Post by kyliesinclair on Sept 3, 2022 19:52:35 GMT
MEMORIES-
“Alright...now Spell Bicycle”
6-year-old Kylie Sinclair screws up her face in concentration as she tries to spell out the word, in the background the steady hum of the car engine threatens to lull her to sleep, but the wind whipping through the open window smells of country air, fresh grass and cow manure.
Kylie: B...y...c....no lemme try again....B...i...s...y...c....l...e?
She looks up at her father hopefully but Aiden Sinclair shakes his head,
Aiden: You’re close, but not quite sweetheart, try it again for me.
Kylie folds her arms across her chest and pouts.
Kylie: Do I really have to learn this stuff? I mean what’s the point? I want to wrestler! They’re not going to care if I know how to spell Bicycle, I can’t even ride a Bicycle!
With the patience of a Saint Aiden pulls the car off to the side of the road and gives his daughter his full attention, he sees the frustration on her face and knows it all too well.
Aiden: Sweetheart you’re right that wrestling is about keeping your body strong and safe, but you know what else is equally important when you’re wrestling?
Kylie: What is it?
Aiden: Keeping your mind sharp! And it may not make sense to you know but all this reading, writing, spelling, and math I’m teaching you? That’s going to help you in the long run too, think of all this learning as exercise for your brain!
Kylie: Like...Like push-ups for my brain?
Aiden smiles brightly at his daughter.
Aiden: Exactly! Plus...I didn’t want to tell you this...but if you don’t use your brain? You get dumber! Like really dumber...like dumberer!
Kylie giggles at her father as his voice dips lower and he adopts a caveman-like voice.
Kylie: Nuh uh! My brain is gonna be sharp!
Aiden: Good! Otherwise, you talk bad! You walk into walls! You forget all wrestling moves and you just try to smash! And you get angry! Because all the dumberer! And they won’t let wrestle! Gyaaaargh!
Kylie throws back her head and laughs as her father begins to tickle her.
Kylie: Alright! Alright! I’ll do it! I’ll do the push-ups for my brain....s-stop t-tickling me!
Aiden: Good! Now spell Bicycle for me champ.
Kylie: ok, I just read it yesterday
Her face screws up in concentration again and she tries her hardest.
Kylie:....B...i...c....y....c....l.....e?
Aiden grins broadly.
Aiden: Yes! You’re not Dumberer!
Kylie: NO! I Smarterer!
She giggles mocking her father's caveman speech.
Aiden: Yes you are my little ring monkey, yes you are!
PRESENT DAY-
Kylie: Fuuuuuuuuck me....
Kylie sits up and grimaces as her body reminds her it’s stitched up in several places, a dozen cuts on her back, five requiring stitches, several small superficial cuts on her forehead and scalp (No stitches there thank god) cuts on her arms, a nasty cut over her left eye that was sure to leave a scar and the cherry on top of the particularly shitty sundae was the black eye that cow Maria had given her when she’d been on top of her punching her face.
But all of that aside it had been a pretty normal Friday night.
There’s no push-ups or sit-ups this morning, Kylie hobbles over to her dresser putting her hand on top of the battered NES system,
Kylie: I did it daddy....and now they’re giving me a number one contenders match, I must have made one hell of a first impression huh?
Rummaging through her dresser she grabs a pair of sweat pants and a Scuffed God T-shirt she’d swiped from a stack of unsold shirts that they’d been using to wipe the blood off of her after her match, hobbling to the shower she finds the water blissfully hot for once, she showers long enough to convince her body to stop hating her.
She’s pulling the T-shirt on over her head when her phone rings, she rolls her eyes when she hears Dedra’s voice like nails on a chalkboard assaulting her ears.
Dedra: Oi! Yer late! You forget you got a class this morning or what?
Wincing as she holds the phone away from her ear she flips the phone the bird with her free hand.
