Blue issues a challenge (BlueOrange vs Amorelia)

[Amorellia]

Amore winced slightly as Blue began to cry, not at the splitting headache that plagued her, but at the sight of tears streaming down her friend's face. The star opened her lips to speak, but was interrupted as the producer barged in.

"Oh fuck off Jeff," Amorellia spat as she sat up with a grunt, turning and placing her feet on the floor.

"What do you want, just making sure your golden goose can still walk huh?"

[BlueOrange]

Jeff smiled his gotta-love-me smile, the one that typically wore off within six months.  "Honey, babe, you don't gotta be like that!  I brought flowers!"  He did, indeed, have some flowers behind his back.  These weren't the good flowers: he hadn't had time to send his assistant out for those.  These were the standby flowers, the ones he picked up from the hotel lobby on his way to the show every night, for use at a time like this.  They happened more than anyone would like to admit.

"You gave them a hell of a show.  That's what we all love about you.  You're a fighter."  It was all his usual stuff, predictable as ever.  But there was something not quite right: his trademark overconfidence was missing.

[Amorellia]

Amore managed to stand to her feet from the couch, flinching as she shook her head for a moment as if trying to exorcise her headache.

"...but?" she added, taking the offered flowers in hand before tossing them onto a nearby table, raising an eyebrow at the man. She crossed her arms as she awaited an answer.

[BlueOrange]

"But there is not but!"  Jeff said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Your numbers are great, your merchandise keeps selling, everybody loves you.  Your agent has my nuts in a vice, and she's booking you on a talk show next week, so you'll get the night off and you're going to be bigger than ever.  For you, there is no but."

His gaze dropped well below Amore's eyes, and he smiled, like a naughty boy who'd just been caught.  "OK, there's a but. But you're gonna love it.  It's a great but." He looked up again. "The clowns at the network, suddenly they don't care for numbers, they want branding now.  They wanna be family-friendly now."  A puff of his chest signalled his disbelief.  "I says, 'We're friendly', but they ran off at the mouth with some Christian values shit, and we're gonna need a new network, the story will be in Variety in a couple of days."

Jeff switched to his 'swear to god' face.  "This is good news.  I swear to god.  This is the best news.  We're gonna get a new network, and a better contract, and a better timeslot.  More money.  For everyone, and especially for you. Just, ummm, try to be open-minded about things, yeah?"

[Amorellia]

"Hah!" Amore spat out the haughty laugh as she uncrossed her arms, taking a step towards the man. "Family friendly my ass. What's happening with Blue?" she asked sternly, stepping uncomfortably close towards the executive, locking eyes with him.

[BlueOrange]

As if on cue, there was a crashing sound in the corridor outside as Titania's voice boomed "What the hell is this?"

Then Blue's voice, loaded with venom and spite.  "The goddammed prima donna had it coming!"

Jeff shrugged. "She's saving the show."  There was a crashing sound.  "She's a good girl, and a hard worker, and if you want, I can go easy on her.  But she doesn't have what you have.  And she knows better than to pull the shit that she pulled.  The writers know what they're doing, she needs to learn to trust them."

There was a thud, and the thin wall to the corridor cracked.  Jeff sighed.  "Great.  Now we have to reimburse the venue."

[Amorellia]

"Get out of the way," Amore sneered, pushing the man's chest and walking by him. She exited the room and turned down the hallway in the direction of the commotion, looking to find Blue.

She made her way through the venue, listening to the voices, clashes, and sounds of the brawl, until she finally found pair of fighters, cameramen doing their job in capturing the scene.

[BlueOrange]

Jeff tried to block Amore's exit with his body, but it was over before it began, and he was lucky that he didn't get hurt.

The fight was moving quickly, and had already gone past the end of the corridor and into the parking lot.  Titania had a large metal tray in her hands and swung it hard, crashing it into Blue's upper body.  The tray buckled under the impact and made an impressive booming sound in the process.

"I should put your friends in hospital more often," Blue hissed, the broken skin along her cheekbone bleeding gently.  "You're almost worth fighting now."  Her sadistic leer changed instantly to fear as she made eye contact with Amore.  As Blue shook her head, Titania swung the tray again.

