A Round Table Discussion

[CaptainL]

With Jonathan headed outside, an awkward silence fell over the boardroom. Eiji let out a sigh, shuffling his papers, while Haruka glanced back and forth from one side of the table to another. She fidgeted in her seat, her feet drumming anxiously against the ground. "R-Really, though," she said to the others, "I am sorry. I didn't know he would...take things quite so hard..."

"Pssht, it's the same with all people these days," Eiji grumbled. "It's always that I'm too harsh, or I'm a fossil, or how it won't cut it these days...I've been in the business long enough, and I call it how it is, okay? If you got a problem with it, fine, but don't come crying about it! No one gave me any crap the last forty-some years I've been covering wrestling, but only just now the young folks have to be offended about everything-"

Seeing he was on one of his rants again, Haruka leaned forward across the table, whispering an "I'm so sorry" to the other three men as she tugged at her collar. When she sat back in her seat again, though, she cleared her throat, looking to steer the conversation both away from Jonathan's departure and from her coworker's complaints. Maybe some small talk would be enough to get everyone's thoughts off things.

"So...how are you liking Tokyo so far? Getting around okay?"

[Pegasus]

“Jonathan just cares for these girls. He’s mostly part of the reason they would ever come to LAW in some extent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be as known as they are today,” William explained as he adjusted his glasses.

“As you probably know from your research on us, I’ve been to Japan before and even have established a credible reputation among fans here. It’s basically my second home besides America and Mexico. It’s been wonderful getting to see the sights once more and the locals have always been friendly,” Ryan added after Haruka asked everyone how they were liking Tokyo.

“I’ve always wanted to see it and see how massive it is from the monster movies,” William stated.

[CaptainL]

Haruka nodded her head to William's explanation. "I don't think anyone could miss that. And I think the importance he's played in shaping the promotion today will only grow to be more and more appreciated as he takes a more prominent role. He's been pivotal in training some of the most influential names on the roster, and I feel like that impact is only going to grow with the more trainees he takes under his wing. But he's not just a trainer. It really shows how much he cares about all of his students when he gets this protective of them. I think many will look at him as a good friend, too - someone they're proud to work under."

"Let's just hope that it doesn't lead him to do anything stupid," Eiji muttered, finally collecting himself enough from his rant to look back at the door Jonathan had left through. "I can't help but be a little worried for him. All it takes is the right opponent to see that as a weakness worth exploiting, and he's already lost..."

Nevertheless, the veteran writer straightened himself in his seat, tapping his papers against the desk to straighten them out. He did turn to William with a bit of a look, pushing his glasses up his nose before continuing. "Well, I think it's going to look a lot bigger when you're not a 50-story-tall monster, but still! Aside from all we've talked about tonight, is there one thing you know you really want to accomplish while you're here with LAW? Or anything you're hoping to see out of a working relationship with USPW?"

[Pegasus]

Jonathan came back in as he shut the door looking a little somber, but a bit better as he straightened his jacket and pulled his seat out. He nodded to Haruka as her kind words settled him down.

“I heard from the other end of the door. You’re a good kid. Keep her on board. You certainly got a hard worker in the making,” Jonathan stated as he sat down.

“I’m hoping that at least in regards to USPW, we start seeing some LAW women show up there for some Firestorm and Shotgun Saturday Night tapings. Hank is always interested in working with other promotions especially international ones as it gives more variety to the brand. LAW has one of the most diverse roster of men and women out there. Going forward with Astrid and the others possibly returning, we have the chance for some real great action for the women’s division,” William explained.

Then William had a lightbulb go off in his head as he turned his head quickly to his friends.

“What if we brought Hank here? To LAW? To make an official deal?” William asked.

“It’s an idea that we can bring up with management I’m sure,” Jonathan replied.

“And it’s a headline for them!” William exclaimed as he extended a hand to Haruka and Eiji.

[CaptainL]

Haruka had been praising Jonathan's commitment to his students under the impression that he wouldn't be able to hear too much of it - something that, in retrospect, she realized was a silly thing to think given the hole in the door. When he came back into the room, at first she sat up stiffly in her chair, a blush coming to her cheeks underneath her mask. "O-Oh..! Sorry, Mr. Steele, I didn't know you were-" For a moment, Haruka was gripped with the fear that she would come across as trying to flatter Jonathan, and she didn't know how he was going to take it. It came as a relief, then, when he commended her for her efforts - and she couldn't help but break into a smile beneath her mask, one that she wished she could show to the world were it not for how she was trying to keep her face a private matter. She did a short bow toward him, showing her appreciation. "T-Thank you..! Really...hearing such things from you, it means a lot-!"

With William describing his hopes for where a LAW/USPW partnership could go, Eiji began to jot down some notes, nodding his head. The connection had already been established with some of LAW's talent working for the promotion in the past, and now, with these three here to act as trainers and representatives, that same connection could just as easily run both ways. "We definitely have a lot of talent from all over," he described. "And while I couldn't care less about some of 'em, I'd be lying if I said there weren't some damn good athletes in there, too. With a roster as big as LAW's is, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle sometimes, but I'm sure some of the wrestlers would be happy to have another night or two to get booked on."

Then, he went on to discuss the matter of an official deal with USPW's owner - and at this, Eiji and Haruka glanced at each other. They didn't need to exchange any words to see the potential; all they needed was a mutual nod of the head, and everything fell into place in their thoughts. "If you could arrange that," Eiji explained, "so much more the better, I say! LAW's been trying to break into the international market, and while Fight the LAW was a success, an official partnership with an American promotion could help it establish itself over there even more. Besides, the second crop of Young Lionesses are starting to get ready to be sent on their first excursions, and some partners could never hurt in giving 'em options."

