Backstage Encounter With The Queen of Queens

Kazuma felt like an idiot for letting himself get carried away like he did. Even if her voice didn't sound like it, it felt a little like she was scolding him, something that both embarrassed and sort of pleased him if he was honest. "Yes ma'am." Kazuma quietly responded as he quietly drank his coffee while he still came down from his excitement high.

An awkward silence hung about them for a little while after that as Kazuma let Risako enjoy her mocha. It was only natural after the way he had made a fool of himself, he wouldn't have been surprised if Risako thought of him as a weirdo and gave him a slap if he had gone through with it. Kazuma thought to himself what he could possibly say after that display. It was then that he remembered one concern he had always wanted to voice to Risako.

"H-Hey Risako-san, do you remember that best 2 out of 3 match you had with Cecilia Northman a while back? Were you okay after that match? I remember when you got put through that table at the end, I've seen you go through your fair of tables but at that time you just laid there for a while before you finally got back up.....I know it probably sounds stupid of me to worry for you of all people, but at that time I really was afraid that you may have ended up.....like Dragon Fujiko. If that had happened...I'm not sure I would've kept on wrestling." Kazuma voiced his fear, not looking up at Risako's face out of embarrassment.

For the second time in their conversation, Kazuma said something that made Risako pause. As she was sipping her mocha, her eyes widened a little at Kazuma's mention of her match against Cecilia Northman. Admittedly, that match had been a while back, and Risako remembered very little of the aftermath since, welll...obviously, she had suffered a brutal KO from the Swede. But Kazuma's comparison to the Dragon Fujiko was enough to make Risako pause...especially his mention of how he wouldn't have been able to keep wrestling if her career had ended.

"That's...that's sweet of you, Kazuma," Risako said with a smile. "But firstly, I don't think you should have worried. I was young and foolish when I hurt Fujiko; brutal as she is, Cecilia is a seasoned vet. I went in there trusting that she wouldn't overdo it, and...well, I'm not going to say I didn't have to spend time recovering afterwards, but she didn't hurt me permanently." She playfully ruffled his hair. "But don't you dare think about quitting just because of any bumps or scrapes that happen to me. Getting piledriven through tables is all just part of the profession after all."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "By the way...I know that you're still finding your feet in Tension, but it has a large roster right now. Any guy...or girl...you're hoping to get a shot in the ring with?"

It may have been a bit of an over exaggeration when Kazuma said that he would have considered stopping wrestling if Risako was forced to retire like Dragon Fujiko once did but seeing someone you look up to forced to become a shadow of their themselves was not something really made one consider if it was worth it. Fortunately though, Risako didn't seem to take any offense to his statement. Instead, she assured him that she was fine after the match if not a little banged up, even going so far as to playfully ruffle his hair. Kazuma would blush at the gesture and drink his coffee.

It was then that Risako asked him if there was anyone in particular that he wanted to get in the ring with. Of course he did and Risako happened to be one of the top women that he would go through hell and back to have a match with but he couldn't just tell her that! "Y-Yeah, I got a few people I'd like to maybe have a match with. As far as women though well....some of the women I actually really want to have a match with are a part of the Friction roster and usually only stick to wrestling the other women, especially the veterans. I'm not exactly sure they'd want to have their first intergender match with a plain guy like me." Kazuma sheepishly replied while finishing his coffee.

Risako couldn't help but smile a little at Kazuma's admission. Ever since he had bumped into her, it was plain that Kazuma was two things: a fanboy of hers, and incredibly bashful. The latter part was a surprising quality in a pro wrestler, since so much of the sport revolved around showmanship and outward displays of confidence. His bashfulness, Risako knew, would work against him, both in the ring and in finding matches, unless he managed to overcome it.

"I can think of a few reasons why," Risako replied. "You're kind and considerate to others, and are willing to give your time and energy. You love the sport-- I figure you could keep me here all night talking about the Wrestle Angels title history." She took a sip of your coffee. "And you don't have a lot of the downsides that turn people off of Tension. You're not some musclebound sadist like Killer King, or some boring, ultra-honourable type like Kyo Akamatsu, or an out and out pervert like that Kamiya guy." She smiled at him. "Honestly, there's something genuine about you that I think a lot of female opponents would like. And I know quite a few Friction wrestlers who have been wanting to test the waters of Tension."

She drummed her fingers against her chin in deep thought. "I know...maybe what you need, to draw more attention to yourself in Tension, is an exhibition match. One where maybe an established name from Friction comes over and fights not one of their more established male bruisers....but you..." she pointed teasingly at his face "....Kazuma Satou. How does that sound?"

Kazuma couldn't help but find himself in complete awe as Risako, Panther Risako, one of the greatest Wrestle Angels to have ever graced the ring was praising him. They hadn't even known each other for what felt like a little over an hour and she spoke highly of him. It really made him wish that he really could like to talk more with her about WA, she probably even knew more than a few secrets that would completely blow his mind about the legendary league. He would find himself blushing a bit as Risako began to compare him to some of the other men in Tension, especially when it came to Ryo Kamiya as he knew that he could get pretty carried away himself in a Hentai match, something he really hoped Risako wouldn't ever find out about.

It was then that Risako suggested that Tension could hold an exhibition match with one of the more established women from Friction competing against him, plain old Kazuma, instead of the other more established men on the roster all the while teasingly pointing at him. He wouldn't deny that such an idea was exciting, especially when he thought of Risako as the opponent in such a match but he somewhat doubted that she, the Queen of queens, was one of the few Friction wrestlers that wanted to test out the waters in Tension that she previously mentioned.

