Aberrant: 200X - Vignettes of a Charitable Nature

[Bombshell]

Occurs during March and the beginning of April

***This Thread is meant to show short scenes of various people getting persuaded or otherwise involved in the Crush Charity event. If you'd like to get involved, make a note in the OOC Thread, PM characters already involved, or catch us in Chat. And have fun!***

Rob 'Superbeast' Steele panted above a gasping Jason 'Bombshell' Bellefleur, his tree-trunk thighs straddling her slender waist as they grappled, their skins slick with bodily fluids. The hulking man-beast pressed close, feeling Jason's arousingly curvaceous, deceptively powerful body writhing beneath him, his fanged mouth next to her delicate ear.

"Sure, I'll join in the fun, Bomber," growled affably, clawed hands digging into her soft flesh, "On one condition - you've got to join me and Süperbëast on stage during one of our concerts for a couple of songs. I've heard -*Oooph!* - about your singing at the Crush."

"Goddammit!" Jason swore, twisting agilely so she stood spead-legged over a supine, hairy Superbeast, vivid crimson blood dripping from her perfect jawline. She bent low at the hips, her lips inches away from Rob's. "I don't even remember doing that. I only sing playing Rock Band with Dani and CF, I'm not a professional." An imminently feminine fist cracked him across the jaw with the force of a ballistic missile, sending Superbeast sliding across the mat.

The Battle of the Beauty and the Beast raged on in the variable terrain Combat Zone. Bombshell and Superbeast used it all, their fight combining the grace and speed of the Silver Circle with the titanic power of the Black Circle for a truly awesome spectacular, their conversation exchanged in brief spurts when the battle allowed.

"S'good - 'nough - for - me, Babe! Such a - sexy - voice - laughter - better than - ViagraEx!"

"Seriously - this is - what you - want?! How 'bout - a part on - Valkyrie? - Maybe getta - see me - nekkid."

"Tempting - but want - concert! My deal - or I - walk - 'Kay to go for chest rip, show off some boob?"

"Go for - it. Underboob, underboob - Fuck, that was almost too much! Fine, you got me - for a concert, one song!"

"Sorry, babe - Five songs."

"Three - and I'll wear something sexy and - heavy - metal - ish."

"Oh, yeah! How 'bout that thing - you almost - wore in Ragnarok?"

"We'll - see! Oh, and Steele?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry!"

A long leg lashed out with unfortunate precision, connecting with a piece of dangling anatomy that Jason no longer possessed with enough force to powder concrete. Yeah, it was a dirty, if legal, move, and a small piece of her still cringed even as she exalted at seeing the wide-eye stare on Superbeast's face, a tiny whimper escaping his lips as he collapsed heavily to the ground.

Bombshell sauntered around the ring, her partially revealed breasts bouncing enticingly as she threw ravishing smiles that would haunt dreams, playing to the crowd. The blood seeping from slashed flesh seemed to flow back inside as the wounds knitted before the spectators eyes, her flawless appearance reasserting itself.

It was very possible this fight was over...

[Bombshell]

*******************

It was evening, the dark sky leavened with the pinpricks of silver stars rising over the shadowed mountains, a bracing breeze flowing through the well appointed penthouse from the cracked open windows. With Alex out at a movie with friends from school - and her declining their invitation - Jason had her apartment to herself and was taking the time to go over the lines of a new script.

It was for the movie she was going to co-star in with Lydia Divine and the part was far more dramatic than her typical fare, so Jason was reading her lines with her eufiber altered to fit the part. It wasn't perfect, but it would help her get a feel for the right movements and posture. She wasn't going to let Lydia show her up. I'm more than eye-candy and an action star, and I'm gonna prove it.

