Alizeh breathed out softly as she walked down the halls to her destination, the office of one Victoria Palmer. Not exactly infamous or anything, but about as well known as managers can be in pro wrestling. While she wasn't a mouth piece like some managers from a business perspective she seemed unmatched given she managed some of the biggest names in the promotion, Nerissa Labong, Charlotte Ravel, Lunara Ashmore, all big names in the light, middle and hentai divisions respectively and of course she also managed Astrid Arvidsson, the reigning and defending Openweight champion.
Also the reason Alizeh wanted to talk to Victoria. Nonetheless everything Alizeh knew about Victoria was off word of mouth and versions were a bit varied so Alizeh really wasn't sure what kinda situation she would be walking into and how things would go. One of the feel times she felt remotely nervous when it came to LAW and she didn't like this particular feeling at all. But it didn't matter one bit. While she wanted things to go well, it wouldn't be terrible if it didn't, all that mattered was that she got her point across to the woman.
Sighing as she steeled her nerves Alizeh would raise her hand and knock on the door, waiting... and waiting... and waiting. 'She's not here is she?' Alizeh thought to herself after a third knock and yet still no reply. Looking at her watch the greenette would sigh softly as she concluded that the manager may have been running later.
That and Alizeh made the mistake of coming pretty much as soon as the building opened up, an attempt at trying to be prompt, but maybe to the point of detriment. If nothing else though it at least meant that she wouldn't have to deal with a wait since sooner or later Victoria would be in. Keeping her phone out Alizeh would open it up and lean on the wall next to the office door, content to wait for the time being. Spoiler
Last edited by Bare on Wed Jul 17, 2024 1:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
There was hardly anything surprising in the sound of footsteps in the corridor. However, it was surprising who exactly these footsteps belonged to. Slowly and even smoothly, Lily approached the office of her manager, Victoria. In another situation, this would also not be surprising, because a meeting between a manager and a ward is a common thing. But this meeting was not scheduled, which went against the way the Englishwoman usually acted. So why did she decide to visit LAW headquarters this morning without an appointment? Casual outfit
This morning, cold logic suggested to the brunette that perhaps a sudden visit would be an additional motivation for Victoria. Despite the lull in her career, Lily was not going to complain about boredom, she devoted her free time to science and training. But that's not why she came to Japan. She came here for the matches. She came here for emotions. She came here to become a human being. And if Victoria had forgotten about it, then Lily intended to remind her of it.
Lily thought a lot about what happened to her during her last match, especially at the very end. The trembling that pierced her body and the illusory sweet taste on her lips... she still couldn't give a rational explanation for it, but her wildest guess was that at that moment she felt the joy of victory. There was only one way to test this theory, but for that she needed the help of her manager.
Turning the corner, the Englishwoman went through several doors and finally reached the one she needed. To the right of the door leading to Victoria's office stood a green-haired woman, whom Lily did not pay any attention to, as if this woman had completely merged with the wall, or as if she did not exist at all. After knocking three times and getting no answer, Lily blinked slowly and looked at her watch.
“She's never late, which means she should arrive in five minutes...” the brunette thought.
Taking a step to the side and turning around, Lily leaned back against the wall on the free side of the door. She wasn't used to wasting even a minute of her free time, but five minutes wasn't the biggest price to pay for the opportunity to get what she needed. Her amber eyes were fixed on the wall in front of her, and although it might seem that she was thinking about something, in fact, there was just a ticking clock in her head, counting down five minutes to Victoria's expected arrival.
Alizeh hummed softly while scrolling on her phone, just waiting. If she was to guess Victoria was either a little late which going off the rumors about the woman seemed unlikely, and was more so probably the case was the opposite where she was hyper punctual and didn't come early. So hopefully the woman would be right at nine which would put her due about five minutes from now.
