Magna Cum Laude

”Oh, wow, is that her?”

”Can’t believe they let a you-know-what in the league…”

”Get ready for the schoolgirl matches.”

Muriel Spencer had only been in the AFW for a few hours now, and already she could spot a major difference between it and Rumble Roses - here, the wrestlers were much worse when it came to whispering.

She noticed this as she made her way through the halls of the Friction arena, heading towards the training gym. She had come down here to sign some paperwork and make her employment with the company an official thing. It had all been a rather drool affair, flitting from page to page while the monotone secretary explained this and that in the most boring way possible. She had forgotten how legalistic wrestling could be at times, but she was getting a harsh reminder of it now, in these dull moments.

When it was over, Muriel wished for nothing less than stimulus. It had been years since she was in an actual match, and while she kept up with her training and was reasonably certain she could execute her moves with the same efficiency and efficacy, no amount of solo training was a substitute for a real opponent. She needed a sparring partner.

But finding one would prove to be a small challenge in and of itself. She came into the Friction gym dressed for the occasion, wearing a black sports bra and matching shorts that hugged her tight figure, a fetching appearance, but that was enough to draw anyone’s aid. There were a wealth of other wrestlers in the gym, but everyone she approached had some excuse, some distraction, some made up reason to not get into the ring with her. They were all too polite to say it, but Muriel chalked it up to the stigma from her time in Rumble Roses and the allegations of her impropriety with Ms. Welsh.  It would never matter if the facts backed up those rumors or not, they still persisted, and she could escape the effects, for all her best efforts.

Growing frustrated, she continued her hunt for a sparring partner, walking proud through the gym with her head held high. Irritating as it was, she wasn’t about to show her disappointment. Besides, she was certain that, if she shook this tree long enough, it would eventually drop the fruit she was looking for.

While her swimsuit-clad body worked itself to perfection in the gym, Corina de Windt's mind wandered to anything but her cycles and repetitions.

She only rarely loathed gym time, and more importantly she never avoided it. The redhead would have never earned her sculpted, enviable body without dedication. Her father had instilled that trait in her, and while she did not like all the ways he helped shape her into an adult, she had to admit she would not have made it far as a wrestler without his pushing her to work, work, work.

But after weeks spent packing, sitting at airports, unpacking, signing papers, and generally having life coop her in all those stuffy places the free spirited Curocaoan never wanted to be cooped, she could not get herself mentally invested in her training today. Her humming carried a nice tone, the humming of a woman focused more on the music in her earbuds than the form of her bicep curls.

She wanted one of two things. The first was to go out and paint something. Her eyes wandered to the gym window and to the AFW grounds, but she knew this city had far prettier scenes she could spend hours painting. But, she did not have all of her painting supplies yet. It was maybe fortunate because she would have been so naughty and spent days skipping the reps she so desperately needed if she could use painting as an excuse.

The other want was more attainable. Weeks moving between two promotions were also weeks filled with no actual wrestling. It was more like months, truly, since she clashed with anyone else on the mats. With all this moving and backroom business, Cori felt more tense than she had in years. No outlet recharged her more than vigorous, competitive grappling. What else could she need but a match?

But no one in the gym sounded all that interested. Cori, in her bubbly way, had asked a few of them, but they either gave her excuses..or they sounded less enthusiastic after Cori revealed she wanted a fairly serious match. They were all spoilsports!

Lowering the barbell in her hands Cori rested her hands at her hips and looked across the room again. Mostly the same people filled it, and Cori had already bothered most of them with her question. Turning back to her work with a wistful sigh, the Tapout Artist fetched the barbell again and started squats, her back turned to the activity in the room while she looked out the window.

Several minutes later and Muriel’s luck hadn’t improved one whit. She prepositioned several more potential partners and received several more rejections, each more spurious than the last. The final one had been quite brazen in particular, all but saying out rate that she wasn't wrestling  a ‘sex offender’.

It was an accusation that Muriel had heard more than a few times several years ago, and while her skin had grown thicker since then, a part of her - a real, tangible part - bristled at the insinuation.