Kylie: Morning Dee! Running a little late, be there soon, you know if I’d known all I needed to hear your honeyed voice in the morning was to run a little late I would have done it sooner.
Dedra: Blow me ya smartass! Don’t be late again!
The drone of the dial tone is a soothing balm on her eardrums after Dedra’s sharp Irish tongue, she decides not to tempt fate anymore and leaves for her morning class, she’s not sure she can take a bump without her stitches tearing but she’s going to march up to Marcus and proclaim proudly to him that she did it! That she IS ready for the big time, and these scars are going to be her badge of pride.
--
Divones gym is full of its usual morning crew but Marcus is nowhere to be seen, taking her life in her hands Kylie approaches Dedra’s desk to inquire about the whereabouts of her father.
Dedra: He’s gone for a couple weeks, Ryan is filling in, you’ve worked with him before so get in the ring...
Her tone trails off as she looks up at Kylie and sees the bruises and stitches over her left eye, her usual confident and superior smirk fades and a look of concern flashes in her eyes as she stands up.
Dedra: What in the wild roaring blue feck happened ta you?
Dedra rounds her desk to get a better look at Kylie.
Dedra: Jesus Christ girl...
Kylie takes a few steps back and holds up a hand not wanting anyone touching her face at the moment.
Kylie: Remember when Marcus told me I wasn’t ready? Turns out I am.
She stares at Dedra daring her to say anything smart.
Dedra swallows down her concern and collects herself, shrugging her shoulders she turns and sits back down at her desk but Kylie can see the woman’s hands clenched so tight that her knuckles are white.
Dedra: Fine, if yer full of that much pride you can get in the ring then, but don’t bleed on it!
Kylie turns away heading out back to find Ryan, Dedra’s mood swings are famous at the gym, concerned one moment and sarcastic the next, she’s always found it kind of funny, funny that is when it’s not happening to her.
--
Ryan Maverick is the head instructor in Marcus’s absence, a former bull rider turned wrestler he knows his stuff, after all, if you survive being flung off an angry bull you can survive taking a bump in the ring, he’s every bit the stereotypical southern gentleman, with a southern accent and honeyed words that would make any woman’s heart flutter.
Ryan: Darlin I’m more than happy that yer followin yer dream but...
Once he saw her eye he insisted on cleaning the cut, once he realized there were about a dozen others he cleaned those as well.
Ryan: It looks like you went a few dozen rounds with a rabid Honey Badger...
Kylie alternates between smiling at the warmth and concern in his voice and wincing as the peroxide does its job.
Kylie: Its name was Maria but I won Ryan, that’s what matters, and it must have mattered a lot because they gave me a Number one Contenders match for the Wrestleverse title, I’m main-eventing the next show! I can’t let a few cuts slow me down.
Ryan: Not askin ya to slow down little lady, just askin you to treat yourself with care, I know you raring and ready to burst out of the gate but yer not gonna do anyone any good if you get bucked off in the first round if you catch my drift.
Kylie: I catch your drift Ryan trust me I do, as far as I know, this is just a straight-up wrestling match, nothing more, though I wouldn’t be surprised if something weird happens, it’s a...strange place.
Ryan: Fair enough, and when Marcus comes back you know I’ll go to bat for ya if you need me to alright Darlin? Now get out of here, take tomorrow off too, we’ll give those cuts some time to heal and get you back in in a few days.
Hugging Ryan Kylie gathers her things and leaves the gym, she feels Dedra's eyes on her as she heads out the door but no smart-ass comments follow in her wake, she supposes with no morning workout to endure she’ll head home and crash.
--
The picnic table that marks the halfway home point is a welcome respite, she’s rather embarrassed at just how much that match took out of her, flopping down she decides that even if she’s sitting she’s got time for a promo, taking her phone out she begins to record.
Promo--
Kylie: Hello Wrestleverse! I feel like shit! I probably look like shit right now too, I looked so bad my trainer told me to go home early, really helps a girl's self-esteem huh?
