The Roche Limit

[BlackAkuma]

Cersei had never been to a wrestling convention in her life. She couldn't have even imagined it back home in Somalia. The idea seemed absurd on its face - all these people coming from the world over just to meet wrestlers and stand with them for silly pictures and pay money for gaudy trinkets and overpriced signatures. It was a bunch of smelly, idiotic nerds running all over, having the most banal of times, and she normally wouldn’t have been within a ten mile radius of such a silly affair.

But she and Bast had contracts. Contracts that forced them to make certain appearances at certain events, and LAWCON - one of LAW’s biggest conventions - was one of them.

The two of them had a booth set up at the far end of the massive meeting room, just another one of many, all lined up in a row. As much as she detested the event, Cersei had done her best to have some merchandise available for the huddled masses, setting out t-shirts and autographing photos around the table that made up their section. It was all silly, meaningful fluff, but if they were going to do this, she might as well try to make it profitable, she supposed.

Cersei might have wanted to be anywhere else in the world, and you would be forgiven for thinking that Bast felt the same way. The truth, however, was the exact opposite - this convention was the most fun Bast had since she stepped foot in Japan.

Thanks to the rather brusque, upfront way that she’d been presented to the Japanese public, Bast had thought they would all just hate her straightaway, figuring that she was some conquering villain out to destroy their favorite wrestlers and lay waste to the roster. While she had certainly gotten more than her fair share of dirty looks since stepping into the convention hall, she was surprised to find that she had built up a small little fanbase of her own, with more than a few people coming over to shake hands, ask for her autograph, and even take a few photos with her - which, of course, Cersei insisted they pay for, much to Bast’s chagrin. She’d even had a few pleasant conversations, though her limited understanding of Japanese made it a struggle.

Still, she’d been in good spirits all day, a stark contrast to Cersei, who was currently standing next to the booth with her arms crossed and a prominent pout on her lips. Bast was just finishing up an autographed headshot for a lovely couple, when her sister’s dour finally boiled over and she had to say something. ”Will you sit down?” She looked at Cersei from the side of her eyes as she waved off the lovely couple. ”Not everything has to be so serious.”

Cersei, who’d been standing beside the booth with her arms crossed for the longest time, merely scowled down her way, giving the same look their mother had once used to keep them in line. ”Everything? No. But there are far better things we could with our time than appealing to these, these-“

”Fans?”

”Peons.”

Bast had a low rumbling groan and sat back, as another couple of fans walked by and gave them a wide berth, no doubt scared off by her sister’s surly presence. She knew better than anyone that there was no placating her sister like this. Once she was set into a mood, there was little to be done, like weathering a storm. There was no way to quell the tempest, you could only batten down the hatches and wait for it to pass.

After a few more moments of awkward silence, Cersei relented and stepped forward to grab her pocketbook. She reached in, fished through it, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. ”I’m stepping out. Try not to have too much fun while I’m gone.”

Bast wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that, but she didn’t stop her and get an answer. A little venting would be good for her, and she brought her attention to more important things, like getting ready for whoever would be approaching the booth next.

[thesteedman]

A contrast to Cersei and Bast, this was far from Stick and Stone's first rodeo when it came to wrestling conventions. Stick was not a fan of them to say the least, and it showed. Contracts were contracts however, and when signing up for theirs to enter the LAW, Stick had failed to catch the small print of the federation’s demands that they attend Wrestling Cons. It was something of a weakness of Stick's when signing hers and Stone's lives away. She just saw the big bucks and the potential to make more. She always started off well, reading through the first page, but the rest she skimmed over when she spied just how much money the duo could make. Often Stick had signed when perhaps she could have better negotiated, and that was why she was here today.

These cons were such a bore, and Stick was sat upon a table leaning upon her hand whilst it was supported by her elbow. Her eyes were half closed, her deep red hair hanging over her eyes. The line was so damn long, spotty geeks, smelly overweight nerds all being herded like cattle towards their table as they waited for autographs. The worst part of this was just that... this was only the autograph section of their panel. After the hours of sitting around getting a sore wrist, they had to come back after lunch and stand about for the photo-shoot, mostly with the same people they had already signed for. If they just did both at the same time they could have been done with the day... but alas... here they were.

