That’s Mr. Steele To You! (for CaptainL and SimplyWoo)

[Pegasus]

“You tell me not to get any ideas, but some of the girls here will have their way with you if you aren’t careful. Just saying,” Jonathan teased with a confident wink as he ran ahead of his wife before she made a note of Natalie.

Natalie heard this as she stopped and turned back to Brianna with a cocky smirk. She crossed her arms and snickered at the Wildcat Champion. This made everyone else stop in their tracks as they stared straight at Natalie and Rylie.

“You got a problem, grandma? Am I just too fast to handle or maybe I’m just cooler than you? If you can’t handle a simple race, why are you even a champion? Maybe I should take that title off your hands and show the world a real contender,” Natalie spat in her competitive talk as she wanted to get under Brianna’s skin despite her being her coach’s wife.

“Natalie, that’s not necessary,” Jonathan scolded her student, but Natalie closed her eyes and held up her left hand.

“Full stop, coach. You married a marshmallow and she just got roasted. Oooohhhh!!!!!” Natalie yelled in an obnoxious tone.

Natalie then heard Chelsea talk as she snorted at the Englishwoman’s accent and skated up to her with her arms crossed.

“I didn’t know we were out at sea and had a pirate among us. Aye, aye, Captain!” Natalie teased as she laughed out loud and skated backwards surely leaving Chelsea fuming.

[SimplyWoo]

Rylie glanced back to listen to the others while following the coach's instructions and she smirked listening to Chelsea, enjoying her strong attitude on teaching a lesson to those that denied her goals. She didn't know anything about the Mad Tea Party, so she will have to inquire about that later. When it came to what was going on with wrestling, Rylie had zero clue about what was going on with anybody else, the only wrestling lore she knew was just focusing on her own matches. She then smiled at Yuki's story, appreciating hearing how it was a hobby that helped her out, then nodded at her need to improve, it was a reason she was also here.

Then it came to Natalie taunting Brianna and Chelsea, she did her best to glance in the opposite direction since eyes were on her as well before looking towards everyone. "So, did everybody here already know each other? I'm starting to feel like a transfer student." She mentioned with a chuckle before focusing on her breathing, starting to feel it on the last lap or two of the jogging exercise.

[CaptainL]

"H-Huh..? Hey, now's not the time-!" Jonathan's quip caused Brianna's face to light up with an even brighter blush. Finding herself distracted, her pace slowed - and when she began to fall behind her husband, she quickly shook herself back to her senses, realizing what was up! "HEY!! You did that on purpose, didn't you!?" she shouted, taking off faster now to try and close the distance.

Of course, no one's tactics would be more glaring than Natalie's, when she was already keeping well ahead of any of the others on her skates. And when it came to taunts, she wasn't falling behind either. As soon as she opened her mouth next, Brianna's attention was diverted away from Jonathan as she spun around to face Natalie with a glare, blowing a snort through her nose. "A marshmallow!? Hey-!! If we end up sparring, I'll show you just how 'roasted' I am!"

It seemed Natalie was out to offend everyone, because she would also pass by Chelsea, mocking her accent. If Brianna had been enraged by her insults, Natalie had seen nothing yet, as Chelsea fixed a glare at her. "WOT!?" she shouted back. I'll have ye nah dat's the blewdy West Country, like! And dat'll be de least o' yer problems!"

Her brow furrowed and her teeth clenched, Chelsea trembled with rising anger when she saw Natalie skate past her backward. She knew she was mocking her now with how effortless she was making everything look, and she wouldn't stand for it! "Maybe dis will kekka dat kite o' yers!" she growled, drawing back a fist and preparing to fling it straight toward Natalie's face - just before Sanae grabbed her by the arm as she came up behind her, pulling it away with a sigh. "Can we...at least try to get through this without any trouble?"

