How Did It Come To This? ~ Exodus Enroute -Mandy-

[Alice]

Contract Incentive
===========================

"... How did it come to this...." Alice mumbles softly under her breath. Her head hung low, if you didn't know any better it'd look like she was heading to the gallows. She scuffles her feet under her as she walks into the waiting room. Where?... That's right... "GCW main offices..." Alice wasn't, sure if she should be happy that her dream was a step closer.... or ".. If I should be praying for some kind of medical emergency..." Before Lessien got the chance to -CAUSE- one.

Buck up Alice, you should be happy. I got you an in, now just figure out how to get a contract.
F-... Figure out?! You.. YOU GOT ME INTO THIS SITUATION!! It's all because of your unrequited love for-
EXCUSE... me, Alice... what did you call it? That's incorrect. I'll prove it, at Exodus.
.... I.. I'm totally screwed....

".. I wonder... if I convert, maybe like... 'more gods means more odds' right... ?" Alice continues to mumble to herself. She was in the waiting room, of GCW main offices. She was waiting to see Amanda, Wallace. The owner, of GCW. The big bad boss lady. Numero Uno. Head lady. She wasn't nervous, noooo... "... I think I'm going to throw up...."

Jesus Christ Alice. For fuck sake... show some pride here. You have the chance you've wanted for the last two years.
... Yes.... unfortunately, at the end of that chance... there's a big pissed off PSYCHOPATHIC FEMALE CALLED MELLIE!!!
Well, yeah. If you look at it -THAT- way anything can look like a bad situation.
T-... THIS.... THIS IS A BAD SITUATION LOVELESS!!!!!

Alice looks around deftly, timid and scared out of her wits. Good ways to describe her in this, very moment. She finally gets the nod from the secretary. She swallows hard, her fingers fumbling with the edge of her shirt. She scrapes her boots against one another, her jeans seemed to tighten around her, as if to taunt her in some sick little fashion. "... Here goes everything...." Alice swallows hard again. She stands up slowly, almost losing balance right off the get go. "... Calm... remain calm.. calm.... I'll.. be fine. I'm okay... I'm okay...."

You do realize. The job you've been urning for, is a violent profession, right?
Yes...
.... Are you -SURE- you realize that?
.. Shut up Loveless.....

Alice slowly makes her way to the door. She raises her hand, shaking, trembling. Very befitting a future wrestler She shakes her wrist out before balling it up into a fist, her fingers clasping down. She takes in a deep breath, and knocks softly on Amanda Wallace's door. "... Um.... Mi-.. Miss Wallace.... are you.. um... in there?..."

If she wasn't in there, the secretary wouldn't have let you try Alice.
Loveless.... shut.. up.

[Amanda Wallace]

"I told my secretary to let you in!" She said loudly through the door. Sure enough, the secretary was ushering her to just open the freaking door and go talk to the boss.

Amanda sighed, before leaning back, wincing a bit at the pain in her knee. Was a lot more sore today. Cold weather. A television in the corner quietly plays the impeachment of Rod Blagojevich. It caught her attention from time to time, to read the subtitles. She wished she DVR'd his closing argument, but nonetheless, it was an amusing read on the internet.

She tapped her pen against her desk, looking to the door. "Are you coming or not?"

[Alice]

"Ah... y- yes... sorry... I.. never mind... um, excuse me..." Alice fidgets with the knob, finally getting it open and peeking into the office. She stares around for a second, in awe. Her mouth would hang wide open if she had full control of her motor skills. "... Wow...." She slowly slides her body in between the door and it's frame, inching herself in quietly. She stared across the room. Amanda Wallace. The CEO. The boss lady.

I told you she wouldn't have given you the okay if the woman wasn't in here.
S.. shut up Loveless... I'm nervous okay.. ?
No, really? Thank you... my life was incomplete before the gift, of knowledge. I appreciate it.
S-... SHUT UP!!!

"... Ummm.. hi..." Alice waves her right hand quickly, she was timid, docile. If a rabbit could talk.. it'd spin circles of charisma and charm around Alice's dust ridden self at this, very moment. "... Uhhm... y- yeah... my name is... um.."

......
Alice!
.. Huh.. ? Oh... right.. umm.. huh?
... For the love of.....

"... Um... sorry... my name is Alice Amherst... I would like to.. sign with the company... ?" Alice blankly stares out into the center of the room. She quickly hangs her head and sighs. Knowing that wasn't the best option of opinions. "... What I mean is... I've been in training for a couple years now... and I have a new trainer.. she's.. well she's been involved with the company before.... and I know that um... the re-opening of GCW is coming up... and I've done a lot of research and..."

... This is a disaster. It's like a car accident involving kittens and a snowbank, I can't look away. How did you manage this?
L- LOOK!... I'm trying okay... if you,... if you think you can do better-
Hell no. I can't help now.
W-... what.. ?
If your first impression on your new boss? Is that you can have violently different mood swings? How well do you think that's gonna fly?
......

"... And um... I've.. been in contact with one of your superstars a lot recently.... and she.. kind of wants a match for the re-opening.... I.. I know it's really, really presumptuous to do that sort of thing... es- especially without me actually... having a contract here in GCW... but she.. she didn't give me a choice really!.. I mean it was..." Alice continues to ramble on and on. Her voice was trailing off in every which way. Her feet shuffle against one another. She was sure it was a matter of -SECONDS- before she gets tossed out by security...

