Steel Magnolia (History: Chiyoko)

[Lepa]

Premise:
Before she was a magical girl in Aster City, Chiyoko Uzuki was a wrestler and Bill Pryce was her manager. Both characters were originally created for a wrestling federation with competitive writing. (It was also the first time I used Casey Calhoun, who I eventually planned to take part in wrestling, but things changed.)

So each week, a card was put up. If your character was booked on the card to fight against someone else's, both people were supposed to write up a form of character development for their wrestler. (For some reason these were called roleplays, but they were more like short stories...) Either way, both people's posts are judged by the end of the week, and whoever's post the judges liked better ended up being declared the winner in the story. These posts are the ones I'll be compiling here.

I wrote Chiyoko's development for this site every week from mid May to mid August in 2017, and it was the most writing I've ever done. I revisited it recently and was surprised it actually held up pretty well, so I figured I'd share it here, too! Not only does it explore Chiyoko's development, but also the relationships and dynamics between her, Bill and Casey.

Please note that you don't really have to know wrestling to read this! Most of the plot happens outside of the ring. There's also swearing, but it's mostly from Casey, especially later on. :P

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Summary:
The talent agency Kirin Canyon wanted to market the concept of a Japanese idol to American audiences. Though their first attempt failed many years ago, they've decided to revisit the concept. Realizing that "Of course! Americans are hardcore!" the company decided to try a new approach, combining the idol's career with professional wrestling. Coincidentally, former child actor of KiriCan, April Suzuki, had been looking to pay off her college debt. Convinced to take up the project in exchange for the company paying her debts off, April took up the stage name Chiyoko Uzuki. Together, with her new agent and manager, Bill Pryce, Chiyoko ventured into the wrestling federation of Elite Legion Wrestling.

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Chapter Index
The color of each chapter title will indicate which character the chapter will focus on!

1. An Idol's Debut (Week of May 15, 2017)
2. A Special Request (Week of May 22, 2017)
3. The Azure Flare (Week of May 29, 2017)
4. Child's Play (Week of May 29, 2017)
5. Training Wheels (Week of June 5, 2017)
6. An Idol Chat (Week of June 12, 2017)
7. A Reason to Fight (Week of June 19, 2017)
8. The Crown Jewel (Week of June 26, 2017)
9. Idol Time (Week of July 3, 2017)
10. Control (Week of July 3, 2017)
11. War Hawk (Week of July 10, 2017)
11a. Promotional Raffle! (Friday, July 14th, 2017)
12. Ripple Effect ~Pryce Side~ (Week of July 17, 2017)
13. Ripple Effect ~Daniel Side~ (Week of July 17, 2017)
14. Slow Burn (Week of July 17, 2017)
15. Singularity (Friday, July 21, 2017)
16. The Dinner (Week of July 24, 2017)
17. Wildfire (Week of July 24, 2017)
18. Lost Sheep (Week of July 24, 2017)
19. Friday Night Backfire (July 28, 2017)
20. Weak Point (Week of July 31, 2017)
21. Friday Night Justice (Aug 4, 2017)
22. A Knight Out (Week of Aug 7th, 2017)
23. The Big Picture (Week of Aug 7th, 2017)
24. Vow of Protection (Week of Aug 14, 2017)
25. Before the Storm (Week of Aug 21, 2017)

[Lepa]

Week of May 15th, 2017
(Show: Friday, May 19th, 2017)
Show location: Detroit, Michigan

Chapter 1:
An Idol's Debut

"Gyah...!"

The cry echoes against the shot of a sky. It cuts to an angle from the ground, where a young man slams into the concrete with an audible thud. He sits up feebly, clutching at his gut. "Y-You..." He grunts, teeth clenched as he glares up. The camera does the same, revealing a group of five thugs, all darkened by ominous shadow. They were tough looking men, various forms of smirks plastered across each of their faces. It was clear that they've cornered their next victim.

"Heheheh," their leader chuckles. He walks forward with a lazily smug swagger. He holds a bat in one hand, carelessly dragging the tip along the ground, the soft friction audible against the concrete. "Why don't you just give it up, pretty boy?" His tone is light and mocking, laced with an edge of danger. "Give up the cash... and maybe you'll live to see another day."

"N-No...!" The victim stutters, barely choking the word out. He attempts to scoot back, but he bumps into the wall behind him. The poor man's eyes widen in panic as his head jerks aside to look, hands frantically patting at the brick surface. He cringes, realizing his fate before glancing back to the the gang with a gulp. Laughter erupts from the others.

"Last chance, pretty boy," The leader snerks. "We can do this the easy way..." He lifts the bat up, cupping it in his other hand. "Or the hard way."

"How about a third option?!"

Everyone stops at the sudden girlish voice, glancing around expectantly.

"...Where the hell did that come from?" The leader growls, his grip tightening on his bat.

"Up here!" The voice blares from above. The camera pans up the two story building, stopping to focus on a girl in a frilly outfit, perched up on the ledge. With her legs are spaced apart and her fists defiantly placed on her hips, the shot zooms in on her face, pouting in disappointment at the scenario below.

"Tsk tsk..." She lifts a finger, wagging it sternly. "Picking on others weaker than you..." The girl's pout turns into a frown. "Especially a cute boy?!" She poses dramatically, lifting her arm in an arc over her head, just to point at the gang below. "Unforgivable!" Her brow furrows as she belts out her declaration. "I am the shining light, I am the song of passion! I am the divine cutie of justice! With my own hands, I'll punish the villains of this world and open their hearts to the fires of love! I am the Perfect Idol, Chiyoko Uzuki! Your end has come!" She twirls around, finishing off her speech with a myriad of hearts. "Prepare yourselves!"

The camera returns to ground level, the gang all in frame, unfazed by her... sparkly threat. "Psh." The leader's eyelids lower skeptically." And the hell are you gonna do, girlie-"

Chiyoko abruptly plummets into frame, elbow dropping him into the ground.

"What the fuck?!" An underling hollered as the rest of the gang backs up. "That crazy bitch just jumped off that building!"

"HEY!" Chiyoko scolded, kipping up onto her feet. She turns to face the gang, taking a few steps back for a running start. "Watch... your... language!" She lunges forward and leaps up, smashing her backside into a thug's face. "KYAH!" As she enters combat with the gang, the footage transitions into playing on a TV screen. The camera zooms out from the TV, showing that both Chiyoko and her manager have been watching back a teaser package for her.

"Haah..." She sighs, visibly less confident than she was in the footage. "That... Hn. I showed a little bit more skin than I thought..." Chiyoko looks aside to the man in the suit of roses. "Why didn't anyone say anything, Mr. Pryce?"

"Aw, c'mon, we're friendos, ain't we? Buddies! Pals! Chums! Right?" He laughs, slinging an arm around Chiyoko, though she remains meek. "Just call me Bill!"

"...Okay, Mr. Pryce."

Pryce casts a quick aside glance to the camera with a shrug. He looks back to her, clearing his throat as he releases his client. "Ahem... In any case, it's fine! Guys love that kinda stuff!"

"Aah, I understand that, but-"

"So there shouldn't be any other problems! In fact, you should be bouncing and ready to go, yeah?" Pryce slightly hops up in down and place, encouraging her to do the same. "C'mon, gimmie that pep! Show you're the best! Put that spring in your step and a bounce in your brea-" He stops. "...Why aren't ya bouncing?" Chiyoko bites her lip, glancing down to the ground.

"I'm just..." She looks back up at him, nervously clenching her fists to her chest. "I'm just worried about what they'll think about my wrestling! Plus, aren't I up against, like..." Her volume lowers. "...A veteran...?"

"Aw, is that all?" He clasps his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry! I looked into her history. Knowing is half the battle, yeah? And, well, she seems like a nice kid," He pulls his hand back, shrugging. "I mean, suuure, she's got a lot more experience... Traveled all over the world and whatnot... Knows a lotta wrasslin' styles..." His volume lowers as he glances aside, muttering to himself. "I'm surprised she doesn't have MMA on that list..."

"...MMA?" Chiyoko perks up in concern, having picked up the last bit.

"Nothing! Nothing! Dooo~ooon't sweat it!" He snaps his head back, finger gunning. "It's just... You know, MMA! Short for, "Man, More Anime!" And baby, you're the most anime of them all!"

"...Mr. Pryce, I don't think that's how you use the word anime..." She puts a finger to her lip, tilting her head in thought. "And something tells me that I don't think that's what MMA means...'" She frowns. "Isn't that..." Her eyes widen slightly as she looks up at him. "...Mixed Martial Arts?"

"...Mmmmmaybe. BUT!" He raises a finger objectively. "That was speculation on my part! There's nothing indicative of any sort of MMA in your opponent's history! Besides," He clenches the raised hand into a fist. "If anyone's got the MMA history, it's you!" He motions to her as she tilts her head quizzically. " I mean, think about it! You're a mixed artist, yeah? Singing, TV, all that good stuff! You've done it all! That's right!" He nods, having convinced himself. "You're a mixed artist, Chiyoko! All you have to do is go out there and prove that you're MARTIAL LAAAAAW!" He then seems to present something to her.

"...Um," Chiyoko looks down. The camera zooms out slightly, showing Pryce holding out a nightstick to her. She looks back up. "...I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to use that while I'm in the ring, Mr. Pryce."

"...Ah!" He glances down, feigning surprise at the foreign object in his hands. "Huh, well how about that!" He smiles. "...All right, then I'll use it!"

"...I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to use that while I'm in the ring, either!" Her voice raises for the first time since the promo footage. She stomps her foot forward, pointing her finger just inches from the tip of Pryce's nose. "No cheating! Get rid of that thing right now!"

For just a moment, Pryce is frozen in place with a look of astonishment, arms up as if in surrender. He realizes something. "...Ooooooh. Right." Quickly obliging to her demand, his jerks his arm backward, tossing the nightstick over his shoulder. The baton clanks against the ground off screen. "Of course... A sweet, darling little idol like you fights fair... What was I thinking?" His smile returns as he eases his arms into a shrug. "...Beeettteeer?"

"...Yeah." Her tone resumes a normal volume. "...Sorry, Mr. Pryce. I know you're just trying to help, but... I think I need some time by myself to think."

"...Oh." He sounds almost disappointed, but he doesn't miss a beat. "Right!" He snaps his fingers, finger gunning again. "You got it! If that's what you want, then I'll just be out of your hair, yeah?" He backs out of frame, calling from off screen. "Just don't forget - You've got an appointment at 1, a sponsored cameo at 2, and we're going out for a light meal at 4! Be ready for those!" His volume increases with his distance. "And don't hesitate to call if you've got a problem! Ol' Bill's got your back!" As his footsteps grow more distant, Chiyoko gives him one last wave. Once out of sight, she sighs again.

"Uwaaah... So nervous!" She looks aside to the TV, her big fight scene already over. The baddies were defeated and her TV self had just parted with the cute guy she protected. "I'll still do my best, but..." Chiyoko folds her arms anxiously, looking to the floor. "Can I really live up to this...?

"The only reason you can't do it is because you keep saying you can't!"

Her head snaps back up, glancing back in the TV's direction. The scene was supposed to be over, wasn't it...?

"Any part of achieving something is believing you can do it!" The recording of her yelled in determination, fists clenched. She was offering moral encouragement to audiences at home. "Focus on what what you do best! " The footage of her twirled around, energetic as ever. "Even if you fail... you can never let that defeat you!" TV Chiyoko posed dramatically, her backdrop exploding with hearts. "Don't give up! Give it your all!"

"...Yeah." Real Life Chiyoko nodded. "Yeah...! Yeah!" She lifted her head, straightening her posture with an excited hop. "You're right, me! If I have time to mope around, then I have time to better myself! Yeah!" She throws up an eager fist pump. "I already wasted enough time here worrying... So I'd better not waste any more!" Chiyoko looks around before hastily brushing off her skirt. "Look out, everyone!" She declares to no one in particular. "I'm doing my best!" She hops up and down, breaking into a run off screen.

The camera is left to zoom in on the TV, frozen on a screencap of a winking Chiyoko before fading out.

[Lepa]

Week of May 22nd, 2017
(Show (PPV): Friday, May 26th, 2017)
Show location: Chicago, Illinois

Chapter 2:
A Special Request

A shot of Kirin Canyon HQ - Chiyoko's agency - stands tall against the city skyline. Pink hues paint the clouds, the day lulling itself to sleep as evening sets in. The scene transitions into a sleek office lounge, dotted with several employees, all unwinding from a long day. The camera pans to a quiet corner. Comfortably cushioned on one of the many couches is Bill Pryce, who's busy scrolling on his phone. In between his incremental texts, he periodically glances up to an ecstatic Chiyoko. She paces the carpeted floor in front of him, gesturing wildly.

"...And then!" The idol raises a finger up high. "...And then I hit the hand springy move and it was really cool!" She clenches her fists, pumping them downwards for emphasis. Bill smiles and nods, responding with an idle "that's nice" as he quickly finishes another text. She stops her pacing for a moment, dropping her shoulders with a small frown. "...Are you even listening?"

"...What?" Pryce looks up again. "Of course!" He almost sounds offended, though he drops whatever problem he seems to have when he immediately returns to his phone. "You just gotta remember, Chiyo, I gotta set up all your appointments and stuff, yeah?" His eyes dart between his device and client as he speaks. "You ain't just a wrestler, you're an idol! A wrestling idol!" He winks. "And we gotta make sure we get you set on the path for success!"

"...O-Oh!" She stands upright. "Well... That's also what I wanted to talk about." She folds her arms, cocking her head to the side. "I know you got the idol part covered, but... if I wanna keep up that "wrasslin'" momentum, I was hoping maybe you could find me someone to help me train more...? I mean, in my time off, I've been training with Beary-"

"...Barry? ...Who's that?" Pryce frowns, glancing up again. "Is that... a personal trainer you picked...? Without me?! Aww, you gotta run these sorta things by me, Chiyo!"