Stone looked content at least. It was hard to tell for most people given her stoic presence and expression, but Stick had been around her partner in crime for so long that she knew Stone's tells and mannerisms to a T. She seemed happy to scribble a little Stone symbol Stick had taught her to make upon photos of herself. The only blessing was if the fan held a photo of Stone, it meant they did not want to go near Stick. It was the way Stick wanted it, she hated people... but the issue was, those fans seemed to become rare. Regrettably, the vast majority actually paid extra for a picture of Stone and Stick... which meant she had to sign it as well. Stick was not soft... she was aware of fan attitude towards her when she was in the ring being an absolute nightmare. But the fan base was a majority of teens... and Stick knew very well what teens liked.

"Here... now buzz off!" Stick whispered with a slight hiss, watching as a smiling teen collected the autographed picture of choice. Yes, Stick was aware of the secret fan base she had collected. It was the curse of beauty and the bane of keeping oneself in good condition given Stick was surprisingly well built for someone who could not fight her way out of a paper bag. After a good two hours of this, fortunately it was time to take a break as the staff closed off the line and the last were dealt with. Stick stretched her form, as a few clicks came from her spine making her groan out before she stood up and looked to Stone. Stone looked a little sad that the line had been forced to an end. She was clearly eager to continue
"Oh stop it you. We have the photo-shoot in an hour or so. You can meet and greet your fans in better fashion during that time. I'm going to get some air for a bit. Be where I can find you." Stick would demand, glad to be out of the chair she had been parked in for hours.

Luckily there was an area for the wrestlers to retreat too. Stick pulled a face of despair when the stunning Eve Summers walked by giving her a pleasant wave and a smile. These damn wrestlers thrived on this kind of thing. Stick just wanted to be back at home, it was getting cold and her attire was not exactly suited for the time of season. Running a hand through her hair to fix a few bangs, she soon found herself outside. Though the convention area was generally spacious, nothing beat clear air, even if it was bitter. Stick took in a deep breath through her nose, before coughing loudly as she took in nothing but smoke. Wafting away the fumes, she turned to see a familiar face fashioning the origin of the smoke... Cersei. Stick's eyes darkened...
"You... little... bitch..."

---

Elsewhere, Stone was at a bit of a loss. With Stick gone for a few minutes she did not know what to do with herself. Rising from her booth, she went in a different direction than she was supposed to. Instead of going to the allotted area for wrestlers and staff, she found herself going the wrong way, a little deeper into the convention. Naturally this brought a bit of a crowd who instantly recognised the giant of a woman, and many fans began to scream and shout, all demanding autographs and attention. Stone was a large woman, so she was not exactly panicked by the crowd, standing way above most... but she could see they all wanted an autograph... but Stone had not brought her pen. She looked a little dumbfounded and awkward... whilst she was not exactly in trouble, it was clear she was becoming a bit stuck in what to do. Without Stick it seemed she really did not cope all so well.

[BlackAkuma]

It seemed like Cersei was given a new reason to hate Japan every day. Today’s newest addition? Their idiotic rules for smoking.

When she went looking for a place to smoke, she found it unusually elusive, running into signs that prohibited it at every corner. There were so many people crawling around this place, so few empty spots, that tracking down somewhere, anywhere, was an exercise in futility, one that had her navigating this maze far longer than she cared to. Every step was another test of her patience, every turn found her running into people she didn’t want to waste a single breath on, and if one more idiot stared at her as if they’d never seen an African before, she was going to slap them full on in the face.

In summary, she was in a bad mood, and, shocker of shockers, running into Stick did nothing to improve it. ”You.”

She had just found a good spot outside, one near the water fountain in the front, and she’d thought she had it all to herself. That notion was spoiled when someone came up behind her, but she felt like she could tolerate the presence, until she realized exactly who it was - the same little skinny bitch that she’d come across in Bast’s match with Stone. She sneered the woman’s way, a look of raw hate, and looked her up and down.

”What are you doing here? This is a wrestling convention, not a pet show.” She flicked the cigarette away. ”You and your bitch should be outside.”

