Set up to the top! (For Skip-stop)

[Vc0m]

”W-what do you mean “No”?! Neither proposal?!”

After Apex, Clara’s wins and losses were in a state of flux. On LAW TV, she was fine. Losses from her were rare, and she made her foes work for each and every one of them…

Her last 2 PPVs were a different story. Her fated hentai match against Nerissa ended up in humiliating (if admittedly hot) loss, while her challenge to the inaugural LAW Openweight Champion ended in one of the toughest losses of her life, one where she pulled out all the stops to win, and still came short. It’s this loss that got her to take things easy at the start of 2024, but with her fully recovered, she decided to head straight for the manager of both women - Victoria.

The manager who got her client all the way to becoming a champion deserved part of the praise for getting them to the top, be it choosing the right matches, while also keeping their image in people’s minds. Managers were unsung heroes of wrestling. It was work that Clara underestimated the difficulty of every time it came time to do paperwork herself, be it for matches and for merch, having to read every piece meticulously to make sure she wouldn’t be swindled out of money, making sure she got a good number of challenging matches her way…

Clara entered Victoria’s office, making an appointment with her over the phone, and putting up her proposals.

First one was the more difficult one - rematch with Astrid.

Besides the difficulty, the match itself was decidedly one of Clara’s best performances, with her almost putting her life on the line… and despite the difficulty and failure, Clara wanted to try again. Naturally, this one was something any manager would be skeptical about. A challenger that lost a title match only got one prize - back of the line, build back up to earn your opportunity. The only argument for doing a rematch now is how much of a draw it will be on a card… but there was a bigger advantage in diversifying Astrid’s wins, to prove how much better she was than a lot of top women on the roster were, to prove why she deserved her spot as the inaugural champion…

Second match, Clara had more sway over… at least she thought. Nerissa and her had developed quite a rivalry, even if Clara didn’t quite know where her and Nerissa stood at the moment. After the initial match against the Echidna, and offending her by not responding to her APEX challenge, and after the event was done (with Nerissa instead facing Alice, over her sister defending Clara’s honor), the talks of a rematch went south, Nerissa choosing a match type that wasn’t quite typical for a rivalry like that, especially considering how Clara fought her hentai bouts. Clara would ultimately lose, and blush every time she thought both about the match… and the “punishment” afterwards. Things have calmed down since then, and with the two women split 1-1 in their rivalry, a rematch was a perfect idea!

…at least, that’s what Clara thought when she entered the office.

”I…sorry for my overreaction, but I just don’t understand. I get why I can’t fight Astrid, but why not Nerissa?”, Clara quizzed Victoria after hearing a negative response to both her match proposals…

[skip-stop]

"You don't raise your voice at me, miss Gaster," Victoria said in a flat and cold voice, after which her eyes flashed. "Especially in my office."

Victoria Palmer

The Englishwoman adjusted her glasses and stared at Clara for a few more seconds, as if looking through the brunette. Maintaining both composure and authority was far from the easiest task, especially if you want to do it with dignity. Victoria was capable of it. As she herself believed, she had many flaws. However, when it comes to her work, she will never allow anyone to question her authority and her decisions. Yes, she was well aware that the British woman had raised her voice in a fit of emotion, but that didn't mean she was ready to let her get away with it.

Clara quickly realized that she had made a mistake and hastened to apologize. After that, Victoria blinked slowly, and her face became a little less stern. She took off her glasses and put them on the table before continuing their conversation. Perhaps now they have come to a point where they can speak openly and a little less formally. Besides, the manager knew that Clara deserved an explanation.

"Clara, listen," even her voice became a little softer. "I'm well aware of your recent successes." She specifically did not mention the PPV matches, as her focus was on other things. "However, as a manager, I must first of all look after the interests of my wards."

After a short pause, Victoria took the teapot and filled two cups standing on the table between them. A cliche? Maybe. But at least now there were two British representatives in the room at once, so hardly anyone would dare to condemn the hot tea.

