Back Home, Post ASSVI
Jul 20, 2017 17:30:30 GMT -5
Post by David on Jul 20, 2017 17:30:30 GMT -5
On the evening of Tuesday 4th July, nine days after the second night of All-Star Showdown VI, FGA alumnus Natalie McKinley, and former British wrestler Simon Jones, are seen inside a gym somewhere in Cardiff; Simon is using an exercise bike, with Natalie stood beside the bike, taking a break from her workout. While Simon continues to pedal, a conversation between the two is ongoing.
Simon: ‘The worst thing about Blues missing out on John Terry is that of all the clubs he could’ve signed for, he chose to join Villa. There were rumours that Albion were interested in him, and if he’d joined them, I would’ve found it easier to accept. But Villa?’
A groan follows from Simon; Natalie chimes in with a comment of her own, in a wistful tone of voice.
Natalie: ‘I’m still a bit broken-hearted about Peter Whittingham leaving Cardiff.’
After momentarily being caught off guard by this interruption, Natalie and Simon then both turn to look in the direction that the voice came from, to see a smiling Lowri Moss approaching them.
Natalie: ‘Lowri!’
Natalie greets her compatriot with a hug - or with them both being Welsh, more accurately, a cwtch.
Natalie: ‘When did you get back?’
Lowri: ‘My flight landed at Manchester just before five this morning, and then I got into Central at about ten to ten.’
“Central” is Cardiff Central, the city’s largest and busiest railway station. Lowri turns her attention from Natalie to Simon, who by now has ceased pedalling.
Lowri: ‘Hi Simon.’
Simon smiles at Lowri.
Simon: ‘Hi Lowri. It’s good to see you back home.’
Lowri: ‘Thanks. It’s good to be back.’
Lowri looks at Natalie, then back to Simon, and repeats her query from a minute or so earlier.
Lowri: ‘So, what were the two of you talking about?’
Simon casts a quick glance towards Natalie, before he answers Lowri’s question.
Simon: ‘Natalie and I were lamenting the activity in the transfer market of our respective football clubs.’
Lowri raises a hand to cover her mouth, trying to stifle a yawn.
Simon: ‘Sorry. I know you’re not interested in football, but I didn’t mean to bore you.’
Natalie: ‘To be fair, Lowri, you did ask.’
There is a wry smile from Lowri.
Lowri: ‘That isn’t why I was yawning. I’m just knackered, that’s all. I had a nap earlier, after I got home, but despite that, I’m still a bit tired, as you can both see.’
Simon: ‘If you’re still tired, then maybe you should’ve stayed at home, and rested.’
Lowri: ‘It’s okay. I’m not so tired that I can’t manage a workout. Besides, if I skipped a gym session, I’m sure a certain someone wouldn’t let me hear the end of it, once she found out about it.’
Lowri gazes in Natalie’s direction, who instantly realises that she is the certain someone Lowri was referring to.
Natalie: ‘What do you mean? If you really are tired, I would’ve let you off, just this once.’
Lowri replies in a sarcastic tone.
Lowri: ‘Yeah, sure you would’ve.’
Though Natalie does not quite see the funny side of Lowri’s remark, Simon chuckles at it.
Simon: ‘Jet lag aside, how are you, Lowri? In particular, after what happened the other Saturday, how are you now?’
Lowri: ‘I’m alright. For a few days afterwards, I was pretty miserable, but I’ve gotten past those feelings now; I’ve accepted that I’m probably going to fail to achieve my goal of winning a title in my rookie year.’
Lowri takes a breath, before continuing.
Lowri: ‘You know, both of you have told me numerous times that I’ve got more talent than either of you, and yet…’
She does not finish her sentence, as her voice trails off, prompting Simon to frown.
Simon: ‘And yet what?’
This time Lowri lets out a sigh. She then replies to Simon.
Lowri: ‘It only took you two or three months to win the first title of your career. And around six months later, you were the promotion’s heavyweight champion.’
