Audrey's Training day

[MappleMan7]

"Yeah- exactly! Wrestling isn't just wrestling. There's a bunch of different styles every wrestler uses. Powerhouses use, as the name implies, their raw strength for strikes, slams, and throws. Submission specialists are, well, that. High-flyers use speed over strength to outmanuver opponents with aerial techniques, and technical fighters tend to talented in more than one style"

Oscar gave Audrey the full run down of all he knew about the different wrestling styles out there in the industry- going off on how Audrey never received any official training.

"There are some odd areas where people mix their own stuff together from various martial arts but yeah, that's pretty much it. If there's a field you wish to specialize in, I'd be happy to at least get you started on that path"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Audrey beamed at Oscar upon the realization that she correctly figured out what he was asking her - and then quickly averted her gaze, self-conscious about how even a novice should have known that. She put her focus instead on the weights in her hands as she continued lifting, though she could feel the strain beginning to creep back into her upper arms now.

While she pressed on despite the growing discomfort, she nodded along as he gave an overview of the different wrestling styles; most of them were pretty self-explanatory, once given the details, but it was better for her confidence to be informed rather than simply assuming. As for herself...

"Well, eh, I'm certainly no powerhouse. I've been considering myself somewhere of a mix between submission specialist and aerialist, I guess?" In the back of her mind, it occurred to her that so far, Oscar hadn't put her down, or patronized her, or even so much as judged her for her lackluster discipline. Maybe it was safe to open up just a little bit more... I feel like those sort of... fit my style and build, y'know? Tiny but fast. Makes it easy for me to duck around incoming blows, or to climb the corners and jump. Since I don't have a lot of natural power, it lets gravity do the work for me. At least, that's been my logic."

And once the words started to tumble out, they just kept coming. "As for submissions... well, it's... more getting an opponent into position to be able to lock them in a hold that's been my biggest issue. Although... even when it does happen, I can't say I'm confident that I've been locking any of them in perfectly, either. Whoever I'm facing always seems to break free without much effort..." She laughed in the direction of the weights. "I guess that's another thing these will help with, huh?"

[MappleMan7]

Oscar's eyes lit up as Audrey spoke more about the wrestling styles, happy to hear she understood where she was or at least where she wanted to be.

"Yes! Exactly! You got it down to the letter, Audrey! Gravity is a high-fliers best friend. As for your submission hold issues, we'll, that's what the weights are for! Submissions tend to work the best when you're opponent lacks the energy or strength to struggle or counter them- and it's not easy to keep anything on tight when they buckle or squirm unless you got an iron grip and the muscle to wrangle them in"

Oscar would cease his weight lifting and would take a sports drinks from his bag, taking a refreshing sip before looking over at Audrey.

"Let's take a break with the weights for now. I packed us some sports drinks to help us recover some electrolytes before we move on to practicing moves. I'd be happy to see your submissions in play there. Now- what flavor do you like? I wasn't sure so I grabbed a little bit of everything"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

A small wave of pride swelled within the freckled redhead as Oscar confirmed her theories. And it occurred to her that, by that logic, weight training would be beneficial just for the added pull of gravity whenever she takes to the air - more weight to land on her foes with!

"Mm... yeah, that makes sense. Gotta be strong enough to hold them in, huh?" Her gaze shifted to her upper arms. There was an undertone of strain beneath her voice, really feeling the burn now, but determined not to simply stop. "I guess I've been seeing strength as... more a requirement for powerhouse fighters and not necessarily important for someone like me. But I guess that's not really true."

Audrey kept going when Oscar paused to take a drink - at least, until he offered her one. She looked at him in surprise for a moment before bending down and setting her own weights down at her feet with an audible sigh of relief. Upon standing up, she rolled her shoulders, once again clasping her hands together behind her back.