"As for Nerissa, she has an important match at the end of this week, where a contract with a very famous sports magazine is at stake," Victoria took a short sip from her cup without adding sugar. "And although I'm sure that for the sake of a match with you, she would gladly abandon the planned match, I, as a manager, will not allow this to happen." The cup has returned to its rightful place. "It's not for me to tell you that recent years have not been the best for the lightweight division, and while Nerissa's name continues to rise in the rankings, I must make sure that this trend continues." Victoria put her glasses back on and smiled slightly. "In a way, she's going to have a higher priority match than the match with you, a familiar situation, isn't it?"

It wasn't a cruel joke. However, the Englishwoman really wanted to point out that now Clara and Nerissa have, in a sense, changed places. Not so long ago, Clara had put Nerissa in line, and now it was quite the opposite. The only difference was that Victoria was not going to keep Clara in the dark about further events, which she decided to tell aloud.

"After this match, I don't see any obstacles for you and her to meet again."

Victoria adjusted her glasses, realizing that this was not the only thing that needed an explanation. And it just so happened that this topic was much more sensitive than the first one. The manager took another small sip of tea before continuing.

"As for Astrid..." it was obvious that she was trying to find the right words. "First of all, you should know that, like me, she is aware of your successes." Realizing that this is not the best moment to beat around the bush, Victoria decided to tell everything as it is. "And she assumed that you would come to me, so she asked me to refuse you." Seeing that the British woman did not like it at all, Victoria slightly raised her hand, thereby asking Clara not to interrupt her. "I have a guess as to why she said that, but I'm afraid it's not for me to talk about it." Victoria tilted her head slightly forward. "The only important thing is that she wants to meet you and talk to you in person, so when you're ready, let me know and I'll point you to the time and the place."

Another sip of tea served as a hint that Victoria had nothing more to add on the subject. Astrid's motives didn't seem like a secret to her, but she didn't want to discuss it with Clara. If Astrid wants to talk to her in person, then that's how it should be. Trust is not something that is easy to earn. But Victoria trusted her ward completely.

[Vc0m]

Truth be told, Clara was shocked at how loud she came off with her inflection. It wasn’t like she was a spoiled woman who always expected everyone to say “yes” to her. She could take a refusal politely…but this refusal made her feel…tense. She really…really wanted another match against either Nerissa or Astrid, but getting both of her pitches refused made her feel trapped for a moment.

She bowed her head at Victoria in apology over raising her voice, awaiting for Victoria’s reasoning for her refusal, quietly thanking the manager for a cup of tea (the Britishness of the conversation not escaping her attention).

For reasoning for why the match against Nerissa wasn’t happening, Clara couldn’t help but let out a barely audible growl. It felt…karmic. Nerissa told her how disrespectful she found Clara’s attitude towards her, and now, being told that her rival had a more important match against her made her feel…smaller than she actually was. To try and numb that feeling, Clara took another sip of tea.

She nodded to Victoria. Waiting in wrestling felt like one was losing their moment, but right now, Clara finally dealt with lingering injuries that bothered her for several months. Waiting a few more weeks didn’t sound too painful.

Reasoning for a refusal against the match against Astrid, however, felt more painful. It wasn’t Victoria refusing the match as a manager, it was a manager following her client’s wishes. Still, it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Astrid did want to talk to her. Taking another sip of the cup to finish it, Clara set it on the table nearby:

”I understand. I’ll try and check my schedule and see when I can talk to her about it. But per a match with Nerissa, do you have any timetable for when she would be available for a match?”, Clara would ask.

[skip-stop]

Victoria had no difficulty noticing that her joke had a strong effect on Clara. And although she did not have a direct goal to tease the brunette, she believed that she had done the right thing. Perhaps now Clara understood better than ever how bad Nerissa felt when she was put in line. And although the relationship of her charges with other fighters lay outside Victoria's jurisdiction, she was sure that she had involuntarily pushed Clara and Nerissa to a deeper understanding.

When the manager began to explain the situation with Astrid, the British woman clearly did not like it, but by the end of Victoria's words, Clara's face had changed. After receiving an explanation, she accepted it and promised that she would find time to talk to the champion. Victoria nodded satisfactorily, then raised her eyebrows slightly, clearly surprised by the subsequent question.

“Oh, you know it's hard to judge such things in advance,” the Englishwoman shook her head slightly. “Her opponent is not a superstar, of course, but after the start of her career, her results were more than impressive, so this will be a quite difficult match for Nerissa.”