Mention Queenie.
... Huh.. ?
Say, her name.
W-.. What good is that-
Look. You just happened to get into GCW towers, you have a meeting with the friggin' boss. Now you've told her a superstar of hers, wants a match with a UNSIGNED, UNKNOWN female woman right?
... Y-.. Yeah... ?
So if you use a -LARGER- namesake, such as QUEENIE!.. It might actually, make a difference.
... You think.. she cares if I get a match.... Ms. Wallace doesn't even know me..
No, she doesn't care about you. You've given her no reason too. But I bet your ass she cares if -MELWASUL- has a match for the re-opening of her company.
..........

Alice stares down at the ground, grinding her teeth for a second. Her mumbling stopped. Her fingers curl under the hem of her shirt. "... Lessien.. um.. Lessien wants me to have a match with her.... or.. against her.. as she put it, at Ex- Exodus.... so I.. came here to get a contract.. if possible.... so it's.. legal..." Her voice trails off, her eyes barely lifting to meet those of Amanda, far across the room.

... Think it'll work... ?
It should. If it doesn't, then...
.. Then.. ?
Well, I haven't thought that far ahead yet.
L- LOVELESS!!..

[Amanda Wallace]

"Let me ask you something... Alice, right?" She began, watching the stammering mess in front of her. "First of all, are you even sure that you can walk down a ramp in front of tens of thousands of people weekly, when it took you forever to walk into just my office, with just me sitting in here, and talking just only to me?" She tapped on the desk with her pen.

"Where is the confidence to get a microphone, and talk down your opponent, make me some storylines, and get me some ratings? Or..." The pen was released from her grasp... "Did you forget that there's so much more to wrestling than knowing a few wrist and headlocks? Did you forget that there's the entire, oh, I don't know... charisma, aspect?"

She leaned forward. "I've played the games of people wanting a shot for so long. Those that want to follow their dreams, but when they reach for the brass ring, they're all the sudden feeling like they're deathly allergic to the metal? When they go to jump into the pool, they get cold feet? You get what I'm getting at here?"

She studied the girl, intently... "Because, if you can't even put up a front to walk in here with... how in the world are you going to take a beating from Ms. Melwasul? Or, more importantly, how am I going to even offer you much more of an opportunity to take that beating to see if it knocks all of the cobwebs out of whatever has clouded your dreams?"

[Alice]

Ouch. She got you good there Alice.
.. What.. do I do... ? She's.. she's entirely right... I didn't even... think about everything...
... Ahhh hell. So tiresome...
.. W- Wait... you can't!...

".........."

She tilts her head to the side somewhat, scratching her cheek with her fingernail. She stretches out, her back cracking loudly before a long sigh escapes her shortly after. There was fire in the CEO. She nailed things right on the head. Loveless kind of liked that, it was fun.

"You know... you have some points there, Ms. Wallace. I guess I hadn't entirely thought about everything through and through... it's funny. How sometimes you can have your mind set on something... and have it taken away from you so quickly.. but... the thing is.. ?

... I so... don't even care, about any kind of... dream."

W-.. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!?

She takes a couple steps forward into the office. Her fingers laced behind her back, her wrists upturned as she twirls once in the Iron Fist ruled office space. She focuses her attention on Amanda again before forcing a innocent smile.

"... See... I really kind of just, live for the moment. You know what I mean, Ms. Wallace? Cause... the thing about life is, it can change... it can end, so quickly.. you can't even see it. So.. I'm living for the moment, and... at -this- moment?

... My -dream-?... Involves Queenie. Which means I kind of need a legal way... to get in between those pretty ropes.. and have a fun time with her. Now.. I'm not a business woman. I don't have any degree from any school, and I probably have no idea about ratings... or on screen flings, or even how a -real- locker room -ACTUALLY- operates...

..... But I will.. have Queenie.

And you're the only person who can do that, right?... So that's why I'm here. There's two years of training under me, and that's not a lot... but my-"

Loveless... stop this now!
Hey.. Alice, what're you-

".... -Um..." Alice bites down on her bottom lip, her fingers begin fidgeting again with her shirt. She smooths it out before taking in a deep breath. "... I.. may not have the most amount of self confidence, it's because I'm so young... a- and.. I know I'm no where near the most charismatic or.. charming or... beautiful woman you've seen or even interviewed for this company... But.. I've wanted to be a wrestler very seriously now for a while, and I hope with Willow's help I can become at least... suitable inside the ring. As- As for mic skills or.. on screen aspects... w- well I'm sure I can..."

ALICE!! I was doing FINE!
You were being too arrogant... I don't want Ms. Wallace thinking I'm cocky..
... T - chhh... so tiresome.

"... I guess I'm just asking for a chance. If I'm perfectly honest... I don't know.. if I can do everything you would ask of a diva. I'm not sure I can run someone down over a microphone as if it were a 4x4 truck... I'm not sure I can entice or seduce someone on screen and make it look convincing... and personally? The thought of going out in front of thousands and thousands of people for the first time?... It's terrifying... but.. Lessien wanted a match with me, a- and... I believe in honoring... word of mouth deals I guess.. least that's how I was -raised-... so... I want a contract, so I can fulfill my deal with Lessien... and hopefully.... fulfill a bigger deal with myself... of my dream." Alice nods her head softly. Clearing her throat for a second.

This is pathetic.
... I'd rather get a job being me..
T - chh... you do know I'm here for a reason right?
Yeah... but.. I want to try on my own too...

[Amanda Wallace]

"Be girl number one. It works better. Either way, it's obvious you're insane." She clears a piece of paper she'd nonchalantly set on the phone a few minutes earlier, eyeing the secretary button. "You'll play with Lessien just nicely." She pushes the button.

"Clarice? Prepare a contract for Miss Amherst, would you please? Set her up somewhere on the same floor as Miss Melwasul too."