Although Alizeh would feel herself given some measure of false hope as she heard footsteps approaching and for a moment thought it was the woman she was looking for, only as Alizeh looked up the greenette spied not the manager of the open weight champ, but instead someone else. Another dark haired woman but not dressed as a manager.
Instead she was dressed casual, with a top notch physique and striking gold eyes. Everything about her gave off the vibe of a competitor and Alizeh did vaguely recognize her as another one of Victoria's clients, Lily she believed her name was. Though if she recalled correctly the woman hadn't had a match recently, maybe that's why she was here?
Alizeh wasn't really sure one way or the other in all honesty but what was most odd about things over all was... she got completely ignored. It was as if the woman hadn't even noticed her before knocking on Victoria's door and after waiting a bit just.. walked to the other side of the wall. Not even an attempt at communication let alone a greeting.
Looking over at Lily a few times Alizeh hoped to pique Lily's curiosity, even gave a friendly wave.. then another after a minute, and finally the silence in spite of another person's presence prompted Alizeh to clear her throat.
"Uh hi I'm Alizeh Midori nice to meetcha." Alizeh said, trying to greet the woman in a friendly manner even reaching over to offer a handshake towards the woman. Figuring it was better to be the one to introduce herself than say nothing at all.
Most people in Lily's place would have picked up the phone and started scrolling through the Twitter feed to brighten up the wait, but the brunette didn't have to. As she stared at the wall in front of her, a variety of thoughts scrolled through her head, ranging from her career to complex mathematical calculations. And even the green-haired woman desperately turning her head in her direction couldn't distract Lily from her thoughts. Well, until that woman decided to openly approach her and say hello.
The Englishwoman smoothly turned her head to the side, looking at the green-haired woman. More precisely, it would be more correct to say that the gaze of those amber eyes was rather directed through her. There was nothing kind or evil in Lily's eyes, her eyes were just beautiful, but empty. However, since this green-haired woman forced Lily to pay attention to her, thought processes immediately began in the brunette's head, and the dossier of the woman standing in front of her seemed to appear before her eyes.
“Morning,” she said in a smooth and even attractive, but at the same time completely indifferent voice. “I know.”
Lily studied the profiles of many federation fighters and, thanks to her phenomenal memory, it was not difficult for her to recognize this woman. Looking down, she stared at the outstretched hand for a second, then looked back into Alizeh's eyes. And although she wasn't going to say that it was nice to meet her too, since that would be a lie, she shook the green-haired woman's hand.
“Lily Menage.” She introduced herself.
Last edited by skip-stop on Tue Aug 06, 2024 1:10 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Alizeh blinked softly after trying in seeming vain to introduce herself to the woman standing across the door from her. It was a bit awkward that's for sure and Alizeh was on the verge of just shutting up and waiting for Victoria to show up. However just before she resigned to standing in awkward silence did Lily finally speak up, albeit barely.
Offering a breathy morning and acknowledgement, though Alizeh couldn't tell if it was meant to be passive aggressive or not, but she didn't care, it was something at least. Clearing her throat a bit Alizeh would nod to Lily as she now officially introduced herself. "Yeah you're one of Victoria's clients right? Guess you're here to hit her up about some business as well huh?" Alizeh asked her, hoping some small talk would help the time go by a bit faster.
Alizeh's reaction was about the same as that of everyone who met Lily for the first time. Even the fact that the Englishwoman accepted the handshake did not help smooth it out, because on the face of the green-haired woman there was sincere bewilderment because of Lily's laconicism and her beautiful and melodious, but empty voice.
Could the brunette have done anything about it? Yes, of course, she had several options. She could try to pretend that she is the same as everyone else and that she is happy to meet new people. She could also try to start any conversation by saying that she doesn't feel anything. But none of these options were what she was willing to do. Therefore, she could only continue to see all these amazed faces of those who met her.
"I am, with a slight correction that Victoria prefers to call us wards rather than clients," Lily confirmed Alizeh's assumption that she is one of Victoria's team. "And you're right, I'm here to talk to her."