[Pegasus]

“How about we ask you two some questions?I’m sure cutting edge journalists like yourselves have some knowledge to share with us,” Jonathan suggested.

“Like what sushi bars are the best around Tokyo?” William asked as he slammed his right fist on the table.

“Not about food, Will. About wrestling. Eiji, you’re passionate about the sport and I’ve heard your opinions on what it takes to be a good wrestler. So, I want to ask you, without going off the hinges, what does it take to be in this business you feel?” Jonathan asked.

[CaptainL]

Hearing William ask about the best sushi bars around, Haruka was actually getting ready to answer him; she sat up straighter in her seat, opening her mouth. But before she could say anything, Eiji spoke up, shooting her an odd look at the same time, and she settled back down into her chair. Then, the veteran reporter cleared his throat, facing Jonathan to answer his question.

"To me? Well, I'm happy you asked that. If you ask me, what it takes to be a great wrestler is guts. Determination. Fighting spirit, you might say - and above all else, commitment to the business. People seem to forget nowadays that the first word in 'professional wrestling' is 'professional.' I'm not here to see people goof around with their buddies and compete for how many flips they can do or how much they can make the journalists talk about how great a match is. I'm here to see them cut right to the heart of the matter - that they're both going to try their hardest to win a contest, that they'll put their heart and soul into every bit of it, and that they don't need any silly gimmicks or goofy shit or hitting people with furniture to prove they've got it. That's what wrestling's all about. You can quote me on that one!"

[Pegasus]

Jonathan listened to Eiji’s explanation and he clapped his hands together when the reporter finished.

“See, we can explain our opinions without getting down and dirty. You managed to be civil right there and I’m inclined to agree with you. I think we do focus too much on how many flips and spots we can fit into one match. I’m inclined to wrestle with some kind of story being told throughout it. I don’t necessarily care about star ratings or if my match gets shared twenty or fifty times on social media. Hell, you get into a major promotion and get featured enough on the main shows, it takes care of the recognition you get. Casuals will pick up on you and be more inclined to watch the program you’re featured in. In fact, I’d say you probably have kept up with USPW, have ya?” Jonathan explained.

“I do a lot of flips myself. It is just something you pick up on when you’re more skinnier and thinner than most people on the roster. I try to not let it affect my other skills in the ring,” Ryan added to the conversation.

“Why don’t you two come to USPW’s show in Japan? Report on the big show in the Thunder Dome!” William suggested.

“Tokyo Dome….Tokyo, Will,” Jonathan corrected.

Jonathan took out a white envelope from his pocket and slid it towards Haruka making sure she caught it.

“Our employer thought this would be an opportunity of a lifetime for USPW to drum up on some of the Japanese wrestling scene. Get mainstream and help grow our own base. He figured reporters from one of the largest wrestling companies in the country being there and reporting on the action would help boost our profiles. Inside that envelope is two tickets to the Attack of the Rising Sun show in the Dome. Yours for the taking,” Jonathan explained.

[CaptainL]

Eiji's smirk grew a little wider, and he nodded his head to just about everything Jonathan said. He turned his head to look back at Haruka. "Y'see, Seizawa? This boy knows what he's talking about. Hell, he even gets it that we don't have to argue! Wish there were more people who knew that..."

Haruka gave Eiji a look that seemed to cut straight through him when the irony of his statement seemed lost on him, but he kept going nonetheless. "See, there's nothing wrong with doing acrobatic moves - it's as much of a strategy as anything else you can do in the ring, and if you've got that acrobatic skill in you it's only natural to put it to good use. It's the folks who think they can do just flippy shit, and make it their goddamn personality, that get me - the folks who think it's their job to be circus clowns, and if I wanted to see the circus I wouldn't get wrestling tickets-"

Before Eiji could say anything more, Haruka let out a long sigh, placing her hand against his arm to remind him to calm down. Then, she looked back up at William, and she nodded to him with a smile. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea - right, Matsumoto-san?"

"Hm? Oh, right," Eiji said, now brought back down to reality. He leaned closer over the table toward Jonathan as Haruka took the envelope from him. "I might be working for LAW now, but I'm no company stooge. When LAW does horseshit, I call it what it is. And more importantly, I keep myself open to what's going around in the wrestling world, even in other companies. I've had my finger on the pulse of the industry for a long time - even covered baseball back in the day - so I've definitely seen some of what you've been up to, and I gotta say, so far I've liked what I've seen. Tell ya what, don't have any woman vs. housecat matches on your show, and we're happy to put the word in for you. LAW fans get to know you better, which might lead further interest in working together, and having new eyes on the product can only help you grow more. I say it's a done deal."

[Pegasus]

“It’s my problem with the fans that think that is what makes a great match. That you have to do a Suicide Dives 50 times in a match or it needs to be 30 minutes to be great. I’m getting old. I’ll only be able to do 5 minutes by the time I’m middle of my life.” Jonathan stated before Eiji showed signs of calming down from his own ranting.

“Woman vs. housecat matches? We aren’t animal abusers!” William exclaimed as he stood up in anger.

“Excuse him….he took that literally. Will, he means as long as we don’t waste his time, we’re good,” Jonathan corrected as he settled the big man in his seat.