Friendship Making Media Scrum! (For Bare)

[Vc0m]

To the final verbal jab, Clara couldn't help but stick her tongue out while smiling to Alizeh in a childishly-jokey manner, before both women focused on the next question, this time from LAW Magazine interviewer. Asking about the first challenger if either woman was to become a champion, Clara really only had one woman in mind. So once Alizeh finished, she would answer:

"I realize how selfish my answer will be. There are a ton of women in LAW who deserve a shot at the belt, Alizeh, included, as are several of the current LAW champions like Alaina Sanders and SWAT Cats, as well as newer women in the company like Nerissa Labong”

“For me, however, it is important to right a wrong committed to my girlfriend - Katherine Scarlett. It is silly, I know, to say I want to fight my girlfriend again…but if you think about it, she didn’t get a fair chance at APEX, all the while having a victory over me. I’d say, if LAW decides that I should be the champion, she has all the credentials for fighting me for the belt…”

There were murmurs in the crowd of journalists, but Clara tried paying them no mind for her answer.

“Ms. Gaster, Ms. Midori, if it’s ok, we only have time for 2 more questions”, the LAW mediator would say, as each woman now had 2 final people to pick for their scrum.

”Hmmmmm… let’s gooo, from the middle, in yellow shirt!”

“Slade Welder, Pro Wrestling Light. A few people were wondering, how is the attitude in LAW Locker rooms for the period during Apex? Considering the competitiveness for the belt, there must be some tensions backstage.”

Clara nodded instinctively. It was hard to disagree that normally, such a thing would be common place. However:

”You are not wrong… but the management has chosen more than a few matches either between long term rivals, or women who have already had quite a bit of a disagreement with each other…and that’s always been the case in the locker rooms and gyms. Everything in LAW is designed to give as much drama as possible. Sometimes it’s to pit 2 or even more women against one another in toughness, other times it’s in terms of pitting their bodies against each other in a hentai match. Had this been made worse in the last couple of month in prelude to Apex? I’ve had my own drama flaring up, but personally, I haven’t noticed things being better or worse compared to how things usually are.”, Clara would finish…

[Bare]

Alizeh nodded with Clara's answer about who she'd pick as a first defense and Alizeh chuckled a bit in response. 'Well can't say I disagree with that line of logic.' Alizeh thought to herself while watching as Clara picked the next person to ask a question, knowing it would the second to last of this scrum. Humming softly in response Alizeh would nod at Clara's answer before adding on her own. "Honestly yeah, Apex if nothing else has actually helped close a lot of grudges and what not, so its actually been a bit more.. chill than usual.

Of course, that can and probably will change, especially as the winner of apex is chosen, but up till now everything has been, pretty solid in all honesty." Alizeh said before looking around to decide their last person. "You in the back!" Alizeh said pointing out to the back, the person she called on standing and clearing their throat. "Yes hello, dennis maldonado, pacific pro magazine, if neither of you are chosen for the openweight title, what will be your strategy to try and earn a shot, or is there any interest for fighting for a different belt?" Humming in response Alizeh wouldn't waste much time before answering.

"Well, honestly I'd just keep doing what I have been. Fighting, winning, showing my skills as much as I can until it can't be denied that I deserve a title shot." Alizeh said answering the first part of the question before pausing to answer the second. "As far as if I'd go for the openweight exclusively that'd be a no. I'm open to fighting for whatever belt I'm eligible for, but of course, my main goal will be the openweight." Alizeh said with a nod before turning to Clara.

[Vc0m]

With how out of touch Clara was with happenings in LAW backstage recently (Kay being kidnapped occupying way too much of her mental headspace), she was curious to hear Alizeh's perspective on the LAW Locker Room... and Alizeh pretty much corroborated Clara's feelings in the locker room. Naturally, the Apex season was the end of a lot of feuds... and the end of one story was usually the beginning of another, especially when it came to wrestling... especially when it came to women whose stories didn't end the way they wanted.

Alizeh picked the final interviewee, and they picked quite an interesting question. Alizeh's answer was straightforward, continuing on the grind... but as Clara listened to the greenette, she got a few ideas about what she wanted to do in wrestling now that Baroness was behind her. Winning the title would be amazing... but what would she do if she didn't win?

As Clara thought about it, she hadn't realized that Alizeh had finished her answer, and the mediator quickly asked: "Ms. Gaster?"

"Oh, apologies, I was thinking of an answer..."

"...I feel all my skills have been on showcase in front of the fans for several years now. I've been wrestling actively in LAW for over 5 years now if we disregard my hiatus a few years ago. Between my wins and even very competitive losses, I believe myself to be worthy of asking the potential champion directly for a challenge if I don't end up as one."

"Don't misunderstand. There wouldn't be any backstage attack, or making a name for myself by taking the champion out backstage. I am not that kind of person. If it's a no for a challenge, and they need more showcase of skills before a potential challenge in other matches, then I'd be happy to oblige..."