Lily did not specify why Alizeh herself was here. Hardly anyone would be standing at Victoria's door so early in the morning without the intention of talking to the manager about certain matters. So for Lily the purpose of the green-haired woman's stay seemed obvious. The question is different. What exactly did Alizeh want to talk to Victoria about without an appointment? Having a guess on this, Lily even intended to check her guess and ask the green-haired woman a question, but before she could utter a word, the elevator doors opened at the end of the corridor.
"It's not about the money," came a stern voice. "If you think money can make any woman agree for an underwear commercial, then you have obvious problems."
Victoria came out of the elevator and the corridor was filled with the clatter of low heels. In her left hand, the Englishwoman held a document desk and a cup of latte, in her right hand she had a pen with which she quickly made some notes, her head was tilted to the right and pressed her phone to the shoulder. Victoria Palmer
"It's not a rejection, I'll give her your offer," she said. "But if I were you, I wouldn't count on her consent, Charlotte is not interested in such things..."
Victoria was too engrossed in the conversation, so she noticed Alizeh and Lily only when she got to the door of her office. She had to make some effort not to raise both eyebrows. She did not expect that anyone would dare to come to her without an appointment, especially in the case of these two women. After running her eyes first over Lily, then over Alizeh, the manager fixed the pen on the desk and took the phone in her right hand.
"I'll call you back," she said, adding nothing more and hanging up. "What an unexpectedly interesting morning." Victoria adjusted her glasses. "Miss Midori, Lady Menage, I didn't expect to see you, especially without an appointment."
Despite the fact that she spoke evenly, those two could hear the coldness in the last words. Victoria had a certain reputation and she couldn't ignore the fact that two women paid her a visit without notice, even though one of them was on her team.
"Victoria Palmer," she formally introduced herself, extending her hand to Alizeh for a handshake since this was their first personal meeting, despite the fact that she knew this woman well enough. "I suppose you both had good reasons for this visit, so I suggest we continue the conversation in the office."
Opening the door, she let both Alizeh and Lily go ahead, after which the Englishwoman closed the door. Walking around her desk, she placed the tablet and the cup of latte on it, then sat down in her chair and pointed to the chairs in front of her desk.
"Please sit down," she told her guests. "So, how can I help you?" The manager asked, currently looking at Alizeh.
Well if nothing else Alizeh at least had the chance to talk to someone that did know Victoria personally. Even if said person didn't exactly seem like the talkative type, but Alizeh preferred it to silence, sociable creature as she was. Nodding as Lily confirmed she was here to see Victoria calling her clients wards Alizeh would file that away for later. Good to know, and a bit telling of the type of person Victoria was given it seemed she took a lot of responsibility for those under her, more so than most managers and clients that Alizeh had seen in her time. She was about to turn and ask Lily something else, unaware that she Englishwoman was on the verge of doing the same, but was interrupted by the elevator door opening and the woman they were both there for emerge.
Now Alizeh had never personally seen or even heard Victoria speak. The most she had seen being recordings from LAW tv and they did little to really capture the essence of the manager. Fairly for for someone who had no reason to be active other than health, sharp features with dark hair and even darker eyes with an analytical and almost cold gleam to them. But not cold like Lily's which were borderline lifeless, no Victoria's were sharp and buzzing with activity, and her clothes while professional still showed off a surprising amount of curves that could compete with the best of LAW's roster... In other words... 'Oh shit she's hot.' Alizeh thought to herself not quite expecting the infamous manager to be a smoke show but she wouldn't let it throw her off.
Waiting for the woman to approach and take notice of not only herself but Lily as well Alizeh did the polite thing by waiting for Victoria to finish up on the phone and acknowledge them... and of course mentioning that they were there without appointments. Wincing slightly at the coldness in her words Alizeh would move past it and do her best to make as good a first impression as she could and held her hand out to take Victoria's and give it a firm shake. "Alizeh Midori, I'm sure you know that but nice to meet you in person." Alizeh said politely with a smile and nod towards the woman and nodding a bit more as she suggested they take this to the office. Good that meant she'd have the chance to make her case.