Kylie: New Ground, it was a lot of things wasn’t it? My debut match, my first time walking out there into a sea of cheering and laughing people if I stumbled around like a deer in the headlights you’ll have to forgive me, I had no idea how to process all of you, but you know what? I want to hear all of you being as loud as you can when I step into the ring for the Main Event this Friday! Look at your girl, my second match and I’m main-eventing! Let’s hope that’s not a one-time thing huh? Because if become the Number one contender I intend to ride that wave to my first title win!
Kylie smiles and winces as she leans forward and her stitches pull.
Kylie: BUT I shouldn’t be counting my eggs before they hatch, I have Jaice Wilds to contend with this week, so Jaice let me speak to you personally now...
Kylie: I don’t know a lot about you, I’m still finding my way around the ring, I’ve never dealt with a high flyer before, so who knows? Maybe you’re going to turn out to be my Kryptonite, but let me tell you what I do know Jaice, if you pull the wings off a fly it don’t fly anymore.
Kylie smiles brushing some hair from her face.
Kylie: Jaice I’m not going to doubt your resolve, or take your experience for granted, but last week I was baptized in blood and walked away the winner, so if you want this number one contender shot you’re going to have to want it A LOT more than me!
Kylie looks around and smiles to herself.
Kylie: Well I should probably wrap this up before a pedestrian calls the cops
on the crazy woman yelling at her phone in the park, but before I go I want to say one thing to you Wrestleverse, last week your cheers, your energy, it lifted me up, it fired me up, it pushed me to keep going when I wanted to quit, so I’ll make a deal with all of you, keep lifting me up and I promise I’ll put all my energy into lifting up all of you up, and just maybe our combined energy will take me all the way to the Wrestleverse Championship!
--
After signing off Kylie slides off the park bench and limps her way home, as she approaches her apartment door she smiles as she sees a dozen roses waiting for her by the front door with a card.
“Proud of you, I love you”
Picking the flowers she smiles brightly, breathing in the floral scent and thinking of her lover's face her pain and her troubles seem very far away.
“Alright...now Spell Bicycle”
6-year-old Kylie Sinclair screws up her face in concentration as she tries to spell out the word, in the background the steady hum of the car engine threatens to lull her to sleep, but the wind whipping through the open window smells of country air, fresh grass and cow manure.
Kylie: B...y...c....no lemme try again....B...i...s...y...c....l...e?
She looks up at her father hopefully but Aiden Sinclair shakes his head,
Aiden: You’re close, but not quite sweetheart, try it again for me.
Kylie folds her arms across her chest and pouts.
Kylie: Do I really have to learn this stuff? I mean what’s the point? I want to wrestler! They’re not going to care if I know how to spell Bicycle, I can’t even ride a Bicycle!
With the patience of a Saint Aiden pulls the car off to the side of the road and gives his daughter his full attention, he sees the frustration on her face and knows it all too well.
Aiden: Sweetheart you’re right that wrestling is about keeping your body strong and safe, but you know what else is equally important when you’re wrestling?
Kylie: What is it?
Aiden: Keeping your mind sharp! And it may not make sense to you know but all this reading, writing, spelling, and math I’m teaching you? That’s going to help you in the long run too, think of all this learning as exercise for your brain!
Kylie: Like...Like push-ups for my brain?
Aiden smiles brightly at his daughter.
Aiden: Exactly! Plus...I didn’t want to tell you this...but if you don’t use your brain? You get dumber! Like really dumber...like dumberer!
Kylie giggles at her father as his voice dips lower and he adopts a caveman-like voice.
Kylie: Nuh uh! My brain is gonna be sharp!
Aiden: Good! Otherwise, you talk bad! You walk into walls! You forget all wrestling moves and you just try to smash! And you get angry! Because all the dumberer! And they won’t let wrestle! Gyaaaargh!
Kylie throws back her head and laughs as her father begins to tickle her.
