The Ladies of LAW Calendar

[CaptainL]

The Interview

Takeda already knew, going into this interview, that he was lined up for one of the biggest jobs of his life - and he couldn't help but be a little anxious about it. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart as he looked down at his notepad, then up at the cameramen setting up the scene. Unlike some of the names he had on his list, Clara Gaster wasn't someone who stood out for her impeccable good looks - though he would still be the first to say he couldn't help but be charmed by her emerald eyes and raven hair, to say nothing of her figure, which he had only come to appreciate more and more with each of her increasingly flattering outfits in the ring. But she was more than that. She was an icon of LAW, being present ever since the beginnings of the promotion, and making history for partaking in the inaugural Lightweight Championship match. Even if she hadn't won it, she'd still been around for many defining moments in the League, enough to ensure that she would be among the first on the minds of many fans of the promotion. And now, Takeda was about to have an audience with her.

The choice of Clara for this entry in the calendar had been no mistake. It was October, after all - the much-celebrated Spooky Month. A time when everyone's minds were on Halloween - and someone like Clara, who wore a trademark mask and dubbed herself a Shadow Lord, seemed just the type to get into the spirit. One could hardly think of a better choice. To that end, the scene had been set with a shadowy orange and black backdrop, with a few pumpkins placed on the stage. That was only if Clara wanted it, of course. If she'd rather go a different route, the crew would happily oblige - she certainly had the star power to throw around.

Clara would’ve been more than a little bit miffed if she wasn’t chosen for either October (the spooky month) or November (her birthday month), and when she got the call that her interview and photoshoot was coming up, she was quite excited.

She entered the Halloween themed set in a cute yellow shirt and blouse…as well as a peculiar thing that wasn’t seen on LAW in a while - her mask!

“Mwahahahaha! So, foolish mortal! You dare ask questions to the mighty Shadow Lord?!”

She sat down next to Takeda, before taking off her mask: “Good day, Mr Takeda. Hope you don’t mind, I’ll be slipping in and out of character, haha”

Takeda didn't know what to expect when Clara walked through the door - but out of every prediction he might have had, he certainly hadn't anticipated that she would show up in full character as the infamous Shadow Lord GASTER! As of late, it seemed, Clara had been downplaying that side of her in favor of letting her true self show. But now, of all times, she was adopting the same persona that had made her famous, mask on and cackling maniacally!

When Clara arrived on the scene in such an unexpected fashion, Takeda was taken by surprise - surprise he couldn't help but show, as he let out a gasp, jumping up from his seat as she sat beside him. The gesture drew a few incredulous stares from the crew members nearby, as even with her mask on, Clara could hardly be called as terrifying as she made herself out to be. As he realized what he'd done, Takeda looked around, blushing, before clearing his throat. If anyone asked, he would swear that he was just playing along to fit the mood.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Gaster - or, shall I say, your unholy lordship?" He chuckled a little at his own joke. "Really, feel free to. It fits for Halloween, one way or another. Just do whatever you want, and our staff should be able to work something out."

“Mwehehehe…”, Clara would laugh at being addressed so officially, before she sat down and nodded, deciding to change between her sides whenever she wanted for a while:

“Now, foolish mortal, ask your questions! But beware, the answers may open a wormhole to unspeakable horrors!”, she said as she put on her mask again

At hearing Clara so readily slip back into character as the Shadow Lord, Takeda chuckled a little. He couldn't help but find the whole thing endearing - although he quickly bit his lip as he realized what he was doing, knowing that GASTER likely wouldn't take kindly to any suggestion the interviewer wasn't taking her fearsome power seriously. A few of the crew members rolled their eyes and shook their heads, muttering something about always being stuck with freaks. But Takeda bid them no heed. If they didn't want to deal with colorful personalities, he questioned what they were doing in LAW, and especially around Clara. Her image was just as big a reason for her appeal as her in-ring ability, and he felt honored to be seeing it face to face; he was more than happy to play along with the fun!

"Why, yes, of course, your fearsomeness!" he said, bowing his head low. "For starters...how do you feel about your LAW career thus far? Any highlights for you?"

With that, the interview officially begun, and Clara decided to answer first as GASTER: "This has been a great conquest for me in LAW! I have defeated many fierce warriors on my way here! Cool Queens, Blue Warriors and all!"

She then took her mask off and decided to answer earnestly: "Despite my hiatus, I am incredibly thankful to LAW for helping me find my feet as a performer. I wouldn't change the last 4 and a half years in the slightest, besides me not winning the LAW Lightweight title, obviously. Which is my main highlight. Other than that, one of my early matches vs Alex Drizzle was very fun to look back on"

Takeda chuckled to himself, but nodded along with what Clara had to say. Even in her bombastic way of describing things, the matches she related still brought back memories of watching her humble beginnings in the League, up to when she established herself as one of the Lightweight Division's standout stars. And, from the sounds of things, Clara was just as happy to think back on them. As she addressed Takeda directly, she said as much, taking pride in all of her accomplishments. Nor could he blame her. Certainly, she had already enjoyed a career many wrestlers could only dream of.

"Out of anyone I've interviewed," Takeda said, "you're perhaps the one who has the most reason to say that. You're an icon of LAW, and you made a name for yourself in no time flat. Besides, even being in the running for a title is something anyone could be proud of - especially when you had to fight your way through a tournament to get to that point!"

He smiled to her, before he stopped and looked back at his notes. Be as it may, Clara had still lost her title match, and he didn't know if that would still be a sore subject for her. It was best not to dwell on it for long, just in case.

Changing the subject, Takeda looked back up with another question. "So, with that in mind, what would you say is next for you? Are there any goals you have for your time in the company? What you know you want to do while you're here?"

At the word icon, Clara grabbed her mask tight. She wanted to be called that…but she didn’t believe herself to be that, in the slightest.

“It feels…wrong to be called an icon. I lost the belt, and left. I came back, sure…but icon has to be a paragon of what they stand for. Everything that I wanted to achieve in the company has been achieved by other women in this company. I feel like leaving has taken away my “icon status” very far away…”, she would say with a polite smile, but gripping her mask tight…as if wanting to twist it into shapes she couldn’t possibly be able to twist.

She breathed out. She was charging herself with negative thoughts, while needing to focus on the interview:

“I am still currently aiming for the Lightweight title. Icon or no, I have to strive to be the champion, else there is nothing for me to strive for. I want to potentially win the Openweight title, but tournament still feels far off to think about. I’ve been think to try and reenter the tag team division with a partner, though still undecided on who to tag with…”

Takeda listened closely to what Clara had to say, leaning in closer to her in his seat. He could understand where her concerns were coming from - she had, certainly, taken an extended stay away from the promotion, and that could prove dangerous to anyone's momentum. Yet, at the same time, he stood by what he said, and he shook his head to say as much.

"I don't think that, no," he said. "You were with LAW from the start, and you're a part of history for that. Besides, with the whole Shadow Lord thing, I know you've endear-er, terrified countless fans in a way they'll surely never forget! You're a talent like no other, and there's no way you could ever be replaced. I'm sure that when you made your return...you got quite a lot of viewers hyped up to see you!"

Still, if this was going to be a sore spot for the girl, he was just as happy to change the subject, and he went along taking notes. "Certainly, going after the championship is a goal worth pursuing, I'd say. You've already proven how you had what it took when you made it to the finals of the last tournament, and surely you can do it again." He smiled, but lingered on another thought he was reminded of. "Actually, I'm curious, what do you think of the current Lightweight Champion, Rose Gold?" While that wasn't something he needed answered for the calendar, Takeda was sure that Clara's input on the subject would be interesting, and perhaps could work as an article in and of itself. The champion was a decisive figure to be sure, and he was sure that someone who'd been involved with the Lightweight Division herself would have plenty to say.

Takeda wasn’t wrong. Her return was meant with incredibly warm response from the crowd. So hearing him praise her did put a smile on her face, and raised her confidence slightly. She was still a LAW Original. She was still one of it’s best stars. She gave Takeda an honest smile and a nod for his words.

Takeda then asked a very interesting question. What did she think of Rose Gold? Of the woman who easily defeated the woman she, at one point, considered her good friend, who she fought tooth and nail to defeat fair and square in the squared circle…and whom Rose ended up injuring before their match for a very easy win?

“Rose Gold can go to hell”.

To hear Clara say those words might take a normal reader aback: “I’ll give her her dues. In a way, she brought the division up…but it is only by bringing it down to her level. She gives beginning wrestlers a chance by humiliating them, discouraging them in their fresh careers. It’s a short term way of propelling a division up…and once she’d have to defend it against someone clearly more skilled than her, but someone privy to her tricks, the belt will change hands rather quickly…”. She finished explaining

Up until this point, Takeda had been having fun, in large part due to the fact that Clara, too, was having fun. She was joking around, getting into character, and playing up the Shadow Lord image she had become known for. But all of that changed with just six words.

The bluntness with which Clara had spoken in reference to the current Lightweight Champion threw Takeda for a loop. He didn't expect to ever see this sort of a response from Clara, who had always come across as shy and reserved when unmasked and bombastic and theatrical with it on. But this was none of those things. This was short, to the point, and spoken with the intensity that could only come from a woman who meant everything she said. He didn't think that he had ever heard such conviction out of her.

But it didn't take long for Takeda to realize what he had on his hands, as he looked back down and started writing in his notebook. To get someone like GASTER's opinion on Rose Gold? Why, that was the sort of story that could bring readers in in droves! The very words 'Rose Gold can go to hell' were provocative enough to turn heads, and it coming from an established star like Clara could only lend more gravity to the accusation. He'd have to file this away somewhere...but for now, he had an interview to attend to.

Clearing his throat, Takeda looked back up at Clara. "Ah, sorry about that...Your Evilness. If there's one more thing I may ask...is there anything new about you you'd like to tell our audience?"

Clara was fired up from explaining her thoughts on Rose. She was angry at a sole mention of her name, angry enough to set her off like this. She used every cheap shot in the book to keep that belt, while she trained her rear off to try (and ultimately fail) to defeat Aoi fair and square. Never would she get an idea to injure her foe before a title match.

Clara also cleaned her throat as she calmed down, though still feeling very warm from her anger. There wasn't much else to tell the audience other than: "Thank you guys for making me feel so welcome here in the past year that I was back. I hope you continue cheering me on..."

Clara put her mask on:

"Lest you want me come crawling up in your nightmares! Mwahahahahaha!"

Takeda smiled warmly at Clara's praise, taking note of it in his book. He was about to thank her back for her cooperation in making sure the photoshoot was a success, and in being so willing to share her insights and experiences...up until she threatened to haunt those who wouldn't meet her demands. That made him fall silent, looking back toward the masked girl with a few blinks. Even if no one found her antics all that scary...he still didn't see that coming, nor did he know how to respond to that.

That was, until one of the crew members spoke up. "Erm...Takeda? You okay?"

"Ah, right, right-!" Shaken back to his senses, Takeda nodded and cleared his throat, looking back at Clara and rising from his seat. "Unless there's anything else you'd like to add, that should do it for our interview. And...thanks for coming here today. It really has been a pleasure to meet you." Takeda smiled a little wider to her. He normally enjoyed these photoshoots for the ever-present opportunity to hang out around beautiful women in sexy outfits and sexier poses, but when it came to Clara Gaster, he would have to admit that he was even more thrilled to meet one of his personal favorite wrestlers in the company.

After Clara's final words, Takeda fell silent for a few seconds:

"Um...Mr. Takeda? Are you alright...?"

Soon enough, however, he would give a positive response, Clara excusing herself with a nod before heading towards the locker room, to change into her bikini for the shoot...

---

October 2021: Clara Gaster

• Age: 23
• Height: 5'2
• Weight: 119 lbs.
• Finishing Move: Shadow's End (Lifting Reverse DDT)
• Career Highlight: Competing in the finals of the tournament to crown the LAW Lightweight Championship.
• Career Aspirations: Winning the Lightweight Championship for herself.
• "Thank you guys for making me feel so welcome here in the past year that I was back. I hope you continue cheering me on...lest you want me come crawling up in your nightmares! Mwahahahahaha!"

[CaptainL]

The Interview

Takeda Ryoshi had to admit - when he had pitched the idea for the Ladies of LAW calendar, Natalia Dominique was one of the many names he had hoped would apply. It was a good enough fit - she'd had a successful career in gravure and modelling before coming to LAW, and it only seemed natural that she would find herself back in familiar territory. More than that, though...Takeda was eager to see her sign up because he was far from immune to her charms. Natalia had a beautiful body, an endearing personality, and her sparkling blue eyes could catch those of anyone in whatever room she stepped into. She'd no doubt already adorned the pages of many a calendar, and for good reason - and now, she was about to adorn another.

Now, as Takeda sat in his seat in the studio, he fidgeted anxiously, his leg bobbing up and down in place. He had been excited by the prospect of being in the same room as Natalia in and of itself - getting to interview her was just an added bonus. Still, he was sure she would have plenty of interesting things to tell him, and he couldn't wait to hear them.

Natalia was so excited that she had been asked to appear in a calendar for LAW. It wasn't really a new thing for her, she had already graced the months of December, with a cute Santa attire; January, in a virgin killer sweater, and July, in a tiny bikini, in three different calendars. But that had been when she was a gravure model, and although she had enjoyed it, this time it felt different. This was a LAW calendar and a great opportunity to gain wider recognition in the wrestling world.

Natalia arrived at the studio and knocked at the door, getting on her tip toes to see through the small window on the door and check if there was someone in there. "Euhm.... Hello?"

Takeda had lost track of time, and he didn't know how long he had been waiting by the time he finally heard a knock on the door. At first, he jumped to his feet, startled by the sudden noise. But, he reminded himself, this was the very moment he'd been waiting for - and he would be remiss if he wasn't ready to greet Natalia as she made her entrance! He opened the door to her, greeting her with a warm smile and taking a short bow.

"Natalia! Uh, Miss Dominique...Yoshikawa-san?" Takeda took a moment to contemplate the girl's many names, and it suddenly became apparent that he didn't know which one of them it was that Natalia wanted to be addressed by. Nevertheless, he opened the door, beckoning her inside. "Uh, it doesn't matter! Go ahead, make yourself at home..."

Natalia smiled as Takeda opened the door and bowed polite. "Thank you, Takeda-san. It is a pleasure to meet you." She was wearing a cute white summer dress with open sandal shoes. Under it was a blue bikini, She didn't knew if she was going to have to show her bikini as part of the interview but decided to come prepared just in case.

She entered the room and looked around. She saw the chair where Takeda was sitting and another one placed in front and she assumed that was for her. "Do I sit here, Takeda-san?" she said pointing at the chair.

Takeda met Natalia's smile with one of his own, as he too leaned in to bow his head to her. The girl looked just as lovely in person as she did on the ring or on the page, and her sweet demeanor spoke to her kind heart. Takeda had heard the stories of how welcoming a person Natalia was, but now that he was seeing her for the first time, he didn't doubt a word of them.

"Thank you," he said, looking back over at the chair Natalia had indicated. His attention then turned to the stage, where the camera crew was already getting set up. "Well, we were going to get a few photos first for the shoot...if you don't mind." Takeda fidgeted a litle in his seat all the while. The thought of seeing Natalia Dominique in such a photoshoot was nothing if not captivating.

"Oh ok!" Natalia said smiling as she looked at the camera crew. "Is there something for me to wear? I brought a bikini in case it is needed..." she added giggling as she walked to the stage to check on the preparations. The lighting, the cameras and the backdrops seemed to be ready.

"I was, uh...under the impression you would be bringing something appropriate," Takeda continued. "But if you need something-" He paused, then, as Natalia mentioned bringing a bikini with her. He stopped and stared for a moment, imagining how Natalia would look in such attire. He barely needed to imagine; she'd appeared in similar garb many times through her career as a gravure model. But seeing her in person was...something entirely different. She already looked wonderful in her dress; the thought of her in a swimsuit was almost overpowering...

It was a moment before Takeda realized he had trailed off in his thoughts. Then, though, he cleared his throat, collecting himself. "Er, feel free to change into that..."

At the same time, a technician on the camera crew looked back at them, raising a thumbs up. Either he was ready, or he just approved of Natalia. Perhaps both.

Natalia giggled and moved to the changing area without saying another word. One of the advantages of wearing a bikini instead of underwear was that she didn't needed to change, just remove her dress and shoes and she was ready. Natalia loved bikinis, she would live in them if she had the option. Maybe someday she would move to a tropical island and wear nothing but bikinis.

She adjusted the blue bikini so make sure it didn't showed more than needed and checked herself in the mirror before coming out. It was a lovely blue bikini that fit her curves perfectly, not hiding much, but perfectly framing her perfect figure. Then she walked out again with a big smile on her lips. "ok... I'm ready!"

Takeda was waiting eagerly for the moment where Natalia would walk back into frame. He knew it'd be a sight to see; from all the girl's prior appearances with her modeling work, he had a keen appreciation for her beauty. But he still didn't think he'd be quite this stricken by the sight. No sooner had Natalia emerged from the changing room that Takeda audibly gasped, the pencil dropping from his hand. The photos simply hadn't done her justice - seeing Natalia's perfect body on full display, here and in the flesh, was something else entirely! Part of it came through in how she stood out shining even brighter and more stunning than she'd ever seemed in photographs. Part of it came from how Natalia had been able to change so quickly that by the time she stepped back out onto the stage, Takeda wasn't prepared. Either way, though, he definitely had shown his approval, perhaps more so than he had counted on.

At last, the reporter cleared his throat. "A-Anyway...sorry about that!" Takeda said, bending down to pick up the pencil. "Head over to the stage, and make yourself comfortable..." Once Natalia was in place, Takeda came to the side of the stage, leaning in closer to take a few notes - or, perhaps, just to get a few extra inches of a closer look at Natalia.

"So, if I may ask," he began, "what are your thoughts about your LAW career so far? Anything you would call a highlight?"

Natalia couldn't help but giggle at Takeda's reaction. It wasn't something new to her. A lot of people seemed to be stunned by the way she looked in a bikini, but Natalia still found it funny. She nodded at Takeda and headed to the stage, following his instructions and making herself comfortable. It wasn't too hard for her, Natalia was used to being in the spotlights and with all the cameras pointed in her direction.

She pursed her lips hearing Takeda's question and though about it for a couple of seconds. "Well Takeda-kun... it has been a lot of fun. I can't tell you how much I've been enjoying it. It is truly thrilling to be here. I love the glamour, the competition, the challenge and the intensity of this whole wrestling thing. Without doubt is the most fun I've ever had. And I get the feeling I'm only starting!... As for highlights..." Natalia paused to think a bit. "Hmmmm I don't know. It feels every match I had was a highlight itself... but if I had to pick the most.... euhm... intense...Well my first win was without doubt a memory I will always treasure. And the match with the current champions Rose Gold too..." Natalia couldn't help but blush a bit as she remembered that title fight. " Although it didn't ended very well for me. It was really amazing to be there fighting for a championship belt and see what I could do against the very best in LAW."

Without any further ado, Natalia was able to settle into a pose. Takeda couldn't say he was surprised; it was what she'd gotten famous doing before making her way to LAW, and from what he had seen of her work, she definitely had the skills to stand out from the competition. Still, the ease with which she fell into place, as though this was something that came so naturally to her she didn't even need to think about it, was something he couldn't help but admire.

And so too, he was impressed by the passion he heard come across in how she described her wrestling career! She had only been in LAW for less than a year, but already she had taken to it as her new home. Takeda smiled, finding the love she had for LAW endearing. Natalia was adorable, and it was even more adorable seeing her get this excited - but it was also encouraging. If she felt this absorbed in her career, and was this passionate about committing herself to it, he was sure that she was a star in the making!

"That's great to hear!" Takeda said, nodding to Natalia. However, even as Takeda was taking notes, he paused a moment when Natalia described her match against Rose Gold. Natalia had been the first woman to take part in the Midas Touch challenge - as well as the first to lose, and to be humbled by the champion on the grand stage, setting the pattern for such matches to come. But, although Rose had boasted of breaking her opponents' bodies and wills in each bout she faced them in - and by any reports, Natalia had been no exception - the brunette still looked on the bright side of things, considering it a moment to remember. It took a true strong spirit to come away from a match like the one she'd been through with a smile, and to keep going, but Natalia lived every part of that description.

"You know, I don't know that a lot of Rose's opponents" - he took care to avoid using the word "victims" - "could boast the same as you. It's admirable that you can take pride even in such a defeat. But, on that note...what would you consider your greatest aspiration in your career? One thing you want to do while you're here?"

Natalia paused for a second again after hearing Takeda's question. Once more she had no idea what to answer. She really hadn't thought much about it and it made Natalia self aware of that fact. Just like she usually did in her matches she charged ahead without much planning or consideration. It made her wonder how much longer she could go on with such carelessness... but the reality was that up till now it had worked for her. Even if she had suffered some hard defeats, Natalia wasn't one to delve much into the past... or worry much about the future.

"Euhm.... I don't know." Natalia giggled. "I haven't thought much about it to be honest. I got into this wrestling thing because it seemed fun, but I really didn't know what to expect. I guess winning a title belt would be cool... and there is so many girls I'd like to face in the ring someday!

Takeda met his interviewee with another nod, but he still had to raise an eyebrow curiously when he heard her response. "You...don't know?" It seemed as though Natalia was simply happy to be here, and living her best life. Compared to many of the more ambitious souls that the squared circle attracted, her attitude was far more humble. She didn't care about reaching for the stars, so long as she could have a good time doing so. There was something admirable in that. She was, perhaps, the most down-to-earth girl Takeda had met thus far. She seemed so relatable, so...achievable.

A lump formed in the back of his throat as his mind lingered more on what that might mean for him, but then he shook his head. He couldn't get too carried away - Natalia wasn't just a simple soul who didn't want much, she was also an incredibly successful model who was now taking the wrestling world by storm, and he was just an interviewer. It was silly to think that he had any chance with her...though he could still dream.

What also caught his attention, though, was how Natalia had so many dreams of facing certain opponents. Going for the title was the predictable answer; it seemed like that was what everyone was in the company for, and Takeda expected no less of any athlete. But what he was really wondering was who Natalia had taken a liking to, and who she had on her list. "Is that so?" he asked. "Like who, if I may ask?"

Natalia blushed a bit as Takeda started pressing her for names. The truth was that Natalia didn't knew very well who was who in LAW. Of course she watched some of the shows... Sometimes. There where some girls that had caught her eyes for sure, but Natalia was just happy facing whomever she was booked against.... As long as they were cute. On the other hand Natalia wasn't sure if it naming someone here would be interpreted as a challenge and she didn't felt like challenging people.

This made Natalia feel a bit weird again. Takeda question once again revealed to Natalia the fact that she had no plan. There some girls she had watched and Natalia wanted to face in the ring, but it was... Different. Natalia didn't wanted to have a rivalry... Or climb up a ladder or ranking to anywhere. She had no goals and no targets.

"Well... I'm not sure if I should be saying names..." Natalia said giggling a bit. "I don't want anyone to feel like I'm calling them out.... Not yet." Natalia felt a bit bad for giving such elusive answers to Takeda's questions. "Euhm... Sorry Takeda-san... I apologize that you are not getting many answers from me... But truth be told... I'm afraid I don't have answers to those questions myself."

"Ah...very well then, Miss Natalia..." Takeda figured that the two had established themselves on friendly enough terms for him to get away with addressing her so casually, and if Natalia took any objection to it, he was sure she'd feel comfortable correcting him anyway. He had to admit, he was a little bit disappointed that he wouldn't get to learn who Natalia's dream opponent was. That would for sure get his mind rolling with thoughts of an impending dream match, one that he could hype up and do his part to make a reality - and even if he couldn't, he could at least imagine the excitement it would hold.

