The Prima Donna's Diary - Chapter 11.1: Tied Up with a Tiger (for Bengal)

[Misfit_Alien]

Dear Diary~...

Diary Entry (READ ME)

It's been a little over a week since...that match...and everything's still sore. My pride, especially. I haven't been able to sleep properly, and it's not just because of my aching jaw or the several bruises that 'Bengal' chick left me. I've been thinking about her nonstop, unable to get her out of my head. That snarky, arrogant, and frustrating face of hers. I don't know WHY I'm feeling like this, I just AM. I hate this feeling...I hate HER...I HATE THIS!!! THIS STUPID, STUPID, STUPID FEELING THAT I'M FEELING. WHY THE HELL DO I FEEL THIS WAY FOR SOMEONE SO NASTY AND MALICIOUS!?! JUST BECAUSE SHE LOOKS ATTRACTIVE OR SOMETHING!? I haven't been able to show my face in public for the past WEEK because of her. I feel so awful with how she embarrassed me...pummeling the daylights out of her and watching her make a fool out of herself wasn't enough to make me feel better.


I still lost.


And that was the worst part of it all, diary.

This feeling of defeat. I didn't feel nearly as bad when I lost to Lauren...I feel so dejected...and confused...and angry all the time for reasons I don't want to admit. I've already written extensively about Bengal, you know that, diary, but I still can't decide on how I feel about her. Hopefully, some time in the gym will do me some good, help me get my confidence back...I don't know, diary. At this point, I'm just trying to do everything that I can to avoid thinking about her, and I keep failing. So if I'm stuck lingering with her in my thoughts, maybe I can at least imagine punching her face in while I work the heavy bags.


XOXO, Yours forever~, Ami Anderson...The Prima Donna Darling~ <3

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After dragging her feet for another hour, Ami managed to pull herself together and make her way toward the LAW gym. The sun was still rising into the sky, and it was barely past the early hours of the morning. The city streets were busy...as per usual...and traffic was just as heavy. Fortunately, the brunette was capable enough to at least make it to the gym. When she first got her, she was stumbling her way around town, getting lost at nearly every corner and turn. Now she only got lost a quarter of the time...a marginal improvement, to be honest, but an improvement nonetheless!!! After entering the gym, she made her way over to the changing rooms after checking in with the front desk. It had been days since her match with Bengal, and with how many matches LAW put on, there's no way THAT many LAW competitors saw it...right? Still, she couldn't escape this feeling that people were staring at her, recognizing her, laughing at her...mocking her...all the while, she image of Bengal's smug face creeped up into her thoughts again, pissing the Prima Donna Darling off...and turning her on at the same time.

God, she hated that woman...

And dammit it...she was attracted to her at the same time...was this some curse? Was this a bout of masochism? No, er-...not entirely? Ami didn't enjoy being Bengal's...plaything...for lack of better words. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't find aspects of the woman sexy. Ugh, these thoughts were NOT good for her mental well-being, and so she simply tried to tune them all out as she rummaged through her bag, finding her gym clothes and slipping into them. Once prepped, she stepped in front of the mirror, trying to check her gear so that no unforeseen wardrobe malfunctions happened today. She was so self-conscious, still noticing a few sore spots where there was visible bruising...it was so light it might as well not exist, but Ami knew it was there, which meant that...in her paranoid state...it might as well be a big red blinking light for all to see and gawk at. She took a couple of deep breaths to try and calm herself down, and with a bit of a pep talk aimed at herself, she stepped back out into the gym.

Spoiler

Now that she was dressed for success, Ami went ahead and got straight to work, putting in her earbuds and turning on some relaxing yet energizing music to help settle her mood, stabilize her mind, and pump her body up as she stepped onto a nearby treadmill first. She warmed up with a light jog, increasing the machine's speed every couple of minutes before she was at a brisk run. After that, she'd swap to weightlifting exercises with a pair of fifteen-pound dumbbells, practicing and alternating between them.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

In the days after her knockout win over Ami Anderson, Bengal was conspicuously absent from her usual spots in the LAW gym. There was debate over the exact reason for this, with some members wondering if she’d injured herself in the hard-fought brawl, or taken some time to travel. Truthfully, the Blaze Tiger was just in a terrible mood, which was unusual given the circumstances. She hadn’t just been neglecting her exercise routine over the past week - she’d barely even left her apartment.

Bengal was usually the kind of person who reveled in her victories, but this one gave her no satisfaction. Not because the Prima Donna had been an easy mark (quite the opposite, in fact) but because of the way she had behaved at the end of the bout, continuing to beat on her opponent even when Ami was clearly out on her feet. In the moment, “punch-juggling” the smaller woman had thrilled the Tiger, filling her with a wild bloodlust. Now, she felt sick with guilt just thinking about it. I always take things too far…what am I trying to prove?

She went online to look up coverage of the match, hoping to find something that would stroke her ego. Unfortunately, most of the commentators seemed just as upset as she was, disgusted by Bengal’s disrespect for the octagon: the low blows, the spitting, the way she’d practically dry-humped Ami against the cage. She had to admit that they had a point, especially on that last one. Why had she thought that such a lewd display would impress MMA fans? They’d come to watch a fight, not a burlesque show. Of course, during that moment, she hadn’t been thinking about the fans at all…

Deep down, Bengal knew the reason that she hadn’t been able to stop herself from going too far with Ami. It was the exact same reason why she felt so guilty once the frenzy had cleared. Her feelings of attraction and aggression were tangled together like a knot, and she couldn’t even tell which thread was which. After a few more days, she realized that sitting around her bedroom watching old Bollywood movies wasn’t the answer. It was time to stop moping, and take some initiative. Maybe a workout would clear her head.