Which was how Bombshell found herself gliding through the living-room of her apartment dressed in a pair of mid-height heels, knee socks, a plaid, knee-length pencil skirt, a wide-necked peasant blouse and fitted cardigan, all in earth tones. The outfit was topped off with a pair of stylish, rimless glasses with clear lenses, a faint touch of cosmetics, vintage style jewelry at throat, ears, and wrist, her long, silver hair pulled up into a loose up-do with some loose strands framing her face and a pair of pencils through the bun.

Though the outfit wasn't meant to be a sexual fantasy. Yet, Jason still looked something like the sexiest librarian to ever walk the face of the earth, her blatant, overwhelming beauty softened into a subdued, smoldering sensual appeal that drew the eye more than gratuitous skin through sheer force of presence and an innate sense of drama.

She read her lines softly, her voice lower than her natural soprano, trying to get the right tone and inflection as she paced through her penthouse. Wearing heels was effortless, shifting her gait into something less dangerously and seductively graceful while maintaining a limited confidence was taking more work.

Jason didn't think anything of it when she heard a knock at the door leading to the terrace, believing it was just Alex coming home. She never dressed up this femininely normally unless it was for a part or a fashion show, but she had gotten used to Alex being around when she was reading a part, moreso than even with Danielle for some strange reason. Though it's odd he didn't take the elevator with his friends, it isn't that late...

Turning around, Jason froze, finding Borealis standing at the glass door, a curtain of rippling, pastel colours behind him, not bothering to hide his admiration of the view. With the body-hugging eufiber bodysuit, Jason could see just how much he was enjoying the sight.

Jason stalked up to the door with predatory grace, crossing her arms beneath her breasts as she glared down at him from an extra six inches of height with hot, indigo eyes blazing brightly. "What the hell are you doing here, Kyle? No means no!"

She could almost hear a ripping sound as Borealis tore his gaze off the well-rounded flesh bulging up the wide neck of her blouse, then arched a brow at her glasses, his cocky grin in place. "Nice glasses, Bombshell. Very French-Canadian Librarian. Très hot."

"Fuck off," Jason growled in an unintentionally sensual tone as she yanked the glasses off her face and buttoned up the cardigan all the way. It didn't stop straying eyes. "You're trespassin', you know and you have no authority with how things are going with Alex. Say what you want, and quick, or beat it. And I swear to God, it this is about asking me out on a date or to join Northern Shield again, I'm throwing you off the terrace."

"I fly-"

"I know you fly." She was getting tired feeling like the only Nova in the world who couldn't fly. "I was gonna spike you at the ground."

Borealis held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not here for a date, although you don't know what-" he hurried on at the violent glint in her twilight eyes. "Yes, well, right, in all honestly, I'm here on another matter. Look, can I come it?"

"No."

Borealis ran a hand over his shaved head, giving her a sincere look, at her, not what she looked like. "Please? I'm here to ask you a favour."

Jason pierced him with a resolute stare for a long moment, then finally sighed and opened the door, waving him in. He really did look sincere rather than trying to get into her pants. "Fine. Stay in the living room."

Mostly. With the heels on, Borealis was having a harder time taking his eyes of her legs than her tits. With a grunt, Jason kicked off the heels with a flick of her feet, then shifted her eufiber into a pair of loose jeans and a baggy sweater as she pulled the pencils from her hair, letting her hair hang loose.

Jason sprawled out in the recliner watching Borealis from narrowed eyes as he looked around, clearly stalling. Finally, he shrugged, sitting on her couch and faced her.

"I want you to invite someone to take part in that XWF Charity Event your helping to arrange."

Jason arched her brows in complete surprise - she hadn't been expecting this. "Why?" she asked faintly. "And who?"

"WhiteRain, she's moved here, well, to Vancouver, in case you didn't know."

"I heard, I like some of her music," Jason said, her brows rising even higher. "It seems rather... odd that you're askin' on her behalf. Isn't she Teragen? If she wanted to participate, why wouldn't she make the offer herself?"