While this all was happening, Yuki looked back at Rylie. If nothing else, she was glad that someone here seemed sane enough...even when she was dressed like a raccoon. "Chelsea's been in touch with Jonathan for a while," she explained, "and Lyra's a student of his. As is Natalie...apparently. I've worked with Jon on and off, but it's never been as steady, and I haven't dealt with his other students, at least not in this capacity. As for Sanae, it's actually my first time meeting her. I've seen some of her matches, but never had the chance to meet her in person. So...you're not alone."

[Pegasus]

Well, this dissolved into a ruckus within the first few minutes and Jonathan was sure Chelsea would clean Natalie’s clock right then and there. Luckily, Sanae stopped her as Natalie skated back falling on her behind a little in fear. Natalie knew she could push buttons, but that was the first time even she thought she might have took it too far. Jonathan came over to help her up and get her over on the wall to help her balance as she blushed a little knowing she was gonna get made fun of. She turned over to Brianna and crossed her arms to cover herself up, but lifted her chin to say words to the Wildcat Champion.

“Sorry if I rubbed ya the wrong way. I was only joking, but even I can see when I may have made it worse. I actually have watched your matches and you totally kick ass. Would love to spar with you,” Natalie explained as she playfully punched Brianna’s right arm.

Lyra would lower her breathing rate fully expecting to help break apart a fight, but Chelsea seemed to be settled and Natalie humbled herself as she prayed a silent request to the universe to prevent any more prone accidents. Jonathan wiped a brow and addressed his class.

“Everyone get in line and Bri, stand up here with me,” Jonathan requested as he stood up at the white boards with his wife while his female students got in a single file line side by side with one another. “Let’s start off with a question. What made you all want to be wrestlers? I find delving into your specific reasons to become wrestlers lets me understand the passion and desires you all have. It speaks to me that you all take this sports seriously and want to accomplish different motives.”

“My dad got me into this sport and I had trouble. I was a total loser in classes and my promos were cringy. I got better, but only after I decided to separate myself. Separate from the others. That’s why I combined wrestling with my passion for roller skating. Yes, it’s weird, but skating is my childhood. What other wrestler can you say wrestles like this?” Natalie explained as she went first.

[SimplyWoo]

Rylie lined up as requested and rubbed the back of her head as it was her turn after Natalie. "To be honest I never really wanted to be a wrestler." She confessed as she blushed a little bit. "But after being given shelter and an opportunity by some friends who wrestled. After having my first match, even though I got my ass beat. I loved it. I went from always being alone to those fans feeling like friends. This feels like home to me now." She mentioned as she rubbed her shoulder with a small smile and shrug. "Now I want more, I want to work my tail off to try to pursue that Lawless Championship." She mentioned as she looked to who was next to talk.

[CaptainL]

All things considered, that...went better than Brianna was expecting it to. As soon as Natalie said she was just joking, she slowed to a stop - and when she mentioned how much she admired the champion, she broke into a grin. She had devised the Black Tornado persona as a way to step out of her shell, but she had never anticipated how much success it would bring her - not only winning the top title in her division at USPW, but making fans across the world in the process. It had already been a rush for her to see her face across posters and on T-shirts, but every time she met someone new who had been touched by her example, that was something special. That told her she was going somewhere. And she wasn't just in it for the fame - she was a wrestling fan at heart, and she could appreciate a dream match when she saw one. Chuckling, she gave Natalie a pat on the shoulder and nodded her head. "Oh, really, now? Well, in that case...I might just have to see for myself."

Then, Jonathan called everyone to attention, and Brianna stopped to look back at her husband. "...Looks like that might come sooner than we thought," she added, heading over to take her place at his side, while Chelsea, Yuki, and Sanae all lined up alongside the others. It was time for everyone to share their stories, and after Natalie and Rylie's examples, it would pass to Chelsea next.

