So Nice To Meet You...

Allison sat at a small round table in the cafe that separated the gym side from the administrative offices in the AFW building. It was ten in the morning, and the morning rush of office workers had passed. She wasn't alone in the cafe, but she'd chosen a seat where she wouldn't be bothered by any other patrons. She was scarcely in the mood for idle chit chat, she never was, and especially not with the sort of riff-raff she'd encountered since arriving.

She wrinkled her nose at the uncouth, loud young girls that carried on at the other end of the room, as though they weren't aware that this was a public place. She ran her thumb and forefinger over the rim of the white porcelain saucer in front of her and looked down at the mediocre latte in front of her. She sorely missed the sort of fare that she'd been accustomed to for most of her life. The Japanese could not prepare proper food, let alone a proper coffee.

She sighed inwardly and turned her head to look out the enormous window to her left. The streets outside were certainly more colorful than in England, but with none of the history or refinement. She watched a few drably dressed workers scurrying down the sidewalk, huddling under umbrellas and clutching their coats shut. It'd be a miracle if Allison completed her stay here without absorbing any of the coarse, bland, industrial mediocrity that this place seethed with.

She fiddled with the thin handle of her coffee cup. To the right of the cup was a small stack of papers that she'd been ignoring. They were her contract. She was here to be a wrestler in their Friction division, but the thought of putting her name on a contract in a place like this... she'd been procrastinating while her coffee gradually became cold. With another sigh, she reached into her small designer handbag and removed a pen that was worth nearly as much. She shuffled through the papers again. She'd read them once already, and all that was left to do was sign them. She signed them, replaced the pen in her handbag, gathered the papers together and left her latte behind.

She took a moment to smooth and adjust her white buttoned shirt and her maroon dress jacket that was buckled around her midsection. She picked a bit of lint off the pocket of her black pants. She didn't bother with her hair, it was already perfect. The shirt hugged her bust and was unbuttoned low enough as to get attention, and a gold necklace with a cross pendant hung just above her breasts. Her pants fit as though they were expertly tailored for her, which they were. All of her clothes were exquisite, and very expensive, and she managed to come off as a combination of aloof, sophisticated, and provocative.

Reluctantly, but not at all timidly, she crossed the room and approached the nearest girl. "Pardon me, could you direct me to Cassandra Sellers?" She asked with her smooth, even voice, her posh London accent communicating a measure of innate disdain.

Violate R. Plácido had rarely come to the AFW facilities. though she had said that she was going to enter into the same world that her employer Lukretia Von Creuzfeldt was also in, she didn't need to sign any papers to get what she wanted. She was colorful enough, dressed in her magenta colored suit with its long coat tails, her top hat that was coked ever so slightly and her white gloves made her seem like she fit into this circus of freaks that was the AFW roster. But lately she had been getting some pressure to actually join. Lukretia had mentioned that it had been a shame to not see Violate at work. Doing what she did best. Such a passive aggressive style wasn't usually Lukretia's but the Gardner decided to take the hint.

She hadn't taken it very well and ended up in the Cafe somewhere near the office portion of the rather large AFW complex. She yawned. The girls hadn't seemed all that interesting. Or rather, there wasn't many of them. There had just been some older looking woman. Violate considered her. She considered everyone. But was int he mood for something a little younger and so turned her attention away from the woman and continued to sip at her tea. Her back was facing Allison when the English woman came up to her. When the shadow was cast over her, Violate reached into her coat but then grinned as she heard the accent.

Violate turned her head and gave Allison a curious look. "fufu." She chuckled to herself and smiled. "It's nice to see a woman around here." She said and tipped her hat. "Young girls... all day long.." She brought up her gloved hand and faked a yawn. "How boring." She then stood up. Allison had come to her. That was a good enough sign that she should continue the course that fate had laid out for her. She immediately seized Allison's hand, giving it a delicate shake. Not a weak shake but one that might come from a surgeon or safecracker. Confident yet unimposing.

She then pulled away, grabbed her hat and tipped it forward properly, removing it for a second and pulling it over her face as she bent in a slight bow. "Violate R. Plácido. I may just be new here." She said with a sly smile on her face as she scanned the beauty now that she was close enough to get a good look at her. "I could indeed send you to Ms. Sellers but what would be the fun in sending you off so soon? Why don't you parlay for a bit?" She said with an inviting smile.

"Allison Watson, a pleasure darling." She said shortly, polite but unamused. She put on a practiced smile.

"Well I certainly wouldn't want to spoil any fun, would I? I suppose I can stay and chat. Tell me, are you as new here as I am, fresh off the streets of this delightful metroplex, or have you got enough experience to... show me the ropes, as it were. P'raps tour the facilities, or lend me any insight as to the nature of our competition. You are a wrestler, aren't you darling? I can't imagine a career woman dressing the way you are. And what's this you say about small girls?"