With her arms now getting a rest, she returned her attention - and surprise - to Oscar. "M-me?" She'd brought a water bottle for herself, but she hadn't expected him to apparently bring an entire selection of energy drinks, much less to have a variety on hand to pick from! Audrey hesitated before shooting a curious peek towards his bag. "I, er... do you happen to have one in grape? Apple, cherry? Anything is fine, really, but I always feel like I get more of a boost if the flavor is strong."

[MappleMan7]

"Correct again! It's never a bad thing to invest in strength in general. Even it's just a little bit"

Oscar beamed at Audrey, nodding his head. The Barbarian Prince admittedly was worried about the possibility of Audrey struggling to understand the basics, but so far he was pleased as pie to see how fast she was catching on! Digging through what Audrey could see what was a duffle bag full a decent assortment of chilled sports drinks, Oscar would give Audrey a grape flavored one!

"Here you go! Pro tip- hydrating with water while working out is good, but it's not optimal. Water can refresh, but it flushes electrolytes from your body too. Stuff like this refreshes AND recharges your electrolytes"

Oscar would take a bigger sip from his bottle with a satisfied sigh before humming at Audrey.

"So... if you don't mind me asking, how did you wind up getting into wrestling? I'm curious"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

Hoping not to look over-eager, Audrey reached out and gratefully accepted the fruit-flavored drink, muttering a quick "Oh, thank you!" before downing a quarter of the bottle in one go. She made sure to set it down immediately after - she knew if she kept holding it while they talked, she'd drink the whole thing before they even got back to training.

"Oh, huh. I've always wondered what the difference is. But I never bothered to actually look it up. Obviously, heh. Figured it was just like, flavoring. Maybe some chemical or another."

And then came the question. Audrey put her back to the weight rack, resting her hands on it to make sure it wouldn't tip over before leaning backwards on it, her eyes focused on her shoes at the ground, her mouth set into a firm line.

"Okay, well... don't laugh, alright? Or judge me. Or... at least, if you do, don't tell me about it."

She shook her head, letting the words spill out before she could change her mind. "Long story short, my sister was mugged on her way home late one night. She was a bit shaken, as you can imagine. And so was I, when I'd heard. It's just her and I. I didn't think much of it at the time, though. Y'know. Kinda wishing we could defend ourselves, but not really... doing anything about it. Like, learning karate or something. Emery wouldn't do it, anyway, and at the time I couldn't pay for training myself, so I never bothered bringing it up."

Her throat started to feel dry, and her eyes darted to her energy drink, but she resisted. "Anyway, I follow a bunch of like, models and idols and whatnot online. So, a bit later, one of them posted that she was going into wrestling. Started posting pics of her gear and stuff. And it looked fun. She did okay for a while, but then she ran into... well, let's just say she faced an opponent who doesn't know what rules are. She, uh, lost pretty bad. So, of course, she had to let all her fans online know she was okay, cause it looked pretty bad to anyone who actually watched it happen."

She sighed. Time to bite the bullet. "So... um... I got it into my head, 'I'll go take him on myself and get revenge', not just for her, but like... for my sister, too. Kinda. Not the same guy, before you ask. But like... it's that whole self-defense thing. I'd finally be able to, like... not just protect myself, but my sister, too. I thought, 'How hard could it be?' Turns out, the answer is 'extremely'."

Audrey shrugged again, keeping her head down. "I know, stupid, ain't it? What was I thinking?"

[MappleMan7]

Oscar bore a seriously focused face as Audrey spun her origin story, the Barbarian Prince looking to take every word seriously as he listened along. Rather than look amused or try to hold back any laughter, Oscar looked... sympathetic. Perhaps a little impressed as he shook his head.

"Maybe a little reckless to dive into a fight against a brutal opponent without training, but no- not stupid. It sounds to me, Audrey, that you have a big heart for wanting to do this on behalf of your sister and the woman you idolize"

Oscar would smile at Aydrey, giving the fellow freckled redhead a look of respect as he continued on.

