Echo & Katsumi - Old and New

[CyanDimitrik]

Echo is two for two so far. The thought had crossed Katsumi’s mind in the moment. She’s stressed out. Some smug newcomer laughing at her was never something the punkette tolerated. The impulse to break the frame of the guitar over her head and remind everyone backstage who not to fuck with was strong.

Echo is two for two on what may be vocal slips, however, as well. Her comment on already knowing based on her reaction only serves to poke the bear more.

“You wanna see how worried I am? I’m happy to beat your ass then her ass later tonight!,” fumes Katsumi. And if Echo continues to rule her, she’d really have no choice. Either fight, for better or worse, or admit weakness and go into the fight feeling like a loser - on top of letting this newcomer think she can push her around.

No one has ever accused Katsumi of being level-headed or meek. But that’s what the fans pay to see. So Katsumi is standing at the ready, frame tense, still gripping the neck of the guitar and ready to spring into action. She only waits on Exho’s next word.

[Valkyrie]

Echo sighed, with an annoyed expression on her face. She honestly thought Katsumi would take a joke and give her a break since she was literally the first person she met in this new company, but apparently she was mistaken. And that was all her fault, really. She should’ve kept quiet, refraining from her constant desire of making a friend out of every person she met.

“Calm down” she said once again “I don’t have a problem with you. Not yet, at least” Echo noticed the fire in her eyes and she didn’t really want to see her wicked side. She could feel it and she didn’t like it.

“You won’t be beating me down because I’m don’t want to fight you” she said, with a low and firm tone. If Katsumi wanted to fight, by any means, Echo was not going to back down.

“Now put that guitar down before someone gets hurt”

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi is a little more testy tonight than usual, and that's a terrible thing. Katsumi under normal circumstances is a fireball. A tense and stirred Katsumi is basically the sun. But perhaps paradoxically, she relents with a snort - for the same reason she bit back her typical level of sass at the beginning. Either way, the mirth of before has drained to a bitter level.

"You will." She turns to plop in a heap on the chair again. The guitar's fat end continues resting on the floor, neck propped in her hand. "Everyone does eventually." Which part she's referring to specifically, she doesn't say. She doesn't really want to dwell on it, either.

"I'm not worried," Katsumi revisits. "I'm... like... pensive. There's a difference." Or so demands her pride and image. "You don't get it. Whatever, it's not a big deal. You've got your own thing going on tonight, and it's not worth explaining."

At least she's thought that far ahead. There's no way to describe Ryuko's veteran status and the acclaim she'd gained as Katsumi's forerunner, and the swelling dread it inspires now, to someone who isn't familiar with her - not without coming across as frightened. And that's not what this is. It's complicated. Ryuko got there first, she has literally double the professional wrestling experience as her, and she has the track record to back it up. It's like fighting your parent. And that's not even counting the fact that Katsumi is something of a fan of hers.

Complicated mess, it is. The only stable firm thing she knows for certain is that tonight is going to hurt.

[Valkyrie]

Echo sighed in relief as Katsumi was apparently giving her a break. She really felt like this situation was about to get out of control for a moment and she still wasn’t quite convinced that Katsumi would just let her slide. And the way she replied to Echo… was that a threat? It wasn’t a friendly joke, that’s for sure.

“See?” she said, with a forced smile on her face “There’s no need to act like you are the Queen of the jungle with me. I couldn’t care less about looking more intimidating than you, as you can tell by the way I am”

Echo didn’t really think she could possibly make a friend out of Katsumi, but at least she wanted to try not to make an enemy out of her. It looked like something she would have regretted at some point.

“I don’t have anything planned for tonight, actually” Echo firmly stated “I mean, they say I have ten minutes to introduce myself to the fans but… I mean, it’s not like I have to prepare for that”

“You sound like you could use a good talk” she said, while sitting cross-legged on the floor “If you want to drop the badass act and share your thoughts about your match with me, I’ll be happy to listen. Otherwise, I’ll just get going”

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi stares at her defensively as she speaks, clearly troubled, but her body language is closed off and protected. But the blonde isn't all wrong - she's backing down from the previous position (or the perceived previous position), and Katsumi slowly accepts that she's being too hard on her.

"It's not exactly something to tell a newbie," she remarks finally. "But if you start thinking you can push me around or start shit, I could just beat you down and set the record straight, so.. whatever.." It's hard to turn off, okay? For as nice as Echo is being, she's been tricked before. However, the idea of actually having friends in the business is appealing.

She exhales a sigh and drops her head. "I'm not trying to be a bitch. I just don't know you, okay? And giving you the idea that you could fuck with me is, like, the last thing I want."

She leans back and looks down at her for a second or two in discerning silence. "..Are you really this nice? I mean, really? You're not trying to fuck with me? Get in my head or something?"

[Valkyrie]

Echo stared at Katsumi with a puzzled look on her face. Pushing her around? Not really, that wasn’t her intention. Sure, maybe her choice of words wasn’t perfect. But still, she was not that type of wrestler: those who walk around the locker rooms acting like they are the alphas, the kings and queens of the jungle.

“If you want to beat me down, by any means, feel free to try” Echo shrugged “We could even have a match set up, if you are that eager to fight”

“I’m not saying that’s what I was looking for when I decided to come up and talk to you, mind” she quickly corrects herself “But if beating me up is going to make you feel better about yourself, if it’s going to make you feel like nobody can mess with you, by any means, who am I to turn down a challenge?”

Echo would then casually look away from Katsumi, with a disappointed look on her face “But that would mean we can’t be friends, because it would just prove my point: you are that type of wrestler, while I am not”

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi looks a little annoyed with Echo at first, but when she looks away, the annoyance drains. She’s still frowning, rest assured. But it’s a different kind of frown.

Perhaps awkwardly, Katsumi leeaans forward until she’s basically doubled over, her toned arms reaching out to envelope Echo’s neck in a hug. “Come’ere, you,” she sighs. Should she capture the blonde, she’ll tug her in a little - still at quite possibly the most uncomfortable angle imaginable. “And for the record, beating up people who give you shit does mean people can’t mess with you.” Despite her words, there’s an almost wry sort of warmth to it.

Whether caught or not, Katsumi will then lean back and relinquish her hold. “We beat each other up for a living. To entertain people. And here you are, attackin’ my feels. It’s just not fair.” She shoots her a little smirk. “Y’jerk.”

[Valkyrie]

Echo stares at Katsumi with a slightly confused expression at first, only to then sigh in relief when she realise the punkette was just messing with her. Echo let Katsumi tug her in, with her expression now changed to a smile that’s somewhere between relieved and awkward.

“You can beat up anyone you want, really” Echo said laughing “Actually, I can even help you beating up someone if needed”. As Katsumi releases her, Echo would then give her a friendly thump on her shoulder “Just don’t do it to me, alright? There are far too many bullies in this industry, there’s no room for one more”.

Echo would then scratch her head, seemingly in deep thought “Speaking of beating people up, you said you have a match tonight. You sure look like someone who can handle herself, but I was wondering…” she smirked “Maybe you need an extra pair of hands, just in case?”

[CyanDimitrik]

"But beating you up could be fun~," chides a sulky Katsumi, allowing herself to edge a little more on the playful side. "I'm like the worst bully around here. Ask anyone." While it's true that Katsumi has a particularly forceful personality that tends to lean overbearing, she's perhaps still too new to this federation to be known to everyone just yet.

Leaning back, the punkette gives the blonde counterpart a curious look. "Really? You know people don't usually think that's fighting fair..." She raises to her feet, smile equal parts bemused and impish. "I didn't think an angelic lil' thing like you would be into that..."