Tending to the War Garden

[dlamp]

"Aaaand, send." Himeko finished up the last of the text on her phone, immediately sending out the message. It was a long time coming, but all the pieces seemed to be in place now. All that was left to do was wait for everything to come pray the general craziness that was predicting LAW's wrestling talent didn't stray too far from her trajectory. For now... she just had to wait and see.

"And what's so interesting on your phone, Hime-chan?" Nanase asked.

"Nothing. Go back to working with the Runt." Himeko said, waving her off.

The Princess's planning aside it was just another joint training session at Nanase's private dojo outside of Tokyo, though it was mostly Nanase working with Reiko and Himeko supervising. The Princess finished her own sets earlier in the day and didn't feel like pushing herself further, at least for now. No, her main goal being her was to confirm her plans. This... was a gamble. If it fell flat she'd be set back until probably next year. But... the idea of it actually working...

If this works, I might be able to finally...

Well, it all depended on step 1 actually pulling through and going off without a hitch.

[winner3]

Galaxy Cat

"Let's see....niiiice and presentable, I hope!" Aurora said as she held her phone up to her face and looked at herself through her phone's selfie cam. With her free hand, the luchadora patted her hair.

The Galaxy Cat's signature afro puff and mask made her stand out as she checked on her appearance. Part of the reason she did this was the work up the gumption to make the request that she had in mind. Aurora stood there in front of the doors to the dojo. Senso no Hana consisted of three fierce martial artists, women who were well-regarded for their fighting expertise and knowledge both at LAW and in other promotions, women that Aurora was proud to call her friends! She'd seen them here and there in locker rooms, backstage, etc. They had even hung out a few times and had a couple of sleepovers together! But today was the very first day time that Estrella had come to make a formal request!

Clad in converse sneakers, form-fitting black leggings, and a deep purple crop top that depicted the likeness of her own mask, seemingly some of The Galaxy Cat's own LAW merchandise! The lightweight slung her matching purple and black drawstring back over her shoulder before balling her fist in front of her and pepping herself up!

"They'll understand. I know they will!" Estrella affirmed to herself before bringing her balled fist to the wooden doors thrice and knocking politely.

If and when the door was answered, Aurora would respond.

"Himeko-chan! Hangaku-chan! Amano-chan! It's me!" Estrella would voice aloud in the hopes that any of the three would hear her and recognize her soft yet distinct voice. When the door to the training facility opened, Aurora would wink and wave with both hands to greet whomever opened it.

[dlamp]

And, speaking of things working... Himeko's eyes went to the door as she heard the knocks, Reiko and Nanase stopping their training for a moment to do the same as they curiously glanced toward the door. "Oh, that Estrella." Himeko finally said. The two girls blinked at her, Reiko taking a step back in surprise. Ah shit, I forgot to tell them, didn't I?

"Wha- Aurora-chan?" Reiko canted her head at Himeko, then the door.

"Yup, we talked about this awhile ago, remember? Think it was during one of the night trips we had are you wanted to spar with her one day." Himeko answered, motioning for Nanase to answer the door.

"We did? I mean, I know we talked about once or twice, but..." She placed a hand over her chin, trying to remember, but Himeko waved it off.

"Don't worry about it. This is mostly for her sake than ours anyway. She's got that big match with Rose, y'know."

Reiko was about to speak further, but Himeko rose a hand to stop her, giving a quick gesture to suggest she'd explain more later.

And as Aurora's voice rang out through the small dojo Himeko visibly winced.

"Ah, hello Aurora-chan. It's nice to see you again!" Nanase said. "You're free to call me Nanase-chan outside the ring though."

"You can call me Reiko-chan too!" Reiko added.

"It's Taishuya-san for me, and yeah, thanks for showing up." She signaled Nanase to step back and give Aurora further room to step in. "You can leave your shoes next to ours and we can get started in a little bit." Himeko watched Nanase close the door behind Aurora, then Himeko put her phone away and rose to greet their visitor properly. "DeFranco sure threw everyone for a loop, huh? Didn't think he'd get so desperate to shut Rose up so much he'd throw his strongest card at the problem."