But then again, Natalia didn't quite know who her dream opponent was either. Once again, Takeda was reminded, she wasn't the type of girl who had a lot of lofty aspirations - she was just happy to be in LAW, achieving her wildest dreams, and taking every second of it as they came to her. And if that was what brought her happiness, who was he to stand in her way?

"I think that's as valid an answer as any. And let's look at it this way - you'll be just as content with whatever opponent you go up against, no matter who they are! I'm sure we can spin something out of this anyway. We'll say that your biggest dream is to take on the best LAW has to offer!" Takeda took out his pen to write that down in his notes before looking back up at her.

"Alright. Before we can wrap up, there's just one more question I'd like to ask. Is there anything else, about yourself or otherwise, that you'd like to say to our fans?"

Natalia smiled. Yes, the idea that she was ready and willing to take on anyone on LAW was a good way to express how she felt. And of course she was more than willing to take on the very best... Although Natalia was perhaps a bit more interested in the cutenest factor of her opponents than in their positions in the rankings, but that was kind of embarrassing to admit.

"My fans?..." Natalia said after hearing Takeda's question. Natalia loved her fans, or more precisely she loved the adoration they showered her with, both in the arena an social media. Although she had doubts about how sincere they were. As she had discovered during her match with Rose, the fans seemed to cheer just as much when she was getting punished as they did when she was the one dealing the punishment. Then again Natalia couldn't really blame them. She too loved to watch cuties fighting.

"Well... I think the only thing I can say to my fans is Thank you." Natalia said smiling. "Thanks for all the support and all the cheers and all the messages. It is so exciting to go out into the arena and hear all your cheers. I can promise you I'll continue doing my best to bring the most entertaining and sexiest wrestling matches in LAW.... I know I still have much to learn but you can count on me to continue training and improving... And if there is anyone you'd like to see me face or any kind of match you'll like to see me try... Let me know... I love to please... And I'm always open to suggestions!"

At hearing what Natalia had to say to her fans, Takeda had to smile wider. The whole time he had known her, Takeda thought, Natalia's true character had shone through. When many of the wrestlers he'd interviewed, on asked about their greatest aspirations, were quick to name off winning titles, fame, and fortune, Natalia was happy to be in LAW at all, meeting new people and winning the eyes and hearts of fans the world over. She considered even her most high-profile loss to be worthy of remembering, just for the fact that she was in the ring opposite a champion in the first place. And when asked about what she'd like to tell the fans, Natalia wasn't going to boast about what was next in store for her - she gave her thanks to those who had made her journey possible, and she wanted to ensure she kept that spirit alive in the days to come. Natalia, Takeda realized, was more than just a pretty face. She was a truly humble and kind soul, the kind of girl he'd want to bring home to his parents...and it did make him wince a little on the inside, knowing that couldn't happen.

The reporter finished transcribing Natalia's speech before he shut his notepad, looking back up at her. "Well, Natalia...it's truly been a pleasure having you here today. That's everything I had in mind, so if you don't have anything to add, I'll see you on your way. And thanks for being a part of this - we really couldn't imagine it without you."

"Thank you for inviting me!" Natalia said with a cute smile. "I love being involved with LAW stuff... even if I often don't understand what's going on..." she added with a giggle. Natalia was having such a great time in LAW, but she did felt like sometimes things moved too fast, and although she hated the idea of being left behind, sometimes it was impossible to keep the pace with all the action going on in LAW.

---

November 2021: Natalia Dominique Lacroix Saint Germain Yoshikawa

• Age: 18
• Height: 5'7
• Weight: 118 lbs.
• Signature Move: Sleeperhold
• Career Highlight: Being able to face LAW Lightweight Champion Rose Gold.
• Career Aspirations: To take on the best LAW has to offer.
• "Thanks for all the support and all the cheers and all the messages. It is so exciting to go out into the arena and hear all your cheers. I can promise you I'll continue doing my best to bring the most entertaining and sexiest wrestling matches in LAW - and I'm always open to suggestions!"

[CaptainL]

The Interview

Kyoko Akan. What was there to be said about her that hadn't been said already? She was a storied wrestler, one who had main evented PPVs more than once in the past, held the self-proclaimed Belly Queen title, represented one of joshi puroresu's most iconic families, and even wrestled at the Olympic Games. Takeda Ryoshi had enjoyed the company of many big names putting together the Ladies of LAW calendar...but Kyoko just might take the cake.

He had to admit, he was a little intimidated. He never really did get used to being surrounded by beautiful women on a regular basis, and while it gave him a reason to be glad that the calendar was as big of a success as it was, he still worried about how he came across to those he interviewed. While he'd had his fair share of unforgettable experiences, the sorts of which he could only dream of ever happening to him, he'd always gone into them afraid he'd slip up, or say the wrong thing, or look like an idiot in front of a girl who was way out of his league. It all brought up memories he thought he'd repressed since high school-

"Er...Ryoshi-san, sir, are you all right?"

"Huh? I'll be okay. I'm fine," Takeda answered, looking back at the cameraman who had been watching him pace aimlessly for the past few minutes. Takeda cleared his throat, straightening his tie. His demeanor seemed more like he was preparing for a date than an interview and photoshoot, but when he was going to be opposite someone like Kyoko Akan...could anyone blame him for being nervous?

Kyoko had to admit it was nice to be in a photoshoot that was just her and didn't end in a big fight or her ending up naked in a pool trying to drown someone. She didn't consider herself the biggest bombshell on the roster in a league that regularly recruited models but she did know how to show off what talents she did have, posing to make sure everything got some attention in a certain shot, her prized abs were a natural feature to show off but Kyoko also made sure to turn and let her legs get attention, or flex to show off her arms when the time came. By the time she was done Kyoko was smiling, a cocky and not all together friendly smile but at least one that wouldn't scare off anyone from approaching her. She would leave the set and head over to where the interview was to be conducted, as confident as you would expect from someone with her nickname, despite her setbacks her many victories and her career told the story of one who had been doing this long enough to be considered a big deal and she would never let anyone forget it, no matter how much they tried to mock her for the things she did or her Belly Queen Belt being made.

"So I take it you are Takeda?" Kyoko said when she came across a man who looked like he was about to propose to his girlfriend and was having second thoughts, and who really looked out of place next to Kyoko, who dressed him down with his eyes. How could someone like him have done so many interviews when he seemed to be in such a state? She supposed she would have to break the ice, but something told her if she acted nice to get him to relax that might just freak him out more so she went for an approach that might be what he expected. "So do you intend to keep me waiting all day? Because I have other things I could be doing with my time." Kyoko said wondering if that might get him into work mode.

Takeda had been so caught up in his inner thoughts that he hadn't even realized that Kyoko had entered the studio, and that her photoshoot was underway in the next room. He was still wracking his brain for what to say to her when the Belly Queen walked through the door, and the jolt of her entrance caused him to jump up in place with a less than dignified yelp. Then, though, he cleared his throat, holding his back straighter. That wasn't exactly the way he intended to start this meeting off, but he wouldn't dwell too long on it. There was more important work to be done.

...Of course, when he turned around to see Kyoko standing before him, and heard the cold tone in her voice ushering for him to get to work, he lost the whole train of thought he had prepared. She was a stunning woman indeed, and even more striking in person - but that wasn't what caught his attention so much as the fact that she was waiting on him, and apparently less than amused. Knowing how ruthless she could be, that didn't bode so well for the interviewer. "Ah, um..." He stared back at her for a few seconds, searching for the words - but then, he reminded himself, he was just stalling the inevitable. He needed to get moving!

"Right, yes. Thank you, Akan-san, it's lovely to have you join us today," Takeda continued. He began walking over to a chair, gesturing for Kyoko to follow him. "And thank you for agreeing to be part of the calendar. Having a star like you is sure to get a lot of eyes on our work..."

He cleared his throat. He didn't have time for small talk when Kyoko's patience was already wearing thin - and he didn't want to be around to find out what would happen if it did. "Anyway, we should get started. I wanted to ask you, what would you say was your finest moment out of all your time in LAW?"

It seemed speaking up shocked him even more as if he wasn't even expecting her to show up, and he ended up staring at her for a few seconds trying to figure out how to proceed. Kyoko hated the silence but thankfully it was over soon after when he welcomed her properly and started to make his way to a chair where Kyoko followed to take a seat, finally they could get this started. "Well I wanted to be a bigger part of LAW consider that one of my goals for this year, among many other things." Kyoko said once she got settled. Takeda started to speed things along finally getting into the right mindset for an interview and started by asking her one of her finest moments in LAW was, a tough question given she had so many of them but Kyoko had a few ideas for an answer.

"Well It's no secret that I've been mainly focused on growing my name, while I have a reputation that got me on LAW I don't think I've consistently held this much attention before, my popularity comes and goes, however since LAW it's done nothing but grow, people talk about me more now than they ever did before it, despite having fought for World titles on grand stages keeping myself in the conversation has always been a struggle. I think it's because of how I used to be, too damn nice and letting people push me around thinking my hard work would be appreciated by all with time. Well I don't wait too long for moments, now I act and I've been damn good at doing so for years now, I didn't like how the Middleweight championship was being handled and how they locked me out of competing for it so I used the belt fans gave me and showed everyone how to be a real champ, I didn't like how the champs were only fighting friends and people they liked instead of true challengers unless they attack them so I attacked then champ Tina and soon she lost that belt to someone she had been ducking, of course she still ducked me but it proved my point. In short I guess my finest moment is how I reinvented myself on LAW."

The interview had barely even started, and already Takeda was making a fool of himself. And in front of one of LAW's biggest names, at that! His face went red, and he could feel something drop in the pit of his stomach as he stood there transfixed and at a loss for words. At last, Takeda huffed, but settled down in his seat regardless, shuffling his feet below him. He placed his notebook in his lap and flipped it to a blank page, ready to start taking notes. Kyoko surely had a lot to say, and he knew that LAW fans would want to hear it.

It seemed like she already had a speech prepared - and Takeda asked himself if that was just because he'd left her waiting for as long as he had, giving her time to think about it. Still, he wrote it down. Hearing everything the Belly Queen had to say about her career brought back memories - certainly, her time in LAW had been an eventful one, and hearing it in her own words left him replaying many iconic moments in his head. Some might have disagreed with Kyoko's methods, but no one could deny her commitment to proving herself as the best she could be. Even when Takeda was used to seeing people boo Kyoko, hearing what she had to say helped put things in perspective, and perhaps by the time the interview finished, he would be able to look at her with newfound respect.

"Very insightful, Akan-san," Takeda said with a nod. "I value your input on all your experiences - and believe me, you've had a lot of them worth noting! I can't help but notice, though, that you've mentioned having a lot of plans for the new year. Care sharing any of them?"

Kyoko figured that was coming along and like before she had an answer for it. "The LAW Openweight championship is on my mind, first and foremost, I've accomplished a lot but one fact remains is that I've never won a World championship in any of the major promotions I've competed in, I've been wrestling since I was 18 and in April I'll be 28. Some might say I'm being too hard on myself since I'm still young but I'm a competitor till the bitter end and the fact that I've been so close so many times and always fell short doesn't sit right with me. Another thing on my mind is my stable, I recently formed Abdominion which will be used to help myself and the girls who join get opportunities I feel they have been denied up until now. With my help I see us changing the landscape of LAW even more." Kyoko said

Another nod. Takeda had to admit, if there was anyone who he believed stood a chance of winning the Openweight Championship, Kyoko seemed like a promising contender. She had a long and fruitful career behind her, and she stood out as one of the biggest names on the LAW roster. In addition, after so long a history of chasing after a top title and never quite coming close, she no doubt had the motivation she would need to push her toward victory. For that matter, with her new stable just coming into being, Kyoko had proved she was capable of leadership, another trait that would do her well if she was looking to secure a top position in the company. "Interesting. Certainly, you've shown that you're capable of working in a team after the Belly War Games match. And ten years in the ring is a respectable career for anyone. Would you say that you've learned anything from all your time wrestling that you intend to bring to your career going forward?

It had been some time since Kyoko thought about just how long she had been wrestling, 10 years and still learning new stuff about the profession that had defined everything about her since as far as she remembered. She knew exactly what she had retained the most and the lessons learned from the back and forth struggles of reaching the top and coming so close every time. "To never be afraid of doing something others may find stupid or wrong. Wrestling has too much in it to let someone with a narrow view of how it works tell you their is only one path to success. Take the many debates in LAW about stuff like hentai or fetish wrestling, I've been called one because of my whole gimmick and the belt. I've also gotten further the more I leaned into that stuff and despite it being a fetish I have no problem beating down anyone who thinks I'm less of a wrestler for it. The only thing you should ever be focused on in wrestling is making your mark and putting in a way that only you can do." Kyoko said confidently.

"Ah..." Takeda paused a moment in taking notes, letting his gaze linger on Kyoko for a little longer. Then, as she mentioned the struggles she faced in being accused of being fetish bait, he chuckled a little nervously. Takeda had to admit, watching Kyoko wrestle had its appeal, seeing a good-looking athletic woman like her put her body to good use in controling her opponents. Hell, even looking at her made his heart quicken in his chest. And he would be the first to admit that he wouldn't mind getting punched in the belly by her - and all that combined meant that, deep down, a certain part of him couldn't help but feel like he was being called out. His cheeks flushed and he fiddled with his glasses, clearing his throat.

"Heh, well, yes, of course...that's simply absurd! But, in all seriousness, Akan-san...it's commendable to think that you're so committed to your wrestling career, despite what everyone else might say. It shows that you know what you want, and that you won't let anyone get between you and your goals. That's something worth being proud of, and I feel like there's plenty of women - and men, for that matter - in this business who could learn from you."

Then, he took a step back, flipping to a new page in his notes. "Well, we're almost done. Before we go, I have to ask, is there anything else about you that you'd like the fans to know?"

If she was bothered by Takeda's lingering eye Kyoko didn't make a fuss of it, instead waiting for the man to get to the next question. She did give him a look of impatience when he seemed to be taking too long but after he finally lingered on her long enough and continued he asked her what seemed to be the final question. Kyoko had a complicated relationship with fans, namely one that seemed to go back and forth on how much they mattered. She had always maintained that you didn't need fan support to get far into wrestling since in her mind actually winning matches mattered more but given how much attention she paid the people who still cheered her it was clear she wasn't completely dismissive of them, she just felt that being the good guy or bad guy, popular or scorned, or simply cheered for being adorable were irrelevant.

"What I have to say is the same thing I'd say to them if I was in the ring and they were trying to drown me out with boos, I don't care how much you don't like me or how much you may wish I would just disappear. This year I will give you exactly what I always do, my very best in that ring and against whoever I'm up against, not because I want to entertain or because I think you deserve it but because I don't know how to do anything else but give wrestling my best. I'm going for the top and won't stop or slow down until I reach it so you can keep watching all you like, but I will still be the Queen and I will still take down anyone you throw at me." Kyoko boasted proudly and a smirk on her face as she finished.

Takeda knew that Kyoko was never one to care too much about what the fans thought, but he was happy to get her input all the while. The Ladies of LAW calendar was, after all, a means for LAW's talent to reach out and connect with the fans. It wasn't all about ogling their well-sculpted bikini bodies...although Takeda could admit, that was a big part of the appeal, and one he was glad to be able to partake in. But it was also a project for the fans to learn more about what was on the minds of the talent, and the interviews Takeda conducted for it were to get at the heart of what LAW's devoted followers wanted to know about their favorite stars. Obviously Kyoko had to care at least a little if she was going to agree to the plan in the first place - and he was happy to see her honoring that.

And what a speech it was! Even when Kyoko was just here in the studio, with no one but Takeda and the cameramen watching, she still settled into old habits. Her presence grew to fill the room as soon as she started talking, and Takeda no longer felt like he was the one conducting the interview. There was no wonder she would call herself the Queen, when she had such a way of commanding the attention of everyone around her. And now that Takeda was closer to Kyoko than ever before...he could see how good at that she was. He had to wipe off his brow and desperately tell himself not to ask if she'd be willing to step on him, but there was a time and place.

"Thank you very much, Akan-san!" Takeda added with a bow. "It's been wonderful having the opportunity to talk to you. Unless you have anything to add, we should be good, heh..." He fiddled with his glasses, still blushing a little. Hopefully it wasn't too noticeable.

Kyoko nodded her head, while she did notice the growing blush she decided not to engage on it since it was pointless to do so. "I don't have anything else to add, I think everything important has already been said." Kyoko said standing up and looking to find her stuff and leave now that they were done, whatever people thought of her now she didn't think anything she said would change minds but that was never the point. It was always about the same thing, reminding people who she was so they never forgot and making her intentions clear for when she finally won it all.

---

December 2021: Kyoko Akan

• Age: 27
• Height: 5'8
• Weight: 150 lbs.
• Signature Move: Sleeperhold
• Career Highlight: Reinventing herself as a challenger for the LAW Openweight Championship.
• Career Aspirations: Changing the face of LAW as the leader of Abdominion and helping her allies reach their goals.
• "I don't know how to do anything else but give wrestling my best. I'm going for the top and won't stop or slow down until I reach it so you can keep watching all you like, but I will still be the Queen and I will still take down anyone you throw at me."

[CaptainL]

The Interview

When it came to LAW's most famous and enduring stables, there were few that could eclipse the Rodouko Gym. Under the direction of a veteran wrestler like Hitomi, it had grown to new heights with every new face that joined, producing some standout stars in the process. And of those stars, one of the most iconic would be the frontwoman of the gym herself, Jenny Rodouko. Not only had she garnered attention from her family name and her mother's legacy, she had shown impressive in-ring skills, drawing on a well-rounded blend of styles that showed her talents in disciplines from striking to technical wrestling to keijo.

But there had been some talk lately about Jenny preparing to show the world a new side of her in the coming days - and Takeda Ryoshi was eager to see what the future might bring, not only as a journalist but as a fan of LAW. With the new year underway, it only seemed like the perfect time for Jenny to put her best foot forward and to reinvent herself. And it was also the time to start thinking of who would be featured on the next edition of the Ladies of LAW calendar! If this was going to be the start of a new era for Jenny, Takeda couldn't imagine a better choice for the January spotlight - and he was eager to see what the new Jenny might look like up close!

Jenny had to be honest, the new year, after she had shown a way of her wishing she would never do it again, seemed to have spread, probably an idea that Yukari and Valentine were in on it, being the ones who seemed to have been supporting her the most in her "fight" against Liger, so when she received a request for an interview and after having chatted with her mother and father about it, Jenny would eventually be waiting in a building for an interview, with a simple outfit, a brown sweater and some dark colored pants, with a backpack where she kept some things, in the end Jenny would be waiting in a building for the interview, with a simple suit, a brown sweater and some dark colored pants, with a backpack where she kept some things, so with a little paddle to pass the time, she would be waiting for her "Interview" to happen, although for security, someone was watching everything, knowing that some dirty trick by Liger as revenge, would be possible and probable.

Being an interviewer for LAW, Takeda had seen quite a few strong personalities up close and personal. In some ways, his position was an enviable one, getting paid to be around so many beautiful women on a regular basis. In some ways, he wouldn't wish this job on his worst enemies...largely for the same reasons, seeing that even when he worked up the courage to speak to said women, he couldn't be sure which ones were going to try and put him in a punishing submission hold. But every one of them was unforgettable...and because of that, Takeda was even more surprised when, stepping out to check the waiting room, he saw that Jenny was quietly standing by, waiting to be called. Most of LAW's wrestlers would have had no issues in barging in and making the place their own, and yet, Jenny was content to wait her turn patiently. But perhaps that was what made her unforgettable in her own way - she wasn't setting out to be great. She was just minding her own business, when others would seize on any opportunity they could claim.

"Ah, hm-!" Takeda cleared his throat, standing up straighter at the sight of Jenny. Immediately, he felt guilt bubbling up at the back of his mind, biting at his lip at the thought of how long she could have been here. Was Takeda so used to people barging in that he'd assumed Jenny would be the same way, and left her hanging? "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, Miss Rodouko...erm, if you'd like to make your way to our studio?"

Jenny found it fun to receive a formal interview, even though the rest was new to her, it was always great to do new things, and when she was finally invited into the office, she would do so, walking in and noticing why she was asked to wear the suit, she was in for some photos and an interview, causing her to be amused, so then she would say to her interviewer, jenny Rodouko wilson, ready for whatever you need.... I guess I should go change somewhere or?

Takeda nodded his head as he looked Jenny up and down - and, all the while, he bit at his lip. Even in such modest attire, when Jenny could easily been mistaken for any random passer-by on the street, her natural good looks and confidence were unmistakable. But he knew from watching her compete in the ring that she had a killer body too - and now, she'd be showing it off for the calendar. Takeda gulped at the thought of it; he could only imagine what the blue-haired girl had prepared for the photoshoot. But either way, he was eager to see.

"Erm, yes, that would be great if you could-!" Takeda replied. "We'll be setting up the cameras in the studio, so you're free to come join us when you're ready..."

Jenny would notice that whoever seemed to be giving her the interview also seemed to know her or to have seen her, since their expressions said something, of course Jenny didn't understand a damn thing, but anyway, when she heard about preparing everything, Jenny just nodded, and looked at a room that seemed to be the bathroom, so taking her backpack she would advance towards that door, before opening it and when she was about to close it, she would stop to tell him

"Hey, when everything is ready, just let me know to come out, I really have something planned for this situation."

"Of course." Takeda gave a polite bow, escorting Jenny to the bathroom. It wasn't like he was trying to impress her or anything; he was just doing the right thing to do, the thing he'd expect anyone to do in such a situation. He was a professional, after all - at least, that was what he told himself. However, just before she shut the door, Jenny added that she had plans - and that was something that caught Takeda's attention. He froze in place, his eyes going wide as he looked up at the closed door. What could Jenny possibly have planned? When he had sent her to go change in preparation for a pinup photoshoot...the possibilites were making his heart race, and his face flush red. Was she going to jump out in an attempt to seduce him? Well...it would probably work, but Takeda soon cleared his throat, reminding himself that that was unlikely.

Soon enough, though, the camera crew finished setting up, and one of them gave him a thumbs-up, signaling him to get Jenny. Taking in a breath to prepare himself, Takeda turned around and knocked on the door. "Miss Rodouko, we're ready for you..."

Jenny had planned something special for this new year, knowing that Liger wouldn't be such an idiot to go against her after seeing what she was capable of, her new goal was to be a good mentor and role model for her friends, and attending events to draw new public attention to Rodouko Gym was one of them, so taking off her clothes and starting to put on her costume, made by Gwen by request, Jenny would only be missing one simple thing, so she shook her hair a lot with thoughts of what she might get to do this year in LAW, thinking mostly about the PPV events, making her cat ears pop up from the reaction, and so when she was called out, Jenny would come out in her outfit.

"Do you like it? I made it especially for you for giving me this great opportunity.... I hope it's okay with my choice."

Takeda wasn't sure what he was expecting, but whatever it was, he was sure he'd be happy with it...and Jenny didn't disappoint, walking out in a tiger print bikini that left her figure well on display. And here he was, closer to it all than he ever thought he'd be! The mere sight of Jenny in such an outfit was enough to stir his heart, and he took a few steps back, clearing his throat. But to hear that Jenny had done this as a favor for him? That she was grateful for giving her an opportunity like this? Takeda couldn't help but feel moved. He smiled to Jenny, nodding his head to her. "For...for me? Miss Rodouko, I'm...honestly flattered..." It was one of a very many times he'd had this feeling, but for a fleeting second, Takeda wondered if Jenny was coming on to him, and the prospect made him quiver with excitement. Of course, he knew the chances of that were unlikely, so much so that he wouldn't even let the thought distract him too much from the interview at hand...but still, he could dream, couldn't he?

"Right, thank you, anyway...let's get started." He walked over to where the cameras were set, stepping aside so that Jenny could take the stage. "Though, if I may ask just one question, Miss Rodouko. If you don't mind...how do you make your hair do that, anyway?"