Back then, however, Ms. Spencer would have skulked off with her tail  between her legs. Mistress Spencer gave the offender a slap.

That caused a small commotion, and while Muriel dissuaded the impertinent imp from retaliation with a hard stare, it went without saying that this did little to further her goal of securing a sparring partner. She was on the cusp of calling off the effort altogether and settling for a regular workout. She could always call on Anesthesia and her fellow Roses for a personal spar tomorrow. She wanted to avoid that, preferring an opponent she wasn’t familiar with to test her skills, but she could settle if push came to shove.

It was at that moment, at the precipice of defeat, that Muriel saw her. Honestly, it was a small wonder that she didn’t see the woman earlier with such a striking appearance. Not an especially tall woman, at least not taller than herself, but with an exceptional build. Fine, firm musculature, particularly below the waist, a body that any woman could be proud of. Generous hips and bust complemented her form, and the flaming red hair was a rare sight to see on such a swarthy woman.

An exotic beauty, tantalizing, and most important to Muriel’s purposes, one she didn't recognize at all. Even though she hadn't formerly wrestled in some time, she kept her eye on the sport and was familiar with most of the comers and goers. It was possible that this one slipped through the cracks, perhaps, but she would wager against it. Most likely, this was a newcomer, a fresh face in the AFW, perhaps to the sport as a whole, and therefore one with little knowledge of the tawdry tension that hounded Muriel’s footsteps.

There was only way to say for sure, however. Curious, Muriel made her way over to the dark-skinned beauty and stood nearby, watching as she completed her set. A courtesy, but also a chance to admire the imposing definition in those legs.

When she was finished, she finally spoke up and made her presence known, as she leaned up against the nearest wall with her arms folded. ”Impressive form.” She nodded with genuine appreciation as she gave the woman a more overt scan, savoring such a voluptuous body. A shame Anesthesia wasn’t here. ”You’re no stranger to the gym. Clearly. How long have you been training, if I might ask?”

The daydreaming redhead continued to humm, puff, and pour through her set of squats, oblivious to the possibility of an admirerer. Really, she expected she would have little to nothing in the way of company to entertain the rest of her time here. Either the other gym patrons would think she would attack them with another sparring proposition or wouldn't know the free spirit who spent as much time with trees as people. Oh, but Cori did not mind. In fact she barely gave it a thought as she mentally jogged through an itenerary of places she wished to visit in the next six months.

Smiling, she finished her sets and her imaginary expedition through Japan, forgetting altogether she was stuck sweating in a gym with many stuffy people. "Okay." she said, contentedly, as she placed the barbell aside and reached down into her bag for her towel and water bottle. She may have been naughty and inattentive to her form, but she would not let that stop her from a break.

Cori spotted her voluptuous guest when her head lifted. Her eyebrows lifted in curiosity, but before she could ask her company any questions, she felt a prodding familiarity. She immediately cast aside the idea that this woman was anyone she knew, because while Cori did not do so well with faces, she did not know a great many blondes. And never any with a body like hers. Clearly, she was a wrestler Cori had seen here or there.

The compliment on her form set her into soft giggling. "Well that is good because my form felt very poor while I was daydreaming." she said warmly in her mixed accent, while she dabbed at her shoulders and neck. But once she realized she was being studied, she moved the towel aside. People giving her body a once over she always took as a compliment, and why shouldn't she? She had worked to look sculpted!

She squinted her eyes at the ceiling in response to the stranger's question. "Ehh, ten years? But not very seriously then, I stayed in shape for fencing. But like this for wrestling, mmm, five years?"

Muriel was well aware that she was playing into certain stereotypes by gazing at the young women at her front. Unsurprisingly, she could hear more than a few giggles coming from nearby, though the offending fools dispersed whenever she deigned to look their way. She couldn’t have cared less on a personal level, though she did worry it might paint this new wrestler in a darker light. The last thing a burgeoning career needed was to be run through the rumor mill.

Then again, it was hardly her problem, was it? That was the sort of worry the old Muriel would’ve harbored. The teacher, not the mistress.

