Les Feuilles Mortes

*Sometime last year...*

Autumn is one of Japan’s most beautiful seasons. The turn vivid hues of red, orange and yellow and the coolness that followed to bring calmness after the most humid summer many of its inhabitants have experienced. Even outside the Starbucks café, you could see the trees swaying to and fro. A brilliant fire arose from the abundant arms of the mighty oak trees. Numerous small flames flickered in the cool breeze that flowed between the stands of trees. Gold and crimson flames burned brightly amid the cooler tones of orange and brown the flared throughout. This vibrant expression of vitality seemed to laugh in the face of the worsening weather, harkening the coming of winter. Angrily, mother nature bombarded the flamboyant trees with fierce winds, incessant rains, and freezing chills. Though loved by the people, their display stood in stark contrast to her vision of a winter wonderland.

The trees held fast, long as they could until the colors of their flames began to dim and darken. One by one, these embers fell from the trees as their fires grew smaller. There were soon patches amid their once roaring wildfire. The old oaks knew that their time was coming to pass, retreating within themselves for the long sleep. Mother nature would have her way in the end, as she always did. These rebellious flames were merely a way for the oaks to feel young again, to stave off their dying as long as they could. Well into the winter months, long after the trees had fallen dormant, there were still tiny sparks waving in the wind with their color long since faded. They may have let mother nature have her way, but they still clung to their hopes, dreams, and memories even in the bitterness of winter.

A lone leaf would fall onto Chloe as she made her way towards the local Starbucks. A laptop bag would be secured between her arm and her side. She examined that leaf, the stem pinched between the thumb and index finger. She didn’t know why this one had caught his attention. While most of the leaves littering the ground around her were still vivid reds, golds and yellows, this one only had a small spot of orange at the center, fading to a dull brown towards the edges. The tips were dry and brittle, and there were small holes here or there scattered around in between the veins. A chill wind made Chloe shiver despite the bright sun, the rays shielded by the brim of her hat. She sighed, dropped the leaf, ran her fingers through the golden mane as she came inside.

With a Red Velvet latte placed on the lone table, the laptop opened up with some spreadsheets and her red coat hanged up on the chair behind her; Chloe set out to work. The spreadsheet’s content wouldn’t make any sense to any passerby, but a small window playing a video might do. That is if they care so much to squint and snoop at the video. It wasn’t much, just one of AFW’s rare previous tapings. It was a weird one, a taping that thought to be lost and never aired when Estelle Aranult fought against the Hentai Champion at the time. Which was pretty bold for a newcomer, but she made an effort, despite the odds stacked against her. It's something to give the blonde another thing to look at, in case if number-crunching and bottlenecks become too much. Yet, the task remains to be completed. Chloe figured she’d give working away from her lavish home a try. She didn’t need the WiFi in Starbucks, and perhaps a different change of scenery could help her concentrate.

Plus, she had a tasty latte to sip into. That made the whole arrangement much sweeter. Even if it's temporary.

*Sometime last year...*

Estelle didn’t really knew what to expect of the landscape and the country’s beauty when she moved to Japan. Being a woman used to seeing the mountains and the beauty of Switzerland so close, there were some doubts in her about wether she could be impressed anymore. Of course she had seen all kind of promotional photos and documentaries about Japan and its beauty, but she was aware that all that was part of promotional and advertising for travel agencies, and needed to see firsthand before she would make an opinion on that country and its supposed beauty. Turned out anything Estelle could have thought was a understatement of Japan’s natural appeal. Her first spring in the country was delightful, with all the cherry trees blossoming and all that color taking over even the streets of the city. Scents of nature filled the air close to the parks where the Swiss loved to stroll on her days off and birds she had never seen in her homeland chirped in the tree branches. She had just underestimated how beautiful that place could be, and found sheer happiness in traversing its streets.

That was for spring, but Estelle liked autumn the most and nothing, absolutely nothing had prepared her for what she was going to see. Not in the most colorful of her dreams had Estelle seen so many different shades of orange, yellow, brown and even some purple-ish in the leaves. The soft, autumn breeze would rip the leaves from the trees and make them dance in a way that felt almost dreamy, as if everything was just too beautiful to be true. Estelle had lots of great moments involving several people since she arrived in Japan, but for the first time she was just content by herself. Content wasn’t enough to put it, she was exultant. That day, Estelle just couldn’t take it any longer and had to get out of her flat, so she aimlessly walked from park to park, basking in the details.

