Post by Betsy Gallagher on Jan 31, 2022 22:02:15 GMT -5
Betsy Gallagher sweats as she takes her turn on an exercise bike, her defined calves and strong legs putting in the work to get her ready and primed for action. Her older brother, a well-known wrestling champion in the UK, towers over her as he watches his little sister train. He does not look impressed. Not even in those sweats. With a shake of his head, he gestures for her to stop, which she does. Betsy takes the nearby towel and dries her sweat, placing it around her neck, before looking up at her brother. He sighs and points at the treadmill. Betsy heaves a sigh of her own but simply nods and makes her way towards it. On the treadmill, Betsy waits as her brother pushes the buttons, selects her difficulty. She does not complain.
"Well, you thought wrong. In fact, it's far from over."
After he felt it was time to move on, Betsy's older brother patted her on the back and stopped the treadmill, pointing to the ground. Betsy immediately knew what he meant, and although she was still drenched in a new batch of sweat, she simply did what he wanted her to do and started doing some push-ups. She got to fifty, strained for a bit, mostly because of the exhaustion and the pain, but when her brother gestured for her to stop, she stopped. Betsy panted, breathed heavily, but relished the quick break. She knew it wasn't over. It was never over. Not for a Gallagher. Not while there are still promotions to conquer, championships to win. This was their life. This was the only thing they knew.
"That? That was the easy part. Now it's time to refine the so-called grind. It's time for you to level up, little sis."
Leading Betsy away from the exercise equipment and into another massive room in their family gym in the UK, her brother gestured for her to take the side opposite from him. This room was where they used to wrestle each other as children, when they were younger, and as they grew up, it became a place where they, their siblings, their cousins, and even the lucky few who were chosen to train with her brother and/or their parents, continued to hone their craft, their skills. Betsy grinned, having wanted the opportunity to take down her brother in the middle of the ring for a long, long time, to show him and everyone else that she could hold her own. This wasn't an actual ring but it was close enough. She crouched on the ground, and as soon as he did, she immediately went after his leg.
There was a reason, however, why Charles was considered a national hero. He saw her coming a mile away. Bringing his entire body closer to the ground, Charles avoided her attempt at a take down and instead, in one fell swoop that she had not expected, caught her in a waist lock and doubled her over with a quick pin. Betsy struggled to get out of it and only managed to when the multi-time UK World Champion let her go. He got back up to his feet and challenged her... "Again."
For the next three hours, Betsy and Charles continued wrestling each other. While Charles expectedly won more skirmishes over her, Betsy did pull out a few surprising wins and takedowns for herself. Soon, they were both spent, tired and exhausted, drowning in sweat and short breaths. He gestured for them to stop, to take a much-needed break, and Betsy did not hesitate. The siblings just sat there, in the middle of the room, trying to catch their respective breaths.
"Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. You have a dream? You have to protect it. People who can't do it themselves, they'll tell you you can't do it either. But if you want something, you have to go get it. Period."
After a while, the siblings took to their positions again. Charles nodded at Betsy, gesturing for her to come and take him down. Betsy grinned playfully, and with a roar, charged at her brother, making the challenge with furious determination.
GALLAGHER ACADEMY
UNITED KINGDOM
A FEW DAYS LATER...
UNITED KINGDOM
A FEW DAYS LATER...
Outside of the Gallagher Academy, which was built in the same compound as their ancestral home, Charles greets his young daughter with a smile. He's looking less sweaty and more casual today, in his blue shirt and blue jeans and brown shoes. His daughter, however, has a frown on her face, arms crossed in disappointment and annoyance. "Aunt Betsy's going away... Again. I want her to stay here!"
"Sweetie, darling..." Charles heaved an exasperated sigh, not a fan of this recurring nightmare. This is what always happens whenever Betsy visits their old home, them, when she finally has to leave, to return across the Atlantic where she has made a name for herself, her own home, her own legacy. "...we can go visit her whenever we like." That was true. They could. Unfortunately, Charles' own schedule never really aligns with Betsy's, hasn't aligned for decades now, so it was all but a pipe dream. Still, children like hope, they deserve it, so who was he to deny his own daughter of such sweet nectar? A goddamn British national hero, that's who. "Come. We should bid our goodbyes to your Aunt Betsy." He leads her, the child still scowling, to her favorite aunt's room.
"Come on in! I'm almost finished packing!" Betsy called out to them as soon as Charles knock, even though she already heard their footsteps a mile away. The so-called Titania was busy folding some of her clothes, but they weren't going inside her suitcase. She was just piling some of them on the bed.
Charles raised an eyebrow at this. "You're not taking any of these clothes?"
"You said I could leave some things here, Charles. It isn't polite to show up to my coronation with four suitcases." She mocked him. Charles had been referring for her Warrior Rising Championship opportunity against Casanova English for Proving Ground as her coronation. Betsy herself didn't consider it as such, already taking pride in being able to challenge for the promotion's title after just three successive victories. Win or lose, Betsy was going to give it her all. Charles, however, would not consider the possibility of her losing. First title shot in the company or not, a Gallagher always triumphs in the end.
"Very well. I'll look after your collection of sparkly dresses, Betsy." He mocked her back. As his daughter run up to her aunt to give her one big tight hug, Charles walked up to Betsy's piled up clothes and started looking them over, remembering an old memory from their childhood. "You know you used to cry when you had to wear a dress?"
"At least half of those are suits, not gowns, thank you." Betsy shook her head, remembering the same old memory. She had never been a fan of dresses, what with their billowing lower halves, uncontrollable and spontaneous. Suits were more her jam anyway. Always have been more comfortable for her. Combing her niece's hair, she gave her the sweetest smile she could muster, only for such a sweet child. "Ready to walk me out?"