She cast those silly thoughts aside as she prepared to converse with the younger woman, stepping in closer as she spoke. Muriel made no efforts to hide her interest in her body, seeing little need to be coy in such a place, and it seemed like her potential acquaintance had no qualms with the observation. She was proud of her form, as she had every right to be. Those arms, those legs, those abs, so much work had gone into this body, it would be a shame to keep it wrapped.

”Five years? Time well spent, I’m sure.” Muriel brought her gaze up to meet the woman’s eyes, as she came down to sit on a nearby bench. ”Muriel Spencer, pleased to meet you. I trust I’m not an unwelcome intrusion, Ms…”

Her voice trailed off for the blank to be filled, as she leaned back and crossed her legs to get comfortable.

Cori heard a few of the giggles too. She looked over hoping to fall in on the joke, but she supposed she either missed it or it had nothing to do with her. Whatever it was, no one looked her way. Not caring outside of wishing she did not miss out on something she would enjoy, Cori shrugged with her lips and went to dabbing sweat away from her temple while her guest continued.

Oh the last five years she well spent, certainly. Before that, her father's influence had pushed her more than a personal motivation. Once she discovered wrestling, however, her attitude changed. Fitness became a source of pride more than a burden..much of the time. She still preferred to go jogging or running many days rather than lift weights. Trees and flowers were better company than steel bars.

But she didn't need to get into all that, and took what she thought amounted to a compliment. "I hope so!" she said, inspecting herself, complete with a check of her abs and a twist of one leg. "It's rewarding but not always fun."

The stranger looked like no slouch in the gym herself. Rather than many muscles she carried tone on her curves, and when she mentioned her name, Cori rolled it around in her mind. Spencer, yes, she heard that name in wrestling circles, but it struck her as a while ago. Sadly she didn't remember much, but she did not spend much time reading about other promotions either. Remember to fix that so I don't sound ignorant.

She stepped closer when Muriel took a seat, hoping to make it clear she was no burden. "Ach, I want an excuse to stop. And good conversation always counts as an excuse." She grinned and extended a hand. "I'm Corina de Windt, but Cori is better."

"You wrestle, yes? I feel like I saw you online before."

Muriel found herself taking an instant liking to this one. So many of the younger wrestlers were bratty, too eager to show off their strength, out for a fight at the slightest provocation. The AFW did not lack for impudence. That wasn’t a problem, per se - far from it, in fact. She looked forward to straightening out some of the many disrespectful women that this league had to offer, crushing them under her heels and showing them where their true place was.

But there was something refreshing about finding a woman with whom she could have a welcoming conversation upon first meeting. Well-mannered and demure, a strong but gentle flower.

”Sadly true. What is it they say? ‘If it were easy, anyone could do it’.” She had a wistful sigh at that thought, thankful that she had spent so much of her time working out in the past few years, keeping her body sharp despite not truly needing to. While it was certainly true that her clients expected a certain figure and form for her, it wasn’t as if she couldn't have worked if she fell into a more heavyset state. The wonderful thing about the kink business was always having a target audience. It didn’t matter what she did, there was always someone willing to pay her to do it. It still amazed her that she could make so much money popping balloons.

”Cori de Windt.” Muriel repeated the name, getting her tongue used to it, as she took the newcomer’s hnd nd gave it a light shake. ”Muriel Spencer, and yes, I’m sure you have seen me online, here and there. I gained notoriety with another company, Rumble Roses, before I had to part ways under certain circumstances.” She adjusted herself in the seat, sitting up straight, leaving little pause before she moved on.

”I’m ending my hiatus. However, I was hoping to find a sparring partner to test myself and make sure I'm in proper form.” She tapped her chin, thoughtful, considering, with the slightest hint of a smile. Come to me, little fly. ”Ms. de Windt. I don’t suppose you might be willing to help me in that endeavor?"