Turning and following the woman into her office Alizeh would take a chair on Victoria's left side, maintaining eye contact the moment her rear made contact with the seat as the woman officially put the ball in her court. "First of all, sorry for blindsiding you like this, your schedule is pretty packed and the sooner I talked to you the better, so I figured getting this out and done first thing in the morning may have been a bit better, improper as it may be." Alizeh said knowing that ultimately Victoria could probably care less about her reasons for coming without an appointment but Alizeh still felt it was the proper thing to do.
Either way she would then take a deep breath before going into her spiel. "In any case. I'm here because I'm sure its of no surprise to you but I want to have an opportunity against Astrid and the open weight championship." Alizeh said which really wasn't a shocker given everyone who was qualified wanted a shot at the champ and Alizeh was well documented as wanting to be the champion. "However." Alizeh said before Victoria could comment on the very simple wish. "As I am now I don't feel I deserve a chance against Astrid." Alizeh said in what would be surprising to most who knew her or what most would expect from someone in her position asking for a chance at the top dog in the company.
But Alizeh would be quick explaining her reasoning. "I've had a mixed record since Apex, especially when it comes to titles, I've had some big wins, but also some pretty big losses, one of which being to Kyoko Akan..." Alizeh said, that loss in particular leaving a bad taste in her mouth which she had to get out before continuing. "Factoring those losses into account I don't think I deserve a chance right now against Astrid.. not yet at least but I still want to face her before the year is through, which is why if possible, I'd like the chance to fight someone else from your team. A chance to prove myself to you, or to Astrid or both that I deserve the opportunity to face her in spite of some of the stains on my record at the moment." Alizeh said now making her point clear to Victoria and leaving it out there for the woman to digest and mull over as she saw fit.
Victoria definitely liked the fact that Alizeh started the conversation with an apology. The manager was not one of those who lamented her disrupted schedule, so coming to her without an appointment was not the worst crime possible. However, she really values her time a lot because of the large number of responsibilities on her shoulders. So, to Alizeh's credit, she found a very good way to start a conversation.
"Accepted," Victoria said, nodding briefly to confirm her words and the fact that Alizeh could no longer worry about her unexpected visit.
And then the green-haired woman moved on to the immediate reason for her desire to talk to Victoria. The manager reacted quite calmly to Alizeh's statement that she wanted to fight Astrid for the openweight title. Alizeh's track record was undoubtedly impressive, and Victoria was well aware that this woman sincerely longs to be at the top.
Victoria was in no hurry to start talking because she had a feeling that Alizeh had not finished yet. And it turned out to be true, because the next moment the American woman expressed doubt that she deserved to fight Astrid right now. These words did not become something that shocked the Englishwoman, but she was really a little surprised by it. Victoria raised her left eyebrow slightly, preparing to hear some explanations from Alizeh.
And she got them. While Alizeh was talking about how her recent defeats had left a mark on her, the Englishwoman put her elbows on the table, joined her fingers in a bridge and rested her chin on them. She wasn't going to say it out loud, but in a way it was kind of funny because Alizeh wasn't the first one who was in this office and said about the same thing.
"Interesting..." Victoria said a little more quietly than before. "You remind me a little of one of my wards, she also considers any defeat unacceptable." Victoria did not specify who exactly she meant because it didn't really matter now. "I won't say that I fully share this point of view because I think it blinds you in a way." Since Alizeh was honest with her, she intended to respond in kind. "With countless victories behind you, you can easily forget that no one is invincible and that tomorrow in the match you may face a defeat that will hit you too hard because of such views on things." Victoria blinked slowly, then took her latte cup and took a short sip. "However, we are not here to philosophize about a fighter's views on their victories and defeats, right?"