Shrugging her shoulders, Chelsea stepped forward. "Eh, I already told me story ter a couple'a yous...but why am I in wrestlin', like? I picked it up outi spite. I really wanted ter be a singer, but that wasn't workin' out when I pushed erryone away, and nobody wanted ter get close ter me." She let out a sigh, thinking back on some painful memories. "Wrestlin' was the only job out there I could actually land a spot ed. But I trained, and I got betti, like, and I think I'm on ter somethin' by now...but in de end, I just wanted ter prove erryone wrong when they said I couldn't go anyroad."

Next, Yuki spoke up. "I'm not really concerned with money, or fame, or anything like that. I'm still after the Lightweight Championship to prove I've made it that far, but just being a champion isn't the point. Wrestling just...speaks to me. I love doing it, and it makes me feel like I'm achieving something, in a way I can't get from anything else. And really, I'm just an everyday girl like everyone on the street. I'm not trying to put on airs. So when I get out there and wrestle, and when I do things that wow the fans, it sends a message that they can do that, too. I find that inspiring, and I want to keep that up."

Brianna smiled a little, glancing back in Natalie's direction when she was reminded of what she'd told her. That left Sanae - and, following on the others, she blushed when she realized how silly she was going to sound, but cleared her throat nonetheless. "Uh...me? Don't laugh, but...I wanted to be an idol, first and foremost. Wrestling was never really on my radar, until I thought that if I trained and went into it it'd raise my profile, and I might get a contract that way. I didn't know anything about wrestling when I went into the Young Lioness Program, but as it turned out, I'm really quick to learn. And when I wrestled my first few matches, and I heard how loud people were cheering for me, and how much they believed in me, it made me realize I was really doing something good out there. It gave me hope to keep at it and to keep getting better, to be the person everyone had faith in and to live up to the potential they saw in me, and I guess that's what led me here." With that, she looked over at Lyra, knowing she was next. She couldn't help but be curious about what the fortune teller had to say.

[Pegasus]

Lyra heard everyone’s stories and mainly gathered that either they didn’t initially set out on the path of being wrestlers or wrestling spoke to them and made them more unique people. Her story was more similar to the first kind, but she hadn’t discovered wrestling yet and was more focused on the path the universe set for her. It just happened that wrestling would be apart of that path and it led her to training under Jonathan. She was looked at as just playing a mystical character, but the realms that supplied her power to see into the future were no smoke and mirrors. She knew she was special and the universe taught her so much.

“The universe set me on this path. When I was little, I was gifted from realms outside our understanding. The gift to see into the future, to read people’s auras, and to know the path set before me. I opened my own shop and read people their fortune. I used tarot cards to determine past, present, and future. I knew where people misplaced their bikes or car keys, who they were destined to be with, or what career path they should follow. My probability rating is quite high. It took me to wrestling and training under the influence of my outer mentors. I met Jonathan and exclusively trained under him while I traveled around the independents. This is my first international excursion,” Lyra explained.

“Very interesting stories. Some share similarities and some are unique only to the teller. See, it’s stories like that which will give audiences the feel of your character as a wrestler. They take a look at you and can scope out what you are. Rylie, one look at you and I can see a brawler whose not afraid that get her hands dirty. Chelsea, hard-hitting and very determined. Sanae, proving herself in a world that used to be outside her understanding. Yuki, fluent in the art and quickly adapting. Natalie, inspired by the past to bring to the future. Lyra, gifted and mystical. Without knowing those stories, I could probably pain the picture clearly for each of you and your stories heighten my interest in your characters,” Jonathan explained.

“So, is that what attracted you to your wife?” Natalie asked.

“Call it a veteran mindset. I looked at the indies and I can’t really find wrestlers that stand out even with a variety of flashy gimmicks. However, Brianna had something special dear to her and the passion is shown. She shares that trait with all of you. Whether this was your first choice or not, passion carries over. It’s ever changing.Does that make sense?” Jonathan asked as he looked at the gazes of his students.

“I believe so. Each of us started out on different paths, but our passion is more feeling than set in one standard. We couldn’t imagine being wrestlers at first, but something put us in this sport and it spoke to us,” Lyra replied.