"Not as odd as you might think, Bomb - Jason," Borealis replied. His mouth tightened as he looked away, mulling on what to say. "Teragen... I'm not sure anymore. I confronted her when she first moved in. She's... she's not what I expected. Freaky and weird, there's not mistaking that, but - you heard she made a big contribution to the relief fund, right?"

"It was in the local papers. Very commendable, unless she's just trying to buy some good press."

"Trust me, she's not. She doesn't care what the press thinks. From what I can see, she just wants to... find out what she is without being bothered or bothering others. She doesn't have a hate-on for baselines, 'Utopia dupes', or-" he pointed at her, "Sellouts and media whores. Actually... I think she's lonely."

"Lonely." Being called a media whore still stung a bit. She fulfilled her contractual obligations, but otherwise didn't go seeking the limelight. On the other hand, the limelight seemed to find her, regardless.

Borealis nodded. "She didn't say it, but she is. And I want you to ask her to get involved so she finds a path that doesn't lead back to the Teragen. As I said, and you might know, she's 'tainted' and damned... weird, but if all Teragen were like her, my job would be a lot easier." Kyle flowed back to his feet, pacing back to the floor-to-ceiling windows looking over the Whistler. "So, will you ask her?"

Jason studied Borealis' back. Everything she had seen from him until tonight made her believe he thought about himself and his image first, though she had never questioned his dedication to his country. Seeing this, it made her a little curious to meet WhiteRain herself, despite finding though heavily afflicted with Quantum Backlash Syndrome sorta creepy, sometimes a look creepy. But to be fair, she well knew what it was to be judged solely on appearance. Being a hypocrite never sat right with her.

"Okay, I'll ask," Jason agreed, standing up and joining Borealis at the window.

Borealis pressed a card into her hand. "Thanks, bab - Jason, seriously. Here, here's her address, and... I got to warn you, she's weird, even for a weird nova."

"I've seen the pictures," Jason said with a wry grin.

"That's not the half of it," Borealis muttered, but he didn't elaborate. Let her find out for herself. He held out his hand and gave Jason a firm handshake, even more impressively, meeting her eyes without a hint of strain. "Again, thanks, Jason. And I owe you one."

"You do. Now get out. And you better deny any rumours of sleeping with me when this visit shows up in the tabloids, Kyle."

Borealis' cocky grin flashed into existence. "Your missing the ride of your life, babe," he managed to get out with a laugh, jumping through his prismatic warp a second before Jason got a hold of him.

To be continued in Joining Paths.

[Bombshell]

*******************

It was the afternoon before the March Midnight Madness pay-per-view event, taking place this year in London, and Jason was circulating around the women's workout room, trying to round up more volunteers for the Crush Charity Event. Jason smiled wryly. One thing she had learned being a woman for two years was women talked every bit as dirty as guys in the locker-room, and worst in many cases. If nothing else, it had been an education.

Bombshell bantered teasingly with the petite Melinda Guzman, the Upset Queen, the top of her dark head barely reaching her shoulder. Jason turned to speak to Christine 'the Terminatrix' Jerensky, and turned away again when the seven foot tall, shark-mouthed bitch snarled at her. Admittedly, Jason didn't find her nearly as creepy after meeting WhiteRain in person. She spent some long minutes with poor Ashley Winthrop, trying to build up her confidence. Boom Box and Bombshell were very well matched, in pure physicality, but Ashley's mental slowness gave Jason a big edge. Promising to show Ashley around town and having a girls night in seemed to cheer her up.

Inwardly, Jason seethed - all the girls knew Ashley's agent was massively fucking her out of her earnings, just as they knew she wasn't happy in the XWF in the first place. Maybe we should do something about that. Maybe see about setting Katya on this piece of shit and see if Ashley would prefer acting.

Jason settled into one of the highly adjustable, high-end weight-machines, powered by hydraulics and electromagnets so the mass could still be a challenge without being unmanageable. She had a more limited version in her home gym. Jason switched the weight-machine for butterfly presses, adjusted for her dramatic measurements, and ramped up the weight to 44,000 kilograms.

