Help Wanted

Adrian squealed with delight as Cassie hugged her as she struggled to stay up. Tat's what she liked about Cassie, she was always positive always a ray of sunshine, rainbows and chipmunks, never a sad moment... until she starts choking people out who have a fear of being choked.

"T-that's...um... great? Great! Yeah, good for her and all..." Adrian said, trying to stay positive with this, it wasn't the time or the place to go on a Taylor bashing rant. Actually, it'd had been ages since she'd last seen the blue haired girl face to face. She couldn't really hold a grudge for that long could she? But it wasn't whether or not she still hated her that was the big issue. IT was more the point that they never really got any closure. Neither one got a clean victory over the other or time to formally bury the hatchet, it was still a big thing hanging over the cosplayer, and her retirement would have to be the closest thing she ever got to that.

"But yeah, good and stuff, but now onto other stuff I wanted to ask you." The cosplayer began, trying to turn so she had an arm over Cassie's shoulders and they were both facing the same direction. "How would you like to join the fastest growing group united by a single manager?" She asked "I can over a complete service free of charge from now until I'm cleared for in ring competition, from then onwards there may be some service delays but with me I can upgrade your Win ratio by at least ten percent!"

Mamouru watched as the two girls hugged. He smiled at their friendly nature. Cassie certainly had that affect on people. He didn't quite believe that Taylor was COMPLETELY done, but still, it seemed like if it was going to happen, it might not be for a long time. The wedding had happened almost as fast as the engagement. His mother was a little upset at that, but she was just happy she had someone to pester about grandchildren now. Her furrowed her brow at her bold declarations of pride at the thought of being a GMILF.

But Adrian's words pushed those thoughts aside and her raised an eyebrow at Adrian's incredulous eyebrow. He remained silent and carefully looked to Cassie to see what she might say about it.

"Yeah, it's really awesome." Cassie said. Her joy was muted somewhat by Adrian changing the subject. "I can give you her number." She said. She didn't want to change the subject.

But what an odd thing she had to say to her. Was everyone getting into management? It seemed like it took more than just wrestling experience and an injury to do it... But she didn't want to just blow Adrian off, that wouldn't be very nice.

"Oh, um... awesome! I didn't know you had... that you were managing, and stuff. Who else do you manage? Um... Mamouru is sort of already that for me, but... you're free, right?" She looked at Mamouru with a big smile but looking for help. "Um, I dunno. But I'm looking to increase my win rate by way more than ten percent! I don't plan on losing. So watch out!"

"Yeah it's kind of a new thing, I mean when I started I first thought that I'd start off working as a manager for Becks, but then I got wrestling myself. That doesn't mean I'm not trained as one! My first mentor was a manager himself, and he was awesome. I wish I had a laugh half as awesome as his, but yeah! Thought I'd do something while I recover still, get back at ringside before stepping in the ring, stagger it out a bit." Adrian tried to explain as her speech pattern started quickly climbing in pace. Although her face fell when Cassie pointed out that she had a manager already, and it was the guy she'd used as a snow brake.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... he's your manager?" The cosplayer asked, looking at Mamouru. He did look kind of familliar, as if she'd seen him before but he couldn't be Cassie's manager. As a guy he'd be unable to fill a lot of the roles a manager needed to fill in an all girl league. "Hmmm...." she let out, taking her time to closly analyze the 6 foot young man, occasionally poking him in the side for a reaction. "Have you ever distracted a ref away from an important pinfall attempt for your clients?" Adrian asked "Have you ever discretely slipped someone a weapon where only the crowd notices it was you?"

Mamouru tried to remain as stoic as possible while he was assaulted by Adrian's probing questions and finger. "Cassie-san is the only client of mine I have been able to schedule matches for thusfar. Really, she's the only one I count." He paused and lifted a hand to his chin. "I am still starting off as well, but I have aspirations as well." He gave a nod. "I have no doubt that Cassie-san will help me achieve more than I could ever dream of though." He said giving Cassie a polite nod.

He then addressed Adrian's questions. "I am certainly capable of doing those things but I do not believe that is the right way to go with Cassie-san. She doesn't need weapons. She already is one." He said with all seriousness. He doubted Cassie would appreciate that but it was definitely true. "Not all managers and not all clients need to do that sort of thing to win matches. Perhaps there will be clients int he future who will want or require those sorts of managerial aides but I think with Cassie-san the joy will be in winning cleanly and really showing off her skill."

Of course he was partially speaking for Cassie so he turned to her and smiled. "Do you agree, Cassie-san?" He asked. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted all that dirty manager stuff?

Cassie drifted off for a moment while Adrian and Mamouru squabbled. She had been doing that a lot lately. She was thinking about Taylor and Adrian, and how it looked like Adrian really didn't care after all. Maybe she was just being polite.

She'd been thinking a lot about her career in the last few weeks. She felt like there was pressure on her, with Taylor retiring, but she also felt ready... She couldn't quite explain why. Maybe she was angry enough about not winning the way she always had in jujitsu competition, or at the AFW girls for being so dishonorable, and maybe a little at Taylor for quitting. She felt a fire in her belly when she thought about the ring that she hadn't had before.