[winner3]

Though Himeko was keenly aware of the fact that Aurora had been meaning to drop by sooner or later, the luchadora blushed when she meet everyone inside. Estrella didn't want to impose, but she was also very happy to see everyone.

"Ah, I'm sorry! You know me, I can be a tad overly cordial at times! I just respect you all so much! Truly I do!" Aurora would say while bringing her hand behind her head.

"Reiko-chan! Nanase-chan! Taishuya-chan! Thank you so much for having me!" Aurora would bow before complying with Himeko's directions and balancing herself on one leg and then the other so that she could remove her shoes.

Aurora's ears perked up upon hearing Himeko continue. She smiled and then stepped onto the wooden floors of the dojo with her bare feet so that she could join Himeko and the rest of Senso no Hana.

"You never do mince words, do you, Taishuya-chan? Always observant and right to the point, you are."

"I had intended to ease into things by asking what you're having Reiko-chan and Nanase-chan work on today. But you're absolutely right. I can tell our General Manager and CEO means business. I think everyone can tell by this point." Aurora placed a hand in the crook of her elbow. She placed curled the index finger of her free hand over her chin.

"It's odd, you know? I was never approached about it either. I appreciate him and LAW management recognizing me as a worthy contender for the Lightweight Championship, but I can't help but I'm no mercenary. I'm going to defeat Rose for my own reasons. Not just DeFranco's."

"And that brings me to why I'm here today, Him- er, Taishuya-chan." Aurora's eyes would meet Himeko's.

"I trust you already have some notion of why I'm visiting. I do love spending time with all three of you. But if you'll hear my plea, all of you, it would mean a great deal to me." Aurora spoke with a warm and earnest tone of voice in the hopes of garnering the attention of the ladies in the dojo.

[dlamp]

Himeko's eye twitched a bit at the -chan still being used, but shook it off and only let out a huff. Whatever, close enough... She wasn't going to spend all day correcting the American on this and there were bigger things to discuss than etiquette.

"Much like our lovely boss, I also don't like wasting time. It's a thing with us business types." She stated, walking over toward the woman as she explained her situation and perspective. Reiko and Nanase still looked a little hesitant, but Himeko's expression remained neutral. "Well, it's good to know you're not just doing this to be DeFranco's attack dog. Or cat I guess." She shrugged, hearing a small giggled behind her from Reiko and Nanase.

"I already have a good idea on what you want, and I'm fine with it. Just... humor me for a second, would you?" She took another step toward Aurora, looking the woman over. "DeFranco's offer aside, what are your reasons for going through on this?" She opened her mouth to continue, as if to explain her point further, but soon closed it along with her eyes as she thought further on her own words. "No, I'm asking the wrong question..." It was said more to herself than Aurora, and Himeko soon opened her eyes, immediately sharpening them along Aurora's visage. "... ..." The words seemed to be on the tip of Himeko's tongue, but just as she opened her mouth to speak again she only let out a sigh. "No, that can wait, I want the answer to my first question a little more."

[winner3]

The eye twitch wasn't lost on Aurora. She was still getting used to using honorifics. She could only smile and chuckle nervously while barreling through the conversation. Both ladies seemed to realize that it wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

When she heard Nanase and Reiko giggle, Aurora pantomimed. She balled her fist and bend her wrist to make it look like a cat paw. She did enjoy their antics. But Taishuya was quick to resume business and prod her for information.

"Absolutely. I'm the one coming to you three for a favor. The very least I could do is answer any and all questions and help with whatever I can. I was planning to treat you all to lunch afterward as my way of saying thanks." Aurora smiled.

Taishuya seemed contemplative. It was clear that she was thinking her questions through carefully. Aurora would focus her attention on the judoka and nod. She gave pause to let Himeko voice her thoughts.

"You can ask me any follow-up questions afterward, of course. But to answer the first. My own personal reasons? Hmmmmm..." Aurora contemplated aloud. She placed her hand in her and shifted her weight a bit, leaning more towards her standing leg as she thought over her response.