Jason went through several reps, listening to this hiss and clank of the weights, before she glanced at the woman doing squats at the machine next to her. The two of them were nearly the same height, both blond haired and blue eyed, though of vastly different hues. But no one would ever accuse Bombshell and Brawlzilla of being in anyway similar.

Jason checked her out from the corner of her eye. Brawlzilla was hardly the most friendly of people on the circuit, but the only problem she had ever had with her was dealing with her greasy skin in the Combat Zone, which gave her a permanent, sweaty sheen. It didn't add anything to her far from attractive appearance. Despite benching only half what she was pressing with one arm, Brawlzilla had nearly a hundred pounds of sheer muscle on her.

Fuck! Her arms must be bigger than the band-size on my bra. She knew pretty much any woman in the world would smack her for feeling a trace of envy for anything Brawlzilla had, but honestly, Jason wouldn't have minded a little bit of visible muscle added to her frame.

"So, Bee-Zed, interested in the Charity Event for the Victoria Crush?" Jason muttered in a low, melodious voice, for Sally's ear alone. Her breathing stayed even and steady, spectacular breasts rising and falling with each butterfly press. "You draw a large crowd, and have a pretty hardcore fanbase - I'm sure they have some dream-matches they'd love to see you in, and pay to see. We'd love to have you join us... plus so far, we're kinda short on heels*." Even without turning to glance at the too beautiful man-come-woman, Sally could tell Jason was smiling. "Though to be honest, anyone participating will be a face*, at least for a night."

Click to reveal.. (XWF Lingo)

heel = the 'bad guys'
face = the 'good guys'

[z-Brawlzilla]

Sally had been aware of Bombshell from the moment she entered the room; it was hard not to be. Men followed her like a hound after a coon, their heads swiveling to watch her progress. Women watched her as well, but most of their eyes were hot little fires that burned with jealousy. Sally didn’t bother. Bombshell was a woman, not a man and all of her strength came from quantum, not hard work. The massive woman had her strength come from quantum as well, else she wouldn’t be here. But Sally had worked hard to get her muscles and she worked harder to keep her mass.

When Bombshell finished speaking, Sally remained silent. She finished two more squats, completing her set and carefully reracked the barbell. The hydraulic weights gave a final hiss and settled into place as Sally rolled her shoulders and felt the sensations from her tired legs. “Sure,” she said finally, as if she’d had to take all that time to decide on that outcome. “I’ll help. What are you guys planning specifically?”

Bombshell laid out their ideas; Sally was nodding when she was done. “Aight,” she grunted, her slab-like chin barely moving as she spoke. “I’m game. Whadda need to do to get me signed on?”

[Bombshell]

Jason left the bars for the butterfly presses wide open and stood up, stretching, slightly nonplussed. It sort of took something out of the sense of accomplishment from exercising when regardless of how hard she worked, her heat-beat hardly elevated, her breathing rate didn't increase, there was no burning of worked muscle, and she couldn't seem to make in any gains in visible muscle mass.

She was toned, sure, but next to Brawlzilla, she felt like a toothpick. With a glance down, she had to admit with a self-amused smile, a rather curvy toothpick.I'd really wonder why I even still bother, except I do get stronger, I just can't measure or notice the progress. How the hell does she still pack it on?

Jason flashed Brawlzilla a grateful smile - she wasn't just being polite, Sally could tell Bombshell was being honest about being glad having her participate... Which really didn't make the unreal woman seem any less unreal.

"Just go speak with Promotions, they'll get you all the paperwork that needs signin'," Jason explained, then wryly warned, "Oh, yeah! Make sure you give 'em a list of what line you [iwon't cross. Not sure 'bout you, but even though I'm a pretty easygoin' guy, willin' to do a lot for Victoria, I still don't trust what many of my fans will propose. Anyway, speaking of Promotions, I have a Promo-shoot to get to."

