School of Hard Knox - Maddie Knox vs Muriel Spencer [Standard]

[Parker]

Match Type: Standard, One Fall
Victory Conditions: Pinfall, submission, knockout, count out, or disqualification.

The locker room she had been saddled with in the old ring of the arena was as dreadful as ever. Peeling paint, buzzing fluorescent light, the faint mildew stink baked into the tiles no matter how many times someone mopped. At the very least, the puddles were gone, but the memory lingered, along with the bitter reminder that this was where she had to prepare for her debut. Madison Knox. Wrestling royalty. The Golden Girl. Reduced to perching on a splintered wooden bench with her gear bag at her side.

She sat with one leg crossed, rolling her shoulders as she stretched the tension from her neck. There was no mirror here, so she leaned over her phone’s screen set to selfie mode, checking her lipstick, fussing with her lashes until she was satisfied. The screen was tiny and imperfect, but it would have to do.

Every now and then, another wrestler or staffer would trudge through, barely sparing her a glance. Each time, Madison’s jaw tightened. Back home, her name alone turned heads. Here, she was just another debut to the droning masses of uninformed locals. Forget that her grandfather had built an empire, that her parents had carried titles across continents; none of that mattered in this dingy little box.

She tugged at her elbow pads, stood, and smoothed her gear like it was silk couture instead of quality spandex. She could hear the muffled roar of the crowd through the walls, through the distant corridors, for whatever bout was currently in progress. With one last look at her phone, she straightened her posture, and forced on a radiant smile. The one that said she was untouchable, inevitable. “Golden Girl,” she whispered to herself, almost like a mantra.

[BlackAkuma]

God, traffic in Tokyo was the stuff of nightmares. Having lived here for 95% of her life, you’d think Valerie would’ve gotten used to it by now, but some things just could not be prepared for, no matter how hard you tried. You could do everything right - get up at the right time, avoid the trouble spots, plan out a perfect commute, only for it to get ruined because someone thought it would be a good idea to start construction right in the middle of rush hour.

It had only resulted in Valerie being five or so minutes later than she promised to be, but she hated being late. Hated it, hated it, hated it, and she grumbled as she powerwalked her way through the busy halls, nearly knocking over some of the staff as she made her way to the locker room, because she tended to get clumsy when she was miffed. More so than she was by default. She shuffled forward at a hurried pace, her boots squeaking from on the linoleum floor thanks to the rain outside

This was Madison’s day, her big day, her debut in LAW. That might not have been that big of a deal to some people, but starting off on the right foot. Valerie had gone through no small amount of trouble setting this up, eventually having to lean on her parents to get things rolling with the booking committee, but if it helped put her friend on the map, it would be more than worth.

Valerie finally found the locker room door, reached for the door handle, but stopped halfway. Instead of opening, she took a step back and buttoned up her jacket, hiding the shirt underneath - true to her word, Madison had helped her pick out some clothes for the evening, and she was wearing them…most of them. She’d made one last minute change to her attire, and she wanted it to be a surprise.

With it properly concealed - save for her chest, which kept peaking out over the top, but there wasn’t much she could do about that - she poked her head in and locked on her friend right away, her glowing hair drawing eyes like a beacon.

She thought about sneaking up on her, but stealth was never her strong suit. ”Heyheyheyhey.” She came squeaking in and hurriedly shuffled over, taking a moment to straighten out her jean skirt as she approached. She’d never been a big fan of showing off her legs, but hey, she was always open to new experiences. ”Sorry I’m late, traffic.” Valerie looked her friend over and gave an approving nod at the outfit - simple, but cool, and she was a big fan of the leotard. She tried it once, though it looked weird on her, but for Madison? Just right.

”Champ in the making.” She smirked and stepped back, giving her some space. ”How do you feel? Ready for the big lights?”

[Parker]

As Valerie entered, Madison flicked her phone screen dark and slipped it away, offering her friend a slow, judgmental once-over topped with a lofted brow. It was the kind of look that said she knew exactly how late Valerie was, down to the second. Madison had been secretly hoping Valerie would be early so she could slip into her friend’s locker room instead of being stuck in this dump of a space, but here they were. The silence stretched just long enough to feel heavy before she broke it with a sugar-sweet smile.

“You look cute.”

She turned away as if the compliment were already understood, rummaging through her makeup case until she pulled out a tube of flavored gloss. With a practiced swipe across her lips, she smirked. “You can thank me for that.” If there was one thing she enjoyed more than making herself look good, it was making others look good. No different than playing dress up with her dolls when she was five. Some things you never truly outgrew.