"Depending on who you ask, there's any number of reasons for the match to be happening. Management clearly wants it. I'm sure there are many women in our weight division and beyond that will have their eyes on both Rose and myself leading up to the match, and on the match itself, of course. I'll look for you in the stands when I make my entrance, Taishuya-san." Estrella would wink with her heterochromatic eyes.

"Rose Gold isn't healthy for the lightweight division or for LAW as a whole. She proved that when she's pushed to her limits by women like my favorite demoness over there.." Aurora would give a quick wave to Amano.

"That she can really go when she's forced to. But by and large, she'd rather sit at the top of the division and take on women she already knows she can beat. I'm sure she actively seeks out such opponents. That isn't the approach of a champion that's worth her salt. It's the approach of a coward. I'd have challenged her sooner or later to right the wrongs she's committed and to bring honor back to that title and back to the lightweight division as a whole. To really give a spotlight to both the top contenders and to the championship the way a good champion should. Those were my reasons....at first. And a large part of me still has all those reasons. I want to wrestle her and rip the title away from her because I care about pro wrestling." Aurora's tone grew slightly more serious and confident as she opened her mouth to continue. She locked eyes with her brunette friend.

"But an even larger part of me wants to do this match for another reason. When DeFranco forced Rose Gold into this match- well, you saw the "champion's" reaction." Aurora would say with an air quotes gesture.

"She was none too happy. And I'm sure she's still in disarray over it. For whatever reason, I seem to be one of the very few women that get under her skin. And I plan to make use of that fact. If I had to sum up my own personal reason, I suppose it's that I intend to show the whole world and Rose herself that she's nowhere near as skilled, as sublime, or as invincible as she'd like everyone to believe she is. I'll show everyone the chinks in her armor. And I'll become a double champion whilst doing so! " Aurora would raise her index finger and smile.

"Was there more you wanted to ask me, Taishuya-san? Or have I covered everything?"

[dlamp]

The room was quiet as Aurora spoke and explained her perspective. Himeko took in every word, her gaze shifting to something more focused, but her eyes trailed from Aurora as her mind ruminated on the wrestler's explanation. All in all they were rather noble goals. Wanting to stop Rose's reign over the division and bring the championship belt back to some prestige was honestly a good enough reason. The views Aurora had on Rose also mirrored of Himeko's own thoughts. The woman on top was only on top by forcing weaklings up a mountainous slope with no climbing gear, set to sit on that throne and grow fat off it. Knocking her off it, even for a little bit, would give the world some real talent to look at.

It was... a persuasive argument to the say the least. Glancing behind her, Himeko could even see Reiko and Nanase invested in the wrestler's words as well.

"Hm..." After Aurora finished speaking Himeko was left in thought. She could agree that Rose was being a tyrant and improperly using the belt's pull to satisfy her ego. And after over ten of her Midas Touch segments it was high time to end it along with that woman's arrogance. But...

But...

"I'm going to play devil advocate for a second." Best to make it clear her next few statements were that of a straw man and not her actual opinion now.

"Even if Rose is using the belt wrong, at least from your perspective, she's still getting a lot of attention and eyes on the lightweight division. Her methods, as crass as they are, have given weight and eyes on this division." Himeko didn't even need to turn around to hear Nanase about to protest, but Himeko simply rose a hand to stop her before continuing. "From what I've seen, Aoi was just another stubborn brat among many in our division that was made to heel after Rose came in. And among all the newbies that came onto the scene after Rose many of them seem more content to hide behind their keyboards than do at least half of what the runt did and actually try to meet contender requirements to punch that smug brat's face in. There's a few people like you that have been doing the work and doing it proper, and a few others like the Brooke chick that seem to be going the way of Rose in using humiliation and sex appeal to get their way." Himeko crossed her arms, looking Aurora over. "Rose is awful, but Rose is also profitable. That much is hard to deny." She let out a breath, relaxing her stance a little.

"And there's always a chance Rose was faking her freak out. Maybe she's sweating bullets about fighting you, or maybe she's reviewing every match and interview you've ever had to find your chinks." She paused, shrugging. "Like you said, when she's pushed she can really go and go hard." She glanced back at Reiko, her only blushed and shied away a step. "Well, that's not my view of things, but I can hear Tadashi saying something like that."

