Post by darkwitchkaitlyn on Apr 20, 2024 20:16:18 GMT -5
II.
It’s been three days since Kaitlyn re-discovered her confidence during her conversation with Danielle, and now she is sitting on a black steel folding gym inside of the Anytime Fitness gym in Omaha, thinking about how to put it to practice. Presently wearing a black Nike singlet, leggings and white Nike sneakers with sky blue trimming and a towel draped over her shoulders, her hair is tied into a low ponytail and scarlet lipstick lines her lips. Steadying her breathing, she feels the sweat running down her face - the result of an intense workout, both on the punching bag and with her sparring partner Olivia. A session that allowed her to show the increased power in her kicks and knees, especially compared from when she started.
“I know I can do it.” she whispers, referring to the goal of becoming a champion in wrestling she had told Olivia. “I know I can hold a championship of my own.”
Reaching down into her gym bag, she pulls out a bottle of water, unscrewing it before taking a sip and placing it down on the floor next to her. Feeling a mixture of intensity and pain in her body, she exhales, her eyes narrowing as her mind begins to turn toward the person she is due to face off against in a little over a week. Octavia Bakas. Somebody who at first, admittedly scared Kaitlyn due to her size and power, but now is just another opponent to her. Just as Beretta Blade had been last time she stepped into the ring. Inhaling and exhaling, she purses her lips.
“I will be a champion everybody can be proud of. One who will go out there and give them all that she has inside of her.” she states, looking around as her voice echoes. The confidence that had been previously missing from her statements is evident, “One who will have her name in the lights every night.”
Adjusting her body, she straightens her back. Knowing that in order to get there, she has to continue working. Continue putting herself out there and proving that she deserves to reach that level. That she can contend with anybody - something that she did in gymnastics, but knows is a different thing altogether in wrestling. She lets out a sigh, pulling the towel from her shoulders and wiping her face before draping it back over her right shoulder.
“Just like I did when I defeated Beretta Blade.s” she affirms. “Just like I will when I step into the ring with Ocativa Bakas.”
She pauses, feeling the knot in her stomach return. The same one she had felt when she read the message informing her of the match. Yet inside of her mind, she hears the whispers of Danielle, reminding her to remain calm and remember what she has done in the past. Remember what she can do, as long as she has faith in herself and believes she can do it. The right corner of her mouth curls upward as her stare intensifies.
“At one point, I was intimidated. Scared to be stepping into the ring with you,” she admits. “You’re six foot and look like a goddess carved out of stone - somebody who could rip me in half if you wanted to. But then I realized - why should I be scared? Why should I let you prevent me from achieving my dreams?”
Pushing her bangs back with her left hand, she feels a fire in her eyes. One that fueled her before her previous competitions but hadn’t come out for wrestling just yet. In a way, that fire was like herself - not willing to show herself until she began to showcase faith and belief in herself. It symbolizes those very two things.
“I shouldn’t. I can’t. Even if that means my body is broken and I am lying on that mat when the lights are turned off, I will make sure that you are lying next to me… just as broken as I am. Having learned that I am more than just a pretty face. More than just a girl trying to find her way in this world, but a fighter. Somebody who carries the weight of her friends and family on her shoulders and doesn’t think twice about it. A woman who gives every breath she has inside of her to make sure that her melody is the one that is heard around the world.” she remarks, passion oozing from her voice. She had made sure to practice this in front of her mirror to make sure she knew exactly what she wanted to say. “All my life, I have competed. I have given my soul to making sure that I am the one who stands atop the podium, hoisting the trophy up high. It didn’t matter to me whether it was equestrian or gymnastics, I was going to go into the competition to win. Nothing else mattered to me.:
She pauses as memories of various competitions float inside of her mind. Some that she succeeded in winning, some where she failed - but each of them forming memories that she has held onto. Serving as reminders of what she needs to do in order to not just improve, but thrive. To take steps toward being in the same atmosphere as the biggest and best names in the sport, both inside and outside of the ring.
“Wrestling is no different. I plan on stepping into the ring and doing everything I can to walk out victorious. To make sure that you become the next note that I play in my melody. The next chapter I write in my story.” raising her voice, she leans forward. “I respect you, Octavia. I know you want this. I know you are a tough fighter. Somebody who wants to make a statement that you are a force. A name people should have on their lips. The problem is - I want to make a statement too. I want people to know that I’m not just a fluke. That I’m not just here because of beginner’s luck or whatever they might call it… I’m here because I chose to be. Because I go out there and put myself on the line each and every match I compete in.” her mouth straightens as small wrinkles appear on her face. “You’re not going to stop me from making that statement. Nobody will. Nobody can, because I’ll die before I let anybody walk over me anymore.”