Kylie: Alright! Alright! I’ll do it! I’ll do the push-ups for my brain....s-stop t-tickling me!
Aiden: Good! Now spell Bicycle for me champ.
Kylie: ok, I just read it yesterday
Her face screws up in concentration again and she tries her hardest.
Kylie:....B...i...c....y....c....l.....e?
Aiden grins broadly.
Aiden: Yes! You’re not Dumberer!
Kylie: NO! I Smarterer!
She giggles mocking her father's caveman speech.
Aiden: Yes you are my little ring monkey, yes you are!
PRESENT DAY-
Kylie: Fuuuuuuuuck me....
Kylie sits up and grimaces as her body reminds her it’s stitched up in several places, a dozen cuts on her back, five requiring stitches, several small superficial cuts on her forehead and scalp (No stitches there thank god) cuts on her arms, a nasty cut over her left eye that was sure to leave a scar and the cherry on top of the particularly shitty sundae was the black eye that cow Maria had given her when she’d been on top of her punching her face.
But all of that aside it had been a pretty normal Friday night.
There’s no push-ups or sit-ups this morning, Kylie hobbles over to her dresser putting her hand on top of the battered NES system,
Kylie: I did it daddy....and now they’re giving me a number one contenders match, I must have made one hell of a first impression huh?
Rummaging through her dresser she grabs a pair of sweat pants and a Scuffed God T-shirt she’d swiped from a stack of unsold shirts that they’d been using to wipe the blood off of her after her match, hobbling to the shower she finds the water blissfully hot for once, she showers long enough to convince her body to stop hating her.
She’s pulling the T-shirt on over her head when her phone rings, she rolls her eyes when she hears Dedra’s voice like nails on a chalkboard assaulting her ears.
Dedra: Oi! Yer late! You forget you got a class this morning or what?
Wincing as she holds the phone away from her ear she flips the phone the bird with her free hand.
Kylie: Morning Dee! Running a little late, be there soon, you know if I’d known all I needed to hear your honeyed voice in the morning was to run a little late I would have done it sooner.
Dedra: Blow me ya smartass! Don’t be late again!
The drone of the dial tone is a soothing balm on her eardrums after Dedra’s sharp Irish tongue, she decides not to tempt fate anymore and leaves for her morning class, she’s not sure she can take a bump without her stitches tearing but she’s going to march up to Marcus and proclaim proudly to him that she did it! That she IS ready for the big time, and these scars are going to be her badge of pride.
--
Divones gym is full of its usual morning crew but Marcus is nowhere to be seen, taking her life in her hands Kylie approaches Dedra’s desk to inquire about the whereabouts of her father.
Dedra: He’s gone for a couple weeks, Ryan is filling in, you’ve worked with him before so get in the ring...
Her tone trails off as she looks up at Kylie and sees the bruises and stitches over her left eye, her usual confident and superior smirk fades and a look of concern flashes in her eyes as she stands up.
Dedra: What in the wild roaring blue feck happened ta you?
Dedra rounds her desk to get a better look at Kylie.
Dedra: Jesus Christ girl...
Kylie takes a few steps back and holds up a hand not wanting anyone touching her face at the moment.
Kylie: Remember when Marcus told me I wasn’t ready? Turns out I am.
She stares at Dedra daring her to say anything smart.
Dedra swallows down her concern and collects herself, shrugging her shoulders she turns and sits back down at her desk but Kylie can see the woman’s hands clenched so tight that her knuckles are white.
Dedra: Fine, if yer full of that much pride you can get in the ring then, but don’t bleed on it!
Kylie turns away heading out back to find Ryan, Dedra’s mood swings are famous at the gym, concerned one moment and sarcastic the next, she’s always found it kind of funny, funny that is when it’s not happening to her.
--
Ryan Maverick is the head instructor in Marcus’s absence, a former bull rider turned wrestler he knows his stuff, after all, if you survive being flung off an angry bull you can survive taking a bump in the ring, he’s every bit the stereotypical southern gentleman, with a southern accent and honeyed words that would make any woman’s heart flutter.
