her.

“So, I think it's time to finally reveal the reason why we are here today,” said Charlotte, glancing briefly at Alaina, “although perhaps some of you have already made a guess or a few,” Charlotte paused a little to whet the guests' interest, “As far as you know, Alaina and I have met twice in the ring. Two beautiful and very hard matches, as a result of which our score became equal. I can say without remorse that our rivalry has given me something that I never had in my life. It gave me a clear goal and it makes me move forward. And now we will continue our rivalry. This time Alaina and I will face each other at the Avalanche. And it will be a Steel Cage Match with no rules!”

When she finished speaking, Charlotte tilted her head slightly with a smile on her face. She was interested to see how the journalists and fans would react to this announcement. It's no secret that every person perceives any situation differently. Even Charlotte and Alaina looked at the upcoming match from different points of view. Therefore, now the Frenchwoman was very interested in whether this match would cause a real stir among the guests.

The reaction of the guests was even more violent than the Frenchwoman expected. Fans instantly began to discuss the announced match, journalists began vying to ask questions, and photographers endlessly clicked their cameras. Charlotte gave Alaina a quick glance as the American girl put in a few words after the announcement. The pink-haired girl nodded approvingly.

Like her rival, the martial arts master had rather difficult feelings about this. Of course, for Charlotte, defeat in this match will not be a trait that could divide her life into before and after. However, only those who do not know well her can think so. Charlotte has already told Alaina about her attitude to defeat. Defeat is unacceptable. For Charlotte, who devoted her entire life to martial arts, every defeat was a scar on her heart.

Why? Because failure only means that she didn't put in enough effort. The Frenchwoman has always set incredibly high standards for herself and worked on herself like crazy in order to have the right to call herself a real fighter without a shadow of a doubt. And now, after two matches, their score became equal and she felt that she had to win. Their rivalry gave her purpose. And to take a step towards this purpose, she must win at the Avalanche, in front of the whole world.

“Indeed, here Alaina has the right to speak for both of us,” said Charlotte, “you all saw our second match, its significance is very difficult to overestimate, we both gave more than a hundred percent then. And now when nothing will hold us back, I am confident, as Alaina said, this will be the match of the night that will outshine even the title matches.”

This topic deserved a separate discussion, but now Charlotte was talking with all seriousness. She was not a caveman, she followed all the big names in the organization. And the martial arts master was sure that they surpassed many who were above them in the rankings. Both of their matches were great, but the second match showed both Charlotte and Alaina as real and worthy pro-wrestlers.

“I hope we managed to spark your interest and now you, like me and Alaina, will be waiting for the Avalanche with enthusiasm and anticipation,” Charlotte had already completely calmed down and behaved extremely confidently, communicating with the guests, “now we can move on to the more interactive part of our meeting. We are ready to answer any of your questions. These can be any questions related to both AFW and our everyday life. Also, questions can be addressed to both of us or to someone specific. To be fair, first question will be asked by a journalist, the next question will be asked by a fan, and so on in a circle,” Charlotte smiled broadly as she saw the enthusiasm on the guests' faces, “please, we are ready to hear the first question.”

The main job of journalists is to ask the most uncomfortable questions. Charlotte raised her left eyebrow slightly when she heard the first question. On one side, the question was very fair, but something told the Frenchwoman that they were expecting an answer that would expose them from an unfavorable point of view. But Alaina took it upon herself to answer this question. Charlotte nodded approvingly, agreeing with every word.

“It’s very difficult for me to add something over Alaina’s words,” the girl said, approaching the microphone, “I can only make a special accent on cheating. I don’t need to use green gas or a kick to the crotch to win the match,” whispers filled the room and the camera clicks were heard again, everyone was very clear who Charlotte was hinting at, “and the same applies to Alaina. We both strive for the top and victory only thanks to our own strengths and continuous work on ourselves. Now ask yourself," Charlotte paused a little, her eyes narrowed a little, and a slightly defiant smile appeared on her lips, "For whom it will be more pleasant and interesting for you to watch on the night at the Avalanche? For two women who will fight to the last drop of sweat for the right to be named the winner? Or for the champion who is ready to go to any vile abomination, justifying this by the fact that victory is victory? The choice is yours."

The girl leaned back in her chair, allowing the guests to discuss her words to their hearts' content. The Frenchwoman gave them a good reason. Maybe she shouldn't have spoken so openly, but Charlotte saw no reason to hide her contempt for such people. For her, there was not the slightest sense in the victory, which is obtained by deception. This only proves one thing. That you are such an insignificant person that you are not capable of anything other than deception. The martial arts master considered herself above that. And she had a weighty right to this. A fan got up from the third row and Charlotte nodded in his direction, urging everyone to listen to a new question.

"Who do you both think is stronger?" asked the young guy.

Charlotte smiled and even laughed a little, she expected to hear this question, but did not think it would be so soon. The girl glanced at Alaina before returning her attention to the fan. The question was really interesting.

"I think this is the most important question, isn't it?" she said, still smiling. “Well, usually in such situations it is customary to take either the most cynical position, or the most polite. Someone in my place could confidently say that I am the strongest here. Someone in my place could say that we are both very strong, so there is no answer to this question. But I will try to be honest with you and myself first. Alaina defeated me in our first match and she does not need to prove her strength, neither to me nor to you, she is an excellent fighter of the highest level, I think it makes no sense to think otherwise, because we all know how much she worked for this. In the second match, I was the one who remained on feet in the end, my determination was unshakable even then, and now I have become even stronger because now I have a purpose. Which of us is stronger right now? I really don't have an answer to that question, but it's not about politeness. Our score is equal and, as Alaina said, only the match will show who will be the better woman that evening. The only thing I can say is that I am going to win, no matter how hard it is, I want everyone to know this. I will be honored to face Alaina again in fight."

