To Wrangle a Reaper: Maria Castillo vs Liz Page

Unlike Liz, Maria had no issue with someone offering her any form of aid. No sooner had Lily slid beside her, the Luchadora leaned heavily on her, shoulders sagging as the intense match took its toll on her stamina. After a breath, she spoke in Spanish so their conversation could remain somewhat private, "I'm never too proud after I got trampled by a amazon." she chuckled dryly

Close at Maria's side, Lily slipped an arm around her waist to help her along. A small laugh passed her lips as she helped the woman along towards the locker rooms, she spoke in Spanish still with an American accent and in a more South American dialect, "Being trampled by an amazon actually sounds like a good time, if Liz were friendlier anyway. But how are you holding up? You took some big hits there, and that was before you starting throwing yourself through the air."

Every step felt like pins were sticking into her muscles, but the luchadora managed a small shrug as she stumbled along beside Lily, "It's nothing I haven't already gone through. Even in AFW my matches have been full of slams and dives. You get used to it after a while, even if it takes a lot of fight out of you. But Liz.....she was....quite the giant for me. You should be proud of her." she smil3d, brushing some hair out of her masked face.

They moved slowly, letting Maria set the pace as they talked, seeming not to notice or mind the sweat transferred from wrestler to manager as their bodies brushed together. Looking up at the taller woman, Lily smiled brightly, "I am, not that she would let me tell her so. She's come a long way. But let's talk about you: You looked phenomenal in there. And not just when you were in control of the match." Absently her free hand fished a second bottle of water out of the backpack that hung from her shoulder, she always left it in the wings during matches to avoid having to go hunting for a vending machine or first aid kit.

Maria paused as those familiar words slipped out from Lily's lips once more, her face flushing a bit. Oh....she had noticed then. Taking a breath, she sighed, "Oh...well I....uhm...am glad that I appeared valiant in my struggles." She replied, trying to brush off the compliment and where the subject was likely headed, even as the memories of her losing the match were bubbling back to the surface, replaying over and over. But not just what had come to pass. Even now an alternate scene played in her mind, as Liz's foot pinned her down with ease, and the ref slapped the canvas next to her prone body.

1.....2....3!

She could imagine the smug smile on Liz's face, her own panting body as she was counting the bright lights....and it made her feel....so strange

With a light giggle Lily nodded slowly, "Yes, also valiant. I was going more for that you looked gorgeous, but valiant works too." Reading Maria's face was a little tricky, with the mask and all, but people spoke with more than just their words or even their faces. Over time Lily had gotten pretty good at reading bodies, especially when her hands are on that body. "You, uh, had a pretty close one for a second there. From the look on your face I thought you were about to throw in the towel... and I wouldn't have blamed you if you had, you had already endured a lot."

THAT made Maria's body tense up, her reply dying in her throat. Oh no....how was she supposed to explain this? She couldn't really deny it. It wasn't really a question after all.

For a few moments she was silent, before she breathed, "Well...I...uhm..I can't deny that my body almost gave up on me. My spirit wouldn't let it end there, and it sort of...drove me to kick out on instinct I suppose. You're right though...she put me through so much with her slams."

As she explained, her gaze grew distant, tone almost...wistful? Longing? She wasn't sure

Absently Lily's arm around Maria's waist shifted, letting her hand stroke the woman's back with a gentle touch. She continued to stare up at Maria with a wry smile, feeling the tension in her body. It hadn't been a question because Lily had no doubt, you don't get to a two-and-a-half count when you still have gas left in the tank. "It really does something to the spirit, getting overpowered like that... It just feels overwhelming and it makes it hard to push back. Really, makes your comeback more impressive when I think about it like that. If I was... heck, I've been the one tossed around like that and I don't think I have it in me to drag myself back like that."

She paused, almost as if a brand new thought was just popping into her mind, "Have you ever tried any... less professional matches? Less stiff or more gimmicky? I absolutely love them."

Before, when Lily had suggested such a thought on their first meeting, Maria was quick to deny such things. Brush her off and write off any thoughts as simple distractions or mind games.

But now, even in victory, she was hanging onto every word. The way Lily's voice practically purred those Forbidden words into her ears. Still, she tried to steel herself with that proud veteran Visage she wielded so expertly, "Yes well....it was just a momentary weakness. As you can see, I found the strength to win. Be a champion. Prove I'm the best."

The question made her take pause, before shaking her head with a blank look, "No I uh...never fought in matches like that in Mexico. Only gimmick matches I've been in are the crazy ones you hear about. Ladder and coffin matches....why are you asking me this?"

Whether or not Maria knew it she and Lily were in a delicate dance where Lily was trying to lead Maria into what she saw as a moment of self-discovery. But she had to move her softly, pride was a powerful thing and a careless step could lead Maria to move farther away from her. Wherever this ended she definitely wanted Maria close to her. Very close to her. "Ah, this is just the thing. With these odd little matches I love there is a little less on the line. Everyone comes in knowing that, while winning is nice, the match is about indulging the gimmick and maybe letting yourself have a little fun. No one is the champion of jello wrestling. No one will be impressed if I am undefeated in bed matches. You can dig down if you want to, or you can just... choose not to."