Monster Wrangler

A small table was set up near the arena for the three commentators to discuss the fight and offer their commentary for the fans watching on television.

"Welcome to the third round of The Oceanside Rumble, everyone! I'm Jason Brooks, here with Citaly Velasco and up-and-coming popstar Ashley Elle, here on ANN. Our first match of the day involves Fiadh versus Rayfe Drathmire. Both competitors have torn a path of destruction through the tournament, so this should be a really good fight!"

It was bad form to root against someone who'd bought you drinks the night before, and anyhow, she'd had more plessant interactions with Rayfe than Fiadh.

That said, Calico wasn't especially noisy in the stands, and Orlok, perched on her back actually seemed to be watching with more interest than she was.

"These two monsters are hugging it out, folks! I have a feeling this fight is going to be very close and personal, and very rough for both monsters!"

"I haven't seen a fight like this ever since I was mobbed by a bunch of shouting pre-teens," Ashley replies with excitement. "That Maguana is slapping the cheeseburger around like my daddy on a Saturday night."

Jason gives the pop star a sideways glance. "Haha, well... I'm not sure that we can really say that on the air, Ashley."

Ashley's smile never fades. "Fuck you, Jason."

Jason falls silent, surprise evident on his face. After a moment, he recovers. "Well, it really looks like this fight is heating up, folks. The air is charged with excitement, and we just... we just can't control ourselves, folks."

Ashley arrives, a little slowed by Mr. Wiggles. She had hoped she didn't miss anything.

Seated at the commentator table was... another Ashley Elle!

"You know it, Jason," she was saying, elbows on the table as she leaned into her microphone. "This is the same feeling I get when I'm at a concert. Sometimes, I get so distracted that I can't pay attention to the audio track, and my lip synching gets all screwed up. I think it's probably on account of all the drinking I do, but..."

Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the other Ashley.

"Okay, remember kids," she hurriedly says, speaking quickly into the microphone. "Drugs and premarital sex are super cool! Remember to kick any vermin that you see!" She flips the other Ashley the finger. "Okay, gotta go take a huge shit! Later!"

With that, Ashley hops up, tears away her headphones, and rushes away into the surprised crowd.

Jason is silent for another long moment. "Ashley Elle, ladies and gentlemen."

Sighing, he flicks his microphone over to mute and reaches under his desk, pulling out a small bottle. "Looks like I picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue..."

Ashley shouts, "Hey stop her!" But to no avail. The imposter was already gone. She was mortified. Who was that? But Ashley doesn't give chase. She needed to fix whatever happened. She sits, grabs the headset, and begins speaking. "I am sorry for what you heard. Drugs and premarital sex are NOT cool." Her parents told her to wait until her career was flagging, and she needed to create controversy. "Vermin are precious creatures that should not be kicked. And you shouldn't swear." Most of her fans were pre-teen girls after all. "Also, maybe that imposter can't sing and needs to drink, but I do not." She was red in the face from embarrassment. Oddly, more the lip-syncing than anything else. THAT was a career ender. "I do not know what awful things that person said, but it was not me."

She stopped there. A mortified look on her face. What were her managers going to do to her? Maybe she should find the fire lizard girl. She's might be in the same boat soon enough.

EDIT: Mr. Wiggles hissed from his baby carriage where Ashley left him. Angry at the imposter, but not willing to reveal that he's feeling fine and dandy. The imposter was gone. What use would it be to give up his sweet ride?

Jason tucks his glue bottle back under the desk and turns his microphone back on. "So, Ashley, I'm certainly not the only person who is wondering how long you've had an evil twin. This seems like something out of one of Citaly's television episodes!"

Ashley gives a forced laugh. "Well, you know what they say. They make use pop stars in a factory. Apparently, that one didn't make quality control."

A concerned thought came over Ashley. Was that her twin? She's pretty sure her parents would have told her if they had a second child waiting in the wings. They would have warned her about a Plan B. But... it wasn't impossible though? What if she was the Plan B and they had to inact her early. Was that girl the real Ashley and they had Agatha take her name? Was she the imposter?

Ashley pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head was starting to hurt.

She was pretty sure she was the real one.