With a long-legged strut that was an enticing as it was graceful and powerful, Jason began leaving the workout room. "Do svidaniya, Bee-Zed, see you after tonight's Event, and looking forward to seeing you in Vancouver."

[Bombshell]

**********************

Sitting on the couch, dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and her sportsbra, Jason was heavily engaged in the new release Elites: Battlefield expansion, Congo Confrontation, Danielle at her side, equally engaged, though she also had on a loose hoody. There was a time Jason would have been comfortable leaving her chest bare in the privacy of her - or Danielle's - home, but first had been an incident with Conrad walking in on them, and now with Alex staying at her place in Whistler, it was better to have something covering the twins.

Right now, she was taking vicious glee in slaughtering IAMNINE, an online gaming nemesis, on the new video game. The little shit, at least, he sounded little, possibly was nine, though had a damned foul mouth, was ungodly good, but against two women with hyper-evolved reflexes, he was getting mowed. Jason didn't have the slightest bit of remorse, just waiting for the little fucker to spawn so she could frag him again. Dani wasn't any more sympathetic to the shit's plight, having been on the receiving end of one particularly foul and sexist rant.

Knockout had had a relatively bad day at work - bomb disposal had been unkind to her wardrobe, but Jason couldn't suppress a smirk. She rather thought their time earlier in the shower and the bedroom had mellowed her out a bit, got her over complaining about her bad luck.

"Yeah, so, remember that fashion show I had in Ibiza last week, Dani?" Jason asked as they waited for a new battle to start. They were second in the team standings, but then again, they hadn't been able to start on launch day, so they were playing catch-up, though it might have still been a little unfair with both of them being novas with increased reflexes.

"Uh-huh, Jay. Sorry I couldn't make it. The Mayor and the Police Department have been on my case a bit for the time I took to help with the Crush."

"Oh, don't worry about it, babe. Anyway, I got to talkin' with 'Ironskin' Andy - you know how badly the QNA want us to sign up - and he offered me a deal. Him and his partner Jake will participate in the Charity event if you and I agree to attend a QNA charity event. We're not agreein' to becomin' members or anything, just attendin'. But I said I had to ask you first. It's one of the those fancy dinner things, with the entirely too expensive plates of food. Um, black-tie," Jason admitted, looking over at Danielle, and arching her brow.

"Black-tie?"

"Black-tie. We don't have to wear evenin' gowns or anything. I'm not. Besides, I look great in a tux. You will too, after all..." Jason gestured at her girlfriend's figure, then her own nearly identical one. "You in? It might be fun - if nothing else, Andy is never boring - the food is probably going to be excellent. They have that new celebrity Chef, whatshisname, Ken Fleur-Castillo."

Danielle thought it over. Jason wasn't a great cook - though pretty decent at BBQ - and she had heard about Ken FC on the Food Network when she was looking to try some new recipes... "Okay, I'm in." She looked down and plucked at her hoody. "I guess this means I have to buy a suit. Where do I even go to find one that will... fit."

Jason chuckled, her sultry, silvery voice filling Danielle's house. "We don't just go buy one. We get it tailored for us. And I'm sure there is more than one fashion house who'll be willin' to do the work just to say they're the ones who dressed up." Jason's amused smiled tightened as the tone sounded that the battle was about to start.

"Though I think I only trust one designer to actually give us what we ask for without going overboard. I'll call her tomorrow. Yay us. Modelling has come into more use than just a fat paycheck for easy work and providing whack-off material for thousands of teenage boys like we used to be."

[Doryoku]

Rogers Arena, Afternoon before the charity event...

Sakurako is busy tapping with her stylus on her ViaPad, testing the control functions on the new Combat Zone she helped build for the event. The OLED displays on the double-thick vitrium shield panels glow and display the various competitor's entry videos and vital statistics... Sakurako won't admit it since she's not a real fan of the XWF, but this has been a good "entry-level" project. If she can make a durable, variable lay-out battle arena for nova fighters... anything else should be child's play.