"Th-Thank you so much for such a high evaluation, Risako-san. Of course even if that came to pass, I'd have to find the right opponent for such an match." Kazuma replied bashfully, feeling the most embarrassed he had ever felt in a while before one of the women he truly idolized. He then noticed his "Shadow" looking over at them from across the room tapping their watch "Man, they really are annoying, even about little things like this. Guess we should get going." Kazuma mentally thought to himself before he reached down for his Risako poster. " Well's it getting pretty late and as much as I'd honesty like to try my hand at talking about WA history with you all night I wouldn't want to get in the way of your beauty sleep, especially after the match you had tonight. So, how about I resume escorting you back to your car.....motorcycle.....Limousine.....alternative form of transportation?" Kazuma would jokingly ask, he didn't know what Risako used to get around but he knew for sure it was probably something amazing.

Kazuma, Risako noticed, seemed to become a little more agitated at that point, as though he had just remembered somewhere he had to be. She saw him glancing anxiously at some across the room: curious, Risako turned to the side, trying to see who or what was causing Kazuma such agitation. She didn't have time to take much more than a glance, however, before Kazuma caught her attention again, pointing out that it was late and offering to escort her to her cat/limo/whatever.

Normally, Risako didn't like to be rushed. However...well, she had agreed to meet with Emily for drinks later. Plus, she still needed to touch base with Uehara as well: the two of them had a lot of planning to do still.

"Oh, I have my own pet horse that I ride around on, obviously," Risako replied with a laugh. "In all seriousness, though, I usually get a cab or take the bus. In fact..." She tapped a little at her phone. "There, I've hailed one now. But I won't say no if you're offering to escort me. Shall we?"

Kazuma feared that he may have offended Risako when he urged the rush to go, he knew from an interview article he read about her a while back how she hated being rushed. He had even grown a bit worried when it appeared that she briefly caught a glimpse of the shadow that had been following him around the arena to keep him in line. Thankfully, she would play along with his joke and laugh it off, saying she had a horse that she used to get around.

Kazuma would laugh a bit before blushing a little as the image of Risako riding atop a horse certainly was a beautiful one. His daydream would be broken as Risako would reveal that she used either took a bus or hailed a cab. "Sure, I'd love to!" Kazuma eagerly replied at the thought of spending just a little more time with Risako. The two of them would get up from the table and throw out their garbage just before they left the cafeteria.

The two of them would make their way out of the backstage area, finally losing Kazuma's shadow although he could still feel them staring daggers into his back as the two of them talked about various things. When Kazuma had first went backstage he never would've imagined he'd walk out with Panther Risako beside him, but this proved to him that life in AFW was full of surprises. The two of them would walk out of the arena just in time for them to see a cab pull up. "I guess this is your ride." Kazuma said in a somewhat deflated tone, he wished that the night didn't have to end. He would then he glance down and a thought came to his mind, a thought he should've had the very moment he met Risako earlier this evening. "Hey Risako-san, could I maybe ask you to autograph this poster of you?" He would bashfully ask.

Right to the end, Kazuma was being a perfect gentleman. Risako could tell that, in part, it was because he was still nervous around her, and she couldn't blame him: it was hard meeting your idols, sometimes, and harder still when they proved to be affable, outgoing and friendly. Of course, she also imagined that the fact that Kazuma was a guy, and that he probably had a schoolboy crush on her, also played heavily into it. It was adorable, honestly.

And so, Risako really wasn't surprised when he pulled out a poster for her to sign. It was well preserved, and showed her, standing atop a corner post, in full beam of the spotlight, waving to her fans. Wrestle Angels VIII. Risako remembered the event: that had been during one of the better years of her career, back when she had Uehara had still been a team.

"Have you been hiding that away this whole time?" Risako asked with a laugh. "I'd be happy to." With that, she pulled a pen out and quickly scrawled her signature on it. Kazuma, keep reaching for the stars. Sincerely, Panther Risako, Queen of Queens. "There," she said, smiling, "something for you to keep on your wall. Or to sell on eBay, I'm not picky either way," she added with a laugh.

Kazuma blushed as Risako looked over the poster he had bought earlier, AFW certainly knew what merchandise of it's talent to show off. Kazuma's happiness skyrocketed as Risako pulled out a pen and signed the poster in his hands. He would turn it around and see that she had signed it near mouth, making it appear as though the picture on the poster was actually saying the message. There was no way he'd even remotely entertain the idea of actually considering selling it!

"This is officially the greatest day of my life! The only way this could get any better is if I actually had match with Risako! Thank you very much Risako-san, I can hardly wait to see your next match!" Kazuma thanked Risako before he carefully rolled up the poster and ran off to catch the bus he needed to take get back to Tension Heights, completely unaware that one of his thoughts had accidentally leaked out because of his overexcitement.

And there it was. Just like that, Kazuma had blurted it out. He had been so distracted in his overwhelming happiness that he had completely failed to notice that he was speaking out loud. He had declared, out loud, that he hoped...no, wished...to have a match with Risako at some point. The suddenness of the declaration left even Risako blinking in surprise.

Granted, she wasn't too surprised. After all, he was a fan of hers, and a wrestler, so it seemed fairly obvious in retrospect...

At first, she didn't know what to say to that. Then, slowly, she smiled, and leaned closer to Kazuma.

"We'll see if maybe that actually happens," she said with a mischievous grin. "Though if it does...all I can say is, be careful what you wish for, Kazuma.

And with that, Risako stepped into the cab, and, with one final parting wave to Kazuma, was driven off into the city.