Post by djurdjevic on Jun 28, 2019 8:36:50 GMT -5
The Woman Recognised by The Apex
The Following is the tale of the woman who has yet to realize the scope of her destiny. ---------------------------------------------------
Chapter One - Those Beyond Ordinary
Chapter Two - His Name is Djurdjevic
Chapter Three - By Any Means Necessary
Chapter Four - The Shape of This League
Chapter Two - His Name is Djurdjevic
Chapter Three - By Any Means Necessary
Chapter Four - The Shape of This League
Cosmo Cooper had told Katya he would eventually join her. It was a fun little game they played where Cosmo said he would drop his top ten wrestlers for her in a list on Twitter if he could simply join her weekly pool workout. It had turned into a challenge, or competition as he usually did with Cosmo.
Katya would hear his feet slapping against the wet concrete before his voice announced his arrival. The Apex Champion had already removed his shirt and wore a pair of speedos. He had his hair pushed back with a floral headband--a look he had been rocking lately. Cosmo watched her do her own thing for a moment before he walked to the edge and dipped his foot in.
“I heard you needed a partner for today?” He mused as he sat on the edge of the pool and let his legs drop into the water and kicked them lightly. “Good thing we can brand this as team building now. Would absolutely hate it if I got accused of anything.” And after the quip he flashed a smile.
Katya turns poolside and smiled revealing a line of white teeth. “So you came,” she said, giggling. Her eyes were drawn to Cosmo’s headband, but not in disdain. She found his eccentrics amusing. “Oh, yes, sweetie. I can imagine the rumours if Cosmo Cooper was trying to fetch a top, top mail order bride.”
Being slighted as a “Russian Mail Order Bride” by Cartier during the Quag Cup was like water off a duck's back to Katya. For the fun of it, she’s since taken it up as a new nickname for herself. Treading water, Katya gestures for Cosmo to join her. “Come on in. The water’s lovely.”
Cosmo didn’t take his time with her for granted. He knew how many people probably wanted to be in the same situation as his, and in all honesty he liked Katya. Liked Katya beyond just “liking” her pictures on Twitter. They had vibed multiple times over conversations about the business and that seemed to curb any awkwardness there would have been from walking into the pool area like he did.
“I can see that already,” he said flashing a grin and then he put both of his hands underneath him, lifted himself up with his body tensing up, preparing for the chill of the water, and lowered himself into the pool with her. Kicking off the wall and treading water. “It sure isn’t pretty, but I can stay above water.”
The girl didn’t answer at first. She continued to observe Cosmo, tilting her head coquettishly. Cosmo Cooper... There's quite the fanfare…. No matter which wrestling magazine it is, he's featured in it -- Valor Pro's ace who shoulders ‘The Apex’.
He's shouldering it. The title of ‘Apex’ as well as ‘Valor Pro's Ace’, which carries its own endless and unimaginable karma and heavy responsibility. Under the pressure to always fit his image. Being sought out for bigger and bigger matches. And being expected to get results. Others' evaluations of him changed from ‘you're strong’ and ‘you're awesome’ to ‘that's as expected’, and ‘it's the obvious result’.
In order to continue that, he put in untiring labour. He shaved away weaknesses. He shaved away the unnecessary. In order to get stronger, to fight harder, he poured it into his heart's blood.
If that's true, then that means the most reliable person's going to be Katya's tag partner on Sunday. But Katya also recognised it as an increasingly weighty albatross around Cosmo’s neck… and so she resolved to keep things as lighthearted as possible between them.
“Stay above water?” she says, all teeth and bright eyes. “How would you like us to train? I was going to say a race but I don’t want you to drown on me”
“I didn’t take you up on this so I could come out here and bitch out,” he shook his head as he continued to tread water. He couldn’t slice through it as easily as she could. It was a reminder of the ease she had experienced so far on Valor, Cosmo thought. Katya made everything look easy. From posting flawless photos that drove people mad to her record in Valor. Cosmo had felt everything a struggle, from his first match to the last he had been in.
That feeling never went away as champion, like your feet was constantly in concrete buckets, and your ankles tied together. One just simply had to find other ways to survive, and so he had. Cooper had thanked his lucky stars he had been aligned with Katya, because at the end of the day… she was the only he could trust not to stick a knife in his back.
“You look like you’re CPR trained anyway,” he noted her swimsuit. “I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie “Sandlot” but you’re rocking the Wendy Peffercorn with ease over there. It won’t be purposeful if I do drown.” A callback to the movie where a nerd faked drowning to get Wendy to give him CPR.
