Blake Trask

ngl I was second guessing whether I'd been reading it wrong all this time. Logos are very good though

WAIT A MINUTE. IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS! How can La Criatura be here not on christmas!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, VALENTIIIIIIIINE

damn you too hot!

this fella baked a cake and is just absolutely jazzed to show you.

Card for Lionesses of Wrestling XX: Live! Worker Profile - High Executioner Date of Birth: May 19th, 1997 Debut Date: May 2018 Hometown: Sunderland, England Height: 5'8 Size: Toned Small Style: Regular Finish: Mirror, Mirror (Powerbomb) Key Attributes: Loner, 100% Heel, Unmarketable The Duchess, also known as High Executioner, is a new arrival to the women's wrestling scene of the UK, first appearing on independent shows in early 2018. Putting it charitably, Duchess doesn't have looks on her side, but actually uses this to great effect when portraying her character; an evil queen type of persona obsessed with proving she's prettier than all the other girls. Duchess is decent in the ring and a shrieking harpy on the microphone (in a good way), and definitely has potential.

This isn't currently possible without importing a worker wholesale, but if the worker already exists in the first dataset, I'd have to delete and import them back, which I don't always want to do because of relationships, different skills, etc.; it creates as much work as it saves. It'd be convenient to be able to import just the job history so I don't have to tab back and forth between two databases to see all the places Steve Flash worked adding them manually.

There was a party atmosphere backstage after the show; we’d had a warm reception and the main event was probably the best we’d hosted so far. Combine that with Sam managing to pull off a ridiculous prank on everyone involving at least three mannequins, and the whole locker room was in a fantastic mood. Even Claire—High Executioner—had stuck around to enjoy herself, and she tended to quietly vanish most nights before I could even say goodbye. As everyone fussed over and congratulated Sally and Millie, I found my sister, who was perched up on a countertop in the kitchen, guzzling a can of Coke. I drew up next to her, leaning back on the draws. “Hey, loser.” “Hey, rugrat.” She grinned. “Sup?” “I didn’t even notice you out there.” Vivi snorted. “What, cause your little monitor that’s older than you was too small?” “Nah, cause you weren’t in the way.” She laughed. “Gee, thanks, Ellie.” “That’s a good thing.” Vivienne made a face at me and I rolled my eyes. “No seriously Viv, like, listen, I do mean it as a good thing. Before, you kept on being out of position and standing too close or too far back.” “Still waiting on how this is supposed to be a compliment.” “God if you’d shut it for like two seconds maybe I’d get there.” She stuck out her tongue. “Anyway, what I’m getting at is that you’ve started getting a hang of where you need to be and when, Viv, and it makes a difference. A shite referee can hurt a match a lot.” “So you’re calling me shite?” “Less shite.” “You’re really bad at compliments, Ellie.” “Brat.” “Nerd.” Vivi giggled. I hid a laugh in my hand. “Seriously, though, Viv, I can tell how hard you’re working and I appreciate it a lot. Without your help, this would just be me and my mates faffing around in a ring for an hour.” “It isn’t?” It was the obvious line, and Vivi was smirking, but I could tell that she was a bit taken aback. We didn’t usually have serious conversations, just talked about, well, normal sibling things when you’re two years apart and one of you spends all her time watching wrestling. After thirty seconds or so, she spoke again. “So you know how last month was my birthday…” “Yeah?” Both our birthdays, actually. Hers a week after mine. “Can I wrestle yet?” “Absolutely not.” “Ughhhhh.” “Viv, mum and dad would actually kill me if I let you wrestle when you’re under eighteen.” “You did!” “And mum and dad were fuming when they found out.” She pointed an accusatory finger at me. “Kept doing it though!” “Yeah, sneakily. Not in front of 50 people a week.” “Aaaaaaugh. You’re the worst.” “Soz, Viv. Maybe… maybe you can take some bumps when me and Sal are training. How about that?” She considered. “Yeah… yeah, okay.” I smiled, tried to grab a noogie (she evaded), and headed back into the main room.