The manager leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs and connected the pads of her fingers. Although it didn't take long, she was lost in thought for a few moments. She had to run through several possible scenarios in her head at once. She did not question the fact that Alizeh was one of those who deserved the chance to fight for the openweight title, but there were several obstacles on the way to this.
"I'll be honest with you," Victoria said, adjusting her glasses. "Despite the fact that I am her manager, Astrid decides for herself who is worthy to claim her title." Victoria was not going to delve into all the events that have happened since her ward became a champion, but she felt that she had to explain everything. "Believe me, she, like me, is well aware of you and your career successes." It was true, with a little help from Victoria, but Astrid knew everyone she needed to know. "You still haven't gotten a title shot from her not because you're unworthy, but because besides you there are about fifty fighters striving to occupy the top where Astrid is."
Victoria tilted her head slightly forward, looking Alizeh in the eyes. She wanted to make sure that the green-haired woman understood that she was talking to her completely sincerely and that there were no ulterior motives. The manager glanced briefly at Lily, who had been silently listening to Victoria and Alizeh's conversation all this time.
"I can't guarantee you a title shot because the decision on this remains with Astrid, I trust her and therefore her title reign is only her responsibility," Victoria paused briefly, and then stuck out her right index finger. "But." Her focused gaze softened a little. "She trusts me too, so I can guarantee you that I will make sure that she pays attention to you if you perform well in a big match against one of my wards." Victoria even allowed herself a slight smile, this time without creating a dramatic pause, instead deciding right away explain what she means. "By that big match, I mean a match at the upcoming PPV, We Are LAW 7." Tilting both palms forward, she pointed at Alizeh with joined fingers. "What do you say?"
Alizeh took a deep breath as she finished her spiel towards Victoria. Truthfully she didn't even realize how long winded she sounded until she got it all out there towards her and she wasn't sure how the woman would feel about it. After all she heard rumors about how harsh and cold she could be when pressed, and showing up unannounced without an appointment was never a great way to make an impression. All she could hope was that her apology had softened that hit a tad, and that her follow up explanation would be well received by the woman. Personally she saw it as a win win situation for everyone involved, Alizeh got the chance to redeem herself in her eyes and prove herself worthy of a challenge to Astrid, while one of Victoria's wards would have a opportunity against an established name.
Shutting up her internal monologue though Alizeh immediately perked up as she listened to the woman as she began to speak. Firstly the apology had been accepted by the woman, which was good news for Alizeh. Then would come the nitty gritty as she began to proceed talking about the rest of Alizeh's words. First of all, Alizeh reminded her of one of her wards, which was a good thing in her book... At least until she said she didn't fully agree with her particular point of view and found it limiting. Not great but hopefully it wouldn't prove to be anything major with her. "Yeah I getcha, I've just always held myself to a higher standard, and honestly if I wasn't gunning for a title I'd just chalk it up to needing to train more, but something like this requires more prestige than what I have currently." but I digress." Alizeh said, agreeing that it was best to not go into things and instead merely focusing on the subject at hand.
Shortly after Victoria would continue and would do so in about as clear and honest a way possible which Alizeh certainly appreciated from the woman. But what she said was something that Alizeh had figured going into this meeting. Namely that the person she was looking to fight made her own decisions on who challenged for the belt, and that there was a long list of challengers. So the issue was less Victoria's approval, and more so getting the attention of Astrid period. Still that being said Alizeh that Victoria was someone to be listened too and trusted, and she did have the ear of the champ. So even if she couldn't get a guaranteed shot, she was hoping that this meeting and potential match would at least put her on Astrid's radar.