"...Er, wait, no! He's not actually a..." She trails off, raising her hands up in reassurance. "That's just..." She rubs the back of her head. "...It's just what what I call the... giant teddy bear I keep at home." She whispers, glancing aside sheepishly. "Admittedly, he's not a very good training partner, but... " A weak smile crosses her face. "I use a trampoline to practice my jumpy stuff, you know? So... He can take some pretty mean elbow drops..." Her shoulders droop again. "But... There's only so much I can do with something that can't fight back. Do you know what I mea-"

"CUTE!" Pryce blurts out, startling Chiyoko into backing up a step. "So innocent, so... pure! Good! Good!" He nods approvingly. "A teddy bear? As a training dummy? I like that! In fact, I love it!" He looks back down to his phone, once again typing furiously. "A perfect image for the Perfect Idol! Ooh, man that'll make for some great marketing-"

"Wait, um, so will you help me find a trainer or...?" Chiyoko steps back close. "Because I'm supposed to... go up against three other people now, right?" She frowns. "That's... a bit scary..." She pauses. "Wait... no..." Her fists clench up against her chest. "That's a lot scary...!"

"Hold up a moment, Chiyo! I just gotta log this new bit of trivia, yeah?" He leans closer to his phone, his fingers nimble against the screen. No less than a few seconds later, he springs up to his feet, shoving his phone into his pocket all in one swift motion. "...All right, you were sayin'?"

"Aaah, well... I'm still a bit scared, but that's why I've been telling you about my first match all week!" She holds her fists up again, this time clenching them with confidence. "I have to psych myself up! I have to cling to the emotions I felt when I won...!" She lowers her arms again. "...But I don't think confidence alone is enough. Especially up against three other women, all probably tougher than me..." She tilts her head slightly with a sigh. "Plus, there's supposed to be ladders involved... and I don't think the others are too keen on settling for a competitive light bulb changing match."

"It's fiiiiine, don't worry about it!"

"But what if my first match was just beginner's luck...?"

"Pshaaaw! Anything they can do, you can do better! ...So long as it fits your aesthetic, BUT WHATEVER!" Pryce waves a hand dismissively. "I mean, besides, if you're that worried, I can fill you in now, yeah? Because scouting the others...? That's my job, baby! After all, Chiyoko, what's my name?"

"M... Mr. Pryce?"

"Darn skippy it is!" He beats a hand to his chest, brimming with pride. "And you know the ol' saying: The Pryce is Right!"

"...That's a game show, not a saying..."

"Not when it's spelled with a Y!" He fingerguns. "I mean, really, what do these ladies got that you don't? Let's review!" He wiggles his fingers as if trying to emulate telling a spooky ghost story. "That one chick might be the Queen of Flames or whatever, but can she even hold a candle to the intense heat of the spotlight that shines down on ya every night, Chiyo?!"

"Uhhh... I don't think it's really fair to judge without me seeing her first hand, Mr. Pryce." She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "Plus... I think she has a lighter? That can be used in place of a candle, right?"

"Tch, awwwgh..." Pryce sighs, dipping his head back in mild frustration. "C'mon, work with me, sweetheart!" He holds his palm out, slapping the back of his other hand against it. "I'm trying to hype you up here, yeah?" He lifts his hand up, twirling a finger around. "Another one of your opponents? She's got her head in the clouds, if that Stargazer name's anything to go by. ...Or she's a Jedi. One or the other!" He shrugs. "I think she's got some kinda fan club...? Pshaaawww! You're an idol, Chiyo! Your kind thrives on fan clubs, so you've already got that beat!"

Chiyoko shrinks back a bit. "But I don't have that many fans..."

"Not with that attitude!" He pats her on the back. "I mean, damn, have you seen how far fanboys will go for their beloved star? Being an idol already increases your popularity by like, 69%! So clearly, you have the advantage!"

Chiyoko looks up at him, curious. "...Why 69%?"

He laughs, patting her on the head. "...I'll tell you when you're an adult!"

"Wh-...!" She shoves his hand away, pouting. "I am an adult...!" She glances aside, muttering like a child. Folding her arms, she looks back up to her agent. "But... seriously, Mr. Pryce. You haven't answered my question!"

"But I'm on a roll, Chiyo!" He tightens his bowtie smugly. "That's two of my evaluations of your three opponents, yeah? So that just leaves Ayumi..." He snerks. "Hoooo beans, a vet like that-"

"No!" Chiyoko objects, holding her arms up in a large X. "No comparing the two of us!" She lowers her arms. "She seems real nice and tried her best, too! You can't make fun of her for that!"

Pryce stares in silence. "...Pfft," he finally chuckles. "All right, all right," he sighs in amusement, his bit done. "...So, what was your question again?"

"Will you help me get a trainer?"

"OH! ...Yeah, sure," he answers frankly.

"Yes!" Chiyoko fist pumps. "Thank you, Mr. Pry-"

"But not until after Sunday!"

"...Ehhh?! But..." Her tone was deflated. "How will I get ready in time for the ladder match on Friday...?"

"Look, I know it sounds bad, but..." Pryce shrugged. "You're completely booked, yanno? We gotta capitalize on this first win and market all we can! ...In fact," He reaches for his phone, checking the time. "You've got a photo shoot in an hour. C'mon!" He turns to leave. "The earlier the better!"

As he makes his way through the lounge, he looks to his side, only to realize Chiyoko isn't following him. He glances back, seeing that she hasn't budged from her spot. "Aw, c'mon! Don't do this to me, Chiyo!" He calls back to her. "C'mon! C'moooon! ...I'll get you your favorite chocolate lava cake after this!" He promises. No response. "What about a nice edible fruit arrangement?" He asks while approaches her. He makes several other similar diplomatic offers - all involving food for whatever reason (perhaps he was hungry) - but they were all met with silence. As he reaches her, Pryce sighs, defeated.

"...Look, I'm sorry I couldn't help," he says in earnest, frowning. "But first thing, after that show? You can bet your sweet patootie I'll find ya a trainer! No doubt!" He flashes a smile and a quick thumbs up. "...Until then, you'll have to cooperate with me, yeah? You have to understand, we got obligations to fill and a fanbase to build up! So, whaddya say?"

Chiyoko remains silent for a few moments, still pouting. Her cheeks puff up shortly before exhaling a reluctant sigh. "...Fiiiine."

"EXCELLENT! Now, c'mon!" He swiftly turns away, striding back through the lounge. "Let's head to that shoot, baby!"

Chiyoko hesitates again as the distance grows between them. She leans her head back, staring at the ceiling. "I guess this means I'll be training by myself again..." She sighs, looking back forward. "I hope Mr. Pryce knows what he's doing..." After another moment of contemplation, Chiyoko trots off screen in an effort to catch up to her manager before the scene fades to black.

[Lepa]

Week of May 29th, 2017
Location: Aster City

Chapter 3:
The Azure Flare

Welp. He probably deserved this.

Bill Pryce just had to insist on walking back to the hotel by himself. It wasn't supposed to be far, only 20 minutes at best! And yet somehow, his walk spanned three hours. He had gotten lost in the city (as much as he didn't want to admit it), and his "brilliant" shortcut lead him into a neighborhood that, frankly, looked like shit. Windows were boarded up, garbage littered the street, a puddle of oil pooled up in a giant pothole... Come to think of it, it was eerily reminiscent of one of the sets that Chiyoko battled on. A perfect scene for getting mugged, he had thought. The only difference? If he got attacked, there'd be no cute girl to save him...

And here he was, getting mugged, no cute girl to save him. He had to jinx himself like that, didn't he...?

"Uh... look, pal..." The manager started, holding his hands up in meek surrender. He was staring down the sharp end of a large knife held by a rather... large man. "You, uh..." He glanced around quickly, hoping to find help. "You... sure did pick a good place for a muggin', I'll give you that...!" He looked back to him, smiling nervously. He could've easily turned tail and fled if he wanted to, but the question was just... whether or not he'd be willing to take that risk. Pryce simply wasn't the athletic sort, and hoooo boy, the last thing he wanted to do was find out just how fast this man could stab him.

"Gimmie your shit."

"Haha! Hoo, man, I don't... think you'd want... my... shit, yanno?" He laughed uneasily, inching back slowly. The thug growled, his knife creeping closer. "O-oh! Hey! That's a... That's pretty sharp knife there, yeah? Maybe don't... point it so close to my face, eh tiger? I can't, uh, really... reach for my stuff if you, ah, gouge my eyes out or something. Ha! Hahaha..." Why did he say that? Goddamnit, he wasn't doing himself any favors. On one hand, he could give up his phone and wallet, but that'd be passing off some valuable, private information!

On the other hand, he could die.

And then this man would just loot his body and get his stuff anyway, so...

All right. Looks like he had no choice but to cooperate. "J-Just, uh..." He began to lower his arms slowly. "I'm getting my stuff, yeah? Okay?" He reassured shakily, frantically patting at his pockets, never breaking eye contact from the knife. "H-Haha, the funniest thing happened with my phone actually..." He stammered, pulling it out. "Seems like the damn thing, uh, trashed itself, so, ah..." His hand shook as he held it up, quickly adding, "B-But see? See? Doesn't mean it's worthless! You can still have it! Just don't stab me for the love of god please," he pleaded under his breath. As the man reached for the device, Pryce's eyes widened. He spotted a hand appear above the assailant's shoulder, giving it a firm tap.

"...What?" The thug's voice rasped, turning aside to glance back.

A fist hurled at his face, knocking him square in the jaw. The man staggered backwards, just barely keeping his balance. Pryce shrieked and immediately bolted, fleeing behind a public mailbox a safe distance away. He peeked out from the side, part terrified, part morbidly curious at what the fuck just happened.

"C'mon asshole," the blue haired newcomer growled, fists up in a ready stance. Like an enraged bull, the larger man charged at him, knife in hand. The size difference didn't faze the newcomer at all. He shuffled aside, sidestepping the weapon. With a clear opening, he rammed a pointed elbow into the thug's chest. From there, his arm snapped up into a backfist. It smashed into the crook's face. The knife dropped to the ground with a clink, and the larger man stumbled backwards again, hunched over and clutching at his nose. He managed to lift his head, glaring.

"...Get on outta here." That was the newcomer's blunt statement. "You look like already got the wind knocked outta ya... This fight ain't lookin' fair to you."

"Fuck... you..." he grunted.

"...Tch." He lowered his arms. "If that's how you want it..." He muttered before lunging at the thug.

Pryce looked on as the smaller man continued his one sided onslaught. Should he have run? Yes, absolutely! But he was curious about this fighter. The guy was obviously no magical girl, but what were the chances of someone else coming along like that? He still couldn't believe it. Was it a sign? Maybe it was a sign. The wheels turned in Pryce's head...

"Ksh!" the newcomer grunted, punctuating a flurry of blows with a final heel kick to the thug's gut. The criminal dropped to his knees, falling face first into the pavement. The other kept his stance for a few moments. Eventually he dropped his fists, relaxing. "...Hmph." He loomed over the body, experimentally nudging it with a foot.

"AMAZING!" Pryce blurted out, running up. "Can I just say that was the most impressi- oh, wait," he began, but quickly turned to the downed thug. "How do you like them apples, eh?!" He kicked the crook's side. "Haha! Yeah! Not so tough now, are ya?! Don't mess with the Pryce, baby!" Another kick. "Fools like you end up paying... the Pryce! HAH!"

"Dh..." The other man shook his head, his expression flat. "...Don't do that. Just... don't." Pryce stopped, looking to him. He glanced back down. He frowned, giving one last soft kick. The fighter ignored it.

"If yer lost," he said, pointing down the road. "Just head all the way straight 'n turn left at the pizza place." He looked to Pryce. "That'll take you back to the main road... and safer streets." He turned away to leave. "Don't go doin' anything else stupid now-"

The fighter felt his arm tighten as he was yanked back into place. He was face to face with the strange man in the obnoxious suit, who had grabbed his hand and began shaking it enthusiastically with all the gratitude in the world.

"Like I was saying, that was amazing! Let me tell you, buddy! I thought my goose was cooked, yeah?! Bill Pryce is the name, by the way," He beamed, still shaking. "But you smashed that guy into a fine paste! I've seen a lot of fights in my day, but nothing quite like that, yanno?!" His handshake intensified, though his savior's arm was limp and his expression flat with mild annoyance. "I didn't even know you could string together moves like that! Especially that front flip into... whatever you did to his neck! That was crazy! And this is great, you see, because I've a client in the business of fighting and- GH!" Pryce squeaked. The fighter had tightened his grip on the manager's hand to get his attention.

"Look," he grunted, staring him in the eye. "I don't know why ya think we're all buddy-buddy now. Just ‘'cause I saved ya don't mean anythin'." He frowned. "Hell, didn't you see what I just did? What's stoppin' me from doin' the same thing to you?"

Pryce stared for a moment. "Beeeeecause... you're a nice guy who wouldn't beat me up?" He smiled. The fighter just sighed.

"...Are ya really just that dense?" He released Pryce's hand. "Is that how ya got into this mess to begin with? What, did this fella just tell ya he could get you some big bucks and got you to follow him? Jesus, c'mon."

"What? No! I just got lost, honest!" Pryce waved a hand around. "...Which reminds me! Would you like to make some big bucks?"

"Okay, now yer just fuckin' with me," The fighter turned around to leave again. "I'm out."