----

Bast, meanwhile, remained blissfully aware of the looming powderkeg, signing autographs and having a few polite conversations. She had just finished a few quick ones when a sudden commotion took her attention. She didn’t pay any attention to it at first, as such things had happened a few times tonight, but she was drawn in when she looked up and noticed exactly who it was.

”Stone?”

Sure enough, it was the massive, mammoth woman she’d fought not too long ago. Her body was still sore from that hellish brawl, one of the most intense bouts of her entire life, and she’d hated the way it had all come to an end. Stone had struck her as an odd sort of woman, and she’d wished she could have had more time with her and straighten a few things out.

Wish granted. ”Stone!” She stood up and waved her way, motioning for her to come over. ”Stone, over here!”

[thesteedman]

"Is that why you're already outside? Couldn't get in could you?" Stick snapped back, her hands moving to her hips as her head tilted to the side a little.
"I don't know... you get your girl one lucky win and you think you own the place. You dare to ask me what I'm doing here?!... This thing is for real wrestlers! Not little wannabe's like you and that Bass or whatever her name is." Stick would add, soon folding her arms under her own modest but still impressive chest.
"You're lucky I'm feeling kind today. I really should kick your arse after what you pulled in our match. However, I'm willing to be merciful... so long as you f*ck off right now." Stick would declare, looking oddly confident for someone who spent her time hiding behind the much larger Stone. That said, she was not threatening a wrestler, but a fellow manager, which no doubt gave her the boost of confidence!

It said it all when Stick's posture shifted, looking to make herself slightly larger as she fronted the fellow manager before her.

----------------------------------------

There was a lot of people calling out Stone's name as wrestling fans surrounded the mammoth of a woman. There was certainly no danger to the giant as Stone was too laid back to become panicked, especially standing so tall as she was. Still, she looked a little out of sorts, not sure what direction to walk, and looking a bit overwhelmed by the attention. Despite her name being called out so much, there was one voice that was able to carry with more command and dominance than the others, bringing Stone's attention towards a desk. She noticed it was a place set up for Bast who stood tall, waving and motioning for her to approach.

It was certainly not Stick, but at least it was a face that she recognised. Stick always told Stone not to talk to strangers, and she was doing well not to talk to anyone around her... but she did know Bast. The two of them fought against each other not so long ago. Stone was confident Stick would not mind as Bast was no stranger to her. Stone began to approach with firmness, brushing past the gathering crowd to make her way towards the desk. She was delicate enough not to hurt anyone on her approach, but she certainly demonstrated her strength, no doubt a silent warning that one could easily be run over by her if they remained in the way.

Fortunately some staff members came to the rescue, able to help control the crowd after they saw Bast signalling towards Stone, finally giving the giant freedom to approach the fellow heavyweight. Stone looked a little sheepish, but she managed something of an awkward welcoming smile, standing tall before Bast. It was then she looked down at the selection of photos before her, seeing many high quality studio images akin to her own. Stone reached down and picked one up that had her and her manager side by side, before handing it towards Bast... looking to get a signature.

[BlackAkuma]

Cersei had only known Stick for the better part of fifteen minutes, and she could already say without an ounce of doubt that she had never hated anyone more.

The woman was just undeservedly haughty, without deserving it. Cersei looked and sneered as this cocky woman blathered on, feeling the flames rising inside of her as she talked about things that she had no idea about. Her voice was annoying, this shrill shrieking of a noise that tickled Cersei’s ears with every word she spoke, and the idiocy that she was using it for made it all the worse.

…and what sort of stupid name was ‘Stick’, anyway?

”Lucky win?” She stepped forward and puffed her chest out, not wanting to be outdone by this thin thimble of a woman. ”Bast is a real wrestler, you simpering twit. For starters, she can actually do more than four moves, which I know your dim-witted friend can’t say.”

With hands on hips, she stepped into Stick’s personal space, only an inch away from touching chests, as several onlookers started to gather around them. She paid them little heed, however, and kept her gaze locked on the woman at her front. ”You don’t know me, and you don’t know my sister. But if you don’t step away right now, you’ll learn about us in a hurry.”
_______________________________________________________________________________

For a moment, Bast was worried that they might cause a small scene. Stone was a giant of a woman, and with the swath of people around her, there was a high chance someone might get a little too close and find themselves knocked off. While she wasn’t at this woman’s height, even she knew how cumbersome it could be living in a world that was made for people well under a foot shorter than you.