Yeah it drove me insane because to have a good exciting match you had to make it competitive, but your dude completely sucked because you hadn't had the chance to build up your stats yet. so it's this knife edge of having a 'good match' by the game's standards and not just losing to stat disadvantage. blending kayfabe match quality with arcade style winning and losing never works.

do you still have to get specific match 'grades' and pull off specific scenarios midmatch because that made me put down 2k...19? and never come back.

QUICK RESULTS High Executioner def. Lottie Lace Astrogirl drew w/ Rajni Smith Svenja Schwartz def. Samba Barnes Shinobi def. Aviator Agarwal Steph Blake def. Ellen Ward Sakuyama def. Countess -- So this is the show that I confirmed to myself that Rajni in a comedy match can actually kind of deliver. Raj is an eminently bad wrestler. At this stage she has <40 basics, no experience, weak top rows, poor consistency, can't work a scripted match but has abysmal psychology. What she does have is charisma and the Comedy Match Worker attribute, and the difference is night and day. She's not good, but contrast Lottie vs. Executioner, Samba vs. Svenja; every single worker there is better than Raj, but the comedy match was at the same level. Very useful bit of information to have squared away. Also we got the debut of possibly my favourite character in the diary to write; we're beginning to get into the meat of stuff that I was/am really enjoying. ikr? darn heels ruining our fun. aww c'mon. svenny's just misunderstood.