After a very long walk, Estelle found herself in the mood for some coffee while looking through the window, and she just found a perfect Starbucks place from where she could still look to the leaves while having come mocha. She entered the place and ordered some coffee before sitting besides the big window and lose herself in thought while looking at the nearest park. She just wished everything could freeze in a perfect picture of beauty and comfort. The sounds coming from the café were muffled in her mind as she was so focused on her distraction. That was until “Estelle?” could be heard and she got up to get her coffe from the barista. Thanking her with a wink and a smile, the Swiss got ready to go back to her spot and enjoy her coffee.

The action went on from the small pop-up screen in the corner, showcasing the sexy action in all its splendour and fidelity—the two women embracing, both enchanted by a simple kiss. One explores the rival with a silky touch as if she wanted to create a mental memory when they eventually part ways. It was endearing to watch, not some mindless ‘technique’ that had the grace of doing surgery with a sledgehammer. Yet even that couldn’t draw Chloe’s attention from the documents and spreadsheets in front of her, taking most of the screen. There was a lot to deal with, so much to prepare and maintain that she didn’t know which asset she could start with. But one name popped up, and it invoked many memories from her mind. SexySilk. A company that Chloe managed to buy out years ago.

She remembered the first time coming into the Vice President of Marketing’s office. Chloe had been lucky that she had stumbled upon the most excellent opportunity when the domineering Debra Logan once ruled with an iron fist. Initially stepping in as a spokesmodel, the blonde had gotten her foot in the door of the booming business. Mind you, the initiation process was not the easiest; Debra taking the chance to take much pleasure in torturing Chloe for her sick amusement. It took a strong will to get through it all, and once she dispatched Helen so quickly, the rest just fall into motion. Bringing a few degenerates of the lower leagues to dig up more information on Ms Logan and the company was more straightforward with how affluent Chloe is. Everyone had a price, and it was worth the investment to get those juicy details. Working from the inside, biding her time until she took over from underneath Debra’s glossy black heels. The empire that she carefully built would be taken in one fell swoop, and Chloe reaped all the benefits. Making sure that it would be known and supplied to the world all over was another step to prepare herself for the inevitable. It takes a lot to maintain all of her assets, and she knew one day he will stick his fat nose in where he shouldn’t…

Before she could even delve into that particular family problem, Chloe heard a voice calling out a name. At first, she thought it was from her laptop, but it was different. It was close even. The American turned her head around, and she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Estelle Arnault, the Scarlet Rose, in the flesh.

Now, wrestlers bumping into other wrestlers is quite common to a laughable degree, but she wasn’t expecting to see someone like her just to happen to be in the same Starbucks as her. Chloe blinked hard at the surprising occurrence that she noticed the pop-up screen of her match. Choosing not to be caught in an awkward act, Chloe hid the screen behind and kept the laptop on mute before rising off her chair. Coming from behind the Scarlet Rose, Chloe’s hair flowing behind her without the hat on her head. “Quite the surprise to see a rare rose in a place like this.” She called out, just as Estelle got her coffee from the barista. She told herself this wasn't stalking. Just nothing but a coincidence.

Estelle didn’t have a particular reason for entering that café in particular. She wasn’t fond of the Starbucks brand and wasn’t much into their kind of coffee, but she had been having a nice stroll that day and she thought that sitting in front of that wonderful window and look to the scene outside, with its people rushing everywhere while the leaves fell with the elegance of nature, ignoring everyone’s plights as they just did their thing, could be a golden brooch for that day,so that was why she was standing there at that time. It could look like a fated thing.

The Swiss was getting her coffee, ready to go back to her privileged spot and casually watch the rest of the day unfold when a voice startled her at first. She turned herself to see some shorter than her, blonde woman looking at her and addressing Estelle as if she knew her. To be more specific, that woman was using some words that gave away the fact that she knew of Estelle’s job in the AFW. The Swiss had never been ashamed of the lewd nature of her career, but that would be the first time she was recognized by someone on the street. Who was that woman, though? She didn’t have a face Estelle could recall, and her voice meant nothing to her as well. The Swiss was positive that she had never exchanged words with her, but there she was calling her by some of her ring monickers. There was some unbalance of power in that situation and that unsettled Estelle a little. Despite that, Estelle had enough class to try and take the conversation to her side without showing how not knowing who that woman was made her unease. “Is it? I think lots of people like that could be seen here… I don’t think we are acquaintances at all, are we? Sorry the audacity but I can’t recall talking with you before.”