Thankfully, the staff was on point, and were able to clear a way for her to come over without any real incident. Bast wasn’t sure what would happen from there, and she tipped her head to the side when Stone didn’t say anything, only looking her way with a shy smile that somehow managed to be adorable despite her imposing figure. But when she reached for the photograph, everything was made clear straight away.

”Oh, of course.” Bast had a quick laugh and sat back down and scribbled away on the picture with a fresh marker, taking care to give it her best handwriting.

‘Bast - To A Great Opponent’

She handed the autograph back to Stone, then thumbed towards the empty seat next to her. ”Can you stay with me for a moment? I’d love your company.”

[thesteedman]

"Four moves? I knew you didn't have the intelligence to count! And don't you dare insult Stone! She'll fold you up and break you like a twig!" Stick would hiss back with just as much passion and ferocity as she stepped up against Cersei. The two women were face to face, with neither backing down. Stick placed her hands against her own hips, her eyes glaring at her current rivals as there was almost less than an inch of space between the two. When Cersei made her clear threat, Stick did not back down, managing a sly smile.

"I do know you... you're a weasel. You struck me from behind like a damn craven. The only one who needs to step away here... is you, because I am not going anywhere!" Stick would threaten back with as much passion as Cersei herself. By now quite a gathering was starting to form, noticing the potential trouble that was going on between the two managers. The tension grew so much if felt like you could cut through it with a blade, as both women did not give a single inch.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stone felt a little more at ease now that the crowd had been managed. It seemed it was break time as autographs were being closed off for the time being to help the attending superstars of the con get some air and much needed time. No doubt they would be called back in an hour or so, with Stick and Stone themselves having been booked for photo sessions with the fans a bit later on. However, Stone quite admired the calm before the next inevitable storm, and no longer felt lost now that she was in the presence of another that she knew. Of course, the only interaction before this that Stone and Bast had shared was in the wrestling ring trying to defeat each other, but Stone never held any malice towards Bast during that match.

She was merely doing what Stick was telling her too, but it looked like Bast herself understood. When she offered her the autograph back, Stone managed a bigger more pleasant smile upon her lips. Stone was about to move on, but Bast soon motioned for her to sit with her. Stone gave brief pause, looking around to see if there was any sign of Stick yet. She should have returned by now in truth, but the monster of a woman could not see her brilliantly red hair anywhere. Not wanting to get lost, Stone knew her best course of action was to remain where she had been left, and Stone was not far from that said desk.

She managed a small nod looking back at Bast, before she moved around, coming to lower herself on the chair besides her. Luckily it was well made, able to support her weight as many larger than life characters were present at the convention, almost as large as the likes of Bast and Stone. As such they had good comfort, and Stone had no trouble lowering herself down before she found herself sitting next to Bast, still holding the photograph that she had signed. She motioned towards Bast with a soft point towards her chest, before she would direct her finger towards the writing Bast had signed, highlighting 'Great Opponent', no doubt communicating without words that she considered Bast a great opponent herself. She managed a small smile afterward, giving a modest nod of approval.

[BlackAkuma]

Cersei bristled at the threat, knowing full well just how damaging Stone could be once she was up close and personal. She could still feel that beast of woman’s around her body, remembered what it was like to have her face enveloped by her breasts, and she shuddered to think what could’ve happened if Bast had been just a little slower getting to her. The possibility of getting snapped in half was a frighteningly real one.

But Stone was nowhere to be seen at the moment, and since she was rather hard to miss with her towering height, it was safe to say she wasn’t in the area. Cersei did a cursory search of their surroundings, just to be sure, then brought her attention back to the wastrel at her front.

”I don’t regret striking you, not at all.” She leaned in and sneered. ”In fact, if I made any mistake at all, it was not striking you from the front, as well, so I could see the stupid look on your face. One that would’ve surely looked like…”

She whipped her arm out and smacked Stick across the face with the back of her hand, hitting hard enough to knock her head to the side.