[Amorellia]

Amorellia met Blue's gaze, before looking over at Titania and the tray she held. A frown spread across her lips as she started walking across the parking lot at the pair.

After only a few steps her gait grew to a run. At the last moment she swung around Titania and hooked her arms around the woman's waist, grabbing one of her own wrists with her hand. She jumped and leaned back, suplexing the woman onto the hood of a car behind them, causing the metal to buckle.

[BlueOrange]

Blue tried to signal tag-team partner ambush, but the tray was in the way.  She froze as she watched Titania land on the hood of the car, and prayed that she'd taken the hit on her shoulders.  What to do?  What the fuck was she going to do?

She laughed.  Her loudest, most evil, gleeful laugh.  "Oh yes, Titania, look at me!" She breathed in deeply with her head tilted back, while she pointed three fingers at Titania, and then pointed them down.  Lose the match. Hopefully, the camera on her was only getting her from the ribs up.  "You don't understand, do you?  Well, understand this.  She's mine now."

She had no idea if Titania had even seen the signal, or whether it would be enough.  All she could do was laugh.

[Amorellia]

Amorellia straightened herself back up from the side of the car, not even bothering to check on Titania. She knew she had taken the bump safely, she would be fine... a little bruised, but fine.

With furrowed brows and a stern glare she marched straight over to Blue, seemingly ignoring everything else. She could tell that her opponent was caught off guard, this wasn't in the script.

When Amore reached Blue her right hand shot out, grabbing onto Blue's left wrist. She pulled the fighter towards her... and started walking. Walking back towards the venue.

Amore dragged Blue by her wrist behind her, pacing towards the entrance from the parking lot, even shoving a cameraman out of the way.

[BlueOrange]

Blue followed Amore into the venue, striding quickly, confidently, and exactly in the direction that Amore signalled with her (surprisingly firm) grip on Blue's arm.

"YES! Yes!" she boomed, doing her best to give the cameras a satisfied look.  "This is only the beginning!"

Jeff came out of the building and Blue fixed him with a mad glare.  "Yes, this is perfect!  Everything is going to plan!"  He took the hint and got out of the way.

While Blue followed Amore to wherever the hell they were going, the coordinator called "And we're out!"

Jeff surveyed the scene, and immediately told the nearest crew member "Find out whose car that is."

"What the FUCK WAS THAT?" Titania bellowed, and Jeff pulled out his gotta-love-me smile.

[Amorellia]

Amore continued to drag her partner by the wrist, rather aggressively, through the corridors of the venue, ignoring anyone who tried to get her attention, and shoving anyone who tried to get in her way.

She made her way back to the small room she woke up in, pushed Blue inside before entering herself and locking the door behind her.

[BlueOrange]

Blue stepped clear of the door, and gave Amore plenty of space.  She was about to say something when she noticed the door being locked, and thought better of it.

Non-threatening, show her your palms said that part of Blue's mind that was always thinking about the next move in the fight.  Palms forward.  Hands low.  Not in a guard position, not ready to strike or to push or even defend.  She thought about telling Amore off being a stupid girl and nearly ruining the show everyone was banking on, but she knew that could only lead to disaster.  Maybe she should thank this beautiful, strong young woman for coming to her rescue.  But she hadn't needed rescuing, and surely Amore knew that?

Maybe... maybe there was no plan that could solve this tactical puzzle.  Maybe she was just going to have to wait, and see what happened next.

[Amorellia]

Amore turned back from the door and paused for a moment, sizing up the woman. With the same stern glare she marched over to Blue.

When she got to her, Amore wrapped her arms around her partner's waist and pulled her close. She closed her eyes and rested her jaw on Blue's shoulder, silently embracing her.

[BlueOrange]

Blue couldn't help the muscles in her jaw neck from tightening up, bracing for the slap which never came.  Arms around her waist was a pretty inefficient way to start a throw, too... and then Amore's jaw rested on her shoulder and she finally knew what was going on.  Tears of relief began to flow.