Lionesses of Wrestling XIX: Storm Friday, Week 3 May 2020 Gloucester Street Youth Centre Attendance: 71 Not broadcast Commentary: None Bosun Bakshi starts us off in the ring, shorn of both her Cap’n and Polly. She is uncharacteristically serious, apologising to Sakuyama for allowing herself to sail ‘deep into the dreaded uncharted red mists’ and causing her to have to defend her title. Bakshi lost her cool seeing the captain and the mascot in danger. She would like to bury the hatchet (not the treasure). Sakuyama is not forthcoming. Bakshi paces around the ring for a little while, and then sighs, says she understands, and assures Sakuyama that if she doubts a pirate’s words, then she will prove a pirate’s deeds. — D- As Lottie Lace comes out for the opener, she is suddenly attacked by a scrawny weasel of a woman, who puts the boots to her and then flees, cackling like a schoolyard bully hiding behind the big kid. — E+ Weakened by the assault, Lace is in serious trouble against High Executioner, who shows no mercy in exploiting the wounds of war. Lace gets absolutely battered, and while she has a shining spot of hope with a gorgeous northern lights suplex, Lace collapses out of the bridge, and Executioner takes her to the gallows. Hangman’s neckbreaker! Tree of woe choke! Executioner hauls Lace into the middle of the ring… powerbomb! This is over! — E+ Astrogirl and Rajni Smith face off. Astrogirl leaps and jumps around the ring in slow motion and Rajni desperately tries to catch her. Wait, she knows what to do! She steals the timekeeper’s belt and hooks Astrogirl in with it! They exchange laboured fisticuffs, and Rajni sends Astrogirl verrrrrrry slooooooowly flying into the ropes—they collide heads on the rebound! It’s a double KO! The referee stares at the audience, then the competitors, then the audience again. She rules it a draw. — E+ Samba Barnes has campaigned for and received her rematch with Svenja Schwartz, much to Schwartz’s visible and vocal displeasure. She takes an absolute age to make it down to the ring, and then insists the referee check Barnes for weapons twice. The second go around, she takes the opportunity for a cheap shot. The story is Barnes’ energy and hyped-up intensity against Schwartz’s low down and dirty tactics, and this go around, Barnes looks like she has the upper hand. Henson press! Schwartz goes for the hair, but Barnes wrenches her around into the corner and punches! Her! In! The! Face! Schwartz doesn’t know where she is, she stumbles clear—and grabs hold of the referee! The official struggles, and Schwartz throws her into Barnes! As soon as the ref goes down, a severe-looking woman with her hair in a bun runs in through the crowd and hits Barnes in the back! There’s a two on one beatdown, and Schwartz hits the Invasion (Curbstomp). She revives the ref, apologising profusely, and as soon as Barnes stirs, curbstomps her back into the mat again and claims the win. — E+ Ninja vs. Airwoman, the battle of the century. Agarwal is fired up to finally get her hands on the nefarious ninja, and manages to get her on the back foot with rights and lefts and almost passable flying forearms. Shinobi has to deploy her ninja training to the fullest in order to keep from getting overwhelmed. (Ninja training for some reason involves cheating a lot in wrestling matches). Agarwal doesn’t give a damn about the cheating, Shinobi’s square on her radar! She flies, she soars, she—has nobody home for the splash! Shinobi vanished from the drop zone! Ninjutsu! Shinobi nimbly springs to her feet and locks on the sleeper. Agarwal can’t fight out of it! She takes a nap, and takes the L. — D- Steph Blake and Ellen Ward face off, opposite sides of the ring. They go nose to nose. The tension builds. Ward headbutts Blake. The brawl explodes. The two women are hammer and tongs, throwing fists like an everything must go sale at the punching emporium, kicking the ever loving crap out of each other, in the ring, out of the ring, back in, back out. The timing issues from their previous contest still persist, still dog the quality, but the fans are forgiving of some bungled sequences when there’s this much energy. With such explosive action on display, the conclusion can only be sudden and violent: one second they’re brawling, the next, Blake has spiked Ward right on her head with a vicious DDT. One, two, three. — E+ The champion is wearing her game face, giving nothing away as Countess slinks down to the ring, her High Executioner in tow. Countess has a Cheshire cat’s grin as the bell rings, but it rapidly crumbles into a Cheshire cat’s grimace as Sakuyama simply charges the length of the ring to smash her with a forearm that wouldn’t have been out of place in Jimbo’s heyday. Countess powders out faster than she ever has before, and doesn’t return until the referee’s nine count. That sets the tone. Countess, it appears, is looking to be as frustrating as humanly possible, ducking outside the ropes to force breaks, complaining to the referee about every tiny infraction, and then punishing recklessness at every turn. Sakuyama’s anger builds, builds, she swings a wild lariat, Countess ducks—THE WRIT—no! Sakuyama held on to the top rope! She’s regained her focus! Her fighting spirit ignites! Ogiwara chops! Hatoyama feint kick! KAGAWA—Executioner’s on the apron! Sakuyama drops Countess to face her. But wait, Bakshi is full sails down to the ring! She launches herself at Executioner and drags her down! The two struggle, Countess rolls Sakuyama up! One, two—kick out! Sakuyama pops up and nails the Kagawa Driver 20! At ringside, Executioner has the better of Bakshi and is choking her down to the ground. Sakuyama looks at them, looks at Countess… and covers! Three count, but Bakshi is sprawled out motionless on the floor from Executioner’s attack! — D- SHOW RATING: D-

Svenja found me the day after the show, swinging by the corner shop I worked part time. I didn’t spot her until the exact time I was going on my break, but she materialised so instantly that I figured she had to have been waiting her chance. Couldn’t say I was thrilled. A couple of the other girls—outside Sal, Raj, and Abbi—knew where I worked, but the difference between Svenja and say Samba or Millie was that they were actually fun to hang around with. Svenja only ever seemed to speak to me to complain about things. I tried to keep my irritation from showing, in part because I wasn’t convinced that Svenja wouldn’t just complain to my boss if I annoyed her, and just shot her a smile. “Wasn’t expecting you in this neck of the woods.” To my surprise, she smiled back. “Oh you know. It’s my day off and I was in the area. Though I’d drop by.” “Fair.” There was an awkward silence. It occurred to me that I’d never really had many conversations with Svenja. She mostly kept to herself and her mum, keeping most of her interactions with the rest of us to things like laying out her matches. I barely knew a thing about her. “Sooo. Feel like we’ve got off on the wrong foot a little bit.” I glanced at her and hesitated. This felt like a loaded comment. “You think?” She smiled again, rueful and wry. “Well. We’ve had our disagreements about my booking.” And there was the bullet. I nodded carefully. Svenja sighed. “I’m sorry for giving you a hard time. I know you’re new to this, and I know that I put myself across pretty forcefully.” “Oh uh. Right. Yeah. No prob.” I wasn’t really sure what to say and honestly kind of taken aback. An apology wasn’t what I’d come to expect. “I wanted to offer a couple of suggestions. An olive branch,” she held up a hand. “Not about booking. Signings.” I was glad of the clarification. “Yeah?” She nodded. “Mm. Couple of girls I’ve worked with. I think they’d be good fits for a spell. There’s a particular lady from Germany who moved over here this year, I’m a big fan of hers. Hilde Zeller. Maybe you’ve seen some of her matches?” I had. “You know her?” “We’ve teamed a few times. There’s Hilde, she’s great. Then we have…” The conversation went on. I was late back from my break.