She decided to visit the gym in the early morning, making it less likely that she’d run into anyone she knew. This was easily done, since she hadn’t slept the night before anyway. She stepped out the front door of her apartment building, dressed in baggy, nondescript clothes, blinking owlishly. The dawn light seemed painfully bright after so much time indoors, but she quickly adjusted. Fifteen minutes later, she was entering the parking lot of the LAW facility. There was nobody else outside, so she used her key card to let herself into the building, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt up over her head as she went.

The workout area was sparsely populated, just as she’d hoped. Bengal made her way over to the treadmills for a warmup run, and almost bumped into another woman, who was hopping off the back of hers without looking. Usually, carelessness like that would enrage the Tiger, but today her fires were burning low. She was about to excuse herself and make her way past the figure - only to do a sudden double take as she got a better look at her. The hairstyle was different, and the pink eyeshadow was missing, but there was no mistaking that elegant face, that tiny yet powerful body. It was Ami Anderson, the last person she wanted to see right now…or had she secretly been hoping for this? Gazing into the Prima Donna’s deep brown eyes, Bengal couldn’t decide. She realized, with a jolt of self-consciousness, that she wasn’t wearing her colored contact lenses - she only put them on for matches. Her natural eyes were the same shade as Ami’s.

“Y-you!” she sputtered. It was difficult to manage any more, with the sudden dryness in her throat. Her mind raced, wondering if Ami had been waiting here to ambush her, to get revenge for her humiliating loss. Bengal herself had once done something similar, when she attacked Ashley Morgan at the Aman Spa. Her hands clenched into fists within the pockets of her hoodie, preparing for a fight.

[Misfit_Alien]

The Prima Donna Darling was going to move from the treadmills to the weight racks, but she was stopped mere moments after finishing her warmup jog. She was stopped by someone she didn't recognize, who called her out for some reason. Ami was unsure as to why this person wanted her attention so badly, but then she recognized that face. And while the eyes weren't there, nor was the brash and overcompensating attitude, Ami could still tell who this woman was...Bengal.

"You-...tch-..." Her neutral expression began to sour, her mood shifting almost immediately as she found herself becoming resentful VERY quickly.

Initially, Ami was going to turn away, to ignore Bengal and move on with her day, trying to put everything behind her. She came here to avoid thinking about her, to take that first step into moving on after such a humiliating loss. Yet here she was, face-to-face with that incessant, aggravating, yet attractive obsession flaring back up in her mind. She cursed herself for not moving away, for simply standing in place like an awestruck child. Then, she noticed Bengal's eyes...they weren't the same color as before. Contacts? Possibly. Most likely...but now Ami got a good look at the real woman behind those eyes, pupils that shared a similar color to her own, a mesmerizing, deep brown-ish color. Why was she even focused on that? It didn't matter, Bengal didn't matter. At least, she wasn't SUPPOSED to matter...

"What do you want?" Ami said, her tone conveying hefty amounts of irritation. "Come to embarrass me again? Couldn't let your ego go a day without bullying someone?" She said, scowling at the Indian woman. "I should've known-...what're the odds of bumping into YOU of all people. Do us both a favor and leave me alone...or else-..." She said, standing her ground, not wanting to leave without making it CLEAR that she wasn't going to let Bengal mock her. If the woman crossed that line in the slightest degree, Ami wouldn't hesitate...so this would be her one and ONLY chance to leave the petite brunette alone...lest she face the consequences of her actions in the form of an infuriated Japanese-American girl trying to rip her into shreds.

Ami didn't expect anything from Bengal, and judging by her expression, Bengal seemed just as shocked to see Ami here. She seemed sluggish and tired, like she had been wallowing around for the past few days. What was her deal? You know what-...it didn't matter. Ami wasn't going to waste more time on the tiger-themed fighter. So long as Bengal didn't try anything, Ami would simply move on with her life.

All Bengal had to do was keep her mouth shut...

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Looking at Ami’s surprised expression, Bengal realized that her suspicions of an ambush had been unfounded. The Prima Donna seemed just as shocked by their sudden encounter as she was. Still, her defiant tone made the Tiger’s temper flare. “Or else what?” she barked, taking a step forward, so that her chest bumped against the shorter woman’s chin. “You’re gonna hit my fist with your face, and hope I get tired? Because that strategy worked so well for you last time, didn’t it?”

Nearby, other gym members began turning curiously toward the noise, removing headphones and putting down their weights. Bengal, however, kept her gaze fixed squarely on Ami. “You’re such a hypocrite,” she continued, spitting out each word, as if she was trying to get rid of a bad taste in her mouth. “You say I have an ego, but you’re the one who assumes people are following you around. Why would anyone give a damn about you, after they watched you get speedbagged?”

She dug into the pocket of her sweatpants and retrieved her phone, unlocking it with a few quick taps. “I don’t need to bully you, honey…the internet is already doing that for me!” She thrust the device into the other woman’s face as she spoke. The glossy screen was displaying a looped video of the end of their last match: Ami’s limp body being juggled by Bengal’s punches and kicks, smashed against the side of the cage again and again, accompanied by comedic sound effects and a stream of nasty comments. Of course, many of those comments were directed at Bengal herself, not the Prima Donna, but the Tiger didn’t care about that right now. She just wanted to hurt Ami, to make her former opponent feel as low as she’d been feeling. After all, misery loves company.