Grabbing the water bottle, she takes another sip, placing it back down as she surveys the gym. Making sure that there isn’t anybody covertly watching her, either via security cameras or by arriving while she was talking. Confirming that there isn’t, she pulls the towel once more off her shoulders, wiping the remaining sweat off her face before placing it atop inside her bag.
“Whatever doesn’t kill me, will only make me want it more… It will only drive me further toward the success I seek. So, it will not matter how far you push me. How far you think you can go, because this might only be my fifth match but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight back. That doesn’t mean I’m just going to lay down and let you beat me…. That’s not the person I was raised to be. It’s not the person that the fans deserve to see.” exhaling, she ponders her next words. “It’s not the woman you deserve to be facing, either.”
She smiles, amazed and proud by how she has been able to get through her statements without stuttering or hesitating. Two things she had been doing in the past, especially when it came to disparaging opponents. Yet she knows that it has to be this way - that if she were to stutter or hesitate, they would use that against her. They would attack her for it, Judge her, in a way that would cut deeper than any other judging, for it would be more personal than just the nature of competition. It would be a reflection of her own doubts and insecurities eating away at her. Doubts and insecurities she promised herself she wasn’t going to allow to inhibit her any more, especially after Danielle reinforced her belief.
“I want your best. I want you to give me everything you have, Octavia, because I want this match to mean something. I want this match to be a show that people will remember. A performance that they can look back on and recount to their children and grandchildren… It’s the only way I can prove I belong. The only way that is worth winning is if it was against your best. Nothing else.” she remarks, taking another gulp of her water. “I want you to be the first to see the new me. To step into the ring with the woman who remembers who she is and isn’t willing to back down from a challenge, no matter who that challenge might come from. You could be ten feet tall and I would still be standing up to you, ready to take myself to the limit to take you down.”
Placing her bottle into the bag, she places her right hand atop the handle, picking it up as she rises out of the chair, making her way along the hardwood floor toward the exit.
“It doesn’t matter if it takes me an hour or even a day, I will find a way to cut you down. I have people depending on me doing so, and I’m not about to let them down. Nor am I about to let you stand in my way of paving my road to becoming a champion in this sport.” She remarks, reaching the sliding glass doorway that separates the gym from the lobby. “I won’t be sorry for what I’m going to do, because there is no need to be. I know you’ll want to do the same.”
Walking through the door, she wanders to the set of sliding doors that mark the exit, making her way through those as well before wandering down the concrete path that leads to the carpark. Her footsteps being the last thing that is heard.
It’s been three days since Kaitlyn re-discovered her confidence during her conversation with Danielle, and now she is sitting on a black steel folding gym inside of the Anytime Fitness gym in Omaha, thinking about how to put it to practice. Presently wearing a black Nike singlet, leggings and white Nike sneakers with sky blue trimming and a towel draped over her shoulders, her hair is tied into a low ponytail and scarlet lipstick lines her lips. Steadying her breathing, she feels the sweat running down her face - the result of an intense workout, both on the punching bag and with her sparring partner Olivia. A session that allowed her to show the increased power in her kicks and knees, especially compared from when she started.
“I know I can do it.” she whispers, referring to the goal of becoming a champion in wrestling she had told Olivia. “I know I can hold a championship of my own.”
Reaching down into her gym bag, she pulls out a bottle of water, unscrewing it before taking a sip and placing it down on the floor next to her. Feeling a mixture of intensity and pain in her body, she exhales, her eyes narrowing as her mind begins to turn toward the person she is due to face off against in a little over a week. Octavia Bakas. Somebody who at first, admittedly scared Kaitlyn due to her size and power, but now is just another opponent to her. Just as Beretta Blade had been last time she stepped into the ring. Inhaling and exhaling, she purses her lips.
“I will be a champion everybody can be proud of. One who will go out there and give them all that she has inside of her.” she states, looking around as her voice echoes. The confidence that had been previously missing from her statements is evident, “One who will have her name in the lights every night.”
Adjusting her body, she straightens her back. Knowing that in order to get there, she has to continue working. Continue putting herself out there and proving that she deserves to reach that level. That she can contend with anybody - something that she did in gymnastics, but knows is a different thing altogether in wrestling. She lets out a sigh, pulling the towel from her shoulders and wiping her face before draping it back over her right shoulder.
“Just like I did when I defeated Beretta Blade.s” she affirms. “Just like I will when I step into the ring with Ocativa Bakas.”
She pauses, feeling the knot in her stomach return. The same one she had felt when she read the message informing her of the match. Yet inside of her mind, she hears the whispers of Danielle, reminding her to remain calm and remember what she has done in the past. Remember what she can do, as long as she has faith in herself and believes she can do it. The right corner of her mouth curls upward as her stare intensifies.
