Flocking Together

Lukretia didn't often stalk the back stage area of the AFW facility lately. Most of the time she saw fit to bring people to her. However, she still enjoyed it every once in a while. Part of her wished that she was still down in the trenches. It was where she belonged in some respects. There were also other, more visually appealing reasons to be out of her office. Some called it predatory, Lukretia preferred to think of it as sampling the ingredients. She liked to make sure that the stew that was the AFW was always perfectly seasoned and yet, she felt there were far too many cooks in the kitchen. Getting down and dirty and keeping a visual presence helped plant the seed in the minds of the wrestlers that she was the one pulling the strings.

As she paced through the locker room, she saw someone who she knew, but wasn't personally familiar with. Cassie Elliot. Her and Dark Angel were causing quite the stir with their little feud. It garnered some attention while the main event card was in flux after the aftermath of Avalanche. She had known who Dark Angel was and found the whole ordeal quite amusing. However, she wasn't looking to spill any of those secrets today.

Instead, She pressed her hands down her sleek red dress and pivoted on her heels and began walking towards the girl. Her heels clacked softly until she stopped at a close distance. "Fraulein Elliot. I don't think we've been properly introduced." She said, not giving her name. Cassie would know who she was and that acknowledgement would be all the greeting Lukretia needed.

She smiled at Cassie. Lukretia was only an inch taller than the red head, but looking upwards never made Lukretia uncomfortable. Usually it was the opposite. Her personality towered over men and women who strained their necks to look down at her. In this moment, though she wasn't attempting to be forceful. She held out her hand to shake Cassie's. "I feel zere are some matters zat ve should discuss." She stated simply.

Cassie strolled lazily down the hall, clutching her phone in both hands, thumbs working away at a text message to Mamouru. She was dressed in a pair of tight pink jeans and a white short-sleeved shirt with a pale blue floral pattern. Her light brown, fur-lined winter jacket was folded over and wedged under one of the straps of her backpack, and nodded over her shoulder as she walked.

She slowed to a stop as her phone binged, and she giggled at Mamouru's response to her message. She quickly began thumbing away at a response of her own. She didn't hear the incoming clacking heels.

"AieeEEE!" She shrieked when Lukretia spoke, and then again when she saw who it was. She nearly jumped out of her own skin, and in the process lost her grip on her phone. She bobbled it in the air for long enough to feel awkward about it before she could get a grip on it again.

She looked at Lukretia like a nervous cat before giving her a big, self-conscious smile.

"H-hi, Lukretia! Er, Mrs Crud...z...felt. I was just... I was... um... I..." She stammered. "Oh! We do? Um... like what?" She fidgeted and stuffed her phone in her pocket.

Lukretia closed her eyes as Cassie fumbled with her phone. Her smile remained but she didn't want her eyes to show irritation. Whens he was finished, she tilted her head. "Do not vorry, Fraulein." Lukretia said in a soothing tone. "You are not in any trouble.... for now." She added.

She leaned in and set a hand on Cassie's shoulder. "I have been vatching your matches recently. I am also avare zat you are acquainted vith Miss Parker. You may or not know zat ze two of us have had close dealings because of her rather bombastic personality during her regrettably short career here. I vas hoping zat since you und her knew each other zat I vould be in for a similar experience vith you. I am both surprised und disappointed to see zat in many vays... I vill be." Lukretia frowned. "Normally I like to do zis sort of thing in meine office, however, I feel as if zis is ze perfect moment to give you a bit of advice. It is ze least I can do, considering Miss Parkr vas one of my favorite employees." It was something she hadn't said to Taylor directly. They had their issues but Lukretia knew that Taylor was mostly what she was looking for in a woman in the AFW apart from the abhorrent crudeness that soaked the woman.

Cassie was so concerned with what to do with her hands, if she looked presentable, and why Lukretia could be talking to her of all people that she nearly forgot to listen to what Lukretia was actually saying. She nodded continually so that her boss would think she was listening.

Then her eyes went wide and her face took on an expression of wonder, as if she'd just learned an incredible secret. She briefly imagined herself as a girl-Indiana Jones first laying eyes on the holy grail. It took a moment before she remembered to continue breathing.

"She... was?" Cassie asked in an astonished whisper. Did Taylor know? "I, uh, I don't know what to say, this is all..." She didn't know what to do with herself, as if she had herself just been paid the biggest compliment of her life. "Thanks!" She grinned nervously.

Wait... that probably wasn't what Lukretia came to talk to her about. She tried to play it cool. "So... you're disappointed in me? Does that mean that you thought I'd be good? Or... Did you know that I was an intern for the AFW magazine for a while? I wrote your bio for the website! It's only a paragraph. Well, it's two sentences. You're really neat."

Lukretia took Cassie's words in stride, folding her arms underneath her chest as she looked down at the girl, sizing her up. "Fraulein, good or bad is not vhat entices me. I know vell enough of your skills, having seen the matches you have been in. I understand you are trained in Jiu Jutsu as vell. You have an impressive resume, und an impressive pedigree as vell." Whatever people could say about Lukretia, that she did not do her job well enough was not one of them. She was paid to know who she was ordering around and she took it very seriously.

Lukretia leaned in a little closer to Cassie and looked her in the eyes. "Und yet, you have a meager record, at best, und are vasting your time fighting people like Tomomi." Lukretia herself had had a match against the girl, but that had not ended well for the idol one bit. Lukretia let out a sigh. "I am not concerned vith vins und losses, Fraulein. Everyone experiences defeat in zere life und even ze pathetic manage to secure victory on occasion." She paused and lifted her finger to her lips. "Fraulein." She said and let it linger. "You should find your confidence quickly." She then hardened her features. "I personally believe zat fire is ze best trial. So, if you do not find it." She said and grinned sinisterly at Cassie. "Zen I vill find it for you and I assure you zat I do not beat ze bush vhen it comes to zese sorts of things."