[winner3]

"Taishuya-san...." Estrella said softly as Himeko took this chance to play devil's advocate. Seeing the girl relax a bit helped Aurora relax as well. It was refreshing to her to be able to have a deep discussion like this that remained friendly.

The judoka made a convincing argument in her own right. Clearly, she was wise, perhaps even beyond her years. Not just for her ability to look at this situation from many different perspectives, but also for her ability to scrutinize the health of the lightweight division over time, before and after the current champion made her mark. Himeko even entertained the idea that Rose was faking her reaction to being put in this match.

Aurora had her pegged as the skeptic of SnH but it was clear that these hypotheticals weren't coming from a place of negativity or paranoia. The little luchadora had to assume they Himeko was quite invested in the landscape of LAW. Just how far ahead was she thinking? And what was she planning, exactly?

"Ta...dashi?" Estrella would ask curiously as Taishuya-san took a step back.

"Ah, but I'm digressing, I apologize." Aurora would cross her arms, sensing that Tadashi seemed to be a the subject of a different discussion from the one they were having.

"There's a lot to unpack there, but I will continue to humor you, Taishuya-san. I'll give you my honest thoughts."

"It's entirely possible that Rose feigned her reaction to the match. But given the timing, I'm going to assume her reaction was genuine. She had no idea this match she'd be booked into a title defense with me. And it very noticeably took her time to regain any semblance of composure. If your theory holds water, then she's a much better actor than I gave her credit for, hehe~." Aurora would smile.

"But even if you are correct, Taishuya-san, I'm not worried." The luchadora stated with confidence.

"In fact, I challenge her, or anyone else really, to find and exploit my weaknesses. I've not lost in a LAW ring thus far. And unlike her, I've not been focusing my efforts on finding matches with opponents that are undeniably underdogs and don't pose a threat to me. And I've wrestled women far more formidable than Rose Gold."

Aurora would begin to pace, absentmindedly walking back and forth between the walls of the hallway as she continued to address the arguments Himeko had given her. She occasionally stopped near Himeko and Amano to acknowledge them by making eye contact.

"Let's continue working our way backward through this devil's advocacy argument, shall we? It may take me a moment to fully explain myself. Please bear with me, my friends. I wish I had my whiteboard with me." Aurora would smile and take a moment to gather her thoughts

"Rose Gold is a profitable champion. I would not and cannot deny that. Every wrestler and every champion is different and has their own talents, their own appeal, their own brand of charisma if any at all..."

"The SWAT Cats are profitable champions, just as Rose is. But where she might use humiliation, sex appeal, carnality, and deviancy to make her mark and to draw fans, myself and my tag partners have been looking to high match quality, sportsmanship, our own marketability...really we've done everything in our power to make sure that we can prop up our division, our challengers, and this company while also propping up ourselves...and all while still being just as profitable as she is. I'd argue that we connect with more fans, as well. Really, as champions, The SWAT Cats and Rose Gold are night and day...."

"But I say all this to arrive at my point. In much the same way that a square is a rectangle but a rectangle is not a square; a good champion is almost always profitable. But a profitable champion is not always a good champion. At least, that's my judgment on the matter."

As Aurora continued to pace, she stopped at Amano and placed a hand on the dark-skinned gal's shoulder. She smiled at her friend before returning her gaze back to Himeko.

"My favorite demon, here. She's been Rose's most formidable challenger to date. Reiko-chan fought her heart out at Fight The LAW last year in front of the entire world. She really raised stock in herself and in the title. And she would have been able to do that regardless of whoever the champion was or is. I truly believe that Rei-chan is just that good."

"But that's exactly it. Rei-chan's efforts in this match being acknowledged by the fans, by the company...by myself, all that has come entirely almost entirely as a result of her own merits. Rose Gold would never willingly seek out competition like Amano Jaku on her own. She'd be content to do Midas Touch Segments for the rest of her days until she retires as a champion." Aurora stepped closer and shook her head in disapproval.

