Cross to bear
Aug 31, 2015 9:17:48 GMT -5
Post by styg on Aug 31, 2015 9:17:48 GMT -5
"Hey."
The voice took her by surprise - even though she heard it here almost every day - and her hand slipped from the pull-up bar. Ligaya kicked her legs fruitlessly for a moment as she dangled from one wrist, then stretched up to grab the bar again. Her biceps were starting to ache, though, and the attempt came up short. After letting herself hang for a second longer, she decided the expenditure of brainpower on a solution was worth less than just falling, so she simply let herself drop onto the crash mat, ragdolling as she landed and letting herself fold over onto her back.
A toe kicked her in the shoulder, and she looked up into a red-bearded face.
"You okay?"
Grinning, she said, "Fine," then kipped up. Only because he hopped back in time did she miss accidentally kicking his stomach.
Shane Tallin sighed and shook his head at the near miss, but said nothing. He had something more pressing to discuss with Ligaya and didn't want to give her anything more to have to concentrate on than necessary. "You still wanna shoot a promo today? Cause it'll have to be soon. Gotta class coming in after lunch."
She shook her head vaguely, then nodded. "Oh. Yeah. I, uh-"
"Thought about what you wanna say?" he cut in.
"Uh, not really. A little bit. Something about Rookie X Cup probably."
"Oh? Mocking him for losing in the final?"
"No!" She looked slightly affronted. "Just congratulating him for even making it."
"That's not exactly gonna get in his head, is it?" sighed Shane.
"Wasn't supposed to..."
"Well it should. That's one reason you're still working for places like Snow Maple and LDFC instead of FGA or going back to HKW, right? Learning how to talk the talk as well? Promos aren't just hype. They're for throwing your opponent off their game."
Ligaya frowned. "But if I want to be the best wrestler I shouldn't need to-"
"Maybe not, but it's how the sport works," replied Shane, "It's how every sport works. If you don't shit talk a bit, you'll be the only one. I'm just saying - Serenity's been stepping it up and look how much more confidence she's got. She ended Kaede's streak. She was in the contendership match at 2nd Impact. People wanna know what Ligaya Fontaine brings to 420 B.C., but when you talk you just come off as diffident."
"I do not! Just because I ain't all aggression 24/7-"
"You're about the least aggressive person I know."
Ligaya gasped. "Would I be a wrestler if I couldn't be aggressive?"
"Fine," conceded Shane, "Least aggressive wrestler I know then." He recalled another of his trainees, the cousin of the woman standing before him right now, and added, "Although passivity runs in your family. But honestly... Serenity's learning how to talk that talk. And she'd admit you're a better athlete than her, but you're behind her right now and you are bad at putting yourself over."
"So what you want me to do?"
"Right now? Just... cut your promo, try to be aggressive, let's see how you do, and we'll work from there."
"How was that?"
"...it was... a start..."
The voice took her by surprise - even though she heard it here almost every day - and her hand slipped from the pull-up bar. Ligaya kicked her legs fruitlessly for a moment as she dangled from one wrist, then stretched up to grab the bar again. Her biceps were starting to ache, though, and the attempt came up short. After letting herself hang for a second longer, she decided the expenditure of brainpower on a solution was worth less than just falling, so she simply let herself drop onto the crash mat, ragdolling as she landed and letting herself fold over onto her back.
A toe kicked her in the shoulder, and she looked up into a red-bearded face.
"You okay?"
Grinning, she said, "Fine," then kipped up. Only because he hopped back in time did she miss accidentally kicking his stomach.
Shane Tallin sighed and shook his head at the near miss, but said nothing. He had something more pressing to discuss with Ligaya and didn't want to give her anything more to have to concentrate on than necessary. "You still wanna shoot a promo today? Cause it'll have to be soon. Gotta class coming in after lunch."
She shook her head vaguely, then nodded. "Oh. Yeah. I, uh-"
"Thought about what you wanna say?" he cut in.
"Uh, not really. A little bit. Something about Rookie X Cup probably."
"Oh? Mocking him for losing in the final?"