Jenny noticed almost instantly that the man seemed to have been excited to hear jenny's words of praise, smiling a little before looking around the place and seeing where she would have to be, she would follow Takeda, before going up to the "Stage", Jenny would hear the question about her hair, blushing a little, she would tell Takeda "Well..... hardly ever ask me how, they just assume anything, but my secret.... is that this comes out when I get really excited, so if you see this in a ring, you could be sure the fight will get interesting."

so then had she answered the question, Jenny would be in the right place, not really knowing what to do.

"And what am I supposed to do? I've never done this......"

Takeda blinked to himself a few times, hearing Jenny's explanation for the trick she did with her hair...which, in all honesty, wasn't much of an explanation. He stared back at her blankly, tapping his pencil to the paper. "...Er...well..." He figured that it was something to do with her excitement; that seemed obvious enough. What he still didn't know was how she made her hair do it in the first place! Still, he huffed, figuring that wasn't a question that would be so easily answered, and he didn't want to pry too much for fear of being rude. Taking a step back, he looked up at Jenny as she took her place on the stage.

"Don't worry about it too much," he explained. "Just...act natural. Strike a few poses. Think of what'd look good on a calendar, or a magazine cover. This is your chance to show the world who you want to be...so go ahead and let them see what the new Jenny Rodouko is all about!" He smiled to her before continuing with an anxious fiddle of his glasses. "And...heh...besides, I'm sure whatever you do you'd look great doing it!"

Jenny would listen to that guy's words, relaxing a bit, before she started to pose a bit, simple things, like showing off her attractive body that had the perfect balance between a great musculature, and a sexy and soft touch in the other parts, although out of that, she had an idea, so she would ask

"I know I don't know if it's possible.... But is there something like a tail or stuff like that? Chinese New Year is all about the tiger, and this swimsuit and my ears are pretty much all tiger." She would say While wiggling her butt a little, smiling at the camera.

"O-Oh..." Takeda blushed a little, his eyes lingering on Jenny's backside as she turned to point it straight toward them. For someone who was new to this whole thing, the blue-haired girl seemed to have a natural talent for getting into good shots...or maybe Takeda was just easily pleased when a good-looking girl was involved. Most likely, it was some of both.

But then, Jenny proposed something that made him stand up straighter, as a smile came to his face. "Oh-! That's a great idea! You're right, it would fit the whole getup, and for the first page in the calendar, it only makes sense to theme things to the new year. Besides, it'll reflect the new you! Fierce! Strong! Like a tiger! Heh...is that too corny?" He chuckled nervously, pulling at his collar. He didn't want to mention, of course, that he was simply drawn to the mental image of Jenny in full catgirl getup...but that was another factor in his decision-making process. At the least, he wanted to see how she'd look, and even if they decided not to go that route in the final product, it'd still be worth it in his book.

One of the cameramen went into a closet, soon returning with a tiger tail for Jenny to wear around her waist. Takeda stared at it for a while, asking "wait, did we just have that lying around..?" before he stopped himself, figuring it might be better not knowing. Either way, the cameraman handed it off to Jenny to get herself ready for the shot.

Jenny waited with pleasure, listening to the words of that friendly man, she would say to him.
"Of course! I'm a tiger and as such I must be strong, fast and cool!!! And no, it doesn't sound cheesy, trying to be a full animal and eat a piece of meat in the ring.... That ... Yes it is cheesy!"

when finally someone from the staff got her request, Jenny smiled, putting on her tail and saying in a joking manner. "To be honest, I had an idea she'd be the other guy, but at least she's the same style as Fenrir."

So then she would lie down and start modeling, first taking postures like a feline, smiling and saying to him. "Is there anything else you wanted besides pictures? Some interview or stuff like that?"

"Heh..." Takeda laughed at Jenny's comments, not to mention how much she was getting into the act. While the sight of it was amusing, he was also touched to see her enthusiasm. No one could say that she didn't have a lot of heart when it came to what she did, and she put all of that heart into making sure she could be the best she could be. When it came to redefining who she was in the ring and in the company as a whole, Jenny wanted nothing less than her full commitment. Even just discussing it, in terms of Takeda's silly comparisons, she was getting fired up as much as she would in preparation for a big match. Takeda could admire plenty of things about Jenny, not in the least the thing that was pointed straight for him, but one thing he couldn't deny was how passionate she was when it came to doing what she loved. That, he was sure, would get her far.

As Jenny set to work, and the cameras began flashing, Takeda's gaze lingered on her a little while. He tilted down his glasses, his eyes widening as they followed the contours of her body, carefully arranged with each position she struck - and as they did, he could feel his heart beating a little faster in his chest. He let himself get so lost in the spectacle that when Jenny spoke up, he was shaken back into reality. He'd lost track of the time - but he knew he needed to shift gears. He was, after all, here to run an interview, so he had better get started on that!

"Right-!" Takeda stood up straighter, clearing his throat. "Yes, I would like to ask you a few questions for the calendar, if that's alright with you. For starters, what would you say was your proudest moment in LAW? A highlight of your career?"

Jenny was posing happily, not every day you could have an interview with such an interesting way of presenting yourself, being a photo shoot, and when she finally heard the first question, she would be thinking, showing in her a little annoyance, with her clenching her fist, but after that she would manage to calm down, managing to give him the answer.

"Well, I won't deny it, the only moment now that I could consider worthy was when months ago together with Rose, we fought against the Tag team champions, SWAT CATS, they beat us up pretty cool, but I didn't give up, and since that fight, I met someone important, well...... What's the next question?" She would say with a little chuckle

Seeing Jenny clench her fist in thought, Takeda stopped, taking a step back from the stage. He didn't want to rush her; as much as he was captivated by the sight of her posing for him, he wanted her to feel comfortable enough to go at her own pace. Soon enough, she had figured out her answer, and Takeda was quick to jot it down.

"Well, going up against a champion is always something worth taking pride in," she noted. "Even if you didn't win, the fact that you were considered worthy of competing for the belt should give anyone reason enough to believe in their skills. If you keep that up, maybe some day you'll get another shot at it-!"

Takeda hung off his last word as he put the pencil to the paper, looking up at Jenny at the mention of someone important. He paused, adjusting his glasses on his nose as he thought this over - he couldn't help but be curious. Surely, he thought, there was more going on here to just leave it at that. Jenny wouldn't have brought it up if she wasn't going to talk about it in more detail, or mention who this person was. But she seemed to be in a hurry to move on with the interview, something that left Takeda staring after her for a moment blinking a few times.

"Someone...important? Am...I allowed to ask who that may be, Miss Rodouko?" Either way, though, Takeda didn't want to push Jenny into talking if she wasn't interested. He straightened his back nonetheless to move on to his next question, clearing his throat. "Yes, well...in terms of where you see your career going in the future, what would you say your biggest hope for your time in LAW is?"

Jenny, listening to Mr. Takeda's words, the memories of her own memories would return, but instead of feeling bad, she was happy, she had already come a long way with her skills, and clearly she didn't want to leave it at that, so relaxing, she would say in a joking tone "Well, it wasn't a belt fight, just a friendly fight where we got our asses kicked, but at least we won something better.

And upon hearing the question about what she hopes for or her future, she just laughed before telling him "Well, the future is mysterious, but whatever the fight is, I'm not afraid to face him, I already faced Liger and I still have what I have, so I don't think there can be anything worse, so my future goal is to be a great fighter, get to Camepona and put in everyone's minds that I am a great fighter!!!"

Takeda chuckled, listening to the enthusiasm in Jenny's voice. A smile was growing across his face, and he was glad to know that she had something she could be this excited about. Even when she lost a match, as she was quick to point out, she could still come away from it with a smile on her face, knowing that she had grown stronger from it. More people, he thought to himself, could stand to learn something from her. Hell, he was sure he could learn something from her.

"You've got spirit, I see," Takeda pointed out. "I like it! I'm sure that if you keep that up, you'll be a champion before you know it. It takes a lot to become a champion, but if you have determination, you're halfway there! Now, though...we're almost done with our interview, but before we go, is there anything else about you you'd like to tell the fans?"

Jenny was happy, even though her poses were not at all model-like, the very thought of it made her laugh, and a little nervous that someone would see them, but when Mr Takeda made that comment, she knew she was doing a good job, and when she was told about her fans, she just smiled and said, "I'm not a model."

"To those who support me, both in the rings and those who train in the gym, I wish you strength in your fights, no matter if it is in life, in a ring or just to go to the market, life is a fight, or a dance, and you have to make the best of it!"

"Ah, no..?" Takeda blushed a little at Jenny's comments. He raised a hand to clear his throat, but then he continued. "I mean, you do it so well, you could have fooled me!" He chuckled at his own joke, while one of the cameramen let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. The cameraman had photographed plenty of professional models in the past, and he could tell from the way Jenny held the position that this was something she wasn't used to. Sometimes, Takeda could be too obvious when beautiful women were concerned. But nevertheless, he went on. "But whether you're a model or not, this is for the fans! There's plenty of LAW viewers out there who want to know more about their favorite stars, and I'm sure they'd like to know what goes through the minds of the athletes they watch take to the ring every week. It can be a quote, or a fun fact about you, whatever you want!"

Jenny went ahead and wished her fans good will, and Takeda smiled wider. He could tell how strong she was in her convictions from her words, and she said them with such confidence that he had no doubts about how serious she was. Whatever Jenny did, she put all of her effort into it, and she wanted that same philosophy to carry through all her fans throughout their day-to-day lives, no matter what that might look like. It was noble of her, and it seemed only fitting coming from someone who helped manage a gym. Even Takeda couldn't help but feel a little motivated to make something of his life when he heard her speech - as much as that reminded him how he needed to start being more productive back in the office.

"Well said, Miss Rodouko - well said indeed! Heh...you're sure you haven't at least thought of being a model?" He shut his notebook and took a step back. "In any case, that's all we had for today. So, unless you have anything else to add...I wish you the best of luck with your career, and with anything else going forward!"

Jenny finally after having said many great things, feeling alive again and showing that nothing can stop her, she would listen to Takeda's words, smiling at him and saying "If I have one last message, it's to get ready all of you who want to be my Opponent, I beat a tiger with my bare hands and now I have her skin!!!" She would say moving her tiger suit, thinking carefully about his next goal: To be a Super Star.

With Jenny's parting words, Takeda chuckled again. "Hah, that's right!" he said with a laugh. "And your opponents better watch out!" On one hand, her courage was endearing, and it always warmed his heart to see how passionate his interviewees got about the business. But it was inspiring, too. Jenny had a lot of love for what she did, and it came through not just in how she wrestled but in how she approached every challenge life threw her way. She was only starting out in her career, but she had everything she needed to take her a long way - and he was eager to see where things would go from here. If that was how Jenny was going to face the new year, he was confident that it was going to be an exciting one for the world of wrestling.

---

January 2022: Jenny Rodouko

• Age: 22
• Height: 5'6
• Weight: 120 lbs.
• Finishing Move: Frankensteiner
• Career Highlight: Facing the tag team champions with her partner Rose.
• Career Aspirations: To become a champion and prove to everyone she is a great fighter.
• "To those who support me, both in the rings and those who train in the gym, I wish you strength in your fights, no matter if it is in life, in a ring or just to go to the market, life is a fight, or a dance, and you have to make the best of it! And get ready, all of you who want to be my opponent, I beat a tiger with my bare hands and now I have her skin!"

[CaptainL]

The Interview

When it came to interviewing LAW's finest for the Ladies of LAW calendar, Takeda was finding his job engaged him in more ways than he had ever imagined when he began it. Sure, he got to hang around beautiful women posing for the camera in flattering outfits, and he could never turn down an opportunity like that. If it had stopped there, no one would be surprised. What he was discovering, though, was that he also got to know who they were as people. He wasn't just some pervert with a microphone; he was also an interviewer - and whether it was the pretenses of an interview or just dumb luck, these girls were willing to open up to him about their desires, their place in the company, their hopes and dreams. After each interview, Takeda came away feeling like he had grown to know his subjects a little better, and when he watched them wrestle, he knew why they were doing it and what made him tick. It made watching each LAW match all the more special to know what was going on in the minds of its participants, and Takeda could only hope the calendar helped fans take away the same sense of understanding their favorite wrestlers when they turned the page each month.

And if there was any of the applicants for the calendar that Takeda was eager to pick the brain of, Thea Asters had to be high on that list. Not only was she a rising star in the promotion, she was also part of LAW's first class of Young Lionesses, making her a first-generation homegrown talent. He was curious what she had to say about her training, how it prepared her for the ring, and if she had any thoughts on the current crop of rookies preparing themselves for their big shot. Of course, as he sat in front of the backdrop in the studio, he was just as excited to see how she'd take to the shoot too.

Thea smiled softly as she prepared herself in the dressing room allotted to her to prepare for her interview. "Ah that feels so nice to say!" She said to herself excitedly. Despite being a first generation young lioness and rising up the ranks quite quickly in just under a year Thea had only ever been on screen for matches, yet never for a interview or other such more intimate affair. So when she was informed she had finally been chosen for the famed Ladies of LAW calendar she was thrilled! Her first big appearance on camera and it was for something that her rival Kyoko had also stained its pages with. But luckily she was going to grace the magazine with her presence and hopefully wipe any trace Kyoko had within it away.

Checking herself in the mirror Thea nodded to herself. So excited she was for this interview that Thea had gone out and purchased a designer bikini just for this. So feeling confident with her appearance she exited her dressing room and made her way down the hallway, turning heads and earning jaw dropped expressions in the process as people saw the blonde bombshell strut past. Finally making it to where the interview would take place Thea would make he way in and smile at the reporter that she recognized from the various other articles to have been published.

"Takeda-San hello!" Thea said excitedly with proper etiquette in addressing as she approached the man. "I'm so excited you'll be conducting my interview!" She said, even going so far as to hug the man fully, squishing her barely contained breasts against his chest before pulling back, hands on his shoulders with a smile present on her face. "I'm a big fan of you're work, not to mention you seem much easier to talk to than.. certain other writers here." She said with a cheerful chirp before taking a step away to give him proper space while waiting to see how they would proceed.

Thea caught the attention of many a passer-by as she made her way down to the studio, and the cameramen setting up by the stage were certainly no exception. A few gasps and wolf-whistles heralded her arrival - and in the center of it all, Takeda spun around to face her, his eyes going wide and his face red as he looked over at the blonde beauty standing before him. She exuded confidence, from how she walked to how she carried herself, to the smile on her face as she drew closer. With this sort of attitude, she could surely have made herself look like a supermodel in just about anything - but the gold bikini she wore definitely made her appearance land with all the more impact; it hugged her body closely, showing off all her curves, yet still flaunting the glamor she exuded. When Thea appeared in the door, Takeda found himself having to whip off his glasses, just to make sure if he was really seeing what he thought he was.

But when Thea came up closer to him and hugged him tightly enough to press her chest against his, bringing their bodies toether, he was even more taken aback! His heart beat quicker in his chest as he felt her warmth against him, and he began to shuffle his legs from side to side, trying to conceal his excitement at being so up close and personal with a woman who was even more striking in person than she had ever been on TV. "M-My, uh, Miss Asters..." he stammered nervously. "You, uh...certainly are welcoming-! Heh..." From the way she grabbed his shoulders, his heart skipped a beat; he almost wondered if she was about to kiss him - before, of course, he reminded himself that that was just wishful thinking on his part. But what he did know he heard was that Thea had praised him for his work and for being approachable and open to conversation, and that made a smile grow across his face.

"You...really think so? Oh, geez...well, consider me flattered to hear it from someone like you, Miss Asters! Whatever I do, I want to do it for LAW's faithful, everywhere in the world. And I want to bring them the sort of coverage they crave, on the stars they want to get to know. It seems my efforts haven't gone unnoticed..." He took a short bow to her as he stepped away. "Believe me, we're more than happy to have you here, too. If you want to head over to the stage, we can get started on our shoot..."

Thea was fully and completely aware of all the reactions she was garnering while walking down the halls of the studio and she knew exactly why. After all she may have been blonde but she wasn't stupid. This was LAW and sex sells, it was a lesson she had become intimately aware of since graduating from the young lionesses and she was ready to flaunt it. Of course she showed none of it on the surface, instead she appeared outwardly as bubbly and ditzy as she could, all in the name of cultivating an image she wanted, or to be put more accurately, just to look better than.... certain other woman on the roster.

Making it to where the shoot would be taking place upon where Thea would hug Takeda and greet him warmly. Partially to further cultivate the image she was building, but a part of her did indeed mean what she said. 'Ugh gross.' She thought to herself however feeling his... excitement press against her, effectively ruining the moment. But poor self control not withstanding Thea did genuinely like his work so she'd overlook it and be cordial as she had been trained for such things. Hearing him tell her to take her place on the stage for the shoot Thea would nod eagerly. The excitement of being able to do her first shoot and interview overtaking her once more as she smiled. "Ah sounds perfect Takeda-San."

Turning and strutting up to the stage, her rear end would sway side to side enticingly, the gold fabric of her bikini not only showing off her cheeks quite nicely, but the shiny metallic material also causing accentuating Thea's skin around it. All in all as Thea turned and saw multiple slack jaws she wouldn't be surprised, only smiling softly as she rested her hands behind her head, 'unintentionally', although actually very intentionally making her breasts stand out even more than normal. "This ok?" She asked while sticking her tongue out playfully.

Whatever Thea was doing...it was certainly working. It didn't matter if she was trying to act the part of a dumb blonde bimbo - whether he was genuinely appreciative of her work, or just easily convinced by her looks, Takeda wasn't going to hold that against her. In all likelihood, it was some of both. But regardless of what more impure intents he had, he was curious to hear more from her about her training in the Young Lioness Program, and how it prepared her for her in-ring career. He wanted to know what she thought about the trainees of today, and if she felt they had what it took to achieve success. He wanted to know what she thought of where her career was going now, and if there were any aspirations she was still reaching toward. And...yes, he wanted to see her flaunt her stuff too, but he was still curious.

His eyes followed every motion of Thea's hips as she made her way to the stage. And when she struck a pose before the cameras, she settled into it with the practiced grace of a model, finding a look that accentuated her curves and her confidence alike - but the cheerful look on her face still captured the wholesome, girl-next-door vibe she was able to hold onto without compromising her sex appeal. She was the perfect combination of alluring without being intimidating, and the thought of it made Takeda's heart quicken in his chest. Even some of the cameras were already turning her direction, making sure they got her best side.

"O-Oh, my-! Yeah, that'll do wonderfully, Miss Asters-!" Takeda said. He let himself get so distracted, though, that by the time he spoke the cameras were already snapping up shots of Thea taking point and looking great doing so. As he realized the delay, he stopped for a moment, blushing - did he let his own lustfulness get in the way of journalistic integrity again? He knew he was better than that...but it was Thea they were talking about.

Clearing his throat, Takeda pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Erm, anyway, Miss Asters...if you don't mind, we'd like to ask you a few questions so we can best set up your information in the calendar. To start us off...what would you say was your greatest accomplishment in LAW to date?"

Thea smiled softly, outwardly appearing as the cutest, most wholesome girl next door smile possible. Internally though? She was feeling intense levels of smugness at the moment. Knowing whole heartedly that she had Takeda wrapped around her fingers, along with the photographers as well. That meant that she would certainly have the most favorable article written about her as possible which is exactly what she wanted. Smiling still and posing as needed she moved with elegant grace and skill that only models had, something that came exceptionally easily to the blonde given the poise and grace she often had to move with a as a child.

Eventually however it seemed it was now time for the interview section of this. 'Perfect.' Thea thought to herself excitedly. It wasn't that she minded the modeling part, in fact she quite enjoyed it. But she was more excited for the chance to talk and express parts of herself that she normally didn't have the chance to through her matches. So when Takeda said it was time she nodded eagerly and walked forward to the edge of the stage and dropped down, sitting elegant on the edge with her legs crossed and tossing her hair back. Still holding a picture perfect pose seemingly naturally as she listened to Takeda's question.

'Damn it had to be something about accomplishments.' Thea thought to herself with frustration, though her outward expression remained the same wholesome smile that it had been in. In truth as much as Thea hated to admit it she really didn't have any major accomplishments in LAW due to how short her career was so far. But she had to think of something. "Let see." She said buying herself sometime as she thought back to her matches, trying to think of anything impressive before finally snapping her fingers as she had a eureka moment.

"Ah you know my career in LAW is less than a year in so unfortunately I don't have many accomplishments to date." Thea said admittedly with a soft, forlorn look before brightening up. "However of the matches that I have been in I've had a 100 percent submission win rate, with three of them being back to back." She said glad she noticed that pattern in her wins before continuing. "So despite having two losses to go along with that I feel thats fairly impressive to have all of my wins be by submission." Thea said with a nod. It wasn't much but it was impressive and she would certainly take it over nothing.

The whole time the photographers snapped their pictures and Takeda wrote down his notes, no one had any suspicions about what Thea was up to. Granted, Takeda was far from being the hardest person to manipulate, especially when the social engineer in question was as gorgeous as Thea was - but whatever plans she had, they were definitely working.

Even when Thea dropped down to the stage, she still struck a pose like she wanted the cameras on her. Takeda stopped for a moment, blinking a few times as he stared at her, at a loss for words of what to do next. Eventually, though, he collected himself enough to clear his throat, flipping to a new page in his notebook. "Ah, yes, well-! Where were we..." he began, gesturing for the cameras to move into place and get some photos of Thea sitting on the stage. She looked so good so naturally, he figured that this would work well as another shot he could use for the calendar, or even just some other promotional material - maybe, he thought, if Thea was this photogenic even when being interviewed, it would make for a nice shot to promote the calendar with.

Nodding his head, he listened to Thea as she listed off her accomplishments in the League - or lack thereof, as the case might have been; her career was still young and she didn't have much to her name. "Ah, I see, I see..." he said, taking down some notes. "Well, you are a recent graduate of the Young Lioness Program, so you don't have as much experience under your belt as some of the more established stars in LAW. But having a consistent record with submissions is nothing to sneeze at, either. You've been able to find what you're good at, and if you keep that up I'm sure you'll have even more victories to look forward to. Sometimes, the first part of success is finding your niche, so you're already part of the way there!" He smiled a little wider - Takeda saw the sad look on Thea's face as she glanced aside, and he couldn't help but feel bad for her, especially when she was so passionate about what she did. He hoped some encouraging words might cheer her up.

"Now, Miss Asters," he continued, "if I might ask a more personal question...forgive me, but I'm curious. How would you describe your time in the Young Lioness Program - and do you think that the current class has what it takes to succeed?"

Thea smiled at Takeda the whole way through answering his question, or at least after her brief crack of sadness leaked from her face. Though she patched it rather quickly, but she supposed it would only help her appearance. 'Something the can't seem to get enough of.' Thea thought to herself noticing the flashes of the cameras going still throughout her answer. Something that made her smirk softly at how much they couldn't seem to get enough from her.

'All going good then.' She thought to herself as she finished and waited patiently for the response from Takeda who naturally, was quick to appreciate her response and try to make her feel better. 'Piece of cake.' She thought to herself while putting on the sweetest smile. "Thank you so much Takeda san, I truly appreciate the kind words." She said before listening attentively to his next question about the young lioness. 'Phew much easier.' Thea thought to herself as she leaned back in preparation to answer.

"Ah my time in the program.. As one of the first class of the young lioness program I won't lie when I say I have quite a bit of pride in saying I'm one of the first true LAW originals, something I'm sure my former classmates share." She said before continuing. "The training itself was fantastic, with wonderful facilities and trainers not to mention some of the more established names within the company assisting us? It was fantastic overall. and I couldn't recommend the program enough to any other young people out there looking to break into this industry." She said speaking mostly honestly, if embellishing just a bit. But not by much since she did mostly enjoy her time as a lioness.