After zipping her gym bag and tucking it neatly away, she looked expectantly at Valerie, waiting for some acknowledgment of her handiwork. She didnt linger on it for long however, shifting to the topic of her stardom the first moment she could.

“You might as well get my autograph now.” A haughty giggle followed as she fluffed her golden hair, shaking it out until it landed in that perfect balance of tousled and immaculate. “There hasn’t been a stage on this Earth a Knox couldn’t conquer.” Her tone dripped with confidence, but there was a flicker in her green eyes. A tiny slip that betrayed more honesty than she’d like. She was quick to smother it, spinning the moment back in her favor.

“Just the usual jitters. Butterflies. And I really like my manicure~ I’d hate to chip it.” Priorities, of course. Madison strode toward the door with the grace of someone born for greatness. Just before leaving, she stopped beside Valerie, eyes sweeping her friend up and down. With a finger raised, she circled the air in front of Valerie’s chest, singling out the buttoned-up jacket.

“This… whats this? What are we doing here?” Madison grinned, drawing in a breath through her teeth as she adopted a cutesy tone, trying to soften her questioning behind the airs of being silly and fun. “Love, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. I didn’t go through the trouble of making you extra gorgeous just to have you play hide and seek. Let the girls breathe.” She punctuated the remark with a playful bump of her hip against Valerie’s, her laughter ringing light and bright.

[BlackAkuma]

Typically, Valerie cared exactly 0% what people thought of what she was wearing, but Maddie was the rare exception. Shopping with her friend for this outfit was the rare kind of silly fun, with her fellow blonde showing off a sense of style that typically alluded her. This outfit was the result of it, the sort trendy, hip thing that she would’ve never thought to wear. Valerie would’ve worn baggy pants and t-shirts her entire life, if she could get away with it.

”I’m pretty sure I did thank you, you were just too busy admiring yourself in a mirror to notice.” She smirked at the mention of an autograph - funny she should mention that, but she didn’t want to spoil why just yet. ”And Knoxes only rule the ring when Dolls aren't in there with them.”

She flicked out her tongue at Know, playful, not too serious of a taunt. While she absolutely did want to wrestle Knox someday - and likely would have to, since LAW loved their legacy versus legacy matches - she couldn't have cared less about any rivalry their parents shared, friendly or otherwise. While she took her mother’s name and title, that was all she wanted to take. Valley Doll III was her own woman.

She was about to follow Madison out, and for a moment she worried the woman wouldn’t ask the obvious question, too caught up in the moment to let her down, but she came through at the last moment and noticed what she was supposed to notice. Valerie had to bite her lip to keep from smiling too much as she stepped back.

”Well, I had to do a little digging, find some stuff from one of your shows back in the States, do a rush job on the postage, but…” Valerie opened her jacket wide. Madison would find herself looking at…

. Merchandise that Valerie had tracked down and had shipped over, just for the occasion. ”...worth it, right?”

For the final touch, Valerie reached into her pocket and produced a marker, which she promptly handed over to Madison. In case it wasn’t totally clear, she tapped her chest and offered it up. ”You said it yourself. ‘Might as well get your autograph, now’.”

[Parker]

Madison let out a soft, contemplative “huh” at Valerie’s insistence that she’d already given thanks. It was possible, she supposed, especially if she’d been too absorbed in fixing herself up at the time to notice. She gave the slightest of shrugs and flicked her wrist to wave it off in a dismissive wave.

“Yes, well… if I was, can you really blame me?” Madison gestured down the line of her own figure with an exaggerated sweep, arching her brows wide at Valerie like she was presenting a prize. “You’d be staring, too.” The playful sparkle in her eye made it obvious she was teasing, though with Madison, vanity always carried a grain of truth.

She was halfway into a quip about Knoxes and Dolls when Valerie opened her jacket, and Madison’s words stopped cold in her throat. Her eyes widened, lips parting into an incredulous “O” as the reveal hit.

“…no way.”

The sheer audacity of it nearly floored her. There it was: vintage Knox merch, her own brand, dug out from across the ocean and proudly worn right in front of her. Madison’s laugh bubbled out, high and girlish, before she clapped her hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking.

“You did not-” she half-gasped, half-giggled, reaching out to tug at the fabric just to prove it was real. “Oh my god, Val, you’re insane. This is… this is ridiculous. It’s perfect.”