Viewed from space, one could still accurately assess that Violate was someone not to be trusted. The air of instability that surrounded her, or whatever it was, was anything but subtle. Still, Allison preferred that she knew who she was dealing with, and Violate had certainly afforded her that.

"fufufu." Violate chuckled to herself when Allison introduced herself. "Charmed." She said with a sly wink. Allison looked very rigid. The woman had a stiffness about her that Violate both liked and disliked. It would be rather fun to see if she could get her to relax. But at the same time, it was rather annoying to not be able to deal with someone who was more on her level in the respect of looseness. Violate then spun on her heels and pulled a chair out from the table. "Sit, sit." She encouraged and would hold the chair for Allison.

Assuming she accepted the offer, Violate would take her own seat and lift her hand up and snap her gloved fingers. "What are you having?" She asked as she took a sip of tea and waited for the server to come back. Despite her eccentricity, Violate sipped her tea with refinement and poise before setting the cup down and smiling at Allison.

"Business brought me here, I suppose." She began before shaking her head. "No. That's not true. My business remains in Germany still... however. I was too intrigued by what fascination my current employer saw in this place. I've met a few of the girls, here and there." She wagged her finger from her left to her right as she said 'here' and 'there' A cool smile being maintained on her face.

"Fufufu. I'm not that skilled at wrestling if you mean to say by. the. book. But this place seems like a wonderful place to be able to practice my craft." She then smiled a little wider. "I'm a landscaper by trade. I'll even allow you to call me a gardener if you like. I find no shame in that title, fufufu. How's that?" She said sliding her finger along the brim of her hat. "The classiest Gardener there is. Women of class can look good even if their jobs involve getting their hands dirty, isn't that right... love." She said with a careful smirk.

"Oh... I don't believe I said anything about small girls. Young girls I said. Though, small girls as well, can be intriguing I suppose." She let her eyelids fall coolly for a moment as she waved her gloved hand dismissively. "These new girls are vibrant and so full of life. Some of them have quite a bit of passion for this business... and for other things, fufu." She smirked at Allison. "And that's all well and good but it gets dull after a while. There's only so much one can do with someone who is inexperienced and naive. Wouldn't you agree, dearest Allison?" She smiled warmly at Allison. She was enjoying playing with this woman already and even if Allison thought that Violate's playful attitude was mocking her, she would be wrong. Violate was enjoying herself quite thoroughly and was taking a liking to Allison.

Allison hooked her heel around the leg of the chair and pulled it in behind her as she sat. Every motion was graceful, smooth, controlled. She dismissed the waiter with a wave of her hand before he could even speak. "I've already attempted once, and this wretched establishment failed to produce my very simple order. I sincerely doubt they'll fare better on a second attempt."

She listened with polite interest and slight detachment. She mentally wrinkled her nose at the mention of Germany, but she said nothing. As for getting one's hands dirty... that drew a coy smile from Allison. "Dear girl, whatever your passion, if your hands are still clean when you're done you're not doing it right."

As for the mediocrity of inexperienced youth, "Oh, yes, I do indeed. Completely. I appreciate that we all must have somewhere to start, but certainly for someone of my talent to be forced to compete against a nubile young novice would be like feeding a fine Bordeaux to a dog. Wasteful. Indulgent, sometimes... decadent at best..." She said more slowly, letting the words roll off her lips as though she was savoring each one.

Her full lips pulled into another, more devious smile. "But there, just as you are a gardener, I am a wrestler. It may seem a profession somewhat unfit for a person such as myself, but one who would think that certainly has not experienced the pleasures that I have. It takes skill, confidence, refinement, an... artist's temperament to draw out the true, hidden pleasures in this dirty little business. It's a task that well bears undertaking." Her smile grew, flashing immaculate white teeth, and became more than a little unsettling. "Don't you agree?"

"Shame, shame, shame." Violate said as she sipped her tea once more. "But I suppose that I didn't enter into this bargain expecting refinement." She rattled her cup against its dish. "So I brought my own, fufu. If you desire delicacy then one must take their own strides to present it." She smiled coolly at Allison. This was a rather enjoyable meeting. Two women who presumably shared interests of a particular kind dancing back and forth, poking and prodding one another masterfully. It sent a thrilling tingle down Violate's spine. She was having fun with this one indeed. Perhaps they could conjure up something that was far more long term than a chance meeting and a simple passing conversation. Violate hoped it could be but for now she played it cool and listened to the Brit.