Simon: ‘That’s true, but the standard of the opposition I was up against was nothing compared to the rosters of FGA and UKWF, and the opponents that you find yourself in the ring with each time - that’s why I was able to rise through the ranks so quickly.’
Lowri: ‘I think the best way for me to respond to that, Simon, is with a phrase that I’ve heard you use at least once: “you can only beat what’s put in front of you.’”
She turns to Natalie.
Lowri: ‘And as for you, Natalie, I’ve heard you belittle your ability, describing yourself as a one-dimensional wrestler, and yet just over half a year after your first match, you too had a title to your name.’
Natalie: ‘Yes, but I lost it the second time I defended it, just eight after weeks winning it.’
Lowri: ‘You still won it though - even if you didn’t hold the title for all that long, you still won it. But me?’
Now Lowri shrugs.
Lowri: ‘It’s actually ten months to the day since I competed in my first match, and what do I have to show for my efforts so far?’
She quickly glances around, checking that there is no one close enough to be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Lowri: ‘Fuck all.’
A momentary silence follows, which is then broken by Natalie.
Natalie: ‘I thought you said that you were no longer miserable about the result of your match at All-Star Showdown.’
Lowri: ‘I’m not. Now I’m merely disappointed about it.’
Simon clambers off the exercise bike.
Simon: ‘Lowri, I’m not going to tell you that you’re too talented a wrestler to have to wait too much longer to win the first title of your career, as I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear right now. What I will say though, is that it’s good that it hurts - that shows how much you care. What you need to do now is use that as motivation, to propel yourself to a better outcome the next time that you get a chance to win your first title.’
There is a nod of the head from Lowri.
Simon: ‘Well, as much as I would like to stay here and talk wrestling with the two of you, I ought to get home to my family. Enjoy your evenings, ladies.’
Simon begins to walk away.
Lowri: ‘Okay, Simon. Bye.’
Natalie: ‘See you tomorrow, Simon.’
He stops, and turns back to look at Lowri.
Simon: ‘Think about what I said, Lowri. I know you’re disappointed about what happened at All-Star Showdown, but don’t let it eat away at you - that won’t help you in any way.’
Lowri responds with another nod in acknowledgement. Simon then walks off, leaving the two Welsh girls by themselves.
Natalie: ‘He’s right, you know.’
Lowri: ‘Yeah, I know.'
Lowri and Natalie turn to face one another.
Lowri: ‘Usually, a day or two after a match, I’ll watch a video of it, to analyse my performance.’
Before Lowri can say any more, Natalie interjects.
Natalie: ‘To assess what you did right, and what you need to improve upon; I know the drill.’
Lowri: ‘Right. However, it’s over a week since All-Star Showdown took place, and I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to sit and watch what happened in the ladder match - I don’t want to have to relive my failure to win the Mid-Atlantic Legacy Championship all over again.’
Lowri looks down at the floor.
Natalie: ‘Are you sure you’ve gotten past the worst of the emotions that you’ve gone through since All-Star Showdown? Listening to what you’re saying, I’m not so sure that you have.’
Lowri: ‘Trust me, I’m in a much better state of mind now than I was this time last week.’
She looks back up at Natalie.
Lowri: ‘For the first few days after the match, pretty much all I thought about was how I had missed my chance to win my first title.’
Lowri pauses for a moment, to collect her thoughts. She then continues.
Lowri: ‘I remember you telling me what it felt like the morning after your big win, when you woke up in the hotel, looked across the room, and saw your newly won title; I wanted to get to experience similar feelings of joy, but instead all I got were visions of Sadie with the title over her shoulder.’
Natalie frowns.
Natalie: ‘You were down on the outside of the ring when Sadie got her hands on the belt though, so if you haven’t rewatched the match since, how can you possibly have had visions of her with the title?’
Lowri: ‘Because I know what the title looks like, and I know what Sadie looks like, so it’s not too difficult for me to imagine what she looks like with the title.’