"I did some research on your match history before we met up here. Er- the regular matches, for the record. For what it's worth, I definitely see the potential in you as a wrestler. Even without training, you give every fight you're in nothing short of a hundred percent and managed to fight back on several occasions. Not to mention you have a win on your record. Have you ever thought about that? That you won against a professional when you didn't have any training? That screams hidden potential! Don't you agree?"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

As Oscar answered, Audrey couldn't help looking up at him, her expression a curious blend of surprise, relief, and gratitude. Rather than chide her for her recklessness, he validated it. He confirmed to her that her reasoning for getting herself into this chaos was a worthwhile one, even if she had jumped the gun a bit. And not only that, but even after hearing her history, he still did not see her as a lost cause - far from it! That, above all else, eased her anxieties.

It did leave her a bit uncertain how to respond, however, being unused to such praise. "O-oh, I um, well... thank you," she mumbled out, her speech slightly slurred but completely earnest.

What wasn't a surprise was that Oscar was aware of her record. She figured he would have at least looked at it before the Kings & Queens tournament, so the fact that he knew about it wasn't alarming. The surprising part was that he seemed to also know how she handled herself during those matches. "That win was... how should I put it... more a result of annoyance and frustration than actual skill, I think." Another shrug. "I guess that isn't to say I wasn't trying, but I think it's important to consider my opponent there, too."

But with that said... "Actually... before coming to LAW, I had started in a more... sort of local promotion. Not to brag, but I had three wins there. And also like... what was it, seven losses? Nine? You kinda lose track of them all when it happens so often, heh." It almost made her cringe - no one would think she was bragging about winning less than half her matches. And yet...

No, she should be focusing on the positives! Why had she even brought this up? "Anyway, that was only my first win here. I left my last place because my manager was a dick, and I was hoping some fresh scenery would lead to a change of pace. And it kind of did, just in the wrong direction. It's been more of the same, but with less success. But... I guess that speaks more to the overall talent I'm up against, rather than my own flaws? Maybe?"

[MappleMan7]

Oscar's eyes seemed to light up upon hearing that Audrey did, in fact, posess more than one win across her career. It brought a happy chuckle out from Oscar as he listened along.

"Are you trying to convince me that your win shouldn't matter? Nuh-uh. No way. Any hard-fought win you have is a fair win to me. Even if your wins are few, be proud of them! Having four wins in the pros without any formal training is more impressive than you realize. But that does beg the question... why did you never seek out lessons before? I mean, LAW even has its young lioness program full of learners and teachers. Do you mind if I ask why you didn't start there?"

[ThurmanMermanPlx]

"W-well, no, I wasn't saying that..." Audrey insisted, kicking the ground lightly with the heel of her shoe. "More... that I wasn't exactly up against a juggernaut that time. That's all. I am proud of the wins I do have, and none of them were easy... I guess I just wish they didn't feel like flukes." She shook her head, attempting to flash Oscar a smile. "But hey, again, that's what we're here for, yeah?"

At his question, she bit her lip, faint pink blush forming on her cheeks. "W-well, to be honest... as far as the young lioness program is concerned, I thought it was for... y'know, like... trainees." Realizing that didn't make any sense - because that's exactly the reason she should have considered it - she clarified; "I mean, like, younger people who were literally just beginning, y'know, like a ten year old learning the difference between a jab and an uppercut. So I never bothered to even look into it.

"But as for lessons in general..."

She leaned down for her energy drink and took a sip to buy time to gather her thoughts. When she spoke again, her voice dropped lower, and her words became strained, as though she was forcing herself to admit something she did not want to say. "I dunno, I just. Thought I could do it on my own. It's how I've gotten though most of my life so far, sister aside. I've always just taken care of myself. I don't want nor need anyone's pity."

Her expression quickly shifted to a frantic, apologetic look, waving her hands in the air at him. "N-not that I think that's what you're doing! I mean, I... well, I can't even pretend that I don't need some kind of guidance at this point. I just... " Again her expression morphed, now resembling something of a pout, and she looked away with a resigned sigh. "I don't like asking for help."