The manager thought for a second, as if trying to calculate all possible options. Yes, Yahagi is a serious opponent, but on the other hand it will be a classic standard match. And if it ends without any injuries…

“Two weeks,” she said, then adjusted her glasses. “The match is in three days, and if everything ends without injuries, then you and Nerissa can fight eleven days after that.”

Victoria did not explain that after the match Nerissa would need time for both rest and preparation, Clara probably knew this even better than the manager herself. And eleven days is the shortest time the Englishwoman could offer. She was not going to risk the health of her ward, especially a member of her golden trio. In addition, she would have to tell Nerissa that Clara had come to her, so she was sure in advance that the Native American woman would demand to organize this match as soon as possible.

“As for the details, I think you and Nerissa can handle it on your own,” she smiled slightly. “Something tells me that you will have a chance to talk to her soon enough.”

[Vc0m]

Clara definitely had trouble maintaining a poker face whenever it came to business deals. Years of acting classes at school, plus wrestling, left her emotions to firmly show themselves on her face whenever she felt something strong. As she was humbled by Victoria for humbling Nerissa during Apex, it was plain to see on her face that she fell right into the manager’s trap.

The Brit nodded to all the information related to Nerissa’s match. It sounded important, but it felt like this was set up for her to win, even if it was challenging.

”11 days sounds fine by me…”

Clara paused. It was enough, but she still wanted a match on the upcoming week’s card. She needed something to get herself ready before the fated showdown with her rival…and the manager of the two most difficult fights she had in a while was sitting right there, likely having other clients itching for a fight!

”But…would you happen to have anyone else who needs a match on the upcoming show?”, Clara would ask.

[skip-stop]

After the Englishwoman chose the time interval between the matches, Clara's face betrayed her skepticism and even disbelief, which made Victoria tilt her head slightly forward. Despite the fact that these were business negotiations, she was as open as possible with the brunette and therefore such a reaction was not entirely clear to her. Of course, as a manager, she was obliged to take care of her charges, but now she wasn't even trying to put Nerissa in a better position.

Eleven days is the shortest possible time between matches and Victoria considered it fair. After all, if Clara expected that the manager would allow tired and bruised Nerissa to fight against Clara the next day after the scheduled match, then perhaps her opinion of this British woman was overestimated. In this scenario, there could not even be a question of a fair fight on equal terms.

"I hope so," Victoria said after Clara agreed with this time interval. "Because if you have something to say about it, please, say it now."

Business negotiations are always a game where everyone tries to pull the blanket to their side. But since Victoria was open from the very beginning out of respect for the woman sitting opposite, she wanted the same from Clara.

Victoria reached for her cup of tea and took a short sip, while Clara asked if there were any people among the manager's team who needed a match in the near future. Returning the cup to its place, Victoria allowed herself a smile, after which she made a few mouse clicks, opening the schedules on her laptop.

"I love persistent women," she muttered, clearly appreciating that the British woman still wanted to get a match. "Let's see..."

For several seconds, Victoria's eyes ran over the table containing data on her wards, their current schedule, potential rivals, and so on. And although she knew by heart what was waiting for each of the wards in the near future, she did not want to miss anything. When she was done, the Englishwoman leaned back in her chair, put her elbows on the armrests and joined her fingertips under her chin.

"I would like to offer you a match against Charlotte, but I'm afraid that at this stage of your and her aspirations for both of you it would be too much of a blow to lose this match," she began. "The Hidesato sisters, unfortunately, have made it clear to me that they want to focus their efforts on the tag team division for now." Victoria closed her eyes for a moment, making another decision. "Margarita Jorgensen is too far from your level and although it will be a valuable match for her in terms of experience, you will not get anything meaningful from this." Victoria was not afraid to admit that not everyone in her team is a top-class fighter. "The career of my daughter, Karen Aoki-Justice, did not start in the best way, but she still wants to prove herself, maybe she will be a good option." Victoria understood that Karen did not have enough experience, but she more than makes up for it with combat skills. "I would also suggest considering Lily Menage, she is truly unique, literally devoid of emotions." Lily didn't find much popularity, but she was still more than a promising fighter. "Sintharia Ashmore... no, I'm sorry, but no, even though she is a member of my team, I try to keep her away from the ring for some reason..." Victoria looked away for the first time since the beginning of the conversation, as if she did not want to discuss it. "Well, there's one last woman, but she's building a career in the hentai division and so I don't think that Lun..."