"Fufufu." Violate chuckled to herself. "I would definitely be inclined to agree with you."Violate tapped the side of her cup carefully with her index finger at Allison's words. "A waste. But sometimes it is necessary to indulge in a bit of that sort of thing for the sake of enjoying the excessive. If one can afford a luxury and yet one can not afford to discard that luxury then it was never a luxury to begin with, wouldn't you say?" She smiled warmly as she brought her hand up and tapped the edge of her hat. "So let the dogs drink Bordeaux on occasion! The dogs will feel pampered and you will feel at ease knowing you can afford such frivolity!" Violate whisked her hand across the table in a gesture towards Allison. She was rather fond of the metaphor Allison was using. She was rather fond of Allison for the moment.

"Well then, Ms. Wrestler." Violate said with a smirk. "If that is your profession then I think it suits you. As would any endeavor you strode towards. Women like us do not seek out desires. We turn what we have into desires. I force my will upon the very earth itself. Mother Nature has graced me with a fine canvas with which to paint an elegant picture. But my patch of land is sacred. that land is a temple to me and I am the goddess there. What of your own canvas? fufufu. I would imagine the scene painted there is much the same."

Violate leaned back and pushed her hat down so it shadowed her eyes. "How about that... But I don't believe that wrestling, per se, is what your passion is. Just like cutting grass and pruning trees and shrubs is not mine. You'll find no garden more exquisite than my employer's. However that is work for another. My own garden, I hope... I can find here. Every time I open these doors I believe I am opening the gate and going to observe another new shrub with which to turn into a magnificent topiary."

Violate then pushed her hat up and grinned at Allison. "Are the metaphors becoming cumbersome, Ms. Wrestler?" She said with a soft chuckle, bringing her hand up to stifle it. "She ran her finger along the rim of her teacup. "Perhaps my tongue needs to be nipped in the bud. I daresay it wags too much on occasion, fufufu."

"No, not at all, though I suspect the nature of them is changing somewhat." Allison said dryly. What an unusual person. While she wasn't sure quite what to make of her, she thought she knew exactly what to expect from her. She thought that she'd either be proven right or not before too long.

She leaned back slightly in her chair, propped her elbow up on the back, and crossed her legs, somehow making the simple motion appear exquisite. "Alright," She said, looking Violate over again. "Metaphors aside, what is it that you are hoping to cultivate here? The AFW are a rather unusual collection of misfits, by what I've seen. I'm sure given the sheer number of participants in this arena that there must be a wide range of different sorts... I suppose you and I are each evidence of that, in our own ways."

"So what is it that you thought you could do here that you would not be able to elsewhere? There's an intriguing question. I'm rather interested in finding out myself. To be perfectly honest, I currently feel as though I've made a significant career decision and ended up on holliday in Bradford. So far, I've filled out paperwork and queued for a miserable coffee, found a wonderfully mediocre flat in a very drab part of this very drab city... So far it has all amounted to naught, but I very much look forward to my first experiences with the more flavorful bits of this place, it does have such potential."

Violate smirked and wagged her finger at Allison. "Tut. Tut. Tut. Now we can't very well give away all the answers to life's favorite riddles now can we dearest, Allis." She smirked at the nick name. How delightfully appropriate! she thought to herself. She took another quick sip from her tea cup. Violate nodded at Allisons words despite seemingly shutting down her inquiry. "It is indeed true. A marvelous collection of the hapless, the desirable and the wayward. I thought my employer was being far too hyperbolic with her descriptions and am pleasantly surprised to see that she had actually undersold this place, fufu."

Violate then slid her hand into her coat jacket. She seemed to be holding it there as if she were posing for a Napoleon style painting. "Indeed we are evident of the nature of this Wonderland. Though you and I are much more than mere cards in a deck. At least, I hope that is the case with you and I know it to be the case for myself. I believe it to be so or else I don't think I would have batted an eye at your presence. Your exquisite demeanor is enticing to me, Ms. Wrestler." She gave Allison a sly smile. "Please continue to grace us with your style and sophistication. If one wants to achieve it, then one must properly adorn themselves with it." Violate then turned her head and looked coyly at Allison. "Though I do believe I have already achieved any goal of opulence and grace that I desire, your presence will certainly not hurt the situation for myself. And all those others who are lucky enough to gain fortune's favor by encountering such a woman."

Violate was laying it on thick but she was by no means being sarcastic. Allison had a hard yet sleek appearance. She looked as though she manacured herself, fretted over every last hair on her head. As though every cell of her body that was exposed tot he outside world was perfectly accounted for. And yet she might have no problem with bashing in someone's skull and not even chipping a nail doing it. The Gardner then looked up at Allison. "Though to circuitously bring back your initial point. I don't mind giving you a hint or two." She said with a smile and slid her hand out from her suit coat. In her hand was a gun that she set on the table. Allison would be able to see rather quickly that, while the gun looked real, on the side the word REPLICA was printed quite boldly.