”...this.”

_______________________________________________________

For a moment, Bast was afraid that Stone might run off - or lumber off, more likely, as running didn’t seem like something she was keen on. She couldn't help but notice that the bruiser of a woman seemed to be distracted by something, as if she was searching for a person in the crowd, and it wasn’t too hard to guess who that someone was. Stick, her rather enthusiastic manager, was nowhere to be seen, and Bast had the smallest inkling of what that could lead to, but she didn’t let it bother her too much at the moment.

Bast scooted her seat a little to the side in order to give her new companion some room, with the booth clearly made with much smaller women in mind. Silly as it was, she was happy to have some extra company for once. She rarely spoke to anyone back in their homeland, where keeping to yourself and minding your business was a necessary tool, and she hadn't had much chance to do it in Japan, either, with most wrestling fans giving her a wide berth when security wasn’t around.

She followed Stone’s fingers with a quizzical eye, until she picked up on the message she was trying to convey. ”Oh, thank you. I greatly enjoyed our match, as well, even if it ended in a less-than-ideal fashion. It was good to test myself against someone like you. ‘Pick on someone my own size’.” She leaned over and bumped their shoulders for a playful push, though her smile faltered a bit when a thought occurred.

”Pardon me if it’s rude, but I have to ask - can you speak? At all?”

[thesteedman]

Stone looked a little more alert then usual Bast could not help but notice. In the ring she looked so passive and seemingly disinterested, but Bast was seeing her for the first time outside of a ring environment, and she was quite different. She was a little more engaging, her face a little more expressive. Bast could see that Stone was listening to her as she spoke, before she asked a genuine question about her mute like state. Stone looked upon Bast, seeing that she was trying to be careful about how she approached the manner, but she managed a small smile to show that it was alright to ask such things.

Stone would nod at Bast in response, confirming that she was not actually mute and could talk. However, that was all she gave her, despite showing that she could talk, it seemed for one reason or another she did not. No doubt it fashioned more questions than it really answered, but it was certainly both interesting and good to know that Stone possessed the ability to speak. Given how much Stick went on with her words, perhaps it was just a case that Stick did all the talking for the two of them, or perhaps it was something more.

Stone pointed at Bast's arm gently before making a motion with her own arm. That dangerous arm Bast had the displeasure of being on the receiving end of attacks from tensed up as Stone showed off her muscles. It was a little frightening to see how much her arm bulged when she tensed it, showing off a little more of that unreal and hidden strength the giant of a woman possessed. After the brief display she pointed back to Bast's own arms. At first it almost seemed like she was suggesting an arm wrestle with her, but the clues soon indicated that Stone was actually complimenting Bast... her own way of saying that Bast herself was very strong and powerful.

---------------------------------------------

Stick grunted as she was struck with a hard slapped that echoed out loud. The force of it made her lurch to the side briefly as her deep red hair flowed afterwards, coming to hand over her beautiful face. Ever so slowly, Stick slowly returned to the position she had been standing in, her hair unkempt and half covering her narrowing eyes.
"Oh... You are gonna' regret that you bitch." Stick whispered with a tone dripping in malice. Another gasp came from the on looking gathering of people, as Stick would return the favour. However, it was not with a slap, but with her full body!

Stick would grasp at Cersei by her shoudlers, before she rammed her form into her, looking to bring the other woman down after a brief struggle and stumble. She shouted out in anger, as the two fought for control. Eventually both ladies would fall, but that was only after the back of Cersei's legs clashed against the fountain. The momentum sent both ladies into the cold water with a massive splash!

[BlackAkuma]

It was good to know that Stone could talk, at least - Bast didn’t know sign language, clearly, and she didn’t want to have a totally one-sided conversation, even if it was with someone she had an interest in talking to. She did have to wonder about why the woman didn’t seem to want to talk, though - was she just shy? It did seem like Stick did most of the talking between them, but she’d just assumed that was for wrestling, the same deal she and Cersei had going on. Were the two of them really like this all the time?

Whatever the case, she didn’t want to press the reasons too much, though she decided it wouldn’t change the way she spoke. If Stone chooses to verbalize, that would be fine. If not, she would work with it.