"Alright, there's a point 03 second delay on the upload of that last video! I'll put it through a re-format and re-up load it!" Sakurako shouts to the technician booth on the other side of the "ring" as it were from the announcer's booth. "Alright!" The technician shouts from his position as sakurako taps a few icons and starts processing the video. "Can't believe these guys use the .mkv format... takes too much memory. MP6 is the way to go."

She starts walking back to the backstage after shooting a re-formatted Superbeast entry video and heads to the back warehouse to start adjusting her costume for the show. She's got the honor of being a special guest manager for a jobber named "Robot Rob" a fan favorite jobber who's character has been passed around for a while. Usually given to skilled martial artists who aren't juiced up for the role. Not that Sakurako knows that 99% of the jobbers on the roster were mitoids. She's here, but still unaware of the real goings on. B.B. Bartlett made sure of that. He knows Sakurako's a "girl scout". Even his words to her although put in as jest, but he knows to hide some of the dirty underbelly of the organization this go-around.

She sits down and continues tapping when a read-headed woman, no more than a string bean who'd need a couple phone books to see eye to eye with a average person sits down next to her.

"Hey, thanks for jazzing up the Robot Rob costume for me. I thought my last match on my contract should be special." She says.

"Hey, thanks. The old costume looked like a liability. It was nothing more than a fancy 'grizzly suit' to me. At least with the new costume, you, or whoever wears the costume after you will be pretty safe." Sakurako says looking up to her. "What got you into all this anyways?"

The redhead looks up. "This has been helping pay off the medical costs for my mom's cancer treatments a few months ago and my university loans. The University of Minnesota wasn't cheap."

"I'd wager. I know a few of the professors over there. Just about paid off?"

"And then some." Sakurako's newest friend says, pulling in close to see what's on her screen. "A Canada-flag style Sailor Suit? Looks like some sort of lifeguard schoolgirl action there."

Sakurako quirks an eyebrow. "It's for a 'cheap pop' as the pros here call it, and Like this isn't one?" Sakurako says, gesturing to her business suit. "No, that looks like something a bored billionaire playgirl on a yacht would wear." the other woman says with a wink. "Just missing the life vest and captain's hat."

Sakurako laughs. "I do have one in this outfit." She says, playing up her gadgeteer habits.

"What, expecting a flood?"

"No, I just got it in the design. I do sometimes wear this on the yacht, so... gotta be prepared." It's not been a while since she's had this much fun.

"You know, Sakurako, I want a outfit like that." Mary says, pointing at Sakurako's screen.

"What? The suit I'm gonna wear?" Sakurako says incredulously.

"For Halloween. Sans the union jack motif of course. I can be a superhero in that... Ensign Minneapolis! Champion of the City of Lakes!"

Sakurako chuckles. "I can see you doing that. What with all the old comic books you read."

"And those manga you brought with you." She winks.

"Come on, Mary you're making me blush!" Sakurako says. Joking.

"You know, Mary, since this is your last fight, How about working for my company? I've been needing someone at the Minneapolis branch of the firm I've started up. I've looked at your resume and it's brilliant." Sakurako says.

"Well... I could use the job."

"Just let me know. I could use a branch president for the US wing of the firm."

"Really?? Th... thank you."

"Don't mention it. Now... let's get to that suit of yours." Sakurako says, getting up. "The extra impact air bladders and the memory-weave in the suit just won't adjust itself."

"Yeah. Just don't get sad when the suit breaks down They're retiring Robot Rob tomorrow night too."

"This isn't my character, Mary. Just a side project. I'd be honored to put Robot Rob in the scrap heap."