"Wait! No, no! I'm serious! I just wanna repay you, yeah? For saving me! Come on, uh..." he snapped his fingers, trying to remember his name - only to realize he didn't know it at all. "...Shoot. What's your name, anyway?"

"It's Calhoun." he grunted. "Now just get on outta here."

"No, no!" He protested, chasing after Calhoun. "I really do work for a nice agency, yeah?" He walked alongside him, much to Calhoun's annoyance. "There's a lotta jobs there you could be doing for a nice sum-"

"Hmph," he snerked. "Look, all right, I appreciate what you're tryin' to do, but you're askin' the wrong guy, here." Calhoun looked aside to him, his expression a bit weathered. "...Fighting's just about all I'm good at."

"Yes! And that's perfect! That's exactly what I'm looking for!" He nodded affirmatively. "You see, my client's a rising star, yeah? She's in the business of... well... fighting's a part of it, yeah?" He raised a finger. "And recently, she requested that I find her a trainer, yanno? Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"...Ngh," Calhoun groaned. "I ain't... much of a trainer." He looked forward. "...Self-taught."

"And that's fine! Perfectly fine! Hell, maybe even better!" Pryce was lit up with all sorts of ideas. "What better way to teach my client than the natural way, yeah? There's gotta be a better benefit from learning from someone who taught themselves how to fight like that!"

"Er... You're gettin' ahead of yourself, there." He looked aside. "Besides... I already got some obligations of my own."

"And if you take this job, you can get some hella dosh for that obligation! Or even better! I could offer you anything else!" Pryce clenched his fists excitedly. "Surely, there's gotta be something you really want, yeah? Something that'd make you take this job? It can be anything!" Pryce held his fingers out, counting them off. "A new car, an exotic animal, an autographed item, maybe lunch with one of our celebrity clients-"

"...An alcohol license."

"...Wait." Pryce looked to him in confusion. "What?"

"Yeah." Calhoun looked up thoughtfully, an amused smirk appearing on his face. "A license to sell alcohol... I reckon that'd do my boys some good."

"...Your boys?"

The smile faded. "Don't worry about it."

"Well... If that's all you want... Sure!" Pryce flashed a thumbs up. "I can make that happen, no sweat!"

"...I'll think about it."

"GREAT! So your full name is...?"

"...Casey Calhoun," he muttered. He was skeptical of this man's promise, but there didn't seem to be any harm in just giving him his name... probably.

"ALL RIGHT, GOOD!" The manager damn near shouted, his excitement uncontainable. "Thank you!" He whirled around in the other direction. "You said this way, yeah?!"

"Yeah. Until the pizza place, where you go left. Can't miss it."

"Got it!" He turned back and saluted. "Thanks again for saving my life! I'll repay you for sure~!" He practically sang as he strode off.

Calhoun glanced back as the strange man trotted off. In spite of Pryce's promises, he had a feeling that would be the last he'd ever see of him. "...Psh." He shook his head, walking off. "What a scam..."

[Lepa]

Week of May 29, 2017
(Show: Friday, June 2nd, 2017)
Show location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Chapter 4:
Child's Play

"Waaah, Mr. Pryyyyce..."

Chiyoko sighs, slumping in her set chair. A cute, stylized mask conceals her entire face as she rests her chin on her hands. "I can't believe I broke another prop dummy..." She glances aside to the film set, watching the staff clean up the remains of a ninja robot.

"Yeah, in a fight scene!" Pryce points out, puffing his chest out proudly. "That just makes it all the more... authentic!" He spreads his hands across the air for emphasis. "Plus, we got this stuff covered, so don't worry about it!" He leans down to her level. "And weren't you just talking about the other day how you only had that teddy bear of yours as a training dummy?" He nudges her. "If anything, you accidentally wrecking those sturdier, industrial things more than makes up for that! "

"Uhhh..." She looks to him, mask still in place. "I guess so... but..." She looks back to the set. "Even still! That's never happened before...!"

"Hmmm..." Pryce straightens back up, crossing his arms in brief thought. After a moment, he tilts his head, nodding sagely. "...I think I know why, Chiyoko."

"Huh? Why...?"

"You see," he begins, patting a hand on her back in reassurance. "It's called confidence!" His free hand clenches into a fist. "Maybe you don't flaunt it where everyone can see it, but that's gotta be it!" He scoots in front of her seat, squatting down to eye level. "You were scared, right? But you went in and fought those fights! And won! And now," Pryce moves back aside, slinging an arm around her shoulder, his other hand panning out the set in front of them. "And now you've found your innate justice! Your affinity for smiting evil! Your will to... uh." He pauses. "...Ah! Your will to stop pulling your punches!" He releases her, standing back up. "Am I right? Or am I right?"

"...Maybe a little." She tilts her head thoughtfully. "Being in real fights does kinda give me a better idea of how to do stage fights..."

"Hmhm... Of course!" He beats a fist to his chest. "It's all connected! If you get good at real fighting, then you get good at stage fighting!" He raises a finger. "BUT! What're you supposed to do to get good at real fighting, huh? Got any guesses for me, Chiyo?"

"Umm... I give up. What?"

"Have a trainer!" He beams, looking across the film set, motioning to someone standing in the corner.

"Wh-...?! Really?" She whirls her head around to look. "You got one already...? Th-that fast?!" She stammers, hopping out of her seat.

"Yup, yup!" Pryce nodded as the new trainer approaches. "Meet your new battle buddy, Casey Calhoooouun!"

The man stood next to Pryce, arms folded. He brushes some hair out of the way of his eye, shooting the manager a dry look. "...Ya mind not yellin' out my name so loud?" He grumbles. "It's already weird enough just bein' here..."

"Oh!" Chiyoko straightens herself up, determined to make a good impression. "Nice to meet you, um... Mr. Calhoun!"

"Just... Calhoun's fine," he mutters again, glancing aside.

"What about Casey?"

His tone is sharper this time. "Calhoun's fine."

"O-oh... Okay!" She smiles nervously, thankful that the mask concealed what little embarrassment she had from potentially offending her new trainer no less than a minute after meeting him.

"You'll never believe how I found him, Chiyo!" Pryce laughs. "But I'll tell you about that later, yeah?"

"You sure as hell were persistent," Calhoun grumbles again. Pryce pays it no mind, clasping a hand on the new trainer's shoulder.

"Well? Well?" He asks, peering over at Calhoun. "Whaddya think? She's got the potential, yeah?"

"...Frankly," he starts, side eyeing the excited man's hand on his shoulder. "I don't see why ya even need me." He pushes the hand away. "If the fight scene she just did has anything to say about it, she seems pretty capable to me."

"Oh, but that's... It's not really..." Chiyoko starts, but interrupts herself with a realization. "...W-Wait! You were watching us film the whole time...?!"

"That's stage fightin', Casey boy!" Pryce chimes in, slinging an arm around Calhoun's shoulder.

"It's Calhoun, goddamnit."

"This is only half of her job, yeah?" He snaps, releasing Calhoun to fingergun. "She's an idol and a wrassler!"

"...Yer kidding, right?" He seems genuinely surprised as he glances back to Chiyoko. There isn't sarcasm in his voice, but Chiyoko couldn't help but feel a bit belittled.

"No! Really, I am!" She protests, placing her hands on the sides of her mask. She pushes it up over her head, motioning to her face. It's covered in a few small bandages, evidence of several fading bruises still lingering. "I got these in a ladder match, you know! A match that I won!" She pouts, determined to show her legitimacy. Her confidence quickly wanes however as she glances off to the side. "I mean, yeah, they don't look as bad as a few days ago... And the swelling's gone down a lot..." She quickly looks back up, resolute. "But I only cried for like, an hour after I got them!"

Calhoun stares at her in silence, though Pryce continues on. "Yup! Hoo, what a doozy that was. Ya should've seen it, Cal!" Pryce nudges him. "We almost didn't shoot today since she was banged up, yanno? There's only so much makeup can do to cover that up! And we couldn't risk it infecting anythin'..." He folds his arms, nodding. "But Chiyoko, here? Brilliant idea! "Why not wear a mask?" She says!" He snaps again, fingergunning with both hands this time. "And it's perfect, yeah?! That Deadly Starlazer jedi chick thought she could ruin Chiyo's idol duties, but BOOM! Easy workaround and a new piece of merchandise to market! Check and mate!" He laughs.

Calhoun doesn't join him. He continues to stare at Chiyoko, who shifts uncomfortably under his gaze. "Um...?" She smiles nervously again. "Is there... something wrong?" She asks. Finally, he sighs.

"...Son of a..." He grumbles, rubbing his temple before turning to Pryce. "The hell is this about?!" He snaps, scowling at him.

"Ha? What?" Pryce smiles back, a bit of concern lining his tone, but he remains composed. "...You're a fighter, yeah? And she needs to learn how to fight better, soooooo..."

"You didn't tell me I'd be trainin' a child!" He grabs Pryce by the scruff of his shirt, pulling him in close. "The hell kinda sick business are ya a part of?!" He barks in his face. "Makin' kids like her fight?! And keep them workin' with injuries?!" Pryce clings to what little poise he has left, his arms raised in frantic surrender as he tries to explain.

"Eh...?! H-Hey!" Chiyoko lurches forward, grabbing at one of Calhoun's arms. "I'm not a kid...! Let go of him!"

"What?!" he glances over to her, his tone still irate.

"R-Really! Seriously!" She tries prying his arm away from her manager, but it was to no avail. "I'm 22!"

His anger subsides, immediately replaced with bewilderment. "...What?" His grip loosens on Pryce's shirt, who lets out a relieved sigh.

"Yeah, um..." She releases Calhoun's arm. "I know that's an easy mistake to make..." She smiles weakly. "But you're not the first one to do that, you know? I get that a lot. I had an uncle who thought I was like, 16!"

Her attempts at comforting him for his mistake didn't do much. Calhoun sighs again, releasing Pryce completely. "...Sorry," he grumbles, glancing to the floor.

"Don't worry about it!" He assures him, brushing off his suit. "It's just... That display of yours just now just means you've got passion, yeah?" Pryce clenches a fist. "It's... an edge of ferocity! A cause to fight! And that's what our dear little Chiyoko needs, yeah?" She nods in agreement.

"Yeah!"

"...I was just about damn near ready to punch ya in the face." Calhoun looks to Pryce, raising a brow at the manager. "“But if yer not already considerin' firing me for that, then... alright, I guess."” He shrugs. "So, uh... are ya supposed to go back soon and do..." He vaguely gestures to the film set. "...More of that?"

"Um... I think I have another scene to go, but then I'll be done." She glances up at Pryce, who nods. "...Why do you ask?"

"Well, if I'm supposed to help you train..." He folds his arms. "I figure we might as well get started as soon as possible. You fight... Friday, right?"

She nods. "Yup!"

"Sheesh... That ain't a lotta time, huh..." He sighs. "Fine, I won't keep ya too long. Where do we start...? Uh... Hm." He looks Chiyoko up and down in thought. "...When it comes to real fightin', just what do ya know?"

"Oh! Well..." She points upwards with both hands, over her head. "I do a lot of jumpy stuff!"

"That... don't help me any."

"Um... with flips? And sometimes spinning?"

"Tell you what, Cal!" Pryce cuts in. "Why don't you watch Chiyo's match on Friday, yeah? That should give you an idea of what's going on!"

"Oh, yeah!" She clenches her fists. "Then you can see what I mean and tell me what I need to improve on! Until then," she spreads her arms out. "You can at least help me learn how to defend myself better!"

"...Fine." He shrugs. "So, who're you fightin'?"

"The champion and a pyromaniac!" Pryce proudly announces. Calhoun blankly stares back.

"...So you're tellin' me..." he starts, gesturing to Chiyoko. "That she's going up against... An arsonist? And the best that this fight place of yours has got to offer?"

Recognizing Calhoun's tone, Pryce leans in close, patting him on the back in understanding of his concern. "That's why you're here, buddy." Before Calhoun can respond, Pryce turns back to his client. "Oh! Looks like they're ready for you, Chiyo! Go get ‘em, yeah?" She nods, pushing her mask back on and scurrying onto set. He looks back to Calhoun, grinning. "Until then, make yourself comfy while we finish this up, yeah?" He gives him one last firm pat on the back before leaving to assist Chiyoko.

Now alone, Calhoun looks around awkwardly. He was a stranger to all this... obscenely expensive fancy shit, so he retreats to his quiet corner from earlier, hoping to stay out of the way. "All I did was give that guy my name..." He mumbles, glancing at Pryce from across the room. "Just how the hell was he able to find me from that alone?" His brow furrows. "I sure as hell ain't in the damn phone book..." He shakes his head. With another sigh, he looks up, muttering to himself.

"Just what the hell have I gotten myself into...?"

[Lepa]

Week of June 5, 2017
(Show: Friday, June 9th, 2017)
Show location: Fargo, North Dakota

Chapter 5:
Training Wheels

"...Well. That was... a thing that happened."

Calhoun leans his head back and sighs, pressing his back against a tree. The sun is high and a soft breeze blows, rustling the leaves up above. It was just after noon, and he was resting from training with Chiyoko all morning at the park. And frankly... It didn't go as smoothly as he would've liked. Could she defend like he'd show her? Sure. But when it came time to apply it to actual sparring? She seemed so reluctant, so... frightened. His brow furrowed at the thought. He was doing his part in trying to train her, so why the hell wouldn't she do hers?

"Um..." The curious voice interjects. "Did I... do something wrong...?"

"...Hm?" He glances down. Chiyoko's been sitting in the grass, sitting up with her legs sprawled out. Her shirt and shorts were stained with patches of green from all the contact she made with the turf.