As for the second part of Takeda's question... "Hmm I definitely think there's some contenders..." Thea said thoughtfully before continuing with a more serious expression. "As is almost all of them would get crushed by the current pressure of the roster. Its not to say they aren't working hard and its not to knock the current classes progress or the work of their trainers, but many of them are in my opinion too eager to graduate or show off, and aren't doing enough training to back it up. Just look at that poor Meiyun girl for example. She bit off way more than she could chew against Rose Gold and paid the price." Thea said with a nearly concerned tone. "But like I said they all definitely have potential, they just need to focus more on keeping their noses on the grindstone, and I'm sure they'll do great! In my opinion at least." She said with a supportive nod to her younger lionesses still serving in the program.

Whatever thoughts were going through Thea's head went right over Takeda's. Fortunately enough for her, although he was in charge of conducting interviews, he was the type to take most things at face value - particularly when that face was a pretty one, and attached to a hot body to boot. And Thea happened to fit that description perfectly. As she smiled back at Takeda, his own smile grew to match, and when he shifted gears to look into Thea's thoughts on the Young Lioness Program, he was quick to take up his pen to jot down notes.

"Oh, for sure, Miss Asters," he added. "No matter what else happens in your career, you can always say it with pride that you were part of the first generation of LAW's home-grown talent. And I'm sure that the company will be very happy to hear that you enjoyed your training so much, too." Already, he was sure that Thea's words on how thankful she was for the Program's help would be good for business - if the word spread, more hopefuls might be attracted to training with LAW, and the company could only grow more and more. Not only did Thea have the looks to move calendars and the personality to make many curious about her interview, she was acting as a fine spokeswoman for the company. She was the full package - it was a deal that almost felt too good to be true, which probably was part of Thea's plan, but Takeda thought nothing of it.

Much like Thea herself, though, Takeda's expression grew more grave when the discussion turned to how well the Young Lionesses could stand up against the current roster. In particular, he winced when Thea brought up Meiyun Lai's ill-fated match against Rose Gold, one that had swiftly become a humiliating and crushing defeat. He nodded his head to her. "That's a very good point, Miss Asters. While the profile of the training program is rising, I do think that many of the new trainees are rushing to get themselves involved in the main roster as a result, even before they've graduated. Even Sheila Chihara entered herself in a TLC match - and even if many of them may think they're ready, I do think it's important to remember that you and your classmates had a ways to go before you were ready for a main roster match. Anyway, with that said..." He straightened his back, clearing his throat. "Speaking of the future, I have to ask, what would you consider your greatest aspiration in your LAW career?"

Thea had leaned forward, elbow resting on her thigh with her cheek resting in the palm of her hand as she smiled softly at the man in front of her in spite of the grave nature of there conversation. But it was precisely that reason that she was smiling. After all the last thing she wanted was for this to be a gloomy experience, so she kept her smile in hopes of further charming Takeda, as well as keeping the energy of this interview going in a positive way.

As Takeda responded she would nod appreciatively to him as he understood what she said and agreed. "Yes exactly, but I just know that they'll do better eventually." She said with a nod of her own to what he said. But then he moved on to the next question to this interview, one that caused a small, bordering on evil smirk across her face as she sat up straight, hands clasping in front of her.

"Very good question. I have a few aspirations here in LAW, ranging from very basic such as wanting to win a championship, to ones more based on my experience such as wanting to mentor a young lioness myself." Thea answered, figuring she may as well throw some bonus answers before continuing. "As for my greatest aspiration however?" She asked, repeating the question rhetorically before moving on to answer properly. "Hehe... well that would be putting an end to the so called Belly Queen, Kyoko Akan."

Thea said, her hands tightening into fists and though her expression remained pleasant it was clear by the venom that Thea spoke Kyoko's name the levels of animosity she held towards the well known middleweight. "I don't just mean beating her to avenge my loss however. I want to give her payback for all the poor girls Kyoko has beaten or assaulted over the years. Completely break her like she has so many others." Thea said with a vicious grin that didn't quite match the girl next door aesthetic she had been portraying so far.

Even when they were merely conducting an interview - and even when the subject matter of that interview turned to more painful memories, as the defeat of Meiyun Lai had been remembered by many inside LAW and out as a crushing and humiliating one - Thea still had a way of holding herself. It seemed like she could turn every motion she made, and every position she took, into a pose worthy of a front cover, almost as if this came naturally to her without even a need for second thoughts. It only added to Takeda's assessment that Thea made for the perfect subject - but then, she was doing a fine job of leaving a lasting impression on the reporter! If she wanted to get his attention...it was definitely working.

But she wasn't just getting his attention with her good looks and charm - though that certainly didn't hurt her case either. When Thea went on to discuss her aspirations, she started with talking about the usual answers, like winning a title. Takeda had interviewed plenty of people in the same postion Thea was in now who had answered to that effect, and when she began, his mind was practically working on autopilot, guiding him through the motions of putting pencil to paper and taking down notes. It was simple, it was routine; it was just as he'd done many times before.

That was...until Thea went on to tell him her true goal. One that was both more specific and more personal than anything Takeda had heard in a while on the job. His eyes went wide, and he sat up straighter, staring Thea straight in the eye. "You...want to take down Kyoko Akan?"

It was a provocative statement to be sure. Few of Takeda's interviewees up to this point had called out any specific wrestlers by name, let alone someone like Kyoko, who was a prominent name in the promotion - and who had been featured in last year's edition of the calendar. And here was Thea, a comparative rookie who was just now making a name for herself, naming the Belly Queen as her opponent! It was a bold move to be sure - and yet, by this point, Takeda was so convinced by Thea's position that he was confident that she'd be able to match Kyoko on even footing. "Well, it's a noble goal to be sure in standing up for everyone she's beaten in the past. After what you said about Meiyun Lai, I can see that in you...your willingness to stand up for others. It's an admirable trait, in a business where so many are out for themselves. I think it's something worth being proud of."

He smiled at Thea, showing her a dreamy look on his face that seemed more in keeping with a dating show than an interview - and what he'd told her a moment ago didn't help matters either. However, he would then sit up straighter, continuing. "One last question, Miss Asters. Before we go, is there anything else about you you would like your fans to know?"

Thea continued to smile while leaning her head against her hand, watching the stunned expression on Takeda in response to her answer. Clearly the man wasn't expecting her to name a specific person, let alone Kyoko Akan herself. So needless to say he had a awestruck, and dare she say even a love struck look on his face. That no doubt being partly because of her reasoning for wanting to take down Kyoko. After all she had done her research prior, and she knew that everyone loved an avenger story. Perfect to paint herself in just the right light that she wanted going onward.

So hearing the final question from Takeda the blonde would nod appreciatively before tossing her hair back. Elegantly she would raise a hand up to her chin in a thinking posture as she though of her answer. "Ah well." Thea said as she leaned forward once again. "I suppose its no secret t anyone watching at home that I have a reputation for having a.... bit of a short temper." Thea admitted, referring to her past actions in matches where she had gotten aggressive and violent in past matches after being insulted by opponents. "Honestly I can't really make an excuse. Call it a side effect of being, walked on and and underestimated almost my whole life." Thea said, a soft and sympathetic look on her face, water even almost brimming from her eyes.

"I'd rather not go into it in extreme detail. But my parents were rather authoritarian, and expressing oneself wasn't exactly encouraged." Thea admitted, composing herself as she sat up straight. "Something that made it rather easy for children to pick on me in school up until I... snapped." Thea admitted before bridging her fingers together. "Ive been like that ever since, when my anger is sparked it just kinda explodes. I know its no excuse for past or future actions. But I hope its enough for my fans to at least understand why I may get a bit... extreme." Thea said with another sweet smile to Takeda as she finished.

When Thea mentioned how she had earned her reputation for brutality...for just a moment, the dreamy look in Takeda's eyes seemed to fade. He was thrown back into reality, thinking back on all the trouble Thea had caused - his mind flashed back to her match with Haruka le Roux, and how that had ended with her leaving her opponent bruised and begging for mercy as she torqued her arm violently in her grasp. Thea's cute looks and charming personality hardly seemed to have come from the same woman who had unleashed such torments on her foe then, and for the briefest of moments, Takeda wondered if there might be something else at play he was unaware of.

But the next thing out of Thea's mouth was enough to smooth over his concerns. Takeda watched as the girl leaned in closer to him, drawing his attention, and as soon as he saw the tears budding in her eyes, and the way she shied away from him, he could feel a pang of guilt in his heart for even suspecting anything of her. How could he be so quick to judge? Clearly, it wasn't her fault. She was a girl who was in over her head, who had been beaten down time and time again without anyone to stand up for her or listen to her story, and when she was pushed past the brink, it was only to be expected that she would struggle to contain her reactions. He couldn't blame her for that; if anything, he wished he could have been there to help her.

"Hey, hey..." Takeda leaned a little closer to Thea; he moved to rest a hand on her shoulder, but stopped just shy of breaking her personal space when that thought grew too daunting. "It's okay. I understand. I...can imagine how hard that must have been, and I'm sorry you had to...lash out the way you did. But...what's important now is that you're getting stronger. You're a rising star. You're overcoming your fears. It looks like the future holds a lot for you - and I say, go out and make the most of it!"

With a smile on his face, Takeda got back up. "That's all we had to cover today, Miss Asters. Unless there's anything to add, I can let you go..." But he looked off, a blush coming to his face. "But it was lovely meeting you."

'Worked like a charm.' Thea thought to herself as she looked up between her hair at Takeda and saw the concerned look on his face and his comforting words. 'Perfect' She thought as she sat up and wiped her eyes before smiling brightly at Takeda in response to his words. "You're words really mean a lot Takeda-Sa, Takeda-Kun." Thea said, switching honorifics just as a extra layer of icing on top of it all. Knowing she would probably have the man head over heels for her at this rate.

As he finished though he told her they were at the end of the interview which meant her job here was officially done. Smiling brightly at him once more she would not pleasantly at him. "Ah I see lovely! Too bad though I was really enjoying our time together." She said as she hopped off the stage and walked closer to Takeda.

"Unfortunately I don't have anything to add, but I would like to say it was lovely to meet you as well Takeda-Kun, you were a wonderful first interview for me." She said sweetly as she suddenly reached forward, enveloping him in a hug. "Keep up the good work handsome ~" She'd breathe into his ear, wanting to leave him wanting even more of her. Even sealing the deal with a soft, chaste kiss to his cheek before turning and starting to walk away, an extra sway in her hips as she did so wordlessly after her little stunt. Knowing what she did would leave the man stunned and wanting all at the same time.

Hearing the sweet tone in Thea's voice, and the affectionate terms she addressed him with, Takeda couldn't help but smile a little wider as a blush came to his face. He nodded his head toward her in recognition. "A-Ah, well...thank you very much, Miss Asters." He was no stranger to being flirted with by his interviewees, and while he remarked at how fortunate he was to be in such a position - though some of his coworkers had to wonder if it was just that he was far too easily led astray by a pretty face and a nice body - Takeda couldn't help but feel like he just might have something going with Thea. For all her beauty and glamor, she was someone he was convinced he might actually have a chance with, and that made her seem all the more enticing when his wildest dreams felt so achievable. Not just that, Takeda couldn't shake the feeling she did like him. Something about the way she spoke, and te way she acted around him, felt genuine. She was too kind-hearted and modest to have any ulterior motives - which meant that when she gave thanks to him, and wished they could have spent more time together, he was sure she meant it. In fact, he couldn't help but look off wistfully after her as she left the stage.

"Ah, well...believe me, Miss Asters, you wouldn't be the only one to think that," he said. "It's been a pleasure speaking with you, and...I'm happy I could help." He smiled wider with pride, knowing that this had meant as much to Thea as it did to him. It was a milestone in her career; her first big interview, and a spotlight in the calendar that she could always look back on as proof that she was growing to levels of recognition and praise far beyond her humble beginnings. Takeda would look back on it fondly, too - after all, he had a hard time thinking of anything that had tugged on his heartstrings quite as much. Even as he looked off on Thea as she disappeared down the hall, he couldnt help but chuckle to himself.

"Heh...she called me handsome," he muttered. Takeda didn't know that the cameraman at his side could hear him, or that he was now rolling his eyes. To Takeda, this meant everything.

---

February 2022: Thea Asters

• Age: 20
• Height: 5'6
• Weight: 128 lbs.
• Finishing Move: Fallen Wingbeat (Fujiwara Armbar from Meteora)
• Career Highlight: Holding a 100% victory rate with submissions, three of which were back to back.
• Career Aspirations: To take down Kyoko Akan for her attacks on other wrestlers.
• Has struggled to control her anger in the past, as a result of being pushed down all her life.

[CaptainL]

The Interview

The prospect of meeting the next feature for the Ladies of LAW Calendar was something that always excited Takeda - but this time, he couldn't help but be a little bit intimidated. In all respects, Christina Morganstern was far out of his league. Not only was she an important player backstage in LAW as the manager of Team Stanza, one of the promotion's hottest stables, she had an impressive list of credentials to boast of, holding a degree in psychology at even her young age. And here he was, a mere interviewer for a wrestling magazine. To say he felt dwarfed by her presence would honestly understate things. Standing in the studio, he shuffled his feet and adjusted his tie, biting at the inside of his cheek to try and hold his composure. He could barely even begin to fathom what went into the field of psychology - and the thought that Christina could see through every thought he had, breaking the inner workings of his mind down piece by piece before he could even tell what was happening, put him on edge, especially when his mind tended to race toward dirtier places when women were concerned. He would have to be on his best behavior, he told himself. He just hoped that wouldn't make conducting the interview too awkward.

For the first time in her life, Christina Morgenstern felt stupid. It was a rare feeling for a woman who'd earned a Ph.D. at age sixteen and who had the intelligence to quickly adapt to most any situation. But as she looked at herself in the mirror, the psychologist couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. It wasn't that she was regretting agreeing to this interview. After all, this was a good opportunity to put herself and Team Stanza on the radar, and besides, if she was going to ask her wrestlers to risk their bodies and dignities every time they stepped into the ring, the least she could do was put herself out there the best way she knew how. Still, for a woman used to lab coats and dress shirts, wearing nothing but a bikini for a work function was hardly better than full-on nudity. Guiltily thankful that her intern, Shiori, wasn't here despite her dual-placement at Team Stanza and LAW Magazine (Christina explained that she "wanted the interview to be a surprise" for everyone on the team), she scurried to where she'd been instructed to meet Takeda. Every eye on her was like a death ray, and it took every ounce of willpower not to wither under their gaze.

She opened the door, hiding behind it until she verified the room's contents. "A-Ah... Ryoshi-san. Hello." Even in the European languages which she knew so well, Christina's unmistakably German accent often bled through. In Japanese, however, she'd worked hard to speak it without a hint of an accent. Her academic study of the language helped, of course, but she put in extra work even before she knew she'd be using the language professionally! ...In truth, that was because she was a bit of a weeb, but she would take that secret to her grave. In any case, all Takeda might be able to detect in Christina's voice, she hoped, was the slight wavering of her nerves. "Thank you for agreeing to interview me." She bowed respectfully, wanting to treat this interview with the utmost professionalism, to make a good first impression on the press. Yet just as she did so, she realized that, given her attire, she may be granting Takeda quite the impression indeed; even her modest breasts were woefully covered by this bikini. And the angle caused by bending down...! Quickly placing a hand over her heart to block the cleavage, she rose, newly colored beet red. Christina beckoned to a nearby chair, wanting so badly to sink right into it but wanting more to be polite. "Erm, may I?"

When Christina stepped out from behind the door, Takeda's eyebrows raised as he leaned back from her. He could hardly believe this was happening - not that he was hanging around a good-looking young lady in a bikini, that was a regular occurrence for him now, but that he was doing this with a woman that had more professional credentials than he could ever hope to get close to. It felt almost perverse to think of someone with such a prestigious career this way, but...at the same time, he had to admit, she was a beautiful woman. And he didn't quite realize that as much as he did until just now, when he saw her with all the walls of coldness and professionalism broken down.

In fact, what surprised Takeda even more than Christina being here for the shoot was how unprepared she seemed to be for it. She seemed to be second-guessing herself with every move she made, as though she regretted being here - and Takeda wouldn't have guessed that anyone with Christina's accomplishments could be so shy. He was expecting her to be operating on another level entirely, one he could hardly begin to comprehend or read, yet here she seemed so...humble, and down-to-earth. It felt like he was dealing with another person entirely, and as she shyly covered her cleavage - even as it made Takeda's face go red as his heart thumped at the sight - he still found it endearing that she had it in her to be so vulnerable.

Clearing his throat, he continued to the chair, sitting down beside it and gesturing for Christina to follow. "Oh, please do make yourself comfortable," he said, before taking out his notes. "Thank you for taking the time to come out here, Dr. Morganstern. I understand that it must have been time out of your schedule, and I'm sure you're busy with everything...how's Team Stanza doing, anyway?" He knew it didn't have much to do with the subject at hand, but he was curious.

Christina nodded, swallowing the last stone in her gut before sinking into the chair. "Thank you, Ryoshi-san." If she seemed unprepared for this interview, it was because she was, indeed, woefully unprepared. After all, how could she steel herself for something like this? This was probably the least clothing that someone had seen her in up close, not counting her physician. LAW was famous for its racy and, oftentimes, outright lewd productions, but Christina knew that studying sex appeal was no preparation for the infinitely embarrassing notion of the real thing.

But then Takeda asked a question, and Christina felt her head turn in response. "Ah, they're doing very well, if I might say so myself." Now this was something that she understood. Normal press responsibilities like advocating for her clients and fostering positive public relations. Her arms loosened from in front of her torso before landing on the sides of the couch. "The girls are acclimating quite well to Japan, which is honestly a blessing that I couldn't quite count on going in." The words flowed naturally; now in her element, Christina almost forgot her scant attire. "Though their time in LAW has been... tumultuous, in some cases, I believe they're doing well for themselves here. Training, matches, media, socializing. All of it has gone well for us so far. And of course, Shiori has been a big help for me, as I hear she has been for you at the Magazine as well."

As soon as Takeda launched into the interview, Christina seemed to find herself on much more familiar ground. Her demeanor seemed to ease, and like a switch had flipped in her head, she was discussing things freely and naturally; even if she was in a bikini, the thought hardly seemed to cross her mind. Takeda smiled a little, leaning forward in his seat and letting his posture ease; he was glad to know that Christina could feel comfortable in what she did. Even if she was a striking young woman with an admirable body, he'd feel guilty dragging her all the way here if he knew she'd be out of her element. The members of the camera crew glanced back at one another, sharing knowing looks and nods as they began to think about how they could use this to get Christina into the shots they had in mind if they could keep her engaged - but Takeda was perfectly well engrossed in the conversation, following along with taking notes as quickly as he could while Christina spoke.

"That's good, that's good," he said, noddiing to Christina as she discussed the goings-on with her stable. "I'm glad to know that everyone's doing alright - and allow me to be the first to say, Shiori's presence around here has been much appreciated." He smiled to himself, blushing as his thoughts ran briefly to how having two busty and eager interns around the office made things much more interesting for him - but also he couldn't deny that, on a more intellectual level, the writer brought a lot to the table. "She's very passionate about the work she does, and I'm glad to know she's found a career she can thrive in. And she's been invaluable in our research...honestly, I sometimes feel like she might know even more than Matsumoto-san."

Chuckling, he sat back in his seat before continuing. "If I may ask, Dr. Morganstern, what would you say has been your finest accomplishment in LAW so far? I know that you haven't had much of an on-stage role, so to speak - so would you say there's any one client of yours you think has really excelled?"

Christina nodded happily as Takeda recounted how useful their intern had been. Shiori was, among many other things, always eager to share her endless font of knowledge. She'd caught the scientist in far more blind spots than she'd be proud to admit, so Christina could only agree with Takeda's thoughts. That blush of his may have merited further investigation, but... He seemed benign enough.

His first real question, however, urged a tap at Christina's chin. There she sat, suddenly deep in thought. Even though Takeda likely didn't mean it that way, Christina knew that a question like this could easily be a trap of sorts. She sought never to play favorites, or to ascribe her own wishes as representative of her clients' ambitions. Still, her answer couldn't be too diplomatic, lest it say nothing of interest at all. Christina balanced these considerations, hypothesized about Takeda's interests, and mapped out a plan of attack -- all in mere seconds. The train of thought took but an instant to find its final stop, and her flickering eyes finally fixed onto Takeda.

"Of course, I am proud of all my clients' accomplishments," she started. "Shiori, as you said-" Christina nodded towards Takeda. "-has made herself indispensable across the organization. Julie's fight to advocate for herself while demonstrating her flexibility has earned her the right to be our first standard-bearer at We Are LAW 5. Brooke has already faced, it seems, half of LAW's upper echelon, and Leonie has taken opponents that most sane women would not dare to fight. Even Louise, as low-key as she's preferred to be about it all, has become perhaps our most viral member, owing to her elite athleticism."

It was a safe answer, but Christina planned to offer the Magazine the red meat they so clearly wanted. "But..." she continued, before Takeda or any of the production staff could protest. "I would say that I am most pleased with the work I've done to establish this new business model. A centrally-managed stable, more like a sports franchise than anything we've seen in professional wrestling to date. This was an experiment for LAW, to be sure, but I hope they agree that it's shown promising results."

Takeda was perfectly content to ogle Christina's good looks and stunning figure all day, but that wasnt why he was here. He had an interview to conduct, and he wanted to make sure he could get a look into the head of Team Stanza's inner thoughts to share them with the world. And, when she began to elaborate on her answer, he couldn't help but smile. Not only had the stable achieved success in the ring, it was clear that they all had a special place in Christina's heart - that they had, perhaps, become something more like family to her than any business relationship. And he would be hard-pressed to disagree with anything she said. Each of the stable's members had a career worth taking pride in - his smile grew a little wider, and his face redder, as she mentioned Brooke's accomplishments, conjuring up images of her match against Rose Gold, but he had to concede that, despite any other reasons he had enjoyed the match, he knew how much it had to mean for Brooke to hold her own against the Lightweight Champion, or Christina to have taken her that far. So too, he could agree that Julie, Leonie, and Louise had made a strong showing, and he was impressed with what he'd seen of their potential - with Julie's skill, Leonie's strength and courage and Louise's agility, they all had the makings of top stars in them.

And, above all else, Christina could boast of how she had managed to guide the lot of them to success as Team Stanza, a unit that fans across the world were eager to follow and support. "Well, Dr. Morganstern, I'd say that's certainly an admirable position to take. They've certainly made a strong impact, and I'm sure they can only grow from here. Getting one of your representatives onto We Are LAW must have been exciting for you, especially after so short a time, relatively speaking. If I may ask, do you have any aspirations as to where you'd like Team Stanza to go from here?"

Christina nodded appreciatively at Takeda's feedback. It was good to know that they'd made impressions in the media, even if her sample size was regrettably small. She smirked wryly at the reporter's next question. "Would you consider it a cop-out if I said that my one desire was simply to see my clients achieve theirs?" Again, it was a safe answer, but it was true. "Of course, I have my own private hopes for them. Opportunities that I believe would be good for their careers, that I believe would help them get what they want out of LAW." A certain Scarlet Streak leapt into her mind's eye, before scowling away Christina's train of thought. "Still, though I've studied the human mind more than most, I regretfully cannot read it." She giggled lightly at the joke. "I count the ladies among my closest friends, but even I cannot presume to know what is truly best for them and their goals."

"Truthfully, none of us have even thought about belts or accolades. It is just so early. Still, none of us want to waste a moment in LAW. And if I had to sum it up?" Christina glanced off to the side, smiling softly as fond memories of the last few months began to excite her for what the coming years had in store. "We wish to have left our mark on this league and industry, once our time in it is over. To have shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were here, and that we belonged." She locked eyes with Takeda once more, ambition finally sparkling behind her violet irises. "My dream... No, our dream... It is to be remembered."