When Valerie produced the marker, Madison actually snorted. “What, right here and now? Behave..." She leaned back, pressing a hand dramatically to her chest as though she couldn’t possibly be expected to autograph her old merch in public. Then, with a wicked grin, she snatched the marker out of her friend’s hand and popped the cap. "Is this an original or a bootleg? These were very limited when we ran them."

“Alright then, Dollface,” she purred, tapping a spot on Valerie’s chest without the logo with the felt tip before leaning in close. “Don’t you dare ever say I never left my mark on you.”

With a quick flourish, Madison scrawled her signature across her two dimential abs, then gave Valerie’s shoulder a playful shove as she stepped back, lips curled into a smug grin. Delicately, she capped the marker, offering it back with all the grace of a TV show assistant.

[BlackAkuma]

Perfect. That was exactly the look Valerie was hoping for.

Madison could be a hard woman to crack, sometimes - not that she was invulnerable, but she had her little walls, put up certain fronts, could be tough to get an emotional moment out of. Valerie’s biggest fear was that she’d try to play it off in her usual Too Cool way, and the gesture would fall flat. But no, the shirt got a genuine reaction out of her, which instantly made it worth the ransom she’d pay to get it and get it on such short notice.

”I so did.” She winked and bounced a little as she continued to present the shirt, beaming like a proud child in front of their parents. ”As for it being a bootleg or the real deal…I do not know, honestly. I got it from prowrestlingshirts.com, not sure if they’re like…a reputable site or not.” They sure charged Reputable Site prices, she knew that much. ”So you tell me. Either way, it’s the thought that counts, right?”

In this instance, it certainly did. She knew LAW had some rules about bringing licensed merch from other companies into their shows, but she frankly did not care. It was making Maddie pop, it would be worth whatever slap on the wrist she had to endure.

With the signature so fresh that the fumes were wafting into her nose, Valerie took the marker back, stuffed it into her pocket, and opened the door wide for her. ”Come on. History’s waiting.”

***

A few minutes later, Muriel Spencer found herself pacing in the ring, rolling her shoulders and limbering up as her

blared through the loudspeakers. While she was more than ready for the match, she had to confess - inwardly, naturally - a small amount of consternation at the overall situation. She usually liked more of a heads up when it came to her matches, but management had roped her into this on relatively short notice, giving her little in the way of time to prepare.

A nuisance, certainly, and she might have made more of a kerfuffle about it, if not for her opponent - Madison Knox, a young up-and-comer. While Muriel might not have been an active educator at the moment, the call to help shepard the next generation was never one she would ignore, and it softened her stance on the intrusion. She was looking forward to this.

And she would not have to look forward to it much longer, as her music began to die down…

[Parker]

Madison Knox

High Hopes - Panic! At the Disco

Maddie Knox’s theme spilled into the arena, a swell that drew a wave of cheers and murmurs from the crowd from those who knew what it meant. Madison emerged with Valerie at her side, carrying herself with calm, unshaken poise. Shoulders back, chin high, she moved without hurry, every step deliberate, like a woman who didn’t just enter the spotlight, she owned it. Tonight, she certainly did as the crowd popped and the internet was set ablaze with fan speculation of these two sharing the stage with Valley Doll’s apparent endorsement.

Her gaze lingered briefly on the fans before locking onto the ring, where Muriel stood waiting. A faint smile, equal parts challenge and composure, curved at her lips. She made the walk down the ramp with smooth strides, pausing now and then just long enough to let her hair catch the light as she brushed it back over her shoulders.

At ringside, Madison approached the apron and leaned in against the edge, arching her back as she pulled herself up. The crowd let out a murmur as she bent low between the ropes, slipping into the ring with a controlled, almost feline sensuality. A deliberate flourish that she delivered with intention that served as a reminder that she knew how to keep every eye on her. She straightened once inside, smoothing her gear and letting her fingers trace her hair back into place with a touch too long to be practical, a gesture meant for the cameras as much as anyone else.

Stepping to the center of the ring, Madison raised her right hand, fingers curling into a clenched fist. The blond pressed her glossy lips to the knuckles, rolling her neck to transfer the color to her hand. With a sharp snap she drove it forward in a crisp straight punch, this time aimed directly at her opponent, letting it hang in the air. A smirk tugged at her lips as the pose lingered, the message unmistakable: this was a promise as much as it was branding.