"You mumbled something... And uh..." She lifts a finger, vaguely pointing to his face. "You kinda... don't look too happy." She glances aside. "I'm, um, I'm sorry... "

"Don't be!" Pryce's ever enthusiastic voice cuts in. He peers out from behind the tree, phone in hand, flashing a thumbs up to his client. "You did great, Chiyo! I would know, I watched!"

"Oh! Hi Mr. Pryce. And thanks," She nods to him, though she looks back to Calhoun. "But... Well, what does Mr. Calhoun have to say?"

As she looks back to him, Calhoun raises a pointer finger. The gesture is firm. "One, I told ya: drop the mister. It's just Calhoun, all right? And two," he lifts up a second finger. "Ya didn't even tell me you were next in line for the championship!" He opens his arms in emphasis. "Why exactly are you #1 contender, anyway?! "

Chiyoko blinks. "E-Eh? Well, I mean..." The answer was obvious, and she swore that Mr. Pryce had told him. Was... Was it a trick question? What exactly was he asking, here? "There was a contract..." She started cautiously. "I climbed the ladder to get it and-"

"Gh... I understand why," he groans, cutting her off. "But... why?!"

"Aah, uh... What do you mean?" She frowns, looking aside at the grass. She starts picking at it. "You're not making any sense..."

Another gruff sigh. Calhoun runs a hand through his hair in frustration, turning aside to gaze at the open field. He takes a deep breath, his shoulders rising. He mutters something to himself, then exhales. Chiyoko glances at his back, puzzled as he does this a few times before turning back to face her. He seems to be a bit more composed.

"...Why are you doin' this?"

She stops pulling out blades of grass. "...Oh." She stares at the ground, unable to bring herself to look up and answer. Sure, this job would help pay off her college debt, but... answering honestly just sounded so... shallow and bad. For a split second, lying crossed her mind, but she knew he'd see through her. She was a terrible liar. What made him think about this, anyway? Is that why he was mad...?

Pryce saunters around the tree, squatting down next to Chiyoko, careful to avoid kneeling. "The answer," He clasps a hand on her shoulder. "is for the fame and money!"

"M-Mr. Pryce!"

"I ain't askin' you!" Calhoun barks, his composure lost. "I'm askin' her!" He stomps over, grabbing the manager by the scruff of his shirt, yanking him back up to eye level. "You hired me to train her, right? Well, this counts as trainin', you understand?!" He lets go, shoving Pryce away. "If you want me to do my job, you'd best go on 'n get!"

Chiyoko scuttles a bit away from the two, cupping her hands over her mouth as she sees her manager stumble. Pryce takes several clumsy steps backwards before managing to steady himself. His look is that of shock, though it quickly melts away as he straightens himself back up. "...Aw, sheesh!" He laughs it off as if they'd known each other for years. "No need to get so feisty, yeah?" He dusts an arm off, walking back to Calhoun, much to his client's fright. "If training needs me to leave, then I'll leave! No problem!" As he passes the trainer, Pryce leans in, muttering something. "But whatever it is you're plannin', don't go too hard on Chiyo, you understand?"

"Don't you be tellin' me how to do my job," Calhoun grumbles back to him. Pryce stares at him for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"Suit yourself!" He finally shrugs. "But don't say I didn't warn you," he murmurs again. "I'll just be down this way, making some calls~!" He hums, briskly moving toward the sidewalk.

"...Tch." Calhoun grunts again, clicking his tongue. He looks back to his trainee. She's since gotten to her feet, but she freezes when she sees that he's turned his attention to her. "Well?" He folds his arms expectantly.

"Um..."

"Why?" He unfolds his arms again, gesturing to her. "Why are ya doin' all of this?"

"I mean..." She starts, fidgeting under his stare. She lowers her voice sheepishly. "Mr. Pryce isn't wrong, but..."

"But what?" Calhoun snorts. "You clearly ain't a fighter!"

Chiyoko shrinks at his words. "I... I still won last week, didn't I...?"

"So's that your answer?" He snaps back not a second after she finishes. "Is that all you care about? Jus' winning?!"

"N-no!" She stammers back, looking to the ground. "I just... Can you please stop yelling...?" Her voice cracks for just a moment.

"You're gonna go up against the champion!" He barks. "The champ's supposed to be the best! If you face her again and win like that, do you really think you'd be deservin' of that title?!"

Her voice begins to crack, lip quivering. "Gh... Your voice is getting a bit..." She trails off.

"No! You wouldn't!" He towers over her, palms facing skyward as his fingers curl up in exasperation. "So why? Jus' why're you fighitn'?! Why fight when you can make a truckload of cash offa that stage fightin' you're so good at? Huh? Huh?!"

"Gh...!" She sniffs hard.

"Well?! Answer me!"

"I..." Chiyoko looks back up at him, her eyes watering. "I-I don't know!!!" She cries out, eyes screwing shut as she bursts into sobs. Her face is red with distress as she hiccups into her arm, staining it with tears. Her emotions - fear, doubt, shame - had quickly pooled together at the bottom of her stomach with each question thrown at her, and Calhoun's fierce tone didn't help any. She just didn't have a good answer. And when that realization hit - the realization of her own vulnerability - it all welled up and overflowed, breaking into the stream of tears that she began frantically scrubbing at.

"Wh..." Calhoun freezes, anger quickly subsiding. He... wasn't expecting that. "Uh... er..." He stands there awkwardly for a moment before holding his hands up, motioning at her to calm down. "Look, I... ugh. Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to, uh..." He drops one hand, using the other to scratch at his head, at a loss for words.

A quiet voice suddenly appears in his ear.

"Sooo, how's it going?"

"Gh...!" Startled, he whirls around. "Wh...? Pryce?! ...Didn't you go the other way?! When the hell did you-"

"Chiyo!" He calls out, ignoring Calhoun as he walks past him to Chiyoko. His demeanor's the same as ever. "Don't feel down, yeah? Here!" He presents a pack of tissues to her in one hand. "And I got you one of these, too!" He holds out the other hand, carrying a cone of frozen yogurt. He holds the treat patiently as Chiyoko sniffles, cleaning off her own face.

"...Th... Thanks..." Her voice quivers slightly as she finally takes the cone from him, giving the treat a somber bite.

"No problem!" Pryce nods, patting her on the head. As he looks back to Calhoun standing a bit away, Pryce's expression grows smug. "So," he approaches the trainer, his voice quiet enough for just the two of them to hear. "...Didn't heed ol' Bill's advice, didja?"

"Sh... Shut up," Calhoun grumbles, folding his arms. He looks aside, somewhat flustered.

"Haha! Don't be that way," Pryce laughs, slinging an arm onto Calhoun's shoulder. He grunts in response, shoving the hand off of him. "Just figured you'd have to see for yourself, yeah?" He shrugs. "Chiyo's good at what she does, but none of that yelling will do her any good, yanno? She's, ah..." He nonchalantly twirls his finger around. "...pretty sensitive."

"Yeah, yeah... I get it now..." Calhoun mumbles, still looking away. "Don't... be too hard on the kid, got it."

"Good!" He nods approvingly. "Glad you catch on so quick! I mean, after all," he lifts his arms into a smug shrug. "S'probably in your best interest to behave, yanno?" He leans in close, muttering in Calhoun's ear.

"Because I know a lot more about you than you think."

Calhoun raises a brow, turning back to Pryce.

"...What?"

Calhoun's expression is difficult to read - it's parts puzzled and concerned, though his features are traced with irritation. Was that supposed to be some kind of threat? He opens his mouth to question Pryce, but Chiyoko approaches them.

"Aah... Sorry..." She concentrates at the ice cream cone in her hand, her voice still a bit shaky. "I'm just..."

"Er, no, yeah. It's fine," Calhoun waves a hand dismissively. "It's... my bad. I'm just kinda used to... dealin' with rougher sorts." He rubs the back of his neck as he speaks. "It's jus'... ehhh...." He leans his head aside as he trails off.

"Yeah... I understand that... but, um..." She brings herself to look up. "Y-you're right."

"...Hm?"

"Your question... "Why are you doing this?" Well..." She accidentally lets out a soft hiccup. She frowns again, taking a deep breath, exhaling. With another sniffle to clear her nose, she continues. "I know I have a better reason, but... I kind of can't really... clearly define it right now. So could you just..." For a moment, she manages to make direct eye contact. "Could you maybe just give me some more time to think about it?"

"Ehhh..." He shrugs. "You don't... have to. I was just bein'... kind of a dick."

"No!" Chiyoko clenches her free hand into a fist. "You... You're the trainer, right? So you probably have a good reason why you asked that!"

"You hear that?" Pryce grins, lightly nudging Calhoun with his elbow. "She puts her utmost trust into you, Cal!" He laughs, though Calhoun side eyes him. He swore there was an air of smugness lining his voice. With a closed mouth sigh, Calhoun looks back to Chiyoko.

"...Tell you what. You think about your reasoning, and I'll think about mine for, uh... how I acted." He looks off into the distance. "It don't have to be now, but..." He glances back down at her. "As soon as ya find an answer, tell me. We'll talk about it."

"All right!" She nods. Her eyes are still a bit puffy, but she seems determined. "Sounds good!"

"Well! Now that that's settled," Pryce clasps his hands together. "Chiyo! Might I suggest you headin' back to the hotel?" He lifts his index fingers, pointing at her. "You got another thing in a few hours, so you'd best get cleaned up and ready for it, yeah?"

"...Oh!" Chiyoko glances down at her grass stained clothes. "...Oops."

Pryce laughs. "C'mon!" He steps forward, starting to gently goad his client along. "The sooner we get back, the more time you'll have to relax!"

"Right!" Chiyoko takes a large bite out of her cone before scampering ahead. Pryce turns back to Calhoun with a grin.

"...Just what the hell did you mean earlier?" Calhoun grunts at him, immediately dropping the careful tone he had used for Chiyoko.

"Who knoooows~" Pryce hummed, lifting his arms in a shrug. "But I guess I won't be telling you how to do your job from now on, huh?" He flashes a quick wink and a fingergun at him before immediately jogging after his client, leaving no time for Calhoun react.

"Wh..." Calhoun clenches his fists, running after him. "Motherfucker...!"

[Lepa]

Week of June 12, 2017
(Show: Friday, June 16th, 2017)
Show location: Boise, Idaho

Chapter 6:
An Idol Chat

"Yeah... That's one less thing they can pin us for."

Another sunny day as cars roll down the main street. It cuts to Calhoun on the sidewalk, talking into a payphone. He's surprisingly upbeat - more so than he's ever been within the last few weeks traveling with his new job as a trainer.

"...What, are the OHaras still messing with that guy?" He lets out an amused snerk. "Look, I don't care what the inflection is, so long as he's callin' me boss. They don't have to keep gettin' on his case, y'know?" He looks aside, glancing at the buildings across the street. "...Glad the license has been doing y'all some good, at least." He murmurs this, though he quickly returns to a normal volume. "How're the rest of 'em doin'? ...Yeah? That's good." A small smile grows on his face. He looks up thoughtfully. "...Heh. Tell 'em I miss 'em, too."

He goes quiet, nodding as the voice on the other end picks up the conversation. He frowns in realization at something not too long after. "Wait, Switch... Tell me somethin'." He grasps the receiver much more firmly, leaning his hand against the booth. "How the hell did you manage to call me on a payphone, anyway?"

"Uh... Calhoun?"

He looks over his shoulder, seeing Chiyoko standing nearby. "Oh. Uh... Sorry," He turns away from her, muttering into the phone again. "I gotta go. I'll talk to ya later," He nods, uttering another "see ya" before hanging up. Calhoun turns back to his trainee, placing a hand in one of his pockets. "Hey." He lifts the other hand in greeting, his demeanor a bit more stoic than it was moments ago.

"You looked pretty happy just now," She folds her arms, tilting her head curiously. "Who was that?"

"...Just a friend of mine." His answer is curt, though Chiyoko seems to pay no mind.

"Oh! That's nice. Sometimes I've thought you've looked a bit lonely..." She frowns for a moment, though she quickly turns it into a smile. "...So I'm glad to hear you have someone you can talk to!"

"Uh... Yeah. Thanks. So..." Calhoun casually lifts a hand, palm up. "...What ya need?"

"Right! Um, so... remember last week? After training? " She fidgets a bit. "I, uh... I thought about it s'more..."

"Ah..." He frowns slightly. "Yeah. ...Do ya have an answer now?"

"Well..." She prods the tips of her fingers together, looking down. "Not exactly... I have been thinking about it though, and I kinda realized something..." She looks back up. "But I figured talking with you about it would help me in better figuring out an answer." She lifts her hands up, quickly adding, "Er, that is, if you're not busy!"

"I'm not." His shoulders lift in a slight shrug. "'Sides, I said I'd give you an explanation for my behavior, too." He pauses, scratching his head. "If yer wanting to talk, well... now seems like as good as time as any."

"Yeah! I'm all ears!"

Calhoun nods, glancing back to the building looming above them. It was the hotel they were staying at that week, and Chiyoko had come out of the main lobby looking for him. It was nice and all, but something about it was just... Hm. Calhoun couldn't help but feel as if it was was eavesdropping. He looks back to Chiyoko. "...Mind if we go for a walk?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ooh! Look at the ducks!" Chiyoko peers over the bridge railing excitedly, pointing. Calhoun glances down briefly, spotting a family of ducks paddle by in the river below. The two had made their way into the local greenbelt - or rather, Calhoun lead them there, hoping to get some fresh air. Getting away from the bustle of the city was always a nice change of pace. Everything was cooler, fresher... And there was just something about nature that made people more honest, too.

"...Hm. Where to start..." He hesitates. "Well... Givin' it some thought, fightin' is..." He pauses. Chiyoko looks up from the river, glancing to him expectantly. "...It's real important to me, yanno?" He lifts his head, gazing up at the sky. "The guys back at home... They feel the same."