Natalie shrugs.
Natalie: ‘Fair enough.’
Lowri: ‘I’ve had Laurel and Neal both tell me that I’m better than a title, and while I’m still not entirely convinced about that, talking to friends and family about things has at least helped to raise my spirits. Going to Chicago last Wednesday to see Neal wrestle helped as well, even if I did have to watch him put himself through a weed wacker on a pole match.’
Natalie: ‘Is there something going on between you and Neal?’
Lowri shakes her head.
Lowri: ‘Why do people think that? Neal and I are friends and tag team partners, nothing more.’
Natalie: ‘Are you sure there isn’t more between you than that? Some of the replies that he sends to you on Twitter suggest otherwise.’
Lowri shakes her head again, this time more vehemently.
Lowri: ‘No, definitely not. I mean, about a week ago he did tweet a gif of Jay from The Inbetweeners saying, “I’d hit that,” shortly after I had tweeted a photo of myself, but I’m sure that was just a coincidence.’
Natalie does not say anything, instead she just looks at Lowri with an incredulous expression on her face.
Lowri: ‘What? That gif was probably in response to something someone else tweeted - he follows other girls on Twitter, some of whom are bound to be much prettier than I am.’
Natalie: ‘If you say so.’
Natalie tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Natalie: ‘The two of you are you going to be participating in the Dynamic Duos Tournament, aren’t you?’
Lowri: ‘Indeed we are.’
Natalie: ‘You don’t need me to tell you that if you win that, you’ll get a shot at the FGA tag titles - that would be a good way for you to break your duck.’
Lowri: ‘It would, but we’ve got some way to go before then - although we do have the advantage of having been given a bye through to the second round. That’s two and a half weeks away though, and while we wait to find out who are opponents will be, Neal and I have got another match to focus on first, this Sunday, up in Scarborough.’
Natalie: ‘Well, you won’t win anything if we spend all evening stood here, talking. Now I know you didn't come here just to have a chat, so come on, let’s get you an empty bar to warm up with.’
Natalie moves away from the exercise bike, gesturing for Lowri to follow her.
Lowri: ‘Right behind you.’
And with that, Lowri heads in the same direction as her friend, ready to commence her workout.
Simon: ‘The worst thing about Blues missing out on John Terry is that of all the clubs he could’ve signed for, he chose to join Villa. There were rumours that Albion were interested in him, and if he’d joined them, I would’ve found it easier to accept. But Villa?’
A groan follows from Simon; Natalie chimes in with a comment of her own, in a wistful tone of voice.
Natalie: ‘I’m still a bit broken-hearted about Peter Whittingham leaving Cardiff.’
‘What are you two talking about?’
After momentarily being caught off guard by this interruption, Natalie and Simon then both turn to look in the direction that the voice came from, to see a smiling Lowri Moss approaching them.
Natalie: ‘Lowri!’
Natalie greets her compatriot with a hug - or with them both being Welsh, more accurately, a cwtch.
Natalie: ‘When did you get back?’
Lowri: ‘My flight landed at Manchester just before five this morning, and then I got into Central at about ten to ten.’
“Central” is Cardiff Central, the city’s largest and busiest railway station. Lowri turns her attention from Natalie to Simon, who by now has ceased pedalling.
Lowri: ‘Hi Simon.’
Simon smiles at Lowri.
Simon: ‘Hi Lowri. It’s good to see you back home.’
Lowri: ‘Thanks. It’s good to be back.’
Lowri looks at Natalie, then back to Simon, and repeats her query from a minute or so earlier.
Lowri: ‘So, what were the two of you talking about?’
Simon casts a quick glance towards Natalie, before he answers Lowri’s question.
Simon: ‘Natalie and I were lamenting the activity in the transfer market of our respective football clubs.’
Lowri raises a hand to cover her mouth, trying to stifle a yawn.
Simon: ‘Sorry. I know you’re not interested in football, but I didn’t mean to bore you.’