Takeda chuckled a little at Christina's response. "No, no...as a matter of fact, Dr. Morganstern, I think that's an admirable goal. I feel like it's the objective of any manager to make sure that their clients succeed, and the fact that you have that on your radar is proof that you have their interests at heart. The whole reason they're there is because they feel like associating themselves with the stable will give them the leg up they need when it comes to establishing themselves, and it sounds to me like you want to be sure they can get that. And, as for not knowing what they want..." He chuckled again, this time a little louder. "Ah, well, I don't think you're alone. Does anyone truly understand the people around them?" He fiddled with his glasses. Though he would brush it off as a joke...he still had to acknowledge it was a comforting thought that not even some of his coworkers, even those who were beautiful women themselves, could find their minds any less impenetrable than he could some times.

As she continued, Takeda took notes of what she said, nodding to her. "That's a fine answer, Dr. Morganstern...you know, I often hear about how people's biggest goals in LAW are going after the belts, and I suppose that's every wrestler's dream. It's proof that you're the best there is at what you do, after all. But we have to ask ourselves, why do we want to prove that we're good, if not to be remembered? We're going to remember the people who made history in their respective sports, even long after they're gone, and maybe some day one of your clients will be in that position. I'm sure it's quite a thought to know you'd have helped get them there..."
Takeda stared wistfully off into the distance for a moment as he drummed his pen against the paper. He didn't even let his gaze linger on Christina's bikini-clad body this time; his thoughts were directed inward for once as he set his mind to the question of legacy, and why one seeks glory. He didn't think on that for too long, though, lest he lose sight of his goal. After all, he had an interview to conduct!

Clearing his throat, he sat up straighter in his seat. "All right, Dr. Morganstern, I'd say we're almost done here. What I want to ask is...is there anything else about you you'd like the fans to know? Or about your clients - if they're willing to share, of course?"

Christina was a unique sort of nerd. For her, it was impossible to be bad at reading people. She'd dedicated her life to studying what was behind the curtain, and with her talents, that dedication meant mastery. So suffice it to say: She did notice the wrinkle of Takeda's brow, the sudden uptick in his fidgeting, the brief flicker of his gaze. Christina knew that their discussion was resonating with him, and the curious part of her brain wanted to pick his. Even so, there was an interview to finish. "Final comments, eh?"

Immediately, she blanched, pressing her lips into a thin line. An idea had popped into her head, and honestly, it wasn't that far beyond the pale. Still, despite all her prowess at reading people, her awkward execution left much to be desired. But if her wrestlers were willing to put their bodies and prides on the line every day, then wasn't Christina obligated to throw caution to the wind herself? She turned to the far side of the room, where the camera crew was setting up for her shoot, and fixed them with a smirk. Hoping to God that at least one of them was recording the interview or testing their lens or something. If they were, then they'd get a shot of her feeble attempt at brazenness.

"Keep watching."

A hand flew to her lips, and the erstwhile psychologist giggled. "Hehe~. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Blame Julie for foisting her penchant for showmanship on me." She shook her head, hoping to drive away the last of her blush. "It is true, though. Whether you love us or doubt us. Whether you see us or ignore us. Whether you've been following us since the beginning, or whether this interview is the first time you've heard of us. Keep watching. Because the five women under my charge will blaze a trail wherever their dreams may point them. Their journeys will not be those of a traditional wrestler, but believe me when I say that Team Stanza will write itself into the history books."

It was perhaps a mercy for Takeda that he wasn't letting himself get caught up in how deeply Christina was analyzing him. While he was sure that there was at least some of that going on - it was Christina, after all - he didn't realize quite how deep her insight ran. As long as he didn't know that, he could still look her in the eye and treat her as a coworker, just as much as he would anyone. He didn't need to worry about her picking him apart, and he didn't need to walk on eggshells for fear of having any secrets dug up. If he was, maybe he would have at least tried a little harder to hide his interest in Christina's figure, but he wasn't concerned either way right now. For now, he could see her as a peer and colleague, and he felt himself drawn a little closer, which made his words flow freely.

When she said her part to the camera crew, Takeda's attention briefly turned her way - he looked back at her with a raise of his eyebrow and a "Hrm..?," unsure of what Christina was up to. But a moment later, she stopped herself, holding up a hand to hide the smile on her face. The sight of that gave Takeda some pause - but it also made him smile a little wider. He never thought he would ever call a cunning sociologist with more credentials than he could ever hope for cute, but...she was cute. In that moment, she let down a little bit of her image, and Takeda could see her human being she was underneath. It was a side of her he never thought he would see, but it seemed all the more special for it.
Regardless, she went on to give her parting comments on Team Stanza, and Takeda wrote them down before closing his book and looking up at her. "All right, that will do it! Once again, thanks for agreeing to be a part of the project, Dr. Morganstern. Hopefully, this will help get plenty of eyes on Team Stanza - and I wish you all the best of luck, because in all hopes those new eyes will get to see them rise to the top! And, uh..." He glanced back and forth shiftily before continuing. "Tell the girls I said hi, alright?"

---

March 2022: Christina Morgenstern

• Age: 24
• Height: 5'2
• Weight: 100 lbs.
• Career Highlight: Successfully establishing Team Stanza as a centrally organized stable and guiding its members to success.
• Career Aspirations: To lead Team Stanza to leaving their mark on the wrestling world and to prove they belong.
• "Whether you love us or doubt us. Whether you see us or ignore us. Whether you've been following us since the beginning, or whether this interview is the first time you've heard of us. Keep watching. Because the five women under my charge will blaze a trail wherever their dreams may point them. Their journeys will not be those of a traditional wrestler, but believe me when I say that Team Stanza will write itself into the history books."

[CaptainL]

The Interview

For the next entry in the Ladies of LAW Calendar, Takeda Ryoshi had his appointment set for an interview with Cheryl Williams - a name he recognized as one half of the Pom-Pom Punchers. They seemed like they had always been a fixture of LAW's tag team division, and despite no one having high hopes for them at first - coming as they did from a background in cheerleading - they had made a respectable name for themselves, keeping up a strong record in the ring. One of them had even held the LAWLESS Championship for a time, even if she didn't make it out of the LAW office building with it. That being said, Amber Skye wasn't around to be interviewed today, so Takeda was one on one with her partner. Not that he particularly minded - although he definitely wouldn't be opposed to sharing a room with two good-looking cheer captains, Cheryl was definitely an enticing beauty in her own right, and with her reputation as being the more level-headed of the pair, he was sure he'd be able to hit it off easily enough with her and get some insight into her career as a team player without running into Amber's more tempestuous nature. At least, he'd be able to hit it off in a business sense - he wasn't that delusional.

Cheryl had been doing so much that she had almost let this slip by her, initially thinking it best if they did it as a unit Amber sadly had to miss out because she was busy with something. She wasn't actually sure what but she knew it must be important for Amber to not want to come along for an interview, and really between the two of them Amber seemed to get the most focus in singles stuff thanks to winning the LAWLESS belt and her big mouth so Cheryl saw this solo outing as another big chance to get her story out there, the Punchers wanted to prove that being a team wasn't the only thing they could do. Once she was told she was ready Cheryl stepped out and hopped over to wear Takeda was, smiling at everyone she saw along the way before she finally walked to the important interviewer.

"Thanks again for having me, even if it is just me." Cheryl said, she knew that if possible they might have tried to get both of us on, but the fact that they kept her even when it was just Cheryl made her happy and let her feel like she had some importance to LAW. She sat down in her bikini but looked ready to jump up anytime thanks to her body brimming with excitement.

"Oh, we're glad we could have you here, really-!" Takeda pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, trying to keep them from falling off even as his hands shook. No one could say that he wasn't easily led astray, and the sight of a bikini-clad Cheryl Williams was definitely making the blush rise to his cheeks. Still, he couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. For all she was known for being the calm one of the Pom-Pom Punchers, Cheryl had excitement to spare, and he was happy to see her getting this worked up about the opportunity. He was honored to know that the calendar project had been such a success, not just for LAW's fans but among its featured talent too.

"Yes, it is unfortunate that we couldn't have Amber on, too," he continued, "but having one of you here is an honor enough. I understand you've been looking to branch out more - though I know the two of you don't have any intentions to split up any time soon. Any thoughts there? And how do you feel about Amber's short-lived title run?"

She had prepared herself for many of the potential questions that could come to mind wanting to appear prepared and confident for all of it. Takeda didn't waste much time and starting to ask her about Amber, the short title reign having been the only title that been won by the two of them and about any chances of them trying to do solo work. That was something she could easily talk about given what they had in mind.

"We always want to branch out more! Tag teams going for single gold isn't a sign of wanting to be done with the tag team, sometimes we just see the potential to grow as people and a team. Anything that shows that being cheerleaders doesn't hold us back in wrestling, you'd be surprised at how some people act like we need to act a certain way, like some stereotypical bully in a high school drama or no talent cute faces to be put in peril in matches, for every thing we succeed at we prove that we can branch into anything if we try hard enough." Cheryl said confidently. "As for Amber...it could have been longer. Amber is tough, and any girl she fought wouldn't have taken it from her if she was at full strength which is exactly why the current champ jumped her and faded off, she also would have made that belt a centerpiece at LAW but you knew that already. She's very good at getting people hype about things when she needs to I wish I had more of her energy when it came to getting things I wanted. Take the Apex stuff for example. Both of us are in it but instead of trying to get our matches to qualify off each other we're proving we can take on anyone and still win. I have a match with Megumi Mutoh coming up but I'm really bad at advertising that kind of thing, Amber would have probably made a big poster to put on LAW so no one would miss her winning that match, haha." Cheryl said with a laugh thinking on ways she could improve her presence.

As soon as Cheryl launched into her tirade, Takeda was quick to touch his pen to the paper of his notebook, recording her response. His eyes widened as he noticed the gusto with which she spoke - when he posed the question to her, he didn't expect her to already have such a response up her sleeve! Still, he couldn't exactly complain. He was here to get a look into what was on the minds of LAW's biggest stars, and in that regard, Cheryl certainly delivered - he just hoped that he could keep up!

"Oh, I'm sure of that," he noted with a nod, as Cheryl discussed not being taken seriously thanks to her cheerleading background. "I know everyone thinks cheerleaders are just there to stand on the sidelines and look pretty, but we can't deny the amount of training and physical conditioning that goes into being able to pull off those moves! Heh..." He bit his lip, with a little bit of shame given that he knew that from paying far closer attention to cheerleading routines than anyone else. "Having you two out there in the ring helps show the world what you're really capable of, when you're out there dominating on the frontlines of a full-contact sport. It sounds to me, too, like even when the two of you are committed to making a name for yourself in singles competition, the friendship between you hasn't waned - even when you're talking about facing each other, it's out of mutual respect and dedication. If you ask me, that's a sign that you two have a bond like no other. Not everyone, even in the tag team scene, can go up against their partners without coming out with some bruises to the ego, but you and Amber can take even a Bombshell Blitz from each other and still exchange high-fives in the end!" He chuckled a little at his own joke before continuing. "I have to wish you the best of luck on the Apex front. Would you say that's your biggest goal in LAW at this time?"

"Exactly! People take sayings like 'this isn't ballet' too literally, and see stuff like that or cheerleading as some simple stuff that's all about looking good over actual skill. We work really hard for stuff like that and it shows in what we can transition too if the need calls for. I'm glad to hear you know stuff like that." Cheryl said putting a hand on Takeda's shoulder briefly before pulling away realizing that it wasn't appropriate. But she was happy to help put things over for the Punchers, the team was still important even if she got something going as a singles competitor since it tied into the next question she was asked.

"We knew the deal going into wrestling that if we ever wanted to do more than just tag team stuff eventually it was likely that we would have to wrestle one another. But just because one of us might get ahead of the other doesn't mean we need to be looking over our shoulders or turning on on one another, we got in this thing together and no matter what we'll finish it together. To mention the title she won, I wasn't in the building but I was outside with a car ready to drive her off the premises so she could actually rest. I know she'd do the same for me." Cheryl admitted before getting into the next and most important question. "That's an easy one, I want to be one half of the tag team champions. Branching out or not we still want to be the best tag team in the league and since the Gauntlet match we've been working to get another shot, hopefully one that's just us and the champs because trying to fight through that many teams was doomed from the start. We haven't gotten any response back from management but hopefully our resumes speak for themselves, how many teams can claim to be on such a consistent roll as us right now?" Cheryl asked confident that their body of work was unmatched as a team in LAW's current state.

As soon as Cheryl set her hand on his shoulder, Takeda felt something quicken in his chest, and he shuffled anxiously, sitting up a little straighter as a blush came to his cheeks. He knew that it didn't mean anything - especially not when she took her hand off of him just a moment later - but the thought that she felt comfortable sharing contact this close with him made his mind wander. For that matter, it made him think that she understood him - like the two might actually be able to make something work.

Of course, that was ridiculous. It was all just wishful thinking, and right now, he had a more important job to be doing. He cleared his throat, picking up pen and paper again as he prepared to take notes on what Cheryl had to say. "It sounds like you and Amber have working as a team down like the back of your hand - and I suppose that's not surprising, given how long you've worked together! Wanting to be the champions is definitely a common theme I've heard when I ask this question - but it shows you've got ambition, and I think that's something to be proud of. You've been going after this title since it was first under contention - and you put up a respectable fight against the SWAT Cats, too! I'd say you already have the first part of it down. You're great at working together, and you know you'll always have each others' backs. That goes a long way. I know that cheerleading takes a lot of coordination, and that's something you have down. But so does being an effective tag team, and I'm sure a lot of teams out there could learn something from you! If you keep up your teamwork, you'll pull off moves that a team that wasn't on the same wavelength could never do - and you'll be champs in no time!"

Sitting back in his seat, he cleared his throat. "Well, that brings me to my next question. In terms of what you've already accomplished in LAW, what would you say you're most proud of?"

Unaware of the thoughts going through Takeda's head, Cheryl also failed to notice his blush or she might have assumed she'd startled the poor guy. Her mind was still on the interview and the fact that she was trying to help the Punchers name get out there that she remained oblivious, which worked for him because it let him roll into his next question without further distractions. "Since High School, and we plan to keep at it for much longer. I can see why, sure everyone might have personal ambitions but championships are the big ones in wrestling. How many people can tell you that you were unimportant to the history of wrestling when you can proudly hold a title and point to a moment in history you mattered?" Cheryl asked trying to get her point across, being reminded of the tag gauntlet was still a sad memory since they didn't even get to the SWAT cats, the dominatrix's were tough and when they overcame them they had to fight the DDT girls right after, even if they had beaten them the Wings of Wrestling would have been next and the tag match they had not too long ago showed that they might have been living corpses by the time the gauntlet was done trying to get through them. It gave her a sense of sadness that any chance of winning the belts was nigh impossible with what was put up against them. However she didn't want that to be the message she left Takeda or the fans, those complaints were the thoughts of losers and brats and Cheryl wanted to be neither of them.

"In terms of current accomplishments? I'd say...what we talked about earlier when it came to breaking the stereotypes. Early on LAW put us in these matches with models and Lifeguards and they act surprised we know how to wrestle. That bothered me a little, because these girls were surprised we can wrestle which is why in both matches we beat them badly. We continue to show that we mean business despite all the jumping and celebrating and we want to continue that going forward."

"I think even LAW underestimated what we could do and how much this meant to us, and while I can roll with the punches well enough hearing some of these wrestlers act like we should be nowhere near as good was a wake up call for us, it's not enough to just win matches sometimes you have to make a big enough splash that they know that you are legit. We've done that, we crushed those teams with ease, in fact we usually are the ones in control of our matches. The only real exception recently has to be the elimination match with Ducky and Black Swan, but those two are some of the toughest girls here, and in the end we still beat them...although I ended up getting put to sleep..that sucked, but we won!" Cheryl said proud of how well they've done up until now, and how well they wanted to continue to do. "my record in singles action isn't as great as that but no one ever rag dolls me either, that Roni hitwomen went from laughing at me when I first came in thinking I was a joke to being so afraid of me almost beating her that she tried to break my arm. Obviously I didn't want my arm broken but to have someone look down on you and try to take you out that, it's almost like respect right?" Cheryl asked giving an innocent shrug at the strange scenario she described.

"I couldn't have put it better myself," Takeda said, nodding in Cheryl's direction. "You might not have won the gauntlet, sure, but you bested two of LAW's top teams and stood up to a third - not to mention, the fact that you were considered for contending for the title in the first place is no small honor either! It meant that, putting together that match, the promoters felt like you had a chance of taking home the title. That's something to be proud of! Not to mention, you were one of the first two teams to enter the gauntlet, which is no easy position to be in - if you wanted to make it all the way, you would need to face every other team. And yet, I'd still say you put up a good fight! Who knows how things could have happened if you'd entered at a later seed, though..."

"Regardless, I would say that the changes we've seen in your careers - as you yourself have noted - are reflective of the impact you made with how you handled the gauntlet. If nothing else could prove that you weren't some gimmicky midcard team who didn't deserve to be taken seriously, that certainly did - and it sounds like we've tasted the fruit of our efforts. Of course, I imagine that's only the beginning, because you have a lot of big things planned! If I'm allowed to ask, if there was any other team you would most want to face - we'll say besides the SWAT Cats, to make this interesting - who would you say it would be?"

Cheryl nodded her head. "It's played in our heads all the time, thinking about how much better things could have been if we started earlier. But we don't let it eat up any conversation about us too much, it makes us look like we complain too much if we did and it's already happened. Not like LAW is going to retroactively hand us the championships because we talk about it all the time, we still plan to win them." Cheryl said. It was not something she could change no matter how much she wanted to but beating the success they had outweighed the losses and she was happy for that.

"Well...we have thought about that a lot, because the story of becoming the best tag team doesn't end when you win the tag team titles. We have too many names to list, but to name a few we would want to take on all the girls who made their claim to it when we did, the Thundergirls, The Heartbreakers, and The Booty Princesses. To name one that's on my mind recently it would be the Valkryie Troupe who I'm facing one member of soon for Apex related stuff as well, the tag division won't be quiet for us when we're on top." Cheryl boasted, happy to take on any team that wanted to step up to them.

Nodding his head, Takeda listened to what Cheryl had to say. "I think that's a good outlook on things in general. It doesn't matter what came before - what matters most of all is what you're going to do going forward. You've already accomplished a lot, but what happens in the next few months is what's really going to determine what we can look forward to in the future when it comes to your career. But from what I've already seen of you..." He smiled a little wider. "I think you'll do just fine."

Hearing her describe the teams she'd want to go up against, he leaned in closer, nodding his head. His mind flashed back to the SWAT Cats announcing their open challenge for the tag titles, and the Pom-Pom Punchers were one of the many teams to make themselves known. Certainly, all the teams she offered would make for exciting matchups, and every one of them seemed capable of going for the top position in the division. But it was the mention of the Valkyrie Troupe that truly caught his attention. "Oh, the Valkyrie Troupe! That's certainly an interesting one - but it makes sense. Both Megumi and Chigusa are well-respected veterans in their own right, and they have plenty of experience working together as a team. If you were to defeat them, that would instantly land you the legitimacy you're looking for, and put you on the map. But just take it from me...I do think you have a chance, and I wish you the best of luck. I think you're gonna do great."

After showing Cheryl another smile, Takeda flipped to a new page in his notepad. "Well, Cheryl, we're just about done with everything I had to discuss. Before we get going...is there anything else you'd like to share with the fans?"

With Takeda taking time to show how much he understood Cheryl's side of things, she felt this interview going by smoothly. "I think most of the teams I named and many I didn't would boost our legitimacy but that group is on my mind just because of my upcoming match with Megumi. I like to keep an eye out for all the tag teams, those that came before us and those making a name behind us because taking on the best ones is the only way we can build up the division's interest." Cheryl said. Once she was offered a final say she stopped to think about it before she stepped up to her feet.

"I know that we don't have a camera to show this but this is usually better if I can move so bear with me. LAW fans just imagine me going through the motions!" Cheryl giggled before she stood in front of an imaginary crowd and took a moment to prepare herself.

"One's got the power and speed, the other's all finesse and lean
They make a hell of a team, when they step in between
You can try to demean, be aggressive and mean
But you won't stand between, LAW's new no. 1 team!
And us Punchers aren't green, we want glory and rings
We step in these new streets, and bust out our routine!"

Cheryl finished with a big jump that landed right in front of Takeda. "Whew...that might have been a little crummy, I'll have to go over it when this posts. But I'm always looking to be spontaneous!" Cheryl said laughing as she brushed her hair out of her face.

Takeda had heard a lot of different things when he asked his interviewees for their closing remarks - but this was the first time he had seen any of them break into a full-on cheer right off the top of their head! At first, when Cheryl began to chant, he looked on in awe, surprised by her creative acumen - and also paying a fair amount of attention to how the bikini she wore wasn't giving her the most support when going through her motions. But as dirty-minded as he could be, he couldn't help but be legitimately impressed. Cheryl was really going the extra mile here - and it spoke to how successful she must have been as a cheerleader to so effortlessly come up with verses like these!

As she jumped off the stage, Takeda held his arms out out of reflex, preparing to catch her on her way down - but when she landed on her feet in front of him, he pulled those arms away, crossing them behind his back and looking off with an even brigher blush. "Ah, heh..." he muttered, "sorry, just force of habit..." Hopefully, he thought to himself, it wasn't too obvious that he had secretly wanted Cheryl to land in his arms so that he could look like the big hero, and also to have a girl like her so close against his chest. Still, though, he took a step back and started applauding, smiling brightly to Cheryl. "Nice job! No joke, that's impressive," he said. "I can certainly see how you would wow 'em on the field! Anyway, thank you very much for dropping by the studio today, Miss Williams. It's been a pleasure speaking to you - and we wish the best of luck to you and to Amber, in your match with Megumi and beyond!"

Cheryl's landing nearly caused her to hit the outstretched arm of the concerned interviewer, who quickly removed his arms when he realized she would not be falling headfirst into them. She didn't mind the effort and actually felt bad that he seemed embarrassed about it. "Oh don't be sorry for trying to make sure I'm safe, it's expected of gentlemen." Cheryl said glad that he was at least entertained by the entire thing. But with the interview done Cheryl knew it was time to wrap things up.

"Thank you for having me, I'll be sure to let Amber know she has your best wishes...and I'll make sure to keep you and all my fans watching what I do next by entertaining you every single time I'm on screen!" Cheryl said giving Takeda a hug before she broke off and left to go and actually start the photography part of the shoot.

"H-Huh..!?" Hearing that Cheryl had noticed him reaching out to catch her, Takeda only blushed harder. He stepped away, holding a hand up as he stammered nervously in an attempt to make himself not look too desperate - which he was probably failing at. "Uh, I mean, it's not what it looks like-" But he stopped when to his surprise, rather than being put off by his advances, she actually showed thanks for what he'd done! "A-A gentleman..? Me?" His blush was now all but covering his entire face - and it would only grow hotter when Cheryl pulled him into a hug. His heart beat faster in his chest, and his lip warbled as he pondered what to say to her. He really wasn't prepared for this. But even as she let him go, he still showed her a smile - an awkward one across a blushing face, but a smile nonethless!

"Right! And thank you, again, for all of your help. I'm, uh, glad as ever to know you're watching out for me - and I'll make sure to follow your career, too!" As Cheryl turned and walked off, Takeda was left staring after her, even as the photographers moved into place to manage the shot. He couldn't help but smile a little, knowing what he'd pulled off. She'd actually wanted to get close to him - and now, Amber might even know who he was, too! He didn't know what he'd done, exactly, but it had to be something right.