"That's who and what she is at heart. Rose is certainly depraved. She's self-serving and self-indulgent. But much worse than that, in my opinion, is that she's simply a lazy champion." Aurora would continue to gesture. She raised her index finger and continued her form but sincere delivery. Estrella spoke from the heart.

"A good pro wrestling champion seeks out and elevates good competition. And the lightweight champion has done neither. In all her time as champion, her one match with Rei-chan was her only "serious" defense. The one and only match in which it seemed she had a challenger that could conceivably defeat her. And if it was up to Rose, Rei-chan's match would have been a laughable and humiliating squash match the same way all the Midas Touch segments have been. I'm sure she'd quake at the idea of a rematch with Amano Jaku."

"Profitable, though she may be, Rose Gold has been awful for the lightweight division and for LAW and pro wrestling as a whole. Marketing aside, a champion is only as good as the challengers they take on. That's what helps to shape the forefront of the division and of the company. But Rose is only interested in shaping the world of wrestling in her own image. I submit to you that her methods and ways have not given weight to her title. They've not gotten eyes on the lightweight division as a whole. All she's done and all she will continue to do is put the spotlight on herself and herself, alone." Aurora would cross her arms under her modest bust.

"Now, you could argue that maybe it isn't Rose's fault that some feel like no one else is going out of their way to build their case for Lightweight Title and to prove themselves the way Rei-chan has. You're absolutely right when you say that many wrestlers are content to spend their time tweeting instead of actually stepping up and getting matches arranged and proving themselves. It's true. That's the case across each of the divisions, sadly. The LAW roster is quite vast and there are many that are content to collect whatever paycheck they can by coasting by without actually competing."

"But, Taishuya-san, it's precisely because the roster is so big that it's all the more apparent that worthy competition does exist and the champion has simply been avoiding it. "

"Rei-chan, myself....we're not the exceptions to the rule. We're simply the minority."

"And even without us, The Lightweight Classic Tournament showed us several women that are more than capable of putting on great matches and posing a threat to the champion. With just the semifinalists alone, that's already at least 4 lightweights that I'm confident the champion wouldn't want any part of. And it runs so much deeper than that. Even beyond the Lightweight Title Tourney, there's Clara GASTER, Alice GASTER, Raquel Masters, Alyssa Monroe...Yes, there will be women like Brooke who look to follow in Rose's footsteps and become warped and fraudulent in much the same way the champion is. But there are so many more pillars, dark horses, and upstarts in LAW's Lightweight division and in our company. So many women are far more worthy of helping define pro wrestling at LAW."

"And when I become Lightweight Champion, I'm going to remind everyone of that fact."

"If you'd allow me the honor, I hope to defend the title against each of The War Flowers if and when it comes time. (I'll probably botch the pronunciation of S.N.H. if I attempt it, I apologize!)." Aurora finished, muttering at the end to explain why she didn't use the proper stable name "Senso no Hana"

[dlamp]

Himeko's maintained its neutral and stony expression all while Aurora spoke. She listened calmly and patiently, only giving small glances back at her stable members, watching their own faces occasionally light up with understanding or intrigue as the SWAT explained her position further, but the Princess herself gave no signs of impression until woman was finished giving her points. "Hm..." And Himeko chewed on the words. True to Aurora's professional nature, her opinion was well thought out and showed an honest view of what this company had become. It was impossible to argue that ever since Rose took over the Lightweight Division was in a spin cycle of chaos, both behind the scenes and out in front. Sex, violence, and carnage reigned in the division, and people like Amano, Aurora, and the Gasters were honestly the outliers and minorities in the group. It was equally impossible to argue that most of the backseat drivers of online commentators and ego chasers had also came in force a little after Rose's arrival. As much attention and profitability there was in the woman, it didn't make for a good environment and made it difficult for other wrestlers to come out with either being overshadowed by Rose and her methods, or having to follow them to keep up with the crowd. The SWAT Cats and Astrid Ostberg were probably the only force with enough marketing pull to challenge. Even Himeko and her stable couldn't match it.