Natalie: ‘To be fair, Lowri, you did ask.’
There is a wry smile from Lowri.
Lowri: ‘That isn’t why I was yawning. I’m just knackered, that’s all. I had a nap earlier, after I got home, but despite that, I’m still a bit tired, as you can both see.’
Simon: ‘If you’re still tired, then maybe you should’ve stayed at home, and rested.’
Lowri: ‘It’s okay. I’m not so tired that I can’t manage a workout. Besides, if I skipped a gym session, I’m sure a certain someone wouldn’t let me hear the end of it, once she found out about it.’
Lowri gazes in Natalie’s direction, who instantly realises that she is the certain someone Lowri was referring to.
Natalie: ‘What do you mean? If you really are tired, I would’ve let you off, just this once.’
Lowri replies in a sarcastic tone.
Lowri: ‘Yeah, sure you would’ve.’
Though Natalie does not quite see the funny side of Lowri’s remark, Simon chuckles at it.
Simon: ‘Jet lag aside, how are you, Lowri? In particular, after what happened the other Saturday, how are you now?’
Lowri: ‘I’m alright. For a few days afterwards, I was pretty miserable, but I’ve gotten past those feelings now; I’ve accepted that I’m probably going to fail to achieve my goal of winning a title in my rookie year.’
Lowri takes a breath, before continuing.
Lowri: ‘You know, both of you have told me numerous times that I’ve got more talent than either of you, and yet…’
She does not finish her sentence, as her voice trails off, prompting Simon to frown.
Simon: ‘And yet what?’
This time Lowri lets out a sigh. She then replies to Simon.
Lowri: ‘It only took you two or three months to win the first title of your career. And around six months later, you were the promotion’s heavyweight champion.’
Simon: ‘That’s true, but the standard of the opposition I was up against was nothing compared to the rosters of FGA and UKWF, and the opponents that you find yourself in the ring with each time - that’s why I was able to rise through the ranks so quickly.’
Lowri: ‘I think the best way for me to respond to that, Simon, is with a phrase that I’ve heard you use at least once: “you can only beat what’s put in front of you.’”
She turns to Natalie.
Lowri: ‘And as for you, Natalie, I’ve heard you belittle your ability, describing yourself as a one-dimensional wrestler, and yet just over half a year after your first match, you too had a title to your name.’
Natalie: ‘Yes, but I lost it the second time I defended it, just eight after weeks winning it.’
Lowri: ‘You still won it though - even if you didn’t hold the title for all that long, you still won it. But me?’
Now Lowri shrugs.
Lowri: ‘It’s actually ten months to the day since I competed in my first match, and what do I have to show for my efforts so far?’
She quickly glances around, checking that there is no one close enough to be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Lowri: ‘Fuck all.’
A momentary silence follows, which is then broken by Natalie.
Natalie: ‘I thought you said that you were no longer miserable about the result of your match at All-Star Showdown.’
Lowri: ‘I’m not. Now I’m merely disappointed about it.’
Simon clambers off the exercise bike.
Simon: ‘Lowri, I’m not going to tell you that you’re too talented a wrestler to have to wait too much longer to win the first title of your career, as I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear right now. What I will say though, is that it’s good that it hurts - that shows how much you care. What you need to do now is use that as motivation, to propel yourself to a better outcome the next time that you get a chance to win your first title.’
There is a nod of the head from Lowri.
Simon: ‘Well, as much as I would like to stay here and talk wrestling with the two of you, I ought to get home to my family. Enjoy your evenings, ladies.’
Simon begins to walk away.
Lowri: ‘Okay, Simon. Bye.’
Natalie: ‘See you tomorrow, Simon.’
He stops, and turns back to look at Lowri.
Simon: ‘Think about what I said, Lowri. I know you’re disappointed about what happened at All-Star Showdown, but don’t let it eat away at you - that won’t help you in any way.’