The girl shook her head, not into the idea of having to say goodbye to her favorite aunt, much to Charles' dismay. Betsy, however, was more patient. "All right then. I'll be back before you know it, Megan, but while I'm gone, borrow anything you want from that pile, all right?" Megan's eyes suddenly lit up. She turned to Betsy's clothes and started browsing them. "T-thank you, Aunt Betsy! You're the best!"
Charles chuckled, shaking his head, before gesturing to Betsy a reminder of her departure. She quickly followed suit, leaving Megan to it, and the siblings began to walk through the halls of the manor towards the exit. "Remember when you used to take me to society parties so girls wouldn't bother you? I'd like to cash in the favor and sneak you into my title match as my corner coach."
"Ha ha, Bets. I think this is going to be really good for you." He shook his head again. They both knew he had other engagements at the time. It would have been near impossible to make it work. Once outside, he took a moment to talk to her before opening the door of the car that should take her to the airport, her suitcase already in the trunk. "I'm glad you came home. You were my first sparring partner, and I still think you're a fine one. I've been by you since day one."
"But I think you're really going to thrive there in Project: Honor. As their Warrior Rising Champion."
"I hope it's not that heavy."
"Oh, I'm sure it'll practically be heavier than your head."
Betsy heaved a sigh as she started to get in the car. "I wish you and Megan could make it."
"To your coronation? If it was on any other day, maybe a month later or prior..."
"Maybe my match could inspire her to break out of her shell." She offered him a sympathetic smile before reaching for the door's handle in an attempt to close it on her own. The siblings gave each other one final look before bidding each other goodbye with just their respective grins. "Maybe it'd be good for me, too."
"Sweetie, darling..." Charles heaved an exasperated sigh, not a fan of this recurring nightmare. This is what always happens whenever Betsy visits their old home, them, when she finally has to leave, to return across the Atlantic where she has made a name for herself, her own home, her own legacy. "...we can go visit her whenever we like." That was true. They could. Unfortunately, Charles' own schedule never really aligns with Betsy's, hasn't aligned for decades now, so it was all but a pipe dream. Still, children like hope, they deserve it, so who was he to deny his own daughter of such sweet nectar? A goddamn British national hero, that's who. "Come. We should bid our goodbyes to your Aunt Betsy." He leads her, the child still scowling, to her favorite aunt's room.
"Come on in! I'm almost finished packing!" Betsy called out to them as soon as Charles knock, even though she already heard their footsteps a mile away. The so-called Titania was busy folding some of her clothes, but they weren't going inside her suitcase. She was just piling some of them on the bed.
Charles raised an eyebrow at this. "You're not taking any of these clothes?"
"You said I could leave some things here, Charles. It isn't polite to show up to my coronation with four suitcases." She mocked him. Charles had been referring for her Warrior Rising Championship opportunity against Casanova English for Proving Ground as her coronation. Betsy herself didn't consider it as such, already taking pride in being able to challenge for the promotion's title after just three successive victories. Win or lose, Betsy was going to give it her all. Charles, however, would not consider the possibility of her losing. First title shot in the company or not, a Gallagher always triumphs in the end.
"Very well. I'll look after your collection of sparkly dresses, Betsy." He mocked her back. As his daughter run up to her aunt to give her one big tight hug, Charles walked up to Betsy's piled up clothes and started looking them over, remembering an old memory from their childhood. "You know you used to cry when you had to wear a dress?"
"At least half of those are suits, not gowns, thank you." Betsy shook her head, remembering the same old memory. She had never been a fan of dresses, what with their billowing lower halves, uncontrollable and spontaneous. Suits were more her jam anyway. Always have been more comfortable for her. Combing her niece's hair, she gave her the sweetest smile she could muster, only for such a sweet child. "Ready to walk me out?"
The girl shook her head, not into the idea of having to say goodbye to her favorite aunt, much to Charles' dismay. Betsy, however, was more patient. "All right then. I'll be back before you know it, Megan, but while I'm gone, borrow anything you want from that pile, all right?" Megan's eyes suddenly lit up. She turned to Betsy's clothes and started browsing them. "T-thank you, Aunt Betsy! You're the best!"
Charles chuckled, shaking his head, before gesturing to Betsy a reminder of her departure. She quickly followed suit, leaving Megan to it, and the siblings began to walk through the halls of the manor towards the exit. "Remember when you used to take me to society parties so girls wouldn't bother you? I'd like to cash in the favor and sneak you into my title match as my corner coach."
"Ha ha, Bets. I think this is going to be really good for you." He shook his head again. They both knew he had other engagements at the time. It would have been near impossible to make it work. Once outside, he took a moment to talk to her before opening the door of the car that should take her to the airport, her suitcase already in the trunk. "I'm glad you came home. You were my first sparring partner, and I still think you're a fine one. I've been by you since day one."
"But I think you're really going to thrive there in Project: Honor. As their Warrior Rising Champion."
"I hope it's not that heavy."
"Oh, I'm sure it'll practically be heavier than your head."
Betsy heaved a sigh as she started to get in the car. "I wish you and Megan could make it."
"To your coronation? If it was on any other day, maybe a month later or prior..."
"Maybe my match could inspire her to break out of her shell." She offered him a sympathetic smile before reaching for the door's handle in an attempt to close it on her own. The siblings gave each other one final look before bidding each other goodbye with just their respective grins. "Maybe it'd be good for me, too."