well of course not! what kind of a team player goes rogue and forms their own company!

abigail is honestly the one with her head screwed on here. but this was still pretty much the best possible outcome.

Fro is a bro.

personally I find it easily digestible and a lot of the appeal of reading is how rapidly you're updating, which I suspect going hard bore on formatting would slow up a tad.

I like combining it with having a company that has lucha basis, and so booking trios matches under the lucha libre rules. It helps makes matches feel different and more distinctly their own thing. That said I am SO tag team heavy that trios as a specific division feels a combination of redundant and overdoing it. the tag division is hyper competitive so trying to add in extras would be overload (and I already run into problems with PPVs being too long). When I booked OLLIE, I focused heavily on having be distinctive stables and alliances so that all the competitors felt like actual units with a reason to be there as opposed to just random groups who are there because the trios belt is there. It was moderately successful, but you do have to put a lot into building up different combinations as credible without all the feuds just being incidentally splashing the trios title into other storylines. Also does require you investing in your talent pool and depth since for the trios not to just be an accessory, some groups do have to be a trio first, not like, a tag team and their buddy. or three members of a big stable (unless they came as a package deal to begin with)

Card for Lionesses of Wrestling XIX: Storm

mark makes my skin crawl and I am convinced he is long conning.

Shortly before Lionesses of Wrestling XVIII… As I warmed up, Svenja sidled over to me. I started a count in my head. “Ward.” “Hi, Svenja.” She looked me up and down. She was a little taller than me, and her boots added a bit extra. “...saw you’ve got me putting Lace over.” Less than fifteen seconds. She was getting efficient about this. “I’ve got Samba costing you the match, yeah.” “I think it makes me look weak.” For christ’s sake. “It’s for your feud with Samba. And Lottie’s one of the best we have. You don’t look bad for losing to her off a distraction.” Svenja rolled her eyes. “Look, Ward, I know you grew up on USPW and Supreme TV—” “Joshi and North of the Border, actually.” She kept going like I hadn’t even spoken. “But at this level, it’s about what happens in front of the crowd of the night. They’re not going to care about Samba and I having a storyline. They’re just going to see me lose.” She folded her arms and nodded assertively. “I should go over. Maybe Samba can get a hit in after the bell. It achieves the same goal.” Svenja stopped, apparently satisfied that she had made her point. “Okay, well. I’m not changing the finish.” Her eyes narrowed. “It’s too short notice and I think this is what’s best. Sorry. But it’s all going somewhere and we’re running a lot of shows. You’ll get wins back.” “Whatever.” Svenja started off towards the kitchenette, and then stopped, looked back over her shoulder. “Guess I’ll go put over the girl that mum’s paying to be here.” Before I could come up with a response, she was gone.

