This is my entry into the
YAY TEAM: The Sex & Sports Author Organized Challenge 2024
, organized by
MyBareTorso
. While it includes descriptions of violence, it is not gratuitous. I did a lot of research into MMA for this, and I hope fans of the sport find it to be realistic. I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!
Training had been ferocious. This morning's especially. Cassie Toye's coach told her that he wanted her looking her absolute meanest at the press conference later in the afternoon, so even if she ended up cutting some weight, they'd make up for it later in the week. He put her through the wringer.
"Let's get you looking like a killer, Cassie. No sparring today. Just exercises."
So they went about doing calisthenics, working her upper body as much as possible. Her abdominals got the worst of it, but Cass saw the effects. Her muscles popped right out of her torso. They followed it up with weight training, where her shoulders, arms and legs worked until they bulged out fiercely.
It paid off. She looked her most intimidating. The trade off was that Cassandra would be sore all day. The heat of the day didn't help either. She'd been in Singapore for the past three years and a half since signing her contract and she still wasn't used to the heat and humidity. While it didn't affect her as much anymore, it was always unpleasant. She could never understand how people went about their day seemingly impervious to the stifling climate. The Missoula girl was used to hot summers, but at least Montana had seasonal changes. Singapore fluctuated between hot and hotter, year-round.
When it came time to prepare for the press conference, Cass felt like she was one solid mass of muscle, though a very sweaty, aching one. But she made sure to wear something to show it off. These press conferences usually call for something business casual, though she knows most fighters emphasize the 'casual' half of that, at least as much as the president will let them get away with. She decided she was going to push it a little bit.
Cass decided on a pair of daisy dukes. She worked hard on her legs and today they looked as massive as they possibly could. She had a really fun top she decided to wear. Skin-tight, sleeveless and backless, it hugged her chest and went up her neck but no further down than under her breasts. Cass complemented that little number with her father's old leather jacket. Several sizes too big for her, it made her look much smaller than the 5'10 brunette was, but it worked to her advantage. She planned to walk into the event in her leather steel-toed boots and, upon greeting the press, would be removing the jacket to show off her body. She didn't care that the press would get a good view of the bottom of her cheeks in those daisy dukes. In fact, she would make sure they did so just she could show off her muscular back. It would make for good publicity.
When she got there, being that she was the challenger, Cass was ushered to take her seat first.
"Alright, thank you all for coming." Leslie Brown, the WCO president began. "We're very happy to be giving you guys this fight as our main event of next week's show. We know you're as excited as we are about seeing these two compete, and the fact that the featherweight belt is on the line means we're sure to get a good fight." He chuckled at nothing in particular, a familiarly sound to any fan of MMA. "So, I can see all you little vultures are hungry... SportsNet, I'm looking at you. Have a sandwich, man. You look skinny..." The press laughed. "Alright, so, I'm gonna let you enjoy the fresh meat and introduce Cassandra Toye to the stage. Cass?"
The lights and shutters of the cameras worked furiously to capture every moment as she made her way in and shook hands with the president. Being away from the mic, they spoke to each other casually.
"What the fuck are you wearing kid?" He asked with that chuckle.
"My dad's leather jacket."
"Not what I meant. Whatever happened to a suit and tie, or even a dress? Could've at least worn a bra."
"What are you scared of nipples, Les?" She laughed. "You can wear dresses if you want, boss. I'm a bad bitch. Bad bitches don't wear dresses... or bras." She smiled at him. He rolled his eyes.
The cameras went into overdrive when Cass turned around and took off the leather jacket. She got a bit of rush from the attention, especially when someone shouted her name and asked for her to flex. She looked at the company's president, who shook his head but still smiled at her antics like a frustrated parent. She smiled back and even winked at him cheekily as she posed for the cameras, giving the press a good, long look of all the sculpted musculature she'd worked to define that very morning.
When she sits, the sound and lights are slow to die down, but the questions are quick to start.
"Good afternoon, Cass." A reporter asks. She forgets his name, but he's one of the older ones.
"Good afternoon."
"After your last fight with Heather Helms, we saw you on the ropes for the first time. But even after she broke your nose, you came back with one of the most impressive roundhouse kick K.O.'s in recent memory. It's been a few months since then. Care to tell us how you're feeling today?"
"I feel just how I look; which is damn fuuuu- freaking good." She corrects herself and looks at Leslie expectantly. The president cocks an eyebrow as a warning.
"We talked about this." He chuckles. "I'm gonna fine ya. A thousand dollars for every f-bomb you drop today, Toye." He speaks into the mic. Everyone laughs. Cass just shrugs.
"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, I'm gonna have enough to spare after getting that prize money next week. It's gonna be my face on your kid's cereal boxes before next summer." She says dismissively, but smiles at him to let him know she's just playing around.
Her smartass comment seems to inspire the press. They all shout her name, trying to get her attention. She points to a younger lady she recognizes.
"Yeah. Mary?"
"Good afternoon, Cassandra."
"Hey, sweetie." Cass gives the girl a cocky smile before biting her lower lip. A few cameras take advantage.
"Hey... um..." The girl smiles sheepishly and looks down at the question she had prepared. "So... you seem very confident that you're going to be fighting at tip-top shape. It certainly looks like you've got reason to be."
"Thank you for noticing." She winks. Some chuckles around the room. Predictably, one of them is Leslie's.
"Ummm... right." Mary's flustered. Cass would love to give her a one on one interview "In every one of your fights we've seen so far, you've handled each opponent with a different game plan. Can you tell us a little about how you've prepared for your first WCO title fight, in terms of strategy?"
"My team and I have a system. We've had this system since I started fighting for the WCO. I've never answered this question in detail and I'm not gonna start today. Even for you, Mary." Cass smiles at the reporter again, then gives her an audacious wink. "I'm undefeated for a reason. I keep my tactics close to the chest."
More shouting as others call for a chance to ask the next question. Cass points to another reporter.
