Raising the Bar

Clench tight. Pull back. Press.

Blossom was careful with this move, knowing how damaging it could be if she overdid things and got too serious. She didn’t want to hurt Cammy, not seriously, even if the woman did seem to be a wee bit of a total butt. She was just using the arm as leverage, a way to keep her under control and press a submission. Speaking of which…

”Hey?” Blossom turned her head to the side, getting a better look at Cammy as she writhed about. ”Let me know when you give up, okay? Just a little tap on the mat or something, then I’ll let go.”

She was half-joking, half-serious. This woman seemed more stubborn than the average mule, but that didn’t mean Blossom was of a mind to push her too far.

Millie had always thought she was pretty hard to pull out of her thoughts, especially when those thoughts involved certain unwanted memories. However, Blossom provided another surprise with that little comment towards Cammy.

As the Briton looked down to see her blonde twat of a manager getting increasingly frustrated with her American friend, Millie's face was graced with the biggest, stupidest grin anyone had ever seen on her face while at AFW.

Cammy, meanwhile, didn't seem amused at all. The blonde's eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at Blossom from that little comment. With a wince of pain, she would lean her head back and stare down her nose at Blossom. It was a laughable attempt at an intimidating look given her circumstances, and one that only someone who was completely and totally used to always getting their way would use.

It sure didn't help that Cammy knew she was trapped in Blossom's grip. As much as the blonde tried to put up a strong face, the pressure had her seriously considering Blossom's offer. It was only her pride that stopped her, the same thing that was making her try and hide the pained winces and keep down any verbal indications of pain. She'd struggle, squirming and trying to grab at Blossom to make her let go, but if she didn't break free she was sure that her desire to escape would overcome her pride in short order.

Cammy was not, by any definition, a bad wrestler. Blossom felt she could say that with a fair degree off confidence. If this spar had happened, oh, say, two years ago? The outcome would’ve been different. That Blossom would’ve fallen for her tricks. That Blossom would’ve been up for every little taunt that got thrown her way, and would’ve panicked when the pressure was poured and it all went south.

But this Blossom had been around a bit more. This one had been training with Death Bunny. This one was ready for all of that.

She was new and improved, and her current position was proof enough of that.

Cammy, to her credit was still putting up a struggle, but Bubbles held fast. She could hear Death Bunny in her head, chiding her on not to hold back - yes, this was a spar, but it was preparation for real matches, and she had to get used to pressing her opponent when openings arrived. She gave the arm a little crank, just enough to hurt and remind her blonde foe how dire the situation was.

”Tap, please.” She wiggled in the hold, getting nice and comfortable. ”I won’t break your arm, but I will make it sore for a few days.”

Blossom making threats. A strange world.

Blossom's hold was getting to the point where even Millie was getting a bit worried. The Briton might have thought her manager was a right twat, but that didn't mean that she wished any ill will towards her.

Well, actually, she did at times. But nothing too severe.

She was honestly a little concerned, since she knew that the blonde was a right stubborn one. Stubborn enough to balk at the idea of giving up to the point of doing something stupid and getting herself hurt. Maybe even seriously, depending on how dumb the blonde's ego made her.

So the Brit stepped forwards and leaned in, deciding to show a softer face to her . "It's alreet to tap out in a spar, Cammy." She said, a hint of worry actually managing to make its way into her voice.

The blonde was still busy trying to throw up a facade of being in control, but it was steadily cracking. Her jaw was currently clenched shut, and could feel herself sweating bullets. Blossom was right, if she kept going her arm was going to hurt like hell for a few days.

But at the same time tapping out would mean giving up. Admitting that she wasn't in control. Admitting that she couldn't get out otherwise.

It took Cammy a long minute to come to the decision most others would arrive at instantly, her gaze shifting between the harder than she remembered face of Blossom, and the more concerned than usual face of Millie. With a growl she finally slapped her hand against Blossom, letting out a quiet, "I give."

Phew. Cammy was a bit of a jerk. Kind of mean and snobby and Blossom wasn’t a big fan of her hair, but the woman was persistent. She’d give her that much.

As a woman who’d been in more than her fair share of painful submissions, so she couldn’t help but be impressed by the way she was holding on. On the other hand, it was starting to get a wee bit annoying, too. Blossom didn’t have a good reason to let go of the hold besides just not wanting to hurt Cammy, and she hadn’t thought it would come anywhere close to that. But she kept on holding on,and the longer she went…

Thankfully, she had Millie around to act as the voice of reason. After what couldn’t have been more than a minute but seemed like longer, her foe finally tapped, and Blossom let go of the hold in an instant. She rolled off her shoulders and popped up to her knee, giving her a thumbs up.

”Wow!” Blossom took a moment to rise and extended her arm, trying to help Cammy up. ”Good match.”

Cammy laid on the mat, fuming as she looked up at Blossom's irritatingly energetic face, and Millie's somehow even more infuriating expression of concern. The blonde leveled a steely gaze at the American's extended arm, only to make a point of ignoring it and climb back up to her feet on her own.

It took the blonde a moment to find words, or at least push the words that she wanted to say out of her head. So, for a solid minute, the blonde looked up towards the lights in silence before finally turning her attention back to Blossom with a tight smile.

"Good match." She said, slowly offering a hand to shake. "If you ever need a manager, consider giving me a call." She added, feeling the desire to both get in the last word, and try to regain some amount of control over the situation, no matter how minute it might be.

Then, whether or not Blossom shook her hand, Cammy would skulk off to lick her wounds, heading out of the ring and towards the showers.

Millie watched her leave, waiting until the blonde was well out of earshot before rolling her eyes and groaning. "What a twat!" She exclaimed, arms crossing as she tapped her foot in irritation. The Briton's expression softened as she turned her attention to her American friend, though. "You okay?"

It was a minute before Cammy spoke. A long, weird minute, where Blossom had no idea what to say or do in this situation. She looked at Millie. Looked back to her former opponent. Back to Millie again, this time with an added shrug. The awkwardness grew with each passing second, worse and worse and worse, to the point where it was starting to become a tangible force…

Then Cammy spoke and left. That was it.

Blossom shook her hand, but she gone seconds later. Not much to say, nothing but a cursory comment before she was out. Weird.

It left her scratching her head until she turned to Millie, who summed Cammy up in an uncharitable, but not inaccurate way. ”Yeah, I’m fine.” She shrugged. It wasn’t the easiest match she’d ever had, but it wasn’t like she was in terrible pain from it, either. ”Did I do something wrong? Should I have toned it down a bit?”

If there was one person who didn't seem to notice the awkwardness, it was Millie.

Instead, the Briton had to choke down a chortle as she watched Blossom's reaction to one of her manager's notorious sulking fits. Honestly, she wasn't sure what was funnier, the way that Cammy immediately reverted to a five-year-old following a loss, or the little shrug that Blossom shot her.

Millie shot back her own little shrug, then pointed her finger at her head and made a circle. Best not to get too dragged into this one.

And then Cammy was gone, and Blossom seemed confused.

"You won." Millie replied, as though that should explain everything.

"I wouldn't worry about it. She'll go sulk for a while, then start acting like she's Queen Bitch of the world again." the former pilot explained, leaning against a rope as she spoke. "Can't believe I fell for her once..." She added in a low mutter, more to herself than anyone else.

"So... Training?"