But that was still no reason to cheat. She'd never do that.

"Well, a-actually, I don't think anyone should break the rules." Cassie said. "I mean, I like you and you're funny, but I don't like what you do. I think if you worked harder and had more confidence you wouldn't feel like you had to cheat. I don't see any way you could beat me, without cheating." She said honestly, without thinking twice about her assertion. In her mind there was no doubt about it, of course she'd win.

Adrian pouted as Mamouru seemed to brush off her challenges. "But you don't have any formal training as one whereas I got it when I learned to wrestle." She pointed out, trying to focus on him and thinking of her next line of criticism... she couldn't fault him for his choice of client: she was after Cassie as well and she knew how nasty it could potentially be fighting submissionists. Her leg was a painful reminder of that. And what she knew about the Canadian did all point to her being a goody-two-shoes on top of everything.

"It's not so much I'd cheat for you to win if you don't want me too, it'd be more I'm allowed to get physical and stop other people getting in whereas he's obligated to submit to a macing if he puts hands or threatens anyone." Adrian tried to clarify "I can work on a no-first cheat and MAD* if you want." the cosplayer offered but what Cassie said really ticked her off. Her eyebrow twitched and her hands balled into fists as she completely underestimated her abilities. If she wasn't injured or trying to be friendly that right there would be grounds for a rant and an ass kicking. Trying to keep calm she tucked her hands under her armpits and shivered, trying to pass it off as it being really really cold.

"Well right now I wouldn't be able to win, but that's because I'm still not cleared to compete, so shouldn't be in a match against you in the first place. So I wouldn't be able to win because there wouldn't be a match to win." She said, trying to pass her circular logic as excuses to not punch Cassie in the face or point out a hundred reasons why she sucked, not that she'd been collecting a list like that for use on anyone like that...


[size=85:1kjdbrqs]*Mutually Assured Dickery

Adrian actually had a good point. People tried to interfere with other people's matches often enough, and having someone outside the ring to stop them would let her finish the match fair and square. Mamouru probably could do that... it wasn't like he was opposed to fighting with girls, since that was his job in Tension.

But then Adrian started acting funny. It took a moment for Cassie to realize what she had said and that Adrian was of course angry about it. Who wouldn't have been? She felt immediately stupid, and apologetic.

"Oh..." She said. "Well, of course I'd never fight you if you weren't ready. That'd be dumb." She took a quick step forward and put a hand on Adrian's elbow. "But... You can't really blame me for being confident in what I can do, right? You have to be! I'm sure I could beat you just like you're so sure you could beat me. You've probably already thought of a few reasons why you would..." She cracked a smile. "So... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."

She looked over at Mamouru for validation that she was saying the right things. She only said what she felt, but sometimes that got her into trouble. She didn't mean to be stuck up or arrogant or anything... but she could understand how she might sound that way sometimes.

Adrian sighed, it did get to her a little. Everyone assumed that just because she cheated, that the cosplayer couldn't fight fair and had a lack of confidence in herself that could all be solved by a bit of elbow grease and hard work. She didn't cheat because she lacked the confidence in herself to win fairly, she cheated because it came naturally to her and was what got her her big break into the higher level promotions. Stick to what works and all.

"No... everyone thinks they can beat everyone, that's one of the key things and well... maybe I have, but..." She paused trying to think, there had to be one thing she had to show off, to re-inflate herself, get back to focusing on the sales pitch and not people's low opinions on her actions. What could she offer that wouldn't be breaking the rules, but really useful. "Although figuring out ways to beat people helps when you have access to the more detailed roster archive. Like I do." She said smugly "So, I could probably figure out who this 'dark angel' is pretty easy. And when you know that you can work out her strengths and weaknesses and what kind of training she's had." She pointed out, adding the air quotes for Cassie's latest opponent. She only knew Cassie was still here from that promo, and maybe a little info could go a long way. Especially one upping Mamouru like that.

Mamouru was pleased with Cassie's spirit but it seemed as if Adrian was relentless. She even pulled out that she had some sort of secret information. But Mamouru wasn't about to let her just muscle in where she didn't belong.

"Any of that can be figured out by watching her matches. Knowing who she is is irrelevant. She's had enough matches to study her. Have you looked at her matches at all? Have you studied the film and grasped how she implements her techniques?" Mamouru lifted up his briefcase. "I have prepared a full docket of study materials for Cassie-san already. I am certain it will be enough, if not more so than whatever info you could gleam from knowing her name. If you will even be able to procure that much."

Mamouru furrowed his brow. "Why, exactly, are you so interested in managing Cassie-san specifically anyway. She's plainly stated she has no interest in your favorite strategies." He paused and shook his head slightly. "Aside from the fact that it's already been tried. Surely there are dozens of girls who would love to try and succeed through your preferred method and who do not already have managers."