---

April 2022: Cheryl Williams

• Age: 20
• Height: 5'7
• Weight: 131 lbs.
• Finishing Move: Bombshell Blitz (Cross Rhodes)
• Career Highlight: Defying expectations by establishing the Pom Pom Punchers as one of LAW's premier tag teams.
• Career Aspirations: Proving herself by becoming one half of the LAW Tag Team Champions.
• "One's got the power and speed, the other's all finesse and lean
  They make a hell of a team, when they step in between
  You can try to demean, be aggressive and mean
  But you won't stand between, LAW's new no. 1 team!
  And us Punchers aren't green, we want glory and rings
  We step in these new streets, and bust out our routine!"

[CaptainL]

The Interview

There was no doubt about it - Sparkling Idol Barbara was definitely carving out a name for herself as one of LAW's fastest rising stars. Of course, with her musical career she had already won fame and fortune, and moving to wrestling just seemed like the logical next step, following in the footsteps of plenty of other idols. But even when she had a pre-established fanbase as a crossover hit, it didn't take long for her to take off in the promotion thanks to her good looks, her infectious personality, her active social media presence - and, for a fair few, her ruthlessness and cruelty. Despite her bubbly, wholesome image, Barbara had acquired her fair share of infamy in her short time with LAW, whether it was humiliating her unfortunate opponents live for the internet to see or proudly announcing her commitment to brutality to the same fans who made her who she was. There was more to her than anyone could possibly imagine at first glimpse - which made her seem like the perfect candidate for an in-depth look courtesy of the Ladies of LAW Calendar. And, of course, those same good looks didn't hurt matters either.

Takeda Ryoshi sat in his seat, watching the door for when his next interviewee would make her appearance. A part of him couldn't help but be a little nervous knowing that he was about to get up close and personal with a woman who had proven herself to be so unpredictable. But there was a part of him that was excited, too, for that very reason - it was the sense of danger that came from being in the same room as Barbara that made it all the more thrilling. He also felt nervous at the prospect of being so close to a gorgeous young lady like her as she posed for the camera, wondering if he'd be able to keep his composure, but - much in the same way - he couldn't help but look forward to that too, for more obvious reasons.

Ryoshi didn't have to wait for long, as soon afterwards the door swung open to reveal the bright-eyed blonde-haired Sparkling Idol Barbara. She wore her idol performance outfit, a long white dress covering white stocking covered legs that left the top of her chest exposed, and as usual she had her wrestling leotard on underneath. She looked a little on guard, having been burned once with an interview for LAW. But one look at Takeda Ryoshi told her that this was going to be different. He looked much more professional than Casey, who was so lazy that she had prepared nothing at all. That helped her relax a bit, approaching Ryoshi with her trademark idol smile beaming from her face.

"So good to see you Mr. Takeda!" Barbara said, offering her hand up for a quick handshake, "Thank you for having me today. I'm really happy to have this chance to be featured on LAW's calendar!"

Takeda liked to think he was prepared, but he never imagined he would end up this close to the Sparkling Idol herself. The moment she stepped through the door, his heart quickened, and he spun around to face her with a wide-eyed stare, though he soon cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses to try and compose himself. Barbara was definitely a beautiful woman, and with her glamorous career, he never could have imagined that he'd ever be meeting her face to face. Yet, here she was - if anything, this was proof that Takeda had made it in his career. And he was hardly prepared for it!

Even still, he cleared his throat, reaching to take Barbara's hand to shake it. "Yes, well...it's a pleasure to meet you, Barbara. Truly..." His cheeks flushed, and his eyes flit nervously back and forth as he took her hand - not only because he was anxious to be so close to her, but also because this was Barbara they were talking about. He didn't know if she might have some trick up her sleeve that she was waiting to spring on him when he least expected it, and he felt he had every reason to stay on guard. But for now, at least, Barbara seemed as pleasant and ever, and she was happy to work with him. That was good, so far.

"Well, then, Miss Barbara...come right this way," he said, leading her over to a chair. "I hope you didn't run into any trouble finding the studio?"

Seeing her interviewer looking quite flustered by her entrance took Barbara back a little bit, as she looked down to make sure her outfit wasn't exposing her body in a risque fashion or something. She was dressed quite modestly compared to what she wore in the ring after all, so it couldn't have been that. Maybe her reputation preceded her? She had no reason to be mad at Takeda, and so long as his interview doesn't turn out like Casey Kiernan's there was no reason for her to be mad. No, after a moment Barbara could tell what it was. He was actually starstruck!

The idol giggled cutely, taking his hand and giving it a quick shake. "Don't worry, I don't bite!" she said, "I'm really glad for this opportunity to be interviewed, truly! I know in the past things have turned out in a different way, but that was mostly because the interviewer was bad at her job. I'm sure a real professional like you wouldn't make problems!"

She followed Takeda's hand, walking over and sitting down on a chair. "No issues, the directions were quite clear!" she said, "It looks like you've got quite the setup here! When we get started, let me know what poses you'd like me to do, ok?"

Takeda bit his lip. Was he already making this weird? He hoped it wouldn't make this interview any harder than it needed to be - especially when he was dealing with a woman who was equally feared as much as she was adored. Luckily, Barbara didn't seem to take it too hard. She stepped forward to take Takeda's hand, and - after a moment of staring blankly in disbelief - he shook it, looking up at her with the best smile he could manage. "Ah, thank you-!" He was glad that she was this agreeable - or, was she? The possibility still existed that she was doing this all to lull him into a false sense of security, and he couldn't lose sight of that.

Still, he laughed off his worries. He did pause a little when Barbara mentioned things going wrong in the past, and he gulped a little, but he still fiddled with his tie in an attempt to hide it. Now he knew that there were stakes to this - and if Barbara wasn't happy, he was sure she was capable of making him regret it. Hopefully, the fear he felt about the consequences of displeasing her wasn't too obvious, or at least, not obvious enough for her to be put off. "I'm...very sorry to hear about that, Miss Barbara," he explained. "We'll do the best we can to ensure that we won't have a similar experience this time around!"

He grinned a little wider when Barbara complimented the setup - so far, so good, it seemed; she was genuinely taking well to the arrangements. "Well, I'm sure that you're no stranger to being photographed, so in terms of poses, we're willing to work with whatever you think you can do best. Something that you think shows who you are, and that the fans would like seeing. If you need anything else in terms of outfits or accessories aside from what you've brought, we'd be happy to help provide that, too..."

Barbara smiled at the offer of different outfits and accessories. "Well, maybe I'll take you up on that," she said, " But let's first start with what I brought with me." She waved at a stagehand, who brought over a few dry cleaning bags. Barbara took one of them, showing it to Takeda. "This is my idol outfit, I'm sure you're familiar with it," Barbara said, opening up the bag to reveal her long white idol dress with the big bow across the chest.

Putting that dress aside, Barbara then opened another bag. "Here's my usual wrestling outfit. I hear it's quite the hit with LAW's audience," she said, opening the bag to reveal her white wrestling leotard. It was similar in design to a monokini, with a high-cut waist and a window in the middle to reveal the idol's tight belly.

"I've also got a few casual outfits, and the street clothes I'm wearing now," Barbara said, opening up the remaining bags. "Oh, and of course I can't forget the more risque stuff!" She took a small tote bag she brought with her and opened it up, pulling out some bikini swimsuits and a few sets of lingerie.

"We've got a lot of choice Mr. Takeda, what do you think we should start with?" Barbara asked.

Takeda's eyes went wide as he saw that, despite offering to provide Barbara with outfits as needed, the idol had already come prepared! Most of the time, he'd found the girls had just shown up with or in a bikini - and while he certainly didn't mind that, Barbara had gone a step beyond by packing everything in advance and showing up with a plethora of different options! He supposed that it was to be expected - as an idol, she had certainly had her fair share of dealings with the press, and she knew everything about these shoots like the back of her hand by now. It was only natural that she'd want to do her part to help as much as she could - it was good for her image, after all - and that she'd know where she could contribute. But it was no less appreciated. In fact, his cheeks flushed red as he imagined Barbara in each of the different outfits - particularly the more risque ones - and how now he would have the perfect opportunity to see how she flaunted every one of them...

"Erm...sir? She asked a question," one of the photographers said, noting that Takeda had been silent for some time.

"Ah...right, right-!" He cleared his throat, standing back up straighter. "That's definitely thinking ahead on your part, Miss Barbara - I appreciate the consideration! If we wanted time for all of those outfits, we'd need far more than just the one page - of course, I'd hate to let them all go to waste, when you must've taken such care in picking them all out!" He cleared his throat, hoping he wasn't coming across as too desperate. "Tell you what, we'll take a few different shots, and whatever we don't use in the calendar, we'll put together for a pictorial article, or maybe a photobook. That sound good? For now, I think we can start with a couple bikini shots, just to start simple. Pick whichever one you'd like, and we have a changing room over there," he added, gesturing to a door. Meanwhile, the crew set up a backdrop of a beach scene to fit the shot.

"Sounds like a plan!" Barbara said. Bringing all those outfits was a bit overkill, but the idol just couldn't pass up a chance at a photoshoot. Especially now that Takeda suggested they take multiple shots and put into a photobook. More promotion was always a good thing, especially if it was positive promotion like what she expected this time.

Barbara disappeared into the change room. She was only in there for a moment before the door opened again to reveal the idol's first outfit for the photoshoot. She stepped out, her bare dainty feet bouncing a little in excitement as she walked in front of the camera. Her first outfit wasn't a particularly revealing one, though it was one of her favorite bikinis. "So Mr. Takeda, what do you think?" she asked playfully, "Do I look cute in this?" Barbara smiled and did a little pose, lifting up the frills of her bikini as she made an innocent and shy-looking face.



When Barbara disappeared behind the door, Takeda took a moment to adjust his tie, taking in a deep breath. In researching his next subject's career, he'd seen plenty of pictures of Barbara in her more provocative looks, and the idol was definitely a striking beauty even from her photos, which both whet his appetite and made him nervous. As much as he was eager for it - he had, after all, requested it himself - seeing Barbara in a bikini in the flesh wasn't something he could be sure he was prepared for. But he didn't have much time to ponder the matter one way or another - the blonde soon came back out of the room, as though she hadn't needed any time at all to get ready!

"H-How did you manage to do that so quickly-!?" Takeda blurted out at first, but he shook his head - that didn't matter now. Now he had a chance to see the outfit Barbara had decided on, and it wasn't quite what he'd been hoping - or fearing. He adusted his glasses a little to get a better look, but either way, Barbara's outfit was far more conservative than most women's he'd been around, even at the beach. It was a far cry from the more seductive, sexier image she carried in the ring. But it had its own charm too, and he couldn't help but smile as she pranced toward the stage. Barbara was cute - and and if he was to go with this look, it would help make her stand out compared to the other entries if her photoshoot emphasized her more wholesome, girl-next-door vibe. Besides, after the infamy she'd gained in the ring, it would help rebuild her image...which may well have been her entire idea. Takeda chose not to dwell too much on that.

"Yeah, you do!" he said. "I love the pose, too. Maybe one with peace signs would work, or a wink toward the camera. Say, you mind if we ask you a few questions while you're doing this?"

"Hehe... That's an idol secret!" Barbara said, winking at Takeda after he expressed his surprise. She was an expert at changing costumes quickly, during her match entrances whenever she gives a live performance she changes from her idol dress into her wrestling outfit in a few seconds, though granted she usually just wore her wrestling attire underneath. Barbara did pick up that Takeda looked a little disappointed at her outfit though, and she knew why. This bikini was a far cry from being highly sexual, but it fit with her more cute and wholesome idol image, something she still maintained despite all the wild things she got up to in the ring and on her streams. She wasn't so much trying to make her image all wholesome again, her charm came from the wholesome exterior clashing with her devious interior. That's what otakus called "Gap Moe", and it's what her fans really liked about her!

"Some poses like this?" Barbara bent over slightly, flashing her beautiful idol smile, raising her hands into two peace signs beside her face. "And this?" She turned, raising one hand above her head and winking at the camera. She wanted them to get a lot of good shots of her.

"Feel free to start asking questions anytime!" Barbara said, obviously having fun as she posed for the camera. She loved the attention after all!

"Oh, of course!" Takeda chuckled to himself, rubbing the back of his head as he laughed off Barbara's statement about her quick-change skills being an idol secret. He hoped that he wouldn't look like he was trying to pry - but, of course, being an idol was all about the mystique that came from being a star with such fame, fortune, and a glamorous life, and to hear everything about what Barbara's tricks involved would have ruined that for everyone! He watched as she struck a few poses, and the camera crew moved into place, getting a few shots of her from different angles. All the while, he smiled wider, pleased with her work. It struck him, however briefly, that he had a hard time believing the happy, smiling, playful Barbara in front of him was the same woman who had grown notorious for her cruelty in the ring - which, perhaps, was the whole point. But she was just too cute to hold that against her for long!

Soon, with the go-ahead to begin the interview, Takeda pulled out his pen and paper to begin to take some notes. "Right, thank you! Well, let's start out with the easiest question - I'm sure everyone's already asked you this, but what made you want to become a wrestler? I'm sure that it must have been a big jump from learning how to sing and dance to how to pull off a piledriver!"

Barbara kept up her posing, allowing the cameras to keep on taking photos of her as she gave her answer. This wasn't her first rodeo after all, she had plenty of experience getting interviewed during photoshoots. "It wasn't as big a jump as you'd think!" Barbara said, "Idols have to go through a lot of physical training after all. We have stretching classes to increase flexibility, endurance training to increase our stamina, even some gymnastics so that we can pull off acrobatic moves. Those dance performances are only possible due to a lot of hard work!"

She paused for a moment, changed to a different pose, then continued. "To be fully honest though, I had a good foundation," Barbara said, "Ever since I was young I was put into all sorts of athletic programs. I was never much good at sports and stuff, but I had some background. My dad especially wanted me to excel in sports as much as my sister. He put me in all sorts of things, martial arts, wrestling, I swear he had this idea that the both of us were going to be professional fighters or something." She shook her head as she laughed, thinking about how ridiculous that seemed even though it was what she was doing.

"Huh..! When you put it like that...it makes sense!" Takeda nodded his head to Barbara with a smile as she explained her routine. He had never thought about idols as being trained athletes, but when he thought to all the tightly-choreographed dancing they did in their videos and concerts, it made perfect sense. After all, he had just interviewed a trained cheerleader in Cheryl Williams, and he had seen how her practice in cheerleading could translate to a successful career in the ring. It stood to reason that an idol would do the same! There was a lot he missed out on, he thought, when he only ever followed idols through their photobooks.

He listened, too, to Barbara describing how her father had tried to shape her toward a career in combat sports, and he adjusted his glasses, leaning in with growing interest. "Huh...that's quite interesting indeed," he said. He didn't expect it at first, but then he thought back to the recent announcement that LAW had signed Barbara's sister Jean, and it all made sense to him that they must have come from a background with some connection to the fighting world if they both ended up in the same promotion. Clearing his throat, he looked back up at her. "Well, now that your sister's here with you in LAW, I have to ask if you have any big plans together. Maybe we'll see you form a team - I've no doubt you could really shake things up! Ah, but...I digress. Now that you're in LAW, what would you say has been the crowning achievement of your career so far? You haven't been around for long, sure, but you've certainly made an impact!" He bit his lip as the words left his mouth - hopefully, that didn't sound too accusatory. If it did, he was sure he'd be in hot water. Either way, it was certainly true...

"With my sister? Hmm... Maybe," Barbara said, feigning thoughtfulness. Her and Jean had talked about it already, and they definitely were going to team up at some point. But they weren't going to say anything officially for a little while, not until Jean had gotten established at any rate.

"Well, I think changing the way idols are perceived has been my crowning achievement," Barbara said, "Everyone thinks idols are weak jobbers, but now that I'm here I think I've changed that perception a little bit!" She gave Takeda a bright smile. "And thanks for thinking I've made an impact! I'm glad that my work is even catching the eye of people like you!"

At Barbara's response, Takeda had to pause a moment, contemplating how to best respond. In light of the reputation she had accrued, he certainly could say a lot about that...but he didn't know how Barbara would respond, and around a woman who had shown herself to be as unstable as she was gorgeous, he valued his well-being too much to risk offending her if he sounded too judgmental. "Ah, well...for better or worse, I'd say you've already done a lot of that! For a promotion with so many ex-idols, you've definitely shown how to stand out from the rest with those traits that make you...well, unique! Despite all appearances, you've aptly demonstrated in all of your matches that you're not your typical idol, and I feel like that's challenged a lot of people's notions. Not to mention, it helps to draw eyes your way when it comes to the fans. Not just from how you handle things in the ring, but from how you've managed to expand your brand through streaming and other activities. All in all, I don't think anyone would mistake you for any of the other idols in LAW!"

He chuckled a little anxiously to himself and scratched at the back of his head. Hopefully, that hadn't sounded too on-the-nose. "Still, though, you raise a good point. When idols go into the wrestling scene, they often have a hard time overcoming the image of just doing it as a publicity stunt and not really knowing how to compete. Even Sakura Hagiwara struggles to shed the rocky start she had to her career, even after all the work she's put in..." He also thought back to his previous interview with fellow idol Rise Kujikawa, and how she had grown tired of her jobber image and decided to commit to focusing on wrestling full-time. He wondered how well she was doing now. "But you've managed to do well for yourself. And you've cemented your name as a notorious one in LAW, one way or another!"

Looking up from his notes, Takeda met Barbara with a smile. "Hm...okay, maybe for the next shot we can go for something sexier. You, uh, said you had some lingerie with you?" The blush rose in his face as he thought about watching Barbara model something a little more risque for the camera, and he fidgeted in his seat, but pulled at his collar to try and focus. "And...maybe while you're doing that, you can think about your next question, hah!" he added, not too subtly changing the subject before things got too awkward. "What would you say is one thing you really want to do while you're here in LAW?"

Barbara could tell Takeda was much more anxious than she was. She really couldn't understand why, she was being quite friendly and nice in all her interactions. Perhaps he had some bad experiences with other interviewees that made him nervous about offending her? Barbara knew she had built a bit of a reputation for having a short fuse, though in her mind she could hardly be blamed for it. It was infuriating to be looked down upon after all. Takeda was nothing but respectful though, so he had nothing to fear.

"I'm glad you think my brand is so strong!" Barbara said, "I do all this to entertain my fans. And have some fun for myself too, of course! You can't be entertaining if you don't enjoy what you do!" She gave Takeda a little wink.

"Oh, you want something sexy? Hmm... Alright, I'll find something sexy for you!" The idol went to her pile of outfits, rummaging through until she found one that she felt was suitable. "Ok! I'll be back shortly!" With that she disappeared behind the curtain again, only to reappear moments later, dressed in some sexy lingerie.



"Hope you like this one!" Barbara said, "It's a little embarrassing to wear something like this, but I hope it looks good!" She sported a light blush on her cheeks, showing her cute innocence.

"Now, to answer your question," Barbara said, "I didn't have much of a goal when I first joined LAW, but now that I've been here for a while I think I've figured out what I want to do." She took a deep breath. "I want to be LAW's best idol!" she said, "Not just in terms of how much the crowd loves me, but also in terms of being the best fighter out of all of them!"

The moment Barbara winked at him, Takeda feel a blush rise in his cheeks, and he glanced down to twiddle nervously at his thumbs. Did she know what she was doing? She had to, right? Was she trying to mess with him? Or...was that wishful thinking on his part? Or maybe he was just that easy to fluster. Perhaps all of those things were true at once - but when Barbara walked back to the studio in her lingerie, he quickly let those thoughts slip from his mind, when they were far more focused on the idol herself!

"W-Whoah..." he muttered to himself, his eyes lingering on Barbara as she made her way back over to the mats. He cleared his throat then, adjusting his tie. She definitely had the body to suit the outfit well, but the way she acted flustered about wearing it was endearing - as though she could pull off both the heartthrob and the girl next door so perfectly. And both were winning him over! With all the depravities he had seen Barbara being capable of, yet how convincingly she played the part of an innocent good-hearted girl now, he didn't know which one was the real thing. Perhaps it wasn't that simple. "Yeah, uh, very nice-!" he then added, clearing his throat.

Regardless, it was now time to proceed with the interview - and, when Barbara noted her goals of becoming LAW's number-one idol, he nodded his head. It was, perhaps, obvious, but on point for her, and it just raised his curiosity about Barbara's feelings on her colleagues of similar backgrounds. "Well, you'd definitely have your work set out for you there! A lot of people in LAW now have gone through the idol industry at some point in their careers, for better or worse. I have to wonder, do you have any thoughts on them?"

"Hehe!" Barbara giggled as she struck a cute pose right in front of Takeda. It was just too easy to make him blush. Still, she didn't want to go too far in teasing him, after all he was being quite nice and she was on her best behavior today.

But a little bit of teasing was on the table, as she struck up some more cute poses for the camera. "The other idols at LAW?" Barbara replied as she did a more sexy pose, thrusting her butt out just a little bit while arching her back, giving the cameras a bit of back definition to work with. "To be honest I haven't had too much interaction with most of them," she continued, "The only one whom I met in the ring is Courage Takemi, and I think she's actually trying to quit being an idol to be a full-time wrestler."

"I'd love to face them though! I'm sure we'll put on great performances. And I think I can beat them too!" Barbara said, giving Takeda a big confident smile, " I mean sure, I lost against Courage, but truth be told I wasn't really focusing on trying to win. There were... Other things that seemed more important!" Thinking back on that fight made the idol blush a bit in embarrassment, and this time she wasn't acting. Her behavior that fight made even her feel a little shameful. Though she was sure that both Courage and herself had a good time, she still felt like she needed to apologize to Courage a bit for all her actions.

Barbara knew exactly what she was doing - and what was more, it was working! As she struck a pose, the interviewer's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed deeper, and he leaned a little ways' back from her to create some more space. Still, he had a job to do, he reminded himself. He cleared his throat, turning to another page in his notes to try and recenter himself - only to immediately look up and see Barbara sticking her rear right in his direction. "O-Oh, my..." he muttered, freezing in place. But then, he stood a little straighter as the cameras flashed. "Ah, right! Anyway, as I was saying..."

He nodded his head, listening to Barbara's discussion of her match with Courage Takemi. But it was a tangent that caused his mind to wander - and he blushed even harder, thinking of the rather lewd display both wrestlers had taken that match to. "Ah, heh...well, if I do say so myself, I'd say that was a match to remember-!" he added with a chuckle. "Still, uh, it's good to know that you can look back on such matches fondly, whether you win or lose. Would you ever say that you've thought about a rematch with Courage, at some point? She may be good, but she's still honing her skills. I can only imagine the sort of fight she'd put up when she reaches her peak!"

Barbara couldn't help but look down a second when she turned back to face Takeda, wondering if there were any visible stirrings in his pants. She didn't see anything yet, but judging by his reactions there would be something soon. She struck another cute pose as the cameras flashed, though she turned down the sexuality of her pose, not wanting to overly embarrass Takeda and cause an accident or anything.

"How could I not look on that match fondly?" Barbara said, "Ahhh it was so much fun teasing Courage! And she was a good sport about it too, none of her reactions were faked at all! That body of hers is so lewd... hehe..." A slightly lecherous expression crossed Barbara's face as she recalled all the events of that match, though she quickly suppressed it and regained her composure. "Of course I want a rematch sometime! I still need to beat her after all! And then afterwards... we can have some real fun!"

If Barbara wasn't seeing any overt arousal in Takeda thus far, it wasn't for lack of trying. He began to shuffle from side to side, pulling his suit coat down over his crotch to hide any signs of any growing excitement. Even if Barbara was trying to focus more on looking cute than sexy - and even if Takeda had been the one to get himself into this whole mess in the first place - he was still having trouble trying to focus around a beautiful girl in lacy lingerie. And when Barbara began talking about her previous lewd encounter with Courage Takemi, and when she seemed just as intent on having a rematch...Takeda's mind could only wander further, thinking of what a rematch might be able to bring out of the two ladies. Doubtlessly, they would both want to surpass everything they had done before, going the extra mile to push the boundaries even further, and when both of them knew how each other worked, when they had learned a more intimate understanding of one anothers' bodies...