“At one point, I was intimidated. Scared to be stepping into the ring with you,” she admits. “You’re six foot and look like a goddess carved out of stone - somebody who could rip me in half if you wanted to. But then I realized - why should I be scared? Why should I let you prevent me from achieving my dreams?”
Pushing her bangs back with her left hand, she feels a fire in her eyes. One that fueled her before her previous competitions but hadn’t come out for wrestling just yet. In a way, that fire was like herself - not willing to show herself until she began to showcase faith and belief in herself. It symbolizes those very two things.
“I shouldn’t. I can’t. Even if that means my body is broken and I am lying on that mat when the lights are turned off, I will make sure that you are lying next to me… just as broken as I am. Having learned that I am more than just a pretty face. More than just a girl trying to find her way in this world, but a fighter. Somebody who carries the weight of her friends and family on her shoulders and doesn’t think twice about it. A woman who gives every breath she has inside of her to make sure that her melody is the one that is heard around the world.” she remarks, passion oozing from her voice. She had made sure to practice this in front of her mirror to make sure she knew exactly what she wanted to say. “All my life, I have competed. I have given my soul to making sure that I am the one who stands atop the podium, hoisting the trophy up high. It didn’t matter to me whether it was equestrian or gymnastics, I was going to go into the competition to win. Nothing else mattered to me.:
She pauses as memories of various competitions float inside of her mind. Some that she succeeded in winning, some where she failed - but each of them forming memories that she has held onto. Serving as reminders of what she needs to do in order to not just improve, but thrive. To take steps toward being in the same atmosphere as the biggest and best names in the sport, both inside and outside of the ring.
“Wrestling is no different. I plan on stepping into the ring and doing everything I can to walk out victorious. To make sure that you become the next note that I play in my melody. The next chapter I write in my story.” raising her voice, she leans forward. “I respect you, Octavia. I know you want this. I know you are a tough fighter. Somebody who wants to make a statement that you are a force. A name people should have on their lips. The problem is - I want to make a statement too. I want people to know that I’m not just a fluke. That I’m not just here because of beginner’s luck or whatever they might call it… I’m here because I chose to be. Because I go out there and put myself on the line each and every match I compete in.” her mouth straightens as small wrinkles appear on her face. “You’re not going to stop me from making that statement. Nobody will. Nobody can, because I’ll die before I let anybody walk over me anymore.”
Grabbing the water bottle, she takes another sip, placing it back down as she surveys the gym. Making sure that there isn’t anybody covertly watching her, either via security cameras or by arriving while she was talking. Confirming that there isn’t, she pulls the towel once more off her shoulders, wiping the remaining sweat off her face before placing it atop inside her bag.
“Whatever doesn’t kill me, will only make me want it more… It will only drive me further toward the success I seek. So, it will not matter how far you push me. How far you think you can go, because this might only be my fifth match but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight back. That doesn’t mean I’m just going to lay down and let you beat me…. That’s not the person I was raised to be. It’s not the person that the fans deserve to see.” exhaling, she ponders her next words. “It’s not the woman you deserve to be facing, either.”
She smiles, amazed and proud by how she has been able to get through her statements without stuttering or hesitating. Two things she had been doing in the past, especially when it came to disparaging opponents. Yet she knows that it has to be this way - that if she were to stutter or hesitate, they would use that against her. They would attack her for it, Judge her, in a way that would cut deeper than any other judging, for it would be more personal than just the nature of competition. It would be a reflection of her own doubts and insecurities eating away at her. Doubts and insecurities she promised herself she wasn’t going to allow to inhibit her any more, especially after Danielle reinforced her belief.
“I want your best. I want you to give me everything you have, Octavia, because I want this match to mean something. I want this match to be a show that people will remember. A performance that they can look back on and recount to their children and grandchildren… It’s the only way I can prove I belong. The only way that is worth winning is if it was against your best. Nothing else.” she remarks, taking another gulp of her water. “I want you to be the first to see the new me. To step into the ring with the woman who remembers who she is and isn’t willing to back down from a challenge, no matter who that challenge might come from. You could be ten feet tall and I would still be standing up to you, ready to take myself to the limit to take you down.”
Placing her bottle into the bag, she places her right hand atop the handle, picking it up as she rises out of the chair, making her way along the hardwood floor toward the exit.
“It doesn’t matter if it takes me an hour or even a day, I will find a way to cut you down. I have people depending on me doing so, and I’m not about to let them down. Nor am I about to let you stand in my way of paving my road to becoming a champion in this sport.” She remarks, reaching the sliding glass doorway that separates the gym from the lobby. “I won’t be sorry for what I’m going to do, because there is no need to be. I know you’ll want to do the same.”
Walking through the door, she wanders to the set of sliding doors that mark the exit, making her way through those as well before wandering down the concrete path that leads to the carpark. Her footsteps being the last thing that is heard.
