You're Pretty Good, Eh

Cassie had spent a lot of time working out in her apartment since starting with AFW. She had really what she needed: mats and open space. She did her jujitsu drills and basic exercises and yoga and pilates and all of the sort of thing she was accustomed to doing without having to go anywhere at all. She knew, though, that eventually she'd have to actually go to the AFW gym. Aside from being much better equipped than her empty apartment, it also was frequented, obviously, by the AFW roster. She was dying to see what the other girls could do and what they did and what they were like. She hoped she'd make friends.

So one morning, after her morning exercises and breakfast, she threw her gym bag over her shoulder and set out walking for the gym. The closer she got, the more excited she became thinking about the people she'd meet and about the gym itself... she couldn't imagine what it'd be like. She had never had a health club membership or anything. Her workouts had come from drilling her technique, and her resistance training came from her training partners.

She didn't need to stop in the locker room, she'd walked (jogged, really) from her apartment in her workout clothes, despite the temperature. Her favorite little workout shorts, a sports bra and a snug yellow tank top and slip on shoes. The only unnecessary clothing she had was a small red rubber bracelet around her right wrist that she wore to remind herself of home. When she pushed through the doors she went straight into the gym. It made her smile. She was sure there was stuff here that she didn't even know how to use! She saw mats and a ring and other people, though, so she felt right at home.

She took a few minutes just to pace around the place and look over the equipment, mostly as a cover while she really was checking out the other girls. There was an odd mix of tiny little Japanese girls that were half HER size... that was weird. She was used to be half everyone else's size. But then, there were a couple larger girls that looked... mean. Dangerous. They looked scary, and while fighting in the ring was one thing, she would never want to be caught in a fight with them on the street. Of course, she didn't want to fight ANYone on the street. What would be the point of that?

There was one girl, though, that caught her eye. She knew right away that she was a pro wrestler, a good one, with a lot more experience with it than Cassie had herself. She could see it just in the way she moved and carried herself. It was impressive. She loved it. As much as she loved her jujitsu background, that would always be a part of her, she was infatuated with pro wrestling. It was so...special. So BIG. Her mind drifted off thinking about training with this girl and learning from her and becoming a brilliant, confident, radiant pro wrestler herself. Then she realized that she'd been standing in one spot watching the girl for several minutes.

Oops. Don't be creepy on your first day. Don't make a creepy first impression. Um... say something.

"Hi!"

Leaving her apartment sometime around 7 am, wearing a pair of red and white shorts jogging shorts, white sneakers, and a grey tanktop. Rei Tanaka was ready to begin another day of Training at the gym of the AFW. Tieing her long brown hair back in a ponytail before quickly chugging down a protein shake she had prepared. "Ok! Ready to go!" Rei exclaimed with much charisma, setting down the empty glass before dashing out the door and jogging her way to the gym.

She had only been in one other match thus far and had been on the losing end of that fight, getting knocked out cold by her opponent Vicky Harper. Still, Rei was determined to get stronger and faster before her next match, determined to show her true skills and gain victory while doing so. It was her dream to be a champion, to be called one of the best, to become a legend in wrestling day, but to have sufferd such a quick defeat shook Rei up a bit and made her realize that Friction was a completly diffrent league with completly diffrent wrestlers that were either the Best or Worse in the Business. Rei then took it upon herself to train like a maniac in order to make her next match a Win instead of a Loss.

Upon entering the gym and begining her routine of various workouts, Rei lost track of time, she didnt remember what time she entered the gym or when she began practing her arm drag with another wrestler, whom was tossed over Rei's side and sent to the mat with a thunderous crash as her body hit the canvas after taking that arm drag from Rei, whose technique with the move was near perfection.

"Taking a Break..." Rei would tell her training partner as she got to her feet, giving her a casual smile before turning her head to notice a girl she hadnt seen before, giving her an odd look before suddenly saying "Hi".

"Umm... Hello..." Rei would say with a nervous smile, trying to be polite dispite fiding the situation a bit wierd since this girl she hadnt ever seen before was just stairing at her.

When the girl finally noticed Cassie, she suddenly felt really awkward. Probably even more awkward than the girl must've felt. "Oh! Sorry... I was just... I'm new and I was just watching... um...you, and um..." She swallowed hard.

"I'm Cassie! I'm new, and this is my first time here and I was just looking to see what everyone else did. You seem like you really know your stuff. I loooove pro wrestling! I'm new at it, though, just for about a year. I trained in the US even though I'm from Canada and I just had my first match here the other day it was so fun. What's your name? I'm Cassie."

There was a brief pause while she considered the very real possibility that she was making herself look foolish. She dismissed it, though, and gave the girl a big warm smile. She stuck out her hand for a handshake.

"Oh... Well nice to meet you Cassie. Im happy to meet someone with such an enthusiastic love for wrestling. Im Rei... Rei Tanaka" Rei would reply with a friendly smile, as she climbed out of the training ring and shook Cassie's hand. Even though Rei had only been wrestling professionaly for about 2 years but could remember that eager and spunky attitude she had when she was just starting out. The fact that Cassie reminded Rei of herself upon starting out seemed to really touch Rei and bring back many fond memories.