Before Victoria could finish, there was a knock on the door. The manager looked over Clara's shoulder with some surprise. It was clear from Victoria's face that she was not expecting other guests. Given her reputation, only a few people would risk coming to her uninvited, so the Englishwoman's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Come in!" She said briefly, after which the tree opened, and Victoria barely found the strength not to click her tongue. "Speak of the devil..." she muttered.

"Oh, do you have guests?" An attractive smooth voice with notes of purring rang out. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

A tall blonde came into the office and at the same moment the air was filled with a light sweet fragrance. Whether it was perfume or her natural scent didn't matter. As always, this woman's turquoise eyes were filled with excitement and passion, and the soft smile on her face, combined with two symmetrical moles, was like a magnet. Swaying her hips slightly, she walked straight up to Victoria and unceremoniously sat on the edge of the table, crossing her right leg over her left.

"I have a business meeting, we are discussing match planning," Victoria's face changed, it was easy to see that she was outraged by the behavior of this blonde, but at the same time a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "What are you doing here without warning?"

"Match planing? How interesting..." she purred, then turned her head towards Clara and her turquoise eyes ran over the brunette from her heels to the top of her head. "I was just passing by and decided to find out how my beloved manager was doing." She did not look away from Clara and the corners of her lips lifted higher. "Can you introduce us to each other?"

"Clara, this is Lunara Ashmore, also known as the Jaguarundi, I was just about to tell you about her before she interrupted me," Victoria tried hard not to look at the blonde sitting on her table. "Lunara, this is Clara Gaster, also known as..."

"The Shadow Lord..." Lunara finished, making it clear that she knows exactly who Clara is. "Pleasure to meet you."

The blonde rose from the table and smoothly extended her hand to the British woman for a handshake. And although there was nothing special about it, there was an elegant smoothness in every movement of Lunara. Victoria remained silent for a few more seconds, but then forced herself to pull herself together. Lunara's presence always unsettled her. This woman was truly unique. Her very presence was enough to drive everyone around crazy. Even when she wasn't trying to do it purposefully, she always managed to attract people to her.

"Don't lie, you wouldn't just come to me," the manager said, trying to keep her voice even. "What do you want? As I said, I have a business meeting, and if you're just here to distract me, then please wait in the hallway until Clara and I are done."

"I wasn't lying," the American woman purred, turning back to the manager. "I just didn't have time to tell the whole truth, I was really passing by and decided to check on you, but at the same time I wanted to know if you had found the next opponent for me."

"Most of the hentai division is currently taking part in the tournament that you decided to skip," Victoria said, adjusting her glasses in an attempt to get rid of Lunara's presence as quickly as possible. "So I'm afraid you'll have to wait for your next hentai match."

"Who said anything about a hentai one?" Licking her lips almost imperceptibly, Lunara asked, which made Victoria blink several times in surprise.

[Vc0m]

Negotiations for matches definitely weren’t Clara’s forte. At some point, maybe her own manager was a good idea, but right now she was making due…even if this conversation showcased the many problems the Brit had in her strategies. She couldn’t help but feel she was doing exactly what Victoria wanted of her, even if she herself was ok with this.

Clara listened to the options carefully, trying to put faces to names, as besides Nerissa and Astrid, she knew few women under Victoria’s employ by heart. Hidesato sisters interested her a little, however. She’s been thinking of getting back to tag matches, though with which partner, she wasn’t quite sure yet. The rest didn’t quite fit for other reasons, either being too far from Clara’s level or at a too similar level where either woman losing would hurt either of them.

Surprisingly, Clara was aware of the final name Victoria didn’t bring up quite yet. And as someone else intruded on this meeting, surprisingly still, this woman was right behind the door for agenda of her own…

The room felt like it completely changed once Lunara Ashmore made her way in. Her fragrance filled the room, making Clara sit up, paying close attention to what was happening in the room. The blonde had sex appeal through the roof and, despite the fact that she wasn’t in the ring or standing against an opponent, still acted like she was the most beautiful woman in the room…and to be fair, this might not have been far from the truth.