...Takeda really couldn't focus on this any more. He suddenly stood up straighter, clearing his throat, though still not without a blush on his face. It was becoming quite clear that if he wanted to finish this interview with his composure still about him, he needed to call for another costume change. "Er, okay...what do you say we try for another outfit, now?" he asked, looking back up at Barbara. "I saw you brought your wrestling outfit, so...maybe we could get a few shots of you in that?"

Hearing Takeda ask for her to change into her wrestling outfit, Barbara realized just how awkward of a situation he must be in trying to hide his arousal. Her lingerie, while not being that revealing, did accentuate her sexy body. Perhaps it was too much for Takeda to handle. Still, her wrestling outfit was quite sexy as well, she wondered what Takeda would feel once he saw her dressed in her one piece.

"Sure! Be right back!" Barbara said, ducking back behind the curtain to change into her wrestling outfit. She didn't stay back there for long, emerging after a few moments dressed in her tight-fitting one piece.

"So, Mr. Takeda," Barbara said as she strutted up onto the stage and posed for a picture, "What do you think of this outfit?" She gave him a teasing wink, wondering just how much more flustered he could get.



Oh, no. Takeda gulped, taking a step back as Barbara took to the stage. It wasn't that this wasn't an outfit anyone following LAW had seen plenty of times - but seeing it here in person was another thing entirely, and what's more, he was fully convinced that this girl was playing directly to him. Takeda was hardly the most subtle about how easily he was wooed by a beautiful woman, and Barbara had surely caught onto that - the way she posed, the way she looked at him specifically, all told him that she was making a calculated effort to play to his attention. The blush rose in his face, and for a moment, he stood there, staring awkwardly and biting his lip. On one hand, things were starting to get uncomfortable, and he was starting to notice the odd looks he was getting from the cameramen. But on the other...he couldn't say he minded, either!

With Barbara striking a pose, the camera crew switched the backdrop to the image of a ring, even shining down lights from above to mimic those in the arena. Takeda, meanwhile, at last found the courage to clear his throat, stepping forward. "Well, er, Miss Barbara...we only really had one more question to ask you, if you don't mind. Is there...anything in particular about yourself you would like to share with our fans?"

Barbara smiled and posed, allowing the cameras to take as many pictures as they wanted of her in her cute but revealing attire. "Aww, just one more?" Barbara teased Takeda, "Are you sure you want things to end so quickly?" She gave him a wink and blew him a kiss, letting him know that she knew exactly what was going on in her mind.

"There's really only one thing I want to share," she continued, "I'm here to have fun! Win or lose, as long as I put on a good show and have fun doing it, then I've met my goal. So to all my fans out there, please let me know what you want to see from me. Because I have the most fun when I see all of you enjoying what I do!"

With a final pose and a cute wave, Barbara signalled to the cameraman the end of the photoshoot. She then turned to Takeda. "Thanks for having me Mr. Takeda!" she said brightly, "Now, I have a question for you." She walked up close to him, a devious look in those pure blue eyes.

"Like I said, I have the most fun when my audience enjoys my work," she said, "Did you enjoy yourself, Mr. Takeda?"

"Erm, well..." When Barbara blew a kiss in his direction, Takeda couldn't help but blush. He tried straightening his tie in order to distract himself, but he could still feel his heart fluttering in his chest. He didn't quite know how he wanted to respond to that. In truth, he had already gotten everything he needed for Barbara's entry in the calendar, and then some - not to mention more options for photos than he could ever have imagined, seeing as most women who showed up for an interview only brought one outfit, not an entire wardrobe. But there was something about Barbara's personality that was infectious. Takeda wished he could have stayed with her for longer, asked her more questions, maybe even got to know her a little personally - even if he knew that was impossible, and that she was probably just leading him on, anyway. Still, he could dream. And maybe, he thought, maybe she truly wasn't as bad as anyone had made her out to be...

Still, he cleared his throat, standing up straighter. "Well, truth be told, there's only so much text we can fit on a calendar page, you must understand! And most people aren't paying attention to that part anyway..." he added in a softer voice. "But...you really have been a pleasure to work with. And I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't be happy to talk to you again. Maybe some time, we could have you back for a more formal interview with the magazine. Maybe it would even give us a chance to use some more of those photos...I'm sure plenty of people are curious about you, too!"

Barbara provided him with an answer to his question, and he gave an approving nod. That would be a great choice for a calendar that was made with fan outreach in mind - it showed that Barbara took the thoughts of her fans seriously, and it would help them find opportunities to reach out to her and garner interest in contributing. But after that, as the camera crew stepped back, Barbara turned to Takeda to ask a question of her own. He stopped, facing her with a confused look. It wasn't often that this sort of thing happened to him. And he wasn't sure what her motives were supposed to be - surely, she couldn't be flirting, not with someone like him. But he knew it would be rude to refuse...

"Did I..?" Takeda smiled, only to blush when he realized how obvious he looked. He cleared his throat again, trying to shake himself back to his senses. "Oh, yes, most certainly! I don't think I really...knew what to expect at first, but you've been lovely to work with, heh. Don't be afraid to stay in touch, all right?"

---

May 2022: Sparkling Idol Barbara

• Age: 20
• Height: 5'5
• Weight: 121 lbs.
• Finishing Move: Sparkling Idol's Loving Embrace (Octopus Hold)
• Career Highlight: Changing the perception of idols in LAW with her strength and passion
• Career Aspirations: To be LAW's best idol - in both popularity and power!
• "I'm here to have fun! Win or lose, as long as I put on a good show and have fun doing it, then I've met my goal. So to all my fans out there, please let me know what you want to see from me. Because I have the most fun when I see all of you enjoying what I do!"

[CaptainL]

The Interview

At last, the time had come for Danger Double Tatsumis to make their appearance in the Ladies of LAW Calendar. In all honesty, Takeda was surprised they hadn't signed up before! The two sisters were some of LAW's hottest fan favorites, with their photobooks being best-sellers ever since the early days of the promotion, and they were always eager to promote themselves through their appearances in merchandise and promotional material. They were proud to have the following they did, and they were always eager to give their fans something to thank them for their continued support. And, aside from their good looks and business acumen, Haruka and Annette were well accomplished wrestlers, too - they had a strong showing in the inaugural Tag Team Championship gauntlet, and Haruka had made it as far as the Last Woman Standing tournament. Everything told Takeda that these two were shoe-ins for the feature. After last year's calendar had featured a spotlight on the British Bunnies, there was some talk over who the next tag team to be featured would be - but Takeda had his vote in mind from the beginning, and now, it was finally time to make that dream a reality. Maybe part of it was that he was excited to be there for one of their famous gravure photoshoots, but all the same, he couldn't think of a better team for the job.

The Tatsumi sisters signed up for the LAW calendar. Though, in their best interest... They don't want to be put as individuals on the calendar and would prefer if their entry be a double feature. And this month, they finally get a spot on the calendar as a tag team. And being no stranger to gravure modelling and other promotional stuffs. The two had done their makeups and making sure their outfit look right in the changing room before walking out dressed in their bikinis. The two helped each other in making sure their hair looks right and perfect for the photoshoot.

"Yo, good day. Thanks for having us here for the Calendar interview." Annette waved her hand to Takeda casually as she flashed a smile. "We've been really waiting to get ourselves featured in the calendar for a long time. Words can't really express how excited we are for this opportunity." Haruka continued, bowing lightly to Takeda afterwards. The two were dressed in a bikini that had their respective colors on their wrestling gear. Red for Annette, and Blue for Haruka.

With Annette and Haruka arriving on the scene, Takeda grinned wider, greeting the sisters with a bow. The two of them were excited and eager for the opportunity, which told him from the start that this was going to be a success, and he was happy to know he had them on board...and, of course, his eyes went a little wider when he saw the two voluptuous girls in very flattering swimsuits, which they filled out excellently. The two of them had a long history of this line of work, and he could see why - they definitely had both the bodies and the attitudes for it; there was no question that they were suited perfectly for the job!

"Yes, yes, come in," Takeda explained, showing Annette and Haruka through the door. When they mentioned that they had been following the calendar and were excited to be involved with it, Takeda had to ball his fist tighter in order to restrain the urge to do a victory dance. This had been his idea, after all - granted, a large part of it was born out of the desire to see LAW's finest in bikinis, but he also wanted to connect with the fans and give them the insights into their favorite wrestlers. To know that even the talent themselves were invested in the idea told him he was doing something right, and he was sure that the endorsement of one of LAW's longest running and most famous tag teams would only benefit sales. Still, he had to remain professional - he was still here on business, after all.

"Believe me, it's a great honor to know that you've been so interested in this project. Hearing that sort of excitement coming from names as, uh, talented as yours is truly flattering! But, uh...we should get on with the shoot, I'd say. Why don't you two show us some of your best poses?"

Annette and Haruka smiled as Takeda seems eager to get right into business with the photoshoot. "My... So eager to start." Annette said teasingly as the two walked towards the set. All ready with the backdrops and the lights... Along with perhaps some props to accommodate more poses.

Annette and Haruka looks to be discussing with each other on how the poses would go. It took them a while before Haruka turned her attention to Takeda. "So... Group shot first then solo shots?" She asked, the two remained professionals as they asked the question. "If it's group shot first then... Let's get onto it Haruka." Annette said to Haruka as the two then started to position themself and make their pose.

Haruka first laid down on the floor, facing sideways towards Takeda. She then rested her hand on her chin, along with her other hand adjusting her sunglasses in a way that would perfectly encapsulate the feel of summertime at the beach. Not even obstructing the view of her face. Meanwhile Annette goes down on her knees behind Haruka. Moving her arm under her breasts and held onto her other arm. She then took her sunglasses and turned her head down very slightly. Looking towards Takeda as she then bit onto it's ear rest seductively as she pushes her arm up to prop her breasts to pop out more. She glances a bit towards Haruka before turning her attention back to Takeda.

"We're ready." Annette said professionally as the two then took their attention towards the camera for a few shots of this pose. "Do make us look good alright?"

Takeda's cheeks flushed even brighter at the sound of Annette's voice - was he really that obvious? "Ah, heh..." He cleared his throat, trying to act natural, and to conduct his business with some semblance of professional integrity, but when he was being teased by a world-famous beauty in a skimpy swimsuit, that was growing increasingly difficult. "W-Well, it's not every day that an opportunity quite like this comes along! But...make yourselves comfortable, yeah..."

If Takeda was having a hard time keeping his composure already, he certainly wasn't being done any favors as the Tatsumi sisters adopted a pose - and they did so with the confidence, gusto, and ease that told him that they were naturals at this! With bodies like theirs, though, it would be a crime if they weren't! The cameras leaned in close to snap a few shots, the crew members raising thumbs-up in approval. But the whole while, Takeda's eyes were fixed firmly on Annette's chest as she pushed it out further, amplifying the cleavage on display beneath her top. Her breasts were large, soft, almost inviting Takeda to take a closer look, and he could feel his heart beating faster as he leaned in closer...

"Erm. Ryoshi-san? The interview?"

"O-Oh! Right!" Takeda blushed harder when he realized that he'd let his mind wander a bit too far, and he hoped it hadn't been too obvious. Still, he flipped to a blank page in his notebook to begin taking notes. "Yeah, uh, that looks great, hold it a while," he said, not seeming to care that they had, in fact, been holding the pose and been photographed for the last few seconds. "While we're shooting, I might as well start asking you a few questions...to start, what would you two say has been your greatest achievement in LAW so far?"

The two sisters kept their pose slightly dynamic as the pictures are taken. They were professional enough to make each shots may look slightly different but the quality still looks good. The two expression in the photo were basically... Haruka enjoying the bright sunlight as Annette looked on to the viewer seductively. The two seems to await a question to be asked all the while the photography crew gave the two a thumbs up for their pose. Annette seemed to notice that Takeda seemed a bit lost and looking down onto her breasts in this pose.

Annette chuckled as the crew had to remind him about the interview. Obviously distracted and then telling them to hold the pose even more. Haruka let out a short groan, a bit annoyed about the fact though quickly Annette hides her annoyance by pinching her waist. "Our greatest achievement?" Annette asked, pondering as her eyes rolled away slightly, her arm pushing up against her breasts and pushed it out further. "Do you mean as individual or as a team?" Haruka elaborated, wanting to know what Takeda meant about the question. "To answer though, as a team, we're one of the teams in the tag team gauntlet for the inaugural tag team championship." Annette answered, chuckling a bit right after. "My eyes are up here by the way." Annette teased Takeda, pointing to her eyes and feigning annoyance at how he stared at her breasts. "Well, we lost that match but don't fret, do we think we don't deserve the title? Just because we lost?" Haruka then chimed in with her answer. "The answer is no, massive respect to the SWAT Cats by the way, but we do think they ran their course as champion. So, we took up on their open challenge, we're coming for that title!"

Takeda was shaken back to reality when the camera crew reminded him to focus on the interview he was conducting - something, he realized, happened to him not infrequently. He had to breathe a short sigh of relief when he thought back on how his position as part of LAW Magazine from the start, and at the head of this whole project, was keeping him from being cut at this point. Still, he cleared his throat, looking back up to answer the question - though only after a pause when his eyes followed after Annette's breasts before he reminded himself of where he was.

"Uh, er, either works, really," he said, hoping to buy some time while he remembered what he was doing. "We'll have separate listings for your height, weight, moves, that sort of thing, but you're free to answer either individually or for the team as you wish. But I will say...your participation in the Gauntlet is definitely worth celebrating." He nodded to the two girls, his smile growing wider. "If there's anything to put yourselves up there as one of the top tag teams in LAW, it has to be being selected as one of those worthy of the inaugural title run. Let alone having to stand up against so many other qualified contenders. I'm-hey, what!?" At Annette's comment, Takeda froze, his face going red. He stepped back to collect his train of thought, glancing nervously back and forth as he straightened his tie. "You...you didn't see that," he muttered, trying to dodge the shame of being caught.

While Takeda collected his thoughts, a few of the cameramen, satisfied with their shots, gave the Tatsumis the signal they could break from the pose - either to try a new one, or to have some time to rest; one handed them each a water bottle. Then, though, Takeda cleared his throat, stepping back up to them. "As I was saying...it would be interesting to see how well you'd fare head to head against the Cats; to me, that could make a lot of difference when it comes to seeing who would beat who, and I think it's a question that deserves to be answered. Would you, then, say that taking down the SWAT Cats would be your biggest aspiration? Or are there other things on the horizon for you?"

Annette gazed over to the cameramen and nodded before breaking off her pose and stood up. Looking down to Haruka and nudges her to take the next pose herself as she then walked away from the set and rested herself near Takeda. Haruka took the chance and sat up, Propping her leg up and rested an arm there. Holding the water bottle in a way that she'd drink it. Her head turned away from the camera slightly as her eyes glances towards the camera. "Well, our biggest aspiration as a team is to show that we can hang with the best of the best, even belonging at the top of the food chain." Annette answered Takeda's question while she took a seat, watching over the photoshoot.

Haruka nodded lightly at the answer Annette given. "And of course, we're here not to only excel as a team, but as individuals as well." Haruka added on. "Yeap, I'd tell you though, we may have yet to do a lot to show how we can fare as individuals. My sister may have had some losing streaks before, but you know, she made it in the Last Woman Standing tournament! Scoring a win there and went to the semis. She may be a bit of a loser..." Annette continued on, starting with Haruka's achievement before teasing her. Which made Haruka blushed and looked over to Annette in annoyance. "Wha-- hey! Don't say that!" Haruka retorted, Annette chuckled right after. "I'm just kidding! She had quite the tenacity I will admit, probably comes with the harsh training that Haruna and Kanata sensei put us through... Haruka probably took the worst of it between all of us. Speaking of that, as for me... Well, not a lot to talk about really! I did beat that former Hentai champion Eirina Makishima, in a non-hentai match but that's besides the point. And then I see that Holly finally took that Loser's title off her belt, which I'm glad because I did get my hands dirty in training her a little." Annette said as Haruka took her pose.

With Haruka taking a pose all her own, the cameras started flashing, eager to catch a good view of the brunette - her pose calling to mind the summer setting, yet also alluding to the athleticism of her pursuit and her trainining. Though they were hoping to get a group shot of them for a team entry, they were happy all the same to get a few solo shots; even if they didn't use them for the calendar, they would be sure to find a place for them somewhere or other. Takeda himself had to take a pause to stare after Haruka - though he was quick to remind himself, once again, that he needed to focus on doing his job, and he turned to take down some notes. He nodded to what Annette had to say, taking note of the subtle distinctions - although he had proposed a future title run, it seemed as though the Tatsumi sisters were more interested in proving their dominance in the tag division however they could, with a championship being just one way of doing that; they were willing to keep their horizons open. That, he thought, spoke to their optimism and their positive attitude; they would be content however they ended up as long as they got there by their best efforts!

Takeda couldn't help but look on with a wistful smile as the two girls discussed all their history - competing in the Last Woman Standing tournament, going up against champions, and training under some of the most decorated veterans of yesteryear. All of it made him think back fondly on all they'd done in the past, and it brought home the point that Annette and Haruka had made the most of the last few years they'd spent in LAW. "You know, you two have been with the company for a while now, but you've already achieved a lot - and you're still young, too. I think, when all is said and done, the future is going to look back fondly on all your hard work...I know I certainly will," he added with a chuckle.

After the photographers finished with Haruka's shot, they invited Annette up to take her sister's place on the stage. And Takeda, too, had another question to ask them. "Now, with all that in mind...we just had one more point for the calendar. Would either, or both, of you be willing to share any other facts about you, or anything else you'd like our fans to know? I know how much you care about them, and I'm sure they're curious."

As Haruka was done with her shots. Annette stood up from her seat, Haruka walked away from the set and traded high fives with Annette as the two swapped place. Haruka taking the seat while Annette stood on the set and thinking up on a pose for her shoot. "Ah, thank you Takeda, honestly, we've got a lot to show to the world and we're not stopping at all. Ain't that right nee-san?" Haruka said as she gazed over to Annette. Annette turned around from the camera and stood with legs spread a bit. "Yeap, we're not done, both as a team and as individuals." Annette replied as she turned her upper body to face the camera. Her left hand reaching onto the lower back of her bikini bottom, pinching her bottom and tugging it lightly for a slight teasing pose. Smiling with her right hand reaching up and holding her sunglasses that hangs over her forehead. She also made sure her pose put an emphasis on her butt and breasts as well. Making it stood out.

"Ah, I think we could do with a fan blowing over my face to get that nice hairflow." Annette added with her request. And with her request, a fan blows a nice breeze of air that makes Annette's hair flow beautifully. "This should be a good shot~" Annette said as the crew then nodded and started to take pics of her pose. Haruka then coughs a bit to get Takeda's attention to her. "Right, something for our fans?" Haruka reminded him of the question before he gets his attention taken off by how seductive Annette's pose was. "Sheesh, I'm actually quite aware about how there's many doubters about my performance given my personal records. But you see, we're not here to play around, I know we have our own gravure lines, you might see that as us just messing around. But no, Nee-san was a model before wrestling, I joined her because well, I do need to find that confidence to perform." Haruka let out on a bit of a rant about the doubters behind her abilities to be at the top. "I will prove you doubters wrong, I will rise to the top, and you'll be there and cheer for me when I get the big one. Maybe the Middleweight title? Maybe the Openweight? Or perhaps the Tag titles with Nee-san." Haruka continued firmly, believing that one day she'll reach the title, either by herself or with her sister.

Annette giggled lightly at the speech that Haruka gave, though she nodded understandingly to her drive to reach it and prove people that doubted her wrong. "Yeah, you go Haruka-chan, so uh... My message to the fans?" Annette said while she's still posing. "Well, I don't have lots to say really, let's go with a little bit of fun fact about me. Haruka knows this so much since we live together. So, I'm actually quite a bit of a sneakerhead." Annette admitted, Haruka giggled lightly while nodding. "Yeah, you might wonder how much of her kicks are in the wardrobe? Almost half of her wardrobe are kicks I tell you." Haruka added on, confirming the fact. "Yeah, I love my Yeezys and Air Force Ones and the likes. I mean, we do love to dress street casual and everything. And honestly sneakers often be the best pairing for our clothes." Annette continued, getting a bit enthusiastic about her hobby. "So... Yeah! That's probably it from me." Annette concluded.

"You've got a lot of...what..?" As soon as Takeda heard Haruka's statement, a blush came to his cheeks. The suggestive nature of her words wasn't lost on him - and, while it didn't take long for him to realize Haruka probably wasn't talking about posing nude, he could tell she was trying to catch his attention by it. For that matter, it was working. He stopped a moment, staring off into space as he lowered his glasses down the bridge of his nose, before he shook the cobwebs out of his head and cleared his throat. "Er...right! Of course! I'm sure that you've got plenty to show us on the horizon, and, uh...when that happens, I'll be the first to say I can't wait for it!"

A moment after the words had left his mouth, Takeda stopped and blinked a few times, blushing harder when he realized that his response wasn't much better. Nevertheless, he wouldn't dwell on that for long. The pose that Annette struck next caught his attention just as well - not only from how she turned her body in such a way as to display as much of her curves as possible, but in how her fingers drifted down to her bikini bottom as well, a sight that ever so briefly made Takeda's heart quicken at the thought that, just maybe, she'd be showing more. Not to mention the addition of the fan coming from the side of the studio, blowing Annette's hair back in a sight that not only added dynamic energy to the shot, but captured the ethereal, commanding beauty the blonde really had. He couldn't help but stare a little longer...

Though, he would soon remind himself that the girls had offered him answers to his questions, and he had to be there to note them down! "Ah, you've...got spirit, I see! That's always a plus. Believe me, er...there's nothing wrong with your gravure line..." He cleared his throat before his thoughts took him down any self-incriminating paths. "...but I can respect that you want to be appreciated for your accomplishments, too. And for that, I think you're well on your way! You've already pulled off some impressive achievements - so we can only imagine what the future has in store. As for you, Annette..." He turned to the other half of DDT with a nod. "Quite interesting! I can't say I would have expected that from you, but I can respect it!"

Takeda then closed his notebook, looking back up at the girls. "If that's it for you, I think we have what we need, and we can call the shot here. It was...lovely getting the chance to meet you in person, truly. And I wish you the best of luck!"

When the cameraman nods to Annette that they got all the shots they needed. Annette replied with a smile before bowing at them. "Thanks for the shots." She said with a wink before joining Haruka and Takeda at the side. "Sheesh, Nee-san you really put out the seduction to the max there." Haruka let out a slight complain before laughing lightly. "It's a swimsuit photoshoot no?" Annette replied. "Fair point, but still---" Haruka continued but Annette's finger pokes her lips to stop her from saying anything further. "Well, unless he wants us to go further~" Annette said as she gazes towards Takeda with a teasing grin.

"I'm just kidding of course! It's been fun though! We actually do love to have this opportunity to talk about our career and also do what we're good at outside the ring." Annette giggled as she said it, she's always been a bit of a tease. "Yeah, we loved every second we spent here." Haruka added as she stood up with Annette reaching over her shoulders as she brings them up close. Their breasts squishing together side by side. "Once again, it's been a pleasure working with you Ryoshi-san." Annette said as she lend her hand forward for a handshake with a gentle smile. "Oh, and let's not forget the crew for setting this up in quite a short notice." Haruka added as she nodded over to the photography crew. "With that, we'll take our leave, thanks again." Annette concluded as the two then walked away together side by side. Excited and once again, fully eager to make their mark further in LAW. They may face a lot of difficulties in times to come. But they're sure that they're going to make it one day.