"Well Thanks, I try. I've been training to wrestle since I was 8, so I sorta know my stuff, but I've only had one match here too... Didnt exactly win but It did let me know what to really expect here. " Rei would reply to Cassie, nodding at everything she said with her arms folded across her chest,

"I think you're gonna like it here..." Rei said with a sincere smile as she put a hand on Cassie's shoulder as a sign of reassureance.

"Oh. Sorry about your match, eh."

Cassie looked around excitedly at all the training equipment at her disposal. "I don't know what half of this is for... but I know how to use THAT!" She pointed with one hand at a section of wrestling mats and the other back into the practice ring. "Thats. Those. You weren't leaving, were you? Do you want to be my training partner? I just got here and I don't know anyone, not really, and maybe you could teach me some stuff and I could teach you some stuff. Wanna?"

Before Cassie was even done asking she had climbed up into the ring. She brushed against Rei's previous training partner who was just making her exit. "Hi!" Cassie said, but the girl ignored her. She started with some quick dynamic stretches to get her blood moving. "C'mon!" She urged Rei. She turned a cartwheel one way, and then back the other way. "Hey, what's Rei short for... Raymond?"

"Meh its alright..." Rei mutterd, not exactly sore about the match, but she did wish her debut would have gone better.

"Ummm... The practice ring? No I wasnt leaving I was just taking a break... I've been working out for quite a while... I think... I got here around 7 am, but Sure! I wouldnt mind showing a young hopeful what I know." Said Rei with polite eagerness, not notcing that Cassie was already in the ring by the time she stopped speaking. "Energetic Little Thing isnt she?" Rei mutterd to herself in amusement towards Cassie's lively demeanor.

Rei was just about to join her when Cassie suddenly asked about her name, causing Rei to nearly slip as she climbed the ropes, knowing that the name 'Raymond' was a man's name. "R-Rei's a Japanese Name... It's androgynous..." Rei mutterd with a nervous laugh, feeling a bit uneasy that Cassie would assume her name was short for Raymond.

"Oh, okay. I didn't really think your name was Raymond. That's just the only name i could think of that started with 'ray'. I like it though, for you. Rei. Pretty awesome."

Cassie stretched her arms over her head and bent to place her palms flat on the mat. "Okay, if you're tired we don't have to go hard. Teach me something! Something new. I've got pretty good basics. Then I'll teach you something, how's that sound? Do you do top rope stuff? I love that stuff... it's like you're flying! For a second, at least."

Suddenly remembering her shoes she kicked them off and tossed them out of the ring onto her gym bag. She assumed a dramatic stance and beckoned to Rei. "C'mon! Also I like your hair."

"Mhmm..." Rei would mutter nervously to Cassie while scratching the back of her head. "Either she's just hyper... or she's a bit dense..." Rei thought to herself in regards toward her new acquaintance.

"Well I am a bit of a high-flyer... But teach you something?" said Rei as she began to think on what she could possibly teach Cassie. "Hmm? Oh! Thank you! I love your hair as well!" Rei mutterd politely, taken a bit of guard by Cassie constantly changing topics.

"That's It!" Rei exclaimed, Snapping her finger once she realized what kind of move she could teach Cassie. Upon doing so, Rei dashed forth towards Cassie, attempting to leap over the girl and front flip over Cassie, if that worked, Rei would try to grab at Cassie's waist before she would land on back down upon the mat while Pulling on Cassie's body, attempting to roll the girl's shoulders onto the mat.

"Sunset Flip! Nice way to score a pin!" Rei would mutter looking down at Cassie before breaking the pin.

Cassie watched Rei approach with a smile, and when she saw Rei go high she obliged by ducking her head a little to let her go over.

"Ack!" Cassie's arms involuntarily flailed for a moment as she was pulled over backwards. She ended up on her back folded up with her legs in the air. She grinned up at Rei as she let her go. She popped back up to her feet.

"I like that one. It's fun. Now me!"

Cassie stood in front of Rei. "But maybe I'll set it up with..." She threw a front kick at Rei's midsection, only just nudging her with her toe for her to bend forward. Then she leaped over Rei's head and wrapped her arms around Rei's waist just like she'd done a moment ago. But when Cassie hit the mat her grip slipped and she didn't manage to pull Rei down. "Oh." She said, disappointed. "Again! Again?"

Rei's eyes widened a bit as Cassie threw out that swift kick and made the japanese wrestler double over a bit. Seeing that Cassie was trying to leap over her head, Rei ducked a bit more and was prepared to have herself get rolled up, only to have the move fail right then and their.

"Sure... If you can. Are you able to?" Rei asked, looking down at Cassie after she failed to fully pull off that sunset flip. In all honesty, Rei had expected Cassie to pull off that move perfectly, everything she had done prior to having her grip slip was done correctly. "Their's a lot of potential in this newcomer..." Rei thought to herself, pondering the situation for a moment before offering her hand to help Cassie up. "You have to try it again..." Rei mutterd with a straight face, confident that Cassie could get that Sunset flip down almost perfectly if she try once more.