Clara’s cheeks blushed as the manager and her client talked things over, Victoria introducing Lunara to Clara, and to the British woman’s surprise, Lunara was quite aware of who she was.

”The pl-pleasure is all mine…”, Clara would respond, taking Lunara’s hand carefully in her’s. Even her handshakes were elegant, Clara noted.

The interrupting conversation continued, as Lunara inquired about a potential future match…and not a hentai one.

Ever since Lunara entered the room, Clara’s mind flashed with an idea for a hentai match with the woman…but she had such a big abundance of them recently, that she needed just a little bit of a break for now. However, a standard match with the beautiful blonde made her perk up at the idea, eyes filling with genuine excitement as she turned to Victoria:

”Well…I am guessing this works out perfectly for both of us then? Though, Ms. Ashmore…”, Clara would turn back to the blonde: ”If you don’t mind me asking, what made you decide to go for a non-hentai match?”

[skip-stop]

Remembering their last conversations, Victoria knew that Lunara wanted to develop not only as a hentai fighter, but even with all her insight the manager did not realize that the blonde was so determined. It was because of this that it took her a few seconds to recover from such a harsh statement from her ward. However, by the time she opened her mouth, Clara voiced her own thoughts about this, and also decided to ask Lunara a question.

The American woman slowly turned her head to Clara and smiled at the brunette, while her eyes twinkled playfully. Like Victoria, she was very perceptive. And although Clara's question might seem like something completely ordinary to many, she saw something more in it. However, Lunara wasn't going to hide her motives.

"Please call me Lunara, darling," she purred, and then, as if by accident, put her hand on Victoria's palm, which made the Englishwoman flinch. "As for your question, it's very simple. I love sex more than anything in the world and I'm really good at it. But I'm afraid that because of my talent, the audience too quickly began to forget one very important thing for me."

It was easy to see that Victoria wanted to remove her hand from under Lunara's, but she seemed to freeze. Lunara didn't even have to look at her manager to see the blush on her cheeks. Instead, she just ran her fingers smoothly over the Englishwoman's skin, and then pressed two fingers to her right cheek, continuing to look into Clara's eyes.

"I'm a fighter and I can fight as well as fuck," the smile on her face widened and now she really looked like a predator. "My last match, namely hardstyle hentai, slightly reminded them of this, but I'm afraid it wasn't enough. So... I would really like to fight someone who has not only fighting skills, but also outstanding beauty."

Lunara's hand slid down, and her fingers alternately touched her soft lips. Looking at Clara, she allowed herself to bite the right edge of her lower lip. A fire broke out in her turquoise eyes, as if she was ready to pounce on the British woman right now. Cats don't ask, cats take what they want. That was the essence of Lunara. But although she would have liked to throw Clara on the sofa in the corner of Victoria's office, she decided that it would be too much for her humble manager.

"I guess my quest ended as soon as it started, didn't it?" She purred, complimenting Clara on both her skills and her appearance.

Despite the fact that she was almost two heads taller than the brunette, this did not bother her at all. A fight is like sex, when you're both lying down, the height difference doesn't matter. In addition, the blonde was very well aware that the woman in front of her was a step or two away from defeating Astrid. This combination of skill and beauty was exactly what Lunara wanted to find, and so now she wanted only one thing. She wanted Clara to say that she no longer needed to look for an opponent.

[Vc0m]

Immediately after Clara asked her question, she realized that even if Lunara wanted to fight Clara in a hentai match, there was no way for the Brit to defeat the beautiful blonde. Already, she was struggling with wrestlers who didn’t make hentai their bread and butter. And here was one of the key stars of the division, already overwhelming the Brit with her presence before the two have even set up a match!

Hell, Victoria wasn’t even a wrestler, but she could see the manager being overcome by the blonde’s charisma and sultry actions. Clara’s own cheeks were blushing as she realized everything that Lunara was doing, seducing her whilst physically overwhelming her manager, keeping her eyes squarely on Clara, letting her know with her gaze alone everything she wanted to do with the raven-haired Brit, before Clara took a deep breath. Suddenly, the blush was gone from her cheeks, and Clara’s gaze lit up with competitive fire.