“Correct. Let me tell you a story….our boss, Hank, did not start out in wrestling like most of you. It wasn’t until the boom in the 80s that he picked it up, Hank shares this story with us quite frequently as a little reminder for our careers. Hank had been through a lot in life pre-wrestling. War broke out and fresh out of high school, Hank was drafted into the Vietnam War. Spent three months fighting off communist forces before he got shot in the leg and sent back home. That dangerous path led him to go to college for sports medicine and history. He started training in boxing and met some famous wrestlers that helped train him for the ring. The 90s come around and he ships off to the Middle East to be a medical officer for six months to aide wounded soldiers. Only when he came back did he start his career and on the side, Hank helped some friends of his run a bakery in Los Angeles. That’s what made him unique to us. Passion ran through him. It carried over from military action to academics to wrestling to running a promotion. The man’s 68 years old and retired, but he keeps the passion running,” Jonathan explained. “Moral of the story is….passion is what is going to keep you in this business.

Jonathan then turned back to his new students and crossed his arms. “What drives your passion for wrestling? That’s the question you need to ask yourselves.”

[SimplyWoo]

Rylie listened to each person with interest, her racoon ears twitching a little as she took in what everyone was saying and she gave a small smile when Jonathan thought of her as a brawler not afraid to get her hands dirty and her body shook as she held in a chuckle since her whole life as a runaway pretty much involved getting her hands dirty. She then nodded at Lyra in response to something putting them hear in the wrestling business and it speaking to them. When Jonathan finished his story and questioned them about what drives the passion, she completely understood it. She already answered that the fans feeling like friends to her was sparking her passion, and it showed when she was carried off on a stretcher with her first match that she started to like being her as opposed to feeling like being forced here to try to pay off a debt. She crossed her arms under her breasts as her tail swayed from side to side as she looked around at everyone, starting to feel a little more comfortable around this group of oddballs that was slowly beginning to feel like the family she never truly had.

[CaptainL]

When Lyra shared her story, Chelsea rolled her eyes, looking off and grumbling something about new age hippie bullshit that everyone else promptly ignored. Sanae leaned in with wide eyes, fascinated. "Whoah...you think you could read my fortune some time?" Yuki fell somewhere in the middle of the road; she looked back and raised her eyebrow in curiosity, but wasn't one to pick a side. But when Jonathan spoke up, the class turned to face him - and when he discussed how the girls' stories reflected who they were as people and how they'd developed in the ring, Sanae, Yuki, and Chelsea turned to one another, glancing between them. It was hard to deny that he had a point. They could see all of that in what they'd done - even if they had never truly considered it themselves. This was all a part of their destinies, and no matter where they came from, their paths had led them here all the same, shaping them into the people they were today.

Natalie seemed to catch on, as she asked Jonathan about what drew him and Brianna together. At first, the Wildcat Champion's face went red as she held a hand to her mouth, prepared for some embarrassing answer. But instead, she heard him talk about her passion for her art, and how it let it drive her, and it made her smile. She chuckled a little when she thought back on it - her parents had been supportive of her choices, but they still questioned if it was worth it for Brianna to pursue such a dangerous and unpredictable job instead of finding steady money to support the family. But in the end, it had been her passion, and her determination to bring something to the wrestling world, that drove her to succeed, and that had been what led to her becoming the champion she was today. Jonathan could see that in Hank, he could see it in himself, and he could see it in all of his students. And as she looked over each of the girls, thinking of what they'd told her, Brianna could see it too.

When the question passed to the students, the three of them looked over each other. This time, it was Sanae who would go first, as she stepped up to face her teacher. "Well, even if I never intended to be a wrestler at first, I didn't believe in not taking it seriously. It might have been a means to an end for me at first, but that end was important to me, and I wanted to do everything I could to make it a reality, even if that meant becoming a great wrestler. That's what pushed me through my classes...but if I'm going to be honest, I don't think I would have kept going the way I am today if it wasn't for Alizeh. She really saw that I had the potential in me to do something great, and she wanted to help bring that out of me, whether it was by teaming up with me or challenging me to surpass my limits in every match we were in. I wanted to live up to her hopes, and every time I heard the fans calling my name, I wanted to live up to their hopes, too. I saw people were counting on me, and I wanted to do my best for them."