Katya smirks when she glances at her swimsuit then locks eyes with Cosmo, liking his endearing attitude. She was also aware to have the opportunity to speak with him like this is quite rare. She liked to think she was making a good impression. “I haven’t watched a lot of movies… I could probably count the ones I have on my hands,” she says, something rueful in her tone.
“I’ll keep that one in mind though... In the meantime, it’s good to have something to focus on when you’re swimming to avoid drowning. Maybe I’ll stay in front of you the whole way. Don’t stare too long.” the Russian says, playfully. Katya then turned on her front to plunge into the water in a movement that displayed all her charms, easing into the butterfly stroke with liquid grace.
“Luckily you have red on, easy to spot.” Cosmo called to her just as she went into the motion of her butterfly stroke, for a moment he admired her technique before he made the same motion she had—but definitely not as gracefully. The water barely moved when her body cut through it, but Cosmo left a wake. The water splashed high above his head as he brought his arms forward, but as the cool water washed over him he felt some relief from the stressful days before their meeting.
Somewhere along the path he had given up his current stroke and just spun over to his back. Gently kicking his legs, he closed his eyes and guided himself towards the wall. In the moment relaxing and letting all of the stress go. At the last second his eyes fluttered open as he reached the wall and both of his arms extended above his head to catch himself. It didn’t take him long to lock his gaze back on Katya.
“I think I need some practice.”
With dramatic flair, Katya strokes her chin as though she were a profoundly wise sage, one deep in contemplation before she breaks into a smile. “Well, you could always practice with me! On the weeks leading up to Valor’s shows. You’ll love it. There is much wisdom to be found in swimming.” Mischief sparkles in those green eyes. “Like catching someone off guard!” With gleeful abandon, Katya pounds the water to splash Cosmo with some blasts of water.
He took the first few to the face before finally turning his head away and then wildly splashing her back, cupping his hands and pushing waves of water back in her direction. Katya squeals in faux shock, and didn’t let up on the splashing herself.
It was innocent, playful, and it meant more to Cosmo than anything. In that moment, Katya didn’t seem to care about beating him in a race, and the Apex Championship nor anything wrestling related mattered. It was two kids having fun in a pool. As the splash attack continued, Cosmo forced himself under water and then swam on the bottom of the pool underneath her and popped up on the other side where he continued his attack from behind her now.
“And what are you going to do when I decide to dunk you next?” He quipped as he laid in one more tidal wave of a splash against her before he came to a halt. “It seems you’ve gotten just as good at splashing as you have swimming. I may have to take you up on it. I don’t like to get out much when I have free time, plus the camp for this fight has been hell. I used one of my off days to come and finally get this swim in. Trainers said pool time could count towards some rehab on my day off.”
At the suggestion of Cosmo dunking her, Katya’s green eyes open wide, her pink lips part in an O of surprise. “You wouldn’t..!”
Interpreting Cosmo’s words as him having looked forward to swimming with her, Katya’s smile widens. “You’re welcome to join me anytime, Twinkle Toes! Keep bringing the headband. It suits you.”
For a moment, Cosmo motions as if he was going to dunk her, but instead he tapped her on the head with his fist lightly. A friendly gesture to her as he dropped it back to the side of the pool and then when she mentioned he, he readjusts his headband.
“Think we should go all out in this tag match you know. I have another headband. Let’s rock matching ones, real team shit.” He smirked. “But it definitely is going to look better on me. Also, are we really going to stick with this Twinkle Toes nickname, because if so I’m going to have to fire back with something.”
Katya loses her composure and starts to snicker, imagining themselves staring down Brodie and Callum whilst wearing floral headbands. “That’d be terrific! And ya, you’ve got a super chill ‘Love and Peace’ vibe to you,” she says quickly flashing a peace sign, and making a heart with her hands. “It totally works on you.”
She smirks. “Well, now that you’ve asked, we’re totally sticking with Twinkle Toes.” This causes Cosmo to roll his eyes as he splashed gently at her, not as intense as before.
“Then you’ll forever be my Russian Mail Order Tag Partner then… which also means if I ever need to call upon someone to tag with. You’ll be the one who has to step in. Which from what you’ve been doing lately in Valor… it isn’t a bad call at all.” Cosmo said with his voice full of admiration.
“It isn’t easy to stick with me in Valor and align yourself on my side, I appreciate it. And know I got your back too.” With that he extends his fist out for her.
The sincerity of his voice was genuine. With doubts having swirled through her mind these past weeks, Katya’s heart fluttered at such acknowledgement from him. Katya bumps fists with Cosmo, her eyes light up as if showing him a treasure of hers. “If I wanted things easy, I’d never have stepped through Valor’s doors, sweetie.”
VERSUS: Chris Callum & Brodie SHOW: Blitz 17MATCH: Tag Team w/ Cosmo Cooper