"Hehehe..." And at the full realization and rumination on Aurora's stance, the Princess snickered.

"Hahahaha!" Then, laughter. Honest, outright laughter than that had Reiko and Nanase flinch at the sight.

"Hime... chan?"

Himeko slowed her laughter, forcing herself to take in air as she found her footing. "Damn, when has someone actually made decent counterpoints in this company?" She said, talking to no one in particular. "I almost forgot there were people other than me that could see a bigger picture around here." She let out a sigh, wiping at her eyes before turning to to Reiko. "Runt!"

Reiko stood at attention. "H-Hai!"

Himeko pointed her thumb toward Aurora. "You're gonna' be fighting Estrella her to give her an idea of how Rose fights. You two have a similar fighting style of grappling and sudden strikes so it's a close enough fit to get her ready. She needs the training, so don't hold anything back. Go into the corner and start stretching."

"Hai!"

Himeko then turned to Nanase. "Nanana, that thing we talked about last month. Is it ready to go?"

Nanase nodded.

"Set it up, have it ready in ten minutes and get the Runt to help when she's done with her warmups."

Nanase nodded again and quietly left to the back of the dojo, going into what seemed to be a large storage closet.

"Now... Estrella." She looked Aurora over. "I don't really care much about this whole... wrestling thing, but I agree with you. Rose, while good for business in the short term, has done her job. She's brought attention to the Lightweight Division and has proven that she even someone like her can deliver when her back is against the wall. All the press she's gotten had helped push people like Reiko from a fledgling into a real fighter that wanted to be a force in LAW. And if she just kept using her 'Heels are Heroes' shtick as a way to push others I might be tempted to let her do as she pleases as the big villain that can unite this division into something that can be greater than her." She took a breath. "But... that isn't the case. Like you said, she's fit to stay on her throne until she retires and she'll just find weaklings to keep herself looking good. Her time is done now. She has nothing left to prove and no one left to conquer save for the people that can actually conquer her. The most she can do now is let a real champion take over and give that belt some meaning again." She paused, as if thinking of something else. "Hm..." She glanced back, watching Reiko stretch and Nanase in the back rooms. Then, she looked to Aurora. "Estrella." She started. "Mind if I tell you something?"

[winner3]

Aurora had opened herself up to scrutiny, sharing her honest thoughts with Himeko. But that openness and vulnerability made way for honest and thought-provoking discourse.

The Steel Princess mulled over the luchadora's words. As Himeko contemplated things, Aurora joined Amano and Hangaku in their intrigued and invested body language and facial expressions. Estrella was quite interested in hearing Himeko's thoughts and rebuttal! She waited for the princess's reply with bated breath! And after the short moment Himeko needed to process it all, the sound of her bellowing with laughter had The Galaxy Cat breathe a small sigh of relief internally.

"Hehe..." Aurora would chuckle nervously at first but she was able to very quickly ascertain that Taishuya's laughter was genuine.

"You're too kind, Taishuya-san!" Aurora would blush after being complimented.

Ever the businesswoman and ever the taskmaster, Himeko got right down to business! After feeling out Aurora's headspace and in energy, she commanded Amano to prepare herself for a spar! It was clear enough given Himeko's tone and body language that much of her instruction for Amano also applied for Aurora. Aurora would make a mental note of Himeko's words just then and begin stretching, herself. She took notice of Hangaku being sent off on some sort of errand. Aurora raised her eyebrow curiously as she contemplated just how many plans Himeko had on her agenda...and how many she had already set in motion!

"Ah! Hai, Taishuya-san!" The luchadora would perk up and exclaim when Himeko called her by name. She began to fall in line in much the same way that the other SnH stablemates did.

"I understand. You don't need a passion for wrestling specifically. In the ring, we're all fighters of all disciplines and all walks of life." Aurora used the brief pause to muster up a short response. She said these words with a smile. She continued making eye contact with her host and fellow lightweight LAW wrestler. But something seem to catch Taishuya's attention.

"Not at all! What's on your mind, Taishuya-san?" Aurora would answer with genuine concern and curiosity.