Violate set the gun down and ran her finger along the side of it. "I came here to shoot a gun." She said with a grin. "And see who the bullets hits." She then brought up her hand and made a gun shape with it, pointing it at Allison before whispering. "Bang." She said almost breathily before lifting up her finger and blowing the fake smoke off it. "Don't worry my darling." She said with a wry smile. "She's not aimed at you, fufu."

Allison smirked, but was well practiced at restraining herself and her she appeared only with a polite smile. "You're rather a chaotic girl, aren't you?" She mused. "There's potential for great excitement... but without the correct sensibilities, you could as easily be a vulgar, offensive young woman. I've not known you long enough to judge for myself which is the case."

Slowly, deliberately, she reached up with two fingers and moved a lock of hair back from her forehead very slightly. The gesture itself was the goal, her hair needed no adjustment. She gazed impassively down at the fake gun on the table. "You're quite a pretty girl, no?" She purred, slowly. "While I may find it odd, you playing with toys such as this, if it's evidence that you aren't aversed to a bit of danger... that makes you a rather appealing candidate, doesn't it? Mmmm, perhaps."

She directed her gaze back at Violate. She sat back in her chair and lifted her legs to rest her calves on the table in front of her, with her legs remaining crossed. "I must say, you're enough of a loony to be interesting, and you've enough refinement about you to be more appealing than the bloody spanners I've met so far." She said softly, her voice like velvet. "I'm sure there's some way that we could take advantage of this new chemistry we've discovered? P'raps if you're not opposed to a bit of a scuffle..."

Violate looked up at Allison with a smirk. "Chaos is the spice of life, dear Allis." She said as she tilted her chin up ever so slightly. "I will bet you know that better than anyone." She then turned her gaze towards the gun. "Even though we're perfect strangers it feels like we're kin. people like us are quite magnetic, wouldn't you say? fufu. But what is Chaos? Such an abstract term. Clearly there is design to my words, my style, my exquisite form. So I am not an embodiment of such an esoteric concept. She lifted up her gloved hand and carefully adjusted her tea cup a few milimetres. "Degrees, Ms. Wrestler. That is what separates Chaos from Order. All things are incremental." Violate then lifted her gaze up at Allison and smiled at her.

Violate then placed her index finger on the table and pressed her middle finger in front of it. As she spoke, she walked her fingers forward with each new phrase. "But I am exciting, Ms. Wrestler. And I am not vulgar or offensive. I am quite sensible." She then pulled up her hand to her face and stifled a laugh. "Fufufu. But you dear Allis! You are quite droll. Your words are delicious. Your sensibility is impeccable and your atmosphere is refined, but are you a two headed coin? If I flip you, will you always come up heads? Fufufu, how charming."

Violately coyly watched Allison make her gesture. The gardener loved it. It was such an insignificant thing and yet Allison put such precision and significance into it. Violate then grinned at Allison's words. "Fufu, Ms. Wrestler! What have I done to earn your contempt?" She said in a jest. She slid her finger along her cheek. "I am merely pretty? Such a word is more favorable to porcelain. I shall have to work harder if I am to earn a more favorable reputation." Violate then looked down at the gun. "Play?" She said. "How specific you are when attaching the word play. The gun is merely a tool set for me." She said. "Enjoyment comes not solely from its use but rather as part of the entirety of situation in which it is used." Violate pulled the gun back towards her and holstered it smoothly.

"Allison." She said in a curious tone. "Would you look upon me disdainfully if I told you that sometimes it is not just a cap gun? That on occasion I see fit to bring something more infantile?" She carefully looked over Allison's eyes as she watched for a reaction. "Sometimes it is merely a water gun. Do you find that distasteful and above a woman of my class?" She then lifted up her finger as though to keep Allison from responding for a second. "And what if I said that it is also sometimes neither. That, on occasion, I like to find something more true to form, removing that pesky little word 'REPLICA' right off the side. Would you call me a heathen, a scoundrel perhaps if I were to tell you that on occasion what I bring with me is very much real?"

Violate then brought her hand up to her forehead and pressed the back of her hand against her brow. "Oh, but dearest Allis!" She exclaimed. "How would you think of me if I were to say that the child's toy has caused far more damage to those who I point it at than any of the real guns I have wielded?"

Violate stood up and put her hands flat against the table, leaning in and looking at Allison with a wry smile. "My dearest, dearest, Allison." Violate said, emphasizing her words and probably meaning them more or less. She then leaned her arm out and offered Allison her hand. "Allow me to grasp that hand of yours for a fleeting moment. If I can have the pleasure of relieving you from this drab and uncouth place of business then I shall accompany you upon quite the adventure and we shall be ever graceful in our endeavors so that no matter what they say, they will not be able to say that we did not do it with panache and dignity." The Gardner then tilted her head in a slight bow as she glanced up at Allison with a coy smile.