Chapter 1: Surprise! There's girls like me?? (BlueReso and Winner3)

[BlueResonance]

Hayley steps into the gym, exhaling slowly as she walks in. She looks around, surveying the area. Empty. She finally had a little time by herself. Her time here had been exciting to say the least. Her first match was against someone who was really tough. Just what she had asked for. A small smile crossed her lips as she thought back to the fight. She had a feeling she made a good first impression at least.

She starts to head over towards a set of weights, grabbing one of the smaller ones, and starts to do reps on her arms while sitting down on a bench. She had picked up a thing or two from this match, but she was learning fast that toughness alone wasn't going to be enough. She had to learn skill. Somehow.

She went into deep thought as she continued reps on her right arm, then her left arm, going into a bit of a trance as she worked on toughening her muscles up more.

[winner3]

Clad in a black tanktop and shorts, a panting, slightly sweaty Sumiko Dreamer made her way out of the locker room and into the gym. She had just come back from a run. The petite lightweight powerhouse was always pushing herself, sometimes too much for her own good. As she moseyed towards the weights, she found herself needing to catch her breath. Dreamer paused for a moment with her hand on the weight rack near the bench Hayley was sitting at.

Sumiko

"Whew!" Sumiko said with an exhale. "I've gotta step it up. That last match was tough. Gotta train more if I'm gonna win the next one." She said, voicing her concerns about her training out loud. As Sumiko spoke, she hyped herself up, reaching for a 25 lbs dumbbell to begin curling it whilst standing up.

"Oh, hey." She'd say as she turned to the side and took notice of Hayley. "I don't think I've seen you around. Are you new?"

[BlueResonance]

"57...58...59..." She counts as she continues reps with her arms. She was in her zone, when she suddenly heard someone practically shouting with an exhale. Immediately she was snapped out of it when she heard someone else's voice in the room, and looks over to see a girl in a sports bra, talking about training more. Did this girl... talk to herself a lot?

She didn't even get the chance to address it as the girl suddenly turned to lock eyes with Hayley. "Uh..." She stammers at first, then clears her throat.

"Yep! As new as you can get, really!" She chirped. "You like going for the dumbbells too?" She asked her.

[winner3]

"Oh yeah, all weight is good weight, right? Dumbbells are great! Much more versatile than barbells or weights on exercise machines. You can curl em, press em, work triceps, do flys and all that." Sumiko lifted a finger to her chin. After sounding off, she made an effort to actually answer this girl's question.

"Yeah, I guess I definitely would be my favorites. Dumbbells and probably kettle bells! I've got a set of each at home!" The brunette said with a smile before straddling a bench near Hayley and finding a seat to hopefully prolong the conversation and make a new friend.

[BlueResonance]

Hayley could only nod in agreement as she goes on about the versatility of them. "They work great, definitely!" She agrees.

"Oh cool, you've got your own set? What color? I never really tried to get my own set, I just go to the gyms. I like working out in public settings. I mean, part of it is showing off what you can do, right? So why bother working in private? Let em see your progress, I say!" She states.

"I'm Hayley. Hayley Henley! And what's your name?" She asked, offering a hand for her to shake.

[winner3]

"Oh! I'm Sumiko! Nice to meetchya, Hayley!" The mirthful girl replied as she took Hayley's hand and gave it a firm shake. The brunette smiled warmly as she leaned forward and made eye contact to continue sparking conversation.

"Mine are pink! My favorite color, haha." Dreamer answered before making eye contact and continuing. "I do prefer working out in public, but sometimes it's tough to find time to travel to and from the gym, you know? Plus not all of them are always open, yadda yadda yadda. Sometimes it's just easier to progress at home, you know. Not that I mind a good public workout."

Sumiko would touch her chin with her fingertip. She'd wonder aloud. " You know, speaking of showing off what we can do, would you mind a quick spar? I'm curious about what you can do? I always love wrestling new opponents!" The brunette's smile would convey her anticipation. She was eager to throw down!

[BlueResonance]

"Pink, huh?" She repeats. Not particularly HER favorite color, but she wasn't going to knock on someone else's tastes. She continues to explain about why she chooses to work out where she does. Really it made a lot of sense.

"Yeah... there's not many that are open late or anything. A couple are, but.. well... yeah." She just leaves it at that.

Her eyes lit up when Sumiko proposes a quick spar. Wrestling with her? Testing her strength against her own?? She'd jump at the chance!

"Sure!" She said, jumping to her feet off the bench. She was so eager that for a moment she forgot that she still didn't have any real ring or wrestling experience.

[winner3]

"Awesome! Let's get to it!" Sumiko agreed enthusiastically as she got up and balled her fists. Sumiko was always eager to mix it up with new competition. Though she was completely unaware of Hayley's skill and experience, or lack thereof. The Japanese brunette had jumped the gun and assumed that Hayley was quite formidable.

"Then let's get our butts in that ring!" Dreamer said as she pointed to her right to an empty practice ring just a few yards away from the free weights section they were in. She already began making her way there. The lightweight would situate herself between the middle and bottom rope to widen the gap and welcome the rookie in.

[BlueResonance]

Hayley nods, and walks towards the practice ring her new friend was pointing at. "You got it!" She answers while following behind her. She looks up at Sumiko as she offers the ropes for her, and smiles before taking her offer, and steps into the ring with her. It wasn't until she was in did she remember that she forgot a small detail.

She glances over at Sumiko while going over to a corner. Maybe... maybe this girl wouldn't mind. She could at least try what little she's picked up in her first match. She was still a bit sore from it, being tossed around, pummelled, and all around beaten up by a girl she assigned as her rival.

Either way, she was never going to get better if she didn't try. That much she knew for certain. She starts to roll her shoulders, groaning softly as she tries to work out a couple of kinks last minute from her prior fight.

[winner3]

After her sparring partner entered the ring, Dreamer began to stretch near the ropes. She got nice and limber until she was all warmed up, touching her toes, rolling her shoulders, doing a bridge. As Sumiko made her necessary preparations, she occasionally glanced over at Hayley. The lightweight lass was unaware of Hayley's match history or in-ring experience level.

"Are ya ready to go all out?!" Sumiko asked with an excited smile as she stood up and leaned forward into a crouch, seemingly ready to grapple.

"Cause I'm pumped up and raring to go!" Seemingly ready to kick things off at a momentum's notice, Dreamer raised an open hand in Hayley's direction, looking to engage the middleweight in a Test of Strength to size her up!