Mary giggles as Sakurako heads over to the slightly bulky "Robot Rob" costume in the back corner. IT's stereotypical robotic-like form almost insults Sakurako's engineer's eyes, but it's a costume. She's incorporated many protective features from her Search and Rescue prototype designs into the suit, and while the suit's supposed to look like it's broken down when "Robot Rob" loses the match tomorrow night, It will be 100% salvagable. They'll probably auction off the outer shell of the suit for more charity money after the event anyways.

"So... ready for your retirement match Mary?"

"Hell yes! Let's put on this bad boy." She says, taking off her shirt and jeans, revealing the synthetic Eufiber under-suit Sakurako gave her. Almost looks like a plugsuit in design, and with the subject matter Sakurako draws from, Mary's not surprised.

"Oh, I put a voice box into the suit. This way at least before your last match you can cut a promo and no one will notice what gender you are... you sort of sound like a Cyberman though when you talk. Ever watch Doctor Who? crazy stuff... sorta like that show, but that's besides the point."

Sakurako closes up the suit, and pats the side of the boxy helmet over Mary's head. "Now, the HUD I put in is far more advanced than the old one which was just a OLED screen on the inside. It'll tell you your suit's integrety, oxygen levels, and give you a two-way with me and the backstage control. Now if you have to get out of the armor in a hurry, like if ventilation failed, pull this ripcord and the airbags will fully inflate and jettison the outer armor sections and disengage the helmet. Not to mention if some brute like the guy you're fighting decides to punch you you'll still have some protection from the blow. I'll jump in and stop the fight if I have to at that point. And god look after that guy if he touches me because them my brother might evicerate him."

Mary laughs. With the voicebox on she almost sounds evil. "Oh, and Mary... don't laugh like that again in the suit, you'll probably scare the kids."

"Oh.... sorry." Mary says.

"Now, let's take a walk... the undersuit has to adapt to the wearer. The EuFiber weave takes a few moments to conform to the body."

As Mary takes her first few steps, she feels the suit loosen up and adjust more combortably into position with every step. Sakurako and Mary head to the main locker room as Sakurako does some final adjustments to her costume's OLED outer coating. "There we go... now... how's the suit feeling?"

"Great. I feel like Master Chief in this!"

"Don't get too wreckless in that. It's not powered armor by any stretch of the imagination."

They walk in and the various wrestlers talk about their rehearsal happing later that night, and various other events...

"Man! you hear about what's going on in the Congo?"

"Yeah, it's a bloodbath I hear. I heard they're sending in Elites to clean it up."

"Damn... all they'd need is Totentanz and that shit would be put down quick!"

"HEY! It's Robot Robin!"

Mary in her suit waves as Sakurako walks in. "That's Robot Rob to you... guys. So..." Sakurako says, leaning on her "project". "Scared you'll be out of a job when the robots take over?" She says with a wink. The XWF fighters just moan and throw towels at the two.

"I guess not. Come on Rob! Still gotta work out the bugs and do that promo for tomorrow night!"

"Affirmitive, Mistress." Mary says through the voicebox as they head off.

Sakurako starts laughing hard after hearing that. Mary just says "What?" in an embarassed tone lost with the voice modification as they head off to the side area where promos are made. "Nothing... nothing. Now I gotta get into costume. You'll be alright?"

"Yeah, just bring back some motor oil for my joints."

Sakurako chuckles. "Sure sure..."

[z-Brawlzilla]

couple of weeks before the Event

Sally lounged in the doorway, her eyes half-closed. With the hoodie pulled up and her saggy sweatpants on, she looked like a fat man. She was quietly waiting for her contact to show up. As she waited, her mind drifted over her life, thinking about her current regime, the groceries she needed to get and finding a new dry cleaner after the last one had refused to clean her bedsheets anymore.

“Yo, Beez.” The voice brought the woman to her full height. She looked down at the young man nodding at her agreeably.

“Parker,” she said, nodding back. Slipping an envelope out of her pocket, she passed it to him.

The man opened it and thumbed the edges of the bills he saw. “Nice.”