"Guys? You mean, like... your friends?"

"Yeah," Calhoun nods, still looking to the clouds. "...I ain't much of a trainer, but I'm tryin' to help ya out, here. There's only so much I can do - I show you the steps, you learn 'em. But if yer not willin' to learn... Well, it's almost kinda insultin'. How am I s'pposed to help you if you won't help yourself?" He pauses, looking back to Chiyoko. "...That make sense?"

"No, yeah!" She nods diligently. "I understand that now..." She glances back down to the river, avoiding eye contact. "I didn't think about how frustrating it probably was for you... but... You were right." She shrugs, tilting her head to the side. "I mean, maybe you could have said it nicer... but you're right! Um, like... One of the things I realized when I was thinking about it..." Chiyoko turns back to him. "When I play my character for those little action shorts they have me film sometimes... They're pretty typical plots, you know?" She lifts a hand up, gesturing as she speaks. "Like, maybe there's an armed thief robbing a bank, and I'm written to stop them. Bank robbery is always bad, but then they reveal something like," She shifts her voice into a goofy and exaggerated imitation of man. "Oh, the thief was desperate and needed the money to pay for their child's life-saving surgery! I mean..." She twirls a finger. "It's still bad to put people in danger like that, but... You can understand better why someone would do something so crazy, right? "

"Uh huh," Calhoun nods, almost as if in vivid understanding. "If you want somethin' bad enough... Well." He looks to the river again, his hair draping over one of his eyes. "...Some people are willin' to do just about damn near anything."

"Yeah!" She nods emphatically, oblivious to the somber tone in his voice. "The Chiyoko I play for those shorts... You watched us film that one time, so you've seen her motivation is just love and justice, right?" She steps back from bridge's side, putting her hands on her hips, posing. "I'm the hero here to protect people and fight the bad guys! ...And stuff like that. It's pretty straightforward." She relaxes her body, leaning back over on the railing. "But... There's always a bad guy for her to fight in those scenes, so she's always got motivation. This wrestling stuff, on the other hand...?" She frowns. "Well... Sure, some of the others in ELW are pretty scary, but it doesn't automatically make them some kinda supervillains or something, you know? So like, unless I pretend they're all bad guys or something... it's hard to figure out what to think when I'm not... being that Chiyoko." She sighs, idly drumming her fingers on the railing before looking back to him. "...Aaah, do you get what I'm saying? It's just..."

"From what I'm gatherin'... " Calhoun's brow furrows. "You're saying used to being told what your reason is for fighting?"

"...Ah. Um..." She scratches her head sheepishly. "I guess when you put it like that... kiiind of?"

Calhoun sighs. "...You're not asking me to give you a reason, are you?"

"No! No, no, no!" She lifts her hands, waving them frantically. "It's just... that was something I realized when I was thinking about it, that's all!"

"...Is that so," he lifts his head, looking back to her. "...Tell me somethin'." Calhoun leans away from the railing, straightening himself up. "The fact that you're an idol wrestler... was that something you've always wanted to do?"

"Uhh... Well... I mean..." She rests one arm at her side, timidly rubbing at it with the other hand. "I wouldn't say "want" was the right word..." Calhoun raises a brow at her. "That's to say... well... It was an opportunity to pay for college, y'know?" She shrugs.

"So... you don't actually want to do any of these things?"

"No, I do!" Chiyoko objects, though her uncertain tone immediately betrays her. "Well... er... Okay, I'm not exactly excited about getting punched in the face..." She frowns, lightly touching her cheek, remembering one of her many bruises.

"...Mind if I give ya a word of advice?"

"Uh... Sure?"

Calhoun folds his arms. "You'd best think about what's good for you."

"...Eh?"

"I'm sayin' the only way you'll figure out an answer is if ya think for yourself." His brow furrows as he looks to the river again. "Though I'll admit, s'pretty hard to do when your career is all about whether people like you or not... but even still." Calhoun frowns, his expression and tone rather grave. "...Don't let yerself become a slave to that shit."

"...Ah..." Was all she managed to respond with, hoping he would elaborate.

"You can keep doin' what you're doin'," he continues. "But just ask yourself... how does it make you feel?" He looks back, his grim look having softened back into a neutral expression. "If you can figure out your feelings on all of this, then I'm sure you can figure out an answer. After all," he turns his attention to the sky. "The way I see it... You've been winning yer matches, but for how long? If you have no personal reason to do all of this... no motivation... How long can you keep this up until it becomes nothing but a chore that ya learn to hate? 'Cause that ain't no way to live." Calhoun glances back, raising a brow. "...That help any?"

"Ah... Yeah," Chiyoko gives a brief nod. "I think so."

"All right," He yawns, stepping away from the railing with a stretch. "Just think on it s'more. Sorry if I might be cuttin' it short here, but we should probably start headin' back." He tilts his head from side to side, cracking his neck. "Otherwise, that damn manager of yours is gonna get on my case..." He grumbles, starting his way back down the bridge.

"Huh?" Chiyoko lifts her head up from taking one last look at the river before trotting after him. "What was that second part?"

"Nothin', Don't worry about it," He grunts. "Let's go."

[Lepa]

Week of June 19, 2017
(Show (PPV): Friday, June 23rd, 2017)
Show location: Los Angeles, California

Chapter 7:
A Reason to Fight

"Just somethin' about the way that woman fought... S'almost like she was toying with you."

"Huh?"

The scene is the edge of a beach. Chiyoko leans forward on a bench, tightening the ribbon in her hair as she looks over to her trainer, her curiosity piqued with his idle thought. The shot pans over, revealing Calhoun leaning against a nearby wall, one arm folded over his chest. His free hand grasps at his chin as he casts his gaze to the ground in contemplation.

"...Didn't ya notice anything strange when you fought..." He pauses. "Camber, was it?"

"Well, uh..." She looks to the ground, scuffling the tips of her sneakers into the sandy grass. "Not... reeeaally?" She shrugs. "I mean... Well, I guess she didn't attack me while I was down, so that was nice..."

Calhoun looks up, raising a brow. "...And that don't strike you as strange?"

Her shrug deepens. "I just... figured she was being polite!"

"Oy..." The hand on his chin slides up to his forehead in slight frustration. "This is fightin', Chee-ouh-koh. There ain't no place for being courteous in the ring. " He sighs. "Now, I dunno what she was up to, but..." He lowers his hand before looking back to her. "It at least helped me notice a few things about yer... form."

"Oh?" She cocks her head to the side. "Like what?"

"For one..." He starts. "Calm down with all of that flippy stuff, would ya?!" He unfolds his arms, spreading them aside in emphasis.

"Eh?!" Chiyoko clutches at her chest in surprise. "But... but that's all I'm really good at!"

"Yeah, but," he gestures at her, punctuating his point. "All of them bruises you got from that match were from flingin' yerself at the ground!"

"Th-they're not that bad!" She lifts her foot up, resting it on the bench as she hugs her knee close to her chest. "She just... happened to dodge me a bunch." She glances aside. "And countered my stuff a few times, too..."

"Regardless of what she did, you need to be more careful, ya hear?" He furrows his brow, his tone firm. "If you keep that up, then hell, you'll be too banged up to even fight!"

"Yeah, but...!"

"But what?!"

"But...!" Chiyoko opens her mouth, raising a finger as if to make a point, though she quickly lowers it. "...Er... Well... Actually..." She rests her hand on her leg, rubbing it sheepishly. "That is a pretty good point..."

Calhoun sighs at her failed objection, though he's relieved she's been quick to realize his point. "Look," he motions. "...I ain't saying stop, but at least be more mindful when ya do that stuff, wouldja?"

She lowers her foot back to the ground, leaning back and sighing to the sky. "...Yeah... I guess you're right." She frowns slightly.

"...Bah." He speaks up again. "I know I'm supposed to be trainin' ya, what with your title shot comin' up... But at the same time? I'm thinkin' you should rest up for the next couple of days." He looks back to the ground in thought. "I just need to figure out some... lighter stuff for you to do."

"Well, actually..." She lowers her head back to eye level. "...No."

"No?" He looks back up. "...No what?"

"To taking it easy!" Chiyoko clenches her fists. "I... I need you to keep training me!"

Another sigh. "Look, I know ya wanna try, but..." Calhoun folds his arms. "I'd rather not ya risk hurtin' yourself before your big match. S'my job to prevent that from happenin'."

"Yeah, but... If I rest..." She frowns. "That's missing out on a chance to get better...!"

"It's also missing out on a chance to get injured!"

"...Is this because I look fragile?"

"...Whut?" He pauses. "No! It's common sense!" He rolls his eyes at the assumption. "I know you ain't known me long, and sure, that was my first impression... but c'mon!" He idly lifts a hand, twirling a finger. "Yer style's effective for your size and stature, but I'm just sayin' ya gotta be more careful in your timin'."

"Ah..." She lowers her fists, uncurling them. "That's what Mr. Pryce said..."

"What, that yer style's unorthodox?" He raises a brow. "I'm pretty sure I just said that." He frowns in irritation. "You sayin' he's been doing my job again?"

"No, I mean..." She leans her head aside. "Looking fragile is part of my fan appeal."

"Oh." He scratches at his cheek. "...Sorry. S'not what I really meant to-"

"No, no, but it's true! And there's nothing wrong with being honest." Chiyoko frowns. "I mean, you even said it yourself: I don't look like a fighter!"

"Egh..." He grunts. "That... don't matter none, all right? " He folds his arms, closing his eyes in contemplation. "So long as you can fight, who cares?"

"I do!" She almost yells - not out of irritation, but determination. "In fact... It's part of why I realized why I'm doing all of this!"

"...Hm?" Calhoun cracks open an eye. "You mean... ya found a reason?"

"Yeah!" She presses her legs together, hopping off the bench onto her feet. "When you asked me... Well..." She rests a finger on her chin sheepishly. "While what Mr. Pryce said was true... at least, doing this for paying off my debt... That's not all of it, you know? I said it before, but there's a lot of scary people at ELW. And then someone like me coming in...?" She sighs. "I don't look threatening at all!" Chiyoko looks down, sheepishly pressing her index fingers together. "I'm small and my outfits are all frilly and a lot of things scare me and I cry easily... but..." She stops. Calhoun begins to respond, but shuts his mouth when she continues.

"I've realized... that's why I'm doing this." She glances back up at him. "Because I'm small and scared... because I don't have much background experience fighting... and because I don't look like I can get the job done... " A determined pout appears on her lips. "That just means... I have to work harder!" Chiyoko clenches both fists, her face wrinkling with resolve. "I want to see... I want to prove to myself... That I can do this! That I can keep fighting, no matter how scared or hurt I get!" She shifts one fist at her side, dramatically pointing with the other. "That's why I have to keep training! I've already come this far in such short time...! I won't give up now!"

Chiyoko stands in place, her pose steadfast and brimming with resolve. Calhoun blinks, silent. A few moments pass before she drops her arm, sinking her posture into an embarrassed slouch.

"Er..." She rubs the back of her neck, anxious at the lack of his response. "Did that sound... stupid?"

A faint smile traces the edges of his mouth. "...Heh." Calhoun pushes himself off the wall, shifting his weight back to his feet. "Not at all." He looks past her, gazing at the sea. "...I think that's a fine reason."

"Really?"

"Yeah. ...You've convinced me." He folds his arms again, shifting his weight to one leg. "...But you're gonna have to train lighter for Wednesday and Thursday, all right? That sound fair?"

"Yes!" She nods. Almost immediately after her confirmation, a light hearted jingle rumbles in her pocket. "...Ah!" She chirps, patting at her sides, searching for her phone. She fumbles to pull it out, hastily tapping the screen. "Hello?"

"Chiyokooooo~!" She flinches as the the voice on the other end rings in her ear. Calhoun, in spite of his distance, does the same.

"Oh... Hi, Mr. Pryce!"

"I heard you got Wednesday and Thursday off from training, yeah?"

"Uhhh..." She glances over to Calhoun, who raises a concerned brow. "Y...Yeaaaah...? Kiiiinda?"

"Great! Because I've already scheduled a photo shoot and an interview for those two days!"

"Ah... Uh... Mr. Pryce?" She starts, a confused smile of disbelief on her face. "How did you-"

"Whoops! Sorry to hang up on ya, Chiyo, but I gotta go! Later, tater!"

"Hey, wait...!" She grasps at the phone, but an audible beep ends the call. "...Haaah." She sighs, shoving her phone back into her pocket, looking over to Calhoun. "How did he know what we just decided...?"

"Hell if I know," he shrugs. "He seems to have a... weird way with things like that. Let's just forget about it and get back to trainin', all right?"

"Right!" She clenches a fist, scooping her bag up from the bench and scampering onto the sand. Calhoun rolls his neck, shaking an arm loose as he follows suit.

"Now let's see if we can figure out how to getcha to hit these moves more safe like without losin’ their power..."

[Lepa]

Week of June 26, 2017
(Show: Friday, June 30th, 2017)
Show location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Chapter 8:
The Crown Jewel

"Waaaah...!"

"Aww, Chiyo! You crying again? It's already been a few days!"

The idol sits at the foot of her hotel bed, cradling the Women's Championship in her arms. She sobs into her shoulder, careful not to spill any tears on the title. Pryce slaps a hand on her back, giving it a reassuring rub.

"I-I know..." She sniffles, steadying her voice. "But it's just... every time I think about it...! I get so happy and... and...!" Her voice cracks again, eyes welling up with tears. "Waaah...! I can't believe it...!"