Only then did she lower her hand and spread her arms wide, slowly turning in a circle as though presenting herself to her audience, basking in the moment as if unveiling royalty to her subjects. Calm, confident, and entirely in control, she finally retreated into her corner, eyes still fixed on Muriel, her self-assured smile on her face. She whispered softly without turning her head, speaking to Valerie at her corner. “Still got it.”

[BlackAkuma]

The lights, the cheers, the music - Muriel was something of a Panic! fan herself, so she approved. Hello, Madison Knox.

Muriel leaned against her corner as she watched her opponent arrive, and she wasn’t alone. She was flanked by another girl-or, woman, to be more politically correct. Valley Doll, she believed, more of a new face to the wrestling scene, but one who had made some decent inroads in LAW. The two made quite the pair - Madison radiated confidence and calm, while her plus-one made a decent cheerleader, even donning her merchandise. That sort of camaraderie was rare within the cutthroat business of wrestling, and it brought a smile to her face.

She looked on as Madison made her way into the ring and made a fine display, throwing an elaborate and unspoken threat her way. It was enough to put a smile on Muriel’s face and quirk her eyebrow, but little more. She appreciated the attitude, but she had long since passed the point where she could be so easily cowed.

Muriel gave her foe a quick clap, then gave her a moment as she addressed her compatriot. Valley just replied with a playfully blow kiss and a wink, as she made her way down to the floor and hung at ringside, staying close by. With some, that might have been a cause for concern, but not here. Muriel didn’t know Valley Doll personally, but her reputation was pristine.

Good. It meant she could center her focus where it belonged. With her music dying down, Muriel strode to the center of the ring, eager to lock horns with Ms. Knox. She extended her hand, looking for a shake. ”To a good match.”

[Parker]

Madison cracked a smile at the kiss blown her way, playfully swooning and fanning herself with both hands as if her knees might give out at any second. “Oh, stop it, you’ll have me blushing in front of the entire arena,” she teased with a girlish giggle, her tone light and warm in a way she rarely allowed herself.

Straightening with a flourish, she shot Valerie a conspiratorial grin before returning the gesture, blowing a kiss back with a flick of her fingers off her lips. To add a bit of flair, she raised a single finger to her mouth in a sly shhh, casting her gaze out over the crowd as if daring them to keep this “private” moment quiet. Naturally, the crowd erupted, eating it up. Maddie tilted her head, surprised by just how much it resonated. Back home, connections like this had always come harder to her… It just felt more natural with Valerie here.

She hummed a soft, thoughtful sound under her breath, filing that thought away as her emerald eyes turned back to Muriel. As the woman approached, Madison sized her up with a measured glance, taking in the whole “sexy librarian” aesthetic. It was a strong look. Sleek, sharp, and undeniably alluring. Maddie had to admit, Muriel wore it well.

But Madison Knox was never one to be outdone. She stepped forward to meet her opponent, chest lifted, hips swaying in a deliberate cadence. When Muriel extended her hand, Maddie accepted it graciously, slipping on her best politician’s smile.

“To a good match,” she echoed, her voice dripping a poisoned sweetness of faux sincerity.

[BlackAkuma]

Normally, Valerie wouldn’t have engaged with the whole ‘flirty schoolgirl act’. God knew there were already too many rumors swirling around about her and what she got up to with other women in the locker room. She didn’t bother going onto the internet much, but she did have her LAW-mandated Twitter account setup, and whenever she bothered to look at it, she would be treated to a slew of salacious rumors, with most of them centering around her being a lesbian.

She wasn’t. Just because her parents were, didn’t mean she had to be. Some couldn't grasp that fact.

The point was, she’d likely added fuel to such fires with that kiss, and it would only make the rumors swirl, but somehow, she couldn't find it in her to care. It made Madison happy.

Valley set aside those warm, fuzzy feelings for now and focused on the match at hand. Even though it wsan’t her match, she had a stake here, even beyond just wanting her friend to win. Muriel Spencer was one of the first and foremost technicians in the sport, and this was a perfect opportunity to take mental note of her skills.

A quick handshake, some mutual respect, a ring of the bell, and the match was underway, with Ms. Spener taking the initiative. Valley leaned on the apron as the former Rumble Roses circled the ring, moving with hurried steps as she created a circle between them and began to shrink it with each passing second. She threw out a feint, a quick step forward only to pull back, then made the real charge after, trying to throw her off, coming in with open arms for a collar-and-elbow tie-up.