Rumble Roses, of course! Acknowledgement and fascination radiated in Cori's reaction, and she nodded her head earnestly to make it clear she knew of it. Even before Cori became addicted to wrestling, she knew many people gave Rumble Roses credit for adding traction to so many of these current women's wrestling promotions like AFW itself, and when she started her own career she saw much online praising it for its contributions. And many of its wrestlers were considered major players in the ring to this day. Cori had not heard much of Muriel Spencer's name recently, but she did only just say she parted ways.

"No wonder I thought I knew your face! It's not every day you stumble across a Rose." Her eyes fell to Muriel's figure with admiration in her eyes, and she gestured at the length of the woman. "You stayed in excellent shape for a very long time if you left before that company shut down. Did you keep wrestling somewhere?"

With the good conversation, Cori forgot how exasperated she became trying and failing to find someone to fight. It was the farthest thing from her mind to think her visitor would want a spar, right up until she expressed it. Cori's eyes brightened, but before she expressed how badly she wanted to have a tussle, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously and cast them on Muriel before she looked over her shoulder at the rest of the gym. "Who told you I wanted a spar? This must be a setup."

But the Curocaoan quickly relented in her joking accusation. "I've bothered everyone in here for a spar and no one agreed. So yes, please. I've been so busy coming here I have had no chance to wrestle."

Muriel would be lying if she said there wasn’t something refreshing about garnering this sort of reaction from the realization of who she was. Rumble Roses was a well-known promotion in Japan, but its reach had always been limited beyond those shores, and those who had heard of it tended to have mixed impressions, to say nothing of her own sordid history in the organization. That all could just have easily sent Corina running in the opposite direction, but no, she was drawn in, excited, eager. Precisely what she wanted to see.

Corina looked her over in full now, and Muriel took a moment to place her hands on her hips, flashing one of the poses she had become well-known for in her time with the company. ”Why, thank you, I’ve done my best to stay in fighting trim, through no small effort.” She eased back and folded her arms, shaking her head with a soft sigh. ”But I’m sad to say that, no, I haven’t had an official match in quite some time. The only competition I’ve had has been outside of the ring, and frankly…”

Slaves, session clients, men and women who paid her to beat them around hotel rooms, fun but useless for improvement.

”...inadequate.”

It was fortuitous, then, that Corina was also in the market for a sparring partner, and more than willing to let Muriel fill that role. A slim, knowing smile crossed Muriel’s lips, as she gestured towards the ring. ”Then, by all means, let’s have a match. Though I must warn you,” Her voice dropped as she leaned forward, peering over glasses she no longer wore. An old habit. ”I expect to see the full extent of your abilities, Ms. de Windt. I need to see where I stand, and I can’t do that if you hold back. I demand satisfaction, understood?”

She kept the tone playful, but there was an undeniable edge to it.

"Ach, tell me about it."

Cori nearly resisted elaborating because she did not want to speak ill of a place she appreciated so highly, but she could not resist talking about it. This was already more fun wrestling chatter than most anyone here had offered her in all thesr weeks. "At my promotion in America, it was great and they gave me my first chance in front of more people than my opponent but.. the women did not do much work to keep up with me." No, many of those women could not be called top athletes to begin with, and a lot of them pushed themselves to a point and then stopped. And almost none of them could claim Cori's background in combat sports. She would not hesitate to claim they could not match her passion either, even if that sounded a little egotistical. Good egotistical?

But Rumble Roses was on a completely different level. She shrugged but grinned more brightly. "So we could both use something better."

As if she could not believe her fortune until Muriel spoke the words aloud, the redhead clapped her hands together in satisfaction when the spar was proposed. She already started to toss all of her belongings into her bag when Muriel stepped closer with a "warning," and Cori offered an attentive ear. A smirk worked its way into her lips. Oh she liked this one! "Never have I set foot in the ring without throwing myself all the way into winning. You'll get your satisfaction! And I will too."

Despite Muriel giving the invitation, Cori had stuffed her equipment into place, zipped up her bag, and started headed to the ring with enough of a spring that she would get there first. She did stop long enough to look back over her shoulder. "And for that matter, are we sparring to win? Or only until I wear you out?" She grinned.