She perked up when Stone pointed to her muscles, looking them over with appreciation and admiration. They might’ve been terrifying to most, and understandably so, but Bast could compare their power and knew what they both could do. She reached up and gave them a tentative squeeze, confirming that this woman’s body lived up to her namesake, then followed suit and raised her own arm for a quick flexing. A couple passing by even stopped to click a few photos of them, before waving and moving on.

”Thank you, I think.” She brought her own arm back down and nodded Stone’s way, before she shifted a bit to the side to give the woman more of a berth. ”You’re very strong, even for your size. You must have a rigorous training regime - maybe we can workout together, sometime?”

__________________________________________________________________________________

This was far from the first time Cersei had ever slapped someone. In fact, she’d done it quite a few times, in the various leagues and underground venues that she and Bast frequented before they came to LAW. Someone would step to them, and she would have to put them in their place and show who were the alpha females. Many had tasted the wrath of her palm.

The major difference between then and now, though? Those times, Bast had always been around. People tended to just back off, knowing that any pain they visited on her would be returned tenfold by her sister. That wasn’t the case with Stick, though, and this fact occurred to Cersei the moment Stick slammed into her and the two of them went tumbling into the water.

She hit with a big splash and shrieked as the cold water washed over her, sending a chill along her skin. Desperate and wild, she pushed Stick’s face and tried to scramble away from the redhead, slipping on pennies as she went. ”Get away from me, you little pest!”

[thesteedman]

It was a far cry to see Stone as she was now compared to how she held herself in the ring. For one, she seemed a fair amount more animated. In a sense she had to be to convey what she was trying to communicate, since she was not using any verbal method. But even then, Bast could see Stone was a lot more human then she first seemed and not just some brutish monster. Even her expressions, there was a lot more life there then the straight face she donned when the two had been wrestling. It made one wonder if she was simply down spirited when she was in the ring... that perhaps she did not actually like wrestling or fighting and was just doing what she was told.

With no explanation, it was hard to really know. It could have just all been part of an act to intimidate... but there was definitely something amiss, after all, Stone did not do much of anything without command from the smaller red haired nightmare known as Stick. When Bast asked about her training regime, there was a look of seriousness upon Stone as she nodded in a small rapid motion, no doubt aware of what it took to maintain such a body that she possessed, especially with her build. She patted her own stomach and rubbed it, before managing a smile and motioning a good smell, before nodding with a thumbs up, suggesting that at least the food part of it all was very good. One could only hazard a guess at what kind of banquets were required to feed Stone and that muscled form of hers... no doubt she could probably eat a whole cow to herself!

Stone would lean over to the photo that Bast had signed for her, before she pointed to the picture, aiming at Cersei before making a gesture of 'Where?'. Having arrived with her own manager Stick, she wondered where Bast's might be, given that it looked like she was alone right now.

---------------------------

Stick felt her whole form strain with shock as the freezing cold water hit her body. She gasped out, becoming a little breathless, standing up as soon as she could as both women were in the hips deep fountain. Normally in such a circumstance, Stick would be rushing to get out as soon as possible... but rage often trumped discomfort, and it did so right here as Stick noticed Cersei trying to make a break for it after the two had tumbled into the icy cold water. Given the amount of loose change populating the base of the fountain, she was struggling in her heels to get a good footing, making her slip and stagger. Stick herself wore flats today... she always wore flats, shoes or boots in truth. Whilst she enjoyed the concept of flaunting heels and appearing taller, Stick was more than aware of how she capable of rubbing people the wrong way... and so she needed the mobility to be able to get behind Stone as soon as possible!

However, it came to an advantage here too! Stick near growled as she began to power after Cersei, her clothes soaked through and clinging to her surprisingly well developed frame. Though Stick would probably struggle to fight out of a paper bag, she did look after her body, and that fine well defined build was virtually visible now given her soaked shirt and trousers hugged her form. Powered by anger, she reached Cersei, grasping a handful of her hair from behind before she looked to pull her back. If she managed it, it was Stick's intent to spin her around to face her, before looking to throw a cold and wet slap towards her cheek in retaliation for her own inflictions!