Teenage Wasteland

[BlackAkuma]

Angela breathed a deep sigh of relief when Talia turned out to be okay. Mostly happy for the woman’s safety, of course - the last thing she wanted was her first experience in the ring to end with a hospital visit, even before her first match. She was also happy that her first experience training someone other than her daughter hadn't ended in disaster.

Thankfully, the younger wrestler was taking it well, both physically and emotionally. Angela enjoyed a sighing laugh as she crossed her legs and sat beside her.

”Sorry. The only other person I spar with is my daughter, and she’s…” She struggled for the right word, but her command on the English language just wasn’t good enough to find it. ”...different.” That would have to do.

She put a reassuring hand on the woman’s shoulder, hoping she could ease her back into things with a gentle nod and a smile. ”You did well, though. You have some real potential, here. Tell me, what are some of your biggest concerns thus far? What’s going through your head?”

[BuggyD501]

Talia let out a small breath, trying to steady herself as she felt the soreness creeping through her muscles. Despite the rough handling, she appreciated Angela’s effort to guide her. It wasn’t often she got to train with someone this experienced—let alone someone this strong.

Her gaze drifted downward for a moment as she thought about the question.

“I guess... I’m struggling with confidence,” she admitted, her voice quieter than before. “I know I’ve got the athleticism, but when I step in the ring, I second-guess myself. I hesitate. I overthink. And when I’m up against someone bigger, someone more experienced... it’s like I freeze up.”

Her fingers traced the mat beneath her as she continued, “I’m afraid of making a fool of myself out there. Afraid I’m not cut out for this. I want to fight, I want to be good at this... but I feel like I’m holding myself back.”

She let out a small, bitter laugh. “Guess that’s something brute strength can’t fix, huh?”

[BlackAkuma]

Confidence. A lack thereof. Angela could understand that. Hard as it might be to imagine, there had been a time when she hadn't been too different, when she was first dipping her toes into professional wrestling and trying to make sense of its zaniness. Before she was ‘the Perfect Woman’, she had scores of doubts, was always questioning herself, and the only thing that pushed through it was trial and error. A lot of trial and error.

Looking back, she could’ve done with a guiding hand. Someone to steer her on the right path. She would’ve still made mistakes, but perhaps not as many, perhaps none so severe.

Angela gave Talia a reassuring squeeze and brought out a tone that would’ve been typically reserved for her daughter. ”Brute strength can’t fix it. Only time can. But, thankfully, you have more than enough of that to spare.”

She stood up and extended her hand, offering to help Talia rise up to her feet. ”You’re just starting, don’t be hard on yourself. It’s okay to make mistakes; you just have to learn from them.”

[BuggyD501]

Talia blinked a few times, her face flushed from both the struggle and... well, being this close to Angela for that long. The moment she felt that slight squeeze, her body relaxed a bit, and her mind wasn't racing as much.

Her eyes slowly looked up at the veteran wrestler as she spoke, and Talia felt... oddly comforted. The warmth in Angela’s voice, the patience in her words—it was something Talia wasn’t used to. People usually told her to "get good" or "toughen up," not... this.

She hesitated at first, but slowly reached out and took Angela's hand, letting herself be pulled back up.

"...You're... a really nice woman, ma’am," Talia mumbled, avoiding eye contact as she dusted herself off. "Didn't expect... someone like you to be, uh... like this."

She scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Guess... I’ll keep tryin'."

Her words lacked confidence, but there was a spark in her eyes—a small one, but it was there. Maybe she didn’t believe in herself yet... but maybe, just maybe, she could start.

[BlackAkuma]

‘Keep trying’. A good way of looking at things. ”That’s the right attitude.”

From then on, Angela returned to work with Talia, taking a slower approach to her training. Since she had a good grasp of strikes and stances, it was fairly easy to build from that, teaching her a good set of basics.

Chain wrestling? It was dicey, but she was able to get her into the gist enough to handle a simple exchange.

Submission moves? She gave Talia a taste of what it was like to both be in one and execute them, emphasizing the importance of positioning, making sure the ropes were never too far out of reach.

She even worked to give the smaller woman a decent grasp of suplexes and throws. Not the easiest thing to do, given their height and power differences, but enough that Talia could execute them in the right circumstances.

At the end of two hours, the two of them were notably sweatier and tired, but Talia would be at least 5% more knowledgeable about professional wrestling. Not bad for the first session. Angela leaned up against the turnbuckle as she caught her breath, a thin smile on her face. ”That was…that was good.” She enjoyed a long exhale. ”How are you feeling?”

[BuggyD501]

Talia wiped some sweat from her brow, her legs feeling like jelly after everything they'd gone through. She had a lot of bruises, some sore spots from where she'd taken hits or been slammed, but she could tell it was all a part of the process. Angela had been rough on her, but fair. She’d been kind and patient, letting Talia feel the struggle and then showing her how to work through it.

She was exhausted, but it was a good kind of tired. Not one born of frustration or doubt, but one where she knew she’d pushed herself and made progress.

With a tired sigh, she slumped against the ropes briefly, taking a few deep breaths. ”...I’m feeling... okay, Ma’am... tired, but... good. I think I’m getting the hang of it."

She looked over at Angela, who was also tired but smiling. Talia had to admit, despite the intensity, she appreciated the training, even if it was grueling.

"What...about you ma'am?"

[BlackAkuma]

Angela nodded along as Talia spoke, glad to see she was coming away from this with a positive feeling. It would be hard for her to tell, but she had made leaps and strides in the past couple of hours, and was already well beyond what most would expect from a rookie, even one who’d come in from other combat sports. She was smart, humble, and patient, all qualities that would get her far. She only had to apply herself, and she would go far.

She wiped her brow clean of sweat and chuckled at the question, though not for the reason Talia might have realized. ”Angela. You can call me ‘Angela’, at this point.” As much as she appreciated the formality from the younger woman, it felt unneeded at this point, when speaking with someone she’d mixed sweat with.

”And I’m fine. Thank you for asking.” She slid back against the turnbuckle, dropping down to lean against it. ”Better than fine, really. I really have to thank you, this was…” She rolled her head around, looking for the right word. ’Invigorating. Before you, I’ve mostly been training with my daughter, and she’s, well…different from you. Much different.”

About as different as the sun and the moon, if she were being honest.

[BuggyD501]

Talia gave a slow nod, processing that bit of information. She hadn’t known Angela had a daughter, let alone that she trained with her. That explained a little of the patience, maybe the way she guided her through everything rather than just letting her sink or swim.

She hesitated for a second, glancing at Angela before looking down at the mat, shifting her stance slightly. ”...She must be... real strong, then.” A pause. ”If you’re the one training her.”

There wasn’t any real emotion in her voice, just a flat statement of fact. But there was a tiny hint of curiosity there. Angela had been dominant the entire session, no question about it—if someone else was getting lessons from her regularly, then that person had to be something serious.

[BlackAkuma]

Angela laughed.

She cut herself off before it go on for too long, hating herself immediately for making fun of her daughter. As much as her child irked her at times, she had been doing a better job of training recently, in large part thanks to her time with Alicia. She was more serious these days, focused better, got better results. She was trying, which was the important thing.

”My daughter is…” She tipped her head from side to side as she searched for the right word. ”...eager.” That one would do. ”Working with family can be a bit more difficult, I’m learning. I sometimes see faults where there aren’t any. Or maybe miss the ones I shouldn’t.”

She shrugged and sighed, then leaned back on her elbows. ”You and she are about as different as two people could be, I’d imagine. But I love her. She’s finding her way.”

Without her.