That was Alizeh's plan going into this meeting at least, and as Victoria spoke next about what she COULD promise... well Alizeh couldn't help but start to grin excitedly. After all it seemed Victoria was thinking along the lines Alizeh had hoped, promising that she'd make sure Astrid paid attention if Alizeh did well against a ward. However what the manager said next actually floored the greenette a bit, but certainly in a good way. "Honestly? Sounds like exactly what I was hoping for... and at We Are LAW? Heh well trust me when I say I won't disappoint. Just point me to whichever of your wards I have to fight." Alizeh said with a smile, her fists already balled up in anticipation while her eyes glimmered with a competitive glint in her eyes.
Alizeh's reaction was not long in coming. Moreover, this reaction was even more open than Victoria had expected. A wide smile appeared on the lips of the green-haired woman, and fire began to play in her eyes. The Englishwoman remained calm, but she certainly liked this reaction. Without any remorse, she was proud of her talent for noticing talent at first sight. And she liked to see such a bright fire in the eyes of the fighters, because it always meant that they were ready to move mountains in order to achieve what they wanted.
“A great ship asks for deep waters,” she commented in the English manner of the words about the upcoming PPV. “A PPV serves as the beginning and end of many stories, so I'm sure this is the best option.” Victoria adjusted her glasses once again. “But before I offer you an opponent...”
The manager turned her head towards Lily, who was still in silence, as if the conversation between Victoria and Alizeh did not concern her at all. In fact, during these minutes she managed to draw some conclusions, but at the same time it did not affect her purpose of staying here at all. Even when Victoria stared at her, the long-haired brunette remained unwavering, she didn't even blink.
“You know, there are people like Nerissa, she could knock down my door if she needed to, yes, she would regret it later, but still,” the manager tilted her head slightly to the side. “I mean, I might have expected that from her, but you...” Victoria raised her left eyebrow. “I never would have thought that you would come to me without warning, it's not like you at all, what's the matter?”
“I thought that by taking you by surprise, I would be most likely to get the answers I need from you,” Lily said honestly and without any hesitation. “But I apologize for this sudden visit.”
Victoria blinked several times. It was still difficult for her to get used to Lily's peculiarities. The truth was that literally every one of her team had one or another unique character trait, it would even be more correct to say that each of her team was unique in themselves. But Lily... her inability to feel emotions made her truly special.
“And what kind of answers do you need?" The short-haired brunette asked bluntly.
“When I signed the contract with you, you promised to help me, you promised that I would find what I needed here and that you would do everything for it,” Lily's amber eyes were directed strictly into the black eyes of her manager.
“I remember perfectly well everything I promised you and everyone else,” Victoria's voice turned colder again.
“Then why do I have to spend time only on training and scientific work instead of matches?" Lily asked, after which there was a short pause, during which she looked down for just a split second before looking back into Victoria's eyes. “If it's because of Karen, then I...”
“The fact that you are my daughter's ex-girlfriend has nothing to do with the pause in your career,” Victoria's voice was flat, but it became so cold that you could feel it on your skin. “I am the manager of many outstanding girls and women, so you have to understand one simple thing, this is a business and nothing is done here at the click of your fingers.” The manager put her left hand on the table, tapping her nails on the surface several times. “You are not the only one who has not received enough attention lately, the careers of Margarita and Sintharia have also stopped in place, and my daughter's career is heading straight to Hell.” Although it might seem that Victoria was angry, in fact she kept emotions under strict control. “And although I feel responsible for this, you don't dare ask me such questions with a hint that I'm not doing my job well, because my job is not just to look for matches for you, but to make sure that each of you reaches your potential and realizes even such wild dreams as yours.”
Feeling her throat go dry, Victoria picked up her latte cup and took a few short sips. Lily looked away at this, as if mathematically processing everything that Victoria had just said. During this short pause, the manager looked at Alizeh and noticed that the green-haired woman wanted to say something, Victoria decided to stop her by starting to speak first.
“Don't,” she said in such a tone that it was clear that she would not tolerate objections. “This is just between me and my ward.”