"Believe it, baby!" Pryce snaps a finger into a fingergun. "And hooooo boy, let me tell you, after that win? The internet's been a-buzzin' and the merch sales have gone up, up, up!" He clenches a fist, pressing it to his chest. "You know what that means? The fans love ya, Chiyoko!" He plops down on the bed, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "And that's just the first step in you climb to... stardom!" He uses his other hand to pan out the imaginary road in in front of them.

"Ghh..." She winces back more tears, hiccuping.

"Aw, don't cry!" He nudges her. "Your fans are waiting to see their new, adorable champion! We'll celebrate again at the meet and greet later, yeah?"

"No. No celebrating."

"H-huh...?" Chiyoko glances to the other end of the room where Calhoun stands, arms crossed. "Why not...?"

"Hey, hey!" Pryce springs up from the bed, lifting his arms in a nonchalant shrug. "Chiyo's earned it, dontcha think?"

"She won the title, yeah..." He leans his head aside. "...But now she has to defend it. "

"Aah..." Chiyoko wipes her face on her arm in an effort to reset her emotions. "Th... That's true..."

"Aw, I know that!" He snaps another finger, twirling it around. "But we'll worry about that later, yeah? Let her relax!"

Calhoun sighs. "I'm not saying she can't relax... I'm sayin' she shouldn't let her guard down just 'cause she succeeded once."

"Pfft! What, you think a little frolicking will make our little Chiyoko complacent?" Pryce snerks. "Hah! As if!"

"Tch!" He snorts, his tone laced with irritation. "Have you even being paying attention to the shit that goes around here?!" Calhoun leans forward, motioning both arms aside. "Some masked guy won that Hardcore Title two weeks ago, but the guy who lost got more of a celebration than him!" He straightens himself back up, a sneer now wrinkling his face in disdain. "And if that's the norm around here, y'all got a long way to go before any of us can relax!"

Pryce blinks for a moment. "Soooo... That's why we lead by example!" He grins. "Set these rapscallions straight and... y'know, teach 'em to celebrate when a winner wins!"

"Psh." Calhoun rolls his eyes, glancing aside. "Did I mention that masked guy just lost that title, too?" He looks back to them. "And he only had it for a week! What makes you think the same thing can't happen to Chiyoko?!"

Chiyoko frowns at this, casting her gaze downwards as she defensively tightens her grip on the title. "Are you..." She sniffs, still sensitive. "Are you saying you don't think I can do it...?"

"...No." He grunts. "I'm sayin' you need to be careful!" He readjusts his arms, slightly leaning his head aside. "Ain't that woman you just fought entitled to a rematch or somethin'?"

"...Oh." She looks up. "...Is she?"

"Don't worry about it!" Pryce waves his hand dismissively. "You've beaten her once before a while back, and she basically said she didn't even care about it!" He shrugs smugly. "So you beating her second time? Heh, it was hardly a surprise, but at this point she probably doesn't even care about the title anymore!" He double fingerguns at her. "Just think, a champion who doesn't care about their own title...? Well, that won't be the case now that you're holding it!" He puts on a softer smile, muttering to himself. "Especially with all the crying you've been doing over it..."

"Hm. Well..." Calhoun rolls his wrists, idly cracking them. "What about... this Wolfe lady she's booked against this week?" His brow furrows. "She's probably hungry for a title shot."

"Ohoho," a grin creeps across Pryce's face. "Hungry... LIKE THE WOLF?!"

"..."

"..."

Casey presses a palm into face, letting out a loud groan.

"Heh heh!" Pryce snerks at the same time his phone beeps. He glances down at the device in hand, answering the call without missing a beat.

"Eyyyyy, nice one!"

"Uh... Thanks?" Pryce blinks, looking to the phone from the corner of his eye. "...Who is this?"

"Daniel. Daniel Collins. ...You know, the wrestler?"

"Aiiiin't... ringin' any bells." He tilts his head to the side. "...Say, how'd you get my number, anyway-"

"DONT WORRY ABOUT IT BYE."

"...Huh." Pryce pulls the phone away from his ear as the call ends, staring down at it. "...Weird." he shrugs, lowering his phone arm. "...Well, anyway!"

"Don't take yer goddamn calls when we're in the middle of talkin'." Calhoun adjusts his crossed arms. "...S'rude."

"Easy for you to say!" Pryce fingerguns at him before using said finger to scroll down his phone screen. "Some of these people offer some great opportunities to Chiyoko, yanno?"

"...Yeah okay whatever. We're gettin' off topic, anyway..." He rolls his eyes before looking to Chiyoko. "All I'm sayin' is don't get too comfortable. I'm sure y'all can do it, I've seen what you can do... but just stay on yer toes, ya hear?" He looks aside to Pryce. "There ain't no telling what some of these people might be willin' to go through to get their hands on that title..."

"...Sooo... celebrate in moderation, got it!" Pryce flashes a thumbs up, immediately rushing to the door. "Anyway, great talk, just realized the meet and greet starts in like 10 minutes, we gotta go Chiyo, bye!" He says in one long breath, saluting them both as he darts out of the room.

"That's not what I said!" Casey groans as the door shuts. "Augh..." He grumbles, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"It's okay, I know you guys are both trying to look out for me..." Chiyoko assures him, rubbing one of her eyes, a bit less puffy from crying. "And I understand!" She smiles weakly. "Mr. Pryce is saying it's okay to feel good about my accomplishments, but you're just reminding me that I can't let them get to my head." She nods.

"...All right." He sighs. "So long as you understand that... S'good, I suppose." He frowns. "That don't mean I ain't gonna stop worrying, though..."

"Then you should come along with us!" She pushes herself off the edge of the bed, springing to her feet.

"Hm?" He glances over.

"Yeah! To the meet and greet!" She adjusts the title over her shoulder. "There'll be snacks and stuff!"

"Eh... Think I'll sit this one out." Calhoun turns aside, looking to the hotel phone. "I've... got a phone call to make."

"Aw, but it'll be fun!" She pouts. "You've just been telling me to relax in moderation... So I'm telling you to work in moderation!" She tilts her head. "I mean, you're always working hard, you know? You need to take it easy now and then!"

"...Huh." Calhoun stares at the wall for a second before a small smirk crosses his face.. "...Heh. Guess you do have a point... " He looks back to her. "...All right. I might catch up later, but... no promises."

"Okay!" She clenches her fists excitedly. "So... whether or not you come... I'll see ya later!" She waves, trotting over to the door.

"See ya." Calhoun lets off a single wave as she leaves. A few moments after the door shuts, he walks over to the hotel phone, picking up the receiver and dialing a number. He sits on the bed's edge, almost reluctant to take up any space on it. The dial tone lingers for a few seconds before someone on the other end picks up.

"...Hey, Switch."

[Lepa]

Week of July 3, 2017
(Show: Friday, July 7th, 2017)
Show location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Chapter 9:
Idol Time

"You didn't have to punch him in the face...!"

Chiyoko clutches the straps of her backpack as she glances up to her left, pouting at her trainer. Calhoun doesn't bother to look. He keeps his eyes forward as they walk down the block. They had just left another one of Chiyoko's meet and greets, and it wasn't not too far from the hotel they were staying in this week.

"...Sorry." Calhoun grunts, scratching the back of his neck, his apology reluctant. "S'was a reflex. First thing I could think of doin'." He looks aside to her. "...Why didn't you do anything?"

"He was just a fan that asked for a hug! There didn't seem to be anything wrong with that..." She frowns. "Fans ask for those all the time! It's the least I can do after they wait in line for so long, you know?"

"Hmhmhm!" Pryce chuckles. He walks on the other side of Chiyoko, half paying attention to the sidewalk in front of them. His gaze is slanted downwards as a finger flicks at his phone screen as usual. "Seems like you're overreacting, Calhoun!" He chuckles.

"No, you're underreacting," he glares in Pryce's direction with a snort. "There's a difference between a hug and..." He pauses. "...wherever he was trying to do with that hand." He looks away, muttering aside to himself. "It went a lot lower than it should have..."

Pryce throws his head back in a laugh. "Hahaha~! It can't be helped, can it?" He beams, nudging Chiyoko with an elbow. "It just means our Chiyo's getting popular!"

"That don't justify bein'... creepy." Calhoun frowns, looking back to Chiyoko. "You seriously didn't notice?"

"Honestly, no..." She sighs, hanging her head for a moment. "And even if I did... I didn't wanna upset the guy!" She looks up, tightly clenching a fist against her chest. "He seemed really happy, you know?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he was." Calhoun rolls his eyes with a groan, pressing a palm into his forehead. "C'mon. I know you can defend yourself in the ring..." he sighs. "But you should be able to defend yourself outside of it, too."

"Calhoun, Calhoun, Calhoun!" Pryce lifts a finger, wagging it sternly. "Even if she did, that just wouldn't fit her image, yanno?" He shrugs, palms up. "I mean, could you imagine?" He briefly holds up his phone in Calhoun's direction, displaying a promotional image of Chiyoko on screen. "The Perfect Idol? Attacking one of her own fans?!" He returns to scrolling. "Unthinkable~!"

"It's defending herself! From her own fans!" He snaps back, teeth grit. Chiyoko flinches, caught in the middle.

"I mean..." She starts timidly. "Mr. Pryce has a point..." She looks down at her feet as she walks. "I don't think I could imagine attacking someone who just wants to support me..."

"...Ugh." Calhoun pulls his arms up, folding them as he stares down the walk in front of them. "I figured there wasn't much else I could do for you in the way of fightin'," he grumbles. "But I didn't think I'd have to babysit you outside of that..."

"...Oh!" Pryce's eyes shoot up from his phone. "That's a great idea!"

"...What?"

"If you're that worried about Chiyoko, then you can double as her bodyguard!" He pounds a fist to his chest, puffing it out in triumph. "Starting now~!"

"Wh...?!" Calhoun jolts his head in Pryce's direction. "I didn't agree to nothin' like that!"

"Aw, c'moooon!" Pryce brushes past Chiyoko, placing himself next to Calhoun. "I'll even make sure you get paid extra!" He assures him, going for a friendly shoulder grab. Calhoun sneers, pulling his shoulder away before he could grasp it. Calhoun always made it clear that he hated that, but Pryce never seemed to take the hint. This time was no different. "Everyone could always use a little more cash money, yeah?" Pryce smiles, oblivious.

"That ain't the damn point!" Calhoun snaps back, his forehead wrinkling with anger. "Don't go volunteering me for shit I don't have word in!"

"Sheesh~!" Pryce draws back with a hand on his own chest, playfully feigning offense. "I'm just trying to offer you a better deal!" He shrugs smugly. "Nothing would really change from how we have stuff set up now, yanno? No need to get your boxers in a bunch, haha..."

"Tch...!"

"Aaah... Um... Calhoun?" Chiyoko speaks up, hoping to be more diplomatic. She skims by Pryce, reclaiming her spot between the two men. Calhoun seemed to be a lot more hostile towards Mr. Pryce lately, she thought, and frankly, Mr. Pryce making light of everything didn't seem to help matters. She was the reason they were both here, so the best she could do was attempt to calm the waters between them. "Can you at least... maybe hold on until Mr. Pryce finds a replacement for an actual bodyguard?" She looks over to her manager. "You'll do that, right?" She tilts her head slightly. "I mean, I think it sounds like a good idea..."

"Of course!" Pryce flashes a thumbs up. "If that's what Chiyo desires, you got it!"

"...Fine." Calhoun grunts, his anger still present but much more restrained. "But I aint doin' this bodyguard thing for long."

"Are you sure?" She asks. If this job was more or less paying someone to hang around her, then Mr. Pryce was right - Calhoun would be getting more money for no extra work. She couldn't help but wonder why he seemed so against it...

"I'm sure." His tone was more sharpened. Chiyoko let the subject drop.

"Hmhmhm... I think I already have a candidate in mind..." Pryce grasps his chin in thought. "Though, what with this tag team tournament thing going on... Maybe I can get a two for one special! Hahaha~!" He laughs again.

"That's a great idea," Calhoun's voice is flat and sarcastic, bluntly echoing Pryce from earlier as he leers at him. "I'll keep it up until the end of the tournament, but no longer than that."

"Eh? ...How long is that?"

"Well, the semi-finals are this week, yeah?" Pryce shrugs. "And then the finals are the week after, soooo..."

"'That's about..." She pauses. "Under two weeks?" She glances up at him, frowning. "Is... Is that enough time, Mr. Pryce?"

"Hmhmhm... Don't worry! I got you a trainer in half that time, yeah?" He beams at Chiyoko, jabbing a thumb into his chest. "You can trust ol' Bill to get the job done!"

"I don't think I can trust you much at all..." Calhoun shoves his fists into his pockets, looking away as he mumbles to himself.

"Huh? You say something, Calhoun?"

"...Nothin'. Just talkin' to myself." He glances back at her briefly before looking up at the hotel they've stopped in front of. "...Guess we're here."

"...Oh! Neat!" Chiyoko looks up as well. "...Um, Mr. Pryce? How long do I have until my next event?"

"Hmmm..." Pryce furrows his brow as he swipes at his phone screen. "Actually..." He looks to her with a grin. "That was it! You're free from here on out!"

Her eyes widen. "Whaaa? Really? Then..." She glances back at Calhoun. "Should we get started on more practice after lunch?"

"...Hm." He remains silent for a moment. "I'm... not really feeling it today. ...Sorry." He turns his gaze to the ground. "I just... need to go for a walk." He looks back up. "...Hope you don't mind."

"Oh..." she frowns, disappointed. "Well... I guess we all have one of those days! Right?" She forces a smile. "I mean... this means I really have the rest of the day off, right?" She looks to Pryce hopefully.

"Huh." The manager stares at Calhoun for a brief moment, his expression... puzzled. He quickly looks back to Chiyoko, however, answering her question. "Apparently so, Chiyo!" He chuckles, patting her on the back. "Even idols need their days off, yeah?"