Ryan: Darlin I’m more than happy that yer followin yer dream but...
Once he saw her eye he insisted on cleaning the cut, once he realized there were about a dozen others he cleaned those as well.
Ryan: It looks like you went a few dozen rounds with a rabid Honey Badger...
Kylie alternates between smiling at the warmth and concern in his voice and wincing as the peroxide does its job.
Kylie: Its name was Maria but I won Ryan, that’s what matters, and it must have mattered a lot because they gave me a Number one Contenders match for the Wrestleverse title, I’m main-eventing the next show! I can’t let a few cuts slow me down.
Ryan: Not askin ya to slow down little lady, just askin you to treat yourself with care, I know you raring and ready to burst out of the gate but yer not gonna do anyone any good if you get bucked off in the first round if you catch my drift.
Kylie: I catch your drift Ryan trust me I do, as far as I know, this is just a straight-up wrestling match, nothing more, though I wouldn’t be surprised if something weird happens, it’s a...strange place.
Ryan: Fair enough, and when Marcus comes back you know I’ll go to bat for ya if you need me to alright Darlin? Now get out of here, take tomorrow off too, we’ll give those cuts some time to heal and get you back in in a few days.
Hugging Ryan Kylie gathers her things and leaves the gym, she feels Dedra's eyes on her as she heads out the door but no smart-ass comments follow in her wake, she supposes with no morning workout to endure she’ll head home and crash.
--
The picnic table that marks the halfway home point is a welcome respite, she’s rather embarrassed at just how much that match took out of her, flopping down she decides that even if she’s sitting she’s got time for a promo, taking her phone out she begins to record.
Promo--
Kylie: Hello Wrestleverse! I feel like shit! I probably look like shit right now too, I looked so bad my trainer told me to go home early, really helps a girl's self-esteem huh?
Kylie: New Ground, it was a lot of things wasn’t it? My debut match, my first time walking out there into a sea of cheering and laughing people if I stumbled around like a deer in the headlights you’ll have to forgive me, I had no idea how to process all of you, but you know what? I want to hear all of you being as loud as you can when I step into the ring for the Main Event this Friday! Look at your girl, my second match and I’m main-eventing! Let’s hope that’s not a one-time thing huh? Because if become the Number one contender I intend to ride that wave to my first title win!
Kylie smiles and winces as she leans forward and her stitches pull.
Kylie: BUT I shouldn’t be counting my eggs before they hatch, I have Jaice Wilds to contend with this week, so Jaice let me speak to you personally now...
Kylie: I don’t know a lot about you, I’m still finding my way around the ring, I’ve never dealt with a high flyer before, so who knows? Maybe you’re going to turn out to be my Kryptonite, but let me tell you what I do know Jaice, if you pull the wings off a fly it don’t fly anymore.
Kylie smiles brushing some hair from her face.
Kylie: Jaice I’m not going to doubt your resolve, or take your experience for granted, but last week I was baptized in blood and walked away the winner, so if you want this number one contender shot you’re going to have to want it A LOT more than me!
Kylie looks around and smiles to herself.
Kylie: Well I should probably wrap this up before a pedestrian calls the cops
on the crazy woman yelling at her phone in the park, but before I go I want to say one thing to you Wrestleverse, last week your cheers, your energy, it lifted me up, it fired me up, it pushed me to keep going when I wanted to quit, so I’ll make a deal with all of you, keep lifting me up and I promise I’ll put all my energy into lifting up all of you up, and just maybe our combined energy will take me all the way to the Wrestleverse Championship!
--
After signing off Kylie slides off the park bench and limps her way home, as she approaches her apartment door she smiles as she sees a dozen roses waiting for her by the front door with a card.
“Proud of you, I love you”
Picking the flowers she smiles brightly, breathing in the floral scent and thinking of her lover's face her pain and her troubles seem very far away.