"F-Further-!?" Takeda had been blushing hard already, but at the mention of that, his face went a vivid red, and he clutched at his chest as his heart nearly skipped a beat. The Tatsumi sisters already had on swimsuits that left little to the imagination, yet somehow, the very thought of them taking things a step beyond seemed so tantalizingly perfect that the interviewer's mind couldn't help but swim with lustful thoughts. They had bodies worthy of sculptures, and they seemed to love showing them off. Perhaps the best part of it all was the thought that they just might actually do it...

But when Annette confirmed she was just joking, Takeda was left looking back at her with a big, dumb grin on his face, chuckling nervously. "Ah, yeah, heheh...I knew that!" he muttered, before loudly and conspicuously clearing his throat in a gesture that garnered a few baffled stares from the crew members present. He was trying not to look too obvious, and failing miserably at it. But it didn't matter. As the Tatsumis both put it, they were happy to be a part of the project, and to show their best sides to the world...in many ways. Takeda had been the driving force behind all of that. He had brought them here today, and it had been him who let them take center stage to announce their plans, even for just a little while. And they were thankful for it. His eyes might have strayed toward their breasts as they came in closer...but for all their good looks and charm, the Tatsumis were a pair of good-hearted, witty, and kind-natured young women, just the kind of people he liked to meet. And when he knew he had their thanks, that warmed his heart most of all.

With a short bow, Takeda returned his thanks. "No, thank you," he said. "It's an honor to know you feel this way...really, it is. Feel free to stay in touch, if you want-!" The camera crew were just as flattered by the girls' kind words, though they had to note how Takeda's desperation was coming through even now. But it didn't matter. All the same, he smiled out at the Tatsumis as they left the room, proud with a job well done.

---

June 2022: Danger Double Tatsumis



Annette Tatsumi

• Age: 24
• Height: 5’9
• Weight: 145 lbs.
• Finishing Move: The End (Double Fujiwara Armbar)
• Career Highlight: Defeating former Hentai Champion Eirinia Makishima in a match.
• Career Aspirations: To prove herself and her sister capable of holding their own in the tag division.
• Has a collection of sneakers.

Haruka Tatsumi

• Age: 22
• Height: 5’7
• Weight: 145 lbs.
• Finishing Move: Victory Splash (Phoenix Splash)
• Career Highlight: Making it to the Last Woman Standing tournament.
• Career Aspirations: To prove herself and her sister capable of holding their own in the tag division.
• "I will prove you doubters wrong, I will rise to the top, and you'll be there and cheer for me when I get the big one. Maybe the Middleweight title? Maybe the Openweight? Or perhaps the Tag titles with Nee-san."

[CaptainL]

The Interview

This was it. Takeda Ryoshi was in the studio of the LAW Magazine offices in preparation for the next photoshoot for the Ladies of LAW Calendar, and it was with none other than Angelina Tarrant, the Marauder herself! He had seen a few of her matches, and he had been impressed with what he'd seen - the girl had an unforgettable charm with her attitude and her brash, blunt, and outspoken nature, and she was just as unpredictable in the ring as she was appealing in personality, displaying considerable acrobatic skills in addition to her cleverness and trickery. Plus, she was a feisty redhead, which Takeda could never say no to. But, then again, there were a lot of things he could never say no to. He wasn't sure if appearing in a pinup calendar was the kind of thing she'd be into, but when he had seen her name come up in the list of applicants, he had to seize on the opportunity. She'd definitely been making waves in LAW, and an appearance in the calendar would be striking when the iron was hot...that, and he was curious to see what she'd do for her shoot. And to pick her brain about her career and where she wanted to go with it, of course.

Cameras used to be her pepper spray. Even when she used to speak on a stage at assemblies, she needed to look over the peering sea of eyes and knife-edged camera flashes. But that was the forgotten then, and this was the impulsive now. Things have changed, many things, having produced vlogs and montages. People no longer bugged her, cameras less so - but in a bikini? For a calendar? Now, this. THIS - was the medium between vlog and hentai match that she is yet to traverse. And like any first experience, she was adamant about doing it right. So on her brisk way, she swerved into the nearby bathroom, gazing in the mirror. Simple clothes, an oversized black hoodie with a horned skull in the middle, pockets at the front, baggy sleeves. It went down and over her waist, to which you could barely see the black short shorts she had on. Then just black boots. She slid off her knapsack once satisfied, peeping at all the everyday items; black leather wallet, extra wired headphones, spray paint cans, and stacked over were bikinis in plastic sealing, neatly folded garbs, packed and stacked. “Yethhh…” Said through a warped mouth shape, holding a cherry popsicle. “Offfay! Am set.” She clasped onto the top strap and headed out, aiming for the studio door, which she gave a few knocks with her index knuckle, then opened up. Trademark black horns were first to peep in, followed by that velvet mane, those cat-eyed amethyst hues, surveying, then her popsicle-holding mouth, “Yoooof!” She removed the popsicle into her free hand, “This it?” She shuffled her way inside, looking a little aimless at first, but she found her way striding to Takeda, dropping the bag at her feet. “Ya must be the dude. It’s good to finally see ya, dorkstick. Hope am not late.” An extended fist was stretched out to him.

Takeda recognized Angelina from the horns she wore on what seemed to be a day-to-day basis; as soon as she saw them come into view, he knew that it had to be her. He was going to ask her about why she wore them, but as he realized how rude that would be he quickly caught himself, biting his lip. There, he looked her up and down, taking note of her attire - fairly nondescript urban wear, yet all the same it was in keeping with what she wore in the ring, and it fit her rebellious attitude when she was wearing what she wanted, unafraid to go against the grain. He couldn't help but smile a little when he saw the popsicle in her mouth, which seemed to be the perfect touch - it added a fun, playful vibe to the shoot, one that both fit the summer months and would compliment the girl's free-wheeling lifestyle. Of course, she might just have been eating it because of the heat. But it seemed to fit so perfectly, he had to wonder if she intended to carry it into the shot - though it might look a bit out of place with the rest of her outfit, and even that seemed to be out of place next to the getups more entries in the calendar had donned. He wondered if she'd gotten the memo.

"Glad to meet you, Miss Tarrant..." Takeda muttered before clearing his throat. "No, no, you're fine. If you will, feel free to step up to the stage and make yourself comfortable..." He turned to the backdrop - which showed a shot of a beach on a clear summer day, consistent with the season, but not so much with Angelina's outfit, and that caused him to glance back at her with a curious look. "Though, ah, sorry...we were planning on a beach theme for this shot. I suppose that didn't get out to you, but...not to worry! I'm sure we can adapt!" He chuckled anxiously. A part of him was admittedly disappointed he wasn't seeing Angelina in something skimpier, but he didn't want her to feel pressured. He was here for what she wanted to show the fans; anything else wouldn't be authentic enough for his journalistic integrity!

Huh, this guy didn’t look like a super-sleaze. Rather normal all things considered, from the brown suit, hair-cut and glasses. The blonde certainly stood out. Hmm, there wasn’t much more to read. Seemed rather normal. Ah, well, she can get down with a true professional. A relief, honestly. She turned her head to her shoulder, grabbing her wrist behind her back as she surveyed the backdrop. “Sooo, ya tellin’ me ya don’t hit the sand in short-shorts and a baggy sweata? Man, and here I brought all these outfits so ya can pose with me too.” Angelina looked to Takeda with a straight face and a quirked brow, then cracked a smile, “Totally kiddin’. Hold that thought.”

She popped the popsicle in her mouth, kicked off her boots, undid her shorts’ zipper and pushed them down before discarding them too. Black straps danced around her one thigh, padded with flowers, connected by golden beads and a silk bow, almost transparent but clear as maiden snow. Then she crossed her arms over herself, grabbing the hem of her long baggy sweater and pulling it up over her head. While she wrestled with getting it over her fixed horns and popsicle, a silk shawl spilled from the confines. It hugged around her chest with gentle ruffles and floated off to her hips and behind her legs, decadent in more white flowers, assorted beads like gems and connected by a knot at the middle. Her arms also matched with detached white sleeves, ruffles around the top near the shoulder and wrist.

“Got it!” She shouted when the sweater finally came off and she fished into the large pocket to pull a little golden star ornament, putting the string around her horn to let it slide down and mingle with her hair. Beyond all the white, she had a simplistic two-piece, knots on either hip, crossing straps over the chest and a black choker. One can say it emphasised the charm of her lithe frame, but that interpretation was in the eyes of the one beholding right in front of her. “Huzzzzzaw!” She proclaimed, then took the popsicle out, “Sorry bou’ that, just didn’t wanna prance around in this down the halls. I can be a lil’ shy. Buuuuut ya got first dibs on seein’ me this, so be brutal and tell me what ya think! Wait-wait,-” Her smile lit up with an added blush.

Angelina hurriedly turned around and jogged towards the set, stepping up and taking the centre. She did a spin, inserted the popsicle, took a deep breath then grabbed the edges of her shawl, lifting them up to show off her hip, putting one leg forward and adding a bit of a lean with her hips back, garnishing the pose with a wink. “Now tell me what ya think, Boss.”

Takeda blinked for a moment as his eyes lingered on Angelina, taking in her response. He didn't know what to think about it. "I, er..." he began, staring off into space for a few seconds. Angelina was certainly proving to be...interesting, even from the first time the two met eyes. Many of the women he'd worked with had been cordial and friendly - some a little too friendly, not that he was complaining - but all had been focused on doing business and conducting the interview. Angelina, though...she was keeping him on her toes with her infamously flippant, sarcastic tone, playfully talking back to him even now. It was the same sort of behavior she'd showed in her matches - even in her more brutal hardcore bouts, which left Takeda wondering if she took anything seriously. But at the least, he could say she was true to herself. And at least it might keep things interesting.

Before Takeda could say anything else, though, Angelina proceeded to strip down right in front of him, revealing she already had on a swimsuit for the shot - and it was one that made his heart skip a beat; he whipped the glasses right off his face as though in disbelief. It wasn't just for seeing her in a bikini (though that was, admittedly, part of it); he was struck by the lighter and airier design of her getup given her aesthetic was more known for its darker, rougher, and more hardcore tones. But he never thought to question her. She looked good in everything she did, and, as she went on to strike a pose for the cameras, Takeda realized she was taking this seriously. If she wanted to make an impression, she'd definitely done that...not that that was all that hard, when Takeda was concerned.

"V-Very, uh, nice, Miss Tarrant..." he began, blushing even harder as she mentioned being too shy to wear this in the halls - that didn't seem to fit the Angelina he knew, but it did make him wonder if she was playing coy for him; if so, the thought was rather endearing, especially given how much it contrasted with her in-ring style. "I never took you for the shy type, but...I, uh, must say, you look lovely! If you don't mind, I'd like to start with a few questions. To begin with...what would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in LAW?"

It was odd being on this stage. Sure, she’s been in front of a camera on many occasions in recent years. And yes, the whole profession put her amongst thousands. But between herself and a crowd, there was that weird-feeling middle-ground that put her nape to a crawl. That number was around a dozen, where she could read the moods, expressions, and mannerisms. It felt so judgy. She looked around with quick glances. Is she supposed to take a new pose? Hmmm. Her eyes closed, shutting everyone out to think, reaching up slowly to pull out the popsicle, “Greatest achievement, huh? You mean otha’ than scorin’ this shoot?” Angelina pointed the popsicle at him, twirling it around as it dripped.

“Easy. It has gotta be that stunt with Cecilia Northman. She’s got hella achievements and has me beat in experience, size and fame. No question about that. Still, a gal as hardcore as that still couldn’t protect her belongings from me.” Angelina leaned forward, facing the camera, one hand on her thigh. “A pagan necklace and a goddamn motorcycle. Honestly, the fact she hasn’t destroyed me yet is a great achievement in itself, whatcha think, Takeda?” Small but proud chuckles weaselled out, helping her smile as tranquil as summer sunrise.

She combed back her hair with a finger, twirling some around the index to strike a more intimate and cute mood, trying to show off her assets and attire in a more natural state. Though mid-way, she closed an eye and stuck out her tongue, putting the melting popsicle on the tip of her lulled-out tongue. That one was just for fun.

Takeda blushed even harder when Angelina mentioned being a part of his photoshoot as the crowning moment in her career, and he shuffled his feet a little. "A-Ah, well...please, Miss Tarrant, I don't think we need to get that far into flattery..." he said, only to then whisper "Thank you, though..." under his breath. And he couldn't help but feel like his heart was aflutter when she looked into his eyes and addressed him directly, when she twirled her hair around her finger, and when she struck a pose pressing the popsicle to the tip of her tongue - all seeming so free, friendly, and casual. If he didn't know any better, he might have thought she was flirting with him...then again, as he soon reminded himself, he tended to think that in almost everything.

The thought of getting this close to Angelina made him feel like he had butterflies in his stomach, but at the same time, he couldn't help but be intrigued by her response to his question, and he raised an eyebrow as he leaned in closer. This was definitely new! "Is that so?" he asked. "You know, most of the girls we've interviewed have named a particular match or victory as a greatest achievement. But I do, uh, have to admit...stealing something off Cecilia Northman is no small feat." He chuckled a little, knowing well how fearsome Cecilia was, and how her reputation preceded her. She was no one he would want to let get her hands on him...even if that thought was, in some way, exciting in its own right. "Suppose she did, though...what might you do, if I may ask?"

Then, he cleared his throat. "Ah, we're getting ahead of ourselves. In all seriousness, Miss Tarrant, is there anything you would say you'd most want to do next in your career?"

That far into flattery huh? Oh, ho’h. This dude had a little sweet tooth for being recognised, it seemed. This WAS show biz of sorts, wrestling, magazines, calendars all into one web of popularising, money printing and ladder-climbing fiasco. Everyone had that itch. Some more hidden than others. She learned that like a rapid current.

“Shit. I don’t know… Mm…”

She gnawed on the popsicle, biting all of it. Brain freeze slammed against the sides of her skull like an inflating balloon. It made her eyes glisten, an eye stayed shut and her lips suffocated the stick. Her feet crossed and she sat on her bottom before the cameras, looking up to pull the stick free and swallow all the cold treat.

“Oy-vey. I haven’t thought about that since I started. I popped into this biz fast and loose, ya know? Ain’t gonna find me on any indie circuits, I tell ya that. What got me all the way here was spite. I like to fight sometimes, sure, but I am in it to make statements post-match-mortem, feel that? I guess what am sayin’ - what’s a bigger statement than gettin’ a champ on their knees and callin’ ya daddy?” She beamed, pointing the stick into the air like some declaration and stargazing at the ceiling. “Ehhhh, but that’s later-gator stuff. For now, what I want to do next is just to have a blast with these chicks, slushy in one hand, nutcracka in the otha. Got myself a school gal’ who I’m kickin’ around while waitin’ for Northman to grow some fuckin’ balls. I got a list, but that's a tip-top secret.”

When it came to Takeda's next question, Angelina didn't have an answer prepared. But after a moment in thought, she came up with her response, delivered of course in her typical fashion. In the time it took her to formulate her words, Takeda's attention had drifted downward toward her chest, watching it sway ever so slightly with each turn she made. But as soon as she started speaking again, he knew that was his cue, and he cleared his throat, looking back up and quickly bringing pencil to paper.

"Later...gator-?" Takeda had to raise an eyebrow to some of Angelina's more creative choices of words. He leaned over to a nearby crew member, whispering to him about not knowing what she was talking about - though he was quick to catch himself, holding himself straighter lest anyone catch sight of him taking attention off his interviewee, particularly Angelina herself. When Angelina finished, he took a step closer to engage with her once again.

"Well, then, Miss Tarrant. I can't say I'm not curious about who might be on your list, but if it really is a secret...I guess we can only wait and hope we enjoy the surprise!" He decided it was better not to press the issue around someone who would have no qualms about beating him up, after all. Flipping to a blank page, he cleared his throat again. "All right...so, one last question I'd like to ask before we'll let you go. Is there anything special about you you would like to tell our fans?"

Though it would seem her brain was a spaceship leaving into orbit, she paid attention to those around her. Surroundings were important, especially to revel and play in. Everything was a tool to help you, or, er, something fancy like that. Takeda seemed out of it for a bit. Hmm. Though when he stepped in, she turned towards him and tapped a finger on her chin, “Mm…” She looked up, “AH!” Her finger stuck out at him, “Hide yo popsies, hide yo wives - because I’m comin for both.”

She looked towards the camera, then Takeda, switching between both a few times as a few bells started firing off in her head, “Hey-yo, Mista Takeda.” Her smile turned to a smirk, “Wanna take a pic for the cam?” Her hands reached out to him, beckoning with both hands, “Comeee onnnn. For keepsakes!”

"Uh..." Takeda paused, blinking a few times when he heard Angelina's response. He was sure that she would have something...interesting to say if given free reign, given her general attitude and the air of irreverence that seemed to surround everything she did, and he was almost afraid it would end up being something they couldn't publish. However...he didn't know if this was better or worse, compared to what he'd anticipated. He stared off into space, trying to think of the words, before they finally came to him. "Is...is that all you'd like to add, Miss Tarrant?"

He was about to ask her if she could provide something else...just before the redhead offered for him to join her for a picture. "W-Wait, me..!?" At first, his face went bright red, as he took in a gulp. He'd had a number of his subjects flirt with him before - and he never complained when that happened - but this was the first time any of them were actually offering him a photo op. And not just a photo op, it meant a chance for him to get right next to a bikini-clad Angelina Tarrant. It was an awfully generous offer - and one that made him question if she meant anything by it, or if that was merely wishful thinking on his part. But almost involuntarily, he took a step forward to join the girl at her side. Thinking through it could come later. He knew an opportunity of a lifetime when he saw one!

Even when the camera crew started to shake their heads and look off with a sense of abject disappointment, Takeda stood next to Angelina, blushing even harder when he realized how close he was to her. He then kneeled down, getting on her level. "Like this?"

First times are a wicked thing.

It seemed it was coming to an end. Rather short-lived, if she may add. But that was ok. Brief but fulfilled experiences was the trick of the trade. One thing was left out, though, a little memento. The idea didn’t spring until the last moments, and by the time it slipped out, she couldn’t take it back. So she was all in on it. Really, it saved her having to add anything on. She couldn’t think much of a wrestler one-liner, and was also oblivious to what was acceptable and not. Corporate was his thing. Whoopings were hers.

“Yayaya!” She ushered him again. That red complexion and hesitation was pure fuckin gold. She beamed, though, contained it enough in hopes to remain welcoming, and slipped into a lopsided smirk as he neared. Meanwhile, she caught the camera crew’s looks, which, fair enough on their part. However, “Ey! Ya fuckas better not be gettin’ jealous. This man works his bubble-butt off to put on the best interviews in LAW, nay, the entire biz! This cute fella deserves some kicks.”

Her popsicle stick pointed at each of them, lecturing from one crew member to the next. Who knows how successful THAT was. Once Takeda got down, Angelina looked at him, nodding firmly and gave a slanted thumbs up with her other arm pushing underneath her chest, “Ya, that’s great. Ya look betta than all the dicks and dorks that came before, and ya didn’t even need a bikini. Kudos! Just needs one more thing.”

The thumbs up turned to an open hand that reached and placed on his leg, used as a prop to get up and plop her bum into the man’s lap, turning inwards towards his other leg, one foot piled over the other, then folding her legs closer for an added spice with her thighs. “Me.” Her arm wrapped around his collar to pull them together, putting the side of her chest, hip and shoulder against him, relying on him for her rather diminutive size. She looked at the camera crew, lifted a brow, smirked again then cupped her mouth to whisper to Takeda’s ear. “Try sunglasses if ya wanna stare at my tits all day.”

That cupping hand lowered and she waved it off, “I’m just messin.” Then put up a victory symbol, sticking her tongue out and adding a wink as she leaned her head to rest by his shoulder, “Come on! Give em ya good side, Mista Takeda!” The judgey-bear camera crew rolled their eyes again, but would come around to indulge them if it made things go faster. They prepped their shot, honed their framing and took the picture that would take a fair few seconds to conclude. It gave enough sport and hopefully unease for her hand to slip from his collar, down to his waist and pantline, where she used her delicate fingers to pinch the brim of his wallet, and pull slowly until it came free, then slip in her popsicle stick, pushing it deeper with her thumb.

Once the almighty click eternalised this moment, Angelina was quick to spring, spinning around once and putting her hands behind her back, leaning forward, “Send me a copy of that, please and thank cha, k? Mista Takeda, ya were fuckin’ great - the best. But I gotta run.” She retreated back over to her bag, dropping the wallet into the open main compartment, then using her feet to kick up her clothes, slipping on the baggy hoodie, short-shorts and half-tied boots. “Call me if ya wanna do this shit again.” Then she shouldered her knapsack, striding towards the door and giving the steel knob a turn.

“Oh!” She peeped over-shoulder, tapping her eye, “Remember. Sunglasses.” And left soon after with a hurried step after the door was shut.

Takeda was already blushing hard at the thought that he was this close to Angelina Tarrant. His heart was beating so fast he would almost stop to worry about having a heart attack, if he didn't have other things on his mind. But when Angelina pointed his predicament out to the rest of the crew, he could feel his face flushing even hotter! He realized that with how flustered he must have looked, if everyone was paying attention to the scene - and then, how could they not? - he had to look painfully obvious, and he didn't know what to think of that. But if he was trying to hide his embarrassment at all, any attempts he made wouldn't last long. Certainly not when Angelina called him cute - a thought that left his heart aflutter. "Wait...you think I'm..?"

He got into position, and Angelina climbed straight into his lap. He took in a gulp. Was this really happening to him? It seemed like it was something out of his wildest dreams, and yet, everything felt so real - and he was glad it did, as he felt her soft rear settle against his groin, and the warmth radiating off of her body. She could surely feel how excited he was; his hips fidgeted in an effort to do his best to hide it, and he hoped that he wasn't too conspicuous in doing so. Plenty of women involved in the calendar had gotten quite close to Takeda, but this was a step beyond...and he couldn't say he complained, either.

"H-Huh? Me? I'm b-barely even doing anything..." Takeda stammered through his words; with his head lost in a lustful haze, he could barely think of what to say before his mouth started moving. When everything was going by in a blur, it caught him off-guard when Angelina suggested he wear sunglasses - in the process making it quite clear that she knew where his attention had been, not that anyone thought it wasn't besides Takeda himself. He gulped, for a moment worrying if she'd been offended - but he breathed a sigh of relief when she went on to confirm she was just teasing him. When her fingers started creeping lower, running along his body, every muscle went tense. He didn't even consider where her fingers were headed; not when the mere thought of having her run her hands all over him was more than enough.

Soon enough, the last few pictures were taken, and Angelina got off of Takeda. Even after she left the room, however, he stayed where he was, sitting and staring out into space, as though he just had some kind of euphoric vision. Honestly, as far as he was concerned, he did. As the seconds ticked on, and Takeda still sat motionless, the crew finally decided it was time to check in. "Erm...Ryoshi-san?"

"Gah-!" Takeda jumped back to his senses, jumping to his feet as though he'd been woken from a nightmare. Then, when he saw the bewildered looks coming from everyone, he chuckled anxiously, rubbing at the back of his head. "Er...nothing, nothing. It's fine. I'm okay. Just...between you and me, I say we give Angelina a bonus on top of her pay for this. And if you'll excuse me..." He headed for the door. "I'm going to go buy some sunglasses."

---

July 2022: Angelina Tarrant

• Age: 20
• Height: 5’3
• Weight: 112 lbs.
• Finishing Move: Call of the Unconscious (Punt Kick)
• Career Highlight: Stealing Cecilia Northman's motorcycle and living to tell the tale.
• Career Aspirations: She doesn't think that far ahead - but she does have a list of opponents she'd like to face.
• “Hide yo popsies, hide yo wives - because I’m comin for both.”