The air almost ended in Charlotte's lungs, but she still finished her short speech on a high note, leaning back in her chair again. She almost never lied and now she was going to be as honest as possible, especially with the audience who came here to talk to her. Perhaps honesty has long ceased to be something that people value. However, this did not change anything. The Frenchwoman had iron and unshakable principles. And right now she meant every word she said.

It was to be expected. Alaina has always been confident in her abilities, so it was not surprising that she decided to question Charlotte's words. Well, there was nothing to be offended at, because only a fool would think that one of them does not want to win. It only remained to wait for the match to resolve this issue. The Frenchwoman was not a visionary and did not know how events would develop during and after the match. However, she always entered the ring only to win. Do or do not, there is no try. Therefore, the iron principles of the martial arts master obliged her to strive exclusively for victory, no matter what.

"For the record," Charlotte said when Alaina finished, "I disagree to agree."

The girl laughed slightly and the guests also appreciated it. On the one hand, she was not going to leave Alaina the last word on this issue, but on the other hand, she wasn't going to do it rudely. So this comment was something of a compromise. Alaina is going to win. And she too. To prove to her rival and to the whole world that she is a worthy fighter, Charlotte will enter the ring with her head held high and win. She believe in it.

She frowned slightly when she heard another question. Journalists definitely knew how to hit the bull's-eye with difficult questions. Charlotte glanced at Alaina, listening to her answer. The Frenchwoman did not restrain herself and slightly rolled her eyes when her friend re-inserted the comment that it was she who would be the one to reach the top. But otherwise the pink-haired girl agreed in principle. Then their gaze turned to Charlotte and she cleared her throat before answering.

“In short, yes, I believe that it should be so,” she replied, but noticing the views of journalists and fans, she realized that a more detailed answer was expected from her, “well, that's what I'll tell you. As far as you know, as a rule, the champions themselves choose the applicants and sometimes the leadership takes the initiative. How do I see this situation? If Alaina wins in our match, then she must get a title shot, because she is an honored veteran who has proven her skill many times. Would it be too narcissistic of me to say that I deserve a title shot if I win at the Avalanche? Yes, maybe, since I don't have such a huge number of matches. But! Let's be honest. Time passes and times change. Nowadays many newcomers show themselves no less decisively than honored veterans. And I am sure that someday everyone will understand that not only veterans deserve a chance to prove themselves. I believe that it is not the number of matches that matters, but their quality. However, this does not always depend on us, most of the decisions still remain with the reigning champions, who decide for themselves who they want to see in front of them in the ring, as well as with the leadership, who knows what will be best for the company,” Charlotte paused smiling softly, "but no matter what happens next, Alaina and I promise you that you will get unforgettable emotions from our upcoming match, we do this not for the sake of achievements, but for the sake of you, the fans."

The pink-haired girl waited a bit for the noise to calm down. It seems that her answers were much more informative than expected from her. And to tell the truth, she didn't think she'd have to say so much either. But now the Frenchwoman was ready to admit that she liked it. She pointed to a young girl who was actively stretching her hand up, it looks like she really wanted to ask a question.

“Charlotte, please tell me when it became known about the second match, it was a surprise for many that standard rules will be applied in a Last Woman Standing Match, because usually in such matches applied hardcore rules,” she began and Charlotte already guessed what was leading this girl, “then it became known that it was your initiative, as you have already stated several times that a real fighter will never stoop to something that might look like a street fight. Then why are you now willing to participate in a Steel Cage Match, where there will be no rules?”

The pink-haired girl blinked several times, she really did not expect that someone would draw attention to this. But now she was forced to answer, because in the end this question was also very interesting.

“Yes, you’re right, I did insist that a real fighter would not stoop to something like that,” Charlotte didn’t deny her own words, “but then I thought about it from a different perspective. As I said, our rivalry with Alaina gave me a purpose. I think it's time for me to say what this purpose is. Before, I never thought about where exactly my path leads me. I entered the ring only to prove to myself that I was strong enough, because martial arts are my life. But now I can clearly see where I want to be. We can say that in a sense, I intend to repeat the path of Alaina. I'm going to be the Entropy Champion. And then get the World Champion belt. Yes, I know, only a liar will say that he does not want this. However, I speak without any narcissism or overconfidence," Charlotte allowed journalists to take some photos, realizing that now she would be targeted by yellow headlines in magazines and the Internet, however, she had to say this, "but in order to become Entropy Champion, I must be the most variable fighter. So now I agree to accept any rules, including hardcore ones. But it's worth noting that it is one thing to be able to use tougher combat methods and quite another to use real nefarious things. I think my conscience will sleep well if I smash someone's head with a chair, if the rules allow it. But I will never stoop to real beastliness during a match, whatever the rules. I hope I answered your question."

The girl took a deep breath, feeling as if she had thrown a huge weight from her shoulders. She glanced at the guests, now it was the journalist's turn to ask a question, but one very young fan with burning eyes was shaking his hand, wanting to be able to ask a question. Well…

"I guess nobody would mind if we let a young fan ask his question, right?" said Charlotte, pointing to the boy.