”It did indeed. Although I am not walking away with what I wanted, I think I am walking away with something both of us need. Would that be okay, Ms. Palmer?”

[skip-stop]

"Ara ara..." Lunara drawled in a purring voice after Clara's words. "Trust me, darling, whatever you wanted to get, you just got a lot more."

The American woman had a talent for seeing through people. Perhaps not as skillfully as her sister could do it, but still. And while she was looking at Clara, she knew from the brunette's eyes that she fully realized what she could get from this predator. In addition, the blush on Clara's cheeks clearly indicated that under other circumstances this might well have happened. However, much to Lunara's delight, the British woman was able to resist her charms and refocus on talking about the match.

Lunara smoothly turned her head to Victoria, because it was to her that Clara's last question was addressed. The Englishwoman still looked slightly lost, which clearly pleased the predator. But, although with a little more difficulty than Clara, Victoria also took a deep breath, thereby forcing herself to collect her thoughts.

"Consider it done," the manager said to Clara. "A standard match at the end of the week, I'll notify the higher management."

"Great!" With a twinkle in her eyes, Lunara clapped her hands and stood up from her manager's table.

As if they were alone, she came up to Clara again and leaned towards her as smoothly as possible, like a real predator who does not want to scare the victim. Perhaps at some point it might have seemed that she was going to kiss her, but her lips passed by the brunette's lips and ended up near the ear.

"See you in the ring, darling..." she whispered, her breath hot on Clara's ear.

At parting, she touched the palm of the British woman and slowly ran her fingers over the skin, only then straightening up to her full height. She looked at Clara and Victoria in turn, and then her smile widened, at that moment Lunara looked like a genuinely happy person. And it was true, because even though she knew how to lie, it never applied to her feelings and emotions.

"Successful negotiations, aren't they?" She purred, then elegantly waved her hand. "Victoria, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess I'll need to sign a contract for the match, won't I?"

Swaying her hips slightly, the blonde headed for the door. She stopped for just a moment, right after she turned the doorknob. She looked over her shoulder and winked at Clara as a parting gift before their match. Lunara closed the door behind her and at the same moment Victoria exhaled loudly as if she couldn't breathe all the time.

"The Woman..." she muttered, which was completely out of character for her.

Perhaps the reference to Doyle was superfluous, but from her point of view it was the best way to describe Lunara. She was the only one who could turn her head. Unfortunately, too few people paid attention to the fact that the Englishwoman always tries to protect not only her own interests and the interests of her wards, but also other people. Even Clara during this meeting, despite Victoria's complete openness, thought that the manager was putting her at a disadvantage. That's why many called her the shark with glasses and considered her a cold-blooded bitch. Resolute and unwavering. But not in the presence of Lunara.

"Ahem..." Victoria cleared her throat and tried to put aside what had just happened, although she still felt a sweet scent in the air. "I'm not sure if I need to say this out loud, but I want to be open with you." The brunette adjusted her glasses. "Astrid, Charlotte and Nerissa are always breathing down each other's necks, just one step ahead and one step behind each other." For clarity, she drew a straight line in the air with her palm. "Lunara, in her turn, although she decided to focus most of her efforts on the hentai division, lags behind Astrid, Charlotte and Nerissa in combat skills by only one or two steps at most." She drew a second line just below the first one. "So it will be a good, equal and fair match for both of you." Victoria allowed herself a slight smile, she explained it all so that Clara would not feel like she got leftovers from the table. "I wouldn't have let this happen in the other case."

With these words, the manager got up from her chair and extended her hand to Clara for a handshake. From the first second of this meeting, she had been honest with this woman and therefore she could only hope that Clara would leave her office with good impressions and without secret resentments.

"Thank you for coming today," Victoria said. "I hope for further cooperation between you and my wards, because you are all pushing each other forward." The manager tilted her head slightly forward. "Tomorrow I will send you the contract for the match with Lunara, as well as prepare the ground for your next match with Nerissa." Victoria blinked slowly, as if thinking about something, but then decided that she should say it. "And, Clara, I'm not your manager, but I want you to know that I see talent at first sight." Victoria adjusted her glasses, making her eyes sparkle. "You have already come a long way and you have already achieved a lot, but let me give you some advice, even in the darkest days, stay resolute, this is the only way fighters become champions."