Brianna nodded her head to Sanae, smirking a little bit - she couldn't help but see some of herself. Next, it was Chelsea's turn, and she shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I dun kun. I guess yous could say I work as 'ard as I do because...I wanted to prove I 'ad it in me, like. I didn't do so good in me first few matches, even when I got on a PPV. It just seemed like I kept losin' erry time. And people started callin' me a jobber, and dat really got me goin'. I'd pegged wrestlin' as the only thing I stood a chance at makin' meself useful in...and I didn't wanna lose dat. So I was inspired ter do me best to prove erryone wrong. I had ter be dat passionate, because if it didn't work, I'd have nothin'..."

After having it translated for her, Yuki nodded her head. "Never thought I'd say this, but I'm in the same boat as Chelsea, really. I took to wrestling because it really spoke to me, and I couldn't see myself in any other job. That's what made me that much more determined to do my best, because I needed to prove to the world that I belonged. I was great in the indies, but as I started working with bigger promotions the competition got steeper, and I needed to put in the extra effort to prove I was on their level. The...the Rose match was what showed me I wasn't as good as I thought I was," she added with a sigh, "but after that, I decided I needed to expand and get better. It might hurt at times, sure..." She rubbed at her leg, wincing a little as she thought about all the injuries she'd incurred as her dedication to proving herself inspired her to more and more extreme stipulations, "But, at the end of the day, I want to show everyone I deserve to be here. You can't do that without passion."

[Pegasus]

Lyra knew her abilities had gathered looks from people on both sides of the spectrum. Either people thought she was full of shit and needed to be locked up in a mental institution or they were rather intrigued to see if she was truly a fortune reader. Lyra always proved them wrong and her correct fortunes always gathered money on her table. Nobody should bet against the universe in her eyes, because it can bring curses as much as it brings blessings. Sanae seemed to believe her while Chelsea just waved off her story. Yuki looked a little suspicious herself, but did have an impressed look on her face. If they wanted a demonstration, so be it. Lyra blushed immensely as she took her crush’s right hand and squeezed a little gently.

“Your agent has booked you for three concerts in Okinawa, Kyoko, and Osaka. You’ll get the details shortly this afternoon,” Lyra explained.

Lyra then walked over to Chelsea taking her right hand and closing her eyes reading her fortune to prove herself. “Your boyfriend has broken the sink in your loft. He’s frantically trying to get a plumber to come fix it before you get home.”

Then over to Yuki and Rylie grabbing their right hands to hold in both of hers. “Yuki, your next few matches will bring much success to you in many forms. Rylie, you are currently thinking about making banana bread for a get together with Oscar and Katrina tonight. I see you are also inviting me at the end of class and I would love to come.”

Natalie would be the last one and Lyra simply looked at her skates. “Your left skate is untied.”

Natalie looked down and widened her eyes seeing her skate untied as she cupped her cheeks.

“Never seen someone so amazed by common sense,” Jonathan mentioned to his wife.

Jonathan then clapped his hands to get his students’ attention before his wife passed him some notecards and he rummaged through them reading them off.

“Our first lesson today looks at your ability to tell a story. We’ll get to sparring, but first, I want to hear you talk. One of the most important things in wrestling is cutting a promo. It displays confidence, admiration, and above all, passion. Now, we have six here so you’ll be split into three groups of two. Rylie and Natalie, your topic is you two trading barbs about which one deserves the championship the most. Chelsea and Sanae, one of you insults your opponent’s home country and the other defends it. Yuki and Lyra, you two respect each other as wrestlers, but you trade barbs about how winning your match means to you. You guys decide the specific stuff. Let’s see you all make it sing!” Jonathan explained as he passed around the notecards.