"Ha...! Nice..." She lets out a sigh of relief, slouching over. "I'm gonna go grab a sandwich and take a nap..." She starts heading into the lobby, briefly looking back at them. "Um, I'll see you guys later, okay?" She gives a last wave before disappearing into the building.

Pryce waves back pleasantly until she's out of sight. Immediately, he turns to Calhoun, who already began walking away.

"What's the matter?" He asks. His playful tone seems much more subdued. After all, Pryce was sure Calhoun would take the opportunity to train Chiyoko...

"...Hmph." Calhoun stops walking, though his back remains turned. "...Don't think I've forgotten."

"...Eh?"

"Don't "eh" me," he growls, glaring over his shoulder at Pryce. "You know what you did."

Pryce sighs, transitioning it into a weak chuckle. "Is... this because of Chiyo's weird fan?" He shrugs nonchalantly. "I mean, yeaaah, it ain't ideal, but that's show business, yanno? Can't really stop and cry over every bit of spilled milk, yeah?" He looks aside, scratching his cheek thoughtfully. "Well, maybe Chiyoko would, but..."

"That ain't it." Calhoun turns to face him, his brow furrowed. "You threatened me."

"...Wait," He looks over suddenly. "...What?"

The words are barely out of Pryce's mouth before Calhoun storms off, each of his steps loud and firm with anger. Pryce is left standing alone, baffled.

"...Huh." He scratches at his head, smiling an uneasy smile. "Touchy boy, ain't he...? I wonder what he's talking about..." Pryce shakes his head. "Guess it can't be helped! Whatever's eating at him, I'm sure he'll get over it soon enough..." He shrugs to himself, strolling into the hotel lobby, hoping to get some rest of his own.

[Lepa]

(Continued from last post...)

Chapter 10:
Control

Flashback:
June 9th, 2017

"Good!"

Pryce nods approvingly. "Glad you catch on so quick! I mean, after all," he lifts his arms into a smug shrug. "S'probably in your best interest to behave, yanno?" He leans in close, muttering in Calhoun's ear.

"Because I know a lot more about you than you think."

Calhoun raises a brow, turning back to Pryce.

"...What?"

That was a month ago - plenty of time for Calhoun to forget.

But he didn't forget. He couldn't forget.

He tried to forget, but he'd remember it every so often. What bothered him the most?

"I know a lot more about you than you think."

The phrase kept repeating in his head, and it wouldn't stop.

Fuck. Fuck!

"FUCK!"

Calhoun shouts, slamming his fist into a tree trunk with a dull thud. He had just stormed off, hoping a walk would clear his head.

It didn't. It just wasn't enough.

"Don't fuckin' play dumb with me, asshole!" He digs his knuckles deep into the wood, grinding his fist into the wooden crust, his teeth clenched together in fury. He then yanks his hand away, leaving a bare, bald spot in the dried bark. "Who the fuck does he think he is?" He growls, dusting off his knuckles. "Threatenin' someone and acting like you don't remember shit? Tch!" He sneers. "What, did he think I'd forget?!"

"I know a lot more about you than you think."

"Fuck you!" His scowl deepens. "What the hell did he mean, anyway?!" he hisses to himself, smashing another fist into the trunk. "What?! What is it?! Just what the fuck does he know, huh?!" He strikes again. "You don't know me!" Another strike. "You don't know shit!" He strikes again. And again. And again. And again. With each blow, he curses Pryce's name.

"I know a lot more about you than you think."

He pulls back from the tree. "Do you? Do you?!" He snarls to the silence. "You think you can use the past against me?!" He snaps a kick into the trunk. "You think you can tell me what to do?!" He swings a fist, knuckles scraping at the bark once more. "Fuck off! Don't make choices for me, asshole!" He growls. "Fuckin'... Fucker just had to ask me yes or no! That's it! That's all it takes!"

"I know a lot more about you than you think."

"Fuckin'... FUCK!" It was far from original, but it was the only way he could vocalize his anger. The rest of his concentration was too busy focused on his physical assault. "You think can use that shit to control me?! Fuck that! No one controls me!" His eyes screw shut as he yells. "NO ONE!"

"I know you better than you know yourself."

Calhoun's eyes snap open, his fist stalling in midair. For the first time in his fit of rage, he's silent. The voice... The phrase... Both were different. Time stops in his head for a few moments before the realization hits him like a bucket of cold water to the face. Old memories stir as a sludgy mixture of fear, dread and hatred began to pool in his stomach.

"I'm only looking to help you, Casey." Calhoun's memory of that man smiled. "After all... I know you better than you know yourself."

Calhoun's face darkens, the recollection of the words weighing down on him. He stands in silence, his mind racing. At last, with a snerk, he answers the memory back.

"Bullshit."

He felt his anger change shape. Though his stance loosened, his fists remained clenched. He looks over to the battered tree trunk. His gaze lingers for a moment, the air filled with a thick silence. Finally, he lowers his fists, shoving them into his pockets. His self therapy was done, except for one last bit. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, holding it, and exhaling. Slowly, his eyes crack open, feeling his anger channel itself into a renewed determination.

"No one controls me."

He turns to leave.

"...Not anymore."

[Lepa]

Week of July 10, 2017
(Show: Friday, July 14th, 2017)
Show location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Chapter 11:
War Hawk

"Haaa... I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later, huh?"

Pryce scratches at his cheek, smiling a sheepish smile. He glances over his shoulder to his client. Chiyoko's curled up on one of the couches in KiriCan's lobby, hugging her knees to her chest. Her lips are pressed together into a restrained frown, while her eyes were wide open. She refuses to blink, hoping to hold back the tears, but it was only a matter of time until they ran free again.

"...Gh...!" She chokes a sob.

"Aw, c'mon Chiyoko! No need to feel down!" He turns to face her with an amicable shrug. "Everyone has their off days! And that Ayumi chick's traveled all over the world and stuff, yeah?"

"It's..." She blinks hard, quickly pressing her face into her arm. "I-It's because I skipped training that one day, isn't it?!" She takes a choppy breath, the slight crack in her voice clearly holding back what little control she had left.

"It's fine! It's a-okay!" Pryce reassures her, patting her on the head. "One loss ain't the end of the world!"

"M-maybe not to you!" She shakes her head roughly, pulling away from the head pat. "But... I messed up...!" She sniffles into her arm. "I completely messed up...!"

"Well... Everyone does sometimes, yeah? Like I said, it's okay!" He clenches a fist, swinging at the air in friendly emphasis. "Just means you'll learn-"

"No, because I messed up!" Chiyoko sobs the despaired mantra. "I messed up! I messed up! I MESSED UP!" She jolts her head upwards, crying at him. "I messed up and it's not okay! You know why!? Because I gave up and failed, Mr. Pryce! No one likes a quitter or a failure! How can I be the Perfect Idol if I fail even once...?!" She grimaces, scrubbing at the tear stains on her cheeks. "Everyone's gonna hate me! They'll all hate me...!"

For a moment, Pryce struggles to maintain his encouraging tone - a fault rarely seen in him. "Nn... Nonsense!" His smile is uneasy. "Don't ya know? Your fans will support you no matter what!"

"You're just saying that!" She snaps back.

"...Wh-what?! No way!" He lifts his hands as if in surrender. "Chiyo, do you really think I'd just lie to you?" Chiyoko stares at him, trying to read his expression, but gives up and lowers her head.

"...W-well... N-no... but..." She mumbles before looking up again. "You can't prove it!"

He blinks. "Can't prove...? Chiyoko, you're an idol!" Pryce forces a smile. "You thrive on the love of your fans! And if that's a challenge I'm sensing, well..." He nods, pounding a fist to his chest. "I will prove it! In fact..." He lifts the hand to his chin, rubbing it eagerly. "This gives me a great idea..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"...What the hell kinda harebrained idea are y'all up to now?"

"Shh, shh, shh!" Pryce lifts an index finger to his lips, flapping his hand at Calhoun to be quiet. The trainer rolls his eyes and complies, folding his arms expectantly and shifting his weight against a nearby wall. Pryce turns his attention back to set, planting himself next to a studio camera.

"Um..." Chiyoko sniffs, a bit better off than earlier. "H-Hi...!" She lifts a hand off of what appears to be a news desk, forcing a smile to the camera. "My name's Chiyoko Uzuki, and... well..." She frowns. "I haven't been feeling too well lately, so... today, I... I'll be reading fanmail!" She tries to smile again as she reaches over to a pink mail bag full of letters. Her manager flashes her a quick thumbs up from off camera.

"Ah, um... Here's one..." She manages to fumble open the envelope, reading the letter aloud. "From "Millie"... Oh, that's a really cute name." She briefly glances up at the camera with a shy laugh before glancing back down. "Um... Dear Miss Uzuki..."

"Hiya! I'm a huge fan! I'm supposed to keep this short, so... I just wanted to say you're an inspiration! I'm actually planning on becoming a police officer, but others keep saying I'm too girly and fragile for it. Sometimes, I believe them and think "maybe I should just give up"... But whenever I watch you... whether you're acting or wrestling... well, it inspires me to keep going! Let's both do our best together!"

"Awh..." She sniffs, wiping at the corners of her eyes. "I... I needed this. Th-thank you."

As Chiyoko reads through several more letters, she finds each of them with similar sentiments. Though the energy begins to return to her voice, she begins to well up with tears again. Pryce was right - a single loss wouldn't be the end of her career. It was just... being in the public eye meant people were always waiting for you to mess up. And with the title of Perfect Idol, well... it was just for marketing more than anything else, but it wasn't until her loss that she felt crushed under the weight of the idea of being "perfect." It hadn't occurred to her that there were probably people who sincerely believed that about her, and that's what she was terrified of - the instant she messed up, the instant she failed, the instant that proved she wasn't "perfect"... everything would end. She would be abandoned. She would be judged as some sort of heretic who blissfully lied to the masses, charged with treason and cast aside to drown in her own shame and despair.

But these letters... they were precious reminders that she didn't have to be perfect. After all, there was a reason none of the other girls at KiriCan wanted to take this job. The prospect of going from acting to fighting was difficult and scary, but the fact that Chiyoko had even gone on this long, undefeated...? Well, that was an achievement in itself, right? Even though she lost, she had to keep going for the fans that believed in her!

She dips her head a bit, bowing politely. "Ha... These are really nice! Thank you, everyone!" She sounds much more chipper than when she first started. "But I'll take just one more for today," she nods with a small smile, peeling open the last letter. "Now let's see... "Greetings Chiyoko and Bill..." The smile quickly fades as she blinks, confused. "...Huh?" She tilts her head quizzically, glancing off camera. "Mr. Pryce... It seems that this includes you, too?" He stares back, shrugs, and motions at her to read it. "Ah... Okay. Um..."

"Greetings Chiyoko and Bill,
It has been a while, hasn't it? While you are nursing your wounds from your unbeaten streak being broken... I find it appropriate to declare war on you. My eyes have fallen upon your crown, and I must take it from you by any means necessary. This would normally cause a single recipient to the letter, but the inclusion of Bill has caused an interesting... twist in my intended plan. So, in the interest of fairness, I will lay this out: Chiyoko, I will give you a month to prepare for battle. In the mean time, Bill Pryce... You will be the target of my wrath! I intend to take down all the supports of Chiyoko to leave her defenseless! Only then will I strike, and when I strike, I will be the Women's Champion!

- Signed,
The Queen of Flames, Camber"

Chiyoko blinks again. She makes no movement, unable to rip her gaze away from the letter. Pryce hastily makes his way into frame, snatching the message from her hands.

"Ignore that one," he shrugs, carelessly throwing the threat over his shoulder. "We'll just cut that in post, yeah?" Pryce glances into the camera with a small grin before looking back to his client. "C'mon, Chiyo! You can't just leave the segment hanging!" He laughs, trotting back out of frame.

"...O-oh." She nods, ending the recording with a quick, albeit mechanical sounding sign off. When the recording stops, she sighs, slumping over the desk in front of her. "Mr. Pryce... I don't know..." She frowns as he approaches. "Camber... She said she was declaring war? I don't think that's something we should ignore..."

"Pshawwwww!" Pryce waves a hand dismissively. "She's just trying to get into your head, yeah?" He taps at the side of his skull with a wink. "Can't fall to mind games if you don't have the mind to play!"

"Ah..."

"Idiot," Calhoun growls as he walks up, plucking Camber's discarded letter off of the ground. "What did I say a few weeks ago about that masked guy who lost his title?" He scowls in Pryce's direction before looking to Chiyoko. "You can not let your guard down. Especially with this..." he grunts, lifting the envelope up. "This letter... She's straight up tellin' you her intentions, front and center." He looks back to Pryce with a glare. "This is the kind of shit that should not be taken lightly."

"Pfft. What's there to worry about?" Pryce shrugs nonchalantly. "So you're fighting her again this week, but you've already beaten her before. No big deal, yeah?"

"You're forgettin'," Calhoun grunts. "That this ain't a singles match."

"...Oh! Right." He smiles. "Not just one, but two queens!" He clenches a fist in the air. "A triple threat encore special!"

"Ghhh..." Chiyoko remains slumped over the desk. "But... Wh-What if I mess this up, too?"

"You'll be fiiiine~!" Pryce laughs. "So you slipped up and made an oopsie, sure, BUT HEY! It happens to the best of us, right? What difference does it make if she's goin' after ya?" He pats her on the shoulder. "You've beat these two before, so you can beat 'em again!"

"Tch." Calhoun folds his arms, briefly looking away in annoyance. "'Cept she's the Champion this time around." He looks back. "With or without the letter, there's no doubt they'd both be going after her."

"Haaah..." she sighs again. "Th-then we'll have to train extra hard..."

