Help

by WittyNameTFM

Chapter 33. Plans For The Future

"You sure about this?" Michiru asked, looking across the desk at Indigo.

"This might be the first time I've been able to make a choice like this on my own." She said, "I'm ready to do something that I want to do."

"I'm proud of you, kid." She chuckled. "You know I gotta make your life hell, right?"

"Nothing you do could be worse than what I've already been through." Indigo shrugged.

"Hmm. I guess I coulda phrased that better, given the circumstances." She crossed her arms in thought. "I more so meant that your training is gonna be much tougher from here on out."

"I figured as much. I just have to wait for the okay from the doctor, right?"

"Yeah. Always make sure you take time to figure out if you're healthy. You make money based on your body in this line of work. You get hurt, you can't work. Can't work? No pay day. Usually, anyway." She shrugged. "Don't be like the idiots I know who will keep an injury quiet to still get booked. Got it?"

"Do I look like the type to-"

"Absolutely."

"Ouch." Indigo faked a wince.

"I'm serious. 'One more match' mentality will end your career faster than anything." She thought for a moment. "Well, not anything. You know what I'm getting at." She huffed.

"I understand. I've got too many people who want me to get better. They're gonna be pissed when they find out I'm doing this." She chuckled.

"You haven't even told your lady friend?"

"...Are you referring to Sunny?"

"I think so. I don't know if I've ever heard her name…or if I did, I don't think I've put a face to it." She thought aloud.

"Purple hair, blue skin, weird bracelets?"

"Yeah, her." She nodded. "So she's Sunny?"

"Yeah. I think…she's the biggest reason that I got to where I am today." Indigo said.

"You've mentioned that before, what do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head. "Like, inspiration wise or something?"

"Well, that…but also a lot more literal." She chuckled. "My parents were pretty shitty, unachievable expectations…abusive, y'know. Just the best childhood a kid could have." She shrugged dismissively.

"I see." Michiru frowned. "You have no problem making light of it…"

"I'm seeing a therapist for it, I'm not just festering on it." She assured, "I have too much good going for me to let them ruin my future."

"That's a good mentality." She nodded. "So, we can talk about gimmicks if you want. Give me your pitches."

"What do you mean?" Indigo asked.

"Anyone who gets into this business has had the dream of winning the big title on the biggest stage." She chuckled. "Wrestling is so expressive, there are millions of character types that exist out there."

"Oh, you're right." She thought aloud. "I…never really had a big character idea." She admitted, cupping her chin in thought.

"Some of the best are just people who amp up their own personality." Michiru explained. "Like how Tempest is that stoic person behind the curtain."

"You do it too." Indigo said with a chuckle.

"I'd like to think that I'm more obnoxious on screen…you little shit." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"You think I could actually make it?" She asked after a moment.

"If you work your hardest, I think you have a shot. You're already a natural in the ring, it's pretty cool, actually." Michiru chuckled. "I'm watching you pick up on things that took me a while to grasp. You commit in your bumps, you already have a decent hand on expressions, and you've got to be one of the better conditioned students I've had. I guess being the captain of every team at school has that effect." She chuckled.

"I've gotta get back into shape. The time spent recovering my knee has made me feel lazy."

"Rest and recovery are important, as fast as life flies by, you gotta take time for yourself. This wrestling school stuff has been part of my break to be honest. I've got a few ideas for when I return to the ring."

"As cool as it is to chat with you in person, I can't wait to see you back in action."

"Aww, I appreciate that. You should think about some character ideas to pitch when we get to setting up character work." She smiled. "I think you could get by with a few tweaks to your everyday personality. Maybe a little more ego."

"How do people do that without just becoming a douche?"

"Well, it starts with having some people who will keep you grounded, I guess." Michiru thought aloud.

"No concrete answer then."

"I think you've got a good circle of folks around you, plus I'll smack you upside the head if you need me to." Michiru teased.

"Oh, thanks. Warnings of bodily harm." Indigo chuckled.

"What? I'd never. Now if you happened to take a few hard falls in training…" She grinned, coyly.

"...are we still taking new applicants to the class?" Indigo asked after a moment.

"Yeah. The first class is getting ready to move to dark matches, so they'll be practicing and training with the main roster." Michiru said, looking over the notes.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Tempest and I are talent scouts. We do training to help fill the roster and get fresh faces on the scene. So people who do well in our training classes get opportunities to wrestle for Underground Women's Wrestling." She explained.

"Holy shit, really? That sounds way too easy to get in…"

"I said 'opportunities'. You gotta earn the contract. A lot of people get called up for jobs to make the midcard look better." She chuckled. "You impress the crowd or the girls in the back and you have a higher chance of coming back."

"So a good way to get multiple appearances is to make my opponent look good?" She asked.

"Bingo. An unsigned and unproven name would be a risk to promote. No one would know you. You kinda gotta earn your spot. You can be given the best character, entrance music and look, but if you can't work, you're dead in the water."

"Right. So I'll just get better." She said with a nod.

"That's the spirit! I knew I liked you for some reason."

"I thought we genuinely got along…" Indigo said with a pout.

"Lighten up, Indigo." She chuckled. "I do like you. I'm teasing."

"Right, right. You just didn't want to lose a fan." The tomboy smirked.

"You're still a fan after having met me? I thought you weren't supposed to meet your heroes." She shrugged.

"I never said 'hero'."

Michiru feigned shock, holding a hand to her heart. "Ouch…"

"I have a few friends who might be interested…could I point them your way?" She asked, leaning back.

"Will they pick it up as fast as you?"

"No idea. Light just sounded interested in it." She shrugged. "I dunno about Rainbow, but I could see her having fun, and Rolling Thunder seemed interested when Light said she'd look into it. I mean, I guess it's worth seeing."

"What the hell, why not? Bring 'em by and you and I could give them an introduction."

"Me?"

"Indigo, I don't know how many times I have to tell you this. You've got so much potential, it's almost scary." She chuckled. "If you were a little older, I'd recommend you to go for dark matches at UWW. But with your injury, you fell a bit behind. Legitimately, I feel like you understand enough to ease your friends into it."

"I just find it hard to believe. I never grew up with it, Sunny's dad introduced me to it." She shrugged. "It's just hard to believe that I've got this grasp on something I didn't even understand or know about a year ago."

"Sometimes you're just good at things." She shrugged. "The difference is that you're taking time to learn the fundamentals and know more about the stuff that you already understand."

"Huh. I don't know how to feel." She admitted. "I'm used to being told I wasn't good enough."

"Man. That's not okay." Michiru sighed. "I hate you had to go through that."

"It's not your fault." She shrugged. "I'm trying to get used to positive influences in my life."

"I hope I can be that for you." She chuckled.

Author's Note:

A shorter entry this time. I've been working through some burnout, bear with me. I promise I'm not gonna leave this fic unfinished. Thanks for reading!

Comments

[Hobbestc]

Positive influence is always a good thing!! I wanna see RD and LD tossing each other around the ring, lol.

[WittyNameTFM]

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Well, that may or may not be something that happens in the future