"I'm sorry," she said, rubbing her head gently against Amore's head and wrapping her arms around her partner.  "I was egotistical, and bossy.  Again.  And you didn't deserve that.  I think I get jealous sometimes.  If I was half as beautiful as you are..." then things could have been different for me she told herself.  But that much she could keep to herself. "I'm sorry.  I'm just... I'm just sorry."  She closed her eyes and squeezed Amore's body against her own.

[Amorellia]

Amore let out a long sigh; a sigh relief, contentment, and sadness. She pulled Blue firmly against her as she nuzzled her face into the crook of her neck.

"N-no," she began, her words broken. "I-I'm the one who's sorry..." she says, keeping her face buried, too ashamed to face her partner.

[BlueOrange]

Blue body shook as the relief washed through her, and gratitude to hear those words, in their glorious imperfection.  "I'll make you a deal," she said.  "We can both be sorry."

She brushed Amore's hair gently out of the way, leaned forward touched that beautiful cheek with the side of her own face, and felt a sharp stinging sensation.  She straightened up, and blinked.  "You know," she said in a businesslike tone.  "I think Titania sincerely cares about you."

[Amorellia]

A stray tear journeyed its way down Amore's cheek, making its way past her lips before it finally fell onto Blue's neck. Another crack in her pride that seemed to be shattering, she hoped that her opponent hadn't noticed, but it wasn't likely.

Amore breathed out a soft laugh before pulling back, finally managing to meet Blue's gaze, her arms still wrapped around her back. "Maybe not so much anymore."

[BlueOrange]

Blue tried to keep a straight face.  "Maybe not," she agreed, and then she couldn't keep it in anymore.  Shaking with laughter, she blinked and shook her head.  "Do you realize, that that is probably the best show we have ever done?  If not the best show in the history of wrestling?  I bet Jeff is on the phone to the network right now, telling them just how amazing this new storyline will be."

She sucked her lower lip into her mouth for a moment.  "And just how insanely hot you're going to look in your new villain outfit."

[Amorellia]

Amore blushed a bit. Partly because of her own apology, but also because of the comment. It was not something she did often, and she hated the feeling of it. It made her feel vulnerable, exposed. She was used to being untouchable.

"I don't know about that," she began, unable to keep Blue's gaze and averting her eyes down to the floor between the pair. "Apparently they're going to try to move the show to a more family friendly network, and after all that..." she said, leaning forward and resting her forehead against Blue's.

[BlueOrange]

There was nothing more wonderful to Blue than having Amore's eyes filling her entire field of vision, especially when she was so beautifully sad and hilariously wrong.  "Oh honey," she breathed.  "I told Jeff that I should be there when he told you.  We're not going to a more family friendly network.  We've been cancelled."  She bopped her nose against Amore's nose gently.  "But we really do make a shitload of money from advertisers.  Just not the advertisers that the old network wants to show.  They think the ads are... embarrassing."

"Jeff wanted me to tell him what you would think about going to a less family friendly network.  And I told him that he should ask you himself.  It sounds like he fucked that up.  I'm sorry.  Maybe I should have been the one to ask you."  She paused, took a deep breath.  "I was scared."

[Amorellia]

Amore enjoyed the sensation of Blue's nose against her own, and nuzzled hers against it. She looked up, finally meeting her gaze.

"Cancelled?" she blinked, pulling her head back a bit.

A hint of fear could be seen in the star's eyes as she listened. She wasn't sure what she would do if she were out of this job. The skills didn't exactly carry over.

"I-I'm sorry I made you feel that way," she says, once more averting her gaze as she returned her forehead to Blue's, touching the tip of her nose to hers.

[BlueOrange]

Caught between crying and laughing at the same time, Blue's face twisted as it tried to do both at once.  "You didn't make me feel that way," she insisted.  "I did."

She took a deep breath.  "I figured if Jeff told you about the proposals we'd been getting, there was a chance that you might call him a creep and a pervert.  And that you never wanted to see his face ever again, for as long as you lived."  She paused, swallowed.  "And I was OK with you saying that.  To Jeff."

[Amorellia]

Amore's hands found their way to the small of Blue's back, pulling her body against her own while her hands gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, but I already think that," she says, breathing out a small chortle.

"And I did make you feel that way, I make everyone feel that way..." she said with a sigh. "...and I hate it," she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.