Lowri responds with another nod in acknowledgement. Simon then walks off, leaving the two Welsh girls by themselves.
Natalie: ‘He’s right, you know.’
Lowri: ‘Yeah, I know.'
Lowri and Natalie turn to face one another.
Lowri: ‘Usually, a day or two after a match, I’ll watch a video of it, to analyse my performance.’
Before Lowri can say any more, Natalie interjects.
Natalie: ‘To assess what you did right, and what you need to improve upon; I know the drill.’
Lowri: ‘Right. However, it’s over a week since All-Star Showdown took place, and I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to sit and watch what happened in the ladder match - I don’t want to have to relive my failure to win the Mid-Atlantic Legacy Championship all over again.’
Lowri looks down at the floor.
Natalie: ‘Are you sure you’ve gotten past the worst of the emotions that you’ve gone through since All-Star Showdown? Listening to what you’re saying, I’m not so sure that you have.’
Lowri: ‘Trust me, I’m in a much better state of mind now than I was this time last week.’
She looks back up at Natalie.
Lowri: ‘For the first few days after the match, pretty much all I thought about was how I had missed my chance to win my first title.’
Lowri pauses for a moment, to collect her thoughts. She then continues.
Lowri: ‘I remember you telling me what it felt like the morning after your big win, when you woke up in the hotel, looked across the room, and saw your newly won title; I wanted to get to experience similar feelings of joy, but instead all I got were visions of Sadie with the title over her shoulder.’
Natalie frowns.
Natalie: ‘You were down on the outside of the ring when Sadie got her hands on the belt though, so if you haven’t rewatched the match since, how can you possibly have had visions of her with the title?’
Lowri: ‘Because I know what the title looks like, and I know what Sadie looks like, so it’s not too difficult for me to imagine what she looks like with the title.’
Natalie shrugs.
Natalie: ‘Fair enough.’
Lowri: ‘I’ve had Laurel and Neal both tell me that I’m better than a title, and while I’m still not entirely convinced about that, talking to friends and family about things has at least helped to raise my spirits. Going to Chicago last Wednesday to see Neal wrestle helped as well, even if I did have to watch him put himself through a weed wacker on a pole match.’
Natalie: ‘Is there something going on between you and Neal?’
Lowri shakes her head.
Lowri: ‘Why do people think that? Neal and I are friends and tag team partners, nothing more.’
Natalie: ‘Are you sure there isn’t more between you than that? Some of the replies that he sends to you on Twitter suggest otherwise.’
Lowri shakes her head again, this time more vehemently.
Lowri: ‘No, definitely not. I mean, about a week ago he did tweet a gif of Jay from The Inbetweeners saying, “I’d hit that,” shortly after I had tweeted a photo of myself, but I’m sure that was just a coincidence.’
Natalie does not say anything, instead she just looks at Lowri with an incredulous expression on her face.
Lowri: ‘What? That gif was probably in response to something someone else tweeted - he follows other girls on Twitter, some of whom are bound to be much prettier than I am.’
Natalie: ‘If you say so.’
Natalie tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Natalie: ‘The two of you are you going to be participating in the Dynamic Duos Tournament, aren’t you?’
Lowri: ‘Indeed we are.’
Natalie: ‘You don’t need me to tell you that if you win that, you’ll get a shot at the FGA tag titles - that would be a good way for you to break your duck.’
Lowri: ‘It would, but we’ve got some way to go before then - although we do have the advantage of having been given a bye through to the second round. That’s two and a half weeks away though, and while we wait to find out who are opponents will be, Neal and I have got another match to focus on first, this Sunday, up in Scarborough.’
Natalie: ‘Well, you won’t win anything if we spend all evening stood here, talking. Now I know you didn't come here just to have a chat, so come on, let’s get you an empty bar to warm up with.’
Natalie moves away from the exercise bike, gesturing for Lowri to follow her.
Lowri: ‘Right behind you.’
And with that, Lowri heads in the same direction as her friend, ready to commence her workout.
