The Competition - Katsumi and Tina Armstrong

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi is starting to recover. She just ate a hard hit, though, so she'll be a bit before she's really and truly ambulatory. However, she manages to prop herself up on her elbows. As soon as she manages that, she winces and rests her forearm across her bare midsection - still twisted in both pain and nerves. "Ghh.."

Her head turns to look back at Tina. She looks less angry, less spiteful, and less intense than she did a moment ago - it's instead replaced with a degree of self-disappointment. "Good. When you get the belt.. revenge is gonna be sweeter," she says. There's less edge in her voice. No venom, no spite. Her tone has lightened, and despite the disappointment in herself, she puts on a weak smile for the blonde.

[Highfly]

Tina hobbled about, doubled over and still in a ton of pain. One hand was across her abdomen while the other up on her head both still throbbing immensely. Tina smiled and nodded over at Katsumi. "When I get that gold you can feel free to step up and try to take it at any time. Just don't get your hopes up too much because I don't plan on losing any title I get in short order." Tina said as she hobbled over and took a hand off her abdomen to try to offer to help Katsumi get back up to her own feet.

Today had proved to be a far more interesting day than Tina anticipated. This new woman she met wasn't just a rookie, but a new face. A new challenge. This was more than enough to put a smile back on Tina's face despite the pain coursing through her.

[CyanDimitrik]

Katsumi is annoyed. She's upset. She's tense, and she's about as wound up internally as she was when she first arrived at the gym. But at least there's some bittersweetness to this. Tina doesn't seem like a bad person. She's probably not the kind of person Katsumi could really be herself around - heck, no one seems to be. But she's not rubbing it in. When she offers a hand to the Punk Princess, the first thing she'd normally do is smack it away to maintain at least some dignity. But there's no audience here to see her as weak.

"That's what they all say, isn't it?," she parrots back at Tina.

Her hand raises with some trepidation, as if expecting there to be some kind of ruse afoot. As if Tina may yank her up just to knee her in the gut again. But her fingers curl around Tina's hand. She doesn't pull herself up. She can't. It's all on Tina, including the likely situation of having to support the Japanese girl's weight.

"Even if you don't get, or lose it before I get my shot..." She doesn't complete the sentence. Tina may be newer to wrestling by a number of years, but maybe she's been around enough to know what's being said regardless.

[Highfly]

Tina struggled and pulled KAtsumi up, using her own weight to help prop Katsumi up. Tina listened and wasn't able to respond right way. She was just too tired. "Heh... I got it." Tina said simply. She could have said more, and probably would have if she were able to. However, right now all she cared about was a shower. A hot shower and rest. Sweet sleep. Tina felt like she could sleep off the rest of the day at this rate.

Tina tried her best to get Katsumi standing on her own power, and once she did Tina would hobble her way over to the ropes, clearly spent after her day at the gym.

[CyanDimitrik]

"Damn right y'do..," chides Katsumi, while being supported solely with Tina's support. The irony is not lost on her, and the threat isn't exactly venomous. She's painfully - painfully - aware of her condition and how badly she's been beaten.

It takes considerable effort, and Katsumi almost falters to a knee. She manages to catch herself with a hand on the mat, then pushes herself back up to her feet. Her hands push against her face, drawing her sweat-soaked bangs back from her eyes. Once cleared, she watches Tina exit the ring. A few breaths, and she's not far behind, staggering to the ropes and nearly collapsing as she drops to the floor. She has to catch herself again. But with an arm looping her stomach, she makes her way off to clean up.