The Brit would finish, the mediator nodding as he closed out this portion of the scrum: "Ms. Clara Gaster and Ms. Alizeh Midori, ladies and gentlemen! Now, next in the scrum---"

Clara collected her back, and walked past Alizeh, stopping next to the greenette: "If you have the time, meet me backstage. I'll be in the hall...", before promptly taking her leave...

[Bare]

Calling on the last interview and giving her answer Alizeh would turn and wait for Clara's own answer, though she was certainly taking her time in replying to the question herself. Waiting for the Englishwoman's response Alizeh would raise an eyebrow as Clara did give it. 'Huh interesting. Didn't think she was that bold.' Alizeh thought to herself, humming a bit and leaning back while the mediator wrapped things up for them Alizeh would stand up and stretch her arms out a bit as she headed towards the exit, passing by Clara just long enough for the girl to whisper something to her. "Oh?" Alizeh said before shrugging and heading that direction. Walking into the backstage area after her Alizeh would give a wave to Clara. "Heyo whats up Clara?" Alizeh asked curious as to what Clara had to bring up with her.

[Bare]

Calling on the last interview and giving her answer Alizeh would turn and wait for Clara's own answer, though she was certainly taking her time in replying to the question herself. Waiting for the Englishwoman's response Alizeh would raise an eyebrow as Clara did give it. 'Huh interesting. Didn't think she was that bold.' Alizeh thought to herself, humming a bit and leaning back while the mediator wrapped things up for them Alizeh would stand up and stretch her arms out a bit as she headed towards the exit, passing by Clara just long enough for the girl to whisper something to her. "Oh?" Alizeh said before shrugging and heading that direction. Walking into the backstage area after her Alizeh would give a wave to Clara. "Heyo whats up Clara?" Alizeh asked curious as to what Clara had to bring up with her.

[Vc0m]

Clara tried to press her back against the wall, while briefly waiting for Alizeh to arrive, but the moment she did, a light twinge went up her spine, from all the pain she experienced in her match vs Baroness. She took a deep breath and simply stood, and a moment later, Alizeh appeared:

”Hi, umm…I thought if you had the time, maybe we could get some lunch together? Just chat without a mic put in front of us?” she would explain, wanting to get to know Alizeh better… but not being too forceful so as to take the greenette’s valuable time away from her.

[Bare]

Alizeh had followed Clara into the backstage area and despite getting separated for a moment was able to make her way towards the brit relatively easily and give a wave towards her as she approached while waiting to see what she wanted. Which evidently was just to hang out which Alizeh smiled brightly at the offer before giving a nod.

"Yeah that sounds great! Actually I know a great ramen place not too far from here if you're down?" Alizeh suggest in a upbeat way, more than happy to get to know Clara some more, after all she was one of the main fixtures of LAW, and while she was on her way there herself she still wanted to hopefully befriend someone who had been around as long as Clara had.

[Vc0m]

"M-hm!", Clara answered positively, with the two making their way to exit the LAW Arena, as she let Alizeh lead the way to the Ramen place in question:

"How are you doing after Apex? In...in general, I mean! Travel takes lot out of you. I know it did for me, haha...", Clara would say. Though she's definitely grown from how meek she was a few years back, she still couldn't start a casual conversation without being awkward...

[Bare]

Leading Clara down the bustling streets of Tokyo Alizeh would chuckle a bit while lackadaisically shrugging at Clara's question. "Well its tiring no lie, but I'm good, if anything it kinda reminds me of when I was first starting out, daring back and forth between the states and mexico on the indies, so in a way it was even kinda fun." Alizeh said with a small laugh before nudging Clara.

"How about you? I know you did a lot of travel as well plus you had some... heavier aspects to your apex match." Alizeh said before looking at the Brit with a slightly concerned look. "How did you hold up through all of that if I may ask." Alizeh asked curiously knowing that Clara definitely had one of the most intense and personal rivalries of Apex.

[Vc0m]

As Clara walked through busy streets of Tokyo with Alizeh (it was the end of the day in many of the offices in the business district, after all), Clara realized that the answer to Alizeh's question was, perhaps, the answer to why she wanted to hang out with the greenette. Besides Alice, Chika and Nerissa, she hadn't talked to anyone else prior to her match with Baroness. Despite being introverted, she wanted more interaction now that she put her worries to bed.

"I...I think I might've buried myself further into work to forget about it...", Clara would explain: "Tried a few matches, asked to do some scout work for LAW...I just...tried to get my mind off things, even if it didn't work well...but maybe I just tried to enjoy my last potential months as a wrestler in case I lost...", Clara over-analyzed her actions over the last several months:

"I'm going to be honest, everything between Christmas last year and Apex, I want to just forget. My girlfriend is with me, my archnemesis will leave me alone for now, I am fine...", Clara would explain, despite the fact that, from the tone of her voice, she did not sound fine at all...