Full Squared Circle

Alaina was still a bit of a mess. She was just so up in the air about everything that she didn't know what she wanted.

"I don't know. I know things will turn around its just...shit. Honestly I am up for whatever, I can't really decide." She said at a loss for words. "Its just that I know you two didn't think I deserved the title shots I got, and probably didn't think I should have had the belt. Knowing that my whole run just kinda...."

Again, she was at a loss.

While Valey wanted to be as calm and sympathetic as possible, she couldn’t help but jump at some of Alaina’s words. She was distressed, sure, but…

”Whoa,” Valley stopped and turned Alaina, making sure she could see the hurt on her face, too. ”Look, I was never a super big fan of the dojo or Taylor Parker or Akashi, but don’t go thinking that ever extended to you or Julia. I always thought you both were great talents. Still do, always will.” Valley reached down and fastened the belt around her waist - it always looked silly, wearing it like this on her too-small body, but it was the most convenient way.

”If anything, I always felt the dojo held you both back. You were both great talents the moment you set foot in the AFW, but Taylor treated you both like rookies. You didn’t need her. Neither of you did. The whole thing just felt like a way to bolster her own ego. You two both got a legitimate shot at the belt, and she couldn't even be happy for you, she just...” She was getting hot, she knew, and that wasn’t healthy. Whatever her opinions were of the whole mess, it didn’t matter, now.

”You’re awesome, Alaina. I’m sorry if anything I said or did gave you the impression I felt otherwise, but believe me, that’s not the way I feel.”

Alaina saw Valleys reaction and did her best to keep her cool. She knew a lot of people weren't Taylor and Akashi fans. She understood Valley's blow-up given her history with them especially Akashi. She didn't quite agree with the assessment but Alaina kept her mouth shut. "I see, I appreciate it and I think I always knew that deep down but it was just nice to hear." Alaina said, looking again at the belt before raising her glance up.

She was looking Valley in the eye to avoid looking at the belt, but she smiled nonetheless. "I showed up, made the crowd disappear and then whined like a little brat. Ya probably want to kick my butt around the ring huh?" Alaina said with a little nervous laugh. If Valley did want to actually slap her across the face she'd understand after how she had been today.

Valley was relieved to get a laugh out of Alaina, even a nervous one. The Amazon worried her sometimes. She was this big, powerful woman, and you’d think nothing could get to her. But sometimes she could be so vulnerable…

Bah. Valley was starting to resort to Mother Mode, and that wouldn’t end well for either of them. What Alaina needed - maybe what they both needed - was a distraction. And now that she mentioned, that gave the Slamazon a good idea.

”Well, I do want to kick your butt, but not for that reason.” She gave her a playful elbow in the side. “How about a spar? It’ll do us both some good.”

Alaina raised an eyebrow and was silent for a few moments.  A spar.  Something that Alaina was equal.parts eager and nervous for against this particular woman.

"Fine.  You're on.  However if this is a serious spar and I see you giving me a pity win I will be pissed.  If I get my ads beat, it is what it is."  Alaina said staring Valley down for a minute.  The amazon then motioned with her head towards the gym.

"I will see you in the ring."  Alaina said as she began walking away towards the gym as she was already dressed for the occassion.

Not the most enthusiastic response from Alaina there, certainly not what she’d been hoping for. While it seemed like there were some signs of the Amazon coming out of her funk, she still had quite a ways to go, and Valley could only hope it wouldn’t hinder her performance. Despite what Alaina thought, she had no intentions of holding back. The woman she’d won the championship from was far too tough for that. She could only hope that was the same woman she was about to face.

Fifteen or so minutes later, Valley appeared in the gym, wearing her old white leotard, the same outfit she’d donned when she first came to the AFW, back when she and Alaina fought for the first time. An unintentional touch of nostalgia, since her usual outfit was in the wash today, and this was all she had in the locker. It was an odd fit - her chest filled it out better the last time she’d worn it, and she’d slimmed just enough to give it a slight baggy look. Still, it would serve.

Valley sat her belt on a nearby stool and rolled into the ring, popping to her feet in an instant. She gazed across the ring to Alaina and started going into stretches, keeping her face calm and pleasant.

”So,” She twisted left, then right. ”What rules do you want to go with? Anything special?”

Alaina watched as Valley came out in her original AFW attire.  It made Alaina think back to their first match, her first match against a legit, actual wrestler who didn't cheat.  Her first chance to prove she could win when it came down to wrestling talent without the cheating her previous foes brought to the table.  Her first loss to Valley.

Alaina shook her head and shrugged.  "I am down for a standard match and everything that goes along with it unless you wanted something like falls count anywhere?"  Alaina asked.  She was down for whatever Valley wanted to throw at her.  She had to prove she could do it, not to Valley, not to the fans but to herself more than anything else.

Then a smile spread across her face, at least a very slight smile. "let's raise the stakes. Between us no one has defended that belt more rigorously than we have. The winner of this match, wins the title of 'greatest Entropy champion' but only among ourselves. Nothing to flaunt to others, but just a thing among the two of us when we are alone."

Alaina was smiling again, and Valley was thankful for that, though she wasn’t sure she was all that thrilled when it came to the reason. While she could respect the spirit of competition, a blind and deaf man could figure out that the Amazon wasn’t in the best of places right now. If Valley did win here - or worse, if she held back and lost - that would only exacerbate things.

Valley nodded and looked about, making sure they were alone. ”Works fine for me.” She lifted up her leg and let it rest on the rope, getting in some stretching before she moved towards the center of the ring.

Valley slid into her fighting stance, started to bounce on her toes, as her eyes never wavered from Alaina. Not for a second. ”Ready if you are.”

Alaina was ready as she circled Valley, knowing that she was ready to take the fight to the amazon. It was up to Alaina to take the fight to her. Alaina moved in trying to grapple with Valley! "Ngh... as long as I can at least make ya work for it the loss won't bug me." Alaina said as the lock up was initiated. While they were the same height Alaina was a very good deal heavier. Alaina wanted to force Valley straight back, into a corner, against ropes..... whatever.

Once she backed Valley up, while she had her hands on her in the lockup the knee strikes would come one after the other! Alaina figured three or so knee strikes to the abdomen would tenderize Valley's abdomen very nicely.

Valley had a feeling Alaina would come at her hard from the start. The Amazon had something to prove, it seemed, so it only made since she wasn’t going to be passive in this bout. Aggression was the order, here.

She was a little taken back to see that much aggression, though. Alaina came at her with a bullish charge, forcing her into a lockup she never had a chance of winning. That wouldn’t have been so bad by itself, there were a dozen ways she could counter that kind of opening...but all of them required her to not have a knee being drilled into her stomach.

She’d never thought of Alaina as much of a striker, but she’d clearly improved in that department. The knees she drove into Valley’s stomach fast and powerful and felt like they went through her body, launching her off her feet each time and keeping her pinned against the ropes while she gasped for air.