QUICK RESULTS Lottie Lace def. Svenja Schwartz Noblesse Oblige def. Blue Ranger & Aviator Agarwal Steph Blake def. Dionne Grimes Abbi Archer, Sakuyama & The Sea Dogs def. Ophelia Oswell, Rhiannon Jones, Elizabeth Cain & Astrogirl -- Not enough overness to go around in the main event, but fun to have all four of the main girls on a single side in a match. Still, we can do better, not an experiment we'll repeat any time soon. Last show for Dionne Grimes and Rhiannon Jones, at least for now. Rhiannon's fine, just green. Dionne is not as good as she looks on paper and likes to complain about losing, so maybe won't be back. With smaller companies I like to bring in workers on shorter term deals to keep things fresh and momentum ticking over. I mostly prefer this to one night only since it usually works out a bit cheaper, and if people are around for a couple months, it lets them build up some continuity and character. Ophelia was originally going to finish up with us on this show, but her gimmick was legendary with some very, very beneficial effects, so she gets to stick around. Angles are starting to hit their stride a bit. Rajni and/or Countess talking is usually going to pull up the grades, and we'll see more of that in the future. Now the dastardly Noblesse Oblige have kidnapped a stuffed parrot, and on such things feuds are made of.

Lionesses of Wrestling XVIII: Live! Saturday, week 2 May 2020 Gloucester Street Youth Centre Attendance: 50 Not broadcast Commentary: None Abbi Archer is in the ring with Sakuyama to open up the show. She asks the Sea Dogs to come out, and sure enough, Swann and Bakshi emerge, though their usual exuberance is muted as they eye Sakuyama with suspicion. Archer asks the plundering pirates to work together with Sakuyama tonight, they have a huge main event match coming up. Bakshi says that they’re perfectly happy to team up with Abbi, but they don’t trust Sakuyama and don’t think Abbi should either. Sakuyama bristles, pointing out that the dogs haven’t exactly been the most honourable of fighters. Swann argues that salty ruffians they may be, but they look out for their own, and they think Sakuyama looks out for herself first. Abbi intercedes before things can get ugly, pleading for everyone to get along. She doesn’t want anyone to fight. The Dogs and Sakuyama reluctantly agree to cooperate. — D+ A solid outing for Lottie Lace and Svenja Schwartz, opening up the show with a match that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a legitimate organisation. Which LoW also is, obviously! No back garden wrestlers here! Schwartz tries to drain the life out of the contest and Lace with solid matwork, but Lace continues proving herself to be one of the best in the company, managing to pick the lock of every hold Schwartz clamps on. They exchange some stinging shots, but after a stiff forearm to the jaw, Schwartz decides she’s had enough and exits the ring to head towards the back. A certain someone has other ideas; Samba Barnes runs out from behind the curtain and blocks Schwartz’s path! Svenja reacts furiously, but before the two can come to blows, Lace grabs hold of Schwartz and drags her back into the ring! Svenja’s mental game is all kinds of thrown, and the opening is more than enough for Lace to slam home the Penalty Kick (Running Soccer Kick) and pick up the win. — E+ LoW’s favourite flygirl Aviator Agarwal comes out to the ring to talk about her ongoing issues with Shinobi. She doesn’t really get what the ninja’s beef is, but she’ll drag her out into the light and watch her squirm. She’s going to get Shinobi on radar and not let her off it again—menacing shamisen. Agarwal whips around, looking here, there, and everywhere. Where’s the ninja!? But wait… is that the timekeeper sliding into the ring!? No! Shinobi in a hoodie! Ninjut...su? Shinobi gets the drop on Agarwal and beats her down, then flees through the crowd. — D+ The actual timekeeper, looking very confused, makes her way down to the ring and retrieves her hoodie, and is followed by the Blue Ranger, Agarwal’s partner for the next match. Noblesse Oblige, their opponents, are looking smug about their chances, and for good reason. Executioner is all over Ranger as she attempts to buy time for Agarwal to recover. Hangman’s neckbreaker! Tree of woe, boot choke! Ranger digs deep and manages to stay alive long enough for the tag. Agarwal’s ready for takeoff! She soars and flies! She bombs Executioner back to her corner… but Countess is fresh and waiting, tags in, and clips Agarwal’s wings. She doesn’t have enough left in the tank, and Ranger is equally beat up. Countess and Executioner take control, and Countess shows Ranger The Writ (Reverse Bulldog). — E+ Dionne Grimes has the unenviable task of competing against Steph Blake while searching for that bounce back victory. And it just ain’t happening. Grimes does what she can, but Blake has so much experience and so many DDTs. Spike DDT! Impaler DDT! Slingshot DDT! Wait, that’s her finisher. Oh right, Grimes just lost. — E+ In the midst of the celebrations, Ellen Ward storms out from backstage. She yells at Blake that she doesn’t deserve to be here, that she can’t just walk into the company like she owns the place. Blake abandoned British women’s wrestling, and now that Lionesses of Wrestling exists, now she wants in? Blake’s a fraud. Ward advances further and further on the ring as she rants, and the two women end up nose to nose, intensely staring each other down. — E+ The bumper 8 woman main event gets a bit messy with so many people in the ring, but honestly this is much more about the story than the action. The babyfaces struggle to play nice with one another, and it’s all Abbi can do to stave off a mutiny. Such a lack of unity is fertile ground for the bad gals; Astrogirl soars to the stars and brags that her crew’s teamwork is much better, Cain claws and bites and tortures, Oswell throws out combinations, Jones is on a roll—Sakuyama has had enough of this! She tags herself in and drops Jones with a knife edge chop, hits a snap suplex when she rises. Sakuyama’s fighting spirit is starting to build—Bakshi with the blind tag! Sakuyama is fuming. The babyfaces manage to get back into the fight, but Jones abducts Polly once again! Swann chases her backstage. Archer steadies the ship and pulls her team forward, managing to get Sakuyama and Bakshi to cooperate to block Astrogirl and Oswell while she hits the Bullseye (Cutter) on Cain. — E+ Right on cue, Noblesse Oblige come out from behind the curtain, dragging an unconscious Swann by the hair… and holding Polly in their villainous clutches! Countess laughs at the good gals in a manner that wouldn’t go amiss from an anime villain. It’s cute watching them trying to stay on the same page when they’re so obviously at cross purposes. They couldn’t even keep one of their own safe. Bakshi is apoplectically angry and shouts that she’ll chase Noblesse Oblige to the ends of the high seas! Countess cuts in. Oh, any of you will fight either of us, will they? Bakshi says that damn right they will, you scurvy knaves! Avast! Take it right to the matchmaker! Countess grins. Oh. Yes. She will. See you next week. Sakuyama. The champion realises the cheque Bakshi just wrote with stolen gold, and gives the pirate a murderous glare. — D+ SHOW RATING: D-