Lukretia tilted her head. "Zis is no threat, Fraulein. In fact, you should consider it a compliment. I vouldn't vaste meine time if I saw no potential in you but you should decide quickly vether you vant to move forvard or not."

"But Tomomi's good..." Cassie said, a little defensively, in a small voice.

As Lukretia spoke, Cassie seemed to shrink. The German's imposing nature was in stark contrast to Cassie, who was anything but. Chin down and wide eyed, she watched and listened quietly, nodding furtively where appropriate. It was exciting that the boss lady knew her name! But also it was a little scary. Well, more than a little.

"[size=85:3ivpj7i5]My record's okay..." She said, her voice even smaller.

She did want to find her confidence! She nodded enthusiastically and started to say something, but couldn't manage to interrupt Lukretia. She swallowed hard.

"I do have potential!" She said, louder than she meant to. "I can do things other girls can't, and I know if I can just fix a few things I can beat just about anyone. I was born into it, and I was grappling before I could walk. I know I can make anyone give up!" She boasted. She wondered what Lukretia's abilities were, if she had any. Was she a wrestler herself? She sure didn't look like one, but... she looked like she didn't really need to use her hands to make a point.

Cassie shifted uncomfortably and stepped on the toe of one shoe with the toe of the other. She didn't know what to say right away, but she thought before she responded. "I want to move forward." She said, and then nodded and looked at Lukretia. "So... Forward?"

Lukretia leaned back to give Cassie some room as she spoke so enthusiastically. She smiled genuinely at the girl. When she was finished, she clapped her hands together. "Jawhol, Fraulein!" She said with an energetic tone. "Und I believe you vhen you say zese things. I respect your natural ability und ze hard vork you have put in ze ring thus far."

Lukretia's face then hardened a little bit. "However, I think that there is something you are missing, Fraulein." Lukretia lifted her finger and pushed it against Cassie's chest where her heart was. "Vhat you have here." She then lifted it and touched the side of Cassie's head. "Und vhat you have here are not translating out zere."

Lukretia then pulled her hand away and pointed past Cassie towards the direction of the arena. "You have a duty to figure out vhy it is like zis. It vill be ze only vay you can move forvard." Lukretia smiled once more. "I look forvard to seeing vhether you can or cannot. I honestly hope you can, Fraulein." She meant it too. She didn't like seeing people fail, even if she was perhaps an instrument in the failure of many girls that walked through the door. It certainly wasn't Lukretia's fault though. She was always one to give opportunities. She just didn't believe in baby steps.

Lukretia closed her eyes as he smile widened and took on a sinister quality. "Either vay, you vill acheive exactly vhat you are capable of acheiving und it vill be enjoyable for me to vatch."

Cassie's eyes followed Lukretia's finger, first down to her chest, and then she peered to the side as Lukretia's finger poked the side of her head. The look of wonder came over her face again as she listened. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Taylor's descriptions didn't do Lukretia any justice at all.

Her brown wrinkled and her face became full of static emotion. "I can do it." She said in a hushed, breaking voice. "I can do it." She repeated. It was a promise.

She was quiet for a moment, and she stared off at the floor while the wheels turned in her head. It seemed too good to be true that she'd have run into Lukretia Von Creuzfeldt like this. Or did she come looking for her? Had she really taken such an interest in Cassie that she would spend her time tracking her down just to talk to her? She spoke with a clarity that she never understood from her friends.

She lifted her eyes back up to meet Lukretia's, and the giddy, excited girl was gone. She was almost motionless. "Lukretia..." She said. She wasn't sure if it was okay to call her that. "You're... you're the nicest person I've ever met." She said, with such heartfelt sincerity that could make almost anyone believe it.

Lukretia raised a curious eyebrow at Cassie as she said her name. She wondered what the red head could want now. But the way she spoke had Lukretia intrigued. Cassie's words, however, made Lukretia stop. At first, she tilted her head. "Oh my." She said softly and pressed her hand to her chest. She could feel a gentle rumble in her chest as she leaned back and let out a rather hearty laugh.

When she was finished, she lifted up her hand and rested it on Cassie's head. She leaned forward so their foreheads nearly pressed together, just keeping enough distance so she wouldn't make the girl feel too uncomfortable. She wanted to look her in the eyes directly. "Dankeschön, Fraulein. I don't believe I have ever heard anyone make such a claim about me before."

Lukretia leaned back and let her fingers trail out of Cassie's hair before she turned and looked back at Cassie. "Perhaps I am growing too soft. I can't have people thinking I am nice after all." She chuckled once more and turned her back. She threw hand up and waved with the back of her hand with grace and poise. "Do not disappoint me or vhen I am through vith you, you may change your opinion of me. Auf Wiedersehen."

"I know you have to be tough." Cassie said quickly. "But maybe you've been trying to be something too much. I don't think you know what you're really like, but I do."

There was not a hint of doubt in Cassie. She knew what she saw, and she was sure she was right. Taylor could attest to what happened when Cassie made up her mind about someone. She once said that Cassie could find wonderful things to say about a dung beetle. She was also pretty sure that Sarah Gatt was no match for Cassie.

In fact, both of Taylor's friends were known for their relentless hugs.

She couldn't help it. Before Lukretia could turn to leave, Cassie darted in and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. She tucked her cheek against Lukretia's shoulder and held her without flinching. What seemed like a long time passed before she even gave her the option of letting go.

"Thank you." She said. "You really made my day."