“And all of it on the grudge match between me and Gladius,” Sally told him.

“All but my cut.”

“All but your cut,” she agreed. With another nod, she started to leave.

“Beez.” The call stopped her short and pulled her back. “Why don’t you just put it all on yourself?”

“We have to register,” Brawlzilla reminded him. Her lips quirked up in a grin. “And I don’t think Gladius would honor the arrangement if he knew I had bought it. Fuckers been running scared from me for a while, just won’t admit it. Now… he’s kinda stuck with it. ‘Sides, I want him to think the fans want to see it.”

[Evo]

"What are you doing up here, Mr. Wallace?" Donald turned his head over to notice his landlady, curiously staring at the nova doing acrobatics on the upper roof of the apartment building. "Ms. Fieber, I'm practicing for an event."

The brunette glanced back at him and chose to ask, "What event precisely?"

"Something Bombshell herself is setting up for charity. I happened to get a phone call from her. Lots of big name folks there, but I will be doing some noncompetitive performance of physicality. 'A madman's obstacle course' as we referred to it."

"Really." Donald could see her expression change, and he knew that the wheels were turning in his landlady's head. For he was well aware that-

"By the way, rent is due tomorrow. I'll waive it for this and the next month-"

"No," Donald stated flatly, "I'm not going to give you Bombshell's phone number."

- Mary Fieber was a lesbian.

[GDP_ST]

"So all I'd have to do is take tickets and show people where they're sitting?" Alex "Sunshine" Andrews asked the beautiful brunette fussing around him with a tape-measure. His blue eyes shone with honest interest and curiousity as he tried to watch her.

"The VIPs, yes." Katya answered, making a soft exasperated noise and stepping back from him a pace before looking up into a face that made one want to believe in angels... if they looked like this. "Alex. I cannot measure you correctly if you keep twisting and bending." Despite the mild exasperation, she wasn't really angry. Alex was just too scrumptiously cute - and not merely in a physical way - to get really mad at. Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, his arms outstretched, he managed to look good-humoredly contrite.

"Sorry, I'll stay still. What sort of VIPs?" he asked, standing straight and looking ahead.

"Lucky ones." Katya murmured as she reached around his waist with the tape, then grinned at herself. Of course Sunshine would need to be measured and fitted for a proper tux. A white one, to heighten the dazzling effect. Katya had decided that before she'd even broached the subject, just as she'd decided that she was going to be supervising this little side project personally. After all, whilst Jael was away, the Katya could play. At least a little.

"Seriously." Alex verbally prodded, smiling angelically. Katya chuckled throatily as she measured his leg.

"Oh, all sorts. Actors and actresses, novox stars, politicians. A big event like this attracts big people." She moved to his inside leg, enjoying herself thoroughly. Alex didn't seem to notice. "And when word gets out that you're one of the VIP ushers, I think we'll sell even more VIP passes.

"Wow." he mused. "So I do what, exactly?"

"Well, they'll hand you their VIP passes, and you'll make sure they are who they say they are - don't worry, you won't be on your own there. Then you take them to their box, make sure they have everything they need, generally be your delightful self, and then go back to the VIP entrance and start again." Katya measured his arms, making a mental note that Sunshine seemed to have grown an inch or so over the last six months and was filling out more. A growing boy. she thought with an inner salacious grin.

"Then, after the event, you get to escort the VIP's backstage to meet the stars of the show. It's not too hard - you just hang around and be helpful. You're somewhat of a celebrity yourself, so you won't be ignored. Just remember, you don't have to talk to the Press and you can politely refuse to answer questions, okay?" She looked at him soberly. "We all want you to be happy and comfortable in this, so if anyone starts to make you feel otherwise, tell me, Jase, or Jael and we'll take care of it."

"Okay." he smiled. "I should be alright, though. Right?"

"Darling, when I'm done getting you fitted for your tux you'll be better than alright. You'll put the sun to shame."