"Well... You never know! There might be some unresolved tension between them, yeah?" He shrugs. "What with the whole, uh..." He absentmindedly twirls a finger. "Tag team... thing... they had going on for the tournament."

"...Hmph. That don't mean you should discount the possibility of them gangin' up on her." Calhoun glances back to her. "C'mon, Chyoke. If you don't have anythin' else lined up after this, we've got some trainin' to do..." He turns away, beginning to make his leave. "Stickin' around this idiot any longer will just confuse you more..." He mutters under his breath.

"A-ah, right..." She briefly looks to Pryce, who gives her a nod of confirmation. Nodding back, she pushes herself off the desk. "Coming...!" She calls, trotting after Calhoun.

"All righty then, you go do that!" Pryce claps his hands together before fingergunning at them. "In the meantime, I'm gonna go... see what I can do about gettin' those bodyguards, yeah?" He laughs again as he leaves in the other direction, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Meanwhile, Chiyoko catches up to her trainer. "Wait, um... Calhoun?" She slows her speed to his pace, tapping at his shoulder. "You still have that letter, right? Could I see it again?"

"Hm? ...Oh. Yeah, sure." He gives off the slightest shrug, handing the envelope over to Chiyoko. She skims the letter again.

"I intend to take down all the supports of Chiyoko to leave her defenseless..." She repeats. "...Humm... I know she mentions Mr. Pryce, but..." Her frown deepens as she looks back up to him. "...Do you think that includes you, too?"

Calhoun stops walking. "...Hm." He pauses, folding his arms in consideration. "Whether or not it does... I'd like to think I'm at least prepared. " He glances at her from the corner of his eye, a faint grin on his face. "...'Sides, if it came down to it... it wouldn't be the first time I've played with fire."

Chiyoko winces at the idea of anyone else being dragged in. "Uwaah... But..."

"Don't worry about it." The smile fades as he looks forward. "Now, c'mon - we got trainin' to do..."

[Lepa]

On show segment: Friday, July 14th, 2017

Chapter 11.5:
Promotional Raffle!

Bill Pryce stands in the ring, a mic in hand. "Well, well, well...!" His cadence a bit quick, but his words are crisp and clear. "Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between! The name's Bill Pryce, and you may have seen me around with my client, yeah?" He lifts an arm in a friendly shrug. "You know her, you love her, you gotta see her! Your Women's Champion, the Perfect Idol, Chiyoko Uzuki!" Pryce nods, beckoning the crowd as they applaud and cheer at the name. "HOWEVER!" He holds a single finger up as the noise dies down. "Last week, the unthinkable happened to our poor, adorable little Chiyoko..." He pauses, furrowing his brow, uttering in a near hushed tone:

"She lost."

Quite a few boos well up in the arena as Pryce frowns, shaking his head, ignoring a few a few cheers peppering the arena. "Hey, hey! Not by pinfall, mind you, but still! Unbelievable, right? Just short of a two month winning streak and everything!" He idly steps about the ring. "Chiyoko's philosophy is to keep your chin up, but wouldn't you know it, she's still feeling down!" He peers over the ropes at the crowd. "She can't help but feel as if she failed all of you, yanno? Thinking you've let so many people down just ain't an easy thing to recover from..." He hangs his head sadly, draping himself over the top rope. "But luckily..." He immediately shoots back up to his feet, straightening himself up and pulling at his bowtie. "I know just the thing to cheer her up! And you know what that is?" He grins. "THAT'S RIGHT! You, the fans! Or, more specifically... one lucky fan!" He snaps a finger.

"Yes, that's right, you heard me! We'll be holding a raffle for one lucky fan to spend an evening with Chiyoko!" Pryce glances aside to the camera. "Just dinner, mind you." He laughs. "But that's right! Our sweet, innocent Chiyoko was able to find some spring in her step again thanks to encouraging words from fans... So what better way to give back to the fans than by spending time with one, yeah?" He holds a finger up again. "And you folks are lucky enough to hear it first, because the winner will be decided via raffle!" He snaps, fingergunning. "Raffle tickets are on sale... immediately after this next match! One winner will be decided at ELW's next pay-per-view... One!" He chuckles at his own joke, then gestures grandly. "Now, on with the show!" Pryce gives a quick bow, exiting the ring.

[Lepa]

Week of July 17, 2017

Chapter 12:
Ripple Effect

~Pryce Side~

"Sooo... Nurse tells me you'll be released from here soon, right?" Pryce leans forward in his seat, his feet firmly planted far apart. He looks over El Masko's hospital bed. "So whaddya say? Will you take the job?" He hunches over, palms grasping his knees in anticipation.

"Uhhh..." The luchador hesitates. "El Masko is not sure... After all..." He shudders. "The fans... they have grown cold of El Masko."

"Oh, don't worry! I can fix that!" Pryce leans over, shutting off a nearby electronic fan. "...That better?"

"Yes, El Masko thanks you."

"No problem! ...Now, c'mon, whatcha think?" Pryce leans back in his chair, clenching a rallying fist. "I mean, you fight for honor! And for the good of the children, yeah? All that good stuff!" He folds his arms, nodding sagely. "And my client? Very honorable! Very childlike! Sounds like a perfect match for ya, if you ask me!"

"Er... Even if that is so..." Masko lifts an arm, scratching at his cheek. "El Masko can no longer wrestle, let alone fight!"

"Hah!" Pryce puffs his chest out proudly. "Never said there'd be any wrestling or fighting!"

"...Que?"

"Aw, look," Pryce relaxes again, crossing one leg over the other. "All I'm askin' ya to do is to watch over Chiyoko Uzuki, yeah? Travel with her, keep her safe, and make sure there's no funny business - especially with fans, yeah?"

"But..." Masko glances down in thought. "What about El Masko's tag partner? Daniel?"

"Daniel?" Pryce frowns, inquisitively tilting his head. "...What about Daniel?"

"Yeah! What about Daniel?!" A third voice barges in from the doorway, a bouquet of flowers clenched in hand. It's the Hardcore Champion himself, Daniel Collins. His boisterous tone suddenly shifting to genuine concern. "...Seriously, what is it? What's wrong with Daniel? Is he okay? Did he get fucked?" He approaches Pryce's chair, peering over his shoulder at Masko. "He got fucked, didn't he? Aw, shit..." He groans, glancing down at his get well present. "I only brought one bouquet of flowers!" He pauses. "...Welp, here ya go, buddy," He shoves the gift into Masko's hands with a grin. "Daniel's an asshole, anyway."

"Oh..." He nods at the gift with a small smile. "Thank you, Daniel."

"...Uh." It was a rare moment of silence from Pryce. He gives the short muscleman an odd look before turning his attention back to Masko. "...So, anyway! Will you take the job?"

"Oooooh~" Daniel coos, poking his head over Pryce's shoulder with intrigue. "A job for what~?"

"This... Billing Price is asking me to watch over his Artichoko Zucchini?" Masko shrugs.

"...Wow." Daniel side eyes Pryce, his neck now resting on Pryce's shoulder. "You're paying him to watch vegetables? Pshaaaw! I know folks who'll do that shit for free!" He grins, practically cuddling up against the manager.

"Uh, no..." Pryce pulls away from him. "I'm offering Masko a bodyguard job to protect my client, yeah...?" He answers a bit uneasily before turning back to Masko with a smile.

"Oh, sweet! We can fight people?!"

Pryce clears his throat, looking aside with an annoyed smirk. "Only if push comes to shove, and I'm offering Masko specifically..."

"Wait, what?" Daniel pulls away from Pryce's personal space with a brief frown. "...Naaah. We're partners! You take him, you take me too!" He proudly jabs a thumb into his chest, grinning from ear to ear. "We're like peas in a pod! Peanut butter and jelly! Birds of a feather! Pickles and Kool-aid! We're a two for one special, baby!" He raises both hands, fingergunning. "You want fries with that?!"

Pryce's frown deepens. "Er... No, yeah, but..." The uncertainty he was so good at hiding was surprisingly clear in his voice, though he quickly recomposes himself. "This is Masko's decision!" Pryce reaffirms, looking back to the luchador with a pleading smile. "Right-o, Masko? I mean, you can make your own choices, yeah? You don't have to have him with you, yanno...?" He urges him, hoping he'll accept the job solo. Masko's values lined up with Chiyoko's image, after all, but this Daniel guy...? Not so much...

"Well..." El Masko stares back at the two, frowning in thought. "Daniel may have beaten Masko for the title... As well as suplex El Masko... and punch El Masko with little to no warning..." He shakes his head. "But..."

"...But?"

"El Masko and Daniel..." He pauses, staring down at the bouquet of daisies. Masko himself wasn't the best, but he always tried his best and fought with honor! Even if that honor was an albatross around his neck, well, someone had to shoulder it. And as rough as Daniel was, well... El Masko knew he meant well in his own... violent, unorthodox way. If Daniel was no better than some thug, then why would he be here? Anyone less honorable could've blamed El Masko, stabbing him in the back and kicking him while he was down. But Daniel? Here he was, thoughtful enough to check up on him, arguing for their friendship. His mind made up, El Masko gives a determined nod.

"If you hire El Masko, you hire Daniel! We are still partners!"

"YEAAAAH~!" Daniel fist pumps, holding a hand up for a high five from Masko. "Now that's what I like to hear! Big Men 4 U, together forever!"

"...Hah..." Pryce sighs, defeated as the tag team partners slap hands together; Daniel's a bit harder than it probably should have. "...Well..." The manager shakes his head, forcing a smile in realization. "At least that proves your honor and loyalty, huh...?" He pushes himself off his chair, shrugging as he gets to his feet. "We'll, uh... We'll talk later, yeah? Until then..." He pulls out two business cards, handing on to each of the duo. "Consider yourselves hired, yeah? Just call me to finalize all the details when you can. Preferably as soon as possible, aheh..." He adds as he makes his leave.

"You got it, bubsy!" Daniel flashes him a thumbs up before looking back to Masko. "You hear that, Masko?!" He plops down in the chair Pryce was sitting in, fists clenched in excitement. "We're gonna fight more nerds!"

"But... El Masko cannot fight...!"

Carefully shutting the door, Pryce sighs at the exchange, gazing up at the ceiling. "It'll be fiiiine, Bill." He shakes his head with a crooked smile. "It'll be juuust fine..."

[Lepa]

(This post was actually written by Izzack; I only touched it up a bit. We started to collaborate in having our characters interact more regularly.)

Week of July 17, 2017

Chapter 13:
Ripple Effect

~Daniel Side~

"But... El Masko cannot fight...!"

"Yeah, so you got a little roughed up, that's fiiiine!" Daniel pats him on the shoulder as Pryce leaves. "You'll be outta here in no time, and we'll be back to fighting!"

"But... No, Daniel..." Masko frowns, looking down to the flowers again. "The doctors say El Masko cannot fight anymore."

"Psshaw, I heard all about that. "Oh, El Masko is retiring!" I get it, you wanna be sneaky for when you come back. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret, you don't gotta lie to your buddy."

"El Masko is not lying...!" He protests.

"Heh...come on now, man. It was kinda funny at first, but let's get serious. When are you coming back?" Daniel's smirk fades a little as he speaks.

The luchador frowns. "El Masko isn't."

Daniel doesn't say anything for a short time. "...What's wrong, Masko? Was it the cheating? We'll get even! Was... was it because I was fuckin' with ya? Don't worry man, I'll stop if that's what you want. Come on, we can sort through anything that's bothering you. Why don't you want to come back?"

"Daniel..." El Masko looks aside, a lump forming in his throat. "El Masko would love to come back... But... El Masko isn't coming back." He looks back to his partner, sadness welling up in his eyes. "Not because he doesn't want to... but... because he... because Masko can't."

This time around, Daniel is silent for much longer. He seems almost confused, unable to understand what his partner is saying. "Y-you're serious, Masko."

"...That..." He swallows. "...That is what doctors said."

"You... I... no. No, you're... joking, right Masko? This is a joke, right? Right? Ha, c'mon, Masko! That's not a funny joke...! There's... There's no way that's real, right? It's just a joke?" Daniel's voice shakes a little, and his hands are quivering.

"Is... no joke, Daniel." Masko struggles to repeat himself. "Doctors say-"

"...No. No, no no no NO!" Daniel shouts, standing up, "The doctors are wrong, Masko! I don't know how, but they got you wrong! They don't know your fighting spirit! You'll come back! You always come back! You can't let a simple chair shot knock you out of fighting! You gotta come back, Masko! We're a team!" He clutches at Masko's shoulders, locking eyes with him.

"And El Masko is grateful for partner!" He stares back in reassurance. "But... this is it. El Masko... cannot return to the ring." He breaks eye contact, looking aside sadly. "Daniel must keep fighting without El Masko by side..."

Daniel slowly releases his hands from Masko's shoulders. "I... this is real. This is real, isn't it, Mask?" he staggers backwards, as if suddenly hit by the reality of the situation. "I- Fuck! Damn it! Why did they have to do this? Why couldn't they just fight fair!?" with a mindless shout, he kicks over his chair. He stares at the fallen furniture, not wanting to make eye contact with his partner. "...I'll fight, Masko, but without you, I don't know. It's going to be hard. We've only been a team for a few weeks, but... I'll miss you having my back in the ring Masko."

He forces a sad smile. "And Masko will miss fighting with you, Daniel."

Daniel turns back to El Masko, and does his best to return the smile, though it's obvious his heart isn't in it. "Heh... looks like I'll be fighting for the two of us, eh? Well... Get your rest, you'll need it for when we're bodyguards... See ya, Masko." he pats Masko one last time on the shoulder before turning slowly and leaving the hospital room.

"...Goodbye, Daniel."