“Oh dear, not knowing who I am, and yet I certainly know you, Estelle. And here I thought I get around. I'm hurt.” Chloe gave a chuckle, knowing that Estelle wouldn’t have a clue of who she is. The blonde doubted that Estelle was as in the know as Chloe is. Though it does pay to be more aware of what is going on in the company, especially when you find yourself bumping into an AFW wrestler. It’s something Chloe has learnt from many years of being in the wrestling business. Something that Estelle had lacked, and it’s brought to bear. The ex-commissioner knew that the Swiss not knowing who the woman is would bring unease, a shift of power that fell within Chloe’s court. Estelle maybe a few inches taller, but it was clear who had control of the situation.

Considering she was talking to a younger businesswoman, Chloe was quick to pick up what Estelle was trying to do. “For someone who’s regarded as a hot and upcoming star in AFW, especially in your field, you don’t seem to pay much attention to what is really going on.” She gives a disarming smile to the brunette, a sign that she intends no harm. “That can be quite dangerous, significantly so when you, in this case, bump into another…”

Estelle wasn’t that happy with the power dynamic in the conversation she was having. From the very beginning there was something odd about how that woman approached the Swiss, but now it was clear that the blonde was enjoying knowing stuff Estelle didn’t know too much, and that put the Swiss’ mind at unease. That mysterious woman definitely knew her and she wasn’t a fan based on her confidence and how much information she seemed to have, enjoying the superiority her knowledge gave her to the point Estelle was turning defensive, but not even there she would lose her polite composure. Could that woman be some kind of AFW high rank staff? By the way she spoke, with that air of superiority, it could be. Estelle didn’t know much of the higher ups because she was already tired of all the company backhanded wars and all kind of stuff. That was her battlefield when she was working for her father, so she now wanted to stay away from that. Estelle was getting tired of games, though.

“Well, I don’t like seeing myself as a star or anything. In fact, no one in the company has addressed me like that. I’m just a wrestler making her best while having a really good time. For the rest of relationships, I have a manager who deals with all that...” Estelle wasn’t new to agressive business talk and doubled down with her strategy: if that woman didn’t introduce herself soon she was just going to walk by and leave.

"Such a humble view about yourself. I'm impressed." Chloe grinned. Definitely wasn't the type to easily get swayed by easy compliments. A true businesswoman indeed. Chloe rarely mingles with those of the Hentai Division, but the ones she does turn out to be fascinating. The more Estelle answers, the more information the ex-commissioner was obtaining. It was a fun game and intriguing to see how the Swiss Rose reacts. Mainly as one who knows Estelle but leaving her entirely in the dark. One that has a short window of how long she could do it.

"Yes, I'm sure Masako appreciates you making your best. If she ever really knew your potential, that is." The blonde would speak, keeping calm as Estelle fired back with the aggressive business talk. "You may call me Chloe. Someone who has taken quite the interest after seeing one of your matches just now..." She points to the laptop behind her with her thumb. "...Quite delectable stuff. And I'm not talking about the coffee. Anyways, I'd say this is by chance that I'd find you here of all places."

Estelle was smart enough not to let her nervousness take the worst of her. That woman was picking on her, trying to get the Swiss to lose her composure and talked like a real businesswoman, like they talked in the real business meetings where words were more dangerous than a knife to the neck. Of course the blonde had now way of knowing that Estelle actually had a very fair amount of experience in that world, so she really knew how to keep her cool under that kind of pressure. In the end she got a name from that woman: Chloe. It didn’t ring any bells but as the conversation continued it seemed like the blonde had some interest in Estelle. If what she said was true she was watching one of Estelle’s matches in the middle of that café, which was a reckless idea given the kind of matches she had. That woman wasn’t giving Estelle good vibes: what was she after? Was that her idea of a normal conversation, or was she hiding some agenda? The Swiss decided to try and get to the bottom of it. “I’m flattered you like my work, and I would kindly invite you to keep doing so, but was there something else you needed?”