: o damn you tommy!

Yozo Ishigami being 'a germ of a good worker' with <40 selling, consistency, safety, and top rows, 32 charisma, 10 microphone, 12 acting, and 23 star quality.

Worker Profile - Countess Date of Birth: April 3rd, 2000 Debut Date: February 2019 Hometown: Cambridge, England Height: 5'6 Size: Skinny Small Style: High Flier Finish: The Writ (Reverse Bulldog) Key Attributes: Unpredictable, Risk Taker, Comedy Match Worker (The) Countess is a youngster who first made appearances on the English independent scene in 2019, working as a manager. Having trained at drama school (and currently attending University for performing arts), Countess has a great grasp of character and excels at adding small mannerisms to her work, and it's these that really make her aloof and snobbish character pop. Recently, she's made it clear that she's willing to accept bookings as an actual wrestler, and sure enough, this caught the attention of the only game in town, Lionesses of Wrestling. Alter Ego Astrogirl Billed From: Infinity And Beyond Finish: Spacewalk (Moonwalk Elbow Drop) Intergalactic ace Astrogirl is a spacefaring competitor who returns to Earth in her free time to wrestle (grappling of course being the hobby of choice for interstellar travellers). Her unique gravitational aura gives her a big advantage between the ropes, since it's impossible to slam somebody who is operating under 0.5 Earth's gravity, a fact which makes her endlessly fond of smugly declaring how much cooler outer space is than boring old England.