"No!" She looked slightly affronted. "Just congratulating him for even making it."
"That's not exactly gonna get in his head, is it?" sighed Shane.
"Wasn't supposed to..."
"Well it should. That's one reason you're still working for places like Snow Maple and LDFC instead of FGA or going back to HKW, right? Learning how to talk the talk as well? Promos aren't just hype. They're for throwing your opponent off their game."
Ligaya frowned. "But if I want to be the best wrestler I shouldn't need to-"
"Maybe not, but it's how the sport works," replied Shane, "It's how every sport works. If you don't shit talk a bit, you'll be the only one. I'm just saying - Serenity's been stepping it up and look how much more confidence she's got. She ended Kaede's streak. She was in the contendership match at 2nd Impact. People wanna know what Ligaya Fontaine brings to 420 B.C., but when you talk you just come off as diffident."
"I do not! Just because I ain't all aggression 24/7-"
"You're about the least aggressive person I know."
Ligaya gasped. "Would I be a wrestler if I couldn't be aggressive?"
"Fine," conceded Shane, "Least aggressive wrestler I know then." He recalled another of his trainees, the cousin of the woman standing before him right now, and added, "Although passivity runs in your family. But honestly... Serenity's learning how to talk that talk. And she'd admit you're a better athlete than her, but you're behind her right now and you are bad at putting yourself over."
"So what you want me to do?"
"Right now? Just... cut your promo, try to be aggressive, let's see how you do, and we'll work from there."
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Ligaya Fontaine sits cross-legged on a crash mat. She smiles as she says, "Donnie, first off, congratulations on making the final of Rookie X Cup. That was a hella run you had. You should be proud. I guess maybe you feel pissed that you got blindsided and pinned by Izzy after taking out Mace? But seriously, you put the world on notice that night and as someone who shares a locker room with you, I couldn't be prouder."
Somebody offscreen clears their throat. Ligaya glances sideways momentarily then back again, straightening up a bit. "But, uh, obviously that tournament was for people who are still in their first year. I still ain't exactly a veteran myself, but you, Donovan, you have a long way to go, and I got me some knowledge you don't. I like you, you're a great guy, but come Wednesday night at Thomasville National Guard Armory, I'm going to give you a painful reminder of how much you still got to learn." A small smirk passes over her lips. "You lost in the Rookie X Cup final. You lost at 2nd Impact. Well guess what - I wa'n't even booked at 2nd Impact. You got some big losses to make up for? I got some big wins to make. 420 B.C., we've beaten Ze Germans. We've beaten Body Shotz. But everyone knows who the top tag team in LDFC is, and we've lost to them twice now.... come Pride, I move a step closer to fixing that, and your string of losses continues, Donnie. I'm sorry."
Fade.
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Ligaya Fontaine sits cross-legged on a crash mat. She smiles as she says, "Donnie, first off, congratulations on making the final of Rookie X Cup. That was a hella run you had. You should be proud. I guess maybe you feel pissed that you got blindsided and pinned by Izzy after taking out Mace? But seriously, you put the world on notice that night and as someone who shares a locker room with you, I couldn't be prouder."
Somebody offscreen clears their throat. Ligaya glances sideways momentarily then back again, straightening up a bit. "But, uh, obviously that tournament was for people who are still in their first year. I still ain't exactly a veteran myself, but you, Donovan, you have a long way to go, and I got me some knowledge you don't. I like you, you're a great guy, but come Wednesday night at Thomasville National Guard Armory, I'm going to give you a painful reminder of how much you still got to learn." A small smirk passes over her lips. "You lost in the Rookie X Cup final. You lost at 2nd Impact. Well guess what - I wa'n't even booked at 2nd Impact. You got some big losses to make up for? I got some big wins to make. 420 B.C., we've beaten Ze Germans. We've beaten Body Shotz. But everyone knows who the top tag team in LDFC is, and we've lost to them twice now.... come Pride, I move a step closer to fixing that, and your string of losses continues, Donnie. I'